The voice of Texas Wesleyan University students since 1917

WEDNESDAYJanuary 28, 2015

Vol. 99 • No. 1

www.therambler.org

INDEXOpinion 2News 3Campus 4,5A&E 6Sports 7,8

CampusAROUND

pet.The concert is free and

doors open at 7 p.m.“The concert is a mix of

music for trumpet and piano; trumpet, voice, violoncello and piano; and brass quin-tet,” Lind said. “I selected each piece for mainly ‘selfish’ reasons-all of the pieces are personal favorites and inci-dentally standard literature.”

Lind will be opening the first half of the concert by showcasing the trumpet, said Christine Beason, direc-tor of instrumental studies.

The Brass Concert will also feature performances by as-sociate professor Julie Mc-Coy; adjunct instructor Keith Critcher; and adjunct instruc-tor Karen Hall.

The first half of the concert will feature a performance of Eternal Source of Light Divine, which was originally written by Handel in 1714.

“The piece highlights the beauty and expressiveness of the voice and trumpet to-gether,” Lind said.

The next music piece that will be showcased in the first half of the concert is Concer-to for Trumpet and Piano by Russian composer Alexander Artunian.

“It is a flashy piece that has become a favorite for audi-ences across the world,” Lind said.

The second half of the con-cert will have The Brass Quin-tet perform material that was written for them

“Playing in a Brass Quintet is challenging in many ways because there is no place to “hide’ as one might be able to in a large ensemble,” Lind said.

The Brass Concert will also include Bach’s Contrapunc-tus IX, with each instrument playing the original melody, said Lind.

Victoria Garciavpgarcia@txwes.edu

The Texas Wesleyan Uni-versity Music Department will present a unique, one-night recital, The Brass Con-cert, on Thursday, Feb. 5 in Martin Hall.

The recital will last one hour and feature seven piec-es that mix vocals with trum-pets and other instruments, said James Lind, an adjunct instructor who teaches trum-

Music Departmentschedules concert

Please tell us how Dr. Bob-by Deaton impacted your life as a student.Send your remembrances of Dr. Deaton totwurambler@yahoo.com

True to Texas Style5300 E Lancaster Ave. Fort Worth, TX 76112

(817)451-8222

Valerie Spearsvlspears@txwes.edu

Jim Lewis is here to make a difference.Lewis, who started working as Texas Wesleyan

University’s vice president of advancement in No-vember 2014, wants to push Wesleyan to succeed by improving its fundraising.

He believes the university is on the verge of a great transformation in development, enrollment, financial growth, community image, and campus facilities.

“The university is at a tipping point and maybe I can be a part of helping nudge it over the hump,” Lewis said.

Lewis is working to raise funds to help Wesley-an grow and become a more well known and ad-vanced school as part of the 2020 Strategic Vision.

Lewis was selected from a national search that university President Frederick Slabach and mem-bers of the Wesleyan staff assembled. Slabach said his commitment to advancement and familiarity with helping other colleges really captivated the committee.

“Jim has extraordinary experience,” Slabach said. “What was really impressive to me and many of members of the search committee was his abil-ity to understand how to really organize the entire advancement effort to line up with the strategic goals of the university.”

Growing up, Lewis frequently moved to dif-ferent cities around north and central Texas, and attended five different elementary and secondary schools. His father worked as a United Methodist minister, which required them to move approxi-mately every 3 years.

Lewis discovered he had a passion for working with colleges while studying at Southern Method-ist University. A friend recommended that he go into advancement, and he got his first job in the field at SMU shortly after receiving his master’s in business administration in 1983.

“Several people thought that my gifts and graces lent myself to this kind of work,” Lewis said.

Lewis has worked at several small universities and said that Texas Wesleyan had a very familiar feel.

“The sense of community is very similar,” Lewis said. “It wasn’t a hard transition for me at all.”

Lewis worked at the University of Texas at Ar-lington for 6 years as the vice president for de-velopment. In 2014, UTA received an Overall Improvement Award in educational fundraising from the council of advancement and support of

education. Myke Holt, the senior director of development

at Texas A&M University, worked with Lewis at UTA as the director of development for the Col-lege of Liberal Arts. Holt said Lewis was one of the best co-workers she has ever worked with.

“Jim is an outstanding fundraiser,” Holt said. “I learned so much working with him, and he was a great mentor to me.”

Holt said that Lewis works hard to meet the goals of the university and is very committed to helping schools succeed. Lewis does not like to lose and does whatever he can to make the insti-tution prosperous.

“Jim is very passionate about higher education and loves working to fulfill the mission of the uni-versity,” Holt said. “He’s not afraid of hard work, long hours, or challenges. Watch out, he’s com-petitive!”

Before arriving at Wesleyan, Lewis spent 8

months working for Big Brothers Big Sisters in Irving as the executive vice president for develop-ment. It was the first non-collegiate organization that Lewis had worked for in his advancement ca-reer, and he said that it was a very different work environment than he had encountered at colleges.

