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April 13, 2017
Student financial literacy center in the works Todd K. Web Editor
SCOTUS judge approved
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PHOTO COURTESY/ DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE
Student delegates from 15 institutions engage in diplomatic roleplay.
A league of their own Model Arab League gets hand-on experience in international diplomacy
Travis Hairgrove Editor Last Thursday, as people across the country started their day, they heard the alarming news that President Donald Trump had ordered the launch of 59 Tomahawk missiles toward Shayrat Airbase in Syria. The strike was in response to a toxic gas attack by Syrian government forces two days earlier on the town of Khan
KSA hosts Korean culture night
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Shaykhun, which killed at least 74 people. In today’s ultra interconnected world, crises like this create nightmare scenarios for the government officials, ambassadors and delegates who represent many countries, not just those directly involved in the fighting. In an effort to better ensure the safety and stability in the lives of their citizens, they must work together in intergovernmental
organizations like the Arab League or United Nations in an attempt to reach some sort of agreement so they can provide needed support for each other. With diplomacy being of such crucial importance in a world with nuclear weapons, A&M-Commerce has hosted the Southwest Model Arab League (MAL) for the past six years. Model Arab League is an intercollegiate competition that simulates the
relationship dynamics between the 22 member states of the real Arab League, with the aim of giving students a deeper understanding of the workings of diplomacy. For the most recent Southwest Model Arab League, which took place last week from Wednesday to Saturday, students from the 15 participating institutions “role played” as different Arab League
In response to below average financial literacy among residents, the Department of Economics and Finance is planning to form a center to serve students in making important, long-term financial decisions, and Dr. Jared Pickens is part of it. “We’re working on a personal financial literacy center where we’re going to have coaches,” Dr. Pickens said. “I started one at UTDallas called Comet Cents and have been part of one over at Texas Tech called Red to Black.” Faculty at the center will be training students majoring in Personal Financial Planning to be coaches to other students that may need help navigating the financial landscape of attending higher education. This guidance may be in the form of presentations or personal sessions. CONTINUED PAGE 3..
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School to honor first black professor Dr. David A. Talbot will be honored by renaming the second oldest and most iconic buildings on TAMUC. Alex Medrano Opinion Editor Texas A&M-Commerce will be honoring the first African-American professor by renaming the Hall of Languages the David A. Talbot Hall of Languages. The event is going to be happening on April 18th at 2:30 p.m. outside the Hall of Languages. Dr. David A. Talbot was a professor during the 60’s to 70’s as a professor
of counseling and guidance, as well as served as special assistant for Affirmative Action. While teaching, he was classified as white due to him being the first non-white teacher. Dr. Talbot was also a minister, World War 2 veteran, immigrant, and an influence too many with the total of the event being estimated at four to five hundred including state senators. The unveiling will include the University Choral and Bass Choir performing, reciting of poems, and speakers
including his son, Jim Talbot. There is also an invitation-only luncheon that will be happening before the event. The unveiling plans to be 45 minutes to an hour. Earlier in the day Andrew Young will be speaking at Ferguson at 11 a.m. Andrew Young was the right-hand man of Martin Luther King Jr. and the two-time mayor of Atlanta. If there are any questions feel free to contact Hunter Hays at hunter.hays@ tamuc.edu. TAMUC PHOTO
‘Imagination is a powerful thing’ SGA President departs
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Track and Field
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Sulphur Springs native hopes to get her message out to domestive violence victims with mystical world Alissa Silva Managing Editor Returning student of Texas A&M University- Commerce and domestic violence survivor, CJ Davidson published her first book, “A Daughter’s Curse”, last week in hopes of reaching out to victims of abuse. “A lot of things that happened in the book are reflected on what happened to me during my younger years. I think a lot of people will relate to my characters just because a lot of people go through some sort of abuse once in their lifetime,” Davidson said. “I just want to get my message across to those that are suffering now, to let them know imagination is a powerful thing. If you don’t imagine, you’re not going anywhere.” Davidson used her imagination to escape from reality and hold onto hope. After she and her nine siblings were split up by CPS at age 13 she decided to write a book. Written and published within a year and three months, Davidson wrote the book to show
how far inventiveness got her and how far it can help others. “A Daughter’s Curse” introduces a new mystical fantasy world incorporating the four elements earth, air, wind, and fire and characters with powers. Davidson’s main character, Brisnay, portrays herself and deals with situations similar to Davidson and her youth with domestic violence. “She’s kind of going through the same thing as me. She was taken away from her real parents and suddenly she’s thrown into this whole new world, realism that she didn’t know existed. And that’s basically what foster children who are older, that were sheltered go through, that’s what I went through. “You’re so sheltered, you’re only allowed to go to store once a month, school, or work. Whenever you get picked up by CPS it’s a whole new world. It hits you in the face, the littlest things like going to the movies- you didn’t even know existed,” she said. Davidson demonstrates how relatable the fantasy world she created is to real life scenarios today.
“I just want to get my message across to those that are suffering now, to let them know imagination is a powerful thing. If you don’t imagine, you’re not going anywhere.”
-C.J. Davidson CPS as the Council in the book, she explains how there were certain rules to follow and how a lot of people understand how that feels. “I think this can relate to everyone’s lives because how society looks at certain couples, because they’re different or they’re not “supposed” to be together. I’m trying to bring that point across in the book. Change. Change because obviously we can’t help it, everything is changing, nothing is the same,” she said.
PHOTO COURTESY/ CJDAVIDSONOFFICIAL .COM
Her book includes the bad character who abuses her, the mother who is scared to leave the father, the girl who wants to leave but won’t leave her mother behind, and the forbidden love. “There’s a dark side to show [the audience], what, exactly from the point of the child or the supposed person that’s being abused, they feel- their perspective,” she said. Relating her forbidden love by
The book is more targeted for anyone over the age of 14 because they’ve had to deal with abuse longer than younger children. “Even younger—we just want to give them hope that there is a way to deal with it. The reason the book came around was because when I came home from school there were times [I didn’t] feel safe and obviously your mind wanders around somewhere because you just have that free time,” Davidson said. CONTINUED PAGE 6..
