The South Texan Vol. 96 Issue 4

TheSouthTexan.com Texas A &M University-Kingsville Award-Winning Student Publication Monday, October 11, 2021

HANDMADE RUGS

CAMPUS PG. 2

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Vol. 96, Issue 4

TAMUK exceeds $100M goal With You.fffff Without Limits. comes to an end Rae Martinez

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Entertainment Editor entertainment.editor@thesouthtexan.com

As the red curtains unveiled and the drum-roll came to an end, the room was filled with cheers as officials announced the end of With You. Without Limits. campaign.

Cups of champagne

were passed around to celebrate $114 million that was raised for Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK) 20 months ahead of schedule with the goal to enhance education and discovery throughout South Texas.

“This is what we call a comprehensive campaign.

Where we count every dollar raised to any part of the university during a specific time period. This was the right size and the right time for Texas A&M – Kingsville, our donors and our supporters. With

Proposed student fee increases discussed Cheerleaders posed during With Out Limits total reveal

great volunteer leadership, we learned a lot about how to do this better and make sure we can do it again in the future,” Vice President of Institutional Advancement and External Relations Brad Walker said.

Walker, who has been part of the campaign since the start, mentions it be-

gan in April 2018 with the intention to raise $100 million. The campaign met its objective in January 2020 and officially ended it on Aug. 31. The accomplishment was celebrated at an event held last week.

“We did not foresee that. In fact, we thought we had made a stretch goal

Rae Martinez

for A&M - Kingsville, but we found that there’s a lot of love for the university and individuals willing to give and corporations and foundations. We’re very happy that we exceeded the goal and we’re looking forward to the next game plan,” campaign chair Gene Dawson said.

See Goal, Pg 7

Chancellor Sharp visits campus Sharp gives update on merger rumors, visit to campus

Ronni Reyna | Editor-in-Chief chief.editor@thesouthtexan.com

On Tuesday, Oct. 5, A&M System Chancellor John Sharp visited Texas A&M University-Kingsville to attend a meeting with faculty and staff leaders. The meeting was closed to the public but The South Texan was able to secure a brief interview with Chancellor Sharp before the meeting. The questions asked and his responses are below.

Q: What is the purpose of your visit here today?

A: Every 18 months to two years or so I go to the leadership of the faculty and the staff at each one of our 11 universities

Online

and go spend an hour or two with them and just get the flavor of any problems that they have, good things that are going on, stuff like that. Just listen to them and talk to them about past, the future and how things are going on campus. This is about the sixth campus I’ve gone to.

I was in Corpus this morning. I’ve been to San Antonio. I’ve been to Laredo.

This time of year we go to all of them

Q: Is there any merit to the rumors about a merger with A&M Corpus Christi?

A: No, that time has passed. It was a great idea, but I will never bring it up again. The chance of doing that unfortunately is gone.

Q: How does the A&M system view the recent allegations and lawsuits about discrimination at this university?

A: Lawyers are looking at it. I mean we get complaints about things from

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time to time, and it always goes to legal and legal always tells me don’t comment on it if it’s in a courthouse.

Q: With enrollment being consistently low is the system considering any major cuts to Kingsville?

A: Universities get money by the number of students that they have so the formula and the number of students drives it, so

if you have less students, you get less money, that’s just part of what state law is about. It’s not a system decision. The legislature funds universities based on the number of students they have, so if you have less students you’re going to get less money. That’s why it’s important that enrollment increase.

Q: What are some positives you see about

Aryssa Enriquez

A&M-Kingsville?

A: The History. A&M Kingsville is the engineering school of South Texas, of the Rio Grande Valley.

One of the positives is all of the great former students and alumni that come out of Kingsville that are scattered all over the place, particularly in South Texas and the Rio Grande Valley. Those folks

Makaylah Chavez

|

Campus Editor campus.editor@thesouthtexan.com

On Oct. 4, Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) hosted a tuition and fee hearing that was open to all current students and faculty.

University leaders attended the hearing in order to discuss and propose fee increases for students for the upcoming school year. All fee increases that were proposed will only affect incoming freshman students beginning Fall 2022. Proposals included increasing fees for departments like Group Hospital and Medical Services, Athletics, Music and Lab fees.

The Group Hospital and Medical Service proposal was to increase fees by $5.64 per semester. The price would rise from $57 to $62.64 for students per semester.

This rate increase would be used to continue the enhanced health services that are currently offered by the university and that are funded with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES), funding associated with the COVID-19 pandemic.

The increased fees will be charged to graduate and incoming freshmen See Fees, Pg 7

See Sharp, Pg 7

Cuento Tejanos, novellas of the Wild Horse Desert

Beat Flores is

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Here’s a sneak peak of what you missed online.

Ronni Reyna interviewing Chancellor Sharp in TAMUK’s Founders Room

Vote goes to students Oct. 11, 12

editor, publisher Sarah Reyna

|

Senior Reporter

Growing up in an era in which stories were passed down orally between generations, Dr. Manuel Flores wanted to retell the stories he heard as a child and later passed down to his children from the Wild Horse Desert.

“In 2021, I am the story-teller. Generation-to-generation the stories are told and continue. New ones emerge as each year passes by and some have lasting power that become almost like heirlooms of our memories. They are ingrained in the circuits of our brains like a spring shower that wets the dry

earth and becomes part of the soil that will bring life to vegetation and the world around us,” an excerpt from the forward of Cuentos Tejanos, Flores’ newly published book of essays, about the Wild Horse Desert of Texas reads.

Flores’ book took almost 12 years to complete. It includes multiple articles and essays from the book previously published in other newspapers, magazines and journals that Flores, and the invited authors, have written over the span of the last decade.

Compiling the materials and putting them together in a book took about a year, with Flores being both the editor and publisher.

“I wanted to fashion it after a Mexican novella,” Flores said. “The stories are related but also have separate plots from each other. I thought that would be interesting to the read-

ers to keep the reading flow going.”

