The Prairie, Vol. 94, Issue 3

the Tuesday, Sept. 20, 2011 Partly Cloudy 81°F | 52°F

Prairie The sTudenT newspaper of wesT Texas a&M universiTy

Volume 94, Issue III theprairiewt

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WT football at Cowboys Stadium Photos by Matt Watkins

Congratulations Speech Team!

WT’s Speech team brought home the following championships from last weekend’s tournament in San Marcos: - Dramatic Duo - Program Oral Interpretation The team also placed in: - Extemporaneous Speaking -Communication Analysis The competition featured six of the top 10 schools in the Nation.

Buffs work for a touchdown at Cowboys Stadium.

WT’s fans cheer during the game.

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Crowd goes wild for Buffs football MaTT waTKins sTaff wriTer

WT’s football team gets the unique opportunity to play at Cowboys Stadium.

Members of the larger WT community attend the game.

WT fans go all out to support the Buffs.

WTAMU fans pack the lower section of Cowboys Stadium.

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See football recap story on p. 4

TAMU students experienced a unique opportunity on Sept. 17. While WT’s football team played Texas A&M-Kingsville, Buffalo football fans got to experience the one and only Cowboys Stadium.

Cowboys Stadium opened in Sept. 2009, and cost $1.1 billion to build. It can seat 80,000 people, and can fit another 20,000 more in standing room. The stadium site covers 73 total acres, and the overall site is 140 total acres. Along with being the newest, it is considered by many to be the nicest NFL stadium.

Buffalo fans made their presence felt across all 140 acres all afternoon. WT tailgaters were among the first sights people saw as they rode by. The Alpha Tau Omega fraternity’s tent was the most popular spot to hang out before the game. There were also several tents where WT alumni were getting ready for the game that night.

Fans also enjoyed the many features inside of the stadium. As you walk around Cowboys Stadium, there seems to be millions of television and food stands around the concourse. There are also couches where people can eat and watch other games going on at the same time.

Wild crowd continued on p. 4

sporTs:

news:

enTerTainMenT:

CaMpus Life:

feaTure:

Lady Buffs volleyball ends winning streak.

Ag Department’s freshmen enrollment increases.

Find answers from last week’s crossword puzzle, Sudoku and Try Square.

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FLo helps build leaders on WT campus.

MorgAnne Thompson will represent the U.S. in world championship.

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Feature Prairie Local woman fulfills dreams through martial arts 2

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MorgAnne Thompson to compete in World Championship JORDAN FRY StAFF WRtieR

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ight years ago a young girl noticed a martial arts class next to her gymnastics class in Dimmit and decided she wanted to try something new. That decision changed her life.

The first time martial arts instructor Albert Treto met MorgAnne Thompson, he knew she was special.

“She had the right focus and ambition,” Albert said.

“She stepped up to the plate from the very beginning.

That’s how I knew she was special.”

MorgAnne began training with Albert and excelled quickly. She found a lot of enjoyment in karate, but shortly after she began learning karate, her family moved away from Dimmit to Canyon.

In a twist of fate, Albert subsequently moved from Dimmit to Canyon, unknowing that MorgAnne now resided there. After discovering that they were once

PhOtO bY JORDAN FRY MorgAnne trains daily to increase her strength and agility.

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again in the same place, they resumed training together.

When she wasn’t training, MorgAnne spent her time observing Albert’s older students.

“Being around the older fighters really inspired me,” MorgAnne said. “The more I found out about the sport, the more I wanted to do it.”

MorgAnne saw one of Albert’s fighters got the chance to represent the U.S. in Beijing. After seeing the opportunities that Albert’s other fighters had, MorgAnne decided she too wanted those opportunities.

“She told me she’d be on the national team some day,” Treto said. And she was right.

Three women, including MorgAnne, recently qualified at nationals and the judges voted MorgAnne to represent the U.S. at the Wushu World Championships in Turkey this October.

“I was blown away,” MorgAnne said. “It was the first time I was old enough because I had just turned 18 and I was so excited that the judges picked me over the older girls.”

Presently, MorgAnne is a senior at Canyon High School, but graduating is the last thing on her mind. On top of her schoolwork, she trains in Sanshou three to four hours every day and goes to Lubbock once a week to train.

