The South Texan Vol. 97 Issue 12

TheSouthTexan.com

Spring Fling is back

Students flock to the boulevard for food, fun,

As the vibrant flowers started to bloom Javelinas began to pack the streets of University Boulevard on March 29.

Students sprung across the Boulevard with smiles from ear to ear as they held up colorful signs to promote their organizations at Spring Fling. This event is hosted every spring by Campus Activities Board.

Student organizations had the opportunity of participating in the event to spread the word of their organization as well as fundraise.

“Spring fling is important just because we usually have a fall carnival during homecoming, and we think it’s important to have another opportunity for students to sell and fundraise for their org (organization).

So, it’s kind of like a different type of homecoming for the spring semester,” Executive Director of Campus Activities Board Carmela Martinez said.

This annual event brings the entire Kingsville community together to celebrate the end of midsemester.

“I think it’s just a chance to get out and connect with the students on campus and really experience the TAMUK and Kingsville community together. It’s a really small town which I think is an advantage when we have an opportunity like this to bring out the community. They support the student orgs. here and get to know us as well,” Martinez said.

Spring Fling allows students who are not a part of organizations to have the opportunity of meeting

Online Beat

Do you not subscribe to thesouthtexan.com?

Catch up on exclusive stories about our campus and community when you sign up for our newsletter. Here’s a sneak peak of what you missed online.

Have you seen our broadcast?

Check out the Javelina Broadcast Network on the Javelina Media Experience YouTube channel.

Mujeres a Traves del Tiempo

Remembering the impactful women of South Texas

Abigayle Hayden | Senior Reporter

As the university reflects on Women’s History Month and its impact, a reminder of powerful women in South Texas hangs proud on campus.

Celebrando Mujeres A Travez Del Tiempo, a book release and celebration held in the MSUB ballrooms on March 22, honored the mural of some of South Texas’ most renowned women by Arnold Gonzales and the book it inspired.

After seeing another mural of fallen soldiers from the Vietnam War, Gonzales was inspired to create one honoring women such as Dr. Irma Rangel, Henrietta King and many more.

student organizations at their booths as they promote themselves.

Eric Robles said this was his first-time attending Spring Fling and he enjoyed it.

“I think it definitely brings the community of the students together and really get that spirit of what it’s like being in Javelina nation, and it’ll help to promote and continue the growth of the university as it goes along,” Robles said.

Each organization along the Boulevard had the chance to fundraise at Spring Fling for their association by selling food, drinks, other items and playing games.

“The ROTC program decided to participate to help raise funds that’ll go to different events and trainings that will do such [things] as going to the range to go shoot or to go to the field to go do some land naviga-

tion,” ROTC member Henry Molina said. Molina said he did his share with helping his organization by barbecuing briskets all night, in preparation for Spring Fling.

Retention remains steady here

University to focus on improving rates

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

Since the rise of COVID-19 but prior to the pandemic, Texas A&M University Kingsville has seen a steady decline in enrollment.

Through this decline, the university has maintained an average retention rate, which is the rate of students returning to the university, of 66.8 percent

from the fall 2012 to the fall of 2021.

“When we look at fall to fall [retention hovers] around 60 percent, and we want it to be higher. This isn’t so different from our other peers, or other universities. We’re all kind of in the same boat, but we want to make sure we’re giving students the support so these numbers go higher. Just because we’re aligned with our peers doesn’t mean we just want to be like our peers, we want to be better,” Inaugural Chief of Performance Excellence and Strategy

Dr.

Kristina Ramirez Wilson

See Retention, Pg 7

Students win big at TIPA

the first live multimedia contest hosted by TIPA, in which the team placed first overall.

The clock was ticking as students raced to turn in videos, pictures and stories live at Texas Intercollegiate Press Association’s (TIPA) annual convention.

The convention, held in Fort Worth, had live contest events for students to compete in, including our very own The South Texan staff. The event also included the announcement of winners in pre-published contests from works in 2022. In total, The South Texan brought home 39 awards, a reported record for the student journalism program.

The South Texan staff competed individually in several live contests, but also competed together in

“To say that I am proud to serve as the faculty adviser for this group of talented student journalists is an understatement. They rise to each challenge placed before them. They take their role very seriously, and they have proven time and time again they are not only strong journalists, but are creative as well,” Media Adviser for The South Texan, KTAI 91.1FM and Javelina Broadcast Network Nicole Morris said. “What’s even more impressive is that in many contest categories for the pre-published contest, all of the staff’s entries placed.”

Morris was also voted the new president of TIPA for a two-year term.

Throughout the convention students also attended workshops on topics ranging from finding stories to using Photoshop.

