April 12, 2018

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Op-Ed Versus: Gun control | Page 2 Model Arab League | Page 4 Veggietales songs ranked Page 6

Softball squares off with rival Page 8

Making residential decisions Upperclassmen face limited campus housing options Landon Williams Staff Reporter There are some shifts coming to the A&M – Commerce housing system starting in the fall. Upperclassmen will be designated to stay in West Halls, Smith Hall, Women’s Hall, or New Pride Apartments.

2018 high school graduates are able to stay in Pride Rock, Phase III, Whitley, as well as the other halls available to upperclassman.

2017 high school graduates are permitted to stay in Phase II as well as the halls listed for upperclassman. There is limited availability for 2017 high school graduates in other halls, but most space is reserved for 2018 high school graduates.

The major change happening is that Whitley will no longer be an option for upperclassmen to live in.

Honors College students will not be affected if they are living in Prairie Crossing. Prairie Crossing is still reserved for Honor’s College students and Regent Scholars with limited availability for graduate students.

With a waitlist for New Pride Apartments and unless an upperclassman qualifies to live in the Women’s Hall,

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most upperclassmen will have to stay in West Halls or Smith Hall. West Halls are considerably smaller than Smith and also encompass family housing. A large majority of upperclassmen will be required to live in Smith unless something changes in the future.

When asked about the policy change, multiple students communicated that they knew other people that were affected.

“Upperclassmen do need more housing available because plenty of my friends got kicked out of their rooms to make room for new students.”

Said Kathy Kim. “[I’m] uncertain about the future and kind of upset… all my friends live there [in Whitley].” Said Wyatt Bennett.

When asked about the reasoning behind Whitley shift to being a 2018 graduate dorm, the director of Residential Living and Learning, Michael Stark, was able to clarify a few things.

“For the past five years, oncampus occupancy has grown; and a majority of that growth is in the first-year and secondyear student populations due to the live-on requirement and overall recruitment initiatives.

SEE DORMS, PAGE 3

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The Prairie Crossing Apartments are currently home to several different groups of students including student athletes, but next academic year, it will host only a few.

So who can stay where next year?

Freshmen

Sophomores

Juniors

Seniors

Pride Rock Whitley Hall Phase III Phase II New Pride West Halls Smith Hall Women’s Hall

Phase II New Pride West Halls

New Pride West Halls Smith Hall Women’s Hall

New Pride West Halls Smith Hall Women’s Hall

Smith Hall Women’s Hall

Note: Students, such as Honors College members or Regent Scholars, are eligible to live in the graduate dorm Prairie Crossing, and the Women’s Hall requires students to qualify for its residence.

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OPINION

Ban on gun violence a heated topic today

Brianna Patt Staff Reporter

For as long as I can remember, gun violence has always been more of a numbing process than anything else. It isn’t because I’m a sadist, and it isn’t that I ignore these events; it’s exhaustion. Every time a mass shooting happens, thoughts and prayers are sent, and the public is given information about the shooters, and anti-gun control government officials say that in the wake of this tragedy, we shouldn’t talk about gun control. But, why not talk about the one thing that comes up time and time again unfortunately.

According to Gunviolencearchive.org, it keeps track of gun related incidents taking place every year. In the past four months of 2018, there have been 57 mass shootings, 430 unintentional shootings, and 655 teens (12-17) killed or

APRIL 12, 2018

Zach Cottam Senior Reporter

injured due to guns. A whole year hasn’t even gone by yet, and the number of shootings is rising at a mind boggling rate. People are behaving as if nothing can be done to prevent so many deaths is nauseating, something should be done so children no longer have to conduct drills for mass shootings as if it’s as common and unstoppable as an earthquake or a tornado.

Part of me would love to say that the Parkland shooting was the final straw for everyone, but with our president advocating for teachers to be allowed to carry weapons tells me that we are far from progress.

Not only that, but the common argument that taking away someone’s right to own a gun is the government overstepping its bounds, is infuriating. It similarly falls into the same category with someone using

racial slurs against a person of color and them defending it by saying that it’s their first amendment right.

Some things we do have a right to do whether all agree with it or not, but when Parkland, Columbine, and Sandy Hook are the results of someone’s “right.”

Maybe it should be restricted in some way.

When kids started bringing guns to school, metal detectors were installed; when 9/11 happened, airports improved security. But the one problem that no one feels comfortable offering up a solution for despite it being clear is mass shootings. Make it harder for the dangerous, mentally unstable to get guns; make it so that tests have to be passed and hoops have to be jumped through so that no one has to worry about their life being at risk at school.

“The right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

In a place where violence is around every corner regardless of race, ethnicity, creed, religion, gender, or sexual orientation, it’s important to remember the principles the United States of America was founded on: freedom of speech, freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, and several more.

Every town, a pro-gun control advocacy group listed 18 school shootings in 2018 alone, yet that number is misleadingly high. Out of these 18, two were suicides, three were accidental, ten led to no injuries, two were guns fired off-campus where bullets landed on campus, and one of them took place in the parking lot of a building that hadn’t been used as a school

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for over six months. Three of these resulted in a suspect purposely injuring another student totaling in 19 deaths, including the 17 reported deaths in Parkland, Florida.

19 is too high, but it isn’t the issue the media wants you to believe. And restricting access to guns wouldn’t change these numbers.

According to the Washington Post, 8 out of 10 perpetrators in gun crimes illegally possessed the gun used.

Relate gun control to the War on Drugs. Cocaine, heroin, and other hard drugs are illegal in all 50 states, yet it seems every week another person ends up on the news dead at the hands of one last shot. Illegalizing or restricting something doesn’t make it harder to obtain, it purely pushes its market underground and thus harder to regulate.

According to the Daily Wire, gun control in Washington, D.C. actually rose the homicide rate, from 188 annual deaths in 1976 to 454 in 1993. When the Supreme Court struck down the ban, the homicide rate has fallen to 88 per year.

Making it more difficult to get guns will push the market underground, resulting in an increase in illegally purchased firearms, and making it more of a process for law-abiding citizens to exercise their Second Amendment rights.

It’s hard to watch innocent children not come home from school one day, and I have no idea how their parents and loved ones feel. But enacting gun control laws will not fix the issue, and may in fact make the problem worse. We need to work on protecting the future of our country, not put them in more dangerous situations.

