On the west side of Texas Wesleyan’shistorical campus stands a building manyundergrads might not be too familiar with(besides the fact that it seems as if its park-ing lot is the only one that ever has amplespace). Many have wondered what Wesleyanis cooking up in that cozy corner, and nowit’s becoming more evident as the GraduatePrograms of Nurse Anesthesia grows in sizeand popularity.

The GPNA building is located at the cor-ner of 1000 Wesleyan and Avenue B. Thefacility opened in fall 2003, and the buildingis equipped with two classrooms, adminis-trative offices, a human simulator laboratoryand a lecture hall.

It is also the home of the university’snew doctorate-level program. The curricu-lum is a collaborative effort between GPNAand the school of business. The DNAPrequires students to take business coursesgeared towards the business end of nurseanesthesia. These classes include healthorganization, health care law and clinicalbusiness planning.

The Doctorate of Nurse AnesthesiaPractice is accredited by the Council onAccreditation of Nurse AnesthesiaEducational Programs. The accreditationprocess requires self-evaluation as well asclose scrutiny by a team of reviewers.Wesleyan’s program completed the officialrecognition, but it will have to undergoanother one as it begins to graduate its firststudents.

“The DNAP adds the first doctoratelevel program at the main historic campus,”said Dr. Ricardo Rodriguez, associate direc-tor of the DNAP. “It gives the universitymore exposure and expands the offers ofdegrees at the doctoral level.”

The new degree program provides mas-ter-level nurse anesthetists, or CRNAs(Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists), anadvanced education leading to a doctoraldegree. The program is designed to furtherthe students’ scientific understanding con-cerning disease processes and treatments

October 1, 2008 Vol. 101, No. 5Fort Worth, Texas

The RamblerThe students’ voice since 1917

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

NEWS BRIEFS Texas Wesleyanbegins accredited

Doctorate ofNurse Anesthesia

Admissions’ efforts evidentin fall enrollment increase

2008 Best of Fort Worth

Gamma Sigma Sigmahosts movie night

Gay Straight Alliance

Voter registration deadline and early voting

ALYSSUM POWERSTAFF WRITER

Total university enrollment increased by3.7 percent this fall, according to PatiAlexander, vice president of enrollment andstudent services. A total of 2,171 studentspopulate the main campus this semester,with a total of 750 new undergraduate, grad-uate and doctoral students contributing tothat sum.

The influx of new students is largely theresult of the hard work of Director ofAdmissions Holly Kiser and the admissionsteams.

“Kiser is the best director of admissionswe’ve had in my 24 years here,” saidAlexander. “She believes in cross-trainingher staff including working with the academ-ic areas, which has really turned out to be aproductive strategy.”

The admissions staff, all of whom havebeen in that department for well more than ayear, engages each year in re-writing recruit-ing materials based on the previous year’sresults and feedback, getting alumni and fac-ulty involved in recruitment and hosting

sneak previews and open house. Alexandersaid their outstanding efforts have stream-lined consistent results.

This year, new undergraduate enrollmentgrew 5 percent over fall 2007.

There are 44 more transfer students whochose Wesleyan this fall than in 2007, bring-ing the total number of new transfers up to283. This group includes masses fromTarrant County College and the ever-grow-ing Hill College.

Both the Burleson campus and the lawschool reaped an increase in student popula-tion as well.

A total of 31 new students descendedupon the Burleson campus this semester, thebreakdown revealing 16 new undergrad stu-dents and 15 graduate students.

The law school boasts 45 new students.As compared to the 766 total enrollment lastfall, 811 law students are currently preparingfor their futures under Wesleyan instruction.

“We are very pleased with the resultsfrom Burleson and the law school,”Alexander said. “They’re doing a great job.”

According to the enrollment data pub-lished on the university Web site, graduate

TIARA NUGENTEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SportsRam cheerleaders and competitive dance team earnrecognition for their efforts. Read about their suc-cesses and thier bid for national competition. Page 5

EntertainmentDoes love indeed conquer all? Findout in a review of Howard Deutch’sMy Best Friend’s Girl. Page 6

See Nurse, page 2

Dr. Gladys Childs, university chaplain, spon-sored See You at the Pole Sept. 24 on the mall.Students and staff gathered for a time of fel-lowship, prayer and reflection. Students inmore than 20 countries take part in the eventworldwide. See You at the Pole is not a demon-stration, political rally nor a stand for oragainst anything, it is simply a time of prayer.The event is scheduled annually on the fourthWednesday of September. The chaplain’s officewill also sponsor the annual spring break mis-sion trip to Mexico.

Like clockwork every year, the members of Student Government Association participate in a fall projectgeared towards beautifying the school and benefitting the student body in some way. Past projects includebuying couches to put in the student union building and constructing a wireless bar, which is also located inthe SUB. They’re currently working on determining a project for fall 2008.

“Student Government is a voice for the students,” said Amber Barger, SGA president. “We are given aspecific budget every year to serve the students and the campus alike. SGA feels that it is part of our duty asthe voice of the students to add to the campus and leave something behind for future students to enjoy.”

This fall, three main ideas have been floating around as to what project the group should implement: con-verting the empty lot located by the facilities building into a university garden, creating a movie rental sys-tem for the dorms and/or converting the seldom-used SUB loft into a game center.

Christine Tham, SGA secretary, noticed the space by the facilities building being used as a dumping

Photos by Katie Slaten

SGA seeks bids for fall projectLORRAINE FRAJKOR

STAFF WRITER

See SGA, page 2

University professorsawarded for excellence

Photos courtesy of Office of Communications

EUNICE NICHOLSONSTAFF WRITER

What do economics and chemistry have in common? AtWesleyan, it’s two award-winning professors. Dr.Thomas Klaasen and Dr. Katherine Prater were present-ed with the 2008 Exemplary Teacher Award atAcademic Convocation.

