Oct 4, 2006 by The Wichitan

THE WICHITAN The Student Voice of Midwestern State University

Wednesday Oct. 4, 2006

Fracas between two fraternities leaves one injured JAMES PIERCE FOR THE WICHITAN

Sophia Rodriguez, director of student development who deals with the Greek system, remained mum Tuesday about an altercation that broke out between members of two fraternities, that left one student injured. A confrontation between members of Omega Delta Phi and Kappa

Alpha occurred Sept. 22, after several Omega Delta Phi members drove to the Kappa Alpha house. Omega Delta Phi members were reportedly asked to leave and a ﬁght broke out. It is unknown who instigated the ﬁght or what it was about. According to a witness, alcohol was involved. Wichita Falls police were never summoned. Police records show the matter was never reported.

Omega Delta Phi member David Odell was treated for facial injuries at a hospital emergency room. Odell would neither conﬁrm nor deny reports that he intended to press charges in district court. He said he had been instructed by Josh Ortiz, Omega Delta Phiʼs regional director in Carolton, not to talk. Ortiz conﬁrmed that he had told all members of the fraternity not to talk to the press.

Ortiz said he planned to have a conference call with Rodriguez Tuesday or Wednesday. He said his ofﬁce planned to conduct its own investigation “to get the matter resolved as soon as possible.” He refused to go into detail. Repeated attempts to contact Rodriguez were unsuccessful. Rodriguez told a Wichitan reporter she would be in meetings all day Tuesday and had no time to discuss

the incident. She later agreed to be interviewed but remained unreachable, and left the university for the day without getting back to The Wichitan. Janus Buss, director of public information, said she knew nothing about the ﬁght between the two fraternities. Omega Delta Phi was one of four fraternities put on alcohol probation in September 2004, following

a drunken brawl at the Tau Kappa Epsilon House. Wichita Falls police had to break up a ﬁght between 30 to 40 fraternity members. A Greek Conduct Committee was created following the incident to deal with future disorderly conduct within the Greek community at MSU. Ortiz said his fraternity was no longer on probation.

Athletic director loses his position

Shelton Hawkinsʼ 90 pair shoe collection mixes recent trends with an old-school ﬂair

ADRIAN MCCANDLESS | PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Shelton Hawkins lies among his unique collection of shoes.

KRYSTLE CAREY MANAGING EDITOR White and blue Adidas boxes tower above the cushions of Shelton Hawkinsʼ blue sofa, clashing with the orange and brown Nike boxes piled around his coffee table. Sneakers peer through plastic bags emblazoned “Ross,” “Dollar General” and

other stores. As Hawkins lifts the lid of one shoebox, his brown eyes glisten like a kid on Christmas morning. “Shoes are my conﬁdence,” said the senior art major with a grin. They must be. He owns about 90 pairs of them. Hawkins has loved getting new shoes since the second

grade. After bugging his mom to get him a pair of Nike Air Force Ones with the strap on the back, heʼs become something of an addict. “Iʼm a Christmas baby, so Iʼm naturally spoiled,” said Hawkins who was born Dec. 25, 1980. While growing up in Baltimore, he refused to play a basketball game without having a brand-

new pair of shoes. Each month, his mom sends him about four new pairs of shoes, size 11 1/2. Since she mails them in one box, Hawkins puts each pair in plastic store bags to keep them from getting coated with dust. All the other shoes he buys, however, he keeps in their original box. “Gotta keep your shoes right,” he said. Although he has a shoe obsession, he doesnʼt have to buy the most expensive pairs. Hawkins said he likes to take risks when he makes his purchases. “I might see a shoe thatʼs on the clearance rack for $9 that everyone else passes up, but I say, ʻyou know what, I can make that shoe look all right,ʼ” Hawkins said. Hawkins said many people buy shoes because of the brand. However, he isnʼt a snob. It all depends on the look of the shoe, he said. A year ago, Hawkins made a $19 purchase of plain, black Reebok S.Carters. “Someone might think these

LATIA BANKS FOR THE WICHITAN

shoes are really plain, but I gave them a chance because I might really like them,” he said. He puts his own style into some shoes by painting them and tying them in a special way. “Everyone else laces their shoes kind of regular,” Hawkins said. “I always skip one and go in the inside.” “I never rush to wear my shoes,” he confided. “I never wear my shoes unless I feel like I have something to wear with them.” He said he has shoes that he bought three or four years ago that he has never worn and are still in the box. Some people revolve their shoes around a certain outfit, but Hawkins selects his shoes first then what will go with them. Hawkins said he is into the bright, flashy colors at the moment. He favors the styles of the late 80s and early 90s. “Shoes back then were way better than shoes that are coming out now,” Hawkins said. “Back in the 80s having good shoes meant something.”

In a surprise shakeup, MSUʼs athletic director has been demoted and its associate athletic director fired. Kurt Portmann has agreed to step down as athletic director and resume his previous title as associate athletic director. Andy Austin, associate athletic director and former head of public relations, was fired. Austin had held his current position for one year. No specific reasons were given for either action by MSU President Jesse Rogers who met with coaches last week. Austin could not be reached for comment. “It came as a shock to the staff,” said Bill Powers, director of sports information. Beginning Oct. 15, Ed Harris, a retired athletic director from West Texas A&M University in Canyon, will come in temporarily. Harris was athletic director at WTAMU for 11 years and has seen many conferences as well as national championships. Rogers said Harris has had 25 to 30 years of experience as an athletic director at three universities. “He comes with very high recommendations,” Rogers said. Harris was inducted into the University of North Carolina Asheville Hall of Fame. He was also acknowledged as the outstanding athletic director for division two in the western United States. In a press release, Rogers said he was pleased Portmann agreed on the change. “We appreciate all that Kurt has done. I believe he has a good future in athletic administration,” Rogers said. “Iʼm pleased with the athletes and coaches weʼve brought in. I simply want to take steps to be sure weʼre getting the most in our athletic administration.” Rogers said MSU gets many benefits from the program yet some were lacking. “I want athletics to be a very visible feature of the university. I want to do that in a high quality manner,” Rogers said. “We need an up-todate Web site and we need to promote our athletics program better.” Portmann said he sees the change as an opportunity. “I think in the long run it will be beneficial for myself and the school. It will be good to learn from someone who has been around for a number of years at the collegiate level,” he said. Rogers said he is unsure when a search will begin for a permanent athletic director. He said the decision would be up to Portmann.

See Shoes page 4

Helping others, earning money RANDALL MOBLEY FOR THE WICHITAN

INSIDE

Many college students have troubles when it comes to the ﬁnancial aspect of their lives. Donating plasma is a way to relieve some of the pressure on oneʼs wallet. DCI Biologicals, a local business here in Wichita Falls, has helped and is helping students earn extra money by giving them the option of donating plasma. Before donating, a few guidelines have to be met. Students that are eligible for donating must weigh at least 110 pounds, have no history of hepatitis, have not gotten a tattoo or body piercing in the last 12 months, have not had a prolonged residence in Europe, no history of cancer and must live within 125 miles of the donating center. “I like the thought of making money without having to work,”

said Nate Pierce, junior business major. Many students like Pierce have bills to pay. Donating plasma takes about two hours on the initial visit and one hour each subsequent visit. “People donʼt think $15 or $20 is much money, but twice a week for a month adds up,” Pierce said. Money isnʼt the only driving force for students to donate plasma. For many students, the cause is more important than the money. “I like to think that when I donate plasma, someone who needs it is getting it. Although having the extra money each month isnʼt bad, I would still do it for free,” said Jonathon Barnes, freshman music major. Human plasma can be used to help many things such as bleeding disorders, genetic defects and to create new drugs for Staph infections in newborns.

‘School for Scoundrels’ New comedy lacks the laughs. page 5

Donating plasma isnʼt for everyone. There are those who are wary of donating. “I hate needles. You wouldnʼt catch me dead around that place,” senior Gairry Stewart said. Stewart said he doesnʼt understand why anyone would want to go through a draining experience like that. Some side effects of donating plasma are light-headedness during and after the procedure or slight bruising from the needle. Students also do not need to be afraid of being at risk for disease while donating. Each time a student donates, a new pack of equipment is used. Donors can safely donate plasma twice a week with a 48-hour period between donations. To set up a donation call DCI Biologicals at (940) 763-0300 or stop by their ofﬁce at 1908 9th St. #D.

