Park Yourself Here

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With Bowie County (Texas) and Miller County (Arkansas) combined, Texarkana is home to over 65,000 residents. The City of Texarkana, Texas has placed eleven beautiful parks, recreation and running trails throughout local neighborhoods (Tamut, Pleasant Grove ISD, Texas ISD, Liberty Eylau ISD) of Texarkana with the mission to improve the quality and life of citizens.

(TAMUT & PGISD) Bringle Lake Park East, West and Wilderness are three different areas combined in one. Bringle Lake, known for being the most popular park and having the best running trails, is found right by the A&M Texarkana

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks
(7602 Bringle Lake Road
Texarkana, TX 75501)

Bringle lake Wilderness Area is 144 acres of nature area. No motorized vehicles are allowed in the wilderness area and the park is of day time use only. Bringle Lake Wilderness features ten foot wide bike and running trails that lead right into Bringle Lake East at approximately two miles.

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks (7500 Bringle Park Rd)

Bringle lake East is an eight acre park that sits on the east side of Bringle Lake Wilderness. The park features bike and running trails, a playground for children, picnic areas, a floating fishing pier, grills and restrooms.

Surrounded by an abundance of trees and nature, the relaxing walking trails on Bringle Lake East are designed to bring you right into the boardwalk of Bringle Lake West.

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks (7602 Bringle Lake Road Texarkana, TX 75501)

The west side of the Bringle Lake is an open seven acre park offering a boat ramp, fishing piers, trails, exercise equipment, volleyball sand courts, restrooms, playgrounds and a 1500 Sq. Feet  pavilion looking over Bringle lake.

 

 

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks (4303 North Park Road)

Does your dog need a breath of fresh air too? There is a local park for your pet. Kylee Sullivan Dog Park has a fenced in area for them to play with other dogs their size or feel free to roam on the dog trails. The dog park can be found on North Park Road, open seven days a week.

Right beside the Kylee Sullivan Dog Park you can find Spring Lake Park, located in a central area of Texarkana.

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks(4303 N. Park Road Texarkana, TX 75501)

With 145 acres, this park features a spring fed lake, concert area, playground units, rotary splash pad, 18 hole disc golf course, picnic areas, 1.75 mile trail walking throughout the park , baseball and softball diamond, fishing, and restrooms. Spring Lake is the host of “Movies in the Park” during the Spring and Fall season offering new and classic releases.

Bell Park is in the heart of “New Town”. It is a four-acre neighborhood park offering a multi purpose baseball court, four sets of playground equipment, pavilion, restrooms and picnic tables. Bell Park is commonly used for community events and family gatherings. Around the corner from Bell Park , in the Highland Park area there is a 5 acre playground nestled in a beautiful tree line historic area. Ferguson Park is found just south of College Drive and Adjacent to the Collins Senior Center.

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks (2612 New Boston Road Texarkana, TX 75501)

Located on New Boston Rd. Beverly Park is a 7 acre playground park with a heavily wooded area and that features playground equipment and picnic tables. Beverly Park is perfect for your lunch time activities.

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks

Right off 7th Street, home to the recreation staff services is located at 3222 West 7th Street. The South West Community Center and Park is 20,000 sq ft building featuring a gymnasium, multi-purpose room, game room and kid’s library, meeting rooms, exercise room and kitchen. The Southwest center offers weekly recreational activities such as yoga and Zumba classes, youth and adult open gym activities, senior citizen’s bingo, and pool table and games.The Center also offers seasonal programs and sports event, health fairs, summer youth programs and much more. Meeting rooms can be reserved for individual, groups, or family functions. The park area of the Southwest Center offers four lighted tennis courts, playground equipment, and a multi-purpose open space area.

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks(201 Oak St. Texarkana, TX 75501)

(LE ISD) Kidtopia is a playground designed for kids by kids! Located in Downtown Texarkana, the park is the perfect place to let kids express themselves. Kidtopia features a multi purpose playground, public restrooms and don’t forget your skates for Skatetopia.

Skateopia is the newest adjacent to Kidtopia in Downtown Texarkana. Built completely from custom concrete and designed by our local skateboarding community,the Skate Park is made for users of all skill levels to enjoy.

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks(201 Oak St.
Texarkana, TX 75501)

Featuring ledges, stair sets, down rails and an open bowl section, the park is great for all-wheel use. At Skatetopia, operational hours differ from Park curfew and both are open for day use only.