The Exemplary Teacher Awards are sponsored bythe General Board of Higher Education and Ministry inpartnership with the United Methodist Church. Theaward exemplifies excellence in teaching, commitment

See Awards, page 2

Dr. Thomas Klassen Dr. Katherine Prater

The International Fairbegins its festivities withthe showing of Fearless,starring Jet Li. GammaSigma Sigma inviteseveryone to the free eventat 7 p.m. Oct. 15.Refreshments will be onsale as well.

The United States LocalBusiness Association hasselected Texas WesleyanUniversity for its Best ofFort Worth award in theColleges and Universitiescategory. The USLBAidentifies companies thatthey believe haveachieved exceptionalmarketing success in theirlocal community andbusiness category.

The last day to register to vote in the Nov. 4election is Oct. 6. TexasWesleyan will host anearly voting temporarylocation from 8 a.m. to 5p.m. Oct. 21-23 in theBrown-Lupton center.

United in prayer

GSA’s next meeting willbe at 5 p.m. on Oct. 5 inthe Academic ResourceCenter (ARC). JoinProfessor Joe Brown andcompany as the clubreveals its plans for thesemester which will pro-mote tolerance andhuman rights.

Mark your calendar

Student Life has the fol-lowing events planned forOctober:*Oct. 2 AMC MovieNight. Come by StudentLife for your free tickets. *Oct. 9 Bingo Night 6:30p.m. in Stella Hall, freefood and prizes. *Oct. 14 BrazilianBarbecue Pool Party 11a.m.-2 p.m. (Part ofInternational Week) Student Life/InternationalClub sponsoring *Oct. 16 Scottish PuttingChallenge 9 a.m.-2 p.m.(Part of InternationalWeek) StudentLife/International Clubsponsoring *Oct. 30 StudentLife/Resident LifeHalloween party in Stella

Mexico mission trip

The Chaplain’s Office istaking a team to Anapra,Mexico this spring break.Registration deadline isOct. 27; see Dr. GladysChilds for more details.

programs at the main campus were mixed. The number of full-time graduate education students

jumped from 23 in 2007 to 40 this fall. However, the overallcount of enrolled students fell from 114 in 2007 to a current108.

The graduate school of professional counseling alsocame close to doubling full-time students, leaping from 23 to43. Overall program enrollment also increased from last yearby 33 students, bringing the total enrollment to 100.

Graduate counseling enrollment climbed by five to reach43 this fall.

The graduate school of business decreased from 75 to 39students, and the nurse anesthesia program fell to 365 stu-dents from last year’s 377.

Overall, though, retention is an area of improvement forWesleyan this year. The university retained almost 82 per-cent of the students enrolled this past spring, a rate that’s upabout two percent.

“That 2 percent increase is a significant improvementbecause retention has been steady at 80 percent for 15 years,”said Alexander.Including counts from the undergraduate, graduate, law anddoctorate realms, 1,946 students returned to Wesleyan.

Freshman retention is at 63 percent this fall. Small, pri-vate universities typically land about 70 percent in freshmanretention, according to Alexander.

Wesleyan is working to get freshman retention numbersstronger through several initiatives, Alexander said. Thedevelopmental math and reading programs – recently culti-vated by a Title 3 grant – personalized advising and assis-

tance from the ARC and the efforts of Professor Joe Brownin the freshman general studies classrooms are working tolure students back to Wesleyan for their sophomore year.

“Brown is really making an important difference onfreshmen retention,” said Alexander.

Wesleyan is working to improve other areas as well.Alexander said the university didn’t quite make their

freshman headcount goal. The aspiration was 230, but 206interspersed the campus this fall, a decrease from last year’s214.

“We still have work to do,” Alexander said. “The econo-my has definitely impacted freshmen growth. There is agreat deal of stiff competition for the freshmen, includingthat with junior colleges.”

Neither an increase nor decrease in student enrollmentplays a part in setting the cost of tuition.

“We don’t necessarily base our tuition on demand,” saidAlexander. “We look at what increases our competitors aresetting, what our students can afford and set tuition accord-ingly.”

Texas Wesleyan, along with other universities and col-leges across North Texas and the nation, is following anincreased and record-high enrollment trend.

According to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the highernumber of college applicants follows a largely steadyincrease in students graduating from high schools nationallyover the past 15 years. The U.S. Department of Educationreports that the figure is projected to rise to a record 3.3 mil-lion next school year before the numbers start to drop slight-ly, the U.S. Department of Education reports.

For more statistics regarding Wesleyan enrollment, visitwww.txwes.edu/institutionalresearch.

October 1, 2008 The Rambler 2 News

Enrollment, from page 1

while it also strengthens the student’s administrative skills,patient care and patient safety skills.

The students who ultimately graduate will have devel-oped the knowledge necessary to succeed in educationaladministration and management.

The DNAP requires 35-42 credit hours and can be com-pleted in three years as a part time student and two years asa full time student. There is both an administrative plan thatrequires 37 hours and a traditional management schedulethat requires 35. The program is done completely online, andthere are currently 19 students enrolled—all of whom start-ed their classes in August.

“Things are going well,” said Rodriguez. “There aresome kinks as with any new program but, overall, things aregoing well.”

Pennie Clayton, senior psychology major and secretaryof the psychology department said that “adding the GPNAPhD program is a fantastic addition.” She added that shewishes to see more doctoral programs in every department atWesleyan.

“The benefits [of the program] greatly outweigh thecons,” said Clayton.

For more information, call DNAP office at (817) 531-4248.

Nurse, from page 1

Photo by Kristen Potter

to value-centered education and service to students. The award was presented to them by .Dr. Allen

Henderson, provost of Texas Wesleyan University. “Dr. Klaasen and Dr. Prater are both able to establish

incredible relationships with their students,” saidHenderson.

Prater is an associate professor of chemistry at TexasWesleyan and has been at the campus for 10 years. Herlove for science and desire to teach developed early.

With two parents having doctorates in chemistry, shewas inspired to follow in their footsteps. After earning herdoctorate in chemistry from the University of Kansas in1998, Prater accepted her first teaching position atWesleyan. She said she chose the school in part because ofthe connection she witnessed between the faculty and stu-dents. She said she loves the way interacting with her stu-dents makes her feel.

