4/5/18

INDEX:

2|CAMPUS

3|OPINION

4|SPORTS

Take Back the Night is next week!

THESOUTHTEXAN.COM

Thursday, April 5, 2018

Dudes in Heels

5|ENTERTAINMENT

6|AD

See page 2

Volume 92 Issue 21

Students participate mile walk to bring awareness

Courtesy photo by facebook.com/TAMUKDM

TAMUK to host ‘Dance Marathon for the Kids!’

Dakota Roberts Editorial Editor Texas A&M University—Kingsville held the annual event Walk-A-Mile this Tuesday, April 3, in an effort to raise awareness about gender violence, sexual assault and rape.

The walk, which was sponsored by Peer Educator Program (PEP Talk), the Student Government Association and the Student Health and Wellness Center, had TAMUK’s male students take up the challenge of walking a mile to the Pavilion while marching in high heels.

Melissa Ramirez, business management major and advocate of Walk-A-Mile, talked about the event.

“Walk-A-Mile is a great event. Honestly I want more people to come out here, more people to kind of understand that it is not just one victim; there are multiple people.

Just by coming out here and doing this for an hour can bring so much awareness to this campus, because people already see us walking and

Photo by Frank Cardenas

Male students wearing red high heels during the Walk a Mile in Her Shoes to bring awareness on gender violence, sexual assault and rape.

see the red shoes. They know why we march like this. And we always say, you know, the more the merrier.”

Students gathered at College Hall at noon to sign release forms, meet their fellow marchers, and, of course, pick out their favorite pair of heels. With the promise of pizza at the end, the guys began marching University

Boulevard wielding signs and sporting red stilettos.

Despite in the past having 20 to 30 students participate, this year the march was only completed by eight students.

One of the marchers, Joel Carrillo, a member of PEP Talk and one of the planners of Walk-A-Mile, explained the difficulty in getting students to come out and partic-

ipate.

“Our main problem is actually getting people to come out because there are not a lot of guys willing to agree to [marching in heels],” he said.

“Last year there was only 30 people in the entire university that marched. I am really hoping for the same amount

See Heels on Page 2

Photos by Frank Cardenas

Left: Phi Mu Alpha making and selling elotes Upper Right: Melissa Ramirez enjoying a mangonada Lower Right: Theta Phi Alpha showing their Brisket sign

Spring Fling has come and gone

Good food, music, socializing at the boulevard Darcy Ramirez Managing Editor Stomachs were full, smiles were shining and music was blasting at the Texas A&M University-Kingsville annual Spring Fling. On March 28, on University Boulevard faculty, students and community members gathered together, stuffed their faces with good food, listened to music and socialized.

Spring Fling is a recurring event at which organizations raise money for future expenses like educational trips, sports equipment, food for future events and other relat-

ed items. While fundraising at Spring Fling, the vendors also offer insight into their club and even try to recruit future members. This year there were approximately 95 to 100 organizations selling food and drinks. Some organizations hosted games like a ring toss, a shooting contest and cornhole instead of selling drinks or food.

Spring Fling had a terrific turnout with its child-anddog-friendly atmosphere as students, children, citizens and various dogs crowded the streets searching for tasty food and rejuvenating drinks.

“This is the first time I’ve participated in the Spring

Fling as a vendor. It is actually really fun because you are helping out your organization and meeting new people you wouldn’t normally run into. It will also look good on resumes and it would be a nice event to volunteer for,” Maie Ching, a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers, said.

One item that is always a big hit is Elote en Vaso (corn in a cup) and this year was no different as lines grew long with customers waiting at the Kappa Delta Chi booth for their delicious favorite.

“I always have a great time at these events. The food is great and reminds me of carnival and ‘street food.’

I also learn more about organizations some organizations that I didn’t even know existed and now I’m really considering to join some of them,” Sarah Garcia, a Spanish major said as she waited to be served by KDChi. Most of the food and drinks were priced between $2 to $5 and many of the organizations made a profit by the end of the night.

