The South Texan Vol.95 Issue17

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Texas A &M University-Kingsville Award-Winning Student Publication Monday, March 15, 2021

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@thesouthtexan

Vol. 95, Issue 17

Coronavirus, one year later Javelina Nation

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As the anniversary of the COVID-19 pandemic passes, the university has had on its students, past year.

COVID-19 has brought numerous changes to the education process, social interaction and has shed light on social responsibility.

As COVID-19 began to spread globally TAMUK became aware of the threat it posed to campus. On March 5, 2020 students retaining to COVID-19 as they left for Spring Break

warning students about traveling out of the state and internationally. TAMUK extended students’ Spring Break to prepare for the onset of online classes and the adjustment that would come with it.

TAMUK had to quickly adjust in anticipation of the oncoming global pandemic. One of the most impactful changes due the pandemic was the transition of online learning.

“Having to transition to online learning truly impacted me because it’s hard for me learn anatomy and microbiology. Those are courses that require a lab so it’s always challenging… A year ago, I would have thought COVID-19 would have been over by now,” Lauren Gallegos, kinesiology major, said.

While students adapted to an online platform, the mental health impact

Enrollment Services VP coming soon !"#$$%&'(")*+,- |!"#$%&'($)(*+$,!"#$%&$'#()*+("$,)-("($./0&!)1

File Photo

Fulden Wissinger teaching basic ceramics while students social distance and wear face coverings.

of the pandemic became apparent.

“Between the rapid transition to virtual learning and mental health struggles associated with the pandemic, it is clear that our students are also feeling this impact. dents surveyed in a recent national survey report that COVID-19 has had a negative impact on their academic performance,” the COVID-19 Response Team Randy Hughes said.

Although the format of education was greatly impacted many students help students cope with

File Photo

Students shown wearning mask at a recent event.

Online Beat Do you not subscribe to !"#$%&!"!#'()*+%,?

Catch up on exclusive stories about our campus and community when you sign up for our newsletter.

Here’s a sneak peak of what you missed online.

Sigma Tau Delta Texas A&M University – Kingsville’s (TAMUK) chapter of Sigma Tau Delta is holding a virtual presentation of student work at 2 p.m. on COVID-19 has necessitated TAMUK’s English honor society to change the way it structures events, but members are committed to using platforms like Zoom continue to promote literacy and support student achievement.

help relieve economical burdens brought on by the pandemic.

“COVID-19 has disrupted higher education across the nation, and we’re no stand the pandemic has

burden on many of our students and their families who may be coping cant medical bills. While we have helped many of these students with added support, these challenges have undoubtedly contributed to students postponing their education or dropping out. Students may also have chosen to pause their education due to a preference for in-person learning,” Hughes said.

However, students were not the only ones strugprofessors who have a hands-on approach, adjusting to online learning came with a toll.

“Some of the challenges I faced due to COVID-19 consisted of limited communication with students, not being able to do group related work with my students in class and seeing my students struggle in their academics due to the stress and anxiety this pandemic has brought,”

Academic Success Coach Diana Bustamante said.

“I’ve learned that it’s so important to utilize as many resources and techniques the classroom, and to have a good support system to times. It’s important that we all support students demic success through taking care of our physical and mental health.”

Although the mask mandate in Texas is lifted, any and all policies pertaining to COVID-19 continue to stay in place on campus to protect stuThe impact of COVID-19 is still largely felt today in the many procedures stulow, but the university is hopeful of a future where students can learn and participate in activities again without the threat of the deadly disease. !""#34*56789)+-).

Texas A&M University-Kingsville held two on campus interviews last week to help end the hunt for a new Enrollment Services Vice President.

The role of TAMUK’s future Enrollment Services Vice President would be to recruit students and enhance the college experience. The new role is the result of the merger between Stument Services.

“Enrollment Services is being combined with Student Affairs. This change recognizes that recruiting students depends strongly on the student experience. With this change, the new vice president for Enrollment Services and Student sible for promoting a positive experience for all students from the time they apply to Texas A&M-Kingsville until they graduate,” Dr. Lou Reinisch, provost and vice president of acaThe goal in merging rollment Services is to improve the overall college experience and aid in recruiting.

