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Man
hidden treasure chest of data
The Marines, mathematics and MSU. For a man named Mike Snow, life revolves around those three things. Snow, an ex-Marine, is interested in numbers and all things related to MSU. It’s his job. Snow is director of institutional research, and it is his responsibility to compile facts and crunch numbers to keep a log of all statistics about MSU. Snow took the position in May 2000. So far, he has been building a historical database, containing information all the way back to spring 1990.“It contains just about any piece of information you would ask for, and it all fits on my laptop, so I can carry it where ever I go,” he said. The information he compiles ranges from age statistics to ethnicity facts. Even when he is at home, he is usually working on maintaining the historical data and producing graphs that will illustrate trends. He says he does it because he is actually interested in the statistics. “This database makes answering questions about students, courses or grades very easy,” he said. “It also makes it possible to see how MSU has changed over the years and predict where we are going to be in the future.” Snow said that although he hasn’t discovered any weird statistics about MSU throughout all of his research, he has stumbled onto an interesting fact about the typical MSU student. “Most people believe that our typical student is part-time, non-traditional and at MSU because they couldn’t get into any other college,” he said. “This picture is just not true. About two-thirds of our students are full-time, between the ages of 18 and 24. And for most of our students, MSU was their first choice.” When Snow isn’t inputing MSU’s historical data, he is usually responding to surveys from outside the university or requests for data from within the school. “So far this year we have responded to close to 200 surveys or inquiries for outside the university,” he said. Snow said one of the most surprising things about his job is how many people don’t realize that he or his office in Hardin 114 exist. Snow said students don’t know they can ask for information they can use for research papers or projects. “MSU now has the capability of getting good data in a timely manner, and not many people are using it. Although requests for data have skyrocketed, they come from the same few sources,” he said. “We now have the capability that has never existed before, and to use it, all that is necessary is to send me an e-mail indicating exactly what is needed, for what time period, and when you need it.” Snow, who is known as Mike to his friends, Michael to his mother and colonel to a few others, was born in Provincetown, Mass., in 1951. His father was a commercial fisherman, something that made growing up in the Snow family difficult. “It was a really hard life,” he said. “The pay was miserable most of the time. I knew that (being a fisherman) was something I never wanted to be.” Snow attended Springfield College in Massachusetts where he earned his bachelor of science in secondary education. When he graduated at the age of 22, he decided to become one of the few and proud. “After student teaching, I knew that teaching high school was not for me, so I decided to go into the military,” he said. “I chose the Marines because I wanted to do it right!” Snow held many different positions in the Marines ranging from infantry platoon commander to the assistant chief of staff comptroller. “I had an account of $340 million of taxpayers’ money,” he said. “It was exciting and fun.” Asked if he misses the Marines, Snow says “definitely.” “I would do it all over again if I had the chance,” he said. “Seeing good men die is one of the only drawbacks of serving one’s country.” After serving in the Marines from 1973 to 1995, Snow earned his master of science in mathematics with an emphasis in statistics from George Mason University in Fairfax, Va. He moved to Lubbock, Texas, with his wife, Kathleen, and his two sons, Shaun and Joshua. While in Lubbock he worked on his doctorate in applied mathematics at Texas Tech University. He was offered a position at MSU in August 1997, after he completed more than 60 hours of the degree. He didn’t complete his degree, but instead, moved his family to Wichita Falls. His first job at MSU was as an instructor of mathematics teaching developmental mathematics courses for approximately three years. “I enjoy teaching math to people who have been told that they will never get it or that they are too stupid to get it,” he said. “It is a great feeling to see these students when they get it and realize that it was not as hard as they thought it would be.” One thing is for sure, though. Even if the data isn’t requested, Snow will probably already be looking for information because that’s what he enjoys doing.
