All the way turned down

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Ti’Ana Marshall

Flashing lights. Booming music and glow sticks. Though the ingredients for an ultimate party were all there, what was supposed to be a great time—was not so awesome. So what happened?

It is said that failing is a part of success. The question is, how to make a party on campus successful?

The plans were in the works. Phi Lambda Chi, the male fraternity on campus, alongside Omega Delta Chi, one of the sororities on campus, hashed out a master plan to create a fun outing for students.

The team created what seemed to be the college dream, coming up with the bait necessary to hook any college student — free food, loud music, and an excuse to paint their face without judgement. With an entry fee per student (though discounted for Greeks) it was thought to turn out a large number; however, as soon as the crowd grew, it slowly faded away.

College parties are not a new phenomenon. In fact the parties are the part of college that most high school hopefuls look forward to the most (outside of the education part, of course—and ok, the freedom!). These parties always include one key factor however, which is the “juice” known as alcohol. Unfortunately, alcohol is the key to many college parties, as well as location.

Although many campuses have parties for the students, these turn-ups are rarely held on the campus. This does not go to say that the parties are necessarily unsafe. From experience, they tend to have heavy security.

Of course a party on campus would not permit alcohol, but even without it the location may not have been ideal. Advertised to be held in Eagle Hall, it does not really scream “fun”.

The question remains—how to make an on campus party a go-to event? Maybe the answer is that you don’t. An off campus party spot is necessary, but it does not mean that there has to be alcohol there. Why?

Because students go to school and other events in that very hall, having a party there sounds like just another school event. Fun can be had and parties can be successes. Live learn and Party on.

Rodeo on the Road

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Laney Davis

Hands waving in the cool, Fall breeze and children’s laughter filled the air Saturday the 12th on the streets of Downtown Texarkana. The 71st annual rodeo came to town and to kick it off they held their famous Four States Fair and Rodeo parade.

Early that morning the parade route was being set by the police and people were putting final touches on their floats. The parade started on Broad Street and intertwined throughout Texas Boulevard, Third Street, ending on State Line Avenue. There were over 100 entries in the parade — drill teams, school bands, cheerleaders, businesses, radio stations, rodeo queens, and even the newly crowned Miss Four States Fair and Rodeo Queen waving to the crowd on the packed side walks.

As with the previous annual parades, you could follow it on local cable TV and even on Facebook though Texarkana Today. Behind the cameras was a table full of judges commentating and judging the parade. Around noon the parade ended and the President of Four States Fair and Rodeo President pronounced it a success.

Cowboy Up!

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Jamie Williamson

Howdy partners, have you ever wanted to wanted to help students make the same great choice you did and become a part of the Texas A&M Texarkana family? On Friday September 11, 2015, Texas A&M-Texarkana held a meeting for the open house scheduled for October. The meeting was held in room 116 for all volunteers to attend and hash out the details to promote the campus to incoming students. The theme for the open house is western cowboys, so students worked together to come up with decoration and game ideas. The meeting was open to current students looking to do more volunteering and help get the university’s name out there.

Current students, ranging from freshmen to seniors plan to help promote the university to high school seniors looking for a fun college experience. The college students will help the upcoming seniors decide on a possible major. The high school students will get the opportunity to tour the campus and learn more about campus life and all it has to offer.

The open house hopes to promote the university as a diverse and welcome environment to new students. All the current Texas A&M-Texarkana students seemed eager to provide the best experience for everyone attending. The open house will encourage the parents to get involved with the activities along with their children, because the parents are a part of the education process. The students and faculty involved in the first open house meeting were a dedicated group. They want to make the new students feel comfortable making the transition from high to college as seamless as possible. All the thought, preparations, and time put into the open house is sure to make it the best it can be.

The open house is set for October 10, 2015. If anyone would like to volunteer to help out, they are more than welcome and can contact Ellen Wood by email ewood@tamut.edu. She is always looking for more volunteers to make this open house the best it can be. Everyone is welcome to attend the meetings for the open house and make suggestions. The meeting is a great way to make new friends and become involved in campus activities.

