Denton
Partly Cloudy Tomorrow will bring a high of 70˚ and a low of 53˚.
Do these changes apply to you? pg. 3
Thursday │ February 2, 2012 │ Vol. 98, No. 17
TWU Spotlight Features The Write Site helps students focus on the research while at the same time helping those students write better papers. The Write Site also offers to anyone in the university community, assistance with résumés, as well as help to non-native English speakers with writing in English, proper use of documentation styles and improving grammar usage in their writing. The Write Site offers some form of assistance on most written documentation. It does not need to be an assignment for a class. ..........p. 4
Sports “They want rings, they want to win a conference championship,” Bruister said. Because the team has set these goals, they want to go all the way, which he said means getting through regionals and ultimately competing for a national championship. The other team will come in with the attitude that they will defeat TWU, Bruister said. It is the team’s job to make sure that doesn’t happen and go in with the same attitude. ..........p. 6
Aaron Claycomb Editor-in-Chief TWU students on all campuses are preparing for an event this Friday, for which everyone is encouraged to wear red. Friday is Wear Red Day to help the American Heart Association raise womens’ awareness for heart disease and empower women to reduce their risk. TWU is joining the AHA in the fight against heart disease. A lunch screening of “Just a Little Heart Attack” Wednesday was followed by a panel discussion. Students covered topics such as physical activity, healthy eating and managing stress. Sonia Redwine, assistant director of health education, said: “We will be posting our discussion on our Facebook pages so
Opinions La Monumental starts out simply enough: a meat patty, slice of cheese, creamy Mexican sauce, and the usual lineup of tomato, onion and lettuce. This is where things get crazy: On top of the patty also sits a tostada with refried beans and fresh avocado slices. ..........p. 7
the other campuses will have access to them.” “It is the No. 1 killer for women,” Morgan O’Donnell, graduate academic advisor for the department of health studies, said. “A lot of times women don’t even realize how serious heart disease is.” She added it can especially impact young women. “So often women take care of other people, and they forget to take care of themselves,” Redwine said. “It’s important to go ahead and have a physical activity routine, eat healthy and manage your stress.” Several departments are participating in raising heart disease awareness on campus. The Institute of Women’s Health, Fitness and
see Ladies page 4
Inside this issue News
Sports
Features
Opinion
Changes to federal financial aid.............3 STARS....................................................4
Special Section
Black History Month...............................6
Softball..................................6 Battle of the Burgers.............7
Arts & Entertainment
‘The Woman in Black’...........8
Have questions or comments about The Lasso? twu_lasso@yahoo.com
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Local Weather
Photo of the week
Denton
Houston Thursday
Thursday
High 70˚ Low 53˚
High 74˚ Low 64˚
High 71˚ Low 60˚
Friday
Friday
Friday
High 60˚ Low 42˚ Isolated T-storms
High 72˚ Low 60˚ Isolated T-storms
High 66˚ Low 45˚ Isolated T-storms
Saturday
Saturday
Saturday
High 65˚ Low 50˚
High 58˚ Low 40˚
Cloudy
T-storms
Cloudy
Sunday
Sunday
Sunday
High 53˚ Low 34˚ Partly Cloudy
High 59˚ Low 45˚ Rainy
Police Report Photography by Jeni Berry
Senior Tiarra Alexander, president of Eta Sigma Gamma, shows freshman Francis Kabbah how to make a stress relief ball at the third annual Cruising to Academic Success event Jan. 25.
Lasso staff Adviser’s Aaron Claycomb • aclaycomb@twu.edu Managing Editor
Erin Marissa Russell • erussell2@twu.edu Assigning Editor
Ginger Renee Hughes • ghughes@twu.edu Copy Editor
Amber Mitchell • amitchell9@twu.edu Features Editor
Opinions Editor
Arts and Entertainment Editor
Stanton Brasher • sbrasher@twu.edu Staff Writers
Laura Hilton • remember2smile247@ymail.com Marygail Lakner • mlakner@twu.edu Stephanie Terrell • sterrell@twu.edu Katherine Braun • kbraun@twu.edu Graphic Design
Cliff Caster • ccaster@twu.edu Photo Editor
Jeni Berry • jnberry@gmail.com Business Manager
Yeleinne Rayo • twugirl08@yahoo.com Business Assistants
Alisha Sarfani • asarfani@twu.edu Leah Walker • lwalker8@twu.edu Advisor
Bo Carter • scarter5@twu.edu All Rights reserved. The Lasso is a weekly student publication of Texas Woman’s University, written and produced by students and printed at DFW Printing. Editors develop their own editorial and news policies. The presentation of news and editorials and the personal opinions expressed in The Lasso are those of The Lasso staff and writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the faculty, staff, students, administration, or the Regents of Texas Woman’s University.
High 55˚ Low 37˚ Mostly Sunny
911 Hang-Up
Fire Alarm
Vehicle Damage
A 911 hang-up was reported at
A report of a fire alarm going
A report of vehicle damage was
the 1700 block of N. Bell Ave
off was made at the CFO
made at 301 Administration Dr.
Saturday, Jan. 21. An arrest
Wednesday, Jan. 25. No
Monday, Jan. 30. No arrest was
was made.
damages were reported.
made,
Theft
Trespass
Suspicious Person
A theft was reported at 1608
A report of trespassing was
A report of a suspicious
Lowry Woods Saturday, Jan.
made at Stark Hall Saturday,
person was made at Stark Hall
21. No arrest was made.
Jan. 28. An arrest was made.
Tuesday, Jan. 31. An arrest was
This is a part of the daily activity log produced by the University Police Department. To report a criminal incident on campus, please call 940-898-2911
tip of the TWU Calendar Denton week
Students should always be aware of important academic dates and deadlines. To access the TWU academic calendar for Spring 2012, please visit http:// www.twu.edu/academics.
