March 7

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

IslandWavesNews.com

TAMU-CC INAUGURATES 1ST WOMAN PRESIDENT Celebrants enjoy music, food and games at the President’s Picnic

by NICOLE SHAIR • Page 5

March 8, 2018 Volume 29, Issue 7

News

Islanders react to FL school shooting Page 4

Also

Opinions Pages 2-3 Campus Page 6 Feature Page 10

2 Opinion STUDENT PUBLICATION OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYCORPUS CHRISTI

03.08.2018

Avoid the ER during Spring Break Samuel Trujillo @SamTrujillo14

W

ith spring time quickly approaching the Coastal Bend, beaches across the region are bracing for their ISLAND WAVES STI | ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM | busiest VOLUME 26 ISSUE 20 08.27.15 week of |the year: IslandWavesNews.com Spring Break.

It’s no secret that some of Interim Editor-in-Chief the nation’s best-known spring ILLI-ANNA MARTINEZ break destinations are right here on our own doorsteps in Copy Editor Port Aransas and South Padre NICOLE SHAIR Island. College students from across the state and country Reporters will flood in by the thousands AMBER CASTILLO to partake in this springtimeSAMUEL TRUJILLO tradition, including many from our own Island UniPhotographers versity. While Spring Break MITCHELL JACKSON down by the water can be a ARTHUR LUNG great time for everyone, there are a few things you should Layout Assistant know beforehand to keep SIERRA LUTZ yourself and those around you safe.

Distribution Manager According to Dr. Eric ColCALEB ALVA lins, a psychiatrist who specializes in treating addiction Advertising in Connecticut, binge drinking ALYSSIA CRAWFORD, is by far the biggest danger asassistant sociated with Spring Break.

ANH TRAN, assistant “Binge drinking is probably Graduate Assistant one the most concerning of all TAIWO AGBAJE, activities that college students advertising manager engage in while on Spring

Break,”Collins said. And with good reason.

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Addiction (NIAAA), approximately 42 percent of Spring Breakers report getting drunk at least once throughout the week. 11 percent report drinking to the point of blacking out with two percent saying they ran into trouble with the police due to excessive drinking.

Not surprisingly, research shows that those who drink with the intentions of getting drunk tend to drink the heaviest. However, Spring Break presents a unique danger in that a sizeable percentage of spring breakers are typically light drinkers, therefore making them more susceptible to the consequences of binge drinking.

As per the NIAAA, the biggest and deadliest danger associated with binge drinking is alcohol poisoning. According to Mayo Clinic, drinking too much too quickly can affect your heart rate, body temperature, gag reflex and potentially lead to a coma and death. The presence of extreme alcohol levels in the bloodstream can also inter-

fere with automatic functions such as breathing, which can stop altogether if proper care is not taken.

Doctors urge those who plan on drinking over the holiday to learn the signs of alcohol poisoning in order to protect themselves and those around them.

Signs include slow, irregular breathing, vomiting, excessive confusion and unconsciousness.

If you or someone you know is displaying any of these symptoms after a period of heavy drinking, you are urged to seek medical care immediately.

Doctors also warn against drinking while in a hot tub as the excessive heat from the water causes the body’s blood vessels to dilate which can amplify the effects of the alcohol.

Another thing to keep in mind while out in the sun is well, the sun. Doctors warn beachgoers who expect to spend long hours in the sun to use sunscreen no matter what.

Even those who are hitting the beaches to get a head start on their tans are encouraged to do so. Doctors at St. Michael’s ER say at the very least, use a sunscreen with low SPF and protect your skin while getting a bit of color.

Faculty Adviser JENNIFER BRAY

ABOUT ISLAND WAVES Island Waves is a studentproduced publication at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

The newspaper is printed weekly, except during summer sessions.

Any student or University employee may submit material and opinions for publication consideration. To become a contributor, e-mail or call the Island Waves editor.

CONTACT US 6300 Ocean Drive Unit 5783 Corpus Christi, TX 78412 (361) 825-5862 editor@tamucc.edu ads@tamucc.edu

Infographic courtesy of John Randolph Medical Center

Those who are caught out in the sun for extended periods of time without any protection are exposed to more than just the threat of a nasty sunburn. They also run the risk of experiencing sun poisoning. Extreme symptoms of sun poisoning include blistering of the skin, swelling, headaches, fever, chills, nausea and even dehydration.

