10/11/2018 Issue

INSIDE

Here are some helpful apps to ease the chaos of college.... Page 3

Texas A&M University-Kingsville

The South Texan

Volume 93, Issue 6

Attorney General to decide release of resignation letters The South Texan attempts to gain personnel documents STAFF REPORT The South Texan recently requested access to resignation letters for personnel working for the Office of Student Access.

The information was requested after Texas A&M University-Kingsville Provost G. Allen Rasmussen sent a university email to faculty and staff that stated, “Dr. Mary Gonzalez no longer works for our university. Dr. Maria Martinez has agreed to serve as the interim Associate Vice President for Student Access. I appreciate Dr. Martinez’s willingness to take on this role. A national search for a permanent replacement will begin immediately.”

Gonzalez had served as Associate Vice President for Student Access. The South Texan learned that she, along with several other employees of the Office of Student Access, were no longer employed with the university.

This prompted the information request.

R. Brooks Moore, Deputy General Counsel for the A&M system, be-

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, October 11, 2018

Update in surveillance leads to decade-low crime rate statistics Drop in burglaries, liquor law arrests, drug law arrests on campus Photo courtesy of tamuk.edu

Dr. Mary Gonzalez, former Associate V.P. for Office of Student Access. lieves the resignation letters should be exempt from public disclosure and is seeking an attorney general ruling to withhold the information from The South Texan.

Based on Moore’s correspondence with the A.G. office, it appears there is an investigation underway in the Office of Student Access. Moore’s letter to the A.G. states in part: “Information is excepted from disclosure under Chapter 552, Government Code, if it is collected or produced: (1) in a compliance program investigation and releasing the information would interfere with an ongoing compliance investigation; or (2) by a systemwide compliance office for the purpose of reviewing compliance processes at a component institution of higher education of a university system.”

The South Texan is filing its own response to the attorney general detailing why it believes the resignation letter(s) should be released.

The Office of Student Access is responsible for assisting first generation, low-income students who want the opportunity to further their education.

This opportunity is further enhanced by encouragement to participate in various technological, instruction and matriculation into the university setting, according to the TAMUK website.

C.R. NEAL Opinion Editor The 2018 Annual Security Report (ASR) was released by the Chief of University Police at Texas A&M University–Kingsville (TAMUK) Felipe Garza on Oct. 1.

According to the ASR, burglary on campus fell 75 percent, liquor law arrests fell approximately 85 percent and drug law arrests fell 45 percent from 2016 to 2017.

TAMUK had 17 burglaries, seven liquor law arrests and 31 drug law arrests in 2017.

This is the lowest crime rate in at least a decade, according to ASRs released in the past by the University Police Department (UPD).

Texas A&M University – Corpus Christi (TAMUCC) shares similar crime statistics with TAMUK, but had 77 liquor law arrests in 2017, according the TAMUCC Police Department; more than 10 times the arrests at TAMUK. One statistic that remained unchanged was rape on campus. There were four reported in on-campus residential facilities in both 2016 and 2017,

as well as four reported each of those years on campus property. There were also a total of eight fondling reports on campus and in residential facilities combined in 2017.

Assistant Vice President of Student Affairs and Dean of Students Kirsten Compary attributes the record decline to recent updates to the UPD’s resources.

“With the addition of the video surveillance system over the past couple of years, as well as some educational pushes about personal safety, drugs and alcohol, the numbers have decreased,” Compary said.

Even though crime rates are declining, Compary still urges caution when walking at night on campus.

“I certainly hope that the students do feel a sense of safety on the campus, but we certainly encourage students to walk with others, as that is always the safer option,” Compary said. “Students, faculty, staff and visitors to the campus must always take their own personal safety into their own hands to reduce the likelihood of an issue occurring.”

UPD also boasts their JavGuard application for phones that use GPS tracking to help locate students and alert a guardian or UPD if that student does not reach their location by their anticipated time.

UPD is also available to provide escorts to students on campus at any time, especially at night.

If anyone needs police assistance or to report a criminal offense, UPD can be reached at 361-593-2611.

Photo by C.R Neal Eckhardt Hall, headquarters for the Office of Student Access

Officer Webb and Officer Rodriguez on patrol in parking lot located behind the Student Union Building.

Page 2 - Campus

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Thursday, October 11, 2018

Raising a generation of students and sea turtles

Sea turtle conservationist presents to scholarship students AMERICA QUINTERO Managing Editor

Most Hollywood heroes wear capes and use supernatural powers to save the day. However, Donna Shaver, a Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) alumna, doesn’t use a flashy cape or super powers to do her job. Dubbed as a “hero of sea turtles,” Shaver has worked for more than 30 years to conserve the sea turtles of South Padre Island.

Shaver’s story began when she was a student studying wildlife biology at Cornell. One day, a paper brochure on campus caught her attention. Shaver always knew she wanted to work with endangered species, but she didn’t know what animal she would end up working with. As Shaver skimmed the brochure, she saw a lot of wildlife conservation projects, but she decided the sea turtle conservation project in South Padre Island was her calling.

Shaver is the current Chief of the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at Padre Island National Seashore. On Oct. 4, TAMUK invited her to present at the first Biological Sciences Academic Excellence Awards and

Distinguished Lectureships. The event recognized 14 of the 30 TAMUK biology scholarship winners.

Enrique Massa, associate professor and chair of Biological and Health Sciences, explains that the event is a good way to get students to learn about opportunities for future careers and to recognize students and alumni. Massa also stated that if the event grows, they could use it as a way to get donations from alumni.

“We wanted to do this in a public form where we could take the opportunity to bring in alumni to give a talk.

That’s why we invited Dr. Shaver to come in as an alumnus for our department. Also, to give students an idea of what they can do with their degree from here,” Massa said.

Trisha Garcia, a biomedical science pre-med major, was one of the scholarship winners honored at the event.

Garcia is grateful for winning the scholarship, explaining that it will be useful in financing her education since she is from a disadvantaged background.

She is glad the department decided to host an event for the scholarship winners and brought in a presenter.

“She was great…she obviously spent her whole life working towards her goal, and that’s something so inspiring,” Garcia said.

