VOLUME 25, ISSUE 06 INDEX EDI TORI AL 2 | NEWS 3 | FEATURES 5 | ENTERTAI NMENT 7 | SPORTS 10 | VI SUALS 12

Annual Presidents Mardi Gras Ball honors donors

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Presidents Mardi
Gras Ball
see Presidents Ball on pg 4
Students from the theater arts department take on the task of providing authentic New Orleans style entertainment
photo by Alexis De Leon
PAGE 8
PAGE 5
PAGE 11
Step into Virtual
Reality
Meet Freshman
Jessica Mendez
Se|hes w|th St0-
dent athletes
by CONNER TICHOTA
news editor
Students urged to vote on health referendum
see Health Referendum on pg 3
by CONNER TICHOTA
news editor
O
n Feb. 15, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi
hosted the annual Presidents Mardi
Gras Ball at the Art Museum of South Tex-
as. The ball was held in honor of the vari-
ous donors who made significant contri-
butions to the Island University.
The program began with a reception in
the upper art gallery, where guests were
allowed to mingle and enjoy entertain-
ment provided by the A&M-Corpus Chris-
ti Theatre Department. The reception
was followed by a sit down dinner and
presentation of awards to the honorees.
This years list of honorees included: the
Houston Endowment, Inc., the Coastal
Conservation Association Texas, Ruth and
Joseph Sheinberg, Dr. Flavius and Kathy
Killebrew and many more deserving do-
nors.
Those who we recognize this evening
have given generously to improve the
lives of our students, said Dr. Trent Hill,
Director of Institutional Advancement at
A&M-Corpus Christi, and provide aca-
demic opportunities for generations to
come.
Each of the honorees was inducted to
the Wall of Recognition. The Wall of Rec-
ognition is a tribute to those donors who
have made contributions to the Univer-
sity.
Recognition is divided into six levels
including Legacy, Platinum, Gold, Silver,
Bronze and Heritage, based on the cumu-
lative amounts of donation received at
the end of each year.
O
n March 4 and 5 the polls will be
open. Students of Texas A&M-Corpus
Christi will have the opportunity to vote
on a referendum regarding an increase in
the Student Health Fee that is built into
each students tuition.
According to Myra Barrera, a student
representative of the University Health
Center, the proposed Health Referendum
will increase the existing fee to a flat rate
of $50.00 per fall/spring semester and a
flat rate of $25.00 for summer sessions.
The current fee charged to a students
tuition is $7.70 per credit hour taken,
with no more than $24.40 charged for an
entire semester.
The proposed fee of $50.00 would in-
crease the health fee by $25.80.
2 editorial
ISLAND WAVES
02.27.2014
a student publication of
Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi
AMY KOTULSKI
staf adv|ser
RUTH AIPPERSPACH
facu|ty adv|ser
NICK THOMSON
d|str|but|on manager
contact us
6300 Ocean Dr|ve
Unit 5783
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write us a letter
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accepts |etters no
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ed|t|ng. Send |etters to
the ed|tor v|a ema|| at
editor@tamucc.edu.
about island waves
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Ohr|st|. The newspa-
per |s pr|nted week|y,
except dur|ng summer
sess|ons.

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Ohr|st| has no journa|-
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t|s|ng sa|es.
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t|on cons|derat|on. To
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ALEXIS DE LEON
ed|tor-|n-ch|ef
MARIAM AMAYA
advert|s|ng manager
KATHLEEN RAMIREZ
features ed|tor
CHRISTINA BOOTHE
ANDREW LIGUEZ
TREY SEAL
staf reporters
AUBREY DANCER
|ayout ed|tor
|s|and waves staf
STEPHANIE WALLACE
manag|ng ed|tor
JUSTIN VU NGUYEN
advert|s|ng ass|stant
Letter from the editor
CONNER TICHOTA
news ed|tor
Dear Island University,
I
have come to learn that life on the Island can be as different from moment to moment as the
weather of Corpus Christi. One minute it is hot and humid and you have been looking for parking
for 30 minutes, the next minute a cold front blows in and you stumble upon a Quidditch match
outside Bay Hall. The mysteries of the Island University are endless.
Hopefully by now everyone has voted for their homecoming court and made plans to watch the
Islanders dominate the court. Maybe this is the year Islanders pack the stands in such great numbers
that everyone in the three, six, one feels the rumble of the crowd cheering on the home team. My
sincerest apologies go out to the nominees running for homecoming court who were not named in
our last issue. So here are the unnamed nominees for the 2014 homecoming court:
KING: Geordan Strain -Student Government Association
DUKE: Charles Saunders -Delta Chi
QUEEN: Audrey Baldwin Student Athletes Council
Sarah Foley Delta Delta Delta
Cecilia Gonzalez I-ADAPT
Hannah Lockwood- Zeta Tau Alpha
Daniliz Marrero- Gamma Phi Beta
DUCHESS: Ashley Alvarez- Zeta Tau Alpha
Jezzica Dimalanta- Gamma Phi Beta
Elizabeth Dombrowski- Delta Delta Delta
Nelda Hernandez- Campus Activities Board
Mariam Ghanem- Panhellenic Council
Maria Rogers- Alpha Gamma Delta
Sarah Wright- Islanders Dance Team
Senioritis is thoroughly setting in for this editor, however luckily the Island Waves staff is stacked with young guns this semester still energized with the vigor
that comes with young reporters. If the infl uenza known as senioritis is hitting hard here are a few go to moves as prescribed by yours truly.
Dance party for one or Zumba at the Dugan to let out pent up rage and frustration. Start a count down to graduation day (78 days from today depending on the
college). Challenge yourself (and friends) to try something new be it food, an activity, a location or an event on campus.
