INSIDE
Speech and Debate team placed at latest tournament... Page 2
Texas A&M University-Kingsville
The South Texan
Volume 93, Issue 19
thesouthtexan.com
Thursday, March 7, 2019
The Big Event beautifies Kingsville Annual community service to university, city of Kingsville ARYSSA ENRIQUEZ Campus Editor
The Big Event is a day of community service to the university and the city of Kingsville annually hosted by the Student Government Association (SGA). This year the SGA received roughly 500 volunteer registrants willing to go out and volunteer their time to beautify the community. On March 2, students gathered at the intramural fields for check-in and were sent to various locations within the area of Kingsville. The Big Event Committee’s goal is to get as many individuals involved and have prepared weeks in advance to ensure that everyone interested got an opportunity to register. “We did a lot of tabling and reached out for sponsorships. We were able to provide waters, lunch and breakfast for volunteers. Legend’s sponsored us by providing waters and Campus Board of Activities was also able to help us organize for this event.
We also reached out to the community and asked some non-profit businesses, and even talked to King Ranch who redirected us to other areas in Kingsville who could need our help,” said Sarah Bennet, chair of the Big Event Committee. Each year there’s more students getting involved in the Big Event and new locations are being placed for volunteers to help. This year the Big Event Committee was able to volunteer in 11 different locations. When students finished with their assigned location they were re-directed to a different location that needed help. “The Big Event is important because it offers TAMUK an opportunity to give back to the community and for students to get involved. We want the community to know that we are here to help,” said Itzian Rendon, co-chair of the Big Event Committee. This past Saturday several of TAMUK’s students were able to be spotted planting trees, picking up trash, raking leaves in several parks, churches, downtown and even on the side of the highway. “Being that this town is the stamp of the university I feel that it is very important for TAMUK to do at least this event for not only us as a university, but Kingsville as a community. We are often viewed as a small college town, and that’s cool and all but we should also be seen as a town whose college gives and puts back into the community. Our goal was to get the word out there about the Big Event and to get as many people out to help and volunteer their time and service,” said Lue
Submitted Photo
Volunteers at Big Event. Gonzales, senator of Big Event Committee. TAMUK is slowly transforming the community and is constantly striving to be involved with the community. “This event establishes connections between TAMUK and the community and lets the community know that we are here to help. This is also
a great way for students to see how much the community actually invests in cleaning and making it look better. The Big Event also motivates students to do community service as often as they can and establish connections amongst the community. Service brings out character for each individual,” said Katrina Sanchez, vice-president of the Big Event Committee.
Rising research tabs in the labs TAMUK recognized nationally for High Research Activity C.R. NEAL Editorial Editor Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK) stepped up its game and joined Carnegie Classification’s second-highest category of research universities.
Carnegie Classification recognized TAMUK as a Doctoral University with High Research Activity. Only 89 public institutions in the United States qualified for this level of research in 2018. To qualify for the top two tiers of research, institutions must have awarded at least 20 research/scholarship degrees during the year and $5 million in total research expenditures. According to carnegieclassifications. iu.edu, the organization’s purpose is “…to assist those conducting research on higher education. Researchers need a way to reference the great diversity of colleges and universities in the United States, and classifications enable them to identify groups of rough-
ly comparable institutions.” The classification system has been in place since 1973, and Dr. Allen Rasmussen, provost and vice president of academic affairs at TAMUK, spoke on what receiving this honor means for the future. “The Carnegie Classification is an indicator of research excellence,” Rasmussen said. “This recognition identifies us as a university who will contribute to the future of the region. Students at a Carnegie Doctoral High Research institution will experience cutting-edge research opportunities. The future of South Texas will be tied to that research and will shape the direction we are going.”
While Rasmussen looked to the future, TAMUK President Mark Hussey praised faculty members who helped TAMUK reach this level of research and explored what this means for students. “Great research leads to meaningful real-world experiences for faculty to talk about in the classroom,” Hussey said. “Faculty who are leading these research efforts are bringing students into the lab and helping prepare them for the next phase of their lives. This is a stamp of approval that we are doing impactful research and that is a very good thing for our students and the region.”
