The Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame, spon-sored by Texas Wesleyan University, the FortWorth Business Press and the Fort Worth Chamberof Commerce, has been honoring distinctive indi-viduals in the local business community since1970 for their contributions to the community,their industrial presence and their philanthropicaltruism.

Matthew K. Rose, chairman, president andchief executive officer of Burlington NorthernSanta Fe Railway, represents the next addition intothe lineup of Business Hall of Fame inductees.

As a member of the BNSF family since 1993,Rose has been responsible for coordinating trans-portation, maintenance, labor relations and infor-mation services activities. Rose’s railroad careerdates back to 1981 where he began as a corporatemanagement trainee with Missouri PacificRailroad. BNSF now operates one of the largestrail systems on the continent, covering more than32,000 route miles through 28 states and twoCanadian provinces.

The Fort Worth Business Hall of Fame’s pur-pose is to inform young people about theAmerican system of free enterprise and how itfunctions.

“Mr. Rose is a wonderful example of a vision-ary - someone who took leadership of a companyduring difficult times, made hard choices and

anticipated BNSF’s role in the econo-my,” said Dr. Hector Quintanilla, deanof the school of business and profession-al programs at Wesleyan. “His vision isparticularly impressive when you thinkof the importance of rail travel and howthat relates to increasing demands on ourhighway infrastructure today.”

Quintanilla, a member of the Hall ofFame board of directors, is one of manyindividuals who approved Rose’s induc-tion into this elite group. He said thatone of the deciding issues promptingRose to the honor this year was his lead-ership during BNSF’s growth from a networth of approximately $4 billion to itscurrent value of $30 billion in an envi-ronment riddled with risk.

As this year’s recipient, Rose is setto deliver an address for students atTexas Wesleyan Oct. 1. The event isdesigned “to provide students an oppor-tunity to hear firsthand advice from aleader in the business community,”Quintanilla said.

He said that Rose represents “some-one who has made significant contribu-tions and is selfless in his contributionsto the community and the enterprise thatis business.”

During his visit to the university,

September 24, 2008 Vol. 101, No. 4Fort Worth, Texas

The RamblerThe students’ voice since 1917

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

Fall 2008 has already

been one for the record

books at Texas Wesleyan

University. Enrollment

inreased by 4 percent and

is attributed to transfer

studens, better retention and

increased activity at the

Burleson campus and the

law school.

The annual event is

back! SGA will traditionally

serve students lunch in the

mall area Sept. 30.

A live band will perform,

and inflatable equip-

ment will be provided.

Tarrant County Public

Health is sponsoring a flu

clinic from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

on Oct. 28 in PUMC. Shots

are $20, but medicare

and various forms of insur-

ance will be accepted.

Theatre Wesleyan is

excited to announce their

riveting fall lineup.

Shows are Sept. 25 and

27 and Oct. 3 and 5 for

Agnes of God. Stones in

His Pockets shows on

Sept. 26 and 28, as well as

Oct. 2 and 4. Visit the

theater box office for tick-

ets, and don’t forge to ask

for possible discounts.

K.A. is hosting its third

annual mud volleyball tour-

nament on Sept. 27 outside

of Stella Russell Hall. Be

sure to sign your team up;

proceeds will go directly to

the Muscular Dystrophy

Association.

NEWS BRIEFS Local business leader to address students

Hatton W. Sumners Foundation welcomesthree new members to its Wesleyan family

Photo by Gasten Schoonover

SGA Serving Students

Record High Enrollment

Prepard for flu season?

Agnes of God and Stonesin His Pockets

Kappa Alpha presents:M.D.A. Mud Volleyball

2008 Fort Worth BusinessHall of Fame inductee

MARTIN GARCIA

NEWS EDITOR

The Hatton Sumners Foundation board oftrustees announced the names of three newWesleyan Sumners scholars for this semester.Accounting major Robert Meyer, political sciencemajor Jonathan Townsend and history majorNatalie Wayman made the cut.

“The Hatton Sumners Scholarship is the uni-versity’s most prestigious honor,” said universitypresident Harold Jeffcoat. “It’s very competitiveas it involves passing not only university stan-dards, but those of the [Hatton Sumners]Foudation’s as well.

Applicants for the scholarship had to meetnumerous requirements, including a cumulativegrade point average of 3.0 or greater, completionof 60 academic credit hours and active involve-ment and exhibition of leadership with a strongsense of community responsibility.

Although preference is generally given to stu-dents who are majoring in political science, pre-law, history or those planning to teach in the fieldof social studies, there is no restriction of majors.

Debbie Roark, director of grants, narrowed

the broad pool of applicants down to a group ofnine outstanding students who then appearedbefore the Sumners board of trustees for anintense 20 minute interview.

“I was a mixture of nervous excitement,”recalled Meyer. “I felt confident and was happy tobe there, but it was important for me to get the

scholarship, so I was nervous too.”Applicants were questioned in complicated

topics such as local and national politics, ethicalsituations, future goals, personal time and moneymanagement and past experiences in communityservice.

“The hardest question of the interview wasprobably when they asked what have they had not

asked me!” said Wayman.Meyer, Townsend and Wayman are joining the

ranks of Wesleyan’s three current Sumners schol-ars – seniors Martin Garcia, Tiffany Hanzik andTiara Nugent.

“It was a big surprise that they actually choseme because I remember leaving the interviewroom thinking, ‘Wow, they really chewed me topieces,’” said Wayman. “I thought I hadn’tanswered any questions correct, but I guess Ilucked out. I am very excited and feel very blessedto have this opportunity awarded to me.”

