The Special Fall 2015
Texas A&M University-Commerce
The Special is an online magazine produced by journalism students at Texas A&M University-Commerce. Content and production are the responsibilities of the students. The Special is produced during the fall and spring semesters. Contact: The Special, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Box 4104, Commerce, Texas 75428. Staff: Hannah Clark, Kelly Fulton, Angelle Simon, Diana Vasquez, Imogene Wofford, Travis Hairgrove Faculty Adviser: Fred Stewart (Fred.Stewart@tamuc.edu)
Inside this issue The Special (Fall 2015)
Food, culture among the challenges By Hannah Clark
KETR serves Commerce By Kelly Fulton
Dia de los Muertos comes to university By Travis Hairgrove
Making the move from metropolitan areas ByAngel Simon
International students get a boost By Diana Vasquez
Students bring their culture from home By Imogene Wofford
Food, culture among the challenges face By Hannah Clark
On campus, students
from India account for at least
five percent of the student body and face many challenges of
integrating into the Texas A&M
University-Commerce students’ lifestyle.
One the most challenging
area of adjusting is food.
“We eat a lot of spices and
homemade food but here, we
don’t have as many spices and we have to get used to eating out,” Ahmed said.
This was a general
consensus among many of
said it was difficult to find
“We can’t always explain what we
the Indian students who also substitutes for the food they
were used to eating and it was an intimidating experience trying to accommodate all the new foods.
“If you can travel, do it”
Communication is also an
item of challenge and concern, even something as simple and talking to other students.
“It isn’t intimidating, but
it’s hard to explain,” Haji said.
are trying to say because of the difference of cultures.”
Other students agreed
that the language difference is
not the only boundary but it is a
definite boundary when it comes to defining culture.
“My family, culture and
holidays are what I miss most,” Asha said.
She added that the biggest
challenge for her, so far, has been
ed by A&M-C international students the separation from her family
to her and told stories of their
students is often defined by
time traveling to a new country
the holidays they once celebrated
although the journey has been
and roots because this is her first and she is a little frightened. Other students came
homesickness and longing for back home.
Home for the international
senses, culture and family but
long, most of the Indian students will say “if you can travel do it.�
KETR serves Commerce, NE Texas On-campus radio station also provides learning opportunities for RTV majors By Kelly Fulton In 1872, merchants
William Jernigan and Josiah
Jackson started a trading post in the heart of the Texas Blackland Prairies which grew into a
town named Commerce for it’s
thriving economy, cotton fields,
Jerrod Knight (right) interviews university president Dan Jones during recent on-campus activities.
and ideal ranch lands.
In 1894, the town was
forever changed when William Mayo chose Commerce as the home for East Texas Normal
College, today known as Texas A&M University – Commerce. For more than 100
years, the City of Commerce and A&M-Commerce have shared a symbiotic relationship where
higher education meets simple
living which some students have difficulty adjusting to and may grow to resent the small town with “nothing to do.”
However, thanks to
the involvement of student
organizations and initiatives
by the university, bridges have been built between the A&M-
Commerce community, the city and the region.
One of those bridges is
KETR, the university-operated radio station, dedicated to
serving a 100,000 watt listening area.
“Our mission is to serve
the North East Texas region and
the A&M-Commerce community which obviously, that includes the City of Commerce,” Jerrod
Knight, general manager of KETR, said.
KETR not only provides
public radio service for the
northeast Texas region, but
learning opportunities for radio/ television majors.
“We broadcast football
games for the Commerce High School Tigers and football,
volleyball and basketball for the A&M-Commerce Lions,” Knight
said, “and RTV students assist
us with the broadcasts. This is
important because not only are
they learning valuable skills for
their future careers, but they’re
providing a service to the people of Commerce and northeast Texas.”
University president Dan
Jones utilizes KETR, hosting
a 30-minute program once a
month called “The President’s Perspective,” which serves as
a mini “state of the university” address.
