The student voice of Midwestern State University
The Wichitan page 7 Kiln-fired art
page 9 Final Four set
Gallery displays work of continuing education ceramics students
Michigan State, UConn, UNC and Villanova all get set to face off in Detroit.
WEDNESDAY April 1, 2009
Professors gun-shy about concealed carry bill Brittany Norman Editor In Chief
The prospect of students obtaining the right to carry concealed weapons on college campuses has rendered many in the MSU community a little bit gun-shy. Texas State Senate Bill number 1164, authored by Senator Jeff Wentworth of San Antonio, seeks to allow those with concealed carry permits to bring their handguns onto college campuses. Wentworth says he authored the bill “in an effort to
prevent senseless tragedies.” The senselessness, according to several MSU faculty and administrators, is in allowing guns on campus at all. The MSU branch of Texas Association of College Teachers (TACT) held a discussion on the topic of concealed weapons on campus Thursday. Several professors, an administrator, and a representative from the Student Government Association (SGA) spoke. Elizabeth Lewandowski, theatre costume designer, offered a perspective shaped by personal experience.
“I have been in a situation where a student threatened by life,” Lewandowski said. “I was told ‘you are going to pass me in this class or you are going to die.’ The next day all the tires on my car were flat. I did not walk very easily to my car after dark for a long time after that.” Lewandowski said that according to several national news sources, surveys showed that a large majority of people are opposed to allowing concealed carry on college campuses. However, the Students for Con-
cealed Carry on Campus, a nationwide organization, boasts more than 37,000 members in support of such a bill. SCCC argues that concealed handguns should be allowed for safety and protection. “Students and university staff, unlike police, are not trained or integrated into campus security plans,” Lewandowski said. “Under the best of intentions having a concealed carry weapon in a room during a shooting would escalate an already explosive situation.” MSU police chief Michael Hagy said that while he will support the
legislation in order to do his job if it passes, he has misgivings. His concerns are on the process of how people obtain concealed handgun licenses. “I have a concern on how we determine who is of sound mind and body to be able to get a concealed handgun license to the standpoint that we can’t verify anyone’s information.” On an application for a concealed handguns permit, applicants check whether or not they have any mental health problems. Hagy said that due to privacy laws, this informa-
tion cannot be verified. “(Applicants are) checked for felonies, misdemeanors or family violence stuff,” Hagy said. “If they don’t have any, it’s stamped approved.” He also says the training requirements are lacking. “You’re required to get 10 to 15 hours of training and we call that ‘highly trained,’” he said. “That’s like me getting a master’s degree by taking a two-hour correspondence course. A person who takes 10 to 15 hours of instruction, in my opinion, See GUNS page 4
Photo by Patrick Johnston Justice Alan Page spoke in Akin Auditorium on March 23 as part of MSU’s Artist Lecture Series.
Famed jurist keeps his eye on the ball
Photo by Peter Hiatt The Kappa Sigma fraternity house would have been owned by the county if the brothers had not been able to raise over $2,000 to cover unpaid property taxes.
In the red Orlando Flores For the Wichitan Chance Gibbs got some bad news Jan. 26 about his fraternity. Kappa Sigma was eight years behind on its property taxes. The annual taxes had gone unpaid since 2003. The bill, which included interest, late fees and penalties, now totaled $6,713. “I was in shock,” said Gibbs, president of the fraternity. For 18 years, fraternity members had been responsible for the one-time morgue, a two-story house at 2400 10th St. Now they were being told that if they couldn’t come up with $2,400 by Feb. 2 the county would own it.
“I knew something had to be done quickly because saving the house meant saving Kappa Sigma,” Gibbs said. Hurriedly, a fund-raiser was organized. They had five days to come up with the money. They held an event at the house, soliciting money by passing around a jar throughout the evening. The party brought in $700. Within the next three days, $250 more were collected from five different fraternity alumni. Dr. Howard Farrell, vice president of university advancement and student affairs, donated $250. In the end, fraternity brothers pulled together the remaining $1,200. Despite their success, they learned a valuable lesson on finance.
Kappa Sigma fraternity nearly lost chapter house due to unpaid property taxes “It was partly due to the ignorance of the property tax and occasional missed rent but what really killed us was the interest, late fees and penalty fees,” said treasurer Andrew Lindsey. From five to eight men live in the house at any one time, paying $300 monthly. Membership dues will not go up, Lindsey said. Corin Clement, master of ceremonies, said losing the house would have been devastating. The house, he said, helps define them. “As of this semester we can say we’re the only fraternity chartered by Midwestern State that has an official house,” he said. “We take a lot of pride in that and See TAXES page 4
Chris Collins Managing Editor Justice Alan Page stood imposingly before a full house in Akin Auditorium, his tall body framed behind the podium as he gazed out on Wednesday night’s crowd. The ex-professional football player leaned forward, both hands gripping the wooden sides of the podium. His tidy bow tie and dusty, white beard gave the impression of an aged reverend on the pulpit instead of a Hall of Fame football legend. Page’s hands shook as he drained a glass of water, almost spilling the liquid. Maybe he was nervous, though he’s performed in front of millions of people during his famed sports career. More likely, he’s gotten older. The Minnesota Supreme Court judge is 64 years old. Though Pages’ 15-year football career has apparently taken a toll on his body, it hasn’t affected his mind. “Sometimes football players are known as dumb jocks who have been hit in the head too many times,” he joked. Page spoke as part of the Artist Lecture Series about judicial impartiality, the importance of education and race relations. During the one-hour speech the jurist was concise and knowledgeable – anything but a dumb jock. Clearly he has made a full transition from closing down quarterbacks to closing cases. “I was interested in the law long before I began my career in football,” Page said. As a black child in Ohio during the 1950s, he soon understood the significant role the law played in his life. He remembers reading about Brown vs. Board of Education of
Topeka as a kid. The ruling in the landmark desegregation case gave him an inkling of how powerful judges could be. “For me, that power was hope,” Page said. “Hope that if the educational system in the South could be changed, it could change anywhere. Hope that fairness would prevail.” Fairness to Page means judicial independence, which is key to the U.S. system of government, he said. Today the country faces some steep challenges maintaining impartiality. “For democracy to survive, you have to have a place where people can go to settle disputes, whether it’s with their neighbors or with their governors,” Page said. “People must have trust and confidence in those who decide on their disputes.” Some of these challenges arise because we elect our judges, Page said. Thirty-nine American states elect their Supreme Court judges. “With the attitude of big money election campaigns and the presence of party politics in elections, the public’s confidence in the judiciary is bound to erode,” Page said. He noted that $9.3 million was spent in one initial election for a seat on the Supreme Court in Illinois in 2004. In Texas, $3.5 million was contributed by private groups in 2006 for a similar position. “Trust me, the people who contribute to these campaigns do not do so with civic generosity in mind,” Page said. “As citizens, you should be concerned. “When we cannot trust the judiciary, we are all on our way to settling our disputes in the streets. Without the assurance of due pro-
See PAGE page 5
Staff Editorial
Sexual Awareness Month As you already know due to the teal rib-
bons on flyers that are lining the campus, April is Sexual Assault Awareness Month.
