May 5, 2010

WILD SIDE: Former housing director packed up his desk and moved to the Hill Country to go after his dream – to work for Texas Parks and Wildlife

npage 4

Wednesday n May 5, 2010

thewichitan

your university n your voice

Study blasting education department ‘inadequate’ Chris Collins Managing Editor

“After we looked at the way things were scored, it didn’t look like we could improve much from it,” Simpson said. “At some MSU’s education department needs ur- point, you have to weigh how much time gent attention, according to a report re- and effort it takes and if it’s going to get you leased by The National Council on Teacher what you want. The state response was that this isn’t a value-adding experience.”

Quality Thursday.

Simpson said the education department The NCTQ, a self-appointed organization, reviewed the curriculum of about 60 was alerted to the study last fall.

“We can’t meet their standards because private and public universities in Texas.

Most schools, including Tarleton State Uni- of our already existing state standards,” he versity, Texas A & M, and Howard Payne said.

All of the deans sent letters to the reUniversity, received similar evaluations.

“To have this happen is disheartening,” searchers saying they were unwilling to parsaid Grant Simpson, chair of MSU’s Edu- ticipate in the study. The school’s national organization, Colleges of Education, concation Department.

The deans of education from all schools See STUDY on page 6 in the study opposed the methodology.

NCTQ findings

n Teacher preparation programs with “strong overall design” were found at the following schools: Dallas Baptist University, Southern Methodist University, University of Texas – Pan American, and the University of Texas at Austin. n MSU was ranked among programs where “attention is needed” according to NCTQ. Others in the category included: Texas A&M – Commerce, Texas Christian University, and Texas Tech.

Dot-com courses redefine limits of higher education Chris Collins Managing Editor

Tim DeGroot, chair of the management program, thinks online classes are the wave of the future.

But most of the MSU faculty have yet to catch on to the trend. DeGroot said it’s because some professors are wary of the technology or think it will be too difficult to set up and maintain.

“Putting material online frees up resources, creates different kinds of discussion and opens up class time,” he said. “It’s good for students, too. They might have to do a little bit more work, but it’s bet-

See ONLINE on page 5

Brandon Seay For the Wichitan Several current and former MSU will hop a plane to California later in June to shoot a short film with a former Saved by the Bell cast member.

Scott Hamilton, a former MSU student who now attends Texas A&M University, and his older brother Matt, an MSU graduate, created Save the Empire (STE) in 2006. STE, they said, is a film production company comprised of friends.

Since its inception, STE’s cast and crew, who generally specialize in comedy and action, have made two featurelength films and a number of short pieces, including a series of documentaries called Lost Heroes.

The documentaries “pay tribute to lost heroes of film and television, and the people who are way too obsessed with them,” Scott said.

Matt came up with the idea for the original Lost Heroes documentary that

See FILM on page 5

State legislator slated to speak at commencement Brittany Walsh For the Wichitan

MSU will hold commencement for Spring 2010 graduates Saturday, May 15.

The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. at Kay Yeager Coliseum, 1000 5th St. To date, the names of 689 graduates have been turned in to the Board of Regents for review. This number closely follows last May’s 690 figure.

Representative Dan Branch, a member of the Texas House of Representatives from Dallas, will be keynote speaker.

Branch was elected in 2002 and is currently representing downtown Dallas, uptown, near east Dallas as well as Highland Park and University Park.

In addition to being a representative, Branch also

See COMMENCEMENT on page 6

Rented textbooks gain popularity among students Lara Lindemann For the Wichitan

Textbook costs are among the most troublesome of college expenditures.

One textbook can cost up to $500, and students searching for ways to minimize their book store bills now have another option: renting.

Recently, renting textbooks has become popular among students across the US and at MSU. The College Store manager Ken Little said they have given students the option to rent textbooks since last year. He said by renting rather than buying, students are able to get their books for half the price.

“There were a lot of students who decided to go with the option of renting textbooks this semester,” Little said. “It was a big hit.”

Little said that offering textbooks for rent keeps

See RENTED on page 3

2 n

The Wichitan

campusvoice nour view

It’s the final countdown

News flash!

Next week is finals week (if you didn’t already know). That means most students will have to quit doing what they do the most – party – and start doing what they do the least – study.

Some of us have already taken our final exams. But the vast majority of us are still waiting with baited breath to find out if we can dip into the summer season without calling home to explain why we slept through class every morning.

In short, it’s going to be a long week.

But MSU adminstration is about to make the week a little bit shorter.

Sounds like a good idea, right?

This semester, final exams will expire after two hours, instead of the two and half normally allotted to students during the testing season.

Why was this decison made?

Well, we’re not really sure (there goes our journalistic integrity).

We aren’t going to try to guess, either. But we will tell you what we think about it.

We think it’s, well, not much of an

issue.

We discussed it, and we don’t really have much to say, except that none of us can remember taking longer than two hours to do anything except the ACT. Note: no one in this office takes physics, or calculus, or mechanical engineering. We’re just wordsmiths for the most part.

Your exams would be impossible for us to complete in the time span of a Friends marathon.

But you’re good at that stuff!

So we would expect you to be able to take your tests in two hours just like we do ours.

Think about all the things you could do in two hours: • Watch two episodes of Lost (with commercial breaks) • Clean the hair clog out of your drain • Write a melancholy Facebook status update • Make 120 servings of one-minute rice.

• Watch the Sex and the City movie with your girlfriend

• Sleep through the Sex and the City movie while your girlfriend watches it The point – two hours is a long time.

And if you really know your stuff, it’s still long enough to take one test.

We’ve had some people ask us: how do you study effectively? Our answer: do what you gotta do. But we don’t endorse tweaking on ritalin or loading up your iPhone with pictures of your notes.

We would never endorse that.

Right?

Our advice (and we know it sounds crazy): study!

Study, study and study some more.

After you’ve studied in your apartment all week, when your eyes adjust to the blinding sunlight from the outside, you will be replete with bliss.

For summer is about to be upon us!

So suck it up and dust off the books.

They’ve been missing you.

Good luck!

May 5, 2010

thewichitan 3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 n Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 News Desk: (940) 397-4704 n Ads: (940) 397-4705 Fax (940) 397-4025 n E-mail WICHITAN@mwsu.edu

editorial board

nEditor in Chief: Brittany Norman nManaging Editor: Chris Collins nEntertainment Editor: Lauren Wood nOp-Ed Editor: Position open nSports Editor: Josh Hoggard nPhoto Editor: Julia Raymond nAdvertising manager: Jamie Monroe nCopy editor: Position open nadviser: Randy Pruitt nReporters: Donace Wilkinson nPhotographers: Patrick Johnston

Copyright © 2007. 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. First copy of the paper is free of charge; additional copies are $1. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address for verification purposes. The editor retains the right to edit letters.

Holocaust victim puts tragedy in perspective

The number six million never held too much significance to me before.

What exactly is six million, after all? It’s obviously a lot.

But imagining the scope of a catastrophe in which six million Jewish people, six million human beings were murdered is nearly impossible for me to wrap my head around.

I can’t imagine what I would do with six million dollars, can’t quantify something as concrete as money.

How, then, are we supposed to grasp the weight of six million lives?

As a white protestant who has lived in Wichita Falls most of my life, my knowledge of the Holocaust has been limited to brief coverage in social studies classes throughout junior high and high school.

Basically, I knew that Hitler was a really bad person, that a lot of people were murdered senselessly, and that America and the Allied Powers came to save the day.

Until last Thursday’s speech

by Holocaust survivor Max Glauben at the House of Jacob Synagogue just blocks from MSU – a house of worship I didn’t even know existed despite its proximity to campus – I don’t think I had ever heard the number of Jews killed during World War II. If I had, it didn’t stick.

But after hearing him talk, I feel as though I have a reference point, a meaning to attach to a figure so large that it seems almost surreal.

