February 23, 2024

Pie-a-Phi a sweet success

Champion cyclist, page 4

Return of geese only temporary

SABRINA HARRISON REPORTER

The goose population seen on campus this winter will not be here to stay.

As the year began to cool, gaggles of geese began to populate MSU.

However, these birds were different from their deceased counterparts.

Clay Shipes, a migratory game bird biologist, said that the geese seen on campus during the winter were migratory geese, a completely different subspecies than the resident geese of Sikes Lake.

“A migratory goose is one that will be down here during the winter but will then go up north during the spring summer time period, live out its life cycle, will raise young, et cetera up in the northern latitude,” Shipes said

These birds are inherently different from the resident geese, also known as "honkers," that lived in Sikes Lake back in June. Migratory Canada geese, also called “cacklers,” are often smaller in size and have different dietary habits.

“They always have to feed,” Shipes said, “They have to feed grain heavy during certain times of the year or they have to build up their fat reserves so that they can fly south.”

In stark contrast, resident geese are often much larger and do not have this same inherent need to eat. They are not programmed to go back north for winter, so building up fat reserves isn’t a necessity.

“A resident goose basically just maintains body condition,” Shipes explained, adding, “Throughout the summer they’ll put a little bit of fat on to get ready for the winter, that type of thing, but they love golf-courses, they love lawns, they love, just any type of green shoots, grass, things like that. They don’t have the ecological or evolutionary drivers of a migratory goose.”

Elizabeth Machunis-Masuoka is researching antibiotic resistance with a focus on the resident geese in Sikes Lake. She found that the microbiomes in the stomachs of resident geese are different to their migratory counterparts.

“One of the things we have also noticed is that if you look at resident birds, so birds that are around people a lot, their gut microbiome starts to take on characteristics of humans,” Machunis-Masuoka said, adding, “So you start to see they carry more E. Coli. But if you look at geese that are remote, away from people, E. Coli is not their dominant gut bacteria.”

But why do some Canada geese migrate while others take residence in places like Wichita Falls?

Cacklers tend to migrate due to weather patterns and food.

“It’s basic waterfowl migration, water freezes up so they don’t have access to water and snowfall, so they feed in agricultural fields around. So, enough snow falls on those fields so they can’t access those resources so that’s the historic driver for migration,” Shipes explained, adding, “Basically they can’t find the basic food resources they need to survive, so they come south.”

As for why some of these geese decide to remain, Shipes said some of the bigger Canada geese figured out it would be easier to stay in Wichita Falls than to migrate.

“Some of the big Canada geese have figured out that they can stay south and they’ve turned into resident geese,” Shipes said.

These geese like to take up residence in permanent bodies of water, like Sikes Lake. Unlike cacklers, Honkers don’t have any natural predators, so their population can grow a lot faster. If unchecked, it can lead to overpopulation which can cause damage to the ecosystem they live in.

A few corrections from Feb. 9's issue. The article about the 66th Grammy Awards was written by Jospeh Arthur, not Sabrina Harrison.

Also we captioned both photos from men's tennis as being Killian Guillou, but the photo on the right of the page was Justin Van Amerongen.

Editor-in-Chief: Cecil Witherspoon

Design Editor: Emily Copeland

Managing Editor: George Svoboda

Photography Editor: Stephanie Garcia

Business Manager: Tiffany Haggard

Vol. 88 | No. 9

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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Entertainment Editor: Sabrina Harrison

Sports Editor: Abby Turner

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Issue Staff: Jessica Binzari, Madisyn Butler, Donovan Jackson, Remy B. Petrash

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PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN

Residential geese are also sometimes called honkers , Nov. 29. 2023.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN Migratory geese are also referred to as cacklers, Nov. 29. 2023.

Artist, activist leads Take Back the Night

JESSICA BINZARI REPORTER

Contemporary ceramic artist Sana Musasama spoke about victims of sexual violence at MSU’s Take Back the Night event Feb. 15.

Take Back the Night is a social movement that aims to uplift the experiences of sexual abuse survivors and help people understand how widespread these issues are worldwide.

Midwestern State adopted the event in 2019 under former Title IX Director, Rachael Fornof, and has since become a campus tradition.

