April 15, 2015

April 15, 2015 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 79 No. 26

‘Males’ suspended pending investigation

BROWN | 56%

STUDENT GOVERNMENT PRESIDENT | Jesse Brown: 56 percent and 348 votes, Marco Torres: 33 percent and 210 votes, Julie Brady: 11 percent and 69 votes.

Appeals filed in SGA elections

ETHAN METCALF EDITOR

P

osters displayed around Pierce Hall used, according to some, derogatory language to advertise “Save the Males,” an upcoming multi-event program in Pierce.

The event was put on hold until the conclusion of internal investigations next week.

“It has been suspended indefinitely until we can perform a full review of the program and its content,” said Michael Mills, director of housing and dining services, in an e-mail. “Like others, I did not agree with the poster and the portrayal it gave of our department, and so we asked for them to be removed and for the program to be suspended until I could return from my vacation and have the program reviewed in its entirety.”

One sentence seemed to reference the theater department’s productions of “Vagina Monologues” and “In the Next Room.”

“We don’t need plays about our genitals and self-gratification techniques to discover who we are,” the poster reads.

Mills said the group to review “Save the Males” has yet to be assembled, but part of the review will center on Title IX, and a group outside of housing will review the program further.

“We want to be thorough, and since part of the review will revolve around Title IX, we want our university Title IX representative, Matthew Park, to be part of the review as well. Like myself, Mr. Park was on vacation the latter half of last week and is expected to return early this week,” Mills said in an email. “In addition to visiting with Mr. Park, we also plan to have a group outside of housing review the program content for learning

see MALES pg. 6

BRADY 11%

TORRES | 33%

ETHAN METCALF EDITOR

R

esults for the Student Government Association elections were posted Monday, showing Jesse Brown, criminal justice junior, as the winner of the presidential race with 56 percent of the vote.

But Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, said Marco Torres, psychology senior and SGA presidential candidate, is protesting the election with multiple allegations that Brown violated election procedures.

“The allegations revolve around proxy voting and flier distribution.

Proxy voting is essentially when you’re assigning your vote to another individual, so another individual would be using your credentials to vote,” Lamb said.

“There are two allegations of proxy voting. One is the assigning of credentials, and the other is—and the board has always considered this proxy voting—where a table or something set up with a laptop where you’re pulling people in to vote.”

According to the election code contained in the SGA bylaws, last

MATHEW HOWARD

19% 25%

MANNY HOFFMAN

29%

Marco Torres

Jesse Brown

Hearing: Thursday, 3:30 p.m., CSC Cheyenne. amended April 2012, “Voting by proxy is strictly prohibited.”

Lamb said another complaint alleges fliers promoting Brown’s campaign were posted without proper approval.

“I filed the complaint because it came to my attention that several campaign procedures were being broken and I felt like that wasn’t fair and it wasn’t right, and my opponent knew about these things and he did nothing to stop them. I feel that makes him just as responsible as the people doing it, and the student body deserves somebody better, somebody honest,” Torres said.

Despite several attempts, Brown could not be reached for comment by press time.

AUSTIN SNYDER

Rebecca Stogner, sociology junior and outgoing SGA president, said Brown and Torres can prepare their cases until Thursday when they will speak in front of the election board at 3:30 p.m. in CSC Cheyenne.

“They have to be able to prove with the preponderance of evidence that the bylaws had been broken, how they were broken, when they were broken, and to more importantly prove that it could have had an impact on the outcome,” Stogner said. “If there was no impact, then there’s really no point in protesting the process.”

Lamb said each candidate will be able to bring forth witnesses, whom each candidate and the election board can question. They

DAREEM ANTOINE

will make closing statements before the five-member board votes on how to handle the appeal.

According to the newly drafted Election Board Hearing Procedures, the board will determine by a 3/5 majority vote whether the defending candidate violated the election code. If they find the code was violated, they will take another 3/5 majority vote to determine if the election should be voided, but, “it must be proven by the complainant the responding candidate had violated the Election Code to an extent that if affected the outcome of the election in question.”

Ultimately, Lamb said this should act as a learning experience for the individuals involved, and SGA as an organization.

“To me, the takeaway from this one for SGA, is they have some gaps in their bylaws that do not provide good direction on how the hearing itself is to occur,” Lamb said. “[The hearing] will be run by students.

