Volume 25 Issue 8 by Island Waves

Ward Island security status Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi security measures up to other A&M system campuses

The horrors of Spring Break

PAGE 5

photo by AUBREY DANCER

Parking garage at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi remains under constant surveillance

by CONNER TICHOTA news editor

exas A&M University-Corpus Christi, though a smaller campus in the A&M system, appears to have comparatively low reports of drug and alcohol abuse on campus. Statistics provided for the past three academic years (2010-2012) by the Annual Security and Safety Reports revealed some interesting ﬁgures. In each of the reports provided to the Department of Education by each campus, the Island University, on average, had a smaller numbers of arrests, or citations, related to drugs or alcohol than other universities in the A&M system (see infographics). Furthermore, the Island University boasted some of the lowest number of

referrals for disciplinary action regarding drugs and alcohol. One exception to both accounts was Texas A&M-Galveston, which had an overall 2,014 student enrollment compared to A&M-Corpus Christi’s 10, 508 students recorded in 2012. This raises questions as to why the Island University maintains such a low volume of incident in comparison to the rest of the system. Perhaps it the size of the University, the lack of university sponsored Greek houses, dutiful Resident Advisors, a vigilant police department or even an effective deterrence of the judicial disciplinary system that explains this occurrence. According to the Student Conduct Handbook, any student caught in violation of the drug and alcohol policy will be disciplined pending a hearing with a Hearing Body and Appellate Board. Current Student

Conduct Officer, Kristina Yzaguirre, confirmed the procedures of this process. “The first thing that occurs is that our office receives a report of alleged behavior,” wrote Yzaguirre in an email. “We then send notice to the student and invite them to come in for a pre-conference meeting where we discuss what allegedly happened, what our process is and what is afforded to them through that process.”

Personal love ads PAGE 8

see Campus Security on pg 3

Corpus Christi art and music walk by VICTOR CANALES entertainment reporter

owntown Corpus Christi’s Art Walk is an event that most locals, and now tourists, are familiar with. However hard working individuals behind the art and music and the purpose of the coordination of these events, along with others, is what is less wellknown.

The Corpus Christi Art Walk is just one of several ongoing attempts to revitalize and reorganize the downtown area. The primary force behind the events is the Corpus Christi Downtown Management District (DMD), which according to the group’s Facebook page, “is a state-authorized improvement district established and governed by property owners to inﬂuence and enhance a positive environment for Downtown’s economic base.”

Southland Conference photo by Michael Coghlan

PAGE 10

see Art Walk on pg 7

HAPPY HOUR

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

VOLUME 25, ISSUE 08

editorial

03.20.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Letter from the editor

a student publication of

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

island waves staﬀ

Dear Island University, 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 VICTOR CANALES ANDREW LIGUEZ TREY SEAL staﬀ reporters

NICK THOMSON

distribution manager

RUTH AIPPERSPACH faculty adviser

AMY KOTULSKI

lease be forgiving when reading this issue. Much like the University Center being turned upside down and almost unrecognizable Island Waves had a rough transition over spring break. Rough transition meaning no one was really ready to come back. This issue we wanted to bring a little bit of everything to the paper. A little bit of everything is fairly difficult to do with such a small staff but what we lack in size we make up for in wit. Take notice of page 12 which will hopefully shed better light on where all the movements have happened in and around the University Center. I found myself almost teary eyed over the loss of El Mercado. Where do I go to get my RedBull and hot fries fix? Being a student is hard enough without the loss of valuable munchies whose saturated fats and heart pumping caffeine are the very life force that keep the student body sane and functional (for the most part). On the other hand, losing the UC during my last semester on campus is also a rather large bummer. Something tells me it will feel like losing a significant other, family member or friend, and never really getting closure or a chance to say goodbye. Now back to the subject of spring break. I am still hoping someone will send Island Waves photos of terrifying things they witnessed during the break. Had I known back in my more formative years that I would one day have the ability to print virtually anything in a mass communicated forum I would have taken photos of the horrors I witnessed all those years back on the beaches of Corpus Christi. Let me also take this chance to reiterate that Island Waves will continue to strive to produce a paper worthy of chuckles between class, eyebrow raising and the “ah” of realization. To the senior Islanders counting the days until graduation (58 days until May graduation) and wondering where El Mercado has gone, perhaps administration will surprise us all and shower us with various munchies (eh hem hot fries) during our graduation to thank us for putting up with construction headaches on top of anxiety, insecurity and making it to class even with massive hangovers. Ok that last one is more of a personal victory, but seriously a surprise we do not have to pay for would be epic at graduation. Islanders of 2014 forever epic.

staﬀ adviser

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.

Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question? Have an Idea? Have an Issue?Have an Opinion? Have a Concern? Have a Question?

