THERAMBLER
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THE VOICE OF TEXAS WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY STUDENTS SINCE 1917
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WEDNESDAY March 27, 2019 Vol. 103 • No. 3 www.therambler.org A&E Alumna fights against human traffiking. Pg. 4 DeLotto’s short story turns into published novel. Pg. 6
SPORTS Top men’s golf player works to play again. Pg. 7 Manastryrskaya aims for a successful season. Pg. 8
Rambler Media reigns in awards at TIPA 2019 Photo (top) contributed by Nancy Farrar The chicken biscuit deluxe will be on the menu at Ben’s Triple B. Photos by Elizabeth Lloyd Above: Ben’s Triple B: Biscuits, Burgers, and Brews will have a back patio with the potential for live music. Right: Ben’s Triple B put up a sign and got electric over spring break.
Rosedale restaurant to open in early April eLIZABeTH LLOYD
ejlloyd@txwes.edu
B
en’s Triple B: Biscuits, Burgers, and Brews is approaching an early April opening date. The restaurant, on the corner of Rosedale and Wesleyan streets, is set to open April 1, said owner and chef Ben Merritt, although that could still change. “The fire marshall is making us change our address, which is slowing some things down with permits,” Merritt said on Friday. The address has been changed to 3020 E. Rosedale, Nancy Farrar, president of Farrar Public Relations, Inc., wrote Thursday in an email. Despite this, Ben’s has already hired a full staff with training on the horizon, said Merritt, who is also the chef and owner of Fixture – Kitchen and Social Lounge on Magnolia. “I have a full staff now, we had so many people walk through the door,” he said. For those who are still wanting to apply, there is hope yet. “Most of the time when you have a restaurant, 75 percent of the people don’t work out,” he said.
Merritt said the menu will be a surprise when Ben’s opens because while he has tons of ideas already, he said, “as soon as we get in the kitchen and we can see how the flow of the kitchen works, then we’ll be able to see what works.” While beer will be an integral part of the restaurant, Merritt added that there will be a full bar, which will include both wine and coffee. “Everything that a student could need to go back to class with, we’ll have,” he said, and this even includes grab-and-go energy drinks and teas as well. The restaurant includes a back patio, and there may be live music. “We might, we definitely set it up so acoustic sets can play,” he said; there will be a jukebox. The hours of operation will initially be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week, but “as business grows and we kind of get our footing, my goal is to be open from 8 to midnight,” he said. Students are getting excited about the restaurant opening but they are also hoping that the cuisine won’t bust their budget. “Hopefully it’s affordable for
Want to Go?
• Ben’s Triple B: Biscuits, Burgers, and Brews will be located at 3020 E. Rosedale. • Hours will be 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Saturday. • For more information or to apply, go to www. bens3b.com. students,” sophomore and athletic training major Dorian Hejny said. Her friend Raquel Velasco, a junior athletic training major, agreed, and said she hopes there may even be discounts for students. Merritt said the prices will be low enough that students can afford it, such as a burger and three beers for $20. “I know what college kids have to survive off of, I was in college at one time myself and I’m trying to make everything affordable for them,” he said. For more information about applying to work at Ben’s Triple B, check out their website: www. bens3b.com.
Junior mass communication major Tina Huynh received the Jeff Henderson Scholarship from the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association at its annual conference March 13-16 in Corpus Christi. This is the second time Huynh has received a scholarship from TIPA, last year winning the Frank Buckley Scholarship. The Jeff Henderson Scholarship is the top scholarship awarded by TIPA. Huynh was awarded the scholarship at the annual conference, which took place in Corpus Christi during Spring Break. “I’m so happy to receive this scholarship,” Huynh said. “It’s such an honor. Thank you so much to TIPA for believing in me.” TIPA scholarship committee members noted Huynh’s tenacity and determination as well as her success with Rambler TV as reasons for awarding her the scholarship. Huynh has won statewide and national awards as a content producer and director for Rambler TV. She plans to graduate in December 2019. Rambler Media Group students
brought home 22 awards in the previously published competition. In overall excellence, The Rambler newspaper was named the third place in the state, third place in the cover design of the newspaper and first place in special design for the Fall 2018 graduation special section The Gradual. Staff members also received an honorable mention for Op/Ed page design. In individual categories, Texas Wesleyan students won 18 awards. First place individual winners included: • Hannah Lathen in general news, in-depth reporting and general news photo • Hannah Onder in in-depth reporting, feature page design and editorial cartoon • Elena Maldonado and Hope Allison in ad campaign • Hope Allison in ad design static • Tina Huynh, LaTerra Wair and Rachell Aguilar in sports video
RAMBLER. page 3
Photo by Dr. Kay Colley Jacinda Chan, Ashton Willis, Hannah Lathen, LaTerra Wair, and Hannah Onder attend the Advisor of the Year Luncheon at TIPA in Corpus Christi.
Enactus enables students to get involved on campus eLIZABeTH LLOYD
ejlloyd@txwes.edu
I
Photo by Elizabeth Lloyd Melissa Escobedo and Karen Duarte-Escobar at Enactus’ ice cream social.