During the event, Shaver presented the work she has done to preserve the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle. The species has been registered as endangered for years,’ reaching a drastic low point in 1985. However, through Shaver’s

TAMUK club of the week - SACNAS

Campus club supports minority students in science

ARYSSA ENRIQUEZ Reporter

The Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science is a national organization dedicated to endorsing the success of Chicano and Native American college students within the science industry.

Latinos make up 73.3 percent of Texas A&M Univesrity-Kingsville’s undergraduate programs. Therefore, it is important for students to experience and celebrate cultural diversity. With a growing percentage of Hispanics forming part of the S.T.E.M. field, organizations such as SACNAS are able to showcase their support. That support is now available at TAMUK. “I believe SACNAS is essential for our university because it’s an organization that embraces diversity. It’s a great way to see different science-based majors come together in one room and exchange details about their scientific experiences. Being a SACNAS member means embracing diversity and growing from it; we work together to make this organization flourish to its full potential,” said Bianca Torres, an Animal Science Pre-Vet student.

The SACNAS organization is not only dedicated to science, culture and community growth, but they also strive to motivate their members to succeed through the multiple opportunities offered.

Photo by Darcy Ramirez

Members of SACNAS at College Night Out. SACNAS offers the opportunity for a life-long membership, and the support to attain higher education through scholarships and research opportunities.

“This organization has offered me the opportunity to volunteer, interact with guest speakers, be a part of a national connection and the ability to network with other members and professionals across the nation” said Jorge Ibarra, a Biomedical student.

Embracing culture, supporting a passion for science and permitting for diverse voices to be heard as one, are the beliefs of the SACNAS organization.

Diverse and innovative perspectives are getting the opportunity to come together and find creative solutions often impacting the world of science.

“SACNAS is an organization that is dedicated to helping its members achieve success in all aspects; as far as going from being college professionals, attaining careers they love, and gaining leadership position within the STEM fields,” said Daisy Gonzalez, an Animal Science Pre-Vet student.

Photo by America Quintero

Recipients of Biological Sciences award. work, the Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle numbers and hatchling success rate has increased. Shaver hopes her work serves as an inspiration to TAMUK students.

“I hope that it will show them that there are opportunities out there after graduation and then also inspire them to know, ‘hey, keep going.’ It’s a process, you will get through your studies, you’ll get your degree. You just got to keep going,” Shaver said. “Sometimes it can be discouraging when you’re a student. You get another test, another paper…keep going through the pro-

cess, work hard, and you’ll get that degree. It’s important for your future.”

As Shaver looks around TAMUK, she explains that the campus looks a lot different than when she was a student completing her master’s degree in the 1980s, but in a good way. She believes there are world-renowned projects being done by the TAMUK Biology department and the Citrus Center.

She commends TAMUK for being big on research, but small enough for students to get to know their professors and feel like they are in a close community.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

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Page 3 - Campus

Students experience life ‘In Her Shoes’ University helps to educate students about domestic violence ARYSSA ENRIQUEZ Reporter On Tuesday, Oct. 2, many students wore purple to showcase their support in creating domestic violence awareness.

Students were encouraged to attend “In Her Shoes,” an event sponsored by the Office of Compliance and Student Health Wellness to experience the real-life scenarios of domestic violence victims.

The simulation challenged students to think critically and allowed them to step into the shoes of a domestic violence victim and gain insight of the type of hardships a victim may experience.

Many people will encounter domestic violence at least once throughout their life; yet many incidents will go unreported or undocumented. Therefore, it is crucial to get educated in domestic violence as our decisions influence our consequences.

“These types of events are important because they offer exposure to different perspectives in pressured situations. Real-life scenarios and decision making are put into practice in events

like this, allowing those with opposing views to compromise or further understand the impact of a decision,” said Pete Guaidola, an education major.

Others who attended agreed.

“Events like these are important because it provides information and resources for many people without access. It also allows for individuals to seek help,” said Zane Mrotek, a marketing major.

Organizers want victims to know they have help.

“Our goal is to educate our community the best we can, given our alarming statistics. Approximately, 1-in-3 women and 1-in-4 men are victims of domestic violence. It’s important that students get educated in this topic, because often as a student you don’t realize many things that are happening to you. There are often many misconceptions about domestic violence such as ‘domestic violence is only physical’ or ‘only if you’re in a long-term relationship you’ll experience domestic violence.’ It’s not true. We are here to educate and showcase real life scenarios through different activities and hopefully emphasize the affect our decisions have,” said Cassandra Huye, a community educator.

Domestic violence occurs one too many times. Having an education and knowing how to react if you have been a victim will definitely alter your perspective the next time you make a decision. Attend events, get informed, and you will make impactful decisions, organizers said.

Photos courtesy of Javelina Nation

Students attending ‘In Her Shoes.”

Apps to make students’ lives easier Four mobile apps to get students through college ILIANA FLORES Campus Editor For most students, having a smartphone plays an important role in their everyday life, especially while in school. From being able to access textbooks, to scrolling through social media, having a phone allows for students to access a variety of helpful tools.

Some of the most helpful tools come from downloadable apps. However, with an extensive amount of apps being created each day, it can be difficult to sift through what could and could not be useful. So, here are four mobile apps, available for iPhone and Androids, that can make students’ lives easier as they go through college: As most students usually carry their phones with them at all times, having a planner that you can instantly

Photo courtesy of myHomework

pull out of a pocket and enter assignments in can be extremely useful.

With myHomework students can replace their paper planners with a compact app. “myHomework is an app where students can manage their school life. It replaces the traditional student planner with a great experience on students’ favorite devices,” the app’s website said. The app was created in 2009 by a college student, so it was designed by people who understand how difficult it can be to keep track of homework, quizzes, tests, essays, etc.

In myHomework students set up an account. With this account they can enter their class schedules. For each class, they can enter assignments with their due dates.

One of the most helpful aspects of the app is that students can set up reminders when an assignment due date is approaching. Once an assignment is complete, students can then satisfyingly swipe right to mark the assignment as completed.

While in college, saving money can sometimes be difficult. That is why UNiDAYS gives students discount codes to various brands.

