Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
IslandWavesNews.com
COFFEE BREAK Coffee Waves celebrate 9 years by AMERICA SEGURA • Page 3
Sports Islanders beach volleyball returns for second season Page 11
Also
March 30, 2017 Volume 28, Issue 9
Opinions Page 2 Entertainment Page 6 Sports Page 11
2 Opinion
STI
STUDENT PUBLICATION OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYCORPUS CHRISTI
ISLAND WAVES | ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM IslandWavesNews.com
03.30.2017
IZZY
I PUT THE PRO IN PROCRASTINATION
WORD on the STREET
How do you deal with procrastination and/or senioritis?
SNEED
| VOLUME 26 ISSUE 20 | 08.27.15
Editor-in-chief KACI ALVAREZ
LINDSEY JOHNSON senior, kinesiology
I will be graduating soon and knowing that graduation is so close yet so far is hard to deal with. You just really have to put your mind to it and know it will all be worth it when you walk across that stage in your cap and gown.
Web MIKAYLA OELSCHLEGEL, editor JEFFREY THOMAS, on-air talent MITCHELL JACKSON, vid. editor ERIN NASH, podcast host
Copy Editor KATIE MEZA
Visuals
STEPHEN TATE
IZZY SNEED, editor ZACH ALDRIDGE, photographer
junior, communication
I put my phone away and close all unrelated tabs. Make whatever you're procrastinating important to you and then you'll stop putting it off.
Layout KARA HERRERA, editor VINCENT VERDUZCO, assistant
Reporters GERI LEMMONS, features JONATHAN FORNEY, sports MELISSA RODRIGUEZ, news SARAH REEVES, news AMERICA SEGURA, sports
Graduate Assistant BRADY BURNS, advertising
Faculty Adviser 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
Procrastination cause stress, students beat it AMERICA SEGURA @americabatel
It’s no doubt once Spring Break is over, the real stress is back on. The mountains of homework and tests teachers assign can be overwhelming to just about anybody. With midterms out of the way, finals quickly approaching and after a much-needed break, it is no doubt students everywhere are indeed in need of some extra motivation. Procrastination and the thirst for sweet summer freedom is definitely real. Nonetheless, it is possible to come back strong after a crazy Spring Break. With these few helpful tips your GPA will thank you at the end of the semester. Take it day by day- Instead of dreading the slow passage
of time and trying to count down the days until Summer, try doing things step by step. Take it one day at a time and one assignment at a time. Don’t worry too much about the final that’s five weeks away, instead begin by reading this week’s chapter. Sometimes our biggest downfall is that we worry too much about the future and we forget to focus on the present. Managing Time- While simply doing the task is incredibly important, learning how to manage your time wisely can actually be the key to being productive and not procrastinating. If you set a specific time in which you will work on an assignment it will more than likely give you motivation to actually accomplish it since it’s scheduled into your day. Do a Power Hour- Doing a power hour consists of putting away all distractions (i.e. social media) and strictly focusing on
what it is you need to do. Let’s face it, social media has a way of trapping us and before you know it, a quick glance at the Instagram feed has you lurking on your ex-best friend’s sister’s boyfriend’s page and an hour has passed. Furthermore, in many occasions going to a place other than your dorm or apartment is beneficial as a part of this “power hour” process. Turn off your phone and get to work. Do it ASAP (if you can)- Although taking things day by day is important, if you find yourself with some spare time throughout the day and you know you have an assignment due next week, it wouldn’t hurt to try to get things started. Don’t just lie around binge watching Netflix until the sun comes up,. Instead finish up that pesky assignment that’s due in a week and then you can carry along with your life worry free. It’s a simple task that can actually
have a very big impact in your performance, with a clear head you might be able to start off the assignment strong instead of worrying about cramming the information into your head and onto the paper an hour before it’s due. Treat yourself- Of course, as college students, we are not always the most financially stable people on the planet. If you get a good grade or get things done ahead of time, reward yourself. Get some ice cream, spend a day in bed, sleep in or go for a little outing; perhaps get something you’ve been wanting for a while now. Little things can make a big difference. Rewarding yourself after getting a task done successfully can improve your mood and make you want to keep pushing forward in future tasks. Before you know it, this semester will be over and the sweet freedom of Summer will be at your reach.