They don’t do this for a living. They don’t have expertise in this field, so I would be concerned with asking students who don’t deal with this everyday to do a hearing without structure. That could turn into something very challenging.”

SUPRENA POLEON

49%

39%

51%

27% JAYLON WILLIAMS

MARK BROWN

SOPHOMORE CLASS SENATOR | Austin Snyder: 29 percent and 154 votes, Jaylon Williams: 27 percent and 140 votes, Manny Hoffman: 25 percent and 130 votes, Mathew Howard: 19 percent and 99 votes.

VICE PRESIDENT | Mark Brown: 51 percent and 295 votes, Dareem Antoine: 49 percent and 280 votes.

61% LAURA FLORES

SECRETARY | Laura Flores: 61 percent and 343 votes, Suprena Poleon: 39 percent and 217 votes.

2 | April 15, 2015 |

S TA F F E D I T O RI A L

The goal: A better SGA Our view: Our desire for the outcome of the election and the appeals process is for it to result in a better run and more efficient Student Government Association, not for any one candidate to win over the other.

A

s soon as the smoke cleared and winners of the Student Government Association election were named, another heated battled ensued over contesting the election results.

While a winner will be named either way, the ultimate goal of everyone involved—from the candidates to the senators and the faculty advisers—should be to improve the process for next year’s election.

It may certainly be a pipe dream to hope for an election where candidates run soley on the basis of their accomplishments and not on the shortcomings or personal lives of their opponents, but we can at least push for improving the process itself.

As stated by Keith Lamb, vice president for academic affairs and enrollment management, SGA has “some gaps in their bylaws” that need filling. That has already started with the recent drafting of official Election Board hearing procedures, but the process of improvement is never ending.

We are, after all, students who come to this school for, more or less, the same goal: To gain an education we can one day parlay into a career. So mistakes will be made, but what counts is that we learn from them.

Individually, candidates should learn to be careful about what they post on social media as our digital shadows follow us for life, but conversely, candidates should understand that this is just a student government race and there are long-lasting consequences beyond each election.

Dragging an opponent’s personal life into the limelight in a bid to discredit his or her campaign can have life-altering consequences on that candidate. It would be a shame for the animosity of one SGA election to permanently and negatively influence the lives and career goals of its candidates.

If we knew last week what we know now, we probably would not have endorsed any of the presidential candidates but instead nominated a new candidate, like the 500-million-year-old rock on campus, or Santa Claus.

At least the rock is too old to even know what Facebook is, and Santa would have been too busy adding our current candidates to his naughty list to have dug up some dirt on his opponents.

wichitan

the

Vo. 79 | No. 26

Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room B103 3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 - wichitan@mwsu.edu

Save the Males creates needed dialogue

EDITOR: Ethan Metcalf PHOTO EDITOR: Rachel Johnson PHOTOGRAPHER: Francisco Martinez BUSINESS MANAGER: Courtney Gilder DESIGNER: Brianna Sheen ADVISER: Bradley Wilson

L

ast week a poster posted in Pierce Hall became controversial.

The heading read “SAVE THE MALES!!!” and while I was anticipating a sense of sarcasm from it, I was not expecting the absolute asinine claims in it.

Jasmine Jones As a biracial woman, I find it laughable that males would view themselves as threatened. Patriarchy is alive and well, all around the world.

Take a look at how women in power are treated compared to men. The media and general public refer to both Republican and Democrat figures in derogative terms, calling Sarah Palin “bangable” or Hillary Clinton a sexually offensive term such as “dyke” Women face an uphill battle, and not just in the political realm.

Unfortunately, the men behind the “Save the Males” campaign lost credibility. While they were crying about the unfair criticism and stereotypes they faced, they stereotyped other demographics – voiceless women and feminists.

Women are seen as frail and voiceless. This is 2015 and the word “feminist” still continues

to have a negative connotation. While I agree that there are radical feminists out there, are there not extremists in every group? It’s unavoidable. To judge an entire group based on the actions of a few is unfair.

I don’t feel as if we are emasculating our males. Personally, I’m quite fond of a man who knows how to tie a tie, change the oil in a car, or shoot a gun. In fact, I went on a date last week and learned how to shoot and it was a fun experience.

The poster also attacks “The Vagina Monologues,” a play which raised money for domestic violence groups. First Step was one of those groups benefiting from ticket purchasing.