Dennis Barbee • debarbee@twu.edu Morgan Griffin • mgriffin7@twu.edu
Dallas
Thursday
High 50˚ Low 37˚
Editor-in-Chief
The Lasso
twulasso.com
Weekly Roundup
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Want to write for The Lasso? Apply now. Email twu_lasso@yahoo.com
Wednesday Feb. 1- Monday Feb. 27 “Celebrating Black History Month” @ first floor Blagg-Huey Library The exhibit will include stories from the Great Migration and Harlem Renaissance and will feature books, artifacts and clothing from the Civil Rights Movement. Friday Feb. 3 Gymnastics vs. Arizona in Kitty Magee Arena @ 7 p.m. The TWU gymnastics team will be hosting its annual Think Pink meet, focused on raising awareness in the fight against breast cancer. Saturday Feb. 4 Basketball vs. West Texas A&M in Kitty Magee Arena @ 2 p.m. Softball vs. Southern Arkansas at Pioneer Field @ 4 p.m. TExES Practice Test in CFO 203 @ 8:30 a.m. Open to all students seeking teacher certification. Monday Feb. 6-Thursday Feb. 9 Financial Aid Awareness Week. Tuesday Feb. 7 Presentation: South Korea: Reflections on Language and Culture in Student Union 207 @ 11:45 a.m. Valentine’s Day Craft Fair, Student Union Purple Lobby @ noon.
Houston Friday Feb. 3 Wear Red Day to show awareness of heart disease. Monday Feb. 6-Thursday Feb. 9 Financial Aid Awareness Week.
Dallas Friday Feb. 3 Wear Red Day to show awareness of heart disease. Monday Feb. 6 Resume Workshop in Multipurpose room 3620. Monday Feb. 6-Thursday Feb. 9 Financial Aid Awareness Week.
LETTERS AND VIEWPOINTS POLICY We value reader submissions. As a university newspaper we have certain criteria that limit what we will place inside our newspaper. Please limit letters to 300 words. Columns submitted should be no longer than 600 words. Please include your name, address, phone, and email address. Your contact information will not be published. Unsigned submissions will not be published. All submission are also edited for length and clarity. Submissions become property of The Lasso.
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News
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Student Health Services offers online appointments Stephanie Terrell Staff Writer
Student Health Services recently has started allowing students to schedule appointments online as well as check immunization records through Pioneer Portal and by visiting https://twu. medicatconnect.com/. “Online Student Health was created as an additional student health service to offer students the flexibility to schedule appointments utilizing the technology they are already familiar with,” assistant director of Student Health Services Tanisha Freeman explained in an email. “Instead of having to wait until our clinic opens or a free moment to call and schedule an appointment, students can have 24-hour access to the system to schedule, cancel or reschedule selected medical appointments.” According to Freeman, this website was created through the collaboration of systems analyst Zane Santos and TWU IT staff to assure functionality and students’ security. The creation of this project began in OctoberNovember 2011, and IT will use
the current spring semester to discover and fix any issues with the program before the upcoming fall semester. “As we move forward in preparing the transition to the nationally mandated electronic medical record, we hope to continue to add value to our services for the students with the technology that is available,” Freeman said. “Technology is what many of today’s students have grown up with or have become accustomed to, and we see the benefit in making our services a part of that.” A list of common symptoms are given for students to select from when making an appointment, such as nausea, vomiting, headache, cough, sinus, fever, sore throat, congestion and pinkeye. After selecting their symptoms, students will then be able to choose a date, time and staff member according to their convenience. The program will not double-book appointments, which ensures Student Health Services will not have multiple appointments scheduled for the same time. “The software will not allow more than one person to be
slotted into an available time,” Freeman said. “The appointments are available on a first-come firstserved basis, the same as if they were to call in.” Immunization records are also provided through Student Health Services’ portal, which allows students to check the status of immunizations given by the clinic and records submitted to the clinic. This is done so students can see what immunizations may be required of them, such as the tetanus-diphtheria vaccine or bacterial meningitis vaccine. According to SHS’ website, health science majors require several immunizations in order to participate in clinical rotations, and most of these immunizations are provided on campus. The immunizations required include measles (two doses), mumps, rubella, varicella, tetanus-diphtheria, hepatitis B, and a tuberculosis screening. If a student needs more information or further verification of received immunization records, they can call 940-898-3825 or email immunization@twu.edu. “Students in the various health studies programs were already utilizing the immunization
Photo by Jeni Berry
Students can now set their appointments with Student Health Services online through https://twu.medicatconnect.com. feature for quite some time, we just hadn’t worked out the logistics to turn on the additional feature that would allow online scheduling,” Freeman said. “With an upgrade to our current practice management system, commonly used in other university health
center settings, we were able to turn this feature on in addition to the immunization feature we have already been using.” This new online feature is designed to facilitate convenience in scheduling appointments at any time during the day, and Student
Health Services is working with technology to remain current in services available to students, faculty and staff. For more information about Online Student Health services, visit http://www.twu.edu/student-healthservices/online-student-health.asp.
priority deadline for academic scholarships and fall and summer financial aid is March 15. Representatives will be available in Denton during Financial Aid Awareness Week Monday, Feb. 6, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on the second floor of the Student Union and 4:30-6:30 p.m. on the second floor of Jones Hall; Tuesday, Feb. 7, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. on the second floor of the Student Union and 9-11 a.m. and 2-3 p.m. on the first floor of MCL; Wednesday, Feb. 8, 9-11 a.m. and 2-3 p.m. on the second floor of the CFO and 4-7 p.m.