“Dr. Jones respects the
radio station and recognizes our
potential to influence the city and school,” Knight said. o
Dia de los Muertos comes to university By Travis Hairgrove Colorful skull makeup and other skull-depicting artwork (calaveras) may be the most recognizable and visually striking tradition associated with Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) and do much to imbue the Mexican holiday with a sense of mystery, but the Office of Hispanic Enrollment and Retention invited students and staff to its own celebration, to help give the community a more nuanced understanding of the meaning behind the
festivities. “What we’re trying to do is help people understand what Dia de los Muertos is,” Assistant Dean Fred Fuentes said. “We don’t want people to be scared of it or think that it’s something demonic. It’s a way of remembering and honoring friends and family who have passed, that started with indigenous cultures long, long ago. Later, when the Spanish came and brought Christianity, they said, ‘Ya’ll can’t be doing this anymore, except on All Saints’ Day [and All
Souls’ Day],’ so it got mixed in with that.” Featured were an altar display on the second floor of the library for which, student organizations and staff offices were invited to build decorated altars as a tribute to deceased loved ones; and a fiesta at the amphitheater, which focused on the celebratory side of the holiday by offering free face painting, tacos and tamales, and lively, Spanish-language dance tunes. o
Making the move from metropolita
Students have settled into life in Commerce and have ma
By Angel Simon Trying to settle down and
get accustom to a small town like as Commerce when moving from a larger metropolitan area such
as Dallas, Houston, California, or
New Orleans offers its own set of challenges.
Each place has its own
unique culture so moving from
cultures in Commerce are similar to the culture she experienced in California.
“There is little difference
between the culture here and in California,” Brown said.
“The only difference is the
mannerisms. The way Texas
people are raised and it takes
me a lot to get use to the accents
and saying, yes ma’am, no ma’am, yes sir, no sir. In California we
don’t say that. We have societal
differences. One thing I do miss
about California is the variety of food I have to choose from.”
old senior from Humble and
a big city to a more rural area
with fewer people and less to do, requires adjustments.
Symone Brown, a 21-
year old graduate student
and a member of the Lions
women’s basketball team, is from California has lived in Commerce (estimated population 8,300) for three years, but this wasn’t her first small-town experience.
Brown attended Montana
State University in Bozeman, which she considers a small
town, even though its population is just under 40,000.
“The transition from
Montana to Commerce wasn’t
that big of a difference,” she said. There are multiple cultures in
Commerce as opposed to just a single culture in Montana.”
She said the multiple
Charles Woods, 21-year
Symone Brown
an areas to small town community
ade various adjustments to make them feel right at home member of the Lions football
team, has lived in Commerce for two years.
“I’m happy here”
of places to choose from to eat
das compared to the larger cities such as Houston where Woods
said he and friends would often
Charles Woods
He said the biggest
been a good one for Woods.
adjustment he had to make was
“coming from a big city to a small
“The people make the place.”
spend about 20 minutes just trying to agree on what and where to eat.
But the adjustment has
city, where you have a lot to do
compared to Commerce where there’s literally nothing to do.
That’s the biggest adjustment,
coming to a country town from a city town.
“In Houston, there is so
much to do,” he said. “The culture changes from here to there. It’s a culture shock. In Houston,
there is so much to do all at once, gathering, and family reunions.
Commerce is so small, you know everybody but as for Houston
you may only know the two guys next door.
He also said a big
challenge was getting acclimated to the water.
“The water tastes really
bad,” he said.
Another adjustment to
Commerce is a limited amount
“I’m happy here,” he said.
Charles Woods
International students get a boost fr By Diana Vasquez The Texas A&M
University-Commerce English
Language Institute is a program
that provides international
students with more than just language skills.
ELI helps international
students learn English as a
second language and reach
the language proficiency score necessary to enroll in the
university. One of the programs for the students through ELI is
Conversation Partners, student
volunteers who take time out of
their schedules to converse with international students.
“There is no limit on
what they can talk about,”
Phebe Rutledge, administrative secretary and coordinator for ELI, said.
The volunteer and student
meet once a week in a 30-minute session during which they speak only English and volunteers do
not have to know how to speak the student’s native language. Students represent
countries including India, Taiwan, South Korea, Spain, China and Turkey.
The program lasts
as long as the international
student needs it, depending on the level of their proficiency in the language. While “students primarily use the program to
better their English,” the program also helps students “fit in with Phebe Rutledge and an international student
the culture and gain a friend,” Rutledge said.
