March 11, 2022 by The Wichitan and Wai Kun

March 11, 2022 | thewichitan.com |Real Students. Real Stories. | Vol. 86 No. 11

CAMPUS VOICES: Pg 3

The Ukranian crisis proves why history matters.

NEWS: Pg 4

After a months-long closed search, MSU and the Texas Tech system finally pulled the curtain back to reveal JuliAnn Mazachek as the sole finalist for the position of MSU president.

ENTERTAINMENT: Pg 11

“The Batman” knows it’s great but that’s not bad.

WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH: Pg 6-7

ESPAÑOL: Pg 13

STANG STORIES: Pg 14

The Wichitan highlights MSU women.

Todo está delicioso en el Grand Buffet.

Take a look at Brenda Campbell’s story.

@WichitanOnline

@wichitanonline

@TheWichitan

Spring break

Spring break is here, and it was greatly missed by the students at MSU. It’s true what they say, you don’t know what you have until it’s gone. Which is why you should take full advantage of your spring break. Make up for the nonexistent one last spring. Yes, that’s a lot to fit into one week, but it’s important to take a break. To decompress and destress from classes and other obligations on campus. This way you can come back energized, ready to finish the semester strong. Taking a break also has benefits such as improving memory, health, and creativity to name a few. So take this break as a time to focus on yourself and forget the stress for a week. --------------------------------------------Las vacaciones de primavera están aquí, y fueron extrañadas por los estudiantes de MSU. Es cierto lo que dicen, no sabes lo que tienes hasta que se va. Por esta razón es porque deberías aprovechar estas vacaciones. Compensa por lo que no pasó la primavera pasada. Si, es mucho para una semana pero es importante tomar un descanso. Para descomprimir y desestresarse de las clases y otras obligaciones en el campus. Así regresarás energizado, listo para terminar el semestre. Tomar un descanso también tiene beneficios como mejorar la memoria, la salud y la creatividad, para nombrar algunos. Pues, usa estas vacaciones para enfocarte en ti y olvídate del estrés por una semana.

Vol. 86 | No. 11 Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room D201 3410 Taft Blvd. | Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 wichitan@msutexas.edu | thewichitan.com @wichitanonline

Wichisnow Winner F

rom Feb. 23-25, The Wichitan hosted the “Wichisnow Contest” where students were asked to submit their best snow day pictures. The winner of the Wichisnow day was Krista Hawkins, theater and education junior.

PHOTO COURTESY OF KRISTA HAWKINS

Theater and education junior Krista Hawkins won the #wichisnow photo contest, Feb. 25. These are some of the photos she submitted. Editor in Chief: Stephanie Robledo Design Editor: Omar Combie Photography Editor: Colin Stevenson Business Manager: Abigail Jones Social Media Manager: Rebekah Gardner Section Editors: Joseph Nelson, Thalía Doe Issue Staff: Javier Contreras, Natalie Cook, Krista Hawkins, Keza Muvunyi, Fernando Piedra, Amos Perkins, Gabriela Saldaña, Cecil Witherspoon Advisor: Jonathon Quam

Copyright ©2022. 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 UKRAINE CRISIS PROVES WHY ITS IMPORTANT TO UNDERSTAND HISTORY Columns are the opinions of only the authors and do not necesssarily reflect the views of The Wichitan as an organization.

n the late 1930’s, a nationalist tyrant with absolute control of a powerful, but recently humiliated, nation in Europe invaded and occupied a neighboring sovereign state. Next thing you know, this tyrant has begun the deadliest conflict in human Amos history and the world agrees Perkins that such a thing can never be allowed to happen again. Less than 100 years later, in 2022, a nationalist tyrant with absolute control of a powerful, but recently humiliated, nation in Europe has invaded and occupied a neighboring sovereign state. So, how did we get here and how can we use history to predict what happens now? Over the decades since the end of World War II, many politicians have been compared to Adolf Hitler often as a pretty extreme hyperbole. However, Russia’s Vladimir Putin has a pretty good case to be the war criminal’s second coming. Like Hitler, Putin grew up when his country was a great world power and he never lost that mentality even as that empire crumbled. Putin also has never accepted the sovereignty of many of the post-Soviet states. In fact, the summer before his invasion of Ukraine he claimed the country, that has a separate history and identity stretching back a thousand years,

has always been Russian and has no history as a separate entity. He also made baseless claims that Ukraine carried out a genocide against the ethnic Russians in the country and they needed to be liberated; Hitler made these exact claims about the German population in Czechoslovakia before invading. The strategy of appeasing Hitler did nothing to deter him from further invasion, and appeasement would do nothing to stop Putin. Instead, Putin must continue to be shown by the international community that his invasion of a sovereign state was a mistake and any further misdeeds will be punished. These sanctions put on the by the west are a great start by crippling the Russian economy, and that’s why we as everyday Americans need to understand that these extremely high prices we’re facing are worth it to stand up to injustice. As scary as it is to think of, if Putin does make things even worse by assaulting a NATO country the US must be quick and swift in responding. Think about how many less lives could have been lost if the USA had intervened in the two world wars sooner. If we truly want to be the shining beacon of democracy and hope we claim to be, we need to learn from history and stand up to Putin’s aggression sooner rather than later.

Over 80,000 people have used humanitarian corridors to flee areas surrounding Ukraine’s capital, Kyiv, and the northeastern city of Sumy in the past two days, Ukraine’s deputy prime minister, Iryna Vereshchuk, said during a news conference on Thursday.

PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTI | PEXELS

PHOTO COURTESY OF KATIE GODOWSKI | PEXELS

PHOTO COURTESY OF MATTI | PEXELS

Congress passed a major spending bill on Thursday that includes $13.6 billion in Over 2.3 million people have fled Ukraine since Russia’s invasion began on Feb. 24, an emergency aid for Ukraine as it battles Russia’s invasion. 1.9 million more are displaced within the country, according to U.N. officials.

THE SEARCH IS OVER!

