Nov. 7, 2018 | Midwestern State University | thewichitan.com | Your Campus. Your News. | Vol. 83 No. 10
PHOTOS BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN
Texas Senator Ted Cruz speaks to crowd in Akin Auditorium as a part of his campaign ahead of the midterm elections Nov 1. | Texas Senator Ted Cruz shakes the hand of Wichita Falls resident Rob Bellew who attended Cruz’ speech | Texas Senator Ted Cruz speaks in Akin Auditorium.
Cruz wins re-election for Senator DEMIAN PONCE REPORTER
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he Texas Senate incumbent and Republican winner Ted Cruz defeated Democrat candidate Beto O’Rourke. It was a historical night in the close race for Senate. Texas is normally a red state, but in this election O’Rourke had 48 percent of the state blue while Cruz held 51 percent to win Texas. “It’s time for a change,” Jaida Vanover, business marketing sophomore, said. “He [Cruz] doesn’t believe in the same views as me, so he isn’t the right candidate [for me]. When I saw Beto run from El Paso, Texas all the way to Juarez, Mexico that showed me that he wants unity in Texas, and that’s why
51% voted republican
I voted for him.” In a video posted on Twitter, O’Rourke was running a 10k from El Paso into Juarez as symbol of unity between Mexico and the United States. “What we are seeing in this election is that young people are coming out and voicing their opinions with their votes,” Brenda Morales, education sophomore, said. Early voting shattered previous records, and this year early voting doubled with 4.9 million voters. “I voted for Beto O’Rourke because he had strong views on increasing teachers pay, finding a more secure way to protect our borders without building a wall and he is very open
minded to ideas that can help better Texas and better America. He’s genuine and he truly cares about every Texan and their concerns regardless of party status, age, race and gender,” Tiara Wilson, exercise physiology sophomore, said. As students watched the race, they said they felt like O’Rourke was going to pull away with the votes in the beginning, but as the votes continued to be counted the confidence began to die down. The U.S. Senator from Texas is Ted Cruz. “Ted Cruz sits on a lot of boards for business and taxes and he makes lots of decisions,” Casey Albrikes, biology and chemistry sophomore, said. “He actually sits at the front
29.8
million dollars raised by Cruz
of those committees in the Senate, and if we have a new Senator they start at the bottom of that rung. I would like to keep the infrastructure of Texas in the Senate and not have to restart the building process because we have elected a new Senator.” O’Rourke raised the most money out of all candidates throughout the whole election. He raised $69,099,704, which broke an alltime quarterly fundraising record in the 3rd quarter of 2018. In the 3rd quarter, O’Rourke raised $38 million. He did not accept any money from the Political Action Committee. Cruz raised $29,819,904 using PACs. In Cruz’s 3rd quarter fundraising, he raised $12 million for 2018.
4.9
million early voters
2 | Nov. 7, 2018| S TAF F E DI T O R I A L
Hate Speech OUR VIEW: We believe hate speech has no place on our campus.
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here was a case of defacement of a campus poster advertising a multicultural studies class called Africana Philosophy Thursday Nov. 1. A racial and derogatory slur was written on the flyer, crumpled up and placed on the ground in front of the professor who will be teaching the course’s office. It is not believed to be a student, however, if it is, there will be repercussions for that student. The Wichitan staff believes the university should be a safe place for all races, ethnicities, genders and religions. This campus has a unique and diverse demographic and we would like to shape a more inclusive society and celebrate the diversity of our campus. We hope for this campus to be as safe as possible. For the university to continue being a safe place for all backgrounds, our campus should be open-minded and accepting of all differences, be it skin color or faith. Hate speech not only harms those it is intended for it, but it also hurts the community surrounding it by creating a hostile and uncomfortable environment. While we can not be protected from every incident of racial or emotional violence, we do expect there to be some level of protection against acts such actions as this. Not only is this destruction and vandalization of school property, but this is an unnecessary act of hate on our campus. We won’t stand by and let this go silently rather speak up for and defend our fellow students.
