Jan. 18, 2021 by The Wichitan and Wai Kun

Jan. 18, 2021 | thewichitan.com |Real Students. Real Stories. | Vol. 85 No. 9

COLUMN: Pg 2

Finding freedom in prison.

MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.: Pg 4-5

As we celebrate MLK Day, The Wichitan looks back at Dr. King legacy in civil rights and African American liberty, and how his teachings can be applied to today’s political context.

MEDIA: Pg 10

SPORTS: Pg 8-9

SATIRE: Pg 11

FACULTY AWARD: Pg 12

Sports are BACK for Spring 2021.

2021 accused of reusing old storylines.

Professor Jeffery Blacklock receives faculty award.

@WichitanOnline

‘Wonder Woman 1984’ is a colorful joyride.

@wichitanonline

@TheWichitan

The most dangerous disease: complacency Symptoms of COVID-19 are fever or chills, cough, difficulty breathing, loss of taste or smell, sore throat and above all else, complacency. Over 388,000 citizens have died in the U.S. and the daily average of new cases sits in the high teen-thousands. So, where are the masks? Where is the social distancing? Where is the care for human life? Focusing on Wichita Falls, the positivity rate is 14% and within the week ending Jan. 15, there were 834 new cases calculated by the Wichita County Health Department. Narrowing it down to how these cases were contracted, we look at contact, close contact and community spread. Last week, community spread took the gold medal. Community spread, according to the CDC, means “spread of an illness for which the source of infection is unknown.” Wichita Falls City Council issued a shelter-inplace order March 27. The city, at that time, had 26 active cases. The total active cases as of Jan. 15 is 2,329. Yet, walking around a grocery store, some still choose not to wear a mask or practice social distancing To frequent places around the city with 2,329 active cases without a mask and within one’s personal space is negligent, irresponsible and shows no regard for another’s health or life. On the other hand, MSU Texas students, faculty, and staff, are following guidelines to protect our community and the results are paying off. However, as long as Wichita Falls continues to be complacent in this pandemic, the efforts already taken to keep our community safe will need to continue.

CAMPUS VOICES

Finding freedom in prison I have always been a stubborn person, rigid in what I believe to be right and best Whitney for me and not O’Brien prone to learn from the experiences of others. In 2015, my life was a perfect manifestation of those qualities. In doing what I believed was right, beliefs I had gleaned from the media and world around me, I found myself nineteen, with a group of hyper-talented and diverse friends, money to burn and a satisfying online fanbase in the blogging community. Thin, athletic, charismatic, I thrived in social gatherings. I had reared, trained and fell in love with a dog I named Vixie Dae who never left my side and performed tricks for guests in my home. My friends and I ate steak at dinner parties I hosted. We took trips on a whim at my expense. I was in love with a young man I thought to be my

soulmate. I drove a stick shift. I railed on the Internet against misogyny and racism. I felt perfect. Life was like a dream. But from every dream, we must wake, be it delight or nightmare, or a blend of both. Being arrested for murder is not a surreal experience. Standing in handcuffs, shackles around your ankles, at seven in the morning as a Justice of the Peace sets your bond at one million dollars is sobering. It is reality in its harshest, most unforgiving light. Incarceration is all solid walls and direct orders. It was not a surprise, but rather a direct result of the life I had decided to live and how it contradicted with my inmost desires. Being left with few choices, one learns to dispel expectations which I believe to be the root of disappointment. My longing for freedom waned and settled into acceptance that life is not what you make it. Often, others make your life for you. Contentment lies within the ability to decide how you are going to be. During the sixty-two months I spent in the custody of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice, I learned not the key to happiness, but rather how to move fluidly around, through, and because of life and its PHOTO COURTESY OF WHITNEY O’BRIEN hardships and its gifts. Whitney O’Brien hanging out with Freedom and prison are not places, but friends (before prison).

PHOTO COURTESY OF WHITNEY O’BRIEN

Whitney release).

MANAGING EDITOR: Amos Perkins Vol. 85 | No. 9

@wichitanonline

NEW EDITOR: Stephanie Robledo DESIGN EDITOR: Omar Combie

ISSUE STAFF: Brian Lang, Nico McWilliams, Joseph Nelson, Whitney O’Brien, Trey Reed, Khirstia Sheffield, Colin Stevenson, Dallas Wabbington

ADVISOR: Jonathon Quam

(after

states of mind. It is the owner of the mind that decides how it is going to be. I went to prison already a prisoner to disappointment and unfulfillment. As my decisions were taken from me, layer after layer of façade was taken from me. I was not the girl with the perfect love life, or a cute dog, or the popular blog. Those things no longer stood between me and everything else. I had to learn to choose how I would be. In the face of hardship, would I be one who was offended or harmed? Given mercy, would I be one who was prideful and entitled? I learned to do what served me, which at the time, was foraging for the silver lining in all things to survive. The threat in incarceration is not correctional officers or other offenders. It is

