Feb 21, 2007 by The Wichitan

THE WICHITAN The Student Voice of Midwestern State University

Wednesday Feb. 21, 2007

Library fines skyrocket to nearly $75,000 in 2006 THE WICHITAN STAFF Fines at Moffett Library soared to nearly $75,000 last year, most of it uncollected. The library racked up record fines totaling $74,728.59 for 2006. Of this amount, only $20,251.74 was collected. Fines include checked-out property that either has been lost, stolen or not returned. This amount compares with fines of $19,985.35 in 2005. The library collected $18,609.87 of that amount. Jason Brezina, circulation department manager of Moffett Library, said he found the difference alarming. Brezina said he has tallied 682 double-sided pages of fines going back to the year 2000. About 40 stu-

dents are listed on each page. “All this adds up to a lot of money,” Brezina said. He attributed part of the problem to the administrationʼs policy of no longer allowing the library to put holds on registration if ﬁnes are not paid. It used to send holds to the registrar, where a hold would block the student from registering for classes. The library is the only place that doesnʼt do holds anymore. Holds are still placed on a student if he has an unpaid parking ticket. “A lot of them (students who owe ﬁnes) ignore their (overdue) notices,” Brezina said. “Students think they can borrow books and keep them. Without our ability to put a hold on them, they just leave and donʼt have to worry about it.”

Brezina said the library was ordered not to put holds on anyone anymore, which in the past could prevent them from enrolling or graduating. “Kind of a touchy subject right now this semester,” he said. The library circulation department keeps tabs on every student who checks out books, movies, music and electronic equipment. Everything in the library is documented on a database. The library even has inventory days where the workers go through shelves to make sure every book in the computer is actually on the shelf. If a book is missing then the database can track it to the last person and levy an appropriate ﬁne. Library ﬁnes range from 25 cents

a day for books to $1 a day for media items. A default price of $25 has been set for books whose purchase price is unknown. The price for losing a digital camera ranges from $200 to $900. The price for a projector is $3,000. When a student loses an item from the library, additional fees are added to their total payments. The student must pay the price of the item, the maximum fine and a $15 processing fee. There has been no official decision yet on how the uncollected fines will be handled. Police Chief Michael Hagy said his office would not be involved in the collection of fines.

See Library page 6

ADRIAN MCCANDLESS | THE WICHITAN Jason Brezina looks upon the stacks of library ﬁnes that have been accumulated throughout 2006.

Rec center update given KONNIE SEWELL COPY EDITOR

Joey Greenwood, kinesiology instructor and director of the future Recreational Sports/Wellness Center, made an appearance at the Student Government Association meeting Tuesday night to tell the senators how progress on the new athletic facility is going. A student referendum was held in 2004 and Greenwood said 84

percent of students said yes to the Wellness Center. The current Vinson Health Center will be moved into the Wellness Center facility, as well as all recreational sports, the weight room and ﬁtness classes. Greenwood said construction will begin in about two and a half months. The facility will be ready in fall of 2008. Greenwood played a video with an interactive model of the building.

“This video can show you a thousand times better than what I could explain,” he said. The video showed a large, twostory building situated at the intersection of Midwestern Parkway and Louis J. Rodriguez Drive, between Sikes Lake and the practice soccer ﬁeld. A dominant architectural feature of the center will be the large glass windows. “All of the windows are on the

See SGA page 6

Profs say hang up or get out ROBERT FOX FOR THE WICHITAN No, they donʼt want to know how cool your ring tone is. Amidst the ever-present distractions and challenges of teaching, cell phones are one distraction professors are taking a stand against. Dr. Roxanne Gooch, associate professor of accounting, and Dr. George Diekoff, chair of the psychology department, stand at the more forgiving end of the spectrum. They said they remind students on the ﬁrst day of class to keep phones on vibrate and quietly excuse themselves from class for truly important calls. “Most students remember (to put

phones on silent) and everybody at some point forgets,” Diekoff said. “Itʼs not just the students; itʼs me too. I can hardly throw stones.” Gooch said she has forgotten to t u r n down her

ringer v o l ume too. But, when cell phones go off, the person shuts the ring off as quickly as possible

See Phones page 6

Wrestling with words

HERSHEL SELF | THE WICHITAN

Roderick Hawkins and Jamell Yarbrough hustle the airwaves with their musical beats.

Pavement 2 Platinum

KRYSTLE CAREY MANAGING EDITOR

But for 21-year-old business major Roderick Hawkins and 20-year-old Jamell Yarbrough, the music industry ou can hear the two MSU is more than just a game. Itʼs a “husstudents rap nightly over tle.” musical beats and adver“Every day is a hustle,” Hawkins tisements among the main- said. “The harder you work the more stream rotation of 103.9 FM, you will receive.” Wichita Fallsʼ hip-hop inﬂuenced raThe words of wisdom were passed down from Scarface, a Houston rap dio station. Their independent hit single “Hat- legend, when the pair of cousins erblockers” has even garnered radio opened a concert for the icon last spins on stations in Dallas, Miami spring. Not only did the relatives acand Arizona. Plans for a video shoot quaint themselves with “Face,” but are also in the works and solo proj- they also established connections ects from the duo are soon to pop at a See Platinum page 6 party or car trunk near you. IGNACIO CRUZ STAFF REPORTER

Y INSIDE

and is generally embarrassed, she said. She said it is distracting when one goes off, but so is constant coughing. They agree when a cell phone goes off, the best plan is to plow forward and avoid causing a scene. At the polar opposite end of the spectrum, Dr. Michael Vandehey, associate professor of psychology, and Dr. Jim Sernoe, chair of the mass communications department, reserve the right to embarrass careless cell phone owners. All Sernoeʼs syllabi have a paragraph on cell phones which ends “I reserve the right to embarrass you mercilessly if your cell phones/ beepers/pagers make noise during class.”

ADRIAN MCCANDLESS | THE WICHITAN

Some students have difficulty in math, others in science, but for some students, their struggles lie in how they speak. Whether they cannot pronounce certain letters or make proper use of pronouns, the students most concerned with such problems are education majors. If these students cannot speak correctly, they are likely to pass their bad habits down to their future pupils. One woman, however, is ready to help. Anita Beeks, speech-language pathologist, is on contract with the Education Department to help students working toward teacher certification. Beeks works with these students in three different areas: speech therapy, accent modification and grammar improvement. “It isnʼt all just speech therapy,” she said. “A lot of people think all I do is speech therapy, but I address all three areas.”

Anita Beeks helps students who are working toward teacher certiﬁcation.

See Speech page 6

‘Ghost Rider’

‘Marie Antoinette’

Ultimate Frisbee

This Nicholas Cage ﬁlm does not give the comic justice.

New DVD release is not what Soﬁa Coppola fans might expect.

Group of students play frisbee to relieve stress.

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Sweepstakes Winner 2006 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

THE WICHITAN

VIEWPOINTS

Finalist 2004 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award

Feb. 21, 2007

Staff Editorial

Net courses wanted Face it. Itʼs a high-tech world. Cell phones replaced CB radios. DVDs replaced VHS tapes. Online education appears to be the wave of the future and many universities are offering a full regimen of core subjects – but not Midwestern State University. MSU offers a distance education degree program called the Bachelor of Applied Arts and Sciences. Thirty-six “traditional” courses are listed through the distance education program, half of which are criminal justice and political science classes. According to the MSU catalog, the B.A.A.S. program is designed to provide students with workforce education, vocational-technical training and/or professional experience in occupational ﬁelds the opportunity to obtain a baccalaureate degree. In other words, itʼs not for the average college freshman. Not only is MSU behind the technology curve by offering a variety of online courses, the university is guilty of discouraging “campus” and local students from taking online courses. A department override must be signed to allow local students to enroll in online courses. In the 2007 spring schedule for the student seeking a bachelorʼs degree in traditional studies, online courses are limited. The online course schedule shows single offerings in education, geography, technical writing and kinesiology. According to Pamela Morgan, MSU director of extended education, “the online courses are primarily designed for students who live off campus or away from town.” Morgan said online courses are not intended for a student who doesnʼt want to go to class and would rather take it online. Why canʼt a student elect to take a course online instead of face-to-face? Most area colleges and universities now have distance education departments for students unable to attend classes on campus. Unlike MSU, most are offered without the stipulations and restrictions. The Vernon College Web site lists 19 transfer courses for core subjects. Several of these courses are offered in shortened terms for the convenience of the student. According to the Cameron University Web site, online students seeking an associateʼs or a bachelorsʼ degree can enroll in 54 courses from 25 subject areas. The Web site for West Texas A&M lists 107 Internet courses available for traditional degree-seeking students. The University of Oklahoma Web site boasts that a student can earn a degree online without ever setting foot on campus. If online education is a wave of the future – and a quick tally of regional online offerings suggests that it is – why is MSU only offering four online courses for the traditional degree-seeking students? Ofﬁcials at Vernon College report an 11 percent rise in Internet class enrollment for the spring 2007 semester and indicate they expect the increase to continue. Dr. Brenda Kays, Vernon College dean of instructional services, said the rise in Internet enrollment is directly related to the increasing reliance on technology. “Everybody seems so busy, and they enjoy the convenience of not having to go to a physical location,” she said. If MSU doesnʼt offer math, science, history and other core subjects online, the traditional degree-seeking students may enroll in and graduate from another college or university. Thatʼs money MSU could have earned. If the university makes the same money from Internet courses, why not make it easier for students? Why not jump on the bandwagon?

