Sept. 6, 2017 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 82 No. 2
‘Because together,
Resist Hate Rally
we are strong’ pg. 4-5
Students gather with the Wichita Falls community, to protest intolerance.
Katie Koestner
pg. 7
Speaker implores students to learn the difference between yes and no.
Soccer Game
pg. 8
Women’s soccer loses 3-0 against Colorado School of Mines.
CHLOE PHILLIPS REPORTER
P
eaceful protesting, powerful speeches on resisting hate and the apparent subjectivity of hate speech. The Resist Hate Rally, sponsored by Indivisible Wichita Falls and PRIDE, was spearheaded by Kalli Root, English junior. The rally, entitled “Resist Hate” due to Root’s peaceful intentions, was intended to show that MSU students are against any kind of hatred or intolerance. Last academic year, two rallies were held in the spring semester alone — none in the fall. Root said she wanted to host a rally earlier this year because she wanted to react quickly to this message, considering the events of Charlottesville, Virginia in early August. “We were thinking that nobody’s going home, like all the students will still be on campus. And also with these kind of things, you have to react quickly. If we had waited much longer, it wouldn’t be as relevant,” Root said. Root attended the two campus rallies last semester, and she said this rally was important for students, from new freshman to seniors, to have a more accessible way to get involved and make a stance on bigger issues. “What’s easier than having it outside their dorms?” Root said. Root also stated that Sunwatcher Plaza was an optimal venue due its large space and amphitheater. She felt that the on campus setting gave an opportunity for many students to be involved and express their viewpoints. This was true for Catherine Stepniak, psychology and sociology senior. Stepniak said she decided to the attend the rally because she wanted to be supportive. “I want to show support for everyone and make sure that everyone at MSU feels wel-
PHOTO BY JUSTIN MARQUART | THE WICHITAN
John Smith, psychology junior, and Kalli Root, English junior, march at the Resist Hate rally held at Sunwatcher Plaza on Sept. 1. comed,” Stepniak said. “It’s important to stop the spread of hate and show that there are people who will fight against it.” Holding up her sign “Hate Speech Is Not Free Speech,” mass communication sophomore Zarya Maitao shared similar views to Stepniak on the importance of hosting an
event like this on campus. “It’s about showing people that no matter what hate we face, we’re still going to be here and we’re not going to back down just because there’s hate groups out there,” Maitao
see RESIST pg. 3
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2 | Sept. 6, 2017 |
STAF F E D I T O R I A L
Waiting is worth it
OUR VIEW: The first football game and tailgate should’ve been later in the semester, not the first week of school.
When campus police failed me
S
tranded in a Chili’s parking lot in 100 degree weather with no one to come help me — you would think I could call the campus police, right? Apparently not. On Aug. 23, my friend and I walked to my car from Chili’s to go to Walmart, but it wouldn’t start. I had no jumper cables and no one to help me, so I called the campus police. Alyssa Instead of bringing me the portable charMitchell ger, like I believed they would, they made me walk down to the campus police station to fill out paper work — while that seems simple, it turned out to be another hassle. When on campus, this is not that hard of a task to do. While it is annoying, it isn’t that far away so it’s not the worst thing that could happen. However, when you are get stuck off campus with no one to help you, it becomes a problem. I and two of my friends went to Chili’s as our welcome back lunch to have a good start to our year. Little did I know the three of us would be stranded in the middle of the parking lot for an hour. When in need at college, they tell you that there are many resources available, including the campus police. Most new
Everyone knows the drill. Bright lights. All day tailgating. Greeks setting up trashketball, corn hole and their giant letters in the dusty, gravel parking lot. Girls and boys alike clad in maroon and mustard yellow (which we call gold). There’s nothing like a game of Texas football. Except the first game of the year. Unlike past years, the season opener of the Mustang football team was on Thursday, Aug. 31. College football games are supposed to be on Saturdays — that’s just how it goes. We don’t rom Sept. 1-4, I had the immense privilege of attending The Penny Arcade Expo understand why they scheduled a game on a in Seattle, Washington, also known as Thursday (during the first week of classes, too) PAX West. right before Labor Day weekend. It just doesn’t For those unaware of what PAX West is, PAX West is a gaming convention held in Seattle make any sense. where game developers, famous gaming presStaff members who attended the tailgate said ences on YouTube and various merchandisers Tyler it was dead. College football tailgates aren’t host booths and panels for