Write to us. Send letters to Editor@tamucc.edu

news

03.20.2014

ISLAND WAVES

continued from page 1

Campus Security After this meeting, each student goes through a hearing in which they can present their case and explain their interpretation of events. The board then deliberates and provides a letter to the student addressing whether or not they were found in violation of the code and, if so, what disciplinary measures will proceed. “Sanctions vary widely and are based on factors such as the severity of charge, the student’s role, past behavior, etc.,” said Yzaguirre. “Most of our sanctions are educational in nature. Parental notification, online alcohol and drug courses, community service and research or reflection papers are pretty common.” Remarkably, the available data from A&M-Corpus Christi’s Annual Security and Fire report shows that during the past three years RA’s have not had to report more than 10 resident students to the Student Conduct Officer for drug abuse. Furthermore, they have not had to report more than 20 resident students for alcohol abuse. According to Kerry Day, Director of the RA program at Camden Miramar, the RA’s are responsible for ensuring safety and protocol within the dorms. “They do rounds routinely, twice a night,” said Day. “If they get called, they go wherever they need to. They hold on call hours, so they are reachable any time of the day.” In the event a RA was called to

investigate a situation, once they arrive to the location, if the RA detects that someone is in violation of any policy, including drugs or alcohol, they would write up a referral for the Student Conduct Officer. “If they go to a noise violation, for example, and there is nothing alarming then there is nothing [to report],” said Day. “If they go to a situation and there is alcohol and drugs, that is reported. They’re just reporting the facts of what they see and experience.” Day also acknowledged that if a call comes in after hours the police are usually already at the scene by the time the RA arrives. This entire process of prevention and discipline may be part of the reason why the Island University sports such low numbers in its annual crime reports. Realistically, it is most likely due to a combination of the aforementioned factors along with the possibility that if students at A&M-Corpus Christi are exhibiting such behavior, they do not do so oncampus. The Annual Security and Fire Report, provided by UPD, is required to be made open to the public by law under the Cleary Act. The 2013 report has yet to be released by UPD. For more information regarding the various Security and Fire Reports of the A&M system, or the Cleary Act please visit the Department of Education’s security database.

below: information graphic based on information provided by the Security and Fire Report from the Department of Education’s database

news 4

03.20.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Kinesiology Professor Frank Spaniol to Appear on Stan Lee’s ‘Superhumans’ CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Dr. Frank Spaniol, Professor of Kinesiology at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, recently traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, to appear in his second episode of Stan Lee’s “Superhumans.” Spaniol served as an on screen sport

science expert to analyze the skills of Kie Willis, a renowned free runner and parkour world champion from London, England. The show is scheduled to air this spring on the History Channel. Spaniol, a national and international leader

in sport science research, has traveled across the nation and around the world to share his expertise. He has published numerous articles in national and international journals and has been awarded more than 20 research grants for exercise science and instructional

technology. In July 2009, Spaniol was also honored as a National Strength and Conditioning Association Research Fellow for his expansive experience and national and international recognition as a sport performance researcher.

Early Childhood Development Center Awarded FOCUS Grant CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – The Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi was awarded a FOCUS grant of $250 on Friday, March 7. The money from the grant will fund the ECDC Library’s Bluebonnet Book Club, a reading

program implemented by the ECDC that motivates and encourages students to explore beyond the book through research, activities, and conversations about what they are reading. ECDC Librarian Julee Murphy was joined

by the fourth grade class to accept the grant award. Murphy hopes to use this money to help foster the ultimate success of her students. The “For Our Children’s Ultimate Success” (FOCUS) Foundation was founded by the

Coastal Community Teacher’s Credit Union in 2005. In less than a decade, it has awarded more $100,000 to school across the Coastal Bend region.

English Department Recognizes Outstanding Literary Works at Haas Writing Awards CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas– The Department of English at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi recognized outstanding literary works written by undergraduate and graduate students at the Haas Writing Awards event held on February 27 in Island Hall. Each

student winner received a certificate of achievement and a small stipend. The Paul and Frances Haas Endowment allows the department to celebrate the art of writing in all forms—essay writing, literary analysis, textual studies, research, fiction,

technical and professional works, linguistics, and rhetoric. Professors submit outstanding papers written in their courses, and anonymous judges read at rate submissions for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places in the following categories:

1301, 1302, 2000, 3000, 4000 literature, 4000 rhetoric and composition/ linguistics, creative writing, services learning, and technical and professional writing.

University Researcher Publishes New Book for Beach Lovers CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Dr. Richard Davis, a Research Associate at the Harte Research Institute at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, has recently published a book titled “Beaches of the Gulf Coast.” The book was released on Jan. 20, 2014, via Texas A&M

University Press. Davis, a Coastal Geologist, uses his scientific discipline and insight to present a basic representation and understanding of beach environments, how they change, and what impact human interaction has on that

change. The book goes in to detail about the differences between natural beaches and beaches that have human habitation, and the common wildlife found on and around Gulf Coast beaches. It includes a chapter on each of the Gulf states, plus one on Mexico and Cuba.

The book includes photographs, charts, maps and satellite images to help convey a basic understanding of these environments for any person who lives near or on the beach and for those who simply love to visit Gulf Coast beaches.

