Feb 17, 2010

VEGGIE TALES: Dining Services attempts to liven up options for meal plan users with herbivorous tendencies

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Wednesday n February 17, 2010

thewichitan

your university n your voice

Regents vote to raise tuition, fees for Fall ’11 Chris Collins Managing Editor

The Board of Regents discussed raising tuition, imposing a credit card service fee for tuition payments, renovating Clark Student Center and other buildings, and almost doubling the Intercollegiate Athletics Fee at its meeting last Thursday.

The outcome: overall tuition and fees will be increased in the fall by 3.95 percent, about $180 more per student who takes 15 credit hours. This does not include the increase of the Athletic Fee, which will almost double next semester.

A credit card service fee of 2.75 percent and an Academic Support Service Fee will add another $4 per semester credit hour.

The energy surcharge is also being raised by $1.50 per credit hour, from $6.50 to $8.

MSU President Jesse Rogers said

these decisions were made in the lengthening shadow stretching over university decision-makers: $1.75 million in school funds have to be returned to the state of Texas by the end of 2011.

The nationwide recession has finally hit MSU hard, Rogers said.

“There are some things we had wanted to get done that we didn’t even mention here,” he said. “We just said, ‘we cannot do that.’”

“This is nothing near as devastating as what is happening to schools outside the state of Texas,” he said. “The recession has been late in coming to higher education in Texas, and I hope we’re one of the first states to pull out.”

Rogers said most of the money sent back to Austin will be funds used to pay personnel and provide fringe benefits.

“I froze all hiring yesterday because people are asking me to make decisions about positions we’ve filled and positions we need filled,” he said. “This is

See REGENTS on page 6

cost&effect

What the price increase means for students’ wallets

Based on 15 semester hours, in-state tuition

What: n University designated tuition n Energy surcharge n ACademic support services fee n Intercollegiate Athletics Fee

Spring 2010 n $1,404.00 n $97.50 n N/A n $60.00

Fall 2010 n $1,448. 25 n $120.00 n $60.00 n $108.00

change n $44.25 or 3.15% n $22.50 or 23% n $60.00 n $48.00 or 80%

n Total tuition and fees (including state-mandated tuition)

n $3,173.00

n $3,347.75

n $174.75 or *5.5%

Bottom Line

Do you pay with plastic?

Students who choose to pay their Fall 2010 tuition and fees with a credit card will be charged a service fee of 2.75% of their total bill. That translates into an extra $92.06 added onto in-state students enrolling for 15 credit hours. *The rate of change does not break the “MSU Promise” to refrain from raising tuition and fees by more than 5 percent in a one-year period because the Athletics Fee was initiated by a student-body vote and therefore doesn’t factor in. The official change, minus the Athletics Fee, is just under 4 percent

Student charged in fatal crash MSU senior faces up to 10 years in prison for intoxication manslaughter Brittany Norman Editor in Chief

Choosing to drink and drive can be a potentially deadly error in judgment. If a recent study is correct, more than 2 million college students are guilty of it, despite being warned of the consequences.

Allegedly, that worst-case scenario became a tragic reality for senior nursing major William “Hunter” Deas early last Wednesday.

According to police, 22-year-old Deas was driving south on Fairway at about 2 a.m. when he crashed his Isuzu Rodeo into the back of a Time Warner cable truck.

Kevin Becker, a 38-year-old father of three was in the elevated bucket of the truck performing routine maintenance, according to Time Warner representatives.

The impact of the collision caused Becker to be ejected from the bucket. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police suspected alcohol was involved. Deas was arrested and charged with intoxication manslaughter.

Becker, a longtime Wichita Falls resident, is survived by his wife of 15 years, Brandy, and their three children:

See ACCIDENT on page 6

ATMs smashed, forcibly relocated but left full of cash Chris Collins Managing Editor

Two ATMs in Clark Student Center were damaged early Friday morning, MSU Police Chief Michael Hagy said.

One belonging to First American was smashed with some blunt object. Another owned by the Teacher’s Credit Union was removed from its anchor and found in a nearby hallway.

No money was taken from either machine.

Hagy said there are no suspects because the ATMs’ cameras only function during a transaction.

“Anybody can basically walk up to it and do what they want,” he said.

The crime, charged as destruction of property, was committed somewhere in between the hours of 2 and 5:30 a.m.

Hagy said one of the machines sounded an alarm to the parent company, but the agent couldn’t get into Clark to investigate – the doors were all locked.

“No one called us, but it’s a learning process,” he said.

The university isn’t liable to repay the banks for the machines, since they are the banks responsibility to maintain.

Currently there are eight cameras in Clark, Hagy said.

They are working to install more specifically where the ATM are kept.

Another snowstorm hit campus Thursday, leading to an early closure and a late start the following morning. (Photo by Brittany Norman)

Snowpocalypse

Campus closes early due to dusting of the white stuff nSee page 4

Presidents Day more than just a bank holiday Debora Teixeira For the Wichitan

Presidents Day has become just one more holiday on U.S. calendars marked by department store sales and great deals at the local car lot. To most Americans, the honorees, Presidents Washington and Lincoln, are but vague memories from history classes.

Americans give little thought of past presidents but even less of the office itself.

According to MSU history and political science professors, the office has undergone many changes since the Constitution was ratified in 1787.

According to the professors, as the nation grows so do citizens’ expectations for the most

powerful job in America. Americans, they said, look to the president to steer the nation successfully.

“It is easier to look at one person than at 535 congressmen or nine Supreme Court justices,” said Dr. Steve Garrison, chair of political science.

The image of the president has changed over the years. Eloquence and physical characteristics play an important role in a president’s success.

President William H. Taft was the last president to sport facial hair.

John F. Kennedy captured the presidency because of the way he performed in a series of televised debates against his Republican opponent, Richard M. Nixon.

Republicans claim President Barack H.

Obama was elected due to media overexposure on sites like YouTube and Facebook.

The major shift in the role of the president began during WWII. “The president’s task has become impossible for me or any other man,” said President Franklin D. Roosevelt in January 1937. “The president needs help.” Those became famous words.

The Constitution describes the president’s two roles, the chief executive of the federal government and the Commander in Chief of the armed forces. He or she, then, controls the troops, enforces laws, develops policies, represents the nation internationally, appoints federal officials, and also approves or vetoes acts of

See PRESIDENTS on page 6

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The Wichitan

campusvoice nour view

Cutbacks across the board... almost

Departments, faculty and students feel the effects of budget crackdown on their bottom line – except, apparently, athletics.

When the state legislature requested that MSU return nearly $2 million from the 2010-2011 budget, we expected tuition to increase.

When the Board of Regents signed off on a 3.15 percent tuition increase, we weren’t surprised or upset. In fact, we expected it to be higher – and we probably would have been okay with that, too. After all, MSU has the 5 percent promise in place to keep things from getting too much more expensive any given semester.

An increase in the energy surcharge? Other than the fact that it seems to come a little late – after all, didn’t energy costs peak out a few yearas ago? – it makes sense to recoup more costs, and it’s not that much money in the big scheme of things.

Beyond that, though, we start having problems.

Apparently students are going to be paying for something called “Academic Support Services.” According to Interim Provost Dr. Russell Long, this $4 per credit hour fee will allow MSU to ... adequately advise students on how to proceed through their academic careers? Yeah, we kind of thought that was what faculty members in our majors were for, too.

Guess we were wrong, because Long got the Board to agree with him that students really do need to pay that extra $60 a semester so they don’t drop out due to bad advising. Couldn’t current counselors in the Academic Support Center just give faculty advisors a little extra training?

One of the biggest complaints we hear from students at larger universities is that for the first four or five semesters of their academic careers, they don’t have advising in their own major. MSU students who choose their degrees early can start out with that benefit.

Advising in the Academic Support Center is great for the undecided folks out there, but it just seems like a step back to subsidize knocking students out of their departments.

And then, the real kick in the teeth for MSU students who don’t play varsity athletics – every other corner of campus is expected to tighten up their belts and shave off extra expense, but the athletic department is asking for 80 percent – yes, 80 – more from the Intercollegiate Athletics Fee, jumping from $5 to $9 per credit hour.

