The Wichitan 011619

Jan. 16, 2019 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 84 No. 1

PHOTOS BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Wes Hilton attacks his Mom with a giant snowball at the ‘Dashing through the snow’ event hosted by UPB and The Bridge. Jan 14. | Dental Hygiene freshman Lauren Cox tries to run away from an incoming snowball, whilst eating her own snowball. | Skylar Gaines, Kinesiology freshman catches a snowball before preparing to launch her own snowball.

Students Dash through the Snow on Stampede Week

HERBERT MCCULLOUGH REPORTER

The University Programming Board (UPB) and The Bridge College hosted a snow party for the 2019 MSU Texas Stampede Week called ‘Dashing through the Snow.’ on Jan. 14 in the Legacy Courtyard at 6 p.m.

UPB advisor, Ruby Arriaga said that Stampede Week gives students an opportunity to relax as they prepare for the upcoming Spring Semester.

“I think it is important because, although academics is very important, it is also important to have fun in college,” Arriaga said.

Casey Washington, marketing freshman, said this is her first-time attending Stampede Week. She believed that Stampede Week offered many students an opportunity to relax in preparation of the upcoming semester.

“I believe it is important to relax because a lot of people over stress themselves,” Washington said. “It is important to keep your mental health in check.”

UPB, under Arriaga’s coordination, started planning for Stampede Week during the winter break in December.

“Basically, we invited student organizations and their officers to help organize Stam-

pede Week,” Arriaga said. “We ask them if they want to help get involved.”

During ‘Dashing through the Snow,’ many students played with snow as well had cups of hot chocolate. Gavin Perry, undecided sophomore, said that he was attracted by the joy of the students as well as the snow and hot chocolate.

“Everybody’s out here having a good time,” Perry said. “It seems pretty exciting and entertaining. I also came for the hot cocoa and snow.”

Alexis Von Gilleland, biology sophomore, really enjoyed the variety of flavors that were provided.

“This one is mint hot chocolate,” Gilleland said. “It was nice that they had different flavors to choose from.”

Perry said that the best hot chocolate he had was his mother’s home-made hot chocolate.

“It was the thickest, sweetest, chocolatey and milkiest hot cocoa I’ve ever had,” Perry said.

Lawrence Green, marketing sophomore, said that his favorite part of ‘Dashing through the Snow’ was snowball fighting with his friends.

“We just came back from skiing in Colo-

rado,” Green said. “I kind of missed the snow.”

For many students, the first time they have seen snow was at the university. This included Washington, who is from East Texas.

“Where I’m from, it doesn’t snow, Washington said. “So, when it snowed on campus once back, that was my first-time seeing snow.”

Shernel Thomas, business sophomore, who is from Jamaica, said that this is one of the few times she has seen snow.

“I kind of enjoyed it with my friends,” said Washington. “It doesn’t really snow where I’m from.”

The snow was financed by The Bridge College and was brought by a company called Emergency Ice. “We had to get it from a company called Emergency Ice which is based in Dallas,” Andre Reilly, The Bridge College pastor. “We paid them a nice chunk of change to spray a bunch of real snow on the ground.”

Reilly said that it took the company only an hour to cover a section of the Legacy Courtyard with snow.

“They came with a woodchipper, stuffed a bunch of ice in it and made some snow,” Reilly said. “I think they did a really good job.”

Reilly said he was very satisfied with the

Bridge’s contribution to ‘Dashing through the Snow.’ He also said they enjoyed meeting new people at the event.

“We had tons of people,” Reilly said. “We had lots of snow thrown. We had lots of hot chocolate. We met lots of people. So, I would say that it has been a huge success.”

Arriaga said that she was satisfied with the attendance; however, she argued that the attendance was undermined by the cold weather.

“It went good. I’m surprised a lot of students came because it’s so cold right now,” Arriaga said. “Since it’s so cold, many students are watching from their rooms.”

Due to the weather, the attendance quickly wined down. Among those that quickly left was Gilleland.

“I’m going to finish my hot chocolate and go inside because it’s cold,” Gilleland said.

However, Perry is also excited to be attending the rest of the event for Stampede Week.

In fact, there are more events remaining.

Alex Collins, coordinator of student organizations and leadership program, has organized the Interfaith Fair this Tuesday as well as the Student Organization Fair this Wednesday.

