INDEX:
2|CAMPUS
3|OPINION
4|SPORTS
Top 10 list for Spring Break!
THESOUTHTEXAN.COM
Thursday, March 8, 2018
5|ENTERTAINMENT
6|AD
See page 4
Volume 92 Issue 18
Financial crisis: Cuts to programs, staff
New enrollment manager is hired Crystal Zamarron & C.R Neal
Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) has lost approximately $12 million as a result of a drop in enrollment and state budget cuts. Everything from existing jobs to special programs may be facing the axe. Almost a year ago, Texas Legislators downsized university budgets including TAMUK by 37 percent. Later, in May 2017, the percentage reduced to 10 percent. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott initiated a statewide hiring freeze in May 2017 to free up $200 million in the state budget. Three months later the hiring freeze expired, but hirings at TAMUK have stayed few and far between. At the time, TAMUK President Steven Tallant was caught off guard by the larger-than-expected proposed budget cut, especially concerning the impact it would have on “special items” such as the Institutional Enhancement, Citrus Center, Doctoral Program in Environmental
Engineering, Vet Technology Program, Conner Museum, Caesar Kleberg Wildlife Research Institute, South Texas Archives and the King Ranch Institute for Ranch Management. “In the previous legislative session, we received about $15 million in non-formula support for various programs. In the most recent session, that non-formula support was reduced to $10.7 million,” Tallant said. “Initially, this funding is given to provide start-up funds for new programs but many programs continue to require this funding for their operations.” According to the Texas Legislative Budget Board, TAMUK’s total budget decreased by 5.7 percent from the 2016-2017 school year to the 2018-2019 school year. Additionally, TAMUK departments and colleges were recently ordered to make budget cuts to offset falling retention rates and the subsequent loss of revenue. “Existing jobs may be cut, but those decisions are still being studied,” Tallant said. “The current budget cuts are
a preventative measure to keep us fiscally sound while we work on increasing our enrollment again.” Maureen Croft Ph.D. is now the vice president for enrollment management at TAMUK and plans to focus on increasing enrollment and retention rates. “One of the biggest tricks to having brand recognition and good enrollment, is to treat the students incredibly well throughout their experience,” Croft said. Croft came to TAMUK from the University of Houston where she was Associate Provost for Strategic Enrollment Planning and made almost $170,000 in 2016. Tallant sees this allotment of resources as supplementary to the rebuilding process. “Investing in an expert like Dr. Croft is something we believe the university needs to help us strategically grow our enrollment,” Tallant said. “She has a level of expertise and knowledge in enrollment management that we haven’t had here, and she brings a new perspective and fresh ideas as well as the data analysis skills that we believe
will help us build a stronger enrollment base.” According to the Office of Institutional Research at TAMUK, the total retention rate of first-time undergrads after one academic year declined from the 2015-2016 to 20162017 school years from 71.4 percent to 68.1 percent. “Setting a goal of 80 percent is the next phase of our goal, and we believe it is very achievable,” Tallant said. After Abbott ended the statewide hiring freeze in August 2017, TAMUK’s Vice President for Finance and Chief Financial Officer Raajkumar Kurapati voiced the university’s plans to capitalize. “We are currently making hiring decisions and filling positions that will properly support our students’ educational experience and meet our strategic goals,” Kurapati said. Tallant ultimately ended with a message of hope. “The university has experienced tough budget situations in the past, and we have worked hard to grow ourselves out of those tough times,” Tallant said.
