4/18/2019 Issue

INSIDE

Latest DC Universe movie good for a laugh ... Page 9 Texas A&M University-Kingsville

The South Texan

Volume 93, Issue 24

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Rodriguez crowned Miss TAMUK ILIANA FLORES Managing Editor

Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) senior Brianna Rodriguez was crowned 2019-2020 Miss TAMUK at the annual scholarship pageant held Saturday, April 13.

Miss TAMUK is a time-honored scholarship pageant that has been hosted by the university for more than three decades. Each year, 14 TAMUK students compete to be the next Miss TAMUK for the opportunity to win a $2,000 scholarship and serve as a representative of the university.

To determine the winner of the pageant, contestants are judged on an interview they have with the judges the afternoon of the pageant, the speech they give the night of the pageant, their evening gown and, if needed, a tie-breaker which is based on their casual wear outfit.

Based on their scores in the previ-

You’re the best around

ous segments, the top five candidates are announced. These candidates are all asked the same question which they must answer in front of the audience and judges. Whomever scores highest in this category will end up being the next Miss TAMUK. This year’s winner is Business Management senior Rodriguez. For her, receiving the title of the 2019-2020 Miss TAMUK was surreal.

“I keep waiting to look around and see who’s going to pinch me so I can wake up. But, it’s a blessing and I’m glad for every step of it. It’s a lot of work and I’m glad that it’s something that I went through. It’s helped me grow...It’s awesome and I’m excited to represent our school and [the] Javelina Nation,” Rodriguez said.

As Miss TAMUK, Rodriguez will be a representative of the university by speaking, participating and volunteering at university and community events.

Alongside Rodriguez, other contestants won awards at the 2019 Miss

Photo by Amanda DeFrees

Brianna Rodriguez, the 2019-2020 Miss TAMUK, hugging outgoing Miss TAMUK, Darcy Guerrero after being crowned.

TAMUK pageant. The fourth runner-up was Agriculture Science student Ydanissa Gonzalez. Agriculture

Students impact the world of research ARYSSA ENRIQUEZ Campus Editor

DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief During Champions week from April 7 to April 13, Texas A&M University-Kingsville recognized students’ excellence in leadership, academics, community service, student work, research and creativity.

Kirsten Compary, dean of students, explained how the university used to participate in the Who’s Who Among Students, one of the most highly regarded and long-standing honors programs in the nation. The program earned overwhelming respect from college faculties and administrations, and the student recognition is regarded as the pinnacle of scholastic achievement.

About two summers ago the organization notified all participating colleges and universities that they were conducting a strategic review and would not be accepting nomina-

Rodriguez continued on Page 11

Photo courtesy of MARCOM

(Left to right): Terisa Riley with the Javelina MVP champs Chris Cook, Aryssa Enriquez, Kany Drame, Juan Ovalle, Kayla Carm, Ruben Martinez, Rebecca Ybarra-Leal, Francisco Haces-Garcia and Eutimio Alaniz, Jr. tions. Therefore, TAMUK transformed the Who’s Who into Javelina Champions by instilling the same criteria and highlighting the students’ service to their community and school.

This year was the fourth annual Javelina Champions week.

“We know how hard you work, study, if have children who depend on you, and yet you come to school and excel and participate in various activi-

ties. It’s not easy so thank you because each and every one of you are champions,” said Terisa Riley, senior vice president of student affairs.

On April 11 at the MVP and AllStar Reception, nine distinguished students who had been nominated for the Javelina Champions MVP

Jav Champs continued on Page 11

The Student Union ballrooms were filled with insightful research conducted by 125 Texas A&M University-Kingsville (TAMUK) students. TAMUK invited graduate and undergraduate students to present their original scholarly work during the 13th Annual Javelina Research Symposium held on April 10. Students from various colleges were able to showcase their research and receive feedback.

For many students presenting can be nerve-wracking and a bit intimidating. However, students braced themselves as they showcased their research to a panel of judges who were critiquing and examining their work.

Research continued on Page 2

Page 2 - Campus

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Thursday, April 18, 2019

Club of The Week– TAMUK eSports TAMUK Countdown Commencement Club offers students an opportunity to enhance communication skills LETI TORRES Reporter The TAMUK eSports organization was founded in 2017 at Texas A&M University – Kingsville. It was formed to unite the members that joined with similar likings involving video games.

One of the many video games that they play is League of Legends.

They work together to enter many tournaments to compete with other campuses as well as hosting many on-campus opportunities for video gamers.

The club looks forward to creating efficient leaders and helping members improve their communication skills.