2 | Jan. 16, 2019| S TAF F E DI T O R I A L

RESTAURANT R E V I E W

Fornof was a good move

Searching for soul in the Falls

OUR VIEW: The Wichitan staff believes recruiting a Title IX coordinator was a good move made by administrators.

eing new to the Wichita Falls area, I was in dire need of some homestyle soul-food. After doing a quick google search, a place caught my eye; Sam’s Southern Eatery. I headed there with a bit of skepticism because honestly, I did not think Wichita Falls was capable of producing any Aquila good soul-food. I got there and saw about five people in the building eating; two elFreeney der Caucasian men, an Asian couple and an older black guy. I thought to myself, either this place is bad, or its very unknown.

I sat down, was given a menu and looked it at for quite some time. I saw a few attention grabbers like catfish and hot wings, and I looked at the sides and saw fried green tomatoes and red beans and rice. I wasn’t sold just yet, but I was impressed. They even had a kids section on the menu with “baby shrimp”, grilled cheese, and chicken nuggets too. I saw that each meal comes with two sides and a drink, so I went ahead and ordered the #14: four piece fried catfish with a lemonade. I got fries and red beans and rice as my two sides and I also ordered fried pickles as an appetizer.

My friend ordered the #15: six piece grilled catfish with fried okra, red beans and rice, and an orange soda.

The wait for my fried pickles was about six minutes.

When I saw how many pickles were in the old school red food basket with the red and white checkerboard liner paper, the foodie in me was wide awake. I tasted the pickles, I thought to myself how salty they were, so I dipped the next one in ranch. Perfect combo! Ten minutes after that, the rest of the food arrived. Oh, was I in hog heaven. The first thing I went for was the red beans and rice and it was seasoned to perfection. Next, I snagged a piece of my friend’s grilled catfish, and that was good too. I grabbed a handful of fried okra and they were crunchy on the outside, yet soft on the inside.

The fries were subpar, but I dipped them in the house tartar sauce (which was amazing) and that gave them a little boost. When I went for my main attraction; the fried catfish, I was not disappointed. It was fried just right, not too soggy, yet not too crisp and seasoned well too. I hit it

T

o streamline polices and procedures related to sexual harassment on campus, the board of regents approved the creation of the Title IX coordinator position August 2018. These responsibilities were originally held in part by Matthew Park, dean of students. The university had planned to create the position on Sept.1 but administrators sped up the time line due to last spring’s sexual assault forum. With the isolation of the position, Rachael Fornof oversees preventative programing and the compliance of the Title IX procedures. Fornof kicked off the fall semester with giving out “Consent is Mandatory” shirts on Consent Day, and having posters in the women’s and men’s rest rooms with information pertaining to getting in touch with someone who can help with issues concerning Title IX. Fornof has also has held several preventative programming information sessions on related topics like domestic violence over the fall semester. The Wichitan staff believes Rachel Fornof is off to a great start as IX coordinator and is well qualified for the job. Fornof said, “There are two parts of my job one of them is student outreach and preventative programing and really getting in touch with students in terms of education and then there is the other part which is compliance and actually following through with reports that are made.”

wichitan Vol. 84 | No. 1

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

B

4

star review on Yelp.

EDITORS: Alyssa Mitchell, Chloe Phillips, Bridget Reilly

PHOTO BY AQUILA FREENEY | THE WICHITAN

Fried catfish, fries, red beans, rice and fried okra from Sam’s Southern Eatery.

with my secret hot sauce/house tartar sauce dip combo and it was over with. I think it took me less than ten minutes to eat half (including my friend’s because I kept stealing bits and pieces of his grilled catfish).

The fish filets were average size, but for the price, I could not complain. The red beans and rice were in a small Styrofoam bowl (I would have ordered a large had I known my portion would be so small). We got our bill, and much to our surprise, we didn’t have to pay an arm and a leg for all the food we ordered. My meal cost $9.99 while his cost $12.99 and the fried pickles were $5.99. The waitress was polite and made sure we had everything we needed so my friend tipped her and we left, full and satisfied. When we paid, I grabbed a to go menu and made a mental note to always come here for good catfish, and next on my to-do list are their chicken wigs.

26

of October is when they will be celebrating their two-year anniversary.

Copyright ©2018.

(copy editor)

First copy free. Additional copies 25¢ each.

DESIGNER: Brittni Vilandre

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.

ISSUE STAFF: Herbert Mccullough, Aquila Freeney, Brian Lang, Cydney Menzik, Carli Woolsey, Shaila Botello, Karen Earle, Yerasly Duran, Sharome Burton

PHOTOGRAPHERS: Bridget Reilly, Aquila Freeney, Carli Woolsey, Courtney Wood

ADVISER: Bradley Wilson

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.

| Jan. 16, 2019 | 3 MOVIE REVIEW

Vice president , Marilyn Fowlé explaining the schools budget in a short clip on YouTube. The link can be found on the online version of the story.

