Sweet doughnut
Landslide
pg. 4
pg. 8
The MSU softball team takes two out of three wins last week.
Professor’s doughnut stands test of time, surviving for more than 25 years.
wichitan
ht e Wednesday
March 28, 2012
thewichitan.com
your campus/ your news
New police vehicles patrol university grounds HEAF used to lease snazzy upgraded rides ANDRE GONZALEZ FOR THE WICHITAN
“Bad boys, bad boys, what you gonna do? What you gonna do when they come for you?” MSU campus police can use Inner Circle’s one hit as inspiration now that they have two new Ford F-150 squad pickup trucks to help in the fight against crime. The trucks were being sported all over campus in the beginning of March, causing raised eyebrows and having many students speculate as to where the funding came from to pay for them. “Actually it was HEAF (Higher Education Assistance Funds) money, which is constitutionally given to the institution by the state every year,” said Keith
Lamb, vice president of student affairs. “It’s not student money, not student fee money, not tuition increase money, or parking fee money.” The money given by the state is also separate from the university’s appropriations. HEAF is used on university capital projects, and cannot be used for anything else, according to Lamb. The fund goes toward numerous items on campus and new police trucks happened to be on the menu for the 20112012 school year. The vehicles are not fully purchased by the university. Instead, they are being leased for three years at about $4,300 per year per unit. At the end of three years, the school will have pitched in $25,800. The school will then have the option to pay the remaining balance or trade the trucks in for other models.
“We’re upgrading our police equipment, and safety is one of our top priorities,” Lamb said. “We need to equip our police adequately so that they can provide good services and part of that are vehicles to respond to situations.” The fresh Ford V-6 four-doors will replace the 2005 Dodge Dakota models the police department has utilized for seven years. During that time, the vehicles had their share of wear and tear. “Most of our operations are at 1520 miles per hour or sitting in idle, and that’s very hard on a vehicle,” MSU police chief Dan Williams said. “I even encourage them to drive on the highway just to run them at a higher speed.” With low operation and a lot of idle time, the motors see the damage and there is only so much preventive mainte-
POLICE pg. 3
IN THE RUNNING
Photo by HANNNAH HOFMANN
Recycling dumpsters will save MSU funds KYLE EGAN FOR THE WICHITAN
City council hopeful Casey O’Donnell hopes MSU students will contribute to his campaign. Photo by KASSIE BRUTON
Political science student running for council seat BRITTNEY COTTINGHAM MANAGING EDITOR
While some seniors count down the days to graduation, Casey O’Donnell is leading campaign meetings and gathering registered voters. He’s running for Wichita Falls City Council. O’Donnell, a political science major, hopes to named the District 3 councilor seat on May 15. Elections being May 12. If elected, he would be the youngest city councilor in the past 20 years. The city council is an advisory board over the decisions of the city. Council duties include approving the city budget and hearing concerns brought to the city’s attention. The 21-year-old, who will be graduating in May, said his chances are good because of the great support surrounding him. “I have received a lot of support toward my campaign from a lot of people,” he said. “What has surprised me is the level of support from individuals I didn’t know before the campaign process. This help has been instrumental
in my campaign so far.” He said when he saw his district’s seat was up for election, it was his opportunity to serve the people of Wichita Falls and have a positive impact on the city. “I always saw it as the best avenue to truly be able to make a difference and impact people’s lives,” he said From a young age, this Pennsylvania native has a vested interest in politics. O’Donnell has been involved in the Teen Court Program and even elected president of the Junior Bar Association. After graduating from Rider High School in 2009, he came to Midwestern to pursue his bachelor’s in political science with a minor in history. After his final semester in May, O’Donnell intends to enter into the master’s programs of public administration, which he says he will continue to pursue even if elected. He said it is important to get involved in city government because it is involved in every aspect of citizens’ lives. “The toothpaste we use is regulated by the federal government, the water we receive is from the city, the roads we drive on are maintained by the city, and the taxes we pay are controlled by
