11/15/2018 Issue

INSIDE

Javelinas honor military personnel...Page 11

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

The South Texan

Volume 93, Issue 11

thesouthtexan.com

Theatre students receive props for performance Production of June Bugs recognized at Kennedy Center DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief All the world’s a stage.

Theatre students from Texas A&M University-Kingsville were recognized for their performance of June Bugs at The Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival.

The production is an original screenplay written by Corey Ranson, associate professor and director of theatre activities.

June Bugs tells the story of five homeless people whose main focus is their next fix. The characters live in the streets out of either necessity or choice, and there is no promise of a tomorrow. They laugh, fight and help each other out. They are the June Bugs.

At ACTF the play was deemed the Respondent’s Choice Award, the top play overall.

More than 10 awards were awarded for the June Bugs production: Respondent’s Choice Award – June Bugs, Excellence in Playwriting Award – TAMUK Theatre, Support of New Works Award – TAMUK Theatre, Excellence in Lighting Design – Diane Ibarra, Excellence in Sound and Music – Dario Coronado, Excellence in Sound and Music – Jesse Ochoa, Excellence in

Niko Villareal and Robin Machuca in character.

Photos courtesy of MARCOM

Laurie Guajardo, Dylan Mendoza and Niko Villarreal performing June Bugs.

Sound and Music – Edgar Vasquez, Excellence in Sound and Music – Ben Ortiz, Excellence in Sound and Music – Gage Roberts, Irene Ryan Acting Nomination Award – Alessandra Ramirez, Irene Ryan Acting Nomination Award – Laurie Guajardo, Irene Ryan Acting Nomination Award – Robin Machuca. Niko Villarreal and Dylan Mendoza also received Irene Ryan nominations for Alpha Psi Omega’s production of The Aliens bringing TAMUK acting awards, this fall, to five.

Irene Ryan Acting Nominations allows the theatre students to advance to the state festival next year for a chance to win an Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship.

“We are proud of the students, we really only had four real weeks of rehearsal and they did well. It is a brand new play and they handled it well. We will find out in December if the show gets to tour. Out of the six productions presented and the six-state region, TAMUK’s play June Bugs is in consideration to be invited to perform at the Kennedy Center American College Theatre Festival – Region Festival in Abilene at the end of February.

“So, the play may get a chance to tour to perform which would put the play and TAMUK talent in a Regional spotlight of the Region Six state area and universities and colleges therein.

“This also means that the students with awards for acting will be required to attend the regional festival.

All five actors must find scene partners and get to work on an audition to present to KCACTF judges who, out

of 300 students, will decide if they can reach the goal of getting to the National KCACTF Festival at the Kennedy Center in D.C.,” Ranson said.

The Irene Ryan Acting Scholarship provides recognition, honor and financial assistance to outstanding student performers wishing to pursue further education. The Irene Ryan Foundation awards 16 regional and two national scholarships annually.

“The experience is always wonderful for me. I first went to the ACTF festival last year and I received an Irene Ryan last year as well. I advanced on to the spring competition last year but I didn’t make it past preliminaries.

I sat in and watched the finals round last year to see what the judges were looking for, and this year I am coming in more excited, more honored to get the award, but really anxious to see how far I can take it this spring,” Guajardo said.

This year’s competition took place in Carthage, Texas, at Panola College.

The students left on Tuesday, performed their production on Friday and arrived back in Kingsville on Saturday. Many of the students were surprised and humbled by their results.

“Winning an award for Sound & Music was unexpected. It was truly an honor to be a part of this whole experience. The five days we spent in Carthage, Texas, were nothing short of magical. The nature around there is gorgeous! The competition was a breath of fresh air as we had the privilege of observing some of the most talented actors, directors, and playwrights in their element,” Ochoa said.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Admins ‘Give Thanks’ as the tasty holiday approaches DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief Turkey, cranberry sauce and delicious rolls are a Thanksgiving trademark, but delicious food is not what Thanksgiving is all about. It’s a time to cherish your loved ones, gather around and be thankful for all that you hold dear.

Nearly all college students look forward to breaks in the semester, but they especially enjoy Thanksgiving break. They can finally put away the ramen and Spam and instead of going to the dining hall they can wholeheartedly stuff their faces with homemade food and tasty desserts.

Students also appreciate the break because it gives them time to catch up with family before winter intersession. But students are not the only people who are thankful for the yummy holiday.

Faculty and staff also daydream about the holiday break just as much as the students they educate. And every family is different, each with their own traditions.

“My favorite Thanksgiving tradition involves each member of my family going around the table talking about what we have been most thankful for during the year. Since the year I found out I was going to be a mother, my ‘thanks’ has almost

‘Give Thanks’ continued on Page 12

Page 2 - Campus

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Thursday, November 15, 2018

Greek life celebrates during Greek Week TAMUK fraternities, sororities unite for week of fun events ARYSSA ENRIQUEZ Reporter Greek pride shined bright during the week of Nov. 5 to 9.

Greek Week is a time to celebrate Greek life and highlight the talents and dedication of fraternities and sororities at Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK).

During Greek Week unity is promoted between sororities and fraternities.

A total of eight fraternities and sororities participated during the events of Greek Week.

The week consisted of numerous friendly games such as soccer, Family Jeopardy, dodgeball, lip-sync battles and Penny Wars.

“Greek Week, is a good way to get de-stressed after a long semester with tests, homework and events within our sorority/fraternity. It is honestly so much fun, and there something exciting planned for each day,” said Maddison Lakers, a communications major.

Although the fraternities and sororities may differ from one another, they are united by the need to help others

and better the community.

Money accumulated during Penny Wars will go towards the Dance Marathon, which raises money for Corpus Christi Driscoll Children’s Hospital, and the can/hygiene drive, which benefits the Javelina pantry.