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 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.

Geese prove to be superior species Did you hear about the guy they found dead in New York this weekend? No, he wasnʼt a product CARRIE SULLIVAN of a gang EDITOR-IN-CHIEF shooting or suicide. This man was found in front of a TV. And heʼd been dead, just sitting there, for more than a year. It may seem hard to believe that Vincenzo Ricardo, 70, could pass on and have his corpse unattended for that long without anyone knowing about it. For crying out loud, weʼre not talking about a matter of days or weeks here. Furthermore, the only reason he was found this quickly was because of a response to a report of busted pipes. Ricardo had been living alone for several years, according to authorities, after his wife died. He is said to have died from natural causes. The cool air in his home left his body partially mummiﬁed. His TV was still on. Does all this make anyone else

uneasy? Shocked? Disturbed? It should. Who was Vincenzo Ricardo? We may never know. Did he have a good marriage? Did he have any children? Where did he work? Did he enjoy his job? What was he like as a child? Was he born from a poor family, middle class, upper class? Did his father and mother love him? Did he know who his father and mother were? What were his hobbies? Was he always a friendless nobody or did he have good pals in his younger years? What sorts of things made him laugh? Cry? What were his bad habits? Noble attributes? How many times did he fall in love? What were his dreams, hopes, fears? Who was he? Clearly he wasnʼt anybody weʼd want to know. Nobody even knew heʼd died. And itʼs without doubt that the funeral will have a low turnout. But his neighbors might come. When notiﬁed of his death, they told ofﬁcials they assumed he was in a nursing home since they hadnʼt heard anything from him. That is the key problem with

people today. Everybody assumes. Everyone assumed Ricardo wanted to be left alone. His neighbors assumed he was ﬁne, when he was really sitting in his house, day after day, his corpse rotting in the cold air. In a world that has every opportunity to stay connected via cell phones and the Internet, itʼs a wonder we donʼt know everything going on in everyoneʼs lives. The truth is, weʼve never been more disconnected. Weʼre all concerned with our own vastly important lives, making money, tending to our own families, going places in our career, that we donʼt stop to think, “Hey, I wonder how Mr. Ricardoʼs doing? I havenʼt seen him outside in, oh, a year. Maybe I should stop by and take him a piece of cake, see how his health is holding up.” But do we do this? No. We donʼt have time. Either that or we, again, assume everythingʼs ﬁne. I canʼt believe this man wanted to die alone, sitting at his TV. Perhaps when his wife passed on, he was grief-stricken and needed some solitary time to get over her absence before he could move on with his life. But as long as we live on this Earth, we humans need other people, even if itʼs just one single friend

who calls every now and then to see how we are. By nature, we are social creatures. We need the company, the interaction with others. And others need that connection with us. Itʼs our duty to maintain that link. Geese seem to have this concept down well. Did you know that if one out of the flock becomes injured or ill, a few of the healthy birds will stay behind and tend to the wounded or sick until it is well enough to join the group again? That is true devotion. These birds understand the importance of unity in a species. Why canʼt we? Maybe Ricardo didnʼt stay in contact with anyone because he was a mean old curmudgeon. Maybe he chased away all the friends and family who tried to talk to him. That didnʼt necessarily mean he really wanted them to go away. Often the people who are stubborn enough to become true hermits are the ones who desperately need our love the most. Iʼm not asking everyone to give every minute of their time to overseeing the wellbeing of others. Iʼm merely asking that we start paying attention to the flock. Who knows? You might be the very one to help a lonely, injured bird to fly again.

M a n y people in the world have issues with groups they have no real understanding of or intentions to understand. JASON KIMBRO in ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Case p o i n t : Greek life. I have never been a member of any Greek organization and I never felt to need to pay hundreds of dollars a year to take part in one, but I have known several individuals within my collegiate career that have taken advantage of what Greek life has to offer. Most of my friends, however, have taken on anti-frat/sorority stances that have been based upon national headlines or the few bad eggs that have seemed to corrupt any positive stereotypes these organizations have had. For instance, some of my friends have claimed they didnʼt feel the need to pay all that money in order to have friends. As far as Iʼm concerned and from what I have

both witnessed and discovered on my own behalf, these dues are not meant to be paid in order to achieve a level of friendship among these groups of men or women. If that was so, then there would be some charter of segregation forbidding their brothers or sisters to congregate or socialize with anyone outside of their group. This is deﬁnately not the case since I have been friends with many Greek brothers and sisters from almost every Greek organization that calls MSU home. These fees are to help the organization as a whole in its attempts to provide a chapter house or room and to even provide toward the many philanthropic events and agendas each of these organizations partake in and provide every year. I, myself, have been guilty of bashing the elements of Greek life that I have chosen to be the only ones to focus upon. The Wichitan itself has been notorious about reporting mainly the bad elements of this somewhat exclusive world, ignoring all the good things they have done for our community. Every social group has its bad

elements. Our nation, unfortunately, has a problem with only focusing on the bad and this has been particularly prevalent in the media. National media markets, however, seem to be making some attempts to show some of the brighter and lighter sides of life, even if these stories are saved for the last three minutes of programming. We should all make attempts at the same. This can be applied across race and social barriers as well, but that would be an entire thesis in sociology that I really have no particular amount of interest or time in writing, therefore I think Iʼll stick to my columns. Now, before most of you begin to wonder what the hell is wrong with me this week, let me add that Iʼm not always out to shock the lowest common denominator. I do have a good side which is usually the most outspoken part of me. Columns, on the other hand, are usually my outlet of evil. I need some place to let my demons out, no matter how ludicrous or asinine they may be. Back to the Greeks. Each group itself has been given their own stereotypes and I must protest any generalization that isnʼt a step for-

ward in the hopeful yet futile riddance of social problems. These descriptive generalizations are heard not only from those not associated with Greek life, but from one frat or sorority to another. Now some are obviously involved in the fair-play of recruitment, but sometimes these false ideals spread like a bucket of butter on a single slice of bread. From a group of computer nerds to the group that takes in all the uglies, we shouldnʼt take them so seriously. So before you go and bash a sorority for only having a “certain type of girl” or complaining about a fraternity because you heard from someoneʼs sisterʼs roommateʼs cousin that one of them slipped a basset hound a rooﬁe, why not ask around and ﬁnd out how much they raised to help some homeless people have better sheltering conditions or how they have helped some underpriveledged kids have a gift or two for Christmas. From the various degrees of beauty within the EKʼs to the openness and willingness to embrace everybody within the ODPhiʼs, we should all take another look at the world of the Greeks and realize that they arenʼt all that bad after all.

Greeks sad owners of unfair stereotypes

THE WICHITAN Editorial Board

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

Reporters Matt Hulme Richard Carter Christian McPhate LaTia Banks Photographers Hershel Self Lauren Miller Graphic Artist SunKyu Yoo-Norris