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Opinion
The Mess(y) Hall School cafeteria needs to clean up act Acacia Muñoz Staff Reporter Various students at Texas A&M UniversityCommerce not only refuse to purchase a meal plan on campus for its expensive price but also for the vague food taste and options. After the Healthy Hunger-Free Kids Act came into effect back in 2010, students complained about the school lunch they received in grade school all across America. Now that we have continued our education in college we would have expected a healthier and bettertasting variation of foods in our cafeteria but that is not really the case. Early in the fall 2016 semester, students who dined in the dining room had the chance to experience the fly invasion in the cafeteria. “It was quite difficult to make an attempt at enjoying any meal,” Lino Jones, junior at A&M-Commerce, said. Of course, this problem immediately solved after the staff noticed and students began to complain, but why not solve the bigger problems inside the cafeteria. A&M-Commerce was ranked No. 5 in Most Affordable Colleges in Texas for 2017, yet, we still lie in debt. Perhaps more students would be willing to purchase a meal plan if the prices lowered, it is the least this university could. They already want the athletic fee to increase for the upcoming semester, so what more do they want to take out of student’s pockets? Lesley Torres, freshman at A&MCommerce, had no other choice but to purchase
a meal plan since all incoming freshmen are required to and she was not satisfied at all. “McDonald’s is way better,” Torres said. “They are always serving the same thing. I went earlier today and didn’t even touch my food. Every time I eat in there I get sick.” Stephanie Pineda, junior at A&M-Commerce, has been attending the university for over two years has never had a bite of what the dining Room has to offer. “I walked in there once last semester and walked right out,” Pineda said. “It was so crowded and I really wasn’t looking forward to eating any of the food. I have friends who have told me I would regret it all.” Many students wish to see changes in the dining options for the upcoming academic year and they are so right. Sometimes we wonder how it is even possible for many students to gain weight in college. It is not like we stuff ourselves with the food every time we no other choice but to go. We have to eat at some point but the real question
PHOTO COURTESY/ FLICKR
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College’s Ugly Side
Dareious Scott Staff Reporter
A major notion growing-up was that college is the way. It’s the most crucial and important step towards building your empire. We thought that getting that oh-so-precious degree lands that job that provides steady income. Instead it leads to student debt and a job that will lead to excessive drinking on the weekend. The truth is that college is a moneymaking business. Half the time the professors are there to collect their check, so they don’t care about what they’re teaching and their dull personality towards the class makes it that much harder to learn. All in all, before money is made, it must be owed. Let’s look at the numbers. According to collegetuitioncompare.com, the average cost for a four-year university in the state of Texas in 2016-2017 was $7,552 (In-state). This excludes fees for books and living expenses which brings the total price to approximately $21,132 for ONE YEAR. Granted, there are grants and scholarships but from experience, they don’t help out much. A car note, rent, food, AND student loans? Where’s the nearest bar? Another ugly fact about college and the money that the universities take from the average student is that majority of it goes towards athletics, because the sports generate the income. According to businessinsider.com, Division I schools (231 schools) made over $9.15 billion in total revenue in the year of 2015. Like, what? It’s easy for those athletes to get free scholarships, because the students that never played varsity are funding the university and the athletic programs. It’s all a business. And if you can’t jump high or run fast, you need to talk to your advisor about how student loans and interest work. So yes, college has an ugly side. The only thing college does guarantee is transactions. It’s a business that’s only focused on making money from teenagers that are about to enter adulthood who have no idea what they want to do with their lives. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t help. If students play their cards right, they’ll be okay and prepared for the real world. The knowledge attained outside of the classroom will be just as important as what is taught inside it. Read. Read. Read. Network with people who have been where you are trying to get and polish the skills that the desired job will require. Know how those loans work and start budgeting now to figure out the best way to eliminate them. Now doing this will not guarantee that a job will call or call back, but it’ll help a lot more than doing nothing and if that doesn’t work, the army will be more than willing to give advice and alternatives. So yes, it’s safe to say that times have changed when it comes to college……
Honorable Mention:
Honor’s College Students are still Lions Special Contributor Around campus, all groups receive different treatment. Some groups are regarded better than others and some are more popular, but when it comes to the Honors College, they seem to be either sought out by students for help or completely disliked. When you a have a group and add a heap benefits and caveats together and tie it with a contract, you basically get the Honors College. It’s assumed that those in the HC are the smartest, the cream of the crop; they have everything covered and nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, those around them are left to deal with crippling debt after the usual four years in undergraduate school.
Those who subscribe to that belief look at honors students with some level of resentment. What these students don’t see is that the Honors College is comprised of a variety of students from totally different backgrounds trying to achieve a goal, just like every other student. The difference: H.C. students passed a process based on an array of requirements rather than just grades (meaning there are smarter people out there). Some H.C. students come from backgrounds where they might not be in college at all if it weren’t for the program. It’s hard work to get in and it requires sacrifices and dedication way before others are even thinking about college. There are cases where loans aren’t a feasible option and parents don’t make enough to put kids through college, so it’s scholarships that are deciding factors for high school
graduates and the reason they strive for goals the way they do. Before you go around making blanket statements about how H.C. students don’t understand the struggles of being a college student, get to know one or two. They may not have to worry about their current situation, but that comes with a lot more responsibility. Most of them know how fortunate they are, but they also know the amount of dedication it takes to get somewhere in life. After all, isn’t that what we’re here for? It doesn’t make sense to attack one another and be prejudice when people maintain beliefs without understanding the other side of the coin. That’s blatant ignorance. Don’t be ignorant. Talk to an H.C. student and see where they come from. You might learn something and you’ll definitely make a friend.
Campus Comment: Who would you want to speak at your graduation? “I just know it would be someone who I would look up to for moral standards as well as activism.” -Alicia Martin, junior
“Obama, he is the most influence to come out of my era.” -Dominic Taylor, graduate
“ Kid Kudi, he is such a dope person and I think he would have a dope speech.” - Maron Weldai, senior
The East Texan Staff Editor Managing Editor News Editor Opinion Editor Entertainment Editor Web Editor Sports Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Photographer/Reporter Photographer Photographer Distribution Assistant Distribution Assistant Faculty Adviser Phone E-mail
“ Rihanna , cause she’s great and I mean she is just Rihanna.” Nyzhe Primas, senior
Travis Hairgrove Alissa Silva Christian Aleman Alex Medrano Imogené Wofford Todd Kleiboer Ricky Moser Manny Ramirez Acacia Muñoz Evangelina Morales Isabella Garcia Gwiwon Jason Nam Kristen Taylor CJ Cannon Nancy Ruiz Kimmie Thompson Fred Stewart 903-886-5985 theeasttexan@gmail.com
The East Texan, official student newspaper of Texas A&M University-Commerce, is published 11 times per semester during the Fall and Spring by students including journalism students in reporting classes. Content is solely the responsibility of the student staff and writers. The comments and views expressed in The East Texan, in print or online, do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of other students, staff, faculty, administration, or the Board of Trustees. The East Texan is located in Room113 of the Journalism Building. Single copies of The East Texan are free, additional copies are available in The East Texan offices for an additional 25 cents each.
Letters to the Texan Letters to the Texan are welcome and should be limited to 350 words. They may be edited for spelling, grammar and libelous and malicious statements. The East Texan reserves the right to refuse publication. Letters should be typed or emailed, must include a valid signature and contact information, and can be sent to theeasttexan@gmail.com or PO Box 4104, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, TX 75428.
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April 13, 2017
News Supreme Court Counseling Corner nominee confirmed The Answer Is Inside: Gorsuch fills position on highest court
Counseling Center Helps Students Find Solutions To Their Problems Nick P. Patras, PhD A student comes in to the Counseling Center having reached a level of dis-ease with some aspect of his or her life. The student (client) is at a place of wanting the pain and discomfort to stop. They are seeking help and it may have been challenging just making the appointment. Then somewhere during that first session the student will utter some variation of the title of this article: “Just tell me what to do.� As counselors we approach this pivotal moment with deep empathy but with the theoretical knowledge that the solution to the problem lies within the student.
Gorsuch takes an oath for the Supreme Court
PHOTO COURTESY/FOX NEWS
Alex Medrano Opinion Editor Neil Gorsuch, is the newest Supreme Court Justice and the first justice nominated by President Trump after the vacancy from Antonin Scalia, 14 months ago. Gorsuch has recently come under fire for the viral video of the truck driver who left his truck with malfunctioning CSBLFT EVSJOH GSFF[JOH DPOEJUJPOT BOE MPTU IJT KPC TFRVFOtially. During the ruling, Gorsuch ruled against the driver and in favor of TransAm’s decision (TrasnAm Trucking v. Administrative Review Board). (PSTVDI XBT RVPUFE TBZJOH i*U NJHIU CF GBJS UP BTL XIFUIer TransAm’s decision was a wise or kind one,� he wrote. “But JU T OPU PVS KPC UP BOTXFS RVFTUJPOT MJLF UIBU 0VS POMZ UBTL JT to decide whether the decision was an illegal one.� Besides this case, Gorsuch’s other well-known case was UIF )PCCZ -PCCZ W 4FCFMJVT XIFSF UIF RVFTUJPO JG birth control that falls under the then Affordable Care Act was legal. Gorsuch and the majority of the court ruled in favor of Hobby Lobby. NPR reported this as, “ruling for the CONTINUED FROM PG.
