September 28, 2023

CARIBFEST OFFERS OUTLET FOR CULTURE

CECIL WITHERSPOON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

While universities around Texas make sweeping changes to stay in line with SB-17, which bans universitysanctioned DEI involvement, many student organizations are working to keep their place on campus afloat. The Caribbean Student Organization is among those working to reestablish its identity in the new landscape. Caribfest offered CSO and the rest of the campus community an outlet for the uniqueness of Caribbean culture on Friday, Sept. 22 and Saturday, Sept. 23.

Marketing senior Zhanique Connor organized the event and said it went according to her vision. She added that all the frustrations that come with coordinating a large event on campus were worth the final result.

“Fantastic. All of the stressing, the almost crying, the screaming, is actually paying off. Like it’s really nice to see the execution coming along. The vision that I really intended for it is really coming along, and tonight was actually amazing. Nothing short, but amazing,” Connor said.

Mara Hill is pursuing a master’s in business analytics and attended the event.

Hill said she wanted to experience the culture, but also see that culture shared with the broader community.

“Well, I’m from the Caribbean and that’s part of our culture, so I just came out to see

how everyone performed and just to have a good time and listen to the music and the performance,” Hill said, later adding, “It’s very important because like I said, most of us here are from the Caribbean. And we want Americans and people at MSU to see our culture and how we celebrate things at home. So it’s pretty important to continue having that at MSU.”

Mechanical engineering senior Nathaniel

Joseph performed several songs at the Friday night event. Joseph has won multiple Soca music competitions on campus.

He said that culture-sharing events like Caribfest are important because MSU attracts students from around the globe.

“You have a lot of people coming from, even thought they’re not coming from out of the states, they’re coming from Dallas, they’re coming from Austin, they’re coming from Houston, they’re coming from New

York, you understand, all places in the world,” Joseph said, continuing, “Different continents and different states, anywhere, and they’re leaving their family and come here. So even if they might not be from our culture, they might learn something new. They might learn something about themselves, you know what I mean?”

He said that he believes there are benefits to events like Caribfest that expose communities to different cultures, adding that people can celebrate their differences while still working together.

“You can take part in a different culture and grow in that. You know it just, it just makes people grow. You know as a people, not just separated because you have a lot of isolation on it’s own. So I do see that’s something very important, we cannot forget who we are as a people. Recognizing our different backgrounds but embracing togetherness, that is how I put it,” Joseph said.

Ultimately, Joseph said he felt diversity remains important so that groups and individuals can maintain their identities.

“It’s very important to have culture on campus. Because what you don’t want is for people to feel that they are interchangeable, feel like objects,” Joseph said.students interested in preserving DEI groups and ideals can attend and work with faculty.

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PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN

Models from the Caribfest fashion show pose for a group photo outside from Prothro-Yeager, Sept. 22.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN The Caribbean Student Organization celebrates its 25th anniversary with a festive parade, Sept. 23.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN

Mechanical engineering senior Nathaniel Joseph performs at Caribfest in Sunwatcher Plaza, Sept. 22.

SELF-DEFENSE CLASS AT THE WELLNESS CENTER

JUAN MANOSALVA SPANISH EDITOR

The MSU Wellness Center partnered with Title IX, Residence Life and Housing and the Police Department to offer a self-defense class Monday, Sept. 18.

Angie Reay, Wellness Center executive director, said preparedness is something the university focuses on, particularly in September.

“Campus Safety Awareness Month is the month of September, so one of the programs for that is our self-defense class,” Reay said.

Reay invited retired police officer Steve Beggs to handle the self-defense class and teach students how to respond to any kind of harassment.

“We brought in Steve Beggs to teach us about self-defense, being aware of our surroundings, taking care of ourselves and taking care of each other. And hopefully, we don't have to use any of the skills that we learned tonight, but if we are in that situation, he just wants to prepare us to be able to take care of it,” Reay said.

Beggs said that maintaining people’s safety is his passion and that he will come any time MSU wants to invite him.

