Sept. 20, 2017 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 82 No. 4
Fain Fine Arts evacuated with smoke in building
PHOTO BY ELIAS MAKI | THE WICHITAN
Juliana Matthew, exercise physiology sophomore, signs the poster at the community gathering. Taylor Robinson, exercise physiology junior, signs the poster.
CHLOE PHILLIPS REPORTER
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fter the smell of smoke filled the Fain Fine Arts C-wing, students, staff and faculty were forced to evacuate by Martin Camacho, dean of Fain Fine Arts, and firefighters late Tuesday night. “Fain is set up on three circuits. Two of them were down, so one of them was overworking to compensate for that,” Camacho said. “That’s when the smell of smoke came.” Firefighters ushered spectators away to clear area in case they needed to move equipment in the building. “I smelled smoke in the printing studio while I was working. Maintenance came in and said it was just the air conditioning belt malfunctioning,” Rachel Ross, art junior, said. “At least I finished my work before I had to evacuate.” While routine classes were going, Alberto Veronica Lopez, resident artist faculty member, said his initial thought the scent came from “one of the pieces the students made had gone wonky.” According to Ann Marie Leimer, associate professor and chair of the Juanita and Ralph Harvey School of Visual Arts, the smoke started around 7 p.m. while she was in her office. After the severe thunderstorm warning in Wichita County, the dining hall closed early due to the power outage. Electricity and internet problems also occurred in several residence halls and apartments, including Sundance Court, McCullough-Trigg and Legacy Hall around the same time. Additional reporting by Kara McIntyre and Cortney Wood.
About 700 people gather to support injured football player [Editor’s note: The Wichitan staff has confirmed late Tuesday evening that Robert Grays died after injuries sustained in Saturday’s game. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and the football team during this time.] CORTNEY WOOD FEATURES EDITOR
About 700 people supported cornerback Robert Grays, general business sophomore, at the community gathering Monday. “This is not a vigil, but a service for strength for those hurting for Rob,” Bill Maskill, head football coach, said as he
opened. “He is a guy you’ll love to be around, and as I walked up here I want to make sure this is a support for him and his family.” Immediately after Maskill opened the floor to the crowd for words of encouragement, Bryce Martinez, business sophomore and wide receiver, strode to the podium. “People think it’s going to take a miracle — Rob is a miracle, the things he would do are miraculous,” Martinez said. “He’s the smallest dude I know, the strongest dude I know, the biggest heart I know.” Suzanne Shipley, university president, Stephen Santellana, mayor, and Jennifer Renner spoke to encourage the community
to “hold your heads up” in times of duress. Adrian Seales, criminal justice junior and running back, who is also from Grays’ hometown, said Roberts brought “positive energy to the game” and he feels “lost without him.” While Grays and his family are in Houston, Santellana said his Mustangs family will continue to keep him in their thoughts and prayers. “It’s sad that we have to gather at an event like this, just to bind us together, but let it fuel you, because although I didn’t meet his family, I am 100 percent proud to stand in front of this Midwestern family,” Santellana said.
GET A NEW HEADSHOT • HAVE FUN IN INSTAGRAM • LEARN LINKEDIN • WHY SCHEDULE TWEETS? • DRONES • BUILD YOUR BRAND
Monday • Sept. 25 • Legacy Hall MWSU.EDU/SMDAY • COME-AND-GO SCHEDULE
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STAF F E D I T O R I A L
Hispanic Heritage Month for more than just Hispanics OUR VIEW: Everyone needs to care about Hispanic Heritage Month, not just Hispanics.
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Emotional support animals, the truth
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ental health is a pressing matter — depression and anxiety can be considered taboo, especially in the African-American community. We don’t talk about it. We have people grow up with destructive coping methods, like alcohol, drugs or self-harm, because they never talked about these issues as children. We have children Jaylon growing up in households without outlets to Williams express their emotional distress. We also have people who just try keep their mental health issues to themselves. These are the people we never see having a bad day. They struggle with these issues alone, because there is a stigma attached to depression and anxiety. That’s why it makes me happy to see people actually taking the steps to reclaim control of their life by addressing their mental health, . I have an 11-year-old black lab mix named Cocoa, who is registered as my ESA to help me with my depression and anxiety. I’ve raised Cocoa since she was a puppy, so she has been with me my entire life. These first few weeks of school have been so much better with her here, even though I was apprehensive about her coming with me at first.
