The Bridge independent student newspaper April edition 2022

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A & M

APRIL 202 2 Printed b y El Mañana in suppor t o f independe n t student w r i t i n g

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

F E A T U R E S

E D U C A T I O N

S P O R T S

New perspectives offered by Human Library

Artists Guild makes comeback at TAMIU

Women’s softball dominates 5-0

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International Women’s Day rally held at TAMIU

BY CAROLIN A CRUZ B R I D G E S TA F F W R I T E R

March was Women’s History Month—a time to honor and celebrate women’s achievements in history. Throughout the globe, people celebrate and rally for women’s rights, including a march in March.

Texas A&M International University’s Campus Activities Board hosted its women’s rally in commemoration of International Women’s Day on March 8.

“That women’s rally was basically so that we can kind of spread the word because not a lot of people know there’s an International Women’s Day,” CAB Vice President Mayela Villarreal said.

Throughout the week, CAB hosted several activities to honor this special day. From free women’s care packages to the showing of the 2002 movie Frida about Frida Kahlo and conducting an information booth to inform students about the rally.

“We even had a lot of women and men leave prints on this huge banner that we used the next day for the women’s rally,” Villarreal said. “It was basically to show leaving their mark here, and there were so many handprints that we had to get another banner—it was awesome.”

The rally was open to anyone who wanted to participate. Several social sororities and female-based campus organizations were invited to participate.

During the march, the group yelled out chants speaking out against “machismo,” which is misogyny heavily present in Hispanic-based populations, such as Laredo. The group also chanted about women’s empowerment, female body rights and women’s social justice.

Even some UNIV students working on a project for domestic violence marched in the rally, wearing purple shirts to stand in solidarity with survivors of domestic violence.

YULISSA DIAZ | BRIDGE

TAMIU students hold handmade posters during the Women’s Rally hosted by CAB on March 8.

Junior nursing major Fatima Garza said acknowledging women’s history month is vital.

“It is important to acknowledge the courage from those women throughout history that have fought for our rights,” Garza said. “The roles of women in society have evolved and have set outside the traditional housewife role. Because of that, women

now have the ability to become whatever they please.”

Similarly, senior biology major Amanda Arce said it’s important to have [these type of] campus events that honor International Women’s Day. SEE RALLY, PAGE 2

TAMIU spring break party goes wrong at residence hall BY D AV I D P E R A LTA B R I D G E S TA F F I N T E R N

Over spring break, a University Police Department injured-person call at a residence hall ended with an arrest, following a stabbing.

Christopher Kevin Gates Christopher Kevin Gates, 32, was arrested by Texas A&M International University officers for providing alcohol to a minor following an unexpected scene, according

University officers said to the UPD Crime Log and a strong odor of alcohol rasubsequent police report. diated from Gates and the Officers arrived around 21-year-old male’s breath.

8:29 p.m. on March 14 at They reported University Vilthat the 21-yearlage Complex old got defensive Building 4 for and emotional an injured-perbefore being son report. transported to They found an Doctors Hospiunidentif ied tal.

21-year-old The investimale dressed in gation revealed a jumpsuit, on that the 21-yeartop of a bed, old male and who pretended Gates drank to be horror most of the day film icon Miduring spring chael Myers and break. stabbed himself According with a knife, acto the police recording to the port, the female UPD report. told officers The male bled she witnessed from his right —Police report the 21-year-old thigh. male “… put on Upon arriva jumpsuit, opened a folding al, in addition to Gates and knife and pretended to be the unidentified male, they Michael Myers …” The female found Miguel Valle, 20, and a also said the male “stabbed 21-year-old woman.

“ ... put on a jumpsuit, opened a folding knife and pretended to be Michael Myers ... ”

MARCO VILLARREAL | BRIDGE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

In this staged photo illustration, a man stands with a knife near the University Village on campus. The actual incident took place inside the residence hall. himself with the folding knife because he was very agitated stating no one loved him.”

Further details revealed that Gates offered alcohol to Valle, who is not 21. Furnishing alcohol to a minor is a Class A misdemeanor.

Gates was also issued a

criminal trespass warning. Valle was cited for possession of alcohol by a minor, a Class C misdemeanor.

According to the Webb County Sheriff’s Office, Gates was released the following day, March 15, on a $2,000 bond.

If any student feels they are

in crisis, harming themselves, harming others, assaulted or experiencing trauma, The Bridge encourages them to not hesitate to call campus police at (956) 326-2911 or the counseling center at (956) 326-2230 and press three to speak with a crisis counselor.

Study abroad returns, Carrieres lead Italy trip for TAMIU

BY JESSICA ARROYO BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

[Editor’s Note: This story is a follow-up to our February 2022 article titled “TAMIU study abroad returns.”]

With trips around the globe back on the menu, students can once again explore through faculty-led programs.

Texas A&M International University language studies faculty members Julien F. Carriere and Melody Carriere plan to lead their program once again as study abroad returns May 31 to June 29. The destination is Florence, Italy, for their first trip since 2019—before the pandemic began.

“We’ve been leading abroad programs since the early 2000s,” Melody Carriere said, “but we’ve been traveling together since ‘98 in terms of just going abroad.”

The Carrieres explored new horizons for years and have the experience to take students to a new destination.

“That’s one thing I actually should probably tell the students more, because I feel like a lot of programs—maybe the faculty are maybe new to the country as well,” Melody Carriere said, “but that’s definitely not the case with us. Since we’re language professors, we’re really familiar with both France and Italy and SEE STUDY, PAGE 2

COURTESY THE CARRIERES

Associate Professional Julien Carriere, left, and Assistant Professional Melody Carriere, right, lead a Study Abroad program to Italy. Here, they and their students pose for a photo outside the Vatican on a previous trip.

2 | News

April 2022

RALLY FROM PAGE 1

“Having campus events like the rally are important because they inform all of us and bring us together,” Arce said. “This rally was not just for women; it was for everyone. Bringing us together as a whole with events like this will allow us to move toward a positive direction and provide change.”

Villarreal said these events are meant to promote education and inclusion.

“These events, that have to do with social justice or cultural awareness, have to do with more than just the University,” Villarreal said.

“It’s more than just lotteria, more than just participating in events, Maroon Madness … we want all students to feel included.”

YULISSA DIAZ | BRIDGE

YULISSA DIAZ | BRIDGE

TAMIU students participate in the Women’s International Rally hosted by CAB on March 8.

TAMIU students hold handmade posters and a large banner with handprints during the Women’s Rally.

The CAB vice president said the importance of supporting events like the women’s rally gives voice to groups

who faced oppression and advocates for their rights.

“I think it’s very important to attend these types of events

because it shows that TAMIU has a lot of activists here on campus and it shows that we, as students, are powerful, and

we can make a change here,” Villarreal said.