“The purpose of Greek Week is to develop and maintain positive relationships with our various fraternity and sorority members through friendly competition. They participate in programs and events that celebrate our values and promote a fun environment, highlighting the different talents and dedication our members have towards our campus and the Kingsville community,” said Jessica Montelongo, Fraternity and Sorority Life Coordinator.

Greek Week also allows sororities and fraternities to strengthen and establish positive relationships while enjoying a week of fun.

“My favorite part of Greek was being a delegate for my sorority and seeing how everything worked behind the scenes from planning for the whole week to picking up after every event.

Greek Week gets everyone so competitive and we see a side of Greek members we wouldn’t normally see, and it’s exciting. The Greek community is so great and I’m thankful to be a part of it,” said Tammy Sauceda, a mathematics majo

Photo courtesy of Twitter @Tamuk_Sigs

Photo courtesy of Twitter @alphasig_TAMUK

Photo courtesy of Twitter @TAMUKgreeklife

Photo courtesy of Twitter @TamukThetaPhi

Thursday, November 15 , 2018

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Page 3 - Campus

Students initiated into Phi Kappa Phi DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief

On Thursday, Nov. 8, Phi Kappa Phi held its Fall Initiation Ceremony in the Memorial Student Union Building Ballrooms. Phi Kappa Phi is the nation’s oldest, largest, and most selective collegiate honor society for all academic disciplines.

Membership is by invitation only to the top 7.5 percent of juniors and the top 10 percent of seniors and graduate students.

To be inducted is a high and prestigious honor. Phi Kappa Phi Chapter 332 was founded in April 2015 on the Texas A&M University-Kingsville campus.

Photos courtesy of Javelina Nation

‘Symbols of Resistance’ screening at TAMUK SUBMITTED ARTICLE Several organizations at Texas A&M University-Kingsville will host a screening of the film “Symbols of Resistance: A Tribute to the Martyrs of the Chicano Movement” at 5 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 15, in the Blue Room of Sam Fore Hall, 915 W. Engineering Ave. The screening is sponsored by Sigma Delta Pi Gamma Lambda Chapter, the language and literature department and the Hispanic Heritage Committee.

The event will feature an introduction by Dr. Priscilla Falcon, professor, historian and activist at University of Northern Colorado.

“Symbols of Resistance” explores the

history of the Chicano Movement as it emerges from the 1970s, with a focus on events in Colorado and Northern New Mexico.

The documentary focuses on the struggle for land, the student movement and community struggles against police repression highlighting the significance of the Chicano Movement and its relevance to struggles for social justice today.

For more information on the film visit https://freedomarchives.org/projects/ symbols-of-resistance-outreach/ and for a film review see https://www.counterpunch.org/2017/12/01/more-than-justsymbols-the-chicano-resistance-movement/.

Photos courtesy of https://www.freedomarchives.org/Symbols.html

Page 4 - Opinion

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Thursday, November 15, 2018

Triumph in adversity

What to do when faced with obstacles and hardships The South Texan The First Amendment

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

The South Texan is a student publication produced by Texas A&M University- Kingsville students. The views, opinions and commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas A&M University system.

The South Texan uses student fees in part to publish. The South Texan is part of the Art, Communications, and Theatre Department (ACT), The Javelina Broadcast Network (JBN), and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA).

STAFF

Darcy Ramirez Editor-in-Chief Iliana Flores Managing Editor C.R. Neal Editorial Editor

PLASERAE JOHNSON Sports Editor Everyone experiences obstacles when working hard towards their goals. In fact, there isn’t a single person on this earth who doesn’t experience some type of obstacle or hardship in their lifetime. However, what’s important is how you respond to them! When I talk to people, I am asked more often than not how I continue to overcome obstacles in my life and career. I’m here to give you some solid advice on how you can easily overcome the hardships you’re faced with.

The three Ps: pause, pray and ponder on what makes the obstacle, or hardship, different and difficult. I tuck my face into a pillow, or stay in my car for a few minutes, and I take it all in. I’ll probably groan and complain, but I pray while the peace is missing from my heart. For me, it is so important that I do this. This pause is my soul-cleans-

ing. I have to release my frustration and meditate for a while before I can find the strength to move on.

I self-talk and reflect. “Plazz, just take a deep breath because God will not lead you where he is not going.

You’ve made it this far and you will continue.” I talk to myself. I’m not kidding, not even a little! After I’ve soaked it in, I contemplate about how I’m going to react. I eventually realize that I cannot control the situation or person that may be my obstacle, but I can only control myself. I simply swallow the pill that I cannot control it.

The three Rs: regroup, refocus and readjust. I learned this step after a life-threatening encounter. In 2014, I suffered from a major surgery that put my whole life on hold. I found my life slipping out of my hands, but lacked the motivation to fight for it. I found myself completely helpless and depressed. I sat in the sadness and let the obstacle get the best of me. After a month of crying, catching pneumonia and then healing, I learned this step.

Once I overcame this large obstacle I kept the lesson in my back pocket. I’ve implemented it when facing the smaller obstacles, too. After I’ve gotten my complaining and self-talking done, I sit down and I think about how I’m going to move forward. I think this step would help anyone, but it helps me because I need to get moving quickly to re-establish my motivation. It may take a few hours, or even days, but the

important thing is that I refocus on my goals. Side note: If you let your obstacles distract you from what you’re trying to accomplish, you will never ever complete your goal. Keep your eyes on the prize! I take action. I take my first step around the obstacle. In life I’ve learned to not take no for an answer.

I’ve also learned to not just sit down and take whatever is given to me. So I wake up a little earlier, drink my coffee, put on my game face and do something to put me back on track that day.

