Second Term
Champs Again
pg. 1a-4a
pg. 7
Lone Star Conference championship in the record books for the Mustangs.
President Obama wins the 2012 presidential election against the Romney/Ryan ticket.
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McCoy engineering hall gets $1.6 million upgrade Skye Hera Staff Writer
The McCoy engineering hall, which was remodeled four years ago, is receiving $1.6 million in donations for another project. An expansion will be finished by the spring of next year by Harper Perkins Architects Inc. The addition to the building is designed to improve classroom conditions and lab equipment for the rapid growth of engineering student enrollment which will in turn, help benefit the university in its financial growth.
Sheldon Wang, professor and chair of the McCoy School of Engineering had words to back up the project. “Enrollment this year is up 218 students and last year about 20 students made up the senior class and approximately 30 will graduate this year,” Wang said. He said it will help the engineering department to continue to grow and stabilize. This is one of the main reasons why Wang is for the expansion of the building. “This department desperately
needs larger classrooms for the study of circuits, electronics, measurements and instrumentation,” Wang said. The computer lab used to be in a classroom that had 20 computers, but now because of larger student enrollment in the department, the number of computers has more than doubled to 50 causing them to move to a larger classroom that was not intended for computers. The study of instrumentation regularly attracts 30 to 40 students. The expansion will
include the addition of two engineering labs, as well as two new faculty offices and a 170-seat auditorium for lecture. “The new electronics lab will help to alleviate lab space shortage,” Wang said. The finalizing of the architectural design plans are subject to change and the construction may start in February or March. The project will be complete by the end of summer.
MCCOY pg. 3
McCoy engineering hall. Photo by NICOLE BARRON
Students care about marijuana legalization Cody Parish Staff Writer
Recently students have been surprised by the color flyers in Clark Student Center brandishing marijuana leaves and sheriff badges by dorm bulletin boards featuring giant green construction paper marijuana leaves advertising the Heads vs. Feds debate. Obviously, this isn’t a push from MSU for students to smoke marijuana; rather, it’s a push for students to attend a comprehensive debate on legalizing marijuana. On Nov. 7, 7-8:30 P.M. in Akin Auditorium, the Student Success Series will host the Heads vs. Feds debate over the heated political issue of legalizing marijuana. The debate will see High Times Magazine editor, Steve Hager, pitted against DEA veteran Robert Stutman and it seems to have drawn the interest of many students on campus. A number of students, including freshman psychology major Scout Wonsang, plan on attending the debate. “I am so excited for it,” exclaimed Wonsang. “I’m going because I think it’s a gold mine to just watch people’s reactions. You get to see who’s truly in it and who’s truly out of it.” Why is this event attracting the attention of so many more students than previous Student Success Series events? It is because students, like freshman political science and history double major Emily Baudot, feel that the legalization of marijuana is “a very pertinent topic” for their demographic, as well as for all age groups. Wonsang agreed with Baudot, saying that the legalization of
marijuana “is a big issue. It hits everyone’s age range; it affects everyone.” On the July 11, 2008 Sarah N. Lynch reported in the Time Magazine article, “An American Pastime: Smoking Pot,” that 54 percent of the U.S. population have tried smoking marijuana by the age of 21. MSU students expressed similar ideas on the number of people that smoke marijuana, confirming that the number has to be large. “You would be surprised just how many people smoke weed,” Wonsang said. With the statistical likelihood that at least half of students have tried the drug, it’s logical that legalizing marijuana would be a relevant issue on campus. According to the February 6, 2012, Times Magazine article, “Legal Recreational Marijuana: Not So Far Out,” by Adam Cohen, 50 percent of Americans today believe that marijuana should be legalized. The highest advocators are in the 18-29 age range, with 62 percent of this group advocating legalization of the drug. A current poll of 45 Midwestern students between the ages of 18-29 revealed that 56 percent are in favor of legalizing marijuana, which comes close to mirroring the national poll statistics. Baudot favors legalizing marijuana, citing its use as a right of every citizen. “I suppose ultimately it should be legalized,” Baudot said, “because constitutionally, Americans have a right to do whatever they
WEED pg. 3
The issue if marijuana should be legalized is discussed among students. File photo by CHRIS COLLINS
Tattoo artist Rusty Biscamp seen with Breanne Sill on Oct. 31. Photo by RUTH FITZGERALD-BLACK
Getting inked
Ruth Fitzgerald-Black Staff writer
Students and faculty with tattoos are no longer labeled as outlaws, bikers or delinquents. In fact, in the last decade, the taboo of tattoos has decreased almost into oblivion. Some faculty have also admittedly changed their opinions about body art over the past 10 years, mostly because of the mainstream acceptance by society. According to Dr. Peter Fields, associate professor of English, as recently as five years ago, administrators in the education field actually urged him to discourage his advisees from branding themselves, as this would cause an obstacle in their ability to obtain jobs, or in some cases, even be considered for a job within the educational field. “Fifteen years ago, the message was even more pronounced,” he said. “The faculty in the education field didn’t point to any specific policy on part of the college or school district—it was sim-
ply common knowledge.” In the past five years, Fields said that he no longer hears those heeds of warning concerning his English Department teaching certification students and hasn’t heard of any school system discriminating against any of his former students after learning that they had body art, whether visible or not. “I am astounded by the popularity of tattoos,” he continued. “Now it’s rare to find someone under 30 who does not have one. Just when I think someone doesn’t have a tattoo, they say, ‘hey, look at this!’” Fields also said that he does not see students or faculty with tattoos as a distraction. In fact, one of his students recently showed him an Edgar Allan Poe tattoo that he had received. “I have to admit, it made me take the student more seriously,” he said. “His commitment to literature was permanently enshrined on his shoulder. It communicated to me a certain seriousness and commitment to the subject
matter.” According to Fields, there is no set policy concerning faculty with tattoos. As recently as four to five years ago, TA’s and GA’s have displayed extremely elaborate artwork on their bodies. Some of those tattoos are visible as well. “If a TA or GA is wearing a backless shirt and a tattoo is visible, the problem isn’t with the tattoo at all,” he said. “The problem is in their choice of attire.” In this respect, Fields said, most of them would never dream of teaching in a backless shirt anyway. Casual wear such as backless garments that show tattoos are perfectly acceptable at recreational events, just not in the classroom. Simple prudence in regards to teaching is usually sufficient, he said. Fields also explained, while seeking teaching jobs, some students have opted to go through the painful, scarring process of tattoo removal.
INK pg. 3
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Upgrades bring added value to this university our View McCoy Engineering Hall recently received additional funds to better serve students. The goal is to build a solid base for the Engineering department to grow and be successful. The university has struggled to bring students in recently and this strategy is one way the university is hoping to boost enrollment. Sheldon Wang, professor and chair of the McCoy Engineering Department, believes it is important to build strong roots for the department to be successful. More people will be interested in joining the major and this university if the buildings and equipment are functional. MSU saw similar results after Dillard College of Business and Administration opened in August 2006. The college received a large donation and as a result, has been a big money maker for the university. The idea is that business and engineering students are in
higher demand so more money should be poured in to insure they are successful is unfair to less glamorous departments on campus. The Wichitan thinks this same motivation should be shown to all colleges and departments on campus. The university is giving McCoy upgrades in order to bring in more students, even though they just had major renovations four years ago. By putting so much emphasis in one college over another sends a bad message to students in other fields across campus. The university is saying not all departments are created equal and how money is spent says just that. One can see the importance in planning for growth. A town often builds roads to accommodate people far too late, causing people to be deterred from all the great things it has to offer. MSU is trying to avoid people looking over this university because the programs are not up to par.
Administration needs to understand the efforts they have put into making McCoy Engineering and Dillard College of Business Administration successful has been a good investment for this university but rather than continuing to pour money into colleges who are far superior than their competitors on campus, money should be used to upgrade departments struggling to engage students. How can other departments thrive if their equipment is outdated and irrelevant to the industry? It is no secret donors are less likely to support a department or college making little impact in the world. It is up to the university to make the first step and make sure all the colleges have the upgrades they need in order to be successful. If all the colleges are being sought after, not just a few, more students are going to choose MSU. If the university would make less than appealing departments
more approachable it would draw in more students and ultimately help the enrollment issue weighing so heavily on administration. McCoy is already one of the nicest building on campus, arguably the best, if you account for the copper wall, so why are their needs more important than other colleges? Lamar D. Fain and ProthroYeager both have outgrown their buildings and often resort to holding classes in Dillard or McCoy because they cannot accommodate their student body. Both McCoy and Dillard have received large donations for the upgrades they received during renovation, but the renovation is over and now the university has determined they are still in need of larger rooms and new equipment. If the university is truly concerned with the enrollment issue at MSU, this really needs to be a primary focus. All students should be given an opportunity to be successful while at MSU.
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editorial board EditorS-in-Chief: Brittney Cottingham, Hannah Hofmann Op-Ed Editor: Sarah Long A&E Editor: Orlando Flores Jr. Sports Editor: Damian Atamenwan Photo Editor: Meghan Myracle PRINT Advertising manager: Rachel Bingham ONLINE ADVERTISING MANAGER: Brandi Stroud COPY EDITORS: Kelly Calame, Kristina Davidson, Mallory Gruszynski, Icis Morton contributors: Tolu Agunbiade, Nicole Barron, Ruth Fitzgerald-Black, Johnny Blevins, Kirsten Caskey, Kerri Carter, Ashley Darby, Shelby Davis, Shanice Glover, Makayla Kinney, Hanwool Lee, Icis Morton, Cody Parish, Madison Stanfill, Bekah Timm, Novelle Williams, Akeem Wilson, Erin Wrinkle DELIVERY: Stefan Atanassov adviser: Bradley Wilson Copyright © 2012. 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. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief (350 words or less) and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address. The editor retains the right to edit letters.