 

 

 

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks(410 Findley St. Texarkana, TX 75501)

Located just off of highway 59, Findley park is a 5-acre, tree-lined neighbor hood park. Featuring a basketball court, playground and multi purpose recreational area.

 

 

Scott Joplin Park is a beautiful wooded area and a great place to cool off on a hot summer day.

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks(1621 W. St.
Texarkana, TX 75501)

This 7 acre park features various play equipment, public restrooms, a pedestrian walking bridge and a 1260 Sq. Feet  pavilion perfect for picnics, family gatherings and community social events.

The park is located at 1621 West Street, just off of State Highway 59 in South Texarkana.

 

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks

 

Karrh Park is a 33-acre gem surrounded by wooded areas and a quiet neighborhood. Karrh Park features four softball fields and is the home to the Girls Softball Association where leagues and tournaments are in full swing from the month of March to October.The park provides a serene picnic area with a small pond for recreational fishing,(1656 Sq. Feet) pavilion, playground equipment and public restrooms.
Located at 2102 South Ann Street (just off of State Highway 59 South)

Located at 3419 Leopard Drive in the Liberty-Eylau area of Texarkana, Grady T. Wallace Park features 5 softball fields, 12 soccer fields and is the home to the Texarkana United Soccer Association with children and adult leagues in the Spring and Fall. Wallace Park offers active recreational space covering over 70 acres.

Image Courtesy of Texarkana, Texas Parks(3315 Leopard Drive
Texarkana, TX 75501)

Featuring  playground units, a walking/jogging trail around the 5-acre lake, a basketball court, two pavilions (2400 Sq. Feet) for social gatherings and public restrooms.

 

PRODusing New Media

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You’re a senior in high school. You’re over halfway through the school year, and you’ve just spent the last four years of your life trying to forget that you’ve spent a good majority of it flipping through math, science, English, and history textbooks. You’re ready for your summer of freedom. But, that’s not going to happen. It’s time to decide your place in life. Your teachers tell you that college is nothing like high school. It’s hard. It’s tiring. You need to know what you’re doing before you do it, because there’s not much wiggle room. And all you can think about is what you haven’t been prepared for.

Our educators expect us to understand the world enough to know exactly what we should do with our lives, even at the age of ten. It’s a scary thought. But there lies the problem. People aren’t expected to have everything figured out once they reach college. However, our younger selves are somehow coerced into believing that picking a major field of study for higher education is a singular choice.

On the contrary, college is a place where learning the steps to make that decision actually takes place. The misconception that high school is where you make your final decision is just downright stressful. Some people get so worked up it actually decreases their likelihood of going to college. They feel so overwhelmed that their solution might be to wait it out. But education isn’t knowing everything in advance of doing it. If that were the case, we wouldn’t need education.

Venturing further into your academic career offers new discoveries and options everyday. The electives at Texas A&M University – Texarkana offer multiple teaching and learning styles, material, perceptions.

Photo by Allison Hall

One class in particular is Dr. Drew Morton’s Intro to Media Production course. The name suggests filmmakers would receive the most benefit, but anyone on campus can gain something. The course teaches students how to properly use DSLR Canon Rebel cameras for photography and video, and how to mash those clips together in Adobe Premiere. The course requires no necessary experience or skill (Hint: “Intro”). The series of projects in the course moves in an elegant and gradual way to ward away nerves about technique and to compliment your available skill set. The course is all about you: What do you want to make? What do you have to say? Film is an easy way to tell a story. A section of the class teaches you to do this without words. Visual elements can instill meaning into a person that words just can’t.

Photo by Allison Hall

One junior history major has ventured much further into the field of mass communication thanks to classes like this. Josh Wattigny has taken several MCOM classes and is now enrolled in Intro to Media Production. Prior to any of these, he hadn’t thought of branching out into media studies. Now, he has his own camera, equipment, and a YouTube channel. “I had an interest in learning about film history, and from there I found out that I really enjoyed everything that goes into film production. I wanted to learn more and make my own movies,” Josh said. The truth is, with or without a degree, we’re all involved in the field of mass communication.

You might think you know what you want, and maybe you do, but there’s always something else worth exploring. Something you might think is too hard, or not worth the time might turn into a consistent hobby, as it was for Josh. Here, we’re discussing videography, but maybe you have a knack for poetry or writing. So, a word of advice: get out there and take as many classes as you can. Wander around and find new media of expression. You never know what’s possible until you apply yourself in a new, scary, wonderful way.

