Oct. 15, 2008

The student voice of Midwestern State University

The Wichitan page 7 The trail home

page 9 MSU drops the ball

The spirit of MSU Homecoming was celebrated with bonfires, fireworks and competition.

Mustangs lose Homecoming game against conference foe No. 17 Tarleton State, 37-16

WEDNESDAY, October 15, 2008

Prof digs up dirt in dark history of Texas icons Chris Collins Managing Editor

The Texas Rangers. These men, legends in the annals of Texan lore, are remembered by their enormous deeds, both real and imagined. The facts and mythologies surrounding this volunteer force are as inscrutably tied together as a spinning lasso ring. Dr. Michael Collins, interim chair of the history department at MSU, made it his goal to find the truth behind this famed corps of volunteers. His book, Texas Devils: Rangers and Regulars on the Lower Rio Grande, 1846-1861, digs into the multi-generational

struggle between Mexico and the United States during a tumultuous period in both nation’s histories. It aims to shed a critical light on one of the most storied minute companies in the nation’s history: the Texas Rangers. “Being a native Texan, I had always been fascinated with the subject of the Texas Rangers,” Collins said. “But only in time did I realize how complicated the issues were.” Texas Devils was published in 2008 by the University of Oklahoma Press. Collins signed copies of the book in the MSU Bookstore Saturday. Past historians hadn’t told the

Photo by Patrick Johnston

story of the Texas frontiersman correctly, Collins thought. Even reputed historian Walter Prescott Webb had refrained from shining light on the ugly side of Rangers affairs.

“There is still a story to tell,” Collins said. “This is the one Walter Prescott Webb and other historians never told.” Collins asserts that the Rangers weren’t necessarily as self-

less or affluent as Texan lore oftentimes makes them out to be. While some were in service of their state, others were only in service of themselves. “Anglo-Texas didn’t always carry themselves in the manner they’re presented to us in popular TV shows and songs,” Collins said. “Some Ranger acts would surprise Texans today because they don’t fit the image of ‘good guys in white hats.’” The Texan victory at Huamantla, Mexico, in 1847 is an example of the vicious, vengeful tactics Rangers could use to demoralize opposition. Following the assassination of beloved captain Samuel Walker, Anglo-

Brittany Norman Editor in Chief

Recent incidences of gun violence on college campuses have triggered a statewide debate on how to protect against such tragedies. Governor Rick Perry believes that allowing concealed weapons on college and university campuses would be the perfect way to discourage would-be shooters. The opposition believes that encouraging the carrying of firearms in currently restricted areas would be a recipe for disaster. MSU political organizations held a campus-wide debate Thursday on the subject. Honor-Bound

Conservative Chase Thornton spoke in favor of concealed weapons on college campuses. MSU Democrat Todd Henloh took the opposition, stating that arming students and faculty would only lead to more danger. Thornton said that while incidences of gun violence on college campuses are uncommon, arming students could help to prevent shootings and minimize the damage if someone did open fire. “Let’s just say that a very rare incident happens and you have guys walking through campus with M16s,” Thornton said. “It takes five to seven minutes on average for a police force to respond See FIREARMS p. 3

See DEVILS p. 3

Half a century later, class of 1958 comes home to MSU

brush.” Brown came to MSU to play football but soon quit to join the Songs such as “Great Balls of boxing team instead. Fire,” “Good Golly Miss Molly” This year MSU has record and “La Bamba” blasted over enrollment with over 6,300 stuthe airwaves. dents; in 1958 there were about Films like “Cat On a Hot Tin 160 enrolled. Roof” and “Attack of the 50 “It was really good back then. Foot Woman” ruled the silver All the professors knew you and screen. it was really It was a personal,” time of pooBrown said. dle skirts, “I used to drive-in drink cofmovies and fee with my the Comprofessors m u n i s t every mornscare. ing and we The year would just Patsy Baggett Joe Brown was 1958. sit there and Photos from 1958 Wai-Kun M S U talk.” graduat Patsy ing class of Baggett, 1958 celebrated its 50-year re- another 1958 graduate, was a union during Homecoming with business major. She played in a dessert social. the band, was a member of the “This is a huge milestone Spurettes and served on the stuwhen a class is able to get to- dent government. gether after so much time has “I really enjoyed dorm life passed,” said Leslee Ponder, here at Midwestern. We truly director of Alumni Relations. had some great times there. I “This group meets every year, was from here but my parents but this being the 50-year mark wanted me to have the full colis really special.” lege experience so I stayed in Much has changed since the dorms all four years,” she these MSU grads roamed the said. campus. Brown also relished in the “It cost me $15 a month to dorm experience. stay in the dorms and about “I remember staying in the $200 for a full semester’s worth dorms several months even afof tuition,” said animal huster I graduated. I just kept paybandry major Joe Brown. Although the prices seem ing them each month and they cheap, Brown remembers strug- let me stay,” he said. Baggett played the clarinet in gling to foot the bill. “I would write my check for the band and worked for $1.50 tuition and it would bounce ev- an hour as secretary to the band ery semester. There just wasn’t director. enough money to go around,” “I loved my time in band. We had gold uniforms with batteryhe recalled. Brown worked his way operated lights that lit us up through college, earning $1.50 from head to toe. It was an iman hour writing for the Times pressive display,” she said. Record News. He also bred MSU 50 years ago is quite different than today. Brown and calves for the T-Bone Ranch. “Where many students live Baggett have seen the changes now, in the French Quarter come and go. Baggett went on Apartments, that all used to to attend graduate school at the be the T-Bone Ranch,” Brown University of Missouri. Brown, said. “Where the bank and First retired, still writes for the Times Christian Church are on Taft, Record News in a column called that was all mesquite trees and “How Now Joe Brown?” Russ Lawrenz For the Wichitan

Texans commenced to kill innocent men, brutalize women and children and vandalize churches and houses. “This is the origin of a troubled relationship,” Collins said. He urges readers not to take Rangers actions out of historical context, though some may be surprised by documented atrocities of the mounted patrols. “They were ambitious men, but they were human. You can’t take them out of the context of their time,” Collins said. Texas entered the Union in 1845 as a slave state, though Mexico still considered part of the territory to be its property.

Sweepstakes Winner 2006 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

Viewpoints

Finalist 2004 Associated Collegiate Press Pacemaker Award

The Wichitan

Staff Editorial

TubeTheVote.com educates student voters

At the beginning of the month, the Web

site TubeTheVote.com was launched in an attempt to educate potential voters, especially students, about the upcoming election.

The Web site is very student- friendly and

is set up with a very Apple-like design.

The slide show setup shows viewers sev-

eral pages of completely unbiased information and has a side-by-side layout on every page. The layout is cleverly designed so that news about the Republican Party and news about the Democratic Party are represented together.

This Web site is an entirely new way of

viewing political news, due to its creative setup and strictly educational goal. It is also one-ofa-kind because it is put together by journalism students from across the nation, including eight from Midwestern.

The students pull news from other sourc-

es and compile the best editorial coverage they can find with the goal of letting voters “find for themselves what ‘truth’ is.”

It seems to meet its goal perfectly and

does a great job at attracting its target demographic. Not only are there news briefs about the candidates and political matters, but there is a also a Best Parody page, a Worst Moments page and even a Quote Quiz.

TubeTheVote is unbelievably easy to

navigate, and is constantly updated with new information that forces students to see both sides of every issue, which is surprisingly different

Tina Fey displays winning performance Alyssa Edson Opinion Editor

Personally, I think Tina Fey is a comic genius. Mean Girls is a classic, Baby Mama was absolutely hysterical, and 30 Rock is one of my favorite shows. More recently however, her impression of Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live has backed my opinion that Fey is the female Einstein of comedy. Keeping all this in mind, you have to realize I am totally in support of Sarah Palin for vice president. Apparently, people think that’s some sort of oxymoron – like, for some reason I can’t laugh while a comedian mocks the person I think should help to lead our nation. Since the first Sarah Palin skit appeared on Saturday Night Live, the media has had a field day claiming that the skits could point out negative aspects of Palin that people did

not consider before. On LosAngelesTimes.com there was even a poll asking potential voters whether the skits have changed the way they were going to vote. Sadly, many people said that the perceptions they have formed about the presidential candidates’ running mates while watching the skits are ones they will carry with them to the voting booth. Whatever. I’m pretty sure I have the ability keep my opinions in balance even if one of my favorite comedians makes fun of them. One thing I do find funny about the whole thing, besides obviously the skits that are shown on air, is Tina Fey’s opposition against having Sarah Palin as our future vice president. On MSNBC.com, Tina Fey is quoted as saying that if McCain and Palin win the election,

Something to say?