The University Programming Board and First Step in Wichita Falls have gathered help from the Offices of Student Development and Orientation, Housing and Resi-
dence Life, and the Counseling Center to provide students with information regarding
sexual assault; how to avoid it, how to heal from it, and more.
But, students should know that one needs
to be aware of the possible dangers at all
times, rather than for just one month of the
Gunning his way into prison
year.
Proof that these dangers always exist lies on the MSU police homepage, where for the past months a safety notice has been posted about reported sexual assaults off campus.
According to the campus police’s notice, the best way to protect yourself from becom-
ing a victim of sexual assault is to be aware of your surroundings, be wise about your al-
cohol consumption, not accept drinks from anyone, ask friends to go out with you, and to let someone know where you are going.
While these guidelines seem pretty simple and easy to follow, the rate of sexual assault
near and on college campuses continues to rise.
It’s time both men and women become
more aware of keeping an eye out for themselves so they can protect themselves, and
maybe even someone else from sexual assault.
So, go by the Clark Student Center on the Thursday to pick up your own teal ribbon and make this month one with a purpose.
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.mwsu.edu/~wichitan
Jenny Gaylor For the Wichitan
Well, T.I. is going to jail for one year and one day. He was sentenced on Friday by a judge in Northern Georgia. T.I. was awarded less jail time for volunteering to do a total of 1,500 hours of community service before and after his sentence and he is going to pay a fine of $100,000. All this trouble for gun charges. Not only that, but T.I. was caught after being monitored by undercover agents for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. Come on ATF, I know T.I. did something wrong, but you don't have to be sneaky and report back to your agency and tell on him like he is your little brother who pulled your hair. Get some guts and tell T.I. to his face what he did wrong instead of going behind his back! Well, this isn’t all ATF’s fault. They were just trying to do their job. And to be honest, T.I. did make it easy for them. After all, he tried to buy three machine guns and two silencers and have them delivered to his house. Anyway, since I have so much to say about one of my favorite artists being jail-bound, I figured I’d just write him a letter. Dear T.I., Use your head! I know your bodyguard/really good friend had just recently been murdered when you bought all these guns, but if you feel that insecure and unsafe, hire more bodyguards… or do the rational thing: get a license and buy guns legally!
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.
Charlton Heston did not serve as president of the NRA so you could go to the parking lot of a shopping center and buy guns illegally. Charlton would turn over in his grave if he knew you were being so foolish. This is your second offense in ten years too! You just got off probation a few years ago for violating the Georgia Controlled Substances Act, and now you are going to jail. On top of that, ATF seized your new guns and the ones you had in your collection at home. Don't get me wrong T.I., I am a huge fan of yours. Paper Trail was a phenomenal album and your music is entertaining. I’m not trying to make you look bad, I just think you could have been smarter! You have to report to prison shortly after May 19, so between now and then you have a lot to think about. But like you told the people from Ish Entertainment, this time in your life is like a karmic reckoning. You did get the opportunity to use your show, Road to Redemption, to help kids from Atlanta learn that a life filled with crime is not the way to go. Hopefully, your influence on these kids has helped to turn them around (I bet you wish someone would have pulled you aside as a kid and told you to get your act together!). You have made some pretty impressive speeches during this shaky time in your life and you have a lot of support. It is just really sad that a silly act like this has forced you to put your life on hiatus for the moment and deal
The Wichitan Editorial Board
Editor-in-Chief Brittany Norman Managing Editor Chris Collins
Entertainment Editor Jamie Monroe Op-Ed Editor Alyssa Edson
Sports Editor Bobby Morris
Photo Editor Patrick Johnston
with this mess. You even had to miss the BET Hip Hop Awards the night after your arrest where you were nominated for nine awards! That is more than any other artist has ever been nominated for in one year. Don't worry, Kat Williams filled in for you. The award show was noticeably different without you. But it really shows how many people are supporting you during this time in your life. And you did make a nice little speech after your conviction. Well, May 19 is coming up pretty quickly, so you better get yourself together and $100,000 together to pay your fine. You should maybe try to get a few more episodes of Road to Redemption in while you’re at it. The judge who sentenced you was very impressed with your initiative to help all those kids. Now that I think about it that was pretty nice of you to volunteer to do 1,500 hours of community service.
Reporters Richard Carter Courtney Foreman Photographers Peter Hiatt
I hope your time in jail goes by fast so we can get back to the things that your fans and I love about you. After all, you are a Grammy Award winning artist and you have three number one hits. And let’s not forget your recent performance in American Gangster. At least you will be going out with a bang at Vanderbilt University’s Rites of Spring Music Festival on April 17. I’ll be watching for sure. We are all going to miss you T.I. Don't worry, we will hold it down out here in the real world while you are gone. And who knows, maybe when you get released in one year and one day you will put out some of your greatest music yet. We look forward to hearing from you after your time in the slammer. Say hi to Madea for us while you are there. Sincerely, Your fan, Jenny Gaylor
Wichitan needs writers... Contact Brittany Norman (940) 397 4704 or wichitan@mwsu.edu
Advertising Manager Jody Smith Adviser Randy Pruitt
Op-Ed
The Wichitan April 1, 2009
3
Saggers and Baggers Beyond Baggy Pants: Lowriding Trend Proves Flashy Jessica Wilden For the Wichitan
All right everyone, here is a serious question. No wise cracks please. The other day I was at the mall and I saw this man. He may have been tall if he were standing upright. He may have been good-looking if I could have seen face. No, the man was not disabled and didn’t look like he was in pain. The issue was the man’s pants were sagging so low that he had to hunch over just to walk. I am talking about waistband at the knees. What I found more interesting was the fact that he had a matching belt secured in the belt loops of the pants as well. Why would he think that was cool? Seriously. This is not the first time I have seen a man trying to strut his stuff while sporting the common fad of sagging pants. This was just the first time that I saw a full-grown man facing the floor and holding his pants up so he could totter back and forth in some manner of walking. I don’t know what most women think about this, but personally I am not impressed. Since this example was so extreme I began to wonder where this fad had stemmed from. My findings were more interesting than I had expected. According to JET Magazine, this same question peaked the
READ THEN
RECYCLE
interest of one of the staff writers. At first it appeared to be just another hip hop trend, but with further investigation the sagging trend came from inside prison walls. It’s not the cool, bad boy look that some think. It is a sign of homosexuality. The pants are worn low on the backside for what Eazy E called
“easy access.” How many saggers do you think would still find it stylish if they took a second and thought about what they were advertising as they ambled down the street holding their crotches. I guess it’s really no different than any of the other fads that have come along.