“The purpose of this organization is to represent Texas A&M University Kingsville in various eSports environments at a high level, and to bring students together through a shared passion for gaming and competition,” said president of eSports Daniel Atkinson.

This club helps members enhance their communication skills within the high levels of pressure found in the competitive games.

During tournaments and other competitions students earn the probability to win scholarships and other prizes.

TAMUK eSports’ goal is to improve important skills such as communication and teamwork. They create awareness to club members acknowledging the skills needed to enter the job market and looking for a career in

this field. Many of the members have already learned many things from this club.

“I have learned the importance of communication within a team environment which I feel can be a very important skill throughout life, not just in competitive video games,” said Dante Montague, Criminology major.

Not only do they learn skills to become effective communicators but they are able to develop skills to help them become better gamers.

“I have learned about how to practice and play games better, as well as set specific goals for improvement,” said Charlie Wallace, Information Systems major.

The club hosts many on-campus tournaments and welcomes everyone to join. They recruit people to join their club primarily through word of mouth, flyers and by hosting events.

“While many people participate by joining gaming teams, I have participated mostly by supporting the officer team when needed and making myself available to grow and help the established teams,” said Cailin Wong, Animal Science major.

They allow the club members to prepare the events and apply the skills they are learning while being in the club. To join the club or participate in their activities one must maintain a good academic standing, as well as have positive in-game behavior.

They have weekly meetings that begin with the participation and results of the previous meeting. The meetings are at 6 p.m. every Wednesday in Rhode Hall, Room 124. To gain more information about how to join the club you can contact Atkinson at daniel.atkinson@students.tamuk.edu.

Research Continued from Page 1 “I think one of the best thing about research, is the opportunity to present your work. Students start to see value in their work, and it boosts their confidence, they stand a little taller.

Twenty-three of my students were able to participate in this year’s symposium…I’ve seen how students get offered jobs or are asked to pro-long their research, and it’s just wonderful that TAMUK offers this platform for students,” said Dr. Lana McDonnell, professor of communications.

Participants were able to choose a topic of their choice, and mesh their creativity to generate their research topic.

Topics ranged from the World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) presentations to the impact of fertilizers in plants.

There was diversity amongst peers, nevertheless students displayed their research exceptionally.

“I believe this is a great opportunity for students to find a passionate topic, and use research to have fun with it. Through my research I’ve grown a real passion in trying to create awareness of how fast-food affects children…This is also a great way to help develop skills that will help in whatever career we decided to pursue,” said Madison Lakers, Communication major.

While the Javelina Research Symposium is a place to showcase diverse perspectives in research, it also acknowledges the hard work of students.

The work of students was categorized by three categories: undergrad, masters and doctoral.

In the undergrad category, first place was awarded to Francheska Garcia, second to Cristian Toren, and

third to Jessica Gonzalez.

For the master’s category, Nnana Edmund earned first place.

Jemilade Longe was awarded second place and Kaitlyn Garcia was recognized with third place.

The doctoral winners were Srikanth Bashetty in first place, Aramide Akintude in second place and Abdullah Al Hadi earned a third place.

The work of student is celebrated and encouraged to enable students to develop skills and habits that will help them excel in the professional world.

“Research, I think is very important in any industry, it promotes growth and just seeing that a lot of people are curious and want to use their creativity is absolutely important. The amount of people here, also blows my mind it just shows how much interest people are taking in using what they have to get something better,” said Itohan Agbonkina, Engineer major.

Photo by Aryssa Enriquez

Senior students got the opportunity to get informed about graduation and were given tips on how to search for jobs by Javelina alumni and Career Services.

Students during Countdown Commencement.

Photos by Amanda DeFrees

Thursday, April 18, 2019

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Page 3 - Campus

Sigma Delta Pi hosts student symposium

Students showcase their discoveries DARCY RAMIREZ Editor-in-Chief Hispanics were given a spotlight as Sigma Delta Pi, the National Collegiate Hispanic Honor Society, held its student symposium on Friday, April 12, at Sam Fore Hall.

“It’s an open forum where people can express their ideas and the hard work that they’ve done and people can come and ask questions about the research and every semester we have a guest speaker, but it’s always something different,” Natasha Lara, vice president of Sigma Delta Pi and a Spanish major, said.

At the symposium various students and faculty were able to present their findings, ideas, expressions and work in front of others.

Isabel Cordova, professor of Latin America and Latino History at Nazareth College in New York, was the guest keynote speaker. She presented her research, “Ways of Knowing, Ways of Living: The Shifting Assumptions and Care of the Birthing Body in Late Twentieth Century Puerto Rico.” The exploration delved into the aspect of midwifery in Puerto Rico which sparked interest in various students.

