Day of giving
Winning
pg. 4
Sudents dedicated their time and effort to helping local charities, making Saturday a Great Day of Service.
pg. 8
The MSU softball team continues to dominate with its ninth consecutive victory.
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University spends $84,000 for flowers Museum board member rakes in about $75,000; other florists get $9,447 CHRIS COLLINS EDITOR IN CHIEF
A museum board member who lives in Caddo, Texas was paid nearly $75,000 to craft lavish floral arrangements for university functions over the past 10 years. Local florists drummed up less than $10,000 in university business. Most members of the MSU community didn’t get a whiff of the bouquets fashioned by Lola Pitzer because the flowers were on display at either off-campus events or at select occasions. While some of those gatherings were small, the bills for her services were not. Pitzer charged $873 to provide flowers at a Board of
Regents dinner at Sikes House in August 2010. Her invoice to deck out Sikes House with Christmas flowers in 2007 came to $3,235. Pitzer, who operates as Lola Hampton Creations, was paid from the University Activity Fund, a discretionary account controlled solely by MSU President Dr. Jesse Rogers. It is made up of donor funds that come entirely from the MSU Foundation. The Wichitan obtained records and invoices of transactions with Pitzer through state Open Records statutes. Initially, the newspaper requested an accounting of money spent through the President’s Discretionary Account but was told by MSU that “no such title exists.” However, The Wichitan discovered a “President’s Office Discretionary Fund” listed within MSU Foundation filings provided to the Internal Revenue Service.
Pitzer was not hired under any type of contract. No competitive bids were sought for her work. Rogers said she was hired under “organized activity” rules. In financial documents, Pitzer’s services were listed as “Other Professional Services.” “You don’t have to bid it out,” Rogers said. “It just has to be done for the best value of the university. The only thing we use her for is organized activities.” Over the years, Pitzer supplied flowers to museum functions. Rogers said Pitzer’s hiring was not a conflict of interest and defends his action. Although Pitzer serves on the museum advisory board, Rogers said that entity doesn’t possess the authority to decide how museum funds are spent.
FLOWERS pg. 5
Graph by HANNNAH HOFMANN
Costume virtuoso tells all Greek chapter GPAs strike an all-time low BRITTNEY COTTINGHAM MANAGING EDITOR
Elizabeth Lewandowski peeks through a clothing rack in the costume storage room Monday. Photo by HANNNAH HOFMANN
MSU professor becomes published author with costume dictionary GRACE HOLLOWAY FOR THE WICHITAN
Have ever pondered what “Hot Pants” were or where they originated from? All you would have to do now is go to Moffett Library to the reference section and flip open The Complete Costume Dictionary. When you get your answer, you can give thanks to Elizabeth Lewandowski, the Midwestern State University theatre professor that wrote the book. The Complete Costume Dictionary is 632 pages of garment definitions and history. It can inform you about clothes by type, country and by era. It has 300 illustrations. “I wrote the book because nothing like that existed and I wanted to give my students something that I didn’t have,” Lewandowski said. It took her about 31 years to develop the contents of the book. It all began in 1980 while she was in college. Lewandowski went to Bradley University to pursue an opera performance degree. She double majored in theatre to better her odds of hav-
ing a career out of college. During her sophomore year, the school built a new theatre. “We were working on the first show for it, and they said, ‘who can sew?’ Suddenly I was in charge of the costume crew because I knew how to run a sewing machine. That’s how it really started.” Whenever she learned a new sewing term she wrote it down on a notecard. “I should write this down so I don’t forget,” she would think to herself. After a long talk with her voice coach her senior year, she had to face a startling reality. She’d have to put her dream of being a dramatic soprano on hold. Her voice wouldn’t mature until her mid- to late 30s. Lewandowski was only 22 and couldn’t wait that long. She asked herself a question. “What else do I really like? I really liked costumes and at that point I had done them on just about every show. That’s how I decided what I wanted to do.” Within five years, she acquired thousands of notecards. Dan, her husband, advised her to transfer her definitions onto the computer. Later her friend LaLonnie Lehman, Costume Designer at Texas Christian University, told her that she should create a book.
“So I started getting serious about collecting terms,” Lewandowski said. “I had about 10,000 and submitted it to a publisher. I had multiple contract offers and picked the one I liked best, Scarecrow Press.” Lewandowski started spending her summers reading foreign language dictionaries and work on research while she traveled with her husband to different cities for his job. “When I finished I had over 20,000 terms from around the world and throughout history. Nothing of that magnitude had been published before.” The Complete Costume Dictionary’s official publication date was Oct. 24, 2011. “I didn’t actually know it had come out until one of my students who had pre-ordered it told me she had gotten an email from Amazon saying they had shipped it. My publisher didn’t even tell me!” She celebrated her accomplishment with friends and family at the winter solstice party they throw every year on Dec. 21. She will be working on her next project this summer with friend William Henshaw, associate professor of theatre at Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, Ark, on writing a book about the history of drag.
National data boasts that members of fraternities and sororities have higher GPAs than the average non-affiliated student. But Greek Life coordinator Kevin Bazner said at MSU that is not necessarily the case. Last semester, over half of the reconginzed Greek chapters on campus saw its grade point average drop. Some chapters dipped below national standards. Six out of 12 Greek organizations even have a 2.5 or below. Last fall, one posted a 1.64 chapter GPA and another acquired a 1.44 grade point average. No Greek chapter earned an average GPA of a 3.0 or above. As of fall 2011 the average GPA for a Greek chapter at MSU is a 2.53. All Greek chapters GPAs are below the overrall undergraduate GPA of 2.79. Bazner said he has not seen an academic issue with fraternity and sorority life. He believes they are advancing. “You look at the different numbers, whether it be academics or impressions of the community, for the most part they are good,” Bazner said. “Numbers will sway up and down, but you see a general trend of improvement. I think that is best thing that anyone can hope for is improvement.” According to the fall 2011 grade report, the average sorority GPA is 2.69.
The average fraternity GPA is 2.2. Kappa Sigma, Tau Kappa Epsilon and Sigma Nu fell below national standards, 1.64, 2.08, 2.20, respectively and are required to participate in weekly educational programs. Until Bazner became coordinator in 2010, community grade reports were not posted online. “That was surprising to me because organizations that say they are about scholarship and academic achievement do need to prove that,” Bazner said. “I do empathize with the chapters, especially those who may not meet that average and it may not look good for them.” Every Greek organization does have a minimum grade requirement, but some have higher standards than others. Midwestern does not mandate a university GPA standard for Greek students, unlike some Texas schools. Angelo State University, which requires all Greek life students to maintain a 2.5 grade point average, and Southern Methodist University chapters must maintain a 3.0 or above GPA. “I don’t feel right now as an university administrator that we need to be imposing that extra requirement on a student,” Bazner said. “But it is obviously something I’ll look at and something that as a community we need to challenge ourselves to constantly seek out improvement and be better than the average.”
