Vol. 97, No. 8

ThePRAIRIE

September 10, 2014

Vol. 97 Iss. 3

Photo by: Josh Collins | Design by: Amanda Koontz

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Adjunct professors share their experiences

Greek recruitment begins at WT

WT traditions are in full swing

The 39 Steps debuts on campus

Students should engage in open debate

2 NEWS NEWS

Buff News Briefs

Staff EDITOR Megan Moore ASSOCIATE EDITORS Alyssa Bonner Preston Thomas ADVISER Dr. Butler Cain AD MANAGER Alyssa Bonner LAYOUT DESIGNERS Cheyenne Black Victoria Stone

Photographers Amanda Koontz Natalia Molina

The Prairie is a studentoperated newspaper at West Texas A&M University. It functions to inform, educate a n d e n te r t a i n re a d e r s accurately and responsibly. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the administration, faculty or staff. The Prairie verifies the legitimacy of the advertising appearing in The Prairie, but cannot be held liable for any advertising claim made in this publication. The Prairie has a circulation of 1,500 and is printed by the Amarillo Globe-News.

Cornette Library hosts Bibliobonanza

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ornette Library is hosting an event known as the Bibliobonanza. This event will be held on Wednesday Sept. 3 from 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. at the Cornette Library and on the library lawn, and the event is for new and upperclassmen students. The main purpose for this event is to show students the different departments and other services the library has to offer. Participants can also enjoy food, drinks and games.

Buffs football to host Football 101

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ootball season is upon us and head coach Mike Nesbitt and the WT football team would like to invite students to a Football 101 seession on Thursday Sept. 11 from 12: 15 p.m. till 1:30 p.m. in room 101 of the Agriculture and Natural Sciences building. This event is for anyone who is interested in learning more about the game of football and what WTAMU home football games are like.

They will be handing out free koozies to the first 50 students, and there will be free spirit gear giveaways throughout the entire session.

Outdoor Pursuits returns from Wheeler Peak

O

utdoor Pursuits is an organization on campus that allows students to enjoy the environment and the outdoors around them.

On Sept. 5-7, Outdoor Pursuits traveled to Ruidoso, New Mexico. Students that attended were able to enjoy hiking and caught a glimpse of the colors that the fall has to offer in the New Mexico outdoors. Students on the trip had the option to summit New Mexico’s tallest peak, Wheeler Peak, which has an elevation of 13,161 feet. The cost to attend was be $60, which included transportation, park fees, meals, equipment and instruction. For more information on other upcoming events, contact Outdoor Pursuits at (806) 651-2353.

CORE to host 9/11 memorial event

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he anniversary for 9/11 is coming up and CORE Office is hosting an event called “Where were you?” It will be located in the Vaughan Pedestrian Mall on Sept. 11 from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. There will be a map laid out for students, on which they can place a pin on the location they were at the day of 9/11. There will also be pennies to represent how many people passed on that day. For more information about this event contact the core office at (806) 651-2313.

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September 10, 2014

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September 10,2014

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3 NEWS NEWS

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Adjuncts among WT faculty Alyssa Bonner Associate Editor

A

ccessibility of professors is something that is often essential to students at the university level. Office hours are sometimes crucial, and at times required, to being successful in the college classroom. What some students don’t realize, however, is that some of their professors are not full-time professors.

Some students take a class with an adjunct, or part-time, professor. They may not have an office, or they may share an office with another instructor, which can make face-to-face communication a challenge.

“Sometimes it can be a problem,” Parman Reynolds, Parttime Instructor of Economics, said. “I share an office with another instructor in the business school, but teach classes in Amarillo instead, so that’s not a very convenient situation” WT also provides shared offices at the Amarillo center, Reynolds said, but he said most of his students prefer to meet in the classroom before or after class. Reynolds is the president of Reynolds Engineering Associates, LLC, and he sometimes meets with students at his office there when necessary.

Adjunct professors at WT are hired on a semester-by-semester basis, so someone who is hired for the first time to teach part-time may or may not get hired again in the future.

Melissa Timmons, Instructor of Mathematics, began working for WT as a part-time instruc-

tor in 2008. She chose to start as part-time because the flexibility of hours allowed her to be home with her children.

