We appreciate the great interest taken by our readers this past semester in the relaunch of TAMUT’s digital newspaper, Eagle Eye. The Fall 2015 MCOM 310 class published about 100 stories in just a few months. Their names appear all over the next 10 Web pages. We intend Eagle Eye to resume in Spring 2016 with new writers, stories, and viewpoints. Until then, have a safe and restful holiday season, and like us HERE.
Category Archives: X-Files (Archive)
Campus Church
Hanna Fletcher
Each one of us needs encouragement, especially with all the craziness and stress we experience each day. We all need a positive and uplifting community of people. Campus Church was created to encourage and build up students on campus and meet their needs. When students are facing a crisis in life or with school, a personal or family need, or at their most vulnerable, we want to respond with care and compassion, ready to serve and love our neighbor. We believe Christ has freed us to embrace and care for people in any situation.
Campus Church offers a variety of opportunities to become involved in. Campus outreaches take place throughout the semester, such as providing free meals at the dormitory, or giving away snacks or toiletries for those who live on campus. Also, there is a bible study that takes place each week at Bringle Lake Village every Tuesday.
Each semester, “Campus Church” is an event organized by student leaders here at Texas A&M University – Texarkana. It consists of fellowship, worship, and a message presented by student leaders associated with the Campus Church organization.
We are called to do God’s work in a complex world. This is a Christian based organization, but there is no emphasis on denomination, religion, ethnicity or background. Campus Church has open arms to each person on and off campus. Campus Church is here to serve the students by encouraging, and speaking life into each student.
Find a Campus Church representative to find out more on how you can become involved!
Small Steps to a Stronger Immune System
Ashley Morrow
As a college student, balancing work, school, and free time can become overwhelmingly busy and getting sick doesn’t help make it easier. Try using these tips as preventatives before full-blown cold or flu symptoms occur. Follow nature’s way to health!
Sips of Citrus- Adding a lemon or a lime wedge to water or tea allows the body to detox and rid itself of any impurities. Both fruits are a great source of Vitamin C, and they are an inexpensive alternative to orange juice or Vitamin C tablets. Lemon and lime both contain anti-microbial properties that assist in fighting bacterial or viral infections.
Tea Time- Herbal tea with Echinacea root can be found in most health food stores or grocery stores. Echinacea is a powerful herb that stimulates white blood cells, which help attack foreign bodies. This herb is also an anti-septic which is used to alleviate sore throats, allergies, colds, or the flu. Fair warning: tea with Echinacea does not taste great, but it beats a trip to the doctor.
Diet and Exercise- Compared to supplements and pills, eating your way to health is much more satisfying. Fruits and veggies containing Vitamin A, B-6, C, and E are the best immune boosters. Vitamin C can be found in many foods including broccoli, oranges, kiwi, and strawberries. Blueberries provide several B vitamins. Sweet potatoes and carrots are a good source of Vitamin A, and green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale contain Vitamin E.
Exercise increases and strengthens blood and lymph flow. The lymphatic system protects the body from infections by tracking down and killing any invading germs that have already entered the body. It takes only 20-30 minutes of exercise a day, but activity must be moderate and consistent to be effective.
Essential Oil Massages- Again, the lymphatic system is responsible for cleansing the body of waste by moving cellular fluid through the system. Lymph nodes are filtering centers for the blood and can be found all over the body including the throat and underarms. Massaging lymph nodes with essential oils such as rosemary, lemon, and grapefruit may aid in boosting the effectiveness of the immune system. Essential oils are all natural and may be found in health food stores, selected grocery stores, or online. If you are interested in essential oils, popular brands are Now and Young Living.
Cold Water Blasts- Some may not be eager to jump on this tip, especially during the cold months. Scientific studies from Canada and the Czech Republic show that exposure to cold water temperatures is a mild stressor that activates the immune system. This does not mean the entire shower must be a cold one. Take a regular warm shower and only use cold water the last 30-60 seconds of the shower time.
