The South Texan Vol.95 Issue 19

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Monday, April 12, 2021

@thesouthtexan

Alumnus returns to university

experience for all students from the time they apply

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until they graduate.

“I can tell you without a shadow of doubt, if it

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After having walked the halls of Javelina Nation as a student, alumnus Dr. Rito Silva returns to Texas

and the who took est in me,

mentors an inter I would

to be in this posit ion,” Silva said.

S i l v a graduated from Texas A&I as a ation stu dent with a

Vol. 95, Issue 19

College I in 1990.

Serving as an advisor va, and he felt a great sat isfaction knowing he was

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in Guidance and Counsel ing at Texas A&M Univer

hats in the education sys tem ranging from Direc tor of the Alice Center for Coastal Bend College to Dean of Students at Lone Star College in Cyfair.

He currently serves as the Vice President of Stu

Interacting with stu dents and being able to guide them through their

College in Corpus Christi.

Silva is now eager to begin working at his alma

cially those who shared a similar background. His

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ville to serve as the Vice President of Enrollment Services and Student Af fairs.

Silva will be responsible for promoting a “positive”

lege. Now, I get to come back and pay it forward.

This is an incredible op portunity for me; me and family are thrilled. We are very honored and blessed

degree in ")'&223,)%!4! accounting.

5%6#,)%!789$'1 After grad uation, Silva was able to na Nation as an advisor for

college journey served as a motivation that would lead to up to three decades in education.

mater, and administration is happy to have him join the team.

“I am excited to an nounce that Dr. Rito Silva become the Vice President for Enrollment Services

brings more than 30 years of experience working with all aspects of stu dent services and student his familiarity with our !""#!"#$%&'()'*

The South Texan earns 16 awards ./(()&.,#(% |!:,;1!"#$%&' 0$2,&$'#()*+("$,)-("($./0&!)1

In Manning Hall, Room 165 student journalists jumped with excitement as their name popped up during the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA) awards presentation on March 24.

The South Texan earned a total of 16 awards and received categories. During the past three years, The South Texan ceived 53 TIPA awards.

“I feel very happy and humbled that my story place,” Ricardo Martinez senior interdisciplinary studies major said of his honored to represent Texas A&M Universi Garza family. I decid ed to write about the Garza family because it was such an in teresting story to me. Dr. Araceli Garza is my aca demic ad

Online Beat

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Submitted Photo

Dr. Sandra Rideout-Hanzak launches new podcast to create awareness about natural resources, species and nature.

Rideout-Hanzak The South Texan staff in the office waiting to hear TIPA results on March 24.

visor, and some way or another she mentioned to me she had adopted four children at the same time, the number four is what really stood out to me. My inspiration was to get their story out there and inspire others who are considering adoption.” place

ing and all over again depth News Report Audio by Ronni Reyna and Viola Valdez and General News Multime dia by Aryssa Enriquez and Gabriella Mastroi anni.

“I felt completely hon ored,” Entertainment Editor for The South Texan Gabriella Mastroianni said. “I honestly did not expect to win anything considering this was

really rewarding.”

Mastroianni also placed second in the Multimedia Slideshow category and in the !""#+,%-./&'()'*

in TIPA, but seeing my name in the ceremony slideshow as many times as I did made my heart jump. All the hard work and staying up from night to morn

launch in June !"#$$%&'(")*+,- |!"#$%&'($)(*+$,-

recognized ./(()&.,#(% |!:,;1!"#$%&' 0$2,&$'#()*+("$,)-("($./0&!)1

TBTN Established in March 1976, Take Back the Night (TBTN) is a

Each year the College recognizes faculty and achievements in service, leadership, teaching, ex cellence and scholarly and creative production.

“The college consistent ly seeks avenues to recog nize the positive impact our students, college and university. The annual awards allows an oppor tunity to do just that,”

Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Dolores Guerrero said.

Nominations for the awards open each January for each award category.

“We are able to recog nize and celebrate those individuals who exem plify outstanding perfor mance in teaching, ser vice, scholarly & creative production, leadership and, or a strong commit ment to the mission and vision of the college and university,” Guerrero said.

After nominations are received a college com mittee evaluates and ranks each submission with the Dean making the final award decisions “[I was] very pleasantly surprised I think it feels like validation. I think

to taking the mic, Dr. zak alongside Dr. Jane Anderson and grad stu dent Rebecca Zerlin will launch A Talk on the Wild Side podcast in early June.

A Talk on the Wild Side is the result of a $100,000 grant given by the Har vey Weil Sportsman Conservationist Award Anderson. The goal of the podcast is to enter tain and educate the public about nature. what the grant was look

recognition is something, but more of knowing that somebody recognized that this is a tough year

academic skills.”

