Have you ever considered giving back to your community? Since 1982, the Texas A&M community in College Station, Texas has hosted what they call “The Big Event,” a volunteering effort that aims to lend a hand to a community that supports the university each and every day. Some efforts include raking yards, cleaning streets, visiting nursing homes, walking dogs, and so much more.
In April of 2017, Texas A&M University – Texarkana (TAMUT) hosted its very own first annual Big Event with the tagline – Eagle Pride City Wide. The introductory event provided over 200 volunteers that clocked almost 1,000 hours of community service. This year’s Big Event is scheduled for April 9, 2022.
Registration is now open to current, former, and future students, faculty, alumni, student family members, and community members not affiliated with TAMUT. If you would like more information on The Big Event, or want to sign up to volunteer, or have a project in mind for the TAMUT community, please visit The Big Event.
Thursday, February 3rd, the city of Texarkana was expecting freezing rain and heavy snow. In preparation, the city covered roads and bridges with brine. Residents’ stocked food pantries with water and essentials. Most schools or businesses closed until further notice. “Out of an abundance of caution the Texas A&M University campus will be closed,” John Bunch, Tamut Communications Manager, said. Everyone hunkered down isolated, in their homes or dorms, and prepared for the worst.
Texarkana was prepared and was due to what happened around this time last year. February 2021 was a chilling experience for Texans. Heavy snow obstructed many businesses and slippery ice made roads hazardous. Most people were trapped in their homes. In some severe cases, the power would go out or pipes inside the home would burst due to lack of insulation. 8 million people were under a boil water notice. Countless families would be without central heating or running water. Since most wouldn’t be able to go out they wouldn’t be able to buy groceries or drinkable water. The winter storm that occurred last year resulted in the deaths of 58 people. In Texas alone, there were at least 30 reported deaths.
However, all that happened was very cold rain. Was Texarkana prepared this year? Absolutely. It demonstrated the common phrase “It’s better to be safe than sorry.” Texarkana showed that it cares for its residents and is equipped for anything the weather has to offer.
Let’s pretend you woke up this morning with a sore throat, a headache, and body aches. You are needed at work, but you work at a nursing home. Sure, it may just be allergies, but it could also be COVID-19. Since you work in close quarters with at-risk elderly patients, you decide to be cautious and get tested for COVID-19, just to be safe. However, all medical offices near you are booked until the end of the week, and at-home tests are sold out everywhere. Do you risk it and go to work anyway? This is a scenario people are faced with regularly right now.
As infection rates rise and fall, the chaos continues. Controversy arises from conflicting opinions regarding all things COVID-19. Should we get vaccinated? Should we wear masks? Does social distancing actually work? The opinions and ideas vary across the nation. Amongst the confusion, one thing remains true: people are still contracting COVID-19 everywhere. The demand for COVID-19 tests is at an all time high. We test when we feel symptoms. We test when we are exposed. We test before traveling. We even test when we are in recovery and need to know if it is safe to return to normal life. In short, massive quantities of COVID-19 tests are needed every day.
During a time of such increased demand for COVID-19 tests, the citizens of the United States have received some good news. According to VOA News, “The Biden administration will soon require health care insurers to cover the costs of up to eight home test kits per person per month.” Under normal circumstances, this would be greatly beneficial to the United States.
However, it is incredibly difficult to get an at-home test right now. Jennifer Avegno, New Orleans Health Department Director, says, “We placed an order for tens of thousands of tests almost a month ago, but have yet to receive it.” The national shortage of tests is causing an abundance of setbacks, and unfortunately, it is unknown when the issue will be resolved.
For the time being, there is an official U.S. Government website that offers four free at-home COVID-19 tests to be shipped to you. While waiting on the shortage to resolve, be sure to visit COVIDtests.gov – Free at-home COVID-19 tests to order your free tests. Fingers crossed you don’t need more than four before they are replenished!
TAMUT welcomes new Associate Provost Dr. Sushil Sharma. He has many great things planned and in-store for the university. Dr. Sharma plans to set up and consolidate the fields of graduate studies to where all the graduate programs of TAMUT will be consolidated into one umbrella. Along with involvement in the international programs for study abroad and exchange student recruiting. Also work with the office of research grants and sponsor projects which faculty members have been seeking from various agencies. To provide support and bring them all under one umbrella for fostering grants, research, project sponsorship and provide the support needed. “So, throughout the time I will be involved in working on these projects,” he said. In his previous experience, Dr. Sharma was extensively involved in leading the study abroad programs and setting up various partnerships and collaborations with foreign institutions to bring international students to Ball State University. There are various types of programs he has been involved in and he says, “I will be using that experience for setting up similar programs here.”
