Trump wins 2024 election
Diwali on page 7
MSU considering tuition raise
GEROGE SVABODA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Midwestern State University is maintaining its focus on student and staff recruitment and retention just over halfway through the fall semester.
On the staff front, MSU is considering increasing tuition for some new and all future students to fund campus-wide pay raises. This is the university's first tuition increase in four years. President Stacia Haynie will propose the increase at the next Texas Tech board of regents meeting.
The proposed 3.4% increase will affect two groups: incoming fall 2024 students who did not opt-in to fix their tuition and new students beginning in spring 2025, going forward into future semesters. Current sophomores, juniors and seniors will be exempt from the tuition increase.
Vol. 89 | No. 5
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wichitan@msutexas.edu | thewichitan.com @wichitanonline
Texas state law mandates that public universities allow students to fix their tuition, and the university automatically opted-in students who came to MSU before fall 2024.
Students concerned about whether they are opted-in can check with the business office at 940-397-4101.
While speaking at Oct. 22's Student Government Association meeting, Haynie stressed the importance of this increase for the well-being of the campus.
"Some of you may have had professors who have left, or staff members who have left. And part of that is because we have not been able to give regular raises to our faculty and our staff," Haynie said.
She added that these resources will be used to keep current staff and "bring talented faculty to the campus."
Haynie said she hopes these pay raises become regular. However, this tuition increase could fund one round of raises.
Between the spring and fall 2024 semesters, enrollment shot up 925 students, an approximately 17% increase. Haynie said student retention has increased by about 1.5% over the past year.
"But we need to be doing better than that. And certainly, the increases in retention are made in percents and tenths of percents," Haynie said.
Increasing the tuition will also require the university to set 15% of the money gained to support students in need, another effort to improve retention.
"We are required by statute to set aside a certain percentage of any tuition increase and use that to support students who have greater need, economic need, and so by putting it [the tuition increase] there, we will automatically be setting aside dollars to support students," Haynie said.
Haynie said another goal of the increase is to raise the minimum wage of student workers to $10 by the 2027 fiscal year. The current minimum wage is $8.25 per hour. However, Haynie told the SGA that MSU is looking into increasing the hourly wage to $9 by the 2026 fiscal year, which begins in September 2025.
"We will go ahead and move to $9, so we will move that up a year early to $9... with these resources, and then be able to raise it to the 10 in the following fiscal year for students," Haynie said.
Another focus of Haynie's administration is the construction of the Military Education Office on the second floor of the Bridwell Activity Center, which she says she hopes will improve retention. MSU has already begun providing scholarships to airmen and their dependents from Sheppard.
"So those plans are progressing, and we are excited for that, and they will begin construction once those renderings are approved at the upcoming board of regents meeting," Haynie said.
Editor-in-Chief: George Svoboda
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Photography Editor: Sam DiFiore
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Multimedia Manager: Sam DiFiore
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Advisor: Professor Jonathon Quam
Issue Staff: Logan Deatherage, Saman Lamsal, Daman Bist
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COVER PHOTO COURTESY OF ASSOCIATED PRESS
PHOTO BY GEORGE SVOBODA | THE WICHITAN President Haynie shifts MSU's focus on student and staff recruitment for the remainder of the fall semester, Oct 30.
PHOTO BY GEORGE SVOBODA | THE WICHITAN President Haynie speaks to student senators about faculty and tuition changes on campus, Oct 22.
PHOTO BY GEORGE SVOBODA | THE WICHITAN President Haynie speaks to student senators about faculty and tuition changes on campus, Oct 22.
Students for Democracy march on
ABBY TURNER MANAGING EDITOR
The Students for Democracy, previously known as the MSU Democrats, underwent a name change in hopes to draw more students to the group. Aaron Castillo, chemical engineer freshman and vice president, sheds light on the name change.
“This started as MSU Democrats, which is a dormant organization, but we decided to do a slight name change, just due to the stigma between party names. We wanted to be a little more bipartisan. We wanted to switch a little bit, switch gears, so that we have our voices heard.” Castillo said.
The main goal behind the organization is to get MSU students involved in politics and help spread the information that they may not know. Myles Thomas, music education and spanish freshman, explains why the group formed and how they kept the students informed as the election approached.
“We do political information on campus, we did a voter drive, we did three separate voter drives before the election, we were able to register 48 people on campus, we just try and get people, so they can be up to date.” Thomas said.