“I can walk into a classroom and be in a bad mood,start teaching, and suddenly I am in a good mood,” shesaid. The teaching is not one-sided. She said she learns lessonsfrom her students, and one of the greatest ones is to havea sense of humor.

“This (science) can be stressful for students, but theyknow how to laugh at their mistakes and keep things inperspective,” Prater said.

Prater’s love of teaching and dedication to studentsdoes not end in the classroom. She also serves as the direc-tor of freshman advising at Wesleyan. She said this givesher an opportunity to assist students in a variety of waysand allows her to serve more of the student body.

Klaasen, professor of economics and finance, said healso appreciates the opportunity to interact with studentsand other departments on campus. This other exemplaryteacher awarded at Texas Wesleyan has taught at largerschools but said he prefers the smaller atmosphere, simi-lar to where he started himself.

Klaasen began his teaching career 41 years ago atHope College, a small school in Michigan. Hope is wherehe earned his undergraduate degree in economics andwhere his father also taught business courses.

Klaasen was inspired by his father’s work, but in aneffort to avoid being in the same classroom with him, hedeliberately took courses in economics rather than typicalbusiness courses. Klaasen went on to earn a doctorate ineconomics from Michigan State University.

He is now beginning his 20th year at Wesleyan.Klaasen said that providing necessary guidance and men-toring students is what he enjoys most about being a pro-fessor. Like Prater, he also enjoys learning from his stu-dents and said they have taught him to be prepared.

“Students are very bright,” Dr. Klaasen said. “They’llask questions, and they’ll keep you on your toes.”

Although he is easing into retirement over the nextthree years, his door is open on Tuesdays and Thursdaysto any students or faculty members who want to talk eco-nomics or fishing (Klaasen’s favorite hobby).

Then again, an open door is what one would expect ofan exemplary teacher.

ground filled with weeds and gravel and saw the potential for it to become a “sanctuary” for students.“We had an idea to convert this into a garden that will not only beautify the campus but also allow a lovely place for stu-

dents to gather and socialize,” Barger said.In addition, Tham had the idea that the science department could use the garden for study purposes.Another suggestion that sparked interest is implementing a movie rental system in the dorms. Ultimately this would work

much like Blockbuster, except the movies would be free-of-charge to the students. “Basically, a student would go to the main office in their respective housing unit and submit their student ID card,”

Barger said. “The student’s name and ID number would be recorded and the student could take a movie for viewing in thedorms.”

Barger suggests allotting a two to three daytime frame for the rental, and, in the event that astudent fails to return the movie on time, a late feewill be charged to his/her Wesleyan account.

The idea that seems to have sparked the mostinterest from not only SGA but also other organi-zations is to convert the loft in the SUB into agaming center complete with a Wii. The ideaentails moving the foosball and pool tablesupstairs and buying arcade-like games to add tothe gaming experience.

“Students [would] have entertainment at theirdisposal in the SUB during the hours it is open,”Barger said. “This will also benefit admissionspurposes since prospective students will enjoy theidea of an arcade-like area on campus.”

Barger also notes that this project can be anongoing renovation, with a new game addedevery semester or every year, depending on thebudgets or donations of the organizations.

“SGA and Student Life are planning on teaming up for the initial planning,” Barger said. “So far, College Republicansand LULAC have also expressed their interest in helping to complete the project.”

Students who wish to make other suggestions are encouraged to come to the SGA meeting at 12:15 p.m. Oct. 7 in theCarter Conference Room. SGA and Student Life are also planning on setting up a suggestion box for students who cannotmake the meeting. Suggestions and comments may be submitted to wesleyansga@yahoo.com.

One of SGA’s possible renovation targets is converting the empty landnear the the facilities building into a garden that will beautify the campus,benefit the biology department and serve as a social student location.

Photo by Gasten Schoonover

SGA, from page 1

Awards, from page 1

Wesleyan Greek showcased

Photo by Gasten Schoonover

Greek life has been in full swing since the start of the fall semester. The chain linked fence that borders the residencehalls has been livened up with letters from the respective organizations. The Greek letter fraternities and sororities,along with the Greek Council, promote positive relations and a better understanding between all Greek organizations.

Check us out.

Seriously.

www.txwes.edu/rambler

Nurse anesthesia students often hold class in the lecture hall.

OpinionsThe Rambler October 1, 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 the funsorority and fraternitydisplay on WesleyanStreet! Kudos for makinga chain link fence look

inviting and promoting campus spirit!-- Joe Brown

Thumbs down to theswarms of gnats on cam-pus. Why are they there?

Thumbs down to theovergrown trees infront of the businessbuilding. They’reobstructing the walkway.

Thumbs up to the SUBfor efficiently servingmasses at lunch time.

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Today, with all the footage of drowning polar bearsand shrinking glaciers, the effort to “go

green” is a prevalent issue in commercialand private life. One can hardly hear aradio or television ad without the word“green” somewhere in the message –and why not?

Companies that have “gonegreen” have enjoyedsuch benefits as theirstocks achieving the“high performers” sta-

tus. Also, “investors see [green companies]

as less risky investments because goinggreen often means reducing governmentpenalties, the number of possible accidentsand therefore the threat of lawsuits” saidFrancesca Di Meglio ofBusinessWeek.com.

Every day more and more consumersare looking to give their business to envi-ronmentally-friendly companies thatuphold the consumers’ personal beliefs(and eases their conscience).

Even if one’s own personal beliefs donot lend to the notion of global warming,the results of going green (conservation ofenergy and resources, less pollution in theenvironment) are wholly beneficial to theearth and all of its inhabitants.

Wildly popular with consumers,reduced government penalties, a decrease in lawsuits – with all these perksto going green, it’s a wonder companies don’t just say that they’re green in

an effort to reap the benefits without any of the work. Oh wait – that’s exactly what they do.It’s become so prevalent in our society, that this deplorable act now has

a name: “greenwashing.” Not every company that claims to be green is lying; many have spent

millions reworking business practices to become more environmentallyfriendly. Inc.com has a list called the “Green 50” naming and detailingeach company’s efforts to go green.

