Feb. 20, 2019 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 83 No. 19
F O L L O W US
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Interim Vice President for Administration and Finance Valarie Maxwell speaks on the new parking permit initiative at the Board of Regents meeting, Feb. 14.
New security fee may replace current parking fees Follow The Wichitan on Instagram @wichitanonline
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parking decal; an amount that is set to increase $20 per year. However, with the new security fee, all students will pay the fee. “The intent is to eliminate the current parking decals that student’s purchase. In its place, instead of a $130 parking decal, they would only pay a $50 term-based fee,” Maxwell said, a fee that could total $150 with summer terms included. Although non-driving students will have their fees increased as a result of this change, it will result in an estimated $140,000 increase in revenue for uses as yet undetermined. “Part of the hope is that for our campus police, they won’t have to police people who aren’t with us as much. It will provide better security for our students and staff,” Maxwell said. Maxwell lastly provided clarification on how the current parking zones and regulations will be affected by this new fee. “There will be zones for commuter and resident students once they have registered a vehicle. There’s still no change on faculty and staff parking either. We know we don’t want open parking,” Maxwell said.
HUNTER TYLER REPORTER
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eginning the next fall semester, students may find a new security fee replacing the current parking decals on campus. Student Government Association President Ellie Gunderson proposed the fee and presented at the Feb.14 Board of Regents meeting. The new security fee, if approved, will cover student parking, campus lights, and information technology security. If finalized, the change will go into effect beginning the fall 2019 semester. “It would be effective this fall, interim vice president for administration and finance Valarie Maxwell said, “but the board has not yet taken action. It was discussed at the Board of Regents meeting and we were with the Student Government Association. Ellie, Dr. Lamb and myself did go through everything and explained and got unanimous approval from the Student Government. Only one of the 50 or so people there wasn’t in favor of the change.” As of now, only students with cars on campus are paying the $130
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2 | Feb. 20, 2019| MOVIE R E V I E W
S TAF F E DI T O R I A L
Falls Ride is beneficial for students
Everything is not quite awesome in ‘Lego Movie 2’
OUR VIEW: Falls Ride is the public busing system available to students, faculty and staff. The Wichitan staff believes that having access to public transportation is beneficial for all students.
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his busing system is open to all students, faculty and staff with an I.D. and is paid for through tuition and fees. We believe that students should utilize any resources available to them, including public transportation. The university’s original goal was to give transportation to students living in off campus apartments and homes. The students this is most beneficial for are students who do not have transportation, and those living outside of the Mustang Shuttle route. The Connector route is the most important because it goes to the mall and travel center located downtown. The routes that may be the most useful for students are routes seven (purple) and three (green). These routes connect to campus and the mall. Using the buses you can get almost anywhere located in city. Students with vehicles are also encouraged to use the bus. Using public transportation can help students save money spent on gas for other necessities like food and hygiene products. Students who are using the bus system also have access to an app called DoubleMap. This app shows where the buses are, the routes, and how long the bus will take to reach your stop.
CORRECTIONS In last weeks editorial we said that Keith Lamb and Valarie Maxwell proposed the security fee. This was incorrect. The Wichitan regrets this error. In last weeks editorial we said that there would be no decals. This was incorrect. The Wichitan regrets this error. In last weeks front-page story and editorial Valarie Maxwell’s name was misspelled. The Wichitan regrets the error.
PHOTO CURTESY IMBD
Chris Pratt in The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part (2019).