The Web site forces you to drop your per-

sonal biases and focus on each individual issue. Do yourself a favor and check it out.

And don’t forget to vote.

The Wichitan 3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 • Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 News Desk (940) 397-4704 • Advertising Desk (940) 397-4705 Fax (940) 397-4025 • E-mail WICHITAN@mwsu.edu Web site: http://wichitan.mwsu.edu Copyright © 2007. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. The Wichitan reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication. Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reflect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University. First copy of the paper is free of charge; additional copies are $1. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address for verification purposes. The editor retains the right to edit letters.

and many other traits of Palin, but I find what some claim to be insults, harmless. Quite frankly, the skits make her seem even more relatable to me. I am well aware that there are people, articles, even statistics out that say this “fun” is changing the way potential voters are considering their candidate and running mate, but I honestly feel differently. I am totally rooting for Palin, as I have been since McCain announced his choice for vice president. I am also anxiously awaiting the next Saturday Night Live, or heck, maybe there will be another Thursday Night Live. Hopefully, we’ll see Fey get all “mavericky” many more times so that I have new lines to quote from the political skits in my everyday conversations.

The Wichitan is seeking guest columnists. If you have something you’d like to write about, e-mail an opinion piece to wichitan@ mwsu.edu. We welcome opinions from students, faculty and staff.

Use your voice!

than just viewing information about your candidate of choice.

“I’m done. And by ‘I’m done’ I mean I’m leaving earth.” If the woman she has been impersonating for the past few weeks makes it into office in the near future, then Tina, I’ll miss your humor but good luck living on the surface of Mars. I think it’s totally acceptable that I find the political skits funny. Sarah Palin doesn’t even take them to heart! Her spokesperson told reporters that Palin found the skits extremely funny, especially since she has dressed as Tina Fey for Halloween in past years. I don’t understand why everyone thinks it’s wrong for me to quote the skit and re-watch it on YouTube, but I’m pretty sure that if Sarah Palin can laugh at the impressions, I can too. I’m not a moron, I do know that the skits are making fun of her and Tina Fey is mocking her lack of experience, her overuse of the word “maverick,”

THINK GREEN: Please recycle The Wichitan after reading.

Bins are located in Clark Student Center and Bolin Hall Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief Brittany Norman

Managing Editor Chris Collins

Entertainment Editor Courtney Foreman

Reporters Richard Carter Josh Mujica Lauren Wood

Op-Ed Editor Alyssa Edson

Photographers Loren Eggenschwiler

Photo Editor Patrick Johnston

Advertising Manager Ayesha Dorsey

Sports Editor Bobby Morris

Copy Editor Patrick Johnston Adviser Randy Pruitt

News

The Wichitan Oct. 15, 2008

3

DEVILS......................................................................................................... continued from pg. 1 This was a key turning point in affairs between the United States and Mexico, which were already shaky. Many of the reprehensible acts committed by Anglo-Texans occurred in tandem with the beginning of the U.S.-Mexican War of 1846. Though the conflict ended in 1848, injustices on both sides of the border continued well through the Civil War. “They didn’t want to start a war with Mexico,” Collins said. “They wanted to finish the last one. In their minds the war was not over yet.” Collins said a Texas history course at TCU revealed many nuances of Mexican-American relations to him. It made him consider the possibility that Texas Rangers clout may have come from infamy rather than fame. “Legends die hard, but sometimes they never die at all,” he said. “People want to believe their ancestors always acted in the best light.” Collins had to face a harsh reality when he found that not even one of his heroes, Governor Sam Houston, was immune to controversy. “Sam Houston is and always will be one of my heroes in American history,” Collins said. “But the old man was up to more than I had thought.” The Texas of 150 years ago was very different than it is now. It was a harsh, unforgiving place of adventure and danger. It offered bountiful opportunity and boundless pain. Some settlers considered it the nation’s last bastion of lawlessness. The people who decided to

Campus briefs •

Hispanic Heritage

Month movie: “Maria Full of Grace;” CSC Shawnee; Wed. 7 p.m. •

Oct. 16

Athletics luncheon;

Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU; video replays, coach updates; Thurs. 12 p.m. to 1 p.m.; cost $6 • Writing profeciency exam; Bolin 100; Thurs. 2 p.m.; $25 testing fee can be paid at door

Oct. 18

Photo by Patrick Johnston Dr. Michael Collins signs a copy of his new book, Texas Devils: Rangers and Regulars of the Lower Rio Grande, 1846-1861. He signed copies of the book in the MSU Bookstore Saturday.

•

call it home were, understandably, of a certain breed. “According to Webb,” Collins said in his book, “the Ranger was a product of his harsh, unforgiving environment. He was largely defined by his interaction with the raw forces and unpredictable elements in nature.” Despite some disquieting results of his research into Rangers history, Collins is glad he took the time – about four years of research – to dig up dirt. “The Ranger myth doesn’t hold up under the weight of the evidence that’s presented,” Col-

lot sale; Dillard building; Sat. 8 a.m. -

lins said. “It’s the evidence that leads us to the truth. The truth is a good thing, no matter what it is.” Texas Devils is relevant to today’s culture, Collins said. The Rangers symbolize an uproarious, colorful period in the state’s history, but contemporary Texans will face many of the same moral issues as the mounted patrols. “Events in Mexico have a direct bearing on us,” Collins said. “These relations are infinitely more important than they would have been a century ago.”

Collins thinks old prejudices may be flaring up again, though the potential for improvement in U.S.-Mexican relations is tremendous. “We’re beginning to see many people incited in this country by the issue of illegal immigration,” Collins said. “It’s a raw nerve.” Feelings of distrust between the two nations have existed for centuries. Collins said he doesn’t know if these differences will ever be reconciled. “I’m a historian, not a prophet,” he said.

FIREARMS................................................................................................... continued from pg. 1 to anything, let along a SWAT team. For five to seven minutes, you’re going to give these murderers the opportunity to snipe off individuals with no one trying to stop them.” He went on to say that at the colleges across the nation where students are currently allowed to carry concealed weapons with a permit, there have been no shootings. Henloh disputed that argument. “The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence,” Henloh said. “There are thousands of schools across the nation who don’t have guns and don’t have

Oct. 15

Spanish club, Omega

Delta Phi, Kappa Delta Chi parking 2 p.m. • Writing profeciency exam; Bolin 100; Sat. 10 a.m. • 2008 Voter Awareness B-B-Q sponsored by MSU Democrats; Spudder Park; Sat. 12 p.m.; no cost •

Oct. 20

Artist Lecture Se-

ries: Dr. Richard Leakey; Akin Auditorium; Mon. 7 p.m.; free to students, $15 to public.

violence. It doesn’t make any sense to give everyone guns and make guns legal when we should be increasing the penalty and increasing security to keep guns away from students.” Thornton pointed out that “everyone” wouldn’t have guns. “They act like if this was passed, everyone in the state of Texas would be carrying guns to school,” Thornton said. “Right now there are 90,867 people with concealed carry licenses in this state. It amounts to about one percent of the total population from age 21 to the grave. You’re looking at a very small percentage of college people

who could have concealed carry permits.” Mental illness is a risk factor when it comes to allowing concealed weapons on campus, despite the fact that a mental stability test is required before one can obtain a permit, Henloh said. “Mental illnesses can surface after taking the test, such as schizophrenia, depression and bipolar disorder,” Henloh said. “Let’s say that John Doe goes over and gets a concealed handgun permit and one day a mental illness is triggered. All of the sudden, you have a mentally unstable person with the right to carry a gun on campus.