“It was a culture shock,” Lewis said. “They don’t have tuition income like you do in higher educa-tion. Philanthropy is pretty much all they have.”

Lewis said he appreciates his time at Big Broth-ers Big Sisters and even signed up to be a men-tor at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School in Fort Worth. He loved the organization, but his true de-sire is to help colleges.

“It’s a great organization with great people,” Lewis said, “but I am glad to be back in an envi-ronment I know better.”

Lewis is excited to be working with Slabach, and

Jim Lewis says that he is happy to be working in academia after eight months as the executive vice president for development at Big Brothers Big Sisters in Irving.

Photo by Erica Estrada

Lewis gives Wesleyan a nudge

Ryan Grounds rrgrounds@txwes.edu

Texas Wesleyan University’s Student Govern-ment Association held its first meeting of the spring 2015 semester on Thursday.

SGA approved a bill that will help pay for 100 Greek T-shirts for members of Wesleyan frater-nities and sororities.

SGA voted to split the $580 bill for purchase of the shirts with The Office of Student Life.

SGA also approved its $4,103 budget for the semester.

The budget includes the cost of new televisions that will be located in the recently reopened Do-ra’s dining facility. Money was also budgeted for student honorariums.

“It is in our constitution that $2,500 be allo-cated for honorariums,” SGA President Tyler Mendez said.“Students apply for honorariums through our website and the Finance and Audit Committee determines whether the student is

awarded based on their description of what he/she needs the funding for. The students can apply for an honorarium up to $100.”

Last semester the SGA approved to have lights installed around the volleyball court and to build a fire pit area.

“The fire pit should be ready this week,” Men-dez said.

Mendez, who was elected SGA president in May 2014, said there are two big projects for the semester: getting a courtroom on campus and finishing the commuter lounge.

The SGA approved the upgrade of a commuter lounge last semester. The lounge, located on the second floor of Polytechnic United Methodist Church, has comfortable chairs and areas for studying, SGA Vice President Abbey Borghee said.

“The charging stations were just implemented there, and it has USB ports for charging laptops and I-pods and everything else,” Boghee said.

SGA holds its weekly meetings: Thursdays at 3:30 p.m. at the organizations lounge on the first floor of the Sid Richardson Center.

SGA President Tyler Mendez.Courtesy of Chuck Greeson, University Photographer

Campus greets internationals

 LEWIS, page 3

Valerie Spearsvlspears@txwes.edu

Isha Joshi is one of the international students seeking a degree in the United States.

Joshi, 18, is a freshmen studying business ad-ministration. She came to Texas Wesleyan Uni-versity from Nepal in January 2014 after receiving a recommendation from a friend about the uni-versity.

“My friend recommended me to Texas Wesley-an,” Joshi said. “So I looked on the website and saw it was a best regional university, I liked that.”

Joshi said that many students from Nepal have come here to get a degree that is internationally recognized.

“The U.S. has a good educational system,” Joshi said. “You can get a bachelor’s degree that is ac-cepted all over the world.”

Joshi is excited to be at Wesleyan and loves at-tending small classes.

“I love Wesleyan,” Joshi said. “They give us spe-cial attention that helps us understand things bet-ter.”

More and more, international students like Joshi are choosing Wesleyan as their university.

There are approximately 455 undergraduate international students at Wesleyan this semester, an increase from the 409 students in spring 2014, according to The Office of Institutional Research.

International students made up 26 percent of undergraduate enrollment in spring 2014, and this percentage is expected to increase slightly this semester. The exact numbers for this semester will be calculated after the 12th day of class because of students who drop or come in during the first few weeks.

 STUDENTS, page 3

SGA passes spring budget,votes to fund honorariums

2 | Wednesday | January 28, 2015

Rams up

Rams down

Thumbs up to Dora’s renovation being complete.

Thumbs up to having more phone charging sta-tions in more campus buildings.

Thumbs up to the progress being made in Rose-dale.

Thumbs up to the ATM in the Eunice and James West L. Library.

Thumbs down to Dora’s still not having good food.

Thumbs down to less student parking.

Thumbs down to people driving and parking the wrong way on Wesleyan Street.

Thumbs down to students getting ticketed for jay-walking to Subway and the Texas Wesleyan book-store.

Letters to the editor: The Rambler, a biweekly publication, welcomes all letters. All submissions must have a full printed name, phone number and signature. 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 opinion page. Member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, Associated Collegiate Press, Student Press Law Center, College Media Advisers and College Newspaper Business and Advertising Managers.

Opinions expressed in The Rambler are those of the individual authors only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas Wesleyan community as a whole.RambleR Contribution Please send all news briefs to twurambler@yahoo.com. Submissions due by noon Friday to see brief in the following week’s issue.

Address all correspondence to:Texas Wesleyan UniversityThe Rambler1201 Wesleyan St. • Fort Worth, TX 76105twurambler@yahoo.com(817) 531-7552

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Another year has come and gone, which means the time has come for yet another set of goals to follow in hopes of discovering your defining traits.

