Volume 25 Issue 14 by Island Waves

Chick-N-Grill

New restaurant debuts in Center for Instruction

A look into the Great God Debate PAGE 5

photo by CONNER TICHOTA

Construction area where the new Chick-N-Gilrill will be located in the Center for Instruction

by CONNER TICHOTA news editor

midst the plethora of construction taking place on campus this semester, a new restaurant is making its debut at Texas A&MCorpus Christi. The new Chick-N-Grill will be available in the Center for Instruction by the Fall of 2014.

According to Jodi Goings, project coordinator of the Planning and Construction department at A&M-Corpus Christi, the project which began construction early this semester is anticipated to conclude this coming June. Chick-N-Grill is a chain restaurant that serves a variety of “build-your-own” baja style dishes including tacos, burrito, quesadeas and salads. Veggitarian options are also available, and, as the name would suggest, the restaurant does

serves chicken tenders. Currently, some of the restaurant’s dishes are being served on campus in the new food truck. These dishes include the ‘street’ tacos and the chicken tenders.

see New grill on the block on pg 3

Summertime swimming

Surfacing internet virus causes concern PAGE 7

University pool opens for the summer by CHRISTINA BOOTHE sports reporter

ummer school can be a drag. It’s rushed and frustrating, and students would much rather be by the water with their friends than in a classroom, staring at a projector screen. Often times, the classes can be a challenge and a difficult experience, as they are condensed into a 6-week crash course that causes students to barely skate by with their hard-earned hours. The Dugan Wellness Center is working hard to make summer fun for every student who is staying and enduring the grueling summer classrooms at the Texas A&M University –Corpus Christi campus. The pool, located just across from Island Hall and adjacent to the Field House, is open all summer with a variety of options for every student. The freshly re-plastered pool offers daily swim hours: 12-1:15 p.m. Mondays – Fridays for lap swimming and 4-7 p.m. for open swim.

On the weekend, the pool is open from 5-7 p.m. for open swim. Swim lessons are also available for students who are uncomfortable with their swimming skills. For those looking to advance their already adept swim skills, the pool has a non-competitive club swim team called Master’s Swim. The goal of the experience is to develop team camaraderie and to help participants to be challenged in a group environment. Exercise and competition in social groups drives individuals to maximize their efforts in an attempt to shine, and the club desires this effect so coaches can teach students the optimal ways to improve their competitive swimming technique. The Master’s Swim Club is open all summer, but can be a monthly experience for those only staying for one session or the other. The pool is also looking for lifeguards to ensure the safety of the swimming environment.

May 15 through May 17, from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., the pool is offering full-fledged lifeguarding classes, which includes CPR and AED training, among others. The cost for the clinic is $185 and comes with training for all lifeguard requirements. For those who are already licensed to lifeguard and just need to renew their CPR license, CPR classes are the last Friday of every month for $55. Swimming can be an incredible relaxation technique after those grueling summer classes. The Texas sun is unbearably hot, and people everywhere are looking for a way to cool down and shy away from the impending doom of heat stroke. Taking advantage of an on-campus pool is the perfect opportunity to rest a sore mind while staying cool and refreshed. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the pool, and can contact Recreational Sports any time to discuss options.

Baseball Siblings: a narrative PAGE 10

HAPPY HOUR

•food•free wifi• HALF OFF FROZEN FRAPS | 3-5 PM EVERY DAY •3 local shops•

VOLUME 25, ISSUE 14

editorial

05.01.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Letter from the editor

a student publication of

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

island waves staﬀ ALEXIS DE LEON editor-in-chief

STEPHANIE WALLACE managing editor

MARIAM AMAYA

advertising manager

AUBREY DANCER layout editor

KATHLEEN RAMIREZ features editor

CONNER TICHOTA news editor

JUSTIN VU NGUYEN

advertising assistant

CHRISTINA BOOTHE TREY SEAL

Dear Island University,

he weather is heating up and the semester is winding down. Here at Island Waves we are preparing to say goodbye to a large portion of our staff. Some of us will be graduating (less than 15 days) others are simply moving on from their position here. For those staying on campus over the summer and through the fall semester, have no fear, Island Waves will still be here. This issue we uncovered what the construction in the Center for Instruction was all about. We got the scoop on the University food truck. We also have a bit of information on what is going on with your personal information on the internet. This week, for those of you not familiar with Corpus Christi festivals, Buc Days is happening. This weekend folks will be able to see the illuminated parade which begins at Buc Stadium and travels around the area. The carnival is still well underway and the funnel cakes are still delicious as ever. Also while you are on your quest to find things to do in Corpus it helps to check the website to any activity spot. We ran a story about the aquarium where I regret to inform you that the price of admission is not $17. The aquarium is a fairly pricey activity, but at least the money earned supports a good cause. The pool on campus is now officially open and it seems a blazing summer is already upon us. While many of us are more than ready to ditch the books and grab a cold one, we have to hold strong these last few weeks for finals. The reward is so much sweeter when there are no worries holding you down. I know it is something easier said than done, but try to stay positive. We are all going through a struggle. Smile even if it is out of deliriousness. Laugh even if it is due to insanity. In the words of John Steinbeck, “A sad soul can kill quicker than a germ.” Sincerely, Alexis De Leon Editor-in-Chief Island Waves

staﬀ reporters

NICK THOMSON

distribution manager

RUTH AIPPERSPACH faculty adviser

AMY KOTULSKI staﬀ adviser

photo courtesy of Frank Kovalchek

write us a letter The Island Waves accepts letters no longer than 250 words. Letters are subject to editing. Send letters to the editor via email at editor@tamucc.edu.

about island waves The Island Waves is a student-produced publication at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. The newspaper is printed weekly, except during summer sessions. Since A&M-Corpus Christi has no journalism department, Island Waves is supported by student fees and advertising sales. Any student or University employee may submit material for publication consideration. To become a contributor, email or call the Island Waves editor.

