The Bridge - April 2019

T E X A S

A & M

APRIL 2019 Printed by El Mañana in support of independent student writing

The Bridge

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

U N I V E R S I T Y

I N D E P E N D E N T

S T U D E N T

N E W S P A P E R

O P I N I O N

C A M P U S

S P O R T S

College bribes leave sour taste for most students

Academic Innovation nears completion

TAMIU softball maintains hope of championships

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YO-YO MA SEES BOTH LAREDOS

BY ALL AN RODRIGUEZ BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

YENSEY MURILLO | BRIDGE

World-famous cellist Yo-Yo Ma peforms on April 13 during one of his Laredo stops during his world tour.

Eighteen-time Grammy winner Yo-Yo Ma orchestrated some time in both Laredos on April 13, following his world tour performance in San Antonio. Ma is considered by many to be one of the greatest cellists of all time.

After a year of negotiations between ARTS of San Antonio and Ma, the cellist agreed to perform in San Antonio for his world tour called The Bach Project and participate in a Laredo event. With the theme “Culture is a Bridge,” the Day of Action was held April 13 at Tres Laredos Park. Following one of his Laredo peformances, he performed again in Nuevo Laredo.

Assistant Professor Brandan Townsend, music, was in discussion with Ma’s team, Sound Project, that coordinates Ma’s visits in different cities and designs the Day of Action.

“The whole point of Day of Action is to bring together different arts organizations, cultural activities and the community to create a community of cultural ambassadors attacking one or more projects that are relevant to the community,” Townsend said of Pachanga at the Park, the Saturday, April 13, event.

Ma has performed with artists from different cultures and backgrounds—and even for seven former U.S. presidents.

On Nov. 11, 2018, Ma performed in front of the world leaders at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris to mark the centenary of the World War I armistice.

“For a long time, he had a project called the Silkroad project,” Townsend said. “He kind of gathered a group of different musicians from along the different places: from China, from the Middle East, some from Iran and Iraq, and he just brought them all together.

SEE CELLIST, PAGE 2

Planetarium celebrates 14th anniversary

BY DALIL A FLO RES B R I D G E S TA F F W R I T E R

& ERESTINA VELA BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

VANESSA VALLARTA | BRIDGE

A line of students wait outside the Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium for one of the many showings in March.

The Lamar Bruni Vergara Planetarium’s 14th anniversary is here and Texas A&M International University celebrated it with a bang. What other place in Laredo features whales, roller coaster simulators, pandas and the galaxy coming to life before people’s eyes?

Along with numerous features throughout the month, “The Incredibles 2” was the icing on the cake for the celebration. On April 13, the planetarium opened its doors to the community and students to enjoy escapism and indulge in the dome within TAMIU’s distinctive 40-foot glass pyramid, topped with gold.

It has been a TAMIU landmark since 2005, offering 360-degree video viewing.

As one of TAMIU’s largest attractions, the planetarium’s birthday is a milestone for the University. According to the TAMIU website, this unique structure is named after a Laredo philanthropist and has become, “one of the most sophisticated planetariums in the state of Texas.”

Planetarium Director Peter Davis guided a showing of “Space Next” on March 11. The show about the history of the space race, the national space station and the future, was seen by a family from Dallas who were in town for a wedding. “[I enjoyed the] expandable surface area of the lunar modules and the space station,” Lisa Laclede of Dallas said.

Her daughter Robin Laclede said she enjoyed the educational aspect and learned, “how accurate they have to be to line up the different pods that come at different times, that attach to make a larger station.”

While most showings are educational, there are some featured theatrical films. On May 17, they will show the classic film, “Mean Girls.”

LBV Communication Specialist Alejandra Martinez, in her second year here, said she finds it rewarding to see people bring their families to enjoy the shows.

“Many people don’t know about the planetarium,” Martinez said. “[It’s TAMIU’s] hidden gem.”

She also said its purpose is to “celebrate the life and the legacy that Lamar Bruni Vergara left behind. Most of these programs are funded through the charity, through the program, through funds, to help and to outreach for education in Laredo. Planetariums are mostly located in bigger cities, so the presence of one in Laredo is something people should take advantage of.”

The pyramid is open throughout the week and has about two or three theatrical films showing each month. Adult tickets are $5, child tickets are $4, and students get discounted tickets for $2 with their TAMIU ID. During last year’s anniversary celebration, the planetarium showed Disney-Pixar’s “Coco.”

Martinez said the emotional impact from families coming to watch “Coco” nearly brought her to tears as they walked out, crying from the movie. For this year’s celebration, she hopes to bring in the crowd again with the family-friendly “Incredibles 2.”

“We want students to be excited about coming to the University,” Martinez said.

Diplomat teaches students about foreign service opportunities

BY KENNE TH JONES A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

Students had the opportunity to gain some insight into applying and working for the U.S. Department of State.

On March 19, Julie Kavanagh, the United States Department of State’s current diplomat in residence for Texas, came to Texas A&M International University to provide interested students with information on working in foreign or civil service. Her office is based in the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin.

Being one of 16 diplomats in residence throughout the country, Kavanagh is responsible for guiding people in Texas who are interested in a career with the Department of State, which led to her TAMIU visit.

Kavanagh began her presentation by explaining the two main career groups in the Department of State, foreign and civil service. “Civil service are those [who] work … domestically here in SEE DIPLOMAT, PAGE 2

YENSEY MURILLO | BRIDGE

U.S. Department of State Diplomat in Residence Julie Kavanagh speaks to students about foreign service.

