INDEX:
2|CAMPUS
3|OPINION
4|SPORTS
Sexual Assault Awareness takes back the night
THESOUTHTEXAN.COM
Thursday, April 19, 2018
5|ENTERTAINMENT
6|AD
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Volume 92 Issue 23
PRESIDENT TALLANT ANNOUNCED RETIREMENT The search for president begins this semester Crystal Zamarron Editor-in-Chief
Courtesy photo
University President, Steven H. Tallant
The 19th president of Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) will retire effectivelly December 2018. Dr. Steven H. Tallant announced on Monday, April 16, via e-mail sent to all faculty and staff of his retirement. “I really love it here. I love this campus. It’s been
the best 10 years of my life as a professional and walking away and retiring is very difficult. But I’ve been married 44 years. I’m ready to spend my 70s with my wife and my kids in Indianapolis,” Tallant said. “I’m still going to be connected to the university and be coming back a lot.” The process of looking for the new TAMUK University President has begun. A committee will be put together
this week. The system will have listening sessions and the committee will meet with faculty and staff, students and the community to see what kind of president they would like to have. After seven years of Tallant taking reign, in 2015, the university was named the fastest-growing 4-year doctoral institution in the nation. “Steve Tallant is one of a kind. He has been an in-
Gines Tries to Muzzle Reporter
credible asset to the Texas A&M System and to Texas A&M-Kingsville,” said Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp in a press release sent out by Julie Navejar. “Finding another Steve Tallant will be a real needle-in-the-haystack challenge. We will all miss him greatly and wish him and his wife well in their retirement.” On Oct. 1, 2008 Tallant began his duties as president
after being the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. He was responsible for all undergraduate and graduate academic programs. Since arriving at TAMUK, the university has increased in enrollment by nearly 30
See Tallant on Page 5
Alleges dissemination of false information C.R. Neal & Dakota Roberts
What started out as a simple class assignment evolved into an interdepartmental predicament pitting the journalism department against the Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation at Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK) David Gines. Gines both directly and indirectly threatened Communications major Frank Russell with academic misconduct in emails to Russell and Professor of Journalism/ Communications at TAMUK Manuel Flores. Tensions began after Russell emailed Jaquelyn Westbrook, assistant director of development for athletics, in an attempt to conduct a follow-up interview based on a previous set of questions answered by Gines. The email interview was part of a class assignment for advanced reporting taught by Nicole Morris, who is also The South Texan adviser.
Photo by Frankie Cardenas
Greek Life and students with the five families from Driscoll Children’s Hospital
Courtesy photos
Left picture: Screenshot of David Scott Gines’ email to Manuel Flores, Professor of Journalism, Faculty Athletics Representative Right picture: Vice President for Intercollegiate Athletics & Campus Recreation, David Scott Gines
Westbrook forwarded the email to Gines who then emailed Flores. “I do not know who is teaching this course, but some reigning is in order [sic] and quickly. Seeking interviews under falsified information is Academic Misconduct,” Gines wrote to Flores. “I am a faculty member, and I will file misconduct on every instance if these students are not immediately corrected. Thanks in advance.” Flores forwarded the email to Chair of the Art, Communications, and Theatre (ACT) Department Todd Lucas and replied to Gines. “It’s an advanced reporting course, Scott. I don’t
think it’s falsified information. I believe it’s for a story that instructor is having her class work on for the student newspaper,” Flores wrote. “In this case, they are South Texan reporters, as the memo said. They are trained to ask questions and will continue to do so as long as they do in an orderly and proper manner.” What Gines considers to be “false” information appears to center on the wording of one particular question emailed to Westbrook by Russell. “The questions you are posing that state you ‘talked with Scott Gines’ and ‘8 faculty members were re-
lieved of their roles’ are not factual or true and falsely representative of my previous written answsers [sic] to your questions,” Gines wrote in an email to Russell. That email concluded with, “My recommendation is that you [Russell] pose questions that accurately reflect the data you collected to date. I view anything shy of this standard to represent Academic Misconduct.” The “falsified” information Gines is referring to is
See Gines on Page 5
University crowns new Miss TAMUK
Darcy Guerrero takes on role after winning pageant Dakota Roberts Editorial Editor
Darcy Guerrero has been crowned Miss TAMUK 2018, succeeding former pageant winner Elyssa Benavides and winning a scholarship of $2,000. The Miss TAMUK scholarship pageant took place Saturday, April 14, at Jones Auditorium debuting with the theme “Lost in the 50s.” The pageant came after a day of personal interviews with the candidates, during which participants were expected to answer questions centered around the candidates’ personalities, interests, and their knowledge of current events. Three judges discussed and graded the interviews, returning the next night to judge the main event. Vilma Gomez, a consultant at CEV multimedia, Jim Kunua, manager of Schlitterbahn Riverpark, and Melanie Fugate, operations manager for Heavin, Otto, and Levitt Insurance, acted as this year’s judges, grading on a rubric
supplied by the Office of Student Activities. Additional titles and scholarships were given to candidates during the night. The pageant runner-up, Brenda Riojas, received a $1,200 scholarship, while the third place spot, awarded to Samantha Brock, is granted a $750 scholarship. Guerrero not only walks away as the winner of the pageant having been granted a generous scholarship, but will also begin her duties as an ambassador for the university; in which she will take on responsibilities such as charity work and act as a campus speaker. “I’m ready to change lives, that is what I want to do,” Guerrero stated as her first proclamation to the Texas A&M University—Kingsville student body. Guerrero continued, “My plans are to create more spirit within the university. Personally, I see that we need more
See Miss TAMUK on Page 5
Darcy Gurerrero, Miss TAMUK 2018
Photo by Frankie Cardenas
Dance Marathon surpasses goal
