The South Texan Vol 95. Issue 9

TheSouthTexan.com

TAMUK AMONG NATION’S BEST

Texas A &M University-Kingsville Award-Winning Student Publication Tuesday, October 27, 2020

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NEWS PG.6

Vol. 95 Issue 9

COVID cases among athletes leads to quarantine Athletic facilities closed, cleaned due to increase in positive cases Aryssa Enriquez| Editor-in-Chief chief.editor@thesouthtexan.com

As the number of positive COVID-19 cases continue to rise in Kleberg County, Texas A&M University-Kingsville is experiencing an increase of

positive cases among athletes and the athletic staff.

As of Oct. 26, TAMUK has 16 active cases on campus. The highest number of cases since the semester started.

“This week, we will be pausing many of our intercollegiate athletic practices due to an increase of COVID-19 positives in a few sports,” President Dr. Mark Hussey said in an email announce-

ment. “This increase in COVID-19 across some of our programs has also led to the exposure and subsequent quarantining of athletic staff whose job is to help maintain a safe environment.”

Athletic facilities were temporarily closed on Friday and have been sanitized as per university guidelines.

Most facilities now remain open; however,

several athletic programs have been paused due to COVID-19 positive cases.

All athletic facilities have been sanitized and multiple individuals have been asked to quarantine under university protocol regarding contact tracing.

The quarantine is effecting different athletic teams.

“We had to take a COVID test on Wednesday, and there was an outbreak. Now, we need

to quarantine and stay away from everybody. We [athletes] are just on standby, just quarantining and trying to be safe. Our coach has been talking to us. They’ve been helpful throughout the process,” one student-athlete said under anonymity.

Under university guidelines, anyone who is exposed to COVID-19 has to quarantine or isolate to ensure the safety of Javeli-

na Nation.

“We were just told we needed to quarantine for 14 days, even if we were negative because of close contact and all that. It just goes to show how temperature checks don’t matter.

“We get temperature checks every day, and you can have COVID-19 and no fever. My quarantine will end in November,” a secSee COVID, Pg 6

The Wellspring of Javelina Life MSUB celebrates 70th anniversary Victoria Marquez| Contributing Writer

Submitted Photo

Javelinas have always visited the MSUB to recreate and decompress.

Submitted Photo

Contractors labor to erect the MSUB 70 years ago.

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Bye Spring Break On Oct. 16 university officials announced the cancellation of the spring break that was slated for March 8-12.

A buzzing social spot, a place for help and the soul of Javelina Nation, Texas A&M University-Kingsville is celebrating the 70th anniversary of the Memorial Student Union Building (SUB).

The SUB is a time capsule.

The Javelina Dining Hall was once in the SUB, and a game room once stood in what today is the Financial Aid Office. However, one thing that remains the same is the business of the SUB. “There was always a crowd in the SUB. I remember they would hold all the events there. It was the place to be at the time,” DeAnna Reyes, TAMUK alumnus, said.

A celebration was held in honor of the SUB Monday, Oct.19.

Students, staff and faculty celebrated with treats, picture opportunities and a visit from Porky the Javelina.

“We had a kind of birthday party at the SUB, so we had a Porky and an ice cream party,” Crispin Trevino, the director of auxiliary services, said. “We had cake, too, and pictures of the union through the years and representing what the union is all about.”

Trevino, like many oth-

ers, was excited to celebrate the SUB’s 70th anniversary.

“It was very exciting because everyone knows the union and so many people came by looking at the pictures outside. It was kind of exciting just to know that there are so many people that have been to the union over the 70 years,” Trevino said.

The SUB has provided services to over thousands of students, and will continue to do so for the next 70 years and beyond.

For incoming freshmen, the SUB has been a point of reference, known as the place to go for help.

“On my first day I needed help from the SUB. I was greeted with friendliness and determination to fix my problem,” Nathalia Casanova, an English major, said.

Casanova is not the only student who greatly appreciates the offices that are found in the SUB. Jeaneth Arenas, a veterinary technology major, has also gone to the SUB when in need of help and quickly got her problem solved.

“I did not know what to do, but I was told to go to the SUB and ask for help there. I was then quickly pointed in the right direction,” Arenas said.

Throughout the yearsthe SUB has served as the lifeline and focal point of TAMUK.

Submitted Photo

The MSUB’s popularity as a student meeting place pre-dates color photography.

Submitted Photo

Life at the MSUB continues to thrive.

Lifelong Javelinas celebrated virtually Javelina Alumni ceremony commemorates distinguished alumni Gabriella Mastroianni | Reporter

The virtual 2020 Javelina Alumni Award Ceremony commemorated seven distinguished alumni Friday, Oct. 23. Carmen Lomas Garza, the late David Allex, Donna Shaver, Jose Luis Cortez, Angelica “Angie” Barrera and Roberto Montoya were honored at the Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony. “Robert Ray” Molina Jr. was honored with the Rising Star Award.