“We could be more progressive and get away from

that stigma of ‘We are a close-minded university’ because we’re not, a lot of us are actually really open minded.”

Alumnus discusses screenwriting B Y M I R E I L LY G O N Z A L E Z B R I D G E S TA F F I N T E R N

TAMIU students learned about screenwriting from an alumnus at the Office of Career Services’ Coffee House Wednesday event.

Philip Balli joined the Texas A&M International University event virtually on March 23, prepared for the day with a coffee in hand, miles away from Laredo.

“I’m currently in San Francisco,” he shared with the students.

“I’m here attending the game developer’s conference, which is going to be all week long. I’m here to network with other people in the industry [as well as] to meet other writers [and] narrative designers.”

Through the past decade, he worked at TAMIU, The Laredo Morning Times, FX and HBO. He also currently works as a narrative designer for a new video game.

However, the road to his current job wasn’t easy. Right off the bat, Balli admitted his time as a college student was confusing. “I was a very undecided undergraduate student,” he said.

He was interested in music, anthropology and writing. After a semester, he settled on a communication major, but it wasn’t until his last year that he discovered screenwriting, while taking a class with Associate Professor Marcela Moran.

Then, he was introduced to the video game industry four

years later, during his third semester in the University of Texas-Austin’s master’s program.

“The program was very selective,” Balli recalled. “They only accepted seven students each round, so I was really excited to find out I was waitlisted … And then a few months later, I was told that I actually got into the program.”

Balli’s experience in UT-Austin also called attention to the importance of mental health and what he explained as self-imposter syndrome. “I knew I belonged there, I knew I’d done the work to get there, but still, you always have that little voice nagging at you,” Balli shared.

Aside from defeating obstacles like that, which Balli reflected as “common for creatives,” social networking was another skill he encouraged students to work on.

It was by word of mouth that Balli got his first big break in the TV industry. Having noticed Balli’s work during his master’s program, someone offered him an interview with Noah Hawley, a U.S. TV director with ties to Fargo.

“It ended up being … one of the best jobs I ever had,” he said.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics expects the jobs for writers and authors to grow at a steady pace of 9% from 2020 to 2030.

One student at the event asked Balli about his own insight on the video game industry. “Yeah, I also think there’s a trend of job market growth in the industry,” Balli replied. He explained there’s a greater focus on storytelling in video games, so more writing and narrative design jobs are being offered.

MARCO VILLARREAL | BRIDGE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

TAMIU student Victoria Y. Hernandez reenacts watching a video stream while drinking a coffee on campus. This staged photo illustrates the concept behind the Coffehouse Wednesday virtual events.

STUDY FROM PAGE 1

the places that we take our students.”

They have the awareness and proficiency to handle newcomers to international travel.

Furthermore, the students can expect to learn about art history, language and culture while simultaneously living with a family in their homes.

“It’s an emerging experience,” Melody Carriere said.

“Our students live with families also. They are with another student but in a family, so they get to know the Italian or French families in question, and they form bonds with that family.”

Despite the pandemic, the demand for the trip returned.

“Recruiting has been challenging, but demand is still strong, people still want to go,” Julien Carriere said.

He said with little-to-no recruiting they were still able to obtain 34 or 35 interested students. “Usually in the fall semester we recruit 50,” Julien Carriere said. “We expect to have 30.”

Even so, there are resources offered to students who are thinking about joining the program.

“TAMIU has a lot of resources, a lot of scholarships, a lot of grant money and financial aid is also applicable,” Melody Carriere said.

“So, I feel like sometimes a lot of students don’t know about that, and they immediately close themselves off and just think I can’t go. That’s what I want students to also know—that it is possible.”

Alumnus Raul Seca Jr., who attended the Peru program before he graduated, said

he is excited to see these trips return.

“I was very fortunate to experience studying abroad in January 2020, just a month before the COVID-19 pandemic,” Seca said. “I felt very lucky and blessed to go on my very first trip out of the U.S., to a whole different continent before the world changed.”

In Peru, he discovered a new perspective that would change his life.

“When I returned home after two weeks, I felt like my life became different,” he said.

“I missed everything about Peru. Being back home was a real shock. Coming to my everyday world, to my everyday surroundings, with my everyday family and friends, was something I felt I had to readjust to. I didn’t quite know it then, but my trip away to Peru

COURTESY THE CARRIERES

Assistant Professional Melody Carriere, center, poses for a photo with her students during a past Study Abroad program to Italy. would become so monumental in my life.”

Student Karen Esquivel anticipates being one of the 35 signed up for Florence.

“I’m looking forward to stepping out of my comfort zone and connecting with different people from a different part of the world,” Esquivel said.

“I’ve heard so many amazing things about this specific program from students who have studied abroad with

[Drs.] Julien and Melody Carriere and have been told on numerous occasions that the Italian program is the best one offered at TAMIU.” For their first time back after the start of the pandemic, the Carrieres said they are overjoyed with experiencing their home-away-from-home once more.

“Just returning again, we are used to being over there every summer, and we haven’t gone since 2019 because

of COVID,” Melody Carriere said. “So, just being able to go back and jumpstart the program again for the students.”

Julien Carriere added, “Study abroad is so weak in the United States—generally speaking. It’s like 2% or less of students in the U.S. [who attend] study abroad, and it’s such an important thing that we want to make sure that it keeps going.

“Paris 2023, that’s our next destination.”

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April 2022

Opinion | 3

ALEJANDRO CARBAJAL | BRIDGE ILLUSTRATION

With the ongoing war in the Ukraine caused by Vladimir Putin, gasoline prices are at an all-time high, impacting practically everyone. At this point, gas is worth its weight in gold, burning a hole in everyone’s funds—meaning people will have to use less or find other methods to save on gas.

BY D AV I D G O M E Z J R .

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

EDITOR’S POINT OF VIEW As I type this, I think “Huh, maybe I should write right now because I feel this way and take advantage of this emotion?”

Said emotion being gloom.

There I am. Just feeling, but then it hits me like a ton of bricks. It wasn’t while I sat in front of the Mac desktop in The Bridge office, but during my walk around campus and discovering at least 10 smiley face gums that are stuck on the concrete paths around campus.

Easter is around the corner and many will search for eggs, but I think finding these magical smiley face gems to be much more rewarding.

Personally, I’ve been in a terrible mood as of late. So, to spot these little works of art genuinely makes my day. I honestly think it’s better than those painted rocks with words of support.

Likely the reason I think so is because I write so often. It’s nice to look at a paint-

Feeling down?

Keep looking down

ing, or film, and try to read colors, angles or depictions instead.

