The Rambler Vol.102 No.5

OPINION

CAMPUS

NEWS

A&E

SPORTS

WEDNESDAY April 18, 2018 Vol. 102 • No. 5 www.therambler.org

BSA strives for stronger voice Massaran Kromah mkromah@txwes.edu

The Black Students Association is among the oldest organizations at Texas Wesleyan University; June Johnson, coordinator of circulation and Brandon Flowers, user support specialist, are the advisors.

Over the years, BSA has hosted a variety of cultural and educational events on campus; by 2014, when Anthony Harper II joined, there were not many activities, and his schedule conflicted with meetings and participation, so he left the organization.

He rejoined in the fall of 2016 as public relations officer, and this semester became BSA’s president.

BSA elects its officers differently from other organizations. The organization has a chain of command, and when the current president graduates or is no longer able to perform their job, the vice president becomes president, and the person under them moves up to vice president and so on, Harper said.

“I really want to establish continuous growth and expansion,” Harper said. “I want to get a structure where people are not coming in and have to figure out the steps to move forward. I want the system to already be in place.”

Alyssa Brown, a junior English major, said she joined the BSA so she can get information on how she could help spread awareness for the organization. She wants to see more campus participation with BSA, whether people are attending meetings or events.

“I would like to see more campus participation with the BSA,” Brown said. “Whether it be in the form of attending meeting, events or both.

The people in charge of the BSA have a lot to offer in the form of support and activity.”

Sophomore biology major Sylvester Rodriguez said he’s been a BSA member since last year and he wants to continue to contribute to the organization by growing and expanding it to other people. He wants minority organizations to have a more significant impact on the community and an even bigger voice in media.

“I was a member last year, and I want to continue to contribute to the organization,” Rodriguez said.

“I want minority groups to have a much larger impact on the community and have a bigger voice in media and society.”

Senior criminal justice major Joshua D. Rivers said that he wants people to know that BSA is not just for African-American people.

The organization is for anyone on campus who wants to be a part of a group where social issues are being discussed and handled in a respectful manner.

He hopes that the Wesleyan BSA can build a healthy relationship with other universities across Texas so that together speaking on the is-

 BSA. page 3

For more news and sports watch Rambler TV on Channel 25

Photo by Hannah Lathen On April 9, thousands of people gathered in Dallas to march at the Mega March for immmigration reform. The march started at the Cathedral Shrine of Our Lady of the Guadalupe and ended in front of city hall; several people spoke to the crowd, including Martin Luther King III.

DACA killed; Dreamers left in limbo Hannah Lathen

hrlathen@txwes.edu

For some Texas Wesleyans students, stress from finals and graduating could be overshadowed by the fear of having to leave the United States to go to a country they don’t know, and the fact that their degree could be useless in America.

These are DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients, and their fate is more unsure than ever since Easter, when President Donald Trump tweeted, “NO MORE DACA DEAL.” One Wesleyan student who is a DACA recipient, or “Dreamer,” said getting rid of DACA makes her angry and upset.

Without DACA, she said, at the very least she would not be able to get a legitimate job or a driver’s license. The worst-case scenario is that she will have a bachelor’s degree and not be able to use it. She asked to remain anonymous because she “does not feel safe exposing my status” as a DACA recipient.

“I am actually trying to do the right thing and contribute, and it is just a little bit agitating,” she said.

She said she feels like DACA is a win-win for everyone.

“I don’t see anything bad coming from it. I have some Wesleyan friends and other college friends that went to UNT and UTA that are DACA students, and we are trying to do the right thing and contribute,” she said. “We are not breaking any laws. Technically we were kids.”

The student said despite the current situation with DACA, she is not going to stress over it.

“I graduate in the fall,” she said. “As long as I get my title, I am studying to be a teacher, as long as I have that I will be OK.” Trump announced on Sept. 5, 2017 that DACA would be rescinded, according to nytimes.com. He gave Congress until March 5, 2018 to come up with a deal. Democrats and Republicans tried to create a plan for the young immigrants who were brought to the United States by their parents as kids, but did not do so. Then came his tweet indicating that DACA would be killed.

DACA is an executive order signed by former President Barack Obama in 2012 for individuals who were brought to the United States before 2007, according to nytimes.com.

DACA allows them to attend college as well as join the military, among many other things, and is made up

Photo by Hannah Lathen People gather at the Dallas City Hall after a march for immigration reform.

Childs to become new dean for School of Arts and Letters Jeremy Crane

important work taking place within the school, and I wish her well in this jdcrane@txwes.edu process.”