“Students save on UNiDAYS. Get exclusive offers from your favorite brands. All day, every day. Legit,” the app’s website said.

With brands such as Under Armour, American Eagle, Pink, and Too Faced, there is a discount for anything students are interested in.

While most of the codes are for online purchases, some stores do offer instore and online.

To register, students must enter their student email address and their expected graduation date. Then, they will have access to many discount codes. The codes are given when a student clicks on a brand.

Once a student is ready to check out, they just enter the discount code given to them by UNiDAYS to see the reduced prices. The app is available on iPhone, Android, as well as a web version. For some students, college may be one of the most stressful times of their life.

Headspace is an app that allows users to access a variety of guided meditation sessions. These sessions consist of three to five-minute guided tracks; to help relax one’s mind.

In the app, users can choose a session to help relieve stress, relax or help them fall asleep. The app can be downloaded on iPhones and Androids.

With a mission “to improve the health and happiness of the world,” Headspace allows students to maintain their mental health and survive college.

On campus, one of the things students will spend a lot of their time doing is walking. So, why not earn money while walking around campus.

Sweatcoin is an app that converts steps to its very own online currency.

Every two thousand steps, the app converts the steps to “sweatcoins.”

With this currency, users can trade in their coins for items such as monthly subscription boxes, Starbucks gift cards and even an iPhone XS. The app is currently available for iPhones and Androids. The app is still new but has plans to continue growing and adds new rewards each day.

College can be hard. So, to make life easier, students can download these apps to see if they are helpful.

Photo courtesy of Apple App Store

Photo courtesy of Apple App Store

Photo courtesy of Instagram @sweatcoin

Page 4 - Opinion

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Thursday, October 11, 2018

It costs nothing to be nice Common courtesy is a thing

The South Texan The First Amendment

“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.”

The South Texan is a student publication produced by Texas A&M University- Kingsville students. The views, opinions and commentary do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas A&M University system.

The South Texan uses student fees in part to publish. The South Texan is part of the Art, Communications, and Theatre Department (ACT), The Javelina Broadcast Network (JBN), and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA).

STAFF

Darcy Ramirez Editor-in-Chief

DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief I walked by the chip aisle searching for my favorite snack, hot Cheetos and bean dip. A lady in her mid-30s with two kids in her cart, walked behind me. I stopped to grab my chips, and immediately she ordered me in a cold voice to “move.”

I smiled politely with my mom’s voice in my head whispering “kill them with kindness, Darcy,” and so I moved to the side, so she could get by.

She moved forward, looked me up and down with a scowl and continued on her merry way. I did nothing to

C.R. Neal Editorial Editor Plaserae Johnson Sports Editor

Jaylin Morales Advertising Manager Reporters Josue Villarreal Aaron Monreal Jose Tello Kelby Sprinkles Adriana Palomo Aryssa Enriquez Nicole Morris Adviser Dr. Manuel Flores Consultant Advertising For advertising inquiries, e-mail The South Texan at thesouthtexan@tamuk.edu 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 thesouthtexan@tamuk.edu The South Texan, Manning Hall 165, Texas A&M University-Kingsville Kingsville, Texas 78363

you to smile, and if I say, “thank you,” please don’t roll your eyes, scowl or sigh.

There have been many times when someone says or does something rude and that single act has ruined my entire day. Now I understand that bad things happen to everybody, and usually it’s one of these bad events that has triggered your mean, cruel or irritated behavior.

But just like you have had bad things happen to you, you also don’t know what kind of trauma, pain and other bad things are happening to others. Other people don’t deserve to be your metaphoric punching bag.

Perhaps I am being slightly dramatic, I have pretty thick skin, but I know that sometimes the little things do matter.

The things you say, do and act upon matter. Customer service representatives deal with rude people all the time.

They signed up for this when they took their jobs, but most everyday citizens didn’t do anything to deserve your attitude.

Shane Dawson’s sociopath mini-series Issues with Dawson’s latest project

America Quintero Managing Editor

Iliana Flores Campus Editor

provoke her behavior.

On average you interact with at least 25 people on a daily basis. The average person will meet less than 10,000 people in their lifetime. Six out of 10 strangers are rude. That is a statistic I would’ve believed to be higher.

I have worked in customer service for three years in total, and all three years were pure torture. Customer service is the dark sector, where people are inevitably rude and cold towards you, and it’s your job to smile, shake it off and wait for the next rude person to ruin your day.

But even when I am not in a customer service position, when I am a citizen simply shopping for groceries, walking down the sidewalk or sitting with family and loved ones at a restaurant, I encounter rude people.

I’m not naïve.

I have a deep understanding that the world is full of rude and nasty people, but it costs nothing to be polite. If I am in your way say, “excuse me,” or politely catch my attention because I will gladly move for you. If you make eye contact with me it wouldn’t kill

ILIANA FLORES Campus Editor Recently, an interesting series on YouTube about the controversial YouTuber Jake Paul has received a lot of coverage on various channels and is taking over the platform.

Shane Dawson is an influencer who has been creating content on YouTube for more than 10 years. With more than 18 million subscribers and 4 billion collective views on his videos, Dawson has one of the largest channels on YouTube. Because of his dark sense of humor and relatable personality, Dawson is able to entertain people as he gives viewers a glimpse of who popular YouTubers are beyond the camera. In the case of Jeffree Star, he garnered about 95 million views on five videos and was able to shift some viewers’ beliefs about Star’s character by having him reveal things about his life most people did not know.

When that series was over, people were excited to find out which influencer Dawson was going to be featuring on his channel next.

However, when Dawson revealed his next subject would be the controversial YouTuber Jake Paul, people were not as excited. On various social media platforms, Dawson was criticized because people felt he was going to make Paul seem too likeable.

Across the platform, many people dislike Paul because of his childish

and destructive behavior. In his videos he can be seen lighting swimming pools on fire and knocking down walls for pranks in his rental home.

His presence was also a nuisance to his neighbors as the front of the house he and his crew (Team 10) lived in was often flooded with screaming children wanting to see Paul and his friends.

It’s actions such as these that have made Paul one of the most disliked personalities on YouTube.

