November 7, 2007 Vol. 99, No. 10www.txwes.edu/rambler

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

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Congratulations!Dr. Carlos Martinez,

dean of the school of educa-tion, and his wife, Lisa, sawthe birth of their son, AlexCaleb, Nov. 3. He is 8pounds, 2 ounces and 20inches long.

It’s all about MozartThe Wesleyan Chorale

will present WolfgangAmadeus Mozart’s GrandMass in C Minor with a 70-voice chorus and orchestraat 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13 inMartin Hall. The perform-ance will feature a sopranosolo from associate profes-sor of music Julie McCoyand will be conducted byprofessor of music SteveSimons. Admission if free.

Pay your dues people!Several options are

available for studentsregarding payment on theiraccount balance. For thespring 2008 semester, stu-dents must pay in full or setup a tuition payment plan nolater than Dec. 5. Visit www.txwes.edu/cashier/index.htmfor more information.

Calling all book loversThe Eunice L. West

Library is selling a widevariety of books for only 25cents each. Pick from juve-nile literature, the New YorkTimes, curriculum, Who’sWho, science, government,law, encyclopedias andaccounting books and peri-odicals. The book sale islocated behind the periodi-cals on the second floor ofthe library, and books can bepaid for at the circulationdesk.

Movie time!Wanna see a movie on

the cheap? Student Life hasmovie theater tickets forboth AMC and UnitedArtists theaters for $6.50.Tickets are good for anyshowing at anytime. ContactJenny Houze at (817) 531-4870.

Taste something differentThe office of interna-

tional programs is sellinginternational cookbooks for$4 each. Contact AshleyPorterfield at (817) 531-4934 for more information.

HOT JOB opportunities@ Career Services

Community Outreach Specialist, Catholic CharitiesSystems Administrator, NeospireSoftware Engineer, NeospireSenior Billing Specialist, NeospireAfter-school Program Specialist, Camp Fire USA First Texas CouncilManagement Internsip, WalgreensEquipment Operator, Tarrant County Government

NEWS BRIEFS Universitychangescalendar

Texas Wesleyan stu-dents can expect to startschool a little later next fall.A revised 2008-2009 calen-dar was recently approved toreflect these changes. A sim-ilar structure is followed forthe approved 2009-2010 cal-endar and will likely beimplemented for the fore-seeable future, according tothe registrar’s office.

Wesleyan’s need to getin line with local institutions– other Texas colleges anduniversities and the FortWorth Independent SchoolDistrict – was one reason forthe change. Since otherschools are beginning tostart later in August, TWUneeded to follow suit.

“We need to stay in syncand be more consistent withother institutions and FortWorth ISD,” said AssistantRegistrar Roberta Marley.

Students will begin fall2008 classes Aug. 25. Thisday is on a Monday ratherthan the recent tradition of aWednesday start date. Thesame pattern holds for fall2009, which will begin Aug.24.

“This change is just amove forward,” said Marley.

No other significantchanges were made to thetraditional school year cal-endar. The same holidaysand breaks are observed, andthe semester concludes atthe same general time.

Administrators did,however, also adjust thesummer calendar. Alongwith the intention to stay inline with local institutions,TWU officials wanted tolook at the summer calendarwith public school teachersin mind.

“We have to start sum-mer classes late so thatteachers who want to takesummer classes at TWUcan,” said Marley. Teacherswill be able to take classes inthe summer if they desire,she said, with summer ses-sions starting later.

The first summer ses-sion for 2008 will beginJune 9 and end July 9. Thesecond session will run July14 to Aug. 13. The 2007summer classes spannedMay 29 to Aug. 8.

To view the 2008-2009and 2009-2010 calendars,visit www.txwes.edu/registrarand click on “AcademicCalendar.”

SHAMEKA HYATTSTAFF WRITER

Last chancesPhotos courtesy of theater department

The clock is ticking down, and there are onlythree more chances left to see Theatre Wesleyan’sproduction of THE RADIO SHOW: IT’S A WON-DERFUL LIFE at Artisan Center Theatre inHurst.

The play tells the story of the employees of theTXWS Radio Network, which is presenting It’s aWonderful Life on the day the play takes place.Most of the cast play actors playing characters oremployees working in the radio’s production.

This production is written by Connie Whitt-Lambert, chair of the theater department. It marksthe first time Whitt-Lambert’s play is directed byfellow theater professor Joe Brown.

The entire cast of the play within a play ismade up of Wesleyan students, including theatermajors Carrie Watson and Christopher Hatcher(above) and art major Kelly Henry (right).

“This production has been an awesome experi-ence. Everyone should come see it,” said Henry.

Seats are limited and tickets are selling fast, sopurchase or reserve your tickets as soon as possible.

Tickets are available through the ArtisanCenter Theatre box office and are $8 for theWesleyan community or $13 for general admission.

The last showings of THE RADIO SHOW:IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE are 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8and 9 and 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 10.

-Shawn R. Poling

Sewell to retire after 26 years at TWUDr. Michael Sewell, mass communication professor, will retire from

teaching at the end of the semester after 26 years at Texas Wesleyan. Not too long afterward, his wife will follow, retiring in May from her

position of associate provost at Texas Christian University.The couple plans to move to her hometown of Sylacauga, Ala. The city

is known as the home of Jim Nabors, better known Gomer Pyle, and also as“Marble City,” which is about 45 miles from Birmingham.

“I like the idea of moving there because of the reduced cost of living,”said Sewell.

His wife will be on a consulting contract with TCU, so the couple willmake the pilgrimage back to Fort Worth periodically. Sewell said he may goback to teaching or practicing law and will finally get to spend some timedoing some other things he likes.

“One thing I plan to do is write a book,” he said.

The book will be humorous, a cold conglomeration of people he knew,such as the ones in college, and things that have happened throughout hislife.

