September 30, 2020 by The Wichitan and Wai Kun

Sept. 30, 2020 | thewichitan.com |Real Students. Real Stories. | Vol. 85 No. 3

#BlackatMSUTexas

MEDIA: Pg 10

“The Devil All the Time” sadly falls flat.

#BlackatMSUTexas: Pg 6-7 SPORTS: Pg 14

In the midst of national social unrest, #BlackatMSUTexas was a hashtag created by the Black Student Coalition to encourage Black students to come forward with their experiences of racism.

It’s all about nationals for MSU cheerleaders.

BLACK STUDENT UNION : Pg 3

A VISUAL COMMEMORATION: Pg 11

DR. KATUMWEHE: Pg 12

BSU responds to professor’s accusation.

Students put on Hispanic Heritage art exhibit.

Geology professor receives research grant.

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The white savior industrial complex

lly, v. |al.ly|: combine or unite a resource or commodity with (another) mutual benefit.

An ally, particularly in recent months, refers to the white population who support and take action against racism. However, a growing problem with this population is the White Savior Industrial Complex. Coined by writer, photographer, and art historian Teju Cole, WSIC refers to the “confluence of practices, processes and institutions that reify historical inequities to ultimately validate white privilege,” or as Cole puts it a “big emotional experience that validates privilege.” This could look like a white person speaking too long at a rally, making the movement about how sad and angry a [white] person is or wanting to be praised over “saving” someone. Just like in institutionalized racism, white equity stands on a taller podium. When those white people stand up to injustices, the podium they stand on follows them, and at times, overshadows the Black and Brown community. This then turns the movement into about how good of a white person, white people can be. White people are not here to be “saviors.” White people are here to be a resource for Black and Brown people to use. The Black Lives Matter Movement isn’t a 2020 trend, it’s not a phase, and it’s not something to use for likes, it is here to stay and will continue to grow. Use your voice to have the hard conversations, stand in solidarity, but do not overpower a movement that is not yours.

CAMPUS VOICES

SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A LEAF?

ummer is officially over, and it’s been six years since I’ve been a part of the traditional experience of the changing of seasons. Traditional in the Alexis Porta sense that one would experience the environmental distinction between winter, spring, summer and then fall. This differs from my recent acquaintance with the “seasons” having been living in sunny skied Miami where green palm trees and crushing humidity is plentiful year-round. One would think that my growing up in Wichita Falls, Texas would give me an affinity for embracing the gradual decline in temperature and sun. However, throughout the years, when I would visit my family here during the holidays, the change of the seasons were already established. I would experience the climate during its peak and then jump to the next season bypassing the tedious in-between weather. Now living back in my hometown, I am mesmerized by the partial yellow beginning to reveal itself in the trees in my backyard, with their leaves slowly drifting from the tree to the ground. This process called senescence may seem mundane and just an event that happens in the background of our lives. However, as I brushed up on freshman biology and began to re-familiarize myself with the scientific processes that make up seasonal change, I found that we are not so different from the leaves. Each color that is physically shown has an important job in the particular life stage of the plant. Chlorophyll, (which gives us the green leaves) captures the energy in sunlight and converts sunlight to food. During fall there is less sunlight and therefore less chlorophyll. Without energy the leaves don’t have a job to do. That’s when we see Mother Nature do her magic.

While fall may be beautiful to observe, the actual transition of change makes me uncomfortable. Fall has a reputation for being a fairly popular season. What’s not to like? You have the fore-mentioned incredible color changing of the leaves, pumpkin spice lattes (I am not embarrassed to like them!) sweater weather, and new relationship coupling season. Overall, I agree, but something about the in-between of fall gives me an eerie and unsettling feeling in the pit of my stomach. Initially, my quarrel is with the beginning of fall. With the first little cold front there is a feeling of excitement that I can finally wear my favorite sweater that hides the quarantine weight I’ve gained. But by the afternoon I’m sweating again and need an iced tea to cope with the betrayal from the forecast. So my message to fall would be to choose a lane and be either cool or warm! Don’t make me experience the inconvenience of preparing for two seasons in one day. As autumn progresses into a more consistent climate, stores have bypassed Halloween and Thanksgiving, prematurely started playing Jingle Bell Rock and putting up Christmas decorations. Holiday season is approaching and that means the inevitable stressful family season is riding shotgun. The holidays and my family are not necessarily bad, just complicated. You know, the messy things that every dysfunctional family deals with across America are amplified during the holidays, riddled with divorce, scattered family members across the country and missed phone calls or texts. I dread the questions asked by immediate and extended relatives. “When are you getting married?” “What are your plans for life?” “You need to do X,Y and Z to be successful” Questions that I do not care to respond to nor have the answers for. But I know, once

EDITOR IN CHIEF: Bridget Reilly MANAGER EDITOR: Amos Perkins Vol. 85 | No. 3 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

those leaves change and start falling, I need to start coming up with answers. Anxiety fires up the feeling that I need to catch up and produce something, anything, worthwhile that I believe will satisfy the imposed status quo of a productive and “acceptable” lifestyle. Fall reminds me that it’s not enough. Then I remembered the leaves. They adapt, protect and prepare for change. Witnessing this slow and gradual change has made me connect myself with the process. Nature is aware of the changes that occur in our environment, as are our bodies. If nature preserves itself through rest in “dormancy” yet, is a longstanding successful process, then I can be too. The coveted colors are always there, but it’s not their job to be on the forefront at all times, nor do we expect them to be. The same way our “colors” displayed in ones-self also have important roles, and in their time flourish and shine. The leaves will, like all things in the circle of life, fall and die. Fall can be uncomfortable because we know that the trees will soon turn bare. But we do not despise when the leaves fall, because we know that they will emerge young and green soon enough. The purpose of our dying in the leaves is the shedding of ourselves into the compost of what we will grow anew. So let the leaves die and discern that although sometimes painfully, that as with all things beauty and change comes at a price. Embrace the change of the known or unknown. You, like nature, will adapt. No matter your relationship with autumn and natural or environmental factors that come with it, the fall season signals a change from the earth and we respond to it. Our bodies are primed for change. There’s a congruence with the notion in nature that nothing ever stands still, that nothing ever maintains its current identity or shape for long. All we can do is enjoy the varying, different, beautiful colors.