2 | News

April 2019

CELLIST

“I was astonished—at first, it was unbelievable,” Aguilar said.

“I started playing the cello when I was around 11 or 12 years old … I know he was the first professional cellist that I would look at, as far as learning my own pieces.”

FROM PAGE 1 Junior Justin Reagan first met Ma during his junior year of high school after his former music conductor organized a trip to They created music that was kind of a crossover from one cul- go see the famous cellist at the Schermerhorn in Nashville.

“We had posters saying, ‘Can we have a picture with you?’” ture to another and it’s because of that sort of interest in diversity Regan recalled. “When he turned around, he saw it and asked us and interest in world cultures that makes him such an artist that to go backstage.

I got to meet him personally, as well as the whole goes beyond just playing classical music all the time.” orchestra.”

Several Texas A&M International University cellists are exMa’s Bach Project world cited, surprised and inspired tour was in San Antonio on about Yo-Yo Ma’s upcoming April 12; it was live-streamed “I’m excited.

That was really visit. at the Center for the Fine “[I’m] excited,” freshman unexpected.

I mean—Laredo ...” and Performing Arts Recital cellist Melissa Irigoyen said.

Hall.

—Melissa Irigoyen “That was really unexpected.

On April 13, Ma gave freshman cellist I mean—Laredo—people aloutdoor performances in ready have this assumption that both Laredos for the Day of nothing really happens here.

Action festivities.

Hundreds of people were present for his perThere is no exposure to music and a lot of people do not have an formance at Tres Laredos Park.Initially, his plan was to peform understanding of what classical music really is or how everybody on the bridge exactly at the U.S.-Mexico border; since this was can enjoy it ... so that thought of him actually being here was not allowed, he performed on both sides of the bridge. exciting because I thought this could never happen. This is imAfter returning from Nuevo Laredo’s main artery, Avenida possible—I was shocked at first.”

Guerrero, he performed again with the Laredo Philharmonic Sophomore Dante Aguilar said he was surprised to learn of during Earth Day Fest.

Ma’s forthcoming Laredo visit.

JASON BELL | COURTESY YO-YOMA.COM

Yo-Yo Ma’s hands show his professional expertise with the cello as he handles the bow. This image is also part of the “Six Evolutions” album artwork.

MOVE TEXAS VISITS TAMIU, RECRUITS YOUNG VOTERS

BY MIGUEL M ARISCAL BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

YENSEY MURILLO | BRIDGE

Victoria Sandoval, left, and Cecy Jimenez, both volunteers with Move Texas, recruit new student voters April 4 in the breezeway on campus.

Historically speaking, young voter turnout is nearly always low but one Texas organization would like to change that.

According to the Texas Tribune website, voters from 18 to 24 make up 27.3 percent of the polls. The age group with the lowest turnout is predominantly college age. To prevent this, Move Texas steps up to the plate.

Move Texas is a large group that helps young people enter the political spectrum. Texas A&M International University student Krystel Castillo is one of the organization’s many volunteers and serves as a field worker.

“Move Texas is a non-profit, non-partisan organization that basically sets up students to get politically engaged—usually by means of voter registration,” Castillo said. “[We] also have an issue advocacy branch that deals more with policies and with local government.”

For instance, sophomore political science major Jesus Gonzalez said he was unaware of last November’s local elections.

“Two volunteers helped me get involved in the local elections that I didn’t even know about.” Gonzalez said.

DIPLOMAT

of what we do are enormously gratifying and incredibly important,” she said.

Kavanagh then explained how students interested in this type FROM PAGE 1 of work can get into it. First, she mentioned internships, but only for those immediately planning to go to graduate school, since students must be continuing students to have an internship.

Kavanagh then moved on to fellowships, specifically menthe United States. Most of those jobs are in Washington, D.C., tioning the Rangel Fellowship and the Pickering Fellowship. [but others] are across the country,” she said.

On the other hand, “In the foreign service, you represent the Unlike internships, students do not have to immediately go to graduate school to be eligible United States overseas in emfor a fellowship. bassies and consulates,” said “We’ll pay for you to get Kavanagh, who has served as “... the public service aspects a master’s degree … and then a foreign service officer since of what we do are enormously we’ll bring you into the State 1990.

Department as a foreign serTo give the audience some gratifying and incredibly vice officer for at least five examples of what a foreign important.” years,” Kavanagh said about service officer does, Kavanathe fellowships. ugh then described some of Kavanagh then explained the work she accomplished —Julie Kavanagh the Consular Fellows proabroad, such as rescuing U.S. Department of State diplomat gram, an entry-level, five-year U.S. citizens in Taiwan after paid position in the foreign an earthquake and being in charge of U.S. government presence in the 2014 Winter Olym- service, followed by an explanation of the differences between foreign service generalists and specialists. “Specialists look inward pics in Sochi, Russia. to … keep embassies running [while] generalists … look outward After explaining more about working for the Department of to the foreign public or government,” Kavanagh said.

State, Kavanagh discussed the importance of foreign service.

Kavanagh ended the presentation discussing the application “I was not driven [to work in foreign service] by any desire for process, which involves demonstrating professional knowledge public service, … that was not my motivation. Now I stand here, 29 years into it, and I will tell you that the public service aspects in one of a certain number of languages, including Spanish.

