The voice of Texas Wesleyan University students since 1917

The RamblerThe Lady Rams sweep their opponents.Sports, page 5

WEDNESDAYSeptember 29, 2010

Vol. 93 • No. 18

www.therambler.org

Theatre Wesleyan puts on Chekhov’s Vaudevilles.A&E, page 4

Research demonstratesincrease in toleranceShauna Bankssbbanks@mail.txwes.edu

Nine years after the events of 9/11, tolerance for individuals of Middle Eastern descent par-ticipating in American society has increased at Wesleyan.

In 2003, Dr. Sara Horsfall and Dr. Ibrahim Sa-lih of the sociology and political science depart-ments presented results from a study done in Fall 2002 by Horsfall’s Applied Research Meth-ods class. In the study, Wesleyan students were asked a series of questions regarding their feel-ings about people of Middle Eastern descent.

Seven years later, with the help of Tanni Chaudhuri, assistant professor of sociology and criminal justice, Horsfall and Salih have com-pleted a similar study with current Wesleyan students.

“It’s basically the second part of a longitudinal study that started in 2002 after 9/11,” Chaud-huri said.

To measure the social distance between stu-dents at Wesleyan and those in the Middle East, an adaptation of the Bogardus scale was used.

“The scale has seven measures of acceptance, from excluding the group from the country to accepting them in your family by marriage,” Horsfall said.

During the 2010 study, students were also asked a series of questions to measure their knowledge of international current events and issues.

Students from various classes offered at Wes-

leyan during the Spring 2010 semester were chosen at random, with an option not to par-ticipate.

According to study results, 81 percent of stu-dents given the questionnaire were between the ages of 18 and 25, 55 percent in a relationship at the time, 47.5 percent white, 74.6 percent fe-male and more than half had an income of less than $25,000 a year.

Horsfall said the recent study indicated fewer students said they were against Middle East-erners entering the country than in the 2003 study.

This year 59 percent of students surveyed strongly disagreed that Middle Easterners should be kept out of the country, and 64.8 percent indicated that they would approve of a person of Middle Eastern descent marrying into their families.

“That speaks toward the diversity on cam-pus,” Chaudhuri said. “That speaks toward our willingness to accept. It speaks toward if we actually do have more international students on campus that can enrich the learning experi-ence.”

Although data is still being analyzed, there are plans to present the results of a comparative study done with the results from both studies at the Southwestern Sociological Association meeting in Las Vegas in March 2011.

Salih said after that presentation, the re-searchers hope to get at least five more univer-

Network gives scholarshipsRachel Peelrlpeel@mail.txwes.edu

Hispanic Women’s Network shelled out tens of thousands of dollars to three Wesleyan students over the past three years.

Cristina Ibarra, Mireya Gallegos and Clau-dia Gonzalez won scholarships ranging from

$14,000 to $20,000 per year to Texas Wesleyan University from the Hispanic Women’s Net-work for achieving excellence in high school. The funds were earned by hosting a Latin art show at the Rose Marine Theatre.

“[Students] must go through a scholarship

Angie Ruiz | Rambler StaffMireya Gallegos, junior early childhood bilingual education major and Hispanic Women’s Network scholarship recipient, stands next to Amber Bailey’s painting Embracing Opportunity, which was valued at $350. Portions of the proceeds go toward the scholarship fund.

Jonathan Resendezjlresendez@mail.txwes.edu

Stella Hall director Harry Krider, senior international business ad-ministration major, said giving out the names of residents who reported bed bugs in their room was like giv-ing out the names of people who had diseases.

Krider’s misconception that bed bugs are caused by undesirable rea-sons is one shared by people across the globe.

“That’s not the case at all,” said Dr. Ray Thompson, president of Inno-vative Pest Management Associates. “Bed bugs are totally indiscriminant. They don’t care as long as there’s a food source—and the food source of course is blood.”

Bed bugs aren’t the result of poor

hygiene and can affect anyone, any-where and at any time, according to the Laboratory Identification of Par-asites of Public Health Concern.

In early September, two female Stella residents reported bite marks.

“We had two students come in with some bites, some concern,” said housing director Sharon Manson. “So we sent them to [nurse] Paige [Cook] to make sure it wasn’t any-thing threatening health-wise.”

After a bed bug infestation was identified, Manson said the two students, along with the neighbors above, below and to the sides of them, were temporarily moved to vacant rooms while the rooms were treated.

Housing contacted Myers Pest & Termite Services who treated the af-fected rooms in about four hours al-

though preparation took a week.“In my mind I’m thinking, ‘These

kids just got here; they just set up their room; now we’re telling them to get everything they have out of it,’” Manson said.

The nine students affected had to thoroughly wash their belongings in hot water before transferring to their temporary rooms for a week. Man-son said as much as housing did not want to inconvenience the students, they had to ensure the bed bugs would not spread.

IPMA President Dr. Thompson also serves as a consultant to Myers and has studied bugs for the past six decades. Thompson said he kept bed bugs on his desk and let them feed on his own blood while he studied them.

