Thursday, October 27, 2016
southtexannews.com
Volume 91, Issue 9
Texas A&M University - Kingsville
The South Texan /TheSouthTexan
@TheSouthTexan
@TheSouthTexan
THE MISSING 43
FAFSA
renewal begins Plaserae Johnson Contributor writer
The faces of 43 missing Mexico students are shown during a discussion last week attended by two fathers whose sons have disappeared.
Photo by Frankie Cardenas
Parents of missing Mexico students share heartfelt tale, seek help Dakota Roberts Contributor writer When 43 students go missing, you find them. It seemed that simple to Mario Contreras and yet he found himself staring at a blockade of risen shields. Glaring right back at him, behind the murky glass, was a soldier shrouded in black. The helmeted officer was indistinguishable between the hundreds of soldiers that he stood shoulder to shoulder with. Swallowing his nerve, Contreras kept screaming. Behind the vociferous man was a troop of his own, the parents of the missing 43 for the third time had come to the 27th battalion’s barracks for answers. Members of the notorious infantry battalion were said to have wit-
nessed the events of the infamous Night of Iguala, the last night Contreras talked to his son. The events of that night occurred almost two years ago, and still no testimony from any soldiers involved on Sept. 26, 2014 have come forward. Still looking for answers, Mario Contreras, along with his fellow Ayotzinapa representative Felipe de la Cruz, came to Texas A&M University-Kingsville hoping to tap a vein in TAMUK’s long history of activism. Last Thursday, the two parents participated in a press conference held at the Bailey art gallery, as well as a presentation held in room 251 of Nierman Hall. Other speakers included Dr. Richard Hartwig, a political science professor, and Jose Villarreal, a lecturer of sociology who organized the event.
Mario Contreras first words set the tone for the night. “It is hard as a parent to stand behind the microphone to provide information about a missing son.” The man stood in front of the classroom, looked down, tapped his fingers on the table. Above him was a picture of his son, looking down at him. The same fury-ridden father who stood glaring at the hundreds of soldiers who stood in-between him and answers, now stood solemn, detached. “We have suffered a lot, like you have no idea. We have walked a lot hoping for justice, I know my son deserves it.” In 2014 students of the Ayotzinapa Normal School, a teacher’s college, decided to commandeer several buses to drive to Mexico City to participate in protests commemorating the Tlatelolco Massacre of 1968. On their way to the event, Mexican law enforcement as well as other unidentified gunmen intercepted the buses and conflict ensued. Local police and gunmen began firing on unarmed students. The night from then on is filled with mixed testimonies, missing tapes, and everything that could cause chaos in an investigation. Some students laid dying in the streets. One student was discovered with a bullet lodged in their jaw, he was unable to receive assistance. Other students testified that military personnel threatened them and denied medical care to even the most critical; some bodies remained bleeding in the streets for hours. The most controversial instance of the night is the disappearance and
Photo by Frankie Cardenas
Jose Villarreal, lecturer of sociology and organizer of event, plays the guitar.
suspected murders of 43 students. After the shooting stopped, eyewitnesses testified that students were rounded up and placed in police vehicles. According to investigators, the students were taken to a garbage pit and killed, their bodies burned. The most eye-opening moment of the presentation came during a question-and-answer period, when Contreras was asked, “How did the parents come to find out about the attack?” Contreras answered without hesitation, “I can tell you how I found out, a friend [of my son] happened to give me a call on the 27th of September at 9:12 in the evening. He told me they were detained, that there were deaths. My wife and I went over there. It was about 11:15 at night. I saw a lot of people coming in and out of a bus. My wife and I stayed within the outskirts, waiting for the trucks to come out, waiting for the students to see if my son would come out. “Sadly, he did not come out. Since then we have sold everything and we moved. We continue to look for our son.” Contreras finished, “That’s why the 43 families are everywhere that we can be, that’s why when we are invited by any nation or we’re helped with costs to visit any place by organizations we will be there, telling our stories.” The two parents asked that when the U.S. is done questioning its presidential candidates this November, it turn our eyes to the president to the south and ask, where are the 43?
New programs for Weslaco Citrus Center America Quintero Reporter
Texas A&M University-Kingsville is making engineering opportunities available for students of the Rio Grande Valley. TAMUK announced on October 2014 that it would be opening an engineering school in Weslaco, Texas. Located in the RGV community, TAMUK’s newest Engineering department officially opened its doors to students for the
fall semester of 2015. With an expected increase in student enrollment, the TAMUK Rio Grande Valley Engineering Initiative will be increasing its facilities and student programs. The Rio Grande Valley is the southernmost region of Texas, as well as one of the fastest growing areas in business and population. The need for an increase in schools of higher learning was quickly addressed by Texas A&M-Kingsville, who
introduced the Rio Grande Valley Engineering Initiative in Weslaco. Director of the Javelina Engineering Student Success Center, Austin McCoy states, “I think the Rio Grande Valley initiative is a really good opportunity for students down there to get their degree while staying close to home. The industry is growing down there and is expanding and offering extended programs down in the valley (RGV) is really needed.”
TAMUK’s engineering department in Weslaco currently has 31 engineering students. These students are to receive two years of instruction at RGV community colleges, such as South Texas College. They can then transfer to the Weslaco campus for the final two years of their Bachelor’s degree in the college of Engineering. The most popular program is Chemical Engineering, however the TAMUK Rio Grande Valley Engineering
INSIDE STORIES SPANISH PAGE IS BACK SEE PAGE 7! Student Regent visited TAMUK See Page 4
Initiative offers a wide range of degree opportunities. The university currently offers courses that lead into a Bachelor Degrees in Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Natural Gas Engineering, Architectural Engineering, and Industrial Management and Technology – and Masters Degrees in Civil Engineering, Environmental Engineering, and. . .
“In August I was out of town and I had the Pell grant and some institutional grant that I made plans with and then I was sent an email that said it will be reduced when it would have paid my full tuition” says James Passley. The beginning of the semester, the Financial Aid were having difficulties. The South Texan reported on it as their first issue. The financial aid office has made some changes because of what happened in the fall. The FAFSA official website and TAMUK’s financial aid office has started sending out emails for the upcoming aid year. “I hear that the office is never on time and people receive money very late and the money comes way beyond the date causing them to take out loans and borrow money” says Lutalo Boyce a senior at TAMUK. I feel like the FAO should manage their time better so that we could get help faster, some of us need it within a limited amount of time, and they weren’t cooperating fast enough. Some of us still haven’t got our financial aid when we need it! It is kind of irritating” says Reese Cantu, a student of TAMUK and a person who experienced troubles with financial aid this semester. “If your package was reduced, please know that we will try our best to make up for some of these funds by awarding state or institutional funds, as funds are available and as quickly as possible” Lisa Seals sent in an email. She is the Director of the Financial Aid office. Students should go to FAFSA and apply for next year and follow the university’s process to get their money on time and as expected. On October 27th, the next session for students to renew their FAFSA for the next year will at Eckhardt Hall Room 153 from noon-2 p.m. Prizes will be given.
See Weslaco Citrus Center on page 4
Courtesy photo
INDEX Painted Violins See Page 3!
HALLOWEEN STORIES FROM STUDENTS SEE PAGE 2!
HALLOWEEN......................................2 #JAVLIFE............................................3 CAMPUS NEWS...................................4 ED./OPINION.....................................5 SPORTS..............................................6 SPANISH.............................................7 AD.....................................................8