Issue 11/2/17

INDEX:

2|ENTERTAINMENT

VISION QUEST America Quintero Reporter It was just another regular school day for Kevin Cervantes. At the time, he was a high school junior in Del Rio, Texas. He loved sports and video games and was involved in his high school’s marching band, jazz band and mariachi group. As he sat at his desk, he realized that he could no longer see the classroom board. The world around him started to become a surge of blurry images. Although Cervantes

had never experienced eyesight problems, his family assumed things would get better if he got glasses. Little did they know that Cervantes was facing symptoms of a rare eye disorder called Leber’s Hereditary Optic Neuropathy (LHON).

That same month, in April 2016, doctors from San Antonio diagnosed Cervantes with LHON. Individuals who have LHON experience vision problems that leave them legally blind. Cervantes and his family were shocked and terrified by the sudden news, especially when they learned LHON had no official cure.

“At that moment I didn’t know what to do. I couldn’t find any answers at the time and being in high school, I actually didn’t know if there was any help for me,” Cervantes said.

Although Cervantes was distraught by the medical results, he refused to give up on his eyesight. With the help

and support from family and friends, he did research on possible LHON treatments.

He eventually stumbled on a medical trial that was being conducted in Philadelphia at Wills Eye Hospital.

Wills Eye Hospital had treated the first RESCUE trial patient in the U.S. enrolled in an FDA-approved gene therapy research study on March 1, 2016. This was a medical breakthrough that opened doors for future gene therapy trials for treating, curing or reversing certain vision loss cases. Participants in the

3|CAMPUS

5|SPORTS

6|AD

Thursday November 2, 2017 Volume 92 Issue 09

TAMUK, Pepsi in agreement Student can now choose what they want in Pepsi vending machines Dakota Roberts Editorial Editor

Graphic by America Quintero

signatures and raise enough money for him to participate in the trial. Harrison Ramason, a long-time friend of Cervantes, explains that the community was very willing to help Cervantes’s cause.

“We actually did a fundraiser. We got people to sell food and tickets to get the procedure done. There was a lot of support from the community and families. His now friend from Florida is going through the same procedure. There’s support from all areas to help both kids out,” Ramason said.

Since being accepted into the trial, Cervantes says he has made tremendous progress. He hasn’t completely recovered his eyesight, but remains hopeful. He also describes music as being one of his biggest motivators in continuing his goals and ambitions. Currently, Cervantes is a freshman at Texas A&M University-Kingsville and is majoring in Pharmacy.

Ivette Cervantes is not surprised her son wanted to become a pharmacist, since he had always been interested in helping people.

“Although he has a big passion for music, it’s not something he pursues for a career. When he got LHON, it became a question of ‘what

can I do versus what I want to do? He did decide to go to TAMUK right away. He did not know what he was going to declare as a degree because of his vision. He did develop an itch for pharmacy. He’s always been one to help, so this is a way he feels he can help someone,” Ivette Cervantes said.

Ramason, also a student at TAMUK and is proud of his friend believes Cervantes can do anything he sets his mind to, that includes overcoming his blindness.

“He’s very determined.

If he’s got something on his mind, he’ll get it done. He’s caring, and will be concerned with you as a person,” Ramason said.

Cervantes also continues to be optimistic about his vision disorder, and says it doesn’t stop him from doing the things he does every day.

He attends classes on a regular basis, plays sports and is an active member of the TAMUK Jazz Band.

“I do hope that I get my eyesight back, but as of now I can’t see. It’s actually no big problem for me. …if it comes back, then it’s great. If it doesn’t, I already have the tools and the support system to try to help me continue my journey.”

Graphic by America Quintero

RESCUE and REVERSE trial would have old-mutated genes replaced with ‘working copies.’ The trial sought patients who had recently experienced symptoms of LHON. Cervantes seemed like a perfect candidate for the Philadelphia trial, but there was one major problem. Individuals under 18 were not eligible for the medical study.

Cervantes’s mother, Ivette Cervantes, said that in order to overrule the requirement, her son would have to start a petition. To top things off, the procedure would require Cervantes’s family to make large financial expenses.

“Kevin had an obstacle because he was a minor. A friend in Florida stepped in to help. They went to do a petition for people to vote on the age limit for the trial.