Page 2 - Campus
thesouthtexan.com
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Lions Club makes a difference in the community
Lions Club dedicates time to charitable work ILIANA FLORES Managing Editor
With the mission of serving the community, Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s (TAMUK) chapter of Lions Club International does volunteer work across the Kingsville area. For three years TAMUK Lions have been a club on campus. The club volunteers around Kingsville in various community service projects.While the club does participate in general volunteer work, the club especially likes to focus on volunteer work benefiting children with special needs. Since 2015, the club’s biggest event is the “Very Merry Kingsville Christmas.” At this event the club gets to interact with and celebrate the holiday season with children who have special needs. The club also hosts events that help fundraise for local charities. For example, in Fall 2018 the club hosted a PokeGo Fest during which people could get tickets to play different Pokémon-themed games at various booths. “If anyone has an interest in helping their community the TAMUK Lions is a great club to join. While our focus is on children with special needs we do help out in other events. For example, in the past, we have volunteered at the Selena Festival and Wings Over Texas. We’re a great place to make new
friends and have new experiences. Giving back to your community is a great feeling,” Tiffany Cyr, the club’s vice-president, said. Brandon Clark, the club’s president, has been a member of the organization for three years during which he has served in different roles and changed his college experience. “Being a part of this club has made me go beyond just going to class and back to my dorm. I have been with this organization for a year as a member, a year as a vice president, and now a year as a president. I have made friends with everyone in the club, and have been able to network with members from other Lions Clubs. More importantly, I have been able to serve my community with my friends,” Clark said. The club works to help better the community, but for its members it can also serve as a chance to meet new people and get involved in the community. “I believe that joining the Lions would be a great way of getting students engaged into the community and also a great way to learn new ways of serving the community,” member of the TAMUK Lions Robert Garza said. Similarly, Cyr credits the club for helping her grow as a person. “Also, this club has helped me to be more social. I’m introverted by nature but doing community service makes it so I have to get out and interact with others. I love that this club gives me the opportunity to get out and experience new things and meet new people. I’ve made many new friends through this organization and have had a great time working with them throughout
Javelinas place third at Speech at the Beach ILIANA FLORES Managing Editor In their best tournament of the season, the Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Speech and Debate Team placed third in debate sweepstakes and fifth overall at the Speech at the Beach Tournament in Corpus Christi. The team’s most recent tournament was hosted by Del Mar College and San Jacinto College from Feb. 22 to 24. At the tournament, colleges from Texas and other states gathered to compete in debate events as well as individual events. At the event, members of the TAMUK Speech and Debate Team participated in Team Parliamentary Debate, IPDA Debate - an individual form of Parliamentary Debate - Prose, Impromptu Speaking and Extemporaneous Speaking. Kylie McIntosh had the highest speaker points and win record for the team and made it to quarterfinals in IPDA Debate. Josue Villareal’s speaker points pushed him into the quarterfinals in IPDA Debate as well. Darrien Salinas made it to finals and placed sixth in Impromptu Speaking. She also placed seventh in Prose. McIntosh placed seventh in Extemporaneous Speaking. For the team’s captain, McIntosh, advancing to quarterfinals in debate events is “satisfying but also tense” because “in quarterfinals just one judge in one round decides whether you
continue to advance. It’s a lot of pressure,” McIntosh said. Salinas has been competing in Speech and Debate for only two semesters. Placing sixth in Impromptu Speaking was rewarding as well as an emotional experience for her. “I honestly felt my heart stop and I was [so] overwhelmed that I started to cry and immediately called my dad to tell him. It was so rewarding to finally get recognized since all the other competitors [have] been doing this for years and this was only my second semester doing these events,” Salinas said. While the team does face a lot of pressure in tournaments, the hard work they put in to prepare for their events paid off at Speech at the Beach. “I’m so happy for my team, having a big third place trophy to display at the school because of us feels amazing. We’ve worked hard this semester and we’re a tight-knit and supportive group. It feels good to succeed, but even better to succeed together,” McIntosh said. The team plans on taking their experience from Speech at the Beach to improve. They will continue to work hard to compete at the national level in Louisiana. “Overall we did great as a team. We brought five students. Some big schools like the University of Texas at Austin bring 20. For us to make third in Debate and sixth in Impromptu is wonderful for our school and shows our readiness to compete at the national level,” Dr. Lana McDonnell, the TAMUK Speech and Debate coach, said.
my time here,” Cyr said. For students interested in joining a club that works to serve the local community, TAMUK Lions’ next club
meeting will be at 6 p.m. March 20 in Rhode Hall, Room 212. As Clark said, “We hope to see new faces at our club meetings!”
Photo subtmitted by Brandon Clark
Lions Club hosts “Very Merry Kingsville Christmas.”
Thursday, March 7, 2019
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Page 3 - Campus
SGA hosts Dean’s Forum Impact of Global Studies
Students get informed about new programs and initiatives DARCY RAMIREZ Editor in Chief
Students and deans can now interact individually at Texas A&M University-Kingsville. The Dean’s Forum, sponsored by the Student Government Association, was held on March 4, during which deans or representatives from each college explained accomplishments and new initiatives that have or will be implemented into their colleges in the future. In the past when students wanted to ask a question or voice an issue they would have to stand up in front of the audience and talk, but SGA has changed this arrangement. Now the deans are introduced, shed insight on their colleges and disperse to separate tables to speak with students individually. “The purpose of the Dean’s Forum is to allow students to hear about the efforts being made within their colleges directly from their dean, and the dean’s forum is also a platform for students to address their comments, questions and concerns regarding their colleges,” Alexandra Elizondo, academic and student affair committee chair for SGA, said. Accomplishments mentioned included new degrees, accreditations, growth rate, recently added departments, upgraded equipment and
classrooms, clubs and organizations, graduate rate and prospective student percentages. “When we’ve had events like this in the past and concerns have come up, the deans have taken those back to the colleges and have resolved situations that they weren’t aware of or they have taken new ideas back to their faculty and their departments, Kristen Compary, assistant vice president of student affairs and dean of students, said. Some students are lucky enough to have met the administrators from their colleges but many have never met their dean, assistant dean or any administrative assistants. There are usually not many platforms or events at which students and deans can interact and discuss important aspects, but the Dean’s Forum now gives them an opportunity for direct dialogue. “I knew my dean’s name but before today I had never met her. I feel like that’s normal for most students, but now I have a face to put to the name and I feel like if they are able to talk to you one-on-one then they will really listen to everything you have to say. I came here today so that proves I want to be heard and I feel like the deans now understand that,” Sarah Guerra, an accounting major, said.
