Hoverboards are Exploding

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TiAna Marshall

We all saw it coming: The day when walking would be a thing of the past, adding to the already lazy reputation of United States citizens. We agreed that it would be fun and even convenient to glide from place to place rather than put in effort to walk. While some thought it might lead to an increase in the obesity problem in America, others thought it would just be a cool thing to have. As we thought over the possible problems that would come from hovering instead of walking, someone invented it. What we failed to see, was the possibility of technology telling us to stop being so lazy.

Hoverboards have been sought after for ages. They have been an item associated with the future for a while now, and they are finally here. These futuristic modes of transportation can be bought online and range anywhere from $30.00 to $400.00, but they may be hardly worth it.

According to several reports, hoverboards have been spontaneously bursting into flames. Thursday afternoon, NowThis, an online newsboard covered a story of a man’s hoverboard that burst into flames only seconds before he mounted it.

Why is this occurring? Well, the material which hoverboards are made out of is very cheap, and when they are charged they are more likely to overheat. The overheating of the device causes the explosions. The case is only one out of the several boards that have reportedly burst into flames for the same reasons.

Consumers are warned to carefully watch their boards as they are charging or to just not buy them at all.

Some ideas may just be better off left in the future.

Patti Labelle Served Humble Pie

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TiAna Marshall

With the holiday season come many traditions, most of which center around the kitchen. My own family begins the celebration with a night full of cooking and laughter. Everything is made from scratch from the dressing, down to the perfectly baked sweet potato pie. The recipe has been in my family for years passed down from generation to generation, and is the best loved. This tradition is one that we share along with other families, however, it may have a new spin in some homes thanks to Ms. Patti Labelle.

Patti Labelle is known for many things including her amazing voice, and her equally amazing kitchen skills. The singer has published multiple cookbooks, sharing her love for food with the masses; however, her sweet potato pie has taken over the world, thanks to a video gone viral. Patti Labelle sweet potato pies began to disappear from Walmart shelves rapidly. The distributor reports selling one pie every few seconds. Bet reports the pies sold a whopping $2.3 million dollars in just a week.

So who is really to thank for this overnight success?

James Wright, a YouTube sensation, created a comedic video reviewing Patti Labelle’s sweet potato pie. Wright literally sang praises about the pie and the video spread quickly reaching over 3,000,000 views and counting. But the video caused more than just escalating sales, it also created a great pie debate.

Patti Labelle claimed all the fame associated with her pie, and though it was reported that she gave Wright a phone call, she denied him helping with their success. The sweet potato pies have been on shelves for years; however, sales had never been that high until after Wright posted the video. The Twitterverse was not having it though and quickly rallied to Wright’s side, creating memes tearing down Patti’s pies. Morning radio shows also showcased their support of Wright, calling Patti out for denying his help for the pies.

Patti Labelle quickly admitted to Wright being the primary reason why her pies sold and continue to sell so well. Just as all fads come and go, there is no denying one thing: the world has a sweet tooth, and Patti’s sweet potato pies are there to satisfy it.

The Commencement of the Rest of Your Lives

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Alyssa Bertrand

“May all the students of the class of 2015 please stand” is what everyone will hear at a graduation. These words mean more to each person than the people of the audience. These words will last forever in their minds. They know they were able to complete one-step of their lives and are now able to see what the rest of their lives has in store for them. Graduation is a special ceremony for all the students that have completed the required elements. There are some items that people fail to mention, when speaking about graduation, and that is the behind the scenes work that the staff does in order for graduation to run smoothly.

Texas A&M University-Texarkana has two main people in the graduation department. Kristie Avery and Karen Dukes are the ones who put in a ton of hours outside the office. To make sure the processing and the real ceremony is correct and able to run as it is supposed to. More staff members help of course. Avery and Dukes are the women behind the curtain. The process is long but these woman are the best in town.

Applications start flowing in at the start of the semester, and some before that. From the moment the first application is sent, the physical time of TAMU-T staff is filled. Avery has expressed that she spends many hours on graduation work outside the office, however she would never miss an important event with her family. She makes sure she is still able to help her daughter with homework, or make it to school events.