Throughout the Spring Fling songs was performed by, Krigare, who played music and kept the vendors and customers entertained as they

See Spring on Page 2

Fundraising event raising money for Driscoll Children’s Hospital Iliana Flores Reporter This year, Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) will help give back to the community by hosting the “Dance Marathon for the Kids!” to raise money for Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi.

Driscoll Children’s Hospital is part of the Children’s Miracle Network of hospitals. The Children’s Miracle Network is a non-profit organization which has made it their mission to raise money and awareness for over 170 pediatric hospitals in North America. Since 1991, the Miracle Network has been hosting dance marathons across the nation to accomplish their goal.

“We are the only children’s charity committed to having 100 percent of the funds raised stay local to support local kids. Since inception, Miracle Network Dance Marathon has raised more than $200 million for kids across North America - ensuring that no child or family fights pediatric illness or injury alone,” the Dance Marathon Children’s Miracle Network website stated.

Since the beginning of the year, student organizations and individuals have been raising money for the Dance Marathon through various fundraisers. Some teams participating include the TAMUK Javelina Sapphires as well as many of TAMUK’s Greek organizations.

One fundraiser was hosted by the TAMUK Dance Marathon Executive Board at this year’s Spring Fling. They raised money by having people pay $5 to put their friends in “jail” for 10 minutes and “bail” was set for $1 per minute. This is just one of many small fundraisers throughout the semester that has raised money.

TAMUK will be one of 300 programs hosting a Dance Marathon this year. The event will be held from 6 to 10 p.m.

April 13 with the check-in time being at 5 p.m. at the Steinke Physical Education Center (SPEC). Throughout the four-hour event, people who attend will be able to see live entertainment with special performances from TAMUK student organizations.

Some performances will include lip syncing and choreographed dances.

The event is kid friendly and will include inflatables, games and food. There will also be Dance Marathon Merchandise available to buy with all the proceeds going directly to Driscoll Children’s Hospital.

Along with participating in different activities, people will be able to meet some of the families who have received services from Driscoll Children’s Hospital.

“In 2016, Driscoll had almost 171,000 patient visits, including nearly 38,000 patients seen at South Texas’ first emergency room created specifically for pediatrics,” the Driscoll Children’s Hospital website stated. This will give students and others a chance to see some of these people they are helping in the community through their fundraising efforts.

For Jessica Montenegro, the Fraternity and Sorority Life coordinator, this is one of the best parts of hosting a Dance Marathon because she believes it is a good opportunity for students and anyone who donates to see how they are impacting families.

“I think what’s really important about this [TAMUK Dance Marathon for the KIDS!] is that we’re giving back to our community. A lot of the times we do a lot of these fundraisers and we don’t really get to see like the fruit or the people that we’re really affecting and connecting and [these] are families that are here in our area, people from Kingsville, people from Bishop, people from Corpus, they’re all families that we probably see down the street every day that we are impacting,” Montenegro said.

To register for the “Dance Marathon for the Kids!” people can visit the TAMUK Dance Marathon page up until 5:45 p.m. April 13 when registration ends. For those wanting to participate in the fundraising efforts of this year’s Dance Marathon anyone can visit this same web page to donate to any individual or student organization they wish to help raise money for Driscoll Children’s Hospital in Corpus Christi and help support local children.

2

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

Campus

‘Shatter the Silence. Stop the Violence.’

Take Back the Night event fights back against rape and sexual violence

C.R. Neal Campus Editor As the conversation about sexual violence gains traction nationwide, the Student Health and Wellness Center (SHW) at Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK) looks to keep the momentum rolling with its event Take Back the Night.

TAMUK student Fabiola Cuellar, a communication sciences and disorders major, is in charge of organizing this event.

“The purpose of Take Back the Night is to raise awareness and end violence of sexual relationships,” Cuellar said.

Wellness Advocate Janett Martinez from the SHW functions as Cuellar’s faculty advisor on this project, but gives Cuellar most of the credit for the event.

