Feb. 25, 2022

Feb. 25, 2022 | thewichitan.com |Real Students. Real Stories. | Vol. 86 No. 10

CAMPUS VOICES: Pg 2

Reducing gun control can be a good thing.

BLACK HISTORY MONTH: Pg 6-7

“The Black Print” is this year’s theme for Black History Month at MSU. The Black History Month Committee defined the theme as ‘first to influence all aspects of life; past, present and future.’

ENTERTAINMENT: Pg 11

“Pokémon Legends: Arceus” is a game changer.

NEWS: Pg 3

ESPAÑOL: Pg 13

STANG STORIES: Pg 14

Bolin Science Hall welcomes new renovations.

Tacos y Tortas el Pelón sirve comida muy rica.

Kassidy Knight loves all things MSU.

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Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

2 E DI TOR I A L

The Wichitan en Español

Over the past years, MSU’s Hispanic student demographic has grown to 22.3% of the student population, one step closer to MSU becoming a Hispanic Serving Institution.

In light of this, The Wichitan has introduced The Wichitan en Español. This section will consist of Spanish translations of key Wichitan articles that document the MSU experience. The Wichitan en Español will also include original Spanish content. It will be the same Wichitan with a more inclusive approach to news reporting. The Wichitan en Español is just the beginning, in the future we hope to grow The Wichitan alongside the MSU community.

-----------------------------------------Durante los últimos años, la demografía Hispana ha crecido en MSU representando 22.3% de la población estudiantil, un paso más cerca para que MSU se convierta en una Institución de Servicio para los Hispanos.

A causa de esto, The Wichitan introduce The Wichitan en Español. Esta sección consistirá de traducciones de artículos que documentan la experiencia en MSU. The Wichitan en Español también va incluir contenido original en Español. Va ser el mismo Wichitan con un enfoque en reportajes más inclusivos. The Wichitan en Español es solo el principio, en el futuro la esperanza es que The Wichitan crezca con la comunidad de MSU.

Vol. 86 | No. 10 Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room D201 3410 Taft Blvd. | Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 wichitan@msutexas.edu | thewichitan.com @wichitanonline

More guns, safer world Columns are the opinions of only the authors and do not necesssarily reflect the views of The Wichitan as an organization.

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un control is one of the most debated discussions in the recent political climate.

Whether it is in Chicago, Dallas, Los Angeles or New York, there are always shootings going on. People Alan Quezada either fight for more gun control or against it. But how often do people think of reducing gun control?

In today’s climate, there are a plethora of issues like mental health, paranoia and crime. Imagine a solution that can help bring these three issues together. In 1318 the Scottish parliament made it a requirement that anyone with 10 pounds or more should be well-armed. This was back in 1318 when swords were commonly used. How can this be applied to today’s world?

Imagine that at the age of 21, the law

PHOTO COURTESY OF PNW PRODUCTION FROM PEXELS

Law HB 1927, taken into effect on Sept. 1, 2021, allows Texans to carry a handgun in a public place in Texas without a license to carry.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVID A LANDRY FROM PEXELS

In 2020, the Giffords Law Center ranked Texas’ gun laws as the 15th weakest in the country.

requires each law-abiding citizen to have a week off. During this week, there is a required mental health evaluation. If the citizen passes the evaluation, then extensive firearm courses covering safety requirements and de-escalation will follow. After these procedures are done, the citizen will be commissioned with a firearm, ammunition and a holster. Furthermore, the citizen will be required to carry the firearm either on their person or on their property- unless they go to bars or anywhere with alcohol. I’m looking at you Texas Alcohol and Beverage Commission.

Implementing a system that requires firearms will make more people aware. This is important in a world where women are on edge when walking at night and intruders kick doors in on couples with children.

People have the right to protect themselves by carrying a firearm. If most people carry a firearm, others will most likely think twice

Editor in Chief: Stephanie Robledo Managing Editor: Samuel Koone Design Editor: Omar Combie Photography Editor: Colin Stevenson Business Manager: Abigail Jones Social Media Manager: Rebekah Gardner Section Editors: Joseph Nelson, Thalia Doe Issue Staff: Joey Arthur, Marielena Castro, Javier Contreras, Natalie Cook, Danielle Hardin, Lizbeth Jaimes, Keza Muvunyi Advisor: Jonathon Quam

before committing a heinous crime. The extensive training and availability of guns will provide a sense of security. It is important to have the ability to protect oneself, as police officers do not always arrive in a timely manner and dangerous interactions can happen in seconds. Therefore, people should have their own protection and be responsible for their safety to help reduce these anxieties.

Of course, this can be related to crime because there is no telling what will happen in a life or death situation. If the choice is between your life or the other person’s, it is vital that you have the proper protection. Maybe this could help lower crime. Who would break into a house if they knew the owner had a firearm? Implementing a system of yearly or bi-yearly mental health checks and firearm courses could help further research and developments towards this plague attacking Americans.

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Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

B lin Science Hall welcomes new renovations and reopens planetarium ABIGAIL JONES, REPORTER olin Science hall has big renovation plans on its horizon. An approval process for the renovation plans is to take place over the next three years.

The dean’s office for the McCoy College of Science, Mathematics and Engineering has been laying out plans for how to maximize the space available in Bolin, according to Jackie Dunn, professor of physics.

“Some of the things we have [are] renderings of ideas: a welcome center when you enter, the building from this north side will be a more of a modern welcome,” James Johnston, Interim President, said. “Right now you walk in and it’s just hallways, classrooms, office so we’ll do that and it will be administrative offices and taking care of the students as

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they walk through the door. Then all of the labs have to be modernized and renovated creating more space, adding on to the building and moving some of the offices out [to] build in more of the lab spaces through the center.”

Dunn said the most of the renovations are in an effort to reconfigure Bolin and to provide more space for everyone, a modification, she said, that has been in the plans for a while and is now long overdue. Johnston said that these plans have also included upgrading other buildings and infrastructure on campus.

“The Capital Enhancement Funds we received from the state will allow us to move forward with the Bolin Science Hall. There are some infrastructure things, the maintenance tunnels that are

PHOTO BY ABIGAIL JONES | THE WICHITAN

The Bolin Planetarium plays “Oasis in Space,” which shows a view of Earth from space, Feb. 16.

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PHOTO BY ABIGAIL JONES | THE WICHITAN

Physics professor Jackie Dunn holds a “Celestial Buddy” representing the Sun, available for younger tour groups, Feb. 16. on campus, dredging Sikes Lake, there’s things like that that have to be maintained and kept up as well.

