April 27, 2016 by The Wichitan and Wai Kun

April 27, 2016 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 80 No. 26

Celebration OF Scholarship

PHOTO BY KAYLA WHITE | THE WICHITAN

Keith Lamb, vice president of student affairs and enrollment management, gives a speech at the Honors Banquet held in the D.L. Ligon Coliseum, April 22.

More than 200 honored Students recognized for academic, club activities

LANE RIGGS REPORTER

ore than 200 students received recognition, including two who received the university’s highest awards, at the Honors Banquet on April 22 at 6:30 p.m. in D. L. Ligon Coliseum. These academic awards included outstanding student awards, academic honors by the colleges, and the Clark and Hardin Scholars. Students, and organizations, were presented with an opportunity to showcase their abilities and accomplishments. Those accomplishments, according to students, were the product of hard work and dedication. “Success is no accident. It’s a sacrifice and a love for what you’re doing. I’m grateful my hard work was recognized, and I was encouraged to do and be the very best I can be,” said Mary Martha Brady, 2015 Hardin Scholar at the banquet. “This school is a great community that encourages students to be a success, the teachers and professors are an encouragement and provided me with a renewed drive to graduate.” Political science and Spanish sophomore Luke Allen, the Clark Scholar recipient, is a part of the cycling team, Spanish club, Redwine Honors, Golden Key International Honors, Model Unit-

ed Nations, and Student Government Association. In addition to the Clark Scholar, Allen was presented with the Outstanding Sophomore Award. Both of these awards together, Allen said, have made him feel honored. “There are a lot of good students who deserve the Clark Scholar, and I feel like there’s a lot to live up to since I was the one who won,” Allen said. “It’s given me motivation to continue working hard and try and fulfill my potential.” Allen said he hopes to graduate from the school first, and then attend Law school. During his time here, however, Allen said his favorite thing is that the professors care about students, and try to progress student’s achievements. “They want to do everything they can to get you where you want to be in life,” Allen said. “I would recommend the school to anyone else, because when you’re here, the sky’s the limit because professors are all behind you.” Mass communication senior Megan Piehler received the Hardin Scholar, the top academic award available to students. In addition to this award, Piehler also won the Alumni Association Award and Outstanding Senior Woman. English junior Andrea Mendoza Lespron, recipient of the Woman of

the Year award, is in agreement with Allen. Not only do professors encourage students’ success, Lespron says, but the community does, too. “I love it here, it’s a small school and so you meet almost everyone,” Lespron said. “Part of the reason I was able to get into many organizations is because the school is small and many of the organizations make it easy to join.” Lespron explained that she was involved with the school this year, and organizations including Redwine Honors, English Honor Society, Student Government Association, Arts and Literature Society, Wesley Foundation, Model United Nations, and Eureca. These organizations, along with providing new experiences and plenty of opportunities, are also the driving force behind nominating Lespron for Woman of the Year. “Some English professors nominated me, and receiving it was an honor,” Lespron said. “It makes me feel like I’m right on track, like all the efforts and sleepless nights were worth it.” Those efforts are what members of departments like student affairs, academic affairs, university advancement, facility services, Clark Student Center, and student development and orientation highlighted at the banquet. Those members organizing the

banquet started working at the start of the spring semester, and with the help of different colleges, the banquet was molded into a well organized function that provided students with a memorable experience. “It’s a positive event, and the faculty is glad to work together,” Dean of Students Matthew Park said. “The departments all come together through collaboration and communication to create a banquet that flows seamlessly.” In Park’s opinion, the banquet did flow, even with the addition of several new components, such as the Howard Farrell Community Excellence Award, valued at $500 and awarded to Jesse Clyde Brown, and framed certificates for awards granted by the colleges instead of medallions in previous years. “There were no set backs, and it seemed to flow well,” Park said. “Everybody did a fantastic job.” Although 402 people attended the Friday night event in D.L. Ligon, even more people, about 435, attended the Athletics Banquet the night before. Still, Park said, both banquets served their purpose; to celebrate students’ success at the university. And, Brady said, “The price of success is hard work, and it requires the best of ourselves be put to the task at hand.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27 noon, panel session Clark Student Center Faculty and Graduate Student Presentations 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., Clark Student Center

THURSDAY, APRIL 28 Undergraduate Research and Creative Activity Forum 9 - 10:50 a.m., oral presentations 11 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., oral presentations 1:30 - 3:15 p.m., oral presentations 3:30 - 4:50 p.m., oral presentations Clark Student Center 7 p.m., Wind Ensemble and awards Akin Auditorium BY THE NUMBERS 43 undergraduate oral presentations 33 undergraduate poster presentations

2 | April 27, 2016 |

S TA F F EDITORI A L

New summit prompts dialogue OUR VIEW: The Black Leadership Summit is a

necessary vehicle for change on this campus and arguments about its necessity are missing the point.