Tuition and fees: Where student service fees go CYDNEY MENZIK REPORTER

Christian Bale and Amy Adams in Vice (2018)

PHOTO CURTESY BY IMBD

‘Vice’: a case study of corruption A

udiences have always been drawn to stories of corrupt rulers. From Shakespeare’s classic power struggle in “Macbeth” to Frank Underwood in “House of Cards,” there is great entertainment in watching corruption at work.

Perhaps no story of corruption and scheming is more compelling than that of former Brian Vice President Dick Cheney. In a new “mocLang kumentary” by Adam McKay (The Big Short), Cheney’s (Christian Bale) life is told by a seemingly omniscient narrator and complex decision and power struggles are told with dark, sardonic humor. With false endings, a mystery narrator and a sharp bias, “Vice” might be one of the most unusual films of this awards season.

“Vice” begins with Cheney as a washed up Yale student egged on to success by his ambitious girlfriend Lynne (Amy Adams). She pushes Dick to succeed and make his mark on the world, and with her goading and political savvy, he does just that. “Vice” zips across decades and administrations while presenting Cheney’s climb to power. He’s assisted by his mentor, the infamous Donald Rumsfeld (Steve Carrel), who shapes the young intern into a powerful force to be reckoned with.

Cheney later becomes a leader in the second Bush administration as he strategically places allies in powerful political offices. He jump-starts his daughter’s political career, alienating his other daughter in the process and arose as a strident supporter for the war in Iraq. McKay details all of this with pleasure and refuses to use a soft touch in this stunning biopic.

Headlined with some of the greatest talents in the industry, “Vice” is a hit based on acting standards alone. Christian Bale transforms himself into Cheney with a plethora of prosthetics

and fat suits. His mannerisms and gruff, clipped voice complete the character and creates an uncanny resemblance. Likewise, Amy Adams seems to age before the audiences eyes into a tenacious Lynne Cheney. The couple’s Macbethian plotting is fascinating to watch as they’re surrounded by other equally corrupt politicians.

Donald Rumsfeld is played with gusto by Steve Carrel, an actor whose range is brilliantly presented here. Carrel creates a striking character arc for Rumsfeld and manages to pull out shades of humor from the life of a complicated politician. Sam Rockwell, fresh off his Oscar win for “Three Billboards,” plays George W. like a Saturday Night Live sketch. The mannerisms are perfect, but there’s little depth.

“Vice” may be acted with nuance, but its story is far less subtle. For his credit, McKay did a great deal of research about the “Cheney’s and Company,” but his goal is to paint these figures in a negative light, and he largely succeds in doing that.

He zig-zags around historical events like the Gulf War, sometimes cherry-picking facts in an effort to mold the audience’s mindset in a way that conforms with his own.

While this approach is fine, art’s purpose is to convey the thoughts and opinions of its creator, its hard-edged approach decreases the credibility of the story. However, the disturbing truth is that many of the difficult ancedotes presented in “Vice” have their origins in reality, leaving no room for opposing views.

“Vice” is built on a tenuous foundation. It seeks to interrupt history in a way that strikes a chord with one demographic and feels contrived to another. It’s a film that’s hard to get fully behind, but it certainly gets many things right. “Vice” may not be the best film of this awards season, but it’s definitely the most interesting.

A

t the beginning of each semester, tuition is due.

With every bill, there is a break down where the money goes. Along with basic tuition, there are fees that students attending classes on campus at MSU have to pay.

“So obviously there are different fees. So some of the fees are associated with whatever they are. The rec-fee, that goes to the rec-center,” Marilyn Fowlé, vice president of business affairs. “Then you got some fees that are more generic, the student service fee for instance.”

The Student Service Fee funds 30 different groups on campus. With this specific fee, the state of Texas has it written in law that there must be a Student Service Fee Committee made up of students.

“Keith Lamb and I advise and answer questions,” Fowlé said. “But pretty much those students on that committee decide where the money goes once a year.”

The six-membered Student Allocations Committee recommends what the student fees are spent on.

Student Government President Ellie Gunderson said: “The committee meets each spring and recommend the proposed budget to University President Suzanne Shipley. If she makes a change she has to come back to the committee and explain why. That is our say, we get to decide how much money a group gets and whether we are going to give them the full money they asked for, or if we are going to move it around. There is always more asked for then what we have to give.”

Through Student Government, students are given a say on where some of their money goes each year.

