advertisement - Island Waves - Texas A&M University Corpus Christi

INSIDE
April Fools of comedy
Campus Activities Board
hosted April Fools of
Comedy on April 3. The
comedy special featured
Last Comic Standing
semi-fi nalist Tracey Ashley
and Melissa Villasenor
from America’s Got Talent.
battle at the Lexington
The Battle of Texas skateboard
competition was
held at the U.S.S. Lexington
last Saturday, April 7.
The setup included various
quarter pipes and
was the fi rst of its kind
to take place on a World
War II aircraft carrier.
PAgE 8
cyber courage
The barriers of the Internet
can give people
the freedom and comfort
to say things that
they would not say to
someone in person, and
at times, that barrier is
abused.
INDEX
PAgE 5
Art from the heart
Fluxus, an art exhibit by
Master of Fine Arts student
Lauren Yandell, is
currently on display at
the Weil Art Gallery. Yandell’s
artwork consists of
scorpion tails, crab claws,
birds, ears and fl owers.
PAgE 6
PAgE 11
News.......................Pg.
2
Entertainment ......Pg. 4
Features .................Pg. 6
Sports.....................Pg.
8
Viewpoint... .........Pg. 11
Island Waves
TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY-CORPUS CHRISTI THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 2012 VOL. 23, ISSUE 13
National champs
Islanders dance team takes top honors in their division
hILLARY VALLEJO - ISLAND WAVES
Courtne Hampton performs to the “She’s a Lady” routine that won the team the national title during their Islanders Dance Showcase.
LAURENguTIERREz
reporter
The Islanders dance
team took fi rst place
in the Division I
American Dance/Drill Team
Collegiate Championship
hosted in Denton Texas. Th e
team’s soloist Irene Cornejo
placed third in the competition
as well. Th e Islanders
competed against 17 schools
including Northwestern
State, which has been the
Islanders most competitive
rivals according to dance and
cheer coach Melanie Lowry.
Th e girls began preparing
for competitions as early as
April 2011.
“Th e level of talent and
dedication increased tremendously
over the last year,”
Lowry said.
Th e dance team rehearsed
three to four times a week, on
top of learning new routines
for games. Lowry also gives
credit to the athletic department
for being supportive
and allowing the girls to be
successful.
Th e fi rst place win proved
to be important to the dancers
and the University in
more ways than one. Th e
competition in Denton was
open to several high school
dance teams, which Lowry
believed was benefi cial for
the University.
“We were able to scout
talented dancers and feed
their interest for our University,”
Lowry said.
Sophomore captain
Taryn Lovato said she had to
fi ght back tears when North-
wester State was named fi rst
runner-up. Upon hearing
that announcement, the girls
said they knew what they
had achieved.
“Once I walked up to
receive the trophy with my
teammates, I couldn’t hold
it [in] any longer, and I
bawled,” Lovato said. “We
worked so hard and it paid
o ff . ”
Lovato and her team expressed
that they proved to
the University that they can
See Dance page 8
Scholarship applicants increase,
money still available for students
JEANETTEScARSDALE
news editor
Th e Scholarship Programs
offi ce received 1,185 applications
this semester, about
350 more than last year, and
is currently preparing to allocate
the $2.7 million in
available funds to students.
Th e applications received
by the offi ce in March are
currently under review by
committees from each of
the University’s colleges
and various committees for
more specifi c scholarships
within the colleges and for
the University.
“We had a really good
turnout so we’re really happy,”
Scholarship Coordinator
Alex Hudec said.
Students should be no-
tifi ed as to whether or not
they received a scholarship
in early June and on average
are awarded $1,200 per
year to be split between the
fall and spring semesters.
Of the $2.7 million
available, Hudec says the
money is awarded to students
until it runs out.
“We haven’t awarded
the scholarships yet, so we
don’t know much is leftover,”
Hudec said. “We always
have leftover money
every year.”
Leftover money in the
scholarship fund can come
from a number of sources,
including low numbers of
applicants, students deciding
not to attend the univer-
ELITE set
to evaluate
graduate
students
CATRINAESpINOSA
reporter
Graduate students of Texas
A&M University-Corpus
Christi will present their
research, studies, and written
works during the sixth
annual Graduate Scholarly
Works Symposium.
Th e students will either
visually or verbally present
their fi ndings by displaying
a poster board or giving a
presentation. At the event,
guests are welcome to approach
the students and ask
any questions concerning
their discoveries.
Th e Symposium was
organized by the ELITE
graduate program, the offi
ce of Research and Graduate
Studies and the Center
for Faculty Excellence. Th e
ELITE program is funded
by the U.S. Department of
Education and is aimed at
serving staff members, faculty
and graduate students.
Th e development that this
program off ers the campus
community includes
additional activities and
educational programs for
students. ELITE is organized
to increase the quality
of learning for graduate
students by arranging opportune
programs and additional
resources.
Along with the Symposium,
the 2012 Excellence
in Scholarly and Creative
Activity Awards will be
granted after the exhibition.
Presentations will be scored
by faculty judges based on
research, resourceful information
and overall presentation.
Th e categories
include business, education,
liberal arts, nursing &
health sciences and science
& technology; the research
may derive from dissertation
research studies, art
projects, capstone projects
or thesis projects.
Honoring the winners’
excellence, the top presenters
will be awarded cash
prizes and receive offi cial
certifi cates. Aside from
winning rewards, these
graduate students will gain
experience for what is expected
at a formal conference
and the opportunity
to explore other research
studies that their fellow
peers have performed. Th e
Symposium will also allow
undergraduate students to
network with the graduate
students and discuss the
prospect of approaching
See Money page 2 See ELITE page 2
gOOgLE.cOM - IMAgE cOuRTESY

PAGE 2 NEWS / APRIL 12, 2012
ELITE from page 1
one of these projects in
the future.
“I think it’s important
for graduate students to
present their research
through this opportunity;
we’ve created a safe and
comfortable environment
where the students can be
relaxed and discuss their
fi ndings with friends and
family,” ELITE’s Program
Coordinator Elizabeth
Benson-Landau said. “It’s
going to be exciting to see
the diff erent types, especially
since the categories
are going to range tremendously,
varying from
Science & Technology to
Education.”
Th e ELITE Program
continues to host workshops
and seminars concentrating
on how to effectively
enhance writing,
Money from page 1
sity or students losing scholarships
for not fulfi lling
various requirements, such
as GPA.
“We constantly re-award
the money until it’s gone,”
Hudec said. “Some scholarships
are really specifi c, so if
no ones applied for it by the
deadline, we’ll wait until we
get someone that meets the
criteria to award it.”
While the deadline to
submit the undergraduate
application was March 1,
late applications are still being
accepted and are available
online at Scholarships.
tamucc.edu for students. Th e
applications are also kept on
fi le for one year and are submitted
to any scholarships
they meet the criteria for.
“It’s harder to get a
scholarship if you apply
late,” Hudec said. “But it’s
defi nitely possible and it has
happened, so it doesn’t hurt
to submit an application.”
Th e Scholarship Programs
offi ce is still reawarding
leftover money
from last year and will follow
with summer and fall
gOOgLE.cOM - phOTO cOuRTESY
Island Waves
A publication of Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi
6300 Ocean Drive, Unit 5783, Corpus Christi, TX 78412-5783
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF/
SAMFERRIS
MANAGING EDITOR/
JOSEMARTINEz
ADVERTISING MANAGER/
ALLENhOYE
ADVERTISING ASSISTANT/
ANDREWbELTRAN
LAyOUT EDITOR/
CHRISTINAMARTINEz
composition and presentation
skills. Th ese seminars
are available for A&M
University-Corpus Christi
students to attend and
are posted on the ELITE
Graduate Program webpage,
elite.tamucc.edu.