lthough some students may feel the Black Leadership Summit isn’t necessary or is counter-productive, the summit provides an invaluable platform for black student leaders on our campus to learn new tactics for making change and having their voices heard. There’s no argument that racism is still a problem in our society – even on our campus. However, all too frequently, young black activists are criticized for how, when, and why they choose to speak about the injustices they still face. While the summit could create more division on campus, what definitely creates division is challenging the summit’s right to exist, in turn challenging the right of our black student leaders to learn and create positive change on our campus. The summit is not about dividing our community or creating any hostility, it is simply about increasing discussion on issues that matter. For those who question the summit’s credibility, we implore them to look inward and examine why they feel the need to put the actions of our black student leaders under a microscope more so than the average student.

the

wichitan Vol.. 80 | No. 26

Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room B103 3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 - wichitan@mwsu.edu

G U E S T C O L UMN S

Summit should be for everyone

e all are divided on many aspects of our lives. Some of those divisions are harmless. Whether you’re team Edward or team Jacob doesn’t have any significant bearing on society. Debating Dylan whether or not that referPembroke ence is even relevant in 2016 will not change the world. However, other divisions really matter. Race has been a serious debate in this country for hundreds of years, but race is only one part of a larger systemic problem. We seem to always be finding new and creative ways to highlight our differences. Even as we work toward a solution, we are still fueling the problem. The Black Leadership Summit has the purpose of promoting engagement, belonging and academic success of the black students. While I agree that

the issue of student well-being is important, This isn’t the right way to go about it. We should be working as a university to include every student regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender, or any other reason. It’s not just a single group that matters. All of us matter, and we all matter so much. We should be creating an environment of inclusiveness where we are simply students. The beautiful part about the college experience is we get to come together and become part of a community. Students should not be split up from one another. The most powerful thing we can be is to be together. If we divide ourselves up then there will always be those who drive themselves between us and attempt to exploit our differences. Some of those people might also decide to run for president. The greatest accomplishments in human history have been accomplished by us com-

ing together. Without fail, every time a group is singled out, conflict follows. Our campus has seen discrimination rear its ugly head repeatedly. There have been instances of students being called out individually on social media due to their sexual beliefs. Just this semester I saw a fellow student’s vehicle with the words “piss on Islam” written on the back window. I have always been a staunch supporter of the right to believe and say whatever you believe, but this made me embarrassed. I was embarrassed that someone that narrow-minded was associated with me as a fellow student. Racism, sexism and other types of discrimination are wrong. In a hundred years, this kind of conversation won’t even exist. There is no reason we should have to wait that long for us to move past our differences. Dylan Pembroke is a mass communication senior.

Be aware of fraudulent job postings

inding a job is a tough task, especially for college students with limited time and experience. The Career Management Center would like to remind students to always be on the lookout for job Cristina scams even if you are desMcCrary perate to start working. Dirk Welch, director of the Career Management Center, says the office works diligently to verify the legitimacy of each posting that is submitted to the www. MustangsHire.org system. However, with fraudulent job postings being found on job boards and websites everywhere it’s important for students to be aware of red flags.

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RED FLAGS OF POTENTIAL CYBER-CRIMES AND JOB POSTING SCAMS INCLUDE:

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Offering you a job without ever interacting with you. Paying you a large amount of money for doing little to no work.

• • • • • •

The position requires an initial investment, such as a payment by wire service or courier. The company is not listed with the Better Business Bureau. The job interview is scheduled at a restaurant or anyplace other than a legitimate office. The “employer” is requesting a copy of your passport, drivers license or social security card up front. The company doesn’t have a legitimate website or an email address with a company domain name. You are asked to forward payments, by wire, courier, bank transfer, check, or through PayPal. A high salary or wage is listed for a job that requires minimum skills. The job is too good to be true.

Students can protect themselves from scam artists that may prey upon your money, personal information and physical safety in many different ways.

MANAGING EDITOR: Kara McIntyre DESIGN EDITOR: Brianna Sheen PHOTO EDITOR: Rachel Johnson BUSINESS MANAGER: Dewey Cooper PHOTOGRAPHERS: Kayla White, Makayla Burnham, Topher McGehee DESIGNER: Justin Marquart ADVISER: Bradley Wilson

Stephanie Sullivan, assistant director of the Career Management Center, advises students to research the company before applying. The Career Management Center advises students and alumni that have any concerns about the legitimacy of a job posting to contact the Career Management Center. “We want to address the issue immediately to ensure the safety of other students,” says Cindy Price, college coordinator of the Career Management Center. “If it happens on the MustangsHire system we will deactivate the [fraudulent] account and ban the user from all future posting,” Price said. If you have questions or suspect any MustangsHire job or employer of unethical or criminal behavior, immediately report it to the Career Management Center at 940397-4473. The CMC will take action to investigate the posting and related employer to protect other students from harm. Cristina McCrary is the career consultant in the Career Management Center.

Copyright © 2016. 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 telephone number and address. The editor retains the right to edit letters.