In addition, TAMIU students have the option to register to vote on campus through Move Texas. This organization can help them save time, which is important because of busy schedules.

“I thought I didn’t have time to register to vote because I work long hours and come to school,” Gonzalez said. “That means I don’t have that much time to register but when I spoke to the Vote Texas volunteers they helped me register right there and it only took me about five minutes to do it. Now I didn’t have to go outside my busy schedule to register.”

Equally important, the young Hispanic vote is part of the typically low turnout at the polls.

“The majority of people in office are older men,” Castillo said.

“They are not our age. They don’t think the same as us [younger generation]. They are mostly thinking of themselves.

“Laredo has a very low voting turnout, in general Texas has a low voting turnout and we want our voices to be heard.”

Move Texas also offers a comprehensive service. “[Move Texas] gave me information about the local election and gave me a flier,” Gonzalez said. “It was about FAQs and why it’s important for young people to vote on every kind of election.

Going back to how the girl helped me, I asked something and she couldn’t give me an answer so she called someone else and she gave me the answer to my question.”

YENSEY MURILLO | BRIDGE

U.S. diplomat Julie Kavanagh speaks about foreign service opportunities at TAMIU on March 19.

April 2019

Opinion | 3

THOMAS CRUZ | SPECIAL TO THE BRIDGE

BY KENNE TH JONES A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

EDITOR’S POINT OF VIEW Now more than ever, artists in music, film and television are being accused of heinous crimes, typically related to sexual abuse in most cases. Whether true or not, the accusations will likely stay with the artist throughout their life and career.

With that comes the question of what to do with the works of these disgraced artists. Many believe these works should be removed from public view.

For example, singer Lady Gaga recorded the song “Do What U Want” featuring singer R. Kelly for her 2013 album “Artpop.”

Following the allegations of sexual abuse against Kelly and his fall from audience favor, Gaga removed the song from all digital releases and streaming services of “Artpop.”

Gaga’s intention in removing the song was because she regretted working with Kelly. Even though she hoped listeners would not be able to hear the song again, she actually created the opposite effect with her announcement to remove the song.

Despite artist intent, censoring leads to increased interest On Jan. 10, the day of its removal, sales of the song rose 13,720 percent in the United States according to sales reports from Nielsen Music, which would have likely increased further had it not been removed.

“It is always up to the audience to decide what they want to listen to or watch.

If censorship is forced ... that will not stop people ...”

Trying to censor works by controversial artists is not the way to get people to stop listening them. Most likely, many fans of the song or those just out of curiosity will still find ways to hear it despite Gaga removing it.

T E X A S A & M I NT E R N AT I O N A L U N I V E R S IT Y I N D E P E N D E N T S T U D E N T N E W S PA P E R

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ARTICLES, STORIES AND INTERVI E W S H E R E I N A R E T H E SOLELY WRITTEN EXPRESSION O F T H E S T U D E N T S A N D DO NOT REFLECT THE CORE INS T I T U T I O N A L V A L U E S O F TEXAS A&M INTERNATIONAL UNIV E R S I T Y .

Physical copies on CD and vinyl still containing the song are available, as are illegal downloads. It is very possible for physical copy sales or illegal downloads to increase since the song has been censored from the most popular medium of music.

What Gaga should have done was simply leave the choice of whether or not to listen to the song up to the customers. That way, people who refuse to listen to Kelly can abandon the song, while the few diehard fans left can still have access to it.

A similar instance occurred with “The Simpsons’” third season premier “Stark Raving Dad,” which features an uncredited guest appearance from Michael Jackson, first aired in 1991.

Following renewed allegations of child sexual assault against Jackson, the episode was removed from airing on television and streaming sites on March 8. However, the episode is still available on DVD; this censorship can lead to increased interest in the episode just like Gaga’s song.

It is always up to the audience to decide what they want to listen to or watch. If censorship is forced upon a particular work due to controversy, that will not stop people from getting access.

An artist’s disgrace will speak for itself if the works are left available for people to choose their stance.

College bribes leave sour taste for most students

B Y M AT I L D A P E R E Z EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

It is important to note that college students come from many different backgrounds to arrive where they are now.

Some worked hard to pass the SATs and ACTs, get a high GPA, late nights studying, cramming for tests, a 1,000-word essay, etc. just to get accepted to the college of their dreams.

Others use their wealth. More than 50 wealthy parents paid $1,000s to bribe SAT proctors, college coaches and others to slip their children into prestigious colleges across the country.

A common name throughout this entire scandal is YouTuber Olivia Jade, whose famous mother Lori Loughlin, more commonly known as Aunt Becky from Full House and Fuller House, is being accused of participating in the scandal. Jade is under scrutiny for being one of the students who did not enter college on her own merit. In a previous YouTube video that recently resurfaced, Jade told her followers, “I don’t really care about school.” She is in college for the experience of

parties and game days—not to get an actual education.

She was one of the students Photoshopped into an athlete to be admitted to the University of Southern California despite never having been part of the sport.

It is well known that with wealth comes many privileges, yet some would have thought college admissions would be different. It is unfair to the students who worked hard to achieve and succeed to see people just bribe their way into school.

Many college applicants compete for slots in these elite universities in hopes of being able to gain better careers than they would otherwise have.