guests to enjoy. It is Manning supposed to be dead — they’re supposed to be a four-day event that begins on Friday and ends the following Monday. Activities for guests to participate in inlively and packed full of students. clude: playing early access video games, competing in various Sorority recruitment fell during that same gaming tournaments, meeting your favorite gaming presence, week, which meant the four sororities were attending panels and so much more. To put it simply,I have never been in an environment busy at the Multipurpose Event Center, getting with a greater sense of unity and shared identity. As I trekked dozens of brand new members instead of tailthroughout the halls of the convention floors, I could not gating at the game. This left the tailgate pretty help but feel welcomed. Everyone in the convention center empty, which means the stands weren’t too full, was there for the same reason I was — to celebrate gaming culture. We all were proud in our identity as “gamers.” We are either. the “geeks” in high school that stayed up late playing video While there were still enough attendees to games. We are the people who camp outside GameStops and give the team some energy, there would’ve been Best Buys around the country for the newest releases of this more students at the game if the season opener season’s most anticipated games. My time at PAX West was nothing short of an amazing exwas later on in the month. It would’ve been perience. The arduous hours spent waiting in line after line worth the wait.
students on campus have made friends, but not many are close enough to come get you or to jump start your car a day after meeting them. I had no money to call a business for help, actual police wouldn’t help and the only two friends that have vehicles were in the same car as me, but the campus police can’t bring me the portable battery. Not only can they not help, but they were closed for a ceremony. Police precincts should not get to close, people don’t commit crimes only from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.. I personally don’t understand why a place that’s here to help us can not help. If there is a policy about paperwork just bring it with you when you come to help. I believe that a police officer, regardless of if they are on a campus or elsewhere, their top priority is to help people. I was extremely disappointed by our campus police and the staff that work with them. Campus police should be available to help students 24/7, as long as they are in the Wichita Falls city limits and I believe that it is our job as students to hold them accountable to the oath they took to help and protect us. Alyssa Mitchell is a mass communication junior.
A gamer’s dream world: PAX West
F
wichitan
the
Vol. 82 | No. 2
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
were well worth their wait times — I was fortunate enough to play a plethora of early access games. I helped liberate a small town in the anarchic world of “Far Cry 5.” Alongside an army of Orcs, I seized an enemy fort in “Middle Earth: Shadow of War.” I even was able to play in the vibrant sandbox world of Nintendo’s biggest upcoming release, “Super Mario Odyssey.” Another highlight of PAX West was being able to meet some of my favorite online presences. At the event I attended a panel hosted by the massive gaming YouTube channel, Rooster Teeth. At this panel, the audience was treated to a couple of early screenings of some of their upcoming videos. The panelists told stories, took questions from audiences and overall made everyone in the room laugh. It was genuinely a good time. I also met my personal favorite gaming YouTube channel, Mega64. When I first had the chance to speak with Shawn Chatfield, creator of Mega64, our first conversation was one that we all always dream of having when interacting with one of our idols — we delved into the wonderful topic of fidget spinners. Later that night, they hosted a panel where they also showed early content and took questions from the audience. Overall, my experience at PAX West was one that I will never forget. With all the great memories, people and events, I am sure that this is a tradition that I will be hard-pressed not to miss in the years to come. Tyler Manning is a mass communication junior.
EDITOR: Kara McIntyre
Copyright ©2017.
VISUALS EDITOR: Justin Marquart BUSINESS MANAGER: Brendan Wynne
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.
ISSUE STAFF: Chloe Phillips, Alyssa Mitchell, Tyler Manning, Taylor Warren, Herbert McCullough, Sarah Graves, Megan Baltusis, Bridget Reilly, Mercy Yermo
Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reflect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University.
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Marissa Daley, Justin Marquart, Rachel Johnson, Sarah Graves, Harlie David ADVISER: Bradley Wilson
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.
from RESIST pg. 1
PHOTO BY BRADLEY WILSON
Matthew Hubbard and Tanner Conley, economics junior, cheer at the first home football game at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 31.
