November 13, 2019 by The Wichitan and Wai Kun

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Nov 13, 2019 | thewichitan.com |Real Students. Real Stories. | Vol. 84 No. 4

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C A M P US VO I CE S

E D I TORI A L

There’s no room for hate in this state A hate crime is a violent crime motivated by a dislike toward a person’s race, ethnicity, religion, sexuality or other grounds. We have had a few instances of hate crimes on our campus over the last few years. In November 2018, a derogatory slur was written across a poster for a multicultural studies class called ‘Africana Philosophy.’ Another example of a hate crime on campus was the “white supremacy rules” flyers that were stuck to student’s cars in the fall semester of 2015. These flyers contained things like “whites only at MWSU” and “white power.” The Wichitan would like to reiterate that hate crimes are unacceptable on this campus. With the campus being as diverse as it is, we rarely see cases of hate crimes. This is a good thing, but we still see it in the community around us and in the state. In 2018 Texas saw 380 reported hate crimes, this is two times the amount reported in 2017 according to the Texas Department of Public Safety. Hate crimes have steadily been increasing over the years and won’t stop until we actively speak out against them and start treating others the way we want to be treated.

Food for thought

t has been four years since the school installed a Chick-fil-A on campus, and while some students may be excited to have the food chain, other students have found themselves detesting it. Over the past seven years, Chick-fil-A owners have been open about their views – specifically those relating to same-sex marriage and the LGBTQ+ comMarissa munity. The owners believe that marriage should Salinas only be between a man and a woman and have used their profits to donate to multiple organizations who advocate anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs, including anti-gay conversion therapy. Although MSU is a small campus, the diversity is evident in the many clubs and organizations the school has, including People Respecting Identity Diversity for Everyone. There are many students and faculty on campus who are a part of the LGBTQ+ community, so to have a food chain on campus that is widely known for its antiLGBTQ+ affiliations may make these people feel isolated or uncomfortable. However, there are some students in the LGBTQ+ community who, while aware of Chick-fil-A’s anti-gay affiliations, continue to eat there for their own reasons. “I do eat at the Chick-fil-A on campus and I don’t really feel conflicted because I kind of pay for it. I have a meal plan and there’s only so many places to eat on campus,” Te’Neshia Gold, exercise physiology junior, said. “The Chick-fil-A on campus is extremely different than Chick-fil-A’s off campus. This is more student-friendly since students work here, so I think it’s pretty chill.” Other students in the LGBTQ+ community, like Jordan Logan, acting and directing junior, refuse to eat at Chick-fil-A even if it is one of the few dining options students have on campus. “Students may feel critical because of the controversies that surround and have surrounded Chick-fil-A for years. They are known to be a religious establishment that uses profit to support anti-gay organizations. Not just a conservative religious company- a company filled with hate and disgust for people who love the same sex,” Logan said. Logan isn’t alone in her negative attitude toward Chick-fil-A. This could create a problem for the school if a majority of students ever decided to quit dining there. However, the fact is, Chick-fil-A does really well with the majority of students, and it doesn’t look like it will be losing very many customers anytime soon. The lines at Chick-fil-A continue to be long everyday during lunch hours. In fact, Chick-fil-A creates a longer line of student-customers than any other dining area on campus. “Chick-fil-A is good and that’s why everyone eats there. It’s the only good thing on campus really. It’s also basically the only place that doesn’t have problems. Other choices on campus are gross, not fully cooked, overcooked, rotten, or mislabeled,” Logan said. Ultimately, most people are going to continue to eat Chick-fil-A,

