T E T S N T AM U - C S FIRST ONE FREE A C C E A , S. N C, T www.tamuceasttexan.com www.issuu.com/tamuc.easttexan Lol for Varsity Thanks in large part to competitive games like League of Legends, the eSports pheonomenon continues to grow. Now universities are beginning to consider playing certain videogames a varsity sport and are even rewarding scholarships to prospective students who t the bill. Page 6 Running on Empty While politicians debate about how to deal with the shrinking middle class, gamers have decried a lack of middle ground between Triple A blockbusters and Indie games, leaving little room for innovation in the gaming world. Have staples like Mario worn out their welcome? Page 5 We Major Soon-graduating music major Jacob Muzquiz has been exploring post-graduation options... which included playing his ever-faithful trombone with members of the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestras at Julliard in New York City. Onward and upward! Page 4 Anti -texting-while- driving bill’s fate still uncertain A Storm Approaches 2014 was one of the most dominant years in A&M- Commerce athletics history. With both the 2015 football and soccer schedules announced, coaches and players are already preparing themselves to match last year’s success this Fall. Coverage begins on Page 2 Travis Hairgrove e Man Avid outdoor recreation enthusiast, Mark Phillips probably thought he was onto something great and protable when he devised of a lighter, more compact way to carry alcohol on his person, but little could he have predicted the chain reac- tion of panic his product would stir in the media and among parents and lawmakers. at product is powdered alcohol, a com- pound designed to be dissolved in a drink- able liquid and thus concoct an alcoholic beverage. Despite powdered alcohol being ap- proved for sale at the federal level by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bu- reau (TTB) on March 10, many state legislatures (including Texas) are already moving to make it illegal to sell, buy or own it amid concerns over the product’s perceived availability and attractiveness to children, worries that people might snort powdered alcohol or abuse it in other ways, and fears of how it might be used to vic- timize others by inebriating them without their knowledge or consent. In response to all the condemnation his (still yet to be released) product, Palco- hol, has received, Phillips posted a nearly 17-minute-long YouTube video, titled e Truth About Palcohol, in which he system- atically addressed each of these frequently expressed concerns and performed a series of demonstrations to illustrate (what he ar- gued to be) powdered alcohol’s unsuitabil- ity for the unsavory uses so often parroted through most of the media’s coverage. “Because of the alcohol in powdered al- cohol, snorting it is extremely painful. It burns…a lot. It hurts,” Phillips said when discussing that particular rumor. “It would take about one hour for someone to snort this much powder [appeared to be about half a cup’s worth of what was presumably powdered vodka]. Why would CONT. ON PAGE 3 Powdered Alcohol: Don’t Snort it Travis Hairgrove e Man Texas House Bill 80, which proposes a statewide ban on the use of “a wireless communication device to read, write or send a text-based communication” while driving, passed 102-40 in the House of Representatives on March 25, and is cur- rently awaiting approval by the state Sen- ate. Despite the decisive victory in the House and regardless of the fact that 44 states already have statewide laws prohib- iting texting while driving, the bill still has a bumpy road ahead as Texans weigh the intended benet of a universal safety measure against concerns over the bill’s implications for privacy and civil liber- ties. A group of supporters of the bill ral- lied at the state Capitol building, hold- ing photos of loved ones lost to distracted driving-related accidents, this past Feb- ruary. Among those in attendance was Jeanne Brown, whose daughter, Alex, died in a single vehicle accident while texting, back in 2009 in Seagraves, Texas. Since then, Brown and her husband, Johnny Mac, have been spreading awareness of how dangerous texting while driving is by speaking at high schools and towing Alex’s mangled pickup truck to each stop. “We don’t want to see parents having to bury their children. We don’t want to see siblings growing up without their old- er brothers and sisters. It’s just madness,” Brown said in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey. Meanwhile, Eric Nicholson (a blog- ger for e Dallas Observer’s Unfair Park blog) is skeptical about the ecacy and possible misuse of the proposed law, since it would still allow drivers to use their cell phones for phone calls and navigation. “How can cops know whether some- one is texting or looking at Google Maps? ey can’t,” Nicholson wrote, “In that case, the measure would stand as little more than pretext for police to pull over drivers they didn’t otherwise suspect of a crime.” Nicholson went on to draw a compari- son between the proposed ban and a now defunct Dallas law requiring the wearing of a helmet while riding a bicycle. “Like the texting ban, it was touted as a common sense way to promote public safety, but it led to wildly disparate en- forcement. Almost all of the citations happened in poor, minority neighbor- hoods,” he wrote. Conversely, City of Commerce mayor and director of speech communication at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Dr. John Ballotti, is largely in favor of a state- wide law against texting while driving. “A couple of years ago, a mother ran into some children as she was trying to pick up her child from school,” Ballotti said. “ey [municipal laws] said, ‘You can’t have your phone out within 50 yards of the school if you’re going over 20 miles an hour,’ or something like that…all these ‘if thens.’ It seemed like there were two or three of those things that happened al- most contemporaneously. I believe each local area had a little dierent twist to the law, so yes, I have no problem with a state law.” Advocates of the bill are hoping persis- tence pays o, as past attempts to pass a Texas-wide law prohibiting texting while driving have, so far, been ill-fated. For- mer governor Rick Perry vetoed a similar bill in 2009, declaring it a “government eort to micromanage the behavior of adults” in his veto statement. In 2013, an- other attempt passed through the House but failed in the Senate. During Greg Abbott’s gubernato- rial campaign this past year, the rhetoric changed little, if at all, as a spokesman merely quoted Perry’s earlier veto state- ment when stating Abbott’s position. Recently though, at a stop in Dallas on March 26, Gov. Abbott assured he would “give it the deep consideration it deserves” if the bill should win both houses, leaving its ultimate fate still highly uncertain. In an eort to argue in favor of the bill but also reach out to those against it, the author of all three anti-texting while driv- ing bills, Rep. Tom Craddick (R-Mid- land), compared the opposition’s stance to one he, himself, once held. “When the seat belt bill passed years ago, I voted against it,” Craddick said in his opening remarks before the House vote, back in 2013. “I’m very sorry I did that. When I get in my car with my grandchildren now, the rst thing they say is ‘buckle up.’ ey’re saying 90 per- cent of the people in the state wear seat belts. At the time we passed the seat belt law, it was like 27 percent. It saved many lives. is will, too.” e bill can be reviewed at www.capi- tol.state.tx.us, by entering “HB 80” into the search bar. PHOTO COURTESY/KNOXNEWS.COM Texting and driving accidents, like this one from last year, account for some of the most horrifying and deadly crashes on our nation’s roads today. A bill to ban texting and driving passed the Texas House of Representatives last March. Texas is one of only six states in the U.S. that doesn’t have a statewide texting and driving ban in eect.
