September 16, 2020 by The Wichitan and Wai Kun

Sept. 16, 2020 | thewichitan.com |Real Students. Real Stories. | Vol. 85 No. 2

SHARE YOUR

STORIES EXHIBITION

MEDIA: Pg 4

Taylor Swift hits big time with “Folklore” album.

SUICIDE PREVENTION: Pg 6-7

The counseling center is bringing the voices of students directly to their peers in their annual Suicide SPORTS: Pg 10 Awareness Month event by hosting the first Share Your Stories Exhibition Thursday, Sept. 17. Football players without their season.

NEWS: Pg 10

SATIRE: Pg 3

NEW BATHROOM: Pg 9

Tutoring center finds new home in Moffett.

Sports meet Zoom! Keeping seasons alive.

CSC welcomes all-gender bathroom.

@WichitanOnline

@wichitanonline

@TheWichitan

CAMPUS VOICES

Dying in Silence WE’RE WITNESSING A MODERN DAY HOLOCAUST-

hen equality is spoken about, it is often focused on women breaking the glass ceiling and owning their bodies. Taking a back seat in these equality conversations is mental health. Equality is having equal opportunities, in order to successfully practice this, male mental health must be brought to the forefront. While the female population reports more attempts and suicidal ideation, the male population has a higher rate of completing suicide attempts. Accounting for 79% of all US suicides, men are 3.5-4 times more likely than women to complete the act, according to reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This number is high in part because of socially-constructed male gender roles and the stigma that “men don’t cry,” which causes male depression to often go undiagnosed. This results in unsuccessful self-treatment of depression symptoms, according to a study titled “Men and Depression” by associate professor in the Department of Psychiatry at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, John Ogrodniczuk. Depression presents itself differently in men than women and understanding these symptoms must be a priority in prevention. According to Harvard Health, men are more likely to lose weight, show symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, develop physical problems like headaches and chronic pain, and use drugs and/or alcohol to selfmedicate. If there is one new thing that should be learned during all the shutdowns and lockdowns let it be the intuition to notice and act when someone is struggling. You have the power to make a change in someone’s life. Watching for the warning signs of depression, allowing the expression of thoughts and feelings and listening to their struggles are just some ways we can protect boys and men from dying in silence.

AND NOT DOING MUCH ABOUT IT

n 1949, approximately 90% of the population in the Xinjiang region of China was Uyghur (alternatively spelled Uighur), a Turkic speaking, largely MusAmos lim, ethnic minority group. Perkins Today, they only make up about half of their native land’s population, if official Chinese statistics are to be believed (they’ve been accused of under-recording the number of Uyghurs for years). This hasn’t been by accident. Studies have come out accusing General Secretary Xi Jinping’s administration of forcing Uyghur women into sterilization and abortion, and Uyghur populations have been relocated into internment camps, re-education camps and forced labor across China. A relatively homogenous country (the Han Chinese make up 92% of China’s population) ruled by a single-party government and a leader with absolute power “relocating” an ethnic minority and purposely decreasing its population while using propaganda to get the public on its side: where have we seen this before? Now I’m not trying to compare the Communist Party of China to Adolf Hitler’s National Socialist German Workers’ (or Nazi) Party...oh wait, yes I am. In fact, if you read up on China’s “Strike Hard Against Violent Terrorism” plan, which is responsible for the

...purposely decreasing its population while using propaganda to get the public on its side...

imprisonment of at least a million Uyghur people into re-education camps, it reads eerily similar to Hitler’s early plans for the cultural (and literal) genocide of Eastern Europe, known as the “Master Plan for the East.” Due to the Chinese government’s renowned and effective propaganda, the Uyghur people are generally viewed as backwards and “less than” the ethnically Han Chinese. Any attempts to establish greater autonomy, independence or democracy have

...the Uyghur people are generally viewed as backwards... been labeled terroristic acts and swiftly put down, just as they have been in Hong Kong and any other place that defies the Communist government. In recent years, 100 thousand security personnel have been deployed to Xinjiang, or East Turkestan as it is historically known. The crackdown has led to more violent responses by Uyghur separatists, with some even fleeing to join ISIS. So surely, you’d think, with such extreme human rights abuses and the possible strengthening of terrorism as a result, a superpower like the United States would do something about it, right? Well, kind of.... barely. President Trump recently signed a bill pushing for sanctions of Chinese officials involved with the treatment of the Uyghur people, but there are allegations from a former advisor that the president approved of the mass detention. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and the majority of Congress and the Senate have been largely dismissive of China’s behavior until recently. But we all know the real power in America

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Bridget Reilly MANAGER EDITOR: Amos Perkins Vol. 85 | No. 2 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

PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR: Colin Stevenson DESIGNER: Omar Combie NEWS EDITOR: Stephanie Robledo

ISSUE STAFF: Dallas Wabbington, Khirstia Sheffield, Christian

Evans, Emily Beaman, Elizabeth Mahan

ADVISOR: Jonathon Quam

Disney has generated outrage by filming parts of their “Mulan” remake in Xianjiang... is in its many corporations. So, where do we stand on that front? The Australian Strategic Policy Institute revealed in March 2020, 83 companies that benefit from forced Uyghur and other minority labor in their factories. The list included several American powerhouses such as Nike, Apple, Gap, Abercrombie and Fitch and Victoria’s Secret. Disney has generated outrage by filming parts of their “Mulan” remake in Xianjiang and then thanking the authorities there that are notorious for the human rights abuse allegations against them. So, if the government is just now starting to care and American companies are directly contributing to the problem, who can help the Uyghur people in their fight against oppression? That’s where you and I come in. One of the key takeaways from the social justice protests over the last year is that the single most effective way to create change in this era is to make a lot of noise. Peacefully protest openly on the streets (something the Uyghur people aren’t allowed to do for themselves), write letters or emails to any or all of the 83 corporations mentioned before and demand change, post links to resources and articles on your social media and donate to relief organizations such as the Uyghur Human Rights Project. Remember, just because someone doesn’t live where you live, look the way you look or worship the god you worship, doesn’t mean they don’t deserve basic human rights.