at Stark/Guinn Commons; and Thursday, Feb. 9, 11 a.m.-1 p.m. at the Student Union outside the Underground. Students at TWU’s Houston campus may participate in Financial Aid Awareness Week 9 a.m.-noon Feb. 6-9 by visiting financial aid adviser Jennifer Lewis at a table outside the One Stop area. Lewis said no appointments are required, and she will be open to answering questions or explaining information about financial aid. The Dallas campus will celebrate Financial Aid Awareness Week by having a
table set up Feb. 6-9 on the first and third floor of the T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences Building. Coordinator of admissions, registrar and financial aid Karen LongTrail will be available to assist students. Individual help with filling out financial aid applications is available at the Denton campus Feb. 13-March 30 Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. For more information about sessions or financial aid, students can contact 940-898-3064 for Denton, 214-689-6520 for Dallas or 713-794-2315 for Houston.
Library shuts doors Financial aid: aiding awareness Erin Marissa Russell Managing Editor
Stephanie Terrell Staff Writer Libraries are important buildings for college campuses as they provide research materials, a quiet place for studying, and helpful reference information. Presbyterian Library at TWU’s Presbyterian campus has closed and will move to TWU’s Dallas campus T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences. The new Dallas campus library has begun the process of integrating the two collections together into one building, which will take approximately a year. During the move, electronic health science resources will be available for use by faculty, staff and students at http://www.twu. edu/library/. “Building the collection for the new Dallas campus was a yearlong enterprise in which the Dallas librarians worked with Denton Library staff to provide student and faculty access to quality library collections at the Institute of Health SciencesDallas Center,” Dallas campus librarian Eula Oliphant said in an email. “In addition to the print resources, the Dallas Center library offers access to scholarly electronic resources (electronic books, journals and streaming video) in the health sciences.” The library staff was accustomed to collaborating and being in contact between campuses prior to the closing of
the Presbyterian campus, which has made the transition a little easier for both libraries as they adjust to the change. “Library staff is pleased to be working together at the T. Boone Pickens Institute of Health Sciences — Dallas Center,” Oliphant said. “Before the move, staff at the Presby and Parkland sites was frequently in touch with each other and often exchanged staff and information sources to provide the best possible service on both campuses. Our mutual goal is to help TWU students succeed.” The library staff will also be able to work together more often to provide opportunities and resources for the Dallas campus students, faculty and staff, Oliphant said. “In addition to shared collection building, the new Dallas campus provides library staff with more opportunities to collaborate on instructional and research services, including one-on-one lessons and classroom instruction delivered in-person and over the web,” Oliphant explained. “Library staff is very pleased to have an inviting new space in which TWU students can participate in group work, study quietly or get library support from a librarian with expertise in the health sciences scholarly literature.” For more information about TWU’s libraries and services, students can visit http://www.twu.edu/ library/.
It is not often others make an effort to help students with the cost of tuition. However, Feb. 6-9, TWU will do just that. The week is celebrated as Financial Aid Awareness Week at TWU’s campuses. During this week, students have the opportunity to speak with financial aid representatives to find out the options available to them, get answers to their questions or complete applications. The
Changes to federal financial aid: Pell Grant: • Eligibility will be reduced from 18 to 12 semesters. Students who have received 12 semesters will be cut off from further funding. • Students must have a high school diploma or GED to be eligible. • Changes to eligibility calculations could reduce grants for up to 100,000 students nationwide. • Year-round distribution is discontinued. The maximum annual award for a student enrolling fulltime for fall, spring and summer is reduced from $8,325 to $5,550. Federal Direct Subsidized or Unsubsidized Student Loans: • Unless Congress intervenes before July 1, interest rates will revert to 6.8 percent from 3.4 percent. • Interest will now begin accruing during the six-month grace period. • For all new graduate student loans processed after July 1, the $8,500 direct subsidized loan will be replaced by an $8,500 direct unsubsidized loan. FAFSA: • A question on the FAFSA form will allow applicants to transfer information directly from the IRS. This option will expedite processing and can be authorized initially or chosen later as a revision. • Students selected for FAFSA verification must request a tax transcript from the IRS and submit it to the Financial Aid Office instead of submitting copies of their tax returns to the Financial Aid Office. Students selected for verification who did not use the IRS data transfer to complete FAFSA may experience delays. Federal Financial Aid Updates for 2012-13 provided by TWU financial aid director Governor Jackson
Cruising for Success sails students into open commons Laura Hilton Staff Writer
Photography by Jeni Berry
Freshman Jasmine Brown plays the disk drop game at the 3rd Annual Cruising to Academic Success event as, left to right, senior Andreek Wright, junior Lihn Pham and Michelle PrudhommeColeman, program coordinator for Intercultural Services, observe.
Students may have recovered from the fall semester, but the spring semester brings new courses and new challenges. To lighten the mood, undergraduate studies, in coalition with many other TWU departments, hosted an academic success event Jan. 25 in Guinn Commons for students to distress, refresh, and prepare for academic success.
Eddy Lynton, director of academic success, explained academic success events enable students to connect and interact with the different departments at TWU and are also a great way for the departments to share information with students in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere. Most of the students at the event were freshmen. Daniel Moreno came to the event to destress from last semester. He said he hopes he will be able to end on a good note just as he did last semester. As students walked through the commons that night, they were eagerly invited to join in the festivities. Walking along the pathway of tables, students received information about the services TWU has to offer. Counseling Services handed out fliers to advertise its Spring 2012 group sessions. The sessions are free and all students are
invited to join. Career Services also distributed fliers to share upcoming seminars for this semester. The events included a presentation on how to write winning résumés and a professional career expo, which will be held in March. Representatives from the Write Site were present, with coloring pages featuring their mascot, Nubby the Pencil. Eta Sigma Gamma, an honor society for outstanding health studies majors and minors, offered students the chance to make stress balls using balloons and sand. Other departments at the event included staff from the Fitness and Recreation Center, the dance and kinesiology departments, Intercultural Services, College of Arts and Sciences, and the Math and Technology Success Center.
