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JESSE ROGERS RETIREMENT SUPPLEMENT PG. 5-16

April 29, 2015 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 79 No. 28

Celebration of Scholarship Students, faculty present research accross disciplines

Administrators contemplate outsourcing custodial jobs

MATT JOBE REPORTER

ETHAN METCALF EDITOR

he research and creativity of Midwestern State University students and professors will be in the spotlight this week during MSU’s Celebration of Scholarship in the Clark Student Center. The Celebration of Scholarship gives undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty an outlet to showcase their research and is a reflection of the research environment that MSU, one of 29 members of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges, cultivates in its students. Most of the projects are pursued in collaboration with faculty researchers and creative artists, and build on what students learn in the classroom. “We celebrate all forms of scholarship,” said Jesse Carlucci, assistant professor of geoscience. “Scholarship just means pursuit of scholarship in terms of data, research or creative expression and art.” Events began Tuesday in the Clark Student Center with faculty and graduate presentations. An open panel discussion will be held at noon today in the CSC Atrium. Carlucci said artistic expression is just as much scholarship as his presentation on the paleontological findings of the extinct trilobites, despite not being conveyed the same way. “When you think about it, what is an art professor’s research?” Carlucci asked. “It’s making art and being active in their field, just like any other professor.” Carlucci said the event is a great opportunity for students to see work and research in majors besides their own, and that there is something there for everyone. “Someone in history or science might never get to see the work of the geoscience department otherwise,” Carlucci, who represented the college of science and mathematics during Tuesday’s graduate and faculty presentations, said. “It’s like cross-pollination. If you’re inter-

o combat the university’s ongoing budget woes, administrators revealed this week that they are in negotiations with SSC Service Solutions to outsource the school’s facility services, including custodial, groundskeeping and central plant crews. If approved, the move would affect 94 staff members employed by the university. Vice presidents of SSC, along with several administrators, held a meeting Monday with more than 80 staff members to discuss the possibility of outsourcing the jobs. “MSU has had some budget issues over the law few years, and we’ve been able to weather that with one-time donations, but it’s really eaten into our core mission of academics, so we need to address other options,” said Kyle Owen, associate vice president of facilities services, at the beginning of the meeting. Marilyn Fowlé, vice president of business affairs and finance, said the university already outsources its dining and bookstore services, mentioning that many universities are looking for more services they can outsource. “We’re in the business to educate, we’re not in the business to run a bookstore or run a food service,” Fowlé said. “So what other kinds of things are there that companies...could do better and maybe less expensive, and facilities is one of them.” Fowlé said the move could save the university money because the contracted company would start paying into the retirement of any facilities employees hired after the contract change. Fowlé said negotiations with SSC began when administrators

PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN

Mai Badran, graduate student, explains her project on molecular biology research to one of the judges, Dirk Lindemann, history professor, at the Celebration of Scholarships in the atrium of Clark Student Center, April 28. ested, there is all kinds of stuff to see.” Magaly Rincon-Zachary, professor of biology and director of undergraduate research, helped organize the Undergraduate Research Forum that will take place Thursday. “It impacts the students so much,” Rincon-Zachary said. “It is a tremendous learning experience. Some students have told me that they learn more from this than from their classes.” Rincon-Zachary said the forum will leave a lasting impact on any students who attend. “What is an experience that you would remember?” Rincon-Zachary asked. “Sitting in class for eight hours a day? Probably not. But one of these presentations, or a conference, maybe you will remember an experience like that.” The Celebration of Scholarship event hap-

64,603

Texas child maltreatment victims in 2013 according to the U.S. Department of Health.

pens every semester, and has been continuously growing in numbers each time it’s hosted. In the past, the undergraduate portion of the event had around 40 presentations and 90 student participants, but has grown this semester to about 70 presentations and around 180 participating students. “More and more students are getting involved with their majors, and they have more research to show off.” The Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum begins 9 a.m. Thursday with oral presentations through 12:55 p.m. in CSC Comanche and Shawnee Theater. Poster presentations run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the CSC Atrium. Events conclude with an awards ceremony and wind ensemble concert 7:30 p.m. in Akin Auditorium.