GREEK pg. 3
Segregation era students recall days at Midwestern KYLE EGAN FOR THE WICHITAN
In 1951,18-year-old Helen Thursby tried enrolling at Midwestern, but was denied entry because of the color of her skin. Thursby was one of six students who was denied registration for classes because Midwestern informed them that their applications were not filed correctly. Actually, Midwestern was not letting the students in because they were black. On Friday, Phi Alpha Theta honored Thursby and other students to degregation at MSU. “I filled out an application to enter
Midwestern and they turned us away, we were rejected,” said Thursby. “I had to leave and attend school at Jackson School of Nursing in Dallas. It was unfortunate.” The case Battle, et al v. Wichita Falls Junior College District, et al in the fall of 1951, provided the NAACP with a perfect scenario to challenge Texas segregation laws. The NAACP never challenged segregation laws; instead they challenged Midwestern’s “separate but equal” laws claiming Midwestern was not giving equal treatment for black students. They convinced Thurgood Marshall
DESEGREGATION pg. 4
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It’s Greek Week here at MSU. So it seems only appropriate to discuss a large issue within the Greek system. The average overall GPA of fraternities and sororities for the fall semester is 2.38. This is not exactly impressive, as Greeks are supposedly held to a higher expectation of academic performance than the average student. Instead of striving to better their overall GPAs, all but three organizations had GPAs that dropped from the Spring 2011 to the Fall 2011 semester. The largest GPA drop, by Omega Delta Phi, was 0.75. The MSU administration isn’t holding these fraternities and sorori-
ties to any sort of standard. At other universities in Texas there are minimum requirements for the Greeks to keep their eligibility. At SMU the chapters are asked to maintain a GPA of 3.0 or higher. If not, they face probation. If the same rule was applied at MSU, there would be no Greek system. Instead fraternities and sororities are put on membership quotas. Recently, Alpha Phi Alpha was deemed unrecognizable as a Greek organization due to low membership. It was disbanded last spring. Their chapter GPA as of Spring 2011 was 2.43. Currently, six Greek organizations have that same 2.43 GPA or below. Yet they stand strong in their membership numbers so they are not disbanded by the university.
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A Greek Tragedy our view
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The national chapters and MSU don’t seem concerned so long as each member forks over the dues per semester it takes to be a member of the Greek system. The coordinator of Greek life at MSU stated that he believes sorority and fraternity life is about improving and advancing. But the focus of Greek life is academics. That’s what they preach, anyway. Obviously Greeks are all but improving in this aspect. The academic success of Greek life is being swept under the rug, ignored by the administration and national chapters so they can keep their chapter status on campus. The “no comment” received from Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority is a clear sign of this neglect. Priorities need to change. And soon.
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Copyright © 2012. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association. 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 (350 words or less) and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address. The editor retains the right to edit letters.
Participation in MSU activities is waning
SARAH LONG FOR THE WICHITAN
MSU may be small, but the university does its best to provide fun activities for students to get involved with… or does it? The University Programming Board (UPB) spends large amounts of money every semester in an effort to encourage students to become more involved on campus, but find a lack of participants when hosting activities. The same holds true for the Office of Student Development and Orientation. Both offices offer a multitude of activities throughout the year in an effort to make MSU a little livelier, yet turn out continues to be less than impressive. But it’s not just UPB and Student Development who have a hard time bringing out crowds. So what is the deal? Why can’t MSU get students to come out to events and get more involved? Students aren’t doing anything; they are passing on everything from theatre performances, sporting events, fundraisers and even skipping out on free food. MSU students aren’t getting involved and my question is this: “Why?!” On a small campus, where everyone knows everyone, how hard is it to get a group of friends together and go to a basketball game or hit up a bingo game for a change to win some sweet prizes? Time and time again these efforts seem to fall flat. MSU’s rival Tarleton is comparable in size to MSU yet the students there are more known for their obnoxious school pride. Tarleton students bleed purple until they die and let everyone they meet know it. Why can’t we have half of that enthusiasm at MSU? The closest thing to involvement on
campus is Greek life. They do a great job mingling among the other sororities and fraternities, but still struggle to get involved in other avenues around campus. According to Student Development, there are 113 registered student organizations on campus, yet the number of active members is only a small portion in each of those organizations. We have all heard the statement, “90% of the work is done by 10% of the people.” Those involved in planning and organization know this to be true. This week, Friday April 20, the fourth annual MSU Relay for Life will be in the quad from 7PM to 7AM. Out of the 113-registered student organizations on campus, only 16 teams are participating in the event. Based on my logic, this got me wondering. Are we all too taxed to really commit to anything? Perhaps there are too many options
and instead of choosing one, many choose none. College is about meeting new people and being involved, yet at MSU we stick to our own, no matter if it involves a sports team, a hall in our dorm, a fraternity or sorority, we are simply not branching out. We tend to get familiar with a certain group of people and refuse to open up and meet new ones. What would it take to get students to get involved? Mandatory kickball every Friday? Or are we too divided to get along? What people don’t understand is they are paying for these activities every semester: the fees are wrapped up in our tuition. The Artist Lecture Series spends thousands of dollars every semester to bring in professionals who the university thinks will be interesting, yet students hardly ever get the opportunity to see them. Why?
The tickets are being sold out by community members. Why can’t we get a ticket to a speaker our fees are paying for? I have been at MSU since 2008 and every year during finals frenzy you can guess the lineup: The C list comedian they bring in every year Or maybe the magician who is mediocre at best. Students have become bored with what the university has to offer. The activities have become predictable and stale. Based on a divided campus and students uninterested in activities, the problem with low to no involvement will continue. If the administration doesn’t get a handle on the lack of interest and figure out how to better appeal to students, the future of the university and enrollment, will too, be affected. But, to be honest, this problem really isn’t one that the university administra-
tion can fully control. We are the ones who make the choice to not attend. We are the ones who make the choice that we are too busy or the events are not worthy of our precious time. We complain that there is “nothing to do” here, yet suggestions are not made toward any type of solution. What is it that students want to do on campus? What kinds of activities and events would MSU students be interested in? Sure, we’re busy. But if we’re not busy enough to complain about not having anything to do, it’s quite possible that we have the time to come up with some great group events for the campus to promote. It’s not all up to them. We are the ones paying the tuition and wanting things to do. We need to make the effort and find the motivation to do something about it. The first thing? Start attending.