“Anytime I'm invited, I´ll come. I think that's an important part of what I do. It's my passion and my purpose to keep people safe. And if I can do, if I can say one thing or show somebody one thing that they can do to maintain their safety, I'm all in,” Beggs said.

Beggs shared his own experiences during the class, making

people conscious that this can happen to anybody at any time and students should be aware of that.

“With personal stories, I think people realize that something bad can happen. Here are two statements that people need to put out of their vocabulary: One, I can't believe this is happening to me, and two, I can't believe it's happening here. You've got to take those completely out because it can happen to you, and it can happen here,” Beggs said.

Reay said everybody learned at least one thing in the class and that she appreciates Beggs sharing his personal stories, as it brings reality to his lessons.

“I think that everybody learned something and can at least take one take away from it. I hate that he has to share a personal story that happened in his own family, but I think that it brings some reality to the things that he is teaching to us. So I appreciate not only that he comes out here, but he's open to share that story with us and that he just wants to do what he can to keep us safe,” Reay said.

Sophomore Corrynne Hamilton said she thinks MSU is a safe campus but knowing how to defend herself is always good.

“MSU is like a really safe campus, but it's always nice to know this just for anything. I'm going to be a teacher, and so there might be times where I'll be at school late, and so just knowing how to defend myself is always good,” Hamilton said.

Junior Christiane Sorelle echoed Hamilton’s sentiment.

“I think so too. I feel like every female should have the ability to know all this and it's important that the University does incorporate it not only like maybe once a month, like maybe two times, so we are accustomed to it because we don't want to learn it today and then forget it tomorrow,” Sorelle said.

Reay said her team tries to bring Beggs once a semester, but if students want him back, she will work to make it happen.

“We try to bring him once a semester. So if students are interested in having him back, they just need to let us know when is a good time and date and we will be happy to bring him back again.” Reay said.

CURSO DE DEFENSA PERSONAL EN EL WELLNESS CENTER

JUAN MANOSALVA

SPANISH EDITOR

El Wellness Center de MSU se asoció con los departamentos de Title IX, Residence Life and Housing y el departamento de Policía para ofrecer una clase de defensa personal en sus instalaciones el pasado lunes 18.

Angie Reay, directora ejecutiva del Wellness Center dijo que septiembre es el mes para hacer conciencia sobre la seguridad en el campus y la clase de defensa personal fue uno de los programas que prepararon para ello.

“El Mes de concientización sobre la seguridad en el campus es el mes de septiembre, por lo que uno de los programas para ello es nuestra clase de defensa personal”, Dijo Reay.

El policía jubilado Steve Beggs fue invitado para dictar la clase de defensa personal y enseñar a los estudiantes cómo responder ante cualquier tipo de acoso.

“Trajimos a Steve Beggs para que nos enseñara sobre defensa personal, ser conscientes de nuestro entorno, cuidarnos a nosotros mismos y cuidarnos unos a otros. Con suerte, no tendremos que usar ninguna de las habilidades que aprendimos esta noche, pero si estamos en esa situación, él sólo quiere prepararnos para que podamos encargarnos de ello”. Dijo Rey.

Beggs dijo que mantener a las personas seguras es su pasión y que siempre que MSU quiera invitarlo vendrá.

“Cada vez que me inviten, vendré. Creo que es una parte importante de lo que hago. Es mi pasión y mi propósito mantener a las personas seguras. Y si puedo hacer o decir algo para mostrarle a alguien algo que pueda hacer para mantener su seguridad, lo haré completamente”. Dijo Beggs.

Beggs compartió historias personales durante la clase,

FOTO POR JUAN MANOSALVA | THE WICHITAN

La estudiante de segundo año, Corrynne Hamilton, sostiene la muñeca de Steve Beggs mientras hace un movimiento de defensa personal, Sept. 18.

haciendo que la gente fuera consciente de que esto le puede pasar a cualquiera en cualquier momento y los estudiantes deben ser conscientes de ello.