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t’s not hard to forget 2014’s breakout hit, “The Lego Movie,” especially if you might still have the theme song “Everything is Awesome” ringing in your head. Well, Emmet the minifigure and the gang are back in a new rollicking adventure, “The Lego Movie 2” directed by Mike Mitchell. “The Lego Movie 2” is set in a crumbling Brian Bricksburg, once a perfectly designed metropoLang lis where everything was, indeed, awesome. Now, not so much. Duplo Legos have taken over, rendering the Lego city into an apocalyptic, “Mad Max”-esque nightmare. Still, Emmet’s (Chris Pratt) chipper attitude and naivete remain buoyant as always, despite the depressing turn of events. When Emmet’s “special best friend” Wildstyle (Elizabeth Banks), Unikitty (Alison Brie) and Lego Batman (Will Arnet) are kidnapped by a mysterious General Mayhem (Stephanie Beatriz), Emmet must face the ruler of the Duplo kingdom, Queen Watevra Wa’nabi (Tiffany Hadish) to get his friends back. It’s a little more complicated after that, but not much more exciting. As in the first installment, the plastic characters’ lives depend on the actions of the people who own them and in this story a feuding brother and sister are at the root of the Lego people’s problem. At the end of the day, the story is resolved through surprising plot twists and lots of singing.
wichitan Vol. 83 | No. 19
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For all of this potential, it’s hard to really love this movie. That’s not to say that it’s bad, but it definitely lacks some of the charm of the original with a plot that just can’t quite justify an hour-and-a-half of screentime. Instead, “Lego Movie 2” makes up for its lackluster story with relentless (and mostly funny) joking, which to be fair, is really the big draw for these films. The writers, Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, succeed in writing jokes that resound with both older and younger audiences. Countless pop-culture references keep older members of the audience entertained, but there are still enough gags and silliness to entertain the true target demographic: kids. Another feature that sets “The Lego Movie 2” apart from other animated films of today is its stellar animation. The animators show off their creativity by creating entire worlds modeled after real-life plastic bricks and the design of the art is totally unique to the field of animation. The soundtrack is full of catchy, bubbly hits that are just aching to become the next “Everything is Awesome” and the bright colors and designs will keep you entertained through the last scene. There’s even a song in the credits that’s all about how great the credits are. At the end of the day, “Lego Movie 2” is still fun to watch. The jokes are expectedly hilarious, and there’s plenty of satirizing and skewering of pop-culture for all age groups, but this film could have been so much more.
EDITORS: Alyssa Mitchell, Chloe Phillips
Copyright ©2018.
COPY EDITOR: Bridget Reilly
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DESIGNER: Brittni Vilandre ISSUE STAFF: Sharome Burton, Alana Earle, Brian Lang, Hunter Tyler, Justin Garner, Clara Ukwitegyetse, Andrew Murray, Peyton Alonzo
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The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press. The Wichitan reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication. Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reflect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief (250 words or fewer) and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a email address, telephone number and address.
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2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 MUSTANG SHUTTLE (ROUTE 8) AVERAGE RIDERSHIP from 2011-2018 • Average = 11,537 riders/month SOURCE: Wichita Falls Transit System, Falls Ride
Falls Ride provides bus service to students — for free JUSTIN GARNER REPORTER
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etting around Wichita Falls without a car is a challenge, but for college students, the university and the city try to make things a little easier. All students can use any bus throughout the city just by showing their student ID — for free. The service came to be as a part of a deal made with the city in 2011 for Mustang Shuttle, a deal that includes the Mustang Shuttle and the ability of students to use their IDs to ride any of the main seven busses. Vice President of Student Affairs Keith Lamb said prior to working out a deal with the city, they had to resort to another way of helping international students get on and off campus. “Several years ago, we had a large number of international students in the apartments near campus,” Lamb said. “We had studentdriven vans that would transport the international students to and from campus.” Lamb said they wanted to bring transportation to students who may have had to live in the apartments on the outskirts of campus. “Our main focus was on the students who
lived in the nearby apartments,” Lamb said. “We came up with the idea of a Mustang route.” Fran Watson, the assistant dispatcher, said Falls Ride does handle the school routes. “We run the shuttle and Mesa, but the school makes the routes,” Watson said. The deal being formed was mutually beneficial, according to the Transit Administrator Dennis Burket. “It helps our numbers immensely, and the numbers we give the FTA reflect on how much we get from grants,” Burket said. “They go into the big bucket of ridership.” The Mesa route was a previously discontinued route for Sheppard Air Force Base that was revived as an addition to the Mustang Shuttle. “Originally, we had the Mesa for the airmen, and we couldn’t get anyone to ride the dang thing, so we got rid of it,” Burket said. “We started it up with Midwestern, and it’s been a pretty good deal.” Lamb said they knew the Mesa could prove useful. “We realized students could use something on the weekends,” Lamb said. “We got with the city about reviving the Mesa route for MSU.”
