The East Texan Nov. 8, 2016
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Celebrating 100 years of The East Texan
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2600 S. Neal Commerce, Texas 75429
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Shuttle makes 14 stops to better serve students By Cynthia Rios The idea of providing a shuttle bus service for students to get around
campus has been talked about for years. Director of Safety and Risk Management Derek Preas,
said that no one actually acted on the ideas until just three years ago. Although the program does not have any dedicated shuttles,
for the time being, four student transportation buses have been used for the services as well as occasionally a golf cart to help assist injured students or students with disabilities.
“We’ll pick you up...”
...Derek Preas
Hard work, preparation for cheer squad By Kyle Hall
The members of the Texas A&M University-Commerce cheer squad prepared for homecoming like any other team: hard work, dedication and practice. Under the coaching of Head Coach Kelsey Cooper and assistant coach Kyle Hall, the cheer squad prepared with hard practices with everything they will do at the game. “Our practices included tumbling and stunting and building pyramids,” Cooper said. “Throwing people in the air and lifting and holding them there is not as easy as it looks, but that’s our job. To make it look easy.” When preparing for homecoming, the cheer team traveled back in time to form a multi-generational experience for the crowd. “We will be wearing uniforms from years past at the homecoming game and we will
also be doing some pyramids that they use to do,” Cooper said. “Some of the uniforms are cute and I wish we still wore them. And some of them, well, I don’t think we would be wearing them today.” Cooper said, “The pyramids that they did back then were amazing. They require a lot of core strength and skill and I’m happy that our squad can do them and show what cheerleaders could do.” Cooper wasn’t the only one that liked the throwback idea. Veteran on the team Jonathan Villegas, said, “I liked the idea of old school stunts, even though we could have done more, and I liked the uniforms.” When homecoming comes around each year, it is time for the members of the cheer squad to show off new skills to the alumni. “I think we impressed the cheer alumni and showed off new skills,” Villegas said. “The program is better than it has been
in the past in regards to what we’re all about and skill level.” “It really helps that we have great coaches,” Villegas said. “They know what they are doing and what they are talking about. Our assistant coach, Kyle, has really helped me and others gain other skills.” Being on the team isn’t as easy as it seems. “We are in the weight room just like any other sport to get stronger,” Villegas said. “We are literally throwing people in the air and they flip and then we catch them. Yes, people get hurt all the time, even when we go out and cheer for the games, but the show must go on. We take a small break then get back to it.” Student Kimmie Thompson said, “The cheer team did awesome. I really liked the uniforms and everything they brought to the homecoming game.”
“Those with mobility issues, we try to meet that need,” Preas said. “We also have two busses with lifts.” Besides providing the basic service of transporting students to different buildings, the shuttle offers three different services. The general shuttle service Mondays through Fridays which has 15 identified stops on campus. “We’ll pick you up at a stop and take you to whatever building on campus that you need to go to,” Preas said. There is also an evening shuttle bus service active from 4-8 p.m., Mondays through Thursday’s that take students to Walmart, Dollar General, Brookshires, and Family Dollar. For those students who have classes off the main campus, for example the Dallas campus, there is also a shuttle provided for them when needed. The shuttle service is staffed by nine drivers. For some time the university did cover the funds for the services, “to see if there was actually a need,” Preas said. “A couple of surveys went out to students and a couple talks went out to students and the majority of the students said yes, we should pay for this, we want these services.” So currently, the services are being covered in students tuition costs. To Preas’ surprise, the shuttle services have actually been more successful than he expected. “I didn’t think it had a chance,” Preas said. “If you look at our campus.” Preas believes that by no means is the program as successful as it can be but does think it has greater potential. “I have great hopes for this program. I think it is going to take a couple of years for it to get off and be utilized to its full potential,” Preas said, “but overall, I think its been successful.”