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.

BSU responds to professor's accusation of anti-Semitism

PHOTO COURTESY OF BLACK STUDENT UNION

Black Student Union Logo.

BRIDGET REILLY EDITOR IN CHIEF idwestern State University Black Student Union released a statement Tuesday, Sept. 29, after a professor left a comment on the Wichita Falls Black Lives Matter Facebook group expressing his concerns of anti-Semitism in the Black community at MSU Texas and saying the BSU “should be ashamed of itself.” At the MSU Texas Amnesty International rally, held for Breonna Taylor, professor of philosophy Nathan Jun spoke for over 13 minutes. Following this event, Jun took to Facebook and wrote the post shown in the screenshot above. Jun attached comments from MSU Texas student Twitter accounts about his performance at the event, in order to provide a reason for his post. BSU’s leaders released a statement to their social media platforms Tuesday afternoon, expressing their disappointment in the post.

“...it has come to the Black Student Union’s attention that our organization has been accused of anti-Semitism by a professor that our organization once looked to for advice as well as support here at our prestigious university,” the statement began with. The BSU took offense, not only with Jun’s accusations, but with his implication that a person cannot be Jewish and Black at the same time. “To accuse [the BSU] of such a behavior (being hostile or prejudice against Jewish people) is not the founding of our organization, but to also imply that being Black and Jewish is exclusive from one another is offensive. MSU Texas BSU welcomes all students and faculty/staff to participate in programming that is reflective of our history and culture,” the BSU said in their statement. Jun said he was taken aback by the response and criticized the timing. “I am completely shocked by this statement, which is coming at already a bad time,”

PHOTO COURTESY OF FACEBOOK.COM

Professor of philosophy Nathan Jun post on the Wichita Falls Black Lives Matter Facebook page, Sept. 25. Jun said. BSU denounced hate speech and said it would not shun anyone for their beliefs. However, the statement also said that the BSU would not tolerate slander of its name. “We want it to be clear that we do not condone or promote hate speech and/or hate crimes. We believe that comments and acts such as these create a hostile learning environment - one that we as Black students are all too familiar with,” the statement said. “We recognize and accept those who have different beliefs and would not shun anyone for holding their entitled beliefs, but we will not allow people to slander our organization’s name when we as Black students have spoken the most about inequities and unfair treatment of Black people, People of Color and marginalized groups at our university.” In response, Jun wrote to the BSU demanding evidence of these allegations and to “modify or retract” the statement “if such evidence is not provided.”

“I was shocked, disappointed [and] dismayed to learn that you [the Black Student Union] issued a statement alleging that I accused your organization of anti-Semitism,” Jun said. “This allegation is categorically false and is only serving to exacerbate the actual anti-Semitic backlash I am already facing in response to unrelated online comments.” Despite the allegations of anti-Semitism, the BSU is committed to educating and involving the MSU Texas community in all areas of campus life on Black injustice. “The BSU’s purpose is to provide a safe space for Black students and their allies while helping to build and create long-lasting friendships as well as help to increase the retention and graduation of Black students at MSU Texas,” the statement said. “We also believe that the academic and social reality of Black lives should be acknowledged therefore we are committed to raising heightened consciousness and awareness of Black culture through the social and

educational initiatives at MSU Texas. Under Jun’s request, future incidences involving Jun’s and BSU’s statements will be managed through Vice President of Student Affairs, Keith Lamb.

“While I would very much prefer to resolve this matter privately, please be advised that I will be contacting the Vice President for Student Affairs in the event that no response to this email is forthcoming,” Jun said.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REAILLY | THE WICHITAN

Director of MOSAIC and First 2 Go Cammie Dean approaches professor philosophy Nathan Jun as he nears the end of his speech at the MSU Texas Amnesty International rally for Breonna Taylor, Sept. 24.

JUSTICE FOR BREON

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Mass communication and political science junior Ryan Kelly speaks at the Breonna Taylor rally hosted by MSU Texas Amnesty International. Sept. 24. STEPHANIE ROBLEDO NEWS EDITOR reonna Taylor, 26-year-old Emergency Medical Technician, was in her home with her boyfriend, Kenneth Walker, when officers, Jonathan Mattingly, Brett Hankison and Myles Cosgrove, entered and fired multiple times which resulted in the death of Taylor. The Louisville police entered the apart-

ment in search of two men who they believed were selling drugs. During this time Taylor and Walker had been in bed but got up when they heard the banging on the door. When the officers entered Walker fired thinking it was an intruder which resulted in one of the officers, Mattingly, being shot in the thigh. The officers responded by firing several times with Taylor being struck multiple times leading to her death. On May 23, the FBI announced that they

had opened an inquiry into Taylor’s death. It was June 23 when Hankinson, who fired multiple shots, was terminated from the Louisville Metro Police Department and June 11 when the city banned no-knock warrants, however none of the officers had been charged or arrested. It was not until September 23, over six months after Taylor’s death, that a grand jury announced three wanton endangerment charges against Hankinson who pleaded not guilty. The other officers involved, Mattingly and Cosgrove, will

not face any charges. Since the death of Taylor, there has been a cry for justice nationwide. Taylor is only one of the many lives taken at the hands of police brutality, which caused protests in cities across the nation as part of the Black Lives Matter movement. The verdict of Taylor’s case only fueled for the protests to continue, and MSU was no exception. On Sept. 24, 2020, Amnesty International held a rally to commemorate Taylor’s life and the countless lives lost to injustice.

