9/13/2018 Issue

INSIDE

Is Nike’s new Kaeperknick Ad offensive?.... Page 5

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

The South Texan

Volume 93, Issue 2

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Tickets here, tickets there, tickets everywhere University Police Department issues abundant amount of citations C.R NEAL Reporter Felipe Garza, chief of police at Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK), said on the first day of class the University Police Department (UPD) issued 55 parking tickets.

The second day, UPD issued a staggering 70 citations.

As of Sept. 6, UPD has issued more than 450 parking tickets just during the Fall 2018 semester.

TAMUK Students took to twitter to complain and make fun of TAMUK’s parking.

“I love my school and all but @ TAMUK really needs to do something about the parking situation… Literally the only down-fall of going to school here,” @briananicole_15 wrote.

The TAMUK Parking and Traffic Regulations list 20 types of parking tickets such as $50 for parking in the wrong zone, $75 for no parking zone and even $25 for displaying multiple

permits.

Holds are also placed on your TAMUK account until the citation is paid.

Fines must be paid in 14 calendar days from when the ticket was issued.

If it is not paid by then a late fee of $20 is added.

Speech Communications major at TAMUK Taylor Guidry knows well what it is like to have a parking ticket go past due.

Guidry parked outside Newman Hall for five minutes to grab her backpack. On her way back to the car she saw the police officer writing the ticket.

Guidry said she had a parking pass, but that it was flipped backwards.

Her budget has affected Guidry’s ability to pay the citation.

“The money I do have I feel like it should go towards something useful: my books or food,” Guidry said.

If you feel your citation should be dismissed, you can file for an appeal online through Parking Spot on JNET. Once you file an appeal you will receive confirmation through your school email.

The Parking and Traffic Regulations state, “It is the individual’s responsibility to ensure that a hearing date has been assigned, by contacting the Appeals Committee.”

Names, traditions and events of Hispanic Heritage Month Hispanic culture takes over TAMUK AMERICA QUINTERO Managing Editor

Photo Courtesy of defense.gov

Before decorating the halls with scarecrows and Jack-o-Lanterns, Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) is cooking tacos and hanging piñatas in preparation for Hispanic Heritage Month. Starting Sept. 17, TAMUK will hold a variety of events based on Mexican-American traditions and celebrations.

The Hispanic Heritage Committee at TAMUK has been planning the events since Spring 2018. The committee consists of university students, advisors and professors. Many departments from the university, including the TAMUK mariachi band and Taco Taco restaurant have agreed to partic-

ipate in the activities.

Several renowned guest speakers are scheduled to come to TAMUK, many of whom have made contributions to Mexican-American communities or have knowledge of Hispanic culture. Guests include Armando Ibanez and Eliseo ‘Cheo’ Torres.

Monica Izquierdo, intercultural student assistant at the office of student activities, is confident students will enjoy the diverse activities planned by the Hispanic Heritage Committee.

“What we had in the back of our mind was ‘we want to make these events fun and also educational for students. We want to make them appealing so that we have a good audience but at the same time we want to

Hispanic Heritage continued on Page 11

Page 2 - Campus

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Thursday, September 13, 2018

Chair of kinesiology goes the extra mile Dr. Hearon earns Distinguished Leadership Award DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief

The College of Education and Human Performance and the Department of Health and Kinesiology are very proud of Dr. Christopher Hearon.

In early July, Hearon, the chair of the health and kinesiology department at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, was notified that he was the winner of the Jerry R. Thomas Distinguished Leadership Award from the American Kinesiology Association (AKA).

“I was absolutely not expecting this.

To be honest with you I was at a loss for words, and anyone who knows me knows it takes a lot for me to be at a loss for words. So, clearly I was taken aback a little bit and was certainly not expecting it,” Hearon said.

The Jerry R. Thomas Distinguished Leadership Award recognizes individ-

uals with exceptional administrative and leadership performances.

The award is given out to an individual in each academic level such as the doctoral, master’s, undergraduate, and associate degree levels.

The award is based on various criteria including how the recipient has built innovative curriculam to strengthen the program, established partnerships and outreach programs, and achieved success with obtaining new or renovated facilities for research and teaching.

Hearon has been the chair at TAMUK for 13 years, but before he arrived at Javelina Nation he was chair of the kinesiology department at Northeastern Illinois University.

He was nominated by fellow professors including Dr. David Cutton, associate professor and coordinator of the sport and leisure studies program.

Cutton has been working with Hearon for a few years and greatly respects his chair and colleague.

“I feel that Dr. Hearon is very deserving of this national award; and I was very gratified to have my judgment, point of view, and insight confirmed by the American Kinesiology Associa-

TAMUK Adult Education Master’s is ‘College Choice’ ILIANA FLORES Campus Editor Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) was ranked the fourth most affordable online master’s in adult education by College Choice.

College Choice is an online resource dedicated to providing information about cost, programs and other resources colleges offer to individuals interested in attending college.

The reasoning behind College Choice’s ranking was based on the institution’s reputation, graduation rates, selectivity, faculty resources and the price of attending the university while in the Adult Education Master’s program.

According to College Choice, “Online students pay tuition based on their residency status (with most students paying less than $9,000 per year for tuition and fees), and several scholarships are available to eligible students.”

College Choice also noted that by having the Master’s in Adult Education program integrated with the community, the importance of developing community partnerships for adult higher learning is expressed to students.

For over a decade, TAMUK has been offering the Masters of Adult Education degree online. Anyone who meets the general graduate admission requirements set by the university is able to enroll in the program.

By taking two courses each semester, students can graduate with their Master’s in Adult Education in two years.

The program focuses on “prepar[ing] individuals to work with the unique problems and learning styles of adult learners,” TAMUK’s Adult Education Program website said. The program also focuses on teaching students about all areas of adult education.