SUNKYU YOO-NORRIS | THE WICHITAN

Mens soccer beats undefeated team Mens Soccer shocks Fort Lewis 3-1. page 7

Mustang football continues streak Mustangs advance to 5-0 for the season. page 8

Sweepstakes Winner 2006 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

THE WICHITAN

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Oct. 4, 2006

Staff Editorial

No school safe Recently, a number of school shootings have occurred across the nation with three of these devastating crimes taking place in a weekʼs time:

• Oct. 2, 2006, a 31-year-old disgruntled milk-truck driver, Charles Carl Roberts IV, carried two guns into an Amish school in Pennsylvania and opened ﬁre on a dozen girls. He killed three of the victims execution style before shooting himself. Two more died later in the hospital. • Sept. 29, 2006, Eric Hainstock, 15, shot and killed

his school principal in Cazenovia, Wis. He was angry because the principal reprimanded him for having tobacco on school grounds.

• Sept. 27, 2006, 53-year-old Duane Morrison sexually assaulted six girls at a high school in Bailey, Colo. and then used them as a human shield against law enforcement officers before killing one of the victims as well as himself. On Oct. 3, 2002, the World Health Organization (WHO) reported in the first World Report on Violence and Health that each year more than 1.6 million lives are lost worldwide due to violence, the leading cause of death for people between the ages of 15-44. It also stated that youth violence was on the rise. Psychologist James Presscott researched the cause of violence in an anthropological sense. He stated that repression of sexuality, the punishment of children and lack of mother-child bonding are the cause of violent societies. However, authorities in the case of Hainstock stated that the teen had complained about being teased by other students and decided to confront non-caring teachers and the principal with a shotgun and handgun, which he had “acquired” from the bedroom of his parents. That doesnʼt sound like repression of sexuality. And the milk-truck driver? He was man with a grudge who called his wife during the police stand-off by cell phone and told her that he was getting even for some longago offense. State Police Commissioner Jeffrey B. Miller stated that the gunman told his wife that he had molested young children decades ago and he left a note saying he had “dreams of molesting again.” That doesnʼt sound like the punishment of a child. In addition, in the case of Morrison, who sexually assaulted the young girls, he had chosen the girls based on hair color. According to authorities, he had “apparently favored blondes.” Does that sound like a lack of mother-child bonding? What are school and government officials going to do to stop this slaughter of innocents? Commission more police officers to protect and guard the schools and campus across the nation? Spend more tax dollars on metal detectors and stateof-the-art surveillance equipment to protect students and teachers? Build 20-foot tall cement walls with barbed wire strewn across the top and hire a small army of security and guard dogs to protect the seekers and teachers of education? According to the book “Less Law” by Irvin Waller, U.S. taxpayers spend more money each year on police, prisons and judges – a record $200 billion. Waller states that the standard way of responding to crime is ineffective. He believes that addressing the social issues that lead to crime will contribute to creating a safer society and keep kids and adults from taking the wrong path toward a life of crime. So before government and school officials place another brick in the wall, they should do something that the criminals in these public school shootings failed to do – think before they act.

3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 • Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 News Desk (940) 397-4704 • Advertising Desk (940) 397-4705 Fax (940) 397-4025 • E-mail WICHITAN@mwsu.edu Web site: http://www.wichitan.mwsu.edu Copyright © 2006. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. The Wichitan reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication. Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reﬂect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University. First copy of the paper is free of charge; additional copies are $1. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address for veriﬁcation purposes. The editor retains the right to edit letters.

Falls Fest brings out animal in humans

T h i s weekend I decided to go to Wichita Falls annual Falls Fest at Lucy Park. I am convinced that the majority of people who CARRIE SULLIVAN attend events EDITOR-IN-CHIEF like this slip through an invisible portal somewhere that de-evolves their brains to a more Neanderthal-like state. I met up with a couple friends at about 7 p.m. We entered the gates and emerged into the land of festivities. A sea of tattooed biker guys and gals appeared before me. That was cool, but I was really looking forward to seeing the main event, Bo Bice, not really for his music, but for his gorgeous long hair. Carrying our folding chairs, my friends and I found a really great spot close to the main stage where The Mammals were playing their last song. I thought it might be fun to buy a funnel cake, so I took off in search of a ticket booth. I spotted one when all of a sudden the entire right side of my body became drenched in cold water. It scared the daylights out of me. I looked up (with a glint of ﬁre in my eyes) to see a teenage girl some

distance off, smiling like an ape and holding a water gun. What was this? A water park? Okay, I thought. Itʼs the environment. People get a little crazy. Itʼs all in good fun. But it was still irritating. Next, I stood in line to get my tickets when two very large, very tipsy men behind me started griping at the top of their lungs at how much the beer tickets were. I turned around and came face to face with a thick beard and rancid breath. The gorilla winked at me and I quickly turned around, wishing I had a potato sack to put over my head. I got my tickets for my funnel cake and began to stride away. I heard gorilla order not one, not two, but 10 beer tickets. Somebody was going to have a headache tomorrow. I found the funnel cake booth. At about that time, I realized how many children were at the event. The place was crawling with youngsters. They were hanging off their parentsʼ arms, running through the dirt—and kicking it up into my quickly clogging sinuses—and screaming for more junk food. Now, I like children but when a little monkey boy is screaming at the top of his lungs for more tickets and then throwing himself on the ground and wailing if he doesnʼt get his way, itʼs time for a spanking. Pity a lot of parents donʼt understand this fact. Iʼm sorry, new age

psychologists, but a good whack with a belt is a necessity sometimes. Trust me. It will not ruin their selfesteem. It will save them from being killed later in life. Back at the stage, I devoured my funnel cake and sneezed and listened to The Fabulous Thunderbirds and sneezed and dreamed about getting to see Bo Biceʼs hair very soon and I sneezed. Good grief, there was so much dirt in the air. The band was pretty good. Couples began to get a little cozy as they danced. People shook their butts and bobbed their heads and held their beers high. Iʼm sure the blood content was lowering in their alcohol system with every gulp. A good example of this was the shirtless man in front of me. He kicked back bottle after bottle of brew until he began to sway, dragging his arms like an orangutan. I watched until the inevitable moment when he fell to the side in the clumsiest way imaginable and sent a whirlwind of dust into my face. I sneezed some more. And laughed at him. And sneezed. My eyes began to water. I turned to my friend, having to yell over the music, and said something to her about the mall. Because of my demolished sinuses, “mall” came out sounding like “ball.” It took us about ﬁve minutes to get straight what the heck I was saying. Giving up on the conversation,

I noticed an elderly monkey standing holding a stuffed animal, her boobs down to her knees, her hair in a bun. She smoked a cigarette and smiled, showing one remaining tooth. Sights like that make one realize that despite all your troubles, your life could be worse. Before the main attraction, Bo Bice, stepped onstage, a drunk guy fell down, ﬁreworks ﬁlled the air and every teenager this side of the equator crowded in front of us. What was up with that? Weʼd gotten there two hours early to get a good seat. But it was no use. A plethora of primates were now blocking our view, jumping on each otherʼs backs, as if that might help them get closer to Bo Bice. The star of the evening ran onstage to the sound of roaring screams. The audience just went nuts. I mean, it was as if Led Zeppelin had stepped onstage. Wow. Okay, Bo Bice is cool and he can rock out, but heʼs no Led Zeppelin. Come on, people. Then again, this is Wichita Falls. We didnʼt stay for the whole set. We thought it best to escape before the monkeys got in their cars and we had a real problem. But before we left, I maneuvered my head around the climbing apes and caught a couple of precious glimpses of Bo Biceʼs beautiful hair, which Iʼm glad to say made every sneeze I endured worth it.

If you are a person who is looking for an opinion on political matters such as freedom of speech, whom I think should run for ofﬁce next, or the war in Iraq then this might CARLY BURRES not be the colFOR THE WICHITAN umn for you. If you are someone who wants to read a column about how livid I am about the raise in tuition, how corrupt I believe the campus cops to be, or how Time Warner has angered me by making the CW a subscription only channel, then this is the wrong place for you as well. But if you are a person who is just trying to ﬁnd some easy reading and maybe some advice to use to get through life, or just the day, then this is the place to look. For here I offer to you a list of advice that just might help you to get through all of the trials and tribulations that one

must encounter on a daily basis. So read and enjoy. 10. There are no material objects that a person just canʼt “live without.” Whenever the question arises “what is one thing you canʼt live without?” I struggle because when I really think about that, I canʼt think of one single material possession that I canʼt live without. There are tons of things that I would be incredibly sad to lose, and it would be hard to live without them, but I can live without everything that I have. What I canʼt live without are my friends and my family. 9. Never doubt your friends. When you think that youʼre friends are doing you wrong, donʼt. More than likely you are just being paranoid and all you are going to end up doing is starting trouble. If they are doing you wrong, then you will ﬁnd out in due time. Everything will work out the way it is meant to. 8. Donʼt be afraid to show emotions. Iʼm emotionally retarded and sometimes I wish I wasnʼt. This is something that I have to work on. But donʼt be afraid to tell people you love them, donʼt be afraid to cry

