The WichiTanpage 7

The sTudenT voice of MidwesTern sTaTe universiTy

WEDNESDAY, NovEmbEr 4, 2009

Piercing page turnerNovel tells the story of a school shooter and depicts the aftermath of tragedy

page 8Mustangs explodeWith a 4-1 win over Northeastern State, MSU clinches LSC title.

Car accident clarifies MSU police jurisdictionChris Collins

Managing Editor

The MSU police are taking over the world! Not really. But they do have jurisdiction over the entire Wichita County. Bet you didn’t know that. Chet Patterson, a 31-year-old nursing major, was made acutely aware of that fact Thurs-day night. MSU police ticketed Patterson after he was rammed from behind by another car at a red light. The other driver, sophomore education major Amy Steere,

admitted blame for the accident and agreed to pay for the dam-age. She was also ticketed by MSU police. Strangely enough, the inci-dent was not on campus. In fact, it was about a mile away on the corner of Southwest Parkway and Taft. “I think it’s bogus,” Steere said. “I shouldn’t have been ticketed at all.” Steere said she knew MSU police had jurisdiction around the campus area, but didn’t think they operated countywide. She said she had never heard of someone receiving a ticket

from a campus cop outside of MSU. Both Patterson and Steere re-ceived two tickets for the acci-dent: one for running a red light and another for not updating

their addresses on their licenses. They both said they were amazed that they were ticketed for getting in an accident, and were even more amazed that one of the tickets was for running a

red light. “I thought I would get a ticket for riding too close to Chet or something, but not for the light,” Steere said. Patterson argued that if he had run the red light he wouldn’t have gotten rear-ended, and if Steele had she couldn’t have run into him. He said that was the main reason he was mystified about the whole situation. “That’s bullshit,” Patterson said. He said he talked to the WF police, Vice President of Uni-versity Advancement and Stu-dent Affairs Dr. Howard Farrell,

Police Chief Michael Hagy and even a lawyer to get the issue cleared up. He said so far he hasn’t found a way around paying a tickets he said he didn’t deserve to get. In all, the two tickets totaled over $300. “I want some action and reso-lution,” Patterson said. “I know there are problems with the police and people that want to complain about them.” He said he thinks there should be a system in place where stu-dents can critique the service given to them by MSU police.

Photo by Julia RaymondStudents could see the light bar on MSU police vehicles like this one flashing behind their cars even off campus. Campus cops have jurisdic-tion all over Wichi-ta county.

susie hassan

For thE Wichitan

“No! You can die!” It was mother speaking right after I

told her what I wanted for my 21st birth-day. She wasn’t happy. Neither was I.

“Well, it’s my body so I’m going sky-diving,” I responded hotly. Unlike mom, dad didn’t freak out. “It will be a good

learning experience,” he said calmly. It was more than that. Since I was 16

I’d wanted to skydive. I always figured that jumping out of a plane would be the perfect way to celebrate my formal en-try into adulthood. Hey, it beat having a beer.

So, my parents forked over the $295 for me to take the plunge, which included a mid-air video and still photographs. I

decided to go during the summer, be-cause February – my birthday month – would be too cold and windy. I asked my good friend, Amy Kimble, if she would like to tag along, but she decided to jump as well. Now, that’s a friend.

June 28 finally came. Until then, I’d pushed thoughts of dying to the back of my mind. Now, they were beginning to

Susie Hassan bypasses a pub crawl for a parachuteto celebrate her twenty-first birthday

abbie sCott hunt

For thE Wichitan

The sun sets over the lake. Ribbons of pink and purple clouds unfurl across the sky. In the distance, coyotes bark and play. It’s Samhain, the moon is full, and the Pagan Student Union has gathered together for their holiday celebration.

But what, exactly, is a pa-gan?

Adam Henson, sophomore English major and president of the P.S.U. has been a practicing pagan for more than two years.

Henson said, “I would say a textbook definition is ‘any non-Judeo, Christian, or Muslim religion—more than that…first of all, you’ve gotta be sure not to step on anybody’s toes when you do define it…a religion with earth-centered, nature-based worship that is not mainstream. Spiritual people can find what-ever personal meaning they are seeking through paganism.”

Henson started the P.S.U. this fall. He was inspired to do so when he discovered a pagan organization at a university he considered attending before de-ciding on M.S.U. Henson said he wanted to find a group to participate in and figured others might be interested, too.

“Being in the part of the country that we are, it’s not as easy to follow that path, so I figured there were probably other people like me, and sure enough there were. I feel we de-serve our own venue as well,” Henson said.

“I’m primarily looking to es-tablish a fairly constant group for fellowship, because that is something difficult to find in this area for any pagan or non-Christian person around here… to provide a support system for people who might not other-wise have one…and there are a few people who have expressed appreciation already for it, be-cause there is nothing else like it around.”

The P.S.U. became an official organization in late October when the paperwork was finally approved but has been meeting once a week since the beginning of the semester.

They have already held cir-cles for the harvest festival of Mabon and the new year Sam-

hain celebration, which are Celtic (or Druidic) holidays that date back thousands of years before Christianity.

In ancient Ireland, Scotland, and parts of England, the Dru-ids were the priests and priest-esses of the Celtic community. They spent several years in school learning prayer and rit-ual in order to become priests and priestesses.

The Druids understood the intrinsic connection between man and nature and saw that mankind was really only a part of a much larger pattern. They kept time by a lunar cycle that determines the dates of the Celtic holidays to be celebrated today.

Henson said that a major fac-tor in his creation of the P.S.U. was his desire to have fellow-ship with a community of like-minded people with whom he could celebrate holidays.

“There’s an emphasis on, as far as worshipping together goes, holidays as another main focus of the group. To be able to celebrate the holidays where otherwise we wouldn’t be able to,” said Henson.

Some of what he would like to accomplish with the P.S.U., Henson said, is to clarify for people in the community ex-actly what pagans are, and what they are not.

“People can be as involved as they want in it, researching

Club offers fellowshipfor Pagans on campus

P.S.U. Logo

See POLICE page 5

See PAGAN page 5See SKYDIVING page 5

Susie Hassan went skydiving to celebrate turning 21. (Photo courtesy)

Staff Editorial

The WichiTan Editorial Board

Editor-in-Chief Brittany Norman Managing Editor Chris Collins Entertainment Editor Lauren Wood

Op-Ed Editor Josh Hoggard Sports Editor Kaitlin Morrison Photo Editor Julia Raymond

ReportersRichard Carter

PhotographersLoren Eggenschwiler

Copy EditorLauren WoodJamie Monroe

Advertising ManagerJamie Monroe

AdviserRandy Pruitt

Copyright © 2007. The Wichitan is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Asso-ciation. The Wichitan reserves the right to edit any material submitted for publication. Opinions expressed in The Wichitan do not necessarily reflect those of the students, staff, faculty, administration or Board of Regents of Midwestern State University. First copy of the paper is free of charge; additional copies are $1. The Wichitan welcomes letters of opinion from students, faculty and staff submitted by the Friday before in-tended publication. Letters should be brief and without abusive language or personal attacks. Letters must be typed and signed by the writer and include a telephone number and address for verification purposes. The editor retains the right to edit letters.

3410 Taft Blvd. Box 14 • Wichita Falls, Texas 76308News Desk (940) 397-4704 • Advertising Desk (940) 397-4705

Fax (940) 397-4025 • E-mail WICHITAN@mwsu.eduWeb site: http://www.mwsu.edu/~wichitan

Status woe To tweet or not to tweet: that is the ques-tion. Some boring and gory details of life used to be kept private. Now, thanks to Facebook status updates, Myspace bulletins, and tweets, overexpo-sure is the name of the game. It’s not so much the content of the posts as the quantity… Okay, maybe it is. Nevertheless, there are some things ran-dom Facebook friends just don’t need to know (or don’t really care about, for that matter). Stupid updates are being posted more and more commonly on all of our favor-ite social networking sites, and it’s getting real old real fast. What was once intended for a laugh or for relaying information has turned into a daily play-by-play of boring lives and pure unfiltered nonsense. The occasional random event or funny phrase is completely acceptable. Even a majority of movie quotes are more than welcomed. Some status updates are completely worth posting. Some status updates are inspiring, encouraging, or just outright hi-larious. However, not everyone cares to know every detail of every daily going-on in your life. Who cares if you’re walking to class, or just got out of class, or if your class was boring, or if your class didn’t even hap-pen? What’s next? Will every breath get a tweet? Give your status bar a break! If something exciting, random, or awe-some happens, it is perfectly acceptable to let the technological world know. However, a new Tweet every hour is a bit ridiculous. There are some things peo-ple just don’t care to know. Your life is boring. Please, don’t share. Keep it to yourself.

