March 22, 2017 by The Wichitan and Wai Kun

March 22, 2017 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 81 No. 23

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY MICAH COOKE

Micah Cooke, mathematics junior, poses for a photo pretending to hold up a boulder, March 19.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY SARAH GRAVES

Sarah Graves, mass communication freshman, poses for a selfie as actor Jesse Williams takes her phone to capture the photo.

PHOTO CONTRIBUTED BY NATTY CERVANTES

Natty Cervantes, business sophomore (front), with her friends before heading out for another day at South Padre Island during spring break.

Adventurers thrive in free time BRENDAN WYNNE FEATURES EDITOR

South Padre Island. Colorado. Los Angeles. These are just a few places that students visited during spring break last week. With an entire seven days free of class work, professors and deadlines, students spent their spring breaks in a variety of ways. “Some of my friends from back home offered to take me to South Padre for spring break, so after some convincing, my parents said I could go,” Natty Cervantes, business sophomore, said. “I’ve never done anything like this for spring break, so I was really excited.” Cervantes spent four days in South Padre Island and saw dozens of other MSU students. “It felt like everywhere I turned, I saw someone I recognized from campus. It was so crazy,” Cervantes said. “It was really the place to be.” While many students saw South Padre as the vacation hot spot, many students found themselves in a wide range of locations and circumstances.

“I didn’t get to do anything super fun, per se, but I did get to move into my new house,” Haley Kelley, theater performance freshman, said. “I’ve just been living in an apartment for a year, so to finally get an actual house where my dog can run around and go outside, it’s a little crazy.” Kelley, whose free time consisted of painting, packing and moving furniture, said that although it wasn’t an entirely easy process, it was well worth it. “Sure, I end up sweaty and covered in paint spatters, but it’s all worth it when I step back and take a look at where I am in my life,” she laughed. “It’s a good place.” While some students found themselves hard at work during the break, others took full advantage of the opportunity to catch up with old friends. “A few childhood friends and I took a camping trip up to the Grand Canyon really early in the week,” Sarah Graves, mass communication freshman, said. “Honestly, getting to hang out with them was like old times, and it’s always fun to revel in nostalgia.” Though Graves said her camping trip was

memorable, it was her latest adventure that she said she will never forget. “I went to Paleyfest in Los Angeles to meet the cast of Grey’s Anatomy, the television show, and honestly I’ve never been happier,” she said. “Ellen Pompeo, one of the stars of the show, actually gave me her autograph on a sticky note and I’m going to frame it. I got pictures with just about all of the cast, so it really was just a dream come true to meet the people you’ve adored on TV for so long.” Marketing senior Frank Cruz also visited Los Angeles for two days, but for a different reason. “I’ve always dreamed of working in L.A., so I actually went out there to apply for jobs,” Cruz said. “I want to work for a dance studio out there.” Cruz also did a few tourist-y things — he walked around downtown Los Angeles and even paid a visit to Buzzfeed and Santa Monica Beach. “Downtown L.A. is no slow life. It was a busy two days, but I had a great time,” Cruz said. For the rest of spring break, Cruz headed

down to Austin with his sister, his friend and his sister’s boyfriend. They visited the HOPE outdoor gallery, the famous “I love you so much” mural, Sixth Street and iconic restaurants such as Gourdough’s. Unlike some students who sought out the sun and sand, students like Micah Cooke, mathematics junior, found comfort in the charm of alternative cafes. “I got to go to Colorado over break, which was just what I needed,” Cooke said. “I got to go hop around unique, alternative little coffee shops, and got to just sort of bask in environments that really spark creativity and inspiration. There was a coffee shop that had this special book on a shelf, and when I opened it, it was filled with lists of all of the random people who had visited the shop. It was really awesome. The weather and people were wonderful, so that was a real plus. Of course, I also did some rock climbing while I was there. How could I not? I’d go back in a heart beat. My spring break was exactly what I needed to make it through the rest of this semester.” Additional reporting by Kara McIntyre.

2 | March 22, 2017 |

S TAF F E DI T O R I A L

SGA needs to get it together OUR VIEW: After three cancelled meetings that still remained on the event calendar, SGA officers needs to properly communicate meeting details.

tudent Government Association had its meeting on the university event calendar, and a handful of students headed over to Dillard 101 for the meeting last night. They were met with a giant empty room — some were not informed that the meeting was cancelled. If the event is displayed on the event calendar, it’s expected that it will happen. That’s what the calendar is for — it gives students the opportunity to see everything going on across campus and have the chance to go if they want. If something is cancelled, take it off the calendar. No one should waste their time wandering somewhere only to be disappointed. SGA is now on its third cancelled meeting, and some of its members didn’t even know that officers were out of town this week. Several said they did not even receive an email that the meeting would not be held. It’s time to get it together.