Advertising Manager Christian McPhate Copy Editor Konnie Sewell

Adviser Randy Pruitt

OP-ED

Asteroid linked to Omega Point

Imagine a universe where a cosmic supercomputer would “resurrect” everyone who has ever crossed CHRISTIAN MCPHATE this vast STAFF REPORTER planet we call Earth. The Omega Point theory points to this type of outcome for future generations of humankind billions of years from now in the early stages of the Big Crunch, a distorted mirror image of the Big Bang when the expanding universe stops and “crunches” into a void of unforeseeable chaos (think of a never-ending stomach crunch). In The Physics of Immortality, mathematical physicist Frank J. Tipler presents and defends a hypothetical scenario for the end of time, the Omega Point theory. Basically, the theory states that an artificial intelligence (God) will provide an afterlife to a higher intellect of humans, kind of like the computer simulated world of “The Matrix.” Tipler points out in his book: • The universe is spatially closed and there are no event horizons, implying the future c-boundary is a point – the Omega Point (God). • Life must eventually engulf the entire universe and control it (New World Order capitalism amok). • The amount of information processed between now and the final state is infinite (a long time). • The amount of information stored in the universe diverges to infinity as the final state is approached (the god of supercomputers is born). “The ultimate future state of the universe, the Omega Point, should be identified with God,” Tipler said in his summary defending his findings to the scientific community. Tipler comes to this conclusion from Exodus 3:14 in the Christian Bible where God gives his name, EHYEH ASHER EHYEH (Hebrew

for ʻI shall be who I shall beʼ) to Moses through the fiery branches of a burning bush. In addition, from a translation given in the Oxford University Study Bible, Tipler believes God is telling the prophet that her essence is future tense, or an Omega Point. Moreover, he argues that in the future, the continued evolution of our species will enable science to “grow exponentially,” giving the future baby boomers control over the universe on a gargantuan scale. This advanced science will develop a “nearly all-powerful artificial intelligence” with computing speed and information storage off our prehistoric science charts. This “storage” of knowledge will grow faster than the collapse of the universe and provide an “infinite virtual time” that will run continuous computer simulations encompassing the entire history of intelligent life on this planet kind of like a virtual afterlife. Of course, this doesnʼt help us non-virtual humans. The sad thing is that a renowned theologian, professor Wolfhart Pannenberg from the University of Munich, Germany, defends this theory. According to Tipler, Pannenberg is “the most brilliant living theological mind” and “one of three great theologians of the 20th century.” The professor holds five honorary doctorates of divinity, and he is “eminently qualified to judge theology.” “Tipler certainly succeeds in developing a coherent argument that allows for connecting the idea of creation as well as the eschatological hope for the resurrection of the dead with the properties of point Omega as a final future of the universe,” Pannenberg said in his paper the “Modern Cosmology: God and the Resurrection of the Dead.” Who gave this man his degree? We are talking about a “virtual reality of resurrection,” not a spiritual one. According to a Feb. 19, 2007 report by ABC News, a group of astronauts and engineers warn that an asteroid will pass uncomfortably close to Earth and bring about “a really, really bad day for the planet.”

And possibly bring to end the simulation of Tiplerʼs computer god and Matrix-style afterlife. In 2029, the most feared asteroid, Apophis, will soar within 10,000 miles of the Earth and then come even closer on April 13, 2036. The doomsday asteriod has a one in 45,000 chance of hitting the surface of the planet – better than a personʼs chance of being struck by lightning. “Even if the probability is low of an asteroid hitting Earth, if it has the potential to have a signiﬁcant impact, then it has to be looked at,” Dr. Dan Barry, a retired astronaut, said. “It is the responsible thing to do.” Scientists currently estimate our solar system contains between 1.1 and 1.9 million asteroids. According to Wikipedia.com, the U.S. military declassiﬁed information that its military satellites, built to detect nuclear explosions, had detected hundreds of upper-atmosphere impacts by objects ranging from one to 10 meters across. Since Nov. 9, 2006, astrologersʼ automated systems that consist of Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) cameras and computers connected to telescopes have discovered 4, 286 near-Earth asteroids. Astrologists state that in the last 600 million years, 60 objects with diameters of 5 kilometers or more have struck the Earth and the smallest of these have released around 10,000,000 megatons of TNT. (The Tsar Bomba, the largest nuclear warhead ever detonated, released 50 megatons). Near-Earth asteroids have been coming closer over the past several years with the last one passing about 6,500 kilometers from our planet on March 31, 2004. It seems as if the god of science is answering Tiplerʼs Omega Point theory with her planetoid rocks of destruction. In addition, with the rate that our governments and religions are going with their warmonger leaders, there will not be anyone left to create the so-called computer god.

the ideas we associate with things based on what we call them, and vice versa. And to be honest, I would hate to be a Gladys, mostly because I associate the name with Gladys Kravitz from “Bewitched.” Instead, I would love to be a Maria, a Catherine or a Clara. But Iʼm not. Iʼm just Konnie. Everyone might dislike their name from time to time, but I used to hate my name like it was a disease. For most of my life Iʼve hated hearing someone say, yell out, cry or whisper it. I firmly believe itʼs the most coarse, crude, unrefined, inelegant, hard-sounding name in the English language. Not only this, but itʼs been severely mispronounced during its existence. Somehow, all of my elementary school teachers (including substitutes!) had trouble with it. I always dreaded the moment my name turned up on the roll. I think itʼs rather straightforward, myself: Connie, but with a K. K always makes a hard “kuh” sound unless itʼs silent, but my nameʼs not Onnie. So what gives? And letʼs not forget that embarrassing namesake, Connie Conehead. The only real saving grace of my name is that itʼs unique amongst a sea of Amandas and Ashleys, but even this comes with a price. I canʼt tell yʼall how many times Iʼve had someone tell me, quite conversationally, theyʼve got an aunt named Connie. Um, how nice? Because, really, thatʼs the image I want associated with me: A homely, middleaged aunt. Driving an SUV. With bad Texas hair. Sometimes I would get so angry with my mother, especially when she revealed the names sheʼd almost chosen for me. I was almost Elizabeth, but my aunt had a conniption fit over that one. If the character had showed up on “As the World Turns” a few years earlier, I would have been Sierra. I was this close to being Claire, but somehow that didnʼt happen (I

still donʼt know what made my mom change her mind at the last minute). But then, over the years, something happened. I didnʼt learn to like my name so much as come to accept it. I think it occurred when my mother married my stepfather and they asked me if I wanted to change my last name to his. I politely refused because it was unconceivable to me. My last name is something I fully own; itʼs a part of me, a part of who I am. Itʼs the same way with my first name, too, I then realized. My name may not be the most beautiful or exotic, or even mysterious. It may not be the most melodious or the most feminine. It will always be ugly and old-fashioned to me, but itʼs who I am. My mother spelled it with a K so that weʼd have the same initials. She wasnʼt trying to be cute or cruel and she wasnʼt on drugs or anything when my birth certificate was filled out. She did it out of love. She did it so weʼd always be close, so weʼd always have a part of each other, in a way. My last name is a huge part of who I am as well. Donʼt even get me started on the Sewell (rhymes with jewel) family. Weʼre a proud Scottish clan with our own group on Facebook. Weʼll totally take you out, and you know it. Iʼve always said that if I ever get married Iʼll never change my last name. I think itʼs an outdated and silly tradition, but more importantly Iʼd feel like a fraud. I guess this in ingrained in me: The name Konnie doesnʼt mean anything, really, but Connie is a pet form of Constance, which all the way back to its Latin roots means “constant, steadfast and faithful.” “The Vagina Monologues” is touted as being a strong declaration of female empowerment, an ode to women loving themselves and taking pride in their bodies. And I guess I walked away with something like that on opening night. The play reminded me to be proud of who I am, name included.

KONNIE SEWELL COPY EDITOR

logues!” The play was performed with gusto, guts and a plethora of affection. I was immensely satisﬁed. I also left the theater with an idea buzzing around in my head, and anything that makes you think — in my case, itʼs going to seem a little random — is better than alright. One character in the play explained how she named every part of her body. Her hands, for example, were Gladys. In fact, she named every part of her body, save one — and we can all take a guess as to which body part it was. This characterʼs story was about

Have an opinion? Column writers needed!

Contact Christian at The Wichitan. 397-4705

Feb. 21, 2007

Campus Voices

Q: What do you think about diversity at MSU? “I think itʼs very diverse. You get to see all types of different cultures here. The student activities on campus help incorporate them into student life. Weʼve got students from all over the world here represented very well.” – Karilea Collins, 20, undecided junior

“There can always be room for more diversity, but I have to say thereʼs a good amount here at MSU. Still, Iʼd like to see a little more.” – Eddie Douglas, 21, junior marketing major

“I think itʼs real diverse here. You see it all the time with the multicultural fraternities on campus.” – Ubaldo Hinojos, 20, sophomore mechanical engineering/Spanish major

Play sparks contemplation of name Bravo and congrats to everyone involved in this weekendʼs (and next weekendʼs) production of “The Vagina Mono-

THE WICHITAN

Dear Editor,

Letters to the editor

As MSU students and members of the AfricanAmerican Greek community, we would like to address the letter to the editor that was published in the previous edition of The Wichitan. We feel that the comments made by Samuel Johnson do not accurately reflect the current state of our university. He states that he was a student in 1999, and over the last eight years, there have been sweeping changes on this campus. In 1999 when Samuel Johnson claims to have attended this university, Sofia Rodriguez was NOT the director of Student Development and there was very little money going towards multiculturalism. Even in 2002 when I, Crystal J. Williams, first became involved in campus activities and in student government, there was still hardly any money being directed towards diversifying MSU. Since Sofiaʼs arrival on campus in fall of 2004, she has made it one of her priorities to make minority students feel included on campus. For the last three years, she has sent at least two students from EACH African-American organization, including myself, Shicobie McDonald, to the Southern Black Student Leadership Conference at Texas A&M University, free of charge. Not only did she provide transportation, registration fees and lodging for the students, she also attended the conference with us. This is evidence that she cares about all of us. She takes pride in who we are and what we do. I have not met many faculty members who would take a weekend away from family, work, and loved ones to spend time with us. In regards to the comments made by Samuel, about Sofia being “conveniently absent from the activities of the African-Americans,” and that “African-American organizations are treated like bad stepchildren,” that couldnʼt be further from the truth. Her office has been more than willing to support ALL black organizations in any endeavors they wish to embark on. She has been in attendance to each of the Womenʼs Appreciation Day programs sponsored by Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. She also has attended several of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.ʼs annual Alphapollo step shows. We feel as though Sofia goes far beyond the requirements of her job description. After all wooden benches were eliminated from campus, the black sororities were left without their signature sorority benches.

