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Connecting you with the School of Arts and Letters
Vol.4 Issue 2 Spring 2017
Photos by Sarah Delanie Owens
Kit Hall and DeAnne Day display their work at The Bernice Coulter Templeton Art Studio.
Sketches: Equine Art & Poetry Across Rosedale Street, opposite the Canafax Clock Tower, sits the Bernice Coulter Templeton Art Studio, where Texas Wesleyan University faculty and students are spearheading interdisciplinary opportunities
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Message from the Dean:
This semester, we have opened a new art exhibition space. We have celebrated this space and, already, it has housed work from an artist of international acclaim. But what does this have to do with our university’s educational mission? I see art, in its various forms, as representative of the eternal quest of humankind to understand. Through art, we represent our greatest desires and most ominous fears. We seek to depict ideas and themes, where mere words may have failed us. Perhaps, most importantly, through art, we seek to communicate truths about what it means to be human. Art may not convey the sorts of logical or formulaic truths of the type found in dense texts. But, instead, art may represent immediate expressions of energy and emotion that cap-
ture the spirit of a momentary experience or pure emotion. From even the most ancient societies that existed on earth, we glean an understanding of culture and community priorities through recovered art. From the Buddhist monk’s sand mandala, which is destroyed as soon as it is created, to the relief sculptures of saints and demons that adorn the great cathedrals of Europe, these works speak to our ethics, our aesthetic values, our social priorities and our sense of purpose. Moreover, art is a vehicle of communication. As such, through a single piece of art, all of the disciplines of Arts & Letters may well intersect. It is, then, for this reason that art matters, for all of us. - Dr. Mark Hanshaw, Interim Dean
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GALLERY
continued from page 1 by unearthing the rich history of art at Wesleyan. The studio is currently home to Sketches: Equine Art and Poetry Gallery, created through a collaboration between humanities instructor, DeeAnn Day, and professor of art, Kit Hall. Day said that after co-teaching a humanities class with Hall, they began to talk about unfinished work. “Professor Hall came up with the idea and said, ‘Why don’t you show me your unfinished poems, and I will respond to them with art. You can look at my unfinished art and respond to them with poems,’” Day said. The two had been friends for a long time, but it was in 2010 that they came up with this concept. “Three years ago, [Day] and I rented out space at the Fort Worth Community Arts Center during the Stock Show and displayed our gallery there for the first time,” Hall said. “We had our own little reception, and some Wesleyan people showed up, but Photos by Sarah Delanie Owens not nearly enough.” Kit Hall showcases one of her equine poems The fine arts building has been scattered featured in the current on-campus exhibit. for several years, causing artists on campus
to be “piece-milled” to show art where they could. This meant that students and faculty could not benefit from the art displayed as much as they would if it remained on campus. “Our artwork is the first show in the Bernice Coulter Templeton Art Studio,” Hall said. “[Day] and I get that claim to fame.” Senior psychology major Lauren Roberts is taking an art class from Hall this semester and assisted in hanging the gallery. “I’ve always been interested in art but have just never had the opportunity to explore it,” Roberts said. Hall said that setting up the gallery was a great opportunity to test the lighting, test the structure of the room, and put their best foot forward for the upcoming George Grammer show, an event attracting country-wide interest. Grammer, a Wesleyan alumnus, is one of the last surviving members of the Fort Worth Circle of Artists. “The group started out with just nine people back in the 1940s and completely changed how Fort Worthian’s looked at art,” Hall said. “The group traveled to Paris and found themselves highly influenced by Cubism, then brought it back to Fort Worth.”
Creating opportunities with
Photo by Nicholas Acosta
Wesleyan President Frederick Slabach (right) presents Dr. Eboo Patel with a gift.