Copyright ©2020. 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.

Fall sports to resume 2020 season vIa Zoom

GRAPHIC BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

MSU Texas quarterback yells pass to a wide reciever who catches it in the virtual endzone, Sept. 12.

or heartbroken Mustangs fans, your anguish has come to an end as the NCAA Division II committee announced that Fall 2020 sports will be returning, albeit with a social distancing twist. Collegiate athletes will not be returning to the field or the court, instead they will be showing off their athletic prowess on the popular video sharing website Zoom. “I mean the kids are already doing this thing in their classrooms, and that’s gone on flawlessly, so the guys and I on the board decided, ‘Hell, why not do it with sports?’” Dr. Gary Outtoftouch, NCAA Division II board member, said. When asked if he even knew how the application worked, he added. “Of course, I know how the Zoomies work. You use your telecommunications device to do the thing, and then the other person does the other computer thing and then wham! Touchdown.” Now from the comfort of their own homes, athletes will simply run, jump, hit, kick and set with the power of their voices. Instead of actually performing the action, the student-athlete will now just yell the action out. The Wichitan reached out to Buff McMann (No.69), linebacker and senior, to provide an easy-to-understand explanation of the new system. “It’s really awesome! So like in football, the

quarterback yells out ‘hit’ and then ‘hand off.’ sible muttering and shouting],” Sabrina Con Then the runningback yells ‘run’ and I immedi- Cushion (No.14), goalkeeper and sports injury ately respond with ‘tackle for a loss of 50 yards,’ sophomore, said. and next thing you know its 4th and 50 on their One of the chief critiques about the new own goal-line. It’s incredible; I set the school system is that the NCAA cares more about the tackle record in the first game,” McMann said. profits brought in by collegiate sporting events For those who are worried the athletes and not the safety of the players or the quality aren’t getting the full student-athlete experi- of play. ence, the NCAA came up with a measure to make sure college kids are still getting the most important aspect of sports: the injuries. Every student-athlete is accompanied by a designated ‘Smacker’ who hits them with a large wooden stick periodically throughout the match. We reached out to a MSU soccer player who was among the first to test out this new sysGRAPHIC BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN tem for a comment. Fans watch MSU Texas v. Eastern New Mexico University on a “[Incomprehen- 100 by 100 foot screen at Memorial Stadium, Sept. 12.

COMIC BY DALLAS WABBINGTON

“This is simply not true,” Dr. E. Litist, NCAA Division II chairman, said, while counting stacks of hundred dollar bills in his office. “All we care about is making sure students don’t miss out on the college athletics experience. Which of course is why we mandated each university to use their tuition revenue to purchase a 100 by 100 foot screen to showcase the Zoom games for students at their stadiums, for a small fee of course.” While some critics have questioned how contact sports could possibly be played on a platform that prevents any sort of physical interaction, their voices were drowned out by the thousands of men in their late 40’s chanting, “Sports! Sports! Sports!” Among these voices was the 45th president of the United States of America and known collegiate sports advocate, President Donald J. Trump. “I think this is the single greatest idea in the history of ideas. This idea makes all the other ideas look terrible,” Trump said. “What our nation needs now-more than anything else in the world-is Division II collegiate football... and those other sports too I guess. As long as of course, there isn’t any sort of political commentary.”

A BROKE STUDENT RECIPE:

Cream Cheese Chicken Chili

PHOTO BY DALLAS WABBINGTON | THE WICHITAN

Cream cheese chicken chilli.

DALLAS WABBINGTON | CARTOONIST

his recipe goes beyond traditional chili, and it’s my new favorite recipe to cook. The chili is good for a cold night or any time of year. The leftovers are just as good as the first time.

INGREDIENTS: 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2

can black beans drained can corn undrained can Rotel tomatoes undrained package ranch dressing mix teaspoon onion powder teaspoon paprika 8oz package light cream cheese chicken breasts

STEPS:

1) Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Cook chicken in a skillet over medium heat until no longer pink. Place chicken to the side to cool down. Then, shred the chicken using two forks. 2) In a large pot at medium heat, place the chicken and pour the beans, corn and tomatoes on top of the chicken.