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Bridget Reilly

Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room D201 3410 Taft Blvd. | Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 wichitan@msutexas.edu | thewichitan.com

O’Brien

not the food. It is not sickness or violence. It is depression, as it can slowly convince you that this mode of life is pointless, futile and without hope or benefit. I chose how to fight that threat, and it was with gratitude. I have been out of prison for 134 days. My life is different from the old one, without drugs, my dog, my car or a surplus of money. Parole demands are difficult and sometimes, my pride rails against being constrained. No twenty-five-year-old wants to live with their mother after having been independent. Despite not having children of my own, I change my niece’s diapers every day. My life is sober and plain, a far-cry from both my prison and pre-incarceration activities. I have a multitude of things to complain about, a plethora of potential decorations at my own pity party. But, in the morning, as I drink my coffee and watch the sunrise from my window, I am grateful, not because of where I was, or what I missed. I am grateful because I choose to be. I am grateful because I am free, not just of shackles and concrete walls, but of unfulfillment and powerlessness. Freedom comes from within yourself with the power to choose how you are going to be in the face of hardships or the delights of life, and also in every moment. Prison taught me this: I must choose freedom with each breath I take.

Copyright ©2021. First copy free. Additional copies $1.00 each. 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.

THE DAY DEMOCRACY ALMOST DIED

PHOTO BY RUPERTO MILLER

A rioter breaks a glass window of the United States Capitol Building. Jan. 6.

n early January, two millennia ago, the Senate of the Roman Republic attempted to strip Julius Caesar of his military command and Joseph render him a private Nelson citizen. In response, Julius Caesar led an army into Rome, eventually seizing authority from the centuries old republic and becoming dictator. The senators who attempted to make Caesar a private citizen fled the legislature and capitol, in order to avoid capture. In early January of 2021, Congress attempted to certify the results of the electoral college, which would render Donald Trump a one term president. In response, a violent mob stormed the United States Capitol building. In this temple of democracy, these insurrectionists killed a police officer, ransacked congressional offices, and successfully occupied the legislative chamber. These thugs, carrying explosives and zip tie handcuffs, could have easily held elected officials captive, entering hostage negotiations and delaying the electoral college for days or even weeks, in order to keep President Trump in

power. Thankfully, representatives and senators fled the chamber just in time, in order to avoid capture. The capitol police secured the building by dispersing the insurrectionists, and Congress went back to certifying the presidential election, ensuring President Trump’s eventual status as a private citizen. We are very lucky that our institutions held strong. The whole catalyst of the event was President Trump telling senators to overrule the results of an election, in order to prevent his term’s end. He made this plea in a rally just before the coup attempt, where he said, “We’re going to walk down to the capitol… because you’ll never take back our country with weakness.” Even though the President never marched with the mob like Caesar marched with his insurrectionists, his incitement of the coup and his plea to toss out election results is still terrifying. If Congress followed the demands of Trump and these terrorists, we could have easily seen President Trump win a second term, without winning the electoral college, not to mention losing the popular vote. This disdain for democracy goes farther. Far-right commentators looked at the sea of Trump memorabilia and

blamed Antifa, which is not the first time political actors have used scapegoats. However, it’s still terrifying to see a cheap, authoritarian trick used in our centuries old republic. Some Americans even equate the occupation of our legislature to the BLM riots last year: as if the violence displayed then would have installed an unelected leader. This is another tactic from the dictator cookbook: leveling sloppy accusations of hypocrisy instead of taking responsibility (see the propaganda tactic, Whataboutism). Claims of election fraud animated this capital siege from start to finish. John F. Kennedy once said that “[T] hose who make peaceful revolution impossible will make violent

revolution inevitable”. These insurrectionists felt as if their votes were thrown out in a “rigged election”, and they aimed to stop that “rigged election” from being certified. This is why false claims of voter fraud are so dangerous. When you constantly convince your supporters that the peaceful revolution, an election, can’t be trusted, you cause those supporters to naturally drift towards a violent revolution. The FBI, 50 state legislatures and our own Supreme Court have already agreed that no widespread voter fraud occurred. If you still believe that this election was stolen, you are buying into another ingredient of authoritarian rhetoric: a large scale conspiracy orchestrated by a particular enemy. According to Umberto Eco, a cultural theorist who summarized the principles of fascism, fascist societies require an obsession with an enemy plot against their leader: an enemy that is “at the same time too strong and too weak”. To the far right, who use slogans like “crying lib” and “snowflake,” Democrats are seen as overly sensitive and, in Trump’s words, evoking “weak-

ness.” Yet, they have successfully orchestrated a plot against the president, involving the media, our own intelligence agencies and our own judicial and electoral system from local to federal level. Those who hold both of these ideas in their heads believe the Democrats are equally weak and aggressively strong. Benjamin Franklin famously said our form of government is “[a] republic, if you can keep it.” If we wish to keep our centuries old republic, we cannot allow these hateful conspiracy theories to infest our politics any longer. A strong predictor of a coup attempt is a previous coup attempt. If we do not want a repeat of January 6 on Inauguration Day, we must collectively agree that everyone who voted to overturn this election and concede to the delusions of terrorists should never hold elected office again. If we do not unify against this threat, I say in sadness that I am convinced we will lose our republic to another Julius Caesar.