even if they are a part of the LGBTQ+ community. The reasons for this are because students only have one meal exchange a day with the option of four of these dining areas: Grill Nation, Burrito Bowl, Chickfil-A and Einstein Bros Bagels. This means that if they use their school ID to get food at any of these four restaurants, they cannot get food from any of those places again until the next day. Still, students can eat at the Mesquite Cafeteria and Maverick’s Corner as much as they want throughout the day. However, students tend to favor fast food places, especially Chick-fil-A, over the cafeterias, which are known to have a lot of flaws regarding the food and the service. Kristi Schulte, residence life director and dining liaison, said, “I think that it’s important that if students have concerns that we utilize appropriate student voices. I would encourage the students to reach out to SGA [Student Government Association] if they have concerns. Based on the popularity of Chick-fil-A on campus, one of the things we that would want to do is to make sure that there was a student voice behind any changes to that option being provided to students.” Even if students did band together and request that Chick-fil-A be removed from campus, the task might not be possible with the “Save Chick-fil-A” bill that was passed in July of this year. This bill protects Chick-fil-A by prohibiting the government from taking adverse action against businesses or individuals because of their religious beliefs or moral convictions. “More choices are needed on campus, period. [We don’t need] more food choices in the cafeteria [or] another chef that’s going to fall into the same habits. This campus needs more restaurants or fast food options,” Logan said. “Chick-fil-A should not be offered because of its religious and political ties, and other choices need to be added.” This solution is one that many other students agree on. Gold said if they can’t remove or replace the Chick-fil-A on campus, the school should at least add more variety of places for students to eat on campus. “I think another restaurant or two should open up in case you do have students that feel conflicted eating there,” Gold said. “It’ll just create a more comfortable environment for everyone.”

List of controversial groups Chick-fil-A has donated to: • • • • • •

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Alyssa Mitchell MANAGING EDITOR: Kristin Silva Vol. 84 | No. 4

Midwestern State University Fain Fine Arts Bldg., Room D201 3410 Taft Blvd. | Wichita Falls, Texas 76308 (940) 397-4704 wichitan@msutexas.edu | thewichitan.com @wichitanonline

PHOTO EDITOR: Bridget Reilly DESIGNER: Brittni Vilandre BUSINESS MANAGER: Jeri Moore ISSUE STAFF: Amos Perkins, Brian Lang, Khirstia Sheffield, Matthew Tempelmeyer, Dallas Wabbington, Omar Combie, Colin Stevenson, Marissa Salinas, Micah Wilson, Stephanie Robledo, Cole Sheriff

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Fellowship of Christian Athletes – requires employees to refrain from “homosexual acts.” Salvation Army – historically anti-LGBTQ+; media relations director once stated that gay people “deserved death.” Paul Anderson Youth Home – teaches kids that homosexuality and same-sex marriage is against Jesus Christ. Marriage & Family Foundation – anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs. Georgia Family Council – anti-LGBTQ+ beliefs. Exodus International – promotes conversion therapy.

Copyright ©2019. First copy free. Additional copies $1.00 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.

CA M P U S VO I C E S

Registration presents

problems for student-athletes

egistering for classes is stressful for all students. However, athletes are faced with an additional set of barriers. Despite being “student” athletes, class schedules Micah Wilson must work around their practice and game times. Exam schedules must factor in missing dates for traveling out of town and other sport-related events. Student-athletes are also required to see an additional athletic adviser before selecting their classes for the upcoming semester. This too presents a significant problem considering it must be scheduled and completed before the date of registration. Although these issues have continued to negatively affect the student-athletes, little to nothing has been done to solve the problem in my four years here. Allowing athletes to register in advance of the official registration date would alleviate most of the issues and relieve stress from the lives of athletes. Priority registration is always a controversial issue because it appears to be showing favoritism to a particular group based on status or ability. Faculty do not want to award a privilege to one group. However, this is already taking place on campus. Students participating in the honors program register early. Honors students, much like athletes, have additional requirements for the university regarding their schedule, therefore, letting them register in advance only seems useful and fair. Providing early registration for student-athletes would be equally as valuable and rational. Each athlete is required to make an appointment with not only their academic adviser but also an athletic adviser. The athletic adviser is responsible for making sure all class schedules are up to NCAA standards before she releases the athletic hold which is what

hinders athletes from registering immediately after being advised by their academic adviser. From the outside, this doesn’t seem to slow down athletes’ registration process, however, there is only one athletic adviser. For the past three years, the athletic department has refused to hire or train a person to step into that role. There are 13 athletic teams on campus and approximately 300 studentathletes. With all of the athletes trying to reach the same adviser before registration date, chaos inevitably erupts as stress is put on the athletes, coaches and advisers. Consequently, this puts professors in a bind having to choose whether or not to give overrides, another unnecessary stress. Mathematically and practically, this just doesn’t make sense. Giving student-athletes priority registration will give them more time to make appointments with both of their required advisers and dissolve some of the major issues. The athletic teams compete in the Lonestar Conference against other schools in the geographical region. These schools are fairly comparable in size, cost and level of education. Within our conference, we are the only school not participating in priority registration for athletes. Whether or not this is affecting student-athletes is not concrete; however, the university’s overall athletic GPAs are less than impressive. The athletic teams on campus routinely fall into the low end of team GPAs compared to the rest of the conference. Perhaps this can be attributed in part to poor class schedules and unnecessary stress added to the lives of the athletes. Priority registration is by no means a cure-all. Given the change, grades may not increase and classes may still be missed; however, it may alleviate stress on behalf of the student-athletes, professors, coaches and advisers.