Sewell was born in Augusta, Ga., and grew up in the small town ofBarnwell, S.C.

After high school, Sewell received his bachelor’s and master’s degreesfrom the University of South Carolina. Following his stint at USC, he didsome graduate work in a doctorate program in international studies butdecided it was not what he wanted to do for a teaching career. In 1975,Sewell received his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Texas atAustin, and in 1996 he earned his law degree from Texas Wesleyan Schoolof Law.

Sewell’s academic career started in 1968. He was a graduate assistant ininternational studies at the University of South Carolina, an instructor inEnglish, international studies and journalism at the University of SouthCarolina at Spartanburg, an instructor of journalism at the University of

ANDREW CARVERSTAFF WRITER

See Sewell, page 2

Classes to start later

News2 October 24, 2007 The Rambler

Alabama at Tuscaloosa, a teaching assistant in journalism at the University of Texas atAustin, an assistant professor of journalism and of Latin American Studies at the Universityof Alabama at Tuscaloosa, an associate professor of journalism at TCU and finally became aprofessor of mass communication at Wesleyan in 1981.

“I taught at TCU for three years. During the third year there, the opportunity came tocome to TexasWesleyan,” he said.

Sewell has alsobeen an administratorand an author, as well asa reporter for severalyears.

Those experiencesare what he shares whenhe teaches. Sewell saidhe has at one pointtaught almost everymass communicationclass at Wesleyan –from reporting, tobroadcast to advertising– but two classes are

somewhat of a “Sewell specialty.” He teaches both Mass Media in the Vietnam War andPopular Culture in the Mass Media.

“The pop culture class really gave you a good understanding of how rock and rollchanged society,” said Austen Daniel, senior mass communication major. “I took his Vietnamclass, and it completely made me understand what happened over there.”

Daniel also said the class helped him to understand the experience his father had sincehe was in Vietnam.

“I can relate to what he went through,” he said.Daniel said Sewell was very intriguing as a lecturer.“He’s definitely made an influence in my life,” he said. “Every time I walked out of his

class I felt inspired.”Julie King, who graduated with a mass communication degree in 2000, said Sewell once

assisted her when she co-wrote an article for The Rambler that a fellow student got upsetabout.

“It did come in very handy having a reporter/professor/attorney on the paper’s side,” saidKing, who also remembers him for other things.

“When I think of Dr. Sewell, I cannot help but think of The Doors, Griff’s, SouthCarolina, Vietnam and the phrase ‘no, no, hell no,’” King said.

Sewell’s students said he exhibits a great deal of passion for what he does.“Dr. Sewell is on of the most insightful and helpful professors on campus regarding

advising students for their future,” said Cardinal Pierce, a junior mass communication major.“He’s so passionate about what he does. Teaching is not just a paycheck, it’s a pleasure.”

Sewell, from page 1

Wesleyan is the alma mater of a variety of well-knownpeople, including congresswoman Kay Granger, actor LyleKanouse and Tamlyn Wright, recent Emmy winner. Shewas given the award for outstanding art direction of the79th annual Academy Awards.

The award was her third Emmy win, after also winningawards for her work on the 47th annual Grammy Awardsand the 75th annual Academy Awards. She currently worksas a freelance art director and production designer inHollywood, California.

In her years in the entertainment business, she has alsoworked on various other programs such as the MTV MovieAwards and the 2004 Democratic National Convention.

Q: When you were a child, what did you want to bewhen you grew up?A: I wanted to be an airline stewardess. I really thoughtthat traveling would be really chic. It seemed so glamorousin the ‘70s. It looked very romantic. To this day I love trav-eling. Sure enough I travel a lot, about six flights a month.

Q: When did you first acquire an interest in art and the-ater?A: I’ve always done art in some form with my family andmy grandfather. I learned to draw and sew at a young age.I had the skills that lend themselves to theater. The basicskills I already had. While talking to Joe Brown, I foundthere were a lot of things available in theater. I still sew andpaint for fun. The more and more you do in one thing, thebetter you get. I do costuming sometimes.

Q: Did you act in some of the plays at Texas Wesleyan?A: I actually went to Texas Wesleyan to act. I went toMartin High School in Arlington. The theater teacher,Larry Cure, a TWU alum, knew Joe Brown and suggestedthat I look into their theater program.

Q: Which ones?A: I was a member of Alpha Psi Omega – the theater fra-ternity. One of the requirements for membership was to actin a play. I acted in Surviving Laughter, a student-written,one-act play about AIDS and codependence. RogerDeilman was there at the time and helped me write it. He,unfortunately, died of AIDS after graduation.

Q: From childhood until now, who has been inspira-tional to you?A: My grandfather was my inspiration. He passed on aboutthree years ago now. He was the one who first sat with meand drew and sewed and taught me how to draw anddesign. He was fantastic in the way that he never let thefact of me being a girl let me get in the way of things con-sidered masculine like painting or construction.

Q: Can you remember a funny incident that happenedto you while attending TWU?A: During the May performance of Love Labors Lost, anice storm hit Fort Worth and everyone had to leave in thematinee, and no one came back. All the cars were gettingiced over. We were all leaving campus. I couldn’t get intomy car; it was iced shut. We all got in a friend’s car, went

to a friend’s apartment, and we were stuck there all week-end. It was fun to spend the entire weekend with all mytheater friends in a little apartment. It was about 10 people.

Q: What doors were opened for you to get into thiscareer?A: At Texas Wesleyan at the time, there were solid rela-tionships with Casa Manana, Fort Worth Theater and StageWest. They were all strong affiliations that had strong rela-tions with Wesleyan students. It was at Wesleyan that I wasgetting professional credits at those affiliations.

Q: Are you a free-lance art director and productiondesigner or do you work for a specific company?A: I have my own company. I usually have just myself orthree to four people working with me.

Q: What exactly does an art director and productiondesigner do?A: We create the three dimensional environment of the pro-duction, collaborating with the script and other creators onthe show to create the emotion the audience will have.