Stormy
Weather
Midwestern State University could soon become the third StormReady college in the country. Police Officer Michael Cross is in the process of applying to the National Weather Bureau so MSU can become a certified StormReady University. Presently, only two StormReady universities exist, Abilene Christian University and Northern Illinois University. As a StormReady university MSU will be better prepared to save lives from severe weather through better education, planning and awareness. "We are pretty close to being certified," Cross said. Cross said in order for MSU to be considered for StormReady certification he had to submit a copy of the disaster policy and tornado procedures for the university. He also had to give detailed information about the buildings preparedness for a natural disaster. The dormitories, police department, central plant, library and Clark Student Center all have weather radios, making them better equipped for bad weather. "We lack nothing for being certified, except approval from the nation Weather Service," Cross said. Though the university doesn't necessarily need more warning reception capabilities, more warning devices such as weather monitoring devices, weather radios, hand radios and cable television, could always be installed. "Computers through use of the Internet could be used to look at radar pictures and notices of bad weather," Cross said. Also necessary, he said, a report of the different community related projects done to make the university community aware of serious weather. He said the university does tornado drills and gives talks on how to be better prepared in case of severe weather. A weather bureau meteorologist from Norman, Okla., is expected to make a trip to MSU this summer to conduct a thorough inspection of the premises. This is the final step in determining if the university is StormReady or not. To make the process complete on MSU's part, he is waiting on the Housing Office to have a tornado drill in the dorms, Cross said. The dorms have a good dissemination program, Cross said. "This is how we get out of the buildings in severe weather, especially people in the dorms," he said. To make students living in the dorms aware of severe weather we make calls to the resident assistants. "If it is a tornado warning they will go up and down the halls blowing the air horn telling people about the warning at the same time telling them where to go," Cross said. The StormReady program was started in Tulsa, Okla., in 1999. The program helps arm American communication and safety skills needed to save lives and property before and during a severe event. The StormReady program helps community leaders and emergency managers strengthen local safety programs.
Full-body
massage mat keeps stress at bay Now that finals week is just around the corner, who has time to really relax in all the end of semester hustle and bustle? There's no better way to add a bit of real comfort and joy to your busy holiday plans than with a nice, soothing massage. But who has the time or the money to spend all day at the spa this time of year? Why not get the gift that keeps on giving all year round-- a full body massaging mat. Homedics makes a five-motored massager that gently soothes those study pains with heated waves directed to your shoulders, back, waist, thighs and calves. The best thing about this product is that you can control the intensity of the massaging pads with low, medium and high settings. You can also decide which parts you want on or off by just flickering the switch on the control panel. It's portable, so you can roll it up and take it with you wherever you will be traveling this summer. With finals next week, you might need some time to rejuvenate or to work out those stiffened neck muscles resulting from hours of pouring over books and study reviews. If you hate studying in an upright chair, try putting the massaging mat in the chair while you study. Just don't get too comfy and fall asleep, that would tend to defeat the purpose of studying. Or maybe you're just tired after taking that two-hour Spanish or history exam, and you just want to unwind. Grab the mat and movie and settle in for a delightful treat, although you might need to turn the volume up to hear the movie over the low hum of the motors. The only thing I found unpleasant about this mat is the price. I bought the massager at Wal-Mart for about $38 plus tax. I enjoyed the massaging effects, and I did grow somewhat attached to the product in the short while I had it, but I decided the gouge in my pocketbook was a pain the mat just couldn't massage away.
