Volume28issue26

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

IslandWavesNews.com

HALLOWEEN EDITION

Tips, tricks and treats to make this year’s holiday one to remember

by ISLAND WAVES STAFF AND CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Pages 5-12

Campus

Distinguished Speaker showcases robotics to students Page 3

Also

October 26, 2017 Volume 28, Issue 26

Opinions Page 2 Entertainment Page 13 Sports Page 15

2 Opinion STUDENT PUBLICATION OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYCORPUS CHRISTI

10.26.2017

Students stay safe this Halloween with safety tips BREE ORTEGA Staff Writer

Being safe and knowing helpful tips can help yourself have a ISLAND WAVES STI | ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM | more VOLUME 26 ISSUE 20 | 08.27.15 exciting Halloween expeIslandWavesNews.com rience.

When buying Halloween Editor-in-Chief makeup, it’s important to make JONATHAN FORNEY sure the Halloween makeup is non-toxic. Testing it in a small Web area of the face or skin before GERI LEMMONS, editor using it entirely may prevent damages to your skin.

Copy Editor According to the National ILLI-ANNA MARTINEZ Safety Council, water-based paints and makeup are the easiReporters est to take off when it comes to CATHARINA GARRETT your skin. Sleeping with makeMICHAEL BRODE up is never a good idea because ERIN NASH damages to the face can occur AMBER CASTILLO overnight. Removing makeup SAMUEL TRUJILLO BREE ORTEGA

Layout ISABELLA MOON, layout assistant

Advertising ALYSSIA CRAWFORD, assistant QUYNHCHI QUACH, assistant

Graduate Assistant TAIWO AGBAJE, advertising manager

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

can also prevent skin and eye irritation.

Trick-or-treating is one of the joys about Halloween people love to do every October. Entering and exiting driveways should always be done carefully. Since it is very dark when Trick-or-treating is done, the safest way to leave a driveway is to look both ways before entering a street. Cars might not be able to see costumes that are dark colors during the night time.

Walking up to houses to get candy may be exciting, but it’s important to only go to houses that have their porch light on that seem welcoming to kids.

Do not, under any circumstances, enter a stranger's home; especially if they tell you they have candy inside. The oldest trick in the book is “Come in-

side, I have candy.”

It’s extremely important not to eat candy before someone else checks it. Candy that is handmade can have harmful objects inside that may do a lot of harm. Tampering is very rare but, being responsible and examining your candy for suspicious items is the best thing to do.

Halloween costumes and accessories have gotten more creative every year. According to the Nation Safety Council, reflective tape for costumes and candy bags can help drivers see people more clearly in the dark.

Carrying a cellphone in your costume can help keep you in contact with friends or family members if you get lost.

When shopping for masks and wigs to go with your costume, make sure they are flame

resistant. There are tags on these garments that explain if they are flame and water resistant.

One huge thing to consider is not to use decorative contact lenses without getting an eye examination or prescription from an eye doctor. For some eyes, these contacts may be extremely harmful to the eye. Lenses often have the “one size fits all” or “no specialist required” content on the label. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, these labels have false information that may cause pain to your eye, inflammation and infections that could lead to vision loss.

Reviewing safety tips, knowing 9-1-1 and remembering your local emergency number can help if anyone needs help or assistance this Halloween.

Halloween costumes broke college students can use CATHARINA GARRETT @imacat_moo

This Halloween, don’t opt for the typical bed sheet ghost or toilet paper mummy. Being cheap with your Halloween costume doesn’t mean you can’t be creative with it. With these costume ideas, you can win any costume contest- even on a budget.

Leaf Blower Costume (The cheapest and easiest costume on this list) Here’s what you’ll need: • An old hat • A leaf • A piece of string or fishing wire • Some duct tape or hot glue • A black Sharpie How to make it: Grab your hat and write “Leaf Blower” on the front of it in Sharpie. Tape, glue or tie a piece of string/fishing wire to a leaf (the string should be about three to four inches long.)

Tape or hot glue the other end of your string/wire to the tip of your hat’s bill. Put your new hat

on, and make sure that you can blow the leaf in front of you. Tada! You’re a leaf blower. What an accomplishment.

Rubik's Cube Here’s what you’ll need: • A cardboard box (Symmetrical on all sides) • Green, blue, yellow, orange, and white acrylic paint • Black masking tape • Craft knife (scissors work too, just be careful!)