Hatton W. Sumners represented Texas in theUnited States Congress from 1913 until his volun-tary retirement in 1947. The Hatton W. SumnersFoundation, established in 1949, is dedicated tothe study and teachings of the science of self-gov-ernment, to the development of leaders with asense of community responsibility and to themaintenance of the American constitutional prin-ciples and the quality of life afforded under thoseprinciples.

In support of this policy, an endowed scholar-ship program was established at Texas Wesleyanby the foundation in 1994.

In addition to the monetary benefits, Sumners

TIARA NUGENT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

OpinionsGOP Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin has beenunder the scope since the Republican NationalConvention. Is the hockey mother of five ready tohold the second highest office of the land? Page 3

EntertainmentBeen to the Boba Tea House yet? Findout about the ‘bubble tea’ craze that’shit Fort Worth. Page 6

Road to the Hall 1981: Rose began railroad career with Missouri PacificRailroad where he was appointed assistant trainmaster1993: Rose joins Burlington Northern Railroad1994: Named Vice President of vehicles and machinery1995: Following the merger of Burlington Northern Inc.and Santa Fe Pacific Corporation, Rose appointed vicepresident of chemicals1999: Responsible for all operations and marketing activi-ties, Rose named president and cheif operating officer2002: Rose appointed as cheif executive officer

See Sumners, page 2

The purpose of the Hatton W. SumnersFoundation, as stated in its governing doc-uments, is to encourage the study, teach-ing and research into the science and artof self-government, to the end that theAmerican People may understand the fun-damental principles of democracy and beguided thereby in shaping governmentalpolicies.

Photo courtesy of Laura Hanna

See Rose, page 2

The school of businessinvites students andstaff to Martin Hall at10 a.m. on Oct. 1where Rose, chairmanand CEO ofBurlington NorthernSanta Fe, will speak ofbusiness challenges andof what it takes to suc-ceed amidst societalrisk.

The Wesleyan music department began its concert season with soprano ColleenMallette’s “Operatic Buffet.” She entertained a crowd in Martin Hall Sept. 19 atthe President’s Council kickoff event. A reception was held afterward in theBaker-Martin Pavilion. For more, see page 4.

The music department has several other events to offer this semester:Oct. 3: Guitar Fort Worth fearturing Adam Holzman

7:30 p.m., Martin HallOct. 30: Wesleyan Jazz Combo Halloween Concert, directed by Dr.

Bryan English 3 p.m., Martin Hall

Dec. 5: A Festival of Lessons and Carols7 p.m., Polytechnic United Methodist Church

A feast for the ears

Polytechnic United Methodist Churchinvites all students, faculty and staff to takepart in the annual tradition that is WesleyanSunday. This year’s festivities take place onSept. 28.

“It’s a time at the beginning of every fallsemester to have a service where the univer-sity and church can come together and wor-ship and celebrate our church being a cam-pus church,” said Dr. Robert Flowers, pastorof the church.

Senior religion major ElizabethCumpton will deliver the message, and con-tributions from other Wesleyan affiliates willround out the service. University PresidentHal Jeffcoat will deliver a welcome andgreeting, as well as read a scripture passage.The Wesleyan Singers will perform underthe direction of Choral Director JerryBierschenk, and John Fisher, chair of themusic department will be at the piano to playa melodious offertory. University ChaplainGladys Childs will supply an additionalscripture reading.

Flowers is enthused over the well-formed program.

“There will be a lot of good music andhopefully a lot of students will be there,” hesaid.

The service begins at 11:30 a.m. and willbe followed by a reception.

Wesleyan Sunday entered Wesleyan tra-dition when the church moved in to its cur-rent structure in 1952.

“We have had a very strong connectionwith the school,” said Alma Ruth Tram,longtime Poly UMC church member and

office associate.According to Tram, several faculty

members – many of whom are now legendson the Wesleyan campus – formerly heldteaching positions within the church in addi-tion to their academic responsibilities. Theseprominent educators included Law Sone,Alice Wonders, Gladys Bowman, TedMobert and Marie Glick.

Both organist Elaine Garbin and ChoirDirector Eric Medlock are Wesleyan alumni.Steve Simons, professor of music, has alsofulfilled the role of choir director for PolyUMC.

Two rooms within the church have beennamed after significant Wesleyan figures. Inrecent years, after extensive renovation, theBetty and Bobby Braegan Hall wasordained. The Alice Wonders Conferenceroom was christened Sept. 7.

“The new conference room used to beDr. Alice Wonders’ office and is named inher memory,” said Tram.

Membership currently runs at 550, butnot enough of those members are Wesleyanstudents for Flowers.

“We are trying different things to draw instudents,” said the pastor who just assumedhis position in June.

The college Sunday school class thatbegan this fall is a part of the church’s cam-paign to reach out to the student community.The class is taught by Wesleyan alumnus andcurrent law student Danny Chism.

Church leaders have also planned a din-ner in honor of Wesleyan international stu-dents to take place Sept. 27.

September 24, 2008 The Rambler 2 NewsFor the benefit of

the dorm room

Photos by Gasten Schoonover

Wesleyan’s traditional poster sale draws diverse crowds with its assortmentof art. Students are able to dig through hundreds of posters that will eventu-ally line the walls of their bedrooms and dorm rooms. Some of the morepopular selections include HBO original hit Entourage and John Belushi’s‘College’ from Animal House.

A Sunday Tradition TIARA NUGENT

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

scholars are encouraged to attend formal luncheons in Dallas, hosted by either the HattonSumners Foundation or the National Center for Policy Analysis (NCPA), with guest speak-ers such as Gen. Tommy Franks, author Linda Chavez, former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush andSupreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

Spring will find the scholars in Austin at a four-day leadership conference hosted by theUniversity of Texas and jointly sponsored by Hatton Sumners. Last year’s speaker line-upincluded Michael Powell, NASA’s Ginger Kerrick and Dr. Howard Prince of the LBJ Schoolof Public Affairs.