Former Biology Professor Publishes Book of Deep Sea Life Paintings CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – Dr. David McKee, a retired Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Marine Biology professor of more than 30 years, recently published a new book titled “Fire in the Sea: Bioluminescence and Henry Compton’s Art of the Deep.” The book collects paintings and writings on deep sea marine life by the late Texas marine biologist Henry Compton. The book was released in late January, and is currently

available for purchase courtesy of Texas A&M University Press. McKee, a long-time admirer of Compton, has compiled this work into a comprehensive collection including supplementary material by McKee and other contributors. McKee acts as curator for this book and highlights Compton’s work. He added additional chapters on topics such as bioluminescence, life in the deep, life history information and

more. McKee’s previous work includes “Fishes of the Texas Laguna Made” (2008) and “A Dichotomous Key of the Fishes of the Gulf of Mexico” (2011). Compton was a marine biologist with the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Rockport, Texas. Compton was present for the initial discoveries of a number of deep sea creatures in the Gulf of Mexico. He photographed these organisms in a

dark room he created at his home, and added prose, often going father than descriptions and constructing elaborate narratives based on what he imagined their lives would have been like. After Compton’s death in 2005, his family discovered his paintings and writing in his home, which many people had never seen.

features

03.20.2014

ISLAND WAVES

t was spring break time and like any other 24 year old college student, I wanted to catch up on all the reading I had to postpone for midterms. I have to confess that although I like thought provoking novels, I also like the ones I can read for a carefree time. Therefore, when I found out Handler would be putting out a new memoir on the crazy travel adventures she has been on, I knew I had a date with funny, witty, and, most important, carefree for Spring Break 2014. I will be the first to tell you, as a Copy Editor and now Managing Editor, that I am strict when I read books. My mind automatically goes to the errors or syntax issues and corrects them. Although there are a few errors in this

memoir, I read it in one day flat. It starts off with Handler on a safari to South Africa with her closest friends and goes on to talk about the adventures and ridiculous situations she gets herself into. I will not spoil any laughs for you, but it is hilarious, especially if you are familiar with her past books and late night show “Chelsea Lately.” Latenight should give away that she is not someone who writes for the family oriented reader, but that is especially why I love her. She is proof that you can be single, a girl with a dysfunctional family/life, and still kick ass. I recommend this for anyone who wants to have a laugh and forget about the serious stuff for an evening. Also, with senioritis kicking in, for anyone who just wants to not think about school. Enjoy!

image courtesy of BARNESANDNOBLES.COM

by STEPHANIE WALLACE managing editor

photo courtesy of CLASSICHORRORCAMPAIGN.COM

by ANDREW LIGUEZ entertainment reporter

by KATHLEEN RAMIREZ features editor

rocrastination was at its finest the other night, as I avoided my responsibilities by doing everything but my homework. In my attempt to hide from the world, Jojo learned a new game. So, the bunnies have this pile of popsicles sticks that they like to play with. Rigby likes to chew and bite them half, Pilot only nibbles them, and Jojo prefers arranging them into a nice little pile. On this particular night, I was sitting on the floor with Jojo, completely ignoring my homework. I started petting him and massaging his jaw, when I noticed his popsicle sticks were thrown nearby. I stopped petting him, picked up one of the sticks and held it out in front of his face. As curious as he is, Jojo started sniffing the stick and even went on to grab it with his teeth. He

then pulled the stick out of my hand, turned his little head and placed the stick beside him. Time after time, Jojo took the sticks out of my hand and placed them in his little pile by his side. Even when he placed one of the sticks a little too far away, Jojo stopped to pick it up again and rearranged it into his neat little pile. Our little game continued for a good ten minutes or so before Jojo became bored and hopped away, but not without licking my nose first. Apparently I did a good job at playing, and Jojo was very impressed with my stick holding skills. Rigby on the other hand was not as thrilled, and instead, settled for a game of human fetch. I held out a stick to him, only to have him grab it and toss it off to the side. I went and picked it up, and held it out to him again, but he just did the same thing. Over and over, Rigby threw and I fetched, just like the obedient bunny slave I am. Pilot though, couldn’t be bothered, and opted to just sniff at the sticks as he stretched out lazily. He did however manage to find the energy to thump his foot at me when I scolded him for eating paper later on. Needless to say, the remainder of my night consisted of not doing my homework.

very year there is a magical week for college students to enjoy. A week free of commitment and homework. This week is known as spring break. Spring break is usually around the same time every year. For some, it could be the best week out of the year, for other it might be a week of staying awake all night due to the horrors that could happen during the week. These few that have survived the horrors of spring break will now give their stories about why they had a horror of a spring break. The first story comes from a junior at our school. “It started when one of my friends wanted to go to the beach to swim and have fun. For starters the bridge getting to JP Luby was horrible. But that’s another topic for another story. Well anyway we got to the beach and are having fun. All of a sudden an older guy comes around the corner screaming that he “got away.” I, at first was just thinking that he was kidding and let him be. But then I noticed that he was wearing handcuffs, and I thought ‘wow, maybe he did wanted to be taken seriously.’ But again I thought it was spring break, anything could happen. “Later that day the same guy is running around trying to hide, and a swarm of cops show up. They keep asking everybody if they saw this guy running around. I end up getting questioned and I see that they guy they are

