Sept 10, 2008

The student voice of Midwestern State University

The Wichitan page 4 Britney’s back!

Miss Spears seems to have left psychosis behind for this year’s VMA awards.

page 5 Home sweet home Mustangs win home debut against Dallas Baptist to improve to 9-0.

WEDNESDAY september 10, 2008

Photo by Patrick Johnston Carpentry Foreperson Steve Smith checks on the construction crew’s progress on the Fowler Building. The Fowler Building is one of the many renovations on campus and is expected to be completed by Spring 2009.

MSU construction flurry continues Chris Collins Managing Editor Hundreds of college students and their friends gather around the fire pit Saturday night, drinking, smoking, laughing.

Beer cans and cigarette butts litter the muddy ground as the party crescendos into an uproar and a few fights break out.

It’s another weekend at the Grove, Wichita Falls’ newest community for college students.

The complex, located off Southwest Parkway near Taft, opened Aug. 15.

There have been problems ever since.

Saturday night becomes Sunday morning as the late-night partiers drift back to their apartments to sleep. The party’s over, and so is the fun. All that’s left in the morn-

see “GROVE” on pg. 3

MSU discourages concurrent enrollment Chris Collins Managing Editor Dual enrollment – taking classes at MSU and another college simultaneously – is being actively discouraged by the MSU administration.

This fall, MSU President Jessie Rogers announced to faculty that students should be steered away from taking classes at other institutions.

MSU has not issued a written policy on the matter.

“When students take courses we require somewhere else we

don’t get the student’s money or the government’s money,” said Dr. Friederike Wiedemann, provost, at an Enrollment Management meeting Tuesday.

“We have a problem with concurrent enrollment,” she continued. “If a student is an MSU student, he should just be an MSU student.”

Dually enrolled students currently have to get the okay from advisers before getting credit for classes taken at other universities. Administration calls it a “soft permission” because it’s

almost routine to grant students these credits.

“We will be stricter,” said Wiedemann. “If there is a good reason we will let the student do that. If there isn’t, we won’t.”

Advisers and deans of colleges, not students, will decide if students have a good reason to pursue academics at other institutions.

“It’s not going to be routine anymore,” Wiedemann said.

“I thought I understood the permission was there so a student didn’t take an off-the-wall

course,” said Darla Inglish of the office of the registrar. “We don’t want to forestall someone’s graduation or cause them not to communicate with their advisers.”

Apparently, the issue boils down to money.

“We don’t want to hurt a student; however, we don’t want to fund other universities when we need to pay our own people.

We have our own equipment and supplies,” Wiedemann said.

see “CREDIT” on pg. 3

Andrew Weitner For The Wichitan Tall orange cones, mounds of dirt, tractors and construction tape mark the entrances to MSU. The face of the 86-yearold campus is changing to the tune of approximately $58 million. The projects are: • $19.6 million Recreation Center and Vinson Health Center near Sikes Lake • $7.7 million McCoy Engineering Hall, formerly known as the Fowler Building • $9.3 million renovation of Ligon Coliseum • $700,000 renovation of Martin Hall and Bridwell Hall • $20.6 million for student housing.

The Recreation Center and Vinson Health Center were scheduled to be finished by the end of 2008, but problems with steel fabrication delayed the projects, according to Kyle Owen, associate director of the Physical Plant.

The completion date has been moved to February 2009.

Noting that student money is being, Steve Shelton, construction inspector/administrator, said pressure has been put on the construction firm to speed up the project.

“A celebration of materials” is how Eric Miller, an architect with SHW Group of Austin, describes the new McCoy Engineering Building, between Louis Rodriguez Drive and Martin Hall.

The main elements of the construction materials are unfinished copper, glass, structural steel and roulon. One of the unique features are “study pods” on the second floor that will overlook glass labs visible from every angle.

Kalwall, a translucent panel that diffuses light runs across the upper wall, brings natural

light into the study pods and the glass laboratories.

“It’s like this building has its own light source; it glows,” Shelton said.

Dr. Idir Azouz, chair of the McCoy School of Engineering, said he is anxious to move the department from its cramped quarters in McCoullough Hall.

Ligon Coliseum is undergoing a $9.3 million renovation to replace air handling units and old piping.

Changes are also under way to make the building more accessible to the handicapped.

“We had an ADA (American Disability Act) Texas Accessibility Standards Review done of it and there are a lot issues because it (Ligon Coliseum) is 40 years old,” Owen said.

Among major changes will be a ramp to improve access at the top level of the stadium.

Martin Hall, which housed social work and pre-law departments, was plagued by mold last year, leading to its closing.

New heating, ventilation and air-conditioning units will be installed to reduce humidity.