However, many more are guilty of greenwashing, according to theAdvertising Standard Authority, a British companyresponsible for holding advertisers accountable fortheir claims in advertisements.

According to Rob Edwards of bNet.com, some ofthe companies guilty of greenwashing are Toyota,Volkswagen, easyJet, Ryanair, Scottish and SouthernEnergy and Tesco. Claims of “low emissions” anddecreasing one’s carbon footprint are, according to theASA, wildly exaggerated or just plain false.

Elizabeth Judge of TimesOnline reported that theASA told these offending companies “to avoid sweep-ing statements about being “environmentally friendly”if there is no way that they can prove it.”

Truth in advertising has always been scarce, andmost take advertisements with a grain of salt. Lyingabout one’s business practices to gain governmentfunding or reduce penalties, to swindle the consumers,and to put a false face on shameful business practicesis a despicable crime that should not go unpunished.

Much effort is made to produce a green society anda green economy, but lying to consumers’ faces doesnothing but generate mistrust and skepticism in a mar-ket that already makes the public leery.

Greenwashing

CHUCKFAIN

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

Corporate America deceives consumers for monetary gain

“Late in my career, some-one left a note sin my

box at work showing my payversus three males. We fourwere doing the exact samejob, and their pay was drasti-cally higher than mine.” —Lilly Ledbetter.

Ledbetter was a former20-year Goodyear employeewho, after leaving the com-pany in 1998, took this issue

all the way to the Supreme Court. Women today continue to be shortchanged in

the workplace. According to the 2004 U.S. Census Bureau,

women earn 75 cents for every dollar that menearn. Why?

In his book Why Men Earn More Dr. WarrenFarrell refers to three things: 1) women need tochoose careers that pay more, 2) women need towork more hours, 3) women need to be moreproductive in the time that they are at work.

While I agree with the first, I don’t agreewith his second and third points. Often, I thinkwomen are more conscientious than men when itcomes to their jobs and are more willing to work

long hours.What about promotions? Once again dis-

crimination rears its ugly head. More often whena man and women with equal experience arebeing considered for a promotion, the man ischosen. Why? Because women “may take outtime for children.”

What about behavior? Denise Morris, a 15-year journalist and holder of a master’s degree inpsychology, had this to say:

“What I have found is that women areexpected to behave better in general. Men in thelast newsroom where I worked (and other placesof employment to varying degrees) would yell,complain, whine, criticize co-workers and sleepat their desks,” she said. “We would get fired ifwe acted like that.”

There are, however, success stories. MarinaDeFuentes is the manufacturing manager of alocal company. I asked her secret and she told methis.

“I want to look like a woman, but I act like aman,” she said.

She is referring to being confident, articulateand focused. Trust me, she is. DeFuentes wenton to say that she has never felt discriminatedagainst.

“It’s up to me how I am going to feel,” shesaid. When asked what advice she would give toyoung women heading into the workplace shesaid, “Find a model – a high profile professionaland study her, emulate her.”

Yesterday I had an appointment with mydentist. I asked Dr. Williams if he thinks womencontinue to be shortchanged at work. His reply?

“Yes. Men have dominated women for fivethousand years,” he said. “It’s going to take awhile for that to go away.”

Robert Williams is a successful forensic den-tist in Dallas. He says he has always encouragedboth his son and daughter to be whatever theyaspire to be. Incidentally, his daughter is a lawstudent at Texas Wesleyan.

While women do continue to be short-changed in the workplace, let’s do our part tochange that, like many have done before us. Letus stand up for what is right and fair, let usexhibit strong leadership skills, and let us neverstop celebrating the strength we bring to thetable!

EUNICENICHOLSON

Eunice Nicholson is a sophomore writing major and isa staff writer for The Rambler.

Dear Editor,

Some students have a lack of respect for others and their vehicles.Recently my motorcycle was parked legally in the Dan Waggoner parking lot for an evening graduate class. While in class another student thumb-

tacked a nasty note to my seat, damaging the seat. The note stated that I was *** for parking in a car space when I could park “anywhere” and that thenext time they wouldn’t be so nice to my bike. It went on to say that I should have respect for real students who could have parked their car in thatspace.

Mind you this is most likely an education undergraduate or graduate student. I hope they don’t end up teaching my children. Of course they are acoward for not leaving their name as most sorry people like that have yellow stripes down their backs. I would love for The Rambler to print the entiremessage left me but I am sure that the administration would not approve of the language and intent.

So much for a “Christian university.”

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

Student disrespect to others not Christian behavior

Discrimination 2008:Women receive unequal treatmentand compensation in the workplace

Corrections*HennaRehman is theis the vicepresident ofmembershipfor GammaSigma Sigma.Her title wasprinted incor-rectly.

*One of thisyear’s newHattonSumnersscholars isJonathanTowne. Hisname wasprinted incor-rectly.

Joseph Flink Graduate Education Student

Courtesy of Google Images

College Life The Rambler

For most students, college is the first time they are away from theirparents. It is a time to prove their independence and make decisions

for themselves; a time to make mistakes and learn from them; a time toemerge as adults in an influential society.

What these students sometimes fail to realize, however, is thatwith this newfound independence comes responsibility and animplied understanding of being able to apply good judgment inpressured situations.

While students embrace their individuality in a new environ-ment around new people, they may express a desire to “fit in”with the norm. In this case, peer pressure can become increasing-ly problemat-ic. With a

lack of curfew and rules, studentsbecome adventurous in a societyready to shape and mold theirevery move.

Trying to fit in can be adaunting task, and with it comesdifficult decisions about certainfactors such as alcohol, smokingand drugs. College is a confusingtime and the pressure put on bypeers can make it even more dif-ficult. Some people may thinkthat there is less pressure in col-lege than in high school, but ifanything, there is more.