Dr. Mark Hanshaw said that Wesleyan’s new partnership with the Interfaith Youth Core is a great opportunity for the campus. Hanshaw, associate professor of religion and the interim dean of the School of Arts and Letters, has met with the founder of the IFYC, Dr. Eboo Patel many times. Patel also appeared on campus this February. “Patel has really been an instrumental figure, especially over the past decade in promoting interfaith engagement, especially on university campuses,” Hanshaw said. Hanshaw, who teaches several religion classes on campus, believes the Interfaith Youth Core is a great way to promote the building of bridges between people. “They do work all across the country in helping university campuses engage others around them around issues of
interfaith relations and interfaith conversations,” Hanshaw said. “They help institutions develop supportive structures that might enhance and encourage the development of interfaith engagement at university campuses.” Texas Wesleyan President Frederick Slabach said he was very impressed with the interfaith work done by Patel and the Interfaith Youth Core. “We on this campus have been having a lot of conversations about the importance of interfaith cooperation,” Slabach said. Slabach said that recent events around the country have brought up a lot of questions and he believes this will benefit the campus now and in future situations. “It’s a great opportunity for Texas Wesleyan and all of our faculty staff and students to really lead in an effort to enhance
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Hall is looking forward to having the Grammer Gallery installed during alumni weekend in April but also has a much larger vision for the future of the new art studio space. Hall said she wants the university art gallery “to educate, serve, enrich, and to encourage appreciation and understanding of visual art through direct engagement with original works of art. “The gallery provides faculty, students staff, and the broader community the opportunity to teach, reflect, research and interpret the creative accomplishments of visual artists through exhibitions of a variety of artists and examples from Wesleyan’s permanent art collection,” she said.
Sketches is open to the public Monday/Wednesday from 9:30 a.m. - noon, then again from 1:30 p.m. - 3 p.m., and Tuesday/Thursday from 9:30 a.m. - 10:50 a.m., then again from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. The exhibit closes April 6.
IFYC
positive understanding of people from different faiths, traditions and backgrounds and to be able to use that understanding for real cooperation and collaboration,” Slabach said. Dr. Eboo Patel started the Interfaith Youth Core 20 years ago, to help encourage the growth of interfaith cooperation. “We started because there is such great potential for college campuses to be laboratories and launching pad of interfaith cooperation and for college students to be interfaith leaders,” Patel said. Patel said that he has always seen positive reactions from his talks on campuses and hopes students take what they have learned into their future careers. “I hope they are inspire to be interfaith leaders,” Patel said.
Photo by Nicholas Acosta
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Religion major makes an impact Junior Laura Grunden is a religion major with a focus in Christian studies. Grunden, who is non-denominational, is no stranger to religion. “I grew up in a Christian family, and so that’s always been a pretty big emphasis on my life,” Grunden said. Grunden is the second youngest of eight siblings. “We were home-schooled, and then private schooled, and then went to a Christian school,” Grunden said. Grunden said her parents made sure that religion was a part of everything the family did. “We always went to church,” Grunden said, “and my parents would wake us up at six in the morning, and we would have to do Wisdom Searches, which is reading the Bible and relating the verses to our lives.” Senior business management major Loli Garcia says that Grunden has earned the nickname of “Mama” because she is so caring for everyone on the tennis team. This
spring will be Grunden’s second season to play tennis for Wesleyan. “If anybody needs anything she is always trying to help,” Garcia said. “She is a great person. She tries to make everybody better both inside and outside of practice.” Sophomore criminal justice major Emily Rodriguez describes Grunden as positive, hilarious and kind. Grunden is still unsure of what she wants to do with her degree after she graduates. “I haven’t decided at all,” Grunden said, “something in sports. Maybe like camps or counseling, something like that.” Grunden said the most important thing she’s learned so far as a religion major is that in this field you’ll always be able to impact people. “I’ll always have an impact on people, by building relationships with people, and trying to help them better their lives,” she said.
Photo by Kenneth Grunden
English major calls Wesleyan home
Photo courtesy of Isabel Guereca
Freshman English major Isabel Guereca chose Texas Wesleyan not only because it is close to home but also so she can study and work full time to help her family. “This was a very big factor that played in my decision to come to Wesleyan, because during my junior year in high school, my father passed away, so I had to get a job to help my mom around the house,” Guereca said. “So, really the fact that I could go to a really good academic school and work to help my family out was really important to me,” Guereca said. “And Wesleyan was the school that offered me both.” In 2016 Guereca graduated from Green B. Trimble Technical High School in Fort Worth. It was Guereca’s love and obsession with books that made her want to pursue English as a major. “As I grew older, I always saw books as a way to escape reality and go to different worlds and different adventures,” Guereca said.
