March 11, 2015 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 79 No. 22
PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN
Presidential finalist Suzanne Shipley, now president of Shepherd University, answers questions at a forum Feb. 24.
Shipley named presidential finalist ETHAN METCALF EDITOR
A
fter about a three-hour closed meeting, the Board of Regents chose Suzanne Shipley, president of Shepherd University, to become the next president of Midwestern State University after University President Jesse Rogers retires in August. Michael Bernhardt, vice chairman of the Board of Regents, said increasing retention and enrollment as well as the future of the university Master Plan were major factors in considering the candidates. "We felt like we had an honest discussion about it and, for lack of a better word, she floated to the top," Berhardt said. "All three candidates had stellar credentials, but the board thought that she was the best one for the future of the university." Shipley said in a phone interview that most of her first year would be spent getting to
Study Abroad
know the community because "people need to trust you before you take them someplace new." "Every university is different, so you need to take some time to study what you’ve read about and get to know the students," Shipley said. "You can read about things that they say are important, but you need to actually see if the students think something is important, and find out why." Shipley said she would need time to talk to and observe students to determine which programs are important to them. "Only then would I feel qualified to address some of the things already in the plan," Shipley said. "Plans for me aren’t things in drawers, they’re priorities and goals and hopes that you need to move on and realize." Rogers said he is happy with the choice and the community will be happy with it, too. "There’s no doubt that they will accept Dr.
pg. 3
Study Abroad director Larry Williams travels to Europe for the final time this summer.
Spring Break
Shipley with open arms," Rogers said. "She’s been in important and difficult jobs, she’s at a university today that’s very much like Midwestern State University, and I don’t have any doubt that she is going to be a student and a faculty and a community president." David Carlston, assistant psychology professor and chair of the faculty senate, was a member of the presidential search advisory committee and said the president should focus on increasing finances, partly through addressing enrollment and retention. "There’s a number of things the next president needs to tackle, many of which are financially related and a lot of that is based on enrollment," Carlston said. "We need to understand what we offer academically and cocurricularly to help us stand out." Shipley said she agrees that a comprehensive look at the university's identity could help increase retention and enrollment rates.
pg. 4-5
Weeklong break from school offers a variety of possibilities in Wichita Falls and beyond.
"When you look at the higher education marketplace, we need to stand out. You already have that identity, but unfortunately you have to to package it like a product, and education isn’t a product. It’s a marvelous experience, it changes your life, but you still have to, quote, ‘sell it,’ " Shipley said. Shipley is expected to be hired after a 21day period set by state law. According to the law, the Board of Regents must name the finalists for president at least 21 days before officially hiring him or her. Upon being hired, Shipley will be the first female president of MSU, and the top three positions—university president, provost and business officer—will be held by women. "This university has, I believe, always made an effort to hire the most qualified person," Rogers said. "It turns out in this particular case, the person that they selected is a woman."
Chasing Gold
pg. 7
Men’s and women’s basketball teams maintain high hopes going into national championship.
2 | March 11, 2015 |
STA F F E D I T O RI A L
Change is good Our view: Now that the Board of Regents have selected Suzanne Shipley, president of Shepherd University, as the sole finalist for the job, it is imperative to the university’s growth that we maintain the mindset of change established by the search.
N
ow that the honeymoon period of the search is drawing to a close, we need to not return to business as usual. A state law prevents Shipley from being officially hired until 21 days after the announcement that she was chosen. That law exists so university constituents have the opportunity to express concerns over the choice. Use this time to make it clear that we as students, faculty, staff and community members don’t want to return to the status quo, regardless of who our next president may be.