This week in Crisis of Faith: cheating, scandal, and Kim Kardashian’s ass! Wowza! This column is going to home in fakers in the pulpit, namely the ministers who steal sermons and don’t give the true authors due credit. We’ll explore the reasons pastors plagiarize, if it’s ac-tually a problem and what churches should do to combat it. How exciting! As always, there will be more irreverence than you can shake a cross at. Hold on to your seats! Let’s kick it off with two things I, not Moses, came up with. a) Thou shalt not steal b) Thou shalt not bear false witness A few years ago, a promi-nent pastor from Clayton’s Central Presbyterian Church near St. Louis was caught lifting sermons verbatim from another minister. Con-gregants heard the same ser-mons preached by the pas-tor Tim Keller of New York City’s Redeemer Presbyterian Church and started asking questions. After he was confronted, the pastor admitted his wrong-doing and stepped down from the post. But Keller, surprisingly, wasn’t pissed that his words got jacked. He said the “bor-rowing” wasn’t even a big deal. But this isn’t the only case of preacher’s serving the Word from a can. For example, a North Caro-lina pastor was ejected from the pulpit for plagiarizing in 2004. In 2002 the rector of Michigan’s largest Episco-pal Church was slapped with a 90-day suspension for the same thing. A United Church of Christ pastor who had held the post for 15 years resigned when his congregation called him out for stealing. He admitted to plagiarizing extensively throughout his tenure. Even Martin Luther King, Jr. has been accused of lifting parts of his legendary sermons from other sources without giving attribution. MLK? Shit! Who can we trust? These incidences usually result in apologies to hearers and, in some cases, a pastor’s

resignation. I haven’t read about any ministers suing for violating intellectual property rights yet. However, almost none of these guilty parties gave credit to the people they “borrowed” from, and some even published others’ works under their own names. That’s textbook plagiarism, boss. Let’s take a break to high-light some of the most memo-rable historical liars:

Hitler – he said he was a •socialist but was actually a dictator. Killed like 6 million Jews.

Nixon – the Vietnam War. •Watergate. ‘Nuff said.

Balloon Boy’s parents - lied •about being cool enough for reality TV

But that brings to light an important question: have we, in our Internet-drenched soci-ety, outgrown the current def-inition of intellectual property rights? Who hasn’t downloaded an mp3 from Bit Torrent or watched an episode of The Office on Hulu? Are these preachers slaves to the information age or are they just petty plagiarizers? I say the latter. Let me give you a hypo-thetical: your professor tells you that you have to write a research paper. Then he’s like, “You can go on the Internet

and use things other people said as your own words. No problem. Just make sure you feel extra, super-duper in-spired when you hand it in.” Take a good whiff. Do you smell the bullshit yet? In fact, from now on we’ll use the Wichitan ‘bullshit detector test’ to catch a-hole liars in the act. But there’s a twist – every time BS is is-sued, you, the readers, will be graced by Kim Kardashian’s supreme booty. Everyone wins! Here’s one for you: “If you’ve got something that’s a good product, why beat your head your head against the wall and try to come up with it yourself?” – Church of Sun-coast Pastor Brian Moon. BUZZ!!!

Various arguments defend-ing preacher pilfering have abounded. One is that minis-ters have over-packed sched-ules and are just too busy to write sermons. Poor guys! Pastor Dean M. Christenson of Clovis, California, said that pastoral demands are high-er now than they have ever been before. Contemporary hearers want a sermon that’s compelling, entertaining and interesting. Congregants put too much pressure on pastors, he says, to complete standard ministry duties (like leading devotionals and visiting hos-pitals), all the while writing good sermons. Those selfish, demanding assholes! Thing is, writing a compel-ling, interesting sermon re-quires someone who is com-pelling and interesting. Not an easy task when most pas-tors are as engaging as a bag of used Pop Rocks. Here’s where I stand: if you can’t write a decent sermon, you shouldn’t have gone to seminary. That’s like a jour-nalist who can’t put a sentence together but really, really likes reading the newspaper. Besides, you could always

work at the local Sonic. Show the other employees how to deliver food religiously! “The expectation of the con-gregational leaders has gone up dramatically in the last 30 years,” said Kevin Miller, executive director of Preach-ingTodaySermons.com. His Web site, which is frequented by several hundred pastors, is a prime spot for lifting good prose. Pastors can “supple-ment” their lessons with Pow-erPoint, video, even other sermons – for a subscription cost, at least. Dolla dolla bills, y’all! This may be why he’s ban-dying about a can’t-do at-titude when it comes to the responsibilities of contempo-rary ministers. Surely he isn’t biased. “We encourage our pastors to use our sermons as a start-ing point in sermon prepara-tion,” says Steve May, editor of SermonNotes.com, another site that sells the written Word like it’s a shitty Ayn Rand novel on Amazon.com. “The idea that a preacher doesn’t listen to other sermons is like a novelist who doesn’t read books.” Like it or not, sermon crib-bing is on the rise. And so are the enabling sites. Brian Larsen, editor of Preachingtoday.com, said his subscription rates rose by about 5,000 from 2000 to 2001. They’ve skyrocketed in the time since then. “All preachers are preach-ing God’s word,” Larson said. “It’s not their idea.” Steve Sjogren of the Cin-cinnati Vineyard Community Church chalks up originality in sermons to pride. “Don’t be original – be ef-fective,” Sjogren urged pas-tors. “Real plagiarism is tak-ing stuff out of a book and putting it into another book. Taking people’s material and putting it in a speaking forum is not plagiarism.” BUZZ!!!

Cut, Copy, CrossPastors Pilfer Sunday

SermonsChris Collins

Managing ediTor

Op-Ed The WichiTanNovember 4, 2009 3

Ben Franklin, like Sjogren, supported cribbing for practical reasons. In de-fense of Samuel Hemphill, a pastor of 1730s colonial America, Franklin said, “I rather approved of his giv-ing us good sermons com-posed by others than poor sermons of his own manu-facture.” Thisprobablyfitsinwithwhat Solomon had to say in Ecclesiastes 1: “There is nothing new under the sun.” Thomas G. Long, a pro-fessor of preaching at Em-ory University’s Candler School of Theology, has a different take on the plagia-rizing problem. “There’s a difference be-

tween being a debtor and a thief,” Long said. “Every minister owes his congrega-tion a fresh act of interpre-tation.” Another Solomon quote should be referenced here: “The man of integrity walks securely, but he who takes crooked paths will be found out,” the King said. What would happen if Moses came down from the mountain and some other bro was like, “Hey brah, can I copy down your tablet? I was getting high over there with the Egyptians and I missed the whole thing.” Give me a break. Christianity may not be the only religion using cookie-cutter testimonials

to attract a larger audience. Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish and other faiths are all trying to cash in on Christ. Rabbi Ze’ew Smason of the Nusach Hari-B’nai Zion Congregation said he fre-quently combs the Internet for catchy ‘pick-up’ tactics to woo potential worship-pers. His efforts double around the high holidays, the time of year when peo-ple are feeling especially guilty about all the cash they’ve blown on presents. “It’s almost as if we’re expected to put on a show,” Smason said. Most churches, when it’s discovered that a preacher hasn’t been doing his own

homework, confront him or her. They may need to start utilizing anti-plagiarism software such as Turnitin, like many large colleges have begun doing. Until then, Google is probably the best detective they’ve got. It’s more than okay to look to other preachers for inspiration and guidance in your own pieces – it’s downright necessary. But stealing is wrong, no matter what you call it. Especially when you steal to make the collection plate fatter. “Our churches have turned into theatres and our preachers have turned into

witty motivational speakers with a high entertainment value,” Long said. BUZZZ!!!

Wait, that’s not bullshit. I just wanted to see that finetailagain See you next week, religi-o’s.

CRISIS........................................................................................................................................................................................continued from pg. 2

Pastors Who Should Have Plagiarized

I enjoy a good controversy. I en-joy a good read. I really enjoy a good read that gets me to think, and fosters discussion between myself and my friends. With this in mind, I was looking forward to Chris Col-lins’ series “Crisis of Faith.” When I grabbed the October 21, 2009, Wichitan, I thought I would be in for a treat. Instead, the managing editor showed me the reason why Rhet-oric and Composition I & II is needed, and perhaps changed my opposition to the required Writing Proficiency Exam that we are re-quired to take to graduate. It isn’t that Mr. Collins doesn’t know sentence structure, or mis-spells words. It is that Mr. Collins failed to keep his article professional and to the point. What we were treated to instead is a host of angst that has much to do about nothing. Instead of sticking to the point of comparing and contrasting various creation stories, we instead see the

degrading of women, misquotes of highly respected professionals, stereotyping, and personal jabs at people Mr. Collins seems to have a problem with. I doubt that Mr. Collins even knows any of the people he chose to label as “assholes.” Well, maybe he does, I am sure he knows a few evangelicals “a-wads.” I am sure after reading his Op-Ed, they probably considered him one too, not because of his opposition to their beliefs, but because he simply called them a derogatory name. Now, I don’t know what Mr. Col-lins plans on doing when he leaves MSU to travel into the wide world. However, I would like to offer some suggestions. First, he can create controversy without adding controversy. In other words, his article would have generated enough discussion on its own just by the very nature of it: challenging exclusive rights to creation stories by a single reli-gion.