Drinking enough water, lowering stress levels, and getting enough sleep are also necessary for a healthy immune system.
A Spoonful of Honey Helps the Allergies Go Down
Ashley Morrow
Honey is a historical power food used for medicinal purposes. The Natural and Alternative Treatment database states that Hippocrates, the Greek physician, suggested honey for topical use, such as treating infected wounds and ulcers on the lips. The Romans used honey for upset stomach, sore throat, and cough. Egyptian records include honey for eye diseases, surgical dressing, and as an ingredient for homemade salves to treat burns. Honey is considered one of the oldest and natural sweeteners on earth and is an item to keep in the cupboard because it contains so many uses and health benefits. Also, because of the antibacterial qualities, honey has an impeccable shelf life. Egyptians would bury their royals with jars of honey, so the soul would have sustenance for the afterlife. Archaeologists are now finding pots of unspoiled honey in Egyptian tombs.
Numerous studies are conducted to see the medicinal benefits of honey. Included in these studies is an informal study conducted by students at Xavier University in New Orleans. The researchers divided allergy sufferers into three control groups. Some were given two teaspoons of honey a day, while others took non-local honey. After six weeks, the study showed that each group suffered less allergy symptoms, and the group taking the local honey showed the most improvement.
I recently moved to what seems like the allergy capital of the world: Texarkana, Arkansas. Growing up the country, I have a pretty strong immunity towards certain allergens but something in the air leaves me sniffling. Homeopathic medicine suggests fighting sickness with the small doses of that sickness over time. For example, if one is allergic to ragweed, exposure to small doses of ragweed will eventually help the body develop immunity. Recent health craze suggest using local grown honey to help with allergies because the pollen used to make that honey is collected from plants near the living location. Naturally, the pollen that causes watery eyes is used to make the honey. Local, raw honey is available in Texarkana in several locations: The Granery, Spices Unlimited, The Farmers Market, Twenty Cedars Farms, and selected grocery stores.
I decided to purchase local honey and test this theory on myself and my husband, who also suffers from allergies. We found many different uses to incorporate honey into our regular diets. I replaced the sugar in my tea with honey, supplemented using honey in my cookies and other baked goods, used honey in smoothies, and poured honey on daily servings of fruit. After using local honey daily for one month, we both eliminated our allergy symptoms. Once the honey jar emptied, I stopped buying it for a month to see if our bodies reverted back suffering from allergies. The theory proved true. Neither of us ingested local honey in two months and the allergy symptoms returned.
1 Chepulis, Lynn. Healing Honey: A Natural Remedy for Better Health and Wellness. Universal- Publishers, 2008. 30.
2
Buchmann, Stephen L. Letter from the Hive: An Intimate History of Bees, Honey, and Humankind. Random House. 2006.
3
Cochran, Brittany. “Honey: A sweet relief?” Xavier University. October 23, 2003. http://www.twobeekeepers.com/raw-honey-for-allergies/
Environmental Club Meeting
Erin DeBlanc
Are you interested in the EAGLE COMMUNITY GARDEN initiative?
Visit with TAMUT’s ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB Thursday, April 10th in room UC116 at 12:30, and share your thoughts.
Students will have the opportunity to influence local government, interact with other eco-friendly groups, and acquire new knowledge and skills pertinent to the field of environmental sciences and environmental communications.
Membership dues are only $5.00 and all proceeds will apply towards club events and philanthropic ventures.
For the first meeting, feel free to bring ideas for possible club logos.
We are also seeking potential members who are musicians that would be willing to play for an upcoming Earth Day event.
Please send inquiries related to the organization to erin.deblanc@ace.tamut.edu.
ENVIRONMENTAL CLUB
12:30, THURSDAY
APRIL 10, 2014,
ROOM UC116
Puppy Service
Alyssa Howard
How important is community service to you? Have you ever thought of all the organizations within your community that desperately need volunteers to assist in their services? Look around; you will easily find an organization to share your time with.
