March 4, 2020

March 4, 2020 | thewichitan.com |Real Students. Real Stories. | Vol. 84 No. 10

NEWS: Pg 5

New MOSAIC Cross-Cultural Director needed!

DELVING INTO THE LIFE OF

DAY IN THE LIFE: Pg 10-11

SHIPLEY

Shipley talks about the joys and pressures of being the university president. She said, “This is a very happy place and not all universities are. It’s a place where people are willing to change and grow.”

SPORTS: Pg 14-15

AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL: Pg 12

SATIRE: Pg 3

MEDIA: Pg 3

A global human rights community!

2020 is officially CANCELLED!

‘The Slow Rush’ album: Impala at his finest!

FOLLOW US ON SOCIAL MEDIA:

@WichitanOnline

Our girls on the Lone Star Conference track!

@wichitanonline

@TheWichitan

2 March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

E DI TO R I AL

Don’t let politics ruin your friendships.

T

he political race has been heating up for some time now, making it more important than ever to make sure we don’t let our political opinions get in the way of our friendships.

The United States, more than any other country, has an extremely divisive political culture. With the election of President Trump, that divisiveness has only intensified.

Both political affiliates are guilty of treating each other with contempt and prejudice.

There is so much more to a person’s life than the people they choose to vote for. If you make all your decisions and friendships based upon your political beliefs, you’re going to miss out on some really interesting people.

Liking Trump or the Republican party doesn’t immediately make you a racist, hick who’s out to get you, and liking Bernie Sanders or the Democratic party doesn’t make you an anti-American communist. Regardless of the upcoming election results, don’t use it as an excuse to treat anyone anything less than kind.

The Wichitan is filled with people of every type of political affiliation, and that doesn’t stop us from having great professional and personal relationships. So don’t let politics get in the way of your friendships either.

Just like Midwestern State University, we also believe diversity in a community is an important, contributing factor to growth for everyone.

CAM PUS VOI CE S

Late night trips to Walmart

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idnight is quickly approaching and you have just finished your homework.

You’re starving and want to eat but soon come to the realization that a majorChristian ity of the fast food places Oseguera you crave during the day are closed, so you resort to the almighty Walmart.

You never know what the weather is going to be, so you walk out in your lazy shorts and cozy long sleeve, but the weather has turned cold, and you now instantly regret not checking the weather app on your phone before leaving.

Late-night trips to Walmart can be detrimental in a way. While it’s so hard to resist the temptation of buying more than what you need, us students must stand strong.

Do I need more cereal? Do I need unnecessary amounts of coffee creamer? Do I need to buy more scents for my scentsy? The answer to all of those questions is yes. You’re broke, but does that matter? Not at all. Remember, your parents will pay for you when no one else can. There is no such thing as a negative bank balance.

Now for those who have jobs, be careful.

That $200 check for working a pitiful minimum wage will persuade you to go on a grocery spree and buy things you never thought you would buy in a long time.

Comic by Dallas Wabbington

EDITORS: Kristin Silva, Amos Perkins PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Bridget Reilly Vol. 84 | No. 10 Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room D201 3410 Taft Blvd. | Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 wichitan@msutexas.edu | thewichitan.com @wichitanonline

Seeing one or two cars with MSU parking stickers in the parking lot is always a relief.

This lets you know that you’re not alone.

Late-night Walmart runs are a thing, and they’re not going away anytime soon. Who could ever turn down all that Walmart has to offer? I myself just came back from a latenight trip. Altogether, I bought milk, bagels, eggs and candy. Could’ve done without the candy, but it’s much needed given the stress and unfair amounts of homework that college throws at us.

So if you’re feeling hungry late at night and are absolutely craving your favorite foods, don’t hesitate to grab a friend, or even go by yourself, to the local Walmart.

DESIGNERS: Brittni Vilandre, Omar Combie BUSINESS MANAGER: Jeri Moore

ISSUE STAFF: Taylor Anderson, Dallas Wabbington, Khirstia Shef-

field, Christian Evans, Christian Oseguera, Stephanie Robledo, Angel Ukwitegyetse, Colin Stevenson

ADVISOR: Jonathon Quam

Copyright ©2019.

First copy free. Additional copies $1.00 each.

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 email address, telephone number and address.

March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

3

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

UN Secretary of Painic John P. Cross expands on cancelling 2020.

Thank you to Chemistry Chair Christopher Hansen for the added props for this photograph.

March. 3.

UN declares 2020 over after just two months AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR

D

ue to the incredibly long and horrific nature of the first two months of the year 2020, scientists and politicians at a recent United Nations summit have declared the year is over and 2021 will arrive shortly.

“We were all sitting around, talking about all the horrible things that have happened in the past few years when we stopped and realized, ‘Wait a minute, that was all last week!’” John P. Cross, UN Secretary of panic, said.

Australia burst into flames, the president of the US was impeached, Harry and Meghan left the royal family, World War III hysteria was everywhere and an infectious outbreak has everyone scared for their lives, and that’s all in just the first two months.

“Somebody just started rattling off all the horrific things that have happened. Once they’d been talking for an hour or so, we decided enough was enough,” Dr. Ursula Muller, UN secretary of no-nonsense, said.