Gunderson said, “Any student can serve on this committee, every student is part of student government.”

For a student taking classes on campus in Wichita Falls a Student Service Fee of $18.75 per credit hour is charged. A student taking 12 hours can expect to pay $225 of student service fees for one semester.

The Student Service Fee accumulates to just over $2.6 million and funds 30 groups and events on campus.

4 | Jan. 16, 2019|

Health and science building under construction on Aug. 10, 2018 | Bridwell Courts Aug. 10, 2018 | Health and science building under construction on Aug. 10, 2018

PHOTOS BY CARLI WOOLSEY

$58.4 million construc CARLI WOOLSEY REPORTER

When walking across campus on a cold October morning, the crane used for construction overtakes the skyline. MSU seems shadowed by the crane and construction that surrounds it. Construction is around every turn. It’s outside of almost every building, and it seems to be ever-present within the conversations that surround the university.

Kyle Owens, associate vice president of facilities services, said “My mentality is that it’s best if there is always something going on because it means the university is still moving forward.”

There has been construction sites around nine different buildings throughout campus.

The construction included the new health science building, Moffett Library, the police department and multiple American with Disabilities Act and fire renovations within Bolin Hall, Ferguson Hall, Akin Auditorium, the Fain Fine Arts building, Hardin Administration Building and the West Campus Annex.

“It shows that the state and MSU is willing to spend money to help improve the campus and keep the quality of the facilities up with other campuses so that we can further im-

$58.4

Million the total amount of funds given to MSU

by Tuition Revenue Bonds

prove student educations,” Owens said.

Legislators appropriated $58.4 million through Tuition Revenue Bonds and Higher Education Assistance Funds.

Owens said, “The large amount of construction happening on campus shows that MSU is a progressive campus that is willing to make the needed technological and structural changes.”

HEALTH SCIENCES BUILDING The $40 million health science building has taken up the majority of the funds.

James Johnston, provost and vice president for academic affairs, said “The building is a project that has lived in my head for about for years now, so to see it physically coming to life is very exciting for all of us.”

According to the schedule the Health Sciences building will be finished and handed over to the university in May of 2019, and it is intended to be opened for use in fall 2019.

“The students, staff and faculty will benefit from the new spaces that they have needed as they have grown,” Johnston said. “It will encourage interdisciplinary education. We have purposefully created spaces that will encourage multiple disciplines to learn and practice

$40

Million the estimated cost of the new health sciences building

together.”

Dental hygiene, Wilson School of Nursing, radiologic sciences, respiratory care and social work will be working together in the new building along with other departments that will have access to the classrooms.

“It’s a shared vision for what an academic building should be, and several people have been great at contributing to this and putting it all together,” Johnston said.

The departments worked together to arrange and design the spaces to fit the needs of the classes while making the spaces as functional and accessible as possible.

Johnston said the department wanted the lobby to feature a theater-in-the round look.

He said when standing in the middle of the lobby, individuals will be surrounded by a circle of large glass windows showing the classrooms where labs take place throughout the day. He said this is to make the individual feel like they are right in the middle of the action.

The classroom spaces within the building are intended to be used as a campus space.

This means more students that are not in the health sciences department could take a class in this building just as a student would take a class in Bolin, Dillard or Prothro-Yeager.

$7

Million the estimated cost of the Moffett Library renovations

“The new building will help attract students to the health science major and to the campus in general,” said Johnston. “It shows progess and growth within the university. Academic buildings are instruments that facilitate the way that we deliver education. These buildings are designed for a purpose.”

MOFFETT LIBRARY Moffett Library is also undergoing a large amount of construction that will renovate the look of the area completely. The areas being renovated include the study pods, bathrooms, elevators, computer labs, tutoring center, media area, patio and the overall aesthetic of the library.

Clara Latham, university librarian, said she thinks the library will benefit students greatly by the new group areas available and the added technology offered to the students.

She said the addition of outlets and data will also help prepare the students.

The $7 million renovations are funded by TRBs. “The faculty and staff adapted to the construction pretty well with the inconveniences of the elevator and bathrooms being closed

$5

Million the estimated cost of the ADA compliance work done throughout campus.

| Jan. 16, 2019 | 5

Elevator in Fain B-wing, Oct. 12, 2018 | Bridwell Courts Aug. 10, 2018 | Health and science building under construction on Aug. 10, 2018.

PHOTOS BY CARLI WOOLSEY

ction projects advance briefly,” Latham said.

During the summer, the library staff asked the students to use the bathrooms in Clark Student Center. In November, renovations to the study pods began, and the chances of students being impacted increases.