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Features
The Lasso
twulasso.com
Write Site helps with papers Revamped Dennis Barbee Features Editor
Many students are faced with writing papers for their classes, and the requirements for those papers differ for each professor and type of assignment. Research, drafting, sourcing, and citing can take hours of work.
The Write Site helps students focus on the research while at the same time helping those students write better papers. The Write Site
Photography by Jeni Berry
Write Site staff member Natalie Malin assists junior Mayra Rivas in the writing process. Writing consultants are available to assist students with all aspects of the writing process.
also offers, to anyone in the university community, assistance with résumés, as well as help to non-native English speakers with writing in English, proper use of documentation styles and improving grammar usage in their writing. The Write Site offers some form of assistance on most written documentation. It does not need to be an assignment for a class. The Write Site offers a wide array of resources for students who need help in various areas of the writing process. Students looking for ideas can take advantage of assistance with the invention process and can utilize the graduate and undergraduate writing consultants who are on staff. The Write Site also offers many more ways they can help students. Students can sign up for a specific time slot at the Write Site portal or call 940-8982341 and set an appointment. Dr. Jennifer Phillips-Denny, tutor coordinator of the Write Site, said, “Through the online scheduling system, if we are full, a student can go on the wait list and will be notified when a spot opens up.” Students do not have to set an appointment to have their papers reviewed. Students can submit their papers for review through the Online Writing Lab. A cyber tutor can help with papers and answer specific questions regarding grammar or documentation. Students should note it may take up to 48 hours to get a response from the OWL, and no more than six standard pages can be submitted for review. The Write Site is open Mondays and Wednesdays 9 a.m.-5 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and Friday 9 a.m.-1 p.m.. The Write Site is located in CFO 131. Online Writing submissions can be made by going directly to the OWL at http://twu. mywconline.com/ or by following the links from the Write Site website: http://www. twu.edu/write-site/default.asp.
STEP program shines like a STAR. Laura Hilton Features Writer
For students whose area of expertise does not lie in technology, the technology and resource department has revamped their student support program. Student Technology Empowerment Program was the former name of the program, but it was primarily to “help students improve their technology skills through training sessions and individual assistance,” according to STEP’s website. The new program, called the Student Technology and Resources program, or STAR, is available for students seeking assistance for their PC, Mac, or mobile devices. Karl Pienkoss, the Information Technology Services lab coordinator, said there are five main points of service for STAR. The first service they provide is training and education for people seeking to further their skills in software, such as Microsoft Office. The second is “education and training for TWU services, such as Blackboard, Portal, and Webmail,” according to STAR’s business card. There will be tutorial videos to aid students in navigating these services. Third is education on online safety and awareness ,including information on how to avoid phishing scams and viruses while surfing the
Internet. The fourth service is hardware and software support. Students who need help replacing or installing either of these things or need help ridding their devices of viruses can bring their computer into the lab for assistance. Last is support and assistance with mobile devices and phones. Pienkoss said STAR helps with things like setting up email accounts and wireless Internet networks. Training sessions and presentations will be another service added throughout the semester, and it is likely they will be held in classes, said Pienkoss. “I’m very excited about the whole thing, because STEP was just one aspect of the whole thing,” Pienkoss explained. “We have had a really good turnout for students dropping off computers to be worked on.” Igor Zavelim, a freshman, is one of the many students who staff the STAR lab. He said he has been working with technology since he was eight, building computers for fun. Currently, his workstation is a small corner of MCL 221, but he says they are hoping to expand the lab some day. Pienkoss said he also wants to remind students that all of STAR’s services are provided free of charge to TWU students. For more information about STAR and the services it offers, students can contact star@twu. edu, call 940-898-4040, or visit the lab in MCL 221.
WASP Oral History archive collection grows Laura Hilton Features Writer
The Pioneer Oral History Project definitely has proven absence does make the heart grow stronger. Alumni enthusiastically recount their time spent at TWU with students from associate professor of history Dr. Katherine Landdeck’s oral history course. The Pioneer Oral History Project began in 2005 and has been expanding ever since. Landdeck began working with the project in 2008. Originally, Landdeck began recording oral histories because of her interest in the Women Airforce Service Pilots. Every semester the oral history course is taught, Landdeck explained, a certain theme is applied. If the class is studying a certain era in time, they research that specific period and what was happening not only in the United States at the time, but also at TWU. “The significance of oral history, I think, is we can only get so much from written documents,” Landdeck said. “There are so many nuances and so many details left out of letters or newspaper articles.” There are some flaws with oral history,
though, she added. These flaws stem from the fact that everyone has personal bias and flawed memories. Nonetheless, oral histories provide more depth into the understanding of the information already available. Landdeck noted it is very important for students to know in which direction they are going with the oral histories. They have to research to know what specifics they want to learn from the alumni, whether it is life in the dorms or a particular student organization. This is the purpose of research prior to interviewing a former student. “The biggest key in oral history is to prepare,” Landdeck said. Leslie Lindsey, Instructional Designer II for the College of Arts and Sciences, was a graduate assistant to Landdeck and recounted her experiences working with the Pioneer Oral History Project. After taking the oral history course in the last semester of her undergraduate years, she said she became interested in what she considered an important part of research. Lindsey worked with Landdeck digitizing the collections, making them available online, archiving the interviews, preserving
CONT. from pg. 1 Ladies
Recreation, Student Health Services, and department of health studies are all taking a role in this week’s national cause. “The department that has the most participation will have the Go Red for Women pins,” Redwine stated. Friday, departments are encouraged to participate in the departmental photo contest, as stated in an email that was sent to faculty and staff at TWU. The Department of University Housing is sponsoring a Paint T-Dub Red contest for students living on campus. The contest
and editing transcripts, and cataloging CDs and cassette tapes. The library and the history department are also teaming up, because many of the oral histories are available to students to use for research. Once the transcripts for the oral histories are available, they will be posted for student use as well, Lindsey added. So if a student is researching what TWU was like during the ‘50s, Landdeck said, they have the ability to use an oral history report as a primary source. Landdeck said one of her goals is for students “to see the value of an oral history as a primary source.” In addition to oral histories from alums, there is also a current students’ oral history collection. “We’re kind of capturing, at that moment in time, what their experiences are like,” Lindsey said. As for the former students being interviewed, Landdeck said she can attest that the alums enjoy having an excuse to visit campus and meet current students. “They love being able to tell their stories about their positive experiences at the university.”
