Volume 27 Issue 14 by Island Waves

TEXAS TEXASA&M A&MUNIVERSITY–CORPUS UNIVERSITY–CORPUS CHRISTI CHRISTI

| ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM || VOLUME VOLUME26 27ISSUE ISSUE20 14 || 08.27.15 04.28.16 |

RECORD STORE EXTRAVAGANZA

see HYBRID RECORDS on page 5 photo by SLOANE ZAPATA

Student Government open to suggestions

Organization revamps comment boxes around Island university by JONATHAN FORNEY staff writer

ecently the Student Government Association, or SGA as it is also referred to, unveiled their new designs for suggestion boxes being placed around campus. The changes will signify a new mentality for the SGA as well as encourage student participation on campus. SGA acts as a liaison between students and the administration. Its role is to tend to student needs by working with administrators to try and resolve issues, whether they are university or campus-wide. Jasmine Rodriguez, SGA President and senior political science major, said the redesign was a group effort of its public relations team and the Vice President. Additionally, the boxes were placed in new locations. Originally one box was in Bay Hall, another in the O’Connor Building and the final box was in storage. Now there is a box in O’Connor that travels month-to-month, one resides in the library and the final box is near The Cove in the University Center. The new design aims to make

the suggestion boxes more visible and distinguishable. “Beforehand, SGA didn’t have the manpower to utilize boxes the way they should’ve been,” Rodriguez said. “But this year with a whole new group together, they wanted to get a new look and locations for them, so we held a forum.” Identifying the purpose of these suggestion boxes was a real issue before. Students were unsure what

they were for and even mistook them for trashcans, on occasion. “The other boxes were getting trash in them and were not being maintained,” Rodriguez said. So far the boxes have been receiving suggestions based on their locations. The University Center’s box mainly gets food suggestions. Topics such as structure and student volume are the primary suggestions in the library. Addition-

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

photos by MARIAH OLIVE & JONATHAN FORNEY

ally, there have been suggestions about topics such as parking. Along each box there are forms available for students to fill out with any grievances or concerns they may have. The form allows students to provide their contact information and ample space to describe their qualms. It is clear that students have

see REDESIGN on page 4

opinion

04.28.2016

ISLAND WAVES

Ransom, Gilson elected newest SGA leaders

PRESIDENT

VICE PRESIDENT

Major: Business Management

Major: Kinesiology - Pre-Allied Health

Classification: Senior Hometown: Round Rock, Texas How did you get involved in SGA: I joined as a Senator for the College of Business, and have also worked with SGA through UCSO were I currently serve as Vice President.

Classification: Senior Hometown: Katy, Texas How did you get involved in SGA: I realized there was a large gap between the Kinesiology Department and the rest of the college within the student body.

Why did you run: I have been very involved with SGA since I have joined, and I would like to continue represent the student body as President.

Why did you run: I would like to see better representation of every section of our Island University. I believe I can effectively amplify student’s voices through SGA.

What is your favorite Islander tradition: My favorite Islander tradition is the Lighting of the I.

What is your favorite Islander tradition: The “Lighting of the I” is my favorite Islander tradition.

Do you have a campaign slogan: Momentum Forward

The results for the presidential The results for the vice presidenelection are as follows: tial election are as follows:

Garrett Ransom - 137 votes Vincent Verduzco - 67 votes Sohail Punjwani - 1 vote Steven Rodriguez - 1 vote Grace Welply - 1 vote Erin Longoria - 1 vote Jasmine Rodriguez - 1 vote Kyle Fernandez - 1 vote Abstentions - 8

Andrea Gilson - 195 votes Vincent Verduzco - 3 votes Garret Ransom - 1 vote Grace Welply - 1 vote Steven Rodriguez - 1 vote Abstentions - 17

Strategic Reading can be predatory

READING CORNER

Spring semester moves quickly, especially after Spring Break. All the assignments with a late deadline are suddenly appearing on your assignment calendar as due. Procrastination is not your friend. So now what do you do? Use skills in strategic reading. Strategic reading makes you a predator hunting for information, using particular parts and types of text. For example: • chapter titles to lead them through a book • indexes in the backs of books •pictures and captions •statistical tables • collections of primary source materials Let us pretend you have a history assignment due. You have booked an interview with your intended “history survivor,” but you haven’t met with them. Just send them an email. Remember the end of the semester is busy for everyone, so send them a list of questions to answer without an appointment. You can also use Facetime or Skype. Don’t wait for the email back to start your research. Check with the librarian for their resource of primary documents to learn what the world wrote about the event. The collection consists of books filed by dates. Once you go into the stacks of books on the shelves of