Although Sofiaʼs office was not responsible for the benches being removed, she felt it was necessary for her to purchase new wooden benches for the organizations and they are now on display in the Clark Student Center. Black students often compare their college experience here at MSU to those of other universities. At first glance one may see MSU as inferior when it comes to diversity. We ask you all to take a deeper look into this issue. Not to take away from any of the black leaders on campus, but we feel that as black students, we seldom take advantage of the opportunities that are offered to us. We attended the MLK Day program, provided by Sofia Rodriguez and the office of Student Development, and the absence of black students was appalling. All events that are sponsored by Sofiaʼs office are all very well publicized on campus, MSU2, at SGA meetings, and on the monthly calendar provided by the office of Student Activities. It is time for students who feel like Mr. Johnson to be more PROACTIVE and less REACTIVE. Sincerely, Shicobie McDonald Senior, Nursing major Crystal J. Williams Senior, Sociology major Dear Editor, Konnie Sewell got it just right in her Viewpoint article of Feb. 14, “Race, Gender Not Factors in 2008 Election.” When people are insecure or afraid--for whatever reasons--they tend to view those different from themselves with hostility. Itʼs as easy as it is wrong--part of the “unexamined life” that Socrates said wasnʼt worth living. Better to stop and think for a moment in the way that Albert Camus urged: “I believe only in differences and not in uniformity ... because differences are the roots without which the tree of liberty, the sap of creation and of civilization, dries up.” – Professor Lynn Hoggard

Feb. 21, 2007

Across Campus

Entertainment

ʻRiderʼsʼ only plusses are unintentional JASON KIMBRO ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

ʻThe Vagina Monologuesʼ MSU Theatre presents an encore performance of Eve enslerʼs “The Vagina Monologues.” In this edgy piece of theatre that bounces from satire to hilarity to profundity, Ensler plumbs the depths of the female psyche. Based on real womenʼs stories of intimacy, vulnerability and sexual self-discovery, the play constitutes a celebration of female sexuality in all its complexity and mystery. “The Vagina Monologues” depicts adult situations and contains profanity. For high school students, parental knowledge and consent is recommended. Encore perfomances will be Friday and Saturday at 7:30. For more information call 397-4399.

Building Success for the Future Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Incorporated will present its second annual Leadership Forum Feb. 22. Five speakers will make presentations at the Leadership Workshop in the Clark Student Center and a fourperson panel will participate in the Leadership Panel at 7 p.m. in Akin Auditorium. For tickets and more information, contact the CSC Information Desk at ext. 4223.

ʻWhat School Systems Wantʼ The Career Management Center presents “What School Systems Want” at 6 p.m. Feb. 22 in Clark Student Centerʼs Shawnee Theater. A panel of ﬁve WFISD principals representing all grade levels (EC-12) will offer guidance on how to conduct a successful job search and what school systems look for on resumes, cover letters and during the interview process. Anyone interested in a career in education is welcome to attend. For more information, call ext. 4473.

Foreign Film Series Continuing Education and Richard Carter present the 1966 ﬁlm “Masculin Feminin” at 7 p.m. March 1 in the Kemp Center for the Arts at 1300 Lamar St. Jean-Luc Godard presents a candid and wildly funny free-form examination of youth culture in 1960s Paris. Admission is free and donations are welcome. For more information, call ext. 4756.

Entertainment Value: A Artistic Crap: F Plot/Script: D Performances: B Overall GPA: 2.00 SunKyu Yoo-Norris

Though the film has broken a few records at the box office over the weekend, “Ghost Rider” will definately be a huge contender for the Razzies next year. In case some of you are wondering, the Razzies are the awards that sit on the other end of the spectrum from the Oscars. These awards are given to movies for being some of the worst films of the year, if not all time. This review may seem to be getting off on the wrong foot, but this film has its redeeming qualities, those left in the somewhat unintentional realm of camp and cheese. Lately, Nicolas Cage has attempted to present himself in a serious light and not since “Con Air” have we seen the actor decide not to take himself so seriously and actually try to have fun with the silly role handed to him. Hereʼs the gist:

Johnny Blaze (Cage) is your typical carnie motorcycle stuntboy performing a daily routine with his father. He does his ﬁery ring of a show, then runs into the arms of the beautiful Roxanne (Eva Mendes). The two decide to leave their lives behind and run off together, but before they can, Johnny must tie up a couple loose strings. Whilst doing this, he comes across a letter which states that his father is dying from cancer and he hasnʼt much time to live. Johnny becomes saddened by this news but gets offered a chance to save his father from a mysterious stranger with a cane. Without really understanding the consequences involved, Johnny signs his soul over to the devil, lovingly called Mephistopheles (Peter Fonda) this time around, and his fatherʼs cancer is suddenly gone. But as we all know, the devil is tricky and on that very same day, his father is killed in a freak motorcycle accident while doing his stunt show. Johnny becomes very angry and resentful and decides to use this piss-poor attitude to snub Roxanne, who is left waiting in the rain, heartbroken and alone. Now we jump 15 years into the future and Johnny has become an internationally known stuntman with his own video games and entourage. Roxanne is now a big-time television reporter making her own little way in the world. Johnnyʼs amazing success is attributed to the fact that he cannot

die. Mephistopheles will not allow him to die until his contract is up. Suddenly, out of the darkness rises Black Heart and all we really get to understand is that he is evil, wants to take over the world, and does so by turning people into some type of post-bubonic corpses. The devil wants to stop Black Heartʼs rampage and his search for a powerful contract which contains the souls of thousands of evil-doers from some town in the old west of Texas. So Mephistopheles calls on Johnny, who now becomes his Ghost Rider, the devilʼs bounty hunter. With a little help from a strangely informative caretaker (played beautifully full of cheese by Sam Elliot), Blaze sets out to battle the forces of evil. From Black Heart and his minions to the sludge of the Earth that reside as humans on the surface, we are unfortanetly given poorly developed villians. Letʼs hope the sequel is better. Finally we are given a cheesy film with lots of silly dialogue, decent special effects, poorly managed action sequences and a silly love story that only adds to the laughter. “Ghost Rider” was a lot of fun to watch, from the special effects to the overall ridiculousness of the subject matter, dialogue, and performances. Such dark material concerning matters of Satanic lore is usually hard-pressed to be funny but this film seems to achieve this level of quirkiness. Performances were a bit too silly, but how can one be in a film like

Nicholas Cage does his “Easy Rider” impression for the girls.

this and take it seriously? Cageʼs portrayal of Johnny Blaze, especially during the initial transformation into the title antihero, was way over the top, which just adds to the filmʼs overall enjoyment. As for the story/plot, it is next to impossible not to give it a rating of “F.” But with its own bit of so-baditʼs-good quality it manages to reach beyond the depths of pure failure. One place it does fail is its attempt at real atmospherics and artistic quality. Based upon a comic book, most films from these type of origins are hard to transfer into films of great atmosphereic wonderment while trying to keep itself serious. Though this is the gist of the movie-world, the makers of this

movie didnʼt even really try, unlike Raimiʼs “Spiderman” films or even the lightness of the “Fantastic Four” flick from two years back. So if you want a quality film that will challenge the mind and the senses, this may not be the one for you, but if you are looking for a good time and donʼt mind loosing a point or two on your IQ, then give “Ghost Rider” a chance. A far cry better than director Mark Steven Johnsonʼs “Daredevil,” this film is sure to please, annoy and even cringe-out most any moviegoer who attempts to escape. Most will hopefully find that reality has nothing to do with a fiery skull upon a chopper from hell and that attempts to escape with a film like this is futile. Then again, it would be fun to try!

