TheSouthTexan.com Texas A &M University-Kingsville Award-Winning Student Publication Monday, July 26, 2021
GIL STEINKE AWARDS
SPORTS PG.4
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Vol. 95, Issue 24
Two faculty selected for USDA Fellowship Bhandari, Vela amongst 25 in the nation Gabriella Mastroianni
| Entertainment Editor
entertainment.editor@thesouthtexan.com
Photo Courtesy of MARCOM
(L-R) Matthew Almaraz, Yara Green-Jordan, Cynthia Vidaurri, Iris Rivera, Dr. Aniruddha Mukhopadhyay and Mr. Marco Iniguez at the reception in the Connor Museum on June 30.
Smithsonian Experience Students land internship with Smithsonian
Aryssa Enriquez | Editor-in-Chief chief.editor@thesouthtexan.com
Despite circumstances, three students pushed through difficult times and earned an internship with the world’s largest museum education and research complex, the Smithsonian. Distinguished alumnus Cynthia Vidaurri, who works for the Smithsonian, reached out to her alma matter in search for interns. “This past Spring, she [Vidaurri] offered us an opportunity to identify students to do a virtual internship. She asked for two students and I gave her three names, and she was able to get all three accepted. They are like the inaugural group of our interns and they are doing it virtually. Our hope is to be able to create funding so that we can actually send students there to do their internship,” Dean of College of Arts and Sciences Dr. Dolores Guerrero
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In case you missed it Febuary freeze damage to be fixed by fall 2022. The low temperatures that caught everyone by surprise in mid-February has left a lasting impact on The School of Music.
said. Matthew Almaraz, Yara Green-Jordan and Evan Hernandez began their internship with the Smithsonian in June and will conclude in August. President Mark Hussey hosted a reception at the Connor Museum Tuesday, June 30, welcoming Vidaurri to campus and offering an opportunity for interns to meet with Vidaurri. “This experience impacts my education as a student by providing me the opportunity to get better at doing research. I’ve done a good amount of research on the indigenous peoples of Latin America and as a result I feel that I have learned many interesting things about them. This experience is also opening my eyes to the many different career paths that I can decide to pursue after I graduate,” History major Almaraz said. Students are working alongside Vidaurri on a campus project involving the merger of The South Texas Archives and the Connor Museum. “I think that the goal of merging the two
Photo Courtesy of Dr. Dolores Guerrero
programs is a fantastic idea that is ambitious but achievable. If we all work together and make it a success, I believe that the end result will be something special,” Almaraz said. “This project is really important to me because as a LatinX person, I rarely see representation for my culture. We’re striving to be well rounded and offer what we can. This project has taught me a lot about my culture, and I look forward to being able to reach out other LatinX and Indegionous people through this project,” Art major Hernandez said.
Although the project with Texas A&M University-Kingsville and the Smithsonian is a work in progress, students have gained valuable experience through this partnership. “Working with the Smithsonian on this project has been a great opportunity and experience. The Smithsonian is a highly respected institution and it has been an honor to be able to work with them. “I have met some amazing people that work there and I am fortunate to have their guidance and mentorship,” Almaraz said.
Two Texas A&M University-Kingsville’s (TAMUK) faculty members were selected amongst the top 25 in the nation for the fellowship of the 2021 E. Kika De La Garza Fellowship Program. The fellows were selected by the United Dr. AmmarBhandariStates DeAssistant part ment Professor of Agriculture (USDA) who choose faculty nationwide from Hispanic Serving Institutions. Dr. Ammar Bhandari and Dr. Roberto Vela were the two faculty selected for the fellowship. Bh a n d a r i is an Assistant Profe s s or of Soil Health, Dr. RobertoVela Soil FerDepartment Chair tility and Professor Nut r ie nt Management and Vela is a Professor and Chair of the Language and Literature Department. The fellowship, named after influential Latino congressman and representative of TAMUK, E. Kika De La Garza, is dedicated to its partnership between USDA and Hispanic-Serving Institutions, creating awareness of services, employment and resources under the USDA. “Most people don’t realize how broad USDA is,” Vice President for Research and Graduate Studies Dr. Allen
Rasmussen said. “They cover everything from the SNAP [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] program to basic research in agriculture and agriculture productions.” Contenders had to apply and write an essay highlighting why they were applying and the changes they would make for their students if selected. They also had to include the classes they taught, how they engage with students and letters from their supervisor and president of the institution from which they are employed. Bhandari was one of two science fellows selected for 2021, while Vela was one of 23 selected as an education fellow. Bhandari was raised in Nepal and grew up watching his dad teach and would farm with his mother. “I used to spend time with my mom in my early childhood playing in the soil…that kind of fascinated me,” Bhandari said. “I decided to go into agriculture because that gave me a connection to my early childhood where I spent time with my mom working on our small field.” Bhandari aims to connect and inspire his students, most of whom have graduated and have gone to work under USDA. Vela worked in rural farming communities in Illinois, conducted research on Mezo America, agriculture and history and worked with migrant and Hispanic populations in different farming communities. “Dr. Vela started to do collaborations with the College of Agriculture and looking at non-English speakers and the workforce and how that interacts with agricultural communities,” Rasmussen said.