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Check out more stories at therambler.org
n her first few days at the Texas Wesleyan campus, transfer student and junior general business administration major Karen DuarteEscobar was feeling like a lost outsider until she was invited to her first Enactus meeting. She was invited by her professor and Enactus advisor, Dr. Meghan Wright. She immediately started working on the Transfer Project, an organization that helps transfer students adjust to the Wesleyan campus through student-to-student mentorships, workshops, social
events, and community involvement. “This is done in order to close the achievement gap between beginning and graduating from Wesleyan,” Duarte-Escobar wrote in an email. The Transfer Project is just one of several campus projects being done through Wesleyan’s Enactus chapter. According to enactus.org, Enactus is an internationally recognized program that brings together students, faculty, and entrepreneurs through the spirit of enterprise and community. Enactus includes 72,000 students on 1,730 campuses around the world, according to enactus.org. Annual regional and national
competitions showcase “Enactus teams’ impact, evaluated by global business leaders,” according to the website. There is an annual Enactus Word Cup, which last year was held in the Silicon Valley in California. The Texas Wesleyan chapter is all about helping the university community socialize and network, Duarte-Escobar said. “We want to help people gain social skills and networking, you know especially as a business major it’s really important to put yourself out there and be able to work in a business in the future and have good
ENACTUS. page 3
Parents will now have a place to change their child’s diapers on campus now thanks to the Student Government Association. SGA passed a bill allocating $1,112 at Thursday’s general business meeting for eight baby changing stations that will go in men’s and women’s restrooms...
2 | Wednesday | March 27, 2019
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Training now saves lives later
THE STAFF Editor-In-Chief: Hannah Onder IMG Director: Hope Allison Rambler TV Director: LaTerra Wair Print/Web Content Producers: Hannah Onder, Hannah Lathen, Tina Huynh, LaTerra Wair, Hope Allison, Ashton Willis, David Cason, Jacinda Chan and Elizabeth Lloyd Advisers: Dr. David Ferman, Dr. Ngozi Akinro Faculty Liaison: Dr. Kay Colley Publisher: Frederick Slabach Editorial Staff: Hannah Onder, Hannah Lathen, David Cason, Jacinda Chan, and Tina Huynh Member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press, Student Press Law Center, College Media Advisers and College Broadcasters, Inc. Cartoon by Hannah Onder
Hiding under a desk is not an option. Run, hide, and fight if necessary to keep yourself safe.
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OPINIONS 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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EDITORIAL W
e face the grim reality that active shooter incidents are are rapidly increasing. Texas Wesleyan is attempting to face this possible eventuality by holding safety briefings, but this simply isn’t enough. Active shooter training should be mandatory for all professors teaching on campus and active shooter drills should be done once each semester. At the beginning of each semester, professors go over the syllabus and detail the university’s policies. This would be the perfect time for the professors to briefly go over the run, hide, fight method of surviving an active shooter scenario. This is a situation where proactive measures need to be taken swiftly to safeguard the students. Measures are being taken by university administrators but if a safety meeting held during free period in February was any indication, the vast majority of students and faculty follow the old adage “out of sight, out of mind.” The safety meeting was held by Lt. Michael Lugo, a 22-year veteran of the Fort Worth Fire Department who currently serves in the department’s Homeland Security/Intelligence section and Bomb Squad. The objective of the briefing was to bring awareness to the increasing trend of active shooters in the U.S. and what you should do if you are ever confronted with this situation. Only about 20 people attended. Lugo cited a recent study done by Texas State University and the FBI showing that between 2000 and
2014, there were 160 active shooter incidents, which equates to 11-12 a year. During the most recent fouryear block of time, the number of active shooter incidents has increased to 22-23 each year. “There are outliers but on average four people are shot at each one and two of those four will die,” Lugo said. “Eighty-one percent of the time at least one other person had knowledge of the attackers’ plans and either didn’t recognize it for what it was or didn’t say something. We want to be aware of what’s going on in our classes, what’s going on with our friends and family; we just need to be aware of our surroundings.” Lugo said the three key components when responding to an active shooter situation are Run, Hide, Fight. Run: Having situational awareness, knowing where the exits are in case of an active shooter and running for an exit that is away from the situation is the best possible outcome. After you are at a safe distance, then you should call 911. Hide: Hide and put a barricade in place; if possible, hide behind a locked door. Turn the lights out and your phones on silent. Hiding under a desk, table or pretending to be dead is not an option. Fight: As a last resort, if you are forced to fight, barricade the opening if possible and position yourself next to the opening and attack the assailant with whatever you have access to. The most vulnerable spots to attack are the groin, throat, and eyes. “Most of the time these things are over in less than five minutes, half the time they are over before police arrive,” Lugo said. “If your plan is
depending on someone else to save you, that’s not a good plan. That’s a hope and a prayer; we need to take responsibility for our own actions and have a run, hide, fight plan in place.” Lugo used the 2007 Virginia Tech shooting as an example of the effectiveness of barricading doors. Professor Liviu Librescu physically barricaded the door to his classroom and allowed all but one of his students to escape out of a window before he was killed. Another classroom barricaded the doors, and everyone survived. The effectiveness of a physical barrier is paramount to survival during these situations. “We cannot rationalize with people and hope that we aren’t going to be their target,” Lugo said. Texas Wesleyan’s risk manager Juan M. Azcarate III said these briefings weren’t just for faculty and staff and stressed the importance of student involvement in security briefings. “I think the word needs to get out to the students how serious this is. People think, Oh this is Wesleyan it’s never going to happen. It could easily happen here,” Azcarate said. Azcarate said an active shooter training exercise will be held on Wesleyan’s campus during the summer semester. Students, faculty and local law enforcement will be notified prior to the exercise as to not create panic or confusion. Four to five additional dates for active shooter training are being scheduled for the fall semester. While the increased number of briefings are welcomed, it’s the lack of participation and the fact that these briefings are not mandatory that minimizes the overall impact that they have. The important na-
ture of this training should not be left up to the whims of students and faculty. In a 2017 interview with Fox News, former assistant director of the FBI Ron Hosko said that training for active shooters scenarios was important given the increase in these types of incidents. “In this active shooter era that we’re living in it’s just not law enforcement that need to be attentive to active shooters,” said Hosko. “If you have a business, if you’re running a school or a church, you ought to put some thought into run, hide, fight and whatever tactics we might employ to keep our constituents safe.” The onus is on the university to implement these procedures to protect the student body. It is also on everyone on campus to remember that, as Lugo noted, 81 percent of the time we know the shooter. Students, faculty and administrators alike need be aware of individuals that might potentially harm others. Reporting suspicious activity could help Wesleyan from becoming another statistic in the growing epidemic of school shootings. Wesleyan has an active shooter training video on its website that follows the Run, Hide, Fight model. Reporting procedures for potential active shooters or individuals who have or are suspected of having a weapon on campus are also on Wesleyans website.