“I would have done all of this with or without any kind of reward,” Jones

all working really hard somebody noticed this nice for someone to no tice that,” William J. Hall Award recipient Director of Bands Dr. Scott Jones said Guerrero explained the William J. Hall Faculty Award was “established for the recognition of lib eral arts faculty members who demonstrate high academic standards and teaching skills, while pro with instruction and guidance to promote, fos

ing for, I thought ‘Oh man, they need a podcast

a grant and think it will get funded… I kept the

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A&S announces annual awards

On Monday, April 5, the College of Arts and Scienc es announced its annual

aimed to end sexual, re lationship and domestic violence of all kinds.

Staff Photo

A Talk on the Wild Side to

not at all something that motivates me to do some

making these kinds of big calls and doing this extra might kind of make me in making those kinds of decisions on the future.”

Jones played a large role in orchestrating the bands transition in the wake of !""#+3!'+,%-./&''()'*

most looking forward to learning more about na ture, and informing the zak, professor of resto

A Talk on the Wild Side will be broadcast on all major podcast platforms such as Spotify and Ap ple podcast. The show will feature experts and enthusiasts of range and wildlife who will discuss issues in wildlife and natural resources man agement.

“Nature belongs to everyone. My goal in be ing part of this podcast !""#(0.1%/2&''()'*

Campus

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April 12, 2020

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SWBS/MAS to host Mexican American Showcase April 24 Collaborating with TAMUCC and Del Mar College !"#$%&"'()*)%'| !"#$%&'()*+,!"#$%&./)*+,-0+1/&,%+1+/2"3./)%'

The Southwest Borderlands and Mexican American Studies Program is hosting a Mexican American Showcase on Saturday, April 24.

TAMUK is participating in this event in partnership with A&M-Corpus Christi and Del Mar College.

“These three institutions each have a Mexican American Studies program aimed at highlighting issues that impact people who live in the Borderlands. Borderlands, meaning more than just a geographic zone, but more about living at the borderlands of identity. Since we all share this common goal, we decided it would be a great opportunity to one big event where our students can learn from each other, network, and engage with issues that they hold dear to their !"#$%!"#$%&'()''*

campus and South Texas will allow him to hit the ground running and bring new ideas which will enhance the overall student experience on our campus,” University President Dr. Mark A. Hussey said.

Silva is anxious to begin working in his new position. Although is not until June 1, he plans to visit campus many times before then to interact with stu“On day one I want to begin establishing or enhancing relationships with school districts, community colleges and the general community. I also want to focus on the needs of the em!"#$%+0!'+,%-./&''()''*

Associate Professor Fulden Wissinger received the Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service.

“It motivates me, it’s good to get appreciation so long and it’s great that some people really realized what I do and how it impacts our department in a positive way, getting recognition is a great feeling and it motivates me,” she said.

Wissinger also serves as the department’s recruitment chair.

“I think that from the beginning I always worked hard...I worked the same way when I was an adjunct lecture, assistant professor, before I got tenure, after I got my tenure, I don’t think it ever changed,” Wissinger said.

The Dean’s awards were developed to high-

hearts,” Dr. Christine Reiser-Robbins, co-coordinator of the SWBS/ MAS Program, said.

Students from all campuses participating can virtually submit original artwork, academic papers, poetry, artifacts, etc. Once students have submitted their work they will be contacted and given the link to the Zoom meeting where they will present their work. The deadline for all submissions is April 15.

“Students will have an opportunity to share their work during a 5-to10 minute presentation via Zoom.

“The event is scheduled for Saturday, April 24 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.,” Dr. Liliana Rodriguez, co-coordinator of the SWBS/MAS Program, said.

Event coordinators are looking forward to seeing what students are going to submit for the presentation.

“The most exciting thing for us is to see the work of our students shine. This is an excellent opportunity for students to show their work to

others with similar interests. Perhaps someone did a class research project and stored it away and no one except the instructor saw it. Now is their time to showcase their work, teach others what they’ve learned and created, and get feedback from those in attendance.

“Who knows? Their work can lead to bigger and greater things,” Reiser-Robbins said.

Students are encouraged to submit any work that they would love to share no matter how big or small it may be.

This event is also something students can add to their resumes.

“I’ve been to many wildlife photography showcases in Corpus because I like photos. I dents submitting their work to showcases is that they get more exposure and have the opportunity to be invited to more of them and students can gain real-world experience and make connections,” student Autumn Coronado said. Students can submit their work to SWBS_MAS@tamuk.edu.

ployees of the division as well.

“I always tell employees wherever I am, ‘you are our most precious resources,’ and we need to take care of our employees to take care of our students… I’m anxious to get in there and meet the team,” Silva said.

Silva said he has several areas on which he wants to focus – the university’s culture, improving student services and enrollment all while enhancing the college experience for students.