Mass comm degree has value In today’s job climate it is natural for students to worry if their intended degree will land them a job or not. And the worrying is justified, considering more than half of 22-year-old college graduates who found a job in the last Jasmine Jones three years were in a position not requiring a degree according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. Although I am now seeking a Master’s degree in political science, I earned my undergraduate degree in mass communication and it has helped me tremendously in graduate school. However, one of these fields tends to land me in more scrutiny than the other when someone asks what I study. There are people out there who don’t think a communication degree is a “real” degree. I find this peculiar because I went through four years of classes and even completed a rigorous capstone course, just like many other majors. Communication is such a broad spectrum, and the Mass Communication Department covers advertising, broadcasting, graphic design, journalism and public relations just to name a few. But the best part is communication degrees offer endless options for jobs. When applying for jobs we often begin our search in the most obvious places, but mass communication teaches us that our skills are valuable to any company. Looking at job list-
the
ings for a wide range of companies, from retailers to video game producers, almost all of them have an opening for employees with communication or journalism experience. Some of my former colleagues have since gone on to run successful lifestyle blogs, while others are in law school and some even manage advertising campaigns for high profile clients. For me, choosing to be a mass communication major was about more than discussion classes or presentations (both things I enjoyed heavily.) It was about conveying a message across various mediums. It was about the people. Communication majors work just as hard as any other major, and because of our proficiencies, we are generally well rounded, which at the end of the day is what most employers seek. At the presidential candidate forums, for example, there was a lot of talk about the value of attending a liberal arts college. Engineers who appreciate art, understand history and can hold a decent conversation on something that is not math-related will be ahead of their peers by being well-rounded. My hope for my colleagues—and every college student—is that we pursue careers we are passionate about, and we don’t criticize others for having different passions than ours, however hirable we perceive their degree choice to be. Jasmine Jones is a politcal science graduate student.
wichitan Vo. 79 | No. 22
Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room B103 3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 - wichitan@mwsu.edu
Screenshot of http://saetxomega.chapterspot.com/
Don’t stereotype Greeks By now nearly everyone has seen the deplorable video of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon-Kappa chapter at the University of Oklahoma. In the video, members of the fraternity are chanting a racial phrase, and undoubtedly Eddie Miller offending millions and hurting the image of SAE and all Greek Life. This use of their First Amendment right on the bus was inappropriate. And any other people on the bus, including the members of the sorority, had an opportunity to stop the chant. But don’t let the horrible actions of a few determine your opinion on the entire organization and Greek Life as a whole. Localize it and look how the other fraternity members of SAE dealt with the situation. Many of the brothers expressed their feelings towards the behavior of the people in the video via Twitter and Facebook, saying things like “those men were not true gentlemen” and that they “didn’t deserve to be associated with SAE.” The national president of SAE, Brad Cohen, released a statement saying the fraternity has “no tolerance for racism” and that he was “disgusted.” I couldn’t agree more. The United States has always had problems with racism and this video did nothing but fuel the fire. It sickens me that it is 2015 and people such as the ones in the video still exist. They don’t realize the barriers
EDITOR: Ethan Metcalf PHOTO EDITOR: Rachel Johnson PHOTOGRAPHER: Francisco Martinez BUSINESS MANAGER: Courtney Gilder DESIGNER: Brianna Sheen ADVISER: Bradley Wilson
they just put up between communities and Greeks. A barrier that no one wants to touch because people are afraid to admit it is a problem. Racism is taught and these people seem to think what they’ve learned is acceptable. Shutting down the chapter was Cohen’s best option. Even if it wasn’t the entire fraternity, neither of the two members in the video were stopped by their brothers. That was shameful. The president of OU expelled the two students. And while I don’t agree with what was said in the video, the expulsion without due process because they “created a hostile learning environment for others,” according to University of Oklahoma President David Boren, I defend their right to free speech. The First Amendment protects all speech—love or hate. Luckily for us at MSU, we have a great group of SAE’s and a wonderful Greek community. The diversity within our campus is spectacular and anyone who doesn’t view other cultures as a blessing needs a wakeup call. Life would be boring and dull without variety. Take a chance and meet your local SAEs and Greek Life members. Get to know them. Understand their values as a brotherhood or sisterhood. No one wants to be discriminated against. No one. Eddie Miller is a mass communication senior.
Copyright © 2015. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press. The Wichitan reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication. Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reflect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief (250 words or fewer) and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address. The editor retains the right to edit letters.
| March 11, 2015 | 3
Housing assignments remain confusing CONNER WOLF REPORTER
W PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN
Rian Dillard and Maxwell Norris, theater seniors, rehearse a scene as Laura Jefferson, director, and Emma Brown, assistant director, watch at a rehearsal Jan. 30 for the play “In the Next Room”.