It didn’t need any help by adding in colorful language or degrading women. Second, read professional news-papers out there. Grab a New York Times, Times Record News, etc., and look at their Op-Eds. While they may get pretty heat-ed, they do not resort to degrading, colorful remarks. The reason is because these edi-tors are paid to be professionals, and offer their opinions in a man-ner that will get the point across on its own merits. Finally, there is a slogan at the top of The Wichitan that says, “The Student Voice of Midwestern State University.” I think that this slogan alone should make one strive to be pro-fessional. We are a campus of nu-merous beliefs, nationalities, races, and other diversities. The Wichitan represents the voice of each and ev-ery one of us. Mr. Collins, whether he thought of this or not, represents all of us

through his writing, as does anyone who puts their thoughts to ink. Does this mean that they can’t write something that might offend someone? Certainly not, as Mr. Collins’ Op-Ed was surely able to do on its own just from the very subject it was about. However, care should be taken to not degrade, stereotype, or per-sonally attack someone or group of people. Mr. Collins should also remem-ber that it is not just the students that pick up copies of The Wichitan, but copies are distributed to our Presi-dent, VPs, and other executives as well as MSU Alumni. In closing, I enjoy reading The Wichitan. I will continue to do so, and look forward to thought-pro-voking articles and opinions by our student staff. Let’s just remember to keep it professional, even when we are trying to be controversial. -Robert J. Stewart III, Senior

Keep it classy, Chris CollinsLetter to the editor

Can the Managing Editor write? Let us begin with education. As defined by Webster, education isthe action or process of educating or of being educated. Further, ac-cording to Webster, to be educated means that one gives evidence of training or practice. A way of acquiring this education would be by attending a university. Well, we are attending a university, and you are an editor of a university newspaper. Our university holds it-self to a mission statement that can be found on the school’s website. To paraphrase, it expresses a desire to explore and question ideas in an intellectual manner and with judi-ciousness. That is to say, we should push the bounds with good judgment. You, sir, I believe have missed the mark of intelligence and good judgment.Allow me to assist you in learning how to write an argument. Gener-ally, there is one thesis in a work that is trying being presented. Your article is entitled “Creation Explained.” In actuality, you mock and never actually explain any-thing. In the end, you express that “the moral of the column is that when you believe one religious sto-

ry is right, you are saying another is wrong.” I do believe you have missed the point of your own the-sis. Also, one presents an argument by using factual evidence in order to back up the opinion. I do not be-lieve the use of the WMBA, Nick-elback (spelled the correct way) and Abercrombie and Fitch as evi-dence against evolution is a valid argument. That is unless you were attempting sarcasm, in which case, it was to your detriment. I believe it invalidated your point of view rather than convinced any lost or staggering soul who is having is-sues with their religious identity. In addition, if you are going to quoteandcitefromprominentfig-ures, please read their work in its entirety before using fragments of it. You might paraphrase it correct-ly then. Joseph Campbell is no ignorant man. He would never suggest that one should completely ignore and not learn their personal traditions at all. In fact, you failed to quote what he said only a sentence be-fore. “Read myths,” he says. “They teach you that you can turn inward and you begin to get the message

of the symbols.” He merely wants people to explore the thoughts of others. However, nowhere in there does he say to cut down the beliefs of others or to try and discredit them. To him, they are symbols of the unconscious. Anotherfigureyouchosetolashout at would be Dr. Ken Ham. You even added a profane addition to his name. Not only does this dem-onstrate your artless character, but it adds a positive tally to the side of creationism and religions since there is no evidence that science can teach one respect. If you checked Dr. Ham’s back-ground at all, you would find heholds a bachelor’s degree in applied science. I would say he has the po-tential to have a well rounded idea on the subject no matter how pre-tentiousyoumayfindhimtobe. In the end, creationism and reli-gious philosophies are touchy sub-jects for many people. Some do not want to explore anything beyond their own nose; while others wish to know all there is humanly pos-sible to know about the matter. It is a difference of personality and beliefs. An article that shows dif-fering points of view and possibly

brings them together to prove one particular thesis on the subject is a wonderful idea. Using exploration as a means to learn is a foundation of our university. However, such an article should be presented in a manner that is ap-propriate to an educated realm. This is not to say that the subject should not be discussed, but instead, it should be regarded with the respect it deserves. Please do not misunderstand this as an attack on your opinion, but rather a questioning of your pro-fessionalism in handling your case. That is unless you plan on writing for the tabloids. Then your path is well set. Please include that piece in your portfolio. If you are going to continue writ-ing this series, I ask you to tread more lightly, and in particular, keep in mind your use of language. There is a difference between the neces-sary and the unnecessary. You are writing for a prestigious academic community and remember that cur-rent students are not the only people who read our university’s newspa-per.

- Brianne Jamison

Letter to the editor

Get to know your audience

While I firmly believe plagia-rism is for the birds, some

preachers should have left the hard work to sane people.

Our first victim is Brother Barry. He was a Pentocostal

leader in the mid-1980s (which explains a lot). With catch-

phrases like ‘hellll-uhhh’ and ‘dayumnationnn,’ along with

Michael Jackson-esque dance moves, he’s almost too en-

tertaining. Plus 10 points for speaking in tongues.

To most preachers, the devil gave us Original Sin. But to Rev. Billy of the Church of

Stop Shopping, the devil gave us Mickey Mouse. He even

has a thirty-piece choir behind him to add fuel to his anti-

consumerism flames. I wonder where he bought the wig.

Does this look like the face of a bigot? No -- just a man

who has whiffed a fierce fart. Rev. Al Sharpton, a Baptist

preacher/ civil rights activist, is no stranger to controversy. Between hating Jews, white people and the stink of his

own toots, the Sharp has little time for preaching anymore.

But you don’t have to be racist to think this guy’s a douche.

Nezareth Castillo could be an alien or a midget with a very high voice. This Latin preach-ing sensation salsa-ed onto the ministry scene when he

was 8. He swears up and down that he isn’t an alien. How

many 8-year-olds do you know who use the word ‘infallible?’

NewsThe WichiTanNovember 4, 20094

Intramuralsports

If you lovesports, but you are not

exactly a Division I (or IIor III) athlete, that’s no

reason to give up yourathletic lifestyle. Intramural sports pro-

grams offer a terrific way tomeet people, stay in

shape and have a greattime all in one.

And eventhough fun isthe first rea-son to join anintramuralsports team,being involved inone also can pro-vide broader benefits,even helping toimprove your overallsatisfaction withcollege life.

Accordingto “TheValue ofRecreationalSports in HigherEducation,” a study conducted by theNational Intramural-Recreational SportsAssociation (NIRSA), involvement in recre-ational sports provides a wide range of bene-fits for students, such as:� Improving emotional wellbeing � Reducting stress� Improving happiness� Improving self-confidence� Building character� Aiding in time management skills� Improving leadership skills

… just to name a few. Katherine Otten, editor and assistant direc-

tor of marketing for the NIRSA, said mostschools will have a main recreational facilitywith information on recreational sports.

“Stopping by this facility and talking withstaff there is the best way of getting to knowwhat a school offers,” Otten said. “Many havea staff member dedicated to intramural pro-gramming.”

Otten said the most popular intramuralsports are typically flag football, basketball,soccer and volleyball, though these are cer-tainly not the only sports offered at mostschools.

If you want to scope out the intramuralscene at your school before you arrive oncampus, Otten suggests checking out yourschool’s Web site and searching under recre-ational sports.

Greek lifeGreek life carries a certain stigma with it,

yes — but skeptics, don’t count it out justyet. If you aren’t part of or planning to bepart of any other groups, Greek life can be agreat way to get involved in a group atschool.

“It is a wonderful way tomeet people,” said KrisBridges, a member of the

National PanhellenicConference ExecutiveCommittee and

chairman of theCollege Panhellenics. “Itmakes the college campus

seem a lot smaller tomake those connections

and get to know people.”The thing to keep in mind is

that the experience differs greatlydepending on the school. Greek life

certainly may not be for everyone. If youdetest being surrounded by large groups ofgirls on a regular basis, for example, joining asorority might not be your first choice. If youlove being involved and active and workingin groups, maybe it’s just for you.

Here are a few general recruitment tips forincoming freshmen from thesororitylife.com, a Web site powered by the NPC,though these tips also apply to guys and fra-ternities as well:� Be yourself.� Have genuine and honest conversations.� Spend time really getting to know themembers.� Expose yourself to the chapter experience.� Seek accurate information from the collegeor university.� Look for the group where you feel themost comfortable.� Keep an open mind.� Trust the process.� Have fun.

To learn more about whether Greek life isfor you, you can visit www.thesororitylife.com or www.fraternityinfo.com for generalinformation on sororities and fraternities,respectively.

Student governmentFor aspiring politicos, student government

is a logical choice, and chances are there’s

one at your school.Butch Oxendine, execu-tive director of the

American StudentGovernment

Association, said hisorganization tracks about

5,000 institutions — about4,500 of which have stu-

dent governments.College students often

complain that student govern-ment has little ability to change the

school, but Oxendine says the key is tohave realistic goals.

“Can they build a new parking garagetomorrow? No,” he said. But the governmentmight be able to make smaller changes like

adding a copying machine or extendinglibrary hours, he said.

“Stuff like that, it sounds silly, but for a lotof students, it really matters for their lives.”

Although officer elections are typicallyheld in the spring, many schools elect sena-tors in the fall, he said. The difficulty of win-ning an election depends on the school.

“Some schools go begging for candidates,and you can get elected by being alive,” hesaid. “But at other schools, it’s much harderand you have to campaign aggressively.”

If you want to get a taste of student gov-ernment before running for office, you maybe able to fill an unelected position — as acommittee or cabinet member, for example.

Time commitments vary widely, Oxendinesaid. A student government president at a

large schoolmay spend 40

hours per weekon the position

and may receivemonetary compensa-

tion. Meanwhile, sena-tors can put in just a

few hours aweek.

