WEDNESDAY
January 26, 2011
Vol. 94 • No. 2
www.therambler.org
Big Red competes in annual Fort Worth Stock Show. Community, page 6
The Rambler The voice of Texas Wesleyan University students since 1917
Jersey Shore graces MTV viewers once again.
Arts & Entertainment, page 5
Potential threat tests emergency plan Shauna Banks
sbbanks@mail.txwes.edu
Following a potential university lockdown on Jan. 17, emergency procedures at Texas Wesleyan are becoming a higher priority for students, staff and faculty. Sharon Manson, director of resi-
dence life, said that around 11:15 p.m. that Monday, she received notification that two students in Wesleyan residence halls had received text messages stating two armed men were thought to be on campus. Manson said it was determined within 20 minutes that they were former students at Baylor University
and had not removed their phone numbers from the emergency notification system at the university. The text message notifications were meant for students at Baylor, and no threat was posed at Wesleyan, nor was the campus locked down. According to a report from Chan-
nel 25, ABC News in Waco, officials at Baylor sent out a message to students at 10 p.m., stating that two armed men were thought to be on campus, and for everyone to stay inside until further notice. It was not clear what caused the lockdown, but police were serving a warrant at the time, and the lock-
Rams Win! Rams WIN!
down was lifted just after midnight According to the current policy at Wesleyan, in a situation that involves any weapons, extreme caution should be used. People should not try to confront any suspect, and if threatened, they
PLAN, page 3
Office of Student Records adopts paperless approach
Barry Grubbs
bgrubbs@mail.txwes.edu
Meisa Keivani Najafabadi | Rambler Staff The crowd goes wild as the Lady Rams basketball team runs into overtime, winning the homecoming game against the Jarvis Christian College Lady Bulldogs 85-79. Junior spanish major Cristina Brewis and senior EC--6 bilingual major Jazmin Mendoza, both members of Gamma Sigma Sigma, wore their Wesleyan blue and gold while cheering on the Lady Rams. The men’s basketball team later won their game in a blow-out game against the Bulldogs 89-41. Please visit www.therambler.org for extensive video footage of homecoming tailgating, half-time and games.
Already overrun with papers, administrative paperwork can be an inconvenience for students— but help is on the way. The Office of Student Records is working with Wesleyan’s information technology specialists to move several administrative tasks online. University Registrar Kay Van Toorn said once the changes are implemented, graduate applications, enrollment verification forms and student transcript request forms will be managed on the university’s website. “We are constantly trying to improve student services,” Van Toorn said. “That’s one of the things this department is evaluated on.” The current arrangement requires students to pick up and return forms in person or by fax. Once changes are in place, students will be able to request transcripts and pay for them through Ram Link. Graduate applicants and students in need of enrollment verification will be able to complete the forms electronically. “The advantage to the student is that you don’t have to find a fax machine,” said Cynthia Daniel, records management assistant. “You don’t have to wait on the postal service. You don’t have to make your way to our office,” Daniel said the process is expected to streamline the way things are done between departments. The current system requires transcript request forms to pass through student records, the cashier’s office and the transcript office. Daniel said the electronic requests will reduce the interactions between these departments. As the campus makes strides to go green, the use of fewer paper forms is an added benefit. Van Toorn said she expects the changes to be implemented within the next 12-18 months. “IT kind of sets our priorities, but actually we recently talked about these things and they have kind of floated to the top,” she said. Selena Stewart, senior music education student said. “I think it’s a great idea for students who live on campus and off campus. If you are a commuter, it saves you a trip to school.”
Stray animals in surrounding community increase Shauna Banks
sbbanks@mail.txwes.edu
Although the number of stray animals on campus has dwindled over the past semester, the Polytechnic Heights community is still seeing an increase in dogs and cats. Senior education major, Kristal Peters has taken the stray animal problem into her own hands, writing a pet education proposal as part of a class assignment. Completing the proposal last November, and planning to submit it to the dean of students this semester, Peters challenges Texas Wesleyan to provide proper pet care education for students, faculty and the surrounding community. She said lack of education and income in the community reflects the inability to provide proper animal care. According to the proposal, educating citizens will also provide Wesleyan’s students, faculty and staff with some sense of safety when driving and walking to and
across campus. “I think it’s important for the safety of everyone at Texas Wesleyan, for the safety of the community and for the pets themselves,” Peters said. The proposal also points out the potential hindrance in new student appeal when visiting campus for the first time. “When we’re driving to Texas Wesleyan, we see dogs all around and that doesn’t look good for potential students,” Peters said. Security Manager Felisa Barnes said stray animal calls that have involved security guards taking action have decreased to about once a month. “Most times people call security when they see stray animals, and security does just as law enforcement does—they call animal control,” Barnes said. Barnes said the most common animal calls security campus receives involve stray dogs, which have crossed over onto the campus from the surrounding neighborhood.
catch those animals, you have to detain them as well,” Barnes said. “So if we can complete that process of detaining them, then we do. But if we can’t, we just call animal control and they will try to catch them.” Peters’ suggestions for reducing the number of stray animals on and around campus also include the university working with the Humane Society of North Texas to bring low-cost vaccine clinics on campus for the surrounding community to use. She said if Texas Wesleyan administration and students take the first steps to help decrease the Kristal Peters | Courtesy Photo stray-animal population, it may Three stray dogs in the Polytechnic Heights community attempt to find shelmotivate others in the community ter on an old mattress, with one injured and all three hungry from lack of to join in the battle, and even save food and proper care. Fort Worth Animal Control were promptly notified. animals’ lives in the process. “If we could help these people “I’m scared of dogs. I have a pho- said they do not cause much of a take care of their animals that would bia of them,” Melinda Pospichal, ju- problem and any major concerns leave more room in the shelters,” nior marketing major, said. “I walk usually involve just dogs running Peters said. “That would leave those the other way and call security.” loose. dogs more time to be adopted,. Although other wild animals in“The hard part is—sometimes cluding foxes and raccoons, roam people see stray dogs on campus For the full version of Peters’ proposover campus occasionally, Barnes and in order for animal control to al, please visit www.therambler.org.