Dr. Sharma, originally from India, has been in academia for over 35 years. He has worked in different institutions in various countries such as New Zealand, Turkey, and more before settling in the United States. He has helped many universities with their growth and brought in more and better opportunities for students and the campuses in general. His most previous location was at Ball State University in the state of Indiana, where he served many roles in the university for 21 years. Prior to his career at BSU, he was a professor in Canada and worked at an Indian Institute where he worked in management. He has a long experience with different countries, cultures, people, and students with learning different educational systems. “I am very lucky to have this kind of experience,” says Dr. Sharma.
From being in many different places all over the world coming to Texarkana has been a different transition for him. Coming from the most recent state of Indiana, he says up north is much cooler during the winter and at some point, in time of his career, he always wanted to move South. He says, “This is a unique opportunity, which I liked. BSU serves about 22,000 students and when this opportunity opened, I saw that this institution is much smaller and my accommodated experience and expertise in many places fit very well for the growth of the institution. So, I saw this as an opportunity that I can exercise my experience and skillset that I’ve gained.” Dr. Sharma has seen undergraduate students get involved in research working along with a faculty member. “I will be working on how we can enhance student involvement for research for both undergraduate and graduate students working with the faculty members. It’s a great experience for faculty and students to work together so in any way I can be of any assistance in help for the faculty member to engage their students, I will be looking forward to providing support for that,” he said.
So far, his transition to Texas has been pretty good. “I think the big welcoming change has been the weather and also this institution…so I see there are a lot of opportunities. It has been two weeks here and I am learning a lot…I am going through the various training modules which are helping me to know the institution and the system,” he said. Dr. Sharma has been learning a lot and he says it is important for him to understand the culture and the processes and procedures involved, not only here in Texarkana but in the TAMUT system itself. So, it will be a busy time in the next few months to understand that and then be able to contribute. “I will be striving to establish those procedures processes for the growth and advancement of the institution,” he said.
He plans to work on many of these new projects for the future of TAMUT. “I am looking forward to this experience so someday I could say that I was responsible for building some processes, procedures, systems, programs, in a smaller institution and this is a great opportunity for me to do that. I’m excited about this opportunity and so far, this has been a great experience,” he said.
Dr. Sharma advises those who are just starting college or are transfer students is, “The college experience is not just in the classroom, all students should enjoy the college experience and get involved outside the classroom activities such as extra curriculars, student clubs/organizations. The more students interact with other students through these they will develop their personalities and profiles much better so students should not just limit themselves coming from dorms or home to the classroom but should mingle and network with other students and faculty members and also with the potential employers whenever they are visiting campus. Students should spend all their time doing so because in my experiences many times after your degree those skills are more important than just knowing the book knowledge. Because employers want to see how you approach them, how you communicate and present yourself. Even writing an email, how you write it to a friend or professor, those skills are very valuable and become very important when you look for a career opportunity. So, college is the best platform to develop those skills and can only happen when being involved outside the class.”
The Holiday season is upon us once again. Christmas parties, tree lighting ceremonies, Santa Meet-n-Greets, festivals, craft fairs, fantastic light displays, and other festivities abound. These activities are treasured traditions for many. Whether we do them with family, friends, or coworkers, traditions can be a wonderful thing. They are a great way to make memories, and bring people closer together. However, it can be nice to step outside of tradition and try something new. If you and yours are looking for something new this year, look no further! This weekend, TexRep will bring Greater Tuna back to Texarkana for A Tuna Christmas.
Michael Cooper (L) and Christopher Polson (R) in TexRep’s 2011 production of Greater Tuna.
