Aug. 28, 2013

| Aug. 28, 2013 | 1

Aug. 28, 2013 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News.

PHOTO BY JACQUELINE GOBER / WICHITAN

During convocation, students raise their Mustangs and sing the Alma Mater Tuesday night in D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

OFFICIAL WELCOME Some 700 students attend opening event in Ligon

ETHAN METCALF NEWS EDITOR

S

tudent convocation is traditionally an event held for new students, but this year the Office of Student Development and Orientation decided to change that.

Tuesday’s event was open to both incoming freshman as well as returning students, and it was also the first year that it was held in D.L. Ligon Coliseum to accommodate one of the university’s largest incoming fall classes.

Assistant Director of the Office of Student Development and Orientation Kevin Bazner said returning students were invited because socializing was the main emphasis of convocation.

“It’s important to connect the entering students in with the existing students,” Bazner said. “That’s what this event is all about.”

Bazner said moving the event to the coliseum was needed because of the expected size of the audience.

“Previous years we’ve always been in Fain auditorium,” Bazner said, “so rather than only being able to seat about 420 students, we can seat up to 750 in just the bleachers alone.”

One hour before convocation started at 7 p.m., students gathered at Sunwatcher Plaza to socialize and hear announcements about Greek life and other opportunities relevant to freshman.

Bazner said pre-convocation was a joint effort by the housing department and dining services to gather students before taking them to the main event at the coliseum.

Reinventing Wheel

pg. 4

Business student provides carbon wheels to cyclists for less.

“Pre-convocation party is really an opportunity to catch students as they’re coming out of the student center and make some announcements about upcoming events and activities in the upcoming weeks,” Bazner said.

Interfraternity Council President Taylor Duval spoke at pre-convocation, encouraging new students to get involved on campus.

“One of the biggest decisions you have to make in your first few weeks of college is about whether or not you want to get involved,” Duval said. “Getting involved can be one of the best things you do for your college career.”

Cheerleaders then led the gathering crowd of students through the streets, cheering their way to the coliseum where a video was shown before campus president Jesse Rogers took the stage to greet students and introduce the keynote speaker, Jessica Gendron Williams.

Williams, the vice president of Phired Up Productions, an education firm dedicated to helping students make the most of their college experience, said she was brought to convocation to speak about social excellence, a term coined by Phired Up to describe “being open, kind and bold.”

“We talk a lot about the importance of engaging with people face-to-face because it’s the one thing that you need to be successful in life,” Williams said.

“It’s also how you maximize your college career.”

Williams said inviting returning students to convocation provided a special opportunity to let new students interact with upperclassmen.

“This is one of the first times that a campus has invited returning students, which I think is really cool,” Williams said. “It will be a great way for new stu-

Under the Tent

continued on page 2

pg. 5

Athletic trainers, medical director and others provide healthcare at HHH.

Culture Shock

Students spend summer immersed in British studies as part of study abroad program.

pg. 8

2 | Aug. 28, 2013 | dents to meet each other and for returning students to meet the new students, too.”

Williams said her speech about social excellence applies to new and old students alike because they all fall prey to distractions like smart phones instead of engaging with our peers.

“We spend a lot of time with those square little pieces of technology that we love so much, looking down at them and hardly looking up at the DEBOSSHA CHRISTIANS people around us,” Williams FRESHMAN said. “It applies universally.”

Engineering freshman Debossha Christians said she thought it was mandatory that she attend convocation, but she ended up enjoying the keynote address.

“I liked it a lot, and the lady that spoke was really funny,” Christians said. “She had some jokes.”

Kinesiology senior Elijah Mire said he was excited to see Williams speak because he enjoyed a speech by Phired Up at a fraternity event he once attended.

“Phired Up spoke at one of our events and they did a great job, they really know what they’re talking about,” Mire said. “I enjoyed it and learned a lot because I didn’t go for my freshman year.”

Bazner said the convocation was a success as long as students learned to be more TAYLOR DUVAL social.

