The Rambler Vol. 94 No. 6 by The Rambler

WEDNESDAY

February 23, 2011

Vol. 94 • No. 6

www.therambler.org

The Rambler The voice of Texas Wesleyan University students since 1917

Antique shop offers creative inspiration to art department.

Find out what happens in an MTV inspired love triangle.

Community, page 7

Arts & Entertainment, page 4

Tier 1 ranking attracts future Rams Shauna Banks

sbbanks@mail.txwes.edu

With undergraduate enrollment on the rise, faculty, staff and students at Texas Wesleyan University continue to build a reputation—one that has now been recognized by the national media outlet, U.S. News. “This is real important to potential students and their parents because a national system recognized our programs,” Frederick Slabach, president of the university, said. “I think it is

a growing recognition among our peer schools that Wesleyan has a great academic program.” Tied with Stephen F. Austin State University, Texas A&M International University and the University of Texas-Tyler, Wesleyan has been ranked 71 among regional university west schools by U.S. News. “Students naturally are researching when they want to choose a school,” said William Bleibdrey, senior vice president for finance and administration. “The U.S. rankings

Mentor luncheon sparks inspiration

are very well known, and are one of those rankings that students go to determine if what we have to offer matches with what they want.” Bleibdrey said the university will not be directly affected financially by this ranking, but that the recognition could make Texas Wesleyan even more appealing for potential students. “The more students we have, the more revenue we have, and we can offer a greater variety for students on campus,” Bleibdrey said.

With most classes at less than 20 students, teachers are able to give individual attention to students when needed in their classroom settings. “We are very focused on giving every individual a very positive, very direct experience,” Bleibdrey said. “Our average class size is such that students will deal with a faculty member on a one-on-one basis.” According to the university quick facts for spring 2011, available on the university’s website, 58 percent of the faculty on campus are tenured,

with 27 percent on the tenure track. Bleibrey also said that unlike some large schools in and around Fort Worth, Wesleyan makes sure that only credentialed professors are teaching students of each classification. “We have a terrific faculty that bring a lot of credentials with them to the classroom,” Bleibdrey said. “I think the credentialed faculty makes a big difference when it comes to the

 RANKING, page 3

Community band presents classics

Melissa Bates

mdbates@mail.txwes.edu

During free period Feb. 10 at Baker-Martin Pavilion students, faculty and staff involved in the mentorship program were given the chance to sit down to an talian meal with their mentors or mentees. Blair Moore, coordinator of New Student Programs and director of the mentorship program, said the mentorship luncheon takes place every semester as a way for newly assigned mentors and mentees to spend time together, as well as mentors and mentees from previous semesters to reconnect. “We hope to create a relationship with the students and their mentors so they feel like they have a go-to person on campus— they have somebody they can go to if they have questions about things, needs, concerns,” Moore said. “Our main goal is for it to increase retention.” Although Moore said mentorship luncheon attendance is between 60 and 75 people, on average, they still need more mentors. The ratio of mentees to mentors for fall is usually two or three mentees to one mentor, Moore said. She said the ratio decreases to one- to-one in spring. “It’s not a huge time commitment,” Moore said. “It just depends on the needs of your mentee basically.” Mentors do not have to be faculty or staff, she said. “We want upperclassmen students as well or, at least, students who’ve been here one year,” Moore said. Chris Windsor, assistant dean of students, has been a mentor since October 2010 and said he sees the mentorship program as another avenue to get students involved on campus and for students, faculty and staff to connect with each other outside of a classroom or office setting. Windsor said he attends the luncheon to spend quality time with his mentee. “It’s another great opportunity to have reallife conversations with students,” Windsor said. “I do what I do because I want to see students succeed. I cherish the connections I have with the students; it’s the best part of this job.” Junior finance major Mia Daniels has been a mentee since she came to Wesleyan in fall 2010. She said she really enjoys being involved in the program and is grateful to have someone she can turn to for help or advice. “I really love it, and I really hope to one day be a mentor to someone else who’s new, like I was,” Daniels said. “Just be able to help them. Be a friend on-campus.”

Photos by Meisa Keivani Najafabadi | Rambler Staff Members of the Greater Fort Worth Community Band perform for students, faculty and staff Feb. 20 in Martin Hall. The band played an array of songs, including the National Anthem by Francis Scott Key, Four Scottish Dances by Malcolm Arnold, Lux Aurumque by Eric Whitacre, The Girl I Left Behind Me arranged by Leroid Anderson, Pineapple Poll by Sir Arthur Sullivan and Little English Girl by D. Delle Cese. Made up of 58 members and conducted by Henry Schraub and Don Hanna, the band travels to different schools around the Fort Worth area. They will return to perform at Texas Wesleyan on April 10 and May 8 in Martin Hall. Admission is free to all students, staff and faculty.

On-campus housing receives modern touch Stephan Moritz

srmoritz@mail.txwes.edu

Texas Wesleyan University currently has a three-year plan to improve the on-campus college experience. The plan includes laundry equipment and furniture upgrades in the West Village student apartments, Stella Russell Hall and Elizabeth Means Armstrong Hall. “The plan is to get all of Stella and Elizabeth up to the same furniture standard we have in the newer West Village,” said Sharon Manson, director of residence life. The plan was to include remov-

ing and replacing the used desks in Stella Hall, but the desks will stay. “They’re ugly, they’re huge, you can’t move them,” Manson said, “But the students said, ‘no, we love them.’” According to Manson, students use the oversized desks to split the room in two to create a sense of privacy. Manson’s decision to keep the desks came from student feedback. “I’m going to change my preferences to match the students’ expectations,” Manson said. The improvement plan will incorporate ordering several new lizzy chairs, which are the recliners currently found in Stella Hall’s game

rooms. These chairs and two new footstalls are set to be in every room by the fall 2011 semester. “They’re very, very comfortable,” Manson said. The laundry equipment will be upgraded. Manson has decided to bring in the contracting company Mac-Gray to maintain the washers and dryers. “It will still be free,” Manson said. “All of the washers and dryers will be replaced.” Manson also said Mac-Gray is experimenting with a text messaging service that will notify students when their laundry is finished. Some dorm residents are en-

thusiastic about the new laundry technology. “That’s perfect,” said Shaun Murphy, study abroad student in the school of business. “You could wait for hours for a washer to be free.” Murphy said he is interested in the new furniture as well. “The lizzy chairs are a lot more comfortable,” Murphy said, “It’d probably encourage studying in the room.” Within the next three years, Wesleyan is also planning to improve the streets and parking lots on campus. “We restripe about a third of the campus every year,” Ken Dunson, director of facilities, said.

