Sometimes coffee is just not enough. Sometimes you need a little something extra in order to finish that final that is due in a few hours. Energy drinks. They are the drinks that will help you solve only some of your problems. 

I am a big energy drink person. I drink them at least three times a week, or more. With that being said I am aware that they can cause major health problems, but I like to think that I monitor my intake very well. Over time, I have tried a variety of different energy drinks of which I have my favorite, the ones that I hate, or the ones I simply avoid. These are only some of the drinks that I have tried throughout my life and I have ranked them from worst to best. 

BANG 

I have only had this drink once, and I did not enjoy it at all. I tried it a long time ago and don’t remember what flavor I had, but I remember it being too sweet for my liking. I also felt like the drink really did bang me in the stomach because I did not feel good after drinking only about a fourth of it. Overall it was just a bad experience that I would not want to relive ever again.  0 out of 5. 

Rockstar 

This is a drink that I do not have that often nor do I know many of the flavors. However, from the ones that I have tried, I fairly enjoyed them. It is not ranked higher because I don’t drink it as often as the others, and it is also one that I don’t tend to see much of. It is good, but not very memorable.  2 out of 5. 

Monster 

Monster is in the middle because of the number of flavors that it has. While I am not a big fan of the classic green flavor, I am a fan of some of their other flavors such as the White Zero Ultra and their Juice flavors, Papillon and Mango Loco. Having lots of flavors is a good thing and a bad thing. It is a good thing because I get bored of drinking the same thing all of the time, but it is bad because I have no money and there are too many flavors. 3 out of 5. 

Alani NU

Alani NU is a drink that I recently discovered, and I was pretty shocked to see the number of flavors that the brand has. I was even more surprised to realize that I enjoyed almost every flavor; keyword almost. While flavors like Cosmic Stardust and Breezeberry have become my favorites of mine, other flavors like Cherry Slush and Blue Slush are a bit too sweet for my liking. 4 out of 5. 

Redbull 

This is my favorite. I don’t have a specific reason, I just love it. This is my go-to drink when I am extra sleep-deprived, which is very often, and I think that it does not try to overwhelm you with the number of flavors. I love the classic Redbull, but the watermelon and peach editions are a good way to add flavor. This is a drink that is either loved or hated, and I love it. 5 out of 5. 

All of these drinks affect people differently, so it is important to be aware that just because one does not affect you that does not mean that the others will not. I do not recommend drinking more than one a day, nor do I recommend drinking them before, or after, any other overly caffeinated drinks. This is also my personal opinion. Drink at your own risk, and remember to drink water.

“[In] the shows that I perform at, I want there to be a sense of community and for people to come together, and for us together create a sense of culture in Texarkana,” Hunter Clark said.  “That is the biggest thing I want to produce here.”

Hunter Clark, also known as The Poet of Texarkana, is a local musician who plays at a few different venues around Texarkana such as Hopkins Icehouse and Alley Cats Coffee Bar. Clark primarily performs his songs in the company of his guitar. His music covers a variety of different topics. However, most of his music is written through emotion. 

“I like writing based on emotion because it is something that everyone can relate to,” Clark said. “A lot of the time I do write from emotion, but also I like writing for situations In time. 

Clark strives to create music that people can relate to, while also creating a space where people are free to express their creativity. Being free to be creative is an important part of Clark’s writing and performing process. 

“Personally, I see other people have already done that and I would rather do my own thing and be creative and do my [music] well, instead of doing other people’s music great,” said Clark when talking about the reason he prefers to perform his music rather than covers.  

While performing on a big stage is something he hopes for, Clark is content with simply creating an environment where people feel enough freedom to be themselves. He also prioritizes writing the type of music that he feels people will be able to connect with in some ways. 

“I want to be able to write music that’s relatable to people and I want them to be able to feel like they’re part of something,” said Clark. 

On October 31 Texas A&M University Texarkana (TAMUT) hosted two Halloween events. Trunk or Treat and a Haunted Trail. Trunk or Treat took place on the University Center lawn, while the Haunted Trail took place on the trail used by the cross-country team. 

Trunk or Treat was an opportunity for children of all ages from the surrounding areas to attend, and get candy in a safe and confined space. People dressed up and participated in games and various activities to get candy, as well as walked to the various booths put together by the different sports teams and organizations that participated in the event. 

“It was actually a rather large turnout,” Coordinator of Student Life Alana Briley said when talking about the Halloween events that took place on campus. “I think we weren’t fully prepared for it because we actually ran out of candy.”

Along with Trunk or Treat, TAMUT hosted its first-ever Haunted Trail. With only 3 weeks to plan the trail, Amber Galvan, Athletic Academic Coordinator, and Crosscountry Coach Natnael Amere worked together with various sports teams at TAMUT to put together the trail. 

“With this being the first time,” Galvan said when talking about future haunted trails. “Improvements can be made to make it better each year.”

This was not only an event to celebrate and have fun, but rather an event to help the TAMUT community connect better with the rest of Texarkana as a whole. Being on the outskirts of town sometimes feels a lot farther than we are. Events like these can help create a better connection within the communities. 

“There’s this huge disconnect a lot of times between the community and us [TAMUT],” Briley said. “We want to have that connection with the community so that they [Texarkana] know that we are out here.”

Dr. Jaime Cantrell is an Associate Professor of English and the Director of the Women’s, Gender, and Sexualities Studies Program at Texas A&M University Texarkana (TAMUT). Dr. Cantrell teaches various courses including ENGL 2326: American Literature, WGSS 1301: Women’s Gender & Sexuality Studies, HUMA 1301: Introduction to Humanities I, and various other English courses. 

Dr. Cantrell says that one of her favorite classes to teach is ENG 450: Studies in Genre/Poetry, which teaches students about the different types of poetry and the different approaches that students may take while reading poetry. “I’ve seen students in that class weep over the most beautiful language,” Dr. Cantrell said.  

From 2014-2018, Dr. Cantrell began working as  Visiting Assistant Professor of English at the University of Mississippi. Then in 2018, Dr. Cantrell joined TAMUT as an Assistant Professor of English, and a Faculty Advisor, Spectrum. “I wouldn’t say that I ‘decided to become’ an English professor,” Dr. Cantrell said. “It just happened to me along the way of my graduate career.” 

Invited contribution to “The Bohemian South, Chapel Hill”: UNC Press, 2017, p. 107-127, and “Out of the Closet, Into the Archive: Researching Sexual Histories”, eds. Amy L. Stone and Jaime Cantrell are only a few titles that she has worked on. She has been a part of essays and reviews that cover topics ranging from feminism, sexuality, and various other topics. “ [My] work is politically, pedagogically and philosophically informed by feminist goals and agendas that are both intersectional and interdisciplinary,” Dr. Cantrell said.