The Prairie Vol. 96 Number 7

October 8, 2013 • Vol. 96, No. 7

www.theprairienews.com

WT Confessions causes a stir with students Preston Thomas Alex Gonzalez

n Sept 10, 2013, a Facebook page called WT Confessions was created, similar in style and content to the controversial WT Crushes Twitter account from last semester, which became a topic of heated discussion. Like WT Crushes, Confessions allowed students to send anonymous messages that an administrator would then post to the Facebook page wall, numbering each “confession” as they were posted.

“We started WT confessions just for fun,” the admin of WT Confessions said. “We’re all dying for a little piece of others’

juicy thoughts.” The Prairie promised the admin confidentiality.

The first confession was posted that same exact day. It was from a female freshman who needed advice on how to tell a guy she was in love with him. However, in the span of three weeks after arriving at WT, she said she had slept with five guys, and as well as a female and didn’t know how to break it to him since she wanted to start a serious relationship. The post only garnered a couple of likes and comments. A couple more confessions were added to the wall, but it wasn’t until almost a month later that the page started to receive much attention— as well as criticism.

It was on Oct. 2 that almost 30 posts hit the wall, all ranging from wondering if WT’s mascot was a buffalo or bison to someone claiming they had filled the Buffalo fountain with soap and had left excrements on the steps of Old Main. One post even received 337 likes. The variance in tone was stark, with one student saying they had kept a pet cat in Cross Hall for a year right next to a girl threatening to castrate anyone who messed with her. It was during this flurry of posts that a back and forth “confession war” began with students attacking and defending the Wesley Foundation, a student ministry here on campus.

“We decided that our moral standings were not in support

of all the bashing of certain groups,” admin of WT Confessions said. “We are not uncaring, horrible people.”

Many of the posts called it a “brainwashing cult”, and mocked The Wesley in what they thought of the page. Many others defended the student ministry, leaving their thoughts publicly via the comments.

“People get real brave, and almost lose their humanity behind an anonymous wall,” Mikey Littau, The Wesley Foundation director, said. When asked about the multiple bashings against the Wesley, Littau said, “I don’t think it’s a whole lot of people, just a handful [who are making the posts].”

Student reactions to the page

have varied. Some found the material hysterical while others were less entertained. Most, however, agreed that the page could have been managed better.

“I thought it was pretty immature, but funny,” Emily Rubio, freshman Music Education major, said. “[It would be good] if it was just clean, the nasty things were unnecessary.”

“People have the freedom to do and say what they feel,” Katy Spruiell, senior Mass Comm/ AD/PR major and President of The Wesley Foundation, said.

ENTERTAINMENT

OPINION

Study Abroad students tell of their travels.

Homecoming Festivities from this past week.

Buffs stampede Central State, 72-0.

PAGES 6 & 7

PAGE 8

Preston Thomas reviews Planetary Annihilation Beta.

Homecoming proves to be a letdown.

PAGE 10

PAGE 11

reporters

O

NEWS

PAGE 3

HOMECOMING

facebook.com/theprairiewt

SPORTS

CONFESSIONS on PAGE 5

@The_Prairie

2

NEWS

WT’s Spanish Film Club Alex Gonzalez Ana Maria Villagomez Reporters

T

he Spanish Film Club is unlike many other clubs on campus, because people can come and go as they wish. Another attribute of the Spanish Film Club is they are allowed to bring their families and children, so they too can watch the movie and participate in the discussion afterward.

WTAMU has a Spanish Film Club where the public is welcome to come and watch a traditional Spanish movie. After the

movie, the club discusses the movie with Dr. Oscar SantosSopena, a Spanish assistant professor at WT. “It’s a time when we can get together and watch classical Spanish movies, and later discuss them,” Dr. Santos-Sopena said.

“I like seeing how people reacted during certain times of periods,” said Tyler King, senior Spanish Major. “I liked how the films relate to Hispanic society.”

The latest film they saw was on Oct. 1, which was Muerte De Un Ciclista, which translates to death of a cyclist. In the film,

two lovers strike a cyclist. Terrified that their love affair will be exposed, they leave the cyclist to die. Suspicions start to arise and the lovers’ lives start to crumble as they feel guilt over what they did.

“The editing was very intelligent, and the scenes were really pretty,” Miranda Parman, senior Spanish major, said.

Dr. Santos-Sopena also has a class, Spanish 4385 Hispanic Film: Visions and Fictions, which ties in with the Spanish Film Club. It is three credits, and the class talks about Spanish culture and also watches Spanish Films.