There is no denying the in-

their children attend directly reflects their own success as parents. However, due to their actions, their children are facing scrutiny and may be denied admission.

Universities are taking action as a result of this scandal.

The University of Southern California plans on using any money gained from this to fund scholarships for underprivileged students.

Yale University hired external advisers to implement changes in the code of conduct for athletic recruitment.

The University of Texas in Austin dismissed Michael Center, a coach who committed mail fraud and honest services fraud.

Honest services fraud, signed into law by Congress in 1988, was defined by the U.S. Supreme Court in Skilling v. United States (2010) as “fraudulent schemes to deprive another of honest services through bribes or kickbacks supplied by a third party who ha[s] not been deceived.”

This event shined a light on the corruption still present in the college admissions process. These events are discouraging and frustrating to many students who work hard to achieve their academic degree and later have to deal with crushing student loans.

The individuals partaking in this scandal do not deserve slots in those universities; sadly, they took those opportunities from hardworking students who did.

“... they took those opportunities from hardworking students who did [deserve them].” fluence these elite universities have in accessing higher social classes.

However, we also have to take into consideration the reasoning the parents used to partake in these bribes. While they claim they did this in order to help their children, there is also a high regard for the university’s brand. To some parents, the university

4 | ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

April 2019

VANESSA VALLARTA | BRIDGE

Numerous Martha Washington dresses, from a variety of years and styles, fill the gallery in the Center for the Fine and Performing Arts on campus.

WASHINGTON BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION

TAMIU holds Martha Washington dress exhibit

BY YOL ANDA VILL ARREAL BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Coordinator Annie Alvarez said there is a historical process and meaning that goes behind the Martha Washington dresses.

In February, the dresses for the annual Washington Birthday Celebration were put on display at TAMIU’s Center for the Fine and Performing Arts main gallery.

“It takes me a year to plan and put together what dresses I want to display,” Alvarez said. “[The dresses are sent to TAMIU] by the owner of the dress in a big box and wrapped in a sheet.”

Alvarez said she always has a theme that coincides with the dresses she wants to display for the Martha Washington exhibit at TAMIU and this year’s theme was “Sisters.”

The committee helps her build the display by putting the dresses on the mannequins, slowly and with care.

Alvarez said the TAMIU exhibit “started in 2014 when Minita Ramirez was president and wanted to display dresses …”

The Martha Washington dresses for the WBCA contribute to the community with scholarships and school visits.

“They award as many as 18 scholarships to high school seniors every year and send them to Washington, D.C.,” she said.

The Sons and Daughters of Liberty visit elementary schools to talk to students about American history of Washington’s time.

The exhibit at TAMIU had dresses from 1950 and 2018. She said it is great to see the artistry of the beading and the combination of the colors.

When it comes to the Society of Martha Washington’s pageant theme, she said each year it is an aspect of Washington’s life.

She said examples include Washington’s inauguration or his trip to Paris. The females represent the dignitaries of the time and this also takes a year to put together.

Her favorite theme was one about pageants because she said it was fun for her to research and see the different stories told by participants.

She said she specifically dressed that display for the pageant.

Debutantes also portrayed Annie Oakley and Emily Dickinson.

Alvarez portrayed a debutante during the 1983 pageant, which had a garden party theme.

Most of the time, the dresses are created by a designer and her mother. Each female who wears a dress and their designer get to choose the colors. Special themes require certain choices.

“That one year, the president only wanted the colors red, white and blue,” Alvarez said.

She said the greatest aspect of the Martha Washington dresses exhibit is getting to see all the beautiful dresses from the first created to the latest. These dresses are part of Laredo’s history.

“I went early February,” communication major Allan Rodriguez said. “It is my first time going inside the exhibit. They are such beautiful dresses. They are [like] something from a Disney princess movie.

“The Martha dresses are passed down generations, which I think it’s pretty interesting. It must be an honor to wear such beautiful dresses that have such rich history and be able to show them off at the Washington parade and Society of Martha Washington colonial pageant and ball and other events.”

April 2019

Features | 5

VANESSA VALLARTA | BRIDGE

Patrons use their laptops for web browsing at Flip Flop Coffee Shop, located on East Del Mar Boulevard, on April 2.

Specialty coffee shops offer java alternatives

BY VICTOR GUERRA BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Lattes, cortados and macchiatos continue to brew across Laredo. During the past five years, two specialty coffee shops emerged as the then-only local cafés serving these espresso-based drinks.

Flip Flop Coffee Shop offers a laid-back and welcoming environment in North Laredo, while Organic Man Coffee Trike, which opened its doors downtown in 2016, features a mom-andpop style to satisfy those seeking the new-wave coffee culture.

Both shops’ owners experienced a series of challenges to offer their unique versions of specialty coffee in Laredo.

Eloy and Denisha Rodriguez, Flip Flop’s owners, hold careers apart from their shop; one as a self-employed certified public accountant and the other a speech language pathologist, respectively. Their passion for drinking coffee, as well as a craving for great customer experiences, led both to experiment with the idea of opening a café.

Having gone to coffee fests in Dallas with corporate CEOs, studied in Portland as baristas and visited San Antonio to partner with a Fair Trade-oriented roaster, all came together to create the East Del Mar Boulevard shop.

“When you see two big [green coffee chains] right next to each other and both have waiting lines, you know there is a demand for coffee here,” Eloy said.

For Denisha, a favorite part is meeting and satisfying customers. This was why they opened the café, and continue to run it.