Robert Thomas, senior liberal studies major “Have faith and use my instincts.”
Juwan Jones, junior exercise science major “I’m going to duck and run!”
Ram Replies
Opinion
Emmanuel Egenti, junior business major “Really, I’ll hide, and say he comes to the place I’m at, I’ll fight.”
What would you do in an active shooter situation?
ICE doesn’t belong in Tarrant County jails it is not written that police officers have to stick Hannah Lathen to that. A study from the MigraContent Producer tion Policy Instihrlathen@txwes.edu tute found that only half of the people detained under 287g had arrant County has a vast his- committed misdemeanors and traftory of racism and discrimi- fic offenses. nation, and this is definitely not a Last year the Fort Worth Starthing of the past. Telegram reported a study done by 287g, part of the Illegal Immi- the Center for American Progress, gration Reform and Immigrant which found that 287g suffers from Responsibility Act of 1996, carries a lack of transparency. on this racist tradition by targetThe program has a powerfully ing immigrants without benefitting negative effect on the communities the community or making Tarrant that have it. County safer. Police officers working as ICE The program was voted into Tar- agents creates an even greater disrant County in June 2017 by the trust between communities and law Tarrant County Commissioner’s enforcement, which leads to people Court. The program is used in sev- not reporting crimes. California’s eral states and dates to shortly after Los Angeles County voted to end 9/11. 287g in 2015, according to KABC 287g allows Immigration and News in Los Angeles, because imCustoms Enforcement (ICE) to migrants were not reporting crimes train police officers to act as im- in fear of deportation. migration law enforcement inside The program also takes away time a jail. from police officers who could be The program is voluntary and was investigating real crimes instead of brought to Tarrant County Sheriff making them act as immigration Bill E. Waybourn in 2017. enforcement, which is a federal reWhile the program is supposed sponsibility. to only question those who commit Even with the short amount of Class B Misdemeanors or higher, training officers receive to act as
T
ICE agents, they are not properly trained in federal law. There is a lot of room for officers to profile people and there is nothing stopping them from discriminating against people of color. The program is also infringing on due process of those arrested. Juana Guzman, a community outreach organizer from Raices, a non-profit agency that provides legal services for immigrants in Texas, has seen cases where inmates will be taken into jail and when their families pay the criminal bond, they are sent to ICE detention. Since they are in detention, they are unable to make their court date and a warrant is made for their arrest. On top of that, Guzman said, immigrants don’t even have to be convicted of a crime to be sent to ICE detention. Even if they are innocent, they don’t always get a chance to prove it before they are transferred. Not only is this program hurting the community, but it is costing the county $373,382.00 a month as of January 2019, according to the Immigration Detainer Report released by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards. That money could go a long way in Fort Worth, from fixing streets or paving sidewalks to giving back to the officers who are actually doing their jobs.
Harris County had 287g until it was removed by Sheriff Ed Gonzalez in 2017, according to the Houston Press. The article also mentioned that the program did nothing to help ICE and did not change the monthly number of detainees, but it did take away manpower from the Harris County Sheriff ’s Office. Clearly, this program only invokes fear and that is why it was put in place. 287g will be voted on again in June and campaigns to end the program have already begun. I am calling on the county commissioners in Tarrant County, which include Roy C. Brooks, Devan Allen, B. Gary Fickes and J.D. Johnson and Glen Whitley, the judge of the Tarrant County Commissioner’s court, to vote 287g out of Tarrant County in June. Immigration should be handled on the federal level and not be the responsibility of local police officers. Citizens of Fort Worth need to be educating others on this program and its harmful effects and find way to get involved with shutting it down. The ICE Out of Tarrant County Campaign, which I am part of, kicked off last month and to join email end287g@iceoutoftarrant.org. Keep Tarrant County safe and end this program.
Wednesday | March 27, 2019|3
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ENACTUS
continued from page 1 connections,” she said. Between Enactus-hosted events such as Nacho Night and an ice cream social this semester, the organization is working to really get involved with the Wesleyan community. Marketing coordinator and junior marketing major Melissa Escobedo said she just recently stepped into her new position in the Enactus program after having been a general manager of a company that has two locations. She initially got involved in Enactus when she worked with Duarte-Escobar on the Transfer Project. “I worked fifty something hours a week and then came to school here so I would help out when I could but I didn’t really have the chance to be a part of it like I wanted,” she said. “So as soon as I submitted my resignation there I
RAMBLER
“I was attracted to Enactus because it seemed like a unique organization I could make a difference in.” - Alex Howley, business adminstrator and marketing major called Karen and said ‘Hey, I can help out.’” Another Enactus member, business administration and marketing major Alex Howley, said he has just recently been promoted to co-project manager for EntrepeneurHER. “I was involved with the Transfer Project and EntrepeneurHER,” Howley said.
Howley is passionate about Enactus and the work the Wesleyan chapter is doing. “I was attracted to Enactus because it seemed like a unique organization I could make a difference in,” he wrote in an email. Duarte-Escobar said that students wanting to join Enactus must be in good standing with
the university and must seek out a project manager, president, or vice president with the organization; the student can then be placed on the roster by the vice president of membership. “The new member will then be responsible for attending general meetings, accepting assignments, and joining a committee. A member is considered a national Enactus member when they have completed 10 hours of chapter involvement,” Duarte-Escobar added. Enactus’ next campus event, Leadership Workshop, a partnership between the Transfer Project and the Student Government Association, is 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. April 26 in room 214 of West Library; for more information, go to RamSpace or follow Enactus on Instagram @enactus_txwes.
continued from page 1
Photos (top three) contributed by Ashton Willis Ashton Willis (left) poses on in front of Corpus Christi beach. LaTerra Wair and Hannah Lathen (middle) pose on the USS Lexington tour. Ashton Willis poses on the Corpus Christi walkway leading into the ocean.