For some of us life will be changing forever come May, for others summer will only bring with it summer semester. No matter what, the goal of being on this
island is to focus on creating a better future for our selves and generations to come. Before this becomes a sappy PSA from the 90s let me quote the great Dave
Chappelle, Life is hard but if you just remember to keep your genitals out of harms way, dont chase money and refrain from littering youll be a winner.
Sincerely,

Alexis De Leon
Editor-in-Chief
Island Waves
A
s pulmonary physicians,
we see patients every
day who struggle to breathe.
Those experiences lead
us to not only treat, but to
advocate for our patients
with lung disease. We also
speak up for the millions of
infants, children, teenagers
and seniors who face threats
from the air they breathe.
Thats why we are
so concerned about the
health problems caused
by air pollution and
why the organizations we
represent, the American Lung
Association and the American
Thoracic Society, believe the
U.S. Environmental Protection
Agency (EPA) must move
forward as quickly as possible
with new standards to clean
up smog-causing gasoline
and motor vehicles.
Ground level ozone, or
smog, that blankets much
of the United States during
the summer is a powerful
respiratory irritant. When
inhaled, ozone damages
the lung tissue much like
the summer sun, burns
unprotected skin. Ozone air
pollution poses health risks
for all who are exposed,
including infants, children
teenagers, adults and seniors,
and it is particularly harmful
to the nearly 26 million
living with asthma, nearly
13 million with COPD and
the millions with other lung
diseases. Just as importantly,
even healthy adults who
work or play outdoors are at
risk.
For those living near
highways or other heavily
used roads, the problem may
be worse. Growing research
reports much higher levels of
pollution there. Many people
who live near roadways have
lower incomes, and often are
at higher risk of having lung
diseases.
Tragically, polluted
air can shorten life. For
hundreds of thousands of
people, polluted air means
coughing, wheezing, missed
school and missed work,
asthma attacks and heart
attacks. Far too many end up
in the emergency room or
the hospital. These are the
patients that physicians like
us see daily in the hospital
and in our practices.
If we could simply write
a prescription to clean up
that pollution and help our
patients, wed give the White
House and EPA one each that
says: Adopt Tier 3 STAT. Tier
3 is the shortened name of
new EPA standards to reduce
the sulfur in gasoline and
reduce emissions from new
cars and SUVs. The White
House is in the final stages of
reviewing these standards.
Lower-sulfur gasoline
would immediately make
every car on the road run
cleaner because sulfur
poisons the performance
of a cars pollution control
system. Less sulfur means
less pollution, and by 2030,
wed have up to 15,000 fewer
asthma attacks, more than 3
million fewer missed school
and work days, and 2,500
fewer early deaths each
year, as the American Lung
Association estimated in a
report last year.
Unlike the cost of taking
a child to the ER, the cost to
protect their health is pretty
low. EPA says that the cleaner
gasoline would cost less than
one penny more per gallon.
As with many treatments,
timing is critical. EPA needs
to adopt these standards by
the end of February to make
sure we get all the benefits
as soon as possible. If not,
our patients and millions
more remain exposed to yet
another year of dangerous
pollution. Remember, that
can mean the loss of 2,500
lives.
For the sake of our
patients and all those who
live where the air threatens
their health, we urge
President Obama to direct
EPA to adopt final standards
by the end of this month
so that we have cleaner,
healthier air to breathe.
Patricia W. Finn, MD
President, American Thoracic
Society
Albert A. Rizzo, MD, FCCP,
FACP
Immediate Past Chair of the
National Board of Directors,
American Lung Association
8x Ior TraIhc Po||0t|oo: 0|eaoer 6aso||oe aod Veh|c|es STAT
An opinion editorial by doctors Patricia Finn and Albert Rizzo on why the EPA and everyone should work together to promote new standards to
clean up smog-causing gasoline
image courtesy of common.wikipedia.ord
3 news
ISLAND WAVES
02.27.2014
Health Referendum continued from page 1
The need for a referendum
came about with the realization
that the UHC does not have the
staff or resources to aid the current
demands of the student body.
The University Health Center
isnt generating enough funds
from our students, said Barrera.
With the increase in student
population, the expenses are
increasing, but the services are
remaining the same.
With the continuing expansion
of A&M-Corpus Christi, the UHC
has accrued additional expenses.
These expenses range from facility
maintenance, utilities, supplies
and staffing costs. Furthermore,
these expenses, mixed with the
increase of students, have caused
the UHC to begin turning away
students.
I have to go to the UHC
regularly for my medication,
said Barrera. Ive been turned
away many times when I was sick
and Ive personally had to go to
other [clinics]. I cant tell you how
expensive it is to get sick, and all
you really need are antibiotics;
but, they [the UHC] just cant
because there is such a demand
then there are slots for everyone.
Barrera reported that there are
approximately six to ten students
turned away daily. These students are turned
away because there isnt any room for walk-
ins, no time for an immediate appointment
or even, sometimes, a lack of staff. If the UHC
doesnt begin to receive more funds,
which are propagated through student
fees, then the UHC is left with the ultimatum
of cutting services. A loss in services could lead
to more students being turned away daily.
According to Barrera, the increased fees
would go towards helping maintain the UHC
and create some changes in services. The UHC
would be able to increase provider time by
adding more full time staff. This would allow
for an increased volume of appointments
scheduled.
Furthermore, the pharmacy would be open
all day, rather than being operational solely in
the afternoons. Next, there are plans to open
a triage unit, an area that would allow for
walk-ins allowing students who need quick
evaluations to be seen immediately. The
increased fees will help to make the Ask-A-
Nurse hotline a 24 hour service available to
students not only during the week days, but
during nights and weekends as well. Finally,
the UHC hopes to expand their outreach and
educational programs.
The increased fees created by the UHC
referendum are comparable to other university
rates within the A&M System. According to
figures collected and provided by the UHC, the
health center fees for Texas A&M University are
$72.50 per semester, while fees for Texas A&M-
Kingsville are $57.00 per semester.