When it begins, there are many items that one must to keep in mind, when processing the application. First, one has to make sure the application is correct and every part is filled out. The next step is when the hard part starts to happen. After printing the application, they first look at the major of the applicant and print out the individual’s DegreeWorks. One must make sure that they have all the credits they are supposed to have and look at how many upper level division hours one has. The credits are important, but making sure one has all the classes one needs is harder than finding the credits. Sometimes, one may have the correct number of credit hours, but may be missing one or two classes. The graduation staff have to make sure that the applicant has the correct number of residence hours, which is the number of hour and time spent enrolled in the university.

After checking, the application, the reviewer, will call if they have a question about the application. The staff will work and try as hard as possible when making sure that every detail is in place. There have been times when a student may have all the credits but are missing one class. In this case, they will either try to put them in that certain class or look at the DegreeWorks and see if the student has taken a previous class that would equal the class needed.

DegreeWorks is an online processing page that allows someone to get access to his or her classes. It makes it easier to see what classes one needs to take and tells them what they already have taken as well. This site will also allow the student to see the percentage they are to their degree and how many credit they are lacking. Avery says, “I didn’t have DegreeWorks when I graduated (Web for Students was just really getting started and there wasn’t an email program like Ace Mail when I graduated). DegreeWorks works, so that’s one thing that makes the process easier.”

A graduating student must consider their GPA in three different parts they will need to see if there is any hold on the accounts and see if there are any outstanding balances on their accounts as well. There could be a part that will need a transcript so one will have to see if one will need to be sent to the graduation office.

Elaine Willis has recently graduated from TAMU-T; she explains that it is very stressful but would not change that for the world. Her friends from the university helped and motivated her to help finish the class she needed and she did. She says the process was long and stressful to make sure everything is okay with the application. One part being incorrect or have a missing part it could mean you either graduate or do not. Now, she could not be happier with her life. She wears her class ring every day.

Willis and Avery both have graduated from TAMU-T and they both wish there was a way to make the process easier and better to work with. Right now, the process must be completed by hand. If the process were available electronically, it would make it faster and easier for the students and the staff. “Just making students more aware of their graduation status and prohibiting the phrases “I didn’t know…. ” Or “No one told me…” this is the one thing that Avery wants to happen in the future.

Student by Day, Worker by Night

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Alyssa Bertrand

What is free time? What does time to relax actually feel like? For many, this is time to have fun or be able to just sit around the house and not really worry about anything. To an average college student, one may be able to experience this thing called free time. They can go out when they do not have class or have to worry about how they will study for a class. Being a full-time student and a full-time worker, is a different story.

Full time student means someone is taking 15-24 hours in one semester. A full-time worker is working 35 plus hours a week. With these times joined, time is very limited. Priorities is the key word. People have to make a list and know what MUST come first. To the people who are struggling, do not stress too hard.

Many students are also full-time workers and it is hard. It puts everything to the test. Your strengths and your weakness. What is more important to yourself as well as the other people around you. Free time is a rare gift that one gets to experience. This gift is something that is cherished dearly. Between work and school, the free time one gets is actually spent with a date with their bed. It is very exhausted when you go from work to school or from school to work.

Do not think that working and going to school is a bad thing or even the worst thing that could happen but it is actually a privilege. Even though the stress level increases daily, or not having much time to have fun and relax, but it shows the drive in someone. The most important part is to be motivated. The motivation that gives you the extra push is what one needs to look at all the time. Whether it is your past, the current struggle, or family that pushes you to succeed.

Take the no time as a good insight of what the future holds. If you are working and going to school, it means you are trying to make oneself better. The future is bright. Take it a roll with it. It will all pay off when the goal is reached.

Adopt Don’t Shop

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Jamie Williamson

Yesterday was National Mutt Day, and everyone should celebrate it by going out and adopting a dog. Adopting a puppy can be a truly rewarding process. The puppy gets a new chance at life and the people adopting get a sense of truly rescuing an innocent creature. If you already have a dog or pet then celebrate them being in your life and helping you live a happy live.

