Sister, Sister

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Ti’Ana Marshall

“I thought it came easy and was just something you’re granted when you join. This is something you work for.”

Coming to college is both scary and exciting. The adrenaline rush from knowing you are stepping out on your own brings blood rushing to your ears out of excitement and can cause the heart to feel as if it jumped into your stomach.

In the midst of all that excitement, however, many feel homesick. Gone are the days where mom and dad are across the hall. They have been replaced by a snoring roommate and textbooks with words that are way too complicated to be real.

To every problem there is a solution, as said by someone great, and the popular solution for many incoming freshman feeling the blues is (drumroll please) Greek life.

Whether it is because of homesickness, early recruitment processes, enhancing a resume, or continuing a legacy, many turn to Greek life once stepping onto campus.

Greek life is without a doubt important to college campuses, and taken seriously by all who join, but it does not come without stereotypes, judgement, and serious liability problems.

Texas A&M University-Texarkana, lovingly known as TAMUT, is home to four Greek life organizations, one of which, Zeta Phi Beta, is a part of the Divine Nine.

There are a total of nine historically black Greek letter organizations (bglos) hence their name as a collective unit and are tied together through a family system. The Divine Nine include: Alpha Phi Alpha, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Kappa Alpha Psi, Omega Psi Phi, Delta Sigma Theta, Phi Beta Sigma, Zeta Phi Beta, Sigma Gamma Rho, and Iota Phi Theta.

Of the Divine Nine, only one chose to start up a chapter here on the A&M campus in Texarkana, Zeta Phi Betta, forming the Gamma Kappa chapter.

Annette Forte, a past president of the chapter, is heavily involved in the recruitment process of the organization. Each year the campus has a vendor day where several local organizations and businesses are welcome to set up booths to catch the attention of the students.

Forte is always at the table stopping girls left and right to inform them about the Greek organization she is more than proud to bare the letters of.

“It is more than letters,” Forte says “I believe in the principles that define a lady of Zeta Phi Beta”.

Founded in the Roaring Twenties, a time where racism was more than alive and well, the Great Depression was running amuck, and times all around were tough, this sisterhood was created.

Five coeds dared to break the mold of the stereotypical black woman of that time, and chose instead to stand on four principles that the organization centers on today: Scholarship, Service, Sisterly Love, and Finer womanhood. From then on the five, known now as their Five Pearls, spread their wings and embraced select women who embodied those beliefs.

When choosing a Greek life organization to possibly become a member of Forte states that “these women are the definition of what it means to be a Zeta woman, it is imperative that each member truly believes in all that is the makings of a finer woman”.

What defines a finer woman? She is strong, intelligent, confident in her abilities, and above all knows in her heart that God is the reason she has been granted such talents.

Such great pillars of success are what each organization of the Divine Nine believe in. Of course it is a wonder why the Zeta Phi Beta’s decided to create a chapter on TAMUT’s campus instead of others. When asked, Forte stated “We wanted to be trail blazers, the first of the Divine Nine to step foot and make our mark here, maybe others will come in the future, but they will never be able to say they were here first”.

Ironically, making your mark is a statement that several organizations on campus repeat all the time to encourage students to stand out among their peers.

Angel Greer, a member of Zeta Phi Beta out of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, Louisiana reflected on her own decision about joining this specific Greek organization and stated

“Growing up as an only child sisterhood was fairly new to me, but something I looked forward to. As a legacy, I grew up watching my mom with her sisters and I wanted it. I thought it was something easy and was just something you’re granted when you join. Needless to say I was wrong. This is something you work for. You have to learn your sister and learn to love her as well. Most refer to joining organizations such as Zeta as ‘buying friends’ which is incorrect. I see my sorority as more than an organization but a sisterhood. Though filled with women from different walks of life we learn how to blend. I won’t say it’s been a walk in the candy store. I have learned how to battle with my sisters and yet pick up the pieces after. Even if we aren’t seeing eye to eye at the moment, I know I can call on my sisters for any and everything at anytime. This is a real sisterhood.”