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Vol. 81 | No. 23

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Love’s Labour’s Lost worth every second

went to see the production of Shakespeare’s “Love’s Labour’s Lost” on March 4 — this is the third play I’ve seen put on by the theater department. I loved the previous two I had seen, so I had high expectations. Boy, were they met. I loved every second of the play. Looking over the program beforehand, Brittany Williams and seeing there were five acts, I expected the play to be long and drawn out; however once it started, I found myself lost in the production. When the 10-minute intermission came, I hadn’t expected that it was already 9 p.m. The storyline was relatable, and even though the script was Shakespearian speech, I was still able to understand what was happening because of the perfectly cast troupe. I loved having the Harry Potter aspects in the play. It brought setting from the 16th and 17th centuries to the present and added humor to the plot. The inclusion of characters and elements, like wizardry and wands from the Harry Potter books, allowed the actors to have more fun with their characters. It made the play less formal and made it more inclusive for younger audience members and people who don’t easily understand Shakespeare. I completely agree with Director Christie Maturo’s decision to set the play in a school and to have the magical elements. Like she says in the director’s note in the program, the play

isn’t one of “Shakespeare’s strongest plays in terms of plot.” Adding the school setting and using elements of magic, the audience isn’t asking why the four girls come to the school or why the men didn’t recognize the girls. Anyone who has seen the Harry Potter movies or read the books would be able to understand what was happening and tie it back to events that happened in Harry Potter. Maturo did an amazing job writing and directing the play and making it more accessible to the target audience of college students. I left the play with a smile that wouldn’t leave my face. Even though this play wasn’t inclusive in involving the audience like “A Christmas Carol” did, I still felt involved. A significant amount of humor was directed at the audience, not the other characters. Directing humor at the audience can be a turn off, but the way it was included into the plot worked well. It was subtle, not dramatic. It was in the actor’s facial expressions, “tripping” across the stage, or throwing a paper off the stage. Joseph McGinn, who played Berowne, had the best expressions. A character would say something weird and he would look out to the audience with this expression like, “what is this fool talking about?” I loved every aspect of this play. If the theater department ever put it on again or extended the dates of showings, I would go see it again in a heartbeat. Brittany Williams is an English sophomore.

What I’ve learned through undergrad research

typical week of research begins by meeting with James Masuoka, associate professor of biology, to discuss the preparations that need to be made for our experiment. Preparations include calculations to determine proper dosages, creating stock cultures of Candida albicans, which is a fungus that grows yeast and other filamentous cells, as Alyssa well as making media for the yeast to grow in. Bell While it sounds simple enough, there are specific procedures and instruments that are used to ensure accuracy throughout our experiment. For instance, in an undergraduate biology or chemistry lab, a graduated cylinder may be used to measure liquid in milliliters. In a research lab, a long sterile glass pipette would be used with an automatic pipette controller to confirm precision. In simple terms, we use several different measuring instruments just to measure liquid — and this is just one of the instruments I had to quickly learn to use to maintain an accurate experiment. Our experiment this semester is to determine if serotonin, regulating cyclic body processes, transmitting impulses between nerve cells and constricting muscles — is inhibitory

EDITOR: Kara McIntyre MANAGING EDITOR: Leah Bryce FEATURES EDITOR: Brendan Wynne DESIGN EDITOR: Justin Marquart DESIGNER: Noah Fazekas PHOTOGRAPHERS: Timothy Jones, Robin Reid, Arianna Davis, Joanna Ortega ISSUE STAFF: Brendan Wynne, Brittany Williams, Alyssa Bell, Caleb Martin, Robin Reid, Garet Gill, Mercy Yermo, Arianna Davis, Cortney Wood, Joanna Ortega, Greta Lazzaratto, Samuel Sutton ADVISER: Bradley Wilson

on four different yeast strains including Candida albicans and Candida parapsilosis, which is a fungal species that has become a significant cause of sepsis and of wound and tissue infections. Since serotonin comes at a higher cost, the inhibitory characteristics of tryptophan and indole, which is similar to tryptophan, will first be tested since the chemical structures are similar to serotonin. The inhibitory characteristics will then be calculated by determining the minimum inhibitory concentration or MIC range of each strain. As a clinical laboratory science major, participating in undergraduate research has taught me basic laboratory procedures, the proper use of instruments, and how to maintain the equipment. Working in a laboratory with an experienced professional has given me a glimpse into my future career as a medical laboratory scientist as well as shown me the importance of learning the techniques and practicing until each experiment is perfect. I strongly encourage anyone interested in undergraduate research to ask your professors if any opportunities are available. Undergraduate research is a great way to get hands-on experience as well as one-on-one time with a professional in any field you may be interested in. Alyssa Bell is a clinical lab science junior. Copyright ©2017. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and the Associated Collegiate Press. The Wichitan reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication. Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reflect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before intended publication. Letters should be brief (250 words or fewer) and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a email address, telephone number and address.

| March 22, 2017 | 3

PHOTO BY TIMOTHY JONES | THE WICHITAN

Nathan Jun during his talk, “A Field Guide to Fascism: Conservative Politics in the Age of Trump” March 9 at Clark Student Center.