when you need to, donʼt be afraid to give hugs to those you care about. You miss out on too much when you donʼt show people you care. 7. Work out. Find some form of working out that you enjoy and that works for you. Working out isnʼt only about staying ﬁt and healthy, but itʼs a stress reliever. If you ﬁnd the right thing it makes you happy, it frees your heart and your soul of all those heavy things that weigh you down. Even if itʼs only for an hour or so. 6. Donʼt let the small things get you down. Itʼs alright to complain about the small things in your life that go wrong and all those things that hurt you. Just because it sucks, doesnʼt mean that you wonʼt move on. If you spend all of your time stressing out about the small stuff, then you wonʼt have time to enjoy life. So complain about it and then get over it and move on. 5. Donʼt be afraid to dance. If you are alone in youʼre room or out with your friends at a club, itʼs all right to dance if you feel like it. It doesnʼt matter if other people think you dance badly as long as you are

dancing because you want to. Dancing is about having fun and expressing you, so dance away. 4. Work hard for what you want. Donʼt let everything be handed to you on a silver platter. The harder you work for something the more its worth to you. 3. Never be afraid to do something. If you feel like talking to someone, then talk to him or her. If you feel like jumping in your car with your best friend and driving to Lawton just for a quick fix of Chick-fil-A, then do it. Itʼs all right to not know how things are going to turn out. Itʼs just a matter of taking chances. 2. Donʼt have any regrets. Every stupid, smart, silly and embarrassing thing you do is done for a purpose. Whether you know it or not. So just suck it up and deal with it. 1. Everything happens for a reason. Iʼve been through a lot in the last few years, and Iʼve come to realize that every thing that happens to you, big or little, happens for a specific reason. You have to take everything that is thrown at you and use it the best you can.

Key to happiness in just 10 easy steps

THE WICHITAN Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief Carrie Sullivan Managing Editor Krystle Carey Entertainment Editor Jason Kimbro Sports Editor Josh Mujica Opinions Editor Christian McPhate Photo Editor Adrian McCandless

Reporters Matt Hulme Richard Carter LaTia Banks Tiffany Mercer Photographers T.J. Hornbeck Hershel Self Graphic Artist SunKyu Yoo-Norris

Advertising Manager Josh Leal Cartoonist David Stephenson

Adviser Randy Pruitt

OP-ED

Genocide continues in Africa

A c cording to an article in the Journal of Science, the number of people killed in Sudanʼs Darfur CHRISTIAN MCPHATE c o n OPINIONS EDITOR flict has reached into the hundreds of thousands. By using scientific sampling techniques and data from camps for displaced persons, researchers estimated that as many as 255,000 people have died, though they believe the actual number may be much higher. “We could easily be talking about 400,000 deaths,” said Dr. John Hagan, a sociologist and author of the article. The Darfur genocide is an ongoing military action between the Sudanese government and the rebels of the Darfur region of the Sudan, the largest country in Africa (about the size of everything east of the Mississippi). The area is a crossroad of civilizations, connecting different cultures, rebel organizations and religions from the forest of Africa to the deserts of the Middle East. In early 2003, two local rebel groups, the Justice and Equality Movement and the Sudan Liberation Movement accused the Sudanese government of oppressing non-Arabs in favor of Arabs. The United Nationʼs International Commission of Inquiry on the Darfur reported that the starting point of the conflict in Darfur region began in February 2003, when rebels attacked police stations, army outposts and military convoys, and the government had engaged in a massive land and air assault on a rebel stronghold in the Marrah mountains.

However, the conﬂict was also political in nature. The Sudanese government in Khartoum never shared wealth and power fairly with the people of Darfur. “Citing attacks by rebels in the area, the government of Sudan recruited a tribe of Arab nomads, known as the Janjaweed, who have long resented the Africans of Darfur, due to land disputes and ethnic difference,” Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said to the members of the African Society of the National Summit on Africa. “Funded, armed and encouraged by the Sudanese government, the Janjaweed attacked village after village in Darfur – torturing and executing the men and the boys; beating and raping the women and the girls.” In her speech, Rice said that a breakthrough on this front [genocide] came in May, with the negotiation of the Darfur Peace Agreement. “This document does not create peace; it outlines the principles of peace, and creates a political framework to realize them,” she said. However, this document failed to communicate the necessities of the Bush administrationʼs political peace framework. The government knew that they had accomplished absolutely nothing with the “peace agreement” because not all of the rebel groups had signed the “framework for peace.” Why do politicians constantly speak in half-truths? They use an intellectual framework to phrase words that say absolutely nothing. “If the government of the Sudan chooses cooperation – then it will ﬁnd a dedicated partner in the United States,” Rice said. “But, if the Sudanese government chooses confrontation – if it continues waging a war against its own citizens, challenging the African Union, undermining the peacekeeping force, and

threatening the international community – then the regime (notice the change in description of the government) in Khartoum will be held responsible, and it alone will bear the consequences of its actions.” What kind of consequences will they face? The only ones that Rice pointed to in her speech was the one on U.N. sanctions. However, given the fact that the United States has already imposed sanctions on the “regime” in Khartoum, I somehow doubt this will deter the Sudanese government. Why canʼt this administration take a stand for once and tell the truth: “Citizens of Darfur, we are truly sorry for your genocidal troubles, but we are unable to implement any kind of punishment upon your killers because we are up to our arses in debt with the reconstruction (occupation) of Iraq, our focus is on trying to prevent the threat of terrorists who are constantly attacking our country in secret, our southern borders are being overrun by illegal aliens and we are wanting to build a giant wall similar to the Naziʼs Berlin wall to keep them out while ensuring our nationʼs entrance into heaven by bringing the bloodied sword of peace to the Middle East.” In the meantime, thousands of lives will continue to be slaughtered each day as the machine of capitalistic democracy slowly begins to take root in a soil saturated with the blood of innocent children. “We will continue to bend every ﬁber of our being to ease the suffering of people of Darfur, but our goal is, and must be, more ambitious than that: we do not want the people of Darfur to live forever in refugee camps; we want to help them return home and to live at peace,” Rice said. Indeed we do.

I was given an assignm e n t for this w e e k ʼs column. I was told to write something JASON KIMBRO the ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR in realms of politics in order to satisfy a few of our politic-hungry readers. Well, I am not particularly fashioned in the realm of political savvy thus my degree of political writing will be limited and mainly on the comedic side, surprise surprise. Since I am literally being forced by gunpoint to write a political column, I decided to rip off the sources of comedy from the Internet and give you all a sampling of some of the dumbest political quotes from the past few years. Most sites rank them but I will not. The ﬁrst quote comes from the Governator himself, Arnold Schwarzen “egger.” In 2003, in the height of the California recall, Ah-nuld had this to say about gay marriage, a quote that still somehow didnʼt affect his winning of the recall election: “I think that gay marriage should be between a man and a woman.” Very interesting. Iʼm sure there are many post-op women who would agree. Most people think I am solely a pro-democratic fella and anti-republican. Well, I have my share of dislikes for both donkeys and elephants. On the democratic side I have

this quote from Howard Dean to offer from his ill-fated presidential campaign: “I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks.” Yeehaw folks! I think he might have said that here in Wichita Falls. I could be wrong. My next quote comes from the Pentagonʼs own Oscar the grouch, Donald Rumsfeld: “Reports that say that something hasnʼt happened are always interesting to me, because as we know, there are known knowns; there are things we know we know. We also know there are known unknowns; that is to say we know there are some things we do not know. But there are also unknown unknowns – the ones we donʼt know we donʼt know.” What the hell is that supposed to mean? Oh! I know! Rumsfeld is full of crap! One of comedyʼs favorite political figures in recent decades has been Marion Barry, the Washington D.C. mayor who has always found an outlet for the stressors of being a mayor: “Outside of the killings, Washington has one of the lowest crime rates in the country.” Well, let me be the first to pack my bags and move to our nationʼs wondrous capital. Many of us have forgotten the verbal misfires of former Vice President Dan Quayle. From “I love California, I practically grew up in Phoenix,” to “Weʼre going to have the best educated American people in the world,” Quayle was brewing stew of unintentional hilarity that goes beyond the spelling of potato, or is it potatoe? One of my favorite Quayle quotes happened in September

1988, speaking on the horrors of the holocaust: “The Holocaust was an obscene period in our nationʼs history. I mean in this centuryʼs history. But we all lived in this century. I didnʼt live in this century.” The sad thing with Dan Quayle was that most of the time he had good intentions toward what he was about to say. He was just a bad fumbler of words, unlike our current president who is just a plain idiot. Over the years there have been many quotes by many former presidents that leave readers in shock and awe: “I have orders to be awakened at any time in case of a national emergency, even if Iʼm in a cabinet meeting.” – Ronald Reagan. “People who like this sort of thing will ﬁnd this the sort of thing they like.” – Abraham Lincoln. “When the president does it, that means that itʼs not illegal.” – Richard Nixon. Finally I want to give my readers a few of the inevitable Bushims that are plentiful across the World Wide Web. Some of my favorites include: “Too many good docs are getting out of the business. Too many OBGYNs arenʼt able to practice their love with women all across this nation.” “Iʼm honored to shake the hand of a brave Iraqi citizen who had his hand cut off by Suddam Hussein.” “I ﬁrmly believe the death tax is good for people from all walks of life all throughout our society.” Several years worth of Wichitans probably wouldnʼt cover the immense amount of ridiculous quotes by our beloved commander-inchief, but you all know that.

