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Fresh
fish welcomed, shown the ropes
The campus was swimming with fresh fish Saturday morning when the Admissions Office hosted the 19th annual College Preview Day. Three hundred forty-eight students were packed like sardines into Akin Auditorium, while nearly 600 parents filled one whole section of the D.L. Ligon Coliseum, making the largest College Preview Day to date. One student came from as far as Topeka, Kan., to attend the event. “In 1984, the first time we did this, we had five students, and we thought that was successful,” laughed Barbara Merkle, director of admissions. “We have to seriously consider adding another preview day in the fall because we have outgrown just having one.” According to Associate Director Chris Gore, “The basic idea of the preview day is for high school students to get an introduction to a major that interests them, It also gives them a chance to meet other prospective students, as well as current students.” Gore believes more students are interested in MSU because of the overall recruitment effort, the reputation of the university and the students who spread the word about their experiences here. The students were welcomed and given an overview of important aspects of college. They received a free t-shirt and were also taken on a tour of the campus. “I got to learn a lot more about the campus,” Matt Barrett of Wichita Falls said. The students ended the tour at their chosen academic program to meet with professors and discuss program specifics. “The chemistry department was very informative,” Evan Watts of Wheeler, Texas, said. “I’m pretty sure I’m going to school here.” Cydni Walden of Turkey, Texas, said she has also decided this is where she wants to attend college. “The business department reassured me of my decision. They helped me pinpoint a major. Everyone here was really nice,” she said. After the parents and students reunited, they attended an academic fair in the Comanche Suites and a student organization fair in the atrium. Merkle considered the day an overall success, but said there were definitely credit to be paid. “We only have 12 staff members in the Admissions Office. We owe a lot of the success to the student hosts,” Merkle said. “Without our students, we couldn’t pull it off.” Sixty-one students volunteered at the event, and Merkle said they are always on the look out for more eager students to help with events like this.
ALS
celebrates Black History Month with speaker tonight In efforts to promote the spirit of Black History Month, the Artist-Lecture Series welcomes Manning Marable, author, editor, historian and political interpreter of the black experience, to the Akin Auditorium tonight at 7. Since 1993, Marable has been a professor of history and political science at Colombia University in New York City, where he also serves as the founding director of the Institute for Research in African American Studies. He was also the founding director of Colgate University's Africana and Hispanic studies program from 1983 to 1986. Marable also served as chairman of black studies at Ohio State University from 1987 to 1989 and as professor of ethnic studies, history and political science at the University of Colorado at Boulder from 1989 to 1993. "He's a very prolific scholar," said Ernest Dover, associate professor of political science. "He's also a well-known [W.E.B.] DuBoisian scholar." W.E.B. DuBois was a well-known African American scholar who was responsible for founding the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1909. Since 1976, Marable has written "Along the Color Line," a syndicated political affairs series that regularly appears in more than 400 black-owned and black-oriented mass publications throughout the United States, as well as in other countries worldwide. Marable has written 20 books and anthologies, and in 1999, he founded "Souls: A Critical Journal of Black Politics, Culture and Society." This quarterly journal examines key theoretical issues within black America, Africa and the Caribbean. "I think that he gives a good analysis of people, not just black Americans, but Americans in general. He's not one to come and say, 'burn the school down,' he's an educated man," Dover said. When he is not writing advocating social causes, Marable donates much of his time to fundraising and speaking on behalf of prisoners' and civil rights, as well as labor, faith-based and other social justice organizations. He also lectures annually in Sing Sing Prison, in Ossining, N.Y.
Poll__________________________________continued
from Main “I just hate that we’re always the bad guy,” said nursing major Celeste Reid. “The U.N. uses us as a scapegoat. It should be an international concern.” According to a FOX News opinion poll on Feb. 11-12, 52 percent of Americans approved of President Bush’s job performance. This is down from a high of 70 percent in July 2002. MSU students reflected a harsher opinion of the commander and chief. The MSU poll was divided. Sixty-nine respondents rated President Bush’s job performance as either “fair” or “poor.” “He doesn’t care what the U.N. says, or his public for that matter,” Senior General Business major Chris Solomon said. “He wants to stick to his own agenda.” Sixty-eight respondents rated George W. Bush’s performance as “excellent” or “good”. Political affiliation was another category where MSU students were divided. Of those polled, 31 percent claim to be Republicans, 30 percent Democrats and 15 percent Independents. Twenty-three percent of students claim to have no political affiliation. Three students said they support other political bodies such as the Green, Libertarian and Socialist parties. One unnamed student referred to himself as “an equal opportunity political basher.” Overall, 80 percent of students said they fear future attacks of terrorism in the United States. “If it happens once, it can happen again,” said freshman elementary education major Lauren Supulski said. Although many students fear another Sept. 11, 45 percent said they think Homeland Security is “OK as it is.” However, 44 percent said they think security needs to be tightened regardless of the cost to the American people. “As long as there are people who don’t support what a government does, there will be danger, no matter the amount of security provided,” said freshman history and political science major Joshua Foster. Of those polled, 15 percent said they think homeland security is already too tight. “I think Americans ought to be aware and concerned regarding any proposed or implemented policies that involve the limitation of personal freedoms and constitutional right,” said counseling graduate student Lori Brewer. Homeland Security did not top the list of concerns for MSU students. The possibility of biological warfare worries 48 percent of students the most. Thirty-four percent said they fret over economic hardships. “We have way too much in this country to worry about,” said senior elementary education major Michael Meadows. “With my job skills, I can’t find a job in my field or anywhere else for that matter.” “Because of our insane national debt, a prolonged war won’t boost the economy like everyone thinks,” sophomore Dan Odom said. The poll also revealed that 64 percent of students say they occasionally keep up with politics, followed by 32 percent who say they always keep up with politics. Approximately 38 percent of students say they receive their information of worldly affairs from watching television, 23 percent read newspapers, 20 percent get news from the Internet, 18 percent from word of mouth and one percent say they listen to the radio for information.
Budget_______________________________continued
from Main escape slowing down some of the programs at MSU,” Rogers said. One area that Maxwell absolutely does not want to lose money from is the Institutional Enhancement funds. These funds were originally designated as “special items” by the LBB. They realized the need to increase the amounts that were given to universities. Originally, $1 million was given as a flat amount to all the schools in the state and it was increased by another million dollars. It makes a larger impact on MSU than it would larger schools. The state mandated that the money went towards staff salary increases and added to funds that he faculty received to enhance programs and merit promotions. Keeping that amount of money was the third most important area of the proposed budget plan. “It is paramount that we still have that money available to us. We would be in a world of hurt without it,” Maxwell said. Another major area of concern for administrators is the possibility of staff reductions. There is a formula that derives the number of staff from the planned budget. This year, the number set was 528.5 employees. Under the current plan with the reduced budget for FY04, that number drops dramatically to 467.5 given there is no change in pay. Had their not been a cut, MSU would have likely added positions for 2004. “We cannot lose 61 employees, that would literally be two of the smaller colleges on this campus,” Maxwell said. “One thing that I hope people all realize is we are all in this thing together.”
Celebrate
Black History Month Need
A Date? Do
You Like Foreign Films? Get
Ready to Laugh Monday
Night at the Improv! Want
the Keys to Success? Come
see ‘Glory’
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