Destroying the Stigma
Breaking Bad’s RJ Mitte talks about acceptance
World renowned Thea Musgrave visits TAMUK for KSO annual concert America Quintero Reporter
Crystal Zamarron Editor-in-Chief
Overcoming and eventually conquering your own disability is a challenge that some people face their entire lives. Removing the stigma about your disability is another struggle. For RJ Mitte, best known for playing Walt Jr. on Breaking Bad, worked his entire life on and off screen to overcome mild cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is a condition that shows impaired muscle coordination caused by damage to the brain before or at birth. “People look at disabili-
Concert honors composer for 90th
RJ Mitte, co-star from Breaking Bad, speaks at Jones Auditorium on Feb. 28
ties as a weakness, an illness, as something that we have to cure or fix. We don’t necessarily need to cure but we do need to understand it,” Mitte said. Mitte gave a speech at Jones Auditorium on Feb. 28 to deliver an inspiring mes-
sage to the campus: never hold yourself back. “The key word of disability is ‘ability’ and the derogatory word is ‘dis.’ We are trying to change that and to change that is going to be very difficult,” Mitte said. The Mitte Foundation in
Photo by Frankie Cardenas
Austin was founded in 1994 by his grandparents, Roy and Joann Mitte. A non-profit organization committed to support the areas of education, aging, and disability
RJ Mitte continued on Page 2
CfSS hosts first-ever Grad Fest
Working in the field of music directing and composing can be a competitive and strenuous decision. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, despite its 6 percent outlook growth, competition for jobs in music directing and composing are tough. However, at almost 90 years old, Thea Musgrave is a composer who is proving to the world that the music field is still alive and thriving. Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) invited Musgrave for the 2018 Kingsville Symphony Orchestra (KSO) spring welcome concert. Musgrave is a Scottish-American musician
famous for her music compositions. Along with Musgrave, the concert also featured the Duo Cuentista, a musical duo made up of TAMUK music professors Ann Fronckowiak on oboe and Jason Kihle on percussion. The KSO concert had been planned since the spring of 2017, but it wasn’t until the fall that Fronckowiak invited Musgrave to come to TAMUK. Fronckowiak was happy when she received the news that Musgrave would be coming to South Texas. She was even more thrilled to perform one of Musgrave’s pieces, Two’s Company. “It’s very challenging. It’s kind of theatrical in nature.
Musgrave continued on Page 2
Seniors get prepared for graduation
Iliana Flores Reporter
When preparing to graduate, seniors can be overwhelmed with excitement as they get ready to move on to the next chapter of their lives. However, for some this time can also bring anxiety as students try to figure what the next step in their life is.
From buying a cap and gown to finding a job, getting ready to graduate can be a season of stress. But, for the first time, Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s Center for Student Success hosted Grad Fest on March 1 to help guide seniors towards their journey to graduation. For Grad Fest, the Center for Student Success de-
cided to create an event that would celebrate and prepare undergraduate and graduate seniors for their upcoming graduation ceremonies in the spring and summer of 2018. The Center for Student Success was inspired to organize this event for seniors so they could help prepare them for their upcoming and future ventures in their lives. “We started working on
some reach-out campaigns and ways to retain our students to encourage them to finish graduation and so the line ‘to the finish line’ came to us. So, Dr. (Jaya) Goswami, our vice president for Student Success, said let’s do a
Grad Fest continued on Page 2
Photo by Frankie Cardenas
Students talk at the Graduate Studies booth during Grad Fest
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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018
TAMUK hosts ‘South Texas Women Artists’ Event Iliana Flores Reporter
At Texas A&M University- Kingsville, students, faculty and the general public gathered to hear Dr. María Cotera’s lecture as she told the story of Caballero: A Historical Novel and its authors on Feb. 27. Cotera was invited by Susan Roberson, a professor of English at TAMUK, after Roberson received a grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities for her project “Towards an Aesthetics of South Texas Women Artists.” With this grant, she and a group of 10 other individuals have been meeting once a month to read, discuss, and learn about the works of female artists from South Texas. One of the women the group has studied is Jovita González. Because she played a large role in the finding and publishing of the novel Caballero, which was written by Jovita González and Eve Raleigh, Dr. Roberson was inspired to invite Cotera to TAMUK. “…when I was doing my research to write the grant and talking to folks, her name kept coming up be-
cause she had added to Jovita González’s work and she’s an expert on González, who’s one of our writers,” Roberson said. For her visit to TAMUK, Cotera’s lecture focused on the relationship between the co-authors of Caballero; the lecture was titled “Searching for Margaret: The Ambivalent Politics of Collaboration in Jovita González and Eve Raleigh’s Caballero.” In her lecture, Cotera discussed the relationship between the female co-authors of Caballero, González and Raleigh. Cotera explained that since the novel was published, there have been critiques calling the book a failed counter history. However, Cotera argues that because the book was written by women of different ethnicities, González being Hispanic and Raleigh, which was the pseudonym of Margaret Eimer, being White, led to disparities within the book. Cotera then went on to discuss the significance of a cross-cultural collaboration between the women of different ethnicities during the 1930s and 1940s and how it was a political statement because it crossed the cultural
and societal boundary lines of its time. “…Caballero’s collaborative authorship as well as the rhetorical devices that it deploys…destabilizes the dominant narratives of historical myth-making in Texas by offering a multi-perspectival vision of conflicted history,” Cotera said. After hearing Cotera’s lecture, TAMUK’s Chair of the Department of Language and Literature and Associate Professor of Spanish, Michelle Johnson Vela, thought it was refreshing to hear about the cross-cultural collaboration between the authors of Caballero. She also thought that lectures like Cotera’s are important for TAMUK students to hear because it gives historical information on South Texas, and it’s literary history that they may not know. “Because…the majority of the students here are Mexican-American or Mexican heritage it’s very important for them to learn more about that heritage, about South Texas itself just to have a better understanding of the richness and the diversity and the sometimes tragic history of this region to better understand themselves and where they come from,” Vela said.
