The Prairie, Volume 95, Number 4 by The Prairie WTAMU

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September 25, 2012 • Vol. 95, No. 4

VHAC has ongoing roof leaks Rebekah St. ClaiR RepoRteR

n Nov. 26, 2011 the roof of the Virgil Henson Activities Center (VHAC) was blown off by 60 to 70 m.p.h winds. “It literally folded up like an accordion,” Bill Craddock, director of Recreational Sports, said. The roof started leaking after the top layer was pulled back across the T-beams of the ceiling and weighted back down to ensure the roof would provide coverage to the VHAC. The roof does not leak unless a big rain comes. When this happens, the people who enjoy playing on the courts in the VHAC or use the all-purpose room are the ones who are generally annoyed with the leaking problem. “I haven’t been to the AC basketball courts this year, but I did go last year, and I noticed the roof leaking, and it did inconvenience me.” Nate Giffin, a sophomore Music Education and Performance major, said. Some of the students didn’t realize the roof leaked until this semester, even though it’s been

sPOrTs

Lady Buffs soccer win three straight games

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OPiniOn

Mitt Romney brushes away 47 percent of voters

PAGE 11 AshlEy hEndrick/ThE PrAiriE Vergil Henson Activites Center roof to be repaird.

damaged since last November. Sara Jobsky, a junior Wildlife Biology major, noticed the leaks when she was finishing her workout one day and saw buckets, wet floor signs and small puddles of water on the track in the upstairs portion of the VHAC. “I’ve seen spots on the track, but I wasn’t aware it leaked until

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I walked the track,” Jobsky said. Although students may be frustrated with the current roof, construction will begin Oct. 8, 2012. “Because of the type of roof it is, it takes time to get it fixed,” Craddock said. As long as weather is permitting, the new roof should be finished by winter break. The

construction will be conducted during the day with one court being blocked off at a time. A hard cover will be placed over the roof at night so all four courts can be used when construction is not being performed. The recreatinoal sports fee will not be raised because of the construction costs.

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Secular Student Alliance is in full swing.

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NEWS

September 25, 2012 | theprairienews.com

Department collects food to fight poverty Parent’s Day Lunch

Laci McGee RepoRteR

he Department of Communications at WT will be having a food drive doubled as a contest within the department as part of The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. The drive started Sept. 19 and will stop on Oct. 17, the official day for The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty. Dr. Donald Lee, a retired economist for the United Nations, spoke at WT on March 6, 2012 about The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty and inspired the communication honor society, Lambda Pi Eta, to put the drive and contest together. Different clubs and organizations in the department will participate in the contest including Eternal Flame, Communication Studies majors, WT Forensics Team and Communication Graduate Students. First group to fill their barrel wins and all donations

STAFF Editor-in-ChiEf Krystina Martinez

ASSiStAnt Editor Ashley Hendrick

WEB Editor Daniela Fierro

will be given to the High Planes Food Bank. “[It’s] an opportunity for them to develop leadership skills,” Dr. Trudy Hanson, Head of the Communications Department, said. According to Lee, half of the

world’s population lives on less than $2.50 a day. In response to that, the communication department is challenging people to eat only the food that they can purchase for $2.50 on Oct. 17 to raise awareness for those who live on that amount

all the time. “I would be willing to try to do this,” Jaron Kerr, a senior Mechanical Engineering major said. “I normally eat that for breakfast.” Professor Mona Gregory, an instructor in communication, is

AShlEY hEndriCk/thE PrAiriE Classes and programs have specific bins placed around the FAC.

Ad MAnAGEr Zivorad Filipovic

dESiGn Editor Kati Watson

CoPY EditorS

Elizabeth Humphrey Brooke Self Audrey Aguayo

SPortS Editor Matt Watkins

Photo Editor Alex Montoya

rEPortErS

Tyler Anderson Addie Davis Alexander Gardner Alex Gonzalez

John Lee Laci McGee Robin Mosier Katie Nichols Lauren O’Brien Juan Paiz Chelo Rivera Haley Sprague Rebekah St. Clair Rubi Valencia

selling bracelets made by a Juan Paiz woman named Oumou in Niger, Africa for World Poverty Day. RePoRteR n Saturday, Sept. 29 band stuThe Vietnamese organization dents and parents will gather at at WT and The Legacy are the First United Bank Center at selling them also, but Gregory is noon for the annual Buffalo Band Parchallenging other organizations ents’ Day Luncheon. to sell them as well “It is intended to be an expres“I want to make people sion of appreciation from the students aware and give them an to their parents,” Dr. Russell Teweleit, opportunity to help.” Gregory associate professor of Music and Buffalo said. Marching Band director, said. The Buffalo Band Parent’s Day Luncheon is a tradition that began in 1972. “This event is perhaps the largest such event held at WTAMU each year with an overall anticipated attendance of almost 300,” Teweleit said. Despite what the name indicates, Parent’s Day is just as important to the students of the WT Marching Band as it is to their parents.