NNA TAYLOR RALLY “It [is important to hold the rally] to commemorate Breonna Taylor, to honor her and her family and just come together in solidarity with Breonna Taylor, with Black Lives Matter to all those lost to injustice,” Amelia Wright, Amnesty International president and sociology senior, said. Not only was this rally to commemorate the life of Breonna Taylor but it was also a call to action. Wright states that Amnesty is demanding new laws to be put in place to prevent other unlawful deaths. “The Kentucky attorney general, Daniel Cameron, chose not to seek justice for Breonna Taylor. This is why it matters immensely that these laws are changed,” Wright said, “This is why Amnesty is demanding that the Peace Act and the Justice and Policing Act, which are acts that both seek to create accountability for the unlawful killing of black people, be advanced by Congress, and why we are demanding that our representatives support passing these acts. We want to ensure that states have to choose justice so that law reflecting justice becomes a reality. The world is watching is kind of Amnesty’s motto, so here even at MSU Texas in Wichita Falls, the world is watching.” With the world watching, Wright opened the floor for others to say a few words. Ryan Kelly, political science and mass communication junior, stepped up to the mic and shared the story of his mother.

“Obviously I’m not a black woman; I can’t speak in the shoes of a black woman, but I also was born by a black mother,” Kelly said. “When she was having me and they thought I wasn’t going to make it, the doctor said, ‘You probably can’t take care of him anyway.’ I can only imagine when her professors said, ‘Oh you’ll never make it through school with that kid.’ I can only imagine what [black women] go through on a daily basis, and I’m speaking to all these beautiful queens out there that have to walk the streets and feel like they’re not protected by anyone,” Kelly said. Zion Jones, coordinator of the Men of Color Alliance, acknowledged the difficulties that black women have to go through daily. As students talked at the rally they shared their story pertaining to the Black Lives Matter movement. “The Black woman is the most unprotected person in the world, and it’s more than frustrating to continue to see the execution of unarmed Black people. For it to then be justified by our justice system is only more of a slap in the face. The lives of Black people are not political, it’s not a political issue, it’s a human issue, a person issue, a people issue. I was just going to say go vote, educate yourselves,” Jones said. Jones ends his speech with a call to action, motivating others to vote and learn more about the issue. The lack of information on the issue has left students frustrated.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

English senior Dallas Wabbington speaks at the Breonna Taylor rally held by MSU Texas Amnesty International. Sept. 24.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

A protestor holds up a drawining of Breonna Taylor. Sept. 24. “For the ignorant people, teach yourselves, educate yourselves. There’s enough information, just type it up on Google, you will see. If you’re ignorant you are choosing to be ignorant, it’s a choice,” Gloria Olagoke, nursing junior, said. There is an emphasis for the public to educate themselves on the Black Lives Matter movement and understand the true meaning behind it. “They act as if this is a hate group...They’re acting as if we’re trying to take over but really [we are] asking to be equal [to] have equality,” Kailin Martin psychology junior said. “My mom, she was born in the ’60s during [the] Jim Crow [laws], my grandma clearly was around during segregation [and] for me to be the third direct generation to still go through that, it’s just really mind-blowing and [I’m] at a loss of words of what I should actually say because it’s like why? I’m angry but it’s just kind of like how? Why is this still going on?” The racial discrimination in the United States has angered students both from and out of the U.S. “I grew up not knowing there’s racism. When I came to America, that’s how I knew there was racism...Africa does not have racism, racism is what’s killing people in America right now,” Aline Masengesho, political science and

global studies junior, said. “Africa might be going through some economic issues but let me tell you there’s love in Africa. There’s so much love, we have love for each other...why can’t we love each other here in America.” Masengesho wants love to be spread throughout the U.S. as a way to put an end to racism. She also stated the need for protesting and taking a stand against the injustices that Black people face. “We all have a part to play and I think the best thing we can do right now is acknowledge the original sin of America and that is racism, something that...built our nation up, and I felt like now is the time that we can really make a change and do things we never thought we could have done generations before,” Kelly said. Kelly calls on others to come together and create a change. As the rally came to an end Wright also encourages those attending to not be silent and make their voices heard. “Stand up have your voice be heard, may that be activism on social media, activism like [this rally] you know physically coming out maybe protesting, which is your right to do, just do all you can educate yourself there’s no point in just staying ignorant just staying silent on things when you know that your voice can make a difference.”

DALLAS WABBINGTON REPORTER Black students share stories of racism through Twitter hashtag. ollowing the country’s response to the Black Lives Matter protests in June 2020, the leaders of the Black Student Coalition, including Jamilah Kangudja, educational leadership graduate and Black Student Union president, gathered in June to discuss how to help the Black community and bring awareness to racism on campus. Together, the organization created the hashtag #BlackatMSUTexas to encourage Black students to come forward and tell about their experiences with racism. After BSU members released the initial statement explaining the purpose of the hashtag, many people, including students, faculty and organizations gathered on Twitter in solidarity to inform the community that racism exists on

#BlackatMSUTexas posts

the MSU Texas campus. “[Racism] is something that has been happening at MSU. The stories are real,” Kangudja said. “If you look at the stories that people are telling with this hashtag, you’ll see a lot of them overlap, meaning year after year, semester after semester students are experiencing the same things.” The hashtag received immediate attention, with more than 100 tweets made up of experiences and reactions since its creation. The hashtag continues to be used by students three months later and continues as a place of admission for Black students. As one of the few minority students in a previous class of hers, mass communication junior Keza Muvunyi said she was afraid to have discussions of racial injustice and white privilege because she wasn’t sure if she was the only one who shared her perspective, so she tweeted this experience with #BlackatMSUTexas.