Politiciansʼ words of wisdom

–Letter to the editor– To whom it may concern: I am a junior here at Midwestern State University. I have been an avid reader of your paper since I transferred here last year. I donʼt mean to question any of you as writers, but the articles expressed in viewpoints are a disappointment. I have found them to be offensive and just down right immature. My

thoughts, are as a college newspaper the Wichitan needs to ﬁnd issues out in the real world that would challenge the reader. I donʼt feel challenged, I am upset at the language and lack of care on the writers parts to portray anything that is important. The Wichitan to me is not a college newspaper, it just seems people throw stuff together and call it a “newspaper.” My suggestion is

write about things that are important. You wouldnʼt ﬁnd any of the stuff you guys write about in the Dallas Morning News or USA Today. Please take my suggestions. I would like this paper to challenge my thoughts on a weekly basis. Thanks for taking your time to read. Katie Hoover

THE WICHITAN Oct. 4, 2006

Campus Voices Q: Would you donate your plasma or blood for money? “No, I wouldnʼt do it because itʼs selling your plasma. Youʼre not actually donating it. Getting money from it, doing it just for the money is doing it for the wrong reason. And if you do it too much, itʼs not good for your body.” – Adam Hegwar, 20, sophomore, political science and criminal justice major

“Iʼd donate plasma if I could. Iʼd do it to help people. Money would be secondary, I wouldnʼt care about that. Thereʼs a big demand for it from cancer patients and burn victims.” – Michelle Montgomery, 35, sophomore, criminal justice major

“I would never donate plasma for money. Iʼd give it to someone if they really, badly needed it, like life or death, but Iʼve heard bad things about it. Iʼve heard that it takes out all your good cells from your immune system and makes you sick.” – Kelly Land, 19, freshman, art major

“Iʼve heard of people doing it a lot. Iʼve heard itʼs painful, but Iʼd do it. Iʼd like to know I was helping someone out. The money would help, too.” – Jessica McElhannon, 18, freshman, education major

“I actually canʼt donate plasma or even give blood because I lived in Nigeria during certain years. I wouldnʼt donate it anyway because I donʼt like needles in my arm.” – Mary Okonkwo, 20, junior, theater major

“Iʼd donate plasma, but I wouldnʼt even need the money. As long as it didnʼt put me in the hospital at all. There are people out there who really need it.” – Beth Parnell, 20, freshman, mass communication major

News

THE WICHITAN Oct. 4, 2006

Shoes_______________________________________________________________________________________continued from page 1 His favorite shoe store is “Athleteʼs Warehouse” in Baltimore. He picks up many older brands for about $29. “They are classy shoes, shoes you had in like the fourth grade that you wish you would have kept clean,” he said. He also likes to wear whatʼs in style at the moment. “Iʼm kind of trendy,” he said. “Whatever the trend is, whatever it is going to be, I try to be on it before everyone else gets to it.” To get hard-to-find shoes, Hawkins said you usually have to know someone who knows someone. If that fails, eBay is a good source. He also has ventured to New York, Virginia and Philly to find shoes. Since he has limited space in his apartment, Hawkins takes about 15 pair of shoes with him whenever he goes back home for the summer. He said his familyʼs garage is filled with nothing but shoes belonging to him and his brother. With his over-abundance of shoes, Hawkins has gathered a garbage bag with 15 pairs to take to the Salvation Army. He said he doesnʼt like to give his shoes away very often, but since he just moved, he simply doesnʼt have the space. However, when a new pair catches Hawkinsʼ eye he doesnʼt hesitate to reach for his wallet. If he doesnʼt readily have the money, heʼs developed a creative way to discourage others from buying what he wants. “I take and put one shoe in the wrong box and put a bigger size shoe in its place so they

have to look for the other shoe,” “Thatʼs the stuff I like,” he people may wonder where he Hawkins said. “Then they think, said. “I can walk into class and gets the money to support such ʻthis is too much,ʼ and just leave be like, ʻnobody in here has an expensive habit. A lot of his it alone. I got that bad.” these. You canʼt get these from funds come from the entertainHawkins likes shoes so much the mall.ʼ” ment company that Hawkins and Hawkinsʼ ultimate dream his friends started, called First theyʼre also his livelihood. He works at “Foot Locker.” Since would be to work for a compa- String. he gets a discount of 40 percent ny, such as Nike, and be able to He also said he eats a lot of off all items in the store, he ﬁnds design shoes. When he ﬁrst peanut butter and jelly sandwichmany purchases hard to rearrived to MSU he es. “Itʼs a bad habit,” he said. “I sist. wished there was “All the shoes that come a fashion major. donʼt know how I make it.” Sometimes Hawkins has to into ʻFoot Lockerʼ that are Since that in my size, I hide them,” wasnʼt a make the decision over buying he confessed. “I put them choice he something important versus buyin the wrong section.” opted for coming a new pair of shoes. Recently he had to decide between a $16 Over time, Hawkins has mercial art. splurged on a few pairs. His M a n y pair of baby blue Converse shoes most expensive buy has been at “Ross” or buying some gas. $300 Bape Stas. For anyone else, this may He owns one pair that is be a simple decision, but bright pink and green with not for Hawkins. the “Marvel Comics” He chose the gas. logo on one shoe When things do get and an “Incredible down to the wire, Hulk” face on the Hawkins always other. Hawkins has one fallback said he has only solution, the Mcseen one other Donaldʼs Dollar person wearing Menu. this exact shoe, “I know and that was when push the recording comes to shove, I can alartist Pharrell. “Theyʼre a ways get a dollar burger and really expenIʼll be all right,” sive shoe, so peohe said. ple have been buying the fake ones The two most common questions he gets online. Iʼm not as excited about them as I from people about his shoes are where used to be,” he said. he gets them and Aside from the Bape how long has he had Stas, Hawkinsʼ favorite them. shoe in his collection is the “Girls are like, ʻwhy original 1986 Kareem ADRIAN MCCANDLESS | PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR you have so many Abdul Jabbar Adidas.

shoes, you shop more than a girl,ʼ” he said with a laugh. Although many people ask him about his footwear fetish, he wouldnʼt want them to ask to borrow his shoes. “Thatʼs a no-no. Iʼd rather let someone drive my car than borrow my shoes,” he said. “No borrowing my shoes.” Given the fact that shoes are an important aspect in his life, the ﬁrst thing Hawkins notices about people is their feet. “If you look at someone who keeps their shoes very clean and nice, you can tell they care about their appearance,” he said. Hawkinsʼ girlfriend, Lauren Grant, is well aware of his obsession. She describes his collection as a “mini shoe store.” “He doesnʼt drink, he doesnʼt smoke, he doesnʼt do drugs,” Grant said. “This is his drug. He has a problem with shopping.” Recently, she said Hawkins took longer than usual to get ready for the movies because he was trying to decide what to wear. “Itʼs like he is the girl and Iʼm the guy in the relationship,” she said, rolling her eyes at the ceiling. Hawkins understands her frustration, but remember, he said shoes were “his conﬁdence.” “I can be having a bad day, my face can be broken out, have a bad haircut, everything can be going wrong,” he said, “but if I have a fresh pair of nice shoes on then I feel cool. I feel like Iʼm not going to be that much unnoticed.”