“The only saving grace of this par-ticular pest, even though it’s extreme-

ly annoying, is that they do not trans-mit any diseases, right now, known to man,” Thompson said. “Even if they feed on a person that has HIV and they go feed on somebody else, there’s no transfer.”

Bed bugs’ ability to travel almost anywhere are the results of their ability to hide in miniscule spaces paired with their potential long life spans. Researchers have found that bed bugs can live up to a year with no food source, Thompson said.

Manson served as housing director for Mississippi State University and Louisiana State University and said this is her first encounter with bed bugs.

All the directors conferences she has been to “they say, ‘If you haven’t dealt with it [bed bugs], you haven’t dealt with it—yet,’” she said.

Strategic plan adds focus to TWU goalsJonathan Resendezjlresendez@mail.txwes.edu

Wesleyan administrators said they hope to increase edu-cational quality and monetary endowment, among other things, as they forge the uni-versity’s 2010-2015 strategic plan.

With previous plans in place for more than the past 10 years, the preliminary draft of the new strategic plan submit-ted to the Board of Trustees at the beginning of the fall term focuses on six academic goals. According to the Aug. 8 draft, the school’s vision is “to be the premier student-centered teaching and learning univer-sity in North Texas.”

“An educational institution must be forever remembering that their purpose is students,” said Interim President Dr. La-mar Smith.

Wesleyan is required to have a strategic plan in place to re-ceive accreditation from the Southern Association of Col-leges and Schools.

“We’ve always had some plans in place,” said Provost Dr. Allen Henderson. “Over the last 10 years we’ve gotten more detailed with them.”

The six broad goals range from developing and support-ing excellence among the fac-ulty to providing students with programs that prepare them for their professional career, with specific action plans for each goal.

Pati Alexander, Vice Presi-dent for Enrollment and Stu-dent Services, said administra-tors check in with the Board of Trustees at least once per se-mester to monitor the strategic plan’s progress and to ensure that goals are being met.

 RESEARCH, page 3  SCHOLARSHIPS, page 3

Malicious beast or harmless pest?Photo Illustration by Erica Estrada and Jonathan Resendez

Bed bugsBed bugs feed on blood by piercing exposed skin with an elongated beak, anywhere from the face to the legs.

Bed bugs can live for more than a year without feeding.

Bed bugs can hide in slots the thickness of a business card, making them hard to detect.

Bed bugs do not transmit any diseases known to man.

Bed bug infestations aren’t signs of hygiene or clean-liness problems — even luxurious hotels encounter difficulties with them.

Bed bug bites often do not hurt but can cause itching, depending on the person.

 PLAN, page 3

Opinion2 | September 29, 2010 The RambleR | www.therambler.org

How does personal wireless technology impact your daily life?

Aaron Broyles, junior theater arts

“It beats hauling around a heavy computer bag

everywhere I go.”

Joey Fortney, senior music

“It allows me to pay bills and stay updated on things wherever I am.”

Kathy Nguyen, junior biology

“It allows me to share notes with my friends and com-municate more efficiently.”

Melissa Gibson, junior political science

“It’s a double edged sword. Technology is great but so dangerous at the same time.”

Natalie Gillespie, junior paralegal studies

“My life really revolves around my phone.”

Jonathan Resendez, editor-in-chiefBarry Grubbs, opinion editor Eliana Mijangos, sports editorChuck Fain, arts & entertainment editorDwight Conerway, college life editorMeisa Keivani Najafabadi, photo editorErica Estrada, graphic designer/cartoonistWendy Moore, faculty adviserDr. Kay Colley, faculty liaison

Member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press As-sociation, Associated Collegiate Press, Student Press Law Center, College Media Advisers and College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers.

Opinions expressed in The RambleR are those of the individual authors only and do not neces-sarily reflect the views of the Texas Wesleyan community as a whole.

RambleR Contribution Please send all news briefs to twurambler@yahoo.com. Submissions due by noon Friday to see brief in the following week’s issue.

Letters to the editor: The RambleR, a weekly publication, welcomes all letters. All submis-sions must have a full printed name, phone number and signature. While every consider-ation is made to publish letters, publication is limited by time and space.The editors reserve the right to edit all submis-sions for space, grammar, clarity and style. Letters to the editor may be subject to response from editors and students on the opinion page.

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— Thomas Jefferson

Address all correspondence to:Texas Wesleyan UniversityThe RambleR1201 Wesleyan St.Fort Worth, TX 76105twurambler@yahoo.comTo contact The RambleR

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The RamblerFounded in 1917 as The Handout

Publisher: Lamar Smith

Mobile technology adds element of risk to real life

Most of us have seen the Matrix film trilogy by now. The idea of people liv-ing in a false reality was a little creepy. It was a great science fiction concept and a special effects masterpiece.

As I look around these days, I no-tice a lot of people living in a sort of replacement reality. What I mean is; many of us seem to be preoccupied with the virtual world we enter via the Internet and personal wireless devices.

So many people are talking and texting while driving. There is no point arguing whether or not it’s dangerous. Is it possible that any message we need to send is so important that it can-not wait until we arrive at our destination?