GU E S T C O LUMN

General public doing a disservice to service dogs

am sure that everyone has been in a store or restaurant before and noticed a person with a dog and wondered why it was there. That person with the dog may have been my girlfriend with her hearing alert dog, Sophie. Service dogs like Sophie are highConner Wolf ly-trained dogs that perform specific tasks to mitigate their disabled handlers’ disability. While the Americans with Disabilities Act protects these dogs and their handlers in any public setting in which the general population is allowed, many people do not know that, or anything else about service dogs. There are a few things that I wish the general population knew or would consider about service dogs before speaking to a service dog handler. The law looks at a service dogs as medical equipment, and others should see them this way as well. A service dog should be treated just like someone who is in a wheelchair, because to a handler, the dog is just as vital. Service dogs have a job to do and being bothered can distract them from it. Nobody would just go up and pet or talk to a wheelchair or oxygen tank, so do not do the same to a service dog. Just think what might happen if it were a seizure alert dog that you just distracted, it could have missed an alert and the owner could have seized without warning and injured themself. By petting a blind person’s guide dog, it is essentially like taking away someone’s glasses. It temporarily stops the dog from being the handler’s eyes. When someone distracts a hearing alert dog, like Sophie, it is like taking away Kaitlynn’s ears. In addition, people seem to have no sense of shame or tact when it comes to service dogs. Too many times my girlfriend and I have caught people staring and talking about the fact that we have a dog with us. The ask us things like, “So is she for epilepsy, autism, or diabetes?” and “You don’t look disabled, why do you need her?” Asking a complete stranger about their disability is disrespectful and tasteless to say the least. I know that people are stupid and not everyone thinks that way but still, it is very frustrating. Some people also do not know the purpose of the dogs. They do not get the connection that the handler is disabled in some way and the only reason that they have the dog is to help them deal with their disability. People assume the dog is either just there for fun, that any dog can be a service dog, or any well-behaved dog can be one. If people were just more educated on the fact that the only reason for service dogs is to help disabled people, maybe some of this annoying behavior would stop. Conner Wolf is a mass communication senior.

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Season ends with one-acts EMILY CARROLL REPORTER

s part of requirements for graduation, seven theater seniors individually produced one-act plays that they presented to the public on the weekends of April 15 and 22. Seniors were supposed to use the skills they have learned in the play they directed. The directors were in charge of holding auditions, choosing actors, and gathering props. Slipping Him the Tongue by Mark Aloysius Kenneally, directed by Maddison Gould This comedic play sets up two days of misery for Wally, a redneck played by business marketing freshman Kaleb Collins, and Raimie, played by theater freshman Addrian Gault. After cursing Shakespeare’s name, a curse seems to be set upon Wally the first day, and Raimie the next. The two cannot help but communicate without speaking like Shakespeare. Collins and Gaut do a good job of keeping the redneck accent while simultaneously speaking words of Shakespeare. The only person who can translate what they are saying into present day English is their old high school teacher, Ms. Ingrid Freedman, played by Autumn Dahl. When she comes over, everything seems to be fine until Wally starts talking, after that, Ms. Freedman can’t seem to hide the fact that she is sexually aroused by the way he spoke. At that point the crowd was half silent and half laughing at her reaction. Either way, Dahl portrayed this … character full on without an inch of embarrassment. Road Trip, written by Neil LaBute, directed by Crystal Carter In this scene, a guy and a girl have just escaped the ties of school, responsibility and the law. From the beginning, something seems very odd about the guy, played by Xavier Alexander. It wasn’t until halfway through the scene I realized the guy was a teacher and the girl, played by theater sophomore Alyssa Villanueva, was a student. This dialogue did not seem believable. The two of them looked as if they were going on a date for the first time and every word sounded as if it was being read straight from the script. The two actors could have delivered their characters in a way that made the viewer understand that the student was just and innocent girl, and the teacher was obviously a creep. But it didn’t seem as if they believed that enough, and neither did I. The Green Hill by David Ives, directed by Kristin Lanier The last play was about a man, Jake, played by theater freshman Joey McGinn, searching for a green hill that he had never been to before but everything about it is familiar and seems real. His partner, Sandy, played by pre psychology major Kendall Nelms, could only keep up her optimism for him for so long until she leaves him while he is still looking for the hill. Years pass by and he meets thirteen different characters throughout his journey, all played by theater freshman Clay Tabor and theater sophomore Kaylor Winter-Roach. It seems as if he was searching for death and I am led to believe that the woman died awhile ago and that is why he sees her with him in the last vision. This one was kind of hard to follow, but McGinn and Nelms played their parts well and each emotion was understood clearly as the play progressed. For Tabor and Winter-Roach, playing about six different characters all in one play must have been a challenge, but they transitioned into each different character with ease. The different accents that Tabor and Winter-Roach had could have been a bit more enhanced. Other than that, the play was descriptive, colorful, and kept up good energy the whole time.