Texas Wesleyan Provost Allen Childs said that she has been at Henderson announced in late FebruWesleyan since 2001 and loves workary that Dr. Glading here. She ys Childs, chair of said she enjoys the Department “I know Dr. Childs will work to encourage and interacting with of Religion & Hustudents and her manities and uni- support the important work taking place within the fellow faculty versity chaplain, members and had accepted the school, and I wish her well in this process.” that stepping offer to become into the interim interim dean of - Dr. Mark Hanshaw dean role will the School of Arts just be a differand Letters as of ent way of interJune 1.

Wesleyan. acting with and supporting students Childs will be filling the spot of “It was honor working with the and faculty. the previous dean of the department, students and faculty who make up “I am looking forward to building Dr. Mark Hanshaw, who has accept- the School of Arts & Letters. There new relationships and getting ined the position of associate general is a great passion for learning with- volved with my new role in the unisecretary for the United Methodist in the school,” Hanshaw wrote in an versity,” Childs said.

Church Division of Higher Educa- email. “I know that Dr. Childs will tion. work to encourage and support the  CHILDS. page 3

Opinions on Nick and Lou Martin University Center

In this position, Hanshaw will have the opportunity to serve the presidents of all of the 199 United Methodist colleges and universities around the country, including Texas

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Graphic by Hannah Onder During the week of April 9-13, 100 students and staff were polled about their feelings on the new Nick and Lou Martin University Center.

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Texas Wesleyan’s Alumni Reunion will be April 19 through April 21, with multiple events for alumni to attend, including Theatre Wesleyan’s production of the musical “Oklahoma!”

Director of Alumni Relations DeAwna Wood said that every year the Theatre Department puts on the spring musical and alumni attend...

2 | Wednesday | April 18, 2018

Opinion

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Dumb tweets shouldn’t mean expulsion EDITORIAL

When universities make headlines, they don’t want it to because a student goes viral for saying the N-word on social media.

In late March, sophomore Jillian Kirk from Michigan State University posted a racist message on SnapChat that was put on Twitter and retweeted more than 11,000 times. According to The New York Post, there was a call for her expulsion, as there has been with similar situations at other universities over the years; however, unlike other universities, MSU decided against dropping her from the university.

According to The Tab, MSU’s student newspaper, the university said it doesn’t condone racial harassment or bullying, but also said the university can’t control what its students post to social media.

Should universities expel students over what they post to social media?

No. Like MSU said, students have the right to post whatever they want to social media. However, students and faculty can run into issues with what is posted on social media if it has a connection to the campus. For example, if it connects back to a club or organization that represents the university, or if it is done with equipment owned by the university.

When students make posts on their own personal social meCartoon by Hannah Onder dia accounts on their own devices off campus, the university Students should be cautious about what they post to social media, and schools should create expectations in their handbooks. can’t usually do too much about it.

Should the universities be responsible for monitoring students’ social media accounts? ties may be able to catch these issues before they become public the university would be a situation when a school needs to take Universities can’t monitor all their students’ social media knowledge. action. The university shouldn’t go straight to expulsion over posts because they don’t have enough time and resources for Universities could also discourage these issues by outlining the social media post. There should be some sort of strike sysdoing so. On the occasions that schools do monitor social me- their social media expectations and consequences for violat- tem with consequences like apologies and suspensions before dia, it is usually for protection against physical harm, such as ing those expectations in their student handbooks. Texas Wes- leading to expulsion. bombing and mass shooting threats. leyan doesn’t have any specific guidelines in its student handIn conclusion, ideally people shouldn’t write discriminatory How should universities prevent discriminatory comments book about social media; however, Wesleyan does have a vague and harassing posts on social media. However, this will confrom their students on social media? clause about harassment and discrimination that could initiate tinue to happen, so schools should have a policy about it in The university could discourage discriminatory comments investigations and disciplinary action if necessary. their student handbooks that is gone over with their students. like Kirk’s by creating a tip system where students can report When and how should students be disciplined for social me- Schools shouldn’t be expected to monitor all of their students’ content to be reviewed for investigation. Kirk had a history of dia posts? social media, but they should have a way of making examples negative comments toward the black community long before A social media post that goes viral or garners a lot of atten- of negative posts that come to the school’s and the public’s ather one post went viral. By adding in a tip system, universi- tion from the university and especially from those outside of tention.

Students were silent about big issues Hannah Lathen Content Producer hrlathen@txwes.edu Last month, around 40 Texas Wesleyan students joined together in a silent protest to show their disapproval of the 16hour block rate change.

Students held signs saying, “Our future is at stake. Don’t make this mistake,” as well as, “A major problem with no minor impact.”

This is something I am very pleased to see happening with my fellow students. Coming together and letting Texas Wesleyan’s administration know that they want change and they are going to be heard is something I find very refreshing.