I see students texting furiously in class, as if the nature of their cor-respondence is the most important thing in their lives. Everywhere I look, I see teens and adults pushing the natural world aside to make room for e-mail, texting and tweeting.

I understand the importance of staying in touch, but if we can’t be out of touch long enough to take a history class or drive our kids to soccer practice, we might be going

a little too deep into the virtual re-ality we have created.

It makes me nervous when I see a mother pushing a shopping cart across a busy parking lot with three toddlers trailing behind her. While she taps away on her Smartphone, she may not pay close enough atten-tion to her children to prevent them from being hit by a vehicle.

I guess the question is whether we are satisfied with the events of our natural life to stay engaged for more than a few minutes without the dis-traction of our virtual world.

Have we become so bored that we cannot even sit through a movie at the theater without checking our messages?

It could be argued that we have

developed a false sense of impor-tance. Whatever the cause, this be-havior could be hazardous to our youth.

Dr. Ken Haller of Cardinal Glen-non Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis, said excessive texting can trigger areas of the brain that can lead to addiction. There is plenty of ongoing research on the issue, but most of what we have learned so far is not very positive.

Sexting is a hot topic lately. I don’t need to explain what it is, but I think it says a lot about where technology can take us as a society.

The amount of time spent on so-cial media lately is staggering. Re-cent statistics put Facebook at the top of the list of most used websites,

in terms of hours browsed. There is a place for such pursuits, but what I have noticed is that many people are happy to mentally immerse them-selves in the virtual world while driving, studying or just about any other place they happen to be.

Social media and the buzz of texting and instant messag-ing have slowly drawn teens and adults away from real-life rela-tionships and into a virtual world of superficiality.

I’m sure this is a natural progres-sion in our cultural development. It would, however, be a shame to lose the real-life personal touch rela-tionships that once allowed people to talk face-to-face, instead of with their fingertips.

Mr. Resendez:

This letter is in response to an article, “SGA to use iPads to reduce waste,” found in the Sept.22 issue of The Rambler. The article in question left out many important details. This letter will hopefully address these.

The article opens proclaiming that the “The SGA members are planning …to pass a bill concerning the use of iPads…” This statement leaves the reader with the notion that the Stu-dent Government has already decided it will buy itself iPads. This could not be further from the truth. Every piece of legislation is debated thoroughly by every member of the government. Nothing is guaranteed to pass.

Next, the article informs the reader that the SGA plans to purchase “15-20 iPads.” The ar-ticle fails to mention that the iPad legislation, if passed, would be a two-year plan; the first year being a trial year. In this academic year, a maximum of seven iPads would be purchased. At the end of this year, the SGA would then evaluate its use of the iPad. At that time, if the program is deemed a success, then it would be left to next year’s SGA to make additional iPad purchases. If the program is deemed un-successful, then no additional iPads would be purchased; a very important detail.

The article continues, “At $499 a piece, the combined cost for 15-20 iPads ranges from $7,485 to $9,980 without tax.” Yes this would be the cost if the SGA was purchasing that many iPads. As stated above, the SGA will only purchase up to seven iPads for this academic year,

with the option to buy more at a future date. With only seven iPads the cost significantly drops. Couple that with the discount offered by Apple, and the cost dwindles even more.

The article also addresses the subject of SGA funding. If the SGA does not spend ev-ery dollar in any given semester the remain-ing money is carried over into the next. In this case, the SGA does have a substantial amount of money, from preceding years, that have “rolled over” into this semester. The $23,000 figure quoted fails to take into account any of these additional monies.

Also, the article only quoted students who are not in favor of the possible legislation; a fact that I find disturbing. I would have ex-pected a more balanced view of the topic.

Lastly, the program that would allow un-derprivileged students access to laptops only garners a total of five words in the entire ar-ticle. The iPad and laptop purchases will be made through the same piece of legislation.

I do appreciate the work that The Rambler does on behalf of the student body. It is my hope in the future though, that all relevant information would be included in any and all articles.

Sincerely,

Heath A. ScottPresident, Student Government Association

Barry GrubbsOpinion editorbgrubbs@mail.txwes.edu

To members of Student Government Association,

As an alumnus of Texas Wesleyan Universi-ty and a former member of the Student Gov-ernment Association, I ask that you take into consideration my concern over the recent plans to purchase iPads for all SGA members. Let me applaud you for your efforts to take active part in the green movement, but please reconsider this unnecessary expenditure.

Although members of SGA should be re-warded for their work on campus, this spe-cific use of SGA funds will come at a much larger cost than you perhaps bargained for. Already, the angry voices of current students have been heard on the Internet and perhaps in person. I would hope that you would not ignore the voices of your constituents, as it will look bad on your organization. While you undoubtedly do not mean to appear self-ish by spending money on your members, the rest of the student body has trouble seeing the selflessness in this recent development.

Let me also point out that while iPads could save paper, there is no need to spend money on this particular gadget. The iPad is fairly new and expensive, and I am sure you are aware that it does more than allow people to take notes. The downloadable applications are unnecessary for your current needs, and I would like to suggest other alternatives.

