September 23, 2015

Sept. 23, 2015 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 80 No. 5

ENROLLMENT TRENDS 2006 - 2015

ÇÈÇÇÇÇÇÇÈ TARLETON STATE UNIVERSITY

Football Fest

TEXAS WOMAN’S WEST TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY OF UNIVERSITY NORTH TEXAS up 274 students/ up 362 students/ down 317 up 214 students/ up 534 students/ up 408 students/ up 431 students/ year over seven up 333 students/ year over eight students/year over year over 10 years year over 10 years year over 10 years year over 10 years years year over 10 years years nine years up 1 percent in fall up 13.7 percent in up 5.7 percent in up 1.45 percent in up 5.8 percent in up 2.8 percent in up 5.62 percent in down 7.15 percent of 2015 fall of 2015 fall of 2015 fall of 2015 fall of 2015 fall of 2015 fall of 2015 in fall of 2015

pg. 4-5

Mustangs narrowly defeat Eastern New Mexico 28-24 at the Lonestar Football Festival at AT&T Stadium.

CAMERON UNIVERSITY

EASTERN NEW MEXICO

TEXAS A&M COMMERCE

TEXAS A&M KINGSVILLE

E pg. 6

Karen Dabney, new assistant theatre professor, directs fall’s first play – ‘She Kills Monsters’.

Outsourcing Is Off

pg. 8

Despite budget concerns, administrators avoid outsourcing janitorial positions

down 22.4 students/year over 10 years up 2.9 percent in fall of 2015

Fall enrollment up by 169 KARA MCINTYRE AND BRYSON PETERSEN REPORTERS

Theater Opener

MIDWESTERN STATE

nrollment increased nearly three percent as 169 more students enrolled at Midwestern State University than last fall, yet not keeping up with growth at other Texas schools. Officials say things are finally looking up for Midwestern State University.

From 2010 to 2013, total student enrollment dropped dramatically by 556 students.

In response to this decline, worried officials developed several strategies to reverse the enrollment situation. This year’s increase is a result of aggressive recruiting for larger incoming classes and several programs put in place to maintain student retention, according to Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management.

“We were obviously very pleased with it,” Lamb said. “We budgeted a flat enrollment to be conservative, just in case we were wrong, but we knew at some point it would start growing back.”

Director of Admissions Gayonne Beavers said the admissions office has altered its previous recruitment approach to a more involved, hands-on version, which has resulted in the slight influx of incoming freshmen.

“We have a small admissions staff, so we try to touch as many students’ lives as we can despite our small size. We’re out there doing presentations in classrooms, going to college

69,547

Total student credit hours, of which 64,651 is generated by undergraduate students.

fairs, having luncheons with advisors at community colleges, etc. We’re doing this with more frequency and more intention than in the past,” Beavers said. “We’re going into high schools more than we have and building relationships with guidance counselors all over the state of Texas to get our name out there, which in turn helps with recruiting.”

Fall 2015 enrollment officially hit 6,043 students, topping 6,000 for the first time since the fall of 2011. This includes 820 first-time freshmen, 523 transfers, and 114 internation-

5,875

Official university enrollment projection for fall 2015.

al students – an increase of 169 total students.

“We are making efforts to continue to recruit those higher ability students with the scholarships that we offer and other things like that, because studies show that the higher ability students that a university has, the better their retention rate usually is,” Beavers said. “It’s kind of a twofold win-win.”

In addition to an increase in overall student enrollment, the university is also seeing an increase in the quality of students.

“This year, preliminary data suggests their average SAT (scores) increased 10 points,” Lamb said, “It looks like a few more students were in the top quarter of their high school class.”

And there are fewer students who go on probation or academic suspension, according to Lamb.

Another area of growth is the graduate school, seeing a record 683 students enrolled this semester.

GROWTH BASICALLY FLAT

Last year, Lamb said, the university saw a growth of four students in total. While this was considered flat enrollment, the news provided a light at the end of the enrollment tunnel: the decline had ceased.

“That was essentially the flattening-out of

see ENROLLMENT pg. 3

6,043 Official 2015 fall enrollment.

2 | Sept. 23, 2015 |

S TAF F E D I T O RI A L

If it’s broke, fix it

M

ost people who live or have lived in campus housing are well aware of the multitude of ongoing problems with campus housing.