The main cause behind the formation of the group was the numbers that generation Z has when it comes to political turnouts.
“Gen Z has the most voter turnout than any generation, any voting graphic, and so we think it is really important that other people have their voices heard, especially on college campuses, we thought it was really important for people to be politically aware, because you can't vote properly if you don't know anything,” Thomas said.
Max Bl, psychology sophomore, explains some of the reasons students do not want to get involved when it comes to politics. These reasons are why the organization hopes to inspire students to get involved.
“A lot of people in our age range dont really want to get into politics because of the like environment around it that they experienced with their parents or their peers, and they don't understand that it doesn't have to be hateful, it doesn't have to be hard to listen too, and that it is good to know what is going on because it does affect you and it affects everybody,” James said.
Due to the stigmatism around political parties the Student for Democracy organization made the decision to stay bipartisan in order to do its job of bringing awareness to students.
“Because people avoid politics due to polarization, and how divisive it is, we are purposefully a bipartisan group and we don't have any party leaning, we just attempt to spread political information to students,” Thomas said.
Students for Democracy organization and the Wichita County Democrats partnered up to raise awareness for the ongoing election and issues that affect the nation. The groups organized a Women’s March that was held on Saturday, Nov. 2 at noon.
The event started at the Akin Auditorium parking lot and wound its way through the campus where the march ended at the amphitheater of the Wichita Falls Museum of Art on the MSU campus.
The groups planned the march about a month in advance. The whole event started when the Wichita County Democrats were looking for a place to host the march on campus in order to observe the anniversary of the overturning of Roe v.
“We heard from the Wichita Democratic Association that they were planning to do one in accordance with the national marches to observe the anniversary of the Dobbs Decision of overturning Roe v. Wade, they thought it would be nice if they could get a host for campus, so that we could go through campus and set up here [WFMA amphitheater] and have a venue to speak at the end. So we were fortunately able to host them on campus,” Castillo said.
BY
| THE WICHITAN Myles Thomas, music education and Spanish freshman, leads the women's march towards the Wichita Falls Museum of Arts, Nov. 2.
PHOTO BY SABRINA HARRISON | THE WICHITAN Students for Democracy helped host a women's march in conjunc tion with the National Women's March, Nov. 2.
PHOTO BY SABRINA HARRISON | THE WICHITAN Members of the march watch as guest speakers talk about the consenquences of Roe v. Wade getting repealed, Nov 2.
PHOTO
SABRINA HARRISON
TRUMP WINS What does that mean for students?
GEORGE SVOBODA EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
After a tumultuous campaign season, Donald Trump won the election to become the 47th president of the United States.
Although Trump has been vague on his policies, he has repeatedly aligned with right-wing think tank The Heritage Foundation's plan, the President Transition Project 2025. Trump did not author nor contribute to Project 2025, although 140 former Trump administration staffers did. Trump has also spoken at multiple Heritage Foundation events in the past.
Here's what the Trump victory means for students:
Student Loans and Finances:
Trump has repeatedly said he intends to shut down the Department of Education, although shutting down a federal department requires an act of Congress. It is uncertain whether or not the next administration will be able to shut down the Education Department, but the Republican Party will hold a supermajority, controlling the Senate, House of Representatives and Presidency. It will be up to GOP representatives to decide whether or not to follow the president's direction.
The Federal Student Aid Office oversees FAFSA and is housed within the Education Department.
The department also administers Pell Grants, which help students from low-income families afford to pay for school.
Trump's 2017-2021 administration repeatedly vied for cuts and freezes to Pell Grants. In 2019, Trump's proposed 2020 fiscal year budget included taking $2 billion away from the Pell Grant reserve and freezing the maximum award amount at $6,195.
Between 2016 and 2020, Trump's administration increased the Pell Grant maximum award by $420. In comparison, President Barack Obama's administration raised the Pell Grant maximum award by $1,215 between 2008 and 2016. The Biden administration increased the maximum award by $1,050 between 2020 and 2024.
Trump has also opposed student loan forgiveness programs such as the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, which allows those working for a government or not-for-profit organization to receive forgiveness after 120 consecutive monthly payments toward their balance. The Trump administration attempted to cut this program in its proposed 2020 fiscal year budget.
The budget also proposed cutting down work-study funding.