Latham said, “So far I haven’t seen too many inconveniences within the students and construction work but I think when we start getting closer to finals it will be a bigger impact.”

She said she hopes that in the end, the area will feel more at home while also being a practical use of the space.

“It will be a bright, accommodating place,” said Latham. “There will be more color and seating by the windows so that the students feel comfortable. More seating options and a tutoring center will be located within the library as well.”

COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS Martin Camacho, dean of the Fain College of Fine Arts, said “At the end of the story there is a positive impact to construction that we will get to enjoy for many years to come. In the short, medium and certainly the long run we are going to be enjoying much more func-

$2

Million the cost of the Fain Fine Arts Building

tional rooms, accessible buildings, modern technology and better safety standards. There will always be temporary inconveniences with construction, but we try to minimize these inconveniences.”

There have been upgrades to the music practice rooms and the music studio ventilation system. The ADA compliance renovations and the updates within the music studio estimate to a total of $2 million.

“The construction will create a much more accessible, modern, beneficial and comfortable building for visitors, faculty and staff,” said Camacho. “This is a much needed lifting process for the building.”

The more recent construction deals with ADA Compliance. The ramps are still in progress, and the elevators are completed, but the department is waiting for inspection so the elevators can be used. The last two phases will began in December 2018and then again in Summer 2019.

“When we look at the long term benefits, I think most people will be grateful that we went through this process,” Camacho said.

POLICE OFFICES The police station has also undergone a

$80

Thousand the estimated cost of Jesse Rodgers Promenade

process of relocation and adaptation to further benefit the future of the university.

Owens said, “We hoped to give the police station more resources and a different space to be able to work within.”

The estimated cost for the construction was between $90,000 and $110,000; not including the cost of the building which was already owned.

Owens said the renovations to the new police station was done mostly to make the area usable with the needed technology. He said that there were minimal structure changes to the building.

The police station moved to make room for facility shops to be built in the future.

Owens said the facility shops, now located in the Daniels Building, needed to be moved to the outer edge of campus. He said it is unusual that the facilities building is located within the heart of campus with many students walking right through the parking lot where trucks carry large equipment.

SMALLER ITEMS There are multiple small construction sites, costing nearly $5 million, throughout campus that are renovating to increase acces-

90-100

Thousand the estimated cost of the relocation and renovations of the new Police Station

sibility to the buildings. Bolin Hall, Ferguson Hall, Akin Auditorium, the Fain Fine Arts building, the Hardin Administration Building and the West Campus Annex are adjusting their physical state to become more compliant with ADA and fire renovation needs.

Owens said, “It is good to know that the students are now going to be in safer buildings than they might have been otherwise prior to the change.”

The construction of the Jesse Rogers Promenade, or Mustangs Walk, is another construction site on campus that is not only improving the accessibility of an area, but is also improving the aesthetic.

“The promenade is part of the overall beautification of the campus. The area has a particularly high number of pedestrians, along with cars and large trucks with deliveries. We are trying to make the campus a more pedestrian friendly area,” Owens said.

Owens said the $80,000 promenade will help connect the campus and make the area more aesthetically pleasing.

12

Areas on campus are undergoing construction

6 | Jan. 16, 2019| QUESTION O F T HE WE E K

Why is Stampede Week so important?

Baptist Student Ministry provides free lunch on Wednesdays

PHOTOS BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Hypnostist Erick Känd gets to know his volunteers at the hypnosis event hosted by UPB. Jan 15. Photo by Bridget Reilly | Finance senior RJ Joshi follows Erick Känd’s instructions to see if he is a viable volunteer to be hypnotised.

STUDENT BODY GIVES OPINIONS ON WHY STAMPEDE WEEK IS IMPORTANT REPORTER| KAREN EARLE

SHAILA BOTELLO REPORTER

T

he Baptist Student Ministry is hosting a free lunch on Dec. 5 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. at the BSM location on 3505 Taft Blvd.

“I think that it is a good idea for the [BSM] to provide free lunch for students,” Sara Keeling, art senior said. “Behind the food are students who have a passion for Christ and through sharing and smiling faces, joy is spread.”

The BSM have hosted these weekly lunches for years now.

“I’ve been here for 12 years and the lunches have been going on longer than that,” BSM Director Ben Edfeldt said. “The ministry has been going on for about 75 years. I don’t know exactly when the lunches started, but it has been a pretty big staple of this ministry. I’m going to guess, maybe not quite 75 years, but [the lunches] have been going on for a majority of the time the ministry has been around.”