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news

05.012014

ISLAND WAVES

Destination D’Town

Update on Revitalization of Downtown

photo courtesy of CCTEXASDMD.COM

Completed rendering of the upcoming Cosmopolitan apartments

By CONNER TICHOTA news editor

longside the various construction projects occurring on campus at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, there are numerous projects happening in the neighboring downtown sector of Corpus Christi. The gentrification, or revitalization, of downtown area has been a work in progress for many years. For example, areas along Chaparral Street have been completely renovated as of this past February. What was once the Lichtenstein building will now become an apartment complex, Cosmopolitan Towers. The various revitalization efforts throughout downtown are organized by the Corpus Christi Downtown Revitalization Alliance. The Alliance is a nonprofit organization developed in 2011 in affiliation with the Corpus Christi Downtown Management District. It focuses its efforts on revitalizing, the “D’Town” or downtown areas of Corpus Christi bordered by Interstate Highway 37, N. Kinney Street, N. Lower Broadway and the Marina, also known as T-Head, areas. According to Terry Sweeney, an Executive Director of CCDMD, this organization was created with the goal of creating

a better functioning downtown closer to what people should envision the “D’Town” area to be. “Downtown Corpus Christi, like other downtowns, should function as the heartbeat [of the city],” said Sweeney, “ It should be the civic, corporate, and cultural hub. It’s hard to have a healthy region without having a healthy core. Downtown is very important as an economic engine ... As well as being the pride of the city.” The Alliance will be responsible for other upcoming projects downtown including the construction of the Kennedy Hotel, a $24 million complex consisting of 165 apartments. The project is slated to be completed in nine to 12 months. According to Sweeney, the city of Corpus Christi will be partnering with Goody Clancy & Associates, a firm of architects and various designers focused on improving urban communities. The idea is to have created a plan for the restoration of downtown by June 2015. “ It will help to better connect the fabric of the downtown area,” commented Sweeney. One of the greatest concerns regarding these restoration projects will be cost. According to a news report from Corpus Christi’s KRIS TV News, city hall officials reported that it would take 90 years, and approximately $800 million, to repair all of the residential streets throughout Corpus Christi. This number would not include any major highways or main roads into the budget. Therefore the question remains, how much will the

revitalization of downtown cost citizens? Finding ways to cover the cost of construction is only one of the foreseen difficulties that the Alliance will face. “There is a number of [reasons], economic, quality of life, and other reasons that it is important to revitalize downtown,” said Sweeney, “Why does it need that what they call ‘higher touch’? It’s much more expensive to operate a business, or develop property in an urban environment. Construction cost is more expensive, parking is more expensive. So a lot of times there is an economic gap, so figuring out ways to fill that gap so the private sector…will invest in this area are the challenges.” For more information and updates on ongoing construction downtown, please visit the CCDMD website at cctexasdmd.com.

New grill on the block

According to Reginald Wade, director of University Services, this particular restaurant chain was chosen to be included after the Island University held a taste testing session in the University Center. This session allowed students to try various dishes and take a survey for feedback on the quality of the food. “ It went on for about three hours,” said Wade, “They had a ton of food down there. We didn’t make any money that day, but we fed everybody. We had forms for people to fill out with feedback… all of them were over the top.” The results of the survey were concurrent with Wade’s assessment. Out of 101 surveys returned: 55 students rated the food excellent, 33 rated it very good, 10 thought the food was simply good, two found it fair, and one poor rating. Wade also stated that this chain seemed like the best option to bring back the certain types of baja style food that had been previously removed from the University’s menu.

continued from page 1

“ It’s not just these tacos and wrap, because the students have been telling me they miss the old baja [previous restaurant],” said Wade, “ This gives them a taste of the old baja but it has a spin on it… you are going to see a tremendous value in this as well as a variety in what you get.” Chick-N-Grill is just one of a few new restaurants that will be featured on campus in the upcoming semester. According to Wade, along with the inclusion of the dining hall and ChickN-Grill, Pizza Hut and Panda Express will also be added to the various existing restaurants already found around campus. Although the construction on Chick-N-Grill is expected to be completed in June, it is uncertain whether it will be opened this summer or be unveiled in the upcoming fall semester. Given the small amount of pedestrian traffic during the summer months, the new restaurant will more conceivably be opened in fall 2014. “ The chicken is awesome,” commented Wade, “Every time I

pass that food truck I have to hold myself back, because I know how good it is.” If interested in sampling some of Chick-N-Grill’s dishes, pay a visit to the food truck located in the courtyard by the CI.

