Volume 27 Issue 18

TEXAS Y–CORPUS CHRISTI CHRISTI || ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM || VOLUME VOLUME 26 27 ISSUE ISSUE20 18 | | 08.27.15 07.21.16 TEXAS A&M A&MUNIVERSIT UNIVERSITY–CORPUS

ALUMNI CREATES MURAL

see MURAL on page 8 photo courtesy of GOOGLE.COM

Flesh Eating Bacteria Found in Gulf

Beach goers react; some scared, some barely phased

by KACI ALVAREZ editor-in-chief

M

ultiple cases of flesh-eating bacteria in the Texas Gulf C oast have emerged during recent weeks, resulting in a statewide scare.

Vibrio is the bacterium that was found in the Gulf of Mexico seawater. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, the bacteria can cause three different types of illness, including wound infection, gastrointestinal illness and blood infection.

“This whole situation really freaks me out,” Jessica Vann, junior nursing major, said.

“I think I’ll be making other weekend plans from now on.”

The recent cases of Vibrio in the Gulf of Mexico started getting Texans’ attention when it left a man in Galveston without a leg.

According to KHOU.com from Houston, “A Jacinto City man is fighting for his life after an apparent case of flesheating bacteria. His family

said he got sick after as trip to Galveston.”

Vibrio can be found in naturally warm seawater and can infect someone with an open wound who makes contact with the water, however, another common way to get Vibrio is through the consumption of seafood that has been contaminated.

“My boyfriend fishes out in Port Aransas all the time and we eat the fish so it’s definitely scary,” Vann said.

A more recent case of Vibrio occurred in Port Aransas. According to KZTV.com, an Austin man contracted it in the Coastal Bend. After spending Father’s Day weekend with his family at the beach, he started feeling ill and a burning sensation in his right ankle. A rash began to form and soon after, his entire foot was covered in blisters.

His wife, La Shelle Ruiz told KZTV the doctors are unsure they will be able to save his leg.

Some people aren’t letting the flesh-eating bacteria scare

INDEX OPINION 2 | NEWS 3,4,5,7 | ENTERTAINMENT 8,9, 10 | SPORTS 11,12

photo by KACI ALVAREZ

The Gulf of Mexico’s Vibrio cases scare beach goers.

them away from the beach. Aubrey Humphrey, senior business management major, said he is not going to worry about it.

“Although there will most likely be more reported cases of this bacteria throughout the summer, it won’t stop me from going to the beach, drinking with my friends,” Humphrey said.

According to the Texas Department of State Health Ser-

vices, beach goers should be cautious of cuts when having contact with the water and make sure all seafood is fully cooked properly. Those with diabetes, cancer, liver disease and immune disorders should especially be careful.

For more information on Vibrio, visit http://w w w.dshs. te x a s . gov / pre p are d n e s s / f a c t sheet_vibrio.shtm or contact the Texas Depar tment of State Health S er vices.

2

opinion

07.21.2016

Work on balancing work, play ISLAND WAVES

by MIKAYLA OELSCHLEGEL web editor

One of the best things ever when I was a kid was summer vacation, because that meant total and absolute freedom. You could stay up late, sleep in every day and have numerous kinds of adventures with your friends.

Now that I am an adult, with multiple responsibilities, summer vacation just means more hours at work, less time to socialize and most definitely less sleep. What it also means though, is that I have to take time to really find a balance between everything.

Finding balance between work, school and friends is never easy.

Something always has to give, and with me, it is usually time with friends. After four summers of working to have extra money and be able to live on my own, I think I might be getting the balance down.

You do not have to believe just my word. Here are a few tips to help balance out

your life during summer.

1. Get a planner. As hard as it is to keep up with, a planner or organizer will help out greatly.

Write down your work schedule or class schedule if you are one of those brave souls taking summer sessions. You can also pencil in your time for friends.

I can guarantee this helps in the long run because you can visibly see your schedule and it is not just floating around in your head or on your hard drive.

2. Do not stress. Your friends will understand that sometimes they come second to work or school.

In fact, most of the time, they will come visit you or help you study.

