CAMPUS: Discover TAMIU returns
By Gabriel Rodriguez
Bridge Staff Writer
Published Monday, May 16, 2022
The campus flowed with pop music and the chatter of students, faculty and families to celebrate Discover TAMIU.
After being canceled in 2021 due to health concerns, the annual event returned on April 9 to offer more than 110 activities to showcase Texas A&M International University’s academics and student life. These events included musical performances from student groups like Allegro and Mariachi Internacional, athletic activities like kickball games and obstacle courses, and more literacy-focused activities like read-alongs hosted by TAMIU alumni and local children’s literature authors.
Unidentified children look at 2-liter bottles filled with water during Discover TAMIU on April 9.
Different academic departments from the University held their own activities. For instance, the nursing department ran a series of activities including a loteria with nursing terms, a simulated surgery and a guided tour through the nursing labs.
“The visitors [were] amazed and impressed with the state-of-the art simulation lab nursing has on this campus,” College of Nursing and Health Sciences Dean Marivic Torregosa said.
TAMIU’s STEM program, featuring DustyMOTOR and DustyTRON, also offered a few activities to allow visitors to test out cars and robots, and a real-world re-creation of the popular Angry Birds video game.
“I hope to get more people involved in engineering and into the engineering field as well … to spread the word about what it is we do,” senior system engineering major Alexander Huntington said. He was involved with the DustyMOTOR and DustyTRON events.
Discover TAMIU offered more than just activities. It also featured services to help families with taxes, areas to receive information about TAMIU’s programs and an opportunity to participate in a focus group study led by Assistant Professors of psychology Mary Komoski and Angélique Blackburn. Directed by the Psychology and Communication Department, the study aims to understand how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted parenting.
Unidentified children paint during Discover TAMIU on April 9.
“Discover TAMIU is a great time to connect with the community,” Komoski said. “We thought this would be a cool way to let people participate in real social science research and also a chance for us to get some input for our study from the community.”
Huntington said the pandemic recovery, seen in events like this, is important.
“It feels very open and fresh, especially coming from COVID … and unfortunately a lot of my past friends who were a part of DustyMOTOR and DustyTRON weren’t able to experience Discover TAMIU like this, so it’s a very refreshing feeling.”
The dean also acknowledged the program, “It feels great to see the community back on campus once again,” Torregosa said.
That Laredo community turnout helps grow the TAMIU community.
“I hope the takeaway from the Discover event is just a stronger relationship between TAMIU and the Laredo community,” Komoski said. “It was great to have people come and experience the TAMIU campus and for kids to get excited about all of the cool things we have going on here.”