“I don’t want to sit next to that person,” he said. “A quarter of the U.S. suffers from some form of mental illness, and some of the mental illnesses can also be triggered by violent crimes. (Concealed handgun carry) would be a huge stressor. Guns don’t belong in the learning environment. They can only deter learning.” Thornton said that in states where concealed handgun carry was legalized, crime rates did not rise significantly. “Most criminals were previously convicted felons who acquired a gun illegally,” Thornton said. “Disarming legal citizens

and placing them at the mercy of illegal citizens is not something I agree with.” He sees no reason the laws that exist outside the confines of the university should not carry over into the classroom. “This is the real world,” Thornton said. “This is adult life. The state of Texas says ages 21 and up can carry a pistol. We have the right to do so. However, this bit of legislation has brought up a lot of stink, but preventing someone from (carrying a gun legally) is not going to solve the problem of crimes on campus.

(Allowing it to pass) won’t cause any more crime. It’s not the law abiding citizen that’s committing the crime.” Henloh disagrees that using guns is the most effective means of defending oneself against violence on campus. “Using a gun in self defense is no more likely to reduce the incidence of being injured in a crime than any other means of self defense,” he said. “Passing this legislation could likely increase reckless shooting and a likely increase in both homicides and suicides on campus.”

undecided major currently enrolled in College Connections, walk into classrooms not really knowing what to expect from the course. “I took it because I was interested in learning about budgeting and also to meet some new people,” Hernandez said. Nimetz, who has taught the course since 2001, spends each class period trying to address important issues relevant to students. “This class isn’t meant to be filled with just lecture about the what is right and wrong,” Nimetz said. “ We try to help students realize that they are making their own decisions. Whether it’s making their class schedules, or talking about drinking and driving, we try to emphasize being smart and safe in every choice.” Members of the class are treated to a variety of material meant to give a well-rounded introduction as to academic careers. Much of the course is designed to bridge the gap for students having trouble adjusting to their new surroundings. “A lot of these kids are coming from schools where the only thing they teach is how to pass the current standardized tests,” Nimetz said. “Many don’t know what to expect when they get to a college campus. We try to put them in a

comfortable environment where they can discuss and learn about things like improving study skills, critical thinking, and different learning styles.” But not everything is directly related to books and Scantrons. A portion of the class is also dedicated to discussing relevant issues students will face once they leave the safety of the classroom walls. Things like alcohol abuse and date rape, the consequences of drinking and driving, and the dangers of sexually transmitted diseases are discussed. Some semesters, students are shown a movie detailing accounts of their peers around the nation who are now living with the results of poor decision-making. The class is also charged with the task of visiting different school functions such as sporting events, art gallery showings, artist lectures, and other events. Nimetz pointed out studies that show when students get involved in campus-related events the university as a whole maintains a higher retention rate. Some students can attest to how the class shaped their college careers. “I took college connections in the spring of 2007,” said Brittany Walsh, a sophomore mass communications major. “By the time the semester was over I was taught how to study, prioritize

and be organized. Most important, I learned that you cannot be a good student unless you really want to be.” Others considered the class to be less than memorable. “I honestly can’t remember anything I may have learned, but I do remember doing brain teasers and playing other little games,” Kenny Gill, a senior accounting major, said. Despite contrasting views, one thing is certain. Many of the students who have taken the class previously believe it to serve one primary purpose. If you take the class, you’re going to get an A. Just ask junior finance major Jonathan Dawson, who took College Connections in the fall of 2006. “I would definitely encourage incoming freshman to enroll because it is an easy grade.” Gill would also agree. “The class is an easy A and that can help your GPA starting in your freshman year.” Nimetz admits that it can be frustrating when students do not take the class seriously, but stresses that there are students who fail the course every semester. “There is work involved and we also have a strict attendance policy,” Nimetz said. “The students have to put the work in if they want to be successful not

just in this class, but for the rest of their academic lives. Obviously we’re not trying to fail people.” Students like Walsh would be the first to attest how deeply the class impacted their time at MSU. “Since I began my career as a college student with basically no formal training or study skills coming from high school, I would definitely encourage all incoming freshman to enroll in the course. High school and college are two very different worlds, and this class is sort of an introduction to say, ‘Hey this is how it’s going to be,’” Walsh said. While some might debate the value of the course, all agree that its doors should remain open only to freshman and new students in their first semester at MSU. “This seems like a freshman class, so I think only freshman should be allowed to enroll,” Hernandez said. “I think it’s good that it’s just for the noobs,” Gill added. “I basically just learned where things are on campus.” Easy A or not, as long as there are students who feel they benefited from what-

ever the course has to offer, professors like Amanda Nimetz will continue to preach the gospel of College Connections.

Entry-level class connects students to college Matt Ledesma For The Wichitan

Some say it’s an easy A. Others view it as a waste of time. Then there are those who say it helped launch their college career. To the outsider, College Connections might sound more like a dating service for single students than a legitimate class. But to professor Amanda Nimetz, instructor at the Academic Support Center, the three credit-hour class is designed to be much more than just a way for new students and incoming freshman to mingle. “Our main goal is for students to learn how to be successful in college and hopefully continue their education here at MSU,” Nimetz said. “We try to help the students make the transition from high school to college.” Besides fulfilling her duties as academic coordinator for student-athletes, Nimetz also teaches two to three sections of the course each semester. It’s one of the main reasons her office desk at the Academic Support Center is heaped with stacks of files detailing the academic lives of MSU students. On any given weekday freshmen like Josh Hernandez, an

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4 Entertainment Fall DVD releases: to rent or ignore? The Wichitan Oct. 15, 2008

Billy O’Keefe MCT

There’s serious trouble brewing in Turaqistan. But don’t expect any sad faces from the fine folks (Joan Cusack, Dan Aykroyd and Ben Kingsley, among others) at Tamerlane, which occupies the Middle Eastern country and stands on the threshold of supplying ammunition for the first war in human history to exist on the backs of corporate interests. Unfortunately, that same giddiness doesn’t apply to Brand Hauser (John Cusack), who is the company’s finest assassin but currently is struggling to quell some inner demons while working undercover at the company’s trade expo, which also features an international pop star’s (Hilary Duff) gala celebrity wedding. Wait, what? Sounds like a mess, no? It probably should be: “War, Inc.” seems bent on lampooning more aspects of our present condition than any single movie can possibly handle without tripping over its own feet. But within this madness exists a smart, honestto-goodness story about a man, his past and his motivation for doing what he does. And with this serious side taking top billing, “Inc’s” wackier half is free to run absolutely wild in the background, darkly and brilliantly sending up one topic after another before reeling it all in for one spectacularly ridiculous climax. The final product jells almost too well - a seamless mix of humor, heartache and commentary that we can only hope never, ever comes true. Marisa Tomei also stars. No extras. “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” (PG-13, 2008, Lucasfilm/Paramount) Perhaps you’ve developed a deep fondness over the years for Indiana Jones (Harrison Ford) and his ability to look for treasure and find trouble instead. And perhaps, upon first hearing about “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull,” you grew stricken with the fear that George Lucas was going to do to your favorite archeologist what he did to Anakin Skywalker. And then your friend went and saw it while you nervously hung back, and all he could relay was how this was the unquestionable worst Indy film ever. And so you avoided the film, only to be reminded once again, this week, that you can’t keep this up forever. Well, here’s the good news: “Skull” is no “Phantom Menace.” The acting isn’t unbearably wooden, the token sidekick character (Shia LaBeouf) actually contributes, and Ford doesn’t do anything to taint his character’s legacy. Your friend wasn’t wrong: “Skull’s” excessive length, strange pacing issues (too much talking here, too much computer-generated action there), wandering plot and cardboard villain (Cate Blanchett) leave it out of the original trilogy’s league, and you may or may not absolutely hate the final reveal behind the mystery of the titular skull.