Greek life, students meet families in need Crystal Zamarron Editor-in-Chief “One dream. One cause. One movement. Always, for the kids!” This was the motto that everyone chanted at the end of Friday’s Dance Marathon on the dance floor. The Texas A&M University-Kingsville Dance Marathon is a movement benefiting Children’s Miracle Network Hospital. With the help of some Greek Life leaders, they teamed up with Miracle Network Dance Marathon, at which students across North America spend their volunteered time organizing and eventually having an event (the dance marathon) on campus. Students met families and participated in games and dancing. With a goal of $10,000 to assist five children and their families, Greek Life and students raised $11,530.79 for the kids. Since January 2018, the seven leaders and advisers have been organizing Dance Marathon. “It was a lot of work but hard work pays off, obviously,” said Cecilia Muñoz, range and wildlife management major. “As much as we have schoolwork and actual work, this was another task but it was a fun and a very rewarding task. Not only for them, but also for us.” Students spent time with five children - Kaitlyn, Matthew, Superman Sam, Reina and Hector; all patients at Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi. The money will go towards the hospital and to each family. “My sister’s side of the family deals a lot with can-
cer so being here at an event that raises money to help the kids with cancer or anybody that is sick at the Driscoll Children’s Hospital is a heart warming event to see the families here and Greeks and other students who came to support them and to make them feel welcomed here,” said Elyssa Benavides, agricultural science major. Previously located in the Ballroom of the Memorial Student Union Building, the organizers decided to move it to the Steinke Physical Education Center. Students and their families were able to participate in games and enjoy other activities with the college students. “I like that they moved it to the SPEC this year,” said Daisy Gonzalez, animal science pre-vet major. “They reached out to a little bit more clubs than what they did last year. They brought more children this time, so I really like that, that we were able to interact with more of the children from the hospital.” With music in the background, students danced throughout the four hours that the event was held. “I donated money by two organizations and tonight, I had the first process of Miss TAMUK that I didn’t go to, to be here and support,” outgoing Miss TAMUK Benavides said. Others had an important experience with these families and event. “I was super excited when I found out that one of our miracle families was a little girl that I’ve taught hip-hop to, so that was a little more of a drive,” Muñoz said.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018
Campus
From Class, to Conference San Antionio colleges and TAMUK students attend Javelina Model U.N. Conference
America Quintero Campus Editor What started as a regular class for Political Science Majors has grown into an organization that is quickly rising in numbers and support. Texas A&M University’s (TAMUK’s) Model United Nations hosted its first on-campus conference on April 14 and 15. In a span of one year, Model U.N. went from a class to an organization - Javelina Model U.N. The organization was first proposed in the fall of 2017 by Assistant Professor of political science Chika Rosenbaum and few of her students from her Model U.N. class. By January, the members of Javelina Model U.N. began planning the conference. It took two months of recruiting, workshops and scheduling. Nearly 60 participants were recruited for the conference including students from TAMUK, Texas A&M University-San Antonio (A&MSA), and the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) The workshops introduced participants to the basics of Model U.N. Participants learned that Model U.N. is a simulation of the United Nations, which
is made up of countries throughout the world who resolve global issues. Each person is assigned the role of a delegate for a country. The student delegates are then divided into committees who will draft resolutions for the issue assigned to their committee. Despite a few technical setbacks, the Javelina Model U.N. members consider the council a success. Based on a survey conducted by the Javelina Model U.N., 100 percent of participants enjoyed the conference, 89 percent would come back next year, and 62 percent would like to become a Model U.N. member. Rosenbaum was astounded by the amount of smiling faces at the conference. “You don’t see that (smiles) in a classroom… When you see that at the conference, it gives me a good signal that everybody is enjoying it and learning something in a fun way,” Rosenbaum said. The conference received a lot of support from the Interim Department Chair of History, Political Science and Philosophy Jeff Glick; Professor Nirmal Goswami; and former Political Science Lecturer Richard Hartwig. Goswami said the conference
had great enthusiasm, participation, and professionalism. Head Research Assistant for the Model U.N. conference and Associate Chair of Economic and Social Council Kristen Hake is pleased with the work done by the Javelina Model U.N. team. Although Hake will be graduating, she is grateful for the friendships and bonds she has made. “What I’m most proud of is the fact that we (Javelina Model U.N.) pulled it together in a really short amount of time. We all worked extremely hard.” At the conference, the participating delegates tackled the subjects of climate change, organized crime, and the displacement of people. The delegates were split into different councils. To create tension in the councils, the chair members posted fake breaking news, such as Twitter posts from President Donald Trump. The conference was not limited to only participation from political science majors. Various majors, including engineering and pre-health, attended as delegates. Roger Garcia, TAMUK criminology and political science major and the delegate of Venezuela at the Model
Photo Courtesy of Chika Yamamoto Rosenbaum
(Top) Group Photo of Model U.N. Conference participants (Bottom Left) Awarded delegates (Bottom Right) Delegates discuss a resolution at a delegate’s meeting.
U.N. Conference, thought that his criminology major came in handy when tackling his assigned topic. “I got to use both of my majors for the organized crime resolution and I was happy that it passed, and that I got a lot of countries to work together,” Garcia said. On the final day of the conference, delegates were given awards such as the best overall delegates and the most diplomatic delegate. Vice President of Mod-
el UN Society and Chair of Economic and Social Council Ethen Peña was very impressed with the amount of people who attended the conference. He was surprised at the positivity the San Antonio colleges gave to TAMUK. “We had students from UTSA tell us they were very impressed with our school and our department. Specifically, our faculty like Dr. Rosenbaum and Dr. Glick …,” said Peña “That was a
beautiful thing for me. To have other people come here and experience the Javelina love…” Javelina Model U.N is already making plans for another conference next year. They are seeking to make the conference a three-day affair rather than a two-day event. “All of this is because of Doctor Rosenbaum. She is really the star ...She did the grants necessary to pay for this,” Peña said.