Guereca said Wesleyan was a perfect fit for her because of the class sizes and her love of learning more about English and literature. “I was told from my high school teachers that Wesleyan had a very good English program and that they also had a very good teaching program if I wanted to become an English teacher,” Guereca said. Although Guereca expected her first year of college to break her, she pulled through and now loves the environment Wesleyan provides for its students. “I’ve met some really cool people, and I love my classes,” she said. “I expected to cry a lot more and for my professors to be mean and boring, but that hasn’t been the case,” Guereca said. “In fact, I really love it here, and it has been really fun. I hope I can do a lot more.” One day, Guereca hopes her dreams of pursuing English will help her toward her bigger dream of reading stories for fun and getting paid for it.
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Spring 2017
A look at Ethics Bowl history according to Dr. Ron McManus
In 1996, Dr. Ron McManus was attending a conference and workshop at the University of Montana when he met fellow professor, Dr. Bob Ladenson, who taught at the Illinois institute of technology. Dr. Ladenson was trying to create ways in which ethics and philosophy could become more meaningful for his students. “So he set up a contest within his class, and it was geared after an old TV program in the 1960s, the General Electric College Bowl,” McManus said. This Ethics Bowl consisted of two teams being asked questions in a competition setting. In 1997, they had their first competition in Washington, DC, in which 12 schools attended. Since then, more than 250 universities have competed, including the military academies. The national competition has grown so large in size that regional competitions were created to decrease the number of schools at the national competition and to increase competition. Texas Wesleyan did not make it to the national competition this past year, but has made it as far as third in the nation before. The Fall Regional Ethics Bowl is always hosted in San Antonio. This piece of the competition is not a debate but actually a critical examination. The examination consists of three rounds and includes a panel to evaluate the exam based on clarity, argument, how you justify the argument and your rationale used in the argument. At Wesleyan, ethics bowl team members usually come from the Pre-Professional Program, 3PR, which was initially designed to be a senior-level program. Dr. Bob Ladenson retired from the
Photo by Gloria Borja-Andrade
Ethics Bowl three years ago. Ladenson has become a very close friend of McManus, and they both are amazed at how big and recognized the Ethics Bowl competition has become. McManus is currently working on children’s literature, and he will dedicate more
of his time to the Ethics Bowl while he is on sabbatical next year. “Choices matter. You can make good choices and you can make bad choices.” McManus said. “Ethics is about who you are, what you do, and why you do it.”
“Choices matter. You can make good choices and you can make bad choices. Ethics is about who you are, what you do, and why you do it.”
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The Rambler celebrates 100-year anniversary “We are no longer just The Rambler, but we are cognizant of how important our newspaper roots are.” - Dr. Kay L. Colley
This year marks the 100-year anniversary for Texas Wesleyan University’s student-newspaper, The Rambler. When it began in 1917, The Rambler was known as The Handout (pictured bottom left). Over the years, The Rambler has changed not only its name, but its focus. In the beginning, The Rambler was a newspaper, then it moved to a
From this...
