Oct. 9, 2013

Oct. 9, 2013 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News.

City-wide smoking ban proposed Other (b) 2% Clark Student Center 23%

Other (a) 7% Student Government 2% Vinson Health Center 18%

Counseling Center 14%

The new $100 bill started in circulation Oct. 8.

Career Management Center 9%

Student Development 7%

Rec Sports 4%

Disability Support Services 6%

Artist Lecture Series 3%

University Programming Boarc 3%

Cheerleaders 3%

Student fees support campus services ETHAN METCALF NEWS EDITOR

B

etween tuition and fees, students pay slightly more than $3,000 per year to attend MSU, making it, according to AffordableCollegesOnline.org, a top college in Texas for greatest lifetime return on investment.

Tuition generally covers the cost of classroom education, but a myriad of fees cover the other costs of attending college, everything from the health center to the Steel Pan Ensemble. Students fund these services by paying a student service fee each semester which costs $15.50 per credit hour.

Vice President for Student Affairs and Enrollment Management Keith Lamb said the fee is authorized by the state legisla-

ture, allowing all public universities in Texas to charge the fee.

Lamb said these services are important to give students a true collegiate experience and provide care for students that need it.

“The fee exists to benefit the students,” Lamb said. “That can be anything from student programming to student organizations to actual offices that serve students.”

Because the service fee exists to benefit the student body, a committee of five students appointed by the Student Government Association decides how that fee will be allocated, but Lamb and other faculty members serve as advisers to that committee.

“Our role is to just give advice

just because we have the historical perspective. We’re the constant. We’re here year after year so we can help make some of those decisions when funding is tight,” Lamb said.

Marilyn Fowlé, vice president for business affairs and finance, and adviser to that committee, said she gives the committee members business-related advice, but the students are the only voting members on the council.

“The students kind of have control in how that money is spent,” Fowlé said.

Lamb said the students on the committee are always thoughtful and considerate because they are appointed by student government officials.

“We’ve never had a situation,

as long as I’ve been involved, where anyone had an agenda on the committee,” Lamb said, “which I think is very important to note because I think that that speaks to the ability of the students on the committee to critically assess different departments and different organizations requesting funding.”

Lamb said any group that wants funding can fill out a request which the committee then decides based on importance and how much money is available, but it is not often when every request is approved.

“It’s a very rare year when they are able to give everyone everything they asked for, so that’s the difficult part of it for the students,” Lamb said. “They have

continued on page 3

Clark Student Center 22.75% | Vinson Health Center 18.35% | Counseling Center 13.71% | Career Management Center 8.59% | Student Development 6.82% | Disability Support Services 6.35% | Recreational Sports 3.60% | Cheerleaders 3.33% | Artist Lecture Series 3.12% | University Programming Board 3.12% | Student Government 1.52% | Homecoming 1.16% | Music 1.16% | Retirees Group Insurance 1.12% | Wichitan 0.92% | Family Day 0.76% | Student Service Fee Reserve 0.62% | Convocation/Welcome Week 0.60% | New Student Orientation 0.51% | Student Success Series 0.45% | Voices 0.42% | Wai-Kun 0.31% | Social Media 0.22% | Student I.D./Handbook 0.20% | Honors Banquet 0.18% | Ultimate Club 0.07% | Mustangs Manics 0.02% | Steel Pan Ensemble-Winterguard 0.02%

Anne Frank

pg. 4

Theater department debuts fall show this Thursday

Family Day

pg. 5

Loved ones enjoy quality time with students on the quad

CODY SAMPLES AND PADEN LEMONS REPORTER

C

ommunity leaders are taking steps to address growing health concerns in Wichita County, starting with obesity and tobacco use. One of the measures being discussed even includes a ban on smoking in all public places similar to the largely unenforced policy at Midwestern.

“Wichita Falls ranks 152 out of 232 counties [surveyed] in Texas when it comes to people’s overall health,” Amy Fagan, assistant director of health for the Wichita County Public Health District, said. “That’s bad. That’s simply bad.”

An estimated 19.8 percent of Wichita County currently smokes, compared to 15.8 percent in Texas, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“One out of five people in our community smokes,” Fagan said. “Texas as a whole is bad among states.”