If Kevin would have waited until 18, then he wouldn’t have been eligible anymore,” Ivette Cervantes said.

Against all odds, Cervantes managed to gain enough

4|OPINION

Now that Pepsi vending machines have filled the halls at Texas A&M University— Kingsville, more options are in store for students, said Raaj Kurapati, TAMUK’s chief financial officer and vice president for finance.

After the school’s contract with Coca-Cola expired, the school chose to seek a Request for Proposal—allowing companies to propose an agreement to offer students their products. The RFP outlined all the conditions for a company to sell products from vending machines.

“The primary driver for us choosing Pepsi over Coke was financial,” Kurapati explained. “In addition to that, we did ask for assurances that they would bring better machines on campus, we expected an increased level of service agreements; let’s say a machine broke down somewhere.”

The change was not met without controversy, as many students expressed a desire for their favorite soft drinks.

The school is discussing what other products will be sold.

Maricelda Zarate, TAMUK’s director of strategic sourcing, has contacted the Pepsi company and said representatives have been responsive to what kind of products will be available on campus.

“What we are looking at as a part of this deal, working with the vendor, [is trying] to

get more healthy options,” Kurapati said. “In fact, we have had some exchanges, we have had some students that have expressed the desire for certain healthier options, like protein shakes.”

The school is seeking to collaborate with the vendor and with students to have a larger range of products available to students.

Through what is most popularly sold, the vendor can determine what is best to stock in each machine.

“What they are looking at is what is each desire in each area on campus,” Zarate said. “So, preliminary, they will stock what people will like and then they are able to monitor what the most popular options are. Then they can restock in that way.”

Zarate said students who have suggestions on healthier alternatives to soda should contact her office, Room 121 in College Hall.

Additionally, this deal could benefit the athletics department.

“We are looking at [Pepsi] giving us almost $100,000 a year; which will be used to put up a brand-new scoreboard,” Kurapati said.

Kurapati stressed the final decision on the RFP will be made by the Board of Regents in February.

New machines and products have been placed all over the campus and the dorms. From here on out, students may choose products at their own leisure and may find new products and drinks along the way.

Trunk or Treat?

Athletics have a safe, fun Halloween event for children Plaserae Johnson Social Media Editor

Kevin Cervantes

Photo by Frankie Cardenas

Monday Oct. 30, “Trunkor-Treat” event, predominantly organized by the athletic department of Texas A&M University- Kingsville, attracted dozens of super heroes, little monsters and even Mary Poppins.

The event was hosted at the Student Union Building Monday evening. The idea behind the event was to bring in children to trick-ortreat and do so safely.

Student-athletes worked together to decorate their vehicles and handed out candy from the trunks of the vehicles to children of various ages. The student-athletes were in their costumes to blend in and bring smiles to the trick-or-treaters’ faces.

The Javelina softball, track and field, tennis and golf

Photo by Plaserae Johnson

Children attending the Trunk or Treat event hosted by the Athletics Department

teams participated.

The Child Development Center, a daycare located across the street from the MSUB, also participated with treats and a monster-theme decorated vehicle.

Treat continued on Page 2

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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

Entertainment

Halloween Block Party delivers food Fun event brought awareness to food security

Josue Villareal Reporter With Halloween celebrated last week, many people got into the spirit by preparing their

costumes, decorating their homes with the spookiest of decorations and taking walks in the wonderful new fresh, crisp air that has finally replaced the intense humidity.

Last Thursday, the Campus Sustainability Operations program hosted a Halloween Block Party at the Javelina House.

Gathering together to ask for donations for the Javeli-

na Food Pantry, the event was designed to help people who don’t have food security.

“We want to gather the community around and make sure that everyone is aware of issues of

food and security,” said Sustainability Operations Coordinator Eli McCullen.

M a n y tables and vendors were spread around the area including a table from local Italian

Members of the community participating in the Halloween Block Party

restaurant Bella Roma.

“Nobody should be hungry,” said Amber Albright, Bella Roma employee.

Along with the variety of pastas, the event also featured a booth devoted to

making your own pastry monsters, face painting, an inflatable obstacle course, and an inflatable dart board, at which participants could shoot with suction cup bow and arrows.

“It’s very fun, there’s a lot of things to do,” said TAMUK student and Finance major Cindy Sanchez.