So take your first steps, just start again after you’ve been interrupted.

For all those people who’ve wondered how I’ve done it, I hope this answers your question. What do you do when you’re faced with an obstacle?

Premature Christmas Decorating in Consumer Culture

Plaserae Johnson Sports Editor Jaylin Morales Advertising Manager Reporters Josue Villarreal Ashley Gonzalez Aaron Monreal Kelby Sprinkles Adriana Palomo Aryssa Enriquez Adam Pena Zachariah Wilson Nicole Morris Adviser Dr. Manuel Flores Consultant Advertising For advertising inquiries, e-mail The South Texan at thesouthtexan@tamuk.edu or call (361) 593-4370.

Letters to the Editor Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters considered for publication must be 300 words or fewer. Letters may be emailed to thesouthtexan@tamuk.edu The South Texan, Manning Hall 165, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, Texas 78363

ADAM PENA Reporter With countless issues plaguing the mainstream media in the present political climate of the United States, it’s easy to overlook one issue in particular that affects the everyday consumer: placing Christmas displays up in big box stores as early as the day after Halloween. Not allowing for the dust to even settle from the spookiest of holidays, from Walmart to Amazon, one may find a plethora of holiday cheer that just seems tacky and out of season. But surely there’s a reason that these retailers continue the cycle of untimely tidings of good-will.

A 2012 survey by the National Retail Foundation shows that 41 percent of American shoppers begin their yearly holiday shopping sprees around mid-October, most likely to give themselves a bit of breathing room to manage their deliveries and return any items before the holiday season rolls around. But what’s the point in advertising for the Christmas season when most people are still hanging spiders from their shingles and propping skeletons up on the porch? There

photo courtesy BGR.com

Black Friday shoppers crowding the store aisles must be some event between Halloween and Christmas where people are out in droves stuffing their stocking in preparation for the big X-Mas that will roll around about a month after.

In comes Black Friday. An estimated $7.9 billion was earned by U.S. retailers on Black Friday 2017, according to Adobe Analytics, as well as Cyber Monday which adds an extra $6.6 billion to the total net gain. There is no doubt that Black Friday is the busiest shopping day of the year, and many companies see their largest gains on this day.

Black Friday is historically connected to Christmas, and more importantly, Christmas shopping. A widely known name in American culture, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, began its yearly route through Manhattan on November 27, 1924 according to Time. The parade was an important yearly event because of how lucrative of a marketing campaign it managed to provide for Macy’s, and retail shopping in general. The Thanksgiv-

ing Day Parade itself launches the beginning of the Christmas season, and with it, a wave of advertisements and sales that appeal to consumers on a budget.

The most lucrative of these shopping days, the Friday immediately following Thanksgiving Day, began to be known as Black Friday. This day became such an important mainstay for retailers that in 1939, merely two years before America’s entry into World War II and two months after the beginning of the war in Europe, a conglomerate of business leaders petitioned then-President Franklin D. Roosevelt to officially move Thanksgiving Day from the last Thursday in November to the fourth Thursday in the calendar month to extend the shopping season by a potential extra week.

So here’s to leaving November for Thanksgiving (mostly), and moving the date of a national holiday so that corporate giants can pad their pockets with a bit more holiday cheer.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

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Page 5 - Opinion

Nihilism in practice

Forget what The Big Lebowski told you

C.R. NEAL Reporter If you ask college students what they know about the philosophy of nihilism, you will either get blank stares or a recitation of the famous quote by Fredrich Nietzsche, “God is dead.”

Of course, this quote has been adopted by the freshmen philosophy edge-lords and written on the stalls in bathrooms as many times as the phone number for “your mom.”

But what really is nihilism?

Some may think it’s the belief that existence has no meaning, which is not entirely wrong.

However, there are idiosyncrasies that add depth and even lead to different branches of nihilism.

While cosmic nihilism, the belief that since life has no meaning we should throw morals out the window, is somewhat accepted, existential nihilism is far more popular.

For all you know, you may inadvertently be an existential nihilist.

Existential nihilism is the nihilism experience when we realize that there is no inherent meaning to our lives, and, at its core, human existence is just

an exploration of the void. Further, it’s up to us to create meaning through our own decisions.

We can have values, such as family, religion and love, but it is up to us to create them.

One of the fathers of modern existentialism was Danish philosopher Soren Kierkegaard. Kierkegaard thought that despair was an essential part of the human experience, which he referred to as the, “Sickness unto death.” The term may be “extra,” but, to be fair, he was also a poet.

This despair causes warring ideas in the mind of the subject.

This can be seen in everyone’s favorite alcoholic horse from the series Bojack Horseman on Netflix, Bojack Horseman.

‘It takes a long time to realize how truly miserable you are, and even longer to see that it doesn’t have to be that way. Only after you give up everything, can you begin to find a way to be happy.’

- Cuddly Whiskers

Photo courtesy nbcnews.com

Diane Nyguen (left), Cuddly Whiskers (center) and Bojack Horseman ruminating on happiness.

“I don’t know how to be, Diane. It doesn’t get better, and it doesn’t get easier. I can’t keep lying to myself saying that, ‘I’m gonna change.’ I’m poison,” Bojack laments.

We are in despair about being who we are. Maybe even worse is that no matter what we choose, we will regret it.

In his book Either/Or, Kierkegaard describes this phenomenon.

“If you marry, you will regret it; if you do not marry, you will also regret it; [whether] you marry or you do not marry you will regret both,” Kierkegaard writes.

Kierkegaard argues this is not the exception to the human condition, but the very nature of it.

This leads to the anxiety that comes with indecision and infinite possibilities. Really, anxiety how humans experience freedom.