“The student journalists of The South Texan give their time, skills and cre-

ativity each week to tell the stories of Javelina Nation.

I’m proud of the work they do every day, but having their work be recognized statewide gives them confidence that they are on the right track. I know

they will continue to thrive here, and in their careers,” Aryssa Enriquez, assistant general manager of student media said.

Overall, The South Texan brought home 13 first place

Staff Photo

(L to R) Aryssa Enriques, Frank Villarreal, Mireya Martinez, Nicole Morris, Dylan Sanchez, Jessica Tijerina, Erik Estrada, Emeri Drewry, Melissa Mata and Ronni Reyna pictured with their awards at TIPA

Photo by CJ Cortez

Kendall Reeves and company preform live on the Boulevard.

Photo by Dominic Valdez Arnold Gonzales’ paining that hangs in the MSUB ballrooms surrounded by those in attendance to the book release.

Photo by Jessica Tijerina Peter Marbach, Justin “Cay” Cappadona and Anthony Arias grill sausages for Delta Chi’s sausage wrap sale.

See Mujeres, Pg 7

TAMUK celebrates 55th annunal jazz festival

Students from all around attended the event

Texas A&M University

Kingsville (TAMUK) held its 55th annual Jazz Festival on March 24 and 25.

The festival included 46 jazz bands from across Texas competing for numerous awards.

The School of Music arranged performances from Jazz band I, II, III and IV, along with jazz combos that featured well known Trumpeter Chase Sanborn.

Throughout the festival the spotlight was shone upon many talented individuals, one being Adjunct Professor Edward Moncada.

Moncada attended his first TAMUK “Jazz Bash” in 2005 when he was a middle school student.

After attending this event his passion for jazz music grew and he decided to pursue a bachelor’s and master’s degree at TAMUK, for which he is now conducting at the School of Music.

“I have said for a long time that the School of Music here is like a bubble for the arts and for jazz; there is not another

place like this in South Texas. My time here has included some of the best days of my life. If I could go back and do it again, I would. If I could tell everyone one thing tonight it would be to absorb the moment, and hopefully they can continue on to educate and bring their students here as well,” Moncada said.

On Friday evening Moncada announced that this would be the last TAMUK jazz festival he attends for a few years, as he plans to earn his PhD in Colorado.

The Jazz Fest is more than an ordinary concert, to many this is the event that leaves an impact on them, forever.

Francisco Chapa, who previously attended the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley, was an audience member at the 54th Jazz Festival whrn he realized last year, he belonged on TAMUK’s stage.

“I think it is really important to keep this music alive. It is America’s original form of art. I was sitting here in this third row last year, and man I was blown away. I was so excited; I knew I had to transfer, and I have not looked back since then,” he said.

Chapa not only played in multiple groups at this

Grande Valley to perform with various groups as well.

Sanborn, the guest per former for this year’s Jazz Fest, also hosted several clinics.

“I have been attending for several years […] and every year it feels like I’m witnessing history. They always find a way to top their last perfor mance again and again. I always look forward to seeing who they invite as a guest, and hope to see a vocalist in the fu ture, specifically Grace Kelly,” School of Music student Sarah Galindo said.

Summer 2023 course registration is underway

Registration goes live, TAMUK offers

financial aid assistance

Do you want to get ahead on classes? Or possibly graduate early?

Registration for summer 2023 is officially open.

Students got an email sent to their student email with information about summer classes and financial aid assistance.

According to the email, anyone who is registered for six or more credit hours in the summer will automatically be considered for financial aid assistance with no additional application necessary.

The email states that there are a few things to consider, which are you must be admitted and enrolled in a degree seeking program, Pell Grant requires enrollment of at least six credit hours, federal student loans are available if you have remaining eligibility from fall/spring or you have progressed to the next grade level, loans require enrollment of six credit hours (five hours if a graduate student), and lastly must be making satisfactory academic progress (SAP).

Saundra Johnson is the Assistant Director of Financial Aid Services. She explained that not every student will qualify for financial aid services. However, there are grant and scholarship opportunities.

“Although not every student may be eligible to receive a grant, students are reviewed and considered for federal, state and institutional aid. We also encourage students to search and apply for scholarships within their community and internally at tamuk.scholarshipuniverse.com,” Johnson said.

Johnson also wanted to remind students that summer is very busy for their office.

“Summer is one of our busiest times at the Financial Aid Office. We look forward to welcoming our new Javelinas during summer orientation sessions and guiding our current Javelinas through summer and fall.

“Exciting changes are coming to the Free Application of Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and we are eager to assist students with additional upcoming opportunities. We will be providing more information in August 2023,” Johnson said.