So, we’re looking at all of those and have the plans of how we would spend the money from the state that we received, and now it’s just a very tedious process to go through each of the steps to get to that point of having the money and starting the projects,” Johnston said. “Infrastructure moves through the center of [Bolin], if you try to move all of that outward its incredibly more expensive to do that, so they’re working with the existing building but really taking those apart restructuring modernizing and building all those.”

This modernizing will aid, not only in aesthetic value for the university, but also in recruitment and retention of students. Scientific equipment must be updated to best prepare students for their field, according to Dunn.

“It’s hard when you’re doing sciences to be in a space that is in any way outdated, so it’s nice to always kind of bring anything up to date just for the sake of that,” Dunn said. “Everybody pretty much has growing pains on campus, I think.

So, there’s never enough space. So, I know they’re looking forward to getting space in this building.”

Physics senior Kendra JeanJacques said that these upgrades are important for giving students handson experience and opportunities

within their fields. She also said that new things always improve student happiness in general.

“Honestly, I feel that it’s a great initiative and it’s always good to get upgraded equipment... I’m hoping that the upgrade has study areas for students to just chill and study. Also, a more appealing environment makes the students actually want to go there,” Jean-Jacques said. “Chemistry labs, physics labs, biology labs, mechanical engineering labs, just get all the labs upgraded because outside of the classes, outside of lecture, that’s what actually gives the students the hands-on training, the hands-on experience that they need. And it’s a practical way of putting what they learned in class into use, so if we have upgraded labs and upgraded equipment from the renovation, I’m pretty sure that will make lecture a lot more interesting.”

Dunn said that renovations in sciences can be expensive. It can cost up from 50 to 60 thousand dollars to upgrade the computers in Bolin Hall’s planetarium, another area that will be upgraded in this process.

When the pandemic arrived, the planetarium was closed, and with that, the planetary shows stopped.

The planetarium allows for a unique watching experience for students, Feb. 16. (Abigail Jones) “We shut down before the pandemic and so nobody came in this room because we weren’t doing

shows. There was no point. None of us around the country knew what would happen with the computers so we didn’t expect there to be any issues. When we came back in to reopen last summer, we were hoping to restart shows, and the computers wouldn’t turn on. They would just cycle power,” Dunn said.

Pandemic relief funds, specifically for technology issues, paid for planetarium computer repairs just in time before reopening this semester.

Dunn said the planetarium will begin shows again in April, something Jean-Jacques said she plans to come back and see again after she graduates this May. “With the planetarium I really think it’s extremely great that they’re reopening it. For the summer I see they already have in the cards to have planetarium sessions. It’s good to get students into science or, more particular, physics, to let them know more about the options that we have out there,” JeanJacques said. “Hopefully l can get to come back in the summer and just go through one of the sessions, because it’s a really nice feeling after going to conferences [when] you see the planetarium and the sessions that they have. I would like our students to experience that… [For] our sophomore and junior physics majors, it will be a really good feel for them, like they have something that belongs to them.”

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

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FACTS AND FIGURES OF MSU ENROLLMENT The future of enrollment

GRAPH BY OMAR COMBIE | THE WICHITAN

The column graph shows MSU Texas’ student enrollment each semester from Fall 2019 to Spring 2022, Feb. 24.

JOEY ARTHUR REPORTER nrollment numbers play a big part in campus decisions, not just at MSU but at any academic institution. Therefore, any changes in those numbers will result in concerns among students and faculty. With some rumors of declining student population at MSU, the Office of Enrollment Management and the Office of the President commented on recent changes.

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The state of enrollment

“As of this writing, compared to spring of 2021, we are considered flat in terms of enrollment. We are currently down approximately 30 students when compared to the spring of 2021, which is about half of a percent. Typically, less than a 1 percent swing up or down is considered flat. We have seen some really positive gains in dual credit enrollment, graduate enrollment, and freshmen retention. Our retention of freshmen from fall to spring was up 4%. This is really encouraging. There is no doubt that our recent enrollment declines have been a result of the pandemic and students holding off college,”

Frederic Dietz, vice president of enrollment management, said.

MSU interim president James Johnston discussed enrollment changes over time. He said that student applications and retention are rising.

“We started at I think it was 5,797 so about 5,800. Historically from fall to spring, you lose some students, we just refer to it as a melt...This year we...worked really hard to both support our students and help them move forward. We gained some ground, our retention rate is up 4% over last year...

In fall and spring, you enroll some new students, but you have to hold on to the ones that you have here and help them be successful. [We] gained a little ground in that, which is what I wanted to do and fall is looking particularly strong.

We compare day to day, so we’ll compare February 16 of ‘21 with February 16 of ‘22 and just kind of see how we’re trending. Any given day we’re trending between 20 and 25% more applications and admitted students than last year,” Johnston said.

Enrollment declines and increases are experienced by many universities and are usually managed through target-based strategies and tactics. The administrative staff detailed attempts to maintain enrollment with strategies like the renovation of Bolin Hall to attract more students to the sciences and campaigning of the music department’s Red River Valley project to high schools across Texas.

“I have appointed a campus-wide enrollment and retention task force at the end of September and this is across campus. It’s every-

body being a part of I think there’s 60 being directly a part of the task force and a number of others that are subcommittees that are working on different pieces of it. I think people want a single solution, one lever you pull and everything gets better with enrollment in growing a university.

It’s a very complex undertaking, there are a million little things that have to be done and they collectively move us forward...There’s not a single concise easy answer for you, but it’s all the little things that are starting to add up,” Johnston said.

The Office of Enrollment Management has high hopes for the Summer of 2022 and the 2022-2023 academic school year. Their hopes lie in the rise in campus tours, number of freshmen from spring of 2021 to 2022 and inflow of transfer applications for the upcoming academic year. Deitz spoke on the future of MSU and what to expect in the fall.

“The fall 2022 outlook looks very promising. Admitted freshmen applications are up 30%, we are seeing more partnerships with schools for dual credit enrollment and our retention rates are on the rise. Also,

graduate enrollment remains strong and contributes greatly to our overall enrollment numbers. Additionally, international students appear to be more willing to attend college in the US despite the pandemic, so we anticipate a jump in new international enrollment as well,” Dietz said.