These rates are even more comparable
than those of various urgent care clinics
around Corpus Christi. One of the lowest
rates comes from Bay Area Quick Care at
$70 per office visit, and the highest being
Concentra at $150 per visit.
The voting will take place in the
University Center commons from 9 a.m.
to 7p.m. on March 4 and 5. It requires a
majority of student votes for the referendum
to pass. However, the change will not go
into effect until approved by the Texas A&M
System Board of Regents. If the changes do
pass, they will go into effect in the Fall 2014
semester.
For more information regarding the
UHC referendum, please visit healthcenter.
tamucc.edu.
Health Services Provided by the
Health Center of Texas A&M
University- Corpus Christi
Immunizations
Women's Services
CIinicaI Services
Provider Services
PhysicaIs
STD Testing
AIIergy Injection
Nurse Line
02.27.2014
4news
ISLAND WAVES
PRESS RELEASE
The contributions made by each donor are
reflected throughout the Island University.
Contributions have aided a variety of areas
including the expansion of the University,
funding programs, and funding scholarships.
For instance, Houston Endowment, Inc.
contributed to the building of the Early
Childhood and Development Center. The CCA
funded scholarships, and donated funds to the
Harte Research Institute. Joseph Sheinberg,
a former graduate of A&M-Corpus Christi,
along with his wife, Ruth, also contribute
to scholarship funds. President & First Lady
Killebrew have created the Deans Annual
Scholarship Fund, and also the Flavius and
Kathy Killebrew Scholarship Fund. This is a
small list of achievements compared to the
extensive catalog of funds donated by all the
donors with in intent of aiding A&M-Corpus
Christi.
Tonight, we thank our many friends and
the community that have been very generous
to Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, said Killebrew.
Many of these gifts provide a lifetime
support to the University, including endowed
scholarships, which makes it possible for our
top students to fulfill their dreams of obtaining
a degree.
Many of the donors are native Corpus Christi
organizations. According to Philip Skrobarczyk,
President and CEO of Fulton* Coastcon General
Contractors, donating to A&M-Corpus Christi is
a type of community outreach.
I went to college there [A&M-Corpus
Christi] when was still CCSU [Corpus Christi
State University], said Skrobarczyk, When
you think about all the contributions of the
University to the economy, etc., and even to
the students, you cant help but want to be
involved.
Also in attendance for the evening were
a few volunteer student organizations. One
such organization was Student Foundation
Association, an organization that raises
scholarship funds through various programs
promoting education and campus involvement.
I think this ball shows how well [the
University] is ran, said Carlos Hinojosa, a
student volunteer with the SFA. It shows how
good of a program it gives to students.
The night closed with a raffle for a weekend
trip to New Orleans. Entertainment was
provided by live musicians as guests continued
to mingle and say their goodbyes.
We think its a great opportunity for the
University and for our students, said Dr. Patty
Conard, Professor at the College of Nursing and
Health Sciences. Were having a great time.
The complete list of honorees for the 2014
Presidents Mardi Gras Ball is listed to the right.
Platinum Circle:
Houston Endowment, Inc.
Gold Circle:
Coastal Conservation Association Texas
Dr. Miriam Wagenschein
Silver Circle:
LaVerne and Thomas Howell Foundation
Loris Jane Welhausen Management Trust
Ruth and Joseph Sheinberg
Shell Oil Company
Bronze Circle:
Atlee M. Cunningham Jr.
Dr. Flavius and Kathy Killebrew
Fulton* Coastcon General Contractors
Jessie Frances Neal Foundation
Presidents Ball
A
researcher at Texas A&M University-Corpus
Christi has discovered a new species of
marine worms that is an important part of the
marine ecosystem. The species is considered
to be an important source of food to sport fish,
such as flounder.
Michael Reuscher (pictured right), who
received his Ph.D. in Marine Biology in
December 2013 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi,
recently discovered the new species of marine
worm found in the shallow waters of the
northern Chinese coast.
We have only discovered a small fraction
of existing marine species, said Reuscher,
who works for the Harte Research Institute
for Gulf of Mexico Studies (HRI). If we can
get a comprehensive list of all the species out
there, then we can better address meaningful
questions on how they affect our ecosystems.
Marine worms, also known as polychaetes,
are an important part of the ecosystem
because they feed many species of sport fish
and crabs. Shallow water species can grow up
to five inches in length and congregate in large
numbers. Reuscher says that we know very
little about most marine species and how they
interact with each other and the ecosystem
they live in.
I am fascinated by the appearance and
biology of these little, alien creatures, said
Reuscher. They come in so many shapes, sizes,
and colors.
Reuscher and his colleague, Dr. Jin Zhou
from the East China Sea Fisheries Research
Institute in Shanghai, have published the
discovery in the latest issue of the Proceedings
of the Biological Society of Washington.
While Reuscher was a Graduate Research
Assistant at the HRI, he described nearly 20
new species of marine worms from Japan,
Alaska, New Zealand, the South Pacific, and the
Red Sea.
I feel very honored to discover and describe
new species, said Reuscher. Being the first
person to see animals of a formerly unknown
species is very exciting.
A recipient of the Flavius and Kathy
Killebrew Deans Annual Scholarship Fund,
Reuscher says that the University has helped
greatly with his research. He has traveled far
and wide in search of unknown marine worm
species. He has visited the Zoological Institute
of the Russian Academy of Sciences in St.
Petersburg, Russia; the zoological museums
in Hamburg, Germany, and Vienna, Austria;
and the National Museum of the Smithsonian
Institution in Washington D.C.; to name a few.
Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Researcher
Discovers New Species of Marine
Worm Important to Ecosystem
photo courtesy of TAMUCC.EDU
continued from page 4
above: Janelle Romo, nursing student and battalion leader, samples the decadent des-
serts
Left: Romo votes for her favorite Mardi Gras mask created by various high school stu-
dents around the Corpus Christi area
5 features
ISLAND WAVES
02.27.2014
by ANDREW LIGUEZ
entertainment reporter
FRESHMAN
SPOTLIGHT
by KATHLEEN RAMIREZ
features editor
J
essica Mendez, the Texas A&M University-
Corpus Christi freshman from Corpus
Christi, spent her high school years playing
for the Moody Trojans. Today, Mendez bats
for another team, the A&M-Corpus Christi
Islanders.
Corpus Christi is my hometown. I picked
TAMUCC because it is a beautiful campus, and
I am also close to home, Mendez said. My
family is my everything so I wanted to be close
to them.
During high school, Mendez won several
awards and lettered all four years while
playing for the Trojans varsity softball team.
Additionally, Mendez and her team were
named district champions for four straight
years.
What I miss from high school are the
football games and getting to hang out with my
friends. Im having fun at college though, and
I like meeting new people around campus and
showing them my crazy side, the freshman
said. The biggest difference between high
school and college is that you cant depend on
anyone, you have to be your own motivation to
get things done correctly and on time.
A jack-of-all-trades, Mendez currently
serves as a utility player for the Islands softball
team, meaning she can play several different
positions. Due to a fractured hand though,
Mendez is currently sitting out games, but says
she is looking forward to getting her cast taken
off.
For now, my role is to support my team
and cheer them on while Im out, Mendez
said. But I cant wait until Im able to play the
sport I love the most, softball.
Mendez is currently majoring in kinesiology,
and hopes to one day obtain a job as a softball
coach for children.
I chose this major because I love softball,
and I have a lot to give to younger children that
will soon want to achieve their own goals of
playing softball, the kinesiology major said.
During her free time, Mendez enjoys
hanging out in the University Center where
she likes to meet people and grab a bite to eat.
My favorite hangout spot on campus would
have to be the University Center because I love
to eat and I see new faces everyday, she said.
In fact, my favorite meal to eat is two Chick-
fil-A sandwiches with a large fry and buffalo
sauce.
After a rocky last semester, Mendez said
she learned more about managing her time,
and is now maintaining a healthy lifestyle by
knowing when and where she should spend
her time.
Last semester I procrastinated and did
poorly on my assignments, so now Im on top
of things because I want to better myself, the
kinesiology major said. The way I balance
school work and my softball schedule now is
by doing parts and pieces everyday so I wont
get so overwhelmed. You just have to be very
disciplined and know how to manage your free
time.
Mendez offers this piece of advice for future
students, and encourages other freshmen to
stay focused on school.
Do not get sidetracked by things around
you, and keep your head in the books because
this is your future. Also, dont waste your time
and money if youre not going to push yourself
to success, Mendez said.
A
uditions were held Feb. 14, 15 and 16,
for the talent competition Corpus Christi
Idol. This event holds both an adult version
and a junior version. Here the community
competes against each other for a cash prize
and bragging rights. The event was hosted
at a staging area in the Food Court at the La
Palmera Mall and the finals were held at our
own Performing Arts Center. The event was
hosted by Professor Don Luna and sponsored
by La Palmera mall.
Some of the performers were really good,
while others shouldnt have been there,
Andrea Rodriguez said when asked about the
auditions.
In the end, 20 people were selected, split
evenly for girls and boys.
The finals for Corpus Christi idol were
held Feb 22 and were wildly attended by
the community and friends of family of the
completers. During the finals each contestant
had to perform a song of their choosing.
The judges table consisted of Ms. Heidi
Hovda, Mr. John Thomas, and Ms. Lydia Blanco
Garza.
The first performer for the evening
was Denise Armadillo followed by Jose
Acevedo. After each performance one of the
judges would give their input on how the
performance was and how they could improve
their performances.
After the first ten minutes of the
performances a quick ten minute intermission
was given. After the intermission there was a
quick performance by last years Corpus Christi
Idol winner Lucy Rodriguez.
right:Winners of CC Idol pose together after
each receiving their awards. (from left to
right) second place Cezar Martinez, first place
Jose Acevedo, and third place Devin Sutton
bottom left: Daniel Jaramillo playing guitar
bottom right: Celeste Soliz sings solo
Corpus Christi IDOL
photos courtesy of ANDREW LIGUEZ
02.27.2014
6features
ISLAND WAVES
by KATHLEEN RAMIREZ
features editor
by ANDREW LIGUEZ
entertainment reporter
I
ts the bunny way or no way for my three boys.
Recently, Jojo, who is normally a very well
behaved bunny, has taken to chewing my stuff.
I thought this was a habit he had outgrown
seeing as how he hasnt chewed anything since
he was just a baby, but apparently I was wrong.
Lately, Jojo has chewed though various
wires and rubber items, including, but not
limited to, one iPhone charger, two laptop
chargers, one Nintendo 64 cord and a TV
remote. He has also recently tried scratching
and pulling at the carpet in my living room,
but that quickly ended after being placed in
timeout for a few hours.
For the most part, Ive been able to stop
him before he did too much damage. He did
however manage to completely destroy my
iPhone charger beyond repair, but that was my
fault for not giving his royal self the attention
he felt he so rightly deserved. Apparently,
ignoring your bunny for homework is not
a good enough excuse in their eyes, and is
grounds for destruction of your property.
Additionally, Jojo has taken to jumping on
top of me and waking me up whenever I nap on
the living room couch, his way of demanding
my undivided attention. Needless to say, my
afternoon nap was cut short Friday after his
fluffy little body woke me up three times in the
span of 20 minutes.