Despite the backlash, people were still curious to see how Dawson would portray Paul. The first video in the heavily anticipated series was set to release on Sept. 25. “What I do know though is that tens of millions of eyes will be pointed in Shane Dawson’s direction on Sept.25,” said Philip Defranco, a YouTuber who covers world news. This is exactly what happened when the first video was released.

Currently, four videos of the eightpart series titled “The Mind of Jake Paul” have been released. But, as was expected, Dawson has faced backlash for some of the content in the videos.

As the title highlights, the show is about uncovering why Paul behaves the way he does in his videos. However, the main storyline within the videos focuses on figuring out whether Paul is a sociopath or not. With dramatic editing and creeped out reactions, people were immediately bothered that Dawson was making out the mental illness to be “scary” or “evil.”

People took an even greater issue that Dawson was trying to diagnose someone with a mental illness without any formal training or professional knowledge on the manner. “The bottom line is that it’s both inappropriate and impossible to diagnose someone with any mental disorder by watching a few, or even hundreds of, YouTube videos. Let’s leave the diagnosing to medical professionals,” an online arti-

cle in Teen Vogue said.

After watching the first two videos in the series, I had similar issues with the docuseries. I felt that Dawson was doing a good job of convincing people that they could diagnose others as sociopaths based on the characteristics he discussed in his videos. In fact, while watching, I found myself reflecting on the behaviors of people I know and wondering whether they fit in this category. But, as Daniel Antonius, an assistant professor of psychiatry at Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at the University at Buffalo, explained in a Teen Vogue article, “this process can take 12 or more hours of intimate interviews and extensive questionnaires.”

After receiving backlash, Shane did issue an explanation and apology in the third video of the docuseries. He also put a disclaimer at the beginning of the video. “This video contains discussion of personality disorders and is meant for entertainment purposes only. Please do not self-diagnose or diagnose others,” the disclaimer said.

In his apology Dawson does seem sincere, yet I still have issue with the main subject being about uncovering whether Paul is a sociopath or not.

The word has too much of a negative connotation to be thrown around for “entertainment purposes.” There are people who deal with the mental illness every day who most likely do not appreciate being depicted as monsters.

While I do find myself being slightly disappointed with the series thus far, I am still excited to see the rest of the videos. I do hope that the tone of the videos does shift and viewers are able to get a better glimpse of Paul, without overly creepy or dramatized editing, so that they themselves can determine whether or not Paul has good character.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

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Page 5 - Opinion

Title IX, the great equalizer?

ADAM PENA Reporter In 1972, then president Richard Nixon signed Title IX of the Education Amendments Act into law, establishing the now familiar clause that prohibits universities who receive federal funding from discrimination under the basis of sex for any university

affiliated program. According to the NCAA, discriminations prohibited by Title IX can be defined as rape, sexual assault or sexual harassment, as well as making sure men’s and women’s sports teams are entitled to the same quality of equipment and facilities. In theory, Title IX effectively equalizes the playing field for men’s and women’s sports teams, but as with any action that elicits an equal and opposite reaction, something must give. Under Title IX it can be argued that male athletes and students have been at risk of losing their right to due process under quasi-legal campus courts and amateur investigations.

In 2011, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights released what is known as a “Dear Colleague” letter to universities reminding them of their responsibilities to take “immediate and effective ac-

tion” in response to sexual assault and harassment cases. Since this letter has since been rescinded by current United States Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos, it has set a precedence for harmful lasting effects of Title IX that the framers of the Education Amendments Act never intended.

Under the Dear Colleague letter of 2011, an individual accused of sexual assault or harassment could be found guilty if campus investigators were at least 51 percent sure of the validity of the charges, a simple “preponderance of the evidence” as reported by the New York Times in a September 2017 article.

While the Dear Colleague letter of 2011 was well-meaning, a sentiment shared by Betsy DeVos according to ED.gov, universities should not shoulder the responsibility of investigating accusations typically withheld for a

court of law and licensed investigators. With mediocre means, one would expect mediocre results. The Chronicle of Higher Education’s Title IX investigation tracker reports 502 cases of government investigation regarding university mishandling of reports of sexual violence under Title IX. These facts build up to an issue that has been ongoing since 1972. So just how should one go about resolving such discrepancies in true equality presented by Title IX? The first step to creating a better system was the rescinding of the Office for Civil Rights’ 2011 Dear Colleague letter. A move in the right direction would be to limit the role of the campus itself in deciding guilt of an accused student, and instead leave the responsibility to law enforcement officials, with the campus only dealing with punishments if the accused is to be found guilty.

Man on the Street This Week’s Question:

What’s the most important thing you have learned while attending college?

Name: Oliva Buentello Major: Pre-Physical Therapy “The most important thing I have learned while in college is to not procrastinate, always stay focused on things that are important to you, make sure to eat three meals a day and make sure you have a supportive system to be there for you.”

Name: Alberto Andres Taboada Major: Biomedical Science The most important thing I have learned on campus while attending Texas A&M University-Kingsville is that it’s not about what you are studying that’s important, but it’s the connection that you make while your studying that’s important.

Name: Matthew Krug Position: Psychology “The most important thing I have learned here would have to be how to be responsible, whether it’s with time, money, or helping out with friends.”

Name: Alondra Escobar Major: Animal Science/Pre-Vet “Time management. Time management is very important in college because if you don’t know how to manage your time you will not succeed at anything.”

Name: Blanca Zavala Major: Psychology “The most important thing I have learned here is time management and who my real friends are.”

Name: Alex Vera Major: Mechanical Engineering “How to control groceries, like spending and saving money. How to control stress levels and how to make new friends.”

Name: Donovan Brown Major: Music Education “I don’t have to be super successful every single time as long as I keep trying and make progress with myself and my work. I’m going somewhere.”

Name: Cassandra Youngblood Major: Human Science “Getting stuff done on time or in advance, because I always take forever to get stuff done.”

Compiled by: Kelby Sprinkles

Page 6 - Sports

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, October 11 , 2018

Javelinas drop the ball, 13-7

Football team fights hard against Western Oregon Wolves PLASERAE JOHNSON Sports Editor The Javelinas of Texas A&M University-Kingsville dropped the game against the Western Oregon Wolves Saturday at Pepsi Field in Javelina Stadium.