JuliAnn Mazachek is the sole finalist for MSU Texas president

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

JuliAnn Mazachek is the sole finalist for MSU’s presidency, Mar. 7. CECIL WITHERSPOON REPORTER fter a months-long closed search, MSU and the Texas Tech system finally pulled the curtain back to reveal JuliAnn Mazachek as the sole finalist for the position of president. The news first came out during the Texas Tech board of regents meeting Monday morning via teleconference, where the board unanimously approved a vote to name Mazachek as the sole finalist. Fanfare and decorum followed soon after at a reception held in Comanche Suite in Clark Student Center at noon of the same day. Tedd Mitchell, chancellor of the Texas Tech University system, presided over the event and in-

troduced Mazachek, who also spoke.

MAZACHEK’S BACKGROUND

Mazachek, the vice president for academic affairs at Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, is leaving Washburn after three decades. Her titles have included dean of the business school, vice president for academic affairs and president and CEO of the Washburn University Foundation.

THE SELECTION PROCESS

Mark Griffin, vice chair of the Texas Tech board of regents and chair of the presidential search committee, said the committee received over 60 applications for the posi-

tion from candidates across the nation before narrowing the field down to seven finalists. After a round of interviews, the committee agreed unanimously on Mazachek. Mitchell said Mazachek’s experience and business acumen made her stand out as a candidate, and both qualities played a large role in her selection. “So we were looking for someone who would have not only the background in higher education that was necessary for the nuts and bolts of running a university, but if possible look for somebody that had a really good business background as well. Because, as you know, this is a big business. And somebody that has a background in business, in administration and in fundraising. Because a huge part of what the presidency here will be working toward is a very robust fundraising opportunity for not just the Wichita Falls community but for this entire area,” Mitchell said. Griffin echoed the endorsement of Mazachek’s credentials, and said her experience makes her a strong choice. “There’s nothing that’s going to happen here that she probably hasn’t seen or experienced. And she brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise, but more importantly, she brings a fervent commitment to this institution, and an inclination to engage in the community. That’s very important to her,” Griffin said. Mitchell said Mazachek’s background as a first-generation college graduate stood out as an example of why she is a good fit for MSU. “If you look at MSU’s history, the tradition here, you’ve got a university that has done a remarkable job not only at serving Wichita Falls and the surrounding community, but serving students, many

of whom are first generation who otherwise would not have had an opportunity to access higher education,” Mitchell said, “Dr. Mazachek is also a first-generation college student. So she knows exactly what it’s like to come from a home where you may or may not have the opportunity to go to college. So when you’re looking for that type of leader that can be transformative in young folks’ lives, in offering them opportunities like this, it was one of the things that just really made her stand out.”

CHOSEN FOR MSU, BY MSU

In addition to making sure the choice for sole finalist was a good fit for MSU’s past and future, members of the presidential search committee also stressed the independence of MSU had been, and will continue to be, respected. Nine members of the 12-person committee came from MSU or the greater Wichita Falls community, with the remaining three spots being filled by representatives from Texas Tech. Griffin said both the committee and the entire search process were deliberate in identifying what members of the MSU community felt were the most important challenges for the new president to tackle. He said Texas Tech made sure to listen to that feedback and allow it to guide the search. “We didn’t want to be presumptuous,” Griffin said. “Coming from Tech, I needed the search committee and the constituents on campus and in the community to let us know what the challenges are. We want to grow the enrollment, ok? That was what I heard. We want to expand the educational opportunities. That’s what we heard. Those two things were the preeminent aspects.” Griffin added that, “We’re not going to compromise the

integrity of the liberal arts offerings. Not in any form or fashion. What we want to do is grow and expand, and being part of a system like this, we can bring other tools to bear.”

STUDENT REPRESENTATION

Austin Strode, economic senior and student body president, was one of the nine MSU or Wichita Falls-based members who served on the search committee. Strode said as student body president, he tried to make sure the needs of all students would be addressed by the choice for president. “I’d say the biggest thing is just making sure that I felt all areas of the student body were being represented. I mean, that’s a very cliche answer, but at the end of the day, that’s my job, you know? I’ve got to set aside my own beliefs and make sure MSU students are being represented, and every single one of them,” Strode said. Strode said, in trying to accomplish that goal, he encountered little to no pushback from other members of the committee. “I mean, everyone on this committee, when we got into

the room and we were doing interviews and meeting and conducting the process, it kind of stripped away everyone’s titles. I mean, you have regent members, doctorates and there’s me in my undergrad here at MSU. But I felt very much that my voice was heard as the student body president,” Strode said. Strode also stressed that Texas Tech gave MSU plenty of leeway in the selection process. “Especially, you know, they hammered home this is very much an MSU, Wichita Falls community search. Everyone’s voice was heard. It wasn’t Tech coming in to put a president. It was we, as MSU and our community, are picking it, and we’re just getting support,” Strode said.

THE NEXT STEP

Texas state law requires that new university presidents must wait at least 21 days before taking office as a review period. Mazachek will be eligible to begin her new role in late March, but no official date was announced at the event for when she will assume the role of president.

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Sole finalist JuliAnn Mazachek’s family applaud her for her new position along with the rest of the audience, Mar. 7.

West College of Education gets new gym

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Space was repurposed in Bridwell Hall to create a gym for the West College of Education, Mar. 10. JAVIER CONTRERAS REPORTER new gym was built on the first floor of Bridwell Hall as an instructional setting for kinesiology and physical education majors. This is the first semester that the gym is open to students and instructors. In the past students would have to go to the Don Flatt Gym in the D.L. Ligon Coliseum, but now those students can attend class in the West College of Education while still maintaining a gym-like environment. Stacia Miller, associate professor of kinesiology, said that the gym’s main use will be to teach students concepts that are crucial to their respective fields. “The idea is that this would be a place where we can model best prac-

tice in the field of physical education and coaching and demonstrate those things with our students so that they see those kinds of things before they actually go out into the field,” Miller said. Miller said that the primary reason the gym was built was to give teachers and students a place to practice skills and model what a real physical education class might look like. She said it was difficult to do this in the Don Flatt gym because that gym had to be shared with other groups such as cheer. “There was a need for us to be able to model the environment that the kids in the k-12 schools have. We needed a space where we could do modeling and best practice, where students could actually put their own