Photo courtesy of UCSF School
Blas and Graciela Ruiz Global Studies Fund and Political Science Global Programs ADAM PENA Reporter
For many prospective applicants, the financial strain of studying abroad may prove to be too much of a burden to consider a study abroad program as a viable option for their college career. Texas A&M University-Kingsville understands this, and through support programs such as the Blas and Graciela Ruiz Global Studies Fund, through the Political Science Global Program, provides aid to students who desire to further their education in a foreign country. “I was approached by Dr. Nirmal Goswami… about starting a scholarship on behalf of my mom and dad who were very instrumental [to me] in getting a higher education degree,” said Dr. Alberto Ruiz, Dean of the College of Education & Human Performance who helped establish the Global Studies Fund, named in honor of his parents. “Traveling abroad really opened my eyes to the rest of the world, and I wanted that same opportunity for students here at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, who may have never had that opportunity.” In addition to Dr. Ruiz’s contributions to Global Studies, several other TAMUK professors and staff members have served as benefactors for stu-
dents receiving scholarships from several Global Studies Funds on campus, including Dr. Manuel Flores, Ms. Adriana Garza-Flores, and retired professors Dr. Gunter Mende and Dr. Richard Hartwig. “I know [Dr. Ruiz] well and his interest in our students goes well beyond the College of Education,” Dr. Nirmal Goswami said in reference to his partnership with Dr. Ruiz on the Global Studies Fund. “This fund serves to benefit students across the university who are interested in international experiences and may not have the resources to support that interest.” The Global Studies Fund is a part of TAMUK’s Political Science Global Programs, a series of programs that seeks to get TAMUK students interested in international studies to pursue their interests by sending groups of TAMUK students to foreign countries for study abroad programs to become immersed in local politics, history and culture. This year, students enrolled in the program will be traveling to India and Bhutan.
Photo courtesy of Intervarsity
Page 4 - Opinion
thesouthtexan.com
Thursday, March 7, 2019
Drama highlights lack of male accountability
The South Texan The First Amendment “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.” The South Texan is a student publication produced by Texas A&M University- Kingsville 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 Darcy Ramirez Editor-in-Chief Iliana Flores Managing Editor Aryssa Enriquez Campus Editor C.R. Neal Editorial Editor
KELBY SPRINKLES Reporter
Photo Courtesy people.com
It should not surprise you that yet Khloe Kardashian and Tristian Thompson
another salacious scandal has befallen the Kardashian family. Tristian Thompson, Khloe Kardashian’s boyfriend and father to her infant daughter, was accused of cheating with longtime Kardashian family friend, Jordyn Woods. Not only a family friend, but Kylie Jenner’s best friend and roommate. The tea has never been hotter. However, I found Kardashian’s response to the matter more interesting than the drama itself. After days of media silence, Khloe tweeted the following: “Why are you lying @jordynwoods?? If you’re going to try and save yourself by going public, INSTEAD OF CALLING ME PRIVATELY TO APOLOGIZE FIRST, at least be HONEST about your story. BTW, You ARE the reason my family broke up!” This statement is severely problematic, but it highlights our reluctance as a society to hold men accountable for their actions. Instead of addressing Thompson, who is her partner and now a member of her family, Khloe
publicly attacks Woods. Kardashian cites Woods as the reason why her family has broken up. She places absolutely no responsibility on her unfaithful boyfriend. To make matters worse, Thompson has a history of infidelity. Kardashian later states that Thompson is addressing the situation in private, but shouldn’t her initial outrage have been directed towards the source? Unfortunately, Kardashian is not the only woman cutting men moral slack. It is a common trend for women to blame the outside woman for their partner’s unfaithfulness. It appears that it’s easier to forgive the man than the intruding woman. Allowing excuses to be made for male behavior is a concept that originates from the patriarchy, and is enforced by conditioning women to compete against each other. “Feminist psychology chalks up this indirect aggression to internalizing the patriarchy. As Noam Shpancer writes in Psychology Today, ‘As women come
to consider being prized by men their ultimate source of strength, worth, achievement and identity, they are compelled to battle other women for the prize,’” states New York Times columnist Emily V. Gordon. The message? Only the most beautiful, intelligent and talented woman is worthy of male attention, so we must battle each other for it. The patriarchy furthers this idea by depicting images of unattainable physical and emotional attributes that supposedly comprise the “ideal” woman. Women are taught that these unrealistic expectations are what determines their worth, and therefore seek these attributes in an effort to be the most desirable. So, who can blame Khloe? She views Woods as a threat to the security she gained from having a male partner. In response, she attacks her opponent, and overlooks the actions of her boyfriend. She reinforces the idea that women must compete, and that men do not have to be held accountable for their actions.
How free is free speech?
