Second Term
Champs Again
pg. 1a-4a
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Lone Star Conference championship in the record books for the Mustangs.
President Obama wins the 2012 presidential election against the Romney/Ryan ticket.
wichitan
ht e Wednesday — November 7, 2012
thewichitan.com — your campus / your news
McCoy engineering hall gets $1.6 million upgrade Skye Hera Staff Writer
The McCoy engineering hall, which was remodeled four years ago, is receiving $1.6 million in donations for another project. An expansion will be finished by the spring of next year by Harper Perkins Architects Inc. The addition to the building is designed to improve classroom conditions and lab equipment for the rapid growth of engineering student enrollment which will in turn, help benefit the university in its financial growth.
Sheldon Wang, professor and chair of the McCoy School of Engineering had words to back up the project. “Enrollment this year is up 218 students and last year about 20 students made up the senior class and approximately 30 will graduate this year,” Wang said. He said it will help the engineering department to continue to grow and stabilize. This is one of the main reasons why Wang is for the expansion of the building. “This department desperately
needs larger classrooms for the study of circuits, electronics, measurements and instrumentation,” Wang said. The computer lab used to be in a classroom that had 20 computers, but now because of larger student enrollment in the department, the number of computers has more than doubled to 50 causing them to move to a larger classroom that was not intended for computers. The study of instrumentation regularly attracts 30 to 40 students. The expansion will
include the addition of two engineering labs, as well as two new faculty offices and a 170-seat auditorium for lecture. “The new electronics lab will help to alleviate lab space shortage,” Wang said. The finalizing of the architectural design plans are subject to change and the construction may start in February or March. The project will be complete by the end of summer.
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McCoy engineering hall. Photo by NICOLE BARRON
Students care about marijuana legalization Cody Parish Staff Writer
Recently students have been surprised by the color flyers in Clark Student Center brandishing marijuana leaves and sheriff badges by dorm bulletin boards featuring giant green construction paper marijuana leaves advertising the Heads vs. Feds debate. Obviously, this isn’t a push from MSU for students to smoke marijuana; rather, it’s a push for students to attend a comprehensive debate on legalizing marijuana. On Nov. 7, 7-8:30 P.M. in Akin Auditorium, the Student Success Series will host the Heads vs. Feds debate over the heated political issue of legalizing marijuana. The debate will see High Times Magazine editor, Steve Hager, pitted against DEA veteran Robert Stutman and it seems to have drawn the interest of many students on campus. A number of students, including freshman psychology major Scout Wonsang, plan on attending the debate. “I am so excited for it,” exclaimed Wonsang. “I’m going because I think it’s a gold mine to just watch people’s reactions. You get to see who’s truly in it and who’s truly out of it.” Why is this event attracting the attention of so many more students than previous Student Success Series events? It is because students, like freshman political science and history double major Emily Baudot, feel that the legalization of marijuana is “a very pertinent topic” for their demographic, as well as for all age groups. Wonsang agreed with Baudot, saying that the legalization of
marijuana “is a big issue. It hits everyone’s age range; it affects everyone.” On the July 11, 2008 Sarah N. Lynch reported in the Time Magazine article, “An American Pastime: Smoking Pot,” that 54 percent of the U.S. population have tried smoking marijuana by the age of 21. MSU students expressed similar ideas on the number of people that smoke marijuana, confirming that the number has to be large. “You would be surprised just how many people smoke weed,” Wonsang said. With the statistical likelihood that at least half of students have tried the drug, it’s logical that legalizing marijuana would be a relevant issue on campus. According to the February 6, 2012, Times Magazine article, “Legal Recreational Marijuana: Not So Far Out,” by Adam Cohen, 50 percent of Americans today believe that marijuana should be legalized. The highest advocators are in the 18-29 age range, with 62 percent of this group advocating legalization of the drug. A current poll of 45 Midwestern students between the ages of 18-29 revealed that 56 percent are in favor of legalizing marijuana, which comes close to mirroring the national poll statistics. Baudot favors legalizing marijuana, citing its use as a right of every citizen. “I suppose ultimately it should be legalized,” Baudot said, “because constitutionally, Americans have a right to do whatever they
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The issue if marijuana should be legalized is discussed among students. File photo by CHRIS COLLINS
Tattoo artist Rusty Biscamp seen with Breanne Sill on Oct. 31. Photo by RUTH FITZGERALD-BLACK
Getting inked
Ruth Fitzgerald-Black Staff writer
Students and faculty with tattoos are no longer labeled as outlaws, bikers or delinquents. In fact, in the last decade, the taboo of tattoos has decreased almost into oblivion. Some faculty have also admittedly changed their opinions about body art over the past 10 years, mostly because of the mainstream acceptance by society. According to Dr. Peter Fields, associate professor of English, as recently as five years ago, administrators in the education field actually urged him to discourage his advisees from branding themselves, as this would cause an obstacle in their ability to obtain jobs, or in some cases, even be considered for a job within the educational field. “Fifteen years ago, the message was even more pronounced,” he said. “The faculty in the education field didn’t point to any specific policy on part of the college or school district—it was sim-
ply common knowledge.” In the past five years, Fields said that he no longer hears those heeds of warning concerning his English Department teaching certification students and hasn’t heard of any school system discriminating against any of his former students after learning that they had body art, whether visible or not. “I am astounded by the popularity of tattoos,” he continued. “Now it’s rare to find someone under 30 who does not have one. Just when I think someone doesn’t have a tattoo, they say, ‘hey, look at this!’” Fields also said that he does not see students or faculty with tattoos as a distraction. In fact, one of his students recently showed him an Edgar Allan Poe tattoo that he had received. “I have to admit, it made me take the student more seriously,” he said. “His commitment to literature was permanently enshrined on his shoulder. It communicated to me a certain seriousness and commitment to the subject
matter.” According to Fields, there is no set policy concerning faculty with tattoos. As recently as four to five years ago, TA’s and GA’s have displayed extremely elaborate artwork on their bodies. Some of those tattoos are visible as well. “If a TA or GA is wearing a backless shirt and a tattoo is visible, the problem isn’t with the tattoo at all,” he said. “The problem is in their choice of attire.” In this respect, Fields said, most of them would never dream of teaching in a backless shirt anyway. Casual wear such as backless garments that show tattoos are perfectly acceptable at recreational events, just not in the classroom. Simple prudence in regards to teaching is usually sufficient, he said. Fields also explained, while seeking teaching jobs, some students have opted to go through the painful, scarring process of tattoo removal.
INK pg. 3