With the construction for a new residence hall, a new problem has surfaced – the maintenance issues in the dorm halls and apartments are not being attended to with the same efficiency as in previous years.

We have heard plenty of complaints of things wrong, not only in the residence halls and apartments, but in buildings across campus. Everything from the bathrooms not working, ceiling leaks and stains on the floors.

How can we give time and money to a brand new building when we haven’t even fixed the things that are broken now?

To start, the residence halls come with an age-old complaint – the bathrooms, the laundry rooms, the elevators, and the nasty stench in Pierce Hall. In the shared laundry rooms, at least one of the machines is usually out of order, if not more. Oh the elevators, which are so nice if you are on the upper floors in Trigg or Killingsworth – or are they? The one is Killingsworth is known for being so slow that most people take the stairs be-

cause it ends up being faster. The ones in Trigg are known for near constant maintenance problems.

The stench in Pierce is an awful combination of rotting food, bodily fluids, and over-used Axe and body sprays attempting to cover it up. We don’t know how the smell continues to linger and never go away, but it never fails to greet you when you walk through the doors.

Around campus, the problems persists. One of the men’s bathrooms in the Fain Fine Arts building still only has one working toilet. Anytime it rains, the glass ceiling area in Fain will have buckets all over to catch all the water coming in through the cracks.

What is going to be done about this? We can’t tell you, but what we agree that these things need to be fixed and updated before they continue using their time and money to make new buildings.

It’s unreasonable to expect maintenance to fix all the problems around campus overnight.

However, don’t start new massive projects on campus without a plan to ensure the maintenance and quality of existing structures, especially the place where the student body lives.

the

wichitan Vo. 80 | No. 5

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

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

At the first faculty forum of the year six faculty members discuss “Valuing the Liberal Arts & Sciences in the 21st Century,” in Shawnee Theatre Sept. 10 with more than 160 people in attendance.

I didn’t pick MSU because it’s a liberal arts college

T

he meaning of a liberal arts college has been repeatedly forced into one ear, and once this happens, you immediately try to push it back out the other. I get it: you don’t care. But it’s important to care. And on Sept. 3, Todd Giles organized a guest panel including professors Kirsten Lodge, Ann Marie Leimer and Nathan Jun, who explained in painstaking detail what a liberal arts college means to students. During this panel, students like myself learned what it meant to attend said college, and also learned how an audience is more likely to pay attention if food is involved.

The truth is: most students didn’t pick MSU because it’s a liberal arts college. I know that it wasn’t a deciding factor in my application, at least. That doesn’t mean I don’t like the fact that MSU is a liberal arts college, but it does mean that kids aren’t looking for that quality, and that is especially true for those students who are going to be on their own for what may be the first time in their life.

When I first arrived, I met several people who struck me as “small town” — who thought a certain way and looked a certain way only because that’s what their whole town looked like before they left, and most likely had for the whole of their existence. A week ago, I saw those people again, and they had done a complete turnaround. They now

PHOTO EDITOR: Rachel Johnson PHOTOGRAPHER: Francisco Martinez, Kayla White, Gabriella Solis DESIGN EDITOR: Brianna Sheen DESIGNER: Justin Marquart ADVISER: Bradley Wilson

had piercings, dyed hair, different clothes (wrong application of ‘liberal’).

I did not apply to MSU for its liberal arts education but I am convinced that this is a quality that will improve our education. College is a time for finding oneself, and I will not find myself if I follow the mindset and ideologies that were instilled in me since as a young child. MSU is offering me a chance to expand my knowledge and to apply myself to problems throughout my life.

At times, I find myself wondering when I will use the knowledge I’m being taught. The answer is that as soon as I learn it, I will have to apply it to my life. A liberal arts college will gift me with an arrayed range of knowledge, which I can use in any situation, if I chose to.

Although it may be annoying to hear about it constantly (trust me, I know), it is important that students should understand that their education will be positively affected by a liberal arts college, which serves to provide students with a broader general knowledge.

The guest panel on Sept. 3 was extremely long — but the professors involved got a chance to offer their opinions, opinions that have changed through this liberal arts education.

Lane Riggs is a freshman in English.

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.

