The Rambler Vol.101 No.12

WEDNESDAY Nov. 1, 2017

Vol. 101 • No. 12

www.therambler.org

OPINION

Car break-ins worry students Hannah Onder

all the time. Now I’m just like there either needs to be more cameras, and maybe there needs to be fences [for commuter parking lots].”

Beckrich wrote that most of the break-ins occur on the public streets on the west side of campus with the occasional parking lot break-in. Security believes most of the break-ins are happing during the daytime.

“The times vary but they are generally occurring in the morning and afternoon hours,” Beckrich wrote.

“Because the vehicles are parked in the morning and sometimes not discovered until the owner returns later in the day, an exact time of occurrence is difficult [to determine ].”

Beckrich said security is working closely with the Fort Worth Police Department to find the thief or thieves and stop the burglaries on campus.

“We have increased patrols in the area and brought in officers on overtime to watch the area,” Beckrich wrote. “We have also changed the hours of our Fort Worth police officers patrolling our campus to better match the times of occurrence. We are also working on camera installation of certain parking lots. Our neighborhood police of-

hlonder@txwes.edu

Celebrities use their fame to speak up More celebrities are using thier concerts to speak up for those in need.

NEWS

Cars continue to be broken into.

Students are concerned in the increase of car break-ins.

CAMPUS

Do you know the haunted buildings on campus?

Even though Halloween is over with, students can still be spooked by the hauntings at Wesleyan.

A&E

Ward puts his family first.

Even though Michael Ward works double duty as a professor and forensic manager, he always puts his children first.

SPORTS

Rams ranked No. 1 in the country by Golfweek.

Leo Mathard continues to play strong after posting a school record.

ONLINE

Football prepares for the last home game.

The Rams will play against Arizona Christian University this Saturday.

Amber Tuma had only been gone 45 minutes when her backpack disappeared from her back seat.

“I parked beside the Texas Wesleyan bookstore on Rosedale Street,” Tuma said. “There were other cars there, so I didn’t think anything about it. I was like, ‘Oh my God, my backpack is heavy,’ so I grabbed anything of importance out of it like my wallet and my phone and I left my backpack there.”

Tuma, a junior music education major, returned to find her window smashed in and her textbooks, notes, and homework for the semester missing in mid-October.

Director of Safety and Security Chris Beckrich wrote in an email that Tuma is just one of the nine reported victims of the motor vehicle burglaries that have been occurring on campus since Sept. 20. Security has sent out several emails warning students of increased burglaries on campus.

“Before the break-in, I’d heard that there were break-ins, but parking next to the bookstore I felt that I was close enough to the building that I was going to be safe,” Tuma said. “I never imagined being robbed next to the bookstore. You know it’s on a busy street so there’s people around

 SECURITY. page 3

Wesleyan reacts to kneeling Mattie Morris

mmmorris@txwes.edu

Football players kneeling during the national anthem has become extremely controversial.

Texas Wesleyan Athletic Director Steve Trachier said he has mixed emotions about the subject.

“I have three brothers who served in the armed forces and were honored with military funerals,” said Trachier, who is also head women’s basketball coach. “I believe everyone has constitutional rights and can exercise those rights. However, my concern is whatever message was trying to be conveyed through the act would be lost in the controversy.

“Kneeling during the national anthem can be a polarizing act. My personal belief is we should all find a way to peacefully voice our concerns in a

respectful manner that unites people rather than divides people. Kneeling during the anthem, as we have seen in the NFL, is dividing people.”

“Respect is universal, kneeling is just a form of protest. No one should be bashed for exercising their rights.”

-Brandon Reeves Kneeling during the anthem is so controversial that several Wesleyan athletes declined to be interviewed about the subject. Those that were will-

ing to talk have varying opinions.

Junior football player Brandon Reeves said he wouldn’t change his views on someone if they were to kneel during the anthem.

“I would respect anyone that knelt during the national anthem just like I respect anyone that fights for our country,” he said. “Respect is universal, kneeling is just a form of protest. No one should be bashed for exercising their rights.”

Senior volleyball player McKenzie Black said she believes that people are making the topic more controversial than it should be.

“Athletes using their sport to protest has been going on for decades,” she said. “I think the reason behind this protest or any misunderstanding of this protest has created more controversy be-

 KNEELING. page 3

Howard prepares for game day Colt Taylor

gctaylor@txwes.edu

Six years ago, circulation clerk Elizabeth Howard walked up and down the aisles of the Eunice and James L. West Library, selecting books at random.

Taking a book from the shelf, she continued without opening to read it. A few aisles down, she found another book of similar size to the first, and replaced it with the one from before. Taking the new book, she found another and switched those two as well, continuing until anyone searching for them wouldn’t be able to find them.

Howard didn’t plunge the library into chaos without reason. This was a test for the students she oversaw as a circulation clerk, her first position at the library.