Colby Sims Sports Editor Jaylin Morales Advertising Manager Reporters Josue Villarreal Ashley Gonzalez Aaron Monreal Kelby Sprinkles Hector Landin Adam Pena Zachariah Wilson Dylan Dozier Susan Cortez Rachel Tapps Leti Torres Photographer Amanda DeFrees Nicole Morris Adviser Advertising For advertising inquiries, e-mail The South Texan at thesouthtexan@tamuk.edu or call (361) 593-4370. Letters to the Editor Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters considered for publication must be 300 words or fewer. Letters may be emailed to thesouthtexan@tamuk.edu The South Texan, Manning Hall 165, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, Texas 78363
ADAM PENA Reporter One century ago, on March 3, 1919, the Supreme Court was faced with the landmark case Schenck v. United States, marking for the first time the Court’s interpretation of the meaning of the First Amendment, which reserves citizens’ right to free speech. This freedom of speech, however, was called into question when Charles Schenck and Elizabeth Baer, two socialists who opposed the draft during the first World War, began distributing leaflets urging draftees to oppose what they believed to be a program in violation of the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery and involuntary servitude. Schenck and Baer were arrested and charged with conspiracy, citing the violation of the Espionage Act of 1917, which served to deter attempts made to disrupt the operations of military personnel. According to records held by Cornell University, when Schenck’s case made it to the Supreme Court in 1919, the Supreme Court ruled against
Photo Courtesy publicseminar.org
Street graffiti on free speech Schenck and Baer in a landmark decision, holding that the exercise of the First Amendment in an attempt to prohibit the military in a time of war presented a “clear and present danger” to the United States. Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr., in his Opinion of the Court famously wrote, “The most stringent protection of free speech would not protect a man in falsely shouting fire in a theatre and causing a panic.” This sentiment has been widely used in present day politics. Free speech, and what this entails to an individual, is something that many have struggled with. Does fake news violate the First Amendment? Where does one’s right to protest, gather or criticize government establishments end? One may argue that someone’s right to freely swing their fist ends at the tip of another person’s nose before it becomes criminal assault.
Such a story achieved relevance lately when Hayden Williams, a petitioner at UC Berkeley, was punched and verbally assaulted by another individual, neither of which are students at UC Berkeley. This story has made national headlines and even gotten the attention of President Donald Trump, who has vowed to sign an executive order requiring universities to “support free speech,” in the president’s own words during a press conference on Saturday, according to CNN. The vague word choice of words presented by Trump further exacerbates the issue. How far does one’s freedom of speech extend? Democracy thrives when ideas are freely traded, shaped and transformed. However, free speech may also be used as a tool for hatred, violence and collusion. Citizens should be wary of any limits on their rights, and they should not be afraid to speak out against perceived injustice.
I’m doing my part
Thursday, March 7, 2019
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Page 5 - Opinion
Help PewDiePie in his fight with T-Series
C.R. NEAL Editorial Editor Felix Kjellberg, otherwise known as PewDiePie, has dominated the YouTube platform since 2012, but his reign is soon to come to an end. Kjellberg got his YouTube start by filming himself playing video games, a video type known as “Let’s Play.” As time passed his channel grew and diversified, but at a certain point he had stopped being himself in the process. Once he realized he was no longer happy with what he was doing, he cut back on his productions. Kjellberg stopped playing video games that he did not like, and started to do what any millennial would do if given the chance: review memes. Kjellberg also set up a sub-reddit to go through his audience’s submissions,
which includes fan-art, in a show called “Last Week I Asked You (LWIAY).” In August, Kjellberg uploaded a video entitled “this channel will over take PewDiePie” in which he joking rallied his fans against T-Series, an Indian music record label and film production company which was gaining subscribers at an astronomic rate. Later Kjellberg made a “diss” track, the name of which is hilarious, but cannot be written in this publication. It was then that the war between PewDiePie and T-Series for the most subscribed channel on YouTube began. Each time it seems like T-Series is certain to pass PewDiePie, his numbers start rising just in the nick of time. As PewDiePie’s movement gained traction, more-and-more prominent YouTubers joined the fight. Some like MrBeast bought billboards telling people to subscribe to PewDiePie, others like Markiplier and Jacksepticeye made videos specifically to tell their fanbases the same. Although this sounds completely ridiculous and inconsequential, some real-world good has come out of it. After Kjellberg received this support, he raised over £173,000 during a livestream for the Child Rights and You (CRY) charity, a non-government Indian organization with the goal of restoring children’s rights.
Photo courtesy dexerto.com
PewDiePie versus T-Series Two hackers sent print jobs to 80,000 vulnerable printers telling the owners to subscribe to PewDiePie, and fix their printer. In January they also hacked 65,000 Google Chromecasts with the same message, and told users to adjust their security settings. Tesla Founder Elon Musk and Rick and Morty co-creator Justin Roiland recently went on Kjellberg’s channel to host a meme review, which resulted in his subscriber number rising rapidly. However, Kjellberg is not interested
in sincerely taking down T-Series. “I don’t really care about T-Series, I genuinely don’t, but I think if YouTube does shift in a way where it does feel more corporate, [then] something else will take its place,” Kjellberg said. “I think people enjoy this connection so much, I think something else will just show up, if it feels too corporate.” I urge you all to subscribe to PewDiePie, so that we may support an independent creator as YouTube becomes increasingly corporatized. I’m doing my part.
Man on the Street This Week’s Question:
Are you looking forward to Spring Break?
Name: Rebecca Valdez Major: Education “Yeah, I’m looking forward to Spring Break because I get to do nothing. The only thing I think I’m going to do is ‘Marie Kondo’ my apartment and take care of my cat. I’ll be glad to not have to wake up at 7 o’ clock in the morning every day.”
