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April 20, 2017
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Sodexo IsItBadForYou? Healthiness 101 20 April 2017
Sodexo gets an Language no barrier to some Pg. 2
Native American Health Practices
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Sodexo’s food was accused of being heavily processed, and Sodexo shot back with its statements about its health-centered programs
EAST TEXAN PHOTOS/ GWIWON JASON NAM
Sodexo fails in terms of health says website IsItBadForYou?, but society may be more at fault Todd Kleiboer Web Editor With society choosing to opt toward more processed foods on the grounds of taste or convenience, it may prove tough for consumers and the food industry to tow the line of health standards, and Sodexo, a leading life services company that provides its services to over 850 university and college campuses worldwide including Texas A&M University-Commerce, has recently received a healthiness grade of a ‘F’ from the health website IsItBadForYou?. “Sodexo is not healthy,” the article read. “They are a mass produced food service company with great marketing.
13 Reasons Why Stuns Audiences
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Softball Sweeps the Mustangs Pg. 8
The food may sound healthy, but it is heavily processed and high in carbohydrates, fat, and chemicals.” The article went on to critique Sodexo’s campaign of persuading consumers (usually children in schools) into eating healthier by rearranging foods to place the better options nearest, naming foods something more tempting, and passing out samples, stating that the food was still heavily processed. “Unfortunately, many children complain that they are not getting enough food on their plates,” the article read. “Some of the ‘enticing names’ are simply the same old stuff in disguise. For example, if your child orders the orange chicken (or other Chinese food options),
they can expect to receive some chicken nuggets from the prior day doused in orange sauce.” About a month after its publication and after thousands of shares on social media, the article garnered a response article from Sodexo which restated its mission to guide consumers to healthier options in different ways that include providing the dietary information of served foods. “University foodservice is about healthy food, but also creating an inclusive experience that builds community and student engagement,” Sodexo’s response said. “Sodexo chefs engage students in trying authentic global flavors and learning about their fellow students
through their cuisine.” Sodexo’s article also states that as an international company, it has to adapt to different tastes or diet restrictions, be they personal or cultural, that consumers might have, and it states that since the introduction of a new health-centered program, an estimated five tons of salt and 14 tons of sugar have been taken out of food. “Sodexo strives to provide consumers with a variety of choices. In doing so, Sodexo plays a critical role in providing healthy diets for countless Americans,” the article read. “So, while it is easy to generalize whether a company like Sodexo’s food is healthy or unhealthy,
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Opinion
A PRIL 20, 2017 You have an opinion. Voice it. Vote in weekly surveys on tamuceasttexan.com
Forgetting the Language Barrier Isabella Garcia Staff Reporter I have a friend named Gwiwon (Jason) Nam. He’s a foreign exchange student from Korea and during my first year in college, without realizing it, we were often put in the same situation and as a result we were able to share many experiences together. I first remember noticing Jason at a meeting I had with The East Texan, the school newspaper. It was the second meeting of the year but because I had missed the previous one, this meeting would be my first. I was hoping to join the staff as a writer, and Jason had already established himself as photographer for the paper. Not only had he been able to capture exceptional photos, but he has a naturally benevolent personality that prevents anyone from disliking him. I can see that he cares a lot, so it was never punishing to keep a conversation with him or express different opinions to him. But I’m not sure if he can say the same.
Jason is an international student from Korea, so English isn’t his first language. He practices everyday because he lives here but it’s not going to be exactly perfect today or the next. Our faint language barrier makes it difficult to thoroughly and completely share our views to one another, so we haven’t had the chance to share close connections like other friendships. This also applies to other relationships that I have formed during this year with any foreign students. I would like to create closer bonds, but naturally both sides are hesitant because of the awkward feeling that comes with this language barrier. Over Thanksgiving Break, I opened my home to three female foreign exchange students that I met in my astronomy class. I had gotten used to keeping short conversations with them after class but I was a little worried about spending four straight days with them. On the last day, before we had to return back to school, we were relaxing and enjoying each other’s company outside of our usual class setting. I got to encounter a new atmosphere
with them as the mood changed from misinterpretations and embarrassing grammar mistakes; to a more free and friendly casual setting that went on into the late night. I enjoyed that we were able to set aside any barrier and chat amongst ourselves about our different cultures and thoughts. As a friend, Jason is putting in more effort than me because he’s working to close the gap. Whether he means to or not, him learning and studying here means a lot because then hopefully one day we can share more about ourselves to each other. When he speaks to other native Korean students, the mood is different because I understand that he isn’t preoccupied with thinking too hard on what he’s going to say next. He can just be comfortable with being himself. Maybe one day I’ll be able to speak with him and others more casually, in order to create a closer connection that is more than just a surface friendship, but means more. Other students shouldn’t hesitate to speak out to their peers just because of fear or feeling uncomfortable from their
PHOTO COURTESY/THE WASHINGTON TIMES
barriers. It’s wonderful to share and express new opinions with other people who see things in a different perspective because of how they were raised. College gave me a fresh start in making connections that I never know would mean so much. People
like Jason helped me to open myself to others without worrying about rejection or embarrassment because I would rather communicate with others slow and steady than not at all.
The Real World’s Just Around the Corner Courtney Norman Staff Reporter
TAMUC PHOTO
Senioritis is kicking in as seniors grow anxious for May graduation where they will celebrate their accomplishment of completing college, or course work for advanced degrees. The commencement ceremonies will take place on May 12 and 13 for those completing bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate degrees. “As usual, there will be a total of four ceremonies, starting Friday [with] a combined ceremony for those receiving their master’s [or] doctorate degree,” Dominique Spikes, a graduate assistant for ticketing and operations said. “On Saturday there will be three separate ceremonies for the students getting their bachelor’s degree.” As in the past, all of the ceremonies will be held in the university field house this year, which is located on the north end of campus across from Gee Library.
Some ceremonies are open, while seating in others may be limited. “Since the master’s and doctorate’s ceremony is combined into one big one, each individual gradating with their master’s receives five tickets,” Spikes said. Friday’s graduation ceremony will be held at 4:00 p.m. and individuals receiving their doctorate will receive 10 tickets each. “Ticketing varies for the bachelor’s ceremonies, and usually the 2 o’clock ceremony is limited every year because a lot of students who are in the College of Education are graduating,” Spikes said. The ceremonies for the will begin at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday starting with the College of Business and the College of Humanities, Social Sciences and Arts limited to 13 tickets per graduate. The next one will take place at 11:30 a.m. with the College of Science and Engineering and the School of Agriculture, which will not require a ticket for entrance. The last ceremony will take place at 2:00
p.m. for the College of Education and Human Services, which will be limited to 11 tickets per graduate. The university often follows the same format for its commencement ceremonies every year beginning with an introduction played by the band, the graduates entering the ceremony, a guest speaker, followed by the announcement of the graduating students. In the past, the university has had higher ups relevant to Texas A&M UniversityCommerce or the A&M system, such as chancellors, past presidents, and past vicepresidents, come and speak. “The speakers usually take some time to congratulate the graduates, share some words of encouragement, offer advice, and encourage them all to join the alumni association,” Spikes said. Attendees and graduates can expect a similar order for next month’s ceremonies as A&M-Commerce embraces university tradition in celebrating the accomplishments of its students.
