Volume 27 Issue 32

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi

IslandWavesNews.com

MINORITIES SPEAK OUT

News

TAMUCC, TAMUK merger not feasible, nonexistent Page 3

Latinos y los puntos de vista sobre Trump

Also

by EILEEN HERNANDEZ • Page 6

December 8, 2016 Volume 27, Issue 32

Opinions Page 2 Entertainment Page 7 Sports Page 11

2 Opinion STUDENT PUBLICATION OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITYCORPUS CHRISTI

12.08.2016

Holiday Traditions differ around the world MIKAYLA OELSCHLEGEL @mikaylaMOG

With school finally finishing up, students are counting down the days until they either ISLAND WAVES STI | ISLANDWAVESNEWS.COM | graduate VOLUME 26orISSUE | home 08.27.15 get 20 to go for IslandWavesNews.com Christmas and New Year’s.

Our traditions in America Editor-in-chief are pretty simple: put up a KACI ALVAREZ tree, head to Christmas Eve mass and try to out-decorate Web your neighbors. Around the MIKAYLA OELSCHLEGEL, editor world however, there are JEFFREY THOMAS, on-air talent plenty of unique holiday traEILEEN HERNANDEZ, reporter ditions: MITCHELL JACKSON, vid. editor In Germany, Advent calendars are an every year thing, Copy Editor some families have multiple KATIE MEZA ones, each with a different theme. On these calendars, Visuals there are 24 doors or boxes IZZY SNEED, editor and every day of December, MARIAH OLIVE the members of the household get to open the door or box and Layout get the thing inside of it. It can KARA HERRERA, editor either be candy or a present.

SABRINA HUTTON, assistant Over in Italy, it is very common that people do not eat Reporters meat or even dairy on ChristGERI LEMMONS, news JONATHAN FORNEY, feature MELISSA RODRIGUEZ, news

Advertising JAMIE FINK, manager

Faculty Adviser WENDY MOORE

ABOUT ISLAND WAVES Island Waves is a studentproduced publication at Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

The newspaper is printed weekly, except during summer sessions.

mas Eve. Citizens usually partake in a light seafood meal and then head over to Midnight Mass.

If you are from Greece or have visited there in the holiday season, it would not be uncommon to see children go out on the streets and sing carols on Christmas Eve. Along with the singing, they would also play drums and triangles for people. These kids will sometimes be given money or things to eat, such as dried figs or candy.

Up north in Canada, there is a mix of several holiday traditions because many people with different cultural backgrounds live there. One of the most popular traditions is when the province Nova Scotia sends Boston their biggest and best fir tree in honor of their assistance given many years ago. And if you think having relatives who constantly ask you “do you have a boyfriend?” and “why not?! You’re so pretty!” just imagine having your aunt or grandmother tell

Photo courtesy of GOOGLE.COM

you on Christmas you will be going to a ‘Taffy Pull’ party.

These parties are in honor of Saint Catherine and it is for single women to meet eligible, single men.

In Australia, the Christmas holidays come in the summer, so they have barbeques on the beach to celebrate. On Boxing Day, for them, there is also a huge yacht race that happens

from Sydney to Hobart, Tasmania.

There are many more holiday traditions that would take ages to write and more than one issue of Island Waves to fit.

But whatever your holiday traditions are, here is hoping you have a fantastic break, whether it is being spent with friends or family and we at Island Waves, will see you next year.

Surgeon General reports drug, alcohol addiction Liz Urbina Contributing Writer

You may remember one of the biggest Surgeon General’s Report for tobacco back in the 1960s. It changed the way tobacco was perceived by many.

It helped bring awareness on

the dangers of tobacco and helped encourage a healthier lifestyle. Last week, a new report was released.

The Surgeon General’s Report on Alcohol, Drugs and Health targets addiction and the misuse and abuse of chemical substances. Rather than

Any student or University employee may submit material and opinions for publication consideration. To become a contributor, e-mail or call the Island Waves editor.

CONTACT US 6300 Ocean Drive Unit 5783 Corpus Christi, TX 78412 (361) 825-5862 editor@tamucc.edu ads@tamucc.edu

Photo courtesy of GOOGLE.COM

focusing on only one drug, this Surgeon General’s Report is targeting all drugs and alcohol.

The report states that more people use prescription opioids than use tabacco. Also, there are more people with substance abuse disorders than people with cancer.

According to the Center for Behavioral Health Statistics and Quality, in 2015 more than 27 million people in the United States reported current use of illicit drugs or misuse of prescription drugs, and over 66 million people (nearly a quarter of the adult and adolescent population) reported binge drinking in the past month.

The report encourages people of all ages and all roles to do their part to make a difference in our nation. I encourage you to be the change in your community and in your household.

I agree fully with the new Surgeon General’s Report.