Cost-free activities on campus available to students CARLY BURRES FOR THE WICHITAN Movies, workout classes, health care, football games and food all sound wonderful but too expensive for the average college student. Whatʼs great though is that all of the aforementioned are free to all MSU students, faculty and staff, and alumni. For those who enjoy a good classic movie such as Val Lewtonʼs 1942 horror film “Cat People” or Seijun Suzukiʼs 1963 gangster film “Youth of the Beast” then the Classic Film Series is perfect for you. The Classic Film Series is held on the third Tuesday of every month at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU, and is presented by a volunteer of the community. But for all those who would rather enjoy a good foreign film, the Foreign Film Series program shows foreign films on the first Thursday of every month. Volunteers will be presenting 2004ʼs Academy Award Winner for Best Foreign Language Film “The

Sea Inside,” 2001ʼs “Tsotsi” and 2004ʼs “The Motorcycle Diaries” at the Kemp Center for the Arts. There are many people on campus who might enjoy learning while having fun. These people may enjoy the artist lecture series that is sponsored by Student Affairs. Every month an author, a ﬁlm director, a radio host or a musician is brought in to discuss what they do and how they do it. The Artist Lecture Series was established in 1964 in order to bring performers and lecturers to the university and community. This monthly event is free to all MSU students, faculty and staff although tickets are $75 for civilians and $65 for senior citizens, activeduty military and MSU alumni. This semester the campus can be expecting to see Dr. Charles Kimball, Wes Craven, Dr. Jack G. Shaheen, Dr. John T. Spike, Grupo Fantasmo, Dr. Roland Fryer, Diane Rehm and the John Jorgenson Quintet. The series is held in Akin Auditorium. Student Affairs and the Univer-

sity Programming Board also host programs such as the Student Success Series, UPB Movies, Family Day, The Housing Pillar Programs, Homecoming and Final Frenzy activities. A large part of being a college student is attending the sporting events. Unlike many large campuses such as A&M or UT, these events at MSU are free of charge to students. This includes football, volleyball, soccer and basketball. At most of these sporting events the crowd even has a chance to receive free merchandise such as T-shirts, rattles and little footballs. The Wellness Center is also available free to all students, faculty and staff. The Wellness Center was built in the summer of 2000 and is 11,000 square feet. There are over 50 pieces of free weights and machines and 13 different pieces of cardiovascular equipment available. The center is open during the fall and spring semesters from 6 a.m. to midnight Monday through Friday and from noon to 10 p.m. on the weekends. All that is needed to get

in is a student ID to prove enrollment. But if a student would like to bring a non-enrolled guest there a small fee of $2.00. Along with the Wellness Center, the campus also provides students with a variety of workout classes such as kickboxing that are held at Sikes Lake. Some other classes that can be taken are core training, circuit training, indoor cycling, pilateʼs and yoga and muscle works. The class days and times vary from Sunday through Friday from 5:45 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Not only does MSU provide students with fun activities, movies and lecture series but also there are numerous free hygiene and health services provided. For instance, there is the Vinson Student Health Center. While there is a small fee included with the tuition, students are not limited to how many visits they have to the center. The center is designed to meet the needs of students with acute illnesses and injuries. The Dental Hygiene program

provides teeth cleaning for free to students and faculty and staff and to members of the community. The services are provided by the students in the Dental Hygiene program and are overseen by the instructors. Another freebie is the Psychology Departmentʼs Counseling Services. Any student can schedule an appointment to talk to a counselor. The Counseling Center is staffed by licensed professionals who provide short-term counseling for personal issues, career counseling and testing and educational and academic assistance. Like all other counseling services this one holds true to the conﬁdentiality requirements and will provide group or individual counseling. Some of the things that the service can help with is stress management, study skills, depression, time management, test anxiety, substance abuse assessment, career and personality testing and a variety of studentsʼ other needs.

Mustang mascot name up in the air AMBRA NEALY FOR THE WICHITAN Several questions come to mind when trying to establish an image and find a personality for our new mascot. Do you have way too much energy? Do you have more school spirit than the average student? Does having hundreds of fans and ton of attention interest you? Then the office of student activities believes you could be that Mustang mascot they are looking for. The theme of this years homecoming “Wild horses canʼt keep em away,” befits the new tradition and spirit of the university that both the administration and the Student Government Association want to be sure is one that students can be a part of . The SGA was presented last night with a proposal for the naming of the mascot. Matthew Park, director of student activities and orientation, informed students that our dancing Mustang mascot made his debut at a football game held during Family Day on Sept. 23. His debut served as a test run in the naming process. A box was posted at Memorial Stadium for students and their family members to drop in names that they felt would best suit our dancing mustang mascot. Of the most popular names these three Jo Jo , Marty and Studley the Mustang stood out the most. The plan for moving forward in the naming process includes developing a student committee of five SGA members who will compile all nominations and arbitrate the voting process. Suggestion boxes will be placed at the Clark Student Center information desk as well as in the office of student activities for all organizations and students who would like to submit names to be voted on. “I urge student organizations to collectively come up with names and submit them, this way it will push student support, but we will also accept individual nominations,” Park said. Round one of Mustang Mascot tryouts will be held this Saturday Oct.7 at 3 p.m. in Gym 101 of D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The second tryout will be held the following Wednesday, Oct. 11 at 8 p.m. at the Gymnastics Sportscenter on Seymour highway. For more information about tryouts and the naming of the Mustang Mascot please contact the office of student activities.

Facebook and MySpace make opportunities for harmful gossip MCCLATCHY TRIBUNE This used to be the domain of locker rooms and bar stools. The details of private escapades, bragging, lying or just joking about sexual success were generally not for public consumption. But those who belong to the Internet generation are comfortable saying almost anything online, including things that would make their parents blush. Many young people are perfectly at home with Web

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sites like Facebook and MySpace, electronic networks of millions of people who can talk to each other, share photos and gossip, all under a thin cover of web-onymity. Itʼs such freedom of information that is now stirring controversies like the one at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. There, sophomore Mike Turk could be booted from school for a Facebook page he created earlier this month that was dedicated to claims about intimate relations with

a woman. A number of other men added themselves to the list, all claiming afﬁliations of the intimate sort. And when the woman found out, she went to authorities. The page was taken down permanently. Now, after a disciplinary hearing Tuesday, Turk faces possible expulsion. Experts and ofﬁcials say the incident and others like it around the country represent some of the early skirmishes in an ongoing struggle

New MSU Bookstore Coming Soon! –December 2006– Stay tuned for details

involving free speech and privacy rights, the Internet and naive users. “We are bound to see years of litigation and discussion and attempts at legislation around the use of these things, personal Web sites or social networking sites,” said Ed Yohnka, spokesman for the American Civil Liberties Union in Chicago. “Itʼs new technology. This will continue to come up again and again.” Predictions like that evoke an incredulous response from Turk. He insists the initial Facebook page

was intended as an inside joke. He claims he thought he and the woman were friends at the time and believed she would understand. “I never thought something on Facebook would get me into trouble out in the real world. I wouldnʼt see why it would,” Turk said in an interview this week. The woman, who wished to remain anonymous, said she hadnʼt spoken to Turk in more than a month and hadnʼt been involved with him since February. After see-

ing the Facebook page, she said she only thought, “This is my name being slandered and something must be done.” If it was a joke, she never got it. “Iʼm not sure students understand the vulnerability they put themselves in by putting such private information in the public arena,” said Vicki Rosser, an associate professor and higher education expert at the University of Missouri at Columbia.

Entertainment

Across Campus New extended library hours As promised to the student body over the past two months, the Student Government Association officers have negotiated with Dr. Clara Latham to extend library hours. Latham has approved an extension that will be effective immediately. Two hours have been added during the normal week of operations and seven hours have been added both during the last week of classes and during the week of finals. Normal operation hours for Saturdays will be from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. During the last week of classes: Monday-Thursday from 7:45 a.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Sunday from 2 p.m. to 1 a.m. During the week of finals: Monday-Thursday from 7:45 a.m. to 2 a.m.

Bluegrass Band The Kruger Brothers have been dazzling audiences with their traditional American Folk and Bluegrass music for more than 30 years. Although each of these musicians has earned high credit for his skills individually, it is the interaction of the three together which makes their music so uniquely special. Traditional American Folk and Bluegrass music would come closest to describing the bandʼs style of playing. Add to that their personal musical development, along with their Classical European musical influences, and you have acoustic string music performed with a rich new flavor. The concert will be October 5, 7 p.m. at Akin Auditorium. Tickets are $15.00 per seat and are available in the Continuing Education office or Clark Student Center. Students get in free with MSU ID.

Fantasy of Lights The workdays for the MSU Burns Fantasy of Lights have been set for Saturday, Oct. 7 from 9 a.m. to 1p.m. and from noon to 4 p.m.; Sunday, Oct. 8 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from noon to 4 p.m. Lunch will be provided. For more information call ext. 4223 or ext. 4782.

Caribfest The Caribbean Student Organization will present the annual Caribfest at 5 p.m. Oct. 6 in Sunwatcher Plaza. Funds generated will go toward several charities. The festivities will start with a parade. T-shirts and Caribbean cuisine are available. For more information and tickets, call ext. 4251.