first time that certain for-profit corporations have protected religious rights�. *O :FMMPXCFBS W -BNQFSU (PSTVDI SVMFE JO GBWPS of an inmate using a sweat lodge to practice the Native American traditional religion in Wyoming. Gorsuch is one of the younger members at 49 and a graduate of Harvard Law. Gorsuch has overseen over 3,000 cases in his years at the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver, Colorado. Gorsuch’s views for the most part have yet to be tested with him never ruling on hot button issues directly like Roe v. Wade or the Second Amendment. After confirmed by the Senate on April 7th, Gorsuch was sworn in on the 10th. Some of the first cases that Gorsuch will rule on include issues such as church and state funds (Trinity Lutheran Church of Columbia, Inc. v. Pauley), speedy and fair trial issues (Weaver v. Massachusetts and Davila v. Davis), issues over citizenship (Maslenjak v. U.S.), and the allowable length of time for class-action lawsuits (California Public Employees’ Retirement System v. ANZ Securities, Inc)
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“Some research is pointing at that some students are more open with fellow students than they would be with faculty members or older people,� Dr. Pickens said. “They just feel kind of down. It’s a touchy subject.� A recent survey by WalletHub named Texas the 12th least financial literate state and it was last in adults, scoring 80 percent or higher on the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority’s (FINRA) Financial Literacy Test. It also placed Texans below average in the likelihood to compare credit cards before applying and above average in the likelihood of paying the minimum amount on credit cards. “In Texas right now, we’re not doing a great job in that regard,� Dr. Pickens said. “I can confirm those reports [of being low in overall personal financial literacy].� While one solid indicator of the financial literacy development cannot be singled out, there are many factors that contribute to it. It may be linked to the parents’ own financial literacy or the curriculum in middle school or high school, but recent state educational change may positively affect Texas students in the future. “We’re supposed to started training [for financial literacy] in 8th grade math class, and then we’re supposed to
One private practice counselor has this on his website: “The purpose of counseling is to help clients achieve their personal goals, and gain greater insight into their lives. One hopes that by the end of this process one will be more satisfied with his or her life. Counseling is NOT a process where the counselor tells the client what he or she should do or decides choices for the client to make. Rather it is an opportunity for the client to come to a greater understanding of the person that he or she is with the help of the counselor.� Many students arrive at a campus having lived with family members who have made all the important decisions for them up to that point in their lives. Some rely heavily on peers or a social support system to help them decide what choices to make or actions to take. In essence, students often arrive at the campus not fully knowing themselves or what they believe. They lack a connection to an internal value system that can help guide their decisions. Often times it is a challenging life situation that manifests as depression, anxiety, or some other symptoms that is the antecedent to seeking counseling. Good counseling takes into account cultural differences and the current developmental stage of the client, which for most traditional college students is the stage of forming one’s identity according to [Erik] Erikson. Going deep within to gain awareness of the cause of the pain, coupled with getting in touch with emotions and strengthening the ability to exercise emotional control goes a long way to developing an identity. Having someone tell you what to do may be taking away your opportunity to learn, grow, and become more self-actualized. As a counseling client, you deserve the following that are adapted from GoodTherapy: t :PV BSF OPU B TZNQUPN PS EJTPSEFS ZPV BSF B VOJRVF IVNBO CFJOH t :PV BSF FOUJUMFE UP B DPVOTFMPS XIP DBO QSPWJEF FNQBUIJD TVQQPSU t :PV TIPVME CF USFBUFE MJLF B DP UIFSBQJTU *U JT ZPVS MJGF BOE ZPV BSF the expert. t :PV EFTFSWF UIF IVNBO UP IVNBO DPOOFDUJPO XIJDI BMMPXT QFPQMF UP grow and change. t :PVS TFTTJPO TIPVME CF BCPVU ZPV BOE ZPVS FYQFSJFODF BOE OPU BCPVU the counselor. The Counseling Center is committed to providing counseling that empowers each client, encourages developmental growth, and gained personal insight, all while trusting the client to find the solution to a particular challenge already within themselves. The collaborative process of counseling is the journey to finding that solution.
PHOTO COURTESY/401(K) 2012 VIA FLICKR
go in and do a little personal financial literacy,â€? Dr. Pickens said. “I think what we’re going to start seeing moving forward is – now that the state of Texas SFRVJSFT UIBU QFSTPOBM ĂŤOBODJBM MJUFSBDZ class be offered at the high school level – that as we increase this knowledge that it’s going to get better.â€? When high school students reach the college level, certain financial avenues may be shut off because of a lack of credit, but as they age and garner borrowing credibility, credit card debt could become a problem in addition to student loan debt. However, more student loan debt may start to accrue more with graduate students as financial loans become more available to
PHOTO COURTESY/401(K) 2012 VIA FLICKR
them and can be combined with the possibility of having familial responsibilities, but this is not always the case. “I don’t think there is an exact profile in terms of [being the best or worst in financial literacy],� Dr. Pickens said. “But freshman, when they come into college and become older, they don’t have that foundation or understanding of costs associated with college, the decisions that you make and the repercussions later in your life. That’s my biggest fear for juniors and seniors.� Because of relatively poor financial literacy among students, this center is being proposed in hopes of improving students’ financial situation and bettering their chances of making appropriate choices down the road, and the coaches and the students they assists may benefit mutually. “What you do with this center is give this campus a resource, and you give the students an opportunity to sort of intern and to practice in coaching others about money,� Dr. Pickens said. “That’s the general idea of it, and I don’t think this is a ‘Will it happen?’ I think it is more of a ‘When will it happen?’� Though the center is currently in the proposal stage, Dr. Pickens estimates that it may take one to two years to be fully implemented. The WalletHub survey is available at http://bit. MZ $:3 E
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Tasty food & taekwondo
Korean night promises fun and refreshment
Gwiwon Jason Nam Staff Reporter The Korean Student Association (KSA) invites A&M–Commerce students to “Korean Culture Night,” an indoor celebration of culture, which includes food, games, and more on April 19 at 6 p.m. on the second floor of the Student Center. The Morris Recreation Center sponsors this event. “The event demonstrates Korean cultural activities and lets other students experience authentic cultures,” Korean Student Association Treasurer Seung-A Lucy Kim said. “We prepare some of the traditional cultural materials and recently issued
...Continued from page 1 member countries, all working to pass resolutions that work in “their country’s” favor. “Plato once described the practice of philosophy as serious play,” Dr. Jeffrey Herndon, head of the Department of Political Science, said at the opening assembly. “One of the things that always strikes me about academics [as in professors] is that sometimes they tend to be too serious all the time, and I’m a firm believer that when Plato talks about serious play, the idea is that you can do serious things but you can still have fun doing them.” This year, members of the A&MCommerce MAL team performed the roles of Egyptian and Yemeni delegates on six different councils: the Joint Defense Council, the Council on Palestinian Affairs, the Council on Political Affairs, the Council of Arab Social Affairs, the Council of Arab Economic Affairs, and the Special Council on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons. On each of these councils, the students represented the needs, concerns, interests and foreign policy objectives of a government other than their own. “We had to look at it from a nonWestern perspective,” Elsa Castro, a sophomore who acted as head Yemeni delegate, said. “When you research your country, you couldn’t go into it saying, ‘OK. Is the U.S. this country’s ally?’ because, although that might be important, they have a lot of other allies that are, honestly, a lot more important to them. So, just making sure that, as a U.S. citizen, my beliefs about democracy don’t carry into my policy, because the Yemeni government simply doesn’t hold a lot of those views, so I think one was taking away the Western influence.” Sophomore Brian Stephens, who served as head Egyptian delegate, also emphasized the importance of context when participating in a simulated multinational political organization. “In the case of the Special Council on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons, we [Egypt] have a very, very rough
ones, so we expect that we can provide a better understanding of Korea.” Kim said. For the event, KSA is tentatively planning to have a dessert table and giveaways for participants. They will be giving away bookmarks with Korean flag stickers on them and the name of each participant written in the Korean alphabet called Hangeul. They will also give away free pens and smartphone card wallets, as well as other items. They also plan to introduce students to Korean traditional activities. One of the activities they have planned is “breaking plastic roof tiles.” This game originally comes from the technique of a Korean traditional martial art, Tae-
