Nov. 20, 2013

Nov. 20, 2013 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 78 No. 14

Student research forum Friday ALEISHA SOLORIO REPORTER

T

he division of undergraduate research will host a forum to present EURECA and UGROW students’ findings this Friday, Nov. 22 in the Comanche Suites of the Clark Student Center.

“It’s a good venue for the students to say, ‘I spent a semester working on this and here are the results,’” Magaly Rincon-Zachary, director of undergraduate research, said.

Anik Jarvis, a senior in biology, said she is nervous to present her findings but she knows the value of her research.

“In any field there is always a question to be answered, and it can usually be investigated through research. For sciences, in particular, I think that research helps to link practical knowledge and theory as a learning experience for future research projects,” Jarvis said.

Rachel Whatley, a junior in radiology, addressed taxpayer complaints that too much time and money are spent on universities’ undergraduate research programs.

“I consider my research valuable to society,” Whatley said. “In regards to student development, I have seen that it helps increase our confidence, aids in RYIAN WILLIAMS the development of research skills and SENIOR IN MEC-ENGINEERING encourages interdisciplinary collaboration. I hope that taxpayers take a closer look at what we are doing and see the value of engaging in research.”

John Eakin, a senior in biology, echoed the sentiment that these programs are invaluable in that they help transform students into more qualified graduates.

“This experience gives students an opportunity to decide if research is something they want to pursue,” Eakin said. “Students that participate in these programs receive an experience that will make them better prepared and more competitive for the real world and graduate school.

Ryian Williams, a senior in mechanical engineering, said he appreciates the chance to enhance his learning beyond the classroom.

“There are certain things that are learned while doing research that cannot be learned during coursework.”

Black Friday

pg. 3

Students work on biggest shopping day of the year, now including Thanksgiving.

“Undergraduate research is a different form of learning for students. There are certain things that are learned while doing research that cannot be learned during coursework,” Williams said. “Undergraduate research can also be used as a stepping stone to get students excited about research which would then open up their minds to doing further research as a graduate student, or independently.”

Rincon-Zachary said she hopes students will take advantage of the programs because it is a chance for them to be a part of something big.

“The most important thing is that this experience, I mean we know they take it seriously, but it’s important to know that this experience is transformative,” Rincon-Zachary said. “Students get to use their critical thinking skills, and they get to be creative. That as a whole will make a better citizen.”

Kari Bickhard, a senior in geoscience and English, presented her work at the 125th Annual Geologic Society of America convention in Denver in October. She said that after receiving feedback from experts in the field, she is looking forward to the upcoming forum.

“The worth of these experiences should be measured beyond just the monetary cost,” Bickhard said. “They ANIK JARVIS are rare and precious to undergraduate SENIOR IN BIOLOGY students who get to work with mentors to develop a sense of confidence and understanding that will help carry them for the rest of their lives, through further schooling and future careers.”

Beginning at 9 a.m., there will be 14 oral presentations of the UGROW and EURECA findings. Each presenter will have 20 minutes to highlight their project. Judges will evaluate the presentations, and the three best ones will receive a monetary award along with a plaque. Betty Stewart, provost and vice president for academic affairs and Robert Clark, vice president of administration and institutional effectiveness, will be presenting the awards.

“In any field there is always a question to be answered, and it can usually be investigated through research.”

READ THE FULL STORY AT THEWICHITAN.COM

Role Adjustment

pg. 6

Assistant stage manager takes on newlyassigned position.

English students present research at conference MIRAE DUNCAN REPORTER

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hree students from the English department presented their research papers at the annual ASAT Conference on Nov. 16 at Baylor University in Waco, Texas.

“They are the first undergraduates in the 57 year history of the American Studies of Associate of Texas to present alongside with faculty members,” Todd Giles, English Professor, said.

Ginger Bartush, Cody Parish and Sarah Muschiol worked alongside Todd Giles to create a presentation over their literature piece of choice.

