November 5, 2008 Vol. 101, No. 9Fort 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 Y

NEWS BRIEFS

Post Graduation Plans

Free Fall Ensemble

OpinionsThirsty Thursdays at Six Flags? Shouldthe park obtain its liquor license andreach out to a new demographic? Page 3

Still looking for theanswer after graduation?Be sure to stop by the sec-ond floor of the WestLibrary (rooms 202 and203) to explore employ-ment possibilities in plan-ning your future. CareerServices is at the students’disposal on a walk-in orappointment basis. SeeSherri Mata, director, orMichael Ann Greer, col-lege and career counselor.

Texas Wesleyan Jazz andWind Ensembles present“The Sacred and theProfane,” a night of musi-cal variety. Martin Hall,located at 1309 WesleyanStreet, plays host to theinstrumental concert at7:30 p.m. Nov. 13.Wesleyan Music opens itsdoors to all for the freeevent. For more informa-tion, contact the depart-ment at (817) 537-4992.

Important Informationfrom the cashier

Spring 2009 payment isdue no later than Dec. 5.Visit the cashier’s link onthe Wesleyan home pagefor university paymentoption. If you have arefund coming your waychecks will be issued onJan. 14, 2009. 1098 taxstatements will be mailedon Jan. 31.

Casino Night

Join SGA from 7 p.m. to 11p.m. Nov. 6 for a night offood, games, prizes andlive jazz. Casino gamesinclude poker, craps,blackjack, roulette andslots. The $5 ticket pro-ceeds go to the InnocenceProject of Texas and can bepurchased in Student Life,from any SGA member orat the door that night.

The Dillow House was willed to Texas Wesleyan University in 1979 bySamuel Dillow’s daughter, Audrey Dillow. The house sits across RosedaleStreet from campus at the corner of Vaughn and Collard. Dillow’s effortshave further been recognized in other local architecture including FortWorth’s S.S. Dillow Elementary School.

Theatre Wesleyan anddirector Connie Whitt-Lambert present this clas-sic Roman comedy of mis-taken identity. Showtimesare at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 13-15 and Nov. 20-22. in theThad SmothermanTheatre. There will also bea 2 p.m. performance onNov. 23.

The Menaechmus Twins

Near the intersection of Vaughn and Collard Street resides thebeloved Dillow House. Designated as a city of Fort Worth landmark, thisresidence possesses a past well known to Wesleyan and its surroundingcommunity.

Although it has not been used by the university in a few years, it hashappy memories for the school. It served as an alumni headquarters andhosted a variety of events for students. Hope is now brewing that thehouse, which sits directly across campus on Rosedale Street, can benefitfrom some of the nearby redevelopment.

According to Quentin McGown, past president of the alumni associ-ation, the Dillow House was at one time a potential recipient of some ofthe grant money that is aiding in the renovations of the Baker House andthe storefronts on Rosedale.

That didn’t prove possible, but it is popular opinion that the currentredevelopment will only bring more.

“The hope is that we’ll be able to obtain some further grant funds todo some more work on the Dillow House,” McGown said.

The house would need to meet some disability requirements andrequire some work, but McGown agreed that the building is sound.

Ever since its construction in 1912, this house, which bystanders maysee as a just a vacant residence, has carried an extensive history alongwith it. It ranges from the Polytechnic community’s beginnings to TexasWesleyan University’s establishment. Among the early settlers of FortWorth’s Polytechnic community was the Dillow family, starting withSamuel Selkirk Dillow.

Dillow was Polytechnic’s first grocery store owner, establishing hisbusiness in 1892 simultaneously with Wesleyan’s (known as PolytechnicCollege at that time) birth the same year.

“Upon its founding, the community’s growth was centered aroundTexas Wesleyan University,” said Louis Sherwood, 1989 Wesleyan grad-uate and university archivist/cataloging librarian.

After getting his business up and running successfully, Dillowbought the lot that the house now sits on in 1908 to provide a cozy yet

A gem of a housegone overlookedDillow House stands stillamidst local renovations

SHAMEKA HYATTSTAFF WRITER

See Dillow, page 2

Wesleyan is a winner. Morespecifically, Wesleyan magazine.

Communications DirectorLaura Hanna received a SilverQuill award thisfall for her workas the editor of themagazine fromthe InternationalAssociation ofB u s i n e s sCommunicators.

R o u g h l y18,000 copies ofeach edition of themagazine areprinted twice ayear and mailedprimarily to alum-ni. The magazinecontains alumninews as well asarticles on theuniversity, its stu-dents, faculty and events.

“It’s very satisfying to berewarded for all of our hardwork,” Hanna said.

IABC’s Silver Quill is award-ed each year for excellence in thefield of communications at theregional level. Texas Wesleyan is

part of the Southern Region,which includes chapters in Texas,Colorado, Oklahoma, Alabama,Arizona, Georgia, Florida, NorthCarolina, South Carolina,Louisiana and Tennessee.

Hanna also received the

Bronze Quill for the spring 2006issue of Wesleyan magazine. TheBronze Quill is awarded at thelocal level.

In 2005 when Hanna joinedthe communications department,the Wesleyan magazine was beingoutsourced. Hanna brought the

production back into the depart-ment.

“We made a real effort toimprove it and to produce some-thing people would enjoy read-ing,” Hanna said.

Alumni agree.“I love hear-

ing about spe-cial programsyou normallywould not hearabout,” said1997 graduateBetsy Deck.Deck is a com-munications andmarketing man-ager for the cityof Euless and amember ofIABC.

“Wesleyanmagazine is[now] morefocused to whatis going on with

the school.”This is a concerted effort.