AShlEY hEndriCk/thE PrAiriE The High Plains Food Bank provided bins for food collection.

Keltin Wiens Connor Woods

WEB ASSiStAntS Ernesto Arizpe Georgia Romig

AdViSEr

Dr. Butler Cain

The Prairie is a student-operated newspaper at West Texas A&M University. It functions to inform, educate and entertain readers accurately and responsibly. It does not necessarily reflect the opinions of the administration, faculty or staff. The Prairie verifies the legitimacy of the advertising appearing in The Prairie, but cannot be held liable for any advertising claim made in this publication. The Prairie has a circulation of 1,500 and is printed by the Amarillo Globe-News. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

“I like the experience of Parent’s Day because it gives us marching band members an opportunity to sit down as a family around a table with our actual family and just eat and talk,” Nate Giffin, sophomore Music Education and Performance major, said. For junior Music Education major, Michael Marin, Parent’s Day is a day to look back at the accomplishments of the year. “Parent’s Day has always been a great experience,” Marin said. “It’s always interesting to see friends with their families and its nice to show them what all we have done so far in the school year.” For more information, contact the West Texas A&M Marching Band Facebook page or WT School of Music at 806651-2840. Reservations made on or after Sept. 15 and registrants at the door will be charged $18.50 per person. Registration begins at 11:30 a.m. and lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m.

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NEWS

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NEWS

September 25, 2012 | theprairienews.com

Enrollment breaks 42 year old record WT hosts equestrian horse show Alex GonzAles

reporter

n 1970, WTMAU’s record enrollment stood at 7,935 students. As of the fall of 2012, that record has officially been broken as the current enrollment increased to 7,958 students. With this many students comes the need for new housing. The construction surrounding Founders Hall is set to open in the fall of 2013. Founders will be about 30,000 square feet

bigger than Centennial. Jon Behrens, senior director of Residential Living, oversaw the plans for Buff, Centennial and Founders Hall. “With more students now, we are focusing on replacement halls to take over the older halls,” Behrens said. One of the big differences between fall 2011 and fall 2012 is the increasing number of Hispanic students due to the Hispanic Serving Institution, something President O’Brien and many others have been

striving for. If WT’s Hispanic rate gets to at least 25 percent, currently at 22 percent, the University will be eligible for more funding which will help all students. Organizations such as G-Force, Talent Search, Upward Bound and Campos (Camp Migrate Program), are helping as well. “[Campos] helps those kids who moved place to place growing up,” Rebecca Gonzales, an assistant director of Admissions, said, “They

offer different scholarships and even tutoring to keep them on track.” Some students who are of Hispanic decent don’t claim it, or simply forget. “We have been attempting to survey every student so they can update their self-identification,” Dan Garcia, vice president for Enrollment Management said. The Admissions office at WT has also made a point within the last couple of years to hire several bilingual recruiters to help communication with

Rudy Giuliani comming to Amarillo elizAbeth humphrey reporter

ormer mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, will be visiting Amarillo on Oct.18 to speak at “An Evening of Leadership and Legacy” event, hosted by the Underwood Law Firm. Giuliani, who was mayor of New York during the 9/11 attacks, will speak about leadership, which is also the title of his new book. According to Beth Duke, executive director of Center City, Giuliani will be the main speaker at the event. “Leadership is the theme of the evening and Giuliani proved to be a great leader after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, when he put in place plans that helped to clean up the city” Duke said. Jennifer Volmer from the Underwood Law Firm said she read Leadership

