The Wichitan 091218

Sept. 12, 2018 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 83 No. 2

Student drugged during party

PHOTO BY KRISTIN SILVA | THE WICHITAN

Maverick T. Mustang, mascot, and Counseling Center staff members gives out shirts for Consent Day at MSU #notonmycampusMSUTexas.

BRIDGET REILLY REPORTER

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t was supposed to be an evening of fun and celebration as Paxton Wade, kinesiology senior, and Kenna Brackeen, a graduate of MSU Texas, set out to celebrate Wade’s roommate’s 24th birthday Sept. 1.

The nightclub was at full capacity that evening. To get into the Mix Premier Nightclub bar on 5th Street, party-goers had to elbow their way through the crowd.

The pair bought a drink each and proceeded to the VIP section on the top floor. Within 15 minutes of taking her first drink at the nightclub, Wade said she fell unconscious.

Two days later, Sept. 3, according to Wade, the staff at UrgentCare found 26 percent of the date-rape drug, Rohypnol still in her system.

Fluntirazepam, also known as the date-rape drug, Rohypnol, is a sedative used to treat anxiety, sleep, and seizure disorders.

Wade recalls more details of the evening.

“I felt good, I was dancing, taking pictures, feeling myself,” Wade said. “Then all of a sudden, I began to feel dizzy, not a drunk feeling, more like a medicated dizzy.”

“I look over to her, and all of a sudden she lays down,” Brackeen said. “I’m staring at her thinking to myself, something doesn’t feel right, something is wrong with her. Everyone thought she was just intoxicated, but as soon as I touched her, and felt how hot she was, I knew we had to get her out of there.”

Wade said she had lost all motor function, and the ability to form a coherent word.

“As hard as I tried, I could not move my legs or my arms to get up,” Wade said. “Kenna is telling me to get up, get up, get up, and in my head, I am screaming help! help! help! I’m here, I’m here! I’m telling my feet to move and nothing is working. I was paralyzed.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said the most common side effects of the drug are difficulty with motor movements and loss of muscle control, intoxicated feeling, nausea, loss of consciousness, and problems forming words.

With the help of Wade’s roommate, a bartender and Brackeen, Wade got home safely. However, as Brackeen carried Wade through the full-capacity nightclub, comments from attendees at the event, sparked outrage from Brackeen.

see DRUGGED pg. 3

CONSENT DAY #NOTONMYCAMPUSMSUTEXAS CYDNEY MENZIK REPORTER

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n the Jesse Rogers Promenade outside of the Clark Student center, a tent staffed by people from the counseling center and Rachael Fornof, director and coordinator of Title IX, were handing out free shirts to those who could explain what consent means to them.

“There are those free shirts that have this message that consent is not only sexy it is mandatory on MSU campus,” Fornof said. “It is a chance for students to be able to show what they know about consent.”

Fornof said she wants students to get an understanding that this campus and community is dedicated to a culture that supports and mandates consent in all situations. In asking someone to have their French fries at lunch, giving them a hug or engaging in sexual activity.

The MSU counseling center were lending a voice to inform

students about the meaning of consent.

“The counseling center is very invested in student safety and student mental health and wellness,” said Zachary Zoet, licensed counselor intern and staff at the Counseling Center.

“We are partnering with Title IX to do this because it’s obviously something that is sorely needed. We’re some of the best people to talk about these type of topics and reach across to talk to students and facilitate a conversation” Along with Consent Day Fornof is planning staff and student information sessions on how to properly help peers and students in the case of sexual misconduct.

“Consent especially today is very misconstrued and it is very misunderstood,” said Garrett Barnes, nursing junior.

“People don’t seem to understand what consent is and coming out here and explaining it to people is probably the best thing they can do.”

Additional reporting by Justin Marquart.

Lifelong Learning Center opens today KRISTIN SILVA REPORTER

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s part of an effort to educate people older than 50, the dedication of the Lifelong Learning Center is Sept. 12 at 11 a.m.

“The university prides itself on its diversity,” Dave Hartman, LLC coordinator, said. “The diversity is now going to include Parentials as well as Millennials.”

Hartman said his hope is for the people of the community to want to be more interactive and supportive of campus events.

“I want people to say, ‘Hey, that’s my university! I’m going to cheer for the sports teams and go to their plays,’” Hartman

said.

Cassie Tierney, LLC assistant, said seeing older people around campus will be beneficial to undergraduate students so they see they don’t have to be between the ages of 18 to 22 to learn.

“We’re going to have a new community of students over the age of 50 that are ready to learn about different diverse and unique topics,” Tierney said.

Hartman said University President Susan Shipley was the visionary behind starting the LLC located at 2527 Hampstead Lane.

“She had a Lifelong Learning Center at her previous institution and she wanted to establish one here,” Hartman said.