Which was just instated, by the way, in January.

Let’s go out on a limb and estimate there were 6,000 fulltime students at MSU this fall. If they took an average of 12 hours, that would mean all 6,000 were paying $60 into the Athletics fund.

In case you don’t feel like doing the math, that multiplies into the neighborhood of $360,000. I think we can also safely assume that athletics was still at least partially subsidized by the Student Service Fee funds.

Increase that amount by 80 percent now.

Is $648,000 gonna be enough, you think?

Of course, students only have themselves to blame if they don’t like paying more for their athletes. The reason the athletic fee raise doesn’t push this semester’s tuition and fee hike into the MSU promise-breaking zone is because we voted in 2009 to pay for it. Don’t remember that? It’s probably because you didn’t vote. The fee passed with 75 percent approval, but that’s not saying a whole lot when the turnout was far beneath anything resembling full representation.

Too bad. Now we can’t even cry foul we had no say in whether or not the fee was nearly doubled. If students had read the fine print, they’d know that they signed up to pay up to $10 per credit hour to offset the fact that our sports fans don’t tend to buy enough game tickets to turn a profit.

That’s probably because students don’t technically have to pay for tickets to sporting events, but let’s be realistic. You’re paying more into athletics through fees than the average student would spend going to MSU games anyway.

According to Texas State Senate records from May 5, 2009 – less than a year ago – the fee was supposed to begin Spring 2010 at the $5 per credit hour and gradually increase to the maximum of $10 per credit hour, up to $120 a semester.

The exact text from a May 5 Fiscal Note from John O’Brien, Director of the Legislative Budget Board, to the Chair of the House Committee on Higher Education Dan Branch, includes the following: “The University estimates that if the fee begins in the spring of 2010 at a rate of $5 per semester credit hour and does not increase more than 10 percent annually, 2010 revenue would be approximately $694,691 and 2011 revenue would be $760,731.”

Sources on this report were listed as Midwestern State University and the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Maybe it’s just us, but 80 percent seems like a whole lot more than 10 percent. Like, 700 percent more.

But, again, the administration and the regents aren’t breaking any promises. Students voted this fee through without adding on any stipulations on how they could minimize the

financial impact for themselves.

Some of the other Texas universities with Intercollegiate Athletics Fees require that, at the very least, the student government vote on any year-to-year increase of the fee. At Tarleton State University, an increase of more than five percent from one academic year to the next requires a majority vote of the entire student body.

MSU’s athletics fee isn’t bound by any such stipulations. Basically, the Board can raise the fee all the way to the maximum $10 per credit hour without consulting the people who will be footing the bill. If the fee is to be raised beyond that pre-set maximum, the student body will have to vote to approve it.

Not that it would matter. If previous student elections are any indication, only a few hundred students will show up at the polls, and the majority of those will be the students who have a vested interest in whatever they’re voting on.

The moral of the story? If you don’t vote, you don’t have any say in what you pay for. Sometimes it also pays to read the fine print.

And if you want to avoid cutbacks, just settle yourself in the athletics department and breathe easy. The students body’s cash will make sure you get all the improvements you so desperately need without delays due to some pesky recession.

We’ve got your back – whether we want it or not.

February 17, 2010

thewichitan 3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 n Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 News Desk: (940) 397-4704 n Ads: (940) 397-4705 Fax (940) 397-4025 n E-mail WICHITAN@mwsu.edu or EDITOR.WICHITAN@mwsu.edu

editorial board & staff

nEditor in Chief: Brittany Norman nManaging Editor: Chris Collins nEntertainment Editor: Lauren Wood nOp-Ed Editor: N/A nINTERIM sports Editor: Josh Hoggard nPhoto Editor: Julia Raymond nAdvertising manager: Jamie Monroe nCopy editor: Phoebe Kurmi and Amaka Oguchi nadviser: Randy Pruitt nReporters: Kyle Christian, Leah Roberts, Matt Ledesma, Debora Teixeira nPhotographers: Patrick Johnston, Kassie Bruton, Loren Eggenschwiler

Copyright © 2007. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. The Wichitan reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication. Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reflect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University. First copy of the paper is free of charge; additional copies are $1. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address for verification purposes. The editor retains the right to edit letters.

nJust Joshin’

Get unstuck and forget negativity

1977. fighting the empire, but the One of the biggest cult sands of Tatooine held his movie classics hit the big feet on the ground. screen, growing into one That, and the grip of his of the highest grossing uncle. franchises in the history So, when Obi-Wan hears of film. the famous quote from Leia’s Low budget and indehologram played by R2-D2, pendently directed, Star “Help me, Obi-Wan KenoWars: A New Hope hit the bi. You’re my only hope”, the big screen. first person he asks to help Though it was the first is Luke. film chronologically in the “I need your help, Luke,” Star Wars saga, it was the Obi-Wan pleads. “She needs Josh Hoggard fourth episode of the seyour help. I’m getting too Jedi guru ries. old for this sort of thing.”

Star Wars, Episode 4: A Luke quickly rebuts, New Hope begins the story of Luke Sky- “Look, I can’t get involved. I’ve got worked walker, Princess Leia, and Han Solo, pos- to do. It’s not that I like the Empire; I hate sibly the most iconic figures of the Star it, but there’s nothing I can do about it Wars saga. right now… It’s all such a long way from Yet, a returning, legendary Jedi knight here.” is where we get our nugget of wisdom this Obi-Wan somberly replies, “That’s your week. uncle talking.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi. He’s no stranger to Luke wanted with all that was within this column. We ventured into his world him to leave that desolate planet and purlast week. sue his dreams of fighting off the Empire 30 years after he gave Anakin Skywalk- in a star fighter. er a philosophical nugget of wisdom, ObiYet, he made up excuses, made little of Wan would turn to Anakin’s son, Luke, his dreams and himself, and gave himself and offer him some age-old Jedi advice. every reason to stay when all that is within Luke was just saved from sand people him is screaming to leave.

by Obi-Wan (whom he knew as Ben), In psychology, we call this phenomand was taken back to Obi-Wan’s house enon rationalization. It’s a Freudian defor safety. Obi-Wan began to tell Luke fense mechanism in which the individual about his father’s past as Anakin, before unrealistically and despite his own wants, he turned to the Dark Side. reasons away the thoughts and desires he Luke, who had lived on Tatooine his has. entire life, was a stereotypical city-kidThink about it. stuck-on-a-farm. He had big dreams of How many times has something held

you down?

For Luke, it was his uncle. His uncle told him his whole life how he wasn’t anything more than a moisture farmer, that he would never leave Tatooine and he’d stay on and work the harvest for his entire life.

Even though Luke dreamed huge, his uncle suffocated him and tied him down.

How many people in your life do that?

You have dreams, aspirations, goals that define you as a person, yet people in your life tell you they aren’t possible?

Parents, professors, teachers, church members, friends, enemies…

They fill your head with doubt and make you think less of your dreams, less of yourself, and eventually, you end up settling.

The worst part?

Eventually, you start believing their pessimism, and their thoughts become your thoughts.

Then, you start holding yourself down.

Had Luke allowed the negativity he started to believe from his uncle, he may have never went with Obi-Wan to Mos Eisley, met Han, and began his adventure to becoming a Jedi.

You never know what comes next in your story.

Don’t believe other peoples negativity.

Don’t let their pessimism seep into your soul and reflect in your actions and beliefs.

Be your own person.

Don’t worry about whether or not it’s good enough for someone else.

Don’t even worry about how ridiculous your dreams may be.

But, whatever you do, don’t keep your feet on the ground.

February 17, 2010

Shhh... we’re hunting wabbits

carrots Dining services strives to freshen up options for MSU’s herbivore population

Sometimes a non-meat-eating existence can be boring when it comes to mealtime at the Mesquite Cafe dining hall at MSU. Dining Services director Michael Clifton says they’re trying to offer more options for vegetarian and vegan students at the university.

(Photos by: Julia Raymond)

feature

Robert Fox For the Wichitan Sophomore and vegetarian Renee Dubois said she has a meal plan and eats lunch and dinner in the Mesquite Café, but she finds herself limited.