From working in community colleges to working with those in higher education, the program tries to expose students to all areas of adult educa-

Photo courtesy of College Choice

tion, so they can establish in which areas they are interested.

While the program is fully online, professors work to create an environment in which students feel connected by mentoring students and leading them toward a path of success.

Through completing the program students can gain better understanding of how to communicate with adults interested in continuing their education.

With this knowledge, students can be successful in various fields such as education, business, healthcare, agriculture, military and nonprofit careers.

For Dr. Lori Kupczynski, an associate professor and adult and higher education coordinator, getting recognized

by College Choice means much more for the program than being known as affordable.

“It means that we get a little bit of notice from people who may not have realized that we’re here and they can say ‘Oh, they’re affordable. I wonder what the program is?’ So, it allows us perhaps to bring more attention to our program in hopes that people who might be interested can then look at the quality of our program,” Kupczynski said.

tion,” Cutton said.

But TAMUK has been on AKA’s radar before. Two students from the health and kinesiology department have won the National Scholar Award from AKA two years in a row. The first, Samantha Cantu, won the award in 2015 followed by Joel Pena in 2016.

“It gives me a great honor to know how hard Dr. Hearon has worked throughout his tenure as department chair. The Department of Health and Kinesiology has been given numerous awards through the last couple of years. And the hard work he has put into his work is paying off. Very few administrators around the nation can actually say that they have received this award,” Dr. Alberto Ruiz, dean of the College of Education and Human Performance, said.

Hearon looks forward to receiving this career achievement award at the 2019 AKA workshop Jan. 24 to 26 in Phoenix, Ariz. He is truly humbled by the honor.

“An award like this reflects every bit as much on the exceptional faculty that I’ve had the opportunity to lead over the last almost 20 years at two different schools,” Hearon said.

Photo courtesy of the Department of Health and Kineseology

Dr. Hearon, recepient of the Jerry R. Thomas Distinguished Leadership Award.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

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Page 3 - Campus

TAMUK club of the week: Anime Club Anime club meets each week in Rhode Hall ILIANA FLORES Campus Editor It’s after 7 p.m. and Rhode Hall is empty, except for one dark room on the third floor which is filled with students watching anime.

As Merriam-Webster defines anime, it is a style of animation, originated in Japan, that is characterized by colorful graphics depicting vibrant characters.

For students interested in anime, the Anime Club meets weekly to discuss and watch episodes of anime shows.

At each Anime Club meeting, members gather at 7 p.m. Thursdays in Rhode Hall, Room 333.

During their meetings, members munch on snacks as they discuss their thoughts on anime shows they have watched.

Along with discussing shows, members of the club watch episodes of different anime series.

Days before each meeting, a poll is sent to members of the club. With this poll, the show which will be watched

at the meeting is voted on and determined.

For members of the club, learning about shows they had not heard of before, getting recommendations on what to watch, and just being in a room with people who enjoy anime, too, are some of the reasons they attend meetings.

Nathan Ortega, a mathematics major, has been a part of the anime club for three years.

“Sometimes we see the generic ones (anime) that everyone’s heard of and sometimes I see [new] ones that I thought ‘this thing is an actual anime.’

Sometimes I love it, sometimes I hate it, it’s just a new experience,” Ortega said.

This semester, Tiffany Cyr, an animal science major, is beginning her first year as president of the club.

She has been part of the club for four years and is hoping to grow the club during her time as president.

Around campus, she has started hanging flyers informing students about the club around campus.

In doing this, there has already been an increase in students attending the meeting.

Donovan Banos, electrical engineering major, and Estefana Reta, animal science major, are new members to the club. They were both notified about the club when Reta saw a flyer on cam-

Photo by Iliana Flores

Members of the Anime Club. pus and told Banos they should attend.

Since attending meetings, their experience has been good.

“It’s a great way to meet other people with the same things you like, they like as well. It’s easy to find people and make friends here,” Banos said.

Cyr invites anyone interested in join-

ing the club to attend a meeting. “[Students] shouldn’t be scared at all because everyone here is super friendly, and they just want to talk about what they love, so I think it’s a really good place for them to come and find people that share their interest,” Cyr said.

A Freshman Tradition, ‘Javelina Night Out’ STAFF REPORTS

A true freshman tradition, Javelina Night Out, took place on Thursday, Sept. 6, at Jones Auditorium. JNO is part of Welcome Week and the targeted audience is freshmen. The event helps the newcomers adjust to college life, and to understand their purpose here at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. Approximately 1,250 freshman attended the event, receiving gifts, shirts, and tokens throughout the evening.

The guest speaker f the event was Janes JonesFosu. The event was sponsred by the Office of Student Activities.

Students holding their “Javelina Night Out” t-shirts.

Students receiving their t-shirts.

TAMUK freshmen in Jones Auditorium during JNO.

Students workers at Javelina Night Out.

Page 4 - Opinion

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Strait Between the Aisles Political polarization is making you stupid

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 America Quintero Managing Editor C.R. Neal Editorial Editor Plaserae Johnson Sports Editor Iliana Flores Campus Editor

C.R NEAL Opinion Editor Political polarization has been tightening its grip on the United States since the 1970s.

Bipartisan bills in the House of Representatives and Senate are few and far between while voters seem to not be able to agree on anything.

Professor of Political Science Keith Poole is mapping the ideologies of members of Congress based on their voting records in order to make sense of this divide.

“What we find is that, since the mid-1970s, Democrats and Republicans in Congress have continued to move away from the ideological center and toward their respective liberal and conservative pole,” Poole wrote.