TAMUK Takes Back the Night Javelinas honor survivors of sexual violence at gender violence awareness event C.R. Neal Reporter Emotions ran high as survivors of sexual assault told their stories at Texas A&M University – Kingsville’s (TAMUK) Taking Back the Night event hosted by the Student Health and Wellness Center (SHW). Director of SHW at TAMUK Jo Elda Alaniz-Castillo opened the event with a message not only for the survivors, but for all TAMUK students. “It is a time that we come together where we think about what the meaning of taking back the night is,” Alaniz-Castillo said. “If you just think about that statement you realize it’s an individual feeling powerless and wanting to say, ‘No, this is my night. It will always be my night, and I will take it back.’” Alaniz-Castillo went on to plead for students to not ignore the issue of sexual violence. “If you think of that you will understand why we come together to honor individuals to remind them that we are here and we too want gender violence to stop,” Alaniz-Castillo said. After the reading of two poems written by survivors of sexual assault, there was silence for a full 60 seconds as survivors in attendance worked up the courage to tell their story. Once the first survivor got up to speak, it opened the floodgates and a stream of people from all genders opened up about their own tribulations. Students and faculty in attendance watched through teary eyes and provided support for all those affected. Later in the event, Wellness Advocate Janett Martinez in-
Photo By Frankie Cardenas
Attendee of Taking Back the Night writes a message on a shirt to refelct personal thoughs on the future of sexual violence
troduced an activity as part of The Clothesline Project. “[The Clothesline Project] is a visual display dedicated to raising awareness about the reality of violence in our society,” Martinez said. Martinez then explained what the visual display consisted of. “It’s composed of t-shirts created by survivors of violence or in honor of someone who has experienced violence,” Martinez said. “Each t-shirt reflects a persons experience and perspective.” Shirt decorations ranged from the powerfully poignant to the powerfully hopeful. One woman drew two people standing under an umbrella in the rain in the color purple that, in the context of The Clothesline Project, represents women attacked because of their sexual orientation. Title IX Coordinator at TAMUK Tasha Clark attended the event and put forward the point that intervening in the event of sexual assault is not the only piece of the puzzle. “If you hear something, you can use intervention to correct conversations on
campus that are inappropriate or offensive to help change the culture and create the culture that you want to see on campus that includes and respects everybody,” Clark said. Co-Chair of the Social Justice and Advocacy committee of TAMUK’s Student Government Association Edmund Nnana also spoke at the event and reiterated the importance of talking about sexual violence. “You have friends all around campus. You have sisters in your sororities, brothers in your fraternities and things like that,” Nnana said. “Talk to them about these things. These are things that really matter in society.” University Police Department (UPD) Officer Morgan Hernandez spoke at the event to educate attendees on what sexual assault means and the various punishments a perpetrator would face. Hernandez urged everyone to have the phone number for UPD, (361) 593-2611, on speed dial on his or her phone in order to be able to contact UPD as quickly as possible in the event of an attack.
Opinion
THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018
One Second to Correct A Lesson for All..... Especially David Scott Gines Dakota Roberts Editorial Editor Deep within the pit of your average student reporter’s stomach is the fluttering of butterfly wings; spurned and buzzing to the beat of the nervous rookie reporter. This may seem odd to people outside of “journalist culture” considering half the job is talking to a stranger, but the feeling of walking into an interview is usually an awkward feeling—introducing oneself, explaining your reasoning for coming, justifying your questions after every inquiry. It can be quite daunting to someone awfully fresh to the game. So imagine you are given an assignment by your adviser. The story is simple, a brief analysis on the university’s budget; focusing on the funds that go between sports and the arts. Imagine
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contacting the appropriate athletic faculty, including the vice president of intercollegiate athletics, a fine choice for such a story. You attempt to present follow-up questions to the staff, a norm in the journalism biz; all the while still remaining as cordial to the staff as the day you started the piece. Instead of receiving the same respectful tone, your attempts to understand the current athletic budget situation are met with a furious vice president. A vice president so irate that he makes no attempt to understand your situation, or perhaps any minute mistake you may have made along the way, and instead chooses to email the one person he happens to know in the department, exclaiming, “I am a faculty member, and I will file misconduct on every instance if these students are not immediately corrected.” Not exactly the teaching moment the university is known
for offering, and how about that opening line; really fast balling some authority into something that was a simple misunderstanding. This week we ran a story detailing this exact scenario— Frank Russell is that reporter. Fresh from his classes and looking to get some experience writing a longer comprehensive report, he took to the campus hoping to get the information he needed for an assignment. One misplaced email later and Frank finds himself in an awkward situation, being threatened by a faculty member over misinterpreting the words “staff” and “faculty.” In truth, these are the only grievances that Scott Gines, the vice president of intercollegiate athletics and Campus Recreation details in his email to the new journalist, and yet, threatens him with a charge of academic misconduct. In the email from Scott
Gines directly to Frank Russell, Gines states, “The questions you are posing that state you ‘talked with Scott Gines’ and ‘8 faculty members were relieved of their roles’ are not factual or true and falsely representative of my previous written answers to your questions. My recommendation is that you pose questions that accurately reflect the data you collected to date. I view anything shy of this standard to represent Academic Misconduct.” That’s it, that’s what it took to insinuate charges of misconduct against a student—the fact that he used the term “faculty,” when the word that Gines was looking for was “support staff.” In a previous email Gines had actually mentioned eight support staff positions being eliminated. In Gines’ own words, “in response to some decreased revenue sources in 2017-18 I eliminated eight support staff positions.”