kwondo. The technique, called breaking, is an action where a martial artist uses a striking surface to break one or more objects using the skills honed in their art form. Participants will compete with the number of plastic roof tiles broken. “I do feel that kinship, because most people only know about K-pop and drama and not much else so exposing them to the culture excites me, and I like eating the food,” Korean American, Julie Kim said, whose family emigrated from Korea to the States when she was 5-years-old. “I’d like to learn more about the culture through the events cause even as a Korean. I’d like to know more,” Kim
record with refugees and IDPs,” Stephens said. “We wanted to make sure that, while staying in character, you had to play the country very intricately. While you have allies that you work with, they’re not gonna be your allies in every circumstance, and that was something we had to consider as we were preparing.” That attention to context and commitment to representing the nations of Egypt and Yemen as faithfully as they could paid off when four A&M-Commerce students, John Frick, Ingrid Alcocer, Brian Stephens and Elsa Castro, were recognized as Distinguished Delegates. In addition to those accolades, Michael Faz and Roberto Vargas (who served as chairpersons on the Councils on Political Affairs and Joint Defense, respectively) both received recognition as Outstanding Chairs. The advisor for the organization on campus, Dr. David Oualaalou, attributed the team’s success to the weekly mock debates they held and “preparing teams to learn rather than win—to learn about a new culture and operate in an interconnected world.” Castro echoed a lot of Dr. Oualaalou’s sentiments, but reflected on what the experience means to her. “Growth is not measured in the amount of resolutions we pass, but in growth of the individual students,” Castro said. “My heart behind this is coming from just a real burden for my generation. My generation doesn’t know what they believe and they don’t know why, and it’s a huge issue. I think that this conference allows them to be put in the shoes of someone else to further examine what they believe. It’s also just a way to hone their public speaking skills, which is such a basic thing that this generation desperately needs.” Stephens also had many kind words to say about the cultural eye-opening experience. “For me, this was probably the most enjoyable experience I’ve had in the university so far, as far as participating in an academic event,” Stephens said. “The only similarly exciting thing in my entire college life was, probably, getting to hear
Cornel West speak. But, as far as actually participating in something, this had been the most fun, most educational, most joyous experience I’ve had in the four semesters I’ve been here. I would encourage anybody even vaguely interested in international relations, to at least take a look at this class and see what it can offer to them.” Anyone interested in learning more about or how to participate in the Model Arab League can do so by visiting the political science office, located on the first floor of the Ferguson Social Sciences Building, or by contacting the head of the Department of Political Science Dr. Jeffrey Herndon at Jeffrey.Herndon@tamuc.edu or the advisor for Model Arab League, Dr. David Oualaalou at David. Oualaalou@tamuc.edu.
said. The International Student Scholars & Services office said that Korean events have usually been well known for their popularity and are some of the biggest international events on campus, so they expect to see many participations. “I really enjoyed seeing and learning the traditional games and meeting new people there from previous Korean events,” Senior student Keri Glenn said. “I’m looking forward to testing my Korean game skills this time.” Korean Student Association adviser, Dr. Kay Hong-Nam expressed her thought of this event. “The event offers traditional Korean fun games, activities, and food you can
enjoy. Bring your friends and family to Korean Night where you can experience Korean heritage and authentic culture,” she said. This event is their sixth annual festival for spreading Korean culture to the student body on campus since a huge Korean population has transferred here in 2012. Originally, it has been celebrated at the Morris Recreation Center. In this year, however, Rec Center is in the remodeling process, so it has been decided to have an event at the Student Center.
PHOTO COURTESY/ DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE Michael Faz shares a smile with a member of the Council on Political Affairs (top) while Elsa Castro listen’s to a fellow delegate’s thoughts on a resolution being discussed by the Special Council on Refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (bottom).
Features Handing over the reins
A PRIL 13, 2017
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SGA president reflects on his term in office Todd Kleiboer Web Editor Since his start in the Student Government Association (SGA), outgoing president William Horton has seen two university presidents lead the university, two SGA presidents, and many problems that needed correcting, and with his term expiring in August, he looked back on his experiences. “During my junior year, I felt like there was a different way that SGA could go and that it needed a different kind of leader,” Horton said. “I think it requires a certain kind of leader who’s willing to be forward and honest and doesn’t kowtow to the administration just because of who they are.” Horton’s interest in government and student representation stemmed from a highly active high school life during which he participated in several organizations, and that deep interest never faded as he entered this university. “One [high school organization] in particular during my senior year was a student advisory committee that biweekly with our principal, and we did all sorts of different things from updating the student handbook to better ref lect the trends of our students to moving graduation,” Horton recounted. “When I got to college, it was at Orientation at the Student Organization Showcase that the then-Senate Chair Kent Houston was at the table. He and I struck up a conversation, and he got me interested in SGA.” Horton had run for president before his unopposed election last year,
but he had lost to Jackson Dailey, his predecessor, the year before that. Ironically, when Horton first arrived as a freshman to Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, he had no desire to serve as president. “I wanted to be Senate Chair,” Horton said. “I was really interested in Robert’s Rules and the way the meetings proceeded.” During his four years in SGA, Horton has seen the student awareness of the organization rise, a particular development that he is proud of, and the increased membership in SGA (though it has not hit the cap of 30 members) is evidence of this. “Our current membership numbers ref lect that [increasing awareness]. We will be closing out the year with the highest number of senators that we’ve ever had at the end of the year,” Horton pointed out. “Post-election, we have the highest number of senators who have ever ran in elections. We’re looking really strong going into Fall of 2017.” Within his one-year service of President, Horton is proud of creating an environment that sparked a higher amount of programs hosted by student committees, and he and Dr. Tomás Aguirre, the Dean of Students, have worked on the transparency of the allocation of the student services fee fund. “Another thing I’m really proud this year is the amount of discourse that we’ve had with our elected officials, especially Representative Dan Flynn and State Senator Bob Hall,”
Horton added. “We’ve done a great job of stressing the concerns of this university to elected officials.” Even with an good track record, there are still concerns to be addressed by SGA that Horton either could not or was not able to. A main concern is the student representation of different academic colleges, or at times the lack of, and this imbalance may lead to a focus on only a few issues. “We do get to that point where we could have five or six Political Science majors on the senate,” Horton said. “Or maybe eight or nine people from Honors College, and so the representation is really skewed and not as accurate as the student body would like it to be.” For new SGA President-Elect Caleb Farris, Horton has given him advice to delegate certain tasks to the Executive Board, and delegation avoids a work overload as a student and employee that may struggle to find a balance. “As President, my leadership has been more ‘I’m going to do as much as I can’. That works great for other people; for some people, it doesn’t work out well at all. I feel like I’ve managed it alright,” Horton said. “Delegation is crucial because there does come a point where as President, you simply have too much going on.” For the student body in general, Horton stresses the need to relax and to take breaks from classwork, but he also advises to not relax so much as to procrastinate or be behind in the class curriculum. “I see a lot of people who are always
Horton conferences with his team during last spring’s debate between the Campus Republicans and the College Democrats.
studying, they’re always working, and other than five or six hours for sleep, they don’t take any time for themselves,” Horton said. “By that same
TA MUC P HOTO
token, don’t have so much fun that you’re not on task. Students are here to get a degree, the number one reason that any of us are here.”