Campus
Musgrave continued from Page 1 We have to walk around various parts of the stage and turn and face different people when we play. It’s very different but it’s used to depict a whole bunch of different emotions,” Fronckowiak said. Veronica Salinas-Lopez, music director of KSO and TAMUK music professor, thought the concert had a lot of excited energy and was grateful to be under the guidance of someone like Musgrave, who has 60 years of music experience. She believes there is a lot of things students can learn from a musician like Musgrave. “People can learn about creativity. Her works are very, very unique. “She develops a very special sound with the combination of instruments. I think people can learn a little bit about her creative process and maybe her perseverance in the business
of music, as it can be very competitive and it’s just hard work,” Salinas-Lopez said Peter Mark, American opera conductor and husband to Musgrave, personally coached a few of the orchestra players from the KSO and talked with some TAMUK students. He was very happy with the performance of the orchestra players. “They are marvelous. There’s a lot of good talent. They’re very intelligent and hard working. The orchestra is very dedicated and wonderful people,” Mark said. Musgrave was very pleased with the performance by the Duo Cuentista and the work of the KSO. In her opinion the music field is wonderful, but tough. To her, music professions are tough and require a lot of passion for music “Don’t go into music unless you really have to. It is a very, very tough profession.
Thea Musgrave signing autographs after the KSO concert
Nowadays, things are getting really tight, so it’s a very difficult profession. I think anybody who loves music should play music all their lives. They don’t have to be professionals,” Musgrave said. This is the first time Musgrave visits South Texas. Although she will celebrate her 90th birthday in May, countries world-wide are already holding concerts in her honor. March may be Women’s History Month, but Musgrave doesn’t label herself as a woman composer. She prefers to just be called a composer. “Nowadays you don’t say a woman doctor, or a man doctor, and so on. And they shouldn’t anymore for composers or conductors. We’re all human beings and we all have music in our blood. That’s it. There shouldn’t be a difference,” Musgrave said.
Photo by America Quintero
Grad Fest continued from Page 1 Grad Fest, let’s congratulate them and show that we are supporting them,” said Veronicas Salas, director of Academic Advising. To do this, booths from Balfour, the university book store, Alumni, Financial Aid, Career Services, Graduate Coordinators from each college, and Graduate Studies lined the walls. At these booths, seniors were given the opportunity to order class rings, try on graduation robes, sign up to become members of the TAMUK Alumni, learn about student loan payments, discuss possible career options, make sure they had met their degree plan requirements, and learn about graduate programs at TAMUK. For senior Ernestina Garcia, Grad Fest was helpful because it gave her information about graduation as well as options for after she graduates. And, she recommends other students to attend Grad Fest because it helps students with the graduation process.
“It gives them a lot of information and then it make[s] their graduation a lot easier. “They have to do a lot of stuff on their own now that they’re adults, so the more you come by yourself to get your information for cap and gowns to make sure you get everything that you deserve. The reason you’re graduating is to receive all of this and your accomplishments. “So, it’s good to have… it gives them a next step, a helping hand…here’s an opportunity to ask all the questions that they need so that they can continue their graduation,” said Garcia, a general business major. Along with having booths for students to visit, the Center for Student Success raffled off items such as Javelina t-shirts, Yeti cups and backpacks. While at Grad Fest, Juan Fernandez, a senior Chemical Engineer major, thought it was cool that he won a TAMUK Yeti cup while getting information about gradua-
tion. At the fest, there were also five caps and gowns raffled off to seniors who attended Grad Fest. Four of the cap and gowns were donated by the bookstore and the Center for Student Success donated one, too. Senior Amanda Sanchez enjoyed Grad Fest because it gave her an opportunity to get ready for graduation by finding out what size cap and gown she needed and received information from financial aid. But, she also looked forward to winning a door prize. “I’m hoping to win the free cap and gown if not, just any other little door prize,” said Sanchez, a kinesiology major. Over the course of the four-hour event, 164 undergraduate and graduate TAMUK seniors attended the first-ever Grad Fest leaving them better prepared for their graduation ceremonies as well as for life after.