Even though classes are still being conducted in Bridwell Hall it will be dealing with an exterior drainage problem that caused water to pool under the foundation. Bridwell remains in the design stage.

The yet-to-be-named student residence building, to be erected where the Mercantile Building once stood, is still in the dirt phase. Construction is scheduled to be completed Aug. 10, 2009. Citing the shortage of student housing, Owen said current building plans have factored in days for inclement weather and possible construction problems.

The building should be ready for occupancy by next fall, he said.

Sweepstakes Winner 2006 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

Viewpoints

Finalist 2004 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award

The Wichitan

Staff Editorial

Drinking age debate If you’re under 21 and want to get your drink on, you’ve got allies. And by allies, we don’t mean

your 35-year-old second cousin who will buy a case of beer for 10 percent comission. You’ve got friends in high places, university presidents who

believe that the answer to binge drinking among college students is simple–to let them drink.

They have a point.

First of all, even the gas sations the proudly display those nifty “We Card” posters don’t always

live up to that promise. If a student looks old

enough, chances are they can get away with buying some booze. If one isn’t quite brave enough to pull that trick, there are always the older friends who can be bribed into making a buy.

Once the drinks are in hand, the game plan is simple. Party.

So college students drink.

And drink.

And drink some more.

Parties, trash, and beer, oh my!

The next morning, the hangovers might cause a

few to swear they’ll never drink again–until next weekend.

So, how would making alcohol more accessible to the unfortunate underage keep those 18- to 20year-olds’ livers from crying for help from beneath the weight of an entire case of Naty Light?

According to the Amethyst Initiative, a group

comprised of university presidents and chancel-

lors, lowering the drinking age to 18 would make students less likely to binge drink. Since alcohol

would be readily accessible, they’d no longer have to hide out and drink as much as they could stom-

ach (or, well, not quite stomach) when they finally got a chance to ‘party.’

The age-old arguments of bitter young adults still stand as well. At 18, a person is able to vote in

an election to choose the leadership of the nation

for the next four years. They can be sent off to war, pay into Social Security and are considered to be in control of their lives.

And yet, their right to choose whether or not to order a glass of wine with dinner is still held firmly in the hands of the law.

It seems unlikely that at the arbitrary age of 21, one is miraculously more responsible and better

Karrie Walker Opinion Editor

If you ask a resident of The Grove how they like living in his or her new apartment, you may get a wide range of mixed emotions and possibly a roll of the eyes. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of great features at the Grove, minus the disorganization at the beginning with check-in, keys not unlocking the right doors, not receiving mail box keys, and other minor technical difficulties. You can’t expect perfection from an apartment complex almost completely run by college students.

The Grove does have many amazing benefits to offer college students who are tired of living in the dorms. These brand new apartments allow students to have the college living feel of a dorm, but in a “big kid” apartment without an RA to follow their every move. Residents enjoy living freely, coming in and out as they please, with no curfews, no restrictions on overnight guests, and no one checking their refrigerators or under their beds for alcohol.

Some of the many amenities included at the Grove is a swimming pool, tanning beds,

equipped to know when to say ‘enough’ when it comes to a night at the bar.

As a note to all you under-21’s out there, however, you could make a better case for yourself by exercising just a bit of responsibility.

The Wichitan 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://wichitan.mwsu.edu Copyright © 2007. 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.

a computer lab, and study area for those times when you need to get out of your room. If you don’t want to leave Sparky at home, don’t worry! Pets are allowed for just a small fee.

Anyone interested in signing a lease at the Grove can choose between a two- or three- bedroom fully furnished apartment with his or her own private bedroom and bathroom. That’s right, no more community bathrooms or shower shoes! Residents also get the added convenience of having all of their utilities paid.

Unlike Sunwatcher Village, students are able to hand pick their roommates instead of getting randomly matched with people they don’t know. In addition to that, students never have trouble finding a parking spot, no matter what time of day they arrive.

Although this may sound like a dream come true, living in The Grove is no fairy tale. Upon entering the complex, get ready to get some mud on the tires…and all over your feet. At least on rainy days, that is. Otherwise, don’t get your hopes up of viewing a beautiful lawn or garden when you look out the window.

Personally, the view outside my apartment is the beautiful swimming pool. Too bad it has

yet to open. However, residents may use the flooded parking lot on a rainy day as an alternative.

That’s right. The parking lot got so extremely flooded one night that some people even had the misfortune of having their cars flooded and totaled. Just ask my friend’s mom, the former owner of a two-week-old Lexus. She picked the wrong weekend to help her daughter move in.