While many people whogrow up in households filled withsmoke, alcohol and even drugs end up following in their parents’ or guardians’ footsteps, Ihave found that it makes me want to participate in these bad habits less and less.

Quite frankly, it’s not fun watching loved ones hurt their minds and bodies in such agrotesque manner. It really is just a painful process just to watch. Why would anyone want

to subject friends and family to this kind of pain?It’s not so much that it affects the individuals participating in this behavior, but that it

has a greater effect on the people around them. Secondhand smoke is more harmful to thecardiovascular system of nonsmokers because their bodies are notaccustomed to the toxins.

According to Mothers Against Drunk Driving, the number onedrug problem amonst the nation’s youth is alcohol, and it is more like-ly to kill them than combining all illegal drugs.

Around this time last year, a student at Stephen F. AustinUniversity died from alcohol poisoning at an off-campus frat party. I

had never actually hada conversation withhim, but I did have aclass with him in highschool. Apparently,according to the hand-ful of friends we hadin common, he was abinge drinker allthrough high school.That’s not the waysomeone should beremembered.

The desire to fit insometimes clouds theway we think, andbecause I am such a

logical thinker, I have never understood why people feel that drinking, smoking anddoing drugs are the only ways to have fun. Maybe I’m old-fashioned, but I want toremember my college days as something other than a smoky, drunken blur.

The decisions we make today will potentially alter the rest of our lives, making rightnow a great time to learn how to “just say no.”

4 October 1, 2008

LORRAINEFRAJKOR

Lorraine Frajkor is a freshman writing major and is a staff writer for The Rambler.

You’re stronger than that. Don’t give in.Greet your new independence with responsibility, discretion and forward-vision

Whenever I tell people that I’m an English major, almostwithout fail the next thing out of their mouth is, “So, you’regoing to be a teacher?” “No, no” I respond with a chuckle,“After my last law suit, I can’t go anywhere near children!”

Once I’ve calmed them down and explained that I’mjust kidding about the law suit, they seem confused as towhy I’m an English major with no aspirations of teaching.Many people have a stigma about certain college majors,and while many choose careers that are synonymous withtheir respective majors, there are nearly limitless possibili-ties as to what one can do with their four- (five for me) yeardegree.

In fact, many careers and major companies don’t partic-ularly care what your degree is in, just as long as you havea degree (excluding highly specialized fields – you probablycouldn’t become an astronaut with a bachelor’s in art).

“Many careers do not require a specific major, but arange of skills and accomplishments,” reads an article onRutgers.com. It goes on to state that one can increase theirjob marketability by participating in “internships, workexperience, and college activities.”

That said, there are many interesting careers one

can obtain that seem to have nothing to do with one’s spe-cific major. A quick look at quintcareers.com and college-board.com gave me some interesting results.

For instance, my own major, English, has many differ-ent career paths aside from teaching. Librarian, media ana-lyst, lobbyist, copy writer, technical writer and campaignmanager are just a few of the jobs you might not have con-sidered that are available to someone with a bachelor’s inEnglish.

Those aspiring for accounting degrees aren’t pigeon-holed into sitting behind a calculator all day. They have tooption to become integrated resource management consult-ants, investigators for the Internal Revenue Service, com-modities traders or a stock broker, to name a few.

Going for a business degree? Your future doesn’t haveto be spent under florescent lighting tucked away inside apartitioned cubicle a la Office Space. Human resourcesmanager, sports agent, chamber of commerce director andpolitician are counted among the jobs that people hold withbusiness degrees.

History majors, who I’m sure get the “Oh, you’re goingto be a teacher?” response all the time, can branch out intosuch professions as movie historical consultant, agents forthe, genealogist and museum curator or agent for theFederal Bureau of Investigations or Central Intelligence

Agency.Even more specialized degrees such as music and reli-

gious studies have more options than an orchestra memberor preacher, respectively. A bachelor’s in music can affordsomeone such opportunities as public relations specialist,recreation director or an architectural acoustic monitor.

Religion majors can look forward to careers in anthro-pology, diplomat and press secretary.

And for those psychology majors, what do you think areother jobs in your field? And how does that make you feel?(My wife has a bachelor’s in psychology, so she’ll appreci-ate that joke). For you Freud-followers, there are scores ofjobs available from animal trainer to art therapist toresearcher.

Many more options are available to the majors listedhere, as well as the ones not mentioned. More informationis available either at the library, through a career counseloror a simple Google search. You may try Wesleyan’s ownCareer Services Center.

Many companies are less concerned with what yourmajor than with how you performed in school and whatskills you acquired there. By obtaining your degree, yourcareer path is wide open to pursue almost any career youwish.

Did you stereotype me?CHUCK FAINSTAFF WRITER

Careers options are endless for everyone,despite choice of major

Are you a passionate political buff anxious to getinvolved but living afar from your native territory?Concerned your voice will be stifled due to yourabsence? Never fear. Absentee voting has your ballot.

As absentee voting may be a vague process formany Wesleyan students, The Rambler brings you thisQ&A, reprinted courtesy of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.

What is absentee voting?It’s a way for you to vote by mail when you can’t bein your home county on Election Day.

What’s your home county? Wherever you consider your permanent address to be— your parents’ home, for instance, or where you livewhen you’re not at school.

How do Iqualify? You can qual-ify to voteabsentee ifyou’re plan-ning to be outside your home county on Election Dayand during the early voting period, which is Oct. 20-31. If you’re a student going to college outside TarrantCounty, you meet the requirement. (By the way, youalso qualify if you’re 65 or older, disabled or confinedin jail but otherwise eligible to vote.)

OK, I qualify. What do I do?You need to request that a ballot be sent to you bymail. Here’s how:1. Go to the Texas Secretary of State’s Web site,www.sos.state.tx.us. Then, in the search box, type“Student Voters.” That will pull up a page full of infor-

mation for student voters.2. There you’ll see a link that says “Request a ballotby mail.” Click on this link.3. Then you’ll see a mailbox icon and a link that says“Application for ballot by mail.” That’s what you needto submit to get a ballot. 4. The form will ask for your mailing address.Remember to type in your school address, not yourpermanent address in Tarrant County.