“Con historias personales, creo que la gente se da cuenta de que algo malo puede pasar. Aquí hay dos afirmaciones que la gente necesita eliminar de su vocabulario: una, no puedo creer que esto me esté pasando a mí, y dos, no puedo creer que esté pasando aquí. Tienes que eliminarlos por completo porque te

puede pasar a ti y puede suceder aquí”. Dijo Beggs. Reay dijo que todos aprendieron al menos una cosa en la clase y aprecia que Beggs comparta sus historias personales, ya que aporta realidad a sus lecciones.

“Creo que todo el mundo aprendió algo y al menos puede sacar algo de esto. Odio que tenga que compartir una historia personal que sucedió en su propia familia, pero creo que aporta algo de realidad a las cosas que nos está enseñando. Así que aprecio no sólo que haya venido aquí, sino que también esté abierto a compartir esa historia con nosotros y que simplemente quiera hacer lo que pueda para mantenernos a salvo”. Dijo Rey.

La estudiante de segundo año Corrynne Hamilton dijo que MSU es un campus seguro, pero saber cómo defenderse siempre es bueno.

“MSU un campus realmente seguro, pero siempre es bueno saberlo para cualquier cosa. Voy a ser maestra, por lo que puede haber momentos en los que me quede tarde en la escuela, así que saber cómo defenderme siempre es bueno”. Dijo Hamilton.

La estudiante de tercer año Christiane Sorelle añadió: “Yo también lo creo. Siento que todas las mujeres deberían tener la capacidad de saber todo esto y es importante que la Universidad lo incorpore tal vez no solo una vez al mes, tal vez dos veces, así podemos estar acostumbradas, porque no queremos aprenderlo hoy y luego olvídarlo mañana”. dijo Sorelle.

Reay dijo que su equipo intenta traer a Beggs una vez por semestre, pero si los estudiantes lo quieren de regreso, ella trabajará para que esto sea posible.

“Intentamos traerlo una vez por semestre. Así que, si los estudiantes están interesados en tenerlo de regreso, solo deben informarnos cuándo es un buen momento y una buena fecha, y estaremos felices de traerlo de vuelta”. dijo Reay.

PHOTO BY JUAN MANOSALVA | THE WICHITAN Retired police officer Steve Beggs teaches a self defense move to MSU students, Sept. 18.

SGA HOSTS LOCAL GOVERMENT AT MSU

CECIL WITHERSPOON EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The Student Government Association teamed up with the League of Women Voters to host a candidate forum Thursday in CSC Comanche. All city council and mayoral candidates attend the forum to answer questions and share their visions for MSU. The event offered students an accessible place to connect with local issues, but also drew a large number of community members to campus.

SGA president and political science senior Zetta Cannedy said she was especially pleased with the turnout.

“This is our second time doing this, and the one thing we learned from last year is put out more chairs, a lot more chairs, and they were almost all full. So we have a lot of community members, we have a lot of students that came out to listen to our candidates and overall I think it went off without a hitch. It was really great and I loved the turnout for this year,” Cannedy said.

Psychology freshman Jalecia Thompson said she came out to the event for extra credit but that the forum ended up being “eye-opening.” Several candidates addressed building entertainment options and career paths that would be enticing to young professionals, and Thompson said she was glad it was a topic of discussion.

“I thought it was kind of cool what they talked about in the city of Wichita. Not going to lie, I noticed first thing that the city was kind of dead. So I liked that everyone else knew it was kind of dead too, and that these new people they’re trying to elect in are kind of like thinking about that,” Thompson said.

“Most MSU students aren’t really involved in the community anyway, so I think this is a pretty good opportunity to find out how you can be connected to the community, how the community is trying to like reach out to us and get us to stay,” she added.

Betty Richie, president of the League of Women Voters of Wichita Falls was one of the primary orga-

nizers for the event.

Richie said she wanted to bring the event to MSU to make politics more accessible to younger members of the community. She added that the students who helped organize and pull off the event worked hard.

“As a former educator, I feel very strongly about promoting our youth. And I said, Zetta and Andres, amazing, amazing young people, and they’ll go far,” Richie said.