After her presentation Cordova hoped she inspired students to offer up their own ideas.

“I would like for people to see me

and be like, ‘Oh there are other Latinas, especially Latina women, that can do things and can stand up at the podium and be asked questions.’ So I would like to be a mentor or hopefully inspire younger people,” Cordova said.

Sigma Delta Pi aims to honor those who attain excellence in the study of the Spanish language and in the study of literature and culture of the Spanish-speaking people. They also encourage students to acquire a greater interest and deeper understanding of Hispanic culture. The society was founded by Ruth Barnes and established on Nov. 4, 1919, at the University of California in Berkeley. Later this year the organization will celebrate its 100 year anniversary.

“It creates an opportunity to exchange ideas, commingle, refine communication skills and create a culture of academic development, and we want to foster that so students can have more opportunities within our department,” Dr. Marco Iniguez, professor in department of language and literature and faculty advisor of Sigma Delta Pi, said.

Photos by Darcy Ramire

Students during Sigma Delta Pi symposium.

Page 4 - Opinion

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, April 18, 2019

The magic of the theater

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 Iliana Flores Managing Editor Aryssa Enriquez Campus Editor C.R. Neal Editorial Editor Colby Sims Sports Editor Jaylin Morales Advertising Manager

C.R. NEAL Editorial Editor There is nothing quite like sitting with hundreds of people in a massive, dark room for entertainment, while booming sound flows around you. A sense of community lives within the audience as they laugh, cry or gasp from experiencing a powerful moment together.

The theater is truly a remarkable place.

It’s a place for movies, musical theater, comedy shows, concerts among an innumerable myriad of art pieces.

All walks of life are welcome, giving the theater a holy aura of anonymity and acceptance.

It’s a place of freedom and joy, hope and despair. It’s a place where you can forget about the troubles of the world, or face them head-on.

No matter the story, you are never alone in your adventure.

Adventure: the thing that provides a reprieve from the mundanities of life.

One minute you’re a cashier for your local grocery store, the next a lightsaber wielding Jedi. You have no limitations while inside the theater. The realm of the possible, and impossible, lies at your fingertips.

Life: what we all live, but cannot

Photo Courtesy of npr.org

The interior of the Majestic Theater in San Antonio. understand. Life afflicts us all in completely different ways. Different cultures and religions defy understanding from those who do not live in them.

The theater gives us a way to see life through the eyes of another person.

Fate of the Furious will give you a vastly different perspective than Roma. These different perspectives make us more tolerant, and wonder if there could be someone who sees the world like those characters in the theater with you.

While streaming services have made entertainment easily accessible in the comfort of your home, there is a certain aspect of entertainment missed by sitting alone on the couch. It misses the grandeur of an event. The feeling of going to the theater cannot be simulated.

A monstrous screen or the visceral nature of a live stage performance is unique in that it’s either larger-thanlife, or a piece of life presented before your very eyes.

Nothing can beat the feeling of

beautiful harmonies coming from real voices on a stage, or the feeling you get from the Star Wars opening crawl blasting triumphant music in a theater.

That feeling of exhilarating bliss.

Photo Courtesy highend3d.com

A piano in an empty theater.

The struggles of carpooling to school

Reporters Josue Villarreal Aaron Monreal Kelby Sprinkles Hector Landin Adam Pena Zachariah Wilson Dylan Dozier Rachel Tapps Leti Torres Photographer Amanda DeFrees Nicole Morris Adviser 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

BRENDA RIOJAS Reporter It’s you versus time. You hope to beat the clock and you usually do.

Commuting to college is a challenge that includes even smaller challenges. Commuters who carpool to school split the cost of driving, but don’t have space to share. I carpool to school every day of the week.

When I’m not driving, I would like to be reading or studying for class that I’m about to go to, but sometimes I can’t because I have to respect the space of the person driving. If they want to listen to music loudly or pass 18-wheeler trucks, you don’t have room to tell them not to, because you aren’t driving and it’s not your car.

Photo Courtesy rochester.edu

Carpooling students preparing for their trip to school.

Once you arrive to campus you’re now faced with the challenge of finding parking, and walking about 10 minutes to class.

When I find a really close parking spot to my classes, it’s usually a tight fit because the person next to me didn’t park straight.

I can’t really complain because I, too, don’t always park straight.

Sometimes I find myself driving all the way to school just to find out class is canceled, or just to turn in an assignment.