Glauben’s speech gave a perspective no history textbook or even history professor could give.

He doesn’t just recount the horror; he survived it.

Glauben was only 11 years old when the Third Reich invaded Poland in 1939. He remembers the day his entire family was rounded up and relocated to the Warsaw ghetto, which he described as a single square mile surrounded by walls. Inside those walls

Brittany Norman Editor in Chief lived 500,000 people.

Five times the population of Wichita Falls at least, crammed within one square mile.

Glauben said the rations the ghetto inhabitants were given were so meager that hundreds of four and fiveyear-old children would escape the ghetto walls each day to smuggle food back in.

He lived with his family inside those walls until the eve of Passover, April 19, 1943. After an armed resistance group of Jews rose up to fight the Nazis, the ghetto was burned to the ground and all surviving residents either killed or sent to concentration and death camps.

Glauben and his family hid in underground shelters while the ghetto burned. When they were about to be transported, Glauben said it was hard to imagine what could be worse than what he and his family had already endured.

But it got worse.

From the ghetto, Glauben, barely a teenager, was herded into a boxcar with over 100 other people. The trip should have taken a couple of hours, but was drawn out for five days. There was no food, no water, no place to sit or lie down. People died en route and the bodies began decomposing.

When he got off the train, the family got in a line. Some were chosen to go to death camps, some to work camps.

It was the last time he would see his mother and younger brother.

He and his father were chosen to go work at an aircraft factory. Glauben lived in six concentration camps before war’s end, and was on a death march to Dachau when the Allied forces stepped in to liberate him.

His father was killed before freedom came. Out of a family of four, Glauben was the sole survivor.

Glauben said he barely survived. Getting a job as a machinist in a German aircraft factory probably saved his life.

Civilian co-workers in the factory would leave leftover food in the trash bins near his workstation to keep him from starving.

Hearing his story made the whole terrible incident seem real.

Before, I knew the genocide of the Holocaust was serious and wrong and tragic and a thousand other words that can be used to describe but never truly define an event.

Listening to a firsthand account, hearing what it felt like to be one of the survivors, to be a part of something so horrible, taught so much more than a history book ever could.

It gave a face to the tragedy.

An anchor for the incomprehensible cruelty.

The survivors of the Holocaust are aging. Who will be there to serve as the face of something that must be prevented in the future for the next generation? Movies, television, books, none of those things can replace hearing a man retell the horrors he faced.

And if it’s not made real for the next generation, if the tragedy is scaled down to just words in a textbook and numbers without reference points to make them seem real, will that lack of meaning lead to repetition?

Grad moved by Holy Spirit

it reads “The team tries to diagnose a woman who collapses while giving her commenecement benediction.”

Oh, YouTube.

In case someone gets offendYou’ve given us Charlie Bit Me, ed after they see this video: Unforgiveable, the kid coming To my knowledge, this person back home from the dentist, Remi is not epileptic. And if she had a Gaillard and that Phillippino guy stroke/ died, my condolences. in drag who can neigh like a nightOtherwise, this video will make mare horse. you shake, too. With laughter.

But this time you’ve outdone If you don’t know what a beneyourself. This time it’s personal. diction is, don’t worry. I didn’t know Just tonight I looked up “Mid- either until I watched this video. western State commenecement” Apparently it’s a prayer. Go figon the ubiquitous video Web site. ure.

Short story made shorter: an But this girl gets super carried MSU graduate starts giving the away with the God talk. benediction speech during the “This will be a day of death,” she graduation ceremony, but ends up says. “The Holy Spirit, I ask you to doing some slick moves an Egyp- descend upon this place.” tian snake charmer would envy.

Whoa!

No, she’s isn’t trying to start a And that was before the whole new dance trend like Soulja Boy. world’s-tiniest-earthquake routine.

The video, which was taken in I can think of a few ways to keep 1998, has amassed almost 400,000 this from happening again. views.

1. Don’t give degrees to crazy There are a couple of verisons of people the video floating around. One of 2. Scream, “Witch!” my favorites is the one submitted 3. Tasers by ilovejesus420.

4. Invite Richard Dawkins to sit The other is called ‘Graduation in the front row - House M.D.’ Underneath that 5. Mental health screenings for Chris Collins Managing Editor

commencement speakers Lord, please have mercy on this girl. Someone needs to. Because the comments on the Youtube page are mericiless.

For example: Tweakynips writes, “The vid ended too soon. You miss the part when the Holy Spirit makes her do the funky chicken and a cool Sinatra impression.”

Algolei writes, “She buh-ROKE her buh-RAI-hain!” ssshiken writes, “That was so hot.” shanemoore02 writes, “I guess at Midwestern they let last in class speak instead of first.”

Mr22Ash writes, “Holy crap did she just orgasm during a prayer?

I’ve been to a few Midwestern graduation ceremonies. And they’re just as boring as they sound.

I just want to have graduated from MSU in 1998, because this looks like it would be awesome to attend.

Unless you’re that girl.

Then it probably sucked.

But all things fade with time.

Like, how possible is it that one of the 361, 258 people who have seen this will see her now?

news

May 5, 2010

The Wichitan n 3

Making a difference Library fines on the rise Ashley Nesbitt For the Wichitan

MSU’s third annual Great Day of Service was on Saturday, April 10. More than 600 MSU community members participated in the event. Volunteers sent over 130 letters of encouragement to the military, collected over 1,000 pounds of food, and logged a total of 1,800 community service hours at 20 different nonprofit organizations and events in the Wichita Falls area. (Photo courtesy Dr. Claudia Montoya)

RENTAL.....................................................................continued from page 1 books recycled as well as providing another option for students tight on cash.

“I do imagine that being able to rent books will continue to grow,” Little said. “It’s good for business because we don’t have to compete with anyone.

Students have to get their textbooks one way or another.”

Manager Jenny Denning said the MSU bookstore will begin offering textbooks for rent in the fall.

Denning said the university will not lose any commission from the rental option. In fact, she feels it will allow the business to grow.

“The university is guaranteed $200,000, or 10 percent of our sales,” Denning said.

Denning said the bookstore had to keep up with all of the options for purchasing textbooks.

“We need to offer many options to the students, whether it’s full purchase, rental or ebooks,” Denning said.

Even though renting textbooks can be less expensive, only 30 percent of all textbooks are available to rent at this time.

Little said books are available to rent mostly for survey classes, which means upper level students might have to stick to

buying books outright.

Sophomore psychology major Libby Vaught said she likes the idea of being able to rent a textbook but doubts she will be able to.

“I’m starting to go into smaller classes,” Vaught said. “I want the option of being able to rent textbooks to be available for all my books.”

Vaught said with the growing expense of higher education, she is looking for any way to save money.

“I know tuition and fees will be raised next semester,” Vaught said. “I think any type of savings I can find will be useful to me.”

Student fines at Moffett Library rose from $30,827 in 2008 to $36,568 in 2009. Only $11,181.43 was actually collected in 2009.

Circulation department manager Jason Brezina said it is difficult to collect fines from students because the library is unable to put a hold on students unless the fine is greater than $250.

“Because of this limitation, it is easy for an individual to check something out, then at the end of the semester they transfer and take the item,” Brezina said. “There is no charge that stays with them.”

Brezina said all items are stored in a computer database. Every morning when he gets to work the computer sends him a report of all overdue items. The report also includes lost media and books that have been found.

Because this process is done by computer, there are occasional errors in distinguishing which items are really checked out by a student, and which are lost somewhere in the library. The system calculates a total charge for the cost of all overdue and lost items. These charges are referred to as “endeavor fines.”

The total amount of endeavor fines calculated in 2009 was $45,312.52. This amount is substantial compared to $19,985.35 calculated in 2005.

The computer automatically sends out courtesy notices to faculty members if they have overdue items. A “fines and fees” notice is sent to students through e-mail if they have an overdue book. The charge can then be seen on the students’ MSU account balance.

