April 15, 2020

April 15, 2020 | thewichitan.com | Real Students. Real Stories. | Vol. 84 No. 12

COVID CASH

SPORTS: Pg 9

Ross Fitzpatrick and his soccer journey.

NEWS: Pg 5

The Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, supported by the CARES Act, will grant MSU Texas $4,413,874 million in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Best TV show to watch during a pandemic?

RESPIRATORY CARE: Pg 4

THE PRESIDENT’S TAKE: Pg 8

HAVING HOPE: Pg 5

Students called to join the fight against COVID-19. Even during these dark times, we will prevail.

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

@WichitanOnline

MEDIA: Pg 3

Decision-making during this pandemic.

@wichitanonline

@TheWichitan

2 April 15, 2020 | Campus Voices | Wichi Suggestion | News | Campus Voices | News | Locker Room Talk | Activities | Photography ED I TO R I A L

A letter to the editor from a retired professor

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ith the rise of the far-right and radical-right, we have not only been experiencing the growth of “Survival-of-the-Fittest” Social Darwinist ideology in today’s Republican Party (especially in the U.S. Congress) featuring their desire not only to cut our spending on all of the federal government social programs that help the middle and lower classes (Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, Food Stamps, College Student Loans), but we also get their growing cold-hearted desire to abolish all of them which they try to keep a secret from the American people as authors Jane Mayer and Nancy Maclean have well-documented by pointing out “Bad Faith.” They are joined in these practices by the national conservative news media and conservative “thinktanks” which are basically right-wing propaganda mills/factories.

After we successfully pull through this pandemic crisis, we can expect all of the above to set their sights in 2021 on going after the major federal government social programs especially Social Security (which they have always disliked the most) in their desire to make major cuts to them.

Wedding tips for COVID-19 pandemic

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lanning and having a wedding at any time is incredibly stressful; planning and having a wedding during a worldwide pandemic, however, feels impossible.

Amos My fiance and I’s wedding Perkins is scheduled for June 20th and was originally scheduled to take place at our hometown church. Since originally making our plans, our church has shut down all gatherings so we’ve been forced to find another venue.

Every wedding industry from catering to DJ’s have been affected by the COVID-19 outbreak and subsequent government restrictions. We eventually decided to have a significantly smaller wedding at a family member’s home, because that was better than simply canceling or rescheduling to a later date.

With all the negatives out there, the worst

part has been having no precedent to tell us how to deal with this. So, here are five tips on wedding planning during a pandemic

1) PUT YOUR SAFETY AND THE SAFETY OF YOUR GUESTS FIRST. Encourage elderly family members not to come or to facetime the wedding (as weird as that may be). Make sure to provide buckets of hand sanitizer and masks to those who want them. Only invite absolutely essential guests to your wedding.

People are going to try and be helpful, but oftentimes there advice can come off as condescending. It’s important to remember none of them have planned a wedding during this time, and they can’t know what you’re going through.

4) There’s nothing wrong with eloping.

Don’t feel pressured to have a traditional wedding just because you feel like society or your family is telling you to. If you feel yourself getting too stressed, there is nothing wrong with eloping with the person you love.

2) Find ways to keep yourself relaxed 5) Have a bigger reception later.

If you do decide to elope or at least have a and calm. small wedding, it’s a good idea to host a differ-

My fiance uses “present/guided meditaent reception or a house party later in the year tion,” a guided meditation app that helps her with people you would have invited to your relax when things get really stressful. wedding if you could. This will make them feel important and hopefully cause less drama 3) Take everyone’s advice with a grain of with the people left out of the wedding.

salt.

SPR I N G 2 0 2 0 FI N AL S S CH E D UL E

Sincerely, Stewart B. Epstein EDITORS: Kristin Silva, Amos Perkins PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Bridget Reilly Vol. 84 | No. 12 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

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ISSUE STAFF: Taylor Anderson, Dallas Wabbington, Jordan Breed-

love, Jasmine Amo, Colin Stevenson

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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 email address, telephone number and address.

