Homecoming week explodes at Wesleyan.Campus Life, page 4

The voice of Texas Wesleyan University students since 1917

WEDNESDAYFebruary 24, 2010

Vol. 93 • No. 6

ONLINE: www.therambler.org

The RamblerTheater student takes to the big screen.A&E, page 5

SGA approves funds for dorm upgrades

Parent association adaptsMelissa Batesmdbates@mail.txwes.edu

In these times of change, Wesleyan parents are going with the flow and changing the Ram Parent Association.

The association began last semester, but af-ter a series of monthly meetings, the parents

decided they didn’t like that format, said Mi-chael Greer Hall, parent liaison with the as-sociation.

The parents decided there were better uses of their time than to sit in a room discussing their student’s academic lives. They’re now

Rebecca Moore | Rambler StaffMichael Greer Hall acts as the parent liaison for the Ram Parent Association.

“My goal for this is to build individual homework stations so that when stu-dents walk in, they can print stuff off and not have that hassle of walking all the way to the library.”

Heath ScottSGA President

Ex-Cowboy tackles community issues

Jonathan Resendezjlresendez@mail.txwes.edu

About a year ago, Monty Todd was a baseball player from Mineral Wells on the verge of receiving a scholar-ship to Texas A&M when he suffered traumatic brain injuries in a car ac-cident that left him in a wheelchair.

Today, Todd is able to stand—and

even dance—thanks in part to David Howard, CEO and president of Em-power Me, a program which serves individuals with developmental and cognitive challenges whose corpo-rate headquarters will soon call the Wesleyan neighborhood home.

“[Todd] fought back,” Howard said. “He goes out in the community.

He’s got his own home. He’s doing well.”

Howard calls Todd his brother, as the unlikely pair jokes and carries on. At 6-feet-2, one could say Howard is built like a linebacker—because he actually was.

Howard played professional foot-ball for 11 years as an outside line-

backer for the Minnesota Vikings. He was then traded to Dallas in the Herschel Walker trade in 1989 before finishing his career with the Patriots in 1992.

“It was a fun, illustrious career, but during my years playing professional football I became an entrepreneur

Wesleyan Village to receive consultingJonathan Resendezjlresendez@mail.txwes.edu

Wesleyan student housing will come under professional review March 1 and 2.

The board of trustees charged Wesleyan President Harold Jeffcoat to “develop a plan to maximize revenue from student housing with emphasis on Wesleyan Village occupancy.”

Dean of Students Carey Poole cites the consultant’s history as a positive point.

John White, past housing consultant for University of Texas at San Antonio, and Bambi Harris, real estate spe-cialist, will perform an analy-sis to get a feel of what resi-dents think about Wesleyan Village.

“They’re going to interview students, RAs, former resi-dential students and admin-istrators,” said Pati Alexander, vice president for enrollment and student services.

Before Wesleyan Village was built in 2002, Danter Stu-dent Housing Research did a feasibility study to determine the advantages of apartment-style dorms.

“They said ‘we think that we could have occupancy of 85 percent in Wesleyan Village,’” Alexander said. “We opened the facility, and we have never been at 85 percent.”

Wesleyan Village holds 260 beds.

Alexander said Jeffcoat also suggested turning Wesleyan Village into the scholarship dorms, which poses new problems.

“Apparently there’s not one answer, there’s a combina-tion,” Alexander said. “We need a group of experts to say, ‘This is what we think.’”

The board of trustees will read the consultants’ report at a meeting March 23. HOWARD, page 3

 PARENT, page 3

Jonathan Resendez | Rambler StaffDavid Howard helps client Allyson Tunes on a dynovox, a computer that helps people with speaking challenges.

John Liontosjcliontos@mail.txwes.edu

The Student Government Association ap-proved $4,500 in upgrades for the campus dorms.

The proposal includes four LCD televisions, five DVD players, four surge protectors and two printers for Stella Russell Hall, Elizabeth Hall and the Wesleyan Village Clubhouse.

“This proposal looks pretty good,” said Nich-olas Demetre, representative for school of nat-ural and social science. “The students are the reason why we’re here. This would help them bond together.”

The proposal passed SGA 10 to 1, but there was concern expressed over how the new items would be protected.

“We believe that when we start putting nicer things in the dorms, we shouldn’t have to wor-ry about anyone walking away with them,” said SGA President Heath Scott.

The goal of the proposal is to create a better environment for socialization as well as home-work.

“My goal for this is to build individual home-work stations so that when students walk in, they can print stuff off and not have that hassle of walking all the way to the library,” Scott said.

IT supplied three new computers for the effort, and two of them are already set up in Stella.

“Stella is going to have two homework sta-tions; Elizabeth is going to have one, and all of the TVs will be going in the main lobbies,” Scott said.

The second and third floor of Stella will re-ceive smaller televisions, he said.

“It is my firm belief that a lot of students that live in these dormitories will be most grateful for the actions we have just taken,” Scott said.