5/10/18 Issue

INDEX:

2|CAMPUS

3|ENTERTAINMENT

4&5|OPINION

8|AD

Inside

See Special Section

THESOUTHTEXAN.COM

6&7|SPORTS

Thursday, May 10, 2018

Volume 92 Issue 26

A Few Steps Forward, A Few Steps Back Reflecting on TAMUK’s 2017-18 School Year C.R. Neal Reporter

Courtesy of tamuk.edu

College Hall Bell Tower, a notable symbol of TAMUK

Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK) had an exciting school year full of developments. Students can now text 9-1-1, a new music building is being constructed, and the College of Business earned an accreditation that put it in the top five percent of business schools nationwide.

TAMUK had an odd start

to the 2017-18 school year with the school shutting down because of Hurricane Harvey.

Some students did not idly sit by during the unscheduled break.

TAMUK Greek life and Wildlife Society Club all provided assistance to those affected by the hurricane.

It was announced via mass email on Sept. 29, 2017 that Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Dr. Heidi Anderson stepped down from her post.

Anderson was not the only

administrator that would be stepping down.

On April 16, TAMUK President Dr. Steven Tallant announced he would retire effective December 2018 via email.

“I really love it here. I love this campus. It’s been the best 10 years of my life as a professional and walking away and retiring is very difficult,” Tallant said.

TAMUK joined the Digital Fellows Program whose mission states, “The project will provide a unique professional opportunity for 30

provosts that focuses on the adoption and deployment of course-ware and digital learning resources…”

Vice President of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation David Gines alleged dissemination of false information on Frank Russell, communications major at TAMUK. Beach volleyball earned its first national championship in Javelina history.

“I’m still in disbelief,” Madison Sims, one of the first recruits at TAMUK for beach volleyball said. “For

the school, I look around and see all these pictures and I see all the trophies, and I’m like man, this is so awesome.

People love this university, and it’s great that we get to put our piece of history into it now.”

In other sports news the Lady Javelina Softball team qualified for playoffs for the first time since 2010.

“I’m so happy, excited and a little nervous. It’s all very

Academic Recap continued on Page 7

Senators Assembled Student Government Association elects members for the 2018-2019 school year Iliana Flores Reporter

The South Texan Appoints New Editor-in-Chief

Current Editor-in-Chief graduates, a familar face takes her place Staff Report After three years, a new era of journalists will be enhancing the way of media at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

The South Texan, a student-run newspaper, will have a new Editor-in-Chief this coming 2018-2019 academic year.

Darcy Ramirez, a senior with a double major in English and Journalism, will replace Crystal Zamarron in the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester. Zamarron will be graduating May 2018.

“Darcy Ramirez has proven she’s a talented journalist, serving as Managing Editor this academic year. It is a natural fit to now have her serve as our next Editor-In-Chief,” said Nicole Morris, The South Texan adviser. “She has some exciting plans for The South Texan, and I am confident she and her team are going to continue the tradition of strong journalism for this organization.”

Not only will there be a new editor in charge but because of another editor graduating as well, C.R Neal will now be appointed Editorial Editor, formerly filled

by Dakota Roberts. America Quintero is promoted from Campus Editor to Managing Editor. Iliana Flores goes from reporter to Campus Editor. Plaserae Johnson will remain as Sports Editor.

“It’s the passing of the torch, we’re losing editors,

reporters, and a photographer but I want to keep the tradition going of being proud of The South Texan,” Ramirez said. “It’s a learning experience but with each passing issue, we’re more proud of it.”

Ramirez is in Sigma Tau Delta and the English Club, in which she holds a secretary position.

Having started out as a journalism minor and attending a class with The South Texan’s previous adviser, Matthew Ward, she was nudged to participate in a meeting after the teacher read her feature stories.

It took Ramirez four months to walk into The South Texan office and since then she never left. She went

from contributing writer to reporter to campus editor to managing editor to now, Editor-in-Chief.

“Having to see Darcy learn the ropes for this new role has been relieving since I’ve been Editor-in-Chief for so long. It’s nice to have a fresh new face with new ideas to improve what The South Texan is about,” Zamarron said. “I’m glad to have guided her and now, to see what amazing things will come to print under her reign.”

Ramirez enjoys the environment that The South Texan has to bring.

“I want [The South Texan] to stay important and vital to the university with the truth,” Ramirez said.

Photos by Frankie Cardenas

Darcy Ramirez, the new Editor-in-Chief for the 2018-2019 Academic Year

The Student Government Association (SGA) at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) recently held its elections and 27 people were elected to serve as representatives of the TAMUK student body.

SGA is a student run organization on TAMUK’s campus which “serves as the official voice of the student body and attempts to better the student experience at the university. Both a governing body and advocacy group, Student Government is involved in policy-making, adjudication, programming, lobbying, community service, and numerous other activities.

The organization is a clear-

Courtesy of Twitter @JavelinaNation

Senators at the 2018 Student Government Association Gala

ing house for concerns from students and answers from administrators,” according to the SGA page on the TAMUK website.

At the end of every semester, SGA holds elections for Senator positions from each college and each class. There are also positions in the SGA Executive branch, such as the

President or Secretary that are elected.

To be a candidate for election as a Senator or a member of the Executive branch, any TAMUK student can fill out an application for the position

Senators continued on Page 7

Javelina Powerlifting Brings Home Silver

TAMUK Club returned to 2018 USAPL Collegiate Nationals and claimed another trophy Iliana Flores Reporter For the second year in a row, the Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Javelina Powerlifting Club has brought home a trophy from the USA Powerlifting (USAPL) Collegiate Nationals meet.

This year the USAPL Collegiate Nationals were hosted at Texas A&M University (TAMU) in College Station, Texas. Because collegiate powerlifting is not an NCAA sport, USAPL has taken the responsibility of hosting powerlifting meets for universities.

“You will not find a better collegiate powerlifting experience than the one offered by the USAPL, there [is] a massive amount of competition with extremely

well run meets,” according to the TAMU powerlifting website.

This competition was one of the meets the Javelina Powerlifting club decided to compete at as a team. Between April 19 and April 22, Javelina powerlifters competed at TAMU against other students from universities across the nation for the title of USAPL Collegiate National champions.

This year was the second time TAMUK’s Javelina Powerlifting team competed at the national competition.

At the meet, 18 TAMUK students competed against other students from Division II schools as well as those from Division I and Division III universities.

Competitors were divided up by their weight class, gender and “equipped” or “raw” lifting categories. Mark Bocanegra, the Javelina Powerlifting

club president, expressed that he enjoys competing at meets such as the USAPL Collegiate Nationals because he meets new people while competing against universities. For him, competing also builds trust within the team.

“What really drives this team, I say, is that everyone knows everyone’s putting in work so we have that trust with each other,” Bocanegra said.

Nico Recio, a member of the Javelina Powerlifting club, and Bocanegra said they felt both nervous and excited while competing.

“You’re excited, you’re nervous, you don’t know what’s going to happen, you’re worried about the rest of your

Powerlifting continued on Page 7

2

Campus

THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018

Some Cars are Just Better than Others TAMUK SAE wins second place for electric car

Darcy Ramirez Managing Editor Have you ever thought about building a vehicle from scratch? Imagine having to design the body, customize the vehicle, and brainstorm solutions for any arising problems.