Even sports couldn’t escape the curse of 2020. Former-NBA commissioner David Stern died, Kobe Bryant passed away, the Houston Astros were caught cheating and Antonio Brown’s mind seemingly disappeared.

“Usually I can get away from all this nonsense by flipping the channel to ESPN, but 2020 took that away from me!” John Smith, UN secretary

of things Americans care about, said. “The only normal thing that happened is the fact that the Cowboys didn’t win the Superbowl.”

While the motion to cancel this horrendous year was mostly a popular one, initially it was not unanimous. Russia voted no on the basis of not wanting to side with the US, San Marino didn’t vote because all the other member-nations forgot it existed and Switzerland tried to remain neutral.

“There were a couple of hesitant members, but we just had Greta Thunberg yell ‘How dare you?” at them for two hours and they caved,” Sven Svenson, UN representative from Sweden, said.

Canceling a year may seem impossible due to everything we know about the space-time continuum, but members of the UN were quick to point out that this is far from the first time they’ve ignored science for their own interests.

“This isn’t some radical issue that is basically out of our control like gender equality, human trafficking or treating people with human decency; this was a simple fix,” Gregory Worthless, UN chairman of human affairs, said.

“Scribble out your calendars, because March 2020 is the new January 2021.”

Following this huge announcement, The Wichitan would like to formerly wish all its readers a happy New Year. Here’s hoping 2021 actually makes some sense.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OFFICIAL.TAMEIMPALA.COM

The Slow Rush is Tame Impala at his finest

T

he Slow Rush is the fourth studio album by Australian born producer and songwriter, Kevin Parker, better known by his stage name Tame Impala. The Slow Rush comes five years after Tame Impala’s last release, which was Currents, an album that went on to win Best Rock Album and Album of the Year at the Australian Recording Industry Awards.

The album is a total of twelve songs for 58 minutes of Christian “psychedelic pop” which is honestly the best way to Evans describe the music of Tame Impala.

As is custom with his albums, The Slow Rush has no featured artist in it and had all lyrics written, sounds mixed and songs produced solely by Tame Impala himself. Tame Impala stresses that the overarching theme and focus of the lyrics in The Slow Rush, is time, something he points out and the name of the songs help to elude to. The fact that the theme is time is actually quite ironic, seeing how it took five years for Tame Impala to release his fourth studio album. In between the time of Currents and The Slow Rush, Tame Impala has gone on world tours, headlined at music festivals and worked with the likes of Travis Scott and Kanye West (who both have dropped multiple albums in that span). When asked why it took him so long to release the album, Tame Impala explained that it was meant to be dropped just before he headlined at Coachella last April but he felt it was not finished, thus leading to the album’s release this past weekend. If this is your first-time listening to Tame Impala I would highly recommend listening to his third studio album Currents before listening to The Slow Rush.

Tame Impala continues his nearly trademarked sound of groovy psychedelic indie pop-rock in the entirety of The Slow Rush. Never one to lay low with the use of auto-tune or synths of every range of variety, The Slow Rush is indeed completely on-brand for Tame Impala. The album is extraordinarily crafted, and you can tell just by listening that the five-year wait for The Slow Rush was well worth it. Tame Impala creates a musical masterpiece in album form bringing together every sub-category of indie-pop, house and adult-contemporary R&B music.

Tame Impala’s sound has not changed but the curiosity and change in his music are very much evident in The Slow Rush. On a scale of onefive with five being the best, I give The Slow Rush a four.

4 March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

A BROKE STUDENT RECIPE:

Tortilla soup

PHOTO COURTESY OF JENNIFER SATTLEY AT CARLSBADCRAVINGS.COM

DALLAS WABBINGTON | REPORTER ven though the weather is getting warmer, tortilla soup will always be a good go-to recipe, especially if you have just a little time and a lot of people to feed. This simple recipe requires only six ingredients but is sure to be full of flavor.

E

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 cups unsalted chicken broth • 1 can (14.5 oz) petite diced tomatoes • 2 cups shredded deli rotisserie chicken • 1 package taco seasoning • 1/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese • 1 cup crushed tortilla chips • optional: refried beans

STEPS:

1. In a saucepan, pour in the broth. Then add the tomatoes, chicken and taco seasoning. Heat the stovetop over medium-high heat to boiling.

2. Cover the saucepan then reduce the heat to low.

Cook for 10 minutes and stir occasionally to properly mix the ingredients.

3. Serve the soup, topped off with cheese and tortilla chips.

4. If you like spicy food, add a couple of drops of your favorite hot sauce!

ALTERNATIVE STEPS:

• If you prefer to cook your own chicken, here are some easy steps to achieve rotisserie-style chicken.

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

2. For the seasonings, mix a tablespoon of salt, pepper, onion powder, garlic powder and paprika with a dash of cayenne.

3. For the chicken, you can use a full chicken or chicken breasts. I personally prefer cooking with chicken breasts, because they require less cooking time.

Brush the chicken breasts with oil or melted butter before sprinkling the seasoning generously over the chicken. Rub the spices in and brush off the excess seasoning.

4. Add the chicken on a parchment-covered sheet pan and bake for about 20 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink.

IF YOU FOLLOWED THIS RECIPE, POST A PICTURE AND TAG US ON INSTAGRAM OR TWITTER @WICHITANONLINE

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMBD

Jamie Berard and Will Arnett in Dream Park Theme Park (2020).

