Issue 3
Become a Part of the Student Association’s History
Status Contributors Editor Clarissa Cintron Writers Rick Fierro Kayla Federowski Alondra Zavala SA History Alfredo Vergel Sponsor Dr. Glen Robinson Advisor Luisa Manu
Contents 1 4 5 9
UPCOMING ELECTIONS: BECOME A PART OF S.A. HISTORY LOCAL EATS YOU MUST TRY Kayla Federowski
WHO ARE YOU VOTING FOR (AND WHY)? Rick Fierro
MISSION SPOTLIGHT: IZZY IN ENGLAND Alondra Zavala
A Note from the Editor I was never good with introductions, so I will start my first official Status issue with conclusions; after all, the Spring 2016 semester is the beginning of the end for myself and other Seniors who are eager to receive their diploma in May. It is also the beginning of the end of the 2015-2016 school year for the rest of the student body, faculty, and staff. If you are a Freshman, you are halfway through your first year of college. If you are a Sophomore or Junior, you are closer to the finish line. I love conclusions and what they convey: they summarize a message, a legacy, and a journey. Other prominent endings this year: Kobe Bryant’s Career: I am not a Kobe Bryant supporter. I’m from New England and I was born and raised a Boston Celtics fan. Everything about him makes me nauseous: that his career has been so successful, that he was drafted straight out of high school because he was so talented, that he set a ton of records in the NBA. Also, that he’s a Laker is enough to dislike him. I can’t help but respect him, though. I also respect his timely decision to retire. Some athletes have had trouble letting go (ahem, Brett Favre, Michael Jordan). Barack Obama’s Presidency: Healthcare, Bin Laden’s death, and gay marriage. That’s what the general population will probably remember most about his terms. I’m making a nonpartisan statement when I say that being President of the U.S. is probably hard and probably means not everyone will like you. American Idol’s Farewell Season: Nobody cares, everyone’s relieved. This show went on far past its prime. Downton Abbey: The drama, the devastating losses, the warm, fuzzy moments. I’m sure tears will be shed over this.
As you read through this issue and check out the S.A. throwback pictures that I dug out of old yearbooks, think of what your legacy will be at the end of this semester. What will people remember about you?
- Clarissa Cintron
Upcoming Elections: Be a Part of S.A. History Y
ou may not have heard yet, but on February 25, 2016, Student Association’s elections for the incoming officers of the 2016-2017 school year will be taking place. This is a pretty big deal at SWAU. The next officers who are elected will be the 70th class of SA officers. So what is the Student Association and how do you know if you should run for office? Glad you asked!
SA History and Purpose:
“While there were various kinds of informal student organizations since very early in the school’s history, class officers since at least 1916-1917, and a yearbook editing team since 1921-1922, a student association wasn’t formed until 1946-1947. That school year, the association took on responsibility for the yearbook and the Southwesterner, which at that point had already issued five annual volumes. The newly created organization sought to give voice to the students, promote their interests, and help them develop organizational skills.” Alfredo Vergel Public Services and Special Collections Chan Shun Centennial Library
Being a part of Student Association means being a voice for the student body. Wouldn’t you like to put that on your professional resume?
The first Student Association 1946-1947 (Why did people from the old days look...older?)
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Executive Officer List
Do you have what it takes to run for any of these positions? President
•Shall be the Chief Executive Officer and an ex-officio member of all SA Committees. He/ she shall have the general authority over any SA Standing Committees. •Shall arrange and preside at all meetings of the General Assembly and Executive Council. Email hienhuynh@swau.edu for more information on this position.
Executive Vice President • Shall be the President of the Senate and work closely with University Administration. • Shall assume all responsibilities and duties in the absence of the President and shall assist the President in ensuring that all Executive Council meetings are conducted accordingly. Email abel.l.mims@swau.edu for more information on this position.
Financial Vice President • Shall maintain a record of all financial affairs of the SA. • Shall inform the financial status of SA to the Executive Council and shall prepare a financial statement to present to the General Assembly. • Shall be responsible for the collection, maintenance, and disbursement of all SA funds and must approve all financial transactions of the Executive Council and the Senate. Email xyzab@swau.edu for more information on this position.
Ministries Vice President • Shall be responsible for the direction and coordination of all SA sponsored ministries activities, in harmony with the working policies of the Spiritual Life & Development Office. Email luissa-ponce@swau.edu for more information on this position.
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Social Vice President • Shall be responsible, along with the Social Committee, for direction and coordination of all SA sponsored social events. • Shall oversee the production of Mimosa. He/she shall work with the Financial Vice President in preparing the budget of SA sponsored events. Email hienhuynh@swau.edu for more information on this position.