School spirit brings ‘Maniacs’ together TAYLOR WARREN REPORTER
T
hey are not hard to find. Maroon and yellow paint stripe their faces. Eight letters painted on bare chests, spelling out “Mustangs.” They are the Mustang Maniacs, a campus organization dedicated to school spirit and Mustang pride. “We are a group of students who love to attend the athletic games and show our school spirit,” Kenzie Anderson, nursing senior and Maniac co-chief said. Members of the group paint maroon and gold on their faces as a pre-game group ritual. “I enjoy painting my face for the games,” Kaelen Powless, radiology junior and yell leader, said. “It puts us in a rhythm to get hyped and pumped for the game.” To be considered an official member of the Maniacs, a student is asked to pay a $5 due and attend at least five athletic events. “We are probably one of the chillest organizations on campus to be involved in,” Anderson said. “We don’t require much except pay the due, attend the games and show as much school spirit as you can.” The Maniacs have 20 members and are looking for more students to join. “We are always accepting students
who want to take part in showing school spirit,” Rici Turner, mass communication senior and Maniac co-chief said. Any student interested in joining the Maniacs can attend the first “pow-wow” on Wednesday, Sept. 6, at 6 p.m. in Clark Student Center. Students will be able to visit with leaders and receive more information about being a Maniac.
WORDS FROM MUSTANG MANIACS
“I’ve always been one on the field playing and never in the stands yelling for my team. I enjoy being apart of the spirit in this section. I like painting my face, getting hyped and showing my support.” | Josiah Beshear, nursing sophomore “Being apart of the Maniacs is more fun than I thought it would be. I am testing out the section during this football game.” | Jonah Parker, finance freshman “I didn’t really have any impression of the Maniacs, I just decided to jump in and join them. I think our spirit helps the players mentally. | Jaecob Duran, exercise physiology freshman “If you like football or sporting events in general, you should definitely join the Maniacs. If you’re an extrovert, I recommend joining.” | Kaelen Powless, radiology junior
said. “Because together, we are strong.” Maitao also said she believes that this rally will make all students feel like they have a place on this campus, no matter their race, color, creed, sex, gender or sexual orientation. “When things like this happen on campus, it shows people that they have a place here. That they can feel safe on campus, because they can know there are people like them on campus,” Maitao said. “It’s really important to feel like you belong and that’s what we’re trying to do here.” While some thought there would be a small turnout due to the rally falling on Labor Day weekend, some were satisfied with the turnout, including Maitao and Christopher Cruz, theater junior. Cruz said he liked the idea of the rally being held during the first week of school. “It gives the campus a vibe that we’re all here for positivity,” Cruz said. “Whatever happens next, I’ll be there.” Although Matt Park, associate vice president for student affairs and dean of students, has stated that is not in his place to speak on the timing of the event, he did understand the decision to host it early on in the year. “I can certainly respect if the organization wanted to it sooner than later while the issues are still fresh in our minds and perspectives of what’s going on the national level after the Charlottesville situation,” Park said. Later on in the rally, Nathan Jun, associate professor of philosophy, Claudia Montoya, associate professor of Spanish, and Melanie Martinez, reverend at Metropolitan Community Church, gave speeches on putting an end to hate, dismantling racists institutions and not accepting hate in our society. Jun spoke first, recounting his own experience with hatred when he was 18 years old. “I was beaten within an inch of my life by neo-Nazi skinheads. I still have a scar on my face to bare witness to this assault. This country was built on a legacy of settler colonialism, genocide and channel slavery. The legacy of those institutions have never been adequately dealt with,” Jun said. “The ultimate focus of anti-racism resistance should not be battling white supremacists and their organizations, but rather dismantling the already existing forms of structural institutional racism they seek to defend and build upon.” Montoya spoke next, starting her speech with a quote from a Donald Trump presidential rally. “We know who is endorsing this type of behavior...I may not be a nice person, but I am a person of principles. You have to be sure, before you engage in anything, before you agree or disagree with anybody — first, look inside,” Montoya said. “What are your principles? What are you willing to fight for? And how? There people who join causes, without thinking of their principles, who are being manipulated by people who know exactly what they are doing.” She acknowledged counterprotestors and mechanical engineering seniors Brady Bur-