“The EURECA program allowed me to solely focus on this one paper and gave Cody, Sarah and myself the support we needed to take the papers to the American Studies Association of Texas conference this past weekend.” Ginger Bartush, senior in English, said.

Each student presented for 20-minutes and once finished they were given 15 minutes to answer questions.

“Although it was humbling and slightly terrifying to present my research to PhD and master level scholars, the experience was well worth all the work I put into the paper,” Bartush said.

In addition to MSU students, other students at other colleges also presented to the panel on a range of topics.

“I’ve presented at other conferences before, but I’ve never been a part of one with such a wide array of presentation topics,” Cody Parish, senior in English, said.

EURECA provides undergraduate students in departments from radiology to music with the chance to get involved in graduate research in order to aid them in admissions to graduate school and prepare them for future research.

Twelve faculty members were chosen to work side by side with undergraduates, two of whom being Dr. Todd Giles and Kirsten Lodge from the English department.

Win Again

pg. 7

Men’s soccer advances further into the playoffs after defeating Colorado Miners 1-0.

2 | Nov. 20, 2013 |

Stop ignoring the middle holiday Thanksgiving overlooked, no more I

’m tired of Thanksgiving being the middle child.

Walking through stores and on social media I have been attacked with good-will and the need to count how many sleeps are left until the all important holiday that is Lauren known as Christmas.

Roberts Before that, we were planning out costumes and parties for Halloween.

Even before the Halloween parties were over people were going on and on about Christmas. You have a month until then! You know what you should be planning? Thanksgiving.

Think about it: Halloween is the oldest child, respected and allowed to dress however it wants.

Christmas is the youngest, adored and spoiled with gifts. And Thanksgiving is the often-ignored middle child. New Year’s is just the unplanned accident.

Thanksgiving is a day that requires much planning, and I don’t just mean the preparation of the turkey. (As an aside, remember that depending on the poundage of the bird, the amount of defrost time will change. Hour per pound people). Thanksgiving is an under-appreciated holiday that leaves many stressed out once the day arrives because they were so preoccupied with the other holidays and scoping out stores for Black Friday deals.

GO ONLINE! It’s the same price. Going into a store for what is now being called “Black Thursday” is only taking time away from store employees that they should be spending with their loved ones on a nationally recognized holiday. Instead of basking in gravy and breaking up a fight for the better cut of meat, store employees are pulling crazed customers off of each other like officials at a football game. That’s assuming that the employees live through the stampede of people running through the store’s front door to procure an item that the store only bought 20 of so they can increase the price.

Thanksgiving is supposed to be a day for everyone. It’s the day you first learned you were on your way to being an adult. Riding

in the front seat? Unimportant. Staying up past 10? Pathetic. Your 18th birthday? Meaningless. But the first time you get to sit at the adult table on Thanksgiving? A miracle. You have been acknowledged by your parents, aunts and uncles that you can do more than cry about how your sister is kicking you or that you don’t like your green beans.

It is also a time for growth in the middle section of your body, just below the heart. If your heart grows three times bigger like the Grinch’s, go to the hospital immediately.

That’s not normal and you may be suffering from some sort of freak heart attack.

Thanksgiving is a multifaceted holiday that reaches many people. Unlike Christmas, which is a holiday for children. During Thanksgiving there’s football between those teams that play each other.

I think there’s a turkey trophy involved. You don’t see the NFL handing out trophies for Christmas.

Another great thing is that you can put your own tradition with it. And no, “we open our presents on Christmas Eve” does not count. Every year my family would go to Florida for Thanksgiving and the next best part was the seafood boil the next day.

They had a huge cauldron outside placed over a wood fire. My cousin Johnny would buy crates full of fresh live crabs to drop into the pot with all the seasoning and vegetables. While we waited for all the food to be cooked we would eat the leftover Thanksgiving dinner.

