April 11, 2007

THE WICHITAN The Student Voice of Midwestern State University

Wednesday April 11, 2007

Campus groups vie for $2 million in student funding CARRIE SULLIVAN EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Student Allocations Committee will meet Thursday to discuss the distribution of $2,074,000 in funding to different MSU organizations.

The funding comes from the service fees that every student must pay as part of their tuition. This year will provide less money, as compared to last yearʼs $2,281,196.

Part of the reason the funds have been lowered this year is enrollment is down, Dr. Howard Farrell, vice president for University Advancement and Student Affairs, said.

Twenty-six different areas will be funded this year, including the following: ADRIAN MCCANDLESS | THE WICHITAN

The Write Stuff

Grad student pens college survival books ROBERT FOX FOR THE WICHITAN

H

e sits at a corner table in the smoking section of Dennyʼs behind a mountain of books and notebooks. Nathan Brown looks like another college student trying to study in relative peace.

Brown, a graduate English student at MSU, wants to get his Ph.D., but he has already done what many aspiring writers only dream of: He has sold his work

for a profit.

He has written three books: “The Pocket Idiotʼs Guide to Surviving College,” “The Everything Paying for College Book: Grants, Loans, Scholarships, and Financial Aid – All You Need to Fund Higher Education” and “Fallen Angels of Vengence.”

Brownʼs agent got him the contract for his first “Idiotʼs Guide” in August 2003. “The Pocket Idiotʼs Guide to Surviving College” covers everything an incoming freshman can expect about college from orientation to how to study and some

things that are not academic – sex, alcohol and depression.

It also uses about 100 anecdotes from students at various colleges.

Penguin Publishing Group went to Brownʼs agent because their two writers had already failed to deliver, he said.

“They were getting down to crunch time,” Brown said.

“Someone was either going to have to do it, or they were going to have to abandon ship.”

Adamʼs Media went to Brownʼs agent in 2004 for the same reason as Penguin, he said.

“The Everything Paying for College Book: Grants, Loans, Scholarships, and Financial Aid – All You Need to Fund Higher Education” was 20,000 words longer than the “Pocket Idiotʼs Guide” and had a 3-month deadline.

He said in both cases the publisher did not expect him to complete the work by the deadline.

They hired him as a final attempt to show they tried to finish the book.

“That way itʼs not their fault

See Writer page 6

Conference speaks out against porn CHRISTIAN MCPHATE STAFF REPORTER

The Midwestern State University Clark Student Center, in conjunction with First Step, Inc. of Wichita Falls, presented a conference on Cybersex and Addiction to Internet Porn April 9 and 10.

The 2-day conference covered a vast array of topics, ranging from the Effects of Internet/Cybersex Addiction on Family Members to

Emerging Issues in the International Sex Trade.

Ron Burks, a licensed councilor for sex offender treatment, headlined the conference with his presentation on Internet Porn and Cybersex Addiction: Sexual Addiction.

Some of the key points Burks went over included the different types of sexual addictions, the classifications for sexual molesters and the downfalls of masturbation for

sex addicts.

“He masturbates until he becomes addictive,” Burks said. “It is the act, not the person.”

He explained the psychological sexual addict was abandoned and abused at a young age and did not have a constructive outlet for the trauma.

“The soul is in pain,” he said, “and the soul needs medicine.”

The spiritual sexual addicts are the lowest percentage of addicts,

he said. They are looking for God, and they have a spiritual orgasm by finding God through sex.

“It is not the act, but they continue repeating the trauma, and until they resolve (the issue)” as long as it is left unresolved, they will continue the act.

Tricia Kennedy, who has been working with Burks for two and half years, said that sex offenders

ery second. Yet few people give it a second thought.

Located behind Prothro Yeager, the building is distinguished by the constant billow of steam rising from the rooftop.

The Central Plant services the 6,572 customers who make up MSUʼs campus.

“Each and every person in my department are on 24-hour call,” Dean Price, superintendent, said. “If we have a water line break it doesnʼt matter if it is Christmas morning, 2 oʼclock in the morning, or what day itʼs on or anything else. We stop what we are doing; we come in. We have to try and isolate the break, if possible, so we donʼt have to kill the whole campus and then we re-

pair it.”

The department practices preventive maintenance, electrical and plumbing areas of campus being a key issue.

“We donʼt have time to get bored,” Price said. “If you have time to get bored then youʼre not doing your job.”

Whether the crew is changing filters, monitoring the main computer or inspecting the underground tunnel system, the work is constant.

“This is manned 24 hours a day, 365 days a year,” Price said. “We donʼt close for anything. The 7-11 does not have a thing on us.”

The Central Plant works like a battery. Late night phone calls suggest a long day ahead for the crew,

yet Price knows he can trust the men who work for him.

“Our people are irreplaceable,” Price said. “You donʼt find that many people that will come out and work on Christmas holiday, Thanksgiving and New Yearʼs Eve. My guys are here all the time.”

Price said his department just underwent a 3-year control upgrade.

“From the computer we can operate every building on this campus, the heating and airconditioning,” Price said.

Automated controls give Price the ability to have pinpoint accuracy. If someone wants a room to be warmed or cooled by one degree it can be done.

See Plant page 6

• • • • • • • • • • • •

Campus Card Services Team Arrow Academic Honors Dinner Homecoming Family Day New Student Organization University Programming Board Cheerleaders Wai-Kun Recreational Sports Disability Support Services Clark Student Center

• Student Development • Student Success Series • Voices • The Wichitan • Music • MSU Caribbean Pan Ensemble (new) • Vinson Health Center • Counseling Center • Athletics • Rugby Team • Student Government • Artist-Lecture Series • Student Leadership Banquet • Student I.D. and Handbook Farrell said the process begins when a note it sent out to everyone who is going to be funded. They then get their budget organized and present it in front of the committee, telling why they want the money.

They are welcome to bring other students involved in the areas that desire funding.

He said the committee is made up of faculty and staff, who are there to advise the students, but it is the students who ultimately make the decision of where the money will go.

“Itʼs not a rubber stamp,” Farrell said. “Students really take this seriously.”

See Money page 6

Dental clinic wants teeth MARVIN ARTS FOR THE WICHITAN The dental hygiene clinic offers free dental services many students do not know about.

The MSU clinic is located in Bridwell Hall next to the Vinson Health Center.

Barbara Dubois is the chair of the Dental Hygiene Department and is also a certified dental assistant.

MSU students are entitled to free dental services at the clinic. The clinic offers teeth cleaning, X-rays and even makes mouthpieces for the basketball team. The clinic also

provides services to the people in the community as well.

MSU dental hygiene students usually perform the services provided. The clinic stresses they need patients with dirty teeth, so their students can get prepared for state certification.

The clinic ranks patients in four different classifications, with four being the worst teeth and one being the cleanest teeth.

“We donʼt need any more students coming in for checkups because most students are ranked a number one or two patient and

See Dental page 6

Fruity

See Porn page 6

Central Plant open for business 24/7 ANDREW WEITNER FOR THE WICHITAN

INSIDE

Quick, what campus buildings operate 24 hours, seven days a week, even holidays, 365 days a year?

The police department first comes to mind. Someone is always there.

But workers in another building are also familiar with the wee hours of the morning.

They work at the Central Plant.

Each night someone is walking in tunnels beneath the campus, making sure each student has light in his room to study by, hot water for a shower, cold water to drink.

The Central Plant is manned at ev-

ADRIAN MCCANDLESS | THE WICHITAN This untitled work by MSU student Casey Cooper can be seen in the art exhibit “Persecution” currently on display in the C wing of the Fain Fine Arts building.