News 3
03.30.2017
Supreme Court closes transgender case BY SARAH REEVES @SreevesR
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resident Donald Trump’s administration has, so far, focused on granting more power to states rather than the federal administration. On March 1, the Supreme Court closed a case on whether a high school transgender boy, Gavin Grimm, from Virginia could use the boys’ restroom. According to people.com, this decision was made less than two weeks after the Trump administration repealed guidelines that granted transgender students access to use the bathrooms of their choice. “Today’s Supreme Court action is directly traced to the Trump Administration’s decision to reverse the Obama administration’s commitment to equality for all students,” said Tim Kane, a Virginia senator in a statement in the New York Times. Kaine said reminding the Supreme Court, transgender and gender non-conforming students are protected from discrimination under Title IX. Despite being granted the ability to use the bathroom of his choice in October, by the Virginia’s Fourth Circuit Courts,
the Supreme Court decided to place a stay on the ruling. Kaine said despite the closing, she has high hopes the Richmond-based Fourth Curcuit Court of Appeals will stand for the rights of all, including transgender students. “People are still not used to others who are different in many ways, such as children who are transgender,” said Lexus Fine, senior art major. Fine said this closing of a crucial case for a high school transgender student implies that the Trump administration may see this “phase” as something that must be corrected. “In my opinion, the government should focus on more important things than some silly battle over a gender-specific situation,” Fine said. “Doesn’t matter what race, religion, or even gender you see yourself as. We are all human, and we are equal.” Fine said the administration should stop being afraid of what they don’t understand and should instead work on understanding marginalized groups of people, such as the transgender community, rather than demonizing them into humans that need to be cured. Kaitlyn Rice, CASA manager
@americabatel
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n March 25, the local coffee shop, Coffee Waves opened its doors for the ninth year and celebrated its legacy with an event for the whole community. The event took place at their facility on Alameda St, which was set to occur from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event featured local food vendors and trucks, small business set up booths, giveaways, music and more. Coffee Waves first began as an alternative to other large coffee shop franchise chains. “We really felt like this community needed a coffee shop and a safe place for this community to come and study and hangout
and make relationships and just support each other,” said Cora Johnson, owner of Coffee Waves. Johnson had the idea to create this place after attending Texas A&M University in College Station. This coffee shop was created to better serve the community in a more cozy and private setting for comfort. Johnson largely emphasized how important the community is in the development and good standing of Coffee Waves. “That’s why we created this event to help celebrate nine years because we want to be there for our community and for our local businesses,” Johnson said. Coffee Waves invited several vendors including Daze Jewelry, different pottery businesses,
Island Waves News .com
Corpus Christi Outlets open for business
Photo courtesy of GOOGLE.COM
Gavin Grimm, high school transgender boy poses with the U.S. Court of Appeals Entrance after his Supreme Court case was closed on March 1.
at Behavioral Health Center of Nueces County, said there is an increasing number of individuals who report being transgender. “Those identifying with gender queer identities rather than Cis-gender identities face many more risks in their lives for homelessness, suicide attempts, drug use, sexual abuse and all kinds of other negative life outcomes,” Rice said. With the Supreme Court rejecting Grimm’s case, this leaves the decision up to the
lower court in Virginia to interpret the federal law known as Title IX and how much it applies to transgender students. “If a human right can be deemed as unnecessary for transgender individuals within a few months, what if other equality issues, such as gay marriage, will be revoked as well?” Rice said. “Basically what was considered a basic right is now being considered only a privilege. This only shows how scary it is being a minority group.”
Coffee Waves celebrates 9 years, community gathers AMERICA SEGURA
O N L I N E
small clothing brands and monogramming services among several local artisans. Each had a booth set up to display their merchandise, and all were stoked to be celebrating the nine-year anniversary of Coffee Waves. “We wanted to do pop up places, so none of this places actually have store fronts. So that way we are creating a place for these other small businesses,” Johnson said. As employees enthusiastically greeted guests at the door, there was also a sign up for a drawing that was to take place and a few lucky guests even received door prizes. Music was provided by Disco Round and there was also live music right outside coffee waves where customers enjoyed
a variety of the drinks and treats the menu offers. All the fun was being documented by various guests as they took pictures with the geo filter Coffee Waves created on snapchat for the event. For almost a decade, students have found Coffee Waves Alameda as an alternative for the library. Instead some students tend to come here to study instead of going to the school’s library. “I come here on the weekend to study because I’m at the school every week, every day, so I don’t want to go somewhere where I’ve been Monday thru Friday,” said Jesus Moncada, senior education major. “Just to give it that variety when I’m doing homework.”
On March 2, The Outlets at Corpus Christi Bay officially opened its doors to the public after a ribbon cutting ceremony. The approximately 75-acre facility that composes the outlet mall are located along I-69, three miles from Interstate 37. The Outlets at Corpus Christi Bay feature stores such as Express, Francesca’s, Journey’s and H&M among others, totaling 25 stores as of opening day. Continue reading at islandwavesnews.com.