But in between those issues exist some one-liners, chases and scenes that remain the exclusive domain of Indiana Jones. Dampen your expectations, and look at “Skull” as a bizarre lost episode starring an old friend instead of some franchise crown jewel, and you might be surprised how much fun you derive from it. “Y.P.F.” (NR, 2007, ThinkFilm) The “Y” and “P” in “Y.P.F.” are short for “Young” and “People,” respectively. The “F” stands for a present-tense verb, ending in “ing,” that cannot be published in this newspaper. If you can’t solve that little riddle, please feel free to stop reading and move on assured that “Y.P.F.” - an ensemble comedy that meticulously chronicles the good, bad and awkward of five different sexual encounters isn’t a movie for you. For those who remain, best not to get too excited: If you’re looking for 90 minutes of non-stop titillation, this isn’t it. Though sex absolutely provides the context, “Y.P.F.” trades in dialogue far more than nudity, exploring the consequences of the depicted human relationships rather than using those relationships as an excuse to bust out a bunch of steamy images. If that has your sociological side atwitter... again, best not to get excited. “Y.P.F.” is, more than anything on either side, a slice-of-life comedy that’s so inconsequential as to be almost cute. Some of the characters are funny, endearing and weird, and the film as a whole is pretty entertaining while it lasts, but if you’re expecting to learn something about the opposite sex or even yourself from watching, you’re expecting too much. Given the comedic intentions, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. No extras. “The Long Green Line” (NR, 2008, LGL Productions) If you’re not one to follow the Illinois high school cross country racing scene - and if not, what’s wrong with you? - you probably have never heard of York High School. Here’s all you need to know: York is the New York Yankees of Chicagoland cross country, and as “The Long Green Line’s” cameras start rolling, the school is 24 state championships deep and gunning for No. 25. One imagines that “Line’s” filmmakers set out merely to chronicle what looked like an inevitable run toward that 25th title, perhaps paying tribute to coach Joe Newton’s decades of service in the process. On both fronts, they succeed, and had certain bouts of turmoil not surfaced to considerably spice things up, “Line” would probably do just fine as an inspiring documentary about ordinary kids becoming part of something bigger than them. But turmoil happens, Newton rises to meet it halfway, and “Line” instead tells an even better story about ordinary kids struggling for that slice of greatness while fighting that same battle we all fight against compulsion, temptation, stupidity and general bad luck. Any attempts at squeaky-clean tribute

The Wichitan is looking for writers:

wichitan@mwsu.edu

filmmaking fall by the wayside very quickly, and “Line” emerges a significantly more meaningful and transcendent film by embracing the hand life dealt it. Extras: Outtakes, and lots of them. “Scott Baio is 45... and Single” (NR, 2007, Anchor Bay) “Scott Baio is 46 & Pregnant” (NR, 2008, Anchor Bay) Please welcome Scott Baio as the newest member of the “Having My Own Reality Show Sure Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time” club. Hey, at least he isn’t sharing a mansion with 25 mentally unhinged women auditioning to

be his wife. Baio already has the love of his life, and now it’s time to face his extreme commitment issues or lose! her! forever! Right. Like most celebrity-fronted reality shows, both “Scott Baio is 45... and Single” and “Scott Baio is 46 & Pregnant” play out more like half-written sitcoms than an intimate look inside the life of someone with absolutely nothing to do. Baio introduces the first episode of “Single” by explaining that everything we see is real, but between our star’s hammy overreactions and the bounty of undeniably rehearsed exchanges he shares with his friends, life

“SilverHawks: Volume One” (NR, 1986, Warner Bros.): Don’t remember this one? Probably best not to bother, then. “SilverHawks” is the spiritual, outer space-based successor to the more recognizable “Thundercats” cartoon, and like most 1980s cartoons returning to prominence via DVD, it’s better enjoyed for its nostalgic merits than its writing, animation or storylines, which follow the “bad guys concoct plan, good guys foil plan, bad guys somehow always get away” formula to a T. Contents: 32 episodes, plus a retrospective.

coach, agent and girlfriend, he’s kidding no one. Let’s hope that’s the case, anyway: If the real Scott Baio really is this unpleasant, a second-rate TV show and an acting career that’s circling the drain are nowhere near his top troubles. That goes triple for best friend Johnny Venocur, a hanger-on so shameless in his affinity for leeching that he’d make the cast of “Entourage” blush. “Single” contents: Seven episodes, plus a behind-the-scenes feature. “Pregnant” contents: Nine episodes, plus deleted scenes. WORTH A MENTION:

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Entertainment

The Wichitan Oct. 15, 2008

5

Leonardo at it again with ‘Body of Lies’

A

star-crossed lover, a con-artist and most recently, a CIA agent. Leonardo DiCaprio has shown his talent through many roles in films. The tall, slender, green-eyed actor began his career with appearances on TV family sitcoms, including his role as a young homeless boy on “Growing Pains.” A couple years later, DiCaprio was cast alongside Johnny Depp in What’s Eating Gilbert Grape? in 1993 as a mentally challenged younger brother. The 19-year-old actor snared a Best Supporting Actor Oscar nomination for his performance. Two film flops later, DiCaprio bounced back with his shot-to-fame role in the eagerly awaited William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. Paired with Claire Danes, he strove to cre-

ate a more “hard-core” Romeo for this interesting take on the classic. A year later he landed the lead role in Titanic, playing an impoverished American artist who wins a third-class ticket on the historically doomed luxury liner and enters into a love affair with the young socialite, played by Kate Winslet. The film became the all-time highest grossing film in history, but didn’t get Leonardo a nomination. However, it did increase the media’s fascination with the heartthrob actor. In 1998 he starred in a dual role of French King Louis XIV and his twin brother in The Man in the Iron Mask. Two years later he emerged again in The Beach as an American searching for last treasure on a secluded Asian island. Continuing with his knack for interesting roles, DiCaprio plays an Irish-American immigrant who is released from prison and is intent on taking on the gangs that killed his father in

Photo courtesy Leonardo DiCaprio and Russel Crowe star in “Body of Lies,” released Oct. 10

Gangs of New York. DiCaprio‘s co-stars include Cameron Diaz and Daniel-Day Lewis in this period drama directed by Martin Scorsese. DiCaprio also got to work with director Steven Spielberg in Catch Me If You Can, in

which he plays a real-life conartist, Frank Abagnale, who successfully pulled off dozens of scams in various identities and became the youngest man on the FBI’s most wanted list. DiCaprio received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Ac-

Courtney Foreman Entertainment Editor

and her father’s videotape of the 1960s television rock show Ready Go! After Duffy’s parents divorced when she was 10, she moved to Pembrokeshire with her mother and sisters. Duffy eventually returned to her original home of Nefyn when she was 15 and began singing in various local bands. After a couple of failed attempts with different music projects in Switzerland, Duffy returned to Wales in 2003 and auditioned for a Welsh alternative/pop idol Wawffactor, but unfortunately lost the competition coming in second place. After the disappointing loss, Duffy decided to study at the University of Chester in Chester, England. There she began to build support as she performed in local jazz and blues clubs. In 2004, the singer/ songwriter recorded a three-song EP in Welsh. After being introduced to Rough Trade Records, they moved her to Crouch End in London where she started to work on perfecting her original sound. After Duffy was contracted with A&M Records in 2007, she performed on the BBC2 television show, which scored her a second appearance on the New Year’s Eve Show Hootenanny. For the next year or so, Duffy would perform on various BBC television shows that

signed to work undercover inside a notorious Irish-American gang. In his next film, DiCaprio fills the role of a South African diamond smuggler who joins forces with a poor fisherman, played by Djimon Hounsou, in order to find a rare pink diamond. He earned Golden Globe nominations for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture for both The Departed and Blood Diamond. Body of Lies, his latest film, premiered Oct. 10. DiCaprio plays a CIA agent who is sent to Jordan, Israel, to track a high-ranking terrorist, but is in constant communication with a U.S. government official, played by Russell Crowe. DiCaprio is aided by the head of Jordan’s covert operations in an uneasy alliance that leads to a cultural and moral clash between the three men. This action/drama film is rated R for strong violence and language.