PHOTO BY BRETT DAVIS

Rioters storm the United States Capitol Building. Jan 6.

Martin Luth

MORE THAN “

DALLAS WAB REPORTER | M s we ta to reco movem and racial te these tumult to King’s era conflict. “A lot of t would defini times I think and believe i there, which noticed the p and riots an Cammie Dea tural Center, Martin Lu 15, 1929. He g high school Morehouse C sociology. He Divinity degr Theology. Kin and a memb the National of Colored Pe and strongly seen by the cott he lead ing this boyc was bombed personal abu enced decla tutio “D persistence

country, and member

her King, Jr.

“THE DREAM”

BBINGTON | AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR ake this Martin Luther King Jr. Day ognize a pioneer in the civil rights ment, we do so amidst political ension in the U.S. Some argue that tuous times seem like a throwback a of segregation, polarization and

the messages he [MLK] left behind itely resonate with today. Somek people limit him to ‘the dream’ in ‘post civil rights’ [as if] we got is absolutely not the case as we’ve past summer of 2020 with protests nd debates about police brutality,” an, director of MOSAIC Cross Cul, said. uther King Jr. was born on January grew up in Atlanta, graduated from at the age of 15 and then went to College, where he earned his BA in e was later awarded a Bachelor of ree and then his PhD in Systematic ng would go on to become a pastor ber of the executive committee of l Association for the Advancement eople. King promoted nonviolence y believed in peaceful protests, as infamous Montgomery Bus Boyd to promote desegregation. Durcott, King was arrested, his house and both he and his family faced use, but his efforts ultimately influd the Supreme Court decision to are segregation on buses unconstional. Dr. King taught patience peace and and I think that those teachings can and are being applied today. There are people from all ages and backgrounds taking an active role in changing their communities and our ,” Gabby Wright, psychology senior of Black Student Union, said.

Between 1957 and 1968, King travelled all over the country and gave speeches about injustice, protest and a call to action. He led the Birmingham Campaign in 1963 which included marches and sit-ins against racism. The protest and King’s famous letter “Letter from Birmingham Jail” following his arrest caught the attention of the world. The letter called for unity and explained that people have a responsibility to take direct action against injustice. Following his release from jail, King directed a peaceful march in Washington D.C. of 250,000 people and delivered his famous speech “I Have a Dream,” which emphasized racial equality and King’s belief that someday people would be judged by their character rather than their skin color. These actions played a critical role in the eventual signing of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. On April 4, 1968, before King was to lead a protest march for sanitation workers in Tennessee, he was shot and killed on the balcony of his motel room by James Earl Ray. King’s death sparked riots and protests across the country in more than 100 cities. “A lot of people don’t know about what he had to say beyond ‘the dream.’ Beyond ‘the dream,’ he talked a great deal about both the benefits and the risks of capitalism and the particular type of materialism that drives exploitation of lower classes and for countries of militarization, inside and outside the country. [He spoke of] the importance of being actively engaged, civically and politically, because it was a system that he believed in. Though he knew there was work to do, to make it work the way it should. I think there were a lot of things he said that would apply to today,” Dean said. “I am not sure what he would think of the country because I’m obviously not him but I do think that he would encourage us to be persistent in fighting for what we believe in because it is our responsibility to advocate for the world that we want,” Wright said.

HISACHIEVEMENTS

LED THE MONTGOMERY BUS BOYCOTT (1955)

PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON (1963)

WAS DEEMED “MAN OF THE YEAR” BY TIME MAGAZINE (1964)

WAS THE YOUNGEST MAN AND THIRD BLACK MAN TO WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE (1964)

MLK DAY IS THE ONLY FEDERAL HOLIDAY RECOGNIZING AN AFRICAN-AMERICAN

AFTER HIS DEATH, HE WAS AWARDED A GRAMMY FOR “BEST SPOKEN WORD RECORDING” FOR “WHY I OPPOSE THE WAR IN VIETNAM” SPEECH (1971)

COVID-19 POLICY UPDATE

OMAR COMBIE DESIGN EDITOR

New year, new semster, but same pandemic. COVID-19 is still a major problem and the university has kept most of its policies from last semester, however it has added some new ones. Here are some of the major updates. For more info, visit the “Update for Spring 2021” document on the university website.