While news about Wesleyan’salumni continues to be part of themagazine, features about students,faculty and campus changes also

Wesleyan shines in recognitionEUNICE NICHOLSON

STAFF WRITER

Photos by Gasten Schoonover

Alumni magazine receives Silver Quill award

See Magazine, page 2

Photo by Gasten Schoonover

In keeping with its annual tradi-tion, Wesleyan’s Student GovernmentAssociation hosted the President’sForum this fall. University President Dr.Hal Jeffcoat took time to chat with stu-dents Oct. 28 about some of the changesthat have taken place on campus and thefinancial status of the university.

Students asked several questions onissues such as security, campus improve-ments and about the president’s visionfor the next five years.

Jeffcoat said the school has evolvedover the last 10 years into a truly uniqueinstitution. Most liberal arts collegessimply offer the traditional liberal artsdegrees and expect students to go else-where to receive training for the profes-sional fields. Yet through Wesleyan, hepointed out, there is a law school, a nurseanesthesia program, psychology trainingand the school of business. Soon, stu-dents will be able to obtain a doctorate in

Stability,expansionand safety

President speaks on campusconcerns during SGA forum

RACHEL HORTON

WEB EDITOR

See Forum, page 2

SportsSundays in Irving scream tradition and tailgate.Cowboys fans from all around gather in support oftheir team. Page 5

November 5, 2008 The Rambler 2 Newselegant home for his family. Upon the house’s comple-tion in 1912, Dillow lived in the house until he passedaway in 1931. His daughter Audrey Dillow, a Wesleyangraduate, then took possession of the house.

While still living, the teacher of 30 years bestowedthe house in 1979—she died three years later in 1982.

“The house was given to Wesleyan because Audreyand her sisters, Ina and Louis S. Witte, also alumni,truly loved the school,” said Sherwood.

The house was renovated by the university in 1982.The alumni association used the home for some events,but when the 90s hit and McGown became alumni pres-ident, it underwent another facelift and became quite thealumni headquarters.

“I have a deep affinity for older buildings like theDillow House,” he said.

It was used for reunions and hospitality functions,and it endeared students as well as alumni. Alphi PhiOmega, a national service fraternity that once had achapter at Wesleyan, gave the home some more TLC inthe late ‘90s as a service project and used the home forevents such as their pinning ceremony.

This went on for about a decade until about 2000when use of the building faded away.

McGown’s tenure ended, and he said he thinks thenext leadership just didn’t have the same affinity for thehouse and didn’t feel as secure opening up or closing upthe building in its remote location.

“The alumni board slowly moved away from havingevents there as other facilities on campus became avail-able,” McGown said.

But there’s no arguing that this particular facility isone of a kind.

“Along with its histori-cal importance, it is anexample of architecture ofits time, being one of themost substantial homes inthe area,” said Sherwood.

Two-stories tall, thehouse is supported by thesturdy ochre brick of itsinfrastructure and thegrandeur roof adds to itsstrength.

With such uniquearchitecture, the house notonly sits as a model for its“architectural merit” in thePolytechnic area but as aremembrance of the Dillowfamily.

As Polytechnicemerged and grew throughtime, the Dillow familywas very active communityparticipants. Dillow was president for both the FirstState Bank of Polytechnic and the Polytechnic SchoolBoard, among other posts. Born in Illinois, Dillow setan example in the Polytechnic community of stronglyendorsing civic duty and leadership.

In regards to the S.S. Dillow Grocery Store,Dillow’s innate abilities as a true business man shinedthrough as his store was kept successfully running untilhis death in 1931. His wife, Cornelia Cassandra Dillow,took control of the operations of the store. Under hermanagement, the store survived until 1944, when

“wartime shortage,” as a result of World War II, and thenecessity for “surrounding businesses to expand”inflicted store, according to the Tarrant County HistoricResources Survey.

According to her obituary, she too continued to bean active part of the community.

From all that stands is left what McGown calls “agem of a house.” He said he believes in its potential andknows that there are those ready to rally around the res-urrection of Dillow.

Photo by Gasten Schoonover

The Dillow House is designated as a city of Fort Worth landmark.

Dillow, from page 1

education from Wesleyan, adding yet another dimensionto the university.

“Texas Wesleyan University has undergone someevolutionary changes,” Jeffcoat said. “Today, we’re ahybrid. The core of the institution is still liberal arts, butit’s balanced by the professional emphasis our programshave.”

With this unique position, Wesleyan will be able tofocus on the programs that lead to those tracks, he said.

Jeffcoat noted wryly that being a “fiscal conserva-tive” at the university was a fairly difficult undertaking.The exciting part, he said, however, is that due to prudentfinancial management thus far, the university is now in aposition to begin investing in various academic programsand expanding opportunities for some of the “bellwether”majors at the school.

In short, the financial situation of the college isstrong, he said, and “even though we cannot do every-thing we want to, there is nothing to stop the school fromcontinuing to develop” in the coming years.

Campus security, while always a hot topic, was espe-cially prominent at this year’s President’s Forum.Jeffcoat fielded questions about whether or not anythingwas being done in response to some of the more recentincidents.

Jeffcoat responded that campus security alone is notthe solution to safety. Attending parties off campus, offcampus visitors in the dorm areas and leaving vehicles incompromising situations are all potentially unsafe scenar-ios. He noted that students should exercise discretion inthe decisions they make.

“It takes all of us to make the campus safe,” he said.“We have to all be diligent.”

He also mentioned that the administration had con-sulted with a professional in the security industry andwere awaiting that report in order to determine what other,if any, steps may be taken to make the campus safer.

In terms of opportunity for off-campus activity, stu-dents and Jeffcoat spoke of plans to bring public trans-portation, such as streetcars or rail, near the campus. Thepresident strongly assured students that he was “one hun-dred percent in favor” of the potential development. A sta-tion could be almost right in Wesleyan’s backyard andwould, Jeffcoat said, provide greater opportunities forgood, safe fun.