Th e resources and services
will further help with upcoming
academic success,
especially with fi nals approaching.
Th e Symposium will
be held on Friday, April
13 from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00
p.m. in the University
Center Lone Star Ballrooms.
Th e event is open
to the public and all students,
faculty and staff are
encouraged to attend. For
more information, visit
the Graduate Scholarly
Works Symposium webpage
at Elite.tamucc.edu/
symposium
semester awarding.
“Every year there’s more
[money] because more people
donate,” Hudec said.
Th e offi ce has been looking
for better ways to promote
the money available
to students. To promote
scholarships and increase the
number of applicants this
year, the offi ce utilized mass
emails, on-hold phone messages,
messages on monitors
in buildings, table tents and
social networking sites.
“It was just getting the
word out to the students, plus
we extended the deadline by
a couple of weeks, so maybe
that helped,” Hudec said. “I’m
just really glad more applied
[because] it makes it easier to
give the money away.”
However, the Scholarship
Programs offi ce is still looking
for better ways to reach
students and inform them of
the opportunities at hand.
“Hopefully we can fi gure
out more creative ways to
advertise so students know
about it,” Hudec said. “We’re
just trying to get the best that
we can for each student.”
LAyOUT EDITOR/
SAMMyALcORTA
NEWS EDITOR/
JEANETTEScARSDALE
FEATURES EDITOR/
kATHLEENRAMIREz
ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR/
MIkEhENNEbERgER
SPORTS EDITOR/
ALExISDELEON
COPy EDITOR/
ERIkAgALINDO
REPORTER/
CATRINAESpINOSA
REPORTER/
ALLENhOYE
REPORTER/
LAURENguTIERREz
WEb EDITOR/
DAkOTAHhIcOck
Offi ce of International Education
starts new program
JEANETTEScARSDALE
Service Chair: The successful candidate for this
position will also become a member of Rotaract
and serve as the Global Islander liaison.
Academic Aff airs Chair: Responsible for contacting
professors and inviting them and their classes to
participate in those events
Marketing Chair: Responsible for working with the
other chairs in the marketing and messaging of
Global Islander events.
Logistics Chair: Responsible for working with other
chairs to ensure they have the information and
access to resources to make their events happen
news editor
After an initiative from Provost
Christopher Markwood,
the Offi ce of International
Education (OIE) is developing
a new program slated to
start next fall. Global Islander
will highlight a diff erent
country or region every year,
with activities to learn about
the area in the fall and a trip to
the area in the spring.
Next fall and spring,
Global Islander will focus
on Mexico and Central
America and plans are currently
in the works for a trip
to Costa Rica for students,
faculty, staff , alumni and
community members.
“It’s a way to invite the
community and alumni back
in, and it’s a way to get the
University out there,” OIE
Director Ana Billeaux said.
“We are wanting to internationalize
this place more so
than it is, and the more we
work on this and the more
activities we fi nd that can help
April 12, 2012
Vol. 23, Issue 13
PHOTOGRAPHER/
HILLARyVALLEJO
PHOTOGRAPHER/
ZACHARyzARDER
DISTRIbUTION MANAGER/
bRADpETERSON
ADVISOR/
H. LINCOLNWALbuRN
Social Media Chair: Responsible for maintaining
social media messages and responses as they
relate to Global Islander.
global Islander Executive committee
Member positions
For applications and more information contact:
Ana.billeaux@tamucc.edu or visit CCH 126
us reach that goal, the better it
will be.”
Billeaux is working with a
number of people to develop
the program, including Markwood’s
wife, Bridget Markwood,
College of Liberal Arts
Dean Kelly Quintanilla, and
faculty and staff members.
In addition to professional
staff , applications are available
for 11 student executive
committee member positions
to oversee various areas of the
program, including logistics,
marketing, social media and
more. Applications are available
in Corpus Christi Hall
126 and are due on Monday,
April 30 with interviews to
follow on Th ursday, May 3.
“It really is a good opportunity
for students who want
to improve or hone in on their
leadership skills,” Billeaux said.
“I think that participation in
this will really make them that
much more desirable when it
comes to being employed.”
One of the programs goals
is for students to have a broad-
Spring Festival Chair: Responsible for overseeing
the coordination of the Spring Festival.
Editor’s Insight
Dear Readers,
As of today, we only have two and a half weeks
of classes left. The end of the semester is always
bittersweet. Mentally, I start to wind down and
tend to procrastinate more than usual. Unfortunately, this happens
at a time where fi nal papers are due and fi nal exams take place. I
hope everyone hangs in there and makes it down the fi nal stretch,
especially those that are graduating.
Sincerely,
Sam Ferris
Editor-in-Chief
Gala Chair: Responsible for working with the
administration in coordinating this fundraiser.
global
Islander
er awareness of the world by
the time they graduate.
“We’re hoping that it will
be an exciting opportunity for
the students because they can
learn about a country right
here, right now,” Billeaux said.
Leading up to the trip in
the spring, a number of events
will take place in the fall to educate
the campus community
about the area. Some of the
events planned include coff ee
house poetry readings at Starbucks
spotlighting a diff erent
region in Mexico and Central
America each week, a spring
festival and presentations from
A&M-Corpus Christi professors
on a wide range of topics
including volcanoes in Costa
Rica, mortality in the developing
world, Pre-Columbian art
and documentary screenings.
“Th ere’s just a lot of things
we’re going to do to try to have
something every week or every
other week,” Billeaux said.
Billeaux believes that the
University has the resources
to tap into globalization, with
Campus Activities board Liaison: Will serve on CAb
as well. Responsible for seeking out co-sponsorship/co-programming
opportunities.
Islander Cultural Alliance Liaison: Will serve on ICA
as well. Responsible for seeking out co-sponsorship/co-programming
opportunities.
International Student Organization Liaison: Will
serve on ISO as well. Responsible for seeking out
co-sponsorship/co-programming opportunities.
First-year Student Liaison: Will work with the fi rstyear
students and First year Seminar instructors
to keep them informed on the opportunities of
Global Islander.
a campus community made
up of people from all over the
world.
In addition to learning
about new areas of the world,
Global Islander will also incorporate
service-learning
into the program by raising
money and choosing a project
to fund in the country they
visit. Global Islander will be
working with the campus Rotaract
Club, the local Rotary
Club and Rotary International
to raise and match funds.
“It’s potentially a really
good opportunity for a very
substantial contribution to a
specifi c project to a country
that needs it,” Billeaux said.
As the program begins
to grow, Global Islander will
be working on travel plans
for Costa Rica in addition
to planning future trips and
looking for ways to help off set
travel costs to those attending.
“We’re hoping that this really
will take off and that every
year will just get bigger and
better,” Billeaux said.
Member of
the Texas
Intercollegiate
Press
Association
facebook.com/
islandwaves
(361) 825-5862
editor-in-chief.islandwaves@tamucc.edu
Articles and opinions in the newspaper refl ect the thoughts of individual writers and do not necessarily refl ect those of the views of other students, staff members, faculty, or administration of Texas A&M University- Corpus Christi or the Texas A&M University system. Island Waves reserves the right to refuse business to
anyone. Island Waves is published weekly, except during summer sessions. Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi has no journalism department, but to show its support for the student newspaper, the paper is supported by student fees and advertising sales. Any student or university employee can volunteer or submit
material for publication consideration. To volunteer, e-mail or call the Island Waves offi ce. To send a press release, fax to 825-3931. Commercial and advertising space rate sheets are available.