However, the fine must be paid directly to the library in cash, rather than to the business office.

Students are given a two-day grace period to return items after the due date. If the property is not returned by this time, the student is charged. He or she will be unable to check out other items while a fine is owed on their account. If the amount is less than $1, it is forgiven.

Brezina said the individuals with fines are not usually repeat offenders; however, he does see a pattern in the type of students with substantial fees.

“Usually the ones that have big fines usually have a number of fines in other places. Freshmen have a lot. They are still adjusting to the university,” he said.

So what is done with the money after it is collected?

All fees obtained are given to the MSU general fund rather than given to the library directly. The university uses the general fund to cover any extra expenses that the school encounters. The library must replace any material from its own budget.

If a student has a large number of library fines, Brezina r e c ommends that they come to the library sometime during the month of April. For library week, every year the Moffett Library hosts a month-long program called “Food for Fines.” At this time, anybody is allowed to bring in can food items.

In exchange for each can, $5 is forgiven off the individuals’ account for library fines. The food is then donated to the Wichita Falls area food bank. This year, the library donated 285 pounds of food.

As a result of not being able to place holds on students, as well as the Food for Fines program and many other factors, the library loses a large amount of money that is rarely paid back. The amount paid back by students has decreased from $18,609.87 in 2005 to $11,181.43 in 2009. The library fee students pay each semester with their tuition proves to be a result.

The library tuition cost for the spring 2009 semester was $75 for a student taking 15 credit hours.

These numbers compare to the spring 2010 semester cost of $105.

Because of these costs, students are encouraged to take advantage of everything the Moffett Library has to offer. A large amount of literature, magazines, computers, and media items are available for student use. The library is also open long hours. In the spring and fall it is open from 7:45 a.m. until 2 a.m. Monday-Thursday. Weekend hours vary. During the summer classes it stays open until 10 p.m.

4 n The Wichitan

news

May 5, 2010

where the

wild things are

Former MSU Director of Housing trades in nine-to-five desk job to pursue lifelong dream of working for Texas Parks and Wildlife Jenny Gaylor Fpr the Wichitan

It was a TV show called Wild Kingdom that planted a passion for wildlife in Danny Reddick’s heart as a young child. His family gathered in the living room on Sunday nights to watch this series, but Reddick did more than watch it, he relished every moment.

Reddick later attended college at MSU and graduated with a degree in biology in 1994, then with his master’s degree in wildlife ecology in 1997.

His ambition was to work for Texas Wildlife, but it was his devotion and dedication to his daughter that made him take a different route.

It was a dream deferred.

“When my daughter was in school I needed to have a stable job to take care of her,” said Reddick. “I also grew up in Wichita Falls and that is where I wanted to raise Lindsey.”

In 1997 he pursued a teaching career in Bryson, Texas. In 1998 he taught in Archer City. He was a biology teacher.

“It wasn’t want I wanted to do,” said Reddick.

By summer he had changed course again by taking a management position at the Hawthorne Suites in Wichita Falls. By the year 2000, Reddick was employed by MSU as Assistant Director of Housing and worked his way up to Director of Housing.

“It was like running a hotel for college students. I loved MSU, the people, and the students I got to know,” he said.

Even though he didn’t have the career he wanted, he continued to keep wildlife as a hobby and raised his daughter to have appreciation for it.

“Our family went to the Wichita Mountains almost every weekend,” Lindsey said. “We were always enjoying nature. One time on a fishing trip in Colorado, I went to cast my fishing pole and I hooked my dad in the head.”

Reddick made sure to educate Lindsey about wildlife. It was a unique way he could spend time with her. She was daddy’s little girl.

“At night time me, my dad, and my mom would go spider hunting,” Lindsey said. “It was something we did as a family.”

Reddick and his daughter collected the specimens they caught, pinned them to a white board and propped it against the wall of the living room. A corner was reserved for (Top) Former Director of Housing Reddick’s golf clubs and Danny Reddick left his job at MSU fishing equipment. The to immerse himself in his passion – color of the furniture was nature. (Photo by Brittany Norman) always earth toned and (Middle) Reddick navigates the high ropes course at Mo-Ranch in the there was an aquarium Texas Hill Country. that was never empty.

(Bottom) Part of Reddick’s current The apartment was a job is caring for wild deer and elk microcosm of nature. on ranchland. Here, he is carrying “I had an ungodly feed on the back of an ATV. (photos amount of animals growcourtesy) ing up,” Lindsey said. “I

had turtles, tarantulas, rats, dogs, cats, horses. You name it, I probably had it.”

Lindsey also said that because of the way she was raised by her dad, he is one of the only people she will listen to.

“He is more of a friend to me than a parent,” she said. “We are very close and he is my best friend.”

In fall of 2009, Lindsey began college at MSU. This is when Reddick got the urge to make a move that changed the direction of his life. He resigned from MSU after ten years of working in the housing office and headed south to Kerrville, Texas to begin a journey with wildlife.

He took a chance that many men in their early 40’s would have been too scared to take.

“A year ago I knew I could see this move coming but I didn’t know if I would have the courage,” he said. “If I didn’t take this chance now I would always wonder what it would be life to follow my dream.”

He is now living in the country. The Guadeloupe River runs through his backyard. Earth’s beautiful creatures surround him.

“I feel like I have freedom for the first time,” he said.

Reddick said he has been working at the Mo-Ranch, a Presbyterian camp and conference center that takes up about 500 acres along the Guadalupe River.

“I teach classes like wildlife ecology, kayaking and rock climbing and help run the ropes course,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place. I love being able to teach outside.”

He also said he’s working on the Burdett Ranch taking care of the elk and whitetail deer, removing trees, repairing fences and whatever else needs to be done.

“This experience is important to finally reach my goal of a job with Texas Parks and Wildlife,” he said. “I had an interview a few weeks ago (with Texas Parks and Wildlife) and I hope to hear something in the next two weeks.”

Reaching out for that long-standing goal is something his daughter looks up to him for.

“I am so proud he is finally doing something that he wanted to do,” said Lindsey.

Waking up and going to work on the ranches is not a job for Reddick. It is a blessing.

And he is finally about to realize his lifelong dream.

Monday, Reddick heard back about that interview with Texas Parks and Wildlife.

He landed a job as a Fish and Wildlife Technician at “an amazing place” called Sea Center Texas.

Sea Center Texas is a working saltwater fish hatchery and education center. Reddick said there are only two hatcheries like it in the state, and when he goes for his first day at work there, he’ll truly be doing his “dream job.”

“I would like students to know that they should do what they are passionate about,” Reddick said. “If you do what you are passionate about you will excel and getting up for work everyday will be easy.”

news

May 5, 2010

The Wichitan n 5

campus briefs

FILM.........................................................................................................................continued from page 1 featured the character Crisp from Kindergarten Cop, a film that starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as an undercover policeman.

David Hamilton, an actor in the documentaries, is credited with the idea for the second film in the series, entitled Lost Heroes: Rod Belding.

The inspiration for this installment came from Saved by the Bell, which followed the lives of five high school students and their principal Mr. Richard Belding.

In one episode, Mr. Belding’s brother, Rod Belding, comes to school to serve as a substitute teacher.

This is the only episode of the series Rod Belding ever appeared in, earning him a spot among the ranks of STE’s “lost heroes.”

After filming a short documentary, lasting about 10 minutes, STE members e-mailed it to Ed Blatchford, the actor who portrayed Rod Belding.

“We wanted to email (Ed) for a long time,” Scott said. “Finally one night we did and he wrote back 20 minutes later saying he loved it.”

Since then, the group has been in contact with Blatchford, who invited STE to California to film a sequel. The group is now focused on writing a script and planning the trip.

Drew Bernard, a senior at MSU majoring in mass communication, plays the role of Oliver Pip in Lost Heroes: Rod Belding. He expects the sequel to be “the funniest thing STE has ever done.”