Can’t get online? You can request a ballot by phone: Call 1-800-252-VOTE (8683) and ask for a ballot to be mailed to yourschool address.

How soon do I have to do this?You must request an absentee ballot by Oct. 28. (Thatmeans your request must be received, not postmarked,by that day.) And seriously, don’t procrastinate,because once you get your ballot, you’ll still have to

fill it out and return it by mail before ElectionDay.

What happens then?You should get a ballot in the mail within a fewdays. When you receive it, follow instructionsand send it back to the address provided.

Note: It must be received by the time the polls closeon Nov. 4. That means you’ll need to mail it back afew days before Nov. 4, allowing plenty of time for itto arrive.

What if I’m not even registered to vote?It’s not too late, but hurry! If you want to vote thisyear, Oct. 6 is the deadline for registration.Go to www.votexas.org, a voting site run by the officeof the Texas Secretary of State. Click on “Register,”where you can download an application. Then you’llstill have some time to request a ballot and vote absen-tee.

We the people...

DECIDE 2008

Shake a legTable table tennis coach Jasna Reed finds a new way to traverse campus.

Courtesy of Google Images

Photo by Gasten Schoonover

Voting by mail prime option for absenteesTIARA NUGENTEDITOR-IN-CHIEF

SportsThe Rambler October 1, 2008 5

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

information andprofiles of your

favorite WesleyanTeams and Athletes

Quick Quotes“People don't play sportsbecause they’re fun. Askany athlete, most of themhate it, but they couldn'timagine their life with-out them.”

- MySpace User Favorite

Oct. 12 p.m. Women’s Soccer @Our Lady of the LakeUniversity

4 p.m. Men’s Soccer @Our Lady of the LakeUniversity

*6 p.m. Women’s Volleyballvs. Texas Women’sUniversity

Oct. 6*1:30 p.m. Baseball vs.Richland College

TBA Men’s Golf @ GrandCanyon Invitational

Oct. 77 p.m. Women’s Volleyball@ Southwest Assemblies ofGod University

TBA Men’s Golf @ GrandCanyon Invitational

Oct. 85 p.m. Men’s Soccer @UT-Brownsville

7 p.m. Women’s Soccer @UT-Brownsville

* denotes home game

Upcoming Events

Sports BriefsRams get first conferencewinSept. 27The men’s soccer teampicked up its first conference win with a 3-0shutout of Bacone College.Goalie Joakim Soderbaummade four saves in his thirdshutout effort of the season.

Lady Rams net secondstraight conferenceshutoutSept. 27The women’s soccer teamstarted off their conferenceschedule with consecutiveshutouts for the first time inprogram history with a 5-0win over Bacone. ChristinaZimmerman scored twogoals and the defenseallowed on four shots ongoal.

Volleyball team swept onroad tripSept. 27The volleyball teamdropped a pair of toughroad matches to LubbockChristian University andWayland Baptist University.The Lady Rams will returnto the refurbished SidRichardson Center, whichnow has new bleachersinstalled, for the remainderof the season.

Road trip yields mixedresults for soccerSept. 25The men’s soccer team suffered a 3-2 loss at TexasCollege while the womencruised to a 6-0 victory overthe Lady Steers. Juniorcollge transfer DominiqueHarrison scored two goalsand a host of other LadyRams contributed to thevictory.

While the fall sports teams are grinding intothe toughest part of their respective seasons, it’stime again for the group that cheerfully supportsthem to get rolling too.

The Texas Wesleyan cheerleaders and com-petitive dance team have both been keeping busyand have a lot to show for their efforts.

During the summer, both entities that areunder the direction of coach Carolyn Ikens-Owenattended the Universal Dance Association CollegeCamp in San Marcos, Texas.

Colleges from Texas, New Mexico, PuertoRico and Mexico all participated. The dance teamearned multiple awards including best collegiatesmall team and gained recognition as the teamwith the “strongest traditions.”

They also won the first place trophy for bestfight song and second for overall superior per-formance. Most importantly, they received anational bid to attend the upcoming national com-petition in Florida.

“It is so fantastic to work with this group ofcollege kids,” said Ikens-Owen.

The cheerleaders were also successful thissummer while attending the NationalCheerleading Association College Camp atSouthern Methodist University. Nineteen othercolleges competed, including the University ofArkansas and Oklahoma State University.

The cheerleaders earned multiple awards,including four gold superior ribbons for their per-formances.

They garnered recognition for excellent tradi-tions, superior “game day” performance and anational bid to Daytona, Fla., where there theywill compete in the national competition.

“They have more talent than I ever could havedreamed of,” Ikens-Owen said.

Such talent has revolutionized the programs atTexas Wesleyan. The teams practice apart butattend the most of the same events. Both are heldto high standards on and off the court, and spend a

minimum of four hours a week practicing. They are also both required to perform a min-

imum of 30 hours of community service persemester at Wesleyan and in the community.

The spirited troupe recently put on a pep rallyat near by Polytechnic High School, and eventslike that have led members to be more involvedthan ever before.

“The team has improved a lot over the pastthree years,” said current co-captain of the squadSaba Whipple. “We also have three new memberson the team, which is a first for this team.”

With great chemistry and values it is easy tosee how successful both these teams are becom-ing.

“This is my first year to cheer,” said freshman

Felicia Nunez. “And the squad has been very sup-portive of me and the other new members.”

Members new and old will have their sched-ules fill up soon as they attend events like tabletennis tournaments, basketball, volleyball, soccerand softball games.

The current cheerleading team has 22 mem-bers, and the competitive dance team includes 16.

The dance team consists of 2009-2010 cheer-leading team members. Dance team tryouts fornext school year will be held in April, and oppor-tunites to sign up happen throughout the year.

The competitive dance and cheerleading pro-grams are evolving, and their progress is sure tomake an impression on spectators at Wesleyansporting events this year.