stamp onto the space. So that whenever we’re doing teaching methods and pedagogy kind of things, students can be in a space that is exactly like what they are going to see and use in the real world,” Miller said. Construction for the gym began in spring of 2021 and this is the first semester that it is open to the MSU community. Supply shortages have been a problem that many construction projects across the country have run into during the pandemic. Miller said that this project was no different. “I can specifically say that the floor was something we had to wait on. The facility itself was on time as far as the walls and the ceiling. That kind of stuff was on time but we did have to delay because getting the

wood floors took more time because wood was kind of hard to come by,” Miller said. The gym is still considered incomplete because it is lacking a projector and a few other technological aspects but Miller said those things are on their way. The gym has been released over to the West College of Education instructors but with the limitation of not having the proper technology for classes. “Nowadays, as teachers we are required to model technology and then our students, as teachers, are required to use technology and integrate it into the learning. That is an important piece of best practice, is that we come in here and I show them, not just tell them what technology looks like, but show them

what it looks like in the physical education and sport world. To me it’s still incomplete because we don’t have that key piece,” Miller said. Although the gym was built for the students and faculty of the West College of Education, it can be used for other classes or activities as well. Miller said anyone that wants to use the gym will be able to schedule a time as soon as the missing technology comes in. “It is a classroom space just like any other classroom on campus so it will be in the system to get booked like a classroom,” Miller said. Shawnisay Millar, sport and leisure junior, said that in the past having class in the Don Flatt gym was difficult due to having to share it. Millar said the new gym will be a great help in avoiding those kinds of interactions and is grateful for that. “Sometimes that would be quite hard because sometimes it would clash, so sometimes the cheer would come in and we would still be in class and we would either have to leave or the cheer would have to wait. I’m quite grateful that we have that space over at Bridwell so that none of that occurs,” Millar said. Millar has had the opportunity to use the gym for her elementary physical education class. Millar said that the new gym provides an atmosphere that you can’t get in a regular classroom. “When we used it our teacher taught us a lesson that she planned for a third grade class and we would have to identify the organizational structures that she used during her lesson plan and stuff like that. So I believe that it’s a really good resource for students and teachers to explore because sometimes in a classroom you can only do so much so when we have that extra space we can really use that to our advantage,” Millar said. Danielle Hardin, English education senior, works in the dean’s office in the West College of Education. She overheard a lot of the planning that was going on for the gym. “It’s definitely going to provide hands-on practice for these students. Before they were having to walk all the way across campus, all the way to the wellness center, to do those practical, hands-on skills. Now it’s in the comfort of their own home, kind of,”

WOMEN’S HIS

IN HONOR OF WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH, THE WICHITA

Maria Contreras-Lerma

Jessica Hulett

Moffett Library Custodian

ontreras was born and raised in Julimes, Mexico. She came to the United States when she was 16 years-old in search of a better life. In May, Contreras will mark her 15th anniversary working for MSU. She is the daughter of Mexican farmers and comes from a family of six sisters and five brothers. Contreras’s dad also traveled back and forth to the United States for work when she was a child, leaving her mother to take care of the farm and field work. Contreras got her strong work ethic from her mother, who reminded her that one should always be dedicated to their job, no matter what it is. “She took care of all of us but all of us also helped her. She would work at home but she would also take care of field work. Sometimes she would take some of us with her to work when we were little. She would pick things like peanuts and chiles. She would also let us help her feed the animals. She was always a very hard worker,” Contreras said. Contreras’s assigned building is Moffett Library but she has worked in various buildings across campus throughout her many years at MSU. She said she enjoys working in the library because everyone there is very kind and helpful. She also said that being a woman means being a symbol to others. “Being a woman means being a symbol of strength and bravery and to persevere in any situation,” Contreras said.

Assistant to Dean of Fain Fine Arts College

ulett grew up in Las Vegas, Nevada and graduated from high school in Vegas. From there, she got her certification in HR management from the University of Phoenix. This upcoming June, Hulett will have lived in Texas for 12 years. She said her better half is what brought her to Texas. “I met my better half in Vegas. We met one night at a country dance club... the night I met him, I knew I was going to spend the rest of my life with him. He was in the Air Force and once he retired we settled here in Wichita Falls. My first job in Wichita was as a leasing agent for an apartment complex. I then later managed a complex myself and eventually got burned out by doing so. When I first came to work for MSU, I actually worked at the bookstore and then one day saw a job posting to be the secretary of [the] mass communication and theater department,” Hulett said. When she left the interview, she didn’t think she would get a call back. Hulett said she felt she wasn’t intellectual enough for the job. “I just wasn’t convinced that they were going to hire me... then three days later I received the phone call that the department was wanting to give me the position. I love the stability of MSU. I love the building I work in. It has such a good positive feeling to it and honestly every day I am excited to be here and work with the people that I work with; it makes my heart happy.”

Morgan M

Assistant Professor of M

allory is the assistant p acting at MSU. Origina living in states such as about Mallory is that she is six fee because she enjoys helping people fully. Her favorite aspect about MS and students to create a safe spac ties and a sense of community. Ma Month focuses on women and lift month can be used to celebrate su “We very much need to be a po showcase what beautiful creature The woman that inspires her m and well-spoken woman who ach gender norms. Morgan Mallory w encouraging the empowerment o this can be accomplished by sugg placing them in roles usually hel speak up. “We are strong individually, could accomplish?” Mallory said.