Cannedy said she shared Richie’s hope that students would get involved in the civic process.

“So especially if you’re a freshman, get registered to vote in Wichita County and hear what the Wichita Falls city council and mayors have. Because tonight we had a lot of questions about MSU, we had a lot of questions impacting young professionals, so students really got to hear the decisions they make and how really it impacts so much of what they do, especially in their higher education journey,” Cannedy said.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE

Beverly Taylor Ellis, candidate for Wichita Falls Mayor, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE Carol Murray, candidate for Wichita Falls Mayor, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE

Scott Poenitzsch, candidate for Wichita Falls Mayor, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE Tim Short, candidate for Wichita Falls Mayor, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE

Cathy Dodson, candidate for Wichita Falls City Council District 3, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE Mike Battaglino, candidate for Wichita Falls City Council District 4, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE Kevin Hunter, candidate for Wichita Falls City Council District 4, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE Samuel Pak, candidate for Wichita Falls District 4, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE Tom Taylor, candidate for Wichita Falls City Council District 5, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE Steve Jackson, candidate for Wichita Falls City Council District 5, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE Jeff Browning, candidate for Wichita Falls City Council District 3, Sept. 28.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE

Community members gather to particpate in candidate forum, Sept. 28. Early voting is Oct. 23 to Nov. 3. Election day is Nov. 7 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

MSU GRAD PURSUES OLYMPIC DREAM

DONOVAN JACKSON REPORTER

Recent graduate and former Mustangs basketball player Jace Johnson described bobsledding colorfully.

“Imagine you’re in a bathtub and you’re going down a mountain," Johnson said.

Johnson has aspirations that are not typical for athletes living in the south - or athletes in general. Johnson has switched from the hardwood to the frozen track, with a goal to earn a spot with the United States Olympic Bobsled Team.

Johnson's introduction to the sport of bobsled happened in the fifth grade with the 1993 Disney film “Cool Runnings," a true story about the 1988 Jamaican bobsled team. Johnson would eventually revisit the film during the 2022 Winter Olympics before going into a deeper dive about bobsled and seeing what was required to join a team.

“I knew I had one more year at MSU. So I couldn’t really do too much at that point.” Johnson would later go to a universal combine to get his start in Bobsledding. After the combine, Johnson considered himself to be “knee deep” in the whole thing.

Johnson mentioned that the film “Cool Runnings” is his biggest influence, but the person that he looks up to most is Vonetta Flowers.

Flowers is from Johnson’s hometown of Bessemer, Alabama and competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City for the United States. Beyond simply competing, Flowers would go on to make history as she and Jill Bakken would win the gold medal in the Olympics first women’s bobsled event in the 2002 Winter Olympics. Flowers made history, as she became the first Black athlete to win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics.

As a basketball player going into bobsled, Johnson has learned to adapt some of the skills from his time playing basketball for the Mustangs to bobsledding.

Johnson said the biggest skill he takes from basketball to bobsled is power and explosion.

“When I’m probably trying to finish at the rim in basketball, it requires a lot of power and explosion. So that’s the biggest one," Johnson said.

Now, Johnson is training to be part of the U.S. Olympic Bobsled Team, and said he's picked up a lot in

his time training.

“It’s going pretty good. Long way to go, long way to go. But I have learned a lot in the short time I’ve been involved in the sport. I’ve learned a lot that’s just required," Johnson said.

Johnson said being a part of the U.S. Olympic Bobsled Team is a “childhood dream come true” and “a surreal feeling." He added he's beginning to take in what the opportunity means.

“I’ve been involved with the sport in a short amount of time, but I kinda understand you know. What it means to represent your country and kinda do something that’s bigger than you, and be a part of something that’s bigger than you,” Johnson said.

Even though bobsledding is a sport that only has two tracks in the United States, Johnson said there's no good reason for people not to pursue their passions.

“Don’t be afraid to try new things and see if you would enjoy something. Because I found a new love in a sport that I didn’t know too much about beforehand and it allowed me to continue my athletic career in a completely different arena," Johnson said.