11.5

Average number of credit hours an MSU student is enrolled in for fall 2015.

683

Student enrolled in a graduate program for fall 2015.

from ENROLLMENT pg. 1 enrollment, and we knew that would happen at some point, and that’s when we stopped the decline and now you’re starting to see the building back,” Lamb said.

The aggressive recruiting aspect of the reversal strategy had the most impact on increasing enrollment. One aspect of the university’s aggressive recruitment efforts was the assignment of an admissions counselor to transfer recruitment.

“I think that was the lever we pulled that had the most impact on this year’s increase in transfer students,” Lamb said.

This year saw the enrollment of 523 transfer students – an increase of almost 70 students from fall 2014. This is one of the biggest factors Lamb attributes to the increase in enrollment.

AGGRESSIVE RECRUITMENT

Another aspect of the aggressive recruitment was hiring an assistant director for admissions stationed in Dallas.

“What we see is a plurality of our students are coming from DFW,” Lamb said.

Both Lamb and Beavers added that they plan on assembling a recruiting team in Dallas, knowing that is where most MSU students come from.

“A large portion of the current student body is from the Dallas area, almost 30 percent actually. It’s a bread-and-butter area for Midwestern,” Beavers said. “The issue we’ve faced in the past is that we are a couple of hours north of the metroplex, so we can’t get down there as often as we should. That’s why we’re hiring someone to recruit solely in the DFW metroplex, in addition with the recruiter in the Austin and Waco area.”

Residential life also plays a big part in enrollment.

“We have become a destination school,” Lamb said, “And with that is a certain level of affection that does help with retention.”

With the increase in students coming from DFW and Austin, the university has been preparing for a more robust on-campus experience.

The most obvious preparation is the new dorm.

“We would have come close to filling it this year if it was open,” Lamb said, “We should be pretty full next year.”

While one half of increasing enrollment is recruiting new students, the other half is retaining existing students. According to Lamb, the most accurate way to measure student retention is by monitoring the freshman class.

“Really what we look at is freshman fall to fall,” Lamb said, “Do they come back for their sophomore year?”

According to Lamb, the national average of student retention hovers around 70 percent. 72 percent of freshmen from 2013 returned in the fall of 2014. Likewise, 70 percent of fall 2014 freshmen returned in the fall of 2015.

29.7%

Percentage of fall 2015 enrollment made up of part-time students.

“We think there’s a big opportunity for improvement,” Lamb said, “I think there are some things we can do on campus that we’re working on and focused on where we can improve that retention rate.”

Lamb added that they are working on increasing tutoring opportunities for students to help them be more successful in the classroom.

“If we help students with academic self-efficacy through tutoring and other types of programs,” he said, “That will go a long way toward retention.”

Five new lecturer positions were filled this fall to produce enough courses for the additional students.

“From the academic side, we have to make sure we have enough classes and enough professors to teach those classes.

We don’t want students coming to the campus, expecting to take a certain class, and then we don’t have a section for them,” Provost Betty Stewart said. “This isn’t so much of a challenge as it is an opportunity, because that means the university is growing, which is always a positive thing.”

FRESHMAN SEMINAR

The biggest project they are working on, however, is a mandatory freshmen seminar. The university has an optional freshmen seminar in place, but Lamb believes a mandatory course would greatly improve student retention and the overall campus experience of first-year students.

“A lot of schools do that for a lot of reasons,” Lamb said, “It is a very well-proven retention technique.”

Robert Clark, vice president of administration and institutional effectiveness, is heading up the task force for designing a mandatory freshmen seminar course. The task force includes several faculty staff members and three students.

The freshman seminar course is the result of an initiative from 2005 and 2006.

“We went through what is called the first-year experience with the Gardner Institute,” Clark said, “And out of that came a number of recommendations for us. One or two of those we’ve been able to bring to fruition.”

During the year-long process of observing the first-year program at the John N. Gardner Institute for Excellence in Undergraduate Education, several task forces and student success committees came forward but did not last. The program, Clark said, did not receive much institutional support at first. But in 2014 the final task force, of which Clark is the chair, had their first meeting to begin the process of developing a mandatory freshman seminar course.

“The freshman seminar is part of an overall freshman experience,” he said, “But it’s designed to connect students to the campus culture and to the campus specifically in terms of being able to connect with faculty (and staff).”