Our nation is being destroyed, one individual at a time, by the issue of alcohol and drug abuse. According to the FBI, more than 10 million people 12 years and older in the U.S. reported non-medical use of prescription opiates in 2014.

Each day, 44 people in the U.S. die from an overdose of prescription painkillers. Along with the prescription opioid epidemic there is the everpresent issue of alcohol being abused more than any other drug. It is a drug; it is simply a legal drug. 88,000 Americans die each year because of alcohol. This Surgeon General’s Report will bring awareness on these issues that so desperately need to be addressed.

For more information on the Surgeon General’s report, visit https://addiction.surgeongeneral.gov.

News 3

12.08.2016

Campus Carry ruling goes unnoticed JONATHAN FORNEY @jb4nay

S

tudents do not seem to feel much different about dayto-day operations with campus carry policy in effect.

As previously written in Island Waves, in the summer of 2015, Governor Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 11 into law.

This law allowed licensed handgun holders to carry concealed handguns on collegiate campuses. The law has been in effect since August 1, 2016.

“To me, personally, I have seen no difference,” said Harris Hipp, junior mechanical engineering major.

An important distinction to make is that this law does not permit open carry on campus.

Additionally, concealed handgun holders are still subject to potential criminal charges for carrying a handgun in plain view.

Furthermore, concealed handguns are not permitted in places like Camden Miramar or Momentum Village because

they are not owned or leased by the university. Both complexes do not allow any weapons of any kind.

Students do not seem to have noticed much difference this semester as the ruling was put into effect.

“I feel like nothing has changed,” said Kevin Russell, junior athletic training major.

Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi decided to adopt the law under its own restrictions and guidelines. The university primarily focused on defining two important aspects of the law: where handguns are prohibited and how licensed handguns holders can carry their handguns.

The locations where handguns are prohibited does not change much for some students.

“The school doesn’t allow carrying inside the buildings so there is not a feeling of being more safe on campus than before,” Russell said.

The campus officials collectively decided that restricted areas must be identified and jus-

@earthtokace

O

n Nov. 16, Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp said the idea of the merger between Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi and Texas A&M University-Kingsville is no longer feasible.

The plan to merge the two universities was inspired by a similar merger resulting in the University of Texas-Rio Grande Valley. The state university became fully operational in 2015 after the consolidation of the University of Texas at Brownsville, the University of Texas-Pan American and the UT Regional Academic Health Center-Harlingen, resulting in multiple campuses across the Rio Grande Valley region.

The possible A&M System merger sparked outrage throughout both communities resulting in petitions to keep the

universities separate.

“There was a lot of opposition on the merger from both Kingsville and Corpus Christi,” said Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi President Dr. Flavius Killebrew. “Politically for [Sharp] to accomplish this he’s got to have support of the legislators from those communities and they’re not going to move forward on something that they don’t think their constituents are in favor of.”

Killebrew said he thinks it was the right decision to stop the merger from happening, but since there were talks about possible mergers between TAMUCC and TAMUK in the past, he believes discussion about it will come up again in the future.

“I would hope that if they decide to do this again that they enter in to a longer term discussion of it and all of the parties have an opportunity to give feedback and input on the issue

Island Waves News .com

Letter from the Editor Hi, Islanders!

KACI ALVAREZ/Island Waves

tified with signage as outlined in the Texas’ Penal Code 30.06.

Conversely, broad restrictions, such as near tables or all classrooms.

These restricted areas are not set in stone. They will be annually reviewed and potentially changed by the Campus Space Management Committee.

Meaning the places concealed handguns are permitted could change over time.

The process of obtaining concealed handgun license is as

follows: applicants must be at least 21 years of age, complete a classroom-based training, pass a written exam and pass a shooting proficiency demonstration.

Students not noticing a difference is probably for the best concerning campus carry. In theory, things may not ever feel different until an incident occurs where guns are drawn. For the sake of everyone’s safety, hopefully, the Island University never has to find out.

TAMUCC, TAMUK merger not feasible, nonexistent KACI ALVAREZ

O N L I N E

and what it ought to really look like,” Killebrew said.

Several student and alumni of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi spoke out against the merger through social media. One student, who wished to remain anonymous, created a twitter account called “@SaveTAMUCC.” The twitter account started a petition against the merger and gained more than 2,000 signatures.

“I love our campus and the community here,” the twitter moderator said. “Our faculty cares about the students and students are able to interact with professors because of our smaller classes.”

Some information leaked by @SaveTAMUCC included the Oct. 5 meeting minutes where Sharp reveals plans for a “division one football team overnight” and how TAMUK President Dr. Steve Tallant “is going

to be the president of TAMU South Texas.”

In the minutes Tallant states, “I don’t care what the selection process is, but Tallant is going to be the president. We are not going to get into any of the details about how the merger would be structured, but the reason to embrace it is because you trust Dr. Tallant.”