I mean come on, at one point people thought parachute pants were stylish. Let’s not forget the mullet: business in the front and party in the back. Do these fads have underlying meanings that we don’t know? I know I’m personally guilty at one point or another of jump-
ing on the bandwagon and doing some things that were cool at the time. How many people have we seen wearing the Nike “Just Do It” slogan that are a good 20 or 30 pounds overweight? I know that from now on I will be taking my own advice and doing a little research be-
fore doing the “in” thing. For those men who do not want to send mixed signals to women, you should take my advice too. Who knows – those ladies you are trying to impress might like to see more than that nice crack of yours.
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News
The Wichitan April 1, 2009
Campus briefs Thursday • Great Day of Service Volunteer Deadline; call Candice Fulton at 397 - 4450 • Sexual Assault Awareness: For Women Only - Staying Safe and Protected; in Killingsworth Third Floor at 4 p.m. • 2009 Streich Lecture in Dillard 101 at 7 p.m. • Foreign Film: Dirty Pretty Things at the Kemp Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. • Sexual Assault Awareness: Survivor Speaker and Candlelight Walk in CSC Shawnee at 8 p.m.
Friday • National Conference of American Society of Exercise Physiology on the MSU campus • Second Biennial Survey of Texas Art and Artists at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU at 6 p.m.
Saturday • College or Science and Mathematics North Texas Area Student Conference
First leases signed for Phase II housing Jenny Gaylor For the Wichitan
Students may now begin leasing for the new apartment complex on campus, located on the corner of Louis J. Rodriquez Drive and Midwestern Parkway adjacent to the new Student Health and Wellness Center. The rent for these apartments
is more than what students pay for any other on-campus housing. The rate for a fourbedroom apartment in the new complex will be $620 per month in a nine-month lease and $530 per month in a 12-month lease. Compared to Sunwatcher Village, students will pay $55 more per month.
In a two-bedroom apartment, the rates will be $690 per month in a nine-month lease and $620 per month in a 12-month lease. Students would be paying $50 more per month than in Sunwatcher Village. The new complex does not have a name yet, so the name
on the leasing papers for temporary purposes is “Phase II”. To sign a lease for the new apartment complex, go to the Sunwatcher Village clubhouse. Students must also pay a $100 deposit and fill out a housing application if they are not current on-campus residents.
TAXES_____________________________________________________________________continued from page 1 will do whatever it takes to keep it as our house.” This fact alone has helped generate a buzz among students when rush time begins. The fra-
ternity has utilized the house as a social magnet and has thrown parties, mixers and other events there to help get the word out about their organization.
In order to keep the house, the fraternity cannot afford to fall behind on payments again. “For now, we are in the clear,” Lindsey said. “We just
have to make sure we are on top of our payments and make them on time.” Clement said future fundraisers are planned.
GUNS______________________________________________________________________continued from page 1 is informed.” Lewandowski emphasized that college is a time of intense pressure and change for students. While those eligible for a concealed carry permit must be over the age of 21, that doesn’t mean the “newness” of college has worn off. “Drug use, alcohol abuse, stress, overcoming of new social obstacles—all of these when combined with weapons can have potentially lethal consequences,” Lewandowski said. “Evidence shows that college campuses are in fact safe for students,” Lewandowski said. “Students experience less violence annually than non-students of the same age group.” Lewandowski believes that safety should be the first priority on a college campus, and thinks that adding guns into the mixture would be counterintuitive. “Safety must remain paramount,” she said. Dr. Thomas Hoffman, a MSU English professor, has a concealed handgun permit. He still
• Mustangs Spring Fever Festivities and Games in the Athletic Facilities from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. • National Conference of American Society of Exercise Physiology on the MSU campus • Great Day of Service in CSC Comache at 9 a.m.
Tuesday • TACT Event: Video Instruction in the CSC Kiowa at 12:15 p.m. • Faculty Forum: Dr. Patti Hamilton, RN in the CSC Chawnee at 7 p.m. • Recital: Denise Koncelik and friends in Akin at 7:30
does not believe that guns have a place on campus. “I do not think it is safe to invite the presence of weapons on campus in the hands of people who are not experienced and trained like police officers,” Hoffman said. “We are the public. We have a great and serious responsibility as professors, but even more important is our duty to protect the students. Handguns on campus, those are invitations, in my opinion, that will invite danger and lack of safety for our students.” The SGA has drafted a resolution in support of the current ban on weapons. “You’ve heard statistically that campuses are some of the safest places to be,” SGA president Ian Van Reenen said. “I feel inviting weapons and changing that would affect the way we conduct ourselves on college campuses. I really hope the sanctity of higher education could be preserved.”
News
The Wichitan April 1, 2009
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Shields: it’s important to be a ‘man,’ not just a ‘male’ Heather Preston For the Wichitan
Wayne Schields grew up fast. When he was 16, he woke up in the middle of the night to find his mother being beaten by her boyfriend. “I took a piece of wood from a rocking chair and I cracked him over the head a few times,” Schields said. As an adolescent in the north side of Houston, he received 17 stitches in his head following a confrontation with area gang members at a basketball court. He later earned the respect of those same gang members, enough to become a drug runner for them for eight years. Today, Schields’ life is tamer. He’s assistant director of housing for judicial affairs. Tuesday, he gave a presentation before two dozen predominately male students titled, “That’s Just My Baby Daddy” as part of Sexual Assault Awareness Month. The program was sponsored by the Office of Student Development and Orientation, Housing & Residence Life, the Counseling
Photo by Peter Hiatt Wayne Shields
Center, and First Step of Wichita Falls. Shields’ walk on the wild side started when he playing on the basketball court and he busted his pair of Converse. He was offered $100 to simply deliver a brown paper bag to an apartment. With half the money, he bought a new pair of shoes. He gave the other half to his mother.