Smitten by Anna Stillaman and Mark Matthews, directed by Timothy Tetreaux This play was interesting because of the dark romance between Nichola, played by theater sophomore Ellanor Collins, and Peter, played by theater sophomore Shannon Howerton. Both Nichola and Peter have been meeting in secret as Nichola had been cheating on her husband. It has been going on for awhile to the point that they are both deeply in love with each other so much that they would kill…literally. From the beginning, Howerton’s character is very mysterious and seemed untrustworthy. Collins’ character was passionate and deep, that was until the very end when we find out she is just as demented as Peter, considering they both poisoned each other in the hopes of preserving their partners’ body parts for reasons only the two characters could explain. I was impressed by how well Collins kept up her innocent act, because by the end I was truly surprised to find out her character had poisoned Peter as well. As for Peter, I think the way his character was portrayed couldn’t have been done any other way. He was the perfect distraction up until the last moments of a clever plot twist. Hello Out There by William Saroyan, directed by Michael Gilbert This play held the most suspense of all of them. The dialogue between a girl, played by theater junior Rachel Innes, and an imprisoned young man, played by theater sophomore Jonathan Stone, held my attention the whole time. I was pleasantly surprised at how well each of them kept up the energy for a situation that could have been uninteresting if it weren’t for the fact that the young man wanted so much for this ordinary girl that he had only just met. It made me wonder if he was only speaking so nicely to her just so she would let him out. Because of the unfortunate ending, the crowd was left to make their own assumptions. Apparently he was in jail for raping a married woman, played by english freshman Margaret Greenhalgh, and the husband, played by theater freshman Jacob Turnbow, was out to seek revenge and kill the young man. Although the man and woman did not come in until the end, the man’s role was the turning point of the play. When he held the gun, Turnbow delivered this part in a way that if I didn’t know the gun was fake, I would be fearing for my own life. North of Providence by Edward Allen Baker directed by Drew Davison As the low-life brother Bobbie, played by theater freshman Joey McGinn, mopes around in his room, his nagging sister Carol, played by theater senior Stephanie Ouimet, comes to visit him. This is no loving visit. Their Yankee accents were thick. This was one thing I was critical of the whole time. I was impressed by the familial chemistry between McGinn and Ouimet. Happy Hour by Neil LaBute, directed by Sarah Chong Harmer This was a dialog between a married man, Ted, played by theater freshman Dean Hart, and a single woman, Cleo, played by english freshman Kalli Root. Ted was with business partners at a club and, after getting of the phone with his fiance, he notices a young woman across the dance floor. Harmer incorporated disco lights and background music to make the club scene more authentic. This setting was one of my favorites. Their conversation was light until they started discussing a hypothetical situation where Cleo wanted to know what Ted would do if she asked him to sleep with her. Finally, Cleo admitted she knew Ted’s fiance and was testing him to see if he would actually go through with it. I was not expecting that. The hypothetical situation dragged on just a little too long that I began to lose interest.

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4 | April 27, 2016 | ACADEMIC AWARDS DILLARD COLLEGE OF BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION

CONGRATULATIONS to the 2015-2016 Honors Recognition Banquet Winners and Nominees

OUTSTANDING FRESHMAN MAN Michael Alan Bravenec Drew David Dutton Rahul Vivek Joshi ** Cory Lee Michener * Taylor Addison Morrison Ismael Peoria Noah Allan Seigler * Lane Thomas Weldon OUTSTANDING FRESHMAN WOMAN Madison Lynn Dodd * Holly Meadow Frazier * Ana Jo Leach Rachael Yukiko Miyahara Kelsey E. Purcell ** Selena Karrigan Reyes Lauren Michelle Sterling OUTSTANDING SOPHOMORE MAN Luke Gregory Allen ** William R. Ash * Carson Parker Barnard Cavaughn Xavier Brown Aaron Dana Devaul Emmanuel Hoffman Thomas Ebby Mammen Juan Mercado Jared Allen Pruett Jackson Lee Simmons * Avery Harrison Whaite OUTSTANDING SOPHOMORE WOMAN Veronica Naomi Balderas * Olivia S. Cooper Montserrath Garay Natalia Garcia Zamora Elyssa Dorathea Henderson Rachel Grace Johnson Emily Beth McDonald * Danica Carley McMahon Faith Abigail Munoz Maria Isabel Pena Keona Rollerson Bethany Ann Russell ** Madison Rose Salvatore Brianna Elaine Sheen Laura Christine Sorge Haleigh Elizabeth Wallace Natalia Zamora Garcia

* FINALIST ** WINNER

OUTSTANDING JUNIOR MAN Ismael Francisco Cruz Anthony Chisom Enem ** Tyler Lee Garcia * Andrew Dalton Gray Prosper Kaseke Andrew Vincent Latour Cooper D. Miller Austin Thomas Monson Christian C. Okeke Tanner Scott Rankin * Coleman Lewis Reidling Jordan Kenneth Susac Samuel David Sutton Ramon Royos Garcia Colby Manley Work OUTSTANDING JUNIOR WOMAN Francine Tiffany Baron Krystal Morgan Basten Julia Marie Brady ** Nikki Robyn Bussue Irvichal Caseian Challenger Teri Arnelle Douglas Rephael Ester Edwards Taylor Paige McCloure Kara Ann McIntyre Hailey Paige Morris * Shayla Lucille Owens Katherine Ann Pendergrass Dominique Grace Presson Rebecca Marie Rhone Rachel Marie Smith * Catherine Grace Stepniak Melissa Anne Whitwood Destiny Alexandria Zynda OUTSTANDING SENIOR MAN Mouffak Alkassar John William Ater II * Jordan Taylor Carter Kyle Joseph Davidson Michael Gerhard Ellerkamp Jonathan Mark Henderson * Charles Marvin Jennings Christopher W. Marten Brandon James Poirot ** Robert Tanner Sanders Branson Scott Spencer Jahron J. Stuart Marco Antonio Torres Tyler Wade Trotter Broday Kent Walker Dustin W. Whinery