April 15, 2020 | Campus Voices | Wichi Suggestion | News | Campus Voices | News | Locker Room Talk | Activities | Photography

A WI C HI TAN S UG G E STION :

PANDEMIC

PHOTO COURTESY OF NETFLIX.COM

Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak (2020).

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andemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak is the perfect series for everyone quarantined due to COVID-19.

Pandemic is a documentary series that tells the story of the medical workers on the frontlines working to prevent pandemics, namely the influenza virus. It also discusses the studies toward a universal vaccine, which I found Amos incredibly interesting as someone with zero Perkins scientific knowledge. It also discusses antivaxxers and the struggle that viewpoint poses them in their efforts to rid the world of diseases.

The eeriness of the timing of Netflix’s release of this show cannot be understated, and it’s a great show for the millions of people having to rely on rumors more than facts for information. The show can be unnerving at times because of its similarities to today’s situation, but listening to actual medical professionals talk about pandemics is surprisingly comforting. Certain episodes are particularly uplifting such as “Prayers might work” which details how faith and the church helps medical workers maintain hope.

While the show is medically based and much of it does take place in hospitals, a lot of attention is spent on the personal lives of the people involved. This helps you relate to these people and greater understand the sacrifices they go through to keep us safe.

Pandemic is a very interesting docu-series, and while there may be many better documentaries available, there are none more relatable to the political climate we find ourselves in.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMBD.COM

Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak (2020).

Number of episodes:

ONE SEASON, SIX EPISODES

Status:

COMPLETED Where to watch:

Netflix

3

MSU should go pass/fail

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ith the transition to exclusively online classes in full effect at MSU, many students have seen their grades drop, and the best solution is to move to pass/fail.

Many students didn’t sign up for onAmos Perkins line classes to start with because they knew they wouldn’t do well at them and are now left with no choice. Some professors haven’t been communicating well with their students, often time by no fault of their own, and a lot of students are having to live back home and don’t have a proper study/test environment.

As a result, there has been a petition on social media for MSU to pass all their students. As great as this sounds, I don’t think it’s right or fair to professors to make them assign work just to pass everyone. Instead, I believe giving students the choice of whether or not to make their class pass/ fail is the best option.

In pass/fail, your grade, regardless of pass or fail, does not affect your GPA. This is good for students who have seen their grades tank to barely passing since the COVID-19 outbreak. This would really be positive for students who have to maintain a high GPA to stay in their program, such as nursing students.

GPA aside, this time of quarantine has been awful for college students’ mental health. They are already worried about getting sick, financially supporting themselves, their grandparents and parents getting sick, and they are lacking the social interaction human beings require. The last thing that needs to be on people’s minds is whether or not they’ll have to drop out because their grades have suffered so much.

For anyone who thinks this is impractical, many other prominent universities in Texas have adopted this system. There are over 140 universities nationally that have made pass/fail an option. That list includes Texas A&M University, University of North Texas, Texas State University, University of Texas at Dallas and Baylor University. There is no reason for MSU not to follow suit.

4 April 15, 2020 | Campus Voices | Wichi Suggestion | News | Campus Voices | News | Locker Room Talk | Activities | Photography

Respiratory care students to receive an emergency license to work on frontlines of

COVID-19 pandemic

BRIDGET REILLY PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR overnor of Texas Greg Abbott announced Sunday, April 5 that physician assistants, medical physicists, perfusionists and respiratory care candidates for licensure “who have completed all other requirements may enter the workforce under an emergency license working under supervision prior to taking the final licensure exam.”

“After May 16 we all wanted to get into the field as early as we could to help the crisis, and once [the waiver] was passed we were all really relieved more than anything,” Justin Kittrell, respiratory senior, said. “A few of us were excited, there are a handful of us that are working as students. It has opened up the door for us to go in directly after graduation.”

The waiver means that respiratory care students who pass their school’s final exams in May will be able to find the front lines before taking the board exams to receive their state license.

“We take a clinical multiple choice exam, and we also take a clinical simulation exam to graduate,” Kittrell said. “If we pass those at the minimum, we are allowed to go into the field.”

