December 4, 2013 by Midwestern State University

Dec. 4, 2013 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 78 No. 14

No all-nighters in Moffett during finals week KARIN PIERCE AND MANDI ELROD REPORTERS

A PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

David Boller, collision repair instructor at Carrigan Career Center, unloads characters for the scenes at Fantasy of Lights. This is the first time Carrigan has helped to set up the MSUBurns Fantasy of Lights display.

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Volunteers help set up the displays for the MSU-Burns Fantasy of Lights Dec. 2.

Lights exhibit opens Friday; features new displays COURTNEY BETTS REPORTER

T DECEMBER 6 • 5:30 – 5:55 p.m. Hardin Bell Tower Holiday Jingles (Jim Quashnock) • 6:30 p.m. Southern Hills Elementary School, Wichita Falls ISD (choir) • 7 p.m. Evan’s Fine Arts Studio, Wichita Falls ISD (choir) • 7 p.m.: Band – Akin Auditorium • Free hot chocolate • Santa Claus comes

his Friday, community members and students will gather around the front lawn of the Hardin Administration Building for the MSU Burns Fantasy of Lights opening ceremony which will showcase the first two additions to the display in almost 10 years. “It really comes full circle for me because I’m from this town,” Randy Canivel, coordinator of MSU Burns Fantasy of Lights, said. “It’s an amazing feeling to be able to see it, be a part of it and then run it.” Canivel became the coordinator of the Fantasy of Lights three years ago and in the last year he has raised $20 thousand for the new Nutcracker display. The display features professions in North Texas. “The community was asking for new additions for a while and it became a popular question in 2010 before I took over,” Canivel said. “People like to see new things.” Canivel added, “Depending on budgets and donations, we might be able to have more additions in the future.” A local family built the second addition

Pretty Athletic

pg. 4-5

Is cheerleading a sport or activity? Courts, associations and participants discuss the issue.

titled “A Toy’s Christmas” and donated the display for the Fantasy of Lights. It depicts characters based on the movie Toy Story. “This addition is unique to the display because it features modern characters and children today will be able to relate to it,” Canivel said. It takes 1,100 to 1,300 person-hours to set up the display every year. People come from all over the city and volunteer their time to help prepare for the event. “We try to pay the volRANDY CANIVEL unteers back by providing COORDINATOR them food and that has to come out of the budget as well,” Canivel said. To run the Fantasy of Lights without adding new displays or renovating original ones, it costs anywhere from $40 to $50 thousand. This includes costs for electrical equipment, transportation and security. Holiday displays are typically displayed

Finals Frenzy

“It’s an amazing feeling to be able to see it, be a part of it and then run it.”

see LIGHTS pg. 3

pg. 7

University Programming Board plans a day of activities, Dec. 5.

s the semester comes to a close, students scramble to get in last-minute studying for finals. Some students choose to study in their rooms but the ones who choose the library as their place of study might be surprised to find the library will not be as accommodating to late-night bookworms as it was last year. Students in various sororities and fraternities volunteered to help keep the library open for 24 hours a day last year but did not receive as many volunteers this year. Coupled with the lack of funds from the library, they were unable to offer that service again this year. Despite that, many students still believe they’ll be able to make the grade. “I don’t think it’s going to affect my grades much. I usually study at home,” said clinical science junior Jaisy John. Although the library does stay open until 2 a.m., it restricts students who have a busy day and would prefer to study in the wee hours of the morning. It is especially restricting to students like mathematics senior Cheddi Charles, who find their apartments to be a distraction. “The library is a conducive place to study. If you’re in your apartment, there are too many distractions. In the library, the atmosphere is conducive to studying and sometimes, during the day, you have work to do, so in the night, you have a little time to study and if it’s not open, it’s going to affect my grades. It would take away from my studying time,” Charles said. Even students who don’t necessarily depend on the library realize the need for late hours. Business sophomore Ta’Les Russell said she believes other students will definitely feel the inconvenience coming into finals week. “I do think it’s going to affect other students’ grades because they depend on the library to be open 24 hours and they can cram in last-minute studying that they can’t do now because they don’t have that chance to,” Russell said.