#BlackatM “We had a guest come speak to our class and there was one student who finally did speak up about it to say white privilege didn’t exist. [The guest] said something along the lines of ‘People just use it as an excuse to act a certain way.’ The one time someone tries to speak up, it was complete, utter nonsense,” Muvunyi said. “It was frustrating, and it was frustrating to me because if I did have something to say, I would be the only one to back myself.” Muvunyi told a story about how in her group of friends she was the only Black person, and her non-Black friend was trying to describe a Black woman, stating descriptions aside from her race. “It’s okay to say she was Black. It wasn’t a negative term or anything, but she was hesitant to say it just because I was in their presence,” Muvunyi said. “That has happened a lot, and that’s something people brush off, because it’s not a micro-aggression brushed off as much

as others. My presence made someone else uncomfortable. When they made their discomfort known, it made me uncomfortable.” Muvunyi explained that this is how people in general tend to function around minorities. She continued and said people are comfortable saying these terms when those individuals are not in their company. “They avoid those words when they are in the presence of that person, and I think that is problematic because you are afraid of calling me who I am even in the terms that are considered okay,” Muvunyi said. Business management alumni Leroy Flex was one of the more frequent participants of the hashtag; one of his stories revealed the common problem of Black individuals being asked by non-Black people for their permission to say the N-word. Flex tied this question to a deeper problem: if there is not police or authority involved, people will say what they want.

MSUTexas Regarding how many times people ask if they can say the N-word, Flex said,“It’s been every other week, since I’ve been at MSU. It’s been off campus too. It’s not even on campus every time, the town is like that too. Even at work, people will ask that question. Especially on campus, it’s every other week.” Flex said even his friends would make racist remarks around him, telling him it’s better than them hiding what they say. “Imagine if your two main friends on campus are two white guys, and they’re the most racist ones. If you were to talk to them and hear how they talk about [Black people], it’s just like having the drunk uncle that you know is always drunk. You let him be drunk and don’t bother him. That is usually the approach I take. They are them, and I know they are like that,” Flex said. Students have also expressed their opinions about the lack of action taking place by the uni-

versity to address reports of racism. Muvunyi discussed a tweet about an event where a student was being harassed by her own roommate because she was Black. “About a year and a half ago there was a girl who had an issue with her roommate who wrote ‘Go back to the cotton fields’ or something like that. That whole story broke my heart. Hearing her perspective on it and how she didn’t get any type of justice besides getting a new room broke my heart,” Muvunyi said. This hashtag provided Black students with a virtual environment where they could share their stories, and other students could learn about the acts of racism among their peers. “[This experience] changed how I viewed MSU students, because I saw other Black students suffer worse discriminatory actions. It made me feel closer to the Black community in a way where we shared a lot of the same experiences, or just by getting to know what other

Black students were going through,” Muvunyi said. “It made me feel closer just knowing how others struggled. That’s why I love the hashtag.” Muvunyi continues to bring awareness to racism on campus by asking and encouraging non-Black students to go through the hashtag and read about what students have experienced. “Most of the people I talked to had never heard of what it was. I remember one conversation, I was talking to a girl and she was completely shocked. She told me she would go back and read through [the tweets],” Muvunyi said. “I feel like that’s a way that I’m making this hashtag extend from just a summer thing to something that is actually happening daily, just by asking students ‘How do you feel about this as a Black student, minority student or a white student who hasn’t heard of it? Read these tweets and tell me how you feel.’”

Kangudja admitted how this is a scary time for Black lives but said if the community does not speak on these issues, then they will continue to happen. She also said there are ways people can support the Black community and offered advice to those afraid to speak out. “It’s not to make anyone feel like it’s their duty or their calling to do so or speak up, because you can do other things outside of just speaking up or whatever the case may be. You can donate. You can do things like register to vote, and when you register to vote, make sure you read up on all of the potential candidates, doing little things like that,”Kangudja said. “Incorporating ways and practicing and learning how to be anti-racist. A lot of people wouldn’t consider themselves a racist, but a lot of people can’t necessarily say they’re anti-racist. My advice would be true to yourself. Be true to yourself and believe in yourself.”

COURTESY OF TWITTER

NOTORIOUS RBG: The Le EMILY BEAMAN REPORTER n Sept. 18, 2020, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away due to complications with pancreatic cancer at the age of 87. Ginsburg was interred next to her husband at the Arlington National Cemetery and is the first woman and first Jewish person to lie in state at the United States Capitol. Her achievements have not gone unsung. The other eight members of the Supreme Court released their statements on her passing on Sept. 20. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor pays admiration to Ginsburg’s accomplishments. “[She] was an American hero,” Sotomayor said. “She spent her life fighting for the equality of all people, and she was a pathbreaking champion of women’s rights. She served our Court and country with consummate dedication, tirelessness, and passion for justice. She has left a legacy few could rival.” Ginsburg’s feats began before she was appointed to the Supreme Court. Fellow Supreme Court Justice David H. Souter recognizes this in his statement. “Ruth Ginsburg was one of the members of the Court who achieved greatness before she became a great justice,” Souter said. “I loved her to pieces.” The nickname Notorious RBG came from a Tumblr post made by NYU Law Student Shana Knizhnik in 2013. She explained that it was the juxtaposition of Ginsburg’s small stature and powerful presence that inspired her to create the nickname influenced by Notorious B.I.G. Ruth Bader Ginsburg was influential in the fight for women’s equality. Furthermore, her shadow remains in American everyday life because of her work from the past. Ginsburg was born in Brooklyn, New York on March 15, 1933. She then attended Cornell University, where she graduated as the highest-ranking female student from her class on June 23, 1954. During her time at Cornell, she met Martin D. Ginsburg, who she married a month after graduating. They had a daughter, Jane, in 1955 and a son, James, in 1965. Shortly after the birth of their daughter, Ginsburg’s husband was diagnosed with testicular cancer. In 2010, he died from complications of metastatic cancer. While working at the Social Security Administration in Lawton, Oklahoma, she was demoted after her workplace was notified she was pregnant.