Finally, Jeffcoat shared with students a bit of hisvision for the coming years. Enrollment, he noted, actual-ly exceeded the original goal of 3,000 this fall, so admin-istration has adjusted to a new enrollment goal to 3,500.

There will also be accreditation meetings in the springsemester to confirm the school’s induction of the doctor-ate program for education and the school of business.

fill the pages of the publication. “It was a deliberate effort to not have so many briefs but

instead to have more featured topics of interest,” Hanna said.So how does Wesleyan’s communications department

acquire newsworthy information from the Wesleyan alumni?“They get the magazine and want to be part of it,” Hanna

said. They then submit newsworthy material. “It’s extendedschool spirit.”

Hanna serves as editor of Wesleyan magazine. She alsooversees the production of all Wesleyan promotional, adver-tising and specialty publications and acts as spokeswomanfor the university. She is also creator and editor of theWesleyan Flame, Wesleyan’s weekly online newsletter.

The latest edition of Wesleyan magazine is available inthe ad building or online at http://www.txwes.edu/communi-cations/wesleyanmagazine.htm.

Magazine, from page 1

Translevesleyan attendees flaunt their costumes and theirdancing shoes. William Rather, right, won the costume con-test with his spheroid globe suit.

Forum, from page 1

[Insert your advertisement here.]rambleradvertising@yahoo.com

There’s only oneway to go.

Write for The Rambler.

ttwwuurraammbblleerr@@yyaahhoooo..ccoomm

Photo by Gasten Schoonover

And the winner is...

OpinionsThe Rambler November 5, 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 StudentLife for hosting theTranslevesyleyan Bashon Oct. 30.

Thumbs down to thelack of variety onDora’s menu.

Thumbs up to the endof daylight-savingstime giving tired students an extra hourof sleep.

Thumbs up to all whoexpressed their voicein the 2008 elections.

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Arlington, Texas, is full of irresponsible, ravenousdrunks. The same goes for anywhere else in the

Fort Worth-Dallas area. This sad state of affairs is obvious, because why

else would so many Metroplex residence be up in armsabout the attempt of Six Flags Over Texas to obtain aliquor license? Especially since other theme parks –Busch Gardens, Sea World, Disney’s MGM Studios andEpcot Center and even other Six Flags locations –allow alcohol in their parks withoutexperiencing any major catastrophes.

In that case, the problem must lienot within the people, but within the geographical con-fines of Six Flags, as “the vast majority of theme parks doallow alcohol,” according to lovetoknow.com. Maybe thepark is constructed on top of an ancient Indian burialground, the angry spirits possessing those ingesting spir-its, or maybe there is an anomaly of magnetic field trian-gulation in the heart of Arlington’s Six Flags causingdestructive behavior in those who consume alcohol in thearea.

“I don’t want to ride through a park full of pukebecause somebody got drunk and decided to ride theSuperman,” one protester was quoted as saying oncbs11TV.com as her argument against the issue.

“I hear the children crying out for help. These chil-dren need someone sober to get them home,” said aretired police officer on tradingmarkets.com in referenceto the inevitable drunk driving to ensue.

And one woman, quoted in dallasnews.com, summedup the anti-alcohol stance beautifully, saying “I don’twant them drunks messing with my kids and grand-kids.”

Indeed. First, to the issue of puke in the park, let me say this. Puking and

rollercoasters have gone hand in hand ever since their rise to prominence inour culture. Going around in circles, in loops and upside down at highspeeds makes people puke. It’s physics.

With that in mind, one would assume that any establishment operatingrollercoasters (excluding those traveling carnivals that set up in parkinglots) has the puke situation well under control. A few people drinking won’tescalate the situation into an unmanageable problem, I assure you.

What’s more, who gets hammered and wants to ride Superman?Alcohol already provides a dizzy, queasy sort of feeling that does not cryout for the accompaniment of a rollercoaster. Not once have I been at a barand have someone suggest riding a rollercoaster. Iit just doesn’t happen.

The people drinking will most likely be parents waiting for their kids toget off a ride while they relax with an adult beverage.

Next, the retired officer who can “hear the children cry out for help”because their maniac, inebriated parents are drunk driving them home.Does everyone turn so melodramatic after retirement? I think the kids atSix Flags are too busy crying out to their parents for glow necklaces andLooney Tunes toys to be crying out for your help.

And leaving Six Flags drunk? Are you kidding? A Coke costs six bucksinside the park, can you imagine how much they would charge for a beer?If a person can afford to go to Six Flags and get drunk, then they are richenough to have a personal driver.

And finally, to the dear, sweet lady who doesn’t want “them drunks”messing with her kids and grandkids – I almost don’t know what to say…almost. It would seem that the only exposure this lady has had with alcoholis prohibition era propaganda and poorly-produced after-school specials.Messing with your kids and grandkids? Drunks are loud, obnoxious, sloppypeople, but we – I mean they – are not predatory child molesters!

In fact, I would venture to guess that there are more pedophilic preda-

tors in pre-alcohol Six Flags than there are at any local bar. Another point, if you have grandchildren, then it’s probably time for

you to stop worrying about strangers harassing your children. If they areold enough to have had kids themselves, I’m sure they can operate in theworld without your protection and supervision.

Parents should have a family-friendly environment in which to taketheir children; however, unless that environment’s sole purpose is to caterto children, they should not expect said environment to cater only to kids.

At Six Flags, there is a whole area of the park designated for kids,complete with kids’rides, games and peopledressed in cartoon cos-tumes. Six Flags also hasrides for big kids andadults, even barring chil-dren from certain ridesbecause of heightrequirements.

Six Flags is a placefor people of all ages toenjoy themselves, and ifthey obtain their liquorlicenses, then all they aredoing is catering to ademographic that is notoften catered to in thepark.

Ben Franklin, one ofour country’s foundingfathers, once said, “Beeris proof that God lovesus and wants us to behappy.”

