Most people in December are dreaming of a beautiful Christmas tree, presents filling up the house, and the smell of pies and cakes coming out of the oven. This may seem familiar to you. As for cowboys and cowgirls in December, they dream of something a little different. Cowboys and cowgirls dream of Vegas lights, gold buckles, and the smell of arena dirt.
Starting December 3 through December 12, there will be 10 rodeo performances in Las Vegas, Nevada. This grand rodeo is called the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo.
The Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association holds over 600 rodeos throughout the year, and only the top 15 competitors in each event at the end of the rodeo season can qualify for the WNFR. The PRCA has been producing rodeos since the 1920’s making it the oldest rodeo association. The PRCA is also the largest rodeo association.
At the WNFR there will be 8 events: Bareback Riding, Saddle Bronc Riding, Bull Riding, Tie-down Roping, Steer Wrestling, Team Roping, Barrel Racing, and the crowning of Miss Rodeo America. The cowboys and cowgirls competing come into the competition ranked first to fifteenth by their money earnings from this year. As they compete each night they have the opportunity to earn more money placing them higher in the rankings.
The cowboy and cowgirls can earn many titles at the WNFR. Each night they have to opportunity to win the round with either the fastest time or the highest score. They can also win the “average” and a gold buckle at the end of the 10 day rodeo stretch by having the best cumulative scores or times. They can also win the biggest title of all, World Champion, by earning the most money throughout the whole rodeo season including the money that they won at the WNFR.
There are many ways to be a part of the impressive rodeo. Much like professional football or baseball there are fantasy leagues you can compete in. You can also go to Las Vegas and enjoy the rodeo live and meet the professional cowboys and cowgirls. Lastly, you can watch from the comfort of your couch in awe of these professional athletes.
For more information on the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo visit:
Chemicals have been used for decades in order to ensure the growth and survival of crops essential to everyday life, but many of these chemicals are possibly affecting organisms outside of their intended targets, including the bee; an insect essential to the reproduction of various flowering plants. The chemicals scientists believe to be harmful to bees are known as neonicotinoids. These chemicals are synthetic derivatives of the widely used, naturally-occurring pesticide, nicotine.
Bee populations are dramatically on the decline, and scientists are looking for what factors could be responsible for said decline. Dr. Chris Connolly and his colleagues conducted a study at Dundee’s School of Medicine consisting of a sample population of bees, and the conclusion suggests the decline in the bee population is partially due to neonicotinoids. In the study, Dr. Connolly found exposure to low levels of neonicotinoids caused a 55 percent reduction of the live bee population. Dr. Connolly states, “Our research demonstrates beyond doubt that the level of neonicotinoids generally accepted as the average level present in the wild causes brain dysfunction and colonies to perform poorly when consumed by bumblebees.” Even though the pesticides did not kill the bees, the effects of the neurotoxins could still be seen through the examination of the bees’ brains and cells. As mentioned before, the bee population was exposed to low levels of neonicotinoids, resulting in the shutdown of mitochondria, the failure to recognize the scent of a flower, and the inability to remember their way back to the nest.
What is important to remember about the study is the scientists are not suggesting that insect neurotoxins are wholly at fault; but when looking at the results of this study, it is hard not to believe the aforementioned pesticides are not partially to blame. Dr. Connolly’s analysis is only one of many experiments looking into the side-effects of pesticides, and with the number of studies steadily growing; various national governments have started to take action concerning the use of pesticides within the environment. This past September, a US court reversed the Environmental Protection Agency’s approval of the pesticide sulfoxaflor, due to data the court called “flawed and limited.” Although the court denied the use of sulfoxaflor, most neonicotinoids are still approved for use within the US; the situation is the polar opposite in the EU. The EU currently prohibits the use of most neonicotinoids and, as of July, allows the use of sulfoxaflor, even though the European Food Standards Authority believed the lack of information on sulfoxaflor does not exclude the possibility of a negative impact on the already deteriorating bee populations.
The unwanted influence of insect neurotoxins on bees is one of many factors we must look at when examining humans’ usage of chemicals in agriculture, but finding out whether or not these pesticides are significantly hurting bee populations is essential in ensuring the survival of many plant species we rely on every day.
NEW YORK, NY – SEPTEMBER 10: A homeless man sleeps under an American Flag blanket on a park bench on September 10, 2013 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. As of June 2013, there were an all-time record of 50,900 homeless people, including 12,100 homeless families with 21,300 homeless children homeless in New York City. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) *** BESTPIX ***
What if a major issue in the world was almost entirely ignored because people just don’t see it? Such is the case with the poor in the United States. Poverty is an often understated and largely ignored issue in the United States. We tend to overlook it since we see the number of poor in the poorest countries and in comparison to them our problem doesn’t seem as pad. In truth many of the poor, as David Shipler stated are “invisible” because they are constantly “working.” We have more poor than we think, but since we do not often see them on the streets and elsewhere in our normal day-to-day activities, the problem is invisible to us.