How to make it: Tape your cardboard box completely closed. Cut out a hole for your head, two arm holes on the side, then cut out a hole on the bottom of the box for your torso to fit through (an ellipse shape will do.) Paint each side of your box a different color. Let the paint dry, then tape three by three grids on each side of your box with black masking tape You are now a solved Rubik’s Cube. (If you’d rather have be an unsolved cube, simply place blue painter’s tape and paint each square the way you want it. Then, remove the blue painter’s tape before placing down the black masking tape.)

Pacman/ Mrs. Pacman Here’s what you’ll need:

• Cardboard • Black sharpie or black paint pen • Yellow Acrylic paint • White craft felt (at least 4 pieces 9” x 12”, usually at Walmart in craft section) • Black pants or leggings (That you aren’t afraid to glue stuff on) • Black long-sleeved shirt • Hot glue gun or spray adhesive (whichever you prefer- if you don’t want to ruin your clothes, just opt for duct tape) • A small piece of rope or crafting rope (In Walmart craft section) How to make it: Simply grab some cardboard and cut out the shape of Pacman’s head. Then, paint the cutout yellow with a black dot for his eye. Make two small holes at the top of the cut-out where the straps will go. Cut your rope to the length you want (two feet of rope will usually work) and draw it through the holes you made (This rope will go around your neck.) Cut your white craft felt into small white circles (all the same size.) Finally, glue or duct tape your circles onto sleeves and pant legs. Ta-da!

You are Pacman. Waka-waka!

(If you want to add more pizzazz, add a ghost or some cherries to your shirt sleeves or pant legs. You can print them out or make them out of craft felt. For Mrs. Pacman look, add a red bow and red lips to your cutout.)

Cereal Killer Costume Here’s what you’ll need: • 5-10 small cereal boxes • Fake blood or red acrylic paint • 5 to 10 plastic knives (in correspondence with how many cereal boxes you have) • An old white T-shirt How to make it: Place a piece of cardboard inside of your T-shirt (prevents sides of shirt being glued together.) Hot glue your cereal boxes to various parts of your shirt (make sure they are empty.)

Stick a plastic knife into each of the boxes and hot glue them in place. After the glue cools, paint the “knife wounds” on the cereal boxes with red acrylic paint or fake blood. Spray fake blood or paint blood stains around random areas of the shirt. Tada! You are a Cereal Killer’s crime scene.

News 3

10.26.2017

Renowned engineer swarms Island University AMBER CASTILLO @AmberCastillo

T

he field of robotics is rapidly increasing with robots being predicted to help different industrial outlets by the year 2019.

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi invited Dr. James McLurkin, senior hardware engineer at Google, for its Distinguished Speaker Series this fall.

McLurkin started off with a student forum at 2 p.m. where students were welcomed to the Performing Arts Center to hear his speech, watch the demonstration with his robots and to ask any questions. The forum was followed by the public presentation at 8 p.m. were anyone was welcomed to attend as long as they purchased tickets prior with prices ranging from $30-$150 with VIP seating also available. McLurkin said he had been building things since he could remember and said he had always just been having fun with it.

“I was going to be an engineer no matter what,” McLurkin said. “What pulled me through

it thought wasn’t the desire to build complicated electrical mechanical systems or wanting to go build robots, I was really just always having fun with it.”

McLurkin’s love for building things began as a child. He was constantly building things with anything he could get his hands on.

“When I go out and build something, I’ve learned that you have to listen to your inner child,” McLurkin said. “There are some times in your life that you need to listen to you inner 12-year-old that tells you you want to go build space Lego mars things; you need to go do the thing that’s going to make you happy.”

McLurkin has continued to build things into his professional life, now using mother nature as a model for his current core research in developing algorithms for multi-robot systems. This software is for large swarms of autonomous robots.

“We built 108 robots and the whole point of these robots was to learn how to write software for a large number of robots,” McLurkin said. “We didn’t have

Photo by JONATHAN FORNEY/Island Waves

Dr. James McLurkin gets his robots in order during his presentation.

Photo by JONATHAN FORNEY/Island Waves

Dr. James McLurkin elaborates during his lecture at the Performing Arts Center as a part of the university’s Distinguished Speaker Series.

a large number of them when I first started so we then had to build them and then we had to write software for them.”

