PrairieTuesday, Nov.1, 2011 Volume 94, Issue IX

the

The sTudenT newspaper of wesT Texas a&M universiTywww.theprairienews.com Follow us onlinePartly Cloudy

74°F | 43°F

InsIdesporTs:Lady Buffs volleyball clinches top spot in LSC.

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news:Nursing students look at economic stability when looking for jobs.

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enTerTainMenT:Stephanie Meadows is the winner of this week’s $10 iTunes gift card.

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CaMpus Life:Technology Club will host video game tournament.

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feaTure:Marga Gore was named Staff Member of the Month.

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theprairiewt the_prairie

THECB can receive assistance from Proposition 3

Lady Buffs soccer clinches a spot in LSC playoffs

KrysTina MarTinezassisTanT ediTor

MeLissa Bauer-herzogsTaff wriTer

Women Soccer continued on p. 4

On Nov. 8, Texas voters will line up at the voting booths to vote on several amendments to the state constitution. One of the amendments is Proposition 3, which will expand the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board’s ability to finance more student loans for college students.

According to an analysis by the Texas Legislative Council, Proposition 3 would not limit the total amount of bonds issued like it has in the past, meaning that more student loans will be able to be financed and issued to college students.

“If passed, Proposition 3 will significantly extend the reach of the program to serve more students than ever before,” Amir Barzin, student representative for the THECB,

said. “It will also provide long-term sustainability and predictability so that the THECB can effectively respond to current and future demand for low-interest loans.”

The THECB issues College Access Loans (CAL) through the Hinson-Hazelwood Student Loan Program. According to Barzin, the program has never relied on taxpayers to repay bond obligations or administer the program.

“Eventually those bonds will have to be paid for by the taxpayer either way when they come due,” Evan Brantley, a WTAMU graduate student of Accounting, said. “The board should set aside resources each year to prepare for the due date of the bonds. Hopefully, the loans themselves would cover the amount of the bonds when they come due as well.”

The THECB’s desire to issue more loans to students comes

at the heels of a recent report by the THECB, which reported a 4.3 percent increase in college enrollment figures.

“Texas will increase the number of high school graduates by 20 percent over the next 10 years,” Dr. Dan D. Garcia, vice president of Enrollment Management at WT, said. “There will be more people wanting to pursue high education and we have to make room for them.”

According to the THECB report, the state has a higher education plan called “Closing the Gaps by 2015,” which aims to get 630,000 more students enrolled at Texas colleges. That goal may be within reach, with preliminary enrollment data for fall 2011 showing 1.5 million students enrolled in a Texas college.

“Costs across the nation are increasing, but more people are going to college,” Garcia

said. “[The CAL program] may expand the opportunities for students to go to college, but it is a loan and it will have to be repaid.”

Early voting for Proposition 3 and other Texas constitutional

amendments is take place from Oct. 31 - Nov. 4 at the Randall County Justice Center. The general election will be on Nov. 8.

Amendment will expand the ability to finance student loans

Graphic by Krystina MartinezStatistics Courtesy of The Higher Education Coordinating Board.

The Lady Buffs have had a rough go lately with a record of four losses in seven games during October. However, the memory of those losses faded away on Oct. 28 as WTAMU clinched a spot in the Lone Star Conference tournament by defeating Eastern New Mexico Univer-sity 2-1.

ENMU got the first tally when they

scored 16:23 into the first half. The Zias gained momentum from the goal but wouldn’t be able to build on it as Lady Buffs player Leslie Briggs tied the game with a little less than four minutes left in the half. Jessie Thomas would break the tie less than two minutes later, sending the teams to intermission with the Lady Buffs leading.

The second half saw a lot of back-and-forth action but there would be no more scores, giving WT the 2-1 win.

“We’ve lost quite a few here lately and it felt really good to win,” Head Coach

Chad Webb said. “We paid tribute to our seniors before we played and that’s always a little emotional, but we knew that winning the game today would put us into the conference tournament for sure. I thought that the girls were either motivated by the senior night or the chance to get into the tournament and maybe some other things.”

On Oct. 30, the Lady Buffs returned to No. 2-ranked Abilene Christian Uni-versity to make up a postponed game from earlier in the season.

Photo by Melissa Bauer-HerzogBoth teams go for the ball at ENMU’s goal.

