Looking for something new to do near campus? Perhaps you’ve exhausted all of your creative ideas for a first date. 

Next time you find yourself with time to fill, just across the street lies an activity of substance and culture, and better yet – it’s free! Take it the time to stroll across the street to the Wichita Falls Museum and Art Center. Currently on display at the museum, now owned by MSU is an exhibit entitled 20^th Year of New American Talent, which includes a plethora of artistic works in all different mediums, including four video pieces showing in the media gallery, Museum director Cohn Drenn said. Pieces featured in the exhibit include works from the MSU art department.

“I think students need to see the 20^th Year of New American Talent,” Drenn said. “It’s probably more cutting edge than students are going to see in this region for a long time. It’s better than the stuff you’ll see in Dallas.”

Opening on March 9 there will be a survey exhibit from the 200-year permanent collection of the museum.

“We at the museum, which is now a part of Midwestern State University, realized that the museum had a collection they started collecting in the 60’s. It’s strength is in the American art holdings,” Drenn said. of the entire collection around 120 works from 1770-2005 will be on display.

Drenn also has a showing of video art from the countries of Oman, Bahrain and Quarter in store for the Media Gallery, however no positive date has been chosen. This is the same video presentation that was made at the World Bank earlier this fall. 

There have been rumors that a film festival is in the works for the museum, Rumor that Drenn neither confirms nor denies. In fact he said it was “a possibility,” and one that he hopes he can make happen. Although he realizes that an event of that size would entail community involvement.

“We’re talking about it. We’ll need to find sponsorship and we will need some help, but I think we can pull it off. There is definitely an interest and there are some industries out there that I think would be will to work with us on it,” Drenn said.

The hours of operation for the museum are Tuesday through Friday from 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. 

Survey most researched to date
Christian McPhate | Staff Reporter

A report released by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation (AAUW Educational Foundation) stated that sexual harassment pervades campus life for the 21^st century student.

It is the most comprehensive research to date on sexual harassment occurring across college campuses. The report analyzed findings from a national survey of undergraduate students.

According to the research--nearly two-thirds (62 percent) of undergraduate students have encountered some type of sexual harassment while nearly one-third of students (35 percent of female students and 29 percent of male students) reported that the harassment was physical, such as being touched, grabbed, or pinched in a sexual explicit manner.

More than two-thirds (68 percent) of female students who experienced sexual harassment feel very or somewhat upset by it. Furthermore, only one-third (35 percent) of male students admitted to being very or somewhat upset.

Among female students who encountered sexual harassment, one-third (32 percent) said they felt afraid while one-quarter (25 percent) said they were disappointed in their college experience because of the harassment.

One-third of female students and half the male students admitted to sexually harassing someone in college while a majority of students (59 percent) who admitted to harassing another student said they did so because they thought it was funny.

The research also found that only 7 percent of students reported sexual harassment to a faculty member or other college employee while more than half of students (57 percent) would like their college or university to offer a confidential way to report the harassment.

The students suggested a number of ways to accomplish this task either with web-based method for submitting complaints about sexual harassment or a designated office or person to contact about sexual harassment.

The American Association of University Women plans to follow up this research by helping colleges and universities come up with definitive plans to combat the problem of sexual harassment.

"A campus environment that permits inappropriate verbal and physical contact undermines the emotional, intellectual, and professional growth of millions of young adults," said Ruth Sweetser, president of the American Association of University Women. "In such a setting young men and women fail to learn appropriate behaviors essential for success later in life."

AAUW funds programs that aims for finding new ways to combat campus sexual harassment across college campuses. These projects were selected to help students, faculty, and administrators understand the scope of the problem while raising awareness on the issue, and implementing projects that affect change in the climate across the campuses.

The AAUW Educational Foundation is a leader in research on the educational and economic status of women with research on gender equity issues that raises public awareness and provides a call to action for educational institutions, policy-makers, legislators, and the public.

"Our research shows that sexual harassment takes an especially heavy toll on young women, making it harder for them to get the education they need to take care of themselves and their families in the future," said Barbara O 'Connor, AAUW Educational Foundation president.

The Educational Foundation also funds money exclusively for graduate women and with its nationwide network of more than 100,000 members, it has been a leading advocate for equity and education for women since 1881.

Art gallery's serigraph exhibit opens
Konnie Sewell | News Editor


The University Art Gallery's national "Contemporary American Serigraphs" exhibit was officially unveiled Friday night.

The grand opening lasted from 8 to 10 p.m. and refreshments were served as patrons, including campus students as well as members of the community, admired the artwork.

Gallery Director Catherine Prose said those who attend gallery openings like this one are usually comprised of half students and half patrons from the city, as well as members of the MSU faculty.

"All sorts of people come and participate on opening nights," she said. "It's the people who enjoy the artwork the most."

Serigraphy is screen printing, also known as silk-screening. It was first used as an industrial technology, and became famous in the Pop Art movement of the 1960s. Andy Warhol was a famous screen printing artist. Today the technique is commonly used on everything from t-shirts and ceramics to wood and metals.

This art exhibition, which was previously displayed in San Marcos, Texas, and will soon be on its way to Madison, Wis., was organized and co-curated by Tim High and C. Robert Schwieger, whose own artwork was on display. Many other artists from all over the country were showcased, including many from Austin, Lubbock and Wichita Falls, as well as from California, Kansas, Florida, New York, Nebraska, North Carolina, Connecticut and Indiana.

The exhibit will be shown through February 26.

Prose, whose job as gallery coordinator includes promotional work, sending out invitations, hanging and labeling the work, and contacting the artists, said High contacted her about bringing the art to MSU.

The University Art Gallery has around two to three showings a year, one of which graduating seniors with a major in art must participate in, and university professors showcase their sabbatical work as well. Soon, the gallery hopes to get artists’ work from Texas Tech University, specifically painting and sculpture.

Prose said the next show for the gallery will be unusual.

“It’ll be a smack daddy, let me tell you,” she said. “But then, each show is unique.”

For more information, contact the University Art Gallery at 397-4264.

Beware of safes!

An MSU student was seen throwing his safe with his money from the third floor of Pierce Hall late last semester.

Students can rent safes to lock their valuables in, but damaging them is not in the contract. The student threw the safe from his dorm window three times because he had forgotten the combination.

Campus police were summoned and he was charged with damage to campus property and required to reimburse the school for $250, according to MSU Police Chief Michael Hagy. Hagy said sometimes students do crazy things.