While working or taking classes during the summer is hard and sometimes a lot more stressful than fall or s pr i n g semester classes,

there is no need to start pulling your hair out if you cannot get everything done in a day.

3. Take a day for yourself. I do not think I can stress this enough.

As tempting as it sounds to go hang out with friends on your off day from work or school, take my advice and just rest. Whether it is spending half the day in bed then binge-watching your Netflix choice while eating junk food or treating yourself to a pedicure and manicure, take time out of your day and bring yourself inward so you are not feeling like you are spreading yourself too thin.

4. Talk to your boss/teacher.

Sometimes just asking your boss for a day off and explaining why you need it or asking your professor if it is okay to miss a class will go a long way. We are adults now and our superiors appreciate when we tell

the them the truth.

5. Go home. If you are not already at home for the summer, take a long weekend and go see mom and dad. Relish in mom’s home cooked meals and dad’s cheesy jokes, because laughter is always the best medicine.

None of these are fool proof, and I am not claiming they are. There will be weeks that you might not get a day off or there might come a time when you feel everything piling on to you, but finding the balance between work, school and summer fun is key to surviving summer as a college s t u d e n t .

illustration by IZZY SNEED

New pokemon app makes people get up, GO

by KACI ALVAREZ editor-in-chief

Once again, ‘90s babies everywhere have been consumed by the world of Pokemon.

Published by Niantic, Pokemon Go, the newest addition to the Pokemon Franchise, took the world by storm on July 6. It is available on IOS and Android. The game captures original aspects from past Pokemon games, including battles, but ads a more physical catch to it.

In order to catch Pokemon and get to pokestops and gyms, the app tracks a phone’s GPS and you have to walk, run, bike or drive to the location.

However, some aspects of the game, like hatching eggs, have a speed limit

that is applied so you can not drive your goal distance, you have to walk it.

The app does a great job when it comes to getting children, teenagers, and even adults active, by going on hikes to catch Pokemon or kayaking out to a gym that is located in the bay.

We, as Americans, are inevitably lazy. If we want to play video games or watch Netflix, we do it in the comfort of our home and wrapped up in a blanket.

Pokemon Go requires us to get active if we are dying to “catch ‘em all” and battle for our chosen team.

That’s what is so great about this app.

It’s evolutionary when it comes to wanting to game all day because people can enjoy the fresh air while doing it.

Many businesses have embraced

the app by giving out incentives for players. There have been restaurants that will give out free drinks or slices of pizza depending on your level. Animal Shelters have also allowed those who are playing come by and walk their “Pokemon dogs” in order for them to get exercise as well as the player to hatch eggs and catch Pokemon along the way.

There has been some controversy from the new app. Within the past week, there have been many car crashes due to people who have played the game while driving.

As a result of this, the Texas Department of Transportation created a campaign called “Don’t Pokemon Go and Drive.” Signs KACI ALVAREZ

Editor-in-chief Web Editor STUDENT PUBLICATION OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-CORPUS CHRISTI TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY–CORPUS CHRISTI | ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM | VOLUME 26 ISSUE 20 | 08.27.15

CONTACT US

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

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

MIKAYLA OELSCHLEGEL

Photographer/cartoonist IZZY SNEED Photographer Layout assistant

on freeways have illuminated this slogan all over the state of Texas and police have been on the look out for anyone using the app while driving.

Pokemon Go has lit a fire of nostalgia in the hearts of people of all ages, but has caused some havoc.

Enjoy catching all your favorite Pokemon, but be safe while you do it.

image courtesy of GOOGLE.COM

WENDY MOORE

Faculty Adviser Features reporter News reporter

GERI LEMMONS

JONATHAN FORNEY

MARIAH OLIVE Advertising Assistant KARA HERRERA

JAMIE FINK

3

news

07.21.2016

Learning center combines with nature ISLAND WAVES

by TRAVIS PETTIS contributing writer

A

s the sun is shining and the wind is blowing in your face, you look up from your electronic device and start to see something.

It’s the natural beauty of nature and Corpus Christi has just added to that experience. The City of Corpus Christi Parks and Development has just opened its first wetlands preserve and learning center.

The Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve and Learning Center is a new spot to learn about and enjoy nature. It has 162 acres of nature preserve and four miles of nature viewing trails and it is located at 2446 N. Oso Parkway. It’s grand opening was June 10.

“Having a facility that educates the public and allows them to interact with nature and learn about conservation is good for the public,” said Justin Quintanilla, park technician.

The center offers many learning opportunities such as guided nature walks, wetlands workshops, eco experts and nature story time to name a few.

“In general everything we have is open to the general population but we do sometimes break stuff down by age group,” Quintanilla said. “We have a water shed exhibit that looks like a sand box and the adults have just as much fun using

it as the kids.”

Quintanilla said preserving nature is one of the purposes of the new center.

“When it pertains to saving animals it all depends on how it happens,” Quintanilla said. “If we know humans have caused the injury we will try and rehabilitate them. But if it’s part of nature, we try and to preserve nature interactions with animals and plants. We try and let nature run its normal course.”

Quintanilla said the staff at the learning center try to make nature fun to learn about.

“We have microscopes here so if we find something interesting or someone brings something in we can check it out in great detail,” Quintanilla said.

Program manager Jose Cantu believes the best way to get people to start caring more about nature is to get them while they are children.

“One of our biggest goals is to connect people with nature,” Cantu said. “We need to make sure people know we need to preserve the environment and for people to care we want them to come out and see how it works first hand.”

For more information on the Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve and Learning Center visit http://www. cctexas.com/government/parksrecreation/parks-development/osobay-wetlands-preserve/index.

Oso Bay sign features a sculpture of a blue herrin.

photos by TRAVIS PETTIS

LEARNING CENTER HOURS Monday-Saturday: 8 a.m.-5 p.m.

Sunday: closed WALKING TRAIL/PLAYGROUND HOURS: Monday-Sunday: dusk-dawn TRADING POST HOURS Wednesday-Friday: 3-4:30 p.m.

Saturday: 10:30 a.m.-1 p.m.

Sunday: closed PARKING LOT HOURS Monday-Saturday: 7:30 a.m.-7 p.m.

Sunday: closed LEFT: The Oso Bay Park gives visitors information about the park and nature throughout the area.

BELOW: This watershed display in the Learning Center teaches visitors more about how water is affected by terrain and environment.

4 Island campus carry soon in full effect news

07.21.2016

ISLAND WAVES

by TRAVIS PETTIS contributing writer

S

tarting this fall semester Texas will start allowing licensed gun owners to carrying on college campuses.

Texas Senate Bill 11 was signed

by Governor Greg Abbott to allow campus concealed carry. Effective Aug. 1 all license handgun owners will be allowed to carry a concealed handgun on campus. This issue has been a topic of debate that has lead to forums on campus for both sides’ voices to be heard.

“Yes I agree with being able carry a concealed handgun,” Corey Huey, TAMUCC student said. “The only way to stop a shooter is another person with a gun, who is a calm minded person, trained and can operate under the stress.”

Huey said he wants to believe the campus police could respond in a timely manner and protect the people on campus but doesn’t believe it is realistic.

“I’ve seen the response times of the police and don’t think they could protect us,” Huey said. “I would be more comfortable carrying myself.”

Others believe having more guns on campus could be problematic during an emergency situation.

“Driving up on scene it would make it hard to see who the suspect is and who is just defending themselves,” said Corpus Christi city police officer Charles Tanner.

Tanner said his personal beliefs are that people should have the right to carry and defend themselves, but it would complicate the situation for officers trying to respond on campus.

“You just hope that the responsible licensed gun carriers will do what they have been trained to do, which is stop once the police come on scene so we will be able to do our job better,” Tanner said.

Tanner said the campus should think about holding active shooter training at the beginning of every semester so students, faculty and staff will know what to do in the case of an emergency.

Gun carriers must have a Concealed Handgun License, which consist of classroom training, a passing grade on a written exam and pass a proficiency shooting test. Just owning a gun is not

photo courtesy of GOOGLE.COM

For those with a concealed handgun license, guns will be allowed at the university starting fall 2016.

enough to carry it on campus, according to the campuscarry.tamucc. edu.

Campus consists of all land and buildings owned or leased by the University.