“I wanted to be able to spend time with [my children] while they were little,” Timmons said, “and enjoy that time with them and not worry about having to be at work all day.”

Timmons did not express any frustrations with being a parttime professor other than not being able to find her place in the department right away.

“I was part of the faculty, but being part-time, I didn’t have as many responsibilities, so trying to figure out where I fit in was difficult,” Timmons said. “Talking with my department head, I was able to figure that out and know what was expected of me and what I needed to do.”

In an article from The Wash-

four courses in each the fall and spring semester, the average annual salary is $21,600, which is below the national poverty line for a family of four. In a classroom down the hall, a professor with tenure could be making a three-figure salary.

In addition to the communication struggles that can stem from not always having a private office and the gap in full- and part-time salaries, adjunct professors are not allowed the same benefits as full-time employees.

“A PTI (part-time instructor) that teaches one course a semester is not eligible for fulltime employee benefits, such as retirement, health care, tenure, etc.,” Reynolds said. “You may or may not get hired again depending on the departmental needs and how many full-time folks are available to teach.”

“I find that faculty involvement is rewarding, so I make an effort to travel to Canyon and attend faculty meetings whenever I can.”

-Parman Reynolds ington Post titled, “Adjunct professors fight for crumbs on campus,” Coleman McCarthy refers to adjunct professors as “the stoop laborers of higher education.” The American Association of University Professors reported that part-timers make up 50 percent of higher education faculty nationwide.

According to AAUP, the average salary for a three-credithour course is $2,700. For a parttime instructor that teaches

Reynolds added that he is able to get discounted flu shots, however.

“It takes an extra effort to remain a part of the faculty community when you both teach night classes and teach classes which aren’t held at Canyon,” Reynolds said. “I find that faculty involvement is rewarding, so I make an effort to travel to Canyon and attend faculty meetings whenever I can.”

4 NEWS NEWS

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September 10, 2014

Campus Climate Survey launches at WT campus Megan Moore Editor

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est Texas A&M University’s Office of Diversity and Inclusion recently began to address the issue of low graduation rates among minority students by working with an outsourced vendor to produce a Campus Climate Survey to be administered starting Oct. 1.

“This is being given to all sophomores and juniors,” Dr. Rosemary Gray, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, said.

“We’re going to learn and be able to plan and to understand our students and what their needs are in this 21st century.”

Faculty and staff on campus have been included in this project as well. College deans were asked to select a specific liaison through the Diversity and Inclusion Office.

“Our focus is really on freshmen, entering freshmen and transfer students,” Gray said.

“Another purpose of this survey is to help increase our graduation rates, because based on our graduation rates they are about half or less for black African American and Hispanic students, so we want to increase the graduation rates.”

Gray worked with the Institutional Research Office to get that information and has chosen this particular survey because it is nationally-based and will allow for a comparison among institutions of higher learning across the U.S. that have also participated in the survey.

The results of the survey will be available in the summer and

will be accessible for administration, faculty, staff and others who do any sort of planning involving the results. Student Government will also look at the results when they come in.

“I can’t represent someone I don’t know about, so just knowing what types of students are here, what they need assistance with, what are they feeling, so that we can focus on a positive,” Edward Akinyemi, Student Body President, said. “My biggest pet peeve is pointing out a problem but not bringing a solution, so hopefully we can find solutions to the problems we

have here at WT.” The survey, however, will not be conducted every year because Gray said that the office will need to have time to address the results. In future years, the University could consider an inhouse survey.

“I think that if this is a good test run then we can start opening tests for more minority groups and not exclude the majority of the group either, because it is their campus also, so you have to make sure that we appease all students at WT, not just certain groups,” Akinyemi said.

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In addition to the Campus Climate Survey, the Office of Diversity and Inclusion has also launched an Active Study Hall program held every Monday and Tuesday for freshmen and transfer students in the Jack B. Kelley Student Center. The Study Hall is led by student peer leaders who are a part of the ASH program.

“I want to make this an inclusion thing,” Rhemecka Graham, senior Business Management major and ASH program leader, said. “I know we are targeting a certain group of students but that’s only going to get us so far.

I want us to become a part of WT, help and input things into WT. I want students to know their ideas are welcomed and encouraged.”

This year is the first year that the ASH program will be implemented on campus.

“I have a passion for minority students,” Graham said.