Greek life definitely has its advantages and are an impressive mark on any resume. According to an article run on Elite Daily, an impressive 85% of Fortune 500 companies are run by members of Greek organizations. Greek’s are also more likely to finish college, and are generous givers to their communities as a result of the community service hours required as an undergrad member.

Although statistics for educational success are high for Greek members, it does not come without its downfalls. Hazing, as well as substance and alcohol abuse are concerns that no organization have really been able to shake off as a stereotype.

Forte commented on hazing stating “Hazing has multiple definitions, sure there are sacred practices that each potential pledge must go through for membership; however taunting, publicly embarrassing/humiliating our members is not a process we believe in. That is not Finer womanhood”.

In 2014 two pledges filed lawsuits against Alpha Kappa Alpha after being denied membership. The two claimed to be publicly humiliated having to run errands for their potential big sisters, and cut off communication with their friends during rush. Members of the sorority rolled their eyes at the situation claiming that their feelings were just hurt because of their denied membership; however, the rush process was suspended for that season, the two are allowed to pledge for graduate chapters of the organization, and the chapter is under investigation.

BGLOs have a long way to go in order to fight the slow extinction that several believe is bound to happen. As stated by Gregory S. Parks, in his article The End of BGLO’s “Honestly at the rate that BGLOs are going, I can only foresee two having any longevity.”

Regardless of being faced with this opinion, Forte does not see the death of Zeta Phi Beta coming anytime soon. “It sounds quite cliché, but I did not choose Zeta Phi Beta, they chose me. I am more than proud to be a woman of the organization. Being a part of such an outstanding group of women brings a joy to my heart that is unmatched by anything other than my love for Christ Himself.”

Joining a Greek organization is a huge choice and should be thought out, but it is more than worth it. The bonds that are created are for a lifetime, and that is absolutely priceless.

For more information about Greek life on campus students can visit the student life office on campus and also visit the Gamma Kappa chapter website to learn more about Zeta Phi Beta.

Campus Police at the Ready

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Laney Davis

The bell above the door rang as Police Chief Gann pushed through. He had a slight grin on his face, bags under his eyes, and a badge on his chest. The hallway smelled of printer ink and coffee, and one could hear faint laughter in another room. His deep, stern voice rumbled through out the empty building. Officer Gann welcomed me into his office.

He tapped his pencil on the table as he went into detail about the crime rate on campus. “It’s very low. We probably have one actual crime a month. Last year we had maybe two or three thefts. Alcohol offenses, marijuana offenses, and minor thefts are what we mainly deal with. Most of the thefts that we have occur, happen at the dorm. Most of it is because kids leave things lying around. They do not lock stuff up like they should.”

The school has a security system now. There are surveillance cameras set up in every hallway of the dorm and in the main buildings. They can watch everything that is happening at their main headquarters in the Central Plant. They are attentive and thoroughly spying to ensure the safety of every person on campus.

campus

“It’s kind of hard to do something and get away with it,” Officer Gann jokes, “I like to think that part of that is due to us.”

The campus policemen are diligently working round the clock to guarantee the safety of every person on campus. Due to the low crime rate on campus, the officers do not always have much on their day-to-day agenda. The day shift and the night shift are very different from each other though. There is nothing set in stone for a day-to-day routine. The night shift officers are commanded to check every building and every door. To maintain protection all doors are locked. After all of this is done, they start making their rounds to the dorm where most of the activity occurs.

The daily routine for the “day shift officer” is much different. The officers have to be much more flexible. There is more traffic on campus then. “For the day shift guys,” Officer Gann pauses, “everybody is here so it is not so much checking doors. They unlock them for people who do not have keys. Of course they give rides (on campus police golf carts) back and forth to cars. They constantly check the dorms, and see if there is anything going on that needs their presence. You never know what is going to happen.” Officer Gann firmly states.