‘In the Next Room’ not just another feminist play FAITH MUNOZ REPORTER
A
bout 50 shows and 31 years later, associate theater professor Laura Jefferson is directing her last play at Midwestern State University, and she hopes to go out with a bang. "In the Next Room," or "The Vibrator Play," written by Sarah Ruhl, is a comedy set in the 1880s about marriage, intimacy, and electricity. After seeing the play at a theater festival last year, Jefferson decided she liked the message. "It deals with some serious issues, but it deals with them in a light way. It's about intimacy. When I say intimacy, I'm not saying sex. Some people think those terms are interchangeable and they're not. Anyone who's been to a marriage counselor can tell you that, or your psychology majors will tell you that." Sarah Harmer, theater sophomore and publicity manager for the show, plays Mrs. Daldry, one of the first women in the play to receive the treatment. The female actors wore corsets at each rehearsal to get acclimated to movements and simple maneuvers such as sitting down made difficult by the constricting garment. "One thing I love about theater is I learn so much by doing it. It's not by sitting in a lecture class. It's by experiencing it. It kind of forces you to think. It's fun to look back and see how much things have progressed and how different the world is," Harmer said. Elizabeth Lewandowski, interim department chair and theater professor, said a lot of hard work went into recreating this specific time period. "Historically, there is a lot of attention to detail. The women's silhouette is really exaggerated," Lewandowski said. "The women are caged, trapped by society. The clothes entrap them more." Cassie Toft, theater senior, along with a team of other theater majors, helped make many of the 14 outfits worn in the play from scratch including undergar-
ments, hats, dresses, trim and gloves. "It's a lot of hard work," Toft said. "People don't realize how much work goes into the play offstage." "In the Next Room" follows last month's production of the "Vagina Monologues," another show with a strong feminist message, but the plays, chosen last spring, were not deliberately set up in recognition of Women's History Month, according to Jefferson. "You know, we didn't even think of that. It hit us in the fall. 'Wait a minute we have a lot of vaginas this semester' and then I found out that March was Women's History Month," Jefferson said. "I think people will be pleasantly surprised. I know I was. The men [will be] laughing right along with the women. It's not a manbashing play." Jefferson said she wants to impact the community at large with a realistic yet lighthearted take on these societal issues, but she hopes women specifically will learn from the play or at least enjoy it. "Young women need to realize that we don't have equal rights, yet. We don't," she said. "Have we made inroads? Yes. I was watching the news the other day and we still make 78 cents for every man making a dollar in the same position [and with the] same education." Now that she is retiring, Jefferson hopes to travel more and ride her horse with her sister and nieces in Montana. Jefferson said she will put directing behind her, but her students disagree. "No directing," Jefferson said. "My students say 'Oh, you'll direct again. You won't be able to stand it.' " Rehearsal was canceled at least three times over the past two weeks due to inclement weather, but Jefferson assured it will not affect the students' performance. The play is rated R for the mature subject matter. However, it does not contain nudity or profanity. According to Jefferson, students, staff, and faculty should attend because "it does entertain and inform. The best plays do that."
ith the housing lottery just having passed, students are still confused regarding their room assignments — a change in the lottery system has made the process of getting the room and roommates you want more difficult, especially for the nearly 80 room-less students who have been put on a waiting list. Michael Mills, director of housing and dining services, said this semester a new change has been implemented into the housing lottery to make things more fair for residents of Pierce, Killingsworth and McCullough-Trigg who have the latest lottery times. This was done by reserving 50 percent of the available rooms to open when these students have their turn to pick where to live. “We wish we could give everyone the room and the roommates that they wanted to live with, but we cannot realistically do that,” Mills said. “We don’t have enough space on campus for everyone but we are expanding. In the last 10 years we have doubled our number of beds on campus and are planning to add more with the completion of the new dorm in August 2016.” The change in housing was done to prevent low priority level students in the freshman dorms from being sent to Mustang Village. “The number of students is growing, and the university is doing what it can to accommodate that,” Mills said. “The university is just experiencing growing pains right now.”