Violence Intervention and Prevention Peer Educators teamed up with ceramics and art education professor Steve Hilton to host this year’s Take Back the Night in Legacy Commons’ Multipurpose Room.

Upon entering, the Peer Educator team passed each student a battery-operated candle for the candlelight vigil that would take place later during the event.

The first part of the night featured an address by guest speaker Sana Musasama, a well-known ceramic sculptor from New York.

In her presentation, Musasama described her artwork, which was inspired from her experiences traveling throughout Asia and Africa, reflecting the local culture of tribes she encountered and depicting women’s lifestyles as part of these communities.

The artist described the hardships of girls in Africa and Asia who are forced into the workforce from early ages, emphasizing the physical torment of girls having to partake in foot-binding rituals and toe procedures as part of their tribal initiation.

“Being female,” as Musasama put it, “means

being silent and having survival skills.”

Her presentation invited MSU students to view sexual violence as an issue that affects people globally, on a multicultural level.

“There are no remedial programs for girls over 15 years old,” Musasama pointed out, further describing the injustices young women continue to face under misguided systems that do not see them as victims, but rather as the ones to blame, “Women selling their body go to jail in New York but in Sweden, they go to remedial counseling.”

Musasama founded the Apron Project in 2015 in support of women who have fallen victims to sexual abuse. This initiative gives survivors a chance to rebuild their lives by finishing their education and getting a job.

Her foundation has raised nearly $40,000 from selling aprons stitched and painted by over 200 artists around the world.

To honor the Apron Project, MSU students were invited to the Fain Fine Arts Center to support the cause by purchasing one of the uniquely designed aprons.

In the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery, students were welcome to check out Musasama’s art collections, “Female incisions” and “Girl Soldiers.” Her works highlight the emotional anguish and physical pain women suffer due to harmful tribal practices and government instability in Africa.

Following Musasama’s address, the VIP Peer Educators commenced the candlelight vigil, a symbolic act to show solidarity with all survivors of sexual violence.

“This event honors survivors of sexual assault and takes back the nights that were

taken from them,” VIP Peer Educator Ashlyn Colton stated, “The light in our candles represents our commitment to supporting victims and our gathering represents our unity in ending sexual violence.”

The event concluded with a reception for Musasama’s art exhibits in the Fain Fine Arts Center. The last day students could see the collections and purchase an apron was Feb. 16.

To report any sexual misconduct on

campus, students are encouraged to fill out the online report form on the MSU official website. Any further concerns can be addressed to the Director and Coordinator of Title IX Laura Hetrick by email at laura.hetrick@msutexas. edu or by phone number at (940) 397-4213.

The MSU Title IX Office can be found in the Residence Life & Housing building, which is open Monday-Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

PHOTO BY GEORGE SVOBODA | THE WICHITAN Josiah Rodriguez, general business sophomore, Koby Heck, physical education junior, Jake Parker, education in science sophomore, discuss the ceramic piece, Feb. 15.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN Students hold a vigil to honor sexual assault victims, Feb. 15.

PHOTO BY GEORGE SVOBODA | THE WICHITAN Heaven Watson, psychology freshman, talks to Sana Musasama at Take Back the Night, Feb. 15.

Motion capture suit brings Fain collaboration

tasked with working out many of the details of adapting the technology to the stage, in addition to his normal role in running the technical side of the show.

Koger said adding the extra layer of the motion capture suit made the show more challenging to plan for.

conflicts.

“It’s modern and it has a lot of social issues that are presentday. So it’s kind of neat, which is why we chose the show,” he said.

CECIL WITHERSPOON

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The theater department had its first showing of "Now. Here. This." Thursday evening, but it wasn’t the only first of the evening. The play was the first the department has done that incorporated a motion capture suit, the result of a collaboration with the art department and professor Jason Bly.

Bly applied for a research grant for the suit, and said he has been exploring the suit’s applications ever since.

“I am entertaining my own whim and interests in video games and movies. And I teach figure drawing, and so part of my interest in the motion capture suit is how in my own classroom, I’ll be able to use that as a teaching component because I can record the live model that I would normally have in that traditional classroom,” Bly said.

The suit also served a wide variety of roles in the play, with the wearer doing everything from mimicking swaying flowers to interacting with vast cosmic sequences.

Theater junior Gerald Brooks, the student wearing the suit, was initially intrigued by the ability to use the motion capture technology since similar technology is often utilized by voice actors.