PHOTO COURTESY OF TAYLORSWIFT.COM

Taylor Swift’s “Folklore” Album Cover

Taylor Swift delivers BIG TIME with Folklore

ow before I go deep into this album review I just

want to throw out there that I am not a big Taylor Swift fan. As a matter

Christian Evans

of fact, before listening to “Folklore” the only Tay-

lor Swift song I knew definitely was 2014’s upbeat pop hit, “Shake It Off” which stayed #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for a consecutive 50 weeks. Despite that admission, I think “Swifties,” as I have learned Taylor Swift fans called

plodes into a royal yet controlled open-air

Indie-folk player Bov Iver appears on

sing along with. Songs like “The 1”, “The

the album as the sole featured artist on

last great American dynasty”, “Exile” (my

the majestic song, “Exile,” which as stated

personal favorite on the album), “This is

before follows the slow-building grandeur

me trying”, “Mad woman” and “Epiphany”

approach that many of the songs on “Folk-

really build on this grandeur chorus vibe.

lore” take and develop on their own.

In addition to this, Swift gives amaz-

Overall “Folklore” is a fantastic album

ing storytelling through her album and

and in a time where many tumultuous

through the irresistible charm of her

events are taking place in this country and

voice. Nowhere on “Folklore” is this more

the world, it’s refreshing to hear the timid

apparent than during the song “The last

yet fierce sounding voice of Taylor Swift

great American dynasty,” where Swift

that helps to reassure us during these

gives an oral history of Rebekah Har-

most unexpected and most uncertain of

3) Stir in the seasonings along with the ranch dressing mix.

themselves, will enjoy this album reand latest studio album to enter the

ness Foundation and the previous owner

4) Place cream cheese on top of the mixture and cover with a lid. Cook until the cream cheese is soft.

music waves. “Folklore,” in its entirety

of a mansion in Rhode Island that Swift

was written during the COVID-19 pan-

bought in 2013 that was known as the Hol-

demic. When asked, Swift described

iday House. Another great song, “Illicit

it as, “wistful and full escapism,” that

affairs,” tackles infidelity and the high it

5) After cheese has completely softened, stir the mixture together and bon appetit!

is also, “sad, beautiful [and] tragic,”

brings one or both parties involved along

which those last three words pretty

with the inevitable sorrow it brings in the

much sum up 2020 as a whole!

end. Another song that does this well is

IF YOU FOLLOWED THIS RECIPE, POST A PICTURE AND TAG US ON INSTAGRAM OR TWITTER @WICHITANONLINE

view of “Folklore”, T-Swift’s eighth

to her boyfriend, Joe Alwyn.

chorus that one cannot help but start to

ness, the founder of the Rebekah Hark-

The entire album, on top of Swift’s

“Invisible string” where Swift, with the

description of it, also has a grandeur

help of a string guitar chorus, expresses

sound to it, a sound that builds from

gratitude for past romantic relationships

the beginning of each song and ex-

and their ending eventually bringing her

times. As Taylor Swift described “Folklore” herself, it is indeed a product and sound of wistful escapism.

Christian’s Album Rating: 5/5

Christian’s Top 3 songs:

1) “Exile” (feat. Bon Iver) 2) “This is me trying” 3) “The last great American dynasty”

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

The new location for MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center, CSC 194. Sept. 15.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Opening hours for the MOSAIC Cross-Cultural Center. Sept. 15.

MOSAIC takes a one-way trip to Clark Student Center 194 BRIDGET REILLY EDITOR IN CHIEF he MSU Texas administration has responded to the Black Student Union’s demands to relocate and hire an Assistant Director for the MOSAIC Cross-Cultural Center. Former First2Go Director Cammie Dean accepted the Assistant Vice President for Student Affairs and Director of the MOSAIC Cross-Cultural Center position, as the office of MOSAIC takes a one-way trip to Clark Student Center 194. “The change that will be happening, and it’s coming up right around midterm, is that the MOSAIC office will move into CSC 194,” Dean said. “One of the reasons why I love this space is, because it has those great double doors, so [it has] that nice open space which I think is particularly welcoming for any student who happens to be going by and has a question and doesn’t know where to start.” Along with Dean’s new position, comes Assistant Director Ruby Garrett, Program Coordinator Marcus Jones and Program Coordinator for the Priddy Scholars Joshua Ysasi. “Cammie Dean, I hear nothing but good things about her. She is more than qualified for the position, and I am happy that we got blessed with that hire,” sports administration graduate student and member of the Diversity,

Equity and Inclusion Task Force, Edwin Bah said. Moving to the CSC will provide the MOSAIC office more of an opportunity to engage with students and deliver on making the campus as diverse and equal as possible. “I think that it is an opportunity for building connections and building relationships with students that don’t exist in a space that is in an isolated area,” Dean said. “In some ways, they think MOSAIC, cross-cultural, and then they think okay so brown people go there, but I think if it’s in a central location, things that are going on are more visible. It will make it more welcoming of a space for anyone to engage in the cross-part of the cultural.” Further demands were made over the summer, stating the need for mandatory and extensive diversity training for faculty, staff and students. Due to these demands, University President Suzanne Shipley created a task force to tackle these issues. “There is a diversity, equity and inclusion task force that the president put together,” Dean said. “The task force is contracted with a consultant out of the Wisconsin area who is really going to help the group develop a strategic action plan related to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

