3/1/18

INDEX:

2|CAMPUS

3|OPINION

4|SPORTS

5 Track & Field athletes head to nationals

5|ENTERTAINMENT

6|AD

See page 4

THESOUTHTEXAN.COM Thursday, March 1, 2018

Engineering Department Starts Recruiting Early Darcy Ramirez Managing Editor

Dakota Roberts Editorial Editor

Photo by Darcy Ramirez

Susana Samayoa, Sheriff Oseni, Jason Rodriguez, Josiah Gomez, Kevin Hill and Aaron Balles present videos and sketches of their rover

heading now,” Susana Samayoa, a mechanical engineering major, said. Samayoa is part of a group of mechanical engineering students who will compete in the NASA Human Exploration Rover Challenge later this semester. Her fellow competitors are: Aaron Balles, Josiah Gomez, Jason Rodriguez, Sheriff Oseni and Kevin Hill. The students competing are currently selling raffle tickets for a new barbecue pit and the raffle money will pay for their expenses at the Rover Challenge.

At the recent event, student and faculty members presented their newest projects, latest technological equipment and videos of competitions they have entered.

“This whole setup is

showing different techniques. Here we’re trying to recruit kids into the engineering department,” said Jason Polasek, a mechanical engineering major.

At Memorial, Polasek displayed a 3-D printer to the students and showcased random objects he created with the printer. He even passed out lanyards to each student in order to personally show them what the printer could do.

Joshua Bailey, an architectural engineering major, displayed a wind tunnel model with fellow architectural engineering students Jeremy Herrera and Nicholas Payne.

They were supervised by Jim Glusing, associate professor for engineering.

“It’s nice that we get to show the kids equipment

we work with every day. It’s crazy but in a couple of years those kids could be where we are right now. So it’s good that we are showing them these experiments and projects now while they are still in middle school,” Bailey said.

Photo by Darcy Ramirez

Jason Polasek displays the ROBO 3D printer to students at Memorial Middle School

Pizzazz in the newsroom

The South Texan has first female Sports Editor Crystal Zamarron Editor-in-Chief

Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s newspaper, The South Texan, is making history.

Plaserae “Plazz” Johnson is the newspaper’s first female Sports Editor.

Johnson worked as a contributing writer for The South Texan for a couple of years until this spring when she applied for the position.

“It feels amazing and it is kind of unbelievable for me

Photo by James Passley

Plaserae Johnson

The Gathering of the Deans University heads meet to discuss new school developments

Staff, students host event at Memorial Middle School

Engineering is becoming the future. On Tuesday, Feb. 20, staff and students from the Frank H. Dotterweich College of Engineering at Texas A&M University-Kingsville hosted an event at Memorial Middle School.

The event was open to the public and included displays of 3-D printing robots, a bionic arm, a replica of the Mars Rover, a wind tunnel model and many more projects, all in the hopes of sparking an early interest in engineering among the middle school children.

The event displayed about 12 projects from various fields of engineering like mechanical, chemical, architectural and electrical. Each project was conducted by a group or a singular student who was then monitored by a supervising teacher in that field of study.

The event used handson activities to show the inner workings of TAMUK’s engineering department.

Students at Memorial Middle School were offered the chance to explore the science, technology, engineering, art and math program, commonly referred to as STEAM. “We are trying to inspire them to join STEAM where things are evolving to. It’s basically where things are

Volume 92 Issue 17

because I never imagined that I would be where I am, and I know the expectations are high for me,” Johnson said.

Aside from serving as Sports Editor, Johnson is a Track & Field star for the Javelinas and is currently ranked 13th nationwide in the 60 meter run for the 20172018 National Collegiate Athletic Association Division II, Indoor. She also writes poetry.

The senior Communications major and English minor from Glendale, Ariz., came to The South Texan unfamiliar with the programs used to create the newspaper, but was determined to learn.

Her determination is paying off.

“Media has traditionally been a male-dominated industry; particularly in the area of sports. Considering it took 93 years for The South Texan to have a woman Sports Editor is proof of such.

Plazz proved herself more than capable of handling the responsibilities of serving as Sports Editor,” said Nicole Perez Morris, The South Texan adviser. “She has exceeded my expectations.”

Johnson’s poems have been published in Writers Bloc at TAMUK. Her poems titled “Heavy Expectations” and “A Black Woman’s Words” were featured in the Winter 2017-2018 issue. In the Tapestry 2017 publication, a Women and Gender Studies Journal at TAMUK, published more of her poems - “A Black Woman’s Words”, “Just Be Strong”, “I Could Be” and “Time”.

As the first female Sports Editor, “I want to pave the way for other women making historical movements as well,” Johnson said. “Being the first to do anything is important but being the first woman is so much more to me.”

Art, Communications and Theatre Department Chair Todd Lucas credits Johnson’s athletic success as plus for her editor’s position.

“She’s got a good character and good leadership skills. She’s got lots of traits that can help her. That sports background is what is helping her succeed. She has had good coaching, now she’s using what has been used on her in the newsroom,” Lucas said.

