10 minute read
ACE SUSHI
SEMESTER ON CAMPUS
Ace Sushi offers grab-and-go sushi meals in an open fridge. Aug 25.
AMOS PERKINS EDITOR IN CHIEF
Ace Sushi just wrapped up its first semester as one of the retail dining options at Midwestern State University, taking the slot in the Clark Student Center previously held by Burrito Bowl for many years. Ace has reportedly been a hit with students overall, but the new restaurant has amassed its own number of complaints as well. “Regarding... whether or not Ace has met expectations, we have increasingly heard requests from students looking for healthy options and options that meet the needs of students on gluten-free diets. Ace has been well received in its opening semester and we’re listening closely to the feedback students are providing,” Kristi Schulte, director of residence life and housing, said. Not including The Market at Legacy and the on-campus Starbucks, which primarily sell beverages and convenience items, 15% of all diningoption transactions occurred at Ace Sushi. This ties the newcomer with Einstein’s Bagels and puts it ahead of Maverick’s Corner, which recorded 10%. Ace still trails Chick-Fil-A and Mesquite Dining Hall, which recorded 20% and 40% of transactions respectively. Notably, Ace performed considerably better than its predecessor, Burrito Bowl. “For comparison, Burrito Bowl averaged 5% of sales in previous semesters,” Schulte said. Despite the positive response, the Ace Sushi on campus has not been exempt from criticism. Among the complaints, the most common amongst students has been that there isn’t a meal exchange option at Ace Sushi, unlike the other dining options on campus. “One of the points of feedback we’ve received is a request to implement a meal exchange option at Ace. We are exploring possibilities, but I do not have a solid timeline for when that might be accomplished,” Schulte said. Students are still able to pay with cash as well as their flex dollars. However, Ace is one of the pricier options at MSU. Many of the staple meals cost upwards of $10, meaning that if a student had the base $100 flex cash option, they could eat there no more than ten times a semester, and that was if Ace were the only option they chose to spend their flex dollars on. “I don’t think it’s worth the flex dollars I spend on it. I think I’ll only go back for the Boba tea. That’s about the only thing though, unless they had like a meal change or something and the food was not as salty,” Adriana Brown, marketing junior, said. Many of the other dining options on campus have agreements with Chartwells, a company that helps bring different dining options to campuses nationwide. This agreement contains a blueprint for quickly implementing meal exchange options. Ace, however, does not have an agreement with Chartwells, which made it too difficult to implement an exchange program in the first semester. “Our relationship with Ace is different than the other retail dining options on campus. Chick-fil-A and Einstein’s Brothers Bagels are national brands that have standing meal exchange options available through their agreement with Chartwells. Those who run Ace are local to the Wichita Falls community and as such, there wasn’t a pre-existing agreement allowing us to initially offer a meal exchange,” Schulte said. While Ace Sushi has been applauded by some for bringing healthier and gluten-free options to campus, many have been dissatisfied with the menu. That, along with the stigma that sushi in unformal settings can carry, has kept some, including Kevin McNeil, management information systems senior, from considering Ace as a dining option. “I’ve heard their options aren’t super great, and the idea of eating at a sushi place on campus doesn’t sound super appealing,” McNeil said. The administration at MSU is taking into account all the feedback, both positive and negative, about the newest addition to the campus dining lineup. Using that information, they have made plans to adapt and improve the campus Ace Sushi in the near future. “We are continuing to make adjustments to the program and anticipate having additional menu and program announcements in the spring semester,” Schulte said.
PHOTO BY SOLEIL WEEKS | THE WICHITAN
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BUSINESS OFFICE EXPLAINS ONLINE PAYMENT OPTIONS FOR SPRING 2022
The different options offered through Touchnet are set to allow seamless payments through MSU Portal.
JAIME ALEMÁN REPORTER
The Business Office offers more online options for students and department payments through Touchnet and Marand not have to stand in line.” The online options not only benefit students but other departments. Marketplace offers difaccess to your account can be done through the website. “Payment plans and installment plans can ketplace for Spring 2022. In efforts to make registration easier and save students time not waiting in line, while Marketplace also improves payments for all departments. “Over the course of the pandemic, and everything being more online and not getting that face-to-face opportunity to tell our students what we have to offer, because normally we’re always represented at orientations, Mustang Rally, those type of things. We’ve missed those opportunities, probably with the last, maybe two freshman classes coming in,” Perry Griner, Director of Student Business Services, said. “More people started sending checks in and they don’t realize that we have this whole system out there that you could do at your desk ferent departments a place for payments for camps and testing, fundraising, and more. “We have Marketplace and we have opened that up to departments or athletics. They can use it for camps and testing departments can use it for tests they give,” Griner said. “Our nursing department uses it. They sell insurance to students and whatever tests and things they need. Science department uses it, donor services use it, and so Marketplace allows people to have that availability online to pay for these things.” The different options offered through Touchnet are set to allow seamless payments through MSU Portal. Other options such as payment plans, refunds or allowing a parent go through Touchnet. It’s a payment bill suite, and in that suite, you can make payments, you can set yourself on the installment plan,” Griner said. “Also, you can also set up for electronic refunds, you can see your holds, you can print your student account information for a specific term and it prints out nice. You can also set up authorized users, if you’re a student and you want to give your mom or dad, whomever your employer, access to your information, whoever you choose, you can go out there and set them up as an authorized user.” Registration and especially payments for registration can become a lot to deal with, but online options help make things smoother. Past due payments can be also be taken care of through Kareen LaTouche, Accountant ll at the Business Office. “Kareen La Touche is who handles our past due accounts, and because it’s that time of year where people are pre-registering, people who owe for previous semesters have holds on their accounts, so they are not eligible to enroll for the next semester until they have satisfied that balance,” Griner said. “If students are having difficulties making those payments, they need to set up appointments with Kareen to see if she can allow them to register, just to visit with her, to see what the situation is and if there’s some way that the Business Office can assist them. That is on the MSU Texas website at msutexas. edu/busoffice and click on book an appointment.”
PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN
A LOVE STORY TURNED MURDER ‘House of Gucci’
Lady Gaga plays Patrizia Reggiani in “House of Gucci.”
House of Gucci hit theaters on Wednesday, November 24th. Although it may not be a heartwarming movie, such as Encanto, to watch with the family - if Thalia Doe you’re like me and enjoy realistic, edgy, thrilling movies with a dark twist, then this movie is for you.
If that’s not enough to intrigue you, let’s take a look at this film’s extraordinary cast. First, we have Lady Gaga, an American singer and songwriter who plays the main character, Patrizia Reggiani. Though I’ve personally never seen Gaga act and can be skeptical when certain celebrities cross over to the big screen, I must admit, she had me sold throughout the entire viewing. Next, we have Adam Driver, who plays no other than Maurizio Gucci. The movie mostly focuses on these two as it is about their not-so Gucci life. Rodolfo Gucci, father of Maurizio, is played by Jeremy Irons, and though he makes an exit quite early in the film, his impact remains throughout. Next, we have someone who is more naturally suited to these types of films… because what’s a movie about a foreign family involving murder without Al Pacino? Pacino plays the uncle of Maurizio, Aldo Gucci. The last family member I’ll mention, the cousin to Maurizio and Adolfo’s son, Paolo Gucci, sheds light on the reality that not everyone born into a billionaire family is prosperous. Lastly, we have Salma Hayek, who isn’t a face that is consistently on the big screen, whose character is essential to the unfolding of the murder of Maurizio.
So, is House of Gucci a true story about the brand, Gucci? It may be silly to ask but even after viewing the trailer, I had asked myself if this was just a completely fictional movie made for entertainment about the realities of industry life. But no, this is a true story. The real Patrizia Reggiani was born in northern Italy, in the city of Vignola in 1948, to a poor Italian family that owned a mediocre trucking business. Maurizio Gucci was born in 1948 in Florence Italy to Rodolfo Gucci, the son of Gucci founder, Guccio Gucci. You can only imagine how exactly these two met. At an exclusive party, Reggiani sets eyes on Maurizio, who she mistakes for the bartender working that night. When Reggiani sees Gucci, she falls in love instantly, at least when she hears his last name. The beginning of their love story, I admit, is painful to watch. Reggiani does everything in her power to sway Gucci into taking a liking to her. Nonetheless, her efforts succeed and the two marry in 1972, despite Maurizio’s father’s disapproval. When Maurizio is studying to become a lawyer and doesn’t want much to do with his family business, and begins working for Reggiani’s family until later reconciling with his father. Though Maurizio still wants little to nothing to do with his family’s business, Reggiani has other plans.
The character development in this movie was incredible. As the story unfolds around the lives of the Gucci family members – we see the development of Reggiani’s consumption with fame, money and power… and just as we see it, Gucci sees it as well, especially after the death of his father leaves him with 50% of the company’s fortune. It doesn’t help that Maurizio is not a
PHOTO COURTESY OF METRO GOLDWYN MAYER
businessman and Reggiani sees this as an opportunity to take charge of the brand. Reggiani’s manipulative capability to turn family members against each other has to be respected in my opinion. This woman ends up being the reason that Paolo Gucci sets up his father by tipping off the IRS and exposing his father’s unpaid tax forms, landing his father, Aldo Gucci in prison for one year and a day. The most remarkable point in this film, despite Reggiani stealing the show, may be the fact that the Gucci brand walks on eggshells until nearly the end of the film. It isn’t until the last scene featuring Maurizio Gucci, forced to sell his last chair, ending the Gucci family’s involvement in the company, that we see the rebirth of Gucci. From then on, Gucci becomes what it is today, an almost $22.6 billion-dollar company according to Forbes.
Again, this movie is not one that you want to miss while in theatres. It’s not the ideal family movie considering the R-rated advisory for sexual content, brief nudity and language, but is definitely worth the viewing, especially if you are a murder mystery fanatic like I am. And of course, at the end, the film shows what happened to every character in real life, one of my favorite aspects of true-story movies.