The next film that the Spanish Film Club will be showing is El Espiritu De La Colmena, which will be on Oct. 22 at 7 p.m. in the Classroom Center, Room 314.

Download the WTAMU Directory App Now! B.J. Brittain DESIGN EDITOR

STAFF

INTERIM EDITOR Tyler Anderson ASSISTANT EDITOR

Kati Watson

SPORTS EDITOR Matt Watkins

Megan Moore

ADVISER

WEB EDITOR

Dr. Butler Cain

Megan Moore

REPORTERS

AD MANAGER Zivorad Filipovic

Christopher Berryman Cheyenne Black

Kristian Diaz Tori Dinkfield Alex Gonzalez Jenna Harrison Jacob Helker Faith Hinojosa Garrett Hottle Laci McGee Sarah Jo Miller

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

W

Buff News Brief

ith record enrollment this fall, seniors as well as freshmen have taken part in intramural flag football competition at Buffalo Sports Park.

Participation among first year freshmen has attracted attention, especially by senior Criminal Justice major and flag-football competitor David Sanchez.

“Participation has been huge. There are so many teams out there this semester and it’s been one huge competition,’’ he said. “Seeing the freshmen when they play, it seems to take them out of their bubble and they learn how to interact with our guys and become better friends.”

Senior Biochemistry major and flag-football competitor Jared Terrell has also noticed an increase in participation this fall, which he believes will help create new friendships.

“This semester I see a lot of freshmen from the residence hall getting out and getting involved,’’ he said.

Aurora Ortiz Marissa Rivera Sterling Rusher Morgan Smith Preston Thomas Luke Ware Connor Woods Argelia Villagrana

“They’re competing with the juniors and seniors trying to beat us and forming friendships that will last them for the next four years.”

Although the intramural season has created interaction between upperclassmen and freshmen, that doesn’t mean Senior Sports & Exercise major Tanner Lakey believes the younger generation isn’t at a disadvantage on the football field.

“Just like any freshmen when they come in and may have succeeded in high school sports they think they’re going to dominate, but they quickly discover flag-football is a lot different than highschool tackle football,’’ Lakey said. “It takes time for freshmen to adjust and we have more experience with play recognition and how the referees make calls.’’

Ultimately the fall intramural flag football season has created interaction between younger and upperclassmen.

Garrett Hottle MCOM 3309

GRAPHIC DESIGNER Christopher Brockman

WEB ASSISTANT Georgia Romig

LAYOUT ASSISTANT Cheyenne Black

COLUMNIST

PHOTOGRAPHER

Keltin Wiens

Natalia Molina

The Prairie is a student-operated newspaper 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 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.

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.

NEWS

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

3

WT Students reflect on study abroad trips Marissa Rivera MCOM 3309

T

he Study Abroad department at WT has helped students wishing to study outside of the country to accomplish their goals. The Prairie caught up with students who participated in the Study Abroad program recently and asked them to share their experiences.

Senior Michelle Jones, an Agribusiness major, said she traveled to Argentina because it gave her the opportunity to finish her Spanish minor. International Studies Abroad, a third party program provider partnered with WT, helped Jones in her four-and-a-half month trip to Argentina.

“Two of my classes were taught in English, and the rest were in Spanish,” Jones said. “I am now much more confident in my skills. I’m not fluent, but I’m better.”

Senior Mariela Mendoza, a Math major, also traveled through the ISA program to Granada, Spain, for one month.

“Studying abroad was one of the best experiences I have done in my life,” she said. “The only thing I would have changed about it is being able to stay longer than just a month.”

Senior Electronic Media major J.R. Alvarado traveled to Seoul, South Korea, and Tokyo, Japan, for two weeks with the Communication Department on a faculty led trip.

“The trip was awesome. Period,” Alvarado said. “The most memorable part of the trip was dancing “Gangnam Style” with the locals in Seoul, South Korea.

I’m a die-hard fan of PSY.” Jones said her trip changed her perspective on WT. “I am definitely grateful to be back here around people that have similar backgrounds as me,” she said. “It made me appreciate home more, but I’m glad I got to experience something different while I was in Argentina.”

Alvarado gained a new outlook on education from his trip to Asia.

“The trip changed me in several different ways,” he said. “I saw education as more than a

pleasure, but a privilege. Education is everything in Asia.”

WT students should be more aware of the opportunities they have to study abroad, Mendoza said.

Both Jones and Mendoza each traveled alone to different countries, where they then had classes with students from other universities. Jones said that it was a little tougher for her since it was a full semester trip and her first time outside of the country.