First Step helps victims of domestic violence and sexual assault. These victims are women, children and men. For anyone who lacks knowledge of The Vagina Monologues, this is a performance that touches on a variety of subjects: sex, childbirth and rape for instance.

In no way does it undermine men.

This poster has created an excellent talking point for society and the subject of gender roles. However, it failed to promote the event.

The message got lost.

Jasmine Jones is a political science graduate student.

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.

4 | April 15, 2015 |

Greek Week

Festivities include food-eating contest and male pageant With Greek Week already halfway over, students have participated in everything from an eating contest to a beauty pageant just for guys. Students lined up at D.L. Ligon Coliseum with diapers in hand as their entry fee to the pageant, which members of Sharing the Profession of Athletic Training, or S.P.A.T., will donate to low-income families. The winner of the pageant was Ben Clarvis, business management junior, who represented the soccer team.

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

Bobby Joe, political science and mass communication freshman, taunts the audience at the Mr. MSU Male Pageant in D.L. Ligon Coliseum yesterday.

Calendar

April 15 Show Off Your Letters | noon to 4 p.m. in the Clark Student Center Atrium | Free April 15 Relay for Life “Trivia Crack” | 7 p.m., CSC Comanche | $2 April 16 Diaper Fort Competition | noon to 1 p.m. in the Clark Student Center Atrium April 16 Stroll and Step Competition | 7 p.m. in Akin Auditorium | $2 PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

Treigh Blotzer, radiologic science freshman, competes in the Food Eating Contest for Greek Week in the Clark Student Center Atrium April 13.

“The hardest part about the [food eating] competition was trying to keep my cool ‘til it was my turn.”

TREIGH BLOTZER RADIOLOGY FRESHMAN

PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN

Isaiah Edwards, computer science sophomore and member of Omega Delta Phi, performs in the Mr. MSU Mustang Pageant held in the D.L. Ligon Coliseum as an event for Greek Week and hosted by S.P.A.T., “My favorite part that I am looking forward to is the swim because I get to bring out Shamoo,” Edwards says.

April 17 Greek Olympics | Noon in The Quad

PHOTOS BY RACHEL JOHNSON AND FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

LEFT: Martin Kuehler, mass communication junior and Tau Kappa Epsilon member, dances at the Mr. MSU Male Pageant in D.L. Ligon Coliseum yesterday. MIDDLE: Hunter Jones, business management sophomore, and Alejandro Franco, accounting junior, members of Kappa Sigma, perform at the Mr. MSU Mustang Pageant. “I am here because I’m a winner, I’m a competitor and I enjoy competing against people,” Franco said. RIGHT: Hunter Wolf, biology sophomore, and Tristen Cunningham, management information systems freshman, perform a dance to “Fergalicious” by Fergie at the Mr. MSU Male Pageant .

News briefs

Elizabeth Smart to tell story at Artist-Lecture Series MORGAN HAIRE REPORTER

E

lizabeth Smart will share her abduction story and speak about child safety for the Artist-Lecture Series on April 21 at 7 p.m. in Akin Auditorium.

“Elizabeth will present the most compelling lecture of the series,” said Matthew Park, associate vice president for student affairs and enrollment management. “Not because of her horrific story, but the positive rebound she had.”

Smart became one of the most followed child abduction cases in 2002. She was tied up, raped three to four times daily and threatened if she attempted to escape for nine months.

“Because she was abducted in the early 2000s, I think it’s something the current college students will remember and be interested in,” Park said.

She is the founder of the Elizabeth Smart Foundation, a program aimed to prevent crimes against children. She also helped promote The National AMBER Alert System among other safety legislation to prevent crimes against children.

Ashley Lomeli, nursing junior, helped choose Smart for the ArtistLecture Series.

“I was still a child when her story was being told,” Lomeli said. “But I grew up knowing what an AMBER Alert was and to think that she helped with that just makes me more interested in her as a role model.”

| April 15, 2015 | 5

Zombies invade campus for interactive game

Library to host birthday party for Nolan A. Moore III

CONNER WOLF REPORTER

FAITH MUNOZ REPORTER

he students wearing bandanas this week are not making a fashion statement. They’re zombies.

A campus-wide game of tag called “Humans vs Zombies” put on by the University Programming Board started this week and will conclude next Friday, April 24.