ʻMarieʼ sure to please anyone seeking a home movie RICHARD CARTER WICHITAN DANCE CRITIC

After Sofia Coppolaʼs darkly enchanting “Virgin Suicides” and brightly melancholic “Lost in Translation,” “Marie Antoinette” comes off as mildly disappointing. It seems that in tackling the doomed 18th century queen of France, Coppola might have bit off a little more than she could chew. As a result, the film is overly long and too episodic, and the various parts donʼt really come together at the end. This is not to say watching some of the more intoxicatingly atmospheric scenes on this newly released DVD are a waste of time. I enjoyed seeing Coppola effectively bring together music, actors, scenery and dialogue to create some pretty magical scenes. The film also inventively mashes up New Wave music (and its attitude) with the historical tale of Marie Antoinette. The movieʼs soundtrack, a combination of classical and new wave ʻ80s music, works surprisingly well

to transport viewers into the strangely ordered world of pomp and decadence of 18th century Versailles. Colorful costuming serves to effectively suggest the excesses of the past and present. The acting is also quite good, with Kirsten Dunst bringing the former Austrian princess to life as a force of nature caught up and mangled in a culture of excess pomp, gossip and suspicion of a foreigner. Historically speaking, Marie Antoinette has never been a particularly sympathetic figure, and yet the script and Dunstʼs portrayal of her makes the queen more understandable, human and likable. Coppola has an innate ability to write, direct and effectively convey the precarious problems that young women face. While the movie is about Marie Antoinette, it also suggests the plight of Princess Diana struggling to survive the English royals. Even the everyday gossip mills of todayʼs high school girls come to mind while watching 18th century aristocrats gossip back and forth, trying to win social favor. While Coppola captures the bad of pre-Modern French culture, she also revels in its fun, like in the stories of her first two films. For example, “Virgin Suicides”

Dunst enjoys a life of luxury and excess before being beheaded in “Marie Antoinette.”

had a fun high school dance, and “Lost in Translation” featured a great rave scene (and karaoke). In “Marie Antoinette,” the royals take a coach to Paris and hit a colorful, almost orgiastic masquerade ball featuring hundreds of gor-

geously dressed Romantics dancing to Siouxsie and the Bansheeʼs spiraling early New Wave song, “Hong Kong Garden.” The masquerade ball scene alone is almost worth the price of DVD rental and comes together as one of those magical film moments that Coppola is so adept at creating. Itʼs also a scene where the Baroque-like chaos of the film comes together succinctly. I enjoyed the sporadic overacting of Rip Torn as the randy Louis XV. His former prostitute mistress, Madame duBarry (Asia Argento), serves as an entertaining foil. Jason Schwartzman also does a nice and understated job playing the ineffectual and cuckolded Louis XVI. The film opens with the young Marie Antoinette leaving Austria to become the queen of France and ends with her being removed from Versailles by an angry mob. Coppola had a lot of material to work with, factoring in the princessʼs drab husband and the outra-

geous court intrigue. The problem is the director had almost too much good stuff. Instead of a great movie, Coppola translated her material into a film with some really great moments, cinematography, music, costumes and an intriguing character. But itʼs not really the movie that the people who adored her first two films were hoping for. Rather than cake, weʼre getting some damn tasty bread.

Like to drink? Why not tell us about it? Contact Kimbro at 397 4704 if interested in bar reviews!

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THE WICHITAN

Entertainment

THE WICHITAN Feb. 21, 2007

ʻRomeʼ makes history fun KONNIE SEWELL

COPY EDITOR History doesnʼt always have to be accurate in order to be loads of bloody fun. Thatʼs what HBO seems to think, anyway. “Rome,” HBOʼs epic swords and sandals series about the Eternal City, began its second season back in January. Though popular among viewers and critically acclaimed, the series will not be renewed for a third season due to budget concerns (it costs less to create an entire sci-fi galaxy than it does to hire horses, costumes and weapons for a historical drama). This current season ends in March, so be sure to catch it before itʼs gone. Welcome to 52 B.C. Every city has its secrets, and Romeʼs no different. The heart of the series is the relationship between two Roman soldiers, Lucius Vorenus (Kevin McKidd) and Titus Pullo (Ray Stevenson), who have been away from their homes for years fighting in Julius Caesarʼs army. Caesar (Ciaran Hinds) has been fighting wars in Gaul for eight years and the members of the Senate back home are disgruntled about it, to say the least. These wars have made Caesar hugely popular, however, and despite his aristocratic nature heʼs seen as a man of the people. Eventually we see how the temperamental and fiery Vorenus is a staunch supporter of Caesar and Mark Antony (James Purefoy), while the quiet, strapping Pullo is closer to Caesarʼs great-nephew and heir, Octavian, who will one day become Augustus, Romeʼs first emperor. The two men are best friends, brothers, but they must reconcile their beliefs and ways of life to one another. Thereʼs so much intrigue in “Rome” thatʼs not even political itʼs almost mind-boggling. Brutusʼ (Tobias Menzies) mother Servilia (Lindsay Duncan) once had an affair with Caesar. Now sheʼs hellbent on ruining his whole family, starting with planting the seeds of assassination in her sonʼs head, eventually dreaming of working her way to Octavianʼs mother, Atia (Polly Walker). Atia, in turn, is hell-bent on bringing ruin upon the scheming Cleopatra (Lyndsey Marshal), queen of Egypt and mother to Caesarʼs child. She firmly believes Cleopatra has her sights set on Antony and will claw any way she can to keep him with her. Even Vorenus, after years of life on the battlefield, must come home and somehow start anew with his wife, who had an affair (and a child from the liaison) while he was away. The acting in the series is superb. Many times in Hollywood itʼs hard to wear a toga and keep a straight face — for every good epic movie about antiquity (“Ben-Hur,” “Glad-

Top, Cicero’s schemes catch up with him. Above, Cassius and Brutus get ready for battle in HBO’s “Rome.”

iator”) thereʼs a dismally trite one (“Troy,” “Alexander”). But this series was made in collaboration with the BBC, so no worries. Walker has a devil of a time playing the jealous and vindictive villainess Atia. Purefoy is amazing to watch as Antony. His brilliant portrayal of Antony as a vulgar, selﬁsh and all-around lowlife is an electric must-see. Props also to Max Pirkis and Simon Woods, who play Octavian as a bright young man and a cool, calculated adult, respectively. The beautiful Kerry Condon plays Octavianʼs sister Octavia with just the right amount of pathos, and McKidd and Stevenson are a dynamic duo for the television ages. There are several supporting characters (my favorites being the town crier, played by Ian McNeice, and Marshalʼs wily Cleopatra) that add color to the story but never beg for attention. “Rome” is visually amazing. Itʼs a world where the rich are very rich and the poor are very poor. Itʼs a world of extremes and a world of ﬁlth and splendor. Blood, sex and obscenities are everywhere. The

battle scenes, too, are impressive. “Rome” is reasonably true to history, though the creators take many liberties. Some of these can be annoying (English accents? Modernday Italian being spoken alongside a little Latin?) but most are acceptable. And as for Brutus, his death isnʼt what weʼve all learned about in class, but itʼs just as poetic, ironic and tragic as anything Shakespeare could have created. Besides, anyone who insists on picking the inaccuracies apart is missing the point of the series entirely – half the fun of the show is seeing how rock-solid history will unfold under this smart and realistic interpretation. The only downside of the series is itʼs almost over and theyʼve merely hinted at Antony and Cleopatraʼs world-shattering affair. How are they going to cram so much plot into such a little stretch of time? Perhaps the writers have dug a huge hole for themselves as theyʼve got so many loose ends to tie up come March. Regardless, though, “Rome” is a show that will have you hooked until the ﬁnal drop of blood falls.

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THE WICHITAN Feb. 21, 2007

News

Rappinʼ It Up

HERSHEL SELF | THE WICHITAN

Platinum_____________continued from page 1

the music industry with major hip-hop recording artists such with Juelz Santana and D4L. However, because of their status as solo recording artists, Hawkins and Yarbrough have no ofﬁcial group name when performing. Instead, the two Dallas natives take the stage under their respective musical names of “Big Rood” and “JBro” while recording songs for their independent record label, Pavement 2 Platinum. Whether enticing radio listeners with their lyrical abilities on-air for Wichita Fallsʼ Holmes Motors dealership or performing at campus events such as Alpha Phi Alphaʼs Yard Show, Hawkins and Yarbrough have grown accustomed to the hectic schedules required of them while recording for their label. Hawkins said most of his ideas for songs come while working his shifts at Home Depot. “I go to school during the day and at night I work. At work is honestly where I make up most of my music,” Hawkins said. “I keep it all in my head when Iʼm at work. I donʼt have class on Friday and I donʼt work on weekends. In between Friday and Sunday Iʼm always in the studio.” Hawkins, a veteran of several mix-tape albums and one solo project, said inspiration to ﬂow through the microphone came from his interest in poetry. At age 13, he altered a poem into rap, catching the attention of his older brother Adrian “AD” Hawkins, who serves as CEO and president of Pavement 2 Platinum. “It started as poetry, then turned into rap,” Hawkins said.