She also checked books and equipment in and assigned shelf readings to students; they had find misplaced books and return them to their proper place. To check if the students were doing the job properly, Howard would sometimes purposely misplace books to see if they found them.

This is where Howard began her journey to her present job as library director. It is this kind of creative problem solving that informs what she does today; she needs to know what every department in the library is doing, and that, just like the students six years ago, everyone is up to standard.

“I feel my experience with all those different departments helps me understand what they feel and what they need,” she said. “You need to know a bit of everything.”

Howard’s office overlooks the Wesleyan mall, with a view of the Canafax Clock Tower and the neighborhood beyond. She walks into this lofty office every day to oversee the library and its day-to-day functions.

“She tries to take care of everyone to the best of her ability,” Coordinator of Circulation June Johnson said.

As director, Howard has overseen numerous projects, including homecoming and Meals on Wheels. She is also responsible for the board game shelf in the West Library. Students are able to check out the games and Photo by Jennifer Conaway take them home for free. Twice a Elizabeth Howard spends her busy days tending to the West Library. year the library holds an International Board Game celebration. Howard  HOWARD. page 3

2 | Wednesday | November 1, 2017

Opinion

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Standing for justice by taking a knee EDITORIAL

National Football League players continue to stand for what they believe is right by taking a knee.

The idea of taking a knee for social justice started last season, when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick repeatedly knelt during the national anthem. Kaepernick said by not standing during the anthem he was protesting the unfair treatment of black Americans, according to northjersey.com.

A year later, his idea of using his career as a platform to speak for his beliefs is seen as toxic by NFL owners. Kaepernick became an unemployed free agent but continued to inform the masses of his opinion of the treatment of black people.

But much to his surprise, the idea started to become popular among other players, who started to protest by kneeling during the anthem or staying in the locker room.

The idea became even more popular when President Donald J. Trump decided to put his two cents in on the topic. On Sept.

22, while speaking at a campaign rally for U.S. Senator Luther Strange (R-Ala.), Trump said he wished the NFL would fire the players for disrespecting the flag, according to nypost.com. He also continued to mock the league by saying that the ratings have gone down massively due to the players’ disrespect.

The following Sunday, dozens of players knelt in silent protests, while others opted to stand and lock arms together to show unity, according to nytimes.com. Trump immediately took to Twitter to state that standing is fine, but kneeling was

“not acceptable.”

Coaches and NFL owners immediately responded with approval of their players protesting and said they felt “troubled by the president’s comments,” according to nytimes.com.

The idea of kneeling during the protest has sparked controversy among all athletes. While many took to Twitter to voice their opinions and approval of taking a knee, other athletes have been informed by officials in their league that taking a knee is not an option.

On Sept. 29, the National Basketball Association sent a memo to reinforce the rule, according to cbssports.com.

The memo stated that players and coaches must stand for the anthem; individual teams “do not have the discretion to waive” the rule and players who violate the rule will be disciplined.

But will a memo concerning a rule really stop the players?

Probably not. If a person truly stands by their beliefs and opinions they will not allow anything stop them.

Not only that, but the idea of firing someone for protesting the deaths of black Americans is disturbing. Every American citizen has the right to speak on their beliefs and opinions.

Also, the First Amendment gives them the opportunity to speak freely. To condemn a person for their beliefs is censoring them. Basically, Trump is censoring the players for taking a knee.

On the other hand, while the idea of peaceful protest is a great opportunity, those who choose to do so need to understand the repercussions. Like everything else, there is a time and a place to freely speak your mind and voice your opinion.

These players are using their profession as a platform to speak their minds and appeal to a large audience to think about an idea many may have not confronted. But by using

Photo courtesy Pixabay.com NFL players take a knee during the national anthem to protest wrongful treatment of black people in the United States.

their profession as a platform, they must be prepared for the consequences of possibly having to sit out of a game, being traded to another team or, in Kaepernick’s case, becoming an unemployed free agent.

If you are prepared to face the consequences, peaceful protest is one of the best opportunities for stating your beliefs and standing by them.

Celebrities use fame to impact change Hannah Lathen Content Producer hrlathen@txwes.edu

A few weeks ago, I attended the Harry Styles concert in Irving, and I was happily reminded of the positive influence celebrities and public figures can have on the public.

One of the statements Styles repeated throughout his show was, “Treat people with kindness.” This statement was also printed all over his merchandise. It was so refreshing to see someone with so much influence trying to spread a positive message.

Toward the end of the show, Styles addressed his female fans with a generous message.

“I could not feel more honored to stand and perform in front of a group of strong women every night,” Styles said.

His words inspired me to look at the other positive forces coming from celebrities that I feel are not highlighted enough.

Society persecutes these people daily and I want to show my appreciation for the work they are doing to make a difference, raise awareness of prominent issues and spread positivity.

Last month, model and actress Amber Rose hosted her third annual Amber Rose SlutWalk in Los Angeles. SlutWalk is a worldwide movement that was created to raise awareness of human rights, gender equality and sexual violence. Rose’s march is a stem of this movement.