STORY MONTH

AN FEATURES SOME OUTSTANDING WOMEN ON CAMPUS

Mallory

Kirsten Lodge

Musical Theater & Acting

professor of musical theater and ally from Idaho, she has enjoyed Utah and California. A fun fact et tall. She decided to be a teacher e reach goals safely and successSU is the support given to faculty ce to explore creativity, possibiliallory loves that Women’s History fting them up. She hopes that this uccess and provide opportunities. ositive mirror for each other and es we are,” Mallory said. most is her grandmother, a firm hieves her goals despite societal wishes to impact other women by of differences. She believes that gesting women for opportunities, ld by men and being unafraid to but together imagine what we

Lisa Thames

Professor of English

TV Studio Director

odge grew up in New Paltz, New York. She is now a literary translator for Broadview Press and has been teaching at MSU for over 10 years. Lodge has never allowed an individual’s or society’s view of who a woman should be to define her career path and life goals. “My ex-husband seemed fine with my academic ambitions until it came down to attending graduate school. At that point, he unexpectedly declared that he wanted to be the money-maker in the relationship and that I should stay home, raise children and entertain guests from his law firm. To stay true to myself, I had no choice but to leave him to go to graduate school at Columbia. I knew that I could not be happy otherwise,” Lodge said. Lodge believes in the significance of women’s history month and is proud of her fellow women from different walks of life. She is a proud feminist and advocates for the belief that women can and should be whatever they want. “I think the world is making progress in recognizing women of significance in every field, and we must continue to do so. There are many great women writers, artists, and thinkers who have been lost to history, and we must continue to recover and celebrate their achievements, as well as the achievements of women today. We will thus encourage women to strive for greatness in every field.” Lodge said.

hames started working as TV studio director in 2009 after a mass communication professor recommended she apply for the position. Thames’ favorite part of the job is working with the mass communication students. She said that she was inspired seeing her mother raise a family and work at the same time. “Anytime you can see a woman being successful in her career or even just a regular job, it’s always exciting. We’re still fighting to be considered equal. We have more opportunities than we used to but by no means are we equal to men. We don’t get paid the same for the same job. We don’t get taken as seriously,” Thames said. Thames said that for women, it’s often a matter of “when” and not “if” they are sexually harassed or discriminated against. She offered encouragements for other women who experience harassment and discrimination in their fields. “You’ve got to stick up for yourself as hard as that is, and it’s very, very hard. Especially in the moment, to react the way that you wish that you would, but it’s important to continue on,” Thames said. “You deserve to be where you are. You’re working hard for where you are. You’re not given anything just because you’re a woman. No one is going to take it easy on you and you don’t want it to be like that. You don’t want to be given anything. You want to work for what you have so you can have that pride within yourself,”

A spotlight on the

Society of Women Engineers ABIGAIL JONES REPORTER o educate the student population during Women’s History Month, the Society of Women Engineers MSU chapter is researching and creating posters about historical women in STEM. Since SWE became a national organization in 1953, it has gained members in over 400 collegiate and professional sections in the U.S. and Puerto Rico, including in MSU’s chapter beginning in 2019. Its mission is to “Empower women to achieve their full potential in careers as engineers and leaders; expand the image of the engineering and technology professions as a positive force in improving the quality of life, and demonstrate the value of diversity and inclusion,” according to their website. Amber Seward, SWE president and mechanical engineering senior, was a part of the team of women that established a SWE chapter at MSU. “Establishing a chapter with the national SWE org my first year at MSU and continuing to grow and unite women in STEM fields [have been big successes],” Seward said. “I

joined SWE so I can connect with the other young women studying engineering at MSU. We are a minority when it comes to engineering so I am grateful for the opportunity to be a part of SWE.” As of 2017, only 13% of all engineers are women and only 26% of all computer scientists are women. Even at MSU, where over 60% of students are women, Elizabeth Horn, SWE secretary and engineering sophomore, said that she only sees one or two other women in her engineering classes. “We have other engineering organizations… SWE is not a specific organization for a specific thing. It’s just a place where all the women, especially in [a major] where you only see one [other woman] in your class every semester, can go and meet new people,” Horn said. “Because it’s a male-dominated field. I know things are getting better job-wise, but it’s still at the point, at least in some places, where you don’t get as much. You’re not as well respected, we just have to work together and work, unfortunately, work harder than them

PHOTO COURTESY OF MSU SWE TWITTER

Society of Women Engineers became a national organization in 1953 and gained a chapter at MSU in 2019.

to get somewhere. At least being all together in this organization, we can be a lot more comfortable going to upperclassmen in SWE and ask them for help with homework or with anything you don’t understand.” Female engineers make 10% less than male engineers for the same exact job, forcing women to work harder if they want to be considered equal to men in the workforce. Seward said this is why SWE exists to lift women up. “It is important because in engineering and STEM fields, which typically have mostly guys, for women to step up and work hard. Every day in the workforce, there are differences in gender roles,” Seward said. For example, I am a server at a restaurant and have experienced this because my boss doesn’t like the females to do any heavy lifting when the inventory truck arrives. I believe everyone should be equal and work hard alongside each other, especially in fields like engineering.” Horn said she joined SWE her first semester during the freshman Roundup. She said she joined to make friends and get to know other women in STEM. “Since the STEM field is a male dominated field, [SWE is an organization] for women...make some friends and just have more opportunities and stuff,” Horn said. On top of forming connections, SWE participates in on-campus events like Engineering Week and forms study groups for female STEM students. This month, they are producing flyers to increase awareness about female impact in STEM fields. “We have put together a small research project researching different women and their impact on engineering and other STEM disciplines for women’s history month,” Seward said. “We are putting up QR codes around McCoy and Bolin so students can scan and read about the women

GRAPHIC BY ABIGAIL JONES

Only 13% of all engineers are women and only 26% of all computer scientists are women, according to Society of Women Engineers that we have chosen to showcase for this month.” SWE has five core values at their national level: integrity, inclusive environment, mutual support, professional excellence and trust. As for future plans for the organization, Horn said that they are in the process of planning some academic and social events, which will promote the core values of inclusive environment and mutual support. “I know so far, at least with this semester, our plans have been to just do some study groups with each other,” Horn said. “I know Amber, the president, also wants to do a gals night out kind of thing. [Which would be] something that we can all just hang around each other, be more

comfortable with each other.” This comfort is essential in encouraging women in STEM to continue working in their field, according to SWE’s website. Horn’s main advice she’d give to other female engineering students involves taking advantage of opportunities to interact with other students. “Because you can make friends out of it and also just have someone else as resource for help with assignments and things like that,” Horn said. “I’d say it for anyone. I know it’s something that I probably needed when I came here as a woman going into engineering: don’t be afraid to ask questions and talk to people in your class.”