While students typically prefer change to be made quickly, Dean said changes to campus culture takes time and patience. “It will take an investment of time and energy and some intentionality in the work of attracting a more diverse staff, that will require some strategic initiatives... there are not a bunch of faculty and staff or potential faculty and staff of color out there in Wichita Falls waiting for someone to ask them [to apply at MSU],” Dean said. Along with finding more minority faculty and staff, subcommittees have been created to focus on campus climate and long term planning for diversity on campus. “We have another [subcommittee] that will focus on campus climate, and that includes the intercultural competency training for faculty, staff and students that we will be developing a curriculum for,” Dean said. “We also have a third one for long term planning.” While subcommittees are meeting, Bah has individual goals he would like to accomplish for this semester. “My plans for this semester is to do the best I can to bring the younger generation up to terms so they can be conscious of the situation at hand,” Bah said. “When I was a young undergrad student, I was ignorant of a lot of

the things that went on, but now that I’m older and more mature I understand what is going on and can be a guide to the future of MSU.” The MOSAIC Cross-Cultural Center is not just for students of color, but for any minority student. “We have the student organizations that are culturally based or diversity-focused like PRIDE, the Black Student Union, the NAACP [and the] Organization of Hispanic Students,” Dean said. “None of those groups require that you are of that background to be part of the group. You don’t need to be part of a particular community; you just have to be a part of the solutions that they bring about.” One hope for MOSAIC is to create a safer space for minority students on campus to express themselves, and allies are a key component to this. “Our allies are really important. Sometimes it’s hard being the one person in the room who is different, and they have to constantly bring that up or address particular needs or issues, and if there is an open-minded and supportive ally in the room who is willing to share that load, it makes things better for everyone,” Dean said. “Allies are a critical piece of the work when it comes to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

SHARE YOUR STOR S hi ni ng a l i g h t o n t h

PHOTO COURTESY OF CDC.GOV.

AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR he counseling center is bringing the voices of students directly to their peers in their annual Suicide Awareness Month event by hosting the first Share Your Stories Exhibition Thursday, Sept. 17 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Clark Student Center atrium. “Every year we do suicide awareness month, and every year we try to include elements that we feel are necessary in order to educate our student population about what to be mindful of for themselves and for others to push that narrative in different ways,” Zachary Zoet, licensed counseling professional intern in the counseling center, said. This year the narrative will be pushed through an exhibition displaying the anonymous letters of MSU students, explaining how their lives have been impacted by suicide. The hope, according to Zoet, is to spark communication in the college setting that is not specific to one’s major or field. “This year, though, we’re again trying to reiterate on [creating dialouge] so we’re doing this exhibition. This isn’t ground that we’ve necessarily covered before, with allow-

ing people’s actual experiences with this theme that’s so pervasive in our culture... [and] actually allowing people’s scenarios to push the dialogue. It’s very in step with what we’re trying to do as a public liberal arts university in terms of learning across the curriculum, becoming familiar with aspects of growth that aren’t major specific,” Zoet said. This exhibition upholds a longstanding tradition of the counseling center of attempting to bring attention to suicide during Suicide Awareness Month. “We try not to repeat certain topics [or] themes. Because obviously our students are staying here for a couple of years, so each time that we do this we feel its important to include a new element or aspect of our growth as a community that we haven’t necessarily done before. That will present in things like us having a motivational speaker, us doing a presentation [and] us raising awareness [nonverbally] like we did Semicolon Day,” Zoet said. According to Zoet, planning for their Suicide Awareness Month event is a year round process that begins as soon as the prior year’s event ends. “Well, this sounds like a fake pageant an-

swer, but we start iterating and planning October 1st. We’ve started upping the intensity on realizing it within the last two and a half months, but we start iterating and planning about the year throughout,” Zoet said. Zoet and the counseling center sent out a Postmaster Friday, Sept. 11 asking for submissions of stories to christina.gragg@msutexas. edu. While submissions are still being accepted, Zoet said they are happy with the over a dozen stories they’ve received. “As of this question, I think we’re sitting in the mid teens. That’s about where we’d like to be. I think that as the number of submissions goes up, the amount to be mindful of goes up, and so I think it’s a good amount. Obviously we’d take more, [and] we’d be fine with less. It’s not necessarily the volume of submissions that we get; it’s the depth and gravity of the submissions that matters the most to us,” Zoet said. The submissions they’ve received have been written with varying degrees of intensity, graphicness and raw energy. This allows for the stories to reach a variety of people in different stages of coping with their suicide experience. “The thing about it is that it’s intended to be a way of people to organize and express their own feelings or moments through this in whatever way they’re at presently. Even if it’s raw, gritty or perhaps not realized, that’s still helpful to people, because they might not be at the place where they can put a bow on it, and it looks ugly.. There are varying levels of intensity and the length or how it’s being presented is perfectly fine, because we need all types of representation of the process of moving through being touched by this, ” Zoet said. Zoet said the counseling center has no plans to edit or censor the writings unless they are “inflammatory for inflammatory sake.” “We haven’t necessarily gone through them tooth and comb just yet, but our intent is not really to filter or otherwise edit people. That’s still a conversation we need to revisit...but as of right now our intent is not really to edit unless it’s something that’s inflammatory for inflammatory’s sake that doesn’t demonstrate like one of the natural reactions like anger,” Zoet said.