Dr. Sonya Vasquez is the academic advisor for Communications, Criminology, Psycholo-

gy, Sociology and RELLIS-Health Psychology.

“Summer courses are essential for students who are needing to replace courses they were unsuccessful in or even trying to get ahead for possibly graduating sooner than expected,” Vasquez said.

Vasquez feels that summer courses can be beneficial to a student.

“I believe summer courses do benefit the student for scholarship, financial aid or other reasons. Students might have dropped a course in fall/spring semesters and need to make those hours in order to keep their scholarship or financial aid,” she said.

Lastly, Vasquez has advice for students who may be thinking about taking summer courses.

“The advice I’d provide to my students is if they are wanting to advance in their expected graduation, I also suggest that they take summer courses to improve their GPA if needed,” she said.

For those waiting for the fall semester, priority enrollment starts on April 3 and late enrollment begins on Aug. 7 (there will be a $35 late fee for any students that are enrolling late).

Be sure to register between those dates in order to avoid any late fees.

Photo by Dominic Valdez

Briana Beltran| Reporter

Laryssa Salinas| Campus Editor campus.editor@TheSouthTexan.com

Photo by Dominic Valdez

Senior Oswaldo Soria performing his solo section of the Jazz song.

Photo by Jessica Tijerina

Anna Vela takes aim with a paintball gun at Kappa Sigmas’ booth.

Photo by CJ Cortez

Polo Esquivel and Mercedes Guevera make fried oreos for the Engineering Student Council.

Photo by CJ Cortez

The Javelina Printmaking Club inks blocks to produce prints and t-shirts to sell.

Photo by CJ Cortez

Mario Hernandez, Sergio Ortiz and Erin McClure enjoying food and supporting student organizations.

Photo by Jessica Tijerina

Javier Gonzalez Lima, Xavier Aleman and Mark De La Cruz get splashed with water balloons for Sigma Chi.

Photo by Jessica Tijerina Dalenisa Coronado adds syrup to a snow cone as she works the booth for Theta Phi Alpha.

Photo by CJ Cortez

Henry Molina chops brisket for ROTC’s brisket sandwich sale.

Photo by Jessica Tijerina

(Left to Right) Chris Tijerina, Chloe Rodriguez-McCallister, Ronni Reyna, Shelby Battles, Brissa Acevedo and Francisco “Panchito” Guerrero selling bottles of water for Order of Omega.

Review: SZA’s recent album is an SOS signal for the soul

The SOS album touches on themes of the self

With hits like “Kill Bill” reaching number two on the Billboard Hot 100 or “Nobody Gets Me” peaking at number 10, SZA’s sophomore album “SOS” has captivated audiences with a chokehold on many R&B fans like me.

In this album SZA explores themes of selfdoubt, insecurity and newfound freedom after a relationship.

The themes from this album are expressed in a catalog of 23 songs that range from Rap to Punk

Rock or ’90s Hip-Hop to Reggae.

SZA broke from the norms of today’s music scene that are conformed to pop music to provide an experience unlike any other.

Some songs from the album that I find myself playing more often than the rest have been “F2F,” “Low” and “Far.”

“F2F” provides a unique flare to “SOS” with being the only song on the album that explored the Punk Rock genre.

Listening to this song created a nostalgic feeling that took me back to simpler times when Fall Out Boy, Panic! at the Disco and My Chemical Romance were all the craze.

This song is an expression of someone having

lingering feelings after a breakup and that resentment towards them.

The complex layers of instruments in the song correlate with what could be complex feelings one would have over an ended relationship.

As my second favorite song on the album, “Low” provides a trap-influenced chorus that gets you in the mood to dance.

This song provided me with an unexpected confidence through a heavy beat and a sensation of being in the club.

Its expressions of boundaries between a private romantic life and a public relationship say a lot about limits one must set with one’s partner.

“Far,” the final song I decided to write about, is one of the least streamed

songs on the album but it’s also the song I feel the most connected to.

This song is about feeling alone and being taken advantage of.

SZA sings about what it feels like to be unrecognizable to yourself and the feeling of changing who you are for someone else.

The song begins with a conversation between SZA and Sadhguru, the leader of the Isha Foundation, talking about rejection.

When I heard Sadhguru tell SZA “If nobody wants you, you’re free,” I intuitively knew this song was going to be my favorite one.

Overall, I am absolutely in love with “SOS.” With this album I expect SZA to win numerous

Review: The XFL makes a strong return

The XFL brings in greater crowds than ever before

Ever since the weekend after the Super Bowl, the third iteration of the XFL has been going strong thus far for six weeks.

The fan attendance and the quality of football has been good.

Though it is far from the level of playing that the NFL is currently in, it still allows football fans to enjoy the sport they love the most.