“With almost no true moderates left in the House of Representatives, and just a handful remaining in the Senate, bipartisan agreements to fix the budgetary problems of the country are now almost impossible to reach.”

This polarization is not isolated to politicians.

According to the Pew Research Center, 62 percent of Republicans and 70 percent of Democrats say they are actually afraid of the other party.

These numbers have more than tripled since a report by the same research center in 1994.

Gallup reported that 42 percent of people identified as Independent, 29

Reporters Josue Villarreal Aaron Monreal Jose Tello Kelby Sprinkles Adriana Palomo

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

percent as Democrat and 26 percent as Republican.

They also reported that this was the fifth consecutive year that over 40 percent of Americans identified as Independent.

This information demands us to investigate how we have become this way.

One of the main causes of political polarization is the foundational disagreement, and I want to emphasize disagreement, between parties on facts.

Peer-reviewed scientific reports are outright dismissed because the facts do not fit their agenda.

According to the Pew Research Center, about 81 percent of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents say Republican and Democratic voters disagree on basic facts of issues.

And, 76 percent of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents say the same.

We cannot allow this level of criminality to go unpunished.

This amount of willful ignorance is unprecedented in the era of the Internet. Any information you are presented with can easily be checked by a Google search, because let’s be honest

no one uses Bing, so long as its checked through a reliable source.

And that’s the next part of the problem; finding reliable news sources.

Through the Internet, or television, anyone can say anything.

News outlets such as Fox News, MSNBC and even CNN are spouting information that reinforces ideas based on political agendas.

We are being fed what we want to hear and we are eating it up like it’s a Harry Potter movie.

The weirdest aspect of news bias is that comedy shows like The Daily Show and Last Week Tonight With John Oliver are the ones who present information with relatively little bias.

Comedy is holding itself to a higher standard than the news networks that supposedly have journalistic integrity.

So in a way President Donald Trump has a point when he yells “FAKE NEWS” on Twitter.

Does he mean it in this sense: probably not.

Since we cannot regulate what a person can, or cannot, say we must regulate ourselves to ensure that our information is accurate.

Past, present and future of TAMUK logo

Jaylin Morales Advertising Manager

Nicole Morris Adviser

Graphic by Pew Research Center

Adam Pena Reporter In the realm of Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) academia, there is hardly a more recognizable icon than our school logo, the Screaming Javelina.

From athletics to student organizations and merchandise, this icon is the symbol chosen to represent Texas A&M University-Kingsville and by extension its students, faculty and staff. But, to those who may have been around to remember it, a predecessor to the Screaming Javelina once held this prestigious status of university representation.

Of course, I am talking about none other than Porky the Javelina. Just as the Screaming Javelina logo is synonymous with TAMUK, Porky also represents the school, but from a different

era. Before TAMUK’s inclusion into the Texas A&M University system in 1989 and the acquisition of its current name in 1993, TAMUK was known as Texas A&I University, which was heralded by its iconic logo, Porky the Javelina.

Just as the name of Texas A&I, Porky was left behind as the official university logo after the merge into the A&M system and assigned to his current place as a member of the Javelina Heritage Collection.

“My personal preference is Porky, and the rich history of the university that it represents. I don’t have anything against the new logo, but that’s just not what I’m associated with. Porky evokes memories of our past, when we were dominant in football, good memories,” Martin Chapa, former president of the Javelina Alumni Association, said.

Though alumni may still use Porky, it is currently restricted from representing the university in official capacity as stated in the Graphic Standards guide published by the TAMUK Office of Marketing & Communications.

“Typically, departments or organizations cannot use the Porky unless it’s [of the Texas A&I era] or it is honoring alumni from that period,” Jesse Garza Careón, design and brand manager, said.

When I first learned this, I was highly surprised, to say the least. Coming from a background of TAMUK and Texas A&I alumni, I have been exposed to the Porky logo nearly my entire life. I began to wonder why such restrictions were placed on what I, and my alumni family, consider to be an iconic symbol. “[Porky] belongs to the alumni,” Adriana Garza-Flores, interim associate vice president of marketing and communications, said.

It is here that we come to the crux; just whom should Porky represent?

In my opinion, Porky should be brought back into the university mainstream.

While the Screaming Javelina is a noble attempt made 25 years ago to reimagine the university’s identity, it fails to capture the spirit of the university and its history as Porky did.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

thesouthtexan.com

Page 5 - Opinion

Nike controversy leads to drop in stocks, rise in sales

What do you stand for?

Jose Tello Reporter Nike’s decision to name Colin Kaepernick as the face of its 30th anniversary was a bold move.

Nike felt the heat from veterans, racists and those who deny police brutality exists.

And the pot was stirred with the store in South Africa temporarily closing.

People felt so passionately about the ads that they burned Nike apparel on social media.

Despite an early three percent drop in market value, Nike’s online sales have skyrocketed by 31 percent from Sunday through Tuesday of last week, according to ajc.com.

Darren Rovell, an ESPN sports reporter, took a poll on Twitter; over 35,000 people participated. Fifty per-

cent of the participants voted that the Nike ad does not affect their decision, and 29 percent are more likely to buy Nike and 21 percent are less likely to purchase Nike.

Many veterans do not see the kneeling of the national anthem as disrespectful.

In fact, Nate Boyer, a veteran, wrote a letter to Colin Kaepernick after he sat down during the National Anthem and suggested Kaepernick kneel instead. When joining the military, you pledge an oath, it proclaims an intent in the preamble that you will support domestic tranquility and provide liberties.

What I see from the defensiveness, is that those liberties are not being provided to everyone equally.

There are others who feel as Kaepernick in this country.