Instead of having chapters throughout book, Flores decided to take a different and unique approach. Reminded by his childhood spent watching novellas, he decided to call each essay/article an episode. Cuentos Tejanos consist of 38 episodes, that can each stand alone.

American Tejano historian Ramiro “RJ” Molina was one of the many people to contribute to the creation of Cuentos Tejanos.

Many of the articles and essays in the book were written and co-written by Molina.

After knowing Flores for years, it was no surprise he asked Molina to help with his book.

“I’ve known Manuel for as long as I can remember; he was my baseball coach as a kid,” Molina said. “I felt extremely honored when Dr. Flores asked if I’d like to publish some

Front cover of Flores’ book, Cuentos Tejanos

pieces of my writings in his book.”

Molina is a current

Submitted Photo

board member for the Jim Hogg County IndepenSee Flores, Pg 7

Campus

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October 11, 2021

thesouthtexan.com

Mat Perez: founder of Custom Threads ‘Rug Guy’ builds own business

JacquelineBarrera|Campus Editor

campus.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Your home is a reflection of who you are. Let it shine, just like your own custom rug.

The artistic minded Falfurrias, Texas, native Mat Perez lives life with a fearless soul and a passion to succeed in this

Custom rug design by Perez.

life without working the typical nine to five.

The challenges that come with being a fulltime college student are no match for Perez. With building his own business at the age of 22, the gifted creator expresses his artistic abilities by creating custom rugs.

While attending Texas A&M University - Kingsville (TAMUK), many of Perez’s days are spent gearing towards gradu-

Mat Perez on Twitter.

ation, along with finding time to produce custom rug designs.

“Pursuing a business takes a lot of time and a lot of passion. I don’t feel as if creating rugs is work for me but more of something I love to do.

I take pride in knowing my hard work is appreciated by so many others. Having to find a balance between my education and my business is sometimes a struggle,” Perez said. “It comes down to how I can manage my time of studying and creating rugs. The result of every design is amazing. My heart truly goes into every project I work on.”

Since coming off a part-time job working for Hobby Lobby, inspiration struck the mind of Perez after finding a shared love for interior design with his girlfriend.

After constant weeks of research and learning the ropes of building a brand, Perez would go on to create his own business known as Custom Threads established in July 2021.

By this time, many would know him as the “rug guy.”

“The minute I dove headfirst into creating my first custom rug, the feedback was insane.

Customers were messaging my social media accounts asking how they

Perez poses for a photo in his workspace.

can order, what designs I could make and at what price I would sell my products for. It was a dream, to be honest,” Perez said. “I am thankful for my girlfriend who never stopped believing in my abilities and a great friend of mine named Kevin Pendleton who really helped guide me in the right direction.

Without these people I would not be where I am today.”

Hayley Morin, a student at TAMUK, said Perez’s talents are unmatched.

“When I hear that people have their own business or want to start their own brand, it truly amazes me. The commitment and time that comes with starting one also means having a lot of motivation. When I

Mat Perez on Twitter.

notice Mat posting his work on social media it instantly amazes me how he can manage school and a business.

Along with creating amazing rugs that so many customers love,” Morin said. “Mat is an awesome person who is extremely talented at what he does. So many students really love the quality of his work. He is the kind of person who motivates others and knows how to brighten up a room.”

Plenty of customers and friends of Perez can agree of the potential the young creator carries.

Trent Payne, a student-athlete at TAMUK, said the passion Perez pours into his work does not go unnoticed.

“I became friends with Mat right before he de-

cided to make Custom Threads and seeing him not only as a friend, but a young entrepreneur has made me respect him more as a person. Mat puts countless hours into his craft and genuinely cares about his customers and that’s why I think he deserves to succeed,” Payne said.

The meaning behind Custom Threads is far greater than the idea of a customized rug.

Perez hopes to allow people to strive for what they are passionate about.

Regardless of the fear to fail or the time it may take for you to accomplish your goals, Perez dreams that his journey helps motivate those he may come across in life.

Visit Custom Threads on Twitter @MatPerez7.

the College of Arts & Sciences and promote all our programs. It was positive recruitment for our department as well as TAMUK,” Guerrero said.

High school students spent time talking with faculty about different courses and majors. Different activities were also provided to students to help them decide what would best suit their interests.

“It was a positive experience, along with good energy. The best part is meeting students and talking about what they’re interested in,” Guerrero said.

The students got to experience activities all over TAMUK’s campus, which were hosted by different organizations of the College of Arts & Sciences.

“Each department had activities in their building: building tours, minute to win it, talks, trivia games, experiments, poster and t-shirt printing, and KTAI (the university radio station)

was live,” Associate Dean of College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Maria E. Velez-Hernandez said.

Other organizations chose to have their activities take place outside of the Arts & Science buildings.

“ACT (Art, Communication & Theatre) decided to take our events down to the Pavilion where most of the action was and have fun. We had a table full of swag that the students and parents both enjoyed,” Professor and Department Chair of Art, Communication & Theatre Todd Lucas said.

Lucas said students got to participate in pressing their own javelina logo shirts. They pressed 174 shirts in a couple of hours.

“The faculty and students did a great job of showing off just a little of what we can do here in Art, Communication & Theatre, which is have fun while we work with our passions. We would love to do this again,” Lucas said.

Class Giving Society Looking High school students attend first time for Students to Join Javelina Experience events TAMUK society focuses on student philanthropy TylerLarraga|Contributing Writer

Class Giving Society is a new organization at Texas A&M University-Kingsville.

The Class Giving Society (CGS) was founded in 2019 by the Student Body President. It is a society that is student-led and focuses on student philanthropy.

“I am so grateful to be a part of the Class Giving Society because it really does help me grow as a person. The Class Giving Society is a society that I think everyone should join,” CGS Director of Recruitment Juileanna Chavarria said.

The Class Giving Society also has a partnership with the TAMUK Alumni Office and aids in the annual Day of Giving.

