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On Campus

FEATURES: Holi adds color to campus
Features, International Affairs, On Campus

FEATURES: Holi adds color to campus

FEATURES: Holi adds color to campus By Emmanuel Reyes Corona and David Gomez Jr.Bridge staff podcaster, editor-in-chiefPublished Thursday, April 6, 2023 In a display of many colors, TAMIU students threw handfuls of powder at one another to celebrate Holi. The Office of International Engagement and the Campus Activities Board hosted the Hindu festival event, also known as the Festival of Colors. It took place at the Sen. Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center Green at Texas A&M International University on March 8. Emmanuel Reyes Corona | BridgeHoli participants throw colored powder up into the air during a group photograph on March 8. “Five minutes into the event and there were 40 people [who] had signed up,” sophomore Spanish major Elena Cano said. “So we’re really exci...
CAMPUS: Students worry over scam call dangers
Education, On Campus

CAMPUS: Students worry over scam call dangers

CAMPUS: Students worry over scam call dangers By Megan CarcamoBridge contributing writerPublished Tuesday, April 4, 2023 As a new school year commences for many, students become aware of the increase in scam calls they receive targeted at those with education loans. Fears grow for their own financial safety. The Laredo Police Department turned to social media back in early September to warn education loan borrowers as they noticed a surge of scammers using student loans as an excuse to gain access to students’ personal financial information. Neto Gonzalez | Bridge Photo IllustrationSome students are receiving annoying and sometimes even harassing calls from scammers promising to eleminate or reduce their student loan debt, as shown in this photo illustration taken on March 28. ...
NEWS: ‘Dean of deans’ retires in May
Academia, Education, Features, Humans of TAMIU, News, On Campus, Professor Profile

NEWS: ‘Dean of deans’ retires in May

NEWS: ‘Dean of deans’ retires in May  By David Gomez Jr.Editor-in-chiefPublished Tuesday, March 28, 2023 TAMIU Regents Professor, Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Thomas Reagan Mitchell expects to retire at the end of May. Approaching 73, he says many people begin thinking about retirement at that age. The 50-year veteran of academia nearly didn’t make it after a bout with the novel coronavirus. Rolando Santos | TAMIU Public RelationsVice President for Academic Affairs and Provost Thomas Mitchell poses for a photo on campus in summer of 2020. “It causes you to reassess your life,” Mitchell said about his life-threatening case when contracting SARS-CoV-2 in the summer of 2021. “I ended up in the emergency room,” Mitchell recalled. “Before you know it, I was o...
NEWS: USTEM aims to lower statistics of first-year dropouts, STEM major switches
Academia, On Campus, Science and Tech

NEWS: USTEM aims to lower statistics of first-year dropouts, STEM major switches

NEWS: USTEM aims to lower statistics of first-year dropouts, STEM major switches By Mireilly GonzalezManaging EditorPublished Thursday, March 23, 2023 TAMIU plans to offer a learning opportunity soon for incoming freshmen with a declared STEM major. The USTEM program offers accepted students a stipend of $3,500, along with opportunities to research and network with different people. In the USTEM program, students research their interested topics and work in teams. Students also have an out-of-town trip every year. This year, freshmen expect to visit the Southwest Research Institute. Program manager Leonela Preciado said these out-of-town trips help students network because they can meet various researchers, scientists and engineers. Preciado added that students also benefit fro...
NEWS: Security cameras added across campus
Law and Justice, News, On Campus

NEWS: Security cameras added across campus

NEWS: Security cameras added across campus By Mireilly GonzalezManaging EditorPublished Tuesday, March 21, 2023 Recently, TAMIU added security cameras around campus. They report back wirelessly. One of the people who oversees this project is Senior Director of Clery Compliance and Contact Administration Trevor Liddle. “We began the purchasing process actually last spring—a little over a year ago,” Liddle said. “We were able to get the cameras … here in the fall and we began the testing and programming phase, and we rolled them out into general use in January. So we actually have them, right now, stationed and they’re highly visible.” Joy Davis | BridgeOne of the new campus security cameras attached to one of the campus buildings. In 2022 alone, there were six hit-and-runs...
FEATURE: New police chief focuses on training officers, improving campus outreach
Law and Justice, News, On Campus