‘The Spirit of Radio’
Local DJ shares his eclectic musical tastes over the airwaves Jasmine Baker Social Media Specialist
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A&M-Commerce is chock-full of diversity. With that diversity often comes amazing talent and bright minds. One of those bright minds is Vamsi Kalakuntla, an international student working towards a master’s degree in computer science. When he’s not hitting the books hard, he’s hitting the turntables as DJ VK. “I play everything on my show, from country to Bollywood to deep house and R&B,” VK said. VK has had the rare opportunity of playing high-energy, electronic dance music as a student. He loves getting his audience in the right mood as they prepare for their weekend. “Everyone will be in that mood to kick off their weekend on a high note,” VK said. “That’s the kind of music
which can inspire people and make sure that they enjoy that night and start their weekend on a very fresh basis.” In India, he used to host events as an MC before becoming a DJ and worked under a music director. Before he started his own multi-genre two-hour radio show, he created mash ups for Lions After Dark for Techno Thursday. He hopes to continue DJing once he’s finished with his degree. “I always dreamed of performing on a very huge stage and performing in front of a crowd,” VK said. Two weeks ago, on April 1 (and it no April Fools’ joke, here), DJ VK not only lived a bit of that dream at 2017’s Commerce Idol competition, but got second place. Vamsi Kalakuntla hosts “Friday Nights with DJ VK,” on KETR 88.9, 9-11 PM.
Left: DJ VK (aka Vamsi Kalakuntla) spins some jams at a live remote for radio station KETR at a pre-football game tailgate. The 2017 Commerce Idol runner-up hosts his own show on 88.9, 9-11 p.m. P HOTO C OURTE SY /VA MSI K A L A K U N T L A
Faculty Senate: A voice for self-advocacy Christian Aleman News Editor The faculty senate of Texas A&M University-Commerce acts as a liaison between the faculty and the president. This group of professors has been consulted for the approval of faculty positions in addition to brainstorming ways to help the faculty and staff. “In general, the faculty senate is made up of people who generally care about the university, care about students, and care about what’s going on, but that’s true of the faculty in general at this place,” Faculty Senate President, Chad King, said. “We always want to be given the opportunity to provide input on things and so that’s what we’re constantly looking for.” In the past, the faculty senate has been consulted during the process of selecting official administrators at A&M-Commerce. “This year we were part of the process that considered the conversion of the provost from interim to full,” King said. “Even before that, when the president arrived this fall, it was at an interim basis, we were one of the groups that Vice Chancellor Hallmark [Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs
of the Texas A&M University System] from the system met with to discuss our feelings about converting President Keck to full president.” One of the recent developments the faculty senate has played a part in has been in the development of review system where faculty members would review those in positions above them. This bottom-up review would be similar to the review that faculty go through from higher-ups. “We’re currently working on a proposal, and I’m chairing this, to develop a system by which faculty can essentially review our bosses,” King said. “There’s always this conversation about 360 degree reviews: that everything should be reviewed. We think this would be beneficial both in terms of allowing faculty the opportunity to anonymously say what they think about their boss, or their dean, or the president, or the provost. It could be a very useful means of getting feedback…” King said he would like to have the review ready for the fall semester of 2018, but anticipates that it will likely take longer than that to be implemented. “It doesn’t have to be antagonistic
or hostile, it can be very, very constructive and so we’re working on the instruments to use; sort of a questionnaire and doing the logistics of how to administer it and expenses,” King said. In addition to developing ideas for programs as they see fit, the faculty senate also has committees that tend to regular business throughout the year. “We do annual faculty awards ceremony where we solicit nominations from the faculty,” King said. “We have a standing committee of the senate that goes through the applications. They’re in the process of reviewing the applications and collecting information and the awards ceremony is in April at a luncheon.” Another committee the faculty senate has reviews academic requests from professors, deans, or departments that look at and approve, requests to change something in a course or a degree requirement for a program. “Another ongoing thing we do every year is that we’re part of the curriculum change process,” King said. “We’re in there somewhere, but we have a committee that has to process all the changes. It’s every year to
Dr. Larry Lemanski being recognized at this year’s Faculty Senate Awards luncheon for his research in regenerative medicine
change description, title, language in the description, drop requirements, and add things…” The faculty senate has the ability to propose resolutions as they see fit, but it doesn’t happen often at all, accord-
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ing to King. “We don’t really have a lot of debate because we don’t form a lot of resolutions,” King said. “It’s more of a consideration and then we go back to the president…”
Entertainment
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T2 trainspotting keeps on original track The East Texan’s movie reviewer, Manuel Ramirez, gives his thoughts on T2 Trainstopping, and why it stays true to the original, it’s characters and the plot.
Manuel Ramirez Staff Reporter In 1996, fresh off his debut film Shallow Grave, director Danny Boyle followed with Trainspotting, a black comedy that centered on a group of misfits swimming in the pleasures of sex and drugs in the streets of Edinburgh, Scotland. There was Renton (Ewan McGregor), the protagonist and straight man of the group, the aloof and conniving Sick Boy (Jonny Lee Miller), the naive but lovable Spud (Ewen Bremner), and the violent and hot-tempered Begbie (Robert Carlyle). It became an instant classic launching the careers of Ewan McGregor who would star in Big Fish, Moulin Rouge, the Star Wars pre-
quels and, the first role Kelly Macdonald who would be in Boardwalk Empire, No Country for Old Men, and the titular role in Pixar’s Brave. It also cemented Danny Boyle’s status as a filmmaker and to direct films like Millions, 127 Hours and Slumdog Millionaire (the latter winning seven Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Director). When Irvine Welsh (author of the book the movie was based on) published a sequel that didn’t live up to the original, talks began of giving the film adaptation a similar follow-up. I was skeptical of the idea, fearing that it would ruin the movie’s spectacular ending. Without going into full details Renton makes a choice that changes the course of the group’s friendship for better and worse. It ends ambiguously leaving the audience to decide if Renton will stay true with his decision. With the same crew and original cast back on board, does T2 Trainspotting join the ranks of sequels eagerly long awaited or result in an unnecessary letdown? Set 20 years after the events of the first film, Renton returns to his hometown of Edinburgh for the first time. Much has changed as it usually does over time but among the things that haven’t are his old friends. Spud continues to be a drug addict, Sick Boy (or Simon as he’s now called) handles a blackmailing service with his new girlfriend Veronica (Anjela Nedyalkova) and Begbie is still an unstable sociopath who has recently broken out of prison. History repeats itself as they cross paths with one another and relive the days of the previous film. Back when they were sprinting
down the streets, hanging out at night clubs, getting high on heroin, getting laid with the ladies, and obtaining cash by whatever means necessary. Nostalgia has been the biggest trend in recent entertainment fare from sequels of our childhood (Finding Dory, Jurassic World, The Force Awakens), reboots/remakes (Beauty & the Beast, Power Rangers, Ghostbusters) or having it set as the tone (La La Land and Stranger Things). T2 does fall into this category but, much like Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris, the nostalgia is addressed and plays a pivotal part in the story. The guys are enjoying themselves, but once reality kicks in does the fun end? They might have gotten away many things in their younger days but at their current age, not anymore. The consequences are graver and their families (what’s left of them) are the ones who suffer the most. Like the first film, Boyle meticulously mixes the film’s dark and unpleasant moments with the right amount of humor and emotion, all accompanied by the same maniacal energy that made the first film great. The soundtrack is catchy as ever with plenty of comedic scenes particularly one involving Renton and Simon in a protestant pub. Like any good sequel the character and story elements are further explored in ways that the previous film never addressed. The returning cast is excellent in reprising their roles, even after 20 years they are recognizable and stay true to their personalities. True, they continue to be a reprehensible bunch including Renton on more than one occasion, but aren’t without their moments of empathy, especially Spud who continues to be the sympathetic member of the group. There is a part of me that is disappointed that the ambiguity of the original is ruined but T2 Trainspottting surprisingly exceeded my expectations. It has more to say on both its subject matter and recurring themes from pleasure, nostalgia, consequence, and regret amidst the madness and chaos of life, eloquently captured in Iggy Pop’s “Lust for Life” played in both films. It succeeds as both a modern update and solid continuation to a great movie.