“I would recommend studying abroad, but if it’s your first time leaving the country like it was mine, then I’d recommend going on a faculty led trip or summer session,” she said.

Mendoza said she would like

to go on another study abroad trip.

“I now want to travel all over the world and experience different cultures,” she said.

Alvarado said that it was hard to find the means to travel on a study abroad trip but he is interested in traveling to Peru on another faculty led trip coming up.

“These trips are expensive and rare,” he said. “Taking advantage of them in college is the smartest thing to do. I’ll admit, getting the money together can be a major struggle. The bigger the opportunity, the bigger the sacrifices will be, but I say again, it is worth it.”

4

NEWS

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

Greek life takes part in Homecoming Connor Woods MCOM 3309

B

uff pride reigned supreme this past week as students, alumni and Buffalo fans flocked to the many activities that a WTAMU homecoming has to offer. This year, like in years past, fraternities and sororities floated into the homecoming scene.

“Fraternities and sororities team up to do homecoming floats and make up a pretty large percentage of the large homecoming floats that we have each year,” Associate Director of Student Activities Matt Maples said.

“They are really involved in all of the activities, but their

primary focus is the floats for the parade and the tailgating before the game,” Maples said.

“It’s the Greek groups that are competing for ‘The Tailgating Challenges.’”

Although it might seem like a good time, there is a lot of work and planning leading up to the parade.

“We are paired with [Kappa Alpha] and we have been working for the past few weeks and up through this week to prepare our float. A lot of people think that Greek life is just a party. It is definitely a lot of work, but we pride ourselves in getting involved at WT,” Andrea Fuller, president of Chi Omega, said.

This year, Fuller’s sorority

was creative with their theme as they used a play on words and some classic rock for inspiration.

“We are doing thunderstruck AC/DC style, so we’re trying to add a little flavor to the theme this year,” said Fuller.

“This and Shack-A-Thon are the best for getting Greeks involved and intermixed with students on campus,” Fuller said.

“I think it shows that we are not secluded. We are students who are participants in everything that goes on, in campus.”

“Anytime that we have the opportunity to become more involved on campus, it’s great,” Fuller said. “Honestly, it’s kind of a marketing strategy by getting people involved and wanting

Opinions differ on Gov Jacob Helker MCOM 3309

W

ith campaigning and elections taking place recently, the student body gave a wide range of opinions on how much trust they place in their elected representatives to accurately represent them and resolve presented problems.

Freshman Broadcasting major Marley Haynes said that, despite her inexperience with the workings of student government, she thought that they were an effective body.

“I feel like they’re doing a lot because campus is nice, and it’s beautiful,” said Haynes. Her main concern was the lack of publicity the student government allows itself.

“If they have meetings that are public, I’d love to go to one, but I don’t know when they are,

because I’ve never seen them publicized,” she said.

Sophomore Musical Theatre major Angelo Mincey agreed that the government could benefit from more publicity.

“Whenever voting happens, it should be more prominent,” said Mincey. “Whenever voting happens…nobody knows.”

“Whenever people do vote, they just vote for something random, because they don’t want to take the time to read the initiative,” he said.

Others take a more hardline stance that the government in too bureaucratic. Sophomore Marketing major John Isbell said his lack of faith in the government comes from their perceived inability to act.

“I don’t know that they actually do anything,” said Isbell.

“I haven’t heard anything that they’ve actually done anything for.”

He used the example of the Herdsmen not being considered college athletes to solidify his position, saying he felt that even if the issue were brought up, it “would get ignored” because they are a smaller campus group.

Sophomore Mechanical Engineering major Keith Augustine said the school’s democratic process seemed to be working smoothly.

“I think that they’re doing pretty good,” said Augustine.

His primary concern was the cooperation between the Student Senate and the Faculty Senate.

“If it’s our money being spent to come to school, I think we should have more of a say in how it’s used,” he said.

Augustine also said he still has faith in the government’s ability to effectively govern, regardless of his reservations.

to go through recruitment next year, when you see us having fun, that we are involved, and that we are students first and WT comes first. It’s just a great strategy for us.”

However, floats are not always the main focus as some fraternities pride themselves on their cooking abilities.

“For the past three years we have won the best meat award, so what happens is the school goes out and they try every

organization and fraternity’s cookout and we have won it for the past three years,” Josh Olvera, public relations representative for Omega Delta Phi, said. “This is our biggest thing for homecoming.”

