Author Archives: Leslie Arietta

TAMUT Shows Greek Pride

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Leslie Arietta

It was a long week full of activities from trivia to bubble soccer. Texas A&M University-Texarkana had another successful Greek Week filled with fun and a little bit of competition. The activities went from Monday, April 4th to Saturday, April 9th. The participants of this years Greek Week consisted of Phi Lambda Chi fraternity and two Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority and Omega Delta Chi sorority.

Greek week began with Family Feud on Monday night. This game of family feud was very competitive. Alpha Sigma Alpha was in the lead with majority of the answers, but unfortunately for those that know how Family Feud works, it is easy to steal points just with one answer. Phi Lambda Chi got together and strategically stole the points away for the night with the win in Family Feud.

Tuesday was filled with fun community service events. Each Greek organizations collected as many cans as possible that were donated, but the challenge was to create a miniature golf course with the cans they collected. Time was crunching down and everyone was getting creative. The results of the miniature golf courses were; 1st place Phi Lambda Chi, 2nd place Alpha Sigma Alpha, and 3rd place Omega Delta Chi. The easy part was making the golf course, but the challenging part was getting through the golf course the results ended in Phi Lambda Chi 1st place, Omega Delta Chi 2nd place, and Alpha Sigma Alpha 3rd place. Putting aside all the competition at the end of the day the organizations came together and built picnic tables for the university.

Water Wednesday came around and the games were on. Water Wednesday consisted of water balloon dodgeball and slip n slide kickball. Unfortunately canoe racing got cancelled due to the windy weather, but the water activities still continued. Water balloon dodgeball was all fun and games with Phi Lambda Chi taking the win in both dodgeball and kickball.

Taking it back Thursday was filled with yard games. The activities started off with an egg toss that was a close game with Alpha Sigma Alpha taking the win. Next was life size Tic-tac-toe each organizations using their brains not to get cats game. Following tic-tac-toe was minute to win it relay which consisted of eating Oreos, stacking cups, emptying Kleenex boxes and shaking your tail feather. The last event of the day was bubble soccer which was an activity to remember and fun to play.

Friday was the beauty pageant for each organization. Each organization chose one person to participate and others to be back-up dancers. The boys had to dress like a girl and the girls had to dress like a boy. It was all fun filled with singing and different talents. Alpha Sigma Alpha took the win for the pageant show.

The last event was on Saturday to show support of the baseball team. Each organization put together a tail-gating party and showed up with the most spirit. They also had creative signs to support the baseball players during the game. Greek Week was filled with fun activities and competition.

 

All Work and No Play

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Leslie Arietta

Being a 22 year-old college student with one year left to graduate means that I have to spend my time wisely. Many college students in their 20s can relate to the exact lifestyle I live. Some college students have all the free time in the world and others have to plan accordingly to fit things in their schedule. My life is literally all work and no play.

There are many events to attend on campus of Texas A&M University-Texarkana that are happening now and the near future. These events include super lectures, talking events with special guests, activity events, intramural sports, and collegiate sporting events. There is an event occurring on campus at least once a week. If you have time it would be a great opportunity to attend an event because it could be beneficial for your day.

Unfortunately in my situation I do not have a lot of free time to be able to attend campus events and get involved. My focus in life right now is school and work. I am currently taking 18 hours of class and on top of that I work at least 35 hours a week at my job. For some college students, the college life is all fun and games, but for my college experience it is about getting my degree and being able to pay for my education.

Coming from California to Texas I have learned to be independent and take care of myself. I currently pay for my own tuition through scholarship, loans, and out-of-pocket costs. In order for me to pursue my degree I must have a job to support myself by paying my bills and providing necessities.

In the beginning of the semester I was beyond stressed because I had no time for anything unless it was school related or work related. I did not have a fun life while people around me had plenty of leisure time. Now in the middle of the semester I have learned to appreciate the way my time is spent. Sometimes you have to work hard now in life in order to have a successful future and that is my life motto to get me through this semester. It is no longer about my life now, but it is about my life in the future.

If you are a current college student who is going through the same experience my advice to you is to take a deep breath. The college life is about building a lifestyle for yourself that can help you be successful in the future. It is okay to have a lifestyle of all work and no play, but remember to give yourself a little break when possible so you do not have stress. The key to stay motivated is to get organized and have a plan and all this hard work will pay off in the end. Appreciate your success that you are building now.