Second place individual winners included: • Hannah Onder in editorial writing and headline writing • Hannah Lathen in Op/Ed page design • LaTerra Wair and Amanda Roach in multimedia sports story • Jared Rabye in social media breaking news Third place individual winners included: • David Cason in general column • Elena Maldonado and Sam Bastien in ad campaign • Hannah Onder in photo illustration and static information graphic Honorable mention individual winners included: • Elena Maldonado, Hope Allison and Sam Bastien for ad campaign
Photos (with awards) by Dr. Kay Colley Hannah Onder (left) and Hannah Lathen (right) placed in TIPA on-site contests on March 16.
“We are so very proud of all of our students for the great work they do for Rambler Media Group,” said Dr. Kay L. Colley, Student Media Director of Rambler Media Group. “These awards just confirm how extremely talented
all of our hard-working students are.” Two Texas Wesleyan students placed in the live events competition. Senior mass communication major Hannah Lathen took second place in the print advertising contest. Lathen will be graduating in May and also won numerous awards from TIPA while a student at Texas Wesleyan and a student at Tarrant County College. Junior mass communication major Hannah Onder took honorable mention in the editorial cartooning contest. Onder is the current editor-in-chief of Rambler Media Group and has led the newspaper, website and Rambler TV to numerous awards from state, regional and national organizations. “I’m very proud of these two,” said Colley. “They did a fabulous job in representing Texas Wesleyan throughout the live contests and the entire conference. “Our whole group did a great job this year at TIPA, and I’m looking forward to continued success in the future.”
Photo by LaTerra Wair
campus events
March 27 - April 13
Sunday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday March 27
March 28
April 3
April 4
-Young Conservatives of Texas at TxWes Memebership Tabling @ 11 a.m. -SB vs. Our Lady of the Lake University @ 1 p.m., 3 p.m. (home)
March 31
April 1
-Harry Potter Triva @ 5 p.m. -MGOLF at Dallas Baptist University
-Last day to apply for December 2019 graduation -MGOLF at Dallas Baptist University
April 7
April 8
-CD at Varsity Spirit Daytona Beach, FL -MGOLF at Dalton State College
-Art Exhibit: Hope opens @ 10 a.m. -MGOLF at Dalton State College -WGOLF at Oklahoma City University -SB vs. Southwestern Christian University @ 2 p.m., 4 p.m. (away)
April 2
-TAG Day @ 11:30 a.m. -CD at Varsity Spirit Daytona -MGOLF at Dallas Baptist Beach, FL University -BB vs. Jarvis Christian College @ 1 p.m., 3 p.m. (home)
April 9 -2020 Townhall meeting @ 12:15 p.m. -MGOLF at Dalton State College -WGOLF at Oklahoma City University -SB vs. Oklahoma City University @ 2 p.m., 4 p.m. (away) -BB vs. Texas A&M Texarkana @ 3 p.m. (away)
Thursday
April 10
-Thank You Notes @ 12:15 p.m. -Whiskey & Wesleyan on South Main @ 5:30 p.m. - Senior Recital: Celeste Marek, saprano @ 7:30 p.m. -MTRACK at Texas State University -WTRACK at Texas State University
- CD at Varsity Spirit Daytona Beach, FL
April 11
Friday March 29
-President’s Honors Concert @ 7:30 p.m. -SB vs. Langston University @ 2 p.m., 4 p.m. (home) -BB vs. Oklahoma City University @ 3 p.m. (home)
April 5 -CD at Varsity Spirit Daytona Beach, FL -MTEN vs Collin County Community College @ 1 p.m. (home) -WTEN vs. Collin County Community College @ 1 p.m. (home) -BB vs. Mid-America Christian University @ TBA (away) -SB vs. University of Science and Arts @ 5 p.m., 7 p.m. (away)
April 12
Saturday March 30
-Master Therapist Series: Michael Keer -Cowtown Great American Clean-Up @ 8 a.m. -SB vs. Bacone College @ 12 p.m., 2 p.m. (home) -BB vs. Oklahoma City University @ 1 p.m., 3 p.m. (home)
April 6
-Graduate Education Brunch @ 11 a.m. -CD at Varsity Spirit Daytona Beach, FL -BB vs. Mid-America Christian University @ TBA (away) -SB vs. Mid-America Christian University @ 12 p.m. (away) -TT (home) -MTRACK at University of North Texas -WTRACK at University of North Texas
April 13
-The Big Service project @ -MTRACK at Texas A&M Uni8 a.m. versity-Commerce -WTRACK at Texas A&M Uni- -WGOLF @ SAC (away) -MTEN & WTEN vs. Texasversity-Commerce Parmian Basin (home) -TT vs. NCTTA (away) -BB vs. Bacone College @ 1 p.m., -BB vs. University of Science and Arts @ 12 p.m., 2 p.m. 3 p.m. (home) (home) -SB vs. Bacone @ 2 p.m., 4 p.m. (away)
4 |Wednesday March 27, 2019
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HUMAN TRAFFI
af
Photo by Hannah Lathen Human trafficking is taking place in Tarrant County, said Felicia Grantham, program coordinator for the FWPD Criminal Investigations Division/Major Case Human Trafficking.