ispanic Heritage Month began on Sept. 15 and continues into mid-October. While the Hispanic Heritage Month committee puts on events throughout the month to celebrate Hispanic culture, we feel that it should not just be Hispanics that participate. For a country founded on beliefs of inclusion and integrity, we tend to prioritize White Anglo eing a single mom, part-time student Saxon Protestant values above any other culand part-time employee at Chipotle ture. Divisions between skin and faith interfere are three things that don’t go together with the central integrity we hold dear to the smoothly. I lose sleep, spend 90 percent of my core American values. time running around like a chicken with its head cut off, doing my makeup with one hand With all the problems involving racial tenand changing a diaper with the other (not resion in the world, it’s more important now than ally...well, only sometimes). Rachel ever to pay attention and care about other culIt starts off like this. Wilson 7 a.m. Alarm one. What’s today? Montures. With the DACA announcement expressday for work, or Tuesday for classes? Okay, it’s Monday. What ing how the leadership of American believes, do I need to do? Did I even plug my phone in last night? Nope. citizens must rally together when pitted against Whatever, it’s only the first alarm. I’m going back to sleep. 7:28 a.m. Brooklyn, my sweet, 14-month-old daughter is one another. crying. Why is she crying? I had two more minutes until my It’s important to appreciate a big part of alarm — couldn’t she have waited? American culture and an even bigger part of 7:30 a.m. Diaper is changed and baby and I are laying in American history that, regardless of political my bed, but she’s squirmy and ready to start the day — I wish beliefs, we cannot erase by putting up a wall or I was. 8 a.m. I’m up, dressed and getting Brooklyn dressed. I need revoking DACA. to leave in 15 minutes, but she’s clingy today and won’t let me Last academic year, 17 percent of our stuput her down without crying her eyes out. I’ve done my makedents were Hispanic. We should all support our up with one hand. I guess this is parenting. By 9 a.m. I’m clocked in to work, already missing my daughfellow Hispanic students, no matter our own ter and not ready to go to class at 2 p.m. I have to go home, ethnicity. change and grab my backpack before class, too. And I can’t
I was uncomfortable when she first got here, especially when I had to explain to people why she was here in the first place. I have never been comfortable talking about my mental health, and I saw Cocoa as a walking symbol of what I have to endure every single day. I could feel the awkwardness in the air when I introduced her to people and explained to them what an emotional support animal is, let alone why I need her; however, I’ve started to see a gradual shift in the way people interact with me. Students I didn’t even know started asking me about how they could go about registering for an ESA, especially when living in housing. People would confide in me about their mental health and would ask me about other campus resources. Slowly, I’ve started to become much more comfortable with explaining why I had my emotional support animal and with discussing my own mental illness. I no longer feel ashamed about having depression and anxiety, because Cocoa signifies that I am addressing my own mental health and that I am willing to do whatever I need to do to regain control of my life. She is not a symbol of depression and anxiety — she is a symbol of strength and, quite frankly, she’s adorable. Jaylon Williams is a sociology senior.
Living the student-mom-working life
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even remember which class I’m probably going to be late to.
wichitan Vol. 82 | No. 4
Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room D201 3410 Taft Blvd. Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 • wichitan@mwsu.edu thewichitan.com • @wichitanonline
2:02 p.m. I’m late. I hate being late — it’s rude. I walk in and all eyes are on me. They have no idea about the stress I’ve endured from work or that I’m already chastising myself for being late. My professor says hello and tells me to take my seat. 2:50 p.m. We’re out. I have to walk across pretty much the entire campus to Fain Fine Arts, where another 20 sets of eyes look at me as I walk in late. My anxiety strikes all over again and I look to the floor as I take my seat. My professor, excited to see me, calls me over and asks me to help another student with her project. 4:50 p.m. Class is out and daycare closes at 5:30 p.m., so I need to go get Brooklyn. I walk all the way back across campus, set down my backpack in my apartment and get to my Jeep. 5:05 p.m. I’m hitting every single red light in town. I’m going to be so late to get my daughter. Next thing I know, I’m waking up at 12:13 a.m. on the couch with the TV still on and my phone in my hand. I fall asleep on the couch far more often than I’d like to admit. I drag myself to my bed and sleep until 7 a.m. when alarm one goes off again. This isn’t a typical college student’s daily life, but it’s my life. When I see Brooklyn’s pure smile and hear her attempt to say “momma,” I know I would walk through fire just to be with her. I don’t regret anything, even if I’m running on fumes all the time. Brooklyn makes every dirty diaper, every temper tantrum, every late night worth it. Rachel Wilson is an art senior.