Most of your members likely have lap-tops, so may I suggest that they bring those to meetings instead, if all they want to do is conserve paper? I am sure that the sec-retary is excellent at taking notes, so have

them e-mail members with sufficient notes just in case some members did not get all the details from the meeting. If it is abso-lutely necessary to buy members something to aid with note-taking, may I suggest a mini Netbook laptop? Those can be as little as $100 and will therefore be considerably less than buying an iPad for each member.

Let me remind the members of SGA that the organization is there to benefit all of the students of the university. It is difficult to see how the planned expenditure will benefit all students, so please focus on more important tasks at hand. Some people have already men-tioned that SGA could perhaps start a small scholarship or try to see about getting an el-evator placed in O.C. Hall. While some ideas may seem unrealistic, it would do well to lis-ten to students’ concerns and attempt to get them taken care of or let students know why those concerns are out of SGA’s hands. It is much better than letting them think that you have not taken their ideas into consideration.

I still support the SGA for what it stands for, and I wish the organization the best of luck. Continue to make changes on campus, but take care not to turn a deaf ear to those who seek help from you. Bless you all.

Sincerely,

Claudia Rojero

Letters to the editor

Dream Act legislation defeat unfortunate

Recently, many of our friends have suffered an in-justice in this country due to partisan politics.

The injustice in question pertains to the postponement of the Dream Act. If passed, this act would grant citizen-ship to the children of immi-

grants brought to this country under the age of 16, after they serve in the military or com-plete two years of college.

The bill died in the Senate after a

Republican filibuster, though it wasn’t only Republicans who stifled the bill. There was support and opposition for the bill from both ends of the political spectrum. The fail-ure of the legislation to pass was not the content of the Dream Act itself, but the fact that it was connected to other

doomed legislation. The Dream Act was at-

tached to the Defense Autho-rization Bill, which sets policy for the defense department and has passed through the Senate without issue for the past 48 years. Proponents of the Dream Act relied on the impressive track record of the Defense Bill to push this leg-islation through the Senate – unfortunately, so did a few

other controversial causes. The repeal of the “don’t ask,

don’t tell” policy, which would allow homosexual men and women to serve openly in the military, as well as legislation lifting the ban on abortions in military hospitals overseas was also added to the Defense Bill.

This is unfortunate for the Dream Act, a bill that seems to garner support on both sides of the political aisle and

would reward and encourage good citizenship.

This isn’t to say that the other issues are not as impor-tant or that they don’t deserve their time on the Senate floor. On the contrary, I am person-ally in support of everything in and attached to the Defense Bill. I do not however, repre-sent the majority. My political views lean to the left, perhaps nauseatingly so, and there are many out there who do not share my world view.

Issues such as the rights of homosexuals and abortion are hot-button issues that po-larize people to their politi-

cal core. These issues deserve a platform and desperately need debating more frequent-ly in our country.

Regardless of your stance on immigration, your politi-cal or religious affiliation or your ethnicity, it should be apparent that the Dream Act is a worthy cause.

The bill doesn’t grant am-nesty to anyone who has ever crossed our border, nor is it a form of welfare. The Dream Act simply helps those who didn’t choose to come here, but who have contributed to the betterment of this country once here.

Chuck FainArts & entertainment editor cmfain@mail.txwes.edu

“This is unfortunate for the Dream Act, a bill that seems to garner support on both sides of the political aisle.”

CampusThe RambleR | www.therambler.org September 29, 2010 | 3

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Religious Life at Texas Wesleyan

Live music with brief time of worship Tuesdays at 12:15 in PUMC Chapel Free lunch after on PUMC 3rd Floor – Room 312

Free lunch and discussion/dialogue Thursdays at 12:15 in PUMC Chapel PUMC 3rd Floor – Room 312

“Faith seeking understanding” – ALL are welcome!

For info: http://www.txwes.edu/religiouslife/index.htm

University Chapel:

Common Meal:

However you want to study, we have a place for you.

West Library Hours:Monday through Thursday 7:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.Friday 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.Saturday 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.Sunday 1 p.m. to 10 p.m.

Group Individually817-336-HANG • www.hangmans.com

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downtown Fort Worth

Shauna Bankssbbanks@mail.txwes.edu

Just a few weeks into the fall semester, after a slew of syl-labi listing assignments and research papers, students are still able to find their inner peace.

This peace originates from the Basic Movement Yoga Ex-ercise course offered at Wes-leyan this semester in the Sid W. Richardson Center.

Vice President of Enroll-ment and Student Services Pati Alexander has taught this course for three years, since she received her yoga teacher certification in 2007.

Although yoga comes in many forms, this beginner’s course is categorized as ha-tha yoga, which is usually a slower-paced type of yoga with breathing exercises and seated meditation. Students also learn basic poses and re-laxation techniques.

“Hatha yoga benefits stu-dents in several ways: breath awareness—learning to breathe properly, medita-tion—which helps with stress, and postures—which improve flexibility,” Alexander said.

The University Catalog also lists this one-hour course as an option for satisfying activ-ity course requirements for all majors.

“The yoga class so far has been really fun,” said Stepha-nie Franks, sophomore edu-cation major. “Ms. Alexan-der conducts a well-balanced class.”

