The Wichitan - Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls Texas

MIDWESTERN STATE UNIVERSITY | February, 23, 2005

NEWS

341 Students Flock to College Preview
August Schuman | Staff Reporter

Many high school students from all over Texas and the surrounding states attended a chilly College Day Preview on Saturday, Feb. 19.
Barbara Merkle, director of admissions, said students came from all over Texas and Oklahoma. More than 341 students and 450 family and guests attended.
“We invite high school juniors and seniors on our prospect list to a take a look so they can decide on what college to attend,” Merkle said. “It is a recruitment venue for prospective students.”
The day began at 9 a.m., when the students were separated from their parents and guests. Students heard a general welcome from Chris Gore, associate director of admissions, and Dr. Robert E. Clark, associate provost, while parents heard from president Dr. Jesse W. Rogers and many others.
Starting at 12:15 p.m., prospective students, family and guests joined back together at the Campus Assembly. In the Comanche Suites, students had the chance to receive information from all MSU academic programs and look at many organizations on campus.
“We are having student volunteers that will help us host. There is also a student’s organization fair where many organizations are helping,” Merkle said.
Jackie Todd, from Sugarland, Texas, came to MSU because she was accepted by the teaching program.
“It looks fun and exciting, and I can’t wait to come,” Todd said.
Dustin Webb, from Dallas, Texas, is thinking about transferring to MSU.
“I like a small school. There are more students that attend here than I thought,” Webb said. The next College Day Preview will be in the fall of 2005.

Early Mornings Part of Job for Cafeteria Cashier
Paige Dickerson | Managing Editor

Students may complain about getting up for an 8 a.m. class, but for Maira Guzman a day’s work starts at 6:30 a.m.
Guzman trudges to Mesquite Dining Hall, Monday through Friday just an hour after her 16-month-old son wakes up for his bottle.
Guzman is the cashier in the cafeteria from breakfast until 2 p.m.
“It is pretty easy. I take out all the condiments, cream cheese, jelly and clean all the glasses,” Guzman said.
The real work starts after everyone leaves after lunch. She has to clean up after messy eaters, pick up trays and food left behind and clean up the rest of the dining hall.
“After lunch I am really busy when I have to clean up the tables and wipe everything down.”
Guzman enjoys working in the cafeteria because of the interaction she gets with all the different people.
Despite her easy-going attitude, don’t try to sweet talk your way to a free meal.
“A lot of the guys try to sweet talk me. They tell me ‘you know you can give me a free meal’ and I say that they are not worth losing my job over,” Guzman said. “I get to see a lot of people come through, but I haven’t had a chance to talk to people to get to know how interesting they are.”
Guzman is only two weeks back from a two-year hiatus. She is still adjusting to the early mornings.
“It is very hard to get up,” she said. “ I’m used to sleeping in and my son gets up just about one hour before I have to get up for work.”
She snagged the job after a friend of hers told her there was an opening for a floater—a person who does several jobs—but now Guzman is the cashier.
Guzman enjoys meeting people, so her only pet peeve on the job is when people try to rush off after swiping their cards
“I hate it when they try to swipe their card and walk past really fast,” she said.

Contest names MSU's swans
For the Wichitan

The two swans in Sikes Lake have been dubbed Mahala and Elu in the naming contest sponsored by the biology club and tri beta.
Senior mass communications major Jennifer Tavlian won the contest after finding the names online.
“When I saw the e-mail that there was a contest, I went online and figured that since we were the Indians we could use Native American related names,” Tavlian said.
She went online to Google and searched for “Native American names.”
She selected Mahala because it means “female, tenderness.” The male swan, Elu’s name means “full of grace.”
“I liked Elu because I knew swans are graceful and I had about six or seven names for the female before I finally decided on Mahala,” Tavlian said.
Out of all the names that were submitted, club officers narrowed the choices down to six names. The members then voted on them last week, senior biology major Stormie Melton said.
Tavlian will be presented with a $50 check from the vice president’s office for submitting the winning names.
“I was a bit surprised. I knew they were good names but I didn’t think they were necessarily good enough to win,” Tavlian said. “I think it is kind of funny that my name is now synonymous with swans.”