2 | Sept. 12, 2018| STAF F E DI T O R I A L

Administrators listened and brought changes OUR VIEW: We believe it was a good idea for the campus to have a person hired solely as Title IX coordinator and director. To us it shows that the administration is listening to the students and putting in an effort to make changes to make students feel safer on campus.

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he Wichitan staff believes that hiring Rachael Fornof as the Title IX director and coordinator was a smart move. We believe MSU should do everything in their power to make its students feel safer and getting a person that has a law degree, and prior experience as a prosecutor for sexual assault in domestic violence, was the best move. She has the background to deal with Title IX issues that we previously did not have. On top of that she has previous experience in campus programing.

The staff agreed that the administration is listening to the students and their concerns by making an effort to bring forth change. Sexual assault is a serious matter and we need someone who is focused on making sure the campus is following Title IX guidelines and investigating when needed.

The Title IX coordinator and director position will bring change to the campus and hopefully restore some security for students.

wichitan

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Vol. 83 | No. 2

Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room D201 3410 Taft Blvd.

Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 wichitan@mwsu.edu thewichitan.com @wichitanonline

PHOTO CURTESY BY IMDB

Michelle Yeoh, Lisa Lu, Constance Wu, Gemma Chan, and Henry Golding in Crazy Rich Asians (2018).

‘Crazy Rich Asians’

shines at summer’s end S BRIAN LANG FILM CRITIC

ummer is over, but Hollywood has one last blockbuster to offer. Box Office hit “Crazy Rich Asians,” based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, is the grand finale in a fireworks display of summer movies.

Rachel Chu’s (Constance Wu) life is perBrian Lang fect. She’s the youngest faculty member ever at NYU, she lives a comfortable life in Manhattan and she’s caught up in a perfect relationship with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding). When he invites her to go back to his home in Singapore for his best friend’s “wedding of the century”, Rachel gets to truly see how the other half lives.

After landing in Singapore, Rachel finds herself surrounded by accusations of gold-digging, a cold reception from Nick’s family and their coterie and growing tensions in her relationship with Nick, with the ultimate obstacle being Nick’s mom refusing to accept the relationship. Will Rachel be able to make it in the world of the wildly wealthy?

This film is a blast to watch and a breath of fresh air in the romantic comedy genre. Its story is familiar, but never treads into old cliches and its characters are relatable but still diverse.

It features strong female characters in Rachel, her old roommate Peik Lin (hilariously played by Awkwafina) and Nick’s

EDITOR: Justin Marquart ISSUE STAFF: Bridget Reilly, Kristin Silva, Cydney Menzik, Brian Lang, Chloe Phillips, Amber Hernandez, Cortney Wood, Jeri Moore, Jason Wilson, Carli Woolsey, Jake Clancy, Makayla Scheck

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Harlie David, Gabriela Solis, Rachel Johnson, Britni Vilandre

ADVISER: Bradley Wilson

cold mother Eleanor Young (Michelle Yeoh) that are well fleshed out and branch out from traditional rom-com archetypes.

However, the real star of “Crazy Rich Asians” is the lavish set pieces and lush scenery that fills every frame. Director Jon M.Chu spared no expense in creating the illusion of opulence and each scene is bigger and better than the last. The screen is saturated with color, making this Singapore paradise overwhelmingly, jaw-droppingly beautiful.

The characters are well cast especially Michelle Yeoh’s role.

Her icy elegance is perfect here, but she manages to open up briefly like the rare Tan Hua flowers growing in the Young’s greenhouse, adding depth to a character that could be seen as merely two-dimensional.

Henry Golding as Nick also shines here with charisma and confidence. With this being his first on-screen role, he’s definitely a star on the rise. Awkwafina’s role as the comedic sidekick is a crowd favorite, with her character, Peik Lin, acting as a guide for Rachel and throwing in witty one-liners along the way.

This movie has the odds stacked against it. Rarely do romantic comedies succeed at the box office, and even more rare do movies with Asian leads do any better. With a story full of heart and a strong team of actors, “Crazy Rich Asians” comes out on top. In a month where great movies are scarce, “Crazy Rich Asians” is a shining oasis at the box office.

Copyright ©2018.

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| Sept. 12, 2018 | 3 from DRUGGED pg. 1 “As I am carrying her outside I hear comments from men saying, ‘I’ll take care of her for you.’ And ‘why don’t you take her to my place?’ I was furious. Here my friend is unconscious and instead of helping me or asking if she is ok, they make jokes about raping her.”

Wade took to Twitter on Sept. 3 and spoke out about her experience.

The tweet gained traction, with 2.7K retweets and 72 comments of support.

“I have had so many people reach out to me through twitter, telling me of a similar experience at MSU parties.

Until it had happened to me, I had not heard of it ever happening.”