Students feel fascism has no place on campus CALEB MARTIN REPORTER

n the wake of a new president, administration, policies, and executive orders the nation appears to be divided between supporting or condemning the new president and his administration. MSU is no exclusion from the divide, as students have rallied in opposition of and for President Trump’s policies and executive orders. There have been a slew of words to describe President Donald Trump. One word has become increasingly associated with the POTUS in the last month: fascist. According to Google Trends, “fascist” has had a parallel increase in Google searches to “Trump” since President Trump’s election on Nov. 8, 2016. The political ideology of fascism embodies some of the most extreme beliefs of the conservatively right side of the politicalideology spectrum, but over time, according to Nathan Jun, associate professor of philosophy, fascism has “evolved.” In a poll held by The Wichitan, 38 percent of the voters said they believe fascism is alive and well at MSU. 30 percent of the voters disagreed, and 32 percent didn’t know what fascism is. “I can’t walk around around campus without seeing someone with a Trump hat or sticker on,” Nissa Khan, psychology

sophomore said. “If any of these people were to be caring a gun which they are allowed to do according to the conceal carry rule on campus and they adhere to fascist, racist, xenophobic, islamophobic, homophobic ideologies they could quite honestly kill or injure people. So yeah, I definitely think students are feeling less safe at MSU.” Kalli Root, English junior, is disappointed in the current administrations and the “fascist direction” it appears to be headed in. “I didn’t think any of those things had a place on campus or in American society, but they’re here nonetheless,” Root said. “Of course I’m sure there will always be people who hold fascist or misogynistic or white supremacist ideologies, but the America I believed in was about overcoming those things. The America I believed in champions ideas such as ‘by the people for the people’ and ‘liberty and justice for ALL.’ Fascism is starkly at odds with these principles.” Safety is a large concern because of fascism’s extreme-right political ideologies. “I feel less safe on campus knowing that there are more than a decent number of Trump supporters here,” Root said. “I don’t necessarily mean to imply that I think everyone who supports Trump is dangerous. In the Cheeto’s own words ‘some, I’m sure, are good people.’ But clearly hate speech

and racism and sexual assault isn’t a deal breaker for them if they can support having someone guilty of all of those things in a position of power, and that definitely makes me uncomfortable. I live on campus , so it’s even more disconcerting to know that people with that mentality are so close.” Jun presented A Field Guide to Fascism: Conservative Politics in the Age of Trump on March 9, proposing the question “to what extent has fascism infiltrated our most powerful and political institutions, chief among them the presidency,” suggesting that President Trump and his administration are mirroring some of the same political ideologies as past fascist governments like Nazi Germany. Jun isn’t suggesting that President Trump wants to commit mass genocide, but that President Trump and his administration share some similarities with the Nazi party such as rampant sexism, control of the mass media, obsession with national security, religion and government intertwine, corporate power protected, labor power suppressed, disdain for intellectuals and the arts, obsession with crime and punishment, rampant cronyism, corruption, and fraudulent elections. Some have argued against labeling the president a fascist, stating that he and his administration have only adopted some,

not all, of the fascist ideologies. President Trump and his administration have moved to completely dissolve federal programs that support the arts, including the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. The tension between supporting and condemning President Trump and his administration is apparent at MSU, where rallies have been performed to speak against some of the actions taken by President Trump, and when there is a rally, there is almost always an opposition, a few students who outwardly support President Trump and his administration’s movements while students speak out against them. Some students are shocked by the opposition and the amount of people on campus taking sides with President Trump. “I’ve seen several MSU students make really negative posts on social media, criticizing and trying to discredit campus protesters,” Root said. “I’m consistently shocked by the number of people, especially young people, who are not only ok with, but supportive of an administration that blatantly continues to give misinformation and ‘alternative facts’ to the people it claims to serve.” Those who support fascism are coming out in support of the president. “Fascism is alive in the United States,” Jun said.

4 | March 22, 2017 |

PHOTO BY ROBIN REID | THE WICHITAN

Christa Cooper, head barista, pulling shots at Odd Duck Coffee on March 21.

