02/21/2019 Issue

INSIDE

Abducted in Plain Sight will leave you sickened... Page 9

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

The South Texan

Volume 93, Issue 17

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, February 21, 2019

‘The Tea’, Riley host raffle contest Students win concert tickets to SPI for Spring Break DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief

Four lucky students won tickets to Clayton’s Beach in South Padre Island to see various artists like 21 savage, Wiz Khalifa, Steve Aoki and Trippie Redd during spring break.

The contest was hosted by Etta Enow and Troy Sanchez who host their radio show, The Tea, every Monday and Friday at 4 p.m. The show consists of Sanchez and Enow discussing celebrity gossip, pop culture, political incidents and prominent news.

To enter the contest the contenders had to be following The Tea on twitter, retweeted and liked the post that announced the contest and attended the live drawing event located at the pavilion on Friday, Feb. 15.

The event was hopefully the be-

ginning of an ongoing theme and presence of The Tea radio show members.

“I notice a lot lately that everyone just kind of keeps to themselves, with the help of our giveaways and the cool, fun events hosted by CAB I’m sure more students would be more eager to participate and be active on campus,” Enow said.

Dr. Terisa Riley, senior vice president for student affairs and university administration, provided the tickets and was present at the live drawing.

An abundance of students commented about their admiration and appreciation towards Riley on twitter.

The live drawing was filmed and students along with Riley can be seen dancing, laughing and having a great time together.

“As you can tell from the video that was posted on twitter, I was having a great time. Honestly, I wanted students to feel free to come out of their comfort zones,” Riley said.

The Tea posted about the event for a couple of weeks, reminding their followers to enter the contest and be present in case their names were called.

Each winner was thrilled as Riley called their names over the speaker system and thanked both The Tea and Riley for their prizes.

“It felt great to host this event and see all the winners’ smiles once they

Photo courtesy of Twitter @TamukTea

The Tea members and the winners of the raffle contest. See the video of Dr. Riley’s dance moves on twitter @thesouthtexan. won. We had one girl jump up and down screaming when she won her

tickets and it felt good knowing we made that happen,” Sanchez said.

Lara, Muñoz earn solos after performance Music students will perform at Chamber Orchestra and Choir Concert ARYSSA ENRIQUEZ Campus Editor The Texas A&M University Kingsville music department roars with talent when it comes to recognizing the accomplishment of Oscar Lara and Emily Muñoz earning a solo during the Annual Concerto Competition.

Each year students are given the opportunity to demonstrate their hard

work and dedication for a chance to earn a special spotlight during a performance.

On Jan. 23, students competed in the Recital Hall found in the Music Building. Winners of the Concerto Competition will then be given an opportunity to shine on April 14, during the Chamber Orchestra concert and Choir Concert.

The event consisted of several rounds before a winner was finalized.

“The event has a few rounds, that begins on the day of juries, then goes to a final round where select players will play again for a panel of judges and they choose from those in the final round to either play with the orchestra or band depending on how many winners there are. I say that it’s pretty competitive…but maybe it was just because I was nervous. My experience with the event was positive but it definitely was very nerve wracking!” said Jeri Taylor, former winner of the Concert Competition.

Students were given about a year

Submitted Photo

(Left) Oscar Lara and Emily Muñoz, winners of the Concerto Competition. to practice for the audition, and showcase their hard work and preparation.

“When my professor, Dr. Janzen showed me the piece I fell in love with it and had to have it. When school ended in the spring (2018) I bought the

piece online and immediately started practicing it. It was a really hard

Solos continued on Page 11

Page 2 - Campus

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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Club of the Week-Speech and Debate

Speech and Debate Club enhances communication skills ILIANA FLORES Managing Editor

For students who enjoy doing research, staying up-to-date on current events and giving speeches, joining the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Speech and Debate Team is one way for them to practice and enhance their communication skills.

The Speech and Debate Team is a club on campus in which students compete in a variety of events against other university students at tournaments.

Students can compete in various debate events, extemporaneous speaking, platform speeches and interpretation events.

Throughout the week, TAMUK Speech and Debate members spend time preparing for tournaments.

These tournaments are held across the state as well as in neighboring states.

Those who qualify for the national competition travel further.

For example, the team has traveled to Boise, Idaho and has hopes to compete at nationals this year in Hempstead, N.Y. Competing in Speech and Debate can have many benefits for students.

“The students get an opportunity to develop professional communication skills, confidence, and a great set of friends. Students competing in debate, extemporaneous speaking and platform speeches like informative and persuasive speaking gain knowledge of current events, strong organizational patterns, reasoning,and develop polished delivery.

“For students competing in Interpretation events like prose, poetry, dramatic interpretation, or program of oral interpretation students gain skills in selecting and adapting literature suitable for performance, develop effective delivery strategies including blocking, and have an opportunity to be expressive and connect with audiences on issues, themes that they are personally committed to in the world,” the Speech and Debate coach Dr.Lana McDonnell said.