High Jump

pg. 8

Men’s basketball team defeats Oklahoma university 73 to 65.

2 | Dec. 4, 2013 | GUEST COLUMN

Car art ‘a big deal for our campus’ I

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Hironori Kubota, a featured artist at the Texas Sculpture Symposium, Nov. 1, stands next to the car now suspended in front of the Fain Fine Art building.

PHOTO BY ETHAN METCALF / WICHITAN

A professor donated the ‘91 Honda Accord to Hironori Kubota, a featured artist at the Texas Sculpture Symposium, Nov. 1. Kubota used the engine to power his kinetic sculpture.

the

wichitan Vo. 78 | No. 14

Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room B103 3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 • wichitan@mwsu.edu

n the last publication of The Wichitan, an article with the headline “Car Art Should Be Cleaned Up” caused quite a buzz in the Fain Fine Arts Visual Arts Department. Many of the students were upset because they felt that it gave a bad depiction of Hironari Kubota’s sculpture, temporarily named Spinning Chevy, as well as the art department. A few of us thought Nicole Kutzer that our fellow students on campus, who may not know much about art, deserved more information regarding Kubota’s work as well as answers to questions that were in the article. Hironari Kubota is a Japanese artist who has performed and exhibited his so called “car art” in countries including China, France, Germany, Ireland, Portugal and most recently Midwestern State University; the deReanna Lee but of his work in the United States. His signature sculptures defy gravity and are one-of-akind spinning cars or boats inspired by his hometown’s festival, Onbashira. The purpose of the festival is to symbolically renew the Suwa Taisha, or Suwa Grand Shrine. The English translation of Onbashira is “the honored pillars” named after an important part of the festival, which is to raise the logs by hand on the four corners of the shrine, therefore protecting it. Spinning Chevy combines the engine of a 1991 Honda Accord that has been connected to a 1949 Chevy Deluxe hanging approximately seven feet above the ground. This past Nov. 1-3, the art department held the 2013 Texas Sculpture Symposium, which began with a gallery opening in Fain that concluded with Kubota’s performance. Many of us watched in awe as Kubota sang a traditional Japanese song followed by Japanese music playing in the background while he powered the engine, enabling the Chevy to spin at varying speeds and directions that he had timed to sync with the music. If you are wondering how the Onbashira festival contributes to this, try looking at the design aspect of the sculpture. In previous works, Kubota has used wooden logs instead of a steel frame. He may have chosen to go with a steel frame for this piece because the ’49 Chevy was very heavy. It may not have been well supported by wood. After debuting, it is not uncommon for performance pieces to be left as standing sculptures. This is a part of the excitement. The significance of the performance aspect can also be traced to Kubota’s inspiration from the Onbashira festival. All of us here at MSU should be honored to have had Kubota’s first appearance in the United States here on our campus. Not only was this a big deal for our campus, but also for Kubota. Since this was his first time to perform his work in the U.S., he wanted to use an American car. A

EDITOR: Ethan Metcalf BUSINESS MANAGER: Blake Muse STAFF: Courtney Betts, Sam Croft, Keandra Davis, Brent Deeb, Mandi Elrod, Hanwool Lee, Paden Lemons, Arron Mercer, Karin Pierce, Austin Quintero, Lauren Roberts, Aleisha Solorio ADVISER: Bradley Wilson