Smiles and full stomachs were a b o u n d i n g amongst the festiv-

Moonjump at the Halloween Block Party

ities.

This was all in the name of making sure that people do not go hungry and in the hopes of making sure others get to experience the same feeling in the future.

Photos by Plaserae Johnson

Treat continued from Page 1 “I think it’s a good event for the children to just come out and get candy in a safe environment, it’s an importance in trick-or-treating,” said Raven Bess, a senior majoring in Communications and Science and Disorders at TAMUK. “Our bosses dedicated their cars, and I helped them decorate.”

The Javelina track and field team had Lagae Brigance, an art major and junior on the track team, provide her car to the event. The vehicle was decorated as a monster’s mouth. The kids

enjoyed the idea of reaching in the monster’s mouth to get their candy.

“I was chosen as the representative for the university’s track and field team, we have a great group out here, and it’s definitely a great event,” said Madeline Maltais, a sophomore on the track team majoring in civil engineering.

The Javelina tennis team had many of their athletes in costumes as well. The vehicle and its theme was a colorful monster. The team got together and decorated the

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vehicle with different colored stick notes, large eyes and sharp teeth around the trunk.

“We get to make a great time for the kids, and they come in their costumes, so cute! We even get to dress up,” said Stephanie Baerman, a freshman and industrial management and technology major at TAMUK. “I dedicated my car to the event.” The tennis team’s car won the best-decorated award.

The golf team had plenty of visitors as well. The car was decorated as a haunted house. Spider webs hung

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Students enjoying their time at the Trunk-or-Treat hosted by the Athletics Department out by the Boulevard with games and food. Trunks of cars filled with treats for all children for those that participated

from both sides of the trunk, with mini skeletons, too.

“Fred (compliance officer for the athletic department) was gracious about donating his vehicle to the Trunk-or -Treat event,” said Madison Lake, a freshman and golfer for the Javelinas. “I like the event because it’s safe; there aren’t a lot of moving cars around.”

The softball team had a different approach. Instead of focusing on the decoration of the vehicle, they decided to focus on what activities the children could do slightly

different when they stopped at their vehicle. The children were encouraged to play a game before they were given any treats.

“We decorated with streamers and other scary decorations; I loved it. We should make the event bigger next time and have more activities for the children,” said student-athlete Delila Gillespie, a junior and education major at TAMUK. The softball team enjoyed playing games with the children and giving them treats while doing so.

“I loved seeing all the different kids and their costumes and us getting to interact with them. For them to get a piece of candy they had to play a game of cornhole with us,” said Haley Boyett, a student-athlete and senior kinesiology major at TAMUK. Some children were superheroes and others dressed as Mary Poppins.

Whatever they decided to be, they came and filled their treat bags, and most important of all, they were safe.

Campus

3

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

Professors Win Best Paper Award at IEEE Victorious Paper Proposes New Electrical Advances in Power Darcy Ramirez Managing Editor

Dr. Taesic Kim, Chung S. Leung and Sung-won Park proved that Texas A&M University-Kingsville has one of the best engineering programs in the nation.

The professors from TAMUK were surprised when they won the Best Paper Award at the 2017 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers.

Their paper proposes the idea of an estimator, or predictor, that will use advanced processing methods that will be capable of distributing alternative energy more efficiently into a smart grid than other methods currently being used. This estimator will make faster predictions;

therefore, allowing people to prepare faster for natural disasters that create blackouts.

“It’s called a smart grid so we can distribute power smartly,” said Kim, an Electrical Engineering professor.

The original project Kim, Park, and Leung worked on was trying to create an active power compensator which would give more hands-on experience to their students.

But they eventually ran into some issues when they couldn’t find a new idea for their project. Then, in summer 2016 Ron Huerta, a former TAMUK student, was working at HEB and proposed an idea to Kim about controlling the power in the building. He realized there was a problem with the power prediction, and that newfound problem became their research topic.

At the 2017 Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers [IEEE] International Conference more than 200 papers were presented and submitted for the Best Paper Award.

But still the professors did not expect to take first place.

The award would be presented at dinner on the last day of the conference on May 17. Before the last day of the IEEE, the President of the organization emailed Kim and told him, “Don’t leave early!”

