The Special (Fall 2016) by The Special

Fall 2016

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 and spring terms. CONTACT: The Special, Texas A&M University - Commerce, Box 4104, Commerce, Texas 75428 STAFF: Jason Nam, Spencer Nelson, Kimberly Thompson, Cindy Rios, Tiara Murdock. FACULTY ADVISER: Fred Stewart (Fred.Stewart@tamuc.edu)

A table of Contents President of Student Government Association ...... Page 3

By Spencer Nelson Pride Marching Band Drum Major ........................... Page 5

By Kimmie Thompson President of Muticultural Greek Council ................. Page 7

By Cindy Rios Captain of the Lion Dance Team .............................. Page 9

By Tiara Murdock Editor of The East Texan, student newspaper ........ Page 11

By Gwiwon Jason Nam

Will Horton- SGA Will Horton is a senior at Texas A&M University-Commerce, who serves as president of the Student Government Association (SGA). Horton is a double majoring in Political Science and English with a minor in Philosophy.

Will Horton- SGA

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Whenever you are strugling, just remember â&#x20AC;&#x153;It builds charicterâ&#x20AC;? 63/140

W I L L H O RTO N

ow Horton came into student government was by meeting the chair of the senate during his freshman orientation which lead to him becoming interested in SGA. As president, it helps him have a better understanding on political science. Horton said that psychology and sociology are two other large factors in studying this ﬁeld. The Student Government Association is not only focused on events through the SGA, but is driving a larger focus on external aﬀairs with providing smoking shelters for on-campus smokers along with creating a Student House of Representatives that all student organizations would be included in. “A more diverse and inclusive SGA is always able to serve the student better. I also think that students and alumni need to know each other more” Said Horton. The idea from Horton to create the student House of Representatives would be to include all school organizations from the fandom society to greek life in a more universal student body. With the smoking shelters, Horton, plans to provide a gazebo style locations that have an ash tray benches to provide smokers a more adequate place to smoke so that it can be respected by student smokers. “Duties are strenuous at times, but the job is very rewarding and my personal life is impacted in positive ways by holding this position”

Said Horton when asked about how his position affects his social life. Having to maintain regular office hours, he usually has to meet with two or more student organizations per week. Horton has his busiest days on Wednesdays usually due to having executive board meetings followed by a senate meeting. Another Organization Horton is apart of includes, Pi Sigma Alpha, the political science honors society where he serves as vice president. When asked who he looks up to in life as a role model, he responded with several men but his baseline role model is his father. “My father often serves as my baseline role model for intellectual pursuits and personal conduct” said Horton “however it is my maternal grandmother’s social etiquette which I really appreciate” Outside of his family, he looks up to a few texans such as John Connolly, the 39th Governor of Texas, and Bob Bullock, Texas Politician for 40 years. He also looks up to one of our more notable alumni at TAMU-C, Sam Rayburn. A favorite quote of his is the simple “It builds character” To most, this is phrase can be taken in a joking manner or a light way while to Horton “It builds character” is a saying that people can benefit from. “Every action a person takes, every word he or she says, each formative event in the life of a human being, all of this builds a person’s character” Said Horton.

@thaituuu Thai-Tu Nguyen (inset) is a drum major at Texas A&M University - Commerce and is a member of the Pride Marching Band. He is involved with his chapter Zeta Kappa - of Kappa Kappa Psi the music major fraternity on campus. Nguyen is studying to be a band director and is a Born on August 30 marching band technician at Rowlett and Lake Highlands high schools.

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Wind Ensemble & Chorale taking a selﬁe in Salzburg, Austria on their European tour this past summer. Pride Marching Band makes a heart shape, in support of a student who was hit on schoolʼ’s crosswalk.

Kappa Kappa Psi won an award at the district convention and Thai-Tu got to stand up and receive it.

Leading the band By Kimmie Thompson

Saturday nights under the luminous lights of the stadium with the roar of instruments all around him is not stranger for Thai-Tu Nguyen as its half time of another Texas A&M University-Commerce football game. At 20, Nguyen is one of the Pride Marching Band Drum Majors. . Nguyen started his music career at the Rowlett High School parking lot his freshman year of high school when he signed up for band as his required elective.

[people] are Taylor Watts and Koji Mori and they coming here and teaching a bunch of high school students as well as working the camp as a counselor for the past two years, inspired me to push myself each time I get up and play.” When the time came to apply for colleges Nguyen had no doubt that A&M – Commerce was the place for him, already knowing that Commerce has one of the best music education programs in the state of Texas. Arriving as a freshman, Nguyen immediately began to shadow the drum majors before him to gain better insight into the world of a leader.