Dr. Culbertson is a Professional Assistant Professor in the College of Liberal Arts, Department of English; she is also a reading specialist at CASA. Lia Schuermann is an English graduate of TAMUCC; she is also a reading specialist at CASA. JAMIE FINK

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

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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.

the second floor, this is when you really become the hunter. Focus on your purpose for the reading. Pick a book and look through the chapter titles and the index in the back to find the event and only read the pages related to that event. As you collect your information, keep an annotated bibliography with a specific summary of notes that you will need for your paper (all in the same place and all cited either in APA6 or MLA as determined by your assignment directions). Once you have collected all your information, you are ready to write. With everything you have heard, read, and noted, you will be surprised how much you can write without glancing back at your notes. Write your paper, and then add your quotes and paraphrases; with these documentations in place, add their connection - how does the documentation relate to what you’re saying in the essay? Your job is to relate not only the personal story, but also how the world comprehended the event! Use good strategic reading to quickly compile your information READING HINT: Strategic reading is predatory: Read with purpose and know the structure of texts so you can take advantage of the guiding information. Read to find information.

WENDY MOORE

Faculty Adviser

ALEICHIA WILLIAMS Features reporter

GERI LEMMONS

KACI ALVAREZ KELSEY FLORES Features reporter ABBEY WEAVER Photographer/cartoonist IZZY SNEED Sports reporter Copy Editor

Layout assistant MIKAYLA GONZALEZ News reporter JONATHAN FORNEY Layout assistant KARA HERRERA Entertainment reporter Distribution Manager

KELSEY LARGENT

SLOANE ZAPATA

Advertising Assistant

KELE ISIBOR

3 University hosts music festival for students news

04.28.2016

ISLAND WAVES

by GERI LEMMONS staff writer

n April 15 the campus activities board put on an event called the Islander Music Festival from 3p.m. on the East Lawn at Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi. The Islander Music Festival was a chance for students to go and check out different artists, some of which actually go to the school, and different booths held by different organizations. Some of the performers were Lakin, Cas Haley, Adelee, Gentry and student performer Olivia Whitehurst. One of the performers was not able to perform but the show still went on. Moses Flores, junior sociology major, said he thought the event was really fun and relaxing. “It was not too crowded but not too empty, so I like that about it,” Flores said. “Olivia was my favorite performance because I know her and I like her. My favorite part was the balloon animals.” Different performers came out and did some of their own songs

while also doing mashups and different renditions of more famous songs from artists like Taylor Swift or Maroon 5. Even though some performers sang the same song, they all made it original by adding their own spin to it. Along with music came the different booths held by different organizations. One of the booths was hosted by the COMM Club where they set up carnival-like games such as a ring toss and a chance for students to knock down pins. Another booth was put on by the Islander Cultural Alliance. They did caricatures of various students who stopped by the booth. Other organizations had Henna drawing, balloon making, different musical quizzes and some actual quizzes about different cultures. They all helped give the event the real music festival atmosphere. Sammie Almanza, freshman nursing major, said she thought the event was chill, they had a lot of good performances and everyone seemed like they were having a good time. “I liked the fact that everyone

photo by GERI LEMMONS

Beatriz Garduno and her friend are just a few of the students who stood in line early for their free T-shirt

was really friendly with each other, like I have noticed that everyone is like going up to each other,” Almanza said. The different performers sang tunes in all different genres. One was reggae while others were acoustic. They all had their own personal style of how they choose to perform their set. As the event was held on the East Lawn, students brought their dogs and cats while sitting on the lawn, like a big music festival, and enjoyed the performances. They

were able to sit in front of the stage and enjoy the weather along with the different artist performances. There was also different types of finger food available for the students to eat. They had buffalo wings, funnel cake sticks, little sandwiches on a stick and even caramel apples of different varieties. The Campus Activities Board also gave out free T-shirts for students who were patient enough to wait in line as long as they had a ticket to the Islander Music Festival.