New artist Duffy rises to the top Duffy brings a sound to the table that she can truly call her own. With comparisons to Dolly Parton and Dusty Springfield, Duffy has begun to climb her way to the top of charts in both British and American music charts. Although Duffy is on her way to becoming a household name, she began small. Duffy was born Amy Ann Duffy in a small coastal town of Nefyn in Gwynedd, Wales. She began singing at the young age of six. She gained most of her inspiration from her parents’ LPs

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tor in the Drama category for his mature performance in the film. He reunited with director Scorsese on The Aviator in 2004. DiCaprio portrayed the famed billionaire Howard Hughes and his versatile qualities as a young entrepreneur who took Hollywood by storm, He was a notorious ladies’ man, a pioneer of aviation who took on the government, his potential handicapped by obsessivecompulsive disorder. DiCaprio was rewarded for his challenging role with a Golden Globe award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture in the Drama category. It also earned him his second career Academy Award nomination, and first in the Best Actor category. Immediately afterwards, DiCaprio joined up with Scorsese again to work with an all-star cast that included Matt Damon, Mark Wahlberg and Jack Nicholson in The Departed. DiCaprio plays a Boston cop as-

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one on Siart C2 charts with her Welsh language EP ‘Aimee Duffy.’ Ever since Duffy premiered her one-of-a-kind style here in America, she has been at the top of everyone’s list. This new artist debuted at number one in the UK Album Charts with the recent release of her first album Rockferry. Currently, Duffy has plans to open for Coldplay on the North American leg of their current tour. She is scheduled to open for five of Coldplay’s tour dates, including those in October and November in Ohio, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania. If you’re not lucky enough to catch this unique songstress on tour this fall, be sure to pick up Rockferry in stores now.

6

The Wichitan Oct. 15, 2008

News

Biologist Hayes speaks about environmental dangers of herbicide, as demonstrated in frogs Dr. Tyrone Hayes, professor of integrative biology at the University of California, Berkeley discovered that atrazine, an herbicide, has a multitude of damaging effects on the environment. Hayes graduated from Harvard University with his undergraduate degree in organismic and evolutionary biology in 1989. He completed his doctorate at the University of California, Berkeley in 1993, earning a Ph.D. in Integrative Biology. Hayes, the first of five guests in the Artist Lecture Series this season, warned students of the detrimental effects certain pesticides may have on the biological makeup of amphibians, small mammals and even humans. Atrazine, an herbicide used to combat weeds in corn fields, is damaging frogs in ponds and agricultural run-off areas, Hayes said. “Atrazine chemically castrates and feminizes wildlife, reducing immune function in both wildlife and laboratory rodents,” Hayes said. “The herbicide induces breast and prostate cancer, retards mammary development, and induces abortion in laboratory rodents.” Through both lab and field studies, Hayes found that the male frogs exposed to atrazine become hermaphroditic and feminized. “Studies in human populations and cell and tissue studies sug-

gest that atrazine poses similar threats to humans,” Hayes said. Hayes discovered the implications of atrazine after being hired to conduct research for Sygenta Crop Protection, a chemical company. The effects of atrazine are not

limited to amphibians and rodents, Hayes said. Humans exposed to atrazine on a much more concentrated level are also being damaged. People who work in agricultural areas are exposed to 200 times the level of atrazine that chemically castrates

and feminizes frogs. People who manufacture and are apply atrazine are exposed to 24,000 times the level of some amphibians. The effects of atrazine on human are being linked to prostate and breast cancer and low fertility.

Novartis and Astrazeneca, formally manufactured by Sygenta, are market drugs that inhibit aromatase, a chemical imbalance that can lead to breast and prostate cancer. Sygenta continues to sell a pesticide that produces aromatase in

humans, Hayes said. “Atrazine has been denied regulatory approval by the European Union and is thus banned in Europe,” Hayes said. “It’s even banned in Switzerland, the home of the manufacturer.” The herbicide has been removed from European shelves entirely, but the drug is not regulated in the United States. Despite evidence revealed by Hayes and other researchers, the Environmental Protection Agency has not pulled atrazine from the American market. “The Environmental Protection Agency has no capacity to deal with these issues,” Hayes said. “The EPA has never reviewed all of the evidence for atrazine’s adverse effects on wildlife and humans, but have rather had narrowly focused reviews of individual studies and effects.” The lack of response to Hayes’ research has prompted him to become politically active in halting atrazine use by promoting regulation of the chemical. Although Hayes initially was not politically motivated to begin his research, it was his work that presented the detrimental and long term effects of atrazine. This spurred his desire to actively pursue a resolution. Hayes’ work illustrates the long-reaching effects of atrazine, which could be felt by his grandchildren’s grandchildren, even though they may never be exposed to the chemical.

struction, 270 fewer parking spots exist this year. Parking exists for only one in three students, resulting in a record number of tickets. On average, 85 tickets are given out daily. Some students owe a lot. One, Hagy said, owes $3,353 for 39 outstanding tickets and late fees. According to Hagy, the uni-

versity collected $115,619 last year, leaving an outstanding uncollected balance of $91,139. “We donít go out each morning trying to give tickets,” Hagy said. “Of course we have to pay our bills and salaries around here but it doesnít revolve around parking tickets.” Hagy said one girl was ticketed for parking in a handicapped spot 30 times in a semester.

“She claimed that all the spots were taken and she felt unsafe parking so far from the dorms,” he said. Hagy said he’s heard all the excuses in his career as a cop. He said many students get in trouble when they stash a ticket in their vehicle and forget to pay it. One snowballs into three and finally late fees are tacked on.

“Students might think $10 for a ticket is nothing but five plus some late fees puts one well over the original $50,” he said. At the end of the semester, students with balances of more than $250 cannot register. Some attempt to get around it by paying the balance down below the $250, however, the balance must be zero before a student can receive a diploma.

Tickets range from $10 to $32. Broken down, 5,600 $10 tickets have been given to date; 1,417 were $20; 160 were $30 and 412 were $32 (no decal). Some combination fines included no decal and parking in the wrong area. Fifty-seven students are appealing their tickets.

will forward the information to campus police. The police have a chance to review it. When 50 to 75 appeals accumulate, the Traffic Appeal Committee will view the appeals. The appeals committee consists of Benton and four other members of the SGA. In the past, students have not usually presented their own cases, but there have been exceptions, Benton said. “If student feels her or she can give a better explanation in person than on the form they are allowed to be present for the review,” Benton said. While Neely is the faculty member in charge of the Appeals Committee, he refused to comment on the workings of the committee. Benton said a vast number of students believe insufficient parking is a valid reason to park in reserved, no parking, handicapped, time specific, and fire zones. Mitigating circumstances have rarely been a deciding factor in overturning a ticket, mostly because it is so hard to prove. Benton said, “only a handful, maybe 10-20 tickets are appealed a semester.” This student-compiled board has little, if any, commiseration for parking woes on MSU campus.

Benton offered some advice: “If you know you parked wrong, in a fire zone or handicapped zone, don’t appeal it. You wont win.” He encouraged students to appeal if there is confusion of appropriate times to park in zones, such as time of day or

day of the week. Once the Traffic Appeal Committee has decided on a case, the decision is final. If the committee upholds the police’s ruling then the student must pay the ticket and the appeals process ends. If the ticket is not paid,

the student will still be able to register for classes, but will be stopped from walking down the graduation aisle. Benton said staff and faculty receive tickets. They are given an opportunity to appeal the ticket as well. However, they

go through a different appeals process. The Faculty Board of Appeals heads that process. The committee members are expected to review their first set of tickets some time next week. This will be the first session this year

Andrew Weitener For the Wichitan

Photo by Loren Eggenschwiler Dr. Tyrone Hayes, a Biologist, spoke on the dangers of the herbicide Atrazine as he kicked off the Artist Lecture Series on Monday.