The scholars’ current agenda includes visits with financial giant Steve Forbes and polit-ical news anchor Chris Wallace, as well as a weekend policy-analysis seminar in Dallas.

These events are of significant value to the scholars.“I have learned so many concepts applicable to everyday life,” said Hanzik. “Access to

the many conferences and distinguished individuals has truly shaped my college education.”Testimonials from current and past Sumners scholars – including Hanzik – have already

lit an eager fire in new affiliates, according to Meyer.“I’m definitely looking forward to those luncheons,” he said. “I’m excited to meet

Forbes and others. I’ve never been to conferences like this, and I see them as a great oppor-tunity to make valuable contacts.”

Networking is another valuable asset Sumners provides students, Jeffcoat said.“It gives the scholars great exposure to movers, shakers and go-getters in policy analy-

sis, business, law, economic and other fronts.”

Sumners, from page 1

Rose will be welcomed by theschool of business and its respec-tive students. He will speak onhis acceptance into the Hall ofFame and will encourage stu-dents to realize their worth andpotential that will enable them tobetter prepare themselves forpost-college business careers.

The school of businessinvites all students to the event.

“Because of his responsibili-ties, Mr. Rose is the type of per-son that isn’t easily accessible,and the attendees are being givenan opportunity that few enjoy,”Quintanilla said. He also empha-sized that “those in attendance will drive Mr. Rose’s impression of the university and thuscan influence their own destiny in many respects.”

Rose’s address will take place at 10 a.m. Oct. 1 in Martin Hall. He will be formallyinducted into the Hall of Fame that evening at a black tie event held at the Fort Worth Club.

Rose, from page 1

Photo by Katie Slaten

BNSF’s Fort Worth location is an integral part of thecontinental railway’s operations.

Photo by Gasten Schoonover

Courtesy of Office of Communications

Jonathan Townsend Robert Meyer Natalie Wayman

Polytechnic United Methodist Church will be home once again to Wesleyan Sunday Sept. 28.It’s been part of tradition at Texas Wesleyan since the church moved to its current location in1952. Senior religion major Elizabeth Cumpton will deliver this year’s message.

Poly UMC, Texas Wesleyan deliver Wesleyan Sunday

Say ‘I do.’Write for

TheRambler.twurambler@yahoo.com

OpinionsThe Rambler September 24, 2008 3

The RamblerFounded in 1917 as The Handout

Harold G. Jeffcoat, Publisher Kelli Lamers, adviser Martin Garcia, news editorTiara Nugent,editor-in-chief Bryce Wilks, sports editorRyan Authier, entertainment editor Ashely Oldham, advertising manager Gasten Schoonover, photo editor Rachel Horton, 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 Wesleyan’snew Hatton SumnersScholars.

Thumbs down to theChristmas lights that hangyear-round on the library.

Thumbs down to the puddleson campus that becomeswamps.

Thumbs up to how great thebuildings look acrossRosedale.

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Alright people, let’s face it. The political scene isfuzzy at best right now, with blazing issues that are

causing us all to question the leadership of the country,and where the upcoming election should take us.

The most important figures right now are the presi-dential candidates, but the vice presidential candidatesare vital as well. Both Joe Biden and Sarah Palin werepicked for a reason, and their personal convictions andstances can help show us the values of our prospectivepresidential leaders, OsamaObama, and G.I. Joe McCain.

I love a good bashing just asmuch as the next guy, but let’s try to stick to the factsfor this one, since we are looking at the undercards ofthe presidential tickets. The heavyweights still have afew months to slug it out.

The following voting record information came iscourtesy of www.ontheissues.org.

First, look at an issue that presses Texas all thetime, immigration. Joe Biden has an 8 percentapproval rating from the United States Border Patrol.On a scale of 100, that’s about an F quadruple-minus.His stances have indicated an “open-border” persua-sion, and he voted no to English being declared theofficial language of the U.S. government.

Palin has experience dealing with immigration onthe Alaska-Canada border. As governor, she tightenedrestrictions on illegial aliens’ driver’s licenses andaddressed border security with Canada’s government.

Energy and oil issues are at the top of everyone’slist now, with dependence on oil driving up the costof living across the board.

Palin recently stated that “we’re at a real critical crossroads: We areeither going to become more and more dependent on foreign sources ofenergy, or we’re going to be able to secure our nation and drill domesticallyfor safe, stable, clean supplies of energy that we have here in Alaska.” Palinis supportive of shale andANWR (Arctic NationalWildlife Refuge) drillingopportunities.

Biden voted no to drillingin ANWR and even voted noto preserving the budget forfuture conversations about action in the area. He focuses more on changingenergy sources altogether, a task that will be uber-expensive in its ownright, rather than cutting costs by taking advantage of opportunities inAlaska .

Both candidates get real fuzzy when it comes to what’s going on in theMiddle East. They’re a bit flip-floppy. Both have said they want a plan inplace to pull troops out of Iraq , but avoid what should happen inAfghanistan and elsewhere.

Biden’s motivation seems economic, as he recently said that funds fromthe war should be redirected to other parts of the national budget.

Palin must look at the situation as a mother more than a politician. Herson is in the Army and just got deployed to the Middle-East. Let’s call thisone a wash as we move on to other, more clear-cut issues.

Biden is pro-choice, Palin is pro-life. Advantage Palin.

Biden acknowledges that homo-sexual civil unions are acceptable andthat gay marriage is inevitable. Palinsubscribes to the idea that marriage as aunion only shared between a man and awoman and doesn’t support benefits forsame-sex couples. Some may considerthat viewpoint conservative or old-fash-ioned, but the sanctity of marriage doesneed to be preserved.