“It’s a very difficult issue for men and for women, so we encourage people to attend this event with a whole heart because this affects other people that are not going to be so open about this,” Martinez said. “Our stance is to prompt an environment where this can be an open dialogue and we hope to push progressive movements within ourselves and our community.”

Cuellar stressed numerous times that people don’t have to be victims of sexual violence to attend, and is unhappy that the conversation about sexual violence is not as prominent as she feels it should be.

“I honestly never hear much of this topic being discussed. I remember a student at some college being accused of raping a woman and he got out of jail in just a few

A case similar to the one Cuellar referred to gained national traction last year.

Brock Turner, a former swimmer at Stanford

‘Flirting is not consent.

Hesitation is not consent.’

months,” Cuellar said.

“Now that I’ve been doing this event I realized how important this issue is.”

the skies were clear and the sun was out and both students and the community were united.

“I’m an introvert that’s usually how I describe myself to most people, but one of my friends wanted to come so we came, and I bought some food, and

revolves around enhancing the students ability to recognize the indicators of sexual violence, but Cuellar doesn’t think it’s enough.

“What sets my event apart from the Haven training is that the training is mandatory, it’s just quizzes and slides, and it’s monotonous,” Cuellar said. “Having a multi-dimensional event makes it that much different from being on a computer screen.”

Martinez, however, believes that Haven and Take Back the Night are two pieces of the same puzzle.

“Haven is a good quantitative approach to the issue, and with Take Back the Night we have a more qualitative and humane approach to this topic,” Martinez said.

Take Back the Night will start at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 11 in Room 219 ABC in the Student Union Building at TAMUK.

Heels continued from Page 1

Spring continued from Page 1 The music was setup in front of the Javelina statues but could easily be heard from many yards away.

Spring Fling overall was full of smiles and laughs, despite the worry and anxiety students felt during the day because of predicted harsh weather. But luckily,

University, was convicted of three sexual assault charges and sentenced to six months in

jail.

According to w, Turner only spent three of those months in jail.

According to the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network female college students aged 18 to 24 are three times more likely to experience sexual violence, and 23.1 percent of undergraduates, who are female, experience rape or sexual assault.

Cuellar then spoke about the importance of being able to identity sexual violence.

“People don’t know how to identify it [sexual assault] and if we can’t identify it how can we go to the next steps of reporting, documenting and stopping it?” Cuellar said. “Flirting is not consent. Hesitation is not consent.”

TAMUK already requires students to take a training course called Haven, which

talked to some people and I surprised myself because I actually had a good time.

So, I think college kids need events like these so people like me can get out of our comfort zones,” Shane Deleon, a chemistry major said.

of people; maybe a little more.”

Despite the smaller turnout, Alexander Soliz, a shadow officer for PEP Talk and social work major, demonstrated what the event was about and its subtle secondary message of not worrying about what others think.

“It’s fun to come out here support women, have them laugh at us a little as we attempt to walk down the

street. Other than that it’s just a good event to try to show you don’t care what others think either,” Soliz continued speaking about his organization.

“We really strive to tell students about sex, drugs, alcohol. We also try to find ways to explain these things without just saying abstinence only. We just want people to be safe.”

As the marchers crossed

Men stride along University Boulevard

the finish line, they were met with supportive cheers, the promised pizza, and a nice gift bag from the Health and Wellness Center.

With another Walk-A-Mile under TAMUK’s belt, we see once again that students had fun, a message was spread, and hopefully the university is a little more aware of the sexual violence that is all too common on a college campus.

Photo by Frankie Cardenas

Opinion

3

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

The Age-Old Struggle of the Teacher Darcy Ramirez Managing Editor In 1865 slavery was made illegal, but it seems like teachers are the modern-day slaves to our government. In 2013 the starting salary for a fresh-out-of-college teacher was $27,320 and the insurance given to them was more laughable than helpful. Now imagine if those educators had children. Or, if one of their children was sick and the medical bills kept accumulating. Or if their spouse is on disability and therefore they are the breadwinner.

Doesn’t seem like they are earning much “bread” with only $27,000.