E N R O L L M E N T PR O JEC TIO NS

5,944 2016

6,051 2017

6,176 2018

6,299 2019

6,407 2020

6,501 2021

Projections were presented to the Board of Regents at the August meeting. “The main driver of the university’s budget is enrollment. Even with record-breaking freshmen enrollment, the growth will not build on itself until F&17 (fall 2016), when the model predicts an increase of 69 head count. After that point, freshmen class size grows a small amount each year, as well as graduate programs, but the large freshmen classes build on themselves enough to realize an enrollment of 6,501 by 2021.”

News briefs

| Sept. 23, 2015 | 3

Creative writing classes feed imagination MELISSA LAUSSMAN REPORTER

S

tudents interested in creative writing now have the opportunity to take courses within the field and work alongside John Schulze, assistant professor of English. Schulze is the author of Fertile Ground: A Novel, and has written short works of fiction, poetry and articles.

In a consumer-based economy, it is much more difficult to be the one who produces something. To create a work of art by opening up the imagination through writing is a nice thing to do, Schulze said.

Since the retirement of creative writing professor James Hoggard two years ago, the English department was not offering creative writing courses. Schulze brings an opportunity for students interested in writing poetry, fiction or creative non-fiction. This fall, 19 students registered in two sections of the course.

“Creative writing courses open up the imagination,” said Kirsten Lodge, associate professor of humanities.

Lodge said by exploring different formats of text, such as in poetry and screenwriting, students learn to use their imagination and broaden their horizons.

“If a student is an English major, these courses help with writing skills that are helpful in writing more than scholarly articles,” said Lodge.

A creative writing course helps stimulate those students interested in exploring different ways of thinking and writing, said David Rankin, English department chair. Creative writing courses can help students across disciplines learn different techniques in writing, and Schulze has the expertise to provide valuable guidance, he added.

Schulze is working on his next project inspired by the Colossus of Rhodes.

Cycling team places third at nationals RACHEL JOHNSON PHOTO EDITOR

T

he cycling team placed third at the USA Cycling Collegiate Track Racing National Championships at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado, this past weekend.

Cycling coach Charlie Zamastil said how they went in expecting to do pretty well, considering they had been in the top five for the last four years. He added that this was their first time to have this many different types of medals and to have a freshman medal.

“The competition was a lot stronger this year,” Zamastil said, noting that the team placed behind Marian University out of Indianapolis and Fort Lewis College out of Durango, Colorado.

The coach and the cyclists agree that the reason for them accomplishing so much this season already has been due to the bonding of the cyclists outside of practice.

“We are more of a unit and a family this year,” exercise physiology sophomore Garrison Horton said.

Horton even says how he felt the team this year has better chemistry, and in the past year some people just didn’t mix as well together.

Joshua Buchel, accounting freshman, said, “When it comes down to the race, we would sacrifice our own wins for the better of the team.”

Zamastil said they next compete in the mountain bike national championships in Snowshoe Mountain, Colorado, Oct. 25-27. He said they don’t have nearly as big of a mountain biking team, so they don’t have any goals so far as team performances go, but hopes for some strong individual performances.

| Sept. 9, 2015 | 5

4 | Sept. 9, 2015 |

MSU narrowly beats Eastern New Mexico 28-24 JACKLYN YORK REPORTER

M PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN

Avery Stout, radiology sophomore, Kylie Goble, nursing junior, Hannah Schulte, radiology sophomore, Ashlee Hasten, radiology senior, and Kourtnie Renfro, dental hygene junior, get their picture taken by a friend outside of the AT&T Stadium while tailgating.

idwestern State University quarterback Quade Coward scored a 2-yard touchdown run in the final seconds of the team’s Lone Star Football Festival victory over Eastern New Mexico, 28-24.

“I wasn’t expecting to get the ball, but in that type of situation you always want the ball to be in your hands, and for it to come down to that it does make it more special,” said Coward, exercise physiology junior.

Despite the close final score, Midwestern struggled offensively in the first half, only scoring one touchdown on a 9-yard run by running back Vincent Johnson, mechanical engineering freshman.

The second half was a nail biter with neither team able to take a substantial lead.