100

Maximum number of clients the Wichita Falls Nurse-Family Partnership can assist at a time.

see OUTSOURCED pg. 3

2 | April 29, 2015 |

S TAF F E D I T O RI A L

These are people Our view: In administrators’ quest to protect the bottom line, let us make certain they don’t forget one essential fact: These are people we’re talking about.

ccording to some administrators, their negotiations with SSC Support Services to outsource 94 maintenance jobs all come back to combating the university’s budget woes, but let’s not forget one compelling fact: These are people we’re talking about. As numbers-driven as the proposal to outsource these crucial jobs is, we cannot remove the people from the equation. We can’t get lost in the numbers. We know these are often the jobs that the public takes for granted. Custodians are the invisible guardians of our facility, so to speak— seldom seen and scarcely heard. That is, until there’s a problem: The trash hasn’t been emptied in nearly a week, or weeds are taking over a once-pristine field of grass. But that is rarely a problem at this university, and the reason for that could be found in the Monday meeting where maintenance staff expressed concern and confusion over potentially losing their benefits. Even more noticeable than their justified concern, many staff members exhibited pride in what they do, and that pride extends directly from working for this university—not a corporation hundreds of miles away. “As faithful employees who are proud of what we do,” preceded many questions and comments. Those aren’t the words of employees motivated by greed or a desire for more vacation days. Those are the words of human beings who take ownership of their work. Those are the words of people who want to know they are appreciated and valued for keeping this institution operational every day. For a university president with less than a month left on the job, Jesse Rogers could have easily waited until he was out of the door to address this issue, avoiding any negative public reaction to the proposed deal. But he didn’t. Rogers faced the issue head on and demonstrated all the traits of a responsible leader by attending the Monday meeting and speaking with custodians, groundskeepers and central plant operators because, it seems, Rogers understands their importance to this operation and likely joins them in the pride with which they work.

the

wichitan Vo. 79 | No. 28

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

SGA failed the student body—again

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

his year’s Student Government election was without a doubt a mess. I’m not going to lay blame at any one person’s feet—that was handled at the Student Government Association election board hearing—but I will say Bri Sheen the election as a whole was unprofessional, from cheating allegations to social media wars, and the responsibility is on the entire SGA to prevent a repeat next year. And while individuals are certainly at fault, it’s hard to blame them when the SGA bylaws have so many holes to fill. Concluding the April 16 hearing, the board found Jesse Brown only responsible for the charge of illegal influencing of voters. The 34 votes Brown gained by violating election codes were invalidated but he still had a strong majority, and according to SGA bylaws, if a violation doesn’t change the outcome of the election, the election can’t be voided. I can’t speak on the innocence of any particular candidate, but the Student Government Association as a whole is guilty of failing the student population they are supposed to represent. The SGA bylaws, for one, need immediate revision. It’s immoral to say an election can only be voided if the violations change the outcome of the election. I see why this would be the rule—what does it matter if a candidate cheats if they would have swept the competition anyway? It matters because it sets a frightening precedent. Future candidates for student government elections will now know they can cheat and get away with it—as long as they’re savvy enough. Even worse, our next student government president is someone who was found guilty of breaking SGA code and illegally influencing voters. So even if the violations didn’t have a profound impact on the election outcome, finding that the president violated the procedures he is now tasked with enforcing questions the integrity of future elections and SGA itself. Brown is not the only one with a questionable moral compass. While it was wrong for people to dig up candidate Marco Torres’ social media posts, some from years ago, it reflects badly on Torres that he would ever make such potentially offensive posts on social media, and worse, not think to delete

them when he made the choice to run for an election position. I wish the whole election had been voided or they had given the position to Julie Brady, who received only 11 percent of the vote. It’s embarrassing that I would actually be happy just to have a student government president that didn’t break election codes or make offensive social media posts. The bar should be higher. Last year there was an anonymous complaint about the election and nothing came of it. This year however, probably due to the spectacle this election created, the hearing had a full house. Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, who helped in the process, said there were holes that needed to be filled in the SGA bylaws, and I agree. The impact of this train-wreck election is far-reaching. It creates an air of distrust and immaturity that hangs over all of student government. Surely SGA members had some knowledge of what was going on in this election – why did no one speak out publicly? Staying silent when you know something wrong is happening makes you just as guilty and accountable as the person doing the wronging. The blame comes down on past, current and future SGA members because it was their candidates and their bylaws that created this fiasco. And ultimately, it is SGA that will have to make a change to avoid a repeat of this election. Jesse Brown has a personal stake in righting this wrong for future elections. Not just because he is the figurehead of SGA, but because the election scandal will reflect on his character whether he was found innocent or not. Taking charge to amend and enforce bylaws will go a long way in earning back the trust of constituents who he may have alienated during the election, including myself. The first effort to fix SGA’s public image should be changing the bylaws. It isn’t enough to only void an election if violations change the results. Violations, of any nature, are grounds for a new election or disqualification of responsible candidates. SGA should make it publicly known their stance on these events to start the path towards transparency and authenticity. Bri Sheen is a freshman in mass communication.