JOHNNY BLEVINS
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GREEK from pg. 1 “Within the Interfraternity Council, every single one of the chapters that fell below the all men’s average are doing weekly presentations on scholarship, whether that be study skills, academic achievement or test anxiety,” Bazner said. “Every chapter, to my knowledge, is keeping up with their members on their progress. Obviously this (spring) semester will be the tell all.” Bazner believes that students coming out of high school and straight into a Greek organization are ill prepared for college, causing a few chapters to drop. “They don’t have the necessary resources coming out of high school in order to balance that work, social, school triangle,” Bazner said. “If you put your heart and soul into an organization, there are going to be extra requirements and it is that balance of how do we deal with extra responsibilities and requirements.” According to the fall 2011 grade report, the average GPA of new Greek members is lower than the average GPA for active members in eight of the 12 organizations. As Greek coordinator, it is Bazner’s responsibility to ensure that Greek students are meeting the standards of the university, particularly those in the student handbook those standards include each student earning no lower than a 2.0. “As far as academic, my main focus is that they understand that they are here for an education and giving them the tools and resources they need,” Bazner said. “Then I track that data semester to semester, chapter to chapter, year to year.” With a chapter GPA of 2.43 last fall, Gamma Phi Beta had its lowest average since 2009. When The Wichitan contacted the national Gamma Phi Beta International Sorority, they refused to comment on the GPA drop. Instead, a spokesperson stated that chapters plan scholarship programs to encourage individual and chapter excellence. “Gamma Phi Beta believes its mem-
bers need to be academically successful to participate, lead, serve and enjoy sorority membership to the fullest,” said Maureen Walker, director of marketing and communications for Gamma Phi Beta International. The national organization requires a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.4 from college or 2.8 from high school. “Members are encouraged to exceed minimums and every chapter is expected to have a cumulative grade point average higher than the all-women’s average on the respective campus,” Walker said. As of fall 2011, the MSU all-women’s average for Greeks was a 2.91. Sigma Lambda Alpha’s chapter grade point average decreased from 2.82 to 2.73. With only four members, chapter president Gloria Villarreal said it is difficult to participate in Greek activities with their current membership. “The cause (for the GPA drop) was due to so many Greek events and programs that we had to attend at that time and it was very difficult for us because it was just a group of four,” Villarreal said. “We can’t be at two places at once.” Villarreal said Sigma Lambda is bringing in five new members at the end of the semester. “We make each other study together and make study log sheets,” Villarreal said. “Its important because it shows that we are trying to improve our grades.” As president, Villarreal said she spends 12 hours a week doing Greek activities. “I work part-time and go to school full time and have two important positions in my organization. If I can do it, anyone can. Just don’t be lazy,” she said. Sigma Nu, which currently has nine members, suffered its lowest chapter GPA in two years with a 2.2. Chapter president Josh Kattner explained that two members’ personal issues affected the average. Scott Smith, director of leadership development for Sigma Nu Fraternity, said the general fraternity is disappointed to learn that the MSU chapter dropped, making it one of the lowest chapter GPAs on campus.
“(We) understand that the drop could be a result of any number of factors affecting individual chapter members,” Smith said. “We will continue to work with the chapter to support academic improvement.” Kattner said that it is not entirely his responsibility to ensure all members are in good academic standing. “I feel as president I need to make sure they have all the tools and resources available to remain in good academic standing,” he said. “At the same time we realize that we are all adults who are accountable for our owning grades and actions and accountability is highly regard in our chapter.” Kattner said he sets an example of good academic standing for his members. “Both semester GPAs negatively affected the chapter’s overall standing, but the chapter accepted the result and continue to support the brothers,” he said. Kappa Delta Chi president Samantha Forester said this semester has been a test of the wills for her to balance school and sorority activities. Kappa Delta is one of the few Greek organization whose chapter GPA average rose from 2.6 in the spring of 2011 to 2.7 last fall. Forester said her women took advantage of university resources last semester. “We held an academic workshop with our (faculty) adviser,” Forester said. “We took advantage of the Student Support Services tutoring program which offers group tutoring as well as individual sessions.” Each member of Kappa Delta is required to complete 10 study hours per week excluding holidays, mid-semester grade checks. At least one visit with the faculty adviser is required each semester. “I believe it is my responsibility as well as our academic chair (to ensure all members are in good academic standing),” Forester said. “I, as the representative of my chapter, and our academic standing are a reflection of our chapter. While we have made improvements,
that bar still needs to be raised and we are reaching for new heights.” Sigma Alpha Epsilon has the highest GPA of any Greek organization with a 2.83 chapter GPA as of fall 2011. Each chapter of SAE is expected to use the national minimum of a 2.3 as a baseline for determining if members are delinquent in scholarship at the local chapter level. SAE chapters can raise GPA requirement if they see fit. “Each SAE chapter collegiate is virtually independent of the national fraternity,” said Deran Abernathy, associate executive director for Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity. “Nationally we provide advice and counsel to the chapter collegiate, but have no power to control the activities or operations.” Bazner said it is common for some fraternities and sororities to empower their chapter to make decisions for themselves. “On some campus a 2.0 might be good and on other campus that GPA might not be good, but at the end of the day everything is kind of relative,” he said. Bazner said he is confident in the leaders in those Greek organizations will make that big decision. “If we do not allow them to make decisions for themselves and learn from their successes and their mistakes I believe we miss a huge opportunity to allow students to understand decision making,” Bazner said. Unlike SAE, Kappa Sigma’s chapter GPA has been one of the lowest of Greek chapters for the past three years. Last fall, it averaged a 1.64 grade point average. Chapter president Daniel Basham admits he failed when it came to making sure all Kappa Sigma members keep their grades up. “Not making grades directly contradicts the foundation upon which we are built,” Basham said. “And to me not making grades shows that you don’t’ care about the ritual or ideas upon which any fraternity is founded upon.” Kappa Sigma members hold study hours based on their GPA from the previous semester. Incoming freshman have a base num-
ber of study hours they must complete. If not, they will be fined and not allow to participate in social events. Despite not meeting the IFC national standard last semester, Kappa Sigma still participated in its community service activities, including its annual Box-a-Thon last fall that raised $3,000. Kappa Sigma is the only Greek organization to have a house for members that is owned by the fraternity, not the university. The men of Kappa Sigma deal with handling the finances for the home, including the mortgage and taxes. “All of this is on top of managing 20 college guys, which at times, is about like herding drunken cats,” Basham said. “These experiences will help me later in life with managing any sort of business I go into.” Tau Kappa Epsilon also fell below the 2.5 national standard last fall to 2.05. “It’s unfortunate and an area that the chapter, advisers and headquarters will focus on to improve,” said Nathan Lehman, the regional director for TKE. According to Lehman, as of March 27, the average chapter GPA in TKE was 2.7. Since fall 2009, Midwestern’s TKE chapter has never met that average. Bazner said that individuals that have fraternity and sorority experience are better prepared for the real world. “There are those organizations on campus that do great things and it’s one of those things that you truly don’t understand unless you are apart of it,” Bazner said. Academic Support Center, Student Support Services, Counseling Center and the Career Management Center are all university resources that Bazner encourages Greek students to take advantage of. “Do I think you can get the skills that are in fraternities and sororities elsewhere - yes,” Bazner said. “But I don’t think any other organization is quite like Greek where it brings this huge dynamic of diversity.”