“Dr. Silva is an excellent choice for the position. His love of TAMUK as well as his extensive experience in Enrollment Management and Student Af-

fairs make him an excellent candidate. I was also impressed with his management philosophy and analytical mindset. I look forward to working with him,” Dr. Tom Spencer, Dean of Honors College, said.

Javelina Nation excitedly welcomes Dr. Silva back home.

“Dr. Silva best exemtics of what it means to be a Javelina…As a student leader, I look forward to what Dr. Silva will be bringing for our current and future students. His previous experience as a Javelina will bring welcomed wisdom that will great-

light and showcase excellence within the department, Guerrero said.

Recipients of the award included: Dean’s Award for Outstanding Leadership - Dr. Elda Sanchez, Associate Professor and Director, National Natural Toxins Research Center Dean’s Award for Outstanding Teaching - Ms. Nicole Morris, Lecturer, Department of Art, Communication and Theatre William J. Hall Faculty Award - Dr. Scott Jones, Associate Professor, School of Music Olan Kruse Science Faculty Award - Dr. Maria Velez-Hernandez, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological & Health Sciences Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarly & Creative Production - Dr. Nick Sciullo, Assistant Professor, Department of Art, Communication &

Theatre Dean’s Award for Outstanding Scholarly & Creative Production - Dr. Fang He, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological & Health Sciences Dean’s Award for Outstanding Service - Mrs. Fulden Wissinger, Associate Professor, Department of Art, Communication & Theatre lence Award - Kathy Pawelek, College of Arts & Sciences “Each year, I look forward to reviewing the nominees and their application materials.

Reading the words of praise, support, thanks and encouragement from each nominee’s colleagues and students reminds me of how lucky we are to have faculty sen TAMUK and Arts & Sciences. Our faculing things – whether it is in the classroom, on the performance stage, in the research lab or

community,” President of SGA, Lidia Morales Anderson said.

and awardees alike exemplify our university core values and strive to make Javelina Nation the best it can be,” she said.

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes participants at the starting line.

Susan Cortez

Walk a Mile in Her Shoes Students march against violence and sexual assault +",-$)##"'."%&-/$"00$| (3+/-+"*3#/3+''()*+,(3+/-+"*3#/3+./)*+,-0+1/&,%+1+/2"3./)%'

On Tuesday, April 7, Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s Student Health and Wellness Center held the annual Walk A Mile in Her Shoes event at 12 p.m.

This event was to bring awareness against gender violence, violence against women and sexual assault.

“This event makes people aware of trauma that happens not only in our campus but across campus, across the country,” student counselor Raegan Dershem said.

Male students, most from Greek organizations, wore high heels !"#$%(1.2%/3&'()''*

team is to create a show that is interesting for folks who are already nature-lovers and also inspire folks who are new to the outdoors to explore the beautiful natural resources we have here in Texas,” Anderson, assistant professor-research, said.

Alongside with developing the podcast, the creative trio plan videocasts annually.

The primary site to tune into A Talk on the Wild Side is going to be the Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute website https://www.ckwri. !"#$%+,%-./&'()''*

Audio with Aryssa Enriquez.

“I worked hard and I’ll honestly admit I’m proud of myself. Receiving second place in all the divisions in the state of Texas helped reassure me that I’m doing something right, that my choice of being a journalist wasn’t all for not,” she said.

The published winners included: First-Place In-depth News Report Audio Ronni Reyna and Viola Valdez and Second Place - Aryssa Enriquez and Gabriella Mastroianni First Place General News Multimedia - Aryssa Enriquez and Gabriella Mastroianni and Third Place - Ronnie Reyna and Viola Valdez First place Multimedia Feature Story - Ricardo Martinez and Honorable Mention

and walked down University Boulevard, marched into the Memorial Student Union Building and into the pavilion.

“I’m doing this event to keep the message going because I think that it is very important to not only educate us, but to educate everybody,” Alpha Sigma Phi member Alejandro Garza said. “It doesn’t matter what gender you are, just keep the message going, it is one of the biggest issues that we are still facing today.”

The heels were donated from students, the Purple Door Organization and the rest were bought.

Each participant chose from the selection of “Just like in the name says ‘Walking A Mile in Her Shoes’ knowing that women go through a lot, and for men to be able tamuk.edu/ Although switching gears between research to broadcasting may be challenging, Anderson and Zerlin are ready to mic up and start the conversation.