Kim assumed the President wanted to give him something, but didn’t suspect it was the Best Paper Award.

Kim was honored for their victory.

“Twenty years ago people said ‘power’s dead now.’

[They] use same power system, no change, you don’t really need any new people,

and most people not interested in working power 20 years ago. But with power electronics and solar power and wind turbines, everything now [makes] more and more people interested [in the power workforce]. So it’s a good thing,” said Park, an Electrical Engineering professor.

Traditional ways of obtaining power such as coal mining and drilling for oil have changed because of the many problems they entail.

Kim, Park and Leung want to ensure and help the power industry grow by training and teaching their students about solar power, wind turbines and other electrical outlets.

“We use a lot of energy these days. And more people need more power,” said Julie Navejar, a communications

specialist at TAMUK. So the industry is growing, but it needs more interest to continue its progress.

“This has a high impact to our school and students as well. They are involved with research and they can be pro-

ductive beyond more than just the hands-on experience.

They are interested. They work hard. I don’t know their situation, history. I don’t know, but they found something interesting from the project. They work hard,” Kim said.

Dr. Sung-won Park, Taesic Kim, Chung S. Leung

Photo by Darcy Ramirez

Women’s Gender Studies Student Symposium Studying the Work, Influence and History of Empowering Women C.R Neal Reporter

The Blue Room in Sam Fore Hall was packed with people huddled together to learn about the role women have played in societies. The room was so full that some even stood in the doorway, as

both men and women gathered to learn about women’s history—and work towards empowering women moving forward.

A Student Symposium hosted by the Women and

Gender Studies program gave students at Texas A&M University-Kingsville the chance to share their stories Wednesday, Oct. 25. One of those students was Elaina Bauman, who told the story of a road trip with her family. “[Road Trip] is about the trip of life. It’s about my life,” Bauman said.

Bauman was heavily influenced by Dr. Norma Elia Cantu’s belief that writing from the heart helps people heal. Cantu is a Chicana writer best known for her fictional memoir Canícula.

“What drew me to [Cantu] was her passion of [remembering] where she came from, but not forgetting to [reach for] her goals,” Bauman said. “I wanted to get people to open up about anything that they’re feeling. I feel that adults tend to think they need to stamp down their emotions more than when we were kids.”

During the intermission the next presenter, Diana Luna-Pedraza, began to set up her display. On the table in front of her laid a colorful array of objects called “artesa-

Diana Luna-Pedraza presented at WGSSS

nias,” which are works made from a mix of manual labor and folk art in Mexico.

“I wanted to bring a small piece of Mexico’s culture to the students,” Luna-Pedraza said.

Most artesanias are made by women who were taught their craft by their mothers and are continuing a family tradition going back several generations.

“We need to appreciate and value the hard work of the indigenous women in Mexico,” Pedraza said. “The point was to try and get people invested in culture,

Photo by C.R Neal

specifically their own, while educating them about mine.”

One of the women who helped organize the symposium was Dr. Susan Roberson, a professor of English and director of Women and Gender Studies for the College of Arts and Sciences.

“I wanted to promote a real conversation about the role of gender in society, how gender is affected in troubled times and how they may resist that kind of violence,” Roberson said of her motivation to hold the event.

4

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

Opinion

Violence past and present Same-sex couples continue to face discrimination from society Darcy Ramirez Managing Editor Some people love to bash, attack and torment specific groups of people. They don’t see everyone in the world as equal. And, same-sex couples deal with this brutality every day.

On November 18, 1980, Ronald K. Crumpley, a former policeman, fired 40 rounds from a semiautomatic rifle and two pistols at a group of men standing in front of two gay bars, Ramroad and the next-door Sneakers in West Greenwich Vil-

lage. Crumpley killed 21-year-old Jörg Wenz, the Ramrod’s doorman, and 32-year-old Vernon Kroening, a church organist, and wounded six others. Crumpley admitted to having paranoid delusions that gays were agents of the devil, stalking him and “trying to steal my soul just by looking at me.”

Then in May 2016, boyfriends, James and Dain were left hospitalized after falling victim to a brutal and homophobic attack outside a Brighton nightclub. The couple explained how their great night became a nightmare when two men began yelling homophobic abusive words at them in the club. The cou-

ple sensed trouble and decided to leave, but unfortunately the men followed them ready to attack. The boys were thrown to the ground and were continuously beaten until a passer-by intervened and called the police. The attack left Dain with hemorrhages in both eyes, fractures to his cheek bones, a broken nose and damaged teeth. The couple say the attack has made a lasting impression on their lives.