See page 4 for rendering of the new Chick-N-Grill

news 4

05.01.2014

ISLAND WAVES Rendering of the new Chick-N-Grill

continued from page 3

photos courtesy of UNIVERSITY SERVICES

above: Schematic of the upcoming Chick-N-Grill bottom left: Mock-up of Chick-N-Grillâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s front counter

PUBLIC HEALTH PROTECT and IMPROVE HEALTH MPH 2016

BS PH

MASTER OF PUBLIC HEALTH in Health Promotion and Community Health Sciences

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE in Public Health (fall 2016)

srph.tamhsc.edu

Questions? Cyndi Torres Beltran (956) 668-6308 Torres-Beltran@tamhsc.edu

features

05.01.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Individuals for Free-Thought Host Annual Campus by KATHLEEN RAMIREZ features editor

respect, we can begin to get the real definition of tolerance. And it’s not being offended by an opposing idea, but instead, acting like grownups, and discussing, engaging, debating and finding out which ideas are better.” Megan Crawford-Grime, a current graduate student at the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom, served as the public relations officer for IF during her time at A&M-Corpus Christi. Crawford-Grime was also one of the students who helped make the organization official in 2009. “It was evident, after a couple years on campus, that free-thinkers were often left out of many groups and subsequent activities, in particular, the religiously and theisticallycharged campus groups,” Crawford-Grime said. “Giving non-religiously affiliated students a voice of their own was overdue. Like any group on campus, we recognized other like-minded people having trouble

finding their own on campus, and Individuals for Free-Thought offered that opportunity.” In addition to their Great God Debate, IF participates in various other activities and fundraisers, including their “Hug-an-Atheist Day” event, where IF members give out hugs in exchange for donations to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. “I think it’s important to keep having the conversation, to keep addressing the elephant in the room, because if we don’t ever talk about it, then nothing will ever change. I don’t debate thinking that I’m going to change that other person’s mind; they’re already convinced that what they believe is true. I do it for the person that isn’t convinced, for the bystanders who are listening and are still on the fence and just need a little push. If I can get one more person standing on the side of reason, I’m satisfied,” Brown-Crecy said. For more information on Individuals for Free-Though, visit individualsforfreethought. com.

photo by KATHLEEN RAMIREZ

ernardo Vargas, Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi alumni, believes in God. Courtney Brown-Crecy, A&M-Corpus Christi art major, does not. On April 15, various A&M-Corpus Christi students gathered in Hector P. Garcia Plaza for the biannual Great God Debate, hosted by Individuals for Free-Thought. “Our most popular event by far, is the Great God Debate, in which we let people grab a microphone and talk about their views on God and religion. It’s fun and it gets a dialogue going between people with completely different worldviews, which I think is a really good thing,” Brown-Crecy, IF president said. Individuals for Free-Thought is a secular organization where atheists, agnostics, skeptics, secular humanists and other likeminded individuals come together to socialize and educate the public on secular values and scientific reasoning.

“If you can respectfully disagree with someone, and walk away knowing that the other person isn’t much different than you, I think we’re all better off for it,” Brown-Crecy said, “People often ask why we b o t h e r to debate at all, what’s the point? We’re not going to change any minds. As long as people are still interested, we’ll keep doing it. Even if we only reach one or two people, it’s still worth it.” Vargas, Baptist Student Ministry intern and devoted Christian, has been attending the Great God Debate for four years now. Although Vargas disagrees with the beliefs promoted by IF, he still believes the debate serves a great cause. “What’s my opinion on the debate? I think it’s great, I think it has a lot of potential. I say this because we have the privilege of opening talking about these issues in a public area at the University,” said Vargas, “God bless America. I think if this debate pushed cordiality and

by KATHLEEN RAMIREZ features editor

am convinced that bunnies are the most sensitive pets in the world. Not only do they require daily brushings, lots of attention and the freshest of foods, they also refuse to drink or eat from any bowl other than their own. To say bunnies are territorial is putting it lightly. Everyday, my bunnies will mark their territory by chinning everything from their

food bowl and litter box, to their hay basket and toys, clearing indicating to the other two what belongs to them. If you so much as let another bunny near their bowl, they will share their thoughts on the matter by having a fullout bunny tantrum. All my bunnies are given their own pellet bowl, water bowl, salad bowl and their own hay basket. Rigby and Pilot have the same kind of salad bowl and the same kind of water bottle.