The Beauty of Soccer

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Leslie Arietta

My parents always told me, “no hands,” so I would run around the front yard with my hands up saying, “no hands.” That was the moment I became a soccer player. Soccer has been a part of my life for seventeen years. This sport is what I know best and I surrounded my life around it and it will always be a part of my life.

I chose soccer to be a part of my life because soccer to me is a unique sport. There are no constant set plays in soccer, there are no timeouts, and it is a one point game which makes it intense for the audience. Soccer is beautiful because there is so much freedom for the athlete to use their technical and tactical skills. On the field there are so many decisions to make, whether to release the ball and be a play maker, or keep the ball and use your skills to open up more space on the field. Whoever has the ball at their feet makes the decisions of the game.

Soccer is a dynamic sport. It contains eleven positions on the field, each having their own importance. Starting with the goalkeeper, this is the only position that is allowed to touch the ball with their hands. The goalkeeper is important because the keeper has the vision of the whole entire field. They are the directors and the voice of the field. Without a keeper there would be plenty of goals scored and the game would be too easy.

In front of the goalkeeper is the defensive line, which consists of; a left and right outside defender and two central defenders. Being a defender their job is to be mentally and physically smart. They have to be able to stop the opportunity of a goal happening.  The defensive line is important because if the ball gets through everyone else they are the last line to prevent the ball reaching the goalkeeper. The defenders are the ones who must distribute the ball to get the play to the other side of the field.

Before the ball gets to the defense it has to get through the midfield. The midfielders are considered the brain of the game. They have the most possession of the ball in a game. Midfield consists of one left and right outside mid, and three central midfielders. In the center midfield there are usually two attacking midfielders and one defensive midfielder that stays back to hold the midfield down. The attack midfielders are the play makers of the game these players have to be very technical and tactical in order to distribute the ball properly around the field. The outside midfielders are the marathon runners of the sport. Outside midfielders typically stay on the lines of the field to open up space and they distribute the ball with crosses to switch the field or to create an opportunity towards goal.

In order for the opportunities for goals to be created the team must have a forward. The forward position plays a huge role in the game of soccer because usually they are the targets on the team to get the ball to. Forwards mostly contain speed in short distance and their purpose of the game is to be able to make runs on the field to receive the ball. Forwards have the most pressure to score for the team because that is their one and only priority. Typically a forward should have the most goals scored in a season.

Soccer is more than just putting the ball in the back of the net though. It is more about what you do to get the ball in the back of the net. The dynamic thing about soccer is the tactics of the game. There are multiple formations you can play, but you have to be smart depending on the team you are going against. The two most common formations on the field are a 4-4-2; four defender, four midfielders, and two forwards, or a 4-5-1; four defenders, five midfielders, and one forward. Throughout the game the formation can change depending if you are trying to attack aggressively or maintain the game.

A lot of people believe soccer is boring because it is a low scoring game, but being a soccer player makes the game more intense. The game of soccer is about the decision making each player makes to get the ball in the back of the net. The game is exciting because it takes a lot of effort to score one goal. With football if you are down by a touchdown they can call timeouts to waste time or they can easily gain yardage in two minutes to score. In basketball it is possible to score in seconds and they are allowed to call timeouts. Soccer separates itself because one point is not simple to get under two minutes and there are no timeouts so the time is ticking as the team is trying to catch up. One goal in soccer has so much excitement behind it compared to three touchdowns in football because it’s a team buildup of getting the ball to the goal. A low scoring game makes the goals more memorable and important.

The fact the game of soccer is so dynamic and builds creativeness on the field makes it easy for me to be passionate about it. Many people have passions, but this sport has been my passion for seventeen years and now I am finally ending my collegiate career. I may no longer play soccer, but my interest in soccer remains. Everyone in this world has that one interest that will always be a part of their life. This is my interest because I know the ins and outs of this sport and as I look at it in a different perspective I continue to learn and develop on the game of soccer. Soccer will forever be a part of my life.

What is a Lazy Day?

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Leslie Arietta

The rain is dripping against the window and I am covered underneath a bundle of blankets and my body print is sinking into the memory foam of the bed. The room is dark and cozy while watching television. Three movies later and there is no telling what time it is.