Dispatcher Robert Jones said the money they get for the deal just relieves them of some of the overall expense. Matthew Park, dean of students, said the deal is not expected to go anywhere, but there have been ideas of modifying it. Park said they have considered a downtown route. “We have looked at expanding the routes, but the problem with that is the more we expand the routes, the less frequent they become,” Lamb said. “We have talked with the city about adding a bus to go downtown though.” Burket said they have already changed some things to further accommodate students. “We’ve already modified the Connector route to pick up and drop off students at the upcoming dorm downtown,” Burket said. “But we don’t currently have plans to run any later.” Since 2011, the Mustang Shuttle has been the most used route in the city, but the rest of the Falls Ride system has seen no gain in ridership. (In a casual poll less than 1/3 of the students knew that they could use any city bus by showing their ID, let alone that they are
paying for that ability.) “Frankly, we probably don’t do enough to let students know that they can use the whole transit system,” Lamb said. Math freshman Chad Callender said he had to find out from an outside source. “As a student, I knew I could use the Mustang Shuttle, but I had no idea I could use Falls Ride for free,” Callender said. “I found out about it through another person, who had already used the busses.” The payment for the Mustang Shuttle, Mesa, and students using their IDs as bus passes ultimately comes from the students. According to Park, last year the university paid $60,119 to the city for the bus service, which came from students through tuition and fees. Students pay approximately $5 per semester for these services. “Telling them that they can use it might be useful, but I don’t see a whole lot of people really using it, especially not like here,” Callender said. “But telling people that they’re paying for it would probably be nice too.”
FALL AND SPRING SCHEDULE M O NDAY - THUR SDAY 7 A.M. - 10 P.M. | FRIDAY 7 A . M . - 5 : 3 0 P. M . EX TENDED UNTIL MIDNIGHT DURING F I N A L S
4 | Feb. 20, 2019| A DAY IN THE LIFE
JOSIAH BESHEAR
‘It kind of keeps everything interesting’ CLARA UKWITEGYETSE REPORTER
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he oldest of four children and Wichita Falls native, Josiah Beshear is an education sophomore. Beshear is juggling 16 credit hours this semester in addition to his off campus activities. “I am taking four in class [courses] and one online,” Beshear said. “I wake up early and have 8 a.m. [classes] all week. Then I go in to work at First Baptist church. I am an interim youth pastor out there for their Shepard Campus. I’ll usually write my message for the oncoming week. I help out with the college ministry as well; The Bridge. I’ll come on campus and hand out water bottles and help out that night.” He said that he enjoys a more spontaneous schedule. “In the middle of the day, I try to at least have one break so I’ll go and play ping-pong or pool with the guys. Then I head back to work,” Beshear said. “I love doing spur of the moment things. It kind of keeps everything interesting. It also helps me stay committed
to things because, I think whenever I get into a constant circle of things, I tend to slack off or get a little lazier. If I’m changing it up every day, it helps me stay more alert, realize what I need to do and honestly just have more fun.” Beshear said when it comes to his study habits, the way he goes about his work varies throughout the week. “Since I have a history [focus] with my education degree, it is a lot of reading books but also paying attention in lectures and writing essays. I don’t take many tests and I honestly like it better now, but at first I hated it and hated writing. I would rather have taken a multiple choice test, but now I appreciate the fact that I can explain myself and that I have time. It’s not as pressured because you can go home and write about it instead of just having a given amount of time to answer this, this and this.” He said what helped him improve the most was asking his professors questions. “I’d schedule a meeting with them, and they would say ‘here is where you missed points’ or ‘work on this and explain this bet-