Franks said the class has a good mix of lecture, physical activity and educational vid-eos.

“The constant change of instruction keeps me alert and awake,” Franks said. “The last five minutes of each class is designated for ‘relaxation time,’ which is a time to clear your mind, relax your body

and remain unattached, free and open. I really enjoy the class and the manner in which Ms. Alexander teaches it.”

Yoga has become widely popular across Fort Worth, with new facilities for group and personal sessions avail-able to the public.

Lynda “Cricket” Hackney, a yoga therapist and registered yoga teacher at the Priya Yoga and Nia Studio in Fort Worth, said a consistent yoga practice builds strength and flexibility, while offering stress relief and greater confidence.

“Anyone can benefit from a yoga practice,” Hackney said.

“If you go into an established class, just don’t expect yourself to be able to keep up with the class right away. Do what you can, listen to your body and you will be amazed at how much more you can do after a short time of practicing.”

At capacity with 21 students in the class, the yoga course at Wesleyan has a limited num-ber of spots each semester. However, other students and non-students can find their inner peace too by registering for classes in facilities all over Fort Worth, including Indigo Yoga, The Wellness Center and Bikram Yoga Fort Worth.

Angie Ruiz | Rambler StaffSenior exercise science major Sofia Maldonado and freshman exercise science major Garrett White hold the Gomukhasana, or cow face, pose during Pati Alexander’s basic movement Yoga exercise class.

Yoga class continues offering flexibility

sities across the nation to an-swer the same questions to do another comparative analysis on the results from Wesleyan and those from schools across the United States.

“It could be interesting to find out if the student body in the northern part of the Unit-ed States and those maybe at UT-Austin will be the same,” Salih said.

RESEARCH continued from page 1

program, be very involved in their schools, well-rounded and have academically high achievement to qualify for the scholarship,” said Chris-tina Elbitar, president of His-panic Women’s Network.

To receive a scholarship from the Hispanic Women’s Network, each candidate must go through a scholar-ship class called Latinas in Progress.

In the program, students attend a monthly workshop at colleges such as Texas Christian University, Univer-sity of Texas at Arlington and

Wesleyan to discuss leader-ship and management skills.

Ibarra and Gallegos began the classes their senior years of high school.

“I’m just very grateful for it,” said Gallegos, junior early childhood bilingual educa-tion major.

Gallegos received her scholarship when she gradu-ated from Castleberry High School in 2008.

She was involved in several organizations on campus in-cluding cheerleading, band and National Honor Society.

“It seemed like a great op-

portunity,” Gallegos said.Ibarra graduated from Ar-

lington-Heights High School in 2007 and received her scholarship the same year. Ibarra was active in volley-ball, golf, Spanish Club and Student Council.

The Hispanic Women’s Network hosted its yearly Latin art show Sept. 25 at the Rose Marine Theatre. The group auctioned pieces of art and other items to raise mon-ey for scholarships.

Portions of the profits, and sometimes all of the money, go toward the scholarship.

SCHOLARSHIPS continued from page 1

Rachel Peelrlpeel@mail.txwes.edu

Methodist Student Move-ment is changing names, but keeping faces.

Methodist Student Move-ment will change its name to Religious Life this fall. The group has decided to change its name to ensure all stu-dents and faculty understand that it is not only for Meth-odist students.

“Robert Flowers had the idea to change the name of MSM to Religious Life because there was a lot of misunderstanding that the group was just for Method-ists,” Eli Cumpton, program coordinator and chaplain secretary, said.

Dr. Robert Flowers took over MSM and the univer-sity chaplain position when he arrived on campus last spring.

Flowers said he hopes to use his position to reach out to other faith backgrounds, Cumpton said.

“I joined Religious Life because I wanted to experi-ence other people’s faith in an open forum,” said senior mass communications major Reggie Brown.

Other changes include changing the name of the Chapel to University Chapel, as well as changing from Bi-ble Study to Common Meal.

Common Meal takes place held at 12:15 p.m. every Thursday on the third floor

of Poly UMC in the all-use room.

“As a religion major, I spend too much time on the third floor,” said Justin Mi-kulencak, sophomore reli-gion major. “It’s where all my friends are.”

Brown said religion is a touchy subject although it doesn’t have to be. People should be able to discuss reli-gion in a comfortable setting.

“There is no prerequisite to attend University Chapel or Common Meal,” Cumpton said. “We want everyone to know that it is opened to all.”

University Chapel takes place 12:15 p.m. on Tuesdays in the PUMC Chapel and consists of live music and discussion.

Meisa Keivani Najafabadi | Rambler StaffDr. Robert Flowers, chaplain, and Brite Divinity School intern Jang Han discuss Christianity with fellow students after lunch during Common Meal.

Movement changes name

When goals such as enroll-ment are met, the committee in charge of the plan may step back and decide whether ad-ditions are necessary, said Bill Bleibdrey, senior vice president of finance and administration.

“These are fairly univer-sal and everlasting [goals],” Bleibdrey said. “These won’t change. What’s going to be in the body of the strategic plan is “what are we working on now that moves us toward achieving each of these objec-tives. And that will change all the time.”