OUTSTANDING SENIOR WOMAN Taylor G. Coffman Elasch D. Davila-Hicks Brittany Kay Fernholz Laura Stephanie Flores Briana Nicole Frazier Laura Elise Galbraith Alexis Marie Goodman Camisha Le’Ann Johnson * Michelle Lee Lear Sharon Rose Mucker Caili Danielle Okoh * Oluwashikemi Deborah Olowofela Megan Carol Piehler ** Indira Shenette Placide Suprena Emanuella Poleon Sherma A. Proctor Leanne Marie Ray Zeltzin A. Reyes Trejo Morghan Elizabeth Roffan Carisa Star Roscoe Madeline Roxanne Schorlemmer Autumn Brooke Schump Shari Ethel Smith Rebecca Caroline Stogner Raquel Trejo Careisha K’Niche Whyte OUTSTANDING GRADUATE MAN Mark Alan Brown Matthew Ryan Fox ** Joel Matthew Gipson Scott David Gordon Pierce James Halverson Brian Scott Spence * Smith Alec Steigleder * Clinton Thomas Wagoner OUTSTANDING GRADUATE WOMAN Amy L. Collinsworth * Rachel Andrea Doty * Andrea Tabora Giron Hannah Elizabeth Redder RuthAnn Millisa Ross-Vesprey ** Shweta Zutshi MAN OF THE YEAR Jesse Clyde Brown ** Anthony Chisom Enem * John Charles Garman III Bradley Dwayne Groves * John Patrick Krawietz Tyler Shane Lasseter

WOMAN OF THE YEAR Annmarie Brooke Bush Alexandria Lynn Copp Anna Maria Della Nebbia Andrea M. Giron Amy Elizabeth Knowles Andrea Mendoza Lespron ** Shayla Lucille Owens * Brandi Nicole Reid Rebecca Caroline Stogner * VIOLA GRADY LEADERSHIP AWARD Clayton D. Brown Anthony Chisom Enem Laura Elise Galbraith Courtney Michelle Gilder Madeline J. Parker Shari Ethel Smith Marco Antonio Torres Careisha K’Niche Whyte ** Mercedes Pilar Zayas JAMES L. STEWART SERVICE AWARD Caribbean Student Organization Catholic Campus Center * Kappa Delta Chi Sigma Lambda Alpha Sorority, Inc. ** HOWARD FARRELL COMMUNITY EXCELLENCE AWARD Luke Gregory Allen Julia Marie Brady Jesse Clyde Brown** Tyler Lee Garcia* Jonathan Mark Henderson Emmanuel Hoffmann Andrea Mendoza Lespron* Juan Mercado Shayla Lucille Owens Brandon James Poirot Robert Tanner Sanders ALUMNI ASSOCIATION AWARD Alexis Arrieta Travis Baumann Cavaughn Browne Skye Catletti Anthony Enem Jonathan Henderson Kaitlyn Kyle Andrea Mendoza Lespron Kara McIntyre Megan Carol Piehler ** Alicia Ward

OUTSTANDING ACCOUNTING STUDENT Bradley Dwayne Groves OUTSTANDING ECONOMICS STUDENT Luca Liam Lalor OUTSTANDING FINANCE STUDENT Curtis Martin Knobloch II OUTSTANDING GENERAL BUSINESS STUDENT Karina Lopez OUTSTANDING MANAGEMENT STUDENT Sarah Beth Bond OUTSTANDING MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEMS STUDENT Oluwashikemi Deborah Olowofela OUTSTANDING MARKETING STUDENT Zachary Paul Santagate OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENT IN BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION Pierce James Halverson

GORDON T. & ELLEN WEST COLLEGE OF EDUCATION OUTSTANDING BAAS STUDENT Joan Elaine Chalifoux OUTSTANDING KINESIOLOGY STUDENT Macy Breann Miles OUTSTANDING SPORT AND LEISURE STUDIES STUDENT Jacob Daniel Hardin OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENT IN EDUCATION Brenton Wayne Lamberth

ROBERT D. & CAROL GUNN COLLEGE OF HEALTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN SERVICES OUTSTANDING ATHLETIC TRAINING STUDENT Austin Lee Bauer OUTSTANDING CRIMINAL JUSTICE STUDENT Justin David Maywald OUTSTANDING DENTAL HYGIENE STUDENT Connor Leann Timmons OUTSTANDING EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY STUDENT Nicole Michelle Cochran OUTSTANDING NURSING STUDENT Makenze Jo Martinez OUTSTANDING RADIOLOGIC SCIENCE STUDENT Logan Edward Lafoon

OUTSTANDING COMPUTER SCIENCE STUDENT Michael Gerhard Bria Ellerkamp OUTSTANDING ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE STUDENT Lisa Marie Diemer OUTSTANDING GEOSCIENCES STUDENT Alexandria Danice Edwards OUTSTANDING MATHEMATICS STUDENT Tam Cong Doan

OUTSTANDING SOCIAL WORK STUDENT Melissa Elaine Balderas

OUTSTANDING PHYSICS STUDENT Sachithra Ishani Weerasooriya

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENT IN HEALTH SCIENCES AND HUMAN SERVICES Megan Amanda Howdeshell

OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENT IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS Amy Elizabeth Knowles

PROTHRO-YEAGER COLLEGE OF HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES

CLARK SCHOLAR

OUTSTANDING ENGLISH STUDENT Melissa Jean Laussmann OUTSTANDING STUDENT IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE Maira Alejandra Salinas-Guerrero OUTSTANDING HISTORY STUDENT Kristen Patricia Johnson OUTSTANDING STUDENT IN HUMANITIES Laura Elise Galbraith

OUTSTANDING ART STUDENT Bernard Peters

OUTSTANDING POLITICAL SCIENCE STUDENT Alexis Skija Gay

OUTSTANDING MASS COMMUNICATION STUDENT Shambreka Decole Jones

OUTSTANDING PSYCHOLOGY STUDENT Emily Anne O’Neal

VINSON AWARD FOR JOURNALISM Taylor Anne Warren

OUTSTANDING CHEMISTRY STUDENT Suprena Emanuella Poleon

OUTSTANDING MECHANICAL ENGINEERING STUDENT Suman Bhandari

OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL STUDIES STUDENT Camisha Le’Ann Johnson

OUTSTANDING THEATRE STUDENT Emily Gail Stovall

OUTSTANDING BIOLOGY STUDENT Jordan Taylor Carter

OUTSTANDING RESPIRATORY CARE STUDENT Warren Christopher Guiste

LAMAR D. FAIN COLLEGE OF FINE ARTS

OUTSTANDING MUSIC STUDENT Annmarie Brooke Bush

COLLEGE OF SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

Luke Gregory Allen** Cavaughn Xavier Browne Anthony Chisom Enem Emmanuel Hoffman II Rachel May Innes Hailey Paige Morris

HARDIN SCHOLAR Andrea Mendoza Lespron Megan Carol Piehler** Cariesha K’Niche Whyte

OUTSTANDING SOCIOLOGY STUDENT Anna Maria Della Nebbia VINSON AWARD IN CREATIVE WRITING Kalli Danae Root OUTSTANDING GRADUATE STUDENT IN HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES Cheyenne Nicole Cannedy

** WINNER

6 | April 27, 2016 |

Nearly 70 attend first Black Leadership Summit THOMAS GOAD REPORTER

T PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BURNHAM | THE WICHITAN

Finest Smith, respiratory care sophomore, listens to guest speaker Cortnie Walker, emergency medicine physician, during the Black Leadership Summit held in in CSC Comanche, April 26.

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Location: [Venue] Logan's Roadhouse [Address] 3701 Call Field Rd Wichita Falls,Zip TXCode] 76308 [City, State, State ZIP code]

Date: Tuesday, 2016 [MONTH May DAY,3,YEAR] Time: Check-In: 5:30 to - 6:00 [Time AM/PM TimePM AM/PM] y, [Time am/pm to Time am/pm] Seminar: 6:00 - 8:00 PM

o motivate African-American students and to help them improve their leadership skills, nearly 70 campus group leaders came together last night for the first Black Leadership Summit in Clark Student Center. “It is good to learn to become a leader for the university and to be able to communicate effectively throughout my fraternity Omega Delta Phi,” said Treston Lacy, a mass communication sophomore. Shay Hopkins, a senior in education, said, “I came to get more insight in black leadership. I want to be able to use it toward the leadership positions that I already hold in the organizations I am involved with on campus.” Denise Simmons, assistant professor in educational leadership, and Tiffany Stewart, associate professor of counseling, started off the summit by sharing their hardships of growing up as underprivileged African-Americans, giving tips and life lessons to be successful. Simmons told students to set reachable goals and to bring themselves up. “You need to find people that will not bring you down, hanging out with people in a bad crowd will make you guilty by association,” she told the crowd. “Motivate yourself to be the best you can. Check your attitude and make sure to keep it positive.” Stewart told of her life growing up in the wrong crowd. Denise Simmons, educational leadership and technology assistant professor, spoke as one of the guest speakers at the Black Leadership Summit held in CSC Comanche, on April 26. Photo by Makayla Burnham Denise Simmons, educational leadership and technology assistant professor, spoke as one of the guest speakers at the Black Leadership Summit held in CSC Comanche, on April 26. Photo by Makayla Burnham “The group I was hanging around with was not going to go to college, they were just trying to party,” said Stewart who ended up having to go to college alone, changing scenery to realize her full potential. “I share my story because I know

PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BURNHAM | THE WICHITAN

Denise Simmons, educational leadership and technology assistant professor, spoke as one of the guest speakers at the Black Leadership Summit held in CSC Comanche, on April 26. what it is like to go from no where to where I am today. I know what it is like to have grown up with no role models in my immediate reach. I know what it is like to make a way out of no way,” Stewart said. Finally, Cortnie Walker, an emergency medical physician, told the students about the importance of having passion. “Go for your dreams even if they are difficult or out of the box,” Walker told the students who ate shrimp or chicken for dinner. D’Andre Fisher, a special assistant to the vice president at Oklahoma State University, was unable to attend. After the student leaders heard from Simmons, Walker and Stewart, they broke into small groups to develop action plans and to discuss their vision and heard from keynote speaker Jinneh Dyson an organizational consultant. “Being the first year that it was attempted, it’s a positive experience that can be built on in the future,” Matthew Park, associate vice president for student affairs, said. “It was a very good interaction of students and faculty.”