“We are involved in homecoming to represent and lead as an example to have fun, and be positively involved through the WT community,” Seth Blackwell, Alpha Tau Omega float chair, said.

Rock N Roll Soda Shoppe Accepts BuffCASH

Cool off with a 32oz Coke for only 92 cents!

On the Square

OR

404 15th street

Come by and indulge in a delicious

Canyon, Texas

Cookie Monster for $3.99!

Pregnant?

NEWS

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

5

Meet the staff of WTAMU: Lupe Marquez BJ Brittain Reporter

E

arly mornings, smelly, dirty bathrooms and vacuuming; smudged doors, a large, filthy lobby and long hours of scrubbing and cleaning. This describes what Lupe Marquez experiences every day at Guenther Hall here on campus.

Lupe Marquez was born in Mexico and then moved to the United States when she was 13 years old. Marquez has worked on campus for nearly five years, cleaning up after the students and keeping Guenther Hall sanitary. She arrives to work at 7:00 a.m. every morning, Monday through Friday, and does not leave until 4:00 in the after-

noon. The entire time that she is here, this hardworking woman cleans the hall. She cleans the lobbies, vacuums the floors and scrubs the bathrooms.

“Those bathrooms are spotless,” John Isabel, a sophomore Marketing major and resident of Guenther Hall, said. “I have almost eaten off of them, almost!”

Even while doing all of this hard work for the residents at the hall, the kindness and good nature of Marquez shines through.

“She is not someone who looks depressed while she is at work,” Stephen Enriquez, a sophomore Computer Science major and Resident Assistant at Guenther Hall, said. “I do not

know how many times I have walked into a bathroom that she is cleaning while I hang up flyers and she is still always smiling and she will say ‘Hi, how are you Stephen?’, and when she says hi to people she always uses their name. Everyone enjoys that. It is always nice to hear.”

However, this hard work and cleaning cannot be considered the biggest service that Marquez does for the students who live in Guenther Hall. She touches the lives of every resident that she comes into contact with, hoping to brighten their day and encourage them.

“Lupe is an amazing woman,” Isabel said. “She is the closest thing we have to

O

a mother around here. She will keep us in line but will also be there if we need to talk to someone. She is a great lady.”

There is not a resident within the walls of Guenther Hall who can walk by Marquez without receiving a friendly smile and a greeting. Even other employees of Guenther Hall are thankful for everything that Marquez does.

“I always see her around lunch time and I will sit down with her and talk to her about her day, her plans or football,” Enriquez said. “She is really down to earth and she is just a really nice person. I am really glad that we have someone like her here taking care of all of us,

when she doesn’t have to.”

One learning all of this might wonder why in the world Marquez would do everything that she does for the residents who live in Guenther Hall. The answer is as touching and heartwarming as one might expect from someone as kind as Marquez.

Those who live and work in Guenther Hall with Lupe Marquez see that this one woman makes life in the hall great.

These students can see how Marquez invests in them and in their lives. Without a doubt, Lupe Marquez is an unsung hero of the WTAMU campus.

Confessions from page 1

n Oct. 3, perhaps the most controversial post was posted to the wall. In the confession, it was stated that this person had slept with a Canyon Police Officer and he had also bought [her] beer, later adding that she was underage. In the same post, it was admitted that their best friend had slept with her professor here, who happened to be married.

“When it comes to social media, once it’s posted, it can’t be taken back,” said Dr. Trudy Hanson, Department Head of Communcation.

Libel is the published defamation of character which many people have since reported the WT Confessions to Facebook.

Later, the Chief of the Canyon Police Department inquired which one of his officers had done the illegal deed. The entire post was shortly deleted after that.

The Prairie’s calls to the Canyon Police Department were not returned.

On Oct. 4, WT Confessions posted that the site would be closing in two weeks due to the number of reports that had been filed against them. The comments following were generally against the page

closing. Some asked if the page would reopen on Twitter, and telling the people that had been offended to un-follow WT Confessions if they didn’t like.

“The choice to shut down was solely the decision of my colleagues and I,” said the admin, “We decided that our moral standing were not in support of all the bashing of certain groups.”

The page managed to receive more than 2,300 likes, mainly from October 2nd through the 4th. Currently, the last post on the page is from the admin where they stated they would be shutting down the page in 14 days.

TYLER ANDERSON/THE PRAIRIE Screenshot of the WT Confessions page.