Entering the medical field during the COVID era CECIL WITHERSPOON REPORTER s mask mandates and COVID-19-related restrictions lift across much of the country, the pandemic remains a source of both planning and concern for the nursing school. Since being disrupted alongside the rest of the university in spring of 2020, faculty and staff in the nursing school have worked hard to ensure students learn both the basics of nursing and how to navigate a new, pandemic-dominated medical field. In spite of the challenges the last two years have brought to nursing education, nursing seniors Ashley Alcala and Luz Garcia say they feel prepared to enter the workforce in the COVID-19 era. Garcia said the help she received from professors is one reason for her confidence. “For me I would say definitely yes, prepared. Especially with some of the professors, they stick out a little bit more. It’s like a one-to-one relationship, and they say ‘hey, do you need help with something?’ you know, especially during the semesters before becoming a senior,” Garcia said. As seniors, Garcia and Alcala are closest among students to graduating and entering the workforce. They also felt the hardest effects from the lockdown in spring of 2020 which forced classes online and temporarily suspended nursing clinicals. Seniors are the only nursing students whose clinical slate was affected, as all subsequent classes have been able

to participate in a full load of clinicals. Alcala said she would have liked more in-person experience and faceto-face interaction with patients. “I feel like we didn’t get a lot of clinical and bedside skills since we were cut short from our clinicals,” Alcala said. Garcia echoed Alcala’s concerns. “I think having more face-to-face clinical experiences, even during the COVID pandemic, would have helped those students who graduated without that clinical experience. I know it was hard for them to work it out though. So, probably just having more clinical experience rather than just having more class time, or convert that class time into more clinical experience,” Garcia said Despite her concerns about clinical time, Alcala said she feels prepared by her professors to work as a nurse in the COVID-19 era. “I feel like they have used different tools to prepare us. I feel confident in my skills that they have prepared us,” Alcala said, “…they did the best that they could in the COVID era.” Robin Lockhart, chair of nursing programs, said concerns from outside the program that nursing students won’t be prepared due to missed in-person time are unfounded. “I see a lot on the social media, people afraid that these graduates will be trained or taught without doing any direct patient care. We were out

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Nursing seniors Christian Trejo and Fasika Kifle strap a fetal heart monitor onto a pregnant simulation dummy, Mar. 10.

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Nursing students turn a pregnant simulation dummy onto her side to counteract the onset of a seizure, Mar. 10. of direct patient care half a semester. Because spring 2020 we had finished half of our direct patient care and we went into lockdown. Summer, we don’t have clinical courses for our pre-licensure program. We do in our accelerated program, but they were put in remote hospitals that would allow them in that summer. So they didn’t go into isolation from the clinical area. And then after spring, then the next for our regular program was fall, we already had them back in the hospitals for that fall. So it was only half a semester that they didn’t have direct patient access,” Lockhart said. Lockhart added that educators in the nursing program worked to make up for the lost time and material over the duration of the students’ time in the program. “And we took those groups and what they missed in that half a semester and we just added it to the remaining of the program. A little here, a little there, and so we picked back up,” Lockhart said. Even as seniors who were affected most by the missed time, Alcala and Garcia pointed to other areas that helped alleviate the gap in their ex-

perience. “Yeah, so we have a lot of modules that we’re being given as homework, you know, to practice our decisionmaking skills since we don’t have a lot of bedside opportunity. So I think that those modules have prepared us to make those critical decisions and be able to think and not having that in-person interaction, patient faceto-face I guess,” Alcala said. Garcia added that nursing students are taught how to properly use personal protective equipment in addition to getting hands-on experience dealing with COVID cases. “Also, they have taught us how to do proper PPE. Because our clinicals, since we do our clinicals at United Regional, we do take care of COVID patients already, even if like, we’re students. So we have the order of putting it, the order of taking it off,” Garcia said. Lockhart said teaching students to use PPE was a point of emphasis. “In that spring of 2020 when COVID really first hit and we were having to make adjustments, one of the things that we did was spend a lot of time working on the personal pro-

tective garments, and getting that equipment on and off safely. We put a lot of focus on that, and we did a lot more focus about the whole isolation and respiratory issues of COVID,” Lockhart said. Lockhart also said they’ve incorporated COVID cases into classroom simulations. Simulations involve dummies that are assigned conditions and symptoms by instructors, then ‘treated’ by students. “And then, as time has gone on, it’s been more about protecting themselves, preventing further spread. We do add COVID cases to our simulations and to our classroom cases that we present. Or we may have cases that we’re presenting in class that are something else, but we may also give them COVID, the patients COVID, so that they experience all of the concepts that are associated with that,” Lockhart said. Lockhart expressed confidence that nursing students will be ready for the unique challenges of the pandemic. “I feel very good that these students are well-prepared for this,” Lockhart said.

ENTER INTO “EUPHORIA” A

fter last week’s episode ended, and seeing the look on Cassie’s (Sydney Sweeney) face, Lexi (Maude Apatow) was as good as dead. I disliked Lexi’s play from the get-go, so watching Cassie disNatalie Cook rupt the play felt relieving. I really had no sympathy for Lexi. I mean, how was she expecting people to react? When Maddy (Alexa Demie) and Cassie began exchanging slurs across the auditorium, I knew a fight was about to go down. The last scene we got with Cassie was really important, as she told the girls that Nate (Jacob Elordi) dumped her before she even went on stage- to which Maddy told her “This is only the beginning.” It was almost as if she was attempting to warn Cassie about a life with Nate. But we’ll have to wait a year or so to know if the troubled couple lives to see another day. Speaking of Nate, we finally see where he stormed off to after the play, and to my excitement, he went straight to find Cal (Eric Dane). Less dramatic than I expected, but this scene was by far my favorite part of the entire epi-