Kierkegaard describes this as stand-

ing at the edge of an abyss.

“Anxiety may be compared with dizziness. He whose eye happens to look down into the yawning abyss becomes dizzy… Hence, anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.”

Singularly, accepting the absurdity of reality is the only way to deal with the overwhelming anxiety of existence.

“It takes a long time to realize how truly miserable you are, and even longer to see that it doesn’t have to be that way. Only after you give up everything, can you begin to find a way to be happy,” Cuddly Whiskers, a character on Bojack Horseman, claimed.

While Kierkegaard believed in God, other existentialist philosophers like Jean-Paul Satre did not.

In the end, existential nihilism is not inherently a critique of God or meaning, but rather an argument that no belief should be held wholly and without skepticism.

Man on the Street This Week’s Question:

Do you like lima beans? Why or why not?

Name: Allison Vencill Major: Chemistry “I do. I think they taste good. I like them when they’re mixed with other vegetables like green beans or peas.

Everyone’s taste buds are different, but I think they taste sweeter than most vegetables.”

Compiled by: Josue Villarreal

Name: Trey Rice Major: Civil Engineering “Yeah. I know some people don’t really like lima beans, but I feel like people can make them in ways that you do like. My grandma makes a really good plate of salted lima beans. You just have to cook them well.”

Name: Amanda Yuraitis Major: Psychology/Communications “I am indifferent. I know they’re healthy for me and I will eat them if they’re on my plate, but do I go for them on the shelf? No, I don’t. I like smashing them up and making hummus, but I completely understand why someone wouldn’t like them.”

Name: Kolby Hagle Major: Music Education “They’re pretty all right. They don’t taste like garbage. They’re a good middle-man when you want something underwhelming to eat, but you don’t want it to be gross. There’s a ‘seven’ soup that’s a good thing to have lima beans, they have a good amount of texture.”

Page 6 - Sports

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Thursday, November 15, 2018

Javelinas upset visiting Falcons

Football team dominates for Senior Night at Javelina Stadium PLASERAE JOHNSON Sports Editor The Texas A&M University-Kingsville Javelinas defeated the University of Texas Permian-Basin Falcons Saturday at Javelina Stadium, 24-21. The Javelinas held onto the win on their home field against the visiting Falcons for the Senior Night Game.

Moments prior to the game, families and friends stretched across the end zone with their Javelina football players.

The game was the last game of the season for the Hogs and forever for the seniors wearing blue and gold. The team will be losing star players like Jeff Carr, Sean Landez, Brandon Jones, Torrey Thomas, Nick Pelrean and Julio De La Garza. The upperclassmen fought hard in their last game.

Head coach Daren Wilkinson commented with his final thoughts and feelings as the Hogs went into their last game of the 2018 season.

“Obviously we are all disappointed in concern of our cumulative record. This week we had a good week of practice and I think it’s encouraging that through it all we’ve played hard.

“We’ve just found ways to lose at opportune times. Sometimes it was offense, defense, or special teams but throughout the whole game we are not playing bad, that’s the encouraging and also discouraging part of it. We haven’t found

Photo by Plaserae Johnson

Players defending the Javelina field for their last game vs. the Falcons. ways to fix those,” he said.

The Javelinas finished the season with an overall record 4-7 and a conference record of 2-6.

Key moments Saturday were when Devonte Williams intercepted and put the Hogs on track to get a touchdown. Then, quarterback Koy Detmer threw two solid touchdown passes which helped with the overall victory of the team. Later, defensive lineman Brandon Jones sacked the Falcon quarterback.

Senior and defensive back, Sean Landez stood on the field flailing his

arms to pump up the crowd for his last game as he made several tackles.

Then, Tyler Wilson caught a long pass from Detmer and ran it all the way to the touchdown.

Fans will remember when Aaron Dilworth put a touchdown on the scoreboard for the Javelinas at a little over 14 minutes in the game.

In honor of Senior Night, Wilkinson went on to thank his seniors for their dedication while being Javelina football players.

“This is the very first group of kids I recruited when I got here. You

know Nick Pelrean, Torrey Thomas, all the seniors… They are all guys that’ll mean a little something to me for the rest of my life because they are the first group that I recruited as the head coach.

“So, I appreciate the hard work that they put in and the countless hours in the offseason,” he said.

“Through it all, they worked hard and stayed out of trouble off the field. They are all going to graduate and that what it’s all about.

“We’ll be disappointed because we didn’t win a lot of games, but what we will talk about is them graduating. They’ll go on to be successful.”

Pelrean was confident going into his final game as a Javelina. “[I haven’t done anything] different in preparing for this game that I haven’t in other games. Every game is 100 percent. [Then] I’m on to better things.

I’m grateful and just want to end on a good note. Being on the football team has taught me self-discipline, self-efficacy and self-development,” he said.

Thomas shared what he cherished the most before he went in for his last ride as a Hog. “My goals for this game are to shine and make everyone that’s coming out here proud,” he said before the game.

“I’m trying to get a win my last game. [In this game I want to] do my best and leave it all out on the field. Being a Javelina has taught me self-discipline, hard work, tradition and brotherhood.”

Hogs basketball at home, on road Men, Women teams started the 2018-2019 basketball season last weekend ZACKARIAH WILSON Sports Reporter

The women’s basketball team together during a timeout.

Photo courtesy of Zackariah WIlson

The Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) women’s basketball team started off its 2018-2019 season on Friday against No.22 ranked Black Hills State Hornets (BHS).

The Javelinas put up a good fight but lost 48-40. Players like Cloe Lane led the way with nine points and 11 rebounds.

Head coach Wade Scott was looking forward to the game.

