A gloomy day in Texarkana looks bright as the TAMUT soccer teams hit the pitch. Thursday, October 26th Texas A&M University-Texarkana’s women’s soccer team won 2-0 against Jarvis Christian College. The game was back and forth, but Johanna Rodriguez scored 2 to secure the game.

The game was close 0-0 until Johanna received a foul in the Jarvis penalty box. She slid the ball in the bottom right corner to bring the score to 1-0. That is the only goal made in the first half.

After halftime, the TAMUT Eagles needed to ensure Jarvis couldn’t score. With Abigail, the 2022 all-defensive player, in the backfield they knew they could stop anything Jarvis threw at them. The Eagle’s defense did not allow many shots on goal, and those on target were saved by the goalie.

Towards the end of the game, Johanna scored again to bring the score to 2-0 and secure the win for TAMUT. She said this after their win “It was hard, unlucky, but it felt great scoring two goals coming back into it, it was amazing. Personally, it made my confidence go up.”

After the game Coach Don Koontz had this to say “It was a tough win, it’s been rainy and muggy all day.” When asked about Johanna he said, “Yeah, we needed her to come in, and we scored two goals.”.

Despite the weather, the Eagles were able to win at home. The men’s team tied their game that night. Just 2 days later the women’s team won at home again against Texas College with a score of 12-0. The wins mean a lot to the players since it is senior night.

_{“The Rocky Horror Picture Show” is a cult classic film that has left a memorable mark on cinema and pop culture. Directed by Jim Sharman and based on the stage musical of the same name, this 1975 musical-comedy-horror raree-show is a spectacle that must be experienced. On October 27th, 2023, at 8:00 p.m., Texarkana’s local theatre, The Perot Theatre, hosted the interactive movie.} 

_{The foundation of the film revolves around a newly engaged couple, Brad and Janet, who find themselves stranded one night amid a rainstorm. They seek refuge at the castle of scientist Dr. Frank-N-Furter and his rogue band of misfits. As the night unfolds, the couple is introduced to a world of gender-bending, sexuality, and musical numbers, which ultimately leads to a freakish and unpredictable series of events.}

_{A Perot Theatre employee, Andrea Loredo, said, “This is the second year that the Perot has put on The Rocky Horror Film Show, and we are hoping maybe it will become a tradition.” According to the event page on Facebook, 137 people went, and 859 people were interested in attending.} 

_{Those in attendance could choose a general admission ticket for $17 or the “Virgin Package,” which included the ticket and prop kit for $27. In addition, the theatre encouraged people to dress in their “Transylvanian best!”}

_{“A lot of people did dress on theme. Some show up dressed as characters from the movie, and others came dressed with the vibe of it,” said Andrea. The guest was encouraged to get up and dance, and those with the Virgin Kits threw rose petals during the movie’s wedding scene, creating an immersive cinematic event.} 

_{“Because of how long ago the movie came out, there are some people who have never experienced it on the big screen, so it’s just a way to see it on a big screen as well as with the audience interaction.” Said, Andrea. Although the movie has been out for almost 50 years, it still excites its audience.} 

_{The film is packed with grabby songs that have become iconic, such as “Time Warp” and “Sweet Transvestite” and embraces an outlandish and burlesque style, which adds to its charm. The film creates a unique, even a bit bizarre, atmosphere that’s unconventional, entertaining, and visually striking, making the Perot Theatre’s event an enjoyable social phenomenon to add to your Halloween traditions.}

                        September 22 marked the end of the Texas A&M Texarkana women’s tennis teams fall season.  The team is now in the building stage coming off this season and is already preparing for the coming spring season. This year marks the first time the team has had a full complement of six players.  The team consists of: Lakyn Austin, Andrea Barcenas, Andrea Costillo, Kenzie Feist, Lydia Oviedo, Tatum Sikes and Jaelee Young, with new recruits said to be on their way for the coming 2024.

            Coach Joe Parish is the head of the women’s tennis team and when asked what the best matches he saw from this year were he said “the one I was most pleased with was a few weeks back… LSU-Shreveport that was a really, really good match. These were players in the ranking system in the UTR [universal tennis ranking] and we were ranked pretty similar and we were pretty close, and we came out on top.” These matches were held September 22, the last games played, in Shreveport, Louisiana.

             For the tennis team there are two seasons: spring and fall. Spring season is where the team works to boost their individual rankings and fall season is more of a training season to prepare for spring. During this time they go far and wide sparing against teams. The team can travel as far as New Orleans or Kansas City. But while at home both women’s and men’s teams practice at Texarkana College. The home games are also held their as well, but a new tennis court is going to be built at TAMUT in the coming future.