Teams like the San Antonio Brahmas, the St. Louis Battlehawks and the D.C. Defenders have been leading the league in fan turnout which is crucial for a spring football league and its success and capability to be around for future seasons. The rules the XFL has are a mixture of NCAA football and NFL rules with a pinch of their own twist.

This brings more excitement to the game of football and makes the games all the more interesting for fans who show up at the games or tune in at home.

Things like an onside rule which allows the team to attempt to convert a fourth down and 15 in order to keep possession of the ball in a close game as well as their change to the extra point system which does not have the teams kick for an extra point but rather has them run an offensive play from the twoyard line for one point, the five-yard line for two points, or the 10-yard line for three points.

Fan attendance, ratings and quality football are all crucial to the success of this league and the XFL has been able to stay strong in each of those

three areas.

This league has done what its 2020 predecessor was on the verge of doing and that is cementing itself as the next big football league in the United States.

However there is the threat of competition with the USFL which is kicking off very soon. They’re coming with their own backing by FOX so this looks to potentially be a league rivalry.

For now, we do not know what will come until both leagues are in full swing.

Overall, the XFL looks good and ready for what the future holds.

awards for the upcoming award season. She has proven herself to be a generational talent and someone with a wide range of skills in her

pocket.

I highly recommend listening to her album because the experience she has created is like no other.

How to Adult: The first piece to employment

A resumé to help you resume your livelihood

Everyone needs a job.

They may not always be ideal and sometimes can be incredibly frustrating but they’re an essential part of our everyday lives.

Having a job will let you build up your experience and help you earn money so you can afford to enjoy your hobbies alongside being able to afford the necessities.

However, before you even consider looking for a job, you’ll need to cre-

ate a resumé that’ll best express who you are and what you can do.

That resumé will be the main factor (besides interviews) that employers use to determine if you’re the right fit for the opening that you applied for.

Creating a resumé may seem like a difficult thing to do initially but it just boils down to being able to describe yourself in a way that seems appealing and is easy to understand.

First off, you’re going to need to provide general information about yourself like how to get in contact with you. If they don’t have that information then it’ll be difficult if not impossible for them to reach out to you.

Needless to say but if they can’t contact you then they can’t move you forward as a potential

employee.

With that you can also include a brief summary about yourself that sells you as a good candidate.

I don’t recommend lying (in any part of your resumé) or writing what feels like a short essay, just make it short and reasonable.

Following this, you’ll want to include information about your skillset, your education and any prior work experience.

It’s best to list off what you’re capable of doing before anything else (but after your contact information) since having a good set of skills is essential for a getting hired.

Don’t get nervous if it takes a while to compile your skills since some tasks that may seem basic to you could end up being the vital skills that your future work is looking for.

For your education and previous jobs, it’s best to list them in reverse chronological order so the place you’re applying for can read through those sections without issue with the most recent first.

Be sure to include all of your work experience even if you didn’t enjoy the job or find it noteworthy. It could be that the job you would’ve left out would provide them with a better idea of what you

can do.

Lastly, you’re going to have to consider who you want to put down as references for when you begin the application process.

They’re not necessary immediately but having some people that the business can contact to inquire about you is going to be more helpful than if you had none.

These can be anyone from folks at your prior workplaces to people you

interact with normally. Basically, the references you will want to be looking for are people that can vouch for your abilities. Especially if you remember them being glad to have worked with you.

Once you’re satisfied with your resumé and reference choices then you can move onto what might be the longest and most nerve-wracking step on the longterm path to work, job hunting.

FrankVillarreal| Entertainment Editor entertainment.editor @thesouthtexan.com

ChrisOlivarez| Co-Sports Editor sports.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Image from pitchfork.com.

Our Opinion

Texas’ war against abortion

Texas has introduced new House and Senate bills aimed at limiting access to abortion pills. From placing responsibility on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and credit card companies the new bills aim to set felony charges on those seeking to obtain access to the pills.

Mifepristone, a drug thrust into the news as Roe was overturned in summer 2022, is used to terminate early pregnancy up to 70 days or 10 weeks, along with a second pill that is not under attack.

With total abortion bans happening throughout the country, many are trying to gain access to this drug online. Under this bill, these online outlets will be blocked and allow others to seek civil lawsuits against anyone seeking information on or trying to obtain abortion pills.

House Bill 2690 would require ISPs to ban websites that give access to and information on abortion pills. Though ISPs can bar access to nationally restricted websites, how do national companies do so for a single state, or would ISPs even do anything?