| Sept. 6, 2017 | 3
PHOTO BY MARISSA DALEY | THE WICHITAN
Christopher Cruz, theater performance junior, dances away the hate at the Resist Hate rally held in Sunwatcher Plaza on Sept. 1. ross and Nick Wolf, who stood near a tree away from the rally supporters. “They told us not to engage. Yes, you’re right to not engage with a person that puts up a stupid sign that says ‘Hate speech is free speech,’” Montoya said. “Somebody that endorses hate should be dealt with definitely and seriously. You don’t have any place here because this is a march for love, not for hate. For unity.” Rev. Melanie Martinez, the third and final speaker, opened her speech asking the attendees if they were ready to stop listening to hate and told the crowd about her own experiences with being “different.” “I am genderqueer, same-sex loving, female-bodied, and Mexican-Irish-Cherokee,” Martinez said. “I have dealt and struggled with hate all my life.” After the conclusion of these powerful speeches, Burross shared his viewpoint of subjectivity. Burross and Wolf donned dark sunglasses and a “Hate speech = free speech” sign. “My point is basically what he’s [Nick Wolf] saying over there. Hate speech is very subjective, right? And, if you end up banning things like hate speech, then it just ends up... the next people in power are going to ban what they think is hate speech. So the point is, it’s so subjective because there is no objective standard of hate speech,” Burross said. He said he feels that this argument goes back to transgender people. “We’ve had teachers in New York and Canada go to jail because they refused to call someone by their preferred pronouns. So it basically goes back to transgender people,” Burross said. “They can identify by however they want — I don’t care what a transgender person does. It doesn’t affect my life at all, but when you tell me I have to call you a certain thing or else I have to face the repercussions, that is when I have to draw the line. You can do what you want, you dress how you like, call yourself whatever but I don’t have to participate in it.”
4 | Sept. 6, 2017 |
Students resist hate, in Community, faculty help fight through rally HERBERT MCCULLOUGH REPORTER
I
ndivisible Wichita Falls partnered with Kalli Root, English junior, and PRIDE to host the Resist Hate rally at the Sunwatcher Plaza on Sept. 1. Root invited three speakers to the rally: Nathan Jun, associate professor of philosophy, Mel Martinez, pastor at Metropolitan Community Church, and Claudia Montoya, associate professor of Spanish. “I asked Dr. Jun because he did a fascism in the age of Trump lecture last semester, and he addressed the alt-right and a lot of the things that we are protesting here today,” Root said. “So I feel that he is very knowledgeable and has a strong stance on anti-hatred and will be able to speak eloquently on that matter.” Root said she was connected with Martinez through Indivisible Wichita Falls, and she thought it would be a good idea to give religious people a voice in this rally. “We thought it would be a really good idea to have a pastor here who can speak on behalf of peace. That also gives us a wider reach to a lot of people who might have written us off beforehand,” Root said. She added Montoya because she has experience in this area, as well. “Dr. Montoya has spoken about resisting hate and is also very knowledgeable on these issues,” Root said. “She has a passionate position.” As the student organizer, Root said that her position was stressful, yet exciting. “I’ve never done anything like this before,” Root said. “It was kind of cool to learn the steps you have to go through to put something like this together.” Jun said that he was volunteered to be a speaker because he supported Indivisible Wichita Falls’s aim to raise awareness against hatred and xenophobia. “Speaking for myself, these events are important for a number of reasons,” Jun said. “One of them is that they demonstrate for marginalized and vulnerable people. It shows people who have been harmed by bigotry that they have allies and they have people who want to help them and protect them.” Montoya said she was interested in becoming the guest speaker because of her support for non-violence demonstrations and her belief that all human beings, of all backgrounds, as-
PHOTO BY MARISSA DALEY | THE WICHITAN
