Volume 27 Issue 30

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

IslandWavesNews.com

CROWD PLEASER

News

The Stage Dance Group outshine others Page 3

Mala Luna Festival brings music lovers together

Also

by JAMIE FINK • Page 7

November 10, 2016 Volume 27, Issue 30

Opinions Page 2 Entertainment Page 6 Sports Page 11

2 Opinion

STI

STUDENT PUBLICATION OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYCORPUS CHRISTI

11.10.2016

IZZY

WORD on the STREET

WINGING IT

What are your holiday plans?

SNEED

TIA MULLINS

senior, marketing

ISLAND WAVES | ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM IslandWavesNews.com

I'm going home to Houston to spend some quality time with my friends and family, and eat some home cooked meals and chill.

| VOLUME 26 ISSUE 20 | 08.27.15

Editor-in-chief KACI ALVAREZ

FRANCISCO GALLEGOS

Web MIKAYLA OELSCHLEGEL, editor JEFFREY THOMAS, on-air talent EILEEN HERNANDEZ, reporter MITCHELL JACKSON, vid. editor

junior, political science

I'm going to be going home to Brownsville. I am going to be getting together with family and we are going to have some turkey with spicy peppers. And actually we are going to see the Cowboys live in Dallas. We have been trying to do it for a while and we are actually getting the chance to so it is really exciting.

Copy Editor KATIE MEZA

Visuals IZZY SNEED, editor MARIAH OLIVE

Layout KARA HERRERA, editor SABRINA HUTTON, assistant

ROSLYN EVANS

senior, health science

Reporters

My plans for break is to go back home to Whichers Spring. Since we have a week long break this time I actually get to spend more time with my family.

GERI LEMMONS, news JONATHAN FORNEY, feature MELISSA RODRIGUEZ, news

Advertising JAMIE FINK, manager

Faculty Adviser

Traveling cheap benefits students' holidays

WENDY MOORE

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

GERI LEMMONS @GeriLemmons

Traveling to new places and/or going home is almost a given event for most when it comes to a holiday break, but the real issue is figuring out a way to take these trips and not go broke at the same time.

Thinking ahead and planning early is key to making sure that students will find the most affordable deal when looking at traveling options.

Although sometimes expensive, the most popular way of traveling is by plane. When traveling by plane, it’s best to plan considerably early in order to ensure that the

best and most efficient deal is made. Checking weeks and even months ahead of time is the best way to be able to find deals and cheap flights for certain days. As time gets closer and closer to that particular day of travel or that holiday, seats fill up and prices go up as well.

One should research prices for several days and notice trends. For example, one ticket price for one day might be different than others because many people are expected to travel that day. Realizing this allows students to choose another day in order to stay within their expected budget.

Another means of travelling is simply taking a car and just driving home yourself. Now this way might be the most

obvious method of transportation for those who live instate, however, students can still cut some cost with driving as well.

One way to save some cash is to travel with friends. This way they could split the cost of gas money. They even buy snacks in preparation for the journey and split that cost as well. This also cuts down travel time by eliminating some/ all food stops and you know what they say, time is money.

If even one friend lives in the same town or in a town that is on the way, it is way easier to plan a fun trip together and its even good for the environment.

Traveling by bus could also be a way to cut the cost of holiday travel. Just like with tak-

ing a plane, students have to check and get tickets early to get some of the best deals. But, with traveling on a bus, the cost of a ticket is a lot cheaper even though the time might be a little bit longer. Also, this vehicle may fill up fast but busses will come back within a day, and missing the bus won’t be as detrimental as missing a flight.

The key is to plan early and figure out what means works best for you. Thinking about the small things like, what to eat at the airport while waiting on the flight to come in, is an important thing to think about. Cutting cost, finding deals and making sure to be comfortable is the key to having a nice, safe and cheap holiday travels.

News 3

11.10.2016

The Stage Dance Group outshine others MELISSA RODRIGUEZ @__melisssaaaa

O

n Nov. 4, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Student Foundation Association(SFA) presented the Islander Revue for the 17th consecutive year.

This year, the show, sponsored by Whataburger, had a theme of One Hit Wonders.