Odd Duck Coffee

sets itself apart from other coffee retailers

ROBIN REID REPORTER

Customers were welcomed into Odd Duck Coffee for its grand opening at 8 a.m. on March 18, where they were met with smiles from employees, plenty of natural light from the open windows, a bright splash of turquoise, 11 different origins of coffee, as well as a menu of specialty drinks and some snacks. “Less than a year ago, we got our start by literally selling our roasted coffee beans out of the back of our car at the farmer’s market. To go from that to having our own roastery is amazing,” Ted Klopf, owner, said. “It is all because the people of Wichita Falls supporting us and they certainly showed up to support us at our grand opening.” Naming a business is also naming a brand, and Odd Duck Coffee acquired its name from an unlikely source, a pet duck. Ducks imprint on what they see around them soon after birth. “I’m in the Air Force and I was stationed up in Oklahoma City. It was actually my and my wife’s anniversary — we were in Bricktown on the riverwalk there and someone, was releasing a baby duck into the water. It was freezing cold out and baby ducks can’t survive that,” Klopf said. “It lost consciousness so I scooped it out of the water, put it in my pocket, ran to the car. I put it in front of the heater and came back. He imprinted on me, or I imprinted on him, and so I was mom.” Having a pet duck and keeping a clean home takes some skill. While Odd Duck may

seem like an odd name for a coffee shop, it is “My main focus is going to be quality over fitting for the goals the Klopf family has. quantity every time and if you don’t like it, we “I’m trying to figure out how to keep it from want to make it right,” Klopf said. pooping all over my house so he wore diapers. Inspired to learn how to roast coffee during He was this little duck running around the a trip to Zihuatanejo, Mexico, Klopf knew he house in diapers, so he was odd in that sense,” had to learn how to recreate the same freshly Klopf said. “He was raised around dogs, so he roasted coffee experience at home. thought that he was a dog. Any time anyone “We were there on vacation and there would come to the door, they would go to was a small coffee shop that looked a lot like the fence barking, he would this, actually. They did what run with them and he’d be we are doing now, they roasted quacking all the time. He was in their shop and they had the just my little odd duck.” barista bar where people could The Klopf’s want to create a try their different coffees and different culture surrounding I had never tried fresh roasted coffee than most coffee coffee before,” Klopf said. “I retailers and a different culture was used to drinking Folgers or for their employees. Maxwell House and so I tried it “We want to do things — I was just blown away at the a little bit different than taste of it. It wasn’t bitter, it was most ‘coffee shops.’ Coffee smooth, just all the possible shops serve coffee that other qualities that comes with fresh people have roasted. We buy roasted coffee.” the green coffee beans, roast Once home, Klopf relied on them in house and serve Google searches to start him on TED KLOPF them fresh,” Klopf said. “We OWNER OF ODD DUCK COFFEE his journey of learning how to are a coffee roastery first roast coffee and experienced and a coffee shop second. We want to focus many trials and errors along the way. primarily on roasting, and that part of the “I learned you could roast coffee with a shop is secondary. We really want to create popcorn popper. So I ordered the first one an atmosphere with our employees and our and started down the road of roasting coffee customers of family and community.” and screwed it up a lot,” Klopf said. “The good Aside from creating a feeling of community thing about learning that way is there’s no and family, Odd Duck Coffee strives to temperature dials, there’s nothing that tells provide customers with a positive experience. me where the bean is at. You have to rely Public servants and students who show their totally on your senses, the sights, the smells, I.D. receive 10 percent discounts. the sounds.”

“My main focus is going to be quality over quantity every time and if you don’t like it, we want to make it right.”

It took him a few years, but once he figured out the art of creating a good roast, he had to be able to supply family and friends with the coffee they were requesting. Eventually, the Klopf family made their way to Wichita Falls, where they began to sell their coffee at the farmer’s market. “My curiosity and my interest in it just kept growing. So I started stepping up to bigger and better roasters because family and friends were wanting it and I just couldn’t keep up with the demand. When I got stationed here, a friend of ours who had been drinking our coffee lived next to the woman who runs the food co-op here in town,” Klopf said. “She tried it and she wanted to supply it for her coop. At that point, I thought we can step it up a little bit and maybe create a business out of this.” The downtown coffee shop has been years in the making for Klopf and his wife Andrea. Enlisted in the United States Air Force as a KC-135 crew chief, Klopf deploys often which means spending less time with his family. Deciding to open their own business has been a leap of faith, but one they were ready to make. “I’m in one of the most deployed jobs in the entire military. I’m gone for the majority of the year, every year and I have a 3-year-old daughter, Addilynn, at home,” Klopf said. “I’m signing paperwork to get out of the Air Force and we’re making this a full-time job. She is why I am doing this.” Odd Duck Coffee is located at 717 7th St. in downtown Wichita Falls.