Even University President Frederick Slabach said the protest was great.

“We always encourage all of our students to use their critical thinking skills that they have developed and question authority at all different levels,” Slabach said.

While it is nice to see students speaking out, there are many issues that did not receive enough attention due to lack of protest from the student body.

For one, last semester when the video of rats in Dora’s was released and cockroaches were found, why didn’t students use their voice to demand a cleaner, safer cafeteria? Rambler TV released a video afterward showing multiple students who disapproved of Dora’s, yet no one rose up to ask for serious changes to be made?

Raw chicken was found in a meal served at the West Express Eatery. No one called out the administration.

With Texas Wesleyan needing nearly $2.9 million in budget cuts for the next academic year, why aren’t students using their

voices to object to the new student center being built or the football program we so desperately needed?

When there was an increase in vandalism and car break-ins on campus, where were the students demanding for tighter security?

The gates leading into the resident halls are almost always broken. This is something students could have come together to get fixed.

Students are constantly complaining about the Oneall-Sells Administration Building losing documents and transcripts, putting students in danger of not graduating. There needs to be action.

When students are witnessing other students being discriminated against, they need to come together and speak out.

Last semester, when housing made it hard for many students to live in their dorms over the break, where were all the students then? Wesleyan’s Student Government Association made a resolution toward the matter, but it should have been accompanied by all the students who were upset over the matter.

I wish I saw protests happening when these issues were big on campus. Where were our students then? If students came together then like they did last month, I believe we could expect more listening and cooperation from the administration.

After students were notified of the 16-hour block rate change, they attended that week’s SGA meeting and learned about what could be done.

This is something that needs to happen with every issue.

Students should not be afraid to speak out to the administration and let them know that they want change. Getting together with other students and making a plan of action is important for every issue and this is a right we need to be taking advantage of.

When something happens, go to SGA. Let them know your concerns and ask to get something done. If nothing happens,

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

— Thomas Jefferson

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Photo by Hannah Lathen Students stage a silent protest about the 16-hour block change in March. Students were silent about other issues.

keep persisting.

This campus is home to many students and when the administration is not doing what we feel is in our best interests, we need to get loud.

Texas Wesleyan is a wonderful school, but it is not perfect, and we as students need to make sure to not be silent when issues arise.

Another sign that was held at the protest last month read, “Wesleyan ain’t what it used to be!” This is true, and we can change that one issue at a time.

It is 2018. Students are evolving, the world is changing, and we need to make sure Wesleyan is doing so, too. This school is here for us, and we need to keep it that way.

Rams up Thumbs up to University College Day. Thumbs up to breaking ground on the Nick and Lou Martin Center.

Thumbs up to Spirit Week.

Thumbs up to the semester winding down.

Rams down Thumbs down to finals approaching.

Thumbs down to group projects where only one person does the work, and that person is you.

Thumbs down to allergy season.

Thumbs down to looking for a summer internship.

Wednesday | April 18, 2018|3

News

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DACA

continued from page 1 of more than 800,000 people in the U.S. Vice President of Student Affairs/Dean of Students Dennis Hall wrote in an email that Wesleyan does not ask students if they are DACA recipients. The university will “continue to serve all of its students regardless of designation or status.”

“We have hosted two information sessions about DACA for our campus and surrounding community and will continue to look for opportunities as we move forward,” Hall wrote.

“We are here to support and help our students in any way we can.”

Tristeza Ordex-Ramirez is a senior political science major who works in the 33rd Congressional district with U.S. Rep Marc Veasey as a field representative who works on emigration issues.

Right now, the future of Dreamers is looking really murky, Ordex-Ramirez said.

“It is sad to say that because I personally want to believe that Congress is going to come through, especially because there is so much support on both parties,” she said. “They are

both on board for the most part.”

The issue comes with one side wanting to add stipulations, she said.

“They are trying to use DACA as a bargaining deal for them to get their way in certain things that they don’t see eye to eye on with the

Dream Act without the stipulations, Ordex-Ramirez said.

“Personally, I think that, yes, that is something that we should get. Is it going to happen?

I don’t see it happening because the other side isn’t budging,” she said. “(It) is unfortunate be-

“They are trying to use DACA as a bargaining deal for them to get their way in certain things that they don’t see eye to eye on with the other side. Like, ‘This needs to be done by itself with nothing attached to it.’”

- Tristeza Ordex-Ramirez other side, and the other end is trying to say no,” she said. “Like, ‘This needs to be done by itself with nothing attached to it.’ Just the issue of what is going to happen with Dreamers.”

What Dreamers are calling for is a clean

cause these are people’s lives that you are dealing with, their livelihood.”