ACTIVITIES

ALPHABET WORD SEARCH

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Zebra Word search created by Kristin Silva

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Crossword

ACTIVITIES

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DOWN

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AC RO S S

1. Poetry type exemplified by Keats, 3. Kept out of sight Byron & Shelley

6. Term for when the top speed is

2. Widespread disease

reached by a free-falling object (two

4. Greek god of war

words)

5. Figure skater ___ Henie

9. African running cat

7. Well-mannered fellow, short

10. Actors in a play

8. Lusaka is the capital of this

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country

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10. Jane Austen lives in this town

animal

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was born

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the sea, Captain ___

18. Decay

17. Son of Budli (Norse mythology) 20. Sucre is the capital of this country 19. To do something against one’s will

21. Astrophysicist Jedidah C. ___

Last edition’s crossword and sudoku answer keys

Fall enrollment

down from previous year

ALYSSA MITCHELL EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

all 2019 enrollment has gone down despite the university’s efforts to increase it. However, the new recruitment practices seem to be working, according to President Suzanne Shipley, who said the fall 2019 incoming-freshmen class was the second-largest enrolling class. Shipley said, “The new students are doing great. We have our second highest new-student number and our retention was higher so the things we’ve implemented on recruitment and retention are working well. It’s just the blips are hurting us, then with retention you have these demographic shifts.” The blips she is referring to are the two areas where enrollment was low. The one that hurt the university the most is the current junior class. This class was one of the smallest incoming classes two years ago and caused the university to have 200 fewer juniors than the previous year. The second area is with transfer students.

“There are two main areas where it was really low. The first is the transfers. What we normally do is if we see a pattern we ask all of our colleagues if they are seeing the same pattern. Across the state, the numbers of transfer students were generally down. Most of our colleagues were down in transfers and so were we,” Shipley said. With the past two commencements being the university’s largest, having a smaller junior class will be apparent whenever they graduate. “We continue to graduate more students each time,” Shipley said. “Every single commencement is our largest commencement. It’s a good thing, but you are losing students that you have to replace, and if you hit a class that is down to begin with, then you’ve got between 300 to 400 students you have to replace as well as recruit [more] to stay up.” The overall goal for the university is to continue to grow, but it didn’t. The Board of Regents and administration was disappointed. Shipley said the things they have implemented on recruitment and retention are

working well to improve enrollment numbers. “We believe we set a lot of stuff in place that will ultimately cause that number of students to increase, but it hasn’t happened yet. We will keep pushing,” Shipley said. Demographic and financial shifts make it harder to recruit when combating the lack of transfer students. “We all believe that it’s going to be harder to recruit students, particularly transfer students. They are going straight from community college into the job market because the job market is better now and salaries are better,” Shipley said. “Anytime the economy improves or the job forecast improves, you have to fight harder to get students.” To help increase enrollment, the university is looking for more degrees targeting working individuals. A lot of the classes targeting these individuals would be located online or at the Flower Mound campus. Shipley said, “That’s why you want more than one campus and more than one approach. We want to keep this residential campus strong, but we want to create a new pathway for the high school students taking dual enrollment, and we want to cap it off, not just with graduate degrees, but with degrees for working adults in the Dallas areas. This is all fairly new for us so it takes a while for it to settle.” At the Board of Regents meeting on Feb. 4, Fred Dietz, vice president of enrollment, said the fall 2018 numbers fell 100 students short of the spring 2018 semester. One positive statistic in these numbers was the slight increase in students from fall to spring. To combat the loss of students, many things were put into place. One of those being the new dual-credit system. This system lets high school students gain college credit at a discounted price. For the fall 2019 semester, there was an increase in dual-credit enrolled individuals increasing from eight students to 56. Shipley also said she is expecting the dual-credit enrollment to increase exponentially over the next few years.