THE WICHITAN Oct. 4, 2006

Obscure artist ﬁnds outlet with iTunes RICHARD CARTER WICHITAN DANCE CRITIC

Thereʼs a world of great music out there youʼll probably never hear. And if you do manage to hear 30-second snippets from something new and very promising, thereʼs a fairly decent chance youʼll not be able to ﬁnd it. Take for example, the eclectic jazzy post-rock pop of Hanne Hukkelberg, a Norwegian singer and multi-instrumentalist. Last month, a friend from LA e-mailed to say that her “Little Things” album would be the best thing I would hear this year. No stores had it locally, special orders failed, and Amazon.com shipped the wrong disc twice. Thinking outside the standard retail box, I discovered that iTunes had the music for less than 10 bucks. With a fast modem to download the music, it took almost no time to set up an account and order the album as well as several others that I had been previously unable to locate. Along with Hukkelbergʼs new disc, I discovered that I could also order a new Cat Power “Live Session EP” with a cover of Nina Simoneʼs “Wild is the Wind” and two

other cool covers that had not been released to CD. In addition, albums like Belle & Sebastianʼs “The Life Pursuit” were available with two bonus tracks that can be ordered individually, or with the album at a flat rate that was still cheaper that what stores sell it for. Blown away by all these cool options, and thinking I must be in New York City, it was amazing to realize that I could easily find and purchase well-known and obscure music from around the world. It truly is a global village after all. Shortly after downloading and falling in love with Hukkelbergʼs “Little Things,” her website noted that her new album, “Rykestrasse 68,” had just been released in Norway and would be available later this year. However, “Rykestrasse 68” was already on iTunes for less than $8.99. Always leery of the sophomore slump, I still bought Hukkelbergʼs new album with several more clicks of a button. Why do obscure artists like Hukkelberg matter? She is somewhere between Joni Mitchell and Bjork vocally (with a dash of Brazilian samba for flavor), but with a broader and more

eclectic-ly interesting instrumental vocabulary. Hukkelberg mixes bells, whistles, strings, occasional guitars, symphonic instruments, strings, references to ʻ60s film soundtracks and multi-tracked vocals to her expressively strong as well as sensitive voice which blends classical, jazz, folk and pop influences. On “Rykestrasse 68,” she approaches more of a “less is more” attitude to her instrumentation than on “Little Things.” As a result, her new songs focus more on voice to develop mood and melody. The opening song, “Berlin,” for example, opens with simple waves that segue to a quietly strummed classical guitar (playing a slow catchy melody) and sparse bells. On “Berlin,” she sings succinctly, and a little jazzily, with an occasional “Valley of the Dolls” like chorus and a throaty oboe added for a grainy bass. The breezy, if still somber, mood wonderfully brings a listener into the mood of the record. On a musical tangent, “Berlin” opens “Rykestrasse 68” similar to the way Lou Reedʼs masterful “Sunday Morning” opens the first Velvet Underground and Nico album back

Hanne Hukkelberg is the epitome of being naturally cute

in 1966. The remaining eight tracks on Hukkelbergʼs second album are an equally fresh mix of jazz, samba, alternative pop and considered eclecticism. I am beginning to think that Norway is the new Iceland of alternative music. Regardless, if more musicians were aware of the properties and values and capabilities of different

instruments and musical genres, I suspect there would be more new sounding and interesting records. Perfect for quiet overcast and rainy Sunday mornings, Hukkelbergʼs CDs are worth at least several listens. And despite the fact she records for an obscure label, her music is no longer hard to ﬁnd and even easier to purchase.

ʻSchool for Scoundrelsʼ fails to make anyone laugh

really seems sad as the writing/directing duo seems to be going further downhill after their rendition of “Starsky and Hutch.” A rating of performances can be hard to determine since, as I mentioned, every single actor was basically typecast. There was an attempt at making this ﬁlm seemed overly khaki in that ivy-league way. It was somewhat successful in its machinations but unnecessary and undesirable. Alas another week has gone by and yet another ﬁlm worth spit but the future always contains hope: hope for a better tomorrow, hope for a better day, hope for a better movie. And I call this hope Martin Scorsese.

JASON KIMBRO ENTERETAINMENT EDITOR This weekʼs feature is Todd Phillipsʼ newest entry into the world of pop culture “School for Scoundrels” starring Billy Bob Thornton and Mr. Dynamite himself, Jon Heder. This is the type of movie I really hate to review mainly due to its extreme mediocrity. It had its good points and more than its share of bad points from extreme typecasting to wasted concepts. From stolen sneakers to electrocuted testicles, hereʼs the gist: Roger (Heder) is a loser. He is wasting his life away as a meter maid, he canʼt get up enough gumption to say hi to the girl in his building (who for some strange reason has an interest in him) and he lets everybody push him around. One fateful day he goes to perform his favorite bit of charity as a big brother when he is informed that

Entertainment Value: Artistic Crap: Plot/Script: Performances: Overall GPA:

C C D D 1.5

Billy Bob Thornton and John Heder wait patiently for the audience to laugh

the child he was assigned to refused his company. The head of the big brother facility (David Cross) gives him a number to a special “secret” school. Roger calls the number, gets his instructions, which includes a $5,000 tuition payment in a manila envelope, and shows up to class where he is immediately made an example of by the teacher, Dr. P (Thornton) and his assistant Lesher (Michael Clarke Duncan), who is apparently a rapist of the students (rape just seems to be a misplaced topic of comedy these days). The class is made up of every

possible loser one can come up with. Itʼs as if the producers of this film actually had a think tank to determine every possible stereotype in the realm of the loser. Roger eventually excels in the class and becomes Dr. Pʼs top student. He is able to ask the hot girl in his apartment out on a date, even through the bullying of her bitch of a roommate (Sarah Silverman, didnʼt I mention typecasting earlier?) and he stands up to a few of the other assholes who tortured him earlier in the flick. It all sounds fine and dandy, that is until Roger finds out that Dr. P

creates a total hell for his top student each semester, basically ruining their lives. He begins to do the same for Roger. The film basically becomes a competition between Roger and Dr. P, until the somewhat unfunny end. There was a laugh here and there, but the film basically falls flat compared to Phillipsʼ earlier films (i.e. “Old School” and “Road Trip”). A lot of great material was wasted. The same feeling goes toward the story/plot: a lot of ideas gone to waste due to a weak script by Scot Armstrong, Phillipsʼ right hand writing man. The lack of laughs

Book Reviewer Needed! Contact Jason Kimbro at The Wichitan 397-4704 or 337-2154

THE WICHITAN Oct. 4 , 2006

Sports

FORE!!!

WATCH OUT FOR MSU GOLF CARLY BURRES STAFF REPORTER

Jason Bender, Kade Betts, Brady Jones, Hunter Linscombe, Andrew Ludlow, Gordon Quebodeaux, Logan Scarlett and Eric Thompson. Why are these eight names important to Midwestern State you ask? These eight members of the new golf team are responsible for helping to place MSU on the NCAA golf map. MSU has attended three tournaments to date with one more left on schedule and has placed no lower than seventh. Although the team is still in preseason or their “non-championship” it appears as though the team will be an incredible investment for the school. MSU decided to bring the golf team on board last year in order to bring more opportunity for the school to participate in events and because the team would help to attract new students to MSU who would normally only consider schools that had a golf team to play on. Another reason is that last year there were more women’s teams than there were men’s and add-

ing the golf team helps to balance out the spectrum. But that does not mean that there aren’t plans to start a women’s team in the future. As always money plays a large part in why golf was brought on. While the school wanted to balance out the amount of men’s versus women’s teams, it was also important not to break the bank trying to bring in a new sport. Golf was an excellent option since the players provide their own equipment and there was already a golf course to play on (the team practices on the course at the Wichita Falls Country Club). The main costs are the two scholarships that were awarded. Coach Jeff Ray eventually wants to get up to 3.6 scholarships. This will help to attract even more players to the school, especially if the team continues to excel in the manner that has been. Since Coach Ray is not allowed to hold try-outs, he had to recruit most of the members on the team. The previous year was spent going out to high school golf tournaments as well as to tournaments of junior colleges. Four of the current eight-team members previously attended Lon Morris Junior College in Jackson-

ville, Texas. While all the members score in the same general point range, junior Gordon Quebodeaux and freshman Logan Scarlett have managed to maintain a strong point average. Coach Ray holds a qualifying round before every tournament in order to determine which members will represent the team. While several of the players have qualiﬁed duplicate times, Quebodeaux and Scarlett have participated in all three tournaments. The last tournament attended was the Northeastern State Men’s Classic held at Muskogee, Oklahoma where MSU placed seventh out of the 18 schools that attended. The next and last tournament on the fall schedule is the Texoma Match Play Championship at the Chickasaw Point Resort and Golf Club in Kingston, Okla. This tournament is being hosted by Southeaster Oklahoma State University and will be held Oct. 9-10. For those who are interested in keeping up with the golf team and the ofﬁcial statistics, you can do this at golfstat.com. The results are posted around 6 p.m. on the day that the tournament ends.

Lady Mustangs trample TWU Midwestern earns needed win before LSC tourney

HERSHEL SELF | THE WICHITAN A MSU rugby player runs up the ﬁeld as an Angelo State opponent tries to take him down. Midwestern lost, 29-15, and will play next against TCU on Oct. 21.