This will not only affect the lives of the Dreamers, she said, but also the entire country.

“I sat in on a meeting with a group that ad-

leaders of Texas Wesleyan and the larger universities, which will help lead to create a shared vision and to strengthen the programs of the School of Arts and Letters and the rest of the departments at Wesleyan.

She said that what matters most to her is to be the most effective interim dean possible.

“As for the rest, we will just have to see how things progress,” Childs said.

Dr. Kendra Irons will be taking over as the chair of Religion and Humanities.

Irons said that she is excited to offer leadership to her excellent colleagues in the depart-

ment. She said that she enjoys working with them and looks forward to finding new ways in which she can support and encourage the work they do.

She said that in the beginning she anticipates a bit of a learning curve, but she plans to listen for the best ways in which she can offer assistance.

“Over time I expect ways to focus and clarify our department’s mission (so that it) will become evident,” Irons said, “and I’ll be happy to provide leadership to address such opportunities.”

vocates for Dreamers, and they were talking about how Dreamers a lot of times outperform their peers that are U.S. citizens; when you think about that it makes you understand why it is essential to have these individuals in our country,” she said.

Although ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) has stated that Dreamers are not high priority, Ordex-Ramirez said, they are still susceptible to deportation.

“Those whose status has expired, they stand a chance of getting deported. If their DACA status expires, so those whose DACA status has expired already today, they are no longer eligible to work, receive any type of funding like scholarships for school,” she said. “Pretty much they lose everything.”

The Dreamers do not know what is going to happen to them, she said, which puts them in limbo.

“A lot of those individuals too are parents.

They have families. Some of them are teachers.

Doctors,” she said. “They fill really important roles in the economy and the work force.”

CHILDS

continued from page 1 Childs said that her new duties would include providing advocacy for, leadership to, and managerial responsibility for the programs, faculty, and budgets of the school.

She said she plans on providing leadership in support of the university’s strategic plan as well as in the development and execution of the school’s strategic plan, goals, and assessment.

She also said she plans to work closely with the chairs to streamline and enhance current programs while looking for new opportunities.

Childs said that her goal in the beginning is to build strong relationships with the various

BSA

Photo contributed by Chuck Greeson Dr. Gladys Childs will be the new interim dean.

continued from page 1

Photo by Massaran Kromah BSA President Anthony Harper II (left) leads a meeting in the library.

sues of minority students can be presented on a larger scale.

“I would like people to know that BSA is not exclusively for black people; in fact, we spent most meetings encouraging respectful disagreements for that very reason,” Rivers said.

“I hope that our BSA can foster relationships Photo by Massaran Kromah between the BSAs of TCU, UTA, and TCC to form a coalition that would be capable of The Black Students Association meets to go watch the movie “Black Panther” at a Fort Worth theater. Some members of the group dressed up for the event. speaking on issues on a larger scale.”

4 |Wednesday April 18, 2018

Campus

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10

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2018 Rams Foo 4 0 5

Sept. 8

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vs.

Texas A&M UniversityKingsville

vs.

Texas College

vs.

Arizona Christian University

vs.

Bacone College

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Langston University

Kingsville, Texas

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Phoniex, Arizona

Muskogee, Oklahoma

Farrington Field

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7 p.m.

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The Rams’ 2018 schedule includes 10 games, five at home and five away. The first home game is Sept. 15 against Texas State College. The Rams’ 2017 record was 1-10. The win came when Wayland Bapti

Football trains for 2018 Blue and Gold spring game and fall season Karan Muns kemuns@txwes.edu

The Rams are preparing for the Blue & Gold Spring Game on Saturday, linebacker Vincent Stephenson said.

“It’s a great opportunity to see how much the team has improved, and it is the culmination of the offseason work,” head coach Joe Prud’homme said.

The Blue & Gold Game allows the players to assess where they stand after the offseason and getting a chance to compete for a better spot, Prud’homme said.

“It will be three 10-minute quarters with a running clock,” he said.

“The final quarter will be a 10-minute clock that will be run regulation

style.”

The team’s skills have improved significantly during the offseason, he said. Their attitude and approach to practices and workouts has been outstanding.

“We practice about three times a week, refreshing from last season and going over installs for next season,” Stephenson said. “We also watch film from last season and practice film from this spring.”

The team practices like they do in the fall, but they are competing for starting spots to go into fall camp, he said.

“We have periods for just offense and defense and periods when we go against each other,” Stephenson said.

Stephenson said he is most excited to see all of the team’s offseason work

come together next season.

“The team is building a lot of chemistry already this offseason, and I can't wait to see it all pay off when we turn things around for next season,” Stephenson said.

The Rams have been working toward creating a better environment for next season, running back Da’vonte Mitchell-Dixon said.

