RAISING THE DEAD FOR AWARENESS
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
IslandWavesNews.com
Annual Zombie Walk draws hoards by CATHARINA GARRETT • Page 6
Campus
Biannual Farmers Market promotes Islander conservation Page 4
Also
November 2, 2017 Volume 28, Issue 27
Opinions Page 2 Entertainment Page 8 Sports Page 11
2 Opinion
STI
STUDENT PUBLICATION OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYCORPUS CHRISTI
11.02.2017
Post-Halloween mummies keep season going MICHAEL BRODE @michaelbrode
ISLAND WAVES | ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM IslandWavesNews.com
The spooky season has passed, but that doesn’t mean the food has to. Here’s a stillspooky recipe to ease you out of your Halloween spirit and into
the rest of Fall: Mummy pigs in a blanket and sautéed veggies are quick and easy for any occasion. For this recipe you will need: crescent rolls, little smoky sau-
sages, one red, one yellow and one green bell pepper, one white onion, One poblano pepper, olive oil, mustard, salt, pepper and garlic (optional)
| VOLUME 26 ISSUE 20 | 08.27.15
Editor-in-Chief JONATHAN FORNEY Web GERI LEMMONS, editor
Copy Editor ILLI-ANNA MARTINEZ
Reporters CATHARINA GARRETT MICHAEL BRODE ERIN NASH AMBER CASTILLO SAMUEL TRUJILLO BREE ORTEGA
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees (F). Cover the baking sheet in foil to minimize cleanup. Open the crescent rolls and cut them into long strips. These will be the rags for the mummies. Wrap up the mummies. Layer the strips of dough around as desired. If you need more dough, pop open another tube and go crazy. Once the mummies are wrapped, place them in the oven and bake until golden brown.
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Start heating up some oil in the pan. Then, slice up the veggies as desired. Once the oil is heated, throw in veggies, salt, pepper, garlic and any other seasonings you desire. Reduce the heat, cover the pan and let the veggies cook until they’re soft (onions will turn golden).
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
Photos by MICHAEL BRODE/Island Waves
Now that veggies are cooking, check on the mummies and pull them out if they’re ready. Once they’re cooked, add a couple of little mustard eyes to each one to complete the mummy look. When the veggies are done, throw some onto a plate with your mummies. A side of mustard, ranch or desired dipping sauce is recommended.
Campus 3
11.02.2017
Rockin’ K Maze becomes destination for family fun CATHARINA GARRETT @imacat_moo
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un with family and friends is just a short drive away. Every weekend until Nov. 12, the Rockin’ K Maze in Robstown, Texas will be open to the public for community enjoyment. Rockin’ K Maze offers a sixacre maze, petting zoo, chicken coop, corn-hole toss, dummy steer roping, tug-o-war and many more games. Every year, the event follows a different theme, for all activities and food to center around. This year the event is farm themed, in 2016 it was Whataburger themed and in 2015 it was Coca-Cola themed. Senior engineering major at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and Rockin’ K Maze employee Garrett Bragg said the event is a unique and a fun way to bring family and friends together. “More people come every year, so this event just grows and grows every year,” Bragg said. “It’s important to change
Photo by CATHERINA GARRETT/ Contributing Writer
Visitors mill around a tractor at Rockin’ K Maze in Robstown.
it up and keep it interesting.” The Rockin’ K Maze opened on Sept. 30 and will be open through Nov. 12 of this year. The event will be open in October on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.. In November they will be open on Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundays
from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. Martha Camarillo, a mother who brought her husband and two kids to the Rockin’ K Maze, said she was eager to try something different in the Corpus Christi area. “It’s big, clean and a good environment for the kids,” Camarillo said. “It’s so much
more fun and different than the typical pumpkin patch.” Attendees had the opportunity to choose between two separate mazes at the event, where one maze would take approximately 30 to 45 minutes to complete with a map and clues, while the other would take about 20 minutes to complete without any assistance. Camarillo said she and her family were most excited to try the two mazes. “I would definitely recommend this to other families in the area because it’s a ton of fun for the whole family,” Camarillo said. Bragg said the employees who support Rockin’ K Maze are one big family, making the event an enjoyable one for everyone involved. He also said the family-based and familyoriented atmosphere contributes to the success of the event. “The people are the best part,” Bragg said. “I’m a people person so I like talking to people. Everyone that comes here just gets so excited, and it’s awesome to see that.”