So as history will show,

teachers are constantly under-appreciated. It is not until they repeatedly complain, threaten to walkout, or make a scene that they are listened to. It is a hard life for a teacher.

The inflation after War World II resulted in economic hardships for many teachers nationwide as their salaries were taking a nosedive. According to historian Marjorie Murphy, during the war years, the average income of industrial workers rose 80 percent while teachers’ real income fell 20 percent.

After that, teachers in Norwalk, Conn., sparked the first post-war strike in September 1946. They were successful and won an increase in pay along with their union being

recognized. But the biggest and most successful teachers’ strike of that year took place in November in St. Paul, Minn., when teachers went on a five-week strike that eventually led to a pay increase.

On Feb. 26, the West Virginia teachers strike erupted.

This walkout shut down all public schools in the state for nine days. Gov. Jim Justice and West Virginia’s Republican leaders tried to put on a brave face, but inside they were panicking and desperately trying to reach an agreement by giving in to the teachers’ demands.

“We have reached a deal.

I stood rock solid on the 5 percent teacher pay raise and delivered. Not only this, but

my staff and I made additional cuts which will give all state employees 5 percent as well. All the focus should have always been on fairness and getting the kids back in school,” Justice tweeted on March 6.

Justice plans on paying for it by seeking to cut state spending by $20 million, taking funds from general services and Medicaid, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Craig Blair said.

Teachers give birth to our future and yet we treat them as modern-day slaves. The government doesn’t whip these educators but the government makes it basically financially impossible for these teachers to provide for their families. They are given

the minds of impressionable children and are told to educate, mold and help the student grow as individuals.

Sometimes the children are ideal and are eager to learn, have common decency, and are intelligent, but most of the time they are given more difficult cases like children who come from abused homes, are completely disrespectful, have no desire to learn, and think they know more than their mentor could possibly teach them. So, we give them the worst-of-theworst children, tiresome schedules, and sometimes their supervisors wave their power around to make themselves feel better, yet we pay the teachers so little for a job that is so demanding both

physically and mentally. And they also have future problems to look forward to as these teachers near their retirement date. To be eligible to retire, the educator’s year of experience plus their age must equal 80, but even if the educator does retire they are only given 65 percent of their average top five salaries.

It might seem like a useless profession to other people, but there is no reason that professional athletes get paid millions of dollars and some teachers are barely scraping by. If history has proved anything it’s that the government needs educators because if we don’t have teachers, who will educate and enlighten the future generations?

Loyola University-Chicago, Michigan University, Kansas University and Villanova University. The Alamodome in San Antonio was a great venue, it was big and packed during the two games that were played there, and the seats were somewhat divided by the school. Michigan University was by the South East area, Loyola settled near the North East area. Villanova and Kansas were left with the West area.

Growing up in a Michigan household made me a Michigan fan in football and basketball, although the fan in me now is a bit less now that I am older, but I still care. What about my own loyalty to TAMUK? It’s still there and it will always be there whether I support other schools. The first game was pretty good with fan atmosphere being really excited and pumped for every minute.

Michigan started out

strong, obtaining the lead in the first few minutes of the half. Suddenly the game went cold, Loyola moved in to strike while Michigan was stuck in a rut; ending the half with an 8-point deficit.

This rut continued into the second half with the deficit remaining at 10 points, although Michigan was starting to heat up quite quickly.

By the 4:45 mark, Michigan was on a 17-2 run and was

leading the game by 7 points.

Everyone around me, including my dad, was going crazy with excitement. Michigan was finally starting to look like the team we knew during the season.

By the end, Michigan had won by 12 points and was heading to the finals. The second game of the Final Four was Villanova vs. Kansas and honestly it wasn’t a good game as a neutral spectator.

The game was basically over in the first few minutes. Villanova was at one point leading by 22 points and continued to pound Kansas throughout the game. By that point, I had already left the venue and headed back to where I was staying. Overall, the experience was incredible.