After that was the all-important food coma to recover from before school resumed.

All you get the day after Christmas is resentment for the presents you didn’t get and long lines to return the gifts that you didn’t want, and New Year’s is just a time to make promises that you probably won’t keep.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that you can relive day after day with no regrets. For a college student, that leftover food your relatives pushed on you even after you said eight pounds of food was enough, will save you money. You have turkey for sandwiches, greens, mac ‘n cheese and that gross purple stuff can be molded into an art project.

Thanksgiving is a day that is more than a commercial holiday. It is a time to spend relaxing with family.

“All you get the day after Christmas is resentment for the presents you didn’t get and long lines to return the gifts that you didn’t want.”

the

wichitan Vo. 78 | No. 14

Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room B103 3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 • wichitan@mwsu.edu

Car art should be cleaned up

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know many of us have been questioning the items that have been crowding behind Fain.

There’s the car on stilts and the seemingly abandoned car and engine around the corner from it, and if you haven’t noPaden ticed, they take up quite a bit Lemons of space.

The elevated car is an art piece from the Japanese artist Hironari Kubota that the university’s Visiting Artist Fund supported. He created the car so that it would spin in the air. That is super cool, but my question is, is it ever going to spin again?

If the car isn’t spinning anymore, is it still worth keeping up? I’m not convinced. Once it’s not spinning anymore, the magic of it is gone; it doesn’t seem like art anymore.

Aside from that, the car around the corner and the engine along with it appear to serve no purpose. They just sit there and confuse people. It looks as if something should be done with it, yet nothing has.

I truly appreciate the art aspect of it all, but there’s no need to leave the excess lying around. It creates an unwanted mess that causes the grounds to look bad.

Students have been complaining about the overcrowding of that area now that the cars have taken up so much space. This is a university, not a used car lot, right? Kubota’s work is amazing, but it seems to take up a lot

EDITOR: Ethan Metcalf BUSINESS MANAGER: Blake Muse STAFF: Courtney Betts, Johnny Blevins, Ahla Cho, Sam Croft, Mirae Duncan, Hanwool Lee, Paden Lemons, Arron Mercer, Eddie Miller, Austin Quintero, Roy Richeson, Lauren Roberts, Cody Samples, Aleisha Solorio.

ADVISER: Bradley Wilson

of space and serve no purpose anymore. If the car continued spinning long after Kubota left, maybe the art would be more appreciated.

I’m not trying to act like I know the future plans of the art department, and I’m definitely not trying to downplay the incredible work Kubota did, but I just wish there was a better way to use the other car that’s just sitting there. There are ways that the car can be used to better the art department.

An option for the car that Kubota didn’t use is to utilize the car for a fundraiser. Whoever has control over what happens to the car could set it up as a car smash fundraiser. Give students the opportunity to pay to smash the car.

At least the car wouldn’t be sitting there not fulfilling any purpose. If the car isn’t moved soon, I can just picture it chilling there for who knows how long. Something should be done with it so that it has a benefit other than just the grounds looking better.

Who is in charge of the extra car removal anyway? Is it the art department’s job to remove it? The facilities management? Whoever it is should put that at the top of the priority list. I wonder why it hasn’t already been dealt with. There should be more care concerning the way the campus looks all over, not just in well known areas.

Art is something that should be appreciated, but was this project worth the time, money and space it takes up?

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.

|Nov. 20, 2013 | 3

Student retail workers sacrifice holiday CAITLYN CREMEENS REPORTER

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s Black Friday shoppers prepare their lists, some students are preparing to work this Thanksgiving rather than spend time with family. Students may be out of school for Thanksgiving, but that does not mean they are off work.

Pierto Weaver, freshman in mechanical engineering and Walmart employee, said, “I’m not sure if I have to work Black Friday yet, but if I did I would be very upset. That would be terrible.”

Weaver said he does not like the idea of Black Friday because it takes advantage of the Thanksgiving holiday just for money.