Photo by Fredrick Nuecsh

Plaserae Johnson

Outside of school, Johnson is currently an intern as a Public Affairs Specialist at the Naval Air Station in Kingsville.

Johnson has always had a passion for writing.

“I wrote a letter to my grandma to stop smoking and because it was well written and powerful, she stopped. My grandma has been clean from smoking for 20 years,” Johnson said. “I’ve always expressed myself through writing. Always.”

Texas A&M University—Kingsville held another Dean’s Forum to let students and their respective Deans discuss the changes coming to the school in the coming semester. The meeting and questions were developed by TAMUK’s Student Government Association. Here is a summary by college: The College of Agriculture probably saw the most growth in the past year, having been granted a memorandum agreement with College Station’s Vet school, which happens to be the only vet school in Texas, to allow additional students to participate in the program. The Dean of the College of Agriculture Dr. Shad D. Nelson told the students, “We have five additional seats every year for Kingsville students that qualify. So, this will be the first year that we will be sending five students who were accepted into Texas A&M University—Kingsville’s vet school. That’s a huge deal.”

The College of Agriculture will also be extending a few of its degree plans to reflect the changing times in the vet field. The Bachelor’s for vet tech, usually a two-year degree plan, will increase to a four-year plan and be reevaluated as a Bachelor’s in vet nursing. Nelson reflected on the decision, “That’s a change that is going across from Europe into the United States. A few institutions are starting this because sometimes it can be hard to tell what a veterinarian technologist is compared to a veterinarian nurse.”

Another development in the College of Agriculture is the addition of a new class, Digital Wildlife Photography. The class is hoping to attract students who are not on the agriculture track but still have a passion for the wildlife. Anyone who enjoys photography may want to check out this class, as it is already available.

Another college that seemed to gain traction since the last Dean’s Forum was the College of Business Administration, now that it has been internationally accredited

by AACSB International. Dr. Natalya Delcoure, the dean of business administration, also disclosed the new facilities for business students—a new interactive learning lab found in Room 100 of the business administration building. Along with this there are two new graduate certificates, business analyt-

ics and healthcare gramatics, which are going to be offered effective this Summer.

Delcoure underlined that she wants the professors to develop the students’ skills with a sense of emotional intelligence.

“We are updating some of the existing classes and developing more emotional intelligence in our business students. Because it’s not only preparing our students professionally,” Delcoure added.

“A professional skill-set can easily be developed, but this also develops our students holistically.”

The CBA has also added a commercial banking class, hoping to serve the credit union community. With this, a classroom will be modeled to create a Bloomberg financial lab this Fall. Delcoure hopes this will not only be beneficial to students and faculty, but also to the community by increasing the local financial literacy.

Dr. Alberto Ruiz, the dean of the College of Education and Human Performance, began his talk with some good news. After a recent change in policy that required students to pass their certification exam before being allowed to teach in a class, has garnered an undergraduate student the “National Student Teacher of the Year” award.

“One of our upcoming programs, and one of our shining stars, is our exercise science’s pre-physical therapy program,” Ruiz said.

“That program is a very intense program, that’s all I will say.” Ruiz was proud to state that every student sent to physical therapy school that finished that program’s curriculum has gone on to graduate.

The College of Education was also recently awarded a $2.75 million grant in collaboration with the Center for Student Success to train 400 teachers. As a result, undergraduate teacher education members will be granted an $800 scholarship.

College of Engineering Dean Dr. Mohammad S. Alam announced two majors are being added to the degree plan, one for software engineering and another in electronics. Alam also touched on the status of the engineering building’s refurbishing, stating the construction is focusing on supporting the infrastructure of the building—making sure the walls are sturdy and that there are no water leaks.

Dean’s Forum continued on Page 5

2

Campus

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

The Student Research Journey of a Lifetime TAMUK civil engineering student wins national e-Portfolio competition from the NOCoE

America Quintero Campus Editor Students throughout North America submitted an e-Portfolio to the National Operations Center of Excellence (NOCoE), but only five were chosen.

One of those students was Gabriel Odreman, a civil engineering student from Texas A&M University Kingsville (TAMUK).

Odreman’s journey starts in Venezuela, where he managed a construction company for five years and received his bachelor’s in civil engineering.

In pursuit of his master’s degree, Odreman moved to Texas, where he began his education at TAMUK. Amir Hessami, assistant professor for the department of civil and architectural engineering, saw a spark of determination in Odreman, so he hired him as a graduate assistant for his courses.

“Gabriel [Odreman] is a very determined and studious student… He did a magnificent job as the teaching assistant for my courses.” “[He] understands the students’ learning process and he spends ample time with individual students to help them understand course materials,” Hessami com-

mented.

Soon, Odreman was recommended by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) and Hessami to apply for the 2nd Annual Transportation Research Board (TRB) e-Portfolio Competition.

Competition winners would get to present a poster of their research at the 2018 TRB Annual Meeting.