PHOTO COURTESY OF STORE NORSKE LEKSIKON

Ruth Bader Ginsburg poses for her Supreme Court profile picture.

While enrolled at Ha dean invited all nine of the students to dinner, where asked them, “Why are you place of a man?” Both Gi husband were students a while he was receiving tre first diagnosis of cancer, G ed class, made notes and d for both of them. She mad Law Review. After transferring to a from Columbia Law, whe the first woman in two ma and tied for first in her cla applied as a law clerk with Justice Felix Frankfurter b because she was a woman In 1963, Ginsburg beca at Rutgers Law School and twenty female law professo try. She was paid less th male professors, because band that was also making Ginsburg was not deter crimination she faced, ins drive to fight against it by ety that women could be ju as men. In 1970, she co-founde Rights Law Reporter, the fi that solely focused on the r From 1972 to 1980, she wa ured woman and co-author school casebook on sex-ba tion. Before joining the Supre burg co-founded the Wome ect at the American Civil in 1972. She became the g in 1973 and stayed as the she was appointed to the in 1980. During this time, won five gender discrimin fore the Supreme Court. On April 14, 1980, Gins nated to the U.S. Court of A by President Jimmy Carte firmed on June 18, 1980, a she was appointed to the Su 1993 by President Bill Clint Ginsburg made sure h waver in her position o Court. She authored the cou “United States v. Virginia, moved Virginia Military I only admission policy. Gins said VMI did not includ persuasive justification” and that it violated the E Clause.

egacy of Ruth Bader Ginsburg

arvard Law, the e school’s female e he reportedly here, taking the insburg and her at Harvard, and eatment for his Ginsburg attenddictated papers de the Harvard

“Bush v. Gore” was the Supreme Court’s ruling to settle a dispute over recounts of Florida’s 2000 presidential election. The ruling led to Bush winning the electoral

and graduating ere she became ajor law reviews ass ranking, she h Supreme Court but was rejected and a mother. ame a professor d was one of the ors in the counhan the average she had a husg income. rred by the disstead it fed her proving to sociust as successful

ed the Women’s PHOTO BY LYNN GILBERT first law journal A young Ruth Bader Ginsburg poses rights of women. as the first ten- for a photo in her library. red the first law ased discrimina- votes of Florida. Ginsburg was one of the five justices that dissented, arguing that eme Court, Gins- preventing a recount would cloud the leen’s Rights Proj- gitimacy of the election. She was inducted into the National Liberties Union general counsel Women’s Hall of Fame in 2002, was named e director until one of the 100 Most Powerful Women in e Federal Bench 2009, was one of Time’s 100 Most Influenshe argued and tial People in 2015 and was the recipient nation cases be- of the Berggruen Prize for Philosophy and Culture in 2019. In 2020, Ginsburg received the LBJ sburg was nomiAppeals for D.C. Foundation’s Liberty and Justice for All er. She was con- Award, the World Peace and Liberty and served until Award, a lifetime achievement award from upreme Court in the Diane von Furstenberg foundation, and the 2020 Liberty Medal. ton. Ginsburg was diagnosed with colon her voice didn’t on the Supreme cancer in 1999. While receiving chemotherapy and radiation therapy, she never urt’s opinion in missed a day on the bench. In 2009, she ,”a case that re- had surgery for pancreatic cancer and Institute’s male- returned to the bench when the Supreme sburg’s writings Court went back into session that same de “exceedingly month. After being hospitalized in 2018 for the policy when she fell and fractured three ribs, a Equal Protection CT scan revealed cancer in her lungs. Over the summer of 2019, Ginsburg completed

focused radiation treatment for a pancreatic tumor. In Feb. 2020, her cancer returned, and by May, she started receiving treatment again. Ginsburg passed away the night before Rosh Hashana. According to Rabbi Richard Jacobs, “One of the themes of Rosh Hashanah suggests that very righteous people would die at the very end of the year because they were needed until the very end.” While Ginsburg will be remembered for her work on the Supreme Court and fight for equality, she said she would like to be remembered, “as someone who used whatever talent she had to do her work to the very best of her ability. Students around MSU were asked to share words on Ginsburg’s passing as well as the legacy she left behind. “Her belief and fight against gender discrimination has led to inspire many females to stand up for their beliefs. She’s not the first female to fight against the subject, but she definitely made sure that her voice was never buried, and I respect that from her,” Dominic Chavez, theatre sophomore, said. Corbyn Scobee, studio art sophomore, noted the influence Ginsburg had on the LGBT+ community. “She has allowed me the option of marrying whomever I choose. She has allowed me to hold any occupation that I want to work towards. She has allowed me the right to choose which college I want to attend. She has even allowed me to hold my own credit card. She has fought for me to be able to do things without discrimination against my gender or sexual orientation. She has allowed me to live,” Scobee said. Scobee felt that Ginsburg brought teaching to politics. “I believe that one of the defining features of Ruth was that she not only fought fo the rights of women and the LGBT community, but taught others why she believed what she did. She helped put laws in place and in the process made people change their own views on these subjects. I feel like that is something that is so lost in government now, teaching,” Scobee said. Andres Revis, global studies and political science freshman, remembered Ginsburg’s resilience. “I think that RBG had an incredible impact for shifting the country and the Supreme Court towards being more progressive and inclusive,” Revis said. “What I will remember most about RBG is the fact that in the face of injustice she had the ability to remain resilient.” Aeriana Caldwell, accounting sopho-