Eagles Shut Out ETBU @ Home

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Andy Verke

On a warm Thursday evening last week on the campus of Texas A&M University-Texarkana, the TAMUT Eagles women’s soccer team hosted East Texas Baptist University (ETBU) for their second home game of the 2015 season. The Eagles were seeking to stay perfect at home and starting a winning streak.

The first half was dominated by great defense from both teams, ending in a tie at 0-0. Eagles goal keeper, Sophomore #33 Ellie Kemnis, was perfect between the posts.

During the start of the second half, both teams were still unable to find the back of the net. But the TAMUT Eagles’ luck changed in the 71st minute of the game when Senior #2 Leslie Arietta provided a great cross to #4 Junior Fallon Keller who headed the ball into the back of the net, giving the Eagles the lead (1-0).

After a couple of great blocks by the ETBU goalkeeper #10 Elizabeth Hudspeth, Eagles Midfielder #7 Michelle Lee (Freshman) found herself in the right spot at the right time when the ball deflected off Hudspeth. Lee booted the ball to the back of the net in the 81st minute. After Lee’s goal the Eagles were ahead 2-0 and that was enough for the TAMUT Eagles to stay perfect at home, improving their record to 2-1-0. Ellie Kemins recorded the Eagles’ first shutout of the season.

The Lady Eagles soccer team looked to improve their record to 3-1-0 Friday night at 7 p.m. as they hosted Wiley College at the TAMUT Soccer complex.

High School Game of the Week!

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Liberty Eylau Ke'mon Freeman rushes past Arkansas's defenders. Photo Credited to Evan Lewis, ETSN.fm

Liberty Eylau’s Ke’mon Freeman rushes past Arkansas’s defenders. Photo Credited to Evan Lewis, ETSN.fm

Percy Davis

There’s no better way to spend your Fridays than sitting under the flashing lights watching Texas football. The Liberty Eylau Leopards hosted the Arkansas Razorbacks September 11, 2015. This game was proclaimed the game of the week. The fans surely came out and supported the two teams because the game was sold out.

With the lights shining bright and the crowd at a standstill the kickoff begun. The Leopards got off to a fast start, scoring on their very first drive. The Razorbacks’ offense didn’t seem to click well, turning the ball over on downs quickly. The Leopards’ offense took advantage of this opportunity and scored another touchdown on the drive.

At halftime the Leopards were leading the razorbacks 45-7. They played well together as a team, and as the game progressed, continued to add to their lead. No wonder they are ranked in state as number 16 and ranked nationally as number 130.

The ending score was 66-21 with the Leopards taking the win. The Leopards’ offense had a total of 835 yards. Their quarterback, Freeman, passed for a total of 317 yards with 5 touchdowns and rushed for 177 yards with one rushing touchdown.

The Almighty Dollar

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Stephen Jones

In September of 2015, the Evangelical movie War Room sat atop the American box office, marking a unique trend among movie theaters nationwide: low-budget Christian movies raking in millions. Even though the Christian movie is not new to cinema, the amount of its recent success is. As with many things related to religion, these films have garnered controversial and polarizing opinions from critics and average moviegoers alike, and perhaps it is this contrast in attitudes that is garnering large amounts of attention; but before drawing any drastic conclusions, it is necessary to look at the statistics surrounding these films.

Three films in particular have boasted large box office success despite their meager production budget in the past couple of years: God’s Not Dead, Heaven is for Real, and War Room. The average production cost of these three movies is under $6 million, and they currently possess an estimated average of $63.8 million at the box office. Taking these numbers into account, these Evangelical films have definitely struck a chord with a portion of the general public, but critics have not exactly held the same enthusiasm. According to Rotten Tomatoes, a website that calculates the percentage of movie critics that gave a movie a favorable review, the average rating of these films is a disappointing 33%.