Some people use religion as their reasoning for instigating these attacks and their prejudice against same-sex relationships. I once heard a woman say “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind:

it is abomination,” and that is written in the Bible, but the Bible also states, “Welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God,” and “There is one lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy: who art thou that judges another?” There are many interpretations of the Bible, but none should be a valid reason for the hate.

I don’t understand people’s ignorance of the world. This kind of attitude is the reason the KKK still exists, and hate crimes are real.

When people spew these hateful and prejudicial phrases and words it causes us to move backwards in time instead of towards the future.

I grew up in a household where my siblings and I were specifically told “We will love you exactly the same no matter what,” and I wish that belief was accepted by everyone. It shouldn’t matter who you love, and it shouldn’t disturb people. Everyone has the right to be happy and choose who they love, so why are same-sex couples any different? It costs nothing to be a nice person, and maybe being open and more accepting will make people realize that this hate and prejudice will accomplish nothing.

“Awareness” Staff Reports

Awareness is a weird word to define, especially in the context of Awareness months - like the one that just came to an end. October was actually an awareness month for both breast cancer and for domestic violence, each extremely devastating issues. However, awareness months do not come with a clear definition of what it means to be aware.

As it turns out, we have plenty of months that are federally-backed as times of awareness; actually our calendar holds roughly 200 “health awareness days” and over 140 bills in Congress reference the word. Every month has a sort of underlying theme to it, wherein you often see a quote or a fun fact about an issue that has effected society. The question then becomes, “Is to be aware just to have a heightened sense of the issue for a month?”

October isn’t the only month that has a campaign surrounding it. April is actually World Autism Awareness month. During April, the nonprofit group Autism Speaks has its “Light it up Blue” campaign; buildings all across the world light up their skyscrapers with a bright blue color. In unity, people and organizations all over the world make a kind and heart-warming gesture to a demographic that often goes unnoticed.

Along with the demonstration, donations usually run parallel to the event.

However, social media activism often has a negative stigma around it. This sort of campaign is usually

only seen as lip service to a cause, the bare minimum that can be done. Not to say that this sort of lip service goes unnoticed; the Light It Blue campaign is often seen as a very powerful gesture. But, this does get us back to my point: what does it mean to be aware?

Awareness in the context of these months is then a brief increase in people’s knowledge of a cause. The idea is to elevate awareness, not to celebrate the fact that our society is aware.

Awareness wouldn’t be important if we as a society didn’t have an appetite to address issues like breast cancer and domestic violence. The fact that we chose to deal with and discuss these problems shows that we want to do something about these issues. All of October is dedicated to an idea like this. We will flood the system with events and facts to bring about change. When people are confronted with these figures, we hope it inspires a need to change the status quo. However, socially to us, this is another month.

What these awareness months ought to really be is our time to admit we have a problem; this should be the first step to changing our behavior. If not, then yeah, we have a whole month, from Oct. 1 to Halloween, where people learn more about an issue. Which isn’t wrong; the South Texan is even lsiting some of these facts. But, what happens the day after that. If the idea is to make these months effective against these issues, then it shouldn’t just be about these 31 days; it should be about all the ones afterward.

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 Kaitlin Ruiz - Copy Editor Briana Harris - Advertising Manager Plaserae Johnson - Social Media Editor Camila Peña - Entertainment Editor Dakota Roberts - Editorial Editor Josue Villarreal - Reporter Frankie Cardenas - Sports Reporter America Quintero - Reporter Kevin Hooks - Reporter Hector Andres Landin - Reporter Joshua Lin - 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.

Domestic Violence Know the Truth

63% 1 in 5

of sexual assaults are never reported to the police

18-24 80%

year old women are the most common victims

of rape victims knew the person who assaulted them

women have faced sexual violence in their lives

Learn the Signs • • • •

Physical signs of injury Truancy; Dropping out of school Changes in mood or personality Use of Drugs or Alcohol

• • • •

Isolation Emotional Outbursts Possessiveness Unwanted Pregnancy

Seek Help RAD program will be having realistic, self-defense classes on November 4 on the Second floor of the Dining Hall from 1:005:30 p.m.