I have personally adopted a puppy hand given him a chance to know love and a good home. My puppy was a dachshund named Bingles we adopted him from Texas Star Rescue when they were outside of Petco one weekend. Bingles now enjoys a laid back home life with a big backyard.

Puppies from a pet shop are often from puppy mills and the puppies are often mistreated. Many shops are not aware of the puppy mills. This is not saying pet shops are wrong and you can not buy a pet from there. Adopting is often cheaper and is run by volunteers. Volunteers are responsible for finding the dogs and puppies foster homes. Adopting animals can help bring joy to both the owners and the pets.

New DC on the CW!

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Stephen Jones

On January 21 of next year, The CW will premiere their newest superhero program, DC’s Legends of Tomorrow.  Following Arrow and The Flash, this show will be the third superhero endeavor currently on The CW, much to the delight of many DC Comics fans. An addition to the Arrow/Flash universe should come as no surprise, since the two shows brought The CW its best ratings of the 2014-2015 season, surpassing network mainstay, Supernatural.

Legends of Tomorrow will feature characters previously introduced in the Arrow/Flash universe, but what separates this show from the previous two is the fact the main characters are not exactly what you would see among the DC Universe’s top-tier, so no Batmans or Supermans here. The Legends of Tomorrow is only one of many shows following the trend of focusing on “minor” characters; a trend Marvel made famous through Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. and Agent Carter.

With blockbuster movies like Batman v Superman and Captain America: Civil War looming overhead, it can be easy to forget about the lower-budgeted, sometimes better-written, shows appearing every week. Since these shows are on network television, their budgets are nowhere near the amount invested in their silver-screen counterparts; but remember, more money does not always mean better quality. Just ask Josh Trank.

The Bayou Classic

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Anthony Hamilton

It has been dubbed the granddaddy of all black-college football games. It’s for bragging rights in Louisiana. It’s complete with a battle of the bands and all the pageantry that is the Bayou Classic.

For my family, it’s the highlight of the Thanksgiving weekend. The trip to the Crescent City…New Orleans, Louisiana. The roadtrip in anticipation of the game is the beginning of the festivities for us. Music, and family fun.

The Bayou Classic weekend is nothing short of eventful. The Battle of the Bands, held in the Superdome between the Southern University Marching Band, known as the Human Juke Box, and the World renowned Grambling Tiger Marching Band is always an entertaining event. From the precision marching routines, to the music itself, this event for me is always unforgettable.

On Saturday, it’s time for the big game, pitting the Southern Jaguars against the Grambling Tigers. Anticipation is high for this on, after last year’s game, won by Southern 52-45, with Grambling being stopped on Sothern’s one-yard line as time expired.

Grambling is favored coming into the Classic this year. With an 8-0 mark in the SWAC conference coming in, if they win this one, they would run the tables. Southern comes in with a 6-2 mark in conference, however, due to the nature of the rivalry, this is one of those games where you throw out the records, due to the intensity of the rivalry.

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So to the tune of approximately 70,000 fans, we have Saturday afternoon football kicking off, in an arena where it was so loud I couldn’t hear myself think. The statement about throwing out the records looked like a very prophetic statement early in the game, as Grambling started slow, and Southern led 20-3 through the second quarter, but then Grambling came to life. After scoring 2 quick touchdowns, Grambling went in the locker room only trailing by a field goal…20-17.

After a spirited halftime show featuring the bands again, Grambling came out and proceeded to take the lead after scoring another touchdown in the third quarter while holding Southern scoreless. In the fourth quarter, Grambling scored another touchdown to lead 31-20. After exchanging late field-goals, Grambling State was victorious 34-23. They will be moving on to the SWAC Championship game in Houston this Saturday. Final exams ensure that I won’t make that one, however, I wish the G-men well in their rematch with Alcorn State.

The trip back was safe, and without incident. My family and I are all looking forward to the game next year which we call the annual Bayou Classic road trip.