MUSTANG VILLAGE
At Mustang Village, students have the option to lease with the school, or lease with the apartment complex. Lowell Nash, mass communication junior and community assistant at Mustang Village, said “Our rules aren’t as strict as the schools. There are no RAs, and you can have pets when living through us. The only setback is you have to get your electricity through someone else.” Theses freedoms are what attract students like radiology freshman Alyssa Bell to lease through the apartment complex. “You can have a dog if you lease
1800
2000
1300
1500
1000
700
500
0
2005
2015
FALL 2016
Graph shows number of on-campus beds over time. These figures exclude 250 units rented by MSU at Mustang Village. through the apartment complex, and you do get a lot more space at Mustang Village than on campus,” Bell said, who is re-signing a lease through the apartments next year. Leasing through the school is a more popular option as 212 out of 504 available spaces of the complex are leased out by MSU. Students like elementary education junior Phillip Coleman like this housing option. “I really like Mustang village. The only other place I’ve lived is Pierce Hall, so this is a huge step up,” Coleman said. “You have more freedom and room out here, and leasing through the school means that you don’t have to worry about a separate electricity payment.” Mustang Village has a promotion for people leasing through the complex where signing or renewing a lease gets your name in a drawing to win a cruise for two. There have been two given away so far with three more to come. Nash said, “for the cruise you have a choice of Mexico, the Bahamas or the Caribbean for five days and four nights.” Nash also said while the cruise is a fun thing for people signing leases, it hasn’t really influenced more people to lease. “The cruise sounds cool but it wouldn’t change my mind about leasing through the school,” Nash said. “I’m happy with my current living situation.” This also wasn’t a deciding factor for students leasing through the apartments. “I already knew I wanted to live here, so the cruise wasn’t a deciding factor, it was just an added bonus,” Bell said.
WICHITA FALLS ST. PATRICK’S DAY DOWNTOWN STREET FESTIVAL
MARCH 14, 4:30-10:30 P.M. | $12 OR $10 WITH MILITARY OR STUDENT ID
This year’s festival will feature the Old 97’s band, Luke Wade from “The Voice,” Ayron Jones and the Way, Mike O’Neill and Friends, AA Bottom, and a children’s area. There will also be a Pi-K marathon at 10 a.m. Early race registration is $25 or $30 on-site. To register, visit http://downtownproud.com/events/st-patricks-day-downtown-street-festival/
THE PLEX FAMILY ENTERTAINMENT CENTER
4131 SOUTHWEST PARKWAY | $5-$25 | 20 PERCENT OFF WITH STUDENT ID
The Plex Entertainment Center has a variety of attractions and packages. Enjoy mini golf, go-karts, bumper cars, batting cages, arcade games, roller skating or lazer tag.
THE WICHITA FALLS GAME EXPO
Ideas for a
Texas-sized spring break
MARCH 21, 9 A.M.-10 P.M. | RAY CLYMER EXHIBIT HALL, 1000 5TH STREET | FREE
Gamers of Wichita Falls can enjoy gaming demonstrations and tournaments. Admission is free, but there are entry fees to tournaments and registration on-site is welcome.
WICHITA FALLS
DALLAS/FORT WORTH
DENTON
GO ANTIQUE SHOPPING
Wichita Falls has an abundance of antique shops downtown. Browse through both vintage and contemporary furniture and other items. A lot of the stores are moderately priced, so stock up on stuff for your apartment next fall.
FORT WORTH
DALLAS ARLINGTON
NEW BRAUNFELS
35 DENTON
AMERICAN AIRLINES CENTER | $10-$68
The Dallas Mavericks take on the Los Angeles Clippers (tickets starting at $14), Oklahoma City Thunder (tickets starting at $14), Orlando Magic (tickets starting at $10), and the Memphis Grizzlies (tickets starting at $10) over spring break. The Dallas Stars face the St. Louis Blues (tickets starting at $18), Pittsburgh Penguins (tickets starting at $35), and the Chicago Blackhawks (tickets starting at $68).
AUSTIN
DENTON
CATCH A HOCKEY OR BASKETBALL GAME
WALKER STALKER DALLAS APOCALYPSE
HOUSTON
MARCH 14 AT 9 A.M. | KAY BAILEY HUTCHISON CONVENTION CENTER | $12
MARCH 13-15 | 110 HICKORY STREET | FROM $25
This year’s festival features more than 250 local and mainstream bands such The Zombies, Radioactivity and Daniel Romano. Three-day passes get you into any artist venue as well as the daytime venues that range from gardening, guitar workshops or yoga. Seats at each venue are first-come, first-serve.
PORT ARANSAS
This zombie, horror, sci-fi fan convention allows you to stumble your way through a live, post apocalyptic world in which you use realistic laser training weapons to shoot zombies to make it out alive.
FORT WORTH STOCKYARDS
130 EAST EXCHANGE AVE. | $5 PARKING
Find out what it means to be a real cowboy. Enjoy the steak houses, Texas walk of fame, Honky Tonk clubs, Texas-sized maze or the old fashioned store fronts.