Hannah Lathen
because there is I-20, 30, 35, there is a lot of people flowing through here,’” White said. “Well, hrlathen@txwes.edu there is a lot of people flowing through here but that doesn’t mean that people are trafficked more Rebekah Charleston has much to celebrate. into the city or across the border.” Charleston received her bachelor’s degree in White said President Donald Trump’s proCriminal Justice at Texas Wesleyan in December posed wall will not prevent human trafficking in 2016 and her master’s in the United States. Criminal Justice from “Human smuggling is a crime against the borthe University of Texas der and the nation, human trafficking is a crime at Arlington in Decemagainst a person,” White said. ber. Grantham said their division sees a lot of sex This summer, Charlestrafficking domestically. ton will also be cel“A lot of people think trafficking is internaebrating an event that tional, which it is, but there is a lot happening has been 10 years in the domestically as well,” Grantham said. “You do making. see a lot of international (people) within the The day she got out labor trafficking. People getting the promise of a sex trafficking. better job and coming over and getting tricked “I wound up running and then having to try to work off your debt.” away from home at the Photo courtesy of Grantham believes human trafficking is growage of 17, and I got trafRebekah Charleston ing because it is so profitable. ficked for more than 10 Charleston at a TEDx talk “As opposed to guns or drugs where you sell she gave. years,” Charleston said. something, and you have to get another one to Charleston said she sell again, with humans you can sell them over was raised in Keller, where her trafficking began. and over again,” she said. “I was traded, and I had multiple traffickers Human trafficking also has a lower risk of getand I was not able to get out until the federal ting caught, Grantham said. authorities became involved,” she said. “I wound “If you stop somebody in a car and they have up serving 13 months in federal prison because I all these guns, you can ask questions about that,” was too afraid to tell on my trafficker.” she said. “If you have got a person in the car, it is very hard to prove that you have something going on.” Human trafficking is defined as the exploitaGrantham said signs to look out for if one sustion of people, according to Felicia Grantham, a pects someone is being trafficked are similar to program coordinator for the Fort Worth Police the signs of domestic abuse. Department Criminal Investigations Division/ “If somebody has got unexplained bruising or Major Case Human Trafficking. they are being moved from place to place often, “Human trafficking is something that has been maybe they don’t have a lot of friends or somegrowing in public awareness recently, but it has body is talking for them,” she said. “Those are all been going on for a long time,” Grantham said. red flags.” There are different forms of human traffickIf a child is involved with commercial sex, that ing, Grantham said. It could be labor trafficking, is a huge red flag, because they are most likely where someone is exploited as far as their labor, being trafficked, Grantham said. “If they are an and sex trafficking is when someone is involved adult and they are involved in prostitution, they in a commercial sex operation. have to actually make an outcry saying that they “For commercial sex trafficking, if someone is don’t want to be doing it, and that they are being under the age of 18, then we don’t have to prove forced to be doing it and if they are being forced force, fraud or coercion,” Grantham said. “If to do it than they are being trafficked.” they are over 18, then we do have to prove that. We also have to prove force, fraud or coercion for labor trafficking as well.” Grantham said there is a large amount of huHuman trafficking is happening everywhere, man trafficking in Tarrant County. Grantham said. “If you look at the human trafficking hotline “It is kind of an equal opportunity employer so numbers, there does seem to be more in the there is not any specific demographic which is DFW area and the Houston area than there are more apt to be a victim as opposed to somebody in other places,” she said. else but there are certain things that might make Right now, Grantham said, two officers, two somebody more high risk,” Grantham said. detectives and one civilian work on human Most sex trafficking victims are people that trafficking for the FWPD. They also work with have run away from home or who have been several agents from Homeland Security Investithrough the foster care system. gations. “Kids that are coming from abusive houseWhite said they could use more people. holds and they are trying to get away from that, “I could say we could double the size of the they fall prey to somebody,” she said. unit right now or add one more detective and People often have a misconception of how one more officer, easily,” White said. victims enter sex trafficking, said Detective A. R. Grantham said that FWPD’s human trafficking White from the FWPD Criminal Investigations division works with many non-profit advocate Division/Major Case Human Trafficking. agencies in Texas that were picked by Gov. Greg “It is not like the movie ‘Taken,’” White said. Abbott’s office. “People do get abducted out of their beds at “What they do is provide an advocate of the night, but it is not like that.” trafficking victim, which is somebody who Most cases White comes across are where the comes in like a friend and says, ‘Hey, you can victim ran away from an abusive home or situcall me any time of day. I am here for you. You ation. Another big misconception is the differcan talk to me. I will support you and go to the ence between human trafficking and human hospital with you if you have to have an exam. smuggling. I will go to court with you,’” she said. “They just “A lot of people talk about, ‘Man, this is a hub,
A crime against humans
Tarrant County
kind of provide that support, which is huge.” She also said FWPD is also partnered with the Tarrant County Five Stones Taskforce and more than 45 agencies working to stop human trafficking.