ter.’ That’s what I usually do with all my first essays, because every teacher wants some things done differently when it comes to their work.” Beshear also said his work as an interim youth pastor is what helps give him the reset he needs to push through the week. “The most important part of my week is the night I get to go out to the kids I am an interim pastor [too] or when I am at The Bridge. That’s [when] I really feel like I’m at my best and get a chance to sit back, relax, and be with a bunch of great people that are super nice and who don’t care where you’re from. They love you as a person. I just feel at home.” Beshear continues in his efforts to volunteer his time and be an active part of his church. It extends into his daily life. “I really wasn’t involved too much on campus. I didn’t know many students and then I started hanging out with more of the people I was in classes with and started playing intramural sports which really helped me kind of get connected with... how student life is going,” Beshear said. “When I became the in-
tern of the college ministry that allowed me to really meet a lot of different people, from different places and just get to know them and see how their lives go on campus. I was able to go and hang out with them whether it was at the student center or going to get something to eat. It really gave me a feel of how student life is here. Now, I try to spend everyday doing something on campus, talking to and meeting somebody new because its a beautiful campus.” Beshear said it is his love for people that drives and encourages him. “Just talking to people getting to know who they are... see where they came from and what they do,” Beshear said. “Creating relationships through classes, even though it might be super hard course or I don’t like it. There’s more than likely somebody in there that doesn’t like it just as much and we’ll end up studying together and becoming friends even the next semester. One of the things that motivates me and also keeps me going to class and doing all those things is just to meet new people.”
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MSU student discounts $2 off any service USE CODE: 20221
Always hiring great stylists
| Feb. 20, 2019 | 5 QUES TION OF THE WEEK
What’s your Opinion on freshman tuition increase? AS WE ALL KNOW, COLLEGE CAN BE EXPENSIVE. I WENT AND SPOKE WITH STUDENTS THIS WEEK ABOUT HOW THEY FEEL ABOUT MSU RAISING THE INCOMING FRESHMEN TUITION BY 2.2 PERCENT. REPORTER| ALANA EARLE
Undecided freshman Anna Kittelson answers the question of the week, Feb. 19. BIANCA DELGADO, EARLY EDUCATION FRESHMAN | “I don’t see
a point in raising tuition, I know they raise it every year but, why just freshmen? Wouldn’t they [freshmen] have the least amount of money to take from?” LINDSAY SARABIA, EARLY EDUCATION JUNIOR | “If the extra
2.2 percent is important for the development of the school then I don’t mind. Enhancing the school for future students is something I’ll never be upset about.” STEPHANIE SAENZ, CONTINUING EDUCATION | “My tuition
when I started was at least three-thousand dollars less than it is for the average student now, my question back would be: Why are we raising the tuition for the incoming freshmen anyways? Who will it help?” PAIGE CHAMPAGNE, COMPUTER SCIENCE FRESHMAN | “It’s ri-
diculous because we’re already paying so much for [an] education and there are so many problems at this school as it is, they don’t seem motivated to fix them. I feel like MSU doesn’t actually care about our education and they’re just in it for the money.” VICKEH CALLAWAY, PSYCHOLOGY JUNIOR | “MSU is a great
school (for the most part) and I think the freshmen tuition increase is going to hurt them more than help them.”
PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN
ELENA MORALES, HISTORY SOPHOMORE | “As a freshman this
past Fall, I thought tuition was high enough, why do we need a two percent raise?”
ISIAH CONTRERAS, KINESIOLOGY JUNIOR | “I hope we don’t
see a trend in this much of an increase. I think most students choose MSU for the fact that it’s one of the cheapest schools in the state, what if we lose more students over the increases?” DILLON PINEDA, EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY SENIOR | “If they use it
[the raise] to better the school, I guess I’m all for it, it just sucks for the freshmen. Hopefully, it’ll be used to help the school and diminish some issues on campus.” ANNA KITTELSON, UNDECIDED FRESHMAN | “I agree with Dil-
lion, if it helps the school then, that’s great. But, if not then, why raise the cost? Most people come here because the cost is much lower than other schools.” SOPHIA SELENE, MARKETING SENIOR | “I can understand a
little increase, maybe by a percent, but this two, almost three percent increase will be about eight hundred to over a thousand dollars. I don’t think most college students supporting themselves have another grand to drop on tuition costs.”