“It’s extremely hard to balance everything,” MorgAnne said. “I’ve lost a couple of friendships because of it, but I’ve gained new ones. I also get a lot of support from my family, boyfriend and coach.”

Albert feels that MorgAnne will do better in Turkey than everyone expects her to do.

“I think because of her age, they’ll underestimate her,” he said. “But MorgAnne is a very smart fighter. She always has a game plan and she’s unpredictable.”

After she returns from Turkey, MorgAnne will test

for her instructor’s black belt.

“She’ll be an amazing instructor,” Albert said. “She’s very compassionate and she truly cares about her students, not just the best ones, but every single student.”

After MorgAnne earned her orange belt when she

PhOtO bY JORDAN FRY MorgAnne works with coach Albert Treto to improve fighting techniques.

was ten, she began helping train lower belt students.

MorgAnne found a new passion in teaching and has continued to teach younger students.

“I think teaching kids is a gift of mine,” she said. “I always knew I was called to do something with children.

Then I found this. I’ve always had a passion for it.”

MorgAnne aspires to someday open her own gym in a small town and give other kids the chance to have the same opportunities she has had.

“I really felt like I excelled in martial arts from the beginning and I’ve pursued it with all my heart ever since,” MorgAnne said. “At first, this was more of a dream. Now all of a sudden, all of my dreams are coming true.”

Staff 2011-2012

Editor- Maria Molina Assistant Editor- Krystina Martinez Web Editor - Georgia Romig Layout- Kati Watson Ad Manager- Bryan Samuel Faculty Adviser- Butler Cain

Reporter- Jes Roskens Reporter- Melissa Bauer-Herzog Reporter- Ryan Schaap Reporter- Matt Watkins Reporter- Lisa Hellier

Reporter- Jordan Fry Reporter- Daniela Fierro Reporter- Aurora Ortiz Photographer- Alex Montoya

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

- First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

The Prairie is a student-operated publication at West Texas A&M University. It functions to inform, educate, and entertain readers accurately and responsibly. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the administration, faculty or students. The editorials that appear on these pages represent the opinion of the Prairie editorial board. The views expressed by other columinsts are the writers’ opinions and do not necessarily reflect the board’s views. Advertising rates are available upon request at (806) 337- 2090 or at theprairiewt@gmail.com. WTAMU Box 60754, Canyon, Texas 79016. The Prairie is distributed on Tuesdays during the semester and has a circulation of 1,500. It is printed by The Amarillo Globe-News.

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News Prairie Ag department experiences freshmen growth 3

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RYaN SCHaaP Staff WRitER

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n the last two years, WTAMU has seen growth in student population. The undergraduate student count has increased 4.25 percent from 2009 to 2011. The Agriculture freshman class alone has seen an increase of 25 percent, from 118 freshmen in 2009 to 147 in 2011.

Freshmen in the Agriculture department talk about why they think the increase is happening and why WT is thriving.

“I really like it a lot here, all the professors seem relatable,” Victoria Mundo, a freshmen studying Equine Industry and Business, said.

Mundo looked at other schools too, but said WT suit here interest more.

“The professors are awesome because the classes

are small, which gives you that one on one time with them,” she said.

Jonathan Picker, a freshman Bio Technology major, said WT has several qualities that makes it a good university, including the helpful faculty.

“They [professors] don’t ignore the students and are more than willing to help, ” Picker said. “WT is one of the few colleges that offered a degree that I wanted to study.”

Lacey Roberts, a junior Agriculture Communication major, said the increase in student enrollment across all departments can be attributed to the fact that people are getting more motivated.

“The upperclassmen are graduating and influencing the younger generations,” Roberts said. “Parents [are also] encouraging their children to get a better education.”

Tanner Robertson, an Ag Media Communication adviser, believes that the Department of Agriculture

has played an active role in recruiting students to the college.

“What I’ve seen is faculty are devoted to the

recruitment and retention of students,” Robertson said. “Paired that through the donations of money

and the efforts from Ag Development Association and

the time they take to recruit students.”

Although student enrollment has seen an increase, so has the construction around campus. New dorms, the JBK expansion, and the engineering building are just a few places where construction can be found. “[Construction is] a double-edged sword; it is a hindrance but is necessary to expand,” Roberts said.

“Adding students is great but more parking is needed.

