September 5, 2007 Vol. 99, No. 1Fort Worth, Texas

The RamblerThe students’ voice since 1917

T E X A S W E S L E Y A N U N I V E R S I T Y

Ne

ws

Bri

efs

Ne

ws

Bri

efs

Welcome back!The Rambler welcomes

all students, faculty andstaff back for another greatsemester. Make sure to readThe Rambler for all the lat-est in news, features, sportsand events.

Refund checksUndergraduate financial

aid refund checks wereissued Aug. 29 but will beavailable in the cashier’soffice until Sept. 12, whenthey will be mailed to stu-dents directly. The cashier’soffice is open from 8:30a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on week-days.

See you at the chapelChapel is held at free

period every Tuesday in theChapel of PolytechnicUnited Methodist Church,followed by a free lunch.Chapel services this monthinclude Dr. BruceMcDonald (Sept. 11), youthpastor Russell Clark (Sept.18) and Jerry Chism, pastorof Arlington Heights UMC(Sept. 25).

Baptist Student MinistryTWU’s BSM invites

you to come hang out andshare a meal with otherWesleyan students. BaptistStudent Ministries partici-pates in ministry activitieson campus, in the communi-ty and around the world.Come see what Wesleyan’smembers are doing thissemester. Meetings withfree lunch are Wednesdaysat noon in the CarterConference Room, on thesecond floor of the SidRichardson building.

Do You Think You CanDance?

The Wesleyan Show-stoppers dance team is hold-ing annual tryouts from 5:30to 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 10 inthe gymnasium. The teamperforms a variety of dancestyles including jazz, hiphop, lyrical, pom and the-matic, performing at everyother home basketball gameand in Metroplex competi-tions. Students must beenrolled in at least 12 hoursat Wesleyan and have had atleast two years of formaldance training to be eligible.Contact Carolyn Ikens-Owen as (817) 507-5898 formore information includingrequired tryout uniform andskills to be demonstrated.

SGA wants you!Texas Wesleyan

University’s StudentGovernment Association isresuming regular meetingsevery Tuesday at 12:15 p.m.in the Carter ConferenceRoom. Free food is provid-ed.

Make your mark nowThe Rambler is now hir-

ing writers and photogra-phers. Get paid and have funhelping produce Wesleyan’soldest news publication.Regular meetings are at12:15 p.m. every Thursdayin the lobby of StellaRussell Hall. Get paid, getexperience and get a chanceto make your mark inWesleyan’s history.

NEWS BRIEFS $2 million grantto add technology,improve courses

After getting turned down last year, Texas WesleyanUniversity has been awarded the highly competitive Title IIIgrant this year by the U.S. Department of Education’sStrengthening Institutions program. Amounting in nearly $2million dollars, this grant will be funded to TWU over a fiveyear period, guaranteeing TWU around $400,000 a yearstarting Oct. 1.

This summer Rep. Michael Burgess’ office informedadministration that Wesleyan was one of 20 recipients of thegrant. Moreover, Wesleyan is the only university in the stateof Texas to receive the grant.

Very excited about TWU’s accomplishment of receiv-ing the grant, President Hal Jeffcoat envisions a greaterTexas Wesleyan University for students as the grant moneyis utilized for acquiring instructional technologies, remodel-ing the advising process and establishing academic pro-gramming incorporating the Learning Community model.

“This grant will help us better serve students, especial-ly freshmen and sophomores,” said Jeffcoat.

With the funds Wesleyan will also aim to develop bet-ter programs to prepare students in core academic areas likemath and English through an upgrade in the institution’stechnological infrastructure.

With the implementation of more “smart classroomtechnology” (interactive white boards with projectors) andwireless Internet capability on campus, students, primarilyfirst and second year students, will reap the benefits ofincreased student success because of upgraded technology.

“We will be able to get students more engaged academ-ically through technology,” said Debbie Roark, director ofgrants and research. “Along with a guarantee of increasedsuccess through more advanced technology, students willgreatly flourish because of the Learning Community modelthat will help be enforced by the grant.”

This academic model, similar to “the buddy system,”will allow students who have classes together to connectmore often, work together and study together. Along withworking together to ensure success academically, studentswill also get the opportunity to bond with one another in themodel.

“The Learning Community model will help students,especially first year students new on campus, build relation-ships,” said Roark. “With the implementation of theLearning Community model, students will also see new fac-ulty members as some of the grant money is also utilized forhiring and paying specialists in certain academic areas.”

Although the grant money primarily is going to be uti-lized to increase the success of students, administration alsohas the primary goal of increasing retention and graduationrates among the students.

“Students tend to leave TWU after their first and secondyear,” said Jeffcoat. “This grant will help us do a better jobfor first and second year students so they will stay longerand have a better chance of graduating. With the help of thegrant, our goal is to improve the retention rate by five per-cent.”

TWU’s current student retention rate is roughly around65 percent. Honored that TWU received the grant, Jeffcoatand Roark know first-hand the difficulty TWU wentthrough to receive it.

After being informed that they met the eligibilityrequirements, TWU submitted a proposal and faced stiffcompetition. Its proposal and many other institutions’ werejudged and scored based on certain criteria by a peer reviewpanel, which consisted of three individuals from other uni-versities and colleges. These individuals turned in theircomments and score after each proposal evaluation.

SHAMEKA HYATTCONTRIBUTING WRITER

WelcomeBack!

Wesleyan students, faculty and staff are onceagain back for another great year of higher edu-action. As usual, the tried and true traditions ofthe fall semester brought in droves to campus.Above, sophomores Melinda Garza andMarquita Guyden look on as incoming studentsparticipate in the many festivitites at RamCamp. On right, sophomores Olivia Delasantosand Kristen Potter run into each other at theannual President’s Picnic. Below, senior BrookeMcNabb and Dr. Pam Rast, associate professorand chair of the kinesiology department, repre-sent TWU’s scuba culb, also at the President’sPicnic.

School of business obtains accreditation

In the world of business, a name can mean everything. That’s why thefaculty and staff in the school of business decided to dedicate two years ofeffort and energy working through the strenuous process of obtainingAssociation of Collegiate Business Schools accreditation.

Founded in 1988, the ACBSP “was created by itsmembers to fulfill a need for specialized accreditation byinstitutions of higher education with business schools andprograms,” according to the ACBPS Web site.

“The focus is improvement and higher quality educa-tion for our students,” said Dr. Sameer Vaidya, associatedean of Wesleyan’s school of business.

According to Vaidya, ACBSP offers business schools at smaller liber-al arts based schools a chance to be judged not on a standard of research,as does the more widely known American Assembly of Collegiate Schoolsof Business (AACSB), but by the university’s mission.