She is someone who has been often called derogatory names for the way she dresses and her background. Rose took that negativity and channeled it into this walk to spark a change for herself and for women who experience the same thing. It is incredible to see her taking a stand like this.

After countless allegations of sexual assault were made against movie director Harvey Weinstein, several celebrities spoke out about their experiences with sexual harassment using the hashtag #MeToo. The movement grew after actress Alyssa Milano sent out a tweet asking victims of sexual harassment or sexual assault to use the hashtag to show how big the problem is.

Lady Gaga, Debra Messing, Gabrielle Union, Hilarie Burton, Rosario Dawson and many more took part in the movement and shared their experiences to help raise awareness. I had

Photo by Hannah Lathen Harry Styles performed at the Toyota Music Factory in Irving on Oct. 10. Styles promotes “treating people with kindness.”

friends on my personal social media feeds taking part in the movement and sharing their stories. I am grateful for the celebs using their voice to share their stories because it has inspired many others to do the same, while contributing to raising awareness of these issues.

There has been an upheaval of devastating events happening across the world this semester with hurricanes, mass shootings and earthquakes. Several celebrities decided to step up and help.

When the effects of Hurricane Harvey poured down on Houston, Texans football player J.J. Watts set up a fundraiser that raised more than $37 million from more than 200,000 donors.

Jennifer Lopez, Marc Anthony and Alex Rodriguez hosted One Voice: Somos Live! A Concert for Disaster Relief, which was benefit event to help Puerto Rico after it was badly damaged in Hurricane Irma. The event featured several performers, including Stevie Wonder, Maroon 5 and Demi Lovato.

Kim Kardashian, Ellen DeGeneres, Selena Gomez, Bruno Mars and many more helped answer phone calls during the telethon. The event raised around $35 million and went to several organizations, including Feeding America, Habitat for Humanity and UNICEF. TIDAL, a music streaming service, held its third annual benefit concert, TIDAL x Brooklyn, on Oct. 18. The event raised money and helped collect donated goods for victims of

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

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Hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria as well as the earthquake in Mexico. The concert featured performances from Jay-Z, Fifth Harmony, DJ Khaled and more.

I also want to voice my appreciation for the stars who have shared their stories of battling illnesses.

I have a rare autoimmune disease called granulomatosis with olyangiitis and it is obvious to me that autoimmune diseases in general are not ever really put in the spotlight. When Selena Gomez received a kidney transplant due to complications with her lupus, an autoimmune disease, it offered a moment that triggered many people to research her illness and broaden awareness. Her experiences with lupus were very similar to mine and I was so happy she didn’t hide her journey from the public but decided to share with her 128 million Instagram followers what she was going through.

It is amazing the effect and pull celebrities have on their fans and the public. In certain situations, these figures, no matter how one feels about them, play a significant role in getting messages spread and changes made. They have a large voice and when they use it in a positive light, it needs to be celebrated and acknowledged.

As a society, let’s take a break from chastising these people for what they are wearing or who they are dating. We need to encourage the celebrities trying to use their voice for the greater good and standing up for others.

Rams up Thumbs up to the upcoming Football After Party this Saturday following the game.

Thumbs up to Spring Awakening opening this Friday.

Thumbs up to NAIA national champion Najeal Young being drafted to the Santa Cruz Warriors.

Thumbs up to the men’s basketball team being awarded championship rings on Thursday.

Rams down Thumbs down to rats found in Dora’s Cafe.

Thumbs down to the end of Halloween season.

Thumbs down to the semester almost being over.

Thumbs down to it almost being the end of football season.

Wednesday | November 1, 2017|3

News

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SECURITY

continued from page 1 -ficers is following up on leads along with the East Division Property Crimes Task Force.”

Freshman accounting major Matthew Hernandez thinks security is handling the issue well.

“I feel like they’re [security] doing a great job,” Hernandez said, “because half of us didn’t even know stuff went down during the incidents until we received the emails.”

Beckrich wrote that he doesn’t believe that Texas Wesleyan is the specific target of the car vandals.

“After speaking with the Fort Worth Police Department, they advised the entire area has been having burglary issues, so I don’t necessarily think we are being targeted,” Beckrich wrote. “With that said, locations with multiple cars are always prime locations for this type of activity.”

Beckrich also wrote that campus security and Fort Worth police are working on identifying potential suspects. He believes a suspect is using a BMX bicycle for transportation, but other suspects are also being investigated.

“We have identified several potential suspects recently and even taken one downtown for interview,” Beckrich wrote. “With the in-

KNEELING

creased pressure around campus the actor may move on to a less protected area. While catching the actors is ideal, our main goal is to get them to stop.”

and visible items are broken into. Therefore, in order to decrease chances of break-ins it’s good to keep items out of sight. “[Students should] lock and park their vehi-

“[People should] call security immediately at 817-531-4911.