Some other major problems students have encountered at The Grove are the loud parties that go on just about every night. Even if the parties are not in front of my own apartment, people will loudly and drunkenly walk by my door to get to another area of the complex. I particularly feel sorry for the residents that live near the fire pit, where you can always find a crowd of people.

It’s not just the residents that cause up a stir; it’s usually guests who need a fun place to party away from campus. On one particularly fun night (please note my sarcasm) as I was just getting to sleep, I got to wake up to the lovely sound of the fire alarms. As much fun as it was to wait outside for thirty minutes while the cop on duty made sure there was no actual fire, I’d

rather not live in a place where drunken partiers get so wasted that they pull the fire alarms. I was mistaken when I thought I would be living in the presence of mature college students.

A lot of the time, it’s not the actual parties that cause the trouble, but the aftermath of the parties. I’ve walked around most of the apartment complex, which consists of at least nine buildings and have seen two trashcans, not including the one dumpster in the entire complex.

I don’t know about you, but I think after I finish a beer, the first thing I would want to do is walk across the whole complex to place my beer in a trashcan.

So naturally, you can imagine what the place might look like after a typical night. Beer cans and bottles can either be found shattered in front of your front door or embedded in the mud everywhere else.

So, if you’re interested in non-stop partying, reasonable parking, and handpicked roommates, the Grove can deliver.

However, if you’re trying to get away from the college party scene, you should probably look elsewhere. Long story short, The Grove is where it’s at….if you don’t live there.

THINK GREEN: Please recycle The Wichitan after reading.

Bins are located in Clark Student Center and Bolin Hall Editorial Board

Reporters Richard Carter Josh Mujica

Copy Editor Position Open

Entertainment Editor Courtney Foreman

Photographers Loren Eggenschwiler

Adviser Randy Pruitt

Sports Editor Bobby Morris

Advertising Manager Ayesha Dorsey

Editor-in-Chief Brittany Norman

Managing Editor Chris Collins Op-Ed Editor Karrie Walker

Photo Editor Patrick Johnston

News

The Wichitan Sept. 10, 2008

3

“The Grove”...............................................................................................................................................................................continued from pg. 1 ing is mud, glass and the faint reeking of trash.

Another day in paradise.

The community, advertised as a flexible living environment for MSU and Vernon students, has yet to get its feet off the ground.

Some tenants already have a laundry list of complaints about the newly finished complex.

“They’ve just sort of thrown us into the rooms,” said Chase Bock, sophomore. “It’s as if they weren’t ready when they moved us in.”

Bock, who lives with two roommates in a three-bedroom apartment, didn’t have a lock on his front door for more than two weeks. After three weeks the apartment still doesn’t have chairs – in a building that was supposed to come fully furnished.

Many complaints about the new complex can be chalked up to hasty construction, Bock said. Broken air conditioning, missing appliances, water-damaged carpet, damaged furniture and excessive mud are some common gripes.

“They tried to get everything done as quickly as possible,” Bock said.

Management at the Grove could not be reached for comment.

Residents were told that they would be put up in a hotel if housing wasn’t completed on schedule, Bock said. Instead they opted to push residents into an unfinished complex.

The Grove is owned by Charlotte-based Campus Crest, a residential construction company.

Campus Crest planned to construct 10 student housing projects across the nation in 2008.

The business networking Web site www.manta.com estimates the company makes about $75 million annually.

The company is not affiliated with MSU or Vernon College.

“They’re preying on college students,” Bock said.

Residents were promised a

Photo by Patrick Johnston Trash piles up at the Grove. Tenants were told they’d have to pay a $100 fine if too much garbage collected outside their apartments.

prorated fee in August, Bock said. He and others were required to pay the full month’s rent and electricity when they had moved in Aug. 15.

“When I first moved in they made it sound a lot better than it’s been so far,” he said. “For us to pay the full amount when we weren’t there is very irritating. What they said they were going to do hasn’t been done.”

Bock has lived in four other communities in Wichita Falls.

He said the Grove is the worst yet. “It’s the worst as far as business, payments and them being upfront with you. It hasn’t been a good experience so far,” Bock

said.

The mass communications major moved to the Grove because he thought it was affiliated with MSU. He later learned it wasn’t, but not before sending a $455 check to the company in July.

“It’s like they pulled the wool over my eyes,” he said.

You don’t have to be a student to live at the Grove, though it’s billed on their Web site as “fully loaded college living.”

Residents who are over age 26, however, are discouraged from moving in.

“It’s a marketing idea,” Bock said. “They’re trying to take ad-

vantage of college students because college kids might not be as worried about stuff as someone who’s older.”

The Grove doesn’t allow residents to break their leases.

Tenants are required to pay the entire year’s rent, a little over $6,000, in one lump sum if they want to violate the lease agreement.