Campus activities to resume Fall brings normalcy to TAMUK
Ronni Reyna | News Editor news.editor@thesouthtexan.com
As the fall semester approaches and students are eager to get back to in-person classes, on-campus activities and student life is also returning to a sense of normalcy. Through the COVID-19 pandemic, students missed out on campus activities and annual events, but as the fall semester draws near students can know they have a lot to look forward to. “COIVD obviously impacted us in a lot of ways,
so we definitely wanted to make sure we were still facilitating activities for students that were on campus or were working remotely,” Fraternity & Sorority Life Coordinator Jessica Montenegro said. “We had to really be creative and think of how to make our normal face-to-face interactions virtual and give those virtual options and also make sure that we maintained in-person events within a safe means to make sure students still had something to look forward and to make sure they still engaged with the campus community, so it made us be a little bit more creative and made sure that we were looking at all aspects of keeping our stu-
dents safe and engaged.” During the fall and spring semesters of 20202021 students were required to wear masks and social distance at on-campus events. “The biggest challenge was making sure that we made accommodations for everyone as best as possible,” Montenegro said Students were required to check in at events with QR codes and often sat at spaced-out tables with limited seating. “At this time, we are returning to pre-COVID operations, but we will continue to use QR codes for events. We will adjust our protocols as the situation dictates,” Dean of Students and Assistant
Vice President of Student Affairs Kristen Compary said. More specifics of Student Activities precautions are unknow at this moment. “We are looking at trying to go back to some sense of normalcy for the fall, but also be safe at the same time because we know that not all students feel 100 percent, so we are still going to have events but do our best to make sure everybody is comfortable and safe,” Montenegro said Montenegro said students can look forward to a normal welcome week and homecoming schedule in the fall as student activities will host more
events than the previous semesters. “The students should expect to be able to come back and expect a normal college experience. We want to provide activities and events that students will be able to enjoy,” Director of Student Activities Erin McClure said. The first few events of the fall semester start with welcome week, which starts with movein day Saturday, Aug. 14, a Javelina Lunch-in with friends and family and a bookstore pick-up. Welcome week continues with swimming, Q & As, giveaways, roller skating and fraternity informationals throughout the first week of school.