wichitan Vol. 83 | No. 10
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
A contrast of conveying a political campaign T
he week before election night, Wichita Falls hosted U.S. Congressman and Democratic candidate, Beto O’Rourke, and U.S. Senator and Republican candidate, Ted Cruz. I had the privilege to cover and interview the two biggest individuals in Texas with the whole nation watching Wichita Falls at the epicenter. Tommy As a reporter, I had prior knowledge that Chhe O’Rourke and Cruz had contrasting ideas in regards to the issues of immigration, healthcare, educational issues and the economy. Yet, what I did not have a prior knowledge of was O’Rourke and Cruz also had contrasting ideas in regards to running a campaign. When I did coverage of O’Rourke’s event, it was unceremonious as O’Rourke made a last minute stop in Wichita Falls. He was standing at a trunk of a van with a speaker up in the middle of a prairie dog park and he was trying to convey a message that there is a campaign that embraces civility upon a politics that is dividing Americans. In contrast, attending Cruz’s event required registration. If O’Rourke’s event was unceremonious, Cruz’s event was the
opposite. There was music being played throughout the Akin Auditorium as the crowd awaits Cruz. When Cruz arrived at the scene, I could see why he is an award-winning debater. The message of his campaign is that if you want to maintain a strong economy, subscribe to the traditional values of the right by re-electing Cruz. If O’Rourke’s rhetoric was as positive as a progressive, but vague then Cruz’s rhetoric was as pragmatic as a traditionalist, but detailed. Listening to both sides of the story serves as a reminder that our right to vote as U.S. citizens should not be taken for granted. Around the world, some people do not have the right to a voice in political matters. My family were refugees from the tyrannical and authoritarian regime of Khmer Rogue as they escaped Cambodia while 1/4 of the population was being wiped out over four years. In the United States, we are grateful to live in a representative democracy because we elect who represents the majority of the constituent. Use the privilege to not just stand up for your belief, but also exercise your right to vote. Do not complain about the winner if you did not vote. As the late Theodore Roosevelt said, “The man who never makes a mistake is the man who never does anything”. Tommy Chhe is a mass communication junior
Our nation is properly ruled T
he belief that each individual has a right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is the founding doctrine of our country. Because each person being a unique individual though, the meaning behind these words can change from person to person. This is what makes these ideals so great. The right to life is just that, the right to live. Samuel Each individual has the right to live their life Mitchell in whatever way they choose to do so. In that sense, they have the liberty to make the decisions that they do to influence their life. These two connect to form an individual’s own pursuit of happiness. They have the liberty to make the decisions that push the life they live in pursuit of what they imagine to be happiness. The ability of this doctrine to flex from person to person is what makes it so beautiful, as it allows people to be individuals. This doctrine especially applies to political regimes. Whether the political enforcements are good or not is entirely up to the individual, hence the reason politics are even a thing. A person has the liberty to choose if and for whom to vote for, in the hopes that that person will help push their constituent’s lives closer to happiness. As flawed as politics may be, they are one of the easiest ways for a person to act on these doctrines. The very ideal that one would be in the mind of God and
know what he thinks and intends is sacrilegious in itself. 1 Corinthians 2:11 reads, “For who knows a person’s thoughts except their own spirit within them? In the same way no one knows the thoughts of God except the Spirit of God.” How are we to know the intentions of God, if you even believe in one? Every person has the liberty to decide that one candidate may have the “hand of God” over them, but that in no way makes it the truth. However, the very notion that having a ruler appointed by God would fix everything is ignorant to the Christian belief itself, which states that nobody other than God himself is perfect, meaning even the “nations ruled by people of his choice” would still be flawed. Politics keep countries from imploding on themselves by ruling. That is it. There is no “but at the sacrifice of many great freedoms that were offered by the hand of God,” about it. Politics are not a necessary evil, they are just necessary. Whether they are evil or not is dependent on the individual. With that in mind, one could find it evil if leadership wasn’t isolated to mankind and mankind alone, “as God wanted.” Even the kingdoms ruled by “people of his choice” went through wars and famines. The simple fact is that we don’t know what God wants from our politics. Anyone that does claim to know, is going against their own beliefs, and God himself. Samuel Mitchell is mass communication junior
Copyright ©2018.
EDITORS: Alyssa Mitchell, Chloe Phillips, Kristin Silva,
Bridget Reilly (Copy Editor) DESIGNER: Brittni Vilandre
ISSUE STAFF: Jeri Moore, Brian Lang, Paige Champagne, Madison Davis, Demian Ponce, Chloe Phillips
PHOTOGRAPHERS: Bridget Reilly, Jeri Moore, Paige Champagne, Chloe Phillips
ADVISER: Bradley Wilson
First copy free. Additional copies 25¢ each. 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.
| Nov. 7, 2018 | 3
PHOTO BY PAIGE CHAMPAGNE | THE WICHITAN
Lindsay Rittenhouse, vocal performance senior, sings at the National Association of Teachers of Singing recital Nov. 4.