Black Friday is the day after Thanksgiving and is known as the kickoff for holiday shopping season. When Black Friday first originated, stores started opening at 6 a.m., but this year many stores are opening their doors as early as Thanksgiving day.

Jordan Dillard, junior in marketing and employee of Best Buy, said, “This will be my third year to work a Black Friday. The previous two years were 12 hour shifts and this year’s will most likely be the same.”

Target, Best Buy and Walmart are just three of the stores now opening their doors on Thanksgiving instead of waiting until Black Friday.

Dallas Theisen, sophomore in business management, said Target did not give him a

PHOTO BY HANWOOL LEE / WICHITAN

Samuel Yahaya, senior in business, works at Academy Sports and is in charge of organizing shoes in the footwear department. “I’m scheduled to work for Black Friday. I wish I could go out and do some shopping for myself, but it’s my job so I need to be here to help customers who want to buy stuff,” Yahaya said. I guess I’m looking forward to coming over here and helping customers because I never had to work on Black Friday before, so I don’t know what that experience is. I just want to see how seeing customer face-to-face works,” Yahaya said. choice to not work, and that the extra pay is the only good thing about working and not seeing family.

“They want me to work the night before Thanksgiving to set the floors for Black Fri-

day, but I hope I don’t have to,” Theisen said.

“It just sucks, I probably won’t get to see my family, maybe just for a couple hours.”

This annual event is widely thought to be the busiest shopping day of the year. Days before Black Friday, people camp out in front of the stores to ensure they get everything they want from that particular store.

“There were customers waiting outside of the doors last year the days before Thanksgiving. I feel like it only gets worse from here on,” Dillard said.

This year’s announcement of the earlier store openings has brought both positive and negative feedback, but employees of companies now opening on Thanksgiving have a more one-sided opinion on having to work on a national holiday.

“In some ways I feel like I am missing out on Thanksgiving. Best Buy opens at 6 p.m.

Thanksgiving day this year. Luckily my family is only 30 minutes away so I will be able to spend a decent amount of time with them,” Dillard said.

Dillard said he thinks Black Friday has

overrun Thanksgiving this year, and that no one should have to work on such an important holiday. With stores opening so early this year, some employees say it is still too early to judge if the trend will occur next year, and the year after that.

“I think it’s businesses’ fault for opening so early this year. Customers will come in no matter what time the doors open. So businesses are all for it and the way that society has reacted to these ‘door busters’ or ‘mega deals’ only condones the stores to continue their plan of action,” Dillard said.

While for some this holiday is an opportunity to buy items for a lower price than what they normally could afford, some employees say that Thanksgiving is not about shopping.

“I do think that Black Friday interferes with the mindset of Thanksgiving,” Michael Katley, junior in biology and Best Buy employee, said. “Now I believe that the prices do give us an opportunity to give our loved ones great gifts for really low prices, but I believe the desire for those items can overshadow the Thanksgiving holiday.”

As long as consumers continue to give these stores a reason to open earlier and earlier each year, the companies will. Supply and demand is an easy concept, and consumers demand finding a bargain and retailers want to make even more money than the last year.

“Managers of our store refer to it as ‘green Friday’ because of the large amount of revenue that is coming in,” Dillard said.

Dillard, along with others working on this day, said they think Black Friday interferes with the mindset of the meaning of Thanksgiving, and that no one should be forced to work and be away from their families.

According to blackfriday.com, the term Black Friday came from police officers in Philadelphia in the 1960’s. They started using the term because of the traffic jams occurring from all the shoppers. Black Friday was also used to describe the stock market crash of 1869 caused by gold spectators. CNN Money reported in 2012 there were about 139.4 million Black Friday shoppers. Totals for Thursday, Black Friday, Saturday and Sunday equaled $59.1 billion, a 13% increase from 2011, according to the National Retail Federation.