With the supervision of Hessami, Odreman did his research project on how to improve the planning process for transportation projects .

e-Portfolio continued on Page 5

Photo by Gabriel Odreman

Pictured from left to right, son of NOCoE’s managing director, Gabriel Odreman, one of the e-portfolio winners, Jennifer Cohan, and Shante Hastings

A Race that Goes Beyond the Finish Line Students honor TAMUK Dean at the Ties and Tennis Shoes Memorial Fun Run Josue Villarreal Reporter The energy was high and vibrant as people mingled and interacted with one another, whether it was watching their children play in the Kids Section, or interacting with the puppies that were up for adoption.

The 5th Annual Ties and Tennis Shoes Memorial Fun Run took place on Feb. 23.

Many runners and passersby alike stopped to partake in

the run itself or to just enjoy the event.

The annual event is held in memory of Dr. James Robertson Jr., a founding dean of the Irma Rangel School of Pharmacy located on campus.

He passed away due to pneumonia on November 21, 2012 but is remembered for his warmth and passion for the department.

He was instrumental in bringing more than $4.1 million in scholarships and grants to the department.

Money raised at the event

funds two scholarships in his name.

“We’re trying to honor him in the best way we know how,” said Thuyduong Vu, third-year Pharmacy student and one of the organizers of the event.

“This is our fundraiser to get more scholarship money for the current students, and the future student[s] of the college,” Vu added.

While some were there for just food and fun, many children and adults were there to test themselves in the run itself. People of all ages were

able to sign up and run for different running distances.

“Running is good for the kids and adults that need to exercise and have a healthy lifestyle,” said Teri Flores, run participant and physical education teacher at Gillette Intermediate School.

As the runners finally began pouring back in, they announced that fourth-year Pharmacy student Christine Hong, and second-year student Kevin Chan received $1,000 each in scholarships.

“I feel very proud of myself because I have been

Photo By Josue Villarreal

Pictured from left to right, Christine Hong and Kevin Chan

working very hard for this,” Chan said.

“I never met Dr. Robertson, but I’ve only heard good

things about his advocacy for students, so I feel really good and honored,” Hong said.

Eco-Friendly Competition

TAMUK Javelinas compete for the first time in RecycleMania Iliana Flores Reporter Texas A&M UniversityKingsville (TAMUK) is one of 24 schools in Texas leading the way towards a greener Earth by competing in this year’s RecycleMania.

RecycleMania is an annual eight-week competition held in the spring. During this period, “colleges across the United States and Canada report the amount of recycling and trash collected each week,” the RecycleMania website states.

With this information, schools are then ranked based on who recycles the greatest amount per capita and who has the best total waste recycling rates. The ranking order also considers which schools have the smallest total amount of trash and recycling.

In previous years, TAMUK has participated in RecycleMania in the benchmark division. This meant that the university would enter data on how much was being recycled but wouldn’t be ranked.

This year marks the first year TAMUK switches into the competition division and gets ranked amongst other

universities. The competition began on Feb. 4. Since then, the Office of Sustainability has been collecting data to report once a week.

“We are reporting our compost numbers, so preand postconsumer waste from the dining hall is going to be weighed, and all the recycling that we collect with the Javelina recycling team in the truck is also weighed every week and we report the numbers. We are also going to use any electronics that are recycled during this time as a reporting tool,” said Eliasz McCullen, the Sustainability Operations coordinator at the Office of Sustainability.

TAMUK students are encouraged to participate in the competition by throwing their recyclable items in the designated recycling bins across campus because student participation is helpful for increasing the school’s ranking.

“Anything that the students do to recycle more, [like] instead of throwing your things in the trash bins, if you throw them in the recycling bins instead that boosts our numbers and could help us,” McCullen said.

In competing in RecycleMania and collecting this

data, McCullen hopes for the school to improve its diversion rates as well as show what the Javelinas are doing to help the environment.

For Madison Ortega, a communications major, RecycleMania is a reminder for people to pay attention to how they dispose of their trash.

“I feel like we’re very wasteful. We don’t think twice about just throwing away a bottle or throwing away trash...it (RecycleMania) is really good because you kind of pause and think like ‘ok, should I be throwing it away or should I be throwing it in the recycle bin?’” Ortega said.

Fernando Garza is a civil engineering major who works at the Office of Sustainability as an Eco Representative. This year he participated in RecycleMania by helping organize events on campus. To him, it’s important for colleges to spread information on sustainability for future generations.

“We’re trying to be more involved than previous generations..I think that as generations keep going forward… more people will be more responsible in the future than we are today,” Garza said.

crime crime on on campus campus DATE REPORTED

DATE OCCURRED

LOCATION

CRIME

DISPOSITION

02/16/18

02/16/18

Lot J

Burglary of Vehicle

Active

02/17/18

02/17/18

Turner Hall

Criminal Mischief

Active

02/18/18

2/18/18

Turner/Bishop Bike Rack

Theft

Active

02/18/18

02/18/18

Lynch Hall

Sexual Assault

Active

Opinion

3

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

The Paranoid Tales of the Internet Age Conspiracy theories disrupt the Nation’s dialogue

Iliana Flores Reporter

In recent U.S. history, there have been a few traumatic mass shootings which have impacted American culture. From Sandy Hook to the Las Vegas shooting, events like these have been the stepping stone for public conversation on gun control. However, one thing that always seems to follow these acts of violence are conspiracy theories which question the validity of these events. The recent high school shooting in Parkland, Fla., has proved to be no exception.