It doesn’t have to end here

This week’s standings:

ALYSSUM POWERSTAFF WRITER

Courtesy of Nikkina Robinson

Like most students, the cheerleaders and competitive dancers found some time for the pool this summer,but they also invested in their skills to help support all Wesleyan athletics. Both teams traveled to campsand came back with major hardware, including many awards that were earned over larger schools.

Cheerleaders have a brand new danceA summer full of awards and advances gave the cheerleading squad and competitive dance team reasons to be excited about upcoming seasons

Intramurals

Some Wesleyan alumni manage to plow their way to the pro ranks

Athletes at Wesleyan play morefor the love of their given sport thanfor the recognition that success at agrand scale brings.

The rosters here scatter walk-ons together with scholarship play-ers, and the fusion of the two cre-ates eclectic and exciting sportsaction on the NAIA fields of play.

There are a select few, however,that make it to the next level. Thesepersistent professionals dedicate thetime and energy that results in themgetting paid to play games. Some ofthe lucky ones in recent years hailfrom Wesleyan, and they give cur-rent athletes hope.

Golfers can turn there attentionto seasoned PGA Tourprofessional Ian Leggatt(BA 1990), who has puttogether a run of success-ful seasons. Leggatt hasnever been a superstar anddoesn’t even play in everytournament, but hisresume does hold someshiny statistics.

According to hisPGATOUR.com profile,the native Canadian hasracked up over $2.4 mil-lion in career earnings.Add that to the nearly$400,000 that he has wonon the smaller nationwidetour, and you find some-one who has made a nicechunk of change playingwhat some consider arelaxing game.

USAToday.com reports thatLeggatt won the 2002 Tucson Openand has competed in two majorchampionships. He finished20th in the 2003 U.S. Open andfailed to make the cut in the2002 PGA Championship.

This former Ram maynever win a green jacket at TheMasters, but he made it frompracticing at Sycamore Creekjust a mile down Vickery Street,to teeing it up next to TigerWoods on television, andmaybe one of the currentWesleyan golfers could eventu-ally do the same.

Apparently foreign athleteshave a better chance of makingit to the pro’s, as proven byLeggatt and former Wesleyan

basketball star and native AustralianBen Hunt.

Hunt hit the game winner in2006 to give Texas Wesleyan a

national champi-onship, and hissubsequent moveto summer campwith the DallasMavericks waswell-documentedby Fort WorthStar-Telegramcolumnist RandyGalloway, amongothers.

Hunt spenttwo seasons with

the Perth Wildcats of the NationalBasketball League in Australia from

2006-2008. The 2008-2009 seasonjust begun, and while Hunt is not

currently ona roster,there is agood chancethat he willget picked upas teamsrealize theirneed for asolid veteranpoint guard.The

BendigoAdvertiser,an Australiannewspaper,recently fea-tured Hunt’sachievementsin basketballand his aspi-rations toprolong hiscareer.According

to the article,Hunt played for the Willetton Tigersin Western Australia’s state leaguelast summer to stay sharp for theNBL season, and, until he gets acontract signed, is coachingprospects at North Hills PreparatorySchool.

Again in Hunt’s case, he neverstarred in the NBA but has had achance to earn a living in profes-sional sports abroad.

As the commercial says, almostall collegiate athletes will go pro insomething other than sports, but twoformer Rams give athletes reason tothink otherwise.

BRYCE WILKSSPORTS EDITOR

Courtesy of google images

Athletes like professional basketball player Ben Hunt and PGATour member Ian Leggatt prove that playing careers don’t have toend at Wesleyan.

Flag Football:1. Gopher 2, 5-12. Pickles, 5-1

3. Lambdas, 3-3

Poker League:1. Aaron Whaley, 780 pts.2. Ryan Amador, 660 pts.3. Rachel Loftin, 645 pts.

Pig Skin Pick “Em:1. Rachel Loftin, 34 pts.

2. Aaron Hastings, 33 pts.3. Paige Cook, 33 pts.

Amovie is at its bestwhen it’s packed

with some of thehottest celebs inHollywood. KateHudson, Dane Cookand American Pie’sJason Biggs all took tothe screen recently inMy Best Friend’s Girl.

Tank, played byDane Cook, is a self-

proclaimed jerk with a warm heart whotakes women out on horrific dates to helptheir ex’s win them back. After his bestfriend Dustin, played by Jason Biggs, getshis heart broken by Kate Hudson’s charac-ter, Alexis, Tank is hired to help Dustinget her back.

The unimagined happens when Tankfalls head over heals for his best friend’sgirl. Tank is trapped between two lies;Torn between a best friend and love. Tankgoes to his sex-crazed father, played byAlec Baldwin, for advice. This turns out tobe no help, once Tank realizes his fatherwants nothing more than for Tank to bejust like him.

Tank soon realizes that friends comebefore girls and does everything possibleto break Alexis’ heart. He destroys her sis-ter’s wedding by telling crude jokes andexposing himself to her mother. Alexiswants nothing to do with Tank andalthough his heart is severely wounded,

Dustin is finally able to forgive him.Seeing the pain Tank is in, both his fatherand Dustin are able to see the love Tankhas for Alexis and help him gain confi-dence to win his woman back.

Although this movie received mostlybad reviews, it wasn’t as dreadful as manyalleged. The New York Times stated thatthe movie was tasteless and not romantic.And yes, perhaps the movie had its unsa-vory parts, and it might not have been asfunny as many presumed, but it wasromantic.

My Best Friend’s Girl tells a story offinding true love and doing just about any-thing to have it. It teaches the lesson thatwomen do not like disrespectful men(which many already know) and maybeeven gave a few members of the audiencesome job ideas. Who wouldn’t wantTank’s job?

For those of you with tight wallets,this might be a movie you wait to watchon DVD in the comfort of your home. Butif in the mean time you find yourself look-ing for something to occupy a Friday orSaturday night, this might be a goodmovie for you. It will provide a fewlaughs and, let’s admit it, some juicy eyecandy.