The resident assistant stopped eating red meat in high school and has been a vegetarian since August. She said she can eat the grilled cheese sandwiches, the steamed vegetables, the pasta, which doesn’t appeal to her or from the salad bar.

“That’s all I can do because everything (else) has meat in it,” she said.

“Being vegetarian is hard,” Dubois said.

MSU Dining Services tries to offer enough options that everyone, including vegetarians and vegans, will have something to eat at every meal, Michael Clifton, director of Dining Services, said. The menu is posted three weeks at a time on the Dining Services Web site, which is linked to the MSU Web site.

Clifton, who has been MSU’s director of Dining Services for six years, said in the last few years, he strived to increase the number of vegetarian friendly options in the cafeteria. Each lunch and dinner menu includes four vegetables, the soup and salad bar and veggie burger by request. Sundance Food Court offers veggie sandwiches and veggie burgers by request.

“We do try to offer as much as we can,” he said.

The Mesquite Cafe has to prepare and serve lunch and dinner for about 800 people a day in the fall, Clifton said. In the spring semester the number of diners drops to about 650, he said. Those numbers don’t include the people who eat at Sundance Food Court. Only about 200 people eat breakfast in the cafeteria.

Clifton said based on the feedback he’s received, only 15-20 of the daily diners are vegetarian or vegan.

Dubois said she knows only one other vegetarian who eats in the cafeteria. “So I completely understand that most people eat meat,” she said.

Even though Dubois doesn’t complain about her limited options, she said “It’d be nice” to see more vegetarian options. She was not aware that the cafeteria grill had a veggie burger option.

Clifton said, in addition to the increased options and veggie burger by request, students can bring him requests for options to fit dietary requirements.

“We do try to make concessions if dietary concerns are brought to us in advance,” he said.

He said most of the time meeting the requests usually means preparing an individual meal and holding it for that person.

“We have in the past and will in the future,” he said.

Clifton said he welcomes comments and suggestions for improvement. If a student or staff member suggests a vegetarian or vegan recipe, he said he takes the suggestion seriously; however vegetarian and vegan recipes are tough because they don’t have a wide appeal.

“We can’t always do it, but we do investigate it thoroughly,” he said. He has to consider cost and whether or not suggestions will appeal to the majority of the 600-800 diners he needs to feed.

$385

6,056 * Free Wi-Fi

A record number of students enrolled in the spring semester.

The Wichitan n

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feature

February 17, 2010

MSU froze over (again), inspiring epic snow wars, freakishly big snowmen and quite possibly the most ginormous snowball.... ever.

Let the snow balls fly!

The

unexpected

flurry

Thursday caused school to close at 12:30 p.m., but it didn’t keep all the students inside. Instead, they were rolling giant blizzard boulders (top), hurling ice-grenades (left), just running for cover (bottom center) or building towering snow people (bottom right).

The fun didn’t stop until school started again Friday at 10 a.m. It was kinda pretty, too (right).

(Photos by Brittany Norman)

The Wichitan n 5

February 17, 2010

Fall 2009

Iyen Ajayi of Alpha Phi Alpha Tiffany Alexander of Delta Sigma Theta Nicole Ashley of Chi Omega Kristin Boxell of Chi Omega James Christiansen of Sigma Nu Lauren Cotton of Gamma Phi Beta Erika Crain of Gamma Phi Beta Stephanie Cuellar of Sigma Kappa Adam Daniel of Phi Sigma Kappa Michael Dunne of Tau Kappa Epsilon Jena Elgin of Chi Omega Jasmine Ellis of Alpha Kappa Alpha Amanda Folse of Alpha Phi Sofia Garcia of Kappa Delta Chi Candice Hale of Alpha Phi Taylor Hankins of Tau Kappa Epsilon Mark Harkoo of Omega Delta Phi Tonya Hartman of Alpha Phi Chartoya Jamison of Alpha Kappa Alpha Brandon Jones of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Courtney Kennon of Sigma Kappa Michael Kimbrell of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Margaret Kruder of Sigma Kappa Adriana Lara of Sigma Lambda Alpha Ashley Lebowsky of Gamma Phi Beta John McClellan of Kappa Sigma Justin McGuire of Phi Sigma Kappa Hilberto Meza of Omega Delta Phi Marco Morales of Tau Kappa Epsilon Chase Morton of Sigma Nu Kendall Neu of Alpha Phi Nancy Nino of Kappa Delta Chi Silvia Patino‐Olvera of Sigma Lambda Alpha Stephanie Ramirez of Gamma Phi Beta Lacey Reneau of Sigma Kappa Breanne Sill of Alpha Phi Christopher Skinner of Kappa Sigma Jenna Svane of Sigma Kappa Casey Svatek of Phi Sigma Kappa Marieke Van Gaalen of Alpha Phi Joshua Whittiker of Sigma Nu

Spring 2009

Angelica Alvarado of Sigma Lambda Alpha Andrea Berry of Chi Omega Alyssa Edson of Gamma Phi Beta Kimberly Edwards of Alpha Phi Kevin Francis of Alpha Phi Alpha Chance Gibbs of Kappa Sigma Kenneth Gill of Sigma Nu Michael Godwin of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Kaleigh Harner of Chi Omega Scott Hays of Tau Kappa Epsilon Patricia Johnson of Gamma Phi Beta Cambria Jones of Alpha Kappa Alpha Masaru Kamada of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Todd Lewis of Sigma Alpha Epsilon Andrew Lindsey of Kappa Sigma Jennifer May of Sigma Kappa Julia Mushlin of Chi Omega Paul Overstreet of Phi Sigma Kappa Craig Schweitzer of Omega Delta Phi Robert Shelton of Tau Kappa Epsilon Sarah Spaniel of Gamma Phi Beta Dannye Stephens of Sigma Kappa Ashley Tuscana of Chi Omega Jessica Walterscheid of Chi Omega Taylor Whatley of Gamma Phi Beta

Congratulations Greek Scholars Members of the Midwestern State University faculty and staff gathered February 5, 2010 at the first Greek Scholars’ Luncheon honoring the scholastic achievements of members within the fraternity and sorority community.

Dr. Howard Farrell, Vice President for University Advancement and Student Affairs, served as the host for the event at which seventy-one students were recognized. More than 25% of the MSU Greek population received a grade point average of a 3.0 or higher during either the spring or fall 2009 semesters.

Spring and Fall 2009

Kimberley Coleman of Delta Sigma Theta Chelsey Fanchier of Alpha Phi Charmaine Harris of Delta Sigma Theta Jory Newsom of Sigma Lambda Alpha Lindsey Price of Delta Sigma Theta

For more information about the Greek community, check out www.mwsu.edu/greeklife.

COMING SOON TO A CAMPUS NEAR YOU… Wednesday, Feb. 17 6:00pm, CSC Shawnee

Greek Forum Share your thoughts and ideas regarding Greek Life at MSU.

Thursday, Feb. 18 11:00am, Fain Theater

MSU Theater: And The Rain Came to Mayfield A powerful cultural drama set in a small town in Mississippi.

February 19 & 20 7:30pm, Fain Theater

MSU Theater: And The Rain Came to Mayfield Celebrate Black History Month!

Saturday, Feb. 20 6pm & 8pm, Ligon Coliseum

MSU Basketball vs. Abilene Christian Women at 6:00pm. Men at 8:00pm. Wear maroon!

Tuesday, Feb. 23 5:00-7:00pm, Mesquite Café

Soul Food Dinner Celebrate Black History Month with MSU Dining Services!

Wednesday, Feb. 24 7:00pm, CSC Shawnee

Movie Showing and Discussion: Precious Open your mind to new possibilities. Celebrate Black History Month!

Thursday, Feb. 25 11:00am, CSC Shawnee

Movie Showing and Discussion: Precious Life is hard. Life is short. Life is painful. Life is rich. Life is… Precious.

Saturday, Feb. 27 11:00am, Quadrangle

Alpha Phi High Heel Walk Raising awareness for women’s heart disease.

Saturday, Feb. 27 7:05pm, Kay Yeager Coliseum

MSU Greek Night at Wichita Falls Wildcats Hockey Proceeds will benefit the Children’s Miracle Network.