Mr. Shipler, a Pulitzer-prize winning former foreign correspondent and bureau chill for The New York Times, says addressing poverty is similar to “connecting the dots.” Without the connecting lines it is nothing more than a scattered constellation with no tangible meaning or useful interpretation. Without a good understanding of the problem, how can one hope to address it? It can’t be, which brings us to Shipler’s explanation of some of the larger stars in the constellation of poverty. Crossing the poverty line is similar to a minefield. One misstep can send you back to square one. Because of this, according to Shipler, the ability for one to make the path out of poverty usually requires good luck and fortune, since pure determination will usually not get you out of the pit of poverty.
Dr. David Shipler (far left) having a discussion with students at the informal luncheon earlier that day.
Shipler, who spent the day on the campus of Texas A&M Texarkana on November 10th, says “poverty” is the still picture and “debt” is the moving picture. Poverty is not static and results in accumulating debts for simple things such as food and water, items most Americans take for granted. Those who are in poverty are not aware of this. Shipler says this is because poverty is relative. If you are surrounded by poverty with it being all you see, your place in the visible community is not at the bottom, but equal to everyone else. This life of always living in poverty can lend itself to a sense of “learned ‘hopelessness’” whereby, people don’t want to try an advance themselves because they have an inherited sense of no hope for the future. Advancement within the affluent society, that they stand on the edge looking in on, is nearly impossible and rationally non-attainable.
Shipler says the poor often wear the “camouflage of work.” This lends itself to invisible to mainstream society. The reason no one sees the poor in America is because they are the waitress, the women at the drycleaners, the cashier at the restaurant where they are putting on their façade for work: the uniform. If seen in the context of their home, one could see the true state of the hardworking, unseen poor.
If a child remains poor through his middle and junior high years of schooling, a child’s dream for the future, a future where he or she is not poor, dies. This is why numerous children drop out of school once this dream is crushed and enter the workforce to continue the decades-old cycle of working to just survive.
Eagle Hall is a hive of activity as Dr. Nakashian prepare to make his introduction at Dr. Shipler’s presentation.
Shipler gives one reason for the difficulty of addressing the issue of poverty is in its very structure. Rather than existing as a culture in society Shipler says in reality it has more in common to an ecological system with all of its intricacies, lending to a simple fix not existing for the problem.
One of the key links in the cyclical nature of poverty, says Shipler, is the issue of housing. Research shows when the bill for rent comes due and money is tight as usual the food budget is the first to be cut back. The reduced amount of food in the early stages of childhood can lead to developmental issues with children particularly neurological maturity. This can lead to bad choices perhaps being made by these underdeveloped children, bad choices that strengthen the grip poverty has on the families that originate form poorer communities.
Another issue affecting the poor comes when they apply for a job. People can develop a fear of work when they have had numerous failures. Such fear can keep people from ever applying for jobs and keeping them form taking the first step out of poverty. In Shipler’s interviews with people to compile his book he often saw the issue of fear come up in conversation with the interviewees. Its prevalence leads Shipler to assert that the issue is real and haunting.
Shipler’s ideas bring up an important issue for discussion. The poor in America are a forgotten group. Pushed to the side, left out in the open with no visible safety net. Federal programs exist to help combat the issue but a majority of those are under-utilized as of a direct campaign by those in charge to keep expenditures down why still taking the credit for providing such programs. Texas A&M University- Texarkana is proud to have hosted such an important discussion on such an important issue. The University hopes to be a forum for numerous future discussions on equally important issues.
Once a year, in early November, there is a holiday set aside for America to honor those of us who basically “wrote a blank check, payable to the United States of America for an amount up to, (in some cases) our lives.”
Fact is, even though you may agree with the President’s views, as a servicemember, you have still taken an oath to defend the country whether you agree or not with what the country is trying to accomplish, courtesy of your service, at any given time.
Veteran’s day is a wonderful time to be a Veteran. Here in Texarkana, if you are a vet, you will have every opportunity to eat well, as most of the restaurants basically roll out the red carpet for us on Veteran’s day.
The benefits reaped vary by restaurant; some like Outback, Longhorn and Buffalo Wild Wings offered a free snack. Hooters offered a free entrée, yet others, such as Applebee’s and Texas Roadhouse offered veteran’s menus that consisted of full-meals. Golden Corral offered vets a buffet.
Yes, personally I love to eat, and for the first time in over 10 years, I celebrated Veteran’s day by making the rounds. I visited Hooters early for some chicken wings, Texas Roadhouse in the afternoon for a steak dinner, and a nightcap courtesy of Golden Corral where I happened to run into our veteran’s representative Robert Hernandez. It was definitely a welcome break from having to cook.
Another great thing about these meals is running into people that you may have served with and for whatever reason, you haven’t seen for years. It’s always fun to reminisce a little, as there are fun times in the military along with hard work.
As someone who spent almost 24 years in the United States Navy, I don’t always feel as though my service is appreciated. I’ve been homeless on more than one occasion for long periods of time, and despite having been healthy when I arrived at MEPS Shreveport back on March 9, 1985. I have a slew of medical problems now, and it’s always a stomp down, drag out affair when a claim is put in for disability. However I applaud them for giving me this opportunity to get (educationally) rehabilitated.