“What we are looking for is someone who can really manage and be in charge of the student experience, half of this job is recruiting students to have the experience,” Dr. Thomas Spencer, Dean !""#!"#$%%&'"()*+,)+-).

Martinez honored at YWCA induction ./(()&.,#(% |!.,/0!"#$%&' 0$2,&$'#()*+("$,)-("($./0&!)1

The 2020 Y Women in Careers were honored Thursday, March 4, in a virtual and small in-peren were honored and inducted into this year’s YWCA’s Corpus Christi’s Associate Vice President for Student Access Dr. Maria Martinez.

“I’m honored and again, it’s very humbling,” she said.

There have been 294 women inducted into the hall of fame in the 41 years the YWCA has honored women and inducted women.

“The Y Women in Careers Award is designed to honor successful professional women in our community,” Dr. Dolores Guerrero Dean of Arts and Sciences said.

“The criteria states that the nominee meets the following requirements: makes contributions to her

Dr. Martinez has over 30 years of leadership and experience in management, recruitment training, coordination, community education/outreach, undergraduate research training/outreach, grant budget management, program evaluation, and across state and federal agencies,” Guerrero said.

Guerrero nominated Martinez as she felt she merited and had accomplishments deserving recognition and induction into the YWCA’s Corpus “Growing up we were encouraged to serve others with love, commitment and humility. I’m passionate about the programs we run because they are designed to empower underrepresented populations and underserved communities,” Martinez said, “that’s probably why the award means so much to me, because the mission of the YWCA to empower women and eliminate racism is extremely important, and it aligns with the main goals of the programs we run in Student Access.”

As Associate Vice President for Student Access

Submitted Photo

Martinez on the far right with YWCA honorees.

of Student Access within Graduate Studies.

“The biggest accomplishment of my career is to have the privilege to be a part of a student’s academic journey, even in small ways,” she said. helps run 11 U.S. Department of Education programs, one state program and serves 5,100 individuals throughout the South Texas region and manages

over $22 million in federal funding.

“It’s important to note that my job consists of having the privilege of working alongside a dedicated, amazing team made up of

Access,” she said.

Kiwana Denson, director of strategic initiatives at Del Mar College, Annette Rodriguez, Nueces County public health director, and Judith E. Tala-

vera, president and chief

Texas, were also honored and inducted during the ceremony March 4.

“Given all that is going on in this world, at this particular time in history, the induction has served as an encouragement to me to keep moving forward. It’s also compelled me to think about additional programs that we can pursue to bring to !""#/0#(1"'2,)+-).

Campus

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Summer internship opportunity R E F L E X- M E grant accepting applications +,$)"-"''!"%",).| 4/$,-+/'

Texas A&M University Kingsville’s Research Education and Financial Literacy Excellence for Minority Engagement (REFLEX-ME) grant is accepting applications for its Summer Research Internship (SRI) that is set to begin on June 7.

Students accepted into the three-week program will be able to work with world-class faculty and engage with other students to participate in a research project that will provide them with experience on a professional level.

“Undergraduate research experience is proved to be one of the high impact methods to improve students’ success. The SRI program is perfect for students

who do not have any undergraduate research experience due it its short time period,” Professor Dr. Hua Li, principle investigator of REFLEX-ME, said.

Despite the COVID-19 pandemic the program has learned to adapt and accommodate students to still provide them with the tools that they need to be successful and experience the program to its fullest in a virtual format.

“The SRI program was originally designed as an in-person program.

The project management team and the faculties were able to modify the program design to ronment. Thanks to the ability and commitment of the faculties to adapt their projects to online mode, and working together with the project management team, it was possible to obtain a very positive outcome in our previous 2020 SRI program,” Ricardo Pine-

da, REFLEX-ME project manager, said.

Industrial engineering major Juan Zambrano shared his experience last summer and encourages others to apply to this rewarding program.

“I would wholeheartedly recommend this program to anyone who may be interested in applying. The program is enriching and rewarding on levels beyond academics. We only had three weeks to design a virtual tool to estimate renewable energy output for residential, commercial and industrial levels.

This involved gathering data, coordinating virtually with teammates, verifying data and applying a spreadsheet that was built from a blank Excel page,” Zambrano said.