Brooks says he is interested in voice acting and has enjoyed the experience of acting in the suit.

“It’s honestly been super fun. I like doing, like, big movements wherever I act out the stuff for the screen. And sometimes it’ll show up on stage too. And it’s just really funny seeing the model move around,” Brooks said.

Eric Koger, chair and professor of theater design, was

“It’s a heavy tech show. We have a lot of light cues, lot of sound cues, we’re using wireless mics and we have video projection in there,” Koger said, adding, “We’ve got a bunch of pieces and parts that are being integrated on this particular show.”

Bly said he also struggled to make adjustments on the technical side, but enjoyed the experience leading up the opening show.

“Well it’s a lot of fun. It’s a different ballgame for me because I work so much alone in my own personal work, paintings and the video work that I do is usually just by myself. And so working with a cast and crew, it’s a lot of adjustments because we’re making those adjustments in real time,” Bly said, adding, “But it is, it’s a fun circus to be part of that.”

Koger echoed Bly’s sentiment, and said working with the suit was similar to a Hollywood movie production.

“I’ve never seen it before, but it’s just like you would see, like, on the making of the Avengers or something with Mark Ruffalo playing the Incredible Hulk or something, you know?” Koger said.

The show itself centers around themes of self-discovery and enjoying the present. The play draws from the work of monk, activist and theologian Thomas Merton, who believed the key to happiness to be living in the present moment, at the present place and in the present happening.

Grace Edgar, assistant professor of theater, said the show strives to encapsulate that message.

“'Now. Here. This.' is a contemporary broadway musical that centers around evolution and self-discovery that leads to selfacceptance. And the title 'Now. Here. This.' comes up in one of the scenes in the musical,” Edgar said, adding, “And if you can learn to be in the now, here, this, we will be free.”

Koger added the show draws from themes of modern

The technological and social themes combine to create a uniquely modern show. Edgar said the work has been difficult, but fun.

“This is cutting-edge to put a motion capture suit in the present moment, in a live theatrical performance. And so we, it has been quite a process of trial and error,” Edgar said, adding, “It’s been fun to see Eric Koger and Jason Bly get really excited about the cutting edge technology. I’ve been really challenged because I think more conceptually than technically, so I’ve had to learn a lot about how technology works just to keep up in the conversations. It’s been exciting for our students as well.”

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN Theater faculty made the decision to let theater junior Gerald Brooks wear the suit after he auditioned for the play, Feb. 21.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN Monique Watkins, performance sophomore, Aisha Johnson, musical theater sophomore, and Amaria Combee, musical theater sophomore, perform "Now. Here. This." Feb. 21.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN "Now. Here. This." is a collaboration between the theater and the art departments, Feb. 21.

Pie-a-Phi a sweet success

MADISYN BUTLER REPORTER

Alpha Phi’s 2nd annual Pie-A-Phi event went off with a bang as people lined up to pie members of various organizations on campus. All proceeds go to the Alpha Phi Foundation which advances women’s lives through life changing scholarship and grants, leadership programming and women’s heart health research.

Alpha Phi President Vanessa Molencupp, a Junior Respiratory Therapy major, went into detail about the philanthropy and how they support the Alpha Phi Foundation. “We raise money for women’s heart health. It is the number one killer of women world-wide and it’s under researched, as well as harder to detect in women than in men,” Molencupp said.

The sorority raised around $800 last year and aims to reach $1500 by the end of the week. Molencupp describes how they raise money for their foundation.

“Go Red Week is our annual philanthropy week that we do in the spring each year. This is our 2nd annual Pie-A-Phi and our 2nd annual

Pancake Phist,” Molencupp said. “Pie-A-Phi is super fun. We get out in the MSU community and have people pay to pie Alpha Phis and some special guests”

This year's special guests included members from other Greek Life organizations, along with the Redwine Honors Program, MSU Cheer, MSU Football, and the Bridge. “We really want to increase the impact that Greek life has on MSU as a community. Some of our members that are in honors or in cheer, we had them reach out to their team to see if anyone would be interested to get our name out and Greek life out as well. And it has been super successful,” Molencupp said.

In order to increase Greek involvement in their “Go Red Week,” Alpha Phi created a competition between the other Greek organizations.