ARLINGTON, NEW BRAUNFELS AMUSEMENT PARKS
There’s plenty of amusement parks all over Texas, from crazy rollercoasters at Six Flags in Arlington to water slides at Schlitterbahn in New Braunfels. Most parks don’t officially open until summer break, so take advantage of their spring break windows before the rush in May.
DALLAS MUSEUMS DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART
FREE GENERAL ADMISSION | 1717 North Harwood
AUSTIN RODEO AUSTIN
MARCH 15-28 |TRAVIS COUNTY EXHIBITION CENTER, 7311 DECKER LANE | FROM $20
Rodeo Austin is home to one of America’s top 10 ProRodeos. Enjoy two hours of bull fighting, cattle roping, barrel racing, and mutton bustin’.
PORT ARANSAS PORT ARANSAS BEACH
As one of the many beach cities along the Texas coast, Port Aransas is located off the Corpus Christi Bay. Its clean beaches allow for dolphin tours, deep sea fishing, sand castle classes, live nightly music and sky diving.
HOUSTON HOUSTON LIVESTOCK SHOW AND RODEO NRG PARK
The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo is equal parts concert series, carnival, shopping mall, rodeo, and food exposition. The carnival has arcade games, amusement park rides and a wide variety of food vendors serving all sorts of flavors from Texas and beyond. Inside the NRG Center is the Western Shopping Mall, while the concerts and rodeo. Check out the full concert lineup at http:// www.rodeohouston.com/Concerts.aspx
Special events are $15 for students with an MSU ID.
PEROT MUSEUM
REGULAR ADMISSION IS $17 | 2201 N. Field Street
The Perot Museum exhibit halls focus on all things science from the human body, natural disasters, and engineering, to minerals. For an additional $8 you can have the option of watching a 3D film, and for $12 you can participate in the International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes.
THE SIXTH FLOOR MUSEUM $16 | 411 ELM
The Sixth Floor Museum focuses on John F. Kennedy’s assassination and legacy.
Work & Play
| March 11, 2015 | 5
What are your spring break plans? “I’m going to explore New York City, see “Wicked” on Broadway, go see the Statue of Liberty, and hopefully pay my respects at the 9/11 memorial. I’m going with my family and we are flying there.” DUNCAN MEYER, BUSINESS SENIOR “I was going to go somewhere, but we didn’t get the plans set early enough and the prices went up and the plans went down. I might go down to Dallas to see my mom and family.” HABIB HADEED, FINANCE JUNIOR “I am going to South Padre on a Mission trip for Beach Reach. We will travel down in two big white vans. There are 14 of us going. The mission trip is through the BSM.” MICHAEL LAMBERTI, BUSINESS MANAGEMENT SOPHOMORE “For spring break I’m going back home to Dallas because that’s where my family is. I’m getting a ride with a friend there, and he is driving there. I mean, I hope I’m not walking.” JOSHUA CARTWRIGHT, ACCOUNTING SOPHOMORE
“I’m going camping with my closest friends from MSU, and taking my truck named Baymax to get there. We like the freedom and how it’s so worry-free, and we hope to stay as long as we can during Spring Break.” DANNY LE, NURSING SOPHOMORE
“For spring break I am spending time back at home, Dallas, with my family. I will go shopping in downtown Dallas, go to some mall like Galleria and North Park, then have a barbecue with the whole family.” KAYLOR WINTER-ROACH, THEATER FRESHMAN
“I’m actually just going to stay here in Wichita Falls. I work at Texas Roadhouse, so I hope to work a lot. We’ve been working on one acts in theater, so I hope to just relax during the break.” SARAH HARMER, THEATER SOPHOMORE
6 | March 11, 2015 |
Williams to retire from Study Abroad
SERAH WELBORN REPORTER
A
fter a 30 year legacy of visiting Europe each summer, Larry Williams will travel with the Study Abroad Program, for the last time. Williams said he won't miss the traveling as much as he will miss providing unforgettable experiences to students. "You can't memorize college," Williams said, "but everybody will remember the time they spent in France. It is a life changing event, and for me to get to be a part of that, I'm very privileged." After taking advantage of an impromptu trip to London in 1985, Williams was inspired to give university students the same experience. But the start-up and administration of such a program is very expensive and generally exclusive to private universities. To alleviate those costs, Williams had MSU join an existing group with fourteen to sixteen other larger
schools in 1986. Within the first five years, Williams found it easy to ask professors of other subjects to allow him to speak to their classes. Through this, he was able to push MSU's recruitment to the top. However, there were issues. The current London program, though beneficial for all, did not offer MSU credits or say in its proceedings, causing Williams to look at alternative options early on. He approached financial aid and the Vice President at the time, Jesse Rogers, to formulate a plan of action. "Study abroad has traditionally been a rich-kids' program," he said. "I made a conscious decision to go the office of financial aid first because I knew that the vast majority of the kids at university couldn't afford the journey." The turning point came in 2000, two years after the preparation progress began. "I made the decision that I was ready to do this: I wanted to break away and start a consortium for Midwestern," he said. To do this, he contacted Tarleton and New Mexico State, which both agreed to join the London program led by Midwestern State. They were later joined by five others. Such membership allows for the university to grow in recognition, on behalf of which Williams was recently approached by what may become the program's ninth university, one that will push the pool of potential student participants to 70,000. With so many moving parts, he said building the program was "like establishing a small satellite university." Ac-