With every new year comes a new goal whether it be working out, eat-ing clean, or potentially working harder in classes.

While making a resolution at the start of a new year can be a fun tra-dition, is it easy to lose motivation by Valentine’s Day and your life-changing revolution gets left behind before the year even starts off.

New Year’s resolutions have the potential to be tremendously pow-erful.

In the start of a new year, a per-son could make the change to only think positive after noticing they are always a Negative Nancy in ev-ery situation. Perhaps a person real-izes that they need a focus shift and decide they want to focus on school. However, that is not always the case.

New Year’s resolutions often get a bad reputation. Every year, many people make a big deal of coming up with a list of goals and aspirations in hopes of changing their appearance or making a drastic change that has nothing to do with the reason be-hind the change.

The best step to making a resolu-tion stick is personalization. Instead of focusing on fixing ourselves and attempting to follow a set of rules

made up by someone else, why not make a resolution that is catered toward you? As college students, whether you are full-time or part-time, you are faced with a busy schedule no matter how you look at it. In between class, practice, clubs, and maintaining a flourish-ing social life does anyone really

have time to use the same workout regimen as a personal trainer who spends all their time in a gym?

Be honest. Do we, as students, have the luxury of spending $150 on organic groceries from Whole Foods?

Chances are we don’t. And that’s not a bad thing at all.

We’re at different points of our lives and have various commit-ments that don’t always allow us the flexibility of doing what someone out of school does.

The focus of New Year’s resolu-tions should never be about chang-ing yourself to fit someone else’s mold. By personalizing your New Year’s resolutions and tailoring them to highlight your individual potential, you increase your chance of success.

You may not get the same results that someone else got or you may find that you are looking for some-thing completely different than you initially believed. For example, you can follow a workout regimen to a T and still find what works for one athlete will not always work for an-other.

However, there is absolutely nothing wrong with finding some-one who has had success doing something and you attempting it. Perhaps you need pre-written rules because it is easier than cre-

ating a new set of rules that give you the opportunity to slack. As we enter 2015, keep in mind that you are an individual and you need a resolution that matches you as a person and not a resolution that is applicable to everyone.

Take baby steps to create a sys-tem that is tailored to your schedule and needs. As students, our New Year’s resolutions should be about expanding and developing yourself for the long run.

Short term goals can be great, but building the skills that will expand beyond your college years can be even better.

Before making a New Year’s reso-lution, one should look at things they want to improve, not the things they want to change or eliminate al-together.

If you want a better body, it’s al-ways easier to eliminate things one by one instead of dropping every-thing at once.

If you need more time to study, create a schedule that gives you more time to reach your goals.

The point is, in order to guaran-tee success for any resolution, you might want to take some time and find out what you want or need to improve.

By turning your focus inward and identifying those things, you are much more prepared to make a goal that revolves around you, your needs, and wants.

Look at other people’s success as friendly advice instead of laws to fol-low. Keep it fresh and be honest with yourself. Resolutions take discipline and above anything else, dedica-tion. Take this year to be dedicated to someone who deserves it: You.

Returning back to school from the holiday break may be tough, especially when students are used to sleeping in late and not doing homework.

Then they come back to realize a couple of adjustments such as changing their sleep schedule and staying on track of assignments need to be made.

As a result, it can be easy to fall behind, so here are a few tips to have a successful spring semester:

1. Take a look at your syllabi:The first day of school you are

likely to receive syllabi from your professors.

Take a look right away to see what each professor’s expectations are, what your goal expectations are,

and what assignments are com-ing up so you can stay on top of deadlines.

2. What works and what doesn’t:Learn from your mistakes. Were

you not satisfied with your grades last semester and wish you could do better? Now is your chance!

Think of what work and what didn’t. Did you not ask for help or advice on how you could improve on an assignment? Did you skip classes or arrive late? Now is the time to change old habits and be a better, hardworking student.

3. Step-by-step:Pace yourself each day. Sure,

maybe you do have about 50 to 100 pages to read for each chapter.

Fortunately, you can read at least 10-15 pages a day so by the time your quiz or test comes along, you will remember all the relevant con-tent.

4. Review:Simply reviewing your notes dai-

ly can help. As a psychology major, I’ve learned it takes time for infor-

mation to reach long –term mem-ory.

When students cram, informa-tion is stored in short-term memo-ry and the information stored there does not stay there for a long time, which can result in poor grades.

5. Maintain a healthy lifestyle:When you get a good amount of

sleep and a healthy diet, you are more likely to have more energy and feel more alert.

Also, exercise increases blood flow to the brain so be sure to keep a healthy, active lifestyle.

Lastly, be positive and reward yourself!

Your outlook on the semester will leave a result on how you think you will do.

When you complete all your as-signments for the day or get an A on a test, go out with friends or do one of your favorite hobbies.

By the time you know it, all your hard work will pay off and it will be summer. Make it the best semester yet.