Leaders were required to go through leadership training before the start of school. Additional information on the Active Study Hall and the ASH program can be found on the Office of Diversity and Inclusion’s webpage.

September 10, 2014

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5 NEWS NEWS

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Greek week begins Crime rate drops on campus

John Blundell Reporter

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henever one thinks about college, the first things that always come to mind are good friends, tough classes and sororities and fraternities.

To the latter of these, this week marks an immeasurably important event in their year.

“Greek Week is all about the different sororities and fraternities building friendships, helping others and coming together as one big ‘Greek,’” Brandy Merritt, junior education major and Rho Gamma sister, said.

This Monday marked the official beginning of Greek Week 2014, a time when all of West Texas A&M University’s sororities and fraternities begin recruitment as well as instatement of their new brothers and sisters.

“We’ve started doing some really cool new philanthropic things like the soap box der-

by and excelsior challenge,” Hayden Gibbs, senior corporate communication major and Kappa Alpha brother, said.

Between Big Little Week, group outreach, pink out games and others, Greeks new and old have plenty to look forward to this year. Greek organizations will not only be participating in public service, but also great efforts of community organizing as they work to improve the community throughout the year.

“Go Greek and you won’t regret it,” Kaylin Smallwood, senior accounting major and Rho Gamma sister, said.

Greek organizations also offer incredible networking opportunities, as well as lifelong friendships to their members.

Certainly these organizations are an important and exceptional part of the West Texas experience and truly represent what it means to be a good citizen, as well as a Buff.

Russell Sanderson Reporter

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rime rate has a certain place in the brains and thought processes for the students and faculty of WT. Like anywhere else, people want to feel safe where they have to be for extended periods of time.

If a person feels safe, they feel comfortable in their surroundings, thus making for a more enjoyable college experience.

Statistics show that over the past year, overall crime on campus has dropped. The question is if that is a result of a campus becoming a safer environment, or a lack of communication with the authorities of the campus and the students. It has always been documented

that, generally, college students have a problem with authority figures. Though the same is not true for everyone, there are those that still have not acclimated themselves to the college atmosphere, and still have that immature side to them that does not want to associate themselves with authority figures such as the police, leading to some crimes going unnoticed or unreported.

The consensus with upperclassmen seem, to be that UPD are good guys.

“They’re good people,” Scott Cooper, senior and RA at Jarrett Hall, said.

“Crime has definitely dropped over the past year and last semester,” Stephen Bachmeier, senior Sports and Exer-

PIC

John Blundell/ The Prairie Greeks participate in Glow event.

Russell Sanderson/ The Prairie WTAMU campus police car is parked next to curb.

cise Sciences major, said.

According to one UPD officer, he believes that the relationship between the officers and the students is good, but believes that some apprehension from students stems from where they grew up.

“Some students come here from small towns where they believe that the cops are jerks, and it isn’t like that here,” Aaron Price, patrol officer for UPD said. “I try to see how the students’ days are going all the time and be nice. Students need to realize that we’re just doing our job.”

Price also said that no reports by students will always be a problem, but the relationship with UPD and students is improving constantly.

6 SPORTS SPORTS

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September 17, 2014

WTAMU fans show support for first home game

Ian Kelty/The Prairie WT fans gather on the hill during the football game.

Ian Kelty/The Prairie WT fans cheering at Saturday’s game.

Ian Kelty/The Prairie The Herdsmen celebrate a WT touchdown.

Ian Kelty/The Prairie The Maroon Platoon reacting to a WT score.

Bowling Team tryouts begin Jose Robledo Reporter

T

he West Texas A&M Bowling Team has started off the semester with their ongoing tryouts that began on Sept. 2 and end on Sept. 18. Students who were interested in the bowling team attended a meeting on August 27th. The coach for the WTAMU Bowling Team, Mark Scroggins, explained the tryout process and presented paper work that students had to fill out. Along with this information students were to list their available times for tryouts and an overview of how to score their results when they bowl.

“We bowl four times a day, four days a week for three weeks,” Ashley Hansen, junior Bio-Chemistry Major said.

“We bowl a total of 48 games

throughout the tryout process, and it definitely gets tiring.”