(Photo taken from TexRep’s online production archives)
Greater Tuna is the first play in a series of four comedies by Jason Williams, Joe Sears, and Ed Howard. One of the things that make these plays so humorous is that the entire cast of twenty characters, of all ages and genders, are played by just two men. Michael Cooper and Christopher Polson starred in the Texarkana Repertory Company‘s production ofGreater Tunain 2011. These masters of costume quick-changes will once again take us back to Tuna, Texas to reprise their roles and introduce new characters in A Tuna Christmas. Much like Texarkana, there is always something going on in Tuna. The big to-do is the town’s annual Christmas Yard Display Contest. The contest soon comes under attack from the “Christmas Phantom”, a vandal who is out to shake up the competition. This and various other hilarious subplots make this a show a real knee-slapper.
In addition to playing over twenty-four roles, Cooper and Polson also double as TexRep’s artistic director and set designer (respectively). This show is incredibly challenging for many reasons, but if anyone can handle it, this dynamic duo can. However, they aren’t tackling this monster alone. It truly takes a village to put on a production like this, and a village they have! A crew of nine assist the pair in lightning-quick costume changes, moving set pieces, running lights, operating the soundboard, and wrangling the six different Christmas trees used in the show. In addition to its impressive role-to-cast-size ratio, this show is also unique in that the crew gets to bow at curtain call with the actors, which is only fitting since it would be impossible without them. As previously mentioned, one of the things that lend to this play’s crazy energy is the outrageous number (and short duration) of costume changes. While each crew members serves multiple purposes, the bulk of their work is helping the actors change their costumes. Cooper says that, while he isn’t sure exactly how many changes there are, he is certain it is upwards of fifty. Each actor plays twelve roles apiece, he explained, which makes some of the costume changes almost instant. In fact, there are some scenes that require an actor to exit as one character and then immediately reenter as completely different character. There are also multiple scenes in which one of the actors plays a single role, while the other plays as many as five characters over the course of a single scene. Naturally, some changes are more difficult than others. Cooper says that some of the most difficult changes to pull off are the female characters. “[They] tend to have more pieces, from wigs to shoes to garments to underwear,” he continued, “It’s all an adventure.”
In a typical season, which runs from May to February, TexRep does four full plays and a Drama Camp Showcase. A Tuna Christmas is a bonus show that was added outside of the regular season as a special fundraiser for TexRep. It is also special in that the production staff (those who design and direct the show) are donating their services for free. One might wonder why Cooper and Polson would ever subject themselves to this insanity again, but the answer is simple — Everyone enjoys it. When asked why this particular show was chosen for this slot, Cooper said, “Chris and I did Greater Tuna some years ago and it was received very well. People have mentioned that they would enjoy seeing it, or something of its ilk, again.” He added that the show is both fun and season-relevant. If you have never seen Greater Tuna, don’t worry! All characters are introduced or reintroduced, so you’ll feel right at home. If you have seen it, you’ll be delighted to know that — according to Cooper —A Tuna Christmas is even funnier than the first one.
If you’re still struggling to find a present for everyone on your list, the gift of laughter is one-size-fits-all (and they won’t want to return it). Whether you are returning to Tuna or visiting for the first time, this wild ride is a trip you won’t soon forget! Y’all come on out, and join the Texarkana Repertory Company for their production of A Tuna Christmas, ya hear?
Performances of A Tuna Christmas will be:
Thursday, December 12
7:30 p.m
Friday, December 13
7:30 p.m.
Saturday, December 14
2:00 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, December 15
2:00 p.m. / 7:30 p.m.
(The theatre doors will open thirty minutes prior to showtime.)
If you are interested in supporting your local theatre, please consider a sponsorship, a membership, or simply attending a show. If you are interested in supporting TexRep in a more hands-on capacity, they are always looking for extra hands, whether it be auditioning/performing, ushering for performances, working backstage/in the booth, or helping with set construction.
For information, or questions, please visit TexRep online. You can also connect with them on Facebook, or follow them on Instagram.
As set designer Chris Polson always says, “See you at the theatre!”
It is crazy how times have changed. Marijuana growers used to have to hide their crops from authorities but now, many are able to not only grow it in plain sight, but also sell it in plain sight. Technically, medical marijuana dispensaries are a breach of federal law, but thanks to legalization of medical marijuana in a number of states, they are spreading across the U.S. in order to help those in need. Marijuana has now become one of the new wonder drugs for many ailments.
Marijuana dispensaries are popping up all over the United States, including Texarkana. A medical marijuana dispensary is a location permitted to legally sell medical marijuana to medically qualified patients for medicinal purposes only. In order to become a customer at a dispensary, a person needs to first consult their doctor who can inform them about what conditions may be treated with cannabis. If the doctor feels they are a candidate, he or she will write them a prescription. The doctor or a pharmacist can help a patient find a nearby dispensary.