Compiled by: Josue Villarreal
Name: Benjamin Rivas Major: Mechanical Engineer “Yeah I definitely am looking forward to Spring Break. I’m going to go home, binge some Netflix and see what’s new in my hometown. I can’t wait to get away from the stress, the school-work. It would be nice to get away from it all, relax and clear my mind.”
Name: Sam Wilson Major: Chemical Engineering “I am 100 percent looking forward to Spring Break. I think I’m going to go wandering around Texas. I’m going to go to San Antonio, Houston and just hang out. It’s my last semester here and I’m doing a lot of stuff for senior design, so taking a break from that sounds good.”
Name: Camila Salcedo Major: Biomedical Science “I am absolutely not looking forward to Spring Break. I’m taking the Medical College Admissions Test so I can get into Medical School. In preparation, I’m going to take a bunch of full-length practice exams that can last up to seven-and-a-half hours. I might be able to go to the Zapata County Fair with my friends on Friday before Spring Break, but other than that I’m booked.”
Page 6 - Sports
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Thursday, March 7, 2019
Javelinas host the Southern Region Intercollegiate Rodeo TAMUK Rodeo team hosts its first event DYLAN DOZIER Sports Reporter
Last weekend, the Texas A&M-Kingsville Rodeo team hosted a Southern Region intercollegiate rodeo at the Richard M. Borchard Fairgrounds in Robstown. This event was the seventh of the year for the TAMUK Rodeo team and their first host event. Rodeo coach and graduate student Ty Runge expressed his excitement about the rodeo’s ability to provide the community with a major attraction. “It lets them know that we have a rodeo team at the university. The university team isn’t large, so it lets everyone know that we’re still present and participating,” Runge said. “This is a regional college rodeo. There are 10 college rodeos in our region, which is the southern region. We host one of them, so it puts us on the map. Plus, we normally host a very good rodeo,” he continued. The rodeo consisted of a qualifying round Friday, a short-go (finals) on Saturday and slack rounds (for overflow participants) on both days. Ninety athletes participated in Saturday’s final event. The 13 teams represented in the short-go included Texas A&M University, Panola College, McNeese State University, Sam Houston State University, Hill College, Texas A&M-Commerce, Wharton College, Southwest Texas Junior College, Northeast Texas Community College, Trinity College, Louisiana State University-Alexandria, Stephen F. Austin University and Louisiana Tech.
Of the 25 members on the TAMUK Rodeo team, only two, team roping duo Cameron Grady and Matthew Garcia, competed last weekend. The inactive team members worked diligently to ensure that the rodeo ran smoothly and efficiently. “It shows how well we work together as a team, especially when we get the pressure of a NIRA rodeo,” said barrel racer and rodeo vice president Caroline Ashley. Ashley also emphasized the importance of collegiate competition for rodeo athletes. “College rodeo is the closest to professional rodeo that we can get and still be able to go to school. It’s a good opportunity for us to pursue a degree so that we can rodeo with a career,” she continued. First-place winners of the nine events include Grace Hanley (Barrels), Mia Manzanares (Goat tying), Mitchell Hutto (Steer wrestling), Parker Fleet (Saddle bronc), Abby Hampton (Breakaway), Kolton Mazoch (Tiedown roping), Colby Fedor (Bareback), Ty Harris and McCray Profili (team roping), and Justin Mire(bulls). After the results were in and buckles were handed out, junior steer-wrestler Paul Hornaday conveyed his passion for the TAMUK Rodeo team. “It means a lot to me. I get to compete and make new friends, and then compete with those friends out on the road. The team is a great group of people. I can depend on them. When I come across trouble or if I’m having trouble with my horse, I can call and people are going to come help,” Hornaday said.
Photo by Dylan Dozier
Southern Region Intercollegiate rodeo.
Javelina Beach Volleyball looks to defend their title
Beach Volleyball fights hard on opening weekend COLBY SIMS Sports Editor The Javelinas opened up their 2019 season last Thursday in Corpus Christi with a win against the Islanders. The Javelinas beat the Division 1 Islanders 3-2 and continued their winning ways after winning the AVCA National Championship last season. The Javelinas also faced San Jose State in Corpus on Thursday but fell 2-3. The beach volleyball team headed back home on Friday for their home debut, hosting the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic. They faced Missouri Baptist, Houston Baptist, San Jose State on Friday, then turned around and faced the
University of New Mexico and University of Louisiana Monroe (ULM) on Saturday. “I thought we competed well with the tough competition that we were faced with. I was really proud because we didn’t back down or get intimidated by the bigger Division 1 schools and went into the matches confident and aggressive. We have a lot of things to work on but overall, it was a solid start for the team,” Senior Haley Hutchinson said. The Javelinas did fair well against their Division 1 counterparts, winning at least one game a match, nearly scraping out wins almost every match. The Javelinas opened the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic with a big win, a sweep of Missouri Baptist, with all five pairs recording a win.