It’s a good problem to have because we are getting more students.”

iPads and Tablets become the future of textbooks

JES ROSKENS Staff WRtiER

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or years, U.S. consumers have been told that ‘print is dead,’ and yet traditional textbooks are still sold. This may not be the case much longer.

With the advent of e-readers such as the Kindle or Nook and the more robust tablet PCs like the Samsung Galaxy Tab and the Apple iPad, many leaders see great potential in such devices. School administrators are starting to see that in time, e-readers could replace textbooks. Already, several schools in Minnesota, Nebraska, Colorado, Iowa, and even Texas have adopted or will be adopting iPads into their curriculum, whether to use as textbooks or study tools.

“It sounds quite frightening to say ‘we’re getting rid of textbooks,’” Dr. Jeffry Babb, WTAMU professor of Computer Information Systems, said.

“We’re not replacing textbooks, just delivering through a new medium.”

Beyond using tablets as potential money-savers, Dr. Nicholas Gerlich, head of the Management, Marketing and

“Class content can be made available and more accessible on and off-line.”

PHOtO bY JES ROSKENS Textbooks may become obsolete due to increased use of iPads and Tablets.

General Management Business Department, said tablets have much greater capabilities than just functioning as lighter textbooks. Class content can be made available and more accessible on and off-line.

New information can be easily added to the class, and authors of the books can update every semester.

“It just gives you a lot of different possibilities,” Gerlich said. “I can add videos, links, and if you have wireless [internet] or 3G, then you can learn from anywhere, which makes tablets very versatile.”

These devices still have some drawbacks. The largest amount of memory a tablet can currently hold is 64 gigabytes.

However, this has not stopped the devices from gaining steady ground in education.

While Dr. De’Arno De’Armond, assistant professor of Finance, acknowledges that he has had great success with using iPads in his financial planning class, he said people cannot forget that tablets are only a part of today’s larger technology world.

“The world of technology changes so fast,” Dr. De’Armond

said. “You can’t go into it with a closed mindset.”

The best thing for WT and other schools across the country to do, De’Armond said, is to keep looking for new technologies and figure out how to add them into the classroom. He said it is also important to keep students informed and engaged while maintaining

classes relevant in the digital age.

“You just need to keep that student-centric ideal. ‘What do I want to see in this classroom?’, ‘What do I have to gain?’” De’Armond said.

WT will host a webinar on Oct. 4 to discuss how iPads and tablets can be used in the classroom with great success.

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Wild crowd continued from p. 1 “Being able to watch other college games at the same time as yours is really cool,” freshman Social Studies major Phillip Baldner said.

Cowboys Stadium also boasts the biggest HDTV screen in the world. It is 160 feet long, more than half of a football field, and 72 feet above the field. It also has two 29 feet by 51 foot screens on either side. It weighs 600 tons and cost $40 million. People commented throughout the day that more people were watching the action on the screen than on the field.

“Seeing the instant replays on the big screen was probably the best part,” sophomore History major Gary Newell said.

The students and athletes alike had their separate unique experiences. The students and other fans experienced the beauty of the newest NFL stadium, while the athletes got the experience of playing on it. Playing on a field that has built up so much prestige in such a short time could help players adjust to potentially playing at the next level.

“I think it’s a good experience for our students and athletes to experience a game on a field most consider to be the nicest around,” Associate Director of Student Activities Matt Maples said.

SportS First win still escapes soccer team September 20, 2011

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MELISSA BAUER-HERZOG StAff WRItER

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n a pair of home games this weekend, the WTAMU Buffs worked hard to end their losing streak.

However, they dropped their season record to 0-4.

“We’re obviously disappointed with the way we’ve started [this

PHOtO By MELISSA BAUER-HERZOG

Abel Olivas sends the ball deeper into FortHays territory

season],” head coach Butch Lauffer said. “With the caliber of players we have, we’re much more capable and the frustration is in beating ourselves.

Until we stop doing that, we’re not going to win many games this year.”

The Sept. 16 game was an exciting event for spectators as the Buffs started the weekend off with sudden death overtime against the Eastern New Mexico University Greyhounds.

It took the Greyhounds nearly 97 minutes to score one goal against the Buffs.

The Sept. 18 game started off with a few tense moments as Fort Hays State University scored only 2:26 minutes into the game before scoring another goal 16 minutes in.