In order to avoid giving the wrong bowl to the wrong bunny, I have to look for subtle differences. For instance, Rigby likes to chew on his things, so his bowl has little bite marks on it, while Pilot’s is smooth and clear. Rigby’s water bottle has red writing on it, while Pilot’s has blue. Unfortunately, the other week, I messed up, and accidently gave Rigby’s water bottle to Pilot, and vice versa. Being the oblivious bunny slave that I am, I didn’t notice the mistake. It wasn’t until Rigby refused to drink water, that I noticed something was wrong. Mind you, Rigby is like a little camel, he loves his water, and is always the first one to need a refill. Well, on this particular day, he didn’t even touch his water, and I couldn’t for the life of me, figure out why not. It wasn’t until I noticed the mix up and switched their bottles, did he finally start drinking water. Jojo is a different story. Just the other night

he threw a bunny tantrum, and tossed all the hay from his basket all over my living room. Jojo has a fondness for the fuzzy, cattail-like pieces of hay, in fact, he prefers eating these over the straw-like pieces. Now, I do a lot for my bunnies. Unfortunately, picking out and serving only their favorite pieces of hay is not one of them. Jojo didn’t like the fact that he had to dig through the entire basket in search of his favorite pieces, and decided to let me know this by tossing his hay all over the room. In the end, I ended up having to search through the mess of hay that covered my floor, in an attempt to appease the bunny. I spent the rest of the night feeding him his fuzzy hay pieces. Luckily, I was rewarded for my efforts, and given plenty of bunny licks all over my hand.

features 6 ISLAND WAVES

05.01.2014

FRESHMAN

by KATHLEEN RAMIREZ features editor

SPOTLIGHT

irst-year student Joey Ruiz is technically a freshman in years, but is considered a sophomore in hours. Ruiz, a native of Eagle Pass, came to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi with 30 dual credit hours he earned while in high school. “I chose to come to TAMUCC because I heard amazing things about the University, especially the athletic training program. Honestly, what I like most about the campus is the environment, everyone is always nice, and for the most part, when the weather permits, it’s amazing and beautiful outside,” Ruiz said. An athletic training major, Ruiz plans on

continuing his education after graduation, and aspires to earn a master’s degree. After, Ruiz hopes to obtain a job at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado, where he dreams of one day working with Olympic athletes. “I did athletic training in high school, and I’ve always loved helping people, and I love sports. It’s the perfect combination for my passions, and I’ve fallen in love with the program for it here,” Ruiz said. Ruiz is currently a member of the Athletic Trainers organization here on campus, and was also an athletic trainer for the men’s basketball team. He typically spends all his free time at practice or in the Athletic Training Center, working with student athletes. “I have a lot of great memories that have happened this past year, and most of them come

from either basketball games, or in the Athletic Training Center. The people I work with are so funny and amazing that I make memories everyday with them,” Ruiz said. “Whenever I have down time or I need to study, or even if I grab food and need to eat somewhere, I go to the study room of the Athletic Training Center. I’m in there for at least an hour a day.” As part of the athletic training program, Ruiz is required to earn at least 100 clinical hours working at games, practices and treatments. Aside from his athletic training work, Ruiz is currently taking 17 hours of classes, and also works as a lifeguard at the local YMCA. “I work nearly every day of the week, and it can get pretty hectic. To manage all this, plus a job, is beyond crazy. I average about four hours of sleep a night since I also have to throw

in homework and working out,” the athletic training major said. Despite all his hardships and struggles, Ruiz maintains a positive attitude by keeping his overall end dream in mind. “At times, it gets very hard to manage all these things since I have to remember to do everything on my own. No on tells me to do my homework or study for tests, and that is my biggest challenge,” Ruiz said. “But I am very determined to work for what I want, and I know how to enjoy myself when I can.” One other thing that not many people may know about Ruiz is the fact that he’s the admin for the Class of 2017 Facebook page. He was also an All-Star Cheerleader for several years, and has been considering trying out for the A&M-Corpus Christi Cheer and Dance Team.

looking for a JOB ON CAMPUS?

contact CAREER SERVICES for more information

ISLAND WAVES STUDENT NEWSPAPER

editor@tamucc.edu

entertainment

05.01.2014

ISLAND WAVES

How to defend against the internet’s deadliest virus

by TREY SEAL entertainment reporter

n the twenty years that it’s been available, the World Wide Web has encountered a variety of large attacks that were often built for the sole purpose of being a nuisance to unsuspecting carriers. Over those many years, the amount of personal information that we have tied to our online identity has increased by a substantial amount. Sites such as Ebay, Amazon, and PayPal hold the credit card info of millions of customers who hand it over without even blinking. We invest so much trust into these companies that most of the population rarely stops and thinks about the consequences of it being compromised. The reason that the aforementioned sites, along with plenty of other large e-commerce sites, haven’t had their users’ information compromised is due to a standardized privacy tool known as SSL. SSL verifies that a transaction between two entities, in most cases a customer and a business, occurs successfully with no interference. For years, SSL enabled websites have been safe from the majority of cybercrimes involving monetary theft due to its near impenetrable barriers. In early April 2014, expert hackers made an unprecedented move by breaking through, compromising the personal information of millions of internet users’ in the process. By exploiting a small mistake in regards to how the program verifies Administrative users, the hackers convinced the program to give them authoritative access into the system’s infrastructure. The bug has been given the name “Heartbleed”. The scariest aspect of the bug is its lack of visual presence. The bug is so inconspicuous that the only way to check for its presence is to run an app that specifically searches for its presence. Internet Security expert Bruce Schneier explains on his website that Heartbleed “allows

