May 2014 by The Special

The Special May 2014

The Special: Social Life Student Organizations Cricket City Improv The Whovian Society Pride Alliance KETR

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Social Events The Club OAC

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Campus Living Resident Life 14 Staff

The Special is an online magazine produced by journalism students at Texas A&M University - Commerce. Content and production are the responsibilities of the students. The Special is produced during the fall, spring and summer terms. Contact: The Special, Texas A&M University-Commerce, Box 4104, Commerce, Texas 75429.

Faculty Adviser Writer Design/Photographer/Writer Photographer/Writer Photographer/Writer Photographer/Writer

Fred Stewart Jordan Click Patricia Dillon Malcolm Hornsby Nayoung Lee Lis Valencia

Audrey Anderson tries to play off a dead body in Freeze Frame: “What dead body?” Jacob Layton (not pictured): I can see a pair of feet. Anderson: “Those are mine.” Layton: Really? What about the torso. There is clearly a torso there. Anderson: “That’s also mine.” Layton: So you just change out your feet and torso? Anderson: “Yeah, don’t you?”

Cricket City Improv By Patricia Dillon Cricket City Improv is a student organization that uses improv sketches to bring laughter to the students of Texas A&M University-Commerce. Improvisational theatre is when all or most of what is being performed is being made up at that moment. Improv comedy troupes usually take suggestions from the audience for scenes and relationships and then go with whatever was suggested. Cricket City was created in 1999 by a group of grad students. Since then it has grown and the troupe has regular performances on campus throughout the year. They also compete in state competitions. If one were to ask the members of Cricket City what it is like to be part of

an improv troupe, the majority would say that it’s more than just a student organization - it’s a family. The troupe has a number of different sketches that always have various results. The show usually starts with a sketch called Freeze Frame (seen in the above photo). They typically ask an audience member what the last text they received or the last thing a friend said was and then begin. In this sketch, all of the members are lined up in the back while two or three step forward and act out a scene based on the audeince member’s response. At any point during the scene, a member in the back can yell “Freeze.” That person then switches places with one of the others and a new scene, or a continuation of the same scene, begins. As with stand-up comedy, there

are usually some recurring themes throughout the night. Something that was brought up in Freeze Frame that was particularly humorous might be referenced to in a later sketch. Another regularly performed sketch is La Novella. The troupe takes suggestions for a relationship between two people and a scene or dilemma. The actors are supposed to perform a scene as absurd and ridiculous as possible, but they are not allowed to lose their composure and laugh. The audience, too, is supposed to “boo” the actors instead of laughing at whatever is being performed. Cricket City hosts auditions at the beginnning of each semester, looking for new members to join their family and their mission to bring laughter to people by way of improv.

What is your favorite part about being a member of Cricket City Improv? I love being in the troupe because I get to perform with my best friends. When we practice, it hardly ever feels like work. It often seems like we’re just getting together to hang out rather than practicing. We’re like a family, and even as dysfunctional as we may be sometimes, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. - Bailie Avrit, president

Well, my favorite thing about being a member is that while some might say we are close friends, they don’t see us behind the scenes. We squabble, bicker, fight, but most importantly we make up. Does that sound familiar to you? It’s what families do. - Glenn Davis Favorite part about being in Cricket is the whole experience of doing something that I love without any hesitations. It’s therapeutic, it’s fun, it’s something you just have to be part of. - Brennan Jones Why did you choose to join Cricket City Improv? I chose to join Cricket City for one simple reason. I love performing. Ok maybe two simple reasons, I also love making people laugh. Whether it be at me or with me, bringing a smile to someone’s face is the most rewarding thing in the world. - Glenn Davis When I first heard of Cricket City Improv I was sad. This was a group I really wanted to be a part of but I didn’t think I was good enough. I sat there thinking I was nowhere good enough. But when I finally built the courage to audition I was wrong, the troupe was so accepting and so welcoming! They helped me develop and grow to the man I am today. If not for Cricket City Improv I wouldn’t be in many of the groups I’m in today including my fraternity. Cricket City saved me. - Michael Adeyemo Top: Sean Bates dressed as Aladdin and singing “A Whole New World” on his quest for love at the Cabaret show. Middle: Mariachi Yetis in La Novella are bothering train passengers for tips. Bottom: It’s a geek versus nerd showdown. staff photos / patricia dillon