The most devastating struggle I face is not having an umbrella in my car on

the rainy days or wearing long sleeves on a hot day.

Waking up early to commute isn’t much of a struggle for me, except when I stay up late watching television.

All of these challenges I face commuting don’t really matter to me, because at the end of the day I get to go home and see my family.

Seeing my family every day is what matters most to me, and I think going to college 30 minutes away is only a benefit because I get to see them.

They make my commuter student challenges disappear.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

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Page 5 - Opinion

Vetting the information you read Be mindful of biases in the news media

JOSUE SERNA Reporter How trustworthy is your news outlet? Have you ever questioned that?

Today, ironically, I will write my opinion on social media biases, and the spread of misinformation online.

From the start of our academic careers, schools encourage us to read books non-stop as it widens our minds and encourages brain growth.

However, social media and the internet have changed that drastically. We are in a new age of human history. A place where our ancestors have never been before; the digital age.

In the past, if you were to write a re-

search paper there was nothing close to a catch-all service like Google. You had to go to the library and read books.

Books published by accredited scholars or professionals with the intent to pass on knowledge.

They were definitively credible sources, as it is extremely hard to publish academic journals and books without someone fact-checking you every step of the way. Today the story is drastically different, and we take for granted the amount of knowledge we have access to.

For example, if you wanted to know what an okapi (oh-COP-ee) is, all you have to do is pull out your phone and search it up. This wasn’t possible 50 years ago. How would your grandparents have gone about trying to find out what an okapi is?

That is my point. It is virtually impossible to have a subject that isn’t searchable on the internet. Ideas flow across all platforms with anyone being able to contribute however they want.

This brings me to what I think is a major problem in today’s society. Biases and opinions online can be hurtful to someone as an individual. Humans are tribal by nature, so they tend to

Photo Courtesy essentia-analytics.com

The effect facts have on some people’s beliefs. stick to their biases until death. That’s why no matter what they are told, they tend to look for those who agree with them.

If you have an opinion on something, you will probably look for articles that agree with you. That is the easiest way someone can lie to you: by telling you what you want to hear. Be careful when you surf the web. Just because someone seems smart and agrees with you it doesn’t mean it’s the truth. No matter what political stance, religion or what-

ever it is that you have an opinion on, please be objective so that you become less of a target for those trying to con their way into power or your wallet.

For every article that agrees with you try finding one that doesn’t, and when you read it try to think the way the writer is thinking.

Don’t go out looking for your yellow dog.

Properly inform yourself and get rid of your bias, so that you can become a better decision maker over all.

Man on the Street This Week’s Question:

Are you excited for PRIDEfest?

Name: Hailey Sauceda Major: Fashion Mechandise “I don’t think I’ll be attending, but I am by no means against them having one. I believe that this is an important event, because everyone deserves to have their voices heard. Everyone is important and everyone matters. It’s really cool that they get to have pride.”

Compiled by: Josue Villarreal

Name: Katelyn Horner Major: Business Management “I, myself, am a pansexual person, so I’m really excited for this event to happen. I’m going to be participating, and I’m going to be having a lot of fun doing that. I hope people embrace it. I would love for people to be involved and do more, but I know also that forcing someone isn’t the best way to do something.”

Name: Allan Smith Major: Mechanical Engineering “I did not know one was going on until you told me about it just now. Personally, I don’t have any feelings or personal attachment to it. It is what it is, and it’s cool that they’re having it. It’s important in the sense that people feel like they belong. Kingsville is a small town, and things like that only really happen in the big cities. It will really benefit the people of that community”

Name: Isaiah Dennis Major: Nutrition “I don’t have anything against gays or lesbians. It’s important for them in a way, but I’m a Christian and I don’t believe that it’s right. Of course, the Bible says that gays and lesbians aren’t right. I’m not one to judge, but that’s just how I feel.”

Page 6 - Sports

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Javelinas honor their seniors on Saturday

TAMUK plays final home tournament COLBY SIMS Sports Editor

This past weekend the Javelina Beach Volleyball team competed in their final home tournament of the season.

The girls played four matches this weekend and on Saturday they honored two seniors. Madison Brabham and Haley Hutchinson competed in their final home match in the blue and gold.

When asked about her final home match Brabham said, “Senior day was memorable and emotional for Haley and me, and we couldn’t be more grateful. The time we have spent here and the relationships we have made are unforgettable. Hopefully we have left a legacy of dedication to our school.”

Day one, the Javelinas took on the Park Pirates and made short work of their opponents with a sweep of all five duos in two sets each. Later in the day they took on a power five school from the Pac 12 conference, Arizona State. The Javelinas fought hard but ultimately lost 0-5 to the Sun Devils.