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www.tamuceasttexan.com www.issuu.com/tamuc.easttexan
Lol for VarsityThanks in large part to competitive games like League of Legends, the eSports pheonomenon continues to grow. Now universities are beginning to consider playing certain videogames a varsity sport and are even rewarding scholarships to prospective students who !t the bill.
Page 6
Running on EmptyWhile politicians debate about how to deal with the shrinking middle class, gamers have decried a lack of middle ground between Triple A blockbusters and Indie games, leaving little room for innovation in the gaming world. Have staples like Mario worn out their welcome?
Page 5
We MajorSoon-graduating music major Jacob Muzquiz has been exploring post-graduation options... which included playing his ever-faithful trombone with members of the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestras at Julliard in New York City. Onward and upward!
Page 4
Anti-texting-while-driving bill’s fate still uncertain
A Storm Approaches2014 was one of the most dominant years in A&M-Commerce athletics history. With both the 2015 football and soccer schedules announced, coaches and players are already preparing themselves to match last year’s success this Fall.
Coverage begins on Page 2
Travis Hairgrove>e Man
Avid outdoor recreation enthusiast, Mark Phillips probably thought he was onto something great and pro?table when he devised of a lighter, more compact way to carry alcohol on his person, but little could he have predicted the chain reac-tion of panic his product would stir in the media and among parents and lawmakers. >at product is powdered alcohol, a com-pound designed to be dissolved in a drink-able liquid and thus concoct an alcoholic beverage.
Despite powdered alcohol being ap-
proved for sale at the federal level by the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bu-reau (TTB) on March 10, many state legislatures (including Texas) are already moving to make it illegal to sell, buy or own it amid concerns over the product’s perceived availability and attractiveness to children, worries that people might snort powdered alcohol or abuse it in other ways, and fears of how it might be used to vic-timize others by inebriating them without their knowledge or consent.
In response to all the condemnation his (still yet to be released) product, Palco-hol, has received, Phillips posted a nearly 17-minute-long YouTube video, titled >e
Truth About Palcohol, in which he system-atically addressed each of these frequently expressed concerns and performed a series of demonstrations to illustrate (what he ar-gued to be) powdered alcohol’s unsuitabil-ity for the unsavory uses so often parroted through most of the media’s coverage.
“Because of the alcohol in powdered al-cohol, snorting it is extremely painful. It burns…a lot. It hurts,” Phillips said when discussing that particular rumor. “It would take about one hour for someone to snort this much powder [appeared to be about half a cup’s worth of what was presumably powdered vodka]. Why would
CONT. ON PAGE 3
Powdered Alcohol: Don’t Snort it
Travis Hairgrove>e Man
Texas House Bill 80, which proposes a statewide ban on the use of “a wireless communication device to read, write or send a text-based communication” while driving, passed 102-40 in the House of Representatives on March 25, and is cur-rently awaiting approval by the state Sen-ate.
Despite the decisive victory in the House and regardless of the fact that 44 states already have statewide laws prohib-iting texting while driving, the bill still has a bumpy road ahead as Texans weigh the intended bene?t of a universal safety measure against concerns over the bill’s implications for privacy and civil liber-ties.
A group of supporters of the bill ral-lied at the state Capitol building, hold-ing photos of loved ones lost to distracted driving-related accidents, this past Feb-ruary. Among those in attendance was Jeanne Brown, whose daughter, Alex, died in a single vehicle accident while texting, back in 2009 in Seagraves, Texas. Since then, Brown and her husband, Johnny Mac, have been spreading awareness of how dangerous texting while driving is by speaking at high schools and towing Alex’s mangled pickup truck to each stop.
“We don’t want to see parents having to bury their children. We don’t want to see siblings growing up without their old-er brothers and sisters. It’s just madness,” Brown said in a televised interview with Oprah Winfrey.
Meanwhile, Eric Nicholson (a blog-
ger for >e Dallas Observer’s Unfair Park blog) is skeptical about the e@cacy and possible misuse of the proposed law, since it would still allow drivers to use their cell phones for phone calls and navigation.
“How can cops know whether some-one is texting or looking at Google Maps? >ey can’t,” Nicholson wrote, “In that case, the measure would stand as little more than pretext for police to pull over drivers they didn’t otherwise suspect of a crime.”
Nicholson went on to draw a compari-son between the proposed ban and a now defunct Dallas law requiring the wearing of a helmet while riding a bicycle.
“Like the texting ban, it was touted as a common sense way to promote public safety, but it led to wildly disparate en-forcement. Almost all of the citations happened in poor, minority neighbor-hoods,” he wrote.
Conversely, City of Commerce mayor and director of speech communication at Texas A&M University-Commerce, Dr. John Ballotti, is largely in favor of a state-wide law against texting while driving.
“A couple of years ago, a mother ran into some children as she was trying to pick up her child from school,” Ballotti said. “>ey [municipal laws] said, ‘You can’t have your phone out within 50 yards of the school if you’re going over 20 miles an hour,’ or something like that…all these ‘if thens.’ It seemed like there were two or three of those things that happened al-most contemporaneously. I believe each local area had a little diAerent twist to the law, so yes, I have no problem with a state law.”
Advocates of the bill are hoping persis-tence pays oA, as past attempts to pass a Texas-wide law prohibiting texting while driving have, so far, been ill-fated. For-mer governor Rick Perry vetoed a similar bill in 2009, declaring it a “government eAort to micromanage the behavior of adults” in his veto statement. In 2013, an-other attempt passed through the House but failed in the Senate.
During Greg Abbott’s gubernato-rial campaign this past year, the rhetoric changed little, if at all, as a spokesman merely quoted Perry’s earlier veto state-ment when stating Abbott’s position. Recently though, at a stop in Dallas on March 26, Gov. Abbott assured he would “give it the deep consideration it deserves” if the bill should win both houses, leaving its ultimate fate still highly uncertain.
In an eAort to argue in favor of the bill but also reach out to those against it, the author of all three anti-texting while driv-ing bills, Rep. Tom Craddick (R-Mid-land), compared the opposition’s stance to one he, himself, once held.
“When the seat belt bill passed years ago, I voted against it,” Craddick said in his opening remarks before the House vote, back in 2013. “I’m very sorry I did that. When I get in my car with my grandchildren now, the ?rst thing they say is ‘buckle up.’ >ey’re saying 90 per-cent of the people in the state wear seat belts. At the time we passed the seat belt law, it was like 27 percent. It saved many lives. >is will, too.”
>e bill can be reviewed at www.capi-tol.state.tx.us, by entering “HB 80” into the search bar.
PHOTO COURTESY/KNOXNEWS.COM
Texting and driving accidents, like this one from last year, account for some of the most horrifying and deadly crashes on our nation’s roads today. A bill to ban texting and driving passed the Texas House of Representatives last March. Texas is one of only six states in the U.S. that doesn’t have a statewide texting and driving ban in e"ect.