If there are any students who are interested in joining, they can speak to any of the CGS executives in the Student Government Association office. The office is located in the Student Union Building, Room 201.

The CGS executives will be more than willing to help anyone who is interested in joining.

“I decided to join the Class Giving Society because I really love being active in the TAMUK community as well as being a part of something that gives back to the students. I would really encourage students

to join” CGS Student Ambassador Keerstin Garza said.

For more information about how to join the society, there are also flyers around campus that have a QR code that will lead you right to the application. The application is quick and easy and only takes about a minute to complete. Once completed, you will receive a confirmation that you have been accepted into the society.

“The Class Giving Society offers a great experience for those who are into student philanthropy and who love to give back. It will definitely be worth joining in the end after all the good that comes from being a part of CGS,” CGS Founder Ruben Martinez said.

TAMUK College of Arts & Sciences promotes program SamanthaGonzalez|Contributing Writer

High school students all over the Coastal Bend are getting to experience what Texas A&M University- Kingsville (TAMUK) has to offer.

Javelina Experience is an event held by TAMUK during each Saturday home football game.

Each College will get a chance to host this event and show current high school students their different programs.

The latest Javelina Experience was held on Sept. 25 and was hosted by the College of Arts & Sciences.

“This is the first year we’ve hosted this event, and we had about 70 students attend,” Dean of College of Arts & Sciences Dr. Dolores Guerrero said.

“This event was an opportunity to share what is happening in

Dean Guerrero gives speech to high school students.

TAMUK ACT on Facebook.

Campus

October 11, 2021 thesouthtexan.com

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Annual laser tag event hosted at Rec Center Campus Activities

Board brings students together CarmelaMartinez |Contributing Writer

Campus Activities Board (CAB) hosted its annual Laser Tag event

on Tuesday, Sept. 28, at the Student Recreation Center (SREC). Students of Texas A&M University – Kingsville (TAMUK) were able to enjoy a night of laser tag with their friends, completely free of charge.

Special Events Chair for CAB Erial Hawkins

said CAB wants students to have fun.

“The purpose of these events is just to have fun events for our students to come and enjoy themselves,” she said. “School has been really hard for some people, and this is our way of letting our students destress.”

TAMUK Campus Activites Board

Students posing for a picture with their laser guns.

This event, like many of the events that CAB puts on, allows TAMUK students to meet new people and provide opportunities to develop new friendships.

Fabiola Hernandez, a general member of CAB, said she has met many new people being part of the organization.

“The thing with CAB, you can come and make friends and meet new people,” she said. “I didn’t think I would meet so many new people and when I came to several of these events, everybody was just so kind. That’s why I decided to join, myself.”

TAMUK student Grady Besancon said he enjoyed laser tag.

“I had never done laser tag before so I was pretty excited to do this,” Besancon said. “I noticed that CAB provides entertainment for the masses at the college, especially

TAMUK Campus Activites Board

Students enjoying laser tag festivities.

for free. What CAB is doing at this university is

incredible to me. It benefits the student body.”

On-campus career fair Tejano Heritage Symposium hosted by Career services and Banquet this week TAMUK departments guide students to find campus jobs SimonPoe |Contributing Writer

Career services held a career fair for on-campus jobs in the Memorial Student Union Building.

The event was hosted

by Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) Career Services and the TAMUK Student Body on Oct. 4.

The aim of the event was to spread awareness about job opportunities on campus and to answer frequently asked questions regarding the application process.

The career fair hosted tables from the Center for Student Success, Javelina Dining and other departments on campus.

“Today, we’ve got about seven departments here that are hiring for regular wage and work study positions,”

Ralph Leal, director of career services at TAMUK, said. “All the other positions we have available are primarily going to be in Javelina Careers powered by Handshake.”

The career fair was the first event held by Career Services since the pandemic started.

Representatives from Career Services and the student body expressed interest in hosting other events like this one.

“It’s something I’ve really wanted to kickstart as president this year,” Micayla Grossman, student body president at TAMUK, said.

“There’s a lot of questions coming out of COVID about ‘How do I get a job on campus?

How do I look? I see this on Handshake but I’m not necessarily sure what the job entails.’

This is the first of hopefully many events. We want students to feel like they are being able to be guided and helped in the right direction. As a

University we only hope to host events like this more in the future.”

Students who attended the fair said they were better informed about the job opportunities on campus and feel more confident in their abilities.

“You get the chance to speak to different employers and you have a timeline of when you will be employed,” Clementina Isibor, a student who attended the event, said.

“You have a specific knowledge of what exactly each of these campus employers want and how to position yourself for these jobs.”

Career Services will be hosting another Career Fair on Oct. 20 that will primarily focus on external job opportunities.

The university hopes to attract a larger audience this time around.

You can also see what jobs are available on campus by signing into Handshake using your university login.

Annual event celebrates Tejano Heritage

ErikEstrada |Contributing Writer

The 15th Annual Texas A&M University-Kingsville(TAMUK) Tejano Heritage Symposium and Banquet are here to celebrate Tejano Heritage. The Tejano Symposium will take place at 6 p.m., Oct. 14, at the Little Theater, and is open to the public. The banquet will take place the same day Oct. 14, at the Memorial Student Union Building, but is by invitation only.

Professor at TAMUK and organizer of the symposium and banquet Dr. Manuel Flores gave insights on the importance of these two events.

“It’s important to celebrate Tejano and Hispanic heritage because if we don’t, nobody else will,” Flores said. “We need to remember the accomplishments of the people who have reached success and set great examples for younger generations.”

Coordinator at the

Kenedy Ranch Museum of South Texas and another organizer to the events, Homero Vera explained why it’s so important to teach Hispanic heritage.

“It’s important for people to know the contribution Tejanos make, and it gives kids someone who might be similar to them, someone to look up to,” Vera said.

Vera also explained how someone who wants to learn more about Tejano heritage can begin.