Vinson Health Center provides STD screenings

Z I P L I NE

| April 27, 2016 | 7

DIERRICA SMITH REPORTER

tudents who are looking to be tested for STDs can receive testing and treatment at the Vinson Health Center. The health center not only provides checkups, but also testing for STDs and safe-sex provisions. Keith Williamson, campus medical director, said, “It (STD) is not a slur on your character, or your intellect, or your mom or your dad or your grandparents, or anything, it is an infectious disease.” Williamson, said, “Sex has consequences, in addition to the emotional turmoil that can be associated with unwise sexual choices, there is the risk of starting another life in this world that you may not be ready to take responsibility for. There are financial and legal entanglements. There are STDs, of which there are a myriad, but the primary four that we worry about would be HIV, syphilis, chlamydia and gonorrhea.” Each year, one in four teens contracts a STD or a STI. Also, each year, there are close to three million new cases of chlamydia which are mainly in adolescents and young adults according to ashasexualhealth.org Ashley Williams, nursing sophomore, said, “I have been tested for a STD, because I think it’s important to make sure that I don’t have anything harmful going on and that I am healthy.” Williamson said he recommends that every woman between 15-25 get annual testing for STDs. Briana Busby, English sophomore, said ,”I have never been tested for a STD before.” According to hhs.gov, adolescents ages 15-24 account for nearly half of the 20 million new cases of STDs each year. Williamson said, employees of the Vinson Health Center provide testing for STDs all year long. If a student has no symptoms and wants to be screened for a STD, a nurse will draw their blood and they will give a urine specimen to be tested. Halil Hicks, respiratory care sophomore, said, “Getting tested for STDs on a regular basis is important, because you will be informed on your current health conditions and will be able to notify your spouse or partner if something is occurring.” Williamson said, “HIV is a bit more complicated and syphilis is extremely rare. There is a map that shows at a county level where you are most likely to run into syphilis and there is a little blue dot on Wichita Falls. We are the capital of syphilis, but there has only been about 10 cases in town.” If a student tests positive for an STD, they are provided with post-test treatment and counseling. Students can be tested for HIV, chlamydia, syphilis and gonorrhea. The tests can either be urine based, swab based or blood based. HIV and syphilis are blood based while gonorrhea and chlamydia are swab and urine based. Williamson said, since he has been at the health center, he has only diagnosed three cases of syphilis. The Vinson Health Center employees only provide services to current students. Williamson said if a student comes in and says that they have a weird rash or abnormal symptoms, and they want to get an STD testing, they will have to see the doctor because they will need further evaluation.

PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN

The Bruce and Graciela Redwine Student Wellness Center and the Vinson Health Center are located by Sikes Lake, across Midwestern Parkway. STD tests are $23 for chlamydia, gonorrhea, syphilis and HIV. Williamson said, “For women, it is slightly better to swab the cervix directly than the urine based test. If someone has symptoms, I’m going to swab the cervix directly, but if they don’t have symptoms and they’re just screening, the urine based test is really good too.” Prices are set and finalized as a group by the employees of the health center. The office spends about $7,500 is spent on testing supplies. In most instances testing takes about 10 minutes, but could take up to two hours to collect a urine specimen. The blood tests are sent to local reference labs and come back within a few days, but the tests for chlamydia or gonorrhea are sent to the state lab in Fort Worth. Williamson said, “Labs have three characteristics: speed, cost and quality. Rarely will you find a lab that has all three that are good. We have gone for quality and cost but they are slow. It takes them about two weeks to get the results back to us.” The nursing staff call students on the phone to inform them of their results. If a student tests positive they are asked to come in, but if a student tests negative, they are told during the phone call. “There are multiple reasons that prevent students from coming in,” Williamson said. “Lack of awareness that we are even here is a part of the problem. Everybody is told at orientation, but unless you are sick at orientation, it’s not one of those things that just stick. There is denial. There is fear. They figure they have something and they really don’t want to put themselves in that category. They confuse an infectious disease with some sort of social stigma.” Each day, 20-30 students come in for medical services. Williamson said, “Some days at the beginning of the semester, when the health science students need to get their immunizations updated, we have days where up to 100- 120 patients come in. We get about 6,000 individual patient encounters, for medical reasons, a year.” Williamson said representatives from the Vinson Health Center attend campus events and pass out condoms to spread awareness about the hazards of unprotected sex and STDs. They also attend classes and speak to students.

PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BURNHAM | THE WICHITAN

Jasmin Moody, English and criminal justice junior, takes her turn on the zipline on April 19.