SEASON FINALE

sode. Nate having the last say with his dad, telling him he used to have nightmares of him having sex with him, was super satisfying after the years of abuse he suffered. When Nate pulled out the flash drive holding all of Cal’s sex tapes, I was so excited as the cops pulled up and arrested Cal. The look on Nate’s face watching his dad get arrested was really heartbreaking, but it’s really gratifying to know that for now Cal has been stopped. Elordi is a great actor and I felt like this scene allowed him to shine. Everyone had been rooting for Fezco (Angus Cloud) and Lexi since the beginning of season 2. Unfortunately, Fezco never made it to the play. Even though I am not Lexi’s biggest fan, it was so sad seeing Fezco arrested and having to watch Ashtray (Javon “Wanna” Walton) die in a shootout with the cops, instead of supporting her intolerable play. Lexi was given plenty of time to shine last week, so it felt very fitting that she didn’t get as much screen time this week. But anyway, after Cassie’s explosion, which Lexi 100% deserved, Lexi quickly puts on the victim hat. Crying about how the show was ruined, whining that she wasn’t trying to hurt or embarrass people, etc. Come on,

she literally had a whole act showing Cassie’s character masturbating on a carousel ride. She knew what she was doing, her innocent act isn’t fooling me. A lot of people were cheering her on, and honestly, I don’t think I will ever understand why. Rue still seems to be doing better, apologizing to people, and reconnecting with the life she had before. We were also given more insight into her dad’s funeral, which helps to add more background to how she started using drugs. I was happy to see her go talk to Elliot (Dominic Fike)- but I found it ironic that even though he’s the one who squealed on her, he is still using. It’s okay though, he sang her a really pretty song to make up for it... but did it have to last for 3 minutes? Interesting how he glossed over the fact he’s being a bit hypocritical, but onto a more annoying person: Jules (Hunter Schafer). As she walked up to Rue after the play to say she loves her and everything, I couldn’t help but laugh. Does she not remember cheating on Rue with Elliot? Apparently not. But our fearless main character Rue walks away unbothered. People under 18, or those with a history of

abuse, addiction, or mental illness should NOT watch Euphoria. While the plot is great, the acting incredible, and is entertaining... it features a lot of unnecessary elements. I think if they cleaned it up a bit, it would be so much better- because it’s important to show the negative effects of addiction, peer pressure, and other things teens struggle with. My main complaint is the amount of nudity and sex. I get that it’s a part of the storyline, but I don’t want to see it every other scene. nd I’m not alone in this, many of the actors had to negotiate with the director for less nudity. Specifically, Sydney Sweeney, who had to fight for clothing more than the others did. Overall, I think this was a really solid end to the season, and this episode gets 4/5 stars from me. I’m ready for season 3, but I’m okay with waiting until 2024. I think we can all use a Euphoria break.

Natalie’s Episode Rating: 4/5

“The Batman” knows it’s great but that’s not a negative

PHOTO COURTESY OF OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Zoë Kravitz and Robert Pattinson play the duo of Catwoman and Batman in “The Batman,” 2022.

n artist can’t help but create something great if they’re passionate about the art they produce. “The Batman” tells its auJoseph dience in nearly every Nelson frame, “I think I’m the best movie ever made”. I don’t see pride or narcissism when I see

this. I see passion, in the same way everyone in love thinks they’ve found the best person possible. There’s no doubt “The Dark Knight” trilogy raised the standard for Batman movies to near impossible heights, but writer/director Matt Reeves and his team of collaborators rose to the challenge with vision, thoughtfulness, and extreme passion and ambition to create one of the best mov-

PHOTO COURTESY OF OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Paul Dano plays The Riddler, the main villian of “The Batman,” 2022.

PHOTO COURTESY OF OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES

Robert Pattinson plays a more vulnerable and serious Bruce Wayne in “The Batman,” 2022.

ies ever made. It’s too soon to say whether they succeeded, but there’s no doubt they created a great movie. With a somber yet tone setting score, thoughtful direction and skilled acting, “The Batman” delivers a movie that isn’t without flaws but gives the caped crusader a return to the big screen that matches the same vision and depth the Nolan films achieved. Many actors have donned the cape and cowl, but Robert Pattinson gives a performance aiming to capture the trauma and sorrow Bruce Wayne carries with him. Christian Bale still holds the first place spot, since he plays id (Batman), ego (Bruce Wayne), and fraudulent superego (the billionaire playboy). Meanwhile, Pattinson, unfortunately, only plays the moody orphan turned vengeful vigilante. While the tone of the movie wouldn’t have accommodated the mask Bruce Wayne really has to wear, the eccentric yuppie, Pattinson is already known for his emo boy performances, and he doesn’t escape that trope here, despite proving himself to be a versatile actor after the infamous “Twilight” movies. While we’re prompted by “The Batman” to show sympathy for Bruce Wayne, the Riddler gives the rebuttal to our misplaced pity. The “Se7en—” inspired serial killer wages a cam-

paign of terroristic populism, targeting Gotham’s elites and crime bosses in order to expose the injustice pulsing underneath, with his most scathing critique being directed at Bruce Wayne himself: the orphan who lives in the lap of luxury. This dynamic between the Riddler and Batman brings their battle to satisfying juxtapositions. Paul Dano plays the manic Batman villain with a creepiness only rivaled by Heath Ledger’s performance of Joker in “The Dark Knight.” Speaking of “The Dark Knight”, I wouldn’t go into this movie expecting it to be the best Batman movie ever, simply because, well, it’s not. You will be disappointed if you have these high expectations. However, if you watch this expecting the Arkham Asylum video games having a child with a David Fincher movie, you won’t be disappointed in the slightest. Despite falling short of “The Dark Knight,” Zoe Kravitz plays a Catwoman who actually has both personality and tragedy to her story, instead of relying on the one-note seductress type found in Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance in the 90s. Anne Hathaway played a great Catwoman as well, but the amount of screen time and character development devoted to Kravitz’s performance definitely gives her the edge. I’m unde-

cided on whether Jeffrey Wright’s portrayal of Jim Gordon tops Gary Oldman’s incredible performance, but, for a debut, the fact it’s too close to call is an accomplishment in itself. Despite giving a very good followup to the critically acclaimed Nolan movies, “The Batman” is a threehour-long film for an experience more brooding and depressing than the white-knuckled, energetic Nolan trilogy. While I really enjoyed Matt Reeves’ take, I’m not desperate to see it again. “Se7en” is one of the greatest movies ever made, but it’s not one I’d ever rewatch all that often, as it’s very emotionally taxing. “The Batman” is made in this same vein but clocking in at an hour more in length. Meanwhile, I’ve rewatched “The Dark Knight” more than 40 times. With all that said, I’ve actually had to cut out of this review more things I enjoyed about this movie, which hasn’t ever happened in my time writing reviews for The Wichitan. Y’all know I don’t hand these out like candy, but I’m giving “The Batman” a 5 out of 5.