The Javelinas fought hard on their home field, but were unsuccessful in pulling off their win. They lost 13-7.

Star Quarterback Koy Detmer Jr. was injured by the end of the second quarter. Cade Dyal took his place and threw at a percentage of 45.45 with 26 long passes.

There were incomplete passes on both teams as the Wolves pushed forward for their win tonight.

By the end of the third quarter, the score was 10-7. Key moments of the game came from players like Brandon Jones, who made a quick sack on the Wolves’ quarterback. Right after, Tre‘Michael Tutt followed up with another sack.

On the defensive side, Jacob Clarkson made a tackle by bringing down the opponent as soon as the pass was complete.

Then there was Sean Landez, who had several tackles to put the Hogs back on route.

The fans couldn’t help but stand and cheer when Devon Moore ran 61 yards on a punt return - bringing the Javelinas 20 yards from the touchdown.

There, Dyal was unable to get an open teammate and made an incomplete pass. The Javelinas then lost their opportunity for another touchdown.

The mentality of the Javelinas was strong before the game. Players agreed to hit hard and fast because they knew they were playing against a competi-

Photo by Plaserae Johnson

The Javelinas discussing a play during the game. tive team.

“They’re going to bring it. It’s a team that some of our coaches and our team is a little unfamiliar with.

They’re a team that brings it with effort and they got discipline. We have to come prepared and ready to play,” Detmer said.

Detmer said he was working on the small things for the game against the Wolves. “[It was] probably one of the most challenging weeks in my opinion. We [have to] bring it on our side. We [have

to] hit first and hit fast,” he said.

Defensive back Devonte Williams said the Wolves were a competitive team for a few reasons.

“They may not be the most athletic, but they do everything the right way. They don’t force turnovers or commit any penalties. We [have to] hit first and hit fast,” Williams said.

Detmer mentioned what the Javelinas needed to do better to pull off a win against the Wolves – be more disciplined.

“Being more dialed in on the little

things [is what I’ve been working on].

They mix it up a lot… more than other teams. They try to make it hard for you as a QB. So for me I’m studying more film than usual. So, when I come in on Saturday at 7 I know what I’m seeing and where I’m going with the ball,” he said prior to the game.

Saturday, the Javelinas kept fighting until the buzzer stopped. This was something Williams said the team was working on this week.

“For me, I try to discipline myself on little key details as the game progresses and as we get tired, we tend to become relaxed. As practice has been going on, I’ve been trying to push myself,” he said.

Coach Wilkinson said the team is facing some difficulties and that he needs them to adjust quickly.

“We looked at the injury report today and we got 19 people that are out that started Fall camp with us. We really need our young guys up front, especially on offensive line. They need to start stepping up. They’ve been doing that, it’s just been a slow process,” the coach said.

“Moses is a guy that has to play well for us. Ryan Martinez has to step up and make plays. Brandon Smith is becoming a guy we can trust.”

Coach Wilkinson holds the mindset that the team needed to play more disciplined.

“We need to play with more discipline. We had 15 penalties last week and when you’re making personal fouls because you’re talking too much or because you’re doing a little bit more extracurricular…we need to clean that stuff up,” he said.

The Javelinas will host another game at 7 p.m. on Oct. 13 in the Javelina Stadium.

Redemption on the road for the Lady Hoggies ASHLEY GONZALEZ

Sports Reporter

The Javelina Volleyball team (13-8, 5-5) played in Lawton, Okla., against the Aggies and in Wichita, Texas, against the Mustangs this past weekend. The blue and gold team has redeemed itself after having a losing record on the road by bringing home two wins over the Aggies and Mustangs. Madison Brabham, Talleyshia Morris, Haley Hutchinson and Loren Washington stepped up all weekend and led the squad to consecutive victories to bring back to Javelina Nation.

On Friday, the Javelinas held the Aggies to the fifth set and came out on top with a 19-25, 25-18, 21-25, 25-17, 15-13 win. Brabham, Morris, Hutchinson and Washington put up 57 kills, eight blocks and four aces for the Javelinas. Brabham also gathered her fourth uninterrupted triple double.

On Saturday, the Javelinas did not let travels to Midwestern State University from Cameron disrupt their win streak. The squad shut the Mustangs down in the fourth set with a 25-19, 25-21, 22-25, 25-19 victory. Brabham led the team to their victory while also obtaining her fifth triple double. Brabham, Morris, Hutchinson and Washington did not hold back on giving the Mustangs some heat. These

four athletes composed 51 kills for the Javelinas.

After this weekend’s battles, the Javelinas are now on the flip side of conference play. The big blue and gold had a losing record for away games this season which left the squad hopeful about getting the majority of away games completed. The Javelinas only have four away conference games left for the remainder of season.

Head Volleyball Coach Tanya Allen used the negative drag of away games to turn them into opportunities for the squad.

“The travel is brutal, but playing on the road makes a tougher team. It’s essentially how you look at things, and we’re going to frame it in a positive light,” she said.

Middle Blocker Morris focused on what she needed to do to help lead the Javelinas to success in back-to-back away game matches.

“Focus on goals that can make the record better. My blocking can be better from my position. I have been working on it every day at practice,” she said.

Morris, similar to Allen, is not too fond of away games but planned on stepping up to the challenge to better herself.

“Get [in] and finish it. When we finish it, hopefully it will end positively with a W,” Morris said.

Photo courtesy of javelinaathletics.com

The Lady Javelinas get together during a timeout.

Freshman and Setter Emily North has collected 129 digs in this season alone. North used her ambition for the matches against the Aggies and Mustangs despite the Javelinas road record. “We’re really going to bounce back,” she said.

Although North is looking forward to bouncing back, she is eager to start the second half of conference at home

to face off against tougher opponents.

“We’re halfway after this weekend, and we can start the second round strong with our strongest opponents at home. We have the advantage here,” she said.

The Javelinas were back at home at 7 p.m. on Tuesday at the Steinke Physical Education Center against Angelo State Rams.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

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Page 7 - Sports

Javelina Cheer team welcomes new coach Expectations are high for new head coach, cheerleading team this season PLASERAE JOHNSON Sports Editor The Javelina cheer team welcomed a new head cheer coach last week.