Student one-acts end spring season EMILY CARROLL REPORTER

even theater seniors wrapped up their semester with student-produced one-act plays on April 15-16 and 22-23 as part of their graduation requirements. In the Bea Wood Studio Theatre, directors presented their plays to 400 attendees, raising $2,000.All profits made from the plays went back to a general theater production budget and paying for royalties. “I’m really proud of what we all did on stage,” Kristin Lanier said. “It was a unique learning experience for all of us.” Crystal Carter said the one-act plays are usually the biggest show of the year. “I feel like overall the community understands that this is how we make our money,” Carter said. In producing their plays, directors gathered all of their own props from places like Walmart and vari-

ous thrift stores, which they said was little to no cost. “It was kind of stressful but I wouldn’t say expensive,” Sarah Chong-Harmer said. “You want to make sure you have the right look but not by spending a bunch of money.” While Harmer said she was confident after a couple run-throughs of her play, Drew Davison said he was a little worried until it finally happened. “I’m really proud with how [the play] turned out,” Davison said. “I was really nervous going into that final week and didn’t think that everything was going to come together but it did and it all gelled very nicely.” For Michael Gilbert, he said he was happy with the presentation of his play. “I can definitely say this ended on a high note,” Gilbert said.

8 | April 27, 2016 |

PHOTO BY TOPHER McGEHEE | THE WICHITAN

Amanda Thomas, sophomore catcher, tags a Texas A&M-Kingsville player sliding toward home, April 22.

Softball team beats Kingsville 3-1 in series, enters playoffs PHOTO BY MAKAYLA BURNHAM | THE WICHITAN

SAM SUTTON REPORTER

Maddie Schorlemmer, psychology senior, plays her final regular season home match at the tennis center April 22. Schorlemmer defeated Lindsy Pearce (University of Arkansas-Fort Smith) 6-2, 6-2. In doubles play, the next day at Northeastern (Oklahoma) State, Schorlemmer (above) and junior Abby White beat NSU 8-0.

layoffs didn't look like a possibility for the softball team before Friday, April 22, but when the team won the series 3-1 against Texas A&M Kingsville, the low possibility turned into a guarantee. Since Saturday was Senior Day, the team's softball players were honored before the third game of the series. Kathleen Vinson, nursing and psychology senior, said, "We're excited. We weren't sure if we were going to get in before this series, but we did what we had to do, and it worked out for us." With this series win, the team has some confidence heading into playoffs. Erin Knox, accounting sophomore, said, "Any time you win, you get momentum, but especially when the wins get you into the playoffs." While it is nice the team got into the playoffs, the team's overall goals were not met. Head coach, Brady Tigert, said, "I'm glad we won, and I'm glad we're in, but we had higher goals coming into the season. We wanted to get to regionals right away, but that didn't happen, so it's bittersweet." The last time the team was at home, pitching was a problem. However, they addressed this issue with multiple reps, practices, and games. Tigert said, "We were hitting our spots, not getting behind against batters, and we were more focused. We've actually been doing this over the last few away games as well." Even though the team is starting to get more wins, Tigert said there is still work to be done. "We need to improve on everything. Pitching, batting, defense, base running, and overall, just being more consistent. Because while we did pitch well this series, we still had problems a lot of times. We can win, but we have to fix some things," Tigert

Men’s tennis beats Cameron, playoff dream lives on PHOTO BY TOPHER McGEHEE | THE WICHITAN

Taylor Bermudes, junior outfielder, throws in a ball.

said. Another highlight was when the team's seniors were honored for Senior Day before the third game of the series. Knox had good words to say about all of the seniors on the team. "These girls have consistently been very good. They hit well, and they defend well, but they also have lots of heart and passion. They're just all around great players." Vinson, one of the seniors, said she has enjoyed getting to play this long for a team like this. She also had good things to say about her teammate, and another senior, Haley Howerton. "Haley has been great. She and I have lots of memories on and off the field. Been something special having her as a teammate," Vinson said. Vinson said while playing softball has been fun, she has no plans to play softball after college. "I've got a degree in nursing, and I want to focus on that after school. I want to turn the page and do something else," Vinson said. The softball team will play its first playoff game on Friday, April 29 at 11 a.m. at Cameron University.

SAM SUTTON REPORTER

he men’s tennis team beat Cameron University 6-3, the team’s Lone Star Conference rival, on April 20. With this Top 25 win, they were able to maintain their playoff chances. Dillon Pineda, biology freshman, said, “It felt great to win this. There had been struggles beating them in the past, so being able to win felt awesome.” The team won their doubles matches 2-1. It got down to the last match in doubles when Kyle Davidson and Ramon Toyos lost their match 9-8, and Dillon Pineda and Zack Santagate won 8-5, but it turned out all right for them when Chris Norrie and Benjamin Neander won 9-8. Zack Santagate, marketing senior, said, “It was probably the best doubles match ever. I was confident in myself, and I knew if there was

something wrong with my game, I could count on Pineda. He’s a great teammate.” The team won in singles matches 4-2. It was tight during singles for a while since Dylan Hall and Chris Norrie lost their matches, but it was turned out as a win when Kyle Davidson clinched the game in a threegame match (2-6, 6-2, and 6-1). With this win, the team still has a good chance of reaching the playoffs. “We have done well this season, and we have lots of potential. This is a tightly knit group, which is a good strength to have going if you’re going to make a playoff run,” Santagate said. Santagate said even though playoffs are on their mind, they can’t think about it too much. They just have to take it day-by-day, and keep working hard as a group. See full story online.