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4 | Nov. 20, 2013 | CAMPUS EVENTS Nov. 20

Award winning author Kirk Nesset reading and creative writing workshop 4 p.m.

PY 201

Nov. 21

INDOOR WAR PHOTOS BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

The University Programming Board brought Bongo Ball to the Clark Student Center Comanche suite Tuesday afternoon. Jenom Pyeng, freshman in mechanical engineering, peeks around the inflatable wall during one of the bongo ball rounds.

Bailey Hess, senior in criminal justice, looks for someone to shoot during one of the rounds. The school no longer allows Nerf wars to take place around campus. Hess said,”We can play bongo ball because it’s in a contained area.”

Building the Job I Love Series: Roy Davoult Noon Dillard 189 EURECA Undergraduate and Creative Activity Forum Dinner 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Sike’s Lake Center Annual Poetry Slam 7 - 9 p.m.

Fuzzy’s Tacos Percussion Ensemble Concert 7:30 p.m.

Akin Auditorium

Nov. 25

12th Annual Turkey Trot 3:30 p.m. registration 4 p.m. race start Sikes Lake

Spacious Apartments

CRIME LOG Nov. 18

A handicapped placard was seized after a student was observed using the placard that was not issued to him.

A MSU resident student put her vehicle key in an unlocked locker in D.L Ligon Coliseum.

When she returned it was not where she left it.

Nov. 16

An MSU Officer observed a minor hiding a bottle containing an alcoholic beverage in the parking lot between Killingsworth Hall and McCullough Trigg Hall.

Nov. 14

A current MSU resident student reported to MSU Police that his vehicle was struck while parked in a resident student parking lot.

The vehicle that struck left the scene.

SOURCE: http://www.mwsu.edu/police/crimelogs/

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PANEL FORMED TO DISCUSS STAGE 4 WATER RESTRICTIONS

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ewspaper practicum students Brittany D’Alesandro, Megan Fernandez and Aleisha Solorio will host a discussion panel with community leaders tonight at 7 p.m. in Shawnee Theater in the Clark Student Center to explore ways that university students can help conserve water as the city enters stage 4 water restrictions.

The panel members include City Manager Darron Leiker, Director of Public Works Russell Schreiber, Public Utilities Operations Manager Daniel Nix, and News Channel Six Chief Meteorologist Ken Johnson. The panelists will discuss how the university will handle the new restrictions, which went into effect on Nov. 12.

Schreiber will break down the process of how the city is using the reuse water project to clarify concerns of students who wish to know the source of their drinking water.

|Nov. 20, 2013 | 5

Indian group hosts cultural celebration ETHAN METCALF EDITOR

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he Midwestern Indian Students Association (MISA) held their annual celebration of Diwali, or the festival of lights, in Akin Auditorium on Friday Nov. 15 in front of an audience of nearly 100 students, faculty and community members.

“It’s celebrated on a massive scale back home,” Dipika Nayuk, graduate in exercise physiology and president of MISA, said. “It’s like a new year to us. We light firecrackers, we invite people over to our homes for lunch and dinner, we distribute sweets.”

Nayuk said Diwali is a celebration of the return of the deity Shri Rama and the victory of good over evil.

“We are welcoming him back into the kingdom,” Nayuk said. “It’s important to us because it gives us a way to depict our culture, our traditions, through our performances.”

The cultural presentation began with the U.S. national anthem followed by the Indian national anthem, after which Michael Shipley, associate professor of biology and faculty sponsor of MISA, gave a short welcome before leading the traditional lighting of the diya, an oil lamp used in the celebration of Diwali.

“This is the biggest event for MISA in the entire year,” Shipley said. “This is only the second year that it’s been in Akin. Previously it’s been on a smaller scale in the Comanche suites, so it’s been building every year.”

Shipley said having visited India also helps him make the students feel more wel-

come when they arrive at MSU. “You understand a little bit more about their needs and you know how to help them a little bit better,” Shipley said.