You can register online at https://goo.gf/ ymK9Fw

https://www.healthyplace.com/other-info/ resources/mental-health-hotline-numbers-and-referral-resources/ Health and Wellness Center(361) 593-3991

Graphic by America Quinero and Dakota Roberts

Some Cartoon Wisdom Kaitlin Ruiz Copy Editor “Some of your problems are your own fault,” the cartoon read, its words within a bubble as needlessly confident as Comic Sans.

I had been scrolling through social media—maybe Twitter, or perhaps Facebook if it was early in the day (and I was still confused enough by sleepiness to search for encouragement on my screen).

Whatever the place, whatever the time: when I read the cartoon, I felt my hackles rise. (That is, my hair stood up from the humidity.)

“Yes, but some things aren’t my fault,” I grumbled back to the cartoonist—and kicked a loose piece of gravel while trekking through a faroff parking lot.

It has been my experience that, when things are at their most aggravating state, there is nothing more comforting than having some-

thing to blame. (Besides oneself, of course).

I tripped while running to class—but that was because my shoe, unconcerned with matters like salvation, had a loose sole.

I forgot my notebook in a classroom with dim lighting—but we’re moving out of Daylight Saving Time, after all, and I was distracted by all the shadows.

Last week, I plopped into the library’s computer lab. As part of research for a class, I began pulling up websites and summoning articles with the recklessness that comes from the mid-semester point.

I tucked in a pair of earbuds to stifle the sound of my own typing.

After a while, though, I caught a thump of sound from somewhere in the lab. Someone was playing a video, with the volume turned up to its full height. “How inconsiderate of them,” I thought.

Annoyed, I popped out my earbuds for a moment. The noise—a commercial, I recognized now—

was oddly close to my work station.

My suspicion froze to dread. The sound came from my computer. A video had been playing automatically, announcing itself to the rest of the room.

Several curious studiers glanced politely in my direction.

I didn’t have time to blame a computer gremlin as I sank beneath my cubicle.

I could only picture the gleeful letters, contained in a cartoon: “Some of your problems are your own fault.”

Everybody goes through these aggravating moments, some even more then others. In the face of such moments, we instinctually initiate a face palm or let out a strong sigh.

What we all can appreciate is that its a universal feeling; one that everyone will feel once they drop that proverbial ball.

There is an appreciation and a liberation in knowing “some of your problems are your fault.”

Sports

5

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

Hogs drop another on the road

High-scoring effort not enough to beat ENMU Greyhounds COURTESY OF JAVELINA ATHLETICS

Jordan Thomas tied a school record with 212 yards receiving on 11 catches and added a touchdown in a 51-34 loss by the Texas A&M-Kingsville football team (3-6, 2-5) to the No. 21 Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds last Saturday night at Greyhound Stadium in Portales, N.M. Thomas tied the mark set by Gary Lusk in 2002, when Lusk went off on Texas A&M-Commerce for 212 yards.

Thomas’s 11 catches also put him just one off matching the TAMUK record for most receptions in a game. The senior also hauled a two-point conversion in the fourth quarter.

Quarterback Beau Reilly entered the game in the second quarter and threw for 339 yards and two touchdowns.

The junior helped lead the Javelinas to 28 fourth quarter points.

On defense, Braedon Robinson tied for the team lead with 9 total tackles, including three tackles for loss.

As a unit, Kingsville’s defense totaled nine TFLs and forced three turnovers.

FIRST QUARTER The Greyhouds wasted no time getting on the scoreboard, moving to a TD on their first possession in just three plays.

Tayshaun Gary took a pitch to the right and raced 45 yards to put his team ahead 7-0.

SECOND QUARTER On the first series of the second period, Robinson knocked the ball from quarterback Wyatt Strand and Jalen Harrison recovered at Eastern New Mexico’s 29.

TAMUK turned that opportunity into a 29-yard Julio De La Garza field goal.

The Greyhounds answered three possessions later, after a De La Garza punt pinned them at their own four.