The team captain, Kylie McIntosh, has been competing in Speech and Debate tournaments since she was in high school.

For her, the competitive factor of participating in tournaments makes being a part of the team fun.

“I enjoy the adrenaline of competition and constantly absorbing new information. Sometimes just watching other people perform is amazing for me, going to tournaments feels like being a part of a competitive TedTalk,” McIntosh said.

While Speech and Debate does allow for students to compete, they can also gain communication skills as well as confidence. This confidence can help them exceed in their college career.

“Speech and Debate is the reason that

Step Afrika! in TAMUK

Step Afrika! celebrates Black Heritage ARYSSA ENRIQUEZ Campus Editor

Step into the eccentric rhythm of African American culture on Feb. 25 at Jones Auditorium to witness the live performance of Step Afrika!.

Step Afrika! highlights African American heritage through dance and in the arts all over the world. Their unique rhythm is a strong representation “Stepping is a rising art form and an important part of America’s artistic and cultural heritage. In stepping, the body is used as an instrument to create intricate rhythm,” stated a Javelina Nation press release Dancing is an important part of cultural heritage, that uniquely highlights roots and aspects of traditions. Step Afrika! is known for making music using their body, it is a variation of stepping in unison, clapping and spoken words “I think it’s really cool that Step Afrika! is coming to TAMUK. They are a well-known group that performs

Step Afrika! during a performance.

throughout the world, they are uniquely known to make music through pure coordination. I’m really looking forward to seeing their performance this upcoming Monday,” said Marianna Trevino, a Kinesiology major.

The company meshes percussive dance styles historically practiced in African American sororities and fraternities. African American percussive beat has influenced a variety of dance forms and arts. Performances usually consist of storytelling dances, humor and high energy.

“Throughout the month, there’s been several events going on in honor of Black Heritage Month, but the most interesting for me would be Step Afrika!. I’ve actually heard about them, so it’s cool that they get to come to campus and give us insight to a different culture,” said Kristian Saldivar, an education major.

Over the years, Step Afrika! has been listed as part of the top 10 African American Dance Companies in the country. They have excelled in carrying the legacy of African American culture, and have creatively maintained their traditions.

Do not miss you opportunity to experience Step Afrika! at 7 p.m., Feb. 25 in Jones Auditorium.

Photo by Step Afrika !.org

I’m so comfortable talking with people now. I used it as a tool in high school to help me overcome stage fright by putting myself in an intentionally uncomfortable position, but the competitiveness and openness that I gained is worth it. I really recommend people to

try it out, especially if they are terrified of public speaking,” Katelyn Horner, a member of the team said.

If you are interested in joining the team, students can attend a team meeting at 5 p.m on Tuesdays or Thursdays in the JSEC.

Photo Submitted by Dr. Lana McDonnell

Speech and Debate Club in a competition.

Thursday, February 21, 2019

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Page 3 - Campus

Tunnel of Oppresion Embraces Diversity ARYSSA ENRIQUEZ Campus Editor

During the month of February TAMUK is hosting several events that highlight the African American Culture.This event allows students to be creative, while addressing serious issues.Students are encouraged to participate in the Tunnel of Oppression,which is meant to break stereotypes and embrace diversity.

Photos by Amanda DeFrees

Page 4 - Opinion

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, February 21, 2019

‘In the arms of the angel’

Stray animals are not the problem, we are The South Texan The First Amendment “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances.”

The South Texan is a student publication produced by Texas A&M University- Kingsville students. The views, opinions and commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas A&M University system. The South Texan uses student fees in part to publish. The South Texan is part of the Art, Communications, and Theatre Department (ACT), The Javelina Broadcast Network (JBN), and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA).

STAFF Darcy Ramirez Editor-in-Chief Iliana Flores Managing Editor Aryssa Enriquez Campus Editor C.R. Neal Editorial Editor Colby Sims Sports Editor

KELBY SPRINKLES Reporter In 2017, I rescued my first dog and named her Indie. Her litter, approximately eight puppies, had been abandoned on the side of U.S. Highway 77 in Kingsville. She was only six weeks old.

At the time of her rescue, Indie was severely malnourished, coated in fleas and was suffering from a debilitating hip injury.

In 2018, I rescued my second dog and named her Vinyl. Her previous owners had abandoned Vinyl, along with her sister, in the streets of Kingsville. She was one year old.

At time of her rescue, Vinyl exhibited symptoms of extreme separation anxiety, physical abuse and was believed to have been confined to her kennel for most of her life.

Indie and Vinyl have both made full recoveries.

Unfortunately, the stories of many stray dogs and other animals in Kingsville do not end as happily.

I am originally from the central Texas area, and in my area of the state the

Photo Courtesy ava.gov.sg

Pair of stray dogs in Singapore overall attitude towards stray animals is significantly different than that of South Texas. Dogs and other domestic animals are treated with respect. They are welcomed into homes and made to be members of the family. There are hundreds of city and non-profit shelters to be utilized by the community. My family currently cares for two rescue dogs, apart from my own, and has rescued dozens of other animals throughout my life. Being an active advocate for animals and expressing concern over their well-being is a common characteristic of those who inhabit this part of Texas.