looking for is the same guy that was hiding on the beach. Not wanting to rat him out I say nothing and let the cop leave. My friend, on the other hand, tells the cop he’s there and learns that he is wanted for selling drugs at the beach. The cops start making a mess of the beach and apparently had the time to call in a search copter. After seeing the copter I turn to my friend and tell her ‘I’m out,’ so we leave and go home. I never found out if they caught the guy but I ended up having a nice quiet day at home that night.” – TAMUCC Junior Student The next story is a tamer as it has a sophomore student giving the tale of a nice night at home with her cat. “For spring break I like to rest more than go out and party hard. So for this nice night I decided to go out and get ice cream and rent a movie. My friends were gone so I had nobody to watch it with other than my own cat, Benji. Well this particular movie happened to be a horror movie, and my cat has this little thing to where he likes to pop out of places and say ‘hi’ so you can probably see where this is going. Well, way into the movie I notice my cat is asleep and I was getting hungry. I went to the kitchen to find food, low and behold dear old Benji jumps over the counter and scares the living out of me. This caused me to drop all the food over the floor and Benji. I ended the night giving a cat a bath, very hardcore night.” – TAMUCC Sophomore Student. No matter how boring or amazing your spring break was, remember that if you have a good experience it can turn into a good story.

features 6 ISLAND WAVES

03.20.2014

FRESHMAN

by KATHLEEN RAMIREZ features editor

SPOTLIGHT

s a child, John Lister spent his time playing in the South African bush, learning all he could about the African wilderness. Today, the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi freshman is an avid combatant against animal poaching. “I was fortunate enough to be raised around the wildlife South Africa had to offer. My whole life I was able to experience the bush, or as we call it, ‘bosveld,’ and I have become very knowledgeable about it,” Lister said. “I am very passionate about my country’s wildlife, and will do anything to protect it, and I will eradicate those who threaten it.” Born in Kloof, South Africa, Lister came to the United States to attend college, where he is currently majoring in geographic information

systems. “I am proud to have made it to a first world country to study in such a fine university. My biggest challenge so far has been orientating myself in a country that is so far away from my own,” Lister said. “The biggest difference I would have to say is the amount of freedom I have in college is so much more than what I had in high school.” After graduation, the GIS major hopes to one day work as a Game Ranger, helping to put a stop to animal poaching. “I engage with anti-poaching groups whose main purpose is to eradicate poachers by any means necessary, and to conserve the wilderness South Africa has to offer. I chose the major because I figured it would help me be able to turn the tide on the war on animal poaching,” Lister said. A member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity, Lister enjoys spending time with his brothers,

WHAT’S UP FOR

by ANDREW LIGUEZ entertainment reporter

t this time of year, a religious holiday happens and Catholics around the world give up something close to their hearts for 40 days and 40 nights. For those unfamiliar with the holiday, this is given up to make penance for their sins and stems from the teaching that Jesus wandered in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights before his crucifixion. Since this is widely spread tradition around campus, I went out into the student population to find out what some were giving up for Lent. The top sacrifices from 20 anonymous students were:

and can usually be found in the library hanging out with them. “My fondest memory of college would have to have been when I joined the fraternity. I was most surprised when I saw how professional they conducted themselves, not only to me, but to the general public as a whole,” Lister said. “It completely blew my original opinion as to how fraternities really were out of the water. They were so helpful and have now given me my own home away from home.” Lister said he also enjoys the networking opportunities that come along with being in the Phi Delta Theta fraternity, and says he is proud to be a member. “After traveling through Texas, meeting other chapters of Phi Delta Theta at different universities, I discovered that everyone I met spoke highly of TAMUCC because of the Phi Delta Theta ambassadors that had traveled there before. They

1. Sodas, Whataburger 2. Drinking water every day, sodas, candy 3. Whataburger, parties 4. Sodas, and candies/ sweets 5. Candy 6. Sodas, drinking, and eating out 7. Facebook/Social networks 8. Homework 9. Skipping class, Candy 10. Going to work out and not eat junk food.

represented themselves and the school in such an outstanding manner,” Lister said. When he’s not hanging out with his fraternity brothers, Lister also enjoys playing sports, and likes to volunteer within the community. “I play rugby, tennis and I work out as often as I can. I try to help out the community as much as I can, and I just try to better myself as a gentleman,” the freshman said. Lister says he is enjoying his time at A&MCorpus Christi, and encourages other students to try and get involved on campus. “Whether it’s joining a fraternity or sorority, joining CAB or the Welcome Center, students need to become as actively involved with this campus as they possibly can. It will make their college experience a whole lot better,” Lister said.

11. Whataburger and skipping class 12. Going to Starbucks 13. Whataburger 14. Parties and drinking 15. Twitter 16. Whataburger and sodas 17. TV 18. Being lazy 19. Socials networks and eating out 20. Whataburger and sweets.

From the data collected it seems that that Whataburger high on the list for one of the most things given up. Good luck to those out there. Lent officially ends on Good Friday.