Vice President of Institutional Advancement

and External Relations Brad Walker presented and introduced the alumni.

“If there is one thing I know for certain, it’s that Javelinas are resilient. Like the Javelinas we are honoring today, and the Javelinas who have been previously selected,” Walker said.

The ceremony, conducted virtually, highlighted each alumnus, their lives and their achievements and accomplishments.

Garza is a famed Mexican-American artist, the

late Allex was former President and CEO of the Harlingen Chamber of Commerce, Shaver is a Wildlife Biologist in the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery, Cortez formerly with the U.S Department of Energy and Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Barrera is Associate Vice Provost of Student Success at UTSA, Montoya is CEO of VRC Corporation, and Molina is a Texas country musician.

“I am a Javelina, true and blue and everything else,” Barrera said.

“It’s a sense of pride, but that sense of pride going to that university that I have with the Department of Kinesiology with athletics, it’s incomparable. […]

Once a Javelina always a Javelina and that’s a pride people can’t take away.”

In 1968, Texas A&M University-Kingsville began recognizing outstanding alumni.

The Javelina Alumni Association created the Distinguished Alumni Award that year.

It is a tradition to acknowledge and award

alumni who have achieved professional and civic accomplishments.

“The recognition given today is just one of the ways our Alumni Association demonstrates support for the university, our traditions, and everyone who represents Javelina Nation,” President of Javelina Alumni Association Debbie Winslow said. “The Javelina Alumni Association helps alumni and friends stay connected to the university.”

The ceremony can be watched on YouTube.

Campus

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October 27, 2020

thesouthtexan.com

Geoscience students explore Texan formations Geology students gain hands-on experience RichardParker| Professor Report

On Thursday, Oct. 8, the Sedimentology and Stratigraphy Geology Class embarked on a field trip to the Texas Hill country for a threeday excursion to learn about the exposed sedimentary formations of Central Texas.

Eight students were accompanied by their professors Dr. Robert Schneider and professor Richard Parker to a private ranch near Round Mountain, Texas.

The ranch is owned by former TAMUK geology professor Dr. John Buckley.

The Geology Depart-

ment at TAMUK has used a section of Buckley’s ranch as a campsite and home base for many years, allowing students to travel to many closeby areas of exposed ancient Precambrian exposures (billions of years old) to Cretaceous aged rocks (about 80 million years old).

On Friday after getting an early start, the group drove about 20 miles to the field exercise area near a tributary of the Pedernales River, parked vehicles and hiked down a steep hill to Flat Creek.

“The formations we studied on the second day in Hye, Texas, didn’t seem to have a high fossil content, but they did have different effects on the terrain and vegetation in the area which helped us determine their composition,” James Villarreal, senior

and geophysics major, said.

The students were joined by Dr. Thomas McGehee (former TAMUK geology professor) who gave them an orientation briefing about the exercise and what to look for as they surveyed the outcrops of rocks that layered the steep inclined hill. The students then broke into two teams and began measuring the section exposed by pace and compass, taking measurements about every 30 to 40 feet for a total distance of about onehalf mile.

“We used a Brunton compass, a Jacobs staff and pacing methods to determine the strike and dip (direction and angle), length and height of the formations,” Villarreal said.

“The fact that our survey data closely resem-

Ricard Parker

Students, Ron De Palma, Winston Broussard and Marco Leza survey geologic section near Flat Creek.

Students take aim on the intramural field with the help of ROTC cadets.

Aryssa Enriquez

Spirit Shots fired at ROTC AryssaEnriquez| Editor-in -cheif

Chief.editor@thesouthtexan.com

The intramural fields transformed into a paintballing arena as the ROTC helped kick off Spirit Week on Tuesday, Oct. 20.

Students, staff and faculty gathered for a fun time and an opportunity to shoot at ROTC cadets in training. Cadets wore their army gear as they attempted to dodge the colorful paint bullets.

The cadets ran in pattern and looked for coverage in between cardboard letters spelling out Army.

For the ROTC cadets, shooting with paintball guns is part of their training. “We are ROTC, and we use a lot of guns, and paintball is just a fun way to show some of the training that we go through. This is realistic for us, we do use these paintball guns when we are doing some train-

ing…This is a good way to be part of the campus, part of the university as well as showcase what we do. All of our cadets are super proud to be Javelinas and we wanted to show some of the training that we go through, and maybe we can get some folks to try us out at least,” Lieutenant Colonel Ben Walker said.

The event provided a platform for students to get informed about ROTC. “I think it is pretty cool that we get to learn about ROTC. I honestly, didn’t know what they did, I just knew that they ran in the morning. It is cool to see what they actually do and some of the opportunities that they have, like having a job right after college,” Rolando Borjas, accounting major, said.