Community takes strides to fight cancer VANESSA DOMINGUEZ Contributing Writer
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housands Participated in The Strides Against Awareness Walk on Oct. 21. The month of October isn’t just for Halloween, it’s also Breast Cancer Awareness month, an annual international health campaign that aims to raise awareness of the disease and raise funds for research into curing it. The 2017 Corpus Christi Strides Against Awareness Walk was held at Bay Front Park. The event began at 8:30 a.m. and consisted of a three-
mile distance where thousands of people walked down North Shoreline Boulevard decked out in pink attire. “My motive behind this walk is to bring awareness to an important disease that affects women every year,” said Gabriella Guerra, leader of a participating team. “I also get to stay active with friends and family members while training or preparing for events such as this.” The Strides Against Awareness Walk coordinators encourage people of all ages to participate in this while uniting as a city.
“I really do believe that a walk/run is a great way to create awareness,” Guerra said. “It brings people of all ages, races, and genders to come together for a great cause.” “This is my first year doing the walk and I’m super excited about it,” said Samantha Jasso, a member of Gabriella’s team. “One of the girls I train and workout with told me she was doing the run and asked me if I wanted to join her team and I just had to say yes.” The money raised from this walk is used for continued research to find a cure for the disease. This doesn’t mean the
event only consisted of walking. Moody Alumni Drumline, The Cinderella School of Dance and J.R Castillo performed at the event. “Breast cancer is the most common cancer amongst women worldwide and to be able to live in a city that participates in an event like this is such an honor,” Jasso said. “I look forward to participating in this event next October.” The city of Corpus Christi plans to continue supporting this walk every October to help create awareness nationwide. For more information on this event visit ACSEvents.org.
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O N L I N E
Island Waves News .com
This week online readers can find stories about: • Local attractions such as the USS Lexington and Texas State Aquarium are available to Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi students at a significant discount for a limited time. • The university’s Zeta Tau Alpha sorority had its annual male beauty pageant with proceeds going toward its philanthropy, breast cancer research and awareness. Learn more about this year’s Big Man on Campus pageant online. • Dr. James McLurkin visited the Island University as the Fall 2017 Distinguished Speaker. During his talk he explained how robotics can help propel humanity into the future. Check out a recap of his presentations on our site. • While Halloween may have come and gone, content such as the recipes published in the Island Waves special Halloween edition are still available online for those interested. As midterms and cooler weather roll around, students can use pick-me-ups and study aides. Island Waves offers both at our weekly Coffee and a Paper events. Stop by the Breezeway every Thursday from 9 to 11 a.m. for free coffee to keep the studying going and a copy of this week’s issue.
ON THE COVER:
PHOTO BY: CATHARINA GARRETT/Island Waves
Campus 5
11.02.2017
Mobile app simplifies on-campus payments JONATHAN FORNEY @jb4nay
An app for Android and iOS devices is gaining traction at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi as an alternative to physical “Sanddollar$” cards. The GET Mobile app heads into its second year at the Island University. The app allows users to do several tasks in less time than ever before. The primary focus of service is to give students a better way to pay for things on campus. “It’s an opportunity for students to use their mobile phones instead of having to pull out their cards,” director of university services Reginald Wade said. “We know mobile is all the rage now.” Students can use the GET app to replace their student ID cards for places that accept both dining dollars and meal plan swipes. Additionally, the app can be used to reload printing balances or other refillable balances. Users are shown their balances in real time and can access their transaction histories. There is also a map to find places on campus available for students to use
their loaded balances, including the Cove in the University Center, or other restaurants on campus. “Sanddollar$” and other balances can be found in the “Accounts” section of the GET app. Students and their parents can add funds to their accounts, dining plans and more. “Parents can add money online, but they don’t actually have the GET app,” Wade said. These balances are available to students as long as they’re enrolled with the university. If they have a leftover balance after they graduate, they can request to have the funds returned to them and they’ll receive a check from the university. In addition to financial purposes, the app can be used to report lost or stolen student ID cards and act as a scan-able replacement for them. This means students can complete eligible purchases using their phones at the register. “I’d like to see more students using the app instead of pulling out their cards,” Wade said. “You’ve got the tool right in your hand.”