EDITOR: Kara McIntyre
Copyright ©2017.
VISUALS EDITOR: Justin Marquart
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.
BUSINESS MANAGER: Brendan Wynne ISSUE STAFF: Chloe Phillips, Cortney Wood, Jaylon
Williams, Rachel Wilson, Tyler Manning, Tre’ Jones, Halie Aldridge, Zarya Maniato, Brittany Hill, Graig Tidmore, Judelle Tyson, Makayla Scheck
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Elias Maki, Marissa Daley, Shea James, Harlie David, Rachel Johnson
ADVISER: Bradley Wilson
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.
| Sept. 20, 2017 | 3
Faculty discuss sanctuary cities bill TYLER MANNING REPORTER
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o educate students on how Texas Senate Bill 4 will affect campus and Wichita Falls policing, the Office of Equity, Inclusion and Multicultural Affairs hosted a forum on Sept. 18 in the Legacy Hall Multipurpose Room. “Wichita Falls isn’t and has never been a sanctuary city,” Manuel Borrego, Wichita Falls chief of police said. “We are probably not going to change anything that we aren’t already doing now.” The forum was the organization’s first meeting apart of its new Critical Conversation series, a series of forums that will be hosted every third Monday of the month aimed towards educating students about various social issues. Patrick Coggins, campus chief of police, along with Borreg, and David Barbosa, facilitator and adviser to Café Con Leche, spoke at the event. Senate Bill 4 aims to eliminate sanctuary cities, cities that limit the amount of cooperation with the federal government in immigration policy. Officers who do not cooperate with federal immigration authorities will be charged with a Class A Misdemeanor. These penalties also apply to campus police. The bill also allows local police to inquire about immigration status of people they lawfully detain. “Immigration policy is not something that is normally enforced at our level,” Coggins said. “I don’t see Senate Bill 4 affecting a lot of the ways we’re going to do things. Campus law enforcement, especially, doesn’t normally engage in immigration law enforcement.” According to Coggins, students will not see a significant change in policy considering that they do not normally enforce that policy to begin with. According to Borrego, immigration status is only considered in a serious situations, although city police doesn’t normally handle immigration policies, however, he encourages discussion on controversial laws. Officers can inquire about immigration status to anyone legally detained — even just
PHOTO BY MARISSA DALEY | THE WICHITAN
Patrick Coggins, chief of police, talks to Syreeta Greene, director of equity, inclusion and multicultural affairs, about Immigration and law enforcement for the Critical Conversation Series held in the Legacy Multipurpose Room on Sept. 18. for being pulled over. Police roles have shifted from “guardians” of the community to “hunters.” “I know that this Senate bill is concerning to the community and as a police chief, I want my community to feel safe,” Borrego. “If this is keeping them from feeling safe, then it’s contradictory to what we are trying to get ac-
complished in the city.” Syreeta Greene, director of equity and inclusion and multicultural affairs, said, “When SB4 was a hot topic in the spring, my first concern was how this would impact students knowing that we do have a number of undocumented students who attend our institution. As an office here to support historically mar-
ginalized and under-represented students, I wanted to make sure that we all had clarity.” Barbosa said, “It [Senate Bill 4] is a very timely, critical issue for our Hispanic community. Folks are very stressed and anxious about what is going to happen. I’m hopeful that what the police chief said has maybe created a little more comfort.”