“I’m most excited about the creative aspect of it. My favorite part of any project is the planning and putting everything together. We have a good team full of creative people, so I’m really looking forward to collaborating with everyone and putting all our ideas together,” Zerlin said. an opportunity to edJakki Barrera. Second Place Website - The Second Place Multimedia Slideshow - Gabriella Mastroianni Second Place Multimedia Sports Story Jakki Barrera Second Place Sports Game Story - Aryssa Enriquez and Honorable Mention - Dylan Dozier Third Place Overall Newspaper Design - The South Texan Third Place General News Story - Aryssa Enriquez Third Place General News Photo - Amanda DeFrees Honorable Mention Cover Design - Dylan Dozier During the TIPA Conference, The South Texan ty to attend online sessions with guest speakers who had tips in the industry and words of advice.

“Often times, TAMUK gets overlooked

to put themselves in our position for a little bit,” student counselor Synthia Garza said. “It’ goes deeper than putting the shoes on.

About 15 to 20 students, male and female, attended this event holding signs with statements such as “Men Against Rape,” and “I am man enough to walk a mile in her shoes.”

“It’s important because this is an opportunity to educate a student of other issues that are surrounding their community, their nation as a whole,” Director of Student Health and Wellness Jo Elda Castillo-Alaniz said.

“Coming together helps individuals think about the change we can make if we just listen, support each other, and do what’s best to take care of each other.” ucate others and highlight the research done by the Caesar Kleberg Range and Wildlife Institutue.

“The really neat thing about this grant is that it shows diversity, women in Range and Wildlife, nity to spread factual information.

“There’s a lot of misconceptions about Range and Wildlife and I think the podcast will be a great way to inform the public. The podcast is a great opportunity for our department,” Dr. Scott Henke, department chair of Range and Wildlife, said. and is underestimated by bigger universities and more advanced programs but my South Texan family proved them wrong at the 2021 TIPA convention,” Aryssa Enriquez, Editor-in-Chief, said.

“I feel incredibly the work we’ve produced. This recognition serves as motivation to keep improving and dia outlets. I’m anxious to see what the future holds for The South Texan we can accomplish.”

Nicole Perez Morris, student media adviser, said she is proud of The South Texan team.

“Unless they have exno one can understand the amount of work and dedication it takes to work as a student journalist,” Morris said.

“I am so proud of each and every member of our South Texan team.”

ENTERTAINMENT

April 12, 2021

thesouthtexan.com

3

Review: What Lies Below !"#$%&"'()*)%'| !"#$%&'()*+,!"#$%&'()*+,-.+/(&,%+/+(0"1'!,#

What Lies Below on Netthinking that you are going to be given what you expect to be given when watching a thriller/mysMy roommate and I are suckers for a good mystery so naturally when we saw What Lies Below was trending on give it a go.

What Lies Below is a story about a socially awkward teenager named Libby who meets her mom’s new boyfriend, John who is an aquatics geneticist staying at the family cabin.

As Libby gets to know John, she starts to notice that there is something his weird obsession with

tanks in their basement.

The number one reason is that he seems too perfect... physically.

Before I get into more details, I should make it

self completely before the light disappears. The

listed as a mystery and

out a cliché dark secret about John, such as he’s a serial killer, he lives a double life, he’s actually after Libby instead of her mother, and so on. In-

ally well and makes you uncomfortable very quickly with John making secret and subtle advancements towards Libby.

While all of those scenes are disturbing, the confusion and aura pletely when Libby is awakened in the middle of the night by a bright orange glow through her window.

As she goes to the window to investigate, she sees John staring into the light from the edge of the lake then walk forward submerging him-

-"./$)##"'0"%&/+$",,$| tion, muscle movement,

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Originated from the 1984 game Tetris, the Teenon where players of the game began seeing

their dreams and during their awaken hours.

Psychologists studied this game and the effects it had on players.

It was found that Tetris

minutes to a few hours a day can make our brains

The game itself has the possibility of making the gray matter in our brains denser. Gray matter is the part of our brain that contains most of the neuronal cell bodies. This is the area of the brain that involves sensory percep-

intelligence.

So, researchers concluded that by Tetris making gray matter denser, it also increases mental skills.

This change of reality, the way people see the world through the lenses of the game, is not only caused by playing Tetris. now a term for when a person’s brain is reconthey have been focusing on for a various period.

For instance, the Rubik’s Cube has the same cube as fast as one is able can change the way they perceive logic. The same goes for solving math problems.

However, like Tetris players seeing blocks

good. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and

As the movie continues it gets harder and harder to take it seriously. The plot is just so random that you don’t even understand how it The best part of this movie is the cinematography. As the plot shifts and gets creepy, so does the lighting and aesthetic. The beginning of the movie is quite cheerful and the light chosen re-

falling from the sky, one avid player of the card game Magic: The Gathering started to see people as cards from the game instead of people.

Each person he saw was perceived as a character he thought matched a certain character.

However, as concerning as it might sound, dangerous. But those experiencing it may feel as if they cannot control or stop the thoughts and images they are seeing in real life and in their dreams. yet to be fully explored, but from what we do know about it, our brain and manipulated by various things that make up our reality.