The app’s interface has a clean and modern design. For privacy-sake, there are three ways for users to access their balances and funds. On supported devices, fingerprint recognition is an option to log into the app. Users can also set up a PIN or log into their university accounts with their respective username and password. These features came as a pleasant surprise to senior electrical engineering major Pierry Louiz. “That’s really cool, actually,” Louiz said. “I didn’t even know we had that [the GET app].” University services are spreading the word about GET Mobile to get more students to use it in various ways. There are flyers at select registers on campus. Wade said this is advertising at the point of sale. “We’ve got a marketing guy who promotes the app on screens we have around campus,” Wade said. “Dining is our partner in getting the word out. We do periodic pieces throughout the year promoting GET.” Usage figures were not immediately available for the app, but the increased
Photo by JONATHAN FORNEY/Island Waves
The GET app offers several security measures to protect student funds including fingerprint recognition and a PIN system.
promotional focus can help bring in more users to the service. GET Mobile is available in the iOS App Store and the Google Play Store for free for those interested.
6 Entertainment
11.02.2017
Zombies walk for a good cause CATHARINA GARRETT @imacat_moo
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n Oct. 21, zombies were found roaming the streets of Corpus Christi. At Corpus Christi’s sixth annual Zombie Walk, hundreds of people from the community and beyond transformed into zombies in support of the Children’s Advocacy Center of the Coastal Bend (CASA). Making a fun event out of a good cause, all ticket proceeds from the Zombie Walk went straight to CASA. Michael Bratton, an Island University graduate and Zombie Walk attendee, said the event provided a fun opportunity for his family to come together. “It’s always been a family thing for me, in fact, I’m here with my brother and my niece today,” Bratton said. “It’s a ton of fun to be a part of this event.” Christopher Ambriz, faculty member at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and a volunteer makeup artist at the Zombie Walk, said transforming people into zombies was fun, but the
Photo by CATHARINA GARRETT/Island Waves
A zombie nurse and zombie businessman roam the streets of Corpus Christi during the sixth annual Zombie Walk. Crowds turned out in hoards for the event.
best part was seeing bystanders’ reactions. “I had done it a couple years before and it was a lot of work,” Ambriz said. “The satisfaction of doing it, complet-
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ing it and seeing it come to life just scrambling down the street is awesome.” Learning how to do horror makeup from Fangoria magazines and his past film projects, Ambriz said the event was perfect for fans of horror or “The Walking Dead.” “They looked pretty gross but in an awesome way,” Ambriz said. “If you want to do a community event or even just dress up with your friends, you should definitely check it out.” The walk began at the House of Rock and ended at Brewster Street Icehouse. Event attendees, walkers and volunteers got to celebrate at a free after-party with prizes, food and a costume contest. Ambriz said the event
overall was a fun and proactive way to kick-off the Halloween season. “It’s important to support CASA and all they do for our community,” Ambriz said. “Even if you think it’s funny or silly, you should at least come out and support the cause.” Bratton said Christopher Ambriz only took 45 minutes to do his makeup and has helped do his family’s makeup in previous years. He also said seeing people with looks of disbelief was the best part of the event. “It’s a lot of fun because there aren’t a lot of free community events that are family friendly, but this is one of those things,” Bratton said. “It was a lot of fun, which is why I plan on coming back.”