“Nobody has money like that, especially college students,” Bock said.

Bock doesn’t want to solve the problem by moving out of the community. He just wants to see some improvement.

“I can’t stand moving, but

“Credit”.............................................................continued from pg. 1 dents take 24 of their last 30 credit hours at MSU. “We don’t have any wiggle room with the core classes,” said Dr. Robert Clark, vice president of institutional effectiveness and enrollment management. “If you take a core class it will transfer.

That’s a legislative mandate.”

Some instructors are wary of accepting concurrent credits in classes that are prerequisites for other coursework – especially in labs. For example, students who haven’t passed their Texas Success Initiative exam are discouraged from taking basic math classes elsewhere.

New Jerusalem Baptist Church Rev. Angus Thompson, Pastor

“A Church That Will Make You Feel at Home”

Come Worship With Other MSU Students.

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.

5 PEOPLE NEEDED FOR EXCITING PROMOTION AT SIKES SENTER MALL This promotion is designed to engage young people in the democratic process.

The staff must be outgoing and energetic as they invite young people to "mock vote" on PDAs. Staff will also ser ve beverages and give away prizes to those who participate in the activities.

The event takes place on Sat. and Sunday from 10:30am- 6pm September 20 and 21st.

Staff will be paid $15 per hour and must be reliable, well-spoken and comfortable with the target population (young people). judy@networkpromos.com

“There are people who take anatomy and physiology over the Internet,” said Dr. Dana Mills, assistant professor of biology. “They’ve never had a lab. They’ve never looked in a microscope. They don’t have the skills for it.”

Individual departments are in control of their majors and they can assess concurrent courses as they see fit, the administrators said. Students denied concurrent credit can appeal the decision to the university.

said, she was brushed aside and never really dealt with.

“They are very incompetent,” Johnson said. “Everybody gets amnesia. They act like they don’t have a clue.”

The maintenance staff is almost nonexistent, Johnson said, even though the Grove’s Web site promises that anything broken will be fixed immediately.

She said the management is so disorganized that she’s afraid to pay them with a personal check.

“They put you in between a rock and a hard place,” Johnson said. “It’s so ridiculous I’ve been waiting for Ashton Kutcher to pop out and tell me I’ve been Punk’d.”

The Web site also promises residents access to onsite security, community assistants and student support teams. Both Bock and Johnson have seen little, if any, of this type of assistance.

The Grove: fully loaded college living.

Campus briefs •

Sept. 10

Sean speaks;

P/T Package Handler 4am-8am, Tue-Sat Tuition assistance.

Weekly paycheck.

Fast paced job, loading/scanning packages.

Apply in person.

the MSU football player will

208 Randy Dr. Wichita Falls, TX

cheon; video replays, coach

EEO/AA

speak to students about drinking and driving; Wednesday, 8:00 p.m.; CSC Comanche

•

Sept. 11

Athletics lun-

updates; Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU; Thursday,

1400 Borton Lane Wichita Falls, TX 76305 58613

When MSU accepts credits from other universities it’s like we’re doing them a favor, the provost said.

“We need to be very careful with the budget. What we can do is prove the course is of lower quality and go to the coordinating board. It takes a lot of guts to go up against your colleagues at another institution of high education,” Wiedemann said.

MSU is required to accept credits from other institutions in core classes such as English, math, science and history. It is required, however, that all stu-

they’re going to have to pick it up,” Bock said. “If I’m paying my rent I want everything I’m supposed to have.”

Junior Shataria Johnson also moved into the Grove during mid-August. It was a huge mistake, she said.

“I hate it and I’m totally dissatisfied,” Johnson said. “They paint this beautiful picture, but it’s ridiculous.”

When Johnson approached management with complaints about her new apartment, she

Photo courtesy

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• Opening reception: art camp; all-media art gallery; Fain Fine Arts Foyer Gallery; Friday 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

4

Entertainment

The Wichitan Sept. 10, 2008

Russel Brand ruins the VMAs Lauren Wood For The Wichitan

This year marked the 25th annual MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, September 7th live from Paramount Studios in Hollywood. Hosted by the rehabbing

Britney Spears and London's own comedian/actor, Russell Brand, also known as that funny British guy in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, this years awards show was full of A-list musicians, reality stars and lots of hits and misses in the fashion department.

Brand was definitely the highlight of the show with his uncensored wit and extremely tight pants, but the biggest surprise was when Spears won her first, second, and third Mooman, including the Video of the Year.

The Jonas Brothers of course had thousands of screaming girls, I mean fans, filling the streets during their performance. Rihanna showcased her talent as well, but the performance most people were looking forward to was Britney's.