Community service is one of the National Panhellenic Council’s strong values. We strive to serve our university and our community the best we can. For the past couple of weeks we have held a donation drive for The Texarkana Animal Shelter. The donations we needed were dog and cat food, cleaning supplies, blankets and/or towels, and coins. At the end of the two weeks, we raised 20 dollars in coins, several sacks of 16, 50, and 100 pound dog food, 16 pound sacks of cat food, cans of dog and cat food, cleaning supplies, towels, and blankets. We want to give our appreciation to everyone that contributed to our donation drive.
Last Sunday we delivered all of the donations to the shelter and volunteered for three hours. We showed up on a perfect day, because they needed a big cleaning before the mayor comes in two weeks. There were 13 of us that arrived to work, so we split up into two groups. One group went downstairs, and the rest of us worked upstairs. First, we washed and dried all of the food bowls. Of course we made an assembly line, that way we could get the job done quicker.
After we washed dishes, we scrubbed every pen with a detergent/bleach mixture. Warning: if clumps of hair grosses you out, do not scrub the floor of a dog pen with a sponge. It was quite comical hearing some of the girls gagging and squealing. It was also great to see the teamwork happening while cleaning the pens. After we finished a couple of them, there seemed to be a pattern that we caught on to. Everyone had a certain job that they did, and it worked perfectly.
Next, we did laundry and organized one of the closets full of blankets, towels, and rugs. After we finished, our curiosity got the best of us, and we decided to travel downstairs to check on the other girls. Upon arriving, we learn that they have been holding some of the most adorable puppies we have ever seen. As soon as we saw small, fluffy balls of playfulness, we were sold. Minutes later, we discover a carrier full of another ten puppies. Our minds became overloaded with happiness. The employees could tell we were puppy lovers, so we got to bathe about 13 puppies. It was very interesting to see the difference in puppy personalities during bath time. Some went completely stiff, others went “panic attack mode” and splashed soap and water all over the place. In other words, bath time was quite comical.
At the end of our volunteer experience, the employees gave us their deepest appreciation. We made their day much easier, while their animals made our hearts warmer. If anyone is looking for community service hours or just wants to volunteer their time to help the community, please consider going to The Texarkana Animal Shelter. They can always use help and donations. Also, if anyone is looking for a new pet, please adopt one from the shelter. There is an abundance of sweet animals that need a loving home. The best pets are rescue animals.
How can you deny that face?
By:Alyssa Howard
(I copied and pasted the images, but let me know if they showed up or not please. I can send them to you, if not.)
Overcoming Obstacles Together Organization
Trent Hines
Making a shifty move, you get past the first defender, you hurdle over the next and the path is clear. There is nothing but green grass in front of you. Running, you pass the 50, the 40, the 30, the 20, the 10, and just before you’re approaching the in-zone, the opposing team player, number 24, comes to try to stop you from your touchdown. You have two options. You can run through the obstacle, or you can let the obstacle stop you. In life there are two options, you can attack your obstacles head on or you can let them defeat you.
My organization is Overcoming Obstacles Together, or O.O.T, is a Texas A&M University-Texarkana club in which people come and talk about the obstacles they face. Attendants of O.O.T go through 5 stages, introduction, acknowledgement, encouragement, overcoming, and finally sustainability.
In the first stage, people who attend get to know each other through icebreakers, games, and simple conversations. This stage allows the people to get familiar with people and to be comfortable for the next stage which is the acknowledgement stage.
In the acknowledgement stage people have an opportunity to share to the group what they have experienced in life and how it has affected them. In this stage people will openly address the obstacle they are dealing with in life. Everyone will clap after each person has acknowledged an obstacle, providing encouragement and reassurance that they are not alone.