Texas A&M University – Texarkana has some upcoming workshops and lectures you can use to test the waters. November events include a GIS (Geographic Information System) day hosted in the Digital Humanities Lab on November 14th, a Fried Green Tomatoes (1991) screening accompanied by discussion from Jaime Cantrell, Drew Morton, and Rachel Stonecipher on November 20th in Eagle Hall with a live podcast taping, and a walk-through of Audacity applications and podcast recording on November 27th at 12:15 in the Digital Humanities Lab. All these opportunities provide a variety of explorable content. Please check them out and don’t hesitate to ask questions.

Impotent Poison: Venom Review

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Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

– SPOILERS –

After so many years of development and discussion about bringing to life one of Marvel’s most popular characters, Eddie Brock AKA Venom, I’m sad to say that Sony’s attempt to kick-start their own cinematic universe may need to go back to the drawing board after this outing.

Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Let’s begin with the plot. The story focuses on Eddie Brock, played by Tom Hardy, a hard-hitting video journalist who ruins his own career and social life when trying to expose the illegal actions of a genetics corporation, the Life Foundation, ran by the film’s villain, Carlton Drake, played by Riz Ahmed. Due to the nature of Drake’s research involving a downed spacecraft containing several oily extraterrestrials, referred to as “Symbiotes,” Eddie is infected with one of the alien parasites that he can hear in his head, turning him into a hulking, black creature with large, white eyes, sharp teeth, claws, and a long tongue. Intent on capturing and studying Eddie, Drake pursues him while Eddie seeks help from his ex-wife, Anne Weying, played by Michelle Williams, to help him control or remove the monster that compels him to give in to his darker impulses.

While Ruben Fleischer’s attempt at bringing the character to life is more enjoyable and, more or less, accurate to the comics  in comparison to his disappointing first appearance in Sam Raimi’s Spider-Man 3 back in 2007 and, the film is, unfortunately, a disjointed mess of a film with conflicting tones and awkward execution.

CONS

Besides Hardy’s performance, which we’ll get in to later, most, if not all, of the characters are stock and forgettable. Despite the amount of talent present in the film, there isn’t much

Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

to the characters besides what they contribute to the plot, with Cartlton Drake as the film’s antagonist being especially egregious. You could practically make a drinking game at how stereotypically villainous he is. Is he a rich industrialist with obvious, sociopathic tendenciesthat people will conveniently overlook? Yes he is, so take a shot. Does he monologue about his goals for mankind, constantly bemoaning how weak we are as a species as it relates to that said goal? Yes he does, there’s another shot. Does he have our intrepid hero strapped to a table to interrogate him? That he does, another shot. Does he even reference biblical scripture to make himself sound learned and intimidating, but, instead, further compounds how clichéd he is? You bet he does, and that’s another shot. I could go on, and the other characters aren’t any better either. Anne Weying is just there to further the plot and be apart of a “will they or won’t they” relationship with Eddie, Jenny Slate’s character is just there to bring information to Eddie so he can go to the Life Foundation and get infected with the Symbiote, and even Woody Harrelson, who makes a special, mid credits appearance as Cletus Kasady, is just there to set up a sequel with Carnage that might not even be made. At best, these characters will have small moments of enjoyment, but, overall, they’re utilitarian by definition.

Another issue is the advertisement for the film. What was presented with these commercials was the idea of this horrific struggle between Eddie and the Symbiote as they fight for domination. The idea showed a lot of promise considering the nature of the character. However, this was the not the film we got. While there are moments that somewhat reflected what was advertised, the film, predominately, doesn’t come close to the tone presented in the trailers, opting for a more comedic tone for about half of the film.

Speaking of the story, there’s nothing much to write home about. Villain wants thing, thing latches onto the down-on-his-luck hero, hero uses thing to run around and break stuff in a comedic fashion, villain gets his own thing, big CGI fight during the climax, and end credits. It’s a fairly standard plot, but what doesn’t help matters is how certain elements are forced for the sake of the narrative. For instance, Eddie is made to be the bad guy in the beginning of the story when he goes through Anne’s files on the Life Foundation to bring up allegations during an interview. While this does make Eddie out as reckless and insensitive, especially considering that it cost him and Anne’s job, his reasoning behind trying to expose how the Life Foundation targets sensitive cases for potentially fatal experiments paints his actions as being more noble than selfish. The problem with this is that the film really wants to create a parallel between Eddie and the Symbiote, both considered parasites in their own way, but because of Eddie’s actions being fueled by impulsive selflessness here and in plenty of other situations, it doesn’t create a natural path for his character to tread. Including an awkward scene between him and the Symbiote, which feels like a third-act breakup right out of a romantic comedy, that comes out of nowhere and other moments, the plot can be best described as labored and contrived.