Despite all of the negative things I endure, the Veteran’s Day rewards are a reminder that there are those who appreciate all the family events missed, marital strains that many of us endured, all the way to not being at the bedside of a dying relative, also the nonsense bureaucracy that a wounded vet is guaranteed to go through upon returning home. To REALLY understand the commitment of America’s veterans you must wear the boots, or be a wife or child of a vet to understand the toll that it can take on them.
I am personally thankful for the Veteran’s Day rewards, because that’s the one time of the year when I realize that many really do appreciate our service.
On September 9th, Donald Trump drew a livid reaction from R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe, when the presidential hopeful used the band’s song “It’s the End of the World as We Know It (And I Feel Fine)” at a Tea Party rally protesting President Obama’s nuclear deal with Iran. In an email to the Daily Beast, Stipe, clearly upset with Trump, stating “Go f— yourselves, you sad, attention-grabbing, power-hungry, little men. Do not use our music or my voice for your moronic charade of a campaign.” Trump’s clash with R.E.M. is just the most recent incident in a long and troubled history between politicians (mostly Republicans) and musicians.
During the 2008 presidential season, Sen. John McCain received disapproval from three seperate artists, including: the Foo Fighters, John Mellencamp, and Jackson Browne. McCain continued this losing streak with musicians when his running mate, Gov. Sarah Palin, was sent a cease-and-desist letter from Heart guitarist Nancy Wilson, after using their famous song, “Barracuda,” at the Republican National Convention. Wilson’s letter fiercely, “I think it’s completely unfair to be so misrepresented. I feel completely f***ed over.”
Most of these altercations between politicians and musicians mostly occur due to the stark contrasts in personal beliefs. Many of the jilted Republican politicians have strongly conservative values, while the objecting musicians have usually been associated with the rock genre, a genre known for its progressive past, e.g., Woodstock and Vietnam War protests. This history can be seen as far back as Ronald Reagan’s 1984 presidential campaign, where he wanted to use Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.” Reagan did not understand the lyrics where about a man struggling in the aftermath of the Vietnam War, a war Reagan was known to support. However, in the rare case of a musician denying a Democratic politician song rights, the letters have had a more cordial tone. For instance, Barack Obama was asked to stop using songs during both of his presidential campaigns; however, these rejections were not due to political beliefs, but rather the fact his campaign did not ask for permission. Perhaps if politicians asked the artists for song usage in advance, they might be spared the embarrassment of being publicy rejected.
The 2015 Emmys were one for the record books. It was a night for Black women to stand up and be proud. Last night proved that Hollywood is finally breaking away from the traditional race roles in mainstream media. Viola Davis became the first Black woman to win a Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, for her role as Annalise Keating on How to Get Away With Murder.
Another winning moment came when Jon Hamm won his Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series Emmy. This win comes after being nominated 16 times, 8 of which were for his character on Mad Men. The actor received a standing ovation from his peers, because this was his last chance to win an Emmy for his Don Draper character.
This year’s Emmys proved they could break the norm when three out of the four actresses who won awards were Black women. This trend should keep happening in Hollywood. The Emmys showed that no matter your skin color, if you are brilliant at your profession then you deserve the recognition.
The Emmy red carpet also broke tradition when Amy Poehler’s Smart Girls Organization teamed with Twitter and the Television Academy to start a Smart Girls Ask hashtag campaign that wanted to ask women better questions than “who are you wearing?” This gave actresses a chance to engage with young girls who look up to them and have realistic questions. Even though fashion is a big part of the red carpet, this gave women a chance to talk about current events.
“F*** the police” said N.W.A. All of the N.W.A. members grew up on Crenshaw Blvd. in Compton, South Central L.A., where blacks were heavily discriminated against and the police made life even more difficult.
The members of the N.W.A. consisted of Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Ice Cube, MC Ren, and DJ Yella. This group started out with Dr. Dre and Ice Cube making beats and lyrics in Dr. Dre’s aunt’s house. After some time, they all came together and produced their first hit “Straight Outta Compton” in 1988. They rapped about their struggles as African-Americans with the police in South Central L.A.
Their success did not come easily, because during the late 80s, no one ever thought about this new style of music called ‘gangsta rap’ except for a guy by the name of Jerry Heller, who worked for Ruthless Production.
Unfortunately two years after N.W.A.’s first album, the group spilt up. Ice Cube was the first to go because he thought Heller had cheated him financially. But it wasn’t long after that Dr. Dre split from N.W.A as well and joined Suge Knight with Death Row Records. In 1994 Eazy-E ended up splitting ties with Jerry Heller because of communication issues. It was at that time that Eazy-E called Ice Cube and Dr. Dre to get N.W.A. back together.
As the group was waiting to reunite, Eazy-E passed away from AIDS in 1995. N.W.A. still reunited with Snoop Dogg performing in Eazy-E’s place. Although they had solo careers, they produced a lot of songs together with Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Warren G, and Eminem. To this day, rappers idolize N.W.A. because without them gangsta rap would not be where it is today.
