The Wichitan 101718

Oct. 17, 2018 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 83 No. 7

SGA Meeting

pg. 3

Guest speakers to the SGA meeting talk about Safety app’s, No Zebras, No Excuses and Homecoming.

FILE PHOTO BY SARA KEELING | THE WICHITAN

Vice President Marilyn Fowlé talks and expresses how financial policies are working at the Board of Regents meeting, Nov. 10, 2017.

Greener Campus

VP for finance to retire in January pg. 6-7

Environmental Student Organization pushes for campus to be more “green“ and looks for new members.

40th Anniversary

pg. 5

The Fain Fine Art’s building celebrates its 40th birthday.

CHLOE PHILLIPS CO-EDITOR

M

arilyn Fowlé, vice president of business affairs and finance, is set to retire on Jan. 31, 2019. Although Fowlé is retiring for personal reasons, and can afford to retire due to having enough years of service accumulated in the Texas Teachers retirement system, she also stated the university is in a good spot, making it “just the right time.”

Fowle says the university is in a good spot with great leadership.

“You wanna walk away when things are going well,” Fowlé said.

One of the most memorable events that has happened in Fowle’s time at MSU was being a part of creating a master plan. According to Fowle, a master plan was not created until after she started working at the university and she has continuously been acting on the plans.

“We got the tuition revenue bond money that allows us to do a lot of things and I had two great presidents that have supported the vision of the master plan so to me that’s just really satisfying to have had this creation of

you know, it’s a joint campus wide creation using some consultants, architects to create the master plan,” Fowlé said. “But, now to actually be seeing things take hold of some of those items that were in the master plan it’s really going in the next —and it’s not going to stop with me retiring— there’s things in the works in the next four or five years. So, if all of those come to fruition then the place is going to be totally different from when I started so that’s really exciting to me.”

With a career spanning over 30 years, Fowlé started as a secretary at Arizona State University. She has also been an associate vice president at Texas A&M - Galveston and vice president at three other universities.

“I’ve been Vice President at three other universities and I was an associate vp a while down in Galveston, Texas A&M - Galveston.

I was a secretary to begin with at Arizona State and then moved to Texas and I came up through like budget and did budgeting and kind of worked on my MBA, got that and then kept moving up the ladder and got my Doctorate and had kids, and it’s just been a busy 30 years, it goes by fast,” Fowlé said.

For post-retirement plans, Fowlé and her husband have purchased a 30 foot Winnebago Class A RV and a Jeep Cherokee Trailhawk to tour the country and rented a townhouse in Houston, TX. They decided on Houston because they lived there in the past in the clear lake area.

“Our plan is, if we can to go ahead and get in the RV and rent the townhouse out through airbnb, because it’s in a great location. We think it’ll be pretty lucrative to do that while we’re not there and just supplement our retirement income,” Fowlé said.

According to Fowlé, plans for a search committee or her replacement are still in the preliminary stages.

Fowle is going to miss the people, saying her team, all the vice presidents and president Shipley have been wonderful to work with.

Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs and student enrollment, said he is sad to see Fowlé retire, but understands her desire to.

“She’s absolutely one the best professionals I’ve worked with. She’s a brilliant CFO (chief financial officer) and has been very good to work with.”

2 | Oct. 17, 2018| CORRECTIONS The Wichitan apologizes for the following errors.

• A headline in last week’s paper indicated that the winner from the Caribfest pageant were both from Dominica while in fact they are from Dominica and Antigua.

• In last week’s story about the Caribfest pageant we misspelled the name of Giselle Crooke.

• In last week’s story about the Caribfest pageant it was indicated that the contestants walked out in their evening wear during the introduction, that is incorrect.

• In last week’s paper we indicated that the contestants walked out to a remix of Coldplay’s “Paradise” during the swimsuit portion and this is incorrect.

• In an online version of the story about the Fain Fine Arts building 40th anniversary, Dean Martin Camacho’s name was spelled incorrectly. In addition, Sheppard Air Force Base was misspelled.

wichitan Vol. 83 | No. 7

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 EDITORS: Alyssa Mitchell, Chloe Phillips, Kristin

Silva, Bridget Reilly (Copy Editor) DESIGNER: Brittni Vilandre

ISSUE STAFF: Chloe Phillips, Carli Woolsey, Herbert McCullough, Hayden Nolan, Denush Vidanapathirana, Nick Lanier, Allison Atherton, Angel Ukwitegyetse

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Sara Keeling, Chloe Phillips, Bradley Wilson, Nick Lanier, Nathan Martinez, Bridget Reilly

ADVISER: Bradley Wilson Copyright ©2018.