Juan Mercado, radiology sophomore and UPB low budget/no budget chair, said, “Students will be given bandanas to wear around their arm if they are a human and around their head if they are a zombie.”

He also said the game will feature one original zombie known as the O-Z who serves as the source of the “infection.”

According to the rules, zombies cannot tag “human” participants inside buildings, and humans can stop zombies by throwing socks at them.

“The campus police said that we can’t use Nerf guns for our HVZ game so we had to get creative and we decided the humans could throw socks to defend themselves, the plus side to that is that it would be a lot cheaper than buying all those Nerf guns,” Mercado said.

Mercado said the last five surviving humans will receive a custom HVZ shirt as a prize.

Zach Davis, history sophomore and Pierce Hall resident assistant, said he already signed up and has informed all of the students on his hall about the game.

“I like the thrill of being chased and I think this will help bring everyone together and get involved so I’m looking forward to it. The more the merrier,” Davis said.

small celebration will be held April 15 in honor of Nolan A. Moore III’s birthday in the Moffett Library Special Collections Room 215.

The Collection features pieces like the Kelmscott Chaucer and an assortment of comics, cards, calendars, and ads. Its crown jewel, a printing press built around 1795 by Adam Ramage, is one of 70 American Common presses still intact in the world. It was found in a barn in northern Mexico after surviving a fire.

“We have carpenters on campus that I have talked to before who say they can fix it up really easily. But if you repair something like this, you lose the value, even though I would love to get my hands on it,” Cortny Bates, special collections librarian, said.

Moore collected comic books extensively.

“A lot of them [were drawn by] landmark artists who were very important in the development of drawing those pieces of art. For example, we have “The Yellow Kid” which is the first comic book character. There are some really neat original art,” Stacy Johnson, assistant Special Collections Librarian, said. “I think Moore had a good eye for knowing what was going to be important.”

At Moore’s birthday celebration, see if you can spot these three images: a child sitting on a dragon, a group of cannibals and a cyclops woman. Come any other time Monday-Friday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. and 2-5 p.m. to see.

T

A

6 | April 15, 2015 | April 10

Upcoming Events

C RIME LOG

Burglary: vehicle | 10:46 a.m. | Parking lot #16, behind Sundance Court Apartments | Unknown person(s) entered victims vehicle and rummaged through the interior. Nothing was reported taken.

April 11

Burglary: vehicle | 12:35 p.m. | Parking lot #16, behind Sundance Court Apartments | Unknown person(s) entered victim’s vehicle and removed property.

April 12

April 10

Burglary: vehicle | 9:01 a.m. | Parking lot #16, behind Sundance Court Apartments | Unknown person(s) broke a window from the victim’s vehicle and removed personal property.

Burglary: vehicle | 7:35 a.m. | Parking lot #16, behind Sundance Court Apartments | Unknown person(s) entered victim’s locked vehicle and removed property.

SOURCE: http://www.mwsu.edu/police/crimelogs/

April 16 Spring 2015 Geoscience and Environmental Science Colloquium Series: Jon Price | 5 p.m. in Bolin 100 | Free April 16 Department of Music: Percussion and Pan Ensemble | 7:30 p.m. in Akin Auditorium | Free April 17 College of Fine Arts Retirement Reception | 3 p.m. in Fain Fine Arts Center Atrium | Free

April 17 Department of Music: H2/4 | 7:30 p.m. in Akin Auditorium | Free April 18 Maroon and Gold Spring Game | 5 p.m. at Memorial Stadium | Free April 18 Rec Sports Softball Tournament | 9:30 a.m. at the Wichita Falls Softball Complex | Free

MALES pg. 1 outcomes and appropriateness before, and if, it moves forward.”

Laura Jefferson, associate theater professor and director of “In the Next Room,” said the language on the poster was tasteless and derogatory.

“That’s not what the play was about. Did this person even see the play?” Jefferson said.

“I wonder what it is about equal rights in the United States that scares people into doing stuff like this.”

Wayne Schields, assistant director of housing and dining services and Pierce hall direc-

tor, said he approved and helped write the flier’s copy.

“An RA sent me an original version, I took out, believe it or not, some more inflaming words and I made it tongue-in-cheek,” Schields said. “Living in a male dorm, you hear conversations throughout the year. A lot of talk was about the recent plays put on, so I did a play on words with that.”

Timmie Young, computer science freshman and Pierce Hall resident, said the program should not have been canceled because of the complaints against the poster.