Feature2 November 1, 2011www.theprairienews.comPrairie

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Editor- Maria MolinaAssistant Editor- Krystina MartinezWeb Editor - Georgia RomigLayout- Kati WatsonAd Manager- Bryan SamuelFaculty Adviser- Butler Cain

The Prairie is a student-operated publication at West Texas A&M University. It functions to inform, educate, and entertain readers accurately and responsibly. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the administration, faculty or students. The editorials that appear on these pages represent the opinion of the Prairie editorial board. The views expressed by other columinsts are the writers’ opinions and do not necessarily reflect the board’s views. Advertising rates are available upon request at (806) 337- 2090 or at theprairiewt@gmail.com. WTAMU Box 60754, Canyon, Texas 79016. The Prairie is distributed on Tuesdays during the semester and has a circulation of 1,500. It is printed by The Amarillo Globe-News.

Reporter- Jes RoskensReporter- Melissa Bauer-HerzogReporter- Ryan SchaapReporter- Matt WatkinsReporter- Lisa HellierReporter- Jordan Fry

Prairiethe

Staff 2011-2012

Reporter- Daniela FierroReporter- Monica GambertReporter - Brittany CastilloPublic Relations- Aurora OrtizPhotographer- Alex Montoya

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a

redress of grievances.- First Amendment to the

U.S. Constitution

Marga Gore chosen as staff member of the monthLisa HeLLierstaff Writer

Financial Aid Counselor Marga Gore was named as WT Staff Member of the Month.

“Marga is a hard worker. She is always doing something,“ Terri Faver, a financial counselor, said.

At the Financial Aid office, there is a sense of community amongst the employees. Everyone jokes around with one another and they have fun, but there is also an underlying support system. Her co-workers are happy to see her get this award.

“She jumps in there and helps with anything that needs help with,” Faver said. “She’s

lots of fun, and she’s really conscientious.”

Gore did not have a specific

job in mind when applying at WT, but she felt a sense of belonging when she visited the

campus. “Pretty much the second I

stepped foot on this campus people were really nice, and I thought this was a cool little place,” Gore said. “I immediately had a sense of wanting to be here.”

Gore started working for the University seven years ago.

She is originally from Germany, and moved to America over 20 years ago.

“My husband was American so that’s how I ended up from Germany to here,” Gore said.

When Gore is not working, she has three kids that keep her busy. She enjoys reading, exercising and jokes that she likes to sleep in her spare time.

As a financial aid counselor at WT, she does not strongly

deal with paperwork. It is her job to talk to people, answer questions and compile documents.

“I like the students,” Gore said. “I like the interaction with the students.”

Dealing with financial aid can be a stressful job because there are a lot of students to deal with. According to Gore, that is the good and bad part of the job. In some cases, students are not always easy to deal with, but Gore takes everything in stride.

“She’s very helpful to the students and compassionate to the students,” Faver said. “She’s just really great to work with. She makes coming to work a lot of fun.”

Photo by Lissa HellierMarga Gore working at the Financial Aid Office.

Top 10 music albums1. Evanescence new entry “Evanescence” (Wind-up)2. Adele No. 2 “21” (XL/Columbia)3. Five Finger Death Punch new entry “American Capitalist” (Prospect Park)4. Scotty McCreery No. 1 “Clear As Day” (19/Mercury Nashville)5. Lauren Alaina new entry “Wildflower” (19/Mercury Nashville)6. Tony Bennett No. 3 “Duets II” (RPM/Columbia)7. Ryan Adams new entry “Ashes and Fire” (PAX.AM)8. Lady Antebellum No. 4 “Own the Night” (Capitol Nashville)9. Lil Wayne No. 6 “The Carter IV” (Young Money/Cash Money)10. Martina McBride new entry “Eleven” (Republic Nashville)

As of Oct. 31, 2001(c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.

Top 10 weekly movies 1. Paranormal Activity 3 (R) Chloe Csengery, Jessica Tyler Brown2. Real Steel (PG-13) Hugh Jackman, Dakota Goyo3. Footloose (PG-13) Kenny Wormald, Julianne Hough4. The Three Musketeers (PG-13) Logan Lerman, Orlando Bloom5. The Ides of March (R) Ryan Gosling, George Clooney6. Dolphin Tale (PG) Morgan Freeman, Ashley Judd7. Moneyball (PG-13) Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill8. Johnny English Reborn (PG) Rowan Atkinson, Gillian Anderson9. The Thing (R) Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Joel Edgerton10. 50/50 (R) Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Seth Rogen

(c) 2011 King Features Synd., Inc.