Board of Regents meeting: THE RECAP

KRISTIN SILVA MANAGING EDITOR

he Board of Regents meeting was held on Thursday, Nov. 7 in the Hardin Building in the J.S. Bridwell Board Room COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN In a continuation of the campaign, the university is on track to blow right past their initial goal of $50 million and their goal for the year. Shipley said, “My goal for this year was nine million so we are way ahead of where we thought we’d be.” The campaign is way past the original goal and is standing at a whopping $61 million. “Our big gifts should be done, yet they keep showing up,” Shipley said. “So it just depends. We have an ask-out for a football stadium [and] if that were to happen, we would far exceed the nine million.” Shipley also said the school’s endowment topped $88 million and a lot of the money received has been studentoriented. “Five million dollars came in for the Priddy scholars. That’s 40 first-generation students that get to go here for free,” Shipley said. “Another gift that came in was software for our geoscience of petroleum and geology students. We had quite a few scholarships come in so you don’t see it yourself unless you are a recipient, but a lot of students get help from that.” In a previous interview, Tony Vidmar, vice president of university advancement and public affairs, said, “We wouldn’t have the Priddy scholars if we didn’t have the campaign most likely. The Priddy Scholars Program was a direct result of a conversation that Dr. Shipley had with leaders of the Priddy

PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY

President Suzanne Shipley talks about keeping the change to professors’ mandatory office hours at the Board of Regents meeting. They will change from 10 hours to five hours per week. Nov. 7.

Foundation.” CONSTRUCTION According to Shipley, renovations are being finished for the tuition revenue bonds which is what was used to build the Health Science Center. Some of that fund is also being used to finish Moffett Library which will be done in March or April. Renovations are also being done to Bridwell. “So the inside of Bridwell is being shifted and Education will move in there,” Shipley said. “After that Ferguson will get renovated and then next there are [renovations to] Daniel and Bolin. Bolin will have a renovation, we don’t know how big yet and Daniel will have a renovation for Greek life.” There’s a facility building being built and students may see some things will move out of Clark Student Center and into Ferguson. The core of student services will be in one place so students aren’t running from building-to-building to get things done.

“There is a terrific number of dominos falling,” Shipley said. “The next thing you’ll see happen is the pedestrianization of the campus. From the library on over, there [will be] no cars just like the Jesse Rodgers Promenade. More and more you’ll see the driving on campus get pushed out to the edges. It’s interesting and it’s safer for students that way. It takes some time to make all that happen but it’s in the plans.” PURCHASED PROPERTY The univerisity approved the purchase of property located at 2733 Midwestern Parkway in Wichita Falls, Texas. Shipley said, “It was approved and it’s a bank building. It’s got a lot of open space and we’re putting contracting and purchasing and a lot of our storage there. So when you move out of the Daniel building where you have all those big bay areas to put the furniture that’s in transition and other things in transition will go there.”

INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS ‘Tier 2’ is the tuition cost for students who are not residents of Texas who want to come to school at MSU. Tuition for students who are Texas residents is lower than the tuition for students who are non-Texas residents. “Tier 3 is out of state tuition which is our international tuition. Tier 2 is instate tuition plus $90 per credit hour and that is a discount on international enrollment,” Shipley said. “We offered it, but we capped it so that we didn’t discount our price too much. We do so much recruiting in developing nations where students can’t afford a full outof-state rate that we want to be able to attract a varied student body and an international student body. We need that price difference to do that.” Agents are hired to make deals with other countries to increase student enrollment. When tuition gets discounted, the amount of money that would be lost is made up of extra students who enroll because of the discounted price. “[If] we get 600 students, it won’t matter how much discount there is because there will be so much more revenue,” Shipley said. “It allows us to make contracts with whole countries or islands. You might go to an island and work with their government and say ‘we can have your island students here for this price, not the price you see for normal international students.’ Our most robust international student-population is always from the Caribbean. We do have Pakistani and Indian students that like to study computer science with us but the rules change on who gets in and who doesn’t. You’re always changing your recruiting based on who we think [the Government] will let in.”