Midwestern State University professor donated the Honda to the project, giving Kubota the engine he would need to power his artwork. A student in the art department had the frame of an old Chevy on her family’s property and the student’s family kindly donated it as well. Kubota was excited to introduce Western influences into his artwork. Although the performance is over, Spinning Chevy is contracted to remain on campus for a year. The article stated that the ’49 Chevy featured in Kubota’s artwork takes up too much space. But when you think about it, does it really? Before the sculpture was moved to the lawn area between the Fain Fine Arts building and Prothro-Yeager Building, it was rarely ever used. The Visual Arts Department was one of the few to use the space before the sculpture was placed there. It had to be cleared with the Administration of the school before the Visual Arts Department could occupy the space for such an extended period of time. But overall, most students only ever used it as a walkway. If the car were obstructing the sidewalk, then it would be a different argument. Apologies if it takes an extra minute to get to class because you had to use the sidewalk. Because the ’91 Honda located outside the sculpture and ceramics patio area was donated to the department, removal has been slowed because the title has yet to be transferred. As a university with funding from the state of Texas, we are obligated to follow policies and regulations regarding its clean up. I can assure you that the Honda will be removed from campus as soon as the department has taken all necessary steps. Unfortunately, since the department has never had a car just “chilling there” before, there is not a designated place to store it. Personally, I am glad they chose to put it on the grass rather than have it occupy a beloved parking space. Many art students found the cartoon posted above the article to be rude. Graduating senior of the Visual Arts department Sydney Kuehler said, “The picture chosen was very inappropriate because it was not just a visual regarding her opinion of the sculpture, but a depiction of the entire Fine Arts department. I do not believe she has done enough research on the subject to form such a strong opinion.” It is understandable that not everyone knows how to appreciate fine art, however students of the art department were very taken back by the image. Aristotle once said, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance.” It is important to us in the Visual Arts department that Kubota’s work not be seen as old trash that has served its use and now needs to be disposed of, but as a car that has long served its intended purpose and can be viewed as something pioneering, transforming and lasting. Nicole Kutzer and Reanna Lee are both seniors in art

Copyright © 2013. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press. 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. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief (250 words or fewer) and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address. The editor retains the right to edit letters.

|Dec 4, 2013 | 3 Nov. 30

CRIME LOG

A current MSU resident reported that a guest to her MSU campus apartment took property belonging to her without her permission.

Nov. 28

A suspect was found at the Simulation Center. The male was determined to be a transient that was trying to get out of the wind and started a fire on the concrete to warm himself. The male was barred from the property and directed to the Mission.

Nov. 25

MSU seized and destroyed a disabled placard which was being used in violation of the Texas Transportation Code. LIGHTS pg. 1 with LED lights, but the Fantasy of Lights features intricate mechanical displays with robotics and story themes. Canivel said he considers this showcase of displays to be the most unique of its kind because it brings the community together. “Everyone is involved in this event,” Canivel said. “It allows the community to connect with the campus. Friends and families make it a tradition.” The Fantasy of Lights was originally displayed on campus in the 1974. Members from the community have spent their childhood walking through this display every year.

Nov. 23

MSU Police observed an intoxicated individual stumbling as he walked on the sidewalk. The individual called for a ride and was released to a responsible party.

Nov. 22

A window was broken during a minor altercation between two male resident students.

Nov. 19

A MSU Faculty member reported that the sidewall of a tire on her vehicle was stabbed with a steak knife on Nov. 18 while she was parked on MSU campus property. SOURCE: http://www.mwsu.edu/police/crimelogs/

“I’m from Wichita Falls and I have been going to Fantasy of Lights since I can remember,” Elizabeth Rogers, graduate student in human resources, said. “It’s so nice to have an event in the community that I can look forward to every year.” The opening ceremony will commence at 6 p.m. and feature Santa Claus, carolers, a formal introduction by Jesse Rogers, university president, concerts and other holiday activities. “I hope everyone comes out to see our new displays and to experience this tradition that makes MSU and Wichita Falls stand out,” Canivel said.

PHOTO BY HANWOOL LEE / WICHITAN

Olivia Olvera, senior in art, hangs her work on the wall for the Senior Art Exhibition opening reception on Dec. 6. “People will be really interesting because all majors from every department’s graduate such as sculpture, painting, graphic design, photography, ceramic and printmaking participate in the senior exhibition, and seven of us are all female so it’s unique,” Olvera said.