Zarya Maitao, mass communication sophomore, Jessie Tidwell, science education sophomore, and Zaquera Wallace, biology junior, flashes color and march in the Resist Hate rally held in Sunwatcher Plaza on Sept. 1. pire to be reach the pursuit of happiness. “I have traveled the world and I’ve learned that we all are the same. We all want happiness. I think that the world doesn’t have anymore space for hate,” Montoya said. “So that’s what motivates me.” Jun also explained that demonstrations empowers vulnerable people because of the sense of solidarity they have with others. “Speaking truth to power is much easier to do with the solidarity of the people,” Jun said. Many students said that their goals in participating in this rally were to inform the public that MSU stands against hatred as well as supports other students. “I expect like-minded people to get together and make sure that the MSU campus will know that hate will not be tolerated here,” Catherine Stepniak, psychology and sociology senior, said. “I also imagine that this rally will make more students feel welcomed here.” Many student also said that they participated in this rally in order to take a stand against hatred. “Anything that’s like ‘hey, don’t be hateful’, I want to support that,” Lia Wiley, radiology sophomore, said. Montoya said that the her goal in participating in this rally was to promote the diversity of MSU and the Wichita Falls community. “We have so many students that feel vulnerable because to their sexual orientation and their religious affiliation,” Montoya said. “So coming to these rallies is a way to show them
support.” In her speech, Montoya said that standing up against hatred is important because it has a domino affect and will continue to hurt the next person. “It is important not to be quiet about it. Not only because it hurts you but because if it hurts you, sooner or later it’s going to hurt somebody else and visa versa,” Montoya said. “If it hurts someone else, sooner or later, it’s going to hurt you.” The events in Charlottesville, Virginia affected Jun personally because he had many friends who were members of the anti-fascist movement and were counterprotesting. “My friends could have been killed by fascists that day,” Jun said. “I applaud people who are willing to put themselves at risk, but I just don’t want these people to get hurt or killed needlessly.” As a member of the antifa movement, Jun said in his speech that he is the grandson of a Holocaust survivor. “When I was 18 years old, I was beaten within an inch of my life by neo-Nazi skinheads,” Jun said. “I still have the scare on my face to bear witness of that assault.” According to Martinez, the Metropolitan Community Church was founded in 1968 and it is a safe haven for LGBT people to worship. The Metropolitan Community Church promotes the issues of social justice in both the local and national level. “We knew that there was server prejudice LGBT people because they were being kicked out of their churches,” Martinez said. “We are active from local levels, like this up to the national government, having members of president Obama’s advisory group. We hope to continue to do that kind of leadership work.” Martinez said that the Metropolitan Community Church offers a place for LGBT individuals to have an open dialogue as well offers an opportunity to raise awareness of LGBT issues. “We are active in the community to remind folks that LGBT people are just like them,” Martinez said. “We’re part of the community, contribute to the community, hold jobs and pay taxes. We believe that these relationships breaks down borders between people.” According to Montoya, the events in Charlottesville and the actions of the United States government proves that the United States still
Protesters create signs to protest hate for the
has a problem with xenophobia. “The rally that we saw in Charlottesvil is an example of xenophobia,” Montoy said. “The speech that the president ha given when he was running for presiden shows you that we do have a problem wit hate and xenophobia. When he talks abou undocumented immigrants, that’s xeno phobia.” Jun said that the U.S. has always had problem with xenophobia and that the roo cause of it is ignorance. “We tend to fear those things we don know,” Jun said. “When we are in a state o ignorance about the other, we obvious don’t know the other. And it’s a short ste from fearing to hating the other.” Despite being on a Labor Day weekend Montoya said that the rally was a success.
| Sept. 6, 2017 | 5
ntolerance, ignorance
PHOTO BY MARISSA DALEY | THE WICHITAN
Nathan Jun, associate professor of philosophy, finishes a moving speech for the crowd that attended the Resist Hate rally held in Sunwatcher Plaza on Sept. 1.
PHOTO BY RACHEL JOHNSON | THE WICHITAN
Claudia Montoya, associate professor of Spanish, gives her speech to the crowd about how they should rise above hate and that love is the real way to go about things as apart of the Resist Hate rally held in Sunwatcher Plaza Sept. 1.
e Resist Hate rally held in Sunwatcher Plaza on Sept. 1.