Campus Comment: What do you think of Facebook Live “I’ve never used it. Everyone I’ve seen use it has annoyed me. All of social media is turning out to be the exact same thing.” -Monica Baldwin, senior
“There’s nothing wrong with Facebook Live. Everything is live now from Snapchat to Instagram.” -Bach Trun, junior
“It’s stupid, pointless. It needs to be taken down. I feel sorry for the victims right now of the crazy psychopath.” -Tay Seamster, freshman
The East Texan Staff Editor Managing Editor News Editor Opinion Editor Entertainment Editor Web Editor Sports Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Staff Reporter Photographer/Reporter Photographer Photographer Distribution Assistant Distribution Assistant Faculty Adviser Phone E-mail
“I don’t have a problem. I don’t like people knowing about what I am doing. But Facebook Live isn’t the reason for all those crazies.” -Dareious Scott, junior
Travis Hairgrove Alissa Silva Christian Aleman Alex Medrano Imogené Wofford Todd Kleiboer Ricky Moser Manny Ramirez Acacia Muñoz Evangelina Morales Isabella Garcia Gwiwon Jason Nam Kristen Taylor CJ Cannon Nancy Ruiz Kimmie Thompson Fred Stewart 903-886-5985 theeasttexan@gmail.com
The East Texan, official student newspaper of Texas A&M University-Commerce, is published 11 times per semester during the Fall and Spring by students including journalism students in reporting classes. Content is solely the responsibility of the student staff and writers. The comments and views expressed in The East Texan, in print or online, do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of other students, staff, faculty, administration, or the Board of Trustees. The East Texan is located in Room113 of the Journalism Building. Single copies of The East Texan are free, additional copies are available in The East Texan offices for an additional 25 cents each.
Letters to the Texan Letters to the Texan are welcome and should be limited to 350 words. They may be edited for spelling, grammar and libelous and malicious statements. The East Texan reserves the right to refuse publication. Letters should be typed or emailed, must include a valid signature and contact information, and can be sent to theeasttexan@gmail.com or PO Box 4104, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Commerce, TX 75428.
April 20, 2017
Sodexo CONTINUED FROM PG.
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savvy consumers can discern fact from fiction.” At this university, Sodexo has seven stations in the Cafe that serve hamburgers, pizza, salad, non-allergenic foods, and more, and the dietary information is displayed on monitors above the stations with the exception of the salad bar. Other, faster options are available outside of the Cafe. Health and Human Performance Department Head Dr. Tara Tietjen-Smith has visited the Cafe before. “It is very similar to any other place where you eat today,” she said. “You have to make healthy choices. If you just
go in and eat whatever you want, that’s when you run into problems, and also portion size with any type of buffet food can be a problem with health.” Sodexo calls the Cafe an “all you care to eat” facility in which students can control their food intake for better or for worse, and moderating the given portion sizes is key to maintaining a healthy diet and life. “The big thing is moderation in everything. If you want to eat pizza, also eat some vegetables or salad with it,” Dr. Tietjen-Smith said. “Try to always balance things out to control the amount of calories that you eat.” Consumer education is also critical to a health diet, and Sodexo has been proactive in this area with its display of dietary information. However, the consumers themselves may not be educated on what constitutes a healthy diet.
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News
“[An honors student working on a thesis] found that a majority of consumers don’t know what healthy food is,” Dr. Tietjen-Smith said. “They took a quiz about their nutritional knowledge, and then she had them answer questions about the cafeteria and the foods served. They didn’t match up.” Though Sodexo provides the food, it may not necessarily be at fault for health problems that arise from either overconsumption or side effects of food additives. Societal demands for certain foods (usually processed) have tailored the menu of Sodexo, a company that has to turn a profit at the end of its fiscal year. “Places like Sodexo try to meet the demand of what people want,” Dr. TietjenSmith said. “I think people as a whole need to be more educated in order for that to change.”
Native American health concepts to be explored
Counseling Corner Finish
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with this study routine Tameca Minter, M.Ed., LPC, NCC At this point in the semester, creating a plan of action to tackle all your school related responsibilities can be a daunting task; however, if you choose to not face them, then you will find yourself stressed and overwhelmed. We often add to our own distress, when we choose to put off projects, papers and studying until the night before the exam or due date. What can you do to prepare yourself for today? Consider following these Ten Steps to alleviate the impeding stress: 1) Mark your calendar with the due date (provided in the course syllabus). 2) Block-Off three days prior to the initial date. 3) Avoid making any additional plans—as this will cause a distraction. 4) On Day One, draft notecards (plain, lined or fluorescent) with key terminology. 5) Take frequent 10-minute breaks in between each set of terms (for 20+ terms). 6) Review the key terms before bed. 7) During your breaks, consume healthy snacks (trail mix, popcorn, etc.) and remain hydrated. 8) On Day Two, read each chapter and draft an outline. Divide the total chapters by the number of hours and focus on the material. Take frequent 10-minute breaks in between each chapter. 9) Review the Outlines before retiring to bed. 10) On Day Three, spend half of the day reviewing the key terms and take a 30-minute break. Consume a small meal (filled with a good source of protein and vegetables) and stay hydrated. During the second half of the day, review all outlines and you are ready for the exam! The same method can be used for drafting papers, with a final day spent on revisions. Preparing yourself for either task is crucial to success, so avoid simple distractions like Facebook, Snapchat, etc... Three Quick Tips for drafting papers in three days:
PHOTO COURTESY/WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL R ESOURCES
across the nation. The exhibit consists of iPads and panels that are focused on the interconnected aspects of health and Texas A&M University-Commerce’s culture for Native Americans. It focuses James G. Gee Library will host the “Na- on five themes: Individual, Community, tive Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts Nature, Tradition, and Healing. There of Health and Illness” traveling exhibit will also be four which highlights Native American cul- events connected tures and their concepts of health and to the exhibit illness from April 27-June 7. that will support “This is a very diverse, very engaging the five themes. opportunity,” Michael Barera, Archivist The first event at Gee Library and local project coor- will be a Wikipedinator of the exhibit, said. “It’s not dia edit-a-thon something that…we get a chance to do on April 27. This every day. And I think it’s really, really event will conimportant as a library to highlight these sist of two parts, each lasting one hour. kinds of diverse and really rich cultural The first part will be instructional; paropportunities and provide them to our ticipants will be taught the essentials of students, to our staff and faculty, and to how to edit a Wikipedia article. The the community as well.” second part is activity-based. Along The “Native Voices” exhibit was with librarians, participants will edit developed and produced by the U.S. a Wikipedia article related to Native National Library of Medicine (NLM). American health. Along with the American Library As“This will be a fantastic experience to have…in Commerce and to connect with the exhibit and its themes,” Barera said. “And to also serve faculty, staff, community members, and students who might want to learn how to edit or strengthen their skills.” The second event, which will be on May 2, will be a talk given by A&M-Commerce’s History department’s Dr. Howard Smith, Professor of History. The talk, titled “Tourists on the Red Road: American Indian Traditional Medicine, the New Age Movement, and Cultural Appropriation,” will be about Indian health services and white culture appropriation related to Native American healthcare practices. The third event will be the “Native Voices” Health Panel. This will be a four to five person panel PHOTO COURTEZY/RICHHEAPE .COM that consists of faculty, students, and alumni from various departsociation (ALA) Public Programs Of- ments who will share their personal fice, NLM tours the exhibit at libraries experiences related to Native American Mary Claire Bradicich Staff Reporter
health and illness. According to Valerie Lutes, Research and Instruction librarian at Gee Library and project director of the exhibit, directing the Health Panel has been a positive experience for her; furthermore, she believes that the
“This is a very diverse, very engaging opportunity,” - Michael Barera, Archivist at Gee Library Health Panel will help students connect to the exhibit. “I look at it as a chance to…show different perspectives, kind of give that student voice to it,” Lutes said. “It’s also an excellent opportunity for us to kind of network and cooperate with other departments on campus.” The fourth and last event, which will be on May 4, is a Film and Q&A with Chip Richie. The Film “Don’t Get Sick After June: American Indian Healthcare,” produced and directed by Chip Richie, will be shown twice. The film, which is a documentary, is centered on the unsubstantial health care services the government provides to Native Americans. According to Lutes, the “Native Voices” exhibit is a beneficial opportunity for all concerned. “It’s been a lot of fun working on this,” Lutes said. “We’re learning so much just from doing it so it’s a great opportunity for us, for the library, for the university. And we hope that the communities from around here will also benefit.” The exhibit as well as the four events are all free and open to the public. For more information on the “Native Voices: Native Peoples’ Concepts of Health and Illness” exhibit, go to http://tamuc. libguides.com/nativevoices.