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The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press. 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.

The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief (250 words or fewer) and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a email address, telephone number and address.

Student-athletes have disadvantage with registration T

he wind became chilly, the days became shorter, and the students became anxious. The month of October brings registration and stress to campus each year.

Registration causes confusion and frustration for students across all departments at MSU. Registration can also be particularly hard when advisers are dealing with a large amount Carli of students. This process is even more dauntWoolsey ing for student-athletes because they not only have to be advised within their department, but also from an athletic adviser. After making an appointment and meeting with their adviser in their department, student-athletes must find time to meet with Amanda Nimetz, adviser and academic coordinator for student-athletes, so she can check to make sure the athletes are meeting NCAA guidelines.

Nimetz is the only athletic adviser for all of the athletes on campus. She has to schedule 325 appointments within two weeks.

If an athlete is not lucky enough to get an appointment when the first schedule is released, he or she could have to wait more than two weeks to meet with Nimetz and register for classes. This could cause he or she to not get enrolled into a class due to it reaching capacity. In that way, student-athletes

are at a disadvantage.

It is absurd to think that Nimetz could make 325 appointments before registration opens up to all of the students on campus.

With more advisers, student-athletes would be able to get appointments easier and faster than ever before. Increasing adviser staff would take the stress off of student-athletes to get an appointment with one adviser, as well as taking the stress off of Nimetz to get all of the athletes advised as fast as possible. Another possibility for changing the system is priority enrollment.

When the topic of priority enrollment, a system that would let student-athletes register for classes one week prior to other students, was brought up last year. People immediately saw it as just another “perk” of being an athlete. A portion of student-athletes are being blocked out of the classes they need for their degrees because of the lack of athletic advising available to them.

The solutions aren’t simple. The university could include a larger staff within the athletic advising area, they could be priority enrollment, or it could be something entirely different.

The issue needs to be handled either way.

View the NCAA requirements for athletes online.

Carli Woolsey is a Mass Communication senior.

Vote in the Nov. 6 election N

ovember 4, 2014 was the first time I had voted in an election. It was the 2014 Congressional Election and 2014 Texas Gubernatorial Election. Walking to the voting booths, I felt like a legit boss. I even remembered finishing my ballot, feeling like a child that got a new toy from Toys “R” Us. Voting gave me a sense of civil duty. However, after Herbert the election, I was very heartbroken by the low McCullough turnout. In fact, voter turnout in that congregational election was only 38 percent, which was the lowest since 1942. I remembered looking at the turnout after election night somewhat baffled that the majority of the American public did not vote in this election, especially because of the negative political climate at the time.

Two years later, when I was taking a campaigns and election class, I remembered seeing the re-election rate of Congress compared to the approval rating of Congress. Despite Congress routinely having an approval rating well below 20 percent since 2010; however, over 90 percent of the members of Congress are re-elected since that time. In the 2014 Congressional election, Congress had an approval rating of 9 percent; however, more than 90 percent of members of Congress were re-elected that year. There was only one question I had — why?

The most obvious answer to the question is the simple fact that congressional mid-term elections tend to have lower voter turnout compared to presidential elections. In fact, millennial and Gen Z voters made up 13 percent of voters in the 2014 Congressional Election compared to the 19 percent in the presidential election. There is a lot of sentiment in which younger people assume that only the presidential elections matter. However, it is far from the case since, in many ways, Congress is just as powerful as the president; if not more, especially regarding public spending. I am sure that college students who depend on financial aid are well aware of the importance of public spending.

This year, Pew Research has conducted the number of eligible voters and they have found that with more than 60 million millennials, millennials are catching up to baby boomers as the largest voting block in the United States. However, voter turnout among millennials in the 2016 Presidential Election was only 51 percent compared to 70 percent of baby boomers.

This is why issues, such as social security and medicare, are of a higher priority to many congresspeople than affordable housing or education.

This lack of voter turnout is not limited to millennials.

Hispanic Americans make up nearly 20 percent of the United States population as well as almost 40 percent of the Texas population. However, voter turnout among Hispanics in the last election was around 40 percent. Because of this, one can see why Hispanic Americans are among the most underrepresented in the House of Representatives.

Despite this, there is still hope to increase voter turnout.

This year in Texas there are now 15.7 million voters that are registered in the 2014 midterm election, a new record in Texas.