started Monday, Jan. 30 and will conclude Friday, Feb. 3. Winners will be named for the best floor/apartment building in each residence hall, and also the best overall apartment building on campus that is creatively decked out with red and heart health information. In a press release from the AHA, Claire Laigh Kinzy, communications director, stated that this is the ninth annual national Wear Red Day. Redwine and O’Donnell both said this was the first time TWU would participate. O’Donnell said she is hopeful that involving four major departments will encourage people to participate. “We have gotten a lot of feedback from faculty and staff who have said, ‘Thanks for putting this on. We are really glad you are helping bring
Photography by Dennis Barbee
Completed oral histories are bound and placed in long term, secure storage in the TWU vault. The vault is climate-controlled and monitored for humidity and temperature to keep the documents in optimum condition.
attention to this health issue,’” she said. O’Donnell said it’s different for women than it is for men. “Most people recognize the heart attack for a man, but they don’t realize for a woman it doesn’t always manifest the same way,” she said. That is why, she explained, the departments are working to bring awareness to TWU. Redwine noted that it’s not just the Denton campus, but also Dallas and Houston that will be participating in the Friday wear red cause. “It’s easy to participate,” O’Donnell noted. “All you have to do is dress in red and show your support.” Additional information regarding National Wear Red Day can be found at http://www.heart.org/ HEARTORG/.
Seeking Participants for Knee Pain Study Do you have knee pain? If so, you may be eligible to participate in a 4-month research study looking at effects of grape powder in improving joint function & reducing pain. If you are between 45-70 years old, healthy and mobile, you may qualify. Need to consume grape powder or placebo for 4 months and undergo range of motion measurement, pain and physical activity questionnaires & provide blood specimen twice during the study. Benefits include nutrition & weight management education, body fat assessment & $100 compensation for time spent on the study. If interested, please contact Dr. Shanil Juma at sjuma@twu.edu or 940-898-2704.
6 Thursday, February 2, 2012
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Pioneer team trains hard for softball opener Aaron Claycomb Editor-in-Chief
would eat breakfast at 8:15 a.m. and not finish dinner until late in the evening. “This is the best team I have had since I have been a coach,” Bruister said. “All around, it’s just really exciting to the see the talent that we have.” Coaches tell players they are more likely to achieve their goal if they can envision it for themselves, Bruister said. “They want rings, they want to win a conference championship,” Bruister said. Because the team has set these goals, they want to go all the way, which he said means getting through regionals and ultimately competing for a national championship. The other team will come in with the attitude that they will defeat TWU, Bruister said. It is the Pioneers’ job to make sure that doesn’t happen and go in with the same attitude. The Pioneers tackle SAU 4 p.m. Saturday. “The girls are
The Pioneer softball team is gearing up for the opening of the season Saturday as the squad meets Southern Arkansas University. With hard work and dedication, head softball coach Richie Bruister said the team hopes to win a national championship this year. Bruister says he and the women are ready for the softball season to begin. “The team is looking really good,” he added. The biggest obstacle, he said, will be the competition the team will face in the Lone Star Conference. “Our conference is strong,” he noted. “It’s one of the best in the country.” The Lone Star Conference preseason poll ranks TWU at No. 5, right below Midwestern State. The team started picking up their bats Jan. 10 when practice and preparation for the season began. Bruister said the team
excited to play,” Bruister noted. The team is tweaking its lineup right now for Saturday’s home opener. “Always good to be at home,” Bruister said. “We have a great crowd support that comes out. We are really looking forward to all our softball fans that come out and support us.” SAU is starting the season with a new head softball coach. “He’s very fired up and energetic,” Bruister said. The TWU team typically plays around 56 games a year. This weekend, the Pioneers will open their season with a game on Saturday and a back-to-back Sunday against SAU. Abby Burns, previous pitcher and first baseman for Photography by Jeni Berry the Pioneers, decided not to play this spring. She had to The Pioneer softball team practices Friday, Jan.27 for their opening game. drop out last season because she was diagnosed with myeloid leukemia in January. Bruister have been expected difficulties plans to graduate from TWU games the team isn’t already prepared to face. said she planned on coming that are going to prevent her in May. Bruister said there won’t back to the team; however, there from playing. Burns is currently completing an internship and be anything at this weekend’s
Intramural sports teams put the dodge in dodgeball
Left: Mega Mikes and the Dirk Knights battle it out for the first ball of Wednesday night’s dodgeball tournament in the Fitness and Recreation Center. Right: Derek Barnes (right) fires a dodgeball at Alvin Andrews (far left) who sidesteps backward in a dodge as referee Tia Blackshure (middle) watches from the sidelines.