Joseph’s Movie Rating: 5/5

Las Maravillas de la

SIERRA DE ÓRGANOS

La Sierra de Órganos es parte de la Sierra Madre Occidental y presenta piedras creadas por la erosión y la actividad volcánica, dic. 29, 2021.

FOTO POR FERNANDO PIEDRA | THE WICHITAN

Muchas piedras en la Sierra de Órganos llevan el nombre de lo que se parecen, como “El Cáliz”, dic. 29, 2021.

a Sierra de Órganos es un lugar muy bonito en México y de un precio accesible para los estudiantes a Fernando los que les guste Piedra hacer turismo. Es un parque nacional localizado en Zacatecas, a 30 minutos de Sombrerete, y por los alrededores de Agua Zarca. Este parque viene siendo un parque de piedras enormes, en el cual algunas de ellas miden hasta 60 metros de altura. El medio ambiente está bien cuidado y hay muchas especies de fauna y flora localizadas dentro las 124 hectáreas del terreno. El parque forma parte de la Sierra Madre Occidental, y las piedras fueron creadas gracias a la erosión y la actividad volcánica que había en esa zona. Es una maravilla mirar las piedras porque parece que fueron hechas por la misma mano de Dios. Unas piedras están pegadas y otras están separadas, pero las figuras que tienen algunas piedras son inexplicables. Hasta parece que se pueden caer, pero no se caen. Al igual, hay muchos árboles en las cumbres de esas

piedras y no se explica cómo crecen estos árboles si no pueden retener agua. Esos árboles están donde hay pura piedra sólida, así que ¿cómo pueden crecer a esas alturas sin tierra ni agua? El parque se llama, “Sierra de Órganos,” porque hay muchas piedras famosas (que están dentro del parque) que tienen figuras extraordinarias. Resemblan a muchas diferentes figuras que ya tienen nombre y por eso se llama tal como es. Una de las rocas más conocidas es “El Honguito’’, otras que les dicen “Las Comadres”, “La Copa”, “El Cáliz” y “La Mesa de los Indios.” Todas estas rocas se explican qué forma tienen nada más con su nombre, pero “Las Comadres” son dos rocas enormes como de unos 60 metros cada una y están pegadas de arriba y de abajo, pero están abiertas de en medio y se puede meter uno dentro de ellas como si fuera una cueva. También hay una cueva en el área que se conoce como “La Cueva del Toro’’. La mayoría de la vegetación que existe ahí son árboles de cedro, y los bosques de pino y encino. También se pueden ver nopales, agaves y maguey, y matorrales. También hay mucha fauna que

existe en estos terrenos. Hay venados, coyotes, víboras, aguilas y cuervos, y muchas ardillas y reptiles chicos. El parque también es muy famoso por las grabaciones de películas y vídeos de música que se han hecho ahí. Por ejemplo, la vista que tiene el parque nos recuerda cómo se debió de ver el ambiente del “viejo oeste”. Muchas películas conocidas como la “Lucha de Gigantes”, “Caveman”, y “Bandits” fueron grabadas ahí mismo. Algunos grupos musicales que también son muy reconocidos en México han grabado sus vídeos aquí como Los Rieleros del Norte, el Conjunto Río Grande, y hasta Los Tigres del Norte. Unas de las mejores cosas que tiene el parque son las cabañas en las cuales se puede quedar uno si lo desea. Son unas cabañas sencillas, pero están bonitas porque tienen una figura redonda y se miran como si salieran directamente de un libro de cuentos. Hay unas cuantas con diferentes números de recámaras para la familia, la pareja, o hasta para una persona. Y no son caras, están a un precio justo para disfrutar una aventura de las mejores en Zacatecas.

FOTO FERNANDO PIEDRA | THE WICHITAN

FOTO POR FERNANDO PIEDRA | THE WICHITAN

La Sierra de Órganos tiene piedras que alcanzan hasta 60 metros de altura, dic. 29, 2021.

TODO ESTÁ DELICIOSO EN EL RESTAURANTE GRAND BUFFET E

l restaurante de comida china llamado “Grand Buffet”. Está ubicado en 4407 Kemp Blvd y sus horarios son de las 11 am a 9:30pm de lunes a jueves, de 11am a 10pm viernes y sábado, y de las 11am Gabriela hasta las 9pm los domingos. Saldaña Al entrar a este restaurante de comida china te llega un aroma muy rico de comida. En la entrada te encuentras con la máquina registradora y con la persona que te pregunta cuántas personas van a ser y te lleva a la mesa donde se van a sentar. Al entrar también puedes ver que tienen un hermoso candelabro de luz que luce hermoso. Cuando yo entré a este restaurante no duré ni cinco minutos cuando ya me habían preguntado cuántas personas éramos. Después de sentarnos una señora me preguntó qué quería tomar y le di mi orden a la mesera. Después de que la mesera trajo mi bebida me paré y caminé hacia la comida para preparar mi plato. Cabe mencionar que este restaurante es estilo buffet, donde puedes comer lo que tú quieras cuantas veces quieras y basta con pagar una sola vez. A mí lo que me gustó es que tienen variedad de comidas y de postres. Yo comí un tipo de carne que se llama “orange chicken” y un tipo de pasta que se llama “lomein” y los acompañé con espárragos, estaba muy rico. Al terminar mi primer plato de comida volví a pararme para tomar sushi, me encanta el sushi y este restaurante no me decepcionó, el sushi estaba delicioso y comí 2 platos de sushi. Aunque en este restaurante la comida estaba

deliciosa lo que no me gustó fue el servicio de mi mesera. La mesera fue muy antipática y un poco mal encarada, como si no le gustara trabajar ahí. Tardó mucho tiempo para traerme otra bebida, aunque sabía que mi vaso estaba vacío. En una ocasión me tuve que parar y decirle amablemente que si podía darme más bebida y me dijo que sí, pero tardó unos cuantos minutos. Eso hizo que me molestara un poco porque el restaurante no estaba ocupado, había muy poca gente ahí, como unas 6 personas y ella tenía como tres mesas para atender, incluyendo mi mesa. En mi experiencia, yo sí recomendaría este restaurante de comida china porque todo estaba delicioso y los demás trabajadores fueron muy atentos y amables y hasta me preguntaron a la salida si me gustó la comida, a lo cual obviamente les dije sí. Me encantó este restaurante y sí volvería. De hecho, les dije a mis amigos y amigas que deberían ir a probar la comida este fin de semana. Quedé encantada con el sushi, fue lo que más me gustó de este restaurante de comida china. Si tienes la oportunidad de ir, hazlo, ¡no te arrepentirás!