and that it is a fantastic example on how Giuliani got through the trials of 9/11. “The book speaks about how he has gotten where he has gotten,” Volmer said. Professor and Coordinator of the Amarillo College Honors program, Judy Carter, said she heard Giuliani speak to thousands of Phi Theta Kappa (International Honors Society for junior colleges) students a few years ago. She said he is a dynamic speaker with the ability to create a sense of immediacy even in that large of a setting. The proceeds for this event will be going to Amarillo’s Center City and the Amarillo College Honors Program. “Center City is so grateful to the Underwood Law Firm to give us the proceeds,” Duke said. Carter said any proceeds coming to the department would be used in advancing the mission of the Honors Program to enrich the lives

of their students. The speech could be relevant to all college students because of the significant role Giuliani played during the historic event, according to Carter. “Most students at AC and WTAMU were children on that dreadful day, but should be aware of his role at that time in holding our nation together,” Carter said. “Giuliani is an import leader in American recent history. I’m sure anyone who wants to make a difference with his or her life will gain from hearing him

speak.” Duke said this speech is a part of history and preserving that history is important. “This speech would be good for any Political Science or History major, or anyone interested in leadership or business,” Duke said. The event will be held at the Amarillo Civic Center on October 16 at 8 p.m. Students can purchase tickets at the Amarillo Civic Center or United for a discounted rate of $5 with a valid college identification.

The former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani will be speaking at the

Amarillo Civic Center October 16th at 8pm

Spanish-speaking families goHaley Sprague smoothly. reporter They have also printed n Sept. 22, West Texas material in Spanish to show A&M University hosted how affordable WTAMU can be. the first Western Horse On the platform of affordability, Show of the year at the WT it has shown that many students Equestrian Center. The first have been coming from across show started at 8:00 a.m. with the United States where their the second show following in-state tuitions are high. One at 2:00 p.m. Schools that of the larger increases was in competed were North Central 2012 when 44 students from Texas College, The University of Colorado enrolled compared to Oklahoma Equestrian, Redlands 23 in 2011. Community College, Southern Nazarene University, the Texas Tech Equestrian Team, and WT. Julia Roberts received first place for Open Horsemanship A while Sammi Gallagher settled for third. In Advanced Horsemanship, Mallory Stimson grasped second place as Emily Almquist took first in Beginner Horsemanship. The second show brought in more first place winners for Anna Copple in Novice Horsemanship and Angela

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Bradley Intermediate II Horsemanship. The University was High Point Team for both contests. Julia Roberts received High Point Rider and Sammi Gallagher was Reserve High Point Rider. Even though the event is primarily an individual contest, companionship and team unity is valued by the girls. “We rely a lot on our teammates,” Sage Hanner, senior Ag. Business major, said. Whether it’s giving each other tips and pointers or just the support of a friend, the team is always there for one another. “Without your team, you could just fall apart,” Rebecca Alden, a sophomore transfer student from Mesa Land Community College, said. An equal amount of dedication among members of the team is important according to Jessica Read, a senior Equine major. “There are 36 girls on this team that are all as equally

dedicated as the next girl,” Read said. Not only do the girls practice once or twice a day, they make

they have increased the minimum GPA requirement for admission from 2.5 to 2.8. The department was allowed to start admission again in the fall of 2011. “[The increase of minimum GPA] has helped, but each student has their own factors,” Reyes said. “We’ve also started offering free test anxiety relief to all of our students. When it comes to taking the exam, it is very stressful because everything [the students] have done over the past four or five years relies on one test.” Instructor Carole Brown said the students have really bought

in to the program and are very committed to and proud of their work. “They work really hard and it’s very rewarding to see the good results after all the effort they put in,” Brown said. Clinical Simulation Coordinator Lisa Robinson said they are engaging the students in as many real scenarios as possible, including a simulation lab that houses interactive mannequins. “We simulate everything from broken bones to even death,” Robinson said. “The mannequins even react and respond verbally to treatment.”

trips to the gym multiple times a week to keep a fit and strong body. “We hit the gym almost every

day. We have to stay fit to be able to ride to our full potential,” Hanner said

Haley Sprague/THe prairie Leah Thomas, a juior Agricultural Media and Communicatons major, showing her skills.