T!" E#$% T"&#' S%#((Editor Managing Editor Sports EditorNews EditorSenior ReporterFaculty AdviserPhoneEmailThe Special MagazineEast Texan WebsiteEast Texan Print Issue Online
Andrew BurnesPatricia Dillon
Ryan ScottJoseph Alderman
Travis HairgroveFred Stewart
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Letters to the Texan
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Identity Crisis!e Year in Review
Andrew BurnesEditor
We’ve come a long way. One year ago, I don’t think anyone would’ve made the mistake of even imagining that -e East Texan would be where it is today. With a bland layout, dull stories, less-than-judicious editing, and a pretty loose grasp on the di.erence between North and South Korea, it wasn’t exactly a proud era for journalism at Texas A&M University-Commerce.
I remember how important our last trip to TIPA (the annual press convention for the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, which, by the way, is based out of the A&M-Commerce newsroom and run almost solely by East Texan faculty adviser Fred Stewart) was to me both personally and professionally. As I got a feel for what other schools in our state were doing in our /eld, my eyes were opened to just how small a /sh we were in an ocean of talent. -at was the moment that I stopped viewing my time here as a chore and started viewing it as an opportunity, a chance to begin my career in earnest, a chance to do what I love to do. It didn’t take long for things to begin turning around.
Certainly I had a lot of help. -e East Texan wouldn’t be the same without the fantastic photography supplied by both Kristen and Aaron, or without the tongue-in-cheek charm of Joseph Alderman’s editorial cartoons and sharp newswriting. Before this year, our online presence was nonexistent, but thanks to Patricia, that will never be the case again. And certainly, I’ve never seen anyone pump out a number of sports stories with the speed and e0ciency of Ryan Scott.
-e class was a big help, as well. Young journalistic talents like Hunter Kimble and Alissa Silva have taken their places in the -e East Texan on numerous occassions. Travis Hairgrove in particular has become one of, if not the best writer I’ve ever worked with in the two years that I’ve been a part of this sta.. Even lovabally annoying characters like Dakota Brewer have made this aging building that much more entertaining (though perhaps nobody brings a grin to my face faster than Dr. Bridges). Not to mention, I don’t think anyone who read them will ever forget Ismael Isak’s math columns. Such enthusiasm about our chosen /eld of study is something that we all could learn from. Hopefully we’ll see more from all of these bright faces in the future.
After a year of marihuana stories and presidential interviews, killer photography and even deadlier sports teams, a love of music and experimental page layouts, -e East Texan’s presence at this year’s TIPA was a complete 180. While I was certainly thrilled to receive my awards (especially for my album reviews) and was very pleased to see what everyone else won, nothing made me prouder than when I realized that -e East Texan was named the second best paper in our division (the most crowded in the state, by the way) for overall excellence. Fred’s “No way! Really?!” kind of speaks for itself, I think. I’m just glad I could be a part of the paradigm shift.
After experiencing everything from praise from some guy in California for my expose on weed, to being yelled at for 30 minutes by UPD Lieutenant Jason Bone for suggesting that police brutality is a problem, to making new friends and standing outside talking to them in the parking lot for hours on end rain or shine, to having my heart broken, to /nally formally meeting university president Dan Jones, to receiving feedback, praise and encouragement from one of my favorite people walking the face of this earth (and former editor for -e East Texan), Keyania Campbell, to receiving seemingly an endless barrage of negative backlash from Dr. DeMars for my admittedly rather poor skills with a video camera, I’m ready to put this year to bed. Would I do anything di.erently? I’d be lying if I said no. But do I have any regrets? Absolutely not. It’ll be nice to have a bit of a break for the summer to relax and clear my head. But by the time the Fall rolls around, you can bet I’ll be ready for Round 3. To everyone who has enjoyed an issue of -e East Texan this year: thank you. Peace.
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Denise WalkerSpecial Contributor
Is it really only 3 weeks before the semester ends? Where has the time gone? The end of another school semester can be an exciting time, but also a time when the wrap up of school can be hard to juggle. You are not only thinking about how this semester’s grades will turn out, but you also may be thinking about the transition from being an independent college student to returning home, where different rules will be en-forced.
But let’s take one step at a time and see how the se-mester can end as a success. The f irst step you need to take in ending the semester is to see where your grade stands in all of your classes regardless of level of ease or diff iculty. Track your current grade and take time to review all of the materials that have been covered so that you will not have to cram when it is time for the f inal exams.
Secondly, make sure that you communicate with your professors. Although you should have established a relationship with them at the beginning of the se-mester, it is never too late to visit with them during their off ice hours if you are experiencing diff iculty with some course material.
With all of the excitement of what the summer break may have to offer, it is easy to fast forward into June and forget about the remainder of April and May. Focus on the task at hand, which is completing the semester successfully. This does not mean cutting off your social life completely, but it does mean pri-oritizing your schedule so that studying comes f irst. Then for every studying goal you accomplish, reward yourself with a mental break.
After you have set your goals, accomplished them, and ended the semester well, you can begin to think about the transition from school to returning home. This can be a diff icult time for some, especially if you have become accustomed to your niche that you have created for yourself on campus.
One way to help resolve the issue that could po-tentially arise upon the return home is to orchestrate a family meeting where you and your family discuss how things have been different for each of you since going away to school. Listen to each other and vali-date individual experiences.
Secondly, directly ask your family what is expected of you while you are visiting for the summer and ex-plain some of the independence that you would like to be awarded. This request comes with some respon-sibilities, so it would be good to discuss how you will uphold your end of the deal in a mature and thought-ful manner.
Lastly, remember that this is a transition not only for you but also your family. Take a moment to re-f lect on how you had to adjust to living on your own. This is a process and some disagreements will occur, but thoughtful planning can aid in the adjustment of returning home.
Ideas or questions for the Counseling Corner? Call (903) 886-5145 or stop by the Counseling Center in Halladay Student Services Bldg, Rm #204. Previ-ous articles can be found on the Counseling Center website.
Counseling Corner
Where did the Semester Go?
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CONT. FROM PAGE 1
anyone choose to spend an hour of pain and misery, snorting all of this powder to get one drink in their system, when they could just…oh, I don’t know…drink a shot, and accomplish the same thing? You won’t get drunk faster by snorting powdered alco-hol, and you’ll go through a lot of pain.”
Later in the same video, Phillips acted out a “spiking someone’s drink” scenario in which he -rst dumped the contents of a mini bottle of regular, liquid vodka into a drink in a manner of seconds, then tried the same thing with the powdered vodka, which he proceeded to stir. After nearly a minute of him stirring, the drink was still cloudy in appearance, as the compound was still not fully dissolved.
“It will take at least a minute of stirring for all the powder to dissolve, and because this drink is cold, it may even take a little bit longer,” Phillips explained, “Why would someone try to spike someone’s drink with this when it takes so long to stir, when you can do the same thing in three seconds [with a shot of liquid alcohol]?”