Though we see how the Texas legislature is trying to use this House Bill, it’s unrealistic, and most likely would not work. This bill will not only infringe on the First Amendment right to free speech by trying to silence telehealth abortion providers, but also target abortion funds and their donors and anyone who travels out of state for care.

If passed, HB 2690 would make it illegal to “provide information on how to obtain an abortion-inducing drug.” This includes stopping people from making or maintaining websites or creating and distributing applications on the topic.

The next bill introduced, SB 1440, makes it a felony for credit card companies to process the purchases and transactions for abortion pills. SB 1440 also makes credit card companies who process these transactions liable to public lawsuits.

Texas’ power grab to continue to silence women and their choice of abortion has been at the top of Texas Republicans’ lists. Texas was the first state to implement a near-total abortion ban with a law known as SB 8, which took effect in September 2021. Now, it is being shown that all outlets for the procedure are all but set to be stomped out and made unavailable. This topic has for many decades challenged the rights of couples and especially the rights of women and their bodies, and Texas has no remorse in its quest to silence those who deem abortion as a lawful procedure.

The significance of rainfall in South Texas

The unabated climatic change within and outside South Texas inflicts serious suffering on farmers and ranchers as the region grapples with unreliable rainfall and severe water shortage. South Texas experiences varied climatic conditions with the zone along the Mexican border majorly witnessing semi-arid weather and the west of San Antonio exhibiting humid subtropical characteristics. Since the region has recently received depressed rainfall, the diminished water supply resulted in

Mackenzie Best Social Media Manager

parched fields with little to nil vegetation or fodder. These drought-driven adversities hurt the agricultural sector and perilously endanger the livelihood of citizens in South Texas. Rainfall crucially impacts the agricultural industry since precipitation increases crop yield and facilitates the production of livestock feeds. Specifically, the water from rain-wetted soil dissolves a wide range of micro- and macro-nutrients that enters into the plant through roots so that crops and other vegetation may undertake photosynthesis, which involves the use of carbon dioxide, water and sunlight to produce energy and oxygen. The uninterrupted supply of resources

that are required to undertake photosynthesis enables plants and other vegetation to grow flourishingly so that humans and livestock may obtain sufficient food and animal feeds, respectively.

Ranchers in South Texas depend on rainfall to produce grasses and other types of fodder on which this region’s cattle and other livestock survive.

Access to healthy and adequate grass enables the South Taxa community to rear livestock from which high-quality dairy products and meat are obtained. Without rainfall, residents would struggle to acquire dairy products, meat, vegetables, fresh fruits and fodder.

Thus, rain constitutes a vital component of the region’s food supply chain

as well-watered grass grows in abundance to sustain cattle and other livestock from which different consumer products such as hamburgers are produced. The ongoing climatic change in South Texas and beyond increasingly impels people to recognize the significance of rainfall in (1) agriculture and (2) the survival of both humans and animals. Rainfall sustains the South Texas food supply chain by moistening grounds on which crops and livestock fodder are grown. To safeguard this crucial resource, residents within and outside South Texas are implored to conserve water and reverse the degradation of the ecosystem as a way of building a sustainable future.

Ban assault rifles, not drag queens

With firearms as the leading cause of death for children in the United States, our leaders need to shift their attention away from banning Drag Queens, to banning guns that harmed more than 6,000 children in 2022 alone.

dren and three adults were killed. The primary weapon used in this deadly assault was an AR-15.

Erik Estrada Digital Editor

On March 27, a school shooting in Nashville took place during which three nine-year-old chil-

So far in 2023, there have been 17 school shootings in the U.S., more than any other country. Our politicians, especially those in the Republican Party, place greater value upon their right to own an AR-15 than the value of children’s lives.

Recently many of those Republicans have set their sights on banning the art form that is drag in Texas and across the country. In Tennessee,

a state Senate bill was passed deeming drag in the presence of children illegal. This puts anyone performing in drag at risk of a 15-year prison sentence if they are seen in any public area. Many who believe it necessary to ban drag, make an argument of “safety concern,” for their children but I view it as an attack the LGBTQ+ community. Legislation to ban drag is a waste of time and money. Children are statistically safer at a drag show than they are at a church today, yet no form of legislation has been passed to protect kids

from sexual assault while there. It is blatant hate for the gay community that is driving bills like this to be passed. Other than drag, the government has been on a mission to ban TikTok, abortion and books that discuss racism or women’s rights. Our government is taking quick action to ban things they do not politically agree with but fail to pay attention to the real-life threat that is assault rifles. Ban assault rifles, not Tik Tok. Ban assault rifles, not books. Ban assault rifles, not women’s rights. Ban assault rifles, not drag.