The team’s next game will be Sept. 27 against Tarleton State at Memorial Stadium.

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

Midwestern State’s defense lines up against Eastern New Mexico University in the first half of the game at AT&T Stadium on Sept. 19. The Mustangs won 28-24.

PHOTOS BY RACHEL JOHNSON AND FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

Charlie Carr, athlectic director, and Suzanne Shipley, university president, throw up the “stang sign” while the band perfoms the alma mater at the end of the game.

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

Quade Coward, exercise physiology major, and Derek Lockhart, sport and leisure studies major, celebrate after Coward got the winning touchdown of the game at the At&T Stadium

28-24

Final score of the football game MSU won over Eastern New Mexico at AT&T Stadium.

PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN

The crowd goes wild0 when Midwestern State makes it’s final touchdown in the last minute of the final quarter, putting them ahead of Eastern New Mexico University by four points, making it the winning and final touchdown of the game at AT&T Stadium

132

Yards completed by quartberback and exercise physiology junior Quade Coward.

90

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

Bill Maskill, head football coach, gives, “shout-outs” congradulating his team members on their performance.

Yards in the final drive that gave MSU the win in the final five minutes of the game.

13

Number of tackles by criminal justice senior and safety Marqui Christian, the most of any MSU player

Talesha Kitchens, education sophomore, performs her routine at the half time show | Rianne Busby, history junior, plays during half time show with the Golden Thunder Marching Band | Vincent Johnson, mechanical engineering freshman, scores the first touchdown of the game.

6 | Sept. 23, 2015 |

PHOTO BY KAYLA WHITE | THE WICHITAN

Creed Bright, business management frehsman, Aubrey Seganos, education sophomore, Veronica Plumbo, accounting freshman, and Ashley Kuoppamaki, business managment sophomore eat in the cafeteria on Sept. 21.

Proper diet part of healthy study habits NATALIE BURKHART REPORTER

W

ith the first exam coming up, a student finds herself in the library staring blankly out the window: she is losing energy and soon realizes that she forgot to eat dinner.

For students who are constantly studying or on the go, there is little time to keep a well-balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. However, there are foods to improve concentration, which students may eat before and while studying.

Destiny Zynda, exercise physiology junior, said she eats and drinks something while studying because she knows hunger will break her concentration. Her usual snack while studying is water and a granola bar. To help her focus best, she drinks water or coffee and eats protein bars and apples.

Zynda said protein keeps her fuller than empty carbs, a couple cups of coffee keep her awake, and sugary snacks tend to make her want to eat more so she tries to avoid them. In conjunction with other aspects of a balanced diet, her snacks help her study because they keep her full and hydrated.

Zynda said if she is hungry she will be thinking about all of the things she could be eating, healthy or not.

“Don’t study on an empty stomach, otherwise you’ll just be thinking about Taco Bell the whole time and tweeting to someone to bring it to you,” Zynda said.

Benito Velasquez, athletic train-

ing and exercise physiology chair, said students should eat an adequate amount of proteins based on their daily requirements and they should be careful about how many empty calories they consume.

“People that eat fish tend to perform better on tests and areas that require large amounts of concentration,” Velasquez said.

He also said shellfish and fillets are not very beneficial, but fish like salmon are. If fish aren’t an option, the next best thing is chicken that is not fried.

Velasquez said it is better to consume several smaller snacks and take breaks while studying.

Without proper hydration the body will tire quickly, but students should avoid drinking too much or drinking too much caffeine.

“Caffeine in adequate amounts is okay, but students should be careful about how much they consume,” Velasquez said.

With too much caffeine, the body won’t be able to sleep and the brain will not recover. Too much caffeine intake can lead to agitation, heart problems, and even death.

Velasquez said everyone should get into a healthy habit of nutritious eating and rest because susceptibility to sickness increases when someone is run down. Busier students tend to grab fast food, drink a lot of caffeine, and lose sleep.

“A good time manager will find time to go grocery shopping, exercise, and cook,” Velasquez said.

PHOTO BY GABRIELLA SOLIS | THE WICHITAN

Karen Dabney, theatre director, gives notes to the cast during rehersal on Sept. 22.

New theater professor makes direcorial debut

master carpenter junior Anthony Garza.