So, as I’m feeling down, I look down. That’s why seeing those things smiling back makes me think of positive thoughts.

A few of those happy ideas include: the last remaining Blockbuster video rental store, my niece’s laugh or a time when I made someone’s day.

I only know that because they told me. Just tooting my own horn. Ha ha.

Looking at the smiley face does make me wonder, who decided to take a few minutes out of their day to create such a thing? What was the intent? Are they for passersby? Is it a fraternity tradition? Maybe maintenance since they stay there so long? Who knows?

What I do know, they spark my imagination and help me create a small world filled with hope—a small escape from the stress of homework.

They are a reminder that better days can exist and it starts with a bit of kindness.

—David Gomez Jr. Even if it comes from such a simple thing as gum stuck on the ground.

“Looking at the smiley face does make me wonder, who decided to take a few minutes ... to create ...”

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

The Bridge EDITOR-IN- C H I E F / D E S I G N C H I E F . .. . . . . . D A V I D G O M E Z J R .

ASSISTANT E D I T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . G A B R I E L L E P R A T H E R SPORTS EDI T O R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . G L E N Y S M A L D O N A D O DIRECTOR O F P H O T O G R A P H Y . . . . . . .. . . . . L E O N A R D G O N Z A L E Z ILLUSTRATO R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . A L E J A N D R O C A R B A J A L COPYEDITOR / I L L U S T R A T O R . . . . . . M EL I S S A G A R Z A - R O D R I G U E Z CIRCULATIO N M A N A G E R / P H O T O G R A P HE R . . . . . . . . . . J O Y D A V I S STAFF WRIT E R S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . C A R O L I N A C R U Z , .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . G A B R I E L R O D R I G U E Z PHOTOGRAPH E R S . . . . . . . . . . . K A R L A D E L E O N , Y U L I S S A D I A Z .......... . . . . . . . . . M I R I A M S A L IN A S , M A R C O V I L L A R R E A L STAFF INTE R N S . . . . . D A V I D P E R A L TA , E L I S R E Y E S - S A N C H E Z .......... . . . . . M I R E I L L Y G O N Z A LE Z , S A M A N T H A G O N Z A L E Z OMBUDSMAN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . M A T T H E W B A L D E R A S LEAD FACUL T Y A D V I S E R . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . T . R O B B R O W N FACULTY DE S I G N A D V I S E R . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . M S . A N A L E E P A Z FACULTY AD V E R T I S I N G A D V I S E R . . DR . A R T H U R S O T O - V Á S Q U E Z PSYCHOLOGY & C O M M U N I C A T I O N C H AI R . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . DR . J O S É C A R L O S L O Z A N O BRIDGE ADV S I S O R Y B O A R D M E M B E R S. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . B R O W N , L O Z A N O , P A Z , .......... . . . . S O T O - V Á S Q U E Z , D R . A R I A D N E A . G O N Z A L E Z

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DAVID GOMEZ JR. | BRIDGE

A smile on the concrete looks to the sky in order to grab the attention of passersby on March 11, on the corner near the Recreation Center and the Sen. Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center at TAMIU.

Are the Oscars worth watching anymore?

BY M I R E I L LY G O N Z A L E Z B R I D G E S TA F F I N T E R N

INTERN’S POINT OF VIEW On March 22, 16.6 million viewers tuned in to watch the Oscars. It was a trainwreck. It was awful, but not shocking.

The 2022 show’s viewership went down as the second least-watched and worst-rated Academy Awards show.

People coined the dramatic confrontation between Chris Rock and Will Smith as the “Slap Heard Around the Internet,” but even that couldn’t help the show’s views and ratings. Some even speculated that the whole argument might’ve been staged.

Personally, the Oscars were so cringey and had so many futile attempts at making outof-touch jokes, that I honestly wouldn’t put it past them.

One of the aforementioned futile attempts for a joke that stood out to me was

Regina Hall’s “COVID-19 pat-down” bit. When I brought it up to a friend, they echoed my sentiment.

However, what made them most uncomfortable was the COVID-19 part, which they’d seen as insensitive, because of the obvious fact that we’re still in the pandemic.

On the other hand, I could tolerate that part of the joke a bit more. Part of me wishes we truly were done with COVID-19 by now, and the

“Personally, the Oscars were so cringey ...”

—Mirelly Gonzalez

idea of “COVID-19 regulations” were a distant memory.

But it isn’t. I understand her point now—it’s because the pandemic isn’t over, although it has been two years.

For me, one specific thing made me grimace as I tried to watch the awards show: a joke that made light of sexual assault, as if it suddenly was OK to literally “act out” spontaneous sexual harassment on a whole stage. The sentiment was “It is OK because they’re men.”

This is why the Academy Awards’ drop in viewership is promising. Other factors that

might contribute to the trend include: the decline of privacy in Hollywood stars’ personal lives and therefore loss of “glamor” in award shows like these, on-demand or streaming features for the shows which motivate viewers to not have to stay up all night and lose sleep over the shows, etc.

Still, we must also give credit to movements that bring more awareness regarding how award shows like the Oscars further instill racism and gender discrimination.

Let me paint you a picture of how gross Hollywood actually is.

One of the most discriminated groups in the U.S. is women of color. They receive a double whammy— not being white, and being a woman.

The Academy didn’t award a single Black woman the Best Actress Oscar until Halley Berry in 2002 for Monster Ball. Lupita Nyong’o won Best Supporting Actress in 12 Years a Slave, but not a single award for her work in “Us.” In the whole history of the Oscars since 1929, only seven women received nominations for Best Director, and only two actually won: Kathryn Bigelow (2010) and Chloe Zhao (2021). Zhao was also the only woman of color to ever be nominated for that Oscar category.

Furthermore, according to Venngage, from 1980 to 2015, 89% of the Oscar-winning actresses were white.

Correction In our March 2022 edition front page story and accompanying photo caption titled “TAMIU crowns first all-female Royals,” the last name of Derly Rojo was incorrectly listed as Rojos.

We did correct this error on our website edition, which published on March 25.

We regret this error.

4 | Arts & Entertainment

April 2022

With a smack at the piñata, candy falls out as people look on during Easter Sunday.

Easter filled with more than just confetti B Y SAMANTHA GONZALEZ B R I D G E S TA F F I N T E R N P H OT O S B Y D AV I D G O M E Z J R . A N D M A R C O V I L L A R R E A L

Easter came and went this past weekend. There were skeptics who believed Easter Sunday was going to be a scorcher and held their cookouts and get-togethers on Saturday, but cloudy skies and breezes took Sunday celebrators by surprise.

In the 100s on Saturday. According to the Weather Channel website, it felt like 109 degrees. Temperatures were felt by Texas A&M International University alumna Gloria C. Gomez.