“We've been trying to create a culture and get away from last year’s bad habits,” he said.

The Rams are hungry for their first real win; it’s motivating the team to work harder now, Mitchell-Dixon said.

The Rams finished the season 0-11, but Wayland Baptist University forfeited multiple games due to an ineligible player, including the Oct.

28 game against Wesleyan, according to ramsports.net. As a result, the Rams’ final record for 2017 is 1-10.

“I'm looking forward to the first game,” Mitchell-Dixon said. “That's the only thing on my mind and losing isn't an option to me. I want to win.”

The Blue & Gold Game kicks off at 12 p.m. at Farrington Field and the team is expecting to see a lot of fans there, quarterback Justin Arth said.

“We have been lifting weights, conditioning and meeting all semester. We're now getting onto the field to run through plays and make the most of each day to get better,” he said.

The team practices plays about four days a week, Arth said. The days that they don’t practice on the field

the players lift weights and do conditioning.

“Each morning after a practice most position groups have early morning meetings to watch yesterday's practice film,” Arth said.

The team’s main goal is to get better through hard work every time they take the field, Arth said.

“As an offense, we want to play fast, do our job, protect the ball, make the routine plays and just have fun doing what we love,” he said.

The Rams will play their first game of the 2018 season against Texas A&M University-Kingsville Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. at Javelina Stadium in Kingsville, Texas. The home opener will be against Texas College on Sept. 15 at 7 p.m. at Farrington Field. For more information go to ramsports.net.

is looking for YOU! Now seeking applicants for Fall 2018 Editor in Chief

Please check out the Rambler online at www.therambler.org for application and job description

Photo by Karan Muns A Rams defensive player tackles a ball carrier at Farrnington Field on Friday.

Applications are due to Dr. Kay L. Colley at kcolley@txwes.edu

Wednesday April 18, 2018| 5

Campus

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otball Schedule 0 3 0 4 0 Oct. 13

Oct. 20

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1 0 Nov. 3

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vs. vs. vs.

Oklahoma Southwestern Wayland Panhandle Assemblies Baptist State of God University Univeristy University

vs.

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Graphic by Hannah Onder ist University forfeited its Oct. 28 win due to SAC violations. The Rams host a football camp on May 20. The camp is an open tryout, with a $50 registration fee. Go to ramsports.net for more information.

Photo by Karan Muns Quarterback and running backs warm up by throwing the ball.

Photo by Karan Muns The defense huddles up and yells “Rams!” before moving on to more drills.

COME CELEBRATE THE RAMMY'S MAY 1 DURING FREE PERIOD! AMSPACE R N O P V S R , ATTENDEES UR SEAT O Y Y IF ID L TO SO

6 |Wednesday | April 18, 2018

Arts&Entertainment

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‘Oklahoma!’ will travel to Lancaster Elena Maldonado

ecmaldonado@txwes.edu

Junior theatre major Reagan Fraze will be playing the role of Laurey in Theatre Wesleyan’s production of “Oklahoma!”

Fraze is very familiar to Theatre Wesleyan. She wrote in an email that she has been involved in three shows in the 20172018 school year.

“For ‘Blithe Spirit,’ I was on the set crew, I was cast as Martha Bessell in ‘Spring Awakening,’ and I was a part of the front of house crew for ‘Important Hats of the Twentieth Century.’”

But now Fraze has a lead role in “Oklahoma!” She writes that she has worked closely with both cast and staff members throughout the rehearsal process, but works more closely with the cast.

“I work more closely with the members of the cast than I do with the staff members,” she wrote. “The reason for this is because the actors will work scenes and the moments within the scenes outside of rehearsal, then bring the scenes to rehearsal to be perfected by Jeanne [Everton], the director.”

There is a lot that goes into preparing everything for the opening night, Fraze wrote.

“We have rehearsal Monday [through] Friday from 7-10 p.m. every week and on Saturdays from 2-5 p.m.,” she wrote. “In rehearsal hours alone, we have worked over 80 hours each on this production.”

Fraze also discussed how each cast member has to spend extra hours working on individual assignments.

“Each member of the cast has spent additional hours outside of rehearsal working on various aspects of the show, whether it is a scene, memorizing lines, working through the songs, or perfecting the dances,” Fraze wrote.

Richard Givans, a sophomore theatre major, is playing the role of Curly.

“Curly is a hard-working cowman who is liked by everybody around him! He has such a positive outlook on life and is charming too!” he wrote in an email.

Givans also discussed the process of landing the role.

“I prepared for the audition by studying the character and choosing an audition song that I thought was a good fit for the way I wanted to play Curly. Then I got cast!” he wrote.