[They should] pay attention to their physical identifiers and any vehicle they may be in.”

-Chris Beckrich While security is on the hunt for their thief, Tuma has been on the hunt for her backpack.

“It’s funny because I didn’t have anything of value: no electronics or money,” Tuma said.

“All I can think about is that they got nothing, so what are they going to do with it? Security did tell me to start looking around in dumpsters and I have been dumpster diving, which is a new thing for me. There were so many other nicer cars, so [I wonder] why they chose mine.”

Beckrich wrote that typically cars with small

cles in high traffic locations,” Beckrich wrote. “[They should] insure no items of value are visible from the outside. [With] the majority of the burglaries, the actor broke in to take something in plain sight.”

Beckrich also wrote that if people see any suspicious activity around vehicles or find any break-ins to call security. “[People should] call security immediately at 817-531-4911,” Beckrich wrote. “[They should] pay attention to their physical identifiers and any vehicle they may be in. Basically,

sons on the topic,” he said. “That’s part of the problem.”

Trachier said he would want all of Wesleyan’s sports teams to meet and discuss any message the want to convey regarding if any athlete

wants to kneel during the anthem.

“I believe it is possible to send a message in a way that does not offend people,” he said.

“Many athletes use their visibility to voice opinions and have for many, many years. Many

[they would] be a witness for information for us [security].”

After Tuma’s car was broken into, she’s become more aware of the people around her.

“Well I look at people a lot different,” Tuma said. “Usually I’d look at that guy and be, ‘He’s just walking.’ Now I look at that guy and I wonder if he steals backpacks. Even my friends have commented on how I’ve changed. They’re like, ‘Amber, are you obsessed over this backpack?’ and I’m like, ‘Yes, it had like hours and hours of my life in it.’ It’s just frustrating.”

Tuma’s advice to people is to just not leave anything you value in your car.

“Definitely put anything that you want to keep forever in your trunk, and make your car as clean as possible on the inside,” Tuma said.

“If they don’t see anything, they’re not going to break into it. If you are really attached to your backpack and homework in it keep that with you. Maybe get a locker somewhere, if you’re a commuter student.”

Tuma would like to see the security and police find the car vandal.

“I hope that they catch the guy, because personally I’d like to press charges,” Tuma said.

continued from page 1 -cause of political stances. People are making this topic more controversial than it should be.”

Reeves agrees with Black.

“I think people are mad for the wrong rea-

do so with their actions, as well, providing positive leadership in order to promote social change. Those are the athletes I most respect.

Men and women of action.”

HOWARD

continued from page 1 began working at the library six years after meeting the previous director, Cindy Potter, while working at a Borders bookstore. Potter invited Howard to come and tour the facility with her, and if someone with hiring privileges wants to spend time with you, you go, Howard said with a smile.

From there, Howard was hired as a circulation clerk, working under Johnson. Howard worked happily in this part-time position. Her attitude always positive and bubbly; she is a true people person, Johnson said. Howard worked as a circulation clerk for six months before being promoted.

“She started at the bottom, and now she’s at the top,” Johnson said.

When a job opened in technical services, Howard was quick

to rise to the occasion.

“My philosophy is if someone asks something you say yes, and go above what is expected,” Howard said.

Less than six months later, a new full-time position opened in periodicals, and true to her philosophy, Howard accepted the challenge. Here she bound and processed magazines and other periodicals.

After that she became an electronic collections assistant, ordering e-books and managing new outreach programs she had started. It was only after her time here that she became a librarian.

“It’s really challenging to become a librarian and find a job with that title,” Howards said with a smile.

As a librarian, Howard worked in the digital repository, creating the archive space.

“She’s always willing to do any project, and to help in all the different departments,” Elizabeth Bridges, collection management librarian, said.

When Potter retired two years ago, Howard was selected as the interim director.Her work history helped her when it came to understanding all aspects of the library that she was tasked with overseeing. A year ago, he became the library director.

“I know what they’re doing, and I know what they’re dealing with,” Howard said of all her departments.

The library hosts this semester’s International Board Game Day from noon to 5 p.m. on Friday.

4 |Wednesday November 1 , 2017

Campus

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Photo courtesy of Louis Sherwood.

Supposedly, a ghost runs downs the stairwell of Dan Waggoner Hall. Dan Waggoner is among the many buidlings on campus that has been described as haunted.

What’s the haunted history here?

Hannah Lathen hrlathen@txwes.edu

Students don’t have to go to a haunted house to get spooked.

With the numerous buildings that are supposedly haunted on campus, students might find themselves in the presence of a ghost studying in the library or attending a play at the Thad Smotherman Theatre.

Dean of Freshman Joe “Pro Joe” Brown said several buildings are haunted on campus, but the most famous story is of Georgia, the ghost in the Fine Arts Building.