Sept. 5, MSU students received a Public Safety Advisory, in response to the incident and the response on Twitter. The email reminds students about by-stander intervention and commended the friends of Wade for preventing harm.

As of Sept. 6, Wade has not reported the incident to Wichita Falls Police Department, or MSU Police. However, Title IX coordinator, Rachel Fornof encourages Wade to make contact with them.

“Everyone on campus is shocked that this happened in our community but no one is ignoring it so I think that that is really important,” Fornof said.

“The feedback the students gave in support of her is, I think, the best part of it. The university can be as involved as they want, but students supporting students is where we need to get to.”

It is unknown when the drug was put in Wade’s drink, or who did it, however, Wade and Brackeen have their suspicions.

“I always keep whatever I’m drinking on me at all times. I think when we were walking through the crowd with our drinks someone put it in there. It is colourless, and doesn’t have a taste. I would never have known,” Wade said.

Wade says the “rule” of never putting your drink down, is a form of victim blaming.

“Women are told to always keep an eye on their drink.” Wade said. “If they don’t, and they are drugged, it’s their fault for not being careful. That is completely wrong. I had my drink in my hand the whole night. My advice to women is: go out with friends that you know will look after you. The only way I escaped that night was because of my friends.”

PHOTOS BY HARLIE DAVID | THE WICHITAN

Becky Hammon, San Antonio Spurs assistant coach, speaks of her basketball story during the Artist Lecture Series Event at Akin Auditorium on Thursday Sept. 6.

Becky Hammon opens Artist-Lecture Series CHLOE PHILLIPS REPORTER

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woman in a beige blazer approaches the podium in Akin Auditorium. She knows what it’s like to be overlooked when you’ve tried your best, traveling far away from home, and to have your love for your country scrutinized. Yet, she knows you grow as person through those hard times.

“All those hard things made me who I am. Seeds have to push through manure,” Becky Hammon, assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs, said during her speech. “If you want that opportunity to push yourself, you gotta bloom.”

Hammon continued, telling the audience how she worked hard to become assistant coach.

“I was about impacting and giving back to my communities. These were just little opportunities that came up. I had no idea anybody was watching. Those days like I said turned into weeks, turned into years and pretty soon you’ve built something special,” Hammon said.

About 200 guests attended the opening artist lecture series on Sept.

6. Hammon, who has been a part of a similar lecture series in the past, and enjoyed it, said she has always liked speaking to a younger generation. She wants them to take something home from her series and apply it to their daily life.

“The biggest thing is just taking advantage of opportunities, how to be successful, how to work hard, how to get along with people, things that had helped me become successful,” Hammon said. “I’d like to share some of those things with the audience and I just think college is a fun and exciting time, I mean you have the whole world in front of you so, there’s so many possibilities and I just think it’s an interesting group to reach.”

When asked about how to influence young girls who are interested in possibly becoming an assistant coach or interested in basketball in general, Hammon says to follow your passions.

“You’re always in a constant state of learning so, you can never learn enough but also I would also just say, showing up goes a long way because a lot of times people don’t even ask if they can become involved,” Hammon said. “Right now, things that are going on in our society, doors are starting to open more so we need more women knocking on those doors and asking the questions and trying to get

Chloe Philips, journalism junior, interviews Becky Hammon. those opportunities.

Hammon also discussed why she chose to become an athlete, saying it was her first love.

“I spent the most time playing basketball and it’s taken me all over the world and as you know every athlete has a shelf life right? Father time catches us all eventually so, I had to start thinking what I had wanted to do after.” Hammon said. “Coaching seemed like a natural fit because I was always kind of the coach, coach extension when I was out of the floor,” Hammon said.

Avery Queen, biology senior, a fan, athlete and female basketball player, wanted to learn about what it takes it be a successful female in the men’s athletic world.

“I’m a fan of Becky and when I saw that she was gonna be here I knew I had to come,” Queen said.

Another fan said she was one of the best Women’s National Basketball Association players in the entire world.

“She’s one of the coolest people I’ve ever met, she’s really nice with the spurs, her WNBA career, her olympic career in general and her life,” Mica Schneider, business finance junior, said. “I told my dad, if she was to make it as a head coach one day that, I would quit whatever I’m doing and try to become a coach because that means women have made it into a big deal in women’s sports.”

4 | Sept. 12, 2018|

Mustang Pantry to help students in need Campus affected AMBER HERNANDEZ REPORTER

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tudents who are food insecure now have access to canned goods and other foods that don’t expire in Room 173 of the Clark Student Center. The Mustangs Pantry had just been an idea until it finally came into action this past Wednesday.

“It was initially designed to help those who are food insecure and need more food but don’t have the money to buy groceries. It was designed to help create a space where people could come in that isn’t judgmental, so they could get groceries,” Student Government Association President, Ellie Gunderson said.