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.

| April 29, 2015 | 3

“Somebody has got to suffer”

Fine arts custodian may find job outsourced

money just like everyone else does, but if I’m not at MSU tomorrow, it’s not going to crush my world,” Entrekin said. “I feel for the employees that have to have this job. It’s not a very lucrative job as it is, when you look at the pay scale. The benefits are what make it what it is. I can promise you, that private entity will not match the benefits this college gives us.” According to Entrekin, facility employees get half an hour, three times a week for wellness. “Almost a day’s work so that we can stay in shape to do our job, which benefits the university as well,” Entrekin said. “But you can bet that’s gone with a private company, it’s not going to happen.” Not just for wellness, the workers

enjoy a pass time known as the Summer Sizzler. For 15 days in the summer, facilities services employees get a break provided with a treat, to go along with the heat. “We have a soda pop, ice cream, sometimes donuts,” Entrekin said. “The company doesn’t dock us for it. They allow us at least 30 minutes to go there. That’s seven and a half hours, that’s another day’s work.” Entrekin said the facilities staff were off for 15 days this past Christmas. He spent his break relaxing and watching golf. Golf is his favorite sport. “I mostly play at River Creek, because I don’t have time to go anywhere else,” Entrekin said. “That’s where my friends play, that’s why I play. We used to go all over - to Texhoma, Turtle Creek, Oklahoma, Archer City, and Comanche.” In the event the company comes into contract with the university, that paid vacation will be a wish on Santa’s List. “You can bet your last dime that’s gone,” Entrekin said. “Maybe we might get, if we are extremely lucky, half a day Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and New Year’s Day. The new company coming in can’t afford to give us two weeks. And it was generous of the college to do it, so let’s enjoy it while we have it.” But Entrekin likes working at MSU, he said the university has been good to him, and good to a lot of folks. “I hope that we have the insight to keep that in mind when the changes do come down,” Entrekin said. “But trust me, there are going to be some. And there will be a lot more bad ones than good ones. Somebody has got to suffer, and when you have 20 people invited to the party and only ten slices of cake, guess what, only half of them are going to get a piece.”

the meeting as John Lane, regional vice president for SSC, repeated different iterations of the phrase, “this is far from final.” “We’re just not there yet,” Lane said. “That’s why we’re here today, so we can be transparent with you.” But with the word “outsourcing” comes fears of layoffs, which members in the audience expressed, but Owen and Fowlé said everyone will have a job. “They make a commitment to us and it’s in the contract. Now, if somebody doesn’t perform, that’s a whole different story, but it will be in the contract that

they will take everybody and take them at at least their current pay,” Fowlé said. Fowlé said outgoing University President Jesse Rogers, known for his fundraising ability, wants to leave a balanced budget for incoming president Suzanne Shipley. “He has a really good fundraising ability because he’s been here for 48 years, so he knows all the big donors,” Fowlé said. “He does not want to burden her, Dr. Shipley, with having to try to fundraise to make sure the budget is balanced in her first year. That’s just not right.”

KRISTINA ABEYTA REPORTER

hroughout the C-wing of the Fain Fine Arts Center, Robert Entrekin, facilities services custodian, can be seen up and down the halls, maintaining the building. He rides a motorcycle as often as he can get, and once the weather settles, he’ll be on it again. He watches golf for leisure and spends time with his family, though he might not remember all of their birthdays. “We grandpas and dads don’t keep track of that kind of stuff,” Entrekin said. “My wife knows every birthday of every one of our grandchildren, of every one of our great grandchildren, all of our kids. How she does that, I don’t know. Best I can figure, I’ve got 19 - 20 grandchildren, and three great-grandchildren.” On his 66th birthday last week, Entrekin got the entire Friday off to do as he pleased due to the benefits provided by the university. But a looming possibility of the university bringing in a private company to outsource facilities positions could change that. “They’ve still got their feet hanging over the pool, just testing the water,” Entrekin said. “But if it’s a done deal and it goes into contract it means loss of benefits for the employees.” Entrekin has worked at MSU for the past five years. “I enjoy what I do here, and the young people,” Entrekin said. “I enjoy looking at their ideas, seeing them come to life, and watching them graduate.” But working at MSU is more of a choice for Entrekin who got resounding applause after speaking at a meeting of staff members with senior administrators and consultants April 27. “Don’t get me wrong, I spend my