Dunson also said the parking lots will begin to encompass yellow signs with blue lettering to signify student parking and white signs with blue lettering to signify visitor parking. Every summer, the facilities department also repaints one building in the West Village apartments and one floor in each dorm building. Dunson also said the air conditioning units in Stella and Elizabeth halls will receive upgrades. Students with concerns regarding maintenance should submit a request with Facilities Operations under the information resources tab on the Wesleyan home page.

February 23, 2011

Opinion

The Rambler | www.therambler.org

Equal effort in classroom makes difference

course description, weight of each assignment and the importance of attending class, Terrence Edwards the phrase, “As long as I pass,” Advertising manager is uttered from the lips of a tdedwards@mail.txwes.edu student. Suddenly, attention is focused exclusively on the professor. Everyone is wondering if Each semester as classes begin, the word teamwork is going to be like many returning students, I am mentioned. eager to find out what my sections Those students that only have have in store for me and how they an interest in surviving make it will benefit my goals and ambi- difficult on the rest of the class, tions. especially if there is group work The professor usually begins involved. class by reviewing the syllabus Tension builds and just before and informing the class of his ex- the end of the introduction, the pectations for the semester. teacher announces that there will Then, somewhere between the be a group assignment that will

be worth a substantial portion of your grade. Students immediately begin choosing teammates and those who don’t have friends in the class find themselves in a group with an individual who doesn’t really care. Deciding on furthering an education beyond the high school level is a decision you would think is made to improve one’s career possibilities. Understanding how someone would settle to simply pass a course is something that baffles me, especially since most jobs are looking for graduates with at least a 3.0 GPA. Now, as group projects begin later in the semester, the individual who

doesn’t really care whether they receive an A, B, C or D in the class either does absolutely nothing, or just goes through the motions. An even worse scenario is created when the less motivated student begins contributing to the group only to avoid having to argue his case with the professor, even though the other group members can attest to his or her lack of participation. Still, the contributions made clearly lack both time and effort, and he will continue to argue otherwise. This forces other members of the group to either pick up the loose ends or avoid the headache that comes with rejecting the

teammate’s contributions. Perhaps, these students don’t understand that their lack of effort not only affects their learning, but has a direct impact on everyone in the class. It deprives their peers of the opportunity to learn from their knowledge and experiences, which spoils the project. I know that each one of us, as college students, is watching the job market, wondering what the outlook will be when we graduate. So, everyone should be willing to contribute. We can truly set ourselves apart from any other school if we simply allow others to learn from our experiences.

it worries me because I do not pay attention to the road, and sometimes even miss my turn Emma Fradette because I am more concerned Opinion editor with what I am reading and ekfradette@mail.txwes.edu writing. I don’t know if what I have to say in those texts is that important, but I seem to do it Texting while driving is one of all the time along with many other the most dangerous things a per- people. According to handsfreeinfo. son can do, but a large number of com, people who text while driving, people of college age admit to do- are 23 times more likely to be ining it. volved in a deadly car accident than In a story recently published on a those who are not. Some even say legal blog, I learned about a tragic that texting while driving is worse example of what can happen to than drunk driving. drivers who text behind the wheel. Although I text and drive, I think Ashley Johnson, a 10th grader there should be harsher punishfrom North Carolina was driv- ments for those caught texting and ing her BMW when she received driving. a text message on her cell phone. School zones statewide now reSeconds later, her car crossed the strict phone use while driving center-line and hit a pick-up truck through one, and San Antonio has on the other side head on. now banned texting and driving Several days later, Johnson was completely; ticketing starting Jan. dead. She passed away due to in- 14, 2011. ternal injuries she sustained in her I think the Fort Worth commucar accident. Johnson was an ex- nity should do the same thing beceptional student working towards cause too many people are dying her associate’s degree already. and causing accidents while they Texting and driving is something are looking at their phones. plenty of people fall victim to, myText messages are not important self included. enough to endanger someone’s life. I find myself texting while I am Along with texting and driving, I driving about half of the time I am think new car models are enabling in the car. When I think about it, such distractions as well.

New car models with On-Star now have a Facebook status update option where the driver can push their On-Star button and request their Facebook status updates.

A driver who is worried about his Facebook is not concerned about what is in front of him. Although constant updates in our lives can be important, safety

and the protection of human life is way more important. Texting and driving is not worth losing your life, nor is it worth taking someone else’s.

Staying in touch while driving not worth risk

Split ceremony spoils graduation for students miniscule steppingstones to the path Angie Ruiz that I am now on Staff writer and will complete ayruiz@mail.txwes.edu in May. Unfortunately, if things go as planned, I will be There’s a countdown undervery disappointed. way for my glory days, and I was not pleased to hear that the countdown reads 85 days. our spring 2011 graduation That’s right, 85 days until would be split, with my degraduation and I couldn’t be partment graduating at 4:30 more excited. p.m. Since it’s just around the Nobody is even out of work corner I’ve been hustling to at the time. It’s upsetting to get everything done—from think that I may not be able to applying for graduation, to have my family and friends at finding a mentor who will my own graduation. robe me, to turning my inforWe’ll walk the stage and be mation into the alumni office. rushed out to clear the way for I can’t believe that very the second round of gradusoon I will be calling myself ates. I’m sorry but I would like an alumna of Texas Wesleyan to be given the opportunity to University. bask in my success for a while Graduation is the day that with my classmates and famI have been looking forward ily. to for a really long time. The other thing I am upset Homecoming, prom and high about is that I barely know school graduation were just anyone in my own depart-

The Rambler

Shauna Banks, editor-in-chief Barry Grubbs, opinion editor Eliana Mijangos, sports editor Meisa Keivani Najafabadi, photo editor Stephanie Mejia arts & entertainment editor Jonathan Resendez, multimedia editor Erica Estrada, graphic designer/cartoonist Wendy Moore, faculty adviser Dr. Kay Colley, faculty liaison

ment. Maybe that is my fault, but I want to graduate with my peers and the people I have grown to know and love, not just the other students that have the same career path as me. I wish I could vouch for the rest of the graduating class of 2011, but it may be too early to tell. This is upsetting and almost sucks the excitement out of the entire event. I hope administration will reconsider. I don’t think we are the right group to be used as guinea pigs. If it’s more tickets that students want, I think the venue should be reconsidered or the issue should be addressed more clearly with students. In my opinion, this graduating class is the closest I have seen. We are such a tight knit family; I believe that a family should walk together and graduate together as a school, as one—as Rams.