Vocal performers sing their way to competition PAIGE CHAMPAGNE REPORTER
Joseph Mazzello, Rami Malek, Gwilym Lee, and Ben Hardy in Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
PHOTO CURTESY IMBD
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ succeeds despite flaws BRIAN LANG FILM CRITIC
B
oom-Boom-Clap, Boom-Boom-Clap! Queen’s iconic “We Will Rock You” is known by both the young and old with its catchy melody sung by the captivating voice of Freddie Mercury. Bryan Singer’s new film “Bohemian Rhapsody” Brian starring Rami Malek (Mr. Robot) tells the Lang story of Mercury, Queen and their beloved anthems of the 80’s. The film begins in the early 1970’s with young Freddie Mercury [then Farrokh Bulsara] going to college for design and joining a band that, by serendipity, just lost its lead singer. From then on, it’s non-stop success for the newly dubbed band Queen. Then, of course, comes the archetypal bad times fueled by drugs, parties and a failing marriage to Mary Austin (Lucy Boyton). Freddie hits an all time low, as he’s sabotaged by his partner Paul Prenter [Allen Leech] who alienates him from the band and encourages Freddie’s hedonistic lifestyle. The film’s third act highlights the story of redemption and family, tinged by the fear of AIDS and Freddie’s impending death. It’s a story that everyone is familiar with, but told at breakneck speed. The star of all of this drama, Rami Malek, [complete with protruding dentures] throws himself into his performance as Freddie Mercury. Even though the plot moves quickly, Malek manages to show clear character development and growth as Freddie works through managing fame, friends, and love. His role is the heart of “Bohemian Rhapsody” and really fills every scene that he’s in. The other characters matter, but Malek is the queen of the screen.
This phenomenon is also one of this film’s biggest flaws. The script creates a vacuum around Freddie that simply has no time or space to develop the side characters or explore the culture and times of Queen. The story aims to move from point A to B, but doesn’t ask why things happened or explore the subtleties of the scenes [possibly because director Dexter Fletcher took over mid-film]. By choosing to paint a musical history in broad strokes, “Bohemian Rhapsody” sacrifices its true heart. The most memorable parts of this film are the sequences with the band, watching their chemistry and seeing their classic songs grow and develop. The cast was well-selected and their interactions and stories were told to the writers by the actual band members. The plot of “Bohemian Rhapsody” was carried by its musical numbers, entertaining the audience between drawn out periods of storytelling. It naturally follows then that the best part of “Bohemian Rhapsody” by far was the closing sequence, which recreated Queen’s performance at the 1985 Live Aid concert. In it, Singer let history speak for itself, choosing to simply perform the concert and play the songs that were played on that day. However, the meaning and soul of the songs changed for the audience in light of the story of Queen and Freddie Mercury that had been told for the previous hour and a half. It’s a chilling scene that any fan of Queen would love. The closing segment highlights the persistence of Queen in our culture and its effect on not only shaping the 80’s, but changing and molding the music of today. “Bohemian Rhapsody” is a must-see film for Queen fanatics, but it’s also good entertainment for those new to the lore of the band. With a catchy soundtrack that you’ll be singing for the rest of the week, “Bohemian Rhapsody’s” successes outweigh its flaws and is a definite crowd-pleaser.
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o practice and gain experience, six students sang in the National Association of Teachers of Singing recital Nov. 4 at Akin Auditorium. “Not only will it improve my character,” Steven Singleton, vocal performance junior, said. “It’ll improve my voice, and it’ll improve my career plan because this is something that I want to continue and become a professional at.” The singers were singing to practice for the upcoming 68th Texoma NATS Regional Conference that will take place at Baylor University Nov. 7-10 where they will compete against 600700 other students. The National Association of Teachers of Singing was founded in 1944, with nearly 7,000 members internationally. Members have access to intern programs, workshops, master classes and conferences. Students of these members have the opportunity to take part in the student audition competition. “Of course it’s fun to perform,”Lindsay Rittenhouse, vocal performance senior, said. “It’s awesome, and if you advance there are prizes, but really the main reason I go is the experience of listening to everybody else and learning what they do right, what they do wrong technique-wise and training your ear to hear those things.” The singers, five sopranos and one baritone, sang three to four songs each in a variety of different languages. “Singing this type of music is important to me because it fits my voice and it makes me feel good,” Singleton said. “It makes me feel good about myself, and it helps you to be yourself. It also helps you to act out your own character despite which song you sing, as long as it’s a part of the story.” Despite the small audience of some 50 people, the performers said they still had stage fright. “I always get stage fright, but today wasn’t so bad,” Singleton said. “I remember the first time I started my recital I had super stage fright. My legs were shaking, I wanted to vomit, but over time the more and more I did it, the more I got used to it. Of course there’s still some tiny bit of stage fright here and there, but it gets better.” Rittenhouse said singing is fresh and challenging. “I just love it. School has been easy for me — I went to college my junior year in high school,” Rittenhouse said. “Singing not only is a little bit more of a challenge for me, but it’s never the same. It’s always different. It’s exploration and it’s just inspiring when you do it right. When you hit that note and it just resonates and you can feel hat heart-filling inspiration.”