Cadets shared their experience as ROTC members and the ben-

efits they were reaping from joining.

They emphasized how ROTC has helped them in their career, and the variety of options there are within the military.

“ROTC has allowed me to afford school. I know in my situation I wouldn’t be able to pay tuition without ROTC,” Cadet Jonathan Preuss said.

Students looking for more information about ROTC can visit their website at https://www. tamuk.edu/education/departments/rotc/about.html The event offered students an opportunity to see what ROTC is and their role on campus showing their Javelina pride on the field.

“It felt exciting to say the least. The paintballs aren’t too bad, and dodging them was fun…

The most fun part of it all was the comradeship we all have for this type of thing,” Preuss said.

Ricard Parker

Dr. Thomas McGehee explains the layering in an outcrop of 100 MY old Lower Cretaceous Trinity Formation rocks, as students take notes in their field journals.

bled that of the USGS data shows that the techniques we learned were very effective.”

The students took notes on formation changes and appearances and absences of fossils as they walked up through geologic time from the Lower Cretaceous to the Middle Cretaceous Period.

During the Lower and Middle Cretaceous periods, the greater part of what is now Texas was under water.

“What was interesting to me was the amount of ocean-related sediment,” junior geology major Winston Broussard said.

“I have known that Texas was underwater in the past, but it was quite amazing to see it all in person.”

After collecting all of their data on measurements of the section and detailed notes on the rock descriptions and fossil assemblages everyone headed back to camp to start working on their group project of

creating a cross-section and geologic profile of the day’s work well into the night.“My favorite part of our trip was being out in the field seeing rocks not just in a lab, but as they are found,” Broussard said.

Ricard Parker

Students, Tahiry Andriamiharisoa and James Villarreal examine a transition of sedimentary types in an exposed layer of 100 MY old Cretaceous limestone as explained by Dr. Thomas McGehee.

October 27, 2020

thesouthtexan.com

Live in Infamy deserves more than five stars Richmond’s novel set in alternate reality

GabriellaMastroianni |Reporter

The soldiers march in unison; citizens are rounded up and led to White Crescent Bay. As they all stood, the sea crisp breeze whips their faces as they watch a fellow citizen, charged with treason, stand above them on a menacing cliff waiting to be ex-

ecuted. The criminal bellows out their last words as the executioner brings death upon them; the body goes limp. The citizens below the cliff stay silent; the atmosphere is stiff and chilling. This is Live in Infamy.

Written by Caroline Tung Richmond, Live in Infamy is a chilling and suspenseful story about an alternate reality: “What if the Axis powers had won World War II?” The story takes place in California, 80 years after the war. The Axis powers divided the United

Entertainment

States into three separate territories: Imperial Japan rules the Western American Territory, the Third Reich rules the Eastern American Territories and the Dakotas are ruled by the Italians.

Ren Cabot, 16-yearold half-Chinese and half-white protagonist, dreams of a free America, where all are equal no matter race or gender, and runs an underground news pamphlet.

Ren is sent on a mission to help kidnap the princess of Imperial Japan as a tactic to free prisoners and kill the Crown Prince Katsura, the ruler of the Western American Territory.

Richmond delicately weaves suspense, pain and heartbreak in a way that hits the reader internally like a cannon ball to the chest. Her ability to reveal plot twists in an unpredictable man-

ner is one of the reasons why this book is difficult to put down. Her words entangle the reader into the story, making them fall in love with the characters, and force them to watch those beloved characters suffer or die.

This story is absolutely heartbreaking, riveting, spine chilling and frustrating. At times I found myself shouting out loud in anger - something I’ve never done before when reading a book. When reading I felt entranced, almost as if I was sucked into the story and was living the events that happened. When Ren held his breath, so did I. When Ren felt exhaustion and pain, so did I. When any of the characters felt a sense of duty to rebel and overthrow an oppressive system, so did I. Live in Infamy, although the story takes

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Photo courtesy of www.scholastic.com

place in an alternate reality, reflects the problems with power, race and gender we still face today around the world.

Richmond’s brilliance resonates within the

reader’s mind and soul.

This story deserves every person’s full attention and praise, and if only possible, higher than a five-star ranking.

I give this book 5 stars.

How to adult: desk organization

Ronni Reyna|News Editor

News.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Photo courtesy of www.netflix.com

Hubie Halloween heavy on laughs Sandler once again delivers Annalisa Perales|Reporter

Adam Sandler brings laughter and joy back to us once again with his new Netflix movie, Hubie Halloween.

This wacky comedy takes place in the town of Salem, Mass., where the town’s outcast, Hubie Dubois, intends to roam around on Halloween night to ensure everyone stays safe.

While being chased by kids, Hubie runs into an elderly man who he then suspects is hiding a secret that could endanger the community as he finds the man boarding up his house.