According to campuscarry. tamucc.edu, this law will not affect the already in-place ban on weapons for the campus housing at Camden Miramar and Momentum Village because neither of these are owned or leased by the

university. Guns are still prohibited in these two places.

The law doesn’t allow the use of open carry on campus. The handgun must be concealed and not visible. CHL holders carrying openly on campus will be breaking the law and are subject to criminal charges for carrying a handgun in plain view.

For more information on Senate Bill 11 visit http://www.legis.state. tx.us.

5

news

07.21.2016

ISLAND WAVES

Islander Student Represents University at Conference

by KACI ALVAREZ editor-in-chief

I

sland Campus student, Kalon Melton, has recently been selected to represent the university at the National Association for Campus Activities (NACA) regional conference in October NACA is the recognized leader in higher education for providing knowledge and resources to campus life and offers students a wide variety of education events, publications and resources.

Melton applied and interviewed to be on the showcase selection committee.

He was selected and he will take an active role in determining who will appear on the showcase stages at the NACA Central Regional Conference.

“Kalon is very energetic and passionate about enriching his and his fellow peers campus experience,” said Adler Marchand, student activities coordinator. “He will represent the university well because of his drive, charisma and passion for programming events.”

Marchand said each fall the NACA Central Region

holds its annual conference, a three-day event featuring educational programs, networking opportunities, a wide variety of entertainment and vendors who provide all the tools needed to program great events on campus.

Melton was not able to comment because he is out of town selecting showcase acts for the upcoming regional conference.

Melton will fly to Kansas on July 6 to meet with the rest of the selection committee to watch, select, plan who and what kinds of acts will be showcasing in the regional conference and their times in the various programs.

“During the conference, there are several showcases that attendees can enjoy and watch a variety of performers and get a feel on what they want to book and bring back to their university,” Marchand said.

The conference’s showcase acts range from singers/ rapper, musicians, bands, poets, comedians, hypnotists, magicians, ventriloquists and jugglers.

According to www.naca.org, the main goals of NACA are ensure

campus engagement is essential for student success, serve as a recognized knowledge source for campus engagement, establish vibrant business opportunities, develop diverse membership, foster meaningful volunteer experiences, and promote excellence in association management.

Marchand said in order to get the opportunity to attend the NACA regional conference and be a part of a nationally recognized

association; one must be a student leader in Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi’s Campus Activities Board (CAB) or the Islander Cultural Alliance (ICA).

For more information about the National Association for Campus Activities, visit www.naca.org or go to www.cab.tamucc.edu or www.ica.tamucc.edu to learn more about the on-campus organizations and be a part of creating fun activities for islander students.

Early FAFSA coming Oct. 1

by ANDREA ALEJANDRO contributing writer

Take Our Dining Survey!

Did you just eat at a Islander Dining Location?

Tell us what you think Get a free beverage

1.

Visit https://www.tinyurl.com/islanderdining

or

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Scan this QR code

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Starting Oct.1 students will be able to file 2016-17 and 2017-18 FAFSA using their 2015 tax information.

The federal government has recently implemented a new system in which students will be able to fill out their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) using up to two years’ prior tax information.

FAFSA is the standard way for all students to apply for any kind of financial assistance.

Joseph Ruiz, associate director of Financial Assistance at Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, said filing early will make the process of applying for FAFSA a lot easier for the students since they will be given more freedom to get their applications for financial aid completed.

“They will be able to apply for financial aid using their prior, year tax information, and it will be one less thing to worry about,” he said.

To file for financial aid, students must collect tax returns from both parents and themselves. They also need to collect any other applicable

income document such as business, property, child support or investment information.

The idea behind the new system is to allow students to collect and submit information earlier. In the past, students were not able to file until after the first of the year when tax returns were due to the IRS. This made it difficult to file FAFSA for the upcoming school year, and especially for summer classes, which were only a few months away.

Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi student Aliyah Pettyjohn said, “I think it is a good idea, and it will definitely make the process a little easier.”

Early FAFSA is scheduled to go live on Oct.1. If there are any questions concerning this or any other financial aid related topic, students are encouraged to go into the Business Center, also known as the Round Building. The Business Center is located behind Bay Hall, across from the O’Connor building and it is open Monday - Friday from 8 a.m.5 p.m. For more information call 361-825-2600.