“I never looked at it at the time as I’m doing something wrong,” he recalled. “I looked at it as I’m the man of the house. I got to provide. I got to do what I got to do and make sure my mom is taken care of.” At the time his sister was barely a year old. She needed diapers. She needed food. His mother’s car was breaking down. Everyone kept telling him he was the man of the house. Schields told his student audience that a daughter of a single mother is 111 percent more likely to have a teen pregnancy. If that pregnancy results in a daughter, she will be 164 percent more likely to have a teen pregnancy. Schields saw real world examples of this statistic while working as a community health educator for Wilson’s Family Planning Clinic. There he met a 27-year-old grandmother. She had her child at age 14, and that child had her own baby at the age of 13. Schields cited many statistics: 40 percent of children whose parents are divorced have not seen
their fathers in a year, adolescent boys from fatherless families are three to four times more likely to be arrested for juvenile offenses, children of fatherless households are four times as likely to be abused, 84 percent of all adolescent boys who committed rape are fatherless, 90 percent of men under the age of 35 in prison grew up without a father, and the U.S. spends $99.8 billion every year on programs that support father-absent families. “Pretty sobering stuff,” Schields said. “When you first hear them or first see them it kind of makes you step back a little bit.” Schields said the United States leads the world in fatherless households. According to studies, men do not bond with their children until the age of three or four and do so primarily through roughhousing and playing. Schields said he finds it important for men to roughhouse with their daughters because it teaches them valuable lessons. First, the daughter learns about boundaries. If the child steps
over the line, she is taught the word no. This word is important later on in the daughter’s life when she starts dating and setting boundaries of her own. Also, Schields said that when a girl goes through puberty the father tends to back away a bit and doesn’t roughhouse with her anymore. That is a valuable lesson as well. “Dad’s more subtle about teaching the importance of being a woman,” Schields said. “He is saying, basically, almost through his silence, that you’re different now. You’ve become a woman; you deserve more respect.” Schields distinguished the role of the mother from the role of the father in the household. He said mothers provide a safe environment for their children while fathers prepare their children for the real world. He pointed out that when the father leaves the household the mother has to assume both roles. Schields said the roles of mother and father are a contradiction; therefore, he said, “When Dad leaves, Mom leaves too.”
Schields said that when the father leaves the household the income drops 30 to 70 percent and often the mother is required to work two jobs. Many times the older children of absent father homes have to assume parenting roles to provide for younger siblings. Schields closed his presentation with some food for thought for the males in his audience. He asked, “What kind of man are you going to be?” “We have lots of males. What we need are men,” Schields said. Sexual Awareness Month is April and the events continue through Thursday. At 4 p.m. there will be a female-only presentation in Killingsworth titled, “Staying Safe and Protected.” Take Back the Night will kickoff at 8 p.m. in Shawnee Theater. A sexual assault survivor will speak and afterward a candlelight walk for the victims through Sunwatcher Plaza will take place.
preparation for Children’s Miracle Network, sending letters and supplies to troops overseas for Operation Gratitude, and community and campus clean-up. Teams or individuals can sign up through the chemistry department or the “Great Day of Service” Facebook group by April 1. Volunteers are to meet in the Clark Student Center Atrium at 9 a.m. The first 100 people to show up receive a free T-shirt
and breakfast. Last year, Candace Fulton, assistant professor of chemistry, started the event, which took about six weeks to plan. At that time, she offered chemistry students 10 extra credit points on an exam for two hours of community service. “Community service is a really big thing. It is important to pass it along,” Fulton said. More than 600 students volunteered with the Great Day
of Service and Health Fair last year. Fulton said she is hopeful this year’s turnout will be higher. “I have seen students comment on how fulfilling it is to play with kids, collect food for the homeless, and help out the community. Other students have begun volunteering on their own to some these organizations, which is the goal,” Fulton said. Fulton said she has always thought community service is
important and hopes the Great
Saturday is ‘Great Day’ to volunteer around Wichita Falls Kristin Mullen For the Wichitan
The second annual Great Day of Service will be held April 4, allowing MSU students, faculty and staff to participate in community service. The community service includes working construction
and painting for Habitat for Humanity, serving and collecting food for Faith Mission, collecting food for the Wichita County Food Bank, paperwork for Community Healthcare Center, construction for Christmas in Action, paperwork for Child Advocates, working on Duck Race
Day of Service will eventually
into a community event rather than just a campus event.
“I wanted to get students who weren’t involved in orga-
nizations to get their feet wet with community service,” Fulton said. “We received nothing
but positive feedback after last year’s event.”
Page______________________________________________________________________continued from page 1 cess, America will become like all those countries across the globe where the rule of law cannot compete with the rule of fear.” In 1967, Page began to juggle the gridiron and the gavel. He earned his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Notre Dame and was drafted to play professional football by the Minnesota Vikings in the same year. During his impressive tenure as a defensive lineman, he raked in numerous All-Pro and AllLeague honors and was invited to nine consecutive Pro Bowls.
$385
* Free Wi-Fi
Page went to school full time at the University of Minnesota Law School while amassing Hall of Fame stats with the Vikings. He earned his juris doctorate from the University of Minnesota in 1978. A year later Page began working for the law firm Linquist and Vennum. In 1987 he took the title of assistant attorney general of Minnesota. He was elected to associate justice of the Minnesota Supreme Court in 1993. He was the first African-American to hold the post. Page said he is passionate
about the education of children. “In the work I have done as a judge, I work with people that engage in criminal and other antisocial behavior,” Page said. “Some of these people simply do not have a moral compass. Others have just given up hope.” He instructed listeners to keep their eyes on the ball. “A key tool in creating hope is preparing students for the future,” Page said. “Good preparation will allow you to pick yourself back up. “As a nation, we cannot long survive if we do not educate our children. I believe that children
are the future and that the future is mostly about hope. If we are to have hope, we must prepare all children. Without preparation, opportunity is really just an empty promise. The best way to make sure every student has an opportunity to learn is one school at a time, one child at a time.” Page participates in a Minnesota educational program called Everybody Wins. He and other judges read with second-graders in the St. Paul school system weekly. “While it’s important for us to interact with the children, it’s just as important to have that experience,” Page said. “I benefit as much, or more so than they do.” Racial equality is still a big issue in the country, Page said. The election of President Barack Obama has been a catalyst for race discussions. “Discussions of equal opportunity are rarely easy,” Page said. “Talking about gender fairness is difficult. Talking about racial fairness is almost impossible. Sometimes the race card is being openly played and sometimes the card being played isn’t the race card at all. But the effect is such that there is a racial impact.” Page urged listeners to look inward to eliminate their own biases about people of other races. “If we are to survive as a nation, we have to learn to live together,” Page said. “Our nation has some problems. Whether those problems are judicial independence, equal opportunity or race relations, they are all created by people. The solutions can be found by the people in the audience this evening. Everyone here has the opportunity, ability and obligation to make the world a better place. All we have to do is act.”
