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4 March 29, 2021 Campus Voices | News | Collegiate Health | MSU Texas Women | Feature | Sports | Review Love, Mom and Dad:

THE TRAGEDIES OF HAZING

EMILY BEAMAN REPORTER

On March 21, five families gathered to share their stories about how they lost their sons to hazing.

Presented by The Anti-Hazing Coalition, Love, Mom & Dad: Turning Tragedy into Progress was an online discussion broadcast across the nation to raise awareness about the negative effects of hazing. Viewers were witness to multiple emotional testimonies about how the victims’ families learned and coped with their children’s deaths.

“We received the ultimate punishment,” Debbie Debrick, one of the mothers, said.

In the state of Texas, hazing is a crime, and involvement with a hazing death is a felony. Every year, Greek life organizations at MSU Texas host anti-hazing events, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Since 1969 to 2017, one person has died every day from a hazing incidence.

“We can’t just let this go without doing something to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” Evelyn Piazza, another mother, said.

The presentation began with Evelyn and Jim Piazza, the parents of Tim Piazza who attended Pennsylvania State University. Tim and his pledge brothers were forced to consume a bottle of vodka before completing a drinking obstacle course. After being left alone, Tim fell down 15 steps headfirst and was carried to a couch by four frat members where they tried to wake him up. Twelve hours after his fall, 911 was called.

“[Imagine watching as] the nurse pulls your mom forward and tells her to kiss her baby goodbye,” Evelyn Piazza recalled from the night Tim passed away. She spoke on behalf of her surviving, oldest son who had just learned his brother was brain dead.

Lianne Kowiak, the mother of Harrison Kowiak, who was a student at Lenoir-Rhyne University, spoke about the shock and pain she experienced after learning the truth about her son’s death. The first story she heard about her son’s hospitalization was that he received a head injury while playing intramural football. After his death, she learned that Harrison was subject to a game called “Running the Gauntlet” where he ran across a field, being hit by frat brothers until he couldn’t stand. She sent him to college on a golf scholarship and last saw him unconscious on a hospital bed.

“No parent ever expects to send their child to college and not have them come home,” Lianne Kowiak said.

Rae Ann and Steve Gruver, parents of Max Gruver who went to Louisiana State University, said their son was forced to do extreme calisthenics before participating in “bible study”. Pledges had to answer questions about their frat and the greek alphabet correctly or take a pull of a 190-proof bottle of Diesel; Max took 25 pulls in under 2 hours. Twenty-nine days into his freshman year, he died between 4 and 5 a.m. on a couch in the frat house with a blood-alcohol-content of 0.495, six times the legal limit.

“In the morning, four of his closest friends were told to lie to the hospital staff... and then had to pick up his dead body, put it in the car and drive him to the hospital,” Rae Ann Gruver said.

Debbie Debrick, mother of Dalton Debrick, who attended Texas Tech University lost her son less than a week after she moved him into his dorm. After playing “Don’t F Your Brother” and drinking half a handle of whiskey, Dalton was put in a room guarded by a frat member so he wouldn’t be seen. The party ended at 2 a.m., Dalton was found dead at 6 a.m., but 911 wasn’t called until 3 hours later.

“He passed away in a house full of people having a party who wouldn’t get help because they didn’t want their so-called brothers to get in trouble,” Debbie Debrick said.

The final speaker was Kathleen Wiant, mother to Collin Wiant who went to Ohio University. Over the semester, Collin had to take exams for upperclassmen, clean bars his frat brothers worked at and play pledge football. On the night of his death, he drank a gallon of hard liquor in one hour, was beaten with a belt, waterboarded and forced to do whippets. At 5 a.m. he became unresponsive, and all other pledges were initiated into the fraternity and entered a code of silence about what had truly happened to Collin.

“[Hazing] is not acceptable, and more importantly, it’s not brotherhood,” Kathleen Wiant said.

The Piazza’s said they’re continuing to pursue this cause years after Tim’s death because they hope to bring enough attention to the issue of hazing that no family ever has to go through it again.

“If we all aren’t going to do this, who’s going to?” Jim Piazza said.