Photography by Jeni Berry
Students weigh in on Black History Month “Black History Month: I understand where it came from, the dreams people’ve had, freedoms everyone have been given. I don’t think it’s a big deal anymore nowadays, but it has served its purpose throughout the decades and years.”
“The month doesn’t have a great significance to me now so much as the events that led up to Black History Month. The event means a lot because I am in an interracial relationship, and due to the events that lead up to equality and equal rights for blacks and whites, I am able to date her openly in public without being arrested for it being illegal, like it was back in the day. Or, you know, being punished for our actions.”
Jason Hawk “Black History Month to me is a means of accepting, because AfricanAmericans had their struggles in America. It is our way of reflecting back and saying how sorry we are, and that we’re commerating the good things they’ve done.”
Katee Voirin
“I feel that Black History Month or people that did great things in black history should not be celebrated one month, it should be appreciated throughout the whole year.“
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Love & Skates
Lie until you believe it, or a lesson in selfconfidence
Morgan Ashton Griffin Opinions Editor For some of my friends and colleagues, it is hard to believe I once lacked self-confidence. Well, it’s true. I once was a bundle of nerves, always seeking the approval and attention of others. Fishing for compliments was my middle name. In a room of 50 of the loudest people in the world, I would have been the loudest of all. I was always obsessed with people liking me — as if the more people who liked me, who were obsessed with me, the more I would like myself. I still do it sometimes out of habit. You may be wondering what this has to do with my love life. Well, gentle reader, confidence has everything to do with love. I blame my lack of selfconfidence on a lot of things, and it is well-placed blame. (This is where I get preachy.) Without confidence you can’t be in a relationship. You can’t love somebody; you can’t even go through the motions properly. Without a love of yourself, how in heck can you love someone else? That’s just plain illogical. But it was something I was never told growing up. My parents, despite how much I love them, never did much counseling in the way of love. Maybe that is why I am so drawn to talking about it: because no one ever talked to me about it. They expected me to know what love was from the example they set, which is great in theory, but is faulty in practice. How is a thirteen-year-old as angstyas-angsty-can-get supposed to realize how her parents treat each other is love? Well, she’s not. That’s for sure. She doesn’t realize that lesson until she is in her twenties. The only advice my parents gave me growing up was when my mom told me I shouldn’t
7 Thursday, February 2, 2012
Opinions
date so many boys because people might think I was a trollop. I was 15, Mom. Dating meant sitting with each other at lunch, walking to the bus, passing notes, and occasionally holding hands. There is nothing trollop about that. That was the advice she gave me right before I “settled down” with Jack White. If you read “settled down” as entered a whirlwind of emotions, pain and future therapy, you were right. Anyway, back to the topic. The one piece of advice I wish someone had given me is to love yourself. Work on yourself. Find yourself. Be yourself. Because by the time I figured that one out, I was so far away from anyone I ever thought I would be I was having nervous breakdowns, panic attacks and constant anxiety. At that point, how do you start loving yourself? Easy. Lie. Make everyone around you believe you think you are a gift to the world. Make everyone think loving yourself comes naturally. Make everyone around you think you wake up every morning jumping at the idea of getting out into the world and shaking things up. When in reality, for six months, you wake up nearly in tears every morning, sit in front of the mirror and say things like: You are awesome. You are beautiful. You are intelligent. People would be lucky to know you. You rock. You have so many talents, yet to be discovered. You are sexy. You deserve the best. Eventually, one day, it is all true and then you move on, start loving yourself and go on to better things — and better relationships. Try it.
Morgan is awesome, beautiful and confident. She is in control of her life and future. She will be successful in all her endeavors. Morgan is a good friend and a compassionate lover. When she believes in herself, so do others.
Battle of the Burgers : Guest columnist edition Contestant 8: Burguesa
Photography by Stanton Brasher
The La Monumental awaits devouring by guest columnist Stanton Brasher. Burguesa is located just off the square on 214 E Hickory St. across from Mellow Mushroom and Andaman Thai. Burguesa’s hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Stanton Brasher A&E Editor
Texas is a cultural breeding ground of flavor and hybrid cuisine. In North Texas alone, one can find Chinese, Japanese, German, French, American, Mexican, and Southern meals. The most culturally diverse thing in the Lone Star State might just be our taste buds. These sentiments must be what Jeff Sinelli was thinking about when he opened Burguesa at the corner of Industrial Street and Hickory Street in Denton at the end of 2011. This is not the first Burguesa location in North Texas, but it is the only location in Denton.
Being a diehard Tex-Mex fan with an unhealthy addiction to red meat, this place seemed right up my alley. I ordered a special treat called La Monumental. This thing isn’t a burger so much as a marriage of styles, and its offspring is a wonderful treat. La Monumental starts out simply enough: a meat patty, slice of cheese, creamy Mexican sauce, and the usual lineup of tomato, onion and lettuce. This is where things get crazy: On top of the patty also sits a tostada with refried beans and fresh avocado slices. My white bread tongue cannot handle too much heat, so I opted out of the jalapenos. ~ The special sauce was just spicy enough for me. La Monumental is probably the best burger I have ever eaten in Denton. If you are a lover of Mexican foods, then there is no question whether you will like it or not. The portions
are hearty, so make sure to bring an appetite. The last thing I found interesting about this place was the soda fountain. Instead of the usual Coca-Cola or Pepsi options, Burguesa had their own flavors, including cola, lemon, orange, and grapefruit. Much like in Mexico, they do not use high fructose corn syrup, which is as close to heaven as it gets in North Texas.