1) Day 1 - Organize your ideas into sections: a) abstract, b) introduction, c) body d) conclusion, e) sources, f) future implications, and g) reference page—for further research or study. 2) Get sticky notes and label each section. Post them on a wall with free space, or a poster board (if applicable). Gather all sources and organize them in alphabetical order under your reference section. Create additional sticky notes with the name of each source to be used in the desired order in your paper. Draft bulleted thoughts that you would like to include under each section (a – f). 3) Day 2 – Create a written draft of your organized thoughts on the computer, following the information you have posted on your wall or poster. Do not forget to select either APA, MLA, Chicago for the specific formatting style required by your professor. 4) Day 3 – Take your completed draft to the Writing Center, located in the Hall of Languages – Room 103, for assistance with grammar, formatting and clarity of expression. If you are short on time, then upload your drafted paper to the Online Writing Lab. For the specifics on accessing the OWL, submit a request to them via e-mail at: writing.tamuc@gmail.com. Create a plan to stay on track and follow the guidelines provided by your professors. Ask questions for clarification and reward yourself by visiting the Counseling Center’s Relaxation Room to destress. You may just find that inner peace that you have been missing.
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Pi Kappa Alpha to hold 21st Annual Crawfish Festival
Art Educators Workshop benefits teachers Ahnaliese Bell Staff Reporter
Fraternity shows support for Taylor Trudeau Foundation
P HOTO C OURTESY/STEPH W EISS
Savannah Smith Staff Reporter Pi Kappa Alpha will host its 21st annual Crawfish Festival on Saturday, April 29, from 2 to 6 p.m. The event will take place at “Pikeland”, off of Highway 224 in Commerce, and all profits will be donated to the Taylor Trudeau Foundation for blood cancer research. The festival will include a wide variety of attractions like: all-you-can-eat crawfish buffet, hamburgers, hotdogs, sausage, sodas, and snow cones. There will also be live performances by three bands: Marfa Lights, Kade & Hudson, and the Muddy River Band. There will be games, such as a partner’s horseshoe tournament, and bounce houses on site. = All members of the community are invited to attend. Jesus Perez, the Theta Xi Chapter’s Health and Safety Officer, stated that the event would be appropriate for all ages. “It’s for anyone in the community that wants to purchase a ticket or make a donation to the Taylor Trudeau Foundation,” Perez said. “It’s really a community effort.”= Adult tickets for the event cost $25 at the door, but can be
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Texas A&M UniversityCommerce continued its long history of education dedication with the yearly Art Educators Workshop held on April 14, and it focused on improving classroom skills for forty attending
Lighting”,“Visual Communication Creative Journals”, and “Not Just a Circle: Paper Plate Sculpture”. The workshop cost $25 to attend and teachers were welcomed to pay and register ahead of time, though a few teachers opted to pay at the door instead. The $25 fee paid for
Emily Broussard, Josephine Durkin, Joseph Daun, Emily Newman, Vaughn Wascovich, Chris Blackhurst, Leigh Merrill, Chad D. Smith, Deanna Gibson, and Wyman Williams. Chelsea Weaver, an art teacher at Sulphur Springs ISD, expressed how much she enjoyed the event, even after her
FLICKR C REATIVE C OMMONS
purchased in advance for $20 from any Pi Kappa Alpha member. Tickets will also be available for only $15 on Monday, April 24, on the ground f loor of the Sam Rayburn Student Center, or for $20 on April 26 and 28 in the same location. Children’s tickets (for ages 6-12) will be available for $5 at the event, and children 5 and under will be admitted for free.= The Texas A&M – Commerce Pikes have hosted crawfish boils for the past 21 years to benefit various charities. This year, their objective is to raise money for the Taylor Trudeau Foundation. Trudeau was a Pi Kappa Alpha brother who passed away in 2008 due to Leukemia. The funds raised will help fund research aimed at finding a cure for this disease. In addition to Theta Xi, 227 other Pi Kappa Alpha chapters across the country raise money in support of the Taylor Trudeau Foundation. Two years ago, the Theta Xi Pikes raised $3,000 through their Crawfish Boil. Last year, they earned $1,000 from the same event. This year, they hope that their new attractions will allow them to raise more than before.
