Tag Archives: TAMUT

TAMUT Women’s Volleyball: Success on the Court

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On Friday October 25th the Texas A&M University-Texarkana (TAMUT) women’s volleyball team went head-to-head with Louisiana Christian University (LCU). TAMUT went into the game sporting an 8-week win streak, so the stakes were high. In the days leading up to the game, schedules were full and preparations were underway.

The TAMUT women’s volleyball team has a finely tuned schedule on game weeks. “It’s a really good schedule for us. I think it gives them time for their bodies to relax and to recover but then also focus up on our next goal, on our next opponent,” said head coach Madeleine Halford.

The players use this prep time for team building and moral support. Team captain Mia Mata tries to be a supportive figure for her teammates on game weeks. “I try my best to support everyone as much as myself because I feel if I can’t support myself then I might not be able to support them,” said Mata.

The hard work and long hours put in by Coach Halford, Captain Mata, and the whole team paid off in Friday night’s game. TAMUT prevailed against LCU with a 3-0 win, advancing their win streak to 9 games.

While this is a big deal in the field of volleyball, some people may be unaware of the team’s ongoing success. “I didn’t even know this was going on. I’d love to go watch a game sometime,” said Texarkana local Suzanne Rogers. As the conference season nears its end, Coach Halford hopes to see some new faces in the stands. “Our last home game is November 1st. That’s our senior night. I would love for everyone to come out during our senior night and support our seniors,” she said.

The senior night game will take place at 6:00pm on Friday, November 1st. The game will be held at the Patterson Student Center on the TAMUT campus. Come show your support for the women’s volleyball team as they push towards their goal of winning the conference championship.

Red River Innovation Lab for the Humanities: Bringing scholarship application into the 21st century

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The Red River Innovation Lab for the Humanities at Texas A&M-Texarkana is a step toward bridging the gap between the old and new school approaches to scholarship applications.

“It was designed to essentially show our campus community how you can use new hardware and software tools to … creatively reimagine what their scholarship and engagement in the humanities look like,” said Dr. Drew Morton.

Morton, along with Dr. Kevin Ells, is an associate professor of mass communication at TAMUT.

Equipped with a variety of communications tools for video, photography, sound engineering and computer applications, students are able to produce video essays, podcasts, short films and word clouds, among others.

“We are in a social media era. So instead of, or in addition to, standing up in front of a class delivering a standard talk or presentation, it’s interesting to look at how somebody would use the new and all technology to make informative or persuasive … speeches in any of these apps available today,” Ells said.

Morton said the RRILH helps meet a goal of the university to increase digital citizenship and digital literacy.

“I saw the lab as being kind of a offshoot and ancillary support resource to this new initiative,” he added.

Michelle Walraven, a non-traditional student with a major in organized leadership, said the transition to a more digital presence at the university has been a hindrance for her.

“When it comes to technology, I am an idiot. I’m not a technology major but I’m having to utilize all of it just to turn in an assignment,” Walraven said. 

“I actually just had to drop a whole class because I don’t have the technical capabilities at home to complete. Knowing about and utilizing the lab in the library will be helpful.”

While non-traditional students may get more of an education in the practical application of using certain technologies, Morton said the lab will have something for all students.

To achieve this, the space is also available for tutorials, workshops, film screenings and other events with a humanities focus.

The RRILH is now open and available for use in the John Moss Library (UC305).

A list of the available equipment for student rental and in-lab use is available on the university website under the Student Resources tab.

For more information on events, contact Morton at dmorton@tamut.edu.

Lady Eagles Prep for the Diamond

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Led by head coach Marie Stone, TAMUT Lady Eagles will be beginning their softball season February 1st, 2019.

Picture Courtesy of TAMUT Eagle Athletics

Marie Stone comes to A&M Texarkana from Murray State College in Tishomingo, Oklahoma. A native of Pittsburg, Texas, Coach Stone has earned her bachelors degree in Exercise Science at Texas Wesleyan University and a Master in Sports Administration from Texas Woman’s University.  In 2010, Coach Stone started the softball program at Our Lady of the Lake University, a member of the Red River Athletics Conference in San Antonio, Texas. In 2013 Coach Stone became head coach of the Murry State softball team. Under the leadership of Coach Stone, the Lady Aggies won NJCAA Regionals in each of the last three seasons. During the 2015 season, the team received numerous honors and was ranked 17th nationally by the National Fastpitch Coaches Association (NFCA) for team grade-point average. In the 2016 season the Lady Aggies set single-season team records for total runs scored (218), home runs (26), stolen bases (45), hits (384), and highest batting average (.325). Coach Stone is entering her second season here at Texarkana A&M along with her assistant coach Jordan Gabriel. Coach Gabriel is in her second season and an alum of West Virginia Tech.