Tuesday, March 3 7:00pm, Bolin 127

Student Government Association Meeting Your campus; your voice. Open to all MSU students.

Spotlight

Has your organization done something worthy of recognition in the Spotlight? (performed community service, presented a program, traveled to a conference, received an award, etc.)

Let us know! Call 397-4500 so your organization can be featured in a future issue.

The House that Midwestern Built

During the entire spring 2010 semester, students from MSU can help the local Habitat for Humanity organization and build a house for a family in need. Individual students, student organizations, classes, and other groups are welcome to participate. Students can sign up to work on a weekly basis or just one single day. To learn more about the project, contact Dominique Calhoun in the Office of Student Development and Orientation at 397-4948.

Outstanding Student Awards

Nominate a fellow student for the 2009-10 Outstanding Student Awards! Awards are given to a male and female student of every classification (freshman-graduate). Each award carries a $250 scholarship. Awards are selected on the basis of scholarship, leadership, service, community involvement, and more.

Nomination forms can be found online at the Dean of Students website (http://students.mwsu.edu/dean/) and are due no later than Friday, February 19, 2010.

the

A SPECIAL CONGRATULATIONS...

-To MSU’s newest registered student organizations: Colleges Against Cancer, Engineers for a Sustainable World, and the Harry Potter Alliance.

-To all of the student organizations who raised funds and awareness for the Haiti Relief Effort including Alpha Kappa Alpha, Omega Delta Phi, Alpha Phi Alpha, African Students Organization, Caribbean Students Organization, Kappa Alpha Psi, Sigma Phi Lambda, and the Spanish Club.

-To the new members inducted into the Order of Omega national Greek honor society.

Risk Management Workshops The 2009-10 mandatory Student Organization Risk Management Trainings have been scheduled. Every registered student organization at MSU must have a representative attend one workshop. Workshops will be held in CSC Shawnee Theater.

Wednesday, March 3 from 5:30-7:30pm Thursday, March 4 from 5:30-7:30pm

The Spotlight is brought to you by The Office of Student Development & Orientation Endless Opportunities. Lifelong Connections.

Clark Student Center, Room 194 (940) 397-4500 http://activities.mwsu.edu

Look for the next Spotlight on Wednesday, March 3, 2010!

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The Wichitan

campus briefs n today:

WPE prep workshop in Prothro-Yeager 101 at 6 p.m.

n tHURSDAY:

Tobacco cessation course in Bridwell 109 at 4 p.m.

n FRIDAY:

Theatre: And the Rain Came to Mayfield in the Fain Fine Arts Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

Brown Bag Research Presentation: Alan Dublinsky in the Priddy Conference Room at 1:15 p.m.

n Saturday:

Theatre: And the Rain Came to Mayfield in the Fain Fine Arts Theatre at 7:30 p.m.

n tuesday:

Athletic luncheon at the Museum of Art at MSU at noon

Academic recovery group in the CSC Apache at 3:30 p.m.

Guest piano recital in Akin Auditorium at 7:30 p.m.

February 17, 2010

Words that break the bank Students hard-pressed to find bargains on textbooks Debora Teixeira For the Wichitan

gineering Design costs $212.

“Professors constantly factor in the price of books,” Wang explained, “but sometimes When selecting a major, students rarely the most reputable textbooks end up being take into consideration the cost of textbooks the more expensive ones.” and class supplies.

“For one of my classes, Family Health, I At MSU, Health Sciences heads up the spent $357.65 on seven required books,” list of most expensive texts. said Debora Alonso, a junior nursing In that field, books can top out at $1,000 a major. “I spent around $700 last semessemester, about double what the average stu- ter, but I kept most of my books.” dent pays.

Alonso bought a pharmacology text The MSU Admissions Office estimates that had not yet been published. the average student will spend about $570 “We didn’t get the book until October per semester for 15 credit hours. so I just used the handouts I got in class and In general, professors require at least one sold my book as brand new. textbook. Some require none. Others ask for I didn’t even open it,” she said. several titles. The cost varies from subject to The cost of a text with color prints can subject. It depends on the publisher, edition, be as much as eight times more than a book extra material that accompanies the text, and with black and white reproductions. whether it is new or used.

The wide use of color accounts for why Since the demand for new textbooks de- science and health care textbooks tend to be creased with the popularization of Internet pricy. Some of the most expensive books, trade of used books, publishers have become however, fall in the business fields.

The Wichitan creative in finding ways to convince profes-n 3 Cost Accounting retails for $226.35 new, sors to opt for new editions. and $169.75 for a used copy. Essential of Textbook bundles are popular today, espeStatistics for Business and Economics sells for cially in the sciences like chemistry and biology. Some students never touch the extras $211.05 new and $158.30 used.

Art students, on the other hand, do not that come with the book, but they do not have to worry about the price of textbooks have the option of buying an older edition since few are required. that does not come with the material.

That doesn’t mean art is cheap.

Biology 1134, for example, requires the “Art supplies can be very expensive,” adtextbook, a laboratory manual that comes mitted Dr. Nancy Steele-Hamme, chair of with a CD, and another manual that also has Fine Arts.

“Instructors go great lengths to a CD and atlas. provide students a list of materials and where The text costs $215.70, compared to about to find the best prices locally and online.” $ 70 for a previous edition.

Art supplies can add up to about $150 “Sometimes professors opt for hardcover books that have supportive materials like to $200 for beginner classes. A student may CDs,” said Dr. Sheldon Wang, chair of en- have to pay $12 for a paintbrush when he takes painting I, but he will not have to purgineering.

Although paperback editions are cheaper, chase another one for painting II. Regardless of the field of study, underthe most updated information is published graduates spend an average of $500 on books, first in hardcover format, he said. Texts vary from $40 to $200. Shigley’s Mechanical En- with a few exceptions.

PRESIDENTS................................................................................................................................................................................................continued from page 1 Congress.

As time passed and the nation grew, additional responsibilities were bestowed upon the president.

Before Roosevelt, the president had few staff members to aid in his day-today work. The New Deal brought the biggest change in the creation of Executive Office of the president.

The office today employs over 3,000 staffers, plus the 15 cabinet offices and departments.

The federal government took upon itself more responsibilities towards its citizens in order to improve the quality of life in the U.S. In 1921, Congress passed The Budget and Accounting Act of 1921 transferring the responsibility of creating a federal budget for the fiscal year.

With all those changes giving the president more power, the term impe-

rialist presidency became popular. The phrase “with great power comes great responsibilities,” comes to mind.

After WWII, Congress also gave the president more authority to use the armed forces, even though the president still cannot declare war. President George W. Bush sent troops to Iraq in 2003 without Congress ever declaring war against the country.

“It’s called the paradox of the presidential power,” Garrison said. “As Commander in Chief, people tend to think the president can do whatever he wants.

Military power is associated with political power. “Likewise, the paradox gives the impression the president can control the economy,” said Garrison.

The president deals, however, with foreign and domestic policy separately. One of the president’s jobs is to make

decisions. Whether his actions are good or bad, the president will most likely be criticized for them. The responsibility for the outcome lies entirely on him. The pressure is always on.

“President Lyndon B. Johnson had to go to war or the Republicans would call him a chicken,” explained Dr. James King, associate history professor.

On the other hand, “President Truman was criticized for taking too long to end peace talks after WWII. Americans got this idea that it is as easy to get out of war as it is to get in one,” said King.

He explained that people in general do not want to learn from the past. Wars dragged on for decades sometimes, with great losses on both sides.

“Johnson was very good with domestic policies,” said Garrison. “But he was not successful with his foreign policies.”

Nixon, on the other hand, failed in his domestic policy, but developed the right strategy for foreign affairs. The president does not govern alone. He depends heavily on the Legislative and Judiciary branches of government.

The Congress is not what it used to be in the past either.

“Civility is going down the tube,” said King.

Election or reelection is the new number one priority. Every election, one issue steals the spotlight, taking the public’s attention from the candidates’ entire platform, and even qualifications.

It can be abortion, civil rights, health care, or economic crisis.

Today, “conservatives and liberals go for one issue, ever since Rove vs. Wade,” King said.