After the lighting of the diya, Hrishi Pathak, graduate in exercise physiology, sang a prayer.

“In India we say that if you say a prayer before anything, it will go more smoothly,” Pathak said.

The prayer was loud and boisterous, letting the audience know that while Diwali is certainly a serious holiday, there is nothing dull or low-key about it.

Sanan Aamir, sophomore in computer science, and Apphia John, graduate in exercise physiology, hosted the event by introducing each of the dances and songs.

“We wanted to show people that we have fun,” Aamir said. “A lot of people think that when Indians come over here they’re just studying, just all college and no fun.”

Aamir said MISA’s Diwali celebration is important to him and other Indian students because the trip back home is so long and expensive.

“Not all of us get to go back home every summer, so you know, these things are very close to us,” Aamir said. “This is like a little family at MSU. It means that I have a home away from home.”

Once the cultural presentation reached its end, members of MISA began inviting the audience to join the dance. Students and even teachers including Shipley and Magaly Rin-

PHOTO BY ROY RICHESON / WICHITAN

PHOTO BY ROY RICHESON / WICHITAN

Dipika Nayuk, graduate in exercise physiology, dances to contemporary Indian pop music to show students the culture and customs of Indian students. “We want you to take back home the different colors, the different kind of foods and basically our culture,” Nayuk said.

Kareem Small, graduate in biology, joins Hrishi Pathak, graduate in exercise physiology, on stage after audience members were invited to dance. “I learned from an Indian student who told me that that dance actually lasts an hour in India,” Small said.

con-Zachary, professor of biology, joined the dance which traditionally would last for an hour. Fortunately for those participating, it didn’t last any longer than 10 minutes.

Kareem Small, graduate in biology, said his background in music made it interesting to discern the cadences of the music when he joined the dancers on stage.

“One of the things I realized is that what they present to us has some western influence because I noticed that all of the time signatures were in common time,” Small said. “In India they have a lot of different time signa-

tures so I realized there’s an interplay between the western culture and the Indian culture.”

That interplay of cultures extended beyond the music and into the very philosophy of the MISA members’ reason for hosting the event each year.

Jaydeep Kolape, graduate in biology, said some students felt left out because they weren’t able to fully express the importance of their culture.

“This time we thought, let’s just enjoy and if we really enjoy our culture, then definitely people will enjoy too.”

3909 Wayne Ave. Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 Phone (940) 228-7712

6 | Nov. 20, 2013 |

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Rachel Bullard, junior in theater, looks over the script backstage before rehearsal Monday.

Student rises to occasion as last-minute stage manager COURTNEY BETTS REPORTER

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eated backstage in the dark during another night of rehearsal for “Wiley and the Hairy Man”, junior in theater, Rachel Bullard, has only a small desk light to allow her to see her notes in the prop book at her work station.

“I was kind of thrown into this position right before production as assistant stage manager and from then on, the rest is history,” Bullard said.

Bullard is usually in the spotlight of a show as a cast member, like in her role in the department’s most recent play, Diary of Anne Frank.

“I’m a performer so what I’m used to is acting because that is primarily what I want to do,” Bullard said.

Originally Bullard was part of the publicity crew, but a call from the original assistant stage manager, Wendi Wainscott, changed everything.

“She contacted me right after her audition for a role in Beauty and the Beast at the Wichita Theater and offered me the position,” Bullard said. “She needed to know at that moment because she had to inform Elizabeth Lewandowski about the change as soon as possible. I had no time to think about it, but I took the position anyways.”

Bullard makes sure everything runs smoothly on the stage during performances.

“When the show is up, the director can’t do anything else because once he’s directed the show, that’s it,” Bullard said. “It’s up to me and the stage manager to run the show.”

When the show starts, Bullard is responsible for everything that happens on deck and manages everyone backstage.