For more information about this program or to https://www.tamuk.edu/ engineering/institutes-research/reflex-me/Index. html

Calling all creatives !"#$%&"'()*)%'| !"#$%&'()*+,!"#$%&./)*+,-0+1/&,%+1+/2"3./)%'

The Southwest Borderlands/ Mexican American Studies Program is holding a T-shirt designing competition. “[The program] is an interdisciplinary program that combines two focus areas. First, it explores the complexities of borderland spaces, including the distinctive political, economic, labor, cultural, music, food and linguistic practices in border zones.

“The program focuses on the U.S.-Mexico borthe South Texas region, but it also thinks about what makes borderland spaces and exchanges so unique on a larger conceptual level,” Dr. Liliana Rodriguez, co-coordinator of the SWBS/ MAS Program, said.

The t-shirt designing competition is open through May 1, which is the last day for students to submit a design.

“We are asking students to visit our website to learn more about the !"#$%34256)*+,*-

Throughout

the

year

free COVID-19 testing for students, contact tracing and is now providing students with an

program so that they can get a better sense of what they should include in their design...basically anything that encompasses and captures the main elements of our program, anything that pertains to the borderlands and Mexican American Studies is welcomed,” Dr. Christine Reiser-Robbins, coordinator of the SWBS/MAS Program, said.

The winning design will be used for the program’s website and the winning student artist will get credit and be able to add it to their resumes.

“I love to draw and I think I will probably give it a go and see if I can come up with a design. I think it will be fun,” sophomore Velen Leonor said.

Dr. Rodriguez and Robbins are most excited to see the talent that TAMUK students have to “We are really looking forward to seeing the creative talent of our students, but more imopportunity to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

“We have learned much over the past year about student learning preferences and how best to provide the support and resources need-

portantly, we are excited to see students engage with this program as they seek resources and opportunities to better inform their understanding of what a Southwest Borderlands/Mexican American Studies minor can do for you,” Rodriguez said.

Students can submit their designs at SWBSMAS@tamuk.edu.

There are more upcoming SWBS/MAS events that students should be on the lookout for.

“In addition, we welcome students to participate in our upcoming student showcase, a collaboration between TAMU-K, TAMU-CC and Del Mar College,” Rodriguez said. “We also have an upcoming four-part lecture series in honor of National Women’s History Month beginning the 25th of March.”

For more information about the SWBS/MAS program you can visit https://www.tamuk.edu/ artsci/departments/psyc/ minors/swbs.html . ed to ensure student success even in the most challenging of times.

“It is our intent—if pandemic conditions alto-face courses in the fall,” Hughes said.

File Photo

Julio Menchaca, Vyktoria Rodriguez and Irazema Salinas at the Javelina Ballrooms practicing social distancing and abiding to COVID-19 guidelines.

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TAMUK and the communities in the region,” Martinez said.

Though the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted TAMUK and its surrounding regions Martinez continues to help students and serves the community.

“Dr. Martinez is an amazing role model for our students. She has a passion and commitment in everything she does particularly for !"#$%.&#/001'&$*2+)*+,*-

of Honors College and Hiring Committee member said. “This position is unique in that it is actually being in charge of making sure that experience lives up to the sales pitch.”

A total of 60 applications were submitted for this position. The committee ranked the top 15 candidates and had video interviews. Out of the 15 video interviews two were invited to campus

March 15, 2021

thesouthtexan.com

students on this campus and in our region. She is driven with a purpose to help them not only be successful as students but to grow and develop as well-rounded individuals. I believe Dr. Martinez is simply an outstanding representative of our university and her profession,” Guerrero said.

Martinez, humbled by her recent honor, left these last remarks as words of inspiration

to aspiring women and students: “Embrace your gifts and your value. Never forget where you come from - draw strength from your culture, your heritage, your community, your language, your voice. With that strength, have courage to take action toward your dreams. Be secure and bold enough to encourage other women and always remember to give back.”

departments on campus including the President’s Council, Enrollment Management, Student ernment Association Executive Committee, Provost, Student Success, Human Resources and the President.

Although the hiring committee has reached ing process. An estimated starting date is yet to be determined.