Later that day the Javelinas took on Houston Baptist but lost the game by one match, 2-3. The Javelina two’s and three’s pairs played well against Houston Baptist, both logging wins. On their third match of the day the Javelinas faced San Jose State once more. The Javelinas fought hard but ultimately lost the match 1-4, however freshmen Kylexus Block and senior Madison Brabham got the lone win in the match. On Saturday, the last day of the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic, the Javelinas faced University of New Mexico and the University of Louisiana Monroe. The Javelinas fought hard but barely lost both matches 2-3. Against New
Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics
Sophomore Tenley Housler.
Mexico, the Javelinas fought hard and put the team on the board with a big two set win at the three’s spot from Hutchinson and her partner sophomore Macy Berg. For their last match of the day the Javelinas faced ULM. This match was the same story as earlier in the day, the Javelinas fought hard and almost upset ULM but lost a heartbreaker by losing the three’s match in a three-set thriller. “We faced some tough competition this week and we improved as the tournament went on… we look forward to getting back out there and continue to get better,” Brabham said. The Javelinas will head to Charleston, S.C., to compete in the College of Charleston Beach Bash on March 9 and 10.
Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics
Freshman Kylexus Block.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
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Photo by nypost.com
Jason Witten on the field.
Jason Witten Returns Looking forward to getting back in the dirt AARON MONREAL Sports Reporter
The soon to be 37-year-old tight end Jason Witten has decided to come back out of retirement to rejoin the Dallas Cowboys for the 2019 season. Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports the veteran tight end has signed a oneyear deal and is set to earn roughly $5 million. Abruptly last year Witten announced his retirement after the Cowboys finished with a record of only 9-7, which caused the team to miss the playoffs. Witten retired having played his 15th pro season with a career from 2007 to 2016. Witten finished his career with 1,152 career receptions, which ranks fourth in NFL history, behind Hall of Fame wide receiver Jerry Rice, Hall of Fame tight end Tony Gonzalez and what looks to be a future Hall of Fame wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald. His 12,448 receiving yards ranks 21st in league record books, but second among tight ends behind only Gonzalez’s 15,127 yards. Also, he has had a Cowboys franchise record of a total of 239 career games played and played all 16 games per season for 15 straight years with only have missed one game during his entire career, dating back to his rookie season in 2003. After he retired, he was then offered to become an ESPN Monday Night Football analyst. This past Thursday Witten an-
nounced he is leaving the analyst booth to come back to the field. After Witten decided to go back to the field ESPN released a statement, “We thank Jason for his many contributions to ‘Monday Night Football’ and to ESPN over the past year and wish him continued success; we have seen many former coaches and players go into broadcasting before eventually returning to the game they love, so we understand Jason’s desire to return to the Dallas Cowboys. In the coming weeks we will determine our ‘MNF’ plans for the 2019 season.” Of course it leads some people to wonder the reasoning behind Witten’s decision to leave a great job at ESPN. Witten said, “The fire inside of me to compete and play this game is just burning too strong.” He also stated, “This team has a great group of rising young stars, and I want to help them make a run at a championship. This was completely my decision, and I am very comfortable with it.” The Cowboys certainly had a breakout season with such a young team having gone all the way to the divisional round, but the one area that seems to need improvement is their offense. While they have up and coming weapons such as Tavon Austin, Michael Gallup and a game changer in Amari Cooper, Witten can only add leadership and experience that could possibly help the team make a super bowl run.
Page 7 - Sports
Page 8 - Sports
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Thursday, March 7, 2019
Rec Center offers yoga twice a week at rec TAMUK Rec Yoga is a hit on campus, free to students ZACH WILSON Sports Reporter For many students around Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK), a chance to relax sounds like heaven. Yoga at TAMUK gives students a chance to clear their mind, meditate, and strengthen their muscles and core at the same time. Keeping yoga around has been an uphill struggle for the TAMUK RecSports, but it is something they’ve always wanted to offer, said RecSports Assistant Director Carlos Diaz. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve always pushed for yoga...we just never could meet the numbers we needed,” Diaz said. Things are definitely looking up this semester as classes went from being having only a handful of regulars to having a wide variety of willing participants wanting to try it out. It may burn and get uncomfortable initially but that comes with all good workouts, even the recovery ones. Yoga is both a strength and recovery workout and as they say, “no pain, no gain.” Joshua Wilson, starting cornerback for the TAMUK football team, is a
yoga regular and does it to help with the aches and pains of football life as well as keep his body in tip-top shape for practice. “Yoga to me is very relaxing. It’s a good way to not only get my body more flexible but it’s also good at relaxing my body. It’s not as easy as I initially thought. From thinking it was just simple stretches I found out it was a workout in itself. Though it can be hard at times and takes time to get used to, I would highly recommend it to any and everyone,” Wilson said. Yoga is more than just a class, it is a lifestyle and the instructor of the class Vihangi Trivedi practices what she preaches. “I was very surprised to see so many people the other day...last semester we had very few students,” Trivedi said. The class is offered free to all students and takes place at 3 p.m. every Tuesday and Thursday at the TAMUK rec center. It is a great way to escape the daily stresses of life, recuperate your energy and maintain your muscles all at the same time. The next time you’re at the rec and you see what looks like a group of people having “nap time” on the gym floor, that’s probably the “sleeping yoga” as Trivedi would describe it.
Photo courtesy of self.com
Yoga stretches.