Dehydration is one of the most common cases seen in emergency rooms during Spring Break for many reasons. Not only does the combination of long hours in the sun and alcohol present its own issues, but they also make it much easier to fall into a dehydrated state. It can be easy to forget but it’s important to continually drink water throughout the day when out in the sun. Forgetting to do so can lead to dehydration much more quickly than you think since dehydration can begin to set in before the early onset of symptoms. These symptoms can include dizziness, fatigue, confusion, pale and dry skin and extreme thirst.

Remember to be mindful of these factors when you’re out having fun this Spring Break.

Opinion 3

03.08.2018

Guns or people: who’s the real killer?

NICOLE SHAIR Copy Editor

I

n April of 1999, two high school seniors walked through the doors of Columbine High School and opened fire on innocent students and staff, killing 13 people and injuring 24 others.

According to CNN, only one law passed through Congress the following May which required trigger locks on all newly-manufactured handguns and extended the waiting period and background check requirements to the sales of firearms at gun shows. Even this required a tie-breaking vote from former Vice President, Al Gore.

Dec. 12, 2012, a man with a penchant for violence and access to automatic weapons stormed the campus of Sandy Hook Elementary School, murdered 26 staff members and young children then proceeded to shoot himself.

Years have passed and yet, according to Newsweek, zero federal gun control laws have been passed in the wake of Sandy Hook or the plethora of other school mass shootings that have occurred since then.

It’s Valentine’s Day 2018; students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are milling about, waiting for the final bell to ring when a hate-filled young man enters the building, kills 17 students and staff members and sends 14 more to the hospital.

And yet, even though the people of America have been begging for better gun control for more than two decades, very little has been passed at the federal level to help avoid these shootings in the future.

And, regrettably, most Americans stop fighting after a few months.

Yes, while there are some who fight year-around for better gun control laws and more protection for the common citizen, most Americans tend to lose interest and stop demanding these kinds of changes not long after a mass shooting occurs.

But why? Why do we only fight for better gun control after a tragic shooting has oc-

curred and then seemingly forget about it until another tragedy happens?

This is part of the problem with grass-roots gun control movements: people will organize and fight but not until it’s already too late.

2nd Amendment groups, like the NRA, lobby for fewer gun restrictions and spend millions every day to persuade lawmakers to see their point of view. And while these smaller, less-funded move-

ments for gun control might seem outnumbered in members and finances against such massive behemoths, the power of a million voices can do amazing things.

As far as what these movements are asking for, I can only partially agree.

I want there to be less gun violence and better, more indepth background checks for people interested in getting these weapons but most of these movements, when they

Image courtesy of Nicole Raucheisen/NAPLES DAILY NEWS

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arise, ask for flat-out banning of guns and an absolutely gunless society.

The thing is, that’s impossible: just like when Pandora’s Box was opened in Greek mythology, once these evils (or, in this case, automatic weapons) are released, there is no way to put it all back. No matter if we were able to pass a law completely banning the sale and possession of guns, it wouldn’t happen because people can still make these weapons on their own or find them on black markets.

Furthermore, if we were to make owning guns illegal, that would just stop lawabiding citizens from having weapons; not the criminals and dangerous people who are usually the source of mass shootings like this. So, essentially, it would strip the good people of any defense they might have had against the bad ones.

So, what can we do then if we can’t completely get rid of guns?

Well we, as the people who supposedly run this country, need to start at the local and state level and ask our governors to propose better gun control policies that more thoroughly regulate the sale and possession of weapons.

Also, we need to push for better regulations 24/7 rather than only when something like this happens; what’s the point of pushing for better gun control when the damage has already been done?

In the end, these are only steps to better gun control and can only help the children of the future if we, the ones who have power, speak out in the present.

ON THE COVER:

PHOTO BY TAMU-CC

4 News

03.08.2018

Florida shooting raises concerns about gun safety across Island ILLI-ANNA MARTINEZ Interim Editor-in-Chief

L

argely led by student-survivor activists of the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida last month, the push for gun control reform continues to dominate news headlines recently and is prompting renewed debate about Second Amendment issues in the United States, and here on campus.

In response to the shooting that left 17 dead, President Trump announced on Feb. 22 that educators should carry weapons as a precautionary measure.

Gun control is an issue which has long been hotly debated both in politics and by the general public. While the right to bear arms is a part of the Second Amendment, political science professor Juan Huerta said just like other amendments to the Constitution, the Second Amendment has its limitations.

“Rights are not absolute,” Huerta said.

“So, what can be done to protect people but where sportsmen can have access to their rifles and shotguns and pistols at home? At the same time, we want to have some reasonable sense of safety when we come to the university or any other public place that there aren’t people out there with assault weapons to open fire on us. We have a right to safety also.”