RIES EXHIBITION: he rea lities of su i c i d e

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF AMERICAN FOUNDATION FOR SUICIDE PREVENTION

The event is meant for people who have a close relationship with suicide as well as students whose connections are weaker or nonexistent. “For the people that are submitting an experience, I would like for them to have gotten some time to sit with and move through and organize their feelings, and perhaps, have themselves lifted up in a way by their campus community. For the people attending, well, I suppose it depends on their relationship with what we’re talking about. If it’s close to them, I’d like them to feel like they’re not alone or isolated in their complicated reactions to this. If it’s not something they’re close to personally, it’s something that I would like for them to realize their peers, coworkers, friends or even loved ones are moving through something to be mindful of,” Zoet said. Jake Carter, kinesiology sophomore, was enthusiastic in his support of the event, feeling it will help those having suicidal thoughts. “I think that it’s great. People need to know that they aren’t alone, and that there’s always a way out that isn’t negative,” Carter said. Payden Kell, EC-6 education junior, believes an event of this nature could erase some of the stigma associated with talking about suicide. “I think it’s amazing. Often times, when someone is struggling they can feel alone. By sharing these stories and experiences, they are letting students who might struggle with suicide or have experienced it in some form, know they are not alone,” Kell said. “By talking about suicide, they are also breaking the negative stigma that suicide shouldn’t be talked about, which I think is great.” Cailee Studdard, early childhood education sophomore, agreed that it’s important for those who’ve been touched by suicide to share their experiences, but expressed concerns that certain people in today’s culture could be a cause of concern. “[The exhibition] could be good, and it could be bad. People these days get triggered easily, so that could cause some concern, but at the same time I am a big supporter of getting your story out there. I believe everyone’s voice

should be heard,” Studdard said. According to statistics found at the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention website, 48,344 Americans died of suicide out of 1.4 million suicide attempts. Suicide is also the second leading cause of death to young people aged 15 to 24. As a result many people on campus have either made an attempt themselves or know someone who has; this includes Zoet. “[Suicide has impacted me] in several different ways. I’ll answer in one. I had a friend who took her own life, and the way that it has impacted me is in my work, my reactions to things involving suicide and also how I cultivate meaning within my own life,” Zoet said. Zoet offered a few words of encouragement to students suffering from suicidal thoughts. “I would just encourage them to reflect on those real experiences with people caring and wanting you here, and then using that as kind of a lifeline or motivation to get into the counseling center or get into the therapist’s office, or if maybe you’re not ready for that, get into the ‘Zoom call arms’ or phones of a trusted

friend,” Zoet said. Symia Shelton, education freshman, voiced her support for the event, but also thought there were more ways MSU could utilize students to help their peers through mental illness and the effects of suicide. “You know how they have peer educators, I think we should have other peer educators that are educated with suicide, especially those that have been through it. We get it, like, adults have been through it, but if we see that other students have been through it, it kind of gets on another level,” Shelton said. Studdard said that there’s a greater need for events like Share Your Stories Exhibition and other resources due to the amount of self-quarantine happening amongst students. “In today’s time it is important for there to be as many resources as possible, especially with all the quarantining going on. People are scared and stressed; they need places that can educate them on what they are feeling and how to deal with it in a healthy way,” Studdard said.

GRAPHIC COURTESY OF CDC.GOV.

“Black excellence, Black empowerment, Black success”

exemplified by black out photoshoot

PHOTO BY NIKO MCWILLIAMS | THE WICHITAN

Members of the Black Student Union and other Black student organizations gather A student signs up to attend the MOSAIC Cross Cultural Center Council meeting. to take a black out photograph, wearing all black attire. Sept. 10. Sept. 10. ELIZABETH MAHAN REPORTER o help create a sense of unity in students who are part of the Black campus community, members of the Black Student Union and other Black student organizations gathered together on Sept. 10 to take a black out photograph, wearing all black attire. Jamilah Kangudja, graduate student and president of the Black Student Union, helped organize the event as part of MSU’s Welcome Black Week. Kangudja said, “It was a collective effort. We thought of this event idea because of everything that has been going on in the world. We also just wanted to be able to exemplify Black excellence, Black empowerment, Black success, and Black support all in all.” Kangudja said she thinks it is important for all the Black student organizations to connect with each other as allies. “We have a lot to learn from each other. This is a good time for us to unify together, give people something to do, and teach people about the culture. There’s not just one way to be Black, so being able to get all

organizations together that exempli- that we can have.” fy Blackness is great,” Kangudja said. Wilson said she was glad to come Brittany Roberts, sociology soph- be a part of the picture to show her omore and member of the Black Stu- support. dent Union and National Association “I wanted to support everyone of for the Advancement of Colored Peo- color and also to show how our lives ple, said she was proud to be a part of matter and how serious it is that we the picture. still need to make a difference,” Wil“I’m here because I’m Black, and I’m proud,” Roberts said. “Regardless of what is going on in the world, I think everyone kind of needs community and what better way to do it than to be with people who are likeminded and like-melanated.” Tyler Cadett, engineering senior, is a member of the Black Student Union, Caribbean Student Organization, and Sigma Lambda Alpha. Cadett said, “It’s not just Black Americans here. There are international students here that are Black as well. For me, I’m from the Caribbean, so it’s nice to meet other people who are like me.” Beyonce Wilson, mass communication sophomore and member of the Black Student Union, essentially said the more the merrier when PHOTO BY NIKO MCWILLIAMS | THE WICHITAN it comes to the fight against racism. Wilson said, “It is strength in Caribbean Students Organization numbers, literally, so the more peo- members organize a booth for ple the better, and the bigger effect students to sign up. Sept. 8.

son said. Cadett said the group blackout photo will be one for the books. “I wanted to be a part of the school’s history. I wanted it to be documented that I was actually here as a Black individual,” Cadett said. On June 22 President Suzanne Shipley organized a task force on diversity, equity, and inclusion. In her letter of organization, Shipley wrote, “In the past days and weeks I have read and heard the heartfelt criticism of current and former Black students regarding their experiences on our campus. Their criticism outlines a path for the progress we need to make to become a racially inclusive community. Examples of racial injustice at MSU are not confined to a single program or policy, a single action or attitude. The examples indict many of us, from the president to the faculty member, from fellow students to staff. Because racial injustice permeates campus life, not only at MSU but across the United States, we have an unprecedented opportunity to bring our leadership skills to changing the present experience of our students and shaping a more just experience for our future students.”