Lauren Melcher, an
rom the English Language Institute Honors College sophomore
make mistakes,” she said.
people who don’t accept our
with Poppy Lyu once a week.
little difficult.
why can’t you accept me?”
industrial engineering major,
volunteers regularly and meets Lyu is an international
student from China planning
on studying chemistry once she
As far as adjusting to the
culture, Lyu said it has been a
“Sometimes I suffer for
begins graduate school at A&MCommerce.
Melcher initially signed
up to be a conversation partner because she needed volunteer
hours, however, she says she has
gained a friend and “it has helped
me get out of my shell despite the language and culture barrier.” For Lyu, it helps her
distinguish the difference
between American and Chinese cultures and “helps me adjust
myself to the American culture,” she said. “She (Melcher) is the first friend I have made in the
United States. I’m so happy to meet her.”
Lyu began learning
English as a second language in
middle school while still in China
and said the emphasis was put on grammar rules.
“The hardest part of
speaking English is before
speaking, I translate the grammar in my mind and then speak. It’s very slow and I’m afraid I will
Poppy Lyu and Lauren Melcher
culture,” she said referring to
Americans. “I can accept you,
Students bring their culture from home to Commerce and adapt to American life By Imogene Wofford
There are challenges a
person faces when they move from a different country, or state, to a small town in Texas.
Such is the case for five
Texas A&M University-Commerce
child then moved to Texas. She school and become a pediatrician, travels back to Sierra Leone in but “to be honest, I really want to the summers. She is working on a degree in kinesiology.
be famous,” Sherwani said. Devika
Ramcharitar
is
Mehrnoosh Kohansal, from from Virgin Gorda, one of the 60
Iran, came to Commerce in 2012. British Virgin Islands, and came She is in her senior year, working
on a degree in biology with plans
to Commerce two years ago. She
is a graduate student working on
students who have experienced on going to medical school and her master’s degree in political science. firsthand cultural adjustments, as becoming a neurosurgeon. they immersed themselves into
Noorulann Sherwani, who
“I
thought
coming
to
college, I would have to work
American culture.
also goes by Annie, is Pakistani,
straight to Commerce—in August
degree with plans to go to medical getting my bachelor’s, I was like
Jodessa Bethelmie, from but she grew up in the United harder because back home we the Commonwealth of Dominica, States in Michigan and Texas. She got a ton of work in school,” came to the United States— is working a biology pre-med Ramcharitar said. “But while I was
2013 to pursue a degree in marketing and finance. Bethelmie
is a resident assistant in West Halls.
“In Dominica, it’s very
expensive to go to college; one US dollar converts to 2.7 in Dominica,
so it costs almost three times
more to go to college back home. Therefore, I came to the United States to save some money,” Bethelmie said.
Hameedatu Kabba is from
Sierra Leone, a country in West
Africa, but has lived in the United
States most of her life. She lived in California for a year as a small
‘oh this is easier than I expected.’” how
“In Dominica, we learn
All five students stressed about every country in the world.
important
education
is We start with our island then learn
to them; however, one of the about the nearest countries…we challenges
Bethelmie,
Kabba,
learn about one place at a time
weren’t really knowledgeable of
“Whereas here in the States
Kohansal and Ramcharitar ran
into was that their American peers places outside the United States.
“Whenever I tell people
until we have learned in depth about each place in the world.
in school, you learn about certain countries
more
than
Dominican Republic,’ or ‘where is that,’” Bethelmie said. “I say in
included,” Bethelmie said.
talk to me, or what because if I’m smiling at you I’m going to speak,” she said.
“Virgin Gorda is an island
about the size of Commerce so everyone knows everyone,” Ramcharitar said.
“Here, you either know
others, someone or you don’t, and it’s hard
I’m from Dominica, they always and then not every country is say ‘oh yeah you’re from the
smiling at me, are you going to
to talk to them, but back in Sierra Leone everyone in the community
“In Gorda, the education knows everyone,” Kabba said.
is stricter,” Ramcharitar said.