VETERAN

image courtesy of GALLERYHIP.COM

by STEPHANIE WALLACE managing editor

ilitary members are all around us. This week, we at Island Waves are full of pride for the men and women who attend the University and we wanted to highlight another member of our student body: Allison Oldham. Oldham originally started her education through the military. “I was a Cryptologic Arabic Linguist in the Air Force,” said Oldham. “I studied Arabic at the Defense Language Institute in Monterey, CA, and was stationed at Fort Gordon, GA, with the 31st Air Intelligence Squadron.” Allison has been a Registered Nurse since

2003 with a specialty in the Emergency Room. “I am currently working on a BS in Biomedical Sciences, with a Pre-Professional concentration,” she said. Besides the Student Veterans Organization, which she is secretary and historian of, she is also a member of the Golden Key International Society and Alpha Epsilon Delta. The SVO, highlighted in a previous issue, is an organization that was created on campus as a place to guide and support veterans in their transition to civilian life. The organization meets once per month, and there are no dues to join. “I highly encourage veterans to join us so we have a louder voice and a bigger presence

SPOTLIGHT

on campus,” she said. “Veterans transitioning into the academic world have different needs and world perspectives than their classmates.” Allison is excited about the SVO because they are just in the starting phase on campus. “There are going to be lots of opportunities for leadership, volunteer hours, and we also have a fun social event monthly,” said the secretary/historian. “If nothing else, it is really fun and refreshing to hang out with likeminded people who all have military service in common. “ She stressed that when she first went back to school she felt her outlook on the world was so different than a student first coming to college out of high school.

“Joining up with fellow veterans gives me a sense of balance; I feel like I can better integrate the military part of my life with the civilian student aspect of my life.” For the SVO, the spring is shaping up to be a good one. “ We are going to be organizing volunteer opportunities and holding elections for next year’s officers in April.” For those interested in the SVO, you can email Allison directly at hesna26@yahoo.com and she will send you an Orgsync invite and a link to the SVO Facebook page.

entertainment

03.20.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Art Walk

continued from page 1

In speaking with committee member and social media marketing organizer Stephanie Garcia, she noted that the organization is a primary organizer of other events such as the Harbor Bridge Walk and Marina Market Day, as well as marketing campaigns such as Corpus Christi First. Instrumental figures such as Chairman Casey Lain of the House of Rock, Allen Alvin and new Executive Director Terry Sweeney from Indianapolis are all pieces of a much greater movement to venerate the city of Corpus Christi in a community-based manner showcasing, not only art and music, but also the variety of businesses and restaurants in the downtown area. For those unfamiliar with the events

or have never been, the Corpus Christi Art Walk is an outdoor showcasing of various creative endeavors of local artists. The Art Walk, which originally was set for the first Thursday of every month, is now held on the first Friday and features various vendors who are allowed to sell their products along the areas along the applicable route. This includes art, jewelry and craft vendors, and mobile food vendors such as food trucks along with entertainment provided by an assortment of acoustic-oriented musicians. The event is free to all, pet friendly, and all goes towards the cause of building a positive reaction within the community for the event itself and others like it, such as the Music Walk, Marina Market

by TREY SEAL staﬀ reporter

us for every second of the movie. When we look at the film strip, every single cell (the images on the strip) could be developed into a photograph because that’s essentially what it is; 24 photographs rapidly being taken every second. Each filmstrip image is composed of 4,000 lines in order to ensure a clean image when it is projected onto a large screen. Freeze framing a 1080p digital image (the digital equivalent of looking at an individual cell), the picture will be jagged and blurry due to the fewer lines composing it. However, there are plenty of benefits to digital film projectors utilize hard drives and secure network connections in order to play their movies. This serves as a cost effective method to distribute films to a wider market. It also makes the transition to consumer formats more efficiently than before. The rise of digital also puts independent filmmakers on an even playing field (editing and resolution wise) with most major Hollywood productions. In 1994, filmmaker Kevin Smith filmed the cult classic movie “Clerks” on a budget of 27,575 dollars. A large portion of that money was allocated to the purchase of film, which was restricted to black and white due to budget constraints. Smith could make “Clerks” today in color on a quarter of that budget due to the low cost of consumer grade movie cameras and digital storage space. In order to get an expert opinion on the matter, Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi video production professor Bobby Lewis was asked his thoughts on the matter. “I think that it’s all a matter of context, personally I don’t find any cons with film picture wise,” said Lewis. “The only true drawback is the financial aspect which is cost heavy, no matter the size of your production. There is also a lack of immediacy due to the process of sending film strips off to be developed before they can be viewed on a film projector.” Though it may be sad to see the end of such a prolific format, one should look at film as another pillar of the artistic spectrum.