To refresh your memory, Spears had a bit of a debacle last year, but this year she opened the show by repeatedly turning down some of Superbad's Jonah Hill's advances and welcomed the crowd in a sparkling silver dress, looking good for someone just out of rehab.

Together Spears and Brand made the show interesting, but their were plenty of musical highlights as well.

Rihanna opened the show with her hit "Disturbia" in a rather interesting outfit that looked close to something a robot would wear and then T.I. performed "Whatever You Like" a short time thereafter.

Britney Spears was in shock as she picked up the awards for Best Female Video, Best Pop Video, and Best Video of the Year. The Best Male Video went to a very humble Chris Brown for "With You," winning over hip-hop stars including T.I., Flo Rida and Usher.

Best Hip-Hop Video award went to Lil Wayne's "Lollipop" and he wowed the crowd with his half-naked performance of a medley of hits from his Tha Carter III album.

Linkin Park claimed the Best Rock Video for "Shadow of the Day," beating Paramore, but they gave an amazing performance of "Misery Business."

Germany's own Tokio Hotel claimed the Best New Artist Award and were very humble when they thanked their fans from all over the world.

A little while later after Brand dissed our country's politics and president, Kid Rock sang "All Summer Long" which featured

Weezy doing a freestyle breakdown.

Christina Aguilera gave an interesting version of her first hit, "Genie in a Bottle," which led to her techno dance tune "Keep Getting' Better."

But Pink definitely kept the fire up when we saw her new single "So What," where she throws a guy down some subway stairs.

Probably the most clothed people were the Jonas brothers.

This was their first VMA performance but still got all their fans screaming on a fake New York City street set in the back of the Paramount studios.

Among the other awards handed out over the course of the evening was Best Dancing in a Video to the Pussycat Dolls for "When I Grow Up." Then Kanye West ended the show, debuting a new song, "Love Lockdown."

Overall, a good show, but this year the surprise was Britney, again.

The Jonas Brothers

OMFG Gossip Girl goes to DVD Britney Spears

Richard Carter For The Wichitan

Like it or not, the world is filled with evil people.

They’re not necessarily Democrats or Republicans, religious types or non-believers, or even Packers or Cowboys fans.

They’re simply evil people, and as much as a pain as they might be to do-gooders and nice people, they do happen to make the world a far more interesting place.

I’m not going to broach a Nietzsche-like deconstruction of good and evil but in laymen’s terms, simply consider a Heaven where people sing “Kumbaya” all the time, or a Hell where people listen to heroin addicts like Miles Davis.

“Kumbaya” may be more comfortable and reassuring, but Miles is way more interesting.

Even for “good” people then, evil can be rather alluring.

You might end up marrying the girl next door, but you certainly want to date the hottie that looks amazing in the black cocktail dress first.

So, that explains why a show like “Gossip Girl” can be interesting. Surely a bunch of uber rich preppies running around and spending money is bland. And it is. However, an insight into the social mores and evilness involved in surviving that highly competitive social world is cool.

There is an art to the withering stare, hardcore death irony and social one-upmanship. Seriously, you haven’t lived until you’ve seen a girl out a rival’s boyfriend as gay during a huge Upper East Side party.

For all of the boring moments of the show’s first season, which just came out on DVD right before the premiere of the second season, there are plenty of artful social moments.

There are wealthy private academy children of privilege driven by burnt out parents to succeed and to marry right. With that kind of pressure, one must not only fit it but also stand out in an outstanding fashion.

But one wrong move and the gossip is out, and everyone is texted from some invisible bitchy narrator who informs one and all about missteps, mistakes and career suicides.

“Gossip Girl” looks as a fallen socialite, her uber bitch best friend (and worst enemy) and the two very different guys they hate and love.

It also introduces some a poor guy and his sister from Brooklyn who become part of the scene in two different ways, Sadly, their boring parents are also part of the show. But it’s really about the kids who have all of the best lines and most interesting behavior.

The other thing I like about the show is that all of the characters have something of a good and bad side. Most fictional programs usually show one façade and that’s it. Even the evilest people in “Gossip Girl” can do the right thing every once in a while. That’s kind of why people still talk to them.

And even the best of people can have a dark side, and it’s usually pretty interesting.

The great thing about this show though is that real life almost never has behavior and lines that are as deliciously evil as on they are on that screen.

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Rihanna

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Vincent’s Art Studio & Coffee Shop

Open Mic Night Well wishes to all This is an invitation To open mic night

At Vincent’s Art Studio and Coffee Shop Friday September 12th 2003 9th Street Wichita Falls 7:30 – 12:30 (more or less) Coffee, sodas and water are FREE Donations are greatly appreciated All are welcome To play or listen Please be our comrades In serenity and peace At open mic night

Sports

The Wichitan Sept. 10, 2008

5

Mustangs defeat Dallas Baptist in four sets to remain perfect some distractions that seemingly effected some plays throughout the hotly-contested match.