Chemistry
major wows med school without degree
The question is out there—How far can you go without a degree? “Pretty far,” according to one former MSU student who is on his way to becoming a doctor. Justin Smith, 22, left MSU after only three years of study, a 3.97 GPA and without a bachelor’s degree to attend the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, one of the most prestigious medical schools in the country. Smith is one of only five people who were accepted this year to medical school without a bachelor’s degree in Texas. It wasn’t easy though. Smith was valedictorian when he graduated from Gymned High School in Abilene in 1999, and scored a 1420 on his SAT. Unlike most incredibly smart people, academics were not all Smith excelled at. He was also an active participant in tennis, basketball and cross-country track. After high school, Smith was accepted at MSU, Yale, Rice, Baylor and Abilene Christian. “I chose MSU because of money, tennis and a girl,” Smith said. Smith played tennis at MSU and not only received enough scholarship money to pay for school, but earned an extra $3,000 a year. MSU was also the closest school to his then girlfriend in Abilene, Smith’s hometown. While at MSU, Smith received many honors including the Mark Lax Pre-Medical Scholar Award. Only one pre-med student at MSU receives the award every year. Despite Smith’s various awards, it still took great effort on his part to be accepted to medical school. One experience in particular made him absolutely sure he wanted to be a doctor. “I went on a medical mission trip to Nicaragua the summer after I graduated high school. It was there I decided I wanted to do pediatrics,” Smith said. Smith credits his education at MSU as a major factor in preparing him for medical school. “Without the experience with research and close interaction with the faculty, I would have never got accepted,” Smith said. “I tell everyone to go to MSU for their undergraduate work.” Smith also gained experience by attending Texas Tech’s pre-medical academy. “I wouldn’t be in medical school a year early if I didn’t go to Tech,” Smith said. Although about 400 people apply, only ten people in the state of Texas are selected to attend this academy. All expenses are paid while they attend. While there they practice the MCAT test. Smith’s MCAT score was 37. His score was outstanding since the average score in the nation was 34. “The hardest wait was the MCAT scores,” Smith said. “The whole process is a series of uncomfortable waiting.” Not only did Smith have to wait for his scores, he then had to wait to see if he was accepted anywhere. “The real battle was the interviews,” Smith said. It was obvious Smith was smart enough for medical school, but was he ready? “Every interview I had to prove to them I was mature enough to handle it,” Smith said. “I could tell when I walked in they were thinking ‘what is this kid doing here?’” the baby-faced Smith said. Smith is only 12 hours away from earning a bachelor’s degree. The only classes he lacks are basics. He has already completed all his requirements for his major, which was chemistry at MSU. Smith isn’t worried at this point about earning his degree, though. “When I first came here I felt like I needed to prove myself, but then I realized no one cared,” Smith said. He said the only thing they care about is you learning the material and passing classes. After graduating medical school Smith then has to complete four years of residency, and then he plans to go into his specialization and passion—pediatrics. “I will be a full-practicing pediatrician at 28,” Smith said. Smith said he has had to grow up a lot while at medical school. “It changes the person you are a great deal. You have to grow up and be mature because you are making a huge difference in people’s lives,” Smith said.
DIRTY
PRANKS
You’re sitting at home on a Friday night, again, watching “The Anna Nicole Show” with a bowl of Doritos placed strategically on your gut. A friend calls to ask what you are doing. You lie and say you just finished “Abs of Steel,” and then you ask what he’s doing. He also lies and says he just got done hanging out with this hot date, but now he’s bored. You both think of things to do. This is the hardest task you have done all week--granted you usually don’t do anything in school, right? You go over the usual--movies, putt-putt golf, bowling or going out to eat. But then you remember that you aren’t dating each other, and if you did any of those things together people may think you are a little strange. Both of you decide to do nothing. Or if your friend is really bored he will come over under the false pretense of doing “Abs of Steel” with you, but you know you will both end up sitting on the couch, Doritos in place, watching “The Anna Nicole Show.” Does all of this sound way too familiar? With the help of some fellow MSU students you may be able to spice up your life. Yes, even in Wichita Falls. One place to start is Wal-Mart. Here, the possibilities are endless. MSU junior kinesiology and English major Callie Beckwith recalls some of her most memorable moments. “It is awesome if you have a fart sounder with a remote,” Beckwith said. Beckwith said she would go into Wal-Mart with a group of friends and send one person off with the sounder while the rest of the group held the remote. “One person would run away from us like he had to fart, and we would all say, ‘Hey, where are you going?’ Then when he would get around a group of people we would set it off,” Beckwith said. The responses she said she received ranged from looks of total disgust to confusion to laughter. The fart sounder can also be used if you’re alone. “One time I sat on a bench behind a grandpa and two little girls and kept setting it off,” Beckwith said. “The little girls kept saying stuff to the grandpa and he kept saying ‘shhhhh.’” Beckwith isn’t beyond embarrassing herself to get a few laughs. “Dressing up is always fun,” Beckwith said. “One time I went to Wal-Mart wearing a duct tape belt, red tights with white flowers, skanky shoes and big glasses.” This time people weren’t afraid of hiding their true feelings. “People would say, ‘Man, I feel sorry for whoever she’s with’ or just laugh at me,” Beckwith said. If you don’t like embarrassing yourself, you can still play plenty more pranks. Russ Lawrenz, junior mass communication major, recalls a time he was escorted out of Wal-Mart by cops. “I hit #96 on the intercom and said, ‘We need a diarrhea clean-up on aisle nine,’” Lawrenz said. If you aren’t a suspicious-looking person, you should be able to get away with this prank that Jeremy Pace, junior psychology major, played. “We tied fishing line about four to five inches off the ground to clothing racks,” Pace said. Pace said they hid and watched the destruction. “Tons of people tripped. One guy cussed. One lady fell, and we felt kind of bad about that, but it was really funny,” Pace said. Pace said the people were more annoyed than anything. Wal-Mart isn’t the only place to have fun. If you have a pair of crutches you can act silly with them anywhere. “One time a friend and I went to Lowe’s, and he borrowed my crutches,” Beckwith said. “I walked up and kicked his crutch and acted like I knocked him down, and people would come help him up.” Although it can be a little dangerous, cars are also fun to mess with. There are things to do besides the expected shoe polish or water balloons. “One time we put Saran Wrap around the stop signs at a four way stop and covered it with mustard and ketchup,” said Landon Patterson, sophomore business major. “People wouldn’t drive through it.” Patterson also enjoys picking on partiers. There is a place in this park where people would go get drunk. “One night we locked the gate and they couldn’t get out so they had to call the police. They all either got arrested or had to call their parents and their parents found out they were drunk,” Patterson said. Travis McGaughey, senior criminal justice major, is unashamed when it comes to pulling pranks. He even went to an Alzheimer’s clinic. “We dressed up as hicks and tried to sell the old people glow-in-the-dark toilet seats,” McGaughey said. “They would say, ‘I didn’t order any toilet seat.’ We’d say, ‘Yes you did’ then we’d go in and act like we were installing it and say, ‘That’ll be $35 please.” You may have to be a little daring, and risk embarrassment, to try some of these pranks, but one thing is for sure, it won’t be a boring night.
MSU
art students brightening walls
We’ve all seen them in the Clark Student Center. They both take up an entire wall, and they honor MSU’s past, present and future. They’re big and colorful and catch your eye every time you walk by. In fact, you know them so well you have started to take them for granted. But, have you ever wondered where those paintings in the recreation room and the cafeteria area came from? Blain Hefner and Erin Cluley, two former MSU art students, are responsible for the paintings, which were funded by a grant the students were awarded from Liquitex Corporation during their junior years. Liquitex Corporation, which manufactures Liquitex Acrylic Paint, started the student paint exchange program in 1996. The first student to receive the Liquitex grant from MSU was Hefner, who graduated from MSU with an art degree in 2000. His artwork hangs in the study area by the cafeteria. “Dr. Yarosz and I thought of a project that involved the school. I came up with the idea of doing an MSU version of Raphael’s depiction of Greek scholars on the steps of a school in Athens,” Hefner said. “Liquatex gave me $750, which covered the cost of the supplies.” Hefner, who now works as a graphic designer at the Times Record News, spent six months completing his artwork. “It was my assignment for the semester in my painting class,” he said. “My dad helped me build and construct the panels, but I did the rest of the work on my own.” Hefner said he was influenced artistically by many sources. “I like a lot of artists, especially the ones from the classical Renaissance,” he said. “I also get ideas from movies directed by George Lucas and Steven Spielberg.” Cluley, who is Hefner’s coworker at the Times Record News, knows how Hefner feels to have completed a piece of artwork that hangs in the Clark Student Center. Cluley, who graduated from MSU in 2001, is responsible for the colorful mural that hangs in the recreation room. “I decided to use old pinball imagery in my mural,” she said. “I got the images from library books and made an 11 by 17 inch collage out of the copies.” Once Cluley finished the collage, she added some MSU touches and completed her painting in six months. “I spent more than 100 hours on the project because I worked on it during class and outside of class, as well,” she said. Cluley, who would one day like to go on to graduate school and earn her masters of fine art, said her biggest inspiration was her high school teacher. She also likes Picasso’s use of abstraction and color, which she uses in her own pieces of art. Hefner said that he would like to design children’s books one day. He said he might also start painting portraits. “I have a lot of goals, it’s just a matter of seeing which ones pan out,” he said. Art professor Elizabeth Yarosz-Ash said that she is always looking for students who are willing to spend an entire semester on a single project. “I select a student that wants to take on a major project, and we work on a proposal (to send to Liquitex) together,” she said. “It’s submitted online, and then one to two students are selected nationally each month.” Yarosz-Ash said that a third student, senior art major Jeanette Schevers, has recently been given a $250 grant from Liquitex. Schevers completed a puzzle-like painting, painted on wooden panels. It depicts aspects of the community of international students who attend MSU. Yarosz-Ash said she is continuously searching for students capable of managing monumental, long-term projects. “I have no doubt that there will be Liquitex grant recipients in the future,” she said.