“We are not afraid to follow the truth ... wherever it may lead.” — Thomas Jefferson

Address all correspondence to: Texas Wesleyan University

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What do you think about texting while driving? “I think texting while driving is very dangerous, because it causes wrecks.” - Broderic Terry, food service “Texting while driving is bad, because it takes your focus off the road.” - Evanay Lopez, freshman, chemistry “I think texting while driving is as bad, if not worse than drunk driving.” - Georgina Arzate, freshman, english “I think texting and driving is bad because alot of teens die from it every year.” - Komarne Hassel,freshman, sports medicine “ It’s not good at all because you can get easily distracted.” - Marie Tachie, freshman, exercise science “I text while I drive so I guess it’s okay as long as you’re safe with it.” - Stephanie, junior, biology Member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press, Student Press Law Center, College Media Advisers and College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers. Opinions expressed in The Rambler are those of the individual authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas Wesleyan community as a whole.

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Please send all news briefs to twurambler@yahoo.com. Submissions due by noon Friday to see brief in the following week’s issue. Letters to the editor: The Rambler, a weekly publication, welcomes all letters. All submissions must have a full printed name, phone number and signature. While every consider-

ation is made to publish letters, publication is limited by time and space. The editors reserve the right to edit all submissions for space, grammar, clarity and style. Letters to the editor may be subject to response from editors and students on the opinion page.

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News

February 23, 2011

QEP team still on hunt for topic Melissa Bates

mdbates@mail.txwes.edu

During free period Feb. 14 in the Bobby Bragan Fellowship Hall, students put a face to the opinions they expressed in the recent Quality Enhancement Plan online survey. Eighteen students arrived to share Pizza Hut pizza and discuss ideas they have to improve student learning. This was one of many focus groups. Other groups were made up of faculty or staff. Professor of English and chair of the QEP team, Elizabeth Battles, said the reason for these focus groups is to get further input from students, faculty and staff to choose a topic for the QEP. “We have to get input from all the different constituencies to choose a topic because the topic has to be something the university agrees on,” Battles said. “In order to agree on something you all have to be involved in the choosing of it,” She said ultimately the QEP team may not even pick a topic discussed by the focus groups, but it is best to have as much input as possible. Battles said the Texas Wesleyan accrediting agency, the Commission on College of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, requires every college to give students, faculty and staff the opportunity to participate in choosing the topic they use. “As many people as possible need to have a voice,” Battles said. She said the importance of hearing

RANKING

from everybody in choosing the topic is to understand why people choose the answers they do when taking surveys. “We want to be better,” Battles said. “We want to have a better prepared student.” Associate Provost Helena Bussell said surveys do not always get the desired number of responders nor do the surveys provide an understanding of the reasoning behind the choice of answers. “The focus groups help us to reach more students and create a diversity of students,” Bussell said. “We’re trying to see if there are certain common topics the majority of people talk about that they feel need improvement.” Bussell said the QEP team is seeking a topic or issue that can be tackled realistically. She said more variety of students needs to participate in surveys concerning improvements to student learning. “The more we can get to participate, the better,” Bussell said. “We don’t want just freshmen or just traditional age students. We want transfer students, graduate students a variety of ages and academic programs are represented as well.” Michelle Rigual, director of the law library, professor of law and QEP team committee member, said surveys are not controllable because the responses cannot be expanded upon.

continued from page 1

quality of education.” Allen Henderson, provost and senior vice president, said Wesleyan’s size allows students to participate, become leaders, form friendships as well as develop character and other personal qualities that will help them succeed in the future.

One program only offered locally at Texas Christian University and Texas Wesleyan, is the Air Force ROTC program. “I came [to Wesleyan] because I got a scholarship for ROTC,” Kelsi Holland, freshman political science major said. Wesleyan also offers a va-

Meisa Keivani Najafabadi | Rambler Staff (from left) Junior Dominique Chambers, senior Donna Becker and junior Melinda Garner share Pizza Hut pizza at one of many Quality Enhancement Plan focus group sessions. Students at the session were able to voice and expand upon the suggestions they’d expressed in a survey given online earlier in the semester.

“You can’t really ask anything in-depth or probing,” she said. “Free response seems to not even be in complete English. It’s really important to talk to people so you can hear the totality of what they’re thinking. Not short hand versions of it.” Rigual said if responders be-

riety of sports for athletes on campus to become a part of— some offering partial and full scholarships. “I was recruited from Southwest Christian for track,” Deserae Davis, sophomore exercise science major said. Focusing on more than just academics, faculty and staff at Wesleyan have been trying to

lieves the survey to be too long or uninteresting they may stop taking the survey causing the information to be useless. She also said people seem to provide more information when speaking to a human and not checking boxes. “What I’ve learned since doing them is that people are much

make Wesleyan a more enjoyable full college experience for on-campus and commuter students both. “I think that’s really what our mission is all about— making sure we prepare our students appropriately, intellectually through their classroom experience, but also socially and community wise,” Bleibdrey said.

more willing to share a lot of information with you as an individual maybe because they prefer the personal interaction or maybe because there’s a sense of someone actually cares about the answer,” Rigual said. “Definitely people have provided a lot more information than they did on the survey.”