Julio Venegas and Martha Oviedo own and run Organic Man Coffee Trike. The name was inspired by when the business was run solely by Venegas on his self-constructed coffee trike at the Laredo Farmers Market every month.

Contrary to Flip Flop, Venegas opened because he lost his oilfields job. He worked in New York, immigrating from Mexico.

His first day selling coffee on the trike, he sold out in the first two hours. This was his first indication of Laredo’s interest in specialty coffee. Venegas and his wife, Oviedo, went on to find a more permanent home in central Laredo on McPherson Road.

VANESSA VALLARTA | BRIDGE

Flip Flop Coffee Shop features a second level with additional tables for customers’ needs.

‘Dr.T’ serves three roles B Y M A R I A V. V I L L E G A S BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Part of the academic educational process is not only learning things about the area studied but also about oneself. Through inner reflection and experience as a graduate student, a future professor can discover the type of mentor they want to become.

“One of the main reasons I was so attracted to coming to TAMIU was having that opportunity to be a mentor,” Assistant Professor Elizabeth Terrazas-Carrillo said, “and be able to provide the support I wish I had gotten.”

Terrazas, who is often called “Dr. T” by her students, completed her own graduate program as its only Latina. She lacked mentorship from other Latinas or people who understood what it means to be a first-generation student.

“I’ve not only had Dr. T as a professor, but also as a mentor and supervisor,” counseling psychology student Naomi Cortina said. “I can really say that Dr. T exceeds any expectations out of these three roles. She is very organized and purposeful.”

Throughout her five years in the Department of Psychology and Communication, Terrazas collaborated with professors Ediza Garcia, Desi Vasquez and many others from TAMIU and other universities. She teaches a variety of psychology courses including group counseling and psychotherapy, psychology of personality, lifespan growth and development and more.

In August 2018, she was asked by a colleague to join her on what is called “culture taxation” and “social justice.”

To begin, she conducted a survey of graduate students asking their mentoring preferences: female or male, same ethnicity or not, etc.

She and the other presenters reported their research results at a national conference—her group included two African-Americans, Hispanic/Latino, Asian-American, Indian and Southeast Asian professors. She said the event was quite powerful.

The presenters concluded that in cultures like Laredo, Latino students feel more comfortable with women mentors. The Latino culture typically holds a perception of women as “caregiver” or “adviser.” The point of the study was so people would be aware of it and to make sure it is valued.

Terrazas reminisced on a speech where a graduating student jokingly called her his “academic mom.”

Counseling and mentoring is a career that provides a lot of self-exploration, she said; most of it involving aspects of culture identity.

“When I think of specific standards—of what makes a great professor, mentor, researcher, I think about what Dr. T has modeled for me,” Cortina said.

Terrazas focuses on applied clinicals, which is research that includes running programs/interventions. Some are randomized, controlled or group-based. She provides supervision with graduate students who oversee the research and provide feedback.

COURTESY ELIZABETH TERRAZAS-CARRILLO

Assistant Professor Elizabeth Terrazas-Carrillo teaches and researches in the Department of Psychology and Communication.

6 | Education

April 2019

Career fair helps students find future career footholds

BY KENNE TH JONES A S S O C I AT E E D I T O R

YENSEY MURILLO | BRIDGE

Student Thelma Morales, right, speaks with Vector Marketing representatives, including David Romero, left, about part-time work during the career fair on Feb. 26 in the Student Center Ballroom.

TAMIU students had the opportunity to get insight into some possible career paths at the Spring 2019 All Majors Fair.

Organized by Texas A&M International University Career Services as part of STEM Alliance Week, many businesses arrived at the Student Center Ballroom on Feb. 26 to provide information to interested students.

Various school districts, most from Laredo, offered information for those interested in working in an educational setting.

Dante Delgado, Crystal City School District human resources director, said there is a lot available.

“We have several openings but we are projecting even more because in Texas and the nation we have a lot of vacancy,” Delgado said. “We’re getting more students, so we have more need for educators.”

Positions include educators in various grade levels, and all major subjects.

In addition, Delgado mentioned the need for counselors and diagnosticians.

“In Special Ed, you need a [diagnostician] certification to assess children’s learning disabilities,” he said. “There’s a very limited number of people with that certification.”

There were also positions available in healthcare, such as at Doctor’s Hospital of Laredo. Krystal Cayton, human resources recruiter, talked about these.

“We’re always hiring registered nurses, [and] certified nursing assistants,” Cayton said.

“We have openings for [computed tomography] technicians, radiology, surgical tech openings, security guards, cashiers, dietary aides. We always have lots of position available that are constantly changing.”

For those interested in law enforcement, some agencies were available to offer information, such as the Texas Game Wardens.

While they enforce all Texas laws, “Our primary duty is to enforce the hunting and fishing laws we have,” Texas Game Warden Kevin Winters said. “Also, [we] provide conservation for future generations to come.”

Texas one of states to allow campus carry

BY ALEJANDRO GUAJARDO BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ourselves and our amendment rights.” Delgado retired from the U.S. Marine Corps in 2017.

Campus carry among colleges and universities is legal in some states. Oregon, Idaho, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Wisconsin, Mississippi and Texas are some of the few states which allow concealed carry on college campuses with a valid license to carry.