Hip-Hop Hamilton

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Jamie Williamson

Alexander Hamilton’s a prominent figure in history, the face of the American ten-dollar bill, considered one of America’s founding fathers, is causing quite a stir in today’s modern America. Hamilton, a new hit Broadway show based on Alexander Hamilton’s life is taking America by storm with its unconventional approach to music theatre.hamilton-the-musical-official-broadway-poster-3

Lin-Manuel Miranda is the creator of Hamilton. Miranda came up with the idea for the show after reading Ron Chernow’s biography of Alexander Hamilton. Miranda thought Hamilton’s story sounded like a hip-hop origin story. After he read it, he found it written so well it got him off the island he was living on.

Hamilton is throwing everyone off with its heavy use of rap and hip-hop throughout the score. When you listen to the cast album you almost expect the songs would come from the radio. Using hip-hop to tell Hamilton’s story is a new and inventive way to bring life to the Broadway musical theater scene. Hamilton has opened a new door for hip-hop in musical theater.

Hamilton is unconventional because it features a very diverse cast to play a very white past. Miranda is telling America’s history with people who look like America today. It also does not take away from the story or history at all. If anything it makes the history seem more real and the struggle the founding fathers went through relatable to a younger audience.

This play will be a part of history, like the story it is telling. It has been featured on 60 Minutes and Lin-Manuel Miranda has been interviewed on The Tonight Show. This is all unusual for a Broadway show. It is definitely worth the time to look up the cast album and listen to the cast tell the story of Alexander Hamilton.

http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/09/hamiltons

Holly Holm Routs Rousey

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Andy Verke Jr.

“The longer she can make the fight go, the better the chance Holly has because she’s gone long many times in her career”. Holly Holm took total control of the UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion fight from the get go by sticking to her game plan of keeping her distance. It almost looked like Holm could do whatever she wanted to Ronda Rousey.

Rousey tried to change momentum by taking down Holm, but Holm defended well and landed a few solid punches and kicks to the obliques on Rousey. With a minute to go in the first round, Rousey landed a hard left hook that dazed Holm. Then Holm changed levels and took Rousey down. With approximately 10 seconds left, they traded knees in the clinch and the round ended. Holly Holm won round 1, 10-9.

In the second round, Holm continued her domination with a combination of lefts and head kicks. Early in the 2nd round, Holm landed a devastating left followed up with a head kick that knocked out the, now, former UFC women’s bantamweight champion Ronda Rousey.

Holly Holm was suddenly the new UFC Women’s Bantamweight Champion.

Eagles Nearly Edge Top Seed Team

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Andy Verke Jr.

“Ashford is being pushed to the edge by this unknown team from Texas…The Eagles have come to Lawrenceville and impressed everyone!” In its first post-season eligible year, Texas A&M University-Texarkana woman’s soccer team advanced all the way to the semi-final round in the A.I.I. Conference tournament. The Eagles season came to an end after a hard-fought match against the #1 seed Ashford University (3-2).

Ashford University took total control of the game by scoring 2 goals within the first 18 minutes but the Eagles kept on fighting back and Michelle Lee (FR) found the back of the net minutes later. Lee’s goal would make the game 2-1 going into halftime.

In the 56th minute, Michelle Lee would provide Samantha Sharpnack-Isom (SO) a great through ball and Sharpnack-Isom took care of the rest by drilling it into the back of the net tying the game up. Unfortunately for the Eagles, Ashford University caught a break in the 82nd minute and took the lead 3-2.

The goal in the 82nd minute seemed to be just enough to hold off the relentless pursuit from the Eagles. The Eagles finished the season 10-6-1.

The Eagles made the 1st post-season appearance in school history and recorded their first post-season win.

“This season has definitely been one for the books. We created something special last year and continued to make history for our university this year. Making it to the semi-finals of the A.I.I. Conference tournament was something we definitely earned. We came to Lawrenceville and made a statement as a team. It may be the end for the seniors, but it is not the end for this amazing team. I am sad my soccer career is over, but I would not change a thing about what we accomplished as a team within the last couple of years. This program is going to continue making history and I am proud to say I was an Eagle. Dalé Eagle!!” Leslie Arietta (SR).

Congratulations to the TAMUT Eagles Woman’s Soccer team on a great season!

Dalé Eagles!!