It was only after I gave him a, I kid you
not, 30-minute long face massage, that Jojo
decided I was forgiven for ignoring him. He
then proceed to demonstrate his forgiveness
by licking and grooming my entire hand before
hopping away.
Since then, Mr. Jojo has returned to his
normal, well-behaved self, and has even taken
to following me around my apartment like
a puppy whenever he wants something. He
has also demanded more face massages and
will nudge my hand if I so much as remove my
hand from his face.
The moral of the story, dont ever ignore
your bunny.
W
hat is your classification and major?
I am a senior and my major is music
education. For my major I basically go through
the education classes and have an emphasis on
music. My major will be EC through 12, which
means I can teach all levels. At the begging we
go through the music classes for two years and
at the end of our [ME majors] sophomore year
we have a sophomore barrier. At this point we
determine whenever we want to do education
or performances. Then they ask us why and we
continue with our education.
How did you get into music? I wanted to
be a veterinarian for the longest time, when
I went to moody high school where I was a
part of the health science academy. Whenever
I go into their band program I realized thats
what I wanted. So after that year my mom
talked to me and asked me if I wanted to go to
Carroll instead to continue music, and I ended
up transferring. I joined the band there and I
excelled from there. My education interest
came from my mom who was teacher was a
teacher for 39 years, education runs in the
family.
What instrument do you play? My primary
is saxophone, and my secondary is clarinet. Ive
been playing for ten years now.
How is it being president of the music
fraternity? Its hard [laughing], its a bunch
of girls making sure to delegate and get
information from our advisor. But also making
sure that everybody is doing their job and
getting things done. I have been involved for
three years, this being my third year. I didnt
hold an office my first year, but my second year
I became Vice-President of membership. That
was trying to recruit people into the fraternity.
This year I am president and its difficult,
dealing with music and what I like, its good to
be in.
Does the fraternity do a lot of music or is
it just getting students together? Our focus
is music, but if you dont play an instrument
we also have people that join for music
appreciation. We have a bio-med major in our
group, and she used to play flute. But we do
require a music performance per semester, but
if they dont do a performance then can also
do a presentation instead. One of members
for example did a presentation about how you
listen to music and how it works in the mind.
Weve also gone out in the community and
help with events like Relay for Life.
What do you daily and what do you want to
do in the future? As a student musician I make
sure that I am prepared for any ensemble. I also
have to spend my time with other things like
the fraternity and practice. I plan to graduate in
dec and from there I hope to become a teacher
in the local area. I want to stay in Corpus and
assist with the music dept.
If people want to pursue music, we have a
lot of resources and organizations that people
can join and pursue their music interest,
Vanderburg said.
photo courtesy of Sabrina Vanderburg
7 entertainment
ISLAND WAVES
02.27.2014
by TREY SEAL
entertainment reporter
I
want to take a jog through Wonderland, the
mushrooms and flowers would be as tall as
trees, the forest would sing a peaceful tune as
I passed them by under a marmalade colored
sky. The crazy thing about my dream is that it
is possible. As a matter of fact, with the access
to proper equipment, I could do it right now.
When you think of virtual reality, what
comes to your mind? The possibilities are
endless for such a development and this year
it will all be possible thanks to tech startup
Oculus VR with their Oculus Rift headset.
The Oculus Rift was revealed to the
world through crowd funding (investing in
production of an item in exchange for a copy)
website Kickstarter.com. Internet users funded
its $250,000 production budget 975% for a total
of nearly 2.5 million dollars in capital.
However, the potential for Oculus Rift goes
far beyond video games. Imagine a couples
therapy session where a husband and wife
would wear a more refined Google glass-like
device for a few days. The couple would then
return to their therapist where they would
use the headset to see their life through each
others perspective. You could quite literally
take a walk through somebodys day-to-day
life.
Seeing is one thing but what if I told you
could that you could realistically walk and run
as well. My dream will indeed be a reality due
to a device known as the Virtuix Omni, a multi-
direction treadmill-like device that encloses
the user in a ring to prevent falling. The user
slips on a special pair of shoes that are made to
glide across the devices surface while keeping
you balanced. Movement is mapped to any
keyboard layout, so a massive back catalog of
software will support the device from launch.
The product creators tout the Omni combined
with the Oculus could be used for virtual
tourism, conventions, and work places.
You could explore another time. Imagine
walking through a rendered colonial Boston or
attending Woodstock and seeing Jimi Hendrix
play with your naked eyes. You could even
walk up on stage and see the performance
up close. Amazon could have a virtual store
where customers could view their products in
a mall-like environment from the comfort of
their living room. For better and for worse, the
infamous chat room would be revolutionized.
Imagine having an internet speed dating event
where users walk around a virtual room and
mapping actual body language and lip syncing
to a realistic three dimensional model of
yourself.
Movies can be changed forever, you could be
the protagonist in a linear story, a life simulator
of sorts where you take on a reputation, social
status, race, or gender and experience the
feeling of being that person in a realistic or
fantastical world.
The Oculus Rift and the Virtuix Omni
are glamorous but at the same time I see a
dangerous side to them. I imagine a potential
for addiction due to the potential of someone
beginning to prefer fantasy to reality. Its a
scary thought but its completely believable
due to rising levels of video game addiction in
the past few years.
I for one look forward to this new technology
due to the opportunities for learning that it
brings in addition to the immersiveness of
virtual and recreated places. Imagine yourself
running through central park (in New York
City) and seeing the pigeons fly away as you
run towards them. Now excuse me while I go
stand in on Abraham Lincolns induction.
AUBREY DANCER layout editor
02.27.2014
8entertainment
ISLAND WAVES
W
hen thinking of childrens books the first
thing that comes to mind is a simplistic
plot with a hidden message. They just never
seem to reflect the tender love and care placed
into the fairy tales of old.