The officers at Texas A&M Texarkana are well trained. They have served at least 10 years for the city of Texarkana. Police Chief Officer Gann will not hire anybody that has not served as a cop before. They have already been through the Academy. In fact, every two years the campus policemen have to go back for at least 40 hours of retraining. Texas A&M Texarkana’s campus policemen are always ready for anything.

Not only are the policemen physically ready for anything on campus, but they also have certified federal military equipment ready for use. “We have a military hummer, a police car, police radios, golf carts, and, of course, guns. The department has purchased everything except for the hummer. We got it from the federal government. It is old military surplus that the military did not destroy,” Officer Gann explains.“ The government does not use it anymore, so they loan it out. The police department had to fill out federal paperwork to receive the hummer and pick it up in Louisiana. Texas A&M Texarkana is allowed by the government to keep it as long as they want. Since the school has acquired this bullet-proof and fully armored military vehicle, it has undergone a new paint job to enhance the school’s pride.

police

The campus policemen at Texas A&M-Texarkana will do whatever it takes to maintain the well-being of students and faculty on campus. Police Chief Gann recommends everyone be aware of where they are and what they are doing at all times. If anything is to happen at Texas A&M-Texarkana, the campus police will be fully prepared.

The Clique Invades Dallas

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Stephen Jones

The entire length of the South Side Ballroom was lined with fans decked out in face paint, their favorite pair of Vans, and drawn-on tattoos. When walking past the front of the line, you would find people sitting in lawn-chairs with evidence of that day’s breakfast and lunch just below their feet, with the hope of getting the best spot in the house. The Texas Clique turned out in droves October 1st, as twenty one pilots (the band always prints its name in lowercase) made a stop in Dallas as a part of their 2015 Blurryface Tour. As a result of this very dedicated fan base, known as “the Clique”, the band achieved an important milestone when their newest album was #1 on Billboard‘s charts, upon its release, so a sold out venue was not unexpected.

Once inside, people flocked towards the stage, stationed just a couple feet above the standing-room-only crowd. The stage was set for the opening act, Finish Ticket, a Californian indie-rock band with traces of other indie groups, like Walk the Moon and Young the Giant, except with a little more edge. Finish Ticket was followed by indie band, Echosmith, who reached mainstream success with their single Cool Kids. As mentioned before, this was a sold out, standing-room-only venue, and the crowd was squeezing closer together until the lead singer, Sydney Sierota, paused their closing song to make sure everybody was okay, but they continued after she had the crowd take a couple steps back.

Now, it was twenty one pilots’ turn to perform for their fans, and they did not disappoint. The crowd followed every word, sang at the top of their lungs, jumped right on beat, and rapped every verse. The duo brought all the things their fans came to see: backflipping off a piano, crowd-surfing drum sets, climbing very tall objects, and countless acts of crowd participation. Finally, twenty one pilots closed the night with an empassioned speech, followed by a crowd-surfing dual drum-off (they really like crowd surfing), as powerful synths and confetti cannons blasted.When the performance was over, the duo stood together, and the crowd gave the band one final round of applause. As the applause died down, the two parted with the message, “We are twenty one pilots and so are you.”

Eagle Open House

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Jamie Williamson

High school seniors from around the Ark-La-Tex came, saw, and conquered open house on Saturday October 10, 2015. Texas A&M University-Texarkana held an open house to show upcoming students why Texas A&M University-Texarkana is the best school to further their education. Students got the chance to tour the campus and talk to professors in major breakout sessions. The open house is a great way for upcoming students to see how college life works.

Tour Goup

The open house gave students and parents a chance to ask questions and talk to currently enrolled Texas A&M University-Texarkana Eagles. This was helpful for both parents and students because it set the parents at ease and helped the students feel a part of campus life. Upcoming students also got the chance to look at all the clubs the university has to offer to help make the most of their time at college. There were door prizes and a dance off for both students and parents.