EVALUACIÓN DE GABRIELA SERVICIO: 4/5 COMIDA: 5/5 AMBIENTE: 4.5/5

TOTAL: 4.5/5

FOTO POR COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

El Grand Buffet ofrece varias carnes con diferentes salsas para satisfacer diferentes gustos, el 9 de marzo.

FOTO POR COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

El Grand Buffet es un restaurante estilo buffet que ofrece varias comidas chinas y sushi, el 9 de marzo.

FOTO POR COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Arroz, lo mein y otros alimentos se ofrecen como base para su comida, el 9 de marzo.

FOTO POR COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

Se ofrecen opciones de mariscos junto con alimentos como los camarones disponibles en la barra de ensaladas, el 9 de marzo.

Brenda Campbell The memorable face at MSU’s Chick-fil-A

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRENDA CAMPBELL

After coming from a very conservative background, Brenda Campbell now has a very diverse family. THALÍA DOE FEATURE EDITOR f you’ve ever walked through or passed by the Clark Student Center here at MSU, there is no doubt you’ve seen, as many students know her, Mrs. Brenda. Brenda Campbell, a Wisconsin native, grew up in a small town called Mosinee, in mid-central Wisconsin. For the most part, her childhood was a typical upbringing. “I grew up with conservative… very conservative parents, and I just had a normal childhood you could say. We would go to the lakes and swim in them, go camping. When I graduated from school, I worked at a truck stop for a year or so, and then actually joined the Air Force after,” Campbell said. Campbell was a member of the U.S. Air Force for six and a half years. “I felt like I wasn’t getting anywhere in my small town and I just wanted to travel; I wanted to see the world. I worked in the supply squadron. That was my first job. When I got out of the air force, I finished in Tucson, Arizona. I had traveled while

being in the force; my first base was actually Air Force One which I thought was very cool and exciting. I’ve been to Okinawa, Japan but in Tucson where I had gotten out of the force, was where I met my [husband], then commanding officer, and had my three kids,” Campbell said. Campbell lived in Arizona for 20 years and said her favorite nature sights are found in the Grand Canyon state. “Traveling around Arizona while I was there was beautiful, a lot of times when people think of Arizona they think desert, which is not true. There are mountains and forest and so much diversity once you get past phoenix,” Campbell said. Campbell’s reasoning for coming to Texas was because she met her future husband. “I met my now husband and best friend on an AOL chat room called ‘the coffee house’…22 years ago… back when meeting people online wasn’t cool and/or accepting. AOL had just started around the time, and so I met them through a coffee chat room and honestly, meeting my

husband and best friend are the two best things that have ever happened to me,” Campbell said Campbell, at the time living in Arizona, said her now-husband was in DFW as well as her best friend and eventually came to Texas to visit. “When I came to visit my friend in Dallas, he asked if I wouldn’t mind him visiting me because he said he was from Wichita Falls…after six weeks, he then came to Arizona to see me and it just moved from there,” Campbell said. After coming from a traditional background, Campbell now belongs to a very diverse family and wouldn’t have it any other way. She said her family represents a vast spectrum of nationalities, including Filipino, Mexican, Korean, Black and White. “I love it. One of my children is turning 39 this year, another 34…I actually lost a daughter to fentanyl a few years ago but she would’ve turned 31 and then the baby of the family will be 30 this year. I have three grandchildren and let me just say, coming from a conservative family to now having such a diverse family, I love it this way…I can’t make this up…my oldest daughter is married to a British man that has a mohawk that sings lead in a very famous reggae band in Tucson. Then

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRENDA CAMPBELL

Brenda Campbell was in the Air Force for six and a half years and worked in the supply squadron.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BRENDA CAMPBELL

Brenda Campbell grew up in a small town in Wisconsin before joining the Air Force. my step-son is a drag queen in Dallas, isn’t that fun. I love it,” Campbell said. Always a busybody, Campbell says she enjoys the environment she has at MSU and the relationship she is able to obtain and develop with students. “It’s fast-paced. I actually tried working at Einstein’s in Dillard’s and it just wasn’t the same. When it’s rush hour in the student center, you just have everything going on and you get to see and in a way be part of it all. I ended up staying at Einstein’s for five months and just had to come back to Chick-fil-A. I enjoy who I work with and the relationship I have with students. Some people say customer service isn’t important but it is…it’s important to know their names and know some personal things about your customers…sometimes when I say ‘next guest please,’ I see students smile because they are getting me and that makes me feel good and humbled, it helps me know that I am making a difference,” Campbell said. Campbell says she’s surprised at

how many students know her by her name. She says the students are the reason why she continues to work at Chick-fil-A. “I’ve been working since fall of 2016. This was actually the first job I applied to after not working for almost 20 years. My husband retired and is disabled. I at first thought the students were just going to eat me up and spit me right back out but no, everyone is so nice,” Campbell said. Campbell said one of her favorite moments at MSU was when ‘Maverick,’ the school mascot, whom nobody knows the person under the costume, told her that they were ‘Maverick.’ “I was shocked when they leaned over and said ‘You wanna know a secret?’ and just told me right then and there. I felt honored. What honestly gets me through the day, although this job can be so physical at times… it always goes back to the kids, the students. I always come home with stories to tell my husband, I am content,” Campbell said.

March 11, 2022

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