or over one hundred years a formula has been followed as the standard for movie theatre releases: seventy to eighty parts nitrocellulose nitrated to eleven percent Nitrogen, thirty parts camphor, zero to fourteen parts dye, and one to five parts ethyl alcohol; this is the formula for a 35 millimeter strip of film. It’s hard to believe that in the digital age of 2014, there are still plenty of movie theatres running a classic reel by reel projector setup. This is a testament to the pure picture quality that film offers to movies. In fact it is so pure that digital hasn’t been able to match it until recently with the inception of “4K” picture technology. In December of last year, Paramount Pictures, one of the oldest established movie studios in existence, announced that “Anchorman 2” would be their final digital 35 millimeter release. This move will lead to the demise of many non-franchised movie theatres due to the high cost of digital projectors (around $100,00 per projector). Paramount has essentially fired the “shot heard around the world” as most movie studios hesitated to make the move for fear of backlash from the community. Why has film lasted as long as it has? It is expected that digital would provide a cleaner, more pristine image but to the contrary, most current TVs (720p to 1080p) provide only a quarter of the resolution of a film strip while professional (theatre-based) setups are finally beginning to transition to “4K” from “2K.” In order to grasp the meaning of all these numbers, think of each number as being the number of pieces in a puzzle. The more pieces that a puzzle has, the more complex the final image will be. A movie made out of seven hundred and twenty puzzle pieces will need to contain larger pieces than a four thousand piece puzzle of the same image. The smaller the piece, the more elaborate that each tiny composition is. In motion, a movie runs at 24 frames per second (this has been standard since cameras becomes automated around the late 1920s). When we watch a movie, we are watching 24 images in sequentially flashed in front of

Day and Harbor Bridge Walk. These subsidiary events have transformed what used to be a one day event, the Art Walk, into a weekend long smorgasbord of local music and vendors. The reaction, according to Garcia, has been phenomenal. With the Art Walk attracting over 1000 participants and the music walk garnering several hundred, the DMD hopes that this community will continue to grow in the manner that has caused it to become the local sensation that it is today, “The beauty about the whole thing [Art Walk] is the grassroots, non-corporate nature of it.” Advertisement is done primarily by word of mouth beginning with someone involved whether they are a vendor, band, artist, committee member, or

just someone who heard about it, went and had a blast. The biggest concern Garcia noted was the desire to consolidate all available resources in the downtown area for the benefit of the area as a whole and not to alienate any potential participants, “We want to ensure that people have reliable access to the Art Center, that families feel comfortable coming out and enjoying the downtown area and making sure the kids have a safe and consistent environment for the Music Walk.”

entertainment 8

03.20.2014

ISLAND WAVES

by TREY SEAL staﬀ reporter

he internet is a repository of the world’s knowledge and nearly any question that you could ever ask can be answered by a quick Google search. Its versatility has rendered texts such as Dictionaries, atlases, and encyclopedias obsolete. When it comes to physical items, though, we are still hindered by the boundaries of production. After manufacturing is halted on a certain piece of equipment, getting a hold of another can be a diligent search depending on how many pieces were created in the first place. Three-dimensional printing has the potential to solve every problem ever associated with the manufacturing process. The process essentially takes the multi-step procedure of building a certain item and turns it into one single computer-based program. Like a paperbased printer, a 3D printer takes a digital image and builds a physical copy. However, instead of a paper-based reproduction, a 3d printer

builds a tangible object using materials that are supplied (which can range from plastic to aluminums among others). In recent years, the devices have begun to emerge in the consumer market through such brand as “marketbot.” The consumer level devices range from $300 to $2000 with price correlating with quality more often than not. In order to get a better idea of the possibilities of 3D printing, I conducted an interview with Dr. Dugan Um of the Island Universities engineering department on the present and the future of these fascinating devices. “Threedimensional printing is essentially an entire factory boiled down into a single machine,” said Um. “Since its inception, the automobile industry has had a very rigorous process for making prototypes of their cars. Designs can often take 5-6 months to complete due to the process of using boiling water and oils to shape materials by hand. 3D printing makes it possible for somebody to design the concept on a computer and then print a model overnight.”

Um’s 3D printed dragon stands on his desk photo courtesy of TREY SEAL

LOVE LOOKING FOR

Female student

by KATHLEEN RAMIREZ features editor With over 11,000 students, the chances of finding true love on campus should be high. Unfortunately, many students remain single, still looking for that special someone. Here are two Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi students who are currently single, and ready to mingle.

looking to shar

e a laugh

Brown-eyed , brown hair , single fem education, s ale with a g ense of hum o ood r a nd ﬁrst-rate seeks a funn organizing s y, intelligent kills young man. can crack a Prefers a gu few jokes an y w d ho is of the sam be willing to e faith, but compromise may in favor of a humbleness . The perfe kind heart a ct date wou nd a movie, noth ld in clude pizza ing too gran a n d d . Favorite p creative wri astime- read ting, 80s m ing, usic and wa interested, c tching movie ontact Maris s. If a Rodriguez , Corpus Chri sti, TX.

mpanion

Intellec

aging co g n e g in k e e s le tual ma

g male sti fun-lovin ri h C s u rp e o rt and a sens University-C a e M h & d A in s k a a x e h T man wit ty is a r a young wo , and hones d e rr fe re is looking fo p is ectual Inner beauty involve intell ld u o w t u of humor. o t are h An ideal nig xperiences e . e v w a e h n tt s u u b m ies, edies, ining activit reading, com s ie b b and enterta o h If d. Favorite g activities. e n m ti o la lc u e m w ti s o als and , TX. with friends orpus Christi C , hanging out e p a P y m ontact Jere interested, c

ads

03.20.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Island Waves

Te x a s A & M Un i ve r s i t y - C o r p u s C h r i s t i

student newspaper

Now Hiring Copy Editor Layout Assistant News Reporter Sports Reporter applications now being accepted career-services.tamucc.edu contact us in the newsroom (361) 825-5862 â&#x20AC;˘ editor@tamucc.edu