more, praised Ginsburg’s impact on American women. “RBG has personally given us a better life knowing we can get any job, although we are women,” Caldwell said.“RBG paved the path for women in law, regardless of political or judicial ideals and identities.” Travis Christoff, global studies freshman, remembered Ginsburg as a “lioness” in all aspects of her life. “I will remember most about RBG that she is a lioness of the law and never backed

down from a fight, whether that be fighting cancer for years or protecting rights in the Supreme Court,” Christoff said. Despite not knowing much about her, Janae Sanchez, radiology junior, said she knew of the importance of Ginsburg’s legacy. “I don’t know much about her, but I know that her work has impacted my life greatly because she gave me opportunities she never had,” Sanchez said.

PHOTO BY GAYATRI MALHORTA.

Memorial of Ruth Bader Ginsburg.

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB.COM

Tom Holland in “The Devil All the Time” (2020)

‘The Devil All The Time’ P R O M I S E S A THRILLING STORY... T H A T F ALLS THROUGH

n a year where theaters have been closed and the most exciting movies have been pushed into 2021, any blockbuster Brian Lang film feels like an oasis in the desert. Naturally, I was thrilled to hear about the new Netflix drama “The Devil All The Time” which boasts big names and an exciting cult-based plot. “The Devil All The Time,” based on a novel of the same name, has much to offer as it pairs up Tom Holland and Robert Pattinson on the poles of good versus evil. Holland plays the young, scrappy country boy who fights against an oily and perverse false preacher played by Pattinson. The story weaves a pleth-

ora of ensemble characters throughout the plot topped off by serial killers and police corruption. It’s a lot, to say the least. Director Antonio Campos helms the project, and it’s clear that he has plenty to say in the 140 minutes he’s given. There are probably close to a dozen characters that traipse through the film, each revealing complicated themes of fathers and sons, the cycle of war and most frequently, religious hypocrisy, which leaves very little time for exciting, easy to swallow drama. Tom Holland, a veteran at carrying oversized movies, is one of the best assets this film has. He stoically propels the plot as Arvin weathers every tragedy that befalls him and is the only glimmer of hope in the ever-cycling violence that seems engrained in Campos’s Appalachian

culture. Robert Pattinson’s drawling Pastor Teagardin on the other hand struggles to find a footing and isn’t given many interactions to grow his character, making Teagardin an underwhelming, but still slimy, villain. The rest of the cast is peppered with notable names and faces, but many of the characters feel like glorified cameos as they come and go in the sprawling plot. While they each have interesting stories, they’re not missed much in this plot-focused epic. This intense focus on storytelling leads to the downfall of “The Devil All the Time.” It has the dark and twisty feeling of Faulkner’s gothic fiction, but the characters are hard to relate to and rarely get the chance to interact or play off of each other. While most movies build a complex

and rich story, this folktale is as flat and long as the country roads it depicts. “The Devil All The Time” does have a few bright spots though. It’s beautifully shot and carefully designed to bring the dirty and weathered West Virginia setting to life, and the film’s narration (by the novel’s author Donald Ray Pollock) adds wry observations and levity to even the most gruesome scenes. If you’re hoping to find a fun Friday night flick, “The Devil All The Time,” might not be quite what you’re looking for. But in a time when new movies are scarce, even a Gothic drama might do the trick.

Brian’s Film Rating: 3/5 COMIC BY DALLAS WABBINGTON

HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH:

A V I S U A L C O M M E M O R AT I O N

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Fine arts seniors Sapphire Vasquez and Sarah Grigeo display their art in the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery, Sept. 29. KHIRSTIA SHEFFIELD FEATURE EDITOR s we slowly transition into a new season, Americans across the nation commemorate the contributions and influence of Hispanic Americans to the history, culture and achievements of the United States. Inspired by their culture, two students, Sapphire Vasquez, fine arts senior and Sarah Griego, fine arts senior, cultivated an art exhibition comprised of oil paintings, wooden sculptures and ceramics to pay homage to their ancestors and how far they have come. “This curation, to me, reflects how I feel about my heritage,” said Vasquez. “It’s the art that came from people of Hispanic heritage. They’re all different, but together they show that even though we all have a similar heritage, we are all our own beings, as the art is too.” Though Hispanic Heritage month is meant to bring individuals of the Hispanic culture together, Vasquez and Griego strived to create a masterpiece that relished in the beauty of artistic differences. “We did not want to be restricted in gathering art that solely deals with what it means to be Hispanic,” said Griego. “We wanted to show-

case the individuality of each artist.” lot of pressure because they only had two weeks and their art in order to even have an exhibiTogether Griego and Vasquez created six in- to finish this exhibition. tion,” said Griego. “We also realized how little dividual pieces. Griego’s pieces focused on oil “We were given two weeks to gather artists of a Hispanic community we have in our departpaintings and a collage that was comprised ment which was another challenge itself.” of mix medias. These pieces were named, “We had to juggle our other classes and “Los Herreras,” “Omar Apollo,” and “I’m our jobs, so that was really a challenge,” said Drained.” Vasquez’s pieces focused on oil Vasquez. “But we got it done and I love it so paintings, a wooden sculpture and a ceramic much.” vase. These pieces were named, “Rebirth and Despite the challenges they have faced, Transformation,” “Boni and the Plague,” and they hope students and faculty of all back“Koi Fish Olpe.” grounds can leave learning something new “This exhibition means so much to me,” about the Hispanic culture, but also see the said Griego. “It has been an amazing opporbeauty in their differences. tunity for me to be a part of. I felt so honored and accomplished after creating this exhibi“I would like people to see the variety of tion. It is especially nice to be able to walk by talent that people of Hispanic decent have and see your work every day.” through their art,” said Vasquez. “We are Art has been an integral part of each of our own individuals with a connection to their lives. From Vasquez following her faone another through our heritage, but it’s a ther’s artistic footsteps to Griego becoming reminder that we are so much more than our inspired by Instagram and Tumblr fan art. heritage. It’s just one component of our lives.” Art is their form of expression and through “I would love for people to just see how difco-curating their first exhibition they have ferent art could be under the same ethnicity. continued to ignite their passion for telling a PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN All of the artists included in the gallery share story through visuals. A handmade sculpture by fine arts senior a similar culture, but each piece is individual Although the end result is beautiful, to them.” Vasquez and Griego said they were under a Sapphire Vasquez, Sept. 29.