Each of the nine participating organizations were given a 10-minute time frame to showcase their talents and the winning organization, The Stage Dance Group, was awarded the $1,000 grand prize. “[We thought] if we win, that’d be awesome,” said Jacqulyn Hatfield, sophomore education major representing The Stage Dance Group. “Because we want to be able to have the winning money for our organization.”

Although the show is intended to raise funds for student scholarships, it is also an event that allows not only the audience, but also the participants to enjoy themselves.

“We were really just doing it for fun,” said Melina Ortiz, senior biomedical sciences major representing Alpha Epsilon Delta. “[Being in the show] was something that allowed us to bond more.”

First to the stage, was Zeta Tau Alpha, who did a skit mimicking that of the movie “Pitch Perfect” and dancing to one hit wonders songs. Up next was The Stage Dance Group, whose skit was formatted as a music video audition which showcased their talent through several different styles of dance.

The crowd became a part of the show as the third performers from the Islander Improv team got on stage and asked the audience for their help in choosing the themes to their live improvised skits. Following up was Delta Delta Delta who acted out a skit including a host and co-host calling out the other members to dance to iconic one hit wonder songs.

After the forth performance, the audience was released to a 15-minute intermission. Once the 15 minutes concluded, the first to reopen the show was Gamma Phi Beta dancing to some more of the decade’s most memorable singles. The following act, Alpha Epsilon Delta, also performed a skit which introduced the songs they danced.

As the performances began winding down, Singer’s Theatre was the sixth group to compete as they sang their way through the entire performance. Up

@mikaylaMOG

I

n Oct. 2016, the Pentagon decided to demand thousands of Californian soldiers, both veterans and current, needed to pay back their reenlistment bonuses they were given almost a decade ago.

According to FoxNews.com, the reason the Pentagon wants the money back is, apparently, there were overpayments by California Guard officials and some soldiers were ineligible for those bonuses.

“The contract was made.

Whether it was made by accident, it was still a contract,” said Larry Adams, U.S. veteran

and Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi communication major. “And I believe they would hold us just as accountable if it was on our side,” The bonuses the Pentagon is attempting to take back were used by the soldiers for many different things. Adams, who served in the Army as a Specialists, said he used it for bills and to help his ex-wife and kids out while he served.

Others used it for housing payments, car payments or school loans.

“The pay for the military is not high. A lot of the military soldiers rely on those bonuses,” Adams said. “Those bonuses are a big thing for us.

Island Waves News .com

Letter from the Editor Hi Islanders,

MARIAH OLIVE/Island Waves

Delta Delta Delta performs with a full stage during the Islander Revue One Hit Wonders.

next, was Alpha Gamma Delta who also performed a series of dance routines to a variety of one hit wonders. Last but not least, the African Student Organization brought the show to a close as they got the crowd clapping to their cultural dance routines.

According to the audience’s reactions, each competing group put on an entertaining show.

“It was pretty fun because most of us have our noses in our books all the time and being up there let some of us break out of our shells,” Ortiz said.

Ultimately, the People’s

Choice Award was given to Gamma Phi Beta after the crowd cheered them on the most as all the teams were called out one more time on stage. And finally, the winner of the 2016 Islander Revue was The Stage Dance Group.

“When I heard our name I was completely shocked just because we didn’t come in with a ‘we have to win’ mindset, we just came in wanting to have fun,” Hatfield said.

For more information on SFA’s Islander Revue, visit http://studentfoundation. tamucc.edu/islander_revue. html.

Pentagon demand payback from soldiers MIKAYLA OELSCHLEGEL

O N L I N E

When it’s time for us to reenlist or select different jobs... that is a big factor in [the decision].”

According to NPR.com and The Washington Post, there are a mix of soldiers who went ahead and started to pay back their bonuses by refinancing their homes and soldiers who are refusing to pay them because of how unfair it is for them; some have even started petitions. Many people are standing beside the veterans, including members of Congress such as House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

“These people are heroes and risked their lives every day,” said Felicia DeMartino, sophomore education major.

“[The Pentagon doesn’t] have the right to decide they need the money back when it’s been so long.”

According to The Washington Post and several other news sources, The California National Guard is helping the veterans with the appeal process of the charges, but that could be a long wait and the soldiers do not know if the appeal will help or not. At this time, the Pentagon is reviewing on how to resolve this issue. “[The Pentagon] doesn’t have the right to take back the money unless they can somehow give the soldiers back their time,” DeMartino said.