So it’s hard to believe that Gines did not know what Frank Russell was referencing when Russell asked, “8 faculty members were relieved of their roles and duties, what were those positions?” Now everyone here at The South Texan would agree, he should have asked about the support staff, not faculty; it’s simply proper. But what everyone here at The South Texan definitely doesn’t believe is that a reporter should be severely punished for not understanding this nuanced, made-up, linguistic idea that faculty and support staff are inherently different. Because honestly, are they even that different? Yet, instead of simply correcting Russell, making it a teaching moment at a university, a place that literally runs on teachable moments— Gines opts out and chooses to place the blame on some imaginary systematic error,
as if the adviser had taught Russell incorrectly; telling his one journalism contact, “I do not know who is teaching this course, but some reigning [sic] is in order and quickly.” Frank Russell was like any reporter going into a story, especially new to the job. He was nervous, on a deadline, and anxious to get it done. Being berated by a higher up like Gines seems more like a bully situation than Gines might understand, because had Gines just simply corrected Russell, if he had just taken the time to take a step back and explain the error to Frank, if he had just gone to the adviser instead of Manuel Flores, we could have avoided all of this. Yet, here we are, running an editorial on a faculty member at our own university for essentially threatening one of the university’s own students, when we all know he deserved better.
oration, and it is uncertain if Darcy Guerrero, the new 2018 Miss TAMUK will be comfortable in that position. The pageant consists of five different stages. The judges’ scores are based on a personal interview that takes place privately between the judges and the candidates, a casual wear competition during which the candidates are introduced, a speaking competition during which the women explain their current career ambitions, an evening gown competition based on their dresses, and a final question interview. The interviews account for 50 percent of the score, speeches and answers are 30 percent and 20 percent is general appearance; their body language, and the atmosphere the candidates radiate. It seems interesting that 50 percent of the score is unseen by the audience, but what is more odd is that Darcy Guerrero walked off the stage during her schtick of the speaking competition. Honestly in the beginning Guerrero was doing great;
involving the audience with her speech, talking about her major - Communications, Sciences and Disorders – but then she started to visibly struggle as many people would if they delivered a speech in front of a crowded audience. Various supporting fans clapped and yelled “It’s okay girl,” and “You got this, Darcy,” but unfortunately she faltered a few more times, took a deep breath, said “I’m sorry. I can’t,” and walked off the stage. This was most surprising, as many fellow candidates said Guerrero’s speech was usually flawless during rehearsal. After she left the stage most of the audience didn’t think the crown would be hers, but in the end she was triumphant. Guerrero explained during the speech that while she was growing up she used to have a problem talking in classrooms and in front of big groups of people because she feared being ridiculed and judged. Guerrero tried to face her fears during the pageant which is more than most
people are willing to do. Sadly she didn’t overcome her fear that night, but it was still brave of her to compete and speak regardless of her greatest fear, and luckily the judges got a glimpse of that courage. When the emcee announced Guerrero as the new Miss TAMUK she, along with many people in the audience, were surprised. Various other candidates said after the personal interview on Friday, April 13, Guerrero was very confident she had done an excellent job. The interview does take up 50 percent of the pageant, but it just seems odd that the judges are the only ones present during the interview. The judges, however, did not deduct a substantial amount of points when Guerrero left the stage. In addition, Guerrero actually scored higher during the speaking portion than other candidates who finished their speeches, which only casts more distrust towards the pageant. Now, understandably, most of the can-
didates were nervous and struggled slightly as seen when their hands shook, or they paused a little too long, but still they persevered and finished. And yet, Guerrero made the Top 5 and eventually finished 4.5 points ahead of the first runner-up Brenda Riojas. I strongly believe that if the university is going to host an entire Miss Texas A&M University-Kingsville Scholarship Pageant, then we, the audience, should be able to see every stage of the competition. The audience should be able to see the personal interviews, or the judges should not make the interview 50 percent of the overall score. The rubric on which the judges used to base their results seems complicated and based strongly on appearances despite the fact that Erin McClure, director of student activities, said the pageant is based on more academic standards. Also, once the Top 5 contestants are chosen, their scores are wiped and they are given a clean slate. The winner is then de-
cided based on a single final question interview, which seems to create an unfair situation. The judges were present during every stage of the competition, but the audience full of students and family members only got to see Guerrero strut in a beautiful evening gown, falter her speech, and then be crowned as the new Miss TAMUK. So to us, it doesn’t seem like Guerrero was truly the winner of the night despite the fact that she could’ve done an amazing job during the interview, and shown the judges true grandeur, charm, and great potential. But, the audience didn’t get to see that, and now we will never know. The program itinerary, which the audience witnesses, should change or the percentages should be altered. Otherwise, we will continue to see this kind of questionable outcome in other competitions. There is no doubt that Darcy Guerrero was elegant and respectable, but the pageant left me questioning “Did the judges really make a fair decision?”
ter around the TAMUK campus. The Turner-Bishop dorms are surrounded by streets and parking lots, so the sound of a roaring car engine is a regular. However, for the cats living under the dorms, every day is a matter of lifeor-death. They run the risk of being crushed under the wheels of a speeding car or a parking car. I often cross paths with a cat outside of Bishop Hall who only has one eye. Its other eye was either scratched or bitten out by another animal. It seems these cats, just like all residents of TAMUK, have roommates of their own. They share residence under the dorms with possums, and they don’t get along. Thus, they frequently engage in physical fights for territory. At this rate, TAMUK is set to open a pet shop in Bishop Hall since they already have stray cats, possums, and squirrels. At least that’s what I would say if it weren’t for the fact that the cats are eating the squirrels. Yes, the stray cats are attacking the squirrels and birds who live on campus.