“Black Hills is a good team. They got everybody back...the team went to the regional tournament...it’ll be a good contest with everybody back,” he said.

The beginning of the season, particularly the first few games, is usually when most teams are trying to figure themselves out. The Lady Javelinas, with an almost entirely new roster this season, is no different, Coach Scott said.

“They’re searching for their identity right now....these first couple of games we’ll try to find out whom we are going to be,” he said.

Starting Javelina point guard Rachel Tapps is very optimistic on what the season may hold and the challenges that may come with it.

“My expectation for the season is to make a name for ourselves, playing hard for the fans day in and day out

and giving the fans what they want to see. [I am] being the best leader I can be and working as hard as I can for my teammates and my coaches,” she said.

On Saturday, the Lady Javelinas bounced back from the loss and took revenge against the Chadron State Eagles, beating them 61-37.

Scott was expecting a challenge from the Eagles.

“We lost to them by one [point] last year in the end...(they’ll) give us a good test,” he said.

It was a great team effort and the players were all involved in some way with the win. Brynae Thompson outscored everybody in the contest with 13 points. TAMUK student and basketball fan Abigail Whitaker was impressed with what she saw from the Lady Javelinas.

“You can tell that they have stuff to work on, but as of today they are clicking a lot better...we look pretty good, I think it’s more of getting to know each other as a team,” she said.

While the Ladies were at home facing two visiting teams, the Men’s Basketball team headed to South Dakota and Nebraska for games on the road.

They played against the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology Hardrockers and then the Chadron State University Eagles.

The men dropped the game against the Hardrockers and won the game against the Eagles.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

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Page 7 - Sports

First women soccer team in history

All new all-women soccer teams become a part of intramurals sporting league AARON MONREAL Sports Reporter

Photo courtesies of recsports.tamuk.edu

Top: The referees for the IM league Bottom: A co-ed intramural soccer team

The Texas A&M University-Kingsville Intramural Sports department, also known as IM Leagues, welcomed its first Women’s Soccer intramural team.

With this new team they are creating an all-women’s soccer league.

Mario Perez, a participant in the co-ed soccer league, feels the addition to IM League sports is a good thing.

“I like the fact that they have extended that option for a women’s league is great,” he said.

Kinesiology major Blessing Tamez sees the new team in a positive light as well.

“I think that’s amazing. It’s nice to know that there are enough girls out there for there even to be a soccer league.”

With the new team on board the attendance is still too low for a league. There are only a few teams and the teams that are in the league need members to form consistency.

The attendance has brought an issue to the amount of games being played.

“My teammate’s girlfriend is on a girls’ team and she’s only played like two games the whole season,” Perez said.

It is evident that the women’s sport is at its starting point, but the staff is hoping it gains some popularity quickly.

The positives are that the intramural staff is promoting everybody to become more active and participate in a fun environment.

Though the turnout may not be huge, it is the start of something that could only grow from here.

In fact, Angel Rodriguez said it could be better advertised. “[I think they should] host a tournament before the season starts and to get to know people [to] get them involved. They [need to] see how much fun it really is,” he said.

‘I like the fact that they have extended that option for a women’s league is great.’

- Mario Perez

Page 8 - Sports

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Thursday, November 15, 2018

Volleyball season comes to an end

Lady Hogs conclude 2018 Volleyball season at LSC tournament ASHLEY GONZALEZ Sport Reporter The Texas A&M University-Kingsville Javelina Volleyball team started their post-season play on Thursday against the Angelo State Rams at the Lone Star Conference Tournament which took place at Tarleton State University in Stephenville, Texas.

The Javelinas were not ready to come back to Kingsville and took the Rams to the fifth set, which sent Angelo State back home with a loss.

The five-set battle was a rollercoaster with set scores of 15-25, 2515, 27-25, 23-25 and 15-11.

The Javelinas forced 34 errors for Angelo and led in hitting with a percentage of .219.

Defense was key in the advancement to round two for the Javelinas.

The squad totaled 14 blocks against the Rams.

The Javelinas had a losing record on the road but this is no longer considered a setback for the squad, but more of a good challenge in the Javelinas favor.

“We just have to make sure the team embraces the challenge and never uses it as an excuse. A challenge like that can actually make us a tougher team,” Head Volleyball coach Tanya Allen said on traveling to Tarleton State for the Lone Star Conference.

The Javelinas came up short on Friday in the five-set match against A&M-Commerce.

Although the 20-25, 24-26, 25-17, 25-23 and 15-12 loss led to the Javelinas return to Kingsville, the team came back with a few awards to showcase and a new school record.

Senior Madison Brabham and junior Talleyshia Morris were selected in the Lone Star Conference all-tournament team on Saturday.

Also, senior Haley Hutchinson set a new school record with the most blocks.

As per the Javelina Athletics website, Hutchinson surpassed the previous record holder, Ada Ihemelu, with a career total of 487 blocks.

Hutchinson is also the first Javelina to reach 500 sets played in the volleyball program. Furthermore, Hutchison received a spot on the Lone Star Conference second-team.

The awards and recognition do not stop there. The Javelinas lit up the Lone Star Conference Volleyball All-Conference Awards.

Brabham received more than being selected first team in the LSC, but also won Player of the Year, Offensive Player of the Year and is part of the All-Academic Team.

Though the Javelinas’ season came to an end, there is a lot to be proud of.

“I was thankful that I have been able to play the sport I love for four years,” Brabham said on what ran through her head after her final collegiate volleyball game. “Sad that it was over. It was an emotional night.”

Allen is proud of her team.

“The first thing that I thought about after the loss to Commerce was how proud I was of my team,” Allen said.

“I wanted to make sure they didn’t hang their head. A loss like that stings a lot, but they had every reason to be proud and confident.”