Making the sequel featuring Blatchford a reality will be a dream come true for the STE crew. They are all self-proclaimed Saved by the Bell fanatics and grew up watching the series. Bernard said he and David would even have trivia “battles” concerning facts about the show.

“Growing up watching Saved by the Bell and being very familiar with the character of Rod Belding, it’s surreal to me that I might be in a video with the actor who

STE films scenes for the Belding sequel (photo courtesy)

played him,” Bernard said. “All of us feel that way.”

Now the is in the final stages of planning the adventure in order to make the dream into a reality.

Matt and Scott are still discussing story ideas with Blatchford via telephone and e-mail.

“We’re getting closer and closer,” Scott said.

In the first Rod Belding documentary, there was no script. Most of the material was improvisation on the part of actors Chase Nordquist, Drew Bernard, David and Scott Hamilton, Thomas Parker and Zac Best.

Scott and Matt spent most of their time behind the camera directing and guiding the actors through the scenes.

The sequel will require more planning, especially considering they are working with a pro.

Cody Canafax, a 2009 MSU graduate with a degree in Biology, said more professionalism will be necessary since they are working with an “actual member of the Screen Actors Guild.”

Planning the scenes out and actually having a script to go by should make things move more quickly as well as make STE look like a professional outfit.

STE plans to send eight members to California. The group will be comprised of two direc-

tors, four actors and two crewmembers. The runtime of the film should be approximately 10 minutes and hopefully won’t take more than two days to shoot.

Since it will most likely be a self-funded venture, cost will play a pivotal role in STE’s decisionmaking.

The cast and crew has faced fear from the start that the film wouldn’t get made in the end, but things are falling into place, Scott said.

As far as inspiration and expectations for the project, STE hopes it will lead to more films with a wider viewing audience.

Scott, however, said he “just wants to hang out with Rod for a weekend!”

“Making a great and funny short film is obviously the priority,” Scott said, “but it’s also about taking a new step for STE and seeing where it could take us.”

These “new steps” could involve sending the completed Rod sequel (if it is completed at all) to Jimmy Fallon on the Late Night show.

“He is a huge Saved by the Bell fan and is trying to get a reunion on his show,” Bernard said. “If we could get our videos to him, he could be huge in promoting it.”

Blatchford also told STE that he would do whatever he could to

help promote the film.

Most of the cast and crew are interested in turning filmmaking into more than just a side gig.

“If this video is a breakthrough for STE, I could definitely see filmmaking switching from a hobby to a career,” Bernard said. “ Scott wouldn’t mind the camera being part of his life plan, either.

“It’s just something I very much enjoy doing and want to keep going with as long as I can,” he said.

Even though STE has high aspirations, they manage to keep the reality of the situation in check.

“For now, I’m just concerned with getting the ball rolling on production,” Scott said. “All of this stuff (will) come later, and we will worry about it when it happens.”

Keeping things in perspective is important to other cast and crewmembers as well.

“I just can’t get my hopes up until we are actually on the plane headed to California to shoot,” Bernard said.

Come success or failure, STE has evolved from a few kids shooting videos with a VHS camera into a group of filmmakers who write, produce, direct and edit their own original short and feature films.

The group’s first original feature-length film, currently in production, is titled WITS: Wild in the Streets, and is set in California in the early 90s. The film follows the rivalry between two groups of skaters who try to conquer love, stupidity and each other in a winner-take-all race. It will be released this summer.

Lost Heroes: Rod Belding, as well as other STE films, can be viewed at the group’s website: savetheempirevideos.com. The sequel to the Rod Belding documentary will also be posted on the site after it is completed, and public screenings might take place around Wichita Falls.

ONLINE...................................................................................................................continued from page 1 ter.”

DeGroot teaches his strategic management course as a “blended” class, meaning he meets with his students face-to-face but supplements lectures with online quizzes and discussions.

“Anything I teach, that’s the way I teach it,” he said.

He said the management course took about an hour to set up initially. Every semester it takes about a minute to update the class.

“You can’t say this is a time-consuming thing,” he said. “You do not have to build them from stratch.

Many college book publishers produce “cartridges,” files containing downloadable online course content. The cartridge, in most cases, is free.

“I stick with McGraw Hill because they have lots of them,” DeGroot said. “All publishers have these things for major textbooks.”

McGraw Hill will even compile a cartridge for an instructor if they don’t have one made already. DeGroot said he requested a cartridge they company hadn’t yet made. He received it about 10 days later.

Through WebCT, he creates PowerPoint slides of material with voice-over lectures. The slides come with the publisher cartridge.

The same things DeGroot does in his blended class can be applied to completely online classes.

Right now, DeGroot said, MSU has few online classes.

Lecture courses with three major exams are difficult to transfer to an online format.

“We can put the exams online, but some people are concerned with who actually takes the exam, and how many people are sitting at the computer, that sort of thing,” he said. “I cannot believe some people fail online tests, but I’ve seen it.”

Grades are generally lifted a bit with online tests because students can have their books next to them while they’re testing. But with a short time limit, students don’t have time to look up every answer.

“Soon enough, you’re pushing them to know the answers instead of flipping through the text to find them,” DeGroot said. “And this really isn’t cheating anyway. They went and found the answers.”

Online supplements can affect class attendance, he said. DeGroot said he sometimes sees half or a third of students missing from class when all the content is posted online. He doesn’t see this as a bad thing, though.

“In my mind, it’s like, ‘Wow, half to three quarters of the students still come and listen to me even after I put up all this stuff for them,” he said.

He said he has been interested in hosting online classes as supplements since he worked at Oklahoma State University about two years ago.

“No one wanted to do it at OSU,” he said. “It’s kind of similar to our school of business. Nobody wanted to do an online course.”

Eventually DeGroot and another faculty member took on the task of constructing an online business course. “I just jumped right in and did it,” he said.

The two business professors were paid extra for teaching online – they more students they had, the more they got paid.

The extra wages started at about $100 a student, then moved to $165. Now the pay at OSU is about $200 a head. “$200 a student, 30 students. That’s a whole lot more than our adjuncts make here,” DeGroot said.

The point is MSU is behind in online courses.

“We’re clearly behind,” he said. “We have to jump in there. There’s a market to tap.”

n today:

TACT: Retirees’ Luncheon in the Wichita Club at 12:15 p.m.

MSU Big Brothers, Big Sisters Info Meeting in the Caddo Meeting Room at 2 p.m.

Fain Donor Recognition Wall Dedication in Bea Wood Theatre in 3 p.m.

It’s Library after Dark at Moffett at 5:30 p.m.

n tHURSDAY:

Continuing education Mother’s Day Ceramics Fundraiser in the Fain Fine Arts Ceramics Studio at 8 a.m.

Annual Tree planting at the northwest corner of McCoy Engineering Hall at 2 p.m.

MSU Big Brothers, Big Sisters Info Meeting in the Caddo Meeting Room at 2 p.m.

TLRC Burgers and Beer faculty appreciation party in the OEC at Sikes Lake at 4:30 p.m.

n Friday:

Last day of classes and last day of early registration

Opening reception: student juried &

senior exhibitions in the Juanita Harvey Art galleries at 6 p.m.

Festival of one-act plays inthe Fain Fine Arts Bea Wood Studio Theatre

at 7:30 p.m.

Continuing education Mother’s Day

Ceramics Fundraiser in the Fain Fine

Arts Ceramics Studio at 8 a.m.

n Saturday:

Festival of one-act plays inthe Fain Fine Arts Bea Wood Studio Theatre

at 7:30 p.m.

MSU does not accept transfer credits from online universities, such as the University of Phoenix.

The reason is these schools aren’t Final exams begin AACSB (Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business) accredited. MSU only gained this

Combined Choirs concert at first accreditation this semester.

Christian Church at 2 p.m.