According to The Texas Tribune, the decision to stop the merger didn’t resolve tension around the area when a spat between Sharp and a Kingsville legislator over the issue simultaneously spilled out into the public.

“This may be a manner that is going to become a personnel matter because it’s a character issue now,” said the legislator, Republican state Rep. Jose Manuel Lozano to The Texas Tribune. “Lie after lie. And that is part of the Aggie code — that you don’t lie.”

It’s that time of the year again when we all start stressing about finals and can’t wait for the holiday break.

The staff at Island Waves want to wish you a happy and safe holiday break. It’s time to start spending quality time with your families and eating as much food as possible. It’s time to ring in the new year with friends and family, and set goals to achieve. Use this time to relax before another semester begins.

We can’t wait to see you all when we come back in January for the start of a new semester.

As mentioned before, due to Fall graduation coming up, we will lose some staff members so we are now looking for enthusiastic students who want to dive into the world of journalism.

We will be hiring for the positions of photographer, sports reporter, advertising manager and distribution manager. If you are interested in joining the Island Waves team, email editor@tamucc. edu.

Happy Holidays from us to you.

Sincerely, Kaci Alvarez Editor-in-Chief

ON THE COVER: Photo courtesy of GOOGLE.COM

4 News

12.08.2016

Student stabs, plows pedestrians at OSU KACI ALVAREZ @earthtokace

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n Nov. 28, an Ohio State University (OSU) student plowed his car into pedestrians and then stabbed multiple people with a butcher knife on the Columbus campus.

Eleven people were taken to local hospitals and one is in critical condition. According to ABC news, the suspect was identified as Somali refugee, Abdul Razak Ali Artan. The incident was originally reported as an active shooter by OSU officials at 10 a.m. and two hours later the shooter was eventually shot dead by police.

“The attack that occurred in Ohio is an unfortunate one and my heart goes out to not only the direct lives affected but also the entire school body entirely,” said senior management information systems major Paul Perez.

The day after the incident, law enforcement officials stated that Artan was inspired by terrorist propaganda from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and radical Muslim cleric An-

war al-Awlaki. ISIL released a statement claiming responsibility for the attack, though there is no evidence of direct contact between the group and Artan.

According to cnn.com, Artan “rammed his car into a group of people on the Columbus campus and then got out and charged at passersby with a knife. Ohio State University Police Officer Alan Horujko shot Artan after he failed to obey orders to stop, killing him and stopping the attack.”

“At the end of the day, we should all be grateful for the well-trained officers on duty who have been placed in their positions to be alert, responsive and protect us,” Perez said. “The officer who gunned down the attacker so quickly and professionally saved many others from being injured or even killed.”

According to cnn.com, Artan had just transferred to OSU this semester. The student newspaper profiled him as part of its “Humans of Ohio State” series, where he talked about his struggles to find a place to pray in peace on the large campus.

His neighbor, Louann Carnahan said

she knew him and his family quite well and described him as being very pleasant.

In a Facebook post shortly before the attack, Artan said he was “sick and tired” of seeing fellow Muslims “killed and tortured,” law enforcement officials said.

It’s definitely a tragedy,” said junior psychology major Taylor Wallace. “It seems to be an issue with a lot of students, not being able to access therapy or what it is that they needed to talk to in order to prevent things like this. It

definitely didn’t need to happen.”

OSU President Dr. Michael V. Drake credited the school’s active shooter training and the campus alert system for helping the community maintain order.

In a news conference, Drake cautioned against jumping to conclusions when asked the attack was terror-related or had anything to do with Ohio’s Somali community.

“Personally I think you should stop to deter not shoot to kill,” Wallace said. “I don’t think he needed to be killed, but at least he stopped him.”

Students gather around after the incident at Ohio State University.

Photos courtesy of GOOGLE.COM

A photo of Abdul Razak Ali Artan used by many media outlets found on his Facebook profile.

News 5

12.08.2016

Student publishes poetry book, library helps KACI ALVAREZ @earthtokace

T

exas A&M University-Corpus Christi senior criminal justice major Trevor Wulff published an original poetry book, “Fragments,” this semester.

“Fragments” is the second poetry book Wulff has published. It uses styles of both Romanticism and Existentialism with bits of reflection through dark and optimistic tones and can be purchased on Amazon.com for $10.99.

“I wanted to write the book because it’s a passion completely aside from my criminal justice career path,” Wulff said. “It’s a way that I not only share my inner self but the art that poetry is and the outlet that it is as well.”

Wulff writes poetry whenever he feels stressed and overwhelmed, allowing him to vent. He said he hopes people connect with some of the poems much like he has.

“They’re very intimate,” Wulff said.

“Focusing on love, heartbreak, loneliness, mental health, memories and more. I think that we can all find a piece of fragment that we all see in ourselves and even others.”