How to Adult: Going to sleep (+,,$'()*,"'| ./0&'()*+,1(2&'()*+,-.+/(&,%+/+(0"1'!,#

As a college student there is no doubt that your sleeping schedule is, well, a bit messed up and irregular.

As you know sleep is very important especially with the stress and anxiety brought on by schoolwork and any other extracurricular activities you may be involved in.

Sleep as a college student is hard to come by as deadlines approach and projects get harder. It’s important to set aside time for actual sleep and not your Red Bull replacement. needs an average of seven to nine hours of sleep each night to feel and be fully rested. You may see that number and glorify it but there is no need

to when managing your sleep is possible.

Believe me or not, as a college student you can be getting enough sleep.

Still don’t believe me?

Well, here are some tips you might want to try.

Have a set bedtime, whether it’s as early as nine p.m. or midnight, stick to the schedule.

This will help you complete your work in a somewhat timely manner if you are trying to reach a goal of being in bed by a certain time each week.

It won’t be easy at stick to your bedtime the easier it will be to want to get work done and be in bed sooner. do not have to completebut you should avoid it in the evenings as it may disrupt your ability to fall asleep and cause you to be awake longer as Limit your screen time at night. Now this one will not be easy as phones are entertaining and a great distraction in the bedroom.

The more you scroll or the longer you scroll the less you want to put the phone down. It’s so easy to get stuck in a twohour Tik Tok binge so you need to set boundaries.

Set an alarm at a certain reasonable time to set your phone down, or set a timer for the time you will allow yourself to spend on it before you go to bed.

If this fails, which it might, go to your settings and set app time limits. This is a drastic step to make, but if you lack control you might just need to do it.

Getting a reasonably healthy amount of sleep as a college student is possible, but you must like to count sheep at a reasonable hour.

Take the time, do the work and get some rest please.

en sunlight is the only source of light shining on Libby and her mom as they are driving.

After John makes his

ment when the lighting is the most ominous.

The scene is lowly lit with red and blue light which makes John’s speech about how fasci-

the light changes completely and becomes darker almost to foreshadow that John is the cloud that is going to hang over the family.

There is one scene in particular when John is showing Libby his col-

he stares entranced by them all the more disturbing.

The camera shots were strategically placed. Every scene containing Libby and John the camera is placed high looking down at Libby and it is placed low looking up at

John.

This puts the audience in their place as it is meant to show that John in control of everything around him while Libby is intimidated.

There are many highduction wise. The story ly isn’t worth the watch when there are many

Review: Animal Crossing: New Horizons Build-A-Bear Collection Released New villagers rumored to hit shelves -"./$)##"'0"%&/+$",,$| (1+/-+"*1#/1+'()*+,(1+(-+"*1#(1+'()*+,-.+/(&,%+/+(0"1'!,#

Three weeks ago, I received a limited-edition Animal Crossing: New Horizon (ACNH) themed Switch console along with the ACNH game.

While I have played the game before - on someone else’s island, I had never been able to create an island of my own.

Until recently. ACNH just celebrated its oneyear anniversary (what perfect timing). And with this milestone came the announcement; Build-A-Bear will be releasing an Animal Cross-

ing collection.

As someone who has been in love, and possibly addicted, to this game for almost a month, tracking the release date was no surprise to myself. was released on April 6 and was sadly sold out that same day before I could snatch one.

The collection only consisted of Tom Nook and Isabelle. Rumor has it, however, that other villagers will be released as time goes on.

So far, the names rumored to be released are K.K Slider, Raymond, Audie, Marshal, Fauna, Bob, Coco, Merengue, Diana, Ankha and Stitches.

While these are not a bad selection of characters, I was quite disappointed to hear that certain villagers weren’t

expected to be part of the collection. For instance, Timmy and Tommy.

Although they are identical, it would be perfect to have the Tom Nook and Timmy and Tommy collection.

Other characters I was hoping to see were Blathers and Celeste who, I believe, are incredibly iconic.

Lastly, Celia would have been an amazing edition; who wouldn’t like a big, colorful, feathered BAB bird?

It would be amazing if the BAB online site let customers customize their own personal avatars. But, as stated, these are all just merely rumors.

Who knows what’s to come over the next few months.

Hopefully the ACNH x BAB collection will not disappoint.

Poem: The Bubble Man Looking at the gravel, From foot to road to eye level, Tracing my eyes up the steps and concrete building, There I see a translucent fairy drunkTo grass, To gravel.

And like the sun at evening, it went away.

