If you have ever been to an event at Tarleton State University, and there was music playing, you probably saw a guy jamming out to the music coming from the speakers.

This guy is known as Chewy, and he is a senior from Las Fresnos, Texas. At the age of 24, John Joe Garza is in his sixth year and final semester here at Tarleton and is not only a student but also has six jobs.

The nickname ‘Chewy’ originated from Garza’s fraternity brothers in Delta Chi. “Everyone in Delta Chi gets a nickname,” Garza said. “It originally started as CooCooCaChoo, and then it started morphing and changing. It changed to Choo-Choo, then eventually it turned into just Chewy.”

Garza is a math major with an emphasis in computer science. Eventually, he wants to go to graduate school for data mining, which is the process of analyzing a large amount of data in a database as to discover patterns or relationships, according to dictionary.com.

“Math keeps my full attention,” Garza said. “So no matter what I have going on, I always have to give my complete focus to math. I’m able to put everything away.”

Garza works at six different jobs throughout the week. Besides being the resident DJ at City Limits on Thursday nights, he also works at H.E.B in the deli section making sandwiches and salads for the entire day, he is the project manager at the Rec Center where he helps organize many activities including the tailgates for sporting events, and he also has two different tutoring jobs that he makes time for during the week.

For his sixth job, Garza started his own DJ business called E.P.I.C (Every Party Is Crazy).

When asked why he decided to open his own business Garza said “I like to do it and it’s nice to have a little extra spending money”.

On top of his multiple jobs, Garza is also an active member in a number of on-campus organizations. He is a Tarleton Ambassador, a Texan Rep, and also the risk management officer for the Math Club, Tarleton Ambassadors and the Rec Center.

Garza has been a Tarleton Transition Mentor for the past four years, attending 10 duck camps in that time. He is a member of S.W.A.T and the Delta Chi fraternity as well.

“I decided to really start getting more involved in Tarleton, and give back to it what it has given to me,” Garza said.

A normal day for Garza changes daily. However, his schedule usually starts off with waking up at three in the morning to get ready for work at H.E.B at four. Since he does not have a car, Garza walks everywhere he needs to go. But he says he enjoys it.

“It’s a really good time to think about things,” Garza said.

Once he gets to H.E.B., he works a five hour long shift, then walks back home to get ready for school.

By ten o’clock he is in his computer networks class, a senior level computer science course, learning about fiber-optics and electrical outlets’ ability to send data.

After class, Garza usually enjoys lunch at Chic-fil-A on campus with some of his friends in other fraternities.

“Lately, some of the Delta Chi’s and the Farmhouse guys have been sitting in the back corner of the Student Center for lunch,” Garza said. “We’re starting to call it ‘Greek Island’ since a lot of the other Greeks have started sitting there too.”

Next on his agenda is a computer lab that overlaps time into his abstract algebra class, and then he goes to two different tutoring sessions.

“I love tutoring because of that ‘Eureka!’ moment that happens whenever someone finally gets what you’re trying to teach them,” Garza said.

Garza gets to City Limits by 9 p.m. to make sure he has plenty of time to set up his equipment and get ready to play.

 “A lot of people think that I’m the country DJ on Thursday nights, too, so they come up to me and request country songs,” Garza said. “But I only play the hip-hop music.”

Around 10:30 p.m. is when Garza takes over the music and starts to play hip-hop, which plays until about 11:40 p.m.

According to Garza, his favorite thing to do is sleep.

“I always say that sleep is my first girlfriend,” Garza said. “I want to be with her so much, but life constantly keeps us apart.”

After sleeping, being a DJ is his favorite thing to do.

“I usually don’t have time to go out and have fun during the week, so when I DJ I get to go to the bar and see people and dance and have fun,” Garza said.

“The thing I love most about Tarleton is the thing that brought me here in the first place,” Garza said. “I come from a town where if you open the door for someone, they don’t even acknowledge you. Here, if you open the door for someone, they’re going to say thank you. I love the friendly atmosphere, and the family aspect of it..”

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