“I was writing a poem about my feelings. I sped up the tempo a little bit and started rapping. Then my brother heard it and liked it.” Originally founded as Wired Up Entertainment under Hawkins and AD, Pavement 2 Platinum formed as a result of a title confusion with another cast of rappers from Dallas. “We already had the paperwork, but there was another record label going named Wired Up Entertainment. So when people were hearing about Wired Up Entertainment, some were hearing about us and some were hearing about them,” Hawkins explained. “First we were going to fight for the name since we had the paperwork, but the name doesnʼt make us. We hooked up with (DJ) Kidd from the radio station and he had a guy named Ray-K and they were a production team, so we ended up all coming together to form Pavement 2 Platinum.” The rest is history. Hawkins and Yarbrough are not alone when it comes to splitting time between the library and the recording booth. Street Game Entertainment is home to the City Boyz, a rap quartet featuring three Mustang football players. Spearheaded by Ola Muhammad, a recent criminal justice and sociology, Marcus “Prince Twin” Robinson, Darron “All-Biz” Harbert, and Herman “Young Pachino” Walker, the unit released a compilation album in mid-November featuring the hottest acts around the area. “We have some surprise feature guests,” Muhammad said. “We even have Rod (Hawkins) on a couple of the tracks. We have a treat for the world.” Harbert and Walker join Hawkins and Yarbrough as another pair of rapping cousins on campus. Harbert also shares a connection with Hawkins and Yarbrough as a former label mate with Wired Up Entertainment. Hawkins and Harbertʼs departure was due to his exhausting football schedule, but the two remain friends and still collaborate. Muhammad said football practice and meetings take up most of his, Harbertʼs and Walkerʼs time. Robinson, on the other hand, has more than just school to worry about. “I got a 36-hour schedule in a 24-hour day,” Robinson said. “Out of four of us, two of us got kids. I work 45 hours a week taking care of mine, plus I have school.” Robinson, who describes his rapping style as a “Southern substance flow,” works alongside group producer “A-Slab” to make 40 to 50 percent of the unitʼs original beats. “We got to give a shout out to A-Slab,” Muhammad said. “We call him the hit-maker. Heʼs the secret weapon of the clique. With those two we make history.” As far as collaborations with mainstream artists go, Muhammad said it would be nice to work with Atlanta rapper T.I., but would prefer his group members instead. He said great chemistry already exists between them and, most importantly, they compliment each other. “Itʼs four different people with four different rapping styles,” Muhammad said. “It would be a plus to have mainstream guys as a feature, but I think we can go with what we have.” Muhammad has one album to his credit with the release of “My Life on the Streets,” and released his follow-up “StreetGame Blues” in December. “Before we started the City Boyz compilation, I was already six to seven songs into ʻStreet Game Blues,ʼ” Muhammad said. Muhammad said they are their own promotion team. Students can find them distributing their music at social events or by word of mouth. Students can also listen to Big Rod and J-Bro along with the Pavement 2 Platinum clique on the Web by visiting www.myspace.com/pavement2platinum.

Speech_______________continued from page 1 For students needing help in speech therapy, this could include such problems as having difficulty in pronouncing certain sounds, such as “r” or “l.” Other problems may include stuttering or voice problems. “We consider this an occupational hazard for a teacher who spends all day talking,” she said. “If they donʼt know how to project their voice correctly, they will end up with laryngitis or something almost annually.” Accent modification usually targets foreign students. “If they are going to be teachers in the States, they have to be able to communicate so that students will know what theyʼre saying,” she said. According to Beeks, a lot of these students experience difficulty pronouncing the “r” sound. A simple word like “park” can be easily misunderstood is “pak,” after the student drops the “r” sound. “I donʼt ever expect them to sound the way we sound here,” she said, “but I do expect them to be able to say, ʻThis word is ʻpork.ʼ We say –or as an ʻoarʼ sound.ʼ” With grammar improvement, the problems are a little easier to fix. These deal with improving the studentsʼ ability to speak correctly. “When I hear, ʻMe and my roommate went to the mall last Saturday.ʼ I think, ʻThatʼs going to be something a teacher would say in a classroom?ʼ You canʼt speak that way in the classroom and expect the children to learn how to use their pronouns correctly, if the model is not speaking correctly,” she said. Other grammar issues include correct use of pronouns, subject-verb agreements and other grammar uses. Beeks received a masterʼs degree from the University of Arkansas Medical Sciences campus in Little Rock, Ark. However, Beeks saw such a program used while in her undergraduate program at Moorhead State College in Moorhead, Minn. “It was done differently because there was a speech therapy program on campus,” she said. “All the senior clinicians were involved in screening the education majors and people who had difficulty. They only worked with the speech therapy portion.” When she discovered a similar program didnʼt exist at MSU, she decided to mold one to fit this campus. Beeks said she believes this is the only campus in Texas that has a contracted speech-language pathologist through the Education Department. She said this makes her situation unique. “I think it speaks very highly of the Education Department,” she said. “They are so willing to want to help their students and want to better them.” Students working toward a teaching certification must go through the

course School and Society, where Beeks works to assess studentsʼ individual problems. Each student eventually meets with Beeks for a 3-minute screening to determine if they pass or fail. “I donʼt like to use those words, pass or fail,” she said with concern. “I just like to say, ʻI think Iʼm hearing a problemʼ or ʻThere werenʼt any problems that showed up during our screening.ʼ” If she believes the student is within functional limits, he or she will move on and never see her again. If a student does not meet her requirements, then an appointment is scheduled so she can conduct an evaluation on whatever area the student needs help. “If they donʼt meet that in the screening, then I do an assessment, and we build a therapy program around that,” she said. Out of the about 90 students she sees in a semester, about half will require additional assessments and of that, only 2 percent will pass the evaluation and not need more assistance. Others must set up a program and begin seeing her on a regular basis until the problem is resolved. Some students see her once or twice a week. It depends on the studentʼs class and work schedule because it is no longer part of their class criteria, but a personal issue they must deal with. The student will continue seeing Beeks throughout the semester, until they both feel the student has corrected the problem. Their sessions include exercises, drills and homework. “Itʼs just like a piano lesson,” she said with a laugh. “You donʼt go to a piano lesson never having opened any sheet music from the last lesson. You have to practice to be able to perform. Thatʼs kind of how I look at it here.” Students with grammar improvement must visit Beeks for three consecutive error-free sessions to pass. “If they can talk correctly for 30 minutes without making grammatical errors, they should be able to do that on a daily basis, all day long,” she said. Beeks has received numerous thank-you letters from former students for her help. Some of those letters hang on her office wall. “There isnʼt anything that could be more gratifying to me than to know I helped someone else,” she said with a smile. “It still makes me teary-eyed.” Along with all the ups and downs, Beeks knows this is the field she should be in. “I love it more today than when I first got into it,” she said with a twinkle in her eye. “God called me into the right field. Iʼve been very thankful.”

Library________________continued from page 1 the collection of ﬁnes. “We are not in the ﬁne collecting business for the library,” he said. Hagy said police would, however, investigate reported thefts from the library. Brezina said the biggest problem they have ever had was when a student stole a projector and got caught. One student stole an-

other studentʼs ID card, checked out a projector, and never brought it back. The student tried to list it on the auction Web site e-Bay, not knowing the school had all of the serial numbers of its projectors. The police tracked down the student and found the projector in his backpack. He was later prosecuted.

Phones___________________________________________continued from page 1 SGA______________________________________________continued from page 1 Vandehey said he has a similar In a rare case, he said he had a will only have to answer a phone or statement in his syllabi. “Vibrating phones donʼt bother me,” Vandehey said. “Phones that make sounds I answer. It punctuates that this is not okay, and it does make them the super focus of the class for a moment.”

four-minute conversation with a young ladyʼs persistent boyfriend. Vandehey said he answers the phone politely: “Dr. Vandeheyʼs class, weʼre in the middle of lecture; may I help you?” Generally, Sernoe and Vandehey

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two in a semester. They agree that if a student has a legitimate reason to expect a call that canʼt wait -- like a relative in the hospital -- by all means, let them know before class and take the call in the hall. Dr. James Owen, director of the bureau of business and government, has a big problem with cells in class. “There is enough competition with the learning that is supposed to be taking place that I just donʼt need the aggravation,” he said. Professors are paid to teach and students pay to learn. Neither wants to hear “Itʼs Goinʼ Down” blaring randomly in the middle of class.