“I had always loved music and knew I wanted to use this opportunity to experience it ﬁrst hand, turns out it was my true calling as I love it just as much today as I did then,” he said, looking back on why he chose band.

He worked hard to gain recognition and it paid off when in the spring of 2016 he was told that in the 2016-17 academic year he was going to be one of the main Drum Majors.

Having no idea what he was in store for, Nguyen worked diligently on perfecting his music - going to band practice every day after school, attending lessons on weekends and using Friday night football games as an extra time to practice. Turns out, practice made perfect as Nguyen was ﬁrst chair in his section all throughout high school.

Nguyen practiced all summer with the Pride Marching Band preparing for the upcoming academic year.

When he looks back at what inspired him to dedicate more than 20 hours a week to his craft as well as become a leader on campus, he said, “In high school, it was one of my old drum majors who really made me want to be drum major and from there it just kind of took off and now probably the main

“I take time before practice setting up all the recommended equipment for that day and I stay after practice if someone has trouble with their piece. I make sure everything runs smoothly and there aren’t any hiccups to optimize performance time,” he said. Nguyen wants to continue being a drum major for the years he is on campus, and hopes to continue his career in teaching music education at his alma mater Rowlett High School.

Vivianna Guillen @_VivianaGuillen

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Kappa Delta Chi Inc. / President of the Multicultural Greek Council #TAMUC16

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Viviana Guillen Multicultural Greek Council President By Cindy Rios Viviana Guillen currently serves as president of the Multicultural Greek Council at Texas A&M University – Commerce. With her mother from Honduras and her father from Mexico, she embraces the multicultural in Multicultural Greek Council. Guillen was born in Houston and moved to Dallas when she was in third grade. She went on to graduate from North Garland High School and attended her ﬁrst semester of college at University of Texas at Arlington then transferred to A&M – Commerce the following semester. The Multicultural Greek Council currently consists of two fraternities and one sorority. Guillen serves as a member of the one sorority, Kappa Delta Chi Inc. Currently serving her second semester as president, she says that a lot of her responsibility includes funding for the council and helping with involvement for the sorority and fraternities. “I create a pathway to getting them involved on campus,” Guillen said. Not only serving as president of the council, Guillen also serves as a mentor on campus and serves on the executive board of her sorority. Completing her second year, going Greek almost instantly made Guillen get involved.

“It made me push myself to be a better person and grow to be a leader on campus,” Guillen said.

In spring 2016 she decided to run for president of the council to further her involvement.

“Iʼ’ve always wanted to play the bigger role. I can be a follower but I have always wanted to excel in the role of a leader.” ....Guillen “People were telling me to do it, so obviously, they saw something in me. It motivated me to run for the position.” Before coming in as president, the council was going through some reconstruction and rebranding eﬀorts. Guillen set goals of completing the reconstructing and rebranding but also wanted to work on raising the accounts balance and having the sorority and fraternities more involved. So far, she has managed to reach those goals. An original quote that she would want to be remembered by is,

“Your life is like a piece of clay, and you have the option to mold it however you desire.” Aside from her leadership role of the council, Guillenʼ’s hobbies include just relaxing when she gets a chance. “I like to sit on the couch and watch Netﬂix or Hulu, itʼ’s my time to catch up on shows Iʼ’ve missed. Another thing I like to do is draw and design random items on Adobe Illustrator. Overall, I like to hang out with friends and just spend quality time chatting,” Guillen said. Guillen is a marketing major expected to graduate December 2016. She has plans to continue her education at University of North Texas to pursue her masterʼ’s in public relations.

Jazmyn Goolsby By Tiara Murdock

As a student at Texas A&M UniversityCommerce, there are opportunities to get involved and gain leadership roles. Senior psychology major Jazmyn Goolsby, holds a significant position as the captain of the Lion Dance Team. Born and growing up in Dallas, Jazmyn started dancing when she was two years old. Transferring from the University of North Texas, where she also danced on the North Texas Dance team, she joined the Lion Dance Team in 2015 and a year later, became captain. “Dance is passion,” Jazmyn said. “I wanted to become captain because I wanted that leadership role. I wanted to step up and be a bigger and better person.” Outside of being the captain of the dance team, Jazmyn is also a resident assistant at Phase 2 Residential Hall. Wanting to expand her leadership abilities, she had a passion for mentoring residents as well as handle mediation and develop conflict resolutions that she can use later in her career, building community, create passive and active programs, and ensure a healthy and safe environment for students that live in the residential hall. Goolsby said, “I describe leadership as someone who is committed and honest. Someone who is willing to lead in the positive direction. Being a captain helps influence my RA role by helping me bring positivity not only to my teammates but to my

residents. I build community as the dance team captain just like I do in my RA position. Both positions help me direct people in the right direction.” Jazmyn`s co-workers see her leadership abilities around the residence hall. Many think she does a very good job balancing two major positions, and wonders how she does it all while keeping up with her school work. Caleb Farris, Phase 2 resident assistant said, “Jazmyn shows great leadership by wanting us as RAs to do more for our residents and also by caring for us.” Outside of dancing and being an RA, Jazmyn loves to shop, work out, and travel. She also wants to be remembered by the quote “She believed she could, so she did.” Her teammates idolize her multiple leadership roles and show much appreciation for her as a captain. Jade Noel, Lion Dance Team member, said, “She`s a good captain. Sometimes she is a little strict but that is what a team needs to get it together. She is a great performer and brings lots of energy to the dances.”