On 3rd-and-2, Kamal Cass took a dive up the middle and broke loose for an 88-yard touchdown and a 14-3 lead for ENMU. The home team proceeded to recover the ensuing kickoff and five plays later, a Bailey Hale 31-yard field goal pushed their lead to 14, which is where it was when both teams headed to the half.

THIRD QUARTER The Greyhounds began the second half the same way they did the first: by moving to a quick score.

On their first play from scrimmage, Johnny Smith flashed for 56 yards and Cass crashed over from the one on the next snap.

Five minutes later, Brad Hardin intercepted Reilly and returned it to the TAMUK 11 leading to a one-yard scoring dive by Paul Terry, making the score 31-3.

A second De La Garza field goal got the Javelinas back on board, but the Greyhounds answered with another Cass TD, this one covering two yards, for a 31-point advantage.

FOURTH QUARTER In the final quarter, Kingsville’s offense sprung to life.

They started the period by moving 65 yards on seven plays, with Keith Whitely’s three-yard scoring run making the score 3712.

The next time TAMUK got the football, they marched 90 yards in seven plays with Reilly completing 6-of-7, one of which was a 50-yard rainbow to Thomas.

The last toss found Nick Pelrean for a 6-yard touchdown and when Reilly and

Men’s Basketball poised for deep run in March

With eight returning players, Javs look to make trouble for Lone Star Conference foes Hector Landin Sports Columnist

The last time the Javelina men’s basketball team was playing on the hardwood was in Golden, Colo., against West Texas A&M University in the NCAA Division II National Tournament in Round 32.

Also, the Javelinas last season were able to claim their first national tournament win against the reigning LSC champions University of Texas Permian-Basin Falcons after an incredible buzzer-beater from senior point guard Marcus Frazier.

Coming off an outstanding year under head coach Johnny Estelle, assistant coach Mark Mathew and graduate assistant coach Omar Gonzalez, the Javelinas are poised to make a deep run in the national tournament this coming year in hope of also winning an LSC conference title.

The last time the Javelinas won the LSC title was in 1996 when Estelle, as a player, led the Javelinas to the Lone Star Conference title and into the playoffs.

The anticipation and excitement level will continue to rise for the team under Estelle because of the success last year and the amount of players that are back on this team.

As for this season, the Javelinas have eight returning players on this year’s roster from last year’s national tournament team.

This team includes four-year lettermen senior center Elliott Taylor, shooting guard Will West and the reigning South Region All-Tournament team selection Trey Sumpter.

Also, it includes major key players from the squad from last season such as seniors like Derrick Byrd, Caelen Neal, Christian Bambrook, sophomore Robert Christian, junior Robert Stevenson, redshirt-senior Cris Boleware, redshirt-senior Justin Jones, redshirt-freshman Dominque Bradley and red-shirt freshman Hector Ruiz.

After last season’s success, the Javelinas were able to recruit a very talented class, which also includes players such as Johnnathan Lindsey, Elton Dyer, Jacolby Harris and Kyren Block, is set for more success.

The Javelina men’s basketball team will return to action in Kingsville after a long seven months in preparation for an LSC conference championship and another berth in the NCAA national tournament against South Dakota Mines on Nov. 10 at the Steinke Physical Education Center. Tip-off at 7 p.m.

Photo by: Frankie Cardenas

Head Coach Daren Wilkinson will look to finish the seaon winning out the remaining two games, first on the road at Western New Mexico, and the finale at home against William Jewell.

Thomas connected on the two-point conversion, the Hogs moved within 17.

When their hosts proceeded to go threeand-out, Kingsville went to work again.

Their next drive advanced the ball 83 yards on eight snaps and when Pelrean trudged across from a yard out, the visitors were within 10.

ENMU answered by traveling 48 yards on 4 plays to the end zone, with Cass finding paydirt for the fourth time.

The senior would end the night with 187 yards on 22 carries. When the Javelinas went back on offense, they continued their aerial onslaught, with Reilly immediately hitting

Thomas for a 59-yard score.

However, TAMUK was unable to recover the ensuing onside kick and one more TD by the Greyhounds closed out the night’s scoring.

Over the Javelinas last five possessions, which covered a little more than a quarter, Reilly completed 20 passes in 26 attempts for 328 yards and two touchdows.

The final road game of 2017 for Daren Wilkinson’s team will take them to Silver City, N.M. for a fight with the Western New Mexico Mustangs. The game’s start time is set for 1 p.m.