‘Feed The Soul’ brings a soul-filled night ANDREW MURRAY REPORTER
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ate in the evening of a cold Sunday, music could be heard from the Legacy Multipurpose Room with people gathered together to listen to soulful music to eat some great food and to win some prizes. All as part of Feed The Soul. “With Feed The Soul we try to incorporate food, music, and the culture, so we came up with a title, something that could kind of get all of that, and that is why we went with Feed The Soul,” Norma Ramirez, assistant director of residence life, said. Ramirez then went into what each part of the title meant explaining that feed means the literal term of feeding people. She explained soul as any part it could be the music or the history surrounding Black History Month. She first came up with this idea for Feed the Soul while helping serve on the Black History Month committee and knew to work in resident life the students would need an incentive to come out to events. “I helped serve on the Black History Month committee and everybody has different ideas and so for me working in [residence] life I know that residents have to have an incentive to come, so for most times if you provide food [students] like ‘yeah maybe I will go to that’,” Ramirez said. For her, though she always thought that there was something missing from this equation. She sees music to be a way to almost fill that equation. “I have always thought it had to be more than [food], and so we always try to have some kind of music component this year. We were super lucky to get Hazel to come. She’s a different kind of style,” Ramirez said. The final piece she thought would make this equation whole is for students to win prizes and to interact in some way to the theme of the event. “I thought when you go to an event sometimes you get prizes and food, but do you really learn anything and that’s where the slide show came in and the cards on each table. That’s how I came to the idea and I wanted it to be different than all the other events also going on in Black History Month because we do not like to compete against each other, but we want to provide lots of opportunities for students to experience and learn,”Ramirez said. Bringing 57 students to this soul-filled night, one of these was Casey Albriks, a biology and chemistry sophomore, who was there to support his fellow resident life staff. “Housing is putting [Feed the Soul] on and I like to support my staff and my department” Albriks said. He said he believes that if people go out to more events than the community and culture of the university will improve. “I think the more that people come out to events the more people embrace the culture of MSU the better the community of MSU as a whole,” Albriks said. Many different kinds of people came out to this event, including Lindsey Sarabia an education junior who was filled with facts about Black History Month. “I like Black History Month, a lot of people say they don’t like how it is the shortest month, but it is actually Abraham Lincoln’s and Frederick Douglass’s birthday. To celebrate those two men they decided to do it on this month, so I like at this school we have a big emphasis on it,” Sarabia said.
6 | Feb. 20, 2019| tre a Thea ch 2 t i h c i W r ntil Ma Runs u t 7:30 p.m. d 7:30 p.m. n sa Friday s at 2 p.m. a eatre.com/ ay th Saturd ww.wichita w / https:/
THE PLOT Based on the real-life Newsboy Strike of 1899, this new Disney musical tells the story of Jack Kelly, a rebellious newsboy who dreams of a life as an artist away from the big city. After publishing giant Joseph Pulitzer raises newspaper prices at the newsboys’ expense, Kelly and his fellow newsies take action. With help from the beautiful female reporter Katherine Plumber, all of New York City soon recognizes the power of “the little man.”
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BRYSON PETERSEN An actor, singer, and teaching artist, Bryson Petersen has co-administered the Wichita Theatre’s in-school workshop series, Acting Out In Class, for four years. In the summer of 2017, he trained as a teaching artist at Lincoln Center as a part of Lincoln Center Education’s Summer Forum, and he has participated in the Wichita Falls Alliance for Arts and Culture’s Teaching Artist Learning Lab for two years. Bryson has performed for more than 14 years in more than 50 musical productions in North Texas. His most recent stage credits include TJ in Sister Act: The Musical, Prince Eric in Disney’s The Little Mermaid, and Danny Zuko in Grease. His latest co-directing credit is Disney’s The Lion King, Jr.