Photo courtesy of sarvyoga.com
The forward bend yoga pose.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
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Page 9 - Entertainment
52nd Annual Jazz Festival Coming Soon LETI TORRES Reporter The annual Jazz Festival event will be celebrating its 52nd year at Texas A&M University-Kingsville on March 29 and 30. There will be 33 high school and middle school jazz bands coming from Austin to the north, Victoria to the east, Mission to the south and Del Rio to the west. There will be a special guest at the Jazz Festival this year - Bernie Dresel. Dresel is a noted drummer and leader of the BBB featuring Bernie Dresel. Dresel will be preforming at 7 p.m. on Saturday at the festival. Tickets will be $7 each and can be obtained by call-
ing the music department at 361-5932803. You can also visit them at the Bellamah Music Building in Room 112 for a ticket. This event is important and much anticipated for the students in the music department. The annual event provides students with the opportunity to experience multiple talents and see the amazing performances by students and well-renowned artists. “I always look forward to what the jazz bands have to bring to the stage. They give amazing performances; I have attended almost four jazz festivals,” said Abigahil Castillo, music major. Students are excited for the opportunity to listen and participate in the
Photo courtesy of DRUMMERWORLD
Special guest Bernie Dresel playing drums.
Jonas Brothers are back Band reunites after six years with latest song release ‘Sucker’ JOSUE VILLAREAL Reporter In October 2013, famed Disney Channel rock band The Jonas Brothers announced their official split. After four studio albums, two of which are double platinum, the band decided to go their separate ways. Six years later, the band returns with their new song ‘Sucker’ and their nowadult fans are losing their minds over the return of their childhood icons. I, unfortunately, am not one of those childhood fans, nor am I very aware of their music as a group. I am, however, familiar with some of their solo work and that leaves something to be desired. Nick Jonas, being the biggest star of the group is known for such hits like the petty and immature “Jealous,” and other less than noteworthy tracks which charted relatively high. Joe Jonas would go on to be the front man of one of the worst bands I had ever encountered with DNCE. In their poorly thought out, cheap sounding “Cake By The Ocean,” only a decently solid bass line kept it from
being an absolute disaster. All this combined with a hype train that comes from a predominantly nostalgia driven fan base, my first impression of “Sucker” was that it would, at best, be a boring cliché attention grabber in the same vein of the recent return of The Backstreet Boys. I was, however, pleasantly surprised by “Sucker.” While it doesn’t light my world on fire like it has for some fans, nor is it something I’m going to be jamming to on my own, it is an admirable effort. A strong and catchy intro with percussion and a cute little bass line ultimately builds up to a measly two-note keyboard riff that persists throughout the entire track. Even after a swell into the chorus, the instrumental stays relatively the same leaving the song feeling flaccid when it should build to an explosive chorus that the artists are known for having in their songs. The lyrics are nothing special, but they capture a desperately large explosion of undying love and wanting towards a person. However, the instrumental never really kicking into second gear inhibits that tone completely. While it’s nothing to write home about, it certainly stands taller than many other comeback tracks of artists from the same era. Fans of the band’s original run will have a blast, and despite the flaws, maybe even people unfamiliar with the band’s previous work might get a kick out of it.
Jazz Festival. This festival provides the students with knowledge of the music. Students are also very excited to see who the special guest will be and to listen to what they will bring to the stage. “I will be attending this year’s event. I am looking forward to performing alongside our guest artist, Bernie Dresel, with the TAMUK Jazz Band I. Prior to this festival, I have participated in the past four festivals. I am very excited to meet our guest artist. This year will be the most special to me as it will be my last festival I will be participating in. I cannot wait to share the stage with my colleagues and my professors,” said Javier Salinas, music performance major. The Annual Jazz Festival gives students the opportunity to flourish into
even better musicians and enhance their performance. “It provides the opportunity to experience America’s original musical art form – Jazz. The festival provides a platform for middle school and high school bands to perform, compete and receive comments from experienced judges. Students also get to see and hear fantastic professional jazz artists like Bernie Dresel,” said Chair of the music department Paul Hageman. The Jazz Festival brings a lot of possibilities for the students to experience and learn from these kinds of events. “College students will get the opportunity to rehearse, prepare and perform great jazz music and interact with the guest artist, Bernie Dresel,” Hageman said.
Photo courtesy of Arnold Garza
Jazz Band I performing at 51st Annual Jazz Fest.