In June 2023, the Trump campaign celebrated the Supreme Court's 6-3 decision to strike down a Biden administration program to forgive $10,000 each for many student loan borrowers across the country, referring to it as "Joe Biden's unconstitutional student loan gimmick."
Project 2025 also calls for the elimination of the Department of Education. Lindsey Burke, the Heritage Foundation's director of the Center for Education Policy, wrote the education portion of the plan.
The plan calls for the next president to repeal the Biden administration's Saving on a Valuable Education Act. The SAVE plan is an income-driven repayment plan (IDR) that
significantly lowered the cost of monthly student loan payments for borrowers by basing them on a lower percentage of the borrower's adjusted gross income compared to previous IDRs.
On page 336, Burke refers to the SAVE plan as "delayed grant programs." Project 2025 suggests a new IDR that will only exempt payments for borrowers with incomes meeting or below the poverty line. It also recommends ending the legal requirement for federal student loan forgiveness after 25 years of payments and requires 10% payments on income above the exemption line.
Immigration and Students:
Midwestern State University is home to about 450 international students.
In 2020, the Trump administration attempted to temporarily impose restrictions on Optional Practical Training, a program allowing international students to remain in the U.S. for 24 months after graduation. The program intends to allow recent graduates to gain work experience and the ability to obtain a work visa.
In early 2020, the Department of Justice created a section to address denaturalization cases for immigrants who arrived under false pretenses. The office is intended to "...litigate the denaturalization of terrorists, war criminals, sex offenders and other fraudsters," according to a Justice Department press release.
On Oct. 11, 2023, Stephen Miller, a Trump senior advisor and the former White House director of speechwriting, reposted a 2020 New York Times article about the office on X, saying, "Yes. We started a new denaturalization project under Trump. In 2025, expect it to be turbocharged."
Miller did not elaborate further.
In Sept. 2024, Trump promised to reinstate Executive Order 13759, commonly known as the "Muslim Ban." The order banned people from traveling from seven countries: Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen."
“Remember the famous travel ban? We didn’t take people from certain areas of the world,” Trump said. “We’re not taking them from infested countries.”
If the next administration reinstates the ban, it will be significantly harder for students from the countries affected to return home. It will also make it difficult for new students to come to the U.S.
“We started a new denaturalization project under Trump. In 2025, expect it to be turbocharged.”
“We started a new denaturalization project under Trump. In 2025, expect it to be turbocharged.”
- Stephen Miller
PHOTO COURTESY OF DONALD TRUMP
Donald Trump was elected as the 47th president of The United States on Nov. 5.
Local elections lead to runoff
ABBY TURNER MANAGING EDITOR
While Wichita Falls's elections have all come to a close and a final answer or a candidate has been elected, one local election is headed to a runoff. City Council at Large candidates Austin Cobb and Samuel Pak continue to advocate for why they would be the best candidate to be elected. The runoff election is required since both candidates' voting numbers were so close together and neither candidate won more than 50% of the vote.
The runoff election will be Saturday, Dec. 14.
Statements from the Candidates:
Austin Cobb: "As Election Day comes to a close, I want to take a moment to reflect on this incredible journey. With three candidates in the race, we knew there was a chance of a runoff election, and we’re incredibly grateful for all our supporters who turned out to vote in Wichita Falls. Since I launched my campaign last December, I have worked tirelessly every single day, and I will continue to work hard through the remainder of this election process and beyond. Wichita Falls deserves a leader who is ready to step in on day one and get to work."
Samuel Pak: "I just think it's amazing that my campaign, that I self financed of $800 got more votes than someone who spent over $40,000, because I think my message resonates with people now. We don’t think politics should be bought with money, and also that character and history should matter. I’ve been serving this community for 25 years and I think people really resonate to the idea that… They care because they know I care."
MSU chemistry organization wins award
LOGAN DEATHERAGE REPORTER
The MSU chapter of The American Chemical Society Student Affiliates (ACS-SA) was awarded the Outstanding Chapter Award in October, the first time since 2001.
President of Midwestern State's ACS-SA Sebastian Ibarra says that the award is given differently than someone might expect.
“At the end of every school year, because our chapter is associated with the national organization, we are encouraged
The MSU chapter of The American Chemical Society Student Affiliates was awarded the Outstanding Chapter award this year for the first time since 2001, Oct 27.
to submit a yearly report. We basically report all the activities the chapter did for that year and then the awards are given the following year,” Ibarra, chemistry senior, said. “It's a little odd because people congratulate me on the award, I was part of the officers last year, but I feel like the recognition should be given to the previous president, Andrew Van. He did an amazing job, putting the report together as well as making sure we were doing community service and involved around campus.”