“It’s a whole lot of responsibility and a totally new atmosphere for me because I’m a performer,” Bullard said. “This is the technician side and it broadens my view on theater and of all the different jobs backstage. “ The director of the show and assistant

Wichitan_11_20_2013_5-8.indd 6

professor of theater, John Dement, said there have been some setbacks in the production, but the cast and crew have really adapted well to the obstacles thrown at them.

At one point, another actor was integrated into the show because the lead role, Zac Binx, broke his toe while moving a piece of stage equipment three weeks into rehearsal.

Despite the obstacles Bullard had to face during rehearsals, she kept her composure and her passion for the arts. She was inspired by her mother, Kathy Bullard, at a young age to pursue a career in theater because her mother also studied theater in college.

“Ever since Rachel was about the age of 4, she has been in theater skits and church programs,” Mrs. Bullard said. “Theater has always been a part of Rachel’s life and it has been a natural thing for her.”

Mrs. Bullard attributes the success of her daughter to Rachel’s high school theater teacher and former MSU graduate, Sean Dusty.

“He took her to the next level and pushed her to be in every production she could be in since her freshman year of high school,” Mrs. Bullard said. “He stopped by my shop and told me how impressed he was of Rachel’s growth after seeing her performance in The Diary of Anne Frank.”

Bullard’s transition from performing onstage to backstage also included her work as a makeup designer for the chorus of the “Sweeney Todd” production, which had one of the largest casts in a show.

Although the hours are strenuous and there have been a few hiccups, Bullard has taken on her new role in stride and looks forward to tomorrow’s opening.

“I thoroughly enjoy this new leadership position,” Bullard said. “It’s given me a whole different view on being a theater technician and I would definitely do it again for another production.”

PHOTOS BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

TOP LEFT Zac Binx (Wiley), junior in theater, and Heather Berryhill (Mammy), senior in theater, ­rehearse Tuesday night for performances of “Wiley and the Hairy Man” that open in Fain Fine Arts theater Nov. 21. | TOP RIGHT Anthony Garza (critter), freshman in theater, and the critters practice for Wiley and the Hairy Man Nov. 18. | BOTTOM LEFT Zac Binx (Wiley), junior in theater, and Heather Berryhill (Mammy), senior in theater, ­rehearse Tuesday night. “I am super excited for the opening,” Berryhill said. “It will be a great experience for kids and for adults.” | BOTTOM RIGHT Heather Berryhill (Mammy) rehearses Tuesday night. “[Working with two different people playing Wiley] was challenging at the beginning. It was like working in the pro world since you will have understudies come in and work.” Binx was originally cast as Wiley but Houston Pokorny substituted for him after Binx injured his foot.

READ THE FULL STORY AT THEWICHITAN.COM

12/11/13 4:36 PM

|Nov. 20, 2013 | 7 VOLLEYBALL

BASKETBALL

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Dianna Jones, junior in physical therapy, looks to pass during the Mustangs 79-72 win over Southeastern Oklahoma State University during the Ashbrook Classic at D.L. Ligon Coliseum Nov. 16. The Mustangs will be traveling to Emporia, Kansas Nov. 23 to play Emporia State University with tip-off at 3 p.m. The next home game will be Dec. 5 against Texas Woman’s University at 6 p.m.

PHOTOS BY SAM CROFT / WICHITAN

Michelle Blount, senior in geology, and Caitlin Wallace, senior in exercise physiology, block a smash from the opposing team, Texas A&M-Kingsville, to win a set 3-0 game at the D.L. Coliseum on Nov. 14.

SOCCER

Marija Jovanovic, senior in mass communication, and Sarah Garfield, freshman in education and business, block at the net to save a point against Texas A&M-Kingsville.

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PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Len Smith, junior in business management, fights to get around the defender, trying to score in the first half of the game Nov. 17 at the soccer field. The Mustangs beat the Colorado Miners 1-0 and are moving on to the next round in the NCAA Division II playoffs. Their next game will be in Denver against Regis University Nov. 22.