While the school year is slowly coming to a close, the Island Waves Staff wanted to wish you all a fun and safe Thanksgiving break.

Use this time to recooporate, spend quality time with your families and friends and eat as much turkey and stuffing as possible. Let’s use this time to give thanks and appreciate how blessed we are to be Islanders.

We can’t wait to see you all when we come back for finals! Remember to study hard and don’t stress. You got this.

Due to Fall graduation coming up, we will be losing some staff members so we are now looking for enthusiastic students who want to dive into the world of journalism.

We will be hiring for the positions of photographer, sports reporter, advertising manager and distribution manager. If you are interested in joining the Island Waves team, email editor@ tamucc.edu.

Happy Thanksgiving from us to you!

Sincerely, Kaci Alvarez Editor-in-Chief

ON THE COVER: Photo from JAMIE FINK

4 News

11.10.2016

Community takes steps toward mental health awareness JONATHAN FORNEY @jb4nay

O

n Saturday, Oct. 29, the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Counseling Center held its first annual Walk for Mental Health Awareness on the Hike and Bike Trail.

Starting in the Hammerhead parking lot, more than 100 participants registered to walk the “2 Miles 2 Raise Awareness.” Some participants even brought their dogs.

“I’m really excited with the turnout,” said Pamela Greene, event coordinator and psychiatric nurse.

Those who registered were given two wristbands: one to wear during the event and the other to write a word of encouragement. The latter would be linked together to form “Links Across Campus,” which is a massive chain of positive messages and support that will ultimately stretch across the campus.

Prior to the walk, participants could visit various tables to get more information about mental health resources offered to them, both through the uni-

versity and in the Corpus Christi community. Among those in attendance: Behavioral Health Center of Nueces County, I-Adapt, GBC Clinic and the TAMU-CC Counseling Center. In addition, participants had the opportunity to donate.

“All donated canned goods go to the Coastal Bend Wellness Foundation, so it’s going toward a good cause,” said Jenna-Kaya Charles, senior nursing major.

After all walkers were registered, Greene, had some of the events’ volunteers use brooms to prepare the starting line to sweep away the stigma associated with mental health issues; with the chime of bells, the walk began.

The participants embarked along the Hike and Bike Trail from the Hammerhead parking lot to the other side of campus. Along the way, dozens of posters could be found with words of encouragement or statistics about mental health.

Additionally, to keep walkers hydrated, water stations were setup for both humans and dogs at multiple locations.

At the halfway mark, participants were

offered water before turning around and returning to the Hammerhead parking lot.

Upon completing the walk, the first 100 to finish received a medal, which had an inspirational message inscribed on it, to commemorate the occasion. In addition, participants were free to revisit the tables or take part in a standing maze activity.

Ultimately many different pieces need-

ed to come together to make the walk successful.

“With our community sponsors and student volunteers, it really is a community effort,” Greene said.

The counseling center hopes to turn the walk into an annual tradition to raise awareness for mental health issues that people face every day as well as encourage them to take advantage of the resources available to them.

photos by JONATHAN FORNEY

News 5

11.10.2016

Islanders YBP honors local superhero

JONATHAN FORNEY

@jb4nay

T

he Young Business Professionals of the Coastal Bend (YBP) hosted its fifth annual Superhero Dinner to honor a hero in the coastal bend community.

This year’s honoree was Gabe “The Gladiator” Guerra, president of Kleberg Bank. Guerra’s accolades include, but are not limited to, being named one of Corpus Christi’s 40 under 40 in 2010 and was recognized as Business person of the year by the Corpus Christi Hispanic Chamber of Commerce in 2012.

Early in his life, Guerra knew he’d make something of himself.

“I knew I was going to do something good and meaningful,” Guerra said. “To me, it’s about wanting to make a difference in your community.”

The event featured a multi-course meal held inside the ballroom of the Holiday Inn Downtown-Marina. The ballroom was decked out in superhero themed décor. The president of YBP, Claudia Huerta, kicked off the event with an introduction. She explained just what it means to be a YBP member.