OUTSOURCED pg. 1 chose Chartwells as the university’s new food service company, a member of Compass Group North America which also owns SSC. “In our RFP (Request for Proposal) we also said, ‘Tell us about other things you can do besides food service,’ and they brought up the facilities piece...the financial package they’re going to give us is pretty healthy,” Fowlé said. “There might be some bonus money for us because we’re bringing in another part of their company.” Few definite answers were given at

PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN

Robert Entrekin, custodian, talks with a Wichitan reporter while he vacuums a lecture room in the C-wing of the Fain Fine Arts building, April 27.

PHOTOS BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN

Cassie Toft, theater senior, and Benjamin Ashton, history and education sophomore, perform in a dress rehearsal of the one act play, “The Moon Please,” April 27.

Final round of plays go up this weekend FAITH MUNOZ REPORTER

ast week three senior produced one act plays showed in the Bea Wood Studio Theatre – “Rosemary with Ginger”, “Demonology”, and “For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls.” This weekend a final trio of one acts, “Oedi”, “The Moon Please”, and “Thread Count” will show on Friday and Saturday at 7:30 p.m. in the Beawood Studio Theater in the Fain Fine Arts Center. “Oedi” written by Rich Orloff is directed by Disa Hairell. It is a farcical version of the Greek tragedy Oedipus Rex where Oedipus marries his mother Jocasta. Jocasta along with her husband/son’s advisers devise a plan to keep up his good image in a satire on politics and tragedy. The next play, “The Moon Please” directed by Maxwell Norris and written by Diana Son tries to shine light on the struggle of finding balance between climbing the ladder of success and enjoying your time with family. Set in a small one bedroom apartment in New York City, the small family grow closer on the wake of September 9, 2o01. The last play, “Thread Count” directed by Rachel

Dot, played by Kaylor WinterRoach, theater freshman, feels the display bed during a dress rehearsal of the oneact play, “Thread Count,”.

Drew Davison, theater senior, Ronny Medina, theater freshman, and Houston Pokorny, theater junior, perform in a dress rehearsal of the one act play, “Oedi,”. Bullard is the love story between NYC luxury linen sales clerk and a practical, down-to-earth woman visiting from North Dakota. Dot and Fergus’ paths cross and weave their lives together when the two of them are locked inside a Macy’s. They are left to ponder the possibilities laid before them in this play written by Lisa Soland.

4 | April 29, 2015 |

SCREENSHOT OF CAMPUS WATCH VIDEO

Bradley Wilson, mass communication assistant professor, moves books and office supplies after a rain storm caused multiple leaks in the Fain Fine Arts building. See the full story at: vimeo.com/126316482

Rain causes leaks in Fain HARLEY WARRICK REPORTER

Gypsy Kit goes mobile to better serve students ETHAN METCALF EDITOR

onday morning seemed normal until Carlos Aleman found water leaking from the ceiling in the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery in the Fain Fine Arts building. This brought attention to other faculty members to check rooms in the building. The dark room was flooded and leaking from two different spots in the ceiling with one leak even coming from a light fixture. Faculty and students worked together to recover files and other things from the dark room and restored them in former mass communication professor James Gorham’s old

The Gypsy Kit food truck sits in The Wichita Falls Museum of Art parking lot April 14. Watch the full story at: vimeo.com/125541036

T PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

office. Fain has also had trouble with leaks in the atrium but leaks have been attended to

and are in the process of being fixed.

he Gypsy Kit is a diamond in the rough in Wichita Falls, offering a taste of something familiar but strange, like its popular Dr Pepper Pulled Pork Tacos. “It’s just a staple we’ve got,” said Christopher Couch, chef and co-owner. “Everybody loves Dr Pepper in Texas.” Couch said his restaurant’s downtown location left some students hungry for more. “We’ve been really, really excited about trying to get to the students of MSU,” Couch said. “Being downtown with our small café, our lines are so long it’s hard for people to get out, especially if you have a tough schedule for school.” Couch said the food truck will set up

for lunch at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art parking lot every Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., making it much easier for students to access. “It’s great, I don’t have to drive downtown,” said Logan Lafoon, radiology junior. “I can literally just walk across campus and come get some great food.” While they can’t offer the entire menu from the food truck, Couch said rotating specials will keep the offerings fresh. “We have a pretty large menu at the café, so on the truck we’ll have our base—a couple tacos, a few sandwiches—and then we’ll start adding specials and then rotate our menu all the time so it will never be the same except for our core menu. And then you’ll have a few that change all the time.”

