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History Profs Honored by Regents
Camron Rushin | Editor-In-Chief

Michael L. Collins, professor of history, and Kenneth E. Hendrickson Jr., who serves as Hardin Distinguished Professor of History, were each named a Regents’ Professor by the Midwestern State University Board of Regents on Feb. 11.
Both professors said they were humbled by the award and gave much thanks to the board and administration.
“I regard this as a capstone of a long career and I’m overwhelmed with the honor,” Hendrickson said.
“When I first learned of the honor I was speechless and anyone who knows me, knows I’m seldom without words,” Collins said. “It’s a lot to live up to.”
In May 2004, the Board of Regents established the Regents’ Professorship to recognize faculty who have made exemplary contributions in each of the three areas of teaching: research or creative work, service and gaining the respect and admiration of colleagues in the profession. Candidates for this honor must have 15 years experience in higher education with a minimum of five years’ service to MSU and must hold the rank of professor. A Regents’ Professor receives an award of at least $10,000 for three consecutive years and carries the title for life.
The selection process begins as tenured faculty members submit nominations to the Provost, who in turn, provides the Regents’ Professor Selection Committee the nominations and vitae of those nominees who meet minimum objective requirements. The committee recommends three finalists from whom the Provost and University President select the individual or individuals to be recommended to the Board of Regents for approval.
“It was an absolute pleasure to recommend the finalists to the president because they are such outstanding faculty members who would be an asset to any university in the United States,” University Provost Friederike Wiedemann said. “It is a joy to work with colleagues of this caliber.”
Collins received his Bachelor of Arts, Master of Arts, and Ph.D. degrees from Texas Christian University. He has served at MSU since 1985, currently as professor of history.
Collins’ quantity of publications and quality of writing have established him as a leading authority on such subjects as Theodore Roosevelt and the Texas Rangers. He has written a number of well received books and articles. His latest book, “The Texas Devils: Rangers and Regulars Along the Lower Rio Grande,” is forthcoming.  
While at Midwestern State University, he served as director of the Division of Humanities and subsequently as dean of the College of Liberal Arts. In summer 2004, Collins returned to the faculty in order to have more time for research and teaching.
Through his years of teaching, Collins’ student evaluations have been outstanding, and he has won every teaching award from major student organizations on campus.
His colleagues across the state and country have honored him repeatedly by electing him to the Executive Council of the Texas State Historical Association, the Executive Board of the West Texas Historical Association, as president of the Southwestern Historical Association and as vice president-elect of the Southwestern Social Science Association (SSSA). Nationally, he has served for the past six years as chairman of the Phi Alpha Theta Program Committee for the SSSA.
Hendrickson earned his Bachelor of Arts and his Master of Arts degrees from the University of South Dakota and his Ph.D. from the University of Oklahoma. He has served MSU for more than 30 years, currently as professor and chair of the department of history.  He has authored a number of books, edited several others and is recognized as one of the most widely published scholars on the MSU campus. Some of his works include “The Governors of Texas,” “The Waters of the Brazos” and most recently “The Spanish-American War.” He is also a well-known authority on modern Texas political and economic history.
Hendrickson is a Fellow of the Texas State Historical Association and of the East Texas Historical Association, and recently served as national president of Phi Alpha Theta, the national honor society for scholars of history. Additionally, he has earned a reputation as an expert in the field of Middle Eastern affairs, establishing the Texas Committee for U.S.-Arab Relations. 
His community activities include having served on the Board of Directors for the Wichita Ballet Theatre, Wichita Falls Symphony, Wichita Falls Museum and Art Center, and Wichita County Heritage Society.
 


Band Hall Renovations Remove Mold from Air
Marianne Lechuga | Staff Reporter

A series of renovations done to the instrumental music hall is like a breath of fresh air for faculty and students, literally.
Prior to the renovations, mold and mildew made for poor air circulation.
“Because it is an old building there had been some mold, but it’s a better situation now then it was before,” band director Alan Black said.
 Mildew had grown on the instruments and vents.
“It was hard to breath. It was awful,” band director Larry Archambo said. “It was dirty. It was cold and it was old.”
The project began during Christmas break and was worked on and off again depending on other projects that needed immediate attention. It took three to four weeks total and was completed at the end of January. The ventilation system was reworked and the air conditioning overhauled.
“It used to smell musty, like an old attic smell and now it’s much better all around,” junior music major Courtney Longcrier said.
Longcrier said before they fixed the climate control it would be really hot in the office and like an icebox in the band hall or vice versa.
“Now it’s more consistent,” she said.
Senior English major Danielle Searles agrees the air conditioning made a vast improvement.
“It was stifling in the office. It was miserable in here because there was absolutely no air,” Searles said.
The MSU music department is one of approximately 610 accredited institutional members of the National Association of Schools of Music. The accrediting agency visits universities every ten years to evaluate a number of things including the music unit’s consistency with NASM standards, areas of improvement, and future issues. Archambo said it is an extensive process and determined what repairs were necessary.
“The sound levels were way too loud in the band hall,” Archambo said.
The ceiling tiles in the band hall were replaced due to the extreme noise level.
“Its 112 decibels in there—that’s very close to a threshold of pain,” Archambo said.
The area is very small for a 100 piece marching band, Archambo said.
“They couldn’t do anything about the size so they put in sound absorbing ceiling tiles,” he said.
The theory is that the tiles will help reduce the sound. Also included in the improvements were new paint jobs throughout the building and some electrical lights were replaced.
“The university did respond and did a nice job. We’re real pleased with the work that was done,” Archambo said.
According to public information director Janus Buss, the repairs cost approximately $7,000 so far.
“It’s not the final cost because other bills will be coming in, but it shouldn’t be much more than that,” Buss said.
To Archambo, the cost is minimal considering the last time the building was renovated was in the spring of 1988. That year it was completely gutted with only its walls standing. Nothing in the building was the same afterwards.
Even the floor plan was different.
“Spread that cost over 17 years and that’s a bargain,” he said.
MSU President Jesse Rogers testified before the state Senate Finance Committee last week asking for funding that would bring more renovations to the band hall and perhaps building an addition.
The instrumental music building is one of the oldest buildings on campus with its origins dating back to the 1940’s. It used to serve as army barracks during World War II and was renovated in the ‘40s to be a band hall, Archambo said.