A group of brilliant, young engineers at Texas A&M University-Kingsville recently built a successful vehicle that raced against various universities and colleges from across Texas and won second place.

The South Texas USA Greenpower Electric Car Competition was held on April 6 and 7 at Brownsville International Airport.

For this competition, the team members were required to have created a vehicle that would travel the furthest distance within a 90-minute time interval.

In order for the cars to be eligible to race, the car could only be powered by two 12 volt batteries and one DC electric motor.

All teams were given the same motor and batteries, so the design and weight of the vehicle were the key factors when designing the body.

Photo by Darcy Ramirez

SAE second place medal.

Photo by Darcy Ramirez

SAE team members: Charles Tandy, Noe Martinez, Taiwo Oladele, Matthew Bast, Tanush Chowdhury, Joshua Ordonez

Through this event the team members formed the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE).

Before the team could start constructing their ideal car it had to wait for the kit that contains the parts and tools needed for assembly.

The kit did not arrive until January and the batteries and motor did not arrive until the beginning of March.

To customize their car, the

students chose fiberglass as their material, emulated a teardrop body and a domeshaped nose to reduce turbulence, and their materials were sponsored by Diamond Fiberglass in Victoria, Texas.

“Our biggest challenge whenever we were doing this project was obviously time constraint. We had almost no time to make a really decent design. And the second big challenge we ran into

was finishing the fiberglass, mainly the nose,” Joshua Ordonez, leader of the SAE and a mechanical engineering major, said.

The students were the third team in America with an all-fiberglass body, and the first team in Texas to modify the roll cage in order to reduce the weight and increase the efficiency of the vehicle.

Overall, it took approximately three months to build

the vehicle, with each participant devoting personal time to the race.

“It took a lot of time, a lot of hard work, and we raced to see it finally drive off. There were all-nighters pulled, and once we finally got in there and starting driving it was awesome,” Noe Martinez, team member and a mechanical engineering major, said.

The electric car competition originally started in England in 1999 and moved to America to promote STEMrelated fields and endorse the automotive industry.

Team members include: Martinez, Charles Tandy, Taiwo Oladele, Tanush Chowd-

hury, Kemute Okuh, Ayodeji Adeniran, Ordonez, Matthew Bast. Karan Moody is the assigned mentor, and Dr. Rajab Challoo, chair of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, is the overseeing professor for the SAE and car competitions.

The SAE members hope they will compete in future events and participate in other projects like the Baja SAE event and represent the school with intelligence and vitality.

“We became buddies. I didn’t even know these guys, and now look,” said Tandy, a team member and mechanical engineering major.

TAMUK is Weather Ready Josue Villarreal Reporter Texas A&M University-Kingsville, in collaboration with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association, was named a Weather Ready Nation Ambassador™ by the National Weather Service on March 8.

The National Weather Service describes WRN Ambassadors as having, “a pivotal role in affecting societal change, helping to build a nation that is ready, responsive, and resilient to the impacts of extreme weather and water events.”

TAMUK being accepted

shows it is willing to work with the NOAA in improving overall preparedness and strengthen national resilience against extreme weather and disasters.

TAMUK joins other Texas universities such as Texas A&M University-Commerce and The University of Texas at San Antonio in communicating information and empowering communities.

Through the program, they make decisions now to ensure that a person’s life is saved in the future if and when disaster does strike.

“They have full-on emergency plans,” said Assistant Professor of Geography Dr. Brent Hedquist.

“So students, faculty [and] staff will know exactly what to do if severe weather is

coming,” Hedquist said.

Executive Director of Enterprise Risk Management Dr. Shane Creel, who ensures that the people of TAMUK are ready for a possible disaster, is the main person responsible for the university’s newfound status.

Organizations around the world are happy to serve and be a WRN Ambassador.

“Through programs such as Weather Ready Nation and strengthened collaboration and communications we all can work together to ensure disaster response activities are swift, timely and comprehensive for the public,” said Marguerite Tortorello, senior vice president Public Affairs for The Property Casualty Insurers Association of America.

crime crime on on campus campus

#TAMUK18 Good luck on exams and congratulations to our graduating class of 2018!

DATE REPORTED

DATE OCCURRED

LOCATION

CRIME

DISPOSITION

03/24/18

03/24/18

Javelina Dining Hall

Theft

Active

03/27/18

03/27/18

Non Campus

Fraudulent Activity

Active

Warrant Arrest, POCS and CTW

Arrested/ transported to KSO Jail

03/29/18

03/29/18

Martin Hall

04/03/18

N/A

Non Campus

Credit Card Abuse

Active

04/09/18

04/09/18

1400 W Ave B

Burglary of Vehicle

Active

04/12/18

04/11-12/18

Lucio Hall

Theft

Active

04/24/18

04/16/18

Clements Center

Theft

Active

04/27/18

N/A

Hill Hall

Theft

Active

04/29/18

4/29/18

Lucio Hall

Burglary of Habitation

Closed

Entertainment

3

THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018

Don’t Mark These Calendars

Conner Museum displays rare art calendar collection Dakota Roberts Opinion Editor

Texas A&M University— Kingsville’s Conner Museum is currently housing an exhibit that showcases famous Mexican calendar art from the 1930s to the 1960s.

During these decades, a small number of talented portrait painters who worked for a few Mexican printing companies produced thousands of calendar paintings to be bought and then placed on products and calendars.

Ralph Cuevas, Conner Museum’s curator, explained the art.

“All of these paintings

were original, old, oil works of art by various artists who were hired to produce them.

Each piece of art work that could then be copied into print to be used for calendars, decorations, to advertise any particular business or product,” he said.

Cuevas continues to say that the paintings focus on portraying everyday life in Mexico, using recognizable images from Mexican history and culture; expressing Mexico’s turn to modernity through art.

The 34-portrait collection comes from the Backal family, a South Texan family currently residing in San Antonio who have collected the pieces over generations and

house the collection in the Rio Grande Valley. The Conner Museum acquired the pieces for a limited exhibit that ends on May 24.

Cuevas said the exhibit has received a decent amount of traffic, attracting students from both TAMUK and Academy High School.

“It’s been pretty popular with the public. I’ve noticed increased student traffic coming through our doors since the exhibit opened up,” Cuevas said.

Some TAMUK students have already shown that they feel a connection to these paintings and what they mean in the field of art history.

Crisantos Casaras, a gen-

eral agriculture major and staff member at the Conner Museum, is one such student.

“Since it is about Spanish heritage it has a lot to do with us. If you look at it, it has sombreros and dresses and all this stuff. I can relate to that cultural imagery,” Casaras said.

Other students enjoyed the Mexico-inspired aesthetic, denoting the artists similar interests in color and the art commonly found in Mexico.

“In Mexico they do have paintings like that down there, those paintings just come to life. The exhibit is just really neat, it’s a very nice collection,” explained Elsa Wiley, an agricultural

Photo By Dekota Roberts

One of 34-portrait collections on display at the Conner Museum

science major.

Cuevas mentioned that this collection is exclusive to the Conner Museum and

that there are no plans for the exhibit to be displayed anywhere else in Texas.