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“The people know what they came for. I would have loved to see more people that were undecided about these issues so that they had something to learn,” Montoya said. “However, it’s good to see the new generation protesting, manifesting and expressing themselves. I would have probably changed the date. Labor Day weekend is not a good date.” Martinez said that the rally was successful because it offered students and faculty the opportunity to express their views and inform themselves. She also said that the rally could have been advertised more so that the attendance could have been bigger. “Anytime people gather together and share their views and learn from one another is a success,” Martinez said. “I would have loved to have to have publicized it even big-
PHOTO BY MARISSA DALEY | THE WICHITAN
ger and have a much bigger crowd.” Root said that the rally was successful because of attendance, the positive message the rally sent and the encouragement the rally received from the community. “We had a decent amount of people here. We spread a really positive message and we kept it from devolving into anything negative or hostile,” Root said. “We had a good audience and support from the community. We had a lot of drivers honking in solidarity while we were marching on the streets as we were passing by. So yeah, it was a success.” However, Root said that she would have loved to increase the turnout. “The bigger the audience, the further your message is going to get across.” Root said.
PHOTO BY JUSTIN MARQUART | THE WICHITAN
The crowd reacts to Mel Martinez, pastor at the Metropolitan Community Church, at the Resist Hate rally held at the Sunwatcher Plaza on Sept. 1.
6 | Sept. 6, 2017 | U PC OMING EVENTS Part-time Job Fair
Sept. 6 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. | CSC Comanche Suites | Come out and see who in Wichita Falls is hiring part-time jobs
Moffett Library Walking Tour
Sept. 6 at 2 p.m. | Moffett Library | Come take a tour of MSU’s Moffett Library
Steps to Success program kick-off Sept. 6 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. | Sunwatcher clubhouse | First Steps to Success (first-year students) and Next Steps to Success (second-year students) are programs geared towards first generation, students of color, but open to ALL first generation students. This five-session program engages students in effective strategies and tools immediately applicable for success in academic performance and personal development. Application Required. The program Kick-off will introduce students to the program, topics, expectations and benefits, as well as serve as an opportunity for students to begin building support networks. Students will engage in icebreaking activities. Light refreshments provided.
Geoscience and Environmental Science Colloquium series
Sept. 7 at 5 p.m. | Bolin Hall 127 | Dr. Richard Hanson (Professor, School of Geology, Energy and Environment,
Texas Christian University). Neoproterozoic tectonic evolution of southern Africa and assembly of the Gondwana supercontinent
Faculty Recital
Sept. 11 at 7:30 p.m. | Akin Auditorium | Faculty recital: Dr. Gordon Hicken, percussion
Moffett Library workshop
Sept. 13, 27, Oct. 11, 25 and Nov. 8 at 2 p.m. and Sept. 14, 28, Oct. 12, 26 and Nov. 9 at 3 p.m. | Moffett Library | The library will hold different workshops, the first one being “How do I start: Beginning a research project.”
First Steps to Success program #1 Sept. 13 from 4 to 5:30 p.m. | Sunwatcher conference room | This five session program engages students in effective strategies and tools immediately applicable for success in academic performance and personal development. Application required. Not like High School! Navigating college classrooms, faculty and coursework.
Next Steps to Success #1
Sept. 13 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. | Sunwatcher conference room | This five session program engages students in effective strategies and tools immediately applicable for success in academic performance and personal development. Application required. What happens now?! Things to think about in year two.
C RIME LOG Aug. 8
Drugs: Possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia | 2:08 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village | Officer dispatched to Sunwatcher Village Apartments in reference to found contraband. Upon arrival marijuana paraphernalia was found.
Aug. 15
Drugs: Possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia | 2:33 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village | Drug and paraphernalia were found during a room move-in ready check.
Aug. 18
Drugs: Possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia | 6:30 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village | Housing authority reported drug paraphernalia in an apartment at Sunwatcher Village Apartments.
Aug. 18
Drugs: Possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia | 10:57 p.m. | Sunwatcher Village | An RA making rounds smelled marijuana and called police. Individual was found in possession of paraphernalia and a citation was issued.
Aug. 27
Evading arrest | 5:28 a.m. | Parking Lot #6N | Burglary of vehicle leads to pursuit.
PHOTO BY SARAH GRAVES | THE WICHITAN
Sedona Swanner, radiology freshman, and Paige Cantrell, education freshman, play impaired dodgeball during the Texas Department of Transportation’s impaired dodgeball setup on the Jesse Rodgers Promenade on Aug. 31.