The makeupof student gov-ernment is dif-

ferent fromschool toschool,

Oxendine said.Governments at large state schools may befull of political science majors prepping for acareer in politics, while at smaller schoolsthey might be made up of nursing majors justlooking to improve the campus, he said.

Clubs and special interest groupsIf Greek life is not for you, you don’t like

sports or have no big dreams for your studentpolitical career, don’t worry — you have notexhausted all your options.

Special interest groups and student clubsare a great way to meet people that shareyour interests that you might not otherwiserun into.

“The best thing to do is to go to a studentorg fair at the beginning of the year,” saidTatum Enslin, a junior at the GeorgeWashington University and stu-dent employee for undergradu-ate admissions.

There you can findanything from chessclub to various reli-gious groups to ball-room dancing soci-eties—the bigger theschool, the more groupsthey are likely to have.

“The first week or twoof freshman year just go tothe first meeting of any and allclubs that you might be interestedin, then choose the ones you reallywant once you experience it all,” Enslin said.

And what if you can’t find a group thatfits your niche?

If somehow you are the only one brilliantenough to realize that what your school reallyneeds is a cheese tasting club or a bird watch-ing group, then you can always take controland start your own.

The process will not be exactly the sameat each school. Enslin suggests that thoseinterested in starting their own group visittheir school’s student activities center to learnabout the proper steps.

Most importantly, don’t be afraid tobranch out. Let’s face it, college might beyour only chance to assemble your own per-sonal army of cheese-tasters — so takeadvantage of it while you can!

Campus media

For motivated students, working for cam-pus media can provide a unique thrill.

“Breaking a story or turning around agreat newspaper creates a feeling that doesnot compare to anything else,” Emily Glazer,editor in chief of The Daily Northwestern atNorthwestern University, wrote in an e-mail.

Whether you’re interested in standing infront of a television camera, sit-ting behind a microphone atthe radio station or grillingsources for the newspa-per, campus mediagive you the chanceto develop your com-munication skills andpick up some valuableprofessional experi-ence.

Campus media comein a variety of flavors.Some college newspapers printdaily; others print weekly ormonthly. Some media organizations receiveschool funds and oversight, while others arecompletely independent.

One of the benefits — and one of the chal-lenges — of working for campus media is alearning experience that can’t be replicated inthe classroom.

“No amount of classroom instruction cantruly prepare someone for the experience ofbeing on the mic and ‘on the air,’” ScottMaxwell, general manager of the Universityof Maryland’s radio station, wrote in an e-mail. “It’s trial by fire — you have to sitdown and simply do it — and that’s how youlearn.”

The work can be time-consuming. AllieGrasgreen, editor in chief of the OregonDaily Emerald at the University of Oregon,estimated the average staff time commitmentis about 25 hours per week. Some mediaorganizations pay their staff, but don’t expectto rake in the cash — most students do it forthe love of the job.

“I wouldn’t be doing it — especially tothis extent — if I didn’t love it,”Northwestern’s Glazer wrote.

F O L I O L I N E M c C l a t c h y - T r i b u n eF O L I O L I N E

COLLEGE SURVIVAL GUIDE 2009: STUDENT ORGANIZATIONSMCCLATCHY-TRIBUNE

By Derby Cox and Dagny Leonard, McClatchy-Tribune

reshman year: a time for new begin-nings, personal growth and awkwardsocial situations.

If you’re like most freshmen, findingyourself in a sea of strangers can be jar-

ring, and making friends is one of the mostimportant things on your mind.

Parties are fun, but it’s hard enough to hearyourself think, let alone get to know anyone elsewith the music thumping. One of the surest ways tofind friends who share your interests is to join stu-dent groups.

At many schools, there’s a group for nearly everyinterest from government to gardening. Keep read-ing to learn about some of the most popular choic-es, as well as how to find more offbeat options orstart your own club.

Student groups are a good way for college freshmen to meet people, adapt to collegiate life

ILLUSTRAT IONS BY ER IC GOODWIN /MCT

News The WichiTanNovember 4, 2009 5

Campus briefsWednesday • MSU/ Sheppard Air Force Base Thanksgiving Food Drive in the resi-dence halls from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.• Counseling Center: Grief Support Group in CSC Atrium at 3:30• Academic Recovery Group in the CSC 108 at 4 p.m.

Thursday • Hispanic Heritage Month events in the CSC until Nov. 5 • Athletic Luncheon and Update at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU at noon • Gallery Talk: Rene Alvarado in the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU at 6 p.m.• Foreign Film Series: Made in the USA at the Kemp Center for the Arts at 7 p.m.

Friday• Alpha Phi Reunion ends on Satur-day • Education Career Fair for MSU Stu-dents in the Don Flatt Gym

Saturday• Holiday Food Drive• Mustangs Rally

Monday• RHA Blood Drive in the CSC Wichita at 11 a.m.• Faculty Forum Series: Charles Dar-win at 200 in CSC Shawnee at 7 p.m.

handbook states in Sec 51.203 that “The primary jurisdiction of a peace officer commissioned un-der this section includes all coun-ties in which property is owned, leased, rented, or otherwise under the control of the institution of high education.” Hagy said MSU police juris-diction is countywide so that of-

ficers can help stop crime that they might see while driving to get food or supplies. “We have a responsibility to take appropriate action,” Hagy said. “We’re all trying to do the same thing.” He said all of his officers have worked in other places than MSU. Most are retired city officers that

just enjoy the line of work. Hagy mentioned that Wichita Falls po-lice often cooperate with campus cops, and many times it can work in students’ advantage. MSU cops may be able to talk WF police out of giving students tickets, he said. “It’s not just a one-way deal,” Hagy said.

Hagy said he doesn’t tell his officers how to delegate their time when they’re on the clock. They’re experienced officers and expects them to use their time wisely. “This is like a small town,” Hagy said. “The police officers are tasked accordingly.”

it, practicing it, there are no obli-gations other than accepting ev-erybody,” Henson said. “Person-ally if you are interested, we’re open to anyone who wants to re-search the idea.”

He would like for the group to help people understand pagan-

ism. “Not just to focus on us but to

integrate us into the community. To answer questions, because we have the resources to answer those questions, and to display that we’re not just a bunch of weirdos, and our views are just as

valid as any,” Henson explained. Though there are only eight

“official” members on the roster, there’s between 12 and 20 people who are considered members but have not been able to attend regu-lar meetings or events.

The Pagan Student Union

meets every Wednesday evening from 7 to 9 p.m.

If students are interested in finding out more information about the P.S.U., they can visit the organization’s website at psumwsu.webs.com.

the Dallas/Ft. Worth area, we got lost. We ended up being 30 min-utes late for our appointment. This made me more anxious and, at the same time, scared. First, I had to literally sign “my life away” before I got to put on the parachute. The contract stated that North Texas Skydiving was not liable for any accidents. The owners made us watch a video of a girl who went skydiving. I started to relax a little after I saw that she survived her jump.

Most people’s first jump is called “tandem,” because they’re strapped to the instructor. This makes things safer in the event you black out or forget to pull the ripcord that opens the chute.

“Are you ready?” the instruc-tor finally asked.

The only thing that came to mind was, “No!” but at that point there was no going back. A re-fund would have been out of the question, not to mention embar-rassing. The next thing I knew, I was strapped into a harness by my instructor. It had so many loops and clips I was a bit lost on exactly what was going where.

Gear on, we lumbered to the plane so he could teach me how to exit it during the jump. He reeled

off a lot of information. I was beginning to get really uneasy even though we were still on the ground. What if I forgot some-thing important? I had a queasy feeling it was all important and I was forgetting most of it.

The next thing I knew I was in the plane, waiting for takeoff. When the wheels lifted off the ground my stomach dropped. I was never scared of flying but it’s a little different when you’re ac-tually planning on staying in the aircraft.

I ventured a glance at the al-timeter. It read 5,000 feet. That’s almost a mile.

Then 6,000 feet. Why am I doing this?

7,000 feet. Is there anyway to back down?

8,000 feet. Is there a bathroom up here?

9,000 feet. Shiiiiiiit! At 10,000 feet, the instructor

yanked my hair band off so my long locks could fly freely once we were airborne. Butterflies flut-tered in my stomach while a jolt of adrenaline coursed through my veins.

“Have fun!” the pilot yelled out. Wordlessly, I stared at him.

At that point the door swung

open and a gust of warm wind slapped me in the face. Famous last thought: I should have put on more deodorant.

Suddenly, my foot caught on something and didn’t want to move. I guess not all of me was ready to go. The instructor nudged me forward.

Now, I was clutching the side of the plane, nothing but the ground below me. I saw the earth as my enemy. All I could see was me splattered on it.

My instructor started shouting, “1…2…” Bam!

A powerful tug. It was a quick thing, as if we’d been sucked out of the plane. Our bodies were tumbling over and over. One back flip. Then another one. I couldn’t make heads from tails. My head or my tail as I somersaulted end over end.

Soon, we leveled out and in the freefall a beautiful Dallas skyline popped into view. My cheeks flapped in the wind. My limbs flailed wildly.

In that wild, watery-eyed mo-ment I spotted the cameraman ahead signaling to me. That’s when the parachute popped open and jerked me for all I was worth. I found myself dangling in the

blue sky. We glided steadily downward,

everything below ant-like and in-significant.