The Princess Fables, however, is a book
that brings back the nostalgia of the classic
fairytales from our youth (and many youths
before that.) Its a collection of fairytales that
author Marc Clark would tell to his young
daughter as a ploy to get her ready for school.
The Princess who always said I dont
wanna is about a little princess who says I
dont wanna to everything that is spoken to
her. Eventually this horrible habit almost leads
to her kingdoms decimation due to her refusal
to leave castle grounds when an incoming
flood threatens the area.
Another is The Princess who always said
not today, the story of a young girl who
would constantly say not today in order to
reflect the bad habit of procrastination. As you
can guess, the habits in question always lead to
some sort of catastrophe or event that forces
the little girls to change the behavior once and
for all.
Fortunately, the stories all have happy
endings.
The stories are written very well too,
choosing to forego the dumbed down
language of childrens books in order to be
both entertaining for the child and the parent.
I didnt have a young relative around to read
too but after reading them myself, I can vouch
for their entertainment factor. Each fable is
great at breaking down the reasoning for these
bad habits rather than just shunning their
existence, which is great for leading your child
(or yourself) to a great epiphany.
I interviewed author Marc Clark about the
book, his background, and what led him to
write fairytales for the 21
st
century.
Clark hails from a background in
screenwriting for promotional ads, which
he has done for many years. His first job was
putting together a promo for classic HBO
horror series Tales From The Crypt. He
has also written in his words about a half
dozen screenplays and a half dozen stage
plays. He estimates that he has written
close to a couple of thousand promos, review,
and entertainment news pieces since the
founding of his production company Seven
Cs productions in 1995.
When asked where he got his writing style
from, he responded, I stick to narrative, I feel
that storytelling is one of the most important
things. Occasionally Ill break format but I
always ensure that I bring people back to the
narrative. They say that one of the first things
you have to do in writing is kill your favorite
parts and those are usually the monologues:
the elaborate, beautifully written, and
character driven passages that dont help to
drive the plot. In terms of film, he said nobody
is more guilty of this practice than Quentin
Tarantino who has the memorable Royale
with Cheese dialogue in addition to the drawn
out German dialogues of Inglorious Basterds
(title spelled as so).
I was never avidly into fairytales but if
I had to cite a traditional story that I love it
would have to be Walt Disneys Pinocchio.
I believe it was the best written, it has the
wonderful use of darker colors which are rarely
seen in childrens media. The sayings that the
characters have about life are great too; I think
we can all learn a lot from the sayings of Jiminy
Cricket especially.
So what inspired him to write a book
predominantly focused towards a female
audience. The Princess Fables are based on
the stories that I would tell to my daughter
when she was about six. We had a very close
relationship due to my work as a freelance
writer/producer (which let me work from
home a lot.) I would tell these stories to my
daughter in the morning when I was getting
her ready for school or when putting her to
bed. When she was older, her mother and I
went through a painful divorce. To cope with
the separation, I wrote these stories down so
she could always stay with me. Every time I
read them, I still cant help but shed a tear.
When asked about what audience he feels
the book is for, he said: Theyre great for any
parent to read to their children but I wrote the
book with the intention of it being something
that a father can read to his daughter. The
overarching theme among the stories is one of
discipline; each story contains a lesson about
responsibility and growing as a person.
With more kids becoming entrenched in
technology at such a young age, the world
needs more books like The Princess Fables to
teach us about responsibility and interacting
with the world at large. Its high quality writing
and relatable morals will ensure that anybody
who reads it will be sucked into its story as
well as its life lessons.
The Princess Fables can be purchased on
Amazon.com at the price of $2.99 for an e-book
or $5.39 for paperback.
by TREY SEAL
entertainment reporter
image courtesy of AMAZON.COM
9 ads
ISLAND WAVES
02.27.2014
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02.27.2014
10 sports
ISLAND WAVES
by CHRISTINA BOOTHE
sports reporter
S
uperstitions arent just a team thing,
nor are they just fun facts on the history
of baseball. They are still alive, and doing
very well, in the individual techniques of
professional players.
A rather amusing example of this is Jason
Giambis slump thong. When Giambi,
a current first baseman for the Colorado
Rockies, is in a hitting slump, the batting
average decreases as a result of the inability
to hit the ball and unfortunate frequent
strikeouts, he dons a golden thong to aid him
in his endeavors to reverse the slump. While
it is unknown if this mystical underwear
actually brings Giambi much aid, some players
have seen positive results to their quirky
tendencies.
Moises Alou, an excellent player whose
five-tool capabilities and lifetime statistics
have deemed him one of the best outfielders
of his time, urinated on his hands in
an attempt to make the callouses more
predominant so his physical control of the bat
was more extreme. Alous statistics suggest
that his fetish may have been constructive:
the outfielder put up a career batting average
of .303 and hit 332 homeruns during his
eighteen year Major League career.
It isnt just the players that believe in
these superstitions. Detroit Tigers manager
Jim Leyland was known in 2011 for wearing
an unwashed pair of boxers to maintain his
teams winning streak. It must have paid off,
because the Tigers saw two winning streaks
one that lasted eleven games, and another
that lasted nine in that season alone.
Even those who dont play on the field
believe that their paranoia somehow
contributes to the game. Take, for instance,
Mark Dornfield, a Minnesota Twins fan who
supposedly played a large role in the teams
1987 season. Dornfield created a banner
that read, FRANKIE SWEET MUSIC VIOLA
in honor of Frank Viola, a pitcher for the
Minnesota Twins. Viola became attached to
the banner when he noticed that he always
seemed to pitch great games and lead his
team to victory when it was on display. The
Twins made it to the World Series that 1987
season, and Violas wife gave Dornfield tickets
to the first and seventh game in an attempt
to entice her husbands pitching skills. It
worked; the Twins won both of those games
and Viola was named Series MVP.