PROS 

Image courtesy of Sony Pictures Entertainment

One positive aspect of the film that I can say was legitimately entertaining was Tom Hardy’s performance, both as Eddie and the voice of the Symbiote. While his line reading as Eddie makes him sound out of breath throughout most of the runtime, Hardy brought a lot of energy and enjoyable insanity to his performance. Where everyone else is just going through the routines, Hardy goes nuts throughout nearly the whole movie, even going as far as to ad lib jumping inside of a lobster tank to take a bite out of them in the middle of a fancy restaurant with a disturbing amount of conviction. Despite this, as enjoyable as Eddie is, the Symbiote is the true star of the film. Hardy’s growling, oily voice companied with the few great moments of writing almost perfectly captures the feel of the original character from the comics, even down to the darkly comedic dialogue about eating people. Moreover, the back-and-forth between the two (yes, Tom Hardy acting alongside Tom Hardy) made for many amusing scenes, especially the moment in which the Symbiote asks Eddie to jump out of window near the top of a building with epic accompaniment, but Eddie decides to take the elevator instead, much to the Symbiote’s annoyance.

Probably the biggest component that made this film watchable, at least for me, is the comedy, both the intentional and unintentional. As mentioned with the elevator scene, there are a lot exchanges between Eddie and the Symbiote that made for some good comedy, but a large bulk of laughs that came from me were in regard to some unintentionally funny scenes that were either brought out from the inconsistent tone or from some other technical failing. For instance, Anne absorbs the Symbiote for one scene and attacks several guards that took Eddie hostage. The scene ends with her biting a man’s head off, giving the suit back to Eddie after kissing him with the suit still on, and Anne is taken aback by what she just did with no repercussions whatsoever. This horrifying moment in which someone was forced by an alien parasite to eat another human being is played off for a quick laugh. In a different film, this could’ve been a traumatic experience, much like in the comics when Anne became She-Venom, but, instead, it comes off as a confused bit of misguided dark comedy that works more in how it failed than how it succeeded.

FINAL THOUGHTS

While there is enjoyment to be had with the occasional moments of competence and laughable flubs by the creators, it’s difficult to fully recommend Venom. It can be enjoyable with the right mindset, but the film, objectively, is a mess of tones and ideas that never fully come together. Whether that’s for the better and for the worst is up to you.

5/10

(Thought I was gonna reference the “turd in the wind” line in my critique of the film, didn’t you?)

The film is now playing in theaters, and will be available in January of 2019 for home purchase.

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.

“The Hate U Give” Still a Local Hit

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Photo Credit: My Hot Posters

“The Hate U Give” remains a cinematic hit in theaters. The book turned film drama was directed by George Tillman Jr. and released October 5, 2018 a day after screenplay writer Audrey Wells passed away October 4 2018.

Photo Credit: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

The teen drama depicts the double life of 16-year-old, shoe-collecting, Harry Potter fanatic, the quiet, innocent Starr Carter (Amandla Stenberg) living a double life as Hood Starr from a low-income African-American neighborhood, Garden Heights, and attending an upscale, predominately white private school, Williamson Prep with her brother, Seven (Lamar Johnson) a cool, intelligent, caring young black teenager.

The quiet, normal, yet double life of Starr/Starr 2.0 is shaken after witnessing the murder of her childhood friend, Khalil Harris (Algee Smith) by the police. Facing media outlets, police injustices, and battling her two worlds, Starr must find her voice within a chaotic situation for her friend Khalil. With the help of her parents Maverick Carter (Russell Hornsby), Lisa Carter (Regina Hall), two brothers Seven (Lamar Johnson) and Sekani (TJ Wright), and lawyer/activist April Ofrah (Issa Rae), neighbors, and friends, Starr finds comfort with her decision and her activism against police brutality.

Photo Credit: TWENTIETH CENTURY FOX

Despite its depiction of tragic loss, the PG-13 rated movie includes happy, light-hearted comedy, yet educational moments for all ages. Filmed throughout Atlanta, Georgia, the film earned a total worldwide gross so far at $29,679,543 according to boxofficepro.com.

The movie is also heavily influenced by iconic rapper Tupac Shakur. Author Angie Thomas wrote the book adapted into The Hate U Give inspired by Shakur’s lower-abdomen tattoo acronym definition of THUG LIFE.