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8 | Nov. 20, 2013 | FOOTBALL

Football team misses playoffs Players lose final two games to be left out of postseason play for first time since 2008 CODY SAMPLES REPORTER

C

oming into the season, the football team was ranked 15th in the preseason poll and the players were looking to win another conference championship.

With 33 lettermen and 13 starters gone from last season’s 9-2 championship team, the players were relying on newcomers to help fill the void.

“You know, we’ve got some young guys there that are learning their way through it but they are flying around and they are in great shape,” Adam Austin, offensive coordinator, said. “We had a great first two days of practice.”

Still, despite the team being ranked as high as 12th in the coaches’ poll and fourth in the super region, the players dropped their final two games to be left out of the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

The team opened the season in the Lone Star Football Festival against Tarleton State.

“I’m not a big football fan, but having the chance to go to the new Cowboys stadium was something that I didn’t want to pass up,” Ashley Channels, senior in biology, said.

“Experiencing something like that, it makes me want to come back and watch them again hopefully next year.”

After a game that went down to the final minutes, the Mustangs lost 24-27.

Still, after the loss, the team would go on and win its next seven games, with one of the wins coming against a top-10 team in the nation, West Alabama. In that game, senior running back Keidrick Jackson broke the school’s rushing record held by Daniel Polk.

“It was good because it was Homecoming, my last Homecoming, and it was one of the top teams, top 10 teams in the nation,” Jackson said.

One of the strengths of this year’s team was the play of the defensive backs and what they contributed to the team.

“We led the conference in interceptions, they didn’t let the ball get outside of us very often,” head football coach Bill Maskill said.

“They are well coached and they made plays when the ball was in the air.”

And while the defensive line was a strength, the offensive line was a different story, lacking depth.

“We managed to win seven games despite no depth on the offensive line,” Maskill said.

“Some of the playing, other guys were in front of them at the end of spring practice. One was thrown in jail, one didn’t come back this semester and two dropped out in the season.

We still led the conference in rushing with about 261 yards per game, last year we were third in the country at 324 yards a game.”

The depth on the offensive line is not the only thing that Maskill thinks his team can improve on for next season.

“We need to be able to throw the ball to keep them out of the box, receivers catching balls,” Maskill said. “The kickoff team was not as good as in the past. It hasn’t been very good, like we like it. Lots of defensive ends, which gave us a pass rush, but not many defensive tackles, we had to roll with what we had.”

When it comes to recruiting, Maskill said he is working not on filling specific positions but on finding guys that can contribute right away.

“Transfers are the ones that are immediate help, the guys that can come in and you project to play right away,” Maskill said. “We graduated two safeties and a corner. We will look at all positions and see if they are better than what we had.”

Although he is looking to fill those specific positions, Maskill said recruiting can sometimes be a little bit of a challenge.

“It’s like a chess game. We like him but he might not like us,” Maskill said. “You like this guy but he wants all this money. This guy over here is almost as good, but might not take as much. We have a list that we are going to go after or look at. Our wants are greater than our needs. What we like to get is not necessarily what we need.”

With an earlier-than-expected offseason, the coaches said they will be focusing on making the playoffs next year.

“Get more speed, agility and strength,” Maskill said. “Strength is always an issue.

Power and explosion, things we focus on every year.”

PHOTO BY ALEISHA SOLORIO / WICHITAN

Gadrian Muse, senior in kinesiology, runs towards the West Texas A&M running back during the MSU loss of 12-19 Nov. 16 at Memorial Stadium.

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Head Coach Bill Maskill argues with officials after running back Keidrick Jackson gets drilled into the ground by a West Texas A&M defender Nov. 16 at Memorial Stadium.

PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Shavodrick Beaver, senior in criminal justice, keeps the ball during a play at Memorial Stadium.