Since the shooting in Parkland, there have been many conversations in the media and amongst politicians regarding what the next move concerning gun control should be. This is a much-needed conversa-

tion because of the daunting number of school shootings that have occurred this year.

Currently, the people at the forefront of this conversation are the students who survived the Parkland shooting. As the media has highlighted, the students of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School are not going to idly wait around with hopes that politicians will do something to change gun control legislation.

But, as in the case of many mass shootings in the U.S., there are always people who spiral down a rabbit hole of information; forming a conspiracy theory which they hope will discredit the media David Hogg, a survivor of the Parkland, Fla., shooting has found himself to be a victim of internet conspiracy theories. In the wake of the shooting, Hogg has become one of the most vocal students expressing for action to

be taken by politicians and he has done several interviews regarding gun control legislation. But, in one interview, Hogg is seen stuttering over his words as he tells his personal account of the shooting. At one point, he paused to gather his thoughts and a male voice can be heard off camera saying, “say, ‘I don’t know how to put this in perspective.’” After this clip went public, people began to speculate that Hogg was being fed lines by his father who is a former FBI agent.

However, the theory that garnered the most attention was one that claimed Hogg was a crisis actor, “hired to act as a victim in the wake of a mass tragedy,” TIME reported. The video where he is seen stammering was used as proof that Hogg was having trouble remembering his lines. To add further fuel to the fire, a Los Angeles TV station newscast featuring Hogg

Remembering the Fallen Forgetting the Violence

Darcy Ramirez Managing Editor

Murderers live forever.

Ted Bundy, Jack the Ripper, Jeffrey Dahmer, Osama bin Laden, Charles Manson.

All of these men are notorious and are the faces of evil.

We remember these names, we fear these people, we watched and listened during the manhunt and trials, but why?

Why do we remember the names of murderers but not remember the names Lynda Ann Healy, Elizabeth Stride, Anthony Sears, Laurence Christopher Abel and Sharon Tate? These are the names of the victims of the killers, but we forget they even existed.

We, as a society, only remember those who caused the tragedy not those whose lives were taken too soon.

With the Florida shooting we learned the name Nikolas

Cruz. About an hour after the tragedy started in Las Vegas we learned the name Stephen Paddock. Only a couple hours after shots were fired in Texas we learned who Devin Patrick Kelley was.

But we learn the names of the victims days later, and no one seems to question that. I understand that law enforcement needs to identify the perpetrator immediately so that they can process their case and continue with their investigation. I know that usually in these scenarios there is one killer and many, many victims, but sometimes it feels like the murderer is more important than the people he slew. But I hope this changes. I don’t want to look back on these sad events and only remember the vicious man or woman who committed the crime. I want to remember and think of the innocent souls who died. It seems wrong to the family and friends of the victims to forget their loved ones and

remember the perpetrator who stole them away.

I know the pattern of these tragedies. America is at first in shock, and afterwards grieves. But then within a few weeks or months America moves on. These violent events happen so often that eventually we forget. We take these incidents too lightly and don’t understand the extreme and intense effects they cause.

In New York City there is now a National September 11 Memorial & Monument, a recollection of all the names of the fallen victims. The purpose of this remembrance is to honor the dead, and to remind America of the strength we possess in the face of a catastrophic event. I don’t suggest we create a huge statue, museum, plaque, or monument every time a tragedy occurs, but we should recognize the victims more than the murderers themselves.

We should forge a tribute for the innocent not the evil.

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 Josue Villarreal - Reporter C.R. Neal - Reporter Hector Andres Landin - Reporter Joshua Lin - Reporter Iliana Flores - Reporter Graham Castor - Reporter Nicole Morris - Adviser Dr. Manuel Flores - Content Supervisor

Have an opinion?

Contact the South Texan at thesouthtexan@yahoo.com or message us on our Facebook fan page.

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Letters may be hand delivered or emailed to thesouthtexan@yahoo.com Please send letters or inquiries to The South Texan at Manning Hall 165, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, Texas 78363 (361) 593-4370

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.

was posted on YouTube and became number one on its trending page. In this video, Hogg is seen in a newscast in California talking about an encounter he and a friend had with a lifeguard. And, in the caption of this video, it was further insinuated that Hogg was a crisis actor. The video received 200,000 views before YouTube removed it.

After the Las Vegas shooting in 2017, videos on YouTube almost immediately popped up, discussing how the shooting was not real or how the government was trying to hide the truth from the public. Even after the Sandy Hook shooting in 2012, there were conspiracy theory videos created saying “the shooting was faked by the government and accused victims’ families of being paid actors,” CNN reported.

In all of these shootings, innocent lives were lost.