.e -nal oft-cited concern he addressed was that of powdered alcohol being alleg-edly easier for minors to acquire.
“Palcohol is just like liquid alcohol. It’ll be sold in the same licensed establishments where alcohol is currently sold, and only adults 21 years old or older with proper identi-cation can buy it, so it will not be easier for kids to get it,” Philips said.
While powdered alcohol may seem new and unique, the concept has actually been around for over 40 years. Back in 1972, the General Foods Corporation (later Kraft General Foods) applied for a patent for an “alcohol-containing powder,” which was eventually granted in 1976. Even though General Foods failed to bring their proposed product, SureShot, to market (according to Larry Greenemeier with Scienti-c Ameri-can), similar products were released (albeit with little success) in Germany, the Neth-erlands and Japan.
In 2007, -ve students at the Helicon Vocational Institute in the Netherlands created an international buzz when they formulated and brought to market a prod-uct they christened Booz2Go, which (when dissolved in the recommended amount of water) yields a -zzy, greenish yellow, lem-ony lime-/avored drink that is 3 percent alcohol by volume, and (due to a few Dutch
laws the product dodges) is actually aimed at drinkers under the age of 16. A Dutch-language news story in which those very students can be seen performing a product demonstration can be viewed on YouTube, after typing “Booz2Go” into the search bar.
A sizeable portion of the dialogue over powdered alcohol may center over its poten-tial for abuse, but that doesn’t stop people from being curious about how something as apparently oxymoronic as “powdered alco-hol” is even scienti-cally possible, seeing as pure ethanol (the chemical name for drink-
ing alcohol) is a liquid in and of itself.Associate Professor of Chemistry at
Texas A&M University-Commerce, Dr. Stephen Starnes, concisely explained the process of making a powder containing “encapsulated alcohol.”
“Basically, the way the process works is that they take a molecule or compound called a cyclodextrin, which is a sugar that typically contains -ve or six glucose units,” Starnes said, “.ose [glucose units] are at-tached into a ring compound, so it kind of makes like a tube. .e interior of the tube is somewhat hydrophobic, which means it doesn’t like water that much. .e outside of the tube is hydrophilic, which means it likes water, so that helps them [the cyclo-dextrin] dissolve in water.”
Dr. Starnes continued, “When they add ethanol, it will go into the interior. .en
they would remove the excess ethanol, but there would still be some ethanol left en-capsulated, or trapped, inside the cyclodex-trin. .at way they can get it really really dry to form a powder…because of the sugar itself. You then utilize the product by dis-solving it in water. .e ethanol comes out, because ethanol dissolves in water in all proportions, so now you have an alcoholic beverage.”
Lastly, the concept behind powdered al-cohol may seem logical in terms of Phillips’ original inspiration, which was a way of en-joying an “adult beverage” after a long hike
or biking excursion to a remote location, but what would the mass appeal of Palcohol be if it were to go to market?
.e four varieties of Palcohol presently approved by the TTB include two “just add water” cocktails, a margarita and a cosmo-politan, and two straight liquors, a rum and a vodka, which are intended more for mix-ing with soft drinks or fruit juices. Due to the fact that the powder is composed of alcohol encapsulated in a type of sugar, that sugar (though dissolved) is still in the drink after it’s mixed, which may result in a sweeter taste than expected or desired.
Russell Dodd, assistant manager at Fly-ing L Fastmart (a liquor store in Commerce) thought that in regards to Palcohol’s possi-ble sweetness, “An Irish cream and Kahlua-type of alcoholic powder might work nicely for mixing with co0ee.”
The� label� for� the� s ll� yet-‐to-‐be� released� Palcohol,� as� created� by� Mark� Phillips.� HIs� patent�
is� s ll� pending,� as� is� whether� his� product� will� even� be� legal� once� it� hits� the� market.�
In� a� 17-‐minute� YouTube� video,� Phillips� defends� his� product� from� cri cism� from� moral�
crusaders� who� have� made� clear� their� displeasure� with� the� idea� of� powdered� alcohol� on�
store� shelves� due,� in� part,� to� a� perceived� accessibility� to� children.
C!"#$% APRIL 23, 2015PAGE 4
Freshmen Stress over Dorm Daze
Dajonay StewartSta! Writer
As the 2014-2015 year ends, more students are registering for 2015-2016 housing on Texas A&M University – Commerce and some fear housing choices are limited.
Residential spaces have "lled quickly this year. Aside from students living on campus, programs within the residence halls are also putting a strain on space limitations. Some halls have Living and Learning communities that are catered to the special interests of some students. #e Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math program (STEM) has a living and learning community in partnership with the College of Science and Engineering available to incoming freshmen in Whitley Hall. Whitley Hall community director Joseph DuBose thinks the program is bene"cial.
“#e STEM program will provide a great opportunity for incoming "rst year STEM students. #is will help them interact with faculty, sta!, and other students,” DuBose said. “Whitley Hall is a historical building on campus that has a great lively community.”
Director for Residential Living and Learning Michael Stark believes that, by having these programs, students can interact with other students with shared interests.
“If we bring some of the students’ interests to their home, they would want to work with it more,” Stark said. “We delved into the research of student learning and learned to "nd a way to form a support group who lift each other up with similar interests.”
Other programs, including the African American Male Program, Women’s Leader Community, athletics, and Regents College, also hold space in residential buildings in order to keep these groups in the same environment.
#e reapplication process for housing typically involves upper classmen being given the opportunity to select their housing before freshmen, which also has been met with some uncertainty from the new students.
“It’s di$cult to be one of the students who are given the last pick because we have to "nd out where to live,” freshman Alexis Hall said. “I would love to live in a new building because it looks nicer.”
Some students believe that living in newer housing has more
bene"ts than the older buildings. #ere are also some concerned about living across the highway at Smith and Berry Halls, because the conditions may not be as suitable due to the age of the buildings.
Freshman Brittany Jones was placed into Smith Hall at the beginning of the school year and sees no reason to not stay there.
“Personally, I feel that Smith and Berry aren’t as bad as people make it seem,” Jones said. “#e only problem I saw was how far
away from the campus my room was.” Smith and Berry Hall Community
Director Brandi Sanders wants students to change their outlook of the residential halls. Amenities are a consistent complaint from students and parents but Sanders and Residential Living and Learning are working towards addressing their concerns.
“I am trying to improve the perception of Smith and Berry. Students judge the outside without having a chance to be a part of the strong family community,” Sanders said. “I am working with our assistant director of hall operations to get new furniture and new amenities for my building.”
Most of the residential buildings are "lled at the beginning of the year, but over the course of a few weeks
students may move out because of "nancial aid, grades, transfers, or family situations.
“Looking at the current year, if the numbers hold true, we’ll need more spaces over the years,” Stark said. “We have had conversations about expanding into Phase III.”