Jackie Robinson, an Army Captain and the first African American to play major league baseball, did convey the same sentiment about the National Anthem as Kaepernick in his 1972 autobiography, writing, “I cannot stand and sing the anthem. I cannot salute the flag; I know that I am a black man in a white world.”In addition, Bernice King, daughter of Martin Luther King Jr., posted a photo of her father kneeling and placed a photo of Colin Kaepernick kneeling side-by-side, in-

Photo Courtesy CNN

Colin Kaepernick dicating that not much has changed in America.

However, many people have found it disrespectful to the military to kneel during the National Anthem.

I feel Kaepernick’s decision exposed some Americans’ true colors.

Names as big as President Donald Trump to Taya Kyle have used their platforms to express their opinions and have attacked Nike and Kaepernick. In my opinion, it’s distasteful to

badmouth Kaepernick as it is disrespectful since he is exercising his right to free speech.

According to The Washington Post, African Americans are two-and-a-half times more likely to be shot and killed by police than white people. That statistic is upsetting and what I would call disrespectful. Considering this controversy, change is much needed in America. You can start by asking yourself: what do you stand for?

Man on the Street This Week’s Question:

Is Nike’s new ad featuring Colin Kaeperknick offensive?

Name: Kayla Ashworth Major: Kinesiology “No, I don’t think the ad was offensive.

I think the meaning was more important than the political drama that was going on behind the scenes.”

Compiled by: Kelby Sprinkles

Name: Kristina Y Bernal-Marichalar Position: Sociology Lecturer “No, I do not find the Nike ad offensive. I think the message is really great, ‘Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything.’ It is an important message for our society today. I have not paid attention to Twitter, nor do I think what has happened with the quarterback is important. Our society should focus on what the real message is and not focus on the person who it behind the message.”

Name: Micaela Mendietta Major:Kinesiology “I don’t think it’s offensive because it’s saying, ‘if you sacrifice everything’ and he did sacrifice everything. He sacrificed his whole career. It’s not really offensive because it’s something that he believes in. It is a really big issue for people from a minority and people in general. If we don’t feel safe on the streets, they can’t expect us to keep quiet about that.”

Name: Elias Tejada Major: Criminology and Psychology “No, I don’t think it’s offensive. He is not the only black athlete who is the face of Nike. I feel like him taking a knee wasn’t protesting racism, it was for police brutality. It wasn’t because of the troops or because of the flag, it was because of the injustice going on in the world. I feel like Nike did right by putting him as the face of their campaign because it made people more aware.”

Page 6 - Sports

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Javelinas steamroll Rams, 52-10 HECTOR LANDIN Sports Reporter A new year in Hog Nation began on Saturday as the Texas A&M University – Kingsville Javelinas defeated the Texas Wesleyan Rams, 52-10 at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium on Hall of Fame & Champions Weekend.

The Javelinas would waste no time after a defensive stand in front of 7,348 fans in attendance on a beautiful night in Kingsville by scoring at the 11:57 mark in the first quarter with a touchdown scamper from senior running back Nick Pelrean to put the Blue and Gold up 7-0 early. The tortillas would begin to fly throughout the air to recognize the first home score of the season. On the following possession of the game, the Rams of Texas Wesleyan would respond with a touchdown of their own as quarterback Avery Childs threw a 28-yard pass to Le’Mant Monroe to even the score at 7. After the score by the opposing team, the Javelinas offense and defense would not look back. The Javelinas offense would get the ball back after the ensuing kickoff and scored in the first 12 seconds of the drive as senior running back from Temple, Texas Jeff Carr ran right up the middle seeing green grass in front of him making his way into the endzone to put the home team back ahead.

The defense would put pressure on the Rams’ offense the entire game making a way for the offense to put the visitor from Fort Worth, Texas. in an even deeper hole. The Javelinas scored on three straight possessions that would include two impressive touchdowns from senior Luis Lopez as well as a

22-yard touchdown pass to Aaron Dilworth from quarterback, Koy Detmer Jr. The Javelinas took a 38-7 lead into the half after 30 minutes on their home field.

Following the break, the Javelinas’ defense would pick up right where they left off as Dynamite Fa’agata would pick off Childs while taking it back 45 yards into the end zone to increase the lead to 45-7. Then, a few minutes later, Pelrean scored on a 65-yard touchdown run to break the game wide open for the last end zone score of the game for both teams. The Javelina running backs that consists of Lopez, Carr, Pelrean and Josh Oglesby played a major role in the victory Saturday. The backfield for the Blue and Gold as a whole would run for a total of 345 yards on 46 attempts while averaging 13.3 yards a carry.

“We still have a lot of things to get better at, and we can’t get complacent,” Carr said.

The defense included stellar nights from Caleb Valentine, Brandon Jones, Devonte Williams and Tre’Michael Tutt, who held the Rams to a total of 67 yards. Due to the intensity all night, the Rams would be held to only three first downs for the entire game while going 0-14 on third down conversions.

At the post game press conference in McCulley Hall, head coach Daren Wilkinson had much to say following the home opening victory.

“It is always great to get a win,” he said. “It doesn’t matter who we are playing whether it is the number one team in the country or any other opponent. There is a lot of things we can build on. Our defense played well.

Those are the type of wins a coach likes. But there are some things we

Photo by javelinaathletics.com The Javelinas running out to the field. need to get better at as we get into conference play.”

The Javelinas will travel to San Angelo, Texas, next Saturday to take on the Rams of Angelo State at LeGrand Stadium at 1st Community Credit

Union Field. The conference battle begins at 6 p.m. The following week, the Blue and Gold will return to Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium to take on Eastern New Mexico on Hispanic Heritage Weekend.