CRI M E L OG April 18

April 21

April 19

April 23

Drugs: possession of marijuana | 6:44 p.m. | Sundance Court Apartments | Police responded to a call concerning possession of marijuana.

Theft: misdemeanor | 5 p.m. | Moffett Library | Police responded to a theft call in reference to a stolen bicycle.

April 19

Accident: duty on striking unattended vehicle | 8:46 p.m. | Parking lot #14 | A student called to report someone had hit his vehicle.

April 23

Drugs: possession of marijuana | 2:04 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village Apartments | Marijuana and other items were located in a Sunwatcher apartment.

April 23

Drugs: possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia | 1:43 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village | A student was found in possession of drug paraphernalia.

April 23

Disorderly conduct | 8:24 a.m. | Killingsworth Hall | A resident student reported to police possible harassment and abusive language that was used towards her. SOURCE: http://www.mwsu.edu/police/crimelogs/

| April 29, 2015 | 5

A new form of education

Nurse-Family partnership gives expectant moms valuable skills SERAH WELBORN REPORTER

s April, the National Child Abuse Prevention month, reaches its conclusion, the Nurse-Family Partnership will continue its mission of improved child care outside the spotlight. Clients of the NFP are taught the basic child-care and parenting skills. Nationally, the program exists in 43 states and among the U.S. Virgin Islands. Citizens may join for free provided they apply within the beginning 29 weeks of their first pregnancy and demonstrate financial need, such as use of food stamps and welfare. Dependents are evaluated according to their own salaries, not that of their parents. The Community Healthcare Center of Wichita Falls has the capacity for 100 NFP members at any given time. The program was introduced locally during October, 2014, and now assists 30 clients – five of which are MSU students – in their journeys as mothers. According to Leslie Gresham, RN and MSU graduate, Wichita county was chosen specifically for its increased rates of young pregnancy, infant mortality and child abuse. "These are some of the benchmarks we look at when we're enacting change with these moms," Gresham said. For a teen girl who does not have the support of her family – or lack good parental role models altogether the NFP could be crucial for her education in the care, nourishment, and development of her child. But the same is true for collegiate women determined to stay in school despite the rigors of pregnancy. Students may be so far removed from their families that they do not have access to the kind of one-on-one instruction that they will receive with the NFP. With this in mind, program nurses hope to develop a professional system of support for their clients, objectively aiding them in an attempt to foster healthy, rewarding relationships between new mothers and their children. "It's important as one of our components to increase self-sufficiency with these clients. We don't want to create a co-dependent relationship," Gresham said. "We want them to be empowered by what we're going in there and teaching them." Young participants can expect to enter into a nonjudgmental, helpful partnership with their assigned nurse. "This is something they've never seen before because it's a strength-based model. The [nurses] go in and say, 'what is it that you want to learn?' It's not a judgmental, 'you're fourteen, what have you done with your life?' kind of thing. We're going to help you with whatever you need, and the fact that we're non-judgmental, we're very accepting - this creates that attachment and bonding, that we're not going anywhere."" Brianna Townley, RN and MSU graduate, said that,

Clients of the Wichita Falls Nurse-Family Partnership. Five are MSU students.

PHOTO BY SERAH WELBORN | THE WICHITAN

Kay Sabine, Brianna Townley and Michele Santoluciot hold dolls that they use to demonstrate care techniques to clients.

“We want them [mothers] to be empowered by what we’re going in there and teaching them.” LESLIE GRESHAM RN AND MSU GRADUATE

because the NFP program accommodates to the clients' specific needs, they tend to be very engaged. "I really think it gives them that extra boost of courage, in a way, knowing what it is they are going to be tackling or having somebody there to educate them on the things that they want to learn about," Townley said ".... it's just having a support system there that they don't have within their family or their friends when they're pregnant. They don't really have anybody to turn to or talk to or lean on. We're really just a big support group for them." Kay Sabine, RN and MSU graduate, likes the program because it gives the nurse and patient the opportunity for a closer relationship. Normally, the demand for care at hospitals causes typical doctor visits to be very brief and do not really allow clients to ask many questions regarding their pregnancy or baby. Through the NFP, nurses are able to spend an hour to 90 minutes instructing clients weekly. "It gives them plenty of time to think about the things that we've talked about, ask questions that have come up since the last time they've seen their physicians," Sabine said. "... this does not replace physician care, it is a supplement to that."