Student, organizations gather for iLead TRE’ JONES REPORTER
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o encourage students to engage with peers to succeed, Student Development and Orientation and Student Government Association members put on the iLead Leadership Conference on Tuesday Sept. 19 in Clark Student Center. “This conference is about an investment in yourself,” Jesse Brown, student organization coordinator who organized the conference,
said. “You can go to different tracks to learn about what resources we have here at the university, how to develop leadership skills and learn how to run committee meetings.” Along with the three different tracks, the focal point of the evening shined on keynote speaker Pete Mockaitis, author and podcaster with more than 1 million downloads, as he discussed his blueprints to generate success for organizations. “I wanted to talk about how you have one year to make success go in your moment, your
year, your time of student leadership,” Mockaitis said. “One that will leave your successors with a model to follow instead of a mess to clean up.” Mockaitis provided a small montage of motivational speeches he found called, “20 Motivational Speeches in Two Minutes.” He followed this up with another example of what he thought a good leadership quality was. “Commitment is my first thought when I think of a good leadership quality,” he said. “I
think if you really care about your organization and the people in it, then that will cover a multitude of things.” About 100 students signed up to attend, and Representative David Farabee made an impromptu appearance to talk to students about service oriented leadership. According to Brown, out of the six or seven years for the event, “this was the largest iLead conference so far.”
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New animal rights group emerges ZARYA MAIATO REPORTER
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PHOTO BY SHEA JAMES | THE WICHITAN
Zavala International Dance company entertains MSU students while they enjoy their traditional tacos at Viva MSU on Sept. 15. .
Viva MSU kicks off Hispanic Heritage Month HALIE ALDRIDGE REPORTER
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ispanic Heritage Month kicked off the second annual Viva MSU event on Sept. 15 in Legacy Courtyard. According to Ruby Arriaga, head coordinator for student activities and grad student, the Hispanic Heritage Committee created the event. “It’s a way to educate the community about Hispanic culture and to have a fun kick-off for the event,” she said. “They have been doing this since last year and definitely want to make it bigger as the years go on.” They served fajitas with chicken or beef and the Zavala International Dance company performed four different songs from different parts of the country. The variety of music and food connected the community through various cultural activities. “It’s my culture, my heritage and my identity,” Arriaga said. “This year’s was a great turn out. They tried to represent all of the countries at this event because one country does not represent Hispanic Heritage Month, it’s all the countries. Each culture is different within the country.’’
Different people, such as business management junior Kari Bell, like to embrace different cultures and learn new things whether it’s the music, the clothes and dancers. “I’m all about embracing the culture and it’s a new experience for me. I was excited to see what the dancers where going to do, and I also didn’t know about this event last year.” She said the dancers stood out to her the most out of the event. “It was so cute to see how cultured the kids were,” Bell said. The best thing that brings most people together is food. “The food was really good, the fruit was the best part and I liked the set up,” Bell said. “The decorations were nice and the DJ played the right music for the occasion. I would definitely go back next year. The experience there was a great one.’’ Jada Propes, political science junior, said she enjoyed meeting new people and seeing a new culture. ‘’I came to see what the culture had to show you and I enjoyed myself,” Propes said. “I would definitely come back next year.’’
UPCOMING HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH EVENTS: • Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. | Movie screening of “Selena” • Sept. 23 at 6:30 p.m. | Soccer tailgate party • Sept. 26 at 6 p.m. | Comedian: Francisco Ramos • Sept. 28 at 7 p.m. | Hispanic Leadership Panel • Oct. 7 at 1 p.m. | Calle Ocho • Oct. 11 at 6 p.m. | Latin dance class
assandra Gomez, radiology sophomore, is trying to push for something new on campus—an animal rights group. Gomez, like many other people, loves animals and wants to help prevent and reduce animal cruelty. People for Animal Welfare is an animal rights group on campus. Students on campus have heard from PAW due to their spot in the Student Organization Fair, but some have heard of it through their Twitter account. “By educating the student population at Midwestern State on animal abuse, we feel it will help students see the positive impact they can have even if that is very small. It is a stand for the animals, by giving them a voice they do not have,” Gomez said. PAW plans on doing philanthropic work and assisting with the animal shelters around Wichita Falls, such as the Humane Society. Their mission
is to help lessen the unethical treatment of animals, and the best place to start is local. As well as donating, PAW will be spending time at various organizations around Wichita Falls doing volunteer work. Gomez wants to start something good for animals with no way to speak for themselves. PAW won’t just be advocating for household pets, though. PAW plans to target all animals that need help. Kerrigan Reyes, psychology sophomore, agrees with the central message of PAW, as well. Reyes said she is very invested in helping cease the cruelty towards animals that people are labeling as pests, such as raccoons. Reyes said, “I honestly think that they’re very important. They have bone structures similar to most pets and they have very similar behaviors.” PAW will be starting small and local, Gomez said, but later they can expand.