The number one and number two teams played very close games that went to a third set. In the one’s match, the duo of Tenley Housler and Whitney Walker lost the first set, 26-24, won the second set 21-19 and then lost the final set, 15-8. The two’s duo of Brabham and Kylexus Block won their first set, 21-16, lost the second set ,21-12 ,and lost the third set by two,

with a score of, 16-14.

Day two the Javelinas faced Park once more in a sweep losing just one set the entire match.

Later in the day, the final match of the tournament, the girls faced Abilene Christian University (ACU).

The two seniors led their respective duos to the first two wins of the match to put the Javelinas on the board 2-0.

The Javelinas went on to sweep the match and win 5-0.

The two seniors leaving after this year have left an impact on the program with Brabham second in total wins with 47 and Hutchinson with 49. Hutchinson weighed in on how her day went saying, “It went really well because we took care of business and had fun with our partners. All the girls were really awesome and supportive.”

The Javelinas will next travel to Tavares, Fla., to compete in the AVCA National tournament.

The team was named the number one seed in the tournament and will be looking to defend their National title they won a year ago.

Photos by Javelina Athletics

Seniors Madison Brabham and Haley Hutchinson.

Photo courtesy moltenusa.com

Photos by Javelina Athletics

Freshmen Kylexus Block.

Golf set to compete in Lonstar Conference tournament

Javelinas will face tough competitors at conference DYLAN DOZIER Sports Reporter The TAMUK Javelina Women’s golf team is headed to Abilene April 22 and 23 to compete in the Lone Star Conference tournament.

Currently, the Javelinas’ adjusted scoring average of 81.2 is good enough for a national rank of 92nd.

The team will roll into their last conference tournament of the year coming off of a 6 place finish at the 2019 Hardscrabble Invitational in Fort Smith.

Sophomore Kristina Gutierrez has had the most prolific season for the Javelinas.

Her average score of 78 is a teambest, and she has been named LSC player of the week twice.

Rachelle Nielsen is headed into the LSC tournament after shooting a 73 in the last round of the Hardscrabble, her lowest of the year.

During the course of nine tournaments this season, Nielson has an average score of 81.2.

Her efforts in last week’s visit to Fort Smith earned her a 10th place finish.

Sophomores Abigail Willcoxon and Madison Lake have also been a major part of the team’s success.

Lake has the team’s second highest scoring average with a 79.8. She has

also posted four top 20 finishes during the 2018-2019 season.

Willcoxon has built momentum during the last half of the season.

Her best five scores of the season have come out of the last four tournaments.

She will roll into Abilene after posting her best round of golf this season.

At the Hardscrabble, freshman Sarah Turnbo turned in an 86 in the first round, her best of the season.

Turnbo has a 92.2 scoring average after participating in eight tournaments this year.

TAMUK will be one of nine teams competing at this year’s tournament.

The competition will include UT

Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics

Redshirt Junior Rachelle Nielson.

Permian Basin, West Texas A&M, Tarleton State, Angelo State, Texas A&M-Commerce, Western New Mexico, Cameron and Midwestern State.

Four of these teams are ranked in nation’s top 50; West Texas A&M (7), Texas A&M-Commerce (27), Midwestern State (36) and Tarleton State(43).

Photo courtesy www.qstomizer.myshopify.com

Photo courtesy of Javelina Athletics

Sophomore Madison Lake.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

thesouthtexan.com

Photo by Javelina Athletics

Senior Elton Dyer.

Javelina Men’s basketball off season Team looks to add guards, bigger players RACHEL TAPPS Sports Reporter The Javelinas finished their current season off with an overall record of 12-15, ending the season on a heart-wrenching seven point loss to Angelo State in the first round of the conference tournament.

Following the season, the players were given two weeks off to rest and recover before diving right back into the action in preparation for next season.

“The main focus of improvement for this offseason is consistency, and mental, as well as physical toughness on the court,” Assistant Coach Omar Gonzalez said.

Coach Johnny Estelle is known for his passion and tenacity as a coach as well as his tough-loving spirit that pushes a player to his limits and commands his best which makes him a coach that many players find joy in playing for.

“We’re looking to add big men and guards that are physically and mentally tough, looking to have someone step up (primarily returners) into leadership roles since we lost four seniors that did so without hesitation,” Assistant Coach Deandre Miller said.

The Javelinas will be returning three of its primary guards, starting point guard Chauncey Thomas, starting wing Rashon Thomas, who led the team in three-point percentage, and Darius Mickens, who was the team’s leading scorer.