the government,” he explained. “When you really think about it, government is one of the most involved institutions in our lives and if we aren’t involved and aware we can’t protect what matters most to us.” His goals are to be heavily involved in the public sector. According to O’Donnell, that is where he can make the biggest difference in people’s lives. “My greatest strength as a politician is my ability to see and understand the perspective of all individuals involved whether I agree or disagree with their views,” he said. This is one of the many lessons O’Donnell has picked up through his years in the political science department. He credits his education at MSU with preparing him for this election. “We have a really great group of professors that all bring something unique to the table and all of them have given me a great understanding of the field,” he said. Local business owner and MSU alumni, Brian Hooker has also qualified to run for the seat. Despite the 11-year age difference between himself and his
O’DONNELL pg. 3
MSU has placed three recycling dumpsters on campus to encourage students and faculty members to become involved in conservation. The initiative will also save MSU $1,600 annually. Kyle Owen, associate vice president of Facilities and Services, and Dominique Calhoun, coordinator of Multicultural Services Student Development and Orientation, pioneered the recent project. “Currently we have three orange recycling dumpsters placed on different ends of the campus and they are easy to locate,” Owen said. One dumpster is adjacent to the Dillard building behind the Print Shop. Another is in the parking lot of Dillard behind the Clark Student Center by Sunwatcher Plaza. The third is located behind the residence halls by Pierce, Trigg, and Killingsworth dorms in the parking lot. Owen said he had concerns about costs, which include placing 4-yard to 8-yard dumpsters on campus and container change outs. Before the new dumpsters were implemented MSU was paying approximately $1,308 for six 4-yard containers month-
ly. The containers cost about $1,000. Now there are three 6-yard recycling containers that replaced the regular dumpsters. IESI Commercial Recycling worked out an agreement with MSU. “The cost was minimal,” Owen said. The dumpsters from IESI cost approximately $170. The university plans to save $85.50 a month during this trial phase, but that figure includes expenses. It cost the university $120 to change out the three dumpsters for special recycling dumpsters. “It’s an effort to do our part,” Owen said. “My take is really about the dollars. Going green was not my main focus, but it is a plus. The cost of dumping constantly concerns me. The recycling bins should reduce the amount of dumps per week.” Owen credited Dominique Calhoun for the project. Calhoun said he is confident the project will be a success. “The recycling dumpsters are on a two-month trial basis right now,” said Calhoun. “If there are not substantial differences in saving money, MSU will of the questions on the application asked if
RECYCLING pg. 3
Students hit with rising dining prices in the café KASSIE BRUTON FOR THE WICHITAN
The nationwide rise of food and gas prices has forced MSU to hike dining service rates. The decision was made in February by the Board of Regents. Meal plans will go up as well the cost of individual meals. “This next school year, food and beverage cost are expected to be near, if not more than, six percent while fuel is expected to climb closer to $4 a gallon,” said Dail Neely, dean of students. The 19-meal plan has increased 2.74 percent. This would be a $40 boost from last year. The largest increase, however, will affect students who attend summer classes. “Summer meal program increase is almost identical to fall and spring,” he said. “I guess I’m not having a meal plan.
First of all $9 is already expensive as it is. Why would I pay $9 when I can go somewhere else and pay cheaper,” said sophomore Erin Loe. Students without a meal plan will now have to pay over $6 per meal to eat in the dining hall. Commuters will suffer a small increase when it comes to meal block plans. For 100 meals students will now have to pay $720, which is equivalent to purchasing 100 meals during the lunch hours. “I have the 100 meal plan so I think that’s kind of ridiculous to pay eight or nine dollars if you only eat one plate of food for one meal,” said sophomore Courtney Nevil. When making the decision to raise rates, Neely said the department considered the rise in fuel, food, employment cost and environmentally factors such as droughts, food shortages and global demands.