“We want to be action takers,” Huerta said. “The good, young decision makers

this city deserves.”

Following Huerta’s introduction, Guerra’s childhood friend, Rudy Garza, set the scene by giving a profile of his friend. The segment titled “Profile of a Superhero” began with Garza sharing personal anecdotes about the man of the hour.

“When [Guerra] speaks, he speaks from the heart,” Garza said.

Shortly after, a tribute video played featuring testimonials from Guerra’s family and friends about just what makes him a superhero in their eyes.

“He’s a tremendous example to our daughters and our family,” said Lisa Guerra, Guerra’s wife.

After the video, Garza sat down with Guerra for an interview to get to know the man “Behind the Mask.” The duo, who have known each other since they were teenagers as boy scouts. Garza had Guerra talk through his upbringing and his motivations.

“For me, it all started at home having [had] a grounded person,” Guerra said of his father.

Guerra’s family was a big influence on the man he is today. The fifth of seven children, Guerra always had plenty of family support through his life.

“I’m very proud that my momma kept us in line,” Guerra said Even now family is just as important to him.

“My family keeps me grounded,” Guerra said. “I’m the luckiest man in the world. My wife is the most amazing woman.”

Once Garza and Guerra finished their interview, Guerra was awarded his own

action figure, a tradition at every Superhero Dinner. The Gladiator will go down alongside other honorees such as Flavius “Momentum Man” Killebrew and others.

Proceeds for the evening went toward the Joe Adame Young Leader Endowment helping YBP continue training professionals to make a positive influence in the Coastal Bend community.

JONATHAN FORNEY/Island Waves

Man of the hour, Gabe Guerra, shares a laugh with his childhood friend, Rudy Garza.

Campus Activities Board hosts haunted house

GERI LEMMONS

@GeriLemmons

O

n the evening of Oct. 27, the Campus Activities Board (CAB) hosted its very own hunted house in the University Center Anchor ballroom.

This event brought students the opportunity to experience a creepy room full of their peers dressed up as different scary, horror movie characters.

“This is one of our new traditional events that we started last year,” said Kalon Melton, CAB student leader.

“Each year we have a pretty good turnout and it is going pretty great.”

Students waiting in line were kept entertained as different videos and scary images popped up on a big screen. Then as the thrill-seekers got closer and closer to the entrance, screams were heard and scary music was blasted from behind the closed doors, building anticipation.

“I went through the haunted house myself and I thought it was really good,” said Lauren Pac, freshman

nursing major. “But I found out that I like scaring people a lot more than going through it. Just seeing the different reactions from people was great.”

Each section of the haunted house had its own theme. The themes ranged from creepy clowns to bloody butchers and hooded masked men to creepy looking doll scenesSome of the clowns even made references to shows like American Horror Story and other creepy stories.

The decorations included flashing lights, a bloody butchers table, a dark cemetery and several different items covered in spider webs. Some of the members from CAB participated in the actual scaring activity during the haunted house while others gave tours through it and helped check in the different people coming through.

“I have never been a part of a haunted house before,” said Carlos Hinojosa, senior kinesiology major. “It was really fun scaring people and figuring out how to scare people even more, and that was the funniest thing about

it. And making sure that [participants] get the most out of their experience.”

Students came out at the end of the tunnel with many mixed reactions.

Some came out with a sort of calm demeanor while others came out with a truly frightened type of reaction.

“I was mostly laughing hearing my

friends scream,” said Erica Anderson, sophomore accounting major. “I actually recognized some people, like the clown from “American Horror Story”, so I thought that was really cool.”

Melton said he looks forward to CAB continuing the tradition with next year’s haunted house.

Members of CAB pose for a group photo after the haunted house.

GERI LEMMONS/Island Waves

6 Entertainment

11.10.2016

Ziegenbock music festival rocks out

EILEEN HERNANDEZ/ Island Waves

EILEEN HERNANDEZ @EileenHdz

O

EILEEN HERNANDEZ/ Island Waves

n Oct. 29, the Ziegenbock Music Festival (Ziegfest) welcomed eight bands on two stages with headliners Gary Allan and Cody Johnson at the Old Concrete Street Pavilion and Amphitheater.