Islander Culture Fest educates community Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Islander Cultural Alliance hosted its annual Islander Culture Fest March 4, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the University Center Lonestar Ballroom. ICA created Culture Fest to promote more culture and diversity in the community. It was free and open to the public, had educational activities and live performances. The festival also offered an educational session in which the community learn about the various ethnic groups at the Island University and in Corpus Christi. There was an abundance of traditional foods and events for all ages. Read more at islandwavesnews.com.
ON THE COVER: Photo by AMERICA SEGURA
4 News
03.30.2017
Trump faces challengers on revised travel ban JONATHAN FORNEY @jb4nay
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he revised version of President Donald Trump’s executive order, restricting travel to the United States from several countries, has been blocked by a federal judge prior to its implementation and is likely to be challenged by future lawsuits. This version of the order denies entry into the United States for 90 days to those from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen. Iraq was banned in the original order. All refugee resettlement in the United States is to be paused for 120 days. In addition, this version clarifies that the order does not apply to current green card holders, permanent residents or existing visa holders, which caused confusion in the original order. “We urge the Trump administration to scrap this Muslim ban entirely because it disrespects both the Constitution and America’s longstanding tradition of religious freedom and inclusion,” said Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations. The President argued that the judge’s decision was an “unprecedented judicial
President Donald Trump signs an executive order inside Oval Office.
overreach” further stating that he would “take our case as far as it needs to go, including to the Supreme Court.” The original iteration of this order drew its share of controversy and this newer version seems fated for more. The Hawaiian judge argued the ban would have detrimental effects on residents, businesses and universities, similar to the logic used
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when the first order was blocked. Furthermore, the judge stated that the ban would discriminate against Muslims and violates the equal protection and due process guarantees of the Constitution. Other critics cited the Trump administration’s public denial of the ban being religious in nature, yet declaring it a Muslim ban when addressing his supporters.
“The illogic of the government’s contention is palpable,” said Derrick Watson, U.S. district judge, in an article by L.A. Times. “The notion that one can demonstrate animus toward any group of people only targeting all of them at once is fundamentally flawed.” The controversial order has its supporters arguing in favor of national security and stricter vetting measures. In a statement, the Department of Justice responded, “the President’s executive order falls squarely within his lawful authority in seeking to protect our nation’s security and the department will continue to defend this executive order” Even those with neutral stances on the order believe there is still room for improvement both from a legal and implementation standpoint. “Based on prior statements of President Trump that Christians would be allowed in, this can still be challenged as a Muslim ban,” said Erwin Chemerinsky, dean for the University of California Irvine Law School. “Put simply, [the revised order] corrects some of the problems courts found with the prior executive order, but many of the serious problems remain.”
Liberal Arts hosts COMM Week GERI LEMMONS @GeriLemmons
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rom Tuesday April 11 to Thursday April 13, the Department of Communication and Media will host COMM Week with a series of different events. Throughout the week, students and staff will be having the opportunity to do different activities related to communication and media. It is an opportunity for students to come out and learn about what the communication business has to offer around the Corpus Christi area. “I can’t wait to go and meet professors, and also meet students that are also in the same likes of my major,” said Marco Graciani, junior communications major. On April 12, the network mixer at the House of Rock will take place. This event is made for students in order for them to mix and mingle with professionals that might be looking for them to either work for the company in the future or they might have an internship that they could apply for. Students are asked to RSVP for this mixer in advanced in order for them to get a head count. The event lasts from 5 to 7 p.m. and anyone is welcome.
Graciani said he is looking forward to getting to talk to other students about what he has been doing in communication classes and to hear about others as well. “I want to get their feedback on some of the research that I am conducting,” Graciani said. “I also want to know what else I can experiment on with my major.” Also on Wednesday during COMM Week, students will be able to attend a pro panel with public relations and journalism professionals. Attendees will be able to hear the panel talk about turning press releases into news stories. This event will be open to the public and free food will be provided. Josh Rena, senior communications major, said he believes COMM Week is the perfect week to start networking with others that are in your same field. “The COMM Week events seem like an interesting way to both network and stay informed,” Rena said. “Regarding not just what the department can offer but what the school can offer.” For more information about COMM Week, visit the Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi Department on Communication and Media Facebook page.