Campus
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July 26, 2021
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CAB members ready for fall semester Organization planning events for students Sarah Reyna| Senior Reporter
This upcoming semester at TAMUK, new Campus Activities Board members will be planning and hosting events for fellow Javelinas. This upcoming school year CAB will have a complete programming and executive board. Among the executive board members are President Lizzetty Lara serving her second term, Vice President Ysenia Granados and Secretary Sydney “Redd” Castaneda. In order to be the President or Vice President
of CAB one must serve on either the programming or executive board for one year. Members of the programming board include Public Relations Coordinator Carmela Martinez, Special Events Chair Erial Hawkins and Performance Chair Juan Garcia. “All of our members that are on the board this year have been active members as general members for CAB in the past,” Lara said. “They are reliable, creative and they are always having fun at our events.” Since COVID restrictions are more lenient, CAB will be able to host more in-person events throughout the coming academic year. “We have a lot of things planned,” Casta-
neda said. “I’m very excited to do more events this year, that way we can get campus more busy.” With TAMUK fully opened in the fall, CAB is planning to bring back popular events such as their DIY crafts, laser tag, roller skating and more. “With more classes becoming in-person, I hope to increase student participation for events, as well as recruit new members for our organization and essentially create a community amongst our CAB members,” Granados said. CAB plans to start the fall semester by hosting events for students during welcome week, which will be found on the welcome week cal-
School supply giveaway open to TAMUK students LOLA event is July 31 at local Methodist Church
Sarah Reyna| Senior Reporter
The Love One Love All (LOLA) organization was founded in 2012 by Tanjala Davenport. The organization is named after her grandmother, Lola Garner. Davenport and Co-Founder Freddie Mathis have been hosting back to school drives in different communities in Texas and Georgia for the last five years. This year, their annual giveaway will be in Kingsville. Items that will be given away at this drive include backpacks, school supplies, clothes, shoes
and other supplies LOLA has to give away. Free food and the opportunity to donate blood will also be available at the drive. “My mom taught school [in Kingsville] for 25 years as a teacher’s assistant and this is just something that is in our hearts to do for Kingsville,” Mathis said. Mathis and Davenport are from Kingsville, they grew up and went to school in the close-knit community. Out of the goodness in their hearts, they decided to give back to the community that raised them and the one they live in now in Georgia. “I’ve just always wanted to come back to where I grew up and went to school at and just give back to the community,” Davenport said.
The organization started holding drives and giveaways for their church to help families in need but as the years went on, their selflessness started gaining more traction. “[The year after the first giveaway] we started off with about 75 backpacks and we just started growing,” Mathis said. “This year it looks like it’s going to be huge.” This year’s back-toschool drive will start at 11 a.m. July 31 until supplies last at the Kingsville First United Methodist Church’s Community Center, located at 123 N. 5th St. This event is open to the public and attendees are required to wear masks. The event is open to college students as well.
Photo Submitted
CAB officers for the 2021-2022 academic year. (L-R) Ysenia Granados, Carmela Martinez, Lizzetty Lara, Sydney Castaneda , Erial Hawkins, Juan Garcia at the Campus Activities Board Banquet in the JSEC center.
endar once it is shared by the Office of Student Activities. If anyone is interested
in finding out information about CAB, their upcoming events, board members or would like
to join the organization, you can follow them on Instagram @tamukcab or Twitter @cabtamuk.
Students receiving FAFSA verification waiver
Makes application quicker, more accessible
Gabriella Mastroianni | Entertainment Editor entertainment.editor@thesouthtexan.com
A change in the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) by the U.S Department of Education will grant a verification waiver for most students. This waiver will make the FAFSA process easier for students, who will receive their financial aid award package faster. Financial aid verification, a required process by the U.S Department of Education, is a random flag or selection of 25 to 30 percent of students in each institution. This is sometimes based off conflicting or questionable information that a student inputs when filing for financial aid. Students would have to submit documentation for verification, this causes a delay in receiving a financial aid award package. Two of the verification requirements are providing documentation of family income, which can be challenging for some students, and size
of household. “The good thing about this waiver is that we are moving a barrier from the students,” Director of Financial Aid Raul Cavazos said. “…it’s one less thing for them to worry about.” Documentation of high school education remains required. However, this waiver will only serve for the 20212022 school year in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. “With the Covid situation, the Department of Education does want us to reach out to students,” Cavazos said. “Because of the pandemic we saw how students have been impacted.” Students were encouraged to submit outstanding verification by July 1 to ensure an award before the fall payment deadline. However, on July 13, the U.S Department of Education sent out a letter to all institutions stating that most students flagged for verification will be waived. The Department of Financial Aid wants to remind students that applying for FAFSA is a yearly occurrence. “This year we are going to have virtual nights and we will be in-
viting students to come in person if they feel safe enough to come in and get their FAFSA completed,” Assistant Director of Financial Aid Sandra Silva said. “We also have peer advisors here for students to help them walk through the process.” The Department of Financial Aid also encourages all students, despite their household income, to apply for financial aid. “A misconception that is out there is that students from higher income households don’t qualify for financial aid, and that’s not true,” Cavazos said. “Financial aid consists of grants, scholarships, work study and loans. So even though a student only qualifies for loans, that is still financial aid.” The Financial Aid office has five financial advisers each designated to a certain number of students based off last names. Students can find their advisers on the Texas A&M University-Kingsville website under the Department of Financial Aid. Students can also make walk-in appointments with their adviser, email or call them.