6

ads

ISLAND WAVES

07.21.2016

Farmers Market

07.21.2016

Today’s specials are...

photos by IZZY SNEED

Students can shop for fresh produce on Wednesday evenings and Saturday mornings at two different locations in Corpus Christi.

7

campus

ISLAND WAVES

Southside Farmers’ Market

Day: Every Saturday year round.

Time: Selling begins at 9 a.m.

Come early for the best selection.

Location: 5800 Everhart, near Holly Rd. Parking lot of “The Market on Everhart” shopping center

Downtown Farmers Market

Day: Wednesdays Time: 5 to 8 p.m.

Grass fed beef, free range chicken, bread, cheese, milk, coffee, gluten free, vegan, baked goods, food trucks, handmade soap, vegetables, fruits, herbs, honey, art and gifts.

Location: 100 N. Shoreline beside the Corpus Christi Art Center

8

entertainment

07.21.2016

ISLAND WAVES

Islander alumni paints mural

by GERI LEMMONS staff writer

T

exas A&M University-Corpus Christi alumni just completed a mural, “Endless Summer: The colors of our city”, on the side of the CallerTimes Newspaper.

Sandra Gonzalez, islander alumni, won a contest in fall 2016 in search of an artist to pain the mural.

Gonzalez said she was very grateful to have the opportunity to paint the mural after 19 applications were submitted.

“I feel very honored that my design was chosen to be featured at the Corpus Christi Caller-Times Building.” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez had several community members come out and help with painting mural. Her parents, community members and local artist all offered support. It became a project with most of the community.

“The technique of the mural allowed many people to be involved during different stages of the making,” Gonzalez said. “My parents helped me cut and prime the panels and some of my high school students helped in projecting the design.”

According to the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi news, the mural includes drawings of fish, birds, flowers and Mandalas. All of these different images come together to make the colorful design. All of the ideas that were displayed made the mural cohesive in what Corpus Christi represents in art form.

“Asthetically, Sandras design was just captivating, “ said Libby Averyt. publisher of Caller-Times. “We loved her design but you add to that the community painting events that we were able to do. That really appealed to us.”

Averyt said she dares someone to look that the mural without smiling.

“It is very joyful,” Averyt said. “It’s vibrant, it’s dynamic, it’s diverse and I think she did a great job at capturing the spirit of Corpus Christi.”

Gonzalez said she has experience in painting murals from her time in Philadelphia. She wanted to bring that experience to Texas and share art like that for people to see. She said she applied the different techniques she learned while she worked for the Philadelphia Arts Program, where she assisted in creating of 28 murals.

Summer hits rock the season

by KACI ALVAREZ editor-in-chief

T

he middle of summer has arrived and playlists that capture the heart of the season are in full swing.

Although the Island Campus resides in South Texas, music such as Electronic Dance Music, Alternative, Deep House and Indie flood the radio airwaves and consume JP Luby beach parties.

“Summer is the one time of the year when I have the time to really explore current music and find genres and artists that I like,” said Shelby Gorbet, junior nursing major.

Gorbet said her current favorites for this summer season fall under the alternative and indie spectrum of music genre.

“I’m really liking Melanie Martinez lately,” Gorbet said. “Her sound is so unique and I really like how her album actually tells a story about the character she made up.”

Gorbet said Melanie Martinez got her stardom from the hit television series The Voice and has evolved into one of the top selling artists and most anticipated performers at the 2016 ACL festival.

While many college kids and high school students are excited for the indie inspired set list for upcoming festivals, others are

jamming out to more futuristic sounds.

Electronic Dance Music and similar genres, like deep house, lounge house, and dubstep are taking the younger generations by storm.

Some of the summer hits that fall within this genre include “Aint Nobody” by Felix Jaehn, “Sun Goes Down” by Robin Shultz and “How Deep is Your Love” by Calvin Harris.

“It takes some time for people to get used to this type of music but once you start listening to it, it takes control,” said Mary Rehel, sophomore nursing major.