Picture Courtesy of TAMUT Eagle Athletics

The 2019 Lady Eagle softball roster consists of two freshman, Lauren Huff (22) and Lauren Hensley (13), three sophomores Mackayla Rameriz (2), Jaden Lance (25) and Gracelyn Spring (26), five juniors, Hannah Adams (1), Baylee Taylor (6), Morgan Bullock (11), Lauren Bierschenk (19), and Jordyn Logan (23). Tamut completes the roster with seven seniors, Kacey Maines (7), Cassie Vasquez (8), Ashley Nipper (10), Kallee King (14), Kayla Mahan (18), Hannah Cooper (24) and Kallee Wilkins (27).

To download the lady Eagle softball schedule or for more sports update on the team please click here.

Tearing Down the Line

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

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

Complements of the Ar-TX Redi Website

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

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

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

Veterans Day Parade

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The Texarkana Area Veterans Council hosted the annual Veteran’s Day Parade in downtown Texarkana, on Saturday, November 11, at 11 a.m.  The theme of this year’s parade was “Saluting Women in the Military thru the Years.”

The parade began at the intersection of East Broad Street and Hazel Street, in downtown Texarkana, Arkansas.  The festivities consisted of floats, local high school bands, antique cars, local motorcycle groups, Texarkana Jeep Junkies, the Corvette Club, Cub Scouts, and much more.   The TAMUT Eagle was also there, showing support for our student and community veterans.

The crowd was beaming with support for their veterans.  Children and their parents were proudly waving their flags and showing their support, as community organizations slowly trickled by passing out candy, flags, and cross pins to the crowd.

If you missed this year’s parade, check out the video link and photos below.

Video provided by KFLTV Texarkana – Youtube

 

Photos by:  Misty Jones

 

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.

Double Jeopardy

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Breann Cooper

Not the movie featuring Ashley Judd and Tommy Lee Jones, the right to not face charges for the same or similar crime after a legitimate acquittal or conviction. Amanda Knox, the American college student studying abroad in Italy convicted and then later acquitted for the murder of Meredith Kercher, faces the possibility of extradition for retrial in Italy.

March 26 of this year an Italian appellate court ruled to retry Knox as Italy does not have a double jeopardy law.  Knox will not have to appear before the courts in the retrial that will take place in Florence, Italy and will not face possible extradition unless the trial court finds her guilty and that guilty verdict is upheld by the Italian Supreme Court. If both courts find her guilty she would then only face possible extradition because the United States decides whether or not to extradite citizens case by case.

Knox was accused of killing housemate Meredith Kercher who was murdered November 1, 2007. Arrested on November 6, 2007, Knox spent the next four years in an Italian prison pleading her innocence. Kercher, a college student from London, was found naked and stabbed multiple times in the throat.  Knox, her boyfriend of seven days Raffaele Sollecite, and Rudy Guede an aquatintents of the young men that lived below the flat Knox, Kercher and two other women shared.  Guede’s DNA and fingerprints were found all over Kercher’s bedroom, clothing, and body. His size 10 shoe print was found in her blood.  Guede had a criminal background that fit the MO of the murder having broken in to a nursery by throwing a rock through the window and found with a stolen knife, laptop, cell phone and cash.  Yet Knox was convicted of murdering Kercher on mishandled evidence and her broken Italian. Knox has maintained her innocence throughout the case even when her actions were not those that the world or Italy thought she should have.  Italian police criticized and attacked Knox on her actions and lack of grieving for her housemate.   Claiming she did a myriad of gymnastic moves and appeared not to be in distress over the murder instead continuing to kiss and cuddle with her new boyfriend.  Knox denied most of the police’s statements to her behavior in an interview with Diane Sawyer which aired on ABC’s 20/20 April 30, 2013 stating “The police claimed I was doing the splits and cart wheels and all these gymnastic moves.  I did the splits, that’s all one time. It was immature of me but I don’t think I understood the gravity of what was happening.”

The Knox trial lasted 318 days convicting all three defendants in the end; Guede’s sentence a mere 16 years in prison due to his cooperation with police and testifying against both Knox and Sollecite. Sollecite received 26 years for his part in the murder, never admitting to either his or Knox’s involvement in the Murder.  Knox’s sentence was light compared to what the prosecuting attorney would have liked, requesting “life imprisonment with nine months in solitary confinement” according to court records. Knox was sentenced to 29 years in prison on December 9, 2009.

Knox served four years of the 29 year sentence before an Italian appellate court ruled in her favor and over turned her conviction October 3, 2011. The court stated in their official report that the guilty verdict “was not corroborated by any objective element of evidence”. Referencing that neither Knox’s or Sollecite’s DNA having been found in the room Kercher was murdered in, mishandling of evidence by leaving crucial evidence in the crime scene for 45 days before retrieving it and handling evidence with visibly dirty gloves. Also labeling the police interrogations as “obsessive duration” and any incriminating statements made by Knox during the interrogation were evidence of her confusion under “great psychological pressure.” The judge also overturned Sollecite’s sentence allowing both to return to their families.