The criteria for the Outstanding Chapter Award is to be involved around campus, promote chemistry to other students, and participate in community service. The national ACS also encourages student chapters to participate in green chemistry.
Merriam-Webster defines, green chemistry as "an approach to designing and creating chemical processes and products that are safer for humans and the environment, that minimize waste and that are energy efficient."
“Something unique about our chapter would be the amount of community outreach that we had last year. There were a lot of events that we did for our community. For example, it's kind of a tradition, we traveled to Bowie elementary school and we put on a chemistry show for the kids. We also helped Boy Scouts during the spring to get their merit badge and a lot more things like that,” Ibarra said.
The MSU Chapter specifically focuses on green chemistry. Co-vice president of ACS SA and chemistry and math junior Austin Groth says green chemistry is a big part of what ACS is trying to increase in all their chapters.
“We took several approaches to helping promote green chemistry on campus by planting new trees and coming up with ways to promote green chemistry on campus as a whole,” Groth said.
Co-Vice President of ACS-SA Glenna Linthicum said the chapter is actively looking for ways to implement green chemistry into everyday life on campus.
“We are a very cohesive group that very much feels
like family. We work hard and work together in all we do. We all took turns watering our two trees for an entire year until they reached maturation. We have also started an expo marker recycling project across campus in select buildings that have allowed us to put our receptacles in their classrooms," Linthicum, chemistry research junior said.
Despite the small number of members in the chapter, the group still found projects to achieve the Outstanding Chapter Award.
“A couple challenges we have faced include the small size of our chapter and college, which limits how many people we have to work on each project and help come up with ideas. Also, the majority of our members are STEM majors, which means we are constantly busy with our classes and trying to study and understand content,” Groth said. “To overcome these challenges we used smaller level projects and built them up so that the weight of each project is less but still reaches its end goal. With multiple smaller scale projects we come up with, we are usually able to have a few people on each one so that the weight of all these projects does not fall onto a few people.”
Ibarra says the chapter could not have accomplished the Outstanding Chapter Award without the help of the chapter advisors.
“The people that should be recognized for the award are our previous president, Andrew Van, our advisors, Candice Fulton, Jinaguo Shao and Rae Keesling. It is thanks to them that we were able to get this award,” Ibarra said.
For membership or questions, contact the advisor,ll lllprofessornof analytical chemistry Jianguo Shao. jianguo.shao@msutexas.edu
Or contact chemistry secretary Sheila Tucker. 940-397-4251 or sheila.tucker@msutexas.edu
Former police officer teaches self defense
JESSICA BINZARI REPORTER
MSU responded to students’ recent safety concerns with a self-defense class on Tuesday, October 22.
The Student Government Association in collaboration with the Redwine Student Wellness Center brought retired police officer Steve Gregg on campus to help students learn self-defense techniques and situational awareness strategies.
Recently, MSU’s Housing Office has decided to extend front desk hours at Sundance Court, McCullough-Trigg Hall and Killingsworth Hall from 1 a.m. to 8 a.m. on weekdays.
“You saw those comments on Yik Yak that were like what are we doing to defend our students, how are we helping students and it was just our way of trying to find something that we could give back to students to help them feel safe,” Student Government Association president Vincent Peter said.
Students joined Gregg in Legacy MPR and learned different types of grips, strikes and defense moves.
Besides training students how to defend themselves, Gregg also explained the value of situational awareness, which he says is even more important than fighting back.
He describes that every assault has three common elements
that include the suspect, opportunity and the victim. Gregg claimed that having awareness “takes away the opportunity.”
“Walk with your chest up, head up like you're serious about what's going on around you and then stay out of your cell phone. When you walk up and down the street or up and down the sidewalk, be aware of what's going on around you,” Gregg said.
Peter finds the training was useful, but he might have some difficulty remembering all the steps. Even so, he feels more confident now.
“There were some things that I didn't know, or you'd never think of like, ‘Oh this is how you would do that?’ So I'm glad now to have that knowledge,” Peter said.
For the students that were not able to make it to the class and are interested in self-defense, Gregg recommends them to take lessons in karate, jiu-jitsu and boxing, all of which can be found in Wichita Falls.