Show your
Sandollar$ Card
for a
10%
Discount
PAGE 3 ADVERTISEMENT / ISSUE 13
Taste what they’re
tweeting up.
chambaby23 @jasonsdeli Of course!
any place that offers unlimited soft
serve ice cream after ur meal is gonna
b on the top of my favorites list :)
Corpus Christi
1416 Airline • 361-992-4649
5325 Saratoga • 361-980-8300
Harlingen • Victoria • McAllen • Brownsville
jasonsdeli.com

PAGE 4 ENTERTAINMENT / APRIL 12, 2012
April Fools of Comedy
C.A.B. brings the laughs
ALLENhOYE
reporter
How did the comediennes
get to
Texas A&M University-
Corpus Christi? By
crossing the bridge. Okay,
so that might not have been
funny, but last Thursday the
Campus Activities Board
(C.A.B.) brought some comedic
relief to the Island
with the help of two up-andcoming
comediennes.
They didn’t short change
ALLEN hOYE - ISLAND WAVES
Melissa Villasenor
April 21: Independents Day
Record Store Day celebrates independent record stores
Stages
Stereos
AND
by MIkE hENNEbERgER
The Internet has quickly
changed many of the ways
we do things in life. We’ve
seen video rental stores disappear,
and there are now even cities with
hundreds of thousands of people
and zero bookstores. The record
store could’ve easily surrendered and
been a casualty of that war, but they
weren’t going without a fight. So on
the third Saturday of April (April
21, this year), we celebrate Record
Store Day—the 4th of July for mu-
anyone with the acts they
booked for the their third
annual April Fools of Comedy
event. With semi-finalist
Tracey Ashley of NBC’s Last
Comic Standing and Melissa
Villasenor from America’s
Got Talent, students were
treated to some elaborate
forms of stand-up from both
comedians.
Tracey Ashley kicked the
shenanigans off by taking the
audience of about 70 A&M-
Corpus Christi students and
getting them out of their
comfort zones. Laugh after
laugh erupted from the University
Center Ballrooms as
Ashley didn’t hold back any
of her original material that
someone would normally
hear at a comedy club.
“Typically I’m able to be
free with my material when
it comes to college shows,”
Ashley said. “Sometimes I
may be asked to turn it down
a bit if I’m performing at
a parents weekend kind of
thing.”
Though her material is
far from a basic attempt at
standup, the Indiana-based
comedian has an arsenal of
jokes for every type of crowd.
She’s performed at multiple
conferences including the
National Association for
Campus Activities, which
landed her the gig at A&M-
Corpus Christi.
Apart from her semi-finalist
placing on Last Comic
Standing, Tracey has seen a
fruitful career as a comedian
since leaving her sales career
behind in 2005 thanks to the
show and the conferences.
“Last Comic Standing really
helped launch my career in a
lot of ways,” Ashley said. “Not
sic—to remind us of the importance
of the independents.
Record Store Day was created
five years ago by an employee at an
independent record store named
Chris Brown. Its purpose is to celebrate
the art of music. More than
700 independent record stores
around the country participate in
the event, as well as hundreds of
independent record stores across
the world. And it’s not only the
stores and employees who take
part in the worldwide celebration
of the brick-and-mortar shops, but
record labels and artists commemorate
the pushers of my favorite
drug with in-store performances,
meet and greets, and special, exclusive
releases.
Acts like Fleetwood Mac, Eric
Clapton, Metallica, Ozzy Os-
a lot of comedians have even
been on television so I’ve been
blessed with that opportunity.”
With her humble appreciation
for her television
stint, the comedienne brings
another side of opinionated
lashings of society and politics.
She also used the crowd
to her advantage last Thursday
by using jokes that centered
on the diverse ethnicities
of her audience.
“I love performing at
Texas schools like this where
everyone comes from a different
background,” Ashley
said. “They especially liked
the Mexican jokes, but it’s
sets like this one that I want
to perform everywhere and
have people respond like
they did here.”
Melissa Villasenor kept
that response going when
she took the stage with an
arsenal filled with impressions
that will take anyone
back to the 90s. This quirky
comedian from California
served up a little of everything
from Christina Aguilera,
to Mickey Mouse and
even some Hannah Montana.
Her incorporation of
these impressions with a
variety of pop culture jokes
made for a different style of
comedy with the same abundance
of laughs.
Since starting her career
of getting laughs out of
people at the age of 12, Villasenor
has developed her
talents into a full-on set with
a variety of comedic forms
from dancing and sketches,
to those undeniably funny
impressions of celebrities.
“I kind of just got obsessed
with doing impressions
and making people
laugh,” Villasenor said.
Her obsession led her
to join the Laugh Factory
Comedy Club at 18 years
old and has taken off from
there. Apart from her time
on America’s Got Talent,
she also had some work on
TBS’s FrankTV and Family
Guy. When she took over for
Ashley, students responded
well to the different style
as Villasenor put on what
would be considered a clean
act.
Though she threw in a
few bits with “sexy voice,” the
impressionist kept everyone’s
attention with her awkward
life experiences and Juno like
presence on stage. That type of
individuality is what got her
into the Top 48 contestants
in season six of America’s Got
Talent. Like Tracey Ashley,
Villasenor also got put on
the map thanks to a televised
competition styled show.
“It’s kind of funny that I
went into the audition with
no expectations,” Villasenor
said. “But it turned out to be
life changing for me with the
amount of exposure I’ve gotten
since then.”
With that exposure Villasenor
has capitalized her
talents and already has plans
to keep that momentum
going in different artistic
fields. After another month
of performances at various
colleges, Villasenor will
continue work on her short
story book as well as a comedy
soundtrack. Those are
but just a few things coming
from this talented young lady
who aspires to one day be
apart of Saturday Night Live.
The young entertainer goes
beyond just the laughs and
bourne, and Red Hot Chili Peppers
will all have special Record
Store Day releases. The Black Keys
will drop a deluxe vinyl version
of their latest album El Camino,
which will include a bonus CD,
limited edition poster, and a twosong
7” featuring two previously
unreleased live tracks. Flogging
Molly will release a special 7” with
the original version of “Drunken
Lullabies” and an acoustic version
of “A Prayer For Me In Silence.”
Electro-dance-rock duo Dale
Earnhardt Jr. Jr. will have made a
very special vinyl EP for the occasion
with three remixes and three
covers including Madonna’s “Like
a Prayer.” The ladies throw their
hats in with special releases from
Feist, Regina Spektor, Tegan and
Sara, and this Record Store Day
Tracey Ashley
meeting career goals though
when she’s performing.
“The more I do college
shows, the more I realize that
I want to be doing something
other than just getting
laughs,” Villasenor said. “I
hope what I’m doing is an
inspiration for these students
to go out and do whatever
marks the return of Garbage. Disturbed
will has put together The
Collection, a vinyl album box set
that includes The Sickness (2000),
Believe (2002), Ten Thousand Fists
(2005), Indestructible (2008) and
Asylum (2010). The Flaming lips
definitely have one of the most interesting
RSD special releases. The
Flaming Lips and Heady Fwends
have included collaborations with
Yoko Ono, Nick Cave, Chris Martin
of Coldplay, Bon Iver, Ke$ha,
Biz Markie, Jim James of My
Morning Jacket, Neon Indian, and
Erykah Badu.
And don’t let “the Man” confuse
you. Record Store Day is not simply
to get you to leave your house
and go buy a CD at Best Buy. The
holiday is about supporting the
culture of record stores. It’s about
ALLEN hOYE - ISLAND WAVES
they want in life.”
Be on the look out for
both of these comediennes
as they continue down their
roads of funny. If you were
unable to make this show
sponsored by C.A.B., you can
stay up-to-date with their latest
events at cab.tamucc.edu.
raising awareness of the treasured
institution that actually treasures
the institution of music, rather than
shrink-wrapping it and putting it
in an aisle between big-screen TVs
and washers and dryers. Plenty of
those indie record stores still exist—even
here in Corpus Christi.