When in Texas, licensed holders from other states must follow Texas gun laws not their home state’s gun laws. Only eight states do not carry a reciprocating agreement with Texas. Those states are Illinois, Maine, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Oregon, Vermont and Wisconsin.

On June 1, 2015, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 11, also known as the “campus carry” law. S.B. 11 allows license holders to carry a concealed handgun on university campuses, since Aug. 1, 2016.

Some states prohibit and others offer discretion, regarding individual colleges and universities.

“I am for gun control,” freshman English major Silvia Castaños said. “I don’t think students or teachers should be allowed to carry—but I am not against guns.”

The debate between gun control and gun rights is a long and heated one.

“Guns don’t kill people, people kill people,” Ret. Sgt. Arturo Delgado, nursing major, said. “We need guns in order to protect

University Police Department Lt. Nicolas Gomez worked on the bike patrol, is advanced peace officer certified, is a RAD instructor and a field training officer.

“I am law enforcement—I am all for gun control,” Gomez said. “I am pro-gun, that’s a definite, but with proper training and education I don’t see why people shouldn’t be allowed to carry.”

While the gun control versus gun rights debate continues, it is necessary to explore different avenues of approach with current laws and regulations in mind.

The National Rifle Association’s theory is that “a good guy with a gun stops a bad guy with a gun.” With proper training, any law-abiding citizen may obtain a license to carry. Placing an

Laredo Police, Rec Center join up for self-defense class

BY DALIL A FLO RES BRIDGE S TA F F WRITER

Before spring break, TAMIU held a week of events during the 2019 Health and Wellness Symposium. On March 6, a self-defense course was held at the Recreation Center in conjunction with the Laredo Police Department.

The event allowed students to learn how to protect themselves through verbal and physical examples.

“You need to combine not only the verbal skills, [but also] the psychological skills and the physical skills to be able to defend yourself from a sexual assault,” program manager Rosario Benavides said.

Two police officers explained situations victims can find themselves in and demonstrated how to evade and escape a would-be attacker.

In order for everyone to participate, people partnered up in pairs and practiced evading punches with blocking.

By having people practice punching and evading, it helped those who had never been physical with anyone else realize the reality. Evading ongoing punches is not as simple as movies make it appear.

It can be painful for both participants and, at times, terrifying. If a fist is coming from above, a defender can use their forearm to block.

If it is coming directly at the defender, they can use their palm to push a forearm away.

All while this is happening,

ANGELY GONZALEZ | SUBMITTED

TAMIU students and members of the recent selfdefense class pose for a group photo March 6. victims can move away to create distance.

“I learned that you always have to make eye contact [with your attacker],” participant Sylvia Fernandez said.

This technique helps a victim see where they might be struck next; focusing on the attacker’s fists can make a victim more vulnerable.

“I learned that you always have to make eye contact [with your attacker].”

—Sylvia Fernandez self-defense class participant Fernandez came with her partner Natalia Gutierrez, who had previous experience and learned about self-defense through other classes.

“[Everyone should have] general knowledge of what to do if you get assaulted in a fight or something,” Gutierrez said.

Besides punching, participants learned to kick an attacker and to escape from being held down.

Officers emphasized to use the flat part of the foot while kicking and aim for the area above the knee. People lined up in rows and each took a turn practicing different kicks.

If a person cannot rely on upper body strength, then kicks are key to escaping.

“It is very important to know how to get a person off of you and what to do next,” Gutierrez said. “When the attacker is on top, then you can buck your hips a while, making sure one of your legs is on top of theirs and use your arm to hook onto their elbow crease. Lock it and buck your hips, so that once they fall over, you can get them off.”

This class taught participants to be aware of their surroundings and to be safe.

armed citizen in a situation where they must defend their life and others’ around them could decrease the number of casualties in situations like Columbine, Virginia Tech, Fort Hood, Sandy Hook, Las Vegas, etc.

On the other hand, students and faculty may believe it is not in our duty to defend civilians. Many consider that adults are responsible for their own safety.

Interested persons may speak to a roaming TAMIU police officer, refer to the TAMIU campus carry information packet in the TAMIU Police Department at the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library, Room 005.

The phone number is (956) 326-2100 or readers may go online to www.tamiu.edu/adminis/campuscarry/ for additional information. For emails, contact dispatcher@tamiu.edu.

April 2019

Campus | 7

New engineering building nears completion

BY GABRIEL RODRIGUEZ

building will have the capacity for 1,300 students and will house new auditoriums, engineering labs, a machine shop and more.

Along with classroom expansions comes expansions to the school’s curriculum as well. Taking advantage of the new accomAfter being in construction for three years, the Academic Inmodations, the School of Engineering is going to adopt a general novation Center is set to open in August 2019. Located next to engineering program with computer and petroleum engineering the Lamar-Bruni Vergara Planetarium and Science Center, the specializations into its offered courses in the near future.

The plans to construct the building started after the completion of the Zaffirini Student Center in 2010 and cost $68 million to construct.

“This is a multi-disciplinary building designed to meet the needs of our growing University in all academic areas,” Associate Vice President for Administration Trevor Liddle said.

Hoping to house the campus’ growing student body, the building will contain two ROLANDO E. SANTOS | TAMIU PUBLIC RELATIONS auditoriums, two tiered classConstruction work continues on the interior of the Academic Innovation Center. rooms, six large flat-floor classBRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

rooms, four biology/chemistry labs, three technology-enabled classrooms, two engineering labs, a large design lab and machine shop, as well as faculty offices.

