RAM RAM PAGE PAGE
EST. 1936
ANGELO STATE UNIVERSITY
asurampage.com
FRIDAY, APRIL 26, 2019
VOL . 85 ISSUE 26
Rams celebrate Easter Sunday with egg hunt Honors Student Association invites community to Easter celebration
Photo by Axel Marcenaro: A young girl laughs with amusement as her new rabbit face paint is revealed. Hosted for free by the Honors Student Association, kids played games, ate snowcones and searched for eggs.
Sydney Faison, staff writer The Honors Student Association hosted its annual Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday, April 20 between the Academic Building and the Carr-Education Fine Arts Building. Attendees had the opportunity to engage in activities such as face painting, a ring toss, mural painting, a bean bag toss, cotton candy and popcorn booths and an obstacle course where kids could carry an egg on a spoon. “Easter is nostalgic since I am with
my family cooking,” Allie Denham, HSA historian, said. “This event is all about family coming together for a good time.” This year’s Easter Egg Hunt had the largest turnout in 10 years with over 20 volunteers, 350 kids and 575 adults. The members of the HSA worked on putting the event together for over two months by stuffing eggs, cutting out ears for crafts and painting plywood. “Easter is a great time for people to celebrate spring and enjoy the beau-
tiful weather with their family,” HSA secretary Hannah Marks said. “We want to make sure that we are making a big impact at ASU and San Angelo as a whole.” Junior Danielle Hannah discussed the importance of allergy-friendly candy. The candy passed out by the group did not include milk or nuts. “Me and another officer, Grace, have many allergies,” Hannah said. “So, we teamed up and decided to use Starburst and Skittles.” The HSA helps honor students get
involved in the community. “Getting the opportunity to help everyone grow as an officer and leader is rewarding,” HSA president Nathan Blair said. “Hosting great events such as the Easter Egg Hunt and watching the younger students take on big roles is great.” The HSA also plans to host a Capes and Crowns 5K in the 2019 fall semester.
Mental health professionals discuss the abnormality treatment Panelists explain how to deal with depression, anxiety Sophia Gravatt, staff writer Mental health professionals on April 18 hosted a panel presentation in the C.J. Davidson Conference Center on the myths surrounding mental health. Dr. Drew Curtis, assistant professor in the department of psychology and sociology, spoke about abnormality. “My hope is that we can not think of abnormality as some straightjacketed individual who might be deranged, rather than someone you might know more personally,” Curtis said. He said abnormality is based on the “four Fs.” The first “F” stands for frequency. “A behavior like handwashing isn’t abnormal, but if the frequency of that behavior is increased for a certain amount of time, it’s going to be very different from most people,” he said. The next “F” is function, he said. If someone repeats a behavior so many times a day because they have obsessions, and they’re unable to show up for class or work, it impairs their function.
Curtis said the last two “Fs” are feeling pain, which is when a behavior causes great distress, and fatality, when a behavior becomes harmful to others or to oneself. “The four Fs are the criteria,” Curtis said. “You start asking yourself, ‘What’s the frequency? Do most people do this? How is it affecting my functioning?’” Curtis said abnormality is not how it is depicted in movies. “In closing, abnormality is a lot closer to home,” he said. “It might look like someone you interact with on a day-to-day basis.” Mark Rehm, director of counseling services, discussed pros and cons and unintended consequences of diagnosis. Rehm said according to the Center for Collegiate Mental Health’s annual report, 55 percent of college students have either attended counseling before entering college or attended counseling immediately upon entering. Thirty-five percent of college students have been on some kind of medication, he said.