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photo by GERI LEMMONS

Performers sing original songs or just mash-ups of some famous hits.

news

04.28.2016

Recycling, more than just special trash ISLAND WAVES

by GERI LEMMONS staff writer

arth Day is fast approaching and one of the things to help with keeping the earth clean is to recycle. This is where someone takes things like plastic milk bottles, for example, and puts them in recycle bin instead of putting it in the regular trashcan. Kaysee Gomez, freshman communication major, said when her parents are finished with a water bottle they get a giant plastic bag and stuff it with the bottles. “They save it up until it is full and they take it to the recycling center,” Gomez said. If you are having trouble trying to figure out just how you can help out your Earth, Goggle is a great resource. There are multiple sites that you can click on if you need extra ideas, whether it is learning what exactly can you recycle or where to take your recylcing. The main website you can check out is our very own City of Corpus Christi site. The solid waste service spot is a great way to look up what counts as a recyclable item and which things are do not. Surprisingly some bottle caps cannot be recycled and although it is not harmful to just leave them on the bottle it is just a little bit more helpful to take the caps off. It is a good idea to check out what is accepted and what is not when it comes to recycling. Sometimes what is recyclable in one county is not in another. Another one of the things students can do to start their journey with recycling is learn to wash out their cans and bottles before throwing it into the recycling bin. This is helpful because this way the bottle or can is not spilling out excess left over liquid, it will not mess up the other items in the bin and it will keep everything from getting all sticky.

Justin Montemayor, junior mechanical engineering major, said what he does with his water bottles is crush them and pretend to shoot it toward the trash can. “That way they are all in the same place so they are all right there in the same area,” Montemayor said. It is not just recycling water bottles or cans though. Recycleacrossamerica.com says that food waste can be used for composting and sold to farmers or it can be used to feed local animals as well. Food waste is actually one of the biggest things being wasted according to the website and it is very useful to use this method. Something to give people the motivation to recycle is to do some research as to where their stuff goes and what is it used for. For example some recycled material are made into clothes. According to plasticmakesitpossible.com, some famous soccer players have their jerseys made out of recycled material. Some other things made out of recycled material are home products, different buildings and different outdoor appliances and many more things. Alexandria Wilson, sophomore marine biology major, said she would have a designated area and to make sure people know what they can and cant recycle. “Think about the environment the same time that you are recycling. Put pictures of animals with plastic on them in front of your trashcan and think about them when you are not recycling,” Wilson said. Sometimes in order to recycle one does not have to just put the products into a recycling bin. Sometimes they can take their own old bottles and glass jars and make them into something they themselves or others will find useful. They could use old bottles

REDESIGN continued from page 1

plenty of comments and suggestions for the university. All are not negative, however. Some have interesting ideas for streamlining the routines of Islander students. “A really helpful idea, for when it rains, would be a barrel of umbrellas at the beginning and end of breezeways. That way you could grab an umbrella, walk to the other side and drop the umbrella off in the barrel on the other side. From the CS to the UC, for example,” said Matthew Dawod, sophomore biomedical sciences major and SGA member. Others forms in the SGA boxes had plenty of requests as well. “I’d ask for changes to the dining hall. Namely the lack of

punishment for people who sneak in,” said Jasmine Rodriguez, sophomore marine biology major. As students go about their respective days, they can take some time to give their thoughts on things at the three locations around the campus. SGA also accepts suggestions via OrgSync and email at sga.tamucc.edu. If it is on ones mind, feel free to let SGA know, it does not matter what it is. Students involvement in their own education is crucial to creating the best possible environment for students and is exactly what Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi is all about.

illustration by IZZY SNEED

and make them into decorations like a candle, or use old shoe boxes for different uses around the house like to hold papers, pencils, or holding art supplies. This way someone is not throwing away the items but finding different uses for the product at hand. With some of these ideas one will

be able to learn about recycling while also picking up a few tips for how to help out with the environment. With Earth Day quickly approaching recycling is important to know while celebrating. Hopefully these tips will help with getting one started with the recycling process.

news

04.28.2016

ISLAND WAVES

Hybrid Records participates in Recod Store Day by SLOANE ZAPATA staff writer

ecord Store Day (RSD) is a day invented by a group of individuals who cherish vinyl and independent record stores. On this day indie shops will be allowed to sell exclusive, limited edition records after 8 a.m. eastern time. Since this festivity lasts an entire day there are usually some events, or other local stores who come out to support the local shops. This year was Hybrid Records’ first year to participate in RSD, in hopes of attracting a successful crowd of vinyl enthusiats to the store. “Record Store Day is an event that is designed to promote and encourage the unique culture around independent record stores and facilitate the continued existence of them,” said Carlos Cooper, owner of Hybrid Records. On RSD the store is allowed to celebrate in any way they see fit. Another local record store had live music and coffee from a local coffee shop, Coffee Waves. Hybrid also had some very interesting and unique events on their first RSD,

one of which included live pressing of T-shirts from a local printing company. “We had Full Court Press outside doing live printing of T-shirts,”

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Local band Distress Signal, playes at Hybrid Records’ 2016 RSD show.