“Each organization at MSU has an opportunity to gain points all throughout the week. The winner at the end of the week will receive a donation to the philanthropy of their choice,” Molencupp said.

Not only is the money raised during the

week going to philanthropies, but it also funds 73 different Alpha Phi scholarships for their members.

“We also give back to our members. We have 73 different scholarships that we offer to our members,” Molencupp said. “And we have a bunch of different programming and leadership development that we offer for our members.”

The foundation also bestows a “Heart To Heart” grant each year to a hospital that has done groundbreaking work in women’s heart health. This year’s finalists are The Foundation for Barnes-Jewish Hospital in St. Louis, Missouri and UTHealth in Houston, Texas.

Alpha Phi aims to strengthen community interaction with its members. They have members in various organizations across campus and they work with the school to host their philanthropic events.

“We strive to increase awareness for our philanthropy and women’s heart health as well as MSU engagement in total,” Molencupp said.

Writers share experiences, works

CECIL WITHERSPOON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Red River Reading Series offered students and faculty a chance to share their writings, with three authors taking the podium to read their works.

John Schulze, associate professor of English, led the event, introducing leadoff speaker and English senior Michaela Aleman.

Aleman read a piece based on her own experiences with guilt and love regarding family members. The story centered on a visit to a nursing home to see her grandmother.

“I’d like people to take away that it’s okay to embrace the complex emotions that come with familial relationships. Not to be scared of them,” Aleman said Aleman said she enjoyed the opportunity to present her work.

“I love sharing my work with people. I also love the experience that it gives me for just reading in front of people for future experiences like this. I think it went really well. I always get really nervous beforehand, but I feel like I’ve gotten a lot better at speaking before, speaking in front of people now. So I feel like it went really well,” she said.

English senior Bre Cotner shared her own creative nonfiction piece next, a deeply emotional piece detailing a difficult relationship from her past.

“Our stories are worth sharing because they’re all part of the bigger story, you know. Like I wrote my own bio, but like I said in my bio I like that creative nonfiction can take stories that are super personal but still by applied and spark change for big societal issues,” Cotner said.

Rita Beeman, lecturer, closed out the event with a fictional offering detailing a fantasy world of temperamental mermaids and mortal folly.

Beeman said the event was important to her because she wants people to remember the importance of literature.

“Well I think it’s important that people not have a sense that literature is a thing of antiquity, something for the past or people from another time. I feel that writing is part of our lives, even if it’s just text messages people are writers. And I feel that it’s important for everyone at every level to keep alive the idea that this is an ongoing art form and not something that’s just relegated to the past,” Beeman said.

PHOTO BY CECIL WITHERSPOON | THE WICHITAN John Schulze, associate English professor, takes a selfie with lecturer Rita Beeman, President Stacia Haynie and English seniors Bre Cotner and Michaela Aleman, Feb. 9.

PHOTO BY MADISYN BUTLER | THE WICHITAN Respiratory therapy junior Vanessa Molencupp, Alpha Phi president, pies Levi Schitoskey, nursing junior, Feb. 21.

World-class cycling champion talks career

ABBY TURNER SPORTS EDITOR

At three years old, Jacelyn Reno, mass communication sophomore, first hopped on a bike and started peddling. A year later, she was racing.

“My parents pushed me to be the best I possibly could,” Reno said.

At just 20 years of age, Reno has traveled all over the world. She has been across seas and is even a three-time world champ.

From a young age, Reno had been surrounded by cycling. Reno was homeschooled for most of her life due to traveling for races. It wasn’t until high school that her family settled down. It was also the first time she had stayed in a school for four years at a time. Reno attended Bowie High School, where she continued her cycling career and played other sports.

“In high school, I was obviously a full-time student, and it's beautiful to an athlete. High school was actually the first time I stayed in a school for longer than for years. I was homeschowoled most of my life due to traveling and cycling, traveling across the world to go to races, and I had no clue what I was going to do,” Reno said.

After settling in Bowie, her parents built her and her sister's BMX track. They opened it to the public, becoming a non-profit BMX park called Bowie BMX Bike Park.

Reno never even planned on attending high school, much less university. She planned to get her GED and go into cosmetology school.  She was lost regarding her future and what she wanted in a career. After cosmetology school, she became interested in agricultural business. It wasn't until her dad suggested mass communication that she finally decided to major in that field while also trying to obtain a minor in broadcasting.