Wulff received help throughout the

production of the book from the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi library.

Jeff Janko, library information specialist, assisted Wulff whenever possible, including taking the book’s cover photo.

“Mr. Janko not only took and edited the cover photo, but coached me on where I wanted to take the book, some minor formatting and just overall inspired me to reach my goal,” Wulff said.

Janko received his bachelors and master’s degree for the Island University and has been an adjunct instructor for more than 15 years so encouraging students to get the most out of their education has always been important to him.

“I am glad that I could offer Trevor encouragement and help him with his book cover. The cover was a collaboration between the two of us. I am always glad to be a part of projects our students are involved in,” Janko said.

Janko said he felt privileged that Trevor asked him for his help and advice on the book and was happy to use the opportunity to use his talents in photography.

For more information on “Fragments,” visit amazon.com and search ‘Trevor Wulff’.

Photo courtesy of TREVOR WULFF

Student Volunteer Connection hosts Love in a box GERI LEMMONS @GeriLemmons

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n Friday Nov. 11 from 7 p.m.-7 a.m., The Student Volunteer Connection hosted Love in a box, a simulation event during homeless awareness week at the TAMU-CC library.

Love in a box is an event that is held in the breezeway near the library. Students bring boxes to sleep on as well as either a blanket or sleeping bag for the night. The goal of this experience is to show students what it is like for those who have to live on the streets and don’t get the most comfortable things to sleep on.

“The reason why I, in particular, like love in a box is because it is an interactive emersion experience,” said Samantha De Melim, student activities coordinator.

“It allows students to put themselves in a place of someone that is experiencing homelessness.”

Thirteen students came out to figure out what it was like to experience homelessness. There were rules that everyone

had to follow while they were there, including they could not use electronics, they cannot sleep in a car, they could only bring one meal, and most importantly they needed to bring a box in order to sleep on top of it or in it.

“It’s one thing to go volunteer and give back to them but it is another thing when you experience it,” De Melim said.

“It kind of puts everything into perspective.”

De Melim said the experience was very eye opening for students, especially when taking into account the way that people looked at them as they passed by. De Melim said she was sitting there on her box just waiting for people to show up and saw the judgement from people walking by.

“While I was sitting there alone, like in my box, people ignored me,” De Melim said. “Students were exiting the library and people were passing me on their phones and they would take a quick glance at me and then look away really fast.”

De Melim said this opened her eyes to

the way many people sometimes look and treat people that are experiencing homelessness. She said the stigma is that all homeless people want is money, but sometimes people don’t take into account that they are humans too and sometimes they just need to be acknowledge like any other person.

SVC participating in homeless awareness week.

“Love in a box is an important experience for students because we see a lot of homeless people on the streets and in cities and sometimes we don’t have a second thought for them,” Tia Mullins Senior marketing major said. “With Love in a box, it allows students to be more appreciative of what they have.”

Photo courtesy of MAYRA RODRIGUEZ

6 News

12.08.2016

Latino views on president-elect Donald Trump EILEEN HERNANDEZ @EileenHdz

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ollowing the 2016 presidential election decision on Nov. 8, some Latinos may have questioned how they would fit into “Trump’s America.”

Regarding Trump’s initial foot in the door to the presidential candidacy, he infamously referred to Latinos as rapists, criminals, etc., all while calling for a big wall on the border, having Mexico pay for it and bringing fear to the Hispanic community.

“I don’t like that Donald Trump is the president-elect and for all the right, but scary reasons,” said Deeda Garza, junior and criminal justice major. “Violent movements are happening under his name and yet all he has to say is ‘Stop.’”

Born in Morelia, Mexico, Dr. Gabriel Ferreyra, former director of the Hispanic Center at Southern Utah University and current Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi associate professor in crimi-

nal justice, said he was startled considering America’s president-elect choice, but when looking back, he understood the potential from the beginning.

“Nobody expected that he would be a serious candidate,” Ferreyra said. “I was surprised for the final result and how it led to Donald Trump to be the one who [the] American people have chosen, but when you look at the components of the political landscape, somehow you will understand that it was coming to a certain extent.”

Some members of the Latinos community at the Island are upset about Trump’s victory and fear him being the nation’s leader.

“I honestly feel like all the hatred from whites is coming out without any fear for their consequences because of our president-elect, which is racism,” said Lisa Marie, junior and nursing major.

“Not only that, my girlfriend even asked me if I was scared to hold her in public because of the violence and prejudice

that is being shown towards the LGBTQ community.”

Ferreyra said there are different layers of how the Trump presidency can impact America.