As people prepare for Halloween night, a few strange things take place in Salem which only makes Hubie more suspicious of the elderly man and his actions. Although Hubie brings his suspicion up to Sergeant Steve Downey, played

by Kevin James, it is ignored due to the status he holds in town.

Throughout Halloween night, as his shift of monitoring the town be-

gins, Hubie is pranked by many townspeople as they know he scares easily and is an oddball.

The only way he survives through the night is due to his trusty thermos and his long-time crush, Violet Valentine, who is the only nice person who sees Hubie for who he truly is besides his mother.

As more people start to disappear, and things begin to become clear as to who is behind all the antics, Hubie is horrified when it is revealed to be someone he never expected.

The film includes various known Disney channel stars, as well as numerous Saturday Night Live cast members who are often seen in many of Sandler’s movies.

The film is also dedicated to the late actor, Cameron Boyce, who passed away in the middle of 2019. Boyce was said to star in the movie before his passing.

Hubie Halloween is a must-see Halloween film that is all around quirky, hilarious and will make you fall in love with Adam Sandler all over again. If you are interested in watching this film, it can be found on Netflix.

A cluttered workspace can lead to distraction and procrastination, especially now that many classes are being conducted in an online format. It important to stay organized and on task to avoid missing deadlines and putting off work.

Whether you realize it or not your work space has a great impact on how you conduct your school work.

If you keep a messy desk cluttered with un-

necessary things like stuffed animals or too many knick-knacks or food wrappers, chances are you will mostly procrastinate. A cluttered area can lead to a cluttered mind so if you find yourself easily distracted take a moment or day to reorganize; it can make a great difference.

Start by cleaning up any trash, water bottles or cans that may be on your desk, getting rid of trash will help clear your workspace. If you have wires and plugs all over your desk, know where everything leads and use

rubber bands and clips to separate and keep them neat. Wires and plugs are necessary, but they can get in the way so do your best to keep them organized and out of the way.

Your school supplies are very important, and odds are you know exactly where everything you need is. If your drawers are messy and your textbooks don’t have an official home, starting tasks can be hard. Organize your drawers or even invest in a desk organizer or small shelf or cubby for your books. Having

books and note books visible can help remind you to do your homework.

However you decide to get organized is up to you, but know that it is very important. In the age and time of online learning where you spend the majority of time at your desk, it’s easy to become unorganized or messy. Take an hour a week or 15 minutes a day to straighten up and maintain your sense of organization, it can up productivity, motivation and help you avoid procrastination.

SPORTS

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October 27, 2020

New addition to Javelina softball

thesouthtexan.com

Blue and gold welcomes assistant coach Nyka Wood BrendaRiojas| Entertainment Editor

entertainment.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Cleats, gloves and red dirt run in Nyka Wood’s blood, so coaching was a natural choice after her own college playing success came to an end.

Woods was recently named the Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s (TAMUK) assistant softball coach. Woods played for the Tarleton Texans softball team as their catcher from 2015 to ’18.

“She has spent her playing and coaching career in the Lone Star Conference (LSC), so she has outstanding knowledge of this conference and what it takes to be successful at this level.

Her ability to relate personal experiences to our players will be a valu-

able tool for her moving forward,” TAMUK’S softball coach Craig Nicholson said During her college playing time she earned three NCAA Regional Tournament berths and captured an NCAA Region I Championship in 2015. She also worked her way up to No. 10 in the national rankings.

Her coaching career began right after she finished playing, she became the Texans’ softball team’s graduate assistant under Coach Mark Cumpian. Her addition to TAMUK is welcomed.

“I feel excited about Woods joining our program. I believe her coaching methods will impact us immensely.

She is very attentive, encouraging and helpful every day in what we

do,” sophomore Natalie Rodriguez said.

Woods has already started to make a huge impact on the players based off of her experience in the LSC. During Wood’s time playing in the LSC, Anastasia Leibas had the opportunity to play against Woods when she was a freshman and Woods was a senior.

“I had the opportunity to play against Coach Woods when I was a freshman and she was a senior. She was an outstanding player I could only imagine her coaching us and being able to give us advice and criticism on how we can do better,” Leibas said.

The players look forward to and are ready for Woods to help advance their program.

“It’s nice having someone with a lot of knowledge about our conference and being able to reciprocate that knowledge with all of us. Having her as our coach this upcoming season will make a great impact on the team as she continuously coaches us and pushes us to become better players and individuals. We all believe Coach Woods is a great fit for the team,” sophomore pitcher Saidi Castillo said.

Woods’ last six years with the Texans has helped her to become more knowledgeable and will greatly impact the team. The Javelina softball team competed in the 2018 LSC championships and has hopes to compete in the championships again.

Valerie Ruiz shaking teammates hand.

Javelina tennis close out 2020 fall season Blue and gold look to prepare for spring competition JacquelineBarrera| Sports Editor sports.editor@thesouthtexan.com

The Texas A&M University – Kingsville women’s tennis program ended its fall season on the second day at the Angelo State Invitational (ASU) on Oct. 17.