IFC PRESIDENT “Students should take a message that it’s okay to talk to strangers,” Bazner said. “It’s okay to engage in conversation with individuals and find something in common.”

“I liked it a lot, and the lady that spoke was really funny.”

“One of the biggest decisions you have to make in your first few weeks of college is about whether or not you want to get involved.”

PHOTOS BY DANI AYALA, HANWOOL LEE, LAUREN ROBERTS, BRADLEY WILSON

CORRECTION In a story “1,300 move in today” in the Aug. 23 edition, the lead photo had Duncan ­Mayer’s name incorrectly spelled. It also stated he moved in Wednesday. Indeed, he moved in Tuesday, Aug. 20. The Wichitan regrets the errors.

JESSICA GENDRON WILLIAMS gives students a speech about “Social Excellence.” Both as a speaker and as an author, Williams has worked with students conveying her message of “Social Excellence.” | AMY BRISTER, senior in political science plays the fight song. | SIMEON TREVINO, freshman in marketing, lines up waiting to get inside D.L. Ligon Tuesday evening for convocation. | Freshmen JASMINE HILL, education, CALEB PYLANT, marketing, AMBER SHAW, undecided, Tyler Browning, athletic training, and Raven Ross, English, show off their free shirts Tuesday. | The cheerleaders performed.

the

wichitan

Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room B103 3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 • wichitan@mwsu.edu EDITOR: Ruth Black NEWS EDITOR: Ethan Metcalf STAFF: Dani Ayala, Ashley Gibbs, Hanwool Lee, Erica Bourland, Jacqueline Gober, Bailey Pitzer, Lauren Roberts BUSINESS MANAGER: Blake Muse THANKS: Orlando Flores, Jr., Sam Croft

ADVISER: Bradley Wilson Copyright © 2013. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press.

The Wichitan reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication. Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reflect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief (250 words or fewer) and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address. The editor retains the right to edit letters.

Commitment Innovation Teamwork Leadership Time Management

JOIN US!

| Aug. 28, 2013 | 3

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Madeleine Steele, sophomore in art, and Ashley Weaver, junior in exercise physiology, ride during the women’s criterion race Aug. 23.

TO HELL AND BACK

Nearly 8,000 ride in Saturday’s Hotter ‘N Hell bike races COLLIN BUERGER | “On Saturday, I started cramping up at about the 80-mile mark, and I thought, ‘I’m about to be out of it.’ Every time I put pressure on a muscle, I started cramping. There were no breakaways, and I didn’t get caught in any traffic going for the sprint, so I was able to lay it down at the end. I was just really happy to finish with the group. On Sunday, the soreness hadn’t set yet, so I was able to push through. My left hamstring and right quad were cramped the most on Saturday, so on Monday, I could barely walk. It actually felt like I had ripped something.” Buerger placed second in his Saturday race and second in his Sunday race.

COLLIN BUERGER | CORY SCOTT | ASHLEY WEAVER | MADELEINE STEELE

PLACES FOR MIDWESTERN STUDENTS | Friday Crit. Pro 1-2: Tony Baca, 15; Cory Scott, 19; Ricky Randall, 49 | Women’s Open: Ashley Weaver, 8; Madeleine Steele, 17 | Saturday Road Race, Men’s Cat. 4: Collin Buerger, 2 | Women’s Cat. 4: Madeleine Steele, 2; Angela Streadwick, 8; Claire Fisher, 24 | Sunday Crit. Men Cat. 4: Collin Buerger, 2; Russel Terry, 20 | Cat. 4 Women: Madeleine Steele, 1, Angela Streadwick, 5; Claire Fisher, 13 | Cat. 1-2 Men: Tony Baca, 13; Cory Scott, 14; Ricky Randall, 22

5,753

men in Saturday’s races (77 percent)

1,671

women in Saturday’s races (23 percent)

3,763

in the 100-mile race

83

in the 10K race

958

in the 50-mile race

150

in the 75-mile race SOURCE: USACYCLING.ORG

4 | Aug. 28, 2013 |

Anthony Sequera, owner of 2Quik Carbon Technology, talks with a customer during the vendor show.