To report sexual misconduct, contact Title IX Directorh Qllland Coordinator Laura Hetrick at (940) 397-4213 or llaura.Qhetrick@msutexas.edu, or file a report form.
and
strategies, Oct 22.
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MSU CHAPTER OF THE ACS-SA
PHOTO BY JESSICA BINZARI | THE WICHITAN Retired police officer Steve Gregg teaches MSU students self defense techniques
situtational awareness
BBB and GSE induct new members on campus
LOGAN DEATHERAGE REPORTER
On Oct. 30, the Midwestern State University department of biology and department of chemistry hosted back-to-back induction ceremonies for their newest members of the Beta Beta Beta and Gamma Sigma Epsilon honor societies, respectively, in the Bridwell Activities Center.
“It shows a dedication to biology and how you can always go to the next step for biology. And at first, I didn't really know what it was. I didn’t even know it was a thing then I got nominated so I was like, I'll join it and it showed me that you can do a lot more for biology than you think,” pre-dental sophomore Creed Jackson said.
The BBB induction ceremony started with speeches from biology professor Jon Scales and the keynote speaker McCoy College of Science, Mathematics and Engineering dean Robert Brennan.
The GSE induction ceremony featured a speech from chemistry professor Jianguo Shao.
Pre-vet junior Ashley Caraway described the importance of getting inducted in both of these chapters to her.
"This is really important because I wanted to become more involved. And so this is really nice for me, because I want to go to vet school, and I want to become more involved in my profession,” Caraway said. “So this was really nice for me to know more people to get involved with, not only like biology and chemistry, but also leadership, and know more about my faculty mentors, and just get more advice, and just to become actually happy in my major and I really, really love it.”
The induction ceremonies ended with the inductees receiving recognition pins and certificates.
“It's an honor being part of this chapter, being surrounded by great faculty and great students. It's a place to cultivate and further develop as a student and as a person overall,” biochemistry junior Thomas Vu said.
MISA brings first Diwali celebration to MSU
SAMAN LAMSAL REPORTER
This year, the Midwestern Indian Student Association (MISA) organized a Diwali celebration. MISA
President Sneha Patel mentioned that aside from one game night, no major events had been held until now. Diwali aimed to bring some of India’s festive atmosphere to new students missing the vibrant celebrations back home. Diwali, a major celebration in Indian society, is also observed by people in Nepal due to its importance to the Hindu faith. According to Hindu stories, this festival commemorates Lord Rama's return to Ayodhya after defeating the demon king Ravana, symbolizing the restoration of peace and order. Known
as Tihar or Deepawali, the event is celebrated with lights, prayers, and festivities.
“Everything cannot be duplicated, but a piece of home can certainly be brought to the center of Wichita Falls,” Patel said.
The event took place on Oct. 26 at the Sikes Lake Center, beginning at 4 p.m. with a traditional Lakshmi puja. Lakshmi, regarded as the goddess of wealth, is revered by Hindus who seek her blessings for financial prosperity.
Attendees wore traditional clothing, adding to the event’s vibrancy. The celebration showcased Indian culture, with dancing, live music and a final group dance uniting attendees.
Patel wanted to make the event accessible and engaging for MSU’s diverse community, including a special feature: lighting Diwali lamps outside the hall, allowing people from all backgrounds to participate. MISA team members also prepared Indian dishes, such as biryani, poori, mutter paneer and raita, adding to the multicultural experience.
Henna application drew interest from students of varied backgrounds. An artist created intricate designs on attendees' hands, introducing many to a custom unfamiliar to them.
Patel, a graduate assistant in the exercise physiology department, and a representative for MSU’s Global Education Office, outlined her vision for MISA.
“We aim to make students feel like they are at home despite being far away, while also promoting understanding of Indian culture,” she said.
The event was self-financed, with MISA holding a bake sale to cover the costs.
Patel said she plans to hold more cultural events highlighting various Indian traditions in the future. She acknowledged challenges within MISA, mentioning that some students view particular cultural practices as superior, leading to conflicts during leadership elections.
“For true progress, unity among all Indian cultures is essential,” Patel said. She also hopes to collaborate with Nepalese students, noting their shared Hindu heritage.
With enthusiasm, Patel announced the next event would be Holi, the festival of colors. She said she looks forward to organizing at least two events per month, balancing academics and celebration for an enriched student experience.