Together, these five families are advocating for universities, cities and states to pass legislation to ensure tragedies like they endured never happen again. They’re visiting each state to try and create felony hazing laws in any states that don’t have them. They’ve already helped create laws like these in Georgia and Texas.

“Kids get kicked out for cheating and minor things, but when they kill our kids they get a slap on the wrist. We need to make sure these laws get changed all across the board,” Debbie Debrick said.

They acknowledge that hazing also affects those who survive it and can even happen outside of the Greek life society.

“We know it happens in bands, athletics and intramurals too, but the whole hazing area has to stop before another life is taken away,” Lianne Kowiak said.

All families are hopeful to see more action taken across the nation against hazing and will continue to spread awareness about its harmful effects. They hope their program sparks a change in the future of hazing and saves the lives of any and all potential victims.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN One example of hazing include forced or coerced alcohol or other drug consumption.

5 QUILT JOURNEYS:

PATTERN EXHIBITION

STEPHANIE ROBLEDO NEWS EDITOR

Quilts tell a story and the Wichita Falls Museum of Art is sharing its own stories through the Quilt Journeys: Pattern exhibit.

“This exhibit appeals to people familiar with quilting but also introduces the important history of quilting to those who are unfamiliar with quilting’s role in American history. Created out of necessity, quilts provided protection for the family from the cold. Later, the quilts would be passed from family member to family member creating a legacy. Finally, quilts enter museums as art objects. The quilts in this exhibit made that journey,” Danny Bills, In the past, the WFMA has had quilt exhibits but what makes this one different is the focus on patterns. The quilts on exhibit have patterns such as the Lemoyne star and the drunkard’s path. “This is a quilt exhibit curated from the WFMA Permanent Collection and this particular quilt exhibit focuses on pattern. Quilting has a rich history of various patterns that evolve and change names based on region and the passage of time. Quilt Journeys: Pattern creates a window into that with some specific patterns illustrated in our quilts. We hope to do future exhibits with quilts based on collaboration and stories.” The focus on patterns is also a way for the exhibit to appeal to all because patterns can be seen beyond art. “Previously, we would exhibit the quilts from the collection as a whole with descriptive labels. This exhibit has that text but also incorporates educational material and a way for viewers to share their own quilt story if they want. We also chose to focus on particular quilts with key patterns. Quilt patterns are mathematical as well as artistic, and we wanted to open the door to interest beyond quilting.”

As part of women’s history month, MOSAIC hosted Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced, a series of events held throughout March by different organizations. WFMA participated in this event and held Quilt Journeys: Motherhood and the College Experience. A discussion panel with MSU students that are mothers as well.

“The exhibit’s themes served as part metaphor for the experience of juggling motherhood, school, and work. Women throughout time have used squares and triangles to build patterns to create quilts to care for their families,” Tracee Robertson, director of Wichita Falls Museum of Art, said. “A quilt is made from pieces brought together out of necessity but also with creativity, much like the pieces of our lives contributing to the whole story of who we are.”

The panel consisted of topics about generational change, imposter syndrome, mom

PHOTO BY RYAN CLAYTON | THE WICHITAN Infographic on display in the “Quilt Journeys” exhibit at WFMA, March 25.

guilt, balance and time management, nontraditional students and accessibility and outreach at MSU.

“It’s difficult being a mom in school. You really have to learn balance, you’ve got your studies and...there’s a plethora of things that as moms that we have to do every day,” April Kaufman, sociology senior, said. “Being a college student you do learn how to manage your time and how to put what’s important first and then prioritize from there. So I think being a mother with that has really helped me to develop in a way that has taught me to prioritize my life in a way that my kids come first but school comes second right now. It can be difficult.”

The event gave a voice to students that attend university while parenting and at times working too.

“I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to discuss this with [the panelist and attendees]. For people to actually hear what it’s like because we are almost invisible on campus,” Brittany Roberts, sociology sophomore, said.

The exhibit will be open until July 24, 2021.

6 March 29, 2021 Campus Voices | News | Collegiate Health | MSU Texas Women | Feature | Sports | Review ‘TRAPS OF A TRAFFICKER’

educating students on human trafficking

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN Assistant professor of social work Catherine Earley (right) and daughter Hannah Earley (left) inform MSU Texas students on the dangers and signs of human trafficking, March 17.