PHOTO BY HANWOOL LEE / WICHITAN

Junior starts carbon wheel business Business student sells less expensive, lightweight wheels to serious bikers RUTH BLACK EDITOR

T “I began cycling and was racing, and I wanted a nice set of carbon wheels,” he said. “ You see all the pros racing with them.”

ANTHONY SEQUERA JUNIOR, BUSINESS MANAGEMENT

eam cyclists did more than just rack up the medals during this year’s Hotter ‘N Hell Hundred.

One team member is making a name for himself in the small business world by providing imported carbon wheels to both the cycling team and the community at large.

Anthony Sequera, 21, junior in business management, started his business, 2Quik Carbon Technology, when he was 19. After only two years, his company is an official sponsor of the cycling team and he has sold hundreds of carbon wheels to riders worldwide.

“I began cycling and was racing, and I wanted a nice set of carbon wheels,” he said. “You see all the pros racing with them, and you see all the really fast guys racing with them, but those wheels cost $2,000 to $3,000. I knew that I could find somewhere where they were making them overseas for really cheap and good quality.”

MSU BIKERS USE SEQUERA’S WHEELS

Among the cycling team, five riders use Sequera’s carbon wheels.

Sam Croft, a freshman in geoscience on the cycling team, said the whole team got the option to race on his wheels, which retail for about $1,000, during the collegiate road season, and they chose to.

“Being an international student, I didn’t bring my own wheels,” he said, “so I slightly got priority. He gave them to me for free all season.”

Croft said all riders have their own preferences when it comes to the style of wheels they choose, but Sequera’s ability to provide wheels to cater to each rider’s taste is what made him unique.

“All wheels have different characteristics,” Croft said. “He has different variety like sizing. I tried his 40s (millimeter) but moved up to 60s.”

Sequera also makes wheels available to each type of terrain on which the cycling team trains and competes.

“He’s got wheels for both road and track,” Croft said. “If we want to request something, he does whatever he can to get us what we need.”

Cycling team member Tony Baca has his own wheels, but chose Anthony’s, according to Croft.

“He chose his 40s, but he is a slightly different rider from me and they suited him better.”

Croft said that Sequera also acts as the cycling team mechanic and has all the necessary tools needed to make bike repairs.

According to Sequera, he currently has 500 sets of wheels being used by cyclists.

“I made $150,000 in sales during 2012-2013 alone,” he said. “And that’s just by myself.

Sequera’s other endeavors include another small company he started that sells custom cycling clothing.

“I found a designer,” he said, “I order all of my clothing from them, and I can get them for about half the price.”

Bo Williamson, owner of Riverside Cycling Center, said he enjoys supporting the locals in Wichita Falls and sells Sequera’s products.

“You can’t beat the carbon wheels and their price,” he said.

Williamson, whose shop has been open for more than three months, said, “Cycling in Wichita Falls is huge. There’s plenty of room for two (bike) shops. Just having one bike shop is silly. There was a need.”

“He (Williamson) has helped me so much,” Sequera said.

“I recommend everyone go visit his shop for all their bicycle needs.”

He found a manufacturer that he could afford, and once he knew his needs were met, he decided to slightly raise the price and sell them to people who didn’t have the financial

continued on page 6

“If we want to request something, he does whatever he can to get us what we need.”

SAM CROFT FRESHMAN, GEOSCIENCE

| Aug. 28, 2013 | 5

PHOTO BY BRADLEY WILSON / WICHITAN

Medial Director Keith Williamson, also the medical director at the MSU Vinson Medical Center, talks with Clayton Carrozza of Lubbock, Texas in the medical tent Aug. 24. Carrozza said he broke his wrist in Loop 11 after he rolled his bike.