Confessions from an American seeking actual change In the past two weeks, this country has been turned upside down. We have finally named our next president of the United States and depending on how people voted on an individual basis, people are either really happy right now or really pissed. Politics will continue to dominate news feeds on Facebook and Twitter, just as much during the count down to the election. This time even more heated. So if you don’t like hearing things you disagree with, my advice is delete all opposing friends. I’m kidding. We have been so consumed by this race. Both extremes saying whatever it will take to win the most number of votes. Congratulations, President Obama. You were just believable enough to win this election. As Americans, we have four
more years of this and how does it make you feel? My plea is that people will take this opportunity SARAH LONG to realize OP-ED EDITOR how much of a joke this election season was. Please open your eyes and see politicians are trained and groomed to say whatever their party or platform believes to convince Americans they have their best interest. The reality both candidates were millionaires and wanted to sit there and tell voters they see their struggle. No thanks. The President, the governor, any of congress. Interesting fact, everyone i just listed are exempt from Obamac-
are, yet they sit around, voting on bills that none of them will ever personally use themselves. All while making hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to decide how I am supposed to survive? Again, no thanks. The damage is done. This election was never about what is best for the American people, lets get real. This system is joke. This election has been a pissing contest from the beginning. And don’t think because your candidate won that anything will actually get done the way you expect. The House of Representatives and Senate will stop any progression the president makes, much like they have been doing this past term. I personally think both President Obama and Mitt Romney had some good ideas. That’s right ideas, but in actuality they just words.
People have been so blinded by their own ignorance this election. I have never seen this country so divided in my lifetime. I have never seen nor heard of anything with so much division since the country was split up according to ethnicity and race. Hating someone because they have a different idea or belief than someone else. You are either a Republican or a Democrat, when did we stop being Americans first? And what is sad about this lumped party system is most people don’t even believe wholeheartedly in one party or the other, they vote for the lesser of two evils. No one takes independant candidates seriously, which continues the on-going cycle of Democrat or Repubilcan. I am so grateful this rat race is over but I know this is just begin-
ning. I can hear it now, “I’m moving to Canada,” blah blah blah we get it, you are displeased with the results. They keep preaching democracy but are we really a democracy at all? The election was so close this year, and if you remember back to the 2000 election, Bush verse Gore the same thrill, fear, anger and excitement are all emotions Americans are feeling right now. And the continuous battle of votes, popular verse Electoral College. The same words are being argued today. I am over how democracy is measured and I am done with how we pick our presidents. I’d prefer my vote count without, instead of hoping the electoral college representative thinks i should vote. And please lets not forget about Hurricane Sandy and all those
who were affected and displaced as a result of the terrible storm. Our campus floods from the smallest storm, can you imagine if anything like that ripped through our town today? The Eastern Seaboard was torn to pieces. I have a point. Yes, candidates took a moment to recognize it, but it sure didn’t keep them from making sure their swing voting states were still priority one. Neither candidate did. I have come to expect nothing less from our political leaders. Even though this election is over and we have re-elected Obama as our president, your voices as Americans are still important. Four years isn’t much in the scheme of a lifetime so next election season we shouldn’t ask who is going to screw things up less or who do I hate less but who can really do a great job for this country and the people in it.
This week in pop culture & news
COMIC BY JOHNNY BLEVINS
HAVE YOU LOST YOUR ENGAGMENT RING? A ring was found on October 18 in an MSU parking lot Please contact: Nelda_s@hotmail.com Must show proof of ownership.
Across
Down
1. Classic 90’s show in talk of a spin-off 4. Pop star dad came out of the closet 7. Hosted a salsa contest on campus 8. Carrie Underwood and Brad Paisley 12. Bond, James Bond 14. Spring forward. Fall Back. 15. Yesterday was....
1.Final installment of vampire film 2. Hurricane 3.Winner of the 2012 Presidential Election 5.Popular autumn dessert 6. One state damaged by this storm 9. Lone Star Conference Champion 10.Top earning film this past weekend 11.November 22nd 13.Purchased the Star Wars franchise
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INK from pg. 1 This is never a recommended option, according to Fields. “Removal results in scars and other problems,” he said. Seth Donley, freshman premed major and sales representative at Ear Level Communications, doesn’t have any tattoos, but it isn’t because he is necessarily against the idea, it’s just how things turned out. Donley said he has considered getting inked, but couldn’t make up his mind on what he wanted. Because of his profession, Donley spends much of his time at work assisting elderly clients who may not share the same opinions about tattoos as the younger generations. “I think it would change some of my clients’ opinions of me,” he said, “but not to the point of severing ties with me. They would probably comment on it, or criticize my decision to get it, but again, I don’t think it would severely affect their opinions of me, personally.” As a student, Donley also does not think that MSU faculty and other students with tattoos are a distraction to him in the classroom. In fact, he would see it as a sign that a professor might not be inherently uptight. “I can’t say that I’ve noticed any [instructors] with tattoos,” he said, “but it would probably have a positive effect on my opinion of them before negative—as long as it’s not something like a multicolored unicorn stabbing a person through the chest with its horn.” Breanne Sill, 21, took a leap on Halloween and hopped in the tattoo chair for the first time at Altered Images Tattoo Studio. Tattoo artist, Rusty Biscamp, dec-
orated Sill’s foot with a beautiful design that represented the beliefs she holds dear to her heart. “I wanted a tattoo that reflected my Celtic Pagan beliefs,” she said. “I had decided on the design about a month ago when I saw the basic design in a Celtic calendar.” After discovering the design she wanted, Sill expanded upon the image to make it reflect her more personally, and Biscamp added the final artistic touches. “My Zodiac is an earth element, so the design is an abstract leaf with vines,” she said. “It was important that the full design be in earth tones. The Celtic trinity knot represents the three aspects of the goddess: maiden, mother, and crone.” The trinity was adapted by the Catholics, she said, to stand for God, Son and Holy Spirit. “For me, the knot represents the faith that I was brought up in, Christianity, and the faith I chose, Celtic Paganism,” Sill said. “The principles of both religions define me and my spiritual foundation, thus, the knot was placed on the main leaf.” The smaller Celtic design that comes off one of the vines of the tattoo is called the Triskle, she said. The Triskle stands for the journey of the soul: life, after death, and before life. According to Sill, these are three different experiences which explain the three spirals that are also connected. “It also means that everyone is connected as we all share parts of old souls,” she said. Sill put a great deal of thought and intricate detail into the way she wanted her tattoo to be inter-
preted. In addition, the day was made even more special by marking her and her boyfriend’s third anniversary. Sill’s boyfriend is currently studying abroad, so her ability to mark this sacred milestone made the occasion that much more endearing. “Will I get another? I’m certainly open to the idea,” she said. “I want my next tattoo to be just as meaningful as my first. I don’t think tattoos should be cliché or lack any meaning to the person.” No one should get a tattoo because it is “cool,” she said. Plus, artists tend to recognize when a person has put a lot of thought into a tattoo. They appreciate the effort and do a better job on it. “Tattoos are, after all, artwork. They should be treated as such,” she explained. The shift from “taboo” to “acceptable” is a growing trend amongst the old and young these days, and those who once saw tattoos as an obstacle in the professional world are now leaning to an opinion of more approval and appreciation. “I can trace a change in my own thinking about tattoos,” Dr. Fields continued. “Tattoos no longer set people apart,” he said. “It’s a part of how they express themselves. They don’t have a social disease.”
Rusty Biscamp working on a tattoo Oct. 31. Photo by RUTH FITZGERALD-BLACK
WEED from pg. 1 have a right to do whatever they want with their bodies, so long as it does not hurt other people.” She went on to explain her belief that smoking pot doesn’t necessarily hurt other people, though there are exceptions to her statement. She clarified that even if marijuana were legal she
would not smoke it. Other students who favored the legalization of marijuana cited reasons like taxing the drug to generate revenue for the struggling economy, using it strictly for medicinal purposes, legalizing pot as a method to exert more control over its distribution and
use through regulation, and that its legalization would cause fewer problems for U.S. law enforcement. Although a majority of students polled favor the legalization of marijuana, 27 percent are against legalizing pot, including freshman English major Kather-
ine Palmer. “I don’t really think it should be legalized because it has a lot of negative effects on people,” stated Palmer. She said that legalizing marijuana would lead to an increase in its consumption because it would be easier to locate and purchase. Additionally, risks of psychological and physiological impairment were cited as major reasons to maintain the drug’s illegal status. Additionally, Palmer and other students against its legalization said that course lectures would likely suffer due to students getting high before class. “People who do smoke weed will be coming to class high,” Palmer hypothesized. “And the people who don’t smoke it will have to smell it, which is really distracting.” Thirteen percent of MSU students polled didn’t care either way if marijuana is legally permitted in the United States. Four percent preferred that marijuana be decriminalized instead of legalized. Wonsang was one of the students polled who proposed decriminalizing marijuana instead of making it completely legal. She explained that decriminalizing weed would mean that the penalty for possession of marijuana would be reduced from being
a misdemeanor with $1,000 fine and up to a year of incarceration to a fine similar in amount and punishment to a speeding ticket. Despite Wonsang calling for a more accepting view regarding marijuana possession, she does not agree with its legalization because she believes that weed can harm people mentally. “Although marijuana is not bad for you physically, people do get that mental addiction to it,” Wonsang said. “It really does consume their lives, and it’s hard for them to quit.” In her opinion, the drug is too mentally dangerous to allow people to obtain it legally, but arresting every drug dealer is a pipe-dream; she feels that the only way to find a middle ground is to tolerate marijuana. “Dealers won’t stop dealing, and smokers won’t stop smoking,” Wonsang said. “At this point we should just tolerate it as we do alcohol, and reduce the fine.” In spite of the various arguments surrounding legalization of marijuana,16 states have already legalized weed for medicinal use, including California. In 2012, 15 additional states tried to legalize the medicinal use of marijuana, although only Connecticut succeeded. Six more states will attempt to pass bills legalizing the substance for medi-
cal use on Election Day 2012. Despite the buzz in these states surrounding legalizing medical marijuana, the national spotlight is transfixed on the three states that are voting on legalizing the recreational use of pot. Citizens in Colorado, Washington, and Oregon are voting on whether or not to permit adults over the age of 21 to possess, distribute, and use small amounts of marijuana legally. In Colorado, the stipulation is that any revenue made from the distribution and selling of marijuana would be used for the construction of schools. If the proposed laws pass, these states will become the first to allow recreational marijuana use in the country. Students could then reasonably expect to see ads appear in Wichita Falls, and possibly on campus, pushing for Texas to adopt similar legislation in the future. The state of Texas has yet to vote on a bill that would legalize the use of marijuana medicinally or recreationally. Until then, college campuses like Midwestern are utilizing programs like the Heads vs. Feds debate to keep students informed on the controversial issues involved in the legalization of marijuana.