That sounds like the perfect lazy day right? Well that was the description of a day I wish I had, but unfortunately I had to get back to reality because there is no time for a lazy day in my life. Finals are around the corner and the semester is over in less than two weeks. Thanksgiving break is over and it is time to hit the books and get in any last minute assignments or studying.

Being a college student, lazy days do not exist for me anymore. I cannot just sit around all day and do nothing because I feel like I am falling behind on life. If I am not going to school I am working and if I am not working I am doing homework or work around the house. I remember when I used to have nothing to do and had unlimited free time and lazy days. Being an adult, I continue to do something productive and I am used to having a busy schedule.

What is a lazy day anymore? I wish I knew what it felt like to have a lazy day, but unfortunately the older you get the less time you have to relax. Even if I want to try to relax anymore I cannot just sit around and not be productive. I appreciate the short nap times I get throughout the day, but I am a busy bee and will continue to be throughout my college career. Adulthood has definitely hit me and every since I have been non stop busy, but I make the best of it and get things done.

2nd Home for the Holidays

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Leslie Arietta

The weather is changing and the leaves are falling. Students are cleaning out their dorms and packing up their suitcases. The semester is almost over and Thanksgiving break is on its way. Most students are fortunate enough to be going home for the holidays, but unfortunately I am not one of them.

I am a California girl going to a university in Texas. Being a college student, it is not easy financially, during the holidays. I am on a college budget and have to work to pay for my tuition and other necessities. Other students are fortunate enough to live in state and only have to drive a couple of hours to spend the holidays at home. My story is different I need a plane ticket to get home for the holidays and this year I cannot afford to go home for Thanksgiving, but do not make assumptions that all out of state students will not make it home. I know quite a few students who are fortunate enough to go home for the holidays who live outside of Texas.

Just because I cannot be home for Thanksgiving does not mean I am not appreciative for this holiday. I am more than fortunate to have friends and loved ones around me to spend the holidays with. If you are one of the few college students not going home for the holidays do not worry you are not alone and you can still make the best of your holidays with your friends. My friends and my boyfriend are my family away from home. I am fortunate that my boyfriend is from Texas so I get to spend the night before Thanksgiving with his family. Yes I said the night before Thanksgiving because we are college students with part time jobs that are open on Thanksgiving. Instead of a nice Thanksgiving dinner I will be having a nice Thanksgiving lunch.

Some people say Thanksgiving is about the food, the football, family or shopping. For me this year Thanksgiving will be about how much I appreciate the little things I have in life. Although I cannot spend the holidays with my family I can still spend it with my loved ones and friends. Being a college student is tough around the holidays, but it is what you make of it at the end of the day. So whether you are with your family, your friends or loved ones during the holidays never forget the little things in life that makes Thanksgiving special to you.

Talladega Superspeedway

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Leslie Arietta

Ladies and gentlemen start your engines! The crowd is loud and the race is about to begin. Grab a seat and watch the show because we have 200 laps to go!

November 13th on our way home from Georgia our women’s Eagles soccer team bus took a detour in Lincoln, Alabama. “What could possibly be in the small city of Lincoln, AL?” was my exact thought. The bus pulled up to the Talladega Superspeedway. The view from the bus was jaw dropping. The speedway was huge and made me feel like I was an ant next to a human.

At the Talladega Superspeedway they charge an eight dollar tour on the track, a twelve dollar museum/hall of fame tour or sixteen dollars for both. I was fortunate enough to do the tour on the track.

We got on the tour van and we began going through the north tunnel of the race track. The same tunnel the motor homes and race cars come through. As we were going around the track the tour guide was presenting fun facts about the Talladega Superspeedway. The maximum speed is 200 mph on the race track. As we go around the track we pass four of the turns that are 4 stories tall. The average speed to stay on the turn is 90 mph if not then gravity will kick in. In the middle of the race tracks is a grass field and that is where the overnight campers can stay for the race. As we cross the finish line to the left was Gatorade Victory Lane, which is the area where the winner of the race stands.

Spending eight dollars for the tour around the Talladega Superspeedway was a once in a lifetime experience for me. Being a girl from California I have been blessed to explore many states since I have been in Texas. If you are ever in Alabama I would suggest making a pit stop at the Talladega Superspeedway.