‘Grindhouse’

‘Black Donnellys’

Softball

This film gives audience a good dose of wholesome violence.

Great show says goodbye.

Lady Mustangs take two from Northwestern State.

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Sweepstakes Winner 2006 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

THE WICHITAN

VIEWPOINTS

Finalist 2004 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award

April 11, 2007

Staff Editorial

Respect your library Are books passé? Have library stacks been outpaced by memory sticks? Are large echo-laden library halls just for get-togethers?

Some would say our libraries are obsolete, a quaint vestige of our past. But thatʼs not only a facile assessment.

Itʼs simply untrue.

April 15-21 is National Library Week, a time when libraries of all types and the people who use them come together with the American Library Association and its Campaign for Americaʼs Libraries to celebrate the contributions of all libraries, librarians and library workers in our nationʼs schools, campuses and communities.

Libraries today are enjoying a golden age in which public, school, college and university libraries are flourishing not only within the physical confines of bricks and mortar, steel and glass, but also in the continuously expanding Internet universe.

The facts speak for themselves: Library use is up nationwide. More than 2 billion items were checked out last year, and librarians serve nearly 1.8 billion visitors annually.

Rather than threatening our libraries, the age of technology has only complemented our services and expanded our reach. This is because libraries are about more than information and data sharing.

Libraries are about community.

They provide us with a physical gathering place, a crossroads for people of all ages, ethnicities and economic means, complete with trained information professionals – librarians – fostering inquiry and assisting with interpretation of information both onsite and online.

Libraries also are leading the way in forging creative public-private charitable partnerships with a new generation of supporters like the Bill & Melinda Gates Library Foundation, this year celebrating 10 years of major financial support for computer equipment, software and training at our nationʼs libraries.

These efforts arenʼt simply charitable. Education and literacy are essential to staying competitive in a global society. Recent studies indicate weʼve got some serious distance to travel.

More than 8 million American children grades 4-12 struggle to read, write and comprehend on the most basic levels according to federal studies, and only three out of 10 eighth-graders are reading at or above grade level, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.

Society as a whole pays, according to the National Governors Association, whose “Reading to Achieve” report indicates that deficits in basic literacy skills drain as much as $16 million annually from businesses, universities and under-educated workers themselves in lost productivity and other costs.

Libraries are part of the solution. Research in 14 states has found students with well-developed school libraries consistently score 10-18 percent higher on reading and other tests. Just recently a group of 15 seniors who met each day after school at their library learned that 100 percent of their group was selected for early admissions at some of the nationʼs most selective colleges. College and university librarians help students conduct research, either in person or online through “ask a librarian” services.

In fact, they answer almost 73 million reference questions each year – about twice the attendance at college football games.

For many, a large number of whom donʼt have computers at home, our public libraries make the difference between decent wages and economic disenfranchisement.

Libraries and librarians are more relevant than ever, providing a 24/7 information delivery service. Our multifaceted, multicultural, multilingual resources are providing a bridge to their best conceivable future for millions nationwide. And, of course, admission is free.

Itʼs democracy in action. Thereʼs nothing obsolete about that.

Colorfully coming of age with some ink

3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 • Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 News Desk (940) 397-4704 • Advertising Desk (940) 397-4705 Fax (940) 397-4025 • E-mail WICHITAN@mwsu.edu Web site: http://www.mwsu.edu/~wichitan Copyright © 2007. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. 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. First copy of the paper is free of charge; additional copies are $1. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address for verification purposes. The editor retains the right to edit letters.

A little over a month ago, I got my sixth tattoo.

O K , those of you who are readJESSICA COODY ing this FOR THE WICHITAN and donʼt know me are more than likely picturing me with large, visible tattoos peeking out from under my sleeves and such.

Nope. I am fairly discreet.

In fact, my most recent tattoo is the most visible tattoo, and many donʼt even notice it.

It is (gasp!) on my inner wrist.

My first time under the needle was just like the first time for many.

I was 18, just a couple months shy of high school graduation and dying to perform a rebellious act. So, I loaded up with a couple girlfriends and headed to the tattoo parlor.

I was a nervous wreck. The sound of the guns was torture to my inno-

cent ears as I waited my turn. The large men with the giant tattoos and shaved heads were intimidating. A woman in the room before me was doing all she could not to pass out.

I wanted to back out. I wanted to run. But I had talked a big game.

And my friends were present. I had an audience. I had to go through with it.

After about 10 minutes my back went numb. And in another 10, it was over. My friends gawked in amazement as I rose from the chair with reckless abandon. You would have thought I had just conquered the world. Or at least gotten a tattoo larger than the small symbol that had just been emblazoned onto my body. In their eyes, and I must admit in my own, I was a rock star.

And from that moment on, I became an addict.

It wasnʼt the fact I felt a little like a badass. It wasnʼt the fact I was one of the oldest in my group of friends and could legally be inked. It was the fact that I had just made a decision regarding my body and my life completely on my own. A big de-

cision. A permanent one. One that didnʼt affect anyone but me.

That is a feeling I will never forget.

My next tattoo was perhaps my most important. It was my way of honoring the memory of a friend.

Sitting through the 30 minutes it took the artist to etch the yellow rose into my skin, years of emotions and repressed feelings surfaced. Anger, sadness, fond memories…they all came rushing back to me and poured out of me as the ink crept in. I didnʼt get overemotional in the parlor. I didnʼt let anyone know what I was dealing with inside. It wasnʼt their place to know.

It was mine. All mine. Another big decision made. And this time, healing came with it.

The next few tattoos came and went…a couple were “just because” and another was to show my devotion to a group of friends in a band.

Each for different reasons, but both are equally as dear to me.

My newest one has many meanings to me. More than anything, it is a reminder that I am in charge of

where I go. It keeps me remembering that I have to be my own guide through this maze called life.

I have been criticized by many for getting them. I find that people think they have the right to question my morals, my reasons and my life when they see or hear me speak of my artwork.

Guess what? They donʼt.

I donʼt get my ink so that I may constantly defend myself. And no, I donʼt worry about how they are going to look when I am 65 and they are sagging. Hell, by then I plan on having LOTS more.

My advice to those who have no ink remains the same: If you donʼt want more than one, donʼt sit in that chair. Itʼs a rush. Itʼs a satisfaction.

Itʼs an outright addiction.

My words to those who feel I am socially and morally wrong for my body art remain the same, as well: Donʼt stereotype me. Donʼt judge me. I am still a small-town girl with morals, values and intelligence.

And enough appreciation for art to display it on my own personal canvas.

I can count on my hands the number of friends I have whose parents have not been through a CARLY BURRES divorce.

FOR THE WICHITAN W h a t has happened to this country and our family morals and values? What happened to the way things were in “Leave It To Beaver” and whatever other show portrayed the “perfect” family picture?

It used to be that families were happy and healthy. They sat down together for dinner every night at 6 p.m. and talked about what had gone on that day.

So I admit that everything isnʼt always as perfect as it seems. Most of the “perfect” families probably had just as many problems, if not more, as the “dysfunctional” families.

But it seems to me as though our society is throwing away a great deal of values that are needed the most.

For instance, the values of how to eat, exercise and stay married.

Sure, parents are teaching their children how to love one another, how to succeed in life by making great grades and working hard, and about how to have friends and so-

cialize.

But what about the things that used to make having families so appealing? What was it about Beaver and his family that people loved the most?

It was that every day when Beaver and his brother got home from school they had an afternoon snack waiting. Mom would be in the kitchen cooking dinner. Dad would come home and set his briefcase down and then kiss his lovely wife and adoring children. Then they would all sit down to a wonderful dinner full of laughter and conversation.