“We just gained entry to that club, but most schools have that,” he said. “They’re going to isolate the schools that aren’t accredited.”

“I can’t imagine anyone putting undergraduate classes online, but our graduate classes are across the board behind,” he said. “We need to have a discusthe article “MSU brings home sion about how we’re going to do online classes in 36 TIPA awards” that appeared the MBA program.” in the April 28 edition was He noted that MSU’s designation as a COPLAC mistakenly attributed to Chris school means students are discouraged from taking too many online classes, if any. DeGroot tries to Collins. The article’s content solve this dilemma. was taken from a press release “We don’t let anybody take the online MBA sent to the newspaper. course unless they’re in our MBA program,” he said.

n Sunday:

n CORRECTION

news

6 n The Wichitan

May 5, 2010

Cap and gown hold historical significance Lauren Berger For the Wichitan

Representative Dan Branch

COMMENCEMENT............continued from page 1 carries the title of Chairman of the Higher Education Committee. He serves on the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence Committee, is a member of the Legislative Budget Board, and is the Republican Chair of the Dallas Area Legislative Delegation.

This year, Branch has passed major initiatives to create more Tier One universities in Texas.

He has helped reform the Top 10 percent College Admissions Rule and expanded the use of interactive content and digital

textbooks in public schools.

He is also the recipient of many public awards, including both Capitol Inside and Texas Monthly’s best legislators of the 2009 session.

Branch is a graduate of the SMU School of Law and the Institute on Comparative Political & Economic Systems at Georgetown University.

He also holds two undergraduate degrees from Oklahoma Christian University, graduating summa cum laude in 1980.

To better understand why it is required to wear a cap and gown for graduation, it’s important to understand the history and the meaning of each piece of the ceremonial outfit.

Although neither students or faculty alike prefer this attire, there is a certain honor and regard that comes with wearing a cap and gown. Upholding this tradition helps to preserve the traditions of our ancestors.

The cap and gown originated many years ago in some of the earliest universities in Europe. As early as the 12th century, it had become a staple of early Western civilization graduations. Caps and gowns were originally designed to uniform the students and to get away from excessive apparel that was not appropriate for such a prestigious ceremony.

The long gowns were for warmth in the cool, unheated buildings of yesteryear’s Europe.

American Universities adopted this style in the 19th century and continue to follow it.

Caps should only be made of cotton, poplin, broadcloth, rayon, or silk, to match the gown they are to be used with. Velvet may only be worn by a person who earns a doctorate degree.

The style of the sleeve of the gown represents the level of the student’s completion.

The pointed sleeves and no hood indicate a bachelor’s degree graduate. Master’s degree graduate has long closed sleeves with arm slits and a narrow hood. And a doctorate degree has bell-shaped sleeves and a drape with a wide hood.

The color of the hood indicates the college where the degree was given. For example, Harvard is crimson, Temple is cherry and white, and Cornell is purple and white. Other than the lining the hood must be black.

Midwestern State University uses a few different colors for their hoods, although the primary color is maroon.

It wasn’t until the late 1800’s that colors were assigned to signify certain areas of study for schools in the United States.

Today, tassel colors traditionally indicate what college they are graduating from. The colors are as follows: White-College of Arts and Science, Brown-School of Fine Arts, Drab-College of Business and Public Administration and Accounting, Light BlueCollege of Education, Orange-College of Engineering, Green and Gold-College of Nursing, and Crimson-School of Journalism. Although this sometimes varies from school to school, it is the basic rule of thumb for graduation.

Tassels are worn accordingly depending on the type of graduation. For example, in a basic college graduation and most high school graduations, the tassels are worn on the right, and then they are flipped to the left upon receiving the degree. Normally the “flip” occurs after the handshake and the degree is handed over. However, as always, there is an exception to the rule. In the case

of a Master’s degree, the tassel starts on the left and is flipped to the right upon receiving the degree.

One of the more exciting aspects to the graduation is the tossing of the caps. After the completion of the ceremony, caps are tossed into the air in celebration of an accomplishment. Sadly, some schools are starting to move away from this tradition, and in fact, most area high schools have already banned the act from taking place.

Just as a part of other ceremony it is important for us to keep these different traditions alive. Also traditions uphold the seriousness and importance of the different occasions.

So the next time you earn the right to be in a cap and gown or around those who are, remember the hard work and long hours it took to earn that standing.

STUDY..........................................................................................................................................................................................................continued from page 1 gratulated the deans on their solidarity regarding the study.

“Of course, we knew they were going to do the study anyway,” he said.

The education department takes part in many accreditation efforts throughout the semester.

Studies are constantly done on the department.

“An enormous amount of stuff comes through the office saying, ‘Will you participate in this study, will you do this and that?” he said. “It’s hard to keep track of all of that. Our mail is full of participatory stuff like that.”

Simpson said it’s part of the department’s responsibility to figure what it has time to deal with. This study was not on the department’s priority list.

“This one raised questions quickly,” he said.

Simpson said the NCTQ had done preliminary research on MSU’s course catalogs and descriptions before it even asked the school to participate in the study.

They had already rated MSU’s efficiency when they contacted the school about the critique.

“When we started looking at the print-out, we saw that no amount of input on our part was going to change the variables,” he said. “Spending days compiling information for an organization that has already made up its mind is not good time management. It’s a waste.”

The study was commissioned

by State Senator Florence Shapiro. The Houston Foundation underwrote the study, allotting researchers about $300,000.

“When the Houston Foundation found out what the research entailed they were kind of embarrassed they endorsed,” he said. “They didn’t understand the methodology.”

Also, since all MSU major fields must cap out at 120 hours, there isn’t a lot of budge room for alternate courses or practical

teaching for graduating seniors.

This is one category in which the NCTQ came down hard on MSU education.

For example, one parameter of the study was elementary educators who were knowledgeable about art history, music history and world civilization.

“Texas requires by law that we require six hours in world history and government,” he said.

Since the NCTQ only gathered evidence from MSU online course catalogs, some of which aren’t recent, the department scored a zero in this field.

“If I added another three hours in world civilization on art history it would violate our agreement with the Coordinating Board that says our program caps at 120 hours,” he said. “You can’t exceed them.”

All the research the NCTQ gathered was from Web sites, course catalogs and syllabi given to students.

The information gatherers even paid students to obtain syllabi from various universities during the summer.

“That’s looking at inputs,” Simpson said. “Good research looks at outputs.”

He said a better way to go about doing the research would have been to talk to MSU education graduates and assess how successful they have been since graduating from MSU. “This is a very inadequate kind of study,” he said. “They weren’t asking the right questions.”

The NCTQ adopted its own standards when they critiqued the schools, not state or national requirements.

“We were set up to look bad because there was no way we could achieve some of their standards,” Simpson said.

He said it’s unfortunate that some community members may not understand that he has no control over MSU’s 120-hour cap on degrees.

“I can’t change that,” he said.

“I can’t change that you have to take six hours of history or government. These are statelevel issues. We are required to

implement them. We’ve had to reduce curriculum to fit into the requirements.”

Simpson said he found some language in the report that “took

Texas to task” for legislating the cap on hours.

“They’re taking Texas to task, but it’s the individual programs that are paying,” he

said. “It makes the programs look bad, not the state system.

If their message is that there isn’t enough consistency in programs, that’s a state-level issue.”

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The Wichitan n 7

Summer heats up the box office What’s coming this hot season on the big screen “Just Wright”

Opening: May 7 Starring: Common, Queen Latifah, Paula Patton What It’s About: Queen Latifah stars as Leslie Wright, a physical therapist who gets the gig of a lifetime working with NBA All-Star Scott McKnight (Common). Leslie finds herself falling for Scott, but he’s only got eyes for Leslie’s best friend, who’s angling to be an NBA trophy wife. Leslie must decide whether to risk everything by letting Scott know how she feels.