“It was our first match at home and everybody wasn’t thinking,” MSU head coach Venera FloresStafford said. “We recovered well, but we made a lot of errors that we don’t normally make.

We have the experience to work through that excitement, but we just need to settle down and play well from the start.”

Freshman Hillary White stepped up and played big minutes for the Mustangs on Tuesday night. White contributed on an off-night for the usual MSU stars with seven kills on 13 attacks.

“We expect that from our bench,” Flores-Stafford said. “If

Josh Mujica & Bobby Morris The Wichitan

For the first time in a young season the Midwestern State Mustangs hosted an opponent at the friendly confines of D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

Last season the Mustangs hosted ten matches in D.L. Ligon Coliseum and only lost one of them to then-ranked No. 15 West Texas A&M. The same home-court advantage looks to have carried into the 2008 season as the Mustangs took care of a scrappy Dallas Baptist squad 23-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-23 to improve to 9-0 on the season.

While home court is an advantage, it also can bring in

someone is having an off-night, we can turn to another player with confidence that she will go in and get the job done.”

The Mustangs also held strong this past weekend as they competed in the Missouri Southern Invitational in Joplin, Mo. On Saturday, they competed against Dallas Baptist, this time MSU got outstanding performances out of its middle blockers Miranda Byrd, Alysha Pritt and Sesley Graves. All three combined for 45 kills to help the Mustangs clobber DBU 25-15, 27-29, 25-22, 25-20.

Byrd, who is quickly becoming a freshman sensation, posted 22 kills with only three errors.

She had a .500 hitting percentage.

Pritt, a Wichita Falls Rider High School product, tallied 15 kills to go along with a .418 hitting percentage. She committed only two errors while leading the team with six blocks and Graves added eight kills on 15 attacks.

Senior setter Allison Schreiber racked up 54 assists and 13 digs to earn her first double-double of the season.

“It’s still a learning process of getting familiar with lineups and playing together,” FloresStafford said.

Earlier in the day, the Mustangs defeated host Missouri Southern, 25-19, 20-25, 25-17, 21-25, 15-10. Although it took five sets to defeat the Lady Lions, MSU used a 6-2 run in the last set to claim the victory. Before losing

the second set, Midwestern had rolled through 19 straight sets without a loss. Standouts were senior libero Shay Velasquez with 15 kills and Kiara Jordan who contributed 11.

Graves, Whitney Maxwell and Pritt each had three blocks for MSU. Schreiber was consistent in her play with 51 assists and eight digs. She led the Mustang arsenal to a .232 hitting percentage.

On Friday, MSU struggled against Northwest Missouri State but jumped on the back of outside hitter Jessica Ransom who carried her team with all her might. The senior from Wichita Falls High School had 15 kills with a .560 hitting percentage. She had one error in 25 attacks as the Lady Mustangs won, 25-16, 26-24, 25-22. Ransom’s five-point service run in the second set helped MSU to avoid its first loss in 17 straight sets. Velasquez played well defensively keeping the Mustangs

in the game by pitching in 21 digs from the back row.

The Mustangs began the tournament with a win against Drury, 25-16, 15-22, 25-19, earlier on Friday. MSU had 56 digs for the game and Velasquez had 26 of them. The best overall performance though might have come from Maxwell whose job was to hold Drury’s top hitter, Jargoda Pstras.

“I kept Whitney on their big hitter and she held her to a negative,” Flores-Stafford said.

Pstras had a -.083 hitting percentage and just five kills.

Other standouts for the Mustangs were Graves with eight kills and only one error in 22 tries and Pritt who finished with 15 kills.

MSU will be back on the road and in action Friday and Saturday as they compete in the Tarleton State Invitational. The first game is set for Friday at 11 a.m. against Missouri Western State.

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Patrick Johnston The Wichitan Senior setter Allison Schreiber gets ready for one of her 42 assists in Tuesday’s four-set victory over Dallas Baptist.

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Midwestern State celebrated a solid showing at the the Mustangs’ Relays Saturday morning at Lake Wichita Park in what resulted in a dual run against East Central University, which came into the week ranked No. 9 regionally.

“Everyone ran well and came in with an open mind and a solid workout ethic,” MSU coach Koby Styles said. “I’m pround of where we are. They pretty much came out and dominated from the outset.”

Katie Stepp and Lindsey Pate claimed the six-mile, twoperson relay title by combining for a time of 35:52 and were fol-

lowed by teammates Kayla Hendrix and Kourtney Aylor, who clocked a 36:37.