Conclusion

The effects of the enrollment decline can be felt campus-wide. As a result, decisions like shutting down Pierce Hall to conserve housing costs are being made.

“Occupancy numbers drive housing decisions and are a reflection of what’s happening with the larger enrollment profile. Like our peer institutions, we’ve seen occupancy dips related to smaller freshman classes and as a result of students choosing to live at home and commute to campus during the pandemic,” Kristi Schulte, director of residence life and housing, said. “At this moment, we currently have over 400 open spaces on campus spread throughout all of our residential areas.”

GRAPH BY OMAR COMBIE | THE WICHITAN

Pie chart shows the racial/ethnic breakdown of MSU’s student population in Spring 2022, Feb. 24.

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

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Creating a value-based culture M S U ce l eb rate s n e wly - f o r m ed co re va lu e s

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Associate professor Bradley Wilson talks with various other guests at the Core Values celebration, Feb. 18.

JAVIER CONTRERAS REPORTER SU celebrated its core values on Friday, Feb. 18 at a come-and-go social event from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. in Clark Student Center. The five core values for the university are: people-centered, community, integrity, visionary and connections. James Johnston, interim president, said that a values-based culture allows people to interact with one another in a respectful and courteous manner. Johnston also said that establishing a values-based culture is not uncommon for Texas Tech University System schools.

“A values-based culture is, in my opinion, a hallmark of the Texas Tech University System. The reason we’ve enjoyed interacting with each other system-wide is people living their values, treating each other with the respect and courtesy adhering to

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those values. So stepping into the system, we’ve always had our core values here at the university, it’s nothing new to us. I mean, we have people that retired after 50 years here, so you have to love a place to spend your entire career, so it’s not like we were without values. I wanted to start those from the very beginning because again it’s a fit with the system, it aligns us with the system, but more importantly, it gives a name and a voice to something we’ve always known here. Once you do that, it’s a reminder to us [that] this is who we are and this is how we intend to treat each other. It becomes a reminder after that,” Johnston said.

The original values summit was held Sept. 28-29, 2021. 109 members of MSU faculty, staff and students gathered to discuss values that could potentially be added to MSU’s core values list. That number has now

grown to over 350 individuals who have added their input on the final core values through a series of townhall-style meetings. Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs, is a member of the committee that met to establish the core values. Lamb said that MSU has operated under a certain set of values for a long time but creating the core values list really helped to define what those values are.

“These core values are the values that Midwestern has had for a long time. This process has just kind of been about codifying those, about giving a name to those values, kind of shining a light on those,” Lamb said.

People-centered means engaging others with respect, empathy, and joy. Community means cultivating a diverse and inclusive campus environment. Integrity means always do-

ing the right thing. Visionary means adopting innovative ideas to pioneer new paths. Connections mean valuing relationships with broader communities. Lamb said that four of the values MSU chose are fairly specific to how MSU faculty, staff and students work with one another everyday, but the fifth value, ‘connections,’ is all about how MSU community members relate with the world beyond campus.

“People-centered, community, integrity, visionary, those are all very MSU centered. The fifth value, connections, is fairly unique and that is all about how we interact with outside of MSU. How do we interact with our local community? How do we interact with local business? How do we work outside of the walls of Midwestern to make sure that our students, our faculty and our staff live and work in a vibrant community where there is opportunity?” Lamb said.

Lamb said that even though the final core values have been chosen, the real work is only just beginning.

He also said that it is up to the MSU community to incorporate these values into its future.

“The real work happens from here though, because now it’s making sure that we put structures in place as an institution to help facilitate these values being a part of our everyday lives at Midwestern. It’s been a part of our past, but how do we make this part of our future in a very sustainable way? So that’s really kind of what we’re focused on from here on out,” Lamb said.

Cecil Witherspoon, mass communication junior, attended some of the town hall meetings that were held in order to help shape the core values.

Witherspoon said that while attending some of the town hall meetings he noticed that it seemed like almost everyone wanted the same thing: to be heard. He said that inclusion was a key component of the town hall meetings and that it is evident in the final product.

“The biggest thing I noticed was that there was a ton of emphasis being put on making sure that we’re kind of like meeting this wave of the future of being open to everyone, of being inclusive to everyone, of making sure everyone has a place, everyone has a voice. If things have to be done to make sure that their voice is heard properly, that we’re going to commit to do those things. And I mean that was like across the board.

Everyone wanted that in this process, and I think you see that reflected in the final core values,” Witherspoon said.

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Guests grab food at the Core Values celebration, Feb. 18.

GRAPHICS COURTESY OF MSUTEXAS.EDU

Icons representing MSU’s five core values (left to right): integrity, community, people-centered, connections and visionary.

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

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BLACK HISTO

PHOTO BY SKY BARRON | THE WAI-KUN

Students sit together and enjoy the food and music of the Soul Food Social, Feb. 17.

STEPHANIE ROBLEDO EDITOR IN CHIEF he Black Print is this year’s theme for Black History Month at MSU. The Black Print is defined by the Black History Month Committee as ‘the first to influence all aspects of life; past, present, and future.’ This reflects Black History Month, which celebrates the achievements of Black Americans and recognizes their importance throughout US history.

“The Black History Month committee came up with the Black Print, looking at the different contributions that African Americans have played a part in within the United States’ history. The promotional shirts say “It’s influential in all aspects of life past present and future.”

There’s so many things that Black American culture has cultivated and it’s continuously growing. People are constantly expanding on it. We’re constantly going back in time. We’re kind of bringing things to the forefront. There are things currently happening that are setting precedent for things that are happening in

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the future. I think that was the goal of why we chose to focus on that as a whole for the month and having the past, the present and the future, all aspects of life,” Jamilah Kangudja, coordinator of MOSAIC programs, said.

The Black History Month Committee came together to plan MSU’s Black History Month events. Within the committee, there was an education subcommittee that worked to provide information on Black History.

“We wanted to have events that encourage socialization and observe the Black History Month, but we also wanted to have events that people would feel they can be a part of and want to come out to. We can also promote our Black culture, Black history,” Gabriel Ling, Black History Month committee member and mechanical engineering junior, said. “We also had an engagement bar which was part of the educational aspect…which was very important because as great as having events [is], we are obviously going to push why we observe Black History Month and what’s important in our community and society, so we also add an edu-

cational aspect towards it. These events were chosen because we felt they would best suit our community, the student population and also promote observance.”