Gunderson said she hopes the Mustangs Pantry will create a place for food insecure students to get up to six items as long as they provide a student ID. “You can get five items with your ID and if you bring your own bag you can get six items,” Gunderson said.

For now, the pantry has boxed and canned goods but has hopes to offer fresh produce once a month.

“The last Wednesday of every month, they’re doing fresh produce

in the pantry like fresh fruit for an additional option,” Gunderson said.

Cynthia Cummings, special events coordinator, said she wanted to stress that the pantry is intended for students who are food insecure.

“The food pantry is mainly for students who cannot afford to buy it and not as much for students who can afford it,” Cummings said.

While Chartwells, the company that runs campus dining, provided the first items, Cummings said she hopes to get student organizations and even local churches involved in donating to assist the pantry in staying up and running.

“The pantry is meant to be an ongoing thing but we could really use the help of fundraising by student organizations, so we can continue,” Cummings said.

In addition to fundraising opportunities, there will be collection bins placed around campus for any student to have an opportunity to donate.

“If you have extra canned goods you can just toss them into the bins without having to fill out any paperwork or sign anything,” Gunderson said.

UP COMING EVENTS Meet the Greeks

Theatre Production

Theatre Production

Viva MSU

Opening Reception

Depression Screening Day

Sept. 13 from 7 to 9 p.m. | CSC Comanche Suites | Meet the men and women of our Cultural Greek organizations and see what they are all about.

Sept. 13, 14 and 15 from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. | Bea Wood Studio Theatre | Theatre production of “Extremities” by William Mastrosimone.

Sept. 14 from 6 to 8 p.m. | Juanita Harvey Art Gallery | The Juanita Harvey Art Gallery will present an opening reception for Melanie Yazzie and her exhibit, “Waterways: Monotypes.”

Sept. 16 from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. | Bea Wood Studio Theatre | Theatre production of “Extremities” by William Mastrosimone.

Sept. 17 from 7 to 9 p.m. | Sunwatcher Plaza | Kickoff Hispanic Heritage Month with a fiesta. Free games, music, dance, jalapeno eating contest and more.

Sept. 19 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. | CSC Atrium | Come out for depression screening day.

C RIME LOG Theft – Misdemeanor

Sept. 11 at 2:15 p.m. | Bolin Hall | MSU student had his laptop stolen.

Accident: Duty on Striking Unattended Vehicle Sept. 8 at 5:09 p.m. | Lot 22 | Police were dispatched to a hit and run in Lot 22.

Theft-Misdemeanor

Sept. 8 at 3:09 p.m. | Lot 22 | Person reported someone stole the light bar off the roof of his vehicle.

Accident: Duty on Striking Unattended

Sept. 8 at 12:09 p.m. | Lot 21 | Person drove to police station to make a report that an unknown vehicle had struck her car and did not leave an ID before driving off.

Accident: Duty on Striking Unattended Vehicle

Sept. 8 11:09 a.m. | Lot 16 | Person’s vehicle was struck on left rear quarter panel by unknown vehicle.

Drugs

Sept. 7 at 3:09 p.m. | Sundance Court Apartments | Housing supervisor could smell marijuana. Found usable marijuana, a grinder and a scale.

Accident: Duty on Striking Unattended Vehicle

Sept. 5 at 4:09 p.m. | Parking Lot 2 | Female student was parked in Lot 2 in front of the Dillard Building for classes. Upon returning to her vehicle she found that the front bumper

of her vehicle had been damaged.

Drugs

Sept. 4 at 10:09 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village | Call of marijuana smell at Sunwatcher.

Assault

Sept. 3 at 8:09 p.m. | Pierce Hall | Domestic disturbance reported in Pierce Hall.

Driving While Intoxicated

Sept. 2 at 9:40 p.m. | Police Building | Traffic stop results in DWI arrest.

Public Intoxication

Sept. 1 at 7:50 p.m. | Memorial Stadium | While working a football game, officers were informed about a possible intoxicated subject standing in entryway 3 of the west stands.

Upon locating the subject he did exhibit signs of intoxication and had no one to take responsibility for him. The subject was arrested for public intoxication.

Forgery

Sept. 1 at 10:09 a.m. | Hardin Administration | MSU employee reported that a payroll document had been forged.

Theft-Misdemeanor

Aug. 31 8:08 p.m. | CSC | A female student went to Maverick’s Corner. Her prescription eye glasses and MSU ID card were taken.

by heavy rains and flooding CHLOE PHILLIPS REPORTER

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ue to heavy rains, the campus experienced high waters and some flooding, specifically near Sundance Court earlier Friday afternoon.

Students and Sundance residents Soliman Barakat and Brooklyn Lambert experienced this first hand.