A WICHITAN SUGGESTION:

LEGO MASTERS

AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR In a world full of singing competitions all masquerading as something different, FOX’s Lego Masters provides a refreshing new reality competition.

The premise of the show is simple; ten teams of two compete to build the most impressive Lego creation based upon different criteria and themes. Each week, the team that least impresses the judges is eliminated. The winners of the final round of the contest are awarded $100,000 and the title of “Lego Master.”

The show is judged by Amy Corbett, a senior design manager at Lego, and Jamie Berard, Lego architect. Will Arnett, accomplished actor and voice of Lego Batman, fulfills his role of host admirably, with false bravado and self-deprecating humor. He also acts as a sense of comfort to the competitors when the judges are relentless.

The teams themselves are each unique and interesting.

Team dynamics range from father and son to lifelong friends, a married couple or people working together for the very first time. As is the case any time people are thrust into a highstress environment together, tensions often run high and drama ensues. My personal favorite team is the heartwarming father-and-son duo of Manny and Nestor.

The United States edition is the third international spinoff of the original British Lego Masters. There are also Australian and Dutch versions, so there’s always plenty of content to watch on YouTube in between episodes.

One interesting facet of Lego Masters is the golden brick.

There is one golden brick in play that is given out in the first

episode to the team the judges decide had the best build. The golden brick, when played, protects the team that possesses it from elimination. The catch is that the team must choose whether or not to play it before the judging begins, and once they play it a different team can win it the next round. This adds one extra layer of suspense and intrigue.

What truly separates this show from other reality competitions on TV is the originality. Unlike premises based around cooking or singing, there is no “viewer fatigue” because the builds are always new and creative every week. Some builds so far have been a moving, motorized theme park, a giant alien and a mountain-village with a giant living inside the mountain. Keep in mind, that’s all in just the first four episodes.

NUMBER OF EPISODES:

• One season • Four episodes (so far)

STATUS:

• Season one is ongoing,

WHERE TO WATCH:

• Hulu • FOX, Wednesdays at 8 p.m. central time

March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

SEARCH SET TO BEGIN FOR NEW

5

MOSAIC CROSS-CULTURAL CENTER DIRECTOR

AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR idwestern State is still searching for a new Director of the MOSAIC Cross-Cultural Center (formerly the Director of Equity, Inclusion and Multicultural Affairs) after Dr. Syreeta Greene’s departure.

Dr. Greene moved on to become the Dean of Students at the Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science in Los Angeles, California in the fall of 2019, and the role has been filled in an interim capacity since then.

“Syreeta was very confident and very good at what she did.

She laid an outstanding foundation for MOSAIC,” Keith Lamb, vice president for student affairs, said. “I don’t know if [her leaving] was a shock because with her abilities, she was certainly going to progress in her career at some point— and she did.”

The role of the director is to oversee the Cross-Cultural Center, temporarily located in the southwest corner of Beawood, and to promote equity and inclusion on MSU’s diverse campus through a variety of projects and programs. Some programs and initiatives include the Men of Color Alliance initiative, Students Taking Action in the Name of Diversity councils and the Women in Support and Empowerment program. Both the director and the center will most likely be relocated to the Clark Student Center in Fall 2021 so that the position can serve students in a more central location.

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Keith Lamb, Vice President for Student Affairs, exercise physiology senior, Anissia Jones, mass communication senior, Taylor Barrnett, and Syreeta Green, previous Director of the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Multicultural Affairs take part in the Unity Walk around campus.

“The MOSAIC Cross-Cultural Center is really envisioned to be a place that is a safe space for everyone and to give programs and opportunities to help advance as an inclusive campus,” Lamb said.

Marcus Jones has been serving as interim director since Greene’s departure while maintaining his full-time job as Director of the Wesley Foundation of Wichita Falls. Jones was very involved with Dr. Greene and MOSAIC, so he was already knowledgeable about the program. Jones has yet to publicly state whether or not he will apply to keep the position, but he is considered by Dr. Lamb to be a great long-term fit for the role if he does apply.

“When [Greene] left, he was gracious enough, because he had a fairly good working knowledge of the MOSAIC Cross-Cultural Center, to step in and help us continue with the program,” Lamb said.

The search for the new director is set to begin on the first of March and extend throughout the middle of spring. Midwestern State’s goal is to have hired a new director by the end of the Spring 2020 semester so that students will have consistency in

PHOTO BY ANGELA CLARA UKWITEGYETSE | THE WICHITAN

Vice President for Student Affairs Keith Lamb, exercise physiology senior Anissia Jones, mass communication senior Taylor Barrnett, and former Director of the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Multicultural Affairs Syreeta Green take part in the Unity Walk around campus.

Jan. 9.

that position in the Fall 2021 semester and onwards.

“In higher education, spring is always the best time to advertise positions, because that’s typically when candidates are looking for jobs, so you usually get a little deeper applicant pool,” Lamb said. “I don’t think it’s a stretch to try and have someone on board [between the] end of April [and] first of May.”

PHOTO BY ANGELA CLARA UKWITEGYETSE | THE WICHITAN

Previous Director of the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Multicultural Affairs Syreeta Green reads about the history of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. at the conclusion of the Unity Walk around campus. Jan. 22.