“When I came here in 1978 I heard about this ghost from Mason Johnson, who at that time was chair of theatre,” he said. “I think he has been given credit with naming her.”

Brown said she was supposedly a ghost who had a seat in the balcony of the auditorium.

“When they remodeled and had to close Fine Arts down for wiring, at that time, the person who was currently the dean, which was Jeff Walters, had a particular colored chair put on the ground floor so when they had campus tours they could show, ‘Oh that’s the chair of the famous ghost,’ but he did that for convenience,” he said. “The real chair is up on the balcony of the second row.”

Brown spent many all-nighters working in the building but he said he never had an encounter with Georgia.

“I would be up there working and looking around and I never sensed her presence,” he said. “I never sensed a positive or negative energy.”

There are stories about a ghost running down a stairwell in the Dan Waggoner Hall, the School of Education building, Brown said.

“The theory was that it was someone who

was killed in the war, a man,” he said.

The Methodist Conference Center used to be what was called the Dillow House, Brown said. The house originally belonged to Audrey Dillow, who attended Wesleyan and was given the house by her parents. The house sat in the historic commercial part of Polytechnic when it was a town.

Dillow ended up donating the home to Wesleyan and has since died. Wesleyan used to use

image of a small girl,” he said. “They would go in and the light would go off and they would leave and do the rounds and see the light back on.”

One year, Brown said, ghost professionals came to Wesleyan and he showed them different buildings, such as the Dillow House, where they got a reading for a positive presence on the second floor.

“Then when they went to the Boyd House

“I have never seen anything but it makes you wonder after a while what’s going on because there is clearly no one there,” he said. “Why is there all this noise if there is no one here?”

-Louis Sherwood the building for the alumni association and various student groups. Brown said a woman who he worked with on plant operations sensed Dillow was still had a positive presence in the house.

“When it was still being used by students, the women who would go in and help with setup talked about she would hear a rocking chair going and it was up in Audrey Dillow’s bedroom,” Brown said.

The Boyd House, which sits on the corner of Avenue E and Wesleyan Street, and is now home to the Language Company, is the oldest house in the Polytechnic Heights neighborhood, Brown said. Campus police would talk about seeing a light turned on in the house while they were doing their rounds late at night, Brown said.

“Supposedly, they saw what looked like the

and they went up to the second floor, they kind of got spooked and wanted to leave because it said they were getting what they consider a negative energy reading,” he said.

A security guard claimed a photo he took of Ann Waggoner Hall before it burned down showed a woman looking out a window, Brown said.

“There was a photograph that this man, and since then he’s deceased, but he would take it and show it to people of what looked like a female figure looking out of the third floor,” Brown said. “The third floor was closed off but the first and second floor were faculty offices.”

After the new library was built, Brown said there were reports from housekeepers who said there was a ghost flushing toilets on the third floor after hours. Louis Sherwood, associate professor and university archivist, works

on the third floor of the library and said he has heard some strange noises while alone up there.

“I would hear what would sound like a door opening and shutting and I would go outside to look and see and there was no one,” Sherwood said. “I walked outside and walked all the way around and there was nothing.”

Sherwood said he has also heard books moving on shelves when no one was around.

“I have never seen anything but it makes you wonder after a while what’s going on because there is clearly no one there,” he said.

“Why is there all this noise if there is no one here?”

Alana James, a senior history education major, lives in West Village and she said she has experienced strange occurrences in her room.

“A lot of times I will have experiences where books will fall off my bookshelf,” James said.

One of the more prominent strange situations James said she experienced happened after she put her keys on her door knob.

“One time they were completely still but once I sat on my bed they started swinging back and forth kind of violently and then immediately stopped by itself,” she said.

Katie Matthews, a senior criminal justice major, said when she lived in Stella Hall she always sensed a presence in her room and sometimes things would start moving on their own.

“There was just a lot of weird noises and whatnot so I just made a joke of it, like it’s a ghost I named Henry just to have fun with it so I wouldn’t get scared,” Matthews said.

Wednesday | November 1

Campus

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Photos courtesy of Louis Sherwood Both photos show Ann Waggoner Hall. A security gauard claimed a photo he took of Ann Waggoner before it burned down showed a woman looking out a windown.

________________________________________________

Texas Wesleyan announces study abroad program to Miami and the Bahamas

APPLY TO BE AN RA!

led by Drs. Kay Colley, Terri Cummings & Ngozi Akinro

RA Application opens January 19th!

Applications close February 16th Students will apply online/Stay tuned for more details!

MA RK

Travel in May. Contact kcolley@txwes.edu for more information.

YO UR CA LE ND AR !!

Program in Mass Communication

6 |Wednesday |November 1, 2017

Arts&Entertainment

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Ward puts fatherhood before career Hannah Onder

hlonder@txwes.edu

When Michael Ward graduated from William Jewel College in the early 1990s as an honors student with a degree in political science and history, he had no idea what he wanted to do with his life. He took a job at a machine shop and had a hobby of shooting on the weekends.