Javelina Sapphires Sweep The Competition TAMUK Dance Team brings home first place from the ACP Fiesta Texas Championship Josue Villarreal Reporter

On April 15, the Javelina Sapphires Dance Team won first place in every category they competed in at the American Cheer Power Fiesta Texas Championship.

The Javelina Sapphires, consisting of Team Co-Captain Lidia Morales, Co-Captain Tiphanie Contreras, Alisa Jones, Jessica Pearson and Islla Fernandez achieved first place in Pom, Jazz, and lyrical.

“Our dance team has been trying to broaden their horizon for a while now,” said Javelina Sapphires Adviser Serena Reopelle-Munoz.

The ACP Fiesta Texas Championship is the first

ever competition that The Sapphires have competed in.

The competition was tough with middle schools, high schools, other universities, as well as dance studios competing.

Despite the number of experienced competitors, the many first place victories now place the Javelina Saphires as a distinguished team within the organization.

“They have been working on this for a long time so we’re happy they finally got to achieve their goals,” Reopelle-Munoz said.

Having been working on their choreography since January, the team

worked really hard practicing and rehearsing the routine created by Morales.

“I remember driving up there with tears in my eyes because we were

Photo Courtesy of Serena Reopelle-Munoz

Javelina Sapphires Dance Team in their uniforms

given a chance to show all the hard work we put into dance,” Morales said.

The journey was not easy.

Rehearsals were difficult, school obligations would often interfere with the schedules of practice, some even leaving the team days before competition leading to on-the-spot changes in routines.

Despite all of that, Morales was confident in the team she did have and was ecstatic to hear their name called not just once, but three different times.

“I’m extremely proud of and happy for my girls for all we accomplished together,” Morales praised.

It was tough, but the girls of the team feel they left this new experience better than

they were before.

“The biggest lesson that I learned from this competition is to remain hopeful no matter what obstacles are thrown your way,” Jones said.

With this newfound momentum, the next destination for The Sapphires is the Universal Dance Association College Summer Dance Camp in UT Austin in July in hopes of competing in a major varsity competition.

“They left their hearts on the dance floor, and they were happy to bring some recognition to A&M Kingsville,” Reopelle-Munoz said.

Full of pride and motivation to keep improving, the TAMUK Javelina Sapphires move forward one step at a time.

Printmaking Artist Visits TAMUK America Quintero Campus Editor Donkeys with G-strings riding to the moon. Eyes that cry into a pool of teeth. These are just a few of the depictions of the latest exhibit at the Ben Bailey Art Gallery at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

The gallery contains 25 recent artworks created by Julia Curran. Curran utilized mixed media and printmaking methods. Printmaking is an art technique that uses a stencil to make an image.

Curran mostly utilized a silkscreen technique. The practice involves creating a stencil that is pushed through a screen and leaves an impression on it.

Jesus De La Rosa, TAMUK art lecturer, explains that although each printed work that comes out of the printmaking process looks the same, each one is a unique piece of art. The reprints would contain the same value as the first printed copy.

In addition to having her work displayed, Curran also visited TAMUK to discuss with students. She is the first visiting artist to come to TAMUK since 2011. De La Rosa hopes the university can bring a visiting artist every spring and develop a visiting artist program.

“The idea is to bring someone from the outside, have them work here and let the students see them work so that they can learn their process,” De La Rosa said.

De La Rosa believes it’s important for students to be exposed to different artists.

He thinks it’s a good way for students to get a new perspective and develop different ideas.

Christopher Cooke, TAMUK art major, describes Curran’s work as a “mixed bag.” He sees little effort made in the framing of the pieces but believes it’s part of Curran’s aesthetic.

“The parts of it that I like is that she’s really pushing a bill as far as how presentation is important in printmaking... I feel she’s doing that in a really creative way.

I haven’t seen that too many times before,” Cooke said.

Curran describes printmaking as having a history in addressing social and political issues. She sees art as a way for people to voice their aspirations.

“My work is a satirical deconstruction of American

Nature’s Grasp by Julia Curran

Photo Courtasy by America Quintero

Julia Curran

pop-culture and socio-political history, and how fear and the desires to own and to control drive toxic masculinity and extreme capitalism,” Curran states on her official website.

The Curran exhibit will be on display until May 31 at the Ben Bailey Art Gallery. To learn more about her work, visit her website at www.juliacurranprints.com

Photo Courtasy of www.juliacurranprints.com

4

THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018

Opinion

‘Begin with the End in Mind’ Making Every Decision Count Towards the Future

Frankie Cardenas Photographer “Begin with the End in Mind.”

It sounds a little strange when it begins to rattle inside your brain the first time you hear it. And honestly, the first time I did, I didn’t know how to feel about it.

I heard Aeneas Williams spit out each word into that phrase more times than I care to remember at the NFL Hall of Fame Ceremony in August of 2014.

But every time he said it, I felt like he was saying it to me. And that Fall, when I wandered onto this campus, I carried those words with me as far as I could take them.

When you start college, you expect that you’re just going to be stuck in this endless routine of going to class, going to eat, spending money, going out or studying, then heading home and sleeping or not even sleeping at all.

But when I heard those words, I knew there was

Frankie Cardenas

more for me to do.

That’s how I ended up where I am today.

“Begin with the End in Mind.”

I was about as nervous as I could be when I first walked around campus.

New environment, new people, new everything.

Luckily, with the familiarity I had with Javelina Nation thanks to my sister being a Hoggie before me, I was able to pick up on some things that helped guide me through that first semester that makes or breaks college students all the time.

I became a member of Sigma Lambda Beta International Fraternity Inc., became a volunteer member of the Javelina Broadcast Network and KTAI-FM 91.1 the One, and tried my best to get involved in as many shenanigans as I could before the inevitable “stress” all college students end up with consumed me.

“Begin with the End in Mind.”

Fast forward three years later, and I can’t believe I am typing this farewell from the comfort of my beautifully messy office, because that volunteer stuck around long enough to earn his way to being the manager of the oncampus radio station, that’s blessed him with meeting some of the greatest people he will ever meet in his life.

Yes, I’ve been stressed. Yes, I’ve been tired. And yes, I’ve learned that sometimes you just have to suck it up and deal with life as it hits you.

But honestly, I would not have done anything I’ve been able to do here any differently.

Short, But Sweet

Luis Garcia Sports Reporter My time with The South Texan started back in February of this semester. It all started out with a press conference that I attended with Dr. Manuel Flores. The press conference involved Head Football Coach Darren Wilkinson and the new recruits they picked over the offseason. He recommended joining The South Texan because not only would it make my writing better, but it would help with any job that would involve writing.

The day I joined, there was definitely a lot of nerves and butterflies that came with it.

There were two people that

Luis Garcia

kept me going and made me want to get better. Those two are Ms. Nicole Morris and Plaserae Johnson. They would always encourage me when I felt like I couldn’t write. I’ll never forget the meeting with Ms. Morris during which she told me that I had what it took to be a writer. After writing the

first few stories, it honestly became fun and started to grow on me. Writing is something that has become a big part of my life and I would like to personally thank The South Texan. I also want to thank Plaserae for always offering to help me and giving me advice.