Q: When you get a project, does the company usuallygive you the theme they want you to exhibit or do youget to choose the theme yourself?A: I collaborate with other designers and producers tocome up with the ideas. It’s like illustrating a book.

Q: What are your current projects?A: I’m working on an illusion show with Cirque Du Soleiland a design for a Las Vegas style game show for televi-sion.

Q: I see you have worked on many high profile produc-tions for awards ceremonies. Have you ever worked onmovie sets?A: Yes, I worked on a film called Charlie’s Angels: FullThrottle with Drew Barrymore and Lisa Ling and CameronDiaz. My concentration is with live production. I enjoy thefast-paced design process and execution of the live produc-tions.

Q: Being an art director and designer for many high-profile programs must give you the opportunity to meetmany famous people. Who are some of the interestingpeople you have met?A: Generally I stay away from the celebraties. It usuallytakes a lot to get me star struck. I have to make peopleunderstand I am busy at work. Some of the people I havemet are: George Clooney, Ernest Borgnine, FriendsFerdinan (band), Meryl Streep and Sophia Loren.

Q: You just received your third Emmy Award for yourwork on the 79th Annual Academy Awards, the awardfor outstanding art direction for variety, music or non-fiction programming. How did that feel?A: Well, we were quite shocked. I was lucky enough to benominated six times. You go in expecting to lose. This yearwe did not expect to win. We were up against other showsthat had lovely designs. The thing that made this year spe-cial was my collaborator, Greg Richman, was also on thestage. Working with him and winning together made it veryspecial.

Q: Who presented you with the award?A: Neil Patrick Harris. He is on a show called How I MetYour Mother and is best known as “Doogie Houser.”

Q: It looks like you are getting a little collection of tro-phies now. Where do you set your trophies?A: I have one at home in the guest room and I have two atmy office. I joke now that I have two book ends and a doorstop.

Q: What words of inspiration can you give to peoplewho are interested in your line of work?A: Trust your instincts, find something you really like todo, and stick with it. The pay will follow. If you stay withwhat you love the rest will follow.

-Liz Clowdus

A&Q with

Tamlyn WrightAlumna and Emmy winner

Photo courtesy of Communications Department

OpinionsThe Rambler November 7, 2007 3

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 Bryce Wilks, sports editor Colleen Burnie, entertainment editorSkyla Claxton, advertising manager Amanda May, Web 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

Rambler RatingsThumbs up to all who voted.Voting is important evenwhen it’s not a presidentialelection.

Thumbs down to no Coke inthe Stella Russell Cokemachine.

Thumbs down to no DrPepper machines on campus.

Thumbs up to Jimmy Juelgand Dinko Kranjac who pre-sented their research at theSouthwest Regional AmericanChemical Society conference.

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One cool OctoberThursday – now two

weeks in the past – I wastaken quite by surprise whena lit-up, decked-outChristmas tree loomed in theWal-Mart entrance. I’veheard jokes of Christmas inJuly, but a Christmas inva-sion in October? After aquick check to make sure thegreeter hadn’t yet donned his

Santa cap, I continued on my startled way, men-tally attempting to calculate how far awayChristmas was.

In the roughly nine and a half weeksbetween that fall day and Christmas, Halloween,Thanksgiving and college finals would transpire.Gee whiz, with all that to think about and do,who wants to start decking the halls and singing“Frosty the Snowman”? Besides EbeneezerScrooge’s ghostly visitors, what does the merryChristmas season with all its glittery tinsel, gin-gerbread men and gifts of peace have to do withthe creepy cobwebs, vampires and menacingtricks that entail spooky Halloween?

I understand that shoppers need to browseand pick up this year’s Christmas décor ahead ofschedule so that they can be ready to deck outtheir own homes on the appropriate day and alsothat many people like to get a jump start on thatmile long gift list early. I have no problem withChristmas gift sets or decoration filling storeshelves in October. My point of stasis with theseover-eager places of business is in actuallyadorning their establishments with shiny goldballs, velvety red bows and evergreen wreaths.

And what is up with the Christmas candy?Please tell me how many people are seriouslybuying chocolate-covered marshmallow Santasand red, green and gold-foiled Reese’s Peanut

Butter Cups and saving them for two months?Generally speaking, Americans aren’t known tohave that much self-control. Christmas candythis early is just an excuse to eat more of it.

No onewould arguethat Christmasis a specialtime of year, atime for festiveparties, carol-ing, shoppingfor the onesyou love andsleigh rides inthe snow(when you liveelsewhere thanTexas that is). But isChristmas asspecial if wecelebrate it forthree months?By the timeChristmas Day actually rolls around, I thinkwe’d all be pretty tired of the yuletide and readyto resume normal life. Christmas would lose itsflare before its arrival.

Then there’s the mall Santas, those patientmen who sit for hours on end listening to kids’endless wish lists while getting their fake whitebeards tugged on. Young children, having arather limited understanding of time, will easilybecome confused if the customary “ho-ho-ho”and “Have you been a good little boy/girl thisyear?” collide with their minds too far out fromChristmas. How early should these delightful(yet phony) Santas debut?

In rejoinder, I would point to the examplegiven by an iconic event, which I believe has

come to be a part of the American Christmas tra-dition: the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.After scores of bands, elaborate floats and giantcartoon balloons pass through the New York

streets, whowraps up theshow? You gotit – Santa Claushimself, com-plete with hissleigh and rein-deers Dasherthrough Blitzen.To me, it is thepassing ofThanksgivingthat marks thecommencementof the Christmasseason.

Now I sup-pose I shouldconfess thatwhen myyounger brother

and I were kiddos, we gleefully (to our mother’sdespair) began listening, singing and dancing toAlvin and the Chipmunks’ Christmas albumcome Oct. 1. Extreme, I know, but c’mon, wewere just senseless, excited kids. Kids alwaystry to rush Christmas into coming sooner. Intheir bright eyes, Christmas means presents,candy, parties, vacation from school and maybea trip to grandma’s house. Why not try to rushit?