“Even though we are

the most time. So, it is impossible to say when a decision will be announced. This stage of the search process involves negotiating a salary, start date, etc. among many other details. Instead of predicting when this might happen, we will, instead, promise to notify you as soon as the best candidate is recruited,” Reinisch said.

Unfortuantely candidate names were not released to The South Texan because of the timing of the seach process.

process, this can take

ENTERTAINMENT

March 15, 2021

thesouthtexan.com

Review:

Strangers from Hell kills

Thrills, mystery, plot twists, serial killers, who can be trusted? most the size of Harry !""#$%&#'()*#$)&'| !"#$%&"%

The Kdrama, “Strangers from Hell,” begins with Yoon Jongwoo who is in search of a nally leaving his family’s home to be on his own and start a new job.

When most apartments are too expensive, Jong-woo manages to ment with the downside of it being a 30-minute

and his room being al-

Potter’s cupboard under the stairs.

Although Jong-woo has the small amount of support from his girlfriend, he begins to have a hard time at his new job and becomes suspicious of his fellow residents.

As people in the local area begin to go missing and residents start acting more bizarre, Jong- woo believes there may be a connection between the two.

When beginning to

live in the residence behe begins to lose sleep because of the paranoia about his surroundings and even begins to lose his sense of reality.

from leaving and telling anyone about what he

within the show, because the actors do a fantastic job staying in character dience felt as if they are a part of the show.

The performance of the antagonist Moon-jo, played by Lee Dong-

the plot of “Strangers from Hell” you on your toes as you pect throughout each eptheir way around from the beginning to the very end.

The cinematography

This past summer, Taylor Swift surprise announced her 8th studio album, folklore. Within

out for other clues. This, however, was not the releasing folklore, Swift surprise announced (again) the sister album, evermore on Dec. 11.

“To put it plainly, we just couldn’t stop writing… I loved the ways you welcomed the dreamscapes and tragedies and epic tales of love lost and found into writing them,” Swift said in a social media post when she released her ninth studio album.

As you enter college

sions for yourself. You get to decide your schedule and what you do on a daily basis as you stray away from home for the

decisions comes with a great deal of responsibility, especially in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. You as a young adult will get to decide if you will or will not receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

This vaccine is important so here are a few tips cision about getting the immunization.

about getting the vaccine, do your research.

In the U.S. there are now

you can receive, Moder-

drama interesting is the

could not be forgotten. throughout the drama leaves the audience with

chills and speechless as he plays a calm collected For many shows or movies, costumes play a big role in showing the actor’s portrayal but as for this series, there teristics of the character.

over for the costumes as the actors truly were in the shoes of their characters and created a unique aura.

If you enjoy psychological thrillers, creepy characters and unsuspecting plot twists then this K-drama may just be for you.

Poem: Amphritrite

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And although I have painted her blue, and purple and various hues of green I can’t help but believe her colors are left unseen.

She calls me by name

Suddenly she’s challenged my autonomy.

How cruel.

How exciting.

I’ve given her full control And trusts she drifts me away safely.

Goodbye Gaia.

Teasing me to come forth.

Such a deity so fair and royal She encompasses my eyes And entrances me.

Only a few days after its release, evermore debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The lead single “willow” received similar praise to its sister album, getting an 85/100 on Metacritic.

While Swift’s main focus on folklore was to -

plored third-person storytelling and narratives.

While this album does not have the love story triangle as its sister did, evermore’s themes range from forbidden love, neglect in a relationship, ness.

After 145+ listens (according to Apple Music),

Dessner, evermore focuses on features from various artists including Bon Iver (“evermore”), HAIM (“no body, no crime”), and Marcus Mumford laborations created an

to appreciate Swift’s lyricism and storytelling. Some of my favorite

album, but we also get her country roots.

In evermore, the listener can hear how Swift ex-

grants protection from severe illnesses associated with COVID-19. If you have friends that have received a vaccinadid it and how it felt, you can use their experience to help you decide what to do.

If you have trypanothe fear of needles or injections, let me tell you how the shot felt. If you uncomfortable, but not very painful.

The COVID-19 vaccination was about half of shot and was not bad at all. You can’t get over your fear overnight so go with you, it may ease your anxiety and you will have someone to hold your hand if you need it.