MSU rugby suffers opening loss JAMES PIERCE STAFF REPORTER The Midwestern State rugby team suffered an opening day loss at the hands, and feet of San Angelo State University on Saturday. MSU had a good showing against highly touted San Angelo. Both teams are familiar with each other and their respective playing styles. Though the teams are conference rivals this was a friendly (non-conference) match. MSU came out ﬁred up early and jumped out to an early lead. Brad Sample got MSU’s scoring started in the ﬁrst quarter with a drop goal off of a San Angelo penalty to put them out to a 3-0 lead. Then Shawn Samaniego got into the action with a 5 point try of his own. Sample made the conversion (worth two points) after the

score to bring the tally up to 100. San Angelo scored at the end of the first quarter, but failed on the conversion attempt to leave the score at 10-5. In the second quarter San Angelo scored early to tie the game at 10 a piece. Terry Griffin answered for MSU to extend their lead to 15-5. The conversion by Sample failed, but MSU was in high spirits as they led nearing the half. But, with half-time closing in San Angelo’s backfield got in to motion and scored to make it 1510, but failed again to convert the extra points. Then they scored again quickly and made good on their conversion attempt to take the lead into halftime 17-15. In the third quarter MSU became over matched by their more experienced opponent. San Angelo State scored in the middle of the third, but failed on the con-

version, to take the score to 22-15 and once more in the fourth, with a conversion, to end the game 2915. This game was a gage for MSU to see where they stand against high levels of competition within their conference. They also got to see many of the fresh faces on the team in action. The newest additions to the team received signiﬁcant playing time and real game experience against a consistent contender. This was a step in the right direction for MSU. They came off of a great week of practice after being pummeled in their scrimmage by Division I powerhouse Oklahoma 75-14 last week. With improvement on defense and better conditioning, MSU should be primed for a solid season and a playoff run. MSU has a three-week layoff until their conference opener, at home, against TCU Oct. 21.

Texas Rangers need new guns TIFFANY MERCER STAFF REPORTER

S a m e story. S a m e ending. Yet again our beloved Texas Rangers have let us down. Fans had high hopes this year, but our hunt for October has come to an end. After losing the last game of the season to Seattle on Sunday, they ended the season with a losing record (80-82). They finished third place in their division; 13 games out of first and only two games ahead of the last place Mariners. I never thought this season could end so badly. I think back to a few months ago, when the Rangers were in first place in their division. THIS was our year I thought… we

are definitely going to the playoffs. Could I have been more wrong? So why are the Rangers so disappointing? How can the same team that won three division titles in the late 1990’s miss the playoffs for the seventh straight season? The problem is simple; we have no good pitching! But that’s no secret. Rangers Owner Tom Hicks promised to fill some of the holes in last year’s pitching line-up, but he obviously failed to do so. Most teams have a Pedro, or Randy Johnson or even a Zito. We have no big-name pitcher. The Rangers signed Kevin Millwood, a starting pitcher, last winter to a five-year, $60 million contract, and he finished 16-12 with a 4.52 ERA. Texas used 12 different starters in a rotation this year that had an ERA above five for most of the season. Hicks needs to sign an allstar pitcher before playoff hopes become a reality. Even Rangers players are upset with this season’s outcome. After

last week’s lost to Oakland, Mark Teixeira said he was disappointed with the season. Maybe he should be a little disappointed in himself too. He did have a slow start this year. But we can’t afford to lose him. The Rangers better do something incredible next season before they lose their ﬁrst baseman, who is a free agent in 2008. In fact, nine players are free agents for the next season. And our top-players will be asking for more money. I hope the budget is big enough this time around. Maybe Rangers executive should take at look at what the guys in Oakland are doing. The A’s have a solid bullpen and young starting pitching. Their entire team is young because they are always activating minor league players instead of re-signing the old guys. So Hicks, you should check out Billy Beane’s plan, and maybe we could be on top for once, and maybe make the play-offs.

IGGY CRUZ The Lady Mustangs desperately needed a victory Tuesday night after dropping four of their last five divisional games. They did just that and more by blanking Texas Women’s 3-0 at home in Lone Star Conference action. MSU improves to 11-8 overall and 2-4 in the LSC north, while the Pioneers fall to 17-6 and 3-3 in the division. The Lady Mustangs will travel to Kingsville Friday to take on Abilene Christian in the LSC Conference Crossover Tournament. The contest is set for 11 a.m. Former Wichita Falls High School standouts Sesley Graves and Jessica Ransom teamed up to lead MSU with 10 kills a piece. The Lady Mustangs had three players post double-figures in digs led by Allison Schreiber’s 14 and 38 assists, followed by 13 and 10 digs from Rachel Gilmore and Ashley Godwin. Shay Velasquez nearly pulled a double-double, finishing with nine kills and nine digs. MSU got to a rapid start in game one, taking a 26-17 advantage before allowing the Pioneers back in. TWU out hit the Lady Mustangs in the match, closing the gap to a 28-25 MSU lead before diving hustle plays from Godwin helped MSU escape with a 30-27 win. The two teams played competitively in game two as MSU and TWU exchanged leads four times in the beginning minutes of play. The Lady Mustangs had too much firepower for the Pioneers and muscled over them to a 30-22 win and claimed a 30-27 thrilling decision in the third match. Kandis Schroeder and Nicole Everett led TWU with 12 kills each and Jessica Crow had a game-high 40 assists. The Lady Mustangs were also in action Saturday afternoon taking on Southwestern Oklahoma State University in Weatherford. The Bulldogs blanked the Lady Mustangs 30-20, 30-25, 30-23 using strong performances in games one and three, while MSU hit -.024 in game two and .103 overall. Sesley Graves and Whitney Maxwell led MSU with eight and seven kills respectively, while Ashley Godwin recorded 14 digs. Allison Schreiber tallied up 26 assists for the Lady Mustangs in the loss. MSU would like as much support at the LSC tournament as possible.

ADRIAN MCCANDLESS | THE WICHITAN MSU’s Jessica Ransom, 13, goes for the ball Tuesday night against TWU. Midwestern earned a much-needed win.

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Sports

THE WICHITAN Oct. 4, 2006

MSU Mustangs conquer No. 1 Fort Lewis K S TIMEOUT EWELL

STAFF REPORTER

Name: Brandon Swartzendruber Sport: Soccer Position: Forward Number: 13 Class: Senior Major: Exercise Physiology Hometown: Grand Junction, Colo. 1. What is your toughest class this semester? “Clinical Lab Science because it has to do with medical lab stuff.” 2. What is the last thing you do at night? “I like to eat a bowl of cereal. I eat a lot of cereal. My favorite is Cinnamon Toast Crunch.” 3. What nickname do teammates call you? “Swartzy, because my last name is huge!” 4. Who is your favorite musical artist? “I like Jack Johnson.” 5. What is a non-athletic talent you have? “I can kind of play the guitar and I can ﬂip my eyelids.” 6. If you could play another sport in college, what would you play? “I would play shortstop in baseball. We need to have a baseball team!” 7. What professional soccer player do you admire and model your game after? “I’m a fan of England’s Michael Owen because he is fast, smart and simple. He’s not too ﬂashy.” 8. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? “Hopefully back in Colorado coaching soccer if not still playing. If I have kids, maybe, I’ll have 3.” 9. What is your favorite pasttime? “I like going to the movies. I like all kinds of movies.” 10. What is the best thing about MSU Men’s Soccer? “We all have a lot of passion and are like a second family out there!”

Fort Lewis from Colorado. Maybe not an Ivy League school, and maybe not as universally loved as UT, but they were once the top ranked soccer team in the NCAA Division II. They had a winning streak 33 games long. Overrated? According to the 620 fans in attendance at the MSU soccer field Friday night, the answer is a resounding “yes.” Not just any old “yes,” but a HELL YES. The MSU men’s soccer team’s playing Friday night was something for the history books. One of the biggest wins in MSU soccer history, the team handed the Skyhawks, hitherto the national champions, their first loss since 2004 with a score of 3-1. The Mustangs were the first to hit the scoreboard as Brandon Swartzendruber blasted his eighth goal of the year. It was from the top of the 18-yard box, giving MSU the lead. Poor Fort Lewis was actually behind for the first time this season. Taking control in the first six minutes of the second half was MSU’s next move. Two and a half minutes into the second half, Sun Potter won a scramble at the top of the box and beat FLC goalie Tom Donley in a one-on-one. The gap between the Mustangs and Skyhawks widened by another point. Not much longer after that, during the 51st minute, Scott Leonard stole the ball deep in the offensive end and blasted a 26-yarder from the right side. Donley on the left was beat.