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‘Great Day of Service’ builds unity Service event promotes student involvement and community service KRISTINA DAVIDSON COPY CHIEF
MSU students volunteered for various activities around the community on Saturday for the annual Great Day of Service. Hundreds of students filed into the Atrium to pick up their assignments and get to work. Student Government Vice President, Holly Allsup, decided to volunteer her time by going downtown to clean up and restore the Farmer’s Market on 8th Street, which will open May 19th. Allsup enjoys giving back to the community and making a difference with various organizations in town. “I like volunteering; and any way I can give back. I always do it because I like helping out,” said Allsup. Sophomore Drew Hill decided to
CAMPUS BRIEFS WEDNESDAY April 18 Help raise money for the Humane Society of Wichita County during Penny Wars in CSC Food Court at 10 a.m. Students can also purchase tickets for other Greek Week events. WEDNESDAY April 18 Grab a hot link, hotdog or cold drink from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Sunwatcher Plaza to support scholarships for the Mass Communication Department. WEDNESDAY April 18 Greek Week: Unity Step and Stroll Competition where proceeds benefit the Humane Society of Wichita County. $3 in advance, $5 at the door. Show begins at 7:30 at Akin Auditorium.
MSU students participating in volunteer opportunities Saturday morning. Photo by KRISTINA DAVIDSON
DESEGREGATION from pg. 1 and U. Simpson to take the case after a fundraiser held in the eastside of Wichita Falls. On November 27, 1952 Judge William H. Atwell of the 5th district circuit court ordered Midwestern to desegregate. Atwell stated Midwestern had not fulfilled its obligation to provide a separate but equal standard. On May 15, 1953 the appeal was denied and Midwestern appealed to the United Sates Supreme Court which was accepted on June 29, 1953. Dorothy Terrance Nelson, age 76, enrolled at Midwestern in 1953. She revealed there were some awkward times and had different emotions about her tenure. “It was serious and funny, but at the same time there were some pranks,” Nelson said. “There were some things we couldn’t do like extracurricular activities.” The retired Sheppard Air Force Base civilian worker said her sister and herself couldn’t help but feel left out. “The experience was good and bad,” she said. “My sister and I would be the first ones into our math class. The other kids would place the chairs around us to make a circle around us. We didn’t make a big deal out of it, but our teacher would be real mad. It would be embarrassing.” On May 17, 1954 Brown v. Board desegregated all forms of public education.
THURSDAY April 19 MSU has partnered with the Humane Society of Wichita County for MSU’s Best Friend. This program will offer students, faculty, and staff the opportunity to spend time nurturing the animals at the Humane Society. Participants will be given
One week later on May 24, 1954 the ing school, where they welcome people United States Supreme Court denied now from all over the world. It’s great to Midwestern’s case with Battle. see how far this school has come.” In the following fall semester of 1954The ceremony unveiled to the public 55, 12 black students applied and were the history of Midwestern during 1951accepted to Midwestern. 1954. Stewart and Thornton also rePastor at Greater St. Mark Baptist vealed the framed dedication document Church, Robert Hunter, said he had a dif- that will be placed on MSU’s Wall of Hisferent experience attending MSU after tory in the Moffet Library. black students were allowed to attend. When he enrolled to MSU in 1959, he explained how hard it was in the beginning. Liquor.Beer.Wine “These people are Bar & Club Supplies sugar coating it, those people were rude,” Happy Hour said Hunter. “They KEGS Carry Out said nasty things, ugly $81 plus deposit 10% Off things, and ugly names. Bud Select 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. We would sit in the Keystone Light Liters of Liquor classrooms and the stuMiller High Life dents and some teachZiegenbock & ALL Wines ers would refer to us as niggers. I dropped out Wine & Liquor Tasting in 1960 mostly because Saturdays 3 p.m. - 6 p.m. of the mistreatment.” “Eventually I returned in 1978 and Owners: Victor Kocks & John Kocks the atmosphere was 4505 Kemp Blvd. Wichita Falls, TX completely different,” (940) 696-9229 said Hunter. “I had an Fax (940) 322-3872 incredible time at that www.kocksliquor.com point. I believe now Like Our Fan Page On Facebook MSU is an outstand-
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group up with his Fellowship of Christian Athletes friends and bond through service. The team spruced up Wichita Falls by painting a fence at Riverside Cemetery. “By living the Christian lifestyle, we are supposed to serve others and with the school coming together, it’s a really good time to unite and know each other through serving,” said Hill. Senior Malory Ammerman got together with her fraternity brothers and volunteered with Habitat for Humanity. Delta Sigma Pi students served the community by doing various jobs to complete a house. “It makes me feel awesome to work with my brothers and helping out the community is an overwhelming feeling. We get to do various activities and give back while having fun,” Ammerman said. Many businesses in Wichita Falls and surrounding areas benefitted greatly from MSU students volunteering their time to help out.
the opportunity to learn how to properly train a dog. Transportation will be provided for those interested. Participants should meet at the Clark Student Center bookstore entrance at 12:45 p.m. THURSDAY April 19 Be entertained by the Greek chapters during the Sing Song Competition at 7:30 p.m. in Akin Auditorium. Tickets are $3 in advance and $5 at the door. THURSDAY April 19 The Student Nursing Association will be hosting the Fastest MotherFuzzer eating competition at Fuzzy’s Taco Shop at 8 p.m. Proceeds benefit the American Cancer Society. Entry fee is $12. Prizes for the 1st and 2nd place winners. FRIDAY April 20 Greek olympics and chariot race at 1 p.m. in the Quad. FRIDAY April 20 University Programming Board and the North Texas Geological Society will be screening “Switch” to celebrate Earth day at 5 p.m. in CSC Shawnee.
FRIDAY April 20 MSU Relay for Life starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Quad benefiting the American Cancer Society. SATURDAY April 21 Spanish Club and the Catholic Campus Center are co-sponsoring a garage sale with all proceeds to benefit Interfaith Minsitries, Inc. of Wichita Falls. Garage sale will be held at the Catholic Campus Center at 9 a.m. to noon. SATURDAY April 21 Percussion senior recital at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in Akin Auditorium. SATURDAY April 21 Join the Greek community as they celebrate the success of another year and find out how much money was raised during Greek Week. The banquet will be held in CSC Comanche at 6 p.m. Tickets are available in the Greek Life Office for $10. SATURDAY April 21 An evening of percussion and pan will be at 7:30 p.m. in Akin Auditorium.
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FLOWERS from pg. 1 “The museum board is purely an advisory board,” he said. “They have no authority to set the budget. They’re there to counsel the director on activities and fundraisers and so forth. It’s purely a public relations advisory board.” According to musuem meeting minutes, the board has historically set budgets for museum renovations, purchases of artwork, parties and the hiring of speakers and decorators. Rogers admitted that the board hired Pitzer to do work at the museum. Still, Rogers said he sees no conflict of interest. “I don’t think it fits the strict definition of a conflict of interest,” the president said. Rogers said he considers Pitzer a friend and has been using her services ever since he became president in 2001. Rogers admitted he has personal relationships with many people hired to do work for the university. “Certainly a lot of people we do business with we get to know and be friends with and you can’t help that.” The Wichitan contacted Pitzer at her business Monday afternoon to request an interview. The florist said she knew an inquiry was being conducted into her services at MSU but tersely refused to comment and hung up the phone. Pitzer catered flowers to eight events in 2007, eight in 2008, seven in 2009 and five in 2010. In 2007: • $695 was spent for Professor Richard Ash’s reception at the museum. • $295 for a student reception at the museum.