Pillowman by Martin McDonagh Feb. 24-26 @ 7:30 p.m. Feb. 27 @ 2 p.m. Thad Smotherman Theatre Law Sone Fine Arts

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Arts & Entertainment

February 23, 2011

The Rambler | www.therambler.org

MTV show delivers college drama SHOW REVIEW

Shauna Banks

sbbanks@mail.txwes.edu

We all have that guilty pleasure show (or two…or ten) that we hate to admit we actually sit down and waste valuable time watching. But hey—everyone needs those getaway shows. They can’t all be as complex as LOST, as deep as Dexter, or as intriguing as Big Love. For me, pretty much all shows on MTV take the cake for mindless, yet oddly entertaining, television viewing. Now three episodes into its second season, My Life as Liz has sucked me back into the college life of the redheaded Liz Lee—who has just started her journey toward an art degree at Pratt Institute in New York, a long way away from her Burleson, Texas home. The show currently airs at 8 p.m. Tuesdays on MTV. Oddly, it was originally intended to be a second season for The Paper, a series that originally premiered on MTV in 2008 and centered on a high school newspaper staff. But, halfway through production for the second season, the producers liked Liz so much, that they turned the focus to her and renamed the show. In the current season, Liz is seen wandering around New York City aimlessly quite often. Like most reality shows, the viewer has to wonder just how much of it is actually happening, and what’s too much of a coincidence to be real. In the second season premiere, while Liz is digging through a dumpster for a “found art” class project, the random (and attractive) Louis appears out of the woodworks, immediately striking up a conversation

MTV Press | Courtesy Photo MTV’s My Life as Liz is now in its second season. The show revolves around the life of Liz Lee (left,) a college student trying to get an art degree from Pratt Institute. This season has focused on the love triangle between Liz, Bryson, her boyfriend, and Louis (right).The show currently airs at 8 p.m. on Tuesdays.

with Liz, who is still elbow deep in garbage. Moments later, Liz and the viewers find out that Louis is a musician. And even though she has a semiboyfriend 2,000 miles away in Texas, Liz doesn’t hesitate to accept his invitation to get coffee. Who knew hanging out in a dumpster was a good way to meet guys? Even though I am completely taken with the show, the biggest trip-up for me has been the forced awkwardness of Liz. From the editing, it would seem like producers want viewers to believe she’s the nerdy, ugly duckling

from her former high school. In the first season, she even has a nerd heard to tag along with for social gatherings. Yet, Liz herself is not really that unfortunate looking, and almost pulls off a strange, yet interesting retro look. My guess is that the rest of this second season will concentrate on her inner conflict with being attracted to Louis, who must not live far considering they conveniently run into each other quite often—and her relationship with Bryson, the ‘NSYNC wannabe boyfriend back in Texas. Too bad she hasn’t realized Bryson has the personality of cardboard yet.

The decision between the two really is quite easy. Really. But hey, who doesn’t love a good love triangle? Although, I feel like I’ve been ripped off Pretty In Pink style, in which the cooler, richer guy gets the girl instead of the Ducky-esque best friend who’s always there for her. Back home, Liz has yet to realize her best friend, Sully, is head over heels in love with her. Again, conveniently, MTV makes sure to point out that the round, cuddly, sweet Sully will never be a viable romantic option for Liz. On the current season, the poor

Los Pastores serves up traditional meals Stephanie Mejia

smejia@mail.txwes.edu

East Rosedale Street in Fort Worth’s Polytechnic Heights area has seen its share of businesses throughout the years. Driving down East Rosedale Street reveals older shops, such as Burge’s Hardware that has been in business since the early 1900s. However, East Rosedale is also home to a newer wave of businesses. One such business is Los Pastores Mexican Restaurant. Los Pastores has been in business in the Poly area for 14 years. The restaurant began with a taco stand in the ’90s and was the vision and creation of Rosario Villalpando. Los Pastores is mostly a family-run business and will eventually fall in the hands of Nellie Villalpando,

daughter of Rosario Villalpando. “My dad had a taco stand for about five years before opening the restaurant,” Villalpando said. Before becoming a restaurant, the building was a house and was half the size it is now. “When my dad first started he didn’t know anything about business,” Villalpando said. “But eventually the whole family got involved.” Villalpando, who works as a cashier and waitress at the restaurant, has been spending time at her father’s restaurant since she was 12 years old. “I used to come here on the weekends and I hated it,” Villalpando said. “But now I’m glad to be learning the family business.” Los Pastores offers a variety of egg-based breakfast items including Mexican-

style eggs and eggs and ham or sausage for $5.99 or less. The restaurant also serves seafood, such as shrimp tostadas, shrimp cocktail and breaded catfish fillets for prices ranging from $3.99 to $10.99. As if that was not enough, Los Pastores also offers a selection of tacos, tortas, burritos and gorditas. Each can be ordered in different meats, including beef, chicken or pork and range in price from $1.35 to $5.55. Blanca Navarette, a cook and baker, has been working at Los Pastores for 12 years and has noticed that customers mostly come in looking for fajitas or tacos. “Every once in a while people come in asking for queso or nachos and we don’t have that because it’s more Tex-Mex,” Villalpando said. “We serve authentic Mexican food.” The restaurant then expanded to include a bakery and meat shop by the same name. All three businesses are next to each other on East Rosedale Street. Although the bakery opens at 5 a.m. the bakers start their work at 3 a.m. in order

to put out fresh, made from scratch bread every day. The bakery offers a variety of traditional Mexican breads and pastries, including donuts and churros. The bakery also offers a variety of already-made or specialty-ordered cakes, including the traditional flavors of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, and the more diverse flavors of neopolitan and mocha. Mary Alvarez, an employee at Los Pastores for six years, said the bakery is busy year-round, but the busiest time is during holidays such as Thanksgiving and Mother’s Day. “Our specialty is the three milk cake,” Alvarez said. “It is made from a family recipe.” The meat shop, which has now been in business for three years, was the most recent of the Los Pastores businesses to open. “We’re expanding. Maybe we’ll be the whole block eventually,” Villalpando said. Los Pastores Mexican restaurant is located at 3806 E. Rosedale St. The bakery is Alyssum Power | Rambler Staff located next door at 3812 E. Los Pastores’ bakery, located at 3812 E. Rosedale St. offers Rosedale St. and the meat customers a variety of Mexican breads and pastries, including shop is at 3822 E. Rosedale St. donuts and churros. José González (top) prepares a cake.