Graduation makes the air harder to breathe

Graduation for me brings uncertainty to the future in many aspects. The future is coming up on everyone who is graduating in the spring and the summer, and it is that feeling of “now what?” that can really stop you in your tracks. We’ve all spent four or more years reaching for this goal while studying for exams, tests, presentations and late-night labs

to get to this place in our life. The people you’ve met along with the new things you have found out about yourself on the way has made this a journey you can’t forget.

Now we are at the point where it is time to simply just move on from it all to contribute our own way to the world.

The stress of finding and securing a job in your chosen career field can weigh heavily on a person because it’s as if you’re just now realizing “this is what I came to college for.” This was our life for four or more years and now the relationships

STAFF

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

Melissa Mata Managing Editor managing.editor@thesouthtexan.com

we’ve built and the sort of home we’ve now come to know is something we must leave behind.

That said, there are ways to make this process easy for you. The people you have come to know do not have to be lost to you on this road to a new beginning and you do not have to lose yourself on the way as well. Staying connected with the people you know is a great way to get through this. Also, as far as the world being your oyster now as a college graduate, remember who you are now after college and build off that and your

Dylan Sanchez Opinion Editor opinion.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Erik Estrada Digital Editor digital.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Dominic Valdez

Asistant Digital Manager

interests. Knowing what you like and what you intend to do to incorporate that in your new everyday life will keep you grounded as well. Another important thing to try to focus on is making new connections during this phase in your life. You did the same thing when you enrolled in university, and it will help you just the same now as it did before. This is the time for you to forge your path and use the degree you earned to benefit you. Graduations bring uncertainty but the path forward is what you can make it, truly.

Briana Beltran Circulation Manager Aryssa Enriquez Assistant General Manager Student Media aryssa.enriquez@tamuk.edu

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) and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association (TIPA).

Laryssa Salinas Campus Editor campus.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Zena Desouza Chris Olivarez Co-Sports Editors sports.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Frank Villarreal Entertainment Editor entertainment.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Abigayle Hayden Senior Reporter

Annalisa Perales Reporter

Mireya Martinez Jessica Tijerina Photographers

Mackenzie

Manager

Nicole Perez Morris Adviser nicole.morris@tamuk.edu

“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.”

Scott, Nieto, Wallace honored All-Americans

Javelinas recognized by national organization

ZenaDesouza-George| Co-Sports Editor Sports.editor@thesouthtexan.com

While staying focused and working diligently during the indoor season, the Javelina track and field program has continued to show everyone in the conference why they should be on top.

Texas A&M University-Kingsville Hurdler Jaqualon Scott, Pole Vaulter Thomas Nieto and Heptathlon athlete Dean Wallace were recently honored by the United States Track and Field Cross Country Coaches Association (USTFCCCA) with the title of All-Americans.

This title is only given to those who meet the standards of the USTFCCCA. All three men put up exceptional times and points at their previous indoor championship meet which put them on the road to success.

“I can tell you that it’s the greatest honor I’ve achieved in college. I was really close a lot of times to making the national meet and I fell short but this year was my last indoor season. I made the meet and I left an All-American…it was

no better way to end it for me, it was really truly awesome,” Wallace said.

Each athlete has dedicated their time to better themselves and put their names on the map all while representing TAMUK.

“My next goal moving into outdoor season is to win. I want to win very badly, all I can do is keep pushing every day,” Scott said. “Being All-American was something I wasn’t expecting, I just try to stay focused on eventually making it to nationals again.”

Now that the Javelinas and newly All-Americans have ended their indoor season they look to go into outdoor season winning gold and breaking school records.

“I feel so proud of me and all the work that I did to complete this goal, but I’ll keep working because I’m not satisfied,” Nieto said. “My goal moving forward is to break the school record and move on to nationals so I can win a gold medal. It takes a lot of discipline and dedication. You just have to be strong and never give up.”

Nieto was also previously honored not once but twice by the USTFCCCA South Central Region Indoor Field Athlete of the 2023 year.

Along with the supportive coaching staff

and Javelina fans, all three men have been motivated and pushed to be in the successful position they are in now.

“We were pretty excited and positive. I think our preparation was good. I knew that all three of them would do well. I was confident, and they were confident as well,” Head Coach Ryan Dall said. “It’s always great to have people be successful. I think it shows other potential athletes that they can excel here and

be their best here.”

To have made it so far in the season and being honored with a title like this has given Scott, Wallace and Nieto the chance to show the nation and everyone in the Division II Lone Star Conference how strong a team TAMUK is.

The Javelinas are gearing up for their next competition and are preparing to bring it home for the Cactus Cup meet in Javelina Stadium on April 15.

Salinas marks West Georgia as week two opponent

8-2 record and ended the season ranked No. 19 in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

The Javelinas now have a full 2023 schedule for the fall.