According to the official Record
Store Day website, two local independent
record stores are participating
in the event: Surf Club
Records downtown and Corpus
Christi’s record mecca, Disc Go
Round at 5734 McArdle Rd. To
celebrate the event this year, metal
bands Mastodon and Opeth will
be in the store signing autographs.
For more information about
Record Store Day and a longer list
of special RSD releases, check out
www.StagesAndStereoType.com.

The Used – Vulnerable (March 27)
It’s rare that a band can stick around for a
decade and still sound like the band that inspired
you as a kid. Ten years ago, I bought
The Used’s first record and I remember thinking
that it had been a really long time since I
heard a record that I loved from beginning to
end. Ten years later, that feeling applies to the
band’s entire catalogue. Their latest release,
Vulnerable, is 12 songs that sound just like
that band that nineteen-year-old me played
for anyone who would listen, but with the
right relevant moves of a chart-topping band
with a decade-long life filled with platinum
and gold records.
This record reunites the band with John
Feldmann, who produced their first three
records. “He’s family,” says vocalist Bert Mc-
Cracken. “He’s really a mentor to us. His work
ethic pushes the band to new levels.” This is
also the band’s first release on their independent
label Anger Music Group, which will be
distributed by Hopeless Records. “It’s so nice
to be able to do whatever we want to do,” says
guitarist Quinn Allman. “No one telling us
what to do or what to write, or what to say, or
what to put out, or who to work with. When
there’s pressure to make every song a hit song,
it turns it in to a piece of sh*t. “
Vulnerable opens with the album’s first
single “I Come Alive.” The track is textbook
Used with driving guitars through the verse
with a hard rock chorus that slams you in
the face, all underneath Bert’s perfect mix
of singing and screaming right when you
need a scream. And then, out of nowhere,
there’s an electronic breakdown that seems
like Skrillex had a hand in its crafting. “It’s
got more influences that we really like,” says
Allman. “There’s some electronic influence,
stuff like that. The approach was different.
We’d start messing with something, and it
would be something we’d never done before.”
Those experimental layers continue into track
two, “This Fire,” which starts and ends with
strings and xylophones, but of course drops
the rock in between. “Hands and Faces” starts
off sounding like a poppy dance tune, but if
you know The Used, you know it doesn’t stay
that way for long. But the sound stays consistent
with the positive feeling of the record.
“I tried to use the last record for therapy
for me and embrace the darker side in my
life,” says McCracken. “But it kind of just
involved me in the negative things. So I
thought that this record, everyone is in such
a good place in life, and we’ve never been a
tighter band, we’ve never been tighter with
ourselves and our lives, our families, so that’s
really what needed to shine through.” That
leads us up perfectly to “Shine,” which also
drops an electronic beat that will have you
dancing more than moshing, until you’re
bouncing along with the chorus and singing
along, “It’s my time to shine, do it my way cuz
it’s my time, baby.” If those lyrics don’t encompass
the band’s feelings about indie label
freedom, “Now That You’re Dead” definitely
does. McCracken describes the collaboration
with William Francis of Aiden as a brutal
song about the death of record labels. “Say
the record label is a beautiful girl laid out in
her casket, and you’re kissing her dead body
and then pushing over the casket.” Six tracks
later Vulnerable closes with “Together Burning
Bright,” a piano-driven ballad in true
Used-ballad fashion like “Poetic Tragedy”
from the first record or “All That I’ve Got” off
of In Love and Death.
Vulnerable is simply the next step into
The Used territory that has been more and
more refined over the last decade. Loyal fans
should love it, and a new generation should
take this record and run it around to all their
friends like I did ten years ago. And then we
can all catch The Used on Warped Tour this
summer.
Super Prime - #FML (March 20)
It’s perfectly normal for a one-year-old band
to be bouncing around South by Southwest
to get a little attention from whoever will
give it to them. That wasn’t the case for Super
Prime—a Boston pop punk trio made up
of Austin Bond (vocals, bass), Adam Newall
(vocals, guitar) Marcus James (drums). The
band that formed a little over a year ago already
had the attention of pop punk big guns
Set Your Goals and Cartel, whom they were
on tour with at the time. Keeping that momentum,
after releasing their new record, the
band will head out to the UK with Every Avenue
and We Are the In Crowd. Not bad for
the first and second tours for the band.
Guitarist Adam Newall says #FML is “a
PAGE 5 ENTERTAINMENT / ISSUE 13
South by Southwest: On the Record
Two new records from South
by Southwest bands
MIkEhENNEbERgER
entertainment editor
throwback to late 90s pop punk. “Just Like
You” sets the record up perfectly and nails
that vintage standard of the good-old-days
of pop punk, showing their influence from
bands like Sum 41, Homegrown, or The
Starting Line. Just try to resist singing along
with the chorus. “Vow” has a bouncy rhythm
that takes you back to those songs that were
written to make crowds feel like part of the
band, but with heartfelt lyrics that make the
song not just personal but also personable.
“Brickski” lands the band somewhere in the
middle of Blink 182’s catalogue. The back and
forth vocals show some obvious influence,
but the band combines their education in
pop punk with the schooling they picked up
at Berklee College of Music to craft a record
that puts them far ahead of the first albums
of their forefathers. “Really, it just makes us
perfectionists,” says guitarist/vocalist Adam
Newall. “It’s the things that, like, most people
wouldn’t notice,” says drummer Marcus
James. “But we really beat ourselves up in
practice. We’re like ‘ah that sucked,’ and maybe
we missed one note out of five songs. But
it makes us better as a band.” The title track
is true to pop punk form: one-minute long,
moshable drum-beat, angsty lyrics. “Ames”
puts you back in the melodic early-blink territory.
It’s impossible to avoid that comparison
when listening to this record. But, hey, if
Blink 182 isn’t going to sound like early Blink
182, I don’t see why Super Prime can’t. And at
this pace, only one-year-old, I can’t wait to see
where this band is in 10 years.
gOOgLE.cOM - phOTOS cOuRTESY
Six Days til’ Six Degrees
LAURENguTIERREz
reporter
“Every person is a new door
opening up into other worlds.”
-Six Degrees of Separation.
The cast of the Texas
A&M University-Corpus
Christi theatre department
continues to rehearse for the
last main stage production of
the semester. Six Degrees of
Separation will debut April
17-22 in the Warren Theatre.
The play, written by John
Guare, was inspired by a true
story of a New York couple
who, after letting a stranger
into their home, opens a door
to a new world. But people
aren’t always what they seem.
Junior Kayla Gaar plays main
character Ouisa Kitteredge
and explains the overall message
the show tries to send.
“You need to be aware of
who you come into contact
with and who you let into
your life,” Gaar said. “Do not
underestimate your life; there
are many surprises that come.”
As her first lead in a main
stage play, Gaar explains how
her experience has allowed
her to grow tremendously in
her acting.
“I love learning from my
cast members and peers,”
Gaar said.
As an aspiring actress,
Gaar said this play has been a
growing experience in which
she has taken so much out of.
“The whole experience has
been very experimental and
organic.”
Senior Derek Dubois who
plays Ouisa’s husband Flan
Kittredge feels closer than
ever to his cast mates.
“We did a lot of team
building exercises; turning us
into a family,” Dubois said.
“This show really allowed me
to dive deeply into the world
of the play and carved out a
completely 3D image of my
character.”
Gaar also expresses her
experience with working with
director Terry Lewis.
“He is one of the reasons
why I came to this school,”
Gaar said. “He doesn’t spoon
feed you, and he makes you
experience the character for
yourself.”
Dubois agreed and explained
how Lewis never
hovered over the cast telling
them exactly what to do.
The cast describes Lewis
as a spiritual experience. “He
experiments with movement
and energy,” Gaar said. Students
said he allows his actors
to draw upon their own experiences
to make the character.