“My dad was like, ‘You really like being on t.v.’ I did a lot of commercials growing up, so my parents are like, ‘mass comm is the perfect fit. You can get it all done in one degree,’” Reno said.

When Reno was a sophomore in high school, she started talking with the former MSU cycling coach, Charlie Zamastil, and verbally committed as a junior and signed her senior year.

“Once I started talking to Charlie, I knew. I had other offers from other colleges, but nothing this close to home, and nothing like in-state tuition,

full ride, my family, and such a good cycling team that is not in Colorado. I knew Midwestern was where I was going to come, and the first time I ever took a tour here, I was a sophomore, and I was 16, and I was like, I love it here. I took one step on campus, and I loved it,” Reno said.

BMXing was the first discipline Reno ever trained for, but she has picked up three other disciplines over the years.

“BMX was the first discipline I ever did, then i jumped into pump track racing, and then went to a world championship in Portugal two summers ago. Whenever I came to college, I got a full-ride scholarship here, and they said I should try mountain biking, so I picked up mountain biking. It has been great, and it has been a blast. This season I started road biking,” Reno said.

For most cyclists, there is an offseason where they can rest and recover. That is not the case for Reno. Due to all the different types of disciplines she trains for, she is never allowed an offseason. For her, cycling is a year-round event, on top of being a full-time student with a full-time job.

Reno will continue to train for all four of her disciplines while under the guidance of MSU head cycling director Pablo Cruz Trochez. While cycling is considered a team sport, it is also very much individual. It follows the same rules as cross-country running.

With her degree in mass communication and a minor in broadcasting, Reno wants to be a sports broadcaster for Red Bull.

“What I plan to do with my broadcasting degree is to be an extreme sports broadcaster for Red Bull. So I am a Red Bull Athlete, and my sister is a Red Bull athlete. They kinda took me under their wing at a young age, and I know that my cycling career is not going to last forever, just like any other sports career. Luckily I got in a good word with them. Right now, I am a student marketeer for Red Bull,” Reno said.

Two summers ago, Reno traveled with Red Bull USA and met up with Red Bull Portugal for the 2022 Pumptrack World Championships. Reno said Portugal was her favorite place she has traveled so far.

“Red Bull took care of us. They took us to go bungee jumping. They took us to go surfing, so I learned how to surf with all of these Olympic gold medalists. It was crazy. It was so cool,” Reno said.

Be sure to thank Reno if you ever find a Red Bull energy drink under your chair.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACELYN RENO

Jacelyn Reno, mass communication sophomore, signed to MSU her senior year of high school, Feb. 7.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACELYN RENO

Jacelyn Reno is a Red Bull student marketeer, 2022.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACELYN RENO Jacelyn Reno, races through a BMX track, March. 10. 2023.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACELYN RENO

Jacelyn Reno rides through a mountain biking trail, Sep. 24. 2023.

Snoba offers innovative menu

REMY B. PETRASH REPORTER

Nestled in the heart of the bustling city of Wichita Falls, Snoba Asian Dessert Cafe emerges as a delightful slice of heaven for those with a sweet tooth.

Snoba is located in Parker Square Shopping Center on Garnett Avenue next to Crunch Fitness. This gem, with its chic ambiance and delectable offerings, has the potential to quickly grow to become a go-to destination for dessert enthusiasts seeking a memorable culinary experience.

I took the opportunity to sample some of the cafe's delicious delicacies. Upon my entrance into Snoba, I immediately recognized that at two o’clock in the afternoon the cafe was nearly packed with customers. I was greeted by a modern and inviting interior, featuring minimalist decor that exudes a trendy yet cozy vibe. The cafe had intriguing, relaxing music playing. Snoba’s commitment to providing a welcoming atmosphere is immediately evident, making it an ideal spot for both casual outings and intimate gatherings.

The restaurant is a place where you could go to have a nice conversation or date night. What truly sets Snoba apart, however, is its diverse and innovative dessert menu. The cafe seems to take pride in crafting a wide array of treats; from artisanal ice creams to meticulously plated pastries, each item on the menu reflects

Next up on my list was the Pizza Boa Bun. The bun was fluffy and sweet, although they could’ve added a little bit more pizza-to-dough ratio. Overall the taste of the Pizza Boa Bun was insightful. The last item that I had the pleasure of trying was the Matcha Crepe which was very sweet and left my taste buds tingling.