“Research is not our focus,” said Vaidya, “our focus is to teach excel-lently, rather than have a TA in the class room while we are in our officespublishing papers.”

While research is not the main criteria for ACBSP, according to theWeb site, there should be a balance between teaching and research, and the

Wesleyan faculty was praised for finding just that. The process of obtaining accreditation was not an easy task, and it

required the help of the university administration and staff.“We had to document to standards, how we meet a certain level of

quality, so the faculty were highly involved,” said Vaidya. “The support ofthe school administration allowed us to spend our time and resources to getthe accreditation.”

According to Provost Allen Henderson, theaccreditation is a positive step for the university as awhole.

“It is a way of confirming that our business staffand faculty are quality and that the kind of school weoffer has been recognized by a peer group.”

According to Vaidya, this was the first time thatthe school of business had ever had someone from outside the universityjudge what was taking place in the classrooms.

“It gave us a unique opportunity to have our peers look at the institu-tion and give us feedback on how we are getting things done,” said Vaidya,who is looking forward to the benefits of having done so well.

“This is very important for our alumni, students and future students,”he said. “It is a symbol of Wesleyan being a provider of high quality busi-ness education.”

COLLEEN BURNIEENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Photos by Kevin Keathley

See Business, page 2

“The focus is improvementand higher quality educationfor our students.”

– Dr. Sameer VaidyaAssociate Dean of Business School

News2 September 5, 2007 The Rambler

New faculty introductionsAnother year at Wesleyan, and although summer was

a nice change from coursework and deadlines, the facultyof Wesleyan has also changed. This semester marks thearrival of more than a few new professors and instruc-tors,, so take a moment to get to know a few of Wesleyan’snew faces.

English Department

Steven RizzoThe lineup that the English department at Texas

Wesleyan served up last year just got bigger. With a return-ing cast and two fresh new faces, the department is growing.The first of two is Steven Rizzo. The Texas A&M graduateis excited to be here after fate seemingly landed him atWesleyan.

"It chose me," he said. After a couple of chance meetings with Department

Chair Dr. Linda Carroll at seminars across the country, Rizzolearned of the opening, and, he said, everything fell intoplace from there. Influenced by his love for music, Rizzobrings an elaborate and enthusiastic passion for writing andliterature. His favorite aspect of TWU thus far, he said, is thewarm, amiable campus where "everyone is very person-able."

Dr. Carol LattimoreThe other addition to the English department isn't as

newly minted as Steven Rizzo, for she has served on the staffas a part-timer for some years now.

Wesleyan also proved the right fit for Dr. CarolLattimore as she joins the staff as a full-time visiting assis-tant professor for the 2007-2008 scholar year.

Making all English majors better writers this year willnot be such a daunting task for Lattimore, for her reputationprecedes her.

"Lattimore is one of the best [at] working with studentsindividually," said Dr. Stacia Neeley, associate professor ofEnglish.

Lattimore's boldness and devotion to the study of lan-guage and literature make her a valuable asset for the depart-ment to have, colleagues said.

Music Department

Lori DunnAccompanying new Visiting Assistant Professor

Gary Bierschenk (see story on page 6) is Lori Dunn,accompanist. Dunn, who hails out of Winchester, Kan.,has an extensive list of accomplishments attached to hername.

Notable ones include: the founding member of theOrenunn Trio, a group that toured the Midwest in 2004,and commendable honors at national competitions suchas the Naftzger Competition, funded by the NaftzgerFund for the Arts.

Dunn is a graduate of the University of Kansas whereshe earned a bachelor of music in piano performance. Shefollowed with a master of music in piano performance from Texas Christian University in 2006.

Counseling Department

Don SpinksBorn in Rome, N.Y., and raised outside of Waco,

Texas, Assistant Professor of Graduate CounselingDonald Spinks is an alumnus of Texas Wesleyan wherehe completed his undergraduate studies. He later receiveda master's degree in theology from Southern MethodistUniversity and a doctorate in marriage and family thera-py from Texas Woman's University.

Now back at Wesleyan, Spinks plans to contributeabundantly to his alma mater. His planned contributionsinclude increased alumni love of the institution, a richhistory of life experiences and a deep passion for individ-uals.

Spinks also plans to concentrate on enabling graduateschool students the best preparation, maturation andexperiences to flourish in the counseling field by con-tributing in the classroom, the new clinic and research.

Spinks said he plans to do this by making informa-tion applicable and accessible to the growing student andmaking the new clinic a research-based clinic in order toget Texas Wesleyan noticed by the counseling communi-ty. This will add on to the knowledge already existing inthe counseling world, and students can research and pub-lish what they have accomplished.

Before coming to TWU as a faculty member, Spinkswas a Methodist minister for several years and then ven-tured into the private sector in business and counseling. Ifnot indulging in his most adored pastime of reading,Spinks loves to be outdoors, fishing, golfing and spend-ing time in the mountains of New Mexico and Colorado.

-Faculty profiles by staff writers Martin Garcia, Shameka Hyatt and Courtnie Keeling

Biology Department

Maggie CamperlengoMaggie Camperlengo received her first degree in

political science from the University of Illinois with aspi-rations to change the world. After a real world experiencein a law office setting, she decided against political sci-ence and law as a career, deeming it "empty and heart-less."

Scorning a life of comfort and financial stability,Maggie Camperlengo went back to school earning abachelor's degree from her alma mater and then a master'sfrom Texas Women's University and University of Texas,both in biology. She said she followed her heart andfound out who she really was. Her love of biology led toquite an uproar in her quiet Fort Worth neighborhoodafter she zeroscaped her lawn.

Zeroscaping is the use of drought-tolerant plants androcks for landscaping, which Camperlengo did to con-serve water and pay tribute to Texas plants and wildlife.In a neighborhood of Chemlawn-green lawns and auto-matic sprinkler systems, her yard's innovative grasslessdesign has ruffled more than a few feathers, attractingpositive and negative attention from the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

Despite the attention, Camperlengo has followed herown heart and inner voice, and it has led her to a happylife as a mother, a teacher and active conversationalist.

Education Department

Joe DrydenBorn in Lubbock, Texas, Adjunct Education Professor

Joe Dryden was raised practically all over the countrywhile his father served actively in the Air Force. Drydenholds two bachelor's degrees in physiology and biologyfrom Texas Tech University, a master's in education fromTexas Christian University and a juris doctorate degreefrom California Western School of Law.

Continuing to pursue higher education, Dryden is nowworking on obtaining a doctorate degree in educationaladministration from the University of North Texas.Coming to Texas Wesleyan University, Dryden hopes tocontribute to the campus by assisting the school of edu-cation in the preparation of effective school administra-tors and teachers.