“To me, the positive spin on that is that people are willing to get help,” Rehm said. One of the unintended consequences is that people are identifying with their disorder, he said. “It’s almost like, ‘My name’s Mark and I’m a depressed,’” he said. “Or, ‘My name’s Bob and I’m an anxious.’” Rehm also discussed coping mechanisms and ways to help combat symptoms of depression. “Just being in nature for 30 minutes a week leads to a decrease in depressive symptoms,” he said. “Exercise is great; it improves psychological and physiological functioning. Any form of spirituality reduces anxiety,” he said. San Angelo psychiatrist John Snuggs discussed depression being treated with ketamine. Snuggs said for the past 50 years, ketamine’s primary use was in anesthesia. “So, somewhere along the way, I don’t know how or why, somebody decided to try very low doses of ketamine and see what would happen when they gave it to people with de-
pression,” Snuggs said. In 2000, the first study came out describing the antidepressant benefits of the doses of ketamine and found that people started feeling better within hours of taking ketamine, instead of weeks when taking antidepressants, he said. As more studies took place, the results stayed the same, but they also showed that the benefits of ketamine went away extremely quickly if the patients did not continue taking it, he said. Snuggs said in March of this year, the FDA approved a ketamine product called Spravato. He said the product is a nasal spray that is not intended to be the sole antidepressant. Spravato is intended to pull patients out of their depression and aid in their ability to respond to an antidepressant.
2 NEWS
04.26.2019
Students wind down at counseling services stress fair Over 45 vendors offer tips, resources on de-stressing
Photo by Ian Saint: De-stress with the best. Trained therapy dogs joined in on the Stress Less Fair, happy to receive copious amounts of pets from students.
Sydney Faison, staff writer ASU Counseling Services hosted the Stress Less Fair on April 18 in the C.J. Davidson Conference Center. The fair featured over 45 vendors who provided the ASU community with tips, tools and resources on how to cope with the inevitable stress in our lives. Mark Rehm, director of counseling services, said he wanted people to have fun at the event. He searched for and invited vendors who were connected to health and wellness.
“The Stress Less Fair gave me the opportunity to sign up for a workout class and some yoga, which I think is nice since I have been wanting to get more active in a healthy way,” senior Miguel Acevedo said. During the event, attendees could receive services such as manicures, massages and makeovers. “The opportunity to get a massage was awesome and relaxing,” junior Linda Abernathy said. “My friends convinced me to come to the event and I am glad I went.” Attendees could also try the drink
Zenify, which has stress-reducing antioxidants and increases serotonin and dopamine. Consultants from Rodan and Fields discussed the importance of dermatology methods and supplies. Attendees had the opportunity to make hand scrubs using sugar and different natural oils. One of the oils contained lemon, which is sleep-inducing and stimulates circulation. “I think it is great that ASU offered this event for students,” sophomore Zoё Bahl said. “The timing is great, considering
finals are soon.” Those in attendance could also enter a grand prize drawing for their chance to win a FitBit Charge 2, a $100 gift certificate to Peyton’s Bike Shop or a $40 in gift certificates to PV Deli by Chef Jason. “The Stress Less Fair was a spectacular event,” freshman Mikaelyn Williams said. “There were so many activities for students to participate in to help relieve stress.”
Guest speakers discuss geopolitical challenges at symposium Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Security Studies addresses Korean Peninsula Kierstyn Wiley, staff writer The Kay Bailey Hutchison Center for Security Studies hosted a symposium on April 17 to discuss geopolitical challenges on the Korean Peninsula. Special guest speakers included: - George Hutchinson, managing editor of the International Journal of Korean Studies. - William Newcomb, former member of the United Nations Panel of Experts. - Greg Scarlitiou, executive director of the Committee for Human Rights in North Korea. - Mark Tokola, vice president of the Korea Economic Institute. The four men discussed human rights, counter-proliferation and good governance regarding the Korean Peninsula. One of the challenges the U.S. and other countries need to be aware of is North Korea now has technology just as good as anywhere else. “You go around 1962 when North Korean scientists began their training in nuclear technology, and you have their perpetual asking for nuclear energy assistance from the Soviet Union,” Newcomb said. “Few years later, all the sudden there’s this very strange construction project in a remote part of North Korea.” Newcomb said pressure was put on the Soviets and, in turn, put pressure on the North Koreans. Then, the North Koreans were forced to join the International Atomic Energy Agency and agreed to sign the Non-Proliferation Treaty. “Worrying about North Korea proliferation is not just some kind of theoretical exercise,” Newcomb said. “It is something that the international community confronts as a serious threat. North Korea constructed a graphite-moderated reactor, financed
Photo by Axel Marcenaro: William Newcomb, former member of United Nations Panel of Experts, takes the floor, discussing issues surrounding nuclear energy. Newcomb was joined by George Hutchinson, Greg Scarlitiou and Maerk Tokola
by Iran, when North Korea and Syria signed a scientific cooperation agreement, supposedly for civilian purposes.” As technology at the Korean Peninsula improves and North Korea gains experience with chemical weapons delivery during a war time, the U.S. and other countries are growing more concerned with North Korea’s proliferation. “A year ago, Kim Jong Un announced North Korea no longer needed to test nuclear weapons because its nuclear program was complete,” Hutchinson said. “Since then, Kim has altered state level propaganda to change the focus from weapons to improving North Korea’s national economy.” Hutchinson said Kim started with
legitimacy on improving the economic conditions, but this was underscored when Kim tried to negotiate a sanctions relief in return for commitments to dismantle the nuclear complex. “We also see a recent push by the North Korean propaganda machine to complain to the U.N. that sanctions are blocking North Korean efforts to improve the human rights issue,” Hutchinson said. “We also see North Korean propaganda doubling down to pressure South Korea to break with Washington, and the international community, and restart economic cooperation with the North.” Hutchinson said Kim Jong Un has a controlled, top-down approach for improving the North Korean economy.