Americans are big on food.
the Caribbean and they assume “We had 10 classes a day and All five girls expressed how they Jamaica, and I’m like I just told had a bunch of homework. Along
missed the food of their homelands
they see that I’m African, they
of the ground, so we know what it
you Dominica, what you mean.”
with the work load, it made our because “in the islands, everything
assume that I’m Nigerian, as if
“When people look at me learning faster paced than here in
Nigeria is the only place in Africa,”
Kabba said. “Then I tell them I’m from Sierra Leone and they have no idea of what it is, or where it is.”
the states.”
“Back in Sierra Leone we is,” Bethlemie said.
have form 1, 2 and 3 instead of
Iranian heritage.
“When I say I’m from Iran,
people say what, where is that,” Kohansal said. “Or if I say I’m
Persian, they only know Persia because of Prince of Persia.” Bethelmie,
Kabba
and
Ramcharitar also point out the
school; and learning is very fast
United States’ education system.
“I never ate gravy or
paced there,” Kabba said.
cornbread before I came to Texas,”
strongly about, especially Kabba,
chicken, fried pork chops, it’s all
Interacting with people
Bethelmie and Ramcharitar.
“Here, when a person says
Ramcharitar said.
“You eat a lot of fried
fried,” Kabba said.
“I love how shamelessly
how you are - they don’t really care most Americans eat. I use it as an how you are, they just use it like a
greeting to say hello or be polite,”
Bethelmie said. “And smiling too,
excuse to eat a burger and sushi in the same sitting,” Sherwanni said.
For Kabba and Sherwani,
back home when a person smiles their celebrations and clothing at you, they are going to speak to
were the best parts of their
being polite and I’m like you’re
dashiki, it’s so cute and I just love
difference between their native you. homelands’ education and the
“Everything is fried here,”
preschool, elementary and high Kohansal said.
Kohansal also identifies was also a point that the girls felt
herself as Persian, along with her
is grown, we can see it coming out
“But here, they are just
culture.
“I love putting on my
it,” Kabba said.
home,” she said.
have a support system here for
really enjoy getting dressed up in
introduce my home life to people
Bethelmie said.
“As much as I love slipping
on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, I
“I joined CARIBSA and take
part in the multicultural festival, to
a fancy shalwar kameez. They are here and keep my flag hanging in [really] slimming,” Sherwani said. “Pakistani
weddings
are one of my absolute favorite
differences, there’s so much going on,” she said. “For a Pakistani
wedding, you need a month and the entire family comes to the bride or the groom’s to stay and
it’s pure chaos…but it’s good chaos, and it’s so colorful and everyone is happy.”
“Here, when someone dies,
you mourn their death, but back
home we celebrate their lives,”
Kabba said. “There’s a party held on the third day of them being
passed, the seventh, the 40th and a year after. They’re so much
fun and there’s lots of food and dancing.”
The five students have
embed themselves into American
culture while holding onto their own.
“I introduce my culture
to my friends,” Ramcharitar said. “I joined Commission to Love, a
group of Christian students; I got closer to God and got baptized.
“I kept my culture alive
within myself, I didn’t try to
conform and speak proper. I wear bright colors as if I was back
my dorm,” Bethelmie said.
“It really helped me to get
comfortable here. It’s good to
you when you’re all alone and
your family can’t be with you,” “I tell my friends about
it and they like it,” Kabba said, “so that really encourages me to
embrace who I am instead of just
having it in my social media bios; in my house we still have all the
different celebrations, and my American friends always come.” “When
I
first
got
to
Commerce, I stayed with an
“Here, in the US, I feel like I up in Pakistan. I still wear shalwar
can do more, I can be independent and be my own person,” Kohansal said.
“Transitioning
cultures
kameez and I listen to Pakistani music and speak Urdu at home.
“I also go to school, I listen
to American music, I love burgers
wasn’t a challenge for me because and hotdogs, and I wear pants and
Iranian-American family during I take part in the American culture t-shirts. my first semester,” Kohansal said.
“It’s also all in the thinking,
keeping those good morals that I
was raised with, there’s really no difference.
just as much as I do Pakistani
culture,” Sherwani said, “I still
“I love being a Pakistani-
American because it gives me a
practice in all of the traditions and view on two completely different rules of a Pakistani household.
“My parents lived and grew
worlds which I love,” Sherwani said. o