6

HOMECOMING

Vaughan sets new record CJ Berryman Reporter

D

uring the first quarter of WTAMU’s 72-0 homecoming victory over the Marauders of Central State on Oct. 5, senior quarterback Dustin Vaughn became No. 1 in school history in passing yards, eclipsing the previous record of 9,799 yards set by Taylor Harris [2007-10].

After going 32 of 40 for 401 yards and a career-high seven touchdown passes in the game, Vaughn also became the first quarterback in school history to throw for 10,000 career yards and lies within three touchdown passes of Keith Null’s [2005-08] school record of 92.

Earlier in the week, Vaughn said the record would be the last thing on his mind going into the game, and while he didn’t care when he broke it or how it happened, he did feel it was an honor.

“It’s something that I’m proud of,” Vaughn said, “and it’s something I’m proud to be a member of as far as the quarterbacks that have come through here – with Keith Null and Dalton Bell and Taylor Harris – those guys that hold those records, it’s definitely an honor to be placed in the same grouping as they are.”

Unlike Harris, however – who had a glimmering career in high school as well, throwing for 5,134 yards and 49 touchdowns in four years at Whitesboro High School in Whitesboro, Texas – Vaughn came from an offense in high school that was based off the running game.

The 6-5, 220-pounder from Corpus Christi, Texas, said he threw the ball just around ten times a game while playing for Calallen High School, and he

knew when he chose to play for WT he would have to prepare himself for a fast-paced offense that was based around the passing game.

“Something I needed to get better at was being able to watch film and to figure out tendencies in a defense and understanding the game of football a whole lot better than I was [at the time],” Vaughn said. “So it took a lot of preparation, took a lot of time in the film room, took a lot of asking question to coaches and just trying to figure it out. That’s a whole lot of what has made me the player that I am today.”

All college football coaches see players come through their programs that never live up to their potential and ability, and they also see many players come through that make the absolute most out of what they have.

Vaughn said he understood it was possible to get away with talent alone in high school, but he knew everyone was talented at the collegiate level and he needed to find a way to separate himself from everyone else. He found a way to do just that in his preparation.

Mike Nesbitt, interim head coach, said Vaughn’s attention to detail has been second to none since he arrived at WT, and he saw the “light come on” for Vaughn during his sophomore and junior seasons.

“The big thing is you just see the growth of the player,” Nesbitt said. “To be that type of player, you’re not going to flinch, that’s the thing that’s tough at that quarterback position. There’s always a defining moment in a guy’s career at quarterback - being able to step up or fold at that moment - and he has always stepped up.”

Nathan Slaughter, senior

wide receiver, entered the Buffs’ football program one year after Vaughn. Slaughter echoed Nesbitt’s sentiment regarding Vaughn’s preparation.

“As a freshman, he wasn’t playing but he still worked hard in practice,” Slaughter said. “He took everyone rep serious and I still see that same fire in his senior year. He’s grown a lot, he’s a lot more confident and he’s lot more of a vocal leader for the team.

“He’s a great quarterback; he handles all the responsibilities of a quarterback and he handles them well. He’s going to find a way to get you the ball and give you opportunities. He’s very smart, and you can’t [help but] love playing with a quarterback that’s going to be the number one quarterback in school history. You have to love that.”

Congratulations to Dustin Vaughan on breaking the WTAMU all time career passing record.

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

Junior wide reciever Anthony Johnson makes a leaping touchdown catch

Members of the Maroon Platoon run flags down the field.

Photos contributed by full Prairie Staff

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

HOMECOMING

7

Photos contributed by full Prairie Staff

Members of Kappa Alpha fraternity pull against the heavy piece of farm equipment in the RHA Tractor Pull.

This year’s Homecoming King and Queen winners are Scott Cooper and Hope Wentz. They were presented the crowns from last year’s Homecoming King and Queen, Jeremy Tarango and Allison Ashby.

Magician Mat Franco uses a dollar bill for one of his tricks on Sept. 30.

Congratulations from The Prairie!

8

SPORTS

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

Keltin Wiens’ Korner Prairie Sports Columnist Keltin Wiens weighs in on any and everything sports each week.

Q

uite frankly, there’s no better time to be a Buffalo. The maroon and white of West Texas A&M is shimmering with gold. WTAMU has entered its golden age and it’s great to be here.

Here’s one reason why: our football team is getting off to their best start ever. Dustin Vaughan is picking up where he left off last season and is making a great case to win the Harlon Hill Trophy. Lady Buff volleyball, with a win on the road over Angelo State, is in the driver’s seat of the Lone Star Conference early in conference schedule. Men’s soccer is nationally ranked and women’s soccer is the defending conference champs. Even the cross country teams are doing great this season.