Kids do not run stores. Grown-ups runstores.

Maybe it’s just true that everyone is a kidwhen it comes to Christmas.

Save the jingle bells.Stores bedeck themselves in Christmas attire months prematurely

TIARANUGENT

Tiara Nugent is a junior writing major and is themanaging editor for The Rambler.

In American tradition, the arrival of Santa and his reindeer at theend of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade signals the beginningof the Christmas season. Stores and other public venues shouldnot deck out for Christmas until after this event.

Courtesy of Google Images

Dear Editor, I wanted to let you know that I read the paper every week online. I was absolutely blown away that you guys allowed Chuck Fain to write that article on the opinions page (“Danger: beware of Christian impact,”

Oct. 24). I know the whole free speech, free press thing, but still. The article was highly tactless and void of logical reasoning. He had no factualsupport for his thesis that religion at Wesleyan is stomping out opposing views. I would say that a vast majority of the faculty would be opposed toallowing religion to interfere with academic teaching.

Just my opinion.

- Tyler AtkinsonTexas Wesleyan Alumnus ‘07

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Religion viewpoint void of reasoning

There are a lot of factors that influence studentswhen picking a college or university: location,

size, college atmosphere, scholarship money and per-sonal fit. For me, I knew that Wesleyan was going tobe my school the day I came to visit. I felt like I wastreated like a person, not a number. But Ihave to say, what really impressed me wasthe people. It is the faculty and staff whomake this place great.

I’m a pretty opinionated person, and Ihave had my issues with different depart-ments in this school, and I know that many

students have felt at times that there were things that thisschool really needed to work on. The one factor that makes usstay is the people: the professors who will return your call atmidnight about a paper due the next day, the staff who go outof their way to try and make your years here a little easier andthe other students who make learning fun.

Wesleyan definitely has a culture, and there are some peo-ple, on all levels of the spectrum, who fit. When you do, youknow it.

One of these amazing Wesleyan people who, on more than just a fewoccasions, made my education a little easier to obtain, was former refer-ence librarian Andy Baker. Wesleyan really found a jewel in that man. Notonly was he an amazing librarian, full of knowledge and willingness tohelp, but he was also an incredible man who would go far beyond to helpyou get what you needed in the library.

Sadly, Baker left the university earlier this semester after more than adecade here.

My first real encounter with Baker was my first semester. I needed towrite “The World of my Birth” term paper for Dr. Betsy Alexander’s his-tory class. It only took a few minutes at the computer for me to realize

that I had no idea what I was doing. I timidlyapproached Mr. Baker, who not only knew about theassignment but excitedly came into the reference sec-tion to show me exactly where to go. Four years later,Andy knew me by my first name and was willing tocome and speak to my research methods class as afavor.

I will miss the man who I knew I could get helpfrom anytime, the one who made the library a littleless intimidating and who was willing to go aboveand beyond to make the students here a little more atease.

Unfortunately, the circumstances surroundingBaker’s departure made it so that we, the Wesleyanstudents, faculty and other staff, didn’t get to throw

him a going away party or even get the chance to say goodbye. I knowthat I’m not the only student who finds this fact sad and regrettable.

I wish Mr. Baker well and hope that wherever he ends up they appre-ciate him as much as I and many other students at Wesleyan do.

Students will miss the ‘jewel’ Wesleyan had in Andy Baker

COLLEENBURNIE

Colleen Burnie is a senior writing major and is the entertainment editor for TheRambler.

Courtesy of Communications Office

Andy Baker

College LifeNovember 7, 2007 The Rambler

Going over a detailed game plan, showing up two hoursearly and working out year round to stay in shape are signsof true dedication for a high school football player.

A playing career, however, ended long ago for CharlieLittle, Wesleyan’s graduate business program director, yet hestill gets prepped every Friday night as a high school footballreferee.

Twenty-eight years in the business has led Little on thefield for some of the best action that high school football hasto offer.

“I still get that adrenaline rush before games,” Little said.“Some of the biggest games attract 15,000 or more people.”

After compiling an impressive resume at the high schoollevel, including several selections to call state playoff games,the college ranks came calling and Little worked somegames at Division II and Division I-AA schools.

According to Little, there is usually a seamless transitionfor Texas referees from high school to college because thestate high schools use the college rulebook. No other statecan make that distinction.

While the rules are the same, the travel is not, and a morerigorous schedule led Little back to high school football forgood.

Little has become very familiar with Texas football, and

his crew has worked together for the past 10 years. Thefamiliarity, he said, has allowed the group to call games moreefficiently, but the most importantelements to a well-called game are atight score and good action.

“Nothing keeps me as sharp orfocused as a close game,” Little said.“When you get in that groove, youjust focus on the game and don’tworry about fans, coaches or playersthat might be yelling.”

Texas high school football hasimproved in almost every way sinceLittle began his career.

“The players are so big and fastnow, and the coaching is so sophisti-cated,” he said. “Football here is justhead and shoulders above almost any-where else, although Florida is rightup there.”

Perhaps the only thing that hasdeteriorated about the game in thepast several years, in Little’s opinion,is sportsmanship.

“The coaches and players areunder so much pressure to win, theyforget to show good sportsmanship,” he said. “Teams truly

take on the attitude of their coach, and if the coach is in ourface the whole game, the players and fans will do the same.”

The positive attitude thatsome players and coaches lack isexhibited by Little and many otherofficials by the charitable acts theydo each year.

This year, the Fort Worthchapter of the Football OfficialsAssociation, a member of the TexasAssociation of Sports Officials, isdonating $2,500 to the Fort WorthPolice and Fire Fighters Memorial.