NEW VP OF ADMINISTRATION AND FINANCE: Q & A

STEPHANIE ROBLEDO REPORTER

he university welcomed the new Vice President of Administration and Finance Beth Reissenweber this fall 2019 semester. Originally from Chicago, Illinois, Reissenweber said she has always been interested in helping others and is excited to bring her expertise to campus. In the past, she worked for non-profit organizations but wanted to grow, so she moved to higher education. She said she hopes to help the school grow and build onto her predecessors. Q: HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE THE NEW VICE PRESIDENT? A: “It’s wonderful to be at MSU Texas. I’m

so impressed by the professionalism here on campus, the can-do attitude — which I think permeates the culture of MSU and maybe even Texas, definitely Wichita Falls — [and] how welcoming everyone has been.”

is the opportunity to learn and be challenged even more.”

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR GOALS AS VICE PRESIDENT? A: “My main goal is to develop that deep Q: WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT MSU knowledge of higher education, funding and TEXAS? compliance, and to learn about MSU. The first A: “I was drawn to the people. It’s always 90 days are about understanding the new about people, especially in higher education place I’m at, what makes it work, what are and at a university. The campus [has] the the opportunities, to listen, to observe and promise of being in a community that values then offer suggestions, recommendations or and supports the university. I think Wichita share my expertise as soon as I can in a way Falls is a great partner and really is proud to that makes sense to a group. It’s a little earhave MSU here; I think that’s pretty special.” ly to set goals because I want to hear more from the community [such as] what are the Q: AS THE NEW VICE PRESIDENT, WHAT goals that the community sees? I do know ARE YOUR PLANS? my [broad] overarching goal is to enhance A: “My plans are to build upon the fine the financial health of the organization.” work of the financial officers that preceded me because they’ve led us to this point. Now, Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR ACHIEVEit’s my opportunity to go forward. My plans MENTS? are really to learn about the institution, its A: “In terms of achievements, I think I history, its culture — to understand how we have been doing this work for a long time. got here is really important — and then [fig- I’ve demonstrated an ability to build finanure out] what makes sense for the future. It’s cial health and well being. To think about our sort of that foundation that grounds us and work so that it’s sustainable and improving, brings us together for the mission. I value really building the financial health and well the time that people have already given to being, [as well as] developing these campus me in sharing their stories. It’s the value and projects that have lifted the student expethe talent that comes to the table, and I just rience... I’ve done small projects and large think that’s remarkable.” projects, but what I try to do is ensure that as we do our work, we are lifting broadly, Q: WHAT WAS THE JOURNEY THAT LED not focused on one but have a sense of all YOU HERE? so that when we do our work, it’s going to A: “I’ve always been interested in serving touch everybody.” others. In my career, I’ve worked in religious organizations, in social service, legal service Q: HOW ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH STUorganizations, and now, in higher education. DENTS? All [of these organizations] are mission-foA: “Our promise to students is they will cused, so I’m interested in how I can share come and have a good education, and they what I know and [share] my talents and my will go on and aspire to the things they are gifts with others. I love higher education be- looking to do. I’m very student-focused; my cause I think higher education is really im- work is about the students, it’s not about portant to the life of an individual, allowing me. I see students at the core of my work them to be the best and to aspire to those and then surrounding that core is the faculty things that are important to them [that] will and those that provide direct support to the make their lives full. Now, at MSU, what I like students. It’s not about me, it’s about them

Vice President of Administration and Finance Beth Reissenweber.

who’ve sort of embraced that core of students so that you can all be successful and achieve your dreams. That’s how I see the world — it gives me a purpose.” Q: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL THE STUDENTS? A: “This is broad but it’s important: I want to tell students to participate. Make the most of this experience because it’s more than just in the classroom, it’s out of the classroom. Participate in other learning venues, attend a theater performance or a music performance or a lecture. Make the most of this because when you come to college there’s so much here. Engage in this work, meet friends, do projects together, seek out faculty if you have a question, engage in the student services that are here, don’t do it alone. You have to study hard and do your best. You’re building your community that will carry you through and I think that’s powerful.”