And while the famously sarcastic Franklin perhaps said this in atongue-and-cheek manner, it proves two things: First, that alcohol hasfound favor with some of our greatest thinkers, and second, alcohol hasbeen part of our cultural heritage from the very beginning.

Having alcohol at an establishment does not automatically make itunfriendly to families. True, you wouldn’t want to take a child to everyplace that serves alcohol, but spirits on the premises is not an indicationthat your child is in danger.

Do you fear for your child’s safety at public restaurants? At majorsporting events? How about at a bowling alley? All of these places sellalcohol, which is consumed on their premises, and children are frequentlytaken along to these places without a second thought.

The fact is that alcohol is not inherently evil. It’s those who cannotcontrol themselves that gives alcohol a bad reputation.

Alcohol is part of what helped this nation to establish itself and togrow. It is found in almost any public gathering, and even at church. Evenas I write this article, I’m drinking a beer.

The fact is a couple of drinks, especially over the course of an evening,will not severely impair an individual. Most people who want alcohol atSix Flags only want to have a drink with their $10 hamburger (don’t youfeel like you need a drink after paying for food at Six Flags?).

Those serving the drinks will be certified by the Texas AlcoholicBeverage Commission, just like every other establishment, and alcoholsales will be limited to only certain areas of the park, according to repre-sentatives from Six Flags.

So, bored grandmothers and retired policemen with too much free time,I urge you to champion some other “worthy” cause, and leave liquor aloneat Six Flags.

Beer and Bugs Bunny?

CHUCKFAIN

Alcohol at Six Flags will not sabatoge ‘safe’ environment

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

Caring and knowledgable staff solidfy student’s decision to attend Wesleyan

Dear Editor,

My name is Michael Ryan. I am 44 years old, and I will be attending Texas Wesleyan University as a psychology student in the spring of 2009. Igraduated last May from Tarrant County College with an associate’s degree in mental health.

As I sought employment in the field of mental health, I soon realized that I needed my bachelor’s degree to open more doors to positions Iwished to pursue. Having paid out of pocket for all of my expenses at TCC, I knew that would not be an option at Texas Wesleyan.

Concern of the unknown regarding what types of aid (if any) was available to me to continue my much-needed advancement in education had leftme with an array of feelings. Many of the feelings were less than positive as I faced an uncertain future.

I knew at my age, time was a critical factor. On Oct. 24, I had a very informative meeting with financial aid counselor Anna Perez. She presentedto me all of my options and answered all of my questions. I left her office knowing exactly what was available and what I need to do to obtain it.

More importantly, she left no doubt that when additional concerns or problems arise, she would be there to address them. I also obtained somevery helpful student information from employee Tara Cates that I greatly appreciated her sharing with me.

So, from my first meeting with transfer counselor Neal Bridges and the assistance of Director of Admissions Holly Kiser, who quickly acted on aproblem that came up during my admission process, I just want to express my gratitude to all of the employees at Texas Wesleyan who have made mefeel welcome. Their actions have made me certain that Texas Wesleyan was the right choice for me.

Michael Ryan Incoming Student

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Corrections

*The photoaccompanyingDare to Discover(Oct. 29) on page4 was misidenti-fied as WilliamWard.*The Transelves-leyan Bash Oct.30 was hosted byStudent Life. Thehost was statedincorrectly in theOct. 29 issue.

The Ramblerregrets the errors.

Courtesy of Google Images

College Life The Rambler4 November 5, 2008

Ghostlyghouls gallavant in the dead of night

Photos by Gasten Schoonover

For better than a century, the yearbook has been as mucha staple of campus culture as beer and bad dorm food.

But as of this year, the University of North Texas’ Aerieis history.

Purdue and Mississippi State universities are also closingthe books on annuals, while at schools that still have year-books, advisers tend to talk somewhat soberly about thefuture.

“It’s probably a convergence of a lot of factors,” saidTom Rufer, director of the UNT student union, which plansto distribute the final-edition 2008 Aerie in August. “To somedegree, social networking is replacing that. Students areusing Facebook to chronicle the college experience.”

Rich Stoebe, communications director for publisherJostens Inc., headquartered in Minneapolis, downplayed theinfluence of social networking sites.

“MySpace, YouTube, Twitter are a different category,”Stoebe said. “High school students are just as involved inMySpace, and it hasn’t had an impact. Virtually every highschool produces a yearbook.”

But if the virtual world isn’t hurting yearbooks, risingcosts, the loss of a key adviser and student indifference canlead administrators to shelve yearbook publication, Rufersaid.

The fact that students at many schools are pulled in thedirection of off-campus jobs, semesters abroad and off-cam-pus living also means they don’t share a common focus ontraditional college life they might once have.

The factthat theUniversity ofTexas atArlington does-n’t offer a year-book didn’tbother JasonMcDonald.

“It’s nothigh school,where every-body’s so cen-tralized,” saidMcDonald, 19,who will trans-fer to theUniversity ofTexas at Austinthis fall.

As for UT,McDonald saidhe might get acopy of theCactus as a sen-ior. Adviserssay first-yearstudents andseniors are usu-ally the biggestbuyers.

C a m p u snewspapers cap-ture some of a college’s culture. But yearbook fans say apaper can’t put an academic year into a single volume stu-dents can pull off the shelves, leaf through and laugh at forthe rest of their lives.

“It really does give you a sense of what it was like to beon campus in years past,” UNT archivist Michelle Mearssaid.

At Kansas State University, the annuals are the mostrequested items in the university archives, the KSU yearbookadviser said.

“They’re losing the only written history of the year pre-

pared by the students who lived it,” Cactus adviser KathyLawrence said.