“It was so dang hot on Saturday,” Gomez said. “I absolutely

felt like we should’ve just waited till Sunday to celebrate Easter, but I was only in town until Saturday—so there’s that.”

Gomez currently works as an administrative clerk III at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Game Wardens office in San Angelo.

“I drove nearly six hours to melt in this weather,” Gomez said, followed by a laugh. “Easter is one of my favorite holidays only because I get to see my niece smile as big as if it were Christmas Day. So it’s totally worth it.”

Many others reserved a spot to celebrate in Lake Casa Blanca, Laredo’s state national park, which became fully booked. Groups of families gathered at picnic tables, grilled food and enjoyed the park’s amenities. Many were met by surprise the entrance of the park featured a sign that read “no confetti eggs,” leaving many

Alumna Gloria Gomez’s niece Elaney Fernandez’s hair shows evidence of confetti.

families with prepared confetti eggs, unable to be cracked.

Despite the setback, many families got creative and improvised and turned to other alternatives to enjoy Easter. These alternatives included Easter egg hunts and Easter games. Children ran around with their new baskets of toys and enjoyed the outdoors, throughout the park. Not only that, but the Laredo heat still led many people to take a dip in the lake to cool off. While other adults took on kayaking or fishing.

Post-Easter confetti requires necessary cleanup but for many it’s well worth it. Many students returned to class the next morning with confetti still in their hair and sidewalks around campus showed the evidence of confetti trails. A reminder of the previous day’s fun.

An Easter egg hunt begins as Elaney Fernandez searches for eggs.

Fraternities, sororities celebrate Greek Week

BY ELIS REYES-SANCHEZ B R I D G E S TA F F I N T E R N P H OT O S B Y MARCO VILLARREAL AND ELIS REYES-SANCHEZ

In a celebration of their way of life, the Greek community once again held Greek Week.

Through Greek Week, the members of the various social fraternities and sororities get together and host a variety of events to promote awareness of their organizations.

From March 28 to April 1, the Greeks—Alpha Psi Lambda, Delta Xi Nu, Kappa Delta Chi, Omega Delta Phi, Sigma Delta Lambda, Sigma Lambda Beta and Sigma Lambda Gamma— came together to present events to introduce their organizations and also raise awareness for Dusty’s Food Pantry, which benefits Texas A&M International University students.

“Pretty much what we do is focus on different events,” Alpha Psi Lambda Chapter President Dalia Esquivel said.

“We get to know each other and get to collaborate with each other to spread awareness about Greek life and how rewarding it

Nathan de la Cruz, standing; Angela Carranza, center foreground; Isaac Carrizales, seated, center; Jose Ramirez, next to de la Cruz; Ashley Niño, seated, far right; and others play Cards Against Humanity at the Residential Learning Community.

is to be part of a big Greek community—familia within familia.”

Cordero Hernandez said Greek Week is a good way to showcase the Greek community and these events invite students to hang out with the Greeks and serve as recruitment as they mingle with the organizations.

Throughout Greek Week, all organizations showed their fun side by doing line dancing, playing games, doing a tailgate and taking a dunk in the pool; they also showed their generosity by a donation drive to help restock Dusty’s Food Pantry located in the Student Center room 226 and the University Village.

Dora Guerrero, standing in red; Alyssa Gonzalez, standing, far right; and other Greeks play giant Uno in the Student Center tent area.

From left: Austin Garcia, Diego Cruz, Jose Ramirez and Isaac Carrizales do a dance number behind the Student Center lawn on March 28.

April 2022

Features | 5

Human library offers new perspectives

SAMANTHA GONZALEZ | BRIDGE PHOTO

Author Crystal Vasquez, left, speaks to student Gerardo Moreno during the Human Library Event hosted by TAMIU on March 24.

B Y D AV I D G O M E Z J R .

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Human Library took place in the Great Room of the Sue & Radcliffe Killam Library to answer questions and break stigmas at the event.

Texas A&M International University Associate Professor Hayley Kazen, organizer of the Human Library, hosted the participatory event which represented marginalized communities, both those at TAMIU and in Laredo.

“So I tried researching back in the Fall about things

we could do and I came across this, which is the Human Library,” Kazen said. “So I contacted the people in Denmark and we talked about what to do and they said we had a big enough population [to host].”

Kazen said the March 24 event promotes the Human Library’s Pillars of Prejudice, which are minority status, mental health, social status, abuse, lifestyle, gender/sexuality, addiction, disabilities, occupation, family, religion and ideology.

When hosting a diverse event, there needs to be a

variety of community members available. Many faculty volunteered their time and shared their own experiences as chapters of their life told to borrowers.

When checking out a human book, different communities offer choices. These range in experiences from those of a single mother, an individual coping with disability, to even race in modern times.

Chinese culture was one of the human book options for visitors to choose from, to select a specific author.

This human book was University College Dean Barbara Hong, who answered entertaining, historical and challenging questions.

She was born in the Republic of Singapore, a sovereign island city-state in maritime Southeast Asia. She speaks Mandarin, Hokkien, Teochew, Cantonese and Malay. “‘What are you doing here?’” Hong recalled a question asked of her during the height of the pandemic at a local gas station by an unknown woman. “The impres-

sion [I got] was, ‘You should not be here.’”

Hong believes this was just an unfortunate event and knows Laredo welcomes her.

She thinks the pandemic created a wedge.

“It’s good that we have this Human Library,” Hong said.

“It helps reeducate everybody again and makes everybody aware that we are no longer isolated.

“Laredo’s Hispanic and so we are very international and we do embrace different ideas given our skin, gender and our behavior.”

Hong smiles as she recalls that misunderstanding.

“It’s literally ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover,’” Hong said As part of the signature course, UNIV 1302, student volunteers received a grade.

“I think this is a really good event because we get to see how people interact with others who share different experiences,” freshman engineering major Juliet Nava said.

Freshman accounting major Samuel Valencia took part as well and guided borrowers to their respective books.

Campus SNAP Club develops from the shadows

BY MI A PEREZ BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The idea developed in a snap, almost as fast as a print in the developer. A group of mostly arts and communication students decided to create a photography club this semester to promote interest in the career and hobby.

Formally called the Student Narrative & Artistic Photography Club, or simply SNAP Club, its members seek to get official SOLE approval.

The idea began in the photography lab with students in the Intermediate and Advanced Photography courses, who then selected Alexa Villarreal as president.

The upcoming club is not official yet, but the SOLE

application date closes in on May 1. Members are collecting everything they need to submit.

“Basically the club is a way for students who have always had an interest [in] photography, whether it is film, digital, on the phone or videography to explore that to learn more and to go around campus and get experience,” Villarreal said.