There are a total of five squads each day that bowl from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. The bowlers sign up for two hour blocks to complete their four games a day. Coach Mark Scroggins attends every block to be able to see what each bowler is capable of. Every student will have their score card where they keep track of their results as they bowl their games. They submit their scores to Coach Mark, and he places the bowlers based on their performance.

“Each day we have different oil patterns that we bowlers have to adjust to,” Natalie Walker, senior Accounting major, said. “Coach Mark Scroggins gives us aggressive oil patterns to make us think faster and be better prepared for tournaments. This makes it harder to bowl but it is designed to make

Ian Kelty/The Prairie Geremy Alridge-Mitchell (left) catches a pass during the game.

us better bowlers.”

Everyone has their scores posted on the wall down the bowling alley in the WTAMU’s Activity Center. Students are placed and compete against each other for a spot on the teams that are taken to the major tournaments. There is regularly a Team A and Team B for both men and women bowlers, and each team consist of about 6-8 bowlers depending on the tournament.

“The tryout process is to place the top bowlers that will have a spot on our first tournament on September 27-28, at Western Bowl in Amarillo,” Tim Crites, senior Accounting major, said. “If one has a bad game we have to stay positive and stay focus,” Hansen said. “Being mentally strong is what matters in tournaments.”

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7 SPORTS SPORTS

Volleyball fan brings life and perspective to team Alyssa Bonner Assistant Editor

T

he Box is packed with excited, cheering fans. The cheerleaders are getting ready to pump up the crowd.

The Lady Buffs volleyball starters get together in the center of the court to share words of encouragement and motivation before the match starts.

Meanwhile, on the bench, Hali Thompson excitedly makes her way to each remaining player, giving her a high five to start the game. Hali is the biggest fan of Lady Buff volleyball.

Hali, 25, has developmental delays and a physical illness that challenge her in different ways.

“She’s obviously very social,” Brad Thompson, Hali’s father, said. “The social side of her really probably keeps her physical health as good as it is. Being in a group of people causes her to really flourish in these settings.”

When Hali was in seventh grade, she began following her first volleyball team. Hali’s parents, Brad and Karen, wanted her to be a part of a team, and the seventh grade volleyball coach was thrilled to have Hali join them.

“I love sports,” Brad said.

“Karen willingly goes with me, and our son was involved in football and baseball. We wanted Hali to have a team, and Canyon girls’ athletics is awesome.

We knew the seventh grade volleyball coach, and she was like, ‘Yeah, come on.’”

As a sophomore in high school, Hali had to have brain surgery.

“She wouldn’t let them do it

until volleyball was over,” Karen said. “She told the neurosurgeon she couldn’t do it until after volleyball and her brother Justin was done with football.”

When Hali was a junior in high school, the Canyon volleyball team played in the state finals. Hali receive a state silver medal from the tournament, which she prominently displays.

“We’ve been blessed because she graduated from Canyon and came [to WT], and the Lady Buffs were always great,” Brad said.

When Hali went to WT and participated in the Where the

Learning Continues program, there weren’t many women who knew her. Fortunately, a setter from Canyon High School went on to play for WT. She was Hali’s ambassador to the WT volleyball team.

“She said, ‘Hey, here’s H-Baby,’ and they just took her in and loved her, and seven years later, we’re still doing this,” Brad said.

Hali is introduced by the seniors of the WT volleyball team each year to the new players.

“They introduce her as the tradition,” Karen said.

Hali attends a few practices in the spring and meets a few of

the new players who have come in. The Thompson family attends the Meet the Lady Buffs event each year, and Hali attends a few practices in the fall.

“Coach Skoch doesn’t give himself enough credit,” Brad said. “He stops practice as soon as Hali walks in the door.”

Head coach Jason Skoch said Hali was already here when he began coaching at WT; he inherited her.

“I take this job very seriously, and probably a little too serious at times,” Skoch said. “Having her around gives me perspective. She just enjoys herself and being around company. She’s happy, so why not? She enjoys life, and those are fun people to have around.”

Hali works hard to know

each one of them and remember their names. Each year at the BritKare Lady Buff Classic, Hali gets a program that includes a team roster, and she studies it until she knows each one of them, at least by their numbers.

“I am studying them,” Hali said. “I’ve known some of them maybe about four or six years.”