“It’s important to learn and listen, talk to your family, parents, grandparents and friends. You can read books or even go to the Texas State Historic Association” Vera said.

The Tejano Heritage Symposium will feature Sergio Troncoso, author of (Nepantla Familias) and other Hispanic based writings, as the keynote speaker of the event. Troncoso was chosen for his contributions and research of Tejano heritage. “(Nepantla Familias) brings together Mexican American narratives that explore different worlds,” Troncoso said.

“The essays, poems, and

short stories explore the in-between moments in Mexican American life.”

At the Tejano Banquet there will be four awards given out, two Tejano Heritage Awards and two Tejano Service Awards.

Flores explained how these recipients were chosen.

“These awards are to honor Hispanic or Tejano alumni who have been nominated by other alumni for their contributions to the Tejano character and style of living through their graduation from Texas A&I or Texas A&M Kingsville ‘’ Flores said.

Award recipients include Oscar Gonzalez, Tejano Heritage Award; Roberto Gonzalez, Tejano Heritage Award; Alicia Arredondo Clarke, Tejano Service Award; and Antonia Alvarez, Tejano Service Award.

“These alumni are kind of like the forgotten people of Texas A&I or A&M Kingsville, who have not really been honored or recognized for their work. So, the University has decided not to forget their accomplishments and have decided to remember them and all they’ve done.”

Entertainment

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October 11, 2021

thesouthtexan.com

How to Adult: Renewing FAFSA Every college student needs to know

RaeMartinez|Entertainment Editor

Entertainment.editor @thesouthtexan.com

Screenshot from streaming app Netflix

Review: Netflix’s Squid Game A binge-worthy series that will keep you on your couch MakaylahChavez| Opinion Editor opinion .editor@thesouthtexan.com

If you have not been living under a rock, then you’ve heard of the overnight sensation Squid Game on Netflix.

Without spoilers, it is a show about morals and what you’re willing to do for money and a changed life.

Squid Game is a one season Korean drama and contains nine, hourlong episodes.

The show revolves around the protagonist Seung Gi-Hun, a divorced father, who gets

sucked into playing children games that turn deadly.

Although the plot of the story itself is intriguing beyond measure, the concept and deeper meaning behind the series is what makes this Netflix original stand out amongst other trending contenders.

The show’s themes all structure around real-world economic and social issues.

Themes include hierarchy, imperialism and poverty.

The hierarchy is displayed when a wealthy man lures innocent Korean citizens in to play a “game” simply because he was bored and had extra money to spend and give out.

The imperialism is portrayed when the English-speaking VIPs of

the game get to travel to an exotic island, enjoy making bets on people’s lives and staying in a luxurious room filled with all kinds of fancy beverages and food platters while the poor players of the game have to literally fight for their lives each day.

The poverty is seen throughout the episodes as the audience gets backstory into certain player’s lives and how they live outside of the game.

Everybody at some point has thought of what they would do for money.

Maybe you chose a certain major you knew would be profitable.

Maybe you’ve gone to Vegas to test your gambling luck.

These players had an unpredictable opportu-

Review: Viki’s Blue Birthday is a thrilling mystery Back to the Future meets Sherlock Holmes AnnalisaPerales| Contributing Writer

Have you ever wished that you could go back in time to change things?

Viki’s new web drama, Blue Birthday, may just show you how difficult changing the past could be.

The story begins in the year 2011, when Oh Ha Rin is told to meet in the school’s photography studio by her childhood best friend and crush, Ji Seo Jun. Excited to meet him as he has a birthday present for her, Ha Rin’s heart breaks when she discovers him lifeless and seemingly has taken his own life.

Ten years later, Ha Rin still yearns for the passing of Seo Jun as she was never able to figure out why the horrific event took place and what she could have done differently. Reminiscing in the past, Ha Rin comes across Seo Jun’s old photos and the camera that he was attached to.

Feelings bubbling up, Ha Rin burns one of the photos and unknowingly gets transported back to the day the photo was taken.

Realizing that burning a photo takes someone back to the past, Ha Rin does everything she

Screenshot from streaming app Viki

can to stop Seo Jun from passing away.

Little does she know that while discovering the truth, maybe Seo Jun didn’t take his own life, but if so, who killed him?

Although this web drama is not as long as many Korean dramas, it seems to be well written as it doesn’t leave you with any questions.

While some scenes throughout the series may be repetitive like Ha Rin going back to the same day a couple of times, each scene gives you a hint on who may have committed the questionable crime.

Another aspect I liked about this series is the cinematography while switching back from the past to the present.

During the present time, the lighting is bright and gives you the aspect of it being the true reality. While going back to the past, it is almost like the lighting is through

the lens of the camera as it is a bit darker.

Not only was the cinematography good, the writing was just as equal as the idea of the series was interesting and unique. While diving into the idea of time traveling through photos, there are many rules to time travel that our Back to the Future fans may know of and this series adds a twist to those guidelines.

I do believe that the acting could have been better as many of the supporting cast could have shown more emotion. But as for the two main leads, Yeri and Yang Hong Seok, they portrayed their characters with the right amount of passion and novelty expected.

For those who like thrillers and plot twists, this drama just may be for you. If you would like to give this show a try, it is available to stream on Viki.

nity to earn some cash and took it to make a better life for themselves and for their families.

Each player had a different reason to continue to play, but they also each had a choice to kill or be killed.

Although Squid Game is in Korean and some of us have to watch in English and with subtitles, it didn’t take away from the intensity of each game.

The concepts behind it are so raw and showcase just how harsh the real world is for some people.

This show is emotional, binge-worthy and suspenseful, but my favorite part of the entire show?

You’re in for an insane plot twist and a whole lot of theories that follow.

October is here which means it is time for college students to renew their Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).

Renewing your FAFSA can be a struggle no matter your classification, and that is okay.

These quick and easy steps will aid (see what I did there?) in making your renewal an easy one.