Erica EstradaPhoto Editoreestrada@txwes.edu

Victoria JohnsonContent Producervjohnson@txwes.edu

Keep resolutions fresh

Spring into spring with these five suggestions

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Wednesday | January 28, 2015 | 3

Onyesonam Nolisa finishes a practice session with optimism for the season. Photo by Paula Justice

Dining ServicesNew Counter Seating

Increased Seatings, 2 drink stations, expanded breakfast bar

New Breads at the Deli-Focaccia-Ciabatta

Self Serve Hot Dogs & Pizza are back!

Ice Cream Station - New

Grille works open daily

Coming soon - Self Serve Dessert Case

believes that the most important thing in his line of work is to have great chemistry with the president of any organization he works with.

“I have worked directly under 5 college presidents and Fred-erick Slabach is the best I have worked with,” Lewis said. “I re-ally feel great about the chemistry about his leadership style. We just hit it off immediately.”

Slabach said that the advancement team has been historically understaffed, and he believes that Lewis has the experience and ability to build a better team.

With Lewis on the team, Slabach hopes to begin fundraising for a new student center that will cost $18.25 million.

“We want an iconic building that will really be the symbol of the university,” Slabach said, “and that will be the student center because students are at the center of everything we do here at Texas Wesleyan.”

The student center will also make a good first impression with visitors, Slabach said.

The most important current goal for campus fundraising is the 125th anniversary of the university, said Slabach.

The anniversary will help to re-engage the university with old friends, as well as make some new friends that will help the

school philanthropically.“Another major aspect of the work that he will be doing is

helping us utilize that 125th celebration that will take place all throughout the academic year,” Slabach said.

Lewis plans to put these goals in action by getting the faculty, staff, alumni, and board members more excited about the Wes-leyan name.

He also hopes to help the advancement department incorpo-rate the best practices which will pay off over time and change the attitude of Wesleyan.

“It’s sort of this mindset that we are just Texas Wesleyan and we can’t do x y or z,” Lewis said. “I want to take some initiatives which I believe will help change the psychology dynamic here in such a way that people will feel confident in where they work. This is an institution people should be proud to be a part of.”

He also feels confident in the changes that have already been set in motion, including the Rosedale Renaissance project.

“Having been in institutions that have done big projects, I can tell you that perception about the university will change,” Lewis said.

Lewis said that while perception plays a role in changing the university, the main focus is on the internal attitudes and stu-

dents.“We don’t do it just for image, we are doing it to serve stu-

dents and to create a more vibrant campus community,” Lewis said. “We got to believe that we can do these things and project that. That is how we will inspire more people.”

The progress is slow, but working on all the little details can lead to a big payoff in the end, Lewis said.

“You have to be an optimist to do this business,” Lewis said. “You have to be confident and persistent to see something at the end.”

Lewis also wants to help teach students the importance of ap-preciating endowments and how that affects their scholarships.

“[Donors] can see in the form of a student the impact their gift is continuing to make,” Lewis said. “We are teaching philan-thropy to students. For them to see the importance of it helps them understand when they get out why it’s important for them to give back.”

Lewis said that the Fort Worth area and the Methodist church hold a lot of family history for him, which helps him be become inspired with Texas Wesleyan.

“The values here resonate with my own personal values,” Lewis said. “We are about changing lives.”

LEWIS continued from page 1

STUDENTS continued from page 1

University President Frederick Slabach said that Wesleyan brings in international students to help prepare students to be citizens of the world.

“In the 21st century, it is absolutely essential that students de-velop cultural competencies beyond what they grew up with,” Slabach said. “It’s important for them to be exposed to interna-tional communities outside the United States.”

Slabach encourages domestic students to learn from interna-tional students to keep up with business trends that are devel-oping in other countries.

“We firmly believe that students learn as much from each other as they do from faculty members in the classroom,” Sla-bach said.

Most students do not have the chance to study abroad and the university works to recruit international students to help domestic students have the chance to be shown different cul-tures, Slabach said.

“I do think that it gives students at Texas Wesleyan an edge in their professional careers,” Slabach said. “It is up to the in-dividual domestic student whether or not he or she will take advantage of that opportunity.”

Dr. Bruce Benz, a professor of biology, has taught many in-ternational students and said many countries have a hard time providing higher education because of increasing population and economic decline.

“The United States is more developed,” Benz said. “We have more technologies they can use.”

Benz said that part of the increase is because Wesleyan has

been sending out recruiters to compete for international stu-dents against bigger universities in the Dallas/Fort Worth area.

“It’s tough to compete,” Benz said. “But they come to Wes-

leyan for the same reasons domestic students come. They get face to face interactions with professors that they can’t get at other universities.”

The top 18 countries where Wesleyan international students came from in the fall 2014 semester are shown in white. This information comes from The Office of Institutional Research.

Campus TheRambler.org | For news throughout the day.

4 | Wednesday | January 28, 2015

Attention International Students:

Come join us at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo For free!

Saturday, February 7th from 12-4 p.m.