RJ Mitte continued from Page 1 services. RJ Mitte is on the board of directors as the treasurer and continuously travels back to Austin to check on the foundation. “I think [the way media portrays those with disabilities] is artificial but at least we’re getting it out there,” Mitte said. Students were able to ask questions at the end of his speech and get an autograph and picture with him afterwards. “It’s a given that he is a very inspirational leader. For the many reasons why
he was able to push himself, not only in his career, but in life and given that he does have a disability, it just goes to show that anyone is able to conquer it, whatever they put their mind to,” said Kyra Kurapati, business management major. Some students left with more knowledge to take into their field. “Since my concentration is PT [physical therapy], I learned [to] just keep supporting the person that I’m helping and to never give up on them,” said Leia Leija, kinesiology major.
RJ Mitte had words of encouragement for anyone with a disability. “They have the ability inside them to do or be whatever they want to be and that their fear or their doubts of who they are, are not real. Because we all have these voices in our head that are inside us that define us and we let them define us and let other people define them, and at the end of the day, you have to be able to be you,” Mitte said. “You can’t let people sway your opinion or define who you are.”
Opinion
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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018
No more tickets, let’s start the show C.R. Neal Reporter
To say that you can get unlimited access to movies in theaters for less than $8 per month seems somewhat unrealistic would be an understatement, but that is exactly what the company MoviePass is offering. MoviePass has broken into the movie-going scene with gusto. According to CNN, MoviePass has garnered 500,000 subscribers in
January alone, making its total subscriber base over two million strong. They hardly expect this trend to slow down anytime soon as Variety reports that MoviePass CEO Mitch Lowe expects to top five million subscribers by 2019. The questions we have to ask are if this deal is too good to be true, if we should become subscribers ourselves, and how this is just now becoming a thing. Short answer: if you’re a broke college student who loves movies and the movie-going experience, but can’t afford it, you would
be foolish not to consider becoming a subscriber. “Our goal is to re-energize the movie business,” Lowe said. “We are saying that the cost of going to a movie has gotten so out of hand people are saying, ‘I’m just gonna wait and watch it on Netflix,’” Lowe said. “So they still go to see Star Wars, they see the big Marvel hits, but you won’t see obscure films like I, Tanya or Ladybird.” Revitalizing the movie-going experience is something that business has needed for years, and it seems like
Tanking Baseball
The state of MLB Off-season Joshua Lin Reporter
The 2017 Major League Baseball season ended with a high note. This is especially true in Texas as the Houston Astros won their first championship in franchise history. The offseason is technically done, but there are still a good number of highly touted free agents left on the market. It has come to a point that these free agents have opted to join a type of spring training specifically for players who haven’t signed with a team. This hasn’t happened since the 1995 season, during the player strike. Former Astros’ manager Bo Porter, who was with the Astros from
2013 to 2014, leads the camp for about 20 days. Since the Astros won the World Series, the offseason did not start off well. It was one of the most anti-climactic off-seasons in MLB history with the key free agents not signing until January, two months into free agency and one month until catchers and pitchers report in. According to an article by ESPN, the reason for the slow offseason is that teams are looking at analytics and looking for the best way for success, even if it costs them a few years from a championship. In sports terms, it’s called “tanking.” Because of the recent success of the Astros, Cubs, and even the Royals, franchises are having to rebuild their teams with losing seasons. More teams are willing to have a losing season
or seasons just to draft better talent in order to secure a future win. As a result, teams aren’t willing to go out to sign the big-name free agents as quickly as the teams were in the past. The worst of it is that many of the players that elected free agency have hired agents like Scott Boras that demand top dollar from teams even if it means overpaying a player for an aboveaverage performance. An above average performance seems good right? Wrong, it isn’t that good from what is expected when a player is paid a hefty sum of money. With these two things in play, the MLB may well be on its way toward another player strike if things continue the way it’s going. If that happens, a whole lot of baseball fans around the world will surely be disappointed.