“It includes developing infrastructure, and other large-scale projects, funded in part by squeezing concessions from the United States and the international community,” he said. “His approach also includes working with South Korea on cross-border tourism, but the U.N. sanctions that were put in place are preventing Kim from doing this.” The speakers said the U.S. should pay close attention to these acts from North Korea and be aware of potential situations in the future. “I think it’s important because if we don’t know what’s going on, then how would we know if worst comes to worst?” Alivia Taylor, sophomore, said. “We need to keep doing research and keep up with the news. It’s good to not be oblivious with what other
3 EDITORIAL
04.26.2019
Keeping our children safe from the dark web
Children should not be using technology at young ages Rosanna Aguilera, editor-in-chief The debate on allowing your children have cell phones or use them at a young age is a touchy subject. Parents know their kids better than anyone, and they are all different, so no one can really say what’s best for all children. However, I believe parents shouldn’t let their kids use so much technology. I don’t have kids, but I wouldn’t let my children use any phones until they are in middle school, at least. I have babysat plenty of times, and when a child just wants to play on your phone, it’s the easiest thing to do. They plant themselves for a couple hours, satisfied on YouTube while you relax. It’s the easy way out. I have also learned they love playing outside. I have more energy than an actual parent, I imagine, but it’s a great alternative. Go outside, let your kids get some
dirt on their hands. They shouldn’t be cooped up inside. It amazes me how kids who aren’t even two years old can navigate through a phone. I hope once I am a parent, I will sit down and teach my child problem-solving skills with actual puzzles and toys instead of a bright cellphone screen. Again, I’m not a parent. I know it’s tiring, and sometimes you just need a break, but if you can get through the first 10 or so years of their lives without technology, it will be worth it. I understand some might say the world is becoming more focused on technology, but that doesn’t mean the cyber world is safe. I’m sure we have all heard of the “Momo challenge” incident on YouTube. If you haven’t, there were people making videos that targeted children with inappropriate messages. The
videos began with content suitable for children, but after a few minutes, a creepy woman would appear and tell kids to do all kinds of things to harm themselves. She would give them a task, such as cutting themselves, and if they didn’t, she said she would kill their family. You may trust your kids to watch the right videos, but this is just one example of people doing terrible things online. Parents should never assume everyone has a kind heart. Social media is the same thing. Cyber-bullying often happens at young ages. When kids are crossing over from child to teenager, they want approval. I know I did as a child. In this age, once your kid wants a phone, it usually means they want to be on social media, too. Another alternative to phones is television. I’m not saying all TV is good for
children, but the right shows can help young ones develop. Shows like “Sesame Street,” “The Magic School Bus,” “Barney & Friends” and “Blue’s Clues” have been shown to have positive effects on children’s educational media. Studies by J.C. Wright and A.C. Hudson from 1995 and 2001 show that children who watched “Sesame Street” exhibited significantly higher knowledge gains like identifying numbers, shapes, letters and body parts. Also, students in high school who watched these shows as children had higher grades, academic self-esteem and read more books than non-viewers. Parents shouldn’t write off all technology, but cell phones should not be in the hands of our future generations at such a young age. It’s a dangerous world out there on the internet.
