INSIDE
Softball ranked No. 6 by ESPN... Page 8 Texas A&M University-Kingsville
The South Texan
Volume 93, Issue 22
CfSS earns national distinction ILIANA FLORES Managing Editor Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) was named the first four-year university in the nation to be designated as an Advancement Via Individual Determination (AVID) Campus of Distinction on March 27. For eight years, the Center for Student Success (CfSS) has been an AVID Higher Education Institution. Since then TAMUK has been working to become the first Campus of Distinction. The hard work was recognized as TAMUK was announced as the first AVID Campus of Distinction last Wednesday. “We feel so blessed and grateful to have this designation because this is something that we’re passionate about. This is the Center for Student Success’ baby and at the root of all this is our students. So, to get this recognition just reinforces that what we’re doing is amazing and our students are benefitting, and now we can share with everyone...this is what we’re doing, it works and everybody should be doing this,” Dr. Stephanie De Los Santos, the AVID liaison at TAMUK, said. AVID is a non-profit organization that focuses on student success through professional development for teachers and staff to learn about different ways to engage students. The organization also believes in taking a holistic approach in education to ensure student success. At TAMUK, the CfSS has built itself around five AVID componentsacademic advising, professional development, first year seminar, tutoring and mentoring and co-curricular activities. Dr. De Los Santos explains that the CfSS also works to support students through a “Circle of Care.” This “Circle of Care” helps guide students towards success all through college and even after. Betty Krohn, the director of AVID for Higher Education, spoke about why TAMUK was chosen to be the first AVID Campus of Distinction during the announcement.
CfSS AVID continued on Page 10
thesouthtexan.com
Thursday, April 4, 2019
The Pang Of
HUNGER 34% of students have low-food security
Students desperate to satisfy their hunger C.R. NEAL Editorial Editor A claustrophobic dorm bedroom suffocates Steve* as he lies on the cramped twin mattress. His eyes beg for sleep, but the pangs of hunger echo in his mind and keep him tossing-and-turning in an endless loop of longing. Submitted Photo
Steve sends whatever refund he gets from financial aid to his parents, so he lives on his 10-meals-a-week meal plan. Steve does everything he can to make ends meet outside of his meal plan by doing odd jobs like fixing a friend’s sink or driving them around, yet is still unsure of where his next meal will come from. On the days he had to go without eating, Steve would often forget his
keys and get locked out of his dorm room. Upon realization he would subsequently miss class and storm to find a resident assistant (RA) to get into his room. Homework often is left forgotten, the yearning for sustenance filling his mind. He lives in this vicious cycle, and on his worst day he almost missed a final. “I remembered as I laid down to go to sleep, after eating, and had to stay up the rest of the night studying because I spent the previous day doing anything to forget about the fact that I was really hungry,” Steve said. When he does eat, his meals con-
sist of ramen, bologna, hot dogs or an amalgamation of the three. As a result his health rapidly declined. He notes that this trend started once he began attending Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK.) “I ate pretty healthy until I got to college, and then I really wasn’t eating at all,” Steve said. “And the little that I did eat was horrible.” Eating healthy is one of the biggest challenges for people who are food insecure because they buy food
Student Hunger continued on Page 6