Although these movies have been critically panned, creating a Christian movie seems to be a very lucrative business proposition. With the production cost only a fraction of the modern Hollywood blockbuster, the risk in making a cheap Evangelical movie is fairly low. If a director can produce a movie appealing to churches across the country, finding a church van or bus in a
movie theatre parking lot will not be a difficult task. Much to the chagrin to the majority of critics and large sections of the general public, as long as filmmakers are able to rake in millions of dollars, the future production of Evangelical movies is indeed a certainty.

Mayweather 49 at the Cinemark 14

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Anthony Hamilton

It was fight night in Las Vegas on the big screen at Cinemark 14 right here in Texarkana, TX.

Saturday the 12th marked the last fight for pound for pound boxing King Floyd “Money” Mayweather. On the heels of a 19 year career in boxing, Mayweather insists that this will be his last fight.

Mayweather’s opponent, Andre Berto, was a former Olympic bronze medalist, and former welterweight champion, however, Berto comes into the fight in a bit of a slump, having lost 3 of his last 6 fights.

This Mayweather fight hadn’t drawn the same attention as previous Mayweather fights have, and it was evident by the atmosphere inside the theater, which was not nearly as exciting as for past Mayweather fights, but there was still a good deal of buzz.

In this fight, Mayweather was chasing boxing history, seeking to match Rocky Marciano’s undefeated record of 49 wins without ever losing a match.

However, despite Mayweather’s historical pursuit, there was not a lot of anticipation among boxing fans because the general consensus was that Berto will be easy work for Mayweather. Berto’s skill level inside the ring is not comparable according to ring insiders.

After watching a preliminary bout that saw Badou Jack win a 12-round split decision over George Groves in a super middleweight title fight, the Mayweather vs. Berto fight began at approximately 10:45 Central.

It was apparent from round 1 all the way to round 12 that the boxing purists had called this fight correctly. Mayweather was a far superior boxer with superior hand speed, accuracy as well as defense. The result, Mayweather won a unanimous decision.

If this was Mayweather’s last fight, he went out with a bang. After 19 years of perfection, love him or hate him, Mayweather’s undefeated 49-0 record will always get him mentioned in the conversations of boxing greats. He went out on top, and he did it his way.

Parade Opens 2015 Four States Fair

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A Shriner Hands Candy To an Anticipate Girl During the Four States Fair Parade on September 12th, 2015.

A Shriner hands candy to an anticipant girl during the Four States Fair Parade on September 12th, 2015.

Garrett Griffin

The laughter of children and the sound of a distant siren signaled the beginning of the Four States Fair Parade on the morning of Saturday, September 12th, 2015. The anticipation in the young children hugging the shoulder-line on the street was palpable. A once-a-year event, many of these kids had been waiting all year to see this. The weather could not have been better, with a fall-like cold front having passed through the night before. The parade itself was a signal of the changing seasons and a sign-off for the long summer.

The parade began on Broad Street and made its way southwest before turning northwest onto Texas Boulevard. From there it turned northeast onto East 3rd Street and finally turned northwest onto Stateline Avenue as it made its way towards the Post Office. My perspective was from East 3rd Street across from the Perot Theater, one of the few places that offered shade to the parade participants.

The Red Lick & Hooks C-5, Brush 2 Fire Truck is Driven Throurgh the Four States Fair Parade on September 12th, 2015.

The Red Lick & Hooks C-5, Brush 2 fire truck is driven through the Four States Fair Parade on September 12th, 2015.

The first members of the parade were police officers from both sides of the city driving their patrol cars with their lights flashing. Behind them were two members of the Miller County Sheriff’s Department driving their patrol cars. As they went by, the officers waved at the children as a sign of their duty to serve and protect their citizenry, a promise that many people believe has recently been broken. Parades like this can aid in rebuilding the trust between the police and the people. As no negativity was visible, the screams of joy and happiness from the children reinforced the positivity of the moment, indicating that the citizens were receptive.