From children to adults, all

of these lives matter and it’s not fair for people to create theories that take attention away from the real issues at hand. Also, in popularizing far-fetched theories, we are dismissing people’s experiences, especially victims and their loved ones. CNN reported a story about a man who lost his 6-year-old son in the Sandy Hook shooting who “received threatening voicemails and other online hatred in the wake of the shooting,” by people who believed he was an actor. But, after experiencing something as traumatic as a mass shooting or losing a loved one, this is not something people want to go through because it doesn’t allow people to grieve properly, it skews people’s perceptions of the events, and it takes away from much needed discussions.

The Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting in Florida marked the 18th

school shooting of the year according to everytownresearch.org. In seven of these shootings there was “attack on other persons(s) resulting in injury or death,” Everytown found. The school shooting in Florida was by far the largest of the year with 17 victims who had their lives taken away, 14 who were injured, and around 3,000 students who will forever remember the day where their friends and peers were taken away from them.

This is why it is important for conversations on gun control to continue. But, by creating and popularizing conspiracy theories which stretch to tell the truth, we only end up distracting people from the true issues at hand when we should be looking at how we can push politicians to create legislation to prevent mass shootings from happening.

TWITTER POLL QUESTION In light of the latest shooting, do you believe that magazine fed, semiautomatic guns should be outlawed?

This week’s poll: Have you ever experienced repeated curriculum in your time at Texas A&M UniversityKingsville?

Going for the King

Setting your own long-term goal Dakota Roberts Editorial Editor I began playing chess when I was five years old.

My father taught me how to play and when he played against me he taught me that I wasn’t that good of a player. As his influence in my life dwindled, so did my interest in the game. So much so, that by the time I had turned 11 or 12, I had completely quit.

I hadn’t played a real game of chess in almost a decade when I received a chessboard as a gift. It was a beautiful board—ornately decorated, crafted with fine, smooth wood, furnished with custom pieces, and styled across the edging with Polish carvings. However, my enjoyment of the ancient discipline did not come back just then; my younger brother would help me with that.

Actually, the game of chess, which dates back farther than you may expect,

began with a legend about two brothers. Two brothers named Talhand and Gav battled over the kingdom of Hind. In order to see who would be crowned king, the two jealous princes agreed to fight on a battlefield bordered by a deep trench, preventing them from fleeing.

As the armies met on the battlefield, a prince mounted high atop an elephant stood on each side, rallying their troops to war. When the battle ceased, the smoke cleared, the dead counted, it was revealed that Gav had proven to be victorious. When he asked where his brother stood he had been told that his brother had perished in battle.

Going to his brother’s side, Gav saw that Talhand was indeed dead; yet, no scratch or marking was on him, as if he simply closed his eyes and passed. It was determined that Talhand died of fatigue from the battle. The fear of being utterly surrounded by his enemies was shown to

be too overwhelming and he was pulled him from his mortal coil. The term for his death became known as Shah Mat, or its modern variation Checkmate.

Centuries later it was very fitting that two brothers would reenact that very battle; working to outmaneuver and outwit the other. Since then, both my brother and I continue to play.

Chess works as a microcosm of conflict. Within that 8x8 board lies a realm of strategy, understanding, psychology, art, and in a sense, fortitude. I am glad to say that I have picked up the game again and managed to share my own enjoyment with a friend that had fallen into some hard times.

Thinking about it, I decided to set up a goal of my own, one not readily observed, hidden within the jumble of academia, column-writing, or the usual hustle and bustle of my life. One day, maybe, just maybe, I can call myself a master of the game of chess.

4

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

Sports

The Javelinas Fall Short of Playoffs The Lady Hogs Win the Final Game of Season

Victoria Lichtenberger Sports Reporter

The mens’ Javelina Basketball team was two points away from making the playoffs, after suffering a tough loss Saturday, 58-56, to the visiting Eastern New Mexico Greyhounds.

Players and fans were hopeful after a record-setting victory by the Javelinas Thursday over the Western New Mexico Mustangs, 8040.

The 40-point victory against the Mustangs on Feb. 22 was the largest since the 2006-07 season when the Javelinas demolished Huston-Tillotson, 103-63.

Junior Derrick Byrd put up a game-high 15 points to contribute to the victory, along with Senior Caelan Neal.

The Javelinas were defeated during the last few seconds of the game Saturday, Feb 24.

This defeat left the Javelinas short of the final spot in the Lone Star Conference

Photos By Frankie Cardenas

Men’s Basketball from Left to Right: Seniors Derryck Byrd, Caelan Neal, Christian BamBrook, Elliot Taylor, Trey Sumpter, Will West, and Cris Boleware.

Women’s Team from left to right: Seniors Angelica Wilson, Ope Ibrahim , and Emmeri Archer

Tournament.

Neal and Byrd added 24 points in total.

Senior Will West said he was proud to have been a Javelina.

“We tried our hardest, there was a lot of good plays it just came down to the end and we fell short.

“It has been an honor to wear the uniform and play

for this team,” West said.

Saturday was Senior Night for the Javelina teams, and players appreciated the support.