• $942 for a retirement reception and Legacy Walk. • $822 for a faculty party at the museum. • $480 for a Board of Regents dinner at the Sikes House. • $2,292 for a President’s Excellence Circle dinner in Clark Student Center. • $974 for the 40th anniversary museum dinner. • $3,235 for Christmas decorating at Sikes House. In 2008: • $506 for a visiting artist event at the museum. • $995 for a Board of Regents dinner at Sikes House. • $592 for a Legacy Walk reception and women’s basketball reception at Sikes House. • $695 for a faculty/staff party at The Quad. • $539 for a Harvey reception at Sikes House. • $866 for a Board of Regents dinner at Sikes House. • $2,767 for a President’s Excellence Circle dinner. • $2,265 for a Christmas party at Sikes House. In 2009: • $412 for the McCoy dedication. • $494 for a Board of Regents dinner in the Kiowa Room in Clark Student Center. • $610 for a faculty reception at the museum. • $784 for a faculty/staff party. • $415 for a Board of Regents dinner at Sikes House. • $3,043 for a President’s Excel-
lence Circle dinner in Clark Student Center. • $3,908 for a Christmas party at the Harvey House. In 2010: • $465 for a Board of Regents dinner. • $873 for a Board of Regents dinner at Sikes House. • $596 for a Board of Regents dinner at Sikes House. • $3,124 for a President’s Excellence Circle dinner in Clark Student Center. • $2,587 for Christmas open house at Sikes House. Itemized expenditures from years prior to 2007 were unavailable. The documents had been destroyed in compliance with state records retention rules. However, The Wichitan was able to obtain yearly totals from 2002 to 2006. The amounts for flowers from Pitzer were: $5,067 in 2002; $1,431 in 2003; $6,798 in 2004; $6,338 in 2005; and $7,156 in 2006. According to Administrative Council minutes from 2007, discretionary spending is defined as “Those expenditures not directly related to the university educational, research, and public service mission.” Pitzer’s work falls into this category. Funds to pay Pitzer came directly from the MSU Foundation, which channeled money to the discretionary University Activity Fund. That fund is controlled by Rogers. Rogers said no donors have specifically earmarked money for flowers. The minutes also state that “Payment from gifts or from sponsored project
funds shall be authorized only when the expenditure has been approved in writing by the donor or stipulated in the terms of the contract or grant.” Otherwise, such spending “will be considered personal expenditures and become the responsibility of the person who incurred the expenditure.” In this case, that would be Rogers. Pitzer’s services were predominately used at dinners and parties. Her floral arrangements have pervaded President’s Excellence Circle (PEC) dinners. PEC members are donors who contribute $1,000 or more to MSU. Rogers said flowers are important in creating the right atmosphere for the dinners and to show hospitality to donors. “It’s a tradition. People really look forward to it,” he said, explaining that decorations are key in keeping donations flowing into university coffers. “You can’t just write people letters. You have to build relationships with them. If you compare that to the good those donations do for the students and faculty, it is really not a big expenditure at all.” The university occasionally bought floral arrangements from local florists, such as Shannon Arakelian, Lee’s Wholesale Floral, and Jameson’s Flowers. Altogether, MSU spent $9,447 with these vendors over a 10-year period, about 11 percent of the total funds spent on flowers. “We use other people from time to time when she (Lola Pitzer) can’t get up here,” Rogers said.
NEWS AROUND THE WORLD The Australian reported the country’s treasury has launched an investigation into why it has been overestimating company tax revenue. From the Japan Times: The Tokyo Metropolitan Government is in negotiations with the owners of the disputed Senkaku Islands with the aim of buying them by the end of this year. In Austria, fed-up residents of a picturesque postcard village called “Fucking” are voting on whether to change its name. According to The Rio Times, at the end of March, Rio State Governor Sérgio Cabral announced new plans to clean up Guanabara Bay, relying on about $1.1 billion in investments. From the New Zealand Herald: The High Court at Auckland has overturned the sentence handed down to a comedian convicted of indecently assaulting his four-year-old daughter.
Students rock ‘Radio Therapy’ benefit concert PR campaigns class raises funds for Relay for Life ORLANDO FLORES, JR FOR THE WICHITAN
Matt Mattlock from TC Fambro and the Copperheads Photos by HANNAH HOFMANN
The 4th annual Relay for Life kicks off Friday, but students have been preparing for months gathering funds for the American Cancer Society. Departments and students organizations put on various events over the semester to acquire money before the overnight events. The mass communication department’s team, the “Walkie Talkies,” threw a benefit concert at Neon Spur over the weekend. Over $1,400 was raised. Despite possible inclement weather warnings, the mass communication department’s PR Campaigns class held their benefit concert, Radio Therapy, to raise money for the department’s Relay for Life team last Friday at the Neon Spur. The concert was put together and hosted by the students of the PR Campaigns class. Early trouble, other than weather forecasts, for the concert came in the form of headlining band Dr. Philgood and the Let’s Get It Ons having to cancel due to emergency surgery on their lead singer. The night started out with Francesco “DJ iSav” Guarnieri spinning his own mix of house, electronic and dubstep. DJ iSav served as the unspoken host
of the evening, spinning remixed hits from artists like Rihanna, V.I.C., Rick Ross and others, as well as his own beats in between sets to keep the audience entertained during band set up. After a delayed start, the Caribbean Student Organization’s ten-piece reggae outfit took the stage first. Their cover-filled set included renditions of popular Bob Marley songs, No Doubt’s “Underneath It All,” a surprisingly decent reggae transformation of Leona Lewis’ “Bleeding Love” and the chorus line of Kanye West’s “All of the Lights.” Unfortunately for the CSO band, technical problems with sound equipment and microphone issues plagued an otherwise good opening set. Next up was local garage punk rockers To Make Amends. The trio’s blend of pop-punk that recalled the likes of blink-182 and New Found Glory sent the audience back to nostalgic memories of high school. Although a much smaller band, they packed a lot of power playing original songs they’ve been collecting for their soon-to-be-released EP, as well as finishing up their set with a stirring rendition of blink-182’s “Down.” The highlight of the night came from red dirt artist TC Fambro and the Copperheads. Fambro and the Copperheads ripped through a crowd-pleasing set of covers of other popular red dirt artists like
Jason Boland and Brandon Rhyder, as well as playing songs off of their own EP Texas Town that got just about everyone out on the dance floor. Fambro finished his set off with excellent covers of Tom Petty’s “Mary Jane’s Last Dance” and Johnny Cash’s classic “Folsom Prison Blues” that both had just the right amount of Red Dirt twang. The evening closed off with an allover-the-place set from local favorites Shantell set out to keep the party going strong. While known mostly as rock band, Shantell proved to have a few tricks up their sleeve. While they breezed through 80’s classics like “Pour Some Sugar on Me,” and “Keep Your Hands to Yourself”, they turned their set upside down by choosing to cover Nelly’s “Hot in Herre” and the opening song to The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Despite mixed reactions from the crowd, Shantell easily pulled this change up off and transitioned again by playing some original songs. Like TC Fambro, Shantell also ended their set with a cover of Johnny Cash’s “Folsom Prison Blues,” this one more akin to the original. With that, the concert was over. The PR Campaigns class held a very successful benefit concert that was not only for a good cause, but also proved to be a great way to spend a Friday evening.