News3 November 1, 2011www.theprairienews.comPrairie

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Nursing students look for stability after graduation

College students across the nation are watching the news and trends of the econo-my and worrying about stabil-ity in their lives and future careers. But one sector doesn’t seem to have enough people to fill jobs.

The nursing profession has been rumored to have a short-age and according to the Ameri-can Association of Colleges of Nursing, the rumors are true.

According to the U.S. Bu-reau of Labor Statistics (BSL), the healthcare section of the economy has been growing. In April of 2011, it reported that although most job markets are suffering significant losses, hos-pitals and long term care facili-ties have added an estimated

37,000 new jobs. Over the past year, the BLS confirmed that 283,00 jobs were added to the healthcare profession.

In April of 2006, five years before the estimated growth of jobs in the nursing profession, the Health Resources and Ser-vices Administration (HRSA) stated there would be a growth of one million jobs by the year 2020.

Here on campus, these pre-dictions are encouraging to the WT Nursing program and its students.

“I feel very confident in finding a job once I graduate. I know that we are currently in a nursing shortage, which makes me confident that nursing jobs are out there,” senior Nursing major Whitney Dragon said. “There is still a demand for nurses, not only in hospitals but in the community.”

The nursing students and

staff in the department feel that the shortage of nurses is only one of the many factors that are going to help them get a job after graduation.

“I feel that my education has made me flexible and prepared to enter the work field,” Logan Lane, another senior Nursing major, said. “I am very excited about graduating. I want to work in Dallas, possibly in a hospital ER. I am not nervous about finding a job, but a job in that certain field. A nursing job will always be available, because nurses will always be needed.”

When applying for jobs after graduation, some nursing students also said that it was encouraging to know students who graduated from WT’s program were able to find a job even before their official graduation, like recent August graduate Annie Dickerson.

“ I had a job before I gradu-ated, so it wasn’t hard to find a job for me. I was in the Healthtraxx program through Covenant Hospital in Lubbock and from there accepted a job,” she said.

With her professional experience, Dickerson was able to prove that the statistics are true. Her reasoning for the nursing job demand was

simple. “I think that nursing jobs are

in high demand because there will always be sick people,” she said.

As graduation becomes a reality for students in Decem-ber and May, the job outlook for nursing graduates is positive.

Stephanie WilliamSmCOm 3309neWS editing & RepORting

For over a month, protesters supporting Occupy Wall Street have gathered in major cities across the country, and have since sparked protests supporting the same cause world-wide. Protests officially began on September 17 in Liberty Square in Manhattan’s Financial District with claims that the richest 1 percent of the population is in control of the economy and that the financial woes are due to their practices.

The movement has made a huge presence on Twitter and while there are many other social media platforms out there, Occupy Wall Street has for the most part stuck with Twitter to organize and get the word out about the move-ment.

Dr. Leigh Browning, associate profes-sor in the Department of Communica-tion, said that if it weren’t for social media, which has made a tremendous impact, the Occupy Wall Street move-ment would not have the status that it has.

“It wouldn’t have the legs that it has had without social media. More people go online to get their news today and without that component, it just wouldn’t be something that has everyone’s atten-tion. Social media is very critical to news events,” she said.

Browning said the reason Occupy Wall Street has stuck with Twitter as their outlet is due to the demographic that the social network targets.

“Twitter’s user base is a little older. This is an issue that of course doesn’t resonate with a younger population that may be on Facebook, other web-sites, or chat groups, but with an older

demographic, mainly an older male demographic. Twitter seems to be the machine that is driving the voices,” she said.

Part-time instructor of Economics Parman Reynolds said he thinks the movement doesn’t have much organiza-tion and that groups may try to claim the movement as their own idea.

“There doesn’t seem to be a lot of or-ganization to the protests so far, though in situations like this certain groups tend to try and claim the ‘movement’ and brand it their own,” he said. “The Democrats are attempting to give voice to some of the concerns of the protes-tors, much like the Republicans egged on the tea party, because it mirrors the leadership’s frustrations with getting the Republicans to go along with the reforms the Democrats seek. We’ll see if it turns out to be a clever strategy.”