10am - 4pm

Cooper said. “They made a bunch of designs specifically for us and for today. I don’t see a lot of people doing live printing.” Another very unique thing about RSD 2016 at Hybrid Records was how they hosted a show from 7 to10 p.m. One local band and then three other bands from the Texas area performed. This is not an uncommon thing for Hybrid Records as the shop regularly hosts bands. Cooper went out of his way to make sure that the RSD show was a unique one. “We went out of our way to put together a show that was a really sold line up, and to do that a had to bring in a bunch of bands from out of town,” Cooper said. “For me, I would rather do that than have bands that I wasn’t as enthusiastic about, bands that people don’t want to see.” Hybrid Records has been open less than a year but they are quickly making a name for themselves. Cooper has been very successful at reaching out to different companies and groups of people to support Hybrid Records and help promote this very minimalistic, new wave record store. “We were able to partner with

Close Quarters Coalition, they’re a label based out of Houston,” Cooper said. “So we’re going to be giving some of their stuff away. Including a test press of their first vinyl that they’re making. You see a lot of bigger shops do stuff like that, but not smaller shops.” Hybrid Records has a unique atmosphere which is hard to come by in a country music-oriented city like Corpus Christi. One of the reasons Cooper decided to open the shop was to give an underappreciated community the attention they needed and deserved. Hybrid Records caters to not only less well-known music but also less well-known companies and local businesses. “I just moved to Corpus this year and I never knew that there was a scene like this here,” said Morgan Calcote, freshman marketing major. “I’m really glad that my good friend showed me this place. All the bands that played were surprisingly good, and the shop was really cool, too.” To find out more about Hybrid records one can visit their Instagram @hybridrecordstx.

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The view from the back of the crowd at the RSD show.

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ISLAND WAVES

04.28.2016

campus

ISLAND WAVES

DELIVERING

photos by JAMIE FINK

ABOVE LEFT: An Islander student tosses his sanddollar into the Woo Sung Lee fountain as part of the Islander Ring Ceremony and tradition. ABOVE RIGHT: Presdient Flavius Killebrew delivers the first ring of the ceremony to senior Ana Escobedo. BELOW TOP: Rings and sanddollars are aligned waiting for their rightful owner. BOTTOM: Melissa Gorbert celebrates with family and friends after receiving her Islander ring.

entertainment

04.28.2016

ISLAND WAVES

‘Rent’ rocks the house at Island University by KACI ALVAREZ staff writer

exas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Theatre Department performed the musical “Rent”, written by Jonathan Larson, on April 19-24 in the Warren Theatre located in the Center for the Arts building. The rock musical is set in the East Village of New York City. It follows a group of friends who are struggling to survive and create a meaningful life in the city. The characters strive to find themselves within the chaotic world at the end of the millennium under the shadow of HIV/AIDS. “It is a good story for everybody,” said Michael Salinas, Del Mar liberal arts major and future Islander. “It has so many emotional points that you can connect to at least one of the story lines.” Dr. Don Luna, chair for the Department of Theatre and Dance at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, directed the musical and led the cast into a world filled with hardship as well as love and acceptance. Salinas said the cast was amazing and were his favorite part of the entire performance. Salinas said they really made the show great. “The girls in the cast were especially getting it with full sass and they full on belted it out,” Salinas said. “They just slayed everything.” After several weeks of rehearsing and learning the music, the cast as well as the crew put all their effort into a great show with strong voices and emotional stories which had the capability of bringing the audience to tears. According to “Inside Rent: Background and Analysis,” written by Scott Miller, the title, Rent, has multiple meanings. Larson’s favorite meaning is torn, which is what the characters portray within the show. The cast of Texas A&M

Rehearsals for Rent continued up until the opening night of the performance.