PHOTO BY BRADLEY WILSON / WICHITAN

Athletic trainers Jacob Herring, junior in athletic training, and Austin Bauer, sophomore in athletic training, work with patient Mark Seyfried from Oklahoma City in the medical tent. Seyfried said he began experiencing ramps during the 100K race.

FIELD CARE

Medical director, trainers provide healthcare at race ASHLEY GIBBS REPORTER

HEAT CAUSE OF MOST INCIDENTS

But not all calls are false calls, and many of the real incidents are heat-related. n a routine day at the Vinson Health Center, physi“The hottest ever recorded by the weatherman during a cian Keith Williamson spends time dealing with flurace was in 2011 at 109.5 degrees Fahrenheit,” Williamson like symptoms, sinus infections and allergies. But for said. a few days a year, he leaves the relative calm of dealing with However, Williamson said he doesn’t rely on the temnormally healthy college students to serve as medical direcperature given on the local news. Instead, he has a meteotor of the largest century bike ride in the United States. rologist take the outdoor temperature every hour in Hell’s “Out here I am the king, and I have to make all the calls,” Gate and then rate the heat intensity by the heat stress calhe said. “It’s like an emergency room. We treat everything culations. here. However when I’m on campus, I have a lot of support.

He said the highest heat stress during HHH was in 2002 It’s a lot calmer considering it’s not an emergency room enwhen it was 96 degrees Fahrenheit. vironment — it’s primary care.”

“We still had people staggering in,” he said, noting that The excitement, spontaneity and alertness, in addition at some point, someone has to stop the race to prevent to the increase of authority, he said, is always an adventure more injuries. compared to the steady and consistent flow of his job at the “If the temperature gets too hot, we use Hell’s Gate as health center, noting that he has been working at the race the stopping point and instead of keeping the cyclists on since 2001. the longer path, we block the road and they take the shortWilliamson recalled an instance when a lead rider was er route back to the finish line. It takes 40 miles off of the racing through Iowa Park.

PHOTO BY BAILEY PITZER / WICHITAN ride.”

“They go through there very quickly, maybe at about 30 Keith Williamson serves as medical Williamson said he has had to shut down the race and mph, and a person stepped out in front,” he said. “The lead- director at the race and the MSU sturedirect cyclists about four times. er and the other guy both ended up with intracranial bleed- dent health center.

Student athletic trainers help too ing,” Williamson said. “The cyclist ended up having to go In addition to Williamson’s service, athletic training into surgery, and the other guy ended up just waking up and students volunteered in shifts, two or three at a time, under direction of Ben walking out of the hospital.”

Some “emergencies” wind up just being false flags, however, recounting a Velasquez, chair of athletic training and exercise physiology. Velasquez said he has been working at the medical tent for four years, providing instruction to race a few years ago.

“About 10 a.m. or 11 a.m., I get like three dozen calls all at once requesting his students and services for wound care, heat exhaustion and muscle cramps.

“The students gain an array of experience working with a range of age an ambulance, stating that someone looked like they were dead at stop six,” Williamson said, “Everyone was in a panic and all of the ambulances were out. groups and injuries while working in HHH,” Velasquez said. “They get to enWhen one of them was finally available for pick up, the man was nowhere to counter heat related problems, wounds from falling off bikes and other general medical injuries that result in participating in HHH.” be found. A rider had gotten tired, pulled over into the shade and fell asleep.”

Velasquez said that between 7 a.m. and 10:30 a.m. the students see fracWilliamson recounted that nurse’s assistant decided he was dead and started performing CPR. He said he imagined that this guy wakes up, everyone discontinued on page 6 covers that he is just fine and he rides away.

O

6 | Aug. 28, 2013 | continued from page 4 freedom he did.

“I wanted to offer a lower price (around $1,000),” he said. “I know I’m not a professional and I don’t have the money to afford a $3,000 set of wheels, so I opened a market for people who wanted nice things and can afford them.”

STARTING THE BUSINESS

But selling $1,000 wheels didn’t happen overnight. Sequera got financial backing to order his business with the support of his grandparents, parents and family friends, but first, he had to prove himself to them, he said.