To begin, go to the FAFSA website www. fafsa.gov and log in.

If you do not remember your username or password, do not panic.

There is a “Forgot My Username” and “Forgot My Password” under their respective tabs.

After you have logged in, you will be given the option to renew for the year 20222023 or you can start over; click “renew” to make it easier for yourself.

Once you have clicked renew, a form with previous information will pop up.

If anything has changed within the past year, edit your information so it can be up to

date.

After you have reviewed your prefilled information, provide the information that has been requested from you.

Note that you will be asked for your parents’ information, like their social security numbers (SSN) and their income tax return, so call them beforehand or while you are renewing your FAFSA to get a hold of that information.

You will also be asked for your driver’s license identification number so be sure to have that with you as well. If you do not have a driver’s license, you can skip that step.

After you have provided the information that was needed, a summary of all the questions and answers you put in will show up, this is the time to look it over to see if you have the correct information.

If you made a mistake, click on the question and edit your answer.

Once everything is correct, you and your parents will be asked to sign and submit and you are done. Good luck!

For additional help, visit the Financial Aid office located at the Memorial Student Union Building.

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SPORTS

October 11, 2021

Kingsville visits College Station

thesouthtexan.com

Women’s cross country takes 9th overall

MarcBuhidar | Contributng Writer

The Texas A&M Kingsville cross country team made the trip north to compete in the Texas A&M Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 25, at College Station, Texas.

The Invitational took place at the Dale Watts Cross Country Course.

This cross country venue has hosted cross country meets such as the SEC Championships in 2015

and the NCAA South Central Region meet for three years. The Women’s cross country team came in ninth overall.

They ranked behind teams such as champions of the meet, Texas A&M, Rice and Texas A&M International.

The Javelinas competed against many Division I schools along with some of their Division II rivals.

Sophomore Kristen Aleman (Santa Maria, Texas) came in 74th place in the women’s division.

“I feel we did extremely well this past meet on the women’s side since

we all ran our personal bests of the season,” Aleman said. “Personally, I was really pumped for that race because I felt good, the course was perfect, and it was a beautiful morning. That was definitely one of my best races of this season and I felt very proud of myself.”

The top finisher for the women’s team was Odette Fernandez (Grulla,Texas) coming in at 48th overall. Other top performers for the Javelinas included Destinee Longoria, (Weslaco, Texas) 51st, and Desiree

Guerra (Santa Rosa, Texas) 57th.

The men’s cross country team also competed at the meet. The University of North Texas won the bragging rights in the men’s division with Texas A&M University finishing second.

The strongest finisher for Texas A&M Kingsville was Coty Fountain coming in 68th overall. Freshman Mathew Moralez (Premont, Texas) and freshman Elan Guerra (Houston, Texas) finished in the top 100 in Javelina Athletics the men’s cross country Larissa Gonzalez and Kristen Aleman representing the Javelinas division.

Competing amongst friends returns to the Rec

football. Football was and still is my favorite sport to watch and play.

But I can not wait to play volleyball in the Fall and softball in the spring.

My experience has varied playing intramurals.

Some are good and some are bad. Honestly experience playing helps.

Just because you’re a good football player in high school does not mean you will be good in flag football. My first year playing, me and my friends thought we were going to best everyone and ended up getting embarrassed. But with practice and time we got really good and we are projected to win the league this year.”

Intramurals are an opportunity for students to compete against their classmates in various sports.

Intramurals back JamesHester| Contributing Writer

Ayanna Jackson going up for the hit.

Javelina Athletics

Allen pushes to get better

tum is highly important to achieve success on or off the court. With the stress that comes from representing the school, CassandraGomez| Contributing the team intends to keep Writer a positive momentum The Texas A&M Uni- going with the help from versity-Kingsville (TA- friends, family and JaveMUK) women’s volley- lina Nation.

“It’s a great support ball team lost its 20-game system from all of our season win streak to rifamilies and peers,” val St. Angelo on Oct. 1. freshman middle blockThe team is currently er Ayanna Jackson said. standing at an 8-1 sea“It makes the win feel sonal record and a 3-1 bigger, knowing you Lone Star Conference (LSC) record, according have so many other people cheering you on beto Javelina Athletics.

Javelinas Volleyball sides your teammates.”

The team appears to Coach Tanya Allen inbe ambitious for achievtends to use the St. Aning new records and gelo game to improve titles after breaking histhe team’s performance torical records last seain the future.

“We are working on son.

“My goals for this lengthening our apteam are to try and win proaches so we can an LSC title, an LSC have more momentum Tournament title, and to attack,” Allen said. to make it to the NCAA “Lengthening our aptournament,” Allen proaches will also help said.

“So far, I feel good us to attack from furabout our success; but, ther away from the net, it’s still very early in the which will make it more season.

We are pushing difficult for teams to them to continue to imblock us.”

In volleyball, momen- prove and grow.”

Fast start for the Lady Hogs

After having a small, very strict intramurals sport season last fall and spring, Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) is bringing them back this year.

TAMUK is bringing back 10 different sports to the fall season with three different categories such as seasonal sports, minor event sports and one-day sports. Students are very excited for the intramurals season to be back on campus.

“I am loving intramurals right now, the competition and playing with my friends again,” student Felix Hernandez said. “I really love flag

It is open to all students.

The purpose of the intramural program is to provide fun, safe and structured play experiences that promote the physical, mental and social development.

“So far it’s been really fun. It gives you something to look forward to besides work and class all day. It is also an easy way to stay active and play the sports you love.

Also, so far it has been different, compared to last fall there were a lot of different protocols we needed to follow. Now that things are slowly getting back to normal, we are able to interact and get to know the students more,” student Aziel Garcia said.

There is currently flag football, volleyball, 7v7 soccer, cricket, racquet-

ball, spike ball, tennis, 3v3 basketball, dodgeball and inner tube water polo.

The Spring Sports will be released later.