Nursing Deparment pass rates increase to 95 percent

CJ Berryman mComm 3309

The Department of Nursing and Health Sciences has recorded an above 95 percent pass rate on the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) for first time testers over the past two years. In the spring of 2011, the department was put on “conditional” status because the pass rate was below the state requirement of 80 percent three years in a row. The status restricted the department from admitting new nursing school students. Department Head Dr. Helen Reyes said that

SportS

A storytellers big story

KeLtin WienS KWtS SportS director

his week, I have decided to write another homage to the passing of a sports legend. This time, it is not a player, coach or an owner but rather an artist. Steve Sabol, the president of NFL Films passed away Tuesday at the age of 69. He lost his 18-month battle with brain cancer. Sabol leaves behind a National Football League that is bigger than he ever imagined it. The League is a $9 billion machine and has fans across all ages, demographics, sexes and ethnicities. He got his start as a cinematographer for his father, Ed, when the elder Sabol won the rights to archive the 1962 NFL Championship. Since then, Steve has been responsible for an interpretation of the NFL that we take for granted today. His innovations include super slow-motion, reverse-angle

replays, attaching microphones to coaches and players during games, synching highlights to music, custom recorded scores and even hilarious blooper reels. Many of the NFL’s greatest myths have come through Steve Sabol’s imagination, including the Frozen Tundra of Green Bay, America’s Team and Dwight Clark’s dramatic catch from Joe Montana in the 1981 NFC Championship Game that sent San Francisco to the first of five Super Bowls. Sabol was an all-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference fullback while with Colorado College. He was majoring in art history while playing for the Tigers. It was his art inspiration that revolutionized the way fans enjoy the NFL. In 2003, Sabol was given a Lifetime Achievement Emmy by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences. In all, he won 35 Emmys in writing,

cinematography, editing and directing and producing. He is the only person to have that many statuettes in so many different categories. “How would I define our job at NFL Films,” said Sabol early in his career. “I’d say it is to bring a new understanding to something that’s already been seen. To give a creative treatment to reality.” Sabol did just that throughout his career. He made football just as exciting from the couch as from the stadium. He viewed the game of football as art just as much as he did a game. He had a knack for telling great stories about those athletes who we love and love to hate. Through Steve’s work, we are able to unite on Sunday afternoons and enjoy the game of football, knowing that NFL Films, Sabol’s baby for half a century, will tell us all about the game we love.

and two touchdowns. Both scores were pulled in by junior wideout Lance Ratliff from 45 and 23 yards respectively as junior Torrence Allen caught nine passes and accumulated 86 yards. As WT provided the highlights through the air, senior running back Khiry Robinson provided balance to the offense by rushing for 58 of the 113 yards the Buffs gained on the ground. On defense, the Buffs dominated UIW with an interception by senior defensive back Jordan Smith in the first half, and a punt block into a touchdown in the third quarter. Anchoring

the Buffs was junior linebacker Kyle Voss with 14 tackles, 3 tackles for a loss of 15 yards, and 2 sacks. Complementing Voss was a swarming defense that allowed only 146 yards of total offense and sacked UIW quarterback Taylor Woods a season-high eight times. With the victory, the Buffs stay undefeated in Lone Star Conference play and 3-1 overall while Incarnate Word falls to 1-3 overall and winless in league action. Buffalo football returns home to host LSC rival Tarleton State at Kimbrough Stadium Sept. 29 at 6 p.m.

WT defense stout, shut out UIW tyLer AnderSon SportS reporter

espite a slow start, the 24th ranked WTAMU Football team defeated University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio Sept. 22, 24-0. Even though the Cardinals dominated the time of possession, the Buffalo defense held them in check by forcing Incarnate Word into multiple turnovers throughout the game. The outstanding play of the defense enabled the Buffs to take to the air as junior quarterback Dustin Vaughan completed 19 of 32 passes for 243 yards

September 25, 2012 | theprairienews.com

SPORTS

September 25, 2012 | theprairienews.com

Lady Buffs beat ACU WT volleyball win games over weekend John Lee SportS reporter

he Lady Buffs outscored Abilene Christian 2-0 in the first period to eventually win the match 3-1 in Abilene. The Lady Buffs marched into Abilene on Sunday Sept. 23, on the heels of a two game winning streak after defeating both Western State and Texas Woman’s 2-1 in both games. The Lady Buffs would increase their win streak to three straight after defeating Abilene Christian in a match 3-1. “It’s nice to get to win three in a row,” head coach Chad Webb said. “Hopefully we can keep it going. Abilene’s not an easy team to beat, and to go into their house and beat them in the fashion that we did is great.” It wouldn’t be any particular athlete that would star for the Lady Buffs, just a cumulative team effort to put down Abilene Christian in the win. There would be three goals and three assists performed by five different players in the win over ACU. “The team effort was great,” Junior defender Julia Greif said. “Everyone’s heart was in it and everyone’s head was in it.” Forward Leslie Briggs would put West Texas A & M University on the board first with her 11th goal of the season and the first goal of the game at 10:14. Briggs would also have an assist in the game that would