Photography by Stanton Brasher
Your (grand)mother should know: Reasons for Doing It Yourself Erin Marissa Russell Managing Editor
In many students’ grandparents’ day, lots of goods and services were handled in the household. Someone in the family knew how to knit socks, bake bread, build chairs, breed chickens, harvest corn … and the list goes on. While this lifestyle is certainly laborintensive, it has a few things going for it. Although I don’t suggest modern people try to do absolutely everything for themselves, learning to do some things yourself is rewarding in many ways. Many people I know could be locked in a room with dry beans and rice, running water, and a stove and still starve to death. One of the reasons students’ grandparents may have tended to take matters into their own hands was cost. The Great Depression affected families across the nation, forcing people to make do with what was readily available that could be procured cheaply and would stretch resources. While most experts aren’t calling today’s economy an out-and-out depression, the chance of students seeing one in our lifetimes isn’t unrealistic. An expert quoted in a January National Pub-
lic Radio article called the current economic climate a “contained depression” and predicted it would continue through the decade. Even if you aren’t personally feeling a financial pinch right now, it’s never a bad idea to have a few tricks up your sleeve just in case. Creating something from scratch allows for complete customization. Mass-produced items are created for the average consumer, which makes them acceptable for lots of people but perfect only for a small majority. Everyone can think of a personalized item that would make their life bet-
ter, whether it’s a sweater with extra-long sleeves or magnetic storage compartments to organize kitchen condiments on the refrigerator. Crafting your own belongings gives you complete control over every aspect of the finished product. Along the same lines, making goods by hand allows for supervision of the quality that just isn’t feasible with store-bought items. Who really knows the life story of the meat in their fast food taco? Who really wants to know? Making food from scratch is one of the most immediately beneficial places to start, because the difference be-
tween mass-produced and handcrafted items will be evident almost immediately. Preparing food is also honestly quite simple, and a wealth of information is available online for free to help beginners in the kitchen get started. In addition to these considerations, deciding to make some things for yourself allows more choices in what your dollars support. Just like the aforementioned taco meat, it’s unimaginable for the average consumer to trace the life story of a scarf from a big box department store. Knitting a scarf from scratch, however, frees the consumer to choose yarn from an independent farm with ethical standards of animal treatment, one that runs on sustainable energy, or a company that donates some profits to charity. While each little decision won’t make a huge difference, several decisions can make a significant impact over time. There are several ways to get started and learn more about making things yourself. A quick internet search for “DIY,” which stands for do it yourself, pulls up more than a billion results. Other resources include libraries (the TWU library has an enormous selection of cookbooks in particular), craft clubs, or grandparents.
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Thursday, February 2, 2012
Arts & Entertainment
The Lasso
twulasso.com
British Gothic: ‘The Woman in Black’ delivers scares Stanton Brasher A&E Editor Move over, Freddy Kruger. There is a new child murderer in town and she does not crack one- liners. She is too busy being scary and obsessed with vengeance. This, ladies and gentlemen, is what you get when a mentally deranged person becomes a vicious ghost with paranormal superpowers. I fear she might be behind me as I type this review in the dark. I had better turn on a light or something. Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter, for those of you who have been living in a cave with no Wi-Fi) plays Arthur Kipps, a young attorney at the turn of the 20th century. He is a single father who lost his wife during the birth of his son, now four years old. Kipps is sent on an assignment to a small town outside London to make arrangements regarding a house, which spends most of the day in solitary confinement on an island that can only be reached between tides. The townsfolk seem to be abrupt, if not rude, to Kipps as he rummages through old paperwork. While spending time at the house, he has a constant feeling of being watched. His feeling is not inaccurate, because he is being
watched by the mother of all evil. Did I mention she was scary? As he plays a game of otherworldly hide-and-seek, he uncovers the reason for her anger. She was locked away while her child was raised by her sister. In an even more tragic turn, her son was accidentally killed in a mud sinkhole on the tiny strip of land that connects the lonely island with the mainland. His body was never recovered. The woman in black could not handle the pain and anger, so she murdered her sister and committed suicide. Her spirit remains on the island, and whoever sees her, however briefly, will unleash her vengeance on one of the poor, unsuspecting children of the village. The script was as loose as the change in my couch. There is a dark secret about the town and no one wants to warn Kipps, even though their children’s lives are at stake? Questions like that can leave me unsatisfied with most Academycaliber films, but people don’t usually watch horror movies for perfectly sensible plots. They watch these movies to raise the hair on their arms. As a connoisseur of the horror genre, my arm hair was effectively raised, but not before
While spending time at the house, he has a constant feeling of being watched. His feeling is not inaccurate, because he is being watched by the mother of all evil. Did I mention she was scary?
also screaming out of infatuation for their magical boy-icon. At the film’s twist ending, people were clapping and cheering for the protagonist. What I found to be most interesting was the amount of people who attended dressed as the woman in black. For films like “Star Wars” and “Lord of
the Rings,” it is not uncommon to see a storm trooper or set of elf ears in the audience. But for an unestablished property like this, it was hard to see the motivation. I bet those people would have felt awkward if the film was terrible. Luckily for them, and me, the film was not too shabby.
the director (James Watkins) shoved as many cheap horror clichés into the film as possible (black crows flying out of the dark with a shrill scream of a violin, for example). This weakened the film for me, as I am rarely scared by that tactic. I have seen that convention used too many times, so it takes me out of the piece and makes me laugh at neighboring parties who still fall for it. Radcliffe has come a long way as an actor. When the film started, I felt he was too young to be a father (after all, he did just graduate from Hogwarts). By the time the midnight meat train was rolling, I forgot all about Harry Potter and truly believed the pain and fear behind his eyes. I would have liked to have seen him in something with more gravitas, but the packed house of screaming tweens and highschoolers might disagree with me. Not only were they screaming out of fear, they were
I enjoyed the pacing and the performances. There were enough thrills to keep me nice and tense, and the twist ending was unexpected but not totally pleasant. If creepy is more your preference than bloody, this PG-13 fright fest should do the trick.