The main goal the founders decided on is to fundraise frequently for the opportunity to go on trips for members to get more experience documenting the real world.

Through these trips, they can hone their skills in an environment where they share interests and experience with other photographers.

“At the beginning, it is mostly like a fun thing be-

cause we are still getting everything set up for it, but we do have plans to get together and go to different places to practice,” Villarreal said.

“We actually have planned small contests between our students to take photos of what they really want, we will show them on the projector and they will decide who has the better pictures to win prizes” he says.

Although the founders want to make it enjoyable, they would also want them to get involved with the campus itself, such as setting up fundraisers to help and get more in touch with the community.

Villarreal wants to make it a fun experience for students, no matter what they attend.

“There are no requirements to join,” she said. “We do recommend, it is not re-

LEONARD GONZALEZ | BRIDGE

Organizers of the proposed photography club, called SNAP Club, work on designing the organization logo and planning upcoming meetings as they work toward SOLE approval on April 8 on the second floor of the Student Center.

Pictured from left are members: Risk Manager Derly Moreno, Vice President Marco Villarreal, Treasurer Ricardo Pedraza, Secretary Miriam Salinas, Public Relations Officer Yulissa Diaz and President Alexa Villarreal. quired, but we do recommend that you do bring your own camera because TAMIU does not have any digital cameras to lend out. So if you do have your own personal camera

… we recommend you bring it with you, but it is not a requirement to join this upcoming club.”

The SNAP Club is open to any campus students; while

photography courses are recommended, they are not required for membership.

Potential members do not need any special requirements or GPA or classification.

SAMANTHA GONZALEZ | BRIDGE

SAMANTHA GONZALEZ | BRIDGE

TAMIU senior Marijose Soto rakes debris on the ground during the Big Event on March 26 at Las Palmas Park in Laredo.

TAMIU junior Emiliano Benavides helps clean up during the Big Event on March 26 at Las Palmas Park.

TAMIU students clean Las Palmas Park at the Big Event BY G A B R I E L L E P R AT H E R A S S I S TA N T E D I T O R

When TAMIU students choose to help Laredo each spring, they like to go big. After all, the expression is “Go big or go home.”

“Go big” they did. More than 450 volunteers painted, worked in yards and picked up trash—just a few of the types of activities students engaged in to help through the Big Event on Saturday, March 26. The Texas A&M International University Office of Student Conduct and Community Engagement works

with a typical 350 participants to help the environment. This year, more than 450 volunteers showed up to help.

In the school year, there are two events where students show service to the Laredo community. In the spring semester, the Big Event serves as a service learning project led by TAMIU students. This event began in 2009. Many students participated in this opportunity to make a change in themselves. Its sister event in the fall is called Make a Difference Day. Since then, the University made it a tradition for future students to participate and

engage the community. One of the important goals for stu-

leader. One of the important things the Big Event offers is

“... It is important to advocate the Big Event [at] TAMIU because the University is the heart and soul of the city ...”

—Joana Gonzalez

dents who participate in these events is to become a better

to help make the community brighter and cleaner. This

year’s Big Event took place at Las Palmas Nature Trail and Los Tres Laredos Park and many of the students, such as organizations and sports teams, took part.

TAMIU junior psychology major Joana Gonzalez said she loves her community and the cause for this event.

“It is important to advocate the Big Event [at] TAMIU because the University is the heart and soul of the city,” Gonzalez said, “which also allows individuals to learn and experience landmarks that this city has to offer.”

She is part of the Sigma Delta Lambda sorority and

said they contribute to the event by encouraging everyone around them to participate.

Through that, students gain community and leadership experience. Gonzalez said there are critical concepts that need to be done for this event.

“The thing that I focused on in the event is to learn leadership skills,” Gonzalez said.

“How to work on a team and how to make an impact in my community.”

The Big Event makes an impact on TAMIU students and the community. Each semester, every student involved in these services makes a change through their work.

6 | Education

April 2022

TAMIU Artists Guild makes a comeback

BY VIVIANA TELLEZ BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

What began as artistic friends doodling after class one day, hoping to find a hangout spot, became an organization for art lovers.

The Texas A&M International University Artists Guild got re-established when this creative group of friends became the club’s officers, during Fall 2021.

“We contacted SOLE, ‘Hey, we want to start an art group,’” guild Vice President Grace Alvarez said. “They [said], ‘We already have one on record … you can revamp it.”

The guild remains active ever since; it meets frequently throughout the semester to create art.

“All TAMIU students of all kinds of majors and classifications are welcome to join, participate and have fun,” TA-

MIU Artists Guild President Camilla Mancillas said.

This organization promotes art on campus while providing students a stressfree place to escape from school work every Friday from noon to 1:30 p.m.

“Our mission for the club is to support whoever is interested in the arts or whoever has a creative mind,” Alvarez said. “To see people actually take advantage of that and feel welcomed in a space where they can do that is what [I] and the other officers aim to achieve.”

The art club set a variety of weekly hands-on activities for March, such as stickers, DIY earrings, felt art and fabric art to wear and appreciate.

“I see people and they have badges on their backpacks from our badge-event-making day and their stickers [when] they put them on their laptops or bookbags,” Alvarez said, “It’s not something you just get from the store … it’s like, ‘Hey, you made that.’”

COURTESY ARTISTS GUILD

The Artists Guild logo features Sweet Pea, a hamster, and Campbell, a capybara.

The guild encourages students to relax, create and socialize with people who share interests at its meetings.

Students can either show up to the designated place on campus or “become a member through Trailblazers to RSVP for events,” Mancillas said.

This organization commu-

nicates details to students on future events, reminders and student artwork via Instagram under @txamiu.artists_guild.

“A lot of people are really missing out on that social aspect of college,” guild member Marco Antonio Pompa said, “and this is a good place to come to. It’s not very demand-

ing, and that’s really what drew me in. Also, if you’re really good at drawing, it’s a perfect place to show off your art.”

Pompa attends every meeting and leaves with something new every time, whether it be a friendship or an artistic creation. Some of Pompa’s most memorable pieces consist of pillows, pins, traditional art and perspective drawings.

Pompa describes the social aspect of the club as, “The perfect place to meet a lot of new people and bring friends. It’s a very good vibe—especially if you’ve had a hectic week.

You can come here and chill; there’s usually very nice music so everyone is vibing.”

As STEM majors, both Mancillas and Pompa look forward to the stress-relieving aspects the club offers.

“The best aspect of being a member is your ability to create and have an event planned for you,” Alvarez said.

Aside from providing a place, the club caters materials

and exposure for students to explore and utilize.

“We go around to take pictures of their work and we’ll share it [on] Instagram,” Alvarez said. “It’s really nice seeing them looking like they feel appreciated. Their work, more specifically, is appreciated by someone else.”