University-Corpus Christi’s version of Rent provides the audience with each character’s eternal struggles while also being torn between conflicting desires such as love, dignity, anger, pain fear of intimacy and a fear of getting hurt. “Rent” is essentially Roger’s story as he is the aspiring musician who recently ended his drug addiction and lives with AIDS. While there are six leads in the musical, Roger is the one who undergoes a significant change and learns the most. At the end of the musical, after many rock ‘n’ roll numbers and hardship, Roger finally chooses to actually live his life without fear and anger. The rock music throughout Rent allows the audience to feel the emotion of each character. While rock ‘n’ roll is not common in musical theatre, Rent breaks through the invisible boundary and exposes a beautiful and raw story. “My favorite part was pretty much the Seasons of Love scene,” Kristy Arvizu, freshman education major, said. “I’ve always listened to

Actors run through their lines during a rehearsal of scene one of ‘Rent.’

that song and it was good to actually see it in a live performance. All the students did really good.” The cast of the Island University’s rendition of the performance impressed the crowd, resulting in multiple audience interaction opportunities, meaningful tearfilled eyes as well as a standing

photo by MARIAH OLVE

ovation once opening night was done. “Rent” was just one of the performances by the theatre department held this past year. The department is known for putting on stellar performances to facilitate taking the audience into a different universe.

entertainment

04.28.2016

ISLAND WAVES

EARTH DAY ESSENTIALS

ANSWERS

1. “Major League” 2. Norway and Sweden 3. MMXVI 4. Ossicles 5. Ferrari 6. Jefferson Davis 7. 1 pound 8. Echo 9. Piccolo 10. Josh Billingsr

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 ”?

Izzy Sneed

news

04.28.2016

Free yoga connects yoga enthusiasts ISLAND WAVES

by KACI ALVAREZ staff writer

Youga Yoga hosted a free acroyoga workshop open to the public at 1 p.m. on April 23, at Heritage Park. The workshop welcomed all ages and levels of yoga and was conducted outside the Youga Yoga studio, so the participants could clear their minds and work their bodies in the fresh air. “I wanted people to take away awareness of how dynamic our presence is in the larger community from this workshop,” said Lindy Burns, founder of Youga Yoga and instructor for the acroyoga workshop. The workshop consisted of warm up and single person yoga exercises and then led into partnered acroyoga poses. While doing partner acroyoga, there is a base, the one who holds or lifts the other person, the flyer, the one who is in the air, and the spotter. According to Burns, there must always be a spotter just in case the pose doesn’t go well and he needs to catch the flyer. Throughout the workshop, each participant got the chance to practice all three of the vital positions as well as work with the multiple facilitators who teach the different classes Youga Yoga offers

during the week. “I liked the workshop a lot,” said Allisan Montgomery, participant of the workshop. “My favorite part was probably flying because that was the most fun and I thought it was really nice to learn the fundamentals of it, not just getting straight into it.” Montogmery said she started going to Youga Yoga a few weeks back and heard about the free workshop and wanted to come see what it was about. She came with her friend Ajia Fielden, who is a regular Youga Yoga and acroyoga participant. “I come here every Wednesday for their acroyoga class and wanted to take Allisan to show her more about it,” Fielden said. Youga Yoga offers classes for anyone who is interested in yoga. They are also offering an AcroYoga and Community Leadership 200-hour teacher traianing over the summer and into the fall. The training is over four weekends and includes a 10-day retreat for all who participated. The program will include acroyoga, applied sociology, entrepreneurship, program developement, team building and teaching methods and skills. Throughout the leadership

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photos by MARIAH OLIVE

Attendees get the chance to interact in acroyoga with workshop leader Lindy Burns

training, there will be guest instructors from all over the world to talk to participants about yoga, leadership and much more. Youga Yoga is a donationbased studio that offers multiple opportunities to immerse oneself in a peaceful environment while challenging the body. The studio offers many events

and workshops throughout the year including DeviDay Mother’s Day Fesitval on May 7 and Flight Club on May 21. For more information about Youga Yoga, events and workshops or the AcroYoga and Community Leadership Training, visit www.youga-yoga.com or email info@youga-yoga.com.

11 Young Islanders finish sixth in Johnson’s farewell sports

04.28.2016

ISLAND WAVES

by JAMIE FINK editor-in-chief

outh has been the theme for many Islander programs this year – Islanders Golf is no different. Women’s golf suited up just seven players this year, five of whom finished the 201516 school year with a sixth place finish in the Southland Conference Tournament at the Stonebridge Ranch Country Club in McKinney, Texas. The Islanders sixth place finish marked the fifth time this season the team has finished in the top-10. The tournament finish marked a seventournament streak of top-10 finishes this season. “There are a lot of positives we can take from today,” head coach Carol Blackmar said in a video recap after the Southland Tournament’s third round. “Our freshmen gutted it out when we needed them to on several occasions. We were able to identify what we need to work on during the offseason.” Blackmar said the weather was almost exactly the same to the previous year’s postseason tournament. The Southland Conference officials suspended play for two hours after lightning was reported in the area,