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Talladega Superspeedway-Lincoln, Alabama

Eat.Sleep.Soccer

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Leslie Arietta

“It’s about pride; in ourselves, in our school. It’s about our love and passion for the game. And when it’s all over; when we walk off that court or field for the last time, our hearts crumble. Those tears are real. But deep down inside, we are very proud of ourselves. We will forever be what few can call ourselves…. Student Athletes.” – Quotesgram.

Being a student athlete is a life challenge. You have to be willing to stay self-disciplined and spend majority of your summer preparing for preseason not just for yourself, but for your team. You might just regret it if you are not in shape before preseason. My sport is soccer, which is during the fall so you have to be prepared to arrive two weeks early before the fall semester begins for preseason or “hell week” as athletes like to call it. During preseason my life is eat, sleep, and soccer. Sometimes I forget what a social life is during the time because my life is revolved around soccer for those two weeks until school is in session.

There is more to a student athlete than just winning the championship game or going professional. We are students before we are athletes. We choose to go to college because we want a degree. We want to be prepared for the future and learn how to excel on the field and in the classroom. We could never be athletes if we did not succeed in the classroom. We are no different than any student — we are all here for the same reason, but we have a passion for the sport we play and cannot let go of it yet. Sometimes being an athlete is our motivation for being a student. Without the grades we could not even step foot on the field or the court. Some people believe we get it easy in the classroom and get excused for missed assignments or tests, but in reality we have to work for our grades just like everyone else attending the university.

Five tips that have made me a successful student athlete many should follow: 1.) Introduce yourself to the professor at the beginning of the semester. 2.) Always sit in the first two rows of the classroom so you do not get distracted. 3.) Notify your teachers ahead of time when you will be away so you can complete any assignments you will be missing. 4.) Attend your study hours. 5.) Remember that being a student always comes before being an athlete.

Student athletes spend the majority of their time on the bus traveling. Sometimes the bus is our classroom, bedroom, and sometimes film room.  The bus is an athlete’s mobile home because we travel with our school work and bring our pillows and blanket for the long ride. If athletes are not studying on the bus we are usually sleeping or getting prepared for our game. We spend late nights on the bus and sometimes multiple days to get to our destination.

There are benefits of being a student athlete, but we are never handed anything without working for it. We earn our success on the field and in the classroom but there is always room for improvement. Being a student athlete has been a challenge, but at the end of the day we do it for the life lessons, the experience, and for our fans. We focus in the classrooms to get our degrees and we focus on the field to get our championship. This is what it takes to be a student-athlete and at the end of the day, it is all worth it.

Pinktober

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Leslie Arietta

“On Wednesdays we wear pink,” Regina George says in the film Mean Girls. Well, I have a new quote for Regina George, “In October, Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) wears pink.” October is the month of Breast Cancer Awareness and the students and faculty of TAMUT have come together to contribute to this month.

On Thursday, October 8th the National Sorority Interest Group (NSG) held a bake sale. This bake sale was breast cancer themed and some of the funds went towards breast cancer awareness. NSG had plenty of goodies on their bake sale table and all of them were pink to help raise awareness for breast cancer.

The next morning Friday, October 9th students and faculty of TAMUT gathered together on the lawn of the University Center to participate in Pink Out Friday. Everyone was wearing pink and gathered to make a human pink ribbon to take a photo. The outcome was successful and it was a fun way to get a variety of people to help raise awareness of breast cancer. Later on that evening TAMUT women’s soccer team was hosting a game against Dallas Christian College. For this game the members of the soccer team had a piece of pink on them during the game whether it was electrical tape for their socks or ribbons and headbands for their hair. The Eagles were in full support.

Texas A&M University-Texarkana will continue to support the month of breast cancer awareness. Students, faculty, organizations, and athletes will all be participating in Race for the Cure this Saturday, October 17th at the Four States Fairgrounds. Some will be running or walking in Race for the Cure while others will be helping with setting up and getting ready for Race for the Cure.

Little Kickers

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Leslie Arietta

Dribble! Pass! Shoot! Little kickers are on the move towards goal and no one can stop them. Saturday morning, September 26th the women’s soccer team of Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) volunteered to coach at the Grady T. Wallace Soccer Complex.