What’s new? The university has a 24/7 hotline to provide guidance regarding questions about COVID-19. Should you have a question about exposure, reporting, or anything else related to COVID-19, please call the hotline at 940-3973019.

Instead of the traditional Homecoming and Family Weekend events, a special Homecoming celebration will be offered only to the campus community the week of March 22.

All spectators are required to wear face coverings at all times and practice social distancing of at least 6 feet. Occupancy for D.L. Ligon Coliseum is limited to 25% capacity.

An advisor, or acceptable substitute, must attend ALL student organization events to monitor compliance with filed COVID-19 mitigation plans.

A working group has convened to plan for the distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine. More information will be distributed to the MSU Texas campus community upon receipt of the vaccine.

COLLEGIATE HEALTH: COPING MECHANISMS

PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAY

45% of college students said they experience “more than average stress” according to the Association-2018 National College Health Assessment. STEPHANIE ROBLEDO NEWS EDITOR alancing academics, social life and other responsibilities can be difficult and lead to stress, among other issues. It is important to know how to deal with these problems in a healthy and productive way to avoid other problems in the future. “I would just encourage people to try to figure out what the problem is and if they can address the problem head-on,” Zachary Zoet M.A., LPC, counseling center assistant director, said. “If they can’t address the problem head-on then at that point it’d be better for them to figure out different ways to cope with it.” There are ample coping mechanisms for all personality types from the worriers to those that are care-free. Zoet believes with a healthy mind, you can avoid having to work harder on tasks that will lead to the worst outcome. “I would recommend different coping skills and strategies things like leaning on social support systems [or] figuring out how the stress plays out for you. If you are a worrier type

stressor maybe finding distracting strategies, ways to do things that are fulfilling or make you happy. If you’re the kind of person that works best with mindfulness strategies maybe working out some way for you to practice meditation or mindfulness,” Zoet said. Taking time to compose oneself is one Mustang’s way of coping with everyday stress. “Usually when I’m very stressed I try to take a few minutes for myself to do some of the things that I like to do, like going on walks or spending time with my friends,” Guadalupe Gamiz, social work senior, said. The Mayo Clinic rallies behind exercise as it taps into the “brain’s feel good neurotransmitters, called endorphins.” The Anxiety and Depression Association of America have found that “regular participation in aerobic exercise has been shown to decrease overall levels of tension, elevate and stabilize mood, improve sleep, and improve self-esteem.” “I like to go to the gym; I think that’s a big destresser for me, because even if you’re stressed about a lot of other things, you at least get a decent workout in. Then that’s something

American College Health

positive you can say about the day,” Katherine Kurylas, social work sophomore, said. Other Mustangs cope by taking a step back and trying to solve the problem little by little. “Take it one thing at a time. If one thinks of everything they have to do, it’ll get overwhelming. Take it one step and one thing at a time,” Brittaney Rivera-Orsini, radiology sophomore, said. Coping with stress or other problems looks different for everyone, but in the end, it aims to help with the issue at hand. “There [are] just as many different ways to cope as there are people on the planet. It can look like drawing, sculpting, reading, writing, playing video games, running [or] playing basketball; there [are] so many different ways that people can find what works for them,” Zoet said. Zoet believes that taking control of your stress - to a certain degree - can reduce the escalation of stress. “A lot of times it’s when we surrender that sense of control or we’re perceiving that we don’t have control that it really starts to esca-

late a lot of negative thinking styles and contributes to these patterns of stress. I would really encourage people, when they can, to try and exert a degree of control and mastery over their situation. The first step to do that is to figure out all the different resources that you have in order to change your situation,” Zoet said. Zoet says that resources can be found on many avenues. For Mustangs, MSU provides a few for students to use, such as resources for academics such as the tutoring center at the library, physical health with the Vinson Health Center and mental health as well at the counseling center. “The metaphor that I like to use for mental health is, your mental health it works with your body to be the whole of your car. You need your car to get where you’re going and if you don’t maintain your car because you’re so busy going here, going there, doing this, doing that, eventually, the car is going to break down,” Zoet said.“If you don’t prioritize your physical as well as your mental health you’re gonna be in a situation where you might be in a place in a time trying to do something but you literally can’t cross that finish line because you don’t have the resources that you’re needing to pull on in order to succeed. So prioritizing your physical and mental health is not really something that’s optional because you’re gonna expend so much more effort, energy, heartache trying to do a task.” According to Zoet, the amount of brainpower and physical power that you can bring to the task is much higher when you’re taking care of yourself, and it will result in the best outcome. “Sometimes there’s a lot of barriers to reaching out [and] getting that help...but we are here help. We love to help; we consider our lives work and mission to be able to support our students. I would encourage students depending on their issue or concern there’s somebody really waiting to help you and connect with you without judgment to figure out how we can best realize where you are trying to go,” Zoet said.