There are also directories available on the Internet, listed by state. The medical marijuana dispensary currently open in Texarkana is Bloom Medicinals Cannabis Dispensary located at 410 Realtor Avenue. Red River Remedy Medical Marijuana Dispensary is set to open this month at 4423 East Broad Street.
“I have received mixed reactions about the new medical marijuana dispensaries,” said Texarkana, Arkansas City Manager Kenny Haskins. “If we roll out a plan and make sure we police it in a way that is efficient and effective, I think the community and those who are detractors will eventually evolve.” The city will require the two dispensaries to pay an annual permit of $11,000 to operate.
It is not easy to become a dispensary owner. One must follow the proper paperwork and procedures in order to become licensed by regional authorities. Just remember, medical marijuana dispensaries sell marijuana for medicinal purposes only. Recreational dispensaries will not be around any time soon.
Texas A&M University- Texarkana evolves to better serve its student body. TAMUT added both The Patterson Student Center and Business Administration & Student Services building last spring to match the growing student population and their needs. However, opening a new building is not the only way to aid students in their scholastic journey. The university’s I.T. system engineers brought a Digital Backpack (an online portal) to our campus which allows students, faculty, and staff to access multiple applications.
This new platform will continue to evolve; adding new applications as IT works to better equip our campus, such as Office 365, NBCLearn, and DocuSign. Click here for the full list of pending applications. App ideas are accepted via email to digitalbackpack@tamut.edu.
Applications that are currently available on the Digital Backpack:
Blackboard
AceMail
EagleSync
EagleTech
iSITE
Library Lab
Software.tamu.edu
Robert Leitgeb is a part of TAMUT’s IT department and was able to share a little about the project: “The Digital Backpack is really part of a significantly larger technology implementation. You do not see it, but IT is working to improve your experience here. For example, you may have seen changes in certain computer labs around campus- this was part of the project, too.” Leitgeb explained the process of building such a program: IT worked with several business partners like VMWare and Dell for over a year to create a package suitable for our campus. Leitgeb said, “Other schools may have Digital Backpack, but what you see here at TAMUT is our unique technical experience.”
This backpack will make students, faculty, and staff’s lives a little easier. Users can access their backpack anywhere they have an internet connection; allowing more freedom in their schedule. This Digital Backpack is just another example of how TAMUT works to improve student’s educational journey, sometimes it’s a new building, and sometimes it’s a streamlined online learning experience.
Good things come to those who wait. The Entertainment District in downtown Texarkana is now officially open. Thanks to the hard work of the Texarkana, Arkansas Planning Commission, it opened to the public on October 16, 2019, beginning with a toast by locals at Hopkins Icehouse.
The district spans across a fourteen-block area of downtown Texarkana. The roads are marked with green stripes to distinguish the boundaries, and signs are posted with hours of operation at the corners of the district. Anyone 21 and over can now walk around outside with an open container of alcohol, as long as it is purchased at a downtown establishment. No underage drinking will be allowed.
The bars and restaurants included in the district include Hopkins Icehouse, Zapata’s, Broadway Sports Bar and Billiards, Verona’s Restaurant and Wine Bar, and The Flying Crow. District hours are Monday through Saturday 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to midnight.
This new district is an exciting addition to downtown Texarkana, Arkansas and is expected to draw guests from surrounding areas. The city’s goal is to bring more visitors and businesses to the downtown area.
This is just one more step the city is taking to revitalize downtown Texarkana. “Entertainment Districts have been known to spur economic growth,” says City of Texarkana, Arkansas City Manager Kenny Haskins. “The better businesses do, the better off we will be as a city.”
The ordinance was possible due to a new state law which allows cities with boundaries to designate areas for outdoor alcohol consumption. The city will provide trash cans and daily garbage pick up to keep downtown clean.
The Entertainment District has rules that will be enforced. No open containers can be carried out of liquor stores or taken into vehicles. No open container alcohol may be carried into any business, and no glass open containers are allowed.
Go on down and experience all that downtown Texarkana has to offer. As Adger Smith of the Planning Commission pointed out, “This is the culmination of years of gradual work by the Planning Commission, it’s an evolution.”