GEOLOGY PROFESSOR RECEIVES GRANT TO CONDUCT THE FIRST RESEARCH COLLABORATION IN UGANDA ed $184,066 toward research he is so passionate about, especially since it’s only his second year at MSU. “It’s quite humbling. I didn’t even understand that these kinds of research aren’t that easy to get,” Katumwehe said. “It’s very competitive. It’s prestigious. It’s an honor to be given a grant within your first two years of academia.” This research will focus on collaboration as Katumwehe will be working with six different universities as well as students from Uganda. He acknowledges that it will be a learning experience for everyone involved. “I’m going to take these students from the U.S. to Africa so that they start understanding how different it can

be,” Katumwehe said. “I want to see their reaction once they reach Africa and how they start looking at things they usually take for granted. They also get to conduct in research that they usually read in books, they can see it physically, they can relate to it and that’s going to be a monumental experience for them.” Through the collaboration, Katumwehe believes this research will generate more understanding of the unique land of Uganda. “We will come up with models, and those models will be used in areas that have undergone magma pour,” Katumwehe said. “They will be used to understand how all those rifts have been formed, and they will also be construc-

tive in terms of understanding how rifting takes place without the presence of magma.” Katumwehe hopes this research will positively impact the community. “The models we come up with will shape how they continue their exploration,” Katumwehe said. “By understanding which areas have the tendency for movement, it will be able to help the community in coming up with designs for architecture.” Despite his high hopes for this research, Katumwehe fears that this pandemic will put a halt to their plans. The research team plans to officially start the project by December, but in times like these nothing is set in stone.

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Geology professor Andrew Katumwehe spends time looking through his microscope at an igneous rock, Sept. 29. KHIRSTIA SHEFFIELD FEATURE EDITOR rowing up in Uganda, he watched his father’s face fill with excitement as he told the stories of a mine in a coalfield. Strapped for money, his father was dedicated to making a better life for himself and he did just that. Discovering one gold nugget changed his life, his family’s life, and molded Andrew Katumwehe, assistant professor of geoscience, into the man he is today. Years later, Katumwehe is following in the footsteps of his father as he returns back to his home country after 14 years to conduct a four-year study on dry rifting in the AlbertineRhino Graben, with the help of a $184,066 grant from the National Science Foundation. “It’s always about what

you do for society, rather than what you have,” Katumwehe said. “I want to make sure my legacy is all about how much I have contributed to research. By taking this research proposal and this grant, it’s humbling, because it’s my contribution to the country [Uganda], my contribution to research, and my contribution to the U.S.” Katumwehe has been passionate about dry-rifting in Uganda since before obtaining his doctorate degree at Oklahoma State University. He vividly remembers attending tectonic meetings with graduate students and professors where they discussed how continents are formed, how they move, and how they’ve assembled. These discussions inspired him to look past the surface level and discover the

impossible. “I was always interested in the area where I was born, because it’s unique, and it’s different from how we understand how continents break,” Katumwehe said. “It’s my main thing; it’s my baby, and people always asked why do I like this place, but [Uganda] has recently formed about 3.7 billion barrels of oil in an area that is least expected to have oil. We all wanted to know what is so special about this kind of setting, and when people started listening they understood my concerns. They bought into it, and that’s why you see they have put in that kind of money to understand it.” After submitting his first research proposal in March 2019, Katumwehe said he never thought he would be grant-

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN

Geology professor Andrew Katumwehe holds an igneous rock, Sept. 29.

LET’S CHAT:

A BROKE STUDENT RECIPE:

Lemon Pepper Chicken

COMING TO A DORM NEAR YOU EMILY BEAMAN REPORTER rom Sept. 12 through Oct. 3, Midwestern State University’s Counseling Center is partnering up with Residence Life and Housing to trial a new wellness program called Let’s Chat. Let’s Chat brings counselors directly to the lobbies of the dormitories on campus. It attempts to reduce geographic barriers for students seeking access to the campus mental health services. The program occurs on Saturdays from 12 P.M. to 5 P.M. Counselors are available to talk to through this timeframe, but they provide no commitment

nor confidential consultations. “They’re not providing therapy services,” Zachary Zoet, the Licensed Practicing Counselor-Intern facilitating the program, said. “But they are able to help answer questions about the counseling center, mental health services, to chat with you or to listen about a problem or concern.” Appointments aren’t necessary to receive the benefits provided by Let’s Chat. “[The consultations] are first-come, first-serve,” Zoet said, “and are designed to be casual and drop-in by nature.” Every session is different. With time and context being dependent on the stu-

dent, sessions can vary from listening and providing support, answering questions about services, or providing strategies for dealing with test anxiety or homesickness. “It’s a great resource to try and dip your toes into the waters of learning about mental health resources on campus,” Zoet said. “Or a good way to get a friend that information or potentially needed support.” All dates, times and locations for Let’s Chat are available on MustangsLink. The Counseling Center Hours: Monday through Friday 8A.M. to 5P.M.