Although the seniors’ indoor volleyball career has come to an end, they still have an entire season of beach volleyball to continue.

Coach Allen does not intend to lower the bar at any cost and is expecting another outstanding season from the two.

“Haley [Hutchinson] and Madison [Brabham] had amazing indoor careers, contributing to the program for four years,” Allen said.

“I expect both to have similar finishes to their beach careers this spring.”

Beach Volleyball does not start until Spring 2019, but Brabham is not taking any time off.

“I’m ready to get back in the sand. My body would probably like the break, but it’s too fun,” Brabham said.

There are currently three women on the indoor volleyball roster whom will be playing beach volleyball in Spring 2019.

Photo courtesy of javelinatathletics.com

Javelina Athletes competing at the LSC tournament last week.

Thursday, November 15, 2018

thesouthtexan.com

Page 9 - Features

Valley school named after alumna Dr. Mora a ’68 graduate of Texas A&I DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief Dr. Linda G. Mora grew up in a bilingual household in Raymondville, Texas, a town down the road from Kingsville.

Neither of her parents, Conrado and Elvira Garcia graduated from high school; therefore, educating their children was very important. Her father had preached college and career readiness long before Dr. Linda Mora it became a catchphrase. There was one thing all four of their children knew for sure and that was that they were all going to college.

Mora’s three children, twin daughters Patricia and Diana, and son, Sal, are college graduates and the tradition stuck with the following generation. She has two college graduate granddaughters, two more grandchildren currently in college, one senior in high school and the youngest is a sixth grader.

Today Dr. Linda G. Mora, an alumna of Texas A&M Universi-

ty-Kingsville, is the namesake for the Dr. Linda G. Mora Elementary School because of her integral 48 years of service in public education.

“She is very exciting, very welcoming. It’s a well-deserved honor.

I wasn’t suprised when they named the school after her. Everyone saw it coming,” said Jill Holmes, principal of Mora Elementary School.

Mora claims Raymondville is a small and quiet town with not much to do. After school her Aunt Tila, who was a good cook and seamstress, took her under her wing after school, this may have been the motivations that guided Mora to become a Home Economics teacher. She graduated from Raymondville High School in May of ’64 and quickly decided on attending Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M University-Kingsville). Family played a vital role in her decision to go to Kingsville, a town only about an hour away.

“Back then and being the first of my family to leave home to go to school, my family did not want us to go too far away. However, my chosen major was Home Economics Education and Texas A&I was known for its excellent program,” Mora said.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree from A&I in May 1968 after only three and a half years. But still she wanted more education, so she continued onwards until she earned her doctorate from the University of Texas in December 2005.

Mora has a distinguished career of 48 years in public education while serving as a teacher, assistant principal, principal and Curriculum Supervisor for students in Ben Bolt-Palito Blanco ISD, Corpus Christi ISD, Unit-

Castlevania breaks the mold Castlevania becomes best videogame adaptation of all time C.R. NEAL Editorial Editor Movies adapted from videogames like Assassin’s Creed and Warcraft have historically been train-wrecks of muddled stories and poor acting.

Netflix series Castlevania, however, has proven to be a gift from the videogame gods themselves.

Castlevania’s first season was more of a proof-of-concept. Though the hand-drawn animation, visuals and soundtrack set up what the show could be; there were only four episodes, and, much to the dismay of fans, only reached its stride by the last episode.

Season two elevates the series from a mere concept to a masterpiece.

The show follows the dour Trevor Belmont (Richard Armitage), idealistic Sypha Belnades (Alejandra Reynoso), and brooding Alucard (James Callis) on their quest to kill iconic vampire, and Alucard’s father, Dracula.

The trio head to the destroyed Belmont estate in the hopes of finding some way to trap Dracula’s castle, which can pop in-and-out of existence across the world, and defeat him.

Along the way, and through meaningful dialogue, the trio bond,

even though they would never admit it.

From the discovery of the Belmont family weapon the Morningstar whip, to the exploration of the psychic wounds inflicted on Alucard by his father, the show builds the narrative around the characters rather than the other way around.

This results in fully three-dimensional characters, protagonists and antagonists, which create a moving narrative.

In the first season it appeared as though Dracula sought revenge for humanity (really the medieval Catholic church) killing his human wife for being a witch, more accurately a doctor.

As season two got underway, Dracula’s character gained significant depth.

According to show-runner Ari Shankar, “The best villains, in general, are the heroes of their own story, and the trick to making Castlevania resonate was this idea that Dracula isn’t a bad guy, he isn’t a villain, he’s just a person consumed by darkness.

What Dracula is doing is not really a war against humanity. It’s more of a suicide note.”

Shankar’s description of Dracula’s character could not be more fully realized.

For a majority of the second season Dracula stays in his gothic castle, whose façade puts the famous Notre Dame de Paris to shame, and sends

Castlevania continued on Page 10

ed ISD and Zapata County ISD. In 2002, she went to Northside ISD as Deputy Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction and remained there until her retirement in 2016. During her time in public education Mora saw many changes in public education, advancements in technology, increases in opportunities and alterations in curriculum.

She also created the Office of School Improvement to provide direct support for target schools and led the development of Curriculum Diagnostic Benchmarks that help prepare students for state assessments, help determine how well students are doing in particular areas and schools and what areas teachers need to focus on.

Mora was also instrumental in adding Academic Deans at all middle school campuses.

Mora continues to be a driving force in public education as she

frequently visits the Dr. Linda G. Mora Elementary School and offers help or guidance whenever needed.

Mora Elementary School offers a wide variety of classes and opportunities to ensure that everyone has a voice. The school offers traditional core classes, electives and physical activity outlets, but they also offer a dual language program that pays tribute to the namesake’s bilingualism.