Film critics and YouTube movie reviews encourage families of all ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities to see the film before it leaves theaters. Texarkana Cinemark’s showtime includes a 6:30 p.m. evening show and 11:55 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. Saturday shows.

Director: George Tillman Jr.
Cast: Amandla Stenberg, Algee Smith, Regina Hall, Russell Hornsby, Common, Issa Rae, KJ Apa, Lamar Johnson, Sabrina Carpenter, Anthony Mackie, Dominique Fishback
Screenwriter: Audrey Wells
Book Author: Angie Thomas

 

Boo! It’s the Flu!

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Are those Hollywood horror films just not doing it for you? Do you need more of an adrenaline rush this Halloween season? Watch your local news station talk about influenza. That’ll get you what you need.

October has been particularly terrifying this year, and not because of a ghoul next door. Recent news updates featuring those stricken by the infections fatal blow have caused some concern about this year’s seasonal flu. The latest in these stories is North Carolina’s Mrs. Scarlett VanStory Levinson, a 29-year-old lawyer who died October 2nd due to what authorities are calling flu complications. According to ABC News, the young woman suffered a flu related heart attack that lead to her death. Articles such as this often cause uproar in communities, leading to an influx of precautionary measures. In response to this, many will turn to the flu shot without question. But just how helpful will the flu shot be in keeping you happy and healthy this year?

The CDC has assured us that all vaccines this season will protect against four different types of the influenza virus, and they recommend getting one before the virus spreads in your community. While flu season starts on the first of October, the State of Texas has reported low numbers for cases thus far and say that the majority of cases in 2017 did not occur until January. Arkansas has reported very similar findings.

Compliments of qimono on Pixabay

Statistics aside, what this really comes down to is your preference. The CDC  can never be 100% sure of which virus will spread, how it will spread, or what effects it will have. They have laboratories who work to make educated guesses about what strains to protect against seasonally, but they aren’t promising anything specific.

The effectiveness of the shot also varies by season, and is affected by your age and health. Different vaccines are appropriate for different ages and each person is going to react differently. If you have poor health or a damaged immune system, getting the shot might be more meaningful to you. There is always a chance that the shot has absolutely no benefit at all. Getting the flu shot might have just as much benefit to you as not getting it, but it might have more. There’s no definitive way of knowing.

In terms of the dangers of the flu vaccine, there aren’t many. The CDC says that in no way can the flu vaccine cause the flu. Severe allergic reaction is possible if the receiver has an egg allergy, fever can occur, and there have been 1 or 2 cases per 1 million vaccinated people of Guillain-Barre Syndrome, a disorder “…in which a person’s own immune system damages their nerve cells.” Though it is unclear what the direct cause is, this disease is one that people generally recover from, though the thought is scary. Between 3,000 and 6,000 people get it yearly (with and without vaccination) in the United States and very few die from it. Adults 50 and older, and those ever diagnosed with the Campylobacter jejuni bacterium or other infections, are the most susceptible.

So, should you get the flu shot? It is entirely your call. Whatever you feel like is best for you, your family, and those around you is your answer. Do your own research, and make your own educated decision. At the end of the day, it is your body. Just don’t be upset if everyone at the office Christmas party blames you for their ailment! It’s human nature.

 

New Soccer Season at TAMUT

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Are you looking for things to do while you procrastinate on that homework you have? If you have school spirit and enjoy sports, then the new soccer season is perfect for you.

The Texas A&M University – Texarkana soccer program has brought in new players and lost many key players. Since the program started in 2014 for the women’s team and 2016 for the men’s, both teams have had one goal, to compete in the conference tournament. Our first home game was on September 8th against Southwestern Christian University, and the most recent was at Eagle Field against Huston-Tilliston University this week on October 4th. This Saturday October 6th, come see a double-header against Our Lady of the Lake University on Senior Day at 1 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.

With last year’s women’s soccer season coming to an end in a heartbreaking fashion, losing one to zero to rivals St. Thomas in the conference final, the women have a lot of new faces after graduating eleven players. They hope to start where they left off last season and get back into the conference tournament. They have seen the value of the graduating class after losing against Wayland Baptist and Bethel University. The team lost lots of key players, such as Lily Cardozo and Neeley Keller in the midfield. On the defensive line, the team lost Hanna Williams, Hazel Espinoza, and Ashley Bainton. On the offensive side, the team took its biggest blow, losing leading scorer Sam Sharpnack-Isom.