Finally, we had Homecoming last week. In my eyes, there’s no better tradition in college than Homecoming. There’s something about asking your alumni to come back to their home away from home for a football game.

I’m always amazed at what sports can do to us. I’ve had people tell me so many times that they don’t know a thing about football or volleyball but he/ she will still go to the game just because their friends are there.

Sports have a way of uniting us together for one cause: to cheer for one and jeer for the other.

But it’s not just the game that becomes a social event; it’s the tailgating, the parades and, yes, the parties. The relationships built in and around, for and about sports is something that binds all of us together for the rest of our lives. We pass on the stories of our college days to our children and our grandchildren.

And the stories are always better the 43rd time they’ve been told.

Homecoming is time for us to reflect on the old and hope for the new, and to revive traditions. Which brings me to why it’s a great time to be at WT: the traditions. But not in the way you may think.

On Friday, Oct. 4, I was privileged to judge the spirit competition at Pigskin Revue, Homecoming Week’s premier event (yes, I do love long walks on the beach and yes, ladies, I am single) where the finalists for king and queen were announced. First, congrats to Scott and Hope, this year’s royalty.

There was nothing quite like sitting on the floor of the First United Bank Center and getting screamed at for an hour and I loved every minute of it.

There was one point in which I was overrun with tradition: Pigskin, king and queen finalists, the eternal flame, the band and greek life. In sorting through this tradition overload, an interesting thought hit me: why do we love tradition? It’s not just because of the sport. But it was more than that.

Tradition doesn’t have names. It’s not from a hometown and it’s not majoring in history or political science. Tradition is all about the people who participate in it. That’s why we love it.

You’re etching your own name in the tradition and history in your own way, doing it with the ones you find close to you. Put it this way, the turnout at Pigskin was fabulous, but everybody was at Pigskin together, as one unit with the people they are close to with one goal in mind: keeping the tradition alive.

So, no, maybe this column isn’t about sports. It’s not about Alex Rodriguez and the NCAA. It’s about relationships and coming together as one. That’s what sports is all about.

As far as I can tell, it’s a great day to be a Buffalo.

Buffs dominate Central State Matt Watkins Sports Editor

T

he No. 4 WTAMU Buffalo football team gained 663 total yards of offense in a 72-0 Homecoming win against the Marauders of Central State on Oct. 5 at Kimbrough Memorial Stadium in Canyon, Texas. Senior Dustin Vaughn also became WT’s all-time leading passer late in the first quarter as he passed Taylor Harris’ previous record of 9, 799 passing yards; Vaughn finished with 10,085 yards and he’s 2,024 yards behind Abilene Christian great Mitchell Gale for the Lone Star Conference record.

The Buffs scored early and often against the Marauders, first on a 14-yard pass from Vaughn to senior Torrence Allen less than two minutes into the game, but WT would be unsuccessful on a two-point conversion for a 6-0 lead. The Buffs would get back in the end zone with 7:21 remaining in the first when Vaughn connected with senior Jace Jackson on an eight yard pass for a 13-0 lead. A nineyard pass from Vaughn to senior Trevor Hammargren gave WT a 20-0 after the first quarter.

The Buffs went ahead 27-0 when Vaughn found Hammargren again for a 10-yard touchdown pass with 9:45 left in the second. Vaughn threw his fifth touchdown of the first half to Allen from 19-yards for a 34-0 lead with 8:51 left in the half.

After Vaughn hit junior Anthony Johnson for an 11-yard touchdown and senior Sergio Castillo, Jr. added a 28-yard field goal as

the half expired to give WT a 44-0 halftime advantage.

The only score of the third quarter came on a 19-yard run by senior Aaron Harris with 5:07 on the clock to put the Buffs ahead 51-0. The WT scoring drive lasted four plays for 65 yards and it only took 55 seconds.

Vaughn threw his career-high seventh touchdown on a 12yard pass to Jackson with 13:17 left in the game for a 58-0 lead.

The Buffs offense continued to run up the score when junior quarterback David LeHockey came in the game and threw a 26-yard touchdown to sophomore Jarrian Rhone with 11:08 to play. LeHockey capped the scoring on a 14-yard strike to sophomore Word Hudson with 8:27 remaining.

WT ran the ball for 206 yards and passed for 457 yards for a total of 663 yards on the afternoon. Harris led the ground game with six carries for 82 yards and one touchdown.

Vaughn finished the day 32 of 40 passing for 401 yards and career-high seven touchdowns.