Hali enjoys standing with the team at home games and cheering for them. Before each game, Hali can be seen giving high fives to each of them. She also has “secret” handshakes that she does with a few of the players.

“I just love every one of them,” Hali said, “including the ones I really don’t know very well. It feels like all of them are family, including the new ones.”

“Coach stops practice as soon as Hali walks in the door.”

-Brad Thompson

Alyssa Bonner/The Prairie Hali Thompson (front center) poses for a picture with the Lady Buffs.

8 ARTS LEISURE ARTS& & LEISURE

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September 10, 2014

Theatre department presents ‘The 39 Steps’ play Josh Collins, Erin Mastoras Reporter

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n ordinary man convicted of murder in the first degree stomps through the misty Scottish moors in the midnight hour. Having not slept in days, his only motivation is his knowledge that he has the power to stop an organization of German spies from potentially destroying England.

The theatre department is currently presenting “The 39 Steps” in Happy State Bank Studio Theatre. Showings began last Thursday and will continue through Friday Sept. 13. The production’s final performances will be Saturday Sept. 13 at 2:30 and 7:30 p.m. Tickets will be on sale in the Fine Arts Complex Box Office from 2:30 to 5 p.m.

Monday – Friday. Sophomore Theatre Performance major Brandon Dawson stars as the lead role Richard Hannay.

“The show is going very well,” Dawson said. “We’ve had great crowds so far that have been very responsive to the humor, and that serves as a great fuel for us actors on stage.”

“The 39 Steps” is an adaptation from the 1905 novel by John Buchan and the 1935 film by Alfred Hitchcock. “‘The 39 Steps’ is about an average, everyday man who is pulled into some outrageous circumstances with global consequences,” Dawson said. “It’s all about Richard Hannay trying to uncover a secret plot, clear his name, and find excitement and love in the process.”

Junior Theatre Design and Technologies major Oodie

Nykol Taliaferro is the stage manager of this production.

“This play is just a great piece of theatre,” Taliaferro said. “All of the acting is really great, and the set design and tech work that went into it is really worth a watch, especially knowing that maybe 12 people put this show together.”

The play’s adaptation only calls for four cast members to play the alternating parts of the entire cast. The theater department stuck to this adaptation while allowing other actors to get more stage time.

“We kind of broke it down a little bit to get a couple more

people on stage while making it easier on everyone,” Taliaferro said. “We ended up with six cast members while each of the clowns plays about 15 to 20 characters.”

Dawson said the show is very unique in its writing, with intentional technical mess-ups, two actors playing many different parts and several other aspects.

“There are so many twists and turns in the story that it’s impossible not to be surprised and entertained,” Dawson said.

“I encourage everyone to strap in for a wild ride with our amazing cast and crew and I promise

they’ll enjoy the experience. The suspenseful, love-filled story will keep people on the edge of their seats the entire time.”

For special effects, the production is using a fog machine, a dry ice machine and many light and sound cues, as well as a screen used for a silhouette scene.

“A lot of the end of the first act is done with a screen that is attached to two ladders with a backlight,” Taliaferro said.

“There is a scene where our lead, Richard Hannay, is running across the Scottish moors and you see his silhouette being chased by all these policemen, and then he is chased by airplanes and pilots in those planes.”

Dawson said he enjoys the cast and the relationships he shares between characters.

“The journey I get to take every night in this story is unimaginably fun,” Dawson said.

“This all-star cast that we’ve put together is supremely talented in entertaining the audience every single night.”

Josh Collins/ The Prairie Compere, played

by Tyler Bunch, introduces Mr. Memory.

Josh Collins/ The Prairie Richard Hannay (left), played by Brandon Dawson, pleads silence from Margaret (right), played by Rachel Townsen during evening prayers with Crofter (center), played by Dakota Brown.

ARTS LEISURE 9 ARTS& & LEISURE TRIVIA TEST

By Fifi Rodriguez 1. ASTRONOMY: Which planet in our solar system is closest in size to Earth?