RAM PAGE
Sidewalk Survey If you travel back in time, what time period would you visit?
Member of The Texas Tech University System Texas Intercollegiate Press Association Editor-in-Chief Rosanna Aguilera
Staff Writers
Sophia Gravatt Sydney Faison Kierstyn Wiley
“If I had the ability to go back and time travel I would rather go back to the 1940s.”
Zach Vigil-Minyard Copy Editor Travis Hunter
Photo Editor
Circulation Manager Douglas Kurtz
Photographer
Faculty Adviser Dr. Jeffrey Boone
Axel Marcenaro
“If I could time travel, I would go back to this trip I took with my mom to New York...I loved it.”
Online Manager
Ian Saint
Designer
Zach Vigil-Minyard
Maddie Bryand
Robert Hamilton
Freshman
Junior
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PUBLISHING POLICY
“If I could time travel, I would go to the 1800s, in the wild west, where the cowboys were. ”
“If I could travel in time, I would go back to the Renaissance era during Leonardo da Vinci’s time.”
Max Garza
Cora Bishoppetty
Freshman
Junior
Published every Friday and available to students, one copy per student, the student newspaper of Angelo State University is a public forum, with its student editorial board making all decisions concerning its content. Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board. The Ram Page welcomes all letters. Please include your name, classification/position, phone number and/or e-mail address for verification. Letters must be signed and be no more than 350 words. The paper reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity. All letters are subject to laws governing obscenity, libel and privacy. Deadline is 5 p.m., Monday. Submission does not guarantee publication. Letters may be mailed, e-mailed or submitted at the Ram Page office, Room 324 in Porter Henderson Library third floor. Opinions in letters are not necessarily those of the staff. Opinion expressed in a public forum should not be construed as the opinion or policy of the administration, unless so attributed.
4 OPINION
04.26.2019
My final goodbye to ASU
Rosanna Aguilera, editor-in-chief
I spent the last three years of my life at the best school and best job I could ever imagine. This is my last column for the Ram Page, ever. There are a lot of things I want to say, but I’m just so grateful for everything and everyone in my life. First, I want to thank my staff at the Ram Page. I have had so many great employees, but I was so blessed with the staff I had this semester. You guys have been my closest friends and I’m glad I got to know you all so well. I will miss you all the most. Next, thank you to my family for being there for me these last three years. I couldn’t have done it without your support. I was blessed with the most compassionate family I could ever ask for. I would also like to thank my church family. You all are the reason I got to this place in my life. Thank you for building me and my family up and helping us grow my whole life. Thank you for believing in me. I also want to thank the great staff here at ASU. The communication and mass media department is filled with faculty and staff who are so invested in their students. Thank you, Dr. Herman Howard for running such an outstanding department. I definitely picked the right major. My next thank you is to Isaac Fraire, my boyfriend. There is so much I want to say to you, but
I’ll keep it short and sweet. Thank you for being my rock. You are my best friend and I am so lucky to have someone who believes in me more than I believe in myself. You see so much in me. You encourage me every day and you pick me up when I’m down no matter what. Thank you for being the amazing man you are. I couldn’t have done it without you. My last thank you is the most important. I must express my gratitude to the Byrd family. You are the reason I had the opportunity to even come to school. Thank you for investing in me all these years. You two are the reason I’m able to have a better future for myself. I could never express how grateful I am. I have had a rough life, but you took so much stress off my and my family’s shoulders. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can’t say it enough. I’m sorry if I left anyone out, but if you have been there for me at all in the last three years, I appreciate you. This is the end of the road. Thank you, Ram Page. It’s been a pleasure. Graduation, I’m ready for you.