With multiple Javelinas taking home several wins, the blue and gold knows there is more at stake to claim in the spring season.

Autumn Wollenzien, head tennis coach, said her team has much to work on at this point in the year.

“It is crucial for my athletes to understand what is important going into next semester. This past tournament at ASU was a great eye opener to see the potential within the region, within our conference,” Wollenzien told Javelina Athletics.

“It is essential we allow our players to grow and help them get better at the things they need to win matches. My sense of urgency as a coach will trickle down to our players’ sense of urgency. That will only show them that growing as a player is important to play in the lineup where they actually want to play. Our goals as a team are much stronger this season than ever before.

Our girls are ready.”

Picking up wins for the blue and gold was

senior/freshman duo Stephanie Baerman and Milou ter Morsche.

Both women picked up wins in the fourth single flight.

Baerman won out over Western New Mexico’s Kajsa Gedlitschka at 3-6, 6-3, 10-7 before falling to Cameron’s Pilar Jaurena at 6-3, 6-2.

“I am sad that the fall season for tennis has come to an end, but I am very excited to see what we have come together at practice and be ready for when Spring season does come. Winning over Western New Mexico was a great win for me because it was a grind to come back from a set down and see all the hard work put into practice come out on the court,” Baerman said.

“I am very excited to be back and I am looking forward to playing side by side with the girls in the Spring season. I look forward to working hard and seeing results throughout the season.

When I say this, I know I am not just speaking for myself, but for the whole team... our goal is to be LSC Champions. We are also working hard to improve our overall rank of top 15 in the nation. Our goal is to work hard to come together as a team and enjoy the adventures along the way.”

Taking center stage in an early morning matchup would be teammates Laura Montalvo (Junior) and Maya Donkor (Sophomore). Montalvo and Donkor both took

down Angelo State before they faced one another. Montalvo downed Zoe Gubbels in straight sets at 7-6 (4), 7-5, while Donkor mirrored her efforts with a 6-2, 7-6 (5) win over Maria Delgadillo.

“I think it was quite hard for any player in our conference to get back to a rhythm after the long break happening due to COVID-19.

However, it felt good being back on the courts and competing,” Montalvo said.

“I am really excited for next semester, because we will finally have a full complete team, since not all the freshmen and returners were capable of coming this semester; this will make the team stronger and better. We, as a team, have an overall goal, which is winning the LSC conference and improving our national ranking to be in the top 15 of the nation.

We have a lot of work to do on and off the court but I am certain that the work we are doing this semester will prepare us to fall in a great position this Spring. Coach Autumn and Coach Kevin are doing a great job during these hard times and I am really grateful for the work they have put into our season and team.”

The Javelinas will now turn their attention to the spring season as they look to rebound from a shortened 2020 schedule following the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tarleton Sports

Football gets its official start

First official day of practice for Javelina football

Javelina Athletics

Nyka Wood

DylanSanchez| Reporter

It all finally begins for Head Football Coach Mike Salinas and the Javelina football team as the first official practice for the new campaign was last Thursday afternoon.

Through the fight with COVID-19, all teams have been derailed by the setbacks this virus has brought, not just at this university but for the country as a whole.

Javelina Nation has fought back well and now all sports are finally on an official practice schedule for the next coming months.

The field was filled with energy as all of the team for the first time in a year got to strap on helmets and compete against one another in good football fashion.

“It was a good feeling today, there was a lot of emotion that went into this preparation and I think our guys were finally excited to get on the field because we’ve

been hired for 10 months now and it was the first chance we have been able to practice. We’re thankful for the opportunity and look forward to getting better,” Salinas said.

Salinas and his coaching staff have only been hired for less than a year now and COVID-19 put a halt on a lot of preparation and has even knocked down the Javelina season to four games at best this year.

Certainly, times are awkward but for the team and its players, that only means they will work harder to be ready when the time to play comes.

All the players are fired up and from all coaches on Salinas’ staff, excitement is in the air and is expressed on the football field.

Coach Jonathan Petty, safeties coach for the defense this year, is nothing but excited and relieved to finally feel the turf as one unit.

“It feels good man, it’s been since January since we’ve been here, been waiting to get on the field for about eight or nine months now so the fact that we’ve been able to get on the field to get our guys moving around

that’s a positive,” Petty said.

“There’s always things we can do better but the thing that I did like to see today is the fact that our guys were excited to be on the field. The anticipation was killing us. They flew around in spurts but we can always get better. It felt great especially through these pandemic times.

“I think our guys are excited and we are excited as a staff and we only got up to go. It is important to get after this season early on. At any time our season may called off or postponed. It is essential for our guys and coaching staff to begin working hard for the first minute we begin.”