Mizpah Editor •Shall be administratively responsible for the publication of the Mizpah. •Must be able to use design software. • Shall appoint members of the editorial staff and arrange for assistants. He/shall arrange for a photographer to take pictures of all campus events and activities. • Shall plan and organize the content of the Mizpah. Email bjmondesir@swau.edu for more information on this position.
Status Editor • Shall be administratively responsible for the publication of Status. • Must be able to use design software. • Shall appoint members of the editorial staff as well as writers. • Shall plan and organize the content of Status. Email clarissa@swau.edu for more information on this position.
Public Relations Director •Shall be responsible for designing advertisement materials that will be used to promote SA sponsored activities. •Shall be responsible for removal of all outdated Public Relations material. Email hdart@swau.edu for more information on this position.
**Election Determinations** Elections shall be determined by a majority of the Constituency voting through an online ballot sent out by the Office of Student Services. If the candidate is running without an opponent, he/she will still need 70% of the vote in order to be eligible for the office he/she is running for. **Term of Office** Officers shall assume their office after graduation is over for the year of their election and shall hold the office for one year. All appointed officers must be approved by May 1st.
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Local Eats You Must Try Mooyahs
One of my favorite grilled cheese places! That says a lot because I consider myself a grilled cheese connoisseur. Mooyahs is known for it’s “build your own burger”, including a vegetarian black bean burger, with your choice of hand-cut French fries or sweet potato fries. They even sell hand-crafted milkshakes! Mooyahs is a great restaurant for the comfort food craver. Address: 12632 South Fwy Ste. # 101 Burleson, TX 76028
Salsa Limon
Tacos, Tacos, Tacos! Salsa Limon is definitely at the top on my list of favorite taco restaurants. Their Black Bean Avocado Tacos are as irresistible and addicting as a Netflix series on a school night. They have everything from tacos and quesadillas, to breakfast burritos and even refreshing horchata or Mexican Cokes. Salsa Limon is an adorable retro, street-food taco diner located on the Fort Worth West 7th strip, perfect for a fun date night or casual eat. Address: 929 University Dr, Fort Worth, TX 76107
First Wok
First Wok has become my first choice when choosing Asian cuisine. This “hole in the wall” Chinese restaurant sure is underestimated! You can even substitute tofu in any meal if you’re a vegetarian. My absolute favorite is the garlic and broccoli with tofu and white rice dish! Oh YUUUUUMMMM! Once I start on that, I can’t stop eating it! First Wok is popular for its cheap chow mein and vegetable fried rice. Their take-out is super fast but just an FYI: they only accept cash for payment. Address: 1607 W Henderson St, Cleburne, TX 76033
Sweet Sammies
Hmm where do I even start with Sweet Sammies? How about, they’re one of the yummiest, coolest dessert shops in Fort Worth! Sweet Sammies is located on the West 7th Strip and is known for its “build your own” ice cream sandwiches! With 13 flavors of homemade cookies and 12 different flavors of Blue Bunny Ice cream, you get to mix and match for that perfect, personal ice cream sandwich. I can vouch for the Cinnamon Chip Snickerdoodle with Bunny Tracks ice cream: it melted in my mouth! Address: 825 Currie St, Fort Worth, TX 76107
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Kayla Federowski
Who Are You Voting For? (And Why?)
In 2014, George Gao of Pew’s Research Center wrote an article titled, “1in-10 Americans Don’t Give a Hoot About Politics.” The focus of his article was directing attention to many Americans who do not engage themselves in domestic politics. Many Americans spend their time and energy in following fads and other media that do not produce growth and awareness in the relevantto-life topics such as politics. How can we hoist the sail of voting percentages off of its mast to promote a politically educated American population? According to Pew’s Research Center, ten percent of the American population consider themselves bystanders to national politics. Here, a bystander is defined as being an individual who is disengaged in politics. Out of that ten percent, 67% have a high school education or less. 22% are attending or have attended some college, and 11% have attended grad school. For many students of colleges and universities, a circulation of current events allows for an easier acquisition of political information, including next year’s most highly anticipated national event. In 2016, the United States of America (U.S.A.) will be holding a presidential election. In this article, we will discuss four of the top political figures in contention for the executive position of our country’s leadership: Two Republican (R) and two Democratic (D) leaders will be reviewed. In Cable News Network’s poll on December 17, 2015, the following candidates were determined by 1,018 Americans to be at the top of the voting preferences.
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Healthcare reformer
Prevent additional debt and deficits.
Supports Enhancing Educational Opportunities for All Act.
Create jobs for Americans and disable corporate inversions of companies. Pro-Second Amendment
Opposes re-entry of American citizens to U.S. post-ISIS association.