sports 10

03.20.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Southland Conference basketball championships Performance of Islanders men and women’s basketball teams in the Southland Conference Basketball Championships over spring break holiday by CHRISTINA BOOTHE sports reporter

n consequence of their membership, each school shall offer up a male and female team between the ages of 18 and 23 at a public “reaping.” These teams shall be delivered to the custody of Katy, Texas. Then transferred to a public arena where they will fight on the court until a lone victor remains. Henceforth and forevermore this pageant shall be known as the Southland Conference Basketball Championships. But all Hunger Games jesting aside, this past week not only marked spring break for students at Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi, but also the Southland Conference Basketball Championships. The University’s basketball players dedicated their spring break to blood, sweat, and tears to fight for the title of champion among their conference. Instead of hitting up the beach or a ski resort in Colorado, each basketball player packed up their duffle bag and boarded a bus to sit on a boring three and a half hour drive to a small town known as Katy, Texas to compete against other teams for a chance to join the NCAA March Madness extravaganza. Because of their consecutive victories against Houston Baptist, McNeese State, and Nicholls Universities, Islander’s men’s basketball was granted a double bye in the championships, automatically placing them in the semifinals against the Sam Houston State University Bearkats. On March 14, at the Merrell Center in Katy, Texas, the Bearkats and Islanders faced off in a battle to see who would advance onto the final round against the Stephen F. Austin State University Lumberjacks. Though Texas A&M-Corpus Christi initially held a lead, it was quickly taken by the Lumberjacks, who stretched it to a 14-point lead near the end of the first period. The Islanders never regained solid ground, though they fought hard to overcome, and lost to the Bearkats, 63-69. With this loss ending the season, the Islanders men’s basketball team finished with a conference average of .778. Islanders women’s basketball came in at the no. 6 seed, and matched up against no. 7 McNeese State in their Southland Conference Championship opening game. Though it

was a tight game, and the Islanders obtained an 8-point lead towards the middle of the second period, they too succumbed to the McNeese State Cowboys in their first game of the championship. Their conference season consists of 11 wins and 7 losses, putting them at a .611 winning percentage. The championship closed their season as well as the men’s season, giving both teams a winning percentage of over .500. Islanders player John Jordan was named First Team All-Southland, along with earning a spot on the Second Team All District 23 by the National Association of Basketball Coaches. Jordan only recently joined the 1,000-point club and continues to be a historical player for the school, standing out as a junior and a leader of the team. But Jordan wasn’t the only Islander to shine throughout his season. Senior Jasmine Shaw earned Second Team All-Conference and led her team to a winning season. She aided her team in making the Southland Conference Championships for the first time in four years, an exciting and memorable feat for every member of the team. Though neither Islanders team emerged with the opportunity for advancement, each fought hard to make their school proud. Every player on those squads dedicated early mornings, late nights, and massive amounts of time in-between to bettering themselves for the sake of their team and their school. Take the time to congratulate your fellow students who take the time to work with the athletic program to create an eternal name for their school. Their dedication and talent makes the Islander athletic program what it is today, and results in student activities, local spirit, and unity.

Baseball Hosts UTPA for Midweek Doubleheader GoIslanders CORPUS CHRISTI – The Texas A&M – Corpus Christi baseball team will face off against Texas-Pan American once again this season, as the two teams will play a doubleheader Tuesday with first pitch for game one scheduled for 2 p.m. at Chapman Field. The Islanders (8-13) are coming off a strong start to Southland Conference play, as they recently took two out of three against Central Arkansas. The Broncs (10-11) enter the midweek matchup falling in four of their last five. However, UTPA has had a tough schedule as of late, playing back-to-back series against No. 25 Texas A&M and No. 15 Oklahoma State, respectively. The Broncs lone win came in a 3-1 victory in their series opener with the Cowboys. The two squads met to start the 2014 season, playing a four-game series in Edinburg, as both teams each won a pair to split the series. Making his second start of the year against the Broncs and third overall will be junior Gavin Williamson (0-1, 6.75 ERA). In his first start with the Islanders, Williamson went 3 and 1/3 innings, giving up two runs on seven hits and picked up the no decision against UTPA. He then picked up the loss in 4 1/3 innings pitched against BYU and has seen his other 1 and 2/3 of an inning by coming out of the bullpen since. Starting against Williamson will be Kyle Tokunaga (1-2, 8.16) who will be making his second start of the year. However, he has seen action in several games out of the bullpen, appearing in nine games so far this season, which ranks second on the team. He pitched in two games against the Islanders earlier this year, with a scoreless inning in game one before not picking up an out while allowing three runs in his second appearance against A&M – Corpus Christi. In game two, Dalton D’Spain (0-0, 2.25) will make the first start of his career for the