College of Business Department Head

and Professor of Marketing and Banking Dr. Nicholas Gerlich said he believes the movement will disperse soon and it will not have any impact on Wall Street or the economy.

“I really don’t think it’s going to have any negative repercussions on Wall Street or the economy at all. I think it’s probably just a temporary glitch, and to be perfectly honest, when the snow starts flying most of the folks are going to go home,” he said.

Gerlich also said they are being very unclear in their message.

“I’ve criticized them for being very vague. They are complaining about low wages, corporate greed, corporate spending, you know, all these things. The signs on the ends of their sticks are not telling me a whole lot,” he said.

Regardless of opinions about the movement, it is clear that it has impact-ed the debate about America’s economy.

Occupy Wall Street has presence on social mediaCOltOn WedkingmCOm 3309neWS editing & RepORting

Twitter used as main media outlet due to older demographic

Healthcare section of economy experiencing growth period

SportS4 November 1, 2011www.theprairienews.comPrairie

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Lady Buffs come from behind to beat Angelo State

Matthew watkinsstaff writer

Equestrian team goes to Texas Tech for weekendMelissa Bauer-herzogstaff writer

Photo by Melissa Bauer-HerzogHeather Hollis races an ENMU player to the ball.

Womens Soccer continued from p. 1

The Lady Buffs traveled to Lub-bock on Oct. 29 to show in two western shows at Texas Tech for their first official away show of the weekend.

The first show of the day started with multiple classes of reining. The first reining class saw two WTAMU riders hitting the board as Christa Fosburg took third and Hannah Agee took fourth. The second reining class saw WT grab their first blue ribbon of the day as Kristen Liesman won the class with teammate Kelsey Kenson taking third. The last reining class saw similar results to class one as Hannah Welter finished third and Tabatha Taylor took the fifth place ribbon.

Christa Forsburg was seen on the score sheet again in the first class of Open Horsemanship when she finished third. Kristen Liesman won her second class of the day in the second class of Open Horsemanship to add another blue ribbon to her wall.

The WT riders continued to hit the score sheet in Intermediate II as Paige Frevert took second in the first class of the section and Anna Copple won the second class. The novice riders held their own and carried on the day’s theme as Sarah Schmitt and Kristi Bene-dict took third in both their classes in the division.

Rider Julia Roberts would bring home the Lady Buffs’ fourth win of the weekend in her advanced class. Lindsey McNeil finished off the first show by bringing home a second in the Beginner

division.After a short break, the event saw

reining back in the arena for the second show of the day. In the first class, WT quickly showed they would be a force to be reckoned with as Hannah Welter won with teammate Kelsey Kenson taking second.

The second reining class would see Christa Forsburg grabbing third place followed by Julia Roberts in fifth. In the final reining class of the day, Kristen Liesman took home second place honors with Hannah Agee finishing behind her in fourth place.

WT dominated in the horsemanship classes again as Kristin Liesman took fourth in the first Open class of the show. Hannah Welter followed up her reining win with a second in her Open class. In the Intermediate I class, Lady Buffs An-

gela Bradley and Jessica Reed took the second and third spots.

The first class of Intermediate II saw Audra Head being announced in the fifth place spot followed by Mary Trimble winning the second class of the division.

Lindsay Raften got her division started off right when she took first in the first class of the Novice division. Kristen Johansen followed up Raften’s win with a second place in the second class of Novice. Amy Mitchem would fin-ish off WT’s show with a fourth place in the Advanced class.

“We all rode well and we definitely had to overcome some sticky situations,” Raften said.

The Lady Buffs’ next show is an NCAA show at Texas Christian University on Nov 5.

The No. 12 WTAMU Lady Buffs volleyball team welcomed the No. 17 An-gelo State Rambelles to The Box on Oct. 29 for a Top 20 showdown. The Lady Buffs rallied to win the match 23-25, 26-28, 25-19, 25-23 and 15-9; the win puts WT alone at the top of the Lone Star Conference standings.

After falling behind 1-4 in the first game, WT went on a 7-1 run to take an 8-5 lead early. The Rambelles answered with a 10-2 run to take a 10-15 lead. Despite an 8-2 run near the end of the set, the Lady Buffs were unable to pull out the win.

“Credit to them, they outworked us,” Head Coach Jason Skoch said.