4 | Nov. 7, 2018|
Elizabeth Cathcart
‘I want my life to be a continuous adventure’ MADISON DAVIS REPORTER
M
arketing senior and member of the basketball team Elizabeth Cathcart wakes up at 5:50 a.m. to the smell of spoiled milk that she left in her trash. Rolling out of bed, she snags half of a mini bagel and bikes over to the gym where she starts her morning grind at 6:15 a.m. Headphones in, Elizabeth breaks a sweat working on ball handling and jump shots. Her motivational music playlist consists of Spanish and Christian tracks. She said her love of culture and religion is the foundation of who she is. “I grew up with Spanish music playing in the house and on the radio around certain relatives,” Elizabeth said. “God made music to be joyful and bring praises. It has always been a positive outlet for me and I want it to stay that way in my life.” Around 7:30 a.m., Elizabeth wraps up her personal workout and heads home to shower and nap in preparation for the long day ahead, full of school work and basketball. Although her days are jam-packed, she said she enjoys the structure and feels like it keeps her accountable on and off the court. “Our coaches force us to study two hours a week, something I never did in high school, and it has definitely been beneficial,” Elizabeth said. “An active lifestyle and setting goals for myself has kept me out of trouble
and harmful situations. Having sports and a great support system has helped me stay grounded.” Elizabeth takes classes such as marketing research and marketing metrics, which are both required to complete her degree. With hopes to become a chartered financial analyst, she’s looking to pursue her master’s and said the decision to further her education even more was stressful, but knows that it will pay off. “These collegiate standardized tests hold immense weight in what masters programs accept you and the best schools are very selective,” Elizabeth said. “I like working with money and investments, so finance just made sense to me.” Finance sophomore and Elizabeth’s roommate, Haevyn Risley, said Elizabeth never sells herself short when it comes to education and enjoys being able to study with someone who is determined to succeed academically. “Elizabeth gives 100 percent effort, not only in her schooling, but in everything she does,” Risley said. “She strives to be the best she can be and will do whatever it takes.” At 3 p.m. Elizabeth joins her teammates for practice. For two to three hours, she and her teammates endure a strenuous practice consisting of work on the court and in the weight room. Finance junior and teammate, Mica Schneider, admires Elizabeth’s positivity and grit. “Elizabeth is the type of friend to put a
smile on your face with her goofy and caring personality,” Schneider said. “I have had the pleasure of knowing her for about seven years now and she has always been the hardest worker in the gym and puts in the extra work when no one is watching.” Over her collegiate basketball career, Elizabeth has sustained injuries such as impingement syndrome, bone contusions, and a partial tear in her deltoid ligament. She attends treatment, consisting of injury prevention and rehabilitation, to battle preexisting injuries and strives to prevent others. “Think of a statistics class where assumptions are made based off of perfect conditions,” Elizabeth said. “Anyone who has picked up a ball or has played any type of organized sport knows that injuries change everything.” Around 7:30 p.m., Elizabeth heads home for a dinner that she has had prepared since her lunch break at noon. Her passion for cooking authentic Mexican food is inspired by her heritage and parent’s encouragement. Elizabeth said she looks up to her parents for strength and guidance. Her mother, Teresa Cathcart, described Elizabeth as full of life and has contagious energy. “I believe my daughter is an honorable and focused young lady,” Teresa said. “She has an infectious spirit of joy and lights up a room. Elizabeth has brought so much joy to our family and gives 100 percent to everything she does.”