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The East Texan
Nov. 8, 2016
Fuentes pursuing her American Dream of going
‘I want to help my community and everyone who helped me when I By Acacia Munoz
Texas A&M UniversityCommerce freshman, Nayeli Fuentes, is the proud Hispanic woman she is today thanks to her family and faith. Fuentes is a familyorientated Catholic from Mount Pleasant, Texas. Not only did she graduate as Mount Pleasant High School’s Valedictorian of the Class of 2016, but Fuentes also was Student Council president, National Honor Society vice president, member of the drill team, National Technical Honor Society, Future Business Leaders of America, and University Interscholastic League Math Team. “I was really active in high school,” Fuentes said. Her dad, Jose Luis Fuentes, is the director of the youth choir at St. Michael’s Catholic Church, so she sang in the choir at Sunday mass. Fuentes volunteered at the church on Dec. 12 for the celebration of the Virgin Mary and sang in the choir on Christmas Eve from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. “All of this keep me and my family together,” Fuentes said. “I would go to all the church retreats. Whenever I couldn’t attend one it was because of the activities I had in school.” Fuentes never thought of doing anything after high school except going to college. Early in her senior year, she planned to go to the University of Texas at Dallas. She received the Terry Scholarship which provided her a full ride. However, in late February 2016, A&M-Commerce’s Hispanic Outreach Program visited her high school. Dr. Fred Fuentes, Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management for Hispanic Outreach & Retention, and Julian Sanchez, Coordinator of Hispanic Outreach & Retention, tried to convince Fuentes to visit the university. “I told them I couldn’t because I already had a full ride at UT Dallas, but they insisted,” Fuentes said. “I came to Commerce for the visit and fell in love.” She tried applying for the Honors Program to receive a full ride, but the deadline had already passed. As a result, Dr. Fuentes set out a plan that would give her a full ride at A&M-Commerce. “I noticed that they actually cared about me,” Fuentes said. “I was just one student out of everyone else who they really cared about, so I had to come here.” Fuentes’ parents supported her decision because they only
Nov. 8, 2016
The East Texan
to med school, becoming a doctor
I needed help. I want to put myself out there.’ wanted her to attend college. The only exception was not to go too far and Fuentes agreed, because she wanted to stay really close to them. “Everyone in my family has a Commerce shirt,” Fuentes said. “They’re even coming to the homecoming game.” After arriving at A&MCommerce, Fuentes felt homesick. Even though she had her roommate and a few friends, she felt alone. Her parents always encouraged her to listen to Spanish Catholic music when she felt alone, so Fuentes immediately went on YouTube and listened to a full playlist of Catholic music. “I got the chills and felt like crying,” Fuentes said. “I felt like God was there, so I knew everything was going to be okay.” Fuentes and her parents feared she would lose her faith in college as many other Latin Americans do. She surprised them by joining the Catholic Student Organization on campus. Continuing her faith away from home was a big change. Fuentes was used to going
to Spanish mass at St. Michael’s, so she found the English mass at St Joseph Catholic Church in Commerce, Texas different. “I told my mom how we don’t kiss our lips after the sign of the cross and she was like oh my god,” Fuentes said. “It’s a pretty big deal for my Hispanic family and church. I knew it was going to take a while to get used to the new parish, but everyone at St. Joseph was so welcoming.” She encourages anyone who is doubting in their faith to go the church and sit there in silence as it has helped her before. Fuentes has not only faced challenges with her faith but she also encountered challenges based on her ethnicity on campus. She has seen people staring at her and even asked questions such as, “Are you legal here? Are you able to vote? Are you going to vote?” She feels like people look down on Hispanics. They think certain ethnicities are not capable of obtaining a bachelor’s degree, but she is here to prove them
Health Sevices offers care By Alex Medrano
Texas A&M University-Commerce extends health care benefits to current students, faculty and through Student Health Services. This includes acute care and injuries, allergy injections, birth control, EKG’s, immunizations, flu shots, TB testing, labs, minor surgical procedures, physical exams, splints, STD/STI testing and treatment, stitches, wart treatment, women’s health, minor wound care, diabetic and smoking cessation classes, health related presentations and workshops, and free condoms. Student Health Services is located in Henderson Hall, behind the University Police Department and across from Prairie Crossing. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. Appointments are available Monday - Friday, 8:20 a.m.-4p.m. Closed from 12 p.m.- 1 p.m. Students are encouraged “to make appointments to cut down on wait times,” however the staff will do their best to see walk-in patients. Walk-in’s, although welcomed, may not guaranteed an appointment. To schedule an appointment, it is best to call 903-886-5853 Monday-Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. If an appointment can’t be kept, Student Health Services stresses to cancel the appointment before the scheduled time. There is a $10 fee if an appointment is not canceled, which is done to open up space for other needing patients. There are additional charges for labs, x-rays, minor procedures, etc. Patients who do not have insurance, will be responsible for additional charges such as x-rays and labs. Student Health Services accepts insurances including Student Health Insurance, Blue Cross and Blue Shield, United HealthCare, and Aetna Health Insurance. The Student Health Services emphasize that there are a few things to be sure to think about when considering health insurance. Some insurance plans terminate when the student reaches the age of attainment on a parent’s policy (meaning that they are no longer covered), the student gets married, the student becomes legally independent, or the student is studying abroad. You should also consider coverage areas and provider availability. The Texas A&M University System provides insurance if needed and for further information call, 1-877-624-7911.