Find out where you can receive the vaccine.

I follow her as she calls me by my name.

My chest so light And lungs weighing no more a feather.

My feet creeps the edge There she is.

Photo by Gabriella Mastroianni

‘The cradle of a nation’ beach shore New

And in full faith, I leap.

To submit a poem, email entertainment.editor@ thesouthtexan.com

How to Psych: PTSD

“gold rush,” “tolerate me” and “right where you left me.” and evermore are masterpieces that complement each other. Props to Swift for recording two full albums in a global pandemic.

How to Adult: Getting Vaccinated -3""%'-)."#'| ."/0,'-*&$% "!1-(!)&#*$+#,!-*.#,#!/%"(0*'

blue, and green which persona.

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Grammys, including the Album of the Year category.

With this surprise announcement, you would

setting ominous as the picture is gritty and not clean while the lighting throughout the series

more into his suspicions, his neighbor Seo Moonjo has his own agenda

Review: Taylor Swift-ed fans with Second Suprise album evermore

album became one of best-selling albums of the year. It received the best criticism of her career to date, with a score of 88/100 on Metacrit-

3

Once you have made the decision that you nated, register or get on a waiting list. Students in Kingsville have been given the opportunity to sign up and get vaccinated, an opportunity not their students, so if you can - go!

Getting the majority of the population vaccinated is the only way life will return to normal and end this pandemic.

If provided the opportunity, get the immunization.

The CDC now says fully vaccinated people around other fully vaccinated people. Let the idea of hugging and seeing your friends and family or visiting your grandparents motivate you to get vaccinated.

Remember you can help end this pandemic, so do your part, and get your shot.

!""#$%&#'()*#$)&'| !"#$%&"%

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental disorder that may form after an extremely traumatic event such as combat, sexual assault and a natural disaster. People with PTSD may deal with intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thoughts and moods, and anxiety.

Intrusive memories may occur with a simple trigger and may lead to such as night terrors about the event can happen as well which, not only contributes to anxican feed into depression. event or places that may trigger a memory can be common too as well as being in crowded rooms or with strangers due to the fear of being easily frightened and needing to be cautious. out of a person due to the physical and mental stress it causes as it can lationships, and daily routines.

If symptoms last longer than a month then PTSD can be considered the ideal diagnosis.

Symptoms

can

begin

place or even years can come and go over time as well.

Depending on the traumatic event some symptoms can be more intense than others, such as sexual assault, which can lead the person to have several changes in physical and emotional tive behavior, being cautious, and having the overwhelming feeling of guilt or shame.

When coping with PTSD, the one main suggestion is attending therapy or counseling during which the patients will be encouraged and their perspective of it as well as being supported emotionally. Alevent can be a trigger, while in therapy coping strategies for oncoming triggers will be shown and discussed.

Along with therapy, it may be suggested

the disorder. Often antidepressants are given to treat this disorder as many symptoms that are exhibited are those of depression and anxiety. Unfortunately, medication does not always

recommended that therapy be given a chance.

A cognitive-behavior-

prolonged exposure is a strategy that relies on patients to confront the traumatic event headon as they are taught how to gain control of their feelings and any activity that may have been avoided since the event. Because this treatment can be triggering, it is suggested to form a trustful relationship with the therapist to create a safe environment.

Although PTSD is a dle especially after dealing with such a traumatic event, overcoming it won’t happen overnight, but it is possible to cope with and begin to live life to the fullest again.

SPORTS Javelinas leap to a 4-0 start 4

Blue and gold shines in Lone &,$(-.*#/%*&0$11*1$&&| +*,*%-.'()*%#$ ()2)%.3&'()%#$*%+'!#,%+%'-./&0#1

2008, the Lady Javelinas are 4-0 in the Lone Star Conference (LSC).

After a long weekend, the Texas A&M University Kingsville (TAMUK) women’s softball team combined runs and themselves ahead on the leaderboard.

The No. 19 TAMUK softball team, which scored a doubleheader sweep of the St. Mary’s Rattlers on Sunday, 13-1 and 9-1, was in LSC action at Vernie and Blanche Hubert Field in Kingsville, Texas.