The month began with the exhibition opening reception of The Legends Project: Charlye Ola Farris, a traveling exhibition that honors Charlye Farris, the first African American woman licensed to practice law in Texas, become an attorney in Wichita County and serve as a judge in the South since Reconstruction.

The week was then followed by snow days that called for a rescheduling of events.

“The committee is responsible for three events that have been on this calendar. We’ve had the intro event which was supposed to be the Aux Wars, but the snow days kind of pushed the event back. But we decided instead of doing that event that we would do the soul food social,” Kangudja said. “The soul food social was our intro welcoming event for Black History Month or kick-off event if you want to call it. Because of the snow day, we still wanted to do something so we did do a snowed-in kick-

back for students to come to in the Legacy MPR.” Events that followed were hosted by organizations across campus such as the Wichita Falls Museum of Art, the Black Student Union, Speakers & Issues Committee and the Department of World Languages & Cultures. The Black History Month Committee also included the Wichita Falls community by partnering with 9th Street Studios to host the 9th Street Studios Artist Talkback with Jackie “Juba” Davis.

“We also worked with 9th Street Studios to get an artist named Juba to come here and talk about his art, but more importantly really just talk about his story and it was an emphasis on trauma, talking about trauma and then seeing how he turns something like trauma into artwork and how it turned him into the person he is today,” Kangudja said.

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

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ORY MONTH Other groups within MOSAIC such as WISE and MOCA, groups that focus on women and men of color, hosted events. The LGBTQ+ STAND Council Coordinator, Bella Muniz, hosted a poetry night to acknowledge James Baldwin, a Black American poet.

“It was just all little ways to make sure we kind of commemorated people, acknowledge people and kind of cel-

ebrated those contributions that Black people have made,” Kangudja said.

When speaking on the importance of having Black History Month events at MSU, Ling says it’s important to remember the positive. Ling points to Carter Woodson, who wanted to commemorate and celebrate the achievements of Black people. Woodson started Negro Week in February, which developed into Black History Month.

“These events are very important because they help us remember all our input into society, especially Black people. We tend to focus so much on the negative sometimes and that’s

not a good thing because we’re so ready to involve in any movement towards the negative side, speaking out against racism…but then we forget sometimes that we should also be more positive. Look at the positive impact of our people. Look at the accomplishments and celebrate those,” Ling said.

Black History Month Committee was going to host the last event for Black History Month, the Black Excellence Gala. However, due to icy roads, the event and classes were canceled.

“Yes, the snow has affected us twice, but through it all, we’re still grateful that we could have got the events that we did have and they

were pretty successful. I am happy for that,” Ling said.

“Look at the positive impact of our people. Look at the accomplishments and celebrate those.”

GABRIEL LING

Black History Month committee member and mechanical engineering junior on the importance of Black History Month events

PHOTO BY SKY BARRON | THE WAI-KUN

MOSAIC coordinator Jamilah Kangudja speaks to students at the Soul Food Social, Feb. 17.

PHOTO BY SKY BARRON | THE WAI-KUN

Students go down the line to get food at the Soul Food Social, Feb. 17.

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

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A look into the new procedures of Student Government Association trying to provide resources for the student body [are also big wins]… I’m on the presidential search committee and I can’t say too much about that but the work that the Tech system’s putting in to make sure we have the resources to make these decisions and do what we have to do is phenomenal. We’re definitely getting a lot of help from them so that’s been a fun role and satisfying for me to see.”

One of the most popular changes made by Strode’s administration this academic year has been the addition of breakout groups during senate meetings to encourage conversations. Many senators say that this has made it much easier to get everyone involved. Eric Queller, business administration junior and chair of campus environment, outlined this change.

PHOTO BY BAILEY GRAHAM | THE WICHITAN

Previously Diversity and Inclusion Chairwoman, sociology junior Brittany Roberts has become the Vice President of SGA, Feb. 7, 2021.

SAMUEL KOONE MANAGING EDITOR s MSU nears a halfway point in the spring semester, the members of the new student government administration inch closer and closer to completing their terms. With each new administration comes new officers, agendas and changes to SGA meetings. This year’s administration is no exception. Zetta Cannedy, political science junior and SGA publicity chair, described the transition between administrations.

“I think it’s been really good. I also have to say, there was a good partnership between Austin and Shelbi but also between the vice presidents Crege and Brittany so it kind of helped the whole executive administration transition because they all have really good partnerships. Shelbi and Crege definitely helped pave the way for the next executives,” Cannedy said.

One of the most important members of a new student government administration is the president. The SGA president appoints a cabinet and acts as a face for the university, among other duties. Current SGA president and economics senior Aus-

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tin Strode described the process of selecting his cabinet for the year.

“The approach that I took was to build a cabinet as soon as I can over the summer so that that way we can hit the ground running. Some of the challenges with that were finding people, cause it’s a fairly big commitment...But I tried to fill every single position, from positions that historically in SGA, such as the observer positions, haven’t necessarily been filled, just so that when I’m having my cabinet meeting, I can have as many different inputs and voices to help better MSU…I’d say that’s the biggest change I put in as far as meetings go,” Strode said.

Strode felt that the two major successes of his administration were increasing senator engagement and collaborating with the Texas Tech system. He mentioned how rewarding it was seeing progress in these areas.

“Last fall just after every senate meeting, talking and hanging out with senators and stay by other members of SGA and just getting to see all the interaction [are major victories],” Strode said. “I’d have to say the Tech system, learning those resources and

“To me, this is the most beneficial thing that has been done for SGA and specifically in senate meetings, in quite a while...”

questions,” Cannedy said.

However, some of the new administration’s policies have not been universally praised. A stronger emphasis on dress code from the president has frustrated some senators and made attending meetings more difficult for them. Chad Callender, math and computer science senior and math club senator, said that dress code has been more heavily enforced than in past years.

“Before, it was mainly a thing that was stated but not really enforced but it seems our president is really adamant about enforcing it…calling us out for not dressing up. One meeting we didn’t have the attire, and he kind of made the comment in his report…On that end it just made it more of a burden honestly. I understand you want to get stuff done and everything but at the same time this is really just students who are just taking their time out and as I usu-

ally explain, I don’t have time to go home and get clothes. I work and go straight to SGA meeting so if I forget, then what am I going to do?” said Callender.

Some students say that the dress code can make SGA more intimidating and less accessible. Reyna Starks, PRIDE senator, discussed her personal experiences with the dress code.