The Buffs also got 100-yard receiving performances from Johnson and Allen. Johnson caught eight passes for 114 yards and one touchdown, while Allen had seven catches for 108 yards and two scores.

WT is now 5-0 on the season and still 2-0 in the LSC. The Buffs continue LSC play on the road next weekend at the No. 22 ranked Tarleton State Texans on Oct. 12 at 7 p.m.

GAMES

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

Can YOU finish first?

We are giving away $10 iTunes gift cards.

Finish the three puzzles with the correct answers and turn it in at FAC room 103.

Last Week’s Answers

9

10 ENTERTAINMENT

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

Planetary Annihilation launches Beta

Preston Thomas Reporter

I

n August 2012, Uber Entertainment launched a Kickstarter campaign as part of an initial wave of video games attempting to gain funding using the service. Their goal was a relatively modest $900,000.

At the end of the Kickstarter campaign, Uber had raised $2,228,000 from backers alone, setting the stage for the game’s future development.

Now, a little over a year after the original Kickstarter funding ended, Planetary Annihilation has moved into the beta testing phase of development. Starting on Sept. 26, those who had pledged $40 or more via Kickstarter or purchased an earlyaccess tier later,began to receive keys to enter the bombastic and explosion filled world of Planetary Annihilation.

Those familiar with Uber’s previous Supreme Commander series and the original Total Annihilation will be immediately familiar with the mechanics and gameplay present in PA. It’s a large scale Real Time Strategy game, which involves keeping a steady income of resources, building and defending a base, producing units and taking those units to blow things up with. Players start each match in control of a single commander unit, which they must protect at all costs, losing the commander means losing the game.

The starting unit can build a variety of basic structures that later prodeuces more advanced builder units to ascend the game’s tech tree. Each player must set up their economy and begin producing military units and base defenses to fend off attacks and go on a warpath.

As with their previous titles, PA’s resource economy consists of two resources that stream into the player at a constant rate based on how much the player is producing. Metal, which must be gathered from deposits in the ground on planets and energy produced by power plants and orbiting solar panel arrays create the backbone of a player’s production. As more extractors and generators are built the rate of income will increase, and storage facilities can be built to increase the capacity of held resources. Whenever a unit or building begins construction, an amount based on the item’s cost will be subtracted from the income rate. If the rate of either resource goes below zero, it will begin to drain and hit the bottom of the barrel which causes a massive slowdown in construction. An interesting

feature is the ability to collaboratewith multiple construction units. Each constructors effort increases the resource cost but also speeds up production, allowing players to quickly build up defenses or pump out a quick army for a counterattack.

The major design feature setting PA apart from other RTSs is the maps upon which players do battle. In most games the players will get a plain area.

Planetary Annihilation, as the name implies,can span multiple planets and moons orbiting a star. Once players progress enough in the tech tree they can construct the orbital factory to produce solar arrays, spy satellites, space fighters, and a lander vehicle. In a move absurd enough to make a Bond villain do a double take,units can construct massive rocket engines on smaller moons and asteroids

with the intent of annihilating a planet.

Navigating the spherical maps may confuse some players at first, especially if they don’t know the camera controls, and moving between viewing a planet and the star system is a little clunky, as the camera sometimes sticks to the planets. While it’s reasonable for a beta, the tech tree is somewhat sparse compared to Supreme Commander’s at the moment, but there is a good base to build upon moving forward. Unit icons from a zoomed out view don’t do a good job of differentiating what’s what, and in the late-game cluster of chaos it can be hard to even select specific units in the midst of battle.

OPINION 11

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

Homecoming needs creativity to survive

H

omecoming is a special time for a university, where its students and alumni can gather together to celebrate their institution. It has its own pageantry, with a Homecoming King and Queen, numerous events to entertain its student body and community, culminating in (with most universities) a battle on the gridiron between its school and often a rival squad. Homecoming is a cherished tradition that spans back to the early 20th Century.

West Texas A&M has most of these things, and it is not lacking in school spirit by any means. It has free lunches for students, events that span from the Midnight Weenie Roast and Midnight Pancake Breakfast to the Freshman Convocation, Pigskin Revue and Homecoming Parade. However, there are flaws that can easily be seen.

For example, after the Pigskin Revue, most of the students who attended the event left the First United Bank Center before The Revivalists began their set. It was pretty sad

to walk into the First United Bank Center, which seats more than 5,000 spectators and more so with the floor opened up for concert purposes, to see a mere head count of 25 people attend the concert.