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art instructors from local public middle and high schools. Marilyn Thompson, art professor, organized the event. For the morning session, participants chose one of nine workshops. Each workshop covered a specific and useful of art or method of art, taught by a university instructor with a specialization in that field. In addition to teaching new skills, the workshops also offer a hands-on learning experience for the teachers, which is great because, as Thompson said, “Many of them don’t get to make much art anymore.” Teachers who attend the workshop can expect to attend two workshops, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Each workshop lasts two hours. This year, the workshops included options such as “Airbrush Painting on T-Shirts”, “Create a Textured Plaster Press Mold from a Clay Slab”, “The Indelible Mark: Drawing, Painting, and Pouring Ink”, “Lifecasting”, “Glass Fusing”, “Monsters and Fire”, “Digital Photographic Manipulation”, “Simple Portrait
an almost day-long event, two meals, two workshops, and lots of learning. Educators were able to work closely with university faculty, professors, and collegiate level student teachers. This year’s workshop instructors were Gerard Huber, Barbara Frey,
third time going. “I love that there are two different workshops, and that you get a chance to connect with professors on campus,” she said. “And, of course, meeting different teachers,” she said. Many of the workshops available for teachers to attend
revolved around the idea that art should be fun, educational, and inexpensive. A workshop taught by Dr. Emily Newman and MFA student David Namansky, “Games and Technology in the Classroom”, gave teachers some resources on how to use technology to teach art in the classroom without breaking the bank. Google Cardboard, for example, is a $15 VR headset that, coupled with a smartphone, can allow students to really immerse themselves in art. In an afternoon workshop on “Photography: Sliding Box View Cameras”, taught by Vaughn Wascovich, teachers learned about a throwback style of photography that created more interest than the common “snap and go” style. Vaughn expressed that it can be difficult to teach new photography concepts. “We’ve already done pinhole, and we’re tired of it,” Vaughn said. “I’m a big fan of learning the rules so you can break them.” Student teacher and Texas A&M University-Commerce alumni Heather Hoskins expressed what she liked most about participating in this year’s workshop. “Just getting to explore,” she said. “It was nice to have no control. To mess up and be okay with it.” Information about next year’s workshop, as well as Art Day (a similar workshop, but for students) is available on the TAMUC website.
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Students, faculty, community ‘travel the world’ Campus groups showcased in Global Cultural Festival Gwiwon Jason Nam Staff Reporter Texas A&M University – Commerce students and community members were able to go around the world without leaving campus at the Global Cultural Festival (formerly known as the Multicultural Festival) on April 11. This annual festival is a highly anticipated event each year and is an opportunity for the international population on campus to share their culture with the university and surrounding community. “Eight countries from Ger-
many, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Nepal, Nigeria, and Vietnam, four international student associations like the Caribbean Student Association, Hispanic Student Association, Muslim Student Association, and Phi Iota Alpha (A Multicultural Greek Fraternity), and approximately 500 participants in this festival,” Interim Director of International Student & Scholar Services, Ginger Gonzales said. “I loved it because the international students got a chance to show up and share their culture with everyone. That’s what we have tried to do all year along through our dif-
ferent programs, but this way all in one location and one time and everybody combines into it.” “I just think it is a great thing for this town, campus, and communities to be exposed to the global diversity we have here,” she said. ISSS had spread out each country and associations on the second f loor of the student center, that made it easier to get around. However, because of the weather, the parade was cancelled. American participants gave their feeling at the event. “This event was set awesome
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way. I can see all the different cultures that we have here at the university and see how each culture is celebrated,” Michelle Hodge said. “It’s just really exciting way to be able to meet different students that maybe I haven’t met before,” she said. “This is my favorite event that we have on campus,” another American student, Khie Johnson said. “I think it definitely brings all of the cultures together that kind of mixed up what America is and it brings other cultures as well. I love to be here. I enjoyed their music, food, and dancing and just learn more about other cultures…,” Khie said. Sophomore Japanese student, Minako Bass said it’s her second time at this event. “Since only a few Japanese students and people live in here, that Japanese that participated today may be all the Japanese around Commerce. I found more improvement compared to last year. This year, we had a private room and had the f lag in front of the door,” Bass said. “I think it’s a good opportunity having this kind of event for locals and American students learned about international students where they live, and they are from, what kind of food they are eating. I am so happy to serve Japanese food for students,” she said.
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The first place for the Best Country/Association Awards of 2017 Global Cultural Festival went to the Caribbean Student Association. The second place was Korean Student Association, and Japanese students got third place. Ms. Gonzales, Interim Director of ISSS, explained the standard of selection. “Judges had a form, and they had to go to every single table, and they ranked each table on scales one to ten in different categories such as the food, the cultural display, how the students engage with the judges, personalities, and other categories. Whoever had high score was first place and this year was the Caribbean Student Association.” This year, the event had a
different title. The original title was “Multicultural Festival.” They decided to change official title of the event this year because now multicultural means more than international. So, Mr. Fuqua from Global Studies Department and Mr. John Jones who was a former director of ISSS started brainstorming, and they came up with the name, “Global Cultural Festival.” “That indicates we are talking about global culture, not just multicultural because we can be multi-ethnic and with different ethnicities in America,” Gonzales said. “The event turned out really successful; we, ISSS staff and all who had been putting in effort for this event, are pleased,” she added.
Features
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R.O.S.A.S. in Bloom
Planting the seeds for a new multicultural organization
PHOTO COURTESY/DEVON NOONAN VIA FLICKR CREATIVE COMMONS
Christian Aleman News Editor The Office of Fraternity and Sorority Life at Texas A&M University – Commerce has around 20 chapters spanning four councils and the Rising Organization of Señoritas Aspiring Sisterhood (R.O.S.A.S.), plans to add another option. R.O.S.A.S, the interest group for Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc., was recently registered as a student organization and is in looking to become an active part of the Greek community as a member of the Multicultural Greek Council on the campus of A&M – Commerce. Jaqueline Tovar Yañez, president of the organization, and Lauren Melcher, secretary, reached out in April 2016 about joining and staring the organization on campus. “So I heard from a friend of mine
that there were rumors that another multicultural sorority was looking to get established here,” Yañez said. “So, I emailed the Director of Expansion, as well as Lauren, and she got back to us and that’s how we started communication with her, and we decided to try to look for more girls who would be interested in joining us.” The group focuses on academics, community service, and cultural awareness for the Latino community. Until they became a registered organization with the university, the R.O.S.A.S. focused on academics and community service with the sorority’s philanthropy, Boys and Girls Club of America. “We started communication with the director last April and then we actually started getting more girls, because this was towards the end of the semester,” Yañez said. “But then, the beginning of this semester, that’s when we finally got registered and we finally started doing
more, getting out there.” Founded in 1992 at Texas Woman’s University in Denton, TX, Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc. would be the second active multicultural sorority on campus. “Here we have a very small MGC [Multicultural Greek Council], there’s only one more [sorority], so it would pretty much be another option just because, again, for me I personally didn’t see myself fitting in another sorority, especially when I got to college. So, we’re offering another option to people, so if they like what we’re about then they would definitely be welcome…,” Yañez said. Yañez became interested in starting the organization because of the community service aspect of the group as she traces her roots back to Mexico. “It was definitely the community service, because like for me, I’m really attached to my roots, so for me coming
to the U.S., I just felt so grateful and blessed to be here in this country,” Yañez said. “So I knew that when I got to college there were sororities. But for me, I never really felt like I was interested in them for one or another reason. But just hearing about them and hearing that it was going to start here was going to be fresh, there’s definitely going to be time to focus on the parts that I like, like community service.” Melcher like the idea of the organization for the multicultural aspect of it. “For me, I really like the multicultural aspect of it because I grew up in a multicultural family and in Commerce I didn’t really see many multicultural groups I really felt like I belonged with,” Melcher said. R.O.S.A.S recently paired up with the Muslim Student Association in an event to learn more about both groups at the Campus Crossroads. “I thought it would be something re-
ally meaningful to the school,” Yañez said. “I know that some students may have some misconceptions about Muslim students and so we wanted to clear up those misconceptions. We just wanted to show what we’re about and what they’re about.” As a new organization, the group has difficulties raising funds as they are still largely unknown around the university, but that has not stopped them from working towards their goals. “That’s one of the limitations for us, since we’re a new student organization, we are not getting any funds and that’s another reason we haven’t been able to do as much as we would like to,” Yañez said. “We’re still pretty much unknown, but so far I think that we’ve been able to establish a bond and we need to work more on those things since we’re just now getting here.”