Downward trendStoebe estimates that 1,100 of the nation’s approximate-

ly 2,500 four-year colleges produce all-school yearbooks. But at UT, the latest Cactus sold only

2,000 copies on a campus of about 50,000,Lawrence said. UT-Arlington has not hadan annual for years. Texas StateUniversity’s book was discontinued in2004 after its 100th edition. TexasWesleyan University’s book ceased publi-cation six years ago.

“There are very few yearbooks thathave not experienced declines in the pastfew years,” said Richard Lytle, director ofStudent Media at Southern MethodistUniversity. “We have not come up with theexact reason.

“At this point we are still in the black,but if we continue to drop in sales, thatbecomes questionable,” Lytle said, addingthat most income for SMU’s $55 yearbookderives from sales to students, with ad rev-enue secondary.

Mary Finley has been Aerie advisersince 2000. She pointed out that UNT pre-viously discontinued its yearbook, thenrevived it. The present incarnation is in its26th year.

“Yearbooks come and go. It all depends on the tempera-ment at the university,” said Finley, who is retiring.“Developing a yearbook is an expensive thing. The studentsjust weren’t buying it. None of the other departments wantedto pick it up.”

Kansas State yearbook adviser Linda Putney in 1987wrote her master’s thesis on the college yearbook’s historicrole and status.

“It’s harder to sell books than it was 15 or 20 years ago,”Putney said, adding that sales were about 4,000 six or sevenyears ago. “We’re still selling about 3,500.”

She estimated that “maybe” more than half of Americanuniversities publish yearbooks, but said numbers havedropped from 20 years ago.

“It’s not all gloom and doom. It’s a cyclical thing. Whenthere’s a lot of unhappiness in society, yearbook sales tend todrop off,” Putney said. “When tradition is popular, yearbooks

really thrive. I think where tra-dition reigns, you’re going tohave a wonderful yearbook.”

Tradition apparently stillruns strong at the University ofMississippi.

“We are in a good, stableposition,” said Ashley Dees,editor of The Ole Miss. “Ourschool is behind our book.”

Dees said sales are about6,000, with 416 color pages.

“The yearbook is a personalhistory book,” Dees said. “It’sour story. It’s our book. Youcannot hold Facebook. You can-not pass Facebook on to thenext generation. And you’regoing to lose everything you puton Facebook.”

Selling itUnlike most Texas schools,

at Ole Miss the $45 cost of stu-dent annuals is included intuition and fees. Dees and her staff also marketthe book through the campusradio station, TV station andschool paper. Instead of nagging students tocome in for portraits, staffmembers go to places like LastCall, a campus bar, and shootstudent photos there.

To boost sales at KansasState’s veterinary college,Putney’s The Royal Purple staffstripped pages from the campuslife section and put out a specialzoned edition. Sales went fromfour to 212. They also set up aFacebook account and post stuffto YouTube to drive traffic tothe yearbook. And Putneyexpanded niche coverage with aDVD of about 35 additional stu-dent “stories” inserted in theback of the book.

There’s also life in TexasChristian University’s HornedFrog yearbook, published since1898. The 500-page book costs

$62 and includes a movie-style DVD. Yearbook adviser Kathy Hamer said that more than 30

percent of students buy the book and that sales have trend-ed up for a decade.

“I think it’s the kind of campus we have: We have astrong Greek community; they tend to be in it a lot,” Hamersaid.

Greeks often lead campus organizations and in manycases pay to have their fraternities or sororities featured inthe book.

Of course, TCU, Ole Miss and Texas A&M University,which has one of the biggest annuals in the country, not onlyhave fraternities and sororities but the kind of culture thatseems to demand a book.

“The nickname for the school comes from the year-book,” said Dees, of The Ole Miss. “We are the school.”

Vanished:JOHN AUSTIN

REPRINT COURTESY OF FORT WORTH STAR TELEGRAM

College yearbook tradition retires on anational level due to expense, disinterest

The Ram’s HornWesleyan has published a yearbook

in the past, as recently as 1996. The inch-thick publication, entitled Ram’s Horn,boasted a handsome hardcover and a mul-titude of photos.

Sheri Parker, coordinator of libraryoperations, told The Rambler 10 yearslater that Wesleyan ceased printing theyearbook basically because of money.

Parker said that they tried to findcheaper ways of publishing the yearbookbefore it was cut completely.

“There was discussion of possiblecost cutbacks – like on the cover – butstudents didn’t want anything like that,”she said.

When attempts to curtail Ram’s Hornfunds failed, the project was dropped.

While overall consensus bid the annu-al farewell, some members of the Wesley-an body still see value in the volume.

Dr. Paul Moore, history professor,voiced his opinion in2006.

“My sense is thatthe students are cheat-ing themselves by notdoing it,” Moore said.“They lose out on col-lective memories,looking back and say-ing, ‘That was myclass, events, sportsteams – my pride.’ Itdictates whether theywill be part of a schoolhistory.”

Student AshleyJernigan spun a per-sonal angle on theneed for nostalgia.“I want to be able toshow my kids the bigthings that went onwhen I was young andhow I looked 30 yearsago.”

-- Tiara Nugent

Students and faculty alike joined in the crazy fun at the Transelvesleyan Bash hosted by Student Life on Oct. 30 arrayed in a broad assortment of creative, scary and comical costumes. A live band,dozens of pizzas, drinks, games, door and costume prizes and dancing kept students entertained and spooked. Afterward, many attendees strutted around campus spooked by The Ghost Walk.

Photo by Tiara Nugent

A complete collection of Wesleyan’s yearbook, the Ram’s Horn, can be found on the third floor of the library inspecial collections.

SportsThe Rambler November 5, 2008 5

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

information andprofiles of your

favorite WesleyanTeams and Athletes

Quick Quotes“Success is about hav-ing, excellence is aboutbeing. Success is abouthaving money and fame,but excellence is beingthe best you can be.”