The Buffs refused to be shutout and continuously assaulted Fort Hays’ zone throughout the game. However, they didn’t see the ball in the opposition’s net until the 19th minute of the second half off a header from Rodrigo Morin.

FHSU’s final goal came in the 58th minute of the game, 13 minutes into the second half.

“I think we created chances, which is the main thing and we worked hard as a team. There were a couple of unlucky goals at the end of the day, but that’s soccer,” left back Michael Williams said.

But even with the early season losses, right back John Cox said the season hasn’t been all that bad.

“I think we just need to keep going and doing what we’re doing. I think stuff will start falling into place for us,” Cox said.

The final score of the game was 3-1 in favor of Fort Hays. WT plays again at home against Newman University on Sept. 23 at 8 p.m. before taking on Northeastern State University at 4 p.m. on Sept. 25 at The Pitch.

For women’s soccer go to www.theprairienews.com

Lady Buffs volleyball ends winning streak at TSU MELISSA BAUER-HERZOG StAff WRItER

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or the first time since the fall of 2006, the WTAMU Lady Buffs were on the losing side of a NCAA match this weekend, ending their record winning streak at 87 after a five set game.

The Lady Buffs traveled to Tarleton State University on Sept. 17 to take on the TexAnns in front of about 200 fans.

The game ended after five sets with

scores of 25-22, 23-25, 23-25, 25-14, and 11-15.

The match had similarities to the game against TSU last season that allowed WT to break the NCAA record at 78 matches, including a five set battle.

The similarities continued during the first set as WT topped TSU 25-23.

The sets kept fans on the edge of their seat as the teams battled back and forth throughout the sets, battling for the lead with every attack. The Lady Buffs took an early lead in the fifth set with a score of 4-2 before the TexAnns came back,

leading to a 15-11 Lady Buffs loss.

The Lady Buffs had a hit percentage of .195, which bettered Tarleton’s .188, but TSU came out on top with blocks, registering 13 versus WT’s eight.

Erin Dougherty and Ashley Davis topped all Lady Buffs with 15 kills each while Lauren Beville registered 19 digs and Lacy Hayes was recorded with a tally of 40 assists.

The loss takes the Lady Buffs’ record to 10-1 on the season with a record of 4-1 in the Lone Star Conference.

Dustin Vaughn threw his first touchdown to sophomore Lance Ratliff to give the Buffs a 7-0 lead nine and a half minutes into the game. After kicking a pair of field goals, WT’s junior linebacker Kevin McCluskey returned a fumble 18 yards for a touchdown, extending the Buffs’ advantage to 20-0. Kingsville got on the board just 39 seconds before the half when Daniel Ramirez connected with Robert Armstrong to cut WT’s lead to 20-7.

The Buffs would answer quickly in the third, when Vaughn hit fellow

sophomore Jeremy Watson for a 43-yard strike. Senior linebacker Anthony Scott’s two-point conversion run improved WT’s score to 28-7, with 10:54 remaining in the third. The Javelinas would score back-to-back touchdowns to bring the game within seven points. However, WT would answer with 25 seconds left in the third as Vaughn hooked up with sophomore Torrence Allen for a 61-yard touchdown, increasing the Buffs’ lead to 35-21. Junior Khiry Robinson would seal the win with a two-yard touchdown with just 3:39 remaining in the game.

“I have a positive outlook on [the season],” assistant coach Sarah Carthel said. “I think the girls have an enlightened thought process on it and know how hard they are going to have to work when they’re out of town and playing in someone else’s gym. With that being one of our first on-the-road games, I think as long as we learned from the experience, we can get better.”

WT plays at home tonight, Sept. 20, with the first serve set for 7 p.m at The Box.

Buffs stomp out competition at Cowboys Stadium MAtt WAtKINS StAff WRItER

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he WTAMU Buffs football team opened its Lone Star Conference schedule Sept. 17 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas against the No. 5-ranked Texas A&M Javelinas. The Buffs took an early lead and never looked back, winning 42-21.

WT wasted no time putting points on the board as sophomore quarterback

Vaughn threw for 384 yards and three touchdowns in his first college start. Vaughn also completed 24 of the 41 passes he threw. Senior Brittan Golden led the receivers with seven catches for 131 yards. Robinson was the leading rusher with five carries for 24 yards and one touchdown.