“There are 400 of us in thischapter, and we think, as membersof a not-for-profit organization, it isimportant to do something for thecommunity,” Little said.

Little admits that out of the400, he is probably “one of the fiveor six oldest,” but he isn’t ready totrade in his Friday night job justyet.

As long as his body allowshim to, Little will keep showing upearly, game plan in hand, ready to

call and enjoy high school football.

Ode to Stronger Faith I anticipate the day when all is made clear,

The reason for God’s plan and who I am.Years ago were much more simple, faith made easy,

Choices were not so hard, their consequences far less broad.

Shine today, explain this trial,Do not be silent as wisdom is to a child.

I am sure someday this appointment will make sense,I feel as though I have created a great offense.

Strength has failed, hope dashed to piecesFor lack of confidence, uncovering every weakness.

I beg, “let Your heart burn and zeal catch flame”All while I doubt, when defeat is near about.

Why should I look back, look up to the years when faith was strong,When the sunrise brings promise, even its shade points to

brightness.

- Ross Mullens

senior English major

Texas Wesleyan University’s student population ismade up of a very diverse group of people, the “non-tradi-tional” student being one of those categories. As a matterof fact, Wesleyan’s office of Institutional Research andBudgets reports that 40 percent of Wesleyan’s studentbody in the fall 2006 was over theage of 30. These students aretypically students who havefull-time jobs or careers, sup-port a family, raise childrenand are not right out of highschool.

“Overall, the statistics aresteadily increasing for stu-dents over 30,” said TeresaWilliams, assistant directorof the IRB office.

This increase suggeststhat there is a high probabil-ity that many Wesleyanstudents are parents. Infact, parenthood is oneof the things that makesthese students “non-tra-ditional.” They are par-ents who have simplychosen to add the title andresponsibilities of student,while fulfilling their role ashusband, wife and/or parent.

For some, juggling family andcareer is enough without addingschool into the mix. However, for Englishmajor Derek Wright, going back to school after 17years is exactly where he needs and wants to be.

Wright has plans of going to law school after he com-pletes his undergraduate degree. In addition to havingthree children between ages 11 weeks and 9 years, Wrightand his wife also own and operate their own business.How does he balance work school and family?

“A huge support system that consists of being fortu-nate enough to have a professional staff that is self-super-vising, a strong spiritual foundation at my church, and a

really, really understanding wife,” he said. For Wright, coming back to finish his degree at

Wesleyan was a “no-brainer.” He admits that, in earlieryears, he lacked the maturity to finish his formal educationand would not trade his experiences over the past 17 yearsfor anything. Wright said that although he is raising chil-dren and often feeds the baby in one hand while typingresearch papers with the other, he has, at the same time,

made some great friendshipswith classmates who are 20 yearshis junior.

Wright said he believes that,in addition to what he is learningin class, attending Wesleyan hastaught him valuable time man-agement and communicationskills. He also appreciates the“infinite amount of assistanceyour professors will give you ifyou just ask.”

Like Wright, Penny Garland,a marketing major, finds that

school keeps her fromfeeling “one-dimension-

al.” After spending 20 yearsfocused on her family andher career, Garland feltintimidated by the changes

that had taken place aroundher. For her, school was away of expanding her

thoughts along with hervocabulary, in order to break out

of her “industry specific” thoughtprocesses.

Garland is taking three hours this semester and stillfeels the pinch of juggling family and her education.However, she still decided to return.

“Encouragement from my family and a few closefriends provided the support,” she said. Although she hasno regrets, she now wishes she had also added a teachingcertification to her degree.

Like Wright, Garland works to manage her time andattention, and she said she’s found the key to a successfulbalance between school and family: “prioritize, prioritize,prioritize.”

Juggling Act

Business isn’t the only playing field for graduate directorBRYCE WILKSSPORTS EDITOR

JULIE DAVISSTAFF WRITER

Courtesy of Communications Office

Rambler Gone Global

Check out The Rambler’s Web site atwww.txwes.edu/rambler

Students say key to balancing work, school and a family is prioritizing

FFiirree uupp tthhee

ggrriillllKappa Alpha members David Riddleand Josh Raymound cook up dinnerfor friends outside Dora’s ResidentialRestaurant. Organizations frequentlyuse the grill for social gatherings.

Charlie Little

SportsThe RamblerNovember 7, 2007 5

Log on to:www.ramsports.netfor the latest game

information andprofiles of your

favorite WesleyanTeams and Athletes

Quick Quotes

Upcoming Events

“Champions aren'tmade in the gyms.Champions are madefrom something theyhave deep inside them --a desire, a dream, avision.”

- Muhammad AliAmerican Boxer

Nov. 8*5:30 p.m. Women’sBasketball vs. WaylandBaptist

*7:30 p.m. Men’sBasketball vs. ParkerCollege

Nov. 9-10*TBA Volleyball vs. TBARed River ConferenceTournament

Nov. 11*1 p.m. JV Men’sBasketball vs. MidlandCollege

Nov. 12*5:30 p.m. JV Men’sBasketball vs. MountainView College

*denotes home games

Sports BriefsJohnson wins at TexasMotor SpeedwayNov. 4Jimmie Johnson outdueledMatt Kenseth down thestretch to win at TexasMotor Speedway to claimhis third consecutive victoryand first career victory atTexas.

Harvick races to victory inNASCAR Busch SeriesNov. 3Kevin Harvick won theBusch Series race at TexasMotor Speedway onSaturday to precede themain event on Sunday.

Strong season comes todisappointing endNov. 3 In a rematch of the RedRiver Athletic ConferenceChampionship game, themen’s soccer team wasdefeated by UT-Brownsvillein first round action of theNAIA Region VITournament.

Lady Rams sweep toughroad tripNov. 3The volleyball team closedout its regular season bysweeping a tough road trip.The Rams began the day inMuskogee, Okla., wherethey took a win overBacone College. They thentraveled to Siloam Springs,Ark., for a contest with JohnBrown University in whichthey prevailed 3-1.