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MCCOY from pg. 1 This is a large difference of time and money spent on the first project of 2008, when they gutted the building and left a shell of it, which took about 15 months to remodel and cost $7.7 million in donations. He is also responsible for letting Rich Frank, the assistant director of Facilities Services and overseer of this project, and director of facilities services Kyle Owen, know the needs of this expansion. Primarily Owen oversaw the construction of the first remodel in 2008. However, Frank helped with the design of the new facilities for functionalities based from users perspectives and is overseeing this project. Because it has been four years since this expansion started, Frank said he anticipates the department will grow in another four years. “They might want to put a more advanced wind tunnel system in a different lab due to the possibility of consistent increasing student growth,” Frank said. The engineering department also has support from their donors, Wang said. “Our faculty members are very dedicated and enthusiastic when it comes to the continuing growth of education and knowledge of our students, and the students can see that support,” Wang said. “We also have support from the engineering community. If the department has community support, plus internship opportunities for students before they leave school and job opportunities after they graduate, I think the degree program will continue to grow,” Wang said. He believes the key for the department is the continuous effort of staying involved in the engineering community around the town. For instance, students in the department are interns at engineering plants like: Magic Aire, Rhodia, Cameron in Electra, Brunel Corp. and Wichita Clutch. “I am very excited. Not only are we expanding physically, but also the job prospects for the students are very good. Formal engineering job offers have starting salaries of $55,000 to $70,000 from local jobs,” Wang said. “The job opportunities and money involved from the donors help support a vibrant, successful program.” In describing his department, Wang said he had many analogies of what makes it thrive. “This department is like a tree and the students are the fruit,” he said. “Supports from the surrounding community are the roots that help it grow. The branches are the community connections, which involve different companies from the state level to national level including gradschools in the state and throughout the nation. The roots are getting deeper and the branches are getting more full growing from statewide to nationwide. So, the tree is getting healthier. Thus, the degree program is like a tree. You have to constantly nurture
it because it will have continued success if it continues to grow healthily,” Wang said. This is the reason why donors continue to give to a successful department, he said. “Continued success is a dynamic process and you can never be complacent,” Wang said. According to Wang, donors will hesitate in supporting a program with few graduates and less positive feedback based on success. “If the department is successful, it will attract more money,” Wang said. “We want people to continue to support engineering and encourage students to be well rounded. I have an analogy that I tell my students for them to know what is required of a good engineer. One leg is the fundamentals of engineering and science and the other leg is soft skills including communication and writing, being able to function in other environments and life-long learning,” Wang said. Rip Martin, senior in mechanical engineering, said the expansion of the McCoy building is beneficial for the success of students. “As long as Dr. Wang keeps the classes personal like he has, the new facilities will help the department grow. It’s the interaction between the students and professors that set us apart from other departments,” Martin said. For instance, Martin has had the opportunity of visiting the other engineering departments like the ones at University of Texas and Texas Tech., which have much larger engineering facilities than MSU. “You’ll have a professor one semester and never see him again. Those universities are less personable and more about research than students and it is easy to blend in with the crowd there and we barely have a crowd here,” Martin said. According to Wang, the engineering hall is a small amount of where the donor money goes. A lot of funding goes to the machines required for learning. Building costs are only 20 percent of the costs. However machines are about $300 to $400 in donation costs. For example, oscilloscope machines cost $5,000 a piece and that is only a small portion of the machines used. “The engineering department has higher running costs than most departments because it is such a money intensive field,” Martin said. For instance, the students work on steel, composites, alloys and study kinematics, which is the study of motion. “You can do the theoretical math for all of those things, but you need to actually test out the equipment once it’s made in order to make sure it works. Thus, it is very cost intensive for those materials,” Martin said. Martin is now working on his senior project, which is a mechanical solar panel, an alternative to a regular solar panel used for thermodynamics. This is just
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one of the things future students could use to help them learn. The benefit of using what the students build and produce as resources throughout the years of the engineering hall’s existence and future is why Martin refers to the department as one that has built itself. “Compared to other larger universities’ engineering departments, we are still lacking on some basic equipment that is needed. This is why the expansion is crucial,” Martin said. In addition to the lack of equipment, the lack of space has forced Martin’s machine dynamics class this semester to move to a new classroom. “There were only 20 seats for 40 students, so half of the class was standing in the back for two classes during the first week of school. So, come next semester, Dr. Wang mentioned the possibility of being over capacitated,” Martin said. He said he believes in the benefits of the expansion for the whole school. The new development will help by bringing in money for
the whole school. “The reason why this department is attracting donors is because engineering is a big-ticket field which also helps the state by being an item that’s heavily involved in the manufacturing, engineering and oil industries,” Martin said. Martin displayed the importance of the industry because in 2005, he took the money given to him by his parents for a university, and instead used it to heavily invest in the manufacturing industry while going to a community college for two years. He made $83,000 and when the market dropped out, Martin bought everything he could. Last week during the presidential debate, he made $2,500 because of his knowledge of the stock market. “When Romney is in the lead, the oil and gas markets go up, and when Obama is in the lead, the markets go down. Based on this, I made the money I did,” Martin said. Because he has been here since 2005, Martin believes that the engineering department would
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35 years experience
not be as successful if it were not for Wang. “He is the best administrator by far, and his involvement with recruitment and his students, is proof of why the department is successful and continues to be successful in its growth of students and donations,” Martin said. It is because of this that Martin works on engineering projects created by himself on his own time outside of the classroom and mostly during the summers. “I like to make sure that the department knows how much they’ve helped us by giving back. I am proud to be the mascot of the engineering department,” Martin said. Although, this expansion is backed up by many different variables like shortage of space, and a lack of basic equipment, this is still the only public liberal arts institution in Texas. The economic issue is that the main thing that this campus is known for is not
the main focus in regards to donations and money involved for projects to help this department grow. Although James Hoggard, a Perkins-Prothro distinguished professor of English, said, “I do not believe that one department is better than the other. Their need for expansion is different than what other departments need. Except for classrooms, our physical needs are simpler than theirs,” Hoggard said. For instance, departments like English do not need the mechanical equipment that is needed to build things. Therefore, there is less cost involved. However, next semester, all three of his classes will be taught in not Prothro-Yeager, the college of humanities and social sciences, but in the Dillard college of business administration. This shows that there is a lack of space for the English department, which shares a building with the psychology, sociology and foreign languages departments. But Hoggard is indifferent about the matter. “It’s a relative matter. For instance, there used to be certain departments, which are not here anymore, like the agricultural program. I believe society’s needs are based on the change in time, Hoggard said. Although he said there’s a big job market for English majors and graduates, there is also a need for engineers at this time. “The demand for engineers goes up and down. Now, there is a burning need for them and we’re helping to provide them at the university. Thanks to Jim McCoy, there’s a sense of vision in making these engineering possibilities possible,” Hoggard said. He said he does not believe there is more of a need for one department than another, and the expansion of the McCoy building does not mean that one field is more valuable than others. However, there is a bigger job market right now for engineers. For instance, an engineering graduate’s starting salary runs from $55,000 to $70,000. Thus, compared to graduates in the liberal arts field which, start out anywhere from about $30,000 to $40,000, there is an obvious higher demand for people in the engineering field. Based on the success of the departments, the expansion of the McCoy building is a crucial element for the campus and the community as a whole to continually flourish. “It’s certainly our benefit as an institution and city, and much to our advantage to be able to train these people here, and to be able to use them here,” Hoggard said.
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Election Extra A supplement to the Wichitan of Midwestern State University | Nov. 7, 2012
President Barack Obama meets with senior advisors in the Situation Room of the White House, July 8, 2011. Official White House Photo by Pete Souza
Obama wins! By Rachel Garrett Reporter
President Barack Obama won re-election. Students at campus watching parties expressed their opinions, predictions and feelings toward the outcome of the election and the respective candidates.
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tudents on campus shared their experiences and predictions of whom they thought would win the presidential election last night based on their opinions of the voting process and their reactions to the outcome of the election. Devanta Silva, sophomore in criminal justice said, “I’m so happy that Obama won! I felt like my voice was heard and that Obama can finish what he wanted to accomplish in the beginning.” One Republican student was not surprised with the outcome. Eddie Miller, junior in mass communication, said, “The election was a thriller! Everything was so close, but I kind of knew that Obama was going to win.” Another, Kaiden Stanely, freshman in computer science had a neutral opinion towards the outcome. “I don’t like anybody, and I didn’t care what the outcome was,” Stanely said. However, there was a student who expressed his joy with the results. Tin Phan, senior in chemistry, said, “I was excited, Obama was re-elected!” Although these students were able to voice their opinions after the results came out, some were not able to vote for their chosen candidate of the election due to their original places of residence outside of Wichita County. Tanner Sanders, a freshman in computer science did not register for this election because he forgot to register. “If I were to vote, I would vote for Romney,” Sanders said. According to Sanders if Romney was given a chance he could make a difference. “I do not like President Barack Obama’s policies and what he did with the economy. I believe Mitt Romney can do better.” Jasmine Staton, a junior in psychology voted in this 2012 presidential election. “I believe that Obama will win this election. I do not believe race is a
factor, I voted Obama based on his policies,” Stato said. Policies on the economy and social policies sealed the deal for Staton. “I am for gay marriage and pro-choice, I believe the choice is yours,” she said. The predictions for the election were that the votes would come down until the end. “The election is going about the way I thought it would. The election would be close until the end,” Kagan Love, a senior is mathematics and physics, said Love did not vote because he did not have time to register. “If I were to vote I would have voted for Romney because he is the lesser evil of the two, I not a big fan of either.” Nick Rainey, a junior in healthy sciences voted for Mitt Romney. “I believe everyone who is informed should exercise their right to vote.” According to Rainey, Obama has not done anything in the past four years. “Romney’s success comes down to how much he does if he wins.” Another student, Caroline Chambers, who is a freshman mass communications major, agreed with Rainey. “Obama has had his chance and didn’t perform, so we need someone new. Fixing the debt will be the biggest problem because it’s the biggest topic right now,” Chambers said. According to her, Obama has led the nation’s debt to triple during his term, Chambers said. Shaela Kobs, freshman in nursing did not vote because she was registered in a different county and did not have time to get back to vote. “My entire family voted for Mitt Romney and I did not feel educated enough on the election to want to vote,” Kobs said.
“I didn’t vote because I’m not educated enough about the candidates,” McLarin Smith, a freshman in nursing, said. | “It was a confusing experience to vote because it was my first time voting, and it was on an absentee ballot,” Caroline Chambers, a freshman in mass communication, said. | “My experience was easy because I knew who to vote for,” Robert Kitchen, an undecided freshman, said.