Thursday was the start of a long two-month period that will have the Javelina football team working hard to improve for the new spring season and all looks to be well in the eyes of the coaching staff.

The Javelinas will come off a rocky 20192020 football season with a 2-9 record overall. The countdown begins as the blue and gold will look to make its first debut at Pepsi Field on March 6 against Eastern New Mexico.

Forum

October 27, 2020 thesouthtexan.com

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“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.”

Our Opinion

A stranglehold on voters

The right to vote is the most essential quality of

the American experience, but as the political divide continues to fracture into a colossal chasm, the voting process has evolved into a sociopolitical game controlled by governmental puppeteers.

On Tuesday, June 23, all eyes were on Kentucky as only 200 polling locations were provided statewide when in previous years 3,200 polling locations could be found within the state. Jefferson County holds half of the black population for the state of Kentucky and is home to more than 600,000 registered voters, yet there was only one polling location provided for the entire county. All Eyes on Kentucky became a global tag through which celebrities around the world shared a series of pictures recanting the information to educate the people of America of the voter suppression that still exists in this country.Policies and suppression tactics can be seen in this year’s presidential election and throughout the state of Texas. Governor Greg Abbott’s proclamation of enhancing ballot security is no more for safety than meant for suppression.

The proclamation started Oct. 2 and allowed only one drop-off ballot box location for each county in the state of Texas. Houston, Texas, is located in Harris County and hosts a population of more than 4.7 million people. As of 2018, the county holds 2.3 million registered voters, yet only one ballot drop-off box can be found located in a strategically placed area of the county. The so-called protections the government is putting into place as an easy way to secure votes safely is just a move to suppress minority and opposing views, which happen to be very important in the state of Texas this year. The proclamation disguised as protection is only a way for Abbott to suppress votes in Texas, in favor of one specific party – his own. Voter ID laws are also used to suppress the voices of minority communities. These specific IDs are meant to be hard to attain for the minority population. Without specific identification in some areas you will not be allowed to vote. How can our democracy survive when the people in power continue to suppress the voice of our country? When will those who believe the system is fair and uncorrupt enlighten themselves on what is really happening in this country?

Do not let your voice be silenced by the tyrants in power. We must fight for the democracy of our country.

How to de-stress and improve sleep quality Brace yourselves, Midterms are here, and with that comes a heap load of homework, incredible amounts of caffeine and sleepless nights.

Gabriella As we all Mastroanni trudge Reporter t h ro u g h M i d terms and gradually plunge into the dark void of Finals week, we may be finding ourselves awake late at night, slouched over a desk, eating up a textbook attempting to cram in as much information as we can for our next exam.

We as students stress out immensely about ac-

ing our exams and maintaining an above average student reputation. Our minds may fill up with thoughts such as “Am I doing my best?” or “Am I doing enough?”

This time of the school year is very stressful, but the most important thing that we need as students to succeed and to maintain a healthy mindset is the one thing we all tend to neglect the most - sleep.

However, taking time to put away your study materials and lying in bed at an earlier time will not magically change the way you sleep. Stress keeps people up at night, resulting in poor quality of sleep. And in turn, poor quality of sleep causes stress to increase;

it’s a vicious cycle.

So how do we stressed-out students cut this problem down to improve our physical/ mental health and ability to function? It starts with getting organized and creating a de-stress routine.

I’ve come to realize that I cannot go to sleep until I make a to-do list; if I don’t make this list all my thoughts and worries about getting what I need to get down cloud my brain and keep me up. If you experience the same thing try making lists - in the morning and before you go to bed – of important things you need to get done. This will help put your mind at ease and decrease the feeling of being over-

whelmed by stress.

Next is creating a destress routine.

This part is all about practicing self-care, for example: taking a hot shower, create a skincare routine, drink some chamomile tea, turn off all electronic screens, rub some aromatherapeutic scented lotion on your hands, and think about the positives in your life as you slowly drift off to sleep.

These next couple of months are going to be difficult, but we can push through if we find solutions to ease our stress and improve our quality of sleep. If you’ve found that nothing works, talk to a counselor at the Health and Wellness Center.

Get that corn out of my face!

It’s that time of year where you get invited to a pumpkin patch or even a corn maze. As you walk through the maze, you’re surrounded by Brenda the corn Riojas Entertainment Editor leaves that are impressively taller than you. But when you walk through the maze, do you ever think about

your preference of corn?

Personally, I don’t eat corn out of a can. The smell of the corn juice and seeing it be served on somebody’s plate absolutely disgusts me.

Every time I see someone serve corn on their plate and the juice runs to another side of the plate, I lose my appetite.

I can’t even look at that person’s plate again.

Oddly enough, when it comes to corn on the cob, I can eat two or three in one sitting of course

with loads of butter and salt. When my dad fires up the grill, I always make sure he includes a corn on the cob.