Tarrant’s time to fight Christie Messenger, an activist who works on
human trafficking issues, said she wants to see Tarrant County doing more to fight the crime. “I would say we have to get tougher,” Messenger said. Tarrant County has yet to prosecute a human trafficking case, Messenger said. “That is sending the wrong message. That is telling gentlemen that they can come to Fort Worth, and they can purchase our daughters, our sisters,” Messenger said. Messenger said she wonders when Tarrant County will treat human trafficking as a violent crime. “When are we going to prosecute, going to admit it in the city and start developing programs to deter it and prevent it?” Messenger asked. On hidden blogs and websites that are used for human trafficking, Messenger said, people always warn against going to McLennan County (which includes Waco) because it is easy to get arrested there. “All of the new pages that have come up, they will say, ‘Do not go to McLennan County. McLennan County will catch you in a heartbeat,’” Messenger said. “When are we going to see it say, ‘Don’t go to Fort Worth. Don’t go to Tarrant County?’” Charleston said she hopes to see more cases being charged as human trafficking in Tarrant County. “I think often times, these cases, they know it is trafficking, but they wind up going with different charges because they are easier to prove especially when we are talking about adult women,” Charleston said. It is much easier to prosecute a case with a minor involved, Charleston said, because the prosecution doesn’t have to prove force, fraud or coercion, but for adults they do. Charleston said that the Tarrant County Sheriff ’s Office is no longer arresting women for prostitution. “We are starting to get it but just stopping the arrest of women won’t solve the issue,” Charleston said. “We need to go after the demand.” Valiant Hearts is a non-profit organization that seeks to help victims of human trafficking and work to prevent the crime. Charleston is now Valiant Hearts’ executive director, which she said is a huge honor because the organization helped her when she got out of trafficking. “We have impacted more than 400 women since our doors opened in 2010,” she said. Valiant Hearts also reaches out to men that identify as having a sex or porn addiction and want help. “We also serve families of someone that has been trafficked because obviously what a difficult journey that is on the entire family,” she said. Human trafficking is an issue that needs to be continued to be talked about, Charleston said. “Obviously, the truth is, I never woke up one day and said, ‘I want to be a prostitute.’ I never woke up one day and said, ‘I want to take my clothes off for money,’” she said. “Those are things I was forced to do through horrific abuse, threat, fraud and coercion.”
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Wednesday March 27, 2019| 5
CaMPUS
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ICKING
former student’s story
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 17
PROGRAM SCHEDULE April 16 | 9 A.M. - 5 P.M. PRE-REGISTRATION Lou's Place April 17 | 8:30 - 9 a.m. REGISTRATION Lou's Place Presentations | 9 - 10:30 a.m. Campus Wide See full schedule for details Poster Sessions | 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Campus Wide See full schedule for details
Noon - 2 p.m. RAM JAM In front of Dora’s Presentations | 2 - 8 p.m. Campus Wide See full schedule for details
Photos by Hannah Lathen andcuffs hang on the wall inside the Fort Worth Police Department Human Trafficking Divison. Human trafficking survivior and Texas Wesleyan University alumna Rebekah Charleston shares y on at a human traffiking panel last year. Charleston got her bachelor’s in Criminal Justice.
Human Trafficking Info 0.3 million people are trafficking glob-
y.
55 Human trafficking cases reported in
18 in Texas.
27phone calls made in 2018 reporting
uman trafficking in Texas.
urces: International Labour Organization, ational Human Trafficking Hotline
What is human trafficking?
uman trafficking is modern-day slavery nd involves the use of force, fraud, or oercion to obtain some type of labor or ommercial sex act.” epartment of Homeland Security
National Human Trafficking Hotline
1-888-373-7888
Don’t think of it as “summer school,” which (in the way, way back) was for students who were behind. That model is so 20th century. Instead, think of it as lighter coursework, more flexible scheduling and graduating sooner with significantly less debt. Yup…that’s some smart thinking right there! With more than 600 transferable and completely ONLINE course offerings in Maymester and Summer I and II terms, TCC Connect Campus makes it easier for ambitious students to complete their prerequisites and core curriculum quickly (8-week classes) and affordably (just $64 per credit hour for County residents). By completing 15 hours in just two months, you’ll be an entire semester closer to your degree, saving time and money that can be used for other dreams.
Summer Term One Begins June 3 Summer Term Two Begins July 8 Registration Opens April 1 Visit tccd.edu/summeronline to learn more.
6 |Wednesday | March 27, 2019
ARTS&ENTERTAINMENT
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Marvel unleashes first female lead
Photos courtesy of IMDb “Captain Marvel” stars Brie Larson as Vers and Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury, with their cat partner Goose.
HANNAH ONDER hlonder@txwes.edu Alien sci-fi and ‘90s nostalgia collide in Marvel’s newest film “Captain Marvel” to create a story of heroine trying to find her identity, figure out her powers and save the world. Heading into this movie with no knowledge on Captain Marvel besides a trailer and my limited knowledge of Marvel outside of the movies, I didn’t have high expectations. I feel the Marvel movies can get a little overhyped at times. That was correct for the first 20 minutes of this two-hour, PG-13
rated movie, which was released March 8 and has already grossed more than $762 million, according to boxofficemojo.com. When the movie started, I felt like I’d just jumped into a random Star Wars movie with no context. Set on a high-tech alien planet that reminded me a bit of “Divergent,” a dude and a chick, master and student, were training to fight off alien invaders of the empire. Long story short, the chick, Vers (Brie Larson) ended up captured by the invaders for information. The kicker was that Vers had no memories besides her six years of fighting for the empire. This is where the mystery starts because
these enemies, who can transform into people and read their memories, found out information that nobody was expecting that send everyone on a wild goose chase for this mysterious Dr. Lawson. Vers manages to escape and crash land onto Earth, straight through the roof of a ‘90s Blockbuster. If that doesn’t give you a nostalgia trip, there’s plenty of other ‘90s Easter eggs from technology to pop culture to flannels scattered throughout the movie. Vers isn’t alone on Earth for long in her search to find the doctor and unravel her memories. Her enemies and allies are both in a race to catch up with her and get
information, as well as the totally stumped law enforcement. The movie will make you laugh when rebel Vers teams up with young Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson) and their furry-but-not-tobe-messed-with kitty companion, Goose. As the truth comes out, big plot twists are revealed and Captain Marvel emerges to provide Earth a temporary protector and work to put an end to the alien war. The movie may just fill in a few answers to some other Marvel mysteries as well relating to the Avengers and Fury. Overall I’d give the movie a 4 out 5 for the mystery and action plot-
line with a main kick-butt heroine that adds in bits of humor and a little romance. The movie not only promotes female empowerment in a way that didn’t feel over the top, but it also has a diverse cast and characters that give LGBT representation on the big screen. Even if you’re not a big fan of Marvel, I’d recommend the movie since it’s set so early in the Marvel timeline it could stand alone, though if you are a fan you definitely need to see this movie and stick around for the scene after the credits before going to see “Avengers: Endgame,” coming out in April.