Texas Wesleyan University

Religious Life at Texas Wesleyan

9 7

University Chapel: Live music with brief time of worship Tuesdays at 12:15 in PUMC Chapel Free lunch after on PUMC 3rd Floor – Room 312

Common Meal:

1 6

8 5 2 2 3 5 6 4 3 2 1 3 4 9 1 6 5 8 3 6 3 7 3 9

guy has been reduced to running after Bryson in Houston, to convince him to travel the long distance to visit a sad sounding Liz. His only other scenes include a nauseating amount of Star Wars references, and an awkward array of Pokemon t-shirts. Apparently Pikachu is still in fashion. Overall, this show is one of the best MTV has, which may not be saying too much for some people. But hey, at least we got one where every other scene is not a drunken couple wandering off to the “smush room,” or a 16-year -old with a baby, no money and a loser baby’s daddy.

Free lunch and discussion/dialogue Thursdays at 12:15 in PUMC Chapel PUMC 3rd Floor – Room 312 “Faith seeking understanding” – ALL are welcome! For info: http://www.txwes.edu/religiouslife/index.htm

and

The Department of Music present

Guitar Fort Worth: Classical Series Gohar Vardanyan, guitar February 25 at 7:30 p.m. Martin Hall

Cliburn Concert Series Stephen Hough, piano March 1 at 7:30 p.m. Bass Hall

Guest Recital Amir Khosrowpour, piano March 8 at 7:30 p.m. Martin Hall For more information, visit http://www.txwes.edu/music/music/index.htm or call 817-531-4992

The Rambler | www.therambler.org

Community

February 23, 2011

Salvation Army lacks volunteers, items Rachel Peel

rlpeel@mail.txwes.edu

Winter weather has left the local Salvation Army in Polytechnic Heights out of resources to meet client demands. The local Salvation Army, located at 1855 E. Lancaster Ave., is in need of volunteers, plus size clothing, socks, underwear and gloves. “Most clients stay in other locations, when its warmer outside, so we open up in inclement weather for those who camp or sleep under bridges or in their cars. We open up overflow space, so they can have a warm place to sleep,” said Deborah Bullock, program manager at the Mabee Center. The Salvation Army pro-

vides three warm meals a day and hot beverages for the homeless. If the temperature is below 45 degrees, the shelter opens its gym to allow clients to take refuge from the cold. They also provide spiritual needs as well as counseling programs for drug and alcohol dependency. “We all work together, just making sure the clients have somewhere safe to be,” Bullock said. While reaching out to counseling and spiritual needs, the center also provides clothes, shelter and food for its clients. “Some of our greatest needs are gloves, socks, underwear, just those simple things,” Bullock said. “We can always use blankets, sheets and towels too.”

The Salvation Army also needs volunteers who have special skills in kitchen help, mentors, janitorial services and landscaping. “People don’t realize that one of the main things that our community needs is a smiling face, just to let someone know that someone is there for them and they care,” Bullock said. The Salvation Army also provides case management to get clients into long-term programs, anger management, women’s support groups and many other programs as well. “Anybody that can sing or has music skills, that would like to help out with the church, we could use that Rachel Peel | Rambler Staff too,” said Major Elizabeth Eight-year-old Hunter plays cards with his father Edgar at the Salvation Army shelter at 1355 E. Anderson, chaplain for the Lancaster Ave. in Fort Worth. The SA provides many programs for its clients to take part in includlocal Salvation Army. ing counseling services, bill paying assistance and anger management classes.

Long-term benefits of proper pet nutrition outweigh costs Stephan Moritz Staff writer

srmoritz@mail.txwes.edu

One of the most important responsibilities a dog owner faces is the selection of which dog food to buy. There are several brands to select from which come at a wide range of prices. Selecting the right dog food can be a difficult decision for an uninformed consumer to make. While higher-quality food comes at a higher price, the benefits far exceed the inconvenience of spending a few more bucks. “You’ll notice the difference in their coat, and there will be less feces to pick up,” said Lindsey Nuncio, kennel technician for Fort

Worth Animal Care and Control. Using a higher-quality food will keep your dog healthy and cut down on vet bills. Your dog will live a longer, healthier life if kept on proper nutrition. “Overall, proper nutrition is part of being a responsible dog owner,” Nuncio said. Some of the better dog foods include brands such as Blue Buffalo Co., Nature’s Recipe and Royal Canin. One employee at a local Petsmart claims the best brand in the store is the Blue Buffalo Co. “Blue Buffalo is best because of the ingredients,” said Ray Ybarra, a Petsmart associate. “The worse foods contain filler [ingredients] and beef by-products.” Filler ingredients like corn or wheat have little or no nutritional value but are included strictly to add volume to the meal. One thing to remember is ingredients are always listed on the bag in the order of most prevalent to least. In other words, the first

three ingredients are the most important. The first one should always be the source of protein, usually chicken or fish. If it is corn, you’re wasting your money on food that will only pass. The more food that passes through rather than being absorbed by the body, the more feces ends up in your backyard. Another ingredient that separates the good food from the bad is wheat. Most of the high-quality foods will avoid using wheat and use rice or barley instead. A lot of dogs are allergic to wheat, and using the wrong food could mean a trip to the vet for a variety of reasons. Dogs usually have skin and coat issues or may avoid eating the food altogether. If your dog scratches a lot, but doesn’t have fleas, see if the food contains wheat and switch brands if it does. If you do decide to switch to a higherquality brand, remember this could cause

nausea and vomiting if not done properly. It is usually recommended to mix the old food with the new food for about a week. Use a mixture of 75 percent old food to 25 percent new food for the first two days, 5050 the next two, then 25 percent old to 75 percent new the last two days. This method allows the dog’s stomach to adapt to the change easily. The old adage certainly says it best, “You get what you pay for.” But that does not mean the most expensive food is what’s best for your dog. There are some good brands that balance value with cost. For example, Pro Plan, which usually sells for about half the cost of Blue Buffalo, uses chicken or salmon as a primary ingredient and contains no corn. The most important thing to remember is to read the ingredients on the bag, and know what you’re feeding your dog. This is the fourth story in a series.