FIRST MEETING: Today
Science Cafe opens at Frank and Joe’s BRITTANY HILL REPOTER
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here was not an empty seat in sight as the College of Science and Mathematics kicked off the beginning of the Science Café with a huge success at Frank and Joe’s Coffee House on Sept. 14. “This is way better than what we were expecting. We were expecting maybe a couple dozen people and we have more than 60 here today,” Margaret Brown Marsden, dean of science and mathematics, said. Marsden and others discussed topics such as volcanic rocks, how volcanic rocks are formed and the way algorithms work and are used. “It’s really cool to introduce something like this to the community, especially the little kids. It shows them that it’s okay to ask questions and to
learn about the world and science,” Courtney Kohl, history sophomore, said. The organizers of the event also provided 50 free drink tickets and 50 special edition T-shirts made with the Frank and Joe’s logo worn by the staff at Frank and Joe’s and given away to attendees. The success of the first café meant that the faculty can try many other events, according to Marsden. “This absolutely makes us more excited for the future. What I would like to do is bring out more topics that people may be interested in,” Marsden said. “Hopefully we can get engineering out here to talk, maybe some biology and also computer science.” Marsden said she wants to make the Science Café a monthly occurrence.
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Golden Thunder band displays new uniforms CRAIG TIDMORE REPORTER
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warm, September Saturday night sets the tone as the Golden Thunder band marched onto the field. As they moved into position, it’s easy to notice there is something different about the band this year. They are showing their true colors. There is no mistaking that the band on the field is for the Mustangs. That was one of the main emphasis that Matthew Luttrell, director of bands, wanted when they were looking at the design of their new uniforms. “You couldn’t tell it was MSU on the field in years past. It was the wrong maroon, the wrong gold, and our MSU was not readable from the stands,” Luttrell said. Getting away from the white uniforms, which some staff members said looked like nursing uniforms, was another driving force. The white on the previous uniform was hard to keep clean, and in general they were due for an update. “The shelf life for marching band uniforms is 10 to 12 years,” Luttrell said. The James N. McCoy Foundation provided approximately $80,000 for the new uniforms. The uniforms have a clear MSU logo on the chest and hats makes use of the official colors. “It reflects better on the university spirit rather than having just plain white with a little of the school color,” Anissa Williams, art freshman, said. Williams said she believes that the updated uniforms were a good investment. She echoed Luttrell’s comments, saying that it makes it easier to identify among people who don’t know about MSU. Christina Garmon, early childhood education freshman, likes the new look of the uniforms and enjoys the way they feel. “They are comfortable, adjust very well and are not so hot,” Garmon said.
PHOTO BY HARLIE DAVID | THE WICHITAN
Maura Gibson, early education freshman, performs during the halftime show during the opening game of the season.
METALS CLASS PHOTO BY ELIAS MAKI | THE WICHITAN
Evan Peterson, art junior, works on his found objects collage during Suguru Hiraide’s metals class on Sept. 19. “It’s art,” Peterson said.
PHOTO BY ELIAS MAKI | THE WICHITAN
Chrysa Jacobs, art sophomore and one student of nine in the class, works on her found art collage during metals class on Sept. 19.