As for surprises to expect
from Six Degrees, Gaar
simply said to “come and
If you go:
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
April 17-21 at 8 pm, April 22 at 2 pm
Tickets: $10 adult, $6.50 student, $5 with SandDollar ID
Warren Theatre
theatre.tamucc.edu
361-825-5800
find out.” The play will be
the last “main stage” production,
however the theatre and
dance department will have
upcoming shows. Student-directed
“forty minutes” will be
held May 2-6 in the Warren
Theatre and the dance department’s
semester demo will be
held May 1st in the Performing
Arts Center.
“Come and join the experience
and get what you will
from the production,” Gaar
said. “Everyone will be able
to draw something from our
show.”
Tickets are available online
at cla.tamucc.edu/theatre/
or in the ticket booth in
the Center for the Arts.

PAGE 6 FEATuRES / APRIL 12, 2012
kATHLEENRAMIREz
features editor
After nearly two years, Master
of Fine Arts student Lauren
Yandell is finally ready to
show the public her handiwork.
Located on the first
floor of the Center for the
Arts, Yandell’s exhibit is currently
on display in the Weil
Art Gallery and will be up until
later this month.
The Master of Fine Arts
in Studio Art degree track
is a three-year long program
that Texas A&M University-
Corpus Christi offers. As
part of the Master of Fine
Arts (MFA) program, students
are required to create
and organize their own art
show, which takes place after
three years, upon completion
of the program. A collective
body of work centered around
one main theme, each exhibit
displays artwork that is consistent
in content and something
that the artist has been
working to build upon for
three years.
Entitled Fluxus, Yandell
has chosen the Latin phrase
Art
from the
heart
meaning, “to flow,” as the
name of her show. Fluxus is
composed of drawings, paintings
and a sculptural installment;
all of which Yandell has
spent the past two years working
on. Yandell, who prefers
mixed medium in her work,
uses a variety of materials such
as oil and acrylic paints, spray
paint and wooden panels.
“My style is based on the
idea of recycling matter; organic
forms that morph into
other little organisms and
shapes. Things come into and
out of life, but the building
Fluxus
“My style is based on the idea of recycling matter; organic forms that
morph into other little organisms and shapes. Things come into and out of life, but the building blocks stay here, the whole ‘matter isn’t created of
destroyed’ idea.”
blocks stay here, the whole
‘matter isn’t created or destroyed’
idea,” Yandell said.
Many of Yandell’s paintings
contain repetitive elements.
Scorpion tails, crab
claws, scissors, birds, ears and
flowers are some of the more
common subjects you can find
in her art. The idea of some
sort of struggle or fight occurring
within her art is another
popular element Yandell likes
to depict, as is the side-view
setup she likes to paint her
subjects in.
“These are more consis-
tent in my art, and each have
a little symbolism. They have
somehow been incorporated
in my work because they have
a specific meaning to myself.
It’s not a general meaning for
society, but something that is
specific for me,” Yandell said.
“Usually there’s some kind of
struggle going on in the work,
little fights, kind of like a
quick-fix thing.”
Yandell has been interested
in art ever since she was a
little girl and even painted all
throughout high school. Prior
to coming to A&M-Cor-
ZACH ZARDER- ISLAND WAVES
Master of Fine Arts student LaurenYandell put together an exhibit that portrays her view on matter not being created or destroyed.
pus, Yandell was pursuing a
graphic design degree at Texas
State, but soon realized that
she would rather teach art.
“I thought I wanted to
do graphic design, so I was
getting a degree in graphic
design, and I had a professor
who encouraged me to also
get a degree in Studio Art and
Painting,” Yandell said. “I got
two degrees, and I decided I
didn’t want to do graphic design
and I’d really like to teach
at a four-year university.”

Shoes
only
chRISTINA MARTINEz - phOTO ILLuSTRATION
kATHLEENRAMIREz
features editor
English major Mercedes Zavala has
more shoes than there are days in a
month. Varying in style from Vans and
TOMS to Moccasins and heels, purchasing
shoes is more than a hobby for
this Texas A&M University-Corpus
Christi freshman; it’s an obsession.
Currently numbered at 45 pairs,
Zavala’s shoe collection is made up of
shoes purchased from her favorite retails,
eBay, Amazon, TOMS, Sanuks
and Vans. As an avid shoe collector,
Zavala does all her shopping online,
searching for the best deals out there.
“I’m a smart shopper. I shop online
mostly. I usually use eBay and Amazon,
but if there’s a pair that I can’t fi nd
online, I’ll pay full price and order them
from the offi cial website. I’ll even pay
for the 2-day shipping, they’re worth
it,” Zavala said.
Buying shoes can be costly and
owning as many shoes as Zavala does
can be expensive. Zavala has spent
nearly $3,000 in total on her shoes; the
price per pair averaging at $50 with
$85 being the most she has ever spent
on one pair. One advantage Zavala has
that allows her to save money is that
her feet are small enough to fi t into
shoes from the children section, saving
her money each time she buys a pair.
“I love shoes. Th e reason I buy so
many shoes is because they need to
match every outfi t and my feelings. If
I’m feeling bubbly, I’ll wear my sparkly
TOMS. If I’m feeling morose, I’ll wear
some black TOMS and if I feel like
dressing up, I’ll wear some nice shoes,”
Zavala said.
For Zavala, her obsession with
buying shoes is something that started
two years ago and only recently became
a problem. Zavala will buy any pair of
shoes that she feels she needs and will
PAGE 7 FEATuRES / ISSUE 13
do whatever it takes to get them.
“I’ve had this problem of collecting
shoes since my junior year in high
school, but it wasn’t until I came to
college when it really went off ,” Zavala
said. “My parents aren’t here to tell me
to stop buying shoes so I can buy as
many as I want.”
Zavala has looked as far as the
Great White North to get a pair of
shoes. “I’ve even bought a pair from
Canada once and they didn’t fi t, so I
bought another pair and now I have
both pairs. I’ve done some drastic
things to buy shoes before. I’ll even
sell other pairs to buy a new pair if I
need to,” Zavala said.
As an on campus resident, Zavala
is confi ned in her space and even shares
a room with a roommate. To compensate
for the limited space, Zavala uses
an alternative method when it comes
to storing her shoes.
“I have two hanging organizers
with pockets for shoes hanging in my
closet. I used to have my shoes all over
the place, but my parents bought me
an organizer so now they’re in that,”
Zavala said.
Zavala takes great care of her shoes
and even has a method for cleaning
them. Using a toothbrush and soap,
Zavala washes her shoes by gently
cleaning the outsides. “She spends
more time on her shoes than she does
on homework,” roommate and nursing
major Pamela Martinez said.
Purchasing shoes is something
Zavala doesn’t plan on putting an end
to anytime soon. Th e lure of Internet
specials and deals keeps her hooked
and is the reason why she wants to
continue buying shoes. Th at and the
fact that if she sees something that she
likes, she will buy it.
“I’m not going to stop buying
shoes,” Zavala said. “I need to buy at
least fi ve more that I have my eyes on.”
In an e� ort to make a more environmentally
friendly campus, TAMUCC students voted in favor
of an Environmental Service Fee.
To carry out student initiatives for green ideas for the campus,
� e Environment Advisory Council encourages students and student
organizations to submit ideas to the Islander Green Forum:
islandergreen@tamucc.edu or ehs@tamucc.edu
Go Green at http://islandergreen.tamucc.edu

PAGE 8 SpORTS / APRIL 12, 2012
Sports
and the
city
ALExISDELEON
sports editor
Now that summer is almost
here, many of us Islanders are
bracing ourselves for impact
with summer 2012. Whether
that means signing up for
summer sessions, packing for
internships or taking that dive
into the “real world” by graduating,
we will all be competing
for a top spot somewhere. I myself
will be trading my sandals
and shorts for hiking boots and
subzero pants for an internship
in Alaska. However, this wasn’t
the only internship I had applied
for in the Great White
North or in the world for that
matter. The whole process made
me wonder: just when do you
decide to throw in the towel?