Even though in reality Mom and Dad might not be so happily married and the children might not get along so well, the image was still there because it was important to help encourage people to be happy with their lives.

But now parents are quick to ignore the fact that what goes on within their marriages can have a long-term effect on the children.

Every year the divorce rate increases, especially since Hollywood is included in this mathematical equation.

But what is society really teaching our children?

That it is acceptable to get a divorce when things get rough instead of working it out?

That when the fighting gets going and the arguments start, the easiest

thing to do is just to quit?

Even worse, I think, is that we are teaching children it is easy to marry someone – even if we donʼt love that person, because we can always get a divorce.

At this rate, it is going to be difficult to find anyone who has not been married more than once. That is assuming people even want to get married because they are so afraid marriage will ruin the relationship.

There is so much pressure on society to get married that people are just jumping in, having kids and then saying: “Oh! My bad. Nevermind.”

What does that leave us with?

A new generation of children who grow up thinking divorce is the answer.

But marriage is supposed to be this lifelong deal. It is this promise to one another that you will be together forever, through the good and the bad, through the thick and the thin.

But the vows children have grown up hearing on TV and in movies is turning more into something like: “I promise to love you forever (or at least until I get sick of you), through the good and the bad (well, not so much the bad, but Iʼll be there for the good).”

I might be the only one who thinks this way, or the only one who understands what I am trying to say in this terribly written college

newspaper column, but thatʼs fine.

My parentsʼ divorce was final when I was less than a year old.

Granted, my parents tried to make it work, but it just wasnʼt meant to be. And now I am left dealing with some unresolved issues because I saw the effects.

I have a serious fear of commitment and am indecisive when it comes to what I would want in marriage.

Iʼve even heard myself saying it doesnʼt matter who I marry because I can always get a divorce if Iʼm unhappy. Of course, I donʼt think I truly believe that, but the idea has been planted in my head.

The happy “Leave it to Beaver” home hardly exists these days. Even the behavior traits that go with being the “perfect” family have changed.

How many families can say they make it a point to sit down to dinner every night and enjoy each otherʼs company? Not many.

The only time my family sits around our table and eats is on birthdays and other holidays.

Perhaps the media has built up this image of what the “perfect” family is supposed to look and act like and that image is just so incredibly unreasonable.

Whatever the reason might be, I vote for people to start thinking about whom they are marrying, and why they are marrying before they actually get married.

Whatever happened to those good ole days?

THE WICHITAN Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief Carrie Sullivan Managing Editor Krystle Carey Entertainment Editor Jason Kimbro Sports Editor Josh Mujica Photo Editor Adrian McCandless

Reporters Richard Carter Christian McPhate Melissa dos Prazeres Silva Rachel Tompkins Photographers Hershel Self Lauren Miller Graphic Artist SunKyu Yoo-Norris

Advertising Manager Christian McPhate

Copy Editor Konnie Sewell

Adviser Randy Pruitt

Op-Ed

Bushʼs legacy: A perspective

CHRISTIAN MCPHATE STAFF REPORTER

T h e legacy of President Bush was a recent debate among history professors in the April 4 edition of The

Wichitan.

In the article, professors Hendrickson, Hewitt, Kindig and Collins argued over the legacy the unfortunate President will leave behind once he finally steps out of the Oval Office.

Hewitt pointed out the economy is Bushʼs strongest asset.

“I donʼt think he destroyed the economy,” he said. “I was surprised that the Republicans didnʼt use the economy to their benefit in their last election.”

Their benefit?

Just drive to a local gas station.

Look at someoneʼs paycheck, the cuts in education, social services and non-defense funding in general—one will get a nasty mouthful of Bushʼs economic strategy and beneficial economy.

According to a recent article in The New York Times, Bush pulled an old political trick out of his bunny-of-incompetence hat and used a little term called “recess of appointments” to cloak and implement his three choices for political offices from the watching eyes of liberal Congress.

His first choice: Sam Fox was a major donor to the Republican party and funded over $50,000 to Swift Boat Veterans for Truth, a group that lied about Senator John Kerryʼs war record to help push the incumbent President across the finish line of another term.

His second choice: Susan E. Dudley was appointed to the Office of Management and Budget where she will oversee new and existing regulations for federal agencies despite the fact that she has criticized the implementation of regulations, ranging from fuel economy standards to national drinking water standards.

Talk about concern for the economy.

The president also slipped Andrew Biggs into a lucrative position, giving him the position of

deputy commissioner for the Social Security Administration.

Biggs is known for his brain child: Wanting to partially privatize the program.

Moreover, the social service administration has been “using questionable arguments and projections to help support Bushʼs drive for creating private accounts” to take the place of our failing social system.

Hmm…it seems the incompetence bunny still has a few tricks up his sleeve.

Kindig went on to insist Bush will be favorably compared to other wartime presidents: “His willingness to stand firm against the forces of terror compares favorably with FDR and Truman.”

Stand firm against terrorism?

If I recall correctly, Osama bin Laden is still on the loose.

In fact, Bush has constantly lost sight of the true objectives behind the War on Terror, beginning with the turning of his capitalistic oilmonger eyes on Iraq, a country where none of the terrorists who bombed the World Trade Center on that fateful day even resided in.

The other day, I talked with a soldier friend of mine who had returned home from Iraq for a short 2-week break.

We talked about a number of different things not currently being shown on the media stations, but one part of our conversation that stood out the most (well, there were a lot of things, but I do not have enough space) was the low morale running through the troops stationed over in Iraq.

“I used to support Bush when I first joined,” he said. “But now I am not so sure anymore. We are not fighting a war. We are fighting a gang war.”

Do you realize the soldiers have to drive around the city and wait for someone to ambush them before striking out at the “terrorists?”

Imagine trying to send the armed forces into New Orleans to stop the gang violence that is bleeding rampant through the city—welcome to the world of Iraq.

“How can you fight something like that?” he asked.

Of course, this does not include the billions of taxpayer dollars that our government is wasting on reconstructing a country the fanatics are hell-bent on blowing it up.

Talk about a bad investment.

“I think his commitment to growth, capitalism and self-reliance on energy will be his long-lasting legacy. His commitment to the protection of life, including the unborn, will be a stand against which future presidents will be remembered,” Kindig explained.

Self-reliance on energy? What exactly does that mean?

According to a recent Supreme Court ruling, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is now required to actually punish criminals violating air emission standards once again. It seems the Bush administration had been using their puppet strings on the political minds within the EPA, and they mysteriously abandon their mandating on certain auto emissions as air pollutants.

In addition, a recent article in Newsweek pointed out the Bush administrationʼs true stance on veterans of the War on Terror with the failing of the Veteran Affair system.

What kind of noble support is the president preaching about with his message of “support the troops” when he cannot even provide adequate funding, timely disability checks or fix a system that has been broken since the Vietnam War? Talk about learning from the mistakes of history.

Since the inauguration of President George W. Bush, he has asserted his right with the gross and excessive misuse of his power (the firing of eight U.S. attorneys), the second preemptive strike in the history of our nation (the plight of the Native Americans being the first), imprisoned American citizenʼs thought to be terrorists indefinitely and without charge and then used interrogation techniques barred by the U.S. and international laws (the Guantanamo fiasco), eavesdropped on millions of Americansʼ phone calls without warrant (the invisible, fine print of the Patriot Act).

According to a report in the Boston Globe, Bush decreed through his actions and statements he would not follow certain affirmative action rules, he can order the Justice Department to withhold information from Congress, and only he can decide wither government and contracting whistle blowers can reveal their knowledge to Congress.

Yes, it will be quite a legacy, depending on the historianʼs perspective.