MSU police report record number of parking tickets Kenny Bergstrom For the Wichitan

MSU police have handed out 3,000 parking tickets this year, nearly 40 percent of the tickets issued for all of last year. According to Police Chief Michael Hagy, 8,032 tickets were issued during the 20072008 academic year. However, with ongoing con-

Ticket appeals usually denied but always considered Deidra Hadderton For the Wichitan

Every semester at MSU between 150 and 200 parking violations are appealed. MSU senior Lenny Benton and vice president of the Student Government Association, said out of 200 violations that are contested only a “small handful of tickets are overturned.” Nowhere on a ticket does it inform students of their right to appeal. Students need to go see Dail Neely, dean of students, to request a student traffic appeal form, Benton said. An appeal form should be filled out in no more than 17 days of receiving the ticket. The form consists of basic information, such as, name, address, city, state, zip code, phone number, date of appeal, MSU ID#, date of citation, citation number and a signature. The decision of the Traffic Appeal Committee is final. Once the routine information has been given, the student provides a summary of the situation and why he believes the citation should be overturned. With the form, a copy of the citation should be turned in as well. The Dean of Student office

Rick Noriega (D), For U.S. Senate Is coming to MSU at the

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Sports

On Deck this week... Thursday October 16 Volleyball

Texas A&MKingsville 7 p.m. Friday October 17

Mens Soccer West Texas A&M 7 p.m.

Womens Soccer @ East Central

Saturday October 18 Volleyball

Tarleton State 2 p.m. Cross Country @ Chile Pepper Festival at the University of Arkansas Football @ Texas A&MKingsville Rugby @ Tulsa University

Sunday October 19

Mens Soccer Eastern New Mexico 2 p.m. Womens Soccer @ Northeastern State

Tuesday October 21 Womens Soccer

Texas A&MInternational 4 p.m. Home events are Bold

The Wichitan Oct. 15, 2008

8

Women’s soccer team drops pair of one-goal games ahead 2-1 for good as TWU was able to hold off the Mustangs even though they were a player down for the final 29 minutes. Elizabeth Babb knocked in the first goal of the match just three minutes into the second half but Kari Bristow scored her third goal of the season in the 59th minute to even the tally at 1-1. Babb was ejected in the 61st minute but MSU could never capitalize, failing to score after outshooting their opponent in their tenth-straight match, 18-15. The loss came after a disheartening 2-1 double-overtime loss Friday afternoon at the A&MCommerce Soccer Field. Kelsey Hill added another goal to her sparkling freshman resume, scoring her team-best

eighth goal of the season in the 58th minute to give MSU the 1-0 advantage. The Mustangs couldn’t hold off the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions, eventually succumbing 2-1 seven minutes into the second overtime period, despite an intense, defensive effort. “I asked them to be physical, be intense, and to create good opportunities,” MSU head coach Jeff Trimble said. “They did everything I asked them to do.” MSU (6-6, 1-3) finishes out their near month-long road trip this weekend with their seventhand eighth-straight away games against East Central at 4 p.m. Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon at 1 p.m. against Northeastern State.

A rough ended couldn’t spoil Midwestern State’s stellar showing at the Queens University of Charlotte Invitational played at the Par-72, 7,089-yard Cannongate Course at Pinecrest as the Mustangs finished fourth in the two-round tournament complet-

ed Tuesday afternoon. “We had a good tournament,” MSU coach Jeff Ray said. “We were right there with three or four holes to go and we let some shots get away from us.” The Mustangs, who started the day in second place, slipped to fourth after shooting a 15-over 303 in the second round to finish

with a two-round total of 597. “This is a pretty demanding course,” Ray said. “We’re trying to play these types of courses, so we can learn to manage our game better.” Junior Mitch Molen followed Monday’s 7-under 65 with a 6-over 78 to slide from first to tied for sixth in individual med-

alist play with a 1-under total of 143. Molen finished four strokes back of top medalist Billy Belair of Lander, who fired rounds of 67 and 72 to finish at 5-under (139) for the tournament. “I wish he would have finished better for his confidence, but he had a great tournament,” Ray said.

Sophomore Travis Klutts closed with a 2-over 74 and was tied for 16th with a total of 149 (+5), while freshman Chad Bryant also fired a 74 in the second round to finish tied for 20th with a 150 (+6). The event closes the fall schedule for Midwestern State.

MSUMustangs.com For The Wichitan

Lounette Adkins (1978-79, 80-81, 93-95)

Edwards, a 5-10 center from Hirschi High School in Wichita Falls, helped MSU usher in its NAIA era with four trips to the NAIA District 8 playoffs. She averaged a team-best 12.5 points and pulled down 9.8 rebounds as a freshman in 1981-82, MSU’s first season in NAIA Division I women’s basketball, to lead the Lady Indians to the district semifinals. After averaging 7.3 points as a sophomore, Edwards returned to double-figure scoring as a junior when she scored 13.5 points and pulled down 8.4 rebounds a contest. She earned MSU’s Joe and Peggy Fitts Outstanding Woman Athlete of the Year award and

was selected as NAIA District 8 Player of the Week during her senior season of 1984-85 when she averaged 16.5 points and set a program record with 11.4 rebounds per game. Edwards is still the charter and lone member of MSU’s 1,000-rebound club with 1,014 boards and is fourth on the alltime scoring list with 1,458 points.

The middle blocker/outside hitter from Breckenridge was a first-team all-TIAA and NAIA All-District eight pick as a sophomore, junior and senior and was named TIAA Player of the Year in 1993. Hill led the Lady Indians with 251 kills (1.82 per set) and hit .411 as a senior to lead MSU to its only conference volleyball championship in school history with a 10-2 TIAA mark. She finished her career with 655 kills, 910 digs and 350 total blocks. Hill, who also earned TIAA all-academic acclaim as a junior and senior, threw the discus and shot put for the MSU track team.

Bobby Morris Sports Editor

A deflected goal in the 80th minute gave Texas Woman’s University the 2-1 victory Sunday and cost Midwestern State University their second-straight conference game, piling on to Friday’s 2-1 double-overtime loss to the hands of Texas A&MCommerce. Coming off of the 107-minute match, the Mustangs traveled to Denton to take on the TWU Pioneers in their fourth Lone Star Conference match up. Theresa Sanches spoiled the Mustangs’ hopes of climbing back to .500 by deflecting a ball into the back of the net in the 80th minute. The goal put the Pioneers

Patrick Johnston | The Wichitan Kari Bristow (9) settling a pass in a September match against Southern Nazarene. Bristow knocked in her third goal of the season in the 2-1 loss to TWU on Sunday.

Golf team takes sixth place in fall schedule finale MSUMustangs.com For The Wichitan

MSU Athletics Hall of Honor inducts four members The Midwestern State Department of Athletics inducted four new members into Hall of Honor during Homecoming ceremonies on Saturday night. Former basketball standouts Ronald “Bones” Servies, Lounette Adkins and Alice Edwards join volleyball stalwart TiAda Hill in the Hall of Fame Class of 2008. The Hall of Honor was established to recognize those individuals whose outstanding achievements and significant accomplishments have etched their name in MSU history. The Midwestern State Athletics Hall of Honor Class of 2008

Ronald “Bones” Servies (1948-51) Ronald “Bones” Servies set single season scoring records and earned All-Gulf Coast Conference honors during a distinguished career from 1948-51 after transferring from Indiana. Servies led all Indians in scoring with 284 points and a 14.2 per game average to set two new records in 1949-50, when he was also fourth in the conference in scoring and was selected to the Gulf Coast All-Conference team. Servies climaxed his senior season of 1950-51 by scoring 350 points (a new school record) with a per game average of 12.6 points. He closed his three-year career with by playing in 63 games and scoring 722 points.