The program has received monumental praise for the Northside district and on social media the hashtag #MoraLegacy can be seen on many grateful posts and likes.

“Lucky kids, families and teachers to have such wise women at the helm,” wrote Carol Harle, Vice President of the Board of Trustees at Northside on the school’s social media page.

The students, the Mora Bearcats, are instilled with courage, intelligence and strength to persevere and reach for their goals every day.

“My parents legacy has paid off and continues,” Mora said.

Page 10 - Entertainment

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, November 15, 2018

Hasan Minhaj aims to entertain, inform The Patriot Act is a marvelous inclusion to the Netflix library JOSUE VILLARREAL Reporter If you like or follow comedy at all, you have likely heard of California-born comedian Hasan Minhaj.

Son of immigrants from India, Minhaj’s career has gone through rapid transformations. He came from humble beginnings in a Pizza Hut commercial to correspondent for The Daily Show with Jon Stewart, all the way to his critical acclaimed, Peabody Award winning stand up special Homecoming King.

With all the success, it was about time for Minhaj to go out on his own with a show that he can proudly call his. Enter The Patriot Act – a political commentary comedy show.

Similarly to former boss Jon Stewart, Minhaj will spend 30 minutes commenting and making fun of hot button issues of today.

A key difference, however, is while Stewart and others would stick to breaking news, or topical events of the week. Minhaj will pick an overarching issue in the media, such as the business tactics of Amazon or lawsuits against affirmative action.

The episode is then 100 percent about the information and the mustknow facts of the story at hand with some facts you otherwise may not have known along the way. It’s all held together by Minhaj’s contemporary brand of humor.

First and foremost, the show is easy to get into. Contemporaries such as Jon Stewart, Trevor Noah or John Oliver have this degree of formalness to them that acts as a boundary to an average audience member. The suit,

Hasan Minhaj, host of The Patriot Act. the set consisting of a desk, the big words, it can be intimidating.

Minhaj doesn’t so much as dumb down the content as much as he makes it incredibly approachable. Often wearing simple button shirts, appearing much more casual while standing in a slick, all-screen set with lights and moving visuals.

The set is truly a sight to behold.

The graphics float next to and across the stage seamlessly.

Minhaj never obstructs them despite standing on and directly in front of it showing excellent coordination, and the animation is smooth and creative, making statistics and graphs look more compelling than they ever have before.

Holding it all together is Minhaj himself who perfectly combines

Photo courtesy Arab News

well-researched information with jokes and references to pop culture.

No other political commentary show is going to be saying that Saudi Arabia is to terrorism what a manager is to One Direction.

That could also be to the show’s detriment to an extent. There are a lot of jokes referencing celebrity culture, especially musicians - references to the likes of Post Malone and Macklemore.

This could result in the show dating itself, as well as alienating people that aren’t as in the know about modern pop culture.

Those jokes are but a mere fraction of the insanely clever writing that is presented by Hasan Minhaj. He’ll often include pre-recorded skits and absurd comparisons to really illustrate a point in an issue.

Even if you’re not a fan of his humor it’s still easy to get lost in his stage presence and the overwhelming amount of charisma he brings to the stage. What he lacks in highbrow intense delivery, he more than makes up for with a big smile and a clear enjoyment of every second he spends on stage.

If you’re remotely interested in learning about today’s political climate, as well as global news and social issues that affect us day-to-day, you would be a fool to miss out on The Patriot Act. Fun, witty and informative, for every laugh there is an equal amount of learning to be done. Before you know you’ll be knowledgeable of the Saudi Arabian monarchy and you barely even noticed.

ing directly to the masterfully choreographed and beautifully animated fight sequences makes for a meaningful pay-off that will illicit tears, even though the walls and characters are literally soaked with blood (don’t watch this series if you are averse to

gore).

Though giving the audience a full story, Castlevania deftly sets up plot lines for the next season. The series has already been picked up for season three, and I anxiously await the next chapter in this narrative.

Castlevania from Page 9 his minions on random attacks of terror in the region called Wallachia.

Instead of allowing his fellow vampires to strategize, Dracula entrusts the only two humans, Hector (Theo James) and Isaac (Adetokumboh M’Cormack), with the task.

This allows for unrest in the war room to grow throughout the season and alludes to Dracula’s underlying trust in humanity’s capabilities.

Further upsetting the balance of power, the powerful vampire Camilla (Jaime Murray) seeks to usurp Dracula’s throne.

Camilla sows the seed of unrest in the war council and even coerces the naive Hector to aid her, while Isaac remains fiercely loyal to Dracula.

As the civil war in the war room rages, Dracula does not seem to care.

Camilla, through Hector, convinces Dracula to okay them sending forces to the Belmont house in order to eliminate the only threat to their plan.

An instantly iconic battle with four minutes straight of beautifully drawn combat allows each of the trio of heroes to play off their strengths and repel the enemy hoard, while casting the spell to transport, and trap, Dracula’s castle right in front of them.

Almost immediately they lay

siege to the castle and soon find themselves face-to-face with Dracula. The raw emotion fueling this fight is palpable as father and son duke it out.

The series’ willingness to build characters and their relationship to the others organically instead of go-

Thursday, November 15, 2018

thesouthtexan.com

Page 11 - News

2018 Military Appreciation Week The athletic department and the student athlete advi-

sory committee (SAAC) hosted an eventful week in

honor of Veterans and Military Appreciation Day. The week consisted of several events like reading to chil-

dren living on the military base, having lunch with all members of the military, providing babysitting services for base families, hosting a intramural flag foot-

ball game, and also dedicating the final Javelina home football game on Nov. 10 against UT Permian Basin to Photo courtesy of Twitter @Javelina Nation

all military personnel.