...to this
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Spring 2017 newspaper with photos, then a newspaper with a website, and most recently to a digital-first newspaper that also has a TV station. “The Rambler has undergone significant changes throughout its history ,” said Dr. Kay L. Colley, student media director at Texas Wesleyan. “Now, we are a multi-faceted student media organization. We are no longer just The Rambler, but we are cognizant of how important our newspaper roots are. “We are very excited about this wonderful milestone,” she said. “We have already been celebrating with Coffee and Doughnuts with The Rambler and Cookies and Lemonade with The Rambler, both sponsored by various organizations across campus, but we plan to have celebrations all year.” Dr. David Ferman, mass communication instructor at Wesleyan, is the faculty adviser for The Rambler. “A century of a news organization anywhere is a big deal,” he said.”I think it’s important that people see
what The Rambler does today is a continuum of trying to do good coverage and keep the campus community informed.” In November 2016, The Rambler staffers created a special online section reviewing its history. And additional sections will be added to the web-only content throughout the year, including lists of former Rambler editors-in-chief, awards won by Rambler staffers and special video content that will celebrate the history of The Rambler and its impact on Texas Wesleyan. Dalise DeVos, fall 2016 editor-in-chief of The Rambler and a senior mass commu-
nication major, feels like The Rambler staff is a family. “My favorite part about being a part of the Rambler Media Group family is the understanding that we all share,” she said. “We share the same struggles as far as deadlines and workload. We also share the same victories when we have an extremely successful story or win an award.” And this year, for its 100-year anniversary, The Rambler shares its success with the entire Wesleyan community.
Check out www.therambler.org, or follow The Rambler on Facebook @thetwurambler to keep up with anniversary celebrations throughout the year.
WEDNESDAY Nov. 9, 2016
Vol. 100 • No. 12
www.therambler.org
OPINION
Ram Squad
Presidential race got you considering packing?
expa
If moving to Canada isn’t an empty threat, here’s some things you should consider.
NEWS
Ram Squad reaching expansion goals A group that started out as two basketball fans makes its mark on campus.
CAMPUS
Mental health issues matter to many Stastically speaking, you or someone you know may well suffer from mental health issues.
A&E
Chance to start something new in music industry The rapper gains fame without being signed to a label.
SPORTS
Athletes weigh in on the new weight room Athletes and coaches share why they love the new facility on campus.
Brown-Lupton hosts art event
Students created art and donated canned goods on campus Tuesday.
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Photo by Hannah Onder Ram Squad members Katie Matthews, Anthony Harper II and Akeel Johnson cheer at a Friday night volleyball game aganist John Brown University.
HannaH Onder hlonder@txwes.edu
Flashback to two years ago: Feb. 26, 2015. Stella Hall director Jeremy Hunt and senior business major Ricky Hall watched Mid-America Christian University’s fans plop themselves into Texas Wesleyan’s Sid Richardson Center’s home stands during a men’s basketball game. “They were rooting for their team in our home stands and me and Ricky we just really disappointed at the lack of respect that they had for our team and our student section,” Hunt said.
Wesleyan’s men’s basketball team lost 81-76 that night, and the two dedicated themselves to creating a respectable student cheering section. “That following summer,” Hunt said. “I met [senior business management major] Omar Dominguez and he was like, ‘Yo man, we should do a spirit organization’ and I was like, ‘Dude, yeah, and let’s call it Ram Squad.’” Ram Squad became an official organization in January 2016, focusing on promoting the men’s basketball team. There were 10 members. Now Ram Squad has expanded in both numbers and event coverage. At Midnight Madness, the squad
performed a dance and threw spirit wear to the crowd. The organization is open to all students, faculty, and alumni willing to support the squad and a membership fee is being decided on soon, said organization President Cameron Bennett. “This year as far as expanding we’ve been going to different sporting events for different teams and sports organizations like volleyball but also we’ll be going to basketball as well,” said Bennett, a sophomore computer science major. “We’ve gone to some soccer games supporting them.” The squad recruited more students
both last spring and earlier this semester, Bennett said, and has taught the new members what the organization is about. Ram Squad now has about 20 members. Hunt and Hall originally established the program to have a good time and enjoy the sport they loved. “We just wanted to create an organization, a collective of people,” Hunt said, “who wanted to enjoy going to thing that we loved, which was basketball, and to be a part of something where there are other people that just come together and have a good time.”