“I think as long as you show up to the meeting and you’re participating and you’re paying attention, it shouldn’t matter what you’re wearing. I think there are a few people that don’t show up to the meetings because of that. I can’t afford nice clothes, so I do my best…There have been times that I didn’t want to go because I would’ve been embarrassed of myself you know, because I would show up in clothes that aren’t deemed formal but everyone else was in nice suits and stuff,” Starks said.

ZETTA CANNEDY

Political Science Junior and SGA publicity chair on the round-table discussions in senate meetings

“We’ve implemented kind of like a round-table discussion at the senate meetings where it gives us a chance to break out into smaller groups where people feel more comfortable to approach the executives and approach the board, the chairs on the president’s board to just see what they’re concerned about, what they like and what they don’t like,” Queller said.

Cannedy praised these round table discussions. She mentioned that they can help ease the anxieties of shy SGA members.

“To me, this is the most beneficial thing that has been done for SGA and specifically in senate meetings, in quite a while…Sometimes some senators don’t want to get up and talk about things that need to be fixed because it can be scary talking in front of people. Instead, we stay at our tables. We talk with a group of other senators and usually an executive…[and] they give us different

PHOTO COURTESY OF AUSTIN STRODE

Economics senior Austin Strode is the president of MSU’s Student Government Association.

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

9

FORMULA SAE STARTS ENGINES FOR UPCOMING COMPETITION

PHOTO COURTESY OF AJ LOPEZ III

PHOTO COURTESY OF AJ LOPEZ III

Mechanical engineering senior and head of safety Jacob Rowland and mechanical engineering senior Mechanical engineering senior and chief engineer Trevor Snyder and mechanical engineering Trevor Snyder determine whether the main frame of the chassis is completely level as within sophomore and executive director Chris Paulson discuss their FSAE project at the Sikes Lake tolerance to avoid any issues before moving forward, Feb. 1. recreation center workshop, Feb. 1.

COLIN STEVENSON REPORTER hrough planning, cooperation and testing, MSU’s Formula SAE team will build a racecar that will compete against other colleges. The organization, formed this academic year, has high hopes and aspirations for the upcoming competition.

“It’s a huge program, and it wasn’t easy getting started,” Chris Paulson, mechanical engineering sophomore and executive director of FSAE, said.

Paulson was socializing with two friends, mechanical engineering seniors Trevor Snyder and Jacob Rowland, when he proposed that they start a Formula SAE team at MSU. They agreed to work together and started planning soon after. Along the way, the group picked up other members, like mechanical engineering and computer science junior Sharome Burton.

“A big forward step for me was when we actually toured University of Texas at Arlington,” Burton said.

“We actually got to see the cars in action and got our hands on them. That was what really sparked my full commitment to the cause.”

Over time, the organization gained more members, sponsors and

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faculty support, reaching its current state. The team has been putting in numerous hours of labor to get the car ready for competition. Over 30 members have contributed to the project, and 10 are intensely involved.

“It’s an incredibly demanding program, but the rewarding feeling you get whenever you see something…you’ve built on the computer and now is here in front of you…it’s a bit surreal,” Paulson said.

The team is working on a Formula One style car that will compete against other colleges in three aspects: a non-moving test, a moving test and a business proposal test. On the engineering side, the team splits its workload across teams focusing on subsystems of the car. For example, Snyder is head of suspension, Burton is head of chassis and ergonomics and Rowland is head of safety. Meanwhile, other members focus

on the business test, preparing marketing and working with sponsors to maintain a budget for the engineers.

“What [you’re] going to do in a workplace is work together with other parts of the business world, the marketing world, and other engineers…you’re going to end up being a cohesive unit to make a product,” Snyder said.

Formula SAE is looking to provide these experiences not only to engi-

PHOTO COURTESY OF AJ LOPEZ III

Mechanical engineering senior and head of suspension Trevor Snyder works with a blowtorch, Feb. 1.

neering students, but all fields. It offers opportunities similar to those found at internships and workplaces while being on campus. “[FSAE] is as real as you can get, as far as engineering experience goes, without actually being in a professional workplace,” Paulson said.

Being executive director of FSAE landed Paulson an internship with Gulf States Toyota in Houston. He and his teammates believe that the organization will allow future members to find similar benefits.

“My CAD skills have grown leaps and bounds since joining MSU FSAE,” Burton said. “Designing parts that will be unique to our car has been the biggest catalyst to building that skillset, more so than any course I’ve had so far.”

MSU’s Formula SAE team will be visiting Michigan from May 18 to May 21 to compete with their completed car. Before then, there will be an unveiling for the finished car to come in the next couple of months.

Jacob Rowland expressed his excitement as a part of the program.

“I looked at this as an opportunity to invest in myself and invest into a program that’s the first of its kind at the university,” Rowland said.

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

10

ENTER INTO “EUPHORIA” E

pisode 7 is by far the most intriguing one yet. This isn’t an episode that you can watch while glancing at your phone, it requires your full attention, or you’ll miss many important elements. While the Natalie Cook episode revolves around Lexi’s (Maude Apatow) play, we are still given plenty of side stories to supplement that storyline. One thing was clear to me from the start. Lexi is an expert eavesdropper, and I now look at her a different light.

Rue (Zendaya) took a backseat for this episode, but what we did see was encouraging.

She might finally get clean, but we’ve thought that before. Rue was heavily in the spotlight for the last two episodes, so it felt very fitting that more time was given to other characters. The small scenes we saw with Fezco (Angus Cloud) were filled undertones of danger, and a feeling that situations could escalate at any second.

But in true Euphoria fashion, we won’t know about that until next week.

If you haven’t gotten this from my past two reviews- I have a soft spot for Cassie (Sydney

EPISODE 7

Sweeney), and have since the first season. After last week, I was hoping to see that things were looking up for her. However, thanks to Lexi’s play, some of her hardest moments and biggest trials are on display for the whole school. Imagine having your most personal experiences put in a play without your consent. That’s her reality. Cassie also seems to be changing a lot of herself for Nate (Jacob Elordi). This whole season we’ve seen her working tirelessly to be perfect and get Nate’s attention, and now that she has it, she still seems to be constantly trying to be enough. Her mental health has been steadily declining, and this play will surely push her over the edge.

One thing I’d like to touch on is Nate’s terrifying dream towards the end of the episode.