MoviePass is positioning itself to do just that. “For the last 18 years, every single year, exhibitors have raised their prices, and transactions have gone down,” Lowe said. “What’s worse is the people who are going less often are millennials. People under the age of 34 have decreased going to the movies by 20 percent just in the last four years.” Films like The Shape of Water and Ladybird, which are both nominated for best picture at the Oscars, are the films pushing creativity and originality. MoviePass recog-
nizes that people want to see these types of films and has presented a solution where you don’t have to break the bank to enjoy them. “If you look at the titles that are in the best picture for the Academy Awards we drove huge demand for those,” Lowe said. “Today we’re buying six percent of all the movie tickets in the country every single week. When we promote titles like Ladybird and many other nominees we doubled that, we’re buying 12 percent of the nation’s box office and that’s all because we promot-
ed them.” How has this service never been conceived before MoviePass? “The only reason startups exist is because the incumbent players missed the boat. Blockbuster should have never let Netflix succeed,” Lowe said. The only reason you should not become a subscriber to MoviePass is if you are not a big movie fan. To everyone like me who loves movies, but cannot afford to go as often as I’d like, this is a god-sent service that should be taken advantage of.
TWITTER POLL QUESTION Have you ever experienced repeated curriculum in your time at Texas A&M University- Kingsville? This week’s poll: Did you grow up in a small town or a big city?
Marvel Studios shows its claws with Black Panther Plaserae Johnson Sports Editor
Marvel Studios presented the film Black Panther, in High-Definition and 3D on Feb. 16, to nationwide theaters. So far, it has made Marvel Studios more $700 million on the global spectrum. Marvel Studios believed in
its success, but the film has evidently soared over all expectations. Succeeding, the film continues to bring in audiences. It’s rocketed past other releases of Marvel Studios like X-Men and The Wolverine. Black Panther themed action figures have filled up local Wal-Marts. It is a superhero and action movie directed by Ryan Coogler. Joining Coogler with the script was Joe Cole, Stan Lee and Jack Kirby. Af-
rican culture and science fiction collide in this film. It is raw in picture and animation. Black Panther takes place in the African country of Wakanda. There, the people are prideful and exquisite by tradition. Coogler shows a noble portrayal of the culture and its people. The people live by the King’s rule and they will do anything to protect the nation and later they will have to. Later, Wakanda falls to
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
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doom in the hands of an enemy that has outfoxed his way to the throne. T’challa must defeat the enemy to save the country, its vibranium, and stop a potential world war from starting. According to Forbes and Money. cnn.com, business and media companies, Black Panther is following Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World, and The Avengers in profits and audiences it has gathered in a short time. Reviews show
firm belief it will be the highest ranked over Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Jurassic World and The Avengers. The film is being promoted by its watchers along with Marvel Studios and still has time to grow in the polls. The film has brought the company huge success because it is one of the best movies out. In addition, the film and its context could pay some of its success to the release date,
during Black History Month. Proud moviegoers wore traditional African clothing called a “Dashikis” while watching. Black Panther will stay relevant even while films like A Wrinkle in Time and Tomb Raider: Pacific Rim, are playing. Forbes states, “Black Panther is well on its way to be the biggest solo superhero origin story/Sequel ever.” Encouragement is high for people to see Black Panther.