a&e s Cupcake Wars c Ganache T.G.S. 6
Wednesday
thewichitan.com
April 18, 2012
BRANDI STROUD FOR THE WICHITAN
Ganache opened on Dec. 2, 2011. “You’re in for a treat,” one Ganache customer says to another after admitting she is a first time customer. The setting is perfect for a friendly meet up or first date. That is sure to get you a sweet kiss at the end of the night. I sit at one of the booths savoring the delicious meatball calzone and its crispy crust. Sipping on my Lady Grey tea, I try not to rush this experience before slicing into the salted caramel cupcake. Coffee, cupcakes, wine, beer? What more can a girl ask for? This is one article I don’t mind writing. Located in Parker Square, Ganache has the perfect modern chic design setting and friendly service. This is the place you can come with friends, push the tables together and have a conversation over coffee and cupcakes. The perks of the big city has come to the area in a very delicious way. “We make everything from scratch,” Katie Woitalla, co-owner of Ganache says. “Nothing comes out of boxes and the cupcakes are made fresh every morning.” Red velvet, peanut butter cup, salted chocolate caramel, electric bunny, cafe mocha, pbj, strawberry shortcake, and lemon drops are just some of the many unique flavors they have to offer. Their flavors change each week giving you a whole new experience to enjoy. One unique flavor, maple bacon, has a vanilla spice cake with maple frosting and, yes; it’s topped with bacon. “What makes us have such quality is we give our bakers a lot of room for creativity to experiment,” Woitalla says. Woitalla shows me a “tweet” from Pastor Bob McCartney on Twitter: “Maple bacon cupcake at Ganache. One bite. Can’t believe this works, but it does.” “We are constantly looking for novel gourmet flavors,” Woitalla says. “We get inspiration from candy bars, pies, and everywhere we can. Our bakers are awe-
some.” That they certainly are. You can taste the quality of ingredients that they use in every bite. I would say “I could die happy after eating here” but then I would miss next weeks new flavors, and that is just not acceptable. My personal favorite is the salted chocolate caramel: chocolate cake with caramel frosting, and their signature ganache sauce drizzled on top, with a sprinkle of sea salt. “Chocolate salted caramel is a thing right now. It brings out the flavor of the chocolate and caramel,” says Elizabeth Custer, employee of Ganache. When you go to Ganache, add this flavor to your must try list. A new customer won’t just find “sweets” at Ganache but a scrumptious variety of freshly made “savories” which are petite-size meals that are filling. They offer different “savories” each week such as flat bread pizzas, meatball calzones, monte cristos, soups, salads, and more. Their flatbread pizza is the popular “savory” to try with super thin garlic bread, mozzarella, and sundried tomatoes, it is a little slice of heaven presented on a plate. When people hear “gourmet” they usually think “expensive.” Ganache gives you the gourmet experience without busting your bank account. For less than ten dollars you can have your choice of soup or salad, a savory, and a sweet plus a non-alcoholic beverage such as sweet tea; great for anyone with a budget, especially a college student like myself. Don’t forget to ask about their wonderful wine pairings for the “sweet” and “savories.” The staff is more than happy to point you in the right direction. “Wine is made to be paired with food,” Andrea Zellner, manager of Ganache, says.“There are dessert wines for a reason,” Woitalla agrees. Sit back in satisfaction and loosen your belt a little. Ganache gets a grade ‘A’ service in my book.
Ganache: Pros: • Chic place to hang out • Creative cupcake flavors • Scrumptious savories
• Great wine and beer pairings Cons: • Only had two types of salad dressing Grade:
A+
T.G.S.: Pros: • Peaceful and relaxing setting • Delicious coffee Home-style cupcakes Cons: • Wish they had more on the menu
T.G.S. Cupcakery opened on Dec. 17, 2011. “Our atmosphere is a place where you can come in and hang out with friends or study,” Aerial Thane, co-owner of T.G.S. Cupcakery, says. If you are looking for a quiet familyfriendly or study-friendly place to grab some plate-licking-good cupcakes then head over to T.G.S. Cupcakery located in University Village and Lofts across from Midwestern State University. Aerial Thane and Chelsie Polk are sisters and co-owners of T.G.S. Cupcakery, or The Good Samaritan Cupcakery. Thanes sister, Polk, is a 2009 MSU graduate and Thane is finishing up her degree at the end of August. Their name comes from the story of the Good Samaritan from the Bible which can tell a lot about their type of business as well. “We are a Christian-based business and we want to give back to the community,” Thane says. Each quarter Thane and her sister try to support a different non-profit organization through their business. Last quarter T.G.S. supported the Food Bank, gathering 384 cans. This quarter they are supporting the Back to School Project. “We want to help out and do what we can to help the community,” Thane says. Walking into the cupcakery, you are greeted with a friendly face and a wonderful smell that has you salivating. One of the first things I noticed was the unique furniture and comfortable looking chairs. A place I could easily spend hours at. “We collected the furniture over a few months before we opened,” Thane says. “We painted it and had someone reupholster it.” The side tables stored family games such as Apples to Apples and Bible Scrabble. I wanted to curl up in a chair and read a book over some cupcakes and coffee, and that is exactly what I did.
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It was hard to decide between the devils food cupcake, which is your basic chocolate cake with chocolate frosting, and the red velvet cupcake, red chocolate cake with cream cheese frosting that is to die for. T.G.S. offers several other delicious home-style flavors such as classic vanilla, apple banana nut, chocolate chip cookie dough, butterfinger, brownie, pumpkin spice, cinnamon roll, and many others. “We offer different flavors on each day of the week,” Thane says. The T.G.S. website gives you the full cupcake menu and lets you know which cupcakes are offered each day. When I asked what her inspiration for the flavors are, Thane says, “a bunch of our recipes are family recipes, family favorites, and our personal favorites.” When I first took a bite of these amazing cupcakes I thought of my own mom and the wonderful goodies she makes for my family. You can literally taste the butter in every bite as it melts in your mouth. These cupcakes are just heavenly. “We wanted our product to be good and not just slap something together,” Thane says. “There was a lot of trial and error in trying to get the recipes just right.” “We were raised on sweets, so it had to be good,” Thane says. T.G.S. also offers cake bites, coffee, and other beverages to take or to stay and lounge. When asked what makes their cupcakes so good Thane said, “cause they are made with love.” T.G.S. is closed on Sundays however they rent out the space for baby showers, bridal or wedding showers, and other small get togethers. They offer student and military discounts. You can always visit their Facebook for specials or participate in their Saturday trivia to win a free cupcake. T.G.S. is a great place to relax and hang out, and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a home-style goodie to share with your friends.