Another drunken fairy came after and Then, They came by many, Their bodies formed a path that my mind and feet followed, Up the steps I went and Came across the source,

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Calm and at peace, Not meant to disturb a soul, There he stood conjuring these creatures, And as I stared agape, I couldn’t help but feel his passion for his creations, I stare awhile more and then left, And although his presence in my life will remain minor, I hope that when I reach the age of gray and silver and my memory slims, I’ll still remember this fairy maker, Or as I like to call him – The Bubble Man To submit a poem, email entertainment. editor@thesouthtexan.com

SPORTS

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April 12, 2021

thesouthtexan.com

Three Lady Javs earn LSC honors Pena, Cherry, Payne named to teams !"#$%&'$%()*+&| !"#$%&'()*%#$ !"#$%!&'()%#$*%+'!#,%+%'-./&0#1

Basketball season has come to a close, and with the new All-Lone Star Conference teams recently released, the Women’s Basketball team have three standouts from their squad for seven years.

Brianna Pena and Mia Cherry, both transfers, earned Second Team AllLSC and All-LSC honorable mention, respectfully.

Freshman Janessa year of competition showed major skill, was named to the LSC All-Freshman squad. guard out of Welsaco, two years at Southern Christian CC where she became a NTJCAC season while also earning Academic All-American honors. Her second year saw her climb up record boards for the goals made while also reaching 10th in steals. It was another year where she received Academic All-American honors along with an All-NTJ-

CAC selection.

After two years at the JUCO level, Pena came to TAMUK and became

Lindsey Mahone during the 2013-14 season to receive All-LSC second team honors while leading the program in scoring, averaging 14.2 points a game. This scoring average was the highest since Felicia Soza in 2010 and she did cient 46 percent from the cent from behind the arc, 2.6 rebounds, 36 total assists and 14 steals. scoring in the league and centage.

“It always feels great to be recognized for something that I have put a lot of hard work not have been able to receive this accolade if it weren’t for my team trust me and I have accepted that role,” Pena said. “I started bouncing a basketball at the age of 4 and have continued ever since. My father is a coach, so I have grown up around sports and I feel that has helped me sport. Speaking of my father, I would have to say that he is the one who has played a big role in contributing to my success. He has coached,

supported, and pushed me to the best of my abilities, and I will never be able to thank him enough for that.”

Cherry, who went the junior college route, did not start her journey

guard from Brock, Texas, started at Oklahoma Baptist University where she averaged 2.7 points and 1.6 rebounds totaling 76 points, 44 rebounds, 14 assists, and four blocks.

She then went on to take the JUCO transfer route at Blinn CC where she improved all her numbers dramatically, averaging 9.4 points and 3.2 rebounds totaling 290 points, 98 rebounds, 59 blocks. She even went on the receive Region XIV All-Conference Honorable Mention. Fast forward to this season, she showed that she belongs in the toughest conference in Division II. She was second on the team with 9.8 points per game, shooting 36 percent from from long range while grabbing three boards a game all while averaging 24 minutes on the court. have been as successful this year without them,” Cherry said of her teammates. “Individually, I do have goals for myself and those awards are a part of them but I focus

Javelina Athletics

Pena[left), Cherry (middle), Payne (right) in action

less on that and more on striving to be the person that plays and works the hardest in both practices and games, as well as being a leader for my team.

I think if I do that the rest will come.

“Going JUCO for a my competitiveness and drive, so I’m really thankful to have had both experiences before coming here to Kingsville,” Cherry continued.

“I’m extremely proud of what we accomplished this year as a team and I’m looking forward to what all we will accomplish in the future.”

Payne is a true freshman who took time after two years at Aledo High School to prep at All Saints Episcopal where she led her team to a 30-1 record her senior year while also total-

ing 1,200 points in two years. She then went on to become a Javelina this as a Hog ended with her sliding herself as a deep threat, going nearly 45 percent from behind the arc while making at least two three-pointers a game. The sharpshooter has been ranked the cient three-point shooter in the conference and has plans to only get bet“I believe we are in the toughest D2 conference with tons of great players,” she said. “If I want to stay at the top, I have to continue to get better and improve my shot every day whether it’s getting up 1,000 shots every day or working on form for hours. It is awesome being a part of a team where every person on

the team is a shooter.

They drive me every day to be better than I was yesterday,” Payne said. season in four years at 8-8 and with a squad full of young players ready for more next year Payne expects the team will only continue to get better.

“We are a young team and everyone in the conference knows that,” she said. “We know we have the talent and skill to get where we want to be, but right now our mindset is to just go 1-0 every day. We are getting better mentally and physically because we know where we want to be and what we need to do to get there. Next seaway.”

Javelina athletic trainers receive academic awards Lone Star Conference honors student athletic trainers ,$(-.*#/%*&0$11*1$&| +*,*%-.'()*%#$ ()2)%.3&'()%#$*%+'!#,%+%'-./&0#1

The Lone Star Conference (LSC) released the names of several graduate students who received the annual Athletic Training Student Academic Award for the 2020-21 school year.