wrong. Fuentes takes pride in being Hispanic. Even though she was born in the United States, she enjoys identifying herself as a Mexican. “I’m just really grateful I’m bilingual,” Fuentes said. “Spanish is a beautiful language.” She inspires others to embrace their ethnicity and not hide it. She wants Hispanics to stand up and prove society wrong. “Be proud of your ethnicity, even when others start looking at you.” Fuentes believes the American Dream is founded on a desire to succeed and better themselves from their origins. Everyone wants a better and safer environment, an education, and better resources for themselves and their family. “My American Dream is to go to med school to become a general practitioner and have enough money to help my parents when they get older,” Fuentes said. “I want to help my community and everyone who helped me when I needed help. I want to put myself out there.”
Ag ministry provides fellowship, worship By Courtney Norman
The agriculture ministry is providing fellowship and worship for students who may not have the opportunity while being away from home. The ministry consists of a group of students who are passionate about sharing their love for Christ.
The ministry began last spring and received a lot of student interest. Although, it mainly consists of students in the agriculture department, the group extends an invitation to all students. “A lot of times we have students who are away from home,” Derald Harp, professor of horticulture in the school of agriculture, said. “Some go home regularly, some don’t, but a good number of students are away from their home churches.”
Last semester, the ministry met every other Wednesdays in Room 255 in the agriculture building. The group is reconsidering dates, so that it can become more accessible to students. “This is a great opportunity for everybody across the entire university to come worship and to find fellowship,” Harp said. “This is what the organization is all about.”
EXTRA Songwriter showcase spotlights local talent By Alex Medrano
Every third Tuesday from 7 -9 p.m., Luigi’s holds an original songwriter showcase which allows anyone to sign up and sing two songs of original work. Matt Meinke and Brad Davis have been instrumental in trying to re-start the original songwriter showcase to highlight authentic work. The showcase started at Luigi’s a year ago and since then, the open mic sessions have not seen as many acts as anticipated for the offering of free pressing and on-air availability or as much student involvement. A huge opportunity for local artist is that the songs that selected to sing or play are recorded and put onto KETR, Matt Meinke’s Notably Texas from Noon- 3 p.m., which are played the upcoming Tuesday. The recorded versions of the songs are able to be released to the songwriter for free. Meinke said, “It’s an open mic for upcoming artists to have one of their songs recorded and played back on a 100,000 watt radio.” The station is able to play these originals because they are a public radio station, meaning that KETR does not have commercials but is supported through donations. “It helps us by giving us content to air that celebrates original song work. It creates an open relationship with the listener and helps us discover local artists,” Meinke said. Davis has been a part of the showcase since its beginnings at Cow Hill Express in downtown Commerce. He is a Grammy award-winner and promotes the originality of artists “I love hearing stuff raw, there is magic and energy in the rough,” Davis said. Both Meinke and Davis are big proponents of allowing new artists to do their own music and have come together to help singers, songwriters, and musicians be heard. “The only criteria is anyone can come, any music can be performed, but it has to be original. It gives someone a shot, a launching point,“ Meinke said.
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The East Texan
Nov. 8, 2016
Equestrian Club teams busy 3D printer opportunities By Spencer James Nelson Four Equestrian Club members at Texas A&M UniversityCommerce showed their horses at the AQHA World Show. “The Equestrian Club was a newly founded group in the spring of 2015,” Brooke Harris, equine supervisor, said. “The previous equine club (which was a different student organization) had a different mission than we did as the Equestrian Club.” The current equine club promotes networking to the future generation equine industry professionals, along with making a positive difference by creating a team environment, providing potential leadership opportunities and inspiring personal growth through equestrian activities. During practice, students work on their equation (body position) and horsemanship at least three times a week and workout at least twice a week. On the horse, students work on their riding patterns and jumping courses depending on their level of competition. Most of the judging contest are associated with AQHA (American Quarter Horse Association), the NRHA (National Reining Horse Association) and the NCHA (National Cutting Horse Association), with the competitions involving everything from conformation, to hunter hack, to roping. The horses are provided at competitions by the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association. In the IHSA, horses are shown through western horsemanship and reining for the western division and in the English division, huntseat equation on the flat and huntseat equation over fences. In previous competitions, several A&M-Commerce students have placed at competitions. At the competition, hosted at the University of Oklahoma in October, the equestrian club had four students take first in their respected competitions. Kenzie Kreig, took home first with Novice Flat B on both of the competition days, Karis Blankenship with Advance Walk Trot Canter, and Claire Dirickson with Beginner Walk Trot Canter. The competition hosted by West Texas A&M University resulted in Bethany Kizer going from the Intermediate 1 level to Intermediate 2 and Makayla Nelson qualifying for regionals in the spring as her final competition. During the fall semester, the horse judging team traveled to Columbus, Ohio to compete in the AQHA Quarter Horse Congress Youth and Collegiate Judging contest. Kris Blankenship and Christopher Hope competed individually in the limited division, placing in the top 10. Harris said the judging contest was the first for the five students who competed so they were more focused on the process of a horse judging contest rather than their scoring. The Equestrian Club has bi-weekly meetings in the equine center class room. Additional information is available on the club’s Facebook page, www.facebook.com/TAMUCEquestrianTeam/.