Entertainment 7
11.02.2017
Farmer’s market encourages local conservation BREE ORTEGA Staff Writer
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n Oct. 19, Islander Dining, GROW local south Texas, and the Corpus Christi Downtown Farmers Market hosted the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi biannual Islander Farmer’s Market. The Islander Farmers Market was hosted on the East Lawn from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students could walk by and see booths set up. Islanders enjoyed live music from Antisocial Science, books and art from local artists. Students were also given the opportunity to try homemade produce provided by local producers and artisans. Islander alumna Ashlynn Campbell, founder and executive producer of GROW Local South Texas, said their mission is to cultivate a healthy community with affordable and local food for the Coastal Bend residents “The real fundamental shift is going to come from the youth,” founder and executive director of GROW, Lynn Campbell, said in a press conference. “The Island Farmer’s Market is an opportunity for us to speak to the younger generations about
this fundamental shift to change the future of the local food movement and build legacy of healthy habits.” Islander Dining has been a part of maintaining a balanced sustainable eating cycle on campus. According to DineonCampus.com, the dining hall strives to address four basic ideas for sustainable business practices: eating green, running green, returning green and building green. “Islander Dining is excited to host events that create more awareness about responsibly sourcing food among students,” director of Island Dining marketing Amanda Hall said in a press release. “Here at Dining Services, we’re making strides to become even more eco-friendly on campus.” Among the booths were the Islander Green Team. The Islander Green Team is a club that promotes service projects, research and a sustainable campus. They have also collaborated with Islander Dining for a compost program that started in 2016. Melissa Zamora, member of the Green Team, said eventually the Green team plans to create a
Photo by BREE ORTEGA/Island Waves
A student examines a booth for the on-campus conservation club, the Islander Green Team. The organization was one of many to make appearances at the Farmer’s Market.
sustainable office. “We have successfully composted over 22,000 pounds of food waste alone from campus dining,” Zamora said. “The Farmers Market shows people that you can support local farmers and food. You also save resources like gasoline if you buy local.” Representatives for Izzy’s food pantry at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi were also there to make a difference in healthy food choices made by students. Izzy’s Food Pantry is partnered with the
Food Bank of Corpus Christi that strive to give food assistance to islanders. Izzy’s provides a convenient site where students can register and obtain food. Islander students, faculty and the community were able to donate two cans to Izzy’s Food Pantry. Attendees that gave a donation got a free snow cone from Islanders Food Truck. The Islander Farmers market is an event that is hosted every semester. Nonperishable items can be donated at the University Center room 201.
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4 Campus New resource room opens for students of the ECDC
11.02.2017
SAMI BREE ORTEGA Staff Writer
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linical observation teacher candidates and clinical teachers at the Island University have a new tool to utilize; a new Resource Room to help aid them in their teaching. On Oct. 25, the College of Education and Human Development’s Department of Teacher Education held their grand opening. The Resource Room is located at the Faculty Center room 242. This Resource Room provides educational resources to Islanders for clinical and field experiences. Dr. Carmen Tejeda-Delgado, associate professor and chair of the Department of Teacher Education at Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi, said the room provides 200 resources for students. “We have a strong partnership with our local school districts,” Tejaeda-Delgado said in a press release. “They volunteered and gave us more resources and donations for the new room. We want to get the students to see the room and walk through the diverse items offered here.” Jana Sanders, coordinator of early
The resource room encourages childhood growth in Early Childhood Development classrooms.
childhood education said this vision for the room first came to her when she had a lot of resources in the Early Childhood Development Center (ECDC). “They wanted me to do something with the materials I had and that’s when Dr. Tejeda-Delgado said to make it a room where students can get resources from,” Sanders said.
The Resource Room provides paint for art and projects, Leappads for mathematics and science, books for aiding teachers in their lesson plans and other hands-on materials for students to use. Students who are becoming teachers can use a check-out and check-in system for materials through a clipboard. “They can come in and check in the materials and use them in their field basing and student teaching,” Sanders said. “Instead of having to make all that stuff before having to change their lesson plan, they’ll have resources they can actually use.” Aside from containing the resources mentioned, the Resource Room was lit up with bright colors and positive
Photo by SAMI BREE ORTEGA/Island Waves
teaching slogans. Students can look at each individual resource and select which items were appropriate for their class setting and lesson plans. “When you field base, you are doing all these lessons with your students and a lot of the resources will be really useful,” senior education major Amber Katicich said. “Things can be very expensive on your own; especially when you become a real teacher.” The Resource Room in the Faculty Center is open at 9 a.m-5:00 p.m. Monday through Friday. Students of any education level are welcome to visit the resource center during hours of operation. For more information on how to donate, contact Dr. Carmen Tejeda-Delgado.