Shortly after moving to Kingsville, I realized two things: South Texas has a serious stray animal problem, and the people of South Texas are generally uneducated on how to properly care for their own pets.

This issue became apparent not only from my own experience rescuing animals in Kingsville, but also from the

immense number of stray dogs and cats roaming the streets. It is unlike anything I have ever seen. There are around 30,000 people living in Kingsville, yet the stray animal population mirrors that of a large city.

In addition to stray animals, it is socially acceptable to leave a dog chained outside to a tree for the entire day. Not only chained to a tree but chained to a tree in the extreme South Texas heat.

The fact that this practice is common and can be seen all throughout the community is an injustice to animals and a complete failure on the part of Kingsville’s city government. These city ordinance violations are apathetically unrecognized and unenforced.

Until there are severe punishments for animal neglect and abuse accompanied by region-wide education of how to properly care for an animal, Kingsville and other South Texas communities will continue to be an unfit place for animals to live.

Arguing over concealed carry

Jaylin Morales Advertising Manager Reporters Josue Villarreal Ashley Gonzalez Aaron Monreal Kelby Sprinkles Hector Landin Adam Pena Zachariah Wilson Photographer Amanda DeFrees Nicole Morris Adviser Dr. Manuel Flores Consultant Advertising For advertising inquiries, e-mail The South Texan at thesouthtexan@tamuk.edu or call (361) 593-4370.

Letters to the Editor Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters considered for publication must be 300 words or fewer. Letters may be emailed to thesouthtexan@tamuk.edu The South Texan, Manning Hall 165, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, Texas 78363

Photo Courtesy thedailybeast.com

Concealed firearm

ADAM PENA Reporter When someone is asked what they think of Texas, provided that they have never visited the state, a series of common answers would be heard, including the three most prevalent images of the state in foreign media: cattle, oil and guns. However, the days of cowboys, outlaws and openly carrying firearms on belt holsters has long since left the stage of law and been replaced with stricter gun laws and regulations on how, where and when someone can carry a firearm on their person. Texas is one of 12 states that, with certain restrictions and qualifications, will allow citizens to carry concealed handguns on college campuses.

This bill was signed into law on June 1, 2015 by Governor Greg Abbott and went into effect on Aug. 1, 2016. A common misconception when the law entered the planning stage

was that we would begin to see guns around college campuses after the law had entered effect, but the legislation makes it clear that the right to carry guns on campus extends only to those which can remain out of sight.

“All guns must remain concealed at all times or the permit holder is in violation of this law,” reads the TAMUK official section on concealed carry law.

However, the law extends only to public universities. Private schools are given the option to opt out of the concealed carry laws, under the wording of the legislation.

“A private or independent institution of higher learning…may establish rules, regulations, or other provisions prohibiting license holders from carrying handguns on the campus of this institution,” reads the legislation found on texas.gov.

Who can carry handguns on campus?

“Campus carry is limited to those with a lawfully issued License to

Carry a Handgun,” reads the official TAMUK frequently asked questions on the subject. In order to be issued a license, the individual must complete firearms safety and training courses, have a criminal record clear of felony convictions and be over 21 years of age.

In light of recent tragedies related to mass shootings in the United States, it is possible that this law exists to give gun holders the peace of mind or tools needed to prevent such attacks from happening. Conversely, one may argue that the presence of more guns on campuses will only increase the likelihood that such shootings may occur, as even a licensed gun owner is not without fault and may draw their firearm during a heated moment. It is difficult, to say the least, how to predict the impacts of such legislation when such a situation arises. But, it is imperative as a society to place a degree of trust in those with legally obtained firearms to do the right thing.

Thursday, February 21, 2019

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Page 5 - Opinion

Prelude to the end of culture Texas-born citizen detained for speaking Spanish

C.R. NEAL Editorial Editor Two Montana women were detained at a gas station by U.S. Customs and Border Patrol last May simply because they were speaking Spanish.

According to Vox, Ana Suda and Martha Hernandez were questioned by a uniformed officer as they waited in line to buy milk and eggs at a convenience store in Havre, Montana — a tiny town 35 miles from the U.S. border with Canada. The officer then detained the two women, who are American citizens, for 30 to 40 minutes outside by his patrol car.

Now the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) has filed a lawsuit on their behalf, accusing Customs and Border Protection of violating their constitutional rights.

These types of incidents are becom-

ing ever prevalent in a pattern of abuse of power by Customs and Border Patrol.

“The problem with that is that there are millions and millions of people who are Spanish speakers who are U.S. citizens or who are otherwise lawfully in the U.S., so knowing that somebody speaks Spanish doesn’t tell you anything about whether they are or not undocumented,” said Cody Wofsy, a lawyer with the ACLU, Immigrants’ Rights Project in San Francisco. “That is exactly the kind of assumption that this case shows is problematic.”