“Pretty exciting, especially since flag football is back and looking forward to softball next spring semester,” student Mathew Ortiz said of intramurals. “Also love the fact that we do not need to wear masks anymore while playing so we can actually breathe and focus on the actual intramural games.

Love that they have the full variety of sports again instead of just a handful like last year. In the spring they will have softball and kickball again and I am looking forward to those since my team did not get the best opportunities to play.”

Golfers take 9th in Amarillo

Team finishes 57-over par

Michael Samihamba| Contributng Writer

On Tuesday, Oct. 5, the Women’s Javelinas Golf team played in a WTAMU Fall Classic.

This tournament consisted of 30 teams and was held in Amarillo, Texas. The team took ninth at the competition, with a second-round score of 317.

The team finished 57-over par at the Tascosa Golf Club, beating

out Lone Star Conference members Lubbock Christian and UT Permian Basin, according to Javelinas Athletics. In the tournament, junior Fahtima Avila from Brownsville, Texas, scored big which earned her the IBC Bank Player of the Week title.

Avila’s play resulted in a tie for 17th, her best finish of the fall campaign, according to Javelina Athletics.

Not too far behind Avila was her teammate Roxane Nataf, who tied for 21st with her score of nine-over 142.

“I am happy with the way I played yesterday,” she said. “I was able to take a couple of opportunities on this course, placing fifth on this day.

The second round started pretty well, but I am extremely disappointed about my last three holes which caused me to jump down to the 21st place and ruined my whole tournament.

“I am leaving this tournament with great deception as I was expecting to play for the podium,” she said.

“We have already played three out of our

four tournaments this fall season, so I just want to win the last tournament next week. As a team, we want to finish on a good note and align strong rounds for this final event. We want to avoid big numbers and remain positive. We will use the good experience from Tascosa and bring it to Oklahoma. We have a quick stop of three days in Kingsville before heading to it, so this tournament will be fresh in our minds.”

The team’s next tournament will be Monday, Oct. 11, in Lawton, Okla.

Javelina football makes use of off week

Hopes to make strides in LSC

IsabellaCarrion| Contributng Writer

The Javelinas overall football record now stands at 2-2 after a 10-35 loss against Texas A&M University Commerce (TAMUC).

This puts their record for conference at 1-1, barring results from the team’s Oct. 9 game with Midwestern State University (MSU).

“The loss let us know we’re not where we need to be at as a team and luckily that’s something we can come together and fix,” Christian Anderson, a running back for the Javelinas, said.

“As far as our record,

we’d like to have those two losses back, and what we want to accomplish is to win the conference. Everything we want is still in front of us.”

TAMUC’s football record is 3-2 after this recent win.

“Commerce was a very respectable opponent. It was good for the team to learn from; it showed the team some fast football and we learned how to slow down a game,” Derrion Warner, a safety for the Javelinas, said.

The Javelinas went into their bye week after their game against TAMUC, giving them some extra time to prepare for their upcoming opponents.

“Coach Salinas calls byw weeks opportunity weeks so I was look-

ing for an opportunity to take advantage of all week,” Warner said. “We had good practices and the energy is for sure there.”

The Javelinas came out of the bye week and right into game week.

“We’ve had some great preparations from the coaches these past two weeks. We are not far from where we need to be and little things make a big difference as long as we are focused,” Keon Clary, a cornerback for the Javelinas, said.

From here on out, the Javelinas have six games left for this football season.

“I just expect us to keep getting better each week and not to worry too much about things we can’t control,” Anderson said.

Javelina Athletics Javelina defense runs off the field against Western Oregon Sep. 11

Forum

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October 11, 2021 thesouthtexan.com

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for redress of grievances.”

Our Opinion

Hit and runs

Car accidents are the worst. From the most minuscule collision to cars that have absolutely no chance of being repaired, accidents are unfortunate, time consuming and frustrating. If you’ve ever found yourself in a hit and run situation, join the club.

Hit and runs are self explanatory: a car hits yours and leaves the scene, failing to provide any type of assistance or insurance information.

All that’s left at the scene is you - alone and in utter disbelief of what just occurred. You’re left to contact the police in your area and explain what just happened with no evidence in your favor.

Your only hope is that there’s some sort of video footage that just so happened to catch the runner in the act.

To make matters worse, if the driver who hit you fled the scene quickly, then there’s a slim to none chance you caught their license plate.

Now you’re left with no evidence, no identification of the other person and no idea of what’s to come. We’ll save you the time. A long and stressful week is in your near future.

Repeatedly contacting the police department, your insurance carrier, the other driver’s insurance provider, and the collision center if your car was totaled, is not an ideal week for anybody with a life.

If you’re a college student, it really becomes a game of phone tag - missing calls while you’re in class and calling back only to realize it’s too late and you have to try again tomorrow.

Fleeing the scene after you hit a car is probably one of the most cowardly things a driver can do. You don’t know how you left the other driver. What if they got hurt? What if they’re alone and freaking out? You’ll be left with a guilty conscience, and you’ll only be making things look worse for yourself.

Save someone the trouble of having to track you down and waste hours a day contacting different people for something you could’ve provided if you didn’t immaturely leave the scene of the crime.

So, if you ever catch yourself in an accident, please remember to be a decent human being and stay there until the police come to sort everything out. Depending on how severe the hit was, someone’s life may depend on it.

Social media responsibility

Whether anyone wants to admit it or not, social media is part of our everyday lives.

We are well aware of the pros and cons of having a social meCalista dia presReyes ence and Contributing although Writer there is always danger, it comes down to responsibility.

Believe it or not you are in control of what and who you see online.

Recently, Facebook whistleblower Francis Hougen revealed her identity on 60 minutes.

While discussing and exposing Facebook she

also claimed that Instagram, also owned by Facebook, is responsible for damage to teenagers’ mental health. This statement, in my opinion, is very misleading.

