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Barnes and Noble adjusts to industry changes.
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SuNNy 850/440 October 9, 2012 • Vol. 95, No. 6
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Navy SEAL challenges students
Ashley hendrick AssistAnt editor
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undreds of WTAMU students, faculty and community members filled the First United Bank Center Thursday, Oct. 4 to hear Navy SEAL and humanitarian Eric Greitens discuss the importance of serving others with courage and compassion. “One of things I always find inspiring is all of the incredible talent, and energy and curiosity that exist in young people across the United States,” Greitens said. “I want them all…to use the time here in college to actually create their purpose by challenging themselves.” Greitens is the author of WT’s 2012 common reader “The Heart and the Fist.” The New York Times best seller is the first-hand account of Greitens’ life overseas as a humanitarian in third world countries, a Rhodes and Truman Scholar at the University of Oxford and a U.S. Navy SEAL. Greitens is also the founder of The Mission Continues, a national non-prof-
SPORTS
Volleyball sweeps weekend matches.
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OPiniOn
JetBlue’s “Live Free or Fly” campaign targets fickle voters.
PAGE 11 COURTESY PHOTO/KATi RiCKS- COmmUniCATiOnS ASSOCiATE fOR THE GREiTEnS GROUP Eric Greitens spoke to WT freshmen about courage and compassion.
it organization that challenges veterans to find ways to serve in their communities. “It’s kind of crazy that he actually lived out all of that in his life and that everything in the book was actually true,” Jaycee Booth, freshman Nursing major, said. After a ceremonial introduction by WT Student Body Presi-
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dent Nick Goettsche and WT President Dr. Patrick O’ Brien, Greitens shared his stories and life lessons. “There are so many wonderful memories,” Greitens said. “Whether it was how we worked with the children in the street of Bolivia or working with young kids in Rwanda.” After Greitens took members
of the audience on his journey of working with orphans, he took them further into tales of courage with his accounts of training as a Navy SEAL during Hell Week.
CHALLENGES on PAGE 3
fEATURE
The First Friday Art Walk brings out art enthusiasts.
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NEWS
October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com
WTAMU hosts Career Expo for students Megan Moore reporter
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ver 60 employers from the Amarillo and Canyon area gathered in the WTAMU Alumni Banquet Facility for the annual Career Expo on Oct. 4. The career expo is intended to introduce students to the work world and allow them to improve on their networking skills. Any WT student - freshman
and sophomores who wanted to see what was available to them in the years to come and junior and senior students who were looking for internship and career possibilities - were encouraged to visit the employers. “I wanted to see if I had any chances next year at getting an internship. I like getting to know all the companies and how diverse they are,” Ixavier Hernandez, a freshman Mechanical Engineering major, said.
Students who were interested in job opportunities walked around the fair in business attire while employers waited at their booths to give information to the students. “Most of the students plan on having careers,” Kim Muller, interim director of Career Services, said. “They have a chance to get information from the person that actually does the hiring.” Many of the businesses have participated in the career fair
for several years. They continue to come because WT has such a good reputation and has such great students and great programs, Muller said. Wells Fargo Bank was in attendance at the job fair and one of the representatives was a former WT graduate. “We have participated for at least five years. I was hired at Wells Fargo at the job fair. I was an Ag[riculture] Business major and graduated in 2003,” Melissa
ry Nepper, manager of the WT Bookstore. According to Nepper, the store will be a one-stop shop for students who need almost anything technological for their classes. The prices will be discounted on an educational level, so the items should be somewhat cheaper than they would be at other stores. “I see brand new students hitting campus and some of them carry notebooks, but a lot of them carry tablets,” Nepper said. “Once the store is established, students will not have to
go to Best Buy or Walmart to fill these needs, because we’ll have it for them on campus.” Some students are excited about the tech store, while others think it will take some time before students decide to buy these types of things on campus. “I think the store is a great idea,” Keegan King, a junior Advertising and Public Relations major, said. “Since our world has evolved into a more technological society where everyone is connected, it makes sense that WT thought to put a store like this on campus.”