The Doctor Who Society Not just die-hard fans, Whovians help make a difference in the communities around them through volunteer efforts. By Lis Valencia The longest running PBS science fiction show, completing its 50-year anniversary, Doctor Who continues to be a crowd favorite. The Doctor Who Society is a student organization on the Texas A&M University-Commerce campus that comes together not only for their love of the show but also keeping in the spirit of Doctor Who and helping those in need. The group began as an informal organization two years ago; the group was formed over the summer of 2013, but it wasn’t until the fall that the group was officially recognized on campus. But since the group began, formal or informal, the group has participated in several outreach opportunities. “Essentially, we are two things; we’re fans of Doctor Who and in keeping in the spirit of Doctor Who, we’re a service organization,” Dr. Jeff Herndon, adviser, said. “We help out people who need help; we do what we can to better the community, better the world in some way.” A basic explanation of Doctor Who is as follows; The Doctor is a 900-

year-old Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey, who travels through time and space in his Tardis (Time and Relative Dimension in Space) to help rescue and save different species and plants. Usually the Doctor will have a female human companion to assist in his adventures along with his trusty sonic screwdriver. The Doctor Who Society may not have the time travel tools, but they want to go and help. The group has gained recognition not just from around campus but also in the community of Commerce and outside of Commerce. The organization participated in the Rowlett Public Library celebration of Doctor Who’s 50th anniversary on “Doctor Who Day,” and sent a group to the British Emporium in Grapevine, Texas. They have donated more than 400 cans of food to the Commerce food pantry. At Christmas time, the organization handed out over 800 books at Commerce Elementary School, every single child in every grade was handed a book of their own. They were the only student organization at A&M-Commerce who took part in Halloween on the

Square, then were thanked by the Chamber of Commerce from the City of Commerce. “One of the fun things about our organization is we’re designed so that anyone can be a member. You don’t have to be a student, you don’t have be faculty/staff. You have to be someone who likes Doctor Who,” Herndon explained. “We have members of the Doctor Who Society who do not live in Commerce, who do not live in Greenville. I’m friends with a 10year-old boy and his dad who live in Grapevine [and] they’re members of The Doctor Who Society. We’ve got members of The Doctor Who Society that live out of state and they’re just excited about our particular group. But our core is here at A&M-Commerce.” The members have a unique presence on campus, being more than a fan club and taking the Doctor’s compassion for other beings to go and help. “I think we are unique, we are over a fandom, we take an interest in our community and surroundings, plus we’re all a bunch of nerds,” Meagan May, vice president of the Doctor Who Society, said.

Need to Know Facts • The Doctor is a 900-year-old Time Lord from the planet Gallifrey. • Always spell out ‘Doctor,’ never abbreviate. • Since the beginning of the show, there have been 12 different Doc- tors. • Doctor Who fans are referred to as “Whovians.” • Remember that bowties and fez’s are cool, and bananas are a great source of potassium so always bring them to parties. • The Doctor will hardly ever travel alone, he will always have a female companion traveling with him. • The Doctor doesn’t like guns, but will use his sonic screwdriver and psychic paper to get where he needs to. (The sonic screwdriver will work on anything but wood.) • The Doctor and his companion [at the time] will travel around time and space in his Tardis, a blue police box that is bigger on the inside. • The next Doctor will be Peter Ca- paldi, he will be the twelfth Doc tor in the upcoming PBS season. • The Doctor has many enemies, basically anyone evil who wants the Doctor dead. Texas A&M-Commerce’s own TARDIS is located inside the Ferguson Social Sciences Building. Staff photo / Lis Valencia

Pride Alliance By Patricia Dillon The Pride Alliance is a student organization on campus that promotes non-discrimination and acceptance of everyone for who they are. According to the student organization portal on the university website, “Pride Alliance seeks to mold a campus free of prejudice, discrimination, and harassment. We support and encourage diversity amongst people. We aim to be a helping hand to the LGBTQQIAAP community. Our purpose is to provide a place of understanding for aspects related to sexual orientation, expression, and gender identity in an open and nonjudgmental environment. Pride Alliance works with the community to spread an atmosphere of love, not hate. We understand that our work will never be done. We will continue to work towards a world of complete acceptance, for that is our mission.” Pride is an active organization on campus and they make sure that their voice is heard. In the Fall 2013 semester, they went to the Student Government Association meeting and brought to the board’s attention that the university’s non-discrimination clause did not include sexual orientation. They moved that this be changed and the unversity complied with the revised version including non-discrimination against people “on the basis of sexual orientation,

gender identity or gender expression.” They also won first place in the Homecoming Spirit competition. The organization can be seen at every tailgating event during the fall semester to support the sports teams. Pride Alliance is not just for members of the LGBT* community. They also recognize the importance of Allies, straight people who support LGBT* rights, and welcome anyone to join the organization. Every October during National Ally Week, they decorate and publicly thank the Allies on campus for everything that they do to help support them and the fight for equality. The organization has created a Safe Space training program with the university’s approval. According to the university website, “The mission of the Texas A&M University-Commerce Safe Spaces Ally Project is to enhance the campus and community climate in order to create a safer, freer, and more welcoming environment for all individuals regardless of sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. We work to reduce inequality, homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, and heterosexism. The Safe Spaces Ally Project is a direct response to the need for increased support for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and ally issues on college campuses both locally and nationally, and their surrounding communities.”