This morning, I, along with a student of mine were registering people for the last day as well as passing out absentee voter requests in an American Government course. When I’ve asked how many people are registered to vote, all but one raised their hand. In fact, we were able to get some of those students were able to register to vote in Wichita County.

In conclusion, voting is important because it is how we share our voices. If you are not voting, your voice is not being heard. Because of this, congress fails to represent the interest of the American public and routinely have low approval ratings.

However, unless the majority of Americans vote in congressional elections, those same congresspeople that do not represent the American public’s interest will still be re-elected and continue to not represent those interests. The most persuasive reason to vote can be summarized in a quote from comedian Rick Mercer, “Democracy is a tool. We either use it or lose it.”

Herbert McCullough is a mass communication grad.

| Oct. 17, 2018 | 3

Atmosphere at Yogurt Journey perfect for students HAYDEN NOLAN FOOD CRITIC

Y

PHOTO BY CHLOE PHILLIPS | THE WICHITAN

Students listen to Patrick Coggins, chief of police , discuss the campus safety app at the student government association meeting on oct. 16.

SGA Covers Homecoming, Safety App CHLOE PHILLIPS CO-EDITOR

T

o go over the upcoming homecoming events, campus safety app, the no zebras no excuses event and the school year long senator competition, the student government association held their second monthly meeting in Dillard 101. The meeting featured guest speakers: Keith Lamb in place of Racheal Fornof, and Patrick Coggins while Mario Ramirez was listed as a guest speaker but was unable to attend.

Patrick Coggins, chief of police, was the first speaker in the meeting. He spoke to the audience about the campus safety app and explained the different features, such as Mobile BlueLight, and a similar feature Friend Walk.

Friend Walk uses global positioning technology that allows users to virtually track/monitor, or in this case walk their friends to a location safely.

“If you’re leaving Dillard and you want to walk back to Legacy Hall but you feel a little bit concerned for whatever reason, you would enlist the help of a friend using friend walk. That friend would be able to monitor you with gps along your route once you get to that location and if you don’t arrive to that location, they can see why you haven’t arrived, what your last location was and notify the police,” Coggins said. “We don’t have staffing at this time to do a friend walk and us be the ones to watch you walk but this is still a tool you can use with one of your friends and your college roommates or whatever the case is to help track you get across campus.”

Later on in the meeting, Keith Lamb talked to the audience about No Zebras, No Excuses, a program dealing with sexual violence prevention. This program also kicks off

the senator competition the student government association has created this fall.

“No Zebras, No excuses is a program that really has to do with bystander intervention, has to do with healthy relationships, it uses like multiple vignettes I guess you would say so like, different plays, different roles, and uses multiple vignettes to try to educate individuals on bystander intervention largely, you see this program in a number of different schools around the country and the US Navy uses it exclusively for their training right so it’s really an interesting good program and I continue to attend if you can,” Keith Lamb said.

Ellie Gunderson, SGA president and political science senior said, the purpose of the senator competition is have higher percentages of different organizations participating in events they may not have attended before the competition started.

“The point of a senator competition that we have started this semester, is to get higher percentages of different organizations out to other events that they might not have attended before this competition started and at the end of every month, we will have a senator of the month and that will go towards the senator of the year award that will be awarded in the spring,” Gunderson said.

One student found the meeting to be informative.

Emily Geibe, respiratory senior said, “They were all interesting, I think having the chief of police [come to the meeting] was really interesting because I didn’t know we had that app so it’s really cool and know that friend walk really does work, that makes students feel better and safer on campus.”

ogurt Journey or Yojo, is a popular frozen yogurt store and provides a clean, calm atmosphere where students and others can socialize, study, and have a good time. At 49 cents an ounce, Yojo provides a more affordable Hayden price for frozen yogurt than similar vendors.

Nolan Owner Chris Howard said, “We want to provide the best experience possible for our customers. Yogurt Journey provides a chance for people to buy good affordable yogurt in a warm and friendly environment.”

Yogurt Journey is privately owned and the owners said they try their best to cater to the wants and needs of the community.

“Being a privately owned business, we like to connect with our customers on a more personal level. Thats one of the many benefits to owning a private business versus a franchise,” Howard said.

Whether it be their freeze dried yogurt rolls or their new flavored cones, the owners said they are open to feedback and suggestions from their customers.

“Yogurt Journey gives people something new and different from any other yogurt store. We take the customers feedback very seriously. We’re always trying to improve both our yogurt, and the overall Yojo experience. The environment along with the employees is very welcoming,” Savana Zamora, Yojo employee, said.