State
Hospital work teaches patience, trust
Freshman Justin Ozuna once worked at the Gap and Office Depot to pay his way through MSU. His new job is a lot more interesting. He’s a mental health worker at the Wichita Falls State Hospital. He’s seen things in real life others watch on TV dramas. Ozuna attended MSU for one year, but since he had to pay his way through school, he took this semester off to earn money so he could return in the summer. The State Hospital is a place people go if they are causing a disturbance in the community. Problems can range from behavioral abnormalities to drug use. Ozuna has been working at the State Hospital full-time for five months. He started out working with teenagers, but now works with younger children. “It’s like babysitting pretty much,” Ozuna said. “You just make sure they don’t try to hurt themselves or anyone else and help them with their treatments.” He also sits in with them during their group session, makes sure they take their medicine, and helps with meals. When Ozuna first started working at the State Hospital he admits being scared because he didn’t know what to expect. “I didn’t know what the patients were capable of or what they were in there for,” he said. “I was especially scared of the adult patients. If you don’t know why a patient is there it gives you a chilly feeling.” Ozuna said he was really surprised because the kids had more of a grip on their emotions than he thought they would. “The kids understand how they feel. They just don’t know why they feel it,” Ozuna said. Ozuna said it is a very sad place to work. “The saddest thing is seeing the history of parental neglect and abuse, wanting to help them and not being able to, and just seeing the hopelessness that all of them have,” he said. One girl in particular is etched in Ozuna’s mind. He read her chart and found that while she lived in Las Vegas her mom allowed men to come in and sleep with her and her two sisters. “She was the nicest, sweetest girl. Nobody deserves that and I felt horrible that she had to go through that,” Ozuna said. He said there are countless stories like that one at the State Hospital. Despite all the problems and heartache that Ozuna sees everyday, happy moments do occur. “The happiest thing I’ve experienced is seeing the joy on a little kid’s face when we’ve helped them and you can tell he is a whole lot better leaving than when he came in,” Ozuna said. He said the kids yell “Justin!” when they see him and give him a hug. Ozuna said he loves just being able to restore hope. There are also funny moments with the children. “What always cracks me up is the kids’ name calling,” Ozuna said. “They call each other the most random things like ‘triangle head’ or ‘chili face.’” Things occurred that have caused Ozuna to almost lose his lunch. He recalled a woman who had to be put in the seclusion room. She had bowel movements, rolled it up into balls and put it under the door. She also smeared it on the window “Who does that?” Ozuna said. “What kind of animal do you have to be? That was the sickest thing I’ve ever seen.” Ozuna remembered another time a kid went to the seclusion room. While Ozuna talked to someone else, the kid urinated on Ozuna’s shoe. Even though Ozuna deals with many tough situations, he has never lost his patience. “I’m an extremely patient person as it is, and there have been times my patience has been tested,” Ozuna said. “The staff has never seen me get mad.” Ozuna tries to use the opportunity to share his faith in Jesus Christ. He said when he worked with teenagers he could share a lot more because they are really searching. Ozuna remembers one schizophrenic kid who said he used to be a Christian but was gripped with the delusion that he was the son of Satan. “It got to the point that he was so gripped by this deception that it was pointless for me to talk about it to him anymore,” Ozuna said. Ozuna was reassigned to work with younger kids and didn’t see the boy until a couple of weeks ago. He walked up to Justin and told him he changed and was a Christian. “It was awesome to see that transformation,” Ozuna said. Ozuna said he has learned many valuable lessons from his job at the State Hospital. He said it does not even compare to the jobs he used to hold. “This job is more rewarding and I feel like I’m productive,” Ozuna said. “I’m working with someone’s life as opposed to someone else’s food or clothes.” Ozuna said he must rely more on God, and he sees this job as fulfilling his purpose rather than just doing a duty. “I’ve grown more patient with people,” Ozuna said. “I’m more compassionate and understanding, and it is a great training tool for fatherhood.”