Soliman Barakat, general business junior, said “The flooding today was horrible, I got soaked and drenched in water and it was not cool at all. Yes I have [experienced flooding at my past college] but, it’s worse at Midwestern than my other school because we have to do a lot of walking from Sundance. So, we get soaked and drenched in water more.”

Brooklyn Lambert, radiology junior, had a similar encounter. Lamber said she had wet socks and shoes all day, stating it is the worst feeling in the world.

“It kinda sucked because you had to go sit in class when you were wet, and had to sit there. It would be kind of nice if they had some sort of system where you won’t get as wet going to class,” Lambert said. “It’s pretty much like this every year. I know down by one of the buildings one semester they laid down like plywood stuff where it was flooding so you can you could walk over it. So, if they do it where it usually floods, it would be a lot easier.”

Ruth Black, wichita falls resident and alumni, experienced the flooding near Sundance on the way to target. Black stated she saw a car partially submerged in about three feet of water. She then took pictures of the incident and posted them on Facebook.

“The MSU police officers were stopped there blocking traffic from trying to turn in that way because it was halfway past their tires and they were pretty high off the ground. It looked like they were trying to help out a guy: either trying to get the car started and the second picture looks like it may have been some sort of bigger vehicle behind it,” Black said. “When we came back about 30 minutes later, I took that other picture where just because it was so bizarre how it was three foot of water and when we came back it was totally clear.”

| Sept. 12, 2018 | 5 PHOTOS BY CORTNEY WOOD | THE WICHITAN

More of a free weights person himself, Kelton Vidal, mechanical engineering junior, works his personal routine.

Both Austin Boyd, undecided freshman, and Kaleb Krjcarek education sophomore, take time for themselves to get a break from their schedules by playing basketball at the Wellness Center on Sept. 4.

Students’ health remains top priority for Wellness Center CORTNEY WOOD REPORTER

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o promote a healthy well-balanced life for students the Wellness Center administration members offer various events, services and classes to help students increase fitness while enjoying the facility they pay for.

About 850 people visit the Wellness Center facility each day throughout the fall and spring semesters during the week, and about 450 during the weekends. Along with general workout equipment, Angie Reay, director of recreational sports and Wellness Center, said the Wellness Center staff and administration are constantly working to tailor to the needs and desires of the students “to get everything they can out of the center because they are paying for it anyway.”

As a part of students’ tuition and fees, students pay a recreation center fee of $130 to the Wellness Center to help maintain and build to the facility.

Part of establishing a healthy lifestyle requires a balance in physical, mental and emotional health, and Reay said the Wellness Center focuses on a variety of events that promote an overall healthy life and to create a holistic wellness program for students for those who use the Wellness Center.

Smaller events to emphasize all aspects of health are scheduled in the fall semester including “Thank Your Body Thursdays,” “National Women’s Health Day” and the annual “Turkey Trot.”

“If there is something students want, they just need to let me know, and we will try to make that happen,” Reay said. “This is a really good way to get excited about the fall semes-

ter. There is a lot of good energy for the fall semester, and I always like starting the semesters because it’s so fun.”

CLASSES

In addition to the new equipment and events, new faces have been added to the Wellness Center.

Five new student instructors are teaching classes throughout the day: Sadie Gent, Pablo Cruz, exercise physiology junior, Anissia Jones, Bridget Reilly, sociology and criminal Justice junior and Bianca Zuleta.

“Some of our veteran instructors are not wanting to teach as much, and I like it because some of our students have a little flexibility ability in the evenings so they are able to teach some later classes in the evening,” Reay said. “A lot of our other fitness instructors have other jobs outside of this, so they are having to do this on top of all their other commitments.”

Thirty-seven classes are offered throughout the week at the Wellness Center scattered throughout six days.

Even if someone attends a class and doesn’t find the right fit, Kelton Vidal, mechanical engineering student and former Wellness Center employee, said there is something for everyone.

“You need to get some exercise to release stress and tension,” Vidal said. “I did spin [class] once, but it’s not for me, so I like doing free weights. They really listen to student input and try to help them find something that works for them.”

Class lists: • Aquatics • Barre

• • • • • • • • •

Cardio Combo Core Crusher Circuit Class HIIT Sculpt and Tone Spin Step Express Yoga Zumba

RECREATIONAL SPORTS

Alongside regular facility usage, Mike Richardson, assistant director of recreational sports, said he is eager to implement more recreational sports throughout the semester to include a wider reach of the Midwestern population.

“My anticipation is to have the high participation numbers, but to have a more inclusive feel to our department,” Richardson said.

“We are trying to have something every single day, so students can come out and try new things. I like having more options to choose from for the students to get involved in.”

Last year, Richardson said the organization saw an increase of participation by 10 percent, and because of the community investment by staff and students, they hope to see that trend continue.