cess to food, transportation, and care globalized viewpoint, as a marketable were all essential, and with so many stu- skill—one that all students should acdents, the organization all of that was dif- quire. ficult. Williams has traveled with his proA friend of his for "a million years," grams all over Europe for 20 years, allowVice President of University Advance- ing a thousand students the opportunity ment and Public Affairs Howard Farrell to do the same and helping award more approached the Student Government than $1 million in scholarships. Now, Association with a request to add an "in- with his retirement in May quickly apternational fee" to student fees. With the proaching, his final week in London this fee, the program did more than survive. summer takes on new meaning. It grew. "I haven't really thought about it be"We started to send a few students to cause I haven't left yet," Williams said. Spain and France through the old consor- "Midwestern is a very good school, tium," he said. "Again, I became disen- they've treated me well. I had a great cachanted because we had reer here. I've seen more of no real control, no influthe world than the vast maence." jority of people ever have a In setting up his own chance to see... I feel honprogram, Williams atored to be a part of all that. I tempted to ensure the really have no regrets whatother participating unisoever. That's saying a lot." versities don't feel as he At the same time, Wildid. He said that universiliams said he feels remorse ties should act as a team, on behalf of his wife and LARRY WILLIAMS reviewing the past year family. and voicing concerns DIRECTOR OF STUDY ABROAD "I have been gone over and ideas of change for AND SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR four years on the road or in the next. All are allowed Europe. That's a long time to suggest professors and course mate- to be away from home, and I miss home," rial. He has kept the programs' focus on Williams said. "So, when I think about retiracademics, recognizing the danger of be- ing, I think that it is time for somebody like coming an international tour. There have Michael Mills, who is young and bright and been, so far, very few academic issues, and full of new ideas and energy, to do it." Williams said he is pleased about that. He will spend his final days with the Even with these changes, MSU was program guiding Mills, currently the distill dependent on the old program to rector of housing and dining services, in send language-oriented students abroad. the finalization of students' overseas acWith help from Honors Program Coor- commodations. dinator Juliana Lehman-Felts, Williams "It is a daunting task—especially for tested the possibility of extending MSU's the first time—to make sure that everyprogram. body is there, to get everybody in, to get Together, Lehman-Felts and Williams things started," Williams said. "I can't beselected the appropriate sites in Spain lieve it's over." and France and created a budget, receivMills is happy to take on the challenge. ing the approval of Provost Betty Stewart "Any time I can work with students is to add non-traditional courses for non- important," he said. "I've spent my whole language major students. career in student affairs and helping stu"She has allowed us to be cre- dents with their housing issues... [Wilative and to offer programs that are liams] has built an excellent program. unique," Williams said. He has taken study abroad from nothing The current program has at Midwestern and built it into not only Spanish classes available with a great program for students, but [someemphasis on business, edu- thing] that should be a strong selling cation and healthcare point for this university and I'm just very fields. Next year ad- honored to take over after him. " ministrators plan to After leaving London, Williams said offer one criminal he will be content to settle in with his justice course as wife and friends in Wichita Falls. well. Williams said "I never want to go back to Europe. he sees the knowl- Like I said, I've been doing it for 30 edge of multiple years—that's enough. That's enough for languages, like a anybody's one lifetime... I wish I had seen
“I wanted to break away and start a consortium for Midwestern.”
see WILLIAMS pg. 7 PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN
Larry Williams
CR I M E L O G March 1
Disorderly conduct | 2:30 a.m. | Sunwatcher Village | MSU police responded to a loud party call.