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north and the south side according to the east and the west sun – which in building is what youʼd do, because the sun rises in the east and sets in the west,” Greenwood explained. “Therefore, youʼre not getting all that heat inside.” According to Greenwood, 70 pieces of equipment will be available for use inside. Televisions will adorn the walls. There is also a special room for ﬁtness classes such as pilates and yoga. Located outside will be some spaces for parking, a 4-feet deep swimming pool, hot tub, and track. “The track is a little oddly shaped,” Greenwood said, “but that serves a purpose. Running a circular track over and over gets old.” The swimming pool will not be a lap pool. Instead, it will be used for several different activities, including water volleyball, water basketball and aqua spinning. “Thereʼs a million different things you can do,” Greenwood said. “This is going to be an open recreation pool.” MSU hopes to emulate Texas A&M-Commerce with some of the poolʼs recreational activities. “Every Friday there they have

what they call their ʻDive-In Movie,ʼ” Greenwood explained. “They have a big screen up there, they have barbeque pits going. The first movie they showed the first time they had that was ʻJawsʼ and they had hundreds of students out there. Itʼs just a really neat thing we want to try and have.” Greenwood said the swimming pool is outdoor rather than indoor for one simple reason: Money. It would cost about three times as much to have an indoor pool. “We really researched that significantly,” he said. “We looked at making the pool half indoor, half outdoor with a wall to swim under, we looked at just having an indoor pool. But in order to have a pool at all, it would have to be outdoor. For the majority of the year youʼll be able to use it, but there will be times like this when it was 20 degrees last week and 70 degrees today. Welcome to Texas.” Greenwood explained how the cost of having the pool outside rather than inside wouldnʼt be more expensive to students. “If you guys have ever been in a facility that has an indoor pool, immediately the first thing you no-

tice is the chlorine smell,” he said. “Itʼs ridiculous because youʼve got to keep the water at a certain temperature. Youʼre maintaining the Sheetrock, youʼre maintaining the roofing. It will be somewhat expensive to run an outdoor pool, but it would be substantially more to run an indoor pool.” The Wellness Center will be open only to MSU students, faculty, staff, alumni and guests/friends who have made donations to the university. Alumni will have to purchase a membership equal to or perhaps more than what enrolled students will pay to use the facility. The sand volleyball court will be moved in order to accommodate the Wellness Center, but there will be two more in its place for basically no cost to students, Greenwood said. The practice soccer field will not be affected by construction. Greenwood said the swimming pool was specifically situated so students could catch some sun while swimming. He also said different ideas were being pitched about how to keep the ducks and swans at Sikes Lake out of the swimming pool.

Sports

Recreational Sports

JOSH MUJICA

2-12

The Lady Mustangs softball team dominated Northeastern State 9-0 to win its ﬁrst ever Mustang Invitational Saturday at the Wichita Falls Softball Complex. MSU improved to a 10-4 record after turning a close game into a blowout. The Lady Mustangs put the game away by scoring eight runs in the seventh inning off of three hits and three Lady Red errors. Ashley Kuchenski, who was named LSC North Pitcher of the Week, earned her fourth win of the year by tossing a six-hitter. The left-hander from Magnolia allowed only one unearned run in 13 innings, striking out 13 batters and giving up just two walks in two games. In the champioship game Kristen Stonecipherʼs RBI single in the fourth inning put MSU on the board ﬁrst.

KOBE DEF. KENEKI 42-20 CSO DEF. BLUE DEVILS 74-50 TEXAS TOP PROSPECTS DEF. DEM BOYS 49-48 THE FUTURE DEF. KINGS OF THE COURT 80-45

2-13

PHOTOS BY DEB DEF. FREE AGENTS 45-0 TEXAS TOP PROSPECTS DEF. BLUE DEVILS 76-52

SPORTS EDITOR

THE FUTURE DEF. KOBE 77-41

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THE HACKERS DEF. KANEKI 68-53

2/15

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SPORTS EDITOR

Indianapolis Colts running back and MSU alum Dominic Rhodes was arrested in Indianapolis Tuesday after state troppers pulled him over for drunk driving. According to reports, 28-year-old Rhodes was pulled over about 3 a.m. yesterday in a GMC truck going 81 mph in a 55 mph zone on Interstate 65.

Rhodes was held overnight and released. He is scheduled to appear in court today to face DUI charges. Rhodes holds the MSU all-time leading rushing record with 2,541 in the 1999 - 2000 seasons. He recently became a free agent after delivering an MVP-like perfomance in Super Bowl XLI. Rhodes rushed for 113 yards and a touchdown in the Coltʼs 29-17 victory over the Chicago Bears.

Rugby opponent determined FOR

THE

WICHITAN

The MSU rugby teamʼs opponent for the Texas Rugby Union Collegiate Division II Quarterﬁnal match was determined Monday. MSU will travel to Irving to play the University of Dallas Groundhogs on Feb. 24. Kickoff will be at 2 p.m. UD is coming in as the #2 seed

MSU held the lead against NCUʼs India Williamson but couldnʼt intimidate the Lady Reds pitcher early on. It looked as if that would be the only score of the game until the Lady Mustangs got hot against Williamson with the eight run explosion on offense. Lindsey Voigt led MSU by going 3-for-4 with two RBIs and Stonecipher had was 2-for-4 with two RBIs as well. The Lady Mustangs made it to the championship by beating St. Maryʼs 2-1 in an extra-inning match earlier in the day. MSU got on the board ﬁrst in the sixth inning but St. Maryʼs Ashley Flores tied the game with an inside-the-park homer with one out remaining to tie the game. In the eighth Kuchenski was placed as a pinch runner at second on the international tie breaker. She was bunted to third base and got to home plate on Voigtʼs RBI. Voigt knocked in the winning run

from the Eastern Conference, while MSU is the #3 seed out of the West. The last time the MSU rugby team was in the playoffs was in the 2003-2004 season when they were members of Collegiate Division III and made it to the championship game. If you are interested in traveling with the team to Irving on Saturday, please send an email to robert. sweeney.0807@students.mwsu.edu.

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on an error. MSU freshman Katie Peterson got the win after pitching all eight innings. Peterson walked only one against four hits and struck out nine batters. Cheyanne Paschal went 2-for-4 and Stonecipher was 2-for-3 for the Lady Mustangs. Voigt had the gameʼs only RBI. MSU also defeated West Texas A&M 9-1 and Sourthern Arkansas 5-3 in earlier rounds of the tournament on Friday. Joining Kuchenski as Players of the Week is Southeastern Oklahoma State outﬁelder Ashley Graham as the LSC North Hitter of the Week. The LSC South honorees are Angelo Stateʼs Macy Baker and Kari Galm as hitter and pitcher respectively. The Lady Mustangs will now compete in the Texas A&M-Kingsville Tournament in Kingsville Saturday and Sunday with their ﬁrst game scheduled for noon against St. Edwardʼs.

LAUREN MILLER | THE WICHITAN MSU’s Katie Peterson, 19, pitches to a batter this weekend in the Mustang Invitational. The Lady Mustangs won the championship game, 9-0.

MSU golf team improves, places 13th in Austin KONNIE SEWELL COPY EDITOR

The MSU golf team placed 13th at the St. Edwardʼs Invitational at the Circle C Golf Ranch in Austin Tuesday. The team did, however, improve their scores. This was the ﬁrst action for the team this spring. MSU posted a 322 for the halted second round. They then put up a 311 for the ﬁnal round, totaling 965 for the

round. This placed the Mustangs just behind East Centralʼs 954 and Incarnate Wordʼs 981 for 13th in the 15-team field. Gordon Quebodeaux led the Mustangs and completed his second round with a two-over 74, then shot 77 for the third round to finish at 234. Logan Scarlett posted a final round 78 for a 238, with Hunter Linscombe firing a three-over 75 to finish at 243. Andrew Ludlow, who was

disqualified during the first day, bounced back to post an 81 for the final round, while Brady Jones turned in a 93 for a 243 total. Host St. Edwardʼs won the tournament. Their three-round total was 897, three strokes better than Barry (Fla.) at 900 and 11 in front of Florida Tech at 908. Northeastern State was the top Lone Star Conference team at 911. The first round of the tourna-

ment was played Monday, where players battled high winds and bad bounces. Two holes were left in the second round when darkness forced the players to put up their clubs. MSUʼs total for the ﬁrst round was 332, which left the Mustangs in 13th place. MSUʼs next competition will be March 5 and 6 in the Pepsi Crawford/Wade Invitational, hosted by Texas A&M-Commerce at the Tanglewood Resort in Pottsboro.