“We were really fortunate in our marketing efforts and with our great student staff,” Richardson said. “We had a very low forfeit rate last year, and that’s something that’s very important to me. Our students have built a great rapport with the participants because they are their peers, so I feel like it is a culmination of things that produced so much great participation last year. Our marketing efforts were really very intentional, and we wanted

to build a great rapport with the students.”

And students are continuing to show up for the recreational sporting events. For the Roundup Week dodgeball event, Reay said they swiped in 550 people to either watch or participate in the event from 7:30 p.m. until close.

Having a good structure to the recreational leagues is the reason students can feel confident in the recreational sports at Midwestern, Richardson said.

INDEPENDENT WORKOUTS

Along with all the extras added to the Wellness Center, the basic usages are also available for uses. The basketball court is open for free play most times and only blocked off for special events or recreational sports activities. During those free time opportunities, students can play basketball or volleyball.

“I started coming out here as soon as I got my card because I had a membership at Falls Fitness, but it’s as big here, and there are so many machines,” Austin Boyd, undecided freshman, said. “I like the environment, plus it’s free. I play football, and I just come here for a little extra workout for myself.”

According to Reay, the pool hours have been extended and the Wellness Center staff are hoping to keep it open until the end of September.

There is a circuit station area on the first floor that has nearly 30 machines along with the ellipticals an treadmills. The first floor also holds the two classrooms set for the various classes offered. The second floor contains free weights, cycles, stair climbers and a running and walking track that wraps around the basketball gym area.

6 | Sept. 12, 2018|

Organization members volunteer to clean university focal point JASON WILSON REPORTER

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2015 FILE PHOTO BY GABRIELLA SOLIS | THE WICHITAN

People wait in line to get tacos from El Norteno on the Jesse Rogers Memorial Promenade on Sept. 22, 2015.

Food Truck Friday

a chance to try local food [EDITOR’S NOTE | Food Truck Friday was originally scheduled Friday Sept. 7 but due to rain the event was rescheduled to Friday Sept.

14.]

JERI MOORE REPORTER

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o give students an opportunity to try out local food in the Wichita Falls area, an estimated seven food vendors will be participating in a come and go Food Truck Friday event on the Jesse Rogers Promenade from 7 to 9 p.m.

Among those who have agreed to participate so far are: Everybody Loves Funnel Cakes, El Norteño, Bahama Bucks, Stone Oven, Best Bayou, Mckinney BBQ, and Red River Hot Dogs.

The first 100 students will get a ticket that can be used to get an item from the food trucks. The item and participation are dependent on the food trucks themselves, Ruby Arriaga, the coordinator of Student Activities in the Office of Student Involvement, explained.

Red River Hot Dog stated that they plan to participate with the ticket system offering one of their Red River Hot Dogs in exchange for tickets.

“We’re looking forward to participating, and seeing all of the students, weather permitting,” Brian Lemmond, owner of Red River Hot Dogs, said.

There is some concern of being rained out. Brian explained, since the hotdog stand is not an enclosed truck, it leaves them exposed to the elements. There will not be tables for seating, and music depends on the weather for safety reasons.

Stone Oven’s manager, Steven Cook, stated he was not aware of the tickets offered by MSU and will not be participat-

2016 FILE PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BURNHAM | THE WICHITAN

Students wait in line to grab food from the El Norteno food truck, they had a $1 taco sale during Club Pierce, held on Mustangs Walk, March 17, 2016. ing in that respect.

Even though Stone Oven sold their truck, they will be setting up a table and preparing a limited menu at the event.

“We’re the only place in a 75-mile radius that offers a Keto friendly crust,” said Cook. “Unfortunately, we will not have that dough on the food truck.”

Stone Oven also has a gluten-free pizza crust that is available in their brick-and-mortar location.

There may be more vendors in attendance but they have yet to confirm their participation at this time.

Taylor Dinkins, organizer of the event, refused to comment.

rganized by members of the Rolling Plains Chapter, Texas Master Naturalist and Midwestern State University, volunteers gathered Saturday morning to help clean up Sikes Lake. The event was held from 9 a.m. until noon despite the rain.

More than a hundred people arrived to support the cause. Student organizations, including the Redwine Honors, Delta Sigma Pi, Priddy scholarship recipients, SNA, Community Nursing and the MSU golf team, with the help of students faculty and members of the community, came out to help remove trash and debris from the lake.

Grounds maintenance superintendent, Armando Muniz, said it is important to help clean Sikes Lake, a visible spot seen by traffic on Midwestern Parkway.

“The lake is a huge focal point for the university,” Muniz said. “We get a lot of people who aren’t a part of the university who use the lake on a daily basis,” Muniz said. “We wanna give the best impression we possibly can.”

Muniz said students should be involved because it is their campus.

“This is their campus. They should want their campus to look as good as it can, and it’s them giving back to the campus,” Muniz said.