Financial responsibility

comprises the sixth impera-tive of the strategic plan.

“It [the strategic plan] re-ally is a road map for what we need to be raising money for in the next five to 10 years,” said Joan Canty, vice president of university advancement.

Bleibdrey said he hopes to raise the school’s endowment from $40 million to $100 mil-lion. This would allow the school to offer a significantly greater number and higher amounts of scholarships, he said. At the moment, only about $1.2 million in endow-ment scholarships are given

each year.“So you could say, ‘We are

going to provide the students four times as many scholar-ships,’” he said.

PLAN continued from page 1

Correction: In a headline in the Sept. 22 issue, The Rambler referred to Dr. Patsy Robles-Goodwin as an English professor. Dr. Robles-Goodwin is an associate professor in the school of education.Clarification: In an article in the Sept. 22 issue, The Rambler failed to mention that if the SGA purchased iPads, it would be over a 2 year period. If passed, the bill would only purchase seven iPads this year as a trial run. The Rambler regrets these errors.

Arts & Entertainment4 | September 29, 2010 The RambleR | www.therambler.org

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$200 DBDs to your plan and we’ll credit your account with an extra $20• $5.96 per meal -save versus

paying cash at the door!

Block 40

Block 50• 50 all-you-care to-eat meals/

semester• $284.16/ semester• Super Value Stretcher- Add

$200 DBDs to your plan and we’ll credit your account with an extra $20• $5.68 per meal -save versus

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• 5 all-you-care to-eat meals/week• $100 Declining Balancing

Dollars• $585.46/ semester (includes

tax)• Super Value Stretcher- Add

$100 DBDs to your plan and we’ll credit your account with an extra $25• $6.07 per meal -save versus

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Ram Sample

Willie Wallet• 300 Declining Balance Dollars• $300/ semester• Super Value Stretcher- Add

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Bronze

• 30 all-you-care to-eat meals/se-mester• $150 Declining Balancing Dollars• $324.75/ semester (includes tax)• Super Value Stretcher- Purchase

this membership and we will give you $25 in free Declining Balance Dollars!• $5.82 per meal -save versus

paying cash at the door!Add $ to your meal plan when you get your refund check

Chuck Faincmfain@mail.txwes.edu

Physician, short story author and play-wright Dr. Anton Chekhov is famous for such dramatic works as The Seagull and The Cherry Orchid.

However, Chekhov also wrote many light-hearted comedies. Chekhov wrote these comedies for the masses, which deal with an assortment of strange characters.

Theatre Wesleyan will soon introduce audiences to these characters in the first production of the fall season, Dr. Chek-hov’s Vaudevilles.

The performance will feature four short comedies by Chekhov: The Anniversary, The Proposal, The Unwilling Martyr and The Bear.

The empty black box of the Thad Smotherman Theatre transforms into a rag-tag music hall of the 1860s for the show, featuring live piano accompani-ment by alumnus Ben Phillips and a cast ranging from freshman- to senior-level theatre students.

“Being cast as a freshman is amazing,” said freshman theatre major Robert de la Garza. “I could not have asked for any-thing better.”

The show is co-directed by theatre pro-fessor Jeanne Everton and senior theatre major Joy Millard. Together, they lead the cast through the comic mishaps of “ego-tistical bankers, greedy land-grabbers and various quarrelsome souls,” according to the show’s press release.

“It’s been a wonderful learning experi-

ence,” Millard said. “The casts are great and incredibly funny. I am glad to get to work with all of them.”

The whole department worked together to construct the set, hang the lights and re-hearse their parts. All that is left is for the audience to sit back and enjoy the show.

Dr. Chekhov’s Vaudevilles will show 7 p.m. Sept. 30 through Oct. 2, at 7 p.m. on Oct. 7-9 and a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday, Oct. 10.

Tickets are $8 general admission, $6 for Wesleyan faculty and staff and $4 for all students with an I.D.

The box office opens Sept. 28. Box office hours are 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tues.-Fri. and one hour before curtain on perfor-mance days. For reservations, contact the box office at (817) 531-4211.

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A new season opens at Theatre Wesleyan

Event Time

ThursdayDr. Chekhov Vaudevilles - Theatre Wesleyan

7:30 p.m.

Friday

Dr. Chekhov Vaudevilles - Theatre Wesleyan

Fall President’s Council Kickoff - Martin Hall

7:30 p.m.

7:30 p.m.

Saturday

Dr. Chekhov Vaudevilles - Theatre Wesleyan

Black Tie Dynasty - Granada Theatre

7:30 p.m.

8 p.m.

MondayAnsel Adams: Eloquent Light - Amon Carter Museum

10 a.m.

TuesdayDance of Life - Bras for Breast Cancer - Artisan Style

6 p.m.

Upcoming Events

Photo courtesy of Theatre WesleyanClassic comedies come to the Thad Smotherman Theatre in Theatre Wesleyan’s production of Dr. Chekhov’s Vaudevilles.