The members of the task force had their first meeting virtually on July 15. As a member of the task force, Kangudja said she thinks it is an excellent effort to promote equality. About the task force, Cadett said, “It could help. I feel like it could have a really positive impact on the campus community.” “I am so glad to have a person like Dr. Shipley on the board because a lot of universities aren’t making a difference, and I’m glad that she is making an effort and making a difference,” Wilson said. Roberts expressed both concern and a sense of optimism about the task force. “I think that the diversity and inclusion committee could be good, but I also know that it’s really easy for things to take a turn for the worse. I’m hopeful that the people on the committee have the community’s best interest at heart and that they are listening to the community, listening to the students, and really taking in their opinions and their ideas before making any rash decisions. I think it could be good,” Roberts said. Wilson said she appreciates the steps the university has taken to try to combat racism.

CSC WELCOMES ALL-GENDER BATHROOM

STEPHANIE ROBLEDO NEWS EDITOR wo gender-neutral bathrooms have been placed in the Clark Student Center. The male and female bathrooms in front of the computer lab have now been relabeled as ‘all-gender,’ which allows for any student regardless of sex to use it. “In my time as advisor for PRIDE ,I have heard a lot of different stories as far as students feeling unwelcome in the community and on campus,” Jonathan Quam, assistant professor and advisor of PRIDE and The Wichitan, said. “This is the type of welcoming gesture that lets students know... that this is an environment that they can trust.” Throughout the years MSU Texas has been constantly renovating different areas on campus in efforts to create a more welcoming environment for students. This relabeling of the bathroom is one of those efforts. “I absolutely love it! I do not identify as male or female; I am nonbi-

nary. So the all-gender bathroom is super inclusive,” Harley Angelino, psychology sophomore, said. “I love it personally, it’s a much more comfortable space.” These bathroom’s have received a positive reaction from students that before didn’t feel comfortable going to a gender specific bathroom. It is something that has been embraced by other students as well. “I think it’s good [to have an allgender bathroom], because I know for people that classify themselves differently that they feel comfortable going there,” Juanita Orozco, bilingual education sophomore, said. “I like how [the university] took them into consideration.” To some students this is a big step, to others it’s just a bathroom. To those without a strong opinion, the main concern is that others feel comfortable. “Honestly I’m a very flexible person; it really doesn’t bother me, just as long as people are keeping them

clean,” Caroline Gomez, political science sophomore, said. “If it makes people feel better that’s fine with me, so it really doesn’t bother me at all.” The gender-neutral bathrooms have also raised concern among students that don’t feel comfortable sharing a restroom with the opposite gender. “Everybody has the right to what they wanna be but to me, different bathrooms were made for a reason like different parts should go in different parts. Nothing against anybody that believes in that, that’s not what I’m saying,” Jenna Johnson, pre-physical therapy freshman, said. “Personally I would only go to a bathroom of just females. I feel safer with just females in there.” It is the fear that these all-gender bathrooms will be taken advantage of and be used for the wrong purpose that causes some to have concerns. “[I would have] safety concerns mostly or privacy concerns really. Some people are still immature, so

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Gender inclusive bathroom in the Clark Student Center, Sept. 15. it might [turn into] a bet like, ‘Hey I bet you won’t go in the bathroom, if a girl’s in there you won’t look under the stall,’ or something like that,” Cierra Scott, marketing senior, said. Outside of these concerns, the

bathrooms have been well received since it is more inclusive to all students on campus. “[The all-gender bathrooms] are a good, important feature to have,” Diana Snuggs, nursing junior, said.

MSU Tutoring Center:

R E VA M P E D A N D R E A DY FOR T H E S E M E S T E R

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Accounting and management information systems junior Yohann Isaac is a tutor for his two majors. Sept. 15.

Students utilize the new tutoring center desks on the second floor of Moffett Library. Sept. 15.