The Buffs will return home to Kimbrough Memorial Stadium next weekend as they face Incarnate Word. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. on Sept. 24.

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Campus Life Prairie FLO helps freshmen get involved on WT campus 5

KRYSTINA MARTINEZ ASSISTANT EdIToR

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he Freshmen Leadership Organization (FLO) is a branch of the WTAMU Student Government whose main goal is to build leaders among freshmen.

Although FLO is a part of Student Government, Executive Director Nune Perez said it is important to promote leadership elsewhere in the campus community.

“It’s not just one organization that makes WT, it’s all of them,” Perez said Perez, a freshman Political Science major, has extensive experience in leadership.

Before coming to WT, he served in the Navy for six years and spent four

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years doing leadership instruction. He is also the Vice President - Secretary of the Veteran’s Network, a campus organization for military veterans.

His passion for leadership led him to become involved with FLO last year at the suggestion of former Student Body President Tim Vela.

“At the time, [FLO] was very weak, not organized, and didn’t have steady leadership,” Perez said. “That sparked my interest. I’m a firm believer that everyone is a leader in their own right. [Leadership is] about harnessing your passion.”

FLO can be a great stepping stone for freshmen who want to test the waters before getting involved in other campus groups.

“Because FLO is an

organization designed just for freshmen, it is a great way to get an idea of what it is like to join and be involved in an organization,” Keltin Wiens, a sophomore Broadcasting major, said. “You can make a better decision about how much you want to get involved.”

Wiens was involved with FLO last year and enjoyed his time with the organization.

“Even though there weren’t many people in FLO, I still felt a part of the campus dynamic,” he said. “Plus, you get close with other freshmen and make more friends, maybe with people you normally wouldn’t associate with. Having friends from other backgrounds and other interests helped me through the first two semesters of college.”

FLO has many projects in the

works, including sponsoring a high school student council leadership retreat at WT. “Nune is planning on some great trips and other leadership quests,” Wiens said. “I wish everyone could see how

CouRTESY of NuNE PEREZ

excited Nune is to be the FLO director this year. He will do an outstanding job with it.”

FLO’s first meeting will take place Sept. 22 at 5 pm in the Student Senate office.

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Campus Life Prairie Chili Cook-Off heats up 6

ASHLEY HENDRICK StAff WRItER

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Fakiyesi said.

The Chili Cook-Off began six years ago as a student-initiated event to help with student involvement around campus.

Ever since, it has grown into an intense battle of taste and creativity.

“It’s really turned out to be much better than I thought,” Hendersen said.

“People take it really seriously…some (teams) really get into it.”

Despite the intense competition, students hope to use the cook-off as a chance to not only connect with other organizations, but connect to their own as well.

“It was a nice bonding thing we did,” Fakiyesi said. “We just wanted to get out there as far as campus activities and be a part of everything that’s going on.”

Students and staff who are not judging or competing in the cook-off are welcome to come out and taste the chili for themselves.

Anyone who stops by to enjoy a bowl of chili will eat along with the local sounds of the Buster Blood Soaked Band.

For more information on the COESS Chili Cook-off, call 651-2600 or stop by Dr. Hendersen’s office located in the Old Main room 410 to pick up a registration packet.

est Texas A&M’s hottest fight is back as students and professors heat up their crock-pots for the 6th annual Chili Cook-Off on Sept. 27.

The College of Education and Social Sciences will host the cook-off, which will take place at the Pedestrian Mall at 11:45 a.m. Even though the COESS will be hosting, Dr. Amy Hendersen, dean of the college, says it will be open to anyone affiliated with WT. “We invite teams from all over campus,” Hendersen said. “Student groups, faculty groups…faculty and student groups; whatever configuration people would like to enter.”

Each team registered will be required to enter two crock-pots of chili for official taste testers to judge. These taste testers will consist of various WT staff and administrators across campus, including Dr. Robin Capt, associate dean of Graduate School and Research.

“I’ve seen everything from emptying a can of Wolf brand chili to actually creating the chili,” Capt said.

The event will not simply focus on the best chili. Competitors will also be fighting for awards such as best decorated table, best non-traditional chili, and best chili name.

Aside from bragging rights, winners will receive trophies and the grand-prize winner will receive bookstore credit via gift card.