March 3
Criminal mischief: misdemeanor | 10:41 a.m. | 5005 Lake Park Drive | MSU Police responded to a report of criminal trespass and criminal mischief.
March 3
Drug: possession of drug paraphernalia| 8:53 p.m. | Pierce Hall | Three resident students were found to be in possession of marijuana paraphernalia. SOURCE: http://www.mwsu.edu/police/ crimelogs/
| March 11, 2015 | 7
Upcoming Events March 11-12 Moffett Library Workshop: Citation 201, Using EndNote Software | 2 p.m. in Moffett Library Media Department - second floor | Free March 11 Faculty Forum Series: Dr. Charles Matthew Watson | 7 p.m. in Clark Student Center Shawnee Theatre | Free March 12-15 MSU Theatre: In the Next Room | March 12-14 at 7:30 p.m. and March 15 at 2:30 p.m. in Fain Fine Arts Center Theatre | Free for MSU students, staff, and faculty. General admission is $10.
March 12 “Sunday Drive� Acrylics Class | 6-8 p.m. at Sikes Lake Center | $40 March 23 Counseling Center Academic Workshop: Test Anxiety | 7-8 p.m. in Sundance Court Apartments third floor meeting room | Free March 24 The Speakers and Issues Series presents Dr. Edward Countryman | 7 p.m. at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU | Free March 25-26 Moffett Library Workshop: Answering Research Paper Questions | 2 p.m. in Moffett Library Media Department second floor | Free
Screenshot of the basketball teams from Campus Watch. Watch the video: vimeo.com/121838932
Basketball teams prepare for regionals in Stephenville HARLEY WARRICK REPORTER
Texan Poetry d jazz p d by
MOFFETT LIBRARY and MSU’s arts & Literature Society
IMarch 25th, 2015 J 6 : 00-8 : 00 PM
in leisure reading at moffett library
W
ith the NCAA Division 2 basketball championship beginning on March 13, both the men’s and women’s basketball teams have been selected to fight for a national championship. “Any time you can get to the tournament, you got a chance to advance and that’s what you want and these kids deserve it. They’ve worked hard,� said Noel Johnson, women’s basketball head coach. The third-seed women’s team will take on sixth-seed Colorado Christian at noon, March 13, at the First United Bank Center in Canyon, Texas. Looking past Colorado Christian, the players said they are anxious to earn a rematch with West Texas A&M. The team fell to West Texas A&M two times this season, with the last loss coming last Saturday. “Every time we have played them was a winnable game, so we know what it takes, and their game and our game plan, so we
from WILLIAMS pg. 6
parts of South America. I've been to a dozen countries, and been lost in most of them at one time, but I always got found. I've had a lifetime of adventures, enough for me, anyway." With a gleam in his eye, he mentioned only one other possible journey. "If I had one [more new] trip, it would be a first-class cabin in Minneapolis on a Mississippi river boat down to New Orleans. I
know what it takes to beat them,� Taylor Dowd, senior forward, says. The seventh-seed men’s team will take on the second-seed Metro State at 2:30 p.m. on March 14 at Wisdom Gym in Stephenville, Texas. This is a rematch from the 2014 regional championship game which MSU lost, 56-78. “We’ve been keeping up with those guys all year long, so we’re very familiar with them, of course we played them the last two years in the national tournament and came up a little bit short,� said Nelson Haggerty, men’s basketball head coach. After losing to Cameron in the first round of the Lone Star Conference Tournament on March 5, the players didn’t know if they were going to make the tournament or not. “Just waiting on this opportunity and finding out we got selected, it’s a blessing and I’m pretty sure all my teammates are ready to show what we could have done this past weekend,� said Bretson McNeal, junior guard.
think that would be cool... a first-class Huckleberry Finn trip," he said. What he sincerely hopes is that his legacy, not his name, will impact students most. "What I really, firmly believe is that these kids will always remember their time that they went abroad," he said. "It is not about me, it's not about this office: it's about what they will remember, and they absolutely will remember."