Interactive game shows dangers of drunk driving SARAH GRAVES REPORTER
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he Texas Department of Transportation brought its impaired dodgeball truck to the Jesse Rogers Promenade on Aug. 31 to promote their “Plan While You Can” campaign that encourages students to plan ahead before consuming alcohol. This interactive game shows students how alcohol effects their movements and lowers their reaction time. “Holiday weekends are notorious for a lot of drunk drivers, and Labor Day fits right into that whole bill. We are out here with the students trying to remind them that if they have a good time this weekend, that they need to plan while they still can and are still sober,” Adele Lewis, TxDOT public information officer, said. “We brought out drunk dodgeball to show them and allow them to play an interactive game that shows them what they are missing out on when they’re drunk.” GDC Marketing and Ideation was contracted by TxDOT to create the game. “A lot of people will do the drunk goggles thing, but people just say it’s blurry. With this,
as you play and take the drinks, the player’s shadow gets slower and slower,” Christian Munoz, GDC tour manager, said. “Right now as they move, the shadow is right on them. When they get to drink three, they will move and the shadow will slowly trail behind.” Students ducked and swerved to miss the ball coming toward them, but the computerized game illustrated their delayed reactions from the alcohol, and many times the ball hit them and they lost points. The winner of each game received a free box combo from Raising Cane’s. Paige Cantrell, education freshman, participated in the game and said, “This was a really fun way to show what drinking does to your reactions.” Cantrell’s friend, Sedona Swanner, radiology freshman, agreed with her and said the game was informative. “For us, especially since we didn’t know how the alcohol really effects you, it was a really good demonstration just to learn how much the alcohol does,” Swanner said. People can plan ahead before drinking by using TxDOT’s ride share program website.
PHOTO BY HARLIE DAVID | THE WICHITAN
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Katie Koestner, MSU guest speaker, shares with MSU students and administrators her personal story of being a victim of date rape and how to have a conversation about consent in Akin Auditorium Aug. 30 about 300 were in attendance. Reagan Foster, counselor, gets food from the reception held in Kiowa room in the Clark Student Center following the event, No-Yes, where guest speaker Katie Koestner spoke about consent Aug 30.
Speaker hosts conversation about consent “I think students should be informed about sexual assault “Y and date rape because you never MEGAN BALTUSIS REPORTER
ou know the end of the story before I even start.” The room went quiet. About 100 students filled Akin Auditorium on Aug. 30, but not a single one made a sound. Katie Koestner, the first date-rape survivor to publicly share her story, stood onstage in bright red slacks and a white button down, bleached blonde hair pulled back into a low ponytail, holding a microphone to her red lips as she told the audience about her rape. Koestner’s presentation, titled “No-Yes: A Conversation About Consent,” was sponsored by First Step, an emergency shelter for sexual assault and family violence victims. Koestner emphasized that she was a regular girl growing up, who participated in a Miss America pageant and eventually went away to college — College of William and Mary — a few hours away from home. At her university, all of the residence halls were co-ed, except the one she decided to live in — which was for females only. Everything was going smoothly, but during the first week of her freshman year, Koestner was raped. It wasn’t by a stranger or even by an acquaintance. She was raped by a boy she was dating.
know when something like that can happen to you or someone you know. You need to be safe and cautious at all times.” NELSON ALVARENGA EXERCISE PHYSIOLOGY SENIOR
“He’s got his hand over my head, with only one of his hands able to hold my arms there, and he’s holding my wrists too hard, and he won’t stop,” Koestner said in her speech. During her presentation, Koestner encouraged students to be part of the solution, rather than being bystanders. Through her own organization, Campus Outreach Services, Koestner
has spoken at more than 5,000 schools and organizations. She said she still struggles to speak about her personal experiences, despite visiting a new school almost every day. “It’s not fun, I think it’s always hard,” Koestner said. “It never gets simple, but you just try and think how you can potentially, hopefully make a difference.” According to management information systems senior Richard Thomas, having people like Koestner speak to college students is crucial. Thomas said, “I think it’s important because some students don’t necessarily know that no means no.” Nelson Alvarenga, exercise physiology senior and resident assistant, was required to attend the presentation. “I think students should be informed about sexual assault and date rape because you never know when something like that can happen to you or someone you know. You need to be safe and cautious at all times,” Alvarenga said. Dean of Students Matthew Park said that the prevention of sexual violence is not just on one person. “The prevention of sexual violence is not the responsibility of one individual, or one office, or one unit or division,” Park said. “It’s a collective effort, and it has to be a continual campaign and message that is reinforced over time.”