However, as a community, tobacco use has not always been seen as a health issue, unlike alcohol and drug abuse.

SMOKING AT MWSU

Smoking is also a problem on college campuses in Texas with about 33 to 40 percent of students smoking on campus.

In fact, many still smoke at MSU despite student-enforced efforts to ban smoking on campus.

The MSU smoking-ban policy states smokers cannot smoke in or around any MSU buildings, outdoor areas on campus or in any university vehicles.

Chief of Police Dan Williams said that in the three years that the policy has been in effect, there have been less than five official reports of someone violating the policy.

Other students feel that the policy should be strictly enforced because of health concerns.

“I’m asthmatic, so when people smoke, I have a little attack,” Kassandra Jacobson, sophomore in social work, said.

continued on page 3

National Ranking

pg. 7

Women’s Cross-Country ranked No. 17 in nation as they prepare to host meet

2 | Oct. 9, 2013 | C O M M E N TA R Y

Let me decide to smoke, to choose my own direction I

have two areas of concern someone who doesn’t exercise – I recognize with the ban on public that this isn’t good for me, but much like smoking, one practical going to the gym or eating a well-balanced and one philosophical. I’ll meal, it should be a personal choice. It seems be devoting more time to my absolutely ludicrous to try and force good philosophical objection. health on someone.

The practical concern is My concern extends to the fact that peothat I don’t see this ban doing ple are also running to government to try and anything to stop smoking, solve this issue.

Edgar which is the supposed motiInstead of addressing what causes people Shockley vation behind the ban in the to smoke (which may or may not have sociofirst place. It will move the habit indoors, ad- economic implications, depending on your mittedly, but all of the talk about that causing view of the situation) or leading by example people to stop is hot air – people will just con- by not smoking, people want a government tinue their habits in a new location. to come into your life and tell you what not More to the point, if the concern is that to do. smoking is bad for your health and bad for I don’t necessarily mind my friends comthe health of others it seems ing around and asking me counterproductive to take the to change my behavior. If a habit from a place with the friend asks me to go to the gym best ventilation available (that or stop smoking, then I will is, outside in the open air) and take their request into considput it in some room or builderation because I care about ing where your smoke is far them, and they care about me. more likely to waft over to othGovernment is an instituer people. tion – it can’t care about you.

There is also a phenomeWhen we talk about a governnon called ‘third hand smoke.’ ment restriction on activity, What this means is that long we get into the realm of proafter you have stopped smokductivity, economic results, ing, the smoke residue still money saved and lost over clings to things. Clothes, medical bills, enforcement EDGAR SHOCKLEY furniture, tables, lighting fixand fines.

HISTORY MAJOR tures, etc. If you move people That’s not caring, no matinside, the third hand smoke problem will be ter how the people supporting the ban want exacerbated. to spin it – that’s control.

While the specific regulations have yet to If you only have the freedom to make be passed into law, the concern about more good choices, you really don’t have freedom smoking indoors applies just as much to at all. You have to be able to make mistakes, homes and vehicles as it does bars and restau- be wrong and experience the consequences, rants. good or bad, of your lifestyle decisions in orNow, as to my philosophical concern. der to really experience life.

I believe that we should be allowed to Let me decide to smoke and develop lung make our own decisions, even if they are bad cancer; let me choose to eat copious amounts decisions that harm our health. I am a smok- of red meat and develop heart problems; let er, and I am under no illusion that it isn’t bad me decide to lounge around on a couch all for my health. day and get fat – it’s the American way.

I’m also a ravenous red-meat eater and

“That’s not caring, no matter how the people supporting the ban want to spin it – that’s control.”

the

wichitan

Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room B103 3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 • wichitan@mwsu.edu EDITOR: Ruth Black NEWS EDITOR: Ethan Metcalf STAFF: Johnny Blevins, Ahla Cho, Caitlyn Cremeens, Sam Croft, Brent Deeb, Mirae Duncan, Hanwool Lee, Zandra Lee, Paden Lemons, Bailey Pitzer, Austin Quintero, Lauren Roberts, Cody Samples, Edgar Shockley, Aleisha Solorio

BUSINESS MANAGER: Blake Muse ADVISER: Bradley Wilson Copyright © 2013. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press. The Wichitan reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication. Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reflect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief (250 words or fewer) and without abusive language or personal attacks.