Why does marijuana still equal incarecation after legalization?

Joseph Miller Staff Reporter

Marijuana, weed, pot, Mary Jane, herb, cannabis, 420 blaze it, across the United States more and more states are decriminalizing marijuana and recognizing the medical benefits of marijuana use.

According to surveys, slightly over half of the population supports the legalization of marijuana, yet hundreds of thousands of people are arrested every year for marijuana law violations.

Why are so many people arrested an incarcerated every year for this plant and its extracts that over half of the populace approve of? The first answer is money. While this may not be the first and main reason for marijuana and anti-drug laws, it is a major driving factor.

America has the highest incarceration rate in the world. Lots of people in jail means you need more food to feed them, clothing, bedding, buildings, facilities, and staff and personnel to name but a few. More drug arrests mean more money for the police to better fight against drugs, the prisons get more money to house inmates, lawyers are making more money from drug cases in court, and so on.

More than $50 billion is spent annually on the “war on drugs.” With companies profiting so much off of drug arrests and incarcerations, the lobbyists for these companies and corporations fight hard to maintain strict drug laws to protect their profit flow.

The second, more powerful and real reason, is power and the marginalization of people.

Let’s be real, drug laws were initially enforced to disparage who are not white or fit the “norm.”

1870s anti-opium laws were directed at Chinese immigrants, anti-cocaine laws were aimed at black men in the South, and anti-marijuana laws were The East Texan, official student newspaper of Texas A&M University-Commerce, is published 6 times per semester during the Fall and Spring by students in reporting and editing classes. Content is solely the responsibility of the student editors and writers.

The comments and views expressed in The East Texan do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of other students, staff, faculty, administration, or the Board of Trustees. The East Texan is located inside the Journalism building on the east side of campus in room 113. Single copies are available in Journalism 113 for an additional 25 cents.

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directed towards Mexican Americans and Mexican migrants in the early 1900s.

This is still a trend today as Latino and black communities are heavily impacted, disproportionally so, by drug enforcement and sentencing. The use of drug enforcement to marginalize extends beyond race as well.

Drugs were synonymous with youth rebellion and social and political unrest in the 1960s.

President Nixon kicked off the “war on drugs,” by ramping up federal drug control agencies and instituting measures like mandatory minimum sentencing and no-knock warrants.

Nixon also placed marijuana in the highest restrictive category of drugs. A top Nixon aide later said that these measures were aimed to combat the anti-war movement and the black people. The goal was to link marijuana with hippies and heroin with black people, and through heavy criminalization, disrupt those communities.

Ronald Regan’s presidency also saw a giant leap in drug policies and incarcerations.

The scare of “crack” cocaine, which many believe was also used to further disrupt black communities, strengthened Regan’s drive for stricter measures against drugs.

653,249 people were arrested for marijuana law violations in 2016. 89% of those were arrests for possession only, and for small amounts. This seems a far cry from the drug lords and kingpins the “war on drugs” is supposedly looking for.

The decriminalization and legalization of marijuana seems to be on the horizon with states adopting more sensible laws towards marijuana, but it is apparent the war against drugs was a war against groups of people.

Cristhian herrera Senior Reporter

According to an opinion survey conducted by the Daily Mail, as many as one third of the UK’s population believe that aliens have contacted Earth. Of this population, 2 percent (1.26 million) allegedly claim to have seen or have been directly contacted by a UFO. Testimonial reports suggest that Men in Black (MIB) often appear after a person has witnessed a UFO. Their purpose: to silence or remove any eyewitnesses or evidence surrounding extraterrestrial visitations. Whether they are a branch of our own government, aliens themselves, or a complete fabrication remains unanswered.

It’s easy to miscategorize the fabled MIB with the 1997 film release starring Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones. But for the people who dedicate their lives to investigating the real-life occurrences of this menacing bunch, this is no laughing matter.

The late Jim Keith, author of “Casebook on the Men in Black” and best-selling conspiracy writer, researched and compiled various MIB details and stories from around the globe. According to Keith, MIB are typically recognized by key features including; unusually long fingers, deadwhite skin, and thin (almost non-existing) lips.

During a 1997 Coast to Coast AM interview, Keith recounts one of the most interesting MIB stories he’d come across.

In 1976, Dr. Herbert Hopkins, a UFO researcher who had been hypnotically regressing an alleged UFO abductee, was visited one day in Maine by a man wearing a tailored black suit.

“This man was bald, had pasty-white skin, and had no lips,” said Keith during the interview. “The lips seemed to have been painted on with lipstick. Oddly enough that is a detail that is repeated in other [MIB] stories where the facial features are simulated.”

The two men discussed Hopkins research

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and after some time the man informed Hopkins that there was a dime and penny in his pocket. He asked the doctor to show them to him. As Hopkins held the coin in the palm of his hand he noticed the penny began to change colors. First it changed from bronze to silver to blue and then it dematerialized.

Hopkins knew it was no illusion because “he felt the absence of the weight of the penny in his hand,” said Keith.

The man in black asked the doctor if he knew the cause of death of Barney Hill, a well-know UFO abductee. The doctor knew that Hill had died of a heart attack. The man in black explained to Hopkins that this was not the cause of death but rather that his heart met the same fate as the penny did.

“That was the last Hopkins was involved in UFO research,” said Keith. “He burned all his tapes and got rid of all his books.”

Researchers like Keith, who died from medical complications after receiving knee surgery, and organizations such as National UFO Reporting Center (NUFORC) have scientifically conducted and collected research for decades. This information is reviewed and dissected by experts of various fields.

For instance, The Disclosure Project claims that over “500 government, military, and intelligence community witnesses testifying to their direct, personal, firsthand experience with UFOs, ETs, ET technology, and the cover-up that keeps this information secret.”

Perhaps part of the confusion that comes from studying UFOs has created imaginary spooks who are believed to be hunting researchers. Or maybe governments are truly covering up information and an unknown group has appointed themselves to police the truth. But for those who believe what they’ve experienced, this is no satire movie for them.