The fans will also get to see some new faces for the upcoming season who were sidelined this season because of injury.

Trey Knight, who is one of these players, spoke on the expectations for coach Estelle during workouts as well as the impact he can have on the team in the upcoming season.

“The main focus is to stay mentally locked in and give 100 percent at all times,” Knight said. “I expect to bring passion and to utilize my basketball IQ to the best of my ability.”

Fans will have more opportunities next season to see the men’s team in action.

“The fans should expect our guys to come out and compete and play hard every single night, and they should expect more home games as well for next season,” Assistant Coach Matt Pressey said.

The Lone Star Conference will be adding seven new teams to its conference in 2019, bringing in new competition and a new look to the Javelinas and the fans.

Page 7 - Sports

Page 8 - Sports

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Can’t Beat ‘em? Join ‘em

Thursday, April 18, 2019

Intramural referee training AARON MONREAL Sports Reporter Referee positions in sports are one of the most stressful and difficult jobs in all sports.

They have to know all the rules while knowing how to apply them when it happens in game situations.

Carlos Diaz, assistant director of competitive sports, oversees all intramural sports including hiring of referees for the semester.

All referees who want to participate in refereeing are required to attend clinics throughout the semester.

Clinics are a mixture of classroom time that go over all the rules of the sports and the other is getting handson training.

Before the kickoff of the intramural sports season, the trainees are able to ref some actual games.

“It certainly is a pretty hard job, especially when refereeing a playoff or championship game and if there is a crowd,” Alberto Aguirre said. “If you don’t know the right call it can end badly.”

Aguirre plays soccer but also has been a referee in the past for the sport.

Which is why the student recreation center teaches and strives to put out the best for their intramural sports they host.

The student recreation center hosts a variety of sports that includes football, basketball, soccer, softball and even newly adopted sports like Archery Tag, which was introduced this semester.

“We will ask teams to come and help us out and we put the officials

out there and it’s their chance to put it all out there, we don’t leave them out there alone,” Diaz said of training. “We have our clinicians shadowing them, couple of times we’ll rotate them out so everybody gets a chance or couple of chances if we have enough time and then when we can, we will have all of them sit down on the side lines while the clinicians officiate and can see it a little bit better.”

While all of the training is going on, Diaz and the clinicians are always paying attention to trainees as they progress.

“Especially when you get out onto the field we’re listening to what kind of questions you’re asking, we’re listening and seeing what you’re picking up on, your drive to want to get better versus somebody who thinks they know it all and they slack,” Diaz said.

Though it may sound intimidating to some, Diaz encourages everyone to try it out.

“Come out give it a shot and help us make it better for you,” he said.

Though it is very important to attend the clinics if someone is to be considered for the job, it is also important because there are different rules applied for intramurals than to professional sports.

In the end Diaz and student rec always strive to put out the best set of refs for the games.

Diem Nguyen, a participant in the indoor soccer league, said, “I think they do a pretty good job.”

If you’re looking for a job or you want to help out and get some experience you can sign up online at https://recsports.tamuk.edu/ .

Photo courtesy of tamuk.edu

TAMUK officials.

Photo courtesy of tamuk.edu

Officials in action.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

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Page 9 - Entertainment

Movie Review: Shazam!

Latest DC movie enjoyable but forgettable JOSUE VILLAREAL Reporter

The DC Extended Universe has long been met with criticism and ridicule for its overly dark settings and tone, nonsensical plots, astonishingly bad at times editing, and all around doing none of the iconic characters they are portraying justice.

However, with the beloved Wonder Woman and Aquaman being box office smashes, DC is looking to keep the ball rolling with their latest release, Shazam!

Starring Asher Angel as Billy Baston, with Zachary Levi serving as his powerful Shazam counterpart, the transforming duo attempt to rectify the sins of past DC movies by leading a much more light-hearted, comedy-focused film.

To the movie’s credit, it is funny most of the time. Levi’s performance as a strong superhero with the mind of a teenager is amusing, and his chemistry with co-star Jack Dylan Grazer is entertaining to watch.

Grazer especially puts forth an excellent performance, his facial expressions, overzealous actions and overall likeability remains one of the best parts of the film.

Therein lies a problem, the best part of the movie is not just Grazer, but the many other likeable and fun kids occupying the group home. It’s such a shame we don’t spend as much time with them for you to fully buy Billy accepting them as family.