“Iron Man 2”

Opening: May 7 Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Mickey Rourke, Gwyneth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson What It’s About: Last we saw Tony Stark (Downey) in 2008’s smash hit, ‘Iron Man’ -- not counting his cameo in ‘The Incredible Hulk’ -- he had just announced to the world that, yes, he is indeed Iron Man. Apparently that announcement had repercussions, because Congress -- led by Senator Stern (Garry Shandling) -- would like to have a word with Stark about that super suit. And a villain named Whiplash (Rourke) is looking to have a word with Stark, too.

“Letters to Juliet”

Opening: May 14 Starring: Amanda Seyfried, Chris Egan, Gael García Bernal, Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero What It’s About: When Sophie (Amanda Seyfried) travels to Verona, Italy -- home of famed star-crossed lover Juliet Capulet of ‘Romeo and Juliet’ -- she’s moved to respond to letters left for Juliet seeking advice about love. After answering one letter from 1957, she inspires its author (Vanessa Redgrave) to find her long-lost love and shakes up her own love life in the process.

“Robin Hood”

Opening: May 14 Starring: Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett, Matthew MacFadyen, Mark Strong What It’s About: Ridley Scott directs Russell Crowe as a banished former leader who now must fight the corruption that plagues his former home. In 2000, this film was called ‘Gladiator’; in 2010 it’s called ‘Robin Hood.’ Originally told from the perspective of the Sheriff of Nottingham -- basically as a noble sheriff being terrorized by Robin Hood’s gang -- the script eventually transformed into a more recognizable telling: the first bigbudget adaptation of the Robin Hood story since 1991’s ‘Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.’

“Sex and the City 2” Opening: May 27 Starring: Sarah Jessica Parker, Kim Cattrall, Cynthia Nixon, Kristin Davis, Chris Noth What It’s About: Two years after the events of the first film, Carrie and pals head to Abu Dhabi -- of all places -- for an all-girls desert fling when NYC seems to have lost its zing.

“Get Him to the Greek”

Opening: June 4 Starring: Jonah Hill, Russell Brand, Rose Byrne, Sean Combs, Elisabeth Moss, and multiple rock star cameos.

What It’s About: Russell Brand reprises his ‘Forgetting Sarah Marshall’ role of Aldous Snow, a nearly burnt-out rock-star cliche. Jonah Hill is also doing his role from that same film, Annoyingly Hilarious Fat Guy. Instead of a waiter/fanboy, Hill is now a record company assistant attempting to bring the hard-partying Snow from London to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles. After roughly 90 minutes of vomit, booze and toilet jokes, they somehow make it to the gig.

“The A-Team”

Opening: June 11 Starring: Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, Quinton Jackson, Sharlto Copley, Jessica Biel What It’s About: In the big-screen version of TV’s ‘The A-Team’ -- the TV show about three wrongly accused escaped military fugitives (and one crazy pilot) -- Bradley Cooper plays Face; Liam Neeson is Hannibal, the man who loves it when a plan comes together; and Sharlto Copley brings the crazy as Capt. “Howling Mad” Murdock. Apparently Dirk Benedict, the original Face, approves: He filmed a cameo for the film.

“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse”

Opening: June 30 Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Bryce Dallas Howard What It’s About: In the third ‘Twilight’ film, Bella’s targeted by a vengeful vampire. And who -- or what -- is responsible for a string of mysterious slayings in Seattle? Bella’s still torn between Edward and Jacob, and her choice may be the spark that ignites an epic werewolf vs. vampire war.

“Dinner For Schmucks”

Opening: July 23 Starring: Steve Carell, Paul Rudd, Stephanie Szostak, Zach Galifianakis, Ron Livingston What It’s About: This adaptation of the French film ‘The Dinner Game’ follows rising executive Tim (Rudd), who must decide whether or not to bring Barry (Carell) as the perfect guest to his boss’s competition of finding the dumbest dinner guest.

“Beastly” “Eat Pray Love” starring Julia Roberts, “Iron Man 2” with Robert Downey Jr., “Robin Hood” with Russell Crowe and “Letters to Juliet” starring Amanda Seyfried all release this summer to theaters. (Photo Courtesy)

Opening: July 30 Starring: Alex Pettyfer, Vanessa Hudgens, Mary-Kate Olsen, Peter Krause, Neil Patrick Harris What It’s About: Kyle (Alex Pettyfer) has it all -- wealth, looks, privilege -- until he cruelly picks on the wrong girl, a Goth who casts a spell that transforms him into an unrecognizable freak. The only cure: He must find someone who will love him as he is. Will he find his true love in Lindy (Vanessa Hudgens), an addict’s daughter whose life he saves, or is he doomed to stay a monster forever?

“Eat, Pray, Love”

Opening: August 6 Starring: Julia Roberts, Javier Bardem, Richard Jenkins, Billy Crudup, James Franco What It’s About: After a painful divorce, Liz Gilbert ( Julia Roberts) finds her priorities shifting in this adaptation of the best-selling memoir. She sets out to explore the world and find her true destiny. Her travels take her from Italy to India to Bali, and she meets some unforgettable people -- including herself -- along the way.

“The Other Guys” Opening: August 6 Starring: Will Ferrell, Mark Wahlberg, Eva Mendes, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Keaton What It’s About: In a blockbuster season filled with all-star comedy casts, this is by far the most interesting. Ferrell and Wahlberg play NYPD detectives who see more action at their desks than on the streets; Eva Mendes plays Ferrell’s wife. Director Adam McKay, a longtime Ferrell collaborator, made a lot of unusual cast choices.

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8 n The Wichitan

May 5, 2010

‘The Back-up Plan’ doesn’t always work out Lauren Wood Entertainment Editor

The Back-up Plan doesn’t always work The Back-up Plan shows the audience they can fall in love, get married and get pregnant.

However, not necessarily in that order.

In The Back-up Plan, Jennifer Lopez stars as Zoe, a single pet shop owner who thought she would be married and have kids already. But after dating many Mr. Wrong’s, she makes the big decision to raise one on her own, despite her friends lack of support, and gets artificially inseminated.

That same day, she meets Stan, played by Alex O’Loughlin.

Oh, and also happens to be Mr. Right.

However, after their first date, Zoe finds out the insemination

worked and she is pregnant.

Convenient, huh?

So now she has to muster up the courage to tell Stan the big news. She goes out to his place for the weekend and after some crying, sex and puking, not in that order, Zoe tells him the truth.

We watch as the film follows the couple through the ups and downs of her pregnancy. Through the emotional mood swings, through the constant eating and through the “nothing fits me” stage, Stan tolerates Zoe. Stan has trouble accepting this situation at first, which is completely understandable since he just started dating this woman and is not the father. Not many guys I know would stick around.

But he comes to terms with it and decides to support Zoe and help her raise her child. Or should we say, children.

At Zoe’s first doctor’s appointment, she finds out a surprise: she’s having twins. The predictable plot thickens.

Lopez and O’Loughlin work well together in this flick, showing the audience how rough pregnancies can be. At times the dialogue can get a little cheesy, but overall stays somewhat realistic and true to real pregnant women.

Them as a couple however, was hard to believe because of the age difference. She looks like she is creeping well into her thirties, where he looks like he just came out of college with his sixpack and boyish face.

Although, Lopez does look amazing in this film, considering this is her first major appearance back on the big screen, and O’Loughlin shows off his abs throughout the film, which is always a plus.

nGentlemen Prefer Blondes: AN ENTERTAINMENT COLUMN

IHOP’s newest mouthwatering delight Hot on the heels of KFC’s controversial “Double Down” sandwich- bacon and cheese slapped between two fried chicken breast “buns”- IHOP has released it’s own variation of stuffing unhealthy stuff between even unhealthier stuff.

IHOP’s new “Pancake Stackers” consist of two fluffy buttermilk pancakes, slathered with a layer of cheesecake filling in between, then covered in your choice of strawberry, blueberry, or cinammon apple compote. Oh yeah, and then add whipped cream on top.