A BROKE STUDENT RECIPE

M OV I E R E V I E W

‘Last Christmas’

DALLAS WABBINGTON REPORTER

is sweet but forgettable

PHOTO COURTESY OF IMDB

Emilia Clarke and Henry Golding in Last Christmas (2019)

ven though it’s not yet Thanksgiving, for many people, Christmastime is already here. As the holiday season apBrian proaches, many avid Lang Christmas fans break out their favorite cheesy rom-coms, and now they can add Paul Feig’s sweet and silly “Last Christmas” to their annual rotation. The film centers around Kate (Emilia Clarke), a disaffected employee who works at a year-round Christmas shop. She’s in a rut after overcoming a recent serious illness and feels trapped at her low paying job. There’s just no Christmas spirit in her. Caught in a fight with her family and with no money to pay for an apartment, Kate is resigned to

beg her friends for a place on their couch with a blanket, but her poor choices and free-wheeling lifestyle always leave her back on the street. When a charming but quirky customer named Tom (Henry Golding) walks into the store and starts flirting with Kate, she’s initially annoyed and fusses with him until he leaves. However, after a series of spontaneous outings, she begins to catch feelings. As the Christmas season approaches, Tom helps Kate reengage with life and make amends to the people she’s hurt as she starts to become a better version of herself. Emilia Clarke shines like the angel on a Christmas tree in her first big movie after “Game of Thrones.” Kate is the polar opposite of Daenerys Targaryen which makes it all the more fun to see such a talented

dramatic actress take on such a fun and silly role. Clarke is the beating heart of the movie and manages to prop it up even in its cheesiest moments with her charismatic grin and boundless energy. Henry Golding returns from his success in “Crazy Rich Asians” to once again play the cardboard cutout Prince Charming. He does his role perfectly fine, but there’s nothing exciting about his acting. It feels like a role that any actor could fill and he just happened to get the part. Emma Thompson plays both writer and supporting actress, for the film and she does both well. Thompson and her husband Greg Wise wrote the script, which is one of the movie’s best assets. Read more via thewichitan.com

t’s hard to get home-cooked meals away from home while also not spending a lot of money. This recipe allows students to cook chicken alfredo from scratch without breaking the bank. This dish is a personal favorite of mine, and I want to share this easy yet tasty recipe. Ingredients: • 2 chicken breasts • Spaghetti pasta, cooked (serving according to the package; recommend 12 ounces) • 6 tablespoons butter • 1 ½ cup granulated Parmesan • 2 cloves garlic, minced • 1 cup milk • 2 cup heavy whipping cream • ½ teaspoon salt • ½ teaspoon pepper • ½ teaspoon oregano Steps: Boil a pot of water and add a pinch or two of salt. Add pasta and cook according to the package’s directions until al dente [al den-tey], meaning the pasta is tender but slightly firm. Strain and set aside. Salt and pepper each side of the chicken breasts. Heat a large skillet over medium heat and add 2 tablespoons of butter (or olive oil as an alternative). Increase heat to medium-high and add chicken. Cook each side 3-5 minutes or when both sides are browned. Set the chicken to the side and once it cools, slice or dice it, whatever your preference is. Reduce the heat to medium and add the remaining butter and garlic to the same skillet. After the butter melts, add heavy whipping cream then whisk in milk. Let it simmer. Once the sauce starts to bubble and rise, stir in salt and pepper then add parmesan. If you want the Alfredo sauce very cheesy, add more parmesan but slowly add in heavy whipping cream to keep the sauce balanced. Once the sauce is creamy and thickens, add the pasta and chicken. Season with salt, pepper, and oregano. Dinner is ready!

A DAY I N T H E L I FE

‘It helped me overcome my fears of performing in front of large crowds’

PHOTO BY COLE SHERIFF

Social work junior and baton twirler Alex Maggard performs at half-time during the homecoming football game against Texas A&M Kingsville, Oct. 19. KHIRSTIA SHEFFIELD REPORTER

s her sparkling outfit catches the light from the sun and shines across the field, she slowly steps out onto her stage with her head held high and her body completely still. The music played by the band fills the stadium with vibrations, and the audience gradually gazes toward her direction. She gracefully throws her first baton into the air. Alex Maggard, social work junior, is the university’s only baton twirler since 2012. “When I’m on the field twirling, all my problems go away, and I feel completely free in that moment,” Maggard said. “Nothing else matters when I pick up those batons.” Since she was young, Maggard has been in the spotlight. She has participated in several pageants, twirling competitions and parades across the country. From being the scholarship winner for the AAU Junior Olympics in 2017 to twirling for the ESPN Twirl Mania in Florida, Maggard was born to be a star. Although twirling was originally used as a therapy tool for her growth and development as a child, she could never escape the natural connection she felt toward twirling. “Being a baton twirler has impacted my life tremendously,” Maggard said. “Not only has it helped me overcome my fears of performing in front of large crowds of people, but it has also taught me how to coexist on a team and work together with diverse individuals who possess different talents and perspectives. I’ve also been able to create memories a lot of