Although the president represents the

nation, he does not have the power to create laws that can change the nation.

His job becomes persuading Congress to make such laws. Afterward, the president has to deal with the bureaucracy of implementing such laws.

The media presents, perhaps, the newest challenges to the office of the president.

“Media has a great impact on politics today,” explained Garrison. With the explosion of Twitter, and similar message boards, the average citizen relays more and more on sound bites to get their information.

“This condensed news format is not always accurate,” said Garrison. “People do not take the time to check sources.”

REGENTS.....................................................................................................................................................................................................continued from page 1

critical. I hope we don’t have to cut $714,000 out of the faculty.

We need those positions.”

New fees have been instated to combat the unexpected money crunch, Rogers said. One such charge is the credit card service fee, which will displace the university’s cost of accepting credit card payments by levying a 2.75 percent fee on students who pay with plastic.

“We’ve thought about this for a while,” Rogers said. “It’s very common for universities to recover their losses with a service fee.”

He said the school currently accrues $500,000 annually in small charges.

“We keep getting small charges that are nipping away at our resources,” Rogers said. “We are getting pecked to death by small charges, and it’s costing all students.”

Originally the Board planned to instate a fee of 2.2 percent, subsidizing the remainder of the cost.

“I don’t think we should do that unless we just feel generous,” Regent Munir Lalani said.

“I don’t think we should subsidize.”

Not much was said about a substantially higher Athletics Fee next semester, except that much of the increase will go to

helping finish the renovation of D.L. Ligon Coliseum, Athletic Director Charlie Carr said.

The Board also voted to impose a $4 per credit hour Academic Support Services Fee. The Academic Support Center teaches college skills to at-risk students, helps advise students who haven’t chosen a major, and run a supplemental instruction program for some high-failurerate courses.

“I think as faculty members we’re obligated to provide good, sound advising to students,” Interim Provost Russell Long said.

“The bottom line is this works for the university and also for the students. If the students do well, we get rewarded. If they don’t, we’re penalized.”

Long said the Center has too many hands reaching out for help. It needs additional staff and resources.

“They’re just flooded,” he said.

About $140,000 of the fee will go to salaries and benefits for three full-time academic counselors.

Academic counseling is distinct from academic advising in that advisers mainly recommend what courses a student should take, Long said. An academic counselor can give more relevant, educated advice to a student who hasn’t yet decided on a major and

is looking for some direction.

“This is beyond just advising,” he said. “The quality of advising at the university is uneven,” Long said. “Some students get extremely good advising - others don’t get the same quality. This would provide a standard of excellence for all students.”

Next semester MSU will charge students nine fees, more than ever before.

Rogers said, however, that this plan pales by comparison to those of larger institutions.

“The fees at other universities are so complex and lengthy it makes ours look simple,” Regent Shawn Hessing said.

Rogers said the reason the Board is trying to bring in more fee-funded money, as opposed to using tuition money, is MSU is forced to return 20 percent of tuition funds to the state.

“If we charge it as a fee, we don’t have to return that 20 percent,” he said. “If you look at every one of the fees, I think they’re justified.”

“By using this approach, we are making a commitment that the revenue from those fees will be used for one and only one purpose,” Hessing said.

Rogers said the current fiscal climate is forcing the university to be conservative, but it hasn’t

halted him from considering to take on big-money projects.

One such project is a new $60 – 70 million library that Rogers thinks might be built where the Ferguson building stands. The project would be funded with tuition revenue bonds.

“We need a modern library,” Rogers said.

Instead of tearing down the current library building, the space could be used for the Education Department.

“The Department of Education needs more space and a different space,” he said.

Other renovations discussed were a $17.5 million update in

Bolin and a $10 million facelift for Fain Fine Arts to make the building fire safe.

Rogers said certain buildings might be destroyed to make room for new ones. On the chopping block were the police station and the Biology House.

Housing and dining service rates will rise next semester.

Bridwell Court apartments will change the most, with one-bedroom units costing 6.72 percent ($40 a month) more and twobedroom units increasing in price by 7.91 percent ($55 a month).

The cost for a 14-meal plan will rise by 2.64 percent, about $35.

ACCIDENT..............................................................................................................continued from page 1

year-old Payton, 13-year-old Kristian and 9-year-old Brady.

Wednesday was Kristianís birthday.

Funeral services were held Saturday at Lamar Baptist Church.

A close family member said Deas’ entire family is in shock. She said he was released on $50,000 bond sometime on Wednesday, and has been at home with his family.

“It’s a tragedy for all (involved),” she said, adding that she in no way intends to minimize the grief the Becker family is experiencing.

Deas’ family, she said, is in a differ-

ent kind of pain.

On Thursday, the family member said Deas wasn’t doing well, that he didn’t seem to be able to wrap his head around what had happened. She said his family is having a hard time believing it, too.

“Hunter has been the example to all the other children in the family,” she said. “The fact that this has happened just shows that it can happen to anyone. Hunter is the most admirable young man that I personally know.”

Regardless of strength of character, Deas now faces second-de-

gree felony charges.

If convicted, he could spend up to 10 years in state prison.

A court date has not yet been set.

Deas’ SUV was “flattened” in the accident, according to the family member. He had to be cut from the vehicle by first responders, and was taken to United Regional Health Care Systems where he was treated for cuts and abrasions before he was taken to jail.

The family member said Deas has sought pastoral care and other counseling since the accident.

While she said Deas will be re-

turning to MSU at least until his court date, his professional future will be in limbo if he is found guilty of intoxication manslaughter.

According to the Texas Board of Nursing Practice and Procedure, a felony conviction can prevent an otherwise qualified candidate from achieving certification.

Deas’ family is trying not to dwell too much on the future. “(Hunter) didn’t deserve this and neither did Mr. Becker,” she said. “The loss (suffered by Becker’s family) is not lost on us. Now we’re trying to save a second life, and he happens to be ours.”

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February 17, 2010

The Wichitan n 7

Guns, Revenge and a Pink Guitar Crowd gets a lesson in love, life and music from Lambert

Brittany Norman Editor in Chief

Miranda Lambert proved that rednecks can do romance – sometimes they just have to sing about shooting people first.

Even the night before Valentine’s Day, mentions of diamond rings and fairytale romance were few and far between. Instead, the singer kicked her show into overdrive from the moment she stepped out with songs about toting (and shooting) guns, getting revenge, and getting one-up on someone who thinks they’re a lot more special than they really are.

In fact, nearly everyone in the audience of about 3,000 fans (and their boyfriends) could take home a lesson or two about love, life and music.  It’s okay to have fun – Really, it is. Everyone knows that musicians are ultimately punching the time clock when they go onstage for a concert, but Lambert’s sheer enthusiasm made that fact really easy to forget. She looked like she was enjoying every minute of the 90 minutes that seemed to fly by as she performed. A lot of biggername acts should take a cue from the diminutive blond and pump up the energy.  As long as you smile real nice, there’s nothing wrong with being mean –especially if they were asking for it. She opened up the show with a track from her new album, Only Prettier, in which she takes on folks with a holier-than-thou attitude, fighting back with a little sharp-edged Southern charm. Why be nasty when a sweettoned “bless your heart” will do the trick just fine? Lambert seems aware that Texas ladies like herself can come across as a little rough around the edges, what with the drinking and cussing and all. She’ll pass on the little miss perfect routine. “I’ll keep drinking and you’ll keep getting skinnier,” she sang, dancing behind the mike. “We’re just like you – only prettier.”  Guys shouldn’t cheat or beat up on women ­– and if they do, they better watch out for chicks with guns. She’s warned the “bad guys” of the world more than once now that mistreating a woman has its consequences. In the old favorite Gunpowder and Lead a beatup woman decides to even up the fight a little by putting an abusive man on the business end of a shotgun. She performed a newer admonition for guys who don’t know how to treat a lady, Sin for a Sin, in which all the Bible’s teachings of forgiveness can’t keep a woman scorned from getting revenge on a cheater, burying her problem six feet under.  Sometimes, you can forget pulling the trigger. Just get even instead – In White Liar, a man finds out that his lady knows about the other woman – but this time, unlike unluckier guys in Miranda Lambert songs, he doesn’t end up in a coffin. He just finds out that – surprise! – girls can lie and cheat, too. (And sometimes, lying pays off. White Liar was Lambert’s first number one hit on the Billboard country chart, edging out Tim McGraw himself ).  It’s not about being perfect – Lambert’s philosophy, as revealed in the song Heart Like Mine, is that there’s only one person whose judgment really matters – his name is Jesus, and she’s pretty sure he’d find it in his heart to understand why she smokes the occasional cigarette. Also, your parents might not always approve of every little body-art related choice you make – like when Lambert sang about how her “daddy cried when he saw (her) tattoo” – but in the end, the people who matter still love you even if you get a firearm permanently inked onto your wrist.