DeLotto publishes short story turned novel Want to Read? “A Caddo’s Way” is available on Amazon and Barnes & Noble websites, and can be checked out at the West Library.
Photo by Elena Maldonado Dr. Jeffery DeLotto poses with his newly published novel in his PUMC office.
ELENA MALDONADO ecmaldonado@txwes.edu
Dr. Jeffrey DeLotto was be able to check “publish novel” off his to-do list after publishing his first novel, “A Caddo’s Way,” in October 2018. DeLotto said was inspired to write about the Caddo Indians after a visit to Caddo Mounds State Historic Site in Alto, south of Tyler. “They had some mounds there from the ancient Caddos,” he said. “I got hooked on the Caddos so I started learning more about them.” DeLotto said that since he wanted to teach a course on writing a short story, and doesn’t “believe in teaching something that [he] hasn’t done,” he decided to explore short fiction and start writing a story. “I decided to use as a fictional character an old Caddo in the early part of the 19th century because I knew historically quite a bit about that period,” he said. “I wrote a short story about this Caddo named Two Hawks.” He read the short story at some conferences, had it published, and wrote another story about Two Hawks. “A few years later, when I read the story at a
conference, one of my colleagues who teaches at Lamar University said, ‘You know, I really like this Caddo Two Hawks. I’d like to read more about him,’” DeLotto said. “I thought ‘maybe I should’ so I decided to write it.” He said that after collecting information for a couple of years, he asked the university for a sabbatical so he could focus on writing his novel. DeLotto said he did most of his writing during the semester-long break he was granted. “I very quickly discovered that I can’t write at home,” he said. “I need to write in places where I don’t have anything else to do. When I was writing the novel, I decided that the best thing for me to do was to remove myself and go somewhere else where I didn’t have any other excuse except write.” Not wasting any of his break, he started visiting a Starbucks in Grapevine. “I got there usually by eight o’clock,” he said. “I got my cup and writing pads, and for at least the next two to two and a half hours, I would not do anything except write. I kept to that regimen at least five days a week, sometimes six.” DeLotto said he would frequently start thinking about where his character, Two Hawks, was going to go in the story. “I didn’t know that he was going to go there, but once I started writing, it just seemed like that is where he wanted to go,” DeLotto said. “Those times were really magical for me because it was like I was writing as fast as I could to catch up with what he was doing. He had kind of developed a life of his own.” DeLotto said his wife got to the original ending he had given the novel and cried. “She said, ‘You can’t have it that way,’” DeLotto said. “I looked at it and thought about it. I thought ‘Well, maybe she has a point,’ so I changed a little bit of the ending. I think it’s a better story now.” DeLotto said people will enjoy reading about Two Hawks. “I think people will enjoy the character
and will learn something about a particular part of history,” he said. “One of the characteristics that has always drawn me to writing historical fiction is that it takes history and it makes it individual so it brings it to life. It is about a period in Texas-Louisiana history that not very many people know much about.” Dr. Marilyn Pugh, an associate professor of psychology who has read the novel, wrote in an email that she found the writing to be beautifully descriptive. “His characters, especially the protagonist Two Hawks, were compelling,” she wrote. “I very much enjoyed the elements from Native American culture (although I am not an expert on this topic).” She wrote that DeLotto addressed spiritual and cognitive factors in much more detail in comparison to other books in the Western fiction genre. “I was extremely disappointed with the ending, but only because it was the ending-I wanted much more!” she wrote. “I hope
he plans to write a sequel, because I want to know what happens next (at least in DeLotto’s brilliant imagination).” Dennis Miles, a reference and instruction librarian at the Eunice & James L West Library, wrote in an email that he has read the first 50 pages of the novel. “I can tell you that Dr. DeLotto has crafted the tale of a Caddo Indian, Two Hawks, struggles between his own Caddo culture and beliefs, which was vanishing, and the ways of the encroaching European, the Spanish and French and American,” he wrote. “DeLotto has incorporated much of the history of early Texas with the traditions of the Caddo religion and culture.” Miles wrote that the novel should be read by everyone to gain knowledge. “This is a very enjoyable book and should be read by everyone to gain a better understanding of the struggles of the American Indian during the time of European encroachment in the 19th century and even today,” he wrote.
Wednesday | March 27, 2019
| 7
SPORTS
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Lester’s recovery taking longer than expected JACINDA CHAN jwchan@txwes.edu
M
ore than 4,000 miles away from home, golfer Rowan Lester is in a situation he never thought he would be in as a junior. Lester came to Texas Wesleyan from Dublin, Ireland on a full golf scholarship. Since then he has won first place at the 66th NAIA National Championship as a freshman in 2017 and third place the following year. Lester was hoping to come back stronger for the NAIA National Championship but his planw changed on Nov. 17, 2018, when he broke his wrist. He has not played
in any of the team’s spring tournaments. “I was confused and worried,” Lester said. “I was a little bit shocked and really didn’t know what to do.” Initially, Lester’s injury was going to keep him off the course for six to eight weeks, but his recovery has taken longer than expected. He thought he would be playing by now. “I was kind of just worried about how long I was going to be out for,” Lester said. “I thought it was going to be better a month ago but it’s just dragging out a little bit more. I’m just waiting for it to get better.” Lester has already been released by his doctor but his wrist still doesn’t feel the same.
Courtesy of Little Joe Rowan Lester finished first in three of his four tournaments in the fall 2018 just before his wrist injury.
