Texas A&M University – Texarkana’s (TAMUT) Program for Learning and Community Engagement (PLACE) strives to engage the local community. This year’s theme is “Community and Civic Engagement.” On Thursday, October 24^th, PLACE hosted an Election Symposium “Making Sense of the 2024 Election,” geared toward reaching out to the community and educating people on the upcoming election. According to Dr. Daniel Mintun, Assistant Professor of Political Science at TAMUT and co-director of PLACE, he says the goal of this symposium is to “provide accurate information and answer any questions they [the community] may have.”

Bringing in two political scientists, Dr. Amy Friesenhahn, Assistant Professor of Political Science at Texas Woman’s University and Dr. Ayal Feinberg, Director of the Center of Holocaust Studies and Human Rights at Gratz College, the symposium offered an opportunity for community members, students and faculty to pose questions about the election and the current political landscape and have them answered by experts in the field. Friesenhahn says about the election, “In many ways… This is not a normal election.” With a former president and current vice president as the candidates for the parties, this is an unprecedented election that brings rise to many questions about the possible results of the election.

Audience members came prepared to the symposium, asking hard-hitting questions of the guest speakers, like “Could we see a true third-party competitor emerge?” and “What do you think is the role of political polarization in this election?” Feinberg and Friesenhahn offered deeply thoughtful, thorough answers to each question posed, offering valuable insight into the presidential candidates, the role of political polarization and the media in this election, and how close the election has the potential to be. Discussing themes like voter participation, “common sense middle ground positions” and concerns they hold as political scientists, Friesenhahn says, “It’s also making being in civil society less pleasant and harder.”

As the event ended, it was clear that the symposium had successfully fostered a space for meaningful dialogue and community engagement. The symposium not only provided attendees with a deeper understanding of the unique dynamics surrounding the 2024 election but also emphasized the importance of informed and active participation in the democratic process. As the election draws nearer, opportunities like these that allow the community to be involved and informed, will be vital in ensuring that the public is both educated and empowered to make decisions that will shape our nation’s future. Don’t forget to get out there and vote!

As part of the Honors College here at Texas A&M University- Texarkana(TAMUT) honor students are required to participate in the co-curricular colloquium series. Students are paired with faculty across disciplines. The series is held several times throughout the semester allowing students the opportunity to present their research. Earlier this week, honors student Camille Janes from the nursing program and the Dean of the Nursing Program Dr. Heather McKnight presented her research findings on Medically tailored meals for diabetics.

Knowing people with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes, Camille was interested in how she could help improve their lives. With eating habits being the main focus for diabetes control, Camille went into detail about the different dietary meals that showed some improvement when it came to lowering blood sugar levels. Some of those meals are low carb high protein, mediterranean and plant based meals.

Camille is a second semester nursing student at TAMUT and spent the last year working on her honors project.

The Honors program at TAMUT “offers motivated undergraduate students a unique opportunity to deepen their knowledge in their fields.” One of the requirements for the honors program is a GPA of 3.5. But don’t worry, you can still apply for the program by filling out the application.

Last year Texas A&M University – Texarkana (TAMUT) announced an official Esports team, offering students the chance to represent the university through competitive video games. Since then teams have formed, an arena has been built, and students have battled in digital battlegrounds as the program kicked into full swing. The program covers a variety of popular video games, including Overwatch 2, Rocket League, and Counter-Strike 2. And with many Esports programs popping up in nearby high schools, developing an Esports team became a clear opportunity for the university to boost recruitment. So how have students engaged with this new venture into virtual competition?

One student involved with the program, Wes Shaw, competes in iRacing, a realistic driving simulator that has been around since 2008. Shaw is a freshman at TAMUT but says he’s been practicing his game of choice for nearly a decade. While the simulation might not be as physical as other athletic departments he has experience in, Shaw has the same mindset. “The mental pressure and the pressure to do better and keep improving to win is there 1,000,000%,” he says. And in playing iRacing competitively, Shaw says his real life racing skills have improved. He says “iRacing is the best way to get some seat time and track experience without burning gas and tires and other resources visiting the actual tracks.”