Entertainment
July 26, 2021
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Marvel’s Black Widow offers glimpse into the past
Storyline does not feature enough Black Widow
Annalisa Perales | Reporter
Marvel gave us one more chance to see Black Widow in action after experiencing all the heartbreak of losing a favorite Avenger. This Marvel adaptation is meant to take place following the events of Captain America: Civil War, after many Avengers are either imprisoned or on the run from the law. Needing to go on her own for a while after recent events, Natasha Romanoff decides to head out of the States to take time for herself and live a semi-normal life. Although things do not go as planned when a mysterious robotic-like figure known as the Taskmaster attacks Natasha as she unknow-
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ingly drives off with wanted vials. After facing the Taskmaster, Natasha realizes the intended attack was for Yelena, her younger sister. When meeting faceto-face with her after so many years, Yelena reveals the shocking news that a horrible man from their past is still alive. General Dreykov, who is known for training young orphaned girls to become Widow assassins in a facility called the Red Room, has now taken it into his hands to not only condition them but mind control them as well. To stop Dreykov, Natasha and Yelena will have to face their past and track down their surrogate parents, who they have not seen for more than 20 years before being given to Dreykov. While I am a fan of Marvel and their franchise, the film Black
Secret stuff not enough to save newest Space Jam Animation a hit for Warner Bros. Gabriella Mastroianni | Entertainment Editor entertainment.editor@thesouthtexan.com
The toons are back with another famous ball player, a less than memorable villain and a plot point lazily driven by miscommunication. REVIEW
Welcome...to the Space Jam part dos. Space Jam A New Legacy was released in theatres and HBO Max on July 16 and has made $53.20 million at the box office. The story follows LeBron James recruiting a basketball team of toons to battle it out on the court against Don Cheadle’s villain Al G. Rhythm to save his son Dom. When Lebron enters the Looney Toons world he himself turns into a toon, which is an interesting and admirable take. Even though acting is not his number one forte, LeBron James does a decent job. In fact, more so as a voice actor than an on-screen actor. There’s more life in his animated character’s voice, perhaps because the animators did a more superb job at animating LeBron’s facial expressions to go along with the tone of his voice than LeBron himself. I cannot say the same about Don Cheadle. Although Cheadle is an amazing actor, he should have stuck to superhero characters and left the villain role to someone like Idris Elba, Tom Hiddleston or Morgan Freeman. Even Jim Carrey would have been a better choice. Needless to say, Cheadle was subpar. Acting aside, the animation is beyond incredible. Being able to see dif-
WarnerBrothers.com
Space Jam 2 is available in theatres and on HBO Max.
ferent animated styles from the different Warner Bros worlds referenced truly shows how flexible the animator’s skills are. However, that being said it’s obvious where the budget went, and it wasn’t on the background costumes. During the basketball battle between LeBron and his son Dom, the audience is made up of animated and non-animated characters. The non-animated characters wore cheap looking costumes straight out of Party City. It was fun, however, to see familiar Warner Bros. characters in the far back such as Pennywise, Lord Voldemort and more. The overall message was family oriented: parents should accept who their children are and who they choose to become. The plot that drives this message was lazy and predictable. It’s not the first time Hollywood used miscommunication to drive the story. This arch is used often in cringe Disney Channel shows and deserves no more than an eye roll. Overall, Space Jam A New Legacy isn’t the best, but it isn’t the worst. It’s a nice grade B family movie to watch once every couple of years or so.
Widow has its ups and downs. At the beginning of the film, we learn about Natasha’s past and how she became the Black Widow we know and love. Although it is a good chance for an origin story for Natasha, the story tends to focus more on Yelena and her memories of the Red Room rather than our main character. Throughout the film, many of the emotions expressed about the Red Room come from Yelena and how it affected not only her childhood but her adulthood as well. When watching the film, you get the sense that rather than saying goodbye to a hero we are given the chance of the possibility that a new one may be coming to the Marvel universe. Another flaw to the film is the Taskmaster that is shown to be an imposing threat to anyone standing in the way of Dreykov.