The maximum number of weeks into their first pregnancy mothers can apply for NFP.

During sessions the nurses use life-like dolls and other unusual forms of equipment for instruction, including nursing simulations that show the proper way to breast feed. In this way the nurse and the mother can work simultaneously rather than pass a single baby around, and the mother gains the benefit of handson learning. Sabine said she enjoys playing a game with silicone models of the fetus at its various stages of growth, challenging the client and her family to guess the age of each. Other tools include "Smoky Sue," which shows the affect of smoking on an unborn baby, and a "shaking-baby doll," which demonstrates the harm of rough handling on a child. "We have a lot of versatility and flexibility on how we get that message across... we're laying down the foundation," Gresham said. Those within the medical profession know that their work isn't just about earning a paycheck; many enter the field with the genuine desire to help others find relief from suffering and live better lives. For this reason, Townley said that within the NFP "the clients are excited, but we're also excited." By working consistently with the same individuals for such an extended period of time, the nurses are able, for once, to have their cake and it, too. "It's that continuity of care: you get to see their journey and take part in helping them reach their goals," Michele Santolucito, RN and MSU graduate, said. "... Some forms of nursing, you don't get to see." After two and a half years within the program, clients "graduate" with the confidence that they have the skills necessary to raise a child. To Gresham and others, this is the greatest success. "We see it as a celebration," Gresham said. "Having a baby for the first time is a huge life event for anyone, no matter what age, so we really want that window of opportunity to engage with those clients... They want to be good parents, I think that's everybody's idea, but they don't know what it looks like: it was never modeled for them." As much as NFP benefits new mothers, the nurses take joy in the growth it promotes. After all, healthy families are like gardens - they require healthy roots in addition to continuous loving care to really blossom. It's one thing to save children from abusive households and another to stop the cycle at its source, and that is what the nurses hope for most. "We definitely are vested in these people's lives," Santolucito said. "We care about them, and we want to see them, as the program says, follow their hearts' desires. So whatever it is that they want, the goals that they set for themselves - we're behind them. We're supporting them and encouraging them. So, that was what was exciting to me coming on to this team, because you can help someone to change [her] life."

64,603

Texas child maltreatment victims in 2013 according to the U.S. Department of Health.

100

Maximum number of clients the Wichita Falls Nurse-Family Partnership can assist at a time.

6 | April 29, 2015 |

Kylie Austin

kicks cancer

MANDY SAAL REPORTER

rom July of 2014 to March of 2015, time practically stood still for Kylie Austin. After spending days in a hospital bed hooked up to IVs and hours listening to doctors say her dream of playing college soccer might be stripped away, Austin received news on March 24 that gave her hope. Austin, history freshman and defender for the women’s soccer team, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer right before the beginning of her freshman year. She underwent surgery to remove her thyroid and then shortly after, she survived a near-fatal car wreck that flipped her truck three times. Austin was able to walk away with minimal injuries, still refusing to give up her dream to play soccer. “My drive came from whatever I needed to do to get back on the field,” Austin said. “I was willing to do whatever it took and more to ensure that I could play again and be back at MSU.” After her surgery, Austin’s doctors at M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston suggested she begin radioactive iodine treatment, which involved shots and pills. Austin and her parents agreed to go ahead with the treatment because it had the best chance of stopping the cancer. “Everyone was on the same page: Eliminate the cancer,” Austin said. But with the special radioactive treatment came a very special diet. She was no longer able to eat the food she was used to, like dairy, wheat, soy and even salt. “Obviously the special diet I had sucked. Especially because I’m a soccer player and I was used to working out so much and being able to enjoy whatever I wanted to eat,” Austin said. From the moment Austin was diagnosed, she and her family expected that she would miss a lot of school. Since she

was just starting her freshman year of college, her parents were worried about her professors not being understanding of her absences. Austin said she ended up missing a month-anda-half of school, which made it difficult to keep up her grades and schoolwork. With Austin’s treatments becoming more intense and physically draining, her parents were concerned for her and worried about her professors working with her directly on how she could keep up her grades. Austin said it was important to her parents that she not only stay in the soccer program but also stay involved with her studies while away at college and battling her cancer. Austin’s mother, Stacy Austin, said she wanted Kylie to attend college and to stay active in the soccer program. She knew Kylie was not the kind of girl to sit around and let this diagnosis get the best of her. “Kylie decided early on that she wanted to attend college and kill her cancer. After confirming with her doctors, it was an easy decision,” her mother said. “Giving her some sense of normalcy and