New logos for new times, politics

JASON KIMBRO ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

T h e United States seems to have m a n y logos, icons and phrases that represent what most of us stand

for.

Unfortunately, there are many more phrases which should be added, since our nation seems to be an ever-changing amalgamation of popular and historical cultural themes that, for some reason, are able to survive beyond the ones that only historians seem to know or care about.

With an ever-changing top 40 with a little bit of history repeating, movies made with a little bit of history repeating, wars over things that really have little to do with what our leaders claim to be the reasoning behind such chaos occurring, thus in turn a little more history repeating and a complete lack of originality thus causing the extent to which history is repeating...

Yet another turn being the only thing that isnʼt history repeating, our nation could use a little bit of marketing.

So with sardonic attitudes aside and with frank and earnest opinions on the actual state of the union, I present to you all a selection of phrases that would look fine upon any degree of currency, upon any national flag, monument, computerized government icon or anything else that is meant to represent our nation as a whole.

Or at least those that seem to imagine themselves as the only significant part of our vast land.

How about a few takes on some old, already-established phrases, thus basking in the glory that is American unoriginality, or at least the lack of interest in anything original by the status quo, which is what they want us to believe (I watched “Conspiracy Theory” the other night).

For instance, the popular song “This Land is Your Land” could easily be changed to fit modern times to “This Land is Your Land, For a Price.”

Such a change wouldʼve been appropriate a very long time ago, when staking just wasnʼt popular anymore.

“In God We Trust” should have an addition to it as well: “In God We Trust, and When We Say ʻGod,ʼ We Mean the Jesus One.” George W. Bush, who many Christians believe was re-elected because God wanted him there, is a huge advocate for Christianity and religion.

His faith is undying, even through the years of debauchery, murder, ruinations of his temple and downright stupidity, which he has made millions suffer through all for the glory of his Jesus God and, of course, oil.

If you asked me, he is an embarrassment to all Christians, including my family and from time to time, myself.

To continue with this rant, other historic words could be altered to fit the times, such as: “Give Me Oil, or Give Me the Death of Thousands of Honorable Men Who Were Doing Their Duty, Not to Mention Hundreds of Thousands of Innocent Bystanders.”

Or maybe: “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask how many barrels of oil you can save if you died.”

Oh, and donʼt forget: “One small step for man, one giant leap for the President to spell ʻIraqʼ without the letters C and K.” We could use some completely new slogans altogether.

Here is just a sampling: “Confederate flag, swastika, who cares? They both look neat in the back window of my truck.”

“USA, the official training ground for our future enemies.”

“War: If lying about it is wrong, I donʼt wanna be right.”

“America - Canadaʼs less-kept lower torso.”

“America, home of an exercise device called The Bean.”

“Poor? No problem! You can mow my lawn!”

“USA, where what little native culture we have left is imprinted upon a poker chip.”

And finally: “America, the only nation other than that of the Netherlands ran by dick and bush.”

I hope you all understand when I say I am putting my sardonic attitude aside, I am completely full of crap.

Most of the things I write about in such a sarcastic manner are things in which I am guilty of taking part of myself.

I personally would love to own a Bean exercise device.

I am poor but look to the even more poor to mow my lawn.

I still have the urge to lose a wad of cash at the casinos just up the road, and I am a large contributor to the garbage on the side of the roads and at all the parks, thus making Canada a much prettier and cleaner place to live.

Yes, I am guilty too.

Yes, my dear readers and fellow, uh, mustangs, I am an American.

God bless ʼMerica!

THE WICHITAN April 11, 2007

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Campus Voices

Q: What are your thoughts or opinions on Greek Week?

“I donʼt know much about Greek Week or even Greek life in general. If youʼre not Greek, how does Greek Week pertain to you?”

– Wes Taliaferrow, 22, junior criminal justice major

“There are a lot of activities that go on during Greek Week, like Greek ʻJeopardy!ʼ and the Greek car wash. There are a lot of aspects of Greek life that are shown during the week that people might not otherwise know about.”

– Traci Lowe, 21, junior art major

“I think Greek Week is great because it gives all the sororities and fraternities a chance to come together and really show they can be good leaders.”

– Wendell Castle, 23, sophomore sociology/business major

“Iʼm not a big sorority or fraternity person, but hearing about all the activities that are going to be happening, Greek Week sounds like a lot of fun.”

– Brandy Navarrette, 20, junior English/psychology major

“I work across from the Greek Life office, but I havenʼt heard much about it. Iʼve been too busy with school to even think about Greek Week.”

– Haley Lain, 21, junior political science major

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THE WICHITAN April 11, 2007

Across Campus

Entertainment

Film intensifies joy of gore twofold JASON KIMBRO ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

National Library Week The week of April 15-21 is National Library Week, and the Moffett Library will be having an Amnesty Week as well.

Any patron who has “lost items” can return them with no questions asked and have the fines forgiven.

Students with fines can come in personally and their fines will be forgiven in the amount of up to $10 as well.

This offer is only valid in person. Amnesty includes media items as well.

Japanese Festival The Japanese Club will present a Japanese Festival from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. April 13 in the Clark Student Centerʼs Wichita I & II rooms.

Activities will include origami, calligraphy, Kendo demonstration and food.

Come and learn about the Japanese culture.

Admission and activities are free, but there is a charge of $3 for food.

For more information, contact jclubmsu@gmail. com.

Spring Football Game and Powder Puff The powder puff game will be at 10:15 a.m. April 14 on the south football field of MSU. The spring Mustangs football game will start at noon.

There will be hotdogs and drinks for $1 around 12:45 p.m. Following the game, players will be available to visit with MSU fans.

For more information, call ext. 4779.

Classic Film Series Continuing Education presents a Jimmy Wakely Western musical, “Song of the Sierras,” at 7 p.m. April 17 at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU. Wakely and his sidekick, Lee “Lasses” White, investigate the harassment of prospector Buster and soon determine that the villainess is Flora Carter, a ruthless lady rancher who holds the mortgage to Busterʼs property.

Admission is free; donations are welcome.

For more information, call ext. 4756.

Chili Cook-Off Chi Omega will hold a chili cook-off April 21 at 11:00 a.m.

Tickets are $5 in advance or $7 at the door.

Texas Jack will be performing live.

Come for lots of fun!

Entertainment Value: A Artistic Crap: A Plot/Script: B Performances: B Overall GPA: 3.50 SunKyu Yoo-Norris

In the good ole days of the 1970s America was exposed to a series of exploitation films that attempted to tantalize as well as mortify their viewers.

Many call these films trash, whereas others call these films works of art on shoestring budgets.

The most logical description would probably encompass both opinions giving us a mix bag of haters and appreciaters of the genre of schlock.

Many of these films were shown in grindhouses, the closest thing to a cinematic arthouse during the decade.

They would show double features of overly violent action, horror, and/or soft core porn giving audiences X-rated enjoyment.

Directors Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino have joined forces to pay homage to these films in the latest gore-fest to grace the big screen, appropriately named “Grindhouse,” featuring two separate films in over three glorious hours of hardcore cinematic heaven.

Relentless, unforgiving, and filled with little messages pertaining to the state of the world today, both “Planet Terror” (directed by Rodriguez) and “Death Proof” (directed by Tarantino) provide both a great commentary on the world as well as over-the-top action and gore for everyone to feast upon.

“Planet Terror” is the first of

the double feature and definitely the most entertaining with some awesome action and elements that most movies in mainstream cinema avoid, such as rape with a melting penis and little children with blown-off faces.

In a small Texas town, some awry happenings at a nearby military base result in a virally-induced zombie war.