“After a year, I knew I did not want to spend my life working in a machine shop,” Ward said. “I had been interested in shooting, and I shot at least once every weekend. At one point it dawned on me that it sure would be interesting if I could find some way of making a living with something that I enjoy.”

Ward did some searching and decided to go back to school to get his master’s in forensic science at National University in La Jolla, Calif. He wanted to be part of the firearms unit in the police department, though it was not as easy a path as he thought it would to be.

“It’s very hard to get your foot in the door in firearms [since it requires two years of paid training],” Ward said. “I actually met a gentleman who ran the firearms for the Kansas City Police Department, he basically told me, ‘You’re a good candidate, but it’s hard to get your foot in the door, you should come work crime scene for us.’”

Ward took that crime scene investigator position for the Kansas City Police Department in 1994 and eventually became part of their firearms and toolmarks unit until he left in 2006 to move to Fort Worth, where he continued to climb the ladder to where he is now.

Ward, now the professor of forensic science at Texas Wesleyan University, is the Forensic Division Manager (Crime Laboratory Director) for the Fort Worth Police Department and a single father of two children.

“I really enjoy the ability that scientists here have to make an impact,” Ward said.

“The work we do has a huge impact on our criminal justice system, and it gets things [evidence] that make the difference between a person who did a crime being convicted, an innocent person being exaugurated, and a guilty person getting to walk free. I’ve always enjoyed that aspect of the job.”

Ward is not a big fan of the red tape from the city bureaucracy that comes with the job, but he has a strong passion for forensics, which was noticed by his coworker, Senior Forensic Scientist Sundaye Lopez.

“The first week he started working at the

crime lab [in Fort Worth], he gave a short presentation for continuing education,” Lopez said. “As he was giving that presentation, I thought that he was a gifted speaker and you could tell that he was really passionate about what he was talking about. He also threw in a lot of personal information about himself. My first impression of him was that I liked him and I though he was going to do very well here in Fort Worth.”

Lopez meet Ward in 2006 when he came to the Fort Worth Crime Lab. She enjoys Ward being a professor because he brings her in as a guest speaker for his class.

“I like going in and speaking with the students, because I also enjoy what I do,” Lopez said. “Any time you can speak to people about what you do and hopefully cause them to take an interest in it; I think is a pretty good thing. I like him being a professor for that reason because it allows me to speak to people too and that’s awesome.”

Ward has been Lopez’s coworker for many years and her boss for about a year; Lopez believes he handles the job well.

“He definitely enjoys what he does and he’s always willing to help other people,” Lopez said. “If there was ever a question of something needing to be done in the lab, he would take it into consideration. Even though it wasn’t his responsibility to do, you could always count on him to give a good point of view or to give his thoughts on something.

“As a boss, I think that carried over, because dealing with people in the lab is probably not always an easy thing to do, but I think that Michael is very reasonable in how he handles people. He has common sense and he has the good of the lab in mind in everything that he does as a boss for the people in this lab and for the betterment of the place.”

Dr. Phillip Pelphrey, the associate professor of chemistry and department chair of chemistry and biochemistry, likes that Ward brings the experience of the field into the classroom.

“From a university standpoint, it is beneficial to have a professional working directly in the field of teaching for this course,” Pelphey said. “This allows them to bring certain insights into the classroom and is a positive for the students.”

Ward said being a professor is another career he stumbled into, when he filled in for a friend, Jamie Becker, who was a guest speaker for the previous forensic science teacher at Texas Wesleyan for firearms and toolmarks. “[The previous forensic teacher] worked

at several universities as an adjunct and I believe she got a full-time job at a university, so she stopped working at Wesleyan,” Ward said. “She actually said, ‘You did a really good job doing your presentation,’ so she actually recommended that I consider teaching once she left. She left the university and they contacted me or I contacted them, I don’t remember, back in 2009.”

Ward, who has been teaching at Texas Wesleyan since January 2009, has been here for almost ten years, and really enjoys it. He teaches Forensic Science I and taught Forensic Science II until the university discontinued it.

“I enjoy talking about forensics, but I don’t enjoy keeping track of grades and attendance,” Ward said. “I don’t necessarily enjoy that handful of students that complain every year, because they don’t get the grades they like. But I enjoy the teaching aspect and I enjoy it when somebody in the class really has an interest and I’m able to impart something that may be beneficial for them in their future career.”

Ward has developed a strict syllabus to combat class disruptions that occurred due to the class being four hours that he feels works pretty well.

“I became very strict on syllabi in order to create an environment that was conducive for learning for all students,” he said. “If you want to pay to go to the back row and sleep that’s fine, but if you’re going to disrupt the class [for being thirty minutes to an hour tardy], I’ll escort you out the door.”

Pelphey finds Ward’s class policy to be fair to all students.

“Over the years, I have found Mr. Ward to always be polite and punctual,” Pelphey said.