“Many of the principles that have sustained America’s foreign policy might change for a period of time, meaning that, for instance, there will be less support in having military bases overseas or giving resources, but at the same time there can be some positive elements, too,” Ferreyra said. “Somehow, allegedly, there is this kind of mutual reverence between President Putin and Trump, so that might change with the fact they can negotiate and solve problems. And if the U.S. decides for a time to withdraw from, let’s say, the Middle East or to try to intervene less in other countries, that’s how it might help the United States to focus more inwards without being in an isolation from other countries.”

However, Ferreyra does not believe

Trump will be able to fulfill his duty as well as one elected president should, and many decisions will come from his advisors due to his inexperience.

“It depends on how the people who will give advice to Trump handle the issue because actually, he does not know that much, he is very ignorant,” Ferreyra said. “[He is] very unpredictable and in politics that is dangerous because he doesn’t have the status of a man who will self-control his decision-making power, so it remains to be seen.”

Despite the hard feelings toward the president-elect, Ferreyra focuses on the “glass half full” perspective.

“I like to be optimistic so, it’s just four years and time goes by really, really fast so we’ll see how things unfold,” Ferreyra said.

The inauguration held to swear in Trump in as the 45th President of the United States is scheduled for noon on Jan. 20, 2017, at the U.S. Capitol.

Latinos y los puntos de vista sobre Donald Trump EILEEN HERNANDEZ @EileenHdz

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espués de la elección presidencial de 2016 el 8 de noviembre, los latinos ponen mucho atención a cómo van a segur viviendo en “Trump’s America”.

En el principio de la candidatura presidencial, Donald Trump refirió a los latinos como violadores y criminales todo mientras pidiendo un muro grande a la frontera dejando México a pagar trayendo miedo entre la comunidad hispánica.

“No me gusta que Donald Trump sea el presidente electo y por todas las razones justas pero miedosas”, dijo junior y estudiante de Criminal Justice, Deedra Garza. “Movimientos violentos están ocurriendo bajo su nombre y todavía, todo lo que tiene que decir es “Para”.

Nacido en Morelia, México, el Dr. Gabriel Ferreyra, ex director del Centro Hispano de la Universidad de Southern Utah y aprofesor de la Universidad de Texas A & M-Corpus Christi en Criminal Justice, se sorprendió al considerar la elección del presidente electo de los Estados Unidos, entendió lo que estaba en tienda desde el principio.

“Nadie esperaba que fuera un candidato serio. En realidad, muchas personas se rieron de él porque nunca ocupó un cargo en el gobierno, nunca fue elegido para un puesto. Es una persona que proviene de un fondo muy privilegiado

y no conoce a muchas personas que están en diferentes estratos sociales “, dijo Ferreyra. “Me sorprendió el resultado final y cómo llevó al presidente electo ahora, Donald Trump, a ser el que el pueblo estadounidense ha elegido, pero cuando miras los componentes del panorama político, de alguna manera entenderás que fue Llegando hasta cierto punto.”

Al hablar con los latinos de la comunidad de Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, hubo un acuerdo con el trastorno de la victoria de Trump y el miedo que viene con él siendo el líder de la nación.

“Sinceramente, siento que todo el odio de los blancos está saliendo sin ningún asusto por sus consecuencias debido a nuestro presidente electo, y eso es racismo”, dijo junior y nursing major, Lisa Marie. “No sólo eso, mi novia me preguntó si tenía miedo de tenerla en público debido a la violencia y el prejuicio que se está mostrando hacia la comunidad LGBTQ”.

Después de las potenciales posibilidades negativas y/o positivas que traerá la presidencia de Trump, Ferreyra explicó las diferentes capas en cómo la presidencia de Trump puede impactar a nuestra América.

“Muchos de los principios que han sostenido la política exterior de Estados Unidos pueden cambiar durante un

período de tiempo, lo que significa que, por ejemplo, habrá menos apoyo para tener bases militares en el extranjero o para dar recursos, pero al mismo tiempo puede haber algunos elementos positivos , también,” dijo Ferreyra. “De alguna manera, supuestamente, hay este tipo de reverencia mutua entre el Presidente Putin y Trump, por lo que podría cambiar con el hecho de que pueden negociar y resolver problemas. Y si los Estados Unidos deciden por un tiempo retirarse, digamos, del Oriente Medio o tratar de intervenir menos en otros países, así es como podría ayudar a Estados Unidos a centrarse más hacia adentro sin estar aislados de otros países “.

Sin embargo, Ferreyra no cree que Trump pueda cumplir su deber tan bien como un presidente elegido debe y mucho vendrá de sus consejeros debido a su inexperiencia.

“Depende de cómo la gente que dará consejos a Trump maneje el problema porque en realidad, él no sabe que mucho, él es muy ignorante,” dijo Ferreyra. “No sabemos cómo Trump cumplirá sus deberes como presidente.