ASU began set two with a 2-8 lead into a WT timeout. Down 5-12, the Lady Buffs went on an 11-3 run to go up 16-15. After the Rambelles took a 22-24

lead WT was able to tie the set, but the Rambelles outlasted the Lady Buffs to win the set 26-28.

“We knew it was us, Angelo played great the first two games,” junior Erin Dougherty said.

Trailing 1-4 in the third game, WT went on an 8-3 run to take a 9-7 lead. Af-ter building a 20-17 lead the Lady Buffs outscored ASU 5-2 to win their first set of the match.

Game four was tied 5-5 when ASU scored four straight heading into a WT

timeout. The Lady Buffs responded with four of their own into a Rambelles’ tim-eout, evening the score at nine all. ASU would have a 17-21 advantage when WT would go on an 8-2 run to even the match at two games apiece.

The Lady Buffs started the fifth set with a 5-2 lead into the first ASU tim-eout. WT expanded their lead to 11-6 when the Rambelles called their second timeout. The Lady Buffs traded points with ASU until they got the deciding point to complete the comeback.

The first period saw multiple attempt-ed shots for both teams as the goalkeep-ers worked overtime to keep their net safe. After 45 minutes, the teams would leave the field tied 0-0. The official shot tally for the half would be 8-5 in favor of the Lady Buffs.

The second period began similarly as both teams assaulted the nets. But a ball finally found the net when ACU’s Ashley Craig got the ball past Yvette Bedoy a little over 30 minutes into the half. WT regis-tered seven shots in the half but wouldn’t score, giving the Wildcats a 1-0 victory.

The team will hit the road for the LSC

Women’s Soccer Championship next weekend back in Abilene. Sixth-seeded WT will take on ENMU at 11 a.m. on Nov 3.

“I think we have a good chance [at the tournament],” Midfielder Kelsey Wright said. “There have been times in the past that the sixth-seed team has won the tournament. It’s not out of reach, we just have to put forth our top effort all game, every game.”

The Lady Buffs end the regular season with an overall record of 8-9-1 and an LSC record of 5-8-1.

WT Volleyball now holds number 1 spot in LSC tournament

WT takes home several awards from first away competition

Campus Life5 November 1, 2011www.theprairienews.comPrairie

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WT Tennis Club plays for enjoyment, not trophiesMelissa Bauer-Herzogstaff Writer

Tech Club hosts annual video game tournamentJes roskensstaff Writer

The WTAMU Technology Club will be throwing its annual fall video-game tournament on Nov. 12 at noon.

The event, sponsored by Best Buy, Pizza Hut and the WT Business Department, will be held at the Classroom Center in the Innovation Room (209) or Game Room. Entrants will pay an $8 fee for playing and for food and drinks. The tournament will consist of three separate competitions for Mortal Kombat, Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Madden 12. Cash prizes will be given out to the top three players of each competition. Sophomore Computer Informatio and Decision Management major and club president Jay Schmidt said he and the rest of the club are hopeful that the tournament will attract many different students across WT.

“We want people from every major to come,” Schmidt said.

Putting together the tournament has been expensive for the club, costing them more than $700 for games and food. Senior Mathematics major and club treasurer Teddy White said that in terms of financial gains, the tournament does not bring much profit. Last year, the tournament made the club about eight cents in profits. Still, if the club breaks even for this tournament, the members are

going to try for a tournament every semester. White said that making money is not the goal of the tournament.

“If we have to spend money to get some good will and interest, we are willing to do that,” White said.

This sentiment is echoed by WT professor and club advisor Dr. Jeffry Babb, who hopes that students who just have an interest in technology and video games will come to the club.

“We just want to offer a place where nerd is not a term of derision but of pride,” Dr. Babb said.

Pre-registration is open until the day of the tournament with a $2-late fee for those who enter into one of the competitions on Nov. 12. The Game Room is open now to all students from 3-5 from Monday to Friday with recent releases for the Xbox 360, Playstation 3 and PC.

In 2007, a group of WTAMU students created the WT Tennis Club. Today, the club is still active and travels to events across the region to compete against both Division I and II schools.

However, the club’s main purpose is to give tennis players, both recreational and former competitive players, a chance to get back on the court.