EMILY BEAMAN REPORTER idwestern State University’s Tutoring and Academic Support Programs (TASP), previously located in Prothro Yeager, has found its new home in the freshly renovated Moffett Library. TASP’s webpage says their mission is, “to provide the necessary support to help students achieve academic success,” through a variety of resources. Their services extend to any student, faculty, or staff on campus seeking help with classes, advising and connections. The new TASP center - including the staff offices, Learning Center and first-year seminar classrooms - can be found in Moffett Library on the first floor across from the Information Desk. All of the tutors from TASP are students, both undergraduate and graduate, that have been faculty-referred by their departments. This allows them to understand how the renovation will be helpful for all students involved. “The move has been beneficial because of its ideal location in the library, which is the place most students go to study,” George Nhamo, an academic tutor for math and mechanical engineering senior, said. “The learning and homework help centers are in close proximity.” Phelecia Scotland, a chemistry and math tutor and chemistry senior, said she also felt the Moffett Library was a great place to host tutor-

we responded with the Homework Help Area.” Just as is the case with the rest of the campus, students who attend tutoring sessions will still have to practice COVID-19 preventative measures. “Tutors and tutees are both required to wear masks, and they have a plexiglass cough guard between them,” Hurst said regarding safety precautions. “We also have contactless sign in options for students visiting our center, and we sanitize every tutoring area after each session and tutor shift.” Amidst a pandemic, the transition was expected to be a difficult adjustment. “For me the transition has been smooth,” Nhamo said. “Unfortunately the COVID-19 situation was unexpected, and the transition almost seemed impractical to carry out, but that hurdle was overcome by observing safety precautions that afford us to interact with our tutees face to face.” After moving courses online, TASP noticed a decline in students utilizing their online services. “Now that we are back on campus and social distancing, our numbers are actually higher than what they were in previous semesters,” Hurst said. “We certainly attribute this to the new location, but I also just think we have motivated Mustangs who are trying to get ahead!” TASP has also transferred some of their ser-

ing. “The best part about being in Moffett Library is that it is a conductive environment for learning,” Scotland said. “The newly renovated layout is very charming, and the new furniture makes it easy to work with students one on one or in groups.” The move has been anticipated for about two years. Gatherings like monthly staff meetings, professional development opportunities and orientation have already been merged, but now the two main centers of TASP have merged as well. “We were actually in PY for writing tutoring and McCullough Hall for all other subject areas,” Ashley Hurst, director of TASP, said. “We feel this is the most student-centered move that we can make.” Another new aspect of the renovation is an upstairs and downstairs section. The first floor Learning Center is geared toward students seeking one-on-one sessions with content tutors. These sessions usually last around 45 minutes to an hour. The second floor Homework Help Area is an open-tutoring setup where Writing, Math, and Science tutors circulate for questions as students work. The time students are able to spend here is unlimited. “We often had students come to the old centers requesting working spaces, not necessarily [wanting] one-to-one tutoring,” Hurst said, “So,

vices online to assist students who were fully online or unable to return to campus. One of these ways is through an online platform called Tutor Matching Service. Tutors create profiles, and students can book online appointments to meet tutors in online classrooms. While Tutor Matching Service is still available, TASP has recently launched a new online program through D2L for all Distance Education students. “We’re excited to offer [students] an opportunity for more around-the-clock tutoring instead of being bound to our more residentialstudent friendly hours,” Hurst said. TASP has also introduced a homework help section. “Sometimes students understand the course material and concepts, but they may have some trouble with a particular question,” Scotland said. “This is the ideal setting to work on problems and solidify your skills.” TASP’s goal is to make tutoring and finding help as convenient as possible for students. “I hope students know that everything we do is for them,” Hurst said. “Every person on our staff, whether full-time or student tutor, is ready to help!”

More information about TASP and their services can be found on their webpage on the MSU Texas website.

BRIDWELL ACTIVITIES CENTER BEGINS RENOVATIONS

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Formerly facility services, Daniel building will soon turn into Bridwell Activities Center, Sept. 15. STEPHANIE ROBLEDO NEWS EDITOR he initial stages for the Bridwell Activities Center renovations began Tuesday, Sept. 1. The current Daniel building will become the Bridwell Activities Center to create space for meetings, chapter rooms and collaborations. This $5 million project was authorized by the MSU Texas Board of Regents during its August 6 meeting. This new building will complement the Clark Student Center and is predicted by administration to enhance oncampus living for students. “The Bridwell Activities Center and Cannedy Greek Commons will initially fill three roles: one, a space for our Greek community, including larger and more functional chapter rooms; two, new space for Student Government Association, Student Leadership and Involvement and for student organizations; and three, it will free up space in the Clark Student Center for MOSAIC and additional student and meeting spaces,” Keith Lamb, vice president for student affairs, said in a press release. The BAC will provide more space for student organizations, and functions previously held in the Daniel building have moved. The Facilities Services administration office is part of the renovation work for the College of Education

identified,” Lamb said. The first phase will largely benefit MSU’s Greek Life organizations, according to Julie Gaynor, director of marketing and public information. “I know in the first phase they are renovating part of the building for Greek chapters. We are gonna have the Cannedy Greek Commons there. Long term what we’re looking at is to have space for student activities and have space for [Student Government Association] student leadership organizations,” Gaynor said. Shelbi Stogdill, political science, history and global studies senior and SGA president, stated that last semester SGA met with two architects for the BAC to give them their suggestions on what the building should include. This meeting was held during the planning phase. They suggested for the building to include open seating, more outlets and more advanced technology to make it feel modern. “We [met the architects] pretty early on in the [planning] process; we told [the architects that] for our room specifically we needed a meeting space and we still wanted our executive offices to be in there as well,” Stogdill said. “There’ll be a lot more organization meeting rooms as well for [other organizations] to hold events. It will be a good way to be more inclusive towards all the organizations because I feel like it’s really hard for organizations right now to get meeting spaces and have a...place that feels like they’re welcomed. I really do think