Tanairi Gonzalez, respiratory care senior, was excited to receive the news from Gov. Abbott.

“We feel awesome, we’ve accomplished something big,” Gonzalez said.

In order to protect her husband and her two sons, ages two and four, from infection, Gonzalez had a process for when she came home from working at the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.

“When I was working with suspected cases, I would come home and fully undress in the backyard, I would take my scrubs and put them in the washer immediately, then I go straight to the bathroom and shower before I had any kind of contact with [family members],” Gonzalez said.

Unfortunately Gonzalez and other students working at the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas were let go due to being students and to protect them for their own safety. However, if she was to work with a confirmed case, the process of protecting her family would be “totally different.”

“I would be staying at a friends house who lives by herself. She has opened her doors for

G

PHOTO COURTESY OF GOV.TEXAS.GOV

Governor of Texas Greg Abbott introduces the first Texas offices for Broadcast Music, Inc. Feb. 5. me to come and stay there, so it wouldn’t affect our kids,” Gonzalez said. “That is something we had talked about a couple of months ago with my husband; we need to take precautions now because it is going to be here, it is just a matter of when it’s going to get here and how bad it will be.”

Kittrell, who is currently working at the United Regional hospital in Wichita Falls, is giving basic floor breathing treatments and taking care of patients on that floor. He too, has a process of keeping infection away from his wife and his two daughters, ages nine and three.

“Everyone [at United Regional] is bringing an extra pair of clothes to work and then we are changing at work before we come home and then getting directly in the shower [at home].

I’m putting everything in a plastic bag and putting them straight into the washer as soon as I get home,” Kittrell said.

If Kittrell is given a positive COVID-19 patient to take care of, he will make the necessary ad-

justments to protect his family.

“We’re fortunate to have a guest bedroom in my home so I would be self-isolating for 14 days just to be on the safe side, so I don’t get my family infected as well. That’s the hard part, not being around my kids, but it’s better safe than sorry,” Kittrell said.

It usually would take respiratory care graduates 30-45 days after graduation to receive their state license. Taking the respiratory board exams is still a requirement for graduates, however, it is deferred until further notice.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE OFFICE OF GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT.

Governor of Texas Logo.

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5

Hope amidst COVID-19 panic JASMINE AMO FINANCE SENIOR eb. 12 marked the record high for the Dow Jones, a whopping average of $29,551.42 displayed an astoundingly historic day for the nation as we drew closer to financial resilience.

On Feb. 28, a little over two weeks later, the nation watched in horror as the market endured a 14% drop. Mangled in tensions and fear of a newly announced epidemic across seas caused investors, corporations and small business owners within the states, to hold their breath as the media coverage, and market conditions began to shape an inverse relation, which resulted in the market falling 37% down from the initial national high as more news discharged over the topic.

Here’s why — Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), despite the call to rename the pandemic virus otherwise, did, in fact, originate in a wet

nately, was not taken with utmost precautions until Feb. 4, 2020, when the U.S. State Department issued a level 4 advisory, mandating that foreign individuals who had visited China, not be allowed in.

Other countries, prior to the US, soon began to feel the repercussions the virus carried to its hosts. The most infamous country location, Italy, initially banned all flights from China on Jan. 31, but soon experienced firsthand, the spreading rate of the pandemic, as the country began to post-death tolls totaling 10,023 of their current 92,472 infected cases reported. Though this number brings a stark outlook upon this virus’s wrath towards civilization, all readers must recall that COVID-19 is most detrimental to the elderly population, which is, you guessed it, the majority of Northern Italy’s populace where the grim numbers were reported.

Furthermore, despite many small businesses without online storefronts or grandiose investments in toiletry and sanitationproduct industries, hope still is in sight. Congressional leaders and President Donald Trump recently created and signed into law the $2.2 trillion dollar stimulus, “CARES Act” package, with hopes to guarantee American citizens revenue for their upcoming financial liabilities. This new deal promises to garner Americans making up to $75,000 annually, a $1,200 dollar check (via mail or direct deposit.) If married, couples will receive $2,400 if they have no children but will receive up to $500 per child if they do have children. This stimulus package was drafted in order to offset PHOTO COURTESY BY JASMINE AMO default payments to those with outstanding, present liWet market exotic animals, located in Wuhan, China. abilities.