Volleyball dominates on home court

First conference opener for Javelinas ASHLEY GONZALEZ

Sports Reporter

Photo by javelinaathletics.com Murff and Kastel battling for the Javelinas

The Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Volleyball team seized its first Lone Star Conference (LSC) win of the season against the Western New Mexico Mustangs, 3-2. The game was at the Steinke Physical Education Center (SPEC) on Friday.

Game trailblazers were Melanie Casteel, Madison Brabham, Sarah Miller and Haley Hutchinson – all raking up a total of 48 kills, 18 blocks and a pair of aces.

“Our crowd today was pretty good, so that excitement carried onto the court. It was really nice,” Brabham, a senior on the volleyball team, said.

Brabham led the team in the LSC with 336 kills in 2017. The senior knows the expectations to be fulfilled.

“Lots of wins - [chuckles] that’s what you should expect! You can’t go into a game not expecting it,” Brabham said.

Though the Javelinas came out with the win against the Mustangs,

there were still 22 errors and space for improvements to be made in the future.

“Keep our energy up on the court, constantly. We struggle with that sometimes during games…we need to stay up the entire game,” Brabham said.

Brabham is not the only one with a winning mindset for the 2018 volleyball team. Graduate Assistant Kyra Henderson holds the same mindset after witnessing the development of the new squad.

“The team has been able to build on the chemistry and are working on it every single day,” Henderson said.

“I was expecting the outcome of tonight’s game. [A lot] is to come of this season and it is going to be very exciting,” Henderson said.

The Javelinas fought until the end and took the Mustangs to the fifth set with a 25-11, 25-14, 23-25, 20-25, 1715 battle. It boiled down to heart and hustle as the Javelinas sent the Mustangs home with a loss.

Head coach Tanya Allen and her team won’t get much rest, as they’ll return to the SPEC today at 2 p.m. to host UT Permian Basin.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

thesouthtexan.com

Page 7 - Sports

Historical Javelina Hall of Famers Event honors former, current athletes

PLASERAE JOHNSON Sports Editor Friday evening was a night of pure honor for the Texas A&M University-Kingsville Athletics Department.

Several athletes, coaches, and their families put their best suits and dresses on to highlight their achievements.

“The Javelina Hall of Fame started in 1972 and it was one of the first in the college division. We have more than 150 individuals inducted into the Hall of Fame. Some of the greatest of athletes and coaches in the history of football,” said Fred Neusch, coordinator for External Relations.

Four athletes were honored for having 3.7 and 4.0-grade point averages.

Brittney Rodriguez and Kristina Gutierrez, golf players, were nominated by the Women’s Golf Collegiate Association for their GPA’s.

Casey Klobedans from the Javelina Volleyball is another athlete with a

grade point average above 3.65.

Preston Plovanich on the Javelina Baseball team was mentioned as well for his exceptional GPA. Rachel Somoye and Charles Greaves were announced the Steinke Award winners for demonstrating athletic excellence throughout their seasons.

Another special episode of the night was the addition of two people to the historical Javelina Hall of Fame.

Andy Bower was present. He is known for his time with the Buffalo Bills and dedication to the Javelina football team in the late ‘60s and early ‘70s was inducted.

Kenisha Milo was present and was also inducted for her outrageous skills on the volleyball court. Milo still holds records today in several areas of Javelina volleyball.

Tables were reserved prior to the event for the national and regional championship teams – Beach Volleyball, Men’s Track and Field and Baseball.

These teams were called up one-byone for their championship rings and certificates.

Mark Inserra, assistant sports information director, then shared a few words with the audience.

“In just 2017-18 season alone, the school graduated 94 athletes, we had 23 All-Americans, collected two national championships and one regional title. The Baseball team made its first-ever appearance in a College World Series,” Inserra said.

The athletes were happy to be recognized. “[Events like this] are nice opportunities for all the athletes to get together and meet each other and talk. For example, when we have banquets at nationals, I have friends from different

Photo By Plaserae Johnson Todd Nicholas, Marckenley Belony and Robert Downs. schools, so we can actually talk and see each other at [events like this].

I always enjoy them,” said Vitaly Zhugn, a champion of the Javelina

Men’s Track team.

Afterward, everyone gathered for pictures and dinner to conclude the historical evening.

Photo by Plaserae Johnson

The Hall of Fame booklet handed out at the event

Page 8 - Sports

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, September 13, 2018

Roach welcomed by staff Athletic Department hosts Press conference for new Athletic Director PLASERAE JOHNSON Sports Editor Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s new Athletic Director flew in from Pennsylvania and stood in front of a welcoming crowd of alumni, coaches and sponsors at a press conference last Wednesday.

All the coaches were present and media outlets took pictures and videos of the AD. Steve Roach shared his rapid-paced experience.

“It’s been nerve-wracking. I’ve been to Texas three times in the last week and it’s been a whirlwind of a process,” Roach said.

The coaches and President Steven Tallant were excited to welcome him to the podium for his speech.

Tallant said his experience is precisely relevant and fitting for the duties of being an AD at TAMUK.

“He’s done an incredibly good job there. That university mirrors who we are. They have [a similar] size. They have 400 athletes and 40 staff members,” Tallant said of Roach’s most recent position at Indiana University of Pennsylvania.

At the conference, Roach shared his take on the community and position.

“The people of South Texas are just different. My email has just been [filled] with people welcoming me, asking what can we do to help?” Roach said.

A question might arise about his transferring so quickly, but he said the opportunity at TAMUK just presented itself and it was one he couldn’t turn down.

“I wasn’t actively looking, but the opportunity presented itself. I wouldn’t have left IUP for what I’d consider a rebuild. That’s why this is exciting to me because this isn’t a rebuild,” Roach said.

The coaches had an opportunity to meet Roach and they shared the ins and outs of the program.

“I had a good session with the coaches and what I appreciated about that process is that I got all the good, but I also heard all the challenges,” Roach said.