Sykora Guy transferred to TAMUT to help develop the esports program, or as she puts it “retired from competing.” She shares Shaw’s sentiments on the pressure of competing and the skills that develop through playing. Guy emphasizes the program helps students in other ways. She points to the fact that since Esports are a part of the athletic department, students who wish to compete end up raising their GPA. Furthermore, she explains how the program is a safe space for students. “Esports provides a community for those who typically don’t attend school related functions. Many gamers tend to be shy and not very social, here they can open up and make friendships.” Guy explains.

Amaurie Strickland does not play for the team but says his job is “making sure that everything is okay and working.” He likes his position to that of a “committee chair” and has a positive outlook on the program. “I love it, I really enjoy being on the team.” Strickland also makes a valid point as to how the program began. He says, “Students [are] always playing video games, so why not have an Esports program?” Which is true, a recent report said 85% of teens surveyed said they play video games daily. The development of an Esports scene on campus gives these gamers the opportunity to do what they love and also benefit the university.

While the program already covers a wide variety of games, there is still room to grow. Strickland is a huge fan of music rhythm games, which are not yet represented by the university. Of course with so many genres of video games it is impossible for the program to cover everything, and the largest games like Overwatch 2 and Rocket League are already being supported. However more games could not hurt and would only engage student engagement. With so many gamers out there with their own favorite genres, the reach of the program could be limitless.

Overall, the program has done its job of finding competitive students to represent the university in the digital realm. While the obvious benefits are better recruitment and more student engagement, the program on campus has done much more than that. It has given students a reason to do what they already love, and created a friendly environment for its members. Every student interviewed recommended the program. And not just for the opportunity to play video games, but because the team and their coach, Rick Allen, are just fun to be around. Those interested in TAMUT’s Esports organization can check out the program’s Facebook page.

This Tuesday October 22nd, the Harvest Regional Food Bank hosted the 31st charity event “Taste of Texarkana” at the Four States Fairgrounds Arena in Texarkana, Arkansas from 5 to 8 PM. Attendees were able to sample food and beverages from multiple vendors ranging from large-scale distributors like Walmart to local businesses like Lost Pizza Co. Additionally, the Texas High jazz band provided entertainment for the attendees. 

Attendees were able to return for as many samples as they liked including non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages. A variety of vendors were not only giving out food samples but also coupons and merchandise including items like hats and bottle openers, according to the spirit of their business. For example, the Texarkana Public Library was giving out free cooking books.

One of the largest distributors that were present at the event is Coca-Cola Southwest Beverages. This was the distributor’s third year and they said “[They’ll] be back every year because of the amount of people that come.” Other large-scale companies that were present at the event include Walmart, Albertsons, Blue Bell Creameries and Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux. 

Additionally, a great variety of locally-owned businesses made themselves present at the event. One of them was Lost Pizza Co. who has been attending the beneficence event since their opening in 2022. A representative of Lost Pizza Co. added that Taste of Texarkana “[Brings] a lot of business to our restaurant ‘cause a lot of people that have never tried it before will come into our restaurant afterwards.”

The event has been hosted for the last 31 years by different organizations including the St. James Day School, the Texarkana Lions Club and the YWCA. Andi Darby, a member of the Texarkana Harvest Regional Food Bank board has participated in the event for the last 25 years said “It’s a real passion for me to find ways to help raise money for Harvest [Regional Food Bank].” Mrs. Darby was who originally asked the Harvest Regional Food Bank to take over the event 24 years ago. The Harvest Regional Food Bank covers nine counties across southern Arkansas and northeast Texas, including Bowie County.

‘Taste of Texarkana’ is hosted once a year during the fall, but the Harvest Regional Food Bank hosts more beneficence events throughout the year, including the ‘Drive Out Hunger Golf Tournament’ and the annual ‘Wine & Jazz Gala.’ 

Every semester, students struggle to figure out where they are in their academic journey and what courses to pursue. That is where academic advisors like Katie Hixson come in to put students on the right track. As an advisor, her role at Texas A&M University – Texarkana is to assist all undergraduates in graduating through “timely academic planning,” she says. This includes meeting with students regularly to discuss where they are at in their academic career, and where they are going.

Hixson has 8 years of experience in academic advising, career academic counseling, recruitment, and retention planning as well. “I have provided, identified, analyzed, and solved problems and successfully handled conflict resolution in assigned areas,” she says. While it may sound like a stressful job, she says that being able to empower students to work toward their academic and career goals and being able to mentor them fuels her motivation.