It provided some of the most unsettling scenes yet... and there’s been a lot of those. This dream was really confusing, as many of the main characters morphed into one another in front of Nate’s eyes, until Cal (Eric Dane) shows up. It hints at Nate being abused by Cal, and that the abuse may be much worse than we suspected in season 1. Unfortunately, Nate has more coming his way, thanks to Lexi’s next music number.

The 3-minute-long lip sync/orgy set to “Holding Out for a Hero” by Bonnie Tyler featured Ethan (Austin Abrams) as Nate, receiving oral sex and engaging in other acts. This vulgar display made Nate visibly distraught, rightfully so.

He’s in a relationship with Cassie, and now the whole school is watching him being portrayed in an orgy with the football team. Not only was this scene uncomfortable to watch, but way too graphic. I don’t care what he has done in previous episodes; this was wrong on so many levels.

Again, this could be the director trying to incite sympathy for Nate. It is probable, but, from what I’ve seen, people still hate Nate.

This episode’s villain is Lexi, alhough many might disagree. First off, this play would never be allowed in any school due to the graphic nature and the outrageously expensive set design.

She uses pieces of the lives of those around her to craft a show that manages to highlight the downfalls and mistakes of everyone- except for herself. I find it incredibly cruel of her to put on this play while all of the characters are going through their own issues, even her own sister!

Many of the scenes in her play were portrayed in a way that made people laugh, but at the ex-

pense of those Lexi “loves.” I had second-hand embarrassment for the characters whose lives were being poked fun at on stage. Many think Nate is terrible, that Cassie is a back-stabber, or that Rue’s drug usage is fair game for material, but no one deserves what this play put them through. I know Lexi was trying to make something of herself, but how did she ever think this was okay to do?

I give this episode a rating of 4/5 stars. The cinematography, composition and acting was incredible. Emotions were intense, scenes were dramatic and symbolism flowed through every scene. The reason I took one star off is because I feel the episode spent too much time glorifying Lexi and actions. I wish we had seen more of Fezco and I still need to know where Cal went.

Hopefully next week will deliver. On Feb. 27, the season finale will air, and I have high hopes of getting much-needed answers.

Natalie’s Episode Rating: 4/5

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

11

“Pokémon Legends: Arceus” is the reboot Pokémon needed

SCREENSHOT BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

SCREENSHOT BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Akari is a fellow member of the Survey Corps. and acts as a friend to your character in the After some beginning missions in the game, you gain the ability to summon certain Pokémon story, Feb. 6. which you can ride to travel the game world more quickly, Jan. 30.

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he latest installment in the Pokémon franchise, “Pokémon Legends: Arceus” is the breath of fresh air the series desperColin ately needed. Game Stevenson Freak, the developers of the main series, had stuck to their turn-based RPG system closely for many years now and it was starting to feel very repetitive. After multiple decades, Game Freak has decided to revamp Pokémon bottom-up and create what might be the best Pokémon game in years. However, while the core gameplay is a great new direction, it can feel like the shell around it is still in beta. A lacking story, mediocre visuals and occasional bugs can mar an otherwise fantastic experience.

To start, let’s clear the baggage.

The story is unfortunately quite forgettable. (Spoilers!) Your character is sent to the past from a different time with no memories of your former life.

You join a village and are set to research and study Pokémon to create the first PokeDex, which is a journal, unlike the pocket computer of the past games. You deal with two clashing clans, frenzied warden Pokémon and gods of space and time. It sounds like a promising setup, but falls short

with forgettable characters, poor dialogue and cutscenes that felt like they were created with a very cheap RPG maker. While story is rarely a strong point in Pokémon games, it feels emphasized here with the new gameplay style, making it that much more of a letdown.

“After multiple decades, Game Freak has decided to revamp Pokémon bottom-up and create what might be the best Pokémon game in years.”

much gameplay saves this game.

Legends: Arceus completely redefines the monster-collecting formula with an open-world style involving stealth elements. Rather than being forced to catch Pokémon only through battle, you can now hide behind rocks and tall grass and even use smoke bombs to create openings to throw Pokeballs at the Pokémon scattered across the different re-

gions. This new mechanic alone adds a ton of variety as you take different approaches to catching diverse Pokémon and completing the various research tasks necessary to complete their PokeDex entry. This mechanic leads into battles as well. To start a battle in the wild, you throw your own Pokémon’s ball at your enemy,

“There may be a lack of polish at times, but I thoroughly enjoyed playing through this game.”

COLIN STEVENSON

COLIN STEVENSON

Photograhpy Editor of The Wichitan

Photograhpy Editor of The Wichitan

Beyond story, the game doesn’t run particularly smoothly. Visually, while the game isn’t unappealing, it’s only adequate. The art style doesn’t feel particularly inspired and the inconsistent draw distance, frame rate drops and object pop-in don’t help.

The worst part of this is the map.

It’s split into a few different regions, which take away significantly from the open-world feel, and has very few objects to interact with, despite fascinating ruins and caves allowing for many. It almost feels like it was rushed to be finished.

Now that the negatives are out of the way, I cannot emphasize how

and if you hit their back, you earn move priority over your opponent.

All of these mechanics combine to make catching ‘em all more fun than ever.

Speaking of battles, Game Freak turned the old system on its head by doing away with guaranteed turns and changing to a move priority system. Rather than everyone getting a turn each round and deciding who goes first based on stats and certain moves, Game Freak expands upon this by allowing you to move twice or more in a row with the right strategy.

Your initial speed is set by a combination of your Pokémon’s speed stat

on “Pokémon Legends: Arceus”

on “Pokémon Legends: Arceus”

SCREENSHOT BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

“Pokémon Legends: Arceus” has a building which acts as a small photo studio where you pose alongside your Pokémon and use filters and different backdrops, Jan. 30.

and the way you enter the battle.

However, after that, moves have influence on when you move next, especially with the addition of strong and agile style moves. The former hits harder and gives your opponent the option of moving more than once in a row, while the latter hits weaker but gives you a higher chance of moving again. This, combined with the new way Pokémon can change moves between battles, creates a whole new approach to battle strategy. The biggest downside to this system is that it can’t be enjoyed with friends, as online or local battles are not available in this title.

I may seem very critical of this game, and that’s only because Game Freak is on the edge of something truly great. There may be a lack of polish at times, but I thoroughly enjoyed playing through this game. If you’re willing to be an early adopter, pick up this game. If not, I expect Game Freak to polish this formula in future titles, so pick up its sequels when they release.