The cafe's commitment to freshness is evident in its use of locally sourced ingredients, ensuring a farm-to-table experience that elevates the overall dining adventure. The menu was carefully curated, offering a balance of favorites and innovative creations that can keep customers excited with each visit. Beyond the culinary delights, Snoba Asian Dessert Cafe stands out for its exceptional customer service. The staff has a warm presence, and seemed to be ready to guide customers through the menu and recommendations based on individual preferences.

a dedication to quality ingredients and expert craftsmanship.

To start, I ordered a shaved iced Bubble Bubble. This frozen delight had a texture of thin ice that melts in the mouth. The Bubble Bubble had caramel and a chocolate mixture with cream and was topped with boba which made it unique and delicious.

Next, I sampled the Fruit Sando which was precisely what it sounds like; a sandwich made out of seasonal fruits like orange, kiwi and strawberry mushed together with whipped cream on white bread. This sandwich was a refreshing dessert that deserves some respect due to the fruits tasting like they were fresh from the farm.

While the pricing could be improved, the overall restaurant is ideal for a post-dinner indulgence or a delightful afternoon treat. Snoba proves to be a culinary destination where every dessert lover's dreams come true. With its commitment to excellence, innovative menu and impeccable service, Snoba could be a shining star in our city's culinary scene.

I would recommend Snoba Asian Dessert Cafe to anyone looking for minimalistic cafestyled desserts for a vibe of excellence and to fill a  dessert appetite.

PHOTO BY STEPHAIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN

Snoba is located at 3002 Garnett Ave #100 in Wichita Falls, Feb. 22. The cafe is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.

PHOTO BY REMY B. PETRASH | THE WICHITAN Pizza Boa Bun, Feb. 11.

PHOTO BY REMY B. PETRASH | THE WICHITAN Bubble Bubble with caramel and chocolate mixture, Feb. 11.

PHOTO BY REMY B. PETRASH | THE WICHITAN

Fruit Sando from top to bottom, kiwi, orange, and strawberry, Feb. 11.

The Wichitan’s Artist of the Week: MARY LOU RODRIGUEZ

SABRINA HARRISON ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Many artists live their entire lives going completely unknown for their work.

Mary Lou Rodriguez, a freshman art major at MSU, will not be one of those artists.

Though Rodriguez is still just a freshman, she has already set a foundation for her art career.

“I have a small business that sells art prints and stickers, which I want to continue,” Rodriguez said, “I also take on commissions from time to time and that really helps inspire me in a way. But my main career path I think is just freelancing and seeing where that goes.”

Rodriguez has been doing art since she was young, but did not seriously start considering it as a potential career until the pandemic.

”I think when COVID hit in 2020, that’s where I really looked at it as a career path,” Rodriguez said, “That’s where it kind of bloomed.”

Despite that, art was not always her first choice as a career. Like many artists, she considered job choices that are traditionally more reliable.

"I think maybe a lawyer or maybe like a nurse,” Rodriguez said, “but it’s is my passion and I can’t get away from it.”

From an early age, art has had an impact on Rodriguez’s life. She said she has been drawing since she could pick up a pencil.

“I think at an early age, art was my only thing, like my only companion,” Rodriguez said, “I really lived a lonely life, I’d say. I think that’s the only thing that really kept me going.”

Rodriguez’s main style of art is realism, branching into semi-realism or simple realism. She uses this style to portray how she experiences life.

She explained that art is a way for people to, “see the world in a different point of view.”

Many different things inspire Rodriguez to create, from personal experiences to nature. One inspiration for her is the simple act of living.

”I find it, just, life inspiring and like a piece of artwork,” Rodriguez said.

The two pieces she sent in are some of her favorites, despite not being named. One shows a black and white still life of skulls.

”The skulls piece was a still life I had to do in class,” she said, “I really liked how it turned out. I really could really see my improvement in that.”

The other piece is a colorful painting of traditional salsa that she created as a commission.

”They wanted something of hispanic culture,” she explained, “so I came up with the idea of making salsa like, in a traditional way and they liked it.”