halting the Islanders in the midst of their final round of play. The Islanders’ lone senior Vanessa Johnson played her final game as an Islander. The senior led all Islanders with a 6-over par to tie for 12th. “It was great to see Vanessa, watch her,” Blackmar said. “She played a pretty good round. She really grinded it out in the tough conditions, which made her finishing on such a high note more memorable.” Johnson’s 6-over, 78, guided the Islanders in the final round. After the weather delay, play continued in heavy rain, as Johnson finished the front nine of play at only 1-over par. Johnson’s career at the Island University comes to a close, but Blackmar said her influence and impact on the younger players is very evident. Better known as VJ to her coaches and teammates, Johnson will be the only player not returning to next season’s roster for the Islanders. In a Facebook post on Vanessa’s page, VJ shared her experiences on being a homegrown Islander the last four years, and what it has meant to her.

photo courtesy of GOISLANDERS

Islanders golf poses for a team photo during the Southland Conference Championship.

“My college golf career has ended. Today was bitter sweet,” Johnson said. “I told myself on hole 18 that I was not going to cry and I didn’t. I’m so honored to have been an Islander golfer and to have accomplished the records I set and tournaments I have won.” The strong season for the Islanders highlighted many accomplishments, including the rise of freshman Dani Bergmann who appeared in every tournament for the Islanders, which included her first career win at the

Cardinal Challenge back in March and two top-five finishes earlier in the season. The Islanders finished the season with 11 top-20 finishes, including the previously mentioned five top10 finishes and four top-five finishes. The Islanders will return six players for next season, including freshmen standout Dani Bergmann. For more information on Islanders Golf, visit www. goislanders.com, or follow the team on Twitter @IslandersGolf.

sports

04.28.2016

ISLAND WAVES

Islander soccer team has time for adjusments by JONATHAN FORNEY staff writer

he ladies of the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Islander Soccer team fell to the University of Texas 4-0 in the final exhibition game of their spring season. Their opponents controlled the ball for most of the game and their offensive aggressiveness led to three second half goals. “We had a great first half. The first 45 minutes we were really competing and had chances to put a couple of goals away,” head coach Shanna Caldwell said. The first Longhorn goal came with 14 minutes remaining in the first half. The next two occurred in a 10-minute interval during the second half with 28 and 22 minutes, respectively, on the clock. The fourth and final goal came with 10 minutes left on the clock in the second half. Spring soccer serves as a time for the team to prepare for the upcoming fall season as well as giving opportunities for players to earn bigger roles on the team to account for departing seniors. The Islanders have two seniors leaving. Returning players have a chance to

compete for more minutes against others at their positions as well as improving specific aspects of their respective games. “I think we were a lot more organized defensively this game than in the last two spring games,” Caldwell said. Despite the score there were plenty of positives for the team to take away from the game. Namely there were plenty of good shot opportunities for junior midfielders, Hannah Joseph and Hailey Sutton. Sophomore goalkeeper Jordan Wainwright had several good saves and was very vocal in directing and encouraging her teammates. On the defensives side of the field, the team defended corner kicks very well, giving up no goals on those opportunities. In addition, junior midfielder, Yvette Franco provided excellent ball pressure on opposing ballhandlers. The Longhorns came away victorious due in large part to their longer time of possession. Simply put, more time with the ball equals more scoring opportunities. When the Islanders had the ball, they had looks, but slight hesitations prevented scoring chances. These sorts of things

Defender Mariah Olive slides for the ball.

can be fixed with time and the team has plenty with the summer between now and the start of the 2016-2017 season, there is good reason to be optimistic going forward. “We just need to minimize simple mistakes we shouldn’t be making,” Caldwell said. “It should be a great season.” The team finished last season with a record of 5-11-2 along with 15 goals. The team is looking to use its experience to improve as 10 seniors will be on the roster when fall comes around. “I thought we gave a great effort overall,” assistant coach Anne Houliston said after the game’s

photo by JONATHAN FORNEY

conclusion. Following the exhibition game, the team held a free clinic to local children (eighth grade and younger). The players and coaches ran through drills and games with the kids. The players also signed autographs afterwards. The event served as a good way to give back to the community as well inspire a whole new generation of potential Islander soccer players. Starting in late August the team will be back at Dugan Stadium to start the season. The team will play until November, so there will be plenty of chances to come out and support the Islanders in their 18 game season.