There were two groups of Little Kickers, U3 group at 10am and U4 group at 11am. The TAMUT soccer team arrived early to set up the different drills the Little Kickers would be doing. Three drills consisted of dribbling, passing, and shooting. The U3 group started to sign in and put on their new Little Kickers shirt before they were split up into groups, boys on one side and girls on the other.

It was time to get started and the TAMUT soccer team had its hands full with the little ones running around and having fun. Some of the kids were energetic and others were shy and took a while to participate. Each kid had the chance to develop skills with the ball. The kids got thirsty and worked up a sweat so in between drills they got water breaks. The most successful station was shooting on goal. Most of the kids were engaged and ready to make a goal.

The U3 session came to an end and the U4 group were slowly arriving. The TAMUT soccer team had just enough time to reorganize, get some water, and modify the drills. Since shooting on goal was the most successful point for the U3 group they decided to incorporate passing and dribbling towards goal for the U4 group. These techniques kept the U4 group more involved and organized. This group had a little more experience than the U3 and got through the drills a lot more smoothly. The Little Kickers session was a success. TAMUT women’s soccer team gave back their knowledge and skills to the community and will continue to coach the Little Kickers.

The Eagles on the Road

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Leslie Arietta

When the storm is coming the Eagle will soar higher. Friday morning the Eagles women’s soccer team of Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) packed their bags, and headed towards Siloam Springs, Arkansas. Their game was scheduled for 7 pm vs. John Brown University Golden Eagles. The Eagles knew they had a long bus ride ahead so they took their pregame naps while others were doing homework and getting focused.

Eagles were ready to step on the field and face the Golden Eagles. From the start TAMUT knew this would be a challenging team to beat. (Junior) Sara Lachance finished a cross from Robinson and started the Golden Eagles with a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute of the first half. The Eagles were still in the game fighting back and then in the 26th minute (freshmen) Anna Brown received a deflection off the post and was able to find the back of the net giving the Golden Eagles a 2-0 lead before halftime.

The second half started and the Golden Eagles kept the momentum going while the Eagles could not find their momentum before the 3rd goal of the game was scored in the 52nd minute by (freshmen) Melody Hagen. Just three minutes after Samantha Weber gave the Golden Eagles a 4-0 lead. The Eagles were still trying to find the back of the net. (Sophomore) Samantha Sharpnack-Isom from the Eagles found the rebound off (freshmen) Emily Bybee’s free kick and was able to put it in the back of the net in the 72nd minute. The Eagles (2-4-0) had multiple attempts and fell short against the Golden Eagles (3-4-0).

Despite TAMUT’s loss against John Brown University they got back on the bus and headed towards Tulsa, Oklahoma to recover and get mentally focused for their game on Sunday, September 20th against Rogers State University at 3 pm.

The Eagles were looking to change their luck on the road against the Hillcats. They were high pressuring from the start and continued to have multiple shots on goal from (sophomore) Samantha Sharpnack-Isom, but unfortunately could not get them behind the net. Sharpnack-Isom was able to draw the focus on her in the 23rd minute and eventually slid a pass through to (senior) Leslie Arietta and was able to slide it pass the keepers hands and found the back of the net to get the Eagles on the scoreboard (1-0). The Hillcats were fighting back, but the score remained the same as the first half came to an end.

Second half was on its way and the Eagles were looking to put the game away, but the Hillcats were fighting to remain in the game. In the 57th minute the Hillcats received a penalty kick and Taylor Geissler stepped up to take the kick. (Junior) Gabriella Flores was able to stop the penalty kick for the Eagles, but Geissler found the rebound of the ball and deflected it off an Eagle defender to tie the game (1-1). The battle to take the lead began. The Eagles re organized their selves after and found (sophomore) Sharpnack-Isom up top as she slid the ball through the defense on the left flank to (freshmen) Emily Bybee and put the game leading goal away with 13 minutes remaining in the game. Hillcats battled back to tie up the game, but fell short multiple times. In the 88th minute (freshmen) Michelle Lee sent a cross to the right side of the field and (senior) Arietta took a shot near post over the keeper to seal the game for the Eagles (3-1). The Eagles are still soaring and are on the rise to raise their record. Come out and support the next game on Monday the 28th where the Eagles (3- 4-0) will be hosting Bethel University Wildcats (2-3-1).