PHOTO BY DAMAN BIST | THE WICHITAN Midwestern Indian Student Association holds a Diwali event at Sikes Lake Oct 26.
PHOTO BY LOGAN DEATHERAGE | THE WICHITAN Inductees of the honor societies recieved recognition pins and certifcates, Otc 30.
PHOTO BY DAMAN BIST | THE WICHITAN Diwali is the Hindu festival of lights. It symbolizes the victory of light over darkness, Oct 26.
ROOFTOP HEROES MINI POP-CULTURE CONVENTION
SABRINA HARRISON REPORTER
For the second year in a row, Moffett Library’s “Rooftop Heroes” event brought together students and faculty alike for another mini-convention in the library’s atrium.
The convention included several presenters from last year's line up, as well as new faces. There was also a small booth for the eSports and Gaming Club and a costume contest to close out the evening. Each presenter had their own flare and niche, but each pushed and pulled with the idea of what a hero is.
These presentations were the main draw for students. History sophomore Micheal McNiel and sociology sophomore Maggie Hemm came to the event to watch history associate professor Tiffany Ziegler and English professor Kirsten Lodge present.
“We both have doctor Lodge as a professor, and she even asked us like, ‘Oh what should we, like should I do my presentation over this or this?’ And so, she asked her classes’ input, and so we both were like, ‘Oh, well, now, like, now we feel like we should go. It sounded cool',” Hemm said.
McNiel explained that because both Zeigler and Lodge’s presentations were so close together in time, she thought it would be a good idea to go see both.
“I have doctor Zeigler. So I got the email and I saw that they were both going like, within the same time frame, like within a couple hours, so I was like, ‘We should just go to this, I know they’re going to be talking about something cool,” McNeil said.
However, German professor Kyung Lee Gagum’s presentation was in between Zeigler and Lodge’s presentation. Though neither student came to the event because of Gagum, her presentation surprised the two.
“Doctor Gagum’s [presentation] came out of left field. Because we were looking at the schedule, and we were like, ‘Solo Leveling, Underground Hero, well that sounds cool.’ And she was talking about manga and anime and we were like, this is not at all what we’d thought it’d be but it was still super cool,” Hemm said.
Instruction librarian and event coordinator Joseph McNeeley said he hopes the event will grow.
McNeeley says the event intends to gather the creative forces around campus to create a self-sustainable mini-convention.
“The idea, to me, was that our campus is so filled with so many creative, talented, brilliant people that I knew, I just knew, that we could do this thing ourselves, and it could just be this campus event. Just with campus presenters and you know, campus vendors and campus artists,” McNeeley said.
However, McNeeley struggled to get student organizations and artists on campus involved with the event.
At Moffet Library's second Rooftop Heroes minconvention, presenters pushed and played with the idea of what a hero is, Oct. 31.
“I have not been able to figure out how to get student organizations involved, and I have not been able to figure out how to really create buzz among the student population,” McNeeley said.
Despite that, McNeeley said he still has big hopes for the event. The plan for next year is to try to expand outwards into the community and get vendors from local businesses.
McNeeley said he is hoping to achieve a sense of community like no other with Rooftop Heroes.
“There’s a thing that happens when I go to a renaissance festival, or a ‘Star Trek’ convention or a Comic-Con, there’s a thing that when you walk through the doors, and there’s just that vibe that you get. It’s like something in the air, and you’re like, ‘these are my people. This feels like home,’” McNeeley said. “And that’s something I was hoping to be able to generate here, and we’re not there yet. We’re not there yet. And I think that it’s because we’re not big enough yet, we don’t have enough going on. We don’t have that thing in the air that happens currently. But I think that we can.”
PHOTO BY SABRINA HARRISON | THE WICHITAN Professor Kyung Lee Gagum does a presentation on "Solo Leveling: A Heroic Tale of an Underdog," Oct 31.
PHOTO BY SABRINA HARRISON | THE WICHITAN Institutional effectiveness Director Eboneigh Harris presents their research on queerness and tabletop roleplaying games, Oct 31.