The hopes are high for Ashton Davis.

Davis gladly filled the position after coaching in Erie, Penn., at Gannon University (DI).

The athletes think she has the skills and experience to fit the role perfectly.

“I love her, she is strict on us, but I feel like that’s what we need. I feel like I have grown so much in such a short amount of time than I have in all my years of cheer. She’s trying to build something here and she’s really serious about it. We just have to trust

Photo by Megan McCabe

Ashton Davis

the process, and be just as serious and have an open mind,” said Lue Gonzalez, the side base and backspot on the squad.

As soon as Davis filled the position she knew she had a new learning experience awaiting her. She’s discovered the team’s strengths and weakness. Regardless of the observations, Davis has high expectations and plans for the team to exceed in the near future.

“We are planning to get involved in competition and [up] to the national championship in Daytona, Fla. [It] may not happen this year but I think it can in the future,” Davis said.

As the team finds their groove under Davis’ management, she will be observing how the cheerleaders respond to new routines.

Co-ed flyer, Caroline Garza, embraces Davis’ style of coaching.

“She is honestly a very great coach, her past experiences with cheer definitely show throughout her coaching, with any question we have she has an answer. She will even demonstrate it for you, so, you can get a visual.

“Then [she] will continue to work with you until you get it perfectly.

She has rebuilt all of our technique in stunting, tumbling, even jumping from the ground up, and we are improving so fast and we look so much

better as a team overall,” Garza said.

Davis is from Texas and jumped on the opportunity to come back.

With the Fall sports season picking up, and the football, volleyball and basketball teams competing, you can expect the Javelina cheer team to be right by their side cheering them on.

Davis believes school spirit is the team’s strong suit.

“As a team, we have the really strong work ethic and motivation [needed] to improve. We also have a high school

spirit and we are all glad to be a part of the university. [We are] looking to showcase that to the students,” Davis said.

Although Davis is new, the cheer team will be hosting its annual day for tryouts in the Spring semester as usual.

“We will do tryouts in the spring like the past, for the upcoming year; and I will be recruiting in the surrounding area to make it a better, stronger, program overall,” Davis said.

Photo by recsports.tamuk.edu

The Javelina Cheer team at an event.

Page 8 - Sports

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Thursday, October 11, 2018

Men’s Basketball open for Tryouts Javelina basketball team hopes to gain players from yearly tryouts PLASERAE JOHNSON

Sports Editor

Three students came to showcase their talent for a chance to be a Javelina basketball player at the annual Men’s Basketball team tyrouts held Monday at the Steinke Physical Education Center.

Each year, about this time, the head, assistant and graduate coaches look forward to this special day.

The team holds tryouts in October, because the competitive season for the team is in November. This gives coaches enough time to find the talent and polish it.

Even though the team does heavy recruiting throughout the year, the tryouts bring in potentially new players for the season.

“The hardest part about a tryout is [that] you’re trying to find the right fit for your team because you’ve already recruited for the team,” assistant coach Matt Pressey said.

According to javelinathletics.com, the requirements to tryout state students must be enrolled in at least 12 credit hours and have a 2.0 GPA. Other requirements to tryout come from having decent physical fitness with basketball experience.

“Obviously guys that have some type of skill. This is below the rank of a professional team so we’re teaching

Photo by Plaserae Johnson

Coach Gonzales coaching players at tryouts. guys that, yes they may not be all the way there, but they do have basketball skills,” Pressey said.

The team is made up of 12 juniors and seniors and nine lower classmen.

One of those juniors, Marcus Williams, earned his place at the 2017 tryouts.

Williams now holds the guard position for the Javelinas.

“This will be my second tryout

[as] an assistant coach. [The talent varies] We took one of the guys from tryouts last year. He’s with us now. As far as this year, I’m not sure [who we’re going to take] because it varies yearto-year,” Pressey said.

The coaching staff looks forward to tryouts every year because they are open to finding talent on campus.

“Tryouts are interesting because there [are] a lot of people with a lot of different stories. There’s a lot of players with a lot of different situations.

You don’t know what you have walking around your campus.

“Could be a kid out here that was at another school and got injured and now has an opportunity. I think South Texas is under the radar [and] has a lot of players good enough to play college ball. Usually people don’t get to come out and see them,” said Omar Gonzalez, assistant coach for the Javelinas.

The tryouts are a positive thing, but there remains the challenge of finding talent that fits what the coaching staff has already created.

“There’s always talent. They just have to be a right fit for the team we already have. It’s about taking the best player available. So, if it’s a player that can come in that’s [going to] fit what [we’re] doing and that’s going to come in and contribute, that’s what we look for in the tryouts…talent. There’s always talent; it’s just [got to] be the right fit for the team,” Gonzalez said.

NFL ‘Roughing the Passer’ too much?

New organizational rule protecting Quarterbacks, sparks many questions AARON MONREAL Sports Reporter For the 2018 NFL season, the league has instilled a new rule which is called “roughing the passer.” The new rule protects the quarterback from hits below the waist, helmet to helmet, and defenders landing all their body weight on the QB. The rule was put into place because of injuries of starting QBs. The QBs were being ruled out for weeks, entire seasons, or even careers because of the injuries. For example, Aaron

Rodgers suffered from a broken collar bone, Tom Brady from a torn ACL, and Tony Romo from a broken collar bone. Many QBs have been seriously injured, but the NFL is taking a stance in protecting the most valuable players on the field.

However, the rule has been brought to attention. Is this new rule too much?

I believe it is to a certain extent.

The rule is beneficial for a few reasons. First of all, too many teams have lost their season because of the injuries inflicted on the starting quarterback.

I understand injuries are part of the

game, but it not only affects the team, but also the ratings. Most fans go to see the quarterback play even if the team is not the best.

The second reason the rule is beneficial is because the QB is a defenseless player. The QB sometimes has as little as three seconds to get rid of the ball before a 300-pound defender goes charging at him.

On the other hand, the QB has already enough protection, and this rule just makes the defenders’ job more difficult. Clay Matthews, a linebacker for the Green Bay Packers , is not too fond

of the new rule.