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The Wichitan April 1, 2009
Entertainment
Snakes & Sui t s The Academy Is... heads on tour with new album Courtney Foreman For the Wichitan
The Academy Is..., a band that once only played small venues to a few fans, is now a headlining band with an ever-growing fan base. The band got its start on the Chicago local scene when guitarist Mike Carden and vocalist William Beckett came together in 2002, originally naming the project, “The Academy.” After adding Adam Siska as bassist and a second guitarist and drummer, the band recorded its first 5-song EP titled The Academy with hometown label LLR Recordings in 2004. After Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz heard the sounds of the band, they were immediately signed with Gainesville’s Fueled by Ramen label. Along with its newfound success, a few lineup alterations were in store for the band in 2004. Guitarist/vocalist Tom Conrad and drummer Andy Mrotek became permanent members of the band. The band also added the “Is…” to the end of its name to avoid legal trouble concerning there were other bands already listed under that name. After getting its feet on the ground, the band began touring with bands Fall Out Boy, Something Corporate, Midtown, and Armor for Sleep. Its debut fulllength album arrived on the music scene in February 2005. A final lineup change in 2006
The Academy Is...
left the band with the current members: William Beckett - vocals, Adam Siska - Bass, Michael Guy Chislett - guitar, Andy “The Butcher” Bishop Mrotek drums, and Mike Carden - guitar. After the warm reception of its first album, the band began work on its sophomore effort Santi, which arrived in April 2007. The band even had the chance
to co-headline the 2008 Vans Warped Tour and began traveling the world with like-minded bands Panic At The Disco and Cobra Starship. Its latest album, Fast Times at Barrington High, was released in fall of 2008. The band is currently traveling on The Snakes & Suits Acoustic Tour featuring This Providence and Evan Taubenfeld.
Bassist Adam Siska said that the current tour is proving to be a lot of fun since it started March 4. When it came to recording its latest album Fast Times at Barrington High, the band went to New York to lay down the tracks and really enjoyed the experience the big city had to offer. “It’s such a fast-paced town I think it gave us a new energy
The original cast consisted of Anthony Edwards, George Clooney, Sherry Stringfield, Noah Wyle, John Carter, Eriq La Salle and Julianna Margulies. After eight seasons, Edwards’ character died of brain cancer, forcing him to leave the show, but he continued acting. Clooney got his acting start on “ER” and began his movie career in big-budget films working with stars like Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Wyle also continued acting after his leave. He has been in films including “Donnie Darko” and “White Oleander” and still makes guest appearances on the show. La Salle started his own production company, Humble Journey Films after spending eight seasons on the show. Since the original cast, there
have been many departures and replacements of characters that have all left their mark on the show. In season 11, Shane West (“A Walk to Remember”) joined the cast, while John Stamos (“Full House”) was added two seasons later. Mekhi Phifer (“8 Mile”) had also passed through the show. The final cast of “ER” will consist of Parminder Nagra, famous for her role in “Bend it Like Beckham,” Linda Cardellini, commonly recognized as Velma in “Scooby Doo,” and Scott Grimes, who guest-starred in T.V. shows including “Star Trek” and “Who’s the Boss.” It also includes Australian actor David Lyons and “Meet the Browns” Angela Bassest. There have been numerable guest appearances on “ER” as
well. Actresses such as Lucy Lui, Kirsten Dunst and Dakota Fanning have all appeared in the hospital, as well as actors such as Ewan McGregor, Shia LaBeouf and Zac Efron. The series has earned over 100 Emmy Award nominations as well as 22 Emmy Awards. It won the People’s Choice Award for “Favorite Television Dramatic Series” every year from 1995 to 2002. “ER” has been nominated for and/or won numerous other awards over the years, including Screen Actors Guild Awards, Image Awards and Golden Globe Awards, among others. The popularity of the show has dwindled over the years but still will bring tears to the viewers as “ER” finally comes to a close.
that we never really had before. New York is definitely where I want to keep recording in the future,” said Siska. Siska said the overall theme of Fast Times at Barrington High is up to interpretation, but added his take on the sound of album. “I think on this record we definitely wanted to project something positive and reflective, nostalgic maybe,” Siska said. The reception of this album was astonishing. It is being commended in all kinds of magazines. Their single “About A Girl” was named among Rolling Stone Magazine’s “Singles of the Year,” and Alternative Press Magazine had the band coming in as their second choice for “Band of the Year.” “About A Girl” was written in about an hour and was written for the purpose of the single. “For us, it’s a lot better to write a song knowing that it’s intended for something like that. We like to be hands on and decide those things before,” Siska said about deliberating song choice. The Academy Is… is no stranger to being on the road as a supportnig band for other concert tours. Only recently has The Academy Is… had the opportunity to start headlining tours, and the band said they are really enjoying the freedom that comes with it. “You can kind of choose what you’re going to play loosely because you assume that they’re (the fans) going to know your
whole catalog,” Siska said. It also brings to the band the realization that being a headlining band typically means people who buy tickets to a show bought them to come see the band headlining the concert. This step in the band’s career is an opportunity that other bands only dream of. A newer exploration of outreaching to fans includes something called TAITV. The Academy Is… has begun posting videos of themselves on the road to keep fans updated and involved in their activities. “We started doing it with our own video camera, touring, just goofing off. It turned into something our fans really liked,” Siska said about the project. Staying connected to fans and appreciating their small beginnings are a few things that The Academy Is… is all about. Along with its wide range of success, the band presents to audiences a fun way to listen to emo/punk rock that doesn’t leave listeners running for the scissor drawer. Their attempt at positive punk music has obviously paid off in the success department and we can only hope for more of that in the bands future. The band is on tour now and plans to keep on the road throughout the year. The album Fast Times At Barrington High is in stores and on iTunes now.
‘ER’ finally flatlines after 15 years and 300 episodes Lauren Wood For the Wichitan
After 15 seasons and over 300 episodes, the Emmy Awardwinning show “ER,” a medical drama series set mainly in the emergency room of County General Hospital in Chicago, is finally retiring. “ER” was created by novelist Michael Crichton and is NBC’s second longest-running drama after “Law and Order.” It premiered Sept. 19, 1994 and has been aired at 9 p.m. CST Thursdays for its entire run. In early April 2008, NBC announced that the series would conclude with its 15th season and was originally scheduled to end March 12, 2009. However, the show was extended by an additional three episodes. The final episode will air April 2.
The final cast of “ER”
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8
The Wichitan April 1, 2009
Sports
MSU plays host to mini-LSC crossover due to inclement weather Kaitlin Morrison For the Wichitan
The Midwestern State softball team hosted West Texas A&M, University of Central Oklahoma, and Abilene Christian University Sunday at Mustangs Park. MSU defeated No. 25 West Texas A&M in the first of their doubleheader 7-3. Junior Katie Petersen got the win for the Mustangs when she pitched seven full innings giving up two earned runs and striking out nine WTAMU batters. Sarah Weary led the Mustangs going 2-for-2. Her two out single in the bottom of the third inning got the rally going. Maranda Bishop hit a double down the left field line to score Weary and put the Mustangs on the board.