You, yourself, can verify if you are eligible for market located within Wuhan, China. Chinese benefits of the package since salaries over the authorities alerted the World Health Organiza$75,000 amount are eligible for stimulus paytion on Dec. 31, 2019, of the rare strand, formally ments as well. The stimulus payment calculaknown as, SARS-CoV-2, spreading exponentially tor, via WashingtonPost.com, outputs that one among Chinese citizens, within and around the would receive $2,400 being married and withcity the virus originated from. Symptoms the out children, making just over $150,000. The contracting individuals experienced were fever, calculator displays the amount the individual cough and difficulty breathing, some even statreceives back, decreasing as their reported salaing the sensation of drowning was prevalent ries increase. Amazingly, you can even receive with their pains endured. The disease, unfortu-

F

PHOTO COURTESY OF JASMINE AMO

an entire US dollar if you are married, without children and make $197,990. All jokes aside, I strongly encourage you to seek, calculate and claim your amount receivable during this time.

Why exclude yourself from an available payment? Unemployment benefits are additionally available as well, promising those applicable an extra $600 weekly payment, a whopping 165% increase in their normal $385 national, weekly payment. This payment will soften the harsh rifts created by fear of bankruptcy tensions, which caused many small business owners to lay-off thousands of their hardworking employees nationwide.

Additionally, a massive crackdown on “fake news” in relation to the virus by major tech companies Facebook, Microsoft and Google have been spawned to bring media sources and audiences alike closer to the reality of the virus’s path. This should reiterate to all readers of this article that you should perform your due diligence when learning about the virus itself. Skepticism and cross-referencing sources will always be your best friends in these times.

Also, though America has recently inducted the award of highest cases of COVID-19 globally, presently sitting at 123,428, the workmanship

and courage of Americans are soaring with efforts to produce and protect those enduring and battling the virus. This is being accomplished through the production of medical-grade safety masks, and ventilators for the incredibly ill.

These actions are led in states affected the most, such as New York, by Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Governor Cuomo has called for testing expansion, school closures and growth in the health service availability industries in order to combat and mitigate the adverse effects this virus historically carries upon it’s growing body of hosts.

Though the market has taken a historic, abyssal fall, economists and financial officials can reassure the general populace that the market, similarly to the state of the nation, will indeed, always prevail.

Do your part to comply with guidelines set, and most importantly, stay healthy!

1. HANDS: Wash them often.

2. ELBOW: Cough into it.

3. FACE: Don’t touch it.

4. SPACE: Keep safe distance.

5: HOME: Stay if you can.

This information was gathered, written and is accurate as of March 29.

6 April 15, 2020 | Campus Voices | Wichi Suggestion | News | Campus Voices | News | Locker Room Talk | Activities | Photography

MSU announces COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund to help students in neeD AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR

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athew Park, associate vice president and dean of students, announced the creation of the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund via Postmaster Thursday, April 9.

The fund’s purpose is to provide financial support to current-

ly enrolled students who are unable to support their ability to remain enrolled at MSU due to financial hardships resulting from the COVID-19 outbreak. The amount provided would be between $25 and $200 per student.

“Each application is reviewed by a committee and if approved, funds range from $25-$250 per student,” Park said. “Applicants should provide documentation of their financial hardship and existence of the essential expense.”

As there is a limited amount of money that can be distributed, there are strict qualifications for who can successfully apply for the emergency fund. The most significant restriction is that applicants must be MSU students that have already tried other ways to ease their financial difficulties. “ [Applicants] must be a currently enrolled degree-seeking student at MSU Texas, must have a non-recurring financial hardship for an essential expense resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic that has to be taken care of right away, and other possible financial resources must have been considered and deemed insufficient or not available in a timely manner to cover the essential expense,” Park said. “Students who have a past due balance with MSU Texas and/or are on a payment plan are eligible to apply.”