My favorite example has
to be Olympic figure skater,
Michelle Kwan. She began seriously
training when she was
eight-years-old with her sister.
By the time Kwan was 10, she
had financially crippled her
family in order to pay for skating
coaches and rink time. At
the age of 13 Kwan competed
as an alternate in the ‘94 Winter
Olympics taking home 8th
place. Then she competed in
the ‘98 Winter Olympics only
to be awarded the silver medal.
Finally when all of America
thought the ‘02 Winter Olympics
would be her year, Kwan
was robbed and settled with
the bronze. By the time the ‘06
Olympics rolled around, Kwan
faced one set back after another
and ultimately said “Joi gin”
(goodbye in Cantonese) to life
at the Olympic level.
Before you stop reading
and start assuming I left you
with a terrible underdog story,
think of it like this: Kwan not
only made several multi-million
dollar endorsement deals in the
years she spent figure skating
but also got the opportunity to
travel around the world, appear
in several movies and TV series
like The Simpsons, and she’s also
probably the only figure skater
you can name (if you can name
others, you probably aren’t from
South Texas).
But perhaps a simpler tale
of relentless underdogs would
be that of Daniel “Rudy” Ruettiger,
Notre Dame’s 1975
defensive end. After two years
at a private college trying to
prove he was fighting Irish material,
Rudy was accepted on
his fourth try in 1974. Another
grueling year later, he made the
practice squad and literally the
last opportunity he would ever
get to play for Notre Dame was
given to him his senior year in
the final play against Georgia
Tech where he managed to sack
the quarterback and is, to this
day, only one of two players to
ever be carried off the Notre
Dame football field.
So you see, Islanders, it’s
not always whether you are the
“best” or finish in first place that
counts. Sometimes it’s all about
who’s going to remember you
when you aren’t on top. What
stories will people tell when you
aren’t around? If this is your last
play, you better make it count.
Dance from page 1
do more than just dance at
games.
“We are 100 percent athletes,”
Lovato said.
Freshmen Valerie Cantu
said the major factor for the
win was chemistry.
“We were able to pull together,”
Cantu said. “You need
chemistry to be dedicated and
work hard. You need to be able
to trust the 13 girls on that
court who are all dancing their
hearts out.”
Lowry said there is nowhere
to go but up.
“We have a young team
which means we have a lot of
room for improvement,” Lowry
said.
The dance team’s division
has been changed to include
more schools which will mean
a more competitive standard
for the dance team.
“Their confidence level has
been high,” Lowry said. “Higher
competition means harder
jumps, leaps and turns for the
girls, but [there is] no doubt
they are getting there.”
Unlike other sports on
campus, the dance team has no
off-season.
“We are all pretty exhaust-
ed,” Lowry said. “But now we
need to gear up for tryouts.”
Tryouts will be held April
20-21 and May 4-5. Lowry
said she is looking for dancers
who stand out.
“Along with good technique
for our elite level, I am looking
for that ‘it’ factor,” Lowry said.
The coach will be assisted
with two other judges to add to
her team.
ALExISDELEON
sports editor
Over the weekend, around 600
people gathered aboard the
USS Lexington Museum on the
Bay, to witness and partake in
the Battle of Texas skateboard
competition. The competition
was originally envisioned and
brought to life by Makeshift
Skateboards owner Josh Garcia.
“Everyone’s always saying
they don’t like Corpus and
they want to get out of Corpus,
and for me, that’s not the
case because it’s my
hometown,” Garcia
said, “My original idea
was to see what Corpus
could do that no [other] town
could. I started pursuing this a
year ago.”
The event was the first of its
kind to take place on a World
War II aircraft carrier. Complete
with musical performances
on two-stages, a DJ area, an
exhibit area, $5000 worth in
skate swag giveaways and celebrity
skateboarding guests like
Mike Vallely and Ronnie Creager,
the competition felt more
like a festival.
“Garcia set up a meeting
with me to come aboard and
discuss the skateboard competition
after he’d apparently talked
to the mayor about it,” marketing
director for the Lexington
museum, Debbie Crites said.
“We were excited, and an event
such as this has never happened
“I encourage everyone to
come out and audition,” Lowry
said. “I hope to have a place
for everyone who wants to be
there.”
After tryouts, the girls will
have a short break before their
summer camp that will get
them ready for next season.
“A weight has been lifted,”
Lowry said. “We completed
this season on a great note.”
Battle at the Lexington
Griffey Forrester showcases his skateboarding skills Saturday with a huge Indy grab.
on the ship before, so [I knew]
it was going to be fun for us and
a learning experience as well.”
The flight deck course was
assembled by 23-year-old David
Tashnek and comprised of
several varying quarter pipes
at opposite ends of the deck
with a railed fun box in between
the other ramps. About
100 competitors of all ages,
both professional and amateur,
performed tricks like 50-50
grinds, 540 grabs, kick-flips and
every variation pop shove-it to
name a few. About 35 of those
competitors traveled in from
six different states just for the
competition. Hours before the
event began, several skaters had
already tasted the Lexington’s
11 battle-star-winning steel.
The night ended with
Vallely’s band, Saints of Low
performing a special pre-after
party show atop the Lexington.
Competitors and spectators
alike were then invited to a second
show at the House of Rock.
“I’ve done something no
one has ever seen in the world,
and we all got to experience it
first in Corpus Christi,” Garcia
said. “There are plans, in
the works. For Corpus I’m not
sure what but how can we top
the Lex, is the question I have
to ask myself. Next spring BoT
will be back plus we do our
smaller events through out the
year. I can’t say my ideas just yet,
but if you thought the Lex was
good, this is going to be better.”
zAk zARDER - ISLAND WAVES
Left to right: “Thorn,” a member of CC Maiden Texas Derby, pauses at the top of a quarter pipe; nine-year-old Jose Martinez has been skateboarding since he was three
years old; Nip Frazier flies through the air on a giant ollie over the entire top of a tabletop ramp.
BRIEFS
Softball defeats Lions 3-1 Another historic weekend for track and field Women’s tennis improve to 12-4
The Islanders softball team used a strong fifth
inning to beat Southeastern Louisiana 3-1 on
Saturday, April 7. The win marked their second
Southland Conference series sweep of
the season.
The women’s 4x100 relay team finished with a recordbreaking
time at the Texas State Invitational in San
Marcos on April 7. Shakelia Coleman, Kassandrea Son,
Ernestine Cray and Brianeka Harris ran a time of 46.15
to win the event.
The women’s tennis team took a 6-1 match
over Sam Houston State University on Saturday,
April 7. The victory boosted the team’s
overall record to 12-4 and their Southland
Conference record to 5-3.

A crowd of 654 people
filled the stands at Chapman
Field Saturday, April
7 to watch the Islanders
men’s baseball team slide
into home for a 4-3 win
on the final day of the
Southland Conference series
against Texas State.
The Islanders came
into the three-day series
Thursday, April 5, with a
12-16 record on the year,
and 5-7 in Southland
Conference games. The
Bobcats entered with 18-
10 overall, with an even
6-6 mark in league contests.
Both teams played
an unusual Thursday, Friday
and Saturday schedule
in observance of Easter on
Sunday. The series was the
first game at home since
March 18, when the Islanders
hosted Southeastern
Louisiana.
The Islanders struggled
to find an offensive
rhythm on Thursday night
as Texas State earned a
6-1 victory to open the
Southland Conference
weekend series at Chapman
Field. Although the
Bobcats’ batters had a
chance against all five Islanders’
pitchers, starter
Tim Keller was tagged
with the loss, giving up
five runs on five hits and
five walks with three
strikeouts. Keller started
out strong, but struggled
after a 25-minute delay
caused by the sun setting
over the right field fence.
