September 12, 2012 Vol. 95, No. 13

Page 1

wednesday Sept. 12, 2012

Vol. 95 • No. 13

www.therambler.org

Difficulty + lack of interest = cancelation of math major. News, page 3

The Rambler The voice of Texas Wesleyan University students since 1917

Dora’s gets new look, adds new food selections.

Arts & Entertainment, page 6

School scrambles for resources because enrollment increases Jonathan Resendez

jlresendez@txwes.edu

Despite the triple-digit heat, Salem Alzahrani sits outside Dora Roberts Dining Hall, smoking full flavored cigarettes while chatting with fellow freshmen Khalid Aldansari and Nasser Alxami. The first-year Wesleyan students, all three natives of Saudi Arabia, talk about adjusting to life in Fort Worth — something they’ve only had a few weeks to do. “When we came to America, it was a shock of culture,” Alzahrani, freshman business major said, referring to his initial transition to the states. Texan transplants by way of Washington D.C., Miami and Atlanta, the men relax in the heavy metal chairs and compare their observations of Fort Worth life thus far: Arabic food is easier to locate in Dallas. Finding jobs proves difficult when one studies full time and only has a student VISA. Switching between English and Arabic, they argue, solemnly but respectfully, about the freedom of living in the U.S. compared to living on campus, which they all do. Aldansari, freshman, computer science major, finds living in the dorms bittersweet because alcohol, which is illegal in all of Saudi Arabia, isn’t allowed in the dorms. “Back [in D.C.], if you were at your place, nobody could come to search for drugs or drink,” Aldansari, freshman computer science major, said. “Whatever you have in your house, that’s for you; It’s allowed.” Alzahrani, on the other

Law school sale on the table

Rachel Peel

rlpeel@txwes.edu

Rachel Peel | Rambler Staff Left: Ahmad Khashaggi, freshman business administration, from Saudi Arabi, Tiffany Hobson, freshman history major,Sultan Ajaj, freshman finance major from Saudia Arabia, Amanda Sample, freshman accounting major, Rachel Richardson, freshman education major, and Charice Turner, freshman undecided major (with his back to the camera) play a game in their ASE class.

hand, said he doesn’t mind the rules because he can still find somewhere to have a drink off campus — something he couldn’t do at all back home. Even though Alzahrani and his friends are about 7,500 miles away from home, their topic matter is considered standard among undergraduates on any given college campus in the country. Similar conversations can be overheard throughout the campus by clusters of students representing two of Wesleyan’s

growing demographics: new and international students. The number of international students enrolled at Wesleyan more than tripled since last year. A total of 163 international students are currently enrolled at Wesleyan compared to 48 who were enrolled last year, according to an official report released by the admissions office Sept. 7. Croatia, Nepal, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, Ireland, Ghana and the United Kingdom comprise only a fraction of the countries represented by Wesleyan’s

international student body. However, about 60 percent of the international students hail from Saudi Arabia. The total number of undergraduates enrolled rose from 491 to 581 students. The enrollment, which fluctuated during the first week of school as more students arrived and others dropped classes, includes undergraduate, graduate, doctoral and law students. The influx caused Wesleyan officials to schedule emergency meetings before the semester began

to add general education curriculum courses while increasing the maximum amount of students allowed in existing classes. Three additional Academic Success Experience courses, aimed at helping first-time college students adjust to university rigors, were also added. “These are great problems to be dealing with when our budget was based on last year’s enrollment,” said Joe Brown, dean of freshman success and professor of theatre arts and mass commu-

  Students, page 3

After more than 50 years of waiting, Texas A&M was finally able to purchase a law school when President Frederick Slabach announced the potential sale of the Texas Wesleyan Law School on June 26. Texas A&M will purchase the law school for $20 million up front and for $5 million over the next five years at $1 million per year. Wesleyan will lease the space now occupied by the law school for $2.5 million over the next 40 years. Slabach, president of Wesleyan, said he has high hopes for the sale. “This has apparently been something that has been on their radar screen, to have a law school for some time now, for decades,” Slabach said. “I don’t know how far back it goes, but I know it goes pretty far.” Slabach said all Wesleyan has done thus far is submit a letter of intent, that has been approved by both the Texas Wesleyan University Board of Trustees and the Texas A&M System Board of Regents. The letter of intent lays out some of the basic pieces of the agreement, but it specifically says by its own terms that it is not legally binding. According to a print out of the letter of intent (LOI), A&M will agree to establish a “3 plus 3” undergraduate program between Wesleyan and the law school upon transfering to Texas A&M name, this is exclusive to Wesleyan in Tarrant and

  law, page 3

Shingleton succeeds as men’s basketball coach Emma Fradette

ekfradette@txwes.edu

Texas Wesleyan has appointed Brennen Shingleton to head coach of the men’s basketball program as of June 1. Shingleton has been a part of the Wesleyan coaching staff for 12 years, and has a wife named Amanda and a 15-month-old daughter named Kendall. “I was the assistant coach, associate head coach, and now the head coach of the program,” Shingleton said. “We did not lose anyone and it was a pretty smooth transition.” With the coaching change, Shingleton was able to keep the guys that were previously recruited. “The guys understood the situation,” Shingleton said. “With that being said we worked hard to mend the

fences a little bit and understand the direction we were going in.” Shingleton said he wants to instill toughness into his players and wants guys that play for the right reasons. Bryan Werner, junior business administration major and post player said the coaches have stressed conditioning during practice. “We have been working hard every day and we are starting to come together as a team,” Werner said. “We are making progress.” Shingleton said his players have been working hard, going to class and have been unselfish. “I want them to enjoy each other and to have accountability,” Shingleton said. “I want us to be kind of hungry and irritated in a way because we lost the conference championship

last year… first time in five years.” Shingleton said having this accountability and drive can also transition into the players’ personal lives. “We want them to strive to do their best in every class,” Shingleton said. Werner said the coaches push the players to give 100 percent every day and exceed on the court as well as in the classroom. Jazz Holman, junior mass communications major, said preseason has been good so far. “Everybody has been working hard to get in basketball shape,” Holman said. “It is great having Coach Shingleton here.” Shingleton said he has two assistant coaches that have helped him tremendously, Tim Bellmon and Rick Dotson.

Meisa Keivani Nabajafabi | Rambler Staff Coach Waldrop and Coach Shingleton pass out championship rings last fall to the Men’s team.

“It’s a program it’s not just one guy hustling around,” Shingleton said. “We have

moving pieces and a lot of great kids.” Men’s basketball begins

practice Sept. 29 with the first game against Lubbock Christian on Nov. 1.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.