Class Time

Monday

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Class Time

Sat/Sun

9:00am

Equipment Orientation (Morton Staff)

12:00pm

Yoga (Pati)

Let’s Have A Ball (AAron)

12:10pm

Equipment Orientation (Morton Staff)

12:40pm

Martial Arts Boot Camp (Amber)

1:00pm

Kick Boxing (Amber)

5:30pm

Kick Boxing (Amber)

6:15pm

Membership Costs: 1. 2. 3. 4.

Students: Faculty/Staff: Alumni: Spouse Only:

(Carolyn) H2OAquatic Boot Camp (Justin)

(Carolyn)

Sat&Sun H2O Aquatic 10:00am Boot Camp (Justin)

Hours of Operation:

Free $50-‐6 Months $100-‐6 Months $100-‐ 6 Months

Monday-‐Friday: Saturday: Sunday: Morton #:

7am-‐10pm 9am-‐1pm 12pm-‐4pm 817-‐531-‐7589

5. All Classes Are Free to all Active Members-‐-‐-‐-‐-‐Except H2O Aquatic Boot Camp 6. Please Call In Advance To Reserve Your Spot—Walk-‐Ins Are Also Welcome 7. Group Fitness Class: Les Mills “Body Pump” Coming Soon!!!!

Campus Advocates assist in student retention The Rambler | www.therambler.org

February 23, 2011

Melissa Bates

mdbates@mail.txwes.edu

Erica Estrada | Rambler Staff

On Feb. 16, licensed massage therapist Shelley Morelan massages College and Career Counselor Robyn Bone. Morelan will offer free 15-minute massages to Morton Fitness Center members. There are eight slots available per day for March 2, March 23, April 6, April 20 and May 4. Call 817-531-7589 for an appointment.

The Advocates are a set of professors who aim to make Wesleyan more than a place where students learn. Assistant Religion Professor and Advocate Mark Hanshaw said, “The people that wind up being involved in Learning Communities and The Advocates Program, they are individuals who really just have a very strong interest in the success and well-being and, ultimately, increasing the strengths of new students on campus.” Hanshaw said each student has to take the College Student Inventory assessment test when assigned to an Advocate. The CSI test is used to assess each student’s strengths and weaknesses and compare those scores to students’ all over the country. “That really is our purpose, to help each and every freshman student become the very best student that he or she can be,” Hanshaw said. The Advocates Program spent three years in a development phase but didn’t get started until fall 2009 when it had a trial run, Hanshaw said. Fall 2010 was the first time it was fully implemented. There are other programs at other schools that may share similarities with the program but Advocates is unique to Wesleyan.

Visiting Religion Professor and Advocate Gladys Childs said, “We want to see them succeed, although success does not mean they have to have straight As.” Childs said she believes the Advocates helps to make a student’s stay at Wesleyan purposeful and meaningful. Childs said students may be uncomfortable approaching a professor they are in a class with when they have a problem. The student may feel more comfortable approaching an Advocate because the student is not being graded by the Advocate, Childs said. Assistant Criminal Justice Professor and Advocate Greg Gullion said, “We play a very valuable part here at Wesleyan in helping incoming freshmen, because it’s all about retention. We can get them, but keeping them here and retaining those students is what’s important.” The university received a Title III grant award of $2 million from the U.S. Department of Education in 2007. Director of grants and research Deborah Roark said, “We had a full blown plan of how we would spend it to help increase retention and graduation rates and academic scores and that kind of thing.” The Advocates and Learning Communities are part of one of the four areas Wesleyan has deemed as major focus areas—the other three being advising strategies,

state-of-the-art technology and a Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning. Roark said having a learning coach or advocate helps to strengthen retention measures at universities. “That’s what Wesleyan is all about—helping students and personal attention,” Roark said. Roark said last fall the Advocates Program gained a new freshman advocate, Childs, as well as a transfer student advocate, Lisa Hensley, assistant psychology professor. “The transfer population is typically different than the freshman population,” Roark said. Normally, transfer students already have their associate’s degree and already know what is required to be successful in college, Roark said. Transfer students may not need as much attention and help as freshmen. Carol Johnson-Gerendas, visiting assistant professor of communication and Advocate said she thinks the expansion of Advocates to transfer students would be helpful. “It might be nice for them to have an advocate who’s outside of their major that they can go to and share any issues they may be experiencing,” she said. “I think we can’t support our students enough.” For more information on the Advocates Program, visit www.txwes.edu/advising/ Advocates.htm.

Visit our website: http://www.campusdish.com/en-US/CSSW/TexasWesleyan/

Also featuring at the SUB: • Tuesday: Fiesta Tuesday • Thursday: $3 Thursday for faculty only. • Friday: Wings and Fish Friday night: Hot dogs, hot links, and hamburgers. **All specials include a small fry or salad and a small drink.

The Rambler | www.therambler.org

Campus/Community

February 23, 2011

Antique shop offers variety for students Alyssum Power

aapower@mail.txwes.edu

South Fort Worth’s historical Fairmont district houses some of the oldest homes in the city. Among all the houses are buildings full of Fort Worth history—one of which is not far from Ram territory at 1801 College Ave. Ralph Watterson, owner of Old Home Supply, has not only been selling antiques but restoring them since 1985. Watterson started as a contractor who specialized in historic restoration. At the time, most of the contractors in the Dallas Fort Worth area did not specialize in restoring old homes. Watterson quickly found himself collecting light fixtures, hardware and doors for his own business. Before he knew it, Watterson had garages and storage buildings full of antiques. As time went on, Watterson collected enough to start his own business. After leaving the contracting business, Watterson said he found himself fascinated with the antique business. “Antiques are important because they are part of our history and our heritage,” Watterson said. Old Home Supply consists of three buildings. Each

building contains different types of antiques. The main building was built in 1927 and was once a grocery store. Now customers will find chandeliers, sinks, tubs, lighting and other home decor. The second building was once a drug store, but now houses doors, mantles and household hardware. The third building, once a bakery, is now home to garden items, such as fountains, benches, birdbaths, pots, Mexican imports and Indian imports. Old Home Supply tries to go beyond the average antique shop by salvaging and recycling architectural items. Most of the lighting fixtures have been rewired, the finishes replaced and then cleaned. To keep customers coming back, Watterson keeps the place stocked with new and different items. Watterson makes frequent trips to Laredo and San Miguel. A good portion of the antiques comes from old houses in Fort Worth too. “At Old Home Supply we offer an old feel to a new home,” said Caryl Catalde, employee at Old Home Supply. Old Home Supply works hand in hand with many photographers, allowing them to freely take pictures of the antiques.