A PRIL 13, 2017
Alcohol, Sex and Advertising News editor, Christian Aleman, talks about how he feels about Mad Men, particularly the scandalous life of Donald Draper. Christian Aleman News Editor The AMC television show Mad Men takes a look into the advertising world of the 1960s with Donald Draper, played by John Hamm, as the man to beat in competitive, ever-changing Manhattan. When Draper isn’t making moves in the boardroom, he’s making moves in the bedroom. He doesn’t play by anyone’s rules and he’s the ad world’s trailblazer with Peggy Olsen (Elisabeth Moss), Pete Campbell (Vincent Kartheiser) and others helping along the way. With seven seasons of the award-winning television show, each one goes by like a chapter in a book as it is evident that time has
certainly progressed between each season. However, this kind of book appears to get increasingly muddled as Hamm’s character is explored and his aspirations jump from one end of the spectrum to the other. For example, at home, life is first portrayed in the form of a happy family with a wife, two children and a hardworking father that provides for their every need. Yet while at work, Draper is a different man; he’s one that goes out for extended lunches where he meets various women with whom he has extramarital relations on what appears to be a near-daily basis. As the episodes and seasons progress, his wife Betty (January Jones) catches wind of the second life her husband is living and turns the household atmosphere upside-down. Betty kicks Don out of the house for an extended period of time during which Don spends time with his mistresses but eventually goes back to Betty and his kids. However, Betty comes to find another man, someone who promises he can take care of her and the children. As a result, the two separate and go their different ways. This is just one example of the innumerable dystopian events and themes that the 1960s drama touches on during its seven season run. Mad Men provides a lens through which the alpha male’s world is viewed, although it might be concentrating on the scandalous possibilities that might not have always been reality. Besides the personal matters, the show also gives a glimpse into the development of the advertising field as a profession as Sterling Cooper, a small ad agency, develops and expands. The AMC show has won several Golden Globe awards, including Best Television Series – Drama and over a dozen Primetime Emmy Awards.
Bust back into Prison Break on Tuesdays East Texan staff reporter breaks the viewers and readers in on Fox’s Prison Break, a series about a couple of bad blood brothers who break in and out of prison. Thomas Kent Staff Reporter With Prison Break making a triumphant return to Fox after an eight-year hiatus, some may need a refresher or even some incentive to binge watch seasons one through four on Netflix. Prison Break originally ran from 2005-2009 and some of it was filmed locally in McKinney, TX. Those familiar with downtown McKinney may notice the town square or cemetery used in some episodes of season two. The series follows Michael Scofield, played by Wentworth Miller, a structural engineer put in prison on purpose to break his brother Lincoln Burrows out, who was framed for murder. Burrows, played by Dominic Purcell, is more of a brute compared to his genius brother but both would give their lives to protect each other and their family. Through the first four seasons the brothers along with other inmates from Fox River Penitentiary, break out of
prison, go on the run, some wind up in another prison in Panama, and eventually, those that remain alive, come full circle and are forced to work for “The Company,” who was responsible for framing Burrows in the first place.
Personally, the original run slipped past me but like many other shows, Netflix has corrected that mistake. Prison Break keeps the viewer guessing at all times and
Moge’s Movies The Fate of the Furious
the writers have no hesitation killing off an important character to keep things interesting. Or do they? Without spoiling anything for those that still need to catch up, some characters that are presumed dead show their faces again and a few have even made it to the reboot that aired Tuesday, April 4. It tends to move slow at times but each big event in the show is worth the wait. While most shows have to come up with new bad guys, Prison Break can transform any character to a teammate of the brothers or an enemy. One tip I have for any reader that may go back to catch up before watching the new episodes, don’t trust anybody. Overall, I give the first four seasons of Prison Break an 8/10. The show is great but it did start a little slow and seemed a bit low budget in the beginning. The comeback likely won’t have that issue and I for one, can’t wait to follow Scofield and Burrows on their continued journey, breaking in and out of various prisons and secure facilities.
...CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Davidson markets her book by word of mouth, social media, and connections. Hard copies of “A Daughter’s Curse” are being sold for $10.99 and a kindle version for $2.99, both on Amazon.com. She is currently in the works of writing a sequel that will relate more to adult issues. Traveling out of Texas for the first time, she will be having her first book signing in Canada, Sept. 22-29. Keep up with her book signings and speaking events at cjdavidsonofficial. com.
Entertanment editor’s choice movies to see this weekend.
Tommy’s Honour
Smurfs: The Lost Village
Action/Adventure
Drama
Animation
Dwayne Johnson, Jason Statham
Ophelia Lovibond, Sam Neill
Demi Lovato, Rainn Wilson
The elite force will crisscross the globe to stop an anarchist
Tom and Tommy, Scotland’s Golf Royalty, were touched by drama and tragedy
Smurfette and the gang slip off into the enchanted forest and find something cool.
A PRIL 13, 2017
PAGE 7
finalscore
hotshot
5-0
.338
The Cameron Aggies beat Eastern New Mexico in an offensive domination, and two homeruns during the game broke their record of homeruns in a season, making the count 43.
The Angelo State baseball program’s batting average across the entire season, leading the Lone Star Conference.
Outdoor Track and Field
Softball
Five athletes claim LSC honors of the week
Team Angelo State West Texas A&M Cameron Texas Woman’s Tarleton State A&M-Commerce A&M-Kingsville East. New Mexico Midwestern State UT-Permian Basin West. New Mexico
Conf. Overall 18-3 41-4 17-4 32-6 16-4 28-11 12-8 24-15 13-11 29-17 11-10 26-15 8-11 19-21 10-14 18-30 8-16 17-23 5-16 8-31 0-21 1-37
Individual Leaders Batting Average
Player
AVG
Nicole Nordie (TWU)
.480
Shea Ibrahim (WT)
.467
Megan Gordon (ASU)
.444
Allie Smith (WT)
.439
V. Schnoonard-S. (AM-K)
.435
Earned Run Average
went on to place sixth in the finals with another provisional time of 14.11 seconds. CO-MEN’S FIELD Nils Fischer, Angelo State University Fischer punched his ticket to the NCAA Division II Outdoor Track & Field Championships in the javelin. The freshman threw a Angelo State school record of 233-4 (71.13m) to place third in the ‘A’ section at Texas Relays. The competition featured some of the top competition in the nation from Division I and Division II. The throw was one inch further than Mike Smierciak’s record set
