TheSouthTexan.com
Texas A &M University-Kingsville Award-Winning Student Publication Tuesday, October 6, 2020
VOLLEYBALL BACK IN ACTION
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Vol. 95 Issue 6
Lucio Hall fire system updated Residents slated for mid-October move Victoria Marquez| Contributing Writer
Lucio Hall’s new fire alarm system is operational and students who will reside on the third and fourth floors are expected to move in sometime in mid-October. Contractors are finished with the fire alarm system itself and is now painting and cleaning up. “Completion of the replacement took longer than expected…” Interim Executive Director of Facilities Planning and Construction Christopher Vera said. “The health and safety of our students is always our primary concern.” On Sept. 4, students who were assigned a room on the second to fourth floors received another email noting the delay in the move-in date once again. “First-floor students were able to move-in during Move-In Day in August and second-floor students moved in Sept.16 to 18,” Vera said. “We anticipate that students with room assignments on the third floor of Lucio Hall will be able to move in their rooms by Oct. 13 and fourth floor students will be moving in soon after that.” Students who chose to stay home were upset about the delays but are now happy they may be able to move in this month. “I am constantly exposed to a distracting enSee Lucio, Pg 6
Ronni Reyna
Lucio Hall is set to open by mid-October.
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TAMUK students come together to reckon with racial injustice.
Reactions to a Backslide Students, faculty unite amidst racism complaints Aryssa Enriquez | Editor-in-Chief chief.editor@thesouthtexan.com
Recent events and allegations at Texas A&M University-Kingsville have made race and diversity a topic of discussion on campus. The university has a rich history of being at the forefront of change and diversity. Javelina football coach Gil Steinke was a pioneer of collegiate sports integration. In the ’60s, Javelina students helped ignite the Chicano movement, advocating for equality amongst whites and Hispanics. TAMUK was also the first university to offer a doctorate in bilingual education. Now, 60 years later the nation is still demanding a change for better treatment of minorities. And, that change is being sought on this campus as well with current and former faculty and staff noting disparities across races at the university. The death of George Floyd in May in police custody sparked a movement and opened conversations about minority treatment across the country. Floyd was recruited by Javelina Nation to play football from 1995 to 1997. Upon learning about the tragic death of Floyd the
campus closed in recognition of his memorial service on June 8. A week after the university announced this, it received reports of racism and offensive messages on social media. To further escalate the issue, a Snapchat video of a white teen pointing to a group of black individuals playing basketball near the dormitories and calling them racial slurs went viral on Twitter. “If they act up, we might have to euthanize these [racial slur omitted], just like the cop did that one” is heard during the 30-second video. Although the white male was not an enrolled student at the university, TAMUK officials quickly addressed the issue in a press release. “The University is taking appropriate action to inform the individuals that their conduct is not consistent with the values and expectations of our community. Javelina Nation disavows racism and intolerance and is committed to a culture of inclusivity and respect,” according to a statement released June 11. In response to Floyd’s death, members of Javelina Nation and the Kingsville community gathered
and peacefully marched through downtown advocating for Black Lives Matter. “I don’t think there is a race issue on campus, although I would say that in the past, I did think that there was not enough representation for many of the minorities on campus. However, since the tragic death of George Floyd I have the gotten the opportunity to see the campus unify and come together and show us that they care and stand with us,” Christen Williams, president of Black Student Union, said. With many social injustices coming to light, former safeties’ coach Alfred Rowe came forward with a 2019 complaint accusing athletic employees of racist acts. The complaint filed in August 2019 alleged that a male trainer told a Black female trainer to “use a string or rope to hang herself.” The complaint also included an incident in which graduate assistants gathered off campus to watch Django Unchained and took shots of alcohol every time the N-word was used. “Hard ‘R’ Thursday” was introduced by one of the trainers and was used on and off campus to refer to Black students.
Rowe would like an apology because of how the situation was handled. TAMUK officials say they take allegations on discrimination very seriously. An investigation occurred and declared Rowe’s allegations were unsubstantial because he wasn’t directly targeted. Former football staff have publicly supported
Rowe’s allegations. Groups on campus have formed in attempt to promote diversity or gain representation at the university. During the summer, the Hispanic Faculty Council formed with the intention of having a direct voice to the president and provost. See Racism, Pg 6
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Protestors proclaim their aversion to police brutality.
Journey to the Center of Music
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Band director follows passion to Kingsville
Virtual Career Fair
Gabriella Mastroianni | Reporter
Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) is holding a virtual all major Career Fair from 11 a.m. to 4p.m., on Wednesday, Oct.7.
Submitted Photos
Schrader and his family pose at a Javelina football game. .
The bleachers screech as shuffled footsteps rub against the metal seats. A conjunction of sounds and movements blur the stadium. Euphonium fills the ears of every being for miles, for the band blares its highest and lowest pitches that intertwine in perfect melody. The Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Javelina Marching Band makes its way down to
the field to perform its half-time show. Energy surges amongst the band members as they mentally prepare themselves for their rendition of AC/DC. The drum line starts the clicks, leading the band onto the field in rhythm. “Let’s have a good show everybody!” Associate Professor and Assistant Director of Bands Dr. George Schrader said as he walked off the field, turned and watched his band, under his tutelage, ready to prove itself. That may have been a previous season, but each one is memorable to the band director.
Every moment of Schrader’s life has led him all the way to this moment, to this university, to South Texas, the Down Under of the United States. A decade after his birth in Midland, Mich., in 1982, Schrader’s natural gift for music revealed itself in the fourth grade. At that time, Schrader was selected in an elementary and middle school honors choir at Western Michigan University. From there his journey began. “Even before I was in fourth grade, I attended my church, which sang See Schrader, Pg 6