The emergency fund itself is funded in private by MSU sup-

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Member of Delta Sigma Theta and nursing senior Abigail Derosier attends the Greek Week study night. April 9, 2019. porters and community members. For college students worried

The COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund was created exclu-

how this emergency fund may affect their tuition, Park said that sively to combat the coronavirus, and it wasn’t created until the the fund is not coming out of any student tuition or fees. Some pandemic began. However, once MSU leadership saw the effects faculty have also contributed to the emergency fund.

“Already several MSU faculty, staff and administrators have

of the outbreak, the fund was created quickly. “[It took] two weeks from the initial idea to the announcement

given personally to this fund,” Anthony Vidmar, vice president, of the fund,” Park said. “And yes, [it was created] solely due to said.

Donors can choose to remain anonymous as was the case with

COVID-19.”

If you’re experiencing financial hardship and wish to apply

one of the funds’ first donors who donated $2,500. The donor said for the fund, or if you wish to help out your fellow Mustangs and he was looking for a way to help students when he was informed donate to the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund, click on the folof the Emergency Fund.

lowing link: https://msutexas.edu/student-life/dean/emergency/

“While walking, the thought came to me that at MSU there student-emergency-fund.php. must be students, already struggling financially, who could be

“Students, and anyone, can give online. [Go to the] link, then

at risk of falling through the safety net for many different rea- click the ‘donate’ heart,” Vidmar said. sons as a result of the COVID-19 emergency. I was already conThe anonymous donor provided some words encouraging othtributing to Mustang Pantry, but thought there might be other ers to donate as well. urgent needs to be addressed. Steve Ship, Director of University

PHOTO BY MATTHEW HENRY

United States currency.

“I would say that helping these hard working students over

Development, called and told me that they set up a fund called a rough spot is a great way to invest in those students who are the COVID-19 Student Emergency Fund for contributors such as also on their way to becoming productive contributing members myself,” the anonymous donor said.

of society,” the donor said.

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7

MSU Texas to receive $4.4 million from CARES Act grant BRIDGET REILLY PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR he Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund, supported by the CARES Act, will grant MSU Texas $4,413,874 million in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. At least half of this sum must go towards “providing students with emergency financial aid grants to help cover expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus.”

“We are so grateful for the support of the federal government, and we’re committed to distributing these funds correctly,” President Suzanne Shipley said. “Information is coming out now to us, and we will forward that to students. We just need to be sure to be accurate in what we share so everyone’s application is fully funded.”

The US Department of Education’s methodology on choosing how much each school receives is based on two components: the number of students enrolled and the number of PELL eligible students.

“That resulted in an allocation of $4,413,874 total aid of which half, or $2,206,937, must be used for ‘emergency financial aid grants’ to students with their expenses related to the disruption of campus operations due to the coronavirus,” Vice President of

T

Administration and Finance Beth Reissenweber said.

The workgroup that will handle the process of splitting up the funds to each student includes representatives from financial aid, student affairs, business office and information technology. To aid in this process, MSU will also unite with other universities in Texas to “ensure best practices and maximize a positive impact.”

“I will oversee the group while being mindful of our need to support our students in a timely manner while being thoughtful on how best to meet individual needs,” Reissenweber said.

Students may have to apply to receive their portion of the federal grant from MSU, and different approaches are yet to be explored as to the amount each student will acquire.

“We anticipate that students will have varying needs for the emergency funds. In order to allocate the funds to meet these needs, we may need to have students apply using a simple online application. The workgroup, however, still needs to determine the best way to expedite the disbursement to meet our students’ needs quickly.”

Students will receive the grant fund like they would for a student refund, through electronic funds transfers or a check.

“Guidance from The Secretary of State indicates that funds are to support student expenses related to the disruption of campus

PHOTO COURTESY OF OFFICE OF SENATOR JOHN CORNYN

Texas Senator John Cornyn sends update on the total aid MSU will receive from the CARES Act. April 14.

operations such as food, housing, course materials, technology, health care and child-care expenses.”