Page 10 - Entertainment
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Thursday, March 7, 2019
Students pay tribute to TAMUK Alumnus Community gathers to commemorate Johnny Lozano ARYSSA ENRIQUEZ Campus Editor The Smith Recital Hall echoed with melodies and harmonies as they gave a bittersweet performance honoring the memory of Johnny Lozano. On Tuesday, Feb 26, the Memorial Concert for Lozano was presented by the Texan A&M University-Kingsville Opera and Musical Theater Workshop, TAMUK Chamber Singers and The Brother of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia. Lozano played a pivotal role in the music department, and constantly offered unconditional support to the department and students. An alumnus, Lozano was a retired teacher who taught at Memorial Middle School, Kleberg Elementary, and Ricardo ISD. Aside from working within the school district, he was heavily involved with TAMUK’s music department for many years. Lozano could often be found helping out students during rehearsal time, giving life/career advice or simple words of encouragement. “Johnny Lozano was such an amazing person. He was always in the music building practicing, looking over his music or just socializing with the students. He would always have something positive to say and would help people with whatever they needed. When it comes to the fraternity, he would show up and help us with any music we needed to help us grow as musicians. Even when we would go out to do our Mills Music Missions, he would always be there to play piano
for us. Truly a manly musician and a musicianly man,” said Ramon Garcia, The Brothers of Phi Mu Alpha Sinfonia director. The Music Department gave a moving performance, as each song performed was originally performed accompanied by Lozano. The concert had a lot of energy being translated in their performance that triggered a range of emotions with the audience. Performers had the audience giggling in their seats through a charismatic and theatrical performance involving a wedding and men in dresses. Then had the audience rolling tears by the last song, Atencion/Alabanza. “We chose all sorts of different music—funny, sweet, poignant to reflect our feelings about him. He was an impeccable musician and he loved everything we had performed over the past few years. I tried to pick a highlight from each show he did with us. Probably at the end of the day the most meaningful piece was Atencion/ Alabanza from In the Heights. That was on the very first concert we ever performed with him. The text addresses the death of a loved one, and the music builds from one soloist to, in our case, almost 70 singers lifting up the departed person. It was a beautiful and cathartic way to end the concert. More than once in rehearsal we had tears, but they were good tears – tears of people working through emotions, acknowledging pain and moving forward,” said Dr. Melinda Brou, TAMUK Opera and Musical Theater Workshop director. The Memorial Concert for Johnny
Photo courtesy of Kingsville Record
Johnny Lozano, an alumnus who impacted the music department Lozano offered closure to many students who were unable to attend his funeral as they gave their final goodbyes by performing some of Lozano’s favorite songs. “The event was meaningful because of how many people came together to remember my friend Johnny Lozano. For me, it gave me some much-needed closure. I had a hard time coming to terms with Johnny’s death, and coming back to sing music he loved, for him, it just gave me what I needed to move on. Johnny was my best friend for four years. “We worked outside of school together at a church in town, we were
fraternity brothers. He impacted my life as a performer by rehearsing with me anytime or day I needed to. He really believed in me no matter how good or bad I really was. “As a person, he just taught me all he knew about life. He was full of knowledge and was always willing to meet with someone just to listen to them talk,” said Oscar Lara, music performance major. The passing of Lozano impacted the lives of many individuals at TAMUK, and hosting a concert in his honor helped everyone come together through the loss by putting something beautiful in his memory.
Thursday, March 7, 2019
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Page 11 - News & Jumps
Dean’s Colloquium offers insights Featured speaker informs students about challenges, opportunities DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief Challenges and opportunities were a hot topic of discussion at the Dean’s Colloquium last Friday in the Blue Room located in Sam Fore Hall. The College of Arts and Sciences hosted the colloquium with Dr. F. Gregory Gause III as the guest speaker. Gause is head of the international affairs department and is currently a professor at the The Bush School of Government and Public Service, a graduate school of Texas A&M University. During the presentation Gause spoke on many challenges and opportunities that South Texan students will face. After arriving and speaking during the colloquium, Gause expressed his gratitude of being the guest speaker and hopes to return along with other faculty members. “I would like more of the faculty in the Bush School to come to Kingsville to meet the students and talk
about the research and teaching that they do, so students at TAMU-Kingsville will have a better appreciation of the options they have as they consider what to do after graduation,” Gause said. Students from various backgrounds attended the event as they thought of future obstacles, and hoped to gain knowledge on how to succeed in South Texas with diverse degrees. “I’m about the graduate and I love Texas, but I want to broaden my horizons. I’m an English major and so one of my professors mentioned this and so I thought that this presentation would help me start thinking about the bigger picture,” Destiny Mendez, an English major, said. Nirmal Goswami, professor of political science and the director of International Studies Minor, arranged the colloquium and advocates that TAMUK host more events like these because they help spark student interest and that, in turn, leads them to seek global experiences through TAMUK. “[It’s important to have presentations on this topic because it] encourages our students to think of globally relevant careers in public service that they may not have thought of before. “We are located in a rural area and our students do not have easy access to people who can talk about such opportunities. That’s why topics like global public service this year’s Arts & Sciences Dean’s Colloquium focus are important,” Goswami said.
Submitted photos
Students listening to featured speaker, Dr. F. Gregory Gause at the Dean’s Colloquium.
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Thursday, March 7, 2019
Texas A&M University-Kingsville University Housing & Residence Life
Current Residents Amenities:
Barbecue and Picnic area Exterior card access system Game tables Ice machines & Vending Machines Intramural teams Lounges with living rooms and TVs Planned residence hall activities Professional staff members Resident/Community Advisor staff Smoke-free building Student leadership opportunities
Don’t Forget to Sign your Housing Agreement with us to lock in your rate freeze for the 2019-2020 academic year. The priority sign up period begins March 21st. Don’t forget to attend your Wing Meeting. TURNER/BISHOP/MARTIN HALL $2,096 PER SEMESTER LYNCH HALL $2,311 PER SEMESTER LUCIO HALL & MESQUITE VILLAGE WEST $3,394 or $3,604 PER SEMESTER
Email: residencelife@tamuk.edu Phone: 361-593-3419
Lucio Hall, Office 119, Kingsville, TX 78363-8202