MONDAY-FRIDAY | 6:30 A.M. TO 6 P.M. SATURDAY | 8 A.M. TO 4 P.M. SUNDAY | CLOSED

| March 22, 2017 | 5

Talent show to be held March 25

organization would host an event like this,” Adrian Lopez, education freshman, he Sri Lankan Students’ said. “I love that this organization is going organization (SSO) is hosting a out of their way to showcase the talents of talent show on March 25. Starting many other cultures and diversities.” The Show Currently has at 6 p.m. at Akin Auditorium there will be numerous acts including a martial arts approximately 16 planned acts all from different backgrounds routine, a tribal dance and and diversities. This type a Sri Lankan native dance. event will mark the largest “We really want to in organization history display the diversity that and one of the largest and MSU has to offer. We did most unique shows in MSU not want to just showcase history according to the Sri Lankan culture, we organization’s website. want to facilitate more Students have never had connection across MSU,” the opportunity to attend Tharusha Wanigasekera, THARUSHA WANIGASEKERA or perform in an event SSO president, said. SSO PRESIDENT such as this, sponsored A Sri Lankan and organized by students performance only would be significantly easier to organize and fund, for students. “Right now we’re still trying to secure a but the organization has a larger goal than entertainment. This performance, is few more sponsors to help with the last bit as diverse as the audience of students that of funding,” Wanigasekera said. The SSO is primarily funding the are hoped to attend, it is aimed towards performance through the organization’s unity and multi-cultural diffusion. “Honestly I hadn’t heard that much collection of “dues” (fees collected from about the event before this conversation, members). The rest will come from but I find it very admirable that an corporate sponsors. GARET GILL REPORTER

“We really want to diplay the diversity that MSU has to offer.”

THOR race brings out students for charity MERCY YERMO REPORTER

o raise money for the Wichita Falls Streams & Valleys and the Leadership Wichita Falls program, Texoma’s Hellacious Obstacle Race (T.H.O.R.) will be held on April 8 at Lucy Park. “We are very excited for this year’s THOR. We are hoping it will be even better than the past races since each year, it seems to get only better than the previous one,” Michael Boyle, event chair, said. The race starts in Lucy Park and twists by the Wichita River, along the Falls, through Camp Fillers and back to Lucy Park. Obstacles and mud riddled trails define the run. According to business sophomore Luka Gebel, T.H.O.R. proved to be an extremely challenging but fun experience. “I really liked the way it was all set up. It was tough to get over some of the obstacles, but that’s what made it

fun,” Gebel said. “I keep doing it each year because of the adrenaline rush, and the satisfaction that comes from knowing I finished it while helping great organizations.” A specific award is not given to the first place finisher, but according to Boyle, finishing the race is its own prize. Kylee Gorney, nursing sophomore, said she hopes her first time participating in the run will be one for the books. “I’ve heard it’s a lot of fun. I’m looking forward to running and conquering the obstacles. I’m kind of nervous, but it should be awesome,” Gorney said. The cost to participate is $50 unless the participant waits until the morning of the event, which will cost $60. For children, the run costs $30.00, and on the morning of the event it increases to $35.00. “We can’t wait to see the outcome and the fun this run will bring this year. It should be memorable,” Boyle said.

An empty Student Government Association room on March 21.

PHOTO BY ARIANNA DAVIS | THE WICHITAN

SGA fails to inform members about meeting ARIANNA DAVIS REPORTER

tudent Government Association members scattered outside of Dillard Room 101 as they wait for their weekly Tuesday meetings. the March 21 meeting was cancelled, brining the cancelled meeting tally to three. Approximately five members waited inside the empty meeting room, unaware of the cancelled meeting while others gathered outside, asking each other if they know what’s going on. Shingai Mapuvire, computer science senior and senator for the Arts and Literature Society, was one of the first members to show. “I was informed that there was a meeting, but not that there wouldn’t be anyone actually there,” Mapuvire said. “An email would have been nice.” According to Shayla Owens, SGA president, however, an email was sent out and an announcement during the last meeting declared there would be no meeting the Tuesday following spring break. “Per the executives being in Austin, we

could not facilitate a meeting this week,” Owens said. Kudakwashe Bepswa, management junior and African Student Organization senator, also said he did not get an email. “I came from class like I normally do, which ends at 6:50, and there was no one here. I checked the student center and Bolin, came back and still nobody was here,” Bepswa said. “The vice president of my group even reminded me about the meeting.” Damian DeSilva, newly elected vice president of SGA, mentioned that the meeting was still posted on the calendar and that to his knowledge, there was supposed to be a meeting. However, he also said he had previous knowledge of the executives being out of town and could be a reason as to why no one was showing up. Bepswa, along with a few other members waiting in the room, were not aware of the executives even being out of town. “There’s no protocol that I’m aware of for this sort of thing. This is the first time this has happened to me. I guess we just go home,” Bepswa said.