“There are many, many high school tennis players--and even tennis starts--walking around on our campus who would enjoy playing at the club level against club teams from other universities,“ club sponsor Dr. James Hallmark said. “We want to get them involved. There are others who have played a great deal as they were growing up and are really good recreational

players. They too are welcome and have a place to be on our club.“

While players do have a chance to compete, the Tennis Club isn’t just for those that have played before; they also have some players that are interested in the sport but have never been on a court before. These new players are given a chance to learn the game while meeting new people who shares their passion.

But for those that want to jump right into competition after learning the game, the club allows new players to compete in the tournaments.

The club isn’t widely known around but they have already made a splash in the region, beating Baylor in their second match of the weekend at the Texas A&M University tournament on Oct. 1. They plan to continue traveling to tournaments. Club president Jose Lopez’s ultimate goal is getting the team

to the national tournament in the future.

“We’ve seen great success in numbers jumping up of those in the club. We’re traveling more often and seeing great success across the board,” Lopez said.

But even experienced players that haven’t traveled to the team tournaments enjoy the time on the court meeting new people.

“I played tennis in high school and missed it. [My goal is] to have a good time and get to know people on the campus and from other campuses and play to have fun since I didn’t get that chance ” Laura Ness said.

The club currently practices on Sunday and Tuesday nights at Canyon High School’s tennis courts.

Photo by Melissa Bauer-HerzogJoe Tamayo plays in a practice match.

Members hope to increase attendance and interest at WT

Photo by Kati Watson Korrie Talley, the winner of last year’s Call of Duty Tournament, practices to keep his title.

Campus Life6 November 1, 2011www.theprairienews.comPrairie

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WTAMU students take tour of Erwin’s GreenhouseRyan SchaapStaff WRiteR

For the last five years, WTAMU students have been taking trips with Mrs. Elizabeth Moore’s horticulture class to the Erwin’s Greenhouse. Moore is a part time instructor at WT and helps with the WT greenhouse. Her husband, Kyle Moore, is the associate director of administrations.

“In 2006, I contacted Erwin’s Green-house to set up a tour for the students,” Moore said. “The students really do re-tain a lot of information they see during the trip. I think everyone always enjoys going out to the greenhouses.”

Erwin’s Greenhouse was developed in 1963 by Jim and Gean Erwin. Today, the facility is run by Lou Anne Causey, the manager and president. Her neph-ew, Jarret Erwin, gives students tours. Jarret went to Texas Tech University, achieving his degree in horticulture. His

interest in winery led him to pursue his masters in oenology and he now grows and harvests his own vineyard.

“When he came back from college, he has helped with the technical work such as testing the soils for the right pH,” Causey said. “Elizabeth Moore contacted us one day and asked if we could give a tour for her students to which Jarret was more than happy to do.”

“The students are always pleasantly surprised what they get to see,” Moore said. “Watching the students open doors

to new ideas and realize how big the facility is makes it worthwhile to me. Horticulture is a huge part of agriculture and some students don’t know about that.”

“You can always tell which students are the most interested because they’re right up front,” Causey said. “Very sel-dom, we have students come looking for a part-time job after they take this tour with Jarret. There are not a lot of people who are interested in this business, but I hope through this tour, students can become more interested.”

“I thought it was very interesting,” Belynn Sharp, a sophomore studying Advertising and Public Relations, said. “I liked learning about all the differ-ent stages that go into producing their crops and how much work goes into it throughout the year.”

Sharp is one of the many students who have taking this tour with Mrs. Moore to the Erwin’s Greenhouse.

“She [Mrs. Moore] genuinely cares about her students,” Sharp said. “[These trips] help the students with their edu-cation because it’s more hands on work than what you would see in a history class.”

Photo by Ryan SchaapErwin’s Greenhouse is used as a learning tool for students.

WTAMU graduate and under-graduate students will travel down to the Texas A&M campus in College Sta-tion to attend the 9th Annual Texas A&M University Systems Pathways Sympo-sium Research Conference on Nov. 11.

The TAMUS Pathways Symposium is a student research conference hosted by a different Texas A&M System school every year. It allows students from a variety of majors to come together and share their research with fellow stu-dents and faculty in their field.

“(The symposium) is a way to bring everyone together and get to know each other,” Dr. Robin Capt, associate dean of Graduate School and Research, said. “It provides a venue for them to decide to work on a masters or doctorate some-where else.”

21 WT students will be attending the conference and will present in a variety of categories such as Agriculture, Hu-manities, and Computer Science.