A deadly gas gets released into the air, turning all who inhale it into the boil-covered creatures who themselves are able to infect others in the typical manner of biting or just by popping their over-sized pimples upon their prey.

Rose McGowan plays Cherry, a go-go dancer who gets enraged whenever she is called a stripper. Freddy Rodriguez plays El Rey, an ambiguous big shot with an unknown history (at least to the audience, thanks to the often used “joke” of a missing reel).

They join forces with the townʼs sheriff (Michael Biehn), his barbecue-master brother (a surprisingly amazing Jeff Fahey), a couple of Hispanic girls credited as the Babysitter Twins, and a numb-armed lesbian doctor with an estranged father and psychopathic husband (Josh Brolin in another surprising performance).

This motley crew realize they are somehow immune to the disease and thus the few surviving military jerks that seem to be a staple in these type of films want to imprison them and experiment to find a cure.

Scene after scene of extreme gore and action culminate in an awesome final sequence that fails to disappoint.

“Death Proof” is the second feature as a group of girls get together to hit the club scene in Austin.

After what seems to be hours of talking, drinking, and failed attempts at getting one of them laid, Stuntman Mike (Kurt Russel) appears on the scene. He joins in the conversation even though the majority of the femmes treat him like some perverted old fool.

We soon find out that he is a particularly unique form of a serial

The “Planet Terror” troupe lock and load for a game of kill the zombie.

killer with a car that is death-proof, but only for the driver. After killing off one girl (played by McGowan) he goes after the original group he initially had an obsession with.

Ramming them head-on, and with an unexpectedly violent and grisly flair, he offs the women and gets away with the murder since they were all liquored up and he was sober. The blame was expectedly put on alcohol.

Next we cut to another group of girls showing their New Zealand friend a good time. Two of the women are stunt girls, the other two, a ditzy actress and a film assistant.

After Stuntman Mike attempts to create havoc for them as well, the film turns around and becomes an homage to such revenge-horror flicks like “Last House on the Left” or “I Spit on Your Grave” with additional homages to films such as “Vanishing Point.”

Both films were highly entertaining with “Death Proof” definitely taking the cake with its non-stop schlock, inventive gunplay and

creative attempts at horrifying its audience.

“Death Proof” was very talky but still remained to be a fun film.

The ending is definately worth the while with its hilarity and brutality.

Performances were very surprising and realistic, with the exception of McGowan, who really could use a lesson or two from her costars.

Fahey, whom I used to avoid with a passion, has certainly jumped up on the list of actors worth a damn as the redneck obsessed with his barbecue recipe. Josh Brolin was a joy as well.

In “Death Proof” Russell shows he still has a flare for characterdriven performances and the rest of the cast, including Rosario Dawson, play their parts off well.

“Death Proof” had more of the grindhouse feel the films were going for whereas “Planet Terror” could have been an awesome flick on its own without any attempts at the exploitation feel of the seventies, which it seemed to lack compared to its counterpart.

The stories behind the two films

were obviously cheesy and at times derivative, but that is exactly what the filmmakers were going for.

It was the second unit of the films that provided the creativity and originality that makes this double feature such a wonderful chunk of escapist enjoyment.

Unfortunately this film did poorly at the box office for an opening weekend.

Maybe Easter had an effect, maybe not, but when a film falls below the earnings of flicks such as “Are We Done Yet?” one has to wonder, then realize adults seem to leave movie-going as an outing for the kids, plunging themselves into the depths of bad movie-making.

I say save the kids night at the movies for the next Pixar flick, then at least you know youʼre going to be entertained as well.

So next time, leave the kids at home with a babysitter and a copy of “The Incredibles” or “Cars” and make your way to the theater for a night of uncompromising brutality and sheer enjoyment. Hopefully this film will have a long lifespan.

ʻGood Shepherdʼ DVD riddled with intense suspense

RICHARD CARTER FOR THE WICHITAN The recently released DVD “The Good Shepherd” has all the makings of a Bond movie without the tough charisma, the recognizable villain, the extreme action and a lot of sex and unbridled violence.

The slowly developing suspense thriller is actually based on the counter-espionage operations of the OSS, the American intelligence agency during World War II, and then the formation and operations of the CIA through the Bay of Pigs Cuba invasion in 1961.

The dark spy-like mood of “The

Good Shepherd” is gorgeous to look at, and writer Eric Rothʼs script is intelligent. The story develops well, but at nearly three hours, it plays long. The movie has a lot to say about espionage, dedication and family, and that may be boring for viewers who like their martinis straight up and simple.

“The Good Shepherd” also features numerous characters, but since none of them are to be trusted according to master CIA agent Edward Wilson (Matt Damon), audiences will find it hard to know who to root for.

The story follows Wilsonʼs career, from becoming a member of the secretive Skull and Bones at Yale to turning in his poetry professor and eventually becoming one of the key CIA architects.

A quiet man, Wilsonʼs wife Clo-

Damon in “Shepherd.”

ver (Angelina Jolie) picked him right out of Yale, and after she winds up pregnant, they are married.

A week later, he is shipped off to Europe to learn the spy business after being tapped by OSS leader Gen-

eral Bill Sullivan (Robert De Niro).

From that point on, the movie becomes one double cross or triple cross after another. Those stories include an overly pragmatic English spy named Arch Cummings (Billy Crudup), a brusque CIA director named Philip Allen (William Hurt) and other American and Russian agents.

The movie opens during the time of the Bay of Pigs fiasco, with Wilson in a situation where he must discover who betrayed the plan.

In a series of flashbacks, audiences discover the beginning of his own story, beginning with an admiral father who killed himself. There are several driving storylines in the movie that include Wilsonʼs neglected son who seeks approval from his father.

Another recurring point is the deciphering of a tape left under Wilsonʼs front door that implicates a CIA member in the Cuban debacle.

Damon is excellent as an overly dedicated CIA officer, and Jolie does a good job portraying a wife whose

husband is emotionally somewhere else. John Turturro convincingly plays Wilsonʼs enthusiastic assistant.

A movie with a large cast and many subplots — as espionage novels are wont to have — most of the characters and the situations are interesting. Two of the more insightful smaller scenes show Wilson arrogantly confronting an older Italian character played by Joe Pesci.

Another extended torture scene of a Russian agent, where LSD is employed, is also good.

De Niro, who directed the movie, asks some difficult questions about the roles of intelligence and espionage during the Cold War era, and that may rile some viewers. For viewers who would have liked a little more physical action, most of that “action” builds in the plot from carefully laid suspense.

When the film begins to come together near the end, itʼs at least as entertaining as watching Bond taking sharp mountain-side curves at 120 mph with his Aston Martin.

Entertainment

THE WICHITAN April 11, 2007

5

ʻBlack Donnellysʼ deserves another chance on NBC

KONNIE SEWELL COPY EDITOR NBCʼs “The Black Donnellys” wasnʼt the flashiest show around, nor was it the most action-packed, but it had loads of style and class that was sure to reward patient viewers.

The sublime “The Black Donnellys” was a more methodical and slower-paced show than any old “CSI” knockoff running around prime time these days (CBS, Iʼm calling you out).

But NBC was impatient and pulled the series to make room for some dumb reality show before this Irish mob drama really caught fire.

The Donnellys are an IrishAmerican family living in New York Cityʼs Hellʼs Kitchen. The four brothers — black because of their Gypsy or possibly Spanish blood — of the series are loyal to each other to a fault.

The series is narrated by — brace yourself — Joey Ice Cream (Keith Nobbs) from his jail cell. Itʼs not revealed how he got there, but the cops are dead set on having him rat out his friends.