Colin’s Game Rating: 4/5

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

12

“Tick, Tick… BOOM!”

es la película, si te gustan los musicales

FOTO CORTESÍA DE NETFLIX INC.

Andrew Garfield como Jonathan Larson mientras trabaja en el Moondance Diner, 2022.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX INC.

Andrew Garfield es el actor principal en “Tick, Tick...BOOM!”

l musical “Tick, Tick… BOOM!” es un drama biográfico sobre la vida del escritor y compositor Jonathan Larson, representado por Andrew Garfield. Otros actoDanielle res en la película son Robin Hardin de Jesús como Michael el mejor amigo de Larson, y Alexandra Shipp como su novia. La película cubre un mes en la vida de Larson cuando luchaba por ser reconocido en Nueva York en el año 1990.

Había muchas actuaciones fuertes en esta película. Es obvio que Garfield estudió las imágenes de Larson para entender cómo el escritor se movía y se expresaba.

Garfield comenzó su carrera en el teatro antes de actuar para las películas, entonces éste fue un buen retorno, volver a lo que hacía al principio. De Jesús hizo un trabajo fantástico representando al personaje Michael, quien, en mi opinión, lleva la mayoría de la narrativa emocional. Michael fue

FOTO CORTESÍA DE NETFLIX INC.

Co-stars Andrew Garfield y Robin de Jesus como Jonathan Larson y Micheal, 2022. un actor pero renunció a su sueño por un trabajo regular en publicidad, permitiéndole vivir una vida más cómoda que la de Larson. La audiencia lo ve como la antítesis de Larson, porque él está enfocado en la vida real y el otro está enfocado en vivir su sueño. El clímax de la historia se enfoca en una revelación sobre Michael y que le da fuerza a Jonathan para continuar su sueño de escritor y compositor.

La música destacada en la película son composiciones originales de Larson, por eso el título es el mismo de un musical. La partitura tiene muchos elementos de rock y jugó con palabras complejas que era innovador para el tiempo. Sin embargo, es fácil ver que las otras obras no eran populares. Las canciones son originales e interesantes, pero no memorables.

También, sirve como una advertencia para los artistas. A lo largo de la película, Larson tiene un conflicto interno con la idea de cumplir 30 años y tratando de producir su musical ignora a todas sus relacio-

nes y amistades. En esto, y otras acciones que pasan en la película, la audiencia ve el peligro de la obsesión con el arte. Este tema ha continuado en las otras obras de Larson.

Aficionados de Larson y su popular musical “Rent” serán capaces de ver la influencia del tema de la obsesión con el arte musical y la vida real del escritor.

La película termina con imágenes del Jonathan Larson real y un monólogo sobre cómo él escribió el musical “Rent,” y cómo inspiró al mundo del teatro musical. El director y productor Lin-Manuel Miranda hizo un gran trabajo honrando la vida y obra de Larson y todo lo que hizo para el teatro. Mi conclusión sobre la película es que es un gran tributo a Larson y un musical que los aficionados del teatro musical disfrutarán por un largo tiempo.

Evalución de Danielle: 4/5

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

13

tacos y tortas el pelón

FOTO POR SAMUEL KOONE | THE WICHITAN

Tacos y Tortas el Pelón ofrece muchas carnes tal como asada, barbacoa, chorizo y más, Feb. 22.

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FOTO POR SAMUEL KOONE | THE WICHITAN

Dueño Gerardo “el Pelón” sirve comida en el camión de tacos, Feb. 22.

acos y Tortas el Pelón es un camión de tacos que se movía alrededor del centro de Wichita Falls. Ahora está Marielena estacionado en el Castro centro de Wichita Falls en un lugar conocido como “The Yard”. El dueño de este camión de tacos, Gerardo Saldaña, tiene unas tortas y tacos muy ricos. Tiene dos meses que se acaban de mudar a esta nueva ubicación y muy pronto tendrán dos camiones de tacos. Uno estacionado en “The Yard” y otro por las calles del centro de Wichita Falls.

La nueva dirección del camión Tacos y Tortas El Pelón es 703 Ohio Ave Wichita Falls Texas. El restaurante está abierto de lunes a miércoles de las once de la mañana hasta las 3 de la tarde, y de 5 de la tarde hasta las 8 de la noche. De jueves a sábado está abierto de las once de la mañana hasta las 3 de la tarde, y de 5 de la tarde hasta las once de la noche. En esta nueva ubicación tienen mesas, baños, televisor y muy

pronto tendrán “El Bar.” Hablé con la dueña y “El Bar” estará abierto dentro de un mes, tendrán el televisor para cantar y juegos, cuando el clima esté un poco mejor.

“Las quesadillas estaban muy ricas y también muy grandes y llenadoras” MARIELENA CASTRO Reportera

sobre la comida de Tacos y Tortas El Pelón

Muchas personas van por los tacos y las tortas como dice el nombre de este camión de tacos. Yo probé las dos cosas en dos ocasiones diferentes.

La primera vez que me topé con este camión fue después de una noche muy larga, se me antojaron unos tacos. ¡Y de pronto vi el camión! Pedí cuatro tacos, dos de carne asada y dos de al pastor. Las tortillas eran un poco chicas pero eso es lo de menos.

Le eche salsa a los tacos y cuando le di la primera mordida, mmm sabía tan rico. Hubiera ordenado cuatro más pero ya estaban cerrando. Me

dije a mí misma que iba a regresar para probar las tortas.

Cuando regresé para probar las tortas ya estaban localizados en el lugar conocido como “The Yard”. Las tortas son grandes y tienes opciones de diferentes carnes. Hay de asada, barbacoa, chorizo, tinga, al pastor y de campechana que es chorizo y asada. Yo no podía decidir si quería de asada o de al pastor, la dueña fue tan amable en preguntarme si quería de las dos carnes. Y eso fue lo que pedí, una torta de carne asada y de al pastor. También me dijo que todo el mes de febrero van a tener tortas con el pan en forma de corazón, esto me emocionó mucho porque yo adoro el día del amor y la amistad. Definitivamente regresaré para probar una torta en forma de corazón.

En mi opinión las tortas y tacos estaban muy ricos, también pude probar las quesadillas que son otra opción en su menú. Las quesadillas estaban muy ricas y también muy grandes y llenadoras, lo único que no me gustó mucho fue el arroz, pero porque yo estoy acostumbrada al

arroz que mi mamá y yo comemos.