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NEWS Greek Week unites organizations

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APRIL 12, 2018

Order of Omega, Office of Fraternity & Sorority Life host events to build, demonstrate unity, cooperation to campus community

photo courtesy

Christian Aleman Co-Editor The A&M-Commerce Greek community recently came together to participate in Greek Week during the last week of March as organizations worked in groups and participated in events to gather the most points to

see who could win by the end of the week.

The events were aimed at getting the organizations to collaborate and get individuals from different councils and organizations to interact with one another.

“Putting everyone in different organizations and having us intermingle

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really helped us know about other organizations that we wouldn’t have contacted if we wouldn’t have been in that team,” Ingrid Alcocer, member of Sigma Lambda Alpha, said.

On top of building inter-chapter relationships, fraternities and sororities involved hoped to show that Greek life is more than what movies

and news outlets show.

“There are a lot of myths with Greek life and there’s a negative connotation to being Greek or being in a sorority or in a fraternity,” Alcocer said. “So I feel like when the campus sees that we’re working together, you know, regardless of what organization we’re in and we’re working towards a common goal and that really shows that we can come together and leave our differences aside.”

Greek Week was planned by the Order of Omega and the Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life. The week coincided with the Easter, so it was shortened a day to accommodate the holiday since the university closed on March 27.

“We looked primarily at what we did last year and how to build upon it and continue the spirit of Greek unity while also having to shorten it a day because of the Easter holiday this weekend and people going home,” Kylie Pickens, vice president of the

Order of Omega, said.

Events throughout the week included a social media competition on which team banner could get the most “Likes,” a Greek alumni panel, a unity stroll, and canned food drive.

“In addition to the unity aspect, it’s us portraying ourselves to people who may not be Greek and for them to see that as Greeks unite as one, the characteristics we all share,” Pickens said.

Team Wolverine took home the title of Greek Week Champions. The team included Kappa Delta, Kappa Sigma, Kappa Alpha Psi, Zeta Phi Beta, and Sigma Lambda Alpha. Team Wolverine also won a number of other awards including best banner and most participation at the Greek panel.

“We all agreed that we wanted to win and we had a common goal,” Alcocer said. “We all worked towards it and we felt accomplished with ourselves and we’re really happy with the results.”

Campus clinic doesn’t accept Medicaid, works with university community to provide medical care Brianna Patt Staff Reporter Because the Student Health Services clinic cannot accept Medicaid or Medicare, some A&M-Commerce community members may have to look off-campus for treatment.

“Medicaid requires a PCP (primary care physician) and most of them (students) already have one when they come here and they don’t want to change,” medical coder Stacy Crumpton said. “Dr. Tom Selvaggi is our medical director, and he has an office on Live Oak Street. They do accept Medicaid there, but they (students) would have to change their PCP.” It may take a few days for a switch of primary care physicians to go through,

but in the end students will be able to be seen and receive whatever care they need. The health services understand this and work with the students on campus who face this problem.

Four health insurance policies are accepted by the clinic currently: the Student Health Insurance provided by the university, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, United HealthCare, and Aetna Health Insurance.

“Most of the students do have the four insurances that we accept here; so a lot of them don’t have the Medicaid,” Crumpton said. “And we do work with the students if they need to pay a little bit here, a little bit there; we work with them. We’re here for them.”

For students who do feel that receiving Medicaid may interfere with

the free student health services offered, there is the option of going to a different clinic off-campus.

To do this, students need to switch over their primary care physician to the medical director Dr. Selvaggi on Live Oak Street. If students feel that whatever ailment they have is bad enough that they need to be seen right away, it is advised to head over to Student Health Services anyway.

“If they come in here and there sick, we’re going to do whatever” Crumpton said. “We’re going to take care of them.

If they come in here for STD testing; things like that have to be paid upfront because we have to use an outside lab to do that. But, if they come in here sick or running a flu or fever, we’re going to see them.”

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University restructures student housing continued from pg.

1

As residence halls have been built, others have been demolished, and the actual housing stock has increased minimally.” Said Stark.

Stark also touched on how the growth of the university plays a significant part in how residential decisions are made.

“Growth of the University most certainly plays a roll in the development of an occupancy strategy. Also, as we continue to get closer to 100% occupancy, our strategy will need to become more photo courtesy

targeted to University goals and objectives. Institutional growth is both positive and challenging, and our situation is similar to many other campuses.” Said Stark.

According to the department of Residential Living and Learning, the decision to make Whitley driven towards 2018 high school graduates comes from a place of evaluation and growth. Stark also stated that there is always a possibility that Whitley might revert to accept upperclassmen, but that it will continue to be a first year building with the current plan.

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CAMPUS Ceremony lets students University hosts leave their mark on Model Arab League new nursing and health sciences building for seventh year

APRIL 12, 2018

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Program brings colleges together to solve real-life issues of the Middle East

east texan photo | todd kleiboer Students had the opportunity to sign a beam that will be used as part of the new Nursing and Health Sciences Building.

Joseph Miller Staff Reporter

photo courtesy

Cristhian Herrera Senior Reporter The Model Arab League (MAL), established in 1983, is similar to the widely recognized Model United Nations but focuses on the 22-member states that make up the League of Arab States. This annual student leadership development program, has been hosted by Texas A&MCommerce for the past seven years and was held last week on April 4-7.

12 colleges were involved in representing the best interests of their assigned member states from the Arab League. A&M-Commerce expressed the concerns and foreign policy objectives of both Sudan and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Most of the students involved were political science majors. The art of communicating, drafting, and passing resolutions found a platform to express itself via MAL. However, not all students arrive with these

skills. The organization plays a part in fostering and developing them.

“Prior to this class, I was introverted, and I’ve never been comfortable speaking up,” Lisa Panelli, a sophomore and political science major who served as a delegate for the UAE, said “[Here] you’re forced to interact with other people, come up with solutions together, and speak out about things you’re passionate about. So, it’s helped me be more open and communicate and that’s super beneficial to me.”

Students from different backgrounds also had the opportunity to share the culture of their homeland and understand the diplomatic balance of the US. Abdulziz Harvey, a junior from Missouri Southern State University, returned to MAL for the second time and now better comprehends the relationship between the US and his home country of Saudi Arabia.