Is what Joey says always the truth? What parts of his tales has he fabricated?

Thatʼs half the fun of the show, my friends. Itʼs a head-scratcher in

the best possible sense of the word.

Tommy (the brooding and smoldering Jonathan Tucker) is the second oldest and most responsible Donnelly.

Jimmy (Thomas Guiry) runs the Firecracker, a bar where all the characters cavort at one point or another. He also happens to dabble in petty crime. The younger brothers, Kevin (Billy Lush) and Sean (Michael Stahl-David) are Jimmyʼs tagalongs.

Things go from bad to worse when Jimmy and Kevin, who happens to owe lots and lots of sweet gambling moolah to an Italian bookie, kidnap the bookie and hold him for ransom to pay off the debt.

The tensions between the Italian mob and the Irish mob are stressed enough as it is; this action does little to mend the vendetta.

Sean gets beaten up by the Italians and takes a stay in the ICU. Jimmy goes bonkers and shoots the bookie, and just like that a gang war has erupted. Unfortunately for them, the Donnellys have connections to both sides and being stuck in the middle wonʼt be easy for any of them.

Joey only hints at how bad the war between the two will become in the future, and half of the showʼs pop would have been seeing how certain events unfold.

What was interesting about the Donnelly brothers was how inept and new to the crime world they all were. They grew up around it, but were never a part of it until now.

Shot mostly in bars and the unsavory underbelly of New York, the series had a dark feel to it from the very beginning.

A sense of doom was present at all times, despite the Donnellysʼ desire to do the right thing for their family.

This doom seeped over into the romantic subplot between Tommy and Jenny Reilly (Olivia Wilde, straight from “The O.C.”). Jennyʼs the girl of his dreams, his childhood sweetheart — heʼll be sketching her face in his art book forever.

Tommy, golden child that he is, is torn between doing the right thing and the honorable thing. His loyalty to his family doesnʼt trump his love for Jenny, but it was definitely a stronger force, constantly tugging at his brain.

This series wasnʼt going to reinvent the crime wheel, but it was fresh and fun and addictive.

“The Black Donnellys” was created by Paul Haggis and Bobby Moresco, who won Oscars for their work on the film “Crash” (which should be called “Trash,” but hey, thatʼs just me). Unlike “Crash,”

MCCLATCHEY TRIBUNE

this was the man (rocker turned director) who delivered one of 2005ʼs best films, the excellent exploitation retread “The Devilʼs Rejects.” Similarly, heʼs a very serious student of the horror genre, as his flawed if still fascinating debut feature, “House of 1000 Corpses,” confirms.

But taking on a legend like “Halloween” doesnʼt seem like the smartest move for this fledgling auteur. Unlike Marcus Nispelʼs work in the remake of “The Texas Chain Saw Massacre,” or Zach Synderʼs efforts to bring “Dawn of the Dead” up to date, Zombie already has an established style. Call it schlock-

shock sensationalizing or Grand Guignol grindhouse, but heʼs not the unknown quantity of, say, Alexandra Aja or Christophe Gans.

So why take on Carpenterʼs signature film? Why bring so much potential criticism down on your recently-revised reputation?

First, itʼs an obvious case of paycheck payback. Zombieʼs “Corpses” was a troubled production from the very beginning, a full-blown work of motion picture macabre in an era as yet unprepared to embrace shame. For his tireless efforts, his release dates were endlessly bumped around, his vision eviscerated by

Fans of the well-scripted “The Black Donnellys” can view unaired episodes at NBC.com.

“The Black Donnellys” never felt like a lecture.

It was just a straight-up good

hour-long drama, equal parts suspense and soap opera.

Ultimately, “The Black Donnel-

lys” had high aspirations and could have achieved them with just a little more loyalty from NBC.

mandated studio and MPAA cuts, and actual ownership of the title was tossed from distributor to distributor. That anyone got to see the final film is amazing in and of itself.

The second response is far more compelling. A study of this new teaser trailer indicated a less stylized, more aggressive approach to the Michael Myers story. Carpenter, clearly a student of old-school suspense and masters like Alfred Hitchcock, wasnʼt aiming to dissect or probe the disturbed psychopathic mind. Instead, he wanted to manipulate the language of film to create the ultimate edge-of-your-seat entertainment. He also wasnʼt out to start the slasher fad (which, unfortunately, he did), nor did he think his initial effort would begat a continuing scare

series. In essence, “Halloween” was a one shot deal that de-evolved into a callous cash grab. Any substance sustained from the way Carpenter imagined the story has long since disappeared into a ridiculous realm of repetitive revamps.

Back when Carpenter created the story, there was a sense of neighborhood nonchalance in his tone. Gone were the days when front doors remained unlocked. In the nasty new world, undeniable dread was just a turn of the latch away, and Carpenter made grand use of such startling social designs.

Zombie has no such logistical luxury. Thanks to years of media fearmongering, and the governmentʼs desire to use alarm as politics, he faces a populace already antsy and

ready to react.

The teaser seems to tap into this idea in ways both obvious and indirect. We see a shot of Michael Myers entering a home, butcher knife poised to do some decidedly deadly damage.

Quickly the camera pans over to a shocked girl sitting motionless in a stairwell, her defeated screams and lack of action indicating a repugnant resolve.

Itʼs as if sheʼs already given up on life before our villain has a chance to take it from her. Similarly, there is a moment when our fiend is featured full-faced (behind his shoddy Shatner mask, as always), Zombieʼs lens focusing directly on the killerʼs cold, empty eyes.

In the background, McDowell is narrating, making his case for Michael as monster. But the two concepts donʼt quite match.

The words are alarmist, but weʼve actually seen that vacant look before. Itʼs a blankness thatʼs paraded out before us everyday during endless crime updates on the 24-hour news channels.

Still, the biggest hurdle Zombie faces here is making an idea that once seemed so novel - the unhinged spree-killer - into something fresh and inventive.

ʻHalloweenʼ remake has aficionados preparing for possible flop

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Itʼs been three days since it arrived on the Web and yet the verdict is still out on Rob Zombieʼs “reimagining” of John Carpenterʼs classic slasher film “Halloween.”

The new teaser trailer, providing only the slightest glimpses of lead villain Michael Myers and the concerned psychiatrist chasing after him (the desperate Dr. Loomis is played this time around by Brit legend Malcolm McDowell), promises a lot - and Zombie himself instills a similar feeling of anticipation. After all,

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6

THE WICHITAN April 11, 2007

News

Writer____________________________________________continued from page 1 if it doesnʼt work (out),” he said, popping his knuckles.

Brown said he took the contracts for two reasons. Writing the two contract books, he hoped, would help him when it came to publishing his works of fiction.

“If you go into the publishing industry planning to write what you want and (hoping) eventually someone is going to publish it, you are going to be writing for free for a really long time,” he said.

After the “Idiotʼs Guide” and the “Everything Book,” he said he is confident Penguin and Adamʼs Media at least know his name. Not that it has helped “Inner Peace, Outer Strength,” the book that first interested his agent, get published, he said.

His second and main reason was money.

“I wish I had a deeper reason, but I donʼt,” he said. “I told my agent right now Iʼm a mercenary technical writer – I have bills to pay.”

Money was the deciding factor with the “Everything Book” because he got that contract after he found out he was going to be a father, he said.

“Fallen Angels of Vengeance” (spelled here as Brown intended it to be), an e-book, was presented to the market by Double Dragon Publishing in January 2006. Ebooks are books that exist only in electronic format. Purchase of the

e-book grants one download of the text and any associated art.

He fumed when he mentioned the publisher misspelled the last word of the title as vengence.