From LSC Reports Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track & Field athletes have recorded 13 NCAA Division II Automatic qualifying marks (4 men, 9 women) and 84 provisional efforts (36 men, 48 women). MEN’S TRACK Javier Lopez, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Lopez qualified to compete in the finals of the men’s 110-meter hurdles after timing out at a provisional 13.92 seconds in the preliminary round at the Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. Lopez
in 1988 of 233-3. Fischer is now the NCAA Division II leader in the event. Florian Obst, Texas A&M University-Commerce Obst scored 7,235 points in his first American collegiate decathlon at the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, setting this season’s top decathlon in all of Division II. He is one of three athletes in all of Division II to automatically qualify for the Division II Outdoor Championships in the decathlon. Obst scored over 800 points in three of the 10 events, setting or matching five of his personal bests
P l ay e r s of t h e We e k MEN’S: Harry Wetton, WNMU
Golf
WOMEN’S: Holly Winter, WT
Score Recap Softball: Italics denote winner of series/game 8-0
Finished 5th,
Cameron AT East. New Mexico (2-0)
12-3, 11-3
beat 7 national
Tarleton State AT Texas Woman’s
8-3
round
ranked golfers
A&M-Commerce AT West Texas A&M
8-2
at
at
Midwestern AT Angelo State
8-0
Mustang
WT Invitational
PITCHER: Marshall Kasowski, WT
3 RBIs
15 strikeouts
1.00
Brandy Marlett (ASU)
1.26
Kilee Halbert (WT)
1.41
Alexis Alfonso (WT)
2.32
Kinsie Hebler (A&M-C)
2.42
Double Plays Player
DPs
Erikka Burke (ENMU)
14
December Rivers (AM-C)
13
Kylee Moore (WT)
13
Susannah Chandler (ENMU) 12 Megan Durante (TSU)
Team Conf. Overall West Texas A&M 7-1 26-8 A&M-Kingsville 6-2 12-3 Angelo State 8-3 26-8 East. New Mexico 5-5 27-11 Cameron 4-6 23-14 Tarleton State 2-9 19-17 UT-Permian Basin 1-7 8-24
Individual Leaders Batting Average
15-7, 6-2
Player
AVG
Levi Zents (AM-K)
.456 .441
Tarleton State AT Texas Woman’s (2-0)
11-7, 4-1
Alex DaLaCruz (ENMU) Micah Kaaukai (CAM)
.412
Midwestern State AT Angelo State
6-2, 3-1
Nick Canas (WT)
.407
Cameron AT East. New Mexico
5-0
A&M-Commerce AT West. Texas A&M (2-0)
11-6, 8-7
Baseball: Italics denote winner of series/game
Jacob Boston (ASU) Player
ERA
Marshall Kawowski (WT)
1.63
Joshue Payne (WT)
2.14
Keenan Dodd (ENMU)
2.14
Seth Hubert (TAMUK)
2.37 2.47
held at .091
against
against
Cameron AT UT-Permian Basin
13-3
Nathan Hickey (TSU)
A&M-K
AK-FS
AK-Fort Smith AT West Texas A&M (DH)
5-1, 5-4
Player
A&M-Kingsville AT Angelo State
3-2
Tarleton State AT East. New Mexico
9-2
Softball
April 7th
April 8th
PITCHER: Haley Freeman, TSU
AK-Fort Smith AT West Texas A&M
11-4
2 homeruns
2 shutouts
Cameron AT UT-Permian Basin (DH)
7-4, 5-4
.900 average
1.62 ERA
Tarleton State AT East. New Mexico (2-0)
6-1, 7-6
A&M-Kingsville AT Angelo State (DH)
8-6, 7-6
against
against
Cameron
Angelo State
April 9th
&
&
A&M-Kingsville AT Angelo State
9-4
Houston Vic.
St. Edward’s
Cameron AT UT-Permian Basin
7-2
Tarleton State AT East. New Mexico
9-8
Men’s Track & Field April 13th-15th McMurry Open Lubb. Christian Mt. Sac Relays West Texas A&M Tarleton State East Texas Invitational Tarleton State A&M-Commerce
Women’s Track & Field Schedule
April 13th-15th McMurry Open Lubb. Christian Mt. Sac Relays West Texas A&M Midwestern State Tarleton State East Texas Invitational Tarleton State A&M-Commerce
Men’s Golf Schedule
April 24-25th Lone Star Conference Championship All LSC Member Schools
Women’s Golf Schedule
April 24-25th Lone Star Conference Championship All LSC Member Schools
.402
ERA
11 bases
HITTER: V. Schoonard-S., A&M-K
11
Schedule
April 13th West Texas AT Cameron WNMU AT A&M-Commerce (DH) Angelo State AT UT-PB ENMU AT A&M-Kngsville Texas Woman’s AT Midwestern April 14th Texas Woman’s AT Midwestern (DH) ENMU AT A&M-Kingsville (DH) West Texas AT Cameron (DH) WNMU AT A&M-Commerce (DH) Angelo State AT UT-PB (DH) April 18th ENMU AT O.K. Panhandle (DH) UT-PB AT Southwest (DH) Oklahoma City AT West Texas (DH) Tarleton AT Lubb. Christian (DH)
April 8th UT-Permian Basin AT West. New Mexico (2-0)
Baseball
Kenedy Urbany (ASU)
Baseball
UT-Permian Basin AT West. New Mexico
Tied lowest
HITTER: Tyler Coolbaugh, ASU
ERA
April 7th
Six-under-par,
Intercollegiate
Schedule
PHOTO COURTESY/L ONESTARCONFERENCE .ORG along the way. His score also Kaputin had a historic weekend ranks 10th nationally, regardless at the 90th Clyde Littlefield Texas of division. Relays for the nationally-ranked WOMEN’S TRACK Lady Buffs where she broke a Kaina Martinez, Texas A&M school record in the triple jump University-Kingsville and recorded two other top ten Martinez topped her nation- marks. The Papua New Guinea leading time in the women’s native finished ninth in Section 100-meter dash by running a A of the triple jump where she NCAA Division II automatic broke her own school record with qualifying time of 11.52 seconds a leap of 42-7 (12.98m). That is at the Clyde Littlefield Texas the top mark in the nation as WT Relays. This mark matches her has the top three athletes in that career-best as a Javelina and ranks event. She also finished ninth in first in Division II. the long jump with a mark of WOMEN’S FIELD 19-9.75 (6.04m) and 11th in the Rellie Kaputin, West Texas high jump (5-7/1.70m) to pick up A&M University two more provisional marks.
Player
Double Plays DPs
Jay Gonzales (ASU)
18
Jimmy Roche (AM-K)
17
Jonathan Soberanes (ASU)
16
Aaron Vallance (WT)
16
Alex De La Cruz (ENMU)
15
Schedule April 13th UT-PB AT Tarleton State West Texas AT Cameron ENMU AT A&M-Kingsville April 14th UT-PB AT Tarleton State (DH) West Texas AT Cameron (DH) ENMU AT A&M-Kingsville (DH) TAMU-I AT Angelo State (DH) April 15th ENMU AT A&M-Kingsville West Texas A&M AT Cameron TAMU-I AT Angelo State UT-PB AT Tarleton
Page 8
April 13, 2017
Sports
Game schedule Ap ri l 13 -14 : Sof tba ll at Comme rce a ga inst Wes te r n Ne w M e xic o (F r i d ay 4 p .m ., 6 p .m . / S atu rd ay 2 p .m ., 4 p . m .) Apr il 1 5 : M en’s and Wo m en ’s Tr ac k, Ea st Texa s I n v i t a t i o n a l a t C o m m e rc e
Softball
Track and Field
PHOTO COURTESY/LION ATHLETICS
T&F places second in David Noble Relays
Evan Luecke Staff Reporter
PHOTO COURTESY/ M ARCUS JENSEN
Junior Baylea Higgs recorded her 100th stolen base this past weekend.
Lady Buffs Sweep Lions Softball
Thomas Kent Staff Reporter The Lion softball team had a rough weekend as they dropped all three of their games against the ninth ranked team in the country, West Texas A&M. Game one on Friday night set the unfortunate tone for the weekend as the Lions fell to the Lady Buffs 8-2. The game wasn’t close once West Texas A&M broke the scoreless tie in the third inning where they scored four runs, half of which came on an Ashley Hardin home run. When the Lions finally scored their first run, it was unearned as Vanessa Avina came home on a throwing error making the score 4-1. After a pair of Lady Buff runs in the fifth, A&M-Commerce scored another unearned run on a Precious Thompson bunt, scoring Kayla Kilcrease. West Texas A&M immediately answered with another two-run homer from Shea Ibrahim.