Instead we spend an exorbitant amount of time with the villain, Dr. Sivana, played by Mark Strong, who does his best with the little character he is given, but overall was never particularly compelling to watch. His motivation is generic, his powers aren’t interesting, and even the fight scenes he engages in with the hero are far from the most inspired action scenes.

This wouldn’t be so bad if the protagonist and the antagonist had more personal stakes, with the exception of the villain kidnapping the kids for a moment, Billy doesn’t really have any

unique or engaging reason to fight Dr. Sivana. He was forced to have the power through no effort of his own, he never particularly wanted the powers or wanted to be a hero, in fact, in their first encounter our hero literally ran away from him because he was done with him.

Without an emotional engagement, or personal connection the character has, all that’s there is just a very typical good must defeat evil, leading the conflict to fall flat.

On the technical side, editing is weirdly choppy, sometimes shots won’t dedicate to motions, and more often a shot will begin right in the middle of movement leading to an awkwardly fast cut that can make it difficult to keep track of what is happening.

The movie has such a fast pace that it could be intentional, but still feels jarring nonetheless. Even more jarring are the Seven Deadly Sins’ scenes being surprisingly violent and graphic.

With most of Shazam! being a very kid-friendly, buddy comedy where

kids eat snacks and mess around with bullies, to suddenly see a demon literally bite someone’s head off and devour people whole, was a total whiplash I was not ready for.

Shazam! truly is an enjoyable movie, one that you can sit down and have a lot of dumb fun watching and laughing at. It just never leaves any realm of quality beyond that. Sure it never quite reaches the vile awfulness of the likes of Man of Steel or Batman v. Superman, but it nowhere near matches a genuinely good and iconic film like Wonder Woman.

It’s in a decent in between of not bad, but not especially good either. A few good jokes and likeable characters don’t save a largely bland film.

It’ll likely get swallowed up by the Endgame hype and overshadowed by the many more superhero movies to come.

So enjoy it while you can, it won’t be long before this gets lost in the shuffle as one of the more forgettable of the genre.

SCORE RATINGS

90%

of 100%

7.6 out of 10

Photo courtesy of https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kQ8ppdRkQXs

Page 10 - Entertainment

thesouthtexan.com

Thursday, April 18, 2019

TV Review: Star vs the Forces of Evil

Beloved Disney show soon coming to an end JENNIFER GARCIA Reporter

Disney’s very own show Star vs the Forces of Evil is soon coming to a close in its final fourth season. How will it end? Will Eclipsa continue to reign over Mewni? Will the Mewmans and Monsters ever truly get along?

Luckily it looks like we won’t have to wait too long to find the answers since there will be new episodes every Sunday morning until the final episode is released on May 19.

First, a quick overview of the past three seasons. First of all, the main plot of the show is that Star came to the Earth dimension in hopes to gain some maturity after receiving her wand for her 14th birthday.

She moves in with the Diazes and meets Marco, who becomes her best friend. Throughout the first season she learns earth customs and fights Ludo’s monsters who attempt to take the wand from her.

This first season is more of a “getting to know the characters” type, which is good for being the first one and helps set the stage.

By season two, we are introduced to the idea that maybe there are bigger threats for Star to face, such as Toffee.

We are also shown the feelings that Star has developed towards her best friend, Marco.

The season three finale was a game changer, driving the fact that the threat Star faces is even more dangerous than she had realized. Now in season

four, we are in for the last hurray.

Even though it’s in the middle of the season there is still much to cover and questions that must be answered.

The latest episodes show Eclipsa’s struggle to gain the Mewman’s trust as well as smoothly integrate the Monster species into their society and break through the racist views against the Monsters. Other characters, such as Ludo, who will likely be after Eclipsa and her wand, will surely make another appearance.

The creator of the show, Daron Nefcy, surely has created a beautifully weird and interesting cartoon here - a fantasy for people to enjoy with magic wands, other dimensions and exciting adventures at every turn.

For people who want to focus more

on the plot, there is much to explore from season one’s villain trouble with Ludo and the beginning of Toffee’s awful plans to the middle of season three where they find a way to deal with the return of Eclispa.

Even now in the current season, though, much has happened and she is no longer an outcast, but for the Queen of Mewni there is much to be learned about her character as we see her face constant prejudice. Star, the main character, has grown so much in the past few seasons and gained maturity to deal difficult situations.

She is no doubt up to the task of helping her people and Eclipsa, and will do so by finding her own way.

After all, she is known for being the rebel princess.

Easter egg hunt hosted on campus STAFF REPORT

The Texas A&M University- Kingsville (TAMUK) Transfer Students Program hosted an Easter egg hunt at which children could collect eggs with treats. TAMUK students also hunted for golden eggs across campus with the hopes of winning big prizes.