Future Farmers of America career development for area high schools Todd K leiboer Web Editor Over 2,000 agriculturally-minded high school students participated in the Area 5 and 6 Texas FFA Career Development Events (CDEs) across Northeast Texas on April 12, and six events were held on the Texas A&M University-Commerce campus while four were held at the Sulphur Springs Civic Center. “The programs within the high schools across the United States for vocational or FFA students take the curriculum to help them prepare for various careers in agriculture,” School of Agriculture Director Dr. Randy Harp said. “[The events] run the gamut from Agricultural Sales to Marketing to Farm Business Management to Livestock Evaluation to Floriculture.” Areas 5 and 6 represent schools from as west as Texarkana and as far east as Decatur, and the 2,000 students that participated locally are only a fraction of the number students participating in all 27 events to qualif y for the State contest. “Texas is so large with its number of students that if every student in Texas that participates in these events went to the state contest, it would be unmanageable,” Dr. Harp said. “We have ten different Areas that divide Texas, and the top 15% of the students in these Area contests will then
qualif y for the State contest.” The university hosted the Floriculture and Landscape competitions in the Field House; the Agricultural Sales and Veterinary Science in the Rayburn Student Center; and Agricultural Mechanics and Farm Business Management was held in the Agriculture/Engineering Building. “[The CDEs] teach competition and also promotes teamwork,” Dr. Harp said. “It also promotes the students’ devotion to something, engaging in something that may lead into one of their careers. It also provides the high school students an opportunity to learn more responsibility, dedication, and discipline.” However, the hosting of these CDEs is mutually beneficial for both the high school students and the university as the students are exposed to a university that they might possibly attend after graduation. “These two service areas are extremely huge and are a big portion of Texas A&M-Commerce’s service area,”Dr. Harp said. “If we could bring all of those students from all those places onto the campus in one day and service them for 10 contests, then we’ve hit a homerun in terms of bringing them on-campus and giving them a positive experience. It’s tremendous as far as a recruitment tool.” The four other events - Livestock, Milk Quality, Poultry, and Dairy
TAMUC PHOTO
Cattle - were held at the Sulphur Springs Civic Center because the university currently does not have the facilities to manage those events, and some events such as Land Judging are held at community college partners like Northeast Texas Community
College.
“We want to be able to host all ten events at the university, but our facilities aren’t capable of handling it. That would also bring more students on-campus,” Dr.
Harp said. “We also don’t want to take anything any way from our community college partners because we want them to grow as well.”
Coming Soon to the University Playhouse
April 25-29 at 8 p.m. & April 30 at 3 p.m.
marketplace.tamuc.edu/boxoffice
Tickets & Info at 903-886-5900
Entertainment Double the Comedy PAGE 6
A PRIL 20, 2017
TAMUC’s Music Department will bring the laughter April 27th-30th Imogené Wofford Entertainment Editor During the last weekend of April, Texas A&M University-Commerce’s Department of Music will bring comedy to opera, with their two one act performances. Il Campanello Di Notte, an Italian number by Gaetano Donizetti that translates to The Night Bell, will be performed first in Italian; while The Impresario, a German number by W. A. Mozart that stands for a person who runs an opera company, will be performed in English. “I picked them because they’re both one acts and I wanted to do a double bill, they also have a small ensemble cast so that there are more leading roles for our students to participate in,” Dr. Jennifer Glidden, assistant professor of music, voice and opera, said. Both of the comedic shows will feature a double cast, which means there will be four performances; you are encouraged to go more than once to see a different cast. Il Campanello Di Notte is about an old apothecary, Don Annibale, who is married to a young girl named Serafina, who is being pursued by the Enrico, the Don Juan of the town. Enrico bounces from woman to woman but takes more of an interest in Serafina because he sees Don Annibale as his competition. “[Enrico] wants to make sure that she really does love her husband, but from a comedic point of view it makes for some interesting humor because he comes in as different people with different illnesses after the wedding day. He wants to keep the apothecary busy all night
13 Reasons Why stuns audiences to keep the couple from consummating their nuptials,” she said. The Impresario is more of a parody of what it’s like to run an opera company. “It has the quintessential jokes of the dueling sopranos, the old impresario who’s ready to retire, the new blood fighting to get into that spot, and the rich patron who thinks he can do a better job of running opera. It has a bunch of jokes of the industry so it makes for a really cute production,” she said. This evening of comedy will be held in Ferguson Auditorium, and run from April 27th to April 29th, beginning at 7:30 p.m. with a matinée April 30th at 3:00 p.m. “I hope that my students have fun…com-
municate and sing well…there are lots of technical demands in both shows…and I can’t wait to see them excel,” Dr. Glidden said. “They’re both really funny, and even though one is in a foreign language, the audience will understand what’s going on because there will be surtitles so that the audience doesn’t feel lost.” Both acts will be accompanied with an 18-piece orchestra that Dr. Randall Hooper, director of choirs and vocal activities, will conduct. Tickets will be $15 for adults, $10 for seniors and $5 for students. For more information, or to purchase tickets, call (903) 886-5303 or visit their website at www.tamuc. edu/music.