Go into this one with a light heart andlittle expectation, and you might findyourself pleasantly surprised.

Entertainment6 October 1, 2008 The Rambler

AALLOOKOOK

AHEADAHEAD

On Campus:

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

*Gay Straight Alliance: ARC,5 p.m.

On Campus:

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

Off Campus:

*Three Phantoms: BassPerformance Hall, 8 p.m.

On Campus:

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

Off Campus:

* Kellie Pickler: State Fair ofTexas, 5:30 p.m.

Off Campus:

*VH1 Hip Hop Honors: VH1and VH1 Soul Television, 7p.m.

*Filming Kennedy- HomeMovies from Dallas: TheSixth Floor Museum, noon-6p.m.

On Campus:

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

Off Campus:

Weekly DVD Releases: TheHappening; Psycho; You Don’tMess with the Zohan; Stuck

1

To submit an event forthe calender, e-mail

twurambler@yahoo.com.

Wednesday

On Campus:

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

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

* Virtuoso Strong Quartet:Martin Hall, 7:30 p.m.

2Thursday

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

Off Campus:

Weekly Movie Releases:Nick and Norah’s InfinitePlaylist; How to LoseFriends and AlienatePeople; Flash of Genius

3Friday

7Tuesday54 SundaySaturday 6Monday

SSiillvveerr ssccrreeeenn ttrriiaadd

Theatre Wesleyan hasa long tradition of

producing quality showsright here on our campus,and this semester is noexception.

Stones in His Pocketsby Marie Jones, directedby senior theater majorDillon Maroney, is aunique and engagingcomedy about a small

Irish town overran by a Hollywood produc-tion crew. The citizens of the small town,most of who are related, are employed asextras in the film to act and be treated asscenery.

Tensions mount when one of the towns-people commits suicide, conflicting with themovie’s production schedule. Amidst theconstant goading of the Hollywood team, thecast of extras comes to terms with brokendreams, bruised egos and biting reality.

The stage is beautifully set as a quaintIrish countryside violated by a Hollywoodmovie set. Lights, trunks and cables runacross the scene, effectively highlighting thecontrast between small town Ireland and bigcity Hollywood.

The two actors, senior theater major BenPhillips and junior theater major Chase

Burnett, take on a heady task as they portraythe roles of 15 different characters – sig-naled by a change in body movement,accents and hand gestures.

Sound confusing? In unskilled hands,perhaps, but Phillips and Burnett pop in andout of character in such a seamless and con-vincing way, you’ll begin to forget there areonly two actors on stage. Phillips delivers adramatically passionate performance, whileBurnett illuminates the stage and commandsthe audience’s attention. His portrayal of aHollywood movie starlet is eerily convinc-ing.

Stones in His Pockets is an energetic andengaging play, performed with great craftand skill. The actors’ skillful, split-secondmorphing from one character to the next isworth the price of admission alone.

You can catch the show at 7:30 p.m.Oct. 2 and Oct. 4. Ticket prices are $8 gen-eral admission, $6 for Wesleyan faculty andstaff and $4 for all students with ID and sen-iors citizens. Theatre Wesleyan box officehours are 1:30 p.m. to 4:30 p.m. and onehour before curtain on performance days.The box office phone number is (817) 531-4211.

Agnes of God, a playby John Pielmeier, is

about a young, naïve nunnamed Agnes. Innocent toa fault, Agnes knowsnothing of sex and birthyet mysteriously becomespregnant and bears achild, found dead in awaste paper basket insideher room.

Dr. MarthaLivingston, played by junior theater majorCarrie Watson, is the court appointed psychi-atrist who has been sent to determine ifAgnes (senior theater major Whitney Park) iscompetent enough to stand trial. Conflictsoon arises between the Mother SuperiorMirium Ruth, played by junior theater majorAshley Mosley, who simply wants Agnes leftalone, and Dr. Livingston, who is determinedto uncover the truth.

Directed by senior theater major AlfredoMartinez, this interpretation of Agnes of Godtruly captures the emotion of the story. Seton a simple stage that enhances the moodand longing for the knowledge of what actu-

ally happened, the actors brilliantly hold youenraptured with their performance.

Watson captures your attention andbrings you along with her on Dr.Livingston’s quest to unveil any wrongdoers.Mosley and Watson’s portrayal of the mount-ing tension between Dr. Livingston andMother Mirium Ruth continuously draws theaudience in until the viewer can feel theirpulsing animosity.

Spectators will be thrown by the twistsand turns that this cast takes with new revela-tions surfacing by the minute. The play boilsdown to the intriguing final scene, the quietintensity of which will have the audiencemesmerized in silent awe.

A riveting story dealing with scornedrelationships, naïve innocence and unexplain-able phenomena await at Texas Wesleyan’snew season of exciting theater.

Agnes of God shows at 7:30 p.m. Oct. 3and at 2 p.m. Oct. 5 in the Thad SmothermanTheatre. Tickets are $8 general admission, $6faculty and staff and $4 for students with IDand seniors.

CHUCKFAIN

Theatre Wesleyan owns the stage

CHANTELJEPSON

Photo courtesy of google.com

Hollywood hotties Kate Hudson, Dane Cook and Jason Biggs costar in the this fall’s lovetriangle flick, My Best Friend’s Girl.

Zayle Griffin is a junior mass communicationmajor and is a staff writer for The Rambler.

ZAYLEGRIFFIN

Courtesy of Theatre Wesleyan

Senior theater major Whitney Park (left) and junior theater major Carrie Watson portrayAgnes and Dr. Martha Livingston in Theatre Wesleyan’s production of Agnes of God.

Weekly meetings every Thursday during free period in Stella Russell Hall.

twurambler@yahoo.com

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Loads of laughs delivered in Stones in His Pockets

Students’ skills impress in production of Agnes of God

Hollywood young guns hit the big screen in My Best Friend’s Girl

Chantel Jepson is a freshman theater major andis a contributing writer for The Rambler.

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