COUNSELLING CENTER HOURS: 8:00 A.M. TO 5:00 P.M. MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY

PHONE: 940-397-4618 TELE-COUNSELING AVAILABLE

(From Top Left to Bottom Right) Psychology sophomore and pitcher Mattye Tyler forces a strike for a UT Tyler player. March 8, 2020. Photo by Bridget Reilly | Kinesiology junior and tight end Matt Jones lifts up sports and leisure sophomore and ru by Bridget Reilly | Forward and graduate student, Morgan Lenahan, prepares to take on defender versus UT-Tyler, Jan. 15. Photo by Niko McWilliams. | Exercise physiology freshman Emilija Visic launches the ball back over the net for a point. Feb golf ball down the fairway during practice at the Wichita Falls Country Club, Oct. 13, 2020. Photo by Bridget Reilly. | Mass communication junior Taylor Anderson leaps for a spike against Arkansas Fort-Smith. Nov. 15, 2019. Photo by Bridget Reilly. systems senior Angel Palacios reaches for a backhand. March 5, 2020. Photo by Bridget Reilly | Management junior Jake Doggett chips the golf ball out of the bunker at the Midwestern State Invitational held at the Wichita Falls Country Club, Oct

LOOKING AHEAD TO A B

AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR The Mustangs are gearing up for what looks to be a jam-packed schedule. With teams that were unable to play in the fall now participating in spring matches, an unprecdented 12 different teams will be competing in Spring 2021.

MEN’S GOLF

The men’s golf team finished the fall season ranked 15th in GolfStat’s rankings of National College Athletics Association Division II teams. The ‘Stangs finished top four in all four events, including a first place finish at the University of Texas Tyler Invitational Oct. 26. Among the standouts for the golf team have been Jake Doggett, management senior, and Garrett Leek, management junior. Leek is currently ranked as the second best golfer in NCAA Division II by GolfStat after scoring par-or-better in 10 of his 11 rounds. Doggett finished par-or-

better in five of his eight rounds and is currently ranked 15th by GolfStat. The men’s golf team’s first event of Spring 2021 is the Houston Classic in Humble, Tx Monday and Tuesday, Feb. 8 and 9.

WOMEN’S GOLF

The women’s golf team finished the fall season with two fifth place showings and a sixth place showing in the three events played. Juanita Gomez, senior, Beatrice Perucchini, education sophomore, and Katie Reeves, undecided senior, all finished the fall season with sub-80 average scores. The women’s golf team begins its spring season with RJGA/WNMU’s “THE CACTUS THAW!”event in El Paso, Tx Sunday and Monday Feb. 14 and 15.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

As of Jan. 15, the women’s basketball team is 4-2 and undefeated at home. The

‘Stangs have outscored and out rebounded their opponents on average this season thus far. Morgan Lenahan (No.24), guard and Masters of Criminal Justice senior, currently leads the team in scoring with 13.3 points-per-game. Haevyn Risley (No.15), guard and business finance junior, has lead the ‘Stangs on the boards, pulling in a team-high 7.2 rebounds a game. The next chance to watch the women’s team play will be Friday, Jan. 22 at 3:30 p.m. at home against Texas Women’s University.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

After winning eight games all of last season, the men’s basketball is just one win away from tying that win tally with a record of 7-1 as of Jan. 15. Two of the players leading the charge are Derrick Ogechi (No. 8), guard and undecided junior, who averages 14 points and 7.4 rebounds per game and Terrell Wilson (No. 10), guard and kinesiology sophomore, who averages 12.5 points, 4.3

assists and 2.1 steals per game. The next chance to watch the men’s team play will be Friday, Jan. 22 at 5 p.m. in Dallas, Tx against Dallas Baptist University.

MEN’S SOCCER

The men’s soccer team looks to replicate the success of the 2019 season when they reached the second round of the NCAA Division II tournament and won the Lone Star Conference Tournament. The team used the canceled 2020 fall season as extra practice toward the 2021 season. This season will be the final of Taylor Lampe (No. 1), goalkeeper and exercise physiology senior, the goalkeeper with the most wins and clean sheets in MSU history. The team also returns Carlos Flores (No. 17), midfielder and kinesiology senior, and Sebastian Venegas (No. 10), midfielder and businesses management senior, who recorded five goals and six assists each, last season. The men’s team will open the season at

home Tuesday, Feb. 1 Christian University.