Final shows this week STUDENT-MANAGED INVESTMENT FUND PRESENTATION

Students of the Dillard College of Business will give a presentation of their experience in the Student Managed Investment Fund class tonight at 7 p.m. in Dillard 101. Ricky Randall, junior in finance, said this is the biggest presentation of any of the business classes. "There's a class that's comparable to it, but it's with fake money," Randall said. "This is the one with real money and we have to make real decisions with it. Our constraints and stuff like that are a lot stricter than what they do." Randall said the fund began with a $400,000 donation from Kay Dillard. "The fund is now worth over $460,000," Randall said. "We've just been keeping it going." Randall said students must take the class for a year so there is a presentation at the end of each semester. "It just covers what we've done since we took it over, so all the trades we've done, what stock we bought it with, stocks we sold and how the money is doing right now," Randall said.

MASS COMMUNICATION SENIOR SCREENINGS

Graduating seniors of the mass communication department will debut their capstone documentaries "All For the Applause" and "Drum Major, Is Your Band Ready?" this Friday at 3:30 p.m. in Bolin 100. Landry Russell, senior in mass communication, said the screenings are an opportunity for anyone not involved in the department to see what mass communication students have been working towards during their time in the program.

"They can see we know how to shoot video, we know how to edit it, we know how to interview people," Russell said. "This is our capstone project. This is the culmination of everything we've learned in the last four years." Russell said the screenings give him and his classmates something they can show to future employers to demonstrate what they learned in college. "This is your footprint on MSU," Russell said. "This is your last work here."

SENIOR ART EXHIBITION OPENING RECEPTION

Senior art students will host the Senior Art Exhibition on Friday from 6-8 p.m. in the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery. Kristyna Butler, senior in photography, said the exhibition gives the students the chance to show their best work as well as answer any questions about their process and pieces. "It's pretty much the epitome of what we do the whole time we're in school," Butler said. "It showcases everything that you've learned and everything that you've learned to love at the same time." Butler said because each concentration of the art department is represented in the show, it gives the public the chance to see everything the department has to offer. "It shows what the art department is capable of because everybody that's in the show is very good at whatever their medium is," Butler said. "It shows the diversity of what you can learn in the art department. Even in the printmaking they do a bunch of different processes. It's not just one process." Admission is free and the exhibition will run through Jan. 10.

4 | Dec. 4, 2013 | B E Y O N D T H E F L I P S A N D S T U N T S

CHEERLEADING A

S P O R T

AUSTIN QUINTERO REPORTER

s the crowd cheers, maroon and gold flaring through the stands, another cheerleader is thrown in the air while two more cross paths in front, tumbling all the way down the track. As the tumblers pass, the cheerleader once high in the air comes down with two more going up to replace her, followed by yet another tumbler down the front, all the while the rhymes and cheers stay consistent and loud. After the routine is over and all that remains to tell of their tiring performance are steady visible breaths in the cold air, the amount of skill and practice required in cheerleading become evident. However, beyond the flips and stunts lingers one question that has yet to be definitively answered: is cheerleading a sport? While the question raises controversy in most situations, opinions on the subject usually come with a sports-style backing. “Of course I think cheerleading is a sport,” Anna Pittman, junior in athletic training and former cheerleader, said. “It

O R

A C T I V I T Y ?

takes a lot of dedication and mentality to do the stuff we do.” Just the same as any other sport, cheerleading requires more than the mental capacity to understand the stunts, but the physical capacity to perform them. “It takes being in amazing shape, flexible and even fearless,” Payton Boner, junior on the co-ed cheer squad, said. “The skill needed to accomplish every stunt or trick we do is quite amazing.” The two main cheer competitions held at the collegiate level are the National Cheer Association and the Universal Cheer Association, the association under which MSU cheerleaders compete. “We choose to cheer in UCA competitions because it focuses on stunting and crowd involvement,” Boner said. “Being college cheerleaders, that’s what we need to work on the most.” Along with travel to national competitions, the university spends $22,760 on scholarships, uniforms, supplies and skill development for cheerleading. With almost $250,000 budget on something that’s not even officially a sport brings up the question, why is it not? While cheer-