“Thank you to everyone who has come out to all our games, it means a lot to us.

“Our family members made today extra special by coming to support us in our

last game. We do this for [you], we love you,” Elliot Taylor said.

On the women’s side, the Javelinas saw a 28-point victory on Feb. 22 against the Mustangs, 70-42.

It was the largest win for the team this season. Each Lady Javelina who stepped foot on the court swished at least one shot.

Senior Angelica Wilson stacked up 13 points, contributing to the team’s overall shooting percentage of 26.7 percent against the Mustangs.

“We played hard, we fought and did what we could do to win,” Wilson said.

The Lady Javelinas continued to show

outstanding talent during the team’s last home game on Saturday, Feb. 24, against the Eastern New Mexico Lady Hounds.

The Lady Javelinas went into overtime and ended their season with a win, 6962.

The Lady Javelinas finished the season with a record of 8-20 overall and 5-15 in the Lone Star Conference.

Intramural Sports The Javelinas Pick up Medals at Encourages The Lone Star Conference Meet Participants for Track Fights Hard, Athletes Going to Nationals the Spring Semester Luis Garcia Sports Reporter

Aaron Monreal Sports Reporter The University is well into the spring semester and the Intramural Sports programs are preparing for seasonal competitions.

Registration is currently underway for cricket, indoor soccer, softball and sand volleyball.

The intramural sports competitions are organized through the Recreational Center on Texas A&M University- Kingsville’s (TAMUK) campus.

The Intramural Sports Program provides a variety of sports competitions that include the interests’ of team players and single players.

When the tournaments are created, they require many spots to be filled.

Rueben Mendiola, an organizer and manager of intramural sports, said there are as many as 250 students enrolled within the program.

The Intramural Sports Program is prepared to host more students.

Mendiola hopes the tournaments and enrollment will grow. He has seen growing numbers in the female participation level.

“We have an all-women’s basketball league,” Mendiola said.

If a prospect comes forth without a team, the person will still be able to register and could be recruited by a team already put together.

This process has helped grow participants in the Intramural Sports Program as some students are interested, but do not have a team. Most people have open teams that a person can join.

In the end, the Intramural Sports Program and its organizers would like everyone to have an opportunity to join in the competitions.

Joining Intramural Sports is also a great way to meet new people.

Isaiah Dennis, a student at TAMUK, played the previous semester on a co-ed team and an all men’s team.

Dennis described it as, “A way to meet new teammates, bonding, and creat[ing] social connections.”

Intramural Sport has also encouraged Karina Prado to join because she feels it will “help [her] grow better as a person,” she said.

Anyone interested in intramural sports should visit their website www.tamuk.edu/ recsports for additional information.

Nerves and emotions were extremely high as the Lone Star Conference (LSC) held its Indoor Track and Field Championships Feb. 24 and 25 at the Sports Performance Center in Lubbock.

Texas Tech University was the host.

The Texas A&M UniversityKingsville Men and Women’s track teams had a lighter practice schedule in the week prior to the meet as the coaches focused on conference.

Both the Men and Women’s teams for the Javelinas did well and some athletes broke school records at the contest. Those included John Harper and Richard Cervantes.

There were a few athletes who were competing in their last indoor conference of their collegiate track and field careers.

Athletes such as Javier Lopez, Irene Almarcha and Plaserae Johnson competed for the last time as Javelinas in the LSC indoor meet.

“It’s always tough to lose great athletes. We have been lucky to be able to have those athletes with us and it’s been very exciting watching them compete,” said Head Coach Ryan Dall.

Lopez won the 60m hurdles and placed seventh in the 200m.

He is ranked second in the nation with a 7.84.

Almarcha, a hurdler who transferred from South Dakaota State University, received second place in the 60m hurdles in the finals.

“I think that the team in general did a good job. There were a lot of PRs (personal bests) and SBs (season bests) this weekend... I’m happy with my performance as I was sitting fourth in the LSC ranking and left second with a season best,” Almarcha said.

Johnson qualified for Nationals and moved from the ranking of number 20 to 13 on the national indoor lists on the Track and Field Results Reporting System (tfrrs.org).

The Men’s team placed third in the LSC championships with 104 points. Robert Downs, a

junior, contributed to the Men’s overall team score.

Downs ran his way to victory in the 800m with a three-second lead and a time of 1:50.93. This time moved him to the 13th spot in the nation in Division II of the NCAA. “The main thing that was going through my head was to run my race and run it hard, and not to let anyone get in the way of that,” said Downs, the LSC Champion of the 800m.

When approaching conference, Coach Dall makes sure the team knows the goal in the meet is to get to the finals and score points.

“I believe indoor helped us as a preparation for outdoor so we can keep working towards our goals,” Almarcha said.

Downs said the teams performed their best at conference and is looking

“I felt I gave [my] max effort this weekend and so did my team” -Robert Downs forward to future contests.

“I felt I gave [my] max effort this weekend and so did my team. Ee weren’t exactly perfect but that’s almost impossible to do. I look at this past weekend as a learning experience so outdoor we’ll be even stronger,.