WOMEN’S SO

Women’s soccer w upon a 2019 campaign a record of 4-12-2, wit es coming in close ga Kelly Cannistra (N radiology senior, ret after leading them i 2019. The team also r players from 2019, a three seniors last yea The men’s team w in Canyon, Tx Wedne West Texas A&M Uni

WOMEN’S TEN

Last spring the w posted a record of 8-4 der of the games wer Casie Curry, exe nior, opened the 2020

unning back Lazarus Fisher after after scoring a touchdown against Western New Mexico. Nov. 9, 2019. Photo by Bridget Reilly | Exercise physiology junior and goalkeeper Taylor Lampe saves a goal in the 78th minute of play. Nov. 7, 2019. Photo b. 7, 2020. Photo by Bridget Reilly. | Business freshman and midfielder Kara Bates takes a shot at goals, narrowly missing against Oklahoma Christian University. Oct 17, 2019. Photo by Bridget Reilly | Undecided freshman Mason Garrett sends the . | Nursing senior Gemma Gonzalez runs in the 800-meter race. Feb. 22, 2020. Photo by Colin Stevenson. | Guard and psychology junior, Jermane Carter, attempts shot versus UT-Tyler, Jan. 15. Photo by Niko McWilliams. | Management information t. 13. Photo by Trey Reed.

USY MUSTANGS SEASON

16 against Oklahoma .

OCCER

will look to improve n that saw them post th many of those lossames. No. 8), midfielder and turns for the ‘Stangs in goals with five in returns most of their after graduating just ar. will begin spring play esday, Feb. 17 against iversity.

NNIS

women’s tennis team 4, before the remainre canceled. ercise physiology ju0 season ranked No.

43 in singles, posted a 1-4 record at No. 1 and a 4-1 record on the number two line. Emilija Visic, exercise physiology sophomore, began her career by winning five-straight singles matches and compiled a 9-2 singles record. Women’s tennis’ first game is at home against Collin College on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 12 p.m.

MEN’S TENNIS

Last spring, Men’s tennis they recorded a record of 8-7 before the rest of the games were canceled. Alexandre Crepy, general business sophomore, finished the season 8-6 in singles, going 4-2 at No. 3, 2-3 at No. 4, 1-1 at No. 5 and 1-0 at No. 6. Alberto Diaz, business management senior, compiled an 8-6 mark in singles play, won five of the first six singles matches to open the season and ended the season on a threematch winning streak. Men’s tennis’ first game is at home against Collin College on Saturday, Feb. 6 at 12 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL

After not playing any games Fall 2020, the volleyball team looks to Spring 2021 to improve upon their 8-21 showing in 2019. Despite the .276% winning percentage, the team did manage to secure a playoff berth for the first time since 2016. Raven Presley (No. 21), right-side hitter and mechanical engineering senior, is set to return after her season ending injury 15 matches into the 2019 season. Before being sidelined, she recorded 95 kills and 7 blocks. Kaitlyn Masseth (No. 8), setter and business management sophomore, also returns to the team after recording 446 assists and a team high 36 service aces. The ‘Stangs begin their season Tuesday, Jan. 26 at 6 p.m. at home against UT Tyler.

FOOTBALL

The MSU Texas football team looks to bounce back from a 5-6 showing in 2019: the first time the Mustangs had finished below .500 since Head Coach Bill Maskill

took over in 2002. After season starter Zach Purcell (No. 10), quarterback and finance senior, went down with an injury four games into the season, three different players took snaps under center. The ‘Stangs will have more options at quarterback now with the return of Purcell and the transfer of Jackson State starter Derrick Ponder, quarterback and applied arts and sciences senior. The Mustang’s first game of spring football will be in Portales, NM, Saturday, Feb. 27 at 1 p.m. against Eastern New Mexico University.

SOFTBALL

The softball team’s 2020 season was cut short after 22 games. The Mustangs had posted a 3-19 record up to that point with two of the three victories coming at home. Ashley Turner (No. 5), infielder and undecided junior, had the second most hits last season at 24. Right behind her in that category with 23 was Bailey Brenek (No. 16), utility player and education

sophomore, who also led the team with four home runs. Softball’s first game comes at home Thursday, Feb. 11 at 6 p.m. against Northwestern Oklahoma State University.

CROSS COUNTRY/TRACK

The cross country team performed well in the fall, finishing fifth in the Lone Star Conference Championship. Amerhyst Woolf, nursing senior, placed 8th at the event with a personal best time of 22:44.93, and she became the fifth Mustang in history to earn All-LSC honors three times. The track team is currently in the process of finding a new coach, and the schedule will be posted in the future.

TO FIND THE GAME SCHEDULES FOR THE DIFFERENT TEAMS, VISIT MSUMUSTANGS.COM.