Juliana Summerlin goes in for a tackle against Jarvis Christian College. Photo credits to Amanda Johnson Vaughan

The women’s team has bought in new players from California such as Lesly Macias, Taylor Hale, Jacky Padilla, Sabrina Murillo, and Brittany Small. The rest of the transfers and freshmen are from Texas. These players were recruited by Coaches Don Koontz and Fallon Keller, with some help from the graduating class.  The new incoming players are seen as some of the best recruits as incoming freshman and junior transfers. Although the team has already began competing against other teams and have faced defeat, they plan on progressing throughout their season.

On the men’s side, after last season, the men lost four from their graduating class and lost many players from the Class of 2021. Last season the class of 2021 bought in twenty new players and lost more than half of those players, but for the 2017-2018 season Coach Don Koontz bought in twenty-four new players, including freshman and junior transfers. The new incoming players came from all over Texas such as Frisco, Plano, Rockwall, Austin, Houston and Dallas. With the incoming players, Koontz raised his expectations and says so far that the men have met or surpassed them.

Dalton Hinton dribbles pass a Texas College defender Photo credits to Amanda Johnson Vaughan

As the men head towards the later half of their season, they hope to pick up where they left off last year and go further to hopefully advance and make it to the conference tournament for the first time in men’s soccer history. The men hope to pick up a few early wins at home, before they start traveling more, later in the season.

Tips for Dealing with Midterm Exam Stress

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While it may seem that school has just started, midterm exams are quickly approaching. With exams typically comes stress. You may feel that there is nothing that you can do about this stress other than continuing to study, but this is not true. How stressed you get and how often this happens are two things that you can have a great influence over. Here are six tips to help you make it through midterm exams with minimal stress:

1. Take a walk – Stressful situations increase the levels of stress hormones in your body. Physical exercise can  metabolize the excessive stress hormones and restore your mind and body to a more relaxed state. If you are feeling stressed, try to add some sort of physical activity to your daily routine. 

2. Sleep! – Not having enough sleep is a significant cause of stress. Try to unwind and relax at least 30 minutes before bedtime. Try taking a warm bath or reading a book (not a textbook!) to give your brain time to calm down.  

3. Avoid caffeine, alcohol, and nicotine – Try to avoid or at least reduce and consumption of nicotine and any beverages containing caffeine or alcohol. Caffeine and nicotine are stimulants and will increase stress levels rather than reducing them. Alcohol is a depressant in large quantities and a stimulant in smaller quantities. Using alcohol to alleviate stress is, ultimately, not helpful. 

4. Join a study group – Having a good group to work and collaborate with can significantly increase your success on exams. You will be able to help yourself learn while also helping others succeed.

5. Manage your time – When dealing with a lengthy ‘To Do’ list, learn to prioritize tasks and do the most important tasks first. Plan which tasks must be done immediately, in the next day, in the next week, or when time allows. Having a plan of action can help to greatly reduce stress. Try to create a study schedule and stick to it. Pick blocks of time where you will not be disturbed and give your brain plenty of time to absorb the information. A Redbull-fueled night before cram session will not do it for you!

6. Learn to say ‘no’ – A common cause of stress is having too much to do with too little time. Even in this situation, people will still agree to take on more responsibilities. Friends and family may ask you to do things when you are busy trying to prepare for exams. It’s an easy time to say, “I have major exams coming up and need to prepare. Maybe we can plan on doing something after they’re over.” Remain firm in your answer, even if they insist.

 

Dallas Remembers Forgotten Monticello Slaves

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Thomas Jefferson’s largest and well-known plantation, Monticello Jefferson in Charlottesville, VA. He promoted freedom and equality for all in The Declaration of Independence, yet enslaved 600 African-Americans. Photo Credit of The African American Museum of Dallas.

As the author of The Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson promoted freedom and equality for all individuals. While describing slavery as an abominable crime, the third president owned over 600 slaves.

“That’s what’s most important about this exhibition. Thomas Jefferson enslaved throughout his eighty-three year life. That means he had more than one plantation. Monticello, which is the most famous and the largest, was not just the home to him and his white family, but to black families as well. In fact, there were more black people in Monticello than there were white people”, said Gayle Jessup White, Jefferson’s descendant, and Monticello Community Engagement Officer.

 

The African American Museum of Dallas presents The Slavery at Monticello: Paradox of Liberty September 22-December 31, 2018. Photo Credit: The African American Museum of Dallas

The African-American Museum of Dallas will be the first to host the updated exhibition regarding the forgotten slaves at Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello plantation. As the heart of The Slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello: Paradox of Liberty exhibition, their lives will be displayed through additional items and highlights September 22-December 31, 2018.