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| Oct. 9, 2013 | 3 than they have in the past because it’s a residential model, yet the credit hour producto weigh what’s required for the institution tion has essentially remained unchanged, to provide by law like disability support ser- so the funding has essentially remained unvices.” changed,” Lamb said. “That’s the administraLamb said the law doesn’t mandate how tive challenge in offering these services for an much funding the required services must increasing residential population with the receive, only that they are provided, so the same funding.” committee must be careful to provide an acLamb said the Counseling Center is one curate estimate of what those serof the services most heavily vices will cost each year. affected by the increase in “There are other things that residential students. maybe are more flexible such as “[The counselors] don’t the artist lecture series or differhave any free time right now, ent programing because it’s not they are booked solid,” Lamb mandated by law,” Lamb said. said. “If the residential popula“But it’s incredibly important tion continues to grow, which to the student experience, so it will, that’s going to be another the committee has to weigh stressor on that office.” all those things.”

Administrators are limited in Lamb said that balancing act n Student Service Fee ($186) what they can do to increase n Athletic Fee ($120) is made even more difficult with funding for important services n Rec Center Fee ($120) the recent influx of residential like the Counseling Center n Student Union ($55) students because they use more thanks to a $250 per student per n University Service($541.44) services than commuters. semester cap on fees imposed by “Their parents aren’t there to n Instructional Enhancement the state legislature. No student Science ($162) help them. They don’t have the n Instructional Enhancement ($24) can be charged more than $250, connections within the comso anyone taking more than 16 n Statutory Tuition ($600) munity as someone who is from n Designated Tuition ($1338) hours will have maxed out that that area would,” Lamb said. limit.

“That’s when services, not just on this camFowlé said administrators are cautious pus but all other campuses like this, started when it comes to raising tuition and fees bebecoming available to take care of students.” cause a large portion of students have a low Lamb said MSU has doubled its on-cam- income. pus housing capacity over the last 10 years, “Forty-one percent of our students are on and that trend will continue to grow as more Pell Grants, which means they’re lower instudents from the metroplex and Houston come so a lot of our student body is working enroll. part time trying to afford paying for school.”

“More students are using these services

continued from page 1

continued from page 1 Worse still, some students do not even know the policy or its restrictions exist.

Peyton Cannedy, sophomore in accounting, said, “I have never even been informed of the policy. I’ve never seen or heard anything about it.”

Shaela Kobs, sophomore in nursing, said the policy is ineffective because students do not have the authority or means to tell their peers to stop smoking on campus.

“If I just tell someone to stop smoking, they are not going to listen to me,” Kobs said.

Director of Recreational Sports and the Wellness Center Joey Greenwood said in a 2009 Administrative Council meeting that the purpose of the policy would be to promote a safe, healthy and pleasant campus environment. According to the policy, enforcement is “the responsibility of all students, faculty, staff and campus visitors to uphold the honor of the university by affirming our commitment to this policy,” which some students feel is not enough to stop smoking on campus.

“The policy doesn’t work because college students have independent minds, and they don’t want to be apprehended by other students on what they can or can’t do,” Cannedy said.

LEADERS MAKE BAN TOP PRIORITY

Howard Farrell, vice president of university advancement and public affairs, said curbing smoking in public places might be the catalyst for the other groups to work on other aspects of their health.

“Smoking can be the pony that pulls ev-

erything else,” Farrell said. “Ban smoking in public places.”

Some of the strategies the leaders have for this project include increasing the number of merchants, restaurants, work sites and public buildings that are tobacco free.

“I see young kids almost every day in my neighborhood smoking a cigarette, or even worse, having chewing tobacco in their mouths and it just makes me sick thinking that they are starting a bad habit at such a young age,” Juarez said.

Fagan said the leaders expect some backlash from people in the community, especially from restaurant owners as they begin to draft the policy and bring it before city council.