leading meets the physical demands for what many would consider to be a sport, court rulings and governing organizations, including the NCAA and Texas University Interscholastic League repeatedly decline to classify cheerleading as a sport. The basis of the ruling came from an appeal filed by Quinnipiac University in Connecticut. In 2009 the University decided that it lacked sufficient funds to maintain a women’s volleyball team and a cheer squad. As a result, PAYTON BONER Quinnipiac decided to JUNIOR, MEMBER OF CO-ED keep cheerleading and CHEER SQUAD end the volleyball program. After the decision, eight volleyball players and the coach filed a court case against the school and won. The official ruling by the Second U.S. Court of Appeals in 2012 was that colleges cannot count competitive cheerleading as a sport when trying to comply with gender-equality requirements under Title IX, a portion of the education

“The skill needed to accomplish every stunt or trick we do is quite amazing.”

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|Dec 4, 2013 | 5

PHOTOS BY LAUREN ROBERTS AND BRADLEY WILSON/ WICHITAN

Sara Finkler, sophomore in math education cheers at AT&T Stadium. | Lorendo Schlinker, junior in marketing, watches the clock as the final minutes count down in the game against Tarlton in Arlington. MSU lost 24 to 27. | The cheerleaders pose for a group shot. | The cheerleaders at the men’s basketball game against Oklahoma City University Nov. 25. | Danyiel Wells, freshman in nursing, cheers at the men’s basketball game against Oklahoma City University. Lynzee Jordan, junior in business marketing said “Cheerleading is hard. It takes a lot of lifting, humans obviously, tumbling like gymnastics and the injuries that happen are severe like football,” amendments of 1972 that prohibits the discrimination of sports on the basis of sex. The court found that cheerleading fails to have equitable athletic participation opportunities for its female and male students. “Like the district court, we acknowledge record evidence showing that competitive cheerleading can be physically challenging, requiring competitors to possess ‘strength, agility, and grace,” the court wrote. “Similarly, we do not foreclose the possibility that the activity, with better organization and defined rules, might someday warrant recognition as a varsity sport. But, like the district court, we conclude that the record evidence shows that ‘that time has not yet arrived.” While the court’s decision laid the overall grounds for why cheerleading isn’t considered a sport, the UIL, a Texas only jurisdiction that provides contests and rules for Texas schools’ academics, music and athletic activities, gives even more support for cheer’s neglected title. According to Traci Neely, assistant athletic director for the University Interscholastic League, cheerleading has only ever been proposed as a sanctioned activity, not as a sport. “A lot of schools just really like what their cheerleaders do now.” Neely said. “They support their athletics and do a good job at it. To

change it would be a lot of work.” Some of the “work” required would to meet the strict safety requirements that need to be met by the UIL. In response to the court’s decision of declaring cheer as a collegiate sport an association was formed known as Stunt. According to USA Cheer, as part of its NCAA Emerging Sport initiative, Stunt was created as an opportunity for colleges, universities and high school to meet the strict Title IX requirements of a college sport, while still preserving traditional cheerleading principles. “I believe Stunt is just a way to competitively cheer in college and it be recognized as an actual sport,” Katie Clark, senior in special education and cheerleader, said. “Cheering for MSU we do compete at nationals, however our routine does have signs and crowd leading cheers to go along with it.” In Stunt, the crowd leading component is removed and teams are judged on the technical elements of cheerleading. There is one set of rules and one scoring system that is followed at every game. Teams compete in a head to head format and judges are in place to evaluate the execution of the predetermined routines and the technique used when performing different skill elements.