- Mike DitkaFormer NFL Coach

Nov. 5*8 p.m. Men’s Basketballvs. Parker College

Nov. 6*4 p.m. Men’s andWomen’s Soccer host conference tournaments

Nov. 7*TBA Men’s and Women’sSoccer host conferencetournaments

6 p.m. Women’s Basketball@ Southern Nazarene

Nov. 8*TBA Men’s and Women’sSoccer host conferencetournaments

*11 a.m. Volleyball vs.Bacone

1 p.m. Women’s Basketball@ Oklahoma Christian

*3 p.m. Volleyball vs. OurLady of the Lake

3 p.m. Men’s Basketball @Oklahoma Christian

Nov. 97 p.m. Women’s Basketball@ John Brown

* denotes home game

Upcoming Events

Sports BriefsLady Rams sweep weeklyawardsOct. 28Women’s soccer playersAlejandra Barrera and TristaRivera were selected as theRed River Conference’soffensive and defensiveplayers of the week for Oct.20-26. Barrera, a juniormidfielder, booted in fivegoals en route to an 8-0Lady Rams win overUniversity of the SouthwestOct. 25. Rivera, a sopho-more defender, anchoredthe back in the Lady Rams'seventh shutout of the season. She also added anassist.

Romig wins seventhweekly awardOct. 28Volleyball players KatlynnRomig was named conference libero of theweek for Oct. 20-26. Afreshman defender, Romigmade the most of her onlymatch of the week by contributing 24 digs inWesleyan’s hard-fought 3-2loss to Southern NazareneUniversity. She committedjust one receiving error in35 chances and chipped intwo service aces.

Wesleyan table tennis tohost tournamentOct. 27The table tennis programwill be hosting the TexasWesleyan Open Nov. 22 atSid Richardson Center. Fortournament policies andentrance forms, visithttp://www.txwes.edu/tabletennis/.

Sunday: traditionally an American non-working day, the beginning of the calendar week and the day when the Sabbath is observed.Frank Sinatra nailed the feeling that Sunday brings in his hit from 1970, Feeling Kinda Sunday. Little did he know, though, that by 2008 his tunes would be the melodies that awaken the arsenal of football fans around the coun-

try—and certainly in the Fort Worth-Dallas area.When people feel kinda Sunday around here, they too seek their sanctuary. But their safe haven is far from what one would typi-

cally associate with a house of worship. Hundreds of thousands of people live for the Texas fall so that they can wake up, shape up andmake their journey to their Mecca—Texas Stadium.

Tailgating is a culture; it’s a demonstration of love, devotion and adoration for one’s team. And when it comes to the DallasCowboys, there’s no better place to be on a Sunday morning.

Charcoal burns, the music blares, the lawn chairs spread out and everyone’s smiling. In some cases, the blue, red and green park-ing lots serve as the people’s cathedral.

“There’s no better feeling than pulling up to Texas Stadium. Youroll your windows down, start smelling the steaks cooking, and justknow that there will be a Cowboy win to follow,” said Jared Canter, aTarrant County College student and diehard Cowboy fan.

When attending a football game in Irving, you set yourself up formore than just the actual game.

“Try leaving your house an hour before the game. You won’t seeanything until half-time,” notes Eric Chavez, a Dallas tailgater.

“If you want to get the whole experience, you had better get therewhen the real gates open,” said Chavez, referring to the gates of theparking lots.

Just last year the National Football League implemented rulesthat regulate team tailgating policies. Some stadiums have gotten soout of hand before the game—most notably alcohol-related inci-dents—that NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell had no choice but tostart setting rules like only opening the lots for tailgaters who actuallyhave tickets to the game. Other stadiums are even limiting how earlytheir lots open.

But there’s no doubt that it’s the NFL’s stepchildren that are ruin-ing it for the rest of them; for instance Lincoln Financial Field inPhiladelphia facilitates an ‘Eagle’s Court’ and harbors the crazies inan in-house jail. Sports anchor Bryant Gumbel reported that arrestsare frequently made in Philly and also at Raider nation in Oakland,where post-game DWI arrests lead the league. At least they lead inone category, right?

I’m not going to sit here and say tailgating in Dallas doesn’t haveunfortunate incidents occur, but there’s a different feeling in the air inBig D. This is America’s Team, everyone is everyone’s friend, andthere is a mutual adoration for the lone star.

“I don’t remember when I didn’t have a good time,” continuedCanter. “Tailgating is therapeutic.” Canter enjoyed a tailgate partythis year with his father Barry on Sept. 28, a Cowboy loss to division-al rival Washington Redskins.

“Although we don’t like to see a loss, we wouldn’t trade theexperience for anything,” Canter said.

Fans like Canter take advantage of the time before a game andget the full effect. The 3 p.m. games certainly give you more time tofrolic, but noon games are still manageable.

If you haven’t made the walk across the 482 bridge into TexasStadium, you only have four more chances. Texas Stadium shuts itsdoors after this season. When the team moves to Arlington next year,Tarrant County will play host to the tailgating tradition.

It will just be a case of seeing the same faces in different places. However, if you wait until next year, you might even consider leaving the nightbefore—that is, if you can land one of those tickets. The new Cowboy stadium is expandable and has the ability to sit upwards of 100,000.

Feelin’ kinda Saturday? Start firing up the grill.

MARTINGARCIA

Martin Garcia is a senior English major and is news editor for The Rambler.

Courtesy of Google images

For a few more weeks, Texas Stadium will continue to host Sunday tailgate partiesand good times prior to Cowboy games. After that, it’ll be off to Arlington in 2009.

Sweet Sunday satisfaction

Navy outshines gold in Wesleyan’s World SeriesThe fall baseball season came to a close as

graduate assistant coach Cooper Vittitow ledteam navy to a 3-2 series victory over RustyGreer’s gold squad. Navy trailed 2-1 after threegames but took a pair of wins to clinch brag-ging rights.