Ticktock goes the clock It feels like just yesterday I was a freshman at ASU, waiting to see what new adventures were ahead of me. My biggest advice to all students, regardless of age, would be to cherish every moment with your family and friends. We never know what different paths life will take us on, so we must savor every moment. As the clock ticks down to graduation, I am constantly reminded of how precious time is. Time management is one thing, but when you are counting down the days until you walk across the stage, it all hits you at once. As I write this column, there are officially 21 days until I walk into the Junell Center wearing my cap and gown. “KSF” is written with colorful rhinestones, encompassing the top of my cap. KSF represents my
full name, which is Katarra Sydney Faison. I earned my degree with honor, excellence and a bit of dazzle. As I look forward to the future, confused and anxious, I am grateful for all that I have accomplished and all the people I have met while at ASU. Here are a few quick tips of guidance for those who need it: - Always trust your gut. - Never let you, or anyone else, tell you that you can’t accomplish your goals. - Make time for those who make time for you. - Always smile and eat dessert. - Be amazing!
Sydney Faison, staff writer
Five minutes or five days? As we approach the end of the semester, you can almost feel the student body’s cortisol levels rising. The workload continues to pile up and the pressure of final exams weighs heavily on our minds. Now, I have to ask an important question. Do you meditate? I’m sure most people would say no. A lot of people think of meditation as something reserved for hippies and monks, sitting crisscross applesauce and humming. While it may take that form sometimes, it doesn’t always have to. According to the Buddhist Centre, “Meditation is a means of transforming the mind,” and there are many ways to do that. About a year ago, I meditated for the first time by accident. My homework was piling up and it felt like my head was too cloudy to get a grip on my responsibilities. I was stressed out. I cleared my room, turned off my phone and sat
on the floor. For the record, I did not sit crisscross applesauce. With no interruptions, I took the time to think about what I needed to do, and I questioned why it was stressing me out. To my surprise, I found a great sense of relief and I felt a parting of the fog inside my head. Not only that, but after I finally got up and checked my watch, only five minutes had passed. To this day, five minutes of silent thought is all it takes to clear my head and keep me on track. No humming or chanting mantras is necessary. I encourage everyone I know to at least look into some form of basic meditation. Why waste an entire week on anxiety when you could gain some peace of mind in five minutes?
Axel Marcenaro, photo editor
Doing my part All my life, I’ve heard recycling is important and we need to play an active role in saving the planet, but I didn’t necessarily do anything about it until recently. I know this might make me look bad. I should have been doing something all along, and I may get backlash for not doing my part. A couple of months ago, I saw on social media the impact that waste has on animals and the ocean. This made me realize just how important recycling is. Many animals don’t know the difference between a food source and trash, so when they consume waste, it’s very toxic for them and they eventually die. Many land and marine animals can’t even create a home or hunt because trash covers their habitat, which causes them to die from lack of food.
Kierstyn Wiley, staff writer
This has become a huge problem for our planet, not just for animals, but for people and their families as well. The large amount of pollution and waste contaminates the food population and causes it to decrease. This is one of many factors that can contribute to world hunger. With this newfound knowledge, I have started to recycle my plastic water bottles in available recycling trash bins. I’ve also ordered reusable silicone straws, which don’t create waste like plastic straws do. Recycling makes me feel good about saving the planet. I plan to, slowly but surely, do my part and make it a habit. I hope to encourage others to do the same.
5 FEATURE
04.26.2019
New student government president elected for upcoming school year Brayden Woods discusses new office plans Kierstyn Wiley, staff writer The Student Government Association on April 17 officially announced new members and officers for the upcoming 2019-2020 school year. The SGA elected Brayden Woods as the new president, Austin Habecker as the new vice president and over 35 members into the Senate. The association also met to discuss various issues they plan to face in the upcoming academic year. “My initiative will be working with Counseling Services,” Woods said. “As you know, in your tuition, you pay a medical service fee and that covers both the Shannon contract and the Counseling Services fee contract. I want to see how much money goes to Shannon and how much money goes to Counseling Services. If it’s an equal amount, [I want to] see how many students utilize the Counseling Services and crisis hotline number and see how we can expand those services being offered.” SGA plans to be involved with Counseling Services since they have increased their interdepartmental work with the Multicultural Center and Title IV.