Tiene un patrón de cambios de mentalidad, por lo que podría decir una cosa y luego hacer lo contrario, por lo que es muy impredecible y en la política que es peligroso porque no tiene el estatus de un hombre que se auto-control de su toma de decisiones Poder, por lo que

queda por ver.”

A pesar de los duros sentimientos hacia la presidenta electa, Ferreyra se enfoca en la perspectiva del “vidrio medio lleno”.

“Me gusta ser optimista, y son sólo cuatro años y el tiempo pasa muy rápido, y así veremos cómo se desarrollan las cosas,” dijo Ferreyra.

La inauguración para jurar a Donald Trump, 45 presidente de los Estados Unidos, está programado para el mediodía del 20 de enero de 2017 en el Capitolio de los Estados Unidos.

Photo courtesy of GOOGLE.COM

President-Elect Trump signs the pledge.

Entertainment 7

12.08.2016

Texas offers holiday fun despite heat KACI ALVAREZ @earthtokace

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he holiday season has officially arrived and festive spirit is in the air.

People are beginning to decorate their houses, search for the perfect Christmas tree and plan vacations.

Despite Texas’ year-round heat, the Lone Star State offers several Christmas and Holiday themed activities for those looking to get into the holiday spirit or wanting to take short road trips on their days off from work and school.

1. Santa’s Ranch. Santa’s Ranch, located in New Braunfels, is a family friendly light display to bring in the holiday cheer. It allows cars up to eight

feet tall drive through the lighted showcase while sipping some hot chocolate and snacking on some kettle corn, which can be purchased at concession stand at the beginning of the park. Visit http://www.santasranch.net, for information on times and tickets.

2. Trail of Lights. Similar to Santa’s Ranch, this Austin holiday treat is filled with Christmas lights and spirit with more than 40 displays, 2 million lights and several holiday activities. According to austintrailoflights.org, the Trail of Lights is “one of the three largest events in Austin and receives national accolades while remaining a deeply cherished local tradition.” Buy your tickets at http://austintrailoflights.org.

3. The Nutcracker. While ballet doesn’t seem like the most exciting thing to do this holiday season, it’s definitely something everyone should see at least once. The Nutcracker is a classic Christmas tale that involves beautiful costumes, enthusiastic dances and an exciting storyline that everyone will enjoy.

For tickets, check your local theatre or ballet company.

4. Harbor Lights Festival. This local event rings in the holiday season in Corpus Christi. With several festivities including a children’s fun zone, illuminated boat parade, and entertainment stage, the festival caters to people of all ages. The festival also includes the Ceremonial Lighting of the Tree. More in-

formation at http://harborlightscc.com.

5. Christmas in Grapevine. Also known as the “Christmas Capital of Texas”, Grapevine, a town located between Dallas and Fort Worth, hosts more than 1,400 events during the holiday season.

Some of the most popular events happening in grapevine include Dr. Sue’s Chocolate Hot Chocolate Bar and Happy Hour, Parade of Lights, North Pole Express and Christmas Farmers Market.

For more information visit, https://www. grapevinetexasusa.com/christmas-capital-of-texas.

Although Texas is known for its summer season that occurs 10 months out of the year, several places cater to those dreaming of a white Christmas.

Photos courtesy of GOOGLE.COM

The iconic enterance at the Trail of Lights in Austin, Texas is a main photo op.

Performers dancing in the Nutctacker from the San Antonio Ballet Company.

Grapevine, Texas goes all out in decoration for the Christmas season.

8 Entertainment

12.08.2016

Introducing Neverland like you never knew it

MIKAYLA OELSCHLEGEL @mikaylaMOG

“Peter and the Starcatcher” is a play that enticed your curiosity from the opening of the curtains and left you begging for more at the end of Peter’s famous crow.

The production, held at the Warren Theatre on the Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi campus, was a prequel to the tale of Peter Pan. It was shown for only five days, but the performance made people wish that it had a longer run. There was magic, jokes and plenty of moments that tugged at your heart strings, especially if you were a fan of Peter Pan. The production featured a 12-person cast, each of them doubling, sometimes tripling, different characters of the story. Despite the semi-confusing twist and turns of characters, once you got your bearings, you were spun into a tale of an orphan boy who wanted a family, a girl who wanted to make her father proud and a villain who just wanted a hero counterpart.

As the audience watched on, they followed the young girl, Molly Aster, say

PLAY REVIEW

goodbye to her father, as he boarded a ship called ‘The Wasp,’ in preparation of a trip, details laid out in the first act. They also see ‘the boy’ and his two friends sold to the captain of the ship ‘The Neverland’ with the intent that they will become the king’s helpers thus beginning their journey. The audience watches as the tale unfolds, switching from one ship to the other.

The cast, as well as the crew, put on a show with lights, sound and acting so convincingly you feel like you are aboard a ship as they tilt one way and then another. At one point, ‘the boy’ is thrown overboard and the light and sound crew do a great job of making you feel like you’re underwater.