“We focus on the enslaved people that are part of this exhibit. It’s opening in Dallas. It’s the first time the exhibition has toured since 2015. This is as far west as the exhibition has ever been”, said White.

The exhibit will include digital attributes, such as the Picture Mulberry Row recreation, Slavery at Monticello App, and many more.

“It features 300 artifacts and different articles representing not the life of Thomas Jefferson, but the lives of the people he enslaved”, said White.

Gayle Jessup White, a descendant of Jefferson and Hemings speaks about the importance of the updated exhibition. Photo Credit: The African American Museum of Dallas

White, along with The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture and The Thomas Jefferson Foundation at Monticello made sure the enslaved individuals and their contributions were no longer unheard. “It’s the enslaved people that saved that place. They did all the work and it was a 5,000 acre plantation, so figure how much work that it took. They built the building that is now a house museum, where some point of 50,000 people visit”, said White.

With proper respect, White desires the audience to remember the Monticello slaves, instead of forgetting them. “My hope is always that the audience hears the voices of the past, voices that were forgotten, voices that people thought were dismissed, because the enslaved were not considered important”, she said.

Historical figures, such as civil-rights activist William Monroe Trotter will be mentioned during the exhibition. “He was an American hero, but forgotten. He was a co-writer of W.E.B Dubois and a challenger of Booker T. Washington. He was the founder of the Niagra Movement and the newspaper, Boston Guardian. A forgotten American hero, but he was a member of Monticello’s family descendants. He’s probably the most prominent of Monticello’s descendants”, said White.

White remembers Trotter’s unstoppable activism for African-American freedom and equality. “He was most notable for challenging President Woodrow Wilson’s position on Jim Crow and the African-American mistreatment. William Monroe Trotter went to the White House twice challenging Woodrow Wilson. In addition to that, he led a campaign against a racist film called, “Birth of A Nation”, so that it would be shot in Boston where he lived”, she said.

Another forgotten historical figure and ancestor of White is Peter Hemings. “Peter was my great, great, great-grandfather. He was a cook for twelve years at Monticello, then he became a brewer at Monticello, described as very intelligent by Thomas Jefferson”.

According to White, Peter was a trained cook and brewer by a special individual. “He was a brewer at Monticello trained by his brother, James Hemings an exchanged deal made by Thomas Jefferson. One brother was to be free after he taught the other brother cooking. The other brother, my ancestor remained a slave for another twenty-five years. Imagine what it must have been like for the two of them. That’s the story of working together, so that one member of the family could be free”, said White.

The exhibition will include a special feature selection of a Monticello enslaved woman named, Sally Hemings. The newly featured selection is an additional piece seen outside Monticello. Photo Credit: The African American Museum of Dallas

The exhibition will feature a special section regarding a Monticello enslaved woman known as White’s three-times great-aunt, Sally Hemings. “Sally Hemings came on the scene publicly in 1803. This article written by James Callendar. It was a news piece that was printed in the Richmond newspaper. It had accused Jefferson of keeping a slave woman as a mistress and her name was Sally”, said White.

As the hidden affair became a public scandal, so was Sally. The Jefferson family denied the allegations, including the six children Sally bored him. “Jefferson never actually addressed it. Never came out and said no it’s not true. His daughter and grandchildren denied it. They said yes there was a slave woman named Sally and yes she had children from one of two Jefferson’s nephews, not Thomas Jefferson”, said White.

Sally’s remained a scandalous name, until her light was shed. “Throughout decades, Sally Hemings was seen as a scandal in the life of a great man. Many people did not accept that she was his concubine. However, there was evidence that she was”, said White.

With proper research, evidence, and previous testimonials from their son, Madison Hemings, Jefferson’s affair with Hemings was indeed true. “There’s circumstanstial evidence that documents that Thomas Jefferson kept his notes, farm book. Every time Sally gave birth it was nine months after he’d been to Monticello from Washington where he was President. It’s an indication, especially the testimonials that everything was true. In addition to that, ten people that Thomas Jefferson freed that were allowed to walk away from that plantation, four were children of Sally Hemings”, said White.

Despite a hidden affair, Sally Hemings is known as an influential historical figure throughout the Monticello exhibition. “At Monticello, what we wanted to make her totally dimensional. We didn’t want to paint this picture of a scandal and rob her from her humanity. We sought to give Sally back her humanity and help our audience realize that she was a daughter, a mother, a world traveler, and ultimately a liberator, because she liberated her children. It was her ability to negotiate with one of the country’s most influential men the freedom of her children. Out of 600 people he enslaved, ten were free. Four of them were her children”, said White.