And, finally…  It’s okay to be a little bit sappy… sometimes– Though the set list could mostly be classified as heavy in the girl power department, the singer didn’t shy away from a little bit of emotionality. She played a few songs that tilted the scale more toward the sweeter side of sugar and spice. And when Miranda came back onstage for an encore, she had a Valentine’s surprise for her fans in the form of her Valentine.

Blake Shelton, her longtime boyfriend and fellow country star, was met with the squeals of the female part of the audience. The People Magazine-certified “Sexiest Man in Country Music” performed his new single, Hillbilly Bone, then picked up a guitar and performed the sappy-sweet love song, Home, a Michael Bublé cover that took Shelton to the top of the country charts in 2008.

However, even through the show-ending sweetness, there was a constant reminder for fans that they were dealing with a self-proclaimed “redneck.”

Something about Lambert’s microphone stand, made out of an honest-to-god shotgun, seems to dare critics to underestimate her.

Country firecracker Miranda Lambert belted out tunes Saturday night at Kay Yeager. Wade Bowen and Blake Shelton also made appearances at the event. (Photos by Brittany Norman)

‘Side by Side’ cast charms in Sondheim tribute Cora Kuykendall For the Wichitan

Making something out of nothing is exactly what the cast of Side By Side did last weekend in the Akin auditorium.

For an hour and fifteen minutes two pianos, a few props and nine performers entertained the audience with 18 original songs

by Stephen Sondheim, including music from the very popular West Side Story.

Side By Side is a collection of songs from Sondheim’s musicals. Some songs are well known, such as Send in the Clowns, others are un-recognizable to the non-musical theater buff. But, each of them followed a certain

theme, whether it was marriage, whistling or Broadway.

Broadway is definitely where some of our MSU peers may end up in the future. Matthew Griffin was all over the place in the production, not only did he sing in ensemble pieces and in Getting Married Today, he was also a narrator of sorts, spitting off facts about Sondheim while introducing the next act.

Some songs made you laugh, others made you think, and then there were the songs where Parker Arnold’s voice made your heart melt.Rachel Ford did a remarkable job singing I’m Still Here from the production Follies, hitting notes that only a miracle could allow me to hit.

With this production, the performers proved that they have a great range of musical and acting ability. Kelcie Bush and Stephanie Benson both sang a seductive number, and within minutes Bush sang a sweet ballad from West Side Story and Benson sang a comical duet with Arnold.

Everyone involved had great chemistry together onstage.

Their chemistry was especially apparent in the ensemble numbers and the two trios.

In the closing song, Conversation Piece was nicknamed as “beast” by those who performed it. Congratulations to the cast, you definitely captured the beast.

Kelcie Bush and Matthew Griffin both impressed the crowd in the production of “Side by Side.” (Photo by Kassie Bruton)

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The Wichitan

February 17, 2010

‘Valentine’s Day’: Love or Loathe?

‘Valentine’s Day’ too crowded Matt Ledesma For the Wichitan

Guys will do a lot of things in the name of love.

We’ll do even more in the name of lust.

But sitting through 125 minutes of the new movie Valentine’s Day shouldn’t have to be one of those things, regardless of any eventual payoff.

Now, if say, Carmen Electra propositions you with a night of uninhibited passion in exchange for seeing this movie then by all means spend the $15 on two tickets.

But for anything short of that, make sure to steer clear of this hot mess of A-list stars rolled up into one super-sized chick flick.

And really, that is the biggest flaw in director Garry Marshall’s film.

There are just simply too many celebs running through too many different storylines.

In all, there are almost two dozen different actors/actresses who could be the leads in their own respective films.

Some, like Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Garner, nab most of the screen time, while others such as Queen Latifah and George Lopez are left to fight for the scraps.

Now throw in a healthy dose

y Above: Bradley Cooper and Julia Roberts are two of the many A-list actors starring in the new romantic comedy, “Valentine’s Day.” Right Corner: Jessica Biel is longing for love in “Valentine’s Day.” Right: Taylor Swift shares the big screen with Jennifer Garner in the film. (Photo Courtesy)

a

Big love for ‘Valentine’s Day’ Brittany Walsh For the Wichitan

For some people, February 14 is a day for romance, sappy notes taped onto a bouquet of flowers and of course, love. For others, however, it means curling up with a big tub of Ben & Jerry’s, a glass of wine, The Notebook and just waiting for Single’s Awareness Day to be over with.

Whatever category you fall into, you can throw all those stereotypes out the door.

Valentine’s Day is a movie that goes beyond all of that. Whether you’re single, kind of single, heartbroken or passionately in love, this movie will teach you one thing: that love goes beyond just a single day.

In this star-studded romantic comedy, director Garry Marshall takes us through the intertwining lives of various people living in the Los Angeles area. We follow them through break-ups and make-ups, young love, new love and long lasting relationshipsall focused on the meaning of this one day.

It’s easy to blow this movie off as just another chick flick hidden under the alias of a date movie. On the other hand, I found this movie to be extremely entertaining, witty, light-hearted and just plain funny. I feel like Valentine’s Day is a movie any guy

u

would be lucky to be dragged to (hey, at least it’s not Dear John, right?).

So, if this is a movie you and your beau are looking into going to see, I say go for it.

With an all-star cast such as Bradley Cooper, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Alba, Jessica Biel, Julia Roberts and Ashton Kutcher, it’s almost easy to say that the long list of celebrities could trump quality and ratings.

However, this is not the case.

These seasoned actors only add to the intertwined plot and comedic scenes.

There is one exception for this statement though: Taylor Swift.

I am a huge T-Swift fan and love her music. However, that’s about as far as my loyalty goes. I’ll just say this, Taylor should definitely stick with what she knows best, and that is not acting.

There are quite a few story lines for you to follow in the movie; however, they are each captivating in their own way.

If you like movies such as Love Actually, where the plot is intertwined between different lives that are all somehow connected, then Valentine’s Day is a great movie for you. Each story line gives a different example of phases we go through in life, and lessons that we can learn from them.

Take the “new couple” for instance, played by Topher Grace and Anne Hathaway.

In the movie, Grace and Hathaway’s characters, Jason and Liz are just beginning to date. They are both really into each other, but don’t really know a whole lot about one another. When Jason learns something about Liz that she has been keeping from him, he immediately breaks it off with her. In the end, however, Jason realizes that he broke up with Liz for one thing he found out about her that he didn’t like, when he likes everything else about her. What he realized is that you either like someone for who they are and take all of it, or you don’t, and you may end up losing out on a good thing.

For the amount of big name actors who played in this movie (about 20 or so), I feel like it did a really great job in making all of the story lines, and actors work together really well. Compared to the amount of A-list actors that are usually in movies, about two or three, I feel like Valentine’s Day really hit a home run.

It was everything you could ask for in a movie (even some eye candy) and had great chemistry between the actors on top of it.

Another aspect I really enjoyed were all of the great quotes. One of my favorites was the final line in the movie: the narrator says “After all, all you really want to hear on Valentine’s Day are those three words…let’s get naked.”

of Jessica Biel and Jessica Alba, add in some Taylor Swift and Taylor Lautner and top it all off with a big, heaping pile of Jaime Foxx and Patrick Dempsey.

And oh but wait -- there’s more.

I’m not saying every current Hollywood star or starlet is in this movie. But halfway through I was expecting cameos from Hannah Montana and the “pants on the ground “guy.