The Border Patrol agent justified his decision around the fact that they were speaking Spanish in a store in a state that predominately speaks English.

“Ms. Hernandez and Ms. Suda no longer feel comfortable speaking Spanish in public, and fear that if they do so, or otherwise express their Latinx identity, they will be stopped and questioned by CBP agents,” their lawyer, Alex Rate, wrote in the complaint.

That is part of the real issue.

If Customs and Border Patrol do not play their cards very carefully, people will start to think that the government is trying to erase other cultures in another white-washing attempt.

It would be hard not to think so.

Suda and Hernandez, born in Texas and California respectively, were

Photo courtesy vox.com

Border Patrol uniform speaking Spanish, a perfectly normal thing to do, and they were profiled for it.

“There was no legitimate reason for Agent O’Neal and other CBP agents to detain Ms. Suda and Ms. Hernandez.

Speaking Spanish does not establish reasonable suspicion to justify a stop and detention, much less probable cause for an arrest,” Rate said.

In United States v. Brignoni-Ponce, a 1975 Supreme Court case, the Court ruled that it was a violation of the

Fourth Amendment for Border Patrol agents to stop a car only because the driver looked Mexican. But while the Court agreed that “apparent Mexican ancestry” does not, on its own, justify reasonable suspicion that a person is undocumented, the justices did rule that it is a “relevant factor.”

It seems likely that Suda and Hernandez will win their case. However, with the current Supreme Court leaning I would not be surprised if they lost.

Man on the Street This Week’s Question:

If you got one wish, what would it be?

Name: Yvonne Castillo Major: Business “My wish would be to have my dog here with me. She’s my best friend, and she keeps me company. When I’m just chilling in my dorm room watching Netflix, I always want her to be by my side. We would go to the lake together, we would walk on trails and snuggle together while I watched movies. I feel lonely without her.”

Compiled by: Josue Villarreal

Name: Houston Allen Major: Criminal Science “Probably to be so financially set that I don’t have to work. I want to be able to support a family, kids, grandkids while also being able to do whatever I want.

Right now, I just quit my job and am looking for a new one. I have enough money saved up, but it’s still a little bit of a burden. It’s really hard to find a job right now in the limited market.”

Name: Bianca Villareal Major: Animal Science “I want to go back in time and fix all of my mistakes. There were some relationship mistakes I made. I used to lie, and I’m trying to make sure I lie less because that led to one of my biggest mistakes. I’m trying to study better, and do better in school. I’ve lost trust in the people I’ve cared for, and I’ve been slacking in school.”

Name: Alejandro Garza Major: Kinesiology “My one wish would be to just be happy in the future. What I mean by that is everything in the past contributes a lot to how you feel today, whether it’s mistakes, lessons you’ve learned or psychological problems that we face.

I wouldn’t change anything. Everything happens for a reason. I just want people to understand that sometimes problems are mental and psychological.”

Page 6 - Sports

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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Javelinas compete in LSC Championship

TAMUK Track and Field perform well at conference meet COLBY SIMS Sports Editor The Javelinas headed to Lubbock last weekend to compete in Lonestar Conference (LSC) Indoor Track Championships, hosted by the Texas Tech Sports Performance Center.

Sport Information intern Ryan Smith spoke about the excitement of the championship meet and what it is like competing in the LSC. “From a non-competitors standpoint, the LSC Indoor Championship meet is a chance to see athletes per-

forming to the best of their abilities at a very high level.

“This meet a lot of times, is a preview of what we are going to see at the National Championship meet and to see all these student-athletes put their skills to the test is incredible from a spectator’s perspective, making the LSC meet one of the premier track and field meets of the indoor season,” Smith said.

When asked about competing in the LSC and comparing it to other conference meets Head Coach Ryan Dall said this “conference is always very strong… it’s great to get out there and

compete against some of the best athletes in the country… it pushes us to do better.”

The Javelinas shined on the first day with a gold medal coming from Racheal Somoye in the weight throw. In the men’s division, Richard Cervantes also brought home gold for the Javelinas.

After the first day of competition Senior Valentin Charles held first place in the heptathlon with 3,073 points.

Charles also finished with a fifth-place spot in the long jump.

At the end of the first day the men were sitting at third place and the

woman at sixth place.

On day two, Charles continued to dominate the heptathlon earning a total of 5,289 points to capture the gold for the Javelinas.

By the end of day two the Javelinas men’s and women were not able to win the meet but performed valiantly.

Sophomores Jonathan Harper and Dean Wallace both posted an all-time personal best leaving the LSC Indoor Championship on a high note.

The Javelinas’ next meet will be on Feb. 24 in Boston at the Last Chance Qualifier before they go to compete in the NCAA Indoor Championships.

Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics

Javelina celebrates a win.

Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics

Javelinas succeeding at the LSC Indoor Championship.