The second act has no sign of slowing the pace of the show. It starts off with singing mermaids and, if the crowd’s reaction was any way an indication, that was one of the best parts of the performance as the 11 boys and one girl of the cast dress in mermaid cos-

tumes and sang. It was one scene not easily forgotten. The act continued after that and laid out everything else that started Peter Pan, including how he got his name.

While the play consisted of many wellthought out and directed scenes by Professor Kelly Russell and the lighting and sound crew were on point with every signal, the real stars of the show were, without a doubt, the actors. They knew their cues and their characters wellenough to portray them to the awaiting audience. They were also able to cover

a slight mishap in one of the scenes by powering through and not letting their audiences know what happened.

The team behind “Peter and the Starcatcher’”put on a show to remember from uncovering the mystery of how Peter Pan came to be to letting the audience embrace their inner child for a couple of hours. This production was just one of the productions the Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi Theatre Department have put on. For more information, go tohttp://cla.tamucc.edu/ theatre.

Photos courtesy of JEFF JANKO

Ben Hudson, Austin Brady and Austin Klopfenstein as Peter and the Lost Boys are surrounded by the rest of the cast as they portray the natives of Neverland.

Kenneth Gregory as the villain, Black Stanche, prepares to “box” his opponent.

10 Entertainment

12.08.2016

TAMU-CC presents Lichtenstein string quartet MELISSA RODRIGUEZ @__melisssaaaa

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n Monday, Nov. 14, the School of Arts, Media and Communication’s Department of Music (SAMC) at Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi presented the Lichtenstein String Quartet, as one of the first performances of a weeklong list of musical events.

The performance was free to the public and was held at the Performing Arts Center that Monday evening. It consisted of an hour-long recital of works composed by Ludwig Van Beethoven (17701827) and Bedrich Smetana (1824-1884).

“The Lichtenstein String Quartet is a full-ride undergraduate scholarship quartet that you must audition into,” said Gabrielle Choma, sophomore music major and violist member in the quartet. “It is a highly competitive quartet where we are required to re-audition every two years.”

This Lichtenstein String quartet is composed of two violinist, Austin Gabrillo and Anthony Salazer, a viola player, Choma and a cello player, Matthew Paiz.

“We are all very close and have deep respect for each other, we [also] push each other to grow and advise each other on how to become better musicians,” Choma said.

The first piece the string quartet performed was by the renowned composer, Beethoven. The four movements played were: Allegro con brio, Adagio, Scherzo: allegro Milton, and Allegro, which is consistent with the general layout of a four-movement piece in music composition.

The second piece the quartet performed was from the composer Smetana. This was a more romantic style of music which included the four movements: Allegro vivo appassionato, Allegro moderato a la polka, Largo sostenuto and Vivace.

“The quartet started about 8 years ago,” said Carrie Pierce, associate professor of music and mentor/coach for the Lichtenstein Quartet. “The Lichtenstein Foundation wanted to have more connection between the University and the community.”

Aside from the performances this quartet puts on each semester at the Is-

land University, the Lichtenstein Foundation has funded an after-school program that allows the quartet members to teach children of the community how to play string instruments every Monday and Wednesday at the Joe Garza Plaza in town.

“The end goal is to change lives at the center and have a fantastic time exploring new and challenging repertoire as a group,” Pierce said.

Pierce said there are some upcoming performances for the Lichtenstein String Quartet including the Annual Holiday Gala on Dec. 2. They will pick up again next semester as they always give a full concert every semester along with several other smaller performances at the university.

For more information about upcoming performances at the PAC, visit pac. tamucc.edu/events.

MELISSA RODRIGUEZ/Island Waves

The Lichtenstein String Quartet performs the final concert of the Fall 2016 season.

ISATA hosts dance-a-thon GERI LEMMONS @GeriLemmons

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n Nov. 10, Texas A&M UniversityCorpus Christi’s Islander Student Athletic Trainers Association (ISATA) hosted a Dance-A-Thon in the University Center Lone Star Ballroom from 6:30-9:30 p.m.

The Dance-A-Thon was put on to raise money and canned food for people who are in need of some assistance over Thanksgiving. Attendees could gain admission by bringing five cans or giving $5 to enter the dance party.

“All of the proceeds are going to the local food pantry,” said Michael Ybarra, ISATA vice president. “To give to those that can’t afford a nice home cooked dinner.”

This is the first time the ISATA has put on the Dance-A-Thon. Ybarra said they hope it will be the first of many based on the turn out they had and the reception that they got from the people that were there.

While the event was going on, participants did multiple ZUMBA dances throughout the entire night. They

were taught all different types of dances in a ZUMBA-like style, from hip hop, Country and electronic; there was something for everyone who attended.