Although when you first see this antagonist, you do get a feeling of intimidation, but other than that the real opposing threat may just be chemicals used for mind-control. While there are a few flaws there are some good aspects to this film such as the acting that occurs. Scarlett Johansson once again plays her character of Black Widow with passion and the aggression needed to play a Russian assassin. While Johansson is the main character of the film, it can be said that it is easily stolen by Florence Pugh and David Harbour. Pugh and Harbour not only give you the comedic scenes that Marvel inputs throughout their films but they show a unique relationship that you cannot help but fawn over. If you are a Marvel fan, I still suggest seeing Black Widow as it still is
Movies.disney.com
Black Widow is available on Disney+ and in theatres.
a good action-packed film that tells the story of not only Natasha but the story of family as well.
If you are interested in watching this film it is available in theatres and premier access on Disney+
How to Adult: Schedule managing Ronni Reyna | News Editor news.editor@thesouthtexan.com
As a college student your life revolves around one schedule, your class schedule, and though you can plan things around it, sometimes it gets tricky. Most students do keep a planner for homework and important dates, but let’s be honest, a lot of us buy planners yearly and never open them. So here are a few tips to keep your schedule on track. It may take a week or so to memorize your class schedule for the upcoming semester but
once you get into the groove of it, it’s no problem hopping from class to class on time. Your first week of school may however be a bit difficult to manage. To avoid running late and going to the wrong class, write your schedule down on a note card, the time, building and room number so you know exactly where to go. If a pen and a piece of paper seem outdated to you, you can always screenshot your JNET account or access class times and places through the JNET app. These should both help your first week of class flow
smoothly and get you in the swing of things for the next week. Though you may have your class schedule figured out, when it comes to meetings and different appointments you may get a little panicked and think you’ll miss something or forget, but hey, don’t worry all you need is your phone for this one. Your phone, no matter the brand, comes with a calendar app (or you can always use Google calendars) and you can select dates and set up your meetings and appointments, so you never lose track of where you’re supposed to be
and when. Your phone and Google calendars will even let you set a reminder to warn you of an upcoming event or friend’s birthday up to a week in advance. Most phones even give you the option to mark something as an all-day event, so it never leaves your home screen and makes it quite difficult to forget. However you plan your days or remind yourself about meetings, take it seriously. Being punctual to class and different events says a lot about you, and if you can prove this to an employer, your future is looking bright.
Harrel’s - the place that has it all Downtown location more than a pharmacy
Makaylah Chavez | Reporter
I know, I know. A pharmacy? Why would I review a pharmacy? Because it’s not just a pharmacy, it’s Harrel’s. Located right in the heart of downtown Kingsville, Harrel’s is the most convenient place for just about anything and everything. Don’t let the name fool you. Although Harrel’s is a pharmacy, it is so much more than that. From the second you step in you’ll be amazed with the gift shop on all sides of you. Then leaving you even more impressed, you’ll notice the delicious and affordable Harrel’s Soda Fountain straight ahead. And to the side of that, is the oh so famous pharmacy. Harrel’s Soda Fountain is an old school style diner that serves some of the best food I have ever eaten. I’m not a big fan of burgers and I never crave fries, but after trying both at the Soda Fountain, I’m strangely left wanting more. From Coke floats and milkshakes to breakfast,
REVIEW
sandwiches and burgers, Harrel’s Soda Fountain offers it all at the very best price the entire town of Kingsville has to offer. I’m no foodie, but I can honestly say that this old school restaurant has really left a good impression on me. As mentioned briefly before, besides the Soda Fountain, Harrel’s is home to an enormous gift shop as well. As a customer, you’re surrounded by all kinds of items. You name it, they got it. Jewelry? They got it. Clothes? They got it. Home decor, inspiration, toys, a baby section, a wedding section, gift cards, heck even a wine section? They got it! You need a last-minute gift for someone special? I can guarantee you that you’ll find it at Harrel’s. From the time Harrel’s Kingsville Pharmacy opened its doors for the public in 1916 to now in 2021, they have continued to impress customers with their great service, great prices and with everything they have to offer. Opened Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturdays
Harrel’s Facebook Page Harrel’s Pharmacy has an extensive gift shop (top) as well as tasty treats at its throwback, tasty soda fountain (below).
from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m., Harrel’s is THE spot. But don’t just take my word for it. Do yourself a favor and check it out. And while you’re there,
ask for Nick Harrel if you can. You think the store is awesome? Wait until you meet him. You might even learn a thing or two.