Lady Rams kick off hoopsseason with victoryNov. 2The women’s basketballteam knocked off HillsdaleFree Will Baptist College66-59 in their season open-er on Friday. MonekeSmallwood led all scorersand set a career high with19 points.

No one remembered that the Mavericks were only a few wins shy ofhistory last May as they were run out of the gym by the Golden State

Warriors in the first round of the playoffs.The 67-15 squad was embarrassed by becoming one of the only No.

1 seeds to ever be bounced in the first round. While the first games of a new season last week brought new hope to

fans, there are still lingering questions about the lack of activity in the offseason.

I think Mark Cuban is great for the NBA and the Mavs, but he wasunusually quiet in regards to basketball this off season. Cuban is usuallyin the business of trying to acquire big-name players. In his first year ofowning the team, he signed Dennis Rodman, and he was in the Shaquille

O’Neal talks a few summers ago before Shaq was traded to the Miami Heat. But sadly, unless something is done during the course of this season, the Mavs playoff

run is sure to be shorter than Cuban’s recent tenure on Dancing with the Stars.A hip-replacement surgery contributed to Cuban’s inability to become a great salsa

dancer, but it had no effect on his ability to write checks. The franchise will pay about $45.5million this season to the quartet of Dirk Nowitzki, Jason Terry, Josh Howard and Ericka,oops, I mean Erick Dampier.

Doling out that type of cash hinders the ability to make many changes in the off season.Still, a team that lacked the athleticism and energy to keep up with the Warriors should havedone something other than sign role players Eddie Jones and Juwan Howard.

Aside from recent rumors that linked the Mavs to Lakers star Kobe Bryant, no moveshave been discussed, but there are several potential deals that could bring Dallas a champi-onship in June 2008. Cuban and head coach Avery Johnson should pursue one of these threemoves this season.

1. Trade for Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko:Anyone who watched the playoffs last year knows that a glaring problem was defense,

which just happens to be Kirilenko’s specialty. The athletic forward has been publicly criticalof his role in coach Jerry Sloan’s system in Utah. The Jazz lack a pure shooting guard on itsroster, making Jason Terry a perfect fit. Swapping Terry and a future draft pick for “AK 47,”as Kirilenko is known, would make the Mavericks a more imposing defensive team.

2. Trade for Philadelphia 76ers forward Andre Iguodala:Iguodala is the 76ers best player and will probably walk away from the team after this

season because he will be a free agent. Philadelphia has no chance of contending this seasonand would probably listen to offers so they don’t lose him for nothing, similar to how theyhandled the Allen Iverson situation last season when they traded him to Denver. They willalso be anxious to get rookie Thaddeus Young, who plays the same position as Iguodala, lotsof playing time. Iguodala would play well along-side Josh Howard, and the team could signhim or let him walk at the end of the season.

3. Trade for Charlotte Bobcats center Emeka Okafor:Okafor is another free-agent-to-be on a terrible team. He is a Texas-native and someone

who desires to play for a winning team. His rebounding and defensive ability would take theworkload off Nowitzki, and he can score in the paint as well. The Bobcats could be willing tolisten to offers for Okafor by New Year’s, and the Mavs would be smart to obtain the centerby any means necessary. Dallas would have an excellent shot at signing Okafor to a contractat the end of the season ... hopefully after a lengthy championship celebration.

BRYCEWILKS

Bryce Wilks is a junior mass communication major and sports editor for The Rambler.

Dirk Nowitzki will remain one of the best players in theleague this season, but for Dallas to have any shot againstSan Antonio and other Western Conference foes, MarkCuban will have to make a mid-season acquisition.

New season, same old MavericksAfter a stunning playoff loss, the Mavs didn’t panic. Yikes!

Photos courtesy of Google images

Sometimes it seems that it’s the seniors who gradu-ate in May that get all the attention when that time of theyear rolls around. This is not the case at Wesleyan, asmany admirable people take the first step into a newworld when they graduate in December.

Student athlete Ashley Mock is one of the candidatesfor this December’s commencement. A graduate of AzleHigh School, she was a three-year letterwinner in volley-ball. She was named second-team all-district in hersophomore through senior seasons and helped lead herteam to a co-district championship in her junior season.

After a year at Tarrant County College, Mockentered Wesleyan as a sophomore transfer in fall 2004and joined the volleyball team headed by former volley-ball coach Rick Johansen.

“He knew his stuff,” Mock said. “He knew how towork and how to make you play hard.”

During her time on the volleyball team, Mock hasspecialized in defense.

“Defense is what I like to do,” she said. “It’s fun andchallenging. I put the all the hard work into that.”

She is no stranger to awards. During the fall 2006season, she received the Coaches Award and the

Academic All-American Award. Eight out of nine weeksof this semester, Mock was named the Red RiverAthletic Conference Libero in volleyball. She has alsowon the region award three times.

“She has great ball control,” said current head coachChristy Clawson. “She’s one of the best servers we haveon the team.”

Mock said she’s learned a lot since she’s been here. “I’ve learned different defenses and offensive sys-

tems,” she said. “I’ve learned how to read hitter’s ten-dencies and other players on the opposing teams.”

Academically, Mock has also excelled. She is a kine-siology major with a 3.8 grade point average and saidshe has gained much knowledge and insight from withinthe exercise science department and outside of it.

Dr. Bruce McDonald, associate professor of religionand philosophy, said Ashley was a great student in hisNew Testament class.

“She is a bright and outstanding person,” McDonaldsaid.

Mock is now thinking about teaching herself.“I’ve thought about becoming a coach,” Mock said.

“I’m ready to teach elementary school and coach highschool possibly.”

Her mentors and friends say they will not be sur-prised if she succeeds in changing lives.