6 March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

Find The Wichitan

STAR

T HER

E

MAZE BY KRISTIN SILVA

APRIL

Find the Words

FEBRUARY

BOYS

FLOWERS

BREAK

GREEN

BUNNIES

JANUARY

BUTTERFLIES

MARCH

CHICKENS

MAY

CHOCOLATE

OYSTERS

CLOVERS

PATRICK

DAY

PEEPS

DRINKING

PINK

EASTER

SPRING

EGGS

WORD SEARCH BY KRISTIN SILVA

YELLOW

March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

7

RIDDLE TIME

HANGMAN

Riddle 1

What two things can you never eat for breakfast?

Riddle 2

If you throw a blue stone into a red sea, what will it become?

Riddle 3

Why do bees hum?

Riddle 4

Why did Mickey Mouse go to outter space?

Riddle 5 HANGMAN BY KRISTIN SILVA

What do you call a fairy that hasn’t taken a bath?

Riddle 6

You will buy me to eat but never eat me. What am I?

DOTS AND BOXES BY KRISTIN SILVA

1. Lunch and dinner 2. Wet 3. Because they don’t know the words 4. He wanted to see Pluto 5. Stinker Bell 6. A plate

Dots and Boxes

Answer to last week’s crossword

| Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

8 March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices

Title IX Coord

Where we

THINGS TO KNOW ABOUT TIT

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Vice President Keith Lamb speaks about a new parking permit initiative at the Board of Regents meeting, Feb. 14.

CHRISTIAN EVANS REPORTER idwestern State University has been operating without an effective Title IX Coordinator for the last two months. The former Title IX Coordinator, Rachael Fornof, was at MSU for about a year and a half and left the campus in early December of last year due to the relocation of her husband to a different part of the country. Fornof was a well-received Title IX Coordinator who was active in campus life, well known by students and brought campus-wide attention to Title IX via many different programs and events that she brought to campus. Since her departure, Amanda Snodgrass, the assistant athletic director of business and finance and student women administrator, has taken over from Fornof as the acting Interim Title IX Coordinator at the request of Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs. Snodgrass graduated from MSU with a master’s in counseling, a bachelor’s in sociology and a minor in psychology; she also has a background of six years of investigative work on many cases of different varieties at either the primary or secondary role.

Snodgrass said she took on the role of Interim Title IX Coordinator until a replacement was hired since she was already heavily involved with two other positions related to the athletic

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1) Title IX is a civil right t nation in education.

2) Title IX applies to ALL gender identity.

3) Schools should ensure share campus space (such workplaces) with their ab 4) Schools can issue no-c vent accused students fro acting with the complaina 5) ALL schools receiving public K-12 schools and t are subject to Title IX. department and had experience with investigative work. care of its students and when an incident report comes in, she “I was asked to take this over when Rachael left,” Snodgrass takes care of it as soon as possible. said. “I’ve been an investigator for, I think, six years so I have “I don’t want a student to wait and not feel like we are hearworked on a number of cases. I guess Dr. Lamb felt comfortable ing them,” Snodgrass said. “I definitely do more Title IX stuff with me taking over this until we found someone else.” than my actual, current job.”

Snodgrass said she balances this position with her other According to Snodgrass, Lamb is in charge of hiring the new, positions by working from home permanent Title IX Coordinator, and practices a lot of time-manand she gets to be apart of the proagement as well as prioritizing her cess of finding. tasks.

“Amanda is doing a fabulous “I work a lot,” Snodgrass said. job in the interim role,” Lamb said.

“I am lucky that my job in athlet“I know this is a burden on her, as ics is somewhat flexible depending it would be on anyone since she on what our schedule is as far as already has her job and this is an games and everything, but that added responsibility. I know Kristi AMANDA SNODGRASS does mean that I work a lot of Schulte, who is the deputy Title IX INTERIM TITLE IX COORDINATOR hours and I work a lot from home Coordinator for students is helpmaking up all my paperwork. It’s ing quite a bit. The team is doing a just about time-management. I did good job of pulling it together [and] not want to take on this position and it just be something I did I have comfort in knowing they’re doing a good job so we can get every once in a while. For me, it’s really important to make sure the right person.” we are taking care of our students.”

Lamb said Fornof set a good foundation for the next Title IX Snodgrass said it’s most important that the school is taking Coordinator to come into. He also said she is still engaged with

“For me, it’s really important to make sure we are taking care of our students.”

For more information on Title IX or to report any sexual m

March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports 9

dinator Search:

e are now

LE IX:

that prohibits sex discrimi-

L students regardless of

that no student has to h as dorms, classes, and buser. contact directives to preom approaching or interant. federal funding, including the majority of colleges,

the school and will be arriving back on campus in April to do ing with her approval. contract work involving training related to Title IX. However, While Lamb hopes to hire the next Title IX Coordinator by this does not mean she will be returning as the Title IX Coordi- spring, he said he’s willing to wait later for the right candidate nator. to appear.