JUST A SIMPLE CONVERSATION

PHOTO BY DALLAS WABBINGTON | THE WICHITAN

Lemon pepper chicken.

DALLAS WABBINGTON | REPORTER

his chicken recipe is simple and addicting. After I finished cooking, this dish made me wish I would have cooked with even more chicken, because it was too good to stop after two pieces.

INGREDIENTS:

1 pound chicken breasts 1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 2 lemons 1/2 cup chicken broth 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 1/4 cup milk parsley, for garnish (optional)

STEPS:

1) In a bowl, mix together flour, lemon pepper, salt and zest from one lemon. Coat the chicken completely in the mixture and slice the remaining lemon into thin slices. 2) Heat oil in a skillet over medium-high heat and place chicken. Cook until each side is golden for about five minutes per side. 3) To the skillet, add broth, butter, garlic, lemon slices and a splash of milk (less than 1/4 cup). Cook until the chicken is cooked all the way and the sauce has reduced slightly, about 3 minutes. 4) Spoon the sauce onto the chicken and garnish with parsley.

TOTAL COST: $18.62 PHOTO COURTESY OF PIXABAY.COM

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

With fall sports gone, cheer turns their attention to nationals

PHOTO BY NIKO MCWILLIAMS | THE WICHITAN

Senior cheerleader Alexis Martin prepares a stunt with her fellow teammates. AMOS PERKINS MANAGING EDITOR hen the Lone Star Conference announced there would be no contact sports for Fall 2020 due to COVID-19, it wasn’t just those teams that were affected. The Midwestern State cheer team will miss an important aspect of their fall activities, but will use this extra time to look to perfect their craft for the 2021 Universal Cheerleading Association & Universal Dance Association College Cheerleading and Dance Team National Championship. “Fall sports games and MSU events play a huge role of the life of an MSU cheerleader. Although we are missing this portion of cheer, we have continued to promote and embrace the MSU spirit, push ourselves mentally and physically and prepare for Nationals,” DanLee Duncan, cheer co-captain and kinesiology junior, said. In the 2020 nationally televised UCA National Championships, a relatively inexperienced Midwestern State team shocked the cheer world by placing third in the Small Coed Division II competition. The team returns 18 members of the third-place team, something that skills coach Collin Stokes says accelerates the team’s success. “We have a lot of skill on this team,

and we had a lot of returners, so we have a lot of people coming back who were actually on the Nationals team last year. We’re only able to build on top of that. A lot of the skill that we have at the moment, we had later on in the semester [last year], so we’re a lot further now than we were [at this time] last year,” Stokes said. The loss of football, soccer and other sporting events has opened up time to train on some of the more difficult cheer skills that are usually saved for later in the year. “We do get a little bit of advantage with getting to focus on some of our harder skills as opposed to focusing on some of our game day activities,” Stokes said. While the lack of fall sports has gifted the team with additional time for competition preparation, the lack of games has made the semester appear to pass by slower. “Without fall sports, cheer has been slow. Normally, we’re busy every weekend either cheering or volunteering. But it’s also been beneficial, as we’re working on skills that we could not work on during the summer. As of now, we’re focusing on competing in the UCA Nationals competition,” Kassidy Knight, cheerleader and accounting junior, said. Stokes agreed that being unable to participate in games, tailgates and other events bogs down cheer athletes down as it was a driving factor

for many of them during the semester. “Being down there [on the sidelines] with that spirit is such a big part of what we do, so I think it is a little bit of a bummer as far as we don’t get that experience that we do with the teams and also the comradery of the other students. There are tailgates that we’re missing and performances that we don’t get to do; I think that [those events] kind of drive them through the fall,” Stokes said. COVID-19 has been an adjustment for all MSU students and the cheer team is no exception, with Knight observing that she felt the adjustment has actually been more difficult in the cheer aspect of her life. “My experience with COVID as a student has for the most part been the same. All of my classes are still in person, while maintaining social distancing. Cheer on the other hand, has been harder to adjust to. We’ve only had practice and weight training until last week [when] we were finally released to start stunting [while] socially distancing,” Knight said. COVID-19 precautions take place before student-athletes enter practice and are maintained throughout. “As of now we have to take temperatures, and [athletes] do the mobile check-in through the MSU app. That’s how they get into the door, and before we start practice they all

go wash their hands, and when they come back in we have an enter door and an exit door. They have to have clean hands before they go touch the mats. Once we start... what we do is we have ten minutes of contact per stunt group, and then they take a tenminute break,” Stokes said. The cheer team typically hosts cheer tryouts and clinics in person but was forced to adapt due to the pandemic . This year aspiring cheerleaders sent in videos to be shown on a monitor to a panel of judges. “It was more time consuming, and it was harder to judge just because there’s something that someone might have in a video one time that they don’t have when they come in person. We have to make it really clear that anything you submitted had to be a skill that you could show up having. Also, it’s really hard to know where they are as far as stunting goes. In in-person tryouts they get to stunt with people that will be on the team with them. You don’t really know what stunt experience they have, because they don’t get to come do clinics like that and actually get experience stunting with the team. It was really different, [but] we still had judges come in person, and [we] had to do social distancing with them and display it all on a monitor system,” Stokes said. Social distancing mandates and the lack of fall games has severely

limited the interaction the cheer team has with other students, and any interaction has to occur on an individual level. “Other than helping our students move in on move-in day, we haven’t been able to interact with students sadly, but we still do try our best to help our community and classmates the best we can individually while still being safe due to COVID-19,” Ingram said.

PHOTO BY NIKO MCWILLIAMS | THE WICHITAN

Kinesiology Junior cheerleader Danlee Duncan holds up Accounting Junior Kassidy Knight with one arm.

September 30, 2020

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