In the bottom of the fourth Tabitha Yannetti started off the inning with a single down the left field line, but was out when Jessica Rodriguez hit into a fielder’s choice. Mallory Mooney then singled and scored on an Alyson Reynolds single up the middle. In the fifth inning the Mustangs scored five runs to put the game away. It started with Weary hitting a single up the middle, followed by Bishop’s double and Yannetti’s single. Rodriguez, Reynolds and Lauren Craig all added singles in the inning. In the second game MSU faced a hot-hitting Abilene Christian team. The No. 16 Wildcats defeated MSU 7-1 and extended their winning streak to a schoolrecord, 14-straight games.
Maranda Bishop also extended her personal hitting streak to 14 games as she went 1-for-3 with a double down the left field line. Brittany Tanner took the loss for the Mustangs moving her record to 10-4. MSU finally scored in the bottom of the sixth inning after Sarah Weary tripled down the left field line and scored after Mallory Mooney singled. The loss moved the Mustangs to 22-10 on the year. The Mustangs return to Lone Star Conference North Division play Wednesday afternoon when MSU travels to Lawton for a showdown with Cameron. First pitch for the twin bill is set for 2 p.m.
Peter Hiatt | The Wichitan
Frosh Kaelee Kramer delivers a pitch against Central Oklahoma earlier in the season. The freshman has proved to be able to pitch some crucial innings in relief of normal starters Katie Peterson and Brittany Tanner.
Mustangs’ season ends at regionals MSUMustangs.com For the Wichitan
Nolan Richardson wasn’t about to go down without making a last stand Sunday night in the NCAA Division II South Central Regional. Midwestern State’s senior guard nailed five 3-pointers in the closing 1:18, but sixth-ranked Central Missouri Mules knocked down 12-of-14 free throws to preserve an 80-72 win at UCM’s Multipurpose Building. The Mustangs end a brilliant season at 25-7. The Mules came out firing on all cylinders in the opening half as guard Alex Moosman connected on four of Central Missouri’s nine 3-pointers in the opening frame to take a 37-29 lead into
the locker room. Central Missouri stayed on the Mustangs in the second half as it eased away for a 16-point edge when Joe Young hit a trey from the right wing to put the Mules up 60-44. Moosman tallied a career-high 25 points on 6-of-10 shooting and missed just three of eight trey attempts, while Young connected four triples to finish with 17 points off of the bench. De’Andre Byrd and Tremaine Luellen also hit a pair of 3s to finish with 12 points each. Despite being pestered for most of the evening, Richardson wasn’t about to let the season slip away without a fight. The Mules limited the 6-2 guard to a dismal 2-of-13 shooting night including a 1-of-6 showing from the
3-point arc. But the first-team South Central Region performer hit hit fivestraight 3s starting with a deep trey from the right wing with 1:13 to go. He would hit another with 39 seconds to go, then another with 32 seconds remaining, another at 19 seconds and yet another with 8.7 seconds to go before missing one at the buzzer. Richardson finish the game with 24 points which marked his 18th 20-point performance of the season. Richardson also became the first player since NAIA AllAmerican Robert Harris to finish the season with better than a 20-point scoring average at 21.1 per game while his season point total of 674 rates as the 10th most in school history.
straight win as the duo claimed an 8-4 win over Julia Arguello and Noelia Caballero at No. 2, while Alex Odell-Michels and Jennifer Wooland teamed for an 8-2 win over Kendra Coltrain and Kristen Clubb at No. 3 to give the Mustangs a 2-1 lead through doubles’ competition. East Central put away the match with four singles’ victories as Arguello defeated Odell-Michels 6-4, 6-2 at No. 1, Claudia Gamarra beat Tonya Blair 6-4, 6-1 at No. 2, Caballero
edged Wooland 6-4, 7-6 at No. 5 and Clubb doubled up Banas 6-3, 6-3 at No. 6. The close loss snapped a three-match winning streak where MSU rocked Rockhurst and Washburn, while pulling out the 5-4 nailbiter against Northwest Missouri. Midwestern State travels to Lawton to face St. Mary’s this Friday afternoon before facing Northeastern State in Lawton Saturday afternoon.
its two-match winning streak snapped, slipped to 6-5 on the season. The Mustangs grasped a 2-1 doubles’ lead after Vjekoslav Stipanic/Octavian Dinuta defeated Felipe Gennari /Ryan Westerhof 8-2 at No. 2 and Chad Meeks/Carlos Bataller beat Calvin Patterson/Tony Adeyemi 8-5 at No. 3.
But it was all Northwest Missouri State in singles with Dinuta claiming the Mustangs’ lone victory in a straight-set 6-0, 7-5 decision over Giovanni Auricchio at No. 4. The Mustangs will try and get off of their losing skid against St. Mary’s in Lawton, Okla. Friday afternoon.
East Central snaps Mustangs’ streak MSUMustangs.com For the Wichitan
No. 28 East Central won four of the completed singles’ matches Wednesday afternoon to claim a 5-3 win over No. 34 Midwestern State at the MSU Tennis Center. The Tigers (4-6) snapped Midwestern’s three-match winning streak and sent the Mustangs to 7-6 on the season. Faye D’Hamecourt and Kaja Banas combined for their fourth-
MSU drops pair of games over break MSUMustangs.com For the Wichitan
No. 28 Northwest Missouri State’s strong singles’ showing was too much for No. 29 Midwestern State as the Bearcats claimed a 6-3 win Thursday afternoon at Loyola Park Tennis Center. Midwestern State, which had
Sports
The Wichitan April 1, 2009
9
Motor City Final Four loaded with favorites North Carolina, Villanova, Michigan State and Connecticut set to meet in Final Four
MSUMustangs.com For the Wichitan
When the 61 games were done, the Final Four was not unpredictable, but, nevertheless, consists of a combination of four teams that was far from obvious. Nationally, Villanova probably was given less consideration than by those in Philadelphia and around the Big East who had seen enough to understand the essence of Jay Wright’s team. And Michigan State, under the radar in the Big Ten, played a near-perfect game Sunday to take out Louisville, the overall No. 1 seed. North Carolina and Connecticut were no surprise. And nobody will be terribly surprised if they meet a week from Monday night in the championship game at Ford Field in Detroit. Carolina and UConn will be solid favorites. Anybody who does not think ‘Nova has a chance just has not been paying attention. Are the Wildcats likely to beat UNC in the second game on Saturday? No. Is it possible? With this team, almost anything has to be considered, including a national championship. Michigan State does not appear to have the firepower to hang with UConn, but the Spartans do have some serious athletes. Will that be enough to beat UConn? Again, unlikely. UNC (32-4), UConn (31-4), Michigan State (30-6) and Villanova (30-7) are a combined 123-21.