Jace Johnson sits in a Team USA bobsled, 2023. Johnson's Olympic dream began as a child, and he is pursuing his passion after graduating from MSU.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACE JOHNSON

Kinesiology graduate Jace Johnson sits in front of a Team USA logo, 2023. Johnson is one of 38 on the team, and is waiting to find out which crew he will run with.

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACE JOHNSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF JACE JOHNSON

Former MSU basketball player Jace Johnson sits outside the Mt Van Hoevenberg Olympic facility, 2023. Johnson's hometown of Bessemer, Alabama produced bobsledding gold medalist Vonetta Flowers.

Families visit Midwestern State

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN Maycol Reyes (10) moves the ball upfield against West Texas A&M, Sept. 23. Reyes went on to tally an assist on the game's only goal.

PHOTO BY MADISYN BUTLER | THE WICHITAN Family weekend began with a game of bingo, with the winners taking home prizes ranging from apparel to a new TV, Sept. 22.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN Familes and students fill up Memorial Stadium to watch the MSU Texas football team take on Eastern New Mexico, Sept. 23.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE | THE WICHITAN President Haynie and Maverick catch up with each other at Family Weekend, Sept. 23.

PHOTO BY MADISYN BUTLER | THE WICHITAN Nursing freshman Emily Simonsen sings "Hey There Delilah" in CSC Comanche, Sept. 22.

to celebrate with their students

PHOTO BY RYAN LEMOND| THE WICHITAN Students and their family celebrate Family Day Weekend outside Bolin Fountain, Sept. 23.

PHOTO BY RYAN LEMOND | THE WICHITAN Families gather with Maverick to show off their school spirit in photos, Sept. 23.

PHOTO BY CECIL WITHERSPOON | THE WICHITAN Nursing junior Kennedy Jones makes a throw in one of the games at Family Weekend, Sept. 23.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN Ritse Vaes (49) celebrates with his team minutes after kicking the winning field goal at Memorial Stadium, Sept. 23. His field goal led the Mustangs to a thrilling 34-31 victory against Eastern New Mexico.

PHOTO BY STEPHANIE GARCIA | THE WICHITAN MSU and West Texas A&M men's soccer players vie for the ball, Sept. 23.

7 Brew: el nuevo café en Wichita Falls

JACQUELINE HERNANDEZ REPORTER

El café con servicio para autos “7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee” ha instalado su primera sucursal en Wichita Falls. Con un horario de atención desde las 5:30 a.m. hasta las 10:00 p.m. los siete días de la semana, el café se encuentra ubicado en la 2730 Southwest Pkwy. Este es el primer puesto de 7 Brew en Wichita Falls, pero tiene alrededor de 130 ubicaciones en todo el país distribuidas en diferentes estados.

El primer puesto de café de 7 Brew se inauguró en Rogers, Arkansas. Su prioridad era abrir un puesto de café que no fuera como cualquier otro, se aseguraron que fuera un lugar divertido que complaciera a sus clientes

al darles su café en tiempo record. Hoy en día tienen la oportunidad de complacer a todos sus clientes en varias partes de la nación, con precios alrededor de $4.00 dependiendo el tipo de bebida y extras.

Llegando al café tienes la opción del servicio de ventanilla o de servicio en el auto por si no deseas bajarte, lo cual es muy conveniente. Me decidí por el servicio en auto donde un trabajador fue muy amable al atenderme. Me recibió con un saludo y preguntándome si tenía alguna pregunta sobre el menú. Al contestar mis preguntas me sugirió una de sus siete bebidas clásicas, con nombre “Blondie” en hielo. El buen servicio continuó después al tiempo de pagar y al recibir mi bebida en menos de dos minutos. Al probar el café en hielo me encantó

el sabor, fue la mejor recomendación que me pudo haber dado. Un buen servicio al cliente y un buen café es una de las razones por las que he vuelto a “7 Brew”.