8 | Sept. 6, 2017 |
PHOTO BY JUSTIN MARQUART | THE WICHITAN
Layton Rabb, accounting junior, catches the snap in the first home game at Memorial Stadium on Aug. 31.
PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN
Raven Powell, midfielder and nursing sophomore, goes up against a Colorado School of Mines defender in an attempt at scoring a goal on Sept. 3.
Women’s soccer falls to Colorado School of Mines MERCY YERMO REPORTER
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n Sept. 3, women’s soccer fell victim to number six Colorado School of Mines in a 3-0 loss at home. “We went up to one of the best teams in the nation,” Kennedy Turner, engineering sophomore, said. “We held up together as a team, and though our effort was a bit short, we were able to keep playing as a unit until the end.” Colorado School of Mines’ Emily Townsend began the game with a header at the 20:52 mark. Later on, the Orediggers scored twice more in the final 20 minutes to pull away from Midwestern State. “Every time we play against that tough of opponents, it can be intimidating to lose, but every girl did the best she could to keep attacking in hopes of a goal,” undecided sophomore Caitlyn Rohleder said. “We now have even more motivation to keep working harder than
we have before, and hopefully win next time we play a ranked team.” With four minutes remaining in the second half, undecided sophomore Avery Lewis concluded the women’s efforts with a last shot at the opponent’s goal. “It was a last minute shot that unfortunately didn’t work out, but it didn’t discourage us from playing our hardest until the very last minute of the game,” Lewis said. Despite the loss, fans showed their support by cheering on the women. “Supporting every team we have has got to become a priority for every student,” nursing sophomore Kylee Gorney said. “By showing up, we not only show school spirit, but it can also motivate the girls to keep working hard. I really recommend coming to watch soccer; they always put on a great show.” The women will return to Stang Park on Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. in a kickoff against Colorado State-Pueblo.
Football delivers 53-6 win in season opener BRIDGET REILLY PHOTOJOURNALIST
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s the football team donned their maroon and gold jerseys for the first game of the season, the fans cheered loudly as they ran onto the field. The fluorescent lights shone on the turf and reflected off the steel bleachers. The air was warm, yet there was a slight breeze rolling through the air as the team took the field. “The atmosphere was great, football season is here and it’s the best time of the year,” Blaine Albretch, kinesiology junior and tight end, said. The team’s confidence was evident when running back and mechanical engineering junior Vincent Johnson ran 17 yards to the first touchdown of the season, six minutes and 38 seconds into the first quarter. “It felt good. I knew I was about to score because the offensive line was doing an outstanding job from the very first snap,” Johnson said. Other players felt that the game started off with high energy and that made the entire game go well. “The game went exactly as game planned. The biggest factor was our energy. We came out fired up and it translated tremendously
into our play all night. We are looking to build on that energy and enthusiasm for this upcoming road trip to west Florida,” DJ Myers, wide receiver and psychology senior, said. That wasn’t his only touchdown of the night. With 13 minutes and four seconds left in the first half, he let his excitement to be back on the field loose, and ran 61 yards to score the second touchdown of the game, extending the lead to 14-0 against Quincy University. “I was just really happy to be back on the field,” Johnson said. Halftime’s entertainment included the marching band in their new uniforms (with correct MSU colors) and shiny instruments. Alongside the band was an MSU student dancing with flames to keep the fans eyes glued on the field. As the team increased their touchdown tally, they weren’t the only ones excited to be back on the field. “I have never had a new uniform before, so to have something brand new that’s never been sweat in feels so good,” Maura Gibson, marching band member, said. The next home game will be on Sept. 16 at 7 p.m. Additional reporting by Kara McIntyre.