“He is always willing to give students a fair chance in his courses, but will hold them to the expectations he sets on the first day of class.”

Pelphey feels Ward, who works two jobs, “strikes the right balance in the work he does for us.” Wesleyan also seems to appreciate him as a teacher, because the university was willing to accommodate his class schedule for him, when he was promoted in his other job.

“About a year ago, I said, ‘You’re probably not going to want to keep me, because I just don’t have the energy to teach Saturday classes. In my new job, I stay so busy that I need the weekend to decompress. I need a little time off on the weekends, so I can’t teach Saturday mornings anymore,’” Ward said. “I was very shocked when the univer-

Photo courtesy of Michael Ward Michael Ward has taught at Wesleyan for almost ten years.

sity said, ‘That’s all right, we’ll just put all forensic science classes Wednesday, because we want to keep you teaching.’”

Though Ward has been successful in the field of forensics, he almost gave it all up for his children.

“For four years, I drove between Kansas City and here (Fort Worth) every other weekend,” Ward said. “Twice a month I came here, that was 560 miles each way, so I was driving 1,200 miles every other weekend. I actually said, ‘If I left forensics that’s perfectly fine.

I need to be where my children are.’ Lo and behold, I was driving back from Fort Worth right after Christmas time, and I saw an advertisement for a position in the firearms and toolmarks unit and I said, ‘That must be for me.’”

Ward got the position and was able to spend more time with his son and daughter, who are his number one priority. He’s been a single dad for 15 years.

“We do everything together,” Ward said.

“It’s harder with my son [now], because he moved to Austin two months ago. He started working in a hospital and has gotten married, so I do not see him as much, but I talk to him on the phone all the time. I see my daughter every day. My daughter and I are going to spend Halloween walking our dog in the middle of the night, going to haunted houses, and watching scary movies.”

Ward says the hardest thing about being a single dad was staying connected to his teenage daughter. Lopez admires the relationship Ward has maintained with his kids while working his two jobs.

“He’s very close with his kids and he has a good relationship with them,” Lopez said.

“He’s very much involved in their lives and knows what’s going on with them. I think for today’s single father that’s a rare thing to come by. I really respect him for it and I think a lot of single fathers could learn a lot from Michael in that aspect.”

Wednesday | November 1, 2017

| 7

Sports

TheRambler.org | For news throughout the day.

Mathard’s love of golf drives success

Photo by Rowan Lester This photo of Leo Mathard swinging was taken by his teammate Rowan Lester. Mathard and Lester are both NAIA All-Americans.

Peyton Prudhomme pprudhomme@txwes.edu Back in October, Texas Wesleyan golfer Leo Mathard had a chance to make history.

Playing at the Coastal Collegiate Classic in Oregon on Oct. 10, Mathard, a junior mass communication major, was one hole away from shooting a school record 63.

“I knew I had to birdie the last hole to set the record, but it was like all of a sudden a bit of nervousness came over me,” said Mathard, who is from Vieux-Boucau, France. “Coach [Bobby] Cornett was right there with me and he helped calm my nerves.”

Mathard birdied the hole, and the record was his. His 54-hole 202 gave him his second tournament win of the season, according to ramsports.net. The team remains undefeated this season.

“Once I hit that final shot I knew I had done something special,” he said. “It was overwhelming, the feeling of joy that came over me. Aside from winning the World University Champion-

ships in 2016 in Brives, France, shooting a 63 was one of the greatest accomplishments of my golf career thus far.”

Mathard said he knew since he was young that golf was his passion.

“I picked up the sport at a young age,” he said. “I started out playing for fun with a childhood friend. Eventually I started entering youth tournaments and doing really well. I knew I had to pursue the sport; it is such a beautiful game and I am so lucky to play it every day.”

Watching Mathard set the record was a great experience for teammate Rowan Lester.

“It is always great to see your teammates succeed,” said Lester, a junior business major. “Being there with Leo was awesome.

The joy I saw on his face after he hit that last shot was a great sight to see.”

Graduate assistant Steven Anderson said Mathard’s 63 is “simply amazing.”

“Leo is a great player and if he gets hot, he has the uncanny

Source: ramsports.net/Graphic by Karan Muns All information is current as of Oct. 26.

ability to score very low,” he said. “I am really happy for him.”

Mathard said he plans to turn pro after he graduates.

“I either will look to turn professional in the U.S. or return home to France,” he said. “I want to play this sport as long as I can. I really feel like my game is striving and my love for the game is as strong as it has ever been.”

The Texas Wesleyan men’s golf team’s next tournament will be Feb. 5 in California. For more information, go to ramsports.net.

8 | Wednesday | November 1, 2017

Sports

TheRambler.org | For news throughout the day.

Starters aren’t a team’s only leaders Chalon Anderson cnanderson@txwes.edu

“Never does a man portray his character more vividly than when proclaiming the character of another.”