Fans, despite what team they were rooting for, cheered and enjoyed the atmosphere, despite the final results.

two. Instead, I ended up saddling up myself and picking out a nice pair of sandals to let my feet free and walk with the crowd. Unfortunately, I was called out for the cop out. Not willing to back out on the challenge I picked my own pair of bright red heels.

In the first few minutes I realized what I had gotten into.

I can’t stand in these things.

Meanwhile, another one of the marchers was next to me completing squats and dance moves; a true pro at showing me up on the heel game.

Looking around after that I was wondering when we were going to start. The event, which had been said to be an hour long event, was now reaching almost 30

minutes late. I realized why, almost no one had come to participate. I thought, classes are going on, its near lunch time, but still. By the time it was supposed to start it was just me and two other guys; both of whom were part of the organization running the march. Eventually more and more came, including some frat guys and an honest supporter. By the end, we were eight strong.

I talked to the rest of the people involved in the organization, and from what I can tell, in the past the event was 30 people strong; everyone marching, wielding signs, spreading the cause of fighting sexual assault. However, myself and my seven compa-

triots took to marching anyways.

It is a shame that an event that ended up being fairly fun and simple, managed to only get eight participants, including myself. As people passed by, I wondered why they didn’t take the quick chance of jumping in. Maybe they were just uninformed about the event.

This isn’t the first time I was disappointed when it comes to university activism. It’s hard to get messages across and often times, things seem to fall short.

Another event that made me feel the same way was clash of values, an event held two semesters ago where a

Madness in the Month of March

Joshua Lin Sports Reporter This past weekend, I was given the opportunity to go to a NCAA Final Four March Madness game in San Antonio; all thanks to my dad who went to Michigan University way back in the ’80s.

The four teams that were left in the tournament were

Taking the Good and the Bad of TAMUK Activism Dakota Roberts Editorial Editor Somewhere about halfway through the Walk-AMile event, as we were making the turn on University boulevard, I thought my toe had begun bleeding. As God is my witness, I cannot walk in heels. Whether that makes me a wimp on the pain tolerance scale or not is irrelevant, what matters most is that I did finish the long, arduous march; crossing speed bumps and all.

I had actually only gone to the event to report on the march—get interviews, talk to supporters, snap a pic or

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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First Amendment Right 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.

forum was held to discuss topics such as immigration, education, etc. The lack of partipation was alarming, but even more, the event seemed to miss the mark.

Values clashed but nothing ever came of it. Opinions once held before the event left completely intact.

A part of me feels the same way for something like Walk-A-Mile. While the message is certainly one that cannot, and should not, be infringed on, the lack of participation makes me wonder, what is it for?

We failed to spread awareness in a sense; we made no strides towards contributing to victims of the crime. In the

end, while I enjoyed the time and the people, I’m left with this empty feeling of what exactly did we achieve?

I find this a problem with a lot of the things that we attempt to contribute to on this campus. The tunnel of oppression for example caused more controversy than anything, and while an interesting set up, didn’t seem to contribute towards any particular goal—simply an empty sentiment of symbolic proportions.

But maybe, really, the cause has to be internal. Individuals do reach out, the symbolic gesture does not.

Maybe this is both the good and bad of symbolism.

Searching for the Best Shot Picturing the future of NBA basketball Frankie Cardenas Photographer I just couldn’t believe that something like this, could happen to me. I was standing next to a 10-foot basketball hoop, with a camera and lens that costs more than my annual tuition, shooting photographs of some the best college basketball players in the country.

The NCAA held its Third Annual Men’s Final Four Sports Photography Workshop in San Antonio, Texas; and with perfect timing, one phone call and the support of the staff at The South Texan, I was sitting courtside and getting a first-hand account of what it’s like to work with some of the best sports photographers in the world.

Upon my arrival, I, along with five other students was greeted by and talked to photographers who together have attended more Olympic games, Super Bowls, Final

Fours, NBA Finals and World Series championships than I could count. The amount of wisdom and knowledge I was able to obtain from these veterans was insane.