The top taco in town Managing editor, Alissa Silva, proclaims Taco Burrito Express as Commerce’s number one spot to fulfill your Mexican food cravings Alissa Silva Managing Editor Out of all the food places Commerce needed, you know we needed another Mexican restaurant! Located next to Pizza Hut and the Valero gas station on Live Oak Street, Taco Burrito Express is one of the newest additions to Commerce. This by far is my favorite place to fulfill my cravings for Mexican food in Commerce. Everything on their menu is made fresh! From their guacamole to horchata to their enchiladas. They believe in making everything daily and from scratch. My first experience with Taco Burrito Express was when my boyfriend had randomly brought me nachos. I fell in love with them and had to know where this place was! Once I opened their heavy door, I ordered my food at the front from the menu hanging above. The menu included breakfast, appetizers, specials, lunch, soups and salads, kids menu, and desserts. Sitting down at one of the booths, I noticed all the changes they made since it was once a buffet restaurant. The freshly painted textured tan walls are now filled with images of their food and perfectly fitting decorations, and the old buffet is now a counter separating the kitchen from the dining area where the customer can see their food being handled while fun music plays in the background from a music video flashing on the television hanging in the corner, and then, I saw it…the horchata and jalapeno ranch next to salsa, tea, silverware, and Mexican cokes. After calling my name to pick up
from the counter, I received the nachos I had the other day- they were so good I had to have them again before trying anything else! About ten homemade chips individually covered in refried beans, well-seasoned ground beef, queso fresco cheese and melted under a food heater to perfection. On the side comes with lettuce, pico de gallo, guac, and sour cream. I added some of the creamy mild jalapeno ranch and went to heaven and back for a minute. When I say this, I now always bring extra home for any and everything. I had to add salt and pepper to the guac but figured that was better than receiving overly seasoned guac. I honestly went back for the same things four times before trying something else because it was that good, people! I was in the mood for some street tacos and wanted to try theirs to see if they could match my high expectations- coming from California, street tacos are no joke. And neither were Taco Burrito Express’. The taco came out presented on a small corn tortilla, steak, and onions, cilantro and lime on the side. After tasting the taco, I decided it was the best version of a street taco I have found in Commerce. It wasn’t dry and had that authentic flavor. With my previous experiences, I wanted to bring friends and see if it was just me. We
ordered an appetizer of queso that came with chips. As a big item that attracts customers, the chips were seasoned well and had that fresh chip crunch. The yellow queso was hot and even better when covered on everything else! Changing it up, my plate consisted of a beef enchilada covered in sour cream sauce with rice and refried beans. I ate everything off my plate, something I always have a hard time doing. The enchilada was cooked perfectly and fresh, the sauce, the meat, the tortilla. It was refreshing. The rice and beans were good but nothing special. Overall, every experience I’ve had with Taco Burrito Express is great. When they first opened up and were busy, the cashier had great customer service and made sure to take care of everyone. I plan on going back when I’m craving something saucy, especially with those $1 drinks with meal and jalapeno ranch. I hope as your reading this, your mouth starts to water and your stomach starts to rumble so that you can take a trip, if you haven’t, to Taco Burrito Express. Order the nachos, the street tacos or even the beef enchiladas! No matter what you order, I promise you won’t be disappointed and you’ll love every bite. And don’t forget the creamy jalapeno ranch!
Moge’s Movies Free Fire
Opinion editor, Alex Medrano, talks about how one of Netflix’s new series, 13 Reasons Why, is touching audiences everywhere and discussing topics that sometimes get wept under the rug Alex Medrano
Opinion Editor 13 Reasons Why struck a chord with America, or at least the America that has been showing up on my social media timeline. The basis of the story is a teenage girl who committed suicide and subsequently left 13 tapes for 13 people explaining the 13 reasons why she died and how they contributed to her death. It was refreshing to see a show that combined the superficiality of high school and the vindictive behavior of people in general. 13 Reasons Why pulls you in to see several sides of the story along with the background information. Everyone gets the chance to explain what he or she did and tries to not villainize or criticize (besides the rapist). Even the stalker gets leeway from the audience through sympathy and understanding of his own bullying situation. The show addresses critical issues in today’s youth, hitting on subjects such as suicide, rape, substance abuse, parenting issues, depression, bullying, stalking, financial turmoil, emotional abuse, an actual representation of a high school party, lack of supervision, key issues with what’s wrong with high schools, why people are still frightened to come out of the closet although it’s 2017, and the difficulty with relationships whether friendly or romantic. The female objectification was easily my favorite portrayal. 13 Reasons Why perfectly demonstrated how many view a woman’s worth, how people thought it was merely a compliment to be constantly harassed because someone had a broadcasted ‘good ass’. It’s a lesson many men need to be taught and still some women need to find. A big reason why America has found it so paramount could be because this story, or these events, happens. Most of us know someone who has been raped or who went through sexual abuse, especially in college. The Association of American Universities found that one in four women are sexually assaulted. That means in a classroom of 20, there are five women whose bodies have been violated. The show did not just skim over the issue but dove into it and took a look into the aftereffects, how that can tear someone down, as well as the consistency of it happening. 13 Reasons did not shy away from the messy contents but showed how it impacts the victims by destroying relationships to changing behaviors to substance abuse. The entire backbone comes from a girl who committed suicide and how people’s actions affect others. According to American Foundation for Suicide Prevention one in every 25 teens have attempted suicide; it is the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. It makes a foreign concept familiar and understandable; it allows someone who never understood the concept of killing yourself more relatable (which could be good and create compassion or bad and create a picturesque look). There were flaws that received backlash such as the good-looking cast, dramatics and romanticizing of suicide; but it got the message across. People are talking about it; people are analyzing the actions of the show and possibly themselves.
Entertanment editor’s choice movies to see this weekend.
Pheonix Forgotten
Unforgettable
Action/Adventure
Horror
Suspense/Thriller
Brie Larson, Cillian Murphy
Chelsea Lopez, Matt Biedel
Katherine Heigl, Rosario Dawson
An illegal gun swap turns into a heart-stopping game of survival.
Footage from the night three teens disappeared surfaces 20 yrs later.
An ex-wife’s jealousy makes it hard for the new wife to settle into her stepmother role.
A PRIL 20, 2017
PAGE 7
finalscore
hotshot
16-1
44
The Tarleton Texans run over the UT-PB Falcons as they scored a season-high 16 runs to finish over a sweep of UT-PB
Number of birdies by A&M-C’s Anya Anders, tying a school record, that was added to last week with 7 at the Mustang Intercolliegate.
Outdoor Track and Field
Softball
Cameron, Midwestern capture LSC titles
Team Angelo State West Texas A&M Cameron Texas Woman’s A&M-Commerce Tarleton State A&M-Kingsville East. New Mexico Midwestern State UT-Permian Basin West. New Mexico
Conf. Overall 21-3 44-4 19-5 34-7 17-6 29-15 14-9 26-16 14-10 30-15 13-11 29-17 11-11 22-21 10-17 18-33 9-18 18-25 5-19 8-36 0-24 1-41
Individual Leaders Batting Average
Player
AVG
Nicole Nordie (TWU)
.478
Shea Ibrahim (WT)
.474
V. Schoonard-S. (A&M-K)
.454
Megan Gordon (ASU)
.444
Ashley Hardin (WT)
.435
Earned Run Average Player
ERA
Kenedy Urbany (ASU)
1.06
Brandy Marlett (ASU)
1.20
Kilee Halbert (WT)
1.58
Kinsie Hebler (A&M-C)
2.15
Haley Freyman (TSU)
2.55
Double Plays Player
Arlington, Texas. The women’s field includes six teams - MSU, Cameron, Tarleton State, Texas A&M-Kingsville, UT Permian Basin, and Western New Mexico. CU is joined by WNMU, MSU and UTPB in the men’s tournament. Action starts Friday, April 21, with the women’s quarterfinals at 10 a.m. followed by the men’s semifinals at 2 p.m. and women’s semifinals at 6 p.m.