White’s final words described her three-times great aunt’s intelligence and strengths during her enslavement. “She was different than most enslaved woman. Her children were free. She negotiated their freedom. That means that her children would’ve been freed in 1826 almost forty years before the Emancipation Proclamation”, said White.
With digital contributions, 300 works of art, and additional features, the exhibtion will feature a film of descendants of the Monticello slaves sharing ancestrial stories. “Our Getting Word is history project, which is a collection of world histories about the descendants of the enslaved”, said White.

All visitors are welcomed to view the following film along with additional features about the hidden American story. “This is an American story. This is a story for everyone to learn about. Yes, the focus is on the slaved people, black people, or American people, but it’s a subject that I hope in my heart everyone cares about. We are all one people. We are all Americans”, said White.

Thomas Jefferson’ Monticello Plantation’s Aerial West Front and South Wing. Photo Credit: The African American Museum of Dallas

As an unapologetically African-American woman, White gives credit to her ancestors and the Monticello slaves as the backbone of America. “They were not considered part of the American family. In fact, our African-American ancestors were essential to the American families. Without the enslaved people, America would not have become the industrial power house that it did, because it was built on the backs of the enslaved people of free labor. If people get anything, I would like it to be that message that black people built the country from the very beginning. We are part and I say we, because I am a proud African-American, we are part of the American fabric”, she said.

All ages are welcomed and tickets can be purchased, click here.

The exhibition will take place September 22-December 31, 2018 at the African American Museum of Dallas at Fair Park 3536 Grand Avenue Dallas, TX 75210.

For additional information regarding the exhibition’s time and holiday schedule, click here.

For more research and information about the Monticello slaves, click here.

To visit the Monticello plantation in Charlottesville, Virginia click here.

Tearing Down the Line

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Do you have an uncontrollable desire to live next door to your biggest football rival and eventually make amends through governmental practices? If you do, I have the perfect place for you. Texarkana is widely known for its dividing state line between Arkansans and Texans. The rivalry goes so deep that patron lines for tickets to the annual Arkansas and Texas High football game begin two weeks in advance. This divide goes much deeper than just a friendly rivalry. The physical divider, State Line Boulevard, is our largest indicator of economic separation between the two states. Most people in town will tell you that the Arkansas side is the poor side of town; the bad side of town.

The United States Census Bureau says that there are 67,592 people living in Texarkana, with 37, 333 residents within the Texas side and about 30,259 in Arkansas. Could this be the reason for such a wide-spread difference in financial situations? There are more housing availabilities on the Texas side than that of Arkansas’. However, the median household income is higher on the Arkansas side, while per capita income is lower. In addition to stark variation in housing conditions, the United States Census Bureau statistics show that there is a variation in education levels across the state line. The Texas side has higher rates of high school graduation and degree attainment. Health professionals are one of the highest employed in Texarkana, for example. Most of these positions need some type of degree. Could this be due to the stark financial differences between patrons? Maybe Texarkana needs a wider variety of job opportunities. Many college programs across at least three colleges and universities in Texarkana offer expertise in a whole slew of categories. Progressiveness, by the city of Texarkana, in introducing those job opportunities for college students and graduates is essential. The answer is not definitive.

Complements of the Ar-TX Redi Website

The good news is that there are people interested in breaking this trend. Recently, a group of investors came together to create AR-TX Regional Economic Development, Inc. (AR-TX REDI). The group will pull resources from both sides of the town to try to create a more stable economic situation for all! The goal is to bring more business into this area, creating more jobs and financial progression. This is partly because of Texarkana’s rich, career-building educational community, including schools such as Texas A&M University – Texarkana, Texarkana College, and the University of Arkansas Community College at Hope. In fact, TAMUT will be providing assistance to this organization by offering its facilities as a sort of headquarters. You, as a student and community member, can easily be involved in something that has potential to change your town tremendously.

To display this master plan, both governors met in the downtown area for a symbolic tearing down of state borders. Ledwell and Son Enterprises, a local truck and trailer manufacturing company, built a hydraulic system into the famous Texas and Arkansas state line sign. When the cue came, the sign was ‘knocked down,’ eliminating the divide. There was a huge turnout and Texarkana citizens are very happily engaged with the program. Facebook was a hub for communal inspiration in regards to this
event. It was a cool idea and visual for something that sounds historically complicated.

For more information, visit the AR-TX REDI website, or their Facebook page. For more information about Texarkana’s current economic status, please click here.