, stag chniq “We b tickets rking on this ichita I’m on the te n said, e-sold the W h y since tes.” ll it Peterse ow: most pr all started wo used really ia w c e p ow is sh e foc . We e- es ing high A no en’s first sh with th ing opening f October. W s. We had sp pg. 7 elt ters b e P d o r ’t n e ie EWSIES n e d b n N is n a m e e h is u e e p s h n e h est att T t t e round e ed by S d danc . show a the music an Dance, Etc. l n we hit th heatre e t h n a er. T T h . t o e t g u hard o e rehearsals o in show t e lyn M nc cial da alt and Cait y to put the energy in th r a e w e u h t n l Ja e fe Mend early in physically ost stage in ld alm u You co
| Feb. 20, 2019 | 7 REVIEW
from NEWSIES pg. 6 “I started at the Wichita Theatre when I was 13, and I’ve been here ever since. I’ve been a staff member here for a little over five years. Theatre has had a huge impact on my life. It’s my career and my passionl,” Petersen said. Two alumni were involved in the musical. Luke Draper, alumnus said, “Opening night’s performance was stellar. The audience truly does help us set the tone, and we couldn’t have had that energy without that support from them. My favorite part of opening night was the support from the community and all the love they gave for the arts.” Draper plays the supporting role Davey, the older brother of Les who both play main contributors to beginning the strike against the publishing company. “Theater is an important part of my life because it truly has taught me how to work well with others. It has pushed me to my limits, humbled me, and given me confidence that nothing else could have. I also enjoy making people laugh and smile so that’s also awesome to be able to provide joy to people,” said Draper. Bonnie Gunter alumna, along with the 16 others play as Newsies; the paperboys working in New York City in the musical who dance and sing throughout the show. Gunter said, “There’s satisfaction in hearing people respond well to all the hard work the cast has put into this show. I loved the reactions of the kids in the cast. They were fired up and it was great. They were so proud of themselves and they deserved the standing ovation at the end of the show. Overall it was a great performance and I’m happy to share the stage with every single one of these people.” Nicholas Brown, actor said, “My favorite part of the opening night is the amazing energy not only backstage with the cast but also within the audience. We were all already excited and ready to go for opening night. Having a captivating and such enthusiastic audience just makes the night so much better.” Brown plays Spot Conlon’s character the leader of the Brooklyn newsies who come to assist the other newsies to revolt against the high distribution cost of the newspaper. “Everyone was tired from tech week and still was able to give 110 percent this weekend and it definitely showed. Theater allows me to be surrounded by a group of individuals who I can be myself around without concern of being judged. Everyone in theater is so unique and weird in their own way and I love being a part of that,” said Brown. There was a diversity in the performances throughout the show. With a cast of 55, the talents were varied, including singing, dancing, tumbling, and tap dancing. Rachel Royal, athletic training junior, said, “This was my first time seeing a production at the Wichita Theatre and as a fan of musicals, I can’t wait to see future productions. I loved the show and was very impressed with all the incredible talent of everyone who took part in the musical. I enjoyed the storyline of the musical and all of the energetic and motivational songs.”