KEVIN S. KEATHLEYSTAFF WRITER

Ashley Mock is ready to lead the volleyball team to the conference tournament this weekend. As an award winninglibero and senior, she will be a big contributor for Wesleyan if they hope to advance into further postseason matches.

Photo by Kevin Keathley

Student. Athlete.Teachers and friends say award-winning volleyball player AshleyMock has left a lasting impression on and off the court at Wesleyan

The baseball team brought itsfall season to an end with the tra-ditional Navy vs. Gold WesleyanWorld Series.

Assistant coach Brad Averitteled the gold squad to a threegames to one victory over thenavy team, coached by graduateassistant Cooper Vittitow.

Seniors led the way to a 7-1game one victory for the goldteam.

Brandon Frazier delivered thebiggest hit of the day, a three-RBItriple in the second inning.

Aaron Wimpee struck out fourin his six inning of work off themound.

Senior hurler Jesse Wright ledthe navy team to its only victory ofthe series in game two. Wrightallowed just two hits and struckout six on the day.

Team gold took games threeand four on the strength of pitch-ing and defense.

Game three was a pitchingduel between newcomers StevenDeFratus of the gold team andKody Thiebaud of team navy.

Doubles by Harrison Law andZach Smith of the gold team led toa 4-1 victory.

The series-clinching gamefour Nov. 1 featured clutch pitch-ing performances by AndrewGrace and Matt Chutchian, whoboth threw well out of the bullpenall week for Averitte.

The navy team threatened inthe late innings, but it wasn’tenough as they fell 2-1.

Offseason weight trainingbegan on Nov. 5, and the team willtake the field for the first time in2008 on Feb. 3 against ConcordiaUniversity in Austin.

- Bryce Wilks

Wesleyan World Series

October was a big month for women in the music business. JenniferLopez, Carrie Underwood and Britney Spears debuted new albums

during the month known for scares. All three stars all had something toprove.

Lopez’s new album was released right after her films El Cantanteand Feel The Noise bombed terribly, not to mention negative reviews ofher half of she and hubby Marc Anthony’s international concert tour.Her last album, Rebirth, was the lowest selling of all her offerings.

Spears, as if you don’t know already, hasn’t left the eye of a mediahurricane that started with her marriage to Kevin Federline and contin-ues now with a bitter custody battle. She reportedly recorded twoalbums in between her last album, In The Zone, and her new release,

Blackout, but neither was released to the public. Underwood, arguably the second most popular winner of American Idol, behind

Burleson’s own Kelly Clarkson, found her first album climbing to the top of the charts longafter its release, overshadowing Clarkson’s recent failure, My December.

The three stars inspire a kind of worship from fans, so a bad album won’t ruin theirrespective careers (Lopez has shown that), but here and now, record sales are the importantthing. Who has a chance to live up to America’s ruthless expectations?

Jennifer Lopez: BraveLopez is certainly brave, bombarding us with movies and music that consistently

underwhelms audiences, and her latest effort is more ofthe same.

Remember the golden days of J.Lo? Tracks likeWaiting for Tonight, Love Don’t Cost a Thing and I’mReal were inescapable if you listened to popular radio.Her music used to have decent vocals, some awesomebeats and an overall spunkiness that infused every wordand note.

It may be harsh, but Lopez has definitely lost hertouch. If I were to pick the perfect word to describeBrave, it would be flavorless. She is clearly trying torelive her dance-diva days, but none of her songs makeyou want to shake what you’ve got on the dance floor.

New songs like Do It Well and Hold It Don’t Drop It sound like new (i.e. worse) lyricslaid on top of old and subdued sounds heard on past hits Get Right and Ain’t It Funny. Ontop of that, none of her new songs make a statement other than ‘I like you because you’rehot’ or ‘we should hook up.’

And Ms. Lopez, what exactly is he doing well in Do It Well?Most of her lyrics are so vague she could in fact be singing aboutanything, which shows nothing other than a loss for words, meaningand good taste.

Carrie Underwood: Carnival RideI never expected Underwood to be very big. Clarkson seemed to

be the only idol who had the talent needed to rise to true stardom,topping the charts with her debut and stepping up her game, andrecord sales, with a second album.

In my opinion, Underwood got lucky with Before He Cheats, thetrack that actually caused her record sales to rise after tracks likeJesus Take the Wheel failed to take America by storm.

That being said, I really expected Underwood to step up her own game on CarnivalRide. Unfortunately she didn’t, and her album also has the distinction of being flavor-less, or at least the same flavor as her first album.

None of the tracks are terrible, but they’re nothing new either. She’s stillsinging about the same old things: love is powerful, love is beautiful, and it’s greatto live in a small town. Really now? Didn’t you already spend a whole albumsinging about the same exact things in the same exact way?

After hearing the lead single So Small, you’ve pretty much heard all ofCarnival Ride. If you’re a big Underwood fan, you might as well just keep playingher first album, otherwise you’re in for a big disappointment.

Britney Spears: BlackoutI’m not afraid to say I love some Spears. She’s totally lovable in her stupidity

and recklessness, both in her life and career. After all the drama and unreleasedalbums, although I didn’t expect some Grammy worthy music, I really hoped shewould bring something new to the table. Goodthing she did.

I’m not referring to her lyrics, which arestill centered on her own life and of course,sex. One thing Spears is good at doing isexperimenting with different producers, song-writers and sounds. When you’re a dance-diva,you need variety.

Blackout has it in spades, not to mentioneach track has its own distinct flavor (take thatLopez and Underwood!). Radar (the rumoredsecond single) takes electronic dance music toa whole new level, Break the Ice is a surpris-ingly new take on a “here I am” club-jam and Get Naked (I’ve Got a Plan) is justthe kind of over-sexed stripper-tastic diddie known for extreme radio play.