Student dance offParent dance off

Eagle Open House was a great way for Texas A&M University-Texarkana to get its name out there as one of the best small town universities. Texas A&M University-Texarkana has the privilege of being a part of the best-known university system in Texas with the small town bonus where everyone knows your name.

ace the eagle

Behind the Bucking Chutes

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Laney Davis

The smell of cotton candy and rough stock animals filled the air, sounds of classic rock vibrated the bleachers, and hearts pounded awaiting the start of the rodeo. Four States Fair and Rodeo (FSFR) held their 71st annual rodeo September 16-19.

FSFR hosted four nights of rodeo. The rodeo was sanctioned by the Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association and Women’s Pro Rodeo Association. Competitors came from all over the United States to win the first place title in their event. The performance was action packed with cowboys and cowgirls competing in rough stock event s and timed events.

This rodeo is different each year. Not only are there different competitors, but there is a new specialty act. This year the FSFR hired Troy “The Wild Child” Lerwill as the rodeo clown. Lerwill is a 6-time PRCA Comedy Act of the Year. He keeps the crowd laughing and entertained the while the rodeo is going on. Toward the end of the rodeo, he and another person perform a skit with a dirt bike, and Lerwill jumps a horse trailer and dually truck. Lerwill does not just keep the crowd laughing. He keeps them on their toes as well.

To make the rodeo even more special each year, there are two young ladies crowned with the titles Miss Four States Fair and Rodeo Queen and Miss Teen Four States Fair and Rodeo Queen. At the last performance of the rodeo on Saturday night the young women are presented with their new titles and crowns. They will represent the fair and rodeo locally and nationally as ambassadors for the 2016 year.

Now the Ferris wheel is down and the rodeo dirt is being hauled out of the arena. Another successful Four States Fair and Rodeo is in the history books.

FEATURE: TAMUT-PD Blue

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Laney Davis

“I had a guy, one time, on the loop. He was riding a motorcycle extremely fast. He was driving at a very high-speed rate, and I was going the opposite way. Of course, my radar got him, and I turned around in the median and went back after him. He was drunk. I don’t know how he got on the motorcycle, much less drove it. I wasn’t even caught up to him. He was going that fast. He slowed down to make that curve, but he didn’t slow down enough.”

Edward Emilia, a middle aged native New Yorker, began his journey serving the United States right out of high school as a Marine. He believed that it was the right thing to do. He had military in his blood. His every life decision came naturally for him. Emilia served for four years and came to Texarkana to go to college where his family was. Texarkana and Texarkana College did not offer the opportunities that he was hoping for, his degree in Architectural Engineering did not work out, and he was struggling to find a job in the area.

At that time he was dating his present day wife, Tina, a Texarkana local. Emilia fortunately found a job working for the prison system down in South Texas. Emilia always has a positive outlook on life and thanks each bump in the road for it. His luck with job hunting and college gave him an inner competition of always staying optimistic and seeing the best in every situation.

He stayed at the prison for three years and even dealt with a national prison riot. Thankfully he was not injured. The ways of military were imbedded in him. Since he grew up around it, it was all he knew. “You come with a sense of duty and wanting to help people,” Emilia says, “They fall hand in hand.”

After his three-year milestone working for the prison, he found a job closer to home working for the city of Texarkana as a police officer. He has served for the city of Texarkana for over 29 years. After all of the crime he has dealt with over the span of his career, Emilia enforces that everyone must stay positive and keep a positive outlook in life, or it will get to you.

Emilia states that his family has been behind him every step of the way, and he could not do it without his wife, Tina, and his two daughters. He and his wife have been married for 30 years. His job working for the prison and for the city kept him away more than he bargained for. While serving the city, he was on the streets for nine years and seven years as a CID and Detective. Over a span of 29 years, he has seen a lot of crime and has had many close calls.

He loves his career path and having the opportunity to change lives. ”He slowed down to make the curve, but he didn’t slow down enough. He actually crashed his bike. Five or six years later, I was in bi state and guy came up to me. He shook my hand and thanked me. He said I had actually saved his life. It was the man who wrecked his bike. He had seen my lights in his mirror and began to slow down. If I wouldn’t have been there he could’ve died if he was going faster. Now he is totally off of alcohol.”