The large swarm of robots was inspired by the behavior of ants and bees. The bots perform individual task that ultimately contribute to the group. The robots were originally created during McLurkin’s five-year post as lead research scientist at iRobot, one of the world’s leading robot companies.

McLurkin said he believes these robots will in time will be able to help in natural disasters such as forest fires, earthquakes and even explore Mars.

“It’s dangerous to go to space, so if we are sending people to Mars, we are almost certainly going to need robots to get the gear set up and check out the land,” McLurkin said. “For life back here on Earth, these robots would help tremendously with helping find things during natural disasters like the hurricane that hit here in the gulf or even just in the ocean finding new species.”

McLurkin is dedicated to illustrating and speaking to schools and universities about the 12 robot demonstration. He strongly promotes “Nerd Pride” and encourages students to step aside from what people think and take pride in the things they love such as building things.

“The biggest problem that the school system has really is a social problem,” McLurkin

said. “When you’re in middle school and realize there are a lot of social cliques out there, there is a lot of pressure to be cool and not build robots. So those social pressures push people out of the interest of engineering. We need to make it fun, make science fun in those age groups.”

McLurkin said he even faced those social pressures as a teenager.

“My parents encouraged me and always gave me the resources that I needed,” McLurkin said.

“The social pressure was never enough to make me stop doing what I loved and has so much fun doing, I was never going to be cool anyway so I doubled up on engineering books.”

McLurkin is currently working at Google where his team is working hard to get artificial intelligence out for everyone to use. Specifically, they are targeting makers, hackers and hobbyists. His team’s first release has been the voice kit, a small cardboard box that you could essentially talk to and sends the request to Google cloud. It then sends it back and tells you what you said, which is great if you are making software.

McLurkin advises those who want to pursue engineering particularly the discouraged, women or minorities, is to simply keep on doing it because if you love something then you aren’t really working. Choose something that you will have fun doing for the rest of your life.

O N L I N E

Island Waves News .com

It’s that time of year, Islanders. Halloween is nearly here and as such, Island Waves is ready with plenty of content.

Our treat to our readers.

This week on the site, check out: • A gallery of the recent celebration held for National Coming Out Day to promote LGBTQ+ awareness and understanding • Some spooky Halloween recommendations to help get in the spirit • As the semester chugs along, it’s important to plan ahead. Check out our story on resources for seniors preparing for the job market • College students can always use more ways to save money. It doesn’t cost one million bucks to look like it.

A guide to makeup alternatives is online now The staff here at Island Waves began the semester relatively inexperienced across the board, but the newcomers have come a long way. Visit the “About Us” section to see who makes each and every issue of Island Waves possible.

Interested in becoming a part of the staff? Email editor@tamucc.edu.

Getting in the holiday spirit this year? Remember to be safe. Put the finishing touches on those costumes. This year’s Halloween is full of opportunities for fun and memorable moments.

Make it another good week, Islanders.

ON THE COVER:

BY CATHARINA GARRETT

4 Campus

10.26.2017

Student Government holds town hall

SAMUEL TRUJILLO @SamTrujillo14

T

exas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s Student Government Association hosted their 2017 Fall Town Hall Meeting on Oct. 13 in the University Center’s Anchor Ballroom.

Being one of many ways that SGA reaches out to the student body, the Fall Town Hall Meeting gave students an opportunity to catch up on what’s been going on around the university, as well as a chance to voice their opinions on what they’d like to see done differently.

In addition to a panel of SGA representatives, the Town Hall also welcomed a panel of university administrators.

They consisted of university president Dr. Kelly Quintanilla, vice president for Finance and Administration Terry Tatum, Vice President for Student Engagement and Success Dr. Don Albrecht and University Services Director Reginald Wade.

“We do try to reach out to [students] to see what we need to work on,” Tatum said.

The meeting got underway with a brief introductory message from SGA President Justin Bustos in which he

welcomed the attendees to the Town Hall before setting the stage for Quintanilla.

Shortly after, Quintanilla took the stage where she would begin her announcements regarding some of the changes taking place around the Island. Quintanilla also announced the university’s proposed tuition increase for the 2018 academic school year.

Following Quintanilla’s announcements, representatives from various organizations around the Island were given an opportunity to announce any changes their respective programs would undergo. These announcements ranged from The Blue Crew’s newly improved up student section to plans to add environmentally friendly waste bins to the campus.