come less than 15 minutes later at 24:22 as Briggs would hook up with Sophomore midfielder Rachel Roth to connect for a second score making the score 2-0 WT, with 21:38 left in the period. Abilene Christian University would come out of the gates firing within 4:19 and score the first point off of the leg of Senior midfielder Julie Coppedge. The Lady Buffs would respond to the score by ACU with a score from sophomore midfielder Jessie Thomas. “The defensive performance was very good. The two freshmen we had playing did fantastic,” Webb said, “We had more dangerous situations, the back four and the goal keeper played very well.” The Lady Buffs will start a four-game home stand against four different fellow Lone Star Conference opponents starting with Angelo State on Sept. 28 in Canyon, Texas. The other three opponents during the stretch are Incarnate Word, Abilene Christian and Midwestern State. “I think what we need to focus on, as we did in this game is score early,” Greif said. “We also need the team to continue bonding up.” With the win against ACU, the Lady Buffs get redemption after losing to ACU last year. “A win against ACU is always sweet,” Greif said. “We have that rivalry against them since we haven’t beat them in three years.”

Matt Watkins sports Editor

he No. 6 WTAMU Lady Buff volleyball team played consecutive road games on Sept. 21-22. WT traveled to Commerce to take on the Texas A&M-Commerce Lions and to Denton to face the Texas Woman’s University Pioneers. The Lady Buffs jumped out to a 9-3 lead early in the first set against Commerce on Sept. 21. After building a 16-9 lead, WT went on a 9-3 run to win the set 25-12.

The Lady Buffs grabbed a 12-2 lead to start off the second set. TAMUC was unable to bounce back and WT took the set 25-14. In the third set, with the Lady Buffs ahead 14-7, the Lions went on a 7-3 run to cut WT’s lead down to 17-14. The Lady Buffs responded with an 8-2 run to win the set 25-16 and sweep the match. WT’s road trip continued on Sept. 22 against TWU. The Lady Buffs started with a 9-4 lead in the first set until an 8-2 Pioneer run made it 12-11 in favor of TWU. A 7-2 run by the Pioneers

clinched the first set for them 25-18. WT bounced back in the second set with a 10-3 run that put the Lady Buffs on top 16-10. WT would go on a 6-2 run while ahead 19-16 to win the set 2518. “The entire message was keep fighting and pushing because we have a tendency to stop,” Head Coach Jason Skoch said. The third set was back and forth with an 18-15 score going into a Lady Buffs’ timeout. WT outscored TWU 7-4 after the timeout to win the set 25-19

and go up two sets to one. The Lady Buffs started the fourth set with a 10-2 lead. With an 11-5 lead, a 6-2 WT run made it 17-7. The Lady Buffs would go on to win the set 25-18 and clinch the match. “TWU is a very good team

@ 7 p. m . v s. A n g e l o S t a t e @ 1 p. m . v s. I n c a r n a t e Wo rd 7 p. m . v s. A b i l e n e C h r i s t i a n 1 : 3 0 p. m . v s. M i d we s t e r n S t a t e

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and to win three straight [sets] is a good sign for us,” said Skoch. The Lady Buffs are now 12-1 overall and 3-0 in Lone Star Conference play. WT will start a three game home stand against Midwestern State on Sept. 25 at 7 p.m.

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iPhone 5 hits the market with a splash Connor WooDs reporter

nce again, Apple customers are waiting to get their hands on the new iPhone. The latest iPhone, the iPhone 5, is revamped with a new design but still keeps the same feel. “We don’t want to make a new phone, we want to make a much better phone,” Jony Ive, senior vice president of design, said in an online interview. The latest iPhone offers a number of renovations to achieve what Jony Ive said they were going for. According to Apple’s online website, iPhone 5 is 20 percent lighter and 18 percent thinner than iPhone 4S. The screen on the iPhone was also altered. “We’ve increased the size of the display by making the screen taller but not wider,” said Ive. “You can see more of your content but still comfortably use it with one hand.” The Apple site stated that the