Recreational soccer debuts here at TAMUK Intramural leagues soccer season jumps into action ZACHARIAH WILSON Sports Reporter Soccer is a globally recognized and loved sport with its popularity increasing in the U.S. with each passing year. Soccer in the U.S is especially popular amongst South Texans and the students at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) have been calling for a soccer team of their own for quite some time now.

Intramurals (IM) and TAMUK RecSports have tried to fill that void for soccer fans and former players over the past few years with indoor 6 vs.

6 and outdoor 7 vs. 7 soccer leagues.

For those who are craving the true game experience of soccer again, that craving can be satisfied with the

new 11 vs. 11 outdoor soccer league that TAMUK RecSports has just introduced this semester. With 30 minute halves, offsides penalties and an overall stricter rule book, the opportunity to truly play soccer once again is among the TAMUK population.

Ivan Perez, an avid soccer fan, IM supervisor and referee with his own team (LitFam), was one of the most excited students to hear about this new soccer league.

“This semester was the inaugural 11 vs. 11 soccer tournament for Intramural sports. It has gotten a huge amount of interest as we were able to get 10 teams and over 100 players.

Being able to play 11 v.s. 11 soccer again was incredible. The last time I had played was back in high school and getting on a full- sized field again

brought back many memories. I am definitely looking forward for 11 v.s.

11 soccer to grow here at TAMUK due to its huge success this semester,” he said.

Oscar Trujillo is another one of the many soccer fans at TAMUK who loves and supports this new idea.

“I like it a lot. I think it’s a different way to engage students to continue to take part in intramurals giving them different experiences such as indoor, 7 vs. 7 and 11 vs. 11. I think it’s going great, the field is big enough for the 22 players plus the officials. Officials, considering myself, I think they all do their best to make it a fair game, offsides is a new thing which makes the game more interesting but also somewhat complicated for the officials which I don’t complain, it’s hard

to understand what really is an offside. Another thing it turned out better than expected, we were expecting at first five to six teams and I believe there are eight teams which makes this more fun to play and watch,” Trujillo said.

With 30 minute halves, the games can tend to run pretty late into the night for some teams. This does not seem to be a problem amongst the IM participants. Carlos Diaz, IM director and participant, is the one who made this league happen.

“We were originally going to do 20 - to 25- minute halves but everybody wanted 30, so that’s why the times are all over the place,” Diaz said.

The games are held at the TAMUK outdoor facility next to the outdoor volleyball courts.

Photo by https://daily.jstor.org/soccer-and-european-identity/

TAMUK Rec soccer is a hit.

Photo by https://www.cnbc.com

Lionel Messi running up the field.

Thursday, February 21, 2019

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Phorto by http://www.sfexaminer.com

Colin Kaepernick looks on.

NFL ends major dispute Kaepernick agrees to settlement AARON MONREAL Sports Reporter OPINION This past week it was reported that former quarterback Colin Kaepernick and current Carolina Panthers safety Eric Reid settled their cases with the NFL. The league has reportedly paid Kaepernick upwards of $60 to $80 million to settle the lawsuit that was ongoing. In October 2017, Kaepernick filed a lawsuit against the NFL and the NFL owners alleging they colluded to keep him out of the league claiming they violated the Antitrust law.

This settlement brings into question what truly his intentions were all along. Since September 2016 when Kaepernick took a knee during the National Anthem it sparked a divide between fans of the league and even the country.

From one side they claimed it to be disrespecting our military and country while Kaepernick’s stance claimed it was about the racial and social injustices that occur within our country and trying to bring awareness to it.

From then on Kaepernick continued to protest the anthem and make political statements. The first was when Kaepernick wore during a practice socks that had pigs dressed up as cops. Second, was Kaepernick

wearing a Fidel Castro t-shirt heaping praise and admiration of the prime minister of Cuba. Castro was a controversial leader that some would view as a tyrant.

The last occurred when Kaepernick’s girlfriend took to twitter with a photo from the motion picture “Django” with Hall of Famer Ray Lewis’s and owner of Baltimore Ravens Steve Biscoitti’s photos on it as a slave and slave owner.

While this was put up by his girlfriend, Kaepernick never commented on the post. One can only assume that he agrees and is comparing NFL owners to slave owners. After Kaepernick’s contract ended he has been a free agent.

He met with the Balitmore Ravens and Seattle. Being apart from the NFL, he donated $1 million to multiple charities, was on the cover of GQ and signed a deal with Nike. Various music artists and public figures have supported him throughout this entire time by boycotting the NFL. In the end Kaepernick is still currently unemployed and certainly looks that he will not be signed.

After all that has occurred and Kaepernick taking such a strong stance, he decides to take a settlement of money.

Does it sound like it was for the “cause” or was it just about making money and the fame?