“Since most people choose to stay

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within the confines of their birthplace they rarely receive the opportunity to experience the lifestyle, intricacies, and tribulations of people from the Middle East,” Harvey said.

This regional academic competition offers students a hands-on approach that would otherwise be taught via reading material or viewing films and videos.

“We’re providing future leaders the experience of being in the shoes of — and having to deal with — someone they might never understand or be able to deal with effectively otherwise,” MAL Program Coordinator, Megan Geissler said. “The beneficiaries are America and the world’s coming generation of diplomats, other international relations specialists, business representatives, and educators as well as humanitarians, peace and justice activists, armed services personnel, and future conflict preventers as well as resolvers.”

A ceremony will take place to commemorate a milestone for the construction of the Nursing and Health Sciences Building April 12.

“It’s going good, it’s going quick,” Director of Safety and Risk Management. Derek Preas said.

Visible progress is being made on the new nursing building at A&M Commerce as the building’s final height will soon be reached, the cause for the ceremony.

An I-beam was painted and placed for people to come and place their signature on the beam April 9-11.

On April 12, a closed ceremony of invitees, dignitaries, and a state representative will watch the beam be hoisted to its resting place adorned

east texan photo

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Kaitlyn Shahankary, junior, and Matthew Gonzalez, graduate student, pose for a picture after they sign the beam.

Barbara Frey: Things Like This

Gathering #7

Professor of Ceramics Barabara Frey shows off her latest ceramic creations at the University Gallery. east texan photos

Offering #7

with flags, signatures, and a tree.

“There will be a tree, a small evergreen tree, that is raised with the beam,” Preas said. “Once the ceremony is done the tree will come down and be planted on campus.”

Every tree on the A&M Commerce campus is numbered and Preas said that once the nursing building receives its three-digit official state building number, the tree will have that same number as its identification number.

“So as that tree grows, so do the services that the building provides,” Preas said.

The Nursing and Health Sciences Building is still on-schedule for a December opening despite inclement weather. Construction began in last spring.

Part Way

APRIL 12, 2018

PAGE 5

FEATURES

A&M-Commerce wins Calculus Bowl for first time in three years Ismael Isak Special Contributor

Two A&M-Commerce student teams dominated by clinching first and second place at the Calculus Bowl during the annual meeting of the Texas branch of the Mathematical Association of America April 4-7 in Dallas.

This is the first time TAMUC has won the Calculus Bowl in a few years, beating out 24 other Universities, and their last victory came in 2015, a culmination of many weeks of training for the ten students, sponsor Dr. Mehmet Celik, and coaches Dr. Charles Dorsett, Rebecca Steward, and Adam Bowden.

“It was fun to watch especially because I was aware of the hours of practice which really paid off,” Steward said. “People would not think a math competition is exciting but it really was.”

The first place team was made up of Spencer Raney, Zach Auringer, Ismael Isak, Lauren Melcher, Jennifer

Melendez and the second place team was made up of Rebecca Guzman, William Young, Issac Lash, Nick Arsenault, and Micalyn Rowe.

Questions tested teams of five over trigonometric functions, derivatives, and antiderivatives points are given based on the speed of the correct answer: three for the first, two for the second, one for the all the others.

Points were deducted for incorrect answers, and none was given for now answering at all.

“Some of the questions involved differentiating trigonometric functions such as, cos(9π)^30, with 5 answers to choose from,” Isak said.

“The correct answer would be 0, because it is a constant, which is difficult when you are under pressure to answer within 3 seconds. It took a lot of practice from our teams to be fast and confident with our answers.”

During the preliminary round, one team immediately maintained pole position to qualify for the final round while the other lagged behind, but towards the end, the second team man-

Rosenberg makes it through one year as head men’s basketball coach

Photo Courtesy | Lion Athletics Jaret von Rosenberg, head men’s basketball coach for the A&M-Commerce.

Zach Cottam Senior Staff Reporter One year after being hired as the head men’s basketball coach for the A&M-Commerce Lions, Jaret von Rosenberg (Coach Rose) talked about this past season and what he looks forward to this upcoming year.

Coach Rose was an assistant coach at A&M-Commerce in 2014 and 2015 before leaving for the University of Hartford, his alma mater. When he came back to Commerce, “a lot of things were familiar,” and that “knowing a lot of people in the community and university made it a lot simpler to get things done.”

In acknowledgment of the football team’s national championship and the softball team’s No. 6 ranking, Coach Rose also complimented the staff and other coaches he works with.

“Coming into a school with nationally recognized and ranked teams showed that outside of coaches, the staff here puts a lot care and resources into athletics,” he said.

The Lions finished the season at 22-9 and 12-6 in Lone Star Conference play, losing in the second round of the NCAA South Central Championship tournament to West Texas A&M. The Lions faced the Buffaloes four times last season, going 1-3.

“Their ability to score at a high rate gave us problems,” Coach Rose responded when asked what gave

the Lions the most problems against WTAMU. “We usually try to keep teams in the 60s, and twice our offense scored enough, but we fell at a buzzer beater.”

The Lions were dominant at home last year, finishing 10-1 in Commerce.

Coach Rose attributed this success to “a pride in playing a game where you practice. Our guys didn’t want to let anyone come in and win in our home.”

The Lions outscored opponents 878757 at home in 2017, their only loss coming against Cameron.

In their most successful season in 13 years, the Lions won a NCAA Tournament game, beating Fort Lewis 78-62.

The Lions run was unexpected, and Coach Rose’s answer was simple when asked how it came to be.

“Collective effort,” he said. “Even though we had two all-conference players, it was an eight-man rotation, and all eight showed up and stayed healthy.”

Coach Rose can’t wait for November, when the Lions will take the court again in their first regular season game.

This will be Coach Rose’s second season as head coach and the perfect opportunity to put another A&MCommerce sports team in national contention.

“It makes me hungrier than ever to build a program and build success,” Coach Rose said “We have to continue to improve on both sides of the ball and not be satisfied.

aged to qualify for the final round as ten other teams were cut.

“The atmosphere was very positive and friendly. It was a bit stressful because we put had so much effort preparing for the competition,” Melcher, who is also Math Club President, said. “I came into this competition ready to have fun no matter the result, but earning first place was a bonus.”