ELIZABETH MAHAN REPORTER

In the Legacy Multipurpose Room, March 17, Violence Intervention and Prevention peer educators and the office of Title IX held a night of learning about the dangers of human trafficking; an issue that occurs in almost every community.

“Human trafficking is an issue that affects everyone, and we need as many people as possible to be knowledgeable about the topic to help keep students safe,” Laura Hetrick, director and coordinator of Title IX, said.

The special guest speaker at the event, Catherine Earley, assistant professor of social work and volunteer at Traffick 911, defines trafficking as the exploitation of vulnerability.

“It’s definitely not at all what you’ve seen in the movie ‘Taken.’ Really trafficking in its essence is about exploitation,” Earley said. “Trafficking is not limited to third-world [countries]. It’s happening in prominent, affluent communities, all around the world, including right here in Texas. The question isn’t really ‘Where is human trafficking?’ The question is ‘Where isn’t it happening?’”

Texas ranks second in the country for the most human trafficking cases. The Texas Triangle is the name for the area between DFW, Austin, San Antonio and Houston, and Earley has seen many cases in which victims of trafficking were taken all around the Texas Triangle. No matter what age, race, religion or social class a person falls under, she says anyone can become a victim.

“Gang members are finding that they can make more money trafficking girls than they can selling drugs. As a matter of fact, rival gangs are now even partnering up because this is so profitable,” Earley said.

Although traffickers often find their victims in online spaces like social media or dating apps, traffickers also recruit in schools. Earley described a personal experience in which her daughter, Hannah Earley, thought someone involved in trafficking was attending her middle school in Wichita Falls. Earley consulted human trafficking experts, and they said the student in question fit the profile of someone recruiting victims for trafficking.

“When Hannah was in middle school, she started asking questions about this kid that had shown up in school. The kid didn’t quite seem the right age and was really intensely interested in Hannah spending the night at her house, not just Hannah, but a few other kids,” Earley said. “She kept insisting for months and months. I finally went to the school counselor.... She said ‘Oh the kid is on our radar. We’ll take a look.’ The child disappeared completely the next day.”

The average age of children being forced into sex trafficking is between 12 and 16 years old. Traffickers typically approach a child who has run away from home within the child’s first 48 hours of being out on the street.

“People call pimps street psychologists. They can look and see vulnerability very quickly. If they look and a kiddo is looking down or looks afraid or is carrying a backpack, that’s a perfect target. There’s a vulnerability. They can offer their help. By offering help, they’ve found someone that they can exploit,” Earley said.

Similar to how a mouse trap requires some bait like cheese or peanut butter to lure the mouse in, traffickers or recruiters use bait to get their victims to walk into their traps.

“Somebody may see a kid at a bus station and say ‘Oh I see you’re looking for Wi-Fi. You know there’s a McDonald’s right across the street. I’ll buy you a burger. I’m going there anyway. If you let me buy you a burger, you can use the free Wi-Fi.’ That exact scenario happened. She walked across the street. A friend pulled up in the car, shoved her in the car, drugged her [and] trafficked her. I think that one was eight days. That was a particularly brutal case,” Earley said.

The average lifespan of trafficking victims is reported to be seven years. This could be due to a number of reasons, including malnutrition, overdose, untreated STDs or murder. However, there are survivors who make it out of their situations and go on to live their full lifespan.

“At my community college, in my psychology class, we watched a documentary [about human trafficking], and I was very moved by it. I wanted to do something, but I guess I made up excuses. Now, no matter how busy I am, or how difficult it is, I really want to find ways to help people become aware of it. I feel like we need more of this discussion because it’s happening everywhere,” Regina Agbo, nursing junior and event attendee, said.

Sherilene Morancie, geoscience senior and Violence Intervention and Prevention peer educator, agreed students need to know what trafficking situations look like so that if they are being recruited by a trafficker, they will know.

“As of recent, there were stories about what’s happening here in Wichita Falls, and a lot of people didn’t believe it [human trafficking] was happening here before, so we just wanted to relay what exactly happens and to be aware of it,” Morancie said.