Customers can tell when they walk in that the employees make it a priority to help them feel welcomed and satisfied.

“Yogurt Journey can be a really fun place in town since it’s so colorful. It also provides everyone a place to hang out, study, or pass the time while offering a huge variety of snacks and candy for a low price,” Mason Gholson, Yojo employee, said.

The walls and decor provide an exciting setting for customers and make the overall atmosphere inviting.

Yojo customer Leah Bullinger said, “Yogurt Journey is arguably one of the best dessert spots in Wichita Falls. The varieties and options for flavors is fantastic. Every Yojo visit is a happy one, something everyone should experience at least once.”

Even though Savana Zamora is an employee, she agrees with Leah Bullinger, saying she loves working at Yogurt Journey because she gets to meet someone new every day.

“Ever since I began working here I have grown close to many customers and the other employees. We are like a family, we all care about each other and that’s a great feeling,” Zamora said.

My experiences at Yojo were all positive. The employees were nice and helped with any questions I had. They had a wide variety of toppings and flavors available. They even had dairy free, and vegan options. An experience for pretty much anyone.

4 | Oct. 17, 2018|

Jonah Parker

NICK LANIER REPORTER

T

‘It took me a while to figure out that this was the best for me’

he chances are the music coming from the second floor of Pierce Hall is being produced by him, for Him. On any given day, finance sophomore Jonah Parker tries to live his life in such a way to make God proud.

“I have no problem saying that I work hard for Him [God],” Parker said. “That’s really the only way I’m able to tell myself that I’m living my life right.”

With a passion for guitar, Parker plays weekly for both The Bridge college ministry and First Baptist Church Wichita Falls. He said he spends time studying the Bible, as well as time studying his textbooks, all while trying to maintain a good public image. Every day is busy for Parker, but Tuesdays in particular are quite hectic.

“I get up and head to my 8 a.m. class which is microeconomics. I usually try to make time to have breakfast first. After that I head to my accounting course,” Parker said. “Next, I have time to eat lunch and then I have a lab at 1 p.m. for geology.”

Breakfast, to Parker, is the most important meal of the day. He said he sits down with his friend Cody Park, engineering junior, to kick start the day.

“It’s just a simple breakfast, but I always enjoy talking with Jonah and seeing his positive

attitude throughout my week,” Park said. “We try to do it every Tuesday and Thursday.”

Once Parker is done with classes, he says he has just enough time to reread the music scheduled for the evening’s worship, freshen up, and head to the venue to rehearse.

“The Bridge starts at 8 p.m. and ends at 9:15 p.m.,” Parker said. “I get there a couple of hours early to practice. It is one of the highlights of my week for sure. Sometimes, I will go out to eat with some of the band members afterwards, but typically I’ll be so exhausted I just want to head home and sleep.”

Sleep, Parker said, is one thing he hasn’t had much of recently.

“I’ve pulled two all-nighters in the library in the past week studying for my accounting exam,” Parker said. “I’ve probably had a combined 10 hours of sleep in the last 48 hours.”

For students who feel overwhelmed in their classes as midterms approach, Parker said rest time is important.

“Give yourself some down time. If you don’t you’ll go nuts,” Parker said. “Studying is very important, but if you do it too much you’re going to take the fun out of college life.”

For Parker, music is one of the greater escapes from the stress and reality of college life.

Having grown up a musical child, Parker performed in his high school band, but was ready to concentrate on smaller group and solo mu-

sic as he grew older.

“Anyone who knows me will tell you that I love my guitar,” Parker said. “One of my favorite pastimes is to kick back and play some tunes and really zone out for a while and just get into the music.”

Parker said his family has had a major influence into his musical taste.

“Obviously, growing up in a Christian household, I really like that kind of music. But my parents also made sure to introduce me to various genres,” Parker said. “That’s why whenever you hear my playlist, it will jump from 1970s rock to country, and from rap to Christian music.”

Parker said he has no problem with dedicating time to his studying when it comes time to.

“I choose certain days to hardcore study and then have rest days, kind of like a workout,” Parker said. “I do homework on Wednesdays and Saturdays typically. Knocking everything out at once gives me more time for my other activities during the week.”

According to Parker, school itself is a learning curve.

“It took me a while to figure that this was the best for me,” Parker said. “My freshman year was rough trying to balance everything, but now I’ve figured it out and I’m a lot less stressed.”

Parker said, it can be hard to balance ev-

erything, and it is easy to feel overwhelmed when this kind of stress level is new.