The guild allows students to create not only art but bonds with other like-minded people.

“We’re part of this together,” Alvarez said, “The whole point of this club was to be together—friends making stuff.”

Mancillas and Alvarez added their own personal touches to the art guild by collaborating on animations of certain critters.

The guild features two mascots. Mancillas created one based on her favorite animal, the capybara, a large brown animal named Campbell. Alvarez designed the other in honor of her pet hamster, Sweet Pea.

Nursing program $1.3 million grant expands SANE BY ALEJANDRO GARCIA IV BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

A $1.3 million grant provides funds to increase specialized nurses through the College of Nursing and Health Sciences.

The HRSA federal grant provides institutional opportunities and resources for nurses to become trained for sexual assault cases in their respective community, and in hopes, to enhance the quality of life.

Dean Marivic Torregosa A student who graduated from Texas A&M International University’s College of Nursing can become a specialized Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner in their basic or advanced certified SANE programs.

Back on Aug. 6, 2021,

the College of Nursing and Health Sciences received $1.3 million in a competitive federal grant pool.

To earn a SANE specialization, the nurses must travel hours to find cases and the expenses would have to come out of the students’ pockets.

Within Laredo, the severe lack of SANE nurses delayed the justification process for the victims.

“Tuition is free, that’s why we are able to train them,” TAMIU Dean of the College of Nursing and Health Sciences Marivic Torregosa said.

“In 2018, there was only one SANE nurse because it is very

expensive. You have to travel out of town to get the cases you need, to get certified.”

When training for these cases, the nurse must spend money on food, housing, gas, instructors and other travel expenses. The HRSA grant supplies the nurses with financial support for the certification because the grant funds should pay for those student resources.

“The grant has added nurses to the community who are SANE certified, and it has addressed the need of them,” Torregosa said.

Before the SANE Program operation, victims of

sexual assault needed to travel out of town to get tested and reviewed. This long process causes the revictimization of survivors, which adds more trauma to the victim.

Today, victims can seek help in community hospitals, so the victim feels reassurance and comfort in their hometown.

“This grant is allowing us to build [a] capacity of Sexual Assault Nurse Examiners, both for adults and adolescents,” SANE Program Manager Rosario Benavides said.

The TAMIU SANE program receives only Texas state certifications, since its goal is

to provide specialized SANE nurses for the community of Laredo. The number of SANE nurse graduates has only multiplied and the program’s mission to continue expanding operations remains in motion.

“There are international SANE nurses; however, the need is here in my community in Laredo,” Benavides said.

“That is why we focus mainly on state certifications and not international, because we have to start at home.”

In law enforcement, SANE nurses must train to become experts in judicial care and forensic nursing.

Students climb economic ladder 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

The Bridge SAMANTHA GONZALEZ | BRIDGE PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

Earning a degree from TAMIU can help raise the economic status for many Laredoans who choose to study locally.

BY GLENYS MALDONADO S P O RT S E D I T O R

Adding to its list of accomplishments and notoriety, TAMIU received a third-place national ranking in economic mobility.

The movement from low-income to higher-income levels for individuals and their families is an important aspect regarding economic mobility.

“It’s not all about money, it is … choice, opportunity, to live wherever you would like to,” Texas A&M International University Associate Vice President for Research and Sponsored Projects John C. Kilburn said. “It is the freedom to choose rather than be told what to do.”

The University’s population makes it quite clear why international is in its name, combining a diversity of faculty with international and non-commuter students.

“Once you get to college you have the opportunity to meet international students, get to meet students who are out-of-state students, who are out of the city, who had different experiences,” Kilburn said. “You realize that your way isn’t the only way and

there’s a world out there and [it] brings a lot of professors here from outside that would say, ‘Hi, I didn’t grow up here.

Here’s the way we did this.’

Many of the internationals have different customs, different ideas, different approaches, different ways to think and when you come for college education you have the opportunity to learn the different approaches.”

The University mastered the ability to expose students to a world outside of the walls of the city of Laredo through its educational programs. It is the power of culturing that aids students to get to that next level and leave the University with an open mind.

“What we have done in our university has helped develop leaders for this region and people who can compete with those from outside of this region,” Kilburn said. “So TAMIU, in its mission, we are preparing students to compete in a global environment by having the skills. We ask you to do a little bit more, it’s worth it … ask you to do more, but you will get more.”

TAMIU challenges its students to get out of their comfort zones, but the results typically prove to be worthwhile.

“You can see these numbers that show that we do it as well, or better, than the vast majority of places in America,” Kilburn said.

Along with many other universities in the nation, TAMIU has been put to a study.

These universities checked up on alumni after 10 years of leaving their institutions.

According to a 2017 article titled “Economic diversity and student outcomes at TAMIU” in “The New York Times” by Larry Gregor, the likelihood that a student at TAMIU moved up two or more income quintiles is at 48%. Additionally, about 8.1% of students at TAMIU came from a poor family but became a rich adult. The share of children who were from the bottom fifth of incomes as students and moved to the top fifth as adults are at 25%.

News of the University’s recognition reached the ears of TAMIU Student Government Association President Lourdes Boardman.

“Well, I actually feel very proud about that,” Boardman said. “I do think that at TAMIU you have a great ability to make students feel proud of what they’re doing and love what they’re doing.”

Interested in learning the business of advertising?

Send us your resume. thebridgenews.tamiu@gmail.com

April 2022

Campus | 7

Greeks support Dusty’s Food Pantry BY ELIS REYES-SANCHEZ B R I D G E S TA F F I N T E R N

ELIS REYES-SANCHEZ | BRIDGE

Members of the TAMIU Greek Association share information for Greek Week in the Student Center Rotunda on March 30.

Food insecurity is a problem some students face during their collegiate studies. Research shows that students who suffer from food insecurities are more likely to have attention problems and be poorly prepared.

Many schools created a student pantry to help prevent hunger. In October 2017, Dusty’s Food Pantry was created, with the help of the Division of Student Success, to eliminate hunger among Texas A&M International University students.

In order to achieve this goal, TAMIU’s Greeks launched a food drive to benefit Dusty’s Food Pantry during Greek Week. On March 30, various Greeks gathered from

10 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Student Center Rotunda to accept non-perishable food and toiletries from TAMIU students, faculty and staff. Greek Council President and Alpha Psi Lambda member Ana

“This is a way ... to give back and help other students.”

—Ana Christina Alvarado

Christina Alvarado said it is important to help the campus community by giving back.

“This goes back to [Dusty’s Food] Pantry, [which] we have here on campus,” Alvarado

said. “This is a way for the Greek community to give back and help other students.