SportsThe RambleR | www.therambler.org September 29, 2010 | 5

Men’s Golf tie for 10th

Visit the newramsports.net

You are Invited to Attend the 2nd Annual Graduate and Professional School Day!

When: Tue., October 12Where: Mall Area Middle of CampusTime: 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Texas WesleyanCareer Services

1201 Wesleyan Street Fort Worth, Texas 76105Phone:817.531.6512

Fax:817.531.4980E-mail: careerservices@txwes.edu*Inclement weather: Gym in the Sid W. Richardson Building

Graduate and ProfessionalSchool Day

CareerLink

Buy one regular 6” sub and a 32 oz. drink, Get one 6” sub FREE of equal or lesser value

Offer Valid Only until September 30, 2010 at3012 East Rosedale, Fort Worth, TX 76105 and4125 East

Lancaster, Fort Worth, TX 76103

BECAUSE THINKING THEOLOGICALLY MATTERS.

18 hours of theology in every degree program. That’s 20% more than most evangelical seminaries.

Meet reps from Dallas Theological Seminary on Tuesday, October 12

at the Mall Area from 11 am ’til 2 pm. DALLAS, HOUSTON, ATLANTA, AUSTIN,

SAN ANTONIO, TAMPA, AND ONLINE

www.dts.edu

TEACH TRUTH, LOVE WELL

Volleyball takes no prisoners Eliana Mijangosemmijangos@mail.txwes.edu

Wesleyan golf competed in the Waterchase Invitational Sept. 10-21 at the University of Texas at Arlington.

The Rams tied with the Univer-sity of Central Arkansas for 10th place out of 18 teams with a final round score of 294. They barely lost to Texas State University who finished with a 291. The Univer-sity of North Texas took the win with a score of 276.

Armando Villarreal, senior and last year’s NAIA National runner up, led the Rams with a third place finish and score of 210. He en-tered the final 18 leading South-ern Mississippi’s Derek Plucienski. Plucienski pulled out the win with a score of 76 to Villarreal’s 77.

Athletic Director Kevin Mil-likan said the finish will make sev-en top 10 finishes and four top five finishes for Villarreal’s career stats.

Junior Zach Monson finished tied for 37th; senior Stuart Mar-tin led the Rams Sept. 21 with a second round score of 73 and finished tied for 56th. Sophomore Frazer Ogstan tied for 67th and Elliot Thompson finished 87th.

The next competition for Wes-leyan golf will take place Oct. 4-5 in Phoenix, Ariz. for the Grand Canyon Invitational.

Rachel Peelrlpeel@mail.txwes.edu

The Lady Rams volleyball team dominated the court Sept. 25 as they took on Ba-cone College in the Sid Rich-ardson Center.

Game one was sparked by two kills from Jennifer Kline, freshman middle blocker. She led the team to an 18-11 run. Keeping up the lead, Haelee Horne, freshman outside hit-ter, left Bacone with a hard hit spike bringing the Lady Rams to a 21-13 lead. Katherine Rosenbush, freshman middle blocker, led the ladies with a total of four kills in the match giving the Lady Rams a 25-16 win.

In the second game, Han-nah Horton, freshman out-side hitter, started the game with a kill assisted by senior setter Evoni Darling. Horne and Darling led most of the match statistically. Stephanie Dominguez, freshman setter, also helped finish off the Lady Warriors 25-12 in the second game.

Game three was a back and forth battle between the Lady Rams and the Lady War-riors with the lead constantly changing. The Lady Rams

started the match with an 8-6 lead, which head coach Chris-ti Clawson explained as unac-ceptable in their timeout.

Kline picked up the tempo and came out of the timeout with a block, giving Wesleyan a 10-9 lead. With the game tied at 20, Dominguez assist-ed Christina Daniel, sopho-more middle blocker, with an untouchable spike.

Marissa Rangel ended the game with a solid serve as Ba-cone failed to return, giving the Lady Rams a 25-18 win in the third game and a 3-0 sweep of the match.

“Being able to make chang-es and not having three- and four-point runs, I feel like this is the best we’ve done all year,” Clawson said.

Leading players against Bacone included Rosenbush with 11 kills, Horton with six kills and 11 digs and Darling with 25 assists.

The Lady Rams limited themselves to only four errors in the first game and started strong with a kill from Kline in the second game. Bacone couldn’t fire back, because they were knee-pad deep in errors. Kline and Daniel con-trolled game three and set the Rams up for a 25-17 win.

“I feel like we had a rough start of the season, but we are really picking it up,” Rosen-bush said.

The win was followed by another three-game sweep of Huston-Tillotson.

Leading players against Huston-Tillotson included Kline with six kills and four block assists, Daniel with six kills and three block assists and Dominguez with 16 as-sists and seven digs.

“One of our seniors was sick, but the bench really stepped up and didn’t miss a beat,” Clawson said.

The Lady Rams play Texas College at 7 p.m. Oct. 8 in the Sid Richardson Center.