B+ Students shape boundaries with play
ANASTASIA REED A&E EDITOR
Love, deceit, passion and a little sexual content graced MSU’s Bea Wood Studio Theatre last week. Under the direction of Brandon Smith, the theatre department gave an excellent production of Neil LaBute’s The Shape of Things. This unconventional play only has four characters, but the small cast did not lack in content. Much like MSU, it is set in a small university town. The setting itself draws in the student
population. A relatable setting like this allows the audience to put themselves in the character’s shoes. The play sends the audience on a whirlwind of events. There is a reoccurring quest to find what constitutes as art and people’s willingness to do things for love. The focus is on two characters whose relationship is built on a lie. The catch? Only one person is in on the lie. Evelyn, played by Morgan Burkey, is an eccentric, pretty and kind of quirky art student. She takes interest in a not-so-attractive English major, Adam, who is played by Ryan Moore. Evelyn indulges herself in the relationship between her and Adam. Like any guy would be, Adam is flattered by Evelyn’s interest in him. Evelyn begins to use the trust and bond she’s gained with Adam to manipulate him into changing his life. From quitting his habit of nail biting to getting a nose job, Evelyn manages to
Grade:
control his life. She even finds a way to convince him to lose his closest friends Jenny and Phillip who were well played by Kaci Brown and Marcus Jones. Ultimately, she believes she has turned Adam into the “perfect” guy. In the end, Adam finds out he has been a part of Evelyn’s MFA thesis project in which she was instructed to change the world by her graduate advisor. Instead Evelyn chooses to change someone else’s world making Adam her piece of work. She created a human sculpture. After all the heartache is said and done, Adam is left alone and heartbroken. The impeccable acting kept me heavily invested in the characters and I found myself feeling sympathetic towards Adam and irritated with Evelyn. The play was an excellent representation of today’s society and should make you think twice about what you would do for love. PHOTO COURTESY
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April 18, 2012
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Team Arrow excels at home LOREN EGGENSCHWILER FOR THE WICHITAN
The MSU Cycling Team hosted a collegiate race this weekend. The event began with a video showing of American Flyers Friday night at 7 p.m. Saturday morning began with Road Races held out near Hatton and Old Windthorst road. The men’s C category began grabbing the medals with Caden Burross taking 2nd and teammate David Barrett took 4th. Men’s B and women’s A categories raced together. Claire Routledge stayed with the men to take 1st. Teammates Loren Eggenschwiler, Jessi Prinner and Ashley Weaver took 3rd,4th and 5th respectively. Fidel Goytia took 3rd in the Road Race. The men’s A category was represented well. Evan Bybee took 2nd, followed by Danny Robertson and Jason Short in 3rd and 4th. After a lunch break, Team Time Trials were hosted in the same area. Men’s B took 2nd place. Bybee, Short, Alexi Martinez and Ricky Randall took 1st with 12:58.4. Teammates Robertson, Josh Carter, Tony Baca and Sean Brown took 2nd with 13:18.8. The women’s A team Routledge, Prinner, Weaver and Eggenschwiler took 1st with 15:18.2. Sunday morning races were held on campus. Barrett was able to take 2nd with Burross in 3rd for the men’s C. Bailey Hess took 8th for the Women’s B. Fidel Goytia came in 2nd followed by Erick Goytia in 3rd and Aldo Curiel in 8th. Prinner, Routledge and Eggenschwiler took top 3 and Weaver took 6th. Bybee was able to lap the field with a few other riders and took 1st. Carter, Baca, Short and Randall took 3rd, 5th, 6th and 7th consecutively. It was another successful weekend for the MSU Cycling Team. The team will be heading down to Baton Rouge to race Conference Championships at LSU. The team is also preparing to attend Nationals May 3 in Utah.
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SPORTS AROUND THE WORLD
Piermario Morosini, an Italian soccer player for Livorno, went into cardiac arrest Saturday during a match between Livorno and Pescara. Hence, all league games in Italy were suspended last weekend. Wayne Rooney bagged two goals as Manchester United thrashed Aston Villa 4-0 Sunday. The champions are now five points clear of rivals Manchester City. Bayern Munich defeated Real Madrid in an intriguing first leg of Champions League semi-final. Arsenal suffered a woeful loss against Wigan Athletic at the Emirates Stadium Monday. New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning is scheduled to host Saturday Night Live May 5. Andy Murray marked the start of his clay-court season with a deafeat over Viktor Troicki. Guan Tian-lang, a 13-yeaold, will make history as the youngest player to compete on the European Tour this Thursday. Jason Short came third in the men’s A category road race and six on the field Saturday. Photo by LOREN EGGENSCHWILER
8 Wednesday
sports SERVE IT ON thewichitan.com
April 18, 2012
Mario Urban defeated Nicolai Ferrigno 7-6, 5-7, 6-2 Photo by DAMIAN ATAMENWAN
Mustangs beat Cameron University and the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith. DAMIAN ATAMENWAN SPORTS EDITOR
With great confidence and a keen desire to win, the Midwestern State men’s tennis team served Cameron University with a 5-4 defeat last Wednesday at the MSU Tennis Center. The Mustangs lost in the first set of doubles but played with intensity to excel in
Lady Mustangs qualify for Lone Star Conference Championships. DAMIAN ATAMENWAN SPORTS EDITOR
After enduring devastating losses agaist Cameron University and Tarleton State University, the Midwestern State Women’s Tennis team halted their losing streak with a slight win over the University of Arkansas-Forth Smith. The Lady Mustangs failed to capital-
Taylor Coffman won all her doubles competitions with Leah Roberts Photo by KASSIE BRUTON
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Kacper Boborykin beat Mateus Campos to ensure the Mustangs’ win over Cameron. Photo by KASSIE BRUTON
the remaining sets. Cameron’s Thomas Peixoto and Nicolai Ferrigno defeated Jarrod Liston and Tomas Grejtak 8-3 as the hosts marked their only loss in the doubles competition. Colby Meeks and Mario Urban combined forces to put away Mateus Campos and Gonzalo Garzon 8-5 while Luke Joyce teamed up with Kacper Boborykin to tear apart Duje Janjic and Dean Wiegelt 9-8. Midwestern State needed three wins in the singles competition to secure victory against the Aggies. Joyce satisfied his will to win with a 6-4, 6-4 conquest over Janjic while Liston followed suit
with two remarkable sets that ended 6-4 and 6-2 to the dismay of Garzon. But the Mustangs weren’t having a perfect afternoon; Meeks trailed 6-3, 6-3 to Ferrigno and Urban’s tough encounter with Peixoto ended 7-6, 5-7, 6-2. Finally the Mustangs could call themselves winners of the competition when Boborykin defeated Campos in the fifth set with a score line of 6-2, 2-6 and 6-4. The week got better for the Mustangs as they humiliated the University of Arkansas-Fort Smith with a shutout Saturday morning at the MSU Tennis Center. Meeks and Urban got the doubles
completion under way as they defeated Matheus Silva and Martin Tabler 8-4. The No.2 doubles featured Liston and Grejtak treating Seth Laster and Josh Helland to a phenomenal 8-1 victory. Joyce then teamed up with Boborykin to round up the doubles with a decent 8-5 victory over Evan Daniel and Pedro Carvalho. “The win against AFS is instrumental in the mental approach to the LSC tournament I need,” said Joyce. Joyce thrashed Silva 6-0 twice in the No.1 singles to complete a perfect week as well as pilot the Mustangs superb per-
formance while Urban, the only senior on the team, watched Carvalho succumb in two sets that both ended 6-1. The remainder of the matches ended in similar fashion with Meeks defeating Tabler 6-3, 6-0, Liston thrashing Laster 6-2, 6-3 and Grejtak beating Helland 6-1 and 6-1.Midwestern State will compete in the Lone Star Conference Championship Friday and Saturday. “The Team is aiming to win the conference tournament,” said Joyce. “There would be no point in playing if we weren’t wanting to win the tournament.”