East Central claimed the third spot Sarah Reihart and Silvia Barkechir finishing in 37:41.

Midwestern State runners also placed fourth (Hassie Sutton/ Andrea Borgman in 37:52) and eighth (Mallory Ammerman/ Mindy Briones in 40:15), while Julie Bell and Brittany Barrington finished seventh clocking a 39:21.

The Mustangs will compete in the East Central Tiger Chase next Saturday in Ada, Okla.

Editor’s Note : The Mustangs claimed the first regional ranking (9th) in the cross country program’s history Tuesday.

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Patrick Johnston The Wichitan Katie Stepp passes off her duo’s bracelet to partner Lindsey Pate in the two-person, six-mile relay. The pair ran a time of 35:52 to take the title and lead the way for a dominant team effort by MSU on Saturday.

Blowout

Sports

The Wichitan Sept. 10, 2008

On Deck this week...

Mustangs gallop over record books and Rangers Bobby Morris Sports Editor

After dropping their first two matches on the road, the Mustangs were hoping for a little home cooking to get things turned around.

Thirteen goals, 12 assists and 65 shots, including 31 shots on goal, made for a winning recipe last Friday as they thumped Northwestern Oklahoma at the MSU Soccer Field, 13-1.

“They (Northwestern Oklahoma) had some injuries, but came out with intensity and played hard,” MSU head coach Jeff Trimble said. “We were able to match that.”

Former Wichita Falls Rider High School standout freshman Kelsey Hill made the most of her home debut. She notched the 16th hat trick in the program’s history.

“I was really proud of the way Kelsey played today,” Trimble said. “It was special for her to come up with a hat trick in her first home match here.”

Hill led the way for the Mustangs knocking in three goals on four shots and setting up Kendra Clemons for the opening goal of the second half.

But the Mustangs got great play from the entire squad in their record-breaking performance last Friday night.

Clemons and Megan Hanlon finished with two goals as Kari Bristow, Katy Lukert, Megan Bibilone, Madison Grassi, Lindsay Pritchard and Lexi Elder all scored goals in the offensive outburst.

The game broke school records for goals (13), goals in a half (9), assists (12), shots attempted (65) and shots on goal (31).

The blowout also tied the school record for largest margin of victory that was set in a 12-0 win at Texas-Permian Basin on Oct. 3, 2001.

The Mustangs then hosted the New Mexico Highlands Cowgirls last Sunday afternoon at the MSU Soccer Field.

MSU played a much different game, controlling possession while getting off 35 shots, including 14 shots on goal. The Mustangs defense held the Cowgirls to only four shots in the match while pulling away to the 2-0 victory.

The home victories improved the Mustangs to 2-2 for the season.

The Mustangs will return to the MSU Soccer Field for a pair of games against Incarnate Word on Thursday and Southern Nazarene on Tuesday. Both games are scheduled for a 4 p.m. kickoff.

Friday September 12 Womens Soccer

Incarnate Word 4 p.m.

Mens Soccer Loren Eggenschwiler The Wichitan Wichita Falls Rider High School graduate Kelsey Hill (18) completed the MSU women’s soccer program’s sixteenth hat trick at their home debut victory last Friday night against Northwestern Oklahoma, 13-1.

Last minute fireworks seal Mustangs victory, 27-20 Bobby Morris Sports Editor

While Southeastern Oklahoma State’s tailback Baylen Laury was single-handedly keeping the Savage Storm in the game, the overall rushing attack of the Mustangs combined with a clutch fourth quarter drive to seal the opening game victory for MSU, 27-20.

Laury finished the game with 116 yards on 18 carries and three touchdowns, while the rest of the team mustered only 95 yards of total offense.

MSU Running backs BeeJay Mathis and Marcus Mathis and quarterback Zack Eskridge all totaled over 45 yards rushing on the game but it was running back Bobby Ransom that came through with the game-winning rushing touchdown with :50 seconds to go in the game.

The Mustangs got the ball with 2:07 left on the clock and the game tied 20-20. On the third play of the drive, Eskridge found David Little for a 54-yard hookup that put them within the Sav-

age Storm’s five-yard-line.

Two plays later Ransom plunged into the endzone to seal the game and give the Mustangs their eighthstraight opening game victory.

This win also marked their tenth-consecutive victory over Lone Star Conference North Division opponents and their 23rd straight win over opponents hailing from Oklahoma.

Eskridge started the game for the Mustangs and completed 10-of-22 passes for 143 yards and one

touchdown along with 45 rushing yards on six carries.