News 5
03.30.2017
Corpus Christi changes water quality SARAH REEVES @Steeves
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esidents of Corpus Christi may have noticed a chlorine odor in their tap water due to the city’s new water disinfectant changed on March 6. Despite the strange smell, the water is safe to drink and there is no reason for a water boil. According to news. cctexas.com, this conversion has been approved by the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality and is intended to improve the long-term quality of the city’s drinking water. “It’s about time they do something about it,” said Ruben Ortiz, sophomore computer science major. “Not being able to use any water is quite inconvenient, and you really don’t realize it until you don’t have access to it.” Since July 2015, Corpus Christi has experienced several water advisories. Dec. 15, 2016 was when the city water was contaminated with an asphalt emulsifier called Indulin AA86. Residents were advised, unlike previous advisories, boiling, freezing, filtering or adding disinfectants to the water
would not make it safe to use. Ortiz said in the time of the December water contamination, he had to make numerous trips to other people’s homes who were not in range of the water boil, and he had to take baths with water bottles. He said buying water bottles during situations like that were even more of a problem with other people stocking up and stores selling out. “I believe that Corpus’s outdated water structures need to be handled so events like this don’t continue to happen in the future,” Ortiz said. “I’ve been living in Corpus for nearly two years and have already lived through quite a bit of water boils and even a complete water ban.” Clarence Wittwer was hired as Corpus Christi’s new water director in the beginning of February 2017. “Corpus Christi is an older city with an older infrastructure,” Wittwer said. Compared to other cities, Wittwer said with the plans he has, water contaminations will no longer be a concern. Wittwer’s ideas of improving the city’s water infrastructure can already
PHOTO COURTESY OF GOOGLE.COM
Corpus Christi residents wait in line to buy bottle waters during the last water ban.
be seen in the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant and its four elevated storage tanks, though it is still under construction. “A boil water notice doesn’t mean there’s a problem,” Wittwer said. “It means there’s a potential issue, but you’re being proactive in protecting the public.” As of this February, according to Corpus-Christi Caller Times, the City Council’s efforts for updating the city’s backflow prevention rules and capital
improvement budgets have already shown an effort to improve the city’s water system. On Thursday, March 23, Corpus Christi will offer an open house to the public featuring several current and upcoming plant improvement projects starting at the O.N. Stevens Water Treatment Plant. For more information on any Corpus Christi water reports, visit http:// forward.cctexas.com/services/utilities/ water-quality-reports.
6 Entertainment
03.30.2017
TAMUCC adds new atmospheric science program Jonathan Forney @jb4nay
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he new atmospheric science program has been available to students at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi since Fall 2016. The program offers both undergraduate and graduate degree programs into this specific field of environmental science. Program coordinator Dr. Chuntao Liu describes atmospheric science as “to study and understand the phenomenon and variation of atmosphere and their interaction with other surfaces such as ice, rock and water on a planet.” “At TAMUCC, we provide the opportunity to work with professors in their research including severe weather, remote sensing and numerical modeling,” Liu said. Undergraduate students will have the opportunity to take courses in weathercasting, meteorology, weather observations and several other related topics. Taking these courses at the Island University allows students unique learning opportunities due to the region’s climate and location. Students that earn atmospheric science degrees are prepared for various careers such as weather forecasting,
Jonathan Forney/Island Waves
From land to seas to the skies above, atmospheric scienc can be applied and used to problem solve.
government research or private consultations. In addition, the skills learned in this program can be applied to other fields of science. “Atmospheric science requires a lot of basic skills in science and engineering, including math, physics, programming and remote sensing,” Liu said. “Training in atmospheric science would help establish a system of problem solving, which could benefit in many different
career paths.” There are several opportunities for atmospheric science students to apply the lessons they’ll learn through their coursework. The university has an internship program with the National Weather Service to allow them to work with weather forecasters. Students can attend seminars with various scientists to learn about the cutting edge of their respec-
tive field. For those would would like to group with other students, there is a local chapter of the American Meteorology Society for students to join and network nationwide. Junior environmental science major Renée Pearl would have considered majoring in atmospheric science had it been available before she enrolled. “You know, I think I just might have [majored in atmospheric science], but as I went on with my studies, I ended up falling in love with environmental science,” Pearl said. Now that the opportunity is available to current and prospective students alike, more people can explore their interests and potentially find a career path they’re interested in. Liu sees the value in problem solving that can be found through fields such as atmospheric science. “Science is fun,” Liu said. “Solving an equation is ok, but using equations and data to explain the real world phenomenon is more satisfying.” More information on the atmospheric science program can be found through the Department of Physical and Environmental Science’s page on the university’s website.