attackers to eavesdrop on Communications, steal data from services and individuals in order to impersonate their online presence using all of their inputted personal info.” In order to get a better understanding of what this means to the internet, I spoke to a student computer expert who asked to remain anonymous. “This is huge, SSL is the gold standard for security,” the student said, “Other tools don’t come even close to that level of protection.” Since nobody has been apprehended for the attack yet, I asked my student reference about what tools would be needed to cause such damage. “Computers are cheaper than ever,” he said, “The parts are dirt cheap and anybody with $700-800 can build a computer capable of taking down a mid-sized website.” The Heartbleed virus is a wake-up call to the mass population, and the entire tech industry that shows just how volatile a medium the internet is. As the technology gets better, so will their methods of obtaining data. One ideal solution could be transitioning the internet towards the bitcoin virtual currency which acts as a cash alternative using digital code and constant transaction monitoring in order to reduce fraudulent transactions. Another solution would be to delete user information from a digital storefront every time that you perform a transaction. This would prevent the information from always sitting on a company’s servers which would make risk dramatically decline. Heartbleed can be seen as a major milestone in the history of the internet. It will be remembered alongside notorious bugs such as the Y2K bug and the Sony incident (which resulted in the sabotage of Sony’s’ PlayStation Network, and the theft of various forms of information from approximately 77 million people). The only thing that can be learned from all of it is be wary about what you put on the internet.

entertainment 8

05.01.2014

image courtesy of CRYSTAL BYRD

ISLAND WAVES

by TREY SEAL entertainment reporter

aking major life changes can be tough. It’s easy to say that you want to turn your life around but when guidance isn’t within immediate reach, execution can become discouraged. The Start Your Life Group is a part of the Isagenix Corporation which sells nutritional and dietary supplements that aid in weight loss. Isagenix as a whole sells to a variety of demographics but Start Your Life is focused on the 18-35 age range audience, with more youth-centric leadership. Isagenix encourages its consumers to market the product to others in exchange for a commission check based on the amount of product sold. In order to get a better understanding of the company, I interviewed local company representative Crystal Byrd. Byrd, a former student of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has been working with Isagenix for

several years. “Isagenix previously didn’t see young adults as a viable market,” said Byrd, “The Start group was founded to show them otherwise. Many young people are using this opportunity in order to help gain extra finances by spreading the word about the product and getting others to join. “It gives college students the opportunity to become financially independent. When the founders of Isagenix, Jim and Kathy (Coover) started this company, they started it with the desire to make a positive impact on world health. America is not the only place encountering health issues right now, this is a global issue whether its simple sicknesses or diet and lifestyle related choices; obesity is a problem in a lot of countries now, it’s not just us anymore.” “The company is focused on spreading the message that you can be healthy, you can keep your busy lifestyle, and age well. We’re here to help people do just that.” Though Isagenix is primarily a business, the

Start Your Life group works to personalize the experience by giving its members a support group and mentors to guide them towards a better future. “Our mission statement is to ignite all young people to own their lives physically and financially and through our contributions create an everlasting legacy,” said Byrd, “We want to help young people to understand that the economy is not what it used to be. In our grandparents’ generation, they lived by the idea of working for the same company for forty years and then being taken care of when it came to retirement. We want to teach college students about entrepreneurship as an optional career path. We have single parents who sell our product as side income to their full time jobs.” The products that Isagenix distribute are meal supplements that consists of protein shakes and snacks such as low-calorie crackers and soups. The Isagenix website doesn’t sell its own products in order to encourage the

entrepreneurial spirit of the company. When I asked Byrd about what type of future she envisions for the Start your life group, she said that the group is already working towards one of its major goals which is expanding its business globally. “Isagenix just opened in Colombia and Australia has been doing really well,” she commented, “Our future is just expanding even further across the globe in order to spread our message of health and wellness.” When asked about what she loves about the company, Byrd responded, “I love that it’s accessible to anyone, it’s a product that fits into a workers day. I started the program to see if it would be good for me to use as a healthy meal alternative for throughout the day. I began to experience the unexpected (to me) side effect of weight loss. In regards to my company position, I love seeing the people that I mentor grow into better, stronger people. More info about Start Your Life can be found at Startyourlife.me.

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04.24.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Island Waves