control of her daily life while we wait for her recovery would benefit her far greater than sitting at home and worrying.” Kylie was able to pass all of her classes in her first semester with help from study hall— made mandatory for freshman athletes—her friends bringing her notes while she was bedridden, and a dash of leniency from her professors. Ta n n e r Pearson, environmental science sophomore, said, “The thing about Kylie is that she doesn’t ever give up. Even on her worst days, she will give her everything. She puts up a good fight, tries to keep a positive attitude, and she completely inspires me.” Austin not only had to endure one week of radioactive iodine treatment, but a few weeks after that she did another round of radioactive treatment. Austin describes the treatments as mentally and physically draining. She said for nearly a week she would wake up at 5 a.m. to drive to M.D. Anderson from her home in Houston to get her shot and pills. When the

nurses treated her, they had to wear protective gloves just to handle the radioactive medicine. Because Austin had surgery to remove her entire thyroid, this meant she also had to start treatment to help her hyperthyroidism, a condition in which her thyroid becomes overactive. “I will be on hyperthyroidism medicine for the remainder of my life,” Austin said. “This just comes with the prize of having all of my cancer removed though.” Unfortunately, determining the hormone dosage was not easy for her doctors. “The doctors had to guess a dosage of hormones to start me out at. So at first it was too much, and then the second dosage was so much less. It really threw my body out of whack,” Austin said. Austin felt plenty of the side effects from hyperthyroidism while her doctors tried to decide her correct dosage. Some of these symptoms include: anxiety, nervousness, irritability, difficulty sleeping, and muscle weakness. Dealing with her recovery from surgery and the injuries she received from her car wreck, meant that Austin spent a lot of time in the training room with Christanie Rodriguez, the assistant head athletic trainer. Rodriguez said Kylie has a positive attitude and is always up for coming into the training room for rehabilitation appointments. On March 24 after her last round of radioactive treatment, doctors told Austin the good news. “When I was given the news that I was cancer free and the radioactive iodine treatment had worked, I was completely in shock,” Austin said. Austin said every moment of pain, heartbreak, and determination paid off in that one phone call she received. She said

see KYLIE pg. 7

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

Kylie Austin

2014 JULY Went to the doctor for her swollen neck

AUG. 14 Diagnosed with thyroid cancer

AUG. 25 First day of classes

SEPT. 3 Stopped classes, went home to Houston

2015 SEPT. 5 Had surgery at M.D. Anderson to remove thyroid

SEPT. 29 Came back to MSU and resumed classes

OCT. 9 - NOV. 10 In a car wreck, went to ER for hip pain, out of class

DEC. 16-19, Went to Houston for radioactive iodine treatment

JAN. 19 Back at MSU for spring semester

MARCH 16-19 Went to Houston for radioactive iodine treatment

MARCH 24 Austin is declared cancer free

MESA shuttle usage low on Saturdays MORGAN HAIRE REPORTER

Since the trial run of the Mustangs Entertainment Shopping and Attractions Route began April 10, the number of weekend riders has continued to decline. The numbers over the weeks have been important to decide if MESA will continue to run in the fall. April 20, Matthew Park, dean of students, sent an email with ridership numbers showing about half as many riders on Saturday as Friday. “We wanted to know why Saturday ridership is so low,” Torres said. “Are we not promoting it right? Are we failing in advertising? Are students just not going out on Saturdays?” Torres said once he got the MESA ridership data, he shared the results with his committee. Who then decided to ride the bus April 24 and 25 to talk to students in attempt to understand the lower Saturday numbers. “Students expressed that the route didn’t run well with library hours,” Torres said. “The MESA starts at 5 p.m. on Saturdays and PHOTO BY MORGAN HAIRE | THE WICHITAN the library is closed then. That leaves some students with no way of getting to the library Nik Bolig, political science sophomore, waits for the bus. He said the Saturday route would be at 10 a.m. when it opens.” With finals quickly approaching, it seems more successful if they ran the normal route and times along with the MESA route. to be a major reason for Saturday’s low ride it on Saturdays,” said Nik Bolig, political numbers. “For me to get my required GPA of 3.0 to science sophomore. “They have two busses, so keep my scholarship, studying for finals is I think they could easily do that.” The MESA route will continue to run for a must,” said Marc Zographos, marketing two more weekends, ending its first trial run freshman. Zographos said studying at the library May 9. “If the students really want to use it, provides the best environment for him. Since the shuttle only runs when the library closes they will,” said Marco Torres, psychology senior and culture on Saturday, and committee chairman. doesn’t even stops “And I hope they do.” where he lives, the Park said in route doesn’t benefit an email, “Upon him at all. conclusion of the pilot Torres said program this spring, another concern was we will be discussing the MESA shuttle and evaluating the route does not pass MESA ridership and by the Brentwood effectiveness for the apartments. Out of fall. While it will be the 216 apartments impossible to account available for rent, 110 for every possible of them are students. MARCO TORRES consideration or “If they would PSYCHOLOGY SENIOR interest in terms of run the bus with the schedule or route, we regular hours and route along with the MESA route, it would can hopefully craft a successful program with run a lot smoother and more students would our city colleagues to serve our students’ needs.”