 TAMUT is not a sports school but to play on a college level is still a very tough task. And those who are already at a professional level do not usually go to university. And after college many of the women won’t play anymore. So to make up for this the tennis team wants to be able to succeed in life without tennis. It is used as a way to teach how to live with honor and dignity and to compete and work hard. Coach Parish said “We want them to win every match they can but we understand that this is just part of their life. And the main thing of course is their academics.”

Tennis is a very individualistic sport, much like boxing or wrestling. And just like those it takes a lot of self-drive and dedication to be in it. The women might be a team and have coaches but during and after a match it is a one on one affair. In this break time before the next season the TAMUT women are honing themselves, still hungry and ready for more. Ready to take on anyone in this upcoming year and ready to make it the best one yet.

In anticipation of the reopening of the Red River Innovation Lab for the Humanities (RRILH) at Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT), I spoke with Dr. Drew Morton, the program’s director, to learn about the upcoming development. While specific reopening dates are still being finalized, the lab – located in UC 323 – is preparing for a soft opening to introduce the campus community to its resources.

Morton said, “We’re still waiting on IT to get the broadband infrastructure set up in the lab so that eSports and the Innovation Lab can share the same space.” The soft opening, he said, “would just entail introducing folks to the space and [give] them a sense of the hardware and software we offer. I’m really excited about our Zenbooth recording booth that we just got.” For those unfamiliar with Zenbooth, envision a modern phone booth designed to create an ideal quiet environment by reducing sound entering and exiting the booth.

One highlight of the lab is its equipment rental service, offering digital SLR cameras, microphones, and more. Access to the lab’s computers, Zenbooth, and general space is facilitated through the ACME suite (321S). Importantly, the RRILH is accessible to all students, with no constraints on equipment or software usage aside from what the library currently imposes.

The RRILH also holds various events and workshops: “Before the pandemic, we brought in a lot of guest speakers from all over the country on Zoom. We had Henry Jenkins from USC do a guest lecture for us on democracy and social media, for instance. We also did tech tutorials on Adobe software and cameras regularly. The goal is to teach our community how they can use new technology to reimagine their scholarship and creative work,” Morton said.

Regarding upcoming speakers, Morton is working on plans, but due to the challenges of reopening the physical space, long-term scheduling is still in progress. He expressed interest in inviting Logan Buck, an honors student who is completing a thesis project on video games in collaboration with Morton.

For now, Morton said that this year is a reboot, and his goal is to “get that space open to the public and [get] the word out about what [the RRILH] can offer to the campus, whether that’s letting professors know they can draw upon our cameras and podcasting equipment to reimagine their classroom assignments or research projects or students know they can use our Macs to create posters for their student organization or club on Photoshop.”

Dr. Lancaster is a new hire at Texas A&M University- Texarkana. This semester he currently teaches English 1301 and English 1302 first-level English classes as well as Integrated Reading and Writing. Dr. Lancaster says “His hope is to position his [students] to succeed” no matter what level of writer they are. He says teaching is about  “…knowing their potential and helping them activate their writing skills to further their writing.”

Dr. Lancaster has taught English to a variety of students ranging from elementary school to higher education learning. He believes no matter what age, with proper help, you can achieve your goal of writing. Stating, “I like to create good writers…no matter what level you start, you can improve.” 

His background is literature, but he says “It’s not just reading and writing, but also speaking and listening.” Which in his eyes falls under the broad umbrella of communication. He said, “Whether we realize it [or not] somebody influenced the way we read and write.” He said he realized that in K-12 our education back then was focused on structured writing for certain standardized testing and “writing according to a form” and how that is so much different from what you learn coming into a University. 

Being a great teacher and mentor over the years has gained Dr. Lancaster not only experience but also the lasting effect he has had on his students. He said when one of his students first reached out to him, “[He was very surprised at the effect a teacher could have on a student.” From then on have had several other students reach out to him. Dr. Lancaster had so many positive things to say about the staff and university but overall he says he is  “very happy to be here” and Texas A&M University- Texarkana is happy to have him.

From the U.S. Army to the media and broadcast industry, Professor Barney Self’s career has been nothing short of dedication and persistence. He advises his students to embrace the “hustle.” Self says, “I remember when I first went into television, the graduating class in Mass Communication at the University of Texas in one semester, not a year, one semester, could fill every single job in television, radio, and film combined. You’ve got to hustle; you’ve got to put your name out there.”