“This set is one of the most difficult sets I’ve ever he theater department will take audiences into built. It’s a lot of interesting angles and a lot of platthe world of Dungeons and Dragons with the forms that aren’t always stationary. This isn’t somefirst fall play: She Kills Monsters by Qui Nguyen. thing you would normally think about seeing in theThis will be the debut of Karen Dabney’s direction, new ater,” Garza said. “It’s this crossover of two worlds and as the show progresses, the audience will be able to take assistant professor of theater.

“Because it’s my first show, there’s this whole mo- that journey with Agnes.”

Sophomore theater major and lead female actress Elmentum of newness coming and everybody has been lanor Collins said she hopes audiences so on board and excited,” Dabney said. will keep an open mind when seeing “I had several shows that I had considthe show. ered doing, but coming in not know“A lot of people go into theater and ing what kind of actors were going to expect to be bored or confused, like show up, I wanted a show that would they won’t get it or it’s over their heads serve a wide variety of actors.” or they ask: Why can’t they just say it Set in 1995 in Athens, Ohio, She the way it’s said? Why do they have to Kills Monsters is based on the charactalk so weird? This show literally just ter Agnes, an average high school teensays it the way it’s said,” Collins said. age girl who sets out to learn about her “The lines are so easy to memorize sister Tilly’s world inside Dungeons because it’s exactly the way we all talk and Dragons. right now. It’s not Shakespeare. It’s not “I was drawn to the fact that She the 1900s. It’s the 90s. It’s modern.”

Kills Monsters gives the message that if Dabney said, “This play is harkyou don’t fully put yourself out there, ing back to a time before we had cell you’re not living a life with any stoKAREN DABNEY ries,” Dabney said. “It’s all about imag- ASSISTANT THEATER PROFESSOR phones and social media and iPads. It was about coming together with your ination and storytelling and living out these different aspects of yourself that you don’t always friends and having fun making up these crazy characters. There’s something so precious about that; we don’t get to show on a daily basis.”

The set design of this show is significantly different spend enough time actually with people, and I hope than other shows he has done at MSU, according to audiences will learn that from this show.”

KARA MCINTYRE REPORTER

T

“She Kills Monsters gives the message that if you don’t fully put yourself out there you’re not living a life with any stories.”

ADMISSION IS FREE FOR STUDENTS AND FACULTY WITH AN ID. PERFORMANCES BEGIN ON OCT. 1 AT 7:30 P.M. IN THE FAIN FINE ARTS CENTER THEATRE.

| Sept. 23, 2015 | 7 UPCOMING EVENTS Taming Test Anxiety

Sept. 23 | 3:30 p.m. | Sundance Meeting Room | Counseling Center workshop

Miss Caribfest Pageant Sept. 23 | 7 p.m. | Akin Auditorium | Sponsored by Caribbean Students Organization

Burrito Sale

Sept. 24 | 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. | CSC Booth Space | Hispanic Heritage Month Sponsored by Sigma Lambda Alpha

Velia Lozano, custodian in Clark Student Center, sweeps the food court on Sept. 22. | Ernest Cooper, custodian of 18 years, cleans the womens’ restroom in Prothro-Yeager on Sept. 22.

Staff outsourcing avoided JACKLYN YORK REPORTER

I

n an effort to realize nearly $300,000 in budget cuts last spring, administrators considered outsourcing some campus services, including janitorial services and groundskeeping.

While outsourcing would have meant a significant change gain in the budget, Kyle Owen, assistant vice president of facilities services, said he was willing to do anything to prevent outsourcing.

Eliminating nine positions, he said, was a better alternative for the university, noting that all of the positions were unfilled meaning that no people lost their jobs.

Of the people in the positions considered for out-

sourcing, almost half of those have been with the university for 10 or more years, Owen said, noting that people working for the university tend to stay in their jobs much longer than when they work for a private company.

Owen said the future of positions opening depends upon higher enrollment numbers but for now the university is to capacity even though custodians now work different hours and service more space.

Evidalia Tezaguic, who will celebrate her ninth year as a custodian in October, said while she is happy about maintaining her state benefits, she hopes more positions will come open since her workload has doubled now that Dillard has one fewer custodian servicing the building.