Prior to coming to TWU, Dryden was an assistant prin-cipal at Weatherford High School and Aledo MiddleSchool. Along with this, Dryden was a science teacherand a boys' sports coach in Grapevine-Colleyville schooldistrict.

Outside of work and school, Dryden loves to play golf,cycle and be with family.

Don Spinks Joe DrydenPhotos by Shameka Hyatt

Recent alumna Meredith Wallace Smith, who was invited tosit on a panel this spring when the accreditation committee wason campus, feels that the ACBSP seal of approval is not only apositive step for the university, but also an addition to her degree.

“We praised the small class sizes and personal care andattention given to students,” said Smith. She is currentlyemployed with Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control andis a student at the Universityof Texas at Arlington earninga master’s in accounting, adegree not offered atWesleyan.

“The truth of the matteris that accreditation doesmatter,” said Smith, “espe-cially at the graduate level.”

The business school fac-ulty have not basked in theglory of their ACBSP accred-itation for long, as they arealready planning to obtainaccreditation from theAACSB.

“We are working on itand heading in that direc-tion,” said Vaidya.

The AACSB was found-ed in 1916 and awarded itsfirst accreditation in 1919.The Association “representsthe highest standard ofachievement for businessschools worldwide.Institutions that earn accredi-tation confirm their commit-ment to quality and continuous improvement through a rigorousand comprehensive peer review,” according to the AACSB Website.

“Corporate-wide there is a very big push for continuing edu-cation, represented by programs such as tuition reimbursement,”said Smith. “However, Lockheed, for example, will only pay fordegrees earned at AACSB accredited universities, thus demon-strating the perception of non accredited universities by the cor-porate world.”

According to Henderson, the work toward the AACSB,which will take a minimum of five years, will do a lot for thethree master’s programs that the school of business offers.

“I’m really excited that Wesleyan achieved this accredita-tion,” said Richelle Mitchell, junior business major. “But, I real-ly want to see us earn the AACSB.”

“The accreditation process creates an environment of follow-up and continued improvement,” said Henderson of the result ofthe ACBSP and the work being put toward the AACSB program.

According to Vaidya, employers may or may not see thatWesleyan has earned this accreditation, but the effects reach far-

ther than just the certificate in the office.“The focus is on improvement and high quality, real world

teaching, which in turn gives students a better education, whichmakes them better employees and earns Wesleyan a reputationbased on this excellence,” he said.

While the accreditation is a wonderful stamp of approvalfrom a peer group, those who have seen the quality of workbeing performed in the school of business are not surprised.

“Accredited or not,” Smith said, “after seven months in theworking world, I can honestly say that the professors in theschool of business and the knowledge that I gained in myaccounting classes prepared me well.”

Dr. Sameer Vaidya (second from left), associate dean of the school of business, and Dr. HectorQuintanilla (middle), dean of the school of business, were key figures in the business school’s quest foraccreditation.

Photo courtesy of the school of business

Business, from page 1

Sellyour soul

Need some money?You could always...

Or you could justsell ads for

The Rambler. Get paid commissionand gain valuable

experience.

twurambler@yahoo.comwww.txwes.edu/rambler

OpinionsThe Rambler September 5, 2007

It is likely news to manyreaders that, although the

presidential election is stillmore than a year away, thecampaigns for the nominationof the Democratic andRepublican parties have beengoing strong for some time. Itmay further astonish thereader to learn that there arealready presumed front run-ners and that candidates have

begun and ended their bids to become president… and we’re still more than a year away fromElection Day.

The 2008 presidential election will have hadthe longest campaign preceding it in Americanpolitical history. More flabbergasting than allthese facts, though,is the fact that theprospectiveDemocratic nomi-nees have participat-ed in almost 30debates or forums. I contend that thissuperfluous speechi-fying alienatespotential voters bybombarding themwith excess infor-mation and, in gen-eral, has a deleteri-ous effect on theelectoral process.

The campaign for the 2008 Presidential elec-tion in many ways began the day after theDemocratic victories in the 2006 Congressionalelection, yet candidates announced their possibleintention to run even before this. Campaign 2008has already seen the demise of the prospects ofGeorge Allen, the former Republican Virginiasenator who lost his seat to Jim Webb in an upsetthat was likely the most closely-contested senato-rial election in 2006. Allen’s loss was the resultof a monumental misstep on the campaign trailcaptured and posted on YouTube, but there is noneed to rehash old “macacca.”

For financial and other personal reasons,Democratic Governors Mark Warner of Virginiaand Tom Vilsack opted not to vie for the party’snomination. After the Iowa straw poll, a quaintevent that is a story in itself, the formerRepublican governor of Wisconsin and secretaryof health and human services in President Bush’sfirst term ended his bid citing lack of funds. Thepoint of all this rehash is simply to demonstratehow active the primary election has been in whatwill almost certainly be a billion dollar presiden-

tial election.As part of this unceasing electoral campaign,

the Democrats have had 28 debates and candi-date forums at last count. This surfeit of whatWashington Post columnist and long-time politi-cal pundit George Will calls “parallel press con-ferences” serves little real purpose. The eventsmostly give the candidates yet another opportuni-ty to preen and posture for the cameras and torepeat the same lines that they have carefullycrafted with their consultants and advisers toappeal to targeted constituencies.

Furthermore, nobody is watching. To givejust one example, according to a June 12 postingon “The Caucus,” the New York Times’ politicalblog, only 2.1 million viewers watched a debatesponsored by CNN. And these were numbersfrom early June, when there had only been five

debates. The trend line in late August, some 15events or so later, can only have receded further.So why do the Democrats have so many events?

The answer has to do with the nature of theparty and how it differs from the RepublicanParty. The Democratic party is a heterogeneoushodgepodge of interest groups. The candidatestherefore often believe themselves obliged to gobefore labor, African American, Hispanic andwomen’s groups to attempt to garner the supportof these crucial cohorts. Also, this year theHuman Rights campaign and LOGO, a networkowned by Viacom that caters to the lesbian, gay,bisexual and transgender community, sponsored adebate devoted exclusively to LGBT issues.

Then we add the CNN YouTube debate inwhich anyone who wanted to was able to post avideo on the popular site asking the candidatesquestions (but in which CNN chose which ques-tion to air, thereby reasserting its corporate pre-rogatives!). Then add the myriad of DNC spon-sored events and you have a confusing cacopho-ny of consultant-approved campaign speechesthat detract from the public discourse. The prac-

tice of running from group to group to give aspecially honed message also reeks of pandering,which both parties are too often guilty of.