“One thing always at the top of the list was Texas Wesleyan, this small yet innovative university that was also going through its own period of
Dunbar students can begin taking the classes as freshmen, Miller said. There are 29 students in the program, but he hopes to have up to 70
have an aptitude for academic success and the desire to engage. He expects that at some point, Dunbar students will attend classes at Wesleyan. “I really wanted to make it as inclusive as possible,” Miller said. Jamal Williams, Wesleyan’s director of collegiate academy and college credit partnerships, describes the program as a strategic pathway for higher education. “The way the partnership works is that Dunbar has been awarded a $9.5 million grant over the next five years and a part of that grant fund will be used to finance the student’s academics here at Wesleyan and also provide them with help, not only academic support, but social support,” Williams said. “A holistic process to help those students move forward and do something for their educational careers and their lives, free of
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Texas Wesleyan University has partnered with Dunbar High School to allow its students to take college credit classes. This new partnership, which began this fall, currently has students taking college credit classes at Dunbar. It is, if not the first, then one of only two programs in the United States where a public high school and a private college have teamed up to offer students college credit, according to Dr. Allen Henderson, Wesleyan’s provost. Dunbar Principal Sajade Miller, a Wesleyan grad, said the idea of bringing Dunbar students to Wesleyan came from when he was applying for a grant to build Dunbar’s academics. He was looking for a university to partner with.
“I think students sometimes like to have thoughts that they could go to a four-year institution. I hope that we attract many of those students to Wesleyan but would also prepare those that maybe had opportunities.” - Dr. Allen Henderson
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If all goes well, Texas Wesleyan will have a new heart by late 2019. That’s how Jim Lewis, vice president of university advancement, describes the Nick and Lou Martin University Center, which will provide a focal point for the campus. “It’s going to be a game changer for Texas Wesleyan,” he said. “It will touch everyone on campus.” Lewis said the center will be 44,000 square feet and two stories tall. It will be located behind the Canafax clock tower and will be a major point of entry for students, their families, and
INSTAGRAM @the_rambler
transformation,” Miller said. “So as we try to transform, why not tap into their positive energy and create this synergy and this collective impact to change the lives of our students?”
Wesleyan guests. Lewis estimated the total cost of the center at $20,250,000, which includes $13,500,000 for construction and $1,350,000 for furniture. Among the amenities will be a welcome center, bookstore, food court, dining area, ballroom, student organization spaces, meeting spaces, a terrace that will feature patio space, and an amphitheater. “It will have a major impact on potential enrollment,” Lewis said, “by not only creating a great first impression for prospective students but also changing the complexion of student life here in a way that would make Wesleyan a lot more attractive
@theramblertwu
students participating by next year. Students can earn up to 60 hours of credit toward a bachelor’s degree, Miller said. The students in the program must
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Rendering courtesy of Texas Wesleyan University An illustration of how the Nick and Lou Martin University Center will look.
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Photo by Calvin Johnson
Spring 2017 Rambler Media Group staff members (from left) Dalise DeVos, Karan Muns and Calvin Johnson pass out newspapers and encourage students to follow The Rambler on social media during a cookies and lemonade event.
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School of Arts & Letters
McCoy nominated for Grammy
Photos by Matthias Smith
Associate Professor Julie McCoy, began her career in music young. Only time knew where her passion would lead. A soprano, McCoy started with singing lessons in junior high, but she first tested her skills against others in a National Association of Teachers of Singing (NATS) conference when she was a senior in college at the University of Texas in Austin. McCoy often gives one-on-one lessons, so she finds herself akin to Wesleyan’s smaller, more personal environment. “This is [about] my 12th year at Wesleyan,” McCoy said. “It’s just been a fabulous place for me. I love this school,” McCoy said; before coming to Wesleyan,
she taught at Oklahoma State University, Texas Christian University, and the University of North Texas. “But it’s been such as wonderful transition to working in this small, very family-like intimate setting [at] Texas Wesleyan,” she said. “I appreciate that many of our students are first-generation college students and also especially non-traditional students, many of whom who are older.” McCoy is also a singer for Austin-based choral ensemble, Conspirare. Conspirare, which won a Grammy for the album The Sacred Spirit of Russia in 2015, was nominated for a Grammy this year for Considering Matthew Shepard – an
album McCoy thinks everyone should listen to. Considering Matthew Shepard is a concept album revolving around the life, death, and impact of Matthew Shepard, a homosexual from Wyoming who was killed in a hate crime on October 12, 1998 at age 21. “The story of what happened to Matthew Shepard is one that we as people need to revisit,” McCoy said. “We are seeing this rise in division so it’s especially important now. How do we become better people? Where do we go beyond this terrible crime? The answer the composer gives us is ‘love.’”