people my age will never be able to experience.” Maggard also said through twirling she has learned to just be herself. “In moments like these, where you put yourself on a platform to be judged, it’s important to stay true to yourself and believe in your skills,” Maggard said. “Whether you have good or bad performances, someone is going to judge you, so you might as well have fun at what you’re doing.” Despite personal rewards she has gained from being a twirler, Maggard has dedicated most of her life to practice. She devotes two hours each day to practice, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 8 a.m. she trains with the band. “Twirling a baton is not something you can just pick up one day and be great at it,” Maggard said. “It takes an extreme amount of dedication and perseverance to receive the results you desire. As effortless as baton twirling may seem, it requires self-disciple, stamina, memory retention and lots of hand-eye coordination.” She said it takes even more effort and discipline to twirl batons that are lit on fire. During every halftime performance, Maggard lights three to four batons on fire and simultaneously throws them into the air while trying to avoid the fire touching her skin or the ground. “Twirling a fire baton is far more difficult than twirling a normal baton,” Maggard said. “The fire creates limits on the variety of tricks you can perform, and when the wind is blowing a whole other set of problems comes into the picture. Though it is

far more difficult to control the fire on the batons, I personally enjoy the thrill of it all, and I’ve enjoyed it since the moment the fire baton was placed in my hand.” On game days, Maggard said she still becomes overwhelmed with anxiety and nervousness. “Before I perform, I still feel the same emotions I felt when it was my very first performance on the stadium field,” Maggard said. “I get nervous during every single performance, especially if it’s really windy or sunny. But once I step on the field, every doubt or fear I once had leaves my mind.” After college, Maggard plans on opening up a twirling studio so that she can help children with special needs learn to interact through performance and develop new skills. “I have always wanted to be a coach because being a coach means being a role model,” Maggard said. “I always have kids come up to me after my performances saying that they want to be just like me, and it just reminds me that the children are always watching. It also motivates me to be in a position where I can personally impact their lives.” Maggard said she wants to be remembered by her dedication and her desire to be a role model. “I want to leave a legacy that coincides with being a role model for the younger generation. I want to inspire them to work hard at whatever it is they aspire to do,” Maggard said. “I want them to know that every person can make a difference.”

SE N I OR N I G H T

Sarah Stewart soars through

SOCCER SENIOR DAY PHOTO BY BRIDGET REILLY

Chemistry senior and defender Sarah Stewart boots the ball down field, playing against Dallas Baptist University, Sept. 28, 2018. COURTESY OF KATIE STEWART

Chemistry senior Sarah Stewart walks with family for final game on senior day, Nov. 9. MICAH WILSON REPORTER

he women’s soccer team concluded their season with the senior day game on Saturday, Nov. 9. The game ended in a 1-1 draw, but the score paled in comparison to the years of memories made for chemistry senior Sarah Stewart. Stewart, one of three seniors completing their careers this season, has played a total of five seasons for the women’s soccer team and been an active student on campus. Stewart said she was grateful to have finished with her friends she has known from her humble beginnings as a freshman. “It was so great to share the night with two people (seniors Imani Morlock and Michaelann Greenfield) who have been with me through all five seasons,” Stewart said. “It will be cool to look back and see that we all started and ended together on the same day.” Over the course of her career as a Mustang, Stewart logged a total of 6,015 game time minutes. Her leadership and soccer skills landed her a place on the All-Lone Star Conference second team in 2017 and an honorable mention in 2018. “My favorite soccer memory is definitely scor-

ing the winning penalty kick to win the conference over Commerce my sophomore year,” Stewart said. “It was a great feeling and a great moment.” Stewart’s teammates can also attest to her athletics abilities. Engineering junior and fellow teammate Kennedy Turner said Stewart’s reliability and strength make her an important part of the team. “Sarah is always there to cover us when we mess up and is a strong consistent player,” Turner said. “She is always encouraging the team and pushing everyone to be the best they can be, even at 6 a.m. practices.” Her outstanding characteristics off the field also earned her the award of Lonestar Conference Commissioner’s Honor Roll seven times as well as capturing a spot on the LSC All-Academic team in 2018. Stewart also participated in the StudentAthlete Advisory Committee, working to better the experiences and opportunities of all studentathletes on campus. Stewart said SAAC proved to be a useful and enjoyable learning experience. “I was nominated by my coach to be a part of SAAC and later became the president after attending the conference, which was really cool. We got