MSU falls to TAMUK IGGY CRUZ

STAFF REPORTER

Rhodes arrested for DUI JOSH MUJICA

Feb. 21, 2007

Lady Mustangs stampede through own tournament

- Menʼs Basketball GRANDE PELOTAS DEF. THE HACKERS 55-49

THE WICHITAN

Texas A&M-Kingsville buried 14 three-pointers Saturday night, seven of which came from the sharp-shooting stroke of Reggie Love, ruining senior night 82-79 for the Mustangs in front of 3,907 fans. MSU (18-6, 7-3) dropped to a second-place tie with Tarleton State, moving West Texas A&M to the top of the Lone Star Conference South standings while TAMUK (17-8, 4-6) kept its post-season hopes alive. Drew Coffman led the Mustangs with 21 points, including 5-of-8 from beyond the arc and a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Eric Dawson continued his dominant season with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and three blocks while Chad Rickett added 17 points and 6 assists. Love ﬁnished the night with 21 points followed by 18 points, ﬁve rebounds and four steals from Bobby Pandy. Rickey Huckaby and Remi Yusuf rounded out the double-digit scoring with 16 and 13 points respectively. The Mustangs shot 52 percent for the game compared to the Javs 43 percent, but the deciding factor was the three-point shot. With a strong inside presence of Dawson and Christopher Reay, TAMUK banked on their chances from the outside. It was a good one. Besides Loveʼs seven threepointers, TAMUK had four other players connect on their attempts from beyond the arc, going 14-of-29 (48.3 percent) from downtown.

The Mustangs had a 10-point advantage with 5:25 to go in the first half before Love buried three consecutive three-pointers to take a 30-29 lead at intermission off a 132 run. TAMUK kept the momentum going into the second half by extending the lead to a game-high 14 points before Coffman caught fire from the three-point line for MSU. With 8:34 remaining, Coffman sank three straight three-pointers and two free-throws to pull the Mustangs within three points at 7269. After a TAMUK field-goal, Coffman knocked down another try to bring the team within two points of a tie. The Javs managed to pull away by six with 2:57 left before freethrows from Rickett and a basket from Dawson slashed the lead to 81-79 with a minute remaining. The Mustangs immediately fouled Huckaby on the next play in an attempt to get off another shot before time expired. Huckaby missed both of his freethrows and the Mustangs pushed the ball for the tie or win, but the TAMUK defense altered the shot with 12 seconds remaining. The Javsʼ Ralph Davis pulled the rebound down before being fouled. At the line, Davis could only make one of his two attempts, giving MSU one more chance. Coffman got an opportunity from the right wing for a three-pointer to send the game into overtime, but bobbled the ball before barely getting the shot off. The Mustangs will travel to Eastern New Mexico Thursday. Tip-off is set for 8:30 p.m.

LAUREN MILLER| THE WICHITAN MSU’s Eric Dawson, 1, puts up a shot against Texas A&MKingsville Saturday night in D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Mustangs lost, 82-79.

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THE WICHITAN Feb. 21, 2007

Ultimate Frisbee glides to MSU CARLY BURRES STAFF REPORTER

Every Thursday at 4 p.m. a small group of students gather on the MSU quad to indulge in a game of Frisbee. But itʼs not just any Frisbee game that is being played. Itʼs Ultimate Frisbee. One day while taking a study break, junior Daniel Harris and a couple of friends decided to go to the gym and play some basketball. However, when they arrived the gym was occupied. Still needing some physical activity to help relieve the everyday pressures of a college student, Harris suggested a game of Frisbee. “We had all been studying and needed an outlet to release some of that negative energy. “I had this Frisbee and it was something different to do,” Harris said. Throughout the game a couple of more students joined the boys and the simple Frisbee game turned into a crazy and competitive game of Ultimate Frisbee. The group decided to meet the following week at the same time and place. Through word of mouth, more people heard about the game and were interested in playing. While most of the games have about 10 people in attendance, one game had up to 20. Ultimate Frisbee is something the MSU campus has not seen before, but the game itself is not new. The Frisbee was invented in the late 1800s by a group of students

who liked pies. A pie company used metal trays to hold the pies and then they would sell the pies for a low price to college students. Much like Harris and his friends, these students were sitting around after studying, looking for something to do. They quickly discovered that the tins could be used as ﬂying discs. Little did they know that this discovery would eventually provide people everywhere with hours of entertainment. In 1948, a couple of Los Angeles police inspectors became the “true inventors” when they created a Frisbee out of plastic. This Frisbee was better because it ﬂew with more accuracy and higher and faster than a tin pie plate. A high school boy who wanted to add a spin on the game of Frisbee came up with Ultimate Frisbee in 1968. But what exactly is Ultimate Frisbee and how do Harris and his friends play the game? Some people compare the traits of Ultimate Frisbee to the traits of other common sports. “Itʼs like football because of the way they score and basketball because they can only take a certain number of steps while holding the Frisbee,” senior Bethany Berry said. The object and rules of the game are fairly simple. “There are two teams, two goals. The point is to get the Frisbee from one side to the other,”

Sports

Junior Daniel Harris tosses a Frisbee in front of the Dillard Building Tuesday afternoon.

junior Allison Furini said. Each team works the Frisbee down the ﬁeld by tossing it from player to player and then throwing the disc into a designated goal area. Typically, the players will designate trees on each side of the ﬁeld to act as goalposts. The player who has custody of the Frisbee can only take three steps before they must throw the

disc to a teammate. If the Frisbee is dropped then the opposing team automatically gains custody of the object. The group usually plays until a team reaches a score of 15. Each goal is worth one point. “Itʼs a dangerous, dangerous game. Only the few, the proud, the in shape do it,” junior Michael McGee said. While the game is not as dan-

gerous as football, soccer or rugby, the players have seen their fair share of minor injuries. The worst injury was when one player sprained his wrist while diving across the ﬁeld in order to make a catch. Injuries such as grass burns, bruises and scrapes are not uncommon either. When Harris was running after the Frisbee, he jumped onto

ADRIAN MCCANDLESS | THE WICHITAN

a bench and grabbed onto a tree branch. About two seconds after he grabbed the branch, it snapped and the branch came crashing down on top of him. While the fall may have stung slightly, it did not keep Harris from conquering the ﬁeld and winning the game. “The few, the proud, we just shake it off,” Harris said.

Womenʼs soccer signs four players for 2007 KONNIE SEWELL STAFF REPORTER

The MSU womenʼs soccer team has signed four players to National Letters of Intent for the upcoming fall 2007 season. Two of the players are from Odessa Permian: Kendra Clemons (midfielder) and Brittany Subia (outside midfielder). Lauren Smith (forward) is from Tyler Lee and Brandi OʼNeal (outside midfielder) is from Rockwall.

LAUREN MILLER | THE WICHITAN MSU’s Kaylon Hodge, 23, goes for a rebound against Texas A&M-Kingsville Saturday night in D.L. Ligon Coliseum. The Lady Mustangs beat TAMUK, 58-44.

Lady Mustangs stomp Javelinas IGGY CRUZ

STAFF REPORTER The Lady Mustangs dropped 41 second-half points Saturday night after only managing 17 in the first, edging out Texas A&M-Kingsville 58-44 in D.L. Ligon Coliseum on senior night. MSU (12-12, 5-7 LSC South) moved back to .500 on the season while the Javs fell to 8-17 overall and 3-9 in division play. Senior Sonya Calhoun-Courtney led the way in her final game on Gerald Stockton Court with 14 points and five rebounds.

Fellow senior Brandi Bush added 10 points and two blocks, while Kaylon Hodge and Brittni Burks chipped in 12 and 11 points respectively. The Lady Mustangs forced a season-high 21 turnovers, but could only manage 17 points in the first half on 30 percent shooting and 0-for-7 from beyond the arc. Both teams combined for a total of 32 turnovers at the half. MSU came out firing on all cylinders in the second, scoring 18 points off turnovers and shooting 48 percent from the floor. The Lady Mustangs also connected on five attempts from three-

point land, including one from Andrea Buben to swing momentum back to MSU. Trailing by seven points, Buben nailed a three-pointer, followed by three consecutive jumpers from Hodge to knot the game up at 36 with 10:07 remaining. Hodge scored all 12 of her points in the second half. A Bush free-throw gave the Lady Mustangs the lead before the team rattled off a 19-8 run to edge out the Javs. Dyana Bullinger paced TAMUK with nine points and 11 boards, while Angela Trotter added another nine points and nine rebounds.

Clemonsʼ accolades include: Regional Olympic Development Team 2006, State Olympic Development Team 2001-2006, First Team District 3-5A as a Freshman 2004, Second Team District 3-5A 2005, First Team District 3-5A 2006 as team captain and four-year letterman. Smithʼs accolades include: Regional Olympic Development Pool 2005-2006, North Texas ODP State Team 2004-2006, 2004-2006 Member First Team All-District, 20052006 Member All-Region II Team

and 2005-2006 Member All State Team. Subiaʼs accolades include: Two All-Time District Player and Fouryear varsity letterman. OʼNealʼs accolades include: Four-year varsity letterman and AllDistrict Player. Coach Jeff Trimble is proud of this yearʼs recruiting class. “All four of these girls are very good soccer players that will provide us with speed and ability,” he said.