Coming into this game, Fort Lewis had only allowed one goal this season, but now they were behind 3-0. Eating dust, indeed. Of course, Fort Lewis did eventually score a goal. John Cunliffe found a rebound off a corner kick and buried it in the goal in the 57th minute — not that it really mattered. MSU’s defense was above par and pretty much perfect. Fort Lewis could have got several clean shots, but didn’t. Fort Lewis was out shot by MSU 13-11, but Fort Lewis only had four shots on goal. Two saves were chalked up by MSU goal keeper Jeremy Turner. The MSU team was credited with a save as well. Cunliff had four saves to go with his three goals allowed for the Skyhawks. Next up for the Mustangs was a game against the Colorado School of Mines not under the Friday night lights, but on a Sunday afternoon. The Ore Diggers were defeated by the Mustangs 1-0. Junior Obed Becerra scored with 2:35 to play in the game. This was his ﬁrst goal of the season, from about 10 yards out. It was on a pass from Ahmad Ihmeidan, ripping right past Mines goalie Kevin Galloway. Coach Doug Elder called the shot a beautiful goal and a great ﬁnish, noting that an assist like Ihmeidan’s was almost as good as the goal itself. MSU’s defense was up and running again, led by Daniel Woolard and Danny Kastelic. The Ore Diggers who are now 9-4-1, were held to only six shots. Goalie Turner saved four shots and got his second shut out of the season. His record is now improved

this season to 3-1-0. This game against Colorado School of Mines marked the first match in Sunday’s action of the SSC-RMAC classic. (In the second game, Fort Lewis beat West Texas A&M 2-1.) Elder said the victory over the Ore Diggers was a great win for the team. He said the team has struggled on Sunday games this season (both of the losses were played on a Sunday) and that the Mines would be very excited coming into the game. MSU had twice as many shots as the Ore Diggers (13-6) and had more chances to score. The Mines, however, were kept alive with Galloway’s eight saves, who came off the line to thwart breakaways from Tyler Murphy, Potter and Daniel Brown. Beccerra said the team knew they were eventually going to score. The MSU men’s soccer team is now a very respectable 9-2-1. In order to make it to the playoffs, they must finish in the top three by November. According to the latest National Soccer Coaches Association of America/Adidas Division II poll, the MSU men are ranked number 21. They are in the top 25 for the second time this season. Fort Lewis, on the other hand, fell down in the poll. The final regular season home match for the Mustangs will be Thursday. The men will face off against Texas Wesleyan at 7 p.m. in the nightcap of a women’s/men’s doubleheader with the Rams at the MSU soccer field. After hosting that game, MSU hits the road for its final five games. The team will play matches against Incarnate Word and Northeastern State.

Cycling team cruises to fourth Freshman Aaron Kacala wins two national titles in Indianapolis

HERSHEL SELF | THE WICHITAN MSU’s Tyler Murphy, 14, protects the ball against a Colorado School of Mines defender on Sunday afternoon. Midwestern beat the Ore Diggers, 1-0, two days after defeating No. 1 Fort Lewis, 3-1. The Mustangs will now face Texas Wesleyan at 7 p.m. Thursday at the MSU Soccer Field.

Cross Country coasts to ninth JOSH MUJICA SPORTS EDITOR

The MSU cross country team earned ninth place Saturday at Oklahoma State’s Cowboy Jamboree in Stillwater, Okla. The meet featured 23 teams and MSU tallied 261 points. Senior Anna Crockett placed 29th with a time of 20:08 and Tiffany Stewart recorded a time of 20:22 and earned 39th. Andrea Borgman placed 46th with a time of 20:39 and Halie Jacobs came in 72nd in 21:09.

TIFFANY MERCER

Rivalry means money

Freshman cyclist Aaron Kacala won two national titles last week at the National Collegiate Track Cycling Championships in Indianapolis, enough to earn him fourth place in the individual overall competition. Kacala’s championships in the kilometer time trial and the match sprint are the 18th and 19th national championship jerseys won by Midwestern State since the program started in the 1980s. These are not Kacala’s ﬁrst national titles. He has won the kilometer time trial twice at the USA Cycling’s Junior National Championships. He has also competed in other cycling events in world-class races in places like Moscow, Cuba and Ecuador. “Aaron’s national championships are a great start to his collegiate career,” MSU Cycling Coach Gary Achterberg said. “Not only is Aaron a great athlete, he’s really a wonderful mentor for the other riders on our team. It’s also gratifying to see that he’s having fun on the bike and also really embracing his responsibilities as a student.” The 20-year-old kinesiology major left a resident athlete position at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs because he wanted to attend school. Kacala is here at MSU working toward certiﬁcation as a physical therapist. MSU also took two other freshmen riders to track nationals. They were Matt Fox, 18, and Kip Spaude, 19.

MCCLACHY TRIBUNE

STAFF REPORTER

GARY ACHTERBERG | FOR THE WICHITAN Midwestern State riders Matt Fox, left, Aaron Kacala, center, and Kip Spaude, right, enjoy some time on the podium after their fourth-place ﬁnish in the team pursuit at the Collegiate National Cycling Championships in Indianapolis.

The three cyclists earned a fourth-place finish in the team pursuit; an event normally run with four riders. In this race, the team of cyclists rides together around the track, taking turns in the front spot, for a total of 4 kilometers. “We thought we had an outside chance at one of the five podium spots,” Achterberg said. “However, the three rode a very flawless race technically, and Kip’s endurance definitely was the glue that held things together, considering that this race is a much longer track event than either Aaron or Matt normally would race. Fox earned fourth place in the kilometer time trial and tenth in the individual overall competition. He

was also selected to race for the U.S. National Team at the Junior World Championships in August, taking place in Berlin. Spaude ﬁnished tenth in the individual pursuit and 15th in the kilometer time trial. Midwestern ﬁnished 11th overall in Indianapolis. “It’s really gratifying to have a team that’s active again with racing on the track,” Achterberg said. “While some of our previous national titles were won on the track, we’ve been in a hiatus for the past few years.” MSU will begin spring racing on the road in Lawrence, Kan. at the Collegiate Road Cycling National Championships in February.

Midwestern State’s Megan Hanlon, 6, rushes the ball past an opponent last week. The Lady Mustangs defeated Mesa State, 2-1 on Sunday but suffered a 3-0 loss at the feet of Fort Lewis last Friday. MSU will face Texas Wesleyan at 5 p.m. Thurday at the MSU Soccer Field. HERSHEL SELF | THE WICHITAN

The second Saturday in October, the State Fair, the Midway, the fried everything . . . Texas vs. Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry at the Cotton Bowl. Tradition. A strong word in college football. The Longhorns vs. the Sooners, with half the stadium in burnt orange and half in crimson, is a traditional rivalry game that will be played regardless of conference afﬁliation. Location? That’s another matter. Saturday’s UT-OU game will be played in its traditional venue, the aged Cotton Bowl. Both athletic departments agreed to a deal last May that keeps the game in the CBS (Cotton Bowl Stadium) through 2010. Part of that contract extension involved improving the CBS. Big Texatron, a video board measuring 83 feet wide by 57 feet tall, looms over the south end of the facility. The video board and a new sound system, part of $20 million in improvements provided by the State Fair of Texas, will be up and running for Saturday’s game. Adding a video board to the 76year-old CBS is like installing a CD player on a horse-drawn carriage. The City of Dallas is hoping for approval of a $30 million bond that will increase seating (all in the end zones) by almost 20,000. It’s all wasted money. The CBS is outdated, cramped and past its prime. No amount of renovation is going to change that. And what about tradition? When money talks, games get moved off of the “traditional” day (Saturday) and the New Year’s Day bowl games are played on non-traditional days. Money buys tradition.

Other Lady Mustangs competing were Maria Cano (21:10, 75th), Mindy Burns (21:24, 80th) and Morgan Collier (22:39, 111th). Mindy Briones (22:52,116th), Jenna Felderhoff (23:32, 125th) and Courtney Little (23:41, 127th) also paced the Lady Mustangs. Angelo State won the race by scoring 126 points. Midwestern will travel next to Fayeeteville, Ark. to compete in the Chile Pepper Festival. The meet will take place on Oct. 14 and is hosted by Arkansas.

Recreational Sports Men’s Flag Football Sept. 26 ODPHI DEF. KAPPA SIGMA 19-6 SIGMA NU TIED TKE 7-7 FLYBOYS DEF. PRIME TIME 14-8 TRUSTY NEIGHBORS DEF. MANIAC 14-12 BALL WIZARDS DEF. CHOIR BOYS 42-6

Women’s Flag Football SIGMA KAPPA DEF. CHI OMEGA 2-0 BADDEST CHICKS DEF. ALPHA PHI 12-6

New Jerusalem Baptist Church Rev. Angus Thompson, Pastor

We Welcome Our New Neighbors

1400 Borton Lane Wichita Falls, TX 76305

“The Church That Reminds You of Home”

Lively music and down home Sunday School 9:30 A.M. preaching and Morning Worship 10:45 A.M. Bible Study Wednesday Evening 7:00 P.M. teachings.

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ONNIE