Islanders. This year D’Spain has made eight appearances out of the bullpen, giving up two earned runs with three strikeouts. Matching up against him will be Matt Daniels (0-2, 7.95), who has made two starts this year with one of which coming against the Islanders. He didn’t fare so well in that meeting, as he allowed five runs, only two earned, off of six hits in 2 and 2/3 innings pitched. The Islanders will look to continue their recent success at the plate, especially Dawson Yates who went 6-of-11 last weekend to see his average raise up to .400. Brandon Tierney has also hit for a high average, currently hitting at a .311 clip to go along with a team-high .447 on-base percentage. Kyle Danford has been the go-to guy with runners in scoring position, as he leads the team with 16 RBIs. Jordan Lee also has doubledigit runs driven in with 11. Alex Howe has paced the Broncs at the plate with his .319 average and is also tied with for a team-high 10 RBIs. Alberto Morales is the other UTPA member with 10, as he also is tops on the team with six extra base hits. Tickets are just $5 for adult general admission to both games, while discounted tickets of $3 for children 16 & under, seniors 60 & over, Islanders Faculty/Staff and Military ID can be purchased as well. To keep up with the action, be sure to follow the team on Twitter and Instagram (@IslandersBSB) and like them on Facebook (Islanders Baseball). Fans can also watch the game live or follow along with live stats on GoIslanders.com

sports

03.20.2014

ISLAND WAVES

Selfies with student athletes

Get to know Islanders student athletes one self-taken portrait at a time by CHRISTINA BOOTHE sports reporter

ohn Jordan, a junior point guard for the Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi men’s basketball team, took some time to answer a few questions for our weekly selfie column. In addition to the normal questions, John answered a few more regarding his (now) newly achieved membership in the One Thousand Point Club. Q: “How do you feel about the fact that you’re almost definitely going to hit the thousand point mark the next game?” Jordan: “It’s definitely making me feel a little bit comfortable knowing that it shouldn’t be that hard of a task to complete. But I’ll be much more relived when it’s over and done with and out of the way.” Q: “What do you think this says about your college career?” Jordan: “It’s hard to describe. I feel kind of old, but I also feel like I just got here. It just shows you how fast time flies.” Name/Nickname: John Jordan/John-O/YonYon Age/Year: 21/Junior Sport/Position/Number: Basketball/Point Guard/#2 Hometown: Houston, Texas Major: Universal Studies/Sports Management Favorite Song: Love Sosa by Chief Keef Favorite Movie: He Got Game Favorite Book: Fallen Angels by Walter Dean Myers Favorite hobby (aside from the sport you play): Video games… NCAA ’14, NBA 2K If I’m not on the field/court/track/green or at class, I’m usually… At home, playing video games. If you sit next to me in class and want to strike up a conversation, a sure bet is to talk to me about… Just ask, “How is your day?” Favorite Quote: “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” – Kevin Durant The person I look up to most is: My Grandma My athletic inspiration is: Derrick Rose My celebrity crush is: Zoë Saldana right: Men’s basketball player John Jordan and sports reporter Christina Boothe show off their pearly whites

photo by John Jordan

When opportunity calls an Islander answers Sophomore Jordan Mayfield may have to answer the phone but he is no ordinary secretary by CHRISTINA BOOTHE sports reporter

ost times, the spotlight shines brightly on the athletes who are performing in front of crowds, creating a university name, and winning awards that make their teams proud. But sometimes, it’s good to give a spotlight to those who work behind the scenes. When watching the press benches at the Islander basketball games, it’s easy to notice that on the second bench lays a solo landline telephone. At first glance, it seems quite misplaced. But the reason why it’s there is quite interesting when discovered. The phone is actually a direct line to ESPN, who regularly calls in to check up on the scores of the games to update their information as quickly as possible. But the young man who was assigned that job on the night of the homecoming game is actually a volunteer who has a passion for sports and wants to work in them. Name: Jordan Mayfield Brief job description: Sports Information Director volunteer What’s the deal with the ESPN phone calls? :

They call during the game, they ask for a score update. They do that at half time and the end of the game. All score updates, all the time. Year and major: Sophomore, communications. How is this job preparing you for the jobs you want to have in the future? : It definitely gives me a lot of experience for the sports, going to different schools and possibly doing this. The experience of being at a game and seeing the tightness of the game is amazing. It makes me excited for what I want to do in the future. Mayfield volunteers his time to learning the skills he wants to use in his future job. Because of his love for sports, and his desire to learn more, he works hard to assist the SIDs in their jobs and make life easier for the team behind the teams. Sometimes people forget about the behind-the-scenes workers because the bright lights and the flashing names get them distracted. But there’s always an engineer behind those lights, and a designer behind those names. Be sure to give them just as much credit, and a big round of applause, for the work they do to make sports enjoyable, entertaining, and easy to attend.

visuals 12

03.20.2014

ISLAND WAVES

photos by Alexis De Leon

University Center Changes top: Breakers Gameroom is now located on the third floor of the University Center in Dolphin room (area shown to right of post office photo) center: Campus Copies now located to right of Post Office area, Barnes & Noble bookstore now located in front of the UC in the white mobile home (entrance from the wooden dock), Sanddollar machine now located in front of old sanddollar office (now located in Corpus Christi Hall), Post Office now located in Faculty Center atrium left: students of CAB congregate in new location inside Student Orgs. room 204