Aparte del arroz todo estaba muy rico, la forma en que los dueños me trataron fue espectacular.

Definitivamente regresaré y recomendaré este camión de tacos.

FOTO POR SAMUEL KOONE | THE WICHITAN

Tacos de carne asada son unos de varios alimentos en el camión de tacos, Feb. 22.

VALUACIÓN DE MARIELENA: 5/5 SERVICIO: 5/5 LIMPIEZA: 5/5 CALIDAD DE LA COMIDA: 5/5

Feb. 25, 2022 Campus Voices | News | Black History Month | SGA | Formula SAE | Entertainment | Español | Stang Stories

14

GO STATE! EVERYTHING MSU HAS GIVEN K ASSIDY KNIGHT THALÍA DOE FEATURE EDITOR assidy Knight spent all four years of her college career here at MSU. A Wichita Falls native, Knight said that she always had her mind set on attending Midwestern.

K

A MUSTANG AT HEART “From a young age, I knew I was going to go to MSU. Since I’m from here, it’s so close to home and I liked the feeling and having the option to go home whenever I needed or wanted to. I also wanted to make the cheer team, which I did. That’s honestly what did it for me, I didn’t really have any other schools I wanted to attend,” Knight said. “I love

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Accounting senior Kassidy Knight is held up by cheerleaders kinesiology senior DanLee Duncan, mechanical engineering junior Robert Hollingsworth and nursing senior Asleigh Miller as they all stand in front of the bonfire, Oct. 29, 2021.

everything about MSU and Wichita Falls. The falls is the perfect size to me. It’s not too big. It’s not too small.”

When Knight first came to MSU, her major was undecided. However, after taking a business class then accounting…she knew what she wanted to study.

“I was undecided coming in as a freshman, then I took business and honestly fell in love with it and then I took an accounting and class and that’s how it all started…now I just need to get ready for the Certified Public Accountant Exam. Even though I’ll get my degree and can work in accounting, having the CPA certification will open more doors and job opportunities for me,” Knight said.

EXPERIENCE ON CHEER TEAM Knight was a flyer for the MSU Cheer Team her first three years of college. She is thankful for everything MSU Cheer gave her.

“I started cheering when I was seven, then moved on to doing competitive cheer in 8th grade until my senior year of high school. I wanted to cheer at MSU because I felt like I could make the team. Collin Stokes, the head coach of MSU Cheer, had also been my coach for the past five years… prior to me joining the MSU Cheer team. It was comforting because she was the only person I knew…I didn’t know anybody else. I understood and knew her rules and expectations, and I executed them,” Knight said.

Being on the cheer team brought Knight her best friend, nursing senior Ashleigh Miller. The two have been friends since freshman year and their friendship has grown and flourished throughout their time here.

“She has always been there for me, I can depend on her and overall, she’s just like

we didn’t win but it was fun.

Senior year, I just liked attending and enjoying all the events. The torch light parade probably had to be my favorite one this year. It was fun to be a part of and actually hold a torch. As a cheerleader, you’re on stage 100% of the time, and don’t get to enjoy it as everyone else does. So just being able to be a part of the crowd and soak it all in was a nice experience,” Knight said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KASSIDY KNIGHT

Accounting senior Kassidy Knight says she wanted to attend MSU since she was young. “I love everything about MSU and Wichita Falls. The falls is the perfect size to me. It’s not too big, it’s not too small,” Feb. 24. a sister to me. If I ever need anything, I know who to call.

It started with us being on the cheer team, then when I moved on campus because of that scholarship, we were roommates. We just really connected, we are literally inseparable,” Knight said.

Miller says she remembers when her and Knight first became friends. It all started on a bus ride to New Mexico.

“I met Kass my freshman year, we were both on the cheer team and after sitting by each other on a bus ride for a football game in New Mexico, we became good friends. Kass is very outgoing, spontaneous, and an adventure-seeking type of person. We’ve gone gone through a lot together: from dorm life to apartment floods and even break ins...

Disney trips, road trips to Ten-

nessee and just about everything else. After four years of knowing her, I can easily say that she is my absolute best friend,” Miller said.

Knight stepped down from the cheer team for her last year of college to focus more on school and her next steps.

“My favorite memory of being on the cheer team was definitely nationals.

You spend so much time with your teammates from practicing multiple times a day and then traveling together that they become family. And despite all the hours put in and giving it your all…it’s absolutely worth it,” Knight said.

One of Knight’s favorite events at MSU is homecoming.

She recalled all the memorable traditions she participated in.

“My freshman year I was on the boat racing committee,

PURSUING OTHER GOALS After stepping away from cheer, Knight found free time to pursue her other goals. She used it to join the student government association and is now a committee chair.

“I wanted to focus more on school and what I want to do next. Doing so has given me more free time to be involved in school, attend events and meet new people. I actually joined SGA and am the student leadership fund committee chair. I decide which organizations receive money that have applied. I definitely feel more involved in school,” Knight said.

Knight lived at home her first two years at MSU until she got the Young foundation scholarship. The scholarship paid for her remaining time at Midwestern, prompting Knight to move on campus.

“Basically…my sophomore year, I received an email stating I was a potential candidate for this scholarship. I had sent back an email saying I was interested, then made it into the top five…the donors choose to give two students a full ride scholarship each year. It’s a one and done so you don’t have to re-apply each year to receive it, you’re set the rest of your undergrad years. This summer I get to go on Study Abroad, it’s a part of the scholarship and I’m really looking forward to it,” Knight said.

Knight’s dream job is to

be the CEO of Disney. She expressed her admiration for the company and its founder.

“I love Disney. I’ve learned a lot of Walt Disney, himself, and how he went about and making Disney into the massive company it is today. I admire the amount of imagination he had and how he was able to put it all together. I am a big Disney adult…I want a Disney themed wedding at Disney world…I want to be a princess,” Knight said.

AN UNDYING LOVE FOR MSU Knight expressed her love for Midwestern. Even her signature phrase comes from her adoration of the university.

“I love the campus...basically, I just love everything about MSU, Dillard is great... that’s where I spend most of my time. I even have this saying of, “Go State” one day I just said it and liked it...of course it came from cheer but I’ve just stuck with it ever since. If you ever see me on campus, say “Go State,” Knight said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KASSIDY KNIGHT

Accounting senior Kassidy Knight poses with nursing senior and fellow cheerleader Ashleigh Miller.