And what’s worse, the director attempts to intertwine all the various characters’ paths into one, linear plot that wraps up nice and neat by the end credits.

Except the finished product leaves the audience asking WTF just happened -- at least anyone still awake and left to care (i.e. nobody).

This film reminded me a lot of a big box of Valentine’s Day chocolates.

At first, it seems like a great idea to take in as many of the assorted treats as humanly possible in one sitting.

But after gorging yourself on the entire package, you start to feel nauseous and wondering why you even did that to yourself in the first place.

Those were my exact thoughts as I left the theatre Sunday night, wondering what in the world made me think a movie called Valentine’s Day, premiering

on Valentine’s Day weekend, would be anything other than a complete sap fest.

I’m not even going to attempt to explain the plot to you. Not because I don’t want to spoil anything, but due to the fact that I just ate lunch and would like to keep it down.

Suffice it to say that all the usual chick flick clichés are hit early and often throughout the movie.

So there’s a little something for everyone here if you have some sort of sick fetish for confusing and at times just plain silly storylines.

I know what you’re thinking.

There’s no way a beer drinking, ESPN watching, heterosexual guy like myself would ever really give a movie like this a real chance to start with.

And in most cases, you’d probably be right.

But I’ve got a feeling that I won’t be the only average Joe forced to endure the horror that is Valentine’s Day just in the hopes of getting a little play.

My only advice. Before making that choice, think long and hard over this one question: Is it really worth it?

The answer, I assure you, will be no.

Meatloaf said it best. “I would do anything for love…but I won’t do that.”

‘Valentine’s Day’ A-list Actors: Jessica Alba, Kathy Bates, Jessica Biel, Bradley Cooper, Eric Dane, Patrick Dempsey, Hector Elizondo, Jamie Foxx, Jennifer Garner, Topher Grace, Anne Hathaway, Carter Jenkins, Ashton Kutcher, Queen Latifah, Taylor Lautner, George Lopez, Shirley MacLaine, Emma Roberts, Julia Roberts, Bryce Robinson, Taylor Swift

Go Figure: Figure skating best part of Winter Olympics Lauren Wood Entertainment Editor

The beacon is lit and Oh Canada has been sung. The Winter Olympics are finally here!

NBC channels are now filled with snowy scenes with athletes barreling down steep, white-blanketed hills. Hockey, skiing and curling will fill my afternoons and evenings for the next two weeks.

However, despite the enormous amount of talent in all of these events, I have my heart set on only one event: figure skating.

I have been counting down the days until the first figure skating competition was to air on NBC, and this past Sunday, for four hours I endured watching sports such as speed skating, the lug and the moguls, all in order to see the figure skating portion.

NBC nicely intertwined the event with the other sports to hook the avid fans to “stay tuned.”

They even teased us with icons stating “13 minutes till Figure Skating,” just to lead us on.

For those of you who are not avid fans, you are missing out on a beautiful sport. It is full of sequins, soothing music and men wearing extremely tight pants. It doesn’t get much better, ladies.

For you men who make fun our love of figure skating: when else are you going to see a girl, usually wearing a revealing and skin-tight costume, spin and jump around, with her skate up by her face? Hello, flexibility!

Now some skeptics question whether figure skating is actually a sport. I say, of course it is.

It involves lifts, twists, jumps and putting your leg somewhere uncomfortable, all while having a leotard ride up your behind. And they are smiling through all of this. This definitely qualifies as a sport.

I mean come on, if ski jumping is a sport, (whoever jumps the farthest wins), then figure skating qualifies too.

It is a dangerous sport at that. One competitor had her cheek sliced open by her partners’ skate and she had to have 80 stitches and plastic surgery. Ouch!

Skaters often suffer many injuries such as broken ankles, sprained shoulders and many bumps and bruises that only are natural for being tossed and thrown in the air by a strapping young man.

Now some of us have our favorite skaters, but this year I am trying to be unbiased and make my decision after I’ve seen them skate. However, Sunday night changed this.

I saw a short special on one

of the Chinese couples, Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo. They are a married couple who have been skating together for 18 years. They are both in their 30’s and are a truly talented couple who have come back to win gold for China. They have put their marriage on hold, all for the goal of winning first place.

So I admit, throughout that night I hoped other couples would fail, except the Americans, of course, all so this romantic couple could do well.

(They came out in first place, by the way.)

Even if you don’t prefer the event yourself, it is amusing to watch other fans watch because even though they personally don’t have any experience in skating, they find themselves holding their breath as the competitors fly across the ice, performing their tricks.

If the couple or person lands it well, your friend may begin smiling and maybe let a little fist pump slide.

So for the next two weeks, almost every night there is a figure skating competition, including pairs, women’s, men’s and even ice dancing. You’ll know where I’ll be.

sports

February 17, 2010

LOVE IS FOR LOSERS

MSU Tennis teams dominate in weekend tournament

The Wichitan n 9

On Deck This Week n

WEDNESDAY, february17

BASKETBALL

Women @ TAMU - Kingsville*

6:00 PM

Men @ TAMU - Kingsville*

8:00 PM

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Matt Ledesma For The Wichitan PHOENIX, Ariz. -- The Midwestern State men’s and women’s tennis teams both featured excellent showings over the weekend at the Grand Canyon University Paseo Tournament.

The No. 25-ranked men went 5-1 at the Paseo Racquet Center with their only setback coming in a 6-3 loss to No. 35 University of California San Diego on Sunday.

The women posted a perfect 5-0 mark in tournament play.

“It was a really great showing for both teams,” Mustangs coach Larry Wiggins said. “UC San Diego is usually a pretty highlyranked team, and they just happened to beat us to a couple of big match points.

“But these are all good kids who are really hard workers. I was proud of their performances.”

In all, Wiggins said there were about nine or ten different schools represented at the tournament, including squads from Montana State Billings and the University of Hawaii at Hilo.

MSU senior Carlos Bataller and junior Vjekoslav Stipanic were the only Mustangs to get a win in singles play versus UC San Diego.

Bataller defeated the Tritons’ Chapman Chan in sets of 6-7, 6-3 and 1-0 in the No. 2 spot.

Stipanic followed in No. 3 action with a 6-1, 6-1 win over Jake Fellow.

In men’s doubles, juniors Chad Meeks and Danielle McMullen took down the duo of Naveen Dixit and Sam Ling, 8-6.

“I really feel like the boys are one of the top two teams in the conference,” Wiggins said.

“They should definitely be able to make the regionals this year.”

Another big win for the Mustangs was a 5-4 victory over No. 41 Sonoma State.

Bataller, Stipanic, McMullen and Luke Joyce all recorded singles wins for the Mustangs.

Meeks and Joyce also hooked up for a 9-8 doubles win over Quan Vu and Andrew KhuriYakub.

On the girls’ side, Wiggins noted the standout play of both Leah Roberts and Monica Graff. Each was perfect in their respective doubles and singles matches.

Both also played a large part in keeping MSU’s tournament record spotless, helping the Mustangs rally from an 0-2 defi-

cit against the Academy of Art University on Sunday.

Roberts defeated Paola Correa Fe 6-4, 7-5, while Graff took down Anna Ritchie 6-0, 6-0.

Teammate Lindsey Holcomb capped off the Mustangs’ thirdstraight singles win with a 6-0, 6-0 victory.

Then, Robert and Graff, Holcomb and Lauren Huse and Alex Odell-Michels and Kaja Banas all teamed up to sweep doubles play in favor of MSU. “We have one girl who we still need to get eligible, but so far the girls team has looked very strong,” Wiggins said.

The MSU men will take the court again this weekend at the Dallas/ICW tournament. The women will travel to Dallas Baptist on Friday.

This week in sports...

Softball iced out Win streak ended Matt Ledesma For The Wichitan Icy roads and bad-field conditions brought on by last weekend’s inclement weather postponed and then cancelled the Texas Women’s Invitational softball tournament.

That means the Midwestern State softball team will next take the field this Friday-Sunday when they host the Holiday Inn at the Falls MSU Invitational.

The games will be played at Mustangs Field and Burkburnett High School.