2. TELEVISION: Who is the voice of Moe the bartender on “The Simpsons”?

3. MOVIES: In which movie did Bill Murray deliver the line, “Well, there’s something you don’t see every day”?

4. MYTHOLOGY: In Greek mythology, who rules the underworld?

5. U.S. PRESIDENTS: Which U.S. president served the shortest tenure in history?

6. LITERATURE: When was the novel “Goodbye, Columbus” by Phillip Roth published?

7. FOOD & DRINK: What kind of food is a peanut?

8. GEOGRAPHY: How much of the Earth’s surface is covered by the oceans?

9. LANGUAGE: What is another name for a lexicon?

10. MATH: How many different letters are used in Roman numerals?

Answers

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7. Mount Crumpit 8. Dr. Frank-N-Furter 9. A mnemonic device to remember the colors of the rainbow 10. Steve Martin

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1. Washington 2. "I'll Be There For You" (The Rembrants) 3. The 5th Dimension 4. Terry and the Pirates 5. 17 to 18 inches 6. Subway

September 17, 2014

10 FEATURE FEATURE

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September 10, 2014

Brothers reignite morning show on 91.1 The One

Josh Collins Reporter

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feeling of pure electricity runs through the air as two brothers sit side by side in the rising sunlight.

Each weekday morning, they must awake before the break of dawn and arrive on campus before many people are even up.

They fight nerves and the rising pressure of classwork every day to say good morning to WT through pulsing airwaves.

Brothers Robert and David Dueñes are in charge of WT’s own radio morning show.

Broadcasting on KWTS’s “The One” 91.1 from 7 to 9 a.m., their morning show began this Monday. “The Handsome Man Show” will be a daily morning broadcast Monday through Friday and will feature guests, news and music. ”First and foremost we cover campus news,” Robert said. “We definitely want to focus on community, the city of Canyon and Amarillo and definitely WT. We will definitely touch on pop culture, entertainment and world news as well.”

“The Handsome Man Show” will feature a daily guest, usually from organizations on campus, which is unlike WT radio shows in the past.

“We are changing it up,” Robert said. “This is the first semester we are going to have a daily guest. In the old morning show, they would have maybe one guest a week. What we are trying to do is get more involved with other organizations here on campus.”

The One plays college rock, alternative rock, indie rock

and more. David said the show would mostly be a talk show, but there would be music and they are always looking for something different.

“We definitely want to play some unearthed gems,” Robert said. “We want to play some upand-coming music that hasn’t been played anywhere else yet and something that is hot as far as college rock goes.”

David and Robert agreed that the fact that they’re brothers really helps the chemistry of the show.

“We have known each other all of our lives and so we already have a rapport,” Robert said.

“We can talk about anything for hours at a time. What we normally do is try to have a pseudo competition to try to make the other one laugh. That’s what we love to do.”

The brothers have had experience with radio shows in the past. Robert has been doing radio for two and a half years while David has been doing it for a year and a half. They hosted a radio show at Amarillo College together for a semester.

“We already have a knack for talking to each other over the air,” David said. “We’ve always had chemistry and it’s really natural. It’s not fake; it’s not fab-

ricated. It’s really us. What you hear from us on air is the same as in the hall ways.”

Robert said even though they both have experience, nerves are still present.

“One thing that is always on the back of your mind is messing up,” Robert said. “You just have to get over that. The beauty about radio is if you mess up, it is no problem because in about 10 minutes, you’ll have to do it again.”

In fact, Robert said he loves the mixture of nervous energy and excitement.

“You just get a rush because you know people are listening

“This is your station, we’re just the nerds they put in charge of the morning show.”

- David Dueñes

Josh Collins/ The Prairie Robert and David Dueñes make preperations for the Monday premiere of “The Handsome Man Show.”

to what you have to say,” Robert said. “You crack the mic for the first time and you get this nervous energy like you want to throw up but at the same time it is the most exciting feel I have ever had. It is electric.”

Both of the brothers said they would encourage anyone to be on the radio. David is an Advertising and Public Relations major, and he said he never thought he would be on the radio and never wanted to be on the radio until he tried it out.

“Try something new,” David said. “This is the time to figure out what you want to do. See what it’s like, because you may never know what you want to do until you get to have an opportunity to do it. And that’s all this is, an opportunity to do something.”

The One encourages all students interested in radio to become a part of WT’s radio station.

“There’s no discouragement here,” David said. “There is so much support from the faculty and students. This is a way for people to actually transition into doing Podcasts or any kind of online stream. You have to know how to speak well at anything you do really. It is a perfect way to get out there.”