Nevertheless, people can’t help but have sympathy for the cats. Speaking for myself, I am heartbroken to see these cats without a home and the daily promise of a meal. Apparently, I am not the only one who has these thoughts. Recently, I have seen an increase of litter in the form of cat food cans, plastic containers, and Styrofoam plates. It seems the residents of the Bishop-Turner dorms feel pity for the cats and have taken it upon themselves to feed the strays. The problem is that the cat-food containers are not properly disposed of in the trash. As a result, the dorms have become littered with cat food. I am disappointed that TAMUK Residence Life has yet to address the issue. It is not right to have these cats live their lives with the constant threat of motor vehicles and possum attacks. How much longer will the university wait until Turner-Bishop becomes a landfill for catfood? Right now is the time to remove the cats from under the dorms and take them to a place where they could at least have a fair shot at becoming adopted.
A Pageant’s Big Judgement Call
Darcy Ramirez Managing Editor “Anyone can put on a crown. Anyone can put on a pretty dress, but not anyone can be a Queen,” Elyssa Benavides, 2017 Miss Texas A&M University-Kingsville said at the 2018 Miss TAMUK Scholarship Pageant. But that’s not necessarily true. Miss TAMUK is a long-standing tradition and was preceded by the Lantana Queen Contest during the Texas A&I University formative years. This pageant allows female students to compete for the title and to become a symbol of grace, success, determination, and a chance to represent the school with respect and decorum. During the year, Miss TAMUK will speak at or host formal events, advertise organizations, and be active in the community. But one thing’s for certain, Miss TAMUK has to have the skill and courage to express an
The South Texan The South Texan is a student publication produced by Texas A&M UniversityKingsville 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:
Crystal Zamarron - Editor-in-Chief Darcy Ramirez - Managing Editor America Quintero - Campus Editor Dakota Roberts - Editorial Editor Plaserae Johnson - Sports Editor Robert “Bobby” Puentes - Circulation Manager Frankie Cardenas - Photographer Josue Villarreal - Reporter C.R. Neal - Reporter Joshua Lin - Reporter Iliana Flores - Reporter Luis Garcia - Reporter Nicole Morris - Adviser Dr. Manuel Flores - Content Supervisor
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Curiosity May Save the Cat America Quintero Entertainment Editor I am proud to be a longtime cat owner. My four-year old cat, “Malukito” is a playful feline who enjoys back scratches, but loves her Meowmix cat food even more. I came to college knowing that my family would take good care of her back home. However, every time I step outside my dorm, I am reminded at how unlucky some cats are. I have been a resident of the Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Turner-Bishop dorms for the past two years. During my stay, the dorms have upgraded their wi-fi and changed the Bishop-Turner Dining Hall hours. However, they have yet to address the issue of stray cats living under the dorms. I love cats and would gladly bring “Malukito” to live with me if granted permission. But the cats living outside of the Turner-Bishop dorms are a problem waiting to happen. They are in constant physical danger, a threat to the existing wildlife, and are the cause of trash lit-
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THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018
Sports
Intrasquad Spring Football Game Friday Javelina fans to get glimpse at new defensive scheme Joshua Lin Sports Reporter Spring Football is here and ready to be on the main stage of the Javelina Athletics Department. Students should be looking forward to the intra-squad game at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 20, at the Javelina Stadium. The game will be the first glance at the new Photo Courtesy of Javelina Athletics team, minus the incoming The Javelina Football Team in Training for Spring Game freshmen. Head Coach Daren Wilkinson is hard at work with to the ball. We are learning a so I’m just looking to learn the team and improving the new defensive scheme, and through mental reps this they are attacking that learn- game. More so than anyweaknesses of last year. “We still need to get better ing curve very aggressively. thing, I expect for the team’s at a few key positions, and I am pretty optimistic about mentality to begin to change we are working to fix that. where we will be when the for the better. Specifically, the attention to details,” he said. I think we are going to be season begins,” he said. Defensive Back Junior Quarterback Koi Detmer much better at the QB position, which will drastically Henderson is on injury re- Jr. is pretty excited to be improve our offensive pro- serve. Henderson expects the working with the team. This ductivity. On defense, I see team’s mentality to be better. will be his first time playing “I’m still on injury reserve at TAMUK and a collegiate our team being much faster
team. His expectations are to be more efficient with his play. “I’m just excited to be back out, playing football in a game-like situation. I want to be efficient and have productive drives. I think we will see a lot of the younger guys who may have not seen as much playing time last year, and who have shown great growth through the spring, have a big day. I see both sides of the ball having a really good day,” he said. Wilkinson is hoping for fewer mistakes and efficiency in practice. “I want to see us perform mistake-free football during the Spring Game. We have been fairly vanilla in terms of our installation on both sides of the ball, so I would expect us to be able to play fast and look sharp. I think
that our team has grown this spring in terms of the way we practice. We have found a way to practice hard and move fast. We are much more accountable in terms of our effort and understanding our assignments,” he said. Henderson and Detmer believe the team is working hard and ready to win. “I believe the whole community would like for the Javelinas to turn things around. Last year wasn’t a reflection of the winning culture that has been prevalent throughout the decades,” Henderson said. Detmer wants fans to see the team is hard at work and ready to be back on top. “I want fans to see that the team has been working really hard, and is ready to have a successful season,” Detmer said.