It is true that social media can contribute to distress or mental health issues, however this is where self-awareness, common sense and responsibility come in.

It doesn’t matter what social media platform you were on - you are in control. You have power over who and what you follow and who follows you.

If you aren’t comfortable with what you are seeing from any certain account on social media, you have the power to block or unfollow them.

After a certain amount of time social media platforms tailor your “discovery, “or “popular” pages to your preferences.

You must remember that your “discovery” and “popular” pages are your “window to the world.”

Therefore, it is essential to be picky about who you follow and the content you interact with as it will shape your experience.

Of course, there will be some national or global trends that will grace your page but if you don’t interact, its presence will be gone as fast as it appeared.

Mental health is extremely important and should be a priority

in one’s life, therefore one should have the self-awareness to know whether being on social media is a good idea for them or not. You don’t have to have a big social media presence if you don’t want to.

You don’t have to be on social media at all.

It is entirely up to you what platforms you choose to use. If you currently feel stressed by the content on your social media, then maybe it’s time for a digital deep clean.

Bottom line, if you want to emerge yourself or have a presence on social media you must be responsible and understand that it is as enjoyable or as stressful as you decide to make it.

Should companies take a stand on sociopolitical issues?

Whether or not companies should take a political/ s o c i a l stand is too broad of a question.

It should be broken down into Makaylah three sepaChavez rate quesOpinion tions. First, Editor what do your customers and employees want to see from you?

Second, what are the risks and rewards? Lastly, if you choose to take a stance, are you doing it with genuine intentions?

This question itself is complex, but there is a simple answer - yes.

Although deciding to take a stance is risky and choosing a side is riskier, it’s exactly what customers and employ-

ees want to see. According to Sprout Social, a social media monitor, more than two-thirds of consumers believe it’s important for companies to speak on important issues.

Point blank, big companies have great influence. We expect, especially in today’s times, for those who hold that impact to make one themselves.

There are so many sociopolitical issues that need to continue to be advocated for and if a company were to participate in that advocacy, it would only increase the awareness that is needed.

“High risk, high reward,” as the saying goes, but that’s not the case here. Researchers for Harvard Business Review surveyed 168 man-

agers and a few MBA students to determine how they perceive companies who hold different values.

Research showed that companies with more conservative values were seen negatively and companies with more liberal values continued to stay seen as neutral.

If a company takes more conservative stances on topics, the business could suffer from a decrease in profit. Twenty five percent were less likely to buy from the company, 25% were more likely to buy from a competitor and 43% said they were less likely to work for that company.

It’s empowering to see so many companies advocate for basic human rights nowadays, but some get jumbled up in

the mix and are only doing it to fit in or to look good. Some companies lose sight of what the genuine intent was and focus on how to keep sales up, but no amount of sales can make up for falsely supporting something that hits home for many individuals.

Overall, yes, companies should take sociopolitical stances, but they should stay true to their values and beliefs rather than do what everyone else is doing, because even though you risk a profit decrease, customers are a lot smarter than we think and know when something isn’t authentic, and that can result in something far worse than a profit decrease a cancel.

But that’s a topic for another day.

Letter to the Editor: South Texas oil field history

For most of my working career I have been in the oil field industry. So I’ll know a little bit about South Texas oil history.

One of the best times for the State and oil companies was 1980 and 1981.

The price of oil was $40 a barrel and everyone was working and making good money.

We had a very large and strong middle class.

At nighttime you could see the skyline polka-dotted with drilling

rig lights every few miles in all directions. The drilling rig count was 4,521 at its peak. Then in December 1981, the price of oil started to go down and it kept going down until September 1986.

We went from a Boom cycle to a Bust cycle within six years. But this oversupply of oil helped create other mini booms and demands and large increases for: divorce and bankruptcy lawyers, equipment auctioneers,

food stamp assistance, state unemployment checks, lawsuits, crime, family violence, auto repossession, home foreclosures and lots of angry/depressed/ confused people. (Now that’s a bad economic system)!

Thanks to technology changes and fracking a second Boom started in 2009 and ended in 2014.

It has been followed by a Bust from 2015 until 2020 when the price went be-

low $70 a barrel all the way down to a -$37 a barrel in 2020.

Today the price of oil is above $70 a barrel thanks mostly to President Biden’s economic policies which are designed to help oil companies survive and find increase investments for green energy simultaneously.

Tomas Cantu, economic researcher Concepcion, Texas

Jakki Barrera

Sarah Reyna

Campus Editor

Senior Reporter

campus.editor@thesouthtexan.com

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digital.editor@thesouthtexan.com

nicole.morris@thesouthtexan.com

The South Texan is a student

Dylan Sanchez

publication produced by Texas A&M

Sports Editor

University- Kingsville students. The views, opinions and commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas A&M University system. The

sports.editor@thesouthtexan.com

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South Texan uses student fees in part

Entertainment Editor

to publish. The South Texan is part of

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the Art, Communications, and Theatre Department (ACT) and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA).

STAFF Ronni Reyna Editor-in-Chief chief.editor@thesouthtexan.com

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Advertising For advertising inquiries, e-mail The South Texan at advertising.manager @thesouthtexan.com or call (361) 593-4370.

Letters to the Editor Letters must be typed, signed and include a phone number. Letters considered for publication must be 300 words or fewer. Letters may be emailed to chief.editor@thesouthtexan.com The South Texan, Manning Hall 165, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, Texas 78363

News

October 11, 2021 thesouthtexan.com

From Fees, Pg 1

students at TAMUK in the variable rate plan.

The Athletics Department proposed to increase fees from the current $20 to $40 per semester. The overall purpose of this increase would be to support the general operation of athletics at TAMUK. The fresh expansion of the conference requires increased fees.

One of the goals of the department is to become a top 10 to 15 nationally recognized program across the board, which means that the university needs to keep up with other universities.

The Music Department proposed an applied music fee tied to specific courses for music majors only.