CINEMARK D I S C OUNT T I C K E T S PHOTO BY TIMOTHY JONES | THE WICHITAN

Movie goers in line for tickets and food at Cinemark theater for the discounted tickets on March 21. On Tuesday’s movie tickets are discounted to $5.

6 | March 22, 2017 |

Symposium to present honor students’ research March 25 CORTNEY WOOD REPORTER

he Redwine Honors Program’s 11th Annual Honors Symposium is scheduled for March 25 at 10 a.m. in Dillard 189. The event will compile honors students research projects and offer a chance to present the findings followed by a faculty panel to discuss cultural diversity and contributions to their success. According to Juliana Lehman, assistant director, the honors students will present a wide range of topics that “showcase the academic research done” by the students. Although the event is open campus wide, Lehman said the attendance usually runs between 30-40 people. However, the presentations cover topics from psychological research to current events which interests a larger variety of students Lehman said. “We’ve had topics all the way from snake

venom to Japanese manga and the presidential debates in the past,” Lehman said. “It’s fun to watch the students engage with the presentations and ask questions about the topics. Sometimes they ask something and blow away the professors there to critique the presentations.” Dr. Salim Azzouz, biology professor, Dr. Jeff Hood, math professor, and Dr. Magaly Rincon, engineer professor, have volunteered to critique the presentations before the students present them at the Great Plains Symposium the following week and will conclude the event with a panel discussion on cultural diversity. The honors students selected Azzouz, Hood and Rincon because of their culturally diverse backgrounds and experience intertwining the differences honors program treasurer Brooke Benson, nursing junior, said. Neither Azzouz nor Rincon are from the Unit-

ed States while Hood, an American native, has relatives from Scotland. he honors program has various students from foreign countries like the caribbean and Germany that Lehman said sparked the initial interest in the cultural diversity topics. “The honors program chose diversity because it is constantly brought up in conversations through the media,” Benson said. “We wanted to focus on cultural diversity, and these professors have experience first had at the benefits.” According to vice-chair Luke Saunders, psychology and sociology senior, the symposium offers non-honors students the opportunity to see what the program orchestrates and hopes this encourages students to learn more about the program. “Apparently we have a lot more people outside the organizations coming to the symposium, and it will be interesting to see how

it goes,” Saunders said. “I’m interested to see what the faculty will have to contribute to the event because of their experiences and listen to what they have to say about it.” The audience connection to the presentation “brings life to the event” Benson said and encourages the honors program to continue the symposium. “Some students can be intimidated by professors, but when they see them present information and share their backgrounds, relationships can be built,” she said. “These professors and students have spent extensive time on various projects and we get to come together and show that to people and each other. At times, the honors students will disconnect from each other, and through this event we get to reconnect and discuss classes and interests that have inspired us over the time apart from one another and it’s worth noting these discoveries.”

MSU the first to witness robot officiate a wedding HERBERT MCCULLOUGH REPOTER

obotics engineer and computer science professor at Oregon University Heather Knight was the guest speaker for the Artist Lecture series on March 21. In this lecture series, Knight talked about her field of robotic engineering and introduced MSU students to Ginger a robot, who is apart of a robot theater company called Marilyn Monrobot. Ginger works as a computer that can talk and walk. Students were also the first to see Ginger officiate a wedding. “Marilyn Monrobot is the intersection of robotics and the performance of theater or film,” Knight said. “I contribute to the academic community in writing research papers and so on. I also create robots based on entertainment and I run a robot oil festival. I do comedy with my robots so that entertainment stuff is under Marilyn Monrobot.” Many of the students who have attended claimed that their favorite part of the lecture was seeing the robots. “I got excited just for the robot,” Catherine Stepniak, psychology and sociology senior, said. Knight did a robot comedy performance at a TED convention. She explained that the presentations for TED require a lot of rehearsal and time. There are also people in the organizational committee who give presenters feedback on their presentations and rehearsals. “I think I was getting texts from one of the members of the organizational committee at 11 p.m. because she just thought of something else from my presentation that she had seen in the afternoon and she wanted to chat with me during the reception,” Knight said.

PHOTO BY KARA MCINTYRE | THE WICHITAN

Heather Knight, robotics engineer, asks the audience a question while Ginger the Robot momentarily sits idle. The TED committee also helps the presenters in framing their presentations. “People at TED are amazing story tellers, and so they help teach people to tell their stories,” Knight said. This includes the increasing numbers of robots entering the workforce in the manufacturing and service sectors. “Human-robot interaction is really important right now since robots lead factories and close doors,” Knight said. “They are entering our real lives such as driving cars or robot vacuum cleaners. There’s a lot of funding right now for robot package delivery.” They are many challenges robots and people face as the workforce becomes more automotive. She concludes that robots must