Walk-On Athlete turned National Competitor Somoye ranked 2nd in the nation in hammer throw Aaron Monreal Sports Reporter
Racheal Somoye, also known as “the destroyer of worlds,” is a national competitive athlete on the Track and Field team at Texas A&M University- Kingsville (TAMUK), but it was not always that way. She is an elite thrower, currently representing the university at the highest level. She is ranked second in the nation in hammer throw, according to tfrrs.com. Somoye’s mother suffered a stroke in 2015. Financial issues were weighing heavy on the family. It made Somoye contemplate whether college was in her future. She decided to give college and competing a try anyway. She walked-on to the Javelina Track team and through hard work and continuous devotion, she received a scholarship. This was her chance to get her degree without all the financial burdens while competing. “My parents are what makes me, they’re the ones that motivate me, they’re
the reason I still do what I do and keep on trying to be great, why I keep trying to go beyond [because] they have so much faith in me and they support me,” she said. Somoye is from Houston, where she attended Alief Taylor High School. It was at this school Somoye started her athletic career. Although she holds the record for her high school in the shotput event, she feels that discus is her event. “Discus was really my event, I [wasn’t all that great] but I was decent at it, and coming to college I was like ‘I’m not going to throw. I’m not good at it,’” she said. However, that changed when Somoye met Tim Miller, the throws coach for the Javelinas. “Miller molded me and shaped me into the thrower I am today with a little bit of hard work. His faith in me really helped me say ‘okay I can do something more,’” she said. It was Coach Miller who taught Somoye that throwing involved more than she thought. It was about
learning herself. This lesson pushed Somoye to her greatest accomplishments. Coach Miller had nothing but positive comments about his athlete. “As a person Racheal is highy competitive and does not like to lose,” he said. In 2017, she won the Weight Throw at the Lone Star Conference (LSC) Indoor Track and Field Championship. Also, she made her way on the Indoor 1st All-LSC team. In 2016, she took second in Hammer Throw at LSC Outdoor Track and Field Championships, eighth in both the Discus and Weight Throws. Madeleine Maltais is a teammate of Somoye. “It’s her vibrant personality and big heart that sets her apart in my mind, she deserves all of her accomplishments,” she said. She has accomplished much in her time at TAMUK, but she is working to be the best. It may take technique and practice, but it is her motivation that drives her over her competition. Her inspiration is God and her parents.
Photo by Plaserae Johnson
Tennis member getting ready for a slam
April 14 - 16 Game 1: Hogs Win, 13-7 Leaderboard: Texas A&M University- Kingsville Athlete
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K. Ullman 5 2 1 0 L. Zents 5 1 3 2 A.Ingraham 4 0 0 1 D. Stefano 4 1 1 0 Eastern New Mexico State University Athlete AB R H RBI E.Villalona 5 0 0 0 C.Padilla 5 1 0 0 A.DeLaCruz 4 0 1 2 P.Tapia 4 0 0 0 Game 2: Hogs Lose, 2-3 Leaderboard: Texas A&M University- Kingsville Athlete
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A.Ingraham 4 0 1 0 L. Zents 4 0 1 0 Hernandez 3 0 0 0 M.Loredo 3 1 2 0 Eastern New Mexico State University Athlete
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H.Fails 4 2 1 0 DeLaCruz 4 1 1 1 B. Jones 3 1 2 3 T. Geiser 3 0 1 0 Eastern New Mexico State University Athlete
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Z.Shank 5 2 3 0 G.Webster 5 2 3 0 DelaCruz 5 2 2 1 Heredia 4 2 2 3
Softball Hogs vs. HoundsSeries April 13 & 14 Game 1: Hogs Lose, 11-12 Leaderboard: Texas A&M University- Kingsville Athlete
Photo Courtesies of Javelina Athletics
Top: Rachel Somoye holding Indoor All-American Plaque Bottom: Rachel Somoye Preparing to Launch the ShotPut
Hosting Tournaments for tennis, spike ball, beach volleyball The Intramural Sports Program of Texas A&M UniversityKingsville (TAMUK) organized a co-ed Tennis Tournament on April 11 at the Javelina Tennis Courts. About six doubles teams participated and competed for a spot for the next level of the tournament. Tennis is coming in with new sports like Racquetball and Spikeball. Now a new schedule is on the website for spring sports. “The program has been growing a lot. We got new facilities and sports. So, the longterm goal for me personally, is to continue growing and have students develop, whether they are working for us or participating in our sports,” said Carlos Diaz, assistant director of Campus Recreation and Fitness. The Intramural Sports Program is bringing sports that are not mainstream along with the more popular sports. Sports like beach volleyball are picking up
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DeLaCruz 3 1 2 0 J. Herdia 3 0 0 0 C.Padilla 3 0 1 0 Z.Shank 2 0 1 1
Intramurals introduces new Spring Sports Plaserae Johnson Sports Editor
Baseball Hogs vs. Hounds
competitors. “I have other games I’d eventually like to bring here that some people have never heard of as well. We have beach volleyball and that’s getting some publicity now, but we also have spike ball coming up in a couple weeks and I hope to publicize that and get people out to come find out what spike ball is,” Diaz said. Players are favoring the intramural beach volleyball but are giving these new tournaments like tennis, a chance. “I’m on the beach volleyball team… More people come to the volleyball games. There are positive vibes for all the sports. It was my first time playing tennis. It was fun and I would play again because it was organized and I want to redeem myself [from my loss],” said Katlynn Quezada, a regular player of the intramural sports at TAMUK. When a student wants to join, they will have the choice between league or tournaments sports. The website specifies which sports are league or tournament. League
sports have a stricter routine and are more competitive than tournament sports. In the league sports, students play for a cyber trophy featured on iamleague.com and championship T-shirts. The league sports require a fee going up to $40 for major sports and $25 for minor sports. The tournaments are free admission and the players arrive at the event to sign up. Tournaments are centered around having fun. However, tournament players also compete for championship T-shirts. When the Intramural Sports Program hosts an event, they center the competition around good sportsmanship. The idea is to build relationships with fellow students at the University. “I’ve been involved in intramurals since my sophomore year. I like it because it gives me a chance to compete in a competitive atmosphere while simultaneously getting to play with friends,” said Logan Nelson, a graduate student in Kinesiology at TAMUK.