to learn what the other schools in our conference do on their campus and bring those ideas back and share them with the students here.” Stewart’s reputation for both academic and athletic ability set a great example for her fellow student-athletes and has an influence that reached beyond her peers. Head women’s soccer coach Ryan Spence said she has a number of qualities that contribute to her success both on and off the field. “Sarah is very mature for her age and is dedicated to our team efforts as well as her own personal goals,” Spence said. “She has handled a lot of adversity and still manages to be a genuine and happy person, all while being a great friend who knows how to put others first.” Stewart will graduate in December with a major in chemistry and minors in biology, mathematics, and criminal justice. She has made a lasting impact on her professors, coaches and teammates, but to Stewart, the most important part has been the relationships created. “I’ve been so grateful for all the friendships I’ve made over the past five years. Its definitely been the best part about being a Mustang.”

SP ORT S

MUSTANGS BID

and has been awarded all-conference honors twice, Rory O’Keeffe (No. 6), defender and criminal justice senior, was a D2CCA All-American and the Heartland Conference defensive player of the year a season ago, and Dylan Burke (No. 5), defender and sports and leisure studies senior, was named to the all-conference team in 2018 after transferring over from Daytona State College. “I didn’t know what it felt like, coming here from a junior college,” Burke said. “They give every player the opportunity [to succeed]. If you look at the sidelines, you see every player standing, wanting you to do well.” PHOTO BY COLIN STEVENSON For the women’s socSports and leisure studies sophomore and running back Lazarus Fisher and sports and leisure studies sophomore cer team’s seniors, its seand wide receiver Anthony Tennison bump chests in the air after scoring a touchdown versus WNMU Nov. 9. nior day game versus U.T. AMOS PERKINS Tyler was their last game REPORTER to don the maroon and gold. They thrilled the here was a different atmosphere across crowd at Stang Park with a 1-1 double-overtime Mustangs athletics this weekend. The defensive battle. crowds were as raucous as ever but there The team contains just three seniors: Sarah was a rare emotion present as well — sadness. Stewart (No. 17), defender and chemistry senior, Between Thursday, Nov. 7 and Saturday, Nov. Imani Morlock (No. 21), defender and kinesiol9, the home crowds of Stang Park and Memorial ogy senior, and Michaelann Greenfield (No. 24), Stadium said goodbye to the seniors who have en- midfielder and biology senior. Stewart was sectertained them during the fall season for years. ond-team all-conference her sophomore year, Men’s soccer treated the Mustangs’ faithful to Morlock earned first-team all-conference honors a hard-fought 1-0 win over St. Edwards’ Univer- three years in a row and was the Lone Star Consity Thursday night. That’s the result many in the ference Freshman of the Year in 2015. crowd have come to expect as the men’s team lost “Imani’s been the heart of this team, Sarah’s just one home game over the course of the season. the mom of this team, and [Michaelann] is one of Winning has not been uncommon for the se- the hardest working players [on the team],” Ryan niors on the men’s soccer team, and they’ve Spence, head women’s soccer coach, said. amassed a 67-9-7 cumulative record over the last This senior class oversaw a major shift in the four seasons. Several of this year’s seniors have team when Spence replaced Damian Clarke as been key to the program’s success. head coach of the women’s soccer team in 2018. Ross Fitzpatrick (No. 8), midfielder and ki- It was up to the three seniors to guide the team of nesiology senior, was team captain this season

FAREWELL TO SENIORS

underclassmen during this time, and the women were up to the task. “[We] brought great leadership,” Greenfield said, “and the underclassmen could really look up to [us].” The football team brought its record up to .500 on Saturday with a 28-13 win over Western New Mexico University. This senior class has never once had a season with a losing record, and they can keep that record with a win in their final game next Saturday, Nov. 16. For the seniors that have been here for at least four years, this will be just their second time not competing in the postseason. While women’s soccer has officially hung up their cleats, the football team still has one more game left in their season, and the men’s soccer seniors will be gearing up for what looks to be a long playoff run. Read more via thewichitan.com

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