The South Texan has really taught me some very valuable lessons, and I would like to thank them for allowing me to be a part of their amazing organization The day that graduation comes and I bring my degree home, I will become emotional because I will not be able to attend the meetings every Wednesday with everyone at The South Texan. I’ve made memories with everyone there and I’ll never forget them. Once again, Thank You.

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 Frankie Cardenas - Photographer Josue Villarreal - Reporter C.R. Neal - Reporter Joshua Lin - Reporter Iliana Flores - Reporter Luis Garcia - Reporter Nicole Morris - Adviser Dr. Manuel Flores-Content Supervisor

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Advertising For advertising inquiries, e-mail the South Texan at thesouthtexan@yahoo. com, or call (361) 593-4371 and ask for a consultation.

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

Letters will be edited for grammar, punctuation, libel, and profanity.

Letters considered for publication must be 300 words or fewer.

Letters may be hand delivered or emailed to thesouthtexan@yahoo.com Please send letters or inquiries to The South Texan at Manning Hall 165, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, Texas 78363 (361) 593-4370 First Amendment Right Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances.

“Begin with the End in Mind.”

Whether it was performing on stage or being a stagehand for the Theater department, writing for The South Texan newspaper, making videos for the Javelina Broadcast Network and of course, running KTAI-FM and hosting an award-winning radio show about wrestling.

I guess my only regret was that I didn’t stop and look around to realize how lucky I was to have been able to do it all.

I began my college journey always keeping in mind that my end was when I was handed that degree after four years.

Now, I know my end doesn’t reside in little ol’ Kingsville, Texas.

And quite frankly, I’m still in the beginning.

Because “Begin with the End in Mind,” doesn’t simply mean to start one thing to end with another.

It means that your intentions should be to end everything doing your absolute best, because if that

was not what you wanted from the start; you should have never tried to do it at all.

And I have every intention of fighting for my dreams.

Because I know, that the more I do, my dreams will fight for me.

Word to Daniel Bryan.

“Begin with the End in Mind.”

To every person I’ve met since I’ve been on this campus, thank you for being in my life, no matter how big or how small.

To my advisers, thank you for everything you’ve taught me. I wouldn’t be ready for this world without you all pushing me to be better than I already am and seeing potential in me, I never thought I would see.

To my previous cohorts who I have the pleasure of sharing the studio with, thank you for being a part of me creating my voice. I don’t have enough characters to name you all.

To the athletes and coaches I was fortunate enough to meet and interview, thank you for being patient and

working with me, always.

To the future face of the broadcast world, and my best friend Ashley Gonzalez, keep getting better day by day.

I couldn’t be any prouder of what you do, and thank you for holding me together when I needed you.

To my partner-in-crime who I worked with the most, and spent the most time with in the newsroom, Crystal Zamarron; thanks for putting up with me. I wouldn’t have wanted to help keep this place together, or lose sleep working with anyone else.

And to my Darcy Kay, you’re going to do great things over the next year as Editor-in-Chief. I believe in you, and I know, The South Texan couldn’t have been left in better hands. You’re going to amaze these people like you amaze me every day.

You’ve got this thing in the bag Kid, and I can’t wait to see what you do with this place.

Thank you, Javelina Nation, for an amazing four years.

It was #TooSweet.

Philosophical Endings Bobby Puentes Circulation Manager Excited and anxious are the two words to correctly describe the emotions that have been surging through my mind and body the past few months. The time has come.

The collegiate journey of my life is finally coming to an end as I prepare to walk across the stage and into the abyss of real life.

This department of communications is not perfect. It is hard to be anything when the school treats your department like the red headed stepchild of this university family.

I don’t believe the teachers or students get enough credit when it comes to being acknowledged like other departments on campus.

Having said that, this is not

Bobby Puentes

the space for me to complain about issues I cannot change.

Instead, I would like to take the rest of this time to thank and praise every single person who has crossed paths with me over these past few years.

Sorry to get philosophical, but to me we are nothing but walking, talking experiences.

Every experience contributes to your overall experience in this life.

If we have ever said one

word to each other, thank you.

Thank you to The South Texan, for employing and allowing me to ultimately find myself over the years of work.

Becoming drenched in sweat every Thursday, distributing newspapers without a cart or pair of wheels to assist me, has contributed to both my physical and mental health.

To the next distribution manager, get a cart, being sweaty in class gets old real fast.

To the current group working at The South Texan, you guys are awesome.

Over the many years of being employed at The South Texan, this group has easily been the hardest working, and it’s refreshing to see.

Thank you, once again everyone who has contributed in this experience I am grateful to be apart of.

Reflecting on TAMUK Briana Harris Contributing Writer Throughout my years at TAMUK I never thought this day would come. I’ve faced many challenges just to get to where I am today. I never thought that I would be graduating and that I would meet some of the most caring and generous professors. See this degree is not just all of my hard work, but it’s also a testament to all the hard work my mom and grandma have put in to get me this far.

My mom has always been there for me no matter what, and I will never be able to repay her for what she has done for me. This degree to me is just a step closer to achieving my goals and giving my mother what she deserves in life.

For me, this degree is for myself, my mom, and grandma. Being a student in the Communications Department has taught me things about myself I never knew. I

Briana Harris

learned so much from the department and the friendships I’ve made. Professors have always been there to help and guide me every step of the way.

Professor Manuel Flores believed in me from the moment I walked into his Film Making class freshman year.

He never gave up on me even when I sometimes turned work in late and when I was late to class. As I progressed throughout the program I started to take it more seriously, and Dr. Flores helped me with so many things. He

was always there giving me the best advice from things dealing with school to even life situations. I am forever grateful for his continuous support and for him always believing in me when I doubted myself at times.

Professor Nicole Morris saw potential in me, and she has always given me the best advice. Working for The South Texan and being a part of the clubs in the department have taught me that there is so much out there that is waiting for me. Communications is not just about making films, but it’s about being yourself and finding what you love; taking that and running with it. The Communications Department at TAMUK is much more than a department.

The professors and people in the department are a small family in some ways. I’m excited to start this next adventure in life. Even though I am graduating it’s not a goodbye for me, but a see you later to the Communications Department here at TAMUK.

Opinion

5

THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018

‘My Little Farewell Speech’ Speaking From Experience

Crystal Zamarron Editor-in-Chief Well I guess it is my turn after seeing all of my past friends/mentors do the same and walk that stage at graduation. My time has come. I hope I did well.

I came into Texas A&M University-Kingsville hoping to pursue my dream of working an 8 to 5 job as a music educator.

When that didn’t come true because of false hope and maybe life just not wanting me to wake up so early as I’m not a morning person, I went to my plan B, which in a funny way, looked like a double major in music and journalism.

That Plan B was named Ismael Perez. He instructed me to go to a South Texan meeting.

I did, I got a story and flopped that first story. I stayed and never left, now as a Journalism major.

You will get into organiza-

Crystal Zamarron

tions, some that will help you grow and some that you will realize in the second meeting that you’ll never go back.

You’ll meet people with little or a lot of colorful characteristics.

Some that you’ll befriend, some that you’ll cut because of their toxicity, some that you’ll cherish and maybe even fall in love.