The team that lagged in the prelims shot ahead in the final round and opened up a 15-point lead. The team decided to skip the last four questions because no other team could close the gap.

The other team fell out of the top three with a few wrong answers in the beginning but grabbed second place in the last four questions.

“In terms of performance I would say that in my team every person managed to contribute with their strong points on different questions,” Lash said. “Overall everyone definitely gave their all.”

The other team fell out of the top three with a few wrong answers in the

Photo Courtesy | Ismael Isak From the top row left to right: William Young, MAA official, Dr. Mehmet Celik, Zach Auringer, Ismael Isak, Lauren Melcher, Spencer Raney, Jennifer Melendez. The bottom row left to right: Micalyn Rowe, Nick Arsenault, Rebecca Guzman, and Zach Lash.

beginning but grabbed second place in the last four questions.

“In terms of performance I would say that in my team every person

managed to contribute with their strong points on different questions,” Lash said. “Overall everyone definitely gave their all.”

Kevin Haynes welcomed as keynote presenter for “Mental Health Matters Day” Savannah Smith Staff Reporter

On Monday April 2, A&M-Commerce celebrated its first annual Mental Health Matters Day. In honor of this day, author Kevin Hines was invited to share the story of his struggle with mental wellness with students, faculty, and community members.

Hines was introduced by Christina Williams, president of the newlyfounded Active Lions mental health awareness student organization. He is one of thirty-six people to have survived jumping from the Golden Gate Bridge, and one of only five to have regained full mobility. He now actively works for suicide prevention by writing, speaking, and producing a film about his experience.

Hines began his presentation with a moment of silence for all individuals who have lost their lives through suicide. He emphasized his opinion that the victims of suicide should never be blamed and that their friends and family should never feel guilty. He encouraged the listeners to celebrate the lives of those whom they have lost, stating that “the only way to grieve a suicide properly is together.”

“Don’t learn the hard way like I did, and don’t silence your pain,” Hines said He then asked the audience to verbally join him in repeating the words “My thoughts do not have to become

Photo Courtesy | Facebook Kevin Haynes arrives to A&M-Commerce to share his story.

my actions.”

He explained that mental suffering is often equally as severe as physical injuries, and that it should never be dismissed. Hines said that the psychological pain he experienced as a young adult was even more painful than hitting the San Francisco Bay at 75 miles per hour.

The speaker described in detail the most significant moments of his life: from birth in a motel room, to adoption, to attempted suicide, to recovery.

Hines used his animated voice and comedic nature to lighten the mood, all while describing the most strenuous moments of his life. He told the audience that when he began experiencing

psychiatric issues he did not share his feelings because he was afraid of being ostracized or called “crazy.” He expressed his belief that every person has a responsibility to try his or her best to listen to and understand other people.

In concluding the presentation, Hines called for the lights to be turned on and instructed everyone in the auditorium to stand. All of the attendees then joined him in shouting his favorite affirmation, “Be here tomorrow!”

Following the presentation, attendees were invited to take a complementary signed copy of Hines’ book Cracked, Not Broken, as well as given the chance to meet him personally.

New Dean of Students takes lead Things to know Name: Thomas Newsom, Ph.D Prior Experience: Served as president most recently at Mesalands Community College Education: Master’s in Higher Ed. from A&M-Commerce, Ph.D in Higher Ed. from University of North Texas Interesting Fact: Owned a weekly newspaper located in Little Elm, Texas for three years

photo courtesy

Dr. Thomas Newsom began his position as Dean of Students April 9.

| newschannel10.com

PAGE 6

ENTERTAINMENT

Veggietales Christian songs ranked

The Spot to Be Spencer James Nelson Staff Reporter Bars in Commerce seem to have a typical theme; they feel like home for students, locals, and alumni. The Spot exemplifies that for the city and campus of Commerce Texas.

Opening on July 15th, 2006, The Spot has grown to be a hub for the locals and the students of Texas A&M University- Commerce. The original owner, Deryck Gorman, sold the bar to long-time bartender and general manager, Alycia Woolsey, in August.

“Deryck got a job offer that took him out of the country and me and him are really good friends,” Said Woolsey. “I was running the bar for a while we were doing the dual country thing. It just seemed easier for me to buy it and run it from one.”

Woolsey is a part of the TAMUC family and has known people from the surrounding area. As the current owner, she has been the general manager for three years but has worked at The Spot for a total of six.

“But since I love this place and obviously I’m not going anywhere and since I’ve been here half of its life, it just seemed like the right thing to do,” said Woolsey, remarking upon the purchase of the bar.

With the feeling of home, The Spot also offers a deal every day of the week. Mondays are Beer Nights, offering $3.25 beers for all brands.

Tuesday nights are Tea Tuesdays with $4 Long Islands.

C o l l e g e nights have $2 double wells on Wednesday nights and Karaoke on Thursdays and Fridays are $3 Margaritas with different flavors.

Finally, Sundays have two for one shots.

The Spot will also usually pair up with Greek life and sporting events to help promote their business.

They have sponsored themselves at basketball games and Meet the Stars when the football team was doing a meet and greet after their national championship.

All Greek conferences have hosted something there. The National PanHellenic Council (NPHC), Interfraternity Council (IFC), and the Multicultural Greek Council (MGC) have used the building. Parties are hosted there and the management have no problem with catering to the events that the fraternities wish to host.

Landon Williams Staff Reporter

Whether from Sunday school or Saturday morning cartoons, everyone knows what “Veggietales” is.

This show is iconic and part of a lot of people’s childhood. While the episodes are mostly religious in nature, many of the songs are not. They are just humorous, fun, and worth revisiting. Here are the top 5 Veggietales songs ever made.

photo courtesy

| the spot via google

In between events, the alumni of the university keep coming back and building relations with the owners and staff.

“You come in here a couple of times, we get to know you and you’re stuck with us,” said Woolsey.

Overall The Spot is an institution of its own and a place that students can call home, make memories, and meet new people.

“It’s somewhere you get to know people around you and it is somewhere you end up being comfortable no matter who you are,” said Woolsey.

Summer Blockbusters You Can’t Miss

Avengers: Infinity War (April 27)

5. His Cheeseburger “Was there ever a more tragic love than of this Romeo and” …. his cheeseburger? This song speaks of timeless emotions and a heartfelt story that will leave you hungry for more. Cheeseburgers are always dependable and won’t leave you for spending Saturday with the boys.