“These are some examples of how SGA is engaging with the student body and making an Islander impact on campus with our administration and our students,” SGA chief justice Alexis Richardson said.

Once all announcements were complete, Islanders were given an opportunity to bring forward suggestions and personally ask the panel anything they’d like. Several students took ad-

Photo by SAMUEL TRUJILLO/Island Waves

University President Dr. Kelly Quintanilla discusses ways the university can go greener.

vantage of this opportunity to bring light to issues they felt were being ignored. Such topics included tuition rates, parking, dining services and more, they were met with understanding and the assurance their voices were being heard by administrators. Quintanilla urged students to bring their

ideas to SGA. “We can absolutely explore making some changes,” she said.

For those interested in learning more about what was discussed at this Town Hall meeting, visit SGA’s Facebook page at facebook.com/tamucc.sga to watch the event in its entirety.

6 Halloween

10.26.2017

Recipe: No-bake pumpkin cheesecake 1)

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Photos by KEANNA WHISENHUNT

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ENJOY KEANNA WHISENHUNT Contributing Writer

H

alloween is right around the corner so anything and everything pumpkin is a fall staple. This quick and easy dessert is served in half-pint size mason jars. Consisting of three layers, this “no bake” cheesecake takes 30 minutes to prepare and is an absolute crowd pleaser.

Ingredients:

Instructions:

• • • • • • • • •

1. Crush graham crackers to fine mixture in Ziploc bag.

2. Combine graham crackers, brown sugar and cinnamon in a bowl.

3. Add crushed pecans, if desired and melted butter.

4. Mix ingredients together evenly to form the crust 5. To form pumpkin cheesecake layer, mix cream cheese, pumpkin filling, sugar and vanilla extract into a large

1 1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs 3 tablespoons brown sugar 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon 1/2 cup crushed pecans (optional) 1 cup whipped cream cheese 1 16 oz. can pumpkin pie filling 1/2 cup sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract Whipped cream, to taste

bowl.

6. Whisk cheesecake layer ingredients.

7. Layer bottom of mason jar with graham cracker mixture to form the crust.

8. Add pumpkin cheesecake layer and whipped cream.

9. Garnish pumpkin cheesecake with whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon 10.

Enjoy.

Halloween 7

10.26.2017

Make Halloween candle jars, get in the spirit Nothing says Halloween more than a spooky, candle-lit room . The glitter and Halloween colors of these jars makes them a perfect decor for any space

in your home. The jars are an easy project that can provide a nice reprieve from studying to celebrate the incoming season. Get your creative juices flow-

To make these jars, gather: a mason jar, spray paint, candles, stickers, or a sharpie.

Instead of using stickers, you could always draw art on your jar in sharpie.

Spray paint both jars and wait for them to dry.

ing and prepare to feel fewer chills down your spine with this warm, cozy fall project.

One way to decorate the jars would be to apply stickers to the jar.

The candle jar is now complete. If you would like, when the jar is Put candle in jar and light the candle. The candle jar is not in use, the lid can also be decorated. now ready to flaunt your creativity this Halloween.

Directions and photos by JULIA MAURER/Contributing Writer

Campus 5

10.26.2017

Local senior shows students are never too old to learn MICHAEL BRODE @michaelbrode

T

he poem bellow, written and recited by local senior citizen and former educator Susan Edwards, embodies her continued search for knowledge at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

Edwards is currently auditing a class in theater history on campus. She suffers from mobility problems and requires assistance to come and go from

everyday places. This would pose a huge problem in her pursuit of education if it weren’t for a group of bold Islanders.

At the beginning of the semester, sophomore nursing student Lauren Pack said she saw Edwards struggling with her walker.

“I saw her walking and it was a very hot day,” Pack said. “She looked like she was kind of struggling and I had something inside me push me saying ‘Go, go

A poem on aging positively written by local resident Susan Edwards.

help her.’”

Edwards said she was more than happy to receive help from Pack.

“And here comes a little angel right out of the sky that said ‘you look like you need some help’” Edwards said.

Pack pushed Edwards, on her walker, to the Center for Instruction where the professor of the class, Allison Frost, said she would have a “list” to Edwards the next day. Frost presented the situation to the class without Edwards’ knowing and received an incredible response.

“There was a flood of people who were like ‘Absolutely we’ll help,’” junior theater major Amber Hollom said.