Rehel said she enjoys listening to this music because it is very free-spirited and connects people throughout the world.

This upbeat genre of music brings people from all over the world to one location every summer. This year, Tomorrowland, one of the biggest music festivals on the planet, will be held on July 22-24 in Belgium.

Thousands of people go every year to listen to electronic dance music, camp, ride carnival rides, and dance.

Summertime gives students the freedom to explore music, old and new. For some ideas on hit music, visit https://www.spotify.com/ .

“My design for the Caller-Times mural reflects these concepts while at the same time incorporating a sunset for the background,” Gonzalez said.

“I wanted my design for the Caller Times mural to show our colorful culture, the colors of the beautiful sunsets from the Coast Gulf and to feature local wildlife by using mandalas and symmetry.”

Gonzales is an art teacher at J.B. Alexander High School in Laredo. Now that the mural is complete, Gonzalez will teach a mural arts summer camp at Kspace Contemporary Gallery from July 18-

22.

Gonzalez said the camps give the opportunities to students, ages 1116, a fun filled chance to learn more about art and painting. She said if interested students should/ call the gallery to register.

The downtown mural on the Caller-Times Newspaper building has attracted Corpus Christi citizens since it was completed. According to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi news, the help of the community and Sandra Gonzales’ family sped up the overall production time.

9

entertainment

07.21.2016

ISLAND WAVES

Izzy Sneed

7. 1 pound

5. Ferrari

3. MMXVI

1. “Major League”

10. Josh Billingsr

8. Echo

6. Jefferson Davis

4. Ossicles

2. Norway and Sweden

ANSWERS

9. Piccolo

1. MOVIES: What 1989 movie stars a character called “Wild Thing”?

2. GEOGRAPHY: Which two coun- tries occupy the Scandinavian Penin- sula?

3. MATH: How do you write the year 2016 in Roman numerals?

4. ANATOMY: What are the small bones of the middle ear called collec- tively?

5. GENERAL KNOWLEDGE: Which company makes the Testarossa sports car?

6. HISTORY: Who was president of the Confederacy during the American Civil War? 7. MEASUREMENTS: What is the U.S. equivalent of .45 kilograms?

8. LANGUAGE: In the NATO pho- netic alphabet, what is the word for the letter “E”?

9. MUSIC: What is the smallest member of the flute family?

10. FAMOUS QUOTATIONS: What 19th-century humorist once said, “A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than you love yourself ”?

10

news

07.21.2016

Discovery tweaks shark week ISLAND WAVES

by JONATHAN FORNEY staff writer

F

or the 29th summer in a row, Discovery aired its “Shark Week” series. The hallmark of the annual specials is a series of specials about sharks, their behavior and most critically, shark attacks. This year, the specials aired the week of June 26, one week earlier than the previous year.

The network received a lot of negative criticism after their special “Megalodon: The Monster Shark that Lives” was revealed to be fake during “Shark Week” 2015.

Discovery tried to bounce back this year from their misstep and also criticism that they focus more on shark attacks than the science of what makes sharks fascinating to so many.

“I liked the stuff about magnetic barriers, but some of the other stuff felt scripted just for the views,” said senior marine biology major Jackson Graves.

People’s qualms with this year’s “Shark Week” don’t stop there.’

“It’s gotten overly focused on great whites and such,” said Randi Cannon, junior marine biology major. “I just wish there was more of a variety of species shown and studied.”

According to Nielsen reports, the same-day prime time viewers of this year’s “Shark Week” were down 800,000 from last year (dropping from 2.4 million to 1.6 million).

Several factors could have attributed to this drop. People upset about last year may not have tuned in. Perhaps the date change was not advertised well enough and viewers simply missed it.

The possibility of ineffective marketing is not for lack of effort on Discovery’s part. The network took to several platforms and social networks to promote this year’s festivities. They touted on the usual Facebook, Instagram and Twitter but also Snapchat and virtual reality.

Discovery’s efforts in virtual reality are a part of their new focus on Discovery VR, which is a platform to allow viewers to consume their content in new ways such as on smartphones or through VR rigs such as the Oculus Rift or Samsung’s Gear VR. Others found plenty of interesting things during the week of sharkrelated content.