Tristen Brown, sophomore theatre major, is playing the role of Ali Hakim. He describes the show as feel-good, catchy, and jocular. “’Oklahoma!’ is a feel-good show because it tells a story of a group of people living in the land of Oklahoma and how they ‘belong to the land,’” Brown wrote in an email. “[It’s] catchy because the show is constantly going from song to song, and each song has a very catchy sing-along tune that spreads like wildfire. The show is very jocular. You can see a difference of interaction between each group, and if two groups interact with each other that’s where the fun begins.”

Leading up to opening night, Brown is most excited about experiencing the dress rehearsals.

“Not to brag or anything but I am IN LOVE with my costume,” he wrote. “I’m dressed so nice and so is everyone in ‘Oklahoma!’ The costumes really flesh out each character, and it’s amazing how good this show is going to look!”

Brown wrote that he is excited for the orchestra that will be accompanying the cast on stage in the W.E. Scott Theatre.

“We will have a string section and this is the first time for me being in a show and having an orchestra,” he wrote. “I love hearing the music of the show, and it truly just makes the show that more magical.”

Jeanne Everton, associate professor of theatre, is the director of “Oklahoma!” She said “Oklahoma!” was chosen to be performed by Theatre Wesleyan because it is the 75th anniversary of the show.

“It is a very important musical in the history of American musical theatre,” she said. “I’m happy to be doing it.”

She also said “Oklahoma!” was selected because it is a golden-age musical.

“It comes out of a period from the 1940s through about the early 1970s, [which] is considered to be the golden age of musicals,” she said. “This is the first American musical in which the songs progress the story. Every song is part of the action of the piece. [The musical] is important from that standpoint.”

Everton said the choreography was going to surprise the audience the most.

“Our choreographer has created some pretty remarkable dancing, and the student performers are doing a terrific job,” she said.

Everton said the whole team has had eight weeks of rehearsals and eight weeks of building costumes and sets.

“Typically, I work from six months to a year on shows before we open,” she said. “In this case it has been about five or six months.”

Everton said everyone working on the production is a Wesleyan contributor.

“On the musical this year, the scenic designer is a faculty member, the costume designer is a faculty member,” she said.

“Props and sounds are being designed by students. The stage management team is also all students.”

She said that what audience members take from the production will vary.

“The people who see ‘Oklahoma!’ for the first time are going to see a bunch of people living on the prairie, in Indian territory, anticipating becoming a state,” Everton said. “A lot of older people who have seen ‘Oklahoma!’ before probably come to see it because they enjoy the music. It’s beautiful music and it’s a sweet story, so what people take away is going to be very different.”

Theatre Wesleyan wants to give a performance that is about people who had a hard life, Everton said.

“It was a hard life [having] to raise cattle, or to farm on that stretch of the prairie. We tried to bring it back down to the land rather than some productions that we are aware of that have made [‘Oklahoma!’] pretty, or as I like to say, ‘Disneyfied.’ We’ve tried not to do that.”

Everton also discussed the process of getting everything together for the production.

“Initially, rehearsals are very sporadic. We start by teaching all of the music, then we start adding dance numbers, the stage parts that are not dance numbers, the dialogue scenes, and then try to pull it all together,” she said.

Everton said the students are excited that “Oklahoma!” will be performed in the Scott Theatre.

“I think the students are excited about performing in a different theatre, and the idea of working on a different side of town,” she said.

She said the reason behind performing at the Scott Theatre is that “Oklahoma!” is such a well-known play, and the Scott can

Graphic contributed by Jacob Sanchez “Oklahoma!” is celebrating its 75th anniversary. Theatre Wesleyan is doing four performances at the W.E. Scott Theatre.

Graphic contributed by Jacob Sanchez The cast of “Oklahoma!” includes Richard Givans as Curly and Reagan Fraze as Laurey; Jeanne Everton is the director.

accommodate more people than the Thad Smotherman Theatre.

“The other [reason] is that because Scott Theatre is a different theatre than the one [Wesleyan] has. It provides the students with the opportunity to work with some technical aspect that we don’t deal with here,” she said. “It’s good for them to have that experience.”

According to Bryan Stevenson, department chair and associate professor of theatre, the last time a Wesleyan production was performed in the Scott Theatre was in 2002 with the musical “Show Boat.”

Jacob Sanchez, the business manager for the Theatre Department, wrote in an email that performing in the Scott Theater will allow the participating students to get an insight as to what type of working environment they may find themselves in upon graduation.

“This year happens to mark the 75th anniversary of the show, but we originally wanted to produce OKLAHOMA! to not only give our students the opportunity to work on a classic musical theatre piece, but do so within the mindset and environment that is, for all practical purposes, like doing a national tour of a Broadway show,” he wrote.