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Photo by SAMI BREE ORTEGA/Island Waves
Laura Cardenas, Dr. Robin Johnson, Amber Katicich and Dr. Michele Staples pose in front of the newly opened Resource Room.
8 Entertainment
11.02.2017
‘¿De Donde?’ draws full house
JULIA MAURER Contributing Writer
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he Department of Theater and Dance at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi kicked off this with back-to-back sold-out performances of “¿De Donde?” The play was held Oct. 17-22 in the Wilson Theater, located in the Center for Arts. The play name “¿De Donde?,” freely translates into “Where Are You From?” The play shed light on the physical and emotional issues that some refugees are met with when arriving to the United States. “It’s a play that examines one of the aspects of immigration and that is people coming to this country seeking sanctuary,” said Don Luna, the director of the play and chair of Theatre and Dance. “They’re leaving their countries because they’re at risk of persecution or death. The play is about our treatment of some of them whenever they come across the border and how we treat them as criminals and put them in detention centers
where they are often times physically abused or sexually abused.” Jasmyn Coronado, a “¿De Donde?” performer, said the performances have attracted a large crowd. “I think the play is going really really well,” Coronado said. “We’re talking about sensitive topics in the show so obviously we’re gonna have a difference in opinion and they’re going to be shocked, but the point of the theater is to kind of test the boundaries of things and showcase problems and issues and talk about them instead of ignoring them.” During the play, half of the audience was placed in the detention center with the performers and the other half of the audience had to look through a wire fence. This style of theater is called emergent theater. The goal of emergent theater is to immerse the audience in an environment similar to the ones that the characters in the play are going through. “Some topics aren’t for everybody but I’m glad we’re discussing it and expressing the problems and issues that
are happening and it needs to be spoken about,” Coronado said. “Especially with the university being very Hispanic, I think for one [the play] is doing a good job and it’s doing a good run.” Luna said he wanted people to form their own opinions based on what they saw in the play.
“There are many many different viewpoints on immigration and this is but one viewpoint,” Luna said. “It explores the horrors that can be our immigration policy. Of course not all immigrants are treated like the people in the play but it does ask the audience to think about this issue.”
Photo courtesy of TAMU-CC MARCOM
Jail guards shine light across the members of the audience placed in the detention center.
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10 Entertainment Islanders Night Out prepares students to speak up
11.02.2017
KEANNA WHISENHUNT Contributing author
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exas A&M University-Corpus Christi hosted its Annual Islanders Night Out on Oct.19 at the University Center Lonestar Ballroom. The Division of Student Engagement and Success collaborated with the Laura W. Bush Institute for Women’s Health to sponsor Islanders Night Out. More than 400 Islanders attended the event, where they received free T-shirts, door prizes and a message on sexual violence from keynote speaker, leadership coach and consultant Dr. Keith Edwards. “One of the things I get to do is I get to come to campuses, spend a day talking to a whole bunch of people and hopefully make an impact,” Edwards said.
“The campus community extends that. The goal here isn’t to change the people in the room. It’s to motivate and inspire and educate them so they can change their friends and their peers. They’ll have a much bigger impact.” Edwards said he dedicates his time to speaking, writing and conducting research on sexual violence prevention, social justice education, men’s identity and leadership. He travels to college campuses across the nation every year to speak with students about sexual violence prevention and train staff and faculty with Title IX compliance efforts. “It’s about how we can engage with our students and educate them in making healthy choices and preventing sexual assault, rape, things like that,” said Angela Walker, director of Student
Engagement and Success. “We bring in a guest speaker every year and this is our third year doing it.” October is sexual assault prevention awareness month and several programs including I-ADAPT, the University Counseling Center, TAMU-CC Police Department, I-CARE and the University Health Center were at Islanders Night Out to provide brochures, souvenirs and information to students. “We just want to educate the students. One, to let them know that there are many support mechanisms on campus,” Walker said. “And when we partner up with the community resources like the Women’s Shelter, we let [students] know what resources are available in the community.” Edwards said education is an act of
faith, but the challenge is getting students to unlearn everything they have already been told. “We are all very well miseducated. If [students] can understand that they’re all miseducated then they get curious about what [sexual violence] is and they start the process of unlearning,” Edwards said. “The change happens when we really start paying attention to what is going on the messages in the media, conversations, video games and social media,” he said. “This stuff is around us all the time. Because it is so common and so pervasive, we just stop seeing it.” By encouraging students to be proactive in awareness of sexual violence Walker hopes they never underestimate the power of their own voice.