If you’re lucky, you’ll even get close to four instructors out of the 25 plus you’ll have in your undergraduate life.

Some people will come into your life just to leave so suddenly from a tragic accident.

From my experience, I’ve

met some really cool people. Thank you all for being supportive and kind towards me. Super special thanks to my mother for helping me financially. Go mom!

Thanks to my cat, Peachers, for being there for me throughout my college life and never leaving, especially at night when I needed something soft to pet.

Thank you to the Student Government Association family, we did a lot our years together to help the university.

We did our best to hold each other up when Oscar and Tosin passed away. We got closer during that time, too.

Thank you to my sisters of Sigma Alpha Iota. Never did I think I would join a fraternity and love it so much.

Daughters of a great and singing nation we are and we will always be. It was a pleasure to be a sister to you all and your Editor for the chapter. I’ll always walk with you.

Special thanks to my big sister, Jessica Melancon, for

guiding me through the sisterhood and for being a sister to me.

Frankie Cardenas, my partner-in-crime, what a weirdo you are.

I’m glad to have met someone at the same time that I entered the university and the newsroom.

I’m glad to say that we will both be graduating at the same time. We literally went through these four years together, and you have always been like a brother to me and for that I greatly appreciate you.

Thank you to my adviser for The South Texan. We’ve known each other for a year but you have helped me improve in this short amount of time.

You helped me fix my mistakes and to not take things so seriously. You’ve actually helped me way more than you think.

For all of that thank you so much, Nicole Morris A.K.A. Mama Morris.

Thank you to Dr. Manuel Flores for being the first

friendly adviser I encountered here at TAMUK. You helped me begin this wonderful journey in journalism.

You’ve been my instructor for multiple classes and have taught me so many things in life as well in this career.

To my staff, past and present, thank you for letting me do what I love to do and mess up, fix things, change things, and just overall do what I love to do with you all on board. In these three years that I’ve been Editor-in-Chief and one year as a staff member, we’ve all grown together and just done all that we can to achieve as college students.

To ghost hunting to staying up until 4 a.m., I loved it all and will continue to cherish these memories I’ve made with you all.

Being Editor-in-Chief for these past three years has been a great experience.

I’ve learned so much.

Thank you Javelina Nation for lettting me cover the news around campus for you

all.

Being a part of The South Texan, Javelina Broadcast Network, Press Club, SGA, SAI, and just a communications student has been rewarding. I will miss everyone that I have crossed paths with throughout these years.

Even if I didn’t name everyone who has made an impact, big or small, in my life, they are extremely special to me.

Good luck to Darcy Ramirez, as the new Editor-in-Chief for this coming Fall 2018 semester. You will do wonderful things and even if at times you will hate it, you will definitely love it when the paper gets here.

Well that’s my little farewell speech. Not much but that’s the important stuff I’ve gotten out of these four years here.

On to the next chapter in life, to meeting new people and facing new challenges. I hope I continue to learn and become a better and kinder person than who I am today.

Go Hogs!

The Ghosts I Found in this Small Town

Lessons on Walking Memories and How to Leave Home Dakota Roberts Editorial Editor I have lived in this town for a long time. So long, that I have probably driven its every road, passed every single person that calls it home, and been to every one of its many Subways (Four, yeah that’s right, four Subways people, and two of them are basically on the same street. Who keeps leasing space out to these people? For God sakes, can we get like one Quiznos, a Jimmy John’s. Damn).

The real point is that I’ve become too familiar with this place. Most times it isn’t a bad thing, but I often find myself passing through memories as the day goes on. No one really notices it, but I think I look around the

Dakota Roberts

way I do because I’m trying to see it more clearly. It’s a dumb thought I think, but sometimes it’s like seeing these ghosts. If I head south down the highway, my head doesn’t ignore the image of me and my friends crossing across the two hills to cross into Dick Kleberg Park. If I head to the local bank down-

town, I can make out the image of myself watching the parade from the second floor; I remember how dark it was, how empty the building felt.

Here on campus is no different. I used to ride my bike to here, play tennis on the courts for a tournament. I remember getting ice cream in the same place the financial office currently resides (that one hurts a little. I now wait in the same line for paperwork that I used to for ice cream.

I’ve seen my childhood die in front of me in that line, and it was slow— both the line and the slaughtering of my innocence).

Every time I walk to the SUB I remember when my friend from high school showed me his stashed painkillers; knowing then that this was not going to end

well for him, every step I take to the SUB a ghost reminds me that I was right.

I wonder what it will be like without these perfect illusions, the figments that march across this flat, flat land. I imagine the landscape not being so messy, but also less intimate. I think I will learn less lessons…

The people that are gone, that I will always miss, they still exist in these places: the town across the tracks, the stone edifices that blanket the landscape, the fields just outside the limits of the city, even the smaller towns that stretch out across the highway.

All of these places remind me that I don’t really think I could ever be gone from people, I just plainly still see them too often.

Despite feeling rather para-

lyzed here in town, I’m thankful I grew up in a place of such character. Because this place isn’t perfect, neither is the university or the King Ranch or the entire world that expands outwards past the town’s borders. But every day I feel beholden to the town that for some reason let me leave my mark; for it was those very imperfections that became the apple of my eye, that made me trust my narrative was beautiful if not at least bittersweet.

And while I believed I was made stagnant, lulled by the monotony of living in a small town, thinking that there was never going to be a way to connect to the outside world, it was its masterfully placed occupants that woke me from my own slumber.

I’ve embarrassed myself plenty in front of them, but

I would go around again all the same, if I could just arrive back where I am now.

I don’t even think they realize how much they changed internally for me. Every single one of them: Crystal, Frankie, Darcy, Bobby, Plaz, Iliana, America, CR, Other Josue, Josh, Luis, Ashley, Jake, Bri, Jesse, Alex, Travis, Breedlove, Etta, Lue, Michaelina, Morris and Flores, and even Matthew Ward.

Now I find myself out of time and don’t really know how quite to explain what they all mean to me, I really don’t think I could. Yet that doesn’t really matter, because the only thing that really is rocking in the back of my head, that I worried that I may have been too passive with, is: Do they even realize how much I am going to miss all of them?

Heading Towards the Brink

Trump Pulls Out of the Nuclear Deal with Iran C.R. Neal Reporter President of the United States Donald Trump announced in a press conference on May 8 that he would be pulling the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal or Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

“This was a horrible one-sided deal that should have never, ever been made,” Trump said at the White House in announcing his decision. “It didn’t bring calm, it didn’t bring peace, and it never will.”

John Oliver, host of HBO’s Last Week Tonight With John Oliver, predicted this political

move two weeks ago.“Whenever there is a will-he, won’the question regarding [President] Trump you can pretty much guarantee he will pick the worst possible option,” Oliver said.

“Will he pull the U.S. out of the Paris Accord? He did.

Will he try and ban Muslims from entering the country?

He did. Will he look directly into the sun during a solar eclipse while pointing at it…? He did… of course he did that.”

The Iran nuclear deal framework set up a preliminary agreement in 2015 between the Islamic Republic of Iran and a group of countries from the United Nations: the United States, Britain, Germany, Russia, China, France,

and the European Union (EU). Under the agreement, Iran eliminated its stockpile of enriched uranium and reduced the number of nuclear centrifuges by two-thirds among others things.