Sept. 24 | 7 p.m. | Akin Auditorium | Sponsored by Caribbean Students Organization

Parade and Culture Show

Sept. 25 | 5 p.m. | The Quad | Sponsored by Caribbean Students Organization

Ice Cream BYOB

Sept. 25 | 7 p.m. | Sunwatcher Clubhouse | Sponsored by Office of Residence Life

Student Researchers Award Reception

Glow Fete

Choosing a Career and Major

Family Day

Sept. 24 | 3 – 4:30 p.m. | Moffett Library

PHOTOS BY GABRIELLA SOLIS | THE WICHITAN

SOCA Show

Sept. 24 | 3:30 p.m. | Sundance Meeting Room | Counseling Center workshop

Adult First Aid/CPR/AED Training

Sept. 24 | 5 p.m. | CSC Kiowa | The class will teach skills necessary to become First Aid/CPR certified the cost is $65

Halloween Acrylics Class

Sept. 24 | 6 p.m. | Sikes Lake Center | Cost is $40 and includes all supplies and join artist Leslie Berryhill to recreate an individualized version of “Happy Halloween” in acrylics on canvas

Sept. 25 | 10 p.m. | Sikes Lake Center | Sponsored by Caribbean Students Organization

Sept. 26 | 10 a.m. – 9 p.m. | MSU Campus and Memorial Stadium | Sponsored

by Office of Student Development & Orientation

Football vs. Tarleton State

Sept. 26 | 7 p.m. | Memorial Stadium | Free with MSU ID

Blackout

Sept. 26 | 10 p.m. | Colony Park Clubhouse | Sponsored by Caribbean Students Organization

Stained Glass Workshop

Oct. 3 | 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. | Sikes Lake Center | Instructor Cindy Cummings has more than 12 years of experience creating glass windows and teaching. The cost is $100 and includes all supplies and equipment necessary to create a beginner project.

CRI M E L OG Sept. 14

Accident: Duty on striking unattended vehicle | 1:52 p.m. | Residential parking lot by Prothro-Yeager | A student reported to police that her car had been involved in a hit and run accident.

Sept. 15

Drugs: possession of marijuana | 8:02 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village Apartments | Marijuana and paraphernalia were found in a resident dorm room by housing resident assistants.

Sept. 15

Drugs: possession of marijuana | 4:06 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village Apartments | Marijuana and paraphernalia were found in a resident dorm room by housing resident assistants.

Sept. 15

Drugs: Possession or delivery of drug paraphernalis | 4:06 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village Apartments | Marijuana and drug paraphernalia were found in a MSU resident student apartment.

Sept. 15

Drugs: possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia | 3:40 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village Apartments | While conducting a health and safety check several marijuana pipes were found in a resident’s room by housing.

Sept. 17 Theft: misdemeanor | 9:08 a.m. | Parking lot nine | A student reported to police that someone took the Chevy emblem from the front of her vehicle.

Sept. 18

Sept. 21

Drugs: possession of marijuana | 12:28 p.m. | Mustang Village Apartments | Officers responded to housing at Mustang Village in reference to a loud party and marijuana smell coming from an apartment.

Drugs: possession of drug paraphernalia | 9:45 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village Apartments | A minor student was found in possession of drug paraphernalia and alcohol.

Sept. 18 Alcohol: consumption by minor | 12:28 p.m. | Mustang Village Apartments | Officers responded to housing at Mustang Village in reference to a loud party and marijuana smell coming from an apartment.

Sept. 20 Accident: duty on striking unattende vehicle | 9:35 a.m. | Parking lot two | Officers responded to housing at Mustang Village in reference to a loud party and marijuana smell coming from an apartment.

Sept. 21 Theft: misdemeanor | 3:26 p.m. | Parking lot 16 | A student reported someone had stolen the decal from his vehicle.

Sept. 21 Theft: misdemeanor | 10:17 a.m. | Parking lot 21 | A student reported he lost his wallet, found it at the Clark Student Center Information Desk lost and found. $227 in cash was missing from the wallet.

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

8 | Sept. 23, 2015 |

PHOTO BY HANNAH DEAN | THE WICHITAN

Scentsy Candle burns perfectly pomegranate in a Killingsworth dorm

‘Scentsy’ candles are dorm-safe alternative HANNAH DEAN REPORTER

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ighting the odors that come with living on campus can often be a struggle. Because typical candles are not allowed in dorms due to the fire hazard of the open flame, some students have found an alternative in Scentsy candles, warmed by a low-watt bulb.