I heard my instructor ask if I wanted to perform a trick. I don’t know why he asked. He did it anyway. A pull on the canopy put our parachute at an angle. We drifted from one side to other side to soar across the heavens.

Breath-taking. The setting sun, a big orange

blob on the horizon, provided a spectacular bonus.

My heart began to pound hard-er as we closed in on the drop zone. It was coming up fast.

Am I going to land on my feet? I wondered. Or fall on my face? With every second, the ground grew ever larger.

A tap on my shoulder, a loud voice in my ear. “Pull!” It was my cue to pull on the canopy as hard as I could so we land safely. My arms strained under the load as we rapidly decelerated.

We landed with a thud in a grassy field next to the air-port. I know it’s a cliché, but the first thing I did was kiss the ground. What a birthday!

SKYDIVING...............................................................................................continued from page 1

POLICE......................................................................................................continued from page 1

PAGAN.......................................................................................................continued from page 1

The other day I made a remark-able discovery while browsing through my iTunes library: the most recent song I had down-loaded was from September.

Since moving here from Fort Worth and living without my radio, I’ve realized how discon-nected I’ve become from the music scene.

Once the initial shock of my out-of-date music collection set in, I decided to peruse the iTunes music homepage, but I kept get-ting more and more upset when I didn’t know any of the songs on the Top 10 downloads and had no clue that some of my favor-ite artists were putting out new albums.

For those who love Michael Jackson, but didn’t make it to

the-aters to see the documentary “This is It,” iTunes has you covered with the sound-track. The soundtrack includes all of the classics and his latest singles.

Taylor Swift junkies are get-ting their fill this week with Tay-lor’s release of “Fearless Plati-num Edition” complete with five

new songs and a piano version of the “I hate Joe Jonas song,” also known as “Forever & Al-ways.” Also in T-Swift news, she teamed up with the band, Boys Like Girls to record a song called “Two is Better than One.”

Being a true Taylor fan, I highly suggest the splurge and purchase all seven new songs.

I’m sure there are some of you who are into music that eleven-year-olds listen too, and if you are, I’m not here to judge, I’m here to give you new music.

There’s a new version of Aar-on Carter who just stepped onto the scene.

His name is Justin Beiber, in his song “One Time,” he sings about love (naturally) and just might prove to the world it will only take one time to serenade the ladies with his high pitched voice.

High School Musical star

Ashley Tisdale has a new single “Crank it Up.” She even did a music video for it, complete with Ashley Tisdale in angel wings and Disney’s version of skimpy clothing.

There are also some “under the radar” artists that are worth checking out out.

First, there’s sister duo Tegan & Sara who just released their new album “Sainthood.” Dal-las native Bryce Avary of The Rocket Summer had a new EP put out just last week titled “You Gotta Believe.”

If you enjoy Christian alterna-tive, I suggest listening to Phil Whickham.

But if this music isn’t your scene there are also new songs from Jesse McCartney, T-Pain, Puddle of Mud and a new single from Britney Spears that might tickle your fancy.

iTunes Top Five Downloads

EntertainmentThe WichiTanNovember 4, 20096

iTunes store offers new tunes for fallCora KuyKendall

For The WichiTan

1. “Fireflies” - Owl City

2. “Replay” - IYAZ

3. “Party in the U.S.A.” - Miley Cyrus

4. “Empire State of Mind” - Jay Z

5. “3” - Britney Spears

Dashboard lauren Wood

enTerTainmenT ediTor

Dashboard Confessional has some bad news.

Due to a family situation that is beyond their control, the band is canceling their upcoming tour with New Found Glory, Never Shout Never, Meg & Dia and Single File.

They are, however, still play-ing with the Louisville Orches-tra on Nov. 7.

According to the band’s Web site, “we don’t take this lightly but family has to come first. As this is a last minute development, we are still figuring out what we will do- as soon as we know, you will know.”

The band apologizes and says they will find a way to make it up to all their fans.

Photo CourtesyChris Carrabba will release his new album, Nov. 7 to stores.

Another season of Fox’s real-ity dance show “So You Think You Can Dance” has begun dancing its way into viewer’s living rooms, however not into everyone’s hearts.

For those unfamiliar with the show, it is pretty much the dance equivalent of “American Idol.”

This is the show’s sixth sea-son, but it’s first to air during the fall. It usually consumes Tues-day and Wednesday nights dur-ing the summer.

The season begins with a cou-ple of episodes of the audition period, then the Top 20 selection where ten guys and ten girls are chosen.

The Top 20 dancers are paired into ten couples and each dance one of the many styles. It rang-es from hip hop to disco to the waltz. Last week aired the first of the elimination rounds, where one guy and one girl was cut from the show.

All of this is usual. The talent and quality of dancers however, is not.

For the first time, the show has a krumper, three tap dancers, a married couple and some re-ally young (and annoying) con-testants.

Personally, season four was the best season, and since it aired, nothing seems to match that quality of dancing.

For those who tuned in, it was when Joshua and Katee were the top contenders. It had memora-ble dances, four of which were nominated for Emmy’s.

It had amazing talent, a vari-ety of dances and overall down-to-earth contestants who were generally likeable.

Last season, however, was a little disappointing. The top four

So you think you can’t dance

When the weekend’s box-office grosses were revealed in Monday’s papers, we know - as if there were any doubt - “Michael Jackson’s This Is It” hit No. 1 with $23 million.

There isn’t much compe-tition. The Sony/Columbia film, which was released last Wednesday and shows the King of Pop rehearsing in Los Angeles for a series of come-back concerts shortly before his death, scared away most other studios from releas-ing their own products. Once again, Jackson has the field to himself.

At a pre-release screen-ing in Manhattan, however, the audience initially seemed unsure how to react. “This Is It,” directed by Kenny Ortega, Jackson’s concert director and creative collaborator, is not a polished final product. While rehearsing, Jackson often runs at low gear to conserve his energy. Songs stop and start without the usual smooth seg-ues. And one sound is notice-ably absent: the roar of an ex-cited crowd.

But as the film progresses, it becomes clear that these raw images of Jackson would nev-

Jackson’s ‘This Is It’ a hit in the box office

rafer Guzmán

mcT

Photo CourtesyMichael Jackson lives on his new film “This is It.”

Photo Courtesy“This Is It” grossed over $23 million this past weekend.

er have been made public had the concerts come to pass. “This Is It” shows how rigorously and tire-lessly the entertainer worked to create the fa-cade he presented to the public.

Though not entirely free of music-industry puffery - Jackson’s death is never explicitly men-tioned - “This Is It” makes the man seem hu-man for the first time in a long while.

Sony/Columbia has promised a limited, two-week run, perhaps hoping to create the kind of see-him-now urgency that would have surrounded the actual con-certs.

Whether the film gets held

over for a while, “This Is It” probably will be watched by music fans for years to come.

Music Update:

Confessional cancels tour

lauren Wood

enTerTainmenT ediTor

Photo Courtesy“So You Think You Can Dance” airs on the Fox net-work on Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7.

dancers were not all that great. Yes, they were talented in their own style, but were not very ver-satile.

Evan especially struggled throughout the season with the dances, but somehow remained in the competition.

Toward the end of last season, especially when it was down to the top four, it was obvious who was going to take home the title.

This time, even though it has only just begun, it feels like it is going to be another disappoint-ing season.

There are some really talented dancers, but a rare few.

One of them turned up absent on last week’s episode, forcing him to leave the competition for good.

They have a couple of 18-year-olds who need to mature and dance in a more advanced fash-ion than like a sixth grade dance team members they portray.

Specifically, Molly. She acts like she is in grade

school and can not portray sexy at all.

We are not asking her to dance

in an obscene manner or any-thing, but dance like an experi-enced performer.

The tappers are extremely gifted in their own style, but struggle to excel in other dances and it is not too certain they will advance too far in the competi-tion.

However they seem to have a lot of personality, which seems to carry contestants far in this compeitition.

The show however, is in search for America’s favorite dancer, not the best dancer.

Again, last season reflected that greatly when Evan was in the top four, but when Joshua and Katee won the season be-fore, they were the best dancers as well as the favorites.

Hopefully, as the show pro-gresses, the dancers will grow each week, proving to America why they deserve the title of America’s Favorite Dancer, advancing in talent as well as showing America they actually have personalities, not just flex-ible bodies.

But let’s not hold our breaths.

Photo CourtesyTwitch, Katee, Courtney and Joshua were the top four contestants of “So You Think You Can Dance” during season four.

Despite the tour set-back, Dashboard still plans to release their new album “Alter the Ending,” on Nov. 10.

This is the band’s sixth album, but will be offered in two different versions.

Both albums hold the same songs, except one will be more powerful electric rock, where as the other deluxe ver-sion will also contain a more acoustic sound of the same songs.

Fans will be able to purchase both versions of this new release, however, the deluxe edition will cost an ad-ditional $3.

“My Sister’s Keeper”Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate - a life and a role that she has never questioned… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister - and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable… a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves.

Jodi Picoult, who also wrote “My Sister’s

Keeper,” has again created a complex, yet compel-ling story in her 14th novel, “Nineteen Minutes.”

This book takes an emotional topic and creates a story that allows the reader to experience and feel for every character – even the person who goes from unknown child to notorious murderer in 19 minutes.