2A | Election Extra 2012
Nov. 7, 2012
Students surveyed shows support for finance reform By Owen, Jayson Reporter here is one subject that students agree on according to this fall’s campus poll — campaign financing. Nearly threefourths of students surveyed said they believe there should be a limit on the amount of money given to groups to influence the elections. “There should be some kind of limit on how much money someone can contribute to the campaigns,” said Eduardo Garcia, a freshman in mechanical engineering. “As far as getting that to pass and go into effect, that’s a little difficult and probably unconstitutional to make someone to limit what they spend on,” Garcia said. Political Action Committees, organizations that spend more than $1,000 toward or against a candidate, are major financial tool in campaigns. Super PACs have unlimited independent spending. Garcia said Super PACs should not exist. Although they cannot support a candidate directly, he said they put too much competition on each party. Campaign finance reform has become a popular subject amongst politicians, especially when it comes to the presidential elections. In 2010, the Democratic Party pro-
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Former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney speaking at Conservative Political Action Conference at the Marriott Wardman Park Feb. 11, 2011 in Washington, D.C. Photo by Gage Skidmore
What makes a Republican? By Erin Hagy Reporter n Texas is red, and MSU is Republican. Jeremy Duff, an assistant professor of political science, defines a real Republican is for free entrepreneur, blaming the federal government for a national debt, state superiority, emphasizes traditional and family oriented values and anti-gay marriage. Duff blames churches for the majority of students to vote Republican.
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ith Texas being a red state and MSU having a 64 percent Republican student body, according to a recent survey, one wonders what a Republican is. Common stereotypes say a Republican is racist, homophonic, uncaring about the poor, mean-spirited, greedy, selfish, and intolerant, but what is a Republican really? “Republicans are conservative,” Jeremy Duff, assistant professor of political science, said. “They are pro-life mostly and have traditional family values.” Traditional family values mean they tend to be anti-gay marriage, Duff said. “They have traditional, moral stances on social issues and tend to not support the legalizing of marijuana,” Duff said. Duff also explained that Republicans are economically and fiscally conservative as well. “They do not like big government and they don’t think the government needs to spend mon-
ey to influence the economy,” Duff said. “They believe government needs to stay out of the economy and let free market run its course. They tend to believe that when the economy goes bad the government is the last thing we should look at to fix it and the government probably caused the economy to go bad in the first place.” Olivia Whitley, a junior international study major with a minor in history and Spanish, and a registered Democrat, has her own thoughts on what a Republican is. “A Republican is someone who suffers from an entitlement complex. They really don’t have a conscience and they have no empathy for those who aren’t in a similar place or from a similar background or financial status,” Whitley said. She said she also believes that Republicans see the government as guiders, not providers. “They are confused as far as government role. It’s a minority of people that have the superiority complex as well as the entitlement and they don’t care for anyone whose not in the same boat,” Whitley said. Duff said entitled is not a word that describes a Republican. “Republicans do not believe the government owes them anything. They do not think they are entitled to the government giving them money. They believe that you need to work hard on your own and that your own effort and your own work will give you success and that nothing should be given to anybody in life,” Duff said. Junior Cortne Toller, a social work major and
a registered Republican concurred. “Republicans are stingy with their money,” Toller said. “Social programs are a good thing and some people really need them, it’s the people who take the money and use it wrong who make a bad name for them.” Republicans believe and stand for a lot of things, but through all of them there was one stereotype everyone mentioned, old white males. “It is the stigma that if you are a Republican you’re an old, traditional Baptist who doesn’t want change,” Toller said. Duff said that democrats would characterize Republicans as rich white people or rednecks. “Republicans are seen as businessmen, property owners, wealthy individuals, or backwoods rednecks,” Duff said. Whitley also mentioned a stereotype, religion of Republicans and more directly, religion of Republicans at MSU. “MSU is an oddball when it comes to being so conservative. A huge factor is that we are a part of the Bible belt. Another is that a lot of college students only look at one or two items from a platform to make their complete decision, and most of them pick gay marriage, and abortion and because they were raised in church and were taught that those things were wrong, they vote for the party that stands against those things without knowing what else they are voting for,” Whitley said. “Students are not focused on the things that are going to affect them immediately,” Whitley said.
posed a bill to the senate that would limit the amount of money that could be given to the parties. Two Republicans did not vote on the bill, but all of the remaining Republicans voted against the bill, as did one lone Democrat. “I’m a Republican and I don’t think there should be a limit. Maybe it seems like a good idea, but it’s just limiting the freedom of the campaigners. Limiting the campaign funding limits freedoms, it limits the spread of the candidate’s message, and it discourages wealthy individuals from running,” said Zack Rankin, a sophomore in computer science. “Donations to campaigns are considered protected under the Bill of Rights as a freedom of speech. People should be able to spend their money however they want.” According to the New York Times, the Democratic Party has spent a total of $852.9 million, while the Republican Party has spent $752.3 million. Together, the candidates have spent $1.6 billion during this presidential campaign. “All the money they spend and raise for campaigning is a waste. They should be using it to help get us out of our debt,” Ashlee Cunningham, a junior in psychology said.
ElectoraL College Votes n Obama 303 | n Romney 206 | As of presstime Even by 10 p.m. early election returns gave both the popular vote and the electoral college vote. In his victory speech in Chicago, Obama said, “It moves forward because of you. It moves forward because you reaffirmed the spirit that has triumphed over war and depression.”
Frank plans to maintain job growth Estes promises to improve colleges By Makayla Kinney Reporter he de facto state representative for district 69, James Frank, a longtime Republican resident of Wichita Falls and a Rider High School graduate, disagrees with the amount of Texas funds spent on Medicaid. Frank hopes to improve regulations in Texas, which impacts the amount of funds provided for higher educational institutions. “I hope to improve the regulations in Texas to maintain job growth, which affects college students,” Frank said. Students follow a degree plan until they hit the job market once they graduated coming to find out that there are no jobs in their field available, therefore all the money spent towards a degree suddenly becomes worthless. The amount of funding a school receives impacts the rate of tuition. Frank said, the biggest drain in the Texas budget is the amount of money spent on Medicaid. Ten years ago, Medicaid accounted for 14 percent of the Texas budget and increased to 21 percent this year, taking away a lot of funding for universities and the job market. “Right now the biggest drain on the Texas bud-
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Jan. 3 Barack Obama wins Democratic Iowa caucus; Ron Paul wins Republican caucus in Iowa
get is an increase in the funding of Medicaid. Medicaid is taking an increasingly large amount of the budget. It’s projected on Obama care to go to 37 percent in 12 years and if we do not address that, it will affect higher education. If we do not get a hold on these costs, we will just see a spiral increase in tuFrank ition,” Frank said. Obama care is a national program it is also regulated by the states. It pulls money away from every other state program leaving fewer funds to schools and colleges. If the state of Texas were to decrease the amount of money spent on Obama care and Medicaid, students in Texas would see a decrease in the rate of tuition. “Medicaid is pulling money away from every other state program. I think that is the biggest issue in this upcoming session,” Frank said. With each new law enacted by legislation, the amount of freedom of citizens decreases. Frank said one thing he believes in is limited restrictions passing in legislation.
Jan. 4 Michele Bachmann announced withdrawal from presidential campaign Feb. 2 Green party presidential nominee, former actress Roseanne Barr announced candidacy
Apr. 10 Campaign suspended by Former US Senator Rick Santorum for the Republican presidential nomination Apr. 18 – 21 Constitution Party National Convention held in Nashville, Tennessee; Virgil Goode won the nomination
By Ruby Arriaga Reporter exas Sen. Craig Estes (RDist. 30) won his election Tuesday night, promising to secure the goals of college students and those seeking a higher education. Elizabeth White, legislative diEstes rector for Estes, said during the 82nd legislative session that Estes voted in favor of Senate Bill 8 which returned local control of personnel matters to school districts, reducing salaries of school district’s employees, and imposes furloughs. The goal is to get the power back to the universities and let them decide for themselves, what their budget needs to cover to improve colleges for the better. White said, school administrators favored the bill, instead of teachers as a way to avoid cuts, because it results in a temporary unpaid leave of some employees. “Additionally, school districts no longer have to employ teachers, who do not maintain their certifications and are no longer forced to terminate continuing contracts on a seniority basis,” White said.
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Apr. 21 Presidential nomination of the Constitution party won by Former US Congressman Virgil Goode Apr. 25 Mitt Romney declared presumptive nominee by the Republican National Committee
This privilege has now been revoked to ensure the quality of teaching at universities. “Prior to Senate Bill 8, Texas law imposed burdensome restrictions on school districts’ decision-making power in ways that ranged from requirements regarding personnel matters to mandates concerning school operation and resource allocation,” White said. Estes also voted for budget cuts during the last legislative session. Education spending accounted for approximately 60 percent of the state’s entire budget in the previous biennium, while the budget shrunk. Although the amount spent on education increased from the previous biennium. For the first time funds could not cover enrollment growth. “The legislature was facing a historic budget shortfall where cuts had to be made in order to balance the budget, as required by the Texas Constitution, without raising taxes,” Estes said. Estes said he believes in education and that it is important for this state, especially since he was born and raised in Wichita Falls, Texas. College students are the next generation to enter the job market. The best scenario for students would be lower taxes and fewer regulations to keep chances open for a successful economic environment.