So what is a prospective candidate to do withregard to this woefully overloaded schedule ofdebates? One possibility is to do what BarackObama is doing. An Aug. 18 posting on MarcArmbinder’s atlantic.com blog reported that fromthat period forward, Obama would only agree toDNC sponsored events. The Obama campaignposted a memo on its Web site stating that“Obama has already spoken at 19 different candi-date forums and has participated in seven fulldebates and is committed to attending a total of15 debates.”

While I applaud Obama for saying “enough isenough,” giving the party preference over thewishes of the interest groups that support it issomewhat elitist. It is also politically dangerous,as he is voluntarily opting out of face-time infront of the cameras that the other candidates,especially the more obscure ones, relish.

This said, I understand that Obama is a bittired of spilling the same platitudes over and overagain. He wants to keep as much of the bloom onthe rose for as long as possible. And frankly, Iam a little sick of hearing Obama and all the can-didates rehash the same shopworn themes. Thesame applies to the “Fred McRomliani” cam-paign on the right.

Another more desirable alternative is to radi-cally change the way America does politics.Before you scoff, consider that European elec-tions typically garner 80 percent of the electorate,as opposed the hardly 50 percent who come outin American presidential elections … even lesswhen the top office is not up for grabs.

What do I mean by a radically different kindof election? For starters, we should move to pub-licly financed campaigns. This means each candi-date receives the same amount of funding andairtime, thus ending the “money race” that is atthe root of many of our problems. Second, weshorten the entire process to no more than a fewmonths, ending the saturation coverage that turnsoff so many would be voters.

Finally, we make Election Day a nationalholiday, meaning nobody has to work that dayand can vote at his or her leisure. Isn’t it time wehonored our voters the same way we honor veter-ans and workers? All of these ideas are unlikelyto come to fruition in the near future. Americansare averse to sudden change. But given the crisisof civic disengagement, is there any harm in pro-posing a radical solution?

More pertinently, can incremental changereally fix our broken system?

Rambler RatingsThumbs up to the musicdepartment for placing asnazzy electronic marque signoutside Ann Waggoner.

Thumbs up to the friendly andextra-mile-style service in theSUB.

Thumbs down to the brokenmarque signs outside Dora’sand the Sid Richardson build-ing . . . and the letters that falloff all the time.

Thumbs up to Wesleyan secu-rity for getting real cars topatrol campus with.

The RamblerFounded in 1917 as The Handout

Harold G. Jeffcoat, Publisher Kelli Lamers, adviser Shawn R Poling, editor-in-chief Zainah Usman, photo editor Tiara Nugent, managing/college life editor Jack Walker, sports editor Colleen Burnie, entertainment editor

Member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

Opinions expressed in The Rambler are those of the individual author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas Wesleyan community as a whole.

Letters to the editor: The Rambler, a weekly publication, welcomes all letters. All submissions must have a full printed name, phone number and signature; however, confidentiality will be granted if requested.

While every consideration is made to publish letters, publication is limited by time and space. The editors reserve the right to edit all submissions for space, grammar, clarity and style.

Letters to the editor may be subject to response from editors and students on the opinions page.

"We are not afraid to follow the truth...wherever it may lead." -Thomas Jefferson

Address all correspondence to:Texas Wesleyan University, The Rambler, 1201 Wesleyan St., Fort Worth, TX 76105.

Newsroom: 531-7552 Advertising: 531-7582 Fax: 531-4878 E-mail: twurambler@yahoo.com

America, welcome to the permanent campaign

ZACHDAVIDSON

Poke.

It’s 8:53 a.m. You have class in seven minutes.But, whatever, John and Katie have suddenly decidedto end their “complicated” relation-ship, and look at that picture of them,he’s really cute…and single now.

Oh, Facebook: the online commu-nity that lets you ask that one guy youmet that one time at a party if he willbe your “friend.” Indeed, Facebook is a fun and easily accessi-

ble method of keeping in touch with friends, colleaguesand coworkers.

But where does communiqué end and stalking begin?Do I really need to know that at precisely 5:53 a.m., thatone kid from high school has decided he was looking for“random play?” For that matter, what does random playeven mean?

With the annoyingly specific news feed and other recently installedfeatures, a user is automatically fed volumes of the whereabouts,thoughts and interests of people they may or may not know.

In addition to following a person’s every move, Facebook creatorMark Zuckerburg opened the Web site to thousands of developers thispast May, allowing them (and the occasional hacker) to upload endlessnew applications directly to the Web site. From sending gifts to beingable to slap, poke, prod, maul or hug anyone in the network, theFacebook addiction is taking a chaotic turn.

I constantly find myself getting invitations to set up a virtual fish tankor join a team of ninjas to duke it out against the pirates. Sure, at first Iwas intrigued; it sounded like an exciting catalyst to the fatal Internetaddiction. But it is just too exhausting to be a zombie and a vampire and

a ninja and take care of Larry the virtualfrog, while maintaining a whole wall ofgraffiti to boot.

“It’s getting too complicated,” juniorSpanish major Xochitl Villalpando said.“What are you supposed to do with a fizzydrink on Facebook?”

(I, for one, would also like to know whatto do with virtual toilet paper.)

Despite the ridiculous complexity surfac-ing, it hasn’t stopped Facebook from attract-ing more than 1 million users a week, 1,200of those from Wesleyan (and counting!).

According to Newsweek, Zuckerburgclaims that while the trendy socializing aspect

of Facebook is targeted towards the younger crowd, he intended the siteto be a “utility, a tool to facilitate the information flow.”

The information is definitely flowing, if what you want to know isthat Fred from Dartmouth wrote on Tom from Baylor’s wall, saying hereally likes Sheryl, but only as a friend, and that they are totally stillhanging out this weekend.

Long-term addicted or first time user, Facebook has definitely fixateditself into the online and social structure … for better or worse.

Zach Davidson is a senior political science and historymajor and is a staff writer for The Rambler.

Zainah Usman is a junior art major and is the photo editor for The Rambler.

ZAINAHUSMAN

Photo courtesy of Google Images

Photo courtesy of Googel ImagesHilary Clinton and Barak Obama have it out at a CNN debate held July 23.

I sent you a Facebook fish, but your tank is full

Wha

t was

the

craz

iest

thin

g yo

u di

dov

er th

e su

mm

er?

“I w

as in

a p

aint

ball

war

and

cam

e aw

ay w

ith c

olor

ful s

cars

.”“I

she

ared

a s

heep

.”“I

wen

t sky

divi

ng a

nd to

uche

d a

clou

d.”