In the first pages of the novel, Picoult introduces the reader to a handful of characters including a secretly depressed girl, her oblivious and strug-gling mother and an unhappy and troubled boy. The story then transforms into a page-turning tale where Picoult ventures to discuss the serious and sensitive issues of bullies and the consequences of high school humiliation.

The main character is Peter Houghton, a teen-age boy who has struggled to overcome bullying his whole life. People have never understood him and he has always been a target.

This inability to overcome teasing leads to Pe-ter’s split-second decision to pack a gun, a terrify-ing 19 minutes of fight and a lifetime of torture for those left behind.

In those 19 minutes of struggle, ten are dead and 19 are injured. The quaint town of Sterling, New Hampshire will never be the same.

Through flashbacks, conversations and some narration, Picoult spins a world of uncertainty,

intolerance, panic, and relief from the perspec-tive of Alex, a mother, who is also a judge, Josie, a student, who wants to be a friend and Peter, the shooter, who just could not belong.

Picoult also allows the reader to see inside Pe-ter’s life, including focusing on his mother, and all she must go through in the court process.

This novel permits the reader to see how people are affected in a situation of this magnitude.

It makes one think of Columbine and what those students went through. It also makes one ponder the thought of what you would do if it happened to your school.

Most of us will be fortunate enough not to have to face such moments of horror as the characters do in this novel, however, some know exactly what some of the characters went through.

We are able to understand a little more about the psychology of depression, rage and isolation involved in a school shooting thanks to Picoult’s extensive research and the story she puts together with care and sensitivity. It allows the reader to become more aware on a topic that, unfortunately, is rarely discussed.

I highly recommend “Nineteen Minutes” for ev-ery Picoult fan. It is also a great book to introduce a new Picoult reader to.

This novel does an amazing job at portraying vivid imagery, using character development, and exhibiting research typical of this author’s work.

Entertainment The WichiTanNovember 4, 2009 7

$25.00 INSTANT CREDITTO NEW MEMBERS

STUDENTS RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL

10% OFF PRODUCTS

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Lauren Wood

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a high school shootingPicoult’s ‘Nineteen Minutes’ fires out a tale of

Book Review:

Other Jodi Picoult Novels:“Change of

Heart”

“The Tenth Circle”

“Handle with Care”

“Vanishing Acts”

“Perfect Match”

“Plain Truth”“Keeping Faith”

“The Pact”

“Salem Falls”

“Mercy”

“Picture Perfect”

“Harvesting the Heart”

“Songs of the Humpback

Whale”

“Second Glance”A developer has slated an ancient Abenaki In-dian burial ground for a strip mall, and now strange happenings have tiny Comtosook, Vermont, talking of supernatural forces at work. Ross Wakeman is a ghost hunter who’s never seen a ghost-all he’s searching for is something to end the pain of losing his fiance Aimee in a car accident. Searching the site for signs of the paranormal, Ross meets the mysterious Lia, who sparks him to life for the first time in years. But the discoveries that await Ross are beyond any-thing he could dream of in this world-or the next.

A Conversation with Jodi Picoult about “Nineteen Minutes”What drew you to the subject of school shootings •for the premise of a novel?

As a mom of three, I’ve seen my own children struggle with fitting in, and being bullied. It was listening to their experiences, and my own frustrations, that led me to consider the topic. I also kept thinking about how it’s not just in high school where we have this public persona that might be different from what we truly feel inside…everyone wonders if they’re good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, no matter how old they are. It’s an archetypical moral dilemm do you act like yourself, and risk becoming an outcast? Or do you pretend to be someone you’re not, and hope no one finds out you’re faking?

Did you have the surprise ending in mind when you began writing “Nineteen •Minutes,” or did it evolve later in the process?

As with all my books, I knew the ending before I wrote the first word.

You’re the author of fourteen novels. As you write more and more books, is •it harder to come up with ideas? How do you know when an idea is the right one?

The right idea is the one you can’t stop thinking about; the one that’s in your head first thing in the morning. The ideas choose me, not the other way around. And as for a shortage (I’m knocking on wood, here) I haven’t faced that yet. I could tell you what the next four books I’m writing will address.

You once remarked about your previous novel, “My Sister’s Keeper,” that •“there are so many shades of gray in real life.” How might this statement also apply to “Nineteen Minutes?”

It’s funny you should compare “Nineteen Minutes” to “My Sister’s Keeper” because I see them as very similar books – they are both very emotional, very gut-wrenching, and they’re situations that every parent dreads. And like the moral and ethical complications of MSK, you have a kid in “Nineteen Minutes” who does something that, on the surface, is absolutely devastating and destructive and will end the lives of others. But – given what these characters have endured – can you blame them? Do I condone school shootings? Absolutely not. But I can understand why a child who’s been victimized might feel like he’s justified in fighting back. I also think it’s fascinating to look at how two good parents might find themselves with a child they do not recognize – a child who does something they can’t swallow. Do you stop loving your son just because he’s done something horrible? And if you don’t, do you start hating yourself? There are so many questions in “Nineteen Minutes” – it’s one big gray area to wallow in with your book group!

In the Acknowledgements section, you write: “To the thousands of kids out •there who are a little bit different, a little bit scared, a little bit unpopular: this one’s for you.” What might readers, particularly younger readers, take from this book and apply to their own lives?

If I could say one thing to the legions of teens out there who wake up every morning and wish they didn’t have to go to school, it would be this – and I’m saying it as both a mom and a writer: Stay the course. You WILL find someone like you; you

WILL fit in one day. And know that even the cool kids, the popular kids, worry that someone will find out their secret: that they worry about fitting in, just like you do.

Source: Jodi Picoult Web site

SportsThe WichiTanNovember 4, 20098

42 Percentage of MSU students from Wichita County.

$385

* Free Wi-Fi

Zack Eskridge passed for a career-high 356 yards and a touchdown to lead 13th-ranked Midwestern State to a 50-17 win over Eastern New Mexico Sat-urday night at Greyhound Sta-dium.

The Mustangs, who improved to 8-2 on the season and to 3-2 in the Lone Star Conference’s South Division, scored on seven of their last eight possessions to turn a 10-10 contest into a 33-point blowout.

“It was one of those games that we had a ton of mistakes,” MSU coach Bill Maskill said. “We somehow found a way to overcome them. For that, I’m excited for our football team.”

The Mustangs play host to Abilene Christian in the regular season finale Saturday night at Memorial Stadium with a likely berth in the NCAA Division II postseason on the line. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

Midwestern committed 15 penalties for 173 yards and turned the ball over on two fumbles in-

cluding once inside the red zone early in the second half.

Eastern New Mexico man-aged 458 yards of total offense as sophomore quarterback J.J. Harp passed for 403 yards and two touchdowns including a 2-yard connection with Chase Keyser 3:55 before halftime to knot the game at 10-10.

It was all Midwestern after that as junior running back Neal Carr gave the Mustangs a 17-10 halftime lead after linebacker Matt Ellerbrock sacked Harp and forced a fumble with 1:22 remaining.

The Mustangs kept momen-tum as Eskridge connected with Sheldon Galloway on a 16-yard scoring strike to cap a six-play, 67-yard drive to start the second half and push the advantage to 24-10.

Midwestern was on the way into the end zone again on its next, but ENMU’s Tillman Ste-vens forced Eskridge to fumble on the 4-yard line giving the Greyhounds life.

But the Mustangs forced the ‘Hounds into a three-and-out and MSU score on the next six

possessions.Junior Jose Martinez connect-

ed on a 34-yard field in the first half, and then connected on field goals from 40 and 32 yards out in the second half.

Carr added his second TD run of the game with a 2-yard score with 12:46 remaining in the fourth quarter before Eskridge dove in from 2 yards out with 10:29 go after senior cornerback Micah Hill intercepted Harp and returned the ball 65 yards to the ENMU 5-yard line.

Brandon Kelsey close out scoring with a 73-yard burst as time expired.

MSU pounded out 300 rush-ing yards to help the Mustangs control a 38:13 to 21:47 advan-tage in time of possession as Midwestern limited the Grey-hounds to just 10 points despite surrendering 458 total offense yards.

Senior BeeJay Mathis paced the ground game with 100 yards on 14 carries and added 65 more on five receptions, while Kelsey added 69 more on two carries and Eskridge had 50 yards on

eight attempts.It was the first time MSU

eclipsed 300 rushing yards since running for 467 yards against Abilene Christian in the 2007 season finale.

The Mustangs also rolled up a season high 656 yards of to-tal offense which were the most since the 2007 squad went for 666 yards against East Central on Sep. 22, 2007. The offensive explosion rates as the sixth-best in program history.

Senior wideout Andy Tanner turned in his fourth 100-yard re-ceiving game of the season with 105 yards on six receptions, while Galloway finished with 85 yards on seven receptions.

Safeties Antwon Dixon, Ryan Craven and Danny Jackson led the defense with eight tackles each, while senior defensive end Stephen Turner had a pair of sacks and pass breakup.

The loss extended Eastern New Mexico’s skid to six games as the Greyhounds fell to 2-8 on the season and 0-6 in the LSC South.