Thursday, April 18, 2019

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Rodriguez continued from Page 1 Science student Amanda Mascorro won Miss Photogenic. This award is given to the contestant whose photos from the night of the pageant are voted as the best by the judges.

Mascorro was also the third runner-up in the pageant.

The second runner-up was Talia Hernandez. As second runner-up Hernandez won a $750 scholarship.

First runner-up Justine Moreno, a Communication Sciences and Disorders graduate student, won a $1,200 scholarship.

Moreno also won Miss Latina, an award that is given to the contestant who shines the brightest during the evening gown portion of the pageant.

Moreno also won Miss Congeniality.

Miss Congeniality is picked by each contestant based on who is most fun to be around, who is most helpful and friendliness.

“I was really surprised. I obviously was kind throughout the pageant, but I didn’t think I was going to get Miss Congeniality, so that was a shocker and Miss Lantana, too. I think I came into this pageant just to have fun. I really wasn’t expecting anything, so that was very rewarding,” Moreno said.

Rodriguez will be succeeding the 2018-2019 Miss TAMUK Darcy Guerrero.

In her final walk as Miss TAMUK, Guerrero had an audio track playing thanking her family and friends and reflecting on her time as Miss TAMUK. “Whether it be this year or years

later, I will use this lifelong experience to continue growing as an individual.

Above all, I aspire to be more than just someone who has held a title and crown, but to be an inspiration to other young women and to leave a legacy behind that has made an impact in the lives of others. As I look back upon my year as Miss TAMUK 2018, I am blessed to say I did it,” Guerrero said as she made her final walk.

Page 11 - News

2019 Relay for Life Every year at Texas A&M University-Kingsville, survivors, students, faculty, and staff come together to celebrate Relay for Life.

Participants mingle, eat food, play games, and honor the lives of their loved ones.

Photo by Amanda DeFrees

Brianna Rodriguez, after being crowned the 2019-2020 Miss TAMUK.

Jav Champs continued from Page 1 were acknowledged.

The winners are as follows: Newcomer of the Year - Aryssa Enriquez; Humanitarian Award - Kany Drame; Outstanding Future Professional Francisco Haces-Garcia; Unsung Hero - Kayla Carm; First Generation Champion - Juan Ovalle; Non-traditional Student Champion - Rebecca Ybarra-Leal; Javelina Legacy Champion - Ruben Martinez; Student Worker of the Year - Eutimio Alaniz, Jr.; and The Phoenix Award - Chris Cooke.

Each recipient excelled in a specific field, displayed a marvelous work ethic, a generous demeanor or a respectable attitude.

Drame, winner of the Humanitarian Award, stuck out from fellow students because of her desire to help others in developing countries, to branch out and her selfless mindset.

Drame will be joining the Peace Corp and leaving to Cameroon, Africa

in September for more than two years and will work as a community health educator.

“I was just browsing through my phone and I see an ad for the Peace Corps and I was like ‘what is this?’

And I’m already into volunteering. I really love it, like I try and do as much volunteering as I can.

“And I’m also into traveling a lot as well and so I thought what best two ways of combining them together especially when I can do service in a developing country, a country where it is more needed than maybe perhaps America, not to say America doesn’t need it, but I was quite intrigued to branch out to as far as I could go,” Drame said.

The MVPs and their nominees were recognized at the event Thursday. And, 150 Javelina All Stars were recognized as well.

Photo by Darcy Ramirez

Javelina Champion buttons given out to students during Champions Week between April 7 and 13.

Submitted photos

Page 12 - Advertisement

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Thursday, April 18, 2019

Texas A&M University-Kingsville University Housing & Residence Life

Current Residents Amenities:

Barbecue and Picnic area Exterior card access system Game tables Ice machines & Vending Machines Intramural teams Lounges with living rooms and TVs Planned residence hall activities Professional staff members Resident/Community Advisor staff Smoke-free building Student leadership opportunities

Don’t Forget to Sign your Housing Agreement with us to lock in your rate freeze for the 2019-2020 academic year.

The priority sign up period begins March 21st. Don’t forget to attend your Wing Meeting.

TURNER/BISHOP/MARTIN HALL $2,096 PER SEMESTER LYNCH HALL $2,311 PER SEMESTER LUCIO HALL & MESQUITE VILLAGE WEST $3,394 or $3,604 PER SEMESTER

Email: residencelife@tamuk.edu Phone: 361-593-3419

Lucio Hall, Office 119, Kingsville, TX 78363-8202