“As a freshman, I was all over the place and was struggling to have time for God, as well as time for myself.” Parker said. “Now, by having faith and getting more organized, I am able to have time to study, work out, and dedicate quality time to God and music.”

Park said Parker’s new, positive outlook on life has had a profound effect him too.

“Every time I see Jonah, he greets me with a positive attitude and a smile,” Park said.

“I love his enthusiasm and I admire how he goes out of his way to help others. His love for God and the way he worships is also something I admire, and I have definitely seen some changes in how I live my life, even small things like holding the door open for people, that can be traced back to trying to replicate how Jonah goes about each day.”

Tanner Conley, economics senior, said he met Parker in 2017, and made sure to quickly befriend him as they had similar interests.

“I led a Bible study where Jonah, a freshman then, was able to come and we were able to study the word, share experiences with some other guys, and grow tight as a group,” Conley said. “Jonah is a very genuine man, showing that his true identity is in Christ.

He’s easy to get to know and he is an incredible musician.”

| Oct. 17, 2018 | 5

PHOTO BY BRADLEY WILSON | THE WICHITAN

Martin Comacho, dean of the College of Fine Arts, gives speech at the 40th anniversary celebration in Fain Fine Arts on Oct. 9.

Fine Arts building celebrates 40 years DENUSH VIDANAPATHIRANA REPORTER

When Paul and Patti Stillson graduated in 1971 and 1973, respectively, with degrees in art, there was no fine arts building.

“We were not in this building. We were in a building across campus. They were barracks buildings (the university) got from Sheppard,” Paul Stillson said.

Patti Stillson said there wasn’t a single building for the art department alone.

“The art department was very small. We used some other buildings that were on some other parts of campus,” Patti Stillson said.

Forty-seven years later, at the 40th anniversary for the Fain Fine Arts Center, officials said that they were happy with what it has become.

“It’s good to see the continuing growing of the department, the teachers here and the new things the students are learning,” Paul Stillson said.

More than 130 people attended the Oct. 9 event, including alumni, current students, and former and current staff.

After opening addresses by Martin Camacho, dean of the College of Fine Arts, and Suzanne Shipley, president of the university,

✁

MSU student discounts $2 off any service USE CODE: 20221

the guests were offered tours of the facilities by students and invited to a performance of Dracula.

Construction of the building began in the 1977, with a $1.8 million endowment. The building was opened in May of 1978 as the Fine Arts Center and renamed the Fain Fine Arts Center in 1994 after the Fain Foundation funded portions of it.

“Forty years later, the Fain Fine Arts Center still provides a unique experience for students and faculty,” Camacho said in his speech, “This is a story of hard work, perseverance and the exploration of beauty in the arts, and the search for academic excellence. The Fain Fine arts center is well positioned for the next 40 years.”

Shipley said the Fain building was designed to be anything but generic.

“It was named in recognition of the Fain Foundation of Wichita Falls. (Martha Fain’s) support for our programming, our students, faculty, and in the upkeep of these wonderful facilities has made the difference. So, if we didn’t have this college, we’d rush right up to create it,” Shipley said.

Debbie Barrow, director of board and governor relations, and an alumni from the class

of 1978, said the facilities are amazing.

“The lighting has changed. The makeup rooms have changed. In the beginning, there was only enough funding for theater and art, and (It’s amazing.) to see how music has been brought, and we’ve added mass communication, so it’s very gratifying to me to see that the fine arts are together and expanding,” Barrow said, echoing a sentiment present in Camacho’s speech.

“The building has changed over time. The spaces have been modernized to suit the current needs of the programs. We were really very careful about maintaining the integrity of the building when doing the renovations,” Camacho said.

Julie Scales, secretary for undergraduate research graduated in 1991 with a bachelor’s in fine arts, and has seen the Fine Arts Center evolve over 27 years.

“I come to theater shows quite often,” Scales said, “It’s really nice to see what they have done progression-wise.”

Elizabeth Lewandowski, chair and professor of theater, joined the campus in 1992, described being excited on her first day.

“I was excited to get started working with a group of people I really liked on a campus

that seemed to be a great place to work,” Lewandowski said. “They are beautiful facilities.

It’s nice that the theater is all contained in one building.”

Christie Maturo, assistant professor of theater, said there is a sense of stability with the department.

“It feels structured, and it’s nice to have that consistency,” Maturo said. “We’ve gotten some improvements to the equipment we’ve had for the mainstage, and some improvements have been made to the studio. There’s still things to work toward but we’ve made some progress.”