Dr. Ilka Araujo Photo by Mattie Morris Faculty and students hold free concerts on campus at Nicholas Martin Hall every Tuesday and Thursday at 7:30 p.m.
Dr. Ilka Araujo, associate professor of musicology, piano and piano pedagogy, has been at Texas Wesleyan since 2009. She comes from Brazil. She was seen performing at a summer festival by an American professor, who was impressed by her talent. As a result, Araujo was offered a full scholarship to the University of Florida, where she received her master’s degree and PhD in 2007. Araujo never thought she would end up teaching. “While in Brazil, I learned English to a point where I was able to get out of my
comfort zone of being shy to being able to really help others,” she said. “That is when I identified myself as a teacher. “Teaching is something good. It is a part of who I am, and I don’t know what I would do without it.” Araujo has a passion and connection with music that she thinks is important for her students to understand that teaching and playing music are a strong mission in the music world. “Music is something that needs to be shared,” she said. “Whenever there is an opportunity to perform I take it,” she said.
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MHL speaker inspires women
The annual Faye C. Goostree Symposium and Marjorie Herrara Lewis Endowed speaker series presented “A New Ballgame: Women in Sports Media” on March 7 at the Nicholas Martin Hall. Focusing on the contribution of women in the community, the Symposium Planning Committee invited Kristi Scales, sideline reporter for the Dallas Cowboys, to be the keynote speaker, accompanied by Scott Murray, former local sports anchor and broadcast journalist, as the event’s moderator. Scales described her career journey as a woman in sports media. “I’ve actually been on the Cowboys’ sideline since I was 10 years old,” Scales said. Two blocks south of the Dallas Cowboys’ original practice field was her junior high, Forest Meadows Junior High: home of the Mighty Chargers. In the afternoons, Scales would sit on a dumpster in her school’s practice field to watch the Cowboys team practice. “And if the dumpster was set close enough to the blue aluminum fence, you could sit on top of the dumpster and watch practice,” she said. After she graduated from Texas A&M University, she needed a summer job while she waited to begin her career as a teacher in August. She was hired by KVIL, a commercial After about a year, the Cowboys signed a contract with KVIL, to become the new flagship station for the
Dallas Cowboys radio network. Not wanting to spend any money, the radio station made her a sports producer for the Dallas Cowboys. “I was the producer,” she said. “ I’d watched plenty of practices from the top of the dumpster; naturally I was the right person for the job, and that’s how I became a sports producer with the Dallas Cowboys radio network,” Photo by Sachiko Jayaratne Scales said. “So, Scott Murray (right) speaks with Kristi Scales during the MHL speaker series. I’m sorry that I’m not the best work part, but to her dying day, and she example for career day… but the bottom lived to be 101, she thought that Lewis line is life is what happens to you while had married a Dallas Cowboys cheeryou’re making other plans.” leader,” Scales said. “Back then you just At the time, people believed the only didn’t have women [working for the Dallas way women can be associated with CowCowboys], that I knew of. boys was if they are cheerleaders, Scales “You have to be open to opportunities said. and this is a lesson, not just for girls, but In fact when Scales’ husband, Lewis, the guys too,” Scales said. introduced her to his great aunt Ruby, She advises aspiring students to not miss Ruby thought her nephew was marrying a any opportunities presented to them. Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. “I guess she didn’t hear the radio net-
Dr. Ngozi Akinro
Born in Nigeria, Dr. Ngozi Akinro, Production. assistant professor of mass communication, Akinro said the biggest difference in moved to the United States in 2010 for a the education system from Nigeria to the better education. United States is the access to technology, She earned a bachelor’s degree in the- equipment, facilities and the internet. atre arts from the University of Benin in “I’ve always been someone who aspires Nigeria, a master’s degree in mass commu- for more,” Akinro said. nication-radio-TV from Arkansas State Akinro said that she was most driven to University, and a doctorate in mass com- pursue a career in this field is her drive for munication and media arts from Southern social change. Illinois University in Carbondale. “Work hard,” Akinro said. “Dare to be Akinro began her career at Wesleyan in different and most importantly, take adFall 2016. She teaches Digital Production, vantage of every technology and software Mass Media and Society and Mobile available to you in school.”