One of her favorite parts of the job is witnessing students’ journeys. She says, “I enjoy helping and guiding students from their first step on campus and watching them walk across the stage at graduation.” She has found her career fulfilling, and as a result, strongly recommends any job in higher education. For those looking to pursue a future in education, she says “to connect with resources on campus to broaden their own connections and develop self-sufficiency.”

At the end of the day, Hixson just wants students to live their best lives. She says her message to every student would be, “Always remember to find your ‘Why’ and to begin with the end in mind. Look inside yourself and discover what your philosophy is and design your short- and long-term goals when tackling any new endeavors.”

Anyone who has had the opportunity to take a class with Dr. Doug Julien, Chair of the Humanities Division, knows that it is not an experience they will likely soon forget. With his unorthodox teaching methods and his penchant for sentence enhancing language, Doug has a different philosophy than some about teaching. His reason for teaching? He says, “It’s that idea that I can still learn shit from people.” 

As a professor of the humanities, Julien doesn’t deal in absolutes and hard skills. However, he places a high value on the “quantum soft skills” that the humanities can teach. Rather than hiding behind a long reading list, piles of homework and multiple-choice tests, Julien believes in giving students a path towards success by letting his students forge their own way. As he says, “Let me show you how to deal with that shit, so that you can go out and find your own shit and use these tools to deal with it.”

Julien states that the real issue with humanities is that “too often the humanities are seen as only in service of everything else.” While he believes in the importance of a well-rounded education, he also sees the humanities as foundational to the human experience. Rather than an education in humanities being in service of getting a nursing, biology or engineering degree, they provide their own value. Julien says, “Humanities help you critically think. The humanities help you communicate… Humanities help you understand human nature and all these things.”

According to Julien, the humanities aren’t just about life skills either. Without the humanities, he believes that we would be left without the little things that make life enjoyable.  He says, “There’s also just simply a fundamental joy in the act of reading.

There’s joy in listening to a song, right?” 

The important lesson that Julien wants his students to remember is that “reading is reading” Whether it is instruction manuals, trashy romance (which he would tell you is not trash at all) or crusty old philosophers, it is all the same transaction. He will tell you that there is “a lot of value in supposedly low-culture stuff” and that sometimes, as he says, you just “need to have taco bell.”

Throughout her career Dr. Karen Parker has worked with child victims of sexual assault, youth foster-care and veterans. These experiences have influenced her thirty years teaching higher education. She has been an associate professor of psychology at Texas A&M University-Texarkana since 2020.

Dr. Parker worked 20 years for non-profit organizations. She decided that it was time for something different as a result of a traumatic event she experienced while working at a group home for boys. She had gotten close to one of the boys and decided to get him a fur companion.  “I had gotten [the boy] a pet rabbit, and then he ended up going into a foster home and he left the pet rabbit back with the boys. Two of the boys were rebellious and had a lot of stuff going on. They killed the rabbit,” she said. 

However, the beginning of her career in the counseling field was just as jarring as the end. She recalls her most memorable case being one of her first ones involving a three year old girl that had been raped. The case was memorable to her because of the severity of the matter and because she was able to provide comfort to the girl. “In I guess two-three months she crawled up in my lap and laid her head right here in my chest. That was telling me that my relationship with her and my rapport were important for her and she felt like she trusted me. One of the most moving moments in my entire career,” she said. 

Dr. Parker’s research has been bringing focus into art inspired by her own experiences. Her PhD dissertation followed her journey navigating the grief of the passing of her wife through the paintings she did while her wife battled cancer. This experience influenced her dissertation and encouraged her to write her own ethnography. Ethnographies are scientific studies of people and their cultures from their point of view. Dr. Parker’s auto-ethnography focuses on the prejudice she experienced from the medical community during her wife’s cancer treatment. This auto-ethnography was published in the “Journal of Feminist Family Therapy” in 2021. Dr. Parker emphasizes the importance of narratives and auto-ethnographies in research saying that “a lot of times you can read research that has a thousand people that they interviewed or that they get a questionnaire on, but a personal story makes that research real.”