It’s great to have music permeate pop-culture that speaks to all food lovers and to finally proclaim that cheeseburgers and love go hand in hand.

double whammy of a climax makes the catchy melodies and relatable lyrics cemented into the most amazing ballad about a hairbrush ever written.

2. I Love My Lips Self-love should be taught from an early age. What “I Love My Lips” does is introduce this concept and show that people should be passionate about who they are. In this song, Larry the Cucumber is back, but this time he’s talking with a therapist about how much he loves his lips.

He swoons at the thought of his lips leaving him and reminisces about when he almost lost them in a gate.

This story touches on learning about other cultures as well and teaches the viewers how to say “lips” in Polish.

4. Endangered Love Just when you’re convinced that cheeseburg-

Solo: A Star Wars Story (May 25)

Deadpool II (May 18)

Ocean’s Eight (June 8)

Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (June 22) Sicario 2: Soldado (June 29)

APRIL 12, 2018

ers are the epitome of platonic companionship, this song proves you wrong.

It’s about unrequited love between a cucumber and a manatee named Barbara. Barbara is from an undersea soap opera with drama that rivals that of The Little Mermaid. Barbara’s current man can’t dance and her only dream is for someone to take her to the ball. Larry the Cucumber sings of his undying love and ability to dance, promising to give Barbara the night out she deserves. This heart wrenching song is beautiful and truly a masterpiece in a world of second class love stories.

3. The Hairbrush Song This song is possibly the most relatable song ever to be created. Everyone has a hairbrush and everyone has lost their hairbrush. Moreover, that lost hairbrush is usually found in the possession of a roommate or sibling that shouldn’t be using it to begin with. That’s what this song is about. It’s about Larry the Cucumber’s desperate search for his beloved hairbrush, not only to discover that a peach has commandeered it, but also that Larry doesn’t have any hair. This

The underlying theme of love yourself and love other people is subtly given in a fun and humorous way. It’s unique and it surely will make your lips smile.

1. The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything “The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything” is the peak of “Veggietales” musical endeavors. It’s the only song ever to have its own feature film and quite possibly the most irrational work of art ever made. A group of swashbuckling scallywags take turns singing about how they have never done anything at all. Some of the things they haven’t done include bathed in yogurt, walked the plank, or been to Boston in the Fall. They haven’t been anywhere or done anything noteworthy. That’s what makes it amazing. A vast majority of people in real life haven’t been anywhere or done anything groundbreaking either. It’s comforting, funny, and enjoyable to watch in-between the nothingness of each Netflix marathon. The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything is a family that everyone is a part of, unless you’ve been to Boston in the Fall.

PAGE 7

APRIL 12, 2018

finalscore

hotshot

This Angelo State softball win came as little consolation as the then top-ranked team lost a series to Tarleton State

A&M-Commerce softball player Mariah Jameyson’s batting average over 37 games which leads the conference

8-0

.546

From LSC Reports April 4, 2018 Lone Star Conference Outdoor Track and Field athletes have recorded 16 NCAA Division II Automatic qualifying marks (12 men, four women) and 76 provisional efforts (43 men, 33 women).

The 2018 LSC Outdoor Track and Field Championships will be held at Angelo State University in San Angelo, Texas on May 3-4-5.

CO-MEN’S TRACK Marcus Parker, ENMU Parker registered a seventhplace finish in the 100m dash with a season-best time of 10.17 at the Home Depot Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays.

The time currently leads the NCAA Division II by 0.15, and automatically qualified him to compete in the NCAA Championships. Parker was the lone Division II competitor to reach the event’s finals.

Rashard Clark, A&M-C

The Lion men’s 4x400m relay team of Jude Christine, D’Lance Sharp, Dedrian WIndham, and Rashard Clark set the nation’s fastest time by nearly three seconds with an automatic qualifying and school record time of 3:07.91 at the 91st Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays built by the Home Depot. A&M-Commerce is one of only four Division II schools to go under 3:08 in this event during the regular season in the last nine years.

Javier Lopez, A&M-K Lopez collected his first automatic qualifying mark over the weekend at the prestigious 91st Home Depot Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays after clocking a 13.57 in the 110-meter hurdles to finish second in the event. With his time, Lopez currently sits atop the Division-II leaderboard as the fastest 110 hurdler and he came within .01 of matching his own school record. Lopez was also a member of the Javelina 4x100 meter relay team that finished in 23rd with an NCAA

provisional time of 40.99.

CO-MEN’S FIELD Florian Obst, A&M-C Obst completed the Home Depot Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays decathlon with 7,681 points, which is the fourth-best mark in all divisions of college track this season, a new A&MCommerce school record, and an automatic qualifying mark. This is the highest mark in Division II this year by 583 points. He placed fourth in the event, with all four of the nation’s top marks in all divisions coming in the same meet. Obst’s score is less than 100 points outside the Division II all-time top 10, which has only had one addition since 1999. Based on available documentation, this is the best score in Division II since the 2006 National Championship.

He was the top finisher in the prestigious field in the shot put with a toss of 14.86 meters (489), was second in the discus throw at 45.34 meters (148-9), and third in the javelin throw at 56.92 meters (186-9).

Golfing duo earn conference awards

Richard Cervantes, A&M-K Cervantes set two school records over the weekend at the Home Depot Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays, both of which were automatic qualifying marks. The junior started his weekend with a toss of 192-8 (58.73m) in the discus to place fourth in the event behind two professional throwers and the top-ranked Division-I thrower in the nation for his first automatic mark and school record. Cervantes followed up with a third-place finish in the shot put with a hurl of 61-9.50 (18.83m) for his second AQ and school record of the weekend.

Both of his throws are currently tops in NCAA Division II. WOMEN’S TRACK Kami Norton, Angelo State Norton ran the third fastest time in Division II in the 400-meter hurdles at the Home Depot Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays. The senior clocked a provisional time of 1:00.47, which is the fastest time in the LSC.