From LSC Reports The Midwestern State women and Cameron men claimed the Lone Star Conference titles to earn the top seeds heading into this week’s tennis championship. MSU was a perfect 5-0 in conference play to pick up its third LSC crown, while CU finished 3-0 to earn its third league title. The LSC Tennis Championship will take place April 21-22 at the Arlington Tennis Center in
Both the men’s and women’s championship games will be played Saturday, April 22 starting at 10 a.m. The tournament format is nine-point matches with three, eight-game Pro Sets being used for doubles and six best of threesets being used for singles. Six courts will be assigned to each match. All singles matches will start 10 minutes after the doubles are completed. The match will stop when one team reaches 5
P l ay e r s of t h e We e k Tennis
MEN’S: Vinicius Santos, Cameron
WOMEN’S: Greta Lazzarotto, MSU
PHOTO COURTESY/JAVIER MORALES VIA FLICKR points. 4-5 winner WOMEN’S TENNIS WOMEN’S SEMIFINALS: CHAMPIONSHIP No. 2 Cameron vs. SCHEDULE 3-6 winner Friday, April 21, 2017 LSC MEN’S TENNIS WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP QUARTERFINALS: SCHEDULE No. 3 Tarleton State vs. Friday, April 21, 2017 No. 6 Western New Mexico MEN’S SEMIFINALS: No. 4 Texas A&M-Kingsville vs. No. 1 Cameron vs. No. 5 UT Permian Basin No. 4 UT Permian Basin MEN’S SEMIFINALS: WOMEN’S SEMIFINALS: No. 2 Western New Mexico vs. No. 1 Midwestern State vs. No. 3 Midwestern State
Score Recap Softball: Italics denote winner of series/game April 13th West. New Mexico AT A&M-Commerce
11-1, 9-0
9-1 in singles
Texas Woman’s AT Midwestern State
5-4
2-1 in doubles
5-0 in doubles
East. New Mexico AT A&M-Kingsville
8-0
at
ranked golfers at
County,
WT Invitational
Midwestern
Golf
MEN’S: Jared Baker, Midwestern
7 under par,
April 14th
first place
East. New Mexico AT A&M-Kingsville (2-0)
14-3, 3-0
Texas Woman’s AT Midwestern State (2-0)
10-8, 14-4
West. New Mexico AT A&M-Commerce (2-0)
10-1, 5-0 6-0, 7-5
April 15th 13-3
West Texas A&M AT Cameron (2-0)
12-2, 16-1
Lion Classic
HITTER: Shea Ibrahim, WT
UT-Permian Basin AT Tarleton State (2-0)
14-2
East. New Mexico AT A&M-Kingsville
8-1
2 shutouts 3 homeruns
.37 ERA
.692 average
against
against
TAMUI
A&M-C
& Midwestern
Men’s Track & Field Schedule
April 21st Jacobs Invitational Lubb. Christian Bobcat Twilight A&M-Commerce April 22nd WT Quad Meet West Texas A&M East. New Mexico
Michael Johnson Classic Tarleton State Angelo State
Women’s Track & Field April 21st Jacobs Invitational Lubb. Christian Bobcat Twilight A&M-Commerce April 22nd WT Quad Meet West Texas A&M East. New Mexico
Schedule
Individual Leaders Batting Average AVG
Levi Zents (AM-K)
.451
Alex De La Cruz (ENMU)
.440
Micah Kaaukai (CAM)
.413
Nick Canas (WT)
.400
Stacy Heinatz (TSU)
.393
ERA Player
ERA
Marshall Kawowski (WT)
1.91 2.28
Nathan Hickey (TSU)
2.32
Joshua Payne (WT)
2.52
Keenan Dodd (ENMU)
2.70 DPs
Jimmy Roche (A&M-K)
22
Jonathan Soberanes (ASU)
21
Jay Gonzales (ASU)
18
Aaron Vallance (WT)
16
Jose Reyes (TSU)
15
Texas A&M International AT Angelo State
April 21st A&M-Kingsville AT UT-PB 8-6, 8-7 Tarleton AT West Texas A&M 10-8, 4-1 Angelo AT ENMU April 22nd Cancelled A&M-Kingsville AT UT-PB (DH) 6-0, 10-3 Angelo AT ENMU (DH) Tarleton AT West Texas A&M (DH) April 23rd Tarleton AT West Texas 6-4 A&M-Kingsville AT UT-PB Angelo State AT ENMU 5-2
UT-Permian Basin AT Tarleton State
16-1
West Texas A&M AT Cameron (1-1)
6-5, 7-4
East. New Mexico AT A&M-Kingsville (2-0) West Texas A&M AT Cameron Texas A&M International AT Angelo State (2-0)
April 15th East. New Mexico AT A&M-Kingsville
Men’s Golf Schedule
April 24-25th Lone Star Conference Championship All LSC Member Schools
Michael Johnson Classic Tarleton State Angelo State
Team Conf. Overall A&M-Kingsville 10-2 24-10 West Texas A&M 8-2 27-9 Angelo State 8-3 29-8 Cameron 5-7 24-15 Tarleton State 6-9 23-17 East. New Mexico 5-9 27-15 UT-Permian Basin 1-11 8-28
Schedule
UT-Permian Basin AT Tarleton State (2-0)
PITCHER: Brandy Marlett, ASU
11
Schedule
April 21st Cameron AT WNMU UT-PB AT Texas Woman’s (DH) A&M-Commerce AT Angelo State Midwestern AT Tarleton A&M-Kingsville AT West Texas A&M April 22nd UT-PB AT Texas Woman’s Cameron AT WNMU (DH) Midwestern AT Tarleton A&M-Commerce AT Angelo (DH) A&M-Kingsville AT West Texas A&M (DH)
Double Plays
April 14th
Softball
Megan Durante (TSU)
Player
April 13th
UA-Fort Smith
13
Susannah Chandler (ENMU) 13
Seth Hubert (A&M-K)
Angelo State AT UT-Permian Basin
Baseball: Italics denote winner of series/game
at
15
December Rivers (A&M-C)
Player
Angelo State AT UT-Permian Basin (2-0)
CO-WOMEN’S: Anya Anders (A&M-C), Casey Wild (TSU)
16
Kylee Moore (WT)
Baseball
6-0 in singles
Seward
DPs
Erikka Burke (ENMU)
Women’s Golf Schedule
April 24-25th Lone Star Conference Championship All LSC Member Schools
Page 8
April 20, 2017
Sports
Game schedule Apri l 21 -22 : Sof tba ll @ Angelo St ate ( Friday 6 p.m. / Saturday 1 p. m., 3 p. m. ) Ap ril 2 1-2 2: Tr ack, Bobcat Twi l igh t @ San Marcos April 24-25: Go lf, Lo ne Sta r Champ ionships in Frisc o
Golf
Softball
Lions outscore Mustangs 35-2 in four game sweep
PHOTO COURTESY/ LION ATHLETICS
Women’s golf places ninth Dareious Scott Staff reporter
Thomas Kent Staff Reporter The Texas A&M Un iversit y- C om merc e softball team got just what they needed in the form of a four game sweep of Western New Mexico, ending a threegame losing streak. The first inning of game one set the tone for the series as the Lions scored seven runs right out of the gate. Mariah Jameyson singled with the bases loaded bringing in the first run of the game. That was immediately followed by matching two-run doubles from Chelsea Slider and Cherie Jackson bringing the score to 5-0. When the Mustangs eventually managed their first out, it was a sacrifice fly off the bat of Johnna Sturm, which scored another run. The Lions scored their final run of the inning on a double play attempt by the Mustangs that was turned too slowly to get the speedy Baylea Higgs out at first. Western answered with a run in the top of the
second but unfortunately for them, it was one of only two runs they would score in the four games. A&MCommerce added four runs in the bottom of the second and then coasted. The game was ended in a run-rule after four and a half innings, 11-1. Kinsie Hebler earned the win. Game two was closer but only by a run as the Lions shutout the Mustangs 9-0. The game actually seemed close with the game holding steady at 2-0 in favor of A&M-Commerce until the fifth inning. Hebler, who started again in the circle, broke the game open with a two RBI double, scoring Ciera Nunez and Jordyn Sharp. She was then brought home by Slider on a single to left center field. The Lions added four more in the bottom of the sixth and earned their second consecutive run-rule on a walk-off two-run homer from Jameyson. Katie Dean, who took over in relief of Hebler in the third, earned her eleventh win of the