From camera angles, to settings and where the perfect spot to shoot anything is, I was just amazed at the amount of things I was able to learn as they looked over pictures from my portfolio.

And that was only day one.

The following morning, I walked the parking lot of the Alamodome until I was awarded my credentials from our supervisor.

Soon after, with the help of Nikon Professional Services, we were given whatever camera equipment we saw fit for shooting that afternoon.

And one by one, we gathered our things and headed to the hardwood, to shoot practices of all four teams who earned their way to San Antonio.

From players like Mo Wagner, and College basket-

ball’s Player of the Year Jalen Brunson, I was astonished that I was taking pictures of some of the future stars of the NBA. Add the free food, the ability to walk into the player’s locker rooms, and the free entertainment during the breaks, I could not fathom just how lucky I was to be taking part in the program.

Finally, we were able to take in some live-game action, photographing the Reese’s All-Star game, featuring the best seniors in Division 1 college basketball. I could not believe the amount of work and stress it was to try and get a shot worth printing, but with the guidance and assistance from our mentors over the two-day workshop, I was able to capture some of the best material I will ever have in my collection of work.

When things winded down, the thrill ride was eventually over, but everything I learned on this trip, will live and breathe with me for as long as I live.

4

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

Sports

Buff Named New Defensive Coordinator

Javelina Football Team Looks to Strengthen Defense for Upcoming Season Luis Garcia Sports Reporter Javelina Football looks to rebound and take back the title of Lone Star Conference Champions. After a 4-7 season, Head Football Coach Daren Wilkinson and the Javelinas decided to make some changes to better the team. The main focus was on defense as they named Haskel Buff the new defensive coordinator.

Buff brings an abundance of experience as he started out as a Graduate Assistant

Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics

Haskel Buff

at Stephen F. Austin University as well as the University of Nevada at Las Vegas.

He then came to Texas A&M University-Kingsville where he landed his first job, and also helped the team to three conference championships.

Soon after winning three conference championships, Buff left to take coaching jobs at Texas Southern, West Texas and Fort Valley State in Georgia. There he changed the whole program around.

Coach Buff now looks to turn the Javelinas around and bring the Hogs a conference championship.

“I think they’re learning their base fundamentals and what we’re doing. They’re starting to understand and

play a little faster than what they had,” Buff said.

Buff shows a lot of love and excitement about coaching at TAMUK; the university has a very special place in his heart.

“A&M-Kingsville has a special place with me. It was my first job and it’s a real special place to my wife and I. She’s a graduate of A&I, she was our alumni director, and she was the booster club president,” he said.

Buff brings a different look, game plan and a positive attitude when on the field. Linebackers Coach Kevin May said Buff has

what it takes, and seems to be very content with the change on defense.

“So far it’s good. You know, it’s a different scheme, different terminology so we’re all learning it as coaches and players so we can be able to teach them properly.

There are a lot of similarities with what we’ve done here in the past, there’s some crossover. He’s an intense guy, he has high standards and high demand for our guys and they’re responding to it so far,” May said.

With the amount of Buff’s success coaching football, it’s possible to see why Coach

Wilkinson and the team confidedently hired Buff as the defensive coordinator.

Wilkinson sees the knowledge Buff brings, and that’s exactly what he had to say.

“Well first of all, the reason we hired Haskel here is because he is a tremendous defensive football coach,” he said.

“He’s won championships here before, and the big thing he brings to the table outside is just his knowledge as a defensive football coach.

He gets guys to play hard, and that’s what we need. I think we were lacking that last year.”

Javelina Tennis just loses to tip-top Aggies Head Coach’s said adjustments succeed, visible in athlete performances

Plaserae Johnson Sports Editor The Javelina Tennis team dropped the match by a hair against the Aggies from Cameron State University on “Senior Day.” The Aggies won 5-4. The series of matches was March 30 on the Javelina home courts.

The day began with doubles and concluded with singles. Although the Javelinas suffered a loss, the coaching staff had a positive mentality.

Head Coach Autumn Williams expected the tough competition from Cameron State.