6 | Sept. 20, 2017 |
Robert Pattinson in “Good Time”
‘Good Time’ — layered character writing A
good sense of direction. Great acting. Beautiful cinematography. They all enhance a movie. However, none are as crucial to holding a movie together as character. Tyler Character is the avenue Manning by which the writer gets the film’s message across. A good character can tell us a lot about life. We, as an audience, see the negative ramifications of various actions through characters making mistakes. When characters learn from their mistakes and better themselves as people, the audience learns with them. Every story should have a message and to get that across it needs to have welldefined character. A story without character isn’t a story at all. It is merely a concept. An distant idea with no emotional connection. Take for instance the most recent Star Wars movie: “Rogue One.” Although the premise is compelling (a daughter gone rogue after the separation of her and her father joins forces with the rebellion to fight against an evil space empire), the movie failed to establish its main characters, resulting in a flat, un-engaging film. No amount of good cinematography, special effects or Star Wars iconography can replace good character. A great example of movie that establishes a good character is this year’s release “Good Time,” directed by Benny and Josh Safdie, starring Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie and Jennifer Jason Leigh. The film is about Connie Nikas (Robert Pattinson) who, after a bank heist gone wrong, must come up with $10,000 to get his mentally handicapped brother, Nick, out of jail. In John Truby’s book, The Anatomy of Story,
he outlines steps on how character should be built and I would like to use this outline to show how writers, Ronald Bronstein and Josh Safdie, create the character of Connie Nikas in “Good Time.” Connie is established early on in the film as a pathological liar. It is through his own manipulation of his mentally handicapped brother, Nick, that gets Nick arrested in the first place. He is not a reliable source of information and the audience recognizes that early on, making him more engaging to watch. There is no way in predicting what he is going to say or do because he is not morally bound, nor compelled, to accomplish his goals by telling the truth. As the film moves forward, his relationships between other characters are solely based on lies, thus forcing the audience to be more involved in the details. The next step in character building is “Make the audience identify with the character, but not too much.” According to Truby, “Audiences identify with a character based on two elements: his desire and the moral problem he faces. The moral problem is the deeper struggle of how to live properly with others and is what the audience wants the hero to solve.” To identify with Connie the audience the audience must see his desire and his moral problem. Desire is the end goal that the character wants to achieve. It is what drives the entire narrative of the story. Connie’s desire is a noble one: raise enough money to bail his brother out of jail before he is seriously injured by the other inmates. The audience can empathize with his sentiment. He is solely responsible for his brother’s current position, so the guilt associated with doing something wrong
is transferable to audience. We all know what it is like to make a mistake and want to fix it. The urgency of his desire also lies in the danger being in jail poses to his brother because of his mental state. Being in an unforgiving environment with a handicap makes his brother more vulnerable. Connie’s moral problem lies in his inability to be transparent. The film clearly states that his manipulative nature is a problem that is preventing him from growing and changing as a person. He is given many opportunity to be honest with people, yet he constantly chooses to lie. The more he lies, the worse his situation gets, only digging him deeper and deeper into despair. Writers, Bronstein and Safdie, do a number of things to make the audience empathize with why Connie chooses to do what he does, without approving of the actions he takes. The writers provoke empathy by establishing a deep emotional connection of Connie and his desire. In the beginning of the movie, the writer’s establish Connie and Nick’s relationship. Nick and Connie both live with their grandmother, who has reportedly had a history of abusing Nick. In consequence, Connie has assumed the role as a protector of Nick. In his mind, he is the only one truly looking out for Nick. Although many of his intentions and actions are motivated by selfishness, it is clear that Connie has a genuine love for his brother. The audience finds empathy in Connie’s motivation because they have seen what Nick means to him. Everyone has made a mistake and most of us, at one point or another, have lied to cover it up. What differentiates this from sympathy is the extreme action Connie takes to reverse his situation.
Moral weaknesses stem from the psychological. Connie’s psychological weakness is his immaturity. What comes from his psychological weaknesses is his moral weakness, he is selfish and manipulative. His psychological need is that he needs to emotionally mature. I should also put emphasis of the director and actor’s roles in bring translating this character to the big screen. Yes good character writing is essential is producing a good movie, but it is also important for the character to be properly portrayed visual. Director Benny and Josh Safdie and actor Robert Pattinson do an incredible job in capturing the essence of this character. Acting is a two-man job. It is not only the responsibility of the actor to portray the role but it is also the responsibility of the director in guiding the actor’s performance to fit their vision. Robert Pattinson deserves at least an Oscar nomination for this role. It is clear that he has an extensive understanding of the character and beautifully portrays Connie in the film. He is captivating in every scene and truly elevates the film. “Good Time” is a perfect example of how to create a layered, dimensional character that the audience can empathize and identify with despite being an immoral selfish person. It shows just how far a person is willing to go cover up his mistakes and teaches the audience a lesson about immaturity, manipulation, and accountability. This is an engaging character study that exhibits excellent character writing in execution.
Rating: 9/10
| Sept. 20, 2017 | 7
Artist Lecture Series to feature Eva Mozes Kor JUDELLE TYSON REPORTER
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olocaust survivor Eva Mozes Kor will share her message of forgiveness and determination in the face of adversity during the first staging of the Artist-Lecture Series in the Akin Auditorium on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. Powered by what Associate Vice President for Student Affairs Matt Park calls a “never-give-up attitude,” Kor has emerged from a trauma-filled childhood as an example of the human spirit’s power to overcome. She is a community leader and human rights advocate. In 1995, Kor opened the Children of Auschwitz Nazi Deadly Lab Experiences Survivors Holocaust Museum and Education Center in Terre Haute, Indiana, with “a mission to prevent prejudice and hatred through education about the Holocaust,” as stated on the website. Thousands of people, including many school groups, have visited CANDLES since it opened. In 2003, the museum was destroyed by an arsonist, but with the help of a generous public outpouring of support, the museum was rebuilt and reopened in 2005. According to Park, Kor was chosen to speak on a topic that hasn’t been addressed by any other speaker in the past and her message correlates with MSU’s shared values of mutual respect.