“We’ve already been through one round of interviews,” Lamb “This is a critical position to get right,” Lamb said. “I would said. “We typically receive applications, look to see who meets at like to have someone this spring, but as I said, this is a critical least the minimum requirements position where we need to get the on paper and then do phone inright person. It needs a balance terviews with those individuals. of being able to work in policy Then from the phone interviews, and legal matters as well as poswe decide who we would like to sessing a very strong human elinvite on campus. At that time ement.” they meet with a lot of different Title IX is a law that was people [such as] student VIPs and passed by the United States SuTitle IX investigators and with preme Court of Justice as part of KEITH LAMB the president’s cabinet.” the Education Amendments of VICE PRESIDENT OF STUDENT AFFAIRS The committee receives feed1972. Title IX states, “No person back about applicants from the in the United States shall, on the interviews they have with these basis of sex, be excluded from various groups of people on campus and based off the feedback the participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected given, the committee then will extend an offer out to their cho- to the discrimination under any education program or activity sen candidate for the position, of course keeping President Su- receiving Federal financial assistance.” In short, a university zanne Shipley informed at all steps of the process and proceed- is at risk of losing not just millions, but all of its federal aid to

“I would like to have someone this spring, but as I said, this is a critical position where we need to get the right person.”

misconduct on campus go to: https://msutexas.edu/titleix/

PHOTO BY BRADLEY WILSON | THE WICHITAN

Rachael Fornof talks to faculty after a Title IX training.

April 2.

improve itself if it fails to uphold Title IX. Due to Title IX, universities nationally were forced to step up their response and provide programming to spread awareness to not only students but also college faculty including professors, coaches and third party employees to ultimately prevent and stop instances of sexual discrimination.

Sexual violence, including but not limited to, rape and forced pregnancy is also sexual discrimination as well. When typed Title IX seems like a small deal, but it is a huge deal that most universities often create entire departments and/or divisions to execute. The usual name of the position for one who is in charge of Title IX enforcement is “Title IX Coordinator.” This person receives and investigates claims of sexual discrimination that occur on the campus in which they are the Title IX Coordinator. Academic institutions do this because the loss of federal aid can be devastating, especially to smaller institutions as a loss of funds could cause the halting of construction on buildings and the inability to pay for beneficial school programs and faculty salaries. It also has an added effect of making some students unable to attend school as recipients of federal financial aid.

Midwestern State University has promptly followed all Title IX guidelines since its enactment.

10 March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

A DAY IN THE LIFE: PRESIDENT “When I was coming up there weren’t many females that had access to the higher forms of leadership”

KHIRSTIA SHEFFIELD power into representation. I felt more emREPORTER powered to develop my own persona with t’s 6 a.m. and as the sun slowly inches power that a lot of women didn’t have acacross the sky, her eyes gently open. cess to.”

The faint noises from her dogs crack Since growing up in Lubbock, Texas, through the morning silence as they hear she said the South has always had a spetheir food clang against the metal bowls. cial place in her heart. Shipley said she had always kept her eye open for Texas President Suzanne Shipley’s day has just positions knowing that her mother’s menbegun. After she spends time with her tal and physical health was deteriorating. dogs, she challenges her body with weight “I already knew all about this univertraining at the Wellness Center then ensity, so when this position opened up I joys the most important meal of the day. said that’s the one place I’m going to apply SUZANNE SHIPLEY At 9 a.m., once she enters her spacious ofUNIVERSITY PRESIDENT for. I never thought [being president] to a fice, the real work begins.

Texas public liberal arts university would “[Being president] means that I’m the most responsible for the most things so that when a cri- happen. I was going to keep flying back from West Virginsis happens, I’m in charge of making sure we respond ad- ia every couple of months, but I knew someone would need to begin to look after [my mother],” Shipley said. equately,” Shipley said. “I’m the landing point of anything Shipley described that since becoming president of serious, but I’m also a symbol of the university. It can be Midwestern State her attitude toward life has changed. a very sobering life when you’re navigating a lot of high“It’s made me happier,” Shipley said. “This is a very level sadness, as in people’s lives or difficult situations.” happy place and not all universities are. It’s a place where After spending years as a professor, Shipley said she people are willing to change and grow. It’s fueled by pride, decided early on that she was more talented in administra- and it’s a place where people seem to delight in their work tion. and education. Of course, we have challenges and difficul“When I was coming up there weren’t many females ties, but I just think it’s a very optimistic place to be, and that had access to the higher forms of leadership, and that’s made me more optimistic and hopeful about the fuearly on I decided that’s what I wanted to do,” Shipley said. ture.”

“I was lucky that out of the four presidents I worked with Although the presidency position requires her attenon my different jobs, two were female. This allowed me to tion at most times of the day, Shipley said she works hard see not just what a president did, but what a female presi- to maintain a balance between her work and personal life. dent did. I saw how a woman translated the halls of male “I attended a preparation for presidents with my husband and we learned about how to set goals together,” Shipley said.

“We communicated pretty well on what type of presidency we would both like to be in and what he needed from me to feel like we had a balanced family PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON life despite the 24/7 naPresident Suzanne Shipley sits down to talk. Feb. 28. ture of the job.”

Through that open communication, Shipley said she has rePHOTO COURTESY SUZANNE ceived immense supSHIPLEY’S INSTAGRAM PAGE : port from her family. @ SHIPLEYSUZANNE1 In spite of the support University President from her family and Suzanne Shipley poses the positive nature of with her mom in a post this university, Shipley

I

she made on her Instagram page.