E AST TEXAN PHOTO/ EVAN LUECKE
season. The biggest inning of the series for the Lions came at the beginning of game three when they scored eight runs. Up 3-0 with the bases loaded, Head Coach Richie Bruister opted to have Vanessa Avina pinch hit for Tyler Oppenheim. The decision paid off in a big way when Avina hit a grand slam on the second pitch she saw, her first of her career. The bases were loaded again later in the inning and Hebler knocked in one more run, giving A&MCommerce an 8-0 lead. The bases loaded trend continued in the second when Mustang pitcher Lyana Waddell walked Sturm giving the Lions an insurance run. Both teams traded runs in the fourth before the game ended after the top of the fifth, 10-1. Courtnee Jones, who had missed some games with injury, earned the win bringing her record to 3-4 on the season. Game four was the only game that included a seventh
inning as the Lion bats cooled off a little bit. Hebler started for the third time in four games and helped her own cause by singling in the first to score Avina and advance Higgs to third base. Higgs then came home on a fielders choice from Slider to bring the score to 2-0. A&M-Commerce added two more runs in the bottom of the third and one in the sixth to give them a modest 5-0 win in comparison to the rest of the series. Dean recorded her third save and Hebler was given the win as her record rose to 10-2. This weekend the Lions, now 30-15 on the season, head to Angelo State for perhaps their toughest task yet. Angelo State, 44-4, have won nine straight dating back to March. The Rambelles are ranked first in the nation and will likely host the Lone Star Conference tournament at the end of the season. On Friday they play at 6 p.m. and on Saturday the first pitch of the double header will be at 1 p.m.
The Texas A&M University-Commerce women’s golf team placed ninth in their season finale at the Western New Mexico Mustang Intercollegiate Tuesday Apr. 11. The Lions finished the tournament with a total score of 620 shooting 307 in the first round and 313 in the second (+44). California Baptist finished first in the tournament with a 577 (+1) score and St. Edward’s Johany Rivera finished with the best score of the tournament with 141. Lions Jr. Anya Anders finished as the runner-up of the tournament behind
Rivera with her total shooting score of 142 (71-71, 2-under par). Anders’ performance was recorded as second 36-hole score below par in school history helping her receive Lone Star Conference Women’s Golfer of the Week. Anders had a total of seven birdies in the tournament which put her at 44 birdies for the season. Emily Taylor tied for 14th with 147; Makena Thomas tied for 69th with 161, Emily White tied for 92nd with 171, and Celeste Emeott finished 97th with her score of 175. The Lions next event will be the 2017 Lone Star Conference Championship at Frisco Lakes Golf Course on Apr. 24-25.
E AST TEXAN PHOTO/ EVAN LUECKE
Track and Field
Lions roll to team titles at East Texas Invitational Lion Athletics The Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s and women’s track and field teams each claimed the team championship at the 2017 East Texas Invitational at Memorial Stadium on Saturday. The Lion women won with 298.5 points, with Tarleton State coming in second place with 125 points. The Lion men won with 275 points, followed by Texas A&M-Kingsville in second with 120 points. The highlight of the meet was the men’s 4x100 meter relay, where the A&M-Commerce team of Isaiah McFail, Reggie Kincade, Malcolm Woods, and Devon Sanders established the new best time in Division II this season, winning the race with a time of 40.36 seconds. This mark is 1/100th of a second faster than the previous best time this season in the division. The women’s 4x100 meter relay team of Mackenzie Clark, Joy Spann, Ashlynn Giles, and Courtlyn Gant also recorded an NCAA provisional qualifying time, winning the event in 46.74 seconds. Gage Bowles won both the men’s triple jump (15.45m) and long jump (7.40m). His triple jump mark is a new season best, tied with teammate DeVontae Steele for sixth nationally. Kellon Alexis won the
men’s discus throw at 55.28m, while Joseph Brown improved his NCAA provisional qualifying mark at 52.39m, which ranks in the top 10 nationally. Chase Graham won the men’s hammer throw at 57.71m. Turner Pool won the men’s 5,000 meters in a time of 14:57.62. Edwin Aparicio was the top placer in the men’s 10,000 meters in 33:44.90 to close out the night. Devon Sanders won the men’s 200 meters with a time of 21.50 seconds. Austin Yaeger was the top placer in the men’s 800 meters with a time of 1:53.11, and Steeven Martinez won the 3,000 meter steeplechase in 10:23.70. Anitial’a Robins won the women’s discus and improved her NCAA provisional qualifying mark with a heave of 46.51m. Jasmine Roberts took the championship in the women’s triple jump at 12.19m. Markie Abbott won the women’s high jump at 1.67m. Alexandra VanSickle won the women’s shot put with a toss of 14.07m. Kati Culpepper won the women’s javelin throw with a throw of 34.15m. Brandi Stalder won the women’s 10,000 meters in 38:45.97. Mackenzie Clark won the women’s 100 meters, improving her NCAA provisional qualifying mark to 11.89 seconds, while Ashlynn Giles earned a provisional mark as the runner-up at 11.98 seconds. Verlencia Shaw won the women’s 200 meters with a
time of 24.76 seconds. Ashley Bassett won the women’s 400 meter hurdles with a season best and improved NCAA provisional qualifying mark of 1:00.35. Jessica Clay won the women’s 100 meter hurdles at 14.45 seconds, as the Lions took the top seven places in that event. UT Tyler’s Whitney Simmons bested her own facility record in the women’s hammer throw with a distance of 62.56 meters. The Northwestern State women’s 4x400 meter relay team of Natashia Jackson, Daeshon Gordon, Madison Morton, and Tamara Style set a new Memorial Stadium record at 3:42.83.
E AST TEXAN PHOTO/ EVAN LUECKE
The Lions are next in action on April 21-22 in San Marcos at the Texas State Bobcat Twilight.