Biden has an F rating from theNational Rifle Association, while Palinis an NRA member and supporter of theconstitutional right to bear arms.

Both candidates have experiencedsome criticism from the public andmedia. Palin’s daughter is pregnant outof wedlock, and Biden has a history ofplagiarizing law school papers and pres-idential primary speeches. Whether ornot either issue reflects their ability to

be a good candidate is debatable.What is clear, is that the opposing candidates have ethics and morals

that reflect the presidential tickets that they’re on. Biden is a liberal with sketchy voting records on important topics. The

candidate he’s running with also presents many unknowns with less of aleadership record than many town mayors.

Palin is a conservative with more leadership experience and haspumped life and intensity into the McCain campaign. Plus, let’s be honest:she’s not too bad to look at.

Liberal late-night talk shows and their viewers will throw a fit abouther over the next few months, but when it comes to the vice-presidentialcandidates, tally this conservative fool up as Pro-Palin.

Too young and idealistic! Amedia grubbing celebrity!

Dangerously unqualified! Arethese all attack points for theRepublican Party to pounceon Barack Obama? No, notany more. Not since their newVP nominee now fits that bill.

Let’s not focus on SarahPalin’s qualifications, or lackthereof, to be next in linebehind a 72-year-old man for

the most powerful job in the world, even thoughthe average life expectancy is around 75.Besides, she has been a governor – for less thantwo years – in a small Alaskan town of roughly9,000 people (Fort Worth is home to about600,000 people for point of reference), so shedoes have some experience.

Let’s leave it at that. There is, as they say,more than meets the eye.

I’m not going to attack her personal life(including her husband’s DWI, her 17-year-olddaughter’s out-of-wedlock pregnancy, her optionto choose whether or not she would like to bringher unborn son, inflicted with Down syndrome,to term even though she would deny this choiceto others). No, I’m not going to bring up private,personal affairs – that’s just bad journalism.Inexperience and questionable private life aside,there’s still so much more repulsiveness to Palin.

Consider her television interview on CNBCin which she asks, “What is it exactly that the VPdoes every day?” OK, to be fair, it’s not likethere’s worlds of information out there availableto us at the click of a button through some inter-connecting network, or as if there was some

building filled with books on almost any subjectavailable to the public.

This brings me to another point about Palin:her efforts to ban books from Alaskan publiclibraries. True, she never actually banned booksfrom the library, but according to CBS News, shedid inquireof the locallibrarianhow onewould goabout ban-ning saidbooks.When thelibrarianacted out-raged and

refused to cooperate, shewas promptly fired for“not fully supporting hergovernor.”

Scary, no?But why stop there? Consider her position on

the Iraq war. Sara Palin believes that the war is a“mission from God,” MWC News reported. Shesaid her party is praying, “praying there is a plan,and that the plan is God’s plan.” Prayer is not abasis for foreign policy.

Want more? ABC’s Jack Tapper reports thatin 1994 both Sara Palin and her husband weremembers of AIP (Alaskan Independence Party), aseparatist group intent on succeeding from theUnited States. NPR reported that Sara Palin wasa prime supporter of the now defunct “bridge to

nowhere,” which she denies regu-larly in speeches. This is somewhattrue, as she renounced her supportof the program after the bill died.Palin never returned the millions ofdollars in earmarked funds for thebridge. Details on the money’saccountability are still sketchy.

Still want more? According to Associated Press,

Sara Palin’s church has set up aministry to “pray the gay away.”These organizations try to persuadethose who experience homosexualtendencies to suppress their naturalurges through prayer and religion.She supported a bill to absolvebenefits for homosexual stateworkers, and she supports abolish-ing the teaching of evolution in our

schools and teaching instead.So let’s not get too bogged down in Sara

Palin’s lack of credentials. That’s just short sight-ed and a bit closed minded, and we, as the futureof this great land, can do better than that. She hasso many other reasons for us to distrust, dislikeand disrespect that it would truly do a disserviceto her and the entire Republican Party to base ourdisdain on just that one issue.

CHUCKFAIN

Chuck Fain is a senior writing major and is a staffwriter for The Rambler.

BRYCEWILKS

Bryce Wilks is a senior mass communication major and is sports editor for TheRambler.

Do as I say, not as I do: Palin doesn’t deservevoters’ trust or respect

We the people...

DECIDE 2008

Palin, mother of five, was subjected tomuch scrutiny and scorn on family-relatedtopics until the Obama campaign spoke upin defence of the children’s privacy.

Courtesy of Google Images

Moral, Ethical and CaringSoccer mom vice president candidate ideal pick for conservatives

Courtesy of Google Images

College Life The Rambler4 September 24, 2008

Kids these days and their social networking: the MyFaces andSpacebooks are corrupting the youth of today. They’re alwaysspending their free time in front of the computer screens, “pok-ing” and “writing on walls.” What has happened to the youth oftod...oh sweet, a friend request. BRB!

Yes, it’s true, youth these days do spend way too much timeon social networking sites. In fact, according to compete.com, in2006 more than 460 million hours were spent on Myspace alone.Shocking. Even more shocking: adults are now getting in on ittoo.

That’s right, even your professors, the lights that are leadingour supple young minds into the future, are now tagging eachother in albums documenting their crazy weekends (or confer-ences, whatever professors do).

Though the number is still small, there are a handful ofWesleyan PhD-professors who have pages up on Facebook. FromEnglish professors to former deans, a surprising portion of the cam-pus is represented.