Old Home Supply also works with local colleges, mostly art departments looking for doors and other antique items to paint and restore. Discounted rates are usually given to these departments. Old Home Supply is open 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. MondayFriday, 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. Sundays. It has continued to maintain its role in the community. “It’s not uncommon to see some of the locals come in for Photos by Alyssum Power | Rambler Staff coffee regularly,” Catalde said. The Old Home Supply in south Fort Worth offers a variety of antiques for collectors. Owner “We have a good relationship Ralph Watterson said they work very closely with local schools and also allow students to with the neighborhood.” come in and take photos of different artifacts for class assignments and projects.

Ram fans show support

Campus update with SGA Fellow students, This past week the Student Government met to conduct some very important business on your behalf. First, we participated in a QEP focus group. It was important that your government participate in this focus group and offer their opinions, on your behalf. Thank you Dr. Battles for coming by. Next, the Student Government approved three new student organizations; a music fraternity, a local social sorority and a club for our veterans. All three of these organizations represent very important groups here on campus. I wish them the very best. Lastly, the Student Government passed a proposal, in the amount of $7,000, to be the principal sponsor of University College Day 2011. I hope it will be an experience to remember. If you ever need anything visit our offices down “organization row” on the second floor of O.C . Armstrong Hall. In the mean time, I will see you around! Heath A. Scott 89th President

Rachel Peel | Rambler Staff The Ram baseball team shows their support for the men’s basketball team in their game against the Louisiana State University Shreveport Pilots Feb. 14. The Rams pulled out a 7766 win against the Pilots, sealing the no. 1 position in the Red River Athletic Conference.

PhysAssit Recruiters will be on campus They are hiring for business, biology, pre-med and exercise science majors March 1 10:30 - 1:15pm Library Over 150 jobs are now posted on Career Link www.txwes.edu/careerservices Username:Your full email address Password: Ramlink Password

Job recruiters on campus year round Texas Wesleyan Career Services Phone:817.531.6512 Fax: 817.531.4980 Email: careerservices@txwes.edu

“Lacey”

Age: 2 years Primary Breed: Border Collie Lacey requires training and a loving home. She would fit in an active home with plenty of exercise and a consistent owner. For more information on adopting Lacey, contact: Humane Society of North Texas 1840 E. Lancaster Ave. Fort Worth, TX 817-332-4768 Or visit www.hsnt.net

“Izzy”

Age: 1 year Primary Breed: American Bunny Izzy is already spayed and requires a cage, bedding, food and chew toys. For more information on adopting Izzy, contact: Humane Society of North Texas 1840 E. Lancaster Ave. Fort Worth, TX 817-332-4768 Or visit www.hsnt.net

March 3-5

Get ready to make the trip to Waxahachie for the RRAC Basketball Tournament!

February 23 , 2011

Sports

The Rambler | www.therambler.orgwww.therambler.org

Men’s basketball takes no. 1 in conference Eliana Mijangos

emmijangos@mail.txwes.edu

The Rams beat Louisiana State University Shreveport in overtime to break a tie for the no. 1 spot in the Red River Athletic Conference Feb. 14 in the Sid Richardson Center. The Rams came out strong with a 9-0 run, frustrating the Pilots early with a tough man-to-man defense causing three Pilots turnovers. At the 13-minute mark, Bryce Hill, junior guard, went on a fivepoint run sparked by a 3-pointer. This gave the Rams a 10-point lead that they maintained going into halftime 24-14.

LSU Shreveport, ranked no. 4 in the nation, turned it on in the second half determined to hold their no. 1 spot in conference. The Pilots closed the lead to 49-47 at 8:45 as the Rams allowed for second chance shots, failing to crash the boards. Brian Wanamaker, senior guard, got fouled on a break-away and hit one of his two free throws to spark a 3-point run. This play was followed by a rebound and assist by Hill to Jeremy Mayfield, senior post, for a slam dunk. Shreveport answered with a 3-pointer to tie the score at 55 with 4:50 left in the game.

With 1:03 left in the game, the Rams were down 60-59. Wanamaker hit an NBA 3-point shot to give the Rams a 2-point lead. Shreveport’s post got a shot at the basket that Ty Gough, senior post, rejected but couldn’t rebound, and Shreveport tied up the game to go into overtime play 62-62. Overtime was a slow start for both teams as Wanamaker started a run for the Rams with a 3-pointer at 3:20, putting Wesleyan up 65-62. Gough hit a free-throw after taking a hard foul and Jonathan Blake, senior guard, contributed a 3-pointer at 1:30 as the shot clock ran down to 5 seconds.

In the end, the Rams, no. 6 in the nation, silenced the Pilots 77-66 sealing Texas Wesleyan’s place in the Red River Athletic Conference as no. 1. “It feels good to be number one,” Wanamaker said. “We know, however, that every team is going to give us their best shot knowing they can ruin our chance at becoming conference champs, so we have to stay focused.” Wanamaker set a new school record for single game percentage mark as he shot 16-16 from the line and finished with 27-points, leading all scorers. The previous record was set by Jason Nealson in the 1998-99

Rams baseball takes double-header

season in which he went 11-11 from free-throw line. “We have been working hard all year and it’s finally paying off,” Mayfield said. He finished with a double-double, 16-points and 11 rebounds. “I think the senior leadership and play of our normal rotation guys like Wanamaker, Mayfield, Smith, Blake, and Gough was instrumental in staying composed and executing in that type of game,” head men’s basketball coach Terry Waldrop said. Hill finished with 12 points while Blake raked in 10, only to be followed by Jeremy Smith, senior point guard’s, 6 points and 11 assists.