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sports 10

05.01.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Baseball and brother

by CHRISTINA BOOTHE sports reporter

confidence, and it was evident on his face that he was inside his element, having the time of his life, treasuring each second he was allowed to participate in the beautiful eing a sibling is a tough job, period. It’s game of baseball. even harder when your brother plays My brother’s team lost, 2-3, in the college baseball at a different university bottom of the ninth inning. It was a tight from yours, and then, those two universities game with plenty of great plays by talented compete. athletes on both teams. For an NAIA school, That’s exactly what happened to me on the Jaguars represented well against the Tuesday night, April 22, when the University Division I Islanders. But it wasn’t about of Houston at Victoria traveled down to a win or a loss – not to me, at least not Corpus Christi to take on our Islanders. anymore. My brother, Joshua, plays first base for It’s going to be rare to see a game the UHV Jaguars. Naturally, my tendency where an athlete hits an inside-the-park is to root for him and his team. But I am home run. Watching Tierney achieve that also the sports reporter for the Islanders. feat was incredible. He raced around the I’m sure there’s a clause somewhere in my bases and all hearts in the stadium stopped contract that says that I could lose my job for a brief moment, certain that he wouldn’t if I don’t pledge undying allegiance to the make the play. Islanders and name my first child after As he approached third base, the Hector P. Garcia. impossible became real. When he crossed So I sat there, in my bedroom, home plate it was done, it was incredible, contemplating this massive dilemma, and it was inspiring. Any game where you wondering if my loyalty lay in blood or in are privileged by watching an awesome career. play like that is a blessing, regardless of The game came on a beautiful Tuesday who wins or loses. evening, and my grandparents, mother, But more important than that, for and sisters came to watch Joshua play and me, was the joy of watching my brother to visit me here. The game kicks off and succeed and do what he loves most. I’ve several of my friends show up to watch my never seen a kid with a love for anything brother play and to meet my wonderful the way Joshua loves baseball. family. As we’re sitting there, my dear He’s tailoring his whole life around his friend and next-door neighbor, Ashanti, career, completely and utterly dedicated looks at me mock-accusingly and says, “I to taking it as far as he can and working can’t sit near you! You’re the enemy.” as hard as possible so that, years down the It was then evident whom I was rooting road when he’s done, he can say that he for. My former attempts to only clap when gave it his everything. my brother made good plays or had a hit My brother inspires me to be a better were lost as I became a full-fledged Jaguar person, more patient, more dedicated, and photo courtesy of Sarah Goldsmith supporter, uncaring of the jeopardy this put Twins Sarah Goldsmith and her brother attend a baseball game for their birthday, both supporters of opmore loyal, every day. He may annoy me my academic and professional career in. to no end when I can’t walk into his dorm pisite teams. It was only shortly after when my room without him pelting me with one of brother walks up to the plate and hits a his variety of Nerf guns, but my respect for bomb of a double that takes a one-hop to him at the end of the day is innumerable. underdog story – I wanted my Islanders to do baseball game. And it started to be about, not the wall and my outsides are screaming Watching him confirm his excellence in really well, too. who won, but instead each team exhibiting character and in skill at a baseball game against about half as much as my insides are that I Then Brandon Tierney hit an inside-the- their players in a way that brought up their my team was awesome. truly discover my own allegiance – my family. park home run and all I could think about was statistics. I wanted my brother to have success, But, despite my desire for my brother’s team to Root for character, and root for “dang, Tierney sure has some wheels on him, a good hitting game and some stellar plays like success. Teams win and lose, but honorable be victorious, I still wanted my dear Islanders it’s no wonder the kid plays a collegiate sport Tierney had just had. to do well. people will always prevail. And remember AND OH MY GOSH the Jaguar outfield is BLIND! As if he was handing me a birthday present, I wanted their pitching to be solid and each that one choice in a baseball game doesn’t Grandma could get in there and do better than my brother steps up to the plate and faces his determine your entire relationship with either player to represent in the ways that I knew that—I can’t believe number freaking 12 just old Alvin Junior College teammate, AJ Flores, your school or your family. Sit back, relax, and they could. Our island baseball team is filled with young men who are gifted with athletic rounded all of the bases and made it home and and knocks one of the bat on the first pitch enjoy the game. Whoever wins, wins. Just beat the ball, that’s not supposed to happen in with the kind of aggressiveness I’ve only ever watch it play out. prowess and continually do their team proud. college baseball.” seen from him when I eat his chocolate ice So, even though I wanted my brother and his Then I started to slowly settle into the cream and he catches me. friends to win the game – I do love a good fact that this was going to be one heck of a His statistics began to rise and so did his

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sports

05.01.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Track & Field Concludes Softball Wins Third Straight Series with 3-2 Win over SHSU Regular Season H

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OUSTON – The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi track and field teams concluded their 2014 regular season in successful fashion, with numerous top 10 finishers, as well as a couple of new school records during the J. Fred Duckett Twilight Meet, which was hosted by Rice. “We had a really solid day out here today,” head coach Shawn Flanagan said. “As a team, we are coming together at the right time, and our student-athletes look to be at the their peak performance as we close out the regular season and head into the Southland Championships.” Once again, it was Angelo Garland and David Carrillo battling it out for the fastest time in school history in the 400-meters, as both runners cracked the 48-second barrier, which had never been done by any Islander. However, in the end it was Garland coming out on top, as his 47.22 time was not only good enough for a new school record and a fifth-place finish in a very tough field, but it also puts him third in the Southland. Carrillo was right behind, coming in ninth with a time of 47.80, which is the seventh quickest time in the league. The other Islander record that fell on the day was also one that has seen its demise several times throughout the year, as out in the field, Omesha Locke improved upon her longest throw in the discus once again, as this time she heaved a throw of 45.47m (149’ 2”) to come in third. Some very impressive personal records where also set on the day, none more so than Brandie Garcia shaving 32 seconds off of her previous fastest time in the 5000-meters, leading the Islanders with a time of 17:56.13 to finish eighth. The Islanders also excelled on the men’s side in the 500m, as they recorded the fourth through sixth fastest finishers. Pacing the group was Jason Garcia in 15:13.56. He was followed by Christiph Hintz, who came around in 15:14.52, while Edgar Martinez set a PR at 15:15.06 to finish sixth. In the 1500m, Philipp Baar had the highest finish for the Islanders, coming around in 3:51.82 to finish seventh. However, the women’s side of the event saw two members of A&M – Corpus Christi set some new individual marks, as Cecilia Jones ran a season best 4:42.07 to come in at 17th, while Samantha Hardin knocked 10 seconds off her previous personal record to finish 24th at 4:46.86. The best performance in the sprints came from Ashley Rosebrough in the 400-meters, as she set a new personal record, clocking a time