“I think they’re getting soft,” he said in an ESPN interview.

Finally, isn’t a risk of injury just part of the game?

Many times, the NFL has decision makers making these rules about how to tackle, but the fact is you don’t know until you have actually played the game. Trying to make a high collision sport safe is something that is very difficult to do.

Overall, I do like the rule because the NFL is making an effort to protect its players.

Thursday, October 11, 2018

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Page 9 - Features

Spooky TAMUK Legends Students share Halloween tales about haunted campus dorms and buildings

Manning Hall J.R. Manning Hall is known as the first campus building at TAMUK. Construction for the building was completed on May 6, 1925. During its first semester, Manning housed 16 offices, a library, 21 classrooms and six laboratories. Although the building has three floors, the third floor is blocked off from students. Restriction from the third floor has raised questions about why it was closed off in the first place.

“I’ve been to the third floor once. It has low ceilings and arches… it’s like an attic,” said Lori K. Atkins, University Archivist at TAMUK “No one would tell me why [the third floor was closed]. But there’s different articles in the archives you could look at.”

Over the years, people have developed different stories as to why the university decided to close-off part a floor of its oldest buildings. A popular rumor is that the third floor is haunted.

People say that the third floor is haunted by a ghost that moves desks and chairs. According to the rumor, a janitor was cleaning up late and became terrorized by the apparition Celest Lopez and Schlaine Wynn, both Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSDO) majors at TAMUK, explain the story they’ve heard about from other friends.

“I remember that there was a janitor and that he was working late…something appeared, but there was nobody there,” Lopez said.

“Also, the janitor would clean, then turn around, but the desk he had moved would change and sometimes appear sideways,” Wynn said.

However, John Collins, a janitor who works late at night in Manning, says there are logical explanations to some of the sounds in Manning.

“In Manning, it’s possible it’s just the ceiling creaking and not ghosts,” Collins said, “There’s a few times when you bump into something or not bump into something, literary speaking, but where you may hear something, but you can’t quite figure out what it was. Most of the time it can be explained. Not everything is a ghost, at least in my opinion. I have experienced things that I couldn’t even explain so; therefore, it’s still unexplained. There’s stories, rumors and legends, but a lot of times it’s just pipes creaking in the woodwork.”

Compiled by: AMERICA QUINTERO, JOSE TELLO AND TAYLOR GUIDRY October kicks off a number of yearly traditions, one of the most popular being Halloween. Celebrated on Oct. 31, Halloween is a time to get scared while eating buckets of candy. Some people get their dose of Halloween chills by watching scary movies or going to a haunted house. What about going to a haunted university? Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) may not be listed in the “Top 10 Scariest Places in Texas,” but students have heard a few rumors concerning ghosts and ghouls around campus. Get ready to travel on a journey of scary proportions.

College Hall Often called the Bell Tower, College Hall was completed in 1949. The Bell Tower has been a symbol of TAMUK for years, making appearances in certificates and Javelina merchandise and advertisements. However, there is an eerie rumor about the well-known Bell Tower. Students claim seeing a person hanging by a rope late at night.

“There’s like a rope, and then it looks like someone’s head is hanging.

There’s a shadow at every single corner…I heard there was some janitor who hung himself or something….You can see it from every corner on campus every night.” Whitney Walker, a TAMUK student, claims.

However, this is considered a “debunked” rumor. The supposed “hang’”man shadow is actually an optical illusion caused by the lights hitting the pillars.

“I’ve heard quite a few things about haunted things around campus. People used to talk about how in the bell tower, you would see a man up there at night, but it’s just a reflection of the pole.”

“Personally, I’m not on campus late, but I’m pretty sure if you stayed on campus late, you’d probably see something occur, but personally, I haven’t,” said Mariah Reyna, a TAMUK student.

Lynch Dorms The Lynch Dorms are an all-female dorm at TAMUK. It houses more than 200 students and some claim it’s also the home of lost souls.

“I’ve heard the female dorm is haunted. Apparently, a bunch of apparitions show up there,” Noah Reyes, animal science pre-vet major, said.

Alexus Hernandez, special education major, works as a resident advisor (RA). RAs are in charge of monitoring the halls of their assigned dorm building.

Although she now works in Bishop Hall, she used to be an RA in Lynch Hall, where her friends would tell her some personal spooky stories.

“I worked there last year [in Lynch].

Apparently, they say that there is a ghost in there. Things would go missing, and you’d be like, ‘hey, bring it back,’ but they wouldn’t find it,” Hernandez said.

Martin Dorms The male dorm, Martin Hall, has had its share of ghostly apparitions. Several students claim there was an exorcism in one of the rooms, which is no longer available for residents to use.

“I’ve heard that Martin had an exorcism, which is true. Then they closed of a room in the third floor of Martin... avoid it all costs,” Briana Kidd, criminology major said.

“They closed the room off, and now Photo courtesy of Google.com it’s a janitor’s closet,” Katelin Bar, fashion merchandising major, said Manning, TAMUK’s first building

Edward N. Jones Auditorium A popular location for plays, concerts and speakers, Jones Auditorium is also a hot spot for unexplained phenomenon. Built in 1942, the building is rumored to have caused the death of a construction worker.

“In Jones Auditorium, there’s rumors that one of the construction workers fell into concrete that wasn’t Photo courtesy of Google.com set yet, and they couldn’t recover the In the right of the Bell Tower, the body. So, his body is incased in conillusion of a man can be seen crete underneath Jones, auditorium,” Mathew Bast, mechanical engineering major, said.

Bast also stated that he always gets an eerie feeling whenever he passes through Jones Auditorium alone at night.

Photos courtesy of South Texas Archives

Ariel view of campus dorms, including Martin and Lynch

Graphics courtesy of Google.com

Photos courtesy of South Texas Archives

Jones Auditorium at night

Page 10 - Entertainment

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Thursday, October 11, 2018

Netflix Review: BoJack Horseman BoJack explores the topic of redemption, as he searches for answers in season five C.R. NEAL Opinion Editor BoJack Horseman had an incredibly high bar to reach after the critical success of its riveting fourth season, but by all accounts season five has raised the bar even higher by bringing a cohesive and meticulously crafted narrative to the table.