The game went scoreless
until the top of the 4th,
when after the long sun
delay, the Bobcats made
three runs to take a 3-0
lead. The Bobcats finished
the scoring in the sixth
with a single run against
Keller’s relief pitcher,
Matt Danton, to make it
6-0.
Jonathan Gonzales
made his first appearance
as a pitcher this year, coming
out for the top of the
ninth and getting the first
two batters before surrendering
a beginner’s bloop
single to center field. The
Islanders picked off the
runner at first to end the
inning and send it to the
bottom of the ninth where
the game ended with a
ground out to the Islanders.
The only run of the
game for Texas A&M
University – Corpus
Christi came when Stafford
Brantley led off the
eighth with a triple that
one-hopped the wall in
right center, and came
home on a Marc Damon
sacrifice fly to center to
make it a 6-1 game.
“It felt great. Even
though we were down by
six runs,” junior Brantley
said. “You never know
what kind of momentum
can be created from
that first run scored. Often
times in baseball that
first run is the hardest to
come by. Their pitcher was
throwing very well, but
sometimes one hit or one
run can get them out of
their groove.”
The Islanders couldn’t
seem to find their momentum
Friday night either,
falling short in a 2-0 final
score against the Bobcats.
Starter Adam Hoelscher
was pinned with the loss
on the second night of the
series, pitching 6.2 innings
and giving up just one run
on eight hits, with three
walks and eight strikeouts.
He fell to 5-3 on the season
despite giving up just
the lone run. Texas State
picked up a sacrifice fly
in the sixth, and a bases
loaded walk in the eighth
to score their two runs in
the game.
The series seemed to
be a field of nightmares
for the Islanders until Saturday.
The Islanders sported
pink socks and hats
for the “Strikeout Breast
Cancer” game.
“Wearing pink on Saturday
was very special [to
me]. My mother’s best
friend and my best friend’s
mother have both battled
breast cancer in recent
years and overcame it. I
sent them a picture mes-
sage of me in the pink we
wore and let them know
the game was dedicated
to them and their fight,”
Brantley said.
Starting pitcher for
the final game of the series,
Daniel Minor, gave
up three runs on eight
hits, while walking two
and striking out nine Texas
State batters Saturday.
Tanner Green came on to
face the final batter in the
top of the ninth, getting a
strikeout and the win, after
the rally in the bottom
half of the inning, to improve
to 2-0 on the year.
After a ground out to first
by Gonzales in the bottom
of the sixth, Brantley hit a
sacrifice fly to score Vest
(who was on third base)
and make it a tie game.
However, by the bottom
of the eighth, things were
looking grim for the Islanders
as the Bobcats
held a 3-1 lead and each
batter went down in order.
By the top of the
ninth, though, it seemed
the Bobcats had run out of
luck with zero runs. Kyle
Danford followed with a
single to left field to put
runners on first and second,
and Jeramie Marek
followed with a tenuously
hit ball that found the
outfield grass for a single
to load the bases. Damon
came on to pinch hit, and
drew a walk to force in a
run, making the score 3-2.
Santiago Ruiz followed
next with the decisive
at bat, seeing seven
pitches before hitting a
2-2 pitch to right center
field to bring home Danford
and Marek sliding
in, to end the game. The
PAGE 9 SpORTS / ISSUE 13
“We have fight and we won’t give up”
Islanders defeat Texas
State 4-3 last weekend
for a big conference win
ALExISDELEON
SOFTbALL
sports editor
Director of Tennis Steve
Moore has been selected to
represent The University’s
tennis team nationally as he
joins the NCAA Division I
Men and Women’s Tennis
Committee. Moore joins
five other coaches that were
selected nationally to help
shape the game of tennis on
a national level.
Moore described his induction
into the prestigious
title as a humbling experi-
The softball team will play
Houston Baptist today at
1p.m. The team will then
travel to Stephen F. Austin
to play Friday at 2 p.m.
and Saturday at noon.
ence.
“Right away I started
thinking about the opportunity
that doesn’t come often,
and how I will work hard to
serve well,” Moore said.
The title will allow
Moore to be a voice of the
University on a national
level.
“It is wonderful to see
a small, division I school
amongst larger schools be
recognized and represented.”
Interim Director of Athletics
Scott Lazenby said he
couldn’t be more proud.
bASEbALL TRAck & FIELD
The baseball team travels to
Northwestern State to play on
Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday
at 2 p.m. and Sunday at 1 p.m.
The team will take on Baylor
next Tuesday and Wednesday.
“We are thrilled he was
given this opportunity to
represent us on a national
stage,” Lazenby said.
Moore was chosen based
on his level of experience
and hard work with tennis.
Moore was a recruiter for
Texas Tech and Texas A&M
University College Station
and served as head coach at
SMU in Dallas. Moore has
also taken 11 teams to the
NCAA championships during
his career with tennis.
Currently, the women’s tennis
team ranks 4-2 in con-
The men’s and women’s track
and field teams have been invited
to the Trinity Invitational
in San Antonio, Texas. The Islanders
will compete all day on
Saturday, April 14.
ference and 11-3 overall.
“I love this University,”
Moore said. “It is truly special
to me and I love representing
it.”
The NCAA committee
currently works on finding
unique and creative ways to
format and structure matches.
“We are examining a
new way to make the scoring
of matches more ‘fan
friendly,’” Moore said. Other
issues the committee is aiming
to address include altering
rules, eligibility issues
WOMEN’S TENNIS
and formatting matches to
appear on television.
“Because of the length
of matches, we have a hard
time getting them on television,”
Moore said. “Everyone
believes that television
will be the next big step for
our tennis program.”
The NCAA tennis nomination
of Moore gives the
University recognition on a
national level. “We are still
a new and growing athletic
department that continues
to grow in the right direction,”
Moore said. Moore
The women’s tennis team will compete
at home against McNeese State
this Saturday at noon. On Sunday, the
Islanders will take on Lamar at 11 a.m.
MEN’S TENNIS
Islanders celebrated the
big win at home as they
swarmed Ruiz after he
came up with the big hit.
The only hit of the day
for Ruiz could not have
come at a more exciting
time, with the two runs
batted in (RBI) leading
the team. Jordan Lee and
Danford each had two hits
to lead the Islanders, while
Brantley and Damon each
had one RBI in the game.
“We have not been
winning like we want to,
but we will fight until the
end. Our pitching has
[also] done a great job
of keeping us in games,”
Brantley said, ”There are
still many conference
games left to get back in a
position we want; we have
fight and won’t give up.”
Coach Moore selected for NCAA Division I Committee
LAURENguTIERREz
reporter
ISLANDER AThLETIcS - phOTO cOuRTESTY
The Islanders baseball team rallies together after defeating Texas State. The team wore pink socks and hats for the “Strikeout Breast
Cancer” game.
also feels that the opportunity
to help shape the landscape
of college tennis will
inspire him to reflect the
University and serve diligently.
Moore describes college
tennis as being a character
builder for his life.
“It has lifted me up in so
many ways, and I am grateful
to work with so many
talented athletes,” Moore
said. “I will work hard for
the good of the sport and
the student athletes who
play it.”
CALENDAR
The men’s tennis team will be at
home this weekend to battle the
UTSA Road Runners on Saturday at
5 p.m.

PAGE 10 ADVERTISEMENT / APRIL 12, 2012

Editorial: Who is responsible
for the bullies?
Bullying has hit
too close to
home.
A recent suicide
infl uenced by bullying
at Flour Bluff High
School (FBHS) has shook
the Corpus Christi community.