Upon returning to class, Edwards was handed a list containing names and phone numbers of students who had agreed to help her to class throughout each week.

“I thought, well, this is meant to be,” Edwards said. “I can go to school now.”

Edwards holds a master’s degree from Corpus Christi State University, which occupied Ward Island before Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi was founded. After 31 years as an educator, Edwards retired and went about other interests and adventures, including her position as the president of the Corpus Christi Doll Club.

“It’s been amazing to get to know her life and what she’s been through,” Pack said.

With so much life experience, Edwards said she felt it would be a shame to not share what she’s gathered. In each lesson, she brings in collectable dolls or another tangible representation of the period being studied.

“I brought King Arthur in the other day and Sir Lancelot but I told them Guinevere stayed at home because she didn’t want to see the men fight over her,” Edwards said.

Junior theater major Hayden McLelland said Edwards’ personal tokens of care inspire her classmates, day after day, to deepen the connection of their already close-knit community.

McLelland said he walks Edwards back to the car after every class and sees his classmates as a second family.

“It’s comforting to know that in a world that’s very selective and competitive, that there’s people who do support you,” McLelland said.

This gratuitous gesture of continued kindness inspired Edwards to write a letter of appreciation to the helpful students’ academic advisor. In the letter, she explained the actions of these Islanders and made a point of saying “Islanders have class.”

“It makes me have a whole new perspective of young people,” Edwards said.

“I thought the only great young people in the world were my grandchildren. I found out something a lot different.”

Photo by MICHAEL BRODE/Island Waves

SUSAN EDWARDS

Susan Edwards gets a laugh from her fellow students and instructor during her theater history class.

8 Halloween

10.26.2017

Trendy costumes to try this Halloween

MARISSA ESPINOZA Contributing Writer

W

hile you will likely still see more than a few cat costumes and guys in black, leather jackets calling themselves greasers, more and more Halloween is becoming an opportunity to step outside of the box and push the boundaries of pop culture and originality. Staying on top of trends, cultural references, and unique ways to put twists on classic costumes will save you from the perpetual “I wish I would have thought of that” moment this year. Some 2017 costume ideas include: 1. Pennywise As far as trends go, this will likely be

the most popular costume this Halloween as the movie “IT!” was just released earlier this year. This demented clown works for all genders and can easily be customized by different makeup techniques and choice of clothing.

2. Wonder Woman Although Wonder Woman is a relatively common costume every year, this year is guaranteed to see more than the usual number of capes and headpieces synonymous with this iconic DC character. This of course is because of the debut of her very own feature film that is bound to attract masses to dress as this powerful female figure.

3. Pregnant Kylie Jenner/Beyoncé For someone wishing to be a bit more original and go for a costume that is

Image courtesy of pinterest.com

An interesting couples’ costume could be going as Cosmo and Wanda from “The Fairly OddParents”. Copy of “Da Rules” sold separately.

likely to get a laugh, referencing pop culture is always the way to go. Replicating Beyoncé’s memorable maternity get-up or following the running joke of the thousands of photo shopped images of pregnant Kylie would guarantee Instagram-worthy photos and possibly even a “Halloween Contest Winner” title.

4. Cosmo and Wanda For those love birds, best friends, or dynamic duos who are interested in couple-costumes this Halloween, a throwback to Nickelodeon’s hit show “The Fairy OddParents” could be a unique and nostalgic costume idea that is dated enough that it won’t be overdone and easy enough to create out of the clothes in your own closet.

5. Sports trophy In favor of a more off-the-wall costume, one could take basic athleticwear, a sports prop, such as a tennis racket or basketball, and some gold paint or glitter and show up to the function as a sports trophy. Although subject endlessly being asked to stand still for a photo, it would be unique costume that will be sure to get attention and is my personal favorite.

The idea of putting on a mask for a night and having the chance to be something completely different than your usual self is what makes Halloween so fun and exciting. Whether it is classic, unique or thrown together at the last minute, the possibilities are endless.

Photo by MARISSA ESPINOZA/ Contributing Writer

Marissa Espinoza poses as pregnant Kylie Jenner in one of her costume ideas for students to try this Halloween.