May 2 Newt Gingrich suspended his candidacy and endorsed Mitt Romney May 3 – 6 Libertarian National Convention held in Las Vegas, Nevada; Gary Johnson won the nomination
May 29 Texas primaries May 31 Buddy Roemer drops out of the presidential campaign Jun. 29 Presidential campaign of Fred Karger was suspended
Nov. 7, 2012
Election Extra 2012 | 3A
Alexander LeClaire, freshman in criminal justice, Jourdan Polock junior in sociology, Tanner Sanders, freshman in computer science, Kegan Love, senior in math and physics, and Grant Hardaway, sophomore in physiology watch the presidential elections and play video games. “I believe everyone who is informed should excercise their right to vote,” Nick Rainey, a junior in health science, said. Photo by Shanice Glover
Caroline Chambers, freshman in mass communication, and Hayley Nunn, freshman in respiratory care, watch election night coverage in the resident lounge on the third floor of Killingsworth Hall. “The Democrats had a better approach toward race and the youth,” Nunn said. Photo by Samantha Forester
Students expect politicians to do jobs professionally — emphasizing education There has been a lot of attention focused on the national election recently, but we will also be electing a lot of local, state, regional and national leaders. What do you personally and specifically expect from these leaders? “I expect what any employer would. I want to see a resume of experience that would benefit the persons’ constituents. I want to see that they have a real idea of what the needs are and how to effectively meet them. I want to see that they are team players and willing to work with others. And most importantly I want to see that they are involved and interacting with the community. I want to know that whomever I chose has my well-being in mind,” Olivia Whitley, junior in international studies. “I expect that they do their jobs correctly and proficiently. Like for the judges that are elected. They should be fair and not be partial towards certain groups.” Joseph Hadwal, sophomore in history and accounting. “I really don’t think much about local government. But if I had to sit down and think about it, I would expect them to make sure that things fall in line with our national governments’ agenda,” Skyler Warrick, senior in mass communication. “I’m expecting men and women to be elected that can better our state and country by making decisions that will leave a positive impact on our future,” Savannah Parker, junior in English “I expect from the leaders of Wichita Falls and Texas that they will put more emphasis on the educational system. I am going to enter the job market as a teacher after this semester, and as far as I have applied to different schools, there are no positions available. I hope that if Obama wins, teachers will have a better shot also in Texas, even though I believe my chances are pretty bad,” Michael Daly, senior in educational social studies “I really just expect them to continue taking care of and strengthening our school systems. Every aspect of our schools needs to be accounted for whether it is books, equipment for classes, alarm systems, even down to simple things like pencils and erasers. I expect them to care for the teachers and students. I expect them to make sure that these kids walk out of school every day having learned something new,” Marika Bell, junior in early childhood education. “If I was an American the first issue I want them to deal with is the healthcare system and proper price constraints. Cut spending on the armed forces and also make a strong commitment to reduce taxes on the lower class and increase taxes on those who can afford it. It was time that those who can afford it pay for the debt. A lot of people have an issue with the Obamacare , but if not Obamacare, what is the solution?” Raul Hazel, senior in mechanical engineering and physics. “I expect the leaders to do what needs to be done to help the people and not only to make themselves or their party look good, but for the greater good of everyone,” Edward Grisham, junior in mass communication. Reported by Ruby Arriaga, Darren Black, Shelby Davis, Erin Hagy, Makayla Kinney, Adrie Letang, Sarah Muschiol, Joseph Solis
June 12 – 15 Green party nominated Jill Stein as presidential nominee and Cheri Honkala as vice presidential nominee July 13-15 Green National Convention held in Baltimore, Maryland; Jill Stein won the nomination
Aug. 11 Mitt Romney announced Paul Ryan as vice presidential candidate Aug. 27 – 30 Republican National Convention held in Tampa, Florida; Mitt Romney won the nomination
Cups and masks predict election outcome By Shelby Davis Reporter
n People have come up with entertaining and accurate ways to determine the outcome of presidential elections. This year, the results of a few alternative forms of voting were spot on in predicting the outcome of the presidential election.
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nscientific methods are a fun way to predict the outcome of the presidential election. These alternative, yet accurate, methods give voters a more entertaining opportunity to cast their votes. “It’s a fun way [to vote], and gives people a chance to show their decisions before they vote,” Karrie Rincon, manager to the 7-Eleven convenient store on the corner of Southwest Parkway and Barnett Raod, said. For presidential elections, 7-Eleven convenient stores have been offering their customers a choice of coffee cups. They offer a Democratic, Republican and an undecided cup so that coffee drinkers can display their allegiance for presidential candidates. In the past three elections the number of cups sold by each party have closely resembled the outcome of the election. Wichita Falls
7-Eleven locations take part in this alternative form of voting. Rincon said this year’s warm weather has resulted in fewer people buying the cups. But when coffee drinkers do come in they usually participate in the voting. “When they come in to get coffee that’s usually what they go for,” Rincon said. According to 7-Eleven.com, in Texas, Obama lead the polls with a 57 percent lead over Romney. In the United States, as a whole, Obama also lead the polls with a 59 percent lead over Romney. In Wichita Falls, however, it seems to be a different story. “In the last two weeks we have sold twice as many Romney cups,” Rincon said of the Barnett location. The coffee-cup method is not the only one that showed Obama taking the majority vote for president. Halloween masks also gave Obama as the favorite for the 2012 election. For the past four presidential elections, the number of Halloween masks sold of each candidate has predicted the outcome of the election. This year, the Spirit of Halloween stores, with its more than 1,000 locations nationwide, reported that 60 percent of presidential masks sold were of Obama.
our opinion
Obama didn’t live up to the hype n Four years ago college students were raving about Obama’s educational promises. All across the country, college students attended rallies, used the slogan “Change we can believe in” and chanted “Yes We Can.”
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resident Barack Obama failed to live up to the hype. Since those promises were left empty, young voters seem less interested and were unsure of which way to vote. This presidential campaign has seen slippage in interest on both sides of the ballot. A Pew Research Center poll showed only half of adults under 30 were certain they were registered to vote. This was a decrease from 61 percent in 2008. Throughout this campaign students have taken the backseat to other major issues. Without education being a hot-topic, we are left with unanswered questions. It’s time Obama get to work on issues of importance to students. Jobs. The economy. Supporting higher education.
We need more jobs after college. Jobs are essential to the economy. When students graduate from college and are competing for the same jobs as those who have not obtain a degree, a college education seems like a waste of money and time. Without jobs, the future for college graduates is not bright, either nationally or locally. Local businesses and the government need to create jobs that provide careers for college graduates and the economy bounce back. According to the National Education Association, 80 percent of voters said education is important. Voters said they even supported an increase in funding. In the past four years, legislators have been made draconian cuts in education budgets and the amount financial aid available to students. This affects us not only in our ability to pay for school but also in the quality of the education we receive. Now it’s time to move on. Four more years. Fund education. Create jobs. And don’t make us regret it.
©2012 The Election Extra is a production of the News Writing and Reporting class at Midwestern State University. Opinions expressed in the Election Extra do not neccessarily reflect those of the students staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents. The Election Extra is a supplement to the Wichitan and printed by Morgan Printing of Bowie, Texas. Staff | Ruby Arriaga, Darren Black, Jessica Davis, Shelby Davis, Sam Forester, Rachel Garrett, Shanice Glover, Erin Hagy, Skye Hera, Miguel Jaime, Makayla Kinney, Adrie Letang, Cristina Martinez, Sarah Muschiol, Jayson Owen, Roylyka Roache, Joseph Solis, Kenni Wallace Coordinator | Sarah Long Instructor | Bradley Wilson, Ph.D.
Sept. 3 – 6 Democratic National Convention held in Charlotte, North Carolina; Barack Obama won the nomination Oct. 3 First Presidential Debate moderated by Jim Lehrer of PBS
Oct. 11 Vice Presidential Debate moderated Martha Raddatz of ABC Oct. 16 Second Presidential Debate moderated Candy Crowley of CNN Oct. 22 Third Presidential Debate moderated by Bob Schieffer of CBS
Nov. 6 Election Day
2013
Dec. 17 Election of president and vice president by Electoral College
Jan. 6 Votes of Electoral College counted before Congress Jan. 20 Inauguration Day
4A | Election Extra 2012
Nov. 7, 2012
President Barack Obama listens to Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood during a briefing on the response to Hurricane Sandy at FEMA headquarters in Washington, D.C., Oct. 31. | Obama talks with farmers during a tour of the McIntosh family farm to view the effects of the drought, in Missouri Valley, Iowa, Aug. 13, 2012. | Obama has a beer with patrons at the Pump Haus Pub and Grill in Waterloo, Iowa, Aug. 14. | Obama holds a conference call with advisors to discuss the Aurora, Colorado shootings, July 20. | Obama talks on the phone with NASA’s Curiosity Mars rover team aboard Air Force One, Aug. 13. | Obama reacts to a photograph during an interview with David Letterman, Sept. 18. Official White House photos by Pete Souza
Issues define election ObamaCare is going to replace Medicare, moving the U.S. towards a more socialist oriented nation. The
affairs in the Middle East, might lead America to more warfare raising religious and racial issues, while at
home the abortion conflict continues. Campaign finance reform continues to pit the working class against the wealthy. Now, President Barack Obama has four more years to battle those conflicts. And more.
Obama’s experience with Middle East makes him ‘better president’ By Sarah Muschiol Reporter n the last presidential debate Romney and Obama talked about foreign affairs and especially concentrated on the conflicts in the Middle East. Even more conservative nations than Texas as Syria, Lebanon, Egypt, Iran, Iraq and Afghanistan have a Muslim belief and are fighting for civil rights and a democratic state after years of oppression and war. Obama and Romney claimed in the presidential debates to support and stand on Israel’s side in case of potential warfare; the question is how do these religious beliefs stay in conflict, and how is our future president going to deal with them. The Democratic Party platform on Palestinian terrorism against Israel encourages the pursuit of peace but insists on Israel’s right to exist and reject violence. The Republican Party platform says that the Palestinian people must respect Israel’s establishment of a democracy and should be unexpected to negotiate with entities pledged to Israel’s destruction. The campus survey showed students do not believe religion was a significant issue in this election. Ryan Read, a freshman in engineering, voting Republican in this election said, “I don’t think necessarily being Mormon is going to lead to any issues, but it might affect how Romney is going to handle these issues, and definitely how Obama would handle them or any other religion would. I am not afraid of them, because these conflicts are going to happen either way.” Obama grew up with a Christian mother and a Muslim father, who later claimed to be atheist. Obama now claims to be an active Christian. Sarah Young, a junior in biology, voting for Obama said, “Obama is going to be the better president, because he has more experience and knows from his background more about Middle-Eastern religions and their emphasis on morals and culture.” Gavin Belle, a junior in mass communication, considers himself liberal, but he would vote for Obama, if he was a citizen. Belle said, “My views are that religion and politics usually don’t interact too well. I could see why Obama would be the smarter choice in regards of foreign affairs, but I personally believe that religion should stay out of politics.”