Page 7 - Sports

Page 8 - Sports

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Javelina Softball firing on all cylinders A recap of TAMUK softball’s hot start to the season AARON MONREAL Sports Reporter Texas A&M Kingsville women’s softball team has been on a roll this season. The Lady Javelinas have won all of their past 12 games with no losses this season so far.

“The softball team has started off very strong this year and we are excited to see how the rest of their season will go,” sport information student worker Colby Sims said.

The season opener started with a double header at the Arkansas Tech winter invitational in Conroe, Texas.

The first game against Pittsburg State ended with a final score of 5-2.

The last game of the day was against Southeastern Oklahoma State, with a shutout performance by the Javelinas,

Photo courtesy of Dick’s Sporting Goods

8-0. Ending the invitation, the Lady Javelinas beat Minnesota Duluth, Colorado Mines and Augustana (SD).

In the St. Mary’s College Softball classic the Javelinas won out beating Drury, Regis and New Mexico Highlands, and swept Texas A&M International in a doubleheader and Texas Woman’s University as well.

The team sure has been able to put out outstanding performances though one person in particular has been a wild card.

Breanna Smith, a pitcher for the Lady Javelinas, has so far this season 27 strikeouts. Smith is a returning pitcher from last season, having pitched 35 games and making a team high of 29 starts. Smith ended last season with four shutouts and 140 strikeouts.

The Javelinas are 14-1 on the season, winning their first 14 games of the year.

Head Coach Craig Nicholson has high hopes for the season.

“I’m super happy with the level of talent, the tough things this year now for us, is we’re going to start two people in the same place they started last year, we’re going to have a very young squad,” he said.

The Javelina softball team will be back on the field Feb. 22 and 23 against Tarleton State. They will be looking to get back on track and start a new streak.

Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics

Breanna Smith delivers a pitch.

Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics

Senior Roxy Chapa prepares for a pitch.

Thursday, February 21, 2019

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Page 9 - Entertainment

Netflix Review: Abducted in Plain Sight The horrifying true-crime story of Jan Broberg’s abduction DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief Halfway through watching Abducted in Plain Sight I believed this had to be a hoax. It is the wildest most unbelievable and disturbing true-crime documentaries on Netflix.

The story revolves around a 12-yearold girl, Jan Broberg, who was sexually abused by a family friend, Robert “B” Berchtold, who abducted her on two separate occasions. Berchtold also carried on an affair with Jan’s mother, Mary Ann, and even had a sexual encounter with Jan’s father, Bob while pursuing Jan. Jan was conditioned and brainwashed for years to keep the abuse a secret. “B” and his family soon grew close with the Broberg’s after meeting them through the Mormon Church.

This gave B incredible access to Jan and over the years he gained the family’s trust eventually becoming like a second father to Jan. Now in hindsight I could tell you I didn’t trust B, but one must also remember these events took place in the ’70s and a lot of Americans weren’t

worried or informed about the dangers kids might face, especially among adults that they knew and trusted.

But based on statements made by Mary Ann, Bob, Jan and her sisters Karen and Susan it was obvious B’s sole focus was Jan. Additionally B would sleep in the same bed with Jan as prescribed by his “therapist,” to rid himself of sexual thoughts involving young girls.

To me these are very clear and glaring signs of someone sick and twisted and someone I would call the police on and protect my child from.

The documentary initially made the rounds on the film festival circuit in 2017 and was available to stream on various platforms last year, but it didn’t debut on Netflix until early January.

In the two months since it arrived on the binge platform, it has started to generate buzz, usually with negative connotations in the form of twitter posts and memes.

It was apparent that B was a little too fascinated with Jan. Mary Ann said she and her husband were somewhat aware of it from the beginning.

“His fascination with Jan was a little

disturbing,” yet it was not disturbing enough to stop the relationship, until one day in 1974, when Berchtold told Mary Ann he was taking Jan horseback riding and never brought her home. You would think they would’ve learned after that drastic mistake to not trust B, but no dice.

During that time he drugged Jan with sedatives, put her in his motor home with her feet and hands bound and played a tape with voices.

The voices were supposedly aliens who told Jan she needed to conceive a child with B before she turned 16, otherwise bad things would happen to her parents, her two younger sisters as well as the destruction of Earth. This forced Jan to participate in sexual intercourse with B for a few years.

Most viewers are angered at the gullibility of Jan’s parents, and I can relate heavily. It was impossible to watch Abducted in Plain Sight without wanting to strangle B, and trying to figure out how anyone could be so oblivious.

As I sat on the couch watching the film I was shocked at how gullible and submissive everybody was.

I can understand how Jan believed an outrageous story; she was 12 in the

Photo courtesy of Netlix

SCORE RATINGS

67%

of 100%

6.8

out of 10

’70s, but every adult seemed wildly naive.

Eventually Jan realized what B truly was, and what he did to her. For many years Jan held all of these emotions and tragedies inside herself, but over time she realized she needed to heal.

Jan says toward the end of the documentary that she learned to forgive her parents by helping them forgive themselves, but to this day they still feel quite guilty.