Artwork courtesy of Hammer Film Productions
Going ‘belly up’ can be a Outdoor Adventure good thing at Big Mike’s encourages students
to be ballers
Marygail Isobel Lakner A&E Writer On any given Tuesday between 6-8 p.m., Middle Eastern music and metallic jangling can be heard through a door in the back of Big Mike’s Coffee Shop. On the other side of that door is a small room with mirrors and black and gold hangings on the walls. The source of the music, a stereo, sits off to the side, and in the middle of the floor a group of women dance with coins tied around their hips. This scene defines the Cathy Barton Belly Dance classes. “I had just had a child,” Barton said. “I wanted to do something different. Some people get a new hairstyle, some people get new clothes, but I decided to take this class and it became my passion.” Barton, who took her first belly dancing class in 1979, has been teaching in that particular space for nine years. She has also been dancing with a professional troupe that has performed for the Denton Arts and Jazz Festival for the last 25 years. Classes don’t only take place on Tuesdays in Denton. Barton also teaches in Corinth on Wednesdays, and there are five other Middle Eastern dance teachers in the area. “There’s all kinds of Middle Eastern dance all over the Metroplex,” Barton said. At the start of the Jan. 31 class, Barton gave a short history of belly dance, referring to the book “Looking for Little Egypt.” Belly dancing is traditionally a woman’s style of dance, but in the Middle East there is a male counterpart. Two groups that are good resources for men who are interested are Tribal Fusion and Male Tribal. “At least once a semester a man asks about the classes, but then they never show up.” Barton said. “Belly dance is for everyone,” Barton said, and added that her youngest student is 10 years old and her oldest is 84. No previous dance experience is required. All participants need to bring is a fun attitude. There are some extra dance belts with coins, affectionately termed butt-wraps by Barton and her assistant, Jennifer Dent. Dent, a certified personal trainer and nutrition and wellness consultant, has been
Illustration by Cliff Caster
Marygail Isobel Lakner A&E Writer
Photo courtesy of Cathy Barton
The woman in green: Cathy Barton flashes a smile as she twirls her feet on the dance floor.
Belly dance is for everyone. My youngest student is 10 years - Cathy Barton, dance instructor
dancing for three and a half years, and has been dancing with Barton for six months. She said she is considering starting a set of classes to be scheduled in the daytime for those who can’t make evening classes. Barton said dance classes like this can be a big interest for college students. “It’s the excitement of doing something exotic.” Barton said. “We always
start the semester with a lot more students,” Dent added. Classes in Denton take place Tuesdays at Big Mike’s Coffee at 1306 W. Hickory St. The beginner classes are 6-7 p.m., with intermediate classes 7-8 p.m. For a month of classes, the cost is $32. Barton can be contacted on Facebook at the Cathy Barton Belly Dance Classes group page. She can also be contacted at 940-321-6525 or cdbarton@centurytel.net. If students are interested in the possible daytime classes taught by Dent, she can be contacted at 940-453-4856 or at Jennifer@dentedworld.com. Her website is http://dentedworld. com/fitness.
Imagine running through terrain filled with obstacles, hoisting a paint-loaded gun, diving behind a tree and taking shelter from the onset of brilliantly-colored ammunition. Imagine spotting your prey at a distance and sneaking forward, stealthily taking aim and letting loose a volley of pellets that explode into a spray of fantastic color upon impact. Imagine standing between the enemy and the victory they are determined to win. Feel the rush of adrenaline and exhilaration of stealing that victory out from under them, and claiming it for the side of right. If that sounds even remotely fun, students may enjoy the paintball trip with TWU Fitness and Recreation Feb. 18 at Gatsplat in Lewisville. There are 20 spots available for students on this trip, and registration, which began Jan.
We take care of everything. All they need to do is show up for the van on Saturday morning - Karrie Fletcher, assistant director
17, will end Feb. 10. The cost is $20 per student, which pays for transportation, snacks and equipment. Those involved need to bring long pants, long sleeves and a pair of closed-toed shoes, preferably something paint-friendly. The fee needs to be paid in full by Feb. 10, and there are documents and waivers to sign before the trip takes place. Participants must attend a pre-trip meeting Monday, Feb. 13. Departure for Gatsplat will be 1 p.m. Feb. 18 from the TWU Fitness and Recreation Center. “We offered a paintball trip last spring that went really well with 20 students participating. We decided to do another trip this spring hoping students will once again participate,” Karrie Fletcher,
assistant director for Fitness and Recreation, said. “We usually play for about two hours at Gatsplat in Lewisville, which is an indoor paintball arena. I think this trip provides students with a low-cost way to participate in an adventure trip with other students. We take care of everything. All they need to do is show up for the van on Saturday morning ready to play.” A beginner game level opens the trip to students of all skill sets. “The facility will educate participants before the activity begins. No previous paintball experience is necessary,” according to the TWU Fitness and Recreation Outdoor Adventure website. The Fitness and Recreation center offers many intramural sports opportunities, including camping trips, biking trips, hiking trips, ski trips, and a trip to Hawai’i. Some are day trips, and others span the course of a weekend. For more information, students can contact the Student Fitness and Recreation Center at 940-898-2900 or the Outdoor Adventure Center at 940-8982918.