Quotes from NEWSIES Now is the time to seize the day
“Headlines don’t sell papes. Newsies sell papes.” Jack Kelly Why do old people talk? “What a fine life, carrying the banner home-free all.” Carrying the Banner “Well, the pen is mightier than the sword, but a baseball bat can be pretty effective too.” “So the world says no? Well, the kids do too!” The World Will Know “There’s change coming, once and for all.” Once and For All “Someone wanna tell me why I’m runnin’?! Nobody’s chasin’ me!” Davey “Your erster!…The fancy clam with the polye inside.” Race “So let’s get drunk ... NOT with liquor, fame works quicker” King of New York ‘Wrongs will be righted If we’re united’ “We’re doing something no one’s even tried, and yes, we’re terrified but watch what happens.” Watch What Happens (Reprise) And “The World” will know That we been here
‘Incredible’ dancing, singing makes musical worth seeing
W
hether you enjoy musical theater or not, Wichita Falls’ production of Disney’s Newsies, the Broadway musical, is a must see. ‘Newsies’ the musical folPeyton lows the inspiring story of the Alonzo newsboys’ hawkers of New York in 1899. The newsboys begin helping each other to lead a strike against the Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of New York World. To revolt against the high distribution cost of the newspaper and addressing the unfair treatment of child laborers in New York City. ‘Newsies’ is the stage adaptation based on the 1992 Disney film and is the Wichita Theatre first production of the season. This show for all ages. This is a spectacular show that has the power to impress all everyone from fans of the original film to first-time viewers. Many individuals contributed to the making of ‘Newsies’ possible, director Chance Harmon and the youthful cast of 55 singers and dancers, show the talent Wichita Falls has to offer. Playing the lead role of the charismatic leader of the newsies Jack Kelly is Bryson Petersen. This musical offers Petersen to show off the variety of his talents such as acting, singing and dancing all throughout the show. There isn’t a moment during PeterseWn’s performance that doesn’t leave you speechless. He truly expresses his vocal range and ability to provoke emotions in the in the sentimental performance of the reprise “Santa Fe” that leaves the audience astounded. We are later introduced to the brotherly duo of Davey and Les. Both play as Newsies looking for a way to make some extra income as their family is going through a tough time. They both later play major roles in encouraging the other newsies to band together. Luke Draper plays the role of Davey and delivers a powerful performance. He makes the practical and logical decisions for the group of newsboys. Draper uses his impressive singing in the reprise of “Watch What Happens” to captivate the audience and adds depth to the story. The bond between the two brothers cannot be broken. Les is played by Korbin Koker, who fully embodies the role of Les and delivers some of the best comical lines of the music that makes everyone in the audience laugh uncontrollably. Koker, for as young as he is, is able to put on a splendid performance that clearly represents the multiple talents
that he possesses. The effective plan to expose the truth of the harsh conditions the newsboys work in is the work of Katherine Plumber played by both Amanda Jackson and Ashlen Loskot. Jackson’s incredible voice stands out and strongly portrays the clever and sharp-witted journalist that gets the article about the newsboys in the paper. She expresses just how powerful her singing is in her remarkable solo “Watch What Happens.” Loskot, in addition, offers another flawless portrayal of Katherine elegantly and demonstrates her talents in the breathtaking duet with Jack “Something To Believe In” that leaves the audience awed. Throughout the show, the cast does an incredible job using the talents such as singing, dancing, tumbling, and tap dancing all together as an ensemble to fully enchant the audience. The music director, Chris Jarvis does a superb job using all of the ensemble voices as one in “Carrying the Banner”. It leaves everyone in the audience stunned. Further, the dancing was impeccably choreographed by Stephanie Medenwald, and Caitlyn Minuto. All of the cast meticulously dance throughout the show and perform the multiple styles of dance incorporating tumbling and tap dancing all over the stage in the numbers “Seize the Day” and “Kind of New York”. This leaves an astounding presence on the audience by the combination of dancing and singing. From the moment you walk into the theater you are greeted by newsboys helping you find your seat. The Wichita Theatre uses all aspects of theater to express their passion for the arts and impact the experiences of everyone viewing. The theater fully engages the audience in the storyline and world of the Newsies. The special effects are precisely created by the graphic designer, Casey Osborne, by the use of projections and the majestic set design, this impacts the storytelling of the show. Other important elements such as the costumes and props both immerse the audience into the story. This is a great show for any and all ages. The lively characters and dynamic storyline will attract the attention of everyone in the audience. You will be blown away by the talent that is performed in the show. You shouldn’t miss the opportunity to see this production and upcoming shows.
“The lively characters and dynamic storyline will attract the attention of everyone in the audience.”
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8 | Feb. 20, 2019|
PHOTOS BY SHAROME BURTON | THE WICHITAN
Morgan Ballesteros, physics sophomore launches attack during final lap of men’s ‘B’ criterium in College Station. Feb. 16. | Joshua Buchel (left), finance and accounting senior, Alan Barrows (center), management information systems sophomore, and Pablo Cruz, exercise physiology senior leads peloton in penultimate lap of men’s ‘A’ criterium. | Joshua Buchel, finance and accounting senior leads peloton during men’s ‘A’ criterium.