“Im

oved

four

tim

es in

thre

ew

eeks

and

end

ed u

p in

the

sam

esp

ot.”

Col

leen

Bur

nie

Seni

orW

ritin

g M

ajor

Shaw

n Po

ling

Seni

orW

ritin

g M

ajor

Tiar

a N

ugen

tJu

nior

Wri

ting

Maj

or

Zai

nah

Usm

anJu

nior

Art

Maj

or

College LifeSeptember 5, 2007 The Rambler

Dropping a class is one of the ways college students customize their schedules, but itcomes at a price. At Wesleyan, the consequences vary, but at a state institution, it now has aliteral price tag. The state of Texas recently set limits on how many classes students can dropat a state institution.

According to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, “Senate Bill (SB) 1231was passed by the 80th Texas Legislature in May 2007. This bill pro-vides that, except for several specific instances of good cause, under-graduate students enrolling as first-time freshmen at a public institutionof higher education in fall 2007 or later will be limited to a total of sixdropped courses during their entire undergraduate career. The new lawwent into effect as soon as it was signed in June 2007. Beginning withentering first-time-in-college freshmen fall 2007, it affects all students atTexas public colleges and universities.”

What this means to incoming freshmen as they work toward gradu-ation is that their degree audit must be carefully monitored so that theycan graduate on time/in a timely fashion, their tuition stays at the resi-dent rate and they do not go over the number of hours it requires to earna degree.

Although Texas Wesleyan does not currently have a limit on cours-es dropped, Roberta Marley, assistant registrar, believes that studentsneed to be aware of the downfalls of dropping a class.

“We make it too easy for students to drop,” she said. “They don’twork as hard when they know they can drop.”

Marley encourages students to plan their schedules carefully andremember that faculty is not required to drop a student from their class.She emphasizes that students should not depend on the faculty to dropthem from a class and that failing to do it themselves might result in anF on their transcript.

Twyla Williams came to Wesleyan in July 2007 after serving as anacademic adviser for University of Texas at Arlington. Williams is nowthe new student academic counselor for Texas Wesleyan and feels thatlimiting the number of dropped courses for students “is necessary because the state of Texasis making it much more difficult to keep the benefit of state tuition rates and gearing studentstoward attaining graduation.”

Although Williams believes that students attending private universities do not drop class-es as frequently as those in public schools, students at Wesleyan still need to be careful.

“Dropping classes is not a healthy thing to do because it may be frowned upon by futureemployers as a student not having the ability to follow through.”

Williams also said that the drop limit also eliminates extra course work. She added that“the monetary consequences of taking extra classes are so severe” it was necessary for thestate to step in and make some changes.

In order to avoid being charged tuition at a higher rate, students have no choice but tocarefully design their degree plan. Suzette Rangel, senior liberal studies major, has been astudent at Wesleyan for five years and is happy that there is no limit to dropped classes.

Rangel changed her majorafter a few semesters, and,had she been at a state school,her tuition would have goneup because of the extra cours-es on her transcript thatweren’t even needed for hernew major.

The Texas StatuesEducation Code, Chapter 54,Section 54.014 states that “a)An institution of higher edu-cation may charge a residentundergraduate student tuitionat a higher rate than the ratecharged to other residentundergraduate students, notto exceed the rate charged tononresident undergraduatestudents, if before the semes-ter or other academic sessionbegins the student has previ-ously attempted a number ofsemester credit hours forcourses taken at any institu-

tion of higher education while classified as a resident student for tuition purposes thatexceeds by at least 30 hours the number of semester credit hours required for completion ofthe degree program in which the student is enrolled.”

For an entire description of Senate Bill 1231, visit the Texas legislature Web site atwww.capitol.state.tx.us. The last day to drop a Wesleyan class this semester without affect-ing GPA is Nov. 20.

Since 1890, Texas Wesleyan University hasopened its doors to provide an unprecedented

college experience to those who desire to furthertheir education. This semester, there are studentswho are preparing for their December graduation,others who are just beginning their college careerand the faculty and staff who often fill the role ofmore than just what their job titles suggest.

Whatever your role on campus, it is my hopethat each member of the Texas Wesleyan familydiscover their inner strengths and the courage it isgoing to take to stand up and be great.

Let theaccompanyingpoem serve asan encourage-ment to you aswe begin whatcould possiblybe one of thebest times inour lives.

JULIEDAVIS

Courtesy of Rambler Archives

JULIE DAVISSTAFF WRITER

State schools implement restrictions on dropping classes

Making the transition from highschool to college is a major

change for freshman students, especiallyif that means moving away from momand dad and shacking up by yourself orwith some new roommates.

For those of you in such a situation,let me share a secret with you: Life onyour own isn’t everything teen dramasmake it out to be. It sucks. That’s rightkids, a life of freedom sucks the moneyright out of your wallet.

Back when I was in high school slinging scoops of icecream at a local Marble Slab Creamery, money was justsomething to throw around. I didn’t drive and my parentsrefused to take any money from me, so I had nothing butspending money.

Over my junior and senior years, my CD and DVD col-lections went from nonexistent to pouring from full-sizedbookshelves. Friends and I made regular trips to downtownrestaurants and bought more clothes than I could ever wear.

As soon as I received my acceptance letter from trustyTexas Wesleyan, I moved out of my childhood home andinto a house with roommates. I knew I would have to chipin on rent and utilities, and I was prepared to do so, but Ihad no idea how much living would cost me.

Rent was only the beginning. I was awarded a decentfinancial aid package, but I still had to buy books, suppliesand the odd blue book or scantron here and there.

After living with parents, you never quite realize every-thing you need around the house. I’m not sure how, but I

forgot to pack sheets, socks, soap, cleaning supplies andnumerous other household staples, all of which I had to buyimmediately.

And if you think that’s scary, take some time to thinkabout how muchfood you actuallyeat. You might try tofollow that ancientthree meal a dayrule, but if you wantto be realistic, it’smore like four offive.

Think grabbinga Coke before classor some snacks for alate-night study ses-sion won’t impactyour financial situa-tion? If you’re real-ly honest with your-self, not many col-lege students havesufficient financesto survive the typicalcollege lifestyle.

While you still have a chance, here are a few importanttidbits to keep in mind:

Every dollar adds up. No purchase is too small to affectyou budget.

Bad things happen. The one time you decide to deal

without money is when you will need it most.When confronted with the question “discount or full

price,” it’s always better to spring for the discount. Let me stress that last point. It doesn’t just mean to

remember to whip out your student ID at themovie theater. Discounts aren’t an option; dis-counts are a lifestyle.