The 11-game regular season schedule for the Javelinas have the team slated for five home games at Pepsi Field at Javelina Stadium and the first home game of the season will be against nationally ranked opponent West Georgia at 7 p.m. on Sept. 9.

The Wolves finished the 2022 season with an

“What better opportunity to showcase our hard work and preparation than to host a good team like West Georgia at the beginning of the season,” All-Conference Running Back Christian Anderson said.

“I think they’ll get us ready for conference play and give our fans a great game to see for our home opener.”

The Lone Star Conference already has its own ranked AFCA team coming from Angelo State who is also set to be in Kingsville Oct. 14 for the Homecoming game.

Head Coach Michael Salinas, who recently agreed on a contract extension through the 2026 season, has added to the competition as the team is now set to take on nationally ranked opponent West Georgia of the Gulf South Conference in a now two-year home-andhome agreement.

“By adding West Georgia to our schedule we can get a sense of the caliber of play that these [playoff teams play with], teams who make it to the playoffs faithfully,” All-Conference Defensive End Ezrah Thibidouex said. “Playing good teams like that early let’s us see where we

excel and where we lack and gives us time to adjust as we continue with regular season play.”

Last season, the Hogs posted a 7-5 record, the highest win total in a season since 2016.

The season ended with the Javelinas postseason appearance in the FunTown RV Heritage Bowl.

Currently, the Javelinas completed their spring football schedule last month after four weeks of padded practices. The off-season starts now with stiff competition being introduced into the bye week-less schedule, adding excitement to the stands for the Hogs.

“We are really excited

to have finalized our 2023 schedule with a quality opponent like West Georgia,” TAMUK Athletic Director Steve Roach said in an interview with Javelina Athletics. “Scheduling non-conference

games can be difficult at times, but this agreement not only improves our strength-of-schedule but will also provide our student-athletes and fans with a unique opportunity.”

Javelinas v. Hooks

Face off at Whataburger Field

Sports Column

In a roller coaster of a season, the Javelina baseball team prepares to have some fun and have a good learning experience.

After the conclusion of their series against St. Mary’s at Nolan Ryan Field, the team will head up the road to take on the Corpus Christi Hooks in an exhibition game.

Though this game will not have an effect on the

overall record of the Javelinas, it does give them a chance to go up against a good minor league team.

This will allow the Javelinas to learn from how they and their opponent perform, what they need to work on, and will allow them to improve on their own play as they head into the final games against their Lone Star Conference rivals with playoff implications on the line.

This is what the Javelinas need for their team.

They have shown some inconsistencies in their previous series of games and have struggled with the smaller things that can easily be fixed and avoided.

This game against the Hooks will allow the Javelinas to not only see how they can fix their own errors but also help themselves to prepare for bigger opponents.

Going up against a much bigger form of competition will help the baseball team perform at a higher level than their LSC opponents. Along with that, this will aid the team in bringing more consistency to the program and will boost the morale and confidence of both the players and the coaches.

Students are encouraged to head out to Whataburger Field and cheer on the Javelina baseball team at 6:35 p.m., Tuesday, April 4.

Photo by Javelina Athletics Wallace throwing shot-put in competition.

Photo by Javelina Athletics Scott, Wallace, and Nieto after being named All-American.

DylanSanchez| Opinion Editor Opinion.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Photo by Javelina Athletics

ChrisOlivarez| Co-Sports Editor Sports.editor@thesouthtexan.com

Photo by Javelina Athletics

Nieto in action competing in pole vault.

awards from the live and pre-published contests.

“Placing in the competition period was a goal I had in mind when we arrived at TIPA, but placing four times and bringing back a first place was surprising, but it’s what I came to do. So, I was definitely happy more than anything when it came down to my result,”

Opinion Editor and former Sports Editor for The South Texan Dylan Sanchez said. Sanchez also attended

said.

From the fall 2022 to spring 2023 semester, TAMUK retained 88 percent of the freshman class, a range they’ve seen at 86 to 88 over the past few years.

“It is important to note that enrollment is multifaceted and includes both recruitment and retention. In the fall 2022, we experienced a significant increase of 16 percent for new, firsttime in college students, but it is clear that we need to strengthen retention efforts campus-wide,”

“The mural would be an inspiration to different young women in A&M Kingsville to be like the women they see and say if she can do it, I can do it,” Gonzales said.

Inspired by the mural, displayed in the MSUB ballrooms, a book was published with several essays

TIPA last year and said his favorite part of the convention is competing.

New to TIPA convention was Jessica Tijerina.