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A. Leibas 7 2 3 2 L. Kelly 7 2 3 0 R.Chapa 7 1 2 1 L.Oatman 2 1 1 0 Eastern New Mexico State University Athlete AB R H RBI A. Lopez 7 0 1 0 McElroy 6 2 3 5 Garcia 6 2 4 5 Brockman 6 0 5 0 Game 2: Hogs Win, 8-3 Leaderboard: Texas A&M University- Kingsville Athlete
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L.Kelly 4 2 2 0 R. Chapa 4 1 2 3 A. Leibas 4 1 2 2 H.Boyett 4 0 2 0 Easter New Mexico State University Athlete
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L.Kelly 5 4 4 1 A.Leibas 5 3 4 4 R. Chapa 5 2 3 3 Longoria 5 0 2 0 Eastern New Mexico State University Athlete AB R H RBI E.Burke 4 0 2 2 A. Lopez 4 1 1 0 P. Aguirre 4 0 1 0 E.Garcia 4 0 0 0
Entertainment
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THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018
Men’s Retreat Educates, Inspires
Health and Wellness held event on health, gender violence Josue Villarreal Reporter Photo by Manuel Flores
Top Row: Travis Demas, Luis Garcia, Nickolas Villarreal, Frankie Cardenas, Laurie Guajardo, Jesse Ochoa, Dylan Mendoza, Jordan Harwell, Joshua Lin Bottom Row: Briana Harris, Samantha Villarreal, Leslie Garza, Victoria Lichtenberger, Camila Peña
Texas A&M University-Kingsville Advertising students won the 2018 Special Judges Award for a creative presentation at the American Advertising Federation 10th District National Student Advertising Competition on April 15. Judges said the TAMUK team was provocative and creative with their Ocean Spray Campaign.
Zombies chased students Rec Center hosted zombie themed 7th annual 5K walk/run, successful turnout Frankie Cardenas Photographer Texas A&M University-Kingsville became ground zero for the undead, as the Student Recreation Center hosted its 7th annual 5K walk/run with this year’s theme: Zombies. The run, hosted on April 13, consisted of two separate routes which runners would follow depending on their chosen side, which was distinguished by an orange shirt for humans and a green shirt for zombies. The human wore three flags around their waist, and as the participants crossed paths on their way to the finish lines, the zombies would chase after the humans in an effort to take the flags and turn the humans into zombies. Along with the race, there were awards given out for the best costume, and a raffle which was held after all the runners concluded the race.
Although the race was filled with participants both young and old, Natalie Janes, the Evening Events Supervisor for the REC, said as the race slowly approached, the amount of participants who had registered had her concerned; however, she is appreciative of the turnout. “Honestly I was worried at first,” Janes said. “But, we ended up with about 50 runners which is pretty good for an evening run in south Texas’ heat so we’re pretty happy with that […] we actually had community members who signed up, too [along with students]. We tried to promote it to everyone. It wasn’t just students, it wasn’t just faculty. It was Kingsville as a whole and the surrounding communities as well.” Tiphanie Contreras, a marketing intern with the REC center, said they had to work a little harder to get to the number of people they wanted to have a successful event, and was glad that their late efforts helped turn the 5k
Photo by Frankie Cardenas
Humans and zombies run during themed 5K
into a successful event. “We surpassed the goal that we had originally set,” Contreras said. “We had to make a couple of flash sales, and raffles and things like that to get people interested but with ROTC’s help and student involvement, we did pretty well from what I was expecting.” Omar Alexander, Kinesiology major and “human” in the event, said he was glad he was able to take part in such a run, and did not fail to mention that incentives and added stipulations to the run itself, made for a much more enjoyable experience. “It was fun, and honestly, I’m just glad I didn’t turn,” said Alexander about remaining a human through the event. “I’m a bit out of breath, as well as everyone else out here but, it was tons of fun. I’m glad for the people who won, and I’m glad that the [REC] had this theme going. Makes people want to show up and have a good time while getting a good workout in. I enjoyed it.” As for the race, the top three winners were Elizabeth Palacios in third place as a zombie, Ricardo Rios in second place as a human, and Angel Martinez, who placed first as a human with a final time of 17 minutes and 17 seconds. Abel Morales, dressed to impress as a “surviving human,” won the costume contest, while an honorable mention was awarded to, “The Zombie Family.”