To monitor Iran’s compliance, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has full access to all Iranian nuclear facilities.

Trump made it clear from the start of his presidential campaign how he viewed the deal.

Trump promised to withdraw the U.S. from the Iran nuclear deal and called it “terrible,” a “catastrophe,” and “one of the dumbest and most dangerous misjudgments ever.”

The deal is by no means

perfect, but pulling out of this agreement before a viable solution to the underlying problem is presented is unequivocally irresponsible and reckless.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson visited the White House in an attempt to persuade Trump to stay in the agreement.

“I don’t think anybody has come up with a better idea and it’s encumbered on those who oppose the JCPOA really to come up with that better solution,” Johnson said.

In the press conference the president said he was “ready, willing and able” to negotiate a “new and lasting deal” with Iran.

“Great things can happen for Iran, and great things can

happen for the peace and stability that we all want,” Trump said.

Unfortunately, the sanctions and amendments to the agreement Trump wants to add are not viable.

According to The Economist, Trump wants a ban on ballistic-missile testing, unconstrained access for IAEA inspectors to any military site, and no expiration of any clause in the agreement… ever.

Times change, along with the people. This “fire and brimstone” policy Trump seems to love utilizing will only lead to division and hatred among the peoples of the world.

French President Emmanuel Macron released a state-

ment that France will continue to meet its obligations under the agreement.

“We encourage Iran to show restraint in response to the decision by the U.S.,” the statement said. Separately, in a post on Twitter, Macron said the European allies “regret” Trump’s decision, adding, “The international regime against nuclear proliferation is at stake.”

The fate of our very world is at stake because an egotistical maniac can make irrational decisions for a world power.

I wish I could end on a happier note, but there is not anything we can do besides vote Trump out of office in 2020.

6

THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018

Sports

LSC tournament closes season schedule Tournament action starts May 10; Javs seeded 3rd Luis Garcia Sports Reporter

The regular baseball season for the Javelinas is concluding.

Texas A&M UniversityKingsville dominated Cameron University with a sweep in the four-game series starting May 4 to May 6, at Nolan Ryan Field.

The Hogs are ready for their last battle of the season. They are prepared for the Lone Star Conference Tournament.

The Hogs are finishing their season at an impressive overall record of 36-13, along with a conference record of 15-9. The Javelinas now shift their attention to the Lone Star Conference Tournament which

will begin May 10 through May 12 in Canyon, Texas. The Javelinas are seeded third in Lone Star Conference. Head Coach Jason Gonzales hopes their success continues.

“You know the game plan is to score one more run than the other team. You know what, we’re going to ride our pitching.

Our pitching staff has been throwing the ball really well.

“They’ve been giving their hitters a chance, they’ve been going out and putting up zeros, staying away from three run innings, so the game plan is to continue to ride this momentum as far as it will take us,” Gonzales said.

Pitchers for the Javelinas are competing at their fullest potential. Preston Plavonich never gave up a run and managed

to strike out two batters for three innings against Cameron.

“I think we’re going to take it one game at a time, that’s all you can really do in the playoffs.

I felt like we really got rolling this weekend, we got some good momentum going into the tournament. I think just as a team, we’re really clicking right now,” Plavonich said.

On the offensive side, the bats for the Javelinas are looking good. Levi Zents came out swinging with four hits and two RBIs. He built on the momentum.

“We feel great, we’ve got a lot of momentum going into the conference tournament so I’m feeling good about it, feeling ready, hopefully going to make a run in, and make the run deep,” Zents said.

Javelina Baseball Outfielder Austin Ingraham is diving to catch the baseball

Photo Courtesy of Javelina Athletics

Javelina Track Heading to Nationals

Recapping 2017-2018 Indoor, Outdoor Track and Field schedule Aaron Monreal Sports Reporter

Photo courtesy of Todd Nicholas

Pictured from left to right are Alia Griffin, Irene Almarcha, Lagae Brigance and Larissa Sanchez

The Track and Field team at Texas A&M UniversityKingsville (TAMUK) is racing to the finish line. The team is coming up on the end of the 2017-18 season.

Overall, the Hogs had a positive season. Looking back, the team brought home new records, All-Americans, and a plethora of medals from several meets.

Several high rankings and awards came with the 201718 Indoor/Outdoor Season.

There is still an opportunity for more to come. The team heads to NCAA Outdoor 2017-18 Championships (Nationals) in a couple of weeks.

Softball Loses First Round in Playoffs

Playoffs an experience welcomed by the Javelinas Joshua Lin Sports Reporter The Lady Javelina Softball team’s Cinderella story into the playoffs ended abruptly against the difficult Texas A&M University - Commerce team. The Javelinas played in the Lone Star Conference Tournament Friday, May 4, at San Angelo State University. The Javelinas lost 9-1 in six innings.

According to Javelina Athletics, the Javelinas could not hold off the Lady Lions’ offense as they bombarded them with hits and a three-run homerun to cap six runs later in the third.

The only run the Javelinas got was a homerun from Victoria Schoonard-Saborio who hit it right-center in the top of the sixth inning.

It would do little damage as the Lady Lions came back with two more runs after that to end the game. Head Coach Craig Nicholson was not too disappointed in the loss; he felt that making it to playoffs was an accomplishment for the team and will be ready for next season.

“I think overall it’s a good accomplishment for

us and it’s [been] a good season [for] our first year [as a group] to make it that far. Obviously, we were disappointed with the way that we played out there, but I think that it was a new environment for everybody that was involved and [although] we didn’t necessarily play well, when we look back at everything as whole, I think it was a step in the right direction,” he said.Nicholson continue by saying what the team could have done better.

“We were playing a good team, we were facing some good pitching and I thought we were a little bit over aggressive at the plate chasing some pitcher’s pitches, and I think some of that is just a function of the first time being there and not being used to that environment and it’s one of those deals where you have to understand what it’s going to take to be successful in that arena and it’s challenging,” the coach said.

“We showed that early and we made some mistakes defensively. We played a little nervous early.

We gave up six unearned runs… I mean we made one mistake and they made us pay for it.”

First Baseman

Schoonard-Saborio was proud of the team’s accomplishments. She felt like the team was improving.

“I am proud of my team. We accomplished something that hasn’t happened in a long time. We had a few ups and downs during the season, but we kept grinding and never gave up on the game or each other.

I think that yesterday we had a tough day at the ball field. Commerce came out swinging the bat and we struggled to string hits together. I was proud of my team though because we didn’t give up, no matter the score. We had two clutches at bats off the bench from Sydney [Andrews] and Ileana [Aleman] and they did a great job at getting in there, having a good at bat, and putting a good swing on the ball,” SchoonardSaborio said, looking on the bright side.

“I expect to only go up from here. We are losing a few great athletes, but we still have a strong foundation and a great coaching staff. We now have a little post-season experience and I’m excited for the freshmen to get here, become a part of this team, and for us to get to work.

We started playing for next May, yesterday.”

“This season has been going well for all the athletes.

The majority of us have hit personal record marks throughout our regular season,” said Madeleine Maltais, a Javelin Thrower for the Hogs. Maltais finished second at the conference meet this past weekend.