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July 26, 2021
TAMUK student athlete awards 2020-21 Gil Steinke award recipients
DylanSanchez| Sports Editor sports.editor@thesouthtexan.com
The Gil Steinke Award is named after a pillar in Texas A&M University-Kingsville sports. Steinke, a member of the Javelina Hall of Fame, lettered in football, track and field and basketball. Each year, athletes are recognized with the award named in his honor. The male and female recipients of this award are considered the top athletes of the year who showcased their talents in their respective sport. This year’s recipients are track and field’s John Harper and volleyball’s Ayanna Jackson. Jackson made an eruption as she burst onto the scene, emerging as the best defender and freshman in women’s volleyball and being one of the Lone Star Conference’s top athletes overall. Jackson became the first Javelina in program history to be named the LSC Defen-
John Harper and Ayanna Jackson win this year’s Gil E. Steinke Award
sive Player of the Year and was also named the LSC Freshman of the Year to go with her LSC All-Freshman and All-LSC teams’ selections. “I was shocked and excited,” she said of her honors. “There is so much talent, not only on the volleyball team, but on the All-Women’s teams at Kingsville. I felt grateful to know that it was narrowed down to me and I’m sure a few others. It’s great knowing I’m playing with
teammates that work so hard and are able to help me earn awards as big as this one.” She was one of the only two Javelinas to start every match, averaging 1.29 blocks per set, marking a league best and 13th in the nation. She also finished top 10 in the LSC with 157 kills and 3.02 kills per set. Redshirt senior John Harper excelled in indoor and outdoor track. The multi-track star and seven time All-American finished
Javelina Athletics
his indoor track season on a high note, taking home the LSC Outstanding Male Field Athlete. He also took the title in both pole vault and the heptathlon and had a seventh-place finish in the long jump. Harper ended the season with a silver medal in the heptathlon at the 2021 NCAA Indoor Championships in Birmingham, Ala., and his first USTFCCCA First Team All-America citation of the season. Head coach Ryan
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Dall speaks highly of Harper. “John has been one of our top guys since his red-shirt freshman year. He has made the national championships and been First Team All-American outdoors every season and been one of our top scorers at the conference meet,” Dall said. “He has steadily improved each year and can do so much for our team.” During the indoor season, Harper earned a First Team All-America award in Allendale, Mich., and at the NCAA outdoor meet in the decathlon he finished with a bronze medal and added a Second Team All-America honor in the 4x400m relay on the last day of the meet. Harper has been a top athlete since his arrival at TAMUK and continues to get better. With another year on his eligibility, Harper is always looking to find ways to get better for next season. “I feel honored to receive this award but there still much work to be done,” he said. “I’m ready to hit the
track again this fall and see what this last year has in store for the team.” Harper is a versatile athlete. “Anytime we need someone for a relay he can step right in. He has become great not only in the decathlon/ heptathlon, but he has also become a great hurdler, pole vaulter and long jumper. I’m excited to see what he does this year coming up,” Dall said. Steinke holds the record for most rushing yards in a season after setting the record more than 70 years ago. He is a former NFL player with the Philadelphia Eagles with whom he spent five years before he took up coaching. Steinke coached at Oklahoma State and Trinity University before returning to his alma mater to become athletic director and head coach. During his tenure, he led the Javelinas to 10 LSC titles and winning the national title four times out of those years in 1959, 1969, 1970, and 1974-1976.