If you frequently browse Eagle Eye, you may have seen an article that I recently posted about the Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter (RSOS) in Texarkana. If you have not heard of them, they are a non-profit organization that specializes in providing aid to the homeless in our area. They provide shelter, housing, clothing, case management, health appointments, job training/search assistance, life skills classes, life-sustaining medication coverage, and transportation. They have been serving our community selflessly for over two decades, and they need our support. In fact, they need even more support than usual, as they were not awarded a very large grant (175k) that they needed to support their operation. Historically, they have been awarded this grant annually, so this is a significant loss. If you have never given to RSOS, please consider doing so this holiday season. In addition to accepting regular monetary/material donations, RSOS has two exciting fundraisers happening now…
RSOS’ Be The Blessing Job Training is a bakery program that employs homeless or formerly homeless people and teaches them commercial kitchen/baking skills. They are currently taking orders for Christmas cookies. Ranging from $15-$20 per dozen, they offer chocolate chip, peanut butter, pecan praline, sugar cookies, or a mixed box. If a box isn’t enough, they also offer a tray of four-dozen cookies for $40. These tasty treats are sure to be a hit at your family gathering or Christmas party! Are you looking for a fun and yummy activity for the family? For $25, you can order Be The Blessing’s Santa Cookie Kit! Each kit comes with two icing bags, two sprinkle cups, and a dozen Santa-shaped sugar cookies that you can decorate yourself. Orders can be placed online now! You can also follow them on Facebook and Instagram. By participating in this fundraiser, you are directly supporting local people who are acquiring the skills they need to get a job in the food-service industry. Giving back to the community, and having a delicious snack? It’s a win-win! (I actually ordered some immediately after I submitted this article!)
Wright (L), Brisco (R), and Arnold’s (B) original artwork for Hope for the Homeless TXK.
Looking for unique Christmas gift ideas? Look no further! RSOS’ kicked off a new annual art event this year called Hope for the Homeless TXK. The organization asked local artists Taylor Arnold, Nicole Brisco, and Joel Wright to interpret homelessness. Each artist created beautiful and touching original pieces which are being framed and raffled off on December 15th. If you are interested in entering for a chance to win one of these gorgeous creations, you can buy ten entries for $10, thirty entries for $25, or 75 entries $50, although you have the option to purchase as many entries as you wish. In addition to this raffle, prints of the paintings and t-shirts featuring Arnold and Wright’s designs are also for sale. All proceeds from this event go toward the Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter. This fundraiser is an excellent chance to support both RSOS and our fabulous local artists.
If you would simply like to make a monetary donation, those are also welcome. Donors have the option to make a one time donation, or sign up to give monthly or annually. Besides physical or monetary donations, you can also donate you time. There are many ways to volunteer, such as hosting donation drives for shelter needs, or providing evening meals at the shelter. To volunteer your time or services, you can sign up online.
For more information on the Randy Sams’ Outreach Shelter and its programs, please visit them online or call 903-792-7024. You can also follow them on Facebook, and Twitter.
Dua Lipa may be, if not, one of the world’s biggest pop stars out right now. Just recently, Dua Lipa has released her brand new hit single, “Don’t Start Now” on Halloween of this year. Ever since Lipa has released this worldwide smash hit, she has been traveling the world everywhere!
Just within a short span of two-weeks, Lupa has performed Don’t Start Now at the: MTV EMA’s in Spain, ARIA Awards in Australia, AMA’s in Los Angeles, MNet Asian Music Awards in Japan, Hamilton Island Australia, Mumbai India, and the Graham Norton show are just a few to name at the moment.
Dua Lipa is also set to release a brand new album titled, “Future Nostalgia” in 2020. The brand new album will include genres of disco and pop while also incorporating a new version of Dua Lipa as a pop star. Lipa wants to give her fans something as she called it, “Futuristic & Fresh”. She wants to give them something they have never seen or heard before. In other words, she wants to have it where her fans can just get up and dance while also feeling the lyrics at the same time.
Lipa performing Don’t Start now at the EMA’s
In the meantime, Dua has announced that she will be going on tour in Europe mid 2020. The new tour will showcase her brand new album that she is expected to released in 2020.
If you have not checked out “Don’t Start Now” yet, check out the brand new worldwide sensation or a.k.a., the best song out right now below.