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Sophomore: ‘Obamacare is good for the people’ By Jessica Davis Reporter n March of 2010, under President Barack Obama, Congress passed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as ObamaCare, with an aim to reduce the overall cost of healthcare and to decrease the number of uninsured Americans. This is a concern for students and working-class citizens. The national opinion of the act seems
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to be split; however, the support of students is apparent. “ObamaCare is for the good of the people and I don’t see why it should ever be eliminated,” Robyn Foster, a sophomore in business, said. While students support it, tax increases are a concern for adults who oppose the act, Foster said. By 2014, a person will pay $95 in health insurance with a $325 increase the next year and $695 once the act is fully set in. “Obamacare is worth the tax money,” Foster said. Along with the tax increases, another concern for ObamaCare include its potential unconstitutionality of forcing religious institutions to provide services that violate their faith and imposing taxes in which the Constitution does not approve. The act also allows room for individuals to take advantage of being unemployed, spending money earned by hardworking individuals. “I understand and respect that not all users of Medicaid/ ObamaCare are actively nonproductive,” Mitch Saville, a freshman engineering student said. “However, money is being taken away from those who spent their lives reaching financial security and success, and it is being handed out, with good intentions, in a way which is, unintentionally but quite thoroughly, encouraging otherwise capable individuals to stay in that [lazy] mentality simply because they can, and because it will cost them more money to earn a higher income. It discourages the pursuit of higher success.” Although, students have mixed opinions concerning this act, Texas Representative Mac Thornberry voted to repeal it. “While the Supreme Court ruled the majority of the law was constitutional that certainly does not mean ObamaCare is a good law or that it is right for America,” Thornberry said. Eighty-four percent of Americans already have insurance, he said, so the health care system needs to find a way to expand access of care for the remaining 16 percent instead of changing the entire system to require everyone to obtain insurance. “Although the Supreme Court has ruled the individual mandate is constitutional, I strongly believe that the health care bill was a mistake and that it will adversely affect health care for most of the people in our area and around the country,” Thornberry said.
Pro-choice versus pro-life: Students react to abortion controversy By Kenni Wallace Reporter bortion has largely divided the American people: the “pro-life” contingency versus the “pro-choice” faction. Few other issues have been as polarizing as abortion for the last century. Republicans lean toward being “pro-life” – the belief that life begins at conception, whereas democrats lean toward being “pro-choice” – the belief that it is a woman’s right to choose whether or not to terminate a pregnancy. In a campus poll, students claim to be Republican and, therefore, “prolife.”
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Religion Has religion played too big of a role in this election?
Abortion Abortion is never acceptable.
n Neither | n Strongly Agree n Agree | n Disagree n Strongly Disagree
n Strong Agree | n Strongly Disagree n Niether | n Disagree n Agree
Sophomore nursing major and right leaner, Brittanie Tullous, contributes to the majority. Tullous said abortion is 100 percent unacceptable, regardless of the situation, which is one reason why she decided to be republican. “There could never be a good enough reason to kill an innocent human being. Yes, it would be horrible to get pregnant from being raped, but two wrongs don’t make a right,” Tullous said. Even though the Republican views are known to be “prolife,” presidential candidate Mitt Romney seems to have moved toward the center on the controversial issue. “Taking innocent life is always wrong, and always tragic, wherever it happens,” Romney said. On the contrary, President Barack Obama, a democrat, has revealed himself to be a strong supporter of the “pro-choice” position. He showed his Democratic opposition to any attempts to de-fund Planned Parenthood. “The Democratic Party strongly and unequivocally supports Roe v. Wade and a woman’s right to make decisions regarding her pregnancy, including a safe and legal abortion, regardless of ability to pay. We oppose any and all efforts to weaken or undermine that right.” the Democratic Platform states.
Students say race played a major role in presidential election
By Joseph Solis Reporter n 2008, Barack Obama, an African-American and United States senator from Illinois, won the presidential election of the United States of America becoming the first African-American elected to the position. He received 81 percent of the minority vote (which includes African-Americans, Hispanics, Asians, Native Americans, and Pacific Islanders). “In the first election, minorities felt as if their voice was finally being heard because this country and its government are majority Caucasian. When Barack Obama came out, minorities felt as if they were finally coming up in the world and felt a sense of real equality,” said Jair Lozano, a junior in respiratory care. Lozano said he experienced the 2008 election and by doing so he gained a better understanding about how people thought about the candidates. “I believe race does have to do with it to an extent. I think it was more of an issue in the first election though. This one not so much,” Lozano said. Cornelius Roberson, a senior in music education, also said he believes that race plays a part in this election. “I feel like the biggest issues regarding people and voting are race and social class,” Roberson said. Roberson said the upper class consists of majority Caucasians and the middle and lower classes tend to hold the majority of the minorities. “Romney favors the upper class and Obama wants to strengthen the middle class,” Roberson said. “Of course this makes it seem as if it’s totally a race issue, and in some cases it is, but it mostly has to do with race and social class together. ”
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Party affiliation Generally speaking, do you usually think of yourself as a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent, or something else n Republican | n Democrat n Independent | n Other
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Wednesday — November 7, 2012
Indie acts to compete with label giants this fall Left-of-center releases to get you through the month Orlando Flores Jr. A&E Editor
After a busy October in the music world, November seems like the time that album releases will come out at a slower pace. While several major artists like One Direction, Christina Aguilera, Alicia Keys and the alwayson-time Rihanna will release new albums, there are several left-of-center artists offering new albums this month that are worth your attention.
The Babies – Our House on the Hill The Babies were birthed during the big lo-fi fuzz-rock revival, and they released their debut selftitled album in 2011.
They are a super group of sorts, comprised of Cassie Ramone of Vivian Girls, Kevin Morby of Woods and Justin Sullivan of Bossy. Our House on the Hill will be released on Nov. 13. This will be the group’s first album on Morby’s Woodsist label. The band will stick to the lofi descriptor, but it seems all the fuzz has been left for the members’ other bands. Instead, The Babies head for more of a classic rock feel for this album, as evidenced by the Blue Oyster Cult-evoking single “Miracle Mile.”
Castle Face Records – The Velvet Underground and Nico by Castle Face & Friends This year marks the 40th anniversary of The Velvet Underground and Nico’s cult self-titled album.
In addition to a massive rerelease box set of the original album, California garage label Castle Face Records will pay homage to the landmark album by releasing a covers album. Indie darlings such as Warm Soda, Ty Segall (who released an excellent album last month), White Fence, The Fresh & Onlys, Thee Oh Sees and a number of other Castle Face artists and affiliates will do their best imitations of classic tracks like “I’m Waiting for the Man,” “Femme Fatale,” “Run Run Run,” “All Tomorrow’s Parties” and “European Son.” The album will be available to download from Castle Face’s website, as well as a limited 1000 copy pressing on banana yellow vinyl for nostalgia’s sake.
Chief Keef – Finally Rich The front-and-center star of the new Chicago rap scene is set
to release his full-length debut, Finally Rich, on Nov. 27. Chief Keef will follow in the footsteps of mixtape rappers Waka Flocka Flame and Kendrick Lamar with this release. Both artists’ debut albums were originally planned as mixtapes, but instead got the full album treatment to capitalize on their buzz. Keef set the hip-hop world on fire in April with his debut mixtape Back from the Dead, and quickly rose to fame off the heels of his hit single “I Don’t Like”. Keef’s aggressive, Waka Flocka-like style has captured the attention of street rap fans everywhere, and it helped the 17-year old secure a deal with Interscope Records. It also didn’t hurt that a big endorsement from Kanye West came on West’s G.O.O.D. Music compilation, Cruel Summer, when West remixed I Don’t Like to give it a more radio-friendly appeal. Despite current legal trouble and supposed involvement with the murder of a fellow Chicago rapper who had problems with his GBE crew, this album is still set to release as scheduled. If you’re lacking hard-hitting, gangsta rap, you’ll hopefully get your fix soon.
as he suffered from tear gas at a street demonstration in Yemen in 2011. Nonetheless, this is one album you won’t want to miss, especially if you’ve grown tired of EDM and Dubstep.
Crystal Castles - (III) Alice Glass and Ethan Kath return with their third offering of their frantic, experimental brand of electronic music. Album tracks “Plague,” “Wrath of God,” “Affection” and “Violent Youth” have all been released on the band’s Soundcloud page throughout the last month. While Crystal Castles is normally known for having an overall danceable feel to their music, this album looks to take a more serious and depressing tone than the band’s past efforts. Glass commented in a press release from the band that oppression would be a major theme of the album, due to personal struggles she’s experienced since the release of (II). This sentiment is further demonstrated through the cover art, Samuel Aranda’s photograph of Fatima al-Qwas holding her son
The Weeknd – Trilogy Abel Tesfaye wowed critics and fans alike last year with the release of his free mixtape albums House of Balloons, Thursday and Echoes of Silence. In the process, the Toronto native caught the ear of fellow Canadian Drake, who helped Tesfaye’s music reach a larger audience. After the success of these releases, Tesfaye was able to secure a deal for his XO label through Universal Republic. His first major release will compile all three mixtapes into one package along with three new unreleased tracks.
Mark Arnold sings “Caro Mio Ben” for the guests at Mia’s Italian Restaurant during the Music Club’s scholarship fundraiser on Sunday. Photo by KERRI CARTER
MSU Music hosts an evening in Italy
Student-run program benefits scholarship fund, local restaurant Orlando Flores Jr. A&E Editor
The MSU Music Club held a fundraiser at Mia’s Italian Restaurant on Nov. 4 to benefit not only the music department, but the local restaurant as well. For $20 at the door, those in attendance were not only treated to a good meal, but also a full production from the MSU Music Club. “We had a packed house,” Senior event coordinator Cornelius Roberson said. “We probably had at least 100 people and many bought their tickets at the door. Word spread around really fast.” According to Roberson, a majority of the money went to Mia’s for providing the location and
meal for the evening’s event, while a portion of the money earned went into the scholarship fund in the music department. Around $1000 was the restaurant’s profit for the evening, with an additional $800 being raised for the scholarship fund. “Mia’s is a locally-owned authentic Italian restaurant that doesn’t get a lot of recognition,” Roberson said. “The food is amazing, but not a lot of people know where it is since it’s located on Seymour Highway.” Roberson said the department was more than happy to use this opportunity to not only raise scholarship funds, but also help out a local business. While part of the night’s festivities were to enjoy the local cuisine, a major portion was dedicated to the talents of MSU alumni and current vocal majors to showcase their talents.