She said she beat her personal goal and expressed appreciation for her coach’s patience.

As every season concludes, the team loses athletes, this season is no different. There will be big shoes to fill for the athletes coming in.

Thrower Jon Olmos thinks there is a bright future for the track team.

“I feel very confident, I want to believe our team will continue to set new records

for both the indoor and outdoor season,” Olmos said.

Olmos also mentioned the high expectations of the coaching staff.

Assistant Coach Tim Miller mentioned his goals for every year.

“My goals don’t change,” Miller said. “We want to dominate throws in our conference and at the national meet. We aren’t all the way there, but are constantly working towards it.”

Getting as many athletes as possible to the biggest meets is prioritized.

Many athletes have already made it to the National meet and others are still trying to make it in.

The Women’s 4x100m relay (45.70s) went from not going to nationals to the second seed in all of Division

II (tffrs.com) during this past weekend in San Angelo.

Jonathan Harper will be making a trip to nationals for the Men’s Decathlon (12) and possibly the Men’s 4x100m relay (40.33), he served as the alternate leg for the Hogs in San Angelo.

The Men’s 4x400m relay will have to ensure their trip as they are ranked 19th and could be pushed off at the upcoming last-chance meet.

Lagae Brigance secured her trip to nationals. She is seeded 11th in the Women’s High Jump.

Keandria Taylor (24.06s) moved to the 11th spot on the national list for the Women’s 200m.

The “Last Chance” meet is May 13 in Canyon. It will be the last chance to qualify for Nationals.

Lady Javs Catcher Valued for Traits Chapa notable player Offensively and Defensively Luis Garcia Sports Reporter Most athletes’ goal is to be a team player, along with the goal of producing offensively and defensively.

Of course, a great athlete not only gets it done on the field, they also carry very important personal traits like leadership. Roxy Chapa is a 5 foot, 10 inch junior from McAllen. She was first introduced to softball by her soccer coach and has been playing since she was eight years old. Her passion and dedication to softball has paid off as she is the starting catcher for the Texas A&M University-Kingsville softball team. Being a catcher comes with high expectations and hard work.

“My expectations for the season was to improve in every area of the game from last year’s season. Although my batting average was better last season, I passed last season’s numbers for RBIs and homeruns. I also think I have done better catching this year,” Chapa

Photo Courtesy of Javelina Athletics

Hogs Softball Catcher Roxy Chapa running to base

said. “A big accomplishment is making it to the Lone Star Conference Tournament for the first time in a long time, and another is breaking the homerun record for TAMUK.” As impressive of an athlete as Chapa is, there is one word that stands out to Head Coach Craig Nicholson when describing Chapa. That word is “impactful.” Chapa’s success and hard work stands out.

“Impactful. Partly because of the position she plays. She has the ability to change the game offensively,” Nicholson said. “She’s had a really good

year in terms of power and run production.”

According to Javelina Athletics, Chapa not only had a great year this year, she also had quite the season last year.

She is consistent, another positive trait for an athlete to have. According to Javelina Athletics, Chapa “garnered second consecutive AllLSC second-team… started 49 games… [has] a batting average of .358 for secondhighest on the team and eight homeruns tied for first.”

Chapa is still improving and wants to continue her success in the next season.

Sports/Jumps

7

THURSDAY, MAY 10, 2018

Nine New Hoggies Come to TAMUK Indoor and Outdoor Volleyball teams sign new team members Plaserae Johnson Sports Editor The Hoggies Beach (2010) and Indoor Volleyball (21-12) teams welcome nine new team members for the 2018-19 Seasons.

Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK) signed these new athletes to fill in a few special areas on the court. They consist of new Outside Hitters, Middle Blockers, Setters, Right Sides, and a Defensive Specialist.

Eight of the newly found Hoggies specialize in indoor play. They are from Texas and competed for high

school teams, universities, or colleges. The other player comes from Tulsa, Okla. and will assist the Beach Volleyball team next season.

Joining the Hoggies are Melanie Casteel as an Outside Hitter, Kailey Estrada as a Middle Blocker, Kayla LaRue as a Setter, Kelsi Luckenbach as an Outside Hitter, Talleyshia Morris as a Middle Blocker, Emily North as a Setter, Alexa Ruiz as a Defensive Specialist, Mia Soto as the Right Side and Jordan Wonders as a Middle Blocker/Right Side.

Recruiting is a year-round process that ensures only the best of the best athletes are chosen for the Hoggies

volleyball teams.

Assistant Coach Joseph Morales does most of the recruiting for both programs.

When searching for new team members, Morales and Head Coach Tanya Allen hand-pick each athlete. The hope is for the new team members to collaborate with the returnees as smoothly as possible. They are expected to contribute to the on-going culture of the current indoor and outdoor volleyball teams.

“My assistant Joseph does the majority of the recruiting, like the traveling. He’s done a tremendous job. At one point he spent 10 days all over Texas. I think he did a really

good job in covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time,” Coach Allen said.

Duel Player Madison Brabham remembers the recruiting process she experienced.

“Trying to find a college is hard and [Morales and Allen] were very welcoming.

As an athlete it’s very stressful [to wager schools].

My experience during recruitment was awesome.

[Joseph Morales] recruited me out of high school. He even drove to see me play,” she said. Brabham then mentioned what she looks for in a new member.

“In a new team member I really appreciate positivity.

When I met some of the recruits, they were excited to be here. I feel that is essential.

You have to be excited,” she said.

The national title brought attention to the Beach Volleyball team from TAMUK students. “I was in class when it was brought to my attention that the Volleyball team had a national title. A classmate was congratulating a player. I am very proud of them. Now other universities know who we are,” said Abrianna Cooper, Animal Science majors at TAMUK. Coach Allen then talked about the type of players she looks for when recruiting.

“We are obviously going

to look for someone who is athletic. This year we wanted to find a mix of both physical and specialty players.

“We have some younger kids that are very physical and some older kids that are a lot more specialized in positions. We recruit for two different teams, beach volleyball and then volleyball. Every once in a while you get an athlete that can play both. We want to win the LSC tournament [with these new recruits],” Allen said.

The team will start up again in the fall with training and the 2018-19 Seasons of beach volleyball and indoor volleyball.

Finally, I’ve Reached the Finish Line!

The unexpected farewell to my best friend, Track Plaserae Johnson Sports Editor

Column

It was a normal hot summer day in Glendale, Ariz.. My legs trembled, a lump lived in my throat as I stood nervously at the starting line of the 100 meter-dash with the other seven year olds.

This feeling never went away, even in my collegiate years.

“SET” ... “BANG,” terrified by the gun, I covered my ears and busted into tears.

“Run Plaserae! Go get ‘em! Catch them!” my mom shouted. I wiped my face and pumped my little arms and legs as fast - as hard, as I could. The group got closer and closer. I was in the front.

A few more strides through the finish line and I had won my first race.

Move along to my high school years - where track was my best friend. These were the years my father decided he didn’t want me.

These were the years my younger brother looked up to me significantly. I could feel my mother’s and his pride when they looked at me. I traveled, made new friends, and became someone everyone knew. I had successfully made enough noise to get my father to pay attention.