Elizabeth has two brothers, Nathaniel and David, who she said has helped instill strength and courage within her character. “She’s my sister and I love her,” Nathaniel said. “I look up to her and I really listen to whatever she has to tell me. Elizabeth is always there for me.” In Elizabeth’s free time, she enjoys playing instruments such as the ukulele or guitar and writing songs. She said she has always used music as an outlet for self-expression. “I’m very introverted and struggle with expressing my feelings,” Elizabeth said. “I write songs and compose music whenever my mind doesn’t shut up. It helps straighten out my thoughts and confronts what I tend to hide away.” Jonell Davis, a family friend, said she has been impressed with Elizabeth’s musical ability since the first time she heard her strumming a ukulele and singing in the kitchen. “When I heard singing, I assumed it was my youngest playing her music out loud,” Davis said. “When I walked into the kitchen to find her there, I was pleasantly surprised. She has talent as an athlete and as a musician, which is not common.” Through it all, Elizabeth said she wants to remain audacious and continue inspiring others to be positive. “I want my life to be a continuous adventure full of joy and new thrills,” Elizabeth said. “My faith, friends, family, and even my dog Rascal have all pushed me to never settle.”
| Nov. 7, 2018 | 5
PHOTO BY CHLOE PHILLIPS | THE WICHITAN
Original Africana Philosophy flyer displayed in front of Prothro Yeager which was later defaced Nov. 1 .
Campus responds to defaced flyer incident CHLOE PHILLIPS CO-EDITOR
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resident Suzanne Shipley sent an email out Nov. 2 to the university community in response to a defaced flyer found by Nathan Jun, associate philosophy professor and coordinator of the philosophy department. Jun discovered the defaced flyer announcing a class on Africana philosophy Nov. 1. Shipley said she found out about the incident when Jun sent her an email that morning. “I had been planning on sending a message out when I thought the time was right, and this definitely merited it,” Shipley said. “It’s a little harder [to address the issue] when you get unapproved posters that look rather innocuous (not harmful or offensive) that drive you to a racially motivated website. This was not that way — this was absolute vandalism and racial slurs. It gave me the opportunity to say what we’ve all been wanting to say in an unequivocal manner. It took a while to get the message out, and he and I talked first thing in the morning. Then you want Keith to see it to make sure it’s in line with what Dr. Lamb is trying to do with student affairs, then
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MSU student discounts $2 off any service USE CODE: 20221
“The disappointing answer is that we won’t be able to protect you entirely from messages like this. ”
you want the press people to and inclusion.” see it so that it’s in line with She also mentioned how what’s normally in line with the department of equity, our mission.” inclusion and multicultural When it comes to protectaffairs was created after meeting students and combating ings held with students on rahate, Shipley said she thinks cial violence in Missouri. about it a lot and frequently “We had a quite a few meetdiscusses it with Keith Lamb, ings with students when Misvice president of student afsouri was having a lot of issues fairs. around racial violence and “I’d say the disappointing students were beginning to answer is that we won’t be able speak up quite a bit,” Shipley to protect you entirely from said. “We met with all of our messages like this because we students and what I found in SUZANNE SHIPLEY are a microcosm of American those student meetings was UNIVERSITY PRESIDENT society,” Shipley said. “What that they had a voice but nowe try to do is we try to prepare where to go with it. So, they you to respond to a society like this and shape had opinions and voices and desires to act, a society so that it’s not like this. Our job is but no way to coordinate that action. That’s two-fold to help you have the capacity to deal when we went to the students and talked with incidents that will occur in life, but also about hiring Dr. Syreeta Greene and creatto help you to be a leader and shape our so- ing an office of multiculturalism and incluciety so fewer people have to deal with that. sion. Students are studying, they’re working, When you ask what should the university do, they’re in groups, they can come up with great I think it’s more than an isolated incident, it’s ideas and actions, but those actions have to be really what is your stance on about diversity coordinated to lead to a good outcome. What
the institution did is it tried to provide a better avenue for student opinion to realize itself in action that was valuable and lasting, rather than just starting with one group that graduated [then] nothing else happened.” According Jun, the flyer was the only flyer vandalized with a racial slur. “I discovered the flyer in question on Thursday morning and, as far as I know, it was the only one that was vandalized because I posted them all over the building. This particular flyer was sort of crumpled up and basically tossed outside my office door. I unfolded it and discovered that it had been defaced then I went and reported it to Dr. Lamb,” Jun said. Jun said he was horrified because of the content of the vandalism and he was personally intimidated because it was put in front of his office. “In addition to taking the opportunity to just hurl this racist epithet, it was also like this person was trying to convey a sense of they didn’t approve of the fact that I was teaching this course. They were objecting specifically to offering this course — that was disturbing on an entirely different level.” Read more at thewichitan.com
Always hiring great stylists
6 | Nov. 7, 2018|
PHOTO BY JERI MOORE | THE WICHITAN
Jamilah Kangudja, exercise physiology junior and BSU member, participates in a trash pick up Oct. 5 in Legacy.