Do some research and you will find that therea many things you can get for free or cheap.Many restaurants and entertainment venues in theMetroplex offer student discounts. Even better,the Fort Worth Star-Telegram offers a free dis-count card to subscribers known as the Press Pass,which can get you a discount (20 percent or high-er) at hundreds of businesses in the area.

But even more important than finding a dis-count or free handout, saving money is simplyabout making the choice to spend less money.Smart money choices can make all the differenceto a college student.

Do you want the free barbecue on campus, orseafood from your favorite sit-down restaurant?Do you want to buy the new season of LOST atfull price, or wait until you can get it used? Doyou want a brand new Dell computer, or do you

want to spend a few dollars in gas and hang out at the cam-pus computer lab?

Spending less and saving more isn’t easy, but it’s muchharder once your bank account is empty.

SHAWN R.POLING

Welcome to college, living money not includedSpend at your own risk. . .

Shawn R. Poling is a senior writing major and is the editor-in-chieffor The Rambler.

Courtesy of Google Images

Ram Camp a blast for all partiesPhoto by Kevin Keathley

Julie Davis is a senior writing major and is a staff writer for The Rambler.

“I have a premonition that soars on Silver wings.

It is a dream of your accomplishmentOf many wondrous things.

I do not know beneath which skyOr where you'll challenge fate.

I only know it will be highI only know it will be great.”

Anonymous

Incoming freshmen and counselors alike made the most out of the 2007 Ram Camp activities spanning Aug. 20-21. One segment of fun in the gym, pictured above, invovled a trio of blow up bounce houses and other games.Other activities included painting oars in colors true to Wesleyan spirit and attending a one hour segment inwhich campus organizations introduced themselves.

Stand up and be great

A common reason for dropping a class is too much stress caused by a lack of suffi-cient time for an overloaded schedule, resulting in the pulling out of hair.

SportsThe Rambler September 5, 2007

A perplexing new item popped up around campus as studentsreturned from summer break.

“I had no idea what it was. Something for Ram Camp, I fig-ured,” said junior Chris Tham. “My brother had to tell me what itwas for.”

“It” is known as a “pole hole” and is part of a very popular inter-national sport that has arrived at Texas Wesleyan to expand theopportunities for intramural activities.

Whether it’s played in a heated international tournament or justfor fun at a city park, disc golf (also known as frisbee golf) hasarrived and is sure to gain popularity.

“I will probably try to play and see if I have fun,” Tham said.According to Jenny Houze in the student activities office, stu-

dent activities coordinator Aaron Whaley came up with the ideaafter noticing the sport’s grow-ing popularity.

“Aaron came up with theidea of creating a course on cam-pus,” Houze said. “He saw that itwas popular at other schools andwanted to bring it here.”

Whaley designed an officialcourse map this summer, whichoutlines all 18 holes.

Beginning Sept. 11, therewill be an official league held onTuesday and Thursday after-noons. Money, T-shirts and a tro-phy will be up for grabs.

Those who are not quiteready for a competitive leaguecan check out discs in the student activities office and practice theirskills.

Sophomore Ryan Jacobi picked up disc golf last summer, look-

ing for something different to do with his buddies. “My friends were tired of basketball and pool all the time, so we

played about five times at the end of the summer,” Jacobi said. Disc golf shares the common goal of traditional golf: Get from

tee to green in as few strokes as possible. Rather than a ball andclubs, however, players throw a flat disc towards the odd-looking“pole holes.”

There are several styles of discs that fly different distances. It issimilar to a golf bag that contains a driver, fairway woods, irons anda putter. All are necessary to execute different types of shots.

Instead of a traditional “cup” that is dug into the ground, poleholes are above-ground metal frames with an attached basket andflag.

Traditional golf holes can range anywhere between 100 and 600yards, but disc golf is more condensed with holes ranging from 150to 500 feet.

Disc golf was invented in the 1970’s, and theProfessional Disc Golf Association was estab-lished to monitor and help promote the game, as ithas gained popularity world-wide.

There are more than 16,000 members of thePDGA, mostly diehards that are passionate aboutthe sport.

Thousands more play casually at local parkcourses, or in backyards. Public courses are usu-ally free to play, making it a cheap alternative topricy golf courses.

The PDGA Tour employs the best players inthe world, and tournaments are held in places likeGermany, Finland, Sweden and all over theUnited States.

Inexpensive equipment is one of the perks todisc golf. There are many discs for sale on the

Internet that are priced below $10. For more information, contact Whaley or Houze in the office of

student activities, located next to the bookstore.

Accurate aim yields a ‘pole hole’ in oneBRYCE WILKS

CONTRIBUTING WRITER

Photos by Kevin Keathley

Despite the end of the academic schoolyear in late April, a handful of determinedWesleyan teams and athletes either carriedtheir season further into the summer, cap-tured individual success or made moves dur-ing the summer break to better themselvesand the program.

Leading off, the men’s baseball teamsaw a stellar season that was highlightedwith its first conference title in 28 years,come to a heart-breaking conclusion afterthey were dispatched late in the 9th inningby Red River Athletic Conference rivalHouston Baptist in the NAIA Region VIfinal.

By no means a disappointing season, thesquad racked up its most wins since 1980and gave up its lowest num-ber of losses in a year since1973, according toRamsports.net.

“They believed and theynever gave up,” said manag-er Mike Jeffcoat.

The team finished theseason with a national rank-ing of 13. They also accu-mulated more than 40 wins,finishing with an overallrecord of 41-10.

To polish things off, aselect group of playersearned esteemed postseasonhardware. In addition to earning first team

all-conference honors: Jason Diaz, JoshVander Hey, RyanRiddle andHayden Lackeywere named tothe All-Regionteam. Lackeycapped a major-league season bybeing selected asan All-American.

Also, notablyon the women’sside of the ball-park, BrookeMcNabb andAriel Raleyachieved All-Region honors

for the lady Rams softball team.Moving on to another pro-

gram deep in tradition, themen’s golf team made its 46thappearance in the 56-year histo-ry of the NAIA NationalTournament. The unit of fivefinished 18th after firing a finalround 312 at Indiana NationalGolf Club. Their performance inthe season finale kept alive astreak of 46 consecutive tourna-ments without missing a cut.

As a whole, Texas WesleyanUniversity finished the schoolyear up strong enough to finish

second overall in the Red River Athletic

Conference’s All Sports Award for the sec-ond time in a row. According to theRRAC Web site, the honor is handeddown to the member university of theconference that performed best in allof the conference’s sanctioned sportsprograms in an academic year.