The new menu item has already attracted a lot of attention from food-health critics, who argue that ingesting the pancake stacker roughly equates to injecting pure fat directly into your heart.

And sure, the regular combo meal- which comes with two pancakes, two eggs, two strips of bacon and hash brownstaps out at over 1250 calories.

For breakfast.

But naysayers and health nuts alike have to give it some credit. The very idea of a cheesecake-pancake sandwich is pretty tasty. Dare I say, mouthwatering?

So I went out and had one myself. After I saw pictures of the pancake stackers online, I couldn’t get the idea out of my head. Every meal time, I wanted to stuff my mouth with cheesy, pancake goodness.

Jamie Monroe Advertising Manager On Saturday I finally went, and though I can’t say that the experience was as magical as my imagination had built it up to be, it was overall a tasty one.

I ordered the smallest pancake combo, which came with two of the stacker pancakes, hashbrowns and two eggs, which totalled out to $4.99.

There are other inexpensive combos that include more pork, fat, and grease, but I didn’t feel like going into cardiac arrest in an IHOP booth, so I restrained myself. I dabbled between strawberry and blueberry, but ultimately went with the latter.

When my pancakes arrived, they were beautiful. Then I dug in and everything smashed together into a glorious, purple, carb-filled mess.

The pancakes themselves were really good. I don’t generally crave pancakes very often, but IHOP pancakes

are never disappointing. The filling wasn’t so much true cheesecake as it was an overly sweet, cheesecake-type fillingsort of like the cheese filling you’d find in IHOP’s cheese blintzes or other desserts. It did have a tangy bite to it, but the cheesecake itself was usually so overpowered by the blueberries and whipped cream that you could barely taste it.

The cheesecake added a creamy layer between the pancakes. I didn’t need any additional syrup because the combination of the cream filling, the whipped cream and the fruit kept everything very light and moist. I never felt the need to slather on any syrup, which is good, because it might have put me into diabetic shock.

Overall, my meal was pretty good. It was a good Saturday morning breakfast, and the eggs and hashbrowns were a nice contrast to the endless sweetness of the pancakes.

However, I only managed to get through half of my actual pancake stacker. It was just way too much going on in one pancake to eat the whole thing.

Final verdict: I’d definitely try this again, maybe the apple or the strawberry next time, if I happen to find myself in an IHOP again. But I probably wouldn’t make a special trip just for these.

There are a few good faces that drift off and on the screen including Robert Klein as Lopez’s doctor, Linda Lavin and Tom Bosley are barely visible as senior citizens who happen to be lovers, and Anthony Anderson as a Dad Stan meets on the playground who offers him advice and a juice box.

The hilarious role in the film, however, is Michaela Watkins, who plays Zoe’s friend Mona.

Mona tries to convince Zoe right from the beginning that she doesn’t want kids and she hates hers and throughout the movie keeps us laughing.

Watkins isn’t too familiar with the film industry but has made her mark in many television shows throughout the years.

The film is a good mix of comedy and romance, with a little bit of moral lessons thrown in.

As a whole, however, it is a bit of a stretch, but fairly enjoyable for a laugh or two. And despite a saggy middle and a soggy end-

* Free Wi-Fi

Jennifer Lopez and Alex O’Loughlin star in the rom-com “The Back-Up Plan.” (Photo Courtesy)

From ‘Speed’ to Oscars to being a single mother Lauren Wood Entertainment Editor

I absolutely adore Sandra Bullock. She’s humble, darn sexy for 45, and has captured many hearts as an actress.

She was an actress that really rose to fame in the 90s with her role in Speed and While You Were Sleeping (a personal favorite) and has grown tremendously in her career. She just recently won an Academy Award for Best Actress for her role in The Blind Side and starred alongside Ryan Reynolds in The Proposal.

However even great people are allowed mistakes, hers happens to be Jesse James.

She married the motorcycle builder in July 2005 and together they won custody of his daughter from his second ex-wife, who happened to be a former pornographic actress. Red flags should have been going off for Bullock, but no, she decided to give the guy a chance.

Bullock has always said wonderful thing about her “supportive” husband, even during her interview for the Oscars. Little did she know James was skirting around behind her back.

$385

1,800

ing, it’s not too hard to like The BackU p Plan.

Number of community service hours volunteered for the Third Annual Great Day of Service. Twenty nonprot organizations and events benetted from the participation.

In March 2010, only 10 days after her shining moment at the Oscars, a scandal arose when several women claimed to have had affairs with James during his marriage to Bullock.

James responded to the rumors of infidelity by issuing a public apology to Bullock.

James declared that “There is only one person to blame for this whole situation, and that is me”, and asked that his wife and children one day “find Jesse James and Sandra Bullock were it in their hearts to married in 2005. (Photo Courtesy) forgive me” for their current “pain and not. embarrassment”.

Another thing some people Darn right he’s the only one are making a big issue on is to blame. I mean, who cheats on the fact that the baby is black. someone like Sandra Bullock? I could care less if the baby was And with some large breasted, green, purple or orange. Bullock tattooed home wrecker? Oh yes, is a good, generous person who she’s a keeper. obviously cares very much about What makes the situation this child, so drop it people. even worse is that they recently Brad and Angelina did it. had adopted a child four months Then Madonna did it. Now it’s earlier that they had managed to Sandra’s turn. keep out of the public eye. SurBeing a celebrity can be prise. tough, but being a single mother However, given the couple’s and a celebrity can really be esseparation and impending di- pecially exhausting. However, vorce, Bullock is adopting the many actresses are taking the baby, named Louis Bardo Bull- single mom route nowadays inock, as a single parent. cluding actresses Teri Hatcher, Louis was born in New Or- Reese Witherspoon, Kate Winleans and is currently on the cov- slet and Kate Hudson. er with his new mom on People With Bullock joining this magazine. group I wish her the best of luck Now there are rumors go- and commend her on her choice ing around that Bullock is now to raise the baby alone. pregnant. Considering who the Happy Mother’s Day Sandra. father is and the real winner that he is, I hope for her sake she’s

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May 5, 2010

The Wichitan n 9

Artistic Expression Graduating seniors to display portfolios at Juanita Harvey Gallery Lauren Wood Entertainment Editor Graduating art majors will showcase their artwork at the Juanita and Harvey School of Visual Arts foyer gallery at MSU.

The exhibit will run from May 7 until July 30.

The show is a compliation of mixture of disciplines in both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional design.

Receptions for the exhibition opening will be held on Friday, May 7 from 6 to 8 p.m.

Simon Welch

Marsha Hofbauer

Lindsey Burks

Simon Welch’s works display his focus in both Metalsmithing and Printmaking that opens the view to a new world of super heroes and science fiction.

Marsha Hofbauer’s works consist of both ceramics and metal sculptures to make a connection between the body, mind and spirit.

Lindsey Burks’ works consist of archival digital prints blending photography and graphic design elements into stylized movie posters.

“I began to hone my skills in metalsmithing, creating contraptions that combined artistic design with engineering born in the age of classic science fiction.

“It’s hard to believe that at the half-century mark in my life and after years of being a nurse and raising four kids, that I would unearth an unexpected new passion. Discovering the ability and desire to make sculpture; to shape and mold clay, hammer metal, weld steel, pour bronze and to carve wood are skills that have proven to be deeply fulfilling.

“Portraying my prize-poodle childhood by making movie posters showing the confused-o-rama of being an eccentric infant, trapped in an eighty year-old woman’s mindset and morphing into the all too-perfect woman I am today is side-splitting comedy to me now.

My inspiration is older, type-heavy, cheap and cheesy posters like James Bond, Pulp Fiction, Anatomy of a Murder, and Gun Crazy.

They all tell an epic story through overdramatic statements, bloody-screaming reds, Barbie-doll hot pinks, theatrical blues, and villain-heavy blacks.”