“I thought it was going to be better a month ago but it’s dragging out a little bit more. I’m just waiting for it to get better.” - Rowan Lester “The wrist feels stiff and not strong,” Lester said. Since his injury, Lester has been attending physical thera p y t w o days a week. His teammates, while, meanbeen havh a v e ing an excellent season. On March 8, the Rams were ranked No. 5 in the NAIA Men’s Golf Coaches’ Top 25 poll, according to ramsports.net. “All the lads have been supportive and without them, I wouldn’t be able to go to therapy or anything,” Lester said. This is the first time Lester hasn’t been able to play golf since he got started at the age of 4. His father introduced him to the game. “My dad got me a set of plastic clubs when we went to Spain one year and just started from there,” Lester said. As a kid, Lester grew up looking up to Tiger Woods. At the age of 13, he was chosen by the Golfing Union of Ireland (GUI) to be a member of the junior program. According to GUI’s official website, www.golfnet.ie, Lester has represented at the senior and junior level. He is also the 2017 North of Ireland Amateur Open Champion. When Lester goes back home for the summer, he continues to play golf for the GUI program, traveling to different countries representing Ireland. Not only is Lester a star, but he is also a good mentor and friend to his teammates.
Sophomore Taylor Beckstead from Alliston, Ontario, Canada said Lester helped his transition to America a lot easier. “I miss being Rowan’s partner,” Beckstead said. Freshman Will Gilster from Argyle said Lester is a great teammate and he has learned a lot from him. “He’s nice to go out there with ‘cause you’re the one driving him so if he stays late out on the course you’re going to stay out late as well,” Gilster said. “He helps you practice more.” Courtesy of ramsports.net Lester not only improves his golf game Rowan Lester won the Texas Intercollegiate at out on the course but Hawks Creek Golf Club with a 69-64-71 in the fall. improves it in the gym and hasn’t let his injury affect that. He continues to go to the gym six days career after college by playing proa week, and his determination mo- fessionally for the European tour. tivates his teammates to find their His goal is to reach the men’s top 50 World Amateur Golf Ranking growth at the gym. “He gets some of the teammates (WAGR) this year and qualify for to the gym because he likes to go to the 2019 U.S. Amateur Championship. the gym,” Gilster said. “From there hopefully I can make Although Lester’s injury doesn’t allow him to play alongside his the Walker Cup team which is the teammates, he still shows up to Great Britain, Ireland against the practice every day to support them. best of USA and then if I get a good Lester hopes to continue his golf deal turn pro after that,” Lester said.
8 | Wednesday | March 27, 2019
SPORTS
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Belarus native finds home at Wesleyan ASHTON WILLIS anwillis@txwes.edu Viyaleta Manastyrskaya is a table tennis player from Gomel, Belarus who has been playing since she was nine years old. “When I was a kid, I tried different sports, but table tennis stole my heart,” she said. “I think it happened because of the people that were around me; I had amazing coaches and friends.” The Texas Wesleyan table tennis team has many international players that help the program be successful. Manastyrskaya, a sophomore biochemistry major who made it to semifinals at regionals in 2017, is one of them; she said that she never thought she would be coming to the United States to play table tennis. “I did not even plan to go to university in the United States; it was a dream but no more than that,” she said. “One day I got so lucky to get the number of my coach Jasna (Rather, Wesleyan’s head table tennis coach).” Manastyrskaya said that her coaches have been a big part of her life and have helped her here. “My coaches Jasna and Doru (Gheorghe,
Wesleyan’s women’s table tennis coach) have helped me a lot during my journey here, and each of them are focused on a different area,” she said. “I grew as a person, classes are going well, and my table tennis skills are improving.”
do even more for Texas Wesleyan than the last year.” Manastyrskaya said that she has a very unique style of play that makes her different from a lot of other players.
“I am a defensive player with sudden attacks. It is unusual style that makes me different, and I think I have a huge advantage because of that.” -Viyaleta Manastyrskaya Manastyrskaya said that the coaches at Wesleyan made the transition a lot easier for her. “During the first semester, coach Jasna was helping me with so many different things and introduced me to many people on campus,” she said. “I am grateful for everything they are doing for me.” Manastyrskaya said that she has several goals that she wants to achieve this season. “Our team goal would be to place in top four at nationals,” she said. “My personal goal is to
Photo by Grant Bergmann Viyaleta Manastyrskaya prepares to hit a shot during a match.
“I am a defensive player with sudden attacks,” she said. “It is unusual style that makes me different, and I think I have a huge advantage because of that.” Ana Aleksandric, a sophmore computer science major, said that she was excited when Manastyrskaya joined the team. “A year ago, I was very excited to hear that she is joining the team,” she said. “We are from similar cultures and speak similar languages, so it was refreshing for me.”
Aleksandric said that Manastyrskaya motivates her and the rest of the team in many ways. “She is very positive and a nice person, so if I get a little bit stressed she is there to cheer me up,” she said. “She is a hard worker as the student and as the athlete, so it is always great to have someone like Viyaleta as a teammate.” Victor Barragan, a junior chemistry major, said that Manastyrskaya is a great teammate to have around. “Even though I don’t get to compete with her much, she is a hard worker and very dedicated to the sport,” he said. “She is a great teammate and we are lucky to have her as a part of this team.” Manastyrskaya said that she loves table tennis but would like to pursue other things after college. “Table tennis will always be a huge part of my life, but my main focus after graduation would either be entering a master’s program or getting a job,” she said. The Texas Wesleyan Open Table Tennis Tournment is April 6 at the Sid Richardson gymnasium. The entry deadline is April 2. For more information, email Jasna Rather at jrather@txwes.edu or call 817-715-4062.
Photo courtesy of Viyaleta Manastyrskaya Viyaleta Manastyrskaya says table tennis “stole my heart” when she was a youngster in Europe.