7

CAMPUS EXPERTS OFFER ADVICE ON HOW TO OVERCOME BURNOUT

Without proper self-care, burnout can heavily degrade one’s mental health. Dec 2020.

AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR

Burnout is a state of emotional, physical and mental exhaustion caused by prolonged stress that typically generates anxiety and a lack of motivation. With highstakes tests, essays and other assignments, university is a breeding ground for burnout, and MSU is no exception.

“College is a marathon and not a sprint. It can be easy to become tired and worn out during the semester due to all of the pressures from the academic side and everyday issues everyone deals with, such as concerns about health, money, and family,” Laura Hetrick, licensed professional counselor and Title IX director and coordinator, said.

Pam Midgett, licensed professional counselor and director of the counseling center, says college students are at higher risk for burnout because of pressures both internal and external. Students attending college for the first time are particularly at risk because they are leaving a familiar environment for a completely new one.

“Students are away from family and all things familiar. While this may be a welcome change for some students, it still is different. Students have received many messages about college from family, former teachers and the media. These messages may include that they will have great academic success or perhaps they will never make it past the first year. Some believe they are not worthwhile unless they make perfect grades. These messages can create almost a pressure cooker inside the student and many eventually burnout,” Midgett said.

According to Kylie Kerr, licensed professional counselor at the MSU Texas counseling center, there has been an increase of reported burnout symptoms from students this semester. Some of the symptoms of burnout reported by students include exhaustion, stress, selfdoubt and anxiety. These symptoms increase during the middle and end of the semester because of heavy course loads and upcoming mid-

PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON | THE WICHITAN

terms and final exams.

“Many students report that the aforementioned symptoms are due to increasing demands from professors and deadlines approaching for assignments and exams. Most students report feeling overwhelmed by the amount of work they have to do for classes. The biggest stressor reported by many students is the struggle to balance their classwork and exams with the amount of time they have during a day. Most symptoms discussed... are often reported as directly relating to the student struggling with time management, study skills, and struggles with specific subjects that they may be having a hard time with. Based on what I have heard from our students there is not one simple answer for why, but rather it is a combination of many different factors involved in the college experience that can contribute to a rise in such symptoms,” Kerr said.

Kerr sees a correlation between the amount a student relaxes and how burnt out they are. Some of the students she has spoken with have listed the shortened semester as a direct cause of their exhaustion from school.

“I have noticed that many students who do not take time for self-care and time to relax in between semesters have reported higher rates of burnout and exhaustion. The most recent reports I hear from students is that having a shorter semester, spring break being canceled, has caused them to experience more stress as they reported not feeling that they have as much time to complete coursework and prepare for exams. There does seem to be a direct correlation between less of a break, both during a semester, and between semesters, and the reports from students of exhaustion and burnout with school,” Kerr said.

Students appear to not be the only members of MSU experiencing burnout. Kerr said she believed faculty and staff are experiencing similar burnout, and Angie Reay, Redwine Wellness Center director, agreed with her. Reay teaches several classes and noted her increased workload this semester, but she stated she believed the students still have it worse.

“I have [felt burnout]. I have taken on responsibilities, had to plan for the unknown and juggled the stresses of life. I believe that our students are struggling more this year. While school is stressful enough, our students are challenged with the pandemic, how it has impacted their families and navigated through a challenging time in their lives,” Reay said. “Our students are trying to handle a lot right now and have felt not having a break. For the university, it was the best decision to try and keep our students safe.”

In a study conducted by the National Library of Medicine, 71% of college students surveyed indicated worsening stress and anxiety due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Restrictions implemented because of the pandemic have also made it harder to socialize and relax in some of the ways students are used to, but Midgett says students can still find ways to combat burnout, even during the outbreak.

“It is important to exercise some control over where you focus your time. It is healthy to focus on topics that you find are meaningful and important and to balance those with positive messages about yourself and your future. We need to follow appropriate guidance and then gather in small socially distant groups. Plan to meet several friends for a scheduled lunch each week, meet another friend for a walk around the lake several times a week, organize a zoom group where you read a great book and discuss your thoughts and opinions about the book. Make a vision board of all the places you would like to travel. Get ready for a great future,” Midgett said.