A competitive series led the teams to a deci-sive game five, and the customary seven inningswas not enough to decide the winner.

The navy team scored twice in the bottomof the sixth inning to tie the game at three.

In the eighth, junior Taylor Miller reached

on a walk, advanced to second on a single fromjunior transfer Hommy Rodriguez, tagged tothird on a fly out from Nick Schrock, also a jun-ior transfer, and then scored on a wild pitch todecide the game.

Junior Matt Chutchian picked up the winwith 3.2 innings of relief work. Chutchianallowed one run on two hits while striking outtwo.

Head coach Mike Jeffcoat was pleasedwith the team’s effort all week.

“I was very happy with how well our pitch-

ers threw and how well we played defense,”Jeffcoat said. “We will start conditioning nextweek to carry us through the holidays and thenget going again in January.”

The team finished 2008 ranked No. 25 inthe final NAIA national poll last season and willopen the 2009 season with a doubleheaderagainst the University of Arkansas at MonticelloFeb. 3 at LaGrave Field.

- Courtesy of Ramsports.net

Conference comes down to thisFall sports teams fight to prolong their season during tournaments

For teams that showed up on campus a month before classes started toendure two-a-days in the Texas heat, the next week and a half will yield thefruit of their labor.

All three fall sports teams are scheduled to begin conference tourna-ment action, and different circumstances stand between each of them andtheir desired conference titles. Men’s Soccer:

Martin Field will stage the men’s conference tournament Nov. 6-8, asthe No. 4 seed Rams host rival Northwood in the first round.

Wesleyan concluded their regular season with a 5-2 win over Collegeof the Southwest Oct. 25 and finished with an overall record of 7-5-2. TheKnights posted a 7-8 mark and defeated Wesleyan 1-0 in a hard foughtgame Oct. 16.

Coach Josh Gibbs feels the key to advancing in the tournament is toencourage his team to stay loose.

“We can’t get caught worrying too much about elements out of ourcontrol,” Gibbs said. “We just want to relax and play good soccer, because

to win the tournament you have to keep it rolling for three days.”Women’s Soccer:

The regular season champions will also play host to their competitionNov. 6-8 at Martin Field. The Lady Rams ended the regular season at 9-6and in a three way tie for first place but won the title on the strength of apoints tie breaker.

Wesleyan gets a first round bye and will play the lowest seed remainingin the tournament after round one.

Gibbs is excited, but catious about jumping to conclusions about theoutcome of the tournament.

“The format of this tournament can get just nasty,” Gibbs said. “It’s alot of soccer over three days, and sometimes dumb luck can play a role.”Volleyball:

The volleyball team will not have home court advantage for their con-ference tournament. Instead, they will travel to Austin Nov. 14-15.

According to redriverconference.com, the team currently boasts a 7-2conference mark, placing them second in the North division. They havewon six of their last ten matches overall.

Before they can focus on the tournament, they still have regular seasoncontests against Our Lady of the Lake Nov. 8 and John Brown Nov. 9.

BRYCE WILKSSPORTS EDITOR

Entertainment6 November 5, 2008 The Rambler

AALLOOKOOK

AHEADAHEAD

On Campus:

*Baptist Student Movement:Sid Richardson Building, noon,free lunch served

Off Campus:

* k.d. lang: Bass Hall, 7:30p.m.

Off Campus:

*Maxwell: Majestic Theatre, 8p.m.

*Miranda Lambert & BlakeShelton: American AirlinesCenter, 7 p.m.

Off Campus:

*”Take Your Time: OlafurEliasson”: Dallas Museum ofArt, all day event.

*Jazz Uptown at the Eisemann:Countrywide Hall ofRichardson, 7 p.m.

Off Campus:

*Buckethead: GranadaTheater, 8 p.m.

*Tim and Eric: PalladiumBallroom, 9:30 p.m.

On Campus:

*Chapel Service: Poly UMC,12:15, free lunch served

Off Campus:

*Stomp: Bass Hall, 7:30 p.m.

Weekly DVD Releases:Hellboy II: The Golden Army;Sukiyaki Western Django

5

To submit an event forthe calender, e-mail

twurambler@yahoo.com.

Wednesday

Off Campus:

*Authors at the Adolphus:Hotel Adolphus, 11:30 a.m.

*Stone House VineyardDinner: Bola, 7 p.m.

6Thursday

OffCampus:*ABBA: The Hits by FortWorth Symphony Orchestra:Bass Hall, 8 p.m.

Weekly Movie Releases:Quantum of Solace;Madagascar 2: Escape fromAfrica

7Friday

11Tuesday98 SundaySaturday 10Monday

Hole-iin-tthe-wwall hangoutsOur fair lady Dora is a fickle dame. Tasty fajitas one day, question-

able meatloaf the next. “Pasta Tuesday!” followed by “pasta?Wednesday.” If Dora be her first name, consistency isn’t her middle.The school cafeteria certainly is hit or miss, but on those miss days,you’re in luck.

Within just a few blocks of Texas Wesleyan lay some of the bestmeals you will everfind for prices thateven college studentscan pocket. The era ofthe hole-in-the-wallhas returned and Poly

Heights is a hot spot for them. Closest to campus, about a block

south on Vaughn, sits the famous PolyGrill. Ask some folks who have beenaround Wesleyan for a while, and you willsoon realize that this little dive is synony-mous with soul food. Chicken friedsteaks, black beans, cornbread...oh my.Poly Grill satisfies with home-cookedmeals, hefty servings and reasonableprices, about $6-$7 for most plates.

Were you aware that there is a civilwar going on in our own neighborhood?OK, well maybe not in the neighborhood,but at least in my mind whenever I’mcraving Mexican Food. Campesino’s?Tres Coronas? Mexican Inn? Any of theseplaces ring a bell? All sit within a milefrom campus, and all provide some muybueno Mexican food.