“Cameron is a great team so we are trying to match their energy. That’s what I was expecting,” Williams said.

The Aggies are one of the best in the conference topping Midwestern State University and San Angelo State University, which are also good teams. Each team in the conference has lost a match and they all have a chance to snag the title in

the Lone Star Conference Championship tournament.

“Every team has experienced a loss so there is no absolute winner,” Coach Williams said.

The tournament takes place in a couple weeks. It will be a fair opportunity for every team competing. The Javelinas have improved their doubles and singles to keep up with their competitors, especially the Aggies.

“In the doubles what we’ve been talking about is using our energy positively and moving our feet, and they’ve been doing it today, and that’s why the matches are so close,” Coach Williams said.

Coach Williams was proud of the players for making all the matches competitive.

Williams adjusted the team from last year.

“Last year we had a good team. This year we have a good team, but it was just a matter of belief and experience,” she said.

Some players went from singles to doubles and viceversa.

“Stephanie [Baerman]

wasn’t a doubles player and she was waiting and waiting, but once she got an opportunity she took off with it,” Coach Williams said.

Players have been working on being wellrounded so they can play doubles and singles. It has elevated the team against competition and made them stronger.

“I mainly play singles, sometimes doubles but I like both. I like singles because everything is on my own but I like doubles because there is someone there to have my back,” said Julia Rauer, a player experienced in both.

For the seniors heading into the end of their last season, it was bittersweet.

Seniors Martina Urrutia and Viviana Ortiz, the doubles duo, are reaching the homestretch of their careers together.

“It’s been a great experience. I like [Coach Williams] and I’ve learned so much,” Urrutia said.

Their next match will be against the Laredo Palominos at 11.a.m. on April 6 in Laredo.

Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics

Julia Rauer ready to hit the tennis ball

Javelina Spring Football Training Has Begun

Texas A&M University-Kingsville Football Team is Preparing for 2018 Season Joshua Lin Sports Reporter

The Hogs Football Team charging out at a home game

File photo by Crystal Zamarron

The Texas A&M Kingsville University football team is preparing for the 2018 season with high hopes. The training this spring will prepare the team going into the 2018 season.

Last season, the team struggled with an overall win-loss record of 4-7.

The offensive line was not at its best and it was evident with the amount of sacks the team accumulated.

Football Coach Daren Wilkinson talked about what the offseason is like for the team. “Our mantra for this offseason has been ‘back to the basics,’ we had a lot of guys coming back after we had a successful year at 9-3, so to go from that year to what we had this past season was very disappointing,” Wilkinson said.

He continued by stating the oppurtunites. “Having watched film and done as much studying as we can in the offseason, a lot of it is getting back to the fundamentals of playing fast, going hard and doing everything that good football

‘If game

intelligence, teamwork, and chemistry are at full capability for the duration of the season, this ball club can be as good as they resolve to be,’

-Athletic Director, David Gines

teams need to do. That is our main focus on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball for this spring.”

Athletic Director David Gines is optimistic. “If game intelligence, teamwork and chemistry are at full capability for the duration of the season, this ball club can be as good as they resolve to be,” Gines said. “Spring football is a 30-day window of 15-practice opportunities to teach, train and develop team chemistry. It’s the foundation for establishing every ball club’s style of play. Great athletes and teams fulfill their potential

by taking advantage of every opportunity to develop, and spring football is an opportunity - to competitively adapt, invest extra effort, develop game instinct and become a cohesive team. When teams consistently progress in these areas, leadership and confidence flourish. These are the key areas I look for in the life of any team.”

Quarterback Koi Detmer Jr. was excited that the season is starting back up again and is looking forward to competing for the starting position.

“I feel like it’s been really good. It’s always good, when being in a competition, to be around really good guys and we have a great, tight group here with the QBs and it’s awesome. Everyone, or I know I do, gets excited when another makes a good throw or makes a good play, and I think that makes the group that much better. Every day everyone just comes with a great attitude and mind set ready to compete and be our best.” Detmer said.

