FEATURES

MSU Students turn Love of Customized Vehicles into Careers
Cassie Daley | Staff Reporter

In a room painted vivid red with chrome-colored trim at a black desk that sits in front of a mural of flames creeping up on two black and white checkered racing flags, is where Dawson Bruesedow and Jason Austin sit and dream up their four-wheel creations.
Bruesedow and Austin, both senior criminal justice majors are in the business of customizing vehicles. They opened their own shop, 4-wheel Performance in April and have been pleasantly surprised at the flow of business thus far.
They proudly display photos of their best works around the perimeter of the shop, the way many parents would their children. It’s not quite as cool as the popular reality show, “Pimp My Ride,” they admit, but it’s along the same lines. Half the vehicles that drive up Austin and Bruesedow totally design and redo customizing it, transforming it from a factory issued vehicle to a one-of-a-kind ride to be proud of.
“This one,” Bruesedow said pointing to a photo a black Chevorlete 4500 HD, “she spent about $13,000. We did so much custom work. Let me put it this way, it took us four days and it usually takes two.”
The woman who owned the truck, yes that’s right, they see both men and women, gave the entire crew hugs before she left.
“We’re very gender friendly, we want to get to  know our customers – form relationships,” Bruesedow said.
“Yeah, we want to have a long term relationship with them,” Austin reiterated smirking, “not just a one-night-stand.”
Both gentlemen still carry full course loads while starting up and running their own business. How do they do it? Easy, they love it.
“I don’t have a life any more, I don’t go out near as much as I used to. I just pretty much work and go to school and go back to work,,” Bruesedow said, “but I want to be here.”
They carry equal responsibility and stock in the business; Austin runs the books and Dawson does the installations. They both make the decisions. Starting any business is risky business, especially considering how expensive it is.
“It puts more emphasis on the sale. It’s your dime – you’re not losing someone else’s money,” Austin explained. “We started this with every dime in our back accounts. And we’re having fun at what we do.”
So, what is it exactly that they do?
They can do almost anything vehicle-related. They specialize in lift and lowering kits, they do car and truck performance and deal with just about any imaginable vehicle accessory.
“We’ll put on a six-inch lift, chose the tire or certain brand of wheel, color schemes to go with the flow of the truck and we can do leather installations as well,” Bruesedow said.
Bruesedow and Austin went into business for themselves after working for other people throughout high school and college. They branched out on their own because they felt that other shops were offering the same product at a high price with no customer service, Bruesedow said.
“We offer the same product of better products at a fair price with the best quality customer service,” Bruesedow said.
These guys know what it’s like to have constant craving to customize their vehicles to perfection. Being in college still, they also understand finacial constraints as well.
“I’ve always customized my vehicles, so I know what it’s like,” said Austin. “We work with our customers, we have layaway and we’ll do things in stages. We have the smallest sale from $5 to $12,000.”
In the end if you ask these specialists its worth it to cruise around town in a vehicle that warrants bragging rights.
“It’s custom, it’s theirs. For most people it’s their second largest investment,” Austin said. “You don’t want to be ordinary; no one wants to be ordinary.
Just like most people want their houses to reflect who we are, many want their vehicle to as well. If this is the case drive on down to 1116 Scott street and treat your vehicle to a make over, it will thank you later.


Carlton not Just an 'Ordinary' Girl
Ashley Miller | Managing Editor

“You have five minutes,” Ziggy said. “Try not to get distracted by the puppy.”
Although about to meet a huge musical star, the news that Vanessa Carlton had a puppy with her swept through the group of reporters.
Ziggy, the road manager, led the group to the dressing room backstage in Akin Auditorium, reminding them that Carlton had a sore throat and to make it quick.
Rushed, the reporters filed into the room and for a moment just stared at the woman who brought the world “Ordinary Day” and “Pretty Baby.”
One reporter finally broke the silence.
“Can I take a picture of you and your puppy?”
Carlton picked up her long-haired dachshund and smiled obligingly for the two cameras snapping away.
Next question: “What’s your puppy’s name?”
“Victor,” she said.
A conversation ensued about the puppy one of the reporters just adopted. All of a sudden, Carlton assumed the role of reporter, firing questions about name, age, breed … from beside her, the sound of Ziggy’s throat clearing brought everyone back to the task at hand.
“I thought we weren’t getting distracted by the puppy,” he reminded everyone.
After a few moments of laughter, the real questions began.
As beautiful in person as in any photograph, Carlton described her life as a star.
“There are many elements you can’t control that pertain to you,” she said. “I hope someday to find the perfect team of people to work with.”
Before breaking into the music industry, Carlton was a trained ballerina. At the age of 17, she came to a crossroads where she had to choose which life she wanted. Her song “Ordinary Day” was a result of her confusion at the time.
“It’s a made-up story about taking risks,” she said. “It was a time in my life when I was transitioning what I wanted to do. I had been training to be a ballerina for so long.”
After having to grow up so suddenly, Carlton said she does not feel like a 21-year-old.
“I feel about late 30s. Responsibilities make you feel older – you’re constantly looking outside of yourself.”
A large part of Carlton’s fan base is made up of young girls, around 12 years old. She took on the college tour to reach a more relatable crowd.
“The college audience is the best audience for me to play for. They’re the same age group, and there are a lot of nuances in my music that college students relate to,” she said. “You can’t play for 12-year-olds forever.”


Star Walks draw Students Closer to the Stars
Nicole Ford | Editor-In-Chief

The Honors Program gave new meaning to the phrase “reaching for the stars” Saturday night.
Thirty-two people, including students in the Honors Program and astronomy classes, headed out to Copper Breaks State Park in Hardeman County, approximately two hours away from Wichita Falls, for the last StarWalk of the season.
The StarWalk program is designed to show participants around the night sky, including constellations and planets, and telescopes are set up for people to use.
StarWalks are put on once a month in April through October on the weekend with the least moonlight.
Honors Program Director Dr. Mark Farris had a fun time on the trip and believes it was a success.
“It was a great trip. The sky was perfectly clear and Venus and Mars were opposite of each other,” Honors Program Director Dr. Mark Farris said. “We saw some very interesting astronomical objects, including several falling stars.”
Farris found out about the program when his wife, a middle school science teacher in town, took her class out to the park for the program.
“The program has been going on for 10 years,” Farris said. “There are usually 100 to 150 people out there.”
Farris thought it would be the perfect opportunity for the Honors Program.
“Doing things like this is part of the design of the program when they revamped it in the fall of 2001,” Farris said.
Honors students are required to attend at least four field trips or conferences before graduation, and the StarWalk trip will count for one of those credits, Farris said.
“It’s part of community-building and it’s something to do,” Farris said. “It’s an aspect of the educational experience outside of classroom, which is part of what the program is about.”
The students left MSU on a bus at 4 p.m. Saturday and returned around 12:30 a.m. Lunch was provided for the participants.
Honors Program student Jonathan Abel said he thought the field trip was interesting.
“I went because it was required, but if you’re scientifically minded, I can see why you would like it,” Abel said.
Though it did seem to lack organization, it was good for a change of pace, Abel said.
“It’s like in the middle of nowhere, so it’s real bright. It’s a lot different from being in the city and looking up,” Abel said.