Members of Pride Alliance with their homecoming Spirit board and the donations they raised for the Commerce food pantry.

photo courtesy / ketr.org

KETR - Lions After Dark By Jordan Click KETR began in the early 1970s as Dr. David Rigney, the director of the East Texas State University radio-television program, created an FCC application for an FM radio station for students to use as a teaching laboratory. KETR didn’t go on the air until April 7, 1975 and by then, Dr. Rigney had moved on. Phil Wayne Ebensberger was its new general manager and morning

to its current facilities in Binnion Hall. Now they run more radio programs, like “Notably Texan” with Matt Meinke, and its newest show, “Lions After Dark,” a radio program hosted by students, for students. Malcolm Hornsby, Caitlin Barbee and Katie Gilbreath are the current hosts of the student-run program. Lions After Dark originally began in the fall of 2010. The show centers around listening to

An outside view of the KETR office area in Binnion Hall.

show host. The station operated from a former classroom in the Journalism Building. The radio station back then ran mainly local news and radio programs such as “All Things Considered Commerce,” which started in the fall of 1975, along with sports programming. Since then, the radio station has moved twice. First, in 1977 it moved to the Performing Arts Center where it shared its quarters with the RTV program. In 2008, it moved

Top 40 radio singles and having interviews with students and local organizations. According to an article written in the Commerce Journal in 2012, “The format of the show was Mass Media, Communications and Theatre Department Head Dr. John Mark Dempsey’s idea, as Top 40 hits would appeal to a larger audience. The hosts of Lions After Dark feel that it is an awesome experience to actually be live on

the radio talking to students. Barbee said, “It is a very freeing experience because I get the opportunity to talk about studentrelated issues, entertainment news and basically force the music I like on people.” Barbee remembers how she was when she first started, “I was shy and less involved with the actual breaks, but it’s been fun to grow into it.” Gilbreath said she was inspired in a different way. “I wanted to

staff photo / Patricia dillon

be a host because I was on the radio in high school and missed it. I knew this would be a good opportunity to get involved with KETR and grow in my major.” She also said when she started at Lions After Dark, Dr. Dempsey wanted her to work on the social media and guests coming on to the show. She then worked her way up to where she is today. The hosts agree that they would recommend this job to anybody wanting to get into radio.

The Club By Nayoung Lee The Club, located inside the Sam Rayburn Student Center, provides different programs and events essential to making life on campus more pleasant. It is the place for A&MCommerce students, as well as people within the Commerce community, to feel free to come and enjoy getting along with each other. There are a variety of programs or events every semester. They usually change every year, so people can participate in and experience various events in The Club. Also, The Club sometimes collaborates on several events with other student organizations or the Campus Activities Board. They update their events information on their Facebook page (TheClub SRSC), Twitter and Instagram (@tamuctheclub), and the university calendar. As well as hosting events, The Club has a game room with video games and pool tables. There is also a counter where people can buy drinks and select food items. Students are welcome to come in anytime during the day. The Club is open Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to midnight, Saturday, from 9 a.m. to midnight, and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 10 p.m.

“TNL is for people to just stay in Commerce on the weekends. We host the event for people to have more fun and have a meaningful time in Commerce.” - Glory Cassagonol, event coordinator of the Club “There is no movie theater in Commerce, so I like The Club movie night very much. I saw several movies in The Club every Tuesday. It has a big screen and good sound. The best thing is watching movies on campus.” –Youngjin Cho, junior “I think The Club is probably the best place for students to be on campus. The events in The Club are to make sure that students have good experience.” - Glory Cassagonol, event coordinator of the Club “I think The Club does a good job putting on different events for students to enjoy.” -Gizem Baydar, senior “I like listening to new and different music in the singer/songwriter showcase. It’s like a small concert on campus and it is informal, so I feel really comfortable and enjoy the music.” – Jaehyuk Lee, sophomore

Sean Bates sings an original song at the Singer Songwriter Showcase.

Above: Students at the Luau Party enjoy cultural food and drink. Right: A band at the Luau Party provides Hawaiian music in the background. Bottom Right: Students milling about on a regular day.

List of Events Movie Night

Tuesdays, The Club shows different movies

Themed Party (changes every year)

Luau Party provides Hawaiian food, music from the university band, and different activities to experience Hawaiian culture.

Singer/Songwriter Showcase

People show off their original songs, not cover songs. Also, they have the opportunity to listen to new music they have never heard before.

Thursday Night Live (karaoke)

TNL provides entertainment, such as karaoke, musical bands, or poetry. People participate to show off their talent.