Eric Koger, associate professor of theater, said that there were several improvements to the facilities.

“Stage floors been redone. Dimmers have been replaced. We now have a loft on stage right and a bunch of lighting things have been fixed,” Koger said.

Addrian Gaut, theater senior, said the building itself inspiring.

“It shows how far the department has come, to see the people who have been here since the beginning coming to see our production with everyone new. It’s been a long journey to get here,” Gaut said.

Always hiring great stylists

6 | Oct. 17, 2018|

PHOTO BY NICK LANIER | THE WICHITAN

Peyton Lisenby, assistant professor of geosciences and ESO faculty adviser, assists in elections.

Environmental Student Organization

aims to conserve the Earth NICK LANIER REPORTER

F

rom preserving endangered species, to cutting down on plastic straws, the Environmental Student Organization takes a broad, hands-on approach to making an impact.

In the fall of 2017, ESO was formed after student interest in making the campus “green” called for the centralization and commitment that an organization would bring. The ESO is the only environmentally focused organization on campus, and the only student led environmental group in the city.

Markell Braxton-Johnson, sports and leisure studies senior, is one of 15 active members of ESO, an on-campus, student led group with the aim of bringing together people from all walks of life, to contribute to the common goal of helping preserve the environment. Johnson said the ESO has helped him become more aware of environmental issues.

“The environment impacts everyone, whether they notice or not,” Braxton-Johnson said. “I wanted to get out of the comfort zone of my major, and wanted to join an organization that had the potential to make an impact in the community and society and the ESO, in just a year, has caused me to become much more environmentally conscious.”

Alex Nelson, geoscience senior, ESO president and co-founder, said being part of this type of organization is very rewarding.

“Seeing students, organizations, and nonprofits all benefit from our work is truly special, people often think problems are bigger than them. No matter how big they are, you can always put one foot forward and make a positive impact,” Nelson said.

Dane Culver, biology freshman and ESO member, shares this viewpoint.

“Being new to MSU, I have always thought about changing my ecological footprint for the better, and I have always held the environment close to heart,” Culver said. “The ESO has given me the opportunity to get involved in activities that will help the Earth. I have already made several friends in the short time I have been involved with the organization, and am confident that I will make even more, and also learn more about the environment.”

Last fall, the organization started as the Environmental Science Organization, but the members promptly changed the name to the Environmental Student Organization, as they did not want to alienate people from other majors.

“We are a very accepting organization. We are inclusive. Coming from a totally different background, all of the science majors have taught me a lot,” Braxton-Johnson said.

Jalen Mavero, environmental science senior and ESO co-founder, said one reason why he co-founded the organization back in 2017 was get more involved in his department.

“I wanted to be a part of something bigger than myself,” Mavero said. “I also wanted to

extend my reach to people in other majors who cared about the same issues.”

He also said the organization teaches more than just nature and conservation. It also teaches lifelong skills.

“I’ve definitely learned how to work better with others since becoming a part of this organization. It is rewarding to work to achieve a common goal, and the ESO is a great place to do this, with our diverse group and great, productive environment,” Mavero said.

Despite being a small group, the members feel that they are having an impact.

“We might not have a huge impact, but we have some, and that amount is growing every month. We are not one of those organizations who just sit around in meetings. We get out into the community and do things hands on,” Braxton-Johnson said.

This years’ event calendar is already taking shape, with dates marked for group activities.

The ESO is heavily active in the community and is always aiming to make a difference.

“We have a couple of road clean ups planned, and we also have a really exciting event set up for Oct. 27 at Copper Breaks State Park,” Braxton-Johnson said. “Critters ‘N Crawlers Halloween Event is an outreach initiative where we will be educating children about bugs, snakes, and other creatures that are thought of as scary. We will be explaining how much good they do for the environment, and how life would be so much different without them.”

ESO also has plans for Nov. 17, which is National Take-a-Hike Day. “We will be celebrating this date by taking people on tours of the local state parks. We encourage everyone to come out and let our fantastic members educate them about the environment,” Braxton-Johnson said.

The ESO members have a long term goal of continuing to look after the environment and not only grow their membership, but also coordinate with other organizations in an attempt to get their message out even further.

“There is always strength in numbers,” Nelson said. “In the coming years, I hope that the organization will continue to grow and to improve the bridge between the environment and the community.”

The ESO members cumulatively feel that their organization is simply a fantastic group to be a part of.

“In just a year, we have had some great times together. Working, planning, and then carrying out our events led to some good memories,” Mavero said.