“The One” 91.1 has many different radio programs throughout the week. Anything from sports, cinema, music and news, “The One” has a program for everyone. For more information, go to wtamu.edu/kwts/.

“This is your station, WT,” David said. “This is your station, we’re just the nerds they put in charge of the morning show.”

September 10, 2014

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11 OPINION OPINION

Students should examine, debate personal views

W

ith the 13th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks approaching, questions arise about what role patriotism plays in the life of a student attending college.

Most undergraduates are going to have been born sometime between the fall of the Soviet Union and the Sept. 11 attacks, closer to the former rather than the latter and fairly young when the towers fell. At that age the broader implications of the attack would be lost on a child but its effects on America and its citizens, which can still be felt today, played a large role in shaping this generation’s idea of patriotism. From the attacks themselves to the War on Terror and the many consequences therein, the reactions and politics of the people surrounding the children who would become today’s students formed those children’s own political beliefs.

The pledge of allegiance is a common fixture throughout public schools in the United States, often recited daily while saluting the American flag. Children learn about the founding of our nation, its legendary fathers, the guiding principles of the Constitution and the idea of the American Dream. They usually don’t engage in discussions of partisan politics, political corruption or the constitutionality of the government’s actions. With some exceptions, these more thoughtful ideas usually don’t take hold until a student arrives at his or her first college campus. While at home a student may have been in an echo

chamber, always surrounded by peers and adults who all expressed similar viewpoints, the university brings a vast diversity of opinion. Gather together 30 different college students and you’ll have a room with 30 different worldviews being represented. When presented with this difference of opinion on everything from politics, religion, philosophy and many more subjects, students can take one of two options; they can either surround themselves with like-minded individuals all expressing the same opinions, or they can challenge their own thinking and look into why they believe what they believe.

On patriotism specifically, let’s say a student with a pro-American perspective gets into an argument with a student with a more critical viewpoint of the government.

On the topic of the United

States the first student would present examples of the good the USA has done for the world, while the second student may present a litany of crimes and misdeeds done by the nation.

Are either wrong in their view of the country? The answer to that question is not important.

What is important, however, is that the students in question can involve themselves in a discussion about their nation.

There are two main reasons that this hypothetical debate is an important feature of our nation; first that they can engage in such a debate, and secondly that they are engaging in the debate.

Citizens of the United States can sometimes take their liberties for granted, or poorly understand what they mean.

The protections of the First Amendment of the Constitution are some of the most

widely misinterpreted freedoms available to Americans. Regardless of that, for the most part anyone in America can say just about whatever they want without worrying about unmarked black vans showing up at their door. While you can’t threaten the President, you can question the actions of the government using as many swear words as you please on your social media platform of choice. The ability to have discourse that questions the government is a vastly underappreciated facet of our country, in contrast to how often the right is exercised.

In regards to the hypothetical students, a reader might ask, “why are they even bothering talking about it? What’s the point?” In life, to grow as human beings we must be challenged, presented with some obstacle that we have to work to overcome. Even if you

don’t always succeed, you can learn from your failures. Going through your whole adult life without ever having your viewpoints challenged would be an absolute miracle with the sheer diversity of opinion that exists within the country, and being able to explain and defend what you believe is an important skill College is often the first testing grounds for a young person’s ideas.

With all this in mind we return the focus again to patriotism on campus. Some will argue that the pledge should be recited in university classrooms, others will argue against. Some will stand with their hand over their heart for the national anthem at a WT football game, and others will remain seated. The most important thing to remember is that they each get to choose what to believe.

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, U.S. Constitution @The_Prairie

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12 PHOTOS ∙ PHOTOS Where The Buffalo Roam theprairienews.com

September 10, 2014

‘The 39 Steps’

Dakota Brown and Tyler Bunch play everchanging charactrs Clown 1 and 2 alongside Hannay, played by Dawson.

Richard Hannay, played by Brandon Dawson, sprints through the Scottish Moors.

Hannay meets Professor Jordan, played by Tyler Bunch, at his mansion in Sweden.

Hannay sneaks through a crowd of protestors as he hides from police.

The McGarrigle couple, played by Bunch (left), and Jessica Morrow (right), run a hotel in Scotland.

Mr. Memory, played by Dakota Brown, prompts the audience for questions.

Josh Collins/ The Prairie