FEATURE: New police chief focuses on training officers, improving campus outreach

FEATURE: New police chief focuses on training officers, improving campus outreach By Mireilly GonzalezManaging EditorPublished Tuesday, March 21, 2023 About seven months into her tenure as TAMIU’s new police chief, Cordelia G. Perez focuses on officer training and improving community outreach. She started the leadership position on Aug. 1, 2022. Recently, she collaborated with Border Patrol to train her officers on fingerprinting. Mireilly Gonzalez | BridgeTAMIU Police Department Chief Cordelia Perez “We’ve [started to work] very closely with other agencies like Laredo PD, federal agencies like the FBI, the [Drug Enforcement Agency], and the [Webb County] Sheriff’s Department to name just a few,” Perez said. “We’ve been able to bring two classes already, one was the basic fi...
CAMPUS: TAMIU pond cleanup ‘destructive’ says ecology professor
On Campus, Science and Tech

CAMPUS: TAMIU pond cleanup ‘destructive’ says ecology professor

CAMPUS: TAMIU pond cleanup ‘destructive’ says ecology professor By Jaime GurrolaBridge Contributing WriterPublished Thursday, March 9, 2023 The number of native wildlife normally found at the pond near the University Village at TAMIU declined recently. The cleanup and beautification efforts may be to blame, one professor claims. The pond near the UV is one of the first sights many people see when they visit TAMIU. Over the years, many volunteers cleaned and beautified the pond. These volunteer efforts included the removal of trash, clearing trees, removing large logs and branches from the pond, and releasing chlorinated water into the pond. Joy Davis | BridgeThe sun reflects off the water of the biology pond on campus, on Feb. 21. “I would say that what they’ve done hasn’t c...
FEATURE: President Arenaz advises students about careers
Education, Features, Humans of TAMIU, On Campus, Professor Profile

FEATURE: President Arenaz advises students about careers

FEATURE: President Arenaz advises students about careers By Mireilly GonzalezManaging EditorPublished Thursday, March 9, 2023 TAMIU President Pablo Arenaz spoke to students at the Office of Career Services about his career journey. The Office of Career Services staff welcomed students into the breakroom. Coffee, cookies, and brownies were provided on a table at the back during the Feb. 1 event. This is Arenaz’s seventh year at TAMIU and his job experiences include being an assistant, associate, and full professor of biology. Mireilly Gonzalez | BridgeTAMIU President Pablo Arenaz speaks to students about careers and mentors. “In high school, I fell in love with biology,” Arenaz said of the start of his career path. “So when I went away to college, I knew exactly what I was...
FEATURE: Alumnus shares journey of pride association, activism
Alumni, Humans of TAMIU, On Campus

FEATURE: Alumnus shares journey of pride association, activism

FEATURE: Alumnus shares journey of pride association, activism By Mireilly GonzalezManaging EditorPublished Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2023 TAMIU alumnus Jorge Quijano stepped onto school grounds again to talk to students about breaking ground in LGBTQ+ activism.  Students gathered at the STC 231, back in October 2022, to hear Quijano’s discussion on activism titled Advancing Laredo’s LGBT community. Quijano graduated in 2009 with a bachelor’s in communication and a minor in marketing. Today, he’s the founder and president of Gateway City Pride Association and a marketing manager at Sames Auto Arena. Mireilly Gonzalez | BridgeTAMIU alumnus Jorge Quijano, left, speaks during a LGBTQ+ rights event held on Oct. 12, 2022. GCPA continued its pride parade and festival with drag perfor...
City continues courts complex construction
News, On Campus, Sports

City continues courts complex construction

City continues courts complex construction By Silvia BlancoBridge contributing writerPublished Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2022 [Editor’s Note: This is ongoing coverage of the tennis courts construction, which The Bridge began reporting on in 2019 by David Gomez Jr. and continued with a story by Leslie Villafana Martinez on April 3, 2021. Our most recent story was by Cristian Alardin on Nov. 19, 2021.] Despite delays, construction continues on the city’s new tennis courts located at TAMIU. In an effort to bring a new tennis facility to Laredo, the city and Texas A&M International University partnered to make the complex a reality. The completed City of Laredo Tennis Complex at TAMIU is expected to include 18 courts, concession stands and locker rooms. The courts were originally sl...
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