It began with a what looked to be a promising career as a court typist in the US Army, but quickly turned out to be something else. Instead of getting the job that he wanted, Professor Self was thrust into a role that he knew all too well: news broadcasting. “I read the news at the top and bottom of each hour for Armed Forces Radio….I had trained as a clerk typist, that was what I wanted to do, and I got to Fort Polk Louisiana and they said, ‘Oh, you were at your college radio station…well, now you’re a radio broadcaster.’”

  Upon completing his stint in the Army, Professor Self shifted back to civilian life with 12-hour shifts at a television station and while also attending four classes at Tarrant County College. “Five days, four or five days a week. And on weekends, I would transfer videotapes or film to videotapes. I would shoot coaches’ films on 16-millimeter film, which allowed me the opportunity to save some film for other uses. I did any job within the industry that would get me noticed. You can’t [get noticed] until you [hustle] like I did,” says Self.

In an industry marked by volatility, Professor Self says, “I worked in the same job for almost 20 years with the same title for seven different companies. We were taken over so many times. I’ve worked at TNT. I’ve also worked in the telecommunications sector, for both DISH Network and T-Mobile.” He also comments on the varied workplace environments he encountered, “DISH [has] great service [and] great equipment, terrible human beings. T-Mobile, service is okay. Wonderful company, wonderful company to work for.”

Through the highs and lows of his career, Professor Self’s message remains consistent: “Find a goal that you want to do, whatever goal that may be, and then find anything you can do to help you get towards that goal…. [And] get to know people in the industry that you’re working at.”

When asked about teaching another course in the future, Professor Self spoke of his desire to teach a film class, a testament to his love for the art of cinema. nurtured during late nights babysitting satellite feeds at a Dallas television station, KTWS, where he watched old movies while doing his homework. “If it’s a movie that was made before 1985, I’ve probably seen it,” he says. “I love LA,” he said. “If I had it all over again, I should have stayed in Los Angeles. I was up there when I was 17 and thought about going into the film industry.”

Professor Self’s story serves as a testament to the power of resilience and hard work, inspiring a new generation of students to embrace the hustle and forge their own paths towards greatness in the world, regardless of what they choose to do.

New majors, new sports, and new buildings will all come from the guidance of Dr. Ross Alexander. Dr. Ross Alexander is the new President of Texas A&M University-Texarkana. He has an esteemed resume in higher education and doesn’t seem to be slowing down. TAMUT is changing now and for the better as he plans to expand the campus and the enrollment.

Dr. Alexander was looking for relocation and Texas was on the list. He is no stranger to change in scenery as he has attended several universities, as a student, part of faculty, and staff. However, he sees the support that higher education gets in Texas and knows that the A&M system takes care of their schools, so it was a no-brainer.

Dr. Alexander was given a task from Chancellor Sharp: “Grow the University on all fronts.”. The new President intends to do so. He wants to streamline majors with major industry leaders to ensure students get jobs fresh out of college. He wants students to want to come to this university, stay, and graduate from this branch of the A&M system.

The next installations to hit the campus of TAMUT will be a Coed E-sports arena, Dance and cheer teams, men’s and women’s golf, and an athletic complex to bring all sports offered to the campus of TAMUT. Along with new majors in Nursing, STEM, business, social service, and social work. We can expect to see most of this in effect around Fall 2025.

Dr. Joy Hutchinson is the newest addition to Texas A&M-Texarkana’s Counseling program. She joins the faculty as the Assistant Professor and Program Coordinator of Counseling. Counseling wasn’t always in the cards for Dr. Hutchinson, she worked as a Paramedic for ten years in the city of New Orleans. Her time working as an EMT provided valuable insight to a side of first responding that many don’t see. When asked about what shaped her career path, Dr. Hutchinson said, “Listening to my friends and hearing them talk about…when they did see counselors and how the councilors were so ill prepared to work with that population…and losing friends to suicide and substance use.” Joy left her third year of nursing school after creating a survey that showed an overwhelming demand for mental health options among first responders, beginning her journey into the field of counseling. 

After teaching through her doctorate program at the University of Memphis, Dr. Hutchinson finds that she prefers TAMUT’s class sizes. “I like the smaller size, just because of having that personal relationship with [The Students].” She continued, “I’d like us to grow because I’d like to…bring in more faculty. I think it’s important for everybody to get varying perspectives…there’s not one way to offer counseling.” Dr. Hutchinson went on to speak about the offerings of the counseling master’s program. “You’d be able to use your degree that you gained…no other degree is going to bar you from joining our counseling program. Our doctorate degree is the same.” The program also offers supervised local internships to gather real world experience, “In Practicum, we get your feet wet…[The Student] finds local community partners…they do their work there.” 