“We had a number of students and alumni volunteer to sing at this event,” Roberson said. “The vocal instructors also got involved and helped everyone practice their pieces. It was a lot of fun to put together.” Roberson began planning the even as far back as July and had contacted many of the performers by the time school started in August to get the evening’s event ready for production. A number of noteable singers were pulled together to participate in the event, including Billy Brasfield, Melissa Ward, Andrew Jamison, Randi Roanhaus and Roberson, himself. The set list for the evening was comprised of a wide variety of songs, but they all went along with the Italian theme of the night by being sung in Italian. Senior Grace Johnson also participated in the concert, singing a
duet with Mariece Roberts. “We performed a duet composed by Mozart that Mariece and I have done a few times before for other recitals,” Johnson said. “It was a way to for us to showcase our talents in another capacity besides a recital and it was a lot of fun.” Johnson said that despite the Italian theme, the concert contained a good variety of pieces due to the singers involved, and with the help of all the music department’s vocal instructors. “I really believe this concert was a success,” Johnson said. “The food was great, everyone who sang did an amazing job, and the audience really enjoyed the evening.” This benefit will play a big part in future generations of music majors, according to Johnson. “There’s not a very big budget available for the music school to
give out scholarships,” she said. “Having fundraisers like this enables us to give more possibilities for scholarships for music students in the future.” While the earnings from the fundraiser will go into the general scholarship fund for the music department, Roberson said they try to set money aside strictly for vocal minors. “This really helps vocal minors a lot,” he said. “Anyone interested can apply for it, as long as they maintain a 2.75 GPA, and take part in a major ensemble each semester they receive the scholarship.” Johnson said she has benefitted from this scholarship and participates in these fundraisers as a way to show her gratitude. “I’ve been on scholarship through this program since I started school at MSU,” she said. “Even though me or my fellow
students won’t see any of the money raised, it feels good to know we’re helping future music majors the same way we were helped. I guess it’s our way of paying it forward.” After the great turnout for the fundraiser, Roberson said he hopes to make this a yearly event. “We had a good turnout for this event and we hope that we can do this again in the future,” Roberson said. “We would like to encourage all of the student body to come out and support all of the fine arts majors whenever they can, whether it be the music, art, theater arts or mass communication department.”
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Peace, Love & Lipgloss Keep on shaving, girls Rachel Bingham print advertising manager
No-Shave November sneaks its way around the corner every year. Suddenly most male species put down their razors and let their facial hair grow…and grow. While some people have turned this annual tradition into a good thing, such as Movember and Sons, a global movement that raises money in the U.S. to support prostate cancer and testicular cancer, others just do it to get away with looking like cavemen for a month. But just because our men feel the urge to get all bristly, that doesn’t mean that women need to do the same. Winter may be coming up soon, but keeping up with shaving – especially your underarms – is simply good hygiene.
SHAVING
Shaving is, of course, the most common hair removal treatment. If you have sensitive skin, consider using Aveeno Therapeutic Shave Gel ($3.96 at Walmart). It “helps prevent razor bumps; soothes dry, sensitive skin [and has] no added fragrance.” If your skin can withstand fragrances, Skintimate Signature Scents Moisturizing Shave Gel ($2.44 at Walmart) is bursting with sweet aromas and will almost make shaving fun. Obviously you need a razor to go along with your shaving gel. It may sound odd, but razor meant for males sometimes work even better than women’s razors. Try out Gillette Fusion Razor ($9.47 at Walmart) and see it for yourself! It includes the main handle and two razor cartridges. It has five blades and rounded edges. Another route is a razor with a built-in gel. Gillette Venus Proskin Moisture Rich 2-in-1 Razor ($8.97 at Walmart) is a razor surrounded by a moisturizing gel bar that works as shaving gel when wet. It is “dermatologist tested to be suitable on dry skin.” If you prefer razors that you can pack and toss later, Gillette Venus Embrace Disposables, three count ($10.97 at Walmart)
have five blades and a “pivoting head [that] adjusts to your curves.”
WAXING
An alternative to shaving is waxing your hair away. This process removes your hair from the root and leaves your skin smooth for a while longer than shaving; it takes two to eight weeks for hair growth to appear. The downfall to waxing is the pain. If you don’t have a high tolerance for it, you may consider holding on to that razor. Most salons provide waxing - from eyebrows to bikini to full legs. There are at-home waxes, such as Sally Hansen Hair Removal Wax Strips ($6.42 at Walmart) that provide you with a private option to removing hair semi-permanently. However, if you are going to do it on your own, a more expensive option is typically better. Bliss Poetic Waxing At-Home Hair Removal Kit ($48 at Ulta) is “the first-ever safe and effective, low-temperature and aromatherapy-based hair removal system.” It comes with Bliss Poetic Wax, Bliss Poetic Waxing Super Skin Cleanser, Bliss Poetic Waxing Pre- and Post-Waxing Oil, three large spatulas, three small spatulas, a free sample of an Ingrown Eliminating Pad and instructions.
SUGARING
Sugaring, or epilation, is another method of hair removal. The paste is made of natural ingredients, such as sugar, lemon/ lime and water, and it can be less painful than waxing. It sticks to your hair without latching onto your skin, and it is applied at room temperature or a lukewarm temperature to prevent burning and reduce irritation. Sugaring is performed at nu-
merous salons, but you can try it online with the following Wikipedia recipe: •2 units of sugar •1/4 unit lemon/lime juice •1/4 unit water Heat and mix the above ingredients until they are completely liquid until the mixture reaches a light gold color. After it has cooled, dust your skin with corn starch. Spread the sugar paste with a spatula or tongue depressor in the direction of hair growth. Press a strip of porous cloth or paper over the paste and pull it off in the opposite direction of hair growth.
LASER REMOVAL
If you dream about days that you don’t need to worry about shaving, waxing or sugaring, laser removal may be a great option for you! It is pricey, but when you do the math, many say that it evens out. Laser hair removal is practiced at many clinics, but at-home treatments are also available. Flash&Go Permanent Hair Removal Device ($249 at Amazon. com) is a pain-free laser that is electricity charged and gives fast, mess-free results for permanent face and body hair removal. However, you might want to invest in a pair of laser goggles, such as QQ Tech Safety Glasses ($6.99 at Amazon.com). These will protect your eyes from laser lights.
Orlando Flores Jr. A&E Editor
On Oct. 23, Apple announced the highly-anticipated iPad Mini at their second keynote of the year. On Nov. 2, the new tablet hit store shelves everywhere and it flew off almost as fast as they were put there. Estimated sales totals from the first weekend came in at over 3 million. There’s no denying the public’s desire for this new tablet, but the real question is if it’s worth it. Here’s a quick rundown of what this new tablet has to offer to help you decide if this is the right tablet for you. Capacity and Pricing: The tablet will come in two forms, Wi-Fi only and Wi-Fi + Cellular, with capacities ranging from 16 to 64 gigabytes. Pricing ranges from $329 to $659 dollars, making it slightly less than the iPad 3. Display: The iPad Mini lives up to its
bmqwery
The Tellyfile TV and politics go hand-in-hand brittney cottingham editor-in-chief
Political interests always increases during a presidential election year so it is not unusual that networks are heavily investing in television shows involving Capitol Hill and politics. With Election Day finally over, TV junkies might be having an election hangover. Even political junkies need a
With over a dozen Emmy’s won, ranked fourth all-time in number of Emmy’s, the show proved that viewers could handle the balance between politics and entertainment. Since The West Wing, many shows have tried their formula and failed. Yet the shows below have been able to keep audiences laughing (or in tears) while keeping it politically accurate.
Parks & Recreation NBC - Thursday @ 7:30 p.m. In four season, Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) has captured the hearts of millions as she tries to take over the city of Pawnee – one stack of waffles at a time. This comedy shows a different side of politics in the hardships of city government. With an hilarious cast including comedian Aziz Ansari, “Treat Yo Self” by checking out this show every Thursday night.
vye What ideas would you like to read about? Email Wichitan@mwsu.edu
Boss Starz Sure, Kelsey Grammer’s personal life is constantly in the tabloids, but that doesn’t take away from his incredible work on Starz’s political drama Boss. Portraying Tom Kane, the fierce mayor of Chicago, this critically-acclaimed show just wrapped up its second season finale. Boss has been criticized for being too cynical, but that is the City of Chicago!
Photo Courtesy
name, offering a slimmed down 7.9” retina display, losing almost one-third of its size compared to previous iPad models. Despite the smaller display, the resolution has not missed a step; retaining all the specifications of the iPad 3 model, including 1080p HD video recording, the iSight camera and the frontfacing FaceTime HD camera. Processor: While it doesn’t pack the Dualcore A6X with quad-core graphics processor of the iPad 3, Apple was able to pack in the same Dual-core A5 chip that came in the iPad 2. For some, the difference will be noticeable, but if an iPad 2 worked well for you, you’ll love the iPad Mini’s processing capabilities. Cellular, Wireless, Battery Life and Misc.: Just like the iPad 3, the iPad
break. No worries because the tube is filled with political dramas and comedies. These shows do have big shoes to follow. For seven seasons, The West Wing dominated the airwaves as the show follows the presidential staff during a Democratic administration. Even though the show was labeled by critics “The Left Wing” for portraying an ideal liberal president, this didn’t stop the success of the show.
Political Animals USA Maybe having a political drama during an election year was not the best idea for the USA Network, but that didn’t stop them from creating the mini-series Political Animals. Despite receiving rave reviews from viewers and TV critics, USA decided to cancel the series. Big mistake. With Sigourney Weaver as a former First Lady turned Secretary of State trying to keep her family together – very Hilary Clinton, the show was a hit and run with all of the Capitol Hill drama. Well, thank god for Hulu where fans of the show can watch season one with fond memories.
So whichever hair removal treatment you decide is right for you, remember that No Shave November mainly pertains to males proving their masculinity.
Over 3 million sold iPad Mini wins over users at the registers in its first weekend
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Mini is capable of connecting to a Wi-Fi connection, as well as cellular networks through a contract with AT&T, Sprint & Verizon. Also like the iPad 3, the iPad Mini can also connect to LTE networks. iOS 6 comes standard with the iPad Mini, and like the iPhone 5 and previous iPad models, the Mini comes with a battery life of up to 10 hours on a single charge. Siri also comes standard with this new model, making it the second iPad to offer this feature. As far as charge connections go, the iPad Mini becomes the third Apple product to convert to the new Lightning connector. This may upset some buyers, but it is at least a sign that Apple is committing to their new connector, and we’ll most likely see more of it in the future.
