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The Wichitan page 4 Get to steppin’
Campus organizations strut their stuff during stomp show Monday
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Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Voice of experience
Assault victim punished
Senator Bob Dole visits campus as part of Artist Lecture Series Brittany Norman Editor In Chief
The U.S. economy, while trending downward, is not freefalling toward a catastrophe, former U.S. senator and one-time presidential candidate Bob Dole said Monday night. Dole made the statement in a private interview prior to speaking to MSU students, faculty and the Wichita Falls community as part of the Artist Lecture Series. In that same interview he also justified America’s presence in Iraq and voiced his support for presidential hopeful John McCain. Dole served in the United States Congress for 35 years, ran for president in 1996 where he was defeated by Bill Clinton, and ran for vice president in 1976. Currently, he is serving on a committee to investigate problems with treatment of veterans. Dole said he was not alarmed by the current state of the economy. “It’s not the first time the economy has slowed down,” he said. “I think the basics are still pretty sound. It’s very volatile, but we’re not headed for some depression.” He said that the housing market is in a state of crisis, but that the government must tread lightly to avoid becoming too deeply involved. “We need to protect deserving people, but we need to be sure we don’t bail out some of the people who made bad loans knowing they shouldn’t have had the loans in the first place.” With talk about health care, the deficit and social
Chris Collins Managing Editor
security at the forefront of the presidential candidates’ platforms, Dole discussed the power that the economy could cast over the election. “The economy is always important in election years and it’ll be a factor,” he said. “If it picks up, it could be a big plus (to the Republicans).” The topic of dollars and cents segued into the war in Iraq. “The war in Iraq is a factor with many people, but I think deep down people know we’re in a war on terror,” he said. “We have short memories. We want to move on in America. We don’t want to live in the past and focus Photo by Patrick Johnston on 9-11, but it happened and there Senator Bob Dole spoke to an audience of students and commuwere people killed and we’ve had nity members on Monday evening in Akin Auditorium. to spend hundreds of billions of there were weapons of mass destruction. Turned out dollars from all the stuff since then, so that doesn’t there weren’t – at least we haven’t found them yet – do much for the economy either.” but everyone believed that.” Dole believes the selective memory of Americans He said that list of people who believed that Iraq has made it difficult to see what got us into the war in possessed weapons of mass destruction included Bill the first place. Clinton and Al Gore as well as George W. Bush. “When the war didn’t end in a couple months, (a “Now, of course, everybody’s got their ideas. It’s lot of people) changed their minds,” he said. “Should been a long time,” Dole said. “But you have to keep we have gone into Iraq? I don’t know. I wasn’t there, in mind, we’re not fighting a country. This is not like I didn’t have the material, but I can tell you that evSee “Dole” pg. 4 ery leading person in this country and others thought
‘Great Day of Service’ debuts on campus Ryan Hatcher For The Wichitan
MSU will come together Saturday, April 19 to mark its first “Great Day of Service.” According to Assistant Professor Candice Fulton, the occasion is a great opportunity for students, faculty and staff to serve Wichita Falls by completing two hours of community service. “I have always had a huge heart for doing service and I think it’s important to help those in our community,” Fulton said.
Fulton was a first generation graduate from her family who said she was helped out a lot on her way through college. She wants to return the favor. Whether it be through time, skills or money, people need to know the value of giving back, she said. The idea for a “Great Day of Service” came about when Fulton tried a similar exercise with her class last fall for extra credit. “Students really enjoyed participating and saw the good effect they could have on others,” the chemistry teacher said.
Everyone will have a number of community service options to choose from, including helping with the Special Olympics, working in the Faith Mission soup kitchen, campus cleanup, door-to-door food collection, city park clean up, WALC book fair, helping at the Boys and Girls Club and elementary school clean-up and planting. Fulton’s goal for the “Great Day of Service” is to round up 200 volunteers on campus. So far only fifty people have committed to volunteering, 40 of which are from the Caribbean student organization.
“The Caribbean students have always been willing to blanket themselves in any event and help out with whatever is needed without having any obligation to do so,” Fulton said. Fulton wants to encourage all students and faculty to spread the word as well as serve by signing up teams. This can be accomplished by either e-mailing gds@mwsu. edu or obtaining a service selection form from a campus organization leader or faculty member. All participants are to meet in the Comanche Suites in the
Clark Student Center from 9 to 10:30 a.m. for breakfast and to obtain their assignment paperwork. The first 100 participants to obtain their assignment paperwork will receive a free T-shirt. “The organization or college with the most participants will receive a trophy,” Fulton said. According to Fulton not a lot of feedback has been received so far, but she is looking forward to the actual event. She hopes to meet her 200 person volunteer goal with hopes of having an even bigger turnout next year.
ed driving the wrong way down Taft. He swerved left to avoid oncoming traffic and collided with two trees on MSU property. The MSU physical plant couldn’t be reached for an appraisal of the damage. Vasquez was transported to the emergency room at United Regional’s 10th Street campus to treat a dislocated hip and a broken leg. Smith, who was not in the vehicle when it crashed, was uninjured.
The MSU Police Department has made no report of the incident. “It just ended up in our lap,” Officer Mike Cross said. Wichita Falls police that were present at the accident believe alcohol was involved. Vasquez could face charges of theft and driving while intoxicated, said Sgt. Joe Snyder, public information officer for the Wichita Falls Police Department said. Wichita Falls police continue to investigate the accident.
Man hurt after colliding with tree Chris Collins Managing Editor
One man was injured in an auto accident April 13 when a stolen vehicle crashed onto the MSU campus. The owner of the truck, Barry Smith, 6003 Crestview, dropped off Jacob Vasquez, 4611 Taft, near his home. The two men are not MSU students. When Smith let Vasquez out Photo by Patrick Johnston near the 3600 block of Taft, Vasquez jumped behind the A man was injured on April 13 when he crashed a vehicle into this tree on the MSU campus. wheel of the vehicle and start-
An MSU resident was placed on housing probation after being assaulted in Pierce Hall March 30. Freshman Travis Monk, 18, was inside the room Craig Rice, 18, room Saturday evening when the two began to argue. Rice grabbed Monk, Monk said, and a friend broke them up. “It wasn’t anything huge,” Monk said. Rice had begun crying, Monk said. It appeared he had been drinking. When Monk and a friend tried to help Rice, a second altercation began. A third fight transpired outside the dormitory, Monk said. His shirt was ripped and he suffered minor contusions, cuts and bruises. Later that night, Monk flagged down a Wichita Falls police officer in the Sikes Senter parking lot. He made a formal complaint of the assault. The following Wednesday, Monk was informed by Pierce Hall Director Wayne Shields that he and Rice would both serve a year’s term housing probation. Monk would also have to write a two-page paper about what he had learned since the assault. Monk said he was confused as to why he was being punished when he was assaulted. Shields claimed he had instigated the incident. Monk denies this. “What happened is bullshit,” Monk said. “I think this system is screwed up.” Shields told Monk he could also consult the Dean of Students Dail Neely about the incident. Monk declined. It may be ironic that Monk is a criminal justice major. Monk said he reported the incident only to have a record of it. It could be important if he was assaulted again, he said. His own complaint turned back on him, Monk said. “I could have pressed charges, but didn’t. I never meant to get anyone in trouble.” Monk said if he were assaulted again at MSU, he wouldn’t complain or contact the authorities. He’s afraid the same thing will happen again. “They need to focus on what’s right and wrong,” Monk said. Monk said there aren’t hard feelings between him and Rice, even though he feels he was punished wrongly. “Everything is solved,” was Rice’s only comment.