-Winston Churchill The most mentally draining, emotionally grueling and hardest position to play is not on the volleyball court.

It is on the bench.

For three seasons, right side attacker Kiersten Mebane has shown up to the Sid Richardson Center on game day just like all her teammates.

Now in her senior year at Texas Wesleyan, she still repeats the same game-day ritual she has grown so accustomed to. She straps up her ankle braces, slides up her well-worn kneepads, and double knots the laces of her Mizuno shoes. She adjusts her headband one last time and slips on her jersey with just as much pride as the next player and steps onto the court ready for anything.

“Volleyball has always been important to me,” Mebane said. “Game days are my favorite days because there is nothing like the atmosphere of being in the gym before a match. I will never get tired of the feeling.”

She warms up just as hard as everyone else, maybe even harder, and she nods her head to the deep bass of The Score’s “Legend” blasting through the gym. You can see the intensity in her chestnut eyes as she lines up for the national anthem.

When the whistle blows signaling the start of the match, Mebane walks to her position on the sideline. She stands with her head held high and cheers on her teammates. She does this for three straight sets.

For most players, sitting on the bench is discouraging and a real confidence killer. Yet Mebane’s smile is infectious and her team spirit is out of this world, even though she knows her name is probably not going to get called.

Once a rising star at Lee College, sophomore and outside hitter Madi Guerra, unlike Mebane, has been dealing with accepting her newfound role on the bench.

“I experienced my first real heartbreak,” Guerra said. “I became severely depressed because I did not know how to cope or deal with the situation. Watching someone else play my position in a game led me to become a very hateful person.

“All my life I have been on the court, so not playing this year is tough. I had so much nega-

tivity in my head and I really beat myself up about it for a while. It was recently when I realized that throwing myself a pity party was not going to fix my problems.”

Guerra said sitting the bench is an experience that has taught her so much more about who she is as a person and has enabled her to gain a greater love for the game.

“As a player who goes from starting to being on the sideline, you learn so much,” she said. “The bench and the court are two different atmospheres. You feel, see, and hear different things on the sideline. I’ve gained a greater understanding of what it means to ‘play the bench.’ I’ve learned about perseverance, the true definition of being a teammate, and what it means to truly have a championship mindset.”

Most players find it hard to admit they struggle with not playing. But Mebane just laughs when asked why it doesn’t bother her.

“I know my role on the team, and it is not starting,” she said. “I would love to the chance to play – it is my senior year – but the strength of my character is determined by how well I can deal with the lack of glory. I have ample character.”

In high school, the Grand Prairie native was a star. She played every set, rarely saw the bench, and was captain.

“I was kind of the go-to player for my team. I knew that if things went wrong during Photo by Little Joe a match I’d be the player my team would turn Kiersten Mebane says she has been dealing with being on the bench during her senior year. to,” she said. “No matter what the situation, being needed always feels good.”

Coming into college, Mebane knew that continues to give a good attitude and effort attitude about being on the bench to reflect things would be different. No longer the big throughout what we do here at Wesleyan,” how I felt about my team or my coaches. I was dog on campus, she knew that her time on the Morgan said. “She will put the team first above going to cheer my ass off for my team, because court would be cut short. her own needs, not in a way that is fake. I have I know in my heart they would do the same What she did not know was how fast she seen girls do it because they think that is what for me.” would be shoved to the side. Mebane said it the coach wants. She does it from her heart.

Mebane knows it is not the starters who are started off gradually until she was not playing “You come to accept your role and under- the real warriors on a team. It is the bench at all. stand how vital it is to the team’s success, even players. The scrubs. The backup to the back “I played every few matches, then I played when it is not personally what you wanted. ups. The underdogs. every other set during a match, then I stopped Players like her that are willing to sacrifice beAnyone can handle being a starter. Playing playing altogether,” she said. “It was hard, but yond their own wants create a culture where is easy. Mebane said how a player manages the I just believed if I continued to work hard that special things can happen, and I love her for good times does not determine what they are I would eventually earn a spot on the court. It that. In my book that’s just as good as being an made of; it’s how they manage when things do did not happen.” all-American.” not go their way.

For the next three years Mebane spent Mebane said quitting was never was an op“It’s easy to act like a winner when the coach more time on the sidelines. Consistently over- tion for her when things were not going the is smiling and looking at you,” she said. “When looked by coaches, she had two choices. She way she expected. you can smile when the coach looks down the could give up and stop trying to be seen or “I could have easily said, ‘I don’t care’ or bench and looks right through, and [you] still fight. She chose to fight ‘Whatever’ when things started not to go my smile, you’ve already won the battle. I don’t Head coach Priscilla Morgan spoke highly way,” she said. “I’ve always thought of myself have be a starter or even play to be a leader.” of her. as someone who has character and who would Chalon Anderson is a Lady Rams volleyball “What I admire about Kiersten is that she never let their team down. I did not want my player.