Texas A&M University Kingsville (TAMUK)

was honored to announce four graduate students Amber Menard, Orlando Velasquez, Renee Lonon and Ianna Leon-Guerrero.

Each year, the LSC honors student athletic trainers who devote time to their studies and manage their duties in the athletic department daily.

“This award is very exciting to receive, I believe it shows just how hard these student trainers work and everything we put into our academics and our programs,” Lonon said. “It is very honoring to accept the award, but it is also great to see my colleagues receive this same honor.

Our industry and department will continue to excel.”

To receive the award requires at least a 3.30

GPA with a minimum of 24 semester hours at the nominating institumirror those required of student-athletes to gain LSC All-Academic recognition.

Larissa Sanchez, senior track standout, said she feels excited for these trainers.

“My heart goes out to these trainers. They truly are very deserving of the award,” Sanchez said. “Many people do

not know the tireless hours they spend working to better the lives of so many athletes, myself included. I am especially happy for our team trainer, Ianna, who is so deserving of the award and so much more.”

This year’s honorees represent six of the LSC’s member institutions, with A&M-Commerce and UT Tyler having a league-high lowed by Angelo State

and TAMUK with four, UT Permian Basin with two and St. Edward’s with one.

“We are honored to receive the award and we hope to only carry on bringing our program with more awards just like these,” Velasquez said.

The TAMUK athletic department remains content and promising towards earning more of these awards in the future.

Javelinas on the mound Athletes earn weekly honors !"#$%&'$%()*+&| !"#$%&'()*%#$ !"#$%!&'()%#$*%+'!#,%+%'-./&0#1

With the post season upon us in baseball and softball we can’t ignore the outstanding play from individuals on the dirt this season. Claire Chernosky on the women’s softball team, and Logan Garza and Kolby Lunsford from the men’s baseball team all took honors from the LSC in the past two weeks.

Chernosky took home LSC Hitter of the Week after heavy contribution in the two games against Texas A&M International last week.

In her last 19 at-bats, Chernosky went an ef-

Javelina Athletics

Claire Chernosky earns her second career LSC award

long balls.

“It’s always nice to receive recognition for personal successes but what matters most is getting

the win as a team. I hope we continue to work hard and stay focused.

To reach our goal of returning to the World Series it will take all of us,” she said. time Chernosky has been given the honor.

In 2019 she handled the bat and led her team to a victory over then No. 9 West Texas A&M. On the men’s side, Garza and Lunsford took home the LSC Outstanding Pitcher of the Week award. Lunsford took the award the week of March 30 after securing a 6-2 win over top-ranked Angelo

Logan Garza earns pitcher of the week

Lunsford held the No. 1 team in the conference to their second lowest scoring output all season. He dismantled the best batting average team in the conference and sat down

pitching well, we can play for a long time.

We are looking forward to this postseason, it’s going to be a fun one,” Lunsford said.

In the current week, Garza took home the same award as Lunsford and even went on the receive NCBWA South Central Region Pitcher of the Week.

“Being named pitcher of the week back-to-back is pretty amazing. This

batters he faced.

“We have a good rotation; if we can keep

good arms so to be recognized back-to-back is a testament to our pro-

Javelina Athletics

gram, coaches and teammates who push us to be our best and support us.

At the end of the day, I’m just glad I was able to do my part on the mound to help our team win,” Garza said.

Garza stood tall on the mound against No. 24 UT Tyler, turning in a nine-inning, complete game shutout. His shutHog since Feb. 9, 2018.

Currently both teams sit in positions to make it to the post season.

As of now both teams sit above .500.

Forum

April 12, 2021 thesouthtexan.com

5

“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.”

Our Opinion

Regressive movements towards sexual assault The Minnesota Supreme Court took 50 steps back when they ruled that a person can’t be found guilty of sexually assaulting someone who is mentally incapacitated due to intoxication, if that person voluntarily ingested drugs or alcohol. By doing this they are blaming victims for their intoxication and assault rather than the person who willingly took advantage of their incapacitation.

According to knowyourix.com, only seven

Professors should invite guest speakers often Recently I was in my women in art course and we had a guest speaker present to us about their career and artwork. I have to admit that it was much more interesting than a normal lecture.

Don’t get !"#$%&" me wrong '()(% !"#$%&'()*+,my professor is really great but there are some things that a lecture can’t teach you.

Getting to hear from that you wish to be in after you graduate can

give you so much insight into how you can really prepare yourself for the world that you are going to be in soon, and it allows students to hear than just their profesThis would also get students excited to come to class. Students often get tired or dread going to their lecture-heavy classes that lack engagement.