Also in the works is a Police and Institutional Support building, which will house the campus police department and various internal staff such as Central Mail and Receiving.

In regards to any possible parking lot expansions, Liddle said, “At this time, expansion of parking lots is not a part of either construction project.”

Satisfied with the school’s systems engineering program, the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology gave TAMIU accreditation to include computer and petroleum engineering in its offered coursework.

Currently housing close to 300 students, the School of Engineering is looking to expand that number with the rising interest in its computer engineering program.

“My vision … is that in the next three to five years, we might have 500 students [in the program],” School of Engineering Director Guillermo Dominguez said.

The engineering program is one of the more recent additions to TAMIU. Starting with its pre-engineering program in 2008, the computer and petroleum engineering programs will be one of its largest expansions since the creation of the System Engineering program.

Spring Break: an annual revolution, relaxation

BY ALEXAND ER CASTILLO BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

TAMIU is a campus full of activities and other events throughout the year to help get students minds off exams, homework or just about anything the University throws at them.

There’s just about one thing that satisfies most students’ need for relaxation, besides the actual relaxation room: spring break.

Nearly every student on campus can tell that out of all the student breaks, spring break is the one most look forward to—a week off is something most anyone loves.

Typically, the University goes all-out the week before the break. It provides daily events for anyone to get involved, ranging from giveaways to informative lectures about staying safe.

Some even offer free food. The highlight of the week is usually Spring Fling.

Associate Director of Student Conduct and Community Engagement San Juanita Guerra said it is an ongoing tradition.

Guerra said the plan is to break the negative stereotypes asso-

ciated with spring break and let students have “sober fun.”

The University held a week of events from different offices across campus. Each event differed, ranging from a buddy system to lectures about the legal ages for drinking and consent.

Guerra said festivities included a health fair, a lecture about responsible driving and U in the Driver Seat by Tyson Dever.

“It’s a very special year for us,” Guerra said. “Spring Fling is probably one of the most unique activities the University hosts, as a whole, especially because so many different areas come together in partnership to host it. It’s very unique in the sense that it’s a big block party, which we don’t have otherwise.”

Other organizations host their own evening activities.

“Students are very hungry for events like this,” Guerra said.

The crowd is almost always big for this event. Students get to dance as a live DJ plays tunes, enjoy fresh food, take selfies in a photo booth and take those memories with them to share. Spring Fling takes place annually at the University Village.

“Have fun with your friends, play games and just get high on life,” Guerra said.

The annual event is held at University Village.

MELISSA MEDINA | BRIDGE

Aguas frescas and fruit cups make up part of the Spring Fling festivities on campus.March 6.

University Police Department gets upgrade, new vehicles

VANESSA VALLARTA | BRIDGE

Expected to open this month, the new University Police and Institutional Support building will house the TAMIU Police Department and other services.

BY M ARCO DE LUN A BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In addition to moving into a new building in the near future, the TAMIU Police Department acquired new equipment in March from Axon. This new technology is expected to help the department do its job more efficiently and to better protect the campus and its inhabitants.

Axon, an Arizona-based company, develops new equipment for law enforcement. Texas A&M International University’s new equipment includes Bluetooth-connected body cameras and holsters, new vehicles, a software upgrade for patrol car dash cameras and a Mobile Data Terminal.

This department will be the first in Webb County to have their equipment integrated with technology in this manner.

Among the new additions is a system of Bluetooth-con-

nected devices that will turn on officers’ body cameras when specific circumstances are met, such as at the touch of a button, whenever their weapons are removed from their holster, or if an officer with a compatible body camera comes within a 30-foot radius of an already active body camera.

In addition, when an officer returns to their department, all the recorded data in their body camera will be automatically uploaded to a cloud database.

New vehicles have been issued to house everything the officer needs. They no longer have to make the journey back to the station for their ballistic vests or first-aid kits.

The first-aid kits are designed to keep an officer going in the event of an injury; they are trained to quickly apply emergency first aid to themselves. According to Director of the University Police Department Fructuoso San Miguel III, officers will be trained to “save the limb, stop the bleeding.”

Axon is also working on integrating facial-recognition software and license readers into the vehicles’ dash cameras, an alternative to buying two bulky and expensive cameras; one for the front view of the vehicle and one for the back.

MDTs will also be installed in the vehicles, allowing officers to run license plates and access relevant information.

However, not everything is in working order yet, as San Miguel said when presenting one of the new vehicles, “What you’re viewing is just the exterior, the shell.”

San Miguel said there’s “more work to be done” but expected the changes to be completed by March 19. Officers will undergo training to operate the new equipment.

The University Police and Institutional Support building will house the TAMIU Police Department, shipping and receiving, as well as other support services for the campus. It is expected to open sometime this month.

8 | Sports

April 2019

TAMIU spirit squads under new direction, face recruitment

BY ANGELICA L ANDEROD BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Under the leadership of a new coach, TAMIU’s spirit squads hope to rise in collegiate competition as they work to recruit new members. The cheerleading and dance teams make up the spirit squads.

Both of these Texas A&M International University squads are under the coordination of coach Anyssa Salazar and perform at several school functions.

Salazar created detailed resolutions on how the teams attempt to overcome recruiting struggles and upcoming objectives.