“World War II and the Holocaust occurred nearly 70 years ago, and not many firsthand survivors remain who are available to speak publicly about their experiences. With a perspective on one of the most significant events in modern world history, Eva was selected by the students to speak about a topic not previously included in the Series. Eva’s message also relates to MSU’s shared values of mutual respect, civility, cooperation and social justice,” Park said. Mass communication sophomore Zarya Maiato said she is eager to learn about the life story of someone who survived a Holocaust as it is something she finds intriguing. “I am interested in the life story of someone who survived the Holocaust. That’s super interesting and I am interested to see what she says about things that are going on today,” Maiato said. The committee meets every spring to brainstorm and decide on featured speakers for the Artist-Lecture Series. Numerous artists, celebrity personalities, musicians and public speakers are brought to the table for discussion. With Kor being selected, Park said the committee hopes for attendees to gain a better understanding about prejudice and the Holocaust. “The committee hopes attendees leave with a deeper understanding of the Holocaust from an individual who experienced prejudice against the Jews firsthand as a resident of rural Romania under the control of Nazi Germany during World
War II,” Park said. “Eva’s story of a trauma-filled childhood turned champion of human rights is a brilliant example of the human spirit’s power to overcome and a message of inclusion and understanding relevant in today’s turbulent society marked by increasing displays and discussions surrounding civil rights.” Accounting senior Kenicia Selkridge said she hopes to gain more insight into the holocaust and get a clearer picture of how Eva was able to get through it. “I am definitely interested in finding out what her mind-set was when she was going through the holocaust, more importantly I want to know what prompted her will to survive it and eventually overcome,” Selkridge said. Heather Goolsby, mechanical engineering junior, said it is interesting to have a perspective such as Kor’s come to the school where some of the community comes from German and Russian cultures. “It is interesting to think about someone who did survive [the Holocaust],” Goolsby said. “A lot of us either had family members who did survive or were left behind in the war.” Tickets are free for MSU students, faculty, and staff with a valid MSU ID, $18 for senior citizens, active-duty military and MSU alumni and $20 for the general public. Tickets are available at the Clark Student Center information desk. Additional reporting by Justin Marquart.
FOOTBALL
Sir’vell Ford, Criminal Justice Junior and Tristan Shearman, Geoscience sophmore, tackle Stehly Reden Texas A&M-Kingsville player, to the ground at the MSU vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville at the Memorial Stadium on Sept. 16.
PHOTO BY MARISSA DALEY | THE WICHITAN
Layton Rabb, Accounting junior, he scrambles out of the pocket at the MSU vs. TEXAS A&M-KINGSVILLE game at the Memorial Stadium on Sept. 16.
Layton Rabb, Accounting junior, he scrambles out of the pocket at the MSU v. Texas A&M-Kingsville game at the Memorial Stadium on Sept 16.
UPCOMING HOME GAMES: SEPT. 30 AT 7 P.M. | MUSTANGS VS. WESTERN NEW MEXICO OCT. 7 AT 7 P.M. | MUSTANGS VS. TEXAS A&M-COMMERCE OCT. 21 AT 8 P.M. | MUSTANGS VS. WEST TEXAS A&M NOV. 4 AT 2 P.M. | MUSTANGS VS. TARLETON STATE
8 | Sept. 20, 2017 |
PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN
Avery Lewis, undecided sophomore, passes the ball to her teammate to go for the goal during the game against Oklahoma Baptist, Sept. 15. The Mustangs won 3-2.
Women’s soccer makes comeback MAKAYLA SCHECK REPORTER
PHOTO BY MARISSA DALEY | THE WICHITAN
Shelbie Graham, nursing junior, Beth Townsend, early child education sophmore, Chierra Truett, nursing sophmore, Paytan De Loof, education freshman, show their spirit in a selfie during the tailgate at the Mustangs vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville at Memorial Stadium on Sept. 16.