For more information contact:Dayon Harris at daharris@txwes.edu

Sponsored by Student Lifewww.ramsports.net

Baseball Vs. Jarvis Christian Jan. 30-31Vs. Avila Feb. 5-8Men and Women’s BasketballVs. Wayland Baptist Feb. 5

Welcome back Rams!

Victoria Johnsonvjohnson@txwes.edu

February is known for its holidays: Valentine’s Day, Presi-dent’s Day, Ash Wednesday and more. But February is also home to the one of the most important annual celebrations: Black History Month. Though it is the shortest month of the year, the celebration of black excellence and achievements is given widespread attention as black individuals continue to add fire to the ever growing flame.

There is, however, a dilemma facing the black community. In the past, Black History Month has been spent educating future generations about the importance of academics and expanding their minds beyond the limits of preset boundaries.

The message that has been crafted to inspire the youth of to-day has been lost. Instead of focusing on growth in academic areas and preparing for the future, the path to success has come down to one of two things: a basketball or a recording booth.

While neither of these dreams are unattainable, the emphasis of Black History Month is to gain an insight of how magnificent and truly glorious it is to be a part of a culture that continues to excel despite facing constant hurdles.

During this month, we are reminded to look at where we come from and where we can go. If a child wants to be a doc-tor, there is no reason he or she cannot. If a teenager aspires to be an engineer, this month lays the groundwork for turning a dream into a reality. Black History Month does more than just celebrate past achievements. Black History Month is a remind-er that as black people, we are not limited to the roles we see on television. We are reminded that with education and hard work, there is no reason why making seven figures is out of the question.

For black students in college, the world and all of its success is at our fingertips. There is so much that we could be doing. However, none of this time is being used for long-term ben-efits. Instead, there are excuses for why staying static is much better than facing the challenge of greatness that is calling us. As an athlete, I know practice can take up a lot of time. And as a former member of a choir and band, I understand that writ-ing and learning music can take dedication and time.

But let’s look at the statistics. Currently only 33.1 percent of black males graduate from a college or university; 57.3 percent of other students graduate. This means that as difficult as it is for black students to go college, the percentage of them actu-ally graduating is 24 percent less than others. So ultimately, two thirds of all black college students don’t obtain the degree they came for. If you aren’t here for your degree, then what are you here for?

Though Texas Wesleyan University is a small school, there are still plenty of opportunities for students to get involved. The options are truly endless and it’s borderline impossible for stu-dents not to find a group of well-rounded individuals that are doing something positive with their lives.

Wesleyan’s Black Student Association has been making waves across the Tarrant County area for the last three years and for a school with a large percentage of black students, the lack of involvement is truly frightening.

In December 2012, the association donated 717 pounds of canned food to the Tarrant County Food Bank for the holidays.

The organization worked closely with the Boys & Girls Club of Fort Worth and hosted opportunities for youth to learn about their heritage at The Tarrant County Black Historical and Genealogical Society. Hosting events such as “Let’s Talk Black America”, “Balling on a Budget”, and a voter registration drive, the organization has given an example of what it is to be black and intelligent in America.

So of all the problems plaguing organizations on this campus, why does BSA suffer from such a lack of involvement? Why is BSA not flourishing with individuals who want to exceed limi-tations set by themselves and others?

It’s understandable to have practice and I’m not saying that having dreams is a bad thing.

However, you are in college. This means you applied and got accepted to an institute of higher learning that has been around for the last 125 years.

In fact, let’s look at it from an economic standpoint: You are paying to be here. If you aren’t paying for it with money, you are paying for it with time. So when the day comes for you to grad-uate, were you involved in any organizations? Were your grades so astronomically high that it’s a wonder that you didn’t gradu-ate within two years? Did you intern and if so, where and how rigorous was it? The truth is, college is meant to grow you not only as an intellectual, but as a person. And as black men and

women, we are looked at and scrutinized on a much harsher scale than other races. To quote the television drama Scandal, as black individuals, we have to work twice as hard just to be half as good.

Consider this as a call to action. Use your Nike’s and walk to Polytechnic High School. Instead of focusing on writing lyrics, use that voice to talk to future college applicants.

Determine whether or not you want to get a job if something happens to the killer jump shot you’ve got. Go to a BSA meet-ing and learn about educating the youth that have it engraved in their minds that all they will ever become is a thug or an

inmate.You applied for college and you’re in. But what happens when

it’s time to leave and the unfortunate reality sets in that you didn’t make it as the starting rookie for the Chicago Bulls? If there was a time to prove that you’re more than a statistic, it’s now. It’s the last 20 seconds of the final quarter.

The referee put the ball in your hands and you’ve got to de-cide if you want to win this by one point of by two. Now isn’t the time to lose focus because, at this point, the game is too close. Play the game however you want, just remember that the game isn’t in here. It’s out there.