“The MESA starts at 5 p.m. on Saturdays and the library is closed then. That leaves some students with no way of getting to the library at 10 a.m. when it opens.”

THE MESA BUS ROUTE RUNS FRIDAY, 4 P.M. TO MIDNIGHT AND SATURDAY, 5 P.M. TO MIDNIGHT, WITH 21 STOPS.

| April 29, 2015 | 7

Rec sports luanches indoor mini-triathlon JESSALYN CASTRO REPORTER

ecreational sports’ first indoor minitriathlon started this Monday at the Wellness Center and will conclude Friday, May 1. The competition consists of a 2,000 meter row, 5-mile bike ride, and a mile run open to all students, staff and faculty. “It’s a mini triathlon. It’s all going to be indoors,” said Caleb Hannon, assistant director of recreational sports. Hannon said participants will do a 2,000-meter row, 5-mile bike ride, and run one mile, all with 30 second breaks between each station to switch machines or change shoes. “We time each section then at the end we compile all the times to see who has the best time out of all the competitors,” Hannon said. Hannon said anyone wanting to compete will sign up online and will choose a minimum of five times to compete throughout the week, Monday through Friday, out of 35 time slots. Hannon schedules two competitors against each other throughout the week based on availability. “I wanted to make it very open for anybody to compete, including faculty and staff or students, to work around their class schedules or if they have jobs as well so that they could compete throughout the week,” Hannon said. Hannon said with 16 people already signed up, all time slots for Friday are filled, but Thursday and Wednesday are all wide open for eager competitors. “We have a lot of time slots still open so I’m allowing people to still sign up if they

AUSTIN pg. 6 cancer had taken over her health, passions, family, school, soccer—her entire life. And now she said she got it all back at once, after waiting for what she said felt like an eternity. Austin said she could not have gotten through her surgery, recovery and treatments without her family, friends and her teammates. A few of the teammates grew close to Austin during her few months of being at MSU. Katy Catney, sports management senior and captain of the women’s soccer team, said Kylie’s passion for the game helped her identify with the team. Catney said she admired Kylie for keeping up with the team’s efforts online, even while she was away at treatment. “Kylie told me once that cancer was something that she was going to have to deal with. She accepted that she had been dealt a bad hand in life. Even though she was

PHOTO BY JESSALYN CASTRO | THE WICHITAN

Associate Director of Housing Angie Reay and Residence Hall Director Clint Coulter compete against each other on the rowing machine in the Wellness Center for the indoor mini-triathalon April 28. email me or contact us trough social media to sign up for later on in the week,” Hannon said. Angie Reay, associate director of housing, and Clint Coulter, residence hall director, were the first ones to compete in the indoor mini-triathlon Tuesday morning. “It was a good competition,” Reay said. “It was tough.” Reay said she has competed in triathlons before, but Coulter said he has only ran in 5k and spartan races. “The row and the run were the hardest for me,” Coulter said. At the end of the week after all times are compiled, Hannon said the winner will receive a T-shirt and a FitBit watch—budget permitting. Hannon said he hopes the triathlon will the first of many for recreational sports.

dealt a bad hand, she still woke up every day and was ready to play her hand the best she could, rather than just taking the easy way out and folding,” Catney said. Since receiving the good news, Austin said she already feels a difference in her health. “I have been drinking fluids like crazy to get this radioactive junk out of my system,” Austin said. Kylie has started jogging during soccer practices with the team and has been able to juggle the ball and do some passing, but she has not been released yet by her doctors or the athletic trainers to do any contact playing. Austin said her goal is to be back on the field by next fall. “Kylie is a fighter,” Catney said. “She is a pain in the ass 90 percent of the time, but she fights hard. That’s something no one can take away from her.”