October 20, 2016 THURSDAY VOL. 103, NO. 6 NEVER A DULL MOMENT
Student Activist pg 4
Campus Vegan Org pg 5
Athlete Success pg 6
Campus | Student Feature
Art student earns third solo show By EMILY NICKLES A mix of figure paintings and metal work is what you will find in the graduate studio of Carrie Adamson-Riefler. Adamson-Riefler is obtaining a Masters of Fine Arts, with a concentration in painting and sculpture. She has had three solo shows since transferring from UNT during her undergraduate and currently has a show in the 010 Gallery in the Student Union. Her work focuses on the human figure – however since her undergraduate studies began,
Adamson-Riefler poses with one of her works-in-progress.
Adamson-Riefler’s paintings have evolved in their composition. During her undergrad, AdamsonRiefler was painting animal heads on human bodies in an anthropomorphic style reminiscent of the ancient Egyptians. As a master’s student, she has chosen to remove the animal heads and create a steady mix of subjects, experimenting with color and movement in the paintings. Unsure of how the anthropomorphic paintings were conveying her message, AdamsonRiefler progressed to “…only showing the human side and showing different versions of the psyche, the fractured psyche.” Her paintings are about portraying psychological issues or mental illness. “Some people close to me have issues with this and I see that it’s an important issue to talk about. A lot of times there’s stigma attached to it, so then people don’t really want to talk about it as much,” explained Adamson-Riefler.
Despite the silence that exists in discussion of mental illness, Adamson-Riefler is prepared for the challenge: “My goal is to bring it to fruition, to light, so that people can talk about it in a comfortable space.” Her graduate show will incorporate more metal, such as copper plate applied with patinas. The patinas creates a chemical reaction on the metal—essentially eating away at it. “That kind of has a correlation with chemical imbalances that can happen in people when they’re dealing with disorders,” Adamson-Riefler said, later pointing out the imperfections on a sheet of metal created by shotgun pellets. On top of being a graduate student, Adamson-Riefler teaches Basic Drawing and Figure Drawing as an adjunct in the TWU Art Department. She also volunteers her time to teach Painting-at-the-U once a month, a Student Union program open to all students who
Campus | Program
Holiday Gift Program provides support to TWU students with kids during the holiday season
Smiling coyly, Adamson-Riefler sits poised in her reading nook.
pre-register. Adamson-Riefler has been featured alongside other artists in 2016 through the Graduate Painters Collective, VAST and 500X Hot and Sweaty to name a few. She will have a reception tonight in Dallas for Alterra International Emerging Artist Exhibition at the Butler Brothers Building, where Adamson-Riefler’s artwork will be on display for a month.
Oil on copper plate painting, on display in the 010 Gallery. All photos by Emily Nickles
Community | Event
KINSHIP FAIR SERVES LOCAL FAMILIES Denton organizations collaborated to support kinship families of Denton By HENRY JONES
Graphic by Kyra Marshall
By HEATHER HINES Students who are parents can still have Santa Claus wiggle down their chimney this year with a sack of goodies for their children. TWU students with children, living on or off campus in Denton, Dallas and Houston, who cannot afford Christmas presents for their children may apply to be a recipient of the holiday gift program by contacting Assistant Director of Commuter and Distance Education Student Services Jessica Burchfield. Applicants have until Nov. 6 to apply for the program and sponsors will be contacted by Nov. 11 with information about the child they will sponsor, including clothing sizes and a Christmas wish list. Burchfield said: “The meaning and the mission of this university can really be seen through this program. If you ever want to see what it means to be a part of a
supportive community and what that looks like, this is the primary example. We want all of our students, including non-traditional students who have children, to be successful and graduate from Texas Woman’s University and the Holiday Gift Program is just one of the ways we do that.” The Holiday Gift Program allows TWU students, organizations and employees to sponsor children, providing their families with either a monetary donation or personal Christmas presents a child has asked for. All the children who take part in this program belong to students who might struggle to provide their children with presents. Burchfield said: “The reason that we can sustain this is because we have TWU community members and some external sponsorship, as well as just students who are just willing to give back. We’re a really giving community and we know
there is a need here and people are meeting the need. Everyone knows about this program, everyone loves giving back to this program.” The Holiday Gift Program has been a part of TWU’s history for 25 years and since 2005, has served over 2,400 children. Burchfield said: “Some of my favorite times are when someone who was a recipient of this program gets back on their feet and they will give back to the program. It’s a really neat program, it’s one of my favorites of the entire year.”
Contact Jessica Burchfield at JBurchfield@twu.edu for applications and information on how to sponsor a child this Christmas.
Saturday Oct.16, Organizations gathered around Pioneer Circle to provide social support and resources to local kinship families. Each fall, the TWU Social Work Department collaborates with Denton CPS, Court Appointed Special Advocates, The Young Lawyers, local businesses, and other TWU departments to organize the kinship fair. The organizations work to create a fun and safe environment where families can enjoy games and activities while receiving some of the resources they need. “Parents can come, let the kids go, and let the kids have fun,” student assistant and leader of the social work community outreach program Tessa O’Connor. Kinship caretakers are typically grandparents, other relatives, or close family friends who provide and support the children when they are removed from their biological parents because of maltreatment. Kinship care helps ensure children are placed in homes where they may feel familiar and comfortable. These families may not always have adequate resources to support the children. Before the fair, families met with CPS to discuss their needs. The organizations and volunteers
were successful in providing these resources, including diapers, wipes, coats, family photos and other items at no cost to the families. In addition to the resources provided, the community also collaborated to provide activities for the families. Children could enjoy bounce houses, music, motorcycle rides, explore a fire truck and other activities. When families arrived, they were greeted by the Welcome Walk, a new addition to this year’s fair. Volunteers lined up to cheer the guests as they entered the fair to help them feel welcome. Families then could have their photos taken and design custom frames to take home. Guests then explored the rest of the fair, taking part in carnival games organized by TWU organizations to win prizes, enjoying a bounce house, and picking up the resources provided to them. O’Connor said: “My favorite part is the community spirit and the community support. It’s a very vital part to their success.” In addition to the activities and resources provided to the guests, the Kinship Fair also serves to illustrate all the community support behind the kinship families.