While students will be allocated at least $2.2 million of the $4.4 million, the other portion will be used to reimburse MSU for the bill accumulated from the COVID-19 pandemic. Although unsure how this sum will be distributed, Reissenweber looks forward to the guidance of the US Department of Education.

“We understand [it will be] in the next week or two. Right now everyone’s interest is on helping our students and our Funding Certification and Agreement covers the first $2.2 million for students,” Reissenweber said.

Texas A&M Kingsville will receive $7 million, Lubbock Christian University - $1.4 million, West Texas A&M University - $5.7 million, Texas A&M Commerce - $7.1 million and Angelo State University is set to receive $6.3 million.

“We are very grateful for the expediency in the federal government’s response to higher education’s needs and especially our students,” Reissenweber said. “Since we were not expecting funds, the $4.4M of support is a welcome and substantial figure.

The allocation is weighted to benefit those institutions with more PELL eligible students.”

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Vice President of Administration and Finance Beth Reissenweber delivers preliminary information regarding the FY 2019 end-of-year report at the Board of Regents meeting. Sept.

28, 2019.

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President Shipley discusses MSU’s decision-making process amid COVID-19

KRISTIN SILVA CHIEF EDITOR ue to the COVID-19 pandemic, MSU Texas began instruction for all classes to be online for the rest of Spring 2020. President Suzanne Shipley discussed what happened behind the scenes to ensure that students were still receiving the best education possible during this time.

“Every single individual has a depth of disappointment in this and we’re trying to alleviate that,” Shipley said.

D

Q: Was there a timeline of how all of this played out, and who was involved in the decision-making process?

A: “In terms of decision-making for the crisis, our team for such things is the cabinet. We were meeting every day as a group and taking decisions one-by-one. I was keeping the board chair apprised, and our board-relations person was keeping the board apprised; the main way we did that was the emails we sent to folks and the postmasters that people got.

Q: What has this looked like behind the scenes in terms of getting the transition in place for students?

A: “It was early on that rapidlyemerging cascade of decisions that had to be made. Just moments, it felt like, after the NBA canceled its season then you had the decisions coming about March Madness from NCAA, and then the next day we’re meeting. It’s that fast because we’ve got to let students know what we’re doing. We had to get the cabinet together to make decisions right away on how we should line this up, and

by Thursday get a word out to students that we’re shifting to online and extending spring break. We had been having emergency meetings so a lot of deans and chairs were ready for it, but we didn’t have the best way of doing it, which is everybody gets communication with advance notice. The students got the first communication, faculty got the second communication and staff got the third communication.

That’s how it rolled out — cabinet meeting after cabinet meeting and phone call after phone call.”

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

President Suzanne Shipley talks about keeping the change to professors mandatory office hours from 10 hours to five hours per week at the Board of Regents meeting. Nov. 7, 2019. for us too, and I hope, hope, hope you can come

Q: What would you like to say back August 1. We didn’t really want to do a virto the students at this time? tual graduation. We’ve got some tricks up our sleeves that I think will make seniors feel a little A: “I want them to know that all faculty I’ve talked to [and] the staff, they are trying to do the best they can to alleviate the stress and disappointment of this situation. [For] faculty, it’s getting the best instruction out there they can; staff and faculty; it’s getting all the help to the students they can; [for] student affairs, [it’s] determining when refunds are given, how refunds are given, how credits are given; [for] international students who have had to remain here, PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN how do we feed them, how do we link them with President Suzanne Shipley talks to a crowd of people to give them some shadow of a social life around 35 at the Campus Conversation event so that they’re not too lonely; then trying to be about joining the Texas Tech System. Feb. 18. very public in our media connections to show the processes [and] why they’re happening. I’m try[When March Madness was canceled] it was ing to do some humorous videos, some YouTube from that day on, every single day. Behind the videos and [it’s] just everybody doing their part.” scenes on those announcements, [the questions were]: ‘How fast can I.T. work?’ ‘How much notice will our faculty need?’ ‘How will we make Q: What would you like to say specifisure we have the infrastructure and students cally to seniors who are graduating in have access to the things that they need?’ So May? you’re walking across the bridge as you build it.” A: “Wow, I feel your pain. It’s a disappointment