“Opening weekend in conference, you put

yourself in a great position going 4-0,” coach Craig Nicholson told Javelina Athletics. This team’s been through a lot the last two weeks. It felt like we were hitting and then we had to take end, we had some at-bats where we just battled our way through them.”

“Our girls want more for themselves every weekend we have the chance to do so. They are capable of much more greater things. That’s the sign of a team that wants to compete and has the capability to compete late in the season.”

Overall, the Javelinas own the best record in the conference thus far.

TAMUK blew open St. Mary’s, with big time moves performed by freshman duo, Natalie Rodriguez and Li-

March 15, 2021

thesouthtexan.com

zette Del Angel. After allowing a single to the Angel held the Rattlers hitless for the rest of the day and only issued one walk.

“The game was intense,” Del Angel said.

“We knew what we needed to do to solidify our standing and collect the wins.”

The blue and gold would then open with a nine-run fourth that started with a walk, an error and a bunt single.

St. Mary’s managed to get on board the second game only allowing their opponents to rally back in the second half.

In the second game, starter Saidi Castillo (Kingsville, Texas) kept the Rattlers in check for six innings, allowing only one run on six hits while striking out nine.

Throwing back-to-back

Javelina Athletics

Lady Javelinas celebrate after a game.

herself with a 4-0 record.

“Our team is capable of so much, we all believe we can make so many things happen for our program this season,” Castillo said.

The Javelinas edged both games with high energy maintained in all innings, and are looking to continue with their well-earned success.

The Javelinas will play

ence doubleheader on Friday, when they visit Lawton, Okla., taking on the Cameron Aggies in doubleheader that will begin at 4 p.m.

Javelinas fall to Midwestern State Javelinas lose game !"#$%&'$%()*+| !"#$%&'()*%#$ !"#$%!&'()%#$*%+'!#,%+%'-./&0#1

Javelina Football team since 2019 did not end as planned for Head Coach Michael Salinas and his “We fell short today but I’m proud of how we competed,” said head coach Mike Salinas, in an interview with Javelina Athletics.

-

quarterback Zadock Dinkleman threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns in his collegiate debut connecting with redshirt junior Ryan Martinez, and senior Kevin Reynolds for his scores.

The defense had some improvement from the last meeting between the two allowing 18 less points from the prior matchup. Although a better showing from last year, defense still has

room for improvement.

After speaking with defensive backs coach Johnathan Petty, he gave insight on the prep for the next game and how the defense can improve.

“We are looking have come in focused and ready to get better.

We’ve cleaned up the situational mistakes from last weekend’s game as well as continued to improve on the things that we did well. The focus

is on us and how we can get better through this process,” he said.

In the late fourth quarter comeback, the Hogs eventually lost the battle.

“It was a tough loss, back on top and we’re gonna come back stronger for sure,” defensive lineman Ivan Reed said.

The Javelinas play against UTPB this weekend March 20 at Javelina Stadium in another rematch from last year.

and didn’t sustain drives early. We have to do a better job of taking care to [Bill] Maskill and his

Mendoza’s Pharmacy Javelina Sports Network

work and get better. We will put this one behind The team traveled to Wichita Falls March 6 to take on Midwestern State where the Javelinas fell 45-34.

Redshirt

sophomore

Javelina football player surrounded by Midwestern State players

Javelina Athletics

Javelina athletics announces attendance policy Guidelines

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The Texas A&MKingsville athletic department announced the attendance policy for the Javelina football game against UT Permian Basin on March 20 at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium.

A total of 3,000 tickets will be sold to the general public starting Thursday, March 18, at 1 p.m.

CT at JavelinaTickets. com, or by calling (361) 593-4030. Walk-up tickets will not be sold at the gate on the day of the game and fans will not be allowed to purchase tickets at the McCulley In addition to tick1,000 Texas A&M-Kingsville students will also receive entry into the game for free if they present a valid TAMUK

student ID card.

For the day of the game, fans will not be allowed to tailgate around the stadium. Face coverings and other social distancing measures will also be enforced in the stands for those in attendance, and there will not be a charge to park in the lots around the stadium.