In the Encouragement stage, the most vital stage, people will have to encourage one another with high fives, hugs, words, and thumbs up, creating a positive and encouraging environment. There will be activities which will be competitive but everyone who is not participating will have to cheer on those who are, everyone will get a chance to compete.
Next is the overcoming stage, and in this stage people have to put action into removing their obstacle. For example if someone’s obstacle is drinking, than they must stop drinking. Everyone will be given an accountability partner and they will check up on each person periodically to make sure that each person is putting action into overcoming the obstacle.
Last is the sustainability stage, and in this stage people will become leaders and some people will assist and mentor anyone that had the same obstacle as they had and they would take them through all the phases. This stage will make a person be self-sustaining, since there are people that look up to them and that they are making a difference.
You have just run over number 24 for the touchdown and your team won the game. Overcoming Obstacles Together (O.O.T) will make people start to look at their obstacles optimistically and they will know that struggles in life are as big as you make them and they are small to the members of O.O.T so join today and have victory over all obstacles.
Declare Mass Communication as Your Major
Katie Taylor
Have you ever heard of “Got Milk”, “Eat More Chicken”, or “Taste The Rainbow?” You probably know exactly what the brand and product each is associated with. Ever wanted to come up with something catchy on your own? How about filming a remembered commercial, or working on public relations campaigns? Do you find an interest associated with Photoshop, publication design, journalism, and media? These are all aspects of mass communication.
If your major is undeclared or is listed as general studies you should consider enrolling in mass communication. With this degree you can achieve a lot. One can take many different routes for a career path. Below are some areas of interest broke down into the different opportunities that await after completion of your degree in Mass Communication from A&M-Texarkana.
PUBLIC RELATIONS
• Media Relations
• PR departments for corporations
• PR for non-profit corporations
• Advertising or PR agencies
• Lobbyist
MEDIA PRODUCTION
• Reporter
• Editor
• Sports blogger
• Editorialist
• Documentarian
• Filmmaker
• Graphic designer
•
MEDIA STUDIES
• Media critic
• Producer
• Director
• Screenwriter
• Editor
With those areas of opportunity in sight, these are the classes offered in the mass communication curriculum.
A&M-Texarkana Mass Communication Curriculum (2013-2014)
CORE CLASSES:
COMM 1307: INTRODUCTION TO MASS COMMUNICATION
MCOM 300: MASS COMMUNICATION THEORY
MCOM 305: MEDIA LAW AND ETHICS
MCOM 490: INTERNSHIP IN MASS COMMUNICATION
MCOM 491: MASS COMMUNICATION RESEARCH
ENGLISH 320: UNDERSTANDING GRAMMAR
SPCH 1315: PUBLIC SPEAKING I
3 TRACKS, EACH CONSISTING OF FOUR CLASSES (TWO LOWER DIVISION, TWO UPPER DIVISION EACH).
TRACK ONE: PUBLIC RELATIONS
MCOM 2340: INTRODUCTION TO PUBLIC RELATIONS
MCOM 2350: PRINCIPLES OF ADVERTISING
MCOM 420: CASE STUDIES IN ADVERTISING
MCOM 430: PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGNS
TRACK TWO: MEDIA PRODUCTION
MCOM 2330: INTRODUCTION TO MEDIA PRODUCTION
MCOM 2360: PUBLICATION DESIGN AND PRODUCTION
MCOM 310: ADVANCED WRITING FOR MASS MEDIA
MCOM 417: ADVANCED NEW MEDIA PRODUCTION
TRACK THREE: MEDIA STUDIES
MCOM 2370: INTRODUCTION TO AMERICAN FILM HISTORY
MCOM 2380: INTRODUCTION TO INTERNATIONAL CINEMA
MCOM 418: CONCEPTS IN CLASSICAL FILM
MCOM 419: POPULAR CULTURE AND MASS COMMUNICATION
If you are still unsure of which area suits you best, go to the Texas A&M Texarkana website at WWW.TAMUT.EDU to get more information.