Until then, here are some quick notes about the team going into this weekend: The Mustangs (3-2) are currently riding a three-game hitting streak in which the team has combined for at least 10 hits.

They’ve stretched that mark to four games only twice before in the program’s history (2007 and 2009). Head coach Brady Tigert had previously commented on the improved speed of this unit, something on full display at the St. Mary’s Classic.

MSU stole 10 total bases for the tournament, and was led

by freshman shortstop Natalie Rodriguez (3), sophomore outfielder Nicki Duff (2) and junior catcher Amanda Potysman (2).

Senior pitcher Katie Petersen (3-2, 3.63 ERA) needs just two more wins in the circle to pass current all-time wins leader Brittney Wilson (68 wins from 2004-06).

Petersen logged her 67th career win in San Antonio against Eastern New Mexico. She can also become the all-time strikeouts leader with another 36 K’s.

Redshirt freshman outfielder Courtney Bingham bounced back nicely from a season-ending hand injury suffered in ‘09.

She went 6-for-17 (.353) at the plate during the St. Mary’s Classic, recording four doubles in a great start to year.

Other hitting leaders for the tournament included Duff (.400, one triple, five runs scored) and freshman outfielder Elena Bennett who went 5-of-14 (.357) as the leadoff hitter.

Junior pitcher Brittany Tanner (1-0, 2.03 ERA) became just the fourth pitcher in the program’s history to log 200 career strikeouts.

Matt Ledesma For The Wichitan

but every time we got close we seemed to turn the ball over or miss a big shot,” MSU coach The No. 9 Midwestern State Grant McCasland said. men’s basketball team was rid“To (WT’s) credit, they were ing an emotional high to start all over the boards and really last week. shot the ball well.

The Mustangs (22-2, 7-2) “The loss wasn’t because of a were coming off two big wins lack of effort. We just weren’t over Lone Star Conference able to make our own breaks South division rival Tarleton like we have most of the year.”

State.

Senior forward Anthony That translated into a move Moore led the team with 12 to No. 1 in the South Central points and five rebounds, while Regional rankings, and getting junior guard Chris Hagan folon the fast track to hosting the lowed closely with 10 points. regional tournament later in But the Mustangs proved March. earlier this season they could But a scrappy West Texas bounce right back after a little A&M team put the brakes on adversity. the Mustangs’ seven-game win Last Saturday night versus streak, beating MSU 68-58 last Eastern New Mexico proved Wednesday in Canyon, Texas. no different.

The difference in the game MSU rolled to a 76-57 win was a 20-2 run by WT to close at D.L. Ligon Coliseum, led out the first half, totally eras- by the efforts of seniors Craig ing a four-point MSU lead.

Green and Jason Ebie.

The Mustangs would cut the The dynamic duo combined deficit down to six with just for 42 points, with Green leadunder a minute left to play in ing the way with a game-high the game, but wouldn’t get any 22. closer.

Ebie put up 20 points and “I felt like we played hard, finished his night with seven

Softball

11 AM Vs. East central** 1 PM vs. Western N. Mexico**

TEnnis

Men @ Dallas/ICW Tourn.

Women @ Dallas Baptist

n

saturday, february 20

1 PM VS. Texas women’s** 3 PM vs. West texas A&M**

Midwestern State’s men’s tennis team. The team dropped only one game of six in their tournament this weekend in Pheonix, Arizona. Left to right: Vjekoslav Stipanic, Octavian Dinuta, Luke Joyce, Bozo Zaputovic, Carlos Bataller, Chad Meeks, and Daniel McMullan. (Photo courtesy Carlos Bataller)

friday, february 19

Softball TEnnis

Men @ Dallas/ICW tourn.

Women @ dallas baptist

BASKETBALL

Women vs. abilene christian*

6:00 PM

Men vs. abilene christian*

8:00 PM n

n

n

Sunday, february 21 Softball

1 PM VS. Missouri southern** 3 PM vs. NW Missouri state**

Tuesday, february 23 Softball

3 PM @ Abilene christian (DH)

WEDNESDAY, february24

BASKETBALL

Women VS. ANGELO STATE*

6:00 PM

Men VS. ANGELO STATE*

8:00 PM

bold denotes home game * denotes conference game ** Denotes MSU holliday in at the falls invitational tournament

rebounds, five assists and five steals.

Green added four rebounds, three assists and three steals.

As a team the Mustangs shot nearly 50 percent from the field, including an impressive 39 percent from behind the arc.

Green nailed four treys on the night, Ebie knocked down three 3-pointers and Hagan and sophomore guard Melvin Clark each connected once from long range.

The Mustangs also kept pace with Tarelton over the week.

Both teams sit atop the division standings with identical 7-2 records.

With the win, MSU clinched

a spot in the LSC Championship tournament starting on March 3 in Bartlesville, Okla.

Other teams to already secure berths include Central Oklahoma, Northeastern State and Tarleton.

After splitting the week with one win and one loss within their conference, the Mustangs dropped three spots from 6 to 9 in the latest NABC Division 2 national poll, released Tuesday afternoon.

The Mustangs now travel to take on Texas A&M Kingsville (12-11, 2-6) at 8 p.m. tonight, with just two more conference games remaining on the schedule after that.

10 n

The Wichitan

sports

February 17, 2010

Tragedy of olympic proportions Michelle Kaufman MCT Campus

VANCOUVER, British Columbia - Nodar Kumaritashvili, a 21-year-old luger from the Republic of Georgia, died after a high-speed crash during his final training run, casting a pall over the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics.

Kumaritashvili was going 88 mph when his sled flew off the course after rounding the final corner of the Whistler Sliding Centre track, a course that some Olympians had complained was dangerously fast.

He slammed his upper body on an unpadded metal pole and was knocked unconscious.

Blood was pouring from his face, according to wire reports, and he was placed on a stretcher.

Doctors were unable to revive him, and he died at a local hospital.

Olympic and Vancouver officials were nearly in tears as they discussed the tragedy hours before the Opening Ceremonies.

Kumaritashvili is the fourth Winter Olympian to die, and all the deaths happened during training runs.

“We are heartbroken beyond words,” said John Furlong, CEO of the Vancouver organizing committee.

“This athlete came to Canada with hopes and dreams that this would be a magnificent occasion in his life.

“I am told by members of his delegation that he was an incredibly spirited person. He came here to experience what being an Olympian was.”

International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge was visibly shaken as he addressed the media.

“Here you have a young athlete that lost his life in pursuing his passion. He had a dream to participate in the Olympic Games. He trained hard and he had this fatal accident.

“I have no words to say what we feel. The whole Olympic family is struck by this tragedy, which clearly casts a shadow over these Games.”

Asked if the track was too challenging for some Olympians, Rogge said: “This is not the time for that debate. This is a time of deep sorrow. That discussion will come in due time.”

The International Luge Federation is conducting an investigation into the circumstances of the accident.

Training was suspended, and officials want to make absolutely certain the course is safe for competition.

Josef Fendt, president of the ILF, said: “This is a terrible accident. This is the gravest

thing that can happen in sport, and our thoughts and those of the luge family are naturally with those touched by this event.”

The track is one of the fastest in the world, and more than a dozen Olympians had crashed during training this week. Armin Zoeggler of Italy, the 2002 and 2006 gold medalist, crashed Friday morning but was unhurt.

Violeta Stramaturaru of Romania crashed on Thursday

and was knocked unconscious but wasn’t seriously injured.

Earlier in the week, U.S. luger Tony Benshoof said of the dangers of the sport: “The tracks are getting faster and faster. It’s getting pretty crazy.”

Hannah Campbell-Pegg, an Australian luger, went a step further.

“I think they are pushing it a little too much,” she told reporters after Thursday’s training runs.

“To what extent are we just little lemmings that they just throw down a track and we’re crash-test dummies? I mean, this is our lives.”

Georgia Minister of Culture and Sport Nikolos Rurua said the Georgian team will stay and compete in their teammate’s memory.

“We decided to be loyal to the spirit of the Olympic Games,” he said. “The athletes will dedicate their performances to their fallen comrade.”

Georgian raises their flag in honor of luger killed during practice run, Nodar Kumaritashvilia (Photo Courtesy MCT Campus)