On Thanksgiving or other holidays when my family serves corn I make sure the corn is being cooked on the opposite side of the stove were my favorite foods are being cooked. Of course, there’s no way I let my family use the same spoon to serve the green beans and the corn.

Corn is served for many holidays and special dinners at my house.

I usually ask my family to serve macaroni and cheese or scalloped potatoes instead of corn. I’m not too sure when my dislike came about for canned corn, but for as long as I can remember I will not eat corn out of a can. I’ve gotten older, I’ve become less picky with my food. Maybe this holiday season I’ll try canned corn again.

Letter to the Editor: Racism

Racism: a Class war method.

Racism: is promoted by capitalism.

Racism: a pecking order system.

Racism: promotes hate and anger.

This is a response to a article written by Aryssa Enriquez, editor-in- chief for The South Texasn newspaper entitled “Reactions to a Backslide”, dated October 6. This article was very well written and it spoke about local racial issues, including George Floyd, a racial slur on Snapchat, Black Lives Matter, campus complaints and other viewpoints and I applaud her article. Google has several definitions for racism, I suggest you Google it when you have a chance.

Here is my definition for racism: it’s a human race class pecking order system used by one group against another in order to gain superiority over economics, religion, politics, education, health and happiness.

It’s a form of class warfare which promotes slave like environments.

Example: capitalism uses racism to produce extra profits via large labor pools and low wages. Politicians use racism to gain votes and or power.

The TV entertainment and news industry uses it to boost TV ratings, which in turn produce more profits and program people’s thinking.

There are hundreds of rigged economic, political and social systems

Twitter Poll of the Week

in place to keep racism alive and help capitalism make more profit, Capitalism is one of the big reasons why it is hard to get rid of racism.

“Hugging out” racism will only help a little. We need more methods or systems to help get rid of it.

We could have a big increase in race educational classes for all schools and workplaces.

Another possible answer could be to give all minorities and all women the same pay rate as white men.

Another answer could be to give Capitalist corporations more tax breaks for hiring minorities and women.

If this happen, then our economy should slowly reverse the cur-

rent “shrinking middle class” over several years.

There are more examples, but what matters basically is this: social change requires serious organized opposition to the status quo.

And if we could somehow force Congress to stop taking bribes and orders from the rich and corporations, then I believe we would have less racism in this country.

Is it necessary for humans to have a “pecking order” system like chickens? If you say yes, then you have a chicken brain.

Why can’t everyone enjoy the ride of life?

Thank you, stay safe by learning to manage Covid risk.

Tomas Cantu, an economic researcher.

Dylan Dozier

Reporters Sarah Reyna Gabriella Mastroianni Dylan Sanchez

Managing Editor managing.editor@thesouthtexan.com

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Calista Reyes The South Texan is a student

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University- Kingsville students. The views, opinions and commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of the

Brenda Riojas

Texas A&M University system. The

Entertainment Editor

South Texan uses student fees in part

entertainment.editor@thesouthtexan.com

to publish. The South Texan is part of the Art, Communications, and Theatre Department (ACT) and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA).

STAFF Aryssa Enriquez Editor-in-Chief chief.editor@thesouthtexan.com

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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 chief.editor@thesouthtexan.com The South Texan, Manning Hall 165, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, Texas 78363

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October 27, 2020

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Teamwork makes the bridge work

Engineering students nail down multiple awards at international competition Dylan Dozier | Managing Editor managing.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Five TAMUK students consolidated their individual engineering prowess and brought home a silver medal from the 2020 Association for Preservation Technology International (APTI) Student Design-Build Competition.

Seniors Richard Rowland (team captain) and Maria Garcia Torres, junior John Ruiz, sophomore Jacquelyne Garcia Torres and May 2020 graduate Kaley Dodd won two of the five categories; Best Build and Best Poster.

“Working with my fellow teammates was one of the best experiences I have had within my educational career. I developed connections that I never imagined had it not been for the Student-Build Competition. We developed effective strategies, internal deadlines, and assigned members with their most established skills. Each member flourished and rose to the challenge despite their additional responsibilities as well,” Jacquelyne Garcia Torres said.

Each year, the Preservation Engineering Technical Committee (PETC) selects a thematic framework to limit and guide participants throughout the three-phase competition.

2017 to 2019’s themes included masonry arches, timber bridges and masonry arches, respectively. The 2020 competition followed the pattern and saw competitors attempt to build their best timber bridge.

“I considered this Student-Build Competition as a way to execute what I am learning within my academic knowledge into a physical system. Realistically, once an engineering student is in the workforce it will be crucial for them to know how to handle one’s schedule to meet deadlines despite the additional endeavors one may have. This competition was a great way to train in a small-scale the responsibilities I will face within my career,” Jacquelyne Garcia Torres said.

Competition specifications were released on Dec. 9, 2019, kicking off Phase 1. The teams then had 60 days to finalize their roster and select their bridge type.