So what draws professors to Facebook? “It makes a lot of sense that [professors] ought to consider com-

municating with students the same way [students] communicatewith each other,” said Dr. Marilyn Pugh, asisstant professor ofpsychology.

That does make sense. Wouldn’t it be easy to just writeon your professor’s wall if you have any questions, or sendthem a gift if you want to brown nose a little? It’s the newwave of teaching!

Actually, no. Professors are joining Facebook like vultures to a carcass, but, like stu-dents, aren’t really taking full advantage of it.

“I’m enjoying the contact but not really using it,” Pugh said. “I wasmore amazed at the number of people who ‘found’ me usingFacebook.”

It seems the same is true for most of the professors. Dr. StaciaNeeley’s page is virtually empty, except for the noticeable tid bit thatmentions she’s married, and Dr. Carl Smeller is only a member ofone group so far.

What’s the deal, professors, why can’t you add me as a friend?Looking through various professors’ pages, I must admit it is

cool to find out some things that just wouldn’t arise in a classroomsetting. Forinstance, formerdean Dr. MiriamEspinosa receiveda degree in phi-losophy from theUniversity of Dallas, Smeller’s birthday is Aug. 31, and Pugh wasapparently born in 1908 (it really says that).

If anything, this new phenomenon of professors joiningFacebook closes the gap between teachers and students. The legacyof Wesleyan is the ability of its students to develop personal rela-

tionships with their teachers, and Facebook is another way todo just that.

Now if only I could get President Jeffcoat toadd me as a friend ...

Ask yourself, whatis the one thing

that a college studentcannot live without?No, it’s not your TV,and your laptop is aclose second, butthat’s not quite it. It’syour cell phone!

You would behard pressed to notsee some-

one texting in class or to go awhole day and not hear some-one in the library angering thelibrarians by carrying on arather loud conversation. Cellphones are our nexus to theworld; we talk to our friends,parents and loved ones. We canget updates about the weather,check our bank accounts or geton Wikipedia to challenge ourfriend’s knowledge of obscurefacts.

Let’s face it, we are teth-ered to TDMA, enchanted withEDGE, and enthralled with 3G.

With cell phones beingsuch an important part of ourlives, it is important that wepick a reliable service providerto expedite our essential inter-connections. There are fourmajor carriers in the UnitedStates AT&T (formerlyCingular), Verizon, T-Mobileand Sprint.

Which one is best? There are somany things to consider from service toprice to features.

Let’s go ahead and get one of theseout of the way. Sprint is an abhorrentabomination of cell phone service. Runmy friends, just run. I could start withtheir abysmal customer service, increas-ingly declining number of cell towersthroughout the U.S. or the fact that mostof their phones don’t even have the“commonplace” technology ofSIM cards, but I am notgoing to even waste paper bywriting about them.

Now, to the big boys. No. 3 on ourlist of technological titans is T-Mobile.T-Mobile is, well, average. That’s prettymuch it. They do not really stand out inany one area, save some unique servicefeatures such as international roamingand other such calling plans.

Coming in at No. 2 is Verizon.Verizon is a great company and boasts

arguably the best coverage out there.They have a reliable network (which I’msure you all already know of viaVerizon’s “Can you hear me now?”commercials), decent customer serviceand other cool features such as stream-ing video via their V-Cast network. Thisis an innovative company (they were thefirst to offer the 3G network) and is agood choice for coverage.

Lastly, our No. 1 runner and grandchampion isAT&T. Thiscompany hasthe largest net-work in thenation withmore than 62million sub-scribers andclaims to havethe most avail-able coveragein the world.They too havedecent cus-tomer service(maybe a littlebetter thanVerizon), andall the bellsand whistles ofthe competitioncombined.

AT&Tmight be just alittle more

expensive than others but it is worth it.All of the carriers have service plansstarting around $40, plus your standardtwo year service agreement and otherapplicable fees here and there. For theaverage per-son, youwill prob-ably endup spend-ingaround$60 or$70.

Ohyeah, andAT&T has the iPhone.Enough said.

An operatic,spoof-fillednight

Soprano Colleen Mallette performed The Lamaze School of Singing Presents: How to Birth aSong at the Preseident’s Council Kickoff Sept. 19. Mallette, along with accompanist KeithCritcher, drew a large crowd to Martin Hall with her comedic vocal wonders.

RYAN AUTHIERENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

GASTENSCHOONOVER

Gasten Schoonover is a senior businessmajor and is a photo editor for The Rambler.

Wanted: Part-TTime Youth Minister Covenant United Methodist Church in Arlington

Pay is good for the right Christian Individual. (United Methodist Preferred)If interested Call Rev. Mike Redd at 817-891-211.

You have destiny.

Write for The Rambler.Meetings are held every Thursday during free period in the Stella lobby.

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This week’s standings:

Flag Football:1. Gopher 2, 3-12. Pickles, 3-13. Lambdas, 2-2

*Saturdays @ Martin Field

Poker League:1. Joey Kenard, 450 pts.2. Aaron Whaley, 300 pts.3. Ryan Amador, 180 pts.

*Mondays @ Stella RussellLobby

Fantasy Football Pig SkinPick ‘Em:1. Aaron Hastings2. Terry Waldrop3. Christy Clawson

*Weekly forms available atstudent activities web site:www.txwes.edu/intramurals

Check the SUB for information about upcomingevents like ultimate frisbee

SportsThe Rambler September 24, 2008 5

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

information andprofiles of your

favorite WesleyanTeams and Athletes

Quick Quotes“Sports is human life ina microcosm."