BEST GAME
Villanova’s win over Pittsburgh was one of the best games in tournament history. Given the stakes, the caliber of play, the back and forth, the comebacks, the crazy plays and the ending, it is right there on the list of great regional finals. Not DukeKentucky 1992, but really, really good. The key play for Villanova was Dwayne Anderson’s steal, followed by a run-out/and one
when the ‘Cats trailed by four. The winning play was brilliantly called, beautifully set up and run about as good as a lastsecond play can be run. Did you notice three Panthers defenders behind Scottie Reynolds when he caught the ball, leading to an instant fastbreak with the ball in the middle, the kind of situation a player like Reynolds has faced thousands of times in practices and countless times in games? All Reynolds had to do was make a good decision. And he surely did that. CONFERENCE NUMBERS
The third Big East team could not make it, but the league has been dominant, going 17-5 and keeping alive the possibility of an all-Big East final. And nobody in this town needs to be reminded what went down the last time that happened. The Big 12 could not get a team to the Final Four, but showed itself second best during the tournament, finishing with a record of 11-6. The Big Ten is 8-6 and the ACC just 7-6. Still, a team from each league got through.
The Huskies have attempted 78 more free throws than their opponents, outrebounded them by 65 and blocked 25 shots. UConn has shot 122-for-237 (51.5 percent) and held their opponents to 99-for-271 (36.5 percent). UConn fouls less than any team in the country and has Hasheem Thabeet on the baseline in case anybody’s man gets near the rim.
TOO FAST
When North Carolina is getting teams to miss long shots and running the ball the other way with the blur that is Ty Lawson, it is just about unbeatable. Oklahoma, which missed its first 15 shots from the arc, found that out Sunday. Villanova is at its best at a fast-paced game, but the Wildcats may have to be a bit judicious against UNC. Or maybe they just play their go-for-it style and take their chances. Hard to tell these guys they can’t go with anybody.
GOOD ENOUGH
The numbers Connecticut put up on the way to the Final Four are almost beyond belief.
Pittsburgh did not play especially well in its first three tournament games. The Panthers were anything but imposters against Villanova. They played great hoops and made enough big shots to win the vast majority of regional finals. They did not lose it. Villanova won it. Pitt was certainly Final Four caliber. Same with Missouri. Mike Anderson’s team never backed down from UConn. Anderson did not get enough run in the coach of the year discussion. He took a dead program to within moments of the school’s first Final Four. Anderson’s UAB team was the last to beat Memphis in Conference USA. That would be 62 games ago. And Anderson got Memphis again in the Sweet 16. Mizzou scored 338 points in its four games, while committing just 29 turnovers. Three times, the Tigers were in singledigit TO territory.
mixed emotions that we make this move for him,” MSU Athletics Director Charlie Carr said. “It will be a daunting task to replace Jeff Ray as our basketball coach. In the two seasons I’ve watched Midwestern basketball, I enjoyed one of the best coaches I’ve known in his approach to the game, his values, his work ethic and his genuine love for our players.” Ray upheld the legacy of MSU basketball posting a combined 230 wins which rates behind the legendary Gerald Stockton and Dennis Vinzant for the third most coaching wins in program history. Ray owns the best winning percentage in MSU men’s basketball history having won better than 65 percent of his games. In his first stint at the helm of the MSU men’s program, Ray posted a remarkable 11860 (.663) mark which included postseason trips in five of six seasons. After leading the team to the NAIA playoffs in each of his first three seasons, Ray and the Indians didn’t take long to adapt to NCAA Division II competition as Midwestern raced to the South Central Region semifinals with a 27-5 mark in 1998-99. MSU followed with another postseason run in 1999-00 when the team fell a win shy of the Elite Eight and finished with a 27-7 mark. Ray then accepted an assistant
coaching position at the University of North Texas for a season before returning to his alma mater on Jan. 8, 2002 when he was named Athletics Director a position he would hold until returning to coaching basketball full time in August of 2005 when Ray also assumed coaching duties of the newly created men’s golf program. In his most recent six-year stint at the helm of the men’s basketball program, he posted a 112-60 (.651) record, never finished below .500 and claimed two more LSC championships and returned to the NCAA Division II South Central Regionals in 2007 and 2009. “While Jeff’s departure from Midwestern men’s basketball may be disconcerting to those of us who feel comfortable when the world continues as before, Jeff, himself looks forward to the new assignment,” Rogers said. “He’ll still be coaching how to play the ball, only now the ball will be a small white one. I know he’ll keep the ball in the center of the fairway and continue to bring distinction to MSU Athletics. That’s Jeff Ray.” Ray has proven his prowess for mentoring on the links where he helped the Mustangs to an NCAA Division II Super Regional appearance in just their first year of existence in 2007. Now, he will get the chance to build another program from the ground up.
THE UPSET
Michigan State’s Tom Izzo is one of the best preparation coaches in the game. He had a wonderful plan for Sunday’s upset of Louisville. The Spartans squeezed the court on defense, giving the Cardinals very little room to operate and daring their non-shooters to shoot long shots. On offense, Michigan State moved the ball against the pressure with short, crisp passes. The Cardinals’ defense could not move as fast as the ball and, eventually, Louisville got frustrated and tired, playing right into the trap set by the Spartans.
MOST DOMINANT
NICE KNOWING YOU Oklahoma sophomore Blake Griffin just finished off one of the great seasons in college history by racking up crazy numbers in four NCAA games. Griffin, the No. 1 pick in this June’s NBA draft, shot 46-for-59 (78 percent), scored 114 points and had 60 rebounds. A ridiculous athlete with a very high basketball IQ, Griffin is going to make some NBA franchise very happy for a very long time. Tyreke Evans, the consensus national freshman of the year, finished off his Memphis career with a nice three-game NCAA run _ 67 points, 25-for-49 from the field, 15-for-18 from the foul line. He was only 2-for-12 from the arc and had 14 assists against 14 turnovers. So he has some things to work on, but he may as well get paid to do that work.
Ray at the end of the Wildcats’ loss to UNC in the 2005 Sweet 16 ... That Villanova shot 41-for-46 from the foul line in Boston ... That Villanova has beaten 15 higher seeds since seeding began in 1979, the most of any school.
PRICE JUST WENT UP
Anybody holding tickets to the Final Four that they would like to sell had to be smiling when Michigan State and North Carolina won. The Spartans will be the “home” team. And Carolina travels very well.
CHEAP TICKETS
Each of the four schools gets 3,250 tickets (2,850 lower-level and 400 midlevel). Also, for the first time each school will get what the NCAA says are approximately “420 student” tickets to sell for just $7 per game. That there will be approximately 70,000 tickets sold for the three games in Ford Field allowed the NCAA to deal out those tickets for such a cheap price. The students will be seated in courtside seating sections.
DID YOU NOTICE?