photo by GoIslanders

of 57.03 to finish 19th in a very competitive event. Back out on the field, Brandi Huff joined Locke with some solid marks in the throwing events. While she came in ninth in the shot put with a toss of 13.47m (44’ 2.5”), her best showing came in the javelin, as she recorded her third best heave of her career, improving by four feet on her season best, with a throw of 41.12m (134’ 11”). For the men, Skyler Coffman posted the best result in the field, as he set a new personal record in the high jump with a clearance of 1.91m (6’ 3.25”). The Islanders will now turn their sights on the most important meet of the season, as they will take a week off before traveling to Conway, Ark., for the 2014 Southland Conference Championships on May 9-11.

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ORPUS CHRISTI – Liz Carter scattered five hits in a complete-game victory, as the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi softball team knocked off Sam Houston State 3-2 on Sunday at Chapman Field. The Islanders (15-33, 10-13 Southland) won their third straight conference series and have gone 8-3 over their last 11 league games. Carter surrendered two runs, but only one of them was earned, and gave up just one walk. She also punched out three, improving to 1217 on the year. Shelby Lancaster was carded with the loss for the Bearkats (25-23, 14-9), surrendering seven hits and one walk in six innings, as only one of the three runs she gave up was earned. Mickayla Cochran went 2-for-4 for the Islanders, while five other players had one hit apiece. Sarah Allison was the lone Bearkat with multiple hits, going 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored. Prior to the game, A&M-Corpus Christi honored its four seniors – Valerie Perez, Jamise Jackson, Laura Phillips and Constance Brandenburg – for their final home weekend contest. The Islanders did all their damage in the bottom of the fifth. Mackinzee Griebel reached on an error with one out, and A&M-Corpus Christi followed with three straight singles. Perez sent Griebel to second on a single inside the left-field line, and Carter followed by smashing a single to left, plating Griebel to cut the deficit to 2-1. Brittney Morse came up next, and ripped a ball on the left side for an RBI single of her own as Perez tied it up. Jackson capped it off with a groundout that plated Carter for a 3-2 Islanders lead.

After the Islanders took the lead, Carter then had an impressive sixth inning to retain the advantage. The freshman got the leadoff hitter on a groundout, then surrendered a 12-pitch walk to Hillary Adams. Allison then got ahead 3-0, but Carter put the next nine pitches in the strike zone, the final one falling into Cochran’s glove in center field. Carter then struck out Tori Koerselman looking to end the inning and maintain a one-run lead. In the seventh, Carter got the first two batters before Jessica Slater reached on a bunt single. She then advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Perez made a tremendous basket catch in foul territory to finish off the victory for the Islanders. Early on, both pitchers were strong, keeping it scoreless for the first three innings. A&MCorpus Christi had the best opportunity early in the contest, threatening with a strong inning in the bottom of the second. Cassie Carroll started the rally with a one-out single, and a fielder’s choice left Lindsey Lyles at first with two away. Dani Tefft and Cochran followed with infield singles, but a groundout by Griebel ended the threat. The Bearkats were the first to crack the scoreboard, plating a pair of runs in the top of the fourth. Tiffany Castillo led off by singling up the middle, and pinch-runner Dani Allen stole second to move into scoring position. Carter bounced back with a strikeout of Adams, but Allison sent a single through the left side, scoring Allen to make it 1-0, and advanced to second on the throw to the plate. After an error put runners at the corners, Alyssa Coggins sent a sacrifice fly to center to push the advantage to 2-0.

Men’s and Women’s Tennis Advance to Southland Finals for Second Straight Year F

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or the second straight year the Texas A&M - Corpus Christi men’s and women’s tennis teams have advanced to the finals of the Southland Conference Tournament. The No. 1 seed men’s team (18-9, 6-0 SLC) secured a 4-0 win over No. 4 New Orleans (6-11, 2-4 SLC) in the semifinals and will face No. 3 seed Lamar in the championship match at 11 a.m. on Sunday. The No. 2 seed Islanders women’s team (215, 11-1 SLC) garnered a tight 4-2 win over No. 3 McNeese State (16-7, 10-2 SLC), and will face Northwestern State in a rematch of last season’s championship match. “Unbelievably good battles,” Director of Tennis Steve Moore said. “New Orleans played an incredible match against some tough seniors that really fought hard today. It was windy, we had to really pay the price and really suffer with our legs. It was a match that could have slipped away from us. A lot of respect for New Orleans.” The men’s team came out strong to win the doubles point on courts one and three to take a 1-0 lead. The tandem of Peter Nagy and Guillaume Rauseo cruised to an 8-2 victory over Timo Kranz and Gonzalo Garcia in No. 1 doubles before the sophomore pair of Ricardo Mayagoitia and Javier Pujol grinded out an 8-5 win over Chris Appelgren and Rui Silva in No. 3 doubles. The Islanders kept fighting to win three straight in singles play to clinch the match. Freshman Paul Cook padded the Islanders lead to 2-0 after topping Appelgren in a straight-set match in No. 6 singles. Cook rolled past Appelgren 6-1 in the first before winning a tight 7-6 tiebreaker in the second. Cook fell behind 4-0