Outdoor Adventure By Malcolm Hornsby

climber or skilled athlete to get involved with Outdoor Adventure. “All of our events, unless otherwise stated, are set up to be beginner friendly while still appealing to those participants with a higher experience level,” Crossland said. From the climbing wall and 18-hole disc golf course, to a challenge course that is aimed to not only serve as a team and group strengthening asset but also a means to build personal growth, Outdoor Adventure as plenty. Those interested in learning more about Outdoor Adventure need not hesitate to take the first step. “They can join us on our trips or clinics, come climb with us at the climbing wall, play a round of disc golf at the Outdoor Adventure office, join in on a group road ride on Tuesdays at 5 p.m. also at Outdoor Adventure’s office,” Crossland said.

College is often the place, through rigorous course work, where individuals truly find themselves, but the challenge doesn’t stop with academics. The Outdoor Adventure organization on the campus of Texas A&M UniversityCommerce hopes through challenging obstacle courses, both on the ground and high in the sky participants will gain a stronger and refined appreciation for the world in which they live and interact. “Inspire…discover…and grow,” the three goals Outdoor Adventure sets for each of its members, serving as a benchmark for personal growth and advancement since an individual’s time with the organization. “As a department of Campus Recreation, Outdoor Adventure serves TAMU-C and the Commerce community by operating the climbing wall in the MRC and the 18hole disc golf course at the Outdoor Adventure Center,” Jordan Crossland, Outdoor Adventure coordinator said. The climbing wall, located inside the Jerry D. Morris Recreation Center, serves as both a monotony breaker for students looking to try something new and exciting, while also proving itself as a strength and endurance training asset to individuals looking to improve their rock-climbing abilities. The 18-hole-disc golf course, located at Outdoor Adventure’s off-campus offices, is another outlet available to A&M-Commerce students looking to try out a new activity or for those more skilled at disc golf. “We engage participants incrementally so that we work up to the different challenges that we offer. Often times breaking down a challenge that lies before you into smaller more manageable bits will make accomplishing your end goal more manageable. This is also one of the transferable skills that we like our participants to take away with them,” Crossland said. Crossland believes skills learned through participation in Outdoor Adventure will also prove beneficial in life. Learning to dissect a large obstacle or problem in life into small, more manageable portions may allow for easier success. From building endurance to meeting new faces from the A&M-Commerce community, photo / Malcolm Hornsby Crossland says the benefits of Outdoor Adventure A&M-Commerce student rock wall climbing in the Rec Center prove to be endless. And the best part: you don’t need to be an experienced

Live Action Role Play

staff photo / patricia dillon

By Patricia Dillon

Although it is not an official student organization, the Live Action Role Play, or LARP, group uses the lawn area in front of the Hall of Langueages as its battleground. LARP is an intercative

role-playing game in which participants portray characters through physical action and using costumes and props. The group at the university uses non-lethal swords, maces, battle hammers and shields. LARP is an open group that welcomes anyone in the

community, not just students. They have official practices at least once a week, though there can be as many as two or three. Members can also meet together with just two or three people to practice on their own. In order to make sure people

don’t get hurt, there are a few ground rules, such as no hitting above the neck. There are also a limited number of ways for a person to “die” so that weapons aren’t just being swung aimlessly. If an opponent is struck in the chest or “loses” two limbs, then they are dead.

Note: The colors of the boxes on the map correspond to the hall quotes on the right.

Texas A&M University-Commerce offers a variety of housing options. There are freshman-designated halls, sorority and fraternity housing, married apartments, an all womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hall and more. Some of the students have given their input on the residence halls they live in.

14 Photo Credit / tamuc.edu

Smith Hall: Nicole Jones says “the price is cheap [but] you have to walk across the highway, share room; kitchen is awful, one washer and dryer on each floor, one shower with hot water, and no Wi-Fi.” staff Photo / Nayoung Lee

Berry Residence Hall: Mallory Butler likes that there are “private rooms, each hall floor doesn’t have to share a bathroom [but] only two plugs in the rooms and there isn’t any Wi-Fi.” staff Photo / Lis Valencia

New Pride: Coby Taibodeaux says “it’s like an apartment, and you still have your own room and kitchen. It’s close to everything on campus. [But] the rooms are small.” staff Photo / Nayoung Lee

Pride Rock: Tre Cook likes how “it’s nice, quiet most of the time and is kept up.” He dislikes the “mechanical errors, AC, electricity plus you need a key card for everything.” staff Photo / Nayoung Lee

Phase II: Elyssa Holland, a sophomore in Phase II, likes that “you can have privacy while having a roommate, you have an area where you can hang out with friends but still have room to your self for me-time.” But the “elevator breaks down a lot, maybe cause it’s a new building.” staff Photo / Nayoung Lee

Whitley: Jay Cevallos, who lives on the ninth floor, says that Whitley is more social than other residence halls. It’s nice and has WiFi. However, he dislikes the fire drills because “you have to walk down the stairs.” staff Photo / Nayoung Lee