“One part I found particularly interesting was where nurse sharks would push themselves onto a deck to eat remnants of dead fish,” said Melissa Charels, junior biology major. “It was weird that their bodies were out of the water for the most part, but they seemed completely comfortable.”

As with most forms of media, individual tastes vary and what some dislike, others will find something enjoyable.

“I loved this year’s ‘Shark Week,’” junior nursing major Tiare Thompkins said. “I really enjoyed that they focused on more scientific parts of it rather than telling stories of people who were bitten or killed by sharks.”

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi even made another appearance during the “Return of the Monster Mako” special which was a follow up to “Monster Mako” which aired last year. In the special, the Harte Research Institute (HRI) for Gulf of Mexico Studies at the Island University teamed up with shark experts to tag mako sharks using new Shark Eye technology to document behavior never before seen. Behaviors were evaluated in their birthing locations and feeding grounds.

All in all, the feelings toward “Shark Week” (2016) seem to be mixed. The drop in views is representative of changing attitudes toward Discovery’s annual tradition.

The pressure will be on them to see what changes will be made to prepare for next year’s, which also happens to be the 30th anniversary of “Shark Week.”

Will Discovery get their act together and reel in more viewers next year? Or will it be time to say “Fin” to Discovery’s shark special?

Only time will tell.

A hammerhead shark surveys its surroundings.

Diver swims with a great white.

A shortfin mako shark treks across the open ocean.

photos courtesy of DISCOVERY.COM

11

sports

07.21.2016

ISLAND WAVES

Chile dominates annual fútbol play

by JONATHAN FORNEY staff writer

A

fter 32 matches between 16 teams from both of the Americas, Chile emerged victorious over Argentina in a 0-0 (2-4 FT/ PEN) and took home the Copa America championship for the second year in a row.

For years, select national soccer teams from North and South America have competed in the Copa America tournament. 2016 was the Copa America’s Centenario or Centenary. In its 100th year of competition, Copa America is the longest-running international fútbol competition. This year’s tournament marked the first time matches were hosted outside of South America. All matches were hosted in 10 cities across the United States.

To get to the championship, Chile and Argentina won their quarterfinal and semifnal matches.

Along the way Argentina, routed Clint Dempsy and the United States 0-4. While Chile defeated Colombia 0-2. Ninety goals were scored throughout the tournament, averaging around three goals per game. These goals allowed for plenty of highlights across the 32 matches.

The final this year marked a rematch between Chile and Argentina. Just like last tournament, Argentina fell short after penalty kicks and went home with second place once again. Additionally, Colombia defeated the United states in the third place game 1-0.

One of the primary knocks on Argentinian star Lionel Messi is that he falls short on the international stage. Two straight Copa final losses certainly does not help his case.

The loss shook Messi so bad that he announced his retirement from playing for his national team going forward, but fans speculate the validity of this with the Olympics just over the horizon and being in the prime of his career.

In the final match after regulation ended scoreless, the match went to overtime and opened with a shocking missed penalty kick by Messi. The miss seemed to have a lasting impact on the team and ultimately contributed to their defeat.

“It kind of threw off the confidence of Argentina,” said, Matt Dawod, junior biomedical science major. “After that they lost the shootout and ultimately the Copa final. It was incredibly unusual.”

Man of the Match went to goalkeeper Claudio Bravo of Chile.

photo courtesy of AFP GETTY IMAGES

Chile celebrates their COPA victory.

He also earned the Golden Glove award in the post tournament awards. Other awards include: Alexis Sánchez (Chile) took home the Golden Ball (MVP) and Eduardo Vargas (Chile) won the Golden Boot award for the top scorer of the tournament.

The tournament garnered 1.5 million match attendees, more than 100 million viewers, and 3.5 million people chiming in about the matches on social media; all records

for the tournament. Additionally, the final had 9.9 million people tuning in.

“We are thrilled to have honored and celebrated 100 years of South American soccer with this centennial event, which has united the Americas around this wonderful sport and through an entertaining and competitive sporting event of the first order” said Alejandro Dominguez, president of South American football confederation CONMEBOL.