Lounette Adkins was the second member of Midwestern’s 1,000-point club and played three stints covering three decades at MSU. Adkins played an integral role in helping the Lady Indians advance to the Texas Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women (TAIAW) Small College Regionals in 1978-79 when she averaged 18.5 points and 9.1 rebounds After a year away, Adkins returned to average 13.2 points and 9.3 rebounds to help Midwestern to a 22-10 record and a trip to the Southwest Association of Intercollegiate Athletics for Women Division II Regionals after the Lady Indians finished as TAIAW State runners-up. Marriage and a move placed a 12-year pause on Adkins’ basketball career, but she returned for her final two years of eligibility in 1993-94 when she was a part of two NAIA Division I National Qualifiers. Adkins’ 1,395 career points still rates sixth on the MSU annals, while her 839 rebounds are the third most is program history. Her freshman campaign of 1978-79 still ranks as the secondmost prolific season in MSU history in terms of scoring. Adkins scored 611 points, while shooting 58.7 percent from the field.

Alice Edwards (1981-85) Alice Edwards is the only player in Midwestern State history to score 1,000 points and secure 1,000 rebounds.

Cross country ready for Championships Bobby Morris Sports Editor

The Midwestern State cross country team had spent the past two weeks ranked in the United States Track & Field and Cross Country Coaches’ Association National Rankings, but last Wednesday they were voted out. After enjoying the No. 24 and No. 25 spots in the national rankings, the Mustangs fell out after

finishing second in the college division of the Oklahoma State Cowboy Jamboree on Oct. 4. MSU had a bye this week as they gear up to compete in their first 6,000-meter race of the year in Fayetteville, Ark. at the University of Arkansas’ Chile Pepper Festival on Oct. 18. The Mustangs hope to get healthy and be ready to compete in the Lone Star Conference Championships in two weeks.

TiAda Hill (1991-93) TiAda Hill was a three-time all-Texas Intercollegiate Athletic Association and NAIA AllDistrict 8 selection and led Midwestern State to a TIAA title in 1993.

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Sports

The Wichitan Oct. 15, 2008

9

Mustangs dealt Homecoming letdown by No. 17 Texans, 37-16 Bobby Morris Sports Editor

No. 17 Tarleton State reeled off 31-straight points, including 21 in the third-quarter, to spoil the Mustangs’ Homecoming game 37-16 Saturday night at Memorial Stadium. Travis Evans put the Texans on his back during the third quarter, scoring on two three-yard rushes to increase a 13-10 halftime advantage into a 34-10 Texans lead at the end of the third. Evans finished the game with 107 rushing yards on 20 carries to go along with two receptions for 18 yards. Quarterback Scott Grantham steadied the TSU attack, completing 13-of-27 passes for 209 yards through the air and two touchdowns, including a 59-yard touchdown bomb to wideout Eric Foreman one minute into

the second quarter. MSU exploded for their best offensive performance of the season in front of the packed, Homecoming crowd, totaling 377 yards of total offense but were unable to translate the yardage into additional lights on the scoreboard. A pair of missed field goals, a lost fumble and an interception deep on their own side of the field made it hard-sledding for the Mustangs most of the night, eventually only able to score once after the 3:44 mark in the first quarter. In front of a crowd of nearly 8,000, the Mustangs sustained an 80-yard, nine-play drive capped off by a eight-yard touchdown run by junior BeeJay Mathis to strike first in their third Lone Star conference game. After a pair of field goals in the first quarter, Tarleton State found

the endzone on the GranthamForeman connection at the 13:25 mark in the second quarter to take the lead 13-10, as they drove down the field after a missed field goal attempt. BeeJay Mathis fumbled away the Mustangs only other first-half scoring opportunity on the TSU 25-yardline with a little over two minutes on the clock. But after halftime, the defense for MSU wilted, allowing touchdowns on all three of the Texans’ third quarter possessions. Quarterback Zack Eskridge had his best statistical outing of the year, finishing with 247 yards through the air on 22-of-36 passing. Eskridge spread the ball around to eight different receivers in the contest, including Marlon Haynes, Mookie Davis, Andy Tanner and Marcus Mathis who

all finished with four grabs. Marcus Mathis paced the ground game for the Mustangs, as well, toting the ball 11 times and averaging 8.2 yards per carry to total 90 yards. BeeJay Mathis and Lester Bush both scored on the ground for the Mustangs, as kicker Jose Martinez provided the rest of the offense the Mustangs could muster. Martinez finished 1-of-3 on field goal attempts, knocking in a 24-yarder but having a 33-yard attempt blocked and missing a 37-yard attempt wide left. The Mustangs dropped to 4-2 (1-2) on the season, including losses in their last two games. But MSU will have a chance to climb back to .500 and back into playoff contention Saturday night at Texas A&M-Kingsville for a 7 p.m. kickoff.

Patrick Johnston | The Wichitan

(Above) Running back Bobby Ransom (33) attempts to block Tarleton State defender Marcus Phillips (8) to give Marcus Mathis (22) a running lane during the first quarter of Saturday’s Homecoming game. Mathis ended with a team-high 90 yards on the ground, although only receiving 11 carries.

Patrick Johnston | The Wichitan

(Left) Mustangs get revved up to come onto the field of the Homecoming match up agains the No. 17 Tarleton State Texans. MSU lost the game 37-16 despite their best statistical offensive performance of the season.

Volleyball squad continues to struggle during mid-season slump Bobby Morris Sports Editor

Patrick Johnston | The Wichitan

Freshman Hillary White (12) watches on as Alysha Pritt (8) attempts a kill in a September match against Dallas Baptist University.

After winning a program-record 18-straight games to open the regular season, the Midwestern State volleyball team now find themselves in a mid-season slump. Over the weekend the Mustangs dropped three matches, increasing the losing streak to four, including losses in six of the last seven matches to drop their record to 19-6 (3-2) The Mustangs opened the three-game road trip in Ada, Okla. where they battled the East Central Tigers last Thursday night at Kerr Center. ECU shut down the Mustangs potentially-explosive offense to shock the then-No. 21 MSU in a four-set conference battle 26-24, 22-25, 25-23, 25-17. The Tigers forced the Mustangs into 23 attack errors, while four players put up double-digit dig performances to bring the team total to 70 and hold the Mustangs offense in check. Megan Kimak led ECU with 21 digs, while Katy Fields also played a great game from the back row with 15. MSU forced a set-point in the first set, originally up 24-23. But

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MSU and just the second conference victory for the Savage Storm as they improved to 14-8 (2-4). White competed well again, furthering her stellar freshman campaign, this time she shined in her back row effort, though. White had a team-high 12 digs, while Schreiber contributed 33 assists to the Mustangs’ offensive effort. Jessica Ransom paced the Mustangs’ offense with 10 kills but the team couldn’t seem to find the groove, finishing with a mere .140 attack percentage. In the final road game of the weekend, MSU traveled to Dallas to take on Dallas Baptist in a second rematch of a pair of four-set tilts they played in early September. MSU won both times in September, taking 3-1 victories at the Missouri Southern Invitational and at home under the lights of D.L. Ligon Coliseum. This time, however, DBU got the best of MSU, taking this four-set contest 25-21, 25-20, 14-25, 25-20. The Mustangs dominated on the defensive side of the net, totaling 76 digs and 11 blocks but the offense just wasn’t there

again for MSU. The .152 attack percentage held back any effort of a comeback as Schreiber once again finished with stellar offensive numbers, 40 assists, despite the team’s woes. Velasquez finished with 23 digs as Byrd and Schreiber tallied five blocks each in an attempt to halt the DBU offense. Byrd also finished with 11 kills, as Ransom was the only other Mustang with double-digit kills, 10. The Mustangs return home Thursday night after dropping out of the American Volleyball Coaches’ Association’s Top 25 Poll for the first time in a month. The Mustangs are still receiving the second-most amount of votes in the poll of unranked teams, but with a road match up against No. 4 West Texas A&M on the horizon on Oct. 23, MSU is opening that a return to D.L. Ligon Coliseum for a pair of conference matches can cure their slump. MSU is set to take on Texas A&M-Kingsville Thursday night at 7 p.m. before hosting a Saturday afternoon match against Tarleton State at 2 p.m.