Tijerina started taking pictures for The South Texan in Spring 2022, and placed second in the Live News Photo contest.

“I was very nervous at first but after talking to some of the other students and getting encouragement from my friends I felt so much better. It was so nice being in my element

University President Dr. Robert Vela said.

In the 2019 school year, 962 students, excluding dual enrollment, started in the freshman class, 72.10 percent of those students returned for a second year, 59.8 students returned for a third year, and 47.1 percent returned for a fourth year.

“Last fall, Dr. Jaya Goswami, in her then role as interim provost, formed the Retention Action Team comprised of faculty and staff to develop innovative strategies to address retention. Nearly 15 strategies that touch on everything

about each woman pictured in the painting, entitled Women across Time Mujeres a Traves del Tiempo. Dr. Larry Knight, a history professor at A&M-Kingsville, was one of the contributing writers. He was tasked with writing about Henrietta King, wife of Richard King who founded the King Ranch.

“You think of the King

and capturing some great moments,” Tijerina said.

Tijerina was proud of the work she did and was excited to share the news with her parents.

In the live contents students compete against student journalists from all over Texas regardless of university size.

“I’m so grateful to have this experience,” Editor-in-Chief Ronni Reyna said. “Each year I’ve been a part of The South Texan we’ve broken personal re-

from revising payment plan structures for tuition fees to college-wide social activities for students are being employed. In addition, college deans have developed their own strategies to address retention in their colleges,” Vela said, Referring back to the fall 2019 First Time in College cohort, though 72.1 percent were retained by the university their second year, students of the cohort had a persistence rate of 83.3 percent. Meaning that though 72.1 percent remained at TAMUK, 83.3 percent

Ranch as this big monolithic powerful thing, but you see real people here, very wealthy people, very powerful people but suffering just like anybody else was,” King said.

Dr. Susan Roberson, retired Regents Professor from the Department of Language and Literature, served as the editor for the book.

cords, and got more awards than the previous year. I’m so proud of our editors and students, they work so hard and it’s a privilege to see that hard work pay off.”

The next TIPA will be held in San Marcos at which the staff plans to once again bring home more awards than the previous year.

The South Texan’s first place awards included:

-Live Contest* Multimedia - Ronni Reyna, Erik Estrada, Melissa Mata, Emeri Drewry,

remained enrolled for a second year, just at other universities.

“We have been very fortunate to partner with Ruffalo Noel Levitz (RNL) in the development of a Strategic Enrollment Plan (SEP). Stakeholders from across campus participated in the year-long processes and we are confident that we have a plan that will help us grow enrollment sustainably. We have already begun to take action on some of the recommendations that came from the SEP process. We are also ex-

“It was fun working with the different contributors of the different essays, then there’s also the hard work of getting it published, but it’s all paid off,” Roberson said. “I hope students learn how inspiring these women have been.”

The March 22 event was sponsored by College of Arts & Sciences Dean Dr. Dolores Guerrero.

Jessica Tijerina

Advertising/ PSA Promo

- Makaylah Chavez & Adan

Botello

Feature Story - Makaylah

Chavez General News Video Story

-The South Texan Staff

Headline Writing - The

South Texan Staff

Newscast Video - Rae Mar-

tinez, Emeri Drewry, Erik

Estrada & Ronni Reyna

Multimedia Feature - Emeri

Drewry, Erik Estrada, Ronni

Reyna & Rae Martinez

General News - Ronni Rey-

panding our efforts in the area of transfer recruitment, and are working diligently to create new partnerships with community colleges, while strengthening existing partnerships,” Vice President of Enrollment Services and Student Affairs Dr. Rito Silva said.

On Thursday of last week, Silva along with Vela, visited with Del Mar College’s president Dr. Mark Escamilla, and look forward to future collaborations.

“We know that the pandemic, family responsi-

na Feature Reporting VideoErik Estrada, Melissa Mata & Domonic Valdez

Multimedia Sports Story - Chris Olivarez, Rae Martinez, Erik Estrada & Jessica Tijerina

Sports Reporting VideoErik Estrada, Rae Martinez & Chris Olivarez

-General News Audio Story - Emeri Drewry & Nadya Garcia

-Podcast - Dylan Sanchez

For a full list of awards visit thesouthtexan.com

bilities and economic pressures impact some students’ decision to pursue higher education. A college degree has the power to change the lives of students and their families. Our commitment to all students is to remove the barriers to higher education, making a college degree accessible for all,” Silva said.

The university is in the process of searching for a new Vice President of Enrollment Services (VPES) as of last summer, and plan to announce a new VPES in April.

From Mujeres Pg 1

Photo by Domonic Valdez

Dr. Knight at the book release.

From Retention, Pg 1