Black Student Union welcomes all JERI MOORE REPORTER
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he Black Student Union, an organization that has been on campus since Oct. 3, 1989, prides itself on its inclusion of all people and is an umbrella organization to other African-American culture-based organizations on campus. BSU meets in Bolin Room 101 at 7 p.m. bi-monthly. The meeting dates are posted on Twitter and consist of historical debates, games and plans for campus involvement. “We’re just an organization that wants to unify all of the African-American students on campus,” Treston Lacy, mass communication senior and BSU member, said. “But you don’t have to be black to be a part of the organization.” Lacy explained the question he gets the most is whether or not students have to be black to join. One of the main ideas behind BSU is the purpose of informing the public of the experiences and issues of African-Americans. “We’re hoping to advocate or inform peo-
282+
members in the organization
ple and also to bring people together in the minority community,” Trevonne Bradford, psychology senior and BSU president, said. “Just to talk about what’s going on, different racial tensions, experiences and what we want to do is help advocate for certain social movements. Just to let people be aware (of what is going on).” Future events include the music and art festival and making plans for the Mr. and Mrs. Black Excellence Pageant in the spring. Event planning has been a struggle as BSU doesn’t have an event calendar. “This year we’re thinking about teaming up with PRIDE,” Bradford said. “They have their annual drag show. We’re thinking of teaming up with them to put the two together so we can include everyone.” The BSU also assisted with getting the word out about National Association for the Advancement of Colored People Constitution Day and voter registration event. Bradford explained that BSU is more social and the NAACP is more political, informative and nationally registered. Outside of voter regis-
tration, BSU isn’t politically active. “We mostly just push the envelope as far as getting registered to vote,” Lacy said. The members of BSU routinely assist other minority organizations and even cover who will attend and represent the organization in their bi-monthly meeting. Volunteers then attend each event. “One of our goals is to bridge the gaps between BSU, the Caribbean Student Organization and the African Student Organization,” Bradford said. “[We want] to bring everyone together and just have a good time. If anything else we want to inform people here.” Members of the BSU are also members of the various minority organizations, balancing work, athletics, other clubs and their BSU involvement. A couple of values the BSU hopes to promote within its organization are to build up the community and build leadership skills. “I feel like MSU breeds leaders all over,” Bradford said. “That’s what I want to continue is to breed leaders and to represent our community in a positive way.”
1989
was the first year that the organization was introduced to the university .
Various events with African-American themes are run by the BSU including parties, movie events and volunteer opportunities around campus. “The overall idea for the events for BSU were basically ways for everyone to come together with the idea of pushing (showcasing) African-American cultures,” Lacy, said. BSU uses social media to keep members up to date through GroupMe and Twitter. The BSU officers are available to help students stay informed as well. The only requirement is that the over 282 members, be in good academic standing. “We’re growing,” Bradford said. “It’s a lot bigger than when I first started and I like that.” BSU is one of those organizations that has been active and involved on campus during the past 10 years that Mario Ramirez, interim director of Student Involvement, said. “They’re working to provide more opportunities for leadership in the community and specifically for our African-American students”.
1968
the Black Student Union was founded
| Nov. 7, 2018 | 7 C ALENDAR WEDNESDAY, NOV. 6 Stress Awareness Day | 12:30 p.m. Clark Student Center THURSDAY, NOV. 7 Board of Regents | 9 a.m. Hardin Administration Building Guest Recital: David Reid, Piano | 7:30 p.m. Akin Auditorium Student Success Series: Poet Carlos Gomez | 9 p.m. Bolin Hall FRIDAY, NOV. 8 VIP Counselor Day | All day MSU Admissions PHOTO BY PAIGE CHAMPAGNE | THE WICHITAN
Mary Margaret DeWitt, secondary history education freshman, Francis Naranjo, radiology junior, Shakira Hernandez, chemistry and psychology sophomore, Yesenia Duarte, dental hygiene sophomore, and Abby Burner, business sophomore, watching the election results in the Legacy Multipurpose Room Nov. 6.