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the Tigers prevailed with threestraight points to steal the opening stanza. Then, after evening the match, the Mustangs failed to capitalize on a 21-17 lead in the third set as ECU won eight of the final ten points to claim a 2-1 set advantage. Kimak sparked a 6-0 lead for the Tigers in the fourth and final set and it was too big of a hole for MSU to climb out of. Setter Allison Schreiber notched yet another doubledouble, finishing with 36 assists and 16 digs, while fellow-senior Shay Velasquez added to her program-record digs total with 19 in the contest. Freshman Hillary White led MSU in kills with 12, while Sesley Graves, Miranda Byrd and Whitney Maxwell all totaled 10 each. After dropping their first conference match up, MSU traveled to Durant, Okla. for a Saturday afternoon contest against Southeastern Oklahoma State. SEOSU came out on top of a pair of nail-biter opening sets, eventually winning them 25-23, while sweeping the Mustangs with a 25-16 third set. It was the second LSC loss for

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Sports

The Wichitan Oct. 15, 2008

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Fantasy Football Making Real World Impact The growth of an online phenomenon leads to higher wagers on fantasy football squads By : Brian Brumleve Ten years ago, Fantasy football was unfamiliar to many people. Today, Fantasy Football has found itself in almost every home in America. This game has become so popular, that those who play, have taken it to the next level by wagering big money, each year in hopes of winning their league. Fantasy Football has, in many ways, become the new American pastime. This seemingly “just for fun” game has grown into a very competitive and addicting game. Fantasy Football starts out with people, in most cases all friends, getting together and completing a draft to form a team. The majority of work comes before the first selection in the draft is ever chosen. Tem owners, the people who are playing, will use multiple resources to help them decide which player to choose and in what round each player should be chosen. Once the draft is complete, the work is far from over, though. Owners have to constantly check the progress of each player and make the tough decision of which players to start on their roster each week. MSU senior Patrick Moore has

been playing Fantasy Football for the past six years and has seen the game’s popularity grow. “I started playing Fantasy Football with a group of friends just for fun. Now, I manage four different teams, two with friends and two with complete strangers.” He spends most of his free time reviewing stats for both his team and his opponent’s team. “At first, I was just playing for fun and bragging rights,” Moore said. “But this game has grown into an addiction and now I play for money. I play on both ends of the spectrum. Moore said some leagues go above and beyond dollar amounts that he and his friends play for. “There are people who actually pay thousands of dollars to play in a league,” Moore said. “In those league, the winner of the league can make up to $30,000. There is also a Fantasy Football Web site that people play on in which they have a chance to win $1 million. MSU senior Daniel Brown is relatively new to Fantasy Football. It’s his second year to play but he plans to continue to play for years to come. “I had heard about Fantasy

Football for a couple of years before I started to play and never understood what the big deal was with this game. Now that I have started playing, it has consumed me. I have never won first place but I won second place last year and $50.” Today, the only team people care about is their favorite team. After that, it’s no longer about a particular team. Winning fantasy football games is all about how your individual players do, which is completely opposite of the actual game, which requires a whole team effort. “It has been pretty tough for me,” Brown said. “My favorite team is the (Dallas) Cowboys and if they aren’t winning and my fantasy team isn’t winning it’s just an all-around bad day of football. Even watching your fantasy players beat your favorite team is hard to stomach.” Fantasy Football has gone from a game to a lifestyle. Everything about a team owner’s life must revolve around Fantasy Football. It takes a lot of time, but if you’re good at it, you could win your own Super Bowl.

Untouchable Hat tricks, shutouts, clutch goals continue to lead No. 2 MSU over competition Bobby Morris Sports Editor

Redshirt freshman Craig Sutherland scored his seventh, eighth and ninth goals of the season in his first career hat trick against Missouri Southern Sunday afternoon to spark the 5-0 Mustangs’ victory. It marked the second victory of the weekend for No. 2 Midwestern State after squeaking past Northeastern State for the 3-2 overtime win on Friday. “On the road, you’re happy to come back with two wins no matter who you play,” Midwestern State head coach Doug Elder said. Sutherland got the Mustangs on the scoreboard in the 34th minute when he capitalized on a loose ball in the Missouri Southern Lion’s box to buzz the shot past goalkeeper Jon Hanson. MSU kept the 1-0 advantage through intermission but the Mustangs dominated possession of the ball in the second half, relaying into four more goals – two from Sutherland – to extend the final score. After allowing only two shots on goal in the first half, the Mustangs held the Lions shot-less in the second half and eventually outshot Missouri Southern 24-2, in the Mustangs second Southwest Soccer Conference victory. “We really picked it up in the second half,” Elder said. “We

came out with a little more intensity then we did Friday. It was a wide pitch and we were able to open them up a little bit.” Senior midfielder and last week’s SSC Offensive Player of the Week, Rob Humphrey, knocked in a goal in his thirdstraight match during the 54th minute. It was his sixth goal on the season, trailing only Sutherland’s nine for team-best. Junior Nick Auditore knocked in his fourth goal on the season in the 77th minute before Sutherland finished the scoring during the next minute. Missouri Southern dropped to 0-10-1 on the season and 0-2-1 in SSC competition. Before traveling to Joplin, Mo. the Mustangs traveled to Tahlequah, Okla. to open SSC play against the Northeastern State RiverHawks. It took one minute into the first overtime period but the No. 2 Mustangs eventually put away the RiverHawks 3-2, scoring two goals in the final seven minutes of play to stun the home crowd. “All credit goes to Northeastern,” Elder said. “They were pretty excited to be playing at home.” Humphrey scored the lone goal of the first 80-plus minutes but in just three minutes the RiverHawks scored two goals to put the pressure on the Mustangs for the final 6:50. Bryan Sajjadi evened up the

score and sent the game to overtime with his first goal of the season on a bicycle kick from five yards out. Then, the Mustangs captured the momentum to score almost immediately after the overtime kickoff off of a clutch free kick from freshman Casey Hibbs. “We took the kickoff down the field, got fouled and Hicks buried it,” Elder said. “We really pressed for the last six minutes. We feel pretty good about pulling it out in overtime. We hung in there and the kids showed some character.” MSU returns home this weekend for a pair of SSC games at the MSU Soccer Field. No. 2 MSU will host archrival West Texas A&M on Friday for a 7 p.m. kickoff before hosting Eastern New Mexico for Sunday afternoon contest slated for 1 p.m.

ships Saturday afternoon, but the Mustangs couldn’t come up with a league title. Vjekoslav Stipanic and Daniel McMullan went serve-forserve with Cameron’s Daniel Pazos and Diego Trojano at No. 1 doubles before falling 9-7.

Travis Stegner and Chip Threadgill led two match games get away before East Central’s Dai Edwards-Evans and Chris Kriel claimed three of the last four games and took the tiebreaker 8-1 in No. 2 doubles. Carlos Bataller and Tiago Vi-

Patrick Johnston | The Wichitan (Above) Redshirt freshman and native of Edinburgh, Scotland Craig Sutherland (9) completed a hat trick on Sunday afternoon as the No. 2 Mustangs blew out Missouri Southern University, 5-0. Sutherland leads the team with nine goals on the season.

Patrick Johnston | The Wichitan

(Left) Senior midfielder Rob Humhrey scored his sixth goal of the season in the match against Missouri Southern. It marked the third-consecutive scoring game for Humphrey.

Tennis teams place seven in finals; fail to take home a title MSUMustangs.com For The Wichitan

Midwestern State placed four doubles’ teams and three singles’ player in the finals of the Lone Star Conference Individual and Doubles Champion-

lanho dropped an 8-4 decision to Cameron’s Saman Samii and Bonamigo in No. 3 doubles. Myca Vinson and Colleen Kinser advanced to the No. 2 doubles championship on the women’s side of the bracket with an 8-3 win over Abilene

Christian’s Cassie Carver and Lauren White, but fell in the title match 8-6 to Tarleton State’s Adriana Jaskova and Jade Charlot. In men’s singles play, McMullan fell Trojano 3-6, 6-2, 7-6 (1) at No. 4 singles, while

Vilarnho dropped a three-set match to East Central’s John Sedlak 6-7 (3), 6-1, 6-3. Freshman Holly Gunderson lost 6-1, 6-1 to Abilene Christian’s Sandra Vucic in No. 6 singles.