March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports11

SUZANNE SHIPLEY

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

President Suzanne Shipley hands executive committee Chairman Caven Crosnoe the budget reports at the conclusion of the Nov. Board of Regents meeting. Nov. 7. said she still experiences pressures after years of upholding the presidency position.

“The biggest pressure is that you have lots of different stakeholders, and they sometimes have conflicting values for your presidency,” Shipley said. “You become this proving ground where all those opinions come together, and you try to meld them into a consensus that strengthens the university. Your goal is to advance the university to keep it moving forward while also making all those stakeholders feel a part of it.”

Shipley went on to describe the difficulties of juggling the opinions of students, faculty and staff while also keeping in mind the success of the university.

“It gets hard when there are contradictions,” Shipley said. “When it’s easy is when everybody feels the same way. It gets more difficult if you’re being forced to change; the best kind of change is change that you can shape yourself at a time that works for you.”

As a result of desiring a tightly bonded university community and ensuring everyone’s voices can be heard, Shipley said she goes out of her way to create connections with students.

“It’s very important for me to connect

with the students of this university,” Shipley said. “I really like to get out and be seen, not for my ego, but so that they know who their president is. I want them to know they have a president who cares about them and is present.”

Though being open to all opinions can benefit the university community, it can also open the door for negative feedback and opinions. Being the president means being the target for public scrutiny, but Shipley said she tries hard to focus on solutions rather than the negativity itself.

“You have to compartmentalize people’s opinions so that you find the positive rather than being overwhelmed by the negative,” Shipley said.

“You have to hear and digest the negative,

“The older you get, the more it seems that you can help others be a better version of themselves” SUZANNE SHIPLEY UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT

but you can’t let it overwhelm you. You have to compartmentalize the noise versus the important negative opinion I need to focus on because every issue has some noise around it that isn’t as meaningful as the heart of the issue.”

When the noise gets too loud, Shipley said she resorts to physical activity, reading and watching movies. She and her husband also enjoy cheering students on in the stands.

Shipley said she has also found joy in motivating others to be better versions of themselves.

“The older you get, the more it seems that you can help others be a better version of themselves,” Shipley said. “Although I want to keep being a better version of myself, I primarily feel the most important thing I can be right now is helpful to other people in this work because I’ve seen and learned a lot. I feel I can help individuals navigate experiences that might be more difficult to navigate without my help, and that’s what I get the biggest satisfaction from.”

Though Shipley enjoys every part of her presidency, five years from now she sees herself on a beach under an umbrella living a life of less structure.

“I will be outside somewhere, not in an office or board room,” Shipley said. “This is the end of the road for me. I enjoy this, but this is a very structured life. I want to enjoy freedom in life.”

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

President Suzanne Shipley talks about keeping the change to professor’s mandatory office hours from 10hrs to 5hrs per week at the Board of Regents meeting. Nov. 7.

12 March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

Amnest y I nt e rna t i o na l s pre a d s a w a re n es s of

Human Rights and Social Justice

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Student signs Amnesty International petition to end child detention centers. Oct. 16, 2019.

STEPHANIE ROBLEDO REPORTER he Amnesty International campus chapter focuses on spreading awareness of human rights and social justice throughout campus.

“Amnesty International is the largest human rights organization in the entire world; it is an international non-governmental organization. It has offices from more than 50 countries [and locations]; one of them includes New York,” Herbert McCullough, political science graduate, and student adviser, said. “The overall goal of Amnesty is to promote human rights.”

Although Amnesty International was active during the ’90s on campus, in the early two-thousands, it fizzled out. It was not until 2016 that the organization was revived with McCullough being one of the first members. Since then, the organization has become involved within the campus through events done over the years.

“We’ve done different political demonstrations across campus, also peaceful protest,” Katherine Kurylas, senator and political science freshman, said. “Last semester we protested the child detention center at the border and made a replica of the cage and the foil blankets. We had it set up in the atrium for a day or two and people could come up to read cards and get informed on what’s going on. We also did a campaign called write for rights; people got to come and write letters to foreign governments that are committing human rights violations. Those letters are sent to those governments as a form of protest.”

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Amnesty International has done all these activities for students to become aware of the world around them. Its members want to make a positive impact on the world. Amnesty is not stopping anytime soon; it has plans for the future that will impact not only the world but MSU as well. “[We have] refugee constitution resolution happening right now where we are trying to make MSU the second university here in Texas that is welcoming refugees,” Guadalupe Gamiz, secretary and social work junior, said.

Amnesty has become involved with the campus through its peaceful protest and has plans to further their involvement. Amnesty celebrates the differences within MSU and promotes the rights of others both in and out of campus. “[Our purpose] is being a voice in terms of the promotion of human rights and social justice. Before amnesty international there wasn’t really, necessarily, many organizations that conducted issues of human rights and social justice,” McCullough said. “Amnesty International is one of the few organizations that promote human rights and social justice that is primarily inclusive to everybody.”

This organization is one that creates change in the right direction on campus. It is an organization that is important on campus for students and their rights.

“Amnesty, in general, is important here at MSU, because MSU is a very diverse place so you always want to make sure the voices of others are being heard,” Gamiz said. “[Amnesty International] makes sure that the students know there is someone

on campus that is listening to them.”

Amnesty’s mission is to bring awareness of the injustices happening around the world and help make an impact through peaceful protest. This is an organization for students that want to create a change and help others.