Already enrolled at Texas A&M Texarkana as a mass communications major, but don’t know where to go from there? Please contact the Mass Communication Program Coordinator, Dr. Amy M. Carwile (903)-334-6663, located in the University Center, room number 223, or by e-mail at Amy.Carwile@tamut.edu. Also contact Dr. Drew Morton at drew.morton@tamut.edu, or Dr. Kevin Ells at Kevin.Ells@tamut.edu.
Be a mass communication student, and be successful.
Death over Designer
Alvin Stuckey
They are killing people for J’s, that’s death over designer. Has it really come to a point that it is not safe to wear nice designer athletic shoes? Fashion is a way for some individuals to express themselves, but the senseless acts of violence that has taken place over the past few years has prevented some sneaker consumers to stop buying shoes in order to survive.
The huge debate started in December 2011 when the Jordan brand decided to re-release the retro Jordan 11 Concords. Up until this point people could buy Jordan’s with no worries of senseless violence afterwards. However, on December 23, 2011, this ideal would change. In a Maryland mall, 18 year old Tyreek Amir Jacobs, was brutally murdered over his pair of Concord 11’s.
Many Maryland residents did not want to believe that he was murdered over his sneakers, but as word spread through the Maryland and Washington D.C. area it became clear that his young life was taken from him over a pair of $175 sneakers.
Since 2011 crimes like this have gone down but as of late 2013, there have been some acts of violence over Jordan’s. I have seen numerous videos posted on social media sites of people getting beaten up and robbed for shoes. What goes through the mind of an individual who decides to beat, rob, and sometimes kill for something as simple as a shoe?
I am a sneaker lover and Jordan’s are my favorite shoe, but since all this has happened it has made me have second thoughts on whether I should purchase them. My life is more important than a pair of expensive shoes. I don’t want to go to a rough part of town with my Jordan’s on and be in fear for my life because shoes come and go. You can always save up and buy a pair of sneakers, but you only have one life. Why should I lose my life over a pair of sneakers that don’t mean anything to me? As I get older this makes me hesitant on buying Jordan’s for me and kids whenever I decide to settle down and have a family. I would be in consistent fear of my future children wearing Jordan’s and being hassled for them by those that seriously want them and would do anything for them.
They are killing people for J’s that’s death over designer. Really is that where the world is headed to. It is a shame that people are in fear for the shoes that they wear. If that is the world that we live in then we have a lot of trouble heading our way.
Basketball Signup
Alvin Stuckey
The great Michael Jordan once said, “The game of basketball has been everything to me. My place of refuge, place I’ve always gone where I needed comfort and peace. It’s been the site of intense pain and the most intense feelings of joy and satisfaction. It’s a relationship that has evolved over time, given me the greatest respect and love for the game.” Basketball is a tool for individuals to express themselves in an athletic way. Signing up for intramural basketball will be a great way to do so.
The basketball games take place at the Pleasant Grove Gym at Pleasant Grove Middle School. Games will be played on Saturdays and Sundays starting at 12:00 p.m. Eight teams will participate in the season. There will be co-ed teams as well as single gender teams. There will be player-coaches on each team. The player-coach will be the team captain of every team. There will be a maximum of 10 players on a team. Everyone will get a chance to participate in the games. The season will go on for two months. The first month will be the regular season consisting of 10 games.
The 4 best teams of the regular season will take part in a playoff. The playoff format will be in a best of three format; the first teams to get two wins will move on to the championship round. The championship round format will also be in a best of three format. The winning team will receive a trophy and t-shirt commemorating their championship run.
So come on out and sign up. It will be a great experience with great people to share them with. College is all about meeting new people and gaining new experiences. So do not rob yourself of that opportunity. Basketball signup sheets are available to pick up in UC Room 126. Contact Nicole Couch at 903-280-2888 or at Nicole.couch@tamut.edu for any other information concerning intramural athletics.