H alloween 9

10.26.2017

No tricks here, just Halloween treats Recipe: Pumpkin patch dirt cups

Recipe: Jack O’ Lantern Float

VANESSA DOMINGUEZ

VANESSA DOMINGUEZ

Contributing Writer

H

alloween has arrived and you’ve been super busy focusing on your costume rather than your Halloween party, but don’t worry. I have the perfect solution for spooky Halloween treats that will have your guests thinking you must have spent forever preparing.

For this recipe, just a few items are required, but there’s room to experiment.

Ingredients: • Instant chocolate pudding • Oreo cookies (2 packages) • Pumpkin candies • Green Sour Punch Straws • Clear plastic cups • Alternate chewy candy (optional)

Instructions: 1. Prepare the instant chocolate pudding according to instructions and blend or crush the Oreos until it looks like dirt.

2. Layer the chocolate pudding and crushed Oreos in clear plastic cups.

3. Place pumpkin candies on the surface and add a green sour punch straw in the center as a vine.

4. Serve with a spoon and enjoy.

A suitable alternative for pumpkin candies is gummy worms. Add some colorful gummy worms into the dirt as if they’re coming out of a spooky grave.

For the headstone, you can use one of your uncrushed Oreos. Open the Oreo in half to where the frosting is visible and with some black icing, write in “RIP” and insert it into the dirt.

Contributing Writer

In need of a drink to help wash down the candy and snack? Try this simple recipe. The process is a simple and spooky twist on your classic root beer float.

Soda brand Fanta teamed up with Walmart to do demonstrations of this drink along with several other brands.

You’ll only need two edible ingredients for this spooky drink.

Ingredients: • Orange soda • Vanilla ice cream • Black and white straws • Clear plastic cups • Black permanent marker • Additional toppings (optional)

Instructions: 1. Decorate the plastic cup with a Halloween design, such as a pumkin face using the permanent marker.

2. Scoup out vanilla ice cream into plastic cup. The amount of ice cream is up to the you.

3. Pour orange soda into cup.

4. Garnish with a black and white straw for added spooky effect.

5. Enjoy.

This simple and sweet treat can be prepared in large batches at a time due to the few ingredients necessary.

Perfect for parties and get-togethers.

Feel free to experiment with additional ingredients or alternatives such as bat-shaped sprinkles or strawberry syrup to drip like blood.

The possibilities are endless.

Image courtesy of pinterest.com

PHOTO BY VANESSA DOMINGUEZ

A few completed pumpkin patch dirt cups, complete with pumpkin candies for effect.

This Jack O’ Lantern float just needs to be topped off with some orange soda before it’s ready.

10 Entertainment

10.26.2017

Photo courtesy of TAMUCC

Dancers celebrate Dia de los Muertos with colorful ceremonies involving traditional dresses, head adornments and Dia de los Muertos makeup.

Dia de los Muertos Festival Celebrates 10th Year DOUGLAS CUBBERLY Contributing Writer

T

he Dia de los Muertos Festival is coming back to downtown Corpus Christi.

The festival will celebrate its tenth year when it kicks off Oct. 28 at 3 p.m.

What started out as a single block party will now include 10 blocks in downtown Corpus Christi this year: on Starr, Peoples, Chaparral, Taylor and Mesquite Streets.

Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead, is a Mexican holiday tradition that dates back hundreds of years, if not thousands, and is similar to other societies’ observances of a time to honor the dead and remember loved ones that have passed.

“This is our 10th year doing the festival and we wanted to do something new this year to kind of celebrate, so we’re having the Lucha Kaboom,” said Michelle Smythe, one of the organizers.

Lucha KABOOM!!! is a live traditional Mexican-style wrestling event, known for its colorful masks and high-flying maneuvers.

There will be four matches throughout the evening, featuring an all-star cast of professional wrestlers. The rest of the festival has free entry, but tickets must be purchased for the wrestling events.

“The Lucha Kaboom is gonna be super fun,” said Smythe, who is also executive director of K Space. “We’re

really excited about the festival this year.”

This year, the festival is being organized by Electra Art, Axis Tattoo and K Space Contemporary, in partnership with House of Rock. There will be three stages for live entertainment: one for popular Latin-influenced music, one for more traditional cultural performances, and a third performance area in the Kids’ Corner. The Kids’ Corner will also include craft activities, games and a rock-climbing wall supplied by Kids Ultimate Party Zone.

Cheryl Voltzmeyer is another one of the event’s organizers.