Spring Football will have 14 practices in April and an intrasquad game at 7 p.m.

April 20 at Javelina Stadium.

Entertainment

5

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

Award-winning Poet Brought to TAMUK for returning event Roop bringing her unique style of poetry to Pizza, Pajamas and Poetry gathering Plaserae Johnson Sports Editor Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) is hosting an event called “Pizza, Pajamas and Poetry” at 7 p.m. on April 10 in the Javelina Engagement Center. The event is one of a kind at the university.

For the event, a guest speaker is invited to TAMUK to present his or her poetry sets to the students.

The April 10 event will feature a poet that goes by the name of Lacey Roop The Campus Activities Board (CAB) forms the event based on the guest speaker and their poetry Courtesy of lacey roop.com set.

This keeps the event Lacey Roop on stage from ‘Write About Now’ competition fresh and exciting for students who have attended usually bring in a Spoken published several times and other Pizza, Pajamas and Po- Word poet. People come in performs regularly at public etry happenings. The event with their pajamas or lounge events and universities. occurs every semester and wear and listen to the poetry.

“His mind is too much it’s become more popular as You don’t have to wear paja- sparkplug for the sockets time goes on. mas but it is highly encour- and everyone around him is Students from all kinds of aged,” said Delanie Slifka, trying to plug him in two,” campus organizations attend the president of Campus Ac- said Roop in her poem titled and pack the Javelina En- tivities Board.

“Education.” gagement Center to watch CAB encourages students Roop was chosen because the guest speaker. of the emotional impact she to come enjoy Roop’s poetry “I would go again. I liked had on CAB members when and the provided snacks and the atmosphere and it was she presented her poetry at beverages. entertaining,” said Amber the last conference they atThey hope students will Perry, a graduate student tended. She has received learn to appreciate the artistmajoring in Counseling and awards as a Slam Poet in the ry and beauty of poetry.

Guidance at TAMUK. They will select a new Women of the World Poetry The CAB attends confer- Slam. She has appeared sev- guest speaker at the upcomences every year at which the eral times on the poet plat- ing conference they attend poets, other prospects and form called “Write About and host the event again in activity ideas are presented.

Fall 2018.

Now.” “What it is exactly... is we Lastly, the poet has been

9th Annual Hoggie Hunt TAMUK Javelina Athletic Department organized an Easter egg hunt for children divided into three age groups. More than 5,000 Easter eggs covered the Javelina stadium and four eggs that were hidden on the field contained a ticket for a new bicycle.

Courtesy of facebook.com/Lacey-Roop

Board brings bowling back to Corpus Christi Bowlero In collaboration with CAB, Transfer Students plan bowling night Josue Villarreal Reporter Rapidly approaching on April 5 is the Transfer Students and Campus Activities Board event, the Second Annual Bowling for Bowlero.

Anyone interested can register for the trip to Corpus Christi Bowlero at the Javelina Student Engagement Center and enjoy a fun night of food and healthy competition.

Pizza, chicken strips, french fries and soft drinks will be available for purchase.

And, there is not just

bowling, but also a full arcade and even laser tag.

“There is not a bowling alley located in Kingsville, and the one at the SPEC is typically not used for leisure activity,” said Coordinator of Campus Activities Loreal Robertson.

The event is an effort to support businesses in both Kleberg and Nueces counties.

It also offers opportunities to students who don’t have the ability to travel to Corpus Christi. This gives the student a chance to visit and enjoy quality free time.

“We want to continue to be creative in the events we offer,” Robertson said.

Many of the students are excited to be able to participate in the event, and to be able to play a game that isn’t readily available to them in their daily lives.

“I like to go bowling with my friends,” excitedly said English major Robert Trujillo.

It’s also great for students who normally lack the funds to go out.

Some do not have the luxury to go and have fun, so this gives them an opportunity to do more than just study and attend classes.

“It feels good to have the option to actually do something,” said Biomedical Science major Amy Ziyad.

Photos by Frankie Cardenas

6

THURSDAY, APRIL 5, 2018

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