“There’s a category for everyone,” Capt said. “It may not be your major, but you can find a place to be in there.”

The students will present their research in front of a panel of experts who will judge and critique accordingly. Dr. Cathy Clewett, assistant professor

of Physics at WT and one of this year’s judges, said it’s not always about the presentation itself, but what happens behind the scenes.

“When I am looking at undergradu-ates, I look to see how much the stu-dents were involved with the research,” Clewett said.

Brian Yates, graduate student of Environmental Science said nine years’ worth of research competition within the Texas A & M System, however, has birthed a touch of rivalry among a couple of schools. Yates presented last year at the conference and will present this year.

“If we can beat (Texas A & M) it’s a pretty big deal,” Yates said. “Especially

since they have a lot of big environmen-tal science stuff going on.”

Despite bragging rights and a few potential prizes students can receive for placing in the competition, the most valued aspect of the symposium is net-working.

“It’s a good way to promote yourself,” Yates said. “If you’re an undergrad and you present at these things, you may talk to somebody who may end up being your future graduate advisor.”

Clewett said along with networking, simple communication is also an impor-tant factor in the symposium.

“It’s important to talk about your re-search,” Clewett said. “A big part of what you do as a scientist is communicate.”

Students compete in research conference at A&MaShley hendRickStaff WRiteR

As cooler weather sets in, residen-tial dwellers without air conditioning units feel relief.

“I’m so happy that it’s finally cool enough I can not boil when I’m in my room and actually close my window at

night so there’s not a layer of dust cover-ing my room,” Vanessa Spradlin, resident at Conner Hall,said.

There are currently four residential halls without air conditioning: Jarrett, Conner, Stafford, and Cousins.

“Right now it’s fantastic. The begin-ning of the year it was miserable, but you can either A) Get over it, or B) Go hang out somewhere else,” Katie Tuttle, a freshman resident at Cousins, said.

While the rooms may not have air conditioning, the lobbies do, which might encourage more socializing as residents seek relief from the heat.

With the high temperatures at the be-ginning of the semester, some students tried to battle the heat by installing air conditioning units or water coolers for their rooms. However, these remedies are prohibited and hall staff is able to confiscate all unauthorized items.

“The first couple of weeks are pretty rough, but after that it’s not so bad,” Matt Rogers, a residential assistant at Jarrett Hall, said.

Rogers would not comment on how many items were confiscated. Despite personal air conditioning units being considered contraband, residents are still allowed as many fans as desired.

aliSa WhiteMcOM 3309 neWS editing & RepORting

Campus residents get relief from warmer weather

EntErtainmEnt7 November 1, 2011www.theprairienews.comPrairie

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Last week’s answers

Can YOU finish first?

We are giving away two $10

iTunes gift cards.

Finish the three puzzles and

turn it in at FAC room 103.

Congratulations to Stephanie Meadows for finishing last

week’s puzzles!

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WT football wins shootout versus Central Washington

The No. 20 WTAMU Buffalo football team hosted the Central Washington Wildcats on Oct. 29. WT outlasted CWU 49-35 after both teams traded touchdowns for most of the night.

The Wildcats found the end zone first when quarterback Jose Mohler connected with Leon LaDeaux for a 56 yard score to put CWU up 7-0 just 2:43 into the game. The Buffs answered with an eight yard touchdown run by senior Tommy Hampton to tie the score at seven with seconds left in the first quarter.

The Wildcats struck again in the

second quarter when Mohler hit Levi Taylor for a nine yard score with 7:20 to go. WT quickly answered as sophomore Dustin Vaughn found junior Khiry Robinson for a 10 yard touchdown to even the score at 14 with 5:55 left in the half. After the Buffs defense got a stop, Hampton fumbled the ball and CWU’s Matt Mosely took it in from the eight yard line to give the Wildcats a 21-14 lead with 3:26 left until the half. WT tied it with a minute and change to go in the half on a two yard run by Robinson.

The Buffs took their first lead when Vaughn connected with senior Brittan Golden for a 26 yard touchdown to give WT a 28-21 lead with 8:38 left in the third. Vaughn and Golden hooked up again on the next drive, this time for a 16

yard score, to give the Buffs a 14 point lead at 35-21 with 5:08 remaining in the third.

“We didn’t really switch up anything after the half; we just executed a little better.” Golden said.

