Author Archives: Brooks Robinson

From Grand Opening to Really Open

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Texas A&M University – Texarkana students are excited about the Patterson Student Center. This new student center will be a great addition to student life, providing students opportunity to engage with others. The facility includes a full size basketball court, weight room, Starbucks café, multi-purpose classrooms, and offices for coaches and staff.

The grand opening for the student center was October 4th. Texas A&M Chancellor Sharp attended the event, speaking to an excited crowd. Sharp expressed great thanks to Cari Patterson, who made sure budget cuts, which would have postponed the addition of the new facility were not made to A&M – Texarkana after a visit with Governor Abbott.

However, the new student center was still not open for students’ use until now, while the university was still in the process of getting a permit to allow use of the new center.

The state-of-the-art facility will provide new opportunities for students.  Athletes are excited about the new weight room and fitness center, and other students are ready to use the full-size basketball court. While many are excited about the athletic equipment, some are excited about the comraderie provided by a Starbucks and a lounge area for students to get together. Having a Starbucks on campus will be convenient for students and staff in a morning rush and do not have time to stop for coffee.

The first big event held at the Patterson Student Center will be the Fall 2018 commencement ceremony, on December 14th.

The new student center is a symbol of growth for the University. The grand opening of the student center was a groundbreaking moment for the university. It is the first building dedicated strictly to student life on the campus. It will provide students a place to stay on campus but get away from the stress of school. Not only will it be good for students, the student will play a key role in recruiting future students when giving tours. This is just one step for A&M-Texarkana, as the campus continues to grow. The University is excited for now about the newest addition to campus. However, it is important to continue to develop the campus and look forward to future advancements.

School Tennis Team Soars

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Things are looking up for the Texas A&M Men’s Tennis Team, led by head coach Jim Turley. For the first time, in the team’s third season, they have a winning record, 7-4 . Of fourteen players on the A&M Texarkana team, ten are from Texas. Coach Turley has done a good job of recruiting locally. The A&M Texarkana Tennis Team is an NAIA athletic program and competes in the Red River Athletic Conference.

Matt Teeters, used by permission.

After practicing four days a week, morning workouts, and traveling on the weekends, the members of the tennis team have to find a way to balance tennis and school.
“You just have to find a way to make time, put in work at practice, and then go hit the books” says Matt Teeters, a junior on the team. The tennis team spends around 20 hours a week between practice, workouts, and traveling. With a spring and fall season, tennis is a year-round sport that can become quite time consuming. Being part of a college tennis team requires a lot of dedication.

The A&M Texarkana Tennis team members get along with one another very well. They are a close-knit group of not just teammates, but also friends off the court. The whole team is supportive of one another and motivate and cheer each other on well during matches.

“I definitely think winning this season made the biggest difference within the team this year. Winning changes it and, and makes it so much more fun” Teeters said. There is a different feel to the A&M Texarkana Men’s Tennis Team this year, and it is all due to the success on the court.

While the Tennis team here at A&M Texarkana had a couple of rough seasons to start, they are now starting to show a promising future. With the whole team returning next year, along with new recruits, A&M Texarkana is excited for what the future holds for the Eagle’s Tennis Team.

King James Comes to L.A.

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It’s a great time of the year to be a sports fan. From mid to late October is the only time of the year when all the major sports cross over at the same time for the sports “equinox”. The NFL season is well under way and the MLB World Series starts in just a few days. While the NFL and MLB are in key points of the season, the biggest sports story right now belongs in the NBA, where the season is not even one week underway and LeBron James is making his debut in a Los Angeles Lakers uniform. The 16-year veteran, still in the prime of his career, has spent the last 15 years playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat. The sports world went into mayhem in July when James, who many consider the best basketball player ever, signed with arguably the best organization in league history.

After a long off season of anticipation building up, James made his debut for the Lakers Thursday, in a road game against the Portland Trailblazers. Despite the Lakers’ loss, there is plenty of optimism for the rest of the season. The team had many highlights that brought an energy to the team that fans had not seen in years.

Saturday night, James played his home debut in front of Laker fans. The jam-packed Staples Center was full of liveliness as fans awaited James to take the court for the first time as a Laker. “Lakers fans, the wait is over,” said rapper and actor Ice Cube in a pre-game video played on the big screen. After announcing James for official introductions of starting lineups, the in-arena announcer was drowned out by the roar of the fans. The game ended in another loss for the Lakers, bringing them to 0-2 to start the season. But, like the first game, there were plenty of highlights exciting the fans. The game included moments of Hollywood drama with an on-court fight between the two teams. Ultimately, the homecoming for James did not end as the Lakers would have liked.

Adding James, the Lakers are looking to finish the season with a winning record and make the playoffs for the first time since 2013. The Lakers have no clear-cut second-best player to compliment James. Insiders are curious to see if the Lakers will make a move at the trade deadline to acquire another star. Others are hoping one of the young players on the team will break through and become a reliable second option. Even the Lakers acquire a “sidekick” to James, they will still have a difficult season playing in a stacked Western Conference. This is James first time playing in the west. Plenty of people are skeptical of the Lakers making a run in the playoffs. If so, it would be the first time in 8 years James would not be playing in the finals.

After five straight losing season there is life in the Staples Arena again. The Lakers may not be a top team this season. But, this season, fans are more excited than they have been in years. With Lebron James coming to Los Angeles, one thing is certain, it is now a new era of the Showtime Lakers.

Controversial Kaepernick Nike Ad

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Nike released an advertisement last week with Colin Kaepernick. It is a close up photo of Kaepernick’s face with the words “Believe in something. Even if it means sacrificing everything,” a reference to Kaepernick’s protest against police violence against unarmed black men in America by kneeling during the national anthem. Kaepernick, who led the San Fransisco 49ers to the Super Bowl in 2013, is a free agent who has not played in the NFL in over two years. He recently filed a lawsuit against the NFL alleging collusion to keep him out of the league. With his kneeling for the anthem a hot debate topic of the past two years, Nike likely expected this ad would lead to mixed reactions around the country. Even after making it clear he was not protesting the National Anthem itself, many are critical of Kaepernick. Many who do not support Kaepernick’s protests are now boycotting Nike. Videos surfaced on social media of people burning their own Nike shoes. Along with the scrutiny, there has been many supporters of the Nike ad, and many other professional athletes publicly state they stand with Nike.

President Trump commented on Nike’s move by tweeting “Nike is getting absolutely killed by anger and boycotts”. Nike’s stock fell by just over three percent the Wednesday morning after placing the ad. However, Nike does not appear intimidated, as their stock is up over 50 percent from last year. Nike was well aware of the criticism to come, this not their first time sponsoring controversial athletes such as Tiger Woods and Kobe Bryant. A large percentage of those now boycotting Nike happen to be older people, who are not a priority market target for Nike. Many of the company’s consumers openly stand with Kaepernick.

Nike wanted to make a bold statement on where they stands on this social issue, and they did just that. Large corporations typically avoid showing their stance on political and social issues. However, Nike CEO Mark Parker has openly criticized President Trump’s immigration policies. Nike was a major topic in the media in the week after the ad. Company stock fell by about four percent in days following the ad. Despite the fall, the Nike believed this would ultimately help the company long-term. It appears Nike made a good move, as their stock hit an all time high after the initial drop.

Many who do not support Kaepernick and his decision to kneel during the anthem may now realize they have misunderstood Kaepernick’s actions. The Nike Kaepernick advertisement could be a huge step for those who don’t understand the actual purpose of Kaepernick’s protest. While there has been much buzz, some good, and some bad, one thing is clear; Nike stands with their athletes.