Maurisha Peyton, early childhood education freshman, leaves her blueberry cheesecake scented Scentsy on all day long because it makes her room smell better.

Peyton said often people ask if she is baking or has something good to eat. Although Peyton said she would rather have candles, she loves her Scentsy and the comfort it brings.

“It is like a home away from home, and helps me relieve some of the stress from college,” Peyton said.

Chey Gibbs, radiology sophomore, leaves her Scentsy on 24/7 and it is safe because there is a heating element slowly warming the scented wax.

“I was super bad about leaving candles lit back home, so having a Scentsy is a great alternative because it won’t burn down the building,” Gibbs said.

Sarah Monroe, biology sophomore who lives across the hall from Gibbs and does not have a Scentsy, but uses Glade plug-ins to keep her room smelling good.

Like Monroe, Kayla White, art freshman, does not have a Scentsy, but keeps her room smelling like Chick-Fil-A and has air fresheners for when she needs it.

“We use dryer sheets on our shoes and slide around to get the scent into the carpet,” White said.

Sydney Bateman, nursing freshman, uses her ‘perfectly pomegranate’ scent in her Scentsy.

“It smells so dang good all the time, and I do not have to worry about turning it off,” Bateman said.

PHOTO BY FRANCISCO MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

Danny Le, nursing junior, rides his bike on Jesse Rogers Memorial Promenade on Sept. 21. Le said he likes riding a bike because, “You don’t have to wait for cars, and it saves time.” | Tyler Marshall, Chick-Fil-A employee, rides a skateboard on Jesse Rogers Memorial Promenade Sept. 21. “It’s nice to ride around here, especially with all the ramps and stuff,” Marshall said.

Cyclists, skateboarders follow different rules EMMA LABEDIS REPORTER

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yclists and skateboarders on the campus have to follow a certain set of rules that are stated in Texas state law and enforced by the campus police. Both modes of transportation are available to students on campus and have their own advantages and drawbacks.

“We enforce Texas state law,” Dan Williams, police chief, said. “People on skateboards are considered pedestrians. Here at the university we have carried that a little step further in specifically defining what a skateboarder is, and what a rollerblader is.”

Skateboards have become an easy means of on campus transportation as well as not having to find a place for a bike or a car makes the more desirable to students. Skateboards here are only allowed to be used to get from point a to point b, and not used for tricks, jumping curbs and jumping up and down steps. They are required to stay on the sidewalk when it is provided and against traffic when it is not. The use of skateboards on campus is a rel-

atively new form of transportation in getting from one class to the next.

“When I came here five years ago you could not ride a skateboard on campus,” Williams said. “About three years ago a group of students wrote up a draft that went up through the Student Government Association, through Administrative Council and to the Board of Regents and got the policies changed to where they could.”

From the returning popularity of skateboards, the regulations have been modified and continue to be modified as the campus finds new problems with allowing them. Skateboarders do not always follow the laws set in place that define them as pedestrians.

“It was fine for a while but it really seems like in the last year and a half we’re seeing more students who want to ride them out in the middle of the roadway,” Williams said. “If we continue to see that, then I suspect we as a university would take some measures to come up with some more specific regulations.”

Cyclists on the other hand have to obey the laws of traffic just as vehicles

do. They have to keep to the curb and ride with traffic while only having two abreast. The campus police will not pull a cyclist over as long as he or she is using common sense and being safe.

“I don’t see that many cyclists breaking the law,” Williams said. “We don’t have a ton of students that ride bikes all over. They ride them on occasion, but not all day every day. Right now I don’t see a big need to push that issue and I don’t see a big problem with the bikes at all.”

Even though most cyclists follow the rules around campus, students said using them are not always easy. Some universities are awarded by the Bicycle Friendly University program for having bikeable campuses that make using a bike much more easily.

“When it comes to going to places in the mornings, especially during classes, it’s hard,” Diego Gomez mechanical engineering freshmen said, “There’s a lot of people on the sidewalks and there’s a lot of cars so there’s not really any locations to ride your bike and to be able to get to and from places.”