When Roach arrives Oct. 1, he will go into his duties immediately as Javelina basketball picks up and volleyball, football and cross country are underway.

Photo by Plaserae Johnson

Steve Roach giving a speech at the press conference.

Historical UFC fight approaching Conor McGregor vs Khabib Nurmagomedov UFC 229 Oct. 6 AARON MONREAL

Sports Commentary One of the most important fights in UFC History is to come. Two rivals in the lightweight section will be featured as the main event Oct. 6. Conor McGregor against Khabib Nurmagomedov, the 229th match of the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC), will be in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Arena.

This is the fight everyone has been waiting for – Conor “The Notorious” McGregor record of (21-3-0) vs Khabib “The Eagle” Nurmagomedov (26-0-0).

The rivalry between McGregor and Khabib makes it an interesting battle.

Who will win this fight?

Khabib will be defending his lightweight belt for the first time since UFC Match 223.

My prediction is Conor McGregor.

There are several reasons why I think McGregor will win this fight. McGregor is the superior striker. Khabib may have fought strikers before but has not met a talent like McGregor.

He has knocked out Eddie Alvarez, Chad Mendes and Jose Aldo in a record breaking 13 seconds! He maintains control. He’s controlled the fight for 6 rounds with Floyd Mayweather.

McGregor has a unique fighting style

of wrestling. The fatal flaw with these fighters that fight McGregor is they’ve tried to stand toe-to-toe with him, and he picked them all apart.

Even though Khabib basically dominated the fight against Al Iaquinta, Iaquinta exposed Khabib’s stand up game. Iaquinta is an average striker at best and had Khabib shaken up at times throughout the fight.

McGregor has the formula to defeat Khabib with this weakness. McGregor’s ground game is exceptional, and he’s been training with world-class wrestlers. The final reason I think he will be victorious is McGregor’s psychological game. McGregor has been able to get into fighters’ minds and make them fight with emotion instead of tactically.

Despite my philosophy of McGregor, I understand why people say McGregor will lose for how great of a wrestler Khabib is. He’s not easily broken with mind games. The only flaw I see with McGregor is his stamina.

His stamina has failed him in fights against Nate Diaz and Floyd Mayweather. People have doubted McGregor’s ability against quite a bit of fighters, but he’s always shocked the world.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

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Page 9 - Features

TAMUK Theatre reveals upcoming plays ADRIANA PALOMO Reporter TDP

The Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Theater program has named three stage plays for the first half of its 2018-19 theater season.

All three plays will be performed by students at TAMUK. “It takes about one month to produce a show,” biology major Etta Enow said.

“I am really excited for this year’s season. We have a lot of amazing shows lined up, starting with our first show, The Aliens directed by senior TAMUK student Laurie Guajardo.”

Guajardo has acted in several plays, but explains she has no preference when given the choice between acting and directing. She is proud of all her theatrical endeavors and loves being off or on stage. However, she explains that directing has its own unique quirks.

“It’s wonderful because you are given complete control to execute your particular vision of the show and it gives you such an amazing outlet to express your own original sense of theatrical creativity and utilize everything you’ve learned from acting and working with amazing directors over the years,” Guajardo said.

The Aliens takes place in a small town in Vermont. Two men in their thirties, Jasper a man who has yet to finish high school but is writing a novel, and KJ, who is a college dropout, meet in an alley behind a coffee shop.

They discuss their lives and talk about their band, The Aliens. When Evan, a high school student who works at the coffee shop arrives, the men “decide to teach him everything they know.”

The play will be performed at 7:30 p.m on Sept. 28-29 and at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 30 at the Little Theatre.

June Bug will make its debuet at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 2-3 and at 2:30 p.m. on Nov. at the Litt Theatre Little Theatre. Written and directed by Director

of Theater Activities Corey Ranson, Dylan Mendoza says, “this is one show to look out for.”

“It explores the lives of the homeless in a personal way. It is the perspectives of these individuals and how they live that has me intrigued. And I can’t wait to see how it all turns out,” Mendoza said.

We see them every day. We drive past them. We walk past them. We avoid looking at them. We throw money and turn away. They spend their days without a home. They focus on the next fix.

Some are here because they have to be.

Their basic day-to-day needs and activities are just a simple things we take for granted.

Their tomorrow is not for sure. They know that. They laugh. They fight.

They help each other. They are the June Bugs.

The cast and crew plans to perform June Bugs on Nov. 7-10 at the Kennedy Center American College State Festival at Penola College. The time is still to be determined.

Also included in the lineup is the Annual Children’s show, Goldilocks, to be directed by the theater honor society, Alpha Psi Omega.

In this new take on Goldilocks, she’s back, but she is still breaking the law.

Goldilocks, after all the different versions of the three bears over the years, still can’t find her own place. And we still don’t know why the three bears don’t lock the door, but here we go again.

Goldilocks will be performed at 2:30 p.m. on Feb. 11 at Jones Auditorium public audiences. The play will be performed for local and regional and elementary schools at 9 a.m, 10:30 a.m., and 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 12 and at 9:30 a.m. and 10:30 a.m on Feb. 13 If students are interested in auditioning for the shows, they can talk to any member of Alpha Psi Omega, or keep a lookout for their audition fliers.

“This season, since we are so busy and active, there is a lot of opportuni-

ty to get a role in a show,” Enow said.

“Overall, I think the students will be drawn to these shows because there’s at least one show that will catch the [students] attention.”

All shows are free to students and faculty with their TAMUK ID, and for members of the Kingsville community, it will cost $5.

Guajardo explains that it takes countless hours of work to put each play together. However, she thinks all

world evil, born to make the world consumed uncontrollably by their sins?