While this isn’t the fi rst
suicide associated with
bullying, it’s disappointing
that the circumstances
surrounding it could have
been prevented. While
it’s safe to say that everyone
will suff er bullying at
one point in his or her life,
Ted “Teddy” Molina was
pushed to the limit when
he took his own life.
After further investigation
into the incident, it
was revealed the group of
students that call themselves
“Th e Wolfpack”
were behind the bullying
and even caught the attention
of Flour Bluff administrators.
To promote
themselves, the group has
created a Facebook group,
YouTube videos and tshirts.
Since the incident,
students attending Kaffi e
an opinion of
ERIkAgALINDO
copy editor
I think I found the key to
feeling invincible. It’s not
exercise or eating healthy or
even religion. Nope, it’s your
computer screen, with internet
access, of course. You’re
probably thinking that I’m
nuts, but humor me a little.
When do people become
ruthless, rude, and just plain
mean? It’s usually on the
internet. Th ere’s something
about a comment box that
makes a person think that
they have the right to tear the
article/video/Facebook wall
that they’re frequenting a
new one. While I do believe
in free speech, I don’t believe
in being a douche bag for the
sake of being a douche bag.
But this is usually the behavior
that I see online, and, unfortunately,
it happens more
Middle School and Baker
Middle School have come
forward to report bullying
with many of the community
saying it’s the school
district’s responsibility to
control bullying.
A year ago, FBHS was
involved in another controversy
regarding the formation
of a Gay Straight
Alliance (GSA) for their
student body. Protests for
the GSA formation took
place outside of FBHS and
were peaceful even with a
counter-protest taking
place across the street.
A peace rally dedicated
to the memory of Molina
took a violent turn when
a brawl developed after
an altercation. Following
the rally, a text message
claiming a possible school
shooting was circulated
through the FBHS student
body causing a panic
from administration to
beef up a police presence.
While schools can play
a crucial role in controlling
bullying on school
grounds, does it remain
their responsibility when
it occurs off campus or on-
often than not.
I like to procrastinate
on various women-oriented
websites, one of my favorites
being xojane.com. I admire
the contributors of this particular
website because they
all have my dream job, and
they are all extremely brash
and funny about their experiences
living in a dudeoriented
world. Emily is
one of my favorite writers
for the site and she has frequently
written about receiving
rape threats due to her
frank writing about her sex
life. Th is disturbed me when
I fi rst read about it last summer,
but then she mentioned
recently that she received a
rape threat via Twitter. Th ese
experiences, ones that my
favorite writers are going
through, angers and scare
me so much, and sometimes
I can’t wrap my head around
it. Sure, criticisms comes
with the territory when writing
for a public forum, but
straight up rape threats be-
line?
Th e community can
blame the schools all they
want, but when it comes
down to it, the bully (or
in this case group) needs
to be held responsible by
the proper authorities.
You can’t possibly expect
a school to supervise its
students 24/7 when they
leave the classroom, and
when you add the online
component of social media,
it becomes virtually
impossible.
Th is is the case for
Kaffi e and Baker Middle
School, not Flour Bluff
High School. According
to local media outlets, the
members of “Th e Wolfpack”
are athletes whose
coaches allegedly gave the
group their name.
In FBHS’s case, the
administration that knew
about the group and supported
them should be
held accountable, especially
if the parents of Molina
had contacted the Flour
Bluff Independent School
District about Molina
being bullied before his
death.
Cyber Courage
cause someone is doing her
job is repulsive. I am hesitant
to believe that a good number
of those people threatening
her online would actually
threaten her to her face. Why
behave like a grown up when
we can hide behind our computer
screens?
Unfortunately, this behavior
is not exclusively directed
to writers of websites.
While most of us have a
growing presence online, it
is almost impossible to not
eventually have some sort of
confrontation with a person
while using a social networking
site.
After seven years of using
social networking sites, I recently
just got into what was
probably my fi rst online argument
with a person. I honestly
didn’t even know it was
happening until this friend
of a friend used a slur against
me. I was fi rst shocked as all
hell that somebody I didn’t
know was going to use such
hateful language against me,
even if it was in an attempt to
be off hand and funny. Th en
I was really pissed about
the fact that this conversation
was happening on my
Facebook timeline where the
rest of my friends could see
it. Th is was the equivalent of
having some jerk come to my
front porch and yell insults
at me. I promptly ended
the conversation and hid the
post, but the entire ordeal
threw me off for the rest of
the night, probably.
It’s not that somebody
actually called me a bad
name, it’s the fact that they
felt comfortable doing so because
we were online. While
I will never fi nd out whether
this person actually would
call me that in real life (and
have absolutely no intentions
to fi nd out), it’s highly probable
that he might ever not.
See, people usually behave
this way when they get online.
Something about the
comfort of sitting in their
own chair makes some feel
PAGE 11 VIEWpOINT / ISSUE 12
JOSE MARTINEz - ISLAND WAVES
A text message that was sent to the Flour Bluff High School
student body aft er a peace rally to benefi t Ted “Teddy” Molina
was held. Th e message was taken seriously and more police were
called to campus to ensure the safety of the students.
as though they can say anything
without any sort of
consequence. Sometimes
there isn’t a consequence
other than the fact that
there’s digital evidence that
they’re terrible people. But in
cases where kids have killed
themselves due to the eff ects
of cyber bullying, I feel as
though most decent people
will try to exercise the tiniest
amount of caution when engaging
with someone online.
I know my experience was
a mild one and also appreciate
the fact that because I put
my strong opinions out in
a public forum, I will come
across somebody who thinks
I’m an idiot for writing the
things I have. But before you
hit the “submit” button, ask
yourself the same question
everyone who comments online
should: would I say this
to this person to their face?
If the answer is yes, then proceed
with caution because
words usually cut the deepest.
JOSEMARTINEz
managing editor
Tangerine Tango is the new
black.
Th e 2012 Pantone Color
of the Year is a pinkish-hued
bright orange that has already
been picked up by designers
everywhere using it in artwork
and fashion.
While it is fl ashy and
defi nitely eye-popping, what
makes it so trendy?
Designed with other colors,
it adds fl are and is almost
zest-like, but standing alone it
is nauseating and unsettling.
Pantone, known for their
color swatches in the design
world, may have had a deeper
message in their choice of
color this year.
According to them, the
color of the year is supposed
to refl ect the “Spirit of the
Times,” according to Zeitgeist.
Th e times this color is
refl ecting to me, however, is
that when you work with others,
you can see creativity and
innovation, but alone, failure
and disappointment.
I’ve always loved working
in groups and collaborating
on projects. When you have
a group working together, you
get to see the diff erent dynamics
and personalities mix,
which ultimately make up the
theme of your group.
And just like Tangerine
Tango, when the group members
work together they make
an original and successful
project. But when one member
of the group takes over
and leads without the rest, the
results aren’t always favorable.
We used the color in this
week’s issue on page 6 in collaboration
with other colors
to form a sleek and polished
layout.
Perhaps it is silly to associate
colors with deeper
meanings such as this, but
remember what Oscar Wilde
said: “Life imitates Art far
more than Art imitates
Life.”
But hey,
what did he
know?
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
Use your rights: Write us
a letter. Letters should
be no longer than 500
words typed and signed,
with an additional copy
sent electronically.
Letters must include the
author’s name, phone
number, and the last four
digits of your Banner
I.D., all of which will be
withheld. Letters should
be edited for profanity
and vulgarity, Associated
Press Style, grammar,
libel and space. The
content will remain that
of the author: Send letters
either to the Island Waves
physical address or to
editor-in-chief.
islandwaves@tamucc.edu.
“Congress shall make
no law... abridging the
freedom of speech, or
the press of the right of
the people to peaceably
assemble, and to petition
the government for
grievances.”

PAGE 12 ADVERTISEMENT / APRIL 12, 2012