WEDNESDAY
October 28, 2009
Vol. 92 • No. 21 ONLINE:
www.therambler.org
The Rambler
The voice of Texas Wesleyan University students since 1917
Student Life’s haunted hallway in full effect College Life, page 4
Sexy costumes evoke mixed reactions A&E, page 5
Historic graveyard receives recognition
Laura Rosser | Rambler Staff Stella is getting a firepit.
SGA enacts measure to beautify campus
Jonaathan Resendez
jlresendez@mail.txwes.edu
Polytechnic Cemetery was recognized as an historic graveyard by the Texas Historical Commission in a celebration last week. Jonathan Resendez
jlresendez@mail.txwes.edu
Although graveyards are somber places, a celebration was held Oct. 21 for Polytechnic Cemetery. Tarrant County court officials, representatives of the Tarrant County Historic Commission and Daughters of the Republic of Texas were all invited as Poly Cemetery received a historical marker from the Texas
Historical Commission commemorating it as the 100th Historic Texas Cemetery. “This is a big deal,” Brenda Matthews, Wesleyan history professor, told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram last year when plans for the marker were announced. “I’m really excited.” The cemetery held its first funeral in 1867, before Texas Wesleyan even opened its doors, according to the Star-Telegram.
Descendants of those buried in the cemetery were scheduled to be present for the dedication. According to a press release from the THC, Texas Wesleyan history faculty members and students began researching the Polytechnic Cemetery in 1997. By 2002, students under the instruction of Dr. John Matthews, history professor, successfully mapped the cemetery. Although they were able to un-
Laura Rosser | Rambler Staff
cover some information, exactly how many people were buried in Poly cemetery remains unknown. Gerron Hite, cemetery preservation coordinator for the Texas Historic Commission, told the StarTelegram that the lack of records is common for old cemeteries. “Many of them don’t have a burial list,” he said. “They don’t think about the future.”
In keeping with its hopes of making Texas Wesleyan a more visually pleasing environment, the Student Government Association passed proposition B.G. 2 this month. The proposition is a part of the SGA’s “Adopt-a-Spot” kick-off. According to the bill, the program is designed to stimulate campus beautification in numerous locations. “It’s going to be a great thing to add to residency life,” said Mindy Pospichal, SGA treasurer, of the “Adopt-a-Spot” initiative. Proposition B.G. 2 allocates $475 for the renovation of an area immediately south of Stella Russell Hall, west of the sports court. The money will pay for a tree swing and outdoor fireplace, as well as several decorative stones to create a rock garden effect. While a majority voted the proposition in, some did not want it pass, saying that the bill lacked structure. They also said obtaining permits and whether or not it was in a smoke-free zone could present issues. Jonathan Attaway, SGA secretary, is pleased it passed. “It has the potential of bringing new levels of awareness to the organizations,” he said, “and how they can change the campus for the better.”
New board offers funds to enhance student life Daniel Bravo
dmbravo@mail.txwes.edu
The Campus Activity Board is Texas Wesleyan’s newest student organization where individual students or student organizations can participate in funding and/or planning oncampus events. What makes CAB different is that members are not obligated to be a part of a student organization to participate. They simply need to be interested in being a part of the on-campus social. CAB was responsible for last year’s Homecoming Tailgate and the Halloween party as well as a couple of on-campus dances. “I joined CAB last semester because I was new on campus and I wanted to be involved [with] an organization,” said Amaya Howard, a sophomore political science major. “I heard about some of their previous events and was interested.” CAB will serve two functions, planning and carrying out at least one social event per month and managing a budget for student organizations to request funding for their own events.
“I am not a member of any
other organizations so I am fully dedicated to making CAB events successful.” Amaya Howard
sophomore
The budget used for CAB is funded by Student Life, according to Michael Chaney, CAB facilitator. According to Chaney, who is also director of volunteerism and student organizations, student organizations or students who seek funding for an on-campus event that is open to the student body must fill a proposal form and attend a CAB meeting. The Board will then vote on whether or not the event will receive funding for their event and if so, how much.
MONEY, page 4
Annette Torres
BESO earns grant money
The Texas Wesleyan University Bilingual Education Student Organization was granted a $500 scholarship by the Bilingual/ESL Educators Association of the Metroplex to fund participation in the BESO Institute at the Texas Association of Bilingual Education Conference in Houston.