- Howard CosellFamed broadcaster

Sept. 251 p.m. Men’s Soccer @Texas College

3 p.m. Women’s Soccer @Texas College

Sept. 27*5:30 p.m. Men’s Soccervs. Bacone College

*7:30 p.m. Women’sSoccer vs. Bacone College

Sept. 30*5 p.m. Volleyball vs.Tarleton State

*7 p.m. Volleyball vs.Paul Quinn

* denotes home game

Upcoming Events

Sports BriefsRams golf team finishesfourth at ACUSept. 16The men’s golf team finished fourth at AbileneChristian University’sCharles Coody Tournamentheld at Diamondback GolfCourse. Paco Saracho andKevin Doskocil led theRams to a very solid finalround of 287.

Rams soccer falls justshort versus OklahomaCitySept. 16The men’s soccer teamtraveled to Oklahoma Cityand lost 2-0 against theeighth ranked Stars. Thewomen’s team nearly forcedovertime in their contest,but a late goal by the Starsmade the final 3-2.

Lady Rams rack up conference honors Sept. 15Sophomore outside hitterKristen Venhuizen wasnamed conference volleyball player of theweek for the period of Sept.8-14. Venhuizen compiled21 kills and 51 digs inaction at the HastingsCollege Classic.Teammates Katlynn Romigand Emily Millican alsoearned awards.

Sophomore Prince getsdefensiveSept. 15Chamuquin Prince wasnamed conference men’ssoccer co-defensive playerof the week for the period ofSept. 8-14. Prince sharedthe award with Olen Arey ofBacone College. Heanchored a defense thatallowed just five shots ongoal with only twocoming in the second half ina 4-1 victory overConcordia.

Lopez recognized foroffensive effortsSep. 15Diana Lopez, a freshmansoccer forward from ElPaso, Texas, booted in thefirst three goals of hercollegiate career in an 8-0

trouncing of ConcordiaUniversity. The hat trickresulted in her being namedconference player of theweek.

On Aug. 8, 2008, the most spectacular opening cere-mony in the history of the Olympic Games hap-

pened in Beijing, and I was there in person to experi-ence it!

The event capped off an amazing summer, a periodof my life that will never be replicated. Everyone thattakes part in the Olympics has an amazing story to tell,and mine began with an invitation from the MexicanOlympic Committee.

At first, my friends, family and professors asked ifI was going to represent Mexico in the table tennisevent. As much as I would have loved

to play, the answer was no.After dedicating 14 years of my life to playing table

tennis for the Mexican National Team and TexasWesleyan, it was time for me to move on to the nextchapter of my life.

The Mexican Olympic Committee invited me to bethe team’s attaché for the 2008 games. I decided to makewhatever sacrifices necessary to take the important posi-tion in the delegation.

To be an attaché, I had to go to Beijing two monthsearly to prepare everything in anticipation of the games.There were six people, including me, from the MexicanTeam who arrived early.

I was responsible for facilitating cooperation betweenthe Mexican Olympic Committee, the Beijing OrganizingCommittee for the Olympic Games and the InternationalOlympic Committee, as well as various local groups andindividuals in Beijing.

Furthermore, I was the liaison between China andMexico and helped develop important relationshipsbetween Mexico and other countries. I also assisted withthe language barrier —translating from Chinese andEnglish to Spanish and vice versa, — with helping ath-letes, coaches and team leaders have a better understand-ing of the Chinese culture and customs and with findingsolutions to logistics, security, accreditation and administrative issues.

The time I spent improving my Chinese skills and taking some Chinesebusiness courses proved to be well worth the effort during my time there.I had already traveled to Beijing once, and, upon my second arrival, I wasvery impressed with all the technological, architectural and social changesand improvements that had occurred in a period of only six months.

I was astonished with the cleanliness of the city and all the new roads,

bridges and buildings that they had finished. I was especially in awe of theNational Olympic Stadium, or “Bird’s Nest.” The eccentric metallic struc-ture was the main Olympic construction, and it was a sight to behold.

The entire trip was euphoric, but nothing compared to the spirit of theOlympic Village. I was able to sense the joy and unification betweennations with the outlines of the Olympic Movement.

The Village was the heart of activity and literally pumped life into theevent and the nation. It was huge, containing 42 buildings that were hometo more than 16,800 athletes, coaches and officials from all over the world.

It took almost 30 minutes to walk the Village, but it was delightful tosee all the pathways, gardens, statues, lakes and fountains.

The Olympic Village was not only a place where the athletes restedduring the Games. They developed their daily life in all the facilities – suchas a clinic, several dining halls, multi-functional library, entertainment cen-ters, gym, leisure center and shops – that the Village offered.

The Olympic Village was a small city where the Olympic family couldfind everything necessary for a comfortable and enjoyable daily life.

Once everyone was settled into the Village, it was finally time for a

show that captivated the world: the Opening Ceremony.Athletes from more than 200 countries began assembling at the Bird’s

Nest at 3 p.m. The five hours leading to the ceremony were probably thefive longest hours of my life.

Everyone was so excited to be in there, and after two hours of waitingin line, it was finally time for the countries to walk towards the NationalStadium.

According to the Chinese alphabet, the Mexican Delegation was the197th country to march out of 204 countries and regions.We entered the stadium through a marathon tunnel, and I was shocked athow huge the stadium was. There were so many people inside and with so

many things happening; it was hard to know what was going on.As I heard the voices of my teammates shouting, the Mexican groups ofpeople in the crowd cheering and the loud music, I felt like the king of theworld

There were many colors, flags, lights and fireworks that delighted oureyes. The Mexican delegates were wearing very classy beige linen suitswith brown shoes and a red tie for men or a red scarf for the ladies.Everybody was looking sharp; the intense heat being the only downfall ofthe evening.

The Chinese-appointed escorts holding the names of countries weregorgeous – they looked like porcelain dolls. They were so beautiful that Ifelt like I was dreaming for a while.