On top of that, we’ll have more weapons who didn’t compete indoor but will be outdoor, and then there’s certain athletes who will be in their strongest events that indoor doesn’t have, so I’m very excited about our chances,” Downs said.

Dall is hopeful for nationals.

“Well we always want to win, but I thought we competed very hard and very well. Everyone gave a great effort so I was happy with how we performed.

“I hope Javi can win the national championship next week and that Plaserae can earn All-American again,” Dall said.

Athletes such as Rachael Somoye, Downs, Lopez, Johnson and Cervantes will be heading to nationals to compete on March 10 in Pittsburgh, Kan., to conclude their indoor season.

Photo by Javelina Athletics

Charles Greaves leaping for distance over the pit

Photo by Plaserae Johnson

Pictured left to right Robert Downs, Charles Greaves, and Javier Lopez

Entertainment

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THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

New Exhibit at Bailey Art Gallery Now Open Puron speaks of his artistry, talent C.R Neal Reporter

From now until Saturday, March 31, the geometric works of minimalist artist Jorge Puron will grace the Ben Bailey Art Exhibit at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK).

“My work is starkly geometric and founded upon hard-edged forms,” Puron said. “I explore the concept of spatial relationships and how they are affected by the application of line and color.

My purely geometric work confronts perception by subjecting form, and the practice by which it is painted.”

Not only is the artwork minimalistic, but the exhibit itself also has a lot of negative space giving the sense of symmetry and isolation.

Associate Professor of Art at TAMUK Jesus De La Rosa, M.F.A. helped organize the exhibit.

“His work is rooted in 1960s minimalism, to get rid of any sort of object or figure,” De La Rosa said. “The artists pushing this form were trying to simplify their life and art. That transcended into some aspects of American life; into the way we de-

sign furniture and homes.”

Puron’s style, like many great artists, has not remained the same throughout the years.

“He [Puron] was doing abstract expressionism, lots of colors and thick textures,” De La Rosa said. “It’s been eight years since he [Puron] used that style and it’s changed into simple forms. He reduced his palette.”

Chair and Associate Professor of the Art, Communications, and Theatre department Todd Lucas was surprised by Puron’s change in style.

“I wasn’t expecting this work out of him, just because of his personality,” Lucas said. “I’ve seen a lot of artists and sometimes they go through phases like this, other times this engulfs their whole careers and it just depends upon the person.”

Lucas also explained the purpose of the exhibits and what he hopes people will take from them.

“We bring in people from throughout the region, sometimes nationally or internationally, to get people different experiences and to give them different visual pleasures,” Lucas said.

“Basically it’s an experience to see what is out there

and what different artists are doing.”

De La Rosa talked about what he hopes the exhibit accomplishes.

“It’s also a good idea to bring in a painter that’s a minimalist so that our students can see that things don’t have to be that complicated,” he said. “That’s the subject matter of the exhibition.”

De La Rosa and Lucas both gave advice on how to approach and analyze artwork.

“First you should look at the work for its formal qualities; shape, line, color.

Then get up close to the canvas and look at the texture and think about how he [Puron] laid it down,” De La Rosa said. “Can you see a brushstroke, did he use a stencil?”

Lucas’ advice was more focused on the individual’s perception.

“Go to what you’re drawn to, don’t worry about all the other stuff,” Lucas said. “Experience what you like and gravitate to that.”

From 2 to 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 1, there will be a talk and reception with Puron in the Ben Bailey Art Gallery.

Enlightening Children With Javelina Music Play Classes Music program influences young minds by teaching them to understand the magic of music Josue Villarreal Reporter On Feb. 20, Children’s Music Development Lab of Texas A&M University- Kingsville began the Javelina Music Play Classes.

The play classes will last until April 28, and are geared towards infants, toddlers and young children ranging from birth to the age of 8.

The main goal behind the classes is to use a casual learning environment to help children learn musical skills and help them understand it better if they choose to pursue it as they grow up.

“The idea of doing these free classes for kids of the community is to promote music education, and help the children learn music and benefit from the learning itself,” Dr. Catherine Ming Tu, assistant professor of music education, said.

The department is using curriculum from a study conducted by The Gordon Institute for Music Learning.

According to the study, “Children learn music in much the same way that they learn language,” going through stages of “music babble,” during which the child experiments with sound and trying to mimic it.

At first, it is unintelligible, but children eventually learn it and begin to use it correctly.

Dr. Tu, as well as the many student teachers on campus, are using this study to motivate them to teach children the value of music and make it a part of their brain early on.

These classes are entirely free of strict structure and are based on improvisation and allowing children to freely express the sound and learn it like they would how to talk.

That way, it sticks in their mind and makes them more

capable of understanding it as they grow older.

“I did not have music classes until fifth grade, and I wish I did,” said Music Education Major and student teacher for the classes Rachel Pulido.

“In these classes, kids are learning the fundamentals that could have made me a stronger musician.”

The beauty of the classes are not lost on any of the teachers and students involved.

They are clearly passionate and believe that this class is what’s best for children in early development.