For Rodriguez, art is not simply putting medium on canvas or paper.

Art is an experience that can be both grounding and inspiring.

“When I’m making art, I am somewhere else that I can’t even explain,” Rodriguez said, “Like, physically I’m there but it’s like a meditation for me. It’s just being in the moment. I can’t explain it, it’s just, I’m there, and I’m just doing it nonstop. Like, I feel peace with myself in a way.”

As for her plans after college, Rodriguez explained that she’s just following where this dream takes her.

”I just want to continue doing what I can to live that artist dream,” Rodriguez explained.

PHOTO COURTSEY OF MARY LOU RODRIGUEZ

Art freshman Mary Lou Rodriguez has a small business that sells art prints and stickers, Feb. 16.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY LOU RODRIGUEZ

This untitled work by Rodriguez was inspired by hispanic culture, Jan. 10.

The buzz around "The Beekeeper"

along by colorizing Adam Clay’s (Jason Stathom) driving motive.

The references to the bees were key because the audience doesn’t get to know Clay very much before he starts doing what he does best, protecting the hive.

"The Beekeepers" as an agency was something that could have definitely been expanded on. On the one hand, in canon, the agency is unknown to the public but is infamous to larger governmental agencies like the FBI and the CIA. Keeping the agency mysterious lets the audience fill in their own ideas about the Beekeepers.

It would have been interesting to see different ways the Beekeepers work. One way they could have done this was through the Beekeeper that took Clay's place when he retired. I wish she had more time in the film.

Another highlight of the film was the characters. Though they weren't the main focus, they were still funny and memorable. My favorite character was Verona Parker (Emmy Raver-Lampman), a morally-grey, hungover FBI agent.

Despite that, Ayer did not do much with the characters.

I would have loved to see them develop the complex platonic relationship between Parker and Clay. It would have been nice to see Parker struggle between her desire to see her mother avenged and her duty to arrest clay.

wronged him.

Clay, on the other hand, tends to leave a lot of collateral damage and leaves many innocent people caught in the crossfire. However, he is targeting a much broader group than Wick. He also isn't as respected as Wick and becomes a target for three different government organizations.

am not surprised. Action movies are not usually known for their in-depth character development.

"It’s no “John Wick,” but for what it is, "The Beekeeper" is a fun action

SABRINA HARRISON

SABRINA HARRISON ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

David Ayer’s “The Beekeeper” was not a cinematic masterpiece, but I really enjoyed the characters and the simplistic story.

“The Beekeeper” released in theaters Jan. 12 this year to mixed reviews. Some felt the movie was dreadfully boring while others enjoyed seeing scammers get their just desserts.

One detail I found really enjoyable was the use of the “Beekeeper’s Manual” and the references to bees. I felt these references were used well and they were not overdone. The "Beekeeper's Manual" is a simple handbook for general beekeeping, but the way the characters use it pushes the story

Though the characters were fun, the plot of the movie left a lot to be desired. Many have called the film a “John Wick” rip-off due to Clay having a similar motive to John Wick.

When you boil both movies to their essence, the narrative hook is the same, bad guys harm the protagonist's loved one and he has to go kill them. However, this can be argued for many other films as well, like “Taken.”

There are many differences between "John Wick" and "The Beekeeper," the main one being the characterization of the protagonists of both movies.

John Wick is a warmer character who is respectful to those who have not wronged him. He does not intentionally bring harm to any of the characters who have not

“The Beekeeper” had a lot of potential because of its interesting world building and characters but it fell a bit flat. I am disappointed but I

Overall, "The Beekeeper" was not perfect nor a cinematic masterpiece, but it was interesting and I enjoyed it. If they had cut out one or two antagonists and focused more on Clay and Verona Parker’s (Emmy Raver-Lampman) character development, this movie would have been aces.

As it stands, I give this movie 3 out of 5 mustangs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF EMMA STEFANSKY

At the time of publication, "The Beekeeper" is the highest grossing movie of 2024, Feb. 22.

PHOTO COURTESY OF DANIEL SMITH Adam Clay, played by Jason Stathom, seeks out to avenge the death of his friend by any means necessary, Jan. 14.

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMAZON MGM STUDIOS

"The Beekeeper" released in theaters Jan. 12