“Everyone in this country to a certain extent is more fortunate than a lot of other people, so it doesn’t take much to help others that are in less fortunate situations than you are,” Kurylas said. “Whether it is coming to a write-for-rights thing where you are just writing a letter to a foreign government, it doesn’t take much to help make an impact.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL

Amnesty International Logo.

March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

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LOCKER ROOM TALK

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Elementary education junior and pitcher Jacey Henry stretches out to throw a pitch against Clarendon College. Oct. 15, 2019.

TAYLOR ANDERSON SPORTS REPORTER our-year-old Jacey Henry (No. 22), elementary education junior, gleamed at two-time Softball Pitcher Olympian Cat Osterman, dreaming of how she could one day play like her.

“My parents would take me to watch the College World Series and USA Olympic team every year in Oklahoma City which is where I saw Cat Osterman pitch and she was who I looked up to and became my inspiration to be like her,” Henry said.

Through Henry’s young eyes, she looked at Osterman as the coolest, especially after getting a high-five from her.

“When I first watched her I remember her striking out so many girls and being young, I thought that was so cool. She also gave me a high-five and I won a signed poster by her which won me over as a little girl,” Henry said.

The love for the game was always there, so deciding to play collegiate softball was not a hard decision.

“Falling in love with the game I wanted to continue to play so all through travel ball and the lessons that were the goal to play collegiate softball. It also allows me to go to college and get a degree while doing something I enjoy,” Henry said.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACEY HENRY

Elementary education junior and pitcher Jacey Henry throws a pitch as an 8-year-old for the team she played for in Oklahoma.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF JACEY HENRY

Seven-year-old Jacey Henry gets ready to run to 2nd base as her teammate bats.

For Henry’s first year wearing the Mustang jersey, she said it’s the best year in college.

“This is my first year at MSU and it has been the best year out of the three years being in college. The coaches treat us with respect and are always willing to help. I also really like how the girls want to work hard and any time I go to the field, there’s someone out there working on their own time,” Henry said.

Henry plays for more than herself, but also her 10-year-old brother, Clint Henry.

“When school and ball get busy, I think to myself ‘just keep going’ and I also want to be someone my 10-year-old brother looks up to so that motivates me to be a good role model for him,” Henry said.

With her little brother in mind, she also encourages younger players to slow down and enjoy the sport and only control what you can.

“I would tell them to slow down and enjoy it. Don’t get so caught up on always trying to win and be perfect and put all of the pressure on yourself. Only control what you can,” Henry said.

Henry plans on obtaining her master’s degree in speech pathology and utilizing it in a children’s hospital.

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Nursing senior Gemma Gonzalez runs 1,600 meters in the distance medley relay event.

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Athletic training junior Katie Till runs 800 meters in the distance medley relay event. Feb. 21.

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Education freshman Elizabeth Butzke runs 1,200 meters at the start of distance medley relay event.

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Day one recap of the LSC indoor track and field championships

14 March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports TAYLOR ANDERSON SPORTS REPORTER he women’s indoor track team started the Lone Star Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships at Texas Tech off strong, putting the Mustangs in 5th place at the end of the first day at Lubbock on Friday, Feb. 21.

Amerhyst Woolf, nursing junior, ran up a storm as she finished 2nd place in the 5000 meter, clocking in at 18:08. Woolf made it to the podium but also recorded a career best by shaving over a minute off her previous time, 19:19 at the UCO Weilert Open.

“I’m super excited, because it was really unexpected, because I was sitting 15th, so to go from 15th to 2nd, it’s just so crazy.

It was an interesting race, real tough and definitely a fighter until the end but [I’m] super happy. It definitely shows that all the miles and the hard work that, not only myself but us as a team, that we all put in is paying off,” Woolf said.

The distance medley relay also made it to the podium, set a new career best and finished 3rd place with a time of 12:54.

Elizabeth Butzke, childhood education freshman, led the first leg running 1200 meters in 3:53 minutes. Taylor Carr, sports and leisure freshman, followed up the second leg, clocking in a career best of 1:00 in 400 meters. Katie Till, athletic training junior, finished with a 2:25 in 800 meters. Gemma Gonzalez, nursing senior, brought up the rear in the 1600 meter portion with a time of 5:35.

“I’m tired, but I’m happy because we all did so well,” Gonzalez said.

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ADDITIONAL RESULTS

• Gonzales also finished third in the women’s 800 meter with a career-best 2:19.66 time.

• Mercy Yermo, exercise physiology, ran past the 2000 meter mark in the 5000 meter run before dropping out of the competition.

• Miracle Mahone, pre-med freshman finished 16th in the 60 meter dash with a time of 7.98 seconds.

• Hannah Ponder, kinesiology junior , finished 18th in the women’s weight throw with a distance of 12.14 meters.

• Carr finished 16th in the women’s 400 meter, posting a career best time of 1:01.00.

• Sydni Lewis, psychology freshman, finished 20th in the 400 meter with a time of 1:06.24.

Additional reporting by Amos Perkins

March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports

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Additional reporting by Amos Perkins

Day two recap of the LSC indoor track and field championships

TAYLOR ANDERSON SPORTS REPORTER he Mustangs continued their fight at the Lone Star Conference Indoor Track & Field Championships Saturday, Feb. 22 at Texas Tech.