Illustration by Erica Estrada

Students should celebrate black culture, not just during Black History Month

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Wednesday | January 28, 2015 | 5

Fort Worth Stock Show rides again

Erica Estrada /Rambler StaffTwo riders from the R.A. Brown Ranch in Stinnet, Texas compete in the “double mugging” event on Jan. 16 at Will Rogers.

Jessica Liptak /Rambler StaffSaddles and other hand-made Western gear are frequently seen at the Stock Show.

Jessica Liptak /Rambler StaffThe Stock Show isn’t just about the animals. There is a wide selection of food and carnival rides.

Erica Estrada /Rambler StaffTwo members of the Singleton Ranch team from Lamy, New Mexico com-pete in the “double mugging” event on Jan. 16 at Will Rogers Coliseum.

Jessica Liptak /Rambler StaffLonghorms are just one of the many different types of livestock at the Stock Show.

Arts EntErtAinmEnt TheRambler.org | For news throughout the day.

6 | Wednesday | January 28, 2015

TexasWesleyan Religious Life

Common Meal: Free lunch & discussion When: Tuesdays @ 12:15

Where: PUMC 312

University Chapel: Live Music & worship When: Thursdays @ 12:15

Where: PUMC 312*Free luch after service

Faith~Hope~Love

Wesleyan MusicMusic Faculty Brass Concert

Youth Duo Piano Competition

February 5 at 7:30 p.m.

February 7 from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Sigma Alpha Iota Presents:An American Music ConcertFebruary 22 from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

Martin Hall

Ann Waggoner Fine Arts Building

1000 Penn St. Fort Worth, TX 76102

Selma opens in Alabama, with Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. (David Oyelowo) preparing his speech for the Nobel Peace Prize. There is a brief interac-tion with King and his wife, Coretta Scott King (Carmen Ejogo), about his tie and his appearance. We are taken to a

scene with four young girls walking down a flight of stairs as they prepare for their baptism. As the girls discuss their hair, there is an explosion killing all of them.

The premise for the film is set up as we are taken to an Ala-bama court house where we meet Annie Lee Cooper (Oprah Winfrey) as she fills out a voter registration form. Cooper ex-periences great difficulty in her attempt to register to vote and ultimately her application is denied.

The camera then meets King as he is meeting with President Lyndon B. Johnson (Tim Wilkinson) at the White House. The issue is quite simple: black citizens are being illegally denied the right to vote in addition to facing countless acts of violence.

While King makes his point very clear, Johnson explains that his primary concern is eliminating poverty.

Throughout Ava Duvernay’s film, which has been nominated for an Oscar for Best Picture, the audience is met with moments that truly shatter the heart, from the death of Jimmie Lee Jack-son (Keith Stanfield) to the first attempted march from Selma

to Montgomery. Unlike many biopics, Duvernay uses tech-niques that allows audiences to march alongside the protesters instead of simply watching them.

Viewing this movie half a century after the march happened does not change the fact that, whether anyone is willing to ad-mit it, we need Selma.

Yes, the film is rich with history and shows the unnecessary brutality American citizens faced.

However, we need this film to reiterate the truth of our na-tion’s tendency to torture and murder its own people instead of unifying them.

Just like in Ferguson, the marchers that were in Selma were careful about their protests. The movie shows a scene of the black citizens of Selma about to march to Montgomery, but King, after kneeling down to pray, decides that it is not a good idea.

In a room of his advisors and colleagues, he explains that while they may have been able to make it out of Selma, he could not guarantee they will be safe on the 54-mile march. In 2014, our society and media have painted national protests as violent, particularly ones surrounding Ferguson and the shooting of Michael Brown. However, there is nothing violent about them. Just like Selma, Ferguson is about justice.

Here’s the truth: the same marching that was done in Selma, Alabama is being done half a century later for the exact same reason: inequality.

There is no equality when an 18-year-old boy is shot, killed,

and left in the middle of the street for four hours. There is no equality when police officers shoot citizens and do not even go to trial. There was zero chance Darren Wilson would be in-dicted for the shooting of Michael Brown. Why? Due to the way our criminal justice system works, out of 12 jurors, it only takes nine jurors to agree and in this case, those nine jurors were white.

We need Selma, not for entertainment but for growth. We need Selma to remind ourselves that even after 50 years, there are certain individuals who are unable to walk down the street at night or must explain their right to be treated as human be-ings.

As Americans, we carry a moral and social responsibility to react in the face of injustice.

If we ignore these issues, it does not mean the responsibility is no longer there. It means we are just as guilty as the person who pulled the trigger.

We need Selma not because we need another historical film. Once you understand Selma, you will understand Ferguson. You will understand “Hands up, don’t shoot.” You will under-stand the meaning of protests.

But, until you understand Selma, you will not understand what it’s like to watch your brothers and sisters shot and their shooters walk away free.

We need Selma, not to see how far we’ve come, but to show that even after 50 years, some lives still don’t mean as much as others.