What surprised me the most is how Spears sounds. There is noticeably lesselectronic tampering heard in her voice, and it seems like she has ditched the over-powering back-up singers and instead is focusing on stretching her somewhat limit-ed vocal abilities. She’s definitely not Celine Dion, but she really is sounding betterin this album.

Another thing. As you listen to Blackout (especially tracks Toy Soldier andPiece of Me), you might notice Spears is taking on the flavor ofMadonna. A few years ago in the music video for their duet MeAgainst the Music, there was some controversial imagery of reigningqueen of pop Madonna passing the torch to successor Spears.

For a while it looked like Britney had lost her chance at becom-ing the new queen of pop, but in fact, Madonna was just as contro-versial as Spears back in the ‘80s, so it’s not hard to imagine Britneyrising above the drama and claiming her title for herself. Blackout isa good start to getting back on that track.

Entertainment6 November 7, 2007 The Rambler

Off Campus:

* The Radio Show: It’s aWonderful Life: Artisan CenterTheratre, 3 p.m. & 7:30 p.m.

* Texas Stampede Pro RodeoTour: AAC, all day

*40th Annual Greek Festival ofFort Worth: St. DemetriosGreek Orthodox Church, 10a.m.-10 p.m.

Off Campus:

* Hannah Montana: CentralMarket Fort Worth, 2 p.m.- 4p.m.

* Texas Stampede Pro RodeoTour: AAC, all day

*40th Annual Greek Festival ofFort Worth: St. DemetriosGreek Orthodox Church, 11a.m.-3 p.m.

Off Campus:

* So You Think You CanDance Tour: NOKIA live inGrand Parire, 8 p.m.

On Campus:

* Wesleyan Chorale perfromsMozart Grand Mass in CMinor: Martin Hall, 7:30 p.m.

* DVD releases: AmazingGrace , La Vie en Rose,Ocean's Thirteen & Shrek theThird.

Off Campus:* Mavs vs 76ers: AAC, 7:30p.m.

TTHEHE

WWEEKEEK

AAHEADHEAD

On Campus:

*Methodist Student Movementmeeting: Poly UMC, noon,free lunch served

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

* Open Registration: online, allweek

7

To submit an event forthe calender, e-mail

twurambler@yahoo.com.

Wednesday

On Campus:

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

* The Radio Show: It’s aWonderful Life: Artisan CenterTheratre, 7:30 p.m.

8Thursday

On Campus

* The Radio Show: It’s aWonderful Life: ArtisanCenter Theratre, 7:30 p.m.

* Gay Straight Alliancemeeting: B17 basement ofthe library, 12:15 p.m.

9Friday

13Tuesday10Saturday 11Sunday 12Monday

THE YOUNG AND THE FLAVORLESSA look at the newly released albums by the industy’s leading divas: Britney, J Lo and Carrie

WWeesslleeyyaann CChhoorraallee pprreesseennttss mmaasstteerr wwoorrkk

SHAWN R.POLING

Wesleyan Chorale is gearing up to present Grand Mass in C Minor by Mozart Nov. 13in Martin Hall. The 70-voice chorale will be accompanied by a 20-piece orchestra, whichwill provide an hour of music enjoyed by all.

“This is by far the best choir I’ve had the privilege to direct at Wesleyan,” said SteveSimons, professor of music and director of Wesleyan Chorale.

“The 70 voices combine our wonderful student Wesleyan Singers with alumni, faculty,staff and friends of the university that come to campus to rehearse each Monday evening.”

The chorale, now in its fourth year, meets every Monday from 5:45 p.m. to 7 p.m. torehearse. The group’s size allows for performance of large choral works that would not oth-erwise be possible with Wesleyan’s size.

“The interaction between Wesleyan students past and present has been a particular sat-isfaction, and everyone seems to be enjoying the experience,” said Simons.

According to Simons, this fourth season of the chorale is the best, with each year show-ing improved skills in the singing of masterworks from the past.

For the previous three seasons the chorale performed each major work in the sanctuaryof Polytechnic United Methodist Church because of the size of the group that was perform-ing. This year, however, the decision was made to move the choir into Martin Hall.

“It will be exciting to perform this large choir with orchestra for the first time in ourMartin Hall auditorium since the acoustics and aesthetics of the hall lend themselves sobeautifully to the performance of the Mozart,” said Simons.

According The Grove Dictionary of Music, the Mass in C Minor, widely known as“The Grand Mass,” was written for Mozart’s bride, Constantine Weber, who came from afamily of talented singers. However, the piece was never finished, lacking the Agnus Deiand most of the movements of the Creed, as well as some of the orchestration of the extant‘Credo’ and ‘Sanctus.’

The reason that the piece was never finished still remains a mystery and shame. Themore famous Mozart Requiem, which the chorale performed in its first season, was leftunfinished because of the untimely death of Mozart, but Mass seems to be a victim of theupheaval in Mozart’s life.

“I selected this work because, in my estimation, it is perhaps the most beautiful Mozartpiece I know,” said Simons.

The Mass will feature special solos from Wesleyan music faculty members JulieMcCoy, soprano, and Joe Davisson, tenor.

“Please make every effort to attend and to hear this magnificent work by circling yourcalendar for this hour of music,” said Simons. “You will go away enriched by its beauty.”

The concert is underwritten by University President Hal Jeffcoat and his wife, Marie.The concert begins at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13 in Martin Hall. Admission is free and open to

the public.

COLLEEN BURNIEENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Graduate Studies in CounselingInformation Session

Tuesday, November 13th, 2007 (12:15 until 1:15)

Free Pizza!Learn about getting into graduate school for a MA

in Professional Counseling or MS in SchoolCounseling

&The new Counseling (Bachelors+Masters) dual

degree RSVP by Monday, November 12th, 2007 at 5 PM

Contact: DeTrae Warren @ 817-531-4931 ordwarren@txwes.edu

Shawn R. Poling is a senior English major and is the editor-in-chief for The Rambler.