The event was presented by Ziegenbock Beer and Concrete Street Amphitheater, which brought Texas Lifestyle Vendor Village, mechanical bull riding, food and alcohol vendors and much more to the festival.

“I drove over here from McAllen just to see Gary Allan,” said 23 year-old Andrew Flores. “I love his music. He’s the man.”

Though the festival brought along many talented country bands, the crowd was most excited to see Gary Allan who last performed in Corpus Christi in 2010.

Allan saw his last album, “Set You Free,” top the Billboard 200 (Pop Chart) and Billboard Country Album chart. Additionally, his “Every Storm Runs Out of Rain” song also became his fifth No. 1 country radio chart hit. His albums have

successfully sold over millions of copies and have been featured 14 Top 10 hits, according to the Caller Times.

The full line up consisted of Pavilion Stage performers The Powell Brothers, Zane Williams, Dirty River Boys and Bart Crow and Amphitheater Stage performers Bri Bagwell, Jack Ingram, Cody Johnson and Gary Allan.

Frank Mendez, a first-time Ziegenbock Fest goer, was looking forward to the Ziegfest experience all while enjoying good food, booze and live country music.

“I just started listening to Texas county and all the Texas country [music] is badass,” Mendez said. “I’m excited to see everyone here. The brisket was pretty, pretty good, too.”

Close to the end of the night, the audience was shoulder to shoulder, jam packed but still did not prevent country enthusiasts from two-stepping and signing the night away.

For more insight on the 2016 Ziegenbock Music Festival, head over to IslandWavesNews.com’s Multimeadia tab for pictures and mini segment video of the event.

Entertainment 7

11.10.2016

Mala Luna Music Festival debuts in San Antonio JAMIE FINK @jk_fink

S

an Antonio celebrated the inaugural Mala Luna Music Festival this past weekend, Oct. 29 and 30 in the Southtown District on the grounds of the historic Lone Star Brewery. In its first year ever, the festival captured two sell-out crowds of roughly 30,000 fans in attendance for today’s latest popular music artists.

MLMF, a ScoreMore Shows production, provided San Antonio with a highprofile music performance weekend, accompanied by live art, local food vendors, merchants and enhancing the culture and community of the Alamo city.

“We’ve been promoting music in San Antonio for over five years now,” Zach Paul, Mala Luna Music Festival Producer said. “San Antonio had always been so good to our company and we wanted to give the city a festival they could call their own.”

With the dedication and support from the city, ScoreMore Shows leaders started throwing around the idea of a premiere music festival in San Antonio roughly two years ago. San Antonio’s market for the ability to host a festival intrigued the ScoreMore crew to provide for the city.

“It’s been an amazing few last months,” Paul said. “I think everyone really looked at this and said this is our fest. This is San Antonio’s festival.”

The music festival boasted popular headliners and performing artists from all across the country, including hometown act Travis Scott. Scott headlined alongside EDM DJ Steve Aoki on the first night of the festival. Many of the artists including Scott and Aoki performed classic hits, as well as tracks from recent or new albums. The weekend was rounded off from crowd-captivating performances by G-Eazy, one of the hottest new acts of the year, and Kaskade, a top DJ and producer in the world.

“There were two things we wanted to do with this first year,” Paul said. “We wanted to have only one stage and we wanted to focus on hip hop and EDM artists.”

Paul said the mission behind doing this, was not wanting to bite off more than the crew and festival would be able to handle. He said festivals can be really tricky and difficult to handle. By taking it small on the first year, Paul has high hopes as to where the festival can go, including additional stages and multiple genres of music.

MLMF featured two full days of musical performances as performances rolled throughout the day from some of today’s biggest artists, which included Tory Lanez, Jeezy, Rae Sremmurd, Kehlani, Lil Yachty, Jacquees and Lil Uzi Vert.

“We’re not trying to be the ACL’s and LaLaPalooza’s of the world, but that isn’t to say that this doesn’t become a festival that sees 40 to 50,000 people per day,” Paul said. “There is a tremendous amount of room to grow, which is really exciting.”

Other than providing San Antonio with its very own premeire music festival, Mala Luna Music Festival also donated a portion of the proceeds from each ticket sold to Network for Young Artists (NYA), a 501c3 nonprofit organization that provides affordable classes in voice, guitar, percussion, keyboard, and dance to San Antonio-area youth ages 4-20.