In order to more accurately describe the breadth of services they provide, the International Student Services O$ce [ISSO] has o$cially changed their name to the O$ce of International Student and Scholar Services. Taking e!ect immediately, the o$ce will retain its location in Halliday Student Services building Room 104. According to a press release provided by the o$ce, “#e O$ce of International Student and Scholar Services provides services such as immigration advising, VISA application information, pre-arrival assistance, cultural adjustment, international student orientation and other services regarding the University’s J-1 Exchange Visitors category.”
InternationalO!ce Changes
Name,RetainsServices Amanda He!in
#e East Texan
Commencement is a time when all of the hard work students have done throughout their time at an institution is recognized. Parents, grandparents, families and friends all come to hear that one person’s name called and see them walk across the stage.
#is semester there will be ceremonies for graduates students from the College of Business and Humanities; the College of Science and Engineering, combined with the School of Agricultural; and the College of Education and Human Services. Only the College of Science and Engineering and the School of Agriculture will not require spectators to have tickets.
In the two other undergraduate ceremonies, graduates are allotted 12 tickets each, with 10 tickets allotted doctoral graduate
and six for master’s graduates. “Tickets are based on the number of graduating students
who indicate they are attending the ceremony,” Paige Bussell, coordinator for the commencement ceremonies, said. “We do our best not to ticket the ceremonies.”
Suggestions have been made to have the ceremonies in a bigger venue, like the football "eld. However, the reason the ceremonies are not held there is that “the weather is too unpredictable,” Bussell said.
#e university is trying to combat this problem by possibly building an events center in the city to hold all commencement ceremonies and other special events.
“#e university has been in discussion at di!erent times with the city to hopefully someday build an event center. However, at this time, it is just not a feasible option” Bussell said.
Limited Seating Availablefor Commencement Ceremonies
Travis Hairgrove#e East Texan
Music performance major Jacob Muzquiz spent a week in March traveling the country, exploring a number of post-graduate options and auditioning at multiple conservatories including Juilliard in New York City, where he took the opportunity to study trombone with members of the New York Philharmonic and Metropolitan Opera Orchestras.
In addition to his music school auditions, he also vied for an open spot in Pershing’s Own (the U.S. Army Band based out of Washington D.C.). Muzquiz returned from his travels with a full-tuition scholarship from Southern Methodist University, to pursue a master’s degree in trombone performance.
“New York was amazing,” he said, “I’d really like to live there someday, but whatever happens happens for a reason. I really believe that. I’m still very happy.”
Live FromLincoln Center
Dakota Brewer!e East Texan
In 1964, eight young African-Americans men became town celeb-rities after winning the Class A State Basketball Championship for the Norris High School Tigers in Commerce.
Before Commerce was integrated in 1965, the African-Amer-ican population lived “over the tracks” in Commerce, known as the Norris Community, where they had schools for the African-American population.
!e high school, which had roughly 110 students, was a District 13 Class A school that was well known for its basketball program coached by Harry G. Champion.
!e team had eight members: Jr. Brigham, Bobby Mabry, James Linley, Jerry Pannell Jr., Jerry Walker, Dwight Bogar, Alfred Champion, and Harry Turner. Assisting Champion was A. C. Williams.
During the 1964 basketball season, the Tigers went 37-1, not including undocumented tournaments. For the season, the Tigers rang up 3,362 points (88 points per game) while their opponents totaled 1,644 points (43 points per game). !is means Norris out-scored their opponents by 1,718 points or 45 points per game. In one game, the Tigers beat Roxton 129-36. Out of the 38 games played that season, the Tigers scored more than 100 points in 17 of them.
“We played a run ‘n gun o"ense, if we passed more than twice it was too much,” Harry Turner said, a senior and the team’s shoot-ing guard.
But, it was a challenging road to the title. “We never saw a basketball until two weeks before the #rst
game,” Turner said, referring to practicing without a ball for two months. He noted that a majority of their “intense” practices were spent running, but added, “If we had had a three-point line in those days, we might have scored 300 points” in a game.
Before every game, the team held hands and said a prayer, “One for all, all for one.”
“We [Norris] had #ve games cancelled because the schools were not able to compete with us,” Turner said. “We had even beaten the university [East Texas State University, now Texas A&M Uni-versity – Commerce]. As a 1A team, we had played 4A schools and we beat them too.”
Community members would place bets on the Tigers, on how wide their margin of victory would be. Whoever won the bet, af-ter the game would have a pint of wine waiting in a car. After the game, the team would shower in their locker room, go out and get a drink of wine, then head out together and go dancing.
In the state championship game, the Tigers played Laruge Cen-tral High School and won 51-46. “Our defense was our o"ense,” Turner said. “If you wanted to win, you had to play rough hard-nosed ball.”
!e Tigers were smaller than most of their opponents but had no problem running around them. Coach Champion told his team “don’t dribble around, it looks silly, don’t be $ashy. It’s not sportsmanship.”
!roughout the beginning of the championship game, Turn-er mentioned that the crowd was in strong favor of their op-ponent. Laruge players and fans laughed at the Tigers, saying it was “Halloween time” because of their black and orange jerseys, but this did not stop the Tigers who were up by 10 points at halftime.
In the second half, the momentum and applause from the crowd shifted to Norris’s favor, as the Tigers #nished strong earning a state championship.
“We felt bad for them [Laruge],” Turner said. Upon winning a championship, the Tigers received state
champion jackets and new uniforms along with their big golden ball.
!e eight basketball players were best friends and always to-gether; they were “small town celebrities.” !e Tigers had cha-risma and played together.
“We were full of con#dence in ourselves, and we didn’t take a lot of things seriously,” Turner said.
!is was a revolutionizing moment for the Norris Commu-nity.
“We didn’t realize what we had done, we were just having a good time,” Turner said.
!e community and city were noticed by places all around and brought the community to a higher plateau. Norris created a persona of being a powerhouse basketball team that everyone knew about. !e last basketball team Norris had before shut-ting down in 1965.
Earl Champion and Turner both went on to play college bas-ketball at Cisco Junior College. Of the eight members, some of them still communicate and get together. Turner, who released a joyful tear of emotion and laughter reminiscing on the old memories, said “It’s good to be remembered.”
P%&' (A)*+, -., -/0( F!"#$%!&
Rachel CohnWriter
A common complaint of gaming that can be found in the reviews, forums, and any YouTube comment section of the latest video games is “they’re running out of ideas.” Games like Call of Duty, Madden and Super Mario, which have yearly or even quarterly releases, are deemed un-inventive and lack innovation.
When polled about favorite video games and video game franchises, most answers that came from students involved #nancially suc-cessful game series, with only two exceptions: “Monkey Island,” which has no recorded sales data to be publicly accessed, and “Jet Set Ra-dio Future,” which sold only 0.21 million units and is considered a cult classic. !e other titles mentioned are “Kingdom Hearts,” “Halo,” “Five Nights at Freddy’s,” “Sonic,” and “Poké-mon,” video games that are selling out as each new installment releases.