Emilia had decided it was time to retire until he heard about his current job. “When I retire, I don’t want to put another badge back on.” He was very hesitant about working here, but the benefits of Texarkana A&M sold it for him. He is still in culture shock after working as a campus police officer for over a year and a half.

Ed describes himself as a people person. His career path has actually changed his everyday habits and responses. He loves humor and has become more self-aware, open minded, and outgoing toward others.

Emilia loves his job working for Texas A&M. He says most of his job is customer service, and less crime. The first and primary thing is to protect life and property. Texas A&M has a very low crime rate. He gives a lot of advice to students on campus, and states that he always wants students to stay optimistic no matter what they are going through. If he can give some advice that works, that gives him an inner sense of peace. He knows one day a student will come to him with a story that will impact his life, and he is waiting. Emilia plans on retiring in 8 years and after being in the military, working for a prison, and serving for the city of Texarkana, he says this will be a breeze.

“Cops, for the most part — we do our jobs and go home, and we’re not there for the public to give us praise. We don’t thrive on it. Having a positive or negative outlook on life is up to the individual. I don’t let the negative get me down. I went through that period. The negative will eat you up. The positive will end up equaling out.”

 

Pinktober

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Leslie Arietta

“On Wednesdays we wear pink,” Regina George says in the film Mean Girls. Well, I have a new quote for Regina George, “In October, Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) wears pink.” October is the month of Breast Cancer Awareness and the students and faculty of TAMUT have come together to contribute to this month.

On Thursday, October 8th the National Sorority Interest Group (NSG) held a bake sale. This bake sale was breast cancer themed and some of the funds went towards breast cancer awareness. NSG had plenty of goodies on their bake sale table and all of them were pink to help raise awareness for breast cancer.

The next morning Friday, October 9th students and faculty of TAMUT gathered together on the lawn of the University Center to participate in Pink Out Friday. Everyone was wearing pink and gathered to make a human pink ribbon to take a photo. The outcome was successful and it was a fun way to get a variety of people to help raise awareness of breast cancer. Later on that evening TAMUT women’s soccer team was hosting a game against Dallas Christian College. For this game the members of the soccer team had a piece of pink on them during the game whether it was electrical tape for their socks or ribbons and headbands for their hair. The Eagles were in full support.

Texas A&M University-Texarkana will continue to support the month of breast cancer awareness. Students, faculty, organizations, and athletes will all be participating in Race for the Cure this Saturday, October 17th at the Four States Fairgrounds. Some will be running or walking in Race for the Cure while others will be helping with setting up and getting ready for Race for the Cure.

Take a Trip to another Planet This Week – A Review of “The Martian”

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Garrett Griffin

U.S. Astronaut Mark Wartney stares at the vast openess of the Martian planet working on a plan for survival and eventual rescue. Image Courtesy of Screenrant.com.

U.S. Astronaut Mark Wartney (played by Matt Damon) stares at the vast openness of the Martian planet while working on a plan for survival and eventual rescue.
Image Courtesy of Screenrant.com.

You can travel to Mars for the price of a single movie ticket and see an action movie on the side. It seems like someone would realize that maybe Matt Damon is not the best person to send on an important mission since he always needs to be rescued. This week, though, you can go and see the United States spend millions of dollars saving an American hero: astronaut Mark Watney. Not to diminish the film, the movie The Martian is a great action movie with some of the best, if not the very best, computer-generated-graphics currently available. It has been well received by many critics.

I attended the first 3D viewing of the film on October 10th at Texarkana Cinemark Theater. I don’t know that the 3-D adds too much to the film, so if you are used to seeing the standard 2D presentation of the film, you will still have a great time. I will first say there are a few curse-words both uttered, as silent-lip-readings, and as abbreviated visuals. Because of this the movie was assigned the rating of PG-13.