Sanchez compared the experience the students will have to working for productions like “Hamilton” and “Phantom of the Opera.”

“We are using Texas Wesleyan as our rehearsal space, design studio, and scene shop, then loading everything on a truck and taking it over to the Scott Theatre. It’s no different than what shows like HAMILTON and PHANTOM OF THE OPERA get to do, but unique for an environmental and collegiate setting,” Sanchez wrote.

Sanchez hopes to have future productions performed at the Scott Theatre.

“Hopefully, [this production] sets up a new trend that will allow us to go produce musicals there every few years,” he wrote.

Marla Owen, the arts center director of the Fort Worth Community Arts Center, shares Sanchez’s hopes.

“I am hoping the experience will be great for everyone involved,” Owens wrote in an email, “and that Wesleyan will want

to return to the Scott Theatre stage.”

“Oklahoma!” runs April 19-22 at the W.E. Scott Theatre, which is at 3505 W. Lancaster Ave. in Fort Worth. Show times are 7:30 p.m. April 19-21 and 2 p.m. April 22. For more information, go to txwes.edu or fwcac.com.

Photos by Jacob Sanchez Junior Reagan Fraze will play Laurey in “Oklahoma!” Tristen Brown will play Ali Hakim in the spring 2018 muscial.

Wednesday | April 18, 2018

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Terry named SAC Player of the Week

Photo courtesy of Bailey Terry Bailey Terry waits to field a ball at third base during a recent game at Sycamore Park.

Ashton Willis anwillis@txwes.edu Several athletes have come through Texas Wesleyan University and been key players, and one of those is Bailey Terry.

Terry, a senior accounting major and third baseman, has been a big contributor to the team and has had several accomplishments during her past four years as a Ram. In her freshman year, Terry made 52 starts as a first-team All-SAC player and had the team’s best batting average while also posting a teamleading 15-game hitting streak and reaching base safely in 18 consecutive games, according to ramsports.net.

Four years later, she is batting .376 with 44 hits and 36 runs; by last week she had 47 RBIs to rank third in the nation; her 12 home runs put her fourth in the nation, according to ramsports.net.

She is one of the major contributors to a

team that by April 6 had attained a record of 28-10 and 14-2 in the Sooner Athletic Conference and had beaten such top teams as the University of Science & Arts Drovers, who are ranked No. 2 in the NAIA, according to ramsports.net.

Terry was recently named SAC Player of the Week for the second time this season.

“It feels absolutely amazing to be named SAC Player of the Week. I work extremely hard, so it feels great that others notice that also,” Terry said.

Terry has several goals that she still hopes to accomplish this season.

“Personal goals for the 2018 season is to make first-team All-Conference, receive Conference Golden Glove Award, Team MVP, first-team All-Region, and hopefully make the All-American list,” Terry said.

Terry has won several awards during her time as an athlete at Wesleyan.

“In my three years, I have won multiple

Photo courtesy of Bailey Terry Bailey Terry has a .376 batting average and two SAC Player of the Week awards this season.

awards. I was named 2016 & 2017 first-team All-Conference, 2017 team Co-MVP. In 2016, I was first-team All-Region, and I won the 2017 conference Golden Glove award,” she said.

Terry believes that she has several qualities that make her beneficial to the team.

“The strengths that I bring to the team is leadership, the ability to adjust in different situations, and an aggressive instinct,” she said.

Terry said that she is a leader on the field and helps in different ways.

“I do feel I have taken on a leadership role, but I feel as if it is more silent leadership at times than it is voicing words,” Terry said.

Lauren Wernet, a senior and athletic training major, said that Terry is a great teammate.

“I love having BT as a teammate,” she said.

“I’ve told her time and time again that I don’t even want to face her at practice.”

Wernet said she is a good hitter, and she is a tough competitor at practice.

“She’s an amazing hitter and there isn’t any-

thing that you can throw her that she won’t hit,” she said. “Working around her as a pitcher is difficult and I’m blessed to have her as a teammate.”

Kayla Prachyl, a senior and mass communication major, said Terry is having a great season.

“We just swept the number two team in the nation,” she said. “The first game went into extra innings and earlier that game she hit a three-run bomb and we won 4-3 with her hitting in all our runs,” she said.

Even with all her success, Terry said she can still improve each day.

“I work each day to improve all of my skills, so I am always learning and improving,” she said.

Terry said that her team is her favorite part about playing for Wesleyan.

“The best parts about being on the Wesleyan softball team is my coaches and teammates,” she said. “They are amazing.”

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Sugg maintains perfect 9-0 record Matt Smith

mxsmith@txwes.edu

When Brad Sugg throws, the hitter misses.