Messages of Selma ring true, even after 50 years

American Sniper shows how Chris Kyle became a legend

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American Sniper is based on a true story of Chris Kyle, a U.S. Navy SEAL sniper, played by actor Bradley Coo-per. Based on his autobiog-raphy, the film follows Kyle being sent to Iraq with the

mission of protecting his brothers-in-arms. He earns the nick-name “Legend” from being the most lethal sniper in U.S. mili-tary history.

After watching American Sniper, one could feel like a proud American and realize Kyle’s perspective about what soldiers sac-rifice for our country.

Director Clint Eastwood did an excellent job keeping the au-dience’s attention and making the film appeal both to conserva-tives and liberals - people who support or are against war.

The movie relates to all audiences because there was also scenes of Kyle’s romance with his wife, who is played by Sienna Miller, and their family, not just war.

I give it an A- since there were some parts that were unfin-ished, such as what happened to Kyle’s brother, what happened to a sadistic man who harmed a little boy and his father, a visit to the psychologist; also, the scenes where Kyle helps veterans were rather short.

Nominated for six Academy Awards (including Best Actor for Cooper and Best Picture), American Sniper was a great film about the story of a true American hero who sacrificed his well-being, family, and even mental state for the sake of his country, yet once he returned home afterward, he found that the war has left a significant grip on him and could not be left behind.

Photo courtesy of Warner Brothers.. http://www.warnerbros.com/american-sniper

Kyle Gallner and Bradley Cooper star in American Sniper.

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Etiquette Dinner

For more information, contact Career Services at 817-531-6512 or careerservices@txwes.edu

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Ryan Groundsrrgrounds@txwes.edu

The Texas Wesleyan University baseball team lost their long-time home at LaGrave Field, but have found another.

The Rams will play the 2015 season at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie, close to The Verizon Theater off South Belt Line Road.

The Park is also home to the Grand Prairie Airhogs, an inde-pendent team not affiliated with Major League Baseball.

“It has been a privilege to play in a facility with the incred-ible history and quality of LaGrave Field,” said Wesleyan head baseball coach Mike Jeffcoat. “Now we are excited about the opportunity to move to another outstanding local facility in

QuikTrip.” QuikTrip Park is a $25 million venue built in 2008. The park

seats 5,500 and features 13 luxury suites. “I think the new field is awesome,” said Bailey Laws, a first-

year baseball player and sophomore political science major. “I think it is a lot nicer than LaGrave Field, because the new sta-dium has turf and the old field was not well maintained.”

Freshmen exercise science major Jack Holland is also excited about the move to Grand Prairie.

“We get to use the Airhogs locker rooms,” Holland said. “We are not going to play with the team, but we get to share the facility.”

The park is located just off of I-30 in the heart of Grand Prai-rie’s Entertainment District between Lone Star Park and Veri-

zon Theater.Stadium owner Andrew Schatte closed LaGrave Field and

hopes to sell the stadium or swap it for more surrounding land, according to fwbusinesspress.com. The Rams played at La-Grave Field for 12 seasons.

The Fort Worth Cats have played at LaGrave Field since 2002. According to an article published in November 2014 in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, team owner John Bryant wants to play the 2015 season at another ballpark in the city. However, the Cats have not announced their new home.

The Rams will host 11 games at QuikTrip Park during the 2015 baseball season, which begins Jan. 30 against Jarvis Uni-versity.

Ryan Groundsrrgrounds@txwes.edu

The Texas Wesleyan University baseball team is approaching the 2015 season with new players and new strategies. “We have

a lot of new faces this season so we’ll need to find out quickly who we can count on, specifically the starting pitchers,” said head baseball coach Mike Jeffcoat.The

Rams finished last season in fifth place in the Sooner Athletic Conference with a 27-26 record.

This season the Rams will be joined by new assistant baseball coach Robert Garza, who was hired by Jeffcoat in October.

Garza was at Northwood University, and prior to that coached at Dallas Baptist Uni-versity, according to rams-ports.net.

He has helped sixteen of his players get into professional baseball.

In 2013, he helped lead the Knights to the NAIA World Series. The Knights also won a pair of Red River Athletic Conference championships

during his tenure.“This year’s team has a much better attitude and are working

harder,” Jeffcoat said. “We have more depth at pitching, catch-ing and more offense.”

According to ramsports.net, Jake Howeth who made first-

team All-SAC, is returning this season. Howeth received the Carroll Beringer SABR Metroplex Small College Player of the Year award last season. Howith also hit 6 home runs and thirty-nine run-base-ins in the 2014 season.

Starting pitcher Mitch McLeod will also return this season. McLeod went 6-6 with 3.2 ERA last season.

“The Rams are going to surprise a lot of teams in our confer-ence this year,” said Tyler Kamtz, left fielder and mass commu-nications major. “I feel like this season is going to be one for the record books. I also think that our senior leadership is going to be a big key to our success.”

The Rams have won 30 or more games in nine of the last ten seasons, including four seasons of 40 or more wins, according to ramsports.net.

“We expect to compete for the conference title and another trip to the post-season playoffs,” said Jeffcoat.