Not a single conference tournament winner made the Final Four. Louisville was the last one left ... That UNC’s Ty Lawson had 38 points, 14 assists and two turnovers over the weekend ... That the OU game was NCAA win No. 100 for North Carolina ... That the lead official in the ‘Nova-Pitt game was Tom O’Neill, the same man who made the infamous travel call on Allan
MCT (Above) The Villanova Wildcats gather around point guard Scottie Reynolds (1) after he dribbled the length of the court in the final five seconds of regulation to hit the game-winning jump shot to beat Pitt in the Elite Eight, 76-74.
MCT
(Left) Michigan State head coach Tom Izzo meets in a practice before their Elite Eight matchup against overall No. 1 seed Louiseville. Michigan State took the double-digit victory over the Cardinals to set up a Final Four matchup against UConn at nearby Detroit’s Ford Field.
Ray steps down as basketball coach; stays as Director of Golf MSUMustangs.com For the Wichitan
Jeff Ray has engraved his mark on Midwestern State Athletics for much of the last 27 years. He has served the university as a student-athlete, a coach and an athletic director and will continue to leave his indelible impression on the program as the Director of Men’s and Women’s Golf and will also serve as the Life Skills Coordinator. Ray will also vacate his post as head men’s basketball coach after completing the program’s two most successful coaching tenures while leading the Mustangs to four Lone Star Conference championships and four trips to the NCAA Division II national tournament. “I have known Jeff Ray as a student-athlete, a coach, an athletic director and as a friend,” MSU President Jesse W. Rogers said. “He is a man of deliberate action, a man who knows his own mind.” The decision came long before Ray led the Mustangs on an impressive run through the Lone Star Conference this season as the team rattled off winning streaks of 10 and eight games on its way to a 25-7 record before closing its season in the South Central Regional semifinals in Warrensburg, Mo. “Jeff and I have been discussing this direction since last spring, and it has been with
“This is something that is good for me and my family,” Ray said. “It’s a chance for me to change directions and put more time into golf. The timing is just right to stay in Wichita Falls and coach golf.” He will also move into a position to touch the lives of many more student athletes. “Jeff will oversee and become the director of our Live Skills program, a most important component of a Model Division II program,” Carr said. “I could not tailor this job to a better fit, as we seek to give growth and development opportunities to our student athletes in many important areas away from the competition field. I’m saddened to lose a fine basketball coach, but thrilled for our entire program to gain a person who can affect so many more of our student-athletes in these new roles.” Ray, who played for MSU during the 1982-83 and ‘83-84 seasons, returned to campus in 1988 as a full-time assistant coach with the men’s program. Ray maintained that post through the 1993-94 season, and he accepted an additional role as head coach of the women’s squad during the 1992-93 and ‘93-94 seasons. An advisory committee will be formed Wednesday and the search for Midwestern’s next men’s basketball coach begins immediately.
Peter Hiatt | The Wichitan Former men’s basketball head coach Jeff Ray has ended his second stint as the anchor for the men’s program. But he will not be leaving the university as he accepted the newly made position as Director of Golf and Life Skills coordinator.
Golf tourney cancelled MSUMustangs.com For the Wichitan
This weekend’s snowstorm in the Texas Panhandle rendered the La Paloma Country Club in Amarillo unplayable resulting int he cancellation of the West Texas A&M Buffalo Stampede
Intercollegiate Invitational golf tournament. The tournament will not be rescheduled. The Mustangs will next be in action at the Central Oklahoma Kickingbird Classic on April 6-7 in Edmond.
10
Sports
The Wichitan April 1, 2009
On Deck this week... Wednesday April 1 Tuesday
Softball
@ Cameron
Friday April 3 Men’s Tennis @ St. Mary’s Women’s Tennis @ St. Mary’s
Saturday April 4 Softball Cameron at 2 p.m.
Richardson named Most Outstanding Player in All-Star game MSUMustangs.com For the Wichitan
Nolan Richardson needed just 15 minutes to pour in 22 points and lead the West All Stars to a 138-117 win over the East All Stars Friday night in the National Association of Basketball Coaches’ Division II All-Star Game at the Basketball Hall of Fame. Richardson was named Most Outstanding Player after pouring in six 3-pointers while pulling in five rebounds, dishing out a pair of assists and collecting four steals off of the bench. The West All Stars rolled out to a 70-52 halftime lead then cruised to the win. Western Washington’s Ira
Graham scored 21 points, South Carolina-Aikens’ Chris Commons dropped in 20 more while Saint Martin’s Jake Linton (19 points), Central Oklahoma’s Lance Harper (15 points) and Wisconsin-Parkside’s Lavontay Fenderson (12 points) all scored in double figures for the West All Stars. Richardson was the lone West reserve to score in double digits. The East All Stars were paced by Elizabeth City State’s Anthony Hilliard who finished with 24 points and 10 rebounds. Hilliard was named the East’s Most Outstanding Player after notching the double-double. Richardson closes a brilliant two-year run at Midwestern State as he became the school’s
first NABC All-American since joining NCAA Division II in 1995. The 6-2 senior scored 1,103 points and became the first player in 22 seasons to average more than 20 points a game as he led the South Central Region with a 21.1 points per game scoring average this season. Richardson was also a Daktronics All-South Central firstteam selection, the Lone Star Conference South Division Player of the Year and garnered most valuable player honors at the LSC postseason tournament. He helped the Mustangs to a 25-7 record, a Lone Star Conference championship and a berth in the NCAA Division II national tournament.
Peter Hiatt | The Wichitan
Nolan Richardson (31) dribbles up the court in a late-season game against Eastern New Mexico. Richardson only competed as a student-athlete for two years on the MSU campus, but was still able to set multiple marks in the record books.
Mustangs Conference Standings Lone Star Conference
Softball North W-L SE Oklahoma (38-7) 9-1 Central Okla. (18-10) 11-3 MSU (22-10) 8-4 Cameron (23-15) 8-4 SW Oklahoma (11-19) 3-9 NE State (9-25) 4-12 East Central (10-17) 3-13
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Men’s Tennis @ Northeastern State
South W-L ACU (30-9) 8-1 Angelo State (31-4) 7-2 Tarleton State (20-15) 5-4 WTAMU (27-15) 6-6 TAMU-Kingsville (22-15) 5-7 Texas Woman’s (21-19) 3-6 Eastern NM (17-16) 2-10
Women’s Tennis
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Monday April 6 Men’s Tennis @ Cameron
Tuesday April 7 Softball
Southeastern Oklahoma State at 3 p.m.
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North W-L Central Okla. (24-6) 10-2 SW Oklahoma (19-11) 8-4 TAMU-Comm (17-11) 8-4 Cameron (14-14) 7-5 NE State (11-16) 6-6 SE Oklahoma (5-22) 2-10 East Central (6-22) 1-11
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