To continue, many of Wesleyan’smost accomplished athletes graduatedin May. Most notably, the men’s varsi-ty basketball program, which won anational title in 2006, watched threestarters from the championship squadreceive their degrees. Looking to‘reload’ during the off-season, theysigned two prolific standout guardsfrom across the continents, AustraliansMartin Vahalla and Matt Barnes.

Possibly looking for some morepower from the outback since Ben Huntjoined the professional ranks overseas,Wesleyan welcomes the two from downunder in addition to the rest of a stealthyrecruiting class that is anticipated to make animmediate impact on an already talent-stacked roster.

“We are always happy to add anotherversatile athlete to the team,” said TerryWaldrop.

So, now that the summer break haseclipsed, many Wesleyan teams and student-athletes are getting back into the swing ofthings and preparing for their opportunity torepresent and compete for the college, aninstitution that not only accomplishes tri-umph seasonally, but year-round.

Rams continue to achieve glory after school lets outJACK WALKERSPORTS EDITOR

Wesleyan hostssummer basket-

ball camp forkids

Courtesy of Wesleyan Athletics

Junior Ryan Riddle signed onwith the Cardinals over thesummer as a free agent.

Junior Ariel Raley also ledthe Lady Rams battingaverage last spring.

Photo by Kevin Keathley

Wesleyan forms new sports league over the summer, thanks to Whaley

Many “pole holes” now dot the Wesleyan campus asdisc golf gains popularity.

Looking back . . .

A slew of youngsters turned out early last June forWesleyan’s summer basketball camp. Participants wereafforded the opportunity to learn from assisstant coachBrennan Shingleton and Aaron Whaley, current playersand alumni. Campers, all ages 6-15, also received NationalChampionship T-shirts and balls, besides chances to com-pete for other great prizes.

Don’t forget to check outwww.txwes.edu/athletics

for the latest gameinformation

Sept. 14-15 marks a special time forTexas Wesleyan Volleyball as the firstannual Wesleyan-Hughes VolleyballClassic gets underway.

The tournament, held in support of theBeck Hughes endowment, will kick offwith the Volleyball Alumni Reunion onSaturday and close out with the AnnualAlumni Match.

Hughes, an inductee of the WesleyanHall of Fame, served as head volleyballcoach from 1979-1991. During her tenure,the Wesleyan volleyball teams made nineappearances at the NAIA NationalVolleyball Championships. Her overallcoaching record of 364-189 and winningpercentage of .655 are still Wesleyan’srecord-best today. Hughes still contributesto Wesleyan, the volleyball program andnational volleyball communities’ success.

Any donations -- monetary support,concessions, trophies, awards, raffle prizesor gift certificates -- are greatly appreciat-ed. Recognition will be given to all donorsgiving $25 or more on a “Banner ofAppreciation” hung in competition gym.

For more information, contact ChristyClawson at cclawson@txwes.edu. Forscheduled game times, visit the WesleyanAthletics homepage.

First annualWesleyan-HughesVolleyball Classic

Quick Quotes“A player who conjugates a verbin the first person singular cannotbe part of the squad; he has toconjugate the verb in the first per-son plural. We. We want to con-quer. We are going to conquer.Using the word "I" when you'rein a group makes things compli-cated.”

~Wanderley Luxemburgo1999

Slam dunk

your sports story to twurambler@yahoo.com

Can’t you see your name here?

9/4 -- VB @ Oklahoma City/3 p.m. VB @ Mid-America Christ/5 p.m.

9/5 -- WS @ TX Woman's/4 p.m.

9/7 -- WS vs. Mid-America Christ/ 5:30 p.m.

VB vs. Houston Baptist/7 p.m. MS vs. Mid-America Christ/

7:30 p.m.

9/8 -- VB vs. UT-Brownsville/4 p.m. WS vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor/

5:30 p.m. MS vs. Mary Hardin-Baylor/

7:30 p.m.

Home games in bold.

Upcoming Events

EntertainmentSeptember 5, 2007 The Rambler

Wesleyan welcomes BeirshenckDon’t let the name throw you. Dr. Jerome (Jerry)

Bierschenk is an outstanding gentleman, even if his name isGerman for “beer server.”

“I guess there were a lot of bartenders in my family,” hejoked. Although Bierschenk is a new member to the full timeWesleyan staff this fall, he is not exactly new to the Wesleyancommunity. He taught at Wesleyan part time during the1995-1996 school year.

“I love the small and intimate environment ofWesleyan,” he said. So when the job as director of choralactivities was offered, he took it.

“It allows me to stay in Fort Worth with my family, mywife, Marilyn, and my daughter, Kristen.” Bierschenk is anative to Fort Worth, and his wife is an elementary teacherfor the Fort Worth Independent School District. His daughteris a graduate of Oklahoma University and is consideringTexas Wesleyan for graduate school.

Bierschenk’s resume is very extensive. He began in hismusical career under the direction of his high school bandleader, Henry Schraub. Schraub was a great influence andencourager of Bierschenk, who now is playing trumpet underSchraub’s direction once again in The Greater Fort WorthCommunity Band that practices here on Wesleyan campusonce a week.

Bierschenk received his undergraduate degree fromUniversity of Texas as a trumpet player majoring in musiceducation. As a requirement for his major, he needed to take

a voice class. It was in this class that he met Dr. Eldon Blackwho inspired him to switch to an emphasis on voice, whichhe considered a rather bold move.

He then went on the get his master of music educationand a muscial arts doctorate in choral conducting from theUniversity of North Texas. Itjust goes to show, he said, thatrequired classes should never beunderestimated because younever know where they maytake you.

The current music deptart-ment faculty seems to have wel-comed Bierschenk with openarms. Dr. John Fisher, depart-ment chair, and Julie McCoy,associate professor of music,agree that is a pleasure to haveBierschenk as a part of theirteam.

“Dr. Bierschenk brings awealth of talent and experienceto his role as visiting assistantprofessor,” said Fisher. “Hisrange of skills and ability makesa fine fit for the music depart-ment. We are very pleased to have him with us.”

McCoy concurs. “He is widely respected for his distinguished career as

a musician and music educator,” she said. “It is exciting to

observe our students responding positively to his personalwarmth and his vision of excellence.”

Bierschenk is taking the place of Wesleyan’s formerchoir director, Mark Stamper, and will direct several choralclasses including Wesleyan Singers, Wesleyan Choral and

Chamber Singers (formerlyTrouveres). He said he is veryexcited and looking forward tothe new semester and the greatconcerts he has lined up.

“I’m always on the lookoutfor new recruits,” he men-tioned. “So if anyone is inter-ested in coming by and talkingwith me, my door is alwaysopen. Unless it’s closed, andthen it’ll have a sign on it thatsays, ‘Knock’.”