The Inventions that I created to aid these men of valor were a combination of cold and hot connections and found objects.

What you see before you are my original contraptions on loan from the Depository of Imaginative Machines. I have been allowed to show my works again for a short period before the techniques used to create them are released to the public.”

My work is a reflection of the external and internal characteristics of the people around me that inspire me to look beyond appearances. Pieces that are figurative intrigue me the most and it is my goal to make a connection between the physical aspects and the emotional, intellectual, and the spiritual side of us.”

10 n

The Wichitan

sports

May 5, 2010

Live to Ride

Cyclists band together for unique lifestyle Travis Paul

B

For The Wichitan

Photos by Loren Eggenschwiler

erend’s Landing, a 104-yearold co-op and grain elevator in downtown Wichita Falls, hasn’t seen much grain or livestock feed pass through its doors in decades. Its offices, however, are still being used daily.

This place of solitude is home to an elite breed of athlete. Cyclists on MSU’s Team Arrow have coined it “The Complex.”

Four men and one woman of the A-Class Team, the most skilled and experienced riders, live here.

Who’d guess they would choose to tuck themselves away in an all but forgotten corner of the city, far away from campus.

“We live with our training buddies,” said Jason Short. “We get moral support during the times of the year that are meant for training and not partying.”

The Arrows keep each other in check.

“Being around our team keeps us serious and helps us avoid bad influences,” said Danny Robertson.

“Oh…wow!” is Tiffany Stew-

art’s explanation of being the only female resident. The other cyclists are Mike Lalla and Tyler Matthies.

The red-brick and aluminum structure has only two windows.

Entry is by way of a faded, dentriddled, brown metal door with a peephole. Inside, the walls are adorned with pictures, posters and flyers of bicycle races. Some of this wall art, they smilingly admit, is hanging to conceal holes in the walls.

The Arrows all share one common reason for staying here – cheap rent.

“Most of us don’t have jobs,” Short said. “Racing and training take up all our spare time around school work.”

To a stranger, “The Complex” is a boring, poorly lit building that gives off a faint odor of sweat, grease, bleach and coffee.

Coffee?

The Arrows have installed a coffee bar in their home.

The bar was constructed from an old dresser they found sitting in front of an abandoned building in downtown Wichita Falls.

They also scrounged up two ancient, nasty armchairs and an end table. Legs were added to

Marilyn Culliane works on paper for a graduate class in her room at the Complex.

Jason Short and Tiffany Stewart play with their dog CoCo in Jason’s room.

Tiffany Stewart moves oatmeal chocolate chip bars she made to a container.

the dresser to elevate the new bar up to belt height. The chairs were reupholstered with black vinyl and the end table was covered with sheets of racers’ numbers and sealed over with glue.

A wooden reading lamp casts an eerie glow through its dusty shade. Various espresso machines and jugs of water line the countertop.

“I just can’t stand to just sit around,” Stewart said. She and Short, bored on a weekend off from riding and racing, came up with the idea and decided to put some empty space to use.

But why a coffee bar? According to fellow cyclist Francis Hamre, “Caffeine makes you go fast!” He added that caffeine increases the endurance of the riders. It also increases reaction time, decreases the effects of altitude and boosts metabolism.

Francis and other team members kick back daily in the calming atmosphere that’s become a sort of “Cheer’s” for the riders.

The bar is a relaxing place where team members, residents of the house or not, can go and sip whatever cup of brew suits their fancy. It’s a place where everybody knows their name. The only giveaway that this is a cyclist’s haven is the gravel parking lot.

Almost all vehicles sport a bi-

Danny Robertson messes with his old bike in the bike room. This room is used for storage and maintenance on the bikes.

sports

May 5, 2010

The Wichitan n 11

Mustangs come back to take down Angelo Chad Steele

For The Wichitan It would take extra inning in both matches to overcome Angelo State, but the Mustangs keep up their winning ways.

The first game started tough for the Mustangs as they were held scoreless through the majority of the game and faced a daunting 6-0 ASU lead going into the bottom of the sixth.

Kristina Gutierrez faced tough opposition as she took the circle for the Mustangs.

Gutierrez struggled as she gave up two home runs including a two-run bomb in the second A Mustang readies and a solo in for a catch. (Photo shot the top of

by Patrick Johnthe sixth. ston) Gutierrez would allow six runs off seven hits, five strikeouts, and three walks.

Immediately after that the Mustangs got the bats started.

The ASU starter, Chelsea Nelson, had kept the Mustangs quiet through the first five innings and only allowed one hit.

Courtney Bingham, Mallory Mooney and Brittney Tanner got the offense started as they recorded three singles in a row to load the bases.

Nelson pitched tough and fought through the situation and only allowed one run off a RBI-

Women golfers

make history MSUmustangs.com

A Mustang stirs up some dust in an April match against Incarnate Word. (Photo by Patrick Johnston)

single by Nicki Duff that cut ASU’s lead down to five.

The Mustangs would again load the bases in the bottom of the seventh, when McKenzie Sickler and Elena Bennett drew walks and Natalie Rodriguez reached on a single.

Mooney then drilled a oneout single to right field that allowed Sickler to cross the plate and cut the bring the Mustangs within four runs.

With two outs, Lauren Craig delivered a rallying two-run single to right field to plate Rodriguez and Bennett and cut the lead to 6-4. Mooney was able to score and unearned run

after the ASU second basemen couldn’t control a ground ball off of Duff ’s bat.

With the tying run on second, two outs and in the bottom of the last inning, Alyson Reynolds roped a single to center field allowing Craig to score and send the game into extra innings.

Katie Petersen came in to relieve Gutierrez. Petersen would retired all six batters she faced, five being strikeouts. The senior from Plano won her 22-straight decision and improved to 23-2 for the season.

Duff would once again come through for the Mustangs in the bottom of the ninth with her

walk-off single to center.

The second game would be just as closely contested as the first and would once again need to go into extra innings to determine a victor.

The junior Tanner would get the start in the pitching duel as she faced off against ASU’s ace April Haywood.

The teams were deadlocked 0-0 through regulation play.

Tanner, the Burkburnett native, held ACU to four hits, with six strikeouts and one walk. Tanner claimed her fifth shutout of the season and her eighthstraight win to improve to 18-2 for the season.

Bingham’s double in the eighth would drive in the lone winning run. This was Bingham’s 18th double of the season.

Midwestern wraps up the season with the program’s best regular season record at 48-6.

The mustangs are also one a school-record 16-game winning streak that they are hoping to carry over into the post season. The Lone Stare Conference Championships begin next week in Durant, Okla.

The Mustangs will open the tournament facing either Tarleton State or Texas A&M Kingsville in the opening round.

AMARILLO – Freshmen Taylor Klutts and Kendra Whittley made history Sunday afternoon as the first Midwestern State women’s golfers to compete in the NCAA Division II postseason.

The duo advanced to the three-round Super Region 4 tournament at the Par-72, 6,072-yard course at the Tascosa Country Club.

Klutts and Whittley have their work cut out for them to be the first individuals to advance to the NCAA Division II Championships May 12-15 in Mesa, Ariz.

Klutts, a Lake Kiowa native, carded an opening round 82 (+10) which is eight strokes back of tournament leaders Spencer Heller (Sonoma State (Calif.)), Katie Sharpe (Western Washington) and Darcy Lake (Cal State-Monterey Bay) who all shot matching first-round 74s (+2).

Whittley opened with a round of 85 (+13) to stand 43rd in the field of 49.

Tarleton State carded a team total of 310 (+22) to take the first-day lead by four strokes over Sonoma State, Cal StateMonterey Bay and Angelo State which all fired opening round totals of 314 (+26).

Klutts and Whittley begin the second round on the 10th hole at 8:30 a.m.

Follow Klutts and Whittley live courtesy of GolfStat and West Texas A&M Sports Information.

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