After a WT pick six was called back for roughing the passer, Mohler hit Justin Helwege for a 22 yard touchdown to bring the score to 35-28 with 2:48 to go in the third. The Wildcats tied it at 35 when Mohler found Helwege again for an eight yard score with 12:29 remaining in the fourth. The Buffs’ answer came when Robinson completed a 14 yard touchdown run by stretching the ball across the plane to put WT back up 42-35 with 10:36 left.

“I knew I was in there,” Robinson said.

“I reached out my arm and it was in.”The Buffs put the final nail in CWU’s

coffin on the next drive. Vaughn hit Golden for a 70 yard strike to give WT a 49-35 lead with 8:09 to go in the game.

Vaughn finished completing 32 of 42 passes for 430 yards and four touchdowns. Robinson led all rushers with 12 carries for 75 yards and two scores; he also had a touchdown through the air. Golden led all receivers with nine catches for 170 yards and three touchdowns. Sophomore Lance Ratliff also had seven receptions for 96 yards.

The Buffs’ next game will be in Wichita Falls against the No. 8 Midwestern State Mustangs on Nov. 5. Kickoff from Memorial Stadium is set for 2 p.m.

Matthew watkinsstaff writer

Dr. O’Brien wins Tricycle Race

On Oct. 31, WTAMU administrators faced off in a tricycle race to benefit the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC). Dr. Patrick O’Brien took first place.

“We decided to increase the excitement this year by having a tricycle race,” Becky Lopez, WT assistant director of personnel and SECC alum executive, said. “We spoke to Dr. O’Brien and the VP’s and they were all for it.”

Jars with pictures of campus leaders travelled around campus. Students could put money in for their favorite administrator.

“I know IT got together and put money in James [Webb’s, WTAMU’s chief information officer] jar and Dan [Garcia, vice president of Enrollment Management] had students putting money in his as well,” Lopez said.

The SECC allows employees to donate money to their favorite

charity. According to Lopez, WT employees can pick a

charity and opt to have a payroll deduction every paycheck to go towards the charity.

The tricycle race raised $325. Although the event was all in good fun, there may have been a hint of competition between WT administrators.

“Dan was out here ten minutes before the race picking out his tricycle,” said Lopez.

krystina Martinezassistant editor

Photo by Krystina Martinez(L-R) Dr. James Webb , Dr. Patrick O’Brien and Dan Garcia.

Photos By Alex Montoya

Angie Zimmerman, McKenna Carrol, Breana Cooper at a fundraiser for the National Student Speech Language Hearing Assoication.

WT Buffs on the loose

Students made a snow man Oct. 27, the first snow fall of the season.

Students dress up for the Legends launch party.

The Legacy launch party announces contest winners

On Oct. 31, winners of “The Legacy: Weird Stories and Dark Tales” were announced at the launch party in the Classroom Center. More than 20 contestants and several editors gathered at noon in the third floor foyer to hear the results of the fall competition.

“We deliberated for more

than three hours,” said Managing Editor Joshuah O’Brien. “There were many well-written stories, but this year Chris Hudson, author of ‘Mosquitoes,’ is our first place winner.”

Other winners included the first runner-up Trenton K. Roberson, second runner-up Graham Sample and third runner-up J. Adam Gibbs.

“I submitted my story, ‘Mosquitoes,’ for a perfect quiz

grade in Dr. Tyrer’s Literary Analysis Class,” said Hudson. “I was in the lounge doing homework when an editor found me to congratulate me for winning. I was very surprised.”

In Legacy tradition, participants arrived in costume, mingled, and read their stories from the print edition. Third runner-up Adam Gibbs was first to read his tale “Schk.”

“I had never written

anything scary, it was sort of spur of the moment,” said Gibbs. “I enjoy writing and it’s possible I’ll submit another piece to ‘The Legacy: Online Edition’ soon.”

“These fun editions give writers a creative outlet and the opportunity to be incredibly clever,” Dr. Pat Tyrer, sponsor of The Legacy, said. He prompted winner Chris Hudson to submit a piece, and expressed the importance of writing well.

O’Brien encouraged everyone to submit any demonstration of the arts for the online edition. “We’re accepting videos and songs too, in addition to the usual visual art, poems, and stories,” he said.

“The Legacy: Online Edition” is now accepting submissions thru Nov. 18. For more information and submission guidelines, visit wtamu.edu/legacy.

Brittany Castillostaff writer