The obstacles for both squads includes the problematic source of recruiting members to be either on the competitive level or spirit squad team. In the National Dance Association Dance Championship held April 4-6 in Daytona Beach, Florida, they just took 7th of 9 teams in pom and 7th of 8 teams in jazz.

She works to address these factors that affect recruiting, such as publicizing the teams on social media or cooperating with other school functions. They successfully found some potential

prospects, who reached out and asked about the requirements needed to join either team.

Salazar said although she does not find a problem with the recruitment process, she does believe, “... I think we need to make it a bigger thing,” referring to making a point that the campus should bring its attention to these type of recruitments and tryouts. As her first year coaching at TAMIU, Salazar said she is determined to make beneficial changes to the squads.

The teams held a fundraiser March 13. In the future, they plan to host a youth cheer and dance camp—dates to be announced.

There was a scheduled showoff held to view their national routines during the week before the dance team departed for its national competition at Daytona Beach.

The coach said there will be a prep clinic that will teach prospective recruits certain stunts, jumps combos, cheers and dances required for tryouts for cheer and dance at their designated division level.

The college prep clinic for both cheer and dance is expected to be announced sometime after the April national competition at Daytona Beach.

BRIDGE FILE

TAMIU dance team’s Rebecca Maldonado performs a leap during the fall 2017 Maroon Madness event.

Intramurals offer students way to destress, exercise

BY ANGELICA L ANDEROS BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

YENSEY MURILLO | BRIDGE

TAMIU student Journey Cole serves as a field official for intramurals soccer on Monday, April 8.

Intramurals teams are part of an organization working toward student athleticism for those looking to be part of an active sports team.

Student members come from various countries or states, as well as classifications, and can show their skills at any competitions Texas A&M International University holds.

The University hosts the intramurals and helps encourage students to join as a way of releasing stress and staying active.

Students have the option of joining several sports such as volleyball, dodgeball and soccer. More are available through the offices. These sports may also be co-educational.

Junior Elias Perales is part of a flag football co-ed intramural team, which competes in the fall. He recommends students join and become part of the intramurals because it is beneficial for their health.

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“I recommend it because it helps you be active after your studies,” Perales said. He also said being part of an intramurals team to be “fun and competitive.”

Junior Monika Saldivar described intramurals as a type of extracurricular activity.

“The games are real late, so it helped [fit into my schedule],” Saldivar said.

Students who do not attend late classes might be able to enjoy the games with ease. The convenience of late intramurals games can help students work them into their time schedule.

Interested persons may contact Intramurals Specialist Ivan Cano via email at ivan.cano@tamiu.edu or call (956) 326-3013 for further information or to sign up.

For the remainder of the spring, intramurals have the following schedule: a seven versus seven outdoor soccer league that began April 1 and runs through April 24, an ongoing kickball tournament that began April 4 and runs through April 18, a softball tournament begins April 13 and the TAMIU combine is scheduled for April 25.

TAMIU softball maintains hope of championship opportunity

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AD SPACE T H E

BY YOL ANDA VILLARREAL BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

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ST. MARY’S UNIVERSITY ROGERS STATE UNIVERSITY

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Softball coach Felipe Arias speaks to the team on the field, Feb. 13.

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Join us at the next game!

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Vying for The Heartland Conference championship, the TAMIU softball team is keeping a stringent routine for success. On March 12, they won both games versus St. Edward’s University.

Coach Scott Libby said the softball team’s performance, practice and preparation depend on their regimen between games.

“We are doing well,” Libby said. “We won 12 and lost 13 but the upside is that we won five in a row and also … we won two conference games against Saint Edward’s, so we’re 6 and 3 in conference, which puts us in a tie for first place.

“We are hoping to win the conference championship—not only the season championship—but also the conference tournament championship. We’re hoping to win both and that would send us on to regionals.”

Following the March 12 game, their work ethic included cleaning up the field after their victories.

“Before the season, we try to cover everything a little bit at a time—you know, little small bits trying to implement different things we do on defense and different things we do on offense,” Libby said.

“Making sure the players are knowledgeable of the game like … our two games yesterday. The players got out on the field yesterday at 9:30 [a.m.] they didn’t leave until 5:30 p.m. so that’s eight hours on the field.

“So today’s practice we are out there at 11 [a.m.] and it’s just gonna be a light practice, just get a few reps on hitting, maybe work on a couple of things.”

The team left for Oklahoma Christian at 6 a.m. for a 10-hour drive. This long trip limits their available practice time.

“We played Oklahoma Christian here about two or three weeks ago [Feb. 23] and we did not play well,” Libby said.

“So, we are gonna work on a few things today in prac-

tices—just a few technical things. When we are in season, as far as practicing and preparing, for the team most it is just kind of review work, not like comparing to a classroom where there is new stuff.

We really gotta study this.

It’s review work, stuff we have already done, and maybe we just need touch-up, just to make sure we are still sharp at it.”

Psychology major Sara Caterson pitches for the Dustdevils and keeps a stringent routine.

“We play hacky sack, it’s this little cotton-filled ball, kind of like soccer, and you try to keep it up,” Caterson said. “[There are] a lot of jokes and laughing with my team, just something to stay relaxed— super relaxed.

“I always have to dress the same way and I always have to get dressed in the same order, like I have to put my socks on first and then I have to put my shirt on and then I have to be able to put my pants on so that my shirt just falls straight in and then I have to do my hair the exact same way every game day.”