Among last year’s competitors was the Black Women’s Association, who won the grand-prize for their Bacon Chili. According to Temitayo Fakiyesi, a junior Nursing major and member of the BWA, the organization plans on a second successful year.

“The BWA is trying to win twice CouRtESY of EDuCAtIoN DEPARtMENt in a row, so we’ll see how that goes,”

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Last week’s answers

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Prairie WTAMU students get unique museum opportunity 8

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Remnant Trust exhibit on display for second year at PPHM DANIELA FIERRO Staff Writer

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his semester, the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum will be hosting the Remnant Trust for the second consecutive year.

According to Warren Stricker, PPHM archivist and research center director, The Remnant Trust is an organization based in Indiana that has made it their mission to acquire important works in various fields.

“There are a few items in the collection that are the same as last year’s,” Stricker said. “But the rest of them are different titles, authors, time periods, subjects, etc. You can do this year after year without repeating yourself too much.”

He said, the exhibit holds a wide range of first edition books and manuscripts that are in their earliest forms as possible.

“They make them available so the students of the intuitions or members of the public can come and see these items firsthand,” Stricker said.

The collection is important to

“Not one major is excluded,” WT since it gives the students Jellison said. “Every class that and residents a chance to come has been here has left bug-eyed in and see rare books and manuafter visiting.” scripts in their original form.

There will be three lectures “In the collection, we have an throughout the fall semester. The early manuscript of the Magna first will be afree lecture on “The Carta that was written out by hand in the 15th century,” Strick- City in History: From Plato to the Federalist Papers” presented by er said.

Dr. David Baum Sept. 22 at 6:30 The Remnant Trust’s collection includes Augustine’s Museum Intern, Matthew “Confessions” (left) and The Federalist Papers (right). p.m.

Jellison said that being part of the Remnant Trust has been inspiring to him because of the ability to touch these artifacts, something that one would never be able to do in any regular museum.

“History is something that is always known for memorizing names and dates,” Jellison said.

One of the first copies of Cisenaro’s “Orientations.”

The Neumburg Chronicles.

“Everything else is pushed aside. [The Remnant Trust] reminds and brings you to the realization that we’re not far from thinking like these radical writers from back then.”

Jellison encourages anyone to come because the exhibit has something for every major.

He said that there wasn’t one Shelly’s “Frankenstein” from 1845.

Lincoln’s 1863 Gettysburg Address. document that he didn’t con- Mary Photos by DANIELA FIERRo nect with.

To view these books and more, visit the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum.

WT’s school mascot pumps up crowd at games LISA HELLIER Staff Writer

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s the fans root for the players and the cheerleaders rally up the crowd, there is another person on the sidelines making sure everyone gets pumped up during games. Even though Bucky, the WT buffalo mascot, may attend various football, volleyball and basketball games, the person inside the costume remains unknown to most students.

Danny Fuentes, in his disguise, has been a familiar face to many at WT

sporting events. It was through his girlfriend, a WT cheerleader, that Fuentes met cheerleading coach Scott Taute and was offered the position as the school mascot. Fuentes decided it could be fun to try out.

“I’m like a fan in a suit,” Fuentes said.

“Nobody can see me, but it’s really fun.”

Though he cannot attend every single game, Fuentes adds extra energy by interacting with the crowd, players and cheerleaders.

“From what I’ve seen he gets everybody pumped up,” Briana Vongkhampra, a freshman Business Management major, said. “He’s really good at getting

the crowed revved up and ready to go.”

Students seem to enjoy having Bucky to amp everyone up at the games. He helps boost excitement throughout the crowd and on the field.

“I saw him down on the field and he looked like he was having a lot of fun with the football players, and that’s always fun to watch,” Courtenay Nester, a WT student, said.

Even in the sweat inducing costume, Fuentes has really enjoyed the experiences and excitement that comes along with being the school mascot.

“It’s just fun making everybody laugh and getting everybody hyped up at all

the games,” Fuentes said.

This will be his second and last year as Bucky. Fuentes is a junior double majoring in Athletic Training and Sports and Exercise Science. He will be giving up the mascot position in order to focus on his studies during his senior year.

Fuentes will soon pass along the Bucky costume to another willing student, but said he has enjoyed his time as the WT mascot.

“I hear from everybody that it’s really an honor to be the mascot for the university level,” Fuentes said.