Sideline access will be restricted to student-ath-

game personnel and credentialed members of local and national media, while members of Porky’s Pack will not be

The Javelinas’ contest against the Falcons will be carried on the LSC Digital Network for a single-day, all-access pass for $10 to watch and download at the following link: Mendoza’s Pharmacy Javelina Sports Network The ability to play games will depend on weekly COVID-19 tests conducted on all student-athletes, coaches

postponed due to COVID-related reasons may be rescheduled at a later date.

March 15, 2021 thesouthtexan.com

Forum

5

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances.”

Our Opinion

Texas ends mask mandates- don’t listen reason enough to lift the mask mandate. The pandemic is far from over, and with Spring Break underway we urge Gov. Abbot to rethink his decision.

On Wednesday, March 10, Texas lifted its mask mandate and reopened the state at 100 percent capacity. With little to no COVID-19 guidelines being enforced, the cases in Texas are predicted to grow exponentially.

According to the New York Times, less than 10 percent of the population has been fully vaccinated.

We need at least 70 percent of Texas population to be vaccinated before we can reach immunity. Texas is not ready for an incoming COVID-19 wave.

Although vaccines are protective against the vi-

Spotify, K-pop’s tragedy, fans mourn music loss It’s been a couple of weeks since Spotify’s launch in South Korea and K-pop fans aren’t happy at all.

K-pop fans around the world, myself in(')$*+' cluded, ,!%&%* were dis- %,-./0$%%&'()*+ appointed and frustrated when hundreds of K-pop songs were removed from the streaming service because of a dispute between Spotify and South Korean distributor Kakao M. According to reports, Spotify is having trouble renewing licenses that allow them to house many popular K-pop songs on their service for customers worldwide. Spotify released a statement almost immediately claiming, “De-

rus, there is still a slim chance of contracting the disease. The CDC encourages everyone to wear a

decrease the spread of COVID-19.

Wearing a mask does not automatically make you immune to the virus, but combined with healthy hygiene and social distancing, a piece of cloth could be lifesaving.

Although the state mask mandate has ended, many businesses across the state will continue enforcing social distancing and mask wearing poli-

create a city mandate for those refusing to wear a mask, cities in the state can decide if they will have mask requirements inside city buildings and properties.

existing licensing deal

we had with Kakao M (which covered all other countries other than South Korea) has come to an end. The fact that we have not yet reached an agreement is unfortunate for their artists, as well as for fans worldwide. It is our hope that this disruption will be temporary, and we can resolve this situation soon.”

This still didn’t really put fans at ease as a lot of us who had playlists of our favorite songs now have big holes in our lists. Shortly after Spotify broke their silence of the situation, Kakao M countered with a statement that placed blame on Spotify. Really and truly we don’t care care whose fault it is, we just want our music back.

Artists were also taken their music was gone as they were not informed beforehand.

Among those artists are Mons-

ta X, The Boyz, Hwasa, Tablo, etc.

Korean-Canadian hiphop artist Tablo spoke about how artists and labels being greedy.

“Apparently, a disagreement between Spotify and Kakao M has made our new album unavailable globally against our will. Regardless of who is at fault, why is it that it is always the artists and fans that place greed over art?”

This is a situation that hurts everyone, it hurts artists and all of the hard work they put in, not only making their music but advertising themselves to get their streaming numbers up as it takes an excessive number of streams to make a decent amount of money. It hurts business for distributors because they lose the trust of their artists and their customers. Many fans,

sic users, took to Twitter to express that any consideration to switch to Spotify was now nonexistent as they don’t want to lose any music. I really hope this problem gets resolved soon because it isn’t fair to the countless artists who have been affected nor do I like having hours worth of music missing from my playlists. To my fellow K-pop fans out there that wish to make a note of what exactly you are missing from your playlists here is a tip. Go to the settings in your Spotify and make sure the “Hide unplayable songs” op-

able to see the names of the songs but you will be able to see the album cover and know what albums to make a note of so you can attempt to listen and search them for elsewhere while this issue is hopefully being resolved.

Spring burnout replaces Spring Break I completely understand the university’s reasoning for removing Spring Break from this year’s academic calendar, but as a student I am physically and men!"##$ tally ex!%&#' hausted. !"#$%&'()*+ I guess I never really knew the relief Spring Break brought to my stress levels, but it is very apparent now

that Spring Break gives me an opportunity to destress and catch up on any assignments or projects I may have fallen behind on. I absolutely do not agree with the students I see on break this

This year, Spring Break more than ever in Texas is risky as our governor lifted the state’s mask

a lot of students are starting to feel burnt out and could really use a week to recharge and rest themselves.