Kreidler said at the Wichita County Public Health District, her employees were more concerned about other issues.

“I got more flack from taking junk food away than smoking,” she said.

When the ban on public smoking is enforced, leaders hope for a reduction in heart disease, cancer rates and strokes, and that the community as a whole will be healthier because of it.

“To me, the world would be a better place if smoking was banned in public, so that when I go to bars, I don’t have to cover my mouth just to be able to breathe,” Boulware said.

Tobacco use is responsible for nearly one in five deaths in the United States, and cigarette smoking is the cause of 71 percent of global lung cancer deaths.

READ THE FULL STORY AT THEWICHITAN.COM

October 10

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4 | Oct. 9, 2013 |

PHOTO BY HANWOOL LEE/ WICHITAN

Nicole Neely, senior theater major, stars as Anne Frank in The Diary of Anne Frank.

‘Diary of Anne Frank’ opens tomorrow CAITLYN CREMEENS REPORTER

The theater department’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank begins Thursday, Oct. 10 and ends Sunday, Oct. 13. The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and will have a matinee at 2:30 p.m. on Sunday in the Fain Fine Arts Theatre.

The production is being directed by guest director Paul Jefferson from Rider High School, husband of interim-dean Laura Jefferson. Jefferson said he chose this play for its script. Written in 2000 by Wendy Kesselmen, this adaptation is full of newly-discovered writings which make it much different from the original story audiences are used to.

“This script is 80 percent different than the original play, and fabulously well done,” Jefferson said. “The script makes Anne a regular teenager, and that’s what I love about it.”

Jefferson said he thinks young people will identify with this production because Anne Frank wrote about things they can under-

stand. The play deals with genocide, discrimination and imprisonment, but is still an empowering story.

“This is a lesson of triumph and the spirit of people who are in the worst of situations,” he said, “and the way this child viewed her two years of imprisonment as a sense of adventure, I find that amazing. I am always amazed by the resilience of teenagers.”

Elizabeth Lewandowski, theater professor, interim chair and costume designer, said they are constantly reminded that they are telling a story of real people and real events. The cast and crew has watched many documentaries about the Frank family to really learn who these people were, she said.

“I hope that this will be a reminder that we, as human beings, are capable of both wonderful and terrible thoughts and actions,” Lewandowski said. “We hope that some of our love for these people will be shared with the audience as an awareness about the heights and depths of human emotions and actions.”

While Jefferson said they have done a lot of work to make sure the Nazi and war presence will be depicted, the play will not be a depressing two hours.

“Visually, there are really spectacular things that will occur during the production,” she said. “There is a lot of fun in this play too, Anne brings a lot of vitality and life.

I think that we are doing a great job of capturing that optimism and hope.”

General admission is $8. Admission for pre-college students, military and senior citizens is $7. Student, faculty and staff admission is free. For more information or for season ticket or group ticket information, call the box office at 940-397-4393.

Sorority to host ‘Zombie Walk’ ALEISHA SOLORIO REPORTER

The Kappa Delta Pi sorority members will host a campus Zombie Walk for all students and faculty at 7 p.m. in the quad Oct. 11.

“Victims will be trying to avoid getting their lives taken away by the zombies who are trying to catch them,” Kappa Delta Pi President Kelly Plorin said. “We are all hoping to have a lot of fun and enjoy ourselves.”

Participants can choose to dress up as their favorite zombie character or as a victim.

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With Halloween coming up and “The Walking Dead” returning to television, Plorin hopes there will be a good turnout for the event.

“We are hoping to get about 100 people out there dressed as zombies,” Plorin said.

“Our main goal is for everyone to have a good time and be creative when dressing up.”

Registration for the walk will begin at 6 p.m. in the Ferguson Building and will continue until the walk begins. Registration costs $10, and all the proceeds will benefit the Kappa Delta Pi sorority.

The city-wide Zombie Crawl will be held on Oct. 26 and is a separate event.

Moffett research workshop ends AUSTIN QUINTERO REPORTER

The Moffett Library workshop “the good, the bad, and the ugly,” at which students can learn how and where to look for research information and what information is good to use, ended on Oct. 2.