I-ADAPT to honor partners in prevention with award Illi-Anna Sky Martinez Contributing Writer
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his month, student organizations at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi are able to prove how healthy they are so they can win some free money. Students can apply for the Partners in Prevention award, which is sponsored by Islanders Alcohol and Drug Prevention Team (I-ADAPT). The award is worth $250 and will go to any organization who applies and qualifies for it. Delaney Foster, the coordinator of Student Engagement at the Island University said this is the second year the award has been promoted. “It’s for the organization to do something fun for themselves,” Foster said. “We don’t always know what the organizations need, so this will help them with that.” Although there are more than 200 registered student organizations at the university, Foster said last year only Greek organizations applied and received the award. She said it may be because it was
still a fairly new award and may have looked intimidating to fill out. “I think sometimes people just see the word application or nomination and it makes them nervous and they think it’s going to be a huge amount of work,” Foster said. Foster said the application is actually simple. Students can go onto Orgsync and explain what student organization they participate in. They also must verify and answer a few questions to prove how they are making healthy choices. Once they submit the application, Foster said I-ADAPT will quickly look over it and verify that all of the information is true. “We’re just trying to help students understand the basics about how they make their decisions,” Foster said. “We’re not here to tell students to never ever have fun because that’s ridiculous. That would be something we could never enforce. But we want people to make informed decisions, That’s a huge part of it.” Senior business administration major
Caleb Alva has been a part of the Christians in Action organization for five years. He said the organization holds Bible studies twice a week, has board
game nights every Monday on campus and also coordinates the annual Human vs. Zombies event. When asked about the Partners in Prevention award, Alva said when he first took a look at the flyer, he assumed it was only open to Greek organizations. However, after learning more about it, Alva said he may consider applying. He did agree with Foster, that the award will promote students to make healthy choices. “I feel overall the university is a healthy environment,” Alva said. “The award might help make sure that doesn’t change.” Applications for the Partners in Prevention award are due by March 31. Foster said she hopes more students will apply so more organizations will have the opportunity to benefit from the award. “Apply for the awards and let us give you this money,” Foster said. “We want to give you this money and we want to honor the awesome stuff that you’re doing. So please apply.”
Entertainment 7
03.30.2017
TAMUCC theatre competes at fest MIKAYLA OELSCHLEGEL @mikaylaMOG
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hroughout the first week of March, the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Theatre and Dance Department competed at the Region Six American College Theatre Festival in San Angelo, Texas. Although Island University students participated in the monologue, twominute and three-minute partner contests, the festival consisted of many other competitions. Different contests such as make-up contests and dance demos to full length plays could be found throughout the week. “You get accustomed to this rigorous audition process, which was kind of crazy,” said Connor Flynn, junior theater major. “You know, you wake up at like six, seven in the morning and right then you go over your scene, you go over your monologue, you go over everything in your head and from there you eat, straight to the school, watch some theatre and prepare for your audition.” Flynn, who attended this festival
as one of the university’s selected students, said it opened his eyes to what a professional audition process could be like. Sixteen Islanders competed in the same region as other big universities like Oklahoma State University, Sam Houston University and Texas State University. OU took the spot open for nationals, however, many Islanders made it the last round of finals. “Everybody at this competition was at the top of their game. I mean, like I said, it was a treat,” Flynn said. “It was like eating well for a whole week. I got to see good theatre after good theatre after good theatre. It was amazing.” The students who were selected are told almost a year in advance as the competition takes place every other year. A representative from the festival is sent to the competing schools in the region and, with the help of the directors, chose two students to compete from the shows the departments put on. From there, partners were placed with each other and the competing pairs would work together to pick their scenes. “I went up to my professor’s office ev-
ery day for maybe two or three weeks, trying to pick a play. He would hand me a script and I would go home and read it,” said Ben Hudson, junior theatre major. Besides getting the opportunity to experience what their lives might be like after graduation, watching good theatre and meeting new people, the students who competed were also provided feedback on their scenes and watched their pieces continue to grow. “It was really cool because it was fun to watch how [much] better everyone’s scenes [were] when we actually got to competition,” Hudson said. “The stakes were higher so everyone’s scene just got astronomically better, so it was really cool to go on stage and perform in front of other theatre professionals and get feedback, and learn from other college professors how they do their work and how they talk to their students and how they teach, because we got feedback from a lot of professors after we do our pieces.” Flynn made it to finals in the festival alongside his partner, Micah Knupp, Hudson, his partner, Anna Flynn, and
Photo courtesy of BEN HUDSON
Ben Hudson and partner, Anna Flynn, made it to the final round with their pieces.
several other members of the group. For more information on the Department of Theatre and Dance, go to cla. tamucc.edu/theatre/.