Plenty to do in Game Room The Game Room in the student center on the first floor where many activities happen and go on, is connected to The Club where students eat and socialize and where sororities and fraternities sometimes strut and play music. “The Game Room mostly consists of students, although there are some people who come that are not students like alumni and friends of students,” Achala Mahat, manager and faculty member, said. Students pay $2 an hour for all games and for students who do not have an ID or people that are not students pay $4 an hour for all games. An unlimited game and pool membership is $75 per semester for students. “The Game Room is a place where students can chill and relax after classes,” Mahat said. “There are four flat screen TV’s to play Xbox and PS4 with some of the newest games out, as well as three pool tables, and sitting areas around the room to study or watch the games going on.” The Game Room hosts tournaments for both pool and video games. “Fliers on campus are put out near the library, in walk ways on the center line, and outside of main buildings like the One Stop Shop,” Mahat said.
available in Gee Library By BJ Laudermilk
As technology continues to improve, college students now have more tools at their disposal to help them learn and grow. For students of Texas A&M University-Commerce, Gee Library offers students the ability to use a 3D printer. 3D printing has been an option in the library since last fall, but only on a trial basis. However; with the response to it being so positive, the library purchased their own 3D printer in August. The version bought, the PolyPrinter 229, can be purchased by anybody, should they have an extra $2,895. On-site service and the owner’s kit cost extra, running the total easily up to over $3,600. Tina Freeman, Library Assistant II – Technology Specialist, said that “any faculty, staff, or currently enrolled student [at A&M-Commerce]” can inquire about having a file printed. “You can create an .stl file, or download one free from the Internet, and request for it to be printed,” she said. “The file will then be sliced and a G-code file created, which will also determine the cost of the item.” From there you can pick the color and pay for the item and wait for it to be printed, as the item is placed on the 3D printing schedule. An email is then sent when the item is ready to be picked up. The ability to use a 3D printer can be beneficial to students and teachers alike, whether it be for personal reasons or useful in the classroom environment. “We have had faculty members create and print models for their classrooms, and even students have printed things such as dissection models of frogs and anatomy models,” she said. The process of creating something with the 3D printer starts with making a virtual design of the object you want to create. “It turns a whole object into thousands of tiny little slices, then makes it from the bottom-up, slice by slice,” Freeman said. “Those tiny layers then stick together to form a solid object.” Each layer can be very complex. It can even create moving parts like hinges and wheels as part of the same object. “Our 3D printer makes a 3-dimensional object by extruding a stream of heated or melted ABS (Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) material, which is carefully positioned layer upon layer, working from the bottom up on a heated bed set at 110 degrees,” she said. G-code is a numerical control computer language used by the 3D Polyprinter, telling it how to move. Without it, there would be no way for the computer to communicate where to deposit the filament during the fabrication process. “Once the G-code is created it can be sent to the 3D printer, providing a blueprint as to what its next several thousand moves will consist of,” she said. “These steps all add up to the complete 3D printed physical object, created and personalized by students, faculty and staff.” There are stipulations to using the 3D printer though. The printer has a 220mm limit, which means it can only print up to an 8 inch cube. No weapons such as guns or knives are allowed to be printed according to library policy. The addition of the 3D printer has revolutionized the way students will be able to learn and study in the future in many different fields. “It’s a great way for students to learn the principals of design,” she said. “Students pursuing a degree in the fields of education, architecture, fine arts or even biomedicine can benefit from this state-of-the-art technology.”
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The East Texan EXTRA is a section of the official student newspaper of Texas A&M University-Commerce, The East Texan. The EXTRA is published 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 EXTRA 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