ize on their home advantage but instead watched the Aggies create and utilize a great momentum which led to the guests’ 8-1 victory. Taylor Coffman and Leah Robert earned Midwestern State’s only point as the defeated Florencia Tornero and Antonia Moberg 8-6 at No.3 doubles. The singles competition yielded no positive result for MSU as the Aggies went home with a well earned victory Wednesday. Following its home loss to Cameron, Midwestern State visited Tarleton where
the TexAnns served the Lady Mustangs tragedy in terms of score line. The Thursday afternoon contest ended 6-1 with Robert and Coffman teaming up again to secure their team’s only point. Robert and Coffman secured an 8-1 triumph over Silvia Nieva and Kayla Deatherage subsequent to the Lady Mustangs’ defeat in the No.1 and No.2 doubles. Karla Martinez played beside Melanie Barnes as they beat Rozike van Rensburg and Lindsey Holcomb 9-8 while Alicia Perez and Makenzie Mitchell also defeated Sarita Adhikary and Lindsey Buenger
9-8. Once again the singles competition went terribly for the Lady Mustangs who lost all four matches. The Lady Mustangs needed to redeem themselves after two back-to-back losses and Senior Day was perfect day to do so. MSU hosted Arkansas-Forth Smith and tamed the Lions 5-4. “The seniors did an excellent job,” said Tennis Coach Scott Linn. “My expectation is that they will embrace the conference tournament this weekend.” Van Rensburg and Holcomb started the doubles competition with an 8-6 vic-
tory over Monica Pieratt and Abby Whittemore leaving the Robert-Coffman duo to round up with a 9-8 win over Masa Podunavac and Whitney Hobson. Van Rensburg faced Pieratt again at No.1 singles and the former thumped her opponent 7-5, 6-1, to extend the Lady Mustang’s lead. Holcomb defeated Podunavac 6-2, 6-0 at No.2 while Laura Haney beat Hobson at No.6 to conclude Midwestern State’s conquest. Midwestern State will compete in the Lone Star Conference Championship this weekend.
Lady Mustangs stretch unbeaten run to nine DAMIAN ATAMENWAN SPORTS EDITOR
The Midwestern State softball team spent the past week displaying superb athleticism against Cameron University and Texas A&M University-Kingsville. MSU hosted two consecutive games against Cameron University which ended 5-1 and 2-0 respectively. The Aggies got on the scoreboard in the second inning but barely had time to celebrate before the Lady Mustangs took over the lead. Amanda Karth, who was at bat twice, scored Cameron’s only run of the afternoon before Courtney Ford, Kelley Schaefer and Carey Campbell undid her effort. Of course the Lady Mustangs were not done scoring; Campbell got on the scoreboard one more time before Kim Jerrick made the fifth run in the fourth inning. Jerrick then went ahead to win the second fixture with runs in the first and third innings. The Lady Mustangs travelled to Kingsville where they extended their winning streak with remarkable score lines. The triple-header ended 10-7, 17-13 and 10-9 in favor of Midwestern State. MSU took a commanding 6-0 lead in the second inning with runs from Christina Roosmalen, Courtney Bingham, Elena Bennett, Campbell, Ford and Jerrick. The Javelinas narrowed the visitors’ lead with three runs in the third inning and one in the fourth. Yvette Berlanga, Kodie Garner and Rose Stubbs made the third inning runs while Lex Cordova’s fourth inning run was as a result of an illegal pitch.
Junior outfielder Elena Bennett runs to first base against Cameron University. Photo by HANNAH HOFMANN Uncomfortable with the 6-4 score line, the Lady Mustangs made four additional runs within two innings. Schaefer scored on a throwing error in the fifth whereas Bennett made her second run in the sixth inning. Kallie Noble and Lisa Licata added the last two runs for MSU as the guests led 10-4 in the seventh.
The Javelinas’ runs in the seventh inning were sufficient to trip the gap between their opponents but not enough to make a comeback or steal a win. The Lady Mustangs went ahead to win the match 10-7. “There is still a lot to learn,” said Head Softball Coach Brady Tigert. “We are doing well enough to win but we want to
be better.” The day got more interesting for MSU who launched a scoring binge in its second encounter with TAMU-K. Nicki Duff, Mallory Money, Bingham, Roosmalen and Schaefer each scored to prompt the Lady Mustangs’ 5-0 lead at the top of the first. MSU added four more runs in the second inning courtesy of Jer-
rick, Bennett, Bingham and Schaefer. TAMU-K did not score until third when four hits resulted in four runs. Jaeleen Castro scored a homerun while Berlanga, Stubbs and Garner made runs to finally get their team on the scoreboard. “We are still making some mistakes we need to fix but overall we are very happy with the wins,” said Tigert. However, Noble, Duff, Licata and Campbell scored in the fourth inning to immediately cancel the effort the Javelina’s had made moments earlier and earn a 13-4 advantage. The hosts’ lone-run at the bottom of the fourth barely made a difference in the score line especially Megan Chartier and Mooney ran two more points for the Lady Mustangs. The Javelinas made an impressive improvement with four runs a piece in the fifth and sixth innings. The Lady Mustangs, on the other hand, had two runs a piece in fifth and sixth inning and went ahead to claim its second victory of the day. After a day’s rest, the Lady Mustangs edged another intriguing victory over the Javelina’s to claim their ninth consecutive triumph. Jerrick, Bennett and Bingham had two runs a piece while Chartier, Duff, Campbell and Mooney each made a run to make up Midwestern State’s 10 points. Nevertheless, MSU’s unbeaten run was halted when they visited Cameron Tuesday. The Aggies beat MSU 2-1 with Schaefer scoring the visitors’ only run. Midwestern State Will host Abielene Christian University this Friday. First pitch is set for 4 p.m.