Conference lead challenged in Aggieland SHAROME BURTON REPORTER
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ycling’s grip on the South Central Collegiate Cycling Conference (SCCCC) Title received a major challenge Feb. 17 after its conference rivals rallied back at the second weekend of the road racing season hosted by Texas A&M in College Station, Texas. Cycling started the weekend strongly, with Zach Gregg, men’s ‘A’ rider and exercise physiology graduate, extending his perfect streak to four after claiming a comfortable win in the 6.3-mile individual time trial Feb. 17. However, Gregg had to settle for second in the men’s ‘A’ criterium in the afternoon after losing a sprint to University of North Texas’s Andy Heuser. Pablo Cruz, exercise physiology senior, placed third. The team was again denied gold in the 55-mile road race when Cruz was edged out by Oklahoma State’s Ryan Currie in the final dash. Cycling Director, Charlie Zamastil said while the results were not optimal, there were positive signs in how the team adapted to the increased pressure. “Obviously we weren’t able to surprise anyone with how strong we were this year,” Zamastil said. “Particularly in the men’s ‘A’ race, we were pretty thoroughly marked with the guys that we knew were strong. Zach and Josh [Buchel, finance and accounting senior] really weren’t allowed to do much without every other team trying to cover them and so we had to get creative with our strategy. We got Pablo into the breakaway and for him to sprint to second obviously was not the result we were looking for but I think it still speaks
really well for us.” Zamastil said the result could also encourage other teams to be more aggressive. “We also showed the other teams that we weren’t gonna do all the work for them just for them to try to counter-attack us. By not winning this race with the strategy that we had hoped to employ, long-term I think it bodes well because it’s gonna compel other teams to have to do some work throughout the rest of the season.” Cycling entered the men’s ‘A’ road race as favorites, fielding five riders in the teamworkheavy discipline. However, only Cruz found himself isolated from the rest of the team early in the race when he joined a five-man breakaway, which he says changed the game plan. “At the beginning, it was not the goal for the team but maybe only one out of ten times do things go as planned,” Cruz said. “It was a very tricky moment because I was trying to wait for my teammates to bridge up and it didn’t happen because the other riders in the breakaway were really strong and they were coordinating to make the break flow. I had to play my cards at the end and I got second.” The weekend saw UNT and OSU making big gains in the team point standings, but cycling remains in firm control of the individual men’s ‘A’ omnium after Zach Gregg (444 points) held onto his lead while Cruz (306 points) leaped six spots into third place. Cruz, who is also the reigning Honduran national champion, said he was pleased to rebound at College Station after a difficult first weekend. “The first weekend [in San Marcos] was very tough for me since I’m from a warmweather country so I had a hard time per-
forming there,” Cruz said. “This weekend it was much better weather for my qualities so overall I’m very happy with what I did and how the rest of the team did. I think we’re on the right path on the way to Nationals for a great performance there.” The team’s ambitions for the SCCCC title were also strengthened during the weekend when Morgan Ballesteros, physics sophomore earned an upgrade to the men’s ‘A’ category by clinching a third-place finish in the men’s ‘B’ criterium Feb. 16. “I’m just really happy to have been able to get the work done to get here,” Ballesteros said. “It’s especially cool because that Texas A&M weekend is the anniversary of my firstever collegiate race so that was pretty cool to be able to race ‘A’s on the road race one year after I started racing.” Ballesteros, who placed ninth from a field
of 23 in his first top-level race, said he was delighted to beat some of the riders he looked up to in previous years. “I definitely was intimidated by those guys but it’s been such a cool experience to race with them and then being able to beat a lot of those guys was amazing and really gives me more confidence in my ability going forward,” Ballesteros said. He said his elevation to the ‘A’ team adds a new dimension to the overall strength. “I really think the reason I’ve gotten to where I am this season is from the work I’ve put into my fitness and also I’m a smaller guy, so I can climb pretty well,” Ballesteros said. “The only real climber we had before me was Pablo so I’m definitely looking forward to helping everybody in the climbs and just being able to be a strong force in the races with my fitness.”