The biggest thing that struck me was the realistic representation of Mars’ surface. Even without IMAX the film envelopes and places you on the planet. The time period during which this is supposed to occur is not stated but it appears to be the present. This makes the film much more relatable to the point where you would think you could turn on the television or computer and see the status of the rescue mission.

The movie does tend to use more scientific dialogue, which is understandable for a team of NASA astronauts. For the science-minded person this film will be well-received and thoroughly enjoyed. For those who are not, the film has enough action and a nominal amount of emotion to keep the viewer entertained.

The current ratings and reviews of the top three movie critiquing organizations have been rather positive. The movie currently has a score of 8.4 from the IMDB (Internet Movie Database). Rotten Tomatoes gives it a score of 93% and lastly, Metacritic gives it a score of 81%.

If you are looking for something to do, I would definitely suggest seeing this movie. It is nothing short of a great science-action film. See it before its gone.

Eagles Soccer Team Breaking School Records

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Andy Verke

From the opening whistle, the Texas A&M University-Texarkana Eagles soccer team applied the pressure against Dallas Christian College, scoring four goals in the first 12 minutes. The Eagles scoring fest would not stop there. They went on to score 5 more goals in the first half and 2 more in the second half, making the final score 11-0.

Emilee Bybee (FR) opened the floodgates in the 8th minute by finding the back of the net off a cross by Samantha Sharpnack-Isom (SO). Bybee would do the same one minute later for her second goal of the game. Sharpnack-Isom also scored in the 10th minute off a cross by Bybee. Michelle Lee (FR) joined in on the scoring spree in the 12th minute.

Jena Arreola (SR) striked the ball by goalkeeper Aliyah Revely (JR) on an assist by Sharpnack-Isom giving them a 6-0 lead.

Arika Elliot (SO) would find the back of the net twice within 5 minutes, making the score 8-0 in the 23rd minute.

In the 39th minute, Sharpnack-Isom beat the goalkeeper on a one-on-one situation for her 3rd goal of the game, giving her an unprecedented hat trick.

In the second half, Alyssa Ybarra (FR) took the corner kick and curved it in the goal without it being touched, pushing the score to 10-0.

Alyssa Ybarra (FR) takes the corner kick.

Alyssa Ybarra (FR) takes the corner kick.

In the 86th minute, Maria Gonzalez (FR) dribbled past the keeper after she fell down and tapped into the goal, ending the scoring fest at 11-0.

Maria Gonzalez (FR) goes up for a header.

Maria Gonzalez (FR) goes up for a header.

Alyssa Ybarra and Maria Gonzalez each recorded their first goal as an Eagle.

The TAMUT Eagles broke a school record for most goals scored in a half (9). The Eagles tied a school record for most goals scored in a game (11).

The Eagles soccer team will be back in action on Tuesday, Oct. 13th at 5 p.m. as they host Paul Quinn College.

Campus Safety

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Jamie Williamson

On a bright sunny day no one expects the day to turn into a devastating fight for survival, but that’s exactly what happened in yet another fatal campus shooting. In today’s society campus shootings are happening more and more. It has become such an issue many schools are beginning to train students on the best way to handle a shooting.

President Cutrer sent out an email on Friday October 2 detailing a new “campus carry” law going into effect August 1, 2016. The email goes into detail about how A&M-Texarkana and the A&M system will be developing a plan of action when the law is implemented. A&M-Texarkana is taking this new law very seriously and will keep updating students on its plan of action progress.

Students should be aware of the safety precautions A&M University-Texarkana already has in place in case of an emergency. People do not want to think that something this terrible could happen to them but it is always a possibility. Students should think about the best scenario to escape in a dangerous situation. It is best to keep calm and get as far away from the danger as possible.

Thinking about campus shootings is never pleasant. Students should not have to feel fear when learning. Sadly we do not live in a perfect world, and bad things do happen. Here is a link on campus safety for A&M University-Texarkana. https://www.tamut.edu/About/Administration/University-Police/Campus%20Safety%20Reports.html