Photo by AMBER CASTILLO/Island Waves
Dr. Brian Shelton directs tuba and euphonium students during the Octubafest concert.
Tuba, Euphonium students show off skills at Octubafest AMBER CASTILLO @AmberCastillo27
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ctober is a month full of events getting in the Halloween spirit, but Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi tuba students spent most of the month preparing for Octubafest. Octubafest kicked off at the Performing Arts Center on Oct. 20 at 7:30 p.m. The event, presented by the Department of Music and was organized and hosted by associate dean Dr. Diana Sipes. Octubafest is a tuba concert that happens all around the country and originated back in 1975. The concert allows students to be featured and offers a chance to showcase their skills in a solo performance. Since the concert was so early in
the semester, it was essentially up to the students if they wanted to participate or not. “Around this time of year, deciding who gets to perform or not comes down to the students,” Sipes said. “It’s really about who is ready to perform in front of an audience alone and who is brave enough to do it with such a short amount of time to learn their piece.” When it came down to picking the pieces for the concert, each student selected something they felt was comfortable and challenging for them. “I work with each student to help them find a piece that is challenging for them but at the same time something that they enjoy playing,” Sipes said. “That is something that is very important to me
because if they pick music that they like then they will practice more, but at the same time we also want to make sure that the pieces chosen are fun to listen to for the audience.” Due to scheduling conflicts, Sipes was unable to take on being the director for the concert so assistant professor of music Dr. Brian Shelton stepped in to work with the students to make Octubafest come to life. “I usually think of it as a lighter event because it’s just a festive time close to Halloween so that’s why I chose the songs I did,” Shelton said. “I chose ‘When I’m 64’ by the Beatles because it has a little lighter tune with a sort of polka feel to it and then with ‘Funeral March for a Marionette’ had a more Halloween feel
to it, so it was a good arrangement for the tuba and euphonium ensemble.” Senior music education major Aurelio Villarreal said preparing for the event was not easy. However, he said he was used to the hard work having been a part of concerts like these in the past. “To get fully prepared for this event we had to practice over an hour twice a week to make sure we were fully on the same page for the ensemble,” Villarreal said. “We really tackled each part as hard as we could until we got it right, and in the end the show was pretty successful.” If you missed out on Octubafest, you can catch the flute and trumpet ensemble concert on Nov. 6 at 7:30 p.m. located in the Performing Arts Center. The event is free and open to the public.
Sports 11
11.02.2017
Soccer team pays homage to seniors ERIN NASH
@ErinJohnnae
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exas A&M University-Corpus Christi’s women’s soccer team honored its four seniors on Oct. 22 at the Dugan Family Soccer and Track Stadium. The game against the Lamar University Cardinals proved to be a loss with 3-0, ending their three-win streak, but only motivated the Islanders to push even harder in their away games to come. Despite the loss, the team’s seniors reflected on their careers and individual seasons. “I want to focus on strengthening not just my skills but also spreading that throughout my team so when I make a good save, it makes them shoot harder or aim better at the net,” senior goalkeeper Jordan Wainwright said. “So, me bouncing energy off of one another and everyone bouncing energy bouncing off of me.”