Brad Green also saw time at the helm for the Mustangs as he completed 2-of-7 for 21 yards as well as rushing

three times for 15 yards.

BeeJay Mathis led the team in rushing with 57 yards on ten carries. Marcus Mathis also ran well with 52 yards with one touchdown on 12 carries.

Tyron Morrison and Little were impact receivers for the quarterbacks to target all game long. Morrison finished with 56 yards and a

MSU running back Marcus Mathis (22) breaks away from a Southeastern Oklahoma State defender on his way to scoring a 21-yard rushing touchdown late in Saturday’s first quarter. Along with BeeJay Mathis, Marcus paced the MSU rushing attack with 52 yards on 12 carries.

Patrick Johnston The Wichitan

touchdown on four grabs, while Little finished with 75 yards on three catches, including the game’s key play with a minute left in the fourth quarter.

Defensively, the Mustangs were swarming on pass defense.

Whatever Laury gained on the ground, the Mustangs took away from quarterback Brandon McCain and the Savage Storm passing attack.

Darius Bortters, Brandon Onu and Herman Walker all had one interception off of McCain while the team combined to hold SOSU to only 95 yard through the air.

The Mustangs began recieving votes for the American Football Coaches Association national poll after the victory.

The Mustangs (1-0) travel to Tahlequah, Okla. this Saturday where they will take on Northeastern State (0-1).

Kickoff is sceduled for 7 p.m.

Sutherland providing early season spark on offense Bobby Morris Sports Editor

Redshirt freshman Craig Sutherland is absolutely on fire.

While the Midwestern State men’s soccer team dropped their first match over the weekend at the West Texas A&M Buff’s Classic, Sutherland got his first start of his collegiate career and made the most of it by continuing his early-season offensive onslaught.

The Scotland-native was honored as the Southwest Soccer Conference offensive player of the week last week after he scored five goals in the opening four games.

His play is garnering a lot of attention by others; but this outburst has a lot to do with his surroundings and the play of others around him, at least that’s what MSU head coach Doug Elder thinks.

“He’s finding himself in the right place at the right time,” Elder said. “The assists that Ahmad Ihmeidan placed for him were very good. The finishes were good, but credit has to go to the build-up and getting the ball to him.”

The No. 2 Mustangs dropped their first match of the season last Friday against the No. 16 Colorado Mines Orediggers, 2-1.

The Orediggers pulled out to a 1-0 lead in the first half, but any

chances of a Mustangs comeback was thwarted when goalkeeper Shawn Carr was ejected in the 58th minute forcing MSU to play a man down for the remainder of the match.

Sutherland knocked in his third goal of the season in the 89th minute, but the deficit was too much to overcome.

The Mustangs then moved to take on No. 10 Fort Lewis (Colo.) to conclude the Buff’s Classic.

Ihmeidan and Sutherland connected for a pair of goals to seal the double-overtime 3-2 victory for the Mustangs. The win moved the Mustangs to 3-1 on the season.

Sutherland’s first goal in the 56th minute, coupled with a goal

by Landon Fruge’ later in the second half, gave the Mustangs a much needed 2-0 lead. Then, mistakes in the backfield and unforced errors allowed Fort Lewis to charge back with two goals in the final five minutes of regulation to force extra time.

Then, after the teams had fought for over 100 minutes to a 2-2 tie, Ihmeidan found Sutherland 50 seconds into the second overtime period for his second goal of the game and fifth goal of the young season.

While Sutherland looks stellar in the opening matches of the season, the Mustangs are relying on others stepping up at different

points in the season to keep the momentum going.

“He (Sutherland) is coming along good,” Elder said. “I’m hoping that we all step at different times to do that. He’ll have his goals then (Kyle) Kmiec, Nick Auditore, and Ahmad (Ihmeidan) will have their goals. As

7

long as everyone takes turn scoring their chances we’ll be OK.” The win over Fort Lewis provides a promising backdrop for the Mustangs home debut this Friday.

“We’re playing a good team,” Elder said. “They’re 3-1 and we’re 3-1, but we’re glad to be

back at home after being on the road for the first four games. Everyone’s excited to come home and we hope to play well with the crowd there.”

The Mustangs will be hosting Texas A&M-International at the MSU Soccer Field. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m.

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Texas A&M International 7 p.m.

Volleyball @ Tarleton State Invitational

Saturday September 13 Cross Country @ East Central Tiger Chase Volleyball @ Tarleton State Invitational Football @ Northeastern State 7 p.m.

Sunday September 14 Golf @ Charles Coody W. Texas Intercollegiate

Monday September 15 Golf @ Charles Coody W. Texas Intercollegiate

Tuesday September 16 Womens Soccer

Southern Nazarene 4 p.m.

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