Meisa Keivani Najafabadi | Rambler StaffChristina Daniel, sophomore middle blocker, sets up a play against Huston-Tillotson, sealing their three-game sweep Sept. 25

Game Time/Place

Thursday9/30 Women’s Soccer vs. Bacone

Men’s Soccer vs. Bacone5:30 p.m./ Home 7:30 p.m./ Home

Saturday10/2

Women’s Soccer vs. Texas CollegeMen’s Soccer vs. Texas College

5:30 p.m./ Home7:30 p.m./ Home

Friday10/8 Volleyball vs. Texas College 7 p.m./ Home

Upcoming Sports:

College Life6 | September 29, 2010 The RambleR | www.therambler.org

90 Years of Leadership

1920 2010

Contact Us atPhone: 817-531-7550

Email: stugov@txwes.eduVisit us at

OC Hall 202 and 204

SGA

7 on 7 Flag Football Season

TRYTHIS!

Signup Deadline

Sept. 29th

$50 Per Team- Refundable if your team plays every scheduled game.

Games played on multiple dates and times.

Contact cvwindsor@txwes.edu or 817-531-4873

More Info at www.txwes.edu/intramurals

Program continues to thriveBarry Grubbsbgrubbs@mail.txwes.edu

Texas Wesleyan University is offering the Learning Communities Program to freshmen for the third straight year, but the program has been expanded this year to include transfer students for the first time.

The Learning Communities program was launched following a $1.98 million grant Wesleyan received from the U.S. Department of Education’s Strengthen-ing Institutions Program (Title III). The larger goal of improving student reten-tion rates is only one aspect of the pro-gram’s impact on campus.

Dr. Katherine Prater, dean of Univer-sity College, said Learning Communities provide an outstanding learning experi-ence for Wesleyan’s students. The pro-gram allows groups of incoming fresh-men to enroll in classes that are linked together, providing student-centered teaching aimed at increasing student re-tention.

“The real focus is to assist freshman and transfer students in their transition to the university environment,” Prater said.

This year, most of the Learning Com-munities have focus, Prater said.

“We’ve evolved a little bit this year into something that is hopefully more effec-tive for the students,” she said.

That focus is achieved by providing as-signments between classes that are cross-listed. A student may read an assignment in history class and write a paper about it in English class. Prater said this kind of joint-assignment approach helps stu-dents to see how things are interrelated. The newest addition of linked classes for freshmen this year is the tandem of col-lege algebra and personal finance. Joint assignments are designed to make a con-nection between math and life.

“We’re going to give the students as-signments that will show how what they are learning in math class can be useful in everyday life,” Prater said.

She said one of the surprising results of the program is the way student-centered teaching has evolved due to faculty devel-opment training. Learning Communities faculty have also used new technologies such as Smartboards and social network-

ing to enhance student engagement and learning.

The program not only serves to bring young students together, but encourages more meaningful collaboration between instructors, said mathematics profes-sor Dr. Mary Landers. Landers served since the program began, and said she believes the faculty members working in Learning Communities add value to the learning experience because they employ innovative techniques to capture the stu-dent’s imagination.

One example of the approach is the in-structors’ use of math skills to relate fi-nancial management tactics to students.

For the first time since the program was unveiled, fall 2010 transfer students are able to participate in a version of the Learning Communities program. Forty transfer students and eight faculty mem-bers are involved in the new transfer LC for fall 2010.

The transfer Learning Communities are generally geared to a specific major field of study, such as education, business or paralegal studies. These communities do not yet incorporate the joint assignment feature found in the freshman program.

“The transfer program does not isolate new students from returning students in the classroom the way freshman Learn-ing Communities do,” Prater said. “But overall results are expected to be similar.”

Director of Student Support Programs

and Services Melody Bell Fowler said students feel a sense of family and cama-raderie with one another.

“Instructors are able to work together on common assignments allowing for lessons across the disciplines,” Fowler said.

Learning Communities offer an extra level of support to incoming freshmen and transfer students that seems to trans-late to retention as well as an enriched learning experience, said Title III activity director Laurel Mayo. The students’ at-titudes are the best way to measure the program’s success, she said.

Sophomore accounting major Eric Montez experienced success in the LC program last year.

“I was not only able to start with good study habits and learn proper time man-agement, but made new friends out of my fellow classmates,” he said.

Mayo said a high percentage of stu-dents who have completed the program have expressed interest in seeing the Learning Communities continue beyond the freshman level.

The number of faculty and students involved in Learning Communities has nearly doubled since the fall of 2008.

Fall 2010 enrollment saw 75 percent of freshmen enrolled in learning communi-ties compared to 44 percent for fall 2008.

Faculty involvement doubled from 13 to 26 instructors over the same term.

Angie Ruiz | Rambler StaffDr. Carol Johnson-Gerandas, visiting assistant professor of communication, works with Learning Community students on a walk-in basis at the freshman advising cen-ter on the second floor of the library.

Laugh nightStudents gathered in Lou’s Place Sept. 23 for a com-edy night featuring both local and out-of-town co-medians. (Above) Garland resident Veronica Garza scowls as she delivers her performance. (Below) Sophomore theatre major Aaron Broyles and fresh-man biochemistry major Michael Tshisekedi show grins and let out laughs as the comedians work the crowd.