Today, Dr. Hutchinson teaches and develops the next generation of counselors through her master’s graduate program, utilizing her background in crisis management to better prepare her students for real world scenarios. She offers advice to students working through the new hustle and bustle of college life, “Have a calendar. Time management is really the big key.” She continued, “You get an assignment? Do [it] early. Just be on top of it. Schedule those healthy habits.” Joy wants students to know that her door is always open, “I’m happy to answer any questions…email me, schedule an appointment time. We’re all here to help you succeed.” 

Dr. Joy Hutchinson’s office is located in UC 245, she encourages students to contact her with any questions about the counseling program by emailing her at ehutchinson@tamut.edu. Student Counseling Services is located in UC 420 and is open Monday-Friday from 8am-5pm, to schedule an appointment, contact them by calling (903) 334-6613 or by emailing  counseling.services@ace.tamut.edu.  

Having your house destroyed by a hurricane can change your perspective on life, as it did for Dr. James Worthen, the new Dean of the College of Arts, Science, and Education at Texas A&M University-Texarkana.  “It made me want to serve and give back, so I thought I would be better able to serve as a dean at a place that needs to grow and build,” he said. Dr. Worthen decided that TAMUT was the perfect place to do this.

Prior to his position here, Dr. Worthen was the Associate Dean of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences at Southeastern Louisiana University for 15 years. Becoming a dean was not necessarily his goal, however, when his home was destroyed in Hurricane Ida in 2021, it changed his perspective and he decided he wanted to focus on helping others through his career.

Dr. Worthen looks forward to helping push TAMUT to new heights and assisting the college with new development. “In many ways it’s sort of new and growing and I thought this would be a great place to help build things,” he said. In addition to assisting TAMUT’s growth, Dr. Worthen also looks forward to helping others on campus. “When you help someone solve a problem or fix something, that’s very satisfying and that is what I like about it,” he said. 

Typically, when he is not spending time with his wife, son, or dog, Dr. Worthen enjoys some activities that he feels you might not expect out of a university dean. “I think this: that people who met me in the real world outside of the university would be surprised at what I do for a living,” he said. Dr. Worthen used to be a musician and played in some bands. His last band, which he left in 2019, was based in Hammond, Louisiana and played at different venues such as the Columbia Theatre and breweries around the area as well as a few places in Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Dr. Worthen also enjoys doing things outdoors, especially hunting. He has been a hunting guide in an operation in Uvalde, Texas in the past. He particularly enjoys bow hunting whitetail deer and hogs.

Vaccines have become essential to modern medicine, offering our society herd immunity and completely eradicating certain diseases. Assistant Professor of Biology Workineh Torben, Ph.D., has made valuable contributions to the development of vaccines, in addition to teaching and advising many students who share an interest in public health.

Dr. Torben began his academic journey with a deep interest in microbiology and immunology. Although he is new to our campus, he is already making a significant impact at the school and is currently working on a grant for TAMUT that will award funds to students who do not have the financial means to attend school.

Throughout his career, he has dedicated his time and expertise to several groundbreaking vaccine-related projects, including an HIV vaccine and a vaccine for Schistosomiasis, a disease caused by parasitic worms that harms people worldwide and is second (in terms of impact) only to malaria. (cdc.gov). Dr. Torben has published as an author/co-author of over 34 international high-impact Scientific articles and is waiting for his new manuscript to be published.

He is also preparing to publish data he has collected regarding the COVID-19 vaccine and is “Very interested to see how COVID-19 injury is affecting people.”

“When you repeat the vaccine in a short period of time, it may not be advisable to do that because when our cells are exposed to the same [COVID-19] antigen again and again, they will make a bad antibody that can affect the cellular immune response which will be very important to control the virus,” says Dr. Workineh Torben. He explains that, like most diseases, continuous exposure causes an increase in antibodies. However, the Covid-19 antibody “IG4” inhibits the cellular immune response.

As the world continues to face new infectious disease challenges, the work of Assistant Professor of Biology Workineh Torben, PhD, remains more crucial than ever. His commitment to Biology contributes to the growth and success of life-saving vaccines and inspires and educates the next generation of scientists.

Works cited:

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2018, April 11). CDC – Schistosomiasis. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/schistosomiasis/index.html#:~:text=Schistosomiasis%2C%20also%20known%20as%20bilharzia,the%20most%20devastating%20parasitic%20disease.