The book takes us on the journey of kind and tenderhearted Anna Whitt, who’s never done a bad thing in her life.

Anna was born with a sixth sense to see and feel emotions of other people.

She’s also quite aware of a dark struggle within herself, an inexplicable pull towards evil but Anna, has always had the advantage of her angel side to balance the darkness within.

It isn’t until she turns 16 and meets the bad, beautiful Kaidan Rowe that she discovers her terrifying heritage.

She and Kaidan are nephilim, the offspring of demons. Their sole purpose in life is to cause chaos and encourage everyone to do the bad things their conscience tells them not to do.

Anna’s willpower is truly put to the test especially with Kaidan around tempting her to shed her innocence and succumb to the darkness within. Kaidan is the boy you regret falling in love with, too bad no one warned Anna.

Sweet Evil is the first book in a three-part series, but the story lures you in until you are consumed by the complex lives of both Anna and Kaidan. Higgins does an amazing job of structuring the story without many hiccups. She

explains Anna and Kaidan’s course without rushing or prolonging chapters or events, and she also gives the characters believable dialogue.

These traits keep the reader engaged and not bored with the outer parts of the story, and also make the reader buy the next book because ultimately you don’t want their story to end. Now some teenage readers believed the book would be too obvious and predictable because of course a good girl always falls for a bad boy, but in the world of literal good and evil, Anna and Kaidan’s future is anything but foreseeable.

It’s every author’s dream to have their novel become a major motion picture or television series. Critics from the Silver Petticoat Review, a website that covers romance-themed content targeted at women, adamantly believes that Sweet Evil should forever be captured on a screen because of its print success.

“Sweet Evil was just meant to be a CW Television series akin to The Vampire Diaries. There’s a unique mythology full of mystery, interesting characters, and a romance to keep viewers coming back for more. The story has such a depth of background that it could easily last a few seasons,” Autumn Topping, a critic wrote.

Sweet Evil was published in 2012

by Harper Collins but because of the abundance of young adult romance

Graphic by Darcy Ramirez

the sweat and tears put into each play are worth it in the end when she hears the applause of the onlooking crowd.

This fall semester of shows is predicted to have a great turnout. The TAMUK Theatre program is excited to reveal all their hard work and preparation for these upcoming shows.

They hope the students, faculty and community comes out to witness these great shows.

Book Review: Sweet Evil Darcy Ramirez Editor-in-Chief

Wendy Higgins’ book, Sweet Evil, restored the true identification of a young adult romance novel. For years, authors have been producing an excessive amount of books in this particular genre, and many fall short.

Stephanie Meyer made vampires big, Cassandra Clare revolutionized demon hunters, and Lauren Kate put fallen angels on the literary map, but Higgins went a very different route.

What if the main character wasn’t born to protect the world, wasn’t a vampire who kills animal instead of hurting others; what if she was born to make the

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“We have to face difficulties to find out what our true strengths are.

How we come back from failure is a very valuable test.”

-Wendy Higgins, Sweet Evil

Photo courtesy of goodreads.com

books Sweet Evil hid in the background.

Four years ago, the last book in the series, Sweet Reckoning was released.

Since then the book sales have skyrocketed especially after Harper Collins converted the book into an e-book for kindle and nook readers.

This book belongs on the successful shelf next to Twilight, Fallen, The Mortal Instruments, and The Hunger Games.

After finishing these books, I find myself asking, “what do I do now?” so I start again with a new series hoping it’s as good as Sweet Evil.

Page 10 - Entertainment

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Netflix Review: Insatiable

Thursday, September 13, 2018

‘Avoid at all cost’ this Netflix original comedy/drama

Photo courtesy of Netflix.com

JOSUE VILLARREAL Reporter The world exploded with rage when the trailer for the latest Netflix original series Insatiable dropped July 19.

Critics and audiences lambasted the trailer. Claims the show is fatphobic quickly surfaced.

According to reviews, the show put forth the idea that when someone is fat they are intensely bullied and miserable, but as soon as they are skinny all their problems are resolved. This is not the case with this show.

The controversy grew to include a petition on change.org calling for the show’s cancellation. As of publication, it has more than 235,000 signatures.

In response, the show’s creator and head writer Lauren Gussis defended herself in a Vanity Fair article Insatiable Creator Lauren Gussis Wants You to Give Her Controversial Show a Chance.

“The story is not ‘somebody gets thin, becomes happy, and gets everything she wants.’ It’s actually quite the opposite, but the story has to start somewhere,” Gussis said.

The show itself was released Aug. 10 and Gussis was right in that it was not about what people thought it would be about.

What Insatiable ended up being was an unwatchable mess that is consider-

ably worse than anything that could’ve been predicted from watching a trailer.

The trailer and Gussis indicates that the show will be about Patty Bladell, played by Debbie Ryan, an overweight high school girl who becomes skinny after an altercation leaves her with a broken jaw and her resulting misadventures.

While she is a primary character, the real star is lawyer and aspiring pageant coach Bob Armstrong, played by Dallas Roberts.

I’m not sure if it is a marketing strategy or if Gussis just doesn’t understand what makes someone a focal point of the show, but whatever it may be the show is not structurally about Patty Bladell.

There is nothing necessarily wrong with that, what is wrong is how intensely unfunny the show is.

Insatiable is marketed as a “dark comedy.” The show is chock full of debauchery, murder, and a major part of the series involves Armstrong being falsely accused of child molestation by one of the antagonists that, ironically, is a statutory rapist.

There is a place for offensive humor, take hit FOX series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia,” a show that gained popularity on being offensive. However, the show is framed in such a way that ensures that the main characters are horrible people that aren’t normal in the world.