deal with negative public opinion about their presence. “People must also learn how to share space with the robot going through a hallway and figuring out who goes through the door first,” Knight said. “Social intelligence is the new branch of artificial intelligence. It will make or break the acceptance of robots into human society” Once she began building robots, her love for them began as well. She also started working with robotics as a freshmen in college with Cynthia Breazeal, founder of Robotics Engineering and Social Robotics. “It was really inspiring to be working on technology that you didn’t need to explain,” Knight said. “People can walk in a room and

just interact with a machine that is is like an animal, or a child.” In the field of robotic engineering, Knight said she expressed the importance of bringing artistic and diverse perspectives into robotic engineering. Any human perspective such as cultural, gender and socioeconomics is phenomenal. “I think that robotic engineering needs as many creative minds as it can get, and diversity is always a fantastic thing.” Knight said. “We’re designing machines for people, so you want to have all of society represented in prioritizing what matters.” Knight also gave advice for those who wish to become robotic engineers and explained the vast potential for what robotic engineers can do. “Have fun,” Knight said. “With Wiimotes and Raspberries and just being able to go into 3D print stuff, there are so many opportunities for creating things.” There is also the enjoyment Knight has in the storytelling, such as other’s personal experiences with robots. She said she also enjoys thinking about the possible human characteristics robots can have when connecting with people. “I love things like the first robot competition and seeing people building robots,” Knight said. “I also think there’s a lot of room for thinking about robot characters and robots that can connect with people and even anti-social robots. I think that playing with that human machine interphase is where the future is.” Matt Park, dean of students, explained the cost of having her at this event. “It cost about $10,000 plus the overnight hotel,” Park said.

M O V IE REVIEW

| March 22, 2017 | 7

About 50 students play Archery Tag with UPB JOANNE ORTEGA REPORTER

W PHOTO COURTESY WALT DISNEY MOTION PICTURES

Emma Watson and Luke Evans in Beauty and the Beast.

‘Beauty and the Beast’ remake fails to give reason for existing I go into different movies with different expectations. With John Wick Chapter 2, I went into it hoping that we would get more of what made the first movie great. I Tyler went into Fifty Shades Manning Darker hoping to feel an emotional connection between its two lover. For Beauty and the Beast, I wanted this movie to give a reason warranting its creation. When I first heard that Disney planned on remaking its beloved classics into live action format, I immediately was against the idea. To me, I saw this as a way for Disney to use the name recognition of their previous hits to make a quick buck. You don’t have to come up with any new characters, stories, or universes because the material already exists. A name like Beauty and the Beast (or more recently The Jungle Book) will instantly sell tickets because people cherish the properties dearly. The only way I could justify remaking these movies would be to add a new perspective that enhances the story and universe. Does this new Beauty and the Beast pass the test? Unfortunately no. Beauty and the Beast is as close to a carbon copy of the cartoon as you can get, with a couple of minor exceptions that overall have no great consequence in the film.

This film’s sole purpose is to be Beauty and the Beast; nothing more, nothing less. Throughout it, I felt no artistic vision. It felt completely uninspired and seemed like all they wanted to do was remake Beauty and the Beast. If you go into this film just wanting to watch a remake of Beauty and the Beast, you will have a good time. As for how the movie stands up on its own, the most I can say about it is that it’s competent. It is not revolutionary in its execution. It simply gets the job done. The editing is mediocre. The directing is okay at best, and the acting is just fine, with the exception of Josh Gad who is my personal favorite in this movie. The best parts of the movie were the set designs and the music. The sets were well done and beautiful. There was a sense of craftsmanship that went into making them that was refreshing to see in this movie. I also enjoyed the music. The orchestrations are well done and hard not to sing along to. In conclusion, I couldn’t help but feel disappointed. I wanted it to be more than a mediocre retelling of a movie that we already know and love. I hoped to get a sense of artistic vision and wanted to see director Bill Condon explore the universe giving his own voice. What I got was an experience that made no difference whether I saw the movie or not.

ith spring beginning and Texas’ warm temperatures coming back, University Programming Board decided to bring students outdoors and keep them in the sun for a longer time than their walk to class. UPB members hosted Archery Tag on March 21 in the free-play fields where students were able to play with friends and pair up to win the game. The event was held from 11 a.m.-5 p.m., giving students a chance to participate in the game, no matter their class schedule. Organizers divided the Archery Tag field with a “safe zone” and had the teams on opposite sides. Players hid behind the inflatables and used them as a guard from the flying arrows. Two instructors part of CEP Incorporated guided students who were not familiar with shooting an arrow and taught them the basics. UPB student members asked students to sign waivers before taking part in the activity, although they provided students with safety features like a face mask, bows and foamed-tipped arrows. “We brought Bongo Ball and Bubble Soccer in the past and we had never had Archery Tag here, so I figured it’d be really fun for the students to do,” Student Activities Coordinator Ruby Arriaga said. According to Arriaga, the event cost more than $2,000 to put on and was brought by CEP Incorporated, a college activity agency. CEP workers came down from Michigan, setup and provided all the equipment for students to use. Robert King, criminal justice junior, said he enjoyed everything about Archery Tag, especially the