This kind of shows what we stand for, so every organization has its own philanthropy—their own thing to give back.”

For Delta Xi Nu member Dora Guerrero, not only was this an opportunity to get donations, but it was also a way for students to see the Greek community in action and recruit members.

“The Greek donation drive is basically a way for the community to get to know all Greek organizations and get involved next semester and try to rush,” Guerrero said.

At the end of the drive, Greeks helped restock the school’s pantry with needed non-perishable food items and toiletries.

‘Tree of Luck’ joins campus scenery BY ALEXIA RODRIGUEZ BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

One of the newest campus features, a maple tree-shaped fountain, trickles water down its leaves onto the rock-covered ground.

In late Fall 2021, students walking near the Western Hemisphere Trade Center saw the fountain just before winter break. Installation took nine months.

Senior Director of Campus Safety and Planning Trevor Liddle, who helped choose the fountain’s design, shared the deeper meaning behind it. “[The] maple tree represents what we do,” Liddle

said. “It’s a slow grower. It’s strong. It can resist a lot, and then it reveals its beauty.”

It was also custom-built and designed in the U.K., which speaks to Texas A&M International University’s international mission.

Students also believe the maple tree fountain can grant good luck, like the Acequia Fountain in front of the Sue and Radcliffe Killam Library.

“I like [the urban legend of the Tree of Luck], because it is clear the students have embraced [the fountain],” Liddle said.

The “public functional art piece,” as Liddle describes it, helps with campus beautification. But it also creates a more relaxing environment outside the WTH.

“I think it’s very pretty and it kinda adds a relaxation vibe,” TAMIU student Evelyn Medina said. “I look at it and it is very relaxing.”

Like Medina, fellow student Isai Cardenas enjoys the structure.

“When you sit near it, the water is nice to listen to while doing work or just chilling there,” Cardenas said.

But as installation time suggests, adding the fountain was not easy. It consists of many different parts to make it work; each part was considerably expensive.

“The tree and all of its functional parts were several thousand dollars,” Liddle said.

“Not a lot of colleges are able to do what [Vice President for Finance and Administration

Juan] Castillo and I have been able to do here. And that is a gift. That is a gift that our community doesn’t necessarily come and say ‘Thank you,’ but they give us their thanks by enjoying the space.”

Students can visit the Maple Tree Fountain at any time, since it operates every day and hour during the regular semesters. For the preservation of the motors, the fountain turns off during breaks.

Looking forward, this shows the potential for public art pieces in TAMIU’s outdoor space, which students might enjoy.

“It would be very cool if there were more art pieces like that around campus,” Medina said. “It just adds more character and life to the campus.”

KARLA DE LEON | BRIDGE

Students walk near the “Tree of Luck,” located near the Western Hemisphere Trade Center on April 4.

TAMIU food court offers new Mexican cuisine location

DAVID PERALTA | BRIDGE

The Bene Pizzeria and GrilleWorks after close on Thursday, April 7. These food court locations are operated by Aramark.

B Y N AT X O FA U S BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

In order to change and improve its offerings, Aramark Food Service switches things up from time to time. This semester is no different.

The food service contractor introduced a new Mexican place in the food court on Thursdays.

The cultural cuisine of Mexico is featured in a place where students congregate on campus, said Aramark’s local Food Service Director Carlos J. Rodriguez.

Aramark, a company based on providing food to schools, serves Texas A&M International University right on the border between the U.S. and Mexico; Laredo is about 95.4% Hispanic or Latino according to the U.S. Census Bureau numbers.

“TAMIU is the border between two countries, and why not the union between cultures?” Rodriguez asked.

Dusty’s Diner, one of the Aramark restaurants on campus, in the month of October, usually celebrates His-

panic Heritage Month with Mexican or other Hispanic cuisine. For this inspiration, Rodriguez decided to include this type of cuisine in the food court options.

“Every Thursday of this Spring 2022 semester, the food court [has] a place for Mexican food,” he said.

Food Court employees expect to offer Mexican food regularly starting in the sum-

“... and why not the union between cultures?”

—Carlos J. Rodriguez

mer in the same location. Aramark’s director said he wants to provide the types of food the customers ask for.

“This is a place to leave aside the school cafeteria service routine and provide what people want on the spot,” the director said. “We serve you, we are for you.”

The Mexican menu features variety. Consumers may have a combo of four tacos,

which they can choose between pork, chicken and beef, plus a side of either beans or noodles and a drink.

“We are contemplating the vegetarian and the vegan menu option,” Rodriguez said.

The kitchen staff of about seven people work toward flexibility in food options.

“Even though our food is served quickly, we are not a fast-food place,” Rodriguez said to explain its place in the restaurant pantheon.

“And all this for a total of $8.99.”

Food services offer flexibility to consumers when it comes to payment options.

“Both cash and credit card payments [are] feasible, even Dusty Dollars, which can be held on each person’s TAMIU ID card, are possible to pay,” he said.

With this innovation by Aramark and TAMIU, it also opens the doors to the discovery of cultural cuisine to international students.

“I really enjoyed the food,” Magid Salah said, an international student from France who had never tried Mexican food before.

Magid said it is a good place to get together with friends.

8 | Sports

April 2022

Dustdevils dominate at 5-0 for weekend

BY GLENYS MALDONADO S P O RT S E D I T O R

Texas A&M International University faced a long weekend at the Dustdevils Softball Field with the first three games against Western New Mexico and the last two games against University of Texas-Permian Basin. The Dustdevils dominated the field. With tunnel vision for a successful weekend, the Dustdevils had the final scores, respectively: 8-3, 5-3, 9-1, 5-2 and 8-4.

Several overall weekend leaders made their presence known: • Briana Arredondo: 4 homeruns, 1 double, 5 RBIs and 5 runs • Victoria Gonzalez: 2 homeruns, 1 double, 3 RBIs and 3 runs • Alex Hernandez: 1 double, 3 RBIs and 7 runs

• Victoria Maldonado: 1 double, 3 RBIs, 3 sacrifice bunts and 2 runs TAMIU had an impactful weekend toward its record, but that is not the only way this team measures success after a victorious triumph.

“We needed to win all weekend, but if we see our team improving and—from where we were on day one to where we are now—that’s a measure of success,” coach Scott Libby said. “A lot of times people just look at the wins and losses or they look at if somebody gets a hit or if they get out, but we’re not always result-oriented. A lot of it is the process and if we see that we’re going through the right process to reach our goals, then that’s success.”

Although they make it look easy, it has not always been smooth sailing.

“We’ve been hit,” Libby said. “We’ve lost our No. 1

pitcher due to [COVID-19], she’s been out all season. The young lady [Maldonado who] was catching, she missed 25 games due to a fractured finger. We had nine players a couple weeks ago with the flu and strep throat and all that. So it’s been very challenging, but also it’s given opportunities for everyone to participate.”