He said it is far from his favorite work and probably “the most foulmouthed piece of literature” he has written. More than 150 instances of cussing lace the 30,000 word work.

He said he sold “Fallen Angels” for about 40 percent royalties and no advance. Last year, his royalty check for the book was about $45.

“Which is about what it is worth,” Brown said, laughing.

His military-regulation hair and usually clean-shaven face are holdovers from his time in the Marines.

He was stationed at Mt. Fuji and Tokyo; Po-Hang, South Korea; and Hawaii. He does not talk about his deployments. He becomes still and quiet and his brown eyes stare into the distance when the subject comes up.

“I have a lot more respect for the sanctity of life – all life,” he said.

Brown is also an avid martial artist, holding a 4th-degree black belt in Shotokan Karate, a 3rd-degree black belt in Bujitsu, and a 4th-degree black belt in Judo. More than 20 years of martial arts experience let him write several articles for Black Belt Magazine and Combat Sports Magazine since 2001. Much of the philosophy he has been ex-

Dental_________________continued from page 1 donʼt have enough garbage on their teeth,” Dubois said.

The clinic has been trying to reach out to the community as well, to try and get more patients in the clinic.

The program has advertised their services through electronic signs, newspapers, fliers at the local fire station and the prison.

“We also advertise by word of mouth,” Dubois said.

The prices are usually reasonable for outside patients, ranging anywhere from $16 to $40, depending on the services they need.

Each dental clinic in town has a referral service agreement with the MSU clinic.

The referral agreement is for when a patient cannot afford the cost of an outside clinic, they send them to the MSU dental clinic.

The MSU dental clinic participates in the Health Fair every year to try and promote the clinic to the student body.

Each year they also sponsor a teeth-cleaning program called Give Kids a Smile.

The clinic takes children ages six through 14 and brings them to the clinic to get their teeth cleaned.

These kids are usually underprivileged children whose parents do not have insurance.

If the children need more work to be done to their teeth they get sent to another dentist who does the work for free.

“Every year we struggle to find people with extremely dirty teeth, and we run really close to not finding these people,” Dubois said.

Many students at the school are clueless to these services that the clinic offers.

“We do face other issues with our students whom do not know about our services,” Dubois said.

“Many people have started using our facilities to fill in the place of

their primary dental care provider.”

The clinic does not provide any type of major dental work that a student might need.

Students that have used these services have been very pleased.

“They did an excellent job with cleaning my teeth,” kinesiology major Fredrick Brooks said. “I plan on going back in another six months.”

The clinic is open to make appointments Monday through Thursday and is closed on Friday. The clinic is open throughout the school year.

The clinic does suggest after the initial teeth cleaning they come back every six months, as you would do your regular dentist.

When the clinic takes X-rays, they send them off to your regular dentist if you have one.

International students are allowed to send off their own x-rays since they are from another country.

The dental hygiene clinic is up for accreditation review later this month.

The clinic has been offering services to students and to the public since 1960. The MSU dental clinic originally started at Sheppard Air Force Base. It has moved around a lot since then. In 1979, the clinic was finally moved to the campus.

More recently, the clinic has been having patients coming in needing major dental work. The clinic has to turn them away because it offers simple dental services.

The program, however, does need more level four patients so the students can have an easier time to pass the board certification test.

The program has extended its services beyond the campus in hopes to get these level four patients that they need. They also want to reach out to the students on campus who still do not know about the services.

posed to figures heavily in much of his fiction writing, he said.

He said he writes because he hopes something he writes will someday give someone the escape and realizations writers like T.H. White and Jack London gave him.

Right now, he has put his pen aside while he waits for the pending contract for the next “Idiotʼs Guide” to go through, he said. Between work, school, spending time with his fiancée and spending time with his 2-year-old daughter, Faith, he has barely enough time to work on a minor short story for fun.

Brown said he hopes this summer he will have a chance to work on a recently started project tentatively called “The Legend of the Nine Immortals.”

With works like the “Pocket Idiotʼs Guide to Surviving College and Everything Paying for College,” it is a simple process of assembling research into a unified whole. The process and mindset for fiction writing are different, he said.

“With fiction writing you have to create every detail and give it life like God did with the universe,” Brown said.

Brown ground the remains of his last cigarette into the bottom of the ashtray, collected his mess of books and said, “Thatʼs what I want to do as a writer. I want to create worlds, worlds that are better than the one we live in.”

Money___from page 1 He said students usually serve one or two years. Right now, the committee consists of Michael Penny, Esteban Burgos, Zeno Ferguson, Suzanne Land and Jason York.

It also includes Chuck Johnston, Keith Lamb, Will Morefield, Juan Sandoval, Laura Spiller and Howard Farrell.

Ultimately the Board of Regents makes the final choice of where the money goes, but Farrell believes the Student Allocations Committee is an important step in the process.

“I think the beauty is we donʼt play games,” he said. “Itʼs the students that really make those hard recommendations to the president.”

Porn_____from page 1

huge problem across the nation, but especially in the Wichita Falls area.

She said they had begun giving the seminars as an awareness program for communities and hopefully prepares parents on the accessibility of Internet porn, and the lasting long-term psychological affects that it can have on children.

For more information, contact Debra Higginbotham, director of disability support services for MSU, or Sondra Berend, executive director of First Step Inc. of Wichita Falls.

Plant_____from page 1

Most people donʼt contact the plant unless something is wrong.

When the electricity is on the blink or the water is not flowing, then people turn their focus to the plant and those working there.

“I think a lot of people donʼt understand the dedication that goes into this place,” Price said.

This constant functioning is the backbone for everyday business at MSU. Easy to ignore, most people do not take the time to think about whoʼs behind the scenes every time they flip a light switch or turn on a faucet.

MSU wins again JOSH MUJICA SPORTS EDITOR

The MSU softball team hosted Northeastern State University in a doubleheader yesterday at the Sunrise Optimist Fields.

Both wins were key victories for MSU in Lone Star Conference North Division play.

The weather was perfect and the Lady Mustangs (34-13) didnʼt back down from the No. 11 ranked Lady Reds as they took both games by the score of 1-0.

In game one Midwestern scored its lone run in the 11th inning off an RBI single by senior Amanda Hill.

Kelli Shaw was at third and slid into home to get the winning score.

Freshman sensation Katie Peterson pitched all 11 innings, allowing three hits and striking out six for her 19th win of the season.

MSU posted nine hits and one error in the game.

In game two, the Lady Mustangs scored almost the same way they did in game one.

Amanda Hill once again hit an RBI single but this time it was in the bottom of the second inning

scoring Lindsey Voigt.

Pitcher Ashley Kuchenski had an outstanding game as she allowed only two hits and struck out two batters.

She moves to 15-3 on the year.

MSU had two hits and one error in the game.

Last Friday MSUʼs 10-game winning streak was halted as the TexAnns from Tarleton State beat the Lady Mustangs in a doubleheader.

In game one, Tarleton State came out on top with a 7-1 win.

Tara Staten scored pinch runner Anna Smith with an RBI double for Midwesternʼs lone score.

Peterson stuck out 11 batters in the contest.

In game two the TexAnns won 5-3 in eight innings despite excellent batting from Kristin Stonecipher and Chayanne Paschal.

Stonecipher had an RBI double while Paschal was 1-for-3 with an RBI. Kuchenski struck out five batters but allowed eight hits and four earned runs.

The Lady Mustangs now travel to Tahlequah, Okla. to battle Northeastern State again in a doubleheader slated to start at 2 p.m.

Saturday.

Sports

Lady Mustangs topple Harding

2. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who played 20 seasons in the NBA, holds the record for most points scored in a career with 38,387.