During the ceremony I was able to meet and take pictures with manyimportant athletes like Roger Federer, Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Phelps andRonaldhino, among others. All of them are very famous, but in the openingceremony, everybody was very humble. I felt that in that place andmoment, everyone became equal, no matter their color of skin, gender, age,social status or nationality.

After a while, when all the countries finished marching, it was time forthe flag-raising ceremony. There were three flags raised: the Greek Flag,the Olympic Flag, and the Chinese Flag.

It was a very symbolic moment. Everyone was in suspense about howthe Olympic Cauldron was going to be ignited.

All of a sudden, Li Ning, a former gymnast who won six medals in LosAngeles in 1984, appeared from nowhere, flying through the air.

He started running in the air through an imaginary racing track. Ningran around the Bird’s Nest with the Olympic Torch that carried the flameand with it, the hero of the night ignited the magnificent cauldron.

The Games of the 29th Olympiad in Beijing 2008 were finally inaugu-rated, and thus began my unbelievable Olympic experience in Beijing.

Intramurals

While bleachers were still being installed in SidRichardson Gym, head coach Christy Clawson and thevolleyball squad hosted the 2nd Annual Hughes-WesleyanClassic at the Texas Advantage Volleyball Complex.

Sept. 19 was the first day of action, and the LadyRams got off on the right foot by defeating FaulknerUniversity 3-2. Sophomore Brittney Person led the chargewith 10 kills.

Later action set Wesleyan to face Lubbock Christian,and the Chaps dominated game one before the LadyRams forced them to a fifth game. LCU eventuallyclaimed the match 3-2. Sophomore Kristen Venhuizenmatched Person’s effort from earlier in the day with 10kills.

During day two of the classic, sophomore RachelDaniel (left) helped the team push John Brown Universityand Oklahoma City University to tight matches. TheLady Rams ended up dropping both matches as theyapproach a grueling conference schedule.

Freshman Katlynn Romig’s play at the tournamentdid garner her recognition from the conference. For thethird time this season, she was selected as the conferencelibero of the week.

- Bryce WilksStats compiled from ramsports.net

Lady Rams host the ‘Hughes’

CARLOSCHIU

Carlos Chiu is a senior international business major and is a guest contributor forThe Rambler.

Photo by Jose Valdez

What on earth did Chiu do?

Courtesy of Carlos Chiu

Chiu got an up-close look at some of the record-breaking swimming that happened in Beijing atthe famed Water Cube. Meeting Michael Phelps was just one of the many thrills he encountered.

Wesleyan student-athlete Carlos Chiu did more than just watch last summer’s thrillingOlympics. He went behind the scenes and made Mexico proud of their native son.

“All of the athletes I met are very famous, but during opening cer-emony, everybody was very humble. I felt that in that place andmoment, everyone became equal, no matter their color of skin,gender, age, social status or nationality.”

Entertainment6 September 24, 2008 The Rambler

AALLOOKOOK

AHEADAHEAD

On Campus:

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

*See You at the Pole: the mall,noon.

On Campus:

*MDA Mud Volleyball: mudvolleyball court, noon.

*Agnes of God: ThadSmotherman Theater, 7:30p.m.

On Campus:

* Wesleyan Sunday:Polytechnic UMC, 10:30 a.m.

*Stones in His Pockets: ThadSmotherman Theater, 2 p.m.

Off Campus:

* The Swell Season:Palladium Ballroom, 6:30p.m.

*Sunset Rubdown: GranadaTheater, 8 p.m.

On Campus:

* Chapel Service: PolytechnicUMC, 12:15 p.m.

Off Campus:

Weekly DVD Releases:Forgetting Sarah Marshall;Iron Man

24

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.

*Methodist StudentMovement: Poly UMC, 12:15p.m., free lunch served

*Agnes of God: ThadSmotherman Theater, 7:30p.m.

25Thursday

OnCampus:*Stones in His Pockets:Thad Smotherman Theater,7:30 p.m.

Off Campus:

Weekly Movie Releases:Choke; Miracle at St. Anna;Nights in Rodanthe

26Friday

30Tuesday2827 SundaySaturday 29Monday

Boba Tea: the place to beFootball season is in full swing, the

days are getting just a bit shorter andprettier, and perhaps soon we’ll all beable to detect a slight nip in the air. Yes,summer has given way to fall, but just ashort drive from campus there is a placeto find a delicious tropical treat any timeof the year.

TheBoba TeaHouse(BTH),

located in the corner shoppingcenter at Beach Street andBelknap, offers a menu ofsoothing drinks that will makeany day this semester feel likea memorable summer night.

Boba, or bubble tea assome call it, came to theUnited States after becomingpopularized in Taiwan andChina. BTH’s menu includesall types of exotic teas, cof-fees, fruit smoothies, slushiesand the innovative tea fusion.

The bottom of every cupis filled with tasty gummyspheres called tapioca pearls.For first time Boba drinkers,it’s an odd sensation to feelthe pearls coming up thestraw. Although the pearlshave little taste, they are cooked in brown sugar, which pro-duces a subtle sweetness.

Boba creates a texture and experience not availablefrom other smoothie and specialty drink makers. WhileJamba Juice and Smoothie King both have delicious drinks,even their smallest sizes usually cost a pretty penny.

BTH only has one size, and drinks cost $3-$4, depend-ing on fruit selections and flavor combinations.

Boba is also a good Starbucks substitute, with drinks

such as the Mocha Dream and Cappuccino Chiller costingaround the same $3 as an iced beverage at the coffee shop.The store brews real coffee and espresso, and the addedboba puts a unique spin on popular cold coffee drinks.