The Newsroom HBO Is anyone else counting the days until this show comes back on TV? The Newsroom is the perfect mixture of a political and journalism drama from the mind of Aaron Sorkin. The producers and the network have been slammed by people like Glenn Beck who viewed the show as too preachy, but that is the charm of this show. The struggles the show faces when it comes to the relationship between the media and the government is strangely accurate. The second season will premiere in June 2013. VEEP HBO Not only is this show filled with hilarious political satire, it rejuvenated the career of funny lady Julie Louis-Dreyfus. The former Seinfeld actresses plays Selina Meyer, who is vice president of the U.S. Let the comedy begin as this sitcom with The Office like camera angles, shows the mishaps of the VEEP. She’s funnier than Joe Biden, but not as dangerous as Hilary Clinton. The Good Wife CBS - Sundays @ 7 p.m. This show is for every women out there who has been cheated on by a man in politics. Thankfully, this CBS drama is more than just about a bitter wife. The series focuses on the Florrick family – Peter, former state attorney turned Illinois governor candidate and his wife Alicia, third-year associate at a law firm. Alicia struggles with being “the good wife” when her husband gets caught in the middle of a sex scandal. Photo Courtesy
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Wednesday — November 7, 2012
Ben Clarvis gets past an Eastern New Mexico opponent. Photo by KERRI CARTER
Michael Brody shields the ball from a defender. Photo by KERRI CARTER
Men’s soccer win final home games
DAMIAN ATAMENWAN SPORTS EDITOR
After enduring more than 90 minutes of an agonizing draw, the soccer team was able to score a golden goal against West Texas A&M in the 100th minute of the first overtime to claim a hardearned victory. “I felt good after the win,” said
head men’s soccer coach Doug Elder. “We’ve had so many overtime games and it was nice to win in overtime.” The Mustangs posed threats in the regular time, but this resulted in a lot of squandered chances. “We should have put one of these in, but we played a lot bet-
ter than we did at West Texas,” Elder said. Idi Camara finally smashed in the lone goal courtesy of the stunning pass produced by Fernando Garza. Elder described the Mustangs’ defense as solid after completing the rivalry match with a clean
sheet. The midfielders chased hard and countered really well to compliment the forwards and the backline. Sunday’s game was more rewarding for the Mustangs, who thrashed Eastern New Mexico University 3-1. “This [victory] keeps our play-
off dreams alive,” Elder said-. Len Smith scored his 10th goal of the season in the 15th minute but ENMU responded quickly. Eishu Kanemitsu scored a minute later to make the game even. Eventually, the Mustangs regained the lead at the half-hour mark with 15-yard shot from
Isaac Pile. David Freeland then doubled the lead after the break as he scored his last home goal for Midwestern State. The players close their regular season with 10 wins, two losses and five draws.
Mustangs crowned Lone Star Conference champs ORLANDO FLORES, JR. Erin wrinkle staff writers
Greg Saladino gets ready to kick for conversion. File photo by MEGHAN MYRACLE
A miracle, come-from-behind 18-yard touchdown from a fumble recovery by Marqui Christian, allowed the No. 9 Midwestern State Mustangs to walk out of Kimbrough Memorial with a 5248 victory over West Texas A&M Saturday in Canyon. The win gives the team its third Lone Star Conference championship in the last four years. According to athletic director Charlie Carr, the win also puts the Mustangs in good position for a post season run at the DII National Championship. “Everyone’s expectations are really high [for winning],” Carr said. “This town, this team and this campus expects the team to be successful. The team expects to be champions. They’ve been talking about winning since the first day of practice.” The Mustangs played a strong offensive game, gaining 317 rushing yards off of 43 carries. Keidrick Jackson carried on with his successful season for MSU, chalking up 133 yards and two touchdowns. Quarterback Brandon Kelsey also had a big game for the Mustangs, carrying for 100 yards and three touchdowns on the ground, as well as completing 14 out of his 22 passing attempts for 248 yards and one touchdown. Keivin Swanson led receivers with 91 yards on six receptions. The game was set to be a battle from the start, evidenced by the declaration of war on the Mustangs by the West Texas A&M student government, which was signed and made official earlier in the week. Both teams battled neck-andneck in the first half. The Mus-
tangs held the upper hand at the end of the first with a 14-10 lead thanks to a 16-yard touchdown run from Kelsey, and a 4-yard touchdown run from Jackson. Kelsey and Jackson both found the end zone in the second quarter as well, but it was the 21points the Buffs scored this quarter that gave them a 31-28 lead going into halftime. The Mustangs were quick to tie the game up in the third off a Greg Saladino kick, but the Buffs’ were able to score off of a 7-yard pass to Trevor Hammargren, followed by a 26-yard field goal from Sergio Castillo to extend their lead to 41-31. Kelsey found Strange for his one touchdown pass the following drive to keep the Buffs at bay with a 41-38 lead. With less than three minutes left, it seemed like a playoff berth was far out of reach for the Mustangs. West Texas’ Khiry Robinson had just caught a 6-yard pass from Dustin Vaughan to put the Buffs up 48-38. Determined not to go down without a fight, the Mustangs charged down the field in 46 seconds for a four play, 75-yard drive led by Kelsey to shorten the gap to 4845. Kelsey also ran in the 1-yard touchdown to cap off the drive. With two minutes left, all the Buffs had to do was run the clock out. An aggressive
Mustangs’ defense made that job hard for West Texas, though, forcing the Buffs to pass on third down and sacking Vaughn for a 5-yard loss. “Our greatest strength was the fact that we never gave up,” left guard Ken Van Heule said. “We kept fighting until the clock hit zero and we never lost our composure. West Texas’ weakness was they were getting frustrated towards the end and they lost [their composure].” Buffs’ punter Kevin Van Voris’ was all set for the fourth-and-long kick, but the snap sailed over his head that allowed for Christian’s touchdown run. “We just never quit,” Kelsey said. “We won the game because of that. The offensive line also played an important part in winning.” The Mustangs improve to 8-1 on the season with a 7-1 record in the LSC. The Mustangs will end the regular season at home on Sunday for Senior Day and Military Appreciation Day when they take on West Georgia Saturday at Memorial Stadium at 1 p.m.
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Mustangs defeat SAGU 72-64 in season opener DAMIAN ATAMENWAN SPORTS EDITOR
The Midwestern State basketball team kicked off its season with a 72-64 victory over Southwestern Assemblies of God University. However, the victory didn’t come easy for the Mustangs. SAGU had most of the first half under control as the halftime scoreboard read 37-34 in favor of the Lions. Head basketball coach Nelson Haggerty was displeased with the Mustangs’ performance thus he had a word with the home side at halftime. “We obviously didn’t play well in the first half and I challenged the guys to make improvements at half time and they stepped up,” he said. After a dreadful first half, MSU was able to make a comeback in the second half by playing without compromise. Monzaigo Williams scored 15 points including back-to-back three pointers in the second half. The new recruit was able to add four rebounds and seven assists to his repertoire. “Monzaigo was one of the guys I challenged at the point guard spot,” Haggerty said. “I really thought he played well in the second half. He did a great job pushing the basketball, finding
Patrick Smith makes a jump shot.
people and being aggressive.” Cam Adderley also proved his importance to the team on his debut with 12 points and eight rebounds. “Cameron showed a lot of toughness,” commented Haggerty. “He definitely made some tough plays. I was pretty excited about that.” Haggerty was also pleased with Corbin Thomas, who turned a new leaf defensively in the second half to make nine defensive rebounds alongside his 13 points. “I’m looking for him to do even more than he did in that half for us,” Haggerty said. “I am encouraged with how these guys are responding.” Yet, Haggerty criticized the defense, claiming the team could have kept the ball out of the paint as well as made better rotations. “Defensively we didn’t do a good job of keeping the ball out of the paint and our rotations weren’t very good,” he said. “I thought we could have rebounded a lot better than what we did.” Midwestern State opened its previous season with a 100-63 defeat over Mid-America Christian University – hence a larger score margin was expected from the Mustangs. The team, who left
Haggerty encouraged after a superb display at road scrimmage, didn’t seem to execute well at its first home game. “I think for our first home game we weren’t mentally prepared,” he said. “We did a lot of things that were uncharacteristic and out of our way of doing things. We didn’t play with a lot of enthusiasm and passion.” But with time, Haggerty said the team is expected to find their individual identity and get familiar with the roles in order to be tough, physical and aggressive for 40 minutes. “Everyone is trying to find an identity, maybe an individual identity with their roles on this basketball team,” Haggerty said. “I still believe we can be a good defensive team and I do believe offensively we can score but we just need to find that chemistry.” Monday night’s exhibition against Sul Ross State University was quite entertaining as the Mustangs defeated their guests 86-48. Keith Spellman contributed 21 points and led the Mustangs in scoring. The Mustangs will travel to Louisiana State-Shreveport in the Southwestern Oklahoma State Classic in Weatherford this Friday. Tipoff is set for 3 p.m.
Kevin Grayer dribbles past a defender.
Photo by MEGHAN MYRACLE
Photo by MEGHAN MYRACLE
MSU place seventh at Regional Championships DAMIAN ATAMENWAN SPORTS EDITOR
The cross country team was disappointed as its season came to an end after placing seventh at the NCAA Division II South Central Regional Championships at Willis Case Golf Course. MSU was not only unable to
Sports Around Campus
defend its title, but also failed to make the cut for the next round. "Regionals wasn’t fun,” said head cross country coach Koby Styles. “It’s tough competing with other runners who are used to running with a high altitude.” Janel Campbell led the Lady Mustangs at 26th after clocking
Texas Tech defeated the Women’s Basketball team 77-62 Sunday afternoon at the United Spirit Arena.
23:23. Abigail Gonzales came 56th as she clocked 24:23 while Michelle Kezonoski (24:43) and Kim Krezonoski (24:45) placed 67th and 70th in that order. “The twins happened to have an off day,” Styles said. Tylo Farrar (25:11.00) and Brittany Adams (26:30.00) fin-
ished 83rd and 121st to sum up the Lady Mustangs’ 238 points. Adams State University won the conference with 28 points while Western State Colorado University finished with 49 points at second place, Colorado-Colorado Springs scored 108 points at third, Colorado Mines
The Women’s Soccer team was eliminated from Lone Star Conference Postseason Tournament Friday night after losing 3-1 to West Texas A&M in the semifinals.
grabbed 132 points at fourth and West Texas A&M settled with 140 points for fifth. “The teams we ran against ran really well,” Styles said. “It was a rough two weeks and we had high hopes.” The Lady Mustangs plan on taking a break to recover from
After defeating Eastern New Mexico 3-0 Friday night, the Volleyball team lost 3-0 to West Texas A&M Saturday afternoon.
the recently concluded season and prepare for future meets. “We’re going to take a little break and start getting ready for indoor track,” Styles said. “I’m going to work diligently so these girls don’t have to feel this way again.”
The MSU Rugby team lost an exhibition game against the North Texas men’s club Saturday in Denton.