“We chose to go with a queen post truss design for its efficiency. The design of a queen post may look simple, but it is very sturdy and effective while using minimal materials to build it. We felt that this was a great aspect to design around and present at competition,” Rowland said.

Phase 2 jumped off on

Submitted Photo

Dodd, Garcia Torres, Ruiz, Garcia Torres and Rowland stand atop their award-winning design.

Feb. 7 and ran through April 17. This 70-day period saw competitors “prepare documentation of their bridge design in the form of standard professional structural drawings.”

On May 11, Rowland and company received their invite to compete in the final stage of the competition. The invitation was one of five from a pool of competitors that included international teams and Ivy League programs. The competition also had no classification guidelines, therefore the TAMUK team of undergraduates went head-to-head with graduate students and doctoral candidates.

TAMUK among best in nation

Ranks among top 25 in Forbes

Aryssa Enriquez| Editor-in-Chief chief.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Forbes Media recently released a list ranking Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) among the top 25 universities in the nation according to alumni ratings.

A study by Journal of Consumer Affairs asked participants about their experience in higher education and the impact it had on their career. The results showed Texas A&M University -Kingsville listed alongside universities such as Princeton, Yale and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. TAMUK was ranked No. 21.

“Our alumni are passionate about this university and are tremendous advocates,” President Mark A. Hussey said. “In 95 years, we have awarded more than 80,000 degrees.

Our faculty and staff have impacted the lives of tens of thousands of graduates who have gone on to successful careers. Simply From COVID, Pg 1

ond student-athlete told The South Texan under anonymity.

While some athletic teams have decided to go entirely under quarantine, others continue to prepare for their season.

“All I know is that I have practice tomorrow. There was no suspension, but

put, we change lives here.”

Javelina Nation has provided numerous students with opportunities and offers different accreditations. Its rich history adds to the camaraderie that is found at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

“TAMUK is special to me because of the extensive research the school continues to be involved in, the community and what the university represents,” Melissa Barrera 2019 alumnus said. “I think TAMUK stands out by being a small university, which allows more one-on-one. Small classes allow students to get more involved in the research, and the unity of friends and colleagues. It’s a competitive university through accreditation to make the university better.”

TAMUK is home to many of the best programs in the nation, offering students a high education at a low cost.

Alumni always recall the friendliness and diversity of Javelina Nation, and the willingness to help others.

“Going to TAMUK was great. It was a super friendly campus. I remember walking to class and everyone you walked by would say hello or smile.

It had a diverse student body with students of all backgrounds so that was great,” DeAnna Reyes, 1988 alumnus, said.

TAMUK helps establish tight-knit groups while enabling students to gain real-world experiences in their field.

“Learning to be independent. Making friends from different towns.

Becoming disciplined in planning my course work from semester-to-semester and year-to-year. Learning to seek out other students for study groups. Relying on family and friends and knowing I had their support. Having a little bit of fun, but not too much. Liking my professors [sums up my experience at TAMUK],” Thelma Reynolds, 1983 alumnus, said.

The voices of the past echo a sentiment of pride and tenacity throughout Javelina Nation. If given the option, many said they would do it again.

everything is subject to change from now ‘till tomorrow or the next couple of hours…

“They closed the facilities on Friday and we canceled practice but as far as I know we are scheduled to practice Tuesday,” the second student-athlete said Monday.

Some athletes met with

their coach Monday afternoon to discuss the next steps while navigating through COVID-19.

TAMUK encourages students to continue practicing social distancing. The university also suggests students do their best to avoid large crowds in efforts to maintain a safe campus.

Edmonton, Alberta was to host Phase 3 of the competition, but like many 2020 events, the conference was held virtually due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the stiff competition and the drawbacks associated with virtual competition, the TAMUK team finished second overall and racked up two “Best of” awards for their build and their poster.

Faculty mentors included Dr. Francisco Aguinaga, Dr. Breanna Bailey and James Glusing. Patrick Sparks of Sparks Engineering served as the professional mentor.

“I’m very proud of them, and I know that this

competition took a lot of time and effort. Student competitions like this are an important part of the learning process, and I am glad to see TAMUK’s architectural engineering program so well represented,” Dr. Bailey said.

Rowland praised his team members and was enthusiastic about the bond created during the building process.

“Working with my fellow classmates and now best friends has been amazing. We have all gotten to know each other better, and we always encourage and help each other in our academic studies.

Meeting my teammates has made a great impact

on my life, and I am proud to have led such an amazing group,” the team captain said.

He also offered a few words of motivation and assurance to students who might be interested in similar extracurricular activities.

“For students that are considering joining this event or something similar, I recommend just jumping in full force, and you won’t regret it.

I have had the chance to see different things, places and meet friends that I will never forget. That wouldn’t have happened if I hadn’t walked in that door with no hesitation,” Rowland said.