CO-WOMEN’S FIELD Daisy Osakue, Angelo State Osakue auto qualified for the NCAA Division II national championships and recorded the best discus mark in Division II this season. The sophomores mark measured 180-4 (54.96m) placed fourth at the Home Depot Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays and she was the top Division II thrower in the event.

Osakue also had a provisional throw of 47-3 (14.40m) in the shot put and ranks No. 12 in Division II.

Fatim Affessi, West Texas Affessi started off the outdoor season in style as she claimed the long jump title at the historic 91st Home Depot Clyde Littlefield Texas Relays with an automatic qualifying mark of 20-9.25 (6.33m). In her second attempt of the afternoon, she claimed the best mark in DII. Affessi also competed in the 4x100m Relay with Kennedy Hudson, Nele Heinrich and Valda Kabia as WT finished 14th in the prelims with a time of 46.34.

Midwestern takes tennis

PlayersMarch of22,the Week 2018

Men’s Golf

Women’s Golf

Men’s Golf Vasudev Vijayaraman Midwestern

Women’s Golf Bianca Duff Midwestern

photo courtesy

From LSC Reports April 5, 2018

Pedro De La Vega WNMU

Kaylin Milholland West Texas photo courtesy

From LSC Reports April 5, 2018 GOLFERS OF THE WEEK MEN’S Pedro De La Vega, WNMU De La Vega shattered his previous low marks on the season at the Mustang Intercollegiate at Palm Valley Golf Club in Goodyear, Ariz., as he carded rounds of 67-68-73 for a 208 total to tie for eighth. His first two rounds bested his previous low score of 70 on the year.

During the final round, De La Vega had a birdie on hole nine and compiled 15 pars. He was near the top of the field on par fours with a 3.90 scoring aver-

| respective lsc member websites

age, and led the team in par-five scoring (4.42) and birdies (13). WNMU as a team placed sixth out of 20 teams with an 848. This is also his second top-10 result of the year after tying for fifth at the St. Mary’s Invitational.

WOMEN’S Kaylin Milholland, West Texas Milholland paced the Lady Buffs and helped bring the team back from third to tie for first at the WT Desert Invitational. She carded rounds of 73 and 75 for a 148 score to finish third and earn all-tournament honors. Milholland and the No. 19 Lady Buffs defeated eightranked teams and tied one (St. Mary’s) for the title.

Good work, student athletes!

Seven earn track and field honors

The 2018 LSC Men’s and Women’s Tennis Championship will be held at the HEB Tennis Center in Corpus Christi, Texas on April 20-21.

TENNIS PLAYERS OF THE WEEK MEN’S Vasudev Vijayaraman, Midwestern Vijayaraman led the Mustangs to a 3-0 record on the road last week, taking down St. Edward’s (6-3), Arkansas-Fort Smith (9-0) and 31stranked Southeastern Oklahoma State (5-1). Playing the No. 1 flight, the Chennai, India, native knocked off three nationally ranked opponents to climb into the Oracle/ITA top-10 in singles. Vijayaraman downed SEU’s 23rd-ranked Chase Bartlett, 6-4, 6-0 before besting UAFS’ 59th-ranked Daniel Borrero, 6-2, 6-0. Rounding out the weekend, the senior recorded his best win of the year, defeating SEOSU’s 12th-ranked Carlos Anez, 6-3, 6-1. He and partner Denney

| respective lsc member websites

Norrie went 2-1 in doubles at the No. 2 flight.

WOMEN’S Bianca Duff, Midwestern

Duff led the Mustangs to four wins last week, going 4-0 in both singles and doubles playing the No. 2 line. MSU picked up road wins against 20th-ranked St. Edward’s (5-4), Arkansas-Fort Smith (8-1), Southeastern Oklahoma State (5-0) and Tarleton State (7-2). In doubles, Duff and partner Greta Lazzarotto improved to 15-0 overall at the No. 2 flight and helping MSU to a doubles sweep for the eighth-straight match. In singles, the native Australian clinched the team victories against St. Edward’s and Arkansas-Fort Smith. Duff began her week with a 6-1, 6-2 win against Laura Galvan (SEU) before a 6-4, 6-3 win against Lindsey Pearce (UAFS).

The sophomore continued her strong play with a decisive 6-0, 6-2 decision over Luisa Auffarth (SEOSU) and capped her perfect stretch with a 6-2, 6-3 victory against Neetika Sud (TSU).

SPORTS

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APRIL 12, 2018

Game Schedule

April 13 & 14: Softball at Western New Mexico April 14: Track and Field hosts East Texas Invitational April 23 & 24: Golf at Lone Star Conference Championships (Abilene) Softball

Offensive setback leads to series loss BJ Laudermilk Sports Editor The No. 6 A&MCommerce Lions softball team suffered a setback in their most recent series, dropping two out of three to No. 13 West Texas A&M, highlighted by the program’s third ever no-hitter.

Game one was all Lions, as freshman pitcher Emily Otto shut down the Lady Buffs in a 6-0 win. Otto allowed no hits, and only four runners to reach base in the Lions’ first ever seven-inning no-hitter.

With the win, the Lions set a new program record with 16 consecutive victories, Otto picking up her 13th win of the season. The Lions had plenty of hits offensively, as Mariah Jameyson and Kayla Kilcrease each had three hits in the game. Baylea Higgs had two hits, including a three-run double that gave the Lions the lead.

In game two, the Lady Buffs would respond in dominant fashion, evening the series with an 8-2 win. West Texas hit three homeruns in the contest, the Lions unable to drive in runs when they had opportunities, as they left eight runners on base. Kinsie Hebler suffered her first loss of the season, moving to 3-1, as the Lions were unable to come back from the two runs she allowed early in the game.

The rubber match of the series went the Lady Buffs way as well, as the Lions were shut down offensively in a 5-2 loss.

The Lions only collected two hits in the game, but were able to draw five walks, their woes continuing with runners on, as they left eight more runners on base. Otto suffered the tough loss, as she only allowed four hits in the game, but the Lady Buffs had two homeruns that proved to be too much for the Lions to overcome.