According to the Cato Institute, the FBI reported that schools have been the second-highest risk location for mass shootings, with the largest number of active shooting incidents from 2000 to 2016 occurring in workplaces and other commercial buildings. At the Island, the university does have a concealed carry law for licensed individuals that are at least 21 years of age.

“If you look statistically at other nations, they don’t have mass shootings,” Huerta said. “And so, the question is, what’s different about the United States?

Well, we have a lot more firearms than other nations. They don’t have mass shootings. It’s a lot harder if you have a baseball bat or a knife compared to an assault weapon.”

Huerta said speaking from a logical standpoint, having educators carry guns would not fix the mass shooting issue the country continues to face.

“I don’t think we want to add to the job description of faculty members if you are willing to shoot someone in class,” Huerta said. “I don’t think that’s a very realistic and practical solution

to trying to deal with a mass shooter on campus.”

Junior special education major Elizabeth Ambriz was one of many Islanders who was upset over the Florida shooting and President Trump’s suggestion, speaking as a future educator.

“It’s sad because I’m in the education field,” Ambriz said. “To think every morning and the possibility of me having to jump in front of students from a shooting or having to protect my students from a shooter, it scares me.”

Ambriz said she wouldn’t feel comfortable having a gun in her classroom, especially if one of her students managed to obtain the gun, potentially harming themselves or others. However, Ambriz also raised points about

there you are waving around a gun, well they may think you’re the shooter.”

Ambriz said ultimately there needs to be more regulations set for these laws.

“We’re in Texas, I get it,” Ambriz said.

“But if you’re going to allow a gun in the home, once you reach a certain age, they need to be educated. It’s easy to kill someone with a car, just how easy it is to kill with a gun. If we go through all of this process just to get a license for a car, it should be the same for guns. The gun isn’t the problem, it’s who has the gun.”

Aside from regulations and an increased amount of safety, Ambriz said schools should speak with families and their students. With the topic of gun control in general, Huerta said the way

Image courtesy of Daily Pilot Opinion/LOS ANGELAS TIMES

safety within public locations and how she didn’t feel comfortable with the concealed carry on campus and not being able to protect herself.

“No weapon is safe on campus,” Ambriz said. “One of the big reasons I think they allow this is because the university is a public place. But why add on to the problem?”

Ambriz said there is also the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC) to take into consideration. Children from Pre-K through sixth grade attend school at the university and would be put in danger if there ever was a mass shooting on campus.

Huerta said there were also risks about carrying guns on campus.

“One thing I’ve heard is many law enforcement officials testified against the concealed carry bill when it was being forth from Texas legislature,” Huerta said. “The concern was well, when law enforcement comes in and they see someone with a gun, how are they supposed to know who the shooter is? And

the Second Amendment was written doesn’t give the United States a clear idea on where they should stand.

“While the Supreme Court has made rulings about having a pistol at home, or a rifle for hunting, it’s not clear from their ruling that there’s nothing that prevents government from regulating assault weapons or access to guns,” Huerta said.

“So, folks will say well let’s have some regulations. Then there’s other groups out there who say the Second Amendment is an absolute right and it protects all of these things and we can’t do that.”

According to Time, membership in gun organizations, including the National Rifle Association (NRA), have increased since the Florida shooting.

“As soon as anti-gun attacks started coming in on Twitter, Facebook, and in the media, we began to hear from people who didn’t even own guns who wanted to join up or contribute out of solidarity in defense of the Second Amendment to the Constitution,” said Patrick Parsons, who heads the Geor-

gia Gun Owners, an independent gun rights organization in Georgia.

Don Turner, President of the Nevada Firearms Coalition and NRA member, estimated membership renewals and requests had increased by 20 percent at his organization since Parkland, although this is an increase he said he did not witness after the shooting in Las Vegas.

“Gun owners themselves weren’t being demonized [after Las Vegas],” Turner said. “But after the Florida shooting, there was a definite push to demonize honest gun owners and to demonize the NRA. And I think that’s what’s provoked their response.”

As far as media coverage, Ambriz said she believes mass shootings have always been an issue, but because of the number of incidents recently, there has been more news coverage. However, she believes people aren’t focusing on the issue as much as they should.

“Americans don’t have a lot of sympathy,” Ambriz said. “Something happens, and we feel bad but then we move on because we weren’t directly affected. I think from an outsider, we do move fast from it.

Overall, we do need to focus on it more.”

Huerta agreed with Ambriz that nothing ever gets done about it and eventually we as Americans forget about the issue until another shooting occurs.