Students gather to watch the election results in real time PAIGE CHAMPAGNE REPORTER
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aking advantage of an educational opportunity to witness the election results, students attended an election watch party in the Legacy Multipurpose Room Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. “As college students, everything that’s happening in this election affects all of you,” Linda Veazey, associate professor of political science, said. “[For example] how much student loan or pell grants are available. Congress is who created things like the pell grant program.” The event was hosted by Veazey and Syreeta Green, director of equity, inclusion and multicultural affairs. “I think it’s an educational opportunity,” Steve Hilton, associate professor of art, said. “I’ve been watching the polls close for 30 years and there’s always something interesting to watch. There’s always something that you might learn from how you vote and why we vote the way we do as a country.” Veazey said while she thinks voting is important, she also understands that it can be difficult for some students.
“For people who weren’t registered to vote here in Wichita Falls [we taught them] how to request an absentee ballot,” Veazey said. “That’s a form you have to fill out by mail, send in, then you have to get your ballot and send it in [too]. If you’re going to vote you had to know where to vote. I think that everybody should vote, but I also realize that it’s hard.” The watch party was scheduled until 10:30 p.m., and all but two students, Markell Braxton-Johnson, sports and leisure studies senior, and Herbert McCullough, political science graduate, left shortly after the news broke that Ted Cruz secured his position in the election for Senate. “For me, the important thing of voting is not picking a winner or a loser,” Markell said. “It is to remain engaged in the political views of the country, the state, or city and so on. Voting is important because, ideally, you understand what’s going on around you.”
Additional student thoughts on whether voting matters to them: Shakira Hernandez, chemistry and psychology
sophomore
“If it comes down to 88.9 or 88.8 I’d like to think I’m that one point that makes it 0.9.”
Markell Braxton-Johnson, sports and leisure studies senior
“The smaller the political office I think my vote matters more. Living in a deep red state, people of the lefts vote doesn’t matter as much as it would in other states, but whether it matters or not it’s still important to put on this facade of democratic duty.”
Evan Wood, computer science senior
“It really doesn’t matter whether you think your candidate is going to get beat, you should vote anyway because you’re giving a voice to the people. You’re telling them what the people at that particular time want and if people see from the last election that this candidate got 8 percent as compared to say, 4 percent in the election before that one, that shows a trend. That shows that it’s gaining momentum, and for that reason it’s important to vote even if you think your candidate is going to lose. The fact that Beto is going to give Ted Cruz a challenge tonight really shows that Texas is starting to become a swing state.”
Clark Student Center Pool Tournament | 4 p.m. Clark Student Center Game Room Movie Night: Jurassic World Fallen Kingdom | 8 p.m. Legacy Hall SATURDAY, NOV. 10 Football vs. West Texas A&M | 1 p.m. Memorial Stadium SUNDAY, NOV. 11 University Wind Ensemble, Wichita Falls Youth Symphony Orchestra | 4 p.m. Akin Auditorium MONDAY, NOV. 12 DIY Snow globes | 1 p.m. Clark Student Center Antibiotic Awareness Week Speaker | 3 p.m. Clark Student Center Percussion Ensemble | 7:30 p.m. Akin Auditorium TUESDAY, NOV. 13 Let’s Talk About Sex: A forum on God and sexuality | 7:30 p.m. Prothro-Yeager Hall Woodwind Chamber Ensemble | 7:30 p.m. CSC Comanche
8 |Â Nov. 7, 2018| BAS KETBALL SEASON BEGINS UNDER THE D O M E General studies junior and forward Bishop Coulter attempts to dunk the basketball against Wiley College Nov 5.
PHOTOS BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN
Business finance freshman and guard Haevyn Risley wrestles a Wiley College player for possession of the ball Nov 5.
Head coach Noel Johnson calls a timeout and talks tactics with her team.
Marketing senior and guard Anni Scholl gets set for a rebound.
PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY | THE WICHITAN
General studies junior and forward Gilbert Thomas dunks the basketball.
N E X T G A M ES: NOV. 9 WOM ENS: VS OKLAHOMA CHRISTIAN AT 4 P. M . AT F U G AT E G Y M NAS IUM MENS: VS. ROGERS STATE AT 7 P.M. AT D . L . C OL I S E U M