“I went ahead and got all of the group exercise instructors that teach dance for rec sports to help us out,” Ybarra said. “We are here having a good time and dancing for a good cause.”

“A lot of my friends are group fitness instructors. They have been talking about it for about a month,” said Akula Adjei, junior nursing major.

ISATA also hosted a raffle at the event. Participants put their name into the raffle upon entrance at the door for a chance to collect a prize.

As the night went on, more and more people came out to help support the cause and cans began to fill up the table.

“We didn’t expect this type of turnout,” said Michelle Guajardo, junior Education major. “We were glad that people came out to support us.”

For more information on ISATA, visit http://athletictraining.tamucc.edu/ isata.html.

Sports 11

12.08.2016

Islander volleyball defends conference title MELISSA RODRIGUEZ @__melisssaaaa

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oin the Islander Women’s Volleyball team as they celebrate their claiming of the Southland Conference Champ title for the second consecutive year.

This season the Islander Women’s Volleyball team set out to defend their title as 2015 Southland Conference Champions. They came back this year with an impressive 16-0 undefeated conference record, which placed them once again as the conference champs.

“We had three major goals for this season,” said Steve Greene, head coach of the Islander Women’s Volleyball team. “Our first one was to return as conference champions, our second was to win our conference tourna-

ment and our third was to get as far in the NCAA tournament as possible.”

The Islander Women’s Volleyball team underwent some changes this season as new players were added to the roster and some new coaching staff were appointed, including Greene. Since the start of this season, everyone has been hard at work making adjustments to help this new team be successful.

“We had some ups and downs for sure as this season went on, but we had individual players step up at many different times and people changed positions, so I think everyone’s taking themselves out of it and made it about the team and that’s what’s pushed us to be successful,” Greene said.

The season kicked off with a great

win against Prairie View A&M-University at the Baylor Invitational, which set the momentum for the rest of the season. With an overall record of 217, and the 16-0 conference record, the Islander Women’s Volleyball team punched their ticket to Southland Conference Championships against McNeese University set to take place on Friday Nov. 18 at 4:30 p.m.

“We’re ranked No.1 so we have to come in with this fire,” said Morgan Carlson, senior right side hitter. “We have to come in with this ability to not break down if something goes wrong because teams are going to push at us but we just have to push back harder than we have before and I think we all have the right mindset to do so.”

The final championship game for the

Southland Conference will be taking place Sunday Nov. 20, at 3:05 p.m. The Islander Women’s Volleyball team is set to compete in the third match during the first night of the tournament.

Winning Friday’s match would mean an Islander encounter with the winner of match four between Houston Baptist and Central Arkansas on Saturday. Then they would face-off against winners of matches one (SFA vs Southeastern Louisiana) and two (SHSU vs Northwestern State) to compete for first place in the tournament Sunday afternoon.

“We love our fans, our students are amazing and our parents are amazing, we call them the ‘Der Nation, so thanks to all the fans because we can’t do it without [you],” Carlson said.

SVO sponsors Nerf and Turf War fundraiser GERI LEMMONS @GeriLemmons

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he Student Veteran Organization hosted a Nerf and Turf War for students on Nov. 15 and 16 on the East Lawn of Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi.

The event was a fundraiser for the Student Veteran Organization and a chance for students to get outside and be active.

This is the first time the Student Veteran Organization put on this event.

“The idea came from last year,” said Garrett Brundage, the UCSO representative for the Student Veteran Organization. “We had this organized last year till the day of it started pouring rain and we had to cancel the event.”

To play participants paid $2 per person and joined a team. All the guns were provided so students only had to show up and play. There were also opportunities for students to buy shirts that were for sale.

“We were talking about events to put on and thought we ‘need to get some cool events going on,’” Brundage said. “I don’t know whose idea it was but we all just came together and thought a Nerf gun fight and thought college students would be active in this with us.”

Brundage said some of the money raised will help reduce graduation cost for veterans by paying for items such as cords, stoles, etc. Some money may also be used to put on a barbeque for veterans.

“I think there is going to be an op-

portunity for regular students to come up and feel a little bit closer to veterans and close that gap a little bit,” said Micah Bachner, president of the Student Veteran Organization. “We want to raise money and most of all get exposure and get out and have some fun.”

Bachner said one of the big goals for this event was to bridge the gap between veterans and students. Members of the organization were hoping that students would come out and see a different side to veterans and have fun at the same time.

“I think it gets students involved and it lets students do something they don’t normally do,” said Keenan Laymon, missionary associate for Chi Alpha. “It gets students to come out to the SVO booth and get interested.”

An ROTC representative walks out of cover shooting his Nerf gun at an opponent.

ROTC representatives aim at one another with Nerf guns.

Photos by MARIAH OLIVE/Island Waves

An ROTC representative takes aim at his opponent with a Nerf gun.

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