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Ram Vol. 86 Issue 17
ASURamPage.com
Big bids at annual Valentine’s Day auction ASA and Kappa Sigma play Cupid on Valentine’s Day
Mbulelo Maqungo, staff writer
Photo by Mbulelo Maqungo: African Student Association members celebrate the end of a succesful auction. Ugonna “Chuck” Oparaochaekwe and Destiny Brown of ASA both brought in money as auctioned dates. The African Student Association and Kappa Sigma on Feb. 14 organized a formal date auction for available suitors and suitresses on Valentine’s Day. Students volunteering from multiple organizations walked the aisle and presented themselves to the crowd for the second annual Ultimate Valentine event. The date auction was filled with active audience members eager to participate, something that ASA President Caroline Madake said was the main goal. “More so than the number of people in the audience, I just wanted to make sure whoever was here had a good time,” Madake said. “I foresee this getting bigger and involving more people here on campus.” The audience members received identifying numbers to raise to participate in each individual auction.
Feb. 21, 2020
What’s in store!
Students who had SGA friends taking part in the Pg. 2 date auction cheered and supported all the particiRugby pants. Pg. 2 “This is the farthest I’ve ever come out of my Sports update Pg. 2 comfort zone,” junior Ram Rodriguez said. “It was a little overwhelming but I had a Sidewalk Survey Pg. 3 ton of fun.” Many of the particiGlass half full pants earned high biddings Pg. 3 to make the event profitable, but none as high junior IsaSudoku answers iah Alvarez. Pg. 3 Junior Lexi Iracheta won the bid for Alvarez with Real-talk lecture a final total of $200. Pg. 4 “Isaiah’s one of my closest friends,” Iracheta said after her successful bid. “As far as I'm concerned, you can’t put a price on friendship.” Alvarez said he had no idea Iracheta was going to do that and it took him by surprise. “My friends have already warned me not to get a big head,” he said. Senior Havila Njoku acted as the master of ceremonies for both valentine date auctions. “The idea of a Valentine’s Day date auction was inspired by events other ASA branches at other schools organize,” Njoku said. “These kinds of things are always fun for us, the audience and the participants alike. It’s always exciting to see meaningful relationships come from this as well.” ASA is now preparing for an Afrobeat Dance Workout event on Feb. 28.
Causes, Conduct and Consequences Russian Enrichment Program hosts lecture on Soviet-Polish War Sophia Gravatt, copy editor
ASU’s Russian Enrichment Program on Feb. 10 hosted a lecture about the causes, conduct and consequences of the Soviet-Polish War. Dr. Roger Reese, a history professor at Texas A&M University, discussed the Soviet-Polish War in the context of World War I. Reese said the origins of the war are not obscure but not that well-known, either. “Poland was there, in the hearts and minds of the Polish people, but they were divided between three different empires,” he said. “They had been conquered and divided in 1772, 1793 and 1795 between Prussia, Austria and Russia.” He said the desire to reunite their country had never gone away but the only way to get Poland reconstituted as a nation-state would be if all three empires disintegrated simultaneously. In 1919 and 1920, Poland was at war with the Soviet Union and the Czechs and part
of Lithuania. Romania was at war with Hungary, the Czechs were at war with Hungary and Poland. All of the Baltic States were at war with the Soviet Union. “So, this is really the Polish-German-Czech-Soviet War," he said. Reese said the Soviets did finally get the Civil War under control in 1920. “The Soviets start amassing forces to kick the Poles out and get their territory back or establish that border where they want it,” he said. One of the premises Vladimir Lenin was dealing with was the Russian Revolution leading to the world-wide revolution. “The Red Army, advancing across Europe, would definitely spark that in Europe and then onto the rest of the world,” he said. The Soviets created a cavalry army that was responsible for pushing the Poles back to Warsaw. “The border is very much in favor
of Poland,” he said. “They get a big chunk of Ukraine. It’s a mixed population. Is it really Poland, is it really Ukraine?” One of the reasons the negotiation took as long as it did, until March of 1921, was because the westward Poles kept trying to move the border back, in the Soviet’s favor. “So, Poland saved Europe from the Bolshevik Revolution,” Reese said. Christian Borders, president of the Russian Club, said he thought it was good the Russian Enrichment Program brought Reese to ASU. “It’s important to bring and expand on Russian and Polish culture and history on campus,” he said. Senior Darby Cheek said he wanted to go because he is interested in Russian history. “Dr. Reese was a captivating speaker and he did a good job,” he said. “I look forward to coming to the next one.”
Generous “soles” give back iHeartyosneaks collects shoes for disadvantaged kids Axel Marcenaro, editor-in-chief
Members of the student organization iHeartyosneaks gathered in the Houston Harte University Center on Feb. 11 to host their Black History Month shoe drive. The organization’s members invited students to donate gently used sneakers, which are to be given to less fortunate kids in the community. Raegan Gibbs, sophomore, donated a pair of Vans, Nike and Converse shoes and said it was well worth it. “It makes me feel good knowing that I’m making a huge impact on someone else’s life by doing such a small deed,” Gibbs said. Amber Orne, iHeartyosneaks president, said the organization brings the shoes wherever they are needed. Most recently, their supply of sneakers was brought to the Family Shelter of San Angelo. “I really like our mission,” Orne said. “We’re helping communities one ‘sole’ at a
time.” Orne said that while they have had large turnouts and donations in the past, members of their own organization have been the largest contributors recently. Orne hopes to increase the organization’s visibility while she is president and bring donation numbers back up. “I just really believe in this organization that we have here and I hope that we can continue to make it more known in San Angelo, on campus here at ASU, and we hope to grow to other campuses, too.” During the drive, members also gave those who provided shoes a free iHeartyosneaks T-shirt. The shirts featured the faces of famous Black leaders edited onto a photo of the Power Rangers team line up. Students could also purchase a shirt, with no donation, for $20.
Photo by Mbulelo Maqungo: Shoes of all types, from athletic to dress, fill the iHeartyosneaks collection bin. If students donated a pair of shoes, they were given a free iHeartyosneaks T-shirt. If students are interested in joining or helping in some way other than offering sneakers, Orne said the public is welcome to attend iHeartyosneak’s meetings, which are every other Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Room 210 of the University Center.