‘WONDER WOMAN 1984’

is a colorful joyride with a couple of bumps

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

Wonder Woman 1984 (2020) premiered on Dec. 25th in U.S. theaters and HBO Max.

he supers have returned. After a year-long hiatus from the silver screen, DC and HBO Max have brought superheroes back with “Wonder Woman 1984” and while Wonder Woman isn’t saving the day Brian Lang on the big screens like we’re used to, watching at home is a good start. It’s been 60 years since Wonder Woman, aka Diana Prince (Gal Gadot), has been seen in the public, and even though Diana’s still as confident, beautiful and strong as ever, she’s not making many new friends. To fill her time, Diana’s been working as an ancient artifacts curator at the Smithsonian and fighting crime incognito in the neon-saturated Washington D.C. of the early 1980s. She teams up with her shy gemologist colleague Barbara Minerva (Kristen Wiig) after she’s asked to investigate a mysterious artifact that claims it can grant wishes to whoever possesses it. After Diana and Barbara accidentally make wishes (for Diana’s long-dead World War I boyfriend Steve to return, and for Barbara to be as strong and confident as Diana) the Dreamstone is stolen by the shady business mogul Max Lord (Pedro Pascal), who has more sinister intentions for his newfound wish-granting abilities. The wishes seem too good to be true, and they really are, as the powers of the stone take from the supplicants just as much as it gives. Wishes

stack up as Diana, Barbara and the rest of the world have to grapple with the consequences of getting their hearts deepest desires. It’s nice to be watching a superhero movie again, especially one as upbeat and fun as this one. Director Patty Jenkins cranks up Wonder Woman’s super-ness as she brings out the invisible jet, flying powers, and has Diana lassoing off of lightning The somber tones of the first film are replaced with splashy 80’s nostalgia that makes this go-round of Wonder Woman more colorful and interesting to watch. Kristen Wiig does well as the meek Barbara who morphs into The Cheetah, but Pedro Pascal struggles to find his footing as Max Lord. To be fair, it’s a clunky character that would be hard to grapple for most actors, but Pascal seems to err on the side of campy versus serious, which takes most of the punch out of his villain. Chris Pine returns as the sweet and earnest Steve, his character “magically” morphed onto a stranger in order to grant Diana’s big wish. I wish he would’ve been used more, especially after Pine and Gadot developed such fun chemistry in their first turn. Even though Wonder Woman builds on the first film, it doesn’t add any new substance to its growing canon of characters. I would have loved to see a deeper exploration of who Wonder Woman is beside her pining for lost love, and despite Kristen Wiig’s best efforts, her character development felt too rushed and easy. The

Amazons are seen for just a quick flashback and then barely used or referenced again. The first “Wonder Woman” film pitted Diana against Ares, the god of war, and Jenkins has a similar good-versus-evil theme in mind for her sequel as Max’s swelling wish-granting abilities come to represent the idea of greed itself. The plot gets a little jumbled as Diana monologues about how her lasso of truth is the only thing that can fight this magnitude of greed, which I think is a cool concept that didn’t translate as well from idea to the screen. It’s this big, convoluted idea of Diana fighting against the greed of the world that throws this train off its tracks in the last half hour, but “WW84” begs you to sit back and enjoy the thrill of the ride instead of asking too many questions or picking it apart. “Wonder Woman 1984” feels like the kind of movie that’s fun to watch with friends, but not one you’d necessarily rewatch on your own. It can be hard to accept the mediocre, as fun as it may be, but that’s just what Wonder Woman wants us to do.

Brian’s Film Rating: 3/5 COMIC BY DALLAS WABBINGTON

2021 CRITICIZED FOR REUSING OLD STORYLINES

PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAY

Early reviews of the 2021 season of the series “Earth” have not been flattering. “We’re tired of the orange guy,” Cthulhu, Milky Way history freshman from Uranus University, said. Viewers and critics alike express great disinterest in the continued pandemic story.

ntergalactic viewers from across the universe often tune into their favorite show “Earth” to watch how the humans continue to destroy themselves in new and hilarious ways, but the new 2021st season of “Earth” has been criticized for reusing old plot lines. Our interstellar reporter, Ramo “The Spaceman” Smith, traveled the universe to interview otherworldly university students about their thoughts and translate them for this article. “Season 2020 was definitely the most exciting ‘Earth’ season since the 1940s, and those were a little too dark even for me,” Urk McGorgs, sports and lasers studies sophomore from Saturn State University, said. “So it was really disappointing to see them already reusing and carrying over plots we’ve already seen before to start 2021.”