in the second set before fighting his way back to win a 9-7 tiebreaker and his sixth straight match. Nagy then followed with a 7-5, 6-4 victory over Kranz in No. 1 singles. The twotime Southland Conference Player of the Year opened with an early 5-2 lead before Kranz answered with three straight games to knot the set at 5-5. Nagy then secured the win after winning two straight games. In the second set, the junior built an early 4-2 lead before earning the Islanders their third point of the day with a 6-4 second-set win. Nagy has won seven straight matches for an overall record of 19-3 at the No. 1 slot. With the Islanders in front 3-0, Rauseo squeezed out a third-set tiebreaker at No. 5 singles to clinch the match for the Islanders. The sophomore breezed past Romain Lefevre, 6-0, in the first set before dropping a 7-6 (3) second set. In the third, Rauseo fell behind 5-4, before battling his way back to force a tiebreaker. In the tiebreaker, Rauseo jumped out early and maintained his lead to win 7-4 and clinch the match for the Islanders. In the other three singles matches, Mayagoitia was leading 5-4 in the third set over Garcia in No. 2 singles, while Pujol was also in a third set, trailing Silva, 2-1, in No. 3 singles. In the final singles match, Westmoreland was going neck-and-neck with Gregor in the No. 4 slot in a third set. After a 28-point tiebreaker in the first set that led Gregor to a first-set win, Westmoreland garnered the second set, 6-4. In the third, Westmoreland was ahead 2-1 when the match was clinched. The men’s team returns to the finals for the second straight year for a chance to make their fifth trip to the NCAA Team Championships in the last seven years. The Islanders will face

the Cardinals, who topped Nicholls 4-1 in the semifinal round. On the women’s side, the Islanders will also return to the finals after fighting out a 4-2 win over McNeese State. After falling behind 2-0, the Islanders clinched their next three singles matches to push ahead 3-2. In the final two singles matches the Islanders were forced to a third set after winning the first set on both courts. With Maider Martin ahead 5-4 in the third set in No. 3 singles, freshman Judit Vives clinched the match for the Islanders in the No. 2 slot after her opponent Sara Castellano was issued with a code violation in the third set. “I feel bad at how it ended, McNeese has had an amazing season. We beat them in a position that people would have given us the least chance at. They are great at one and two. They have superstars at one and two, and to win out there fighting and grinding like we did. Judit and Maider they never quit fighting. For our seniors, I think that everyone fought a little extra for those four special seniors, and you can’t ask a team to fight harder than how we fought today,” Moore said. The women’s team lost the doubles point after dropping two out of the three matches. The sophomore duo of Martin and Celia Rodriguez took care of business in No. 2 doubles with an 8-0 sweeping victory over Anastasia Surkova and Vivien Borbely. However, the Cowgirls answered back with consecutive wins on courts one and three to clinch the doubles point. Julia Kral and Annabelle Peacock defeated the Islanders duo of Stefania Nicolae and Kerry Galhos, 8-1, in the No. 3 slot, before Klaudia Gawlik and Castellano topped the senior-freshman pair of Sandra Burges and Vives, 8-1, in No. 1 doubles.

McNeese State built a 2-0 lead after Gawlik sealed a 6-3, 6-0 victory over Nicolae in No. 1 singles. The Islanders didn’t give up though as they fought their way back with three straight-set singles wins. Galhos picked up a 6-4, 6-3 victory over Peacock in No. 6 singles before Rodriguez posted her 14th consecutive singles win in the No. 4 spot. The sophomore powered past Surkova, 6-2, 6-2, to improve to 21-3 and a perfect 17-0 in No. 4 singles. Burges then kept the rally going with a straight-set win over Borbely in No. 5 singles to push the Islanders in front 3-2. The senior won her sixth straight match to improve to 20-5 and 14-2 in the No. 5 spot. The match then came down to the final two singles matches on courts two and three. Vives edged Castellano, 7-6 (1) in the first set before falling 6-1 in the second set. In the third, the Southland Conference First Team honoree broke serve to go ahead, 5-4, before Castellano slammed the ball against the back of the court for her second code violation, which resulted in a game penalty, and awarded Vives her sixth point of the set and the match. The Barcelona, Spain native has now won 13 straight matches for an impressive 19-1 singles record in her first year. In the final singles match, Martin propelled to a 6-1 first-set win over Kral in No. 3 singles, before falling 6-4 in the second set. In the third, Martin pushed ahead 5-4 when the match was clinched. The Islanders will take on the defending Southland Conference Tournament Champions Northwestern State in the finals at 2 p.m. on Sunday. The Islanders and Lady Demons shared the regular-season title after they both tallied an 11-1 record.