While Stunt follows the strict requirements to be considered a sport under Title IX, for the time being MSU will remain competing in UCA. “I think it’s good, but it doesn’t fit our university yet,” Sue Witherspoon, cheerleader sponsor, said. “We’re more about supporting our athletes here than competition. Not to say it wouldn’t come in the future, but for now it’s not the time.” Beyond the Title IX requirements and flustering lawful arguments that determine the fate of cheerleading as a sport, a world of opinion surrounds the conflict. “Competition cheerleading is a sport, but not regular cheerleading,” Taylor Coffman, junior in biology, said. “It takes TAYLOR COFFMAN a lot of athleticism to do the JUNIOR, BIOLOGY stuff they do.” Joe Cavasos, senior in exercise physiology, said, “I really don’t think it’s a sport. It’s not that I have anything against it, I just don’t recognize it as a sport.”

“Competition cheerleading is a sport, but not regular cheerleading. It takes a lot of athleticism to do the stuff they do.”

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6 | Dec. 4, 2013 | TOP STORIES FROM 2013

Feb. 2

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Aug. 23

Sept. 25

ENROLLMENT DROPS — AGAIN Attendance drops 4.78 %; university to focus more on recruitment

YOU ASKED FOR IT Goal surpassed for faculty voluntary separation offer

PLAY BALL! Fundraising effort continues for new team, baseball field

STRIVE TO RETAIN ACCREDITATION Team visits campus in final stages of process

1,300 MOVE IN TODAY Resident assistants, housing staff ‘roll out welcome mat’

FALL ENROLLMENT ‘REMAINS FLAT’ Other Texas school’s continue to show increases

BRITTNEY COTTINGHAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BRITTNEY COTTINGAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

BRITTNEY COTTINGHAM EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

RUTH BLACK STAFF WRITER

ETHAN METCALF REPORTER

ETHAN METCALF NEWS EDITOR

tudent attendance dipped 4.78 percent this spring, making the lowest enrollment since at least fall of 2004. “The big picture is that our graduating classes the last two years have been larger than our freshmen class,” said Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management. Enrollment is down 479 students since fall 2012.

plan created by administrators last fall to help adjust the university budget has come together as 27 faculty and staff members have indicated interest in the Voluntary Separation Program. The program gives faculty and staff members the opportunity to voluntarily resign in exchange for six months’ salary.

idwestern has hopes of resurrecting the baseball program. The university requested $400,000 from the 4B Sales Tax Board to fund the construction of a baseball field. Last week, Howard Farrell, vice president of university advancement and public affairs, proposed Midwestern’s baseball plan to the 4B Board and said it was well-received.

six-member team representing the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges visited campus to evaluate the Quality Enhancement Plan as part of the final stages of an accreditation process that began in 2006. “It’s been a long, long process, not just the QEP, but the reaffirmation process.” said Robert Clark, vice president of administration and institutional effectiveness as well as the SACS liaison.

ith more than 1,300 students moving into the residence halls, the faster internet access, the digital cable system and the use of an off-campus apartment complex to house nearly 100 students avoiding overcrowding on campus, Director of Housing Michael Mills said he and his staff are ready to assist the students.

nrollment remained relatively steady as 205 more freshmen than last fall, resulting in a slight decrease in total enrollment, which dropped from 5,916 students in 2012 to 5,870 this fall. Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Keith Lamb said the official numbers are close to what administrators predicted for this year’s budget.

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|Dec 4, 2013 | 7

Finals Frenzy begins Dec. 5 KEANDRA DAVIS REPORTER

student makes his way from Pierce Hall to the Dillard College of Business to get a tall coffee from Starbucks. He has been studying for five hours straight. Pressure to do well from his parents and teachers has caused anxiety and stress to consume him. Finals are here. The University Programming Board expects 250 to 300 students to attend its last event, Finals Frenzy which takes place on Dec. 5. “This semester has been one where students are attending the most,” Mario Ramirez, activities coordinator said. The organization will spend approximately $4,000 on Finals Frenzy, with the mock casino costing about $1,500. Ramirez said the board does not have a set budget and that it is up to the UPB chairs to decide how much money to spend on the activities. “It’s pretty cheap considering how much we have going on for the students,” Bailey Hess, senior in criminal justice and marketing chair for UPB, said. Some of the budget that UPB receives is paid through student fees. “It’s a small fee, maybe about five to 15 dollars,” Hess said. “But when you have a lot of students, it becomes a big amount that we can have to bring fun to the campus.”