“We are very excited about Kid’s Corner this year. We had some good sponsors including HEB and AEP, and there’s a lot to do for the kids this year,” she said. “We are also going to have a special tent, where local artists have donated prints of their work.”

The prints will be sold at a discount, with the proceeds going to Hurricane Harvey relief.

“The Rockport Art Center had their roof cave in, so we want to do what we can to help out,” Voltzmeyer said.

This year’s festival will also feature live music, headlined by the ska band, Los Skarnales, and local DJ and producer El Dusty. There will also be the Hecho-a-Mano Art Expo, featuring more than 85 arts and crafts vendors, many with a Dia de los Muertos theme.

Other events at the festival include an Ofrenda Display and a Piñata Con-

test. An ofrenda, or altar display, is an important memorial tradition during Dia de los Muertos, honoring loved ones and remembering those who have passed by creating an altar. These will be displayed at the Ritz Theater. The

theme for this year’s piñata contest is “Lucha Libre – Viva la Lucha!” This theme was chosen to honor the Mexican wrestling tradition.

For more information on the festival visit diadelosmuertoscc.com.

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12 Halloween

10.26.2017

Spooktacular Halloween activities in Corpus

BY ANNA GUETTLER Contributing Writer

H

alloween is right around the corner, and you’re not going to want to miss out on some of the spooky things that are going on in and around Corpus Christi in celebration.

From haunted houses to corn mazes, there is a variety of things you can participate in to get your fill of spooky this month.

If you’re a fan of haunted houses, be sure to check out Fright Night. It is located on Mesquite Street in Downtown Corpus, and this year’s attractions feature the “Penitentiary of Pain” and “Twisted Chaos.” Ticket prices range from $30 to $50 on the days leading up to Halloween, depending on the ticket type.

The cheapest is “General Admission to Both Haunts” and the more expensive is the “Front of the Line” ticket.

On the actual day of Halloween, the ticket prices are more expensive.

For more information on the Fright Night Haunted House, visit www. frightnighthauntedhouse.com Another haunted house that you should consider checking out if you’re craving a good scare is the Haunting

on the Blue Ghost. This is located on the USS Lexington on North Beach and will span through multiple levels of the massive ship. Some of the locations used for the haunt have never been open to the public before. Tickets are $20 per person and it is open from 7-11 p.m. on select days.

For haunt dates and more information, visit www.usslexington.com/hauntingon-the-blue-ghost If you are interested in a less spooky option to get in the Halloween spirit, Rockin K’ Maze might be the place for you. Rockin K’ Maze is located in Robstown, Texas and features a sixacre cornfield maze. General admission for this event is $10 per person, with military, senior and teacher discounts offered. Admission gives you access to the maze, a pumpkin patch, corn hole toss and much more This Halloween-themed event runs through Nov. 12, and is only open on Saturdays and Sundays. For online ticket purchase, hours of operation, and more, visit rockinkmaze.com Looking for more of a challenge than just a typical haunted house or corn maze? Head on over to The Riddle Room of Corpus Christi. This attraction

gives you 50 minutes to find all of the clues hidden in a room in order to escape. Tickets are $23 per person and The Riddle Room’s hours of operation vary by day. Monday-Thursday an appointment is required and FridaySunday is available for walk-ins For ticket purchase, hours of operation, and more, head over to www. riddleroomofcc.com If you are looking for a less expensive way to celebrate Halloween, make

your way to the streets of Downtown Corpus Christi on Oct. 28 from 3 p.m. to midnight for the Dia de los Muertos Street Festival. Admission is free, and there will be street vendors, live music, dancing, arts and crafts, and much more For more information on the festival, go to diadelosmuertoscc.com For a complete map of these Halloween events, head over to https:// goo.gl/maps/umt3hjf6Lkq.

Haunting on the Blue Ghost

Fright Night Haunted House Dia de Los Muertos Street Festival

The Riddle Room of Corpus Christi

TAMU-CC

Map by ANNA GUETTLER

14 Entertainment

10.26.2017

Harte Research: lights, camera, take action

MICHAEL BRODE @michaelbrode

S

ea grass, storm drains and conservancy were found on the big screen earlier this month at a student-run film competition showcasing Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s continuing emergence as a research institution.

On Oct. 14, graduate students from The Island University’s Harte Research Institute hosted the first Harte of the Gulf film festival. This competition, renamed from its 2016 name, Blue Gulf film festival, hosted short films concerning various aspects of the Gulf of Mexico.