Living in a Small Town Dakota Roberts Editorial Editor I grew up in a small town. I say that understanding it wasn’t the least developed area in the state of Texas but it all seemed to blur into one; a land left unadorned, all that seemed to remain was simply the remnants of some grand metamorphosis. The abandoned buildings, the below-average school system, the dirt roads, and the empty spaces were all just the subtle calling signs of the battle between the rural tradition and the urban landscape. As Texans gradually left the range and accommodated themselves to the suburbs, the land became fertile with conflict, society splitting into two ways; the result was dizzying. But really I missed all that. I felt that the narrative of the frontier had been worked through, but not so thoroughly. However, I do believe we are one of the last places with a true intimacy with the
land, an intimacy that isn’t bound to how well equipped or well-adorned the area looks. Instead, our intimacy is tied to our experience here, the people we meet, the old customs of a custom-made town—all things that feel left out from the constant renovation of a city. Downtown Kingsville has stood for nearly as long as the town was founded. The area is rife with these kinds of ancient reminders. Leave the limits of the town, and you will see nothing but the raw emptiness, stripped of all fantasy. But, below the old buildings and the flat, flat land was a culture, one bound in community and wrapped in the pitying sense that we strive for something more than change. Nothing has changed since I returned to this town, my old walking grounds still hold the same paths that I walked all those years ago. The people still just as kind, if not a little agitated, as they were before. The problems that plagued it still remain constant. A true purgatory,
but a purgatory that allows oneself to acclimate to a higher thinking, a moment of enlightenment only given to the small-town folk: when one doesn’t find passion in the flashiness and adornments of life, a new appreciation breeds—an appreciation that holds itself to the very same people that find themselves in the same situation. Texas is nothing more than a landscape really, and not usually an exciting one. Despite that, small town folk do seem to have a unique charm to them. Living here leaves me with this thought of how it formed me: the time may come to part from this place or marry it, but, for myself, parting would not leave me free of this town, nor marrying make me happy. Yet I feel relief; I could have lived somewhere without a strong sense of identity. Instead, for better or worse, the land gave me something else, a tale to tell; one that I wouldn’t have experienced had I lived anywhere else.
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THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018
Entertainment
1. Nature!
4. A Day in the City: Splurge, because you deserve it. Go into Corpus Christi, eat at a fancy restaurant, go to the movies, buy yourself something nice, go skating, or catch Cody Johnson’s concert at 6 p.m. Saturday, March 17 at Old Concrete Street Amphitheater. Simply spend a day in the city with a loved one, and just entertain yourself in one of the big beautiful cities down in the Coastal Bend.
Take a trip to the great outdoors by camping and beholding natures true beauty. During the break, visit South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, or sit on your front porch, or 3. Make a Splash! in your backyard and Sometimes the beaches appreciate quality time are just too packed and with family, friends and it’s just not worth it to good food. go, but still you want to enjoy the water. So go to Hurricane Alley, Schlitterbahn, Corpus Christi AquaticsNatatorium, Collier Pool, or the H-E-B Splash Park at the Texas State Aquarium. It’s a way for you, friends and family to enjoy the refreshing, cool water without hundreds of people bumping into you.
5. Remember History: Maybe you want
healthy? Did you give up on that after only two days? Well if so, then Spring Break is the perfect time to begin a fitness regimen to prepare for the summer season. Visit the gym and use the strength machines to improve your muscle tone and keep a slender physique by not consuming fried or salty foods. Before you know it, you’ll have that perfect summer body!
10. Be Kind! Spring is the time of
new life and renewed hope, so do something nice. Clean up litter in your neighborhood, pick up trash around ponds, creeks, and the beaches after everyone has partied and left, or help an elderly neighbor with yard work or house maintenance. Find a cause that needs fixing and then become the solution.
Go drive the go-karts, hit at the batting cages, complete a rope course, go fishing, participate in miniature golf, or ride in bumpers boats. You can engage in all types of different activities. Think outside the box and come up with your own unique outdoor fun. You can revel in this fun at Funtrackers, Red Dot Pier, Fish Pass Jetty, Kings Crossing, Lake Corpus Christi State Park and many more open areas.
9. Beach Day!
Go enjoy some fun in the sun. Spring Break would not be complete without a day at the beach! Despite the fact that Hurricane Harvey happened only a mere six months ago, the beaches in the Coastal Bend await you. Cool waves and warm sunshine will create the perfect combination at your favorite spot in the sand at Mustang Island, North Padre Island, Rockport or Port Aransas.
During the Spring Break please dont drink & drive, don’t litter on the beach, always have a designated driver, and be smart while you are having fun! Photos courtesy of the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and visitcorpuschristitx.org
Travel all along the coast. RV dealers rent those big rigs for surprisingly reasonable fees or you can simply jump in the car with family and friends and start driving. Research an itinerary and find wacky destinations along the Coastal Bend that work for your family and get out on the road!
7. Go Outdoors:
to do something different? Maybe you are tiring of partying and want to do something beneficial. Well stop by one of the many museums in the Coastal Bend. The museums open in the area are the USS Lexington Museum, The Art Museum of South Texas, Museum of South Texas History, King Ranch Museum and the Kenedy Ranch Museum– just to name a few!