Finals Frenzy is an event put on by UPB to help students alleviate stress before finals and allow them to have one more fun day before the end of the semester. The event is four hours long, free for students and will be held throughout the Clark Student Center. “I stress before finals so I’d like to relax,” Kayla Medearis, freshman in nursing, said. Last fall, the theme was casino night where students bought prizes with fake money that they earned at various tables and slot machines. “We noticed it attracts the most people,” Ramirez said. “[Instead of just having the casino] everything will match the theme. We’re trying to make it consistent.” This year the members of UPB decided to keep the casino but give Finals Frenzy a narrower theme. “We pretty much knew we would do casino night,” Hess said. “We talked with the Finals Frenzy committee and came up with the Roaring Twenties.” To stay consistent with the Roaring Twenties theme, Finals Frenzy will include a showing of “The Great Gatsby,” 11 blackjack tables, a crap table, roulette, a coffee bar, a “mock-tail” bar and crafts that will reflect the era. UPB members will also be doing giveaways at the event while oher organizations are participating as dealers of the casino tables.

Graduation speaker committee now includes student voice

Haynie is the author of Judging in Black and White: Decision Making in the South n the heels of last semester’s contro- African Appellate Division, 1950-1990. She versial graduation speaker, a com- has presented her research in articles in numittee has been formed to choose merous political and policy journals, as well future commencement speakers, most re- as several professional conferences. “Although speaking to large groups of cently alumna Stacia Haynie. Debbie Barrow, director of board and people isn’t anything new to me, if you are government relations, said the Faculty Sen- wise you approach things like this with ate introduced the idea for a committee after trepidation,” Haynie said. “I’ve certainly adUniversity President Jesse Rogers chose Ben dressed audiences before, but not like this. It’s exciting, and I’m thankful for the opporCarson to deliver last May’s address. “It’s always good to have people to tunity to do this.” Haynie was named Outstanding Educabounce your ideas off of, and that’s how this committee makes the process easier,” Bar- tion Student at MSU in 1981. In 1989 she row said. “It also helps to get the word out was named outstanding graduate student in that we are always looking for speakers for political science at the University of North Texas, and earned her doctorthe commencement address, ate in political science from particularly alumni and state UNT in 1990. Among numergovernment officials.” ous other awards and honors, Haynie is a 1977 graduate Haynie was named Distinof Henrietta High School. She guished Alumna by MSU’s graduated summa cum laude department of political sciwith a Bachelor of Arts degree ence in 1999 and the Fain in Theatre in 1981 and then a College of Fine Arts in 2011. Master of Arts in political sci“She was actually a stuence in 1986, both from MSU. DEBBIE BARROW dent assistant for us when “I’m very honored,” DIRECTOR OF BOARD AND she was here,” University Henrietta native and LouisiGOVERNMENT RELATIONS President Jesse Rogers said. ana State University professor Haynie said. “I’d heard about the new pro- “She was a great choice and we’re just glad cess of picking the speakers, and I’m just re- she was available to do this.” Barrow said the committee meets once ally glad they chose me.” According to The Wichitan article “Facul- a year to discuss the upcoming year’s gradty Plan to Protest in Response to Graduation uation speakers. When the committee met Speaker” written in May, the Faculty Senate a few weeks ago to discuss this semester’s passed a motion 14-4 by secret ballot, stating speaker, Barrow said the choice was obvious. “We had quite a few people to choose “the process should include students, faculty and administrators so that recommenda- from, and [Haynie] just rose to the top,” Bartions for candidates for speaker can be made row said. Approximately 516 students are canto the president.” The committee was designed to ensure didates to earn their degrees Dec. 14. Barthe students would have more power in row said the May commencement speaker the selection process, and therefore more would probably be from the political arena. “I want to let the graduates know that pride in their graduation ceremony. Four committee members made the decision for once they graduate, they become part of a this semester’s speaker, including Chair of privileged group,” Haynie said. “I feel like the Faculty Senate David Carlston, Chair of graduating from MSU has afforded me the the Staff Senate Dirk Welch, President of the ability to pursue my passion, and I’m so Student Government Melody Coffey and thankful for that.” Rogers. ALEISHA SOLORIO REPORTER