Fifteen minutes before the last home game kickoff against the Cardinals, Islander seniors Brook Erdmann, Wainwright, Andi Bethard and Christina Remmes took to center field along with their families as stats were read and spectators cheered. Erdmann, red-shirt senior captain currently sets the record in game appearances totaling to 71, more than any other Islander in history. She also is second in the women’s Soccer Program with 10 goals and more than 22 points throughout four seasons. Wainwright is not far behind ranking second in clean sheets in Islander history; a game without getting scored on. Head coach Craig Shaw said the final home game of the regular season offered a chance to acknowledge the careers of the senior players. “It means a lot to honor these girls for the work they’ve put in during their time here and just even for the
short time I’ve been here,” Shaw said. “It’s a great time to honor them and the effort they’ve done in grooming 15 freshmen that we have on the team so just a chance to celebrate their effort and work and the time they’ve been here at the school.” In the 2017-2018 season, seven to nine freshmen have typically started alongside at least one or two seniors. “Definitely since we have a lot of freshmen this year and being a senior, you have to set the tones for the rest of their years here by being an example, a role model and things like that,” Wainwright said. “Leading with courage, being selfless, you want to teach them good characteristics to have for the rest of their college years. You want to teach them it’s okay to fall and fail; that it’s even better when you get back up. That’s what you do as a captain, you serve as a role model both on and off the field.”
Senior captains Erdmann and Wainwright reflected on how they’ve grown from being a freshman soccer player to now as they cap off their senior careers as Islanders. “Now I’m a lot more mature and I understand what soccer does mean,” Erdmann said. “I would take it more seriously, put in the extra work and practice more, train harder, to be better, in the long run it would’ve been better.” Wainwright expressed has helped her become a better person for herself and teammates. “When I look back, it’s not about how many wins or losses you’ve had but the memories you’ve made with your team,” Wainwright said. The team will look to send off their seniors on a positive note going into the Southland Conference tournament. This year the Islanders will be hosting the tournament from Nov. 1-5.
Islander Invasion kicks off basketball season AMBER CASTILLO @AmberCastillo27
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he Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi men and women’s basketball teams invaded the Island as they marked the beginning of their 20172018 seasons. Islander Invasion is an annual event that allows the students and community to come out and meet the teams and enjoy some festivities prior. Grub Burger presented the event for the Island and the festivities kicked off at 5:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 in front of the Dugan Wellness Center with a tailgate party to get acquainted with everyone. As part of the pre-Invasion activities, Islander fans had the opportunity to interact with all the Islander teams as they each hosted their own activity to help celebrate the Invasion. Free food was also provided by Islander Athletics while supplies lasted. Senior marketing major Steven Dietz took time out of his busy schedule to check out the Islander Invasion festivities. “This is a great way to bring to students together and to help everyone get acquainted with all the sports in general,” Dietz said. “It also gets people excited for the basketball season; I look forward to attending the games this season.” Freshman pre-nursing Major Au-
Photo by BREE ORTEGA/Island Waves
Freshman guard Myles Smith lines up an attempt during the three-point contest.
brey Villanueva said she was surprised with how many people attended and how many sports the school had. “I really enjoyed this event because I got a chance to meet a lot of different people and see all the different sports that our school has to offer,” Villanueva said. “They were also giving away a lot of free stuff, so I’m really glad I got to come out and support the Islanders.” After the tailgate festivities, the Is-
lander Invasion officially began. The men’s and women’s teams were introduced and the games began. The invasion started off with a 3-point contest with senior guard Brittany Mbamalu and redshirt sophomore guard Kareem South teaming up for the win. “Islander Invasion definitely brings everyone all together and gets that excitement going for the season to start,” Mbamalu said. “I think we are going to have a lot of depth and experience
this year and the connection is good with all the team so I look forward to seeing what we bring to the table this season.” Senior guard Joseph Kilgore came out on top in the slam dunk contest. He said he can’t wait for the season to start off. “Islander Invasion really brings excitement and attention to basketball season by the kickoff,” Kilgore said. “We just try to make sure everyone knows what time it is and we just want to go and represent the city right.” The Islanders will look to build on their historic 2016-2017 season that saw them take a trip to the College Insider.com Tournament (CIT) championship game and a 24-12 record. They will also look to protect their homecourt where they were 16-2 during the 2016-2017 campaign. The regular season kicks off on Nov. 2 where Islanders will face the Javelinas of local rival Texas A&M University-Kingsville at the American Bank Center at 7 p.m. The team has been working all off-season and they feel up to the task. Kilgore said he believes in this year’s group of players and expects them to make an impact. “I feel good. I’m confident with the guys we’ve got around us,” Kilgore said. “They’re ready to play. I know, win or lose, they’re going to be ready to go every game.”
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