“I think music is important for everybody, especially children,” said Music Education Major and student teacher for the class Kaitlynn Bagwell.

There is a one-time $25 per family registration fee.

Registration forms are available at recmusiceducation.wordpress.com.

Guerrero said the main focus of the college is to connect students to the faculty, by increasing the college’s social media presence and by offering reception options for the students.

“Our focus, or one of our biggest initiatives these last few years, has been to increase our engagement and our connection to our students, and connecting our students to our faculty and to their programs,” she said.

Dr. Thomas Spencer from the Honor’s College closed up the Forum, discussing the changes being made to his program.

Agriculture department sends students to research conference

Camila Pena Reporter Five agriculture students will be representing Texas A&M University - Kingsville at a conference in Washington D.C. The convention will take place from March 19 to 21.

In this event, these five students will have the opportunity to show their research relating to specific topics of agriculture in front of a panel of judges and in hopes of bringing back recognition for their extensive work.

Jonah Trevino, Miriam Rico, Jorge Chavarria, Gabriella Garcia and Victor Flores are the five students who were selected out of a group of 40 others who had also participated in Summer Undergraduate Career Experience Internships & Research Opportunities to USDA Career Success.

These individuals had to give a presentation to a group of students and staff about their experiences and research they conducted during their internships.

The journey of these students dates back to last year when they first applied for the summer internships.

The selection process started off with an application.

Students were selected based on their GPA, major, experience in their field and their desired internship.

The final stage was the interview. This defined the group that was given one of the five grants to pursue the internship for which they were selected.

USDA Grants Program Manager Consuelo Donato says that their job was to connect these students with the internship that best fits their major and their desired career.

Out of approximately 70 students who applied last year, only 41 were selected, and of those 41, five were chosen to go to Washington D.C. Trevino is one of the students who will be traveling to Washington D.C. His experience in the Horticulture field includes an internship in Costa Rica last summer and an internship with Dr. David Ruppert here on campus.

Trevino says this is a great opportunity that he can include on his resume.

“I actually want to pursue a career over there in Washington...I’m hoping that when I go back I’m able to show that I have interest, and I can put this on and say ‘I did research for you guys, I presented the research here, now what can I

do to actually pursue a future here?’” Trevino added.

These internships provide the students with opportunities to expand their knowledge, obtain experience, and get the hands-on feel of what it is to actually work for companies involving all types of agricultural factors.

In some instances, these students had to work hard to solve problems relating to everyday situations that affect our environment.

Not only does this look good on their resumes, but it also helps shape them into independent, responsible individuals.

Rico is a pre-vet major who was chosen to go to Washington because of her creative way of making a presentation that reflected her experience in the internship as well as the fun she had.

She earned a Step 2 grant to attend her internship in Maryland.

She is very excited to explain all the research she did for the internship about ticks and the way they influenced the ecosystem in Maryland.

“Going over there made me grow so much as a person” Rico said.

The professors in the agricultural department hope to see their students bring back awards from this three-day conference.

E-Portfolio Continued from Page 2

Deans Forum Continued from Page 1 “We are trying to add another B.S. program for industrial engineering and we are trying to add another B.S. program for computer engineering,” Alam further explained. Dr. Dolores Guerrero, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, discussed the advancements for her college.

She discussed a new Master’s degree in petrophysics and another for the social work program.

Along with this, Guerrero said the criminal justice program is growing, having added a new staff member this semester.

TAMUK Travels to D.C

One of the biggest challenges Honor students face is the students’ senior projects.

To counter the difficulty, Spencer has developed a task force/committee to help the students engage in their respective topics.

The Honor’s College has also begun releasing a newsletter every Monday that gives honor students all the information they may need for the week.

The students were then allowed to discuss face-toface with their Deans and personally elaborate on the problems they see in the classroom.

funded through Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO).

His research and e-Portfolio was ultimately chosen amongst several national applicants.

When Odreman attended the 2018 TRB, he noted that he was the only master’s student who won the competition, with the rest being doctoral students.

“The opportunity to be there and meet with the elite professionals in the transportaition field, I can’t describe it.

“I felt like a celebrity being there,” Odreman said.

All five e-Portfolio win-

ners had their research published by NOCoE. This was the first time Odreman has had his researched published.

“It feels great when you are a student and you see your efforts published in TxDOT publications…that makes you see the fruits of your labor, and that’s important, not just now, but for the future.

“You get beautiful jobs and get people to talk a lot about you,” Odreman said.

Since having his e-Porftolio published, Odreman has been contacted by five different companies, two of which offered him a position.

James Glusing, assistant

professor in engineering, commends Odreman for his volunteer work.

After working with him for nine months on a construction project, Glusing considers Odreman as someone who succeeds on anything he sets his mind to. Odreman has provided leadership for a team of volunteers and researchers.

“I think that they [Odreman’s students] would learn service.

“A successful path for someone’s ambition, and I have to say, that all the students he’s worked with are volunteers,” Glusing said.

6

THURSDAY, MARCH 1, 2018

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