Among the iPhones, androids, tablets and every other computer system available to students, acquiring information has become easier and faster than ever before.

However, according to library employees, what students fail to realize is that not all information is good.

“The world is full of information, however not all is valid, useful, or accurate. Your generation is bombarded with information,” Reference Librarian Allison Breen said. “Because of

this, evaluating research and information is a big deal nowadays.”

One common method of research adopted by most students is the internet. While the internet is packed full of information, students can be overly attached to finding things easily with the click of a button.

“Evaluation is a learnable skill,” Breen said, “It’s an art as well as work, much of which is detective work.”

There are four areas of research material, citations, books, periodicals and ‘things on the internet,’” Breen said.

Apart from the internet and books, the two other sources can be foreign to some students: A citation is a quotation from or reference to a book, paper, or author, usually in scholarly work, and a periodical is a published magazine newspaper of any kind.

When it comes to the four research sources, specific details need to be taken into account, she said.

“For example, when evaluating a book or periodical, certain questions need to be asked,” Breen said. “Who is the author, who is the publisher, and how timely is the information? What is the book’s purpose and why should I believe it?”

To address these issues concerning an internet source, Breen developed a different approach, the CRAP test — Currency, Reliability, Authority and Purpose. The test brings to light how easy it is to mistake good information from bad on the internet.

According to Breen, “the good, the bad, and the ugly” workshop is one of the more popular workshops among students and she plans to hold the workshop again in the spring.

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Family members visit campus

Students, family members gather for day of fellowship, fun activities in the quadrangle

| Oct. 9, 2013 | 5

Empty Bowls charity event begins Oct. 10 BRENT DEEB REPORTER

I PHOTO BY HANWOOL LEE / WICHITAN

A balloon artist makes a flower-shaped balloon for Dominique Wagoner, freshman in education.

Family Day is an annual tradition where parents, family members and friends join their student for a relaxing day of fun and activities. Wagoner said, “I feel so good they came down and hung out with me at college.”

PHOTO BY HANWOOL LEE / WICHITAN

Hali Southall, undecided freshman, draws a face painting on Monica Otarola, freshman in personal training.

PHOTO BY HANWOOL LEE / WICHITAN

A caricature artist draws Lidia Garcia, junior in athletic training. Garcia said, “I’m really excited about family day. I’m really happy with spending time with my family.”

n 1991 John Hartom, an art teacher in Michigan initiated a drive to raise charitable funds for his community using ceramics. Twenty-two years later, the drive has become an international project to fight hunger known as “Empty Bowls.”

“Of all the times I’ve been to the museum, I’ve never seen as many people inside as there are for this event,” Steve Hilton, visual arts associate professor, said.

The event begins Oct. 10 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. when well-known, international artists will participate in an exhibition art competition. Each artist will put a price on his or her own work and guests will be allowed to purchase any and all pieces. The top artists will receive a portion of the $6,000 in prize money.

“Because of the available prize money, I was able to invite 23 well-known international artists to the event,” Hilton said. “We should be able to raise $8,000-$10,000 in the exhibition alone.”

Then, on Oct. 15, faculty, students and volunteers will hold their own version of the fundraiser at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art, a lunchtime event.

“It’s a feel-good event,” Hilton, said. “It’s less about money and more about awareness.”

Hilton said the lunch, catered by more than 20 local restaurants and vendors, costs $35 per person and will be held from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Hilton said all proceeds from ticket sales will go to the area food bank and all of its 200 partner agencies.

Tickets are only sold in advance and can be purchased online, at United Market Street on Kell or Jacksboro Highway, the Museum of Art and the area food bank.

Hilton said last year proceeds totaled $65,000, money that translates into about 350,000 meals to be provided to more than 40,000 North Texas residents.

6 | Oct. 9, 2013 |

Lake Wichita Park provides visitors with a central location for outdoor activities, from hiking to baseball.

PHOTO BY HANWOOL LEE / WICHITAN

Despite low level, Lake Wichita Park provides outdoor activities THE THIRD OF A SERIES

I

n a town criticized for a lack of entertaining attractions, Lake Wichita provides locals with a central location for all their outdoor activities.