El café “7 Brew” prioriza a sus clientes, si el café no es de tu preferencia tienen un menú con una gran variedad. Aparte de sus siete bebidas originales de café como Blondie, Smooth 7, White Chocolate Mocha, entre otras, tienen siete categorías más de bebidas disponibles. Iniciando con sus cafés o tés clásicos en hielo o calientes de diferentes sabores, cuentan también con bebidas energéticas “Seven Energy” calientes o heladas que pueden ser saborizadas a tu gusto, además de la opción sin azúcar, bebidas de agua mineral también saborizadas, y por último malteadas y batidos a tu gusto. Por

Luigi’s Italian Pizzería:

auténtica comida italiana en el corazón de Texas

JACKSON REDDING REPORTER

Como alguien que ha vivido toda su vida en Wichita Falls, yo entiendo lo difícil que puede ser encontrar restaurantes auténticos. Pero, si los buscas, los encontrarás. Un ejemplo de esto es “Luigi 's Italian Pizzería”, localizado en 3600 Sheppard Access Road. Luigi 's es un negocio familiar, y no hay un mejor restaurante italiano en la ciudad.

Hay muchas cosas que sitúan a Luigi 's por encima de otros restaurantes. La primera, y más importante, es la comida. Toda la pasta es maravillosa, desde Tortellini Alla Panna hasta Ziti

Al Horno, sus platos nunca decepcionan. También ofrecen muchas opciones de mariscos como ravioli de langosta o camarones Al Vino. Dichos platos consisten en grandes camarones que se cocinan en mantequilla, ajo, limón, vino tinto, marinados encima de linguini. Otras opciones incluyen pizzas, ensaladas, y puedes cerrar con un postre. Pero, la major parte es el pan caliente que es gratis y es delicioso con pasta.

La segunda razón por la que Luigi 's es un restaurante que necesitas visitar es el ambiente. Me recordó un restaurante que visité

en abril del año pasado cuando estaba en Nueva York. Las luces son tenues como en un restaurante que puedes ver en la película clásica “The Godfather”. Además, la música, las decoraciones, y las personas te harán creer que estás en la pequeña Italia. Es increíble tener una experiencia similar a esto en Wichita Falls, y mi única queja es que Luigi’s no está cerca de mi casa.

Sin embargo, considero que la experiencia vale la pena, y la próxima vez que quieras ir a un restaurante diferente, te recomendaría ir a Luigi 's. No debes solo creerme, también mira los

premios que Luigi’s ha ganado. En el pasado Luigi 's recibió un certificado de agradecimiento de la Asociación de Oficiales de Policía. Además, Luigi’s fue nombrado el ganador de la primera “Batalla de Restaurantes Italianos” por What' s Up 940, una compañía de medios que promueve negocios pequeños en Wichita Falls.

En conclusión, Luigi 's es el restaurante para ti, bien sea para una cita, una reunión familiar, si estás solo, o por cualquier otra ocasión. Yo le doy cinco estrellas de cinco.

otro lado, tienen la opción de bebidas para niños y además la bebida de tu preferencia puede ser modificada con una gran variedad de jarabes con alrededor de treinta sabores distintos, bien sea con o sin azúcar.  Por mi experiencia, le recomiendo a los residentes de Wichita Falls y sus alrededores que visiten la nueva locación de “7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee” en nuestra ciudad. Con su manera de priorizar el buen servicio al cliente y su variedad de bebidas para cualquier gusto, te puedo asegurar que te encantará. Por consiguiente, le doy una calificación de cinco estrellas de cinco y seguiré siendo cliente de “7 Brew Drive Thru Coffee”.

FOTO CORTESIA DE 7 BREW

Los miembros del equipo de 7 Brew celebran la apertura de una nueva ubicación, 2023.

FOTO CORTESIA DE LUIGI'S El restaurante de comida italiana Luigi's se encuentra ubicado en la 3600 Sheppard Access Road.

FOTO CORTESIA DE 7 BREW

Aparte de sus siete bebidas originales de café, tienen siete categorías más de bebidas disponibles, 2023.