Wesleyan Singers is opento music and non-music majorsalike and meets MondayWednesday Friday from 11 a.m.to noon. Wesleyan Choral isopen to Wesleyan students, fac-ulty, staff and others from thecommunity and meets Monday

nights at 5:45 p.m. “And,” he said, “if you play an instrument, stay for band

practice! We meet on Monday nights, 7:15 to 9:15 in thesame place.”

AMANDA MAYSTAFF WRITER

Downtown’Downtown’s 8.0 celebrates s 8.0 celebrates TTexas musicexas musicFREEThat word always catches people’s

attention. However, most of the time it’ssome sort of gimmick used to entice youinto thinking you are receiving a betterdeal than what you really are.

But the word “free” describes preciselythe 95.9 The Ranch Texas Music Seriesat 8.O in Sundance Square. That’s right,your “hometown” station puts on a con-cert every Wednesday night on the patioof 8.O during the summer months. The

only catch: you have to be 21 years of age with a valid dri-ver’s license to get in, and, of course, you have to pay fortheir tasty fare and ice-cold beverages.

If you are a Texas music aficionado like I considermyself, then a Wednesday evening at 8.O is tailor made foryou. The series has played host to some of the biggest actson the Texas music scene, including Reckless Kelly, BartCrow, Cory Morrow, Roger Creager, Max Stalling, EliYoung Band, Brandon Rhyder, Wade Bowen, Ryan Turnerand many, many more.

Now, I may a bit partial after interning for the station andbecoming a part time employee in the promotion’s depart-ment. However, I have been attending these concerts sincelong before employment with the organization was eversought. After all, what better way to break up the monotonyof the week than going out on a Wednesday night?

“It’s great to have a place to go to get your dose of TexasMusic during the week,” said 8.O patron Britney Owens. “Ican’t wait for Wednesdays to roll around.”

According to www.959theranch.com, the series, now inits fifth year, is one of “this season’s hottest concert seriesfeaturing your favorite Texas singers and song writers everyWednesday night under the Fort Worth stars.” The concerts,which are held every Wednesday evening starting in thespring, go through the end of September.

The evening kicks off around 5:30 p.m. with the Pickin’Party winner from the Railhead Smokehouse and thenanother Texas artist takes the stage, followed by the head-liner around 9 p.m. No joke, you get to see three greatartists for the price of none.

I was able to attend a few concerts myself this past sum-mer and were they ever a treat. I saw Aaron Watson,

Reckless Kelly, Bart Crow and a few others.“I want to thank you guys for putting diesel in the bus

and diapers on the baby boy,” said Watson to a Texasmusic-thirsty crowd at the beginning of his May 30th per-formance.

Watson, a native of West Texas, said he does notreally like the big city but if he had to live in one, itwould be Fort Worth.

“The only thing wrong with Fort Worth is it’s tooclose to Dallas,” he said.

Watson put on a show worth writing home aboutand his Orphans of the Brazos Band picked out tunessuch as Reckless, All-American Country Girl and Offthe Record.

Speaking of records, each October The Ranchreleases a compilation CD featuring artists that per-formed during that year’s concert series. Accordingto The Ranch Radio Group Director of PromotionsMolly Prince, the money raised from selling the CDsgoes to local charities.

“Net proceeds from the sale of the CD benefit TheRanch Children’s Charities-a consortium of charitiesthat help kids including, but not limited to: TheBoy’s and Girl’s Club of Fort Worth, Fort WorthStock Show Syndicate and others,” said Prince.

Regardless of your taste in music or entertainment,however, 8.O has something for you.

“Dinner, dancing and pretty people. 8.0 serves up agreat lunch, a rocking dinner and late night schmooz-ing. 8.O offers a unique and flavorful menu, winelist, as well as a special drink menu to satisfy yourevery palate. Combine all that with the best livemusic in Fort Worth and 8.O becomes the place tobe.” That’s all according to www.eightobar.com, but Iconcur. In addition, the Web site also claims that thevenue was named the “best place to meet someone ofthe opposite sex.”

If you plan on attending one of the Wednesdaynight concerts, you better get there early. With thepopularity of the series, the place fills up fast!

The concert finale is Sept. 26 with the KyleBennett Band and will resume again next spring.

8.O is located at 111 East 3rd St. at the intersection

of Commerce. An up-to-date schedule is available atwww.959theranch.com.

Andrew Carver is a senior mass communication major and is astaff writer for The Rambler.

OffCampus:

*Fort Worth Fall Gallery Night will features art displays at various Fort Worthgalleries, bars, restaurants, hair salons and offices. Checkwww.fwada.org and www.fort-worthsouth.org for venues andtimes.

Off Campus:

* Texas Rangers vs. OaklandA’s: Rangers Ballpark inArlington, 2:05 p.m.

*Cowboys vs. the New YorkGiants: Texas Stadium, 7:15p.m.

On Campus:

* Tryouts for the “WesleyanShowstoppers” dance team:Sid Richardson gym, 5:30 to7:30

On Campus:

* Student GovernmentMeeting: Carter ConferenceRoom, noon

* DVD releases: Grey’sAnatomy: Season 3, Charmed:The Final Season and TheStarter Wife

TTHEHE

WWEEKEEK

AAHEADHEAD

On Campus:

* Methodist StudentMovement meeting: PolyUMC, noon, free lunch served.

* Baptist Student Ministry: SidRichardson Building, noon,free lunch served

5

To submit an event forthe calender, e-mail

twurambler@yahoo.com.

Wednesday

Off Campus:

* Fort Worth Cats: champi-onship series, La Grave Field,7:05 p.m.

* The Rambler staff meeting:Lobby of Stella Russell Hall,12:15 p.m.

6Thursday

Off Campus:

* Movie Releases: 3:10 toYuma, The Brothers Solomon,and Shoot ‘Em Up

* Fort Worth Cats: champi-onship series, La Grave Field, 7:05 p.m. (if necessary)

7Friday

8Saturday 9Sunday 10Monday 11Tuesday

ANDREWCARVER

Downtown radio station The Ranch is responsible for the weeklyTexas Music Series at the nearby 8.0 restaurant and bar.

Photo courtesy of www.959theranch.com

Dr. Jerry Bierschenk, whose name is German for “beerserver,” also taught on campus from 1995 to 1996.

Photo by Amanda May

The Ramblerfrom the office of...

We at the Rambler are always on the lookout for new writers,

photographers and advertising sales staff. Get paid, gain valuable experience,

and get to know all the ins and outsof a weekly newspaper.

email: twurambler@yahoo.comweb: www.txwes.edu/rambler