Islander Tribute APRIL 4TH AT 6:00 P.M. UC ANCHOR BALLROOM
In Memory
As a member of the Islander family you are invited to come show your support as we honor the Islanders who have passed away in the 2016-2017 school year Monica Rose Perez
James Odom
Neil Mukoro
For disability related accommodations please contact the Student Government Association at 361-825-5745 or email sga.vp@tamucc.edu
Natalie Kucera
8 Entertainment City of Corpus Christi hosts first ever water walk
03.30.2017
JOSLYN DOIRON Contributing Writer
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or the first time ever, Corpus Christi held a Water Walk to gather all Corpus Christi residents to take steps to end global water crisis on Saturday March 18 at the Water Gardens. The Water Walk addressed the lack of access to safe drinking water that has recently occurred in Corpus Christi and other countries. Residents of all ages attended the walking event. They carried diverse water jugs to help bring clean drinking water to underdeveloped countries. “People across the globe struggle to collect water for their loved ones,” Corpus Chrisit resident Gina Rivas said. “By participating in this walk, I trust that we can help facilitate this time to build efforts for this community and other countries by making an impact on those who strive for clean water.” Rivas has been a Corpus Christi resident for 15 years, and has witnessed several water crises that have occurred
in the city. Rivas said she wanted to participate in the walk to make an impact on those who have struggled in similar circumstances and face problematic water issues in different countries. As the event started at 9 a.m., the walk began at 10 a.m. and was not timed or competitive. Water Walk Corpus Christi implemented this event with several vendors, and individuals from the community covered all event costs (gear, certificates, and more) so that all funds from walk entries and donations would go directly to the field through charity of water. “I’ve seen other people do this in other cities so I was thrilled to contribute in this walk,” said Alex Saraceno, Water Walk participant and Corpus Christi resident. “I know that every dollar that is made in this event will be for an outstanding cause and also toward the field for water projects. Who wouldn’t want to walk and exercise for a great cause and for clean water?” Citizens from all over the coastal bend were welcome to participate in the
walk with a $20 donation requirement. People were seen walking and carrying jugs, buckets and even gas tanks filled with water. The distance was a 2-mile walk starting from the Corpus Christi Water Gardens, to the T-heads on Shoreline and back. For those who did not contribute to the walk, local residents were welcome to participate in doing
yoga, getting food, and live music that was free and open to the public. “Walking for water is a reminder of how precious clean water really is, and if this is a benefit for Corpus Christi, I know it will be highly valuable for underdeveloped areas who undergo such challenging issues with water,” Rivas said.
Photo courtesy of JOSLYN DOIRON
Corpus Christi residents participate in the Water Walk while holding jugs and gas tanks filled with water.
Theater showcases ‘Cloud 9’ ZACH ALDRIDGE contributing writer
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Cloud 9,” a play that brings social issues to light, will be put on by the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Theater Department April 18-23. Every semester the Theatre Department presents two main stage shows on campus. The final show of the spring semester is Cloud 9, which will be staged in the Wilson Theatre. According to the theatre department’s website the play takes place in colonial Africa during the first act and 1979 London for the second act. The show touches on everything from politics, stereotypes, family values and sex. “They’re [the characters] experiencing the same issues in two different time periods and that’s still relevant today,” said Ben Hudson, junior acting/directing major. “All the issues that the characters are going through, like sexuality and patriarchal oppression, are things that we still deal with everyday and a lot of that comes through in the show, but its fun and its funny.” The actors in “Cloud 9” are not only faced with presenting these difficult issues in an entertaining way but they also have to play multiple characters. The
characters themselves present yet another difficulty for the actors. For instance, a man plays a 10-year-old girl and a white male plays a black slave. Connor Flynn, junior theatre major, said it might be a little difficult to switch characters in between acts. Flynn plays Harry Bagley in the first act and in the second act, he has to switch to playing a completely different character named Martin. “It’s fun getting to develop these two completely different characters, it’s definitely hard because they are polar opposites but it’s a lot of fun,” Flynn said. Even though the show is challenging in every aspect, the students involved are excited to be a part of it because they can relate to some parts of the show while at the same time being pushed to explore new view points. “Growing up I dealt with none of these things, we didn’t talk about them,” said Haley Davis junior theatre major. “This play kind of encompasses literally everything that people like me are met with when leaving their small town and going to college.” Tickets for “Cloud 9” can be purchased online or in person before each show, Tickets online are priced at $7 for students and $10 for everyone else.
10 Entertainment
03.30.2017
The island university welcomes young artists MELISSA RODRIGUEZ @_melisssaaaa
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n support of March being Youth Art Month nation-wide, Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi partnered with Corpus Christi Independent School District creating a month-long exhibition in the Mary and Jeff Bell Library. Middle and high school students were invited to display their artwork on the TAMUCC campus. The exhibit opened March 6, on the first floor of the library. There were 27 panels of artwork, ranging in many styles and techniques. “We saw it as an opportunity for recruitment [by ] meet[ing] the middle and high school students and their parents when they come out,” said Jeffrey Janko, TAMUCC library information specialist. Although this is the first year the
Island University has held the Youth Art Exhibit, CCISD has been participating in this nation-wide celebration by holding three exhibits in City Hall, which represent the three levels of art instruction offered by the district. Janko, alongside the Marketing and User Engagement Department at the Island University, approached CCISD with the idea of holding the exhibit at the university’s library. This was a strategic move, as it ended up being advantageous to both parties considering CCISD would have a place for the exhibit that is public and open everyday, and TAMUCC would be promoted as people came to see the exhibit. “We’d like to see it grow and more schools participate in coming years, and it’s also our hope for students to come out to the university and see what a great place it is to go to at school,” Janko said.