better that I don’t want to disclose in this interview. We just think this is the type of institution where we need to be together again, and so hopefully, we can have an in-person graduation on August 1. Again, it’ll depend on how things are, and if that’s too early, then we’ll reschedule it as soon as we can. There’s always the December graduation scheduled, so we’ll just do the best we can to get folks together. To the seniors, the NCAA gave extended eligibility, but it’s not the same as having the season you had dreamed of, and I feel very sorry for the senior athletes as well. Just, my heart goes out to people. I think the saddest thing [for] everyone is the economic impact. But, as I’ve said to students, I hope this gives you an opportunity to acquire some skills that will make you a very competitive job candidate, or a very good candidate for graduate study. I urge everyone to take advantage of this moment and do all you can to maximize it for your own benefit and minimize the emotional negativity of it.”

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

President Suzanne Shipley speaks to the press following announcing at an all faculty and staff meeting that they were considering accepting Texas Tech University’s system. Feb. 14.

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9

LOCKER ROOM TALK

TAYLOR ANDERSON SPORTS EDITOR Ross Fitzpatrick, kinesiology senior, started his soccer journey in the streets of Waterford, Ireland with the dream to play soccer professionally.

“My childhood was just playing soccer on the streets every day with all my friends, at lunch in school and after school just on the road or whatever small patch of grass we could find,” Fitzpatrick said.

Only a five-minute walk, Fitzpatrick and his dad would walk to the local club team, Bohemians, for the kid’s academy. When Fitzpatrick turned of age, he was able to put his talents on the field with his under-11 team.

“My local club team at the kid’s academy was a five min walk from my house so I was used to walking there every Saturday with my dad until I was about eight. I started training with my club’s under-11 team twice a week and played a game every Saturday,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick began his tread up to the professional league when he was 17 years old. He started at a semi-professional team, Waterford United, as a midfielder.

“I joined Waterford United U-19 team at 17, and they had a lot of financial issues with the senior team. Toward the end of the year, they had to let a lot of older players go. I just got lucky and got called up and was able to play two seasons with them in Ireland’s second most competitive league against men. I got to travel around Ireland playing against some excellent players and men. I was playing against fellas twice my age, so I loved it. It was crazy because I was in high school and some of my teachPHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE ers were big Waterford WICHITAN United fans and came to watch us play every Kinesiology senior and midfielder Ross Fitzpatrick chases the ball down week,” he said. the field against West Texas A&M It wasn’t until he

University. Sept. 28, 2018.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Kinesiology senior and midfielder Ross Fitzpatrick steals the ball from a West Texas A&M defender. Nov. 4, 2018.

Due to COVID-19, Fitzpatrick’s goals for the future were put was 18 that he had to make the decisions to come to America to on hold for a professional league, but his interest in coaching has play soccer in college.

“It was only really when I turned 18, and I realized that I wasn’t grown stronger.

“If the opportunity was to present itself, I would still take it, going to be able to move to England to play [professionally], and but my main focus now is to be a college coach,” Fitzpatrick said. with how things were going with my local semi-professional team, that’s when I started looking into trying to play college in America. In Ireland, you go to college just to learn; we don’t really have college sports,” Fitzpatrick said.

Fitzpatrick’s big move to America allowed him to gain new friends, life lessons and new dreams. During his career, Fitzpatrick earned a spot on the DII Conference Commission Association, All-American second team and All-Region first team in 2017.

Through all the awards and victory, Fitzpatrick gives credit to former and current head coaches Doug Elder and Michael Meachu m for a “continuous demand on being the best you every day.”

Fitzpatrick lives through that command while he coaches for a local team in Wichita Falls with his childhood friend and teammate, Patrick Fitzgerald.

“Since I came here, myself and my roommate Paddy started coaching some local teams and I just really enjoyed it. I just found myself jotting down notes from our MSU practices and started PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN to look into coaching more in case playing professionally didn’t Kinesiology senior and midfielder Ross Fitzpatrick reflects on game against Colorado Mesa. Nov. 11, 2018. work out,” Fitzpatrick said.

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