On Wednesdays, the free lunch is provided by a different church in the area. The BSM sends out a sign up sheet via email during the summer and local churches sign up for whatever week they want to provide the food.

“We are supported by local Southern Baptist churches and they organize in the Wichita, Archer, and Clay counties,” Edfeldt said. “We have [providers] as far away as Olney, Texas to many local churches here in Wichita Falls.”

Previous lunches have included smoked brisket, fajitas and homemade lasagnas. Drinks are always provided by the BSM and usually include sweet tea, water and Kool-Aid. “The tradition of the free lunches at the BSM is strong and has reached many students,” Keeling said. “I believe it still has presence on the campus and is still influencing students in a positive way.”

CHRISTIAN OSEGUERA, MASS COMMUNICATION, JUNIOR | “I think for students who haven’t been they maybe scared to get involved, may be hesitant to get involved, especially for freshman. My freshman year it was kind of hard to get a hang of things and find what really interests me. Once I started to get myself involved, I went to them [and] made friends and that’s why Stampede Week is important.”

VANESSA QUIÑONES, RADIOLOGY, FRESHMAN | “I think Stampede Week is a great way to get students back into the groove after a long break. It helps them get accustomed to college life.”

CYNTHIA HUBBARD, MARKETING, JUNIOR | “Stampede Week is important because it gives new students the opportunity to meet new people and get involved on campus.

It helps them to not miss home as much by keeping them occupied. Stampede Week has everything from free food to free groceries and even a free movie. Although not everyone will attend 100 percent of the time, it’s still a valuable week of events for those students that are looking for something to do or looking for something that binds them to MSU. [Both] new students as well as old students.”

ESTAFANI VASQUEZ, BIOLOGY, FRESHMAN | “Stampede Week means to me a week of fun activities to make the beginning of the semester more fun and easier to transition into school. We get to meet new people and explore our surroundings.”

KELLY LE, BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, SOPHOMORE | “It’s important because it introduces new students to what’s around MSU and gives [students] something to do as classes begin again.”

ROWANN REMIE, GEOSCIENCES, FRESHMAN | “Stampede Week is important because it provides various opportunities to just take a break and engage in some fun activities during that first week of school, which can be a but overwhelming. It’s also a chance to meet with other students outside of a classroom setting and [you] make friends.”

Clarissa Alvarado, MASS COMMUNICATION, SOPHOMORE| “I think Stampede Week is important because it’s a way to kick off the semester stress free. It’s also a fun way to distress after a long day of classes. Plus your tuition [and fees] pays for it.”

ESPERANZA GUZMAN, 4-8 SOCIAL STUDIES EDUCATION,

JUNIOR | “Stampede Week gives students a chance to interact and meet classmates as well as provides a free way to unwind from the stress of school beginning.”

IVON MENDOZA, BUSINESS MANAGEMENT, JUNIOR | “Stampede Week is important because it’s a way to get comfortable transitioning either from high school or to another higher institution. It’s also a way to meet new people.”

ADRIENNE HILL, SOCIOLOGY, JUNIOR | “I think this week is great because it gets students excited about the first week back. It lets students relax in-between classes and offers a much needed break.”

| Jan. 16, 2019 | 7

Priddy scholarship opens new opportunities for first-generation students YERASLY DURAN REPORTER

T

o ease the transition to college for first-generation students, the Priddy Program was launched in fall 2017 providing funding for 30 full-ride student scholarships and will fund 10 additional scholarships each fall.

The scholarship originally awarded 10 entering freshmen, 10 sophomores and 10 juniors but 17 freshman and 13 upperclassmen got awarded, said Cammie Dean, director of The Priddy Scholars and Student Transition Services.

“We didn’t have as many applications for the upper-class positions as we had hoped,” Dean said. “We actually don’t have even numbers of 10 [per class]. But that was just based on the number of applications we received from the different classes.”

Students under the $50,000 income range gap typically don’t receive any federal grants to cover schooling. The Priddy Scholarship Program aims to help two of the most vulnerable groups of students: first generation students and middle class students.

“The most vulnerable students we had, income-wise, were students in the $50,000$125,000 bracket. We saw that generally if students are making $50,000 and under [they] are not paying much at all. Students in the middle income are generally not qualifying for grants and they are the ones we are seeing struggling the most to pay for college.

That’s why we wrote the grant specifically to that income range,” Keith Lamb said, vice president of student affairs.

Students in the low-income class are able to receive the maximum amount for the Federal Pell Grant which can be as much as $6,095 and the Texas Grant which can go up to $5,000.