Peyton Lewis, finance freshman, started day two off with a field event: triple jump. Lewis finished with a career best, 10.88 meters, and placed 13th.

The Mustangs had five women run in the mile race. Amerhyst Woolf, nursing junior, finished seventh with a time of 5:28.45, Katie Till, athletic training junior, finished ninth with a time of 5:29.40, Elizabeth Butzke, childhood education freshman, finished 14th with a time of 5:41.09, Michelle Estrada, criminal justice junior, finished 15th with a time of 5:41.09 and Olivia Johnson, education sophomore, finished 16th with a time of 5:44.02. Till won her heat by over three seconds and set a new career record.

“I was in the slow heat, so I just had to stay in it mentally. It’s stressful, because people are always judging the person in front,” Till said.

Approximately two hours after running the mile, Woolf ran in the 3,000 meter race. She finished the race 13th with a time of 10:54.58. Woolf said fatigue definitely played a factor in her ending result.

“I’m really proud that I was able to finish all three events and just put down some good times for all three of them. I think [the mile] kind of wore me out a little bit. It probably wasn’t the best decision if I wanted to put down a good 3K time, but overall I was pretty happy with my times for both events today,” Woolf said.

Gemma Gonzalez, nursing senior, added to the success of the day, placing 4th in the 800 meters with a time of 2.19.

“I was really confident during the 800 meters. I knew I had to stay in the top group from the start and pass as many girls as I could once we got to the last 200 meters. I didn’t make it to the podium, but I still ran an indoor personal record,” Gonzalez said.

The Mustangs ended the day with a 4x400 meters relay with a time of 4:03.

Syndi Lewis, psychology freshman, Taylor Carr, sports & leisure studies freshman, Aaryanna Williams, psychology freshman, and Sydney Tucker, nursing freshman, took the track by storm, placing 6th.

Head Coach Koby Styles is proud of the way his team performeD. “I couldn’t be more happier with the way we performed the whole weekend.

Our team looks completely different than it ever has. We are a bigger squad and in more events. So with us doing what we did this weekend, we are going to be good in the next three years. You are going to see MSU on the top of the board,” Styles said.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

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Psychology freshman Aaryanna Williams hands the baton off to sports and leisure freshman Taylor Carr in the 4x400m relay. Feb. 22.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Nursing junior Amerhyst Woolf has her eyes set on overtaking an Oklahoma Christian University athlete in the mile.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Psychology freshman Aaryanna Williams rounds the bend on her second lap of the 4x400m relay.

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Finance freshman Peyton Lewis hop, skips, and jumps into the sandpit to increase her PR by 12 c.m., posting 10.88 meters.

16 March 4, 2020 | Campus Voices | Media | News | Activities | News | A Day in the Life| News | Locker Room Talk | Sports PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

General studies senior and forward/guard leaps for a slam dunk passed by mass communication senior and guard Elijah Lee. Feb. 2.

Men’s basketball recap (8-20) AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR fter starting the season 4-19, the men’s team finished the season strong, going 4-1 in their last five games and earning a spot in the Lone Star Conference Tournament.

The highlight of the ‘Stangs’ season was the 69-

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68 victory over West Texas A&M which secured them the postseason spot. D’monta Harris (No. 13), guard and applied arts and sciences senior, lead the team offesnively, averaging a teamleading 16.4 points-per-game, 6.1 reboundsper-game and 77 made 3-pointers. Along with averaging 14.1 points-per-game of his own,

SPORTS PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Kinesiology sophomore and guard Derrick Herrick leaps into the air to shoot a 3-pointer against Texas A&M Kingsville.

Jan. 30.

Darius Thompson (No. 3), guard and mass communication senior, recorded team-high totals of 28 steals and 20 blocks on the defensive side of the ball. Evan McCarthy (No. 23), guard and undecided freshman, was a standout newcomer for the team, averaging 6.2 points-per-game in just over 17 minutes-per-game.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Business sophomore and guard Trae Jones reaches for a successful layup as his momentum carries him out-of-bounds against Texas A&M University International. Jan. 2.

RECAP

Mass communication junior and guard Bri Wingfield escapes UT Tyler’s defense to attempt a 2-pointer. Feb. 15.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Respiratory therapy senior and forward Erin Alexander goes for a layup against Dixie State.

Nov. 9.

Women’s basketball recap (11-15) PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Elementary education freshman and forward Mandy Withey leaps above UT Tyler Defenders. Feb. 15.

AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR n an emotional season in which head coach Noel Johnson had to step away to battle ovarian cancer, the women’s team went 11-15 overall and 8-7 at home in the Dome. One highlight of the season was the Mustangs’ 8477 second-half comeback over Cameron Univer-

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sity in the first Red River Rivalry game. Mica Schneider (No. 4), guard and business finance senior, came on strong in the last half of the season and averaged a team-high 12.5 pointsper-game and 3.8 assists-per-game to go along with her 50 3-pointers. Hannah Reynolds (No. 11), forward and health science junior, lead the

defensive effort in the paint, averaging a teambest 1.4 blocks-per-game. A freshman standout on the team was Many Withey (No. 23), forward and elementary education freshman, who put up 3.1 points-per-game, 2.9 rebounds-per-game and .6 blocks-per-game in just under nine minutes-per-game.