MSUMUStangS.coM

For The WichiTan

Mustangs pummel Eastern New Mexico, 50-17

Senior running back BeeJay Mathis rushed for 100 yards and caught five passes for 65 more Saturday night against ENMU. (Photo by Patrick Johnston)

Men’s Soccer clinches LSC title with 4-1 win over Northeastern

Craig Sutherland’s two goals was all it took as MSU went on to beat St. Thomas Friday night at the MSU Soccer Field.

After missing much of the first half of the season with an injury, Sutherland has now recorded points in six-straight matches, including three goals in his last two matches after dishing out as-sists in four-straight games. Last season he led the South Central region with 17 goals and five as-sists as a redshirt freshman.

“If Craig gets focused and blocks out officiating calls and bad passes and is a team player, he can be special,” MSU coach Doug Elder said. “When’s he’s about to get his head straight and coming out concentrat-ing on what he needs to do for us to win, he’s awesome. He’s definitely done that the last two games.”

Sutherland scored on a

through ball from Kyle Hyden in 8th minute and then converted a direct kick at the top of the 18-yard box in the 76th minute as he accounted for all of the Mus-tangs scoring against the Celts.

MSU dominated the match by outshooting St. Thomas 23-5 in-cluding a 12-0 edge in shots on goal.

Junior goalkeeper Raul Her-rera picked up his 11th shutout of the season.

Midwestern improved to 12-1-2 on the season and extended its unbeaten string to 20 matches as they have posted a 17-0-3 mark since falling to West Texas A&M in the final game of the 2007 regular season.

On Sunday, the Mustangs cel-ebrated Senior Day with a 4-1 win over Northeastern State at the MSU Soccer Field.

The win clinches at least a share of the Lone Star Confer-ence championship for the Mus-tangs, who finish the regular sea-son at 13-1-3 overall and 4-0-2

in conference. MSU, who doesn’t play next

week, with take its fourth-straight conference title outright if Northeastern State can pull out a victory over West Texas A&M on Sunday in Canyon.

The Mustangs will then await the NCAA Division II Selection Show which is set for Monday, Nov. 10 at 6 p.m.

The top two teams from the South Central Region and the top two sides from the Central Region (Rocky Mountain Ath-letic Conference) will meet at the site of the Central Region’s top-ranked team on the weekend of Nov. 13.

Senior Tyler Murphy tapped in a rebound in the eighth minute after Bryan Sajjadi blasted a shot off NSU goalkeeper Matt Mur-rell to give MSU a 1-0 lead.

Then Nick Auditore com-pleted a nice combination in the midfield as Kyle Hyden threaded a pass to Reid Schmitt who fed it to Sajjadi at the top of the box.

Kaitlin MorriSon

SporTS ediTor

Craig Sutherland scored his second and third goals of the season Friday to lead MSU to a 2-0 win over St. Thomas. (Photo by Patrick Johnston)

The Midwestern State vol-leyball team took to the court for two games this weekend that could make or break their post-season hopes.

On Thursday the Mustangs

played Texas A&M Commerce, but fell short in a heartbreaking, five set loss- 21-25, 20-25, 25-23, 25-17, 16-14.

Despite the loss, sophomore libero Kiara Jordan had a re-cord setting night. She dug her way into the MSU record books when she finished the game with

50 digs.The 5-4 Gilmer, Texas native

posted the second-best dig per-formance in NCAA Division II this season falling just two shy of Central Arkansas’ Crystal Roberts, who posted 52 digs against East Texas Baptist on Sep. 8, 2009.

It was the fourth most in NCAA Division II since rally scoring was adopted in 2001 as Central Missouri’s Katie Tarka had 57 against Drury on Oct. 3, 2003 and Washburn’s Erica Cowhick had 51 against Pitts-burg State (Kan.) on Sep. 13, 2006.

Jordan’s performance was easily the best in the Lone Star Conference this season best Texas A&M-Commerce’s Lau-ren Flynn’s 40-dig effort against Central Oklahoma last Thurs-day.

Jordan easily outdistanced Tina Bradford (Nov. 11, 1995 vs. Harding (Ark.)) and Beth Sadler (Oct. 31, 1996 vs. Texas A&M-Commerce) for the school record.

Jordan had 16 of her digs in the opening set as the Mustangs rolled out to wins in the first two sets before the Lions roared back to take the last three to claim the victory.

Jordan was named Lone Star Conferece Defensive Player of

the Week after her historical per-formance. This is Jordan’s third Defensive Player of the Week honor this season.

Sophomore outside hitter Miranda Byrd led the MSU at-tack with 18 kills, while Hillary White finished with 13 and Ses-ley Graves added 10 kills of her own.

Lauren Bayer finished the night with seven total blocks, while White added four.

Four different players posted double-doubles for the Mus-tangs, including sophomore set-ter Dimery Michaels (26 set as-sists, 16 digs), freshman setter Kimberly Jeffrey (21 set assists, 10 digs), Byrd (18 kills, 12 digs) and White (13 kills, 13 digs).

Kaitlin MorriSon

SporTS ediTor

Volleyball needs one win for third trip to LSC Tournament

Sports The WichiTanNovember 4, 2009 9

Midwestern State played a must-win game against Abilene Christian Friday night at the MSU Soccer Field.

The aggressive Mustangs scored two goals in the opening five minutes of the second half to get a big 3-0 win over ACU.

“We made a few adjustments trying to get our midfield pinch-ing in,” MSU coach Jeff Trimble said. “That and the increase in intensity was the difference in the game.”

Kat Bernick headed in a cor-ner kick off of the boot of Kari Bristow as she set te new pro-gram record for career assists with 22.

“That was a great goal to start it off,” Trimble said. “She played a great defensive game and for her to get that goal was special.”

After that, sophomore forward Kelsey Hill took over ad scored seventh and eighth goals of the season in the 56th and 65th min-utes. ‘

Hill took control of the ball in

the midfield and tucked a shot just under the cross bar in the upper corner past a diving ACU keeper.

She then converted a nice serve by Brittany O’Neal for a sliding goal in the 65th minute to give MSU the commanding lead.

All of this was after ACU held Midwestern without a shot in the opening half.

In the second half, the Mus-tangs had 12 shots with nine on goal.

Abilene Christian fell to 10-6-2 and 5-3-2.

On Sunday, MSU celebrated Senior Day and was hoping to celebrate a win after the game.

But despite a dominating per-formance by the Mustangs, An-gelo State spoiled their hopes and left the MSU Soccer Field with a 1-0 win.

“We expect to get shutouts and we expect to score goals,” MSU coach Jeff Trimble said. “If we would have done either of those things, there would have been a different result.”

Midwestern State outshot ASU by a 22-6 margin and had a

goal waved off in the 33rd minute after Lindsay Pritchard tapped in a rebound to give the Mustangs an apparent 1-0 lead.

But Pritchard was ruled off-side to delete the goal.

Midwestern kept solid pos-session throughout much of the 90 minutes of play, but the Rambelles were able to piece together a counterattack in the 60th minute.

ASU senior Skylar Searles fed a ball forward to Brandie De-Backer, who found Lauren Car-nes for her first collegiate goal to provide the difference.

breaking free on the left wing The Rambelles end the season with a 10-9 record and to 4-6 in the LSC.

he Mustangs (12-4-2, 6-4) slipped to a No. 4 seed in this week’s Lone Star Conference Women’s Soccer Championship which will be played The Pitch on the campus of West Texas A&M in Canyon, Texas begin-ning on Thursday.

MSU will face Abilene Chris-tian in the opening round Thurs-day at 2:30 p.m.

Sophomore Kelsey Hill scored two goals to lead Midwestern State to a 3-0 win over Abilene Christian Friday night at the MSU Soccer Field. (Photo by Patrick Johnston)

Angelo State spoilsMustangs’ Senior Day

Kaitlin Morrison

SporTS ediTor

Time to hop back on the New Jersey Turnpike. Or Amtrak. Whatever. This World Series is headed back to New York.

With A.J. Burnett failing to get an out in the third inning, Chase Utley continuing to terrorize pitchers and Cliff Lee just good enough, the Yankees couldn’t close out the Series on Monday night, rallying late before falling to the Phillies, 8-6, in Game 5.

The Yankees trailed 8-2 after seven innings but scored three times in the eighth and twice had the tying run at the plate in the ninth. But Derek Jeter hit into a double play, and after Johnny Damon singled, Mark Teixeira struck out to end it.

Joe Girardi said after the game that if Andy Pettitte feels up to it physically, he’ll take the mound on three days’ rest in Game 6 and try to help the Yankees _ still with a three-games-to-two lead _ win title No. 27. He’ll go against Pedro Martinez, who al-lowed three runs in six innings-plus in taking the Game 2 loss. It will be the first Game 6 of a World Series since 2003.

Utley, who drove in four runs, slammed two home runs in

Game 5 to give him five in the Series, tying Reggie Jackson’s record set in 1977. His first one was a three-run shot in the first inning that erased any good feel-ings the Yankees might have had about getting an earned run off Lee in the top of the first.

Burnett, pitching on three days’ rest, was gone after facing four batters in the third without recording an out. He went two innings-plus, allowing six runs, four hits and four walks.

“I had a chance to do some-thing special tonight and I failed,” he said. “I let a lot of guys in here down and I let a city down. The positive thing you take from tonight is these guys, they don’t stop. They played their heart out tonight for nine innings. Unfortunately, I didn’t give us a chance to win from the first inning.”