There doesn’t need to be a guest speaker every single class but maybe scheduling a couple of speakers a month would give students something to look forward to.

The type of speaker that a professor could

percent of survivors of incapacitated sexu-

MARCOM

Guest Speaker Dr. Symes lectures

schedule could correlate to the content that is being covered at that point in time.

Even though it may to do because of COVID regulations, it actually brings more opportuni-

ties to be able to invite speakers no matter their location with virtual meetings. thing professors should take advantage of as it makes the possibilities of knowledge limitless.

al assaults are reported, making the culture of blaming women for their behavior more relevant, and showing what the Minnesota Supreme Court ruling will only leave more victims blaming themselves when they are sexually taken advantage of in a state with little sympathy for victims.

If a person is intoxicated, they cannot give their full consent to any sexual act, and the Minnesota Supreme Court justices made it clear that they disregarded the meaning of consent and its value within this case.

According to The United States Bureau of Justice Statistics, a sex crime is committed every 73 seconds. Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) has created and provided sev-

awareness, promote safety on campus and create an understanding of what is and is not consent. According to CityData.com, 2.9 percent of crimes committed in Kingsville, Texas is related to rape.

Should public transportation be free?

In order to talk about the question of whether public transportation should be free or not, we is considered public transportation.

Public transport a t i o n includes buses, trains and subways that take

*"+")#",!,".(/ !,.+-*/%+*.0 1-*+2-

route, are made for the community and charge a fee.

Next, we need to discuss how much we charge and discuss the pros and cons of reducing this price or making it free. In Austin, Texas, public buses charge $1.25 per ride.

In New York City,

the fee for a single ride on the subway is $3.

Charges for these rides vary depending on the city you live in and this is because just like anywhere else, the bigger the city, the more expensive it is.

So, what are some cons to making public transit free?

Well for starters, the basics of supply and demand are an important factor.

If public transportation is free, more people will take advantage of it and this will lead to an increase in demand for the supply itself.

This increase in supply of buses and such will lead to an increase in use of those free transits and decrease in use of vehicles. This will lead to a slow downfall of car companies and loss

and it would help those which hurts the economy.

The increase in supply will also cause an increase in the strain of crowded cities because streets will now include more bus stops, train stops, etc. and streets are already crowded as it is.

Some people will not even want to use public transit because they will assume that because it is free, too many people will be using it and this will make them stick to the use of their cars, ultimately leading to more of a mess.

The pros of making public transit free are that it could stimulate the economy by providing more jobs for public transport workers, it would decrease the use of cars which would decrease vehicle emissions

for a ride all the time.

Citizens already pay many taxes towards roads, schools, etc., but providing free transportation to the public can show taxpayers that their tax dollars are being used in a positive the entire community.

Public transportation should be free because even though it might not countless lives who rely on these services to get through their day.

The answer for whether public transportation should be free all depends on where your priorities lay. We could all use a helping hand every now and then, so why not be that for someone else?

As TAMUK hosted the almost annual event A Mile in Her Shoes, students recognized the impact of sexual assault and the statistics that the month of April tries to bring light. April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month, and TAMUK has established that it will do everything in its power to raise awareness for victims.

With politicians making alarming decisions, everyone must be aware of the enormity surrounding sexual assault and the impact it continues to have for its victims.

Letter to the Editor: Dodo bird economy The three basic economic systems in the world today are capitalism, socialism and communism, so when you have a chance please research their meaning and history.

Our country is loaded with dodo bird people who don’t know what -

es are (DODO stands for dumb, obedient, docile, oblivious).

I have issues with all three economic systems, so I am currently looking for the next better or superior economic system that could help save the world from a major war or violent revolution.

Possible new eco-

nomic system examples could be a “debt Jubilee” economic system, a “Star Trek”system, a A-I based system, a “worker co-op owner” business economic system or we could just abolish billionaires. I hope this letter will encourage some of you to start studying

Ronni Reyna News Editor

Jakki Barrera Digital Editor

Calista Reyes The South Texan is a student publication produced by Texas A&M

Texas A&M University system. The

of us every day.

Tomas Cantu - an economic researcher, Concepcion

Reporters Sarah Reyna Emma Hodges Brieana Casarez Diana Canizalez Nathan Soord Susan Cortez Nicole Perez Morris Adviser

Campus Editor

Advertising

University- Kingsville students. The views, opinions and commentary do

this subject because the future does not look bright for most of us thanks mostly to wealth inequality and thousands of rigged econom-

Gabriella Mastroianni Entertainment Editor

For advertising inquiries, e-mail The South Texan at advertising.manager or call (361) 593-4370.

the Art, Communications, and Theatre Department (ACT) and the Texas

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STAFF Aryssa Enriquez

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emailed to The South Texan, Manning Hall 165, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, Texas 78363

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