“I’d always joked around asking them for money,” he said. “At one point, I felt like I’d proved myself. They wanted to know if I was serious about starting a business, or if it was just a fad. They wanted to make sure it would last.”

Sequera knew in the beginning that convincing potential clients to put their trust in a 19-year-old would be no easy task.

“My being 19, I thought ‘who would want to buy a product from someone they’ve never met and spend $1,000 on a product?’”

However, Sequera’s dreams started big, even when most of his other friends were still

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Len Smith, junior in business management, kicks the ball away from a defender during the soccer team’s final exhibition Tuesday night.

hanging out playing tag on the playground.

As a 5-year-old, Sequera was already business-minded, and started his own lawn mowing company with his friends.

“We made business cards and everything,” he said. “But the idea was there, and the spirit was there. From a young age, I’ve always wanted to leave my own little mark in my own history book.”

Before his family and friends gave him any financial backing, Sequera had secured a bit of financial stability on his own in hopes of getting his business up and running.

“I had a good summer job that paid around $16 an hour, so I had $8,000 on hand,” he said. “Convincing my grandparents was the next big step.”

Balancing both a small business and college studies is no easy feat, and Sequera said he owes it to his girlfriend, a law student, for keeping him on his game and keeping him on schedule.

“It was tough at first. School came second to work,” he said. “School was a long-term investment while work gained instant gratification,” he said.

Sequera said he hopes that his business management degree will help him and his business stay successful after graduation.

Carbon wheels, frames and accessories are available on Sequera’s website at 2QUIKCARBON.COM and at Riverside Cycling Center at 502 Wichita St. | 2Quikcarbontech @2Quik_Carbon

continued from page 5

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Andrew Power watches as the ball goes out of bounds during the soccer team’s final exhibition Tuesday night against the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma at the soccer field. MSU won the game 4-3 on a free kick by Paul Sunderland.

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tures, sprains, road rash, heat exhaustion and general medical conditions.

“Some of the riders also have problems with their hearts,” he said. “The rest of the day is mostly filled with heat-related problems and cramps.”

During HHH the medical tent volunteers could potentially treat hundreds of people, yet, because doctors and nurses on the scene could provide definitive care, few had to go to the hospital.

“Throughout the day we had over 100 people injured that were documented, and 14 that I’m aware of that had to go to the hospital,” Velasquez said.

Velasquez said he was pleased with the students that worked in the tent at different shifts over the course of the day.

“They did an excellent job in assisting with cramps and heat exhaustion,” Velasquez said.

Velasquez also said it gives them the op-

portunity to work in a situation in which they do not and will not know what to expect.

Stormi Thomas, senior in athletic training, described the event as “busy and hot.”

“There were a lot of injuries like road rash and there was a guy with a broken clavicle. It was fun,” Thomas said.

Yet he said it wasn’t any specific injury that caused stress. It was more the number of injuries and dealing with multiple patients at one time.

“It required you to think on your feet, be hands on and quick,” she said. “It wasn’t just one athlete at a time.”

Madalyn Miller, senior in athletic training, claimed she got to experience a lot of heat illness and injuries.

Both Miller and Thomas agreed that the HHH experience was educational and beneficial to their training as students.

“Talking to the doctors there and getting their perspective on treating everyone was very helpful,” Miller said.

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Local’s ‘Tallerbike’ turns heads at HHH

| Aug. 28, 2013 | 7 RUGBY TEAM

Players manage mascot

RUTH BLACK EDITOR

ASHLEY GIBBS REPORTER

ver the weekend, nearly 3,800 bikers raced Hotter ’N Hell Hundred. But 83 other people competed in the lesser-known 10K race, including one rider frequently seen around Wichita Falls stole the spotlight.

Mack “The Infamous Bike Guy” Carter has been building custom bikes for the past 12 years in his “butcher shop,” a two-car garage behind his home in Iowa Park, Texas.