Said Girardi: “Well, if we would have pitched today, we probably would have won. A.J. struggled today. That’s some-thing that happens in the game of baseball.”

Lee entered the game 3-0 this postseason, having allowed two earned runs in 33 1/3 innings, a 0.54 ERA. He had given up 20 hits and three walks for a 0.69 WHIP, with 30 strikeouts.

Lee had held the Yankees to six hits, no walks and no earned runs in nine innings in Game 1, a 6-1 Phillies victory. The Yankees were 6-for-32 and struck out 10 times against him in that game, and they didn’t do much better through seven innings in Game 5, going 4-for-25.

Then, with the Phillies lead-ing 8-2, Damon led off the eighth with a single and Teixeira and Alex Rodriguez followed with doubles on consecutive pitches to make it 8-4. A-Rod’s two-run double off Lee gave him a franchise-record 18 RBIs in 14 games this postseason. He wound up scoring on Robinson Cano’s sacrifice fly off Chan Ho Park.

Jorge Posada led off the ninth against Ryan Madson with a double off the rightfield wall and went to third on pinch hit-ter Hideki Matsui’s single to left. But Jeter grounded into a 6-4-3 double play, with a run scoring. Damon singled to keep the in-ning alive, but Teixeira struck out swinging.

With Damon on first and two outs in the first inning, Rodri-guez doubled down the right-field line to make it 1-0, giving him his fifth two-out RBI hit of the postseason.

EriK Broland

McT

Can Utley be Most ValuablePlayer if Phillies lose Series?

Midwestern State remained at No. 2 in the South Central Re-gion Tuesday when the NCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Com-mittee released its final weekly rankings.

Championship selection is set for Monday, Nov. 10 and will be broadcasted live via Web stream-ing on NCAA.com beginning at 6 p.m.

The top two teams from the South Central Region and top two sides from the Central Re-gion will meet at the site of the Central Region’s top team on the weekend of Nov. 13.

The winner will then advance to the NCAA II national quar-terfinals the following weekend against the West Region winner for the right to compete in the

Final Four.The Mustangs (13-1-3), who

are currently riding a 16-match unbeaten streak, stayed second in the region claiming a 2-0 win over NAIA St. Thomas last Friday before clinching at least a share of their fourth-straight conference title with a 4-1 win over Northeastern State Sunday at the MSU Soccer Field.

Midwestern State is idle this week, while the South Central Region’s top-ranked West Texas A&M Buffs (12-1-2) close the regular season by playing host to Northeastern State Sunday in Canyon.

Truman (Mo.) (10-2-1) and In-carnate Word (Texas) (7-7-2) fill out the South Central rankings at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively.

Fort Lewis (Colo.) (17-1-0) tops the Central Region fol-lowed by Colorado Mines (14-2-

3), Metro State (Colo.) (11-5-2) and Regis (Colo.) (8-5-4).

The West Region is led by Cal State-Los Angeles (17-2-1) followed by Sonoma State (Calif.) (12-3-4), Cal State-San Bernardino (14-4-1), Cal State-Dominguez Hills (13-5-1), St. Martin’s (Calif.) (9-3-0) and Se-attle Pacific (Wash.) (10-5-3).

Midwestern State will most likely begin the NCAA Division II postseason on Thursday, Nov. 12 at the site of the top-rated team from the Central Region.

This week Midwestern State also jumped ahead in the nation-al polls to No. 9.

They are behind their nemesis West Texas A&M, who is ranked in the No. 5 postition.

MSU is idle this week await-ing the results of the Champion-ship selection show.

Men’s Soccer stays at No. 2MsUMUstangs.coM

For The WichiTan

Despite three-straight blowout wins, Midwestern State slipped three spots to seventh in the lat-est Super Regional Four Rank-ings released Monday afternoon by the NCAA Division II Na-tional Football Committee.

Despite obtaining the pro-gram’s best national ranking since entering NCAA Division II in 1995, the Mustangs would miss the playoffs if the season ended today.

As a consolation, MSU would most likely be playing in the in-augural Kanza Bowl on Dec. 5 in Topeka, Kan. against a mem-ber of the Mid-America Intercol-legiate Athletic Association.

The rankings determine post-season seeding as the top six teams in each of the four super regions advance to the NCAA Division II playoffs.

Super Region Four is com-prised of the Lone Star Confer-ence, Mid-America Intercolle-giate Athletic Association and the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Central Washington (10-0) and Northwest Missouri State (9-1) maintained the top two po-sitions, but the rest of the rank-ings were in complete flux.

Tarleton State (9-1) moved from sixth to third followed by Abilene Christian, who moved from seventh to fourth, while Missouri Western dropped from third to fifth and Central Mis-souri jumped from No. 9 to No. 6.

That group of six teams would advance to the playoffs if the season ended today.

Central Washington and Northwest Missouri would re-

ceive first-round byes, while Central Missouri would travel to Tarleton State and Missouri Western would play at Abilene Christian.

Midwestern State (8-2), Texas A&M-Kingsville (8-2), Wash-burn (Kan.) (7-3) and Angelo State (6-4) hold down the Nos. 7-10 spots, respectively.

MSu claimed it’s highest na-tional ranking when it reached No. 9 in the American Football Coaches’ Association.

The Mustangs have received at least a vote in 43 of the last 44 AFCA polls dating back to the 2006 season and have carried a ranking in each of the last eight weeks this season.

The Mustangs host Abilene Christian in the regular season finale Saturday at Memorial Sta-dium. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

MSU drops despite big win

SportsThe WichiTanNovember 4, 200910

Tuesday

On Deck this

week...

ThursdayNovember 5

Women’s Soccer

vs. Abilene Christian*2:30 p.m.

Volleyball@Southwestern

Oklahoma6 p.m.

SaturdayNovember 7

Cross CountryNCAA South

Central Regionals

(Abilene, TX)

Football vs. Abilene Christian

1 p.m.

Men’s Basketball@UTSA

(Exhibition)7 p.m.

Volleyball@UCO7 p.m.

SaturdayOctober 17

Cross Country

@Lone Star Conference

Championships(Canyon, Texas)

Volleyball

vs. West Texas A&M

2 p.m.

Football

vs. Texas A&M Kingsville

8 p.m.

Home Events are bolded

* LSCWomen’s Soccer

Championships(Canyon,

Texas)

Mustangs to watch...

Men’sSoccer

Midwestern State’s Tyler Murphy was named to

the ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District 6 team as released Monday by the College Sports Information

Director of America.Murphy, a biology major

from Winfield, British Columbia, carries a 3.96

grade-point average.The two-time Southwest

Soccer Conference Academic Player of the

Year has tallied six goals and eight assists while

appearing in 70 matches as a midfielder and defender

during his four years at MSU.

Football

Midwestern State’s Jose Martinez garnered Lone Star Conference South Division Special Teams Player of the

Week honors Monday morning when the league

announced its weekly awards.

The junior kicker tied a school record with three

field goals and accounted for 12 points to help No. 13 Midwestern State to a 50-17 win over Eastern New Mexico Saturday

night at Greyhound Stadium.

The Wichita Falls Hirschi High School product

connected on field goals of 34, 40 and 32 yards and was perfect on his

three PAT attempts.Martinez is MSU’s career leader in field goals made

(30), PATs made (116) and kicking points scored

(206).

94318-Midwestern State University-8x15-4C-10.7

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The Midwestern State Univer-sity Mustangs basketball team had a balanced team effort in a 90-68 win over Wayland Baptist in exhibition play Monday night at D. L. Ligion Coliseum.

All five starters were in dou-ble figures, led by senior Craig Green who had 17 points to go with his seven rebounds and sev-en assists.

Senior Michael Godwin added 15 points and seven rebounds, while senior transfer Rashad Austin added a double-double by finishing with 12 points and 11 rebounds after scoring only two points in the opening half. Junior Charlie Logan had 14 points and

five rebounds off the bench. MSU got off to a hot start in

the first half as the built a 30-15 lead on a Green three-pointer with 8:15 left to play.

But WBU came storming back and finished the half on a 20-10 run to make the score

40-35 at the half.The Mustangs erupted for a

20-2 run at the beginning of the second half fueled by the big man trio of Austin, Godwin and Logan.

Austin, a senior transfer from Bradley University, kick started the run with a turnaround jumper in the lane before senior guard Chris Hagen canned a trey from the left wing to push the advan-tage to 45-36.

The Mustang defense came

thru in the second half, led by newcomer Jason Ebie who had four of his five steals in the sec-ond half, as MSU held WBU to just 38.5% from the field in the second half.

Midwestern continues exhibi-tion play on Saturday, when they travel to the University of Texas San Antonio. They open the sea-son on November 15th against Trinity College at the Recreation and Convocation Center on the campus of St. Edward’s Univer-sity in Austin.

The Mustangs are the favor-ites to repeat as Lone Star Con-ference South Division champi-ons after going 25-7 last season which included a trip to the South Central Regionals.

Mustangs open up exhibition play with a 90-68 winAlex NixoN

For The WichiTan

Craig Green had 17 points, seven rebounds and seven as-sists to lead MSU to a 90-68 win over Wayland Baptist. (Photo by Patrick Johnston)

Newcomer Josh Hagan finished with 14 points in MSU’s exhibi-tion win Monday night, (Photo by Patrick Johnston)