However, Huerta said he was impressed with the way teenagers in Florida are mobilizing in reaction to the shooting, and if public opinion is really shifting and people are wanting to change gun laws, it could be possible.

“The goal of an elected official is to get re-elected,” Huerta said. So, if they start seeing the public opinion has changed, that can lead to it. It’s happened in the past when laws have been passed. There was an assault weapon [bill] passed in the 1990s. It expired, and it wasn’t a permanent one, but there was one passed when Bill Clinton was president. If it becomes a political issue in the upcoming elections, and if they get elected, they can pass legislation for it.”

That seems to be the goal of the student activists who are leading the charge for gun control reform. According to Women’s March’s Youth EMPOWER group’s Twitter feed, a national school walk out is planned for March 14. Organizers are encouraging teachers, students, administrators, parents and allies to walk out for 17 minutes — one for every person killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School. In addition, students from Stoneman Douglas are organizing the “March for Our Lives” protest that will be held in Washington, D.C. on March 24.

Campus 5

03.08.2018

Students and staff toast new university president NICOLE SHAIR Copy Editor

O

n March 2, Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi celebrated the President’s Picnic in honor of aboutto-be officially inducted President Kelly M. Quintanilla.

Taking place on the East Lawn, there were a variety of ways for attendees to have fun. There were games ranging from mega Connect 4 to Islanderthemed bean bag tossing as well as plenty of food, including Spanish rice, beans, chicken or fish tacos and various toppings to satisfy the plethora of students, faculty and community members who joined on campus for the event. And to help with the slight heat, there was an ice cream bar with blue and green sprinkles and churros. However, the food wasn’t the only

reason why the event had such a large turnout. According to sophomore nursing major Kambria Jacobs, the atmosphere and beautiful weather were also a huge selling point.

“I heard about it (the Presidential Picnic) and then a friend invited me to come,” Jacobs said. “It seemed like a fun thing to do with friends and it’s a beautiful day to relax.”

According to IT Business Analyst Amanda Merchant, being a part of the President’s Picnic is an exciting and unique experience comparable to getting to work with our new Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi president.

“She’s going to be a great progressive president,” Merchant said. “She will make it (TAMUCC) an institution that people want to benchmark with, a place that students will want to go to and that other universities will look towards.”

For those who are unfamiliar with President Quintanilla’s credentials, her

career at the Island began in 1994. She steadily progressed from being a professor of communication to the Dean of the Liberal Arts College to Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs and now, officially, she has become the president of the Island University.

According to Budget Department employee George Fonseca and Accounting Department employee Dustin Hall, this long history at the Island makes Quintanilla the perfect match for such a highly-esteemed position.

“She’s got a ton of experience, she’s very welcoming and she’s basically prepared for this throughout her career through all the positions she’s had before,” Fonseca said. “The fact that she was a faculty member before gives her a good perspective on what troubles faculty and staff here have, whereas an outside person wouldn’t be able to see that very clearly.”

Fonseca said Quintanilla has already made strides in helping Islanders

through Islander Impact and through helping students remain at the Island.

During the event, Quintanilla made a short speech where she discussed how everyone on this campus was here to help each and every Islander succeed.

“We love you here on this Island University and we want to see all of you succeed in everything you do and, as president, that’s my job,” Quintanilla said to the gathered crowd. “My entire job and all that I am about and all I do every day is focus on helping you with student success because you are the most important thing on this campus.”

Quintanilla concluded her speech by thanking the event’s coordinator and said she was “proud and privileged” to serve as our president and, in true Islander fashion, left the stage with a strong “Go Islanders!” and a shaka.

For more information about Quintanilla, please visit tamucc.edu/about/ president/bio.

Students recieved a complementary lunch during the Presiden’t Picnic.

Image courtesy of TAMU-CC/ISLANDUNIVERSITY. SMUGMUG

President Quintanilla thanks students.

Arthur Lung/ISLAND WAVES

Islanders playing corn hole on the East Lawn.

Image courtesy of TAMU-CC/ISLANDUNIVERSITY.SMUGMUG

Island music majors perform Mariachi for guests.

Arthur Lung/ISLAND WAVES

Image courtesy of TAMU-CC/ISLANDUNIVERSITY.SMUGMUG

Izzy the Islander played some Jumbo Jenga with guests at the President’s Picnic.

Feature 7

03.08.2018

No joke: stand up comedian wins Spring Break playlist contest

S

ILLI-ANNA MARTINEZ Interim Editor-in-Chief

tand-up comedy, music and Jason Schwartzman are a few things Raymond Cabrera says he’s most passionate about.