There were several high schools and two middle schools who brought in student artwork. The CCISD schools who participated in the exhibition were the following: Veterans Memorial HS, Moody HS, Carroll HS, King HS, Ray HS, Solomon Coles HS, Roy Miller HS, Kaffie MS and Grant MS. “CCISD has many incredibly talented students, which is evident in looking at the artwork in this exhibit,” said Martha Fair, fine arts specialist for CCISD and art & theatre/exhibit coordinator. “We have quite a few students who qualify for State and even National level competitions and contests every year in not only Art, but also in Theatre and Music.” This exhibition was not a requirement for any of the schools in the district, it was more of an opportunity art teachers were encouraged to participate in. Thus, not all schools submitted
Janko: I have not thought that far ahead...pretty much we are seeing it as, it’s a win, win for CCISD and the university. It’s important for the potential students in our community to come out to the Island University to see what it is all about; to expose them to higher education that is right here the community. It’s important for them to come out here and for us to be able to interact with them and encourage them to come to this university when they graduate. Erin: What are some of the programs you have here? Janko: Well we have, in the fine arts department, ceramics, print making, sculpture and painting. Erin: So it’s very open? Janko: Yes, very open; a good opportunity for students to show their art work. Erin: Can you give an in-depth meaning to the CCISD art show? Janko: I don’t think the students actually work with this goal in mind, ‘I am going to produce something today that will be in the Youth Art Show,’ but the teachers know that this show is coming up this year and they know they are going to have to have great work to put in that show. So I am sure they are telling the students that they have to do something really great. But they are encouraged. It’s an incentive for the teachers
to encourage students to do their work because they know they have to have something good to show. Erin: Any hopes to continuously have it here? Janko: Absolutely. The relationship that grows between the university and CCISD we want these students that come out here to be inspired, to want to come here after they graduate from high school and go ‘Hey this is where I want to be and where I want to go for college, where I want to get my art degree. We want it to be a good experience for everyone involved.
work, however, those who did selected a prescribed number of student artworks to exhibit. These works ranged in different styles and medium including: color pencil, paint and ceramics. “Having your artwork chosen for an exhibit is an incredible confidence boost for students, building self-esteem which extends to other areas of their life and academics and fuels creativity and the desire to continue to work toward producing more artwork,” Fair said. The exhibit will be on display to the public until March 30. On the final day of the exhibition, there will be a closing ceremony held from 6-7:30 p.m. in the library, where those students who have artwork being displayed will be able to come out to the university with their parents and get to interact with other students, art professors and university recruiters.
Q&A with TAMUCC library specialist ERIN NASH
@ErinJohnnae
Erin: I am sitting here Mr. Jeffery Janko, and would you tell us what you do here for TAMUCC? Janko: I am a library information specialist working at Mary and Jeff Bell Library in the Marketing and User Engagement department. We work with social media to promote the library and create special events and exhibitions here in the library to create an environment that adds to the campus life experience. Erin: What is your position regarding CCISD art show? Janko: This is the first time for us to hold the show here at the library. We invited the art departments for CCISD to consider coming to the university and bringing the show on annually. It’s a big show that includes all of the high school and middle school art students. We see it as an opportunity for the library and the university to meet the art students and their parents and their families and to show them what the university has to offer as far as art programs. Erin: What do you hope to accomplish with this event? I know you touched on sharing the campus with the younger generation, but is there a message you would like to give them?
Photo courtesy of TAMUCC.EDU
Jeffery Janko, Mary and Jeff Bell Library specialist, hangs up art for one of the many exhibits on the first floor.