Some of the best drinks that BTH has to offer aremixed with ice cream to make the drink thicker and moredelicious. The strawberry avalanche and peaches and

cream, both for around $4.25, are twosuch drinks. They are both good forbeginners, because after tasting them,it’s hard to imagine anyone not slurp-ing up the bottom wishing there wasmore.

It’s obvious how the store has builta customer base in Fort Worth. Thecustomer service at the BTH is excep-tional, and you can observe the assem-bly of all the beverages, with a niftylid sealer that finishes the process.

It pays to be a frequent Boba cus-tomer, as the store has organized apunch card that they hand out to cus-tomers. After you buy eight drinks(not hard considering the divinity ofall the drinks), the ninth is free. Theyalso run specials throughout the weekthat reward visitors for getting theirboba on.

The store is open Tuesday-Saturdayfrom 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Sundayfrom 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Don’t go onMonday, because the doors will belocked, and there will be a sign direct-

ing you to come back during the previously mentionedtimes.

It’s almost October, and most of you are probably in theprocess of studying for those first rounds of examinationsand putting the finishing touches on essays. Next timeyou’re heading to the library to study, swing by the BobaTea House and remember what summer feels like.

BRYCEWILKS

Bryce Wilks is a senior mass communication major and is SportsEditor for The Rambler.

Theatre Wesleyan readyto take the stage this fallAgnes of God, directed by senior theater majorAlfredo Martinez, and Stones in His Pockets,directed by senior theater major Dillon Maroney,will be presented in repertory beginning Sept. 25.Agnes of God, a murder mystery starring seniortheater major Whitney Park, will be presentedSept. 25 & 27 as well as Oct. 3 & 5. Stones in HisPockets, a comedy starring senior theater majorBen Phillips and junior theater major ChaseBurnett (pictured above), will run Sept. 26 & 28 aswell as Oct. 2 & 4. Call (817) 531-4211 for tickets.

Photo by Gasten Schoonover

Senior religion major Brady Wells frequents BobaTea House, enjoying its plethora of choices.

Listen Up: Alt-Rock rocks the fallWith the music industry pushing its way ever forward into the digi-

tal age, it won’t be long before CDs become nothing more thanflashy cup-holders. But despite all of the free downloads, there are stillartists out there putting out quality albums that are worth the cash. Thenext few weeks will see some outstanding releases, some you’ve neverheard of, but ones that should definitely grace your home collection:

Kings of LeonJust released- Here’s one you haven’t heard: How do three brothers anda cousin raised by a traveling Pentecostal evangelist in the southernUnited States go from Sunday morning gospel band to releasing a songtitled Sex on Fire? Well that’s how rock and roll works, and it’s exactly

what the band Kings of Leon has done. The band released itsfourth album, Only by the Night, Sept. 23, and it has alreadymade its way onto the top of my iTunes playlist. The album isa fond remembrance of the rock of yesteryear, with heavy dis-tortion, raspy voices, cry-baby effects and, believe it or not,actual guitar solos! This is the kind of music that belongs onevery iPod in that special “driving” or “running” folder. Visitwww.myspace.com/kingsofleon, listen to their music, and Idare you not to nod along in silent admiration.

Ben FoldsSept. 30- Ben Folds, who once rocked the suburbs (just likeQuiet Riot did), will be putting out his third solo album entitledWay to Normal (Epic Records). Though he isn’t exactly a charttopper, Folds is by far one of the most talented musicians in theindustry. His skills on the keyboard can only be topped by clas-sical performers, but those guys aren’t nearly as fun. The pre-released single You Don’t Know Me (featuring Russian rockerRegina Spektor) is a fun throwback to Folds’ days of old, tyingin some quirky keyboard effects and electro-rock. The music

video, which features Adult Swim’s Time and Eric in an odd yet surprisingly thought pro-voking skit, can be seen on Folds’ MySpace page at www.myspace.com/benfolds.

Jack’s MannequinSept. 30- Andrew McMahon, current lead man for solo group Jack’s Mannequin will bereleasing The Glass Passenger at the end of this month. McMahon, former front man forOrange County based piano-rock group Something Corporate, wrote a majority of thetracks for this most recent album after recovering from his fight with leukemia, which hewas diagnosed with in mid 2005. The single The Resolution,which is making its way up the U.S. charts, will be featured onThe Glass Passenger and is an incredibly inspiring song givenMcMahon’s past.The band, not unlike Ben Folds, is consideredto fall into the “piano-rock” genre, meaning the main instru-ment is a piano rather than guitar. The sound is a welcomeddeviation from the typical distorted guitar power chords heardfrom most rockers. Again, check out some of the band’supcoming works at their MySpace at www.myspace.com/jacks-mannequin.

OasisOct. 7- So it turns out Oasis has still been making music sinceWonderwall. Who knew? Their seventh (wow) album Dig OutYour Soul will be hitting the shelves early next month.Frontmen brothers Liam and Noel Gallagher promise this onewill be simply amazing: “I really fancy doing a record wherewe just throw the kitchen sink at it...like a 100 piece orchestraand choirs and all that stuff” (www.nme.com). So far only onesingle The Shock of the Lighting has been released, and thoughthere are no kitchen sinks to be found, the music is the sameold catchy Oasis.

There is no doubt that the music industry has changed over the years, but in manyways the music has stayed the same. There will probably never be anymore dive-barrecordings or peddlers on the street trying to unload their new demos, but the tunes are stillout there. Keep your ears open and you never know what you might hear.

RYANAUTHIER

PresidentialDebate Party

Sept. 26 8 p.m.Local Candidates Speaking

at 7 p.m. in Stella Hall

Ryan Authier is a senior psychology major and is entertainment editor for The Rambler.