PHOTO BY JOANNE ORTEGA

Back arched, Selvian Peters shoots arrow while playing Archery Tag. competition between the players throughout the game because he has done archery before. Arriaga said around 50 students showed up to take part in the activity, but it was not what she had hoped for and was expecting for at least 100 students to attend. She said she got a lot of good feedback from the students who did go play Archery Tag, even though not many attended. Charlotte McDaniel, nursing freshman, said she enjoyed that it was something new and liked shooting other people with the arrows despite that she got hit first. “I saw it on Twitter and thought it looked fun to do,” McDaniel said. UPB’s next big event will be the week-long activity, Humans vs Zombies, on April 17.

Toolbox Thursdays develop leadership skills office deals with a lot of organizations on campus, and we saw that there was a need for organizaoolbox Thursdays is open to all students, tional and leadership training across the board,” Brown said. held in CSC Caddo meeting room from noon-1 p.m., and On campus, students are inoffers opportunities to improve volved in organizations or in manaskills and become acquainted with gerial roles, such as greeks, athletic those abilities. teams, international students orJesse Brown, student organizaganizations, or RA positions. Britions coordinator, said the event is anna Eipper, nursing junior and RA, inclusive of various campus organiagreed that her role requires leaderzations. ship and managerial skills. “It’s an interactive workshop “As an RA we are put into a posiBRIANNA EIPPER where we deal with management, tion that is concerned with leaderRESIDENT ASSISTANT finance, leadership and any other ship, managerial and organizationorganizational aspect,” Brown said. “It’s open to al skills,” Eipper said. “Leadership is a key part of all students, and every week we try to involve dif- maintaining healthy relationships with our resiferent organizations on campus.” dents.” According to Brown, there is a need for organiStudent Development and Orientation memzational and leadership training on campus. bers hope for increasing participation, which will “We decided to create this event because our help develop this workshop further. GRETTA LAZZAROTTO REPORTER

“Leadership is a key part of maintaining healthy relationships.”

8 | March 22, 2017 | MEN’S TENNIS Overall | 6-5 • PCT | .545 WOMEN’S TENNIS Overall | 7-3 • PCT | .700

Tennis teams continue streak against Metro SAMUEL SUTTON REPORTER

he men’s and women’s tennis teams both grabbed a win on March 21, continuing their undefeated streak at home. The women’s team came in with a 7-3 record and were ranked 21 in the NCAA, while the men’s team was 6-5 and ranked 15. Both teams have played well at home, and Head Coach Scott Linn said it’s because they play to the home field advantages of these courts. “Most places we play are more spread out with six courts on each side, while we are more bunched up with four on each side, and we like that,” Linn said. “We have an expectation to win at home, and we train to our advantages at home.” Another reason for the team’s current success, according to math and psychology senior Ramon Toyos, is good teamwork. “It’s always a matter of everyone helping each other. Our wins give each other confidence to keep playing hard, and keep fighting,” Toyos said. He also said the teams are doing a good job of keeping opponents from getting free points. On the women’s side, mass communication junior Amy Clifton said the success is due to

specific practice and better attack. “We go into practice, both in singles and doubles, and work on specific drills. We’ve been doing a great job of taking those drills and putting them into action during games,” Clifton said. “We also have been doing a better job of attacking the ball.” While they have been playing well, there are still some things that they need to work on, according to players and coaches. Linn said the key thing they need to improve on is keeping up the energy. Clifton agreed, but added that they are working hard in practice to improve that. “In practice, we primarily work PHOTOS BY RACHEL JOHNSON on energy, positivity and focus. This helps us work well as a team,” Clifton Ramon Toyos, mathematics and psychology senior, returns the ball to during a doubles game against Metro State at the MSU Tennis Center. said. These teams have been doing well this season, and Linn said they are pretty young compared to last season. “We had a lot of strong seniors last year, who worked reallya hard, and they helped become quarterfinalists, but this team is young. They’re still learning,” Linn said. The men’s team improved to 7-5, while the women’s team moved up to 8-3. Both teams will head to Shawnee, Oklahoma on March 25 to take on Oklahoma Baptist at 10 a.m. and Newman (Kansas) at 3 p.m.

Dylan Hall, mass communication sophomore, reaches for the ball during a doubles game against Metro State at the MSU Tennis Center. Daria Panferova, mass communication junior, returns the ball during a doubles game against Metro State at the MSU Tennis Center.