Photos courtesy of Texas Wesleyan Athletics

The Wesleyan Rams are playing this weekend at their new home at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie.

This is going to be a very busy weekend for Texas Wesleyan sports teams.

The baseball team kicks off its 2015 cam-paign on Friday with a three-game home se-ries against Jarvis Christian College. The first pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. at QuikTrip Park in Grand Prairie. The team will also play a double-header Saturday January 31 against Jarvis Christian. The first game is scheduled for noon, and the second game is scheduled for 2 p.m.

The table tennis team, going for its 12th con-secutive national title, hosts the TWU Open on Saturday at the Sid Richardson Center.

The men and women’s track and field teams travel to Lubbock on Friday for the Masked Rider Open at Texas Tech University. The

teams then travel to Norman, Ok. To compete the U.C.O. Invitational, which is hosted by the University of Central Oklahoma.

On Saturday, the teams competed at the University of Central Oklahoma Open. Sev-eral Rams and Lady Rams notched personal or school records, including Cecilia David, Kailene Allis, Ongelic Hill, Brittany Anderson, Oraine Went, and Antony Kimaiyo, according ramsports.net.

The men and women’s basketball teams are back in action on Thursday as they travel to Waxahachie to take on Southwest Assemblies of God. The women tip off at 6 p.m. while the men tip off at 8 p.m. The teams then travel to Oklahoma City, Saturday to face off against Oklahoma City University. The women’s game begins at 3 p.m. while the men play at 5 p.m.

The men’s golf team begins its spring season on February 2-3 as they travel to California to compete in the Cougar Invitational tourna-ment, hosted by Cal State/ San Marcos.

Michael Acostarmacosta@txwes.edu

Rams baseball gets new home in Grand Prairie

Jeffcoat says 2015 team has new strategies, players

Wesleyan sports teamsbegin, continue seasons

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8 | Wednesday | January 28, 2015

For more information or to pick up an application, contactTexas Wesleyan’s Office of Financial Aid817-531-4420txwes.edu/sumners

Application Deadline: February 17, 2015

Join a tradition of excellence.

The Hatton W. Sumners S C H O L A R S H I P

The Hatton W. Sumners scholarship provides up to $3,500 per semester toward tuition for outstanding students during their junior and senior years. Preference is given to those studying political science, pre-law, history, or social studies, but students from other program areas who have high academic achievement, are involved in activities, and exhibit leadership and a strong sense of community responsibility will also be considered. Sumners Scholars participate in exclusive forums, lectures and programs on public policy, leadership, and civic participation.

Michael Acostarmacosta@txwes.edu

Even though Texas Wesleyan University’s table tennis team is going to try for its 12th national title in as many years, head coach Jasna Rather says she is not taking anything for granted.

“Winning 11 straight titles is one of the program’s greatest achievements,” Rather said. “Competition is getting tougher each and every year, but I love our team spirit and our unity. Our players are going to train hard and be the best that they can be.”

In April 2014, at the TMS College Table Tennis National Championships, Wesleyan’s duo of Zhedi Bai, and Razvan Cre-tu defeated Mississippi College’s duo of Junyo Xiao and Zesh-eng Huang to take the title.

This year the team is set to defend the title at the 2015 tourna-

ment, which will be played at the McPhee Physical Education Center in Eau Claire, Wisconsin in April.

Rather said that strong recruiting makes the Rams dominant year in and year out.

Emil Santos, a junior from the Dominican Republic, thinks this year’s team is stronger than last year’s primarily because of the players added to the roster in the last year.

“Last year we added a guy from Brazil, Bruno Ventura, who has played professional table tennis, and has a very good match record.” Santos said. “He has also won medals in the Pan-Amer-ican games, and he makes our team stronger.”

Willy Leparulo, president of the NCTTA, believes that Wes-leyan has a really good chance at winning the title for the 12th time. He compares Wesleyan’s dominance of the sport to the multiple championships won by the New York Yankees.

“Knowing how hard they work it would be difficult to not

consider them a favorite.” Leparulo wrote in an email. “Wes-leyan works hard every single year, so I don’t see this year being any exception. You always see all sorts of streaks in all kinds of sports from Basketball to College Football, Baseball etc. This is a streak that will probably not be matched for a long time.”

At the same time, Leparulo said, every team wants to beat the Rams because they are the current national champions. Com-petition stands to be pretty tough this year, with teams such as New York University, Mississippi College, University of Cali-fornia Berkley, and Lindenwood University all looking particu-larly strong

“Schools that don’t have the resources or institutional sup-port have stepped up to give Texas Wesleyan a fight for the title,” Leparulo said. “Love them or hate them, Texas Wesleyan has defined the landscape of College Table Tennis now and for the future.”

Photo courtesy of Texas Wesleyan Athletics

Razvan Cretu is returning for another season on the Wesleyan table tennis team; he and teammate Zhedi Bai helped the Rams take the national title in April.

Table tennis team goes for 12th title