Current students taking an applied music lesson are charged $75 per semester credit hour (SCH) and are capped at $150 per SCH. The proposal was to raise the fee to $125 per SCH and cap at $250.

“This suggested proposal from the hearing was also made to current students at the School of Music with an in-depth discussion and no concerns were raised regarding the rise in fees,” Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Lou Reinisch said.

As for lab fees, the charged fees for current students stand at $5 a course. Certain courses will be raised no more than $30 per course. These lab fees will primarily ef-

fect students in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources.

The university would be charging higher fees for students, but the money would be coming back to the student in updated services across many departments on campus, officials said.

TAMUK will use the extra money from the increased fees to spend on things that directly relate to student success and their experience at the university because they want their students to have a quality, top notch experience.

The university would benefit from increased fees by having the opportunity to use the latest technology and services that students need.

“Being able to offer them more mental health opportunities through personnel or getting them the help they need is what we want, so the increase in fees would be able to get them the proper services they need to be successful whether that’s in the classroom or out of the classroom,” Vice President for Enrollment Services and Student Affairs Dr. Rito Silva said.

The increase in fees does not correlate with the decrease in enrollment at the university, officials said.

“It’s really more about catching up to be where we need to be,” Silva said.

Current students at TAMUK were given the opportunity to attend the meeting, listen to the

proposals and voice their concerns.

“Before I was opposed to it because when you think about an increase in your tuition, then you’re automatically against that, but now that I got to ask them, they’re reasoning and why they’re doing it, I’m more on board because I think it’ll help us as a student body,” senior Bryanna Reyna said.

Although the increase in fees may be difficult for students, all students attending the university are able to access the student affairs office to ask questions about the reasoning behind the proposals to possibly gain a different perspective.

“The increase in those proposed fees would be the best solution because if we weren’t able to increase those fees, then things wouldn’t be able to get better. It would affect students, but in a positive way. It’ll be a great outcome in the end,” Tyler Larraga, education major, said.

Current students on the guaranteed rate plan will not be affected by this proposal.

Students can check what plan they’re on through the Business Office. Voting will take place Oct. 11 and 12 via students Blue and Gold account.

“Ask as many questions as you can and use our website to get the answers you need. Educate yourself and get as much of the facts as you can,” Silva encourages.

7 From Sharp, Pg 1

can be used to recruit people and hopefully they are and things like that. It’s just an absolutely beautiful campus; it always has been. I remember coming here when I was a freshman at A&M. I came to Lynch Hall on a very regular basis, almost every weekend. It was a beautiful campus then and it still is.

Q: Will anything in this meeting determine

From Flores, Pg 1

dent School District and is also a columnist for the Flour Bluff Sun and the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, writing articles on Texas History.

Among the other invited authors for Cuentos Tejanos is Rosa Canales Pérez. After graduating from Texas A&I University, she began teaching in the Rio Grande Valley.

After retirement, Pérez and her husband started the musical group, Rumbo al Anacua. She now writes poetry, music and articles in her spare time.

Pérez and Flores have been friends for many decades. Pérez submitted her essay on the University of Texas professor and renowned folklorist, Americo Paredes.

“Dr. Flores has always been a supporter of the [music] part of my life and I wanted to show him the same support,” Pérez said.

the renewal of Dr. Hussey’s contract as president?

A: None of our presidents have contracts. I don’t anticipate that. We’ll ask them about any kind of problems that they have and stuff like that. These meetings usually aren’t about the president, it’s about funding, it’s about things that the legislature’s doing, new buildings, things like that that they want to catch up on and I want to get their input on.

“Of course, when he asked if I’d like to publish my Americo Paredes essay in Cuentos Tejanos, I said yes.”

After many years of collecting the essays from a variety of writers and hard work put into its creation, the publication of Cuentos Tejanos happened this past April.

The writings of this book contain some of the vast history of the Wild Horse Desert.

With the release of this book, Flores hopes to keep these stories alive for many more generations to come.

From Goal, Pg 1

Throughout the evening, several individuals spoke about the importance of philanthropy.

Walker, President Mark A. Hussey and Dawson explained the significance of these donations and about keeping the Javelina tradition alive.

The event also featured scholarship recipient, Amberly Zaragoza.

Zaragoza, a San Antonio native, is a first-generation junior studying animal science in hopes of becoming a veterinarian.

In her speech, she expressed her gratitude, explained how this scholarship will benefit her and ended it with how she hopes to give back in the future.

“These scholarships are a blessing to me and my family. I’m a first-gen student and these scholarships give me the opportunity to leave my mark here at Texas A&M – Kingsville,” Zaragoza said.

Texas A&M University – Kingsville started off as a gift of land from the King Ranch. Some 97 years later, Javelina Nation continues to reap the gift that fosters success.

Public Notice Xavier Entertainment LLC, is proposing to construct a 371 ft. selfsupport radio tower within a five to eight acre plot in Duval County, TX (27.506846°, -98.689776°). Public comments regarding potential effects from this site on historic properties may be submitted within 30-days from the date of this publication to: Jaimie Galm, Raba Kistner Inc. 12821 W Golden Ln, San Antonio, TX 78249 or jgalm@rkci.com

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News

October 11, 2021 thesouthtexan.com

THE PRESIDENT’S COUNCIL ON CLIMATE, DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION AT TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-KINGSVILLE PRESENTS

“Social Justice: Perspectives and Reflections from the United States”

NOVEMBER 1, 2021 Jones Auditorium

keynote speaker

DR. NATASHA CROOM ‘03 Clemson University

“Building Coalitions for Equity: The Time is Now!” 1:15 – 2 P.M. invited speaker

DR. ANITA CASAVANTES BRADFORD ‘04 University of California - Irvine

“Small Justice: Embodying Change in our Daily Lives” 4:05 – 4:50 P.M. In person attendance is open to faculty, staff, and students.

Symposium speakers will be livestreamed.

For more information go to www.tamuk.edu/gfsymposium