NBA Champions New addition to the softball team
Milwaukee wins first title since 1971
DylanSanchez| Sports Editor
sports.editor@thesouthtexan.com
Column
This year’s NBA Champions are Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks. The small market team led by Giannis and Kris Middleton came from a 2-0 deficit against the Devin Booker and Chris Paul led Phoenix Suns and went on to win four straight games, sealing the deal in front of the Milwaukee crowd Tuesday with a 105-98 victory. This year’s playoffs saw the Bucks start the playoffs with a fourgame sweep of a Miami Heat team led by fivetime All-Star Jimmy Butler, a Texas native, which then led to a series with the Brooklyn Nets. The wide consensus is that a healthy Brooklyn team would have sealed the deal. The trio of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and James Harden would have been all too much for the Bucks in this popular, if not almost, definite truth. But, due to injuries that befell Harden in game one and Kyrie during game four, the 2-0 lead that seemed to be lights out for the Bucks ended up being a seven-game series dog fight that ended with Giannis and the Bucks
taking the series 4-3 despite heroics from Kevin Durant. This year’s finals were injury after injury for stars. After it looked to be a tough series for the Bucks against the Atlanta Hawks, a bone injury to the flashy young stud Trae Young slid the series to the direction of the Bucks, despite an injury that left Giannis out for a game as well in the series. It is a great argument that the injuries sustained by teams this year was the reason that the Suns and the Bucks got to the Championship in the first place. For the Suns, it was injuries to the Lakers PF Anthony Davis, Nuggets PG Jamal Murray and the Clippers SF Kawhi Leonard. Despite this though and the major factor that injuries helped both teams along the way, injuries are a part of the game, and no excuses can be made in the history books. Giannis played amazing in the series and the entire playoffs with outstanding contributions from his costar Kris Middleton, big money Jrue Holiday, Brook Lopez and the dog of the team that is PJ Tucker. Bottom line, the Milwaukee Bucks are your NBA champions and Giannis is on top of the league waiting, if it will even happen, to be dethroned as the best player in the NBA.
Kevin Reynolds.
Ty Chisum, Football
Football
Football Achievement
Dick Hitchens Award
Award
Dietrich commits to TAMUK for ’22 campaign DylanSanchez| Sports Editor sports.editor@thesouthtexan.com
Coach Craig Nicholson has made his first athletic signing for the 2022 season. Recently he and his staff welcomed Kaylee Dietrich to the squad. She is a transfer from Grand Canyon University. Dietrich, who will be majoring in business management, was a twotime 6A All-Division award winner at Desert Vista High School, where she led her squad
to a third-place finish in state competition in 2016 and helped her club team take third at nationals. She went on to spend four years at the Division I program Grand Canyon University where she appeared in 136 games for the Antelopes. Over her four years, she racked up 67 hits with 8 home runs, four of which came in her most recent season in 2021. On the grass, Kaylee would play a multitude of positions, and in 2021 served as the Antelopes catcher, making 40 starts. “[She’s a] catcher and corner [infielder] with power who is very good defensively,” said Nich-
Javelina Athletics
Kaylee Dietrich batting for GCU
olson in an interview with Javelina Athletics. “She’ll be a great influence on some of our younger kids. She loves to play the game and will bring a ton of positive energy to our program.” The Woman’s softball team won 63 percent
of their games finishing sixth in the conference this year. Division I experience could help push the women’s team farther, bringing them back to the top spot they held just two years ago. Kayla Gonzales, a member of the 2021 D2CCA All-Region Second-Team 2021, NFCA All-Region Second-Team 2021 and All-LSC FirstTeam, is one of the leaders coming into next year’s try at the national title and she has her thoughts as well on the new signee. “Her experience with the game will be a huge asset to our team. Super excited to be on the field with her,” Gonzales said.
This year’s Javelinas athletes’ who were honored this 202021 school year
Photos from Javelina Athletics
Caleb Nash,
Makenzie Mays,
Teandria Taylor,
Men’s Baseball
Womens’s Softball
Women’s Track and Field
Male Scholar-Athlete
Female Scholar-Athlete
Athlete/Career Award
Ryan Smith
Walker Ring,
Fred & Joan Nuesch Award
Football Fred Mcintire Award
Keandria Taylor,
Roxanne Morris,
Women’s Track and Field
Volleyball
Johnny Marroquin Award
June Dotterweich Award
6
News
July 26 , 2021
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