Photo Creative Commons Flickr.com/Beaconradio

International Library Week

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Kendall Barajas

All across the world, librarians celebrated International Library Week during the month of April. TAMUT held theirs from April 15-April 19. Their first event was the edible book festival. Students and faculty entered a cake that best resembled their favorite book. All attendees were able to try a piece of each cake. The competition was based on overall appearance and taste as well.

The global event has been celebrated since 2000 in various parts of the world, where “edible books” are created, displayed, and small events are held like ours. The event was inspired by art librarian and curator Judith Hoffberg (1934-2009). Over 21 countries participate yearly in this world wide festival.

There were over 15 participants in the TAMUT festival but only 3 received a prize. The first place winner was Marlena Ballard (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie). “I really enjoyed making the cake with my mom! If you give a mouse a cookie is one of my favorite books from childhood. It was so fun to participate in the contest,” Ballard said. The second place winner was Neisha Federick (Charlotte’s Web). The third place winner was Barbara Mackey (James and the Giant Peach).

The second event of the week was free books for the students. The free books consisted of education lesson plans, how to books and teaching books. “I just grabbed 3 new books that I know I can use to help me with my lesson plans when I’m a teacher! I’m so glad they did this for us,” Education Major Amy Soileau says.

The librarians also held a raffle for the end of the week giving away a large fuel for finals basket. The basket consisted of snacks, drinks, pens and more. While promoting the raffle the librarians caught more attention by dressing up as their favorite book characters. The TAMUT Librarians had a successful and are already making plans for next year’s events.

 

College Football Playoff Details Announced

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Blaine Shores

The upcoming college football playoff system, which begins next season, now has a name. College Football Playoff.

Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex. won the bid for the first National Championship game under the four-team playoff format, just nine months after hosting the NCAA Final Four in March, 2014.

“We decided to call the playoff what it is — the College Football Playoff,” BCS Director Bill Hancock said. “We think the new playoff will be the most dynamic improvement to college football in a generation. Certainly, it’s what the fans want. We also invite everyone to vote online to select the logo and help us kick off the new College Football Playoff.”

The committee is expected to unveil the logo for the playoff next month, but there will not be a title sponsor attached to it.

“It won’t be ‘The Vizio Championship Tournament,'” Hancock said, alluding to the Rose Bowl title sponsor. “The Final Four doesn’t have one. The Masters doesn’t. The Super Bowl. That’s the kind of event we have.”

Hancock also added that the semifinals will maintain their original sponsors, explaining that it will be “something to the effect of” the College Football Semifinals at the Discover Orange Bowl.

The first set of semifinals in the rotation will be The Rose Bowl Game in Pasadena, Calif. and the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. These games will both be played on Jan. 1, 2015.

Other bowl semifinals in the 12 year rotation will be: the Orange, Fiesta, Chic-Fil-A, and Cotton Bowls.

The National Championship Game will be played on Jan. 12, 2015.

TAMUT Coach Escapes Boston Marathon Bombings

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Meagan Garrison

Texas A&M-Texarkana’s very own track coach Jeff Haynes was in Boston on Apr. 15, 2013 competing for the first time in what many runners feel is the hall of fame of marathons, the Boston Marathon.

After recovering from an injury, Haynes ran some but then walked most of the way from mile 21 to 24.  “At mile 25, I was reenergized and didn’t walk another step until I crossed the line,” said Haynes.  As he crossed the finish line Haynes recalls giving children high fives and a man taking his picture on the side of the street once he got his medal.

Haynes finished the Boston Marathon in 3 hours and 52 minutes. “If God had not pushed me through that last mile, I would have walked in about 15-17 minutes later,” said Haynes.  “The bomb went off at 4 hours and 9 minutes.  17 minutes!”  The bombs would kill 3 people and injure more than 140.

“According to the news, the bombers were spotted on surveillance being at the finish line 15-20 minutes before the bomb went off, this means that my family and I were there at the same time,” said Haynes

Haynes, along with his wife and daughter were about a half block away when they heard the first bomb go off.  “After hearing the second bomb go off, my wife and I knew we needed to get out of there and get our daughter to safety,” said Haynes.  After many attempts to get a taxi, they saw a man get out of one and they grabbed his.  The Haynes’ family saw many police cars, fire trucks and ambulances fly by and head towards the finish line.  “We asked the taxi driver what was going on and he said it was the Boston Marathon, its Patriot’s day,” said Haynes.  He then replied, “I know that I just ran it, and then that’s when we heard over the taxi’s radio that there were two explosions that went off at the finish line.”

“God is good and he ain’t done with me! He protected me and my loved ones. Better get it right before you get it wrong,” said Haynes.

When asked if he would ever compete in the Boston Marathon again after experiencing this, Haynes replied, “You bet!”