Tax relief for middle-class. SWAU’s 2013 graduation speaker
According to his presidential candidacy website, donaldjtrump.com, Mr.Trump seeks to end offshore manufacturing and investment.
Businessman Donald Trump (New York) Leads Republican candidacy with a 39% approval rating (CNN/ORC latest December 17-21, 2015 poll). This keeps him in the lead by 21% over Ted Cruz.
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Against Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.
Pro-Second Amendment
Defender of religious liberty
United States Senator Ted Cruz (Texas) 18% approval rating according to CNN/ ORC’s December poll.
To guarantee healthcare for all American citizens 50% approval To provide federal grants rating according for states’ investment in to CNN/ORC. higher education
Pushing to make America the superpower of clean energy
To raise the national minimum wage from $7.50 to $15 an hour
To expand healthcare coverage
Former United States Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (New York) Leads the next standing democratic candidate by 16%.
To make tuition at colleges and universities free
To strengthen foreign policy by proactively working towards a diplomatic solution
Reduce wealth inequality by demanding higher taxes on large corporations
Senator Bernie Sanders (Vermont) 34% approval rating according to CNN/ORC’s December poll.
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Any of these experienced and influential candidates can be the next president, come November 8, 2016; but before any mainsail and jib is cast up into position for a sailboat to be sent to open water, the captain of the ship ensures that the forestay and the backstay are tied to both the mast and the boat. The leader of a country and its citizens need to be similar to the relationship of that between a captain and sailboat. The candidate must make sure he or she is running for the well-being of his or her citizens. Citizens must have the awareness to bring the major issues to the leader’s attention. Both ideologies with the candidate and voter must work together. Voter-citizens are given the freedom to make sure that a secure forestay and backstay of information about each candidate are grounded by practicality, not only theory. A history of leaders in this country has made us into a powerful, global influence. Any upcoming leader in this country must work hard to achieve continued development and maintain a positive influence in our country and the world.
Rick Fierro
WHY U NO VOTE? 8
Mission Spotlight: An Interview with Izzy Dominquez
Current Location of Service: Stanborough Park Church in Watford, England; South England Conference
How long have you been serving there?
I have been here three months and I will stay here for around 10 months.
What are your duties?
We do many things, from setting up rooms and kitchen duties to helping with programs but our main focus is the spirituality of the youth.
What was one thing that surprised you about this part of the world?
One thing that surprised me was something very positive; This church works for the community seven days per week. They care for people’s needs, not only spiritually, but physically. Another surprise was that the senior members are very active in church! They run the church! They serve with amazing love and enthusiasm!
What are some Sabbath traditions that you practice in England?
Every Sabbath, we stay after church and have a cold or hot drink and chat with everyone. It is great because you get to talk about your week and share with friends. Every Friday night we have a group that goes to London to feed the homeless. Not only do we enjoy the blessing of Sabbath but they [the homeless] do too. There is one [Sabbath tradition] that I find very interesting and this is a “prayer basket” that is given to one family every week and we pray for their needs.
How did you come to be a missionary in England?
I was not planning to be a missionary. Life was perfect and I was more than happy, very comfortable. One day, Pastor Elden Ramirez came to our campus and helped with the Sabbath School program. He didn’t say anything about missions but God used him to remind me of my teen years’ passion for the mission. I was awakened by a very persistent call by God to go. I started to battle with Him. He was very confident that His idea was the best for me, I wasn’t very sure about it. I had many insecurities and fears such as, What if I disappoint You? What if I change so much that I won’t recognize myself and neither will everyone around me? What if I make mistakes and dishonor You? And the list
Alondra Zavala
can go longer but the Holy Spirit can be very persuasive and calming. Despite all those fears, I agreed to let Him guide me through this process and I asked for signs: I wanted the approval of my friends, professors, and parents (my dad is very protective). All of these signs were answered; not only was everyone happy, but they encouraged me to go. I had the longest summer of my life waiting for the conferences to reply to my application. In the end, when all of my options were no longer available, God opened a position that was not on the website and they offered to contact the pastoral team for me! God had all of that planned: something exclusively for me! I felt guided by His hand. I have been here three months and I am sure this is God’s plan for me. I am in the right place at the right time.
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Mark Your Calendar! SA is proud to announce the first social event for the Spring 2016 Semester at Altitude Trampoline Park
January 23, 2016 7:00 PM Buses will load in the library parking lot at 6:10 PM and will be leaving at 6:20 PM. Students need their ID’s or participation will be at personal expense.
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How can we improve Status? Let us know by directing your suggestions or questions to clarissa@swau.edu