The Air Force Junior ROTC Representatives Carry the United States, Texas & Arkansas Flags during the Four States Fair Parade on September 12th, 2015.

The Air Force Junior ROTC representatives carry the United States, Texas & Arkansas flags during the Four States Fair Parade on September 12th, 2015.

Behind them were the Air Force Junior ROTC representatives carrying their banner and behind them an outfit of junior airmen was carrying the flags of both Texas and Arkansas with an American flag in the center. What proceeded was a celebration of all things that make the four states area a great place to call home. There were rodeo queens, marching bands, beauty pageant winners, vintage cars, motorcycle clubs, sports car clubs, jeep clubs, the Shriners in their mini-cars and even a live gospel band. Many local schools’ cheerleaders had floats with one group placing themselves on top of a color-coordinated yacht. At the end of the parade were three horses lead by their owners and a custom car with diamond-plate aluminum encasing its grill.

A Shiny, Burgundy Hot Rod Cruises Down East 3rd Street During the Four States Fair Parade on September 12th, 2015.

A shiny, burgundy hot rod cruises down East 3rd street during the Four States Fair Parade on September 12th, 2015.

Once the last car made its way towards the Post Office, the attendees quickly filed away to their vehicles and began to leave, albeit happier than when they arrived. It was a great beginning to the weeklong Four States Fair, one that could prove to be the best yet.

NSG Lends a Helping Paw

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Leslie Arietta

On Saturday September 12th members of the National Sorority Interest Group (NSG) of Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) lent a helping paw to the community. NSG members woke up early to serve at the Animal Care and Adoption Center of Texarkana.

Serving at the animal shelter was not typical playing with dogs and cats. The members were split into groups to help clean and organize different areas. Some members volunteered with the cats and the others with the dogs. The cat volunteers organized the cat food and supplies in the pantry. The dog volunteers split up into multiple groups around the area. NSG members got their hands dirty washing dog bowls and organizing the supply rooms, the back of the animal shelter, and the office and bathroom areas in the front.

When all the hard work was done NSG volunteers finally got to interact with the dogs and cats. They got to bathe the dogs that were dirty while others were cleaning out the cat boxes. Just spending a couple of hours with these homeless animals makes a difference in their lives.

The Animal Care and Adoption Center was the first of the many community service hours NSG will be doing and it is open to any volunteers in the community. Not only was it a good opportunity for community service, it was also an opportunity for NSG to bond in their sisterhood and become a part of something bigger than their organization.

Age of Ultron on the Lawn

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Leslie Arietta and Jamie Williamson

Students of Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) were leaving their wallets at home and grabbing their blankets and chairs for the last event of the Best Week Ever. On Friday, August 28th, students from TAMUT and people from the community of Texarkana gathered on the lawn of the University Center to find a comfortable spot to lay their blankets or place their lawn chairs before sunset.

Every year for the first week of classes the Campus Activities Board (CAB) of TAMUT puts together a variety of events and activities for students to attend. For the last event of the week was a free showing of Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron. CAB started setting up the inflatable movie screen before sunset, but had some technical difficulties.

While everyone was waiting for the movie screen to be fixed, people were lining up for free popcorn, cotton candy, and water. CAB members kept the entertainment going and dared a few students to take on the bean boozled challenge while waiting. The challenge involved people eating a normal flavor and an odd flavor jelly bean. Kids were dancing to the music and people were sitting around catching up with friends.

Before everyone found a spot and got comfortable, the superheroes of CAB managed to save the night and get the screen projector working. The turnout was maybe enough to fill a movie theatre. People chose their spots on the lawn without worrying about not having enough seats.

What better way to end a Friday night than with a free movie and snacks? It turned out to be an outstanding event, and proved a nice way to unwind after a stressful first week of class. Despite early technical difficulties the Best Week Ever ended successfully.