The titular character, BoJack Horseman, has done terrible things in his life.

From nearly sleeping with a teenager in season two, to almost choking his lover and co-star on the TV show Philbert, to death while high on painkillers in season five.

That’s not to say he’s a bad person, or horse-man, though. In fact, the series specifically states through BoJack’s friend, Diane Nyugen, that while he is definitely not a good person, he is not a bad one either. He is just a person.

When BoJack asks Diane, a writer for the blog Girl Croosh, to write an article revealing every terrible thing he has done so he will be taken down she refuses, claiming that it would be

Graphic by America Quintero

Character art of BoJack only feeding into his self-destructive behavior by giving him an easy out.

It makes the audience ask why the show portrays BoJack so broken and downright monstrous at times if they seemingly refuse to hold him accountable.

Season four delved deep into BoJack’s toxic relationship with his mother, Beatrice Horseman.

Episode six of season five presents the best bottle episode in recent memory. The entire episode is the eulogy BoJack gives at his mother’s funeral.

Bojack does what he does best and makes the entire eulogy about him and the way his mother treated him.

“When you’re a kid, you convince yourself that maybe the grand gesture could be enough. That even though your parents aren’t what you need them to be, over and over and over again, at any moment they might surprise you with something wonderful.

“I kept waiting for that, the proof that even though my mother was a hard woman, deep down, she loved me, and cared about me and wanted me to know that I made her life a little bit brighter,” BoJack said. “Even now I find myself waiting.”

The last thing Beatrice said before her death was, “I see you.” This caus-

es Bojack to realize that even after 54 years of life, all he wanted was to be noticed by his mom.

Bojack entertains all the possible meanings of that sentence, but realizes that he will never know if she even knew he was beside her.

Later he recalls that she died in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), and concludes that she wasn’t noticing her son for the first time, or saying that she understood him, or even that he was in her field-of-vision. She was just reading a sign.

BoJack responds to this realization with anger and despair, saying, “Suddenly, you realize that you’ll never have the good relationship you wanted, and as long as they were alive, even though you’d never admit it, part of you, the stupidest… part of you, was still holding on to that chance. And you didn’t even realize it until that chance went away.

“My mother is dead, and everything is worse now. Because now I know I will never have a mother who looks at me from across a room and says, ‘Bojack Horseman, I see you.’”

This exploration of BoJack’s psyche presents a complex character that wants to be good, but feels so broken he indulges in self-sabotage.

In the era of the MeToo movement it’s difficult, yet all too familiar, to see people who have done appalling things not be held accountable for them.

It’s easy to think that the writers not holding BoJack accountable for his actions are taking the easy way out, but beneath the surface this decision by the writers holds a different message.

Since its first season, BoJack Horseman has demonstrated how our bad thoughts feed off each other. Mental illness can nurture addiction, while ad-

diction can make us do horrible things to our loved ones.

Instead of excusing BoJack’s behavior, perhaps they want to help us understand why normal people can do awful things, and how we may better combat these behaviors before they come to fruition.

Through this we can help these people take responsibility for their actions and earn redemption instead of ruining their lives and taking away what little they had left of their humanity.

Can we honestly say that Harvey Weinstein took responsibility for the way he treated those women?

Photo courtesy of Google.com

Season five promotional art for BoJack Horseman

Thursday, October 11, 2018

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Page 11 - News

Blue & Gold Shuttle takes on new schedule University buses ending route two hours sooner JOSUE VILLARREAL Reporter

Hogwarts comes to A&M-Kingsville UWC hosting Harry Potter themed social JOSUE VILLARREAL Reporter On Oct. 18 in the Bishop Hall lobby, The Texas A&M University-Kingsville Writing Center is hosting a Harry Potter-themed social titled “UWC Wizardry & Writing.”

“We do this social to try to let incoming freshmen or current students aware of the services available to them during midterms and finals,” said Social Media Director of the UWC Katherine Villarreal.

Of course, one can expect all the Harry Potter goodness from this upcoming social.

You’ll be able to make wands, time turners and the flying keys from the first film. There will also be a “Most Wanted Wizard” photobooth and

Harry Potter-themed refreshments.

“I think that Harry Potter is definitely a great medium to connect reading and writing,” said Villarreal on why she picked Harry Potter.

Inspired by the Halloween season, the writing center wants to establish itself as not just a place where a person can get their paper checked, but also a pressure-free environment where one can do homework, make friends with the tutors, and just relax and hang out.

“I want them to know that we are a safe place and we love helping them improve their writing. All they have to do is visit us,” said another planner of the event, Landy Garcia.

The students themselves are excited for the social and ready to partake in the activities, the crafts and the refreshments that the party will provide.

“I’m so excited to go,” said Biomedical Science major Amy Ziyad.

With midterms around the corner and finals always looming in the distance, it’s important to know all the resources available to help you succeed and get the best grade possible.

The Blue and Gold Shuttle express has gone through some schedule changes, as stated on the University website.

Previously, the shuttle service would begin at 8:30 a.m. and run until 10 p.m. While the bus route will begin at the same time, it will now end at 8 p.m.

While the base budget for the bus service has stayed the same, the recent budget cuts at TAMUK have led to a downsizing of their least utilized routes.

“The change was based on the number of riders to and from locations,” said Dean of Students Kirsten Compary.

Another difference in the schedule is the addition of a new location, the Wildhorse Mall, according to the University website.

While Compary confirms there have been no formal complaints made to her, some students are unhappy about the changes.

“Now whenever I leave a late rehearsal, the bus doesn’t make its route here,” said Music Major Thomas Gonzalez.

Instead Gonzalez has to make a walk to University Squares, which he says is inconvenient.

“The time changes are not temporary, but are subject to change due to student ridership numbers,” Compary said. For more information, visit http:/ / www.tamuk.edu/bgexpress/

Photos by Adriana Palomo Bus driver Tina Galvan talking on radio inside the Blue & Gold Express.

A student getting on the shuttle after his classes.

Tina Galvan and a student standing by the bus stop behind the Student Union building.

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