Muniz calls not only students, but faculty to take ownership of the campus.

“This is a way for the students and faculty and staff to give back to MSU,” Muniz said.

Muniz said the turnout to the event is typically good, and that he expected anywhere from fifty to one-hundred and fifty participants.

“We’ve always been good about student groups coming out and participating,” Muniz said.

Amy Arceneaux, chemistry and biology senior, is a member of both the Redwine Honors Program, and Delta Sigma Pi. Arceneaux said she was helping to officiate the honors program sign in. “[The cleanup] it’s especially important because it’s a part of MSU and a lot of students use the lake. Plus the geese. And with homecoming coming up, it would be nice for it to look good,” Arceneaux said referring to the importance of the project to clean the lake.

Peyton Alonzo, nursing freshman, said he was there optionally to come out with some friends, get some exercise and clean up.

“It’s important to maintain the stability and healthiness of the environment around us,” Alonzo said. “Students should be involved to break out of their shell and make lasting connections.”

Montes Martinez, finance and accounting freshman, said, “We’re all MSU. We collectively make MSU a better place, and should make it look better too.”

| Sept. 12, 2018 | 7

PHOTOS BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN

Kyle Williams, assistant athletic director, and Leroy McIlhaney, Mr. Mustang, attend the Lunch with Mustangs.

Koby Styles, cross country and track coach, gives an update of the Track Season and where he thinks the team will continue to grow into, during the Lunch with Mustangs held at Wichita Falls Museum of Art on Tuesday, Jan. 30, 2018.

Monday with the Mustangs has new structure CARLI WOOLSEY REPORTER

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he Department of Athletics staff will host its second Monday with the Mustangs to raise awareness of MSU coaches, staff and athletes with the community.

Monday with the Mustangs will be held at the Courtyard by Marriott on Sept. 10 from 5:15 to 6:45 p.m.

Kyle Williams, director of athletics, said the idea is to use venues as a place where we can have a little more room and be casual to develop new mustang fans who will be supportive of us. He said he wants the fans to certainly get to know our coaches, administrators and special guests.

The event now takes place in the evenings at local businesses throughout the commu-

nity, giving people within the community a better chance to support MSU athletics. Instead of a lunch being served, there will be hors d’oeuvres.

The first Monday with the Mustangs was held last week and it brought a great turnout according to Amanda Snodgrass, assistant athletic director.

“Our first event we had 48 people, which already doubled the amount of people we had at the luncheons last year,” Snodgrass said.

The event last week brought support for a variety of different sports. A lot of those people had never been to the event before. This was due to more publicity and accessibility.

The department hopes to keep seeing new faces and old friends throughout the year.

“We want the community to know that we

want them to be a part of what we are doing,” Assistant Athletic Director Reagan Foster said.

The athletic department staff wants the chance to meet and shake the hands of their supporters. The event gives the community a chance to ask the coaches and administration questions along with giving them new ideas.

“The more you get to know people, the more you’re are probably going to support people so that’s why we have got to get out in the community through our student athletes and our department,” Williams said.

Monday with the Mustangs is an ongoing event that will be held at different locations every two weeks. There will be meetings to go over homecoming and campus events that correlate with sports. The event is open to the public and the department staff is encourag-

ing people of all sorts to attend.

“We are blessed to have one of the most competitive athletic departments in division II, so if you haven’t been to watch us play then you need to come and you need to get to know our coaches and our athletes because they are pretty fantastic,” Foster said.

The opportunities to attend will continue throughout the year and into the spring with the spring sports. The meetings are every two weeks.

MUSTANG MONDAY NEXT LOCATIONS:

Sept. 24 | Half Pint Taproom Oct. 8 | The Shed Oct. 22 | Wichita Falls Museum of Art Nov. 5 | McBride’s Steakhouse

Volleyball team falls to Eastern New Mexico University in season opener JAKE CLANCY REPORTER

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he volleyball team competed in its first conference home game versus Eastern New Mexico University on Sept. 7.

The team lost 3-0 with the first set scoring at 25-27, the second 17-25 and the third 21-25.

“We just weren’t finishing, there was just a lack of persistence and competitiveness,” Jaycie Fuller, biology sophomore said. “We let loose in the middle a little bit and we should’ve capitalized and beat that team. We’re still getting used to the new coach and to each other. It’s difficult, but we’re moving in

the right direction.”

Valerie Armstrong, head volleyball coach, said the team still has some skills to work on, but there are also many strengths that will benefit the team in games to come.

“We did all right on serve receive and we’ve got a lot of good pieces,” Armstrong said. “We’re just young and we’ll get there.

It’s just one game at a time, one point at a time and if we can get better each day we’re going to be in good shape. We have to work on our hitting efficiency and being overall disciplined on defense and execute on offense. We have a good size block so we just have to utilize that and we do have some quickness.”

