TheSouthTexan!"#$ Texas A &M University-Kingsville Award-Winning Student Publication
Friday, August 21, 2020
!"#$#%&#'!"$(%!!$")*+,"
)-./
@thesouthtexan
Special Edition
Javelina spirit stronger than ever I want to welcome each of you to the start of the 20202021 academic year. Some of you may have chosen to begin this year remotely, while others have returned to campus. Whichever way you are taking classes this semester, I want to share my well-wishes for a safe and successful
semester. I know our region, state and nation have faced unparalleled challenges this year, as we continue to respond to the
!"#$%&"'$()**+, !"#$% &'()*+(,-..
COVID-19 pandemic. Your health, safety and welfare are our primary concern and we have spent months preparing to make our campus a safe place for our community. I encourage you to visit our Return to Campus webpage at www.tamuk.edu/ return to learn more about the measures in place aimed
at keeping our community healthy and safe. You will undoubtedly notice many changes this fall—learning spaces have been designed for physical distancing, everyone is wearing face coverings and many courses are in either a hybrid or online format. While it is true that much
has changed, I want you to know there is much that has not changed. Faculty are still committed to your success. The education you will receive at our University will be of the highest quality. Your friends are eagerly waiting to create new memories. Being a Javelina still means
being tenacious and never giving up. We must stand united as Javelinas who care, protect and help and in doing so, we will overcome any challenges that lie ahead. Dr. Mark A. Hussey President, Texas A&M University-Kingsville
Students, Safety, Success TAMUK prepares to open during pandemic
!"#$$%&'(")*+,- | /+*-0'1*,123*(4 !"#$%&$'#()*+("$,)-("($./0&!)1
Lizzetty Lara
Erin Landin, Campus Activity Board Public Relations Coordinator prepares to inform students about upcoming fall semester activities by filming a video with MARCOM.
COVID-19 tests Javelina traditions Campus activities change due to pandemic !"#$$%&'(")*+,- | /+*-0'1*,123*(4 !"#$%&$'#()*+("$,)-("($./0&!)1
Student Activities and the Campus Activities Board are changing with the times to showcase university traditions and celebrations. Activities on campus will emphasize public state and federal authority guidelines to reduce the risk of COVID-19. But activities “Planning will look a all been case-by-case when normally we would have more of our events kind trying to wait and see how will go. We will have a few in-person events but we will also make sure to do some of the things we did in late spring and have virtual and online activities as well,” Loreal Robertson, director of Campus Activities Board, said. Attending a Hog Call, Fall Carnival, or celebrating Welcome Week will due to COVID-19 pandem-
ic. Students attending on campus events will be required to scan a QR code to check-in. “There will be QR codes right before you enter, so the idea is that you use your phone to scan in that way if we need to follow up or send some communication out at a particular event or classroom then we know who was there and we communicate with you that way,” Robertson said. As the university prepares to welcome students back on campus, precautions, such as the square feet in spaces, are being considered when hosting events.
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Texas A&M University-Kingsville is one of the universities to welcome students on campus. Javelina Nation has been preparing throughout the summer to provide students with a variety of classroom alternatives and online resources. TAMUK has also emphasized new safety protocols to limit the spread of COVID-19. According to the Fall 2020 Back to School Plan, protecting the health and safety of the campus community is crucial to the continued success of the university. COVID-19 response measures are intended to ensure a safe living and learning environment through proper risk assessment, mitigation, treatment and training.
Staff in the Provost's office show their masks off while social distancing.
TAMUK has increased sanitation on campus, developed a contact tracing testing to students to reduce potential COVID-19 cases on campus. “The University has spent much of the summer preparing the campus for the fall semester. Individuals from across campus have worked
the square feet of the spaces and determining how many we can safely have in a room. So of course, the larger the space the more people we can have. In both the ballrooms we can have up to 100 people are so, which is great. That gives people in a room that can still self-distance from one another,” Robertson said. Student Activities and Campus Activities Board encourages students to participate in activities while maintaining safe distances and following protocols, such as face masks.
TAMUK-MARCOM
Left, Loreal Robertson, Director of Campus Activities Board, and Erin McClure, Director of Student Activities, showcase their Javelina pride while promoting safety guidelines.
diligently to develop a plan that prioritizes the safety and welfare of our campus ing the majority of courses online or in a hybrid format. We are sanitizing campus regularly. We have also implemented a system to aid in contact tracing and are now pus for students, faculty and
TAMUK-MARCOM
to campus, it is important that everyone understand that we all have a role to play in making campus safe. The University has developed criteria that we must all comply with, including mandatory face coverings in public spaces, social distancing and !""#!$%%"&&'#()#*