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“I think the poster was only half serious.

There was a program planned where guys from Pierce would do manly things like filet a fish or make a campfire, but it got canceled when people complained,” Young said. “Everyone can have their own opinions, but one opinion shouldn’t stop a whole program.”

Schields said “Save the Males,” scheduled for next week with a closing cookout April 30, is meant to teach Pierce residents “things every guy should know.”

“Guys don’t know how to do a lot of stuff that, for instance, my generation knew how to

do,” Schields said. “It is various programs, for instance, an active demonstration on how to change your oil, properly change a tire and put the lug nuts back on, how to gut a fish.”

Schields said some speakers for the event are still up in the air, but students are taking the lead in running “Save the Males.”

“Mainly it’s student led. The RAs, they’ve volunteered their services to show the residents, the guys in the building,” Schields said.

“I say guys, but I mean it’s welcome to anybody.”

Additional reporting by Matt Jobe.

| April 15, 2015 | 7

CYC LING

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

Kayla Casey, special education junior, and Taylor Coffman, mass communication senior, work together at the Tarleton State game April 14.

Women’s tennis have a chance in national championship JESSALYN CASTRO REPORTER

M PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN

Garrison Horton, exercise physiology, takes the lead on the first lap in the Men’s B/ Women’s A race on April 12 for the 2015 Vuelta Del Viento Race Weekend, hosted by MSU.

280

Points earned by MSU in the team omnium.

MSU took first place.

252

Points earned by Tulane in the team omnium.

MSU races at Tulane this weekend.

184

Points earned by Texas Tech in the team omnium.

NOTABLE CYCLIST RESULTS Hannah Ross, exercise physiology graduate student | road race winner, crit race winner, on winning team for women’s A race Ashley Weaver, radiology senior | third in road race, second in crit race, on winning team for Women’s A race Angela Streadwick, psychology senior | third in crit race, on winning TTT team Claire Fisher, nursing senior | women’s C crit race winner Raquel Long, sports and leisure studies junior | second in women’s C crit race Sean Brown, sports administration graduate student | fourth in men’s A road race Garrison Horton, exercise physiology freshman | second in men’s B road race Max Schaefer, pre-engineering sophomore | fourth in men’s D road race

en and women’s tennis have four weeks left to work their way to the NCAA Division II National Championships.

“Our goal is to be playing on May 16 with both teams,” said Scott Linn, head tennis coach.

With a big goal set, Linn said confidence is key for reaching that goal.

“Confidence is huge because you can do all the right things in training and preparation and hard work but if the brain gets in the way and you don’t believe you can get it done, you don’t believe you can outwork your opponent, you don’t believe you can find their weakness, if you don’t believe you can close off or knock off a volley on a game point, then you can do all the training in the world but you’re going to hesitate in the moment,” Linn said.

Linn said players on both teams are progressing on the right track to reach their goals.

“I’m very happy with this year’s team,” Linn said. “I do think we have our sights set on big things and we have the people to do it but it will be a full team effort.”

The women beat Tarleton State yesterday 8-1, making them 13-6 overall and 2-0 in conference play.

Taylor Coffman, mass communication senior and tennis player, said even though she lost she keeps in mind that her teammates are really strong and is there to take away the pressure.

“I know that my team has my back so I’m not

really worried about if I don’t get this done then everything will be ruined because I know that they have their matches down,” Coffman said.

Madeline Schorlemmer, psychology junior and tennis player, said people always say tennis is an individual sport, but when playing on a college team it is different.

“For me it’s probably 90 percent of it because even though you’re out there by yourself for singles, you’re still playing for your girls,” Schorlemmer said.

Schorlemmer and Coffman play doubles together and Coffman said hearing encouragement from her teammate next to her on the court makes it that much easier for her.

“In a way it is kind of a one person sport, you’re out there by yourself but you wouldn’t be able to go through and win matches that you need to win if you didn’t have your teammates right next to you,” Coffman said. “That’s really important because we play by ourselves but we play for MSU as a whole.”

Even if it’s a bad day of tennis Schorlemmer said the team still works together as one.

“From the beginning to the end, if we continue what we’re doing then we’ll have a ton of success just because nobody goes out there and plays for themselves.”

The players will travel to Lawton today to play Cameron University at 2 p.m.

Read the full story online at thewichitan.com/ tennisnationals/