The Stress Free Zone helps students prepare for the rigorous finals ahead. The event is on Nov. 28 at the MSUB pavilion.

Ending the Fall semester strong

Stress Free Zone and End of the Year Luncheon ILIANA FLORES Managing Editor

As the end of the semester quickly approaches, many students deal with stress as they prepare for finals.

But, to prepare students for this season, Texas A&M University- Kingsville (TAMUK) will be hosting a few events to help students cope with and alleviate stress and celebrate the end of another semester.

To help students find ways to cope with stress in healthy ways and host stress relieving activities, Student Health and Wellness is hosting a Stress Free Zone from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Nov. 28 at the MSUB Pavilion.

The event is held every year before finals week to provide students with information about how to properly handle stress.

Jo Elda Castillo-Alaniz, the director of Student Health and Wellness, explains that the event educates students about stress and how to manage it.

This is done through various booths with different information and activities.

At the Stress Free Zone, various organizations will participate. The Campus Activities Board will give students the opportunity to alleviate stress by having a painting activity. TAMUK’s Pre-Physical Therapy association will be discussing how different forms of exercise can help students cope with stress.

Other booths will be giving information on nutrition, STD prevention, and the services TAMUK offers to help students handle their stress.

Fabiola Cuellar, a wellness assistant for Student Health and Wellness, is coordinating the event. She is a

senior at TAMUK and understands how stress impacts the lives of students. For her, the event is important to attend to gain a better understanding of how stress works differently in each persons’ life.

“I feel that it is very important for college students to go to this event, so that they can learn or even identify what is causing your stress. How can I cope with this? How can I make this easier?” Cuellar said.

The day after the Stress Free Zone, the Office of Student Activities is hosting an End of Year Luncheon from 12 to 1:30 p.m. in the JSEC. This event will provide transfer students with the opportunity to meet new people and celebrate the things they have accomplished during the semester over a meal.

While the event is hosted for transfer students, all TAMUK students are invited to the event.

The event is one of a few events held during the year for transfer students. Martie DeLaPaz, the Leadership and Special Projects coordinator for the Office of Student Activities, believes the event is a great way for students to get involved on campus.

“Definitely we’d want them to come in, so they can get to know people, get to know faculty [and] staff and so they can get involved...We’d like for them to come in and know that we’re here for them,” DeLaPaz said.

The Office of Student Activities is also hosting an event called “Last Minute Goodies” from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Dec. 4 at the MSUB Pavilion.

At this event students will be given the opportunity to receive various school supplies such as highlighters, pencils and Scantrons.

As the end of the semester brings about stress for many students, attending the various events hosted at TAMUK can help alleviate some of the tension around finals season by learning how to manage stress, enjoying a meal to celebrate the semester and receiving supplies for finals.

Photos courtesy of Twitter @TAMUK_SACC

Page 12 - Jumps

thesouthtexan.com

Give Thanks continued from Page 1

what I am thankful for,” said Kirsten Compary, assistant vice president of Student Affairs.

There is no denying that before Thanksgiving arrives everyone is dreaming of their favorite dish. Riley’s favorite is sweet potato casserole and she credits her mother-in-law with the best recipe, but she also personally dabbles in baking with her famous Toll House Pies.

Compary’s favorite is sweet potatoes, either candied or oven roasted with garlic and rosemary.

But one of the staples at her Thanksgiving is an asparagus casserole, her husband’s grandmother’s recipe.

Besides family, loved ones and divine meals another staple of Thanks-

Thursday, November 15, 2018 giving is leftovers. Many families are big and therefore the chef of the day cooks more food than necessary, but it will all be worth it for the next few days.

“One of my most favorite things about Thanksgiving is hosting family and doing all of the cooking so I can then eat leftovers for days. I LOVE Thanksgiving leftovers! Our Thanksgiving feast always centers around turkey - we started off cooking in the oven, then discovered fried turkey, and now of course, being in South Texas, we have discovered the love for smoked turkey. Our feast usually will also include sweet potatoes, stuffing, asparagus casserole, homemade cranberry sauce, pecan pie… the whole works,” Compary said.

Dr. Terisa Riley’s children and husband, the people she is most thankful for. (Back Row) Ben Remelius, Andrew Remelius, (Front) Kate Remelius, Sarah Remelius and her husband Guy Riley. always revolved around being thankful for having my four smart, healthy, wonderful children - Andrew, Sarah, Kate and Ben. In 2007, when it was my turn to say what I was thankful for that year, I said, ‘I am thankful for my new job at Texas A&M University-Kingsville where people have made me feel so at home and where my job doesn’t feel like work.’ Each year since, I have given thanks for this wonderful place where people are like family and where my job is a joy,” said Terisa Riley, senior vice president for Student Affairs and University Ad-

ministration.

Faculty and staff members look forward to the holidays. For a lot of employees at Texas A&M University-Kingsville the holidays are like an extended weekend giving them time to focus on family and friends.

“I am most thankful for family. For me, family comes first, always. My family has grown and changed over the years, but the bonds we share will always bring joy to my heart. As Javelinas we are all part of a larger family of those who love our university, so of course I count our community in

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LOCATION: PAAC JERNIGAN LIBRARY ROOM 220 (361) 593-5250

FOR SCHEDULES, VISIT PAAC WEBSITE: WWW.TAMUK.EDU/STUDENTSUCCESS/PAAC CHRISTINA GONZALEZ, DIRECTOR JERNIGAN LIBRARY 220

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CHRISTINA.RODRIGUEZ-GONZALEZ@TAMUK.EDU

Dr. Riley’s ‘famous’ Toll House Pies.

Photos courtesy of Dr. Terisa Riley