PHOTO BY SABRINA HARRISON | THE WICHITAN
WICHITAN'S PLAYLIST VOL. 1
PHOTO COURTESY OF TDE/CAPITAL RECORDS Social Media Manager Aaron Burrows: "CATFISH" by Doechii
PHOTO COURTESY OF RCA RECORDS LABEL Sports Editor Jessica Binzari: "City Haunts" by Nothing But Thieves
PHOTO COURTESY OF RISE RECORDS Reporter Logan Deatherage: "Scorpian Hill" by PUP
PHOTO COURTESY OF UNION SQUARE MUSIC Entertainment Editor Sabrina Harrison: "Pop Muzik" by M, Robin Scott
PHOTO COURTESY OF JLD Managing Editor Abby Turner: "Texas-Size Heartache" by Joe Diffie
PHOTO COURTESY OF DOWNTOWN RECORDINGS Design Editor Tiffany Haggard: "Crazy" by Gnarls Barkley
PHOTO COURTESY OF POLYDOR RECORDS Editor-in-Chief George Svoboda: "One Hundred Years" by The Cure
PHOTO COURTESY OF SONY MUSIC PUBLISHING Photography Editor Sam DiFiore: "What's My Name" by Rihanna
MSU tennis player wins regional tournament
ABBY TURNER MANAGING EDITOR
Mass communication senior Jessica Binzari is a standout on campus, both in the newsroom and on the tennis court. As the sports editor for The Wichitan, she combines her passion for journalism with the same drive that fuels her success as one of the university’s top tennis players.Binzari’s love for tennis began at the early age of eight-years-old. Binzari says she has a funny reason behind getting into tennis.
“So, it’s actually, I would say a funny story. I am left handed, but when I was seven I broke my right arm. I had a fracture and my parents thought that if they send me to play tennis, it would help my arm recover. So when I was eight, when I was out of the arm cast, I guess, I started playing tennis. I was lefthanded, so it wasn’t hard on my arm, on my right arm. I just started playing tennis and I liked it so much that I just kept going and here I am now,” Binzari said.
Binzari grew up in Constanta, Romania. Constanta is a big tennis town due to Simona Halep, 2018’s number one player.
“Tennis in my town is pretty big because of Simona Halep. She was a number one player in 2018. And tennis was pretty big at the time, so everybody would play tennis,” Binzari said.
From a young age the thought to quit tennis never crossed Binzari’s mind. She always wanted to take her game to the next level, but never realized that collegiate tennis was an option until she was in high school.
“I never thought about quitting tennis. For me tennis was something I would do for the rest of my life, and like any kid I was dreaming that I could play professional tennis. I didn't know college tennis was a thing. Back home, in Romania, we don’t play college tennis. We don't play college tennis at all,” Binzari said.
Binzari continued to grow and improve her skill through playing on club teams and having many different coaches. One of the main coaches in her career was her father.
“My dad, because he was kinda the father figure and coach figure in my life. He would switch me around clubs a lot, so I never had one coach, it was a lot of moving around in my town,” Binzari said.
Recruitment for college athletes overseas looks different than recruiting within the United States. Binzari explains that due to being overseas, most athletes have to send videos to showcase their talents, since coaches aren’t able to travel to see that athlete in person.
“So I recorded a small YouTube video of myself with every shot… then point places so they could see me during a point setup, like, how would I play. And once I have that video posted, I just let it go. You would usually email schools, email coaches, and link my video for them to watch,” Binzari said.
Before attending MSU Binzari went to a school in South Carolina. After two years of competing, Binzari realized something was missing. She wanted a school and a program that was going to challenge her and make her better. She had a choice between MSU and a school in Pennsylvania.
“I had to decide between two schools, the reason I picked MSU was the environment that Coach [Linn] was presenting to me. I knew I wanted to have even better results in my first two years of college, so I wanted an environment that would challenge me to become better and reach my potential. And Coach [Linn] was very confident he could offer me that, so I took that offer,” Binzari said.
When coming to MSU Binzari had to adjust to more of a team winning mentality rather than the individualistic view that she had while in South Carolina.
“For me it was learning to win as a team. In my older school, I was the only player winning men’s and women’s, so it was very individual for me. The team wasn’t winning, and I couldn't win for the team. I had to win for myself. Well, when I came here it was different because the players that were surrounding me were much better. The competition was higher and we were performing at such a high level that the team was winning,” Binzari said.
MSU has been very successful in the past few years. One of Binzari’s favorite
tennis memories is from last spring when the team beat Wingate to make it to the semifinal round.