“College is becoming very difficult for middle class families to afford. If the lower income students have grant support, higher income students families can generally afford [college]. It is this group in the middle that is very vulnerable. So what we did is that we essentially paired two of our most vulnerable groups, to see if we can make a difference,” Lamb said.

The Priddy Scholar recipients get tuition and residential life paid in full for four years.

They get 30 semester hours covered each year, as well as supplies such as textbooks and scantrons. Each classification has different requirements that students must participate in order to remain in the program.

Students who fail a class have a probation

FILE PHOTO BY CORTNEY WOOD | THE WICHITAN

The Priddy Scholars Tre Jones, mass communication sophomore, and Daycee Duncan, computer science sophomore are “looking forward to making it across,” Sikes Lake, Duncan said at the annual cardboard boat race on Oct. 20, 2017. period if their GPA falls under 2.5.

Only five students have lost their scholarship, three freshman, one sophomore, and one junior.

Dean said there are various reasons students may lose their scholarship. Such as not going to meetings or the required workshops or just wanting to do other things that are not allowed if you are a Priddy scholar recipient, such as having a job during the school year or not wanting to live in the residential halls.

The Priddy scholarship is competitive and requires students to push themselves and be involved in school. Essentially making school their job.

“They are required to live on campus so they have a meal plan and room and board is covered. They also can work in the summer to save up some money. [Students get a stipein of] up to $1000 each semester,” Dean said.

“We looked at the published financial aid and cost of attendance and basically adjusted our funding to reflect that.”

Dean said more than 225 students have applied to the Priddy scholarship, making it around 110 to 115 applications per school year.

There is no race or gender breakdown as to who is receiving the scholarship because it is not officially measured but Dean said she wishes to see more males and African-American students applying for the scholarship.

Priddy scholars benefit in more ways then financially.

Dean said when comparing the GPAs she compared them not only to current college students but as well as other first-generation students. For fall 2017, the average GPA was a 2.92 as for first-generation students their average was a 2.89 and for the Priddy recipients it was a 2.94. For spring 2018, the average GPA was a 2.89 and for first-generation students it was a 2.8 and as for Priddy recipients it was a 3.09. All GPAs accounted for were from undergraduate students only.

Vanessa Quiñones, radiology freshman and Priddy recipient, said having to keep a high GPA is what makes her the most nervous about being a Priddy recipient.

Despite this being only the second year that the scholarship is offered, it has greatly helped the recipients in more ways than just financially.

“If I wouldn’t have had the scholarship

I feel like I would stay in my room all the time. This scholarship allows us to go to different organizations to get involved more.

I wouldn’t [be able to] figure out what to be involved in on my own. I need someone to guide me,” Quiñones said.

The Priddy scholars get to know each other more due to the fact of having to attend meetings and workshops together.

“The scholarship has helped me socialize more with the other girls in the scholarship [program],” Carolina Beltran, nursing freshman, and Priddy recipient said. “We already bonded and have become close friends. It also helps me get out into the school and visit different organizations and see what it is all about and go to different events that I probably wouldn’t have gone to if I wasn’t required to go to them.”

The scholarship requires students to attend 80 to 100 engagement hours.

“Engagement hours are actually pretty easy [to complete] some things you attend that you don’t even think about it [as engagement hours],”Quiñones said. “[They] are things you attend that get you more involved with the university. Study groups even count as engagement hours.”

Beltran said that they even attended a hypnotist show.

“Everything that you see in the schedule we have gone to,” Quiñones said. “Everything during the round-up week, everything during stampede week. The iLEAD conference.

Everything.”

As the students stay in the program for the years to come they are encouraged to get more involved, such as taking officer positions in the organizations that they originally took in interest on.

Dean said they want students to fully engage in their organization in order to gain leadership roles. They want students to sample different clubs during their first years here and then learn more about specific organizations and be more engaged within their junior and senior years.

The grant for the scholarship was only granted for seven years.

Lamb said the school can apply for the scholarship to be renewed after the seven-year period is over and some things can change with the requisites for the grant renewal. Such as lowering the income bracket or including second-generation students. However, the freshman who received the scholarship on the seventh year will still have the scholarship until they graduate, if the scholarship weren’t to get renewed.

8 | Jan. 16, 2019| WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

PHOTO BY BRIDGE REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Pre-physical therapy senior and guard Chelcie Kizart ducks under a Western New Mexico University player to shoot a two-point basket. Jan 12. | Head coach Noel Johnson speaks to exercise physiology junior and guard Courtney Kerr and special education junior and forward Annette Dukes during a time-out. | Health science sophomore and center Hannah Reynolds evades defense for a two-point basket | Health science sophomore and center Hannah Reynolds leaps in the air to win the ball at the beginning of game.