Woods said he plans to review the funding for Counseling Services and have the student body vote on how to raise money. “My biggest initiative will be mental health and campus safety, as always,” Woods said. “I worked on that largely as the vice president.” With students returning to the association next semester, many of them have succeeded to higher positions. The returners plan to make the SGA more aware of university concerns and bring new ideas that will benefit the student body. “We had a meeting with Dr. Flores about our dual-credit program and I was wanting to push for some way to view our retention rate for our dual-credit students,” Habecker said. “I want to push for some kind of PR campaign to see how we can get our dual-credit students more value... out of ASU.” Woods and Habecker said they want to lead the organization in a positive way and guide the new members to make SGA a better student association. “Another thing that’s a big thing for me is our internship program,”
Photo by Axel Marcenaro: From left, Austin Habecker and Brayden Woods represent SGA in an open meeting to discuss plans with students. The two jokingly stated they were happily surprised to find that no one complained about parking.
Habecker said. “Brayden and I have talked about internship experiences, and we have a lot of internship opportunities in campus. I want to look through our university, and talk to all
the departments, and get as much information about internships that they know about to where we can put it on RamPort or angelo.edu.”
SGA swears in new president, senators
Student Snaps @_luccerrooo blessed to have been given the chance to be an Angelo State Orientation Leader Photo by Axel Marcenaro: Dr. Javier Flores swears in Brayden Woods, the new president, and Austin Habecker, the new vice president. Woods will take the place previously occupied by Shayna Mullen.
Kierstyn Wiley, staff writer
@maximlprie
@sir.covington Graduation season. I’ve worked tirelessly to reach this point and I’m excited that I’ll be closing one chapter and entering new chapters in my life.
The Student Government Association opened their meeting on Monday, April 22 with the swearing in of the new president and vice president. Dr. Javier Flores officially swore President Brayden Woods and Vice President Austin Habecker into office. He also presented former President Shayna Mullen with an award for achieving three years of SGA membership. “I’m ready to serve the study body; I’ve been in SGA since the end of my freshman year and I’ve been involved and serving as vice president,” Woods said. “I was able to watch the senate and see how it works. Now, being the president, I have my own role and responsibility. I answer directly to the student body, and we’re trying to be as open as possible. We’re in a good area
right now and I’m excited for it.” Former President Mullen discussed her time with the association and what the future holds. “It’s been a really good three years in the student government and I’m really excited to graduate and even more excited to see what President Woods has to offer,” Mullen said. “I’m so thankful for the lessons that I’ve learned in student government, the knowledge that I have and the leadership skills I was able to acquire.” Members who are now holding higher positions plan to stay motivated within the SGA and hope to continue to strive for success. “I’m excited for what we have planned next year,” Habecker said. “I’ve been a part of SGA for a few years and I’m honored to serve the students of ASU. I’m going to try to run the senate as well as I can.”
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6 NEWS
04.26.2019
Photo by Axel Marcenaro: Blue and gold covered students laugh after the colorful celebration is complete.
Photo by Axel Marcenaro: Keke Chism, sophomore, leads the pack as the football team runs back onto the field with roaring fans.
Photo by Ian Saint: Instruments gleam in the morning sun as the Ram Band prepared for the upcoming marching season.
Photo by Ian Saint: A student shows off her Ram pride at the homecoming bonfire.
Photo by Ian Saint: Maddi Kyle, a freshman on the Belles soccer team, takes a shot.
Photo by Axel Marcenaro: Ronald Bell, junior, performs a windmill dunk in the Midnight Madness dunk competition. At the time, Bell was a brand new recruit from Atlanta, Georgia.
Photo by Axel Marcenaro: Bekah Fadler and Clayton Schmit, sophomores, continue dancing in the rain, even after the Ram Jam concert’s crowd disbands.
Photo by Axel Marcenaro: Anthony Carra hammers out the old Roscoe’s Den floors as part of the massive renovation. In addition to working the renovation, Carra was also a model for the school’s art department at the time. Photo by Axel Marcenaro: Kaitlyn Mathews, sophomore, leads as first leg in the 4x100 meter relay. The women’s 4x100 relay team was awarded Women’s Track Athlete of the Week, and their time of 45.88 seconds ranks first in the Lone Star Conference.