Halfway There" $5,000 more needed for Tenaia Dawson Scholarship
Iggy Cruz | Staff Reporter

Valentine’s Day marked an emotional reunion between Dera Dawson and Randy Hartsfield. The divorced couple came together Monday in Bridwell Hall for a special cause, witnessing an $800 donation to the respiratory program in memory of their daughter, Tenaia Lynn Dawson.   
Dawson, a 23-year-old respiratory care graduate, died Aug. 11, 2004 after losing a five-year battle with breast cancer.
A scholarship fund in Dawson’s name was proposed by Ann Medford, program chair for the department of respiratory care, long before her death. Medford said she was “honored and overjoyed” when informed of the possible scholarship award.
Dr. Howard Farrell, along with Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority and Omega Delta Phi fraternity, presented the check to the MSU respiratory program in front of several faculty members and students. 
A teary-eyed Dera Dawson followed with a touching speech about her daughter’s drive to succeed, despite her illness.
“Tenaia loved education,” cried Dawson. “Her goal was to always finish what you start. She was my best friend and she even inspired me to do something.”
 Members of Alpha Kappa Alpha and Omega Delta Phi collaborated on a fundraising project last fall in order to help the scholarship fund get off the ground.  
Angie Davis, coordinator of the fundraising event, said the women of AKA expect the fundraiser, in conjunction with OD-Phi, to become an annual fall event. Davis mentioned a spring fundraiser for Dawson is also a possibility. 
“The thought of it being an annual thing is awesome,” Medford said.
Farrell applauded the two multi-cultural organizations for their contributions to the Tenaia Lynn Dawson Scholarship Award. He said efforts of this magnitude from student organizations are the type of deeds that may go unnoticed at times, but certainly should not, and praises both AKA and OD-Phi for their help.
Dawson’s father said she inspired him and others who knew her. He hopes his daughter’s courage and attitude remain an inspiration for future students.
“She would be honored,” Hartsfield said. “Thank Midwestern and the sorority and fraternity for keeping Tenaia’s memory alive.”  
A minimum amount of $10,000 must be raised to officially establish the award. According to Medford, about $1,200 was raised during respiratory care week alone, convincing her that $10,000 will be there by the Aug. 6 deadline.  A donated stethoscope, valued around $250, from Gold Cross Medical will be raffled during spring clinicals to aid the cause. 
 Ann Opperman, MSU director of donor services and special projects, along with Medford, are currently in talks with local businesses that will match the amount raised. 
Qualifications for the scholarship award will go into affect once it is established, but nothing is written in stone just yet. Medford stated that G.P.A and desire will definitely play a role among the candidates. 
For further information on how students or organizations can help with aiding the Tenaia Lynn Dawson Scholarship fund, contact Ann Medford at 397-4653.



Rec Center Voting foes Online Today
Paige Dickerson | News Editor

Voting on the recreation center will be today through Thursday at midnight.
The student referendum, approved at the Feb. 1 Student Senate meeting, will determine the fate of the proposed recreation center.
The vote will be held online, for the second time since online voting was approved at the beginning of Fall 2004.
The Senate would like to raise voter turnout by making around-the-clock voting available.
“It’s convenient and we already have a high voter turnout compared to most schools. We have about 10 percent; most places have about 5 or so,” President of Student Government Association Abdel Ait Roua said.
Student Government decided to do online voting again because of the increased voter turnout in homecoming vote in the fall.
“We had voting online at homecoming and there was a good turnout,” Ait Roua said. “The most we had vote before was 161, this year we had about 200 or 300 people. So we almost doubled the number of voters”
To vote, log on to www.mwsu.edu and click on the icon directly below the site map. Students need their student ID numbers and PIN numbers to vote.
If you don’t know your student ID number, you can go to Web world on the MSU Web site and log on using your social security number. Web world will then inform you what your student ID is.
The proposed recreation center will include an outdoor heated pool a rock climbing wall, basketball courts and an indoor running track.
It would also add another doctor to the wellness center, an enhanced procedure room and a functioning X-ray unit.
The recreation center would be located near Sike’s Lake and would replace the Outdoor Education Center.
If the recreation center were approved, a fee of about $130 would be added to student bills each semester beginning Fall 2007.
The proposal passed the Student Senate with a vote of 44-6 with one senator abstaining.
Results from the referendum will arrive by e-mail on Friday. In order to maintain the integrity of the election, the results go through software company instead of through Student Government.
“It is to protect students from any issues and any accusations that the administration controlled the votes,” Ait Roua said.