Art
Appreciation
The senior art exhibitions for four MSU students completing their bachelor of fine arts degrees will open with a reception Friday at 8 p.m. in the University Foyer Gallery inside the Fain Fine Arts Center. The exhibit, featuring the art of Emily Pothast, Rachel Rosebery, Jeanette Schevers and Courts Griner will be available for view through Sept. 5, while classes are in session. Pothast will primarily show screen prints and monoprints. “Your possibilities are limitless with printmaking,” Pothast said. “I like the way you can put anything together, like hand-drawn and photographic elements.” Thematically, her artwork explores how images of Jesus Christ and the message(s) of Christianity are presented in the public realm. While Pothast’s art is confrontational and may unsettle some viewers, she insists her art should not reductively be interpreted as bashing or lampooning religion. “My job is to present what I am interested in, say what I am going to say. What they get out of it is really up to the viewer,” she said. Pothast explains that the medium of screen-printing has traditionally been commercial, a poster-oriented medium, and her work—which looks mass-produced—plays on what she calls the propaganda-like effect of familiar images in pop culture. Rosebery, a sculpture major, will show sculptures and several metals along with jewelry in the form of small lockets. Her art is an extremely personal art, and her artforms are a means of expressing herself. “Leo Tolstoy once said that the role of art was to convey an emotional state to the viewer, how something you feel inside of you can be translated to the public, to effect an emotional response in the viewer,” Rosebery said. She chose sculpture because, “I have always been in a lot of physical activities and I like to work with my hands, getting totally into it,” she said. A former star basketball player on scholarship, she left the game after her sophomore year to focus on art. Rosebery’s artistic vocabulary is influenced by the symbolism she discovered in the works of Carl Jung. “I hope that when people view my work, they can grasp something that they relate to,” she said. Schevers is a photography major minoring in painting and will show both mediums. Her exhibit is about change. “It will have female images,” Schevers said. “I just started a series on maps and flying. I discovered last month that my show is not about what I was thinking last semester. Rather, it’s all about me and what I’m doing, and the big change I am going through in my life right now.” Schevers’ work is influenced by people around her and the various lands she has lived in and visited. The artist foregrounds color in her work as a means of communicating “mood and message” while conditioning “emotional responses.” Her photography had been mostly black and white, but her exhibition photographs will focus on color (Ilfochrome Classic) that she started last semester. “Everything’s changing,” she laughed. “My paintings are somewhat abstract. They’re layered, collage-like, and done in ink drawing, watercolor and water spots,” she said. Griner, a commercial arts major, will show a series of images of friends that reflect the artist’s focus in graphic design. His monoprints are images of gatherings of people enhanced with a painterly technique. Griner’s acrylic paintings are more hard-edged and minimal, and reflect acquaintances in everyday scenes. Griner’s art combines commercial and fine art techniques to informatively and humorously reflect people interacting with their environment. The artist uses Photoshop to manipulate digital images and he then inter-mixes these treated images with graphics and text. Pothast is moving to Seattle in August to begin work on an MFA at the University of Washington. Rosebery will take the year off and consider continuing her art education. Schevers will move to Quebec after graduation. Both her and Griner will likely work in the commercial arts. “When all of us decided to become art majors, it was a hard choice to make,” Pothast said. “It does involve a lot of sacrifice. Most of us were majoring in things that were more applicable to the market place. But the desire to communicate something that reaches people became the highest priority.” Next to the senior show, students can view the concurrent MSU art show in the fine arts gallery.
James
Hoggard talks about writing and his latest novel
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