Being from a family of Olympians, they wanted me to be the fourth. I spent 10 consecutive years breaking records, setting my own, shredding my times, and representing the best club track teams of Arizona all over the nation. It felt like it would never end and I didn’t want it to.

Flash forward to my early 20s. I received my first FullRide Scholarship for Track and Field at Central Arizona College. Coach Kim Dismuke gave me my first chance

to get a college degree. My first chance to shatter the barriers in my way of college.

I left with three Arizona Community College Athletic Conference Titles, became a six-time All-American, and Athlete of the 2013 year. I still thank her until this very day.

I could not stop then. I wanted more degrees and more collegiate track. I reached out to numerous universities and went on visits. I made myself another opportunity to do it all again as track was the only way out.

Head Track Coach Ryan Dall responded and flew me out to Kingsville. He gave me a Full-Ride Scholarship and the chance I had prayed for.

I have won three Lone Star Conference Titles, a Division II National Title, became a six-time All-American, and a two-time second team AllAmerican. I thank him until this very day. I never thought the day would come where I kiss my best friend, goodbye.

Senators continued from Page 1 of their choice and submit it to the SGA office.

This semester, elections were held in April. In total, there were 21 students elected are listed as following: Taylor Molina, Sophomore Class Senator; Rendon Itzian and Katrina Sanchez, Junior Class Senators; Christopher Aguirre, Ryan Hinojosa and Lori Ramos, Senior Class Senators; Sarjina Niraula, Graduate Class Senator; Erik Perez, Senator at Large; Nina Lazaro and Sofia Pena, Senators for the College of Agricultures; Sarah Bennett, Jocelyn Gonzalez, Bryanna Montano, Sarah Ramos, and Carle Straube, Senators for the College of Arts and Sciences; Matthew Kingman, Senator for the College of Business; Katelyn Buse, Alexandra Elizondo, Rick Mendez Jr., Lidia Morales, and Sally Romero, Senators for the College of Engineering.

In the Executive Branch, six students were elected.

They are listed as the following: Ruben A. Martinez, President; Graham Castor, Vice-President; Kyra Kurapati, Treasurer; Katrina Sanchez, Senator Pro-Tempore; Christopher Aguirre, Greek Commissioner; and Lori Ramos, Student Organization

Advisory Liaison.

Martinez is the newly elected President of SGA. Martinez has been a member of SGA for two years.

During this time, he has served as a Freshman Class Senator and as the Vice-President of SGA for the 20172018 academic year.

He decided to run for president this election period to fix issues he has seen on the TAMUK campus.

“We’ve tried our hardest to make some changes and I think that serving as President will allow me to get more involved and allow me to see those…issues that we have on campus and actually try to change those problems,” Martinez said.

During his presidency, there are a few things on Martinez’s agenda that he wishes to accomplish. One being to improve communication on campus.

“I think one of the biggest problems here on this campus is communication whether that’s attending events [or] conferences.

“And, hopefully I’m trying to seek out some kind of things where we can have a kind of platform where we can all come or see where we can put in a process where… you’re holding an event so you have to put it on this calendar so you can increase

I ran my last race on March 10, 2018 in Pittsburg, Kan. I didn’t realize it until Coach Dall came to give me a hug and I started crying like a baby. It was sweeter than I thought it would be. I felt relieved because I knew I had something else to look forward to. I knew I’d done my best and that it was time for me to move on. I had finally reached my finish line.

Most dedicated athletes fail to realize there actually is life after the sport.

Athletes invest all their time, energy, and money into their sport and get so caught up in it, they forget about the future that comes after.

That is why I made sure I had something to fall back on and made the most out of the opportunities I was blessed with. My retirement as a sprinter was cherished instead of resented. The focus, determination, and passion of my innerathlete has channeled into my career. It has morphed

Plaserae Johnson and her Track Coach Ryan Dall

me into this independent businesswoman, published writer, author, and communicator, that I never pictured I’d be. I am not

Photo by Javier Lopez

disappointed that I am not a pro-athlete or did not become the fourth Olympian in my family because I am something so much bigger.

Academic Recap continued from Page 1 the involvement from our students to these events,” Martinez said.

He also wants to grow SGA and its visibility on campus and inform the TAMUK student body about what the association does and how they can get involved.

Castor, the new SGA vice president also wishes to inform the student body about SGA. “There’s too many people that have no idea what student government is and a good chunk of people that have no idea what government is.

“So, that’s going to be our major focus…to make sure that people know that [SGA] exists,” Castor said.

Castor also wants to increase community outreach and develop a better relationship between the university and Kingsville.

While elections for SGA have already passed, the association is stilling looking to fill several positions.

For any TAMUK students interested in learning more about SGA or being elected into a vacant position, they can visit the SGA office in the Memorial Student Union Building to fill out an application.

Elections will be held once again at the beginning of the Fall 2018 semester.

overwhelming due to the fact that no one on this team has made the playoffs before,” Senior Outfielder Haley Boyett said. TAMUK Unity hosted its second Pride Festival on April 20 during which students marched for LGTBQ rights.

“Our goal is just to advocate and provide a safe place, that’s just our mission and so with that we want to improve… it’s nice to have students come out and know that there is a place for them,” TAMUK Unity President Trisha Garcia said.

TAMUK saw a 7.8 percent drop in enrollment in the Fall 2017 semester.

One of the big causes of the trend is the way the political climate under the Trump

administration has deterred potential international students from enrolling.

“Our international students are afraid to come to America,” Tallant said.

“They’re afraid that if they come and have to go back home, they won’t be able to get back in [the U.S.]. They’re afraid that if they come and get a degree, they won’t be able to stay and work.”

In Fall 2017, the housing rates for students on campus got locked in as long as they continue to live on campus.

In Spring 2018, the University Police Department relocated to Lewis Hall.

An African-American Read-in was held on Feb. 13 at the pavilion.

However, it was the only

event planned for Black History Month on campus, which angered some students.

Plaserae “Plazz” Johnson became the first female sports editor for The South Texan, TAMUK’s school newspaper.

“Media has traditionlaly been a male-dominated industry; particularly in the area of sports. Considering it took 93 years for The South Texan to have a woman Sports Editor is proof of such. Plazz proved herself more than capable of handling the responsibilities of serving as Sports Editor,” Adviser for The South Texan Nicole Perez Morris said.

“She has exceeded my expectations.”

Powerlifting continued from Page 1 team mates…it’s a crazy meet,” Bocanegra said.

However, despite these nerves, the Javelina Powerlifting team received a 2nd place trophy in the Male Raw Division.

Along with the 2nd place trophy, the Javelina Powerlifting club had five individuals place in the top five of their respective weight classes. Thomas Soto placed 1st, AJ Alvarez 2nd, Luis Gonzalez 3rd, Nico Recio 4th and Matt Garcia 5th.

Although, the team was happy they placed, Recio expressed he felt mild disappointment because the team had won first place at the 2017 USAPL Collegiate Nationals.

But, for him and other members of the Javelina Powerlifting team, they are more motivated to compete at the 2019 USAPL Collegiate Nationals and once again come back Courtesy of Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ javelinapowerlifting/ to TAMUK with a firstplace trophy.

TAMUK Powerlifting Club Logo

8

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