Photo by Chuck Greeson
Dr. Akinro joined Rambler Media Group as Rambler Tv Director in Fall 2016.
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School of Arts & Letters
Humanities set to soar
Wesleyan’s Religion and Humanities and Music Stu departments have joined to d p enn ying present Ethics and the the y. ab arts in Eastern Euthi opp Than road Pla s V ert rope: a study abroad c ks is w S t u am e iew ni We o r p He To ty! sle th program to Germany !! re : Te y e I v a 1 me n and Poland set to begin e x 2 r a an for y Wo 01 W s Wesley on May 17. This particular trip loo rth esle an U ka , T yan nivi will be chaperoned by Dr. Mark t r X 76 St, F sity Hanshaw, interim dean of arts and let105 o rt ters, and Dr. John Fisher, professor of piano, music theory and women composers. During the trip, students will visit many different places including, Leipzig, Berlin, Warsaw and Krakow. A somber part of the trip will include a tour of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Museum where students will learn about the Holocaust.The program will count for a total of six credit hours in music or religion courses. Graphics by Alex Gudac
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Spring 2017
Theatre spotlight: Kristi Taylor Almost four years after graduating from Texas Wesleyan University, Kristi Taylor’s success has soared to heights that some can only dream of. Taylor has been cast in numerous stage productions, TV series and films, as well as recording music. Taylor received her undergraduate degree in performance arts in 2013. Originally she was scheduled to graduate with a degree in forensic pathology. “Making the connection and building a reputable name for myself in the film and theatre world across the world has to be one of my greatest accomplishments,” Taylor said. She said the decision to attend Wesleyan was the best choice she ever made.
She wished she had attended Wesleyan all four undergraduate years. “I wouldn’t say I learned everything at Wesleyan,” Taylor said. “I was definitely placed with professors and other scholarly professionals who could always point me in the right direction.” Her advice to students is to remember success is not an overnight process. Although it may not seem worth it, the hard work and long hours lead to knowledge and experience needed to land a dream role, she said. “I kept a positive attitude and never gave up,” Taylor said. “In saying this, I do not mean that I never failed at anything... However, these so-called failures helped me to learn and grow.”
Photo courtesy of Kristi Taylor
Taylor records two new songs for her first album.
Theatre Wesleyan picked for PlayMarket
Photo of by Shaydi Paramore
Dean Phillips’ play chosen for PlayMarket.
Dean Phillips is a junior theatre major with an emphasis in playwriting who chose to come to Wesleyan to expand his playwriting skills. Phillips first learned about Wesleyan through his sister, Katreeva Phillips. “I come from a very big family,” Phillips said. “I have three older sisters, and I am the youngest. My second oldest sister went to Wesleyan as a music major. So that was my first experience with Wesleyan.” While at Haltom High, Phillips en-
tered a play called “Lung, Liver, and the Staple State of Mind” into a playwright competition. His play won, and he was introduced to one of the judges, Connie Whitt-Lambert, Wesleyan professor of theatre, who introduced him to other Wesleyan students. “I won, and Connie met me and asked if I wanted to come to Wesleyan,” Phillips said. “She let me meet other students who read and judged my play. She told me they collaborated with a lot of student plays.” Whitt-Lambert is now one of Phillips’s playwriting professors and his adviser. She assisted him with the PlayMarket process, according to Phillips. His play, Fallen Goldfish, will be performed at Wesleyan, before it will be performed in an off-Broadway reading in New York. Phillips was flabbergasted when he was told that his play had been picked for PlayMarket. “I was with my family when I got the call from Connie who told me my play was picked,” Phillips said. “And my girlfriend was there. They were so excited. I like screamed and told them everything
and they jumped up and hugged me. It was remarkable. Absolutely unbelievable.” The process was extremely long for Phillips who submitted his play in mid-November and didn’t receive the news until early January. In early May, Goldfish will be presented to interested directors and producers. “It will be taken to Rattlesticks PlayMarket on May 14 to be read through. After that, it will be cleaned up,” Phillips said. “Then producers can communicate [with us] if they are interested in using the play at their school.” Upon graduation, Phillips plans to attend Long Island University in New York to pursue a master’s degree in playwriting. “It was created by Norman Steinberg who actually wrote Blazing Saddles,” he said. “He will also be at the reading of my play, so fingers crossed.” Phillips hopes to continue to pursue his love of writing and is extremely excited for this experience. “It’s a very honoring fact that I was picked [for PlayMarket] and that this is happening to me,” he said.