Braxton-Johnson also said the group has made many memorable achievements.

“We have done so many things, it’s hard to just mention a single standout,” BraxtonJohnson said. “One I particularly enjoyed was our Birdwatch Program where we would go out and tally how many birds we saw and this would lead to a $1 donation per bird going to charity. It was a fun and rewarding experience.”

| Oct. 17, 2018 | 7 C ALENDAR WEDNESDAY, OCT. 17 Networking Career Fair | 9 a.m. Dillard 189 Imagine Graduation | 10:30 a.m.- 5:30 p.m.

Comanche

PHOTO BY NATHAN MARTINEZ | THE WICHITAN

Mechanical engineering freshman, Tavian Young recycles in Clark Student Center.

Campus thriving to be more environmentally efficient ALLISON ATHERTON REPORTER

A

ccording to environmental science professors, and students on campus, Midwestern State University is not doing as much as it could be to make this campus environmentally friendly. Facility Services is open to new ideas and improvement, but sometimes the cost outweighs the benefit.

“My perspective on a lot of the green initiatives are great ideas in a perfect world and would work well, but the cost on them tend to be expensive,” Kyle Owen, associate vice president of facilities services, said.

Being environmentally efficient has multiple benefits. Being self aware of the ways energy conservation and recycling works is important.

Peyton Lisenby, assistant professor of geosciences said, “How much do we enjoy our environment? Do you like landscape?

So you like looking at rivers or mountains.

Or does it bother you to see land degradation, soil loss, and things like that? A lot of those questions people never consider.

As students at a university, its really a good time to where you just start to consider that as you’re developing professionally, and in the learning community.”

The university’s facility services department, has been making small efforts to be more “green” every year, little by little. They consciously monitor the environmental impact. Owen said, after his 12 years of being here, they’ve tried to cut down “utility cost” in small amounts every year and they

have to report to the state every November.

On campus, there’s an Environmental Student Organization. William Scott Meddaugh, geosciences professor, said that the ESO can help provide good insight on what happens on campus. They help facilitate ways to make our campus environmentally efficient.

“As far as I’m aware, from the time that I’ve been here, and as I kind of fulfill my role as the Environmental Science component in the geoscience department. So I have some experience with the ESO, and one of their goals is to come up with, initiate, and educate, on environmental, or green initiatives on campus. So for instance, they may spread awareness of our recycling opportunities on campus,” Lisenby said.

Being green, or environmentally efficient, can mean many things. It can mean recycling, or making oneself aware of their surroundings while considering how it affects the balance of things.

“In truth there is a pretty broad array of definitions you could apply to it. Whether it’s just taking initiatives that are seen commonly as environmentally friendly.

Whether that may be recycling or education initiatives about environmental impact,” Lisenby said.

Where Midwestern stands on their status of being “green” is difficult to say. It isn’t doing nothing, but there is definitely more to be done.

Owen said, “I think we’re in a good spot, but a lot of things, it’d be nice to have more.

Over my career here it’s not unusual for there to be students initiatives. Like com-

ing around and putting blue trash cans in offices. [Then] coming around once a week, and dumping them. After a few years those people graduate, and now I have a blue trash can with no place to put it.”

The school is not putting forward it’s best effort to teach and encourage students on environmental efficiency. There is not enough signage, and publicity for environmental awareness on campus according to professors and students.

“I certainly see from the ESO that they’re keen to increase awareness. I think our students that lead these, are keen to increase awareness, educate about recycling opportunities, and things like that,” Lisenby said.

There are many things that could be improved. The campus and the students always have opportunity to do more.

Lisenby said “Always the best first step is about increasing awareness. Just getting people thinking about how they interact with their environment, and ultimately how they consume their environment.

Whether that is directly through whatever, such as using paper, or leaving the lights on.”

Recycling dumpsters for students living on campus can be found outside, in between McCullough Trigg Hall and Legacy Dorms. There are recycling bins located inside the Clark Student Center, and the buildings the classes are held in.

“We have orange recycling dumpsters that the university facilitates. So using those to the max would be an easy way to really take advantage of an opportunity, that is already there,” Meddaugh said.

No zebras, No Excuses | 3 p.m. & 7 p.m.