Texas Wesleyan 0 (4-4,2-2 RRAC) Player

rbi

Jockers, Taylor cf

Epperson, Eric rf

Lassiter, Joseph 2b

Tabone, Charles c

McFadden, Garrett pr

Niedwiecki, Stephen dh

Padron, Justin 1b

Soberanes, Christian ss

Arocha, Chris 3b

Winter, Vincent lf

Vaughn, Derek p

Totals

UT-Brownsville 2 (9-1,4-0 RRAC)

Meisa Keivani Najafabadi | Rambler Staff Taylor Jockers, junior outfielder, takes off to first base after a solid single-base hit against University of Texas at Brownsville Feb. 19 at La Grave Field. The Rams took a 2-0 win in game one of the double-header and 5-2 win in game two.

Give us a 817. Call Rese 531.75 rve y 89 our S pot!

and

Martial Arts Boot Camp Monday

Tuesday

12:45pm— 1:45pm 1pm— 2pm

Wednesday

Thursday

Martial Arts Boot Camp Kickboxing

Name:

Mrs. Amber Milano Years Experience:

9 years Level:

3rd Dan Black Belt

rbi

Camorlinga, Jorge cf

Fernandez, Joel 3b

Warner, Matt lf

Ginn, Matt 1b

Fanaselle, Felix ss

Maldonado, Peter rf

Henggeler, Gus c

Regehr, Brad pr

Puente, Gilberto dh

Loftis, Nick 2b

Miller, Adam ph

Gidora, Danny p

Totals

Softball in full swing

Kickboxing

Class Time

Player

Friday

Martial Arts Boot Camp Kickboxing

Kickboxing

Among the many classes offered at the Morton Fitness Center, Amber Milano wil be instructing the Kickboxing and Martial Arts Boot Camp. Both classes are meant to kick you into shape using various martial arts techniques, moderate self defense, core training, and athletic dril s. Each class offers a great workout, whether you are a beginner student or a competitive athlete! This is a workout you don’t want to miss!

Stop by the Morton Fitness Center to learn more about the classes offered, and get familiar with the work out equipment. You may also contact your instructor via American Tae Kwon Do e-mail at mrsambermilano@yahoo.com Discipline:

Remember this class is offered as part of your membership… No Extra Class Fees!

Emma Fradette

ekfradette@mail.txwes.edu

The Texas Wesleyan softball team played Feb. 18-19 at the Cowtown Classic where they went 2 of 3 for their first home games of the season. The action started with the Lady Rams playing Sterling College at 9 a.m. Friday and nabbing a big win with a score of 14-4. The Lady Warriors scored two runs early in the top of the first, but the Lady Rams did not back down. Christina Kelley, junior first base, had a base hit followed by freshman Lindsay Cline, first and third base, who had a hit to center field giving the Lady Rams a run. In the same inning, senior catcher Haley Butler drove a hit into left field putting the team up 3-2. By the bottom of the third, the Lady Rams ran the score to seven with a two base home-run from junior outfielder Marissa Rangel. Along with Rangel, Kelley, Butler and Cline also contributed homers in the bottom of the fourth that bought the Lady Rams a 10 run win. The Lady Rams took on Baker University that same day. Head women’s softball coach Shannon Gower said her team played excellent defense throughout the whole game with great catches by junior outfielder Makelle Akin. Rangel also had a timely center field catch in the bottom of the fourth. Despite the great defensive efforts by the Lady Rams, in the sixth inning, the Lady Warriors scored a run off a single hit making the score 1-0. Rangel made a crucial catch in center field off a pop fly that held a runner to second base followed by Akin’s catch from right field, but Baker took the 3-0 win. The Lady Rams advanced early against Evangel in game three for the day. Rangel hit a single making it to second base when Moreno followed with a bunt. With an overthrow error from Evangel, Rangel stole home making the score 1-0. However, Evangel refused to go down easily with a two base homer in the bottom of the first closing the lead to 2-1. Despite a run from Moreno, score now 4-2, the Lady Rams never recovered the win losing 6-2. “I watched all the games on Friday and really enjoyed watching the team,” senior mass communication major Shayla Moore said. “They cheered for each other and never gave up. The Lady Rams showed tremendous Wesleyan pride.” The Wesleyan softball team picked it up again Feb. 19 as they beat Graceland University. The Yellowjackets scored early, but the Lady Rams

Brian McDaniel | Rambler Staff Ashley Tarrant, senior right-hand pitcher, was honored with the Daktronics-NAIA softball scholar-athletes award for maintaining a GPA of 3.5 or higher and achieving excellence on the field. At the Cowtown Classic, Tarrant had seven strike outs against Evangel Feb. 18 at Sycamore Park

retaliated in the second inning with a double from Akin and a single run by Rangel. At the bottom of the third, Hopie Perez, junior short stop, hit a two-base run that gave the Lady Rams a 3-2 lead. They continued their lead throughout the game with hits from Akin, Kelley and Rangel and took the win with 10-4. The last game the Lady Rams participated in during the Cowtown Classic was again against Evangel. The Lady Crusaders, in the first inning, scored three runs against the Lady Rams, and in the second inning, added another run to make it 4-0. Ashley Seibel, freshman second basemen, hit a run in the sixth inning. The Lady Rams fought hard in the seventh inning with a double from Rangel and a homerun from Moreno, bringing them to within one run at 5-4. The Lady Rams never took the lead and lost to Evangel a second time. “Throughout the whole weekend, we played with great team chemistry and played together,” Rangel said. “The main thing we need to work on is consistency,” Gower said. “We need to be consistent in all areas. Some games we are dominant on offense and aren’t in defense.” The Lady Rams next game will be Feb. 25-26 as they travel to Chickasha, Okla. to take on Avila University and Lubbock Christian University.