This year, he decided to enter the 10K race with his “Tallerbike” which towers above the rest at 7 feet 3 inches.

“It’s exhilarating,” Carter said. “It’s like flying.’’

But he said getting on the bike does not require a ladder or any special equipment.

“I just give a shove and start climbing her while she’s rolling,” he said. “No poles or ladders, just me and Tallerbike, and a dash of awesomesauce.”

Carter said he owns more than 12 custom bikes, including his “Sofa King Awesome Bike,” crafted out of his grandmother’s old sofa, a hospital bed frame, 12 bikes for parts, a picnic table, some dining chairs and some metal tubing, which he rode in the HHH 10K two years ago.

“If you can stick a magnet to it, I can build a bike out of it.”

Carter’s use of found items to create unique bicycles doesn’t stop at sofas.

“I was telling an artist friend that I could build a bike out of anything,” he said. “He pointed at my dryer and said, ‘build a bike out of that’ – so I did.”

He is now working on a reverse trike that has two front wheels and another tall bike that’s about 3 feet taller than “Tallerbike.”

ugby team players volunteered for the eighth consecutive year with Pyro Pete, a large, inflatable mascot of the Hotter ’N Hell as part of their community service Aug. 24.

“It’s important for the team to be involved with the community and to be service oriented,” Coach Rod Puentes said.

Matt Davis, graduate in education, came back to help former teammates.

“We’ve been volunteering here for almost two decades now,” Davis said. Before Pyro Pete was in existence in 2005, players folded shirts, set up the course and helped with registration.

Captain Simba Musarurwa, senior in computer science, said, “It’s a way to get our rugby team out and to help the community.”

R

O

PHOTO BY HANWOOL LEE / WICHITAN

Mack Carter rode his tall bike in the Hotter ‘N Hell race. Carter said this 7’3”-tall bike was his grocery getter. “I didn’t want to build anything crazy (for this year’s race),” he said. “The higher up I go, the safer I am. Low riders are dangerous.” He said he has had this bike for eight years, and it cost about $3 to build.

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The rugby team took out and set up the inflatable Pyro Pete after a year of storage at the starting line encouraging the cyclists.

After the race had begun and all of the cyclists had made their way on their routes, the team took down Pyro Pete and moved him to the rest stop of Hell’s Gate in Burkburnett. Hell’s Gate, the 67-mile mark, is the decision point. Bikers who haven’t made it to Hell’s Gate within five hours take a shorter route, helping cyclists to ensure a safe and timely arrival back to the finish line.

While setting up Pyro Pete at Hell’s Gate, the team waited for the cyclists passing through, handed out bottled water, provided security, and jumped up and down to encourage the bikers who were 67 miles into the race. And after the last biker came through, the rugby team deflated Pyro Pete for another year. Or two.

8 | Aug. 28, 2013 |

64 students study in London over summer ERICA BOURLAND REPORTER

D

PHOTO BY JACQUELINE GOBER / WICHITAN

Fewer than 25 people attended the reception at the multi-purpose room during the opening of the Museum of Art.

Museum updates complete; few attend open house ETHAN METCALF NEWS EDITOR

T

he Wichita Falls Museum of Art held an open house on Aug. 25 to show the nearly completed renovations that began last spring to bring the building into compliance with updated requirements of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The museum, located off Midwestern Parkway near the Student Wellness Center, received $750,444 in donations to fund the renovations, which included the widening of doorways, buttons to automatically open the front doors and the removal of all asbestos.

Facility Operations Manager Jeff Desborough said the museum finished all the mandatory ADA renovations, but additional upgrades have been made to make the building more environmentally friendly.

“Part of this renovation is the green part, and the whole university is doing this,” Desborough said.

Even though it was not part of the required renovations, Desborough said most of the lighting in the building has been replaced with more energy-efficient bulbs and the air conditioning has been upgraded to be more efficient as well.

“We added this to the scope of work,” Desborough said. “The original contract is complete.”