With the Rio Olympics coming up and the Portugal heading home with a Euro cup championship to their name, things are setting up to be interesting for the next few months of international soccer.

With the current growth of interest in soccer in the United States, perhaps Americans can become a bigger part of the sport that the majority of the world has been enjoying for a very long time.

At least, that’s the goal.

12 Miller takes reigns of Islander softball sports

06.16.2016

ISLAND WAVES

by JAMIE FINK staff writer

A

new era has begun for Islander softball with the return of 16-year South Texas veteran.

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi officially introduced Blake Miller as the head coach of the Islanders’ softball. Miller will become the sixth coach in Islanders history after the departure of former coach Stephanie Hughes. Hughes and company finished 18-30 last season and missed the postseason.

“The first thing that excites me is this environment,” Miller said.

“This move comes down to family first, and I know the culture down here. South Texas girls can go get it done on the softball field.

Bringing a family environment into this team and making the players realize that they can achieve whatever they want is where all the excitement is right now.”

Before coming to the Island University, Miller spent the last three seasons leading the Virginia Cavaliers out of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). In his

final year with the Cavs, the program recorded a tenure-best 18 wins, after winning 12 games in 2015 and six games in 2014.

“When we started this national search a month ago, we had three key elements that we were looking for in a coach,” Islanders Athletic Director Scott Lazenby said. “We wanted someone with strong Texas ties, someone with success and experience coaching at the collegiate level and someone who can embrace the off-campus community to build up a strong fan base. In Blake Miller, we found all those qualities in him.”

Miller’s strong Texas ties come from his three seasons spent in the coastal bend as he spent three seasons as the head coach for the Texas A&M-Kingsville softball program from 2008-2010.

Miller then made the move up to NCAA Division I softball as he became an assistant to coach for the Oregon Ducks.

While with Oregon, the Ducks made three straight regional championships and two trips to the Women’s College World Series.

photo by JAMIE FINK

New head coach, Blacke Miller, addresses the crowd during his welcome to the Island University.

Miller created a bond with Brittany Rumfelt, a then-senior pitcher for the Ducks, who will join Miller as the Islanders pitching coach for the upcoming season. Miller’s impact on his players however goes beyond the field, as he has coach seven Academic All-Americans.

“I can’t tell you how excited I am to be back in South Texas and at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi,” Miller said. “The people and culture here represents the best in college athletics. I’m excited to work with this team, to see what work they have and to see what they can do with it.”

America paves road to Rio Olympics

by KACI ALVAREZ editor-in-chief

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he 2016 NBC Summer Olympics will begin on Aug. 5 and end on Aug. 21 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Every four years, the summer Olympics brings the top athletes in the world to compete for the gold and represent their countries. There are 28 sports in the Rio Olympics after adding rugby sevens and golf to the official list and more than 10,500 athletes are expected to compete overall.

“The Olympic games are the perfect way to bring countries together while they show pride for their homeland,” said Jamie Pultorak, junior kinesiology major.

Pultorak has watched the Olympics since she could remember and said some of her favorite memories were watching it with her family.

“Since I was a gymnast, gymnastics was my favorite thing to watch,” Pultorak said.

The United States competes in both the mens and womens’ gymnastic events, and both teams have taken home gold medals in the past.

This year, five males and five females will compete for the gold on Team USA. According to USAGym.com, Simone Biles is USA’s most anticipated female gymnast. At only 19 years old, Biles has received the title of the 2016 all-around vault, balance beam and floor exercise

champion.

“I think gymnastics is the one sport where people don’t really pay attention to it until the Olympics and then they are the biggest fans ever,” Pultorak said.

Kristi Lee, junior pharmacology major, said she is excited to see the swimming matches at this year’s Olympic games.

“I never swam competitively, but I really enjoy watching it during the Olympics because it gets really intense sometimes,” Lee said.

According to USASwimming.org, 47 swimmers make up the mens and women’s 2016 olympic team, including good friends and rivals, Ryan Lochte and Michael Phelps.

“Phelps is always fun to watch,” Lee

said. “A lot of the times the matches become nail biters.”

For more information on the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, visit https:// www.rio2016.com/en.