Through their bumps in the road, they continued to persevere and remain focused on their season goals.

“I tell the girls, ‘Don’t worry about the win-loss record right now.’” Libby said. “Look at our standings instead, we have to finish in the top 10.

There’s 16 teams [to qualify for the Lone Star Conference Tournament]. Top ten make the tournament. With [the] tournament, everybody [is] 0-0 and it’s anybody’s tournament.”

Dustdevils recently flipped

DAVID GOMEZ JR. | BRIDGE FILE

TAMIU sophomore pitcher Victoria Gonzalez (7) gets congratulated at the end of an inning in this file photo taken on March 11 at the Dustdevils Softball Field. the script and now enter the field ready to intimidate. Maldonado serves as the team’s catcher and third baseman.

“TAMIU has not really gotten the ‘Oh my God, we are playing TAMIU—like they’re an awesome school.’

It’s always like we were the underdogs. So last year when we started turning heads, now we walk onto the field and now it’s like ‘Oh shoot—like they are not the underdogs anymore—like they can actually pull off the win,’” Maldonado said about her team.

TAMIU continues to surprise and keep the rest of the Lone Star teams on their toes. Arredondo serves as the team’s catcher and designated hitter.

“We always have to make adjustments because they’ve seen most of our lineup,” Arredondo said. “They’re like ‘Well, we know this player and we know what they can or can’t do.’ So we have to make adjustments and do what we need to do.” Gonzalez serves as the team’s pitcher and first baseman. “It also gives us a

certain push because they already know what we have, so we have to show up and be better than how we were last year,” Gonzalez said.

This huge change in record resulted from driven mentalities and team goals. “Our goals are just play and have fun and win,” Arredondo said. “We have to find a way to win, being a team player all the time, being ready when your number’s called all the time. That’s something we emphasize a lot: when it’s your time, it’s your time to go.”

Cross country athlete keeps eyes on prize

BY GLENYS MALDONADO S P O RT S E D I T O R

DAVID GOMEZ JR. | BRIDGE

TAMIU cross country junior Faith Kiprotich of Kenya holds up the Dustdevils sign on April 12 in the Kinesiology and Convocation Building.

From Kenya to Tennessee to Laredo, no matter what location, one Dustdevil keeps her eyes on the prize.

Texas A&M International University junior Faith Kiprotich joined the Dustdevils cross country team two years ago. She previously attended UT Martin college in Tennessee. She is originally from Kapkoi, Kenya.

She arrived in the U.S. with many aspirations and a hunger for success.

“I wanted to work in the medical field since I was young,” Kiprotich said. “I come from a place where we

need those types of service.

I couldn’t afford it. So I was like, ‘I’m going to play this sport so I can pay for my school.’ What made me run was my goal for academics. I came to love the sport; I found passion for it along the way.”

The U.S. culture remains quite different from that of her home country. For one, the food is quite different.

While chai flavor makes it into some people’s Starbucks drinks, it finds different usage in Kenya.

“Chai is what we drink for breakfast,” Kiprotich said.

“We also use it to welcome guests and it is common to make it for your guests.”

With a driven mind and holding her dreams close to

Rec Sports offers new features

heart, it wasn’t exactly easy leaving her family behind.

“I am really close to my family,” she said. “I have 11 siblings. I have seven sisters and four brothers. Everyone is pretty close [in] age. I’m the only one that is six years apart.

I’m the last one, I am the baby.

The rest of my siblings are all about two years apart.”

However, they do continue to motivate her daily and she pushes for her own success [toward the future].

“I was supposed to go to a university in Kenya and got in for biochemistry, but that wasn’t really what I wanted,” she said. “I was like, ‘I am going to try something else,’ so I tried running and applying to schools in the United States,

SCHEDULE W O M E N ’ S APR 21 MAY 2 MAY 10

SAMANTHA GONZALEZ | BRIDGE

BY PRISCILLA ABREGO BRIDGE CONTRIBUTING WRITER

The TAMIU men’s basFrom teaching students fundamentals to outdoor adventures, Recreational Sports launches new services and machinery for students to reach their personal fitness goals.

The Rec Sports Center recently relaunched personal training and set afloat their newest program Outdoor Adventures.

Rec Sports Director Roberto Garza said interested students may look into the center’s many programs. He added that the main goal is “to ensure students create autonomy.”

Aside from the new equipment, such as the deadlift platform, the outdoor area ladder, new dumbbell sets and hip-thrust machine, the center offers a popular body composition assessment.

Due to its popularity, the assessment moved to appointment-only status.

For students looking for a personalized exercise program, the center offers personal training.

“We used to have this a long time ago, but our trainers graduated, then we hit the pandemic,” Rec Sports Program Manager Juan Perez said.

The program offers a personalized workout plan and the assistance of a personal trainer while exercising. It also includes a complimentary private area for training.

“What we aim to do there is make them as independent as possible,” Perez said. “We want to teach them the fundamentals, motivate them and guide them.”

Personal training is $15 per session per student or $20 for small group training.

“Small group training helps the TAMIU community build a sense of belonging and meet people with similar goals,” Perez said.

For alumni interested in group fitness, the Rec recently launched a new program.

“We couldn’t be inside, so we went outside,” Perez said.

“Born from the pandemic, we now have Outdoor Adventures.”

For the moment, this program offers bicycling, but organizers look toward expanding to kayaking and hiking.

For riding schedules and to sign up, interested persons may visit Recreational Sports at TAMIU’s website.

People interested in nature and adventure might benefit from this service.

“If you need a bike, just sign-up,” Perez said. “We have a QR code and we provide you with the bike and helmet.

We can also take non-students … they just need to sign up and sign a general waiver to participate in the program.”

There is no fee for this service.

“We have many goals and aspirations for this program,” Garza said. “Right now, we only have five bikes and helmets, but we are looking to acquire more so we can provide that service to more students because, at the end of the day, we want our students to have a good experience while they are at the University.”

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TAMIU students make use of the gymnasium machines April 5 at the Kinesiology, Wellness and Recreation Center.

and I got it. “[My family was] not up to it, they kind of doubted me a lot. It is because I am the baby and I used to cry a lot,” she joked. “I push to prove myself.”

Despite the distance and the big move, Kiprotich found a family of her own at TAMIU. “I love my teammates,” she said. “I’ve never had any issues with them. All of them are lovely. I was in Tennessee before and when I came here, I really loved my teammates.

They are all so nice, we all hang out together a lot. They are all supportive.”

She sticks to a strict schedule to balance the importance of her pre-nursing studies.

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