Each year, graduate students from the Harte Research Institute receive a

grant to promote their work through outreach and education. With this, students pulled together and designed an event to bring public attention to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

“What we chose to do was this film festival,” coastal and marine system science student Diana DelAngel said.

Divergent from last year’s Blue Gulf festival, Harte of the Gulf split the films entered into high school and general public categories with 11 total submissions screened. These screenings represented states from all around the Gulf of Mexico including Florida, Mississippi, Alabama and Texas.

“Anything about the Gulf of Mexico that you want to share with us, we were open to that,” DelAngel said. “Relating

to culture, recreation, science, environmental issues, water quality – we had a wide range of topics.”

Free admission to the festival brought audiences of all ages for attractions such as craft tables, a selfie station, raffle prizes, giveaways, free snacks and more.

Aside from this, the event hosted a wide range of conservation and marine science-based organizations and businesses from the Corpus Christi area.

These entities set up tables around the ballroom and educated attendees about their missions and how everyone can do their part.

At 11 a.m., after an hour of time set aside for activities and networking, the screenings began.

The films shown in the screening included the winners and runner-ups of the previous years’ festival in addition to the 11 films which competed this year.

The winners of this year’s festival were Brian Jenkins and Kurt Coste with “2045: The Gulf Restored”, Jace Tunnell with “Legacy,” and Brianne Banasik, Emily Drastata, Virginia Greb, Sarah Taylor and Dr. Bill Merrell with “Galveston Beach Nourishment.”

“With this festival,” environmental science graduate student Claire Rydman said, “We help engage the community in all the research that we do and encourage people to learn more about the Gulf of Mexico and all it provides for us.”

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Sports 15

10.26.2017

Leadership guides Islanders into new season JONATHAN FORNEY @jb4nay

F

ollowing one of the best season’s in program history, the Islander men’s basketball team held an open practice as the regular season draws nearer.

During their Open House on Oct. 17, the practice mostly consisted of fullcourt drills and shelling offensive sets.

The team began official practices for the 2017-2018 season on Oct. 2. Members of the team said they have progressed significantly from day one to the present.

“I feel like we’ve grown tremendously,” senior guard Joseph Kilgore said.

“The leaders have done a good job making sure the freshmen and sophomores get acquainted with the systems.”

Head coach Willis Wilson echoed this sentiment.

“The young guys are picking up the system and the sophomores are a little more confident,” Wilson said. “The leaders are leading better and the followers are following better. I think, as a result, our production has improved.”

The Islanders have five true freshmen on the roster going into the season. Redshirt senior guard Emmanuel

Toney said it’s the responsibility of the more experienced players to help mentor the younger players.

“We [upperclassmen] just have to make sure we lead by example,” Toney said. “We’ve been here, we know the system. We have no excuses.”

Toney said the rapid progression of the younger players has elevated the team as a whole.

“The bottom half of the team has lifted up,” Toney said. “The competition level has increased and we’re able to execute at higher level.”

This mentality carries over to the more seasoned players. Kilgore said he and the other upperclassmen expect more from themselves.

“If I’m at my best, the coaches will be at their best and my teammates will follow along,” Kilgore said. “They have a good example to follow.”

Coming off a historic 24-12 season in 2016-2017, the Islanders look to keep the momentum going into the new season.

For the freshmen, the season is about firsts and new experiences. For players such as Toney, it represents opportunity.

Toney sat out last season due to injury. This year, he said this year’s group gives him confidence.

Photo by JONATHAN FORNEY/Island Waves

The Islanders come together to break out of their first open practice of the school year.

“It’s been a long time coming,” Toney said. “We’re excited for the year. Feels like being home again.”

Holding their teammates accountable was a theme throughout practice. Once the team finished running through their offensive sets, the gathered at halfcourt for what coach Wilson calls the Circle Challenge.

The Circle Challenge lets each player on the team rate their own performance in practice that day on a scale

from one to five. Once the team had completed their self-evaluations, some team members shared their feelings for the upcoming season.

“I’m excited. We’ve just got to take it one day at a time and focus on the next practice,” Toney said. “When it comes, we’ll be ready.”

The Islanders kick off their season at home on Nov. 2 at home against the Javelinas of Texas A&M UniversityKingsville

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