When looking at the Super Mario series, the best selling games mentioned are “Super Mario Bros.,” “Super Mario Bros. 2,” “Super Mario Bros. 3,” “New Super Mario Bros. Wii,” and “Super Mario World.” All #ve of these games follow the same side-scrolling, platformer for-mula with only minor di"erences in power-ups and the use of the dinosaur steed Yoshi. Meanwhile, games like “Super Mario Galaxy,” “Yoshi’s Island,” “Super Mario Sunshine” and “Super Mario 64,” which were praised for in-novation and breaking away from the standard
formula, don’t sell as well, with “Galaxy” at 16.76 million units sold for both installments, “Sunshine” at 5.5 mil-lion units sold, “64” at 11 million units, and “Yoshi’s Island” at 4 million units.
Games that are deemed cult classics like “Okami” and “Psycho-nauts” are just as unsuc-cessful. “Okami” only sold 1.64 million units in both of its install-ments, “Psychonauts” only sold 0.4 million copies retail. Compare those numbers to the Mario franchise, which, not including the newer games, has sold more than 200 million units.
With #rst-person shooters like “Call of Duty” and “Halo,” re-viewers and gamers alike have complained on imitations of the shared formula, stating that it’s the same game with a di"erent look each time. However, the more than 60 million units sold for “Halo” and the $10 billion worth of “Call of Duty” begs to
di"er. While they follow the same formula, gamers and non-gamers alike buy each new in-stallment and these franchises $y o" the shelf.
So where does the gaming industry go from here? Do they continue rereleasing games with
a similar formula or do they deviate from the same pattern in favor of innovation, even if it means poor sales? While numbers point to turning away from innovation, games that break the mold are still being made.
Gamers Complain of Lack of InnovationFormer Tiger Harry Turner poses next to the sign commemorating his teams victorious season. PHOTO CREDIT / DAKOTA BREWER
Former Commerce Athlete Recalls Historic Season
Burnes’ TurnsMichael Jackson“Farewell My Summer Love”
Green Day“Extraordinary Girl/Letterbomb”
Richie Sambora“Every Road Leads Home to You”
Guns N’ Roses“Black Leather”
Madonna“X-Static Process”
Aerosmith“Reefer Head Woman”
J Mascis“And !en”
Bob Dylan“If You See Her, Say Hello”
One Direction“Fireproof”
!eatre Departement readies next production
APRIL 23, 2015PAGE 6 E!"#$"%&!'#!"
#TBT: “One”New ReleasesAvengers: Age of
Altron
It is up to the Aveng-ers to stop the vil-lainous Ultron from enacting his terrible plans.
Source: IMDb
A woman with Bor-derline Personality Disorder who wins Mega-millions quits her meds and buys her own talk show.
Source: IMDb
Welcome to Me
Chock full of a host of new gameplay features and new art-work, Tropico 5 takes the series into a new direction - dynasties.
Source: Metacritic
Tropico 5
Broken Age is an adventure telling the stories of a young boy and girl leading parallel lives.
Source: Metacritic
Broken Age
!e Magic Whip
Following last year’s fantastic solo LP, Damon Albarn reunites with Blur for their "rst studio release in 12 years.
American Wrestlers
Gary McClure has wast-ed little time in getting a fresh start in the Indie Rock scene since coming to America. Hard not to pull for him.
“Did I ask too much/More than a lot/You gave me nothing/now it’s all I’ve got” U2’s Bono sighs in an-guish as he releases the best, most helpless lyrics he ever created. It’s no wonder he’s always horri"ed when some unassuming couple comes up to him and tells them they got married to “One,” perhaps the most powerful breakup song ever recorded. Even so, there’s just some-thing about those climactic wails at the end of the track that sounds too beautiful to be anguish. Goosebumps.
eSports RisingLeague of Legends paves way for new varsity sport: video gaming
Amanda Hef linStaff Writer
The Texas A&M University - Commerce the-ater department will be putting on the series “The Further Adventures of Tom and Huck and Other Plays” in the Black Box Theater, produced by a special topics directing class and the stage man-agement class.
“This collection contains a harrowing tale of the later lives of Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn, two girls obsessed by a movie contemplat-ing homicide, a couple doomed to rehearse their tragedy on the stage of a theatre for eternity, a dark little play about the relationship of lepre-chauns to cannibalism, the tale of Peter Rabbit told from the point of view of the very disturbed Mr. McGregor, a third rate horror movie villain lamenting his life on a zombie island, the end of the observable universe, and more.” – Further Ad-ventures of Tom and Huck and Other Plays
The entire production is composed of nine dif-ferent plays.
“There are nine student directors, 19 stage managers, 14 actors, f ive designers, one techni-cian, and three faculty advisers” Rebecca Worley, instructor of the special topics class and faculty adviser to the production, said.
With a budget of $100 and the show being part of the regular season productions for the theater department, the student directors had their work cut out for them.
“Being a director is a balancing act,” Worley said. “You have to know how to collaborate, solve problems, communicate and be organized. There are so many moving parts you have to be on top of everything. The students are learning hands on, into the f ire kind of experience.”
Despite their dedication to the production, not all of the students involved are looking to make a career in the theatre.
“One of the directors is going to get her masters in counseling,” Worley said. “The skills that we learn in theater make us very prepared to handle a wide range of experiences. This background makes us very adaptable and very accessible to a wide range of careers”.
With opening day April 28 and May 1 sold out, the remaining performance dates are April 29- May 2 at 8 p.m. and May 3 at 3 p.m.
“It is highly suggested to get tickets well in ad-vance,” Worley said. “There is very limited seat-ing in the Black Box. This production contains mature content and adult language it is not suit-able for children”.
Tickets can be purchased at the university play house box off ice and online.
Dakota BrewerStaff Writer
In 2009, Riot Games released the hit game League of Legends (LoL), little did they know that f ive years later some of their players would be considered varsity athletes.
A private university in Chicago, Ill., Robert Morris University was the f irst college to recognize video gaming as a varsity sport. After giving out their f irst scholarship of nearly $15,000 to Young-bin Chung, he and the rest of his team began practicing in their $100,000 classroom to become the best eSport team.
Shortly after, a small liberal arts school in Kentucky, the University of Pikeville, became the second school to recognize League of Legends as a varsity sport.
eSports, mainly recognized in school clubs through universities, has had a growing trend to become a varsity sport.
“League of Legends is a multiplayer online battle arena where you are com-posed of teams of f ive or three depend-ing on the map you pick. You pick from champions who have four abilities and one passive. The matches roughly take 30 to 40 minutes to play,” Matthew
Rodell, a health promotion major who runs track for Texas A&M University – Commerce and plays on average “about 3-4 hours on weekdays and 6-7 hours on the weekend,” said.