“We had quite a few people to choose from, and [Haynie] just rose to the top”

8 | Dec. 4, 2013 | BASKETBALL

Men’s basketball rally past second-half surge BRENT DEEB REPORTER

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

In MSU’s 73-65 win over The University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma DeJuan Plummer, senior in general studies, runs toward the basket Dec. 3. The next game will be Dec. 17 at home against Ouachita Baptist University at 7 p.m.

he Mustangs were able to stand their ground against a strong second half surge from the University of Science & Arts (Okla.) Tuesday night despite being dropped to No. 20 in the latest National Association of Basketball Coaches’ Top 25 on Tuesday afternoon, winning 73 to 65. “One of the things we’ve really been working on is putting away teams in the second half,” Tres Segler, assistant men’s basketball coach, said. “We need to keep that killer mentality.” The game, originally scheduled for Nov. 22, was postponed due to icy conditions. A small crowd did not faze the players who began the game with a quick spark. Eddie D’Haiti, (17 pts, 7 reb) scored the first two buckets of the game, giving MSU an early 4-0 lead. The Drovers would retaliate with a couple of quick baskets to take an 11-10 lead at the game's first stoppage. Out of the timeout came a back-door alley-oop pass from Kevin Wagner (2 pts, 2 ast) to Tavarion Nix (10 pts, 8 reb) that sparked a 14-6 run by the Mustangs. That run forced another Drover timeout with 9:21 left in the first half and an MSU lead, 24-17. The Mustangs continued to cruise through the first half, finishing the period on an 18-3 run, going into the locker room up by 22. D’Haiti clearly had the first-half mismatch, putting in 10 points and 4 rebounds. “Eddie played huge tonight,” Derrell Gibbs (3 ast, 0 turnovers) said. “He was hitting shots inside and out and really pulling the load down low.” The start of the second half witnessed the same alley-oop play from the first, this time with Derek Kaster (11 pts) as the recipient of a Monzaigo Williams (15 pts, 5 assists) dish. However, USAO having won three of their last four games, soared back into the game with 14 second-half points from Donnie Brown. The hot shooting of Brown motivated the Drovers to eliminate the first-half deficit as they dominated the start of the second period with a 25-8 run, cutting the lead to just

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Ciera Phillips, freshman in psychology, Logan Gruszynski, freshman in music education and Abel Aguilar, freshman in biology, wear headgear. They are members of the pep band and will be wearing their costumes at the home games. Gruszynski said,”We like to wear crazy stuff.” two with 9:05 left in the game. The Mustangs’ relentless defense combined with two quick buckets from DeJuan Plummer (7 pts, 5 rebounds), a steal and fastbreak layup from Williams and a three-point play from D’Haiti quickly brought the lead back up to 10 as the team controlled the remainder of the game, capping it all off with a two-handed slam from Nix with 20 seconds left. “It’s really encouraging to know all of our players, both our starters and our deep bench, will give that kind of effort,” Segler said. “We’re going to need that come tournament time.” The Mustangs had a 46-14 advantage in the paint and the bench outscored USAO 27-15 in the 20th meeting of the two teams. MSU increases its record to 13-7 against the Drovers and 6-2 overall this season. The team will return to D.L. Ligon Coliseum in their next match against Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) on Dec. 17. Tip off will begin at 7 p.m.