Lake Wichita, a man-made lake located about three miles southwest of the city, was constructed in the late 1890s to create a city irrigation and water supply.

John Alexander Kemp, a business entrepreneur, arranged for the construction of a city lake at a natural basin that he discovered.

Although the lake originated as a local resort, nowadays it is mainly serves as a water source and local attraction.

Residents love to visit the park for its run- perhaps a spiraling trail going up and a metal ning trail, dog park, disc golf course and the structure on top. famous mound of dirt unoffiIn addition to the hill, cially named Mt. Murphy afthere is a 10-unit picnic shelter ter Jack Murphy, the city's dithat can seat 60 people and is rector of parks and recreation. available for renting.

"The hill started about 15 The park also has two lightyears ago," Murphy said. "It ed baseball fields, two lighted came as a suggestion when softball fields, three lighted deciding how to use the excafootball fields, a dog park and vated dirt from the bottom of the only model airplane landSikes Lake." ing strip in the Texas state park Murphy said the hill is 83 system—all of which are free BRENT DEEB REPORTER feet tall right now. He said the of charge. plan is to build it up to 100 One local, Kelsey Berg, feet and turn it into a local attraction with even chose the lake as the location for her

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“It's a good place to host a run because you don't have to block off any streets, it has a bathroom and a pavilion area,” Berg said.

“Also, it's fun to see people flying their toy planes, flying kites and playing disc golf.”

Golden algae blooms and periods of lowdissolved oxygen caused by drought have damaged the fish population in the lake, making it unstable for fishing.

Lake Wichita, completed in 1901 at a cost of $175,000, has a surface area of 2,200 acres, a capacity of 14,000 acre-feet and a drainage area of 143 square miles. Its current water level is at 29.9 percent.

| Oct. 9, 2013 | 7 CROSS-COUNTRY

PHOTO BY BAILEY PITZER / WICHITAN

The Women’s Cross-Country team starts the first race of the season on Sept 5. The team is ranked No. 17 in the nation and will compete at the Cross-Country Carnival (6K) on Oct. 12 at 9 a.m.

WHAT: Cross-Country Carnival (6K) WHEN: Saturday, Oct. 12 at 9 a.m. WHERE: Former Hawk Ridge Golf Course on Loop 11 WHY: “It is exciting and intense, and you can see high-quality caliber athletes run really fast for a really long time. Its more a team sport than people think. This is going to be a small meet, but you are going to see one of the best teams in the entire nation compete at a very high level on a very difficult course. If it’s raining, we still run. When we go to nationals, it’s snowed on us every time. We go out there and fight all the elements.

There’s music playing, there’s people lined up on the course and we don’t get to have a home meet very often, and when we do, we always enjoy having a big crowd because we don’t have those capabilities or luxuries to play at home each week like basketball or football,” Coach Koby Styles said. WHO TO WATCH: Gabriela Ruiz and Danielle Chavarria. “Everybody is looking really strong and fast so I think we just have to keep on running and putting in the training and it’ll happen by itself,” Ruiz said. “To be nationally ranked doesn’t mean anything to me right now because nationals hasn’t happened yet. Anything can happen out on that course so it won’t mean anything to me until we accomplish it,” Chavarria said.

FOOTBALL PHOTO BY LAUREN ROBERTS / WICHITAN

Marqui Christian, undecided sophomore, and Daniel Laudermilk, sophomore in history, tackle Texas A&MKingsville running back Cornelius Shackelfor during the game on Oct. 5. The defense held TAMUK to 186 total offensive yards with only 47 allowed in the second half.

Ricardo Riascos, junior in marketing said, ”This game was personal for most of us, so we knew as a team we wanted to come out strong and finish strong.”

MSU won 43-10.

The next game is Oct. 12 at 7 p.m. against McMurry University at Memorial Stadium.

Bernard Griffin, senior in criminal justice said, “We can’t overlook McMurry because of their record.

They have guys that can really play. So we have to approach them like it’s the biggest game of the year.”

8 |Â Oct. 9, 2013 |