A few of the accused recycled plot lines include the impeachment of President Donald Trump (last seen in season 2019), violent protests, widespread racism, tensions between China and the US and human rights abuses. “It’s just lazy writing is what it is. Some of these plots being reused are from hundreds of seasons ago. I mean, China literally has brought back cotton-picking slavery, though I’m starting to think we care more about that than the humans do. All humans seem to care about is yelling at each other over politics for the 233rd season in a row, and now they’re even impeaching the angry orange man for the second time in three seasons,” Cthulhu, Milky Way history freshman from Uranus University, said. “It’s a bit too repetitive for my tastes.” Among the primary com-

plaints was the continuation of the Coronavirus arc from 2020. Just as is the case here on Earth, it seems aliens are growing tired and bored of quarantine. Reports have also said that only being able to see half of the character’s faces at

all times is a turn-off as well. According to surveys, there was hope with the introduction of the vaccine plot device, but the number of human Anti-vaxxers ruined the excitement for many viewers. “I swear humans are al-

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Some viewers fear that the bringing back of stale story plots could mean that the end of the “Earth” series is near.

ways trying to recreate the success of the plague arc from the 1300’s season. Just give it up, it’s never going to happen. All the coronavirus has given us is the “Anti-vaxxers,” who are the most annoying characters introduced since the ‘Flat Earthers,’” Xena Morph, abduction senior from Achilles Galaxy Junior College, said. The one 2020 plot-line that has been called original was the episode 6 storming of the U.S. capital building. However, that too has been marred with controversy for a number of reasons including claims of it being “unrealistic.” The polarized nature of the context of the scene also made little sense to the extraterrestrials, who eliminated the political party system hundreds of thousands of years ago in their home planets. “For me, it was just too predictable. Everybody from

here to the Milky Way knew the whole ‘election fraud’ storyline was going to blow up in their faces. Well, I guess everyone except the FBI that is,” Gnorts Mralien, intergalactic studies senior from the Plutonian Education Institute, said. Despite the uproar, all of the intergalactic students interviewed said they were going to keep watching “Earth” as long as it remains on popular streaming site Spaceflix. A human studies junior at the University of North Mercury, who identified himself only by his initials, E.T., gave us his reason he won’t stop watching “Earth.” “It’s just too much fun watching humans constantly find new ways to make their lives more miserable for no reason. I’m going to keep watching until the show inevitably ends with a global warming series finale,” E.T. said.

Jeffery Blacklock recognized for 35 years of service KHIRSTIA SHEFFIELD FEATURE EDITOR s a first-generation student, he was wary of the life before him and the career he wanted to dedicate his life to, but he always knew he wanted to help people. Like most of us, he immersed himself in various career fields like health, medicine, and law. But those career paths never resonated with him as much as being an educator did, so after finally realizing what his true passion was, he deeply planted his roots into education. Focused on making an impact, he went back to school to complete 45 hours of training, while juggling the demands as the head of his household. 35 years later, Jeffery Blacklock, associate professor of curriculum and learning, received the faculty award from the university

that started it all. “I was so humbled and surprised,” Blacklock said. “Having my colleagues from across the university recognize me that way is really humbling, and it makes me grateful for all my experiences. It’s my calling to teach and serve others, so it is quite an honor to be recognized in such a way.” Blacklock has committed 35 years of his life to being an educator. He has always prided himself in putting the needs of his students before his own while finding new ways to enhance his career. What started as a full-time teaching job as a 5th and 6th grade teacher, led him to an endless array of possibilities. “People don’t realize that in education you can do lots of different things,” said Blacklock. “I was a curriculum specialist for the [Wichita Falls Independent School] District, I worked

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFFERY BLACKLOCK

Jeffery Blacklock at the Kappa Delta Pi 53rd Annual Convo in Norfolk, Virginia, Oct. 2019.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JEFFERY BLACKLOCK

Jeffery Blacklock, associate professor of curriculum and learning, has been an educator for 35 years, with 15 of those years at MSU Texas.

with teachers at Region 9 and I’ve been an assistant principal.” After spending 15 years at MSU, Blacklock says it always comes down to being able to make a difference for others, and he believes that’s the true meaning of being an educator. “I love teaching college students,” Blacklock said. “They teach me as much as I teach them, but being an educator is a big task. My role is to encourage others to become better people, so that they can help reach their full potential. I help these students reach their aspirations and to reach their goals while becoming a better person.” He also enjoys being able to grow as MSU slowly evolves into a community full of different backgrounds and experiences. “The difference between Midwestern today and when I went is there were no students of color or from different backgrounds,” Blacklock said. “Being an educator has allowed me to reflect on these things, because we have a

moral obligation to be aware of our students and the struggles they may face.” Throughout his career, his students and their success have been one of his biggest inspirations when he faces hardships. “There’s a lot of things that can get you down, but when my students come back to thank me for something it makes it all worth it,” Blacklock said. “We get to experience learning together and we help each other keep moving forward.” For Blacklock, retirement is on the horizon. As he says goodbye to full-time teaching, Blacklock desires to leave a legacy of grace behind him. “I hope my legacy would be that I was a caring person,” Blacklock said. “I have always tried to go the extra mile with my students because everybody needs some grace. I do want to be one that extends grace and I hope they felt that.”