Rodell, who admittedly stated he has an addiction and has spent roughly $200 to $300 in the past two years of playing League of Legends, thinks it is “dumb to consider League of Legends as a sport.” From f irsthand experience he noted “it does involve quick mental thinking, communication and team in-volvement as a whole.” But an athlete to Rodell, is someone who is “prof icient in sports or other forms of physical ex-ercise.” Like most universities, Rodell believes it should be considered more of a club than a sport.
“I believe people who put time and effort into activities that are physically and mentally competitive are considered an athlete. Many gamers all across the globe put in 12 hour days to get better and that’s more than any athlete can,” Cody Joyce a computer science major and lifeguard, said.
Joyce, who played every day for about six to 12 hours before he was burned out on League of Legends, feels differently than Rodell, who believes it should not be considered a sport. Joyce recently switched over to another eSport game,
Heroes of the Storm which he plays reg-ularly.
Though both Joyce and Rodell, dis-agreed on whether or not it should be considered a varsity sport, they both noted they would gladly accept a schol-arship.
“I think it’s [video games] nonpro-ductive” Daniel Garduza, a freshman a freshman and non-gamer said. “It sounds ridiculous because I’m not a hardcore gamer but on the f lip side I can see how gaming and sports are somewhat alike in the way that you practice a lot to be good at them.”
Garduza mentioned that he thinks a varsity sport is something that is physi-cally draining.
According to Websters dictionary, a sport is an “activity involving a physical exertion and skill in which an individ-ual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.” Following this guideline would technically mean video gaming would not be considered a sport.
However, video gaming “requires strategy, is played worldwide, and is a competitive game,” according to blog-gers on debate.org. Therefore, this would make eSports and gaming a sport.
PHOTO COURTESY/MODVIVE.COM
eSports, the competitve playing of particular video games like League of Legends, has become a pop culture phenomenon, inviting thousands to !ock stadiums to view the competitions live as millions more watch live streams on the internet. Purses for "rst place range anywhere from tens of thousands of dollars to millions. Due to the exploding market interest, universities like Robert Morris University in Chicago have begun recognizing eSports as a varsity sport, even going so far as dolling out scholarships to prospective students to entice them to ply their passions under the university banner.
P!"# $A%&'( )*, )+,- S!"#$%
2015 Lions Women’s Soccer ScheduleSept. 3 @ Western State Colorado University Gunnison, Colo.Sept. 5 @ University of Colorado at Colorado Springs Colorado Springs, Colo.Sept. 11 Vs. Oklahoma Baptist University Commerce, TexasSept. 13 Vs. Emporia State University Commerce, TexasSept. 15 Vs. Lubbock Christian University Commerce, TexasSept. 19 @ St. Mary’s University San Antonio, TexasSept. 25 Vs. Angelo State University Commerce, TexasSept. 27 Vs. Midwestern State University Commerce, TexasOct. 1 @ Texas Women’s University Denton, TexasOct. 6 Vs. Dallas Baptist University Commerce, TexasOct. 9 @ Eastern New Mexico University Portales, N.M.Oct. 11 @ West Texas A&M University Canyon, TexasOct. 15 Vs. Texas Women’s University Commerce, TexasOct. 18 @ St. Edward’s University Austin, TexasOct. 23 Vs. West Texas A&M University Commerce, TexasOct. 25 Vs. Eastern New Mexico University Commerce, TexasOct. 30 @ Midwestern State University Wichita Falls, TexasNov. 1 @ Angelo State University San Angelo, Texas
Nov. 5-6 Lone Star Conference Tournament Location TBA
2015 Lions Football Schedule
Sept. 3 Vs. Adams State Commerce, TexasSept. 12 Vs. Delta State Commerce, TexasSept. 19 @ Texas A&M University - Kingsville Kingsville, TexasSept. 26 Vs. Eastern New Mexico Commerce, TexasOct. 3 @ Tarleton State Stephenville, TexasOct. 10 Vs. Angelo State Commerce, TexasOct. 17 @ West Texas A&M Canyon, TexasOct. 24 Vs. Midwestern State Commerce, TexasOct. 31 @ Sam Houston State Huntsville, Texas
Nov. 17 Lone Star Conference Playo&s TBD
Janelle Taylor.e East Texan
When Texas A&M University-Commerce men’s basketball team /nished the year 24-8 and an automatic bid to the Division II NCAA tourna-ment, some felt their game day rituals or supersti-tions had something to do with the success.
Assistant men’s basketball coach Robert Tay-lor said, “I started the pre-game hug with some of the guys (LaBree Sledge, Devondrick Walker and Brad Hammrick) my /rst year here in 2011. From there, it just took o0.”
Taylor said, “.e pre-game hug is more of a ritual for the guys, but for me, I’m more super-stitious than the other coaches so I started it and I had to keep it up.”
Senior guard LaDon Carnegie, /rst team All-Lone Star Conference Tournament player, said, “I’m a little superstitious. I have to get my ankles wrapped by the same athletic trainer for every game so I won’t strain them.” Carnegie added that the pre-game hug is a part of the tradition.
Junior Everrett Pleasant, with a breakout performance at the end of the season and dur-ing the Lone Star Conference Tournament, said, “I have to listen to music and eat but I’m not superstitious at all.”
Taylor gives each player words of encourage-ment with the pre-game hug.
“I sometimes say the same thing to the player or if they have not played well I want to give him something he can latch onto, to get back on his game,” he said.
One player in particular is superstitious and has a detailed routine he must go through be-fore each game.
Center Christian Macauley, two-time defen-sive player of the year of the Lone Star Confer-ence said, “I wear two pairs of socks - one pair is regular Nike elite socks and under those I wear some nice dress socks. If I don’t, I will play ter-ribly or I’ll jam my /nger or something.”
Taylor said they will keep doing the pre-game hug next year because he feels that it and the words of encouragement help the team play loose and with con/dence, knowing that the coaching sta0 is supporting them.
Taylor said, during the run In the conference tournament after their /rst win, they ate at the same Cracker Barrel for the pregame meal for each game. Consistency pays o0 because the Lions went on to win the Lone Star Conference men’s basketball championship.
However, one thing the team does together that they feel is not superstitious - they pray be-fore and after each game.
Pre-game hug
Ryan ScottSports Editor
.e Texas A&M University – Commerce Lions softball team could not solve the problems dished out by the Angelo State Rambelles, being swept in a four-game series over the weekend.
.e Lions were able to put up a good /ght though, being able to hold a lead at one point during three out of the four games, but could not hang on, with their largest defeat coming by four runs.
In game one, Lions pitcher Cyanne Fernan-dez gave up two home runs to put the Rambelles ahead 2-0. .e Lions fought back with a run in the third and two runs in the /fth to take a 3-2 lead.