6. Get up and Exercise! Was your New Year’s resolution to work out and eat
2. Get going!
8. CLEAN!
It’s probably been awhile since you deep cleaned your home right? So pull out the storage containers, trash bags, and Fabuloso for some good ole’ spring cleaning. Get rid of clutter that you don’t need and hopefully you won’t need to deep clean again until summer comes along.
Sports
5
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018
Hoggies Take the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic Beach Volleyball wins Four Games in Weekend Tournament at Home Frankie Cardenas Photographer The Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s Beach Volleyball team went undefeated when hosting the Emerald Beach Hotel Classic this past weekend. The team has a match record of 4-3. The Hoggies dominated, going a perfect 20-0 during the two-day tournament, beating out Missouri Baptist University, Stevenson University, Huntingdon College, and Principia College. After suffering three straight losses to start the season against the likes of nationally ranked No. 11 Florida International University and No. 14 Texas Christian University, the Javelinas welcomed these wins on their home sand. “You can definitely tell we played better and it’s just more comfortable to play here,” said junior Haley
Hutchinson, “because we’re used to the sand and the weather, so it’s definitely easier.” Her teammates agreed. “I just love the feeling of winning,” said senior Kyra Henderson on the weekend. “Especially for teams like this. We need to know what it feels like to win, and what it feels like to be in the lead [in game] with the adrenaline and pressure, so when we go and play big teams, we know how it feels to win.” Javelina Head Coach Tanya Allen said playing at home is always an advantage. “It’s always good to win,” she said. “I’m proud of the girls. [The Horned Frog Challenge] was tough, and we played really tough opponents. This weekend it was nice to be at home, in front of our own fans, sleeping in our own beds. It’s always a benefit.” Moving forward, the Javelinas, have a newfound confidence, and will look to take the victories against their opponents and transfer
Gabby Atchley attacking the ball
into more success as the season continues. “I think we added a lot of confidence because with these teams, we could work on a lot,” Henderson said. “And since our team can see that we can win, I think
it [has] really boost[ed] all of us…especially to work together.” Hutchinson said the team is capable of winning. “We should be beating these teams because we are a bigger school,” Hutchinson
Photos by Frankie Cardenas
Maelee Sowa defending Javelina sand
said. “So, I just think we need to play with the same level of intensity when we play bigger teams, then we’ll get more wins.” Coach Allen says these wins will be confidence builders.
“Every win I think makes them feel better about themselves,” Allen said. “So, I hope that they’re continuing to build that confidence and feel good about what they’re putting out on the court and their product.”
Lady Javs Sweep Home Series over UT-Permian
Team puts up 20 runs in Three-Game Series last weekend
Luis Garcia Sports Reporter
The Javelinas completed a three-game series Saturday, March 3 at Vernie and Blanche Field in Kingsville with a sweep of the UTPermian Basin Falcons. There were reasons for fans to cheer as the Javelinas poured on a combined 20 runs in three games. This in turn helped to better seat the team in the season with a 13-7 record and
Lone Star Conference (LSC) record of 6-3. Not only does this improve their record, but it also adds on to their winning streak, which is now at 10 games. Breanna Smith opened the three-game series with phenomenal pitching as she went five solid innings while only giving up two hits. “I think we did pretty good all in all. I mean compared to the team we played, I think it was pretty good, we shut them out,” Smith said.
Roxy Chapa contributed to the team as well by having two big RBIs to help increase their lead. “I think I did okay. I could’ve done better. I mean I brought the RBIs in so I’m glad people were on base. The team really did well and our bats really came together and we really strung all the hits at one time,” Chapa said. Having a great performance in all three games makes head Coach Craig Nicholson proud of his team.
“I thought we played really well tonight, obviously we pitched very well and it always starts there,” Nicholson said. “Then you know our offense got things going early which we struggled with at times, but it makes it a little bit easier on our pitchers when you jump six nothing.” The Javelina Softball team is pushing to continue winning. The Javelinas travel March 9 to Denton to take on Texas Women’s University in a three-game series.
Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics
Breanna Smith pitching to defeat the Falcons
QB Detmer Transfers to TAMUK Football Team
Family sees longtime success on high school, NFL gridiron Joshua Lin Sports Reporter Koy Detmer Jr. of the well-known Detmer family has joined the Texas A&M UniversityKingsville (TAMUK) football team. He recently transferred from his previous school Brigham Young University (BYU). The last time a Division II Quarterback transferred to TAMUK was in 2008, when Billy Garza transferred and led the team to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division II play-offs in 2009. Then, the Hogs were champions. Some speculate that Detmer will help the
Photo courtesy of BYU Athletics
Koy Detmer
Javelinas win, but at BYU, he didn’t play much. “Koy is a tremendous kid who isn’t afraid to work hard and lead…Because of our history together in terms of recruiting, I was very
excited when Koy decided to transfer here and attend TAMUK,” said Head Coach Daren Wilkinson. “The Detmer name and Texas Football go handin-hand. His grandfather, Sonny, has been a tremendous coach in the state of Texas and has coached some of the greatest quarterbacks in the state. His dad and uncle both played many years in the NFL and are all so knowledgeable about the game. He has an unbelievable pedigree,” Wilkinson added. Detmer’s grandfather, Hubert “Sonny” Detmer, is a well-known high school head coach whose offensive strategy was unrivaled
in the 1970s. Detmer’s family includes former NFL quarterbacks that had relatively adequate careers. Detmer Jr. is now on a team that should get him more playing time so he can add to family history. Last season, he had 7 completions on 20 attempts for 91 yards. He is excited for the new chapter in his college career. “Knowing coach [Wilkinson], who recruited me out of high school, I knew I was going to be in good hands. Closer to home and just somewhere I felt comfortable going to,” Detmer said. “[It’s] been one of the best decisions I’ve made so far coming back. I love Texas and
it’s great being back close to family and friends,” he said. With Detmer joining the Javelinas, excitement rises to see what a Detmer will do for the Javelinas. The expectations are high for him. “I think that just comes with the name and being home. So, that’s understandable for people to have those expectations, and I’m fine with that. Just looking to compete every day and be the best I can,” Detmer said. Wilkinson doesn’t know what he is going to do with Detmer just yet, but playing time could be an issue because the talent picked up. “It is too early to tell how we will use Koy in the fall.
We will have a much better idea after Spring football has been completed. He is a talented QB and will add to our already talented field of QBs on our team,” Wilkinson said. “I do expect him to be a leader and positive force on the team.” With Spring football in April, Detmer is looking forward to compete as a quarterback and win. “[I’m] looking to win games. I think that’s something everyone on the team is hungry for and you can feel it during workouts and just around the facilities. I’m excited to work with these guys, new brothers, and get going,” Detmer concluded.
Hogs Destroy the Falcons at Their Home Field University of Texas - Permian Basin Lose All Four Games in Series Over the Weekend Joshua Lin Sports Reporter
Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics
Pablo Hernandez ready to swing in home-run
The Texas A&M UniversityKingsville (TAMUK) Baseball team defeated the University of Texas - Permian Basin on March 2 to 4 in Odessa. The Javelinas completely dominated their opponents in each of the four games. In game one, the Hogs won 136. In game two, the final score was 9-4. Game three ended
in a blowout with the final score of 13-2 and the series finale, 13-1. Head Coach Jason Gonzales, was pleased with the outcome because the team lost the last series in Kingsville. “I thought the series went very well. The boys responded well after losing two games last weekend and having to travel is never easy, so I’m very proud of the way we responded,” Gonzalez said. “Our conference is going to be a dogfight and there
are some very talented teams in this league, so we have to be ready every weekend,” Gonzales said. Outfielder Dallas Stefano, was content with his performance throughout the series. Stefano went 3 for 11 with 5 RBI’s, 4 BB’s, and 4 Runs. “I felt like I had a pretty good series overall. I did my job, which was to get on base and put my team in a position to score,” Stefano commented. The Javelinas hoped for more hits but aim for it in the next game. “I didn’t
get as many hits as I would have liked but I took what the other pitchers gave me, ” Stefano said. Rolando Castillo, a student of TAMUK, was very happy with the result of the series. “The baseball team is playing really well, I hope they keep winning and aim for a championship,” Castillo said. The Javelinas will play the West Texas Buffaloes on March 9 to 11 in a home series. The series is important for Lone Star Conference standings.
6
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2018
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