Niko McWilliams, business sophomore, said though the

team was behind throughout the majority of the game it didn’t stop the crowd from cheering and bringing positive energy to the game.

“It was good. I thought the energy was very good from the players even though they were behind. They always work hard to come back, and it was fun to watch.” McWilliams said.

Addison Semer, art senior, said the players brought good energy and the players performed well despite losing.

“I felt like it was a good game,” Semer said. “It was a sad loss but it was good to see how they were starting their season off and what was different and it felt like there was better energy and more people here.”

8 | Sept. 12, 2018|

PHOTOS BY BRITTNI VILANDRE | THE WICHITAN

Accounting senior, Layton Rabb evades a tackle.

Criminal Justice junior, Tyrique Edwards completes the first down at the football game against West Florida at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 9.

Football takes down West Florida 38-7 MAKAYLA SCHECK SPORTS REPORTER

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he football team tackled the #2 team, University of West Florida. The final score was 38-17. The team trailed behind in the first half, but came back with vengeance in the second half to win the game.

At the 13:15 mark, a West Florida fumble was recovered by Steven Rogers, defensive back and business management senior. The offense was not able to connect any plays after the turnover. At the 8:13 mark, the defense was able to stop a potential touchdown for West Florida. With 15 seconds left to the quarter, Layton Rabb, quarterback and accounting senior completed a pass to Quinton Childs, wide receiver and criminal justice junior. The final score before the second quarter was 0-7.

“We could have protected the quarterback a little better,” Vincent Johnson, running back and mechanical engineering senior said. “We could improve our technique to be more successful.”

The first play of the second quarter was fumbled. At the 7:53 mark, West Florida made

a touchdown to move the score to 0-14. At at the 42 yard-line. At the 12:32 mark Tenthe 6:39 mark, Bryce Martinez, wide receiver nison, moved the team to the redzone. Miand criminal justice sophomore drove down chael Berry, tight end and business marketfield to the 31 yard-line. Johnson moved the ing sophomore, made the first touchdown offense to the 18 yard-line. of the game. Imbriani was able With the fourth-down at the to get the extra point kick, and 4:38 mark, Jaron Imbriani, the score was 10-14. With 5:16 kicker and exercise physiology left to the quarter, Xavier Land, junior, made a field goal. The wide receiver and criminal jusscore going into halftime was tice junior, made a touchdown.

3-14.

The extra point was good and “We fought through adthe score before the fourth versity, coming out in the quarter was 17-14. first half and being down, we “In the first half we beat didn’t let that affect us. When ourselves, we had too many we went in at half time we told penalties and we gave up that each other we had each other’s one deep ball. We had to limit back. We just kept going and our own mistakes because we came out with the victory at really were beating ourselves ANTHONY TENNISON the end of the day,” Anthony in the beginning,” Alec DiValeTennison, wide receiver and KINESIOLOGY AND WIDE RE- rio, defensive end and exercise kinesiology redshirt freshman CEIVER REDSHIRT FRESHMAN physiology senior said, “In said. the second half we picked up At the start of the third quarter, Adrian the temp and the physicality. We got more Seales, running back and criminal justice pressure on the quarterback and started worksenior, drove down field and was stopped ing better as a unit.”

“We fought through adversity, coming out in the first half and being down, we didn’t let that affect us.”

DiValerio sacked the West Florida quarterback at the 14:33 mark of the fourth quarter. Just after the scored was tied up by West Florida. Until the 9:18 mark when Tennison got a touchdown and brought the score to 24-17. At the 8:29 mark, West Florida faked a punt but the defense held the team back from getting a first-down. After the turnover, Tyrique Edwards, wide receiver and criminal justice junior, made it into the redzone. Seales then moved the offense to the 1 yard-line. At the 3:52 mark, Seales made a touchdown and the score was 31-17. With 2:53 left to the game Paul Manus, defensive back and business/ marketing senior intercepted the ball and ran for a touchdown. The final score was 38-17.

“It felt great, I was glad I could really step up and make a play at a late stage of the game,” Manus said. “We will work on ourselves mentally and staying in our coverages.”

The team has a starting record of 2-0. The next home game will be on Sept. 22 at Memorial Stadium against Angelo State University at 7 p.m.

SPORTS UPDATE CROSS COUNTRY

Sept. 1 at the UCCS Rustbuster (5K). 5th of 5

VOLLEYBALL

Sept. 8 against West Texas A&M. Lost 3-0

MEN’S SOCCER

Sept. 8 against Baptist. Won 5-0

Oklahoma

FOOTBALL

Sept. 8 against West Florida.

Won 38-17

WOMEN’S SOCCER

Sept.

11 against Oklahoma. Lost 2-0

Central