Sugg, a senior right-hander, has a perfect 9-0 record this season, with an ERA of 2.37, according to ramsports.net.

“I gain confidence in that role, or any role, really,” said Sugg, an exercise major, when asked how he grew as a pitcher at Texas Wesleyan. “Your emotions play a lot into it. Even if [the game’s] not going well, you really just have to fake it. No matter what, I’m causing the situation, so if I’m showing confidence, my team will be confident.”

Sugg came to Wesleyan last year, transferring from Cedar Valley College in Lancaster. Halfway through the 2017 season, he was assigned to be the team’s closing relief pitcher. Sugg said the DI competition he faced at Wesleyan forced him to grow, ultimately giving him the starting position he has now.

“I would say I matured just by higher level of play,” he said.

“Being in that role of closing games halfway through the season last year, [I knew,] ‘OK, this is my job, this is what I have to do.’

If you’re not strong mentally, it’s going to knock you down.”

While Sugg carries a nice national ranking and impressive record now, this was not always the case. Coming out of high school and heading off to Cedar Valley, he needed to have some work done. And Cedar Valley’s head coach, Robert Dally, was willing to put his back into it.

“Sports-wise, I made a transition,” Sugg said. “[Freshman year] I threw over the top there a little while, and over the top didn’t work well with me. I changed arm slots to over-the-side and finished my sophomore year with an ERA of 4.15. Still not the greatest, but it was an improvement.”

Sugg didn’t have the best record, finishing the 2016 season 1-2, according to cvsuns.com. However, he did manage to get 17 strikeouts, as well as start three games. Sugg said his time at Cedar Valley allowed him to get more playing time and really work himself out as a player.

He especially praised Dally for being a dedicated mentor both on and off the field.

“He’s one of the type of people that’s like, ‘What can I do for you?’ instead of ‘What can you do for me?’” Sugg said. “And that’s the type of people you want to play for. Coming from a single-parent home, college, even at the JuCo level, was hard to pay for. [Dally] helped me financially by allowing me to be a work study for him. He also did well to push the team academically. He was all about grades. He told us, ‘If you have more than one B, you’re out of here.’”

Having polished his technique at Cedar Valley, when it came time to change schools again, Sugg was pointed by Dally to Wesleyan. In the recruiting process, Wesleyan coach Bobby Garza saw potential.

“When I saw him throw against some hitters in a game situation, I knew that there was something that was causing the hitters to be off balance,” said Garza, who is now the interim head coach in place of Mike Jeffcoat. “Just seeing him go about his business and how he handled himself through the recruiting process really intrigued us. I knew that we were gonna have something potentially special if we got him, and fortunately, we did get him.”

Sugg went 5-1 with a 2.36 ERA and 40 strikeouts for the

Photo by Little Joe Sugg pitches against Oklahoma Panhandle State University at Sycamore Park on April 7. The Rams won 12-2; he struck out five.

Rams in 2017. Garza said the coaching staff focused on his mental strength.

“We wanted to create a mindset that could help him understand who he truly is and how his ball moves so he’s successful for not just a few innings but over a long period of time,” he said. “[We wanted him to know] what he’s good at, bad at, [so we can make him] a game plan per team [and] environment so he’ll have a successful plan of attack.”

As a senior, Sugg is preparing for the next phase of his life.

He wants to coach at the collegiate level, trading in his baseball uniform for a polo shirt and slacks, but keeping the cap.

“With it being my last two years of eligibility, I would say, either you put up or shut up,” Sugg said.

“Do well and excel or feel sorry about yourself and why you’re not playing.

“For me, the number one thing that’s made me the player I am now would be the coaches and my teammates. Both at Cedar Valley and Wesleyan, Dally, Garza, and Jeffcoat believed in

me, and their confidence have made me just jump.”

Senior pitcher Parker Robinson, a good friend of Sugg, said that as a starting pitcher, Sugg’s impact on the up-and-coming players is visible.

“As a senior, with all the stuff he’s been able to accomplish on the field, I feel like he’s developed a leadership role,” Robinson said. “Just carrying the load of being a pitcher and taking it to where we wanna go at, it makes all the pitchers on the staff look up and say, ‘Wow, if Brad can do it, we all can do it. We just gotta work hard and grind out for each other.’”

Garza is as confident about the decisions Sugg will make about his future as he is about the ones he makes on the mound.

“I think he’ll be successful in whatever path he chooses,” Garza said. “We expect him to finish his career here on a high note; he’s proven he’s one of the best pitchers in the country and in our stacked conference. Whatever he decides to do after baseball, after school, he’s gonna be successful.”

5300 E. Lancaster Ave, Fort Worth, Tx 76112

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