Unfortunately, we live in a time of worry and risk with the COVID-19 pandemic still looming over our country and campus. It is due to this risk that more students may need

There are moments in our lives where we go through rough patches or we deal with after-effects from past situations we have encountered.

A l though we say that -##')$*' we are do.%/')%* ing every1"/*+)"+ thing we can to try and cope with these troubles, sometimes we have a habit of lying to ourselves and do not do all we can to help.

okay because there may be some hesitation and doubt when trying to heal from certain situations but there comes a point when we eventually have to get up and start being proactive.

Although the thought of being proactive is easier said than done, to help one’s self out of a mental rut you, have to be will-

far.

If counseling isn’t the right route for you, other ways to be proactive and to help one’s self could be starting with a positive attitude. Many people don’t realize that having a positive mindset can change our perspective on things as we try to face them head-on.

When wanting to heal

wanting to get better. In ways, it is like going to counseling as you can’t just expect things to get better by attending, part of the job is needing to do half the work otherwise you won’t get very

that help relax you, something that brings you comfort and joy.

It doesn’t have to be anything big, it could be journaling, baking, running or even doing something as simple as

Florida to take pictures mask-less on a beach or those using this time to socialize outside of their circle potentially spreading the COVID-19 virus;

mandate on a date that fell right in the middle of the week students left school for Spring Break.

Again, I get it, cancelling Spring Break is a way of protecting the university,

a break. With a majority of classes still online and students stressing over the virus, I feel as though we need a break, but it’s due to these risks that we are unable to rest.

We college kids are understanding of why we were one of the few campus across Texas that did not get a Spring Break and believe me, we may thank the university later, but as for the time being, we need a break and most of us probably feel burnt out. So be nice to us, we are tired and most likely very stressed.

Owners of private properties and businesses will get to decide whether they will allow non-maskwearers inside their stores and on their property.

Businesses can also refuse service if a customer refuses to cooperate with a store policy.

Though many Texans have said mask wearing will not be ending for them, it is important to keep practicing social distancing and COVID-19 protocols. The COVID-19 pandemic still has a prominent hold over our state, and we must do our part to keep our community safe.

When debating over the decision to wear a mask, know that politics and the CDC are recommend-

shows the most concern for your health.

Ronni Reyna

Texas A&M University system. The

while, but when is anything in life ever truly easy?

Calista Reyes

Nicole Perez Morris Adviser

Campus Editor

Advertising

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

it.

Digital Editor

Jakki Barrera

publication produced by Texas A&M

and what may work for someone else may not work for you, but it still does not make it less valthing that does bring you a sense of peace then try to make it a part of your daily routine or even an every-other-day activity, as long as you are put-

Reporters Sarah Reyna Emma Hodges Brieana Casarez Diana Canizalez Nathan Soord

News Editor

The South Texan is a student

your make-up.

Finding what I like to call “self-therapy” is

Gabriella Mastroianni Entertainment Editor

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

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

Dylan Sanchez

Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA).

Sports Editor

STAFF Aryssa Enriquez

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Letters to the Editor Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters

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

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March 15, 2021

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TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-KINGSVILLE® HOUSING AND RESIDENCE LIFE

Current Students: Be on the lookout in March to re-sign to live on campus for Fall 2021-Spring 2022 Scan code to see our online brochure:

FALL 2021 - SPRING 2022 PRICES: MARTIN HALL

LYNCH HALL

$2,300 per semester

$2,500 per semester

LUCIO HALL & MESQUITE VILLAGE WEST $3,200 or $3,400 per semester

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Barbecue and Picnic areas Exterior card access system Game tables Ice machines & Vending Machines Intramural teams Lounges with living rooms and TVs

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Planned residence hall activities Live On Professional staff members Resident/Community Advisor staff Smoke-free buildings Student leadership opportunities

Email: residencelife@tamuk.edu | Phone: 361-593-3419 Lucio Hall, Office 119, Kingsville, TX 78363-8202