Elementos: la nueva película de Disney

ARACELY IBARRA REPORTER

La película Elementos escrita por Peter Sohn, habla sobre un mundo donde agua, tierra, aire y fuego conviven. Además, esta historia trata sobre cómo una chica de fuego y un chico de agua resuelven sus problemas mientras aprenden a coexistir trabajando en equipo.

Estrenada el 16 de junio de 2023, la historia fue basada en la vida de Peter Sohn quien es un coreano-americano cuyos padres viajaron desde Corea del Sur hasta Nueva York en busca de una nueva vida. Durante su juventud, Sohn se interesó en dibujar cómics, pero sus padres desaprobaron esta idea. Tristemente, Sohn creó esta película con sus padres en mente, pero sus padres fallecieron antes de que la pudieran ver.

La historia empieza con una madre embarazada del elemento fuego y su esposo. Esta pareja se encuentra en un barco cuyo

destino es “la ciudad de los elementos” donde la comunicación es un problema, ya que, el lenguaje no es el mismo al que ellos están acostumbrados. Adicionalmente, esta pareja tuvo que cambiar sus nombres a Bernie y Cider, pues el oficial de migración propuso esto como solución para una integración más sencilla. Tristemente al ser personas nuevas en una ciudad llena de aire, tierra y agua, se les dificulta encontrar vivienda para recibir a su hija de fuego, Ember. Luego de una extensa búsqueda hallaron un lugar alejado de la ciudad que después se convirtió en un espacio para más personas fuego lejos de los otros elementos. Cuando Ember crece decide demostrarle a su padre que ya está lista para hacerse cargo de la tienda que habían construido cuando se mudaron, pero su padre considera que todavía le hace falta bastante experiencia. Más tarde, debido a algunos desafortunados eventos, Ember conoció a un chico de agua, llamado

Wade, pero tiene que mantener su relación en secreto pues a su padre no le agrada dicho elemento por lo que agua y fuego no pueden tener contacto. A pesar de esto Ember y Wade salen a citas hasta finalmente  enamorarse.

La película hace una excelente referencia a la ciudad de Nueva York con los colores vibrantes y la música extravagante. Además la película acierta en dar un mensaje de inclusión pues muestra personas de distintas razas siendo representadas por los varios elementos, también personas con discapacidades visuales o de movilidad y relaciones personales entre el mismo género. Todos estos aspectos logran que el espectador se conecte personalmente con la película y el mensaje, motivo por el cual doy una excelente calificación y recomiendo completamente verla en la plataforma de Disney+.

Sound of Freedom exposes dark truths

KATELYNN WRIGHT REPORTER

Sound of Freedom is the story of millions.

There are millions of children that are sold or taken into sex trafficking each year. Sound of Freedom tells the story of a brother and sister that are sex trafficked throughout the world and how they come to be rescued. It is a riveting story that will keep you on the edge of your seat hoping for them to be found.

“Sound of Freedom” features a tale based on the life of real-life federal agent Tim Ballard, played by Jim Caviezal. Tim embarks on a dangerous journey as he risks his life trying to save a boy and his sister from human traffickers.

This movie loosely follows the real-life hero Tim Ballard who rescued hundreds of children from sex trafficking. This movie will undoubtedly make you uncomfortable. Uncomfortable because it puts on screen what happens in the real world every single day. For some people, this movie is their worst fears confirmed.

In the film, Ballard is working for the Department of Homeland Security catching individuals that possess or post child pornography. Early in the movie, a colleague asks, “How many

pedophiles did you catch?” Ballard takes this to heart and starts his mission by trying to befriend a pedophile to rescue children. The story continues and Tim Ballard proves to be the ultimate hero. He later abandons working for the DHS and rescues children on his own.

Overall, this movie was riveting and will make you sick to your stomach at the same time. This movie is great visualization of what goes on in other countries, but also highlights that the United States is the biggest hotbed of child porn and sex trafficking in the world. This movie made me realize how bad the United States can be and how we all play a part in preventing these things from happening in the future.