MLMF was produced by ScoreMore Shows, a Texas-based music promoter.

ScoreMore Shows routes tours through nine markets in the Southwest United States, producing more than 150 club shows per year including JMBLYA, The ILLMORE and its partnership in Neon Desert Music Festival in El Paso, Texas.

For more information on the festival, go to www.MalaLunaMusicFestival. com. Follow Mala Luna Music Festival at www.facebook.com/malalunafest, as well as on Instagram, Twitter, and Snapchat at @malalunafest for updates.

Photos by JAMIE FINK/Island Waves

Pictured above: Chart-topping artist G-Eazy was in the Halloween spirit as he searches the crowd after he takes of his Joker jacket during his performance.

Bottom left: Festivalgoers Unequa, Victoria, Amanda and Chassade pose in front of the Mala Luna photo op.

Bottom right: Musical artist Kehlani prepares to sing her hit single from the recent blockbuster Suicide Squad to the crowd at Mala Luna.

8 Entertainment

11.10.2016

Printmaking students capture culture, creativity

MIKAYLA OELSCHLEGEL @mikaylaMOG

T

here are many art classes available for students can take at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, everything from photography to graphic design to sculpture.

Printmaking is a class that ventures outside of its name while most students cease to know it exists. The students do not sit at a computer and work on Microsoft paint all day as Ross Turner, a third-year graduate student who teaches one of the classes, says.

“Printmaking, broken down to its truest form, is about the power of the multiple,” Turner said. “All of our prints in printmaking can be made into multiple originals, which is like working an oxymoron really.”

For the students who are currently in the class, there are different types of printmaking they can learn about. Turner said the introduction to printmaking class covers two techniques, woodcut and silkscreen, which are two forms that any student can do at home with supplies they buy from craft stores.

“It is a really great to introduce them to something like this, where they can still go out and utilize the power of printmaking and the power of the multiple, without having access to any of this very expensive equipment,” Turner said.

There are two other levels for printmaking, intermediate and advanced.

Turner said the intermediate classes are two separate classes in the fall and spring, with lithography in the fall and intaglio in the spring. The advanced classes are where students get to use whatever technique they see fit to use.

Printmaking it not just for the art majors, Javier Flores, a third year Masters student explains. From the countless hours spent in the studio working on perfecting a piece, there are some benefits for anyone who wants to take a class.

“Benefits of this class are multitasking, time management because you always have to be doing something at any given moment, outside of time as well, outside of lecture time, and then inheritance to instructions because you have to follow instructions to get what you want or somewhat close to what you want,” Flores said. “There is comrade, a

IZZY SNEED/ISLAND WAVES

At the Dia de los Muertos festival there was a variety of Day of the Dead and Halloween themed woodcuts. All of these designs were carved by TAMUCC art students and faculty.

lot of teambuilding here in the ship because we’re always around each other, good or bad.”

Besides the benefits the students get in the class, Flores said there are many professional benefits as well with lectures, conferences and workshops that can help students hone their skills.

“There is a lot of opportunities to be able to expand your network of peers,” Flores said.

Both graduate students believe that if

a student has the time in their schedule, they should take a printmaking class.

“I feel like it would be a good introduction into how the visual arts work and if they have time for it, it could really benefit them in ways they can link to whatever their outside interests are or whatever their major is,” Flores said.

For more information about the printmaking program, visit http://cla. tamucc.edu/art/study/printmaking. html.

IZZY SNEED/ISLAND WAVES

Art majors Ben Sorrell and Amanda Garza are hard at work selling and printing shirts at the Dia de los MuertosFestival while many potential customers crowd the booth to check out the designs.

10 Entertainment

11.10.2016

Eleanor’s supports other local businesses

MELISSA RODRIGUEZ

@__melisssaaaa

A

midst all the popular coffee franchies in town, Eleanor’s Coffee Bar + Market is a local coffee shop proving itself in the industry by providing a relaxed atmosphere where people can enjoy a great cup of coffee and locally produced food.

Since its opening in Sept. 2015, Eleanor’s has found itself a niche in Corpus Christi as one of the few local coffee shops lending vibes similar to those of the hipster cafés in other urban cities.