THURSDAY, OCT. 18 Homelessness, Mental Health and Hope Community Forum | 9:30 a.m. Sikes Lake Center Faculty Recital: Dr. Andrew Allen, Saxaphone | 7:30 p.m. Akin Auditorium FRIDAY, OCT. 19 Scaryoke | 7 p.m. Comanche Suites SUNDAY, OCT. 21 Spirit Rally | 2 p.m. CSC Atrium Homecoming begins | All Week MONDAY, OCT. 22

Bonfire T-Shirt Exchange Begins | 8 a.m.

Lip Sync Competition | 8 p.m. D.L. Ligion Coliseum TUESDAY, OCT. 23 Backyard Game Tournament | 3 p.m. Behind The Wellness Center Comedian: Chico Bean | 8 p.m. CSC Comanche

8 | Oct. 17, 2018| C ALENDAR THURSDAY OCT. 18 Mens Soccer | at Newman (Wichita, Kan.), 7:30 p.m.

FRIDAY OCT. 19 Cross Country | MSU Texas Invitational, 10 a.m.

Volleyball | vs. Western New Mexico, 5:30 p.m. at D. L. Ligon Coliseum Women’s Soccer | vs. UT Permian Basin, 8 p.m. at Stang Park SATURDAY OCT. 20 Volleyball | vs. UT Permian Basin, 2 p.m. at D. L. Ligon Coliseum Men’s Soccer | at Rogers State (Claremore, Okla.), 2:30 p.m.

SUNDAY OCT. 21 Women’s Soccer | vs. Angelo State, 1 p.m. at Stang Park TUESDAY OCT. 23 Volleyball | vs. Texas Women’s, 6 p.m. at D.L. Ligon Coliseum Men’s Golf | Invitational at The Territory Golf Club Women’s Golf | Skywalk Fall Invitational at UNM Golf Course

‘Where I was before wasn’t where I wanted to be’ ANGEL UKWITEGYETSE REPORTER

E

arly education major and junior Sarah Glawe joined the volleyball team as a freshman from Allen High School.

Playing in her third season as a Mustang this fall, the setter talks about how her team has grown and changed since she joined.

“I think my third year is definitely my favorite year, team wise, because I think we have made it a point to be a family on the team.” Glawe said, “In the previous years we were always friends but this year we have really tried to make a family kind of atmosphere so I know that no matter what the girls on the team have my back, and I have theirs and so that’s really great. I think [everybody] is adjusting really well to one another because I think we are all pretty different but we complement each other pretty well.”

Glawe said the workload is the most challenging part of being a student athlete.

“I think when you come in as a freshman the workload is pretty easy because it kind of builds up from high school but during season we travel twice a week and we have practice everyday for three hours and then study hall in between classes so trying to balance school and athletics... I think that it’s challenging for everybody but especially student athletes.

To handle the stress of being a studentathlete, Glawe plans out her day.

“To manage my stress, everyday I make out a plan of what I’m going to do... I know a lot of student athletes can handle themselves pretty well and just organize their assignments but I need some extra support so I go see a counselor at the counseling center and she really helps me to manage my stress and figure out what I need to do.”

Glawe said.

Having had experience with the MSU Counseling center, Glawe sees no reason to

shy away from seeking help.

“I could tell that where I was before wasn’t where I wanted to be in my mental health journey, and I could tell that I wasn’t myself.” Glawe said. “My mom, being a counselor, suggested it and I think if I had gone earlier I would have been helped a long time ago. Especially student athletes with how much we have on our plates all the time and we are expected to be perfect all the time, I think it can be a lot.

Glawe emphasizes that working with a counsellor is imperative to performing at the highest level of competition.

I think finding time for yourself [and] working on yourself, not only talking to someone but working on your health issues, is really important.” Glawe said. “Especially mentally because we are supposed to be in tip top [shape] physically, but not really mentally and we don’t really talk about that. So I think going to counseling and bringing up issues of mental health is really important.”

Sarah is also a member of the Student Athlete Advisory Committee or ‘SAAC’. The committee members include athletes from each sports team says Glawe.

“We come together each week and PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN talk about how we can involve the com-Education junior, Sarah Glawe sets against Tarleton munity in sports and make the sports onState University. Sep 29. campus more accessible and just better In the future, Glawe looks forward to for everybody all around... I know that a lot teaching and later on pursuing a masters in of people would like to come and support counseling after MSU. but they genuinely just don’t know when “I just want to make as many good re[games are] and I think that sometimes lationships as I can, just helping people is athletes do a good job of staying with other something I love to do. I think I am really athletes... if we could reach out to more going to miss volleyball when I do graduate people and be friends with more students but I think moving on to a new chapter of then more support would come.” Glawe my life is going to be really great.” said.

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