3. Derek Jeterʼs junior high yearbook in Kalamazoo, Mich., voted him “Most Likely to Play Shortstop for the New York Yankees.”

4. In boxing, Lamar Clark holds the record for most consecutive knockouts with 44 from 1958-1960.

MSU to host Keystone Classic The fifth-annual Keystone Classic Basketball Tournament will be held April 13-14 at MSU and Hirschi High School.

The tournament, put on by the Wichita Falls Boys and Girls Clubs, allows high school basketball players a chance to compete in front of area college and university scouts for scholarships and recognition.

The tournament consists of a three-point competition and a slam dunk contest held at Hirschi at 7:45 p.m. Friday.

The official basketball tournament will begin at 2 p.m. Saturday and an all-star game for the girls will start at 6:45 p.m. with the boys allstar game slated for 8:30 p.m.

Both all-star games will be held at MSU. Students from all over the North Texas region, including Lubbock, Burkburnett, Sherman and Windthorst, will be divided into teams so they will not compete with high school teammates from any school in his or her district.

“This tournament is a great opportunity to put kids from all over,

7

MSU’s Kelli Shaw, 10, slides into home for the game-winning score in game one of a doubleheader with the Northeastern State Lady Reds Tuesday at the Sunrise Optimist Fields. The game lasted for to 11 innings until Shaw was batted in by Amanda Hill to give MSU the win, 1-0.

1. The only Heisman Trophy winners who have played in a Super Bowl the season after winning the award are Mike Garrett (Super Bowl I) and Tony Dorsett (Super Bowl XII).

no matter what their school size, against each other in a competitive basketball competition,” Rick Taylor, co-chairman of the tourney, said.

Taylor said the tourney is a unique experience for those students who have played together their whole lives to face off against each other for the first time.

“Itʼs a situation where 1A district players will be playing against students from 4A schools,” Taylor said.

Students from MSU are working to make the Keystone Classic a huge success.

Pavement 2 Platinum, a rap label featuring MSU students Jamell “J Bro” Yarbrough and Roderick “Big Rod” Hawkins will perform Friday at Hirschi as audience entertainment.

P2P, which has already been featured in The Wichitan, will perform along with area group Ice and MSUʼs Embrace dance team.

MSU junior Tobie Vaughn and senior Lindsey Eason are also working for the Boys and Girls Clubs to help with the Keystone Classic.

“The Keystone Classic is more than just basketball,” Eason said. “It is a chance to really have a positive

April 11, 2007

ADRIAN MCCANDLESS | THE WICHITAN

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MATTHEW FOX STAFF REPORTER

THE WICHITAN

effect on these kids and give them opportunities that they would otherwise miss out on.”

Students are not the only representatives of Midwestern.

Many MSU faculty members are getting involved with the classic as well.

Dr. Howard Farrell, vice president of University Advancement and Student Affairs, is slated as motivational speaker.

The Keystone Classic staff will take participants on a tour of United Regional Healthcare Center and the Boys and Girls Clubs of Wichita Falls.

The players will be fed by local restaurants, receive uniforms and will get to stay overnight in local hotels for only a $50 entry fee.

The entire tournament is funded by donations from the Boys and Girls Clubs along with area businesses.

“Every year we get bigger and bigger with more and more sponsors,” Taylor said. “We are expecting to sell out all 5,000 seats at the MSU coliseum this year.”

Tickets cost $5 at the door and will be good at MSU and Hirschi High School all day.

All proceeds will aid the Mill Street, Northwest and Northeast Keystone Clubs, a program that helps teens improve the community.

MELISSA DOS PRAZERES-SILVA STAFF REPORTER

The MSU womenʼs tennis team finished a weekend road trip to Tahlequah, Okla., with a win against Harding University.

This comes shortly after the women dropped their first match to 13th-ranked Northeastern State University.

Despite below-30 degree weather and bad winds, the girls managed to pull off the 5-3 win against Harding Saturday morning.

The number two doubles pair of Brynne Chappell and Faye dʼHamecourt rolled past their Lady Bison opponents 8-1.

MSU senior Michelle Watson and junior Melissa dos PrazeresSilva picked up the second doubles point, edging past Katherine Golik and Denise Pascuzzi 9-8 at number three.

The Lady Mustangs sealed their overall win by picking up wins at number four, five and six singles.

Watson, playing six, defeated HUʼs Pascuzzi 6-4, 6-1.

At five, dos Prazeres-Silva eased past Golik 6-0, 6-1. Freshman Collean Kinserʼs 6-4, 6-4 win at number four gave the Mustangs their fifth point and the match.

The day before, the girls were faced by the much tougher host in Northeastern State, losing 5-0.

Chappell and Kinser, at number two doubles, put up a good fight but lost the battle 8-6. The Lady Mustangs went down 3-0 after the doubles.

At number five singles NSUʼs Amanda Stone defeated MSU senior Cilia Muller, 6-0, 6-1.

MSUʼs Ann-Sophie Indehebergeʼs 6-1, 6-1 loss to Simona Stoica at number one singles secured the overall win for the Lady Reds from Oklahoma.

All other singles matches were stopped after NSU picked up their fifth win.

The Lady Mustangs will now host East Central Thursday at 3 p.m.

Dawson, Coffman chosen for tourney FOR

THE

WICHITAN

Midwestern State University seniors Eric Dawson and Drew Coffman have been chosen among the 60 players from NCAA Divisions II and III and the NAIA in the inaugural Collegiate Basketball Invitational April 19-21 in Wadsworth, Ohio.

McCarthy Sports, the organizing organization producing the event, made the announcement Friday.

The Collegiate Basketball Invitational is a national event that gathers the finest senior menʼs basketball players from Divisions II, III and the NAIA to compete on six 10-man teams in a double-elimination tournament.

The tournament features four games on Thursday and Friday, with the bracketʼs championship game on Saturday at noon.

The culminating game for the event is Saturday night, April 21, when 20 of the players will play in a nationally-televised all-star game

on ESPNU at 7 p.m. Central.

Dawson, a second-team Basketball Times All-American and firstteam All-South Central Region by both Daktronics and the NABC, led NCAA Division II in rebounding with 11.4 boards a game.

He also led all of collegiate basketball with 23 double-doubles this season and was among the top 100 in scoring in Division II with 17.4 points a game.

The two-time All-Lone Star Conference South first-teamer was this seasonʼs LSC Tournament Most Valuable Player and holds every school record for blocked shots, including 170 career blocks.

Dawson averaged 16.6 points, 10.6 rebounds and 3.0 blocked shots a game in his 2-year career at MSU. Coffman transferred from Texas Tech in January 2006 for his senior season this year.

He averaged 17.2 points for the Mustangs in 2006-07 on his way to earning second-team Daktronics,

Inc. All-South Central Region.

He was second in the LSC, third in the South Central Region and 30th nationally with 5.2 assists per game, while leading the South Central Region and ranking 16th in Division II with a 45.1 threepoint field goal percentage.

The first-team All-LSC South performer and member of the AllLSC Tournament Team also was second in the South Central Region and 30th in Division II with an 84.7 free throw percentage (122-of-144).

The pair wonʼt play on the same team in the CBI. Dawson will play for the team sponsored by WRH Health Systems, coached by Muskingum (Ohio) (NCAA III) coach Geno Ford. Coffman will play for the team sponsored by First Merit Bank coached by Montevallo (Ala.) (NCAA II) coach Danny Young.

Dawson and Coffman are among six players representing the Lone Star Conference in the event.

PLEASE RECYCLE THIS PAPER Thanks, The Wichitan staff

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THE WICHITAN April 11, 2007