iPhone 5 is nearly 9 millimeters taller than IPhone 4S. The new phone also added a new feature and changed the way pictures are taken on the iPhone through panorama view. With one smooth motion you can shoot up to 240 degrees. The gyroscope, A6 chip and Camera app work together to create one seamless, highresolution panorama up to 28 megapixels. New materials were also used to achieve the unique look. Apple website states that the iPhone 5 is made of the same aluminum as Apple notebooks. All of these features attracted customers to line up outside local stores. “It was the most successful iPhone launch ever,” said AT&T spokesperson Alejandra Arango. “We had hundreds or

thousands of customers lining up last night across the country.” The iPhone 5 also has a new and faster data connection with LTE. The Apple site said the iPhone 5 does LTE the right way — optimized for better battery life and designed for ultrafast connectivity in a thin profile. As the iPhone has evolved so have the providers. “As the iPhone has evolved so has our network,” Arango said. “We have invested billions into our network. We are the largest

4G and LTE provider.” Some students aren’t too impressed the changes though. “I think its just tweaks here and there,” Veronica Ramos, senior Advertising and PR major, said. “If you want the latest and greatest thing from Apple buy it. If you are happy with your iPhone then it is not as worth it,” said Ramos. Alexis Cortez, junior prenursing major, said she would buy it because of certain features. “I like the screen now that it’s taller. It allows you to see more apps and

features,” she said. Some, however, are more skeptical of the phone than others. “Honestly, I probably wouldn’t buy it,” John Adams, senior Broadcasting major and IT technician, said. “The iPhone 4S had a great upgrade with Siri and I don’t think the changes were as significant as they should have been for the iPhone 5. I think people are buying the iPhone because it’s the iPhone.” The iPhone 5 released on Friday Sept. 21 and is now available in stores.

Can YOU finish first? We are giving away $10 iTunes gift cards. Finish the three puzzles with the correct answers and turn it in at FAC room 103.

Ashley hendrick/The PrAirie Prairie logo displayed on iPhone 4

The xx’s new album marks the spot Daniela Fierro reporter

fter their successful debut studio album in 2009, the English indie pop trio xx released their second album in September. According to the Billboard 200, Coexist sold over 73,000 albums and was placed No. 5 on its opening week. With their soothing music and soulful lyrics, the sophomore album is far from being a slump. The thirteen tracks were written by the

three members of the band; Romy Croft, Oliver Sim and Jamie Smith. The London based group recorded their album from November 2011 until May 2012 and was released by the Young Turks. Their first track, Angels, was released in July and has quickly become popular among people and so did Chained when it was released in August. With a single leak to one fan, the band partnered with Microsoft to create a visualization that tracked the album’s online sharing stream along the world.

“To recreate the word-of-mouth phenomenon that made them famous, the xx shared their album stream to a single fan outside of London,” Amanada Holpuch wrote in the Guardian Blog. According to Holpuch’s blog, that one single fan hogged the album for almost an hour before it was released. “Twenty-four hours after the stream was shared, the site crashed from the millions of [users listening],” Holpuch wrote, “and the average user was spending 2.1 on the site.”

Last Weeks Answers

10 FEATURE

September 25, 2012 | theprairienews.com

Secular Student Alliance is in full swing The unfortunate truth

Alex GArdner reporter

he Secular Student Alliance at WTAMU, an organization for students who do not hold a specific religious faith, is gaining momentum as more people join the organization week after week. “It’s for the students who have questions and whose questions are not being answered in the way that they want by the religious organizations,” Braden Cohern, president of SSA, said. As religious organizations on WT campus bring students of similar faiths together, the SSA’s purpose is to help unite

students who are not a part of a religion. “It helps bring people together that are not involved with religions or have a religious affiliation,” Vice-President Michael Hernandez said. The SSA promotes free thinking and exploring the opinions of others. “It’s a community for secular students who do not subscribe to religion, or have questions, or just want to know what other people think,” Cohern said. SSA and its participants thrive on casual conversation and talking about what is on their minds according to Cohern. “It’s real casual,” Cohern said.