Desborough said as the original renovations were being completed, it made sense

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to make the other changes that the museum staff wanted to accomplish.

“That’s how we got to ‘green up’ this area,” Desborough said.

In addition to the lights inside the building, Desborough said museum staff members plan to brighten up the entrance and sidewalks to the building.

Desborough said the air conditioning has also been upgraded to be more economical and visual thermostats with humidity controls to protect the artwork.

“We just also got all new A/C units on top of the museum, so everything in here is less than five years old, so it’s all energy efficient,” Desborough said. “It protects the artwork and enables us to bring higher-end exhibits in here.”

Curator of Collections and Exhibitions Danny Bills said the renovations would allow the museum to hang larger pieces than before.

“You can hang artwork much higher in here,” Bills said. “There is plywood behind the sheetrock up to 16 feet.”

Last spring, Desborough said there was a hard deadline of September 1 to complete the required renovations, and considering the many additional quality of life upgrades made to the museum, the WFMA staff is not far off of their schedule.

“We should be done in about three weeks,” Desborough said.

uring the 2013 Summer II semester, a group of 64 students studied abroad in London. Students of all grades and majors from a consortium of schools including MSU took one of 10 courses at Queen Mary University of London.

Psychology junior Patricia Biera took the criminal justice course, which focused on the differences between the US and UK justice systems. She originally wanted to take the sociology course, but it was cancelled due to lack of enrollment.

“The criminal justice course was more fun than I anticipated,” Biera said. “I had never taken a criminal justice course before, but I ended up learning a lot of useful things.”

The students had opportunities to do more than just sit in a lecture hall and take notes. They had many hands-on experiences which reinforced their areas of study.

“They’re able to go and do things in a business class that they couldn’t do here,” Administrative Assistant of Study Abroad Dena Hardin said.

Each class goes on different site visits. For instance, the World War II History class gets to attend British Parliament while criminal justice students go to Supreme Court and do a mock trial at the Royal Courts PATRICIA BIERA of Justice.

JUNIOR, PSYCHOLOGY “A typical day consisted of looking at your schedule to see if you were going on a site visit or going to class,” Biera said. “After that, London is your oyster. That was the best part.”

The group toured London during the first weekend before classes started, visiting St. Paul’s Cathedral and the London Eye, which is the largest Ferris wheel in

“The criminal justice course was more fun than I anticipated.

I ended up learning a lot of useful things.”

Europe.

“The first weekend was very structured,” Biera said.

After class and site visits, students were allowed to travel and explore as they pleased.

“Me and my travel companion went to Highclere Castle where they filmed Downtown Abbey,” Biera said. “We got to go in the garden. We went to Cardiff, where we had the Doctor Who Experience. We explored Cardiff. We went to Manchester where we saw Macbeth with Alex Kingston.”

No two individuals can have the same experience while studying abroad. The experience is personal and each person takes away something different.

“The students gain a broader worldview,” Hardin said.

Carolann Peterson, a senior in respiratory care, said she couldn’t have asked for a better group of students to travel with or better professors to have this summer.

“I was lucky enough to get to experience going to Europe,” she said. “And what a better way to explore London and surrounding areas by participating in a month-long study abroad.”

Peterson also said her study abroad trip was a dream come true.

“It was a dream of mine to go to Europe,” she said. “I have learned so much about life after this trip.”

Nursing senior Tekumafor Njimgye has siblings in England and got to enjoy his breaks visiting with them throughout his four-week stay.

“I enjoyed every moment. It was an invaluable experience,” he said, “except for the last weekend. It was difficult to leave my family again.”

“Do it,” Biera said. “Don’t even think about it. It was totally worth it because you get six credits and you get to live there for four weeks. Find a way to do it.”

The price for graduate-level study abroad was $6,500, and for undergraduates it was $6,300. The price includes round-trip airfare, tuition and fees for 6 credit hours, housing, and all program-related transportation, Hardin said.

“Now is the time to start planning for next summer,” Hardin said.

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