In fact, some fans even pull their
significant others into their beliefs. A
Cardinals fan who goes by the screen name
of azcardsfan1616 claimed that while he
and his girlfriend listened to the games, the
Cardinals went 4-2. When they broke up, the
St. Louis baseball team proceeded to lose eight
of their last nine games. I was trying to get
her back, azcardsfan1616 claims to his fellow
fans, Just to finish the season. That sounds
awfully irrational: to get back together with
an ex-girlfriend just so a baseball team can
have a better season. And yet, its surprisingly
common to see those who keep the baseball
faith do all that is in their power to see their
team achieve success (Steve Rushin, 2003).
Major League Baseball has long placated to
superstitions, since the Curse of Bambino.
But how do other sports view these tricky
fantasies? Next time, well be researching the
history of superstition as it pertains to other
popular sports, like basketball, football, and
soccer.
The superstitious game: Part 2
The second installment of examining the ins and outs of superstitions in the world of sports
The Kleberg Bank Classic not a total loss for Islanders
A
beautiful Thursday afternoon hailed
from Whataburger Field as the
Islanders geared up to face off against
Brigham Young University.
The Islanders, 2-3 in the season
so far, placed newcomer junior Gavin
Williamson on the mound to start game
one of the Kleberg Bank Classic. The
game progressed quickly, with an eight
run scoring session in the top of the fifth
by BYU to take the former tie to a 9-1
lead. The Islanders valiantly attempted
a comeback with a one run rally in
the eighth inning, but BYU ultimately
emerged victorious, with a 10-2 win.
The next game started later that
evening, and featured junior Matt
Danton on the mound. The Islanders,
decked out in their pristine blue and
white jerseys, fought hard to gain back
their dignity. Under Dantons strong
leadership, the Islanders defense kept
BYU at one point, coming back to score
two runs in the bottom of the sixth and
take the lead. With another run for the
Islanders in the bottom of the seventh,
BYU rotated their bullpen, desperate
for a doubly victorious night. They did
not prevail, and Texas A&M University
Corpus Christi took the victory in the
second game.
Day two of the Kleberg Classic
featured a game between rivals. The
University of Texas San Antonio
ventured into Corpus Christi to challenge
the Islanders. With freshman pitcher
Devin Skapura on the mound, who threw
an outstanding game against UTPA in
his first start of the season, the Islanders
were looking for their second victory of
the classic.
When UTSA represented early, scoring
three runs in the top of the first, the
Islanders found themselves in a game of
catch-up that they would not win. After
fighting back and scoring one run in
the second, fifth, and sixth innings for a
total of three points, the Islanders were
unable to catch up to the Roadrunners,
who scored a total of eight runs in the
nine inning game.
On Saturday, day three of the Classic,
the Islanders faced the most menacing
team in the mix: Texas Christian
University. Talk of four draft picks on the
team gave TCU a leering presence over
the entire Classic. The Islanders brought
out their number one pitcher, junior
Trevor Belicek, to provide an equally
intimidating presence on the field.
Though juniors Kyle Danford, Jordan
Lee, senior Cody Stephens, and redshirt
freshman Zacharias Hardy battled
hard to lift the offense into a lead, the
Islanders defense couldnt hold back the
three run field day that TCU had in the
top of the ninth to take the game from a
tie to a victory.
Though the Islanders were only 1-4
in the series, they were still rewarded
with two members of the team making
the Kleberg Bank College Classic All-
Tournament Team:
Danton and Danford.
Danton led the Islanders
to their solo victory of
the series against BYU
on Thursday night,
making himself a
defensive powerhouse.
In contrast, outfielder
Danford, with a batting
average of .294 in the
series and five RBIs, had
massive contributions
to the Islanders offense
throughout the series.
Both players were key
components of a team
who worked hard
over the weekend and
represented their school
well, regardless of the
losses.
Catch the Islanders
baseball team at their
first game at Chapman
field on March 7 against
Valparaiso. Students are
granted free admission,
and are encouraged to
take advantage of the
beautiful weather and
root for the boys in blue
and white.

by CHRISTINA BOOTHE
sports reporter
above: Junior, pitcher Trevor Belicek (5) takes the mound against
TCU during the fnal game of the Kleberg Bank Classic
photo courtesy of Islander Athletics
photo by Alexis De Leon
Se|hes w|th st0deot ath|etes
by 0h8|ST|hA 800Th
sports reporter
11 sports
ISLAND WAVES
02.27.2014
R
ing in a warm welcome for the newest
athlete to be featured on selfies with
student athletes: Shola Adebayo, a junior
who transferred to Texas A&M University
Corpus Christi last year. Though Adebayo is
an exciting player to watch on the court, shes
also a fascinating person in real life so if
given the chance, sit down with her and have
a conversation sometime.
Get to know Islanders student athletes one self-taken portrait at a time
right: Womens basketball player Shola Ade-
bayo and sports reporter Christina Boothe
show of their best duck" faces photo by Sho|a Adebayo
|s|aoders 6r|od 00t 4-3 w|o over 0T Ar||ogtoo
GoIslanders
C
ORPUS CHRISTI, Texas Freshman Paul Cook
squeezed out a 7-4 tiebreaker in the second set
to lift the Texas A&M Corpus Christi mens tennis
team to a 4-3 victory over UT Arlington today at the
Thomas J. Henry Tennis Center.
Great courage and resiliency from our team
today, Director of Tennis Steve Moore said. This last
week has been a tough journey being on the road
a lot. We dug a hole for ourselves with some bad
choices, but we really showed a lot of courage to dig
out. UT Arlington is a very, very good young team and
they deserved to win today just as much as we did.
This was simply a great college tennis match between
two teams that fought very, very hard. I cant speak
highly enough of this Corpus Christi crowd and the
heart and soul that they bring to our team. Simply
love our fans.