School of Arts & Letters
The Dean’s List Fall 2016
Hannah Abed-R-bo Edon Ademaj Rachell Aguilar Elizabeth Allen Alejandra Amaya Chalon Anderson Fernando Angeles Alison Baron Debra Barrick Tamara Bowers Tristen Brown Drenda Burk Luis Calderon Briana Calvin Christina Carter Yasmin Cazares Yongxu Cheng Jared Coile Gracie Coleman Dexter Collins Gabriel Crowley Lucia Cruz Torris Curry Deven De Leon Misty Dedman Dalise DeVos Lauren Dixon Cassandra Dunlap Andrew Fillingim Amanda Fitzgerald Edward Fitzhugh Jorge Flores Jamie Ford Katherine Frankel Rachel Frick Elsie Fukuchi Christina Garcia Erik Garner
Gary Girard Richard Givans Qualon Gray Kaitlin Hatton Daniel Hernandez Enriqueta Hernandez Julian Hobdy Benjamin Huebner Han Mai Huynh Candace Jaynes Calvin Johnson Jenny Kerzman Lori King-Nelson Mariah Kuhn Jan Lassker Rowan Lester Rachel Levy Caley Lewis Alexander Lopez Jorge Lopez Dylan Luster Celeste Marek Kaitlin McGehee Amber McIntyre Alexa Mentesana Larasue Merritt Jasmine Mesre Emily Messenger Karan Muns Clarissa Murillo Malik Offor Isabel Olmedo Isaac Olson Hannah Onder Sarah Owens Daniela Padilla Sai Patel Skylar Peters
Joann Petry Carolyn Phillips Clayton Phillips Kayla Prachyl Holli Price Jaclyn Puga Colby Reed Victoria Rieber Cathy Rivers Amanda Roach Steven Roberts Jacqueline Rodriguez Corazon Rojas Zahraa Saheb Crystal Salazar Guadalupe Sanchez Lilia Sanchez Kimberlee Sims Bryan Sinclair Alicia Smith Katherine Smith Willie Smith Alberto Solis April Suarez Olvera Kasey Szamatulski Alfredo Tamayo Shirley Thai Tammy Titlow John Traxler Daniel Trevor Devon Tunnell Alec Turner Raquel Velasco Rolando Villa Alan Whetsel Setford Jasmin White Casey Williams Sarah Williams
Wesleynotes is the official newsletter for the School of Arts and Letters at Texas Wesleyan University. It was produced, designed and edited by students in MCO 2345, MCO 3320 and MCO 4350 at Wesleyan.
Contributors: Dalise DeVos Gracie Weger Guadalupe Sanchez April Suarez Olvera Marisol Amaya Shaydi Paramore Delana Lopez Alex Gudac Kayla Prachyl Chalon Anderson Sarah Owens Nick Acosta Karan Muns Matthias Smith Sachiko Jayaratne Heather Birge Jose Najar Gloria Borja-Andrade Mattie Morris For more information, contact the Dean of Arts and Letters office at 817-531-4900, or stop by Polytechnic United Methodist Church, Room 256.
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