that the building will contribute to that.” Lamb stated that the new renovations will benefit the everyday student, not only members of student organizations. These benefits include a coffee shop, and the ability to reserve the multipurpose and meeting rooms. Phase two is expected to provide more student entertainment, including a creativity studio and esports lounge. “Student Leadership and Involvement will be officed in this location as part of phase one, as will the Mustangs Pantry and a coffee shop [and] grab-and-go food concept. All students will have access to reserve and utilize the multipurpose room and meeting rooms. Phase two will include items such as student organization workspaces, team rooms, a creativity studio, an e-sports lounge, and additional meeting rooms,” Lamb said. Gaynor said MSU will raise funds for the remaining phases. Much of the funding comes from the Boundless Opportunity Campaign, founded in 2016. The campaign is meant to span seven years and raise $50 million dollars. So far MSU has gained $67,321,510 dollars for the campaign as a result of donations. The goals of the campaign are officially listed as, to “build a strong university community, pursue new student populations, position MSU as a destination residential university and further enrich the culture of engagement with the Wichita Falls Community.”

on the first floor of the Bridwell Hall. Purchasing offices and the warehouse were moved to a new building at 2733 Midwestern Parkway. “It did take significant planning to clear the Daniel Building for the BAC. A new shop building had to be erected for the four facilities services shops that used to inhabit Daniel to create a space for the new shops building itself,” Kyle Owen, associate vice president for facilities services, said in a press release. The renovation process is separated into two phases with each phase focusing on a floor of the building. The first phase is funded primarily by the J.S. Bridwell Foundation, while the second phase is neither scheduled nor funded. “There are two phases to the renovation, essentially one for each floor. The first phase, the first floor, will cost approximately $5 million and will be funded by a generous gift from the J.S. Bridwell Foundation. The second phase, the second floor, is estimated to cost around $3.8 million; this phase has not been scheduled, A rendering of the renovations for the Bridwell Activities Center. and a source of funding has not been

PHOTO COURTESY OF MSUTEXAS.EDU

The cancellation of football season leaves some athletes feeling lost KHIRSTIA SHEFFIELD FEATURE EDITOR acked stadiums filled with yelling, passionate fans covered head-to-toe in body paint and team apparel were once a treasured tradition for colleges across the nation. But, as the deadly virus continues to infiltrate day-to-day living, activities like football have come to a halt, at least for NCAA Division II teams. This disruption has completely changed the dynamic of college culture, leaving athletes like Anthony Tennison, sports and leisure senior, lost. “I was devastated when I found out we couldn’t have a football season,” Tennison said. “I actually found out on social media that they had decided to cancel the football season for the whole Lone Star Conference. My first reaction was, ‘What am I going to do without a season?’” On Aug. 7, the Lone Star Conference Council of Presidents announced that all high contact risk sports will be postponed until the spring. Despite the cancellation of LSC contact sports, professional and

division I teams are still permitted studies junior, said. “Doing the litto play, albeit with a limited fan tle things as far as team bonding base. Adding to the list of inconand things of that nature...” sistencies that have been a comBeing a student-athlete is no mon theme of our recent times. easy job, but the pandemic has “I feel like it’s unfair that there eliminated some of the tedious reare certain teams that can be able quirements, and allowed athletes to play at this time and we canto have a life outside of sports. not,” Tennison said. “But, I know “It feels weird being on the that the people who made the defootball team without having a cision to cancel our season really season,” Tennison said. “In our care about our safety first, and first meeting ever, we all had to that’s what matters to me most. If I go to the Coliseum basketball gym am not safe or healthy then I won’t and sit far apart. Our coach was on be able to play football.” the basketball court talking to us Tennison describes life without while we were high in the stands competing with his team as chalall spaced out. We’ve had a few lenging. Since he was five, Tenrunning workouts and positional PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN nison has always been on a team, meetings, but it’s not the same.” and he has never experienced life Business administration senior and To reduce contact, athletes defensive back Lance Hardman takes are limited to a certain amount of without football. “The pandemic has completely a moment to compose himself before weekly training causing some to changed our lives,” Tennison said. another set of sprints. Sept. 15. become stagnant in their perfor“It has taken away some of the mance ability. Although Lazarus distancing guidelines, the team tries things that give me joy.” Fisher, kinesiology junior, misses Before the pandemic, the football to take advantage of downtime to- team workouts, he takes his skill team was a powerhouse that men- gether. seriously and dedicates time to en“We try to take advantage of the hance on every level. tally and physically connected men with different backgrounds together adversity that’s presented itself,” “I try to run a little bit around my to reach a common goal. With social Kylan Harrison, sports and leisure apartments to stay in decent shape,”

Fisher said. “The coaches have us running the majority of the time, but I like to try and stay ahead of the game.” Although the football team has lost a season, it gives them time to perfect their craft. “The cancellation has been somewhat heartbreaking for the people that love to play football, it’s kind of slowing everything down around you,” Fisher said. We just have to take this for the goods, thinking about it like that just gives us more time to work and prepare for whenever we do have a season. We have so much time that we should perfect our craft and become bigger and faster throughout this process.” Losing this football season has also impacted the amount of exposure Tennison could have received from potential prospects. “The cancellation of our season made a huge impact on my future plans because I had goals for this season that I can’t accomplish. But, on the other hand, I get to spend more time with my family and focus harder on my books,” Tenison said.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Athletes start three reps of 10 yard sprints. Sept. 15.