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.