The camera work, the consistent writing, the exaggerated acting of the main cast, the way secondary characters react to them – “Philadelphia” does a lot to frame the antics of the main cast as different than the norm and comical.

Insatiable does nothing of the sort.

There is no world building to speak of and there is barely any characterization. Each character is a one-note joke that spends a majority of the time spitting out one-liners and offensive jokes rather than building any personalities to justify them.

Without the characters having strong personalities outside of cliché tropes, the humor consistently falls flat and rarely goes beyond a chuckle. Oftentimes the humor is offensive for the sake of being offensive that will at best have you rolling your eyes.

The drama is even worse. The pacing is horrible and that’s a result of the poor writing and choppy editing.

The shows idea of plot is establishing a plot point, ignoring it for multiple episodes, and then resolving it out of nowhere while continuing to introduce new plot points.

It makes the show appear sloppy and confusing, you’re never clear on what’s going on or ever really sure that you’re properly following because at any given moment a new plot can get introduced or dropped out of nowhere with no build up whatsoever.

It’s hard to get invested in the story when the show doesn’t really build or allude to any of its major twists. The show feels like it’s throwing stuff at the wall rather than telling a planned story. Most inept of all is the set design, which is at best boring and at worst nonsensically cheap and incompetent.

One could argue that it was intentional for the sake of poking fun at beauty pageants, but the show doesn’t dedicate to it enough for it to be an excuse.

Maybe if scenes had cardboard cutouts for backgrounds, if the acting was hokier, or even if the show’s tone was sillier, I would believe that but oftentimes shots will take place in regular convenience stores or backstage in a building. The halfway decent sets that do exist betray the existence of the aw-

SCORE RATINGS

11%

of 100%

6.8% of 10

ful ones.

The show’s disturbing lack of establishing shots means that you’re never sure where anyone is in the space.

Oftentimes, characters are sitting in rooms or areas where there has been no given context about where they are except for maybe one character ham-fistedly mentioning it, the worst example being a lazily inserted cheap looking sign that claims that a house was in a general direction to the left.

Towards the end, a few plot points shape and one character in particular, the best friend Nonnie, gets some tender moments that are genuinely emotional.

However, it’s not enough to save a mess of a show that refuses to establish a tone or any sort of basic idea.

The show takes itself way too seriously at times for it to be just campy fun. The sheer heavy handedness of some scenes prevent me from believing that the intention wasn’t drama.

Not to mention the creator’s insistence that this is supposed to be a reflection of what she has gone through.

The inverse is also true that the show will often undermine its more dramatic themes with silly, immature jokes.

It’s hard to take a scene about regret for one’s past when it takes place in a restaurant called “Weiner Taco.”

Gussis told The Chicago Tribune via phone interview, “From the beginning I had always said that if I touched one person, like if I made one person feel less alone, I had done my job, and it’s been like dozens and dozens of people have reached out to me saying that I did that.”

While I can’t speak for anyone that was emotionally touched by the show and how one personally feels, I can safely say that Insatiable has genuinely nothing to offer. It’s too serious to be campy, too poorly made to be appreciated as a craft, too inept to be boundary pushing, and too offensive to just be fodder. Avoid at all cost.

Thursday, September 13, 2018

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Lozano Announces Higher Education Hearing in Kingsville MEDIA ADVISORY State Representative J.M. Lozano, Chairman of the House Committee on Higher Education, announced that the committee will hold a hearing at Texas A&M University-Kingsville on Wednesday, Sept 19.

Lozano, who is serving his fourth term in the Texas House, is a strong proponent of Texas’ colleges, universities, and trade schools and has used his chairmanship to provide more funding and opportunities to South Texas schools.

“I am honored to have this Chairmanship, which was also held by the late Irma Rangel.

“We in South Texas have an opportunity to show leaders from around the state the accomplishments of TAMUK and the pride we have in our local community. I welcome my colleagues from around the state to Kingsville for this hearing,” remarked Lozano.

This hearing will focus on issues

Photo Courtesy of http://www.sanpatgop.com

affecting schools around the state. The topics for this hearing will be on (1) dual credit enrollment, (2) the effects of hurricane Harvey and (3) revisions to Title IX rules. Lozano has invited witnesses from around the state to come to testify in Kingsville.

The hearing will begin at 9:30a.m. in the Memorial Student Union Building, room 221 in Kingsville, Texas

Hispanic Heritage continued from Page 1 want to focus that it is for Hispanic heritage,” Izquierdo said.

Some of the events have become a tradition at the university. For more than 10 years, students and teachers at TAMUK have gathered at the pavilion to read, write and sing music in celebration of Día de la Raza. Darlene Arriaga, lecturer in Spanish, remembers reading a page from the book Don Quixote in Spanish. Arriaga explains that Día de la Raza is held every year as a way for students and teachers to express themselves artistically and linguistically.

“It’s about inviting students to participate and read in Spanish be-

Photo Courtesy of sec.gov

cause it’s Hispanic pride. Pride in your language. To feel proud about it and be able to express themselves in their own language,” Arriaga said.

The Hispanic Heritage Committee is not the only one that is hosting events. Marco Iñiguez Alba, director of Sigma Dela Pi and TAMUK Spanish professor, plans to host a number of events for the following three months.

On Oct. 3, Alba will host a Literary Calaverita workshop, at which students will learn how to create comedic poems. On Sept. 21, Ricardo Backal, Mexican-Jewish activist, will come to the TAMUK South Texas Archive to speak about the books donated by his family. The event will highlight a “hidden history” about South Texas, explains Alba.

“We will talk about the themes of Jews in the Americas and the books they left behind…That’s the project.

We will show the public the digitalized books and invite researchers to study them,” Alba said.

For more information about the events, contact the office of Student Activities at (361) 593-2760.

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