Sports 11
03.30.2017
Beach volleyball returns for second season
MELISSA RODRIGUEZ @_melisssaaaa
M
arch 7 marked the beginning of the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Islanders Beach Volleyball season, as they went head to head with Houston Baptist University, resulting in a loss for the Islanders. As the Island University beach team embarked on its second season, the players came up short in the results for their first match against the Huskies, 0-5, on home sand at the Dugan Sand Courts. “Our goal this season is to really strengthen the program and win as many tournaments as possible,” said Molly Chambers, freshman exercise science major and number 24 on the team. “It’s a very new program so we’re really trying to build and bring some power into it. Since TAMU-CC is one of the few universities in Texas with a beach volleyball team, they are often on the road to play schools from different states. This also means that although a couple are Southland conference schools, the majority are intersectional. “It isn’t very common for teams to have a beach team, especially in Texas,”
said Haley Sobosle, sophomore education major and beach volleyball player. “Schools in California and places like that are more known for having [beach volleyball] teams.” Later in their season, the Islanders will face schools such as Louisiana State University, Texas Christian University, University of Central Arkansas and more. There are significant differences in beach volleyball versus indoor volleyball. The biggest difference is instead of six players on the court, there are only two out on the sand at a time. The court is smaller and, with only 12 people on the roster, there are six pairs of doubles who will play. “Elements-wise, you have to think about the wind and that the sand will slow you down,” Chambers said. “With rules, there’s many things that you can do indoors that you can’t do in beach; for example, you can only take a hard-driven ball with your hands in beach, but for indoor you can set the ball at any point in the game.” Since the beach volleyball team is still fairly new at the university, it is still growing and working at getting better. Up next, the Islander will play their
third Coast Classic against University Louisiana-Monroe, University of New Orleans and Houston Baptist University on March 24-25. This classic will be hosted by HBU, where Islanders will face ULM first on March 24, and New Orleans on March 25 at 9 a.m. followed by HBU that same day at 1 p.m. Make sure to follow @IslandWavesToGo for updates and results.
The next home games for the Islanders beach team will be April 22, against TCU and Texas A&M University-Kingsville. “Everyone needs to come out and support us not only because we are a team at the university, but we are also fun to watch and the atmosphere overall is just so fun,” Sobosle said.
school that I tried track and the field events, and it was an instant fit.” Coffman ran sprints in middle school as well as doing field events, but in high school de-cided to primarily focus on high jump “I worked day in and day out making sure I was arching my back to the left or right, trying to pick up my legs differently, pretty much everything I could to get a set form,” Coffman said. “Even if I didn’t get the jump right away, I knew no one would outwork me. They might be naturally better than me, but no one would outwork me.” High jump is a sport that is primarily managing little movements, so that the whole motion can be done precisely and correctly. With many hours of form work, technique drills and full motion jumping, Coffman found his form and went onto being an all state high jumper, competing against the very best in Texas to earn a scholarship in his event. Coffman is a chef and caters dinner parties at Port Royal Resorts in Port Aransas. He has worked there for two years, and said he has worked in
almost every position he can think of. Coffman somehow manages a 30-hour work schedule on top of his fraternity, Delta Chi, events and their meetings. Due to a hazing scandal on campus last year involving new pledge brothers at Delta Chi, and what the boys had been put through during their pledge ship, the fraternity and the Greek Chapter have been on strict watch and needed guidance from the older members. Coffman’s roommate, Conner Gray, said he has noticed how busy Coffman’s schedule has been and said it takes a lot of determination managing all of his achievements and work must take. “Honestly, sometimes you need a break, and Skyler never gets one,” Gray said. “He is always busy with work, homework, practice or meetings. He even makes time to just hangout with all of us, and I don’t see how he has the time.” Coffman said he has always made time trying to connect and build relationships with eve-ryone he can. “When you have connections or ties to someone it’s important to make sure those just don’t go away one day,”
Coffman said. “I mean, it is who you know in this world that helps you once you’re done with school.” In addition to building connections with his fraternity brothers adn roommates, Coffman is also very interested in maintaining ties with his Track teammates. “They’re all so driven to succeed, which makes sense, because I can’t think of anyone I’d want to hang out with who would want to lose,” Coffman said. Teammate Olivia Williamson agrees with Coffman’s way of thinking. “Skyler always works hard, has a smile on his face and makes you laugh at practice,” Williamson said. “He’s a genuinely nice person, and he even invited me to a couple of his fraternity parties.” Williams said Coffman is a great jumper, and even though she runs hurdles, the coach wants her to try and learn from Coffman so she can be the woman’s backup jumper. “He said it would take practice but he’d teach me,” Williamson said. “I’m not sure how, with how busy he is, but we’ll see.”
Beach vollyball players take photo with coach.
photo courtesy of FLICKR.COM
Coffman makes the most out of his years in college
REAGAN CAIN Contributing writer
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kyler Coffman, is more than most might think. To some, Coffman is a business student attending Texas A&M Corpus Christi pursuing a degree, to others he is a member of Delta Chi Fraternity, or the man behind the grill at the popular resort Port Royal, a resort near by. Coffman is not simply one of those things, he is all of them. Coffman is a senior business major makes sure to prepare for his future, while also main-taining a full-time job, works 30 hours a weeks and does high jump for the Division I Track team. Coffman is originally from Alabama, and moved to Fort Worth with his family while he was in elementary school. When he realized the emphasis Texas held on sports, he knew he needed to be an athlete. “In Alabama, all we care about is football, but here in Texas, y’all care about everything,” Coffman said. “I knew right away I wanted to play everything I could, so I got a hold of baseball, football and basketball at an early age. It wasn’t until I was in middle
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