“My favorite memory was last spring when we went to nationals in Florida with the team. We made program history when we qualified for the national semifinals… I actually have some history with Wingate because they were the top school in the conference that I was a part of in my last school…Sophia actually was the clinch and we won four-three and I’m telling you when she won, tears rushed down my face, the whole team was lined up on the side court, and the moment it happened, tears rushing down my face. All of us sprinted to Sophia and just picked her up and it was just the most beautiful moment,” Binzari said.
Another standout memory for Binzari also happened while wearing an MSU uniform. Since her first season as a college player all Binzari wanted to do was win the regional tournament that happened every fall season.
“Well I've always had high hopes for this tournament, but I've never had high results. Three years in a row, I would not get further than the third round, and this year I just ended up winning the whole thing,” Binzari said.
As Binzari’s May 2025 graduation date approaches she has to think about her future not only in tennis, but also career wise.
After graduation Binzari plans to take her skills to the next level and try her hand in some summer tournaments, as well as professional tournaments. On the career side of things, Binzari mentions that she would love to stick around Wichita Falls to work, after receiving a job offer from a local news station, but ultimately said she will go wherever has the best opportunity for her career in journalism as well as her career as an athlete.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA BINZARI Binzari and the MSU tennis team earned a spot in the 2024 NCAA semifinals in Florida , May 23. game against U.T. Tyler , Nov. 6.
PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSICA BINZARI Mass Communication senior Jessica Binzari has
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Coach Radecki secures 400th win
JESSICA BINZARI SPORTS EDITOR
Stephanie Radecki won her 400th game as a collegiate volleyball coach last Tuesday Oct. 29, when MSU defeated East Central in straight sets.
Radecki is thankful for the people that have helped her get to her 400th career win as a collegiate coach.
“I think it's just it means that I've really been lucky that I've worked with a lot of amazing people and when you hit a milestone it just forces you to reflect back on that and remember all the people that you been lucky enough to have around you during your career which is why we coach,” Radecki said.
Radecki was an outstanding volleyball player, representing Edinboro University between 1994-1998. She was named Female Athlete of the Year, was recognized as the Pennsylvania
State Athletic Conference Player of the Year in her last year of college and made the All-PSAC and All-Atlantic Region twice. In 2008, Radecki was inducted into Edinboro’s Athletics Hall of Fame.
This fall marks Coach Radecki’s third season at the helm of MSU’s volleyball team. With a 21-year coaching background, Radecki marked her coaching debut at Saint Leo University in 2003.
Radecki still remembers the thrill of coaching her first team at Saint Leo.
“I remember that team specifically because it was my first team as a head coach . . . it was a program that was in a building phase, and they were in need of a fresh face and I brought a fresh face and so I think they just enjoyed every part of it and we had fun together,” Radecki said.
She also mentioned the challenges she found when transitioning from being a volleyball player to coaching a team of volleyball players.
After Saint Leo, Radecki took on the volleyball head coach position for Southern Missouri followed by University of North Alabama (UNA).
Coach Radecki was named Gulf South Conference Coach of the Year three consecutive times during her tenure at UNA where she also had the most successful season of her coaching career, leading her team to the NCAA National Final in 2006.
Looking back, Radecki remembers the thrill of playing for the national championship.
“It is exciting and it's a really cool feeling and I think one thing that as you know as you know there's just something really special about the teams that are able to achieve that level because it's not always yes those kids are very talented but it's not always just about talent it's about the personalities on that team and the leadership on those teams,” Radecki said.
However, Radecki can’t help but wonder if she is ever going to get another team that far again.
“I remember we lost to Tampa in the championship match, and I remember that feeling afterwards like, ‘What if I'm never back here again like we were so close to winning the national championship,’” Radecki said.
But that only gives her something more to strive for with the current team at MSU.
This season is looking to be one of Radecki’s best ones since taking up the head coaching position at Midwestern with a current overall record of 13-13. The Mustangs are currently heading into the last three matches of the season and are ranked 10th in Lone Star Conference standings.
PHOTO BY ABBY TURNER | THE WICHITAN Rylee wolf (11) jumps high as she pepares to spike the ball leading to a point against UT Tyler, Nov 6.
PHOTO BY ABBY TURNER | THE WICHITAN Head coach Stephanie Radecki (left) strategizes with assistant coach Jennifer McCall (right) inbetween sets one and two, Nov. 6.
PHOTO BY ABBY TURNER | THE WICHITAN Isabella Dickens (13) spikes the ball, earning a point for the Mustangs in their game against U.T. Tyler , Nov. 6.