Jordan Thomas etches name in history book, continues to produce big numbers for Javelinas Frankie Cardenas Sports Editor After last season’s loss of number one wide receiver Anthony Autry, many knew that the man playing on the opposite end of the sidelines was poised to step up and take over as best he could.

But, senior Jordan Thomas thus far has already exceeded expectations and continues to add to his numbers quickly and with time to spare.

With two games remaining in the season, Thomas already has a career-best 921 receiving yards and eight touchdowns on 51 receptions, eclipsing his best from the 2015 seasons (703 yards on 40 receptions and five touchdowns.).

Javelina Head Coach Daren Wilkinson is proud of the way Thomas been producing, and admits that his intangibles as a player are a big credit to his success.

“He’s got a lot of ability,” said Coach Wilkinson.

“With his speed and his athleticism and his understanding of the game, it’s not a surprise [he’s done this well].”

His dominating play continues to roast secondaries across the conference, and that point was only proven after this last week’s performance, when he tied the University record for receiving yards in a single game, hauling in 11 passes for 212 yards and a touchdown to boast; despite the loss to Eastern New Mexico 34-51.

“We had no idea as we were playing the game, we just knew he was being really productive,” said coach Wilk.

“You know, the disappointing thing is that we had a lot of those opportunities [to produce] in the first half and we didn’t take advantage; missed throws and protections broke down, so we had the opportunity to have a really big night if we had

played well in the first half on offense.”

“It’s a pretty big accomplishment,” said Thomas on tying the record.

“I honestly didn’t know I tied it until I read about it and [the coaches] told me. It’s really exciting, and a good milestone to have in my senior season.”

Thomas’ big game is the best by any Javelina receiver in 15 years, a feat to bask in considering he almost didn’t Photo by Javelina Athletics play the game due to Javelina receiver Jordan Thomas, an ailing concussion he only 79-yards away from his first suffered in the game and only 1,000 yard receiving season. against Tarleton State just one week prior.

“I had to take a little time be played,” Coach Wilk off the next week to clear assured. concussion protocol and “Honestly, I didn’t exall that stuff,” said Thom- pect him to play [against E. New Mexico], but [the as on his injury.

“But when it came to the training staff] did a nice game I was great. It didn’t job of getting him ready and he did a nice job of affect me at all.”

“Our [trainers] are really following protocol and good about getting people getting himself ready, and ready, so we knew he’d he had a great game.”

Josue Villarreal contribplay again because there uted to this report. are still a lot of games to

Was Yuli Gurriel rightfully suspended for ‘racist’ gesture during World Series?

Joshua Lin Sports Columnist During game two of the 2017 World Series, Astros first baseman Yulieski Gurriel hit a solo homerun over left field off of Dodger’s pitcher Yu Darvish to put the Astros up 1 -0 in the 2nd inning.

Afterward the camera panned toward Gurriel when he was in the dugout celebrating and was spotted making a racist gesture toward Asians by pulling his eyes back.

This has caused contro-

versy on social media with people saying that he is a racist and that he should be suspended indefinitely.

The ruling for a suspension has been placed - 5 games next year.

Gurriel will be suspended five games for this incident and his salary for those five games will go to the Astros Foundation and a charity directly supporting diversity efforts. I’m not condoning Yuli’s action at all. Being an Asian American and an Astros fan, I believe that the punishment is justified because here in America we don’t con-

done racism in any way; although that view is the majority, I can’t speak for everyone.

I don’t think it really is that big a deal, not one to cause havoc over. Yes, I agree there should be a punishment, but to me, I feel like the people crying and getting riled over this are just overly sensitive.

If you didn’t know, Gurriel is from Cuba and he doesn’t see Asians from where he’s from. People seem to be overly upset over him pulling his eyes back mocking an Asian and it’s justified, but it is not as bad as if he said

Asians are poor baseball players and have ruined the sport.

That would get me really riled up and angry, but it didn’t happen. The point I’m trying to make is that you can make a fuss about this racist gesture, but don’t try to be offended for our race, let us determine that and try to understand both sides to this story and base your opinion after that. This incident will pass over time and people will put this incident in the back of their minds, so it may be a big deal now, but it won’t be in the future.

6

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2017

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