Students hang out at tailgate CHLOE PHILLIPS REPORTER
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aughter, and loud music filled the air. Students sporting maroonand-gold attire scattered throughout the parking lot outside of Memorial Stadium. At the first two home games of the semester, several hundred people-,mostly members of the Greek community participated in tailgating. And most leave-- never attending the game. Head coach Bill Maskill has a solution. “The key would be having an association with somebody that’s actually involved in the game,” Maskill said. “The cheerleaders, the band the players, maybe some of the coaches. The kids know the coaches and just develop a relationship with the team, so they want to be there to support the guys and girls that they know.” To persuade more students to stay after the tailgate, Maskill suggested having activities for them. “If the fans make [a field goal] they can get Dr Pepper for a year, they can get Chicken Express for a year — something of that nature,” Maskill said. While Maskill said he would like a larger crowd, he said that the team still
has motivation to play despite the numbers. “Our kids are excited about playing because that’s the reward of working all year long is to play a game,” Maskill said. “Last year we played Oklahoma Panhandle on a Sunday afternoon after the big rains and lightning on Saturday night— and there wasn’t but 100 people there.” Peter Marrufo, nursing junior, said who started tailgating at 4:30 p.m., believes the attendees who only come to tailgate “just like to hang out with everybody.” “I mean it’s a big gathering,” Marrufo said. “a lot of people are here, everybody wants to see their friends and hang out in a big setting.” Marrufo also stated that he planned to stay to support the team and that the tailgate should be extended. “I know here we stop as soon as the first quarter starts, I think it should be a little bit longer,” Marrufo said. Thomas Cook, business administration senior, not only agreed with Marrufo on the reasoning behind students not attending the game, but suggested a few locations for an on campus stadium. “It should be on the president’s lawn,” Cook said. “If the president de-
cided, you know, to tear down her house because she doesn’t really enjoy her house being that big I guess, or one of the soccer fields and the free play fields.” Yet, according to some students, there is hope. Ricinda Turner, mass communication senior and Mustang Maniacs co-chief, said game attendance has increased. “Our student section, it’s gotten a lot better,” Turner said. “Throughout the years we’ve grown and this year they’ve come out, especially the freshmen.” In contrast to Cook and Marrufo, Turner said she believes the current length of tailgating is suitable. “It ends at the perfect time. You get your little fun in, come in and enjoy the game like tailgating’s supposed to be,” Turner said. Turner said she also believes more students would attend games if there was an on campus stadium. “There’s the factor of people who don’t have cars,” she said. “So they may not want to find a ride or may not catch the bus in time to come to the game. So if it’s on campus, as in walking distance, maybe more people would come.”
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he women’s soccer team won a close game on Sept. 15 against Oklahoma Baptist, with a 3-2 final score. The Oklahoma Baptist Bison definitely gave the women’s soccer players a run for their money. OBU led the game in the first half. The score at the end of the first half was 2-0, in favor of the Bison. According to head coach Damian Clarke, the team has been having an issue with energy out on the field, which was one problem the women struggled with in this game. “In the first half, the women could have done almost everything better and had more energy,” Clarke said. “It was obvious we played against a really good team and they were creating problems we just couldn’t solve in the first half.” After the beginning of the game not going well, the fans did not know what to expect from the Mustangs. Fifteen minutes into the second half, the Mustangs scored twice, bringing the score to a tie. Avery Lewis, forward and undecided sophomore, scored at the 34:10 mark, right before Kelly Cannistra, midfielder and business freshman, scored again at the 32:35 mark. It seemed the Mustangs had finally gotten its energy back for the second half. “When we played Colorado Mines, we lost 3-0 because we started off not having the energy we needed,” Courtney Burnette, goalkeeper and nursing and Spanish senior said. “We just decided as a team that we weren’t going to let that happen again.” The game continued on as a tie and at the 30 seconds mark, overtime was bound to happen — until Lewis gave her teammates what they were looking for. She made an amazing shot at the 19 seconds mark to win the game for the Mustangs. “The final shot was a relief because we didn’t have to go into overtime, but also it was just a relief for my teammates after we worked our butt off this week and a half,” Lewis said.
NEXT HOME GAME: Angelo State University, Sept. 22, 8 p.m.