I find it very sweet and endearing that Jan forgave her parents, but I believe that I would personally be very upset and resentful of them for a while just because they were the adults and didn’t act or protect their child like a parent should.

There were too many disturbing red flags and yet they didn’t take notice. I agree that in order for Jan to heal she needed to forgive her parents and I find that very admirable and strong, but I also believe that if Jan’s parents had been more attentive to B’s and Jan’s behavior she wouldn’t have been the victim of this tragedy.

Abducted in Plain Sight is a wild tale, but Jan’s story is worth the watch and she deserves to finally be heard.

Page 10 - Entertainment

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Thursday, February 21, 2019

The Dragon Prince’s second season is a success C.R. NEAL Editorial Editor Season two of Netflix’s The Dragon Prince utilizes the wonderful world-building and character development from the first season to enhance an already engaging narrative.

The dragon prince, named Zym, has hatched and it is up to human princes Callum (Jack De Sena) and Ezran (Sasha Rojen), along with their elvish friend Rayla (Paula Burrows), to get Zym back to his mother. The trio seeks to save Zym from becoming a pawn in the human/elvish conflict.

Callum and Ezran’s late father’s advisor, the dark wizard Viren (Jason

Photo courtesy of Netrd Report

Simpson), has taken over their kingdom looking to start an all-out war.

However, Viren is not the epitome of evil. As the show explores his character, the audience can understand and even empathize with him.

Reminiscent of old-school fantasy, the show introduces new human and elvish cultures this season, while Callum begins to learn more about magic.

The elemental magic in The Dragon Prince will feel familiar to fans of Avatar: The Last Airbender, which series co-creator Aaron Ehasz also helped create. Humans are unable to wield elemental magic, but have found a dark alternative. Human mages like Viren and his daughter Claudia (Racquel Belmonte) draw their power from dark magic, which requires a living sacrifice.

Viren holds the philosophy of theends-justify-the-means, and without Harrow’s moral code to keep him in check; he gets ever closer to his goal.

His kids, on the other hand, are trying to develop their own philosophies.

Claudia and her brother Soren (Jesse Inocalla) are more present this season and toe-the-line between good and evil. Soren is a jock with little understanding of the effects of his actions, and while Claudia is book-smart; she has a hard time navigating the nuances between right and wrong.

They still manage to be likeable characters, which demonstrates how ostensibly good people can do evil things through thoughtlessness and ambi-

tion. Callum and Ezran are forced to deal with the death of their father in a way few children’s shows would dare.

No punches are pulled as the writers ground the emotions the pair feels in truth and reality, refusing to sugarcoat the nature of dealing with death.

The show should be applauded for seriously addressing difficult topics, and the way they handle disabilities is no exception.

General Amaya, Callum and Ezran’s aunt, is powerful, forthright and hilarious. She is also a deaf woman of color who communicates with American Sign Language.

Her deafness is essential to who she is and how she engages with the world, but it is not her defining trait.

Above all, she was Harrow’s most trusted ally, and extremely loyal to her kingdom and family.

Show writers spent a lot of time working with members of the deaf and hard-of-hearing community to build an inclusive world, and ensure the character felt authentic.

“The scene where she’s at her sister’s grave—we were worried, because it’s a show for children, that we might lose people. But the animation came back, and she was so emotive, and it’s so beautiful,” show writer Devon Giehl said. “I think even in the absence of subtitles, it really stands on its own.

And she’s a deaf character—we wanted it so that understanding what she’s communicating here is for the deaf au-

SCORE RATINGS

100% of 100%

8.3

out of 10

dience.”

A big improvement from the first season is the 3D animation. The colors are vibrant, and the stiff character movement from the first season is significantly improved.

With the increasing momentum of the plot, it is easy to see why fans are eager for season three. The excellent storytelling, beautiful animation and complex characters are more than enough to warrant watching the whole season in a single sitting.

Thursday, February 21, 2019

Conner Museum’s latest exhibit all about local quilts Payton Howell Contributing Writer Kingsville’s local museum, The Conner Museum, is featuring a new exhibit through March 13 – The Celebration of Quilts, all crafted by the Kingsville Saturday Quilters.

The quilt exhibit has been featured annually since 2001.

“I came in 2007 and simply kept up the relationship and the tradition.

The Celebration of Quilts is our museum’s most popular temporary exhibit,” Jonathan Plant, the museum’s director said.

The museum is located at 905 W. Santa Gertrudis Avenue. The museum’s goal is to help preserve South Texas culture and history, while educating students and the community along the way.

Plant has been the museum’s director since 2013, but first arrived in 2007 as a curator.

“It was a chance for me to get back to a museum setting, which is where I began my career. I love Texas History and South Texas is still very much a frontier area with amazing story ma-

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Parking tickets average about 40 a week

Photo by Aryssa Enriquez

The Celebration of Quilts displayed at Conner Museum. terial,” Plant said of deciding to come to Kingsville.