Campesino’s, which sits just a few blocks south of Poly Grill on Vaughn, is a smallfamily owned sit-down cafe serving up authentic Mexican food that is simply amazing. Forless than $7, you can fill yourself with chips, salsa, a good-sized platter and a drink.Definitely not bad for that college budget.

Slightly closer to campus, and even closer to my heart is Tres Coronas. The definitionof a dive, Tres Coronas (or TC) is ideal for college students. Located at the intersection ofVickery and Nashville, literally walking distance from campus, Tres Coronas serves upsome of the best Mexican food I have ever tasted. Take in a burrito, water and the dyna-mite chips and salsa, and you’re only looking at about $5.

If you happen to be recovering from a night of inebriation, go on the weekends and trysome menudo – Mexico’s idea of the hang-over remedy. Go quickly, however, becausethe owner is talking about selling. Maybe avisit will change his mind.

If you’re seeking more of a nicer diningexperience, head west on Lancaster a fewblocks and check out Mexican Inn. Thoughtnot exactly a no-name contender in the battlefor hole-in-the-wall supremacy – there are afew locations around the Metroplex – thislocation was the original, and Mexican Innprovides a very pleasant dining experienceand some fine food to boot.

As a fan of chips and salsa, I must saythat Mexican Inn’s are my favorite. Not yourtypical triangular corn chip, these are moreFrito-like and melt in your mouth like aheavenly cloud. Unfortunately they will latersolidify once again in your coronary artery,but I think it’s worth it. You’re looking tospend a bit more here, closer to the $8-$10range for each plate.

Whenever you feel that dame Dora needsa rest, or perhaps it is your digestive systemrequesting one, don’t drive off to Chili’s orMcDonald’s every time. Take a look at the

local spots: the family owned gems with mom cooking in the back and dad running theregister. In times as these, the small businesses need you, and, hey, with food like theirs,you might grow to need them too.

RYANAUTHIER

GGaarrddeenn GGaaiittyyMidterms are over, fall is upon us, and I for one need a well-

deserved break. But where can we overworked and underpaidcollege students find reprieve? The beaches of Mexico would be nice,but what about something close that won’t break the bank?

Well, there’s two majestic places right here in the Metroplex.Just north of Interstate 30 on University Drive is the Fort WorthBotanic Garden. And in Dallas, on Garland Street, is the DallasArboretum. Both are pretty neat little places that few think of for anice getaway.

Thousands of leafy trees, hundreds of strange plants with infor-mation plaques you do not care to read and more flowers than youcan shake a stick at. Welcome my friends to the gardens.

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is a great place to get away. There are 12 differentgardens at the establishment and something to suit everyone’s tastes all year round.

One includes the Japanese Gardens, a seven acre oasis of Koi fish and oriental struc-tures that will make you feel like you’ve left the country. There are also gardens like therose and perennial, along with, indoors, the Conservatory.

All gardens are free except for the Conservatory, which is $1, and the JapaneseGardens, which is $3-$3.50 depending on the day of the week. Parking is free. (Try notto break the bank.)

During the winter months, the gardens are generally open from 8 a.m. to dusk. TheConservatory is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.Sunday. The Japanese Gardens are open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. seven days a week. Visitwww.fwbg.org for more details.

The Dallas Arboretum is just as nice as its counterpart. Located at 8525 Garland Rd.in Dallas, the Arboretum boasts 66 acres of roaming room with its own 14 botanicalgardens. They areopen daily from 9a.m. to 5 p.m.Admission is $8and another $5 forparking. All of thegardens are openfor the entire day,and the admissionfee grants accessto all of them.Visit www.dal-lasarboretum.orgfor more informa-tion and for a buy-one-get-onecoupon good onWednesdays.

Both locationsare great for talk-ing walks, relaxing or having picnics. In fact, each place offers its own restaurant. But ifyou’re looking for something a little more lively, both parks hold special events fromtime to time.

The Fort Worth Botanic Garden is home to fall and spring festivals and a growingbutterfly exhibit in the spring. Coming up Nov. 13 is a lecture on the future of “GoingGreen” by Hugh Hardy at 6:30 p.m.

The Bird’s Christmas Tree takes place at 11 a.m. Dec. 6. Here, patrons are invited tomake biodegradable birdhouses for display in the park’s Garden Grove. According to theWeb site, “this free event, complete with music and entertainment, is one of Fort Worth’soldest holiday traditions.”

The Dallas Arboretum just wrapped up its month-long Great Pumpkin Festival andoffers ongoing adult education classes. The Harvest Tea, a special fall high tea offeredWednesday through Sunday, is going on through Nov. 23. Reservations are required, andmore details are available online.

Both places a way back to nature, a cheap way to kill a slow day and a well-deserved break.

GASTENSCHOONOVER

Photo by Gasten Schoonover

Poly Grill, located less than a block south of campus on Vaughn Street, is delicious hot spotwhere Wesleyan students can get filled up without spending a whole pay check.

Courtesy of Wesleyan music department

A tradition for the Wesleyan music department, Wesleyan’s Jazz Combo kicked offa night of fun and fright Oct. 30 in celebration of Halloween. Dressed in their finestspooky garb, the band entertained a load of friends and family of the university.Next on the schedule for the music department is the Wesleyan Fall InstrumentalConcert “Sanctuary,” featuring pieces from Ticheli, Bernstein, Schneider and DukeEllington. Promised to provide a more classical atmosphere, the show will feature alarger ensemble and more diverse instruments. The event will take place at 7:30p.m. Nov. 13.

Local gardens provide peaceful getaway for students

Photo courtesy of the city of Fort Worth

The scenic shrub garden, sitting at the center of the Botanic Gardensserves as a nice spot to stop and smell the roses.

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

Local diners serve up pleasant alternatives to big chain restaurants and questionable cafeterias

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

LoonyTunes