The Islanders (9-5) fell behind early 1-0 after the
Mavericks (3-6) secured the doubles point with wins
on courts one and two. Matt Westmoreland and Paul
Cook dropped just their second match of the year in
No. 2 doubles with an 8-3 loss to Marek Pesicka and
Sebastian Erimicioiu. In No. 1 doubles, the UTA duo
of Javier Perez and Carlos Arbiza topped Peter Nagy
and Guillaume Rauseo 8-4. The freshman-junior duo
of Pietro Jordao and Philip Kuehnen teamed up for
the first time this season in No. 3 doubles and were
up 6-4 on Austin Robles and Danie Armengol when play was
stopped.
Nagy answered with a straight-set victory in No. 1 singles
to get the Islanders on the board and even the match at 1-1.
The junior and co-captain downed Pesicka 6-1, 6-0, to improve
to 10-2 in the No. 1 spot. He has now won nine of his last 10
matches in singles play.
Peter Nagy was a great leader today, Moore said. He came
out and did what great leaders do. He set the tone of intensity
by his example.
UTA answered back with a win in No. 3 singles to push ahead
2-1. Armengol topped Rauseo 6-2, 7-5 for the Mavericks second
point of the day. However, sophomore Javier Pujol showed a lot
of fight to capture the Islanders second point of the day over
Mario Muniesa in the No. 5 position. Pujol fell behind 3-5 in
the first set before climbing back to win four straight games to
notch the 7-5 win. In the second, the two stayed even early on
until Pujol took the next two games to win 6-4 and record his
first win in No. 5 singles and knot the match at 2-2.
I thought Javier showed a lot of courage today, Moore said.
Thats another young player who is really learning.
Ricardo Mayagoitia then answered with a three-set
victory over Arbiza in No. 2 singles to put the Islanders in
front 3-2. The sophomore dropped the first set 6-3, but
recovered to edge Arbiza in the second set 7-5 to force a
third set. In the third, Mayagoitia fell behind 3-2 before
winning the next four games to win, 6-3.
The Mavericks battled back to even the match at 3-3
after a three-set win in No. 4 singles. Westmoreland
came out and dominated the first set 6-4 before falling
7-6 (5) in a tough tiebreaker to Erimicioiu. In the third,
the senior led early at 3-2 but Erimicioiu won four
straight games to win the set 6-3.
With the match tied at 3-3, it all came down to
Cook in No. 6 singles. The freshman topped Francesco
Migliano 6-4 in the first, and built a 5-4 lead in the
second set, before Migliano won the next two games to
move ahead 6-5. Cook then garnered the next game to
force the tiebreaker. With his teammates and the Corpus
Christi community cheering him on, the Petts Wood,
England native grabbed the 7-4 tiebreaker win to clinch
the match for the Islanders.
Paul Cook and Ricardo Mayagoitia showed incredible
grit today, Moore added. Those guys are maturing so
fast. They listen and they really compete hard. Along
with Javier, these guys best tennis is ahead of them.
The Islanders will next be in action when they host
the prestigious HEB Tournament of Championships on
Feb. 28 and March 1 at the HEB Tennis Center and the Thomas J.
Henry Tennis Center. SMU, Tulane, Louisiana-Lafayette, DePaul,
Western Michigan, South Alabama and UTSA are all scheduled
to compete. Last season, the Islanders clinched their first ever
HEB Tournament of Champions title. The team won a gutsy 4-3
match over then No. 34 Middle Tennessee in the finals, taking
home the first title in the event.
For all the latest on Islanders Tennis, like the team on
Facebook (IslandersTennis) and follow them on Twitter and
Instagram (@IslandersTennis).
Tennis Match Results
UT Arlington vs. Texas A&M - Corpus Christi
2/24/2014 at Corpus Christi, Texas
Texas A&M - Corpus Christi 4, UT Arlington 3
Singles competition:
1. Peter Nagy (AMCC) def. Marek Pesicka (UTA) 6-1, 6-0
2. Ricardo Mayagoitia (AMCC) def. Carlos Arbiza (UTA) 3-6, 7-5, 6-3
3. Danie, Armengol (UTA) def. Guillaume Rauseo (AMCC) 6-2, 7-5
4. Sebastian Erimicioiu (UTA) def. Matt Westmoreland (AMCC) 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-3
5. Javier Pujol (AMCC) def. Mario Muniesa (UTA) 7-5, 6-4
6. Paul Cook (AMCC) def. Francesco Migliano (UTA) 6-4, 7-6 (7-4)

Doubles competition:
1. Javier Perez/Carlos Arbiza (UTA) def. Peter Nagy/Guillaume Rauseo (AMCC) 8-4
2. Marek Pesicka/Sebastian Erimicioiu (UTA) def. Matt Westmoreland/Paul Cook
(AMCC) 8-3
3. Pietro Jordao/Philip Kuehnen (AMCC) vs. Austin Robles/Danie, Armengol (UTA)
6-4, unhnisnod
Name/Nickname: Shola Adebayo/
Showtimee
Age/Year: 21/Junior
Sport/Position/Number: Basketball/
Shooting Guard/#2
Hometown: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Major: Communications/English
Favorite Song: No Matter What Future
Favorite Movie: The Blind Side
Favorite Book: Tuesdays with Morrie
Mitch Albom
Favorite Hobby (aside from the sport you
play): Shop, watch TV, and travel.
If Im not on the field/court/track or at
class, Im usually: in my bed.
If you sit next to me in class and want to
strike conversation, a sure bet is to talk
to me about: Shoes, clothes, or animals!
Favorite Quote: You miss 100% of the
shots you dont take. Wayne Gretzky
The person I look up to most is: My Mom
My athletic inspiration is: My uncle
My celebrity crush is: Future
02.27.2014
12 visuals
ISLAND WAVES