Cabrera is a junior at the Island who studies media production. He was announced the winner of Island Waves’ Spring Break Spotify Playlist Contest, something he said he was pretty surprised about.

“The real story is there’s a guy who works for Island Waves and he’s always at the space I work at and he told me to submit a playlist,” Cabrera said. “I don’t really make playlists, I listen to albums.

But he told me to participate in the contest. I found one playlist I found a while back I made to impress this girl I liked, so I submitted it.”

Cabrera said music is something he has always been passionate about. Other interests of his include building gundams (little Japanese robots), cooking, collecting vinyl and watching wrestling.

“Joey Ryan is one of my favorite wres-

tlers,” Cabrera said. “I cry every time I see him. I want to become a wrestler and try to build character right now even though I think the character part should go second towards actually getting in shape and all that stuff, but the character part is so much easier.”

Cabrera said he also has an interest in memorizing most of IMBD. “It’s a joke that I have with myself,” Cabrera said. “Any time someone asks, “who was in this movie,” it’s like I know that. But I hate it so much because I can memorize all of this stuff, but I can’t memorize the stuff for my courses.”

However, most recently Cabrera said he’s enjoyed doing stand-up comedy. He started out 6 months ago when he attended the Corpus Christi Seven Day film festival at the House of Rock.

He had found a flyer about open mic events and he decided to take part in it.

He now does stand-up comedy in Corpus Christi, San Antonio and Austin.

“Majority of my set is about my arm,” Cabrera said. “My main opening that I always use is like, “Some of you guys are probably wondering what happened to me. Right hands go for a lot in the black market and you gotta pay for tuition somehow.”

With all jokes aside, Cabrera said the real reason he only has one arm was because he was born with it.

“It’s so much more interesting to lie to people than it is to tell the truth because it’s like that one John Melanie joke - there’s almost a John Melanie joke for any situation in my opinion- Sure, you can be sad about it all the time, but you can do something about it. You can make jokes about it and people will love it. It’s a topic that hasn’t really been covered in the comedy world.”

Aside from working on his stand-up comedy, Cabrera said he works with the Graduate Studies department with GROW. He also works various odd jobs including video editing and recording shows of other comedians. He said he enjoys it because he gets tickets to various shows and meet comedians who have already made it.

“I got to meet Jamie Kennedy and it was the most exciting one so far because as a kid I was a huge fan of him,” Cabrera said. “It was so surreal meeting him in real life. It was just great.”

Looking forward towards his career goals, Cabrera said he’s considered changing his major.

“I originally wanted to make movies and media production is pretty much the closest thing to the film degree here on campus,” Cabrera said.

“It was my main thing in high school.

But I mean, just because I like movies doesn’t mean I have to make movies.

I don’t regret it. The program is really great, and I’ve met a lot of cool people but I’m starting to think about going into counseling.”

Cabrera said he feels like it’s too late to change majors and mainly just wants to graduate and start working. However, later on in the future he said he may come back to school for counseling.

“I’ll just come back to school whenever I’m in my thirties and super sad and be like, ‘Guess I’ll become a counselor now,’” Cabrera said.

As for Spring Break, Cabrera said so far, he’s just wanting to focus on his show. And for his Brewster Street plans, he said he plans on taking one of his friends with him.

You can follow Cabrera on Instagram and Twitter @nervousdolphin and to listen to his Spring Break Playlist, check out Island Waves’ social media pages @islandwavestogo.

Raymond Cabera’s Spring Break Playlist

Illi-anna Martinez/ISLAND WAVES

Spring Break Spotify Playlist winner, Raymond Cabrera, won dinner for two at Brewster Street Ice House.

1. Tighten Up - The Black Keys 2. One (Blake’s Got A New Face) - Vampire Weekend 3. Sleepin In - The Postal Service 4. Ghouls - We Are Scientists 5. When You Were Young - The Killers 6. Say It Ain’t So - Weezer 7. Give It Up - Angel Olsen 8. Look Out Mama - Hurray For The Riff Raff 9. Wagon Wheel - Old Crow Medicine Show 10. Marfa - Mother Falcon 11. Better Than - Lake Street Drive 12. Ready to Start - Arcade Fire 13. Last Nite - The Strokes 14. Shadow Stabbing - Cake 15. It’s A Hit - We Are Scientists 16. She Bangs the Drums (Remastered) - The Stone Roses 17. Surf Wax America - Weezer 18. Good Vibrations - The Beach Boys 19. Come Together (Remastered) - The Beatles 20. I Want To Hold Your Hand (Remastered) - The Beatles 21. I Wanna Be Sedated (Remastered) - Ramones 22. Someday - The Strokes 23. Ballroom Blitz - Sweet 24. Are You Gonna Be My Girl - Jet 25. Grand Hotel - Regina Spektor 26. Melt My Heart To Stone - Adele 27. Stop Your Crying - Lake Street Dive 28. Call Me - St. Paul & The Broken Bones

8 Entertainment Tropicoso takes over Downtown Corpus Christi

A

03.08.2018

AMBER CASTILLO @AmberCastillo27

n excited Corpus Christi crowd gathered for Grammy nominated El Dusty’s sold out party event, Tropicoso at House of Rock.