“Just come in and we will talk about anything y’all want to talk about.” From religion and movies to Chupacabras, anything is up for discussion. “We can talk about subjects that are pertinent to us and just blow off some steam,” Cohern said. It’s this casual atmosphere and lack of pressure that some students prefer. “They don’t pressure you to think anything.” Evelyn Richardson, a Social Work major and Alliance member, said. “They don’t force their beliefs on you.” Hernandez said starting the

Battle of the Bands axed Brooke Self reporter

attle of the Bands is an event put on by Campus Organizations, Resources and Entertainment (CORE) every semester. This semester would be the fourth semester that CORE has put on a battle of the bands. The winner of the battle was to be scheduled to play at WT’s homecoming game. According to RoseAnn Platt, an administrative secretary in the CORE office, Battle of the Bands was officially cancelled on Friday, Sept. 21. “We only had two bands signed up, which was kind of a bummer because it wouldn’t make it quite the competition you would want it to be,” Nicole Moore, CORE student consultant, said When the members of CORE who were in charge of Battle of the Bands realized they only had two bands competing in the activity, they had to make a decision. They tried to get others interested in signing up for the event, but had no luck. “Two bands is not much of a battle and we just wanted it to be a good event all around,” said Keegan Folker, CORE student activities consultant. “We want it

to be fun for the people participating and for the people who are coming out.” Battle of the Bands was scheduled to take place on Friday, Sept. 28, but now that it’s been cancelled, Folker said there might not be any CORE event taking place that day. “We do have a back-up plan for who is going to play at homecoming,” Folker said. CORE may have had to cancel the battle, but there are several more events that CORE will be putting on this semester including fall carnival, which will take place on Halloween. Moore said students who are looking for something to get involved in on campus should visit the CORE office. “Our main objective is to help students start organizations and get involved in organizations, which we have 126 on campus,” said Moore. For students who have been told it would be a good idea to get involved, CORE is where they can get all the information needed to make a decision on what area on campus is best for them to be a part of.

group was a reassurance that he was not alone in his beliefs. “[It] was really comforting knowing that there were other people that had the same ideas that I did,” Cohern said. “That I was not the only one.” The key concept for SSA is to express multiple points of view in a safe, nonjudgmental environment . Group meeting are every We d n e s d ay

OP presidential nominee at 7 p.m. in the Palace Coffee Mitt Romney has been Shop and accepts all who are forced to back up interested in attending, religious comments he made regarding 47 or not. percent of the population who will vote for President Obama no matter what. During a private fundraiser, secretly video-taped of course, Romney describes the 47 percent as people who believe they are victims and that the government has a responsibility to care for them. Furthermore, Romney mentions later in that same fundraiser that more people would vote for him if his parents were of Mexican descent. This string of comments struck a controversial chord with some Alex GArdner/ The PrAirie voters who feel the comments The Alliance discusses fundraising ideas. were degrading and made the 47 percent seem like lazy, dependent people. Not to mention the number of Latinos Romney offended with his off kiltered remarks on how to guarantee him the win, if only he was Latino. Part of the reason these comments have received so much negativity is how they were delivered; behind closed doors. Now the mask comes off and we see what Romney really thinks of almost half of American voters. Are Romney’s comments really all that surprising though? He is a politician after all. His comments are just a few of a long list of closed door political statements made by many, many political candidates in history, including President Barack Obama himself. In 2008, while speaking to donors in San Francisco, Obama mentioned that it wasn’t surprising that small town people “cling to guns and religion or antipathy to people who aren’t like them.” The media exploded with coverage and the controversy still lingers in some minds today.

Is it really all that surprising that a politician let his mouth run away with him when he thought no one was listening? That’s how the game is played in Washington. In order to get votes, politicians succumb to the beliefs and opinions of the audience. Of course they are going to watch what they say in front of 3 million television viewers. Those speeches are carefully formulated hours before to coax the opinion of the audience. In front of a small group of close friends however, things change. Guards are let down, costumes

taken off and the man behind the curtain stays behind the curtain; until someone leaks a secret video tape. There are two sides to every fence and it is society’s job to pay attention to both sides, especially in politics. Instead of being shocked at the contradictory and hypocritical actions of one politician, what all politicians say must be taken with a grain of salt. Not everything they promise will come to pass and, truth be told, the truth is not always told. That is the unfortunate truth of politics.

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PHOTOS

September 25, 2012 | theprairienews.com

BuffaPaloza, Tri-State Fair, and Beam Signing Alex MontoyA Photo editor

Ferris Wheel at the Tri-State Fair.

Kelly Sessions (Fresh) paints Caleb Hubbard (Soph) face at BuffaPaloza.

Summer Robinson (Fresh) Kaitlin Dear ( Fresh) and Sarah Gunset teaching nutrition.

Founders Hall Beam signing..

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Robert Baca (Soph) and Alain Ortiz (Soph) leave their mark on Founders Hall.

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