This is not the band’s fault; instead there is blame on those who run the overall Homecoming festivities. The Revivalists were good, but the name value that would entice students to stick around just wasn’t there.

The Revivalists needed some help, as most students didn’t know who the heck they were or what genre of music they played.

That is where the Homecoming Committee needs to spend a little more money on advertising. That would be a great help in identifying who The Revivalists were. Or, the Homecoming Committee could spend a little more money or a little more time figuring out just who could retain the student populace after the Pigskin Revue.

Simply put, we at The Prairie would like to apologize to The Revivalists for lack of effort

from the powers to be to draw a larger crowd.

But this lack of creativity and drive has been happening for the past few years. While the Mardi Gras concept for Homecoming was nice, the “Come Home” idea fell short. At first, you would think of the chorus of the Diddy song featuring Skylar Grey put on repeat. That wasn’t the case, and the concept was less than stellar due to the vague nature of “Come Home.”

The same nature goes for “Thunder is Coming.” While it is a cool concept with AC/DC references, lightning bolts, and particular deities of thunder and lightning thrown

all over the place, wouldn’t it be better if the Homecoming Committee brought in hillbilly mockband Hayseed Dixie instead? That would be a little

out a story that national networks began covering.

Without the devotion of the student journalists, the story would have never been uncovered.

Randall High School student journalist recently spent a week as a pregnant teenager to gauge student reactions for a newspaper article. With the approval of her principal, teacher, and boyfriend, Student Kelli Blashill put her idea into reporting on her journalism project and has begun to raise questions in the

community regarding the nuts and bolts of basic journalism.

These journalists and other student journalists are willing to cover more news-based and controversial stories. Student journalists are taught the importance of reporting the facts and stories that the public needs to know. With the wide variety of stories that these journalists cover, local and national news outlets have begun to see the power that lies within these upcoming journalists.

Constantly forced to improve

their writing assignments, student journalists have a passion to succeed in the industry. College journalists have a leg up in the business. They still talk about the fundamentals of journalism daily. They are practicing journalists that put major emphasis on the elements of journalism while playing out everyday motions. There are conversations over ethics, who journalists should remain loyal to, and what makes a good news story. The academic world has become more competitive and

more relevant.

Lesson of the day: do your research for the concept you want to do and make it cohesive all throughout.

Student Journalism makes a difference

S

ome view student journalism as just a learning tool to prepare students for life after graduation, but student journalism has become a powerful and credible source of news.

The University of Alabama’s student run newspaper The Crimson White, recently covered the sensitive subject of segregation among sororities on campus. The student journalists faced sources wanting to remain off the record, and other obstacles, but managed to pull

recently graduated students take that drive into the workplace and implement it into their writing.

A college journalist today has to be well rounded in all aspects of the trade, ranging from writing skills to layout and social media knowledge. Hungry for knowledge and experience, college journalists are the ones major and local news networks should be on the look out for when hiring new employees.

12

HOMECOMING

October 8, 2013 | theprairienews.com

Looking back: WTAMU’s Homecoming

The Prairie wants your help!

Tag us in your photos on Instagram @theprairiewt and Twitter @The_Prairie Your photos could appear in the next edition of The Prairie! facebook.com/theprairiewt

T

o kick off Homecoming last week, West Texas A&M University played host to the magician Mat Franco for a second time.

Last year he performed at the WTAMU spring formal. His performance was sponsored by the Residence Hall Association. Franco has known that he wanted to be a magician since the age of four and he was voted 2013 Male Performer of the Year by Campus Activities Magazine. Approximately 475 people filled the Legacy Hall to watch the performance.

“It is cool to see a huge turnout,” said Aaron Beltran, a sophomore Communication major and member of RHA. Many students from the audience volunteered to be on stage, and many others wanted to. “I was nervous but it was cool to be part of it [the show],” said Madison Jones, a freshman Communications Disorders major. She was

one of the first to be selected to help on the stage. “He is a great entertainer, you can tell that he loves doing this and that made it a lot of fun,” said Jones.

Mat Franco is from Johnston, Rhode Island. Being a magician is his full time job.

“The audience is my boss. I try to be in tune with my audience; I need to understand them,” Franco said. In college he “majored in marketing to support [his] magic habit,” said Franco. “I don’t get nervous in front of the audience but I still get excited about going out in front of an audience.” He mainly performs at college campuses.

“His performance was consistently clever and I appreciate that mostly because a lot of today’s entertainment is vapid,” said Mattie McAlvery, a senior English major.

Laci McGee Reporter

@The_Prairie