Juno award winners A Tribe Called Red, Karen Sandoval, Jeffereson D’Lion, All Day Ray performed at the event which took place Feb. 23 from 8 p.m. to 2 a.m Off course, Corpus Christi favorite El Dusty closed out the show. Tropicoso consisted of Cumbia, Latin, Dance and EDM all mixed together for a night filled with dancing and a good time in the downtown area.

The show comes to the House of Rock every other month and brings together international acts, celebrating the culture and sounds of Latin America.

“I always travel with DJing and producing, and I find myself meeting a lot of people who don’t necessarily come to Corpus or play down here so I started invited them to come to down and play at

different clubs,” El Dusty said. “This then lead me to asking House of Rock if I could start this event bringing the different performers in and it has just been growing ever since.”

Although El Dusty has been making a name for himself over the years, he has not stopped showing Corpus the love he feels it deserves.

“I try to get involved with a lot of things here in Corpus whether it is festivals or my different business here downtown,” Dusty said. “I love this city, I want to see it develop and be a part of that so I try to keep it here as much as I can.”

Before Tropicoso kicked off, La Lisa Hernandez a day of the dead and loteria artist, hosted the warm up party where attendees were welcome to come out and play bingo with prizes being free tickets for a beverage of your choice. La Lisa has been working with El Dusty since Tropicoso started over a year ago and actually came up with the popular Corpus Christi event’s name.

“When Dusty told me that he wanted to start this event, I was very excited because I knew he was going to do great things,” Hernandez said. “Picoso in Spanish means hot, and we used tropi-

Mitchell Jackson/ISLAND WAVES

Guests enjoy performances at the House of Rock for El Dusty’s Tropicoso party event.

Mitchell Jackson/ISLAND WAVES

cal because to me that is what you think of when you hear this kind of music so I combined them both and he absolutely loved it and then asked me to participate in the event by hosting the warm up party.”

People from all around Texas attended the show including Zar Castillo from McAllen, Texas. Castillo said he was impressed with not only the turn out, but the performances as well.

“It’s great to see the Hispanic culture be embraced in a very unique way,” Castillo said. “It also allows artists to support and showcase their talents while putting Corpus on the map; I absolutely enjoyed myself and would attend again.”

Tropicoso occurs monthly, to see when the next one will be occurring you can follow El Dusty’s Facebook @eldusty.

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Grammy nominated El Dusty takes pictures with excited fans at Tropicoso.

10 Entertainment

03.08.2018

LONG LIVE T’CHALLA!!: Black Panther Movie Review

BY HARLEY FONSECA

Reporter

“

WAKANDA FOREVER!!” is what people will be saying for a very long time since Marvel’s Black Panther hit the theaters, making over $700 million worldwide so far since its opening weekend.

Directed by Ryan Coogler, the film stars Chadwick Boseman as T’Challa, who returns to Wakanda after the death of his father to become king and take on the responsibilities as the new Black Panther. Soon enough, T’Challa is faced to fight for his throne when a powerful new enemy returns to claim what’s rightfully his.

Fully action-packed while delivering hilarious one-liners, the movie also offers beautifully designed costumes and visuals. Attention to detail is one of my favorite things to see in movies and costume designer Ruth Carter blended elements of real African tribes and cultures into modern day fashion with the use of vivid colors. Let’s be honest: all of us had our breath taken away with Angela Bassett wearing that gorgeous white dress when she welcomed T’Challa home.

Another incredible thing about this film was its soundtrack, curated by one of my favorite artists, Kendrick Lamar, which also features some of his collaborators from his record company, like SZA and Ab-Soul, accenting the film’s action sequences like the featured song “Opps” in the car chase scene.

MOVIE REVIEW To top this film off with an incredible talented cast, this film without a doubt has blown people away and already has them excited for the next Black Panther cameo in The Avengers: Infinity War (set to be released May 2018).