Miss TAMUK Continued from Page 1 spirit with the athletic teams because of that fact I’ve noticed that the women’s activities, or sports, we don’t have that many support for them and I feel personally that we need to support the many teams The event was emceed by Monica Hysquierdo, business administration major and the International Student Assistant at the Office of Student Activities. “I think as a tradition for TAMUK it’s a great one. I think it gives a lot of the women here at the university an opportunity to kind of show their skills and, also, represent what it means to be Miss TAMUK. “I think having that woman, an individual who is able
to go out, publically speak, meet with people—faculty, staff, the community—being able to do that means a lot,” Hysquierdo said. Hysquierdo and Benavides introduced performances and led the candidates through the various competitions. As the 2017 Miss TAMUK, Benavides took a strong role in constructing the pageant, filling roles on the pageant committee and acting as a choreographer for the contestants. These responsibilities and duties helped her remember what it was like to be in their position. “It’s so bittersweet. I just see them and I just remember being in their shoes; how I felt. I was so nervous,
On April 14 in the Provisions on Demand Market (POD) area of Martin Hall, the Health and Wellness Center hosted the 7th Annual Men’s Retreat. This is an event to educate men in a variety of topics such as sexual health, mental health, the dangers of gender violence, and perseverance in the face of adversity. “I hope students learn information that helps them think about the directions they are going and their decisions,” Director of Student Health and Wellness Jo Elda Alaniz-Castillo said. The event began with an hour social period during which students were permitted to visit a variety of booths about safe alcohol consumptions and the dangers of drug use. They also had a buffet of pizza, chicken wings, salad and vegetable plates, as well as an area for massages. “It was a great collaborative effort between a committee of students and myself,” began Wellness Advocate
Men’s Retreat event taking place in Martin Hall.
and Coordinator of the event Janett Martinez. “It’s been a really enriching experience.” There was a panel of women featured, so the men in attendance could ask questions about the opposite sex. One of the many guest speakers in attendance was Adjunct Lecturer for the Department of Psychology Juan Angulo. Angulo spoke on gender violence. “Hopefully today people see this as not just a women’s issue, or even a men’s issue, but a human rights issue,” Angulo said on gender vio-
Photo by Josue Villarreal
lence. The evening ended with a raffle during which prizes were awarded ranging from a Javelina cap priced at $25 and a 32 - inch Smart Television. As the event came to a close and the lucky winners grabbed their prizes, many of the men approached the speakers with more questions on what they can do to continue to educate themselves. “These events are very helpful to people that are new to these type of issues,” English major David Early said.
Gines Continued from Page 1 information that Gines gave to Russell himself in an interview via email. That interview centered around an assignment for class comparing and contrasting the budgets for the athletics and ACT departments. Part of that article involved the ramifications of recent budget cuts. Gines responded to budget cuts questions stating: “In response to some decreased revenue sources in 2017-18 I eliminated eight support staff positions.” As a follow-up question, Russell did refer to those eliminated positions as “faculty” members instead of support staff, but Lucas doesn’t see that as academic misconduct. “Those [mistakes] are somebody learning,” Lucas said. “They are not malicious intentional mistakes.” Gines refused to comment saying, “I hold faculty status and do not view communications with students on academic matters as an appropriate topic for interview,”
Gines wrote when asked to provide a comment for this article. Russell remains optimistic in the face of these threats. “I honestly thought it was kind of amusing by the way he got so offended,” Russell said. “It didn’t really affect me at all.” However, Russell is aware of how serious an academic misconduct charge can sit. “I cannot believe you [Gines] are going to this level and trying to write me up with academic misconduct,” Russell said. “I was just trying to do my job and he got offended by me just asking questions that he didn’t have to answer.” When referencing academic misconduct, the TAMUK Student Handbook states: “… serious cases, such as those involving repeated offenses, conspiracy with other students, or the theft and/or selling of examination questions or other egregious acts of academic dishonesty, a report should be made by the in-
structor… Suspension or expulsion from the university is a normal penalty for such offenses.” When Lucas first learned about Gines’ email he questioned the validity of the threats. “My first reaction was, ‘How can he do that? He’s not the instructor or part of the class,’” Lucas said. A clause in the academic misconduct section states that in addition to the instructor, any third party may file a report of alleged academic misconduct. As much as Gines has the ability to file academic misconduct charges, Russell is backed not only by the staff of The South Texan, but he is protected by his First Amendment rights as well. According to the Student Press Law Center, “Sadly, few administrators know — or sometimes, even care about — the law related to student free speech rights. Too often they act without taking the time to figure out what they lawfully can and cannot do.”
Tallant Continued from Page 1 I wanted to throw up every five seconds. I like seeing that every year new girls are coming in like this pageant actually means something and it enters people’s hearts.” Benavides also ended her reign as Miss TAMUK during the pageant, completing her last walk of the stage moments before announcing the night’s winner. “I’m moving on, I’m graduating so this is like my last bang before I graduate and leave TAMUK,” she said. “It’s all going to be so sentimental, I’m going to try not to cry.” Texas A&M University— Kingsville welcomes its new Miss TAMUK and looks forward to her work in the coming year.
percent. With the amount of student growing so did the campus. With the new music building currently being constructed and set to open in the fall of 2019 and other major facilities such as the Student Recreation Center and the Javelina Dining Hall. The university expanded by adding 15 new programs, two doctoral, eight master’s degrees and five bachelor’s degrees such as the Criminal Justice (BA), Cultural Studies (MA) and Sustainable Energy Systems Engineering (Ph.D.). One of Tallant’s biggest accomplishments was leading the formation of the Premont Alliance, a partnership through which the university gave academic support,
training and mentorship to students, teachers and district board members. “It’s the first time in the history of texas that higher ed and public ed worked together. We really developed a model that other universities are using around the state now. It was great for Premont; their school is thriving. They’re getting ready to break ground, on a new school, and that’s exciting. I think it made us a better college of education,” Tallant said. Prior to joining the university, Tallant provided leadership and help to the creation of the College of Education and Human Sciences and the College of Nursing and Health Services.
Tallant also has 20 years of military service and served as chief of Air Force Family Research at the Pentagon from 1991 to 1994. In that position, he worked with congressional staff and members of Congress in the development of budget issues relating to military families. Tallant earned his B.A in Sociology from the University of Florida, his M.S.W in Social Work from the University of Utah and his Ph.D. in Social Welfare from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is also a graduate of the Governor’s Executive Development Program by the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas.
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THURSDAY, APRIL 19, 2018
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