The Lions record moved to 32-5 with the two losses, and 17-4 in the Lone Star Conference. The Lions are on the road April 13 and 14 as they take on Western New Mexico in Silver City, N.M. The Mustangs are 4-35 on the season and 2-19 in conference play, but have played well throughout their entire conference slate. The Lions then welcome Angelo State to Commerce for a three-game series to finish off their home regular season schedule April 20 and 21. The Rambelles are 33-6 on the season, and the two teams may be squaring off in a first-place battle as the teams are currently tied with the same conference mark. The Lions then finish the regular season April 27 and 28 with a three-game series in Denton at Texas Woman’s before they travel to the top seed in the LSC for the conference tournament. east texan photo

Mariah Jameyson (4) had three of her four hits in game one of the Lions’ series with West Texas A&M.

Column

| drew ivery

Golf

Laudermilk looks back Women earn tourney win, men third in initial regional rankings on time in Commerce BJ Laudermilk Sports Editor When I arrived in Commerce in the fall of 2015, I knew what I wanted to do, but I never could have imagined the opportunities that would come before me before I prepared to exit the highway of college life here in the spring of 2018.

In the past three years, I’ve seen a time of excellence for the athletics program here at A&MCommerce. I was not here in 2012 to see “the dark days” for Lions football, but head coach Colby Carthel has brought back the winning tradition to campus, first by winning three straight Lone Star Conference championships, and capped off just four months ago with the second national championship in school history.

It’s not just the football team that has seen a renaissance of sorts. We have all witnessed winning seasons for every team on campus in the past three years. The right coaches are in place, and the talent recruited keeps getting better and better.

The men’s basketball team has made back-to-back NCAA postseason appearances, and this past season, first-year head coach Jaret von Rosenberg led the Lions to a 22-9 mark, and the school’s first postseason victory in 13 years.

The women’s basketball team has been on the rise as well, as Jason Burton finished his fourth season with a third straight winning campaign. The team took a step back this season after going 20-9 last year by going 18-12, but led the LSC with a 10-1 record halfway through the season, and look to rebound in a big way next season.

The volleyball team has built upon a 15-14 record in the fall of 2015, and after finishing just short of the postseason in 2016, the Lions finished second in the conference last season and reached their first postseason in 20 years, finishing 21-12. The soccer team has also seen success in recent years, making appearances in the postseason back-to-back years in 2015 and 2016, and claiming two conference championships.

The team was successful last season, and the youth of the team will help them towards another postseason run.

Even the softball team, starting the spring before I arrived, has seen a tremendous run in the past three seasons, making an NCAA appearance in 2016, and having their first ever national ranking this season, climbing up into the top ten as high as No. 6 with a record of 32-5 and 17-4 in conference play with three weeks remaining in the regular season.

My first athletic event was the 2015 football game against Delta State, and the atmosphere of that game, a top-25 showdown in primetime, was what got me hooked into covering sports at the university. My first column for the newspaper, unfortunately never used, covered the targeting rule in football, and how it had been used to sideline two key players for the Lion defense in a 2015 Lone Star Conference Playoff game. From there, I was on my way up, spending all of last year as a reporter covering primarily basketball and softball for The East Texan, and being consistent helped me to earn the position as sports editor this year. What a year for sports it has been so far, with almost all of our sports earning national attention

and rankings, and culminating with a huge present of a national championship.

As I get ready to end my time as sports editor, I want to thank those that have made this possible for me. I’d like to thank my fantastic co-editors-in-chief Christian Aleman and Todd Kleiboer for helping in getting me confirmed as the sports editor at the end of last year. I’d like to thank those that have written for me this year, and helped me improve my skills as an editor, and they include staff reporters Ricky Moser, Dareious Scott, Tyler McDonough and senior reporter Zach Cottam. I’d like to thank newspaper advisor Fred Stewart, as without him, none of what you read would be possible.

He has been a great boss to work for, as well as an invaluable source to network with towards the future. I’d also like to thank the athletic department for allowing me as many opportunities as I have had in the past three years, including being along for the ride with the softball team this season as a broadcaster.

And to you, Lions fans and those that enjoy the back page, thank you for reading our athletics coverage all year long, as we try to continue the journalistic excellence that has always been on display here in Commerce. My goal as sports editor this year was to have our reporters write every story that appeared on this page, and with just a couple exceptions, that goal was accomplished.

I’ll conclude by saying that the sports programs at Lion U are on the rise, and I will not be surprised to see more national coverage and championships in other sports here in Commerce.

Go Lions!

Tyler McDonough Staff Reporter

The A&M-Commerce Lions golf programs were in action in the past week as they looked to improve their regional ranking down the final stretch of the season.

The No. 23 men’s golf team competed in the Dallas Baptist University Patriot Classic at Hackberry Country Club in Irving, TX. The Lions finished 5th in the 14-team field and defeated Midwestern State, who was the only other Lone Conference School in the tournament field.

Wilfredo Sanchez led the way for the Lions with a runner-up performance, firing a 2 over par total with rounds of 73, 73, and 72.

Blake Hartford played a solid first two rounds shooting 75-70 for the first day. In

the third round, Hartford struggled, but gutted out an 80 in the windy conditions.

Lucas McCubbin who has led the Lions for most of the year struggled in round one shooing an 8 over, but bounced back with rounds of 74-72 in the final two rounds. Freshman Zach Burch rounded out the scores that counted for the Lions with rounds of 78-74-82.

While the men were in the DFW Metroplex, the women’s golf team was busy taking down everybody in the Henderson State University Spring Invitational, the win marking only the second win in school history.

The Lions shot 608 (303-305, +32) to win the tournament over ArkansasFort Smith. Both rounds shot by the Lions rank in the top five for them as a team this season.

The Lions were led by freshman Paige-Lee Garris who fired rounds of 73-77 (+6) to finish fifth in the field.

Lauren Leslie and Makena Thomas both shot nine over par totals to tie for tenth place in the tournament. Sophie Charlott-Hempel 22nd with a 157 total (76-81), while Lexi Bubenchik shot a career low 76 in the second round.

The Lions look to take their momentum into the Lone Star Conference Championships April 23-24 at Diamondback Golf Club in Abilene. The Lion women will need a strong performance at the conference championship to improve their regional ranking, while the men were ranked third in their initial rankings, setting themselves up in good shape for the Super Regional Tournament at the beginning of May.

photo courtesy | lion athletics Lauren Leslie had the lowest score (75) in the second round of the Lions tournament win.