Women claim second conference win SHAROME BURTON REPORTER

T

he women’s basketball team notched up their second victory in the Lone Star Conference on Saturday with a domineering 80-46 win against the Western New Mexico Mustangs at the D.L. Ligon Coliseum.

The Mustangs never trailed throughout the 40 minutes of play and stifled their opponents to just 20 points in the second half enroute to the W, which saw them improve to 5-8 for the season and 2-4 in conference play.

The women’s head coach, Noel Johnson, said her team ticked the box in several areas.

“Our energy was good, we defended very well, offensively we shot the ball well and if we didn’t have a make on that first opportunity we were there rebounding and getting some put backs,” said Johnson, who recorded her 144th win with the Mustangs.

The team dominated the boards, outhustling WNMU 49-28 on rebounds and also showed greater depth, winning the battle of the benches 38-5.

“Our depth is imperative - everybody being a contributor, being ready to go, being intense when they’re subbed in - I think that’s one of our strengths. We have a lot of weap-

ons sitting on the bench and a lot of weapons out on the floor,” said Johnson.

One of the stars off the bench, special education junior and center, Annette Dukes posted a game-high 17 points from 20 minutes, including 7-from-8 at the free-throw line. Dukes said she was targeting more consistency in her game.

“Today I had to show up because for the past games I’ve been struggling to get back to my regular level of performance and the team deserves better, so today it just came to me and I’m just trying to continue to make it consistent,” said Dukes.

Starting point guard, exercise physiology senior Chelsie Kizart said, the team has positives to take from the win into their upcoming schedule.

“We just got to keep the same energy, play defense and run our sets and we’ll be perfectly fine,” said Kizart, who tallied 13 points in 26 minutes.

MSU started the week 4-0 in the Lone Star Conference, but now have momentum following wins over WNMU and UT Permian Basin.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

First half lifts men Basketball in battle of the Mustangs SHAROME BURTON REPORTER

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he men’s basketball team boasted a stellar shooting night, propelled by a dominant first half as they brushed aside the Western New Mexico Mustangs 88-70 at the D.L. Ligon Coliseum on Jan. 12.

Spurred on by hundreds of engaged fans, they set the pace on both ends of the court from tip-off to march to a 46-22 lead at halftime. WNMU was limited to just 24 percent shooting at the half, including zero threepointers, and could not a find a way back into the game as the Mustangs claimed their 2nd victory of the week to improve their Lone Star Conference record to 2-4.

Nelson Haggerty, head men’s basketball coach, said the first half’s play was the best he has seen from his team all season.

“Anytime you hold them to 24 percent with zero threes, we outer bounded them, we forced ten turnovers - you could definitely

say that was our best Haggerty said, half.” Said the two“We’re turning the time LSC coach of ball over way too the season. much. We’ve gotta Haggerty also get this thing down praised the efficiency to 12 or 13 per game.” and selflessness of his Business manteam, as evidenced agement junior and by season-highs in guard Josh Wallace assists (24) and fieldrecorded his second goal percentage (54). near-tr iple-double “We’re doing a with a handy stat line great job of sharing of 16 points, eight rethe basketball - when bounds and seven aswe’re driving we’re sists on 7-of-11 shootmaking plays for ing. Wallace who PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN each other, we’re not played a leading role forcing many shots - Mass communication junior and guard Elijah Lee in MSU’s 73-65 win tricks the Western New Mexico University deoffensively that’s one against UT Permian fense to score two points. way we’re getting betBasin on Thursday, ter,” said Haggerty. says the team is turnHowever, he pointed to his team’s 20 turn- ing things around. overs as an area to improve on.

“We’ve been having a different approach

coming into practice everyday, we’ve lost some tough ones and they’ve been close, we’ve still been improving and we knew eventually we were gonna turn this thing around,” said Wallace, “when you start winning, guys - instead of dreading practice are looking forward to practice and see film. We have a very competitive team and we’re all on the same page.

Guard and business senior Jajuan Starks led the scoring for MSU with 19 points on 7-from-14 shooting.

Patrons at the D.L. Ligon Coliseum were impressed with what came together before their eyes on Saturday, and there were similar sentiments from the Men’s Basketball camp on the crowd support and the team band, which also marked their return at the game.

“Those things help our guys have the connection with our fans. We had a great showing and I know it will get even better once we come back and build some more wins here,” said Haggerty.