There is no mention in this movie as to what happens to the children when they are reunited with their families, as they don’t just magically go back to normal, and that was a disservice to the audience. In a world where we face so many issues, it is important to focus on child sex trafficking. There are also so many other issues within the United States that need their own documentaries such as mass shootings and other terroristic issues on our soil.

Overall, I would recommend this movie to others to spread awareness of what is happening all around us. This movie is one that captivated many audiences, but I don’t believe that it will even begin to make a dent in the dilemma of child sex trafficking. A movie like this makes people want to go out and do something about it, but where is it even viable to start?

FOTO COTERSIA DE WALT DISNEY Wade y Ember se miran fijamente en la ciudad de los Elementos, 2023.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGEL STUDIOS "Sound of Freedom" won the 2023 Septimius Award for Best American Film.

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANGEL STUDIOS

STUDENT-DIRECTED PLAY DEBUTS

MADISYN BUTLER REPORTER

The play "Hope and Gravity" by Michael Hollinger revolves around the interconnected lives of people, traveling back and forth through time. It begins and ends in a simple elevator. Throughout the story, the characters experience love, connection and grief. As the play moves both forward and backward in time, the audience peels back the layers and learns how the characters grew into who they have become.

Theater senior Davis Scobee, who plays Douglas and Marty, said the audience has to piece together different elements of the show as it progresses.

“The theme of the puzzle is very prevalent. This show does not happen in chronological order and it’s pretty easy to pick up on that, but the audience also has to put together that

puzzle of when did things happen and where are things now,” Scobee said.

While all the characters may not know it, they are all connected to one another. From meeting in an elevator, to meeting at the dentist, "Hope and Gravity" explores those connections and how the characters allow themselves to grow.

“When you pay attention and you pick up on those subtle cues, and you start piecing it together in your brain how this character knows this one, and this one knows that one, and it all comes full circle in the end,” said Savannah Lire,  theater freshman, who plays Jill.

In the early stages, it's the crew's work that helps the scenes unfold and come together. From costumes and sets, to sound and lighting, a variety of people come together to combine their ideas and their art to create something unique for the audience to enjoy.

“It’s been really, pardon the term, really interconnected in a way,” said Sunny Scabora, theater senior, and sound designer for the show. “Every single time I put a sound in, we’d do a meeting and immediately talk about it and make sure it was what it needed to be.”

“The set is very unique in its abstract nature, in the references that are used to create it,” said Scobee. “It just piles onto this show’s uniqueness at MSU.”

Each aspect of the show takes the audience on a journey of the human experience. While there are comical moments, there are also moments of solemn.

Luke Craddock, theater senior and director for the show, said, “There are those moments where you sit there and you’re like, wow. That resonates with me and that suffering is real.”

Lire said it takes a group effort to make the scenes feel authentic and real which has been

an enjoyable experience for her as an actress.

“It really was a project that I feel like we all worked towards,” Lire said.

After working out all the details and working together for four weeks, the cast and crew is ready for the public to see their work.

“The language of this script is so intricate and so beautiful that if you really listen to the dialogue, you catch so many things and so many beautiful connections. Just the connections through the characters and the language ties it all together,” said Craddock.

“It’s something different than the theater has done in a long time. So I think it’ll be something new for everyone that has already gotten used to MSU theater,” Scabora said.

Hope and Gravity will open Oct. 5 at 7:30 pm and run until Oct. 9 at 2:30 pm. Tickets are available now at msufineartstickets.universitytickets.com

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE | THE WICHITAN Theater junior Brayden Young, in the role of Peter and Hal, and theater sophmore Allie Lawrence, in the role of Tanya and Nan, rehearse on stage, Sept. 26. The play aims to convey how the characters' growth and development unfold.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE | THE WICHITAN Theater senior Rebekah Gardner, in the role of Barb, and theater junior Jay Phillips, in the role of Steve, embrace during a rehearsal, Sept 26.

PHOTO BY SAM DIFIORE | THE WICHITAN MSU theater students rehearse in preperation for their upcoming show, Sept. 26. "Hope and Gravity" opens Oct. 5 at 7 p.m. at Fain Fine Arts Theater.