It is located at 4231 S Alameda St, and is open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

“I really just wanted to create a space that was inspiring in a way,” said Jessica Gignac, owner and president of Eleanor’s Coffee Bar + Market. “That [is] aesthetically pleasing, but also brought good coffee and really good food together.”

What sets this coffee bar apart from others, is the fact that Gignac makes it a priority to stick mainly to locally produced ingredients rather than outsource from out of the city. By doing so, Eleanor’s is helping local businesses grow, which in turn means an economic growth for the community.

“I felt people were doing really well but were getting overlooked, like the bread from the German bakery... so

we’re just trying to bring it all together under one roof,” Gignac said.

Eleanor’s uses ingredients from several local businesses in order to produce their own tasty menu. Gignac said their menu consists simply of taking products from other locals who seem to be doing well, such as bread, sweet pastries and granola, and then turning them into their own house specialties. “[For example] we do our granola bowl with Fed by Bread’s granola, Greek yogurt, and local honey,” Gignac said. “Or like our avocado toast is on the spelt bread from the German bakery but we just add micro greens and pink Himalayan sea salt.”

Eleanor’s is also known for exclusive-

ly selling pour over coffee rather than expresso unlike most coffee shops.

They have also cornered the commercial market on cold pressed juices. Ideally enough, they have named all of their juices after different neighborhoods and streets in Corpus Christi.

“I loved how cute it was,” said Mekol Badillo, freshman pre-nursing major at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi. “It’s a great spot to hang out with friends for a while and enjoy some coffee while getting to catch up with each other.”

To find out more about this coffee shop, check out Eleanor’s Coffee Bar + Market on Facebook, at www.facebook. com/Eleanors-Coffee-Bar-Market.

Jessica Gignac, the owner, is also the barista who prepares the drip coffee.

Photos by MARIAH OLIVE/Island Waves

Eleanor’s Coffee + Market has an array of coffee, jewelry, soaps, candles and tea essentials available for purchase.

Sports 11

11.10.2016

Islander Invasion impresses community EILEEN HERNANDEZ @EileenHdz

O

n Oct. 25, the Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi community joined together for the annual Islanders Invasion tip-off event dedicated to the Islander’s men’s and women’s basketball team.

The crowd was introduced to both the new and returning players of the 20162017 Islanders basketball teams. Islander fans got the chance to win prizes, gift cards and free pizza all while getting a peek into what the teams have in store during scrimmages.

“I think it was a great night for the

fans to come out and celebrate and watch our men’s and women’s basketball team kick off the season,” said Joseph Kilgore, junior and guard for Islander basketball.

With most returning veterans playing for the blue team, they out played the green team consisting more of the new and incoming freshman players.

Nonetheless, despite the rookies’ short coming, they still succeed in impressing their teammates with their skill and talent.

“I feel like we did a great job playing together and hyping each other up,” Kilgore said. “I feel like we’re going to

Islander Invasion introduced the Islanders basketball teams before the 2016-2017 season.

Photos by EILEEN HERNANDEZ/Island Waves

The Islander Blue Team huddles up during the intersquad scrimmage.

have a good season.”

Aside from the men’s basketball team, the women’s team also put up a good show for everyone in attendance. However, it was newcomer Dae Dae Evans that took the grey squad to victory and triumph.

Senior and veteran player Kassie Jones displayed much pride for her team speaking of and holding them at high praise.

“I feel really confident,” Jones said.

“We’ve been working real hard over the past few months getting ready for this year and I’m just ready to start the season and win some games.”

Overall, the night’s kick-off to the 2016-2017 basketball season can be considered a success.

“Tonight was really fun,” Jones said.

“It was really exciting to get out here and show off our skills to the fans for the first time and getting to have a little fun.”

The 2016-17 Islanders men’s basketball team will take on the season with an exhibition game on Nov. 5 against the Concordia Tornados while the women’s basketball team goes up against the Texas A&M-International Dustdevils the following day. Both games are scheduled for 7 p.m. in the Dugan Wellness Center.

Photos by EILEEN HERNANDEZ/Island Waves

Photos by EILEEN HERNANDEZ/Island Waves

Rashawn Thomas prepares for the tipoff of the intersquad scrimmage.

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