Boseman brought an incredible performance alongside Michael B. Jordan, who honestly can’t stop being the most beautiful man to exist, taking oneself on a huge roller-coaster of emotions once you learn about Killmonger’s (Jordan’s character) background story, although it almost seemed too rushed and sure, Killmonger is the antagonist here but even I wanted him to have the throne more than what felt like five minutes.

Through another point of view, some audience members have a bigger connection to the film as Black Panther brings some cultural significance as well. Sophomore theatre major Tyren Duncan said he believes the movie set a perfect example of how African Americans should be portrayed in films. “We need more black super heroes for our culture and youth to be proud of,” Duncan said. “I feel proud of what we’ve accomplished and how we can share our cultures/struggles with the people of the world to build an understanding. The success of the

film is very well deserved; something that everyone needs to see.”

Not only has Black Panther broke box office records, but after just three weeks in theaters, the Disney company has announced they will be donating $1 million to the Boys & Girls Club of America to help youth STEM programs in 12 communities across the country, including Oakland, California, which was a city featured in the movie. Box

offices are expecting the film to have made over $900 million worldwide in the next couple of weeks. I would give this movie a 4.5/5 stars, with its beautiful design and acting; the only thing preventing it from a perfect rating is that the sequel won’t have Michael B. Jordan. If you have yet to see it, you are seriously missing out on one of the best-selling superhero movies to hit the theatres this year.

Image courtesy of worcestermag.com/WALT DISNEY STUDIOS MOTION PICTURES

Soak up some Spring Break tunes S

AMBER CASTILLO @AmberCastillo27

pring Break is around the corner and there are tons of concerts around the area that college students will not want to miss out on.

With one week left to scramble to find the perfect spring break plans, whether it be staying in Corpus Christi or traveling a couple of hours to have a good time, a good concert can never do you wrong.

Corpus Christi and South Padre Island are typically the places a college student will want to be to enjoy their time off from the stress of school, so here are a few options to get your Spring Break plans rolling.

If you are into hip-hop, on March 9, the American Bank Center will be kicking off Spring Break with Moneybagg Yo, Jdargr8 and DJ Xo. The concert will be in the Exhibit Hall with tickets ranging from $48-$68. For more information you can visit americanbankcenter.com Concrete Street Amphitheater continues to bring their Annual Spring Break on the Coast to Corpus Christi to ensure there will be something to do that week. If you are into country music this concert is one you will not want to miss with performers Josh Ward, Koe Wetzel, Kyle Park, and Cody Johnson. Tickets are $25 plus a service fee. The concert will be held on March 17 at Concrete Street. Doors open at 6 p.m.

Graduate business student Julie Williams said she has attended Spring

Break on the Coast in the past and really enjoyed herself.

“This concert is one I look forward to each year,” Williams said. “It’s nice to be able to get out and enjoy some good country music and not have to worry about everything for a week. If you like country music I would really suggest you attend because the bands picked are usually really good and no matter how many times you have heard them, the music never gets old.”

If students are looking to make a trip to South Padre Island, there will be plenty of concerts going on almost every day.

On March 10, Post Malone will be live at Clayton’s Beach Bar. Doors open at 8 p.m.

March 1-14 South Padre Beach Bash will take place with artist Cardi B,

Steve Aoki, Carnage, Lil Uzivert and Lil Pump. Tickets are $80.

Lastly, on March 17-18 Cassidy’s Irish Pub will host their annual St. Patrick’s Day Festival. It will consist of live music, vendors, food and more. Tickets will be sold onsite for food and drinks but to attend is completely free.

Senior Celeste Ruiz said she has attended the festival previously and will likely return this year.

“The festival was a lot of fun in the past, and they always have really good performers as well, which makes it even better because you don’t even have to pay just to go and see them.”

Ruiz said. “I’m excited to see who they have perform this year.

Have fun this spring break Islanders, but most importantly, be safe.

Sports 11

03.08.2018

Islanders won’t miss their shot NICOLE SHAIR Copy Editor

T

he pucks were out with the table’s switch on as contestants of the Breakers’ Air Hockey Tournament practiced their quick shots and psyching out the competition before the big game on Feb. 28 at 4 p.m. in The Breaker’s Game Room.

Standing on the sidelines, University Center Programs (UCP) MC and hype man Tyren Duncan took pictures of the contestants to put on his and UCP’s Snapchat story. According to Duncan, this is more than a game but an opportunity for Islander unity.

“It’s very important for students to get involved in school and do things to evoke school spirit,” Duncan said. “It’s all about having a good time and getting to meet new people.”