“Dance is Passion,” ...Jazmyn Goolsby

Photo Courtesy Jazymn Goolsby

JOURNALIST T h e E a s t Te x a n

EDITORS

The Special

Editors’ Personal Opinion The East Texan is official student newspaper of Texas A&M University – Commerce, published 11 times per semester during the Fall and Spring by six editors and journalism students in reporting classes. Story & Photographs by Gwiwon Jason Nam

here are in six editors of The East Texan student newspaper. Editor Travis Hairgrove, managing editor Alissa Silva, sports editor Ricky Moser, opinion editor Kerry Wilson, entertainment editor Imogene Wofford, web editor Todd Kleiboer Hairgrove, supervises other positions, coordinating web and printed editions. He is also in charge of coming up the story ideas, working with managing editor on promotional activities, social media and quality control, copy editing stories, coming up with headline, teaser for the first page and submitting it to the print shop.

“I was a music teacher, but I got tired of education system,” Travis Hairgrove He said the main thing is to pay attention as much as possible to what is going on around campus and in the world and figuring out how we can cover it and connect with the university. He is a journalism news - editorial major, pursuing his second bachelor’s degree. He also holds a music degree from A&M Commerce. “Kind of long story. When I was kid, I always liked to try to entertain people. I got into music and it soon became basically the most important thing to me. I was a music teacher, Editor Hairgrove was musician but I got tired of and this photography is his old picture around 2009 provided by him. education system,” Hairgrove said. He was playing instrument. PHOGOGRAPHY BY TRAVIS HAIRGROVE

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State Fair

QUESTION

Editors and Staff reporters went to Texas State Fair for the membership training. From the left staff reporter Jaz, editor Travis Hairgrove, Managing editor Alissa Silva, Sport editor Ricky Moser, staff reporter Alex Medrano

Interviewing Web editor Todd Kleiboer is interviewing about school art event and exhibit

What is your most interesting experience in your position? Hairgrove: “Overall, for me it is my name at the top of the newspaper.” Silva: “Nothing extraordinary has happened but I am able to design front and back pages each week and putting it all together, that’s super interesting to me.” Moser: “I just started video online two weeks ago, and it is great experience for me.” PHOTOGRAPHY BY GWIWON JASON NAM

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Wilson: “The most interesting experience of my position would have to be the night I and some other

editors stayed in the news room until nearly in the morning.” Wofford: “Interesting thing I have learned is that collaboration stimulates creativity. When I see staff members working together, the end result is amazing ... two or more heads are much better than one.” Kleiboer: “Our web design looked ugly the sive. That’s the most interesting experience.” Did you have any difficulties in your position? Hairgrove: “Balanced to find leadership

& ANSWER Wofford:

The East Texan The Students Newspaper of Texas A&M University - Commerce

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GWIWON JASON NAM

is sometimes I feel like all eyes are on me since I am an editor.”

t with the artist.

and letting people do in way experience.” Silva:

tion, I was having a hard time expressing myself as someone in a leader delegates but doesn’t abuse power.” Moser: “This is sports season, so lots of events are going around. But I cannot attend every event, so Wilson: my position. The only hard thing about my position is whenever I wait until the last minute to do everything and have to do it in one day.”

Kleiboer: “Sometimes it gets a little overwhelming, and also reporting is one of the hardest task for me.” What are your future goals? Hairgrove: “I want to be in business myself within journalism and also as a Silva: “My future goal is to become editor of a magazine.” Moser: “My goal is to work at ESPN as play by’ play, commentary or traveling sports reporter.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GWIWON JASON NAM

“

I had to figure out how a leader delegates but doesn’t abuse power Alissa Silva

Wilson: “My future goal is to work in corporate communications doing a variety of things such as media relations, employee relations and public affairs.” Wofford: “I want to be a part of a PR team that manages and advises a major company. I also want to do travel PR for the company where I can travel all over the world.” Kleiboer: “My educational goal is a master degree in English and my career goal is editor in a publishing company.”

PHOTOGRAPHY BY GWIWON JASON NAM

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The Special