However, things began to unravel in the bot-tom half of the /fth as ASU began to pour it on with what ended up as a six run inning capped o0 by a 3-run home run by Camry Weinheimer, putting the Lions behind 8-3.
.e Lions were only able to muster one more run in the top of the seventh before being si-lenced for the game. Fernandez was saddled with the loss, going 4 2/3 innings, giving up four hits and six earned runs.
.e second game got o0 to a much cleaner start for the Lions, who began the scoring with a run in the /rst inning. .e lead was short lived, however, a single and a throwing error helped the Rambelles push two runs across. .e Lions would tie it in the fourth, but would not regain the lead for the rest of the contest, as a home run by ASU’s Ciara Sheppard in the fourth put the Lions behind once more.
.e Lions would push another run in the sixth, but would be defeated 5-3. Courtney Moore was credited with the loss, pitching all six innings while giving up 10 hits and three earned runs. Moore also only walked one batter during the game.
Day two provided no solace for the Lions as they fell behind in the second inning due to a homerun by Weinheimer, her second of the se-ries. .e Lions would not be able to break the Rambelles, only coming within a run, and endu-ing up losing 4-2.
Magen Lynch carried the Lions the best she could, as she had two of the Lions four hits, also driving in a run. Moore took her second loss in a row, having an almost identical outing as her last, going six innings while giving up 10 hits and four runs with one walk.
.e /nal game of the series was the Lions’ last chance to salvage the weekend, and things be-gan looking up after a single by Monica Cherry plated Danielle Guerra, giving the Lions a slim 1-0 lead in the second inning.
.e lead was safe unitl the sixth inning after ASU’s Rachel Moore reached on an error to start the inning, Romero was able to get the next two batters out. However, Tina Cisneros walked, and both runners were replaced with pinch runners. After a wild pitch and another walk, Weinheimer hit a single that scored two runs, which would turn out to be enough to put away the Lions 2-1.
Romero was given the loss after pitching six innings, while only giving up three hits and no earned runs, as well as striking out six.
.e Lions now possess a record of 23-23 (12-14 LSC). .is is the second time the season the Lions have owned a .500 record, but have not dipped below .500 yet in their inaugural season. .e Lions also sit at sixth in the Lone Star Con-ference.
.e Lions will end the season with a home-and-home series against Harding University with games at Harding on April 23, and at home on April 25. .e Lions will then look forward to the Lone Star Conference Tournament, which will begin on May 1.
Lions swept by #14 Rambelles
PHOTO COURTESY / LIONATHLETICS.COMMagen Lynch (21) had two of the Lions four hits on day two.
PHOTO COURTESY / LIONATHLETICS.COM
Ryan ScottSports Editor
.e Lone Star Conference announced that three Lion men and one woman was given honors be-fore the start of the Lone Star Conference Tour-nament.
For the men, sophomore Hagen Wood was named to the All-LSC second team. Wood av-eraged a 75.4 through 17 rounds, and had one
score in the 60’s. Marcus Sanna and Kason Chil-dress were All-LSC honorable mentions. Both Sanna and Wood were also named to the LSC All-Academic team, with the requirements being at least a 3.30 gpa, and the student must be at least a sophomore academically and athletically.
For the women, sophomore Katelyn Mc-Creight was also given LSC All-Academic hon-ors. McCreight /nished with a 3.93 gpa and av-eraged an 85 on the /eld in four tournaments.
Four Lion Golfers Honored by LSC
A!"#$ %&, %'()P*+, - S!"#$%
More stories, photos, videos at tamuceasttexan.com
Lions Dominate at East Texas Invitational
Ryan ScottSports Editor
With the outdoor season winding down, the Texas A&M Univer-sity – Commerce Lions Track and Field teams bared their fangs at the second annual East Texas Invite at Memorial Stadium.
.e currently #6 ranked Lion Men headlined the outing, tak-ing running away with /rst place, as the women /nished in second place, just one point away from /rst place.
.e Men accumulated 260 points, over 140 more than second place Tarleton State. .e men also captured /rst place in ten sepa-rate individual events, with qualifying marks being achieved and records being broken.
Outstanding DeVontae Steele dropped jaws when he continued one of the best freshman campaigns on record by breaking the six year old school record in the triple jump with a distance of 15.13m. Steele already owns the indoor triple jump record from earlier in the year, and improves upon his provisional qualifying mark, while holding the /fth longest distance in NCAA Division II.
Jamal Curtis had a personal best leap of 2.11m in his winning performance in the high jump, and reigning LSC athlete of the
week Matt Rich won the pole vault with a height of 4.71m. Rich also captured a victory in the 110m hurdles, clocking in at 14.55, giving him a provisional qualifying mark. .e Lions were also able to sweep the podium in the long jump, with Gage Bowles, An-thony Harris, and Steele going one-two-three in the event. Bowles was just /ve centimeters o0 of an automatic quali/er with his jump of 7.60m.
In throws, Masoud Moghaddam was business as usual, win-ning the hammer throw with a toss of 64.28m. Hendrik Nungess garnered a win in the javelin with a throw of 62.46m.
.e 4x400m relay team consisting of John David Rollins, Soren Gnoss, Eric Williams and Dexter Lee won their event, but more importantly, improved their provisional qualifying time by four seconds, running a 3:09.56. Elsewhere on the track, Luis Romero improved his qualifying time in the 800m with a winning time of 1:51.55, and Mark Gonzales picked up a win in the steeplechase, improving his personal best by almost 15 seconds with a time of 9:49.80.
.e Lion Women also had a vast share of the success on the day, with another school record falling at the hands of the 4x400m relay team of Kamryn McKee, Ana Baleveicau, Tyler Cottingham
and Ashley Bassett. .e team beat the record set one year ago with their time of 3:48.10. .e run also gave the women their /fth qualifying mark of the season.
Baleveicau would get a provisional qualifying mark of her own in the 400m hurdles, /nishing second to teammate Bassett, who set the school record in the event earlier this season. Jenna McLaughlin also took home the victory in the 800m run with a personal best run of 2:19.29.
Rebecca Mueller continued a stellar season as the German thrower took home /rst place in both the discus and javelin throws. Selasie Koto was just three centimeters shy of a qualifying mark in the triple jump with a leap of 11.74m, which also won the event. .e woman /nally enjoyed a one-two /nish in the high jump with Hailey Nelson and Deandra Hanson with marks of 1.67m and 1.57m, respectively.
.e Lions now only have one more competition during the regular season. .e teams will travel to Houston for the J. Fred Ducket Twilight hosted by Rice University on Saturday, April 25. After that will be the Lone Star Conference Championships, slated to begin on .ursday, May 7 at LeGrand Stadium in San Angelo, Texas.
EAST TEXAN PHOTO / AARON HWANGLuis� Romero� won� the� 800m� with� a� me� of� 1:51.55
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