Local art in museums can help a community pull together by seeing beauty that was made within an area that might not have been known. The quilting exhibit does this.

Local communications student Fernando Mercado said while he’s not been to the exhibit in the past, it is nice to know it is available.

“I’ve never been to a quilt exhibit so I would be interested in seeing what Kingsville has to offer,” Mercado said.

Middle school teacher Lino Placencio said the exhibit can provide an opportunity to experience the work behind the quilts.

“I think students can learn the hard work that goes into it,” he said.

“A simple picture from the internet doesn’t do it justice. It being in front of you can help get a sense of the hard work that was put into it. It also gives a better understanding of how it was created and what it was created with.”

The Conner Museum is open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturdays.

Solos continued from Page 1 piece for me at the time so what I did was, every single morning I would eat breakfast and would then take my flute out to practice. I would spend about five hours practicing small sections until I eventually memorized them without even trying.

“Whenever I would get tired I would watch TV but I still had my flute out and when commercials came out I would practice those small sections that I had trouble with. Then, after my ‘break’ I would practice from around 4 p.m. through 11 p.m. I would do this every single day, all day until summer classes started, but by then I had already learned the whole piece and had practically memorized it as well.

“Even then, I would practice it as much as I could because I loved it and it made me fall in love with playing music again,” said Muñoz, recipient soloist of Concerto Competition.

Muñoz’s dedication paid off when results were posted. She competed against six other flute musicians and was able to gain recognition for her skills. After practicing for long hours her commitment to thrive in the competition was rewarded.

“I couldn’t believe it. To be completely honest, I don’t see myself as a good player and technically that isn’t a way that a performance major

Page 11 - News & Jumps

should see themselves as. When I won I thought I was dreaming; to this day, I still can’t believe that I won, but I’m really happy and I feel really blessed,” Muñoz said.

Lara was another who couldn’t believe his accomplishment in earning a solo. Lara was the only vocalist amongst the top 10 finalists. Being able to accomplish this goal allowed Lara to reignite his passion for music.

“I have practiced the piece I auditioned with for about a year, it’s still nowhere near perfect since my voice is still changing, though. However, I am honestly very excited to sing with the orchestra, this is what I want to do for the rest of my life so it’s like getting a feel for what’s to come.

“Accomplishing this goal honestly sort of saved my music career. Lately I’ve been juggling so much at once that I forgot I had a passion for music and putting so much time and effort into the competition reignited my passion,” said Lara, recipient soloist of Concerto Competition.

For many music students, a competition like this requires time management and dedication. Hours were invested into practicing, and the hard work of Lara and Muñoz will be publicly recognized during their solo performance on April 14 at Jones Auditorium.

Most common are lack of permit, parking in red zone Erik Cardenas Contributing Writer More than 40 parking tickets are being issued each week on campus.

Sonia Cavazos, with the Communications Office for the University Police Department (UPD), stated that from Jan 14 to Feb. 4, 201 tickets were issued, with a weekly average of 43 parking tickets from the start of the 2019 Spring semester.

The most common issue that Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) has is students not having a parking permit or having an expired one, parking in the wrong area or parking in a red zone or fire lane.

UPD observes areas across cam-

pus, they help to guarantee the availability of parking and the safety of those entering and exiting campus lots by enforcing university parking regulations.

The parking areas at TAMUK can sometimes resemble a shopping mall at times on how packed they are with vehicles. Although some students believe that the parking lots are too crowded, there are also students who don’t find a problem with parking.

“Well I think that there should be more closer school parking. In my situation if I were to drive to school it would be an issue to have to park so far away just because there’s not enough parking spaces,” Brianda Barajas, a junior, said.

Others are concerned at the $150 price for a parking permit.

“I think it is an issue because you have to pay a lot for the parking permits,” Ilse Peña, a junior, said One TAMUK student has a method to ensure she finds parking – come early.

“There is always empty parking at the start of classes. I don’t really find it difficult to find parking spaces, if you get to campus early and give yourself enough time to find a parking space you can find one,” Cynthia Macareno, a junior, said.

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Thursday, February 21, 2019

Texas A&M University-Kingsville University Housing & Residence Life

Current Residents Amenities:

Barbecue and Picnic area Exterior card access system Game tables Ice machines & Vending Machines Intramural teams Lounges with living rooms and TVs Planned residence hall activities Professional staff members Resident/Community Advisor staff Smoke-free building Student leadership opportunities

Don’t Forget to Re-sign your Housing Agreement with us to lock in your rate freeze for the 2019-2020 academic year.

We will post signs up in the residence halls when the resign up period begins.

TURNER/BISHOP/MARTIN HALL $2,096 PER SEMESTER LYNCH HALL $2,311 PER SEMESTER LUCIO HALL & MESQUITE VILLAGE WEST $3,394 or $3,604 PER SEMESTER

Email: residencelife@tamuk.edu Phone: 361-593-3419

Lucio Hall, Office 119, Kingsville, TX 78363-8202