Category: Community

Community, Sports

Introducing USL soccer club to the Coastal Bend

Isabella Skinner

Currently sitting at number nine in the USL League One Rankings, Corpus Christi FC is well on its way to completing its first season as a professional team. CCFC leads the league in clean sheets and holds their own in other categories. They have players from five different continents, bringing in representation from all over the globe. Defenders Blake Bowen: At 25 years old, Bowen is playing his fourth year professionally. Born in San Clemente, California, Bowen attended San Diego State University, was drafted by the MLS team Seattle Sounders, and played for MLS NEXT PRO under Tacoma Defiance. He…

Community, Entertainment, Music

Rappers delight in collabs at monthly SmokeWalk

Rogelio Garcia

Ryan De La Paz, also known as CEE T, performed at the Aug. 8 SmokeWalk in downtown Corpus Christi hosted by DJ Lill King and the Riding High Podcast. Rappers were on and off the stage all night, with different music groups, genres, and styles of rap being displayed. “I was performing some new, catchier releases, my two hit songs “Bop Yo Head” and “In My Prime,” said CEE T. “I was really trying to show people my stage presence while coming back into performing shows after my songs started blowing up, a big milestone of mine.” SmokeWalk began in…

Campus, Community, Education, Texas

Gov. Abbott pushes for less tech in Texas classrooms

Victor Herrera

Gov. Greg Abbott visited Del Mar College Aug. 13, to support lessened screentime in K-12 education in Texas. Abbott was joined by state reps. Denise Villalobos and Todd Hunter, along with school administrators, superintendents and Del Mar College staff at the Lichtenstein Center for Early Learning on Heritage Campus. He unveiled the push to limit screentime in part of a broader plan to make Texas the nation’s top state in education for Pre-K-12. According to U.S. News and World Report, Texas is currently ranked 30th for best Pre-K-12 education. “My solution is to create a learning environment that prioritizes physical…

Community, South Texas Stories, Sports

Women rooted in faith gather in Corpus Christi

Isabella Skinner

Community initiative She’s Rooted hosted its first event, “Prayers & Pilates,” at the Solomon P. Ortiz Center on Aug. 20, featuring vendors and a guided Pilates class, with Church Unlimited present to take prayer requests and pray over the event attendees.  The event was announced on Instagram and TikTok on July 27, with the event initially supposed to take place at Cole Park. Attendees were required to RSVP.   Within 24 hours, She’s Rooted met a 500-person cap on RSVPs, prompting a venue change from Cole Park to the Ortiz Center in order to accommodate the new group size.  Flash forward to the event itself:…

Community, Featured, Features, South Texas Stories, Texas

Beyond Sex : Coastal Bend Kink Weekend

Victor Herrera

A three-day convention held in Corpus Christi this summer sought to educate, entertain and create shared community around one central unifier: kink. The event, Coastal Bend Kink Weekend, took place August 14-16 as a safe space for like-minded individuals to engage with a variety of kinks, attend educational lectures, and see physical demonstrations on how to best practice a particular kink safely and consensually. The evening hours featured entertainment and the Play Space, a dungeon area where people could engage in their kinks openly, though with strict rules: no cell phones, no one under 21 years of age, and perhaps…

Community, Drama, Entertainment, South Texas Stories, Theater

Beyond the stage: Robyn Valentine builds community through drag

Arianna Rios

A federal judge ruled Aug. 25 that Texas’ restrictions on certain drag show performances were unconstitutional. The ruling pauses the enforcement of Senate Bill 12, which restricts certain sexually oriented performances on public property or in the presence of minors, and had been temporarily in effect since March while the case was being appealed. For Corpus Christi drag performer and show producer Robyn Valentine, the challenges surrounding drag extend beyond legislation and into the local entertainment industry. “It has been more challenging to find venues willing to work with us,” Valentine said in a June 19 interview. “They’re afraid of…

Community, Entertainment

Anime convention Star Con Texas debuts in Portland Sept. 5

David Phillips

The Starving Artist Collective will host Star Con Texas in the Portland Community Center from 1-8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 5. The one-day anime convention will focus on the local art and anime community in the Coastal Bend. The collective describes it as an event “created by artist and anime fans for artist and anime fans.” Events include a cosplay contest, a One-Piece TCG tournament, and a Warhammer 40K speed painting competition. In addition, attendees can expect a concert performance by Chrysalia, and an artist alley stocked with local artists. Star Con organizers are focusing on making the event affordable for…

Community, South Texas Stories, Texas

Texas Democratic Convention: Bernie Sanders speaks on the importance of solidarity

Priscilla Barba

The three-day Texas Democratic Convention had appeared to be the largest Democratic party hosted in Corpus Christi, Texas. The weekend was finalized with a speech from U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders. Sanders has been the senior U.S. Senator from Vermont since 2006 and is the longest-serving independent member of Congress in U.S. history. Since his early career in the civil rights movement protesting segregated campus housing, Sanders has fought for the middle class and equality. Sanders’ speech covered topics surrounding wealth inequality, healthcare costs, housing affordability, and the urgency for political and voting participation. The Hilliard Center arena was filled with…

Community, Texas

Texas Democrats rally in Corpus Christi for three-day state convention

Victor Herrera

Thousands of delegates arrived in Corpus Christi Thursday, June 25 for the Texas Democratic Convention, giving a boost not only to the local economy but to the overall morale of the convention via concerts and shared values.  Many arrived from all over Texas to the Hilliard Center to find common ground with like-minded individuals who wish to turn the state blue.  Democratic candidates spoke with delegates, as they wish to represent their needs in the upcoming November elections. Events and activities included performances by mariachi bands and traditional Mexican folklorico dancers, along with a Donor Appreciation Reception at the Art Museum…

Community

Breaking down the Corpus Christi water crisis: What each stage means for you

Arwen Scafidi

Corpus Christi will likely reach a Level 1 water emergency by September 2026, according to city officials. As a result, the city is now enforcing severe water restrictions Restrictions include a ban on all outdoor watering, prohibiting home vehicle washing (commercial car washes are exempt), and limiting other activities that have higher-level water usage. The city began enforcing these restrictions once it declared the water crisis at Stage 3 in December 2024. Non-compliance citations were being issued starting in January and the Stage 3 water drought status has remained in place since.   During a city council workshop presentation April…