Kinsie Hebler took the loss for the Lions, dropping her record to 8-2 to match the final score. Courtnee Jones returned from injury to start for the Lions in the first game on Saturday and pitched well through the first three innings. Her battery-mate Mariah Jameyson brought Hebler in from second on a two-out double in the first, giving A&M-Commerce their first lead of the weekend. After losing the lead in the bottom of the first, the Lions bounced back with a three-run second inning on four hits to move ahead 4-2. The Lady Buff bats came alive in the fourth where they scored nine runs on only five hits giving them an insurmountable 11-4 lead. Jones, who was given her third losing decision, faced four batters in the inning before giving way to Selena Rima. Rima allowed five of the fourth inning runs. Cherie Jackson ended the game on a strong note with a solo home run to center field in the sixth and an RBI
double in the seventh. Jackson went 2 for 4 at the plate in the first game of the double header as the Lions lost 11-6. Game three offered much more drama than the first two. Down 2-1 in the fourth inning, Hebler and Jameyson hit back-to-back home runs to go up 3-2. In the next inning, Hebler and Jameyson repeated their previous heroics with another pair of dingers to go up 6-2. Jordyn Sharp added what looked to be an insurance run at the time when she singled to left and then scored on a three-base error by Emilee Baker. Unfortunately for the Lions, West Texas A&M had just enough life left in them to rattle off six straight runs in the final two frames. Hebler started and was on the hook for the first seven runs, working her way into the seventh. She had one out recorded when she was pulled in favor of Jones. Up 7-6, Jones allowed a walk-off two-run home run to Ibrahim the first batter she faced. The
Lady Buffs completed the sweep of A&M-Commerce with an 8-7 final score. “It was a great experience for us,” Lion Head Coach Richie Bruister said. “Unfortunately, experience is what you get when you don’t get what you want and that’s what we got this weekend. I know it’s going to make our team better moving forward because a lot of our kids did perform in that environment.” Bruister and his Lions will look to bounce back against a struggling Western New Mexico team who will come into Commerce on Thursday with a 1-37 overall record. The fourgame series against the Mustangs will feature two double headers. Thursdays first game will begin at 4 p.m. and Fridays double header is set to start at 2 p.m. The A&M-Commerce campus closes at noon on Friday and Bruister hopes that students will attend the games to support their fellow classmates.
The men’s and women’s outdoor track and field teams both finished second at the David Noble Relays at Angelo State University. The Lions saw 10 NCAA Division II provisional marks that were better than previous marks this season. Alexandra Van Sickle set a new school record in the women’s shot put, throwing a far 15.18 meters being the first lady lion to throw over 15 meters in school history. Hailey Wanoreck set a new school record in the women’s hammer throw at 49.12 meters. The women’s 4x400 meter relay of Kamryn McKee, Verlencia Shaw, Ashley Bassett, and Joy Spann ran a qualifying mark of 3:46.96. Bassett also earned provisional in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 14.24 and 400 meters’ hurdles at 1:01.30. Jessica Clay improved her previous provisional mark with 4,582 points. On the men’s side, Devontae Steele jumped for 15.45 meters in the triple jump for a new provisional mark that puts him fourth in the nation. Gage Bowles’ long jump of 7.55 meters set him a new provisional mark, with Chase Graham hammer throw with 57.02 meters. Devon Sanders’ 100 meter dash time of 10.52 second is a new provisional qualifying mark and Robert Wood’s decathlon score of 6,252 points also puts him on the provisional list for nationals. The Lions host the East Texas Invitational this Saturday, April 15. “Hopefully the weather will be on point for fast times. We have had successful meets in the past hopefully we can have another one,” jumper Gage Bowles stated. “This will be a great meet, a lot of competition and fast times.”
Soccer
Reigning tenured coach signs multi year contract
After coaching here for 20 years, Coach Piper is still excited to work at A&M- Commerce Josh Manck Lion Athletics Director of Athletics Tim McMurray has announced a multi-year contract for head soccer coach Neil Piper, effective immediately. The longest tenured head coach on the A&M-Commerce staff, Piper has led the Lions since the 1998 season and has compiled an overall record of 226-12333. He has led the Lions to Lone Star Conference titles in six different seasons (regular season champions in 1999, 2003, 2014 and 2016 and tournament champions in 1999, 2004, 2014 and 2015). “When we talk about ‘Best in Class’, Neil Piper is at the front of that class,” McMurray said. “His dedication to our institution and our soccer program is unmatched. Frankly, this is overdue, as it is an honor to work with him, our talented young ladies, and (Senior Associate AD) Judy Sackfield to continue building on Lion Soccer’s rich tradition. Whether student-athlete skill development on the field, success in the classroom, service in
the community, or engaging our former student-athletes to return to campus, Neil checks all boxes successfully.” Piper has also guided the A&MCommerce soccer program to national prominence. The Lions have made eight NCAA Division II Tournament appearances under his direction – 1999, 2003, 2004, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016. The Lions advanced to the Elite Eight in 1999 and the Sweet Sixteen in 2008, 2014 and 2016. The team finished ranked 15th in the nation at the end of the 2016 season. “I can’t think of another place I would rather be,” Piper said. “I’ve coached here for 20 years and I get just as excited to come to work now as I did back then. Tim has put together a tremendous coaching staff and administration and this athletics program has never been in a better situation.” A two-time LSC Coach of the Year, Piper has coached 23 players who have earned a combined 38 First Team All-LSC honors, including LSC Offensive Players of the Year Erin de Wolfe (2003 and 2005),
Megan Lasley (2009), Savannah Grasser (2014) and Vicky Back (2016). Back was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2016 and Grasser was named Forward of the Year in 2016. In addition, under Piper, 23 players have been named All-Region with five garnering All-American honors (Tiffany Adams in 2004, Taylor Jordan and Megan Lasley in 2008, Savannah Grasser in 2014 and 2016, and Vicky Back in 2015 and 2016). In 2016, Back became the first player in A&M-Commerce history to be named a First Team All-American. She was named First Team All-American by Hero Sports, D2CCA and NSCAA. In addition, in 2016 Back and Grasser were the first two student-athletes in program history to be named NSCAA Scholar AllAmericans. “Coach Piper has directed the women’s soccer program positively in all facets,” said Senior Associate Athletics Director for Student-Athlete Success and Senior Woman Administrator Judy Sackfield. “His program continually sets the standard to match with their accomplishments on
the soccer field, but equally important are the accomplishments in the classroom. I am thrilled we are able to offer Coach Piper this contract, as he continues to set the bar higher and higher for his program”. Piper’s 226 career victories ranks him in the top 20 of active Division II head coaches for total wins while his .635 winning percentage also ranks among the nation’s top 30 active coaches with five years or more of Division II coaching experience. He has led the Lions to at least 10 victories in 13 seasons and has posted a winning record in 16 of his 19 seasons on the A&M-Commerce sideline. “I would like to thank President Keck, Tim McMurray, and Judy Sackfield for allowing me the opportunity to continue to be a part of this great university. I would also like to thank my former studentathletes who have given so much to this team and contributed to the success of the soccer program,” Piper added. Piper joined the A&M-Commerce soccer coaching staff as an assistant in 1997 under Mike Munch before taking over the reins of the program one year
later. A 1996 graduate of Wichita State University, with a bachelor’s degree in education, Piper went on to complete his master’s degree in Sports Administration in 1998 from WSU. Prior to transferring to WSU, Piper attended Penn State University and Friends University, playing soccer at both institutions. He was a member of the 1993 Penn State team, which became the first Nittany Lions athletic team to capture a Big Ten title. He also was named to the 1993 All-Big Ten First Team. During his stay at WSU, Piper was sports editor of the Wichita State Sunflower and was a correspondent for the Wichita Eagle. Born in Portsmouth, England, Piper is the son of Norman (former soccer professional in England and U.S.) and Cheryl Piper. He came to the United States in 1981 and became a U.S. citizen. He is married to the former Anne Cillessen and they have two children, Cole and Lauren.