On the other side of the four-person air hockey table were a couple of players waiting for the game to begin.

For some of the players, like sophomore education major Gloria Lopez, she said the heat was on. She said perhaps

Photo by Nicole Shair/ISLAND WAVES

Students participate in the Breakers’ Air Hockey Tournament in hopes of winning an Islanderthemed Texas flag.

she could achieve victory, but the competition was looking aggressive. However, she was willing to play for family’s sake.

“My brother asked me to play,” Lopez said. “I’m not that good at it (air hockey) but I like to play so I agreed.”

Another competitor, junior biomedical science major Kirstin Robertson, said she and her friends play air hockey to take a break between classes so playing in a tournament seemed like a fun idea.

“We (Kirstin and her friends) usually play anyways and we heard there was a tournament, so we decided to join in,” Robertson said.

There were some students milling about, waiting for the show to begin or to cheer on their favorite players or, in the case of one student, just checking it out due to curiosity.

According to senior electrical engineering major Edgar Trejo, he said he

didn’t even know the event was going on until he passed by Breakers after getting out of class early. Intrigued, he said he walked in and decided to stay and see what happened.

“I like watching because it’s just fun to watch the player’s having fun and doing their best,” Trejo said. “Everyone is motivated by winning, which makes it even more fun.”

The 12 contestants who participated in the tournament fought through projectile pucks and close calls for the grand prize of an Islander-themed Texas flag.

The air hockey champ of this tournament was junior electrical engineering major David Lopez, who just so happened to be the predictive winner from Robertson.

For players who missed out on this tournament, Islanders still have a chance to participate in these events.

The Breakers puts on competitions like these four times a month with two every other week. These tournaments could be anything, ranging from ping pong to Call of Duty battles.

To learn more about other tournaments The Breakers Game Room sponsors, visit studentactivities.tamucc.edu/breakers.

Running low on Food Funds?

Head over to the GET Mobile app to recharge your Dining Dollars today!

@IslanderDining Dineoncampus.com/IslanderDining

6 Campus

03.08.2018

Islanders celebrate poets and poetry P

oets and poetry lovers alike flocked to the Island and other parts of Corpus Christi Feb. 22-24 to take part in the third annual People’s Poetry Festival.

The People’s Poetry Festival is a yearly three-day long celebration of everything poetry located in Corpus Christi. With free events located all across the city, writers and fans of poetry had plenty of opportunities to get out and hear from local and nationally acclaimed writers over a variety of topics. Such topics included women, gender, sexuality, immigration, comedy, nature and more.

“I thought the variety of different discussions they hosted was great,” former Islander student and Corpus Christi resident Amelia Lamar said. “I mean, they covered everything from more lighthearted and fun topics like comedy but didn’t shy away from more controversial topics like immigration and sexuality.”

Opening night was held on Feb. 22 and was hosted at the Del Mar College Center for Economic Development and included the opening ceremonies, a panel discus-

Image courtesy of facebook.com/PeoplesPoetryFest/PEOPLE’S POETRY FESTIVAL

Tom Murphy and Katie Hoerth at the People’s Poetry Fesitval.

sion with local poets and the Robb Jackson High School Poetry Awards.

Day two of the festival was packed with events starting with three different panel discussions hosted at the Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi University Center.

Congratulations President Quintanilla!

Best wishes from the Island Waves staff!

$8.50 LUNCH $9.50 DINNER

BIG SCREEN TV’S • FREE WI-FI DAILY BEER SPECIALS

IMAGE COURTESY OF TAMU-CC/ISLANDUNIVERSITY.SMUGMUG

President Dr. Kelly Quintanilla at the President’s Picnic.

These two-hour long panel sessions all explored topics relevant to South Texas and members of the Corpus Christi community with panelists discussing issues such as the border wall, gender, sexuality and comedy through poetry.

From there, the festival shifted it’s focus from the Island to Downtown Corpus Christi, where the community came together at Graffiti’s Bar for an open mic poetry night. There, members of the community had an opportunity to hear some of their peers’ slam poetry and even recite their own poems.

The final day of the People’s Poetry Festival was once again hosted at the University Center where guests could attend any of the final three panel discussions. Topics this time around included nature, Spanish poetry and performance poetry.

“I really loved the discussion during the Page to Stage (performance poetry) Panel.,” English professor Robin Carstensen said. “You know, the performances, the discussion of the differences between poetry on paper and poetry on the stage, the discussion on the different responsibilities each type of poet carries I loved that kind of conversation.”

For more information on the People’s Poetry Festival, please visit their page at facebook.com/PeoplesPoetryFest/