People who are in charge of the tech store hope they will eventually be able to identify and satisfy student’s needs. “It’s a good idea, but it might take students a while to catch on,” Toby Cummings, a junior Engineering major, said. “We are all so used to getting our technological stuff from a certain place, so it might be hard to make a transition from purchasing from big stores like Best Buy to purchasing from your university’s tech store.” One thing that will not be available in the tech store is cel-
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TAMU will have a new store on campus starting the spring semester. The “Tech Store,” as it is being called, is scheduled to open in January and is part of the expansion of the Jack B. Kelly Student Center. The tech store will include tablets, programs, accessories and more technological equipment. “The store will be about 1,400 to 1,500 square feet and will be located across from the post office in the JBK,” said Ter-
STAFF Editor-in-ChiEf Krystina Martinez
ASSiStAnt Editor Ashley Hendrick
WEB Editor Daniela Fierro
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 Hunter Fithen Alex Gonzalez John Lee Laci McGee Megan Moore
Robin Mosier Katie Nichols Lauren O’Brien Chelo Rivera Phoebe Sinclair Haley Sprague Rebekah St. Clair Preston Thomas Rubi Valencia Keltin Wiens
CHALLENGES from PAGE 1
“When I think about Hell Week and I think about what it actually took to make Corvin, assistant branch manit through that incredibly difficult week, ager at Wells Fargo in Canyon, I always remember how I felt at the very said. end of that week,” Greitens said. “It was There was a pre-expo reone of the best times that you never want ception the night before which to have again.” students had to RSVP through BuffJobs to attend. The recep- Greitens primary focus for the convotion gave students a chance to cation was to challenge students to serve visit with some of the employers others with courage and compassion and before the actual career fair. For help students find that courage. Accordinformation on other network- ing to Greitens, the best way to face fear ing events, visit Career Services is to write it down. “There’s certain ways that we are couin the Student Success Center. rageous and there are other times that we can be very fearful,” Greitens said. “Write down what you’re afraid of and then figure out how you’re going to address that fear.” lular phones. “There are so many plans For young college students, a new and carriers available and a lot school, new people, and new classes can of people already have plans, be a daunting feat to face, especially when whether it’s a family plan or there are so many different degrees and their own,” Nepper said. “We activities to be involved in. have had conversations with Ve- “It’s absolutely natural to not know rizon and AT&T on the subject, what you want to do,” Greitens said. but they are not at a point where they can offer that to us at this time.” King said she thinks it will be convenient, especially for students who have come from out of the area and don’t know where to get these types of things.
New tech store to open on campus in January 2013 Brooke Self reporter
October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com
“You’re not going to find your passion, but you can create it and the way that you create it is by challenging yourself and trying new things.” For freshman and Mechanical Engineering major Luke Bishop, Greitens’ words of wisdom were inspirational and challenged him to go places he’s never been before. “I would like to go visit places like that and make a difference…to make a change in the world, for other people.” Bishop said. For students who aren’t sure whether college is right for them, Greitens reminded them that college is a great opportunity, one that very few people in the world are privileged to have. “There are many ways to live a good and fulfilling life,” Greitens said “I would encourage anyone who is at WT to take full advantage of everything that college has to offer. College is an incredible opportunity that so few people in the world have.”
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.
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NEWS
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NEWS
UPD renews safety awareness for WT Rebekah St. ClaiR RepoRteR
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TAMU has renewed safety awareness for threats made to the school. An email from the University Police Department has been sent to all of the faculty and staff to ensure all know the proper procedures to follow in case of a threat to the University. “No fundamental changes have been made to the procedures, just renewed awareness,” Officer Patrick Coggins, director of police operations said. If students suspect anything, they should notify the police; however, it is unlikely that a student would receive the threat Coggins said. A checklist was attached to the email sent to faculty and staff to help officials know how to respond to the threat. The checklist includes questions to ask the caller, how to determine what is conveyed through the call, and to get investigative leads. At the beginning of each semester, Residential Living holds a training session called “Behind Closed Doors” that assures the Residential Living staff are properly equipped to deal with any
situation that may possibly occur. David Wilson, director of Residential Living, said emergency procedure binders are used as a refresher and are held at each desk in all of the dorms. The training is made up of skits and is a hands-on experience for the newer residential assistants (RA) as well as the veteran RA’s to learn all of the procedures. “The binder is there with ‘1, 2, 3 steps,’” Jon Behrens, senior director of Residential Living said. The training covers everything from bomb threats to depression. One of the updates made to the checklists for the binder was cell phone usage. If a person was to use his cell phone to call UPD, he is told to get away from the building in question because it could possibly set off a bomb. The procedures are reviewed annually and updated as frequently as needed in order to guarantee safety for students. Residential Living corresponds often with UPD in order to make necessary changes as needed. “We feel somewhat isolated in WT. I hope that we don’t take that for granted,” Behrens said.
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October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com
NEWS
October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com
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Local Barnes & Noble adapts to survive Connor Woods reporter
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or the past few weeks a sign that read “sale or lease” has been lingering over the local Amarillo Barnes & Noble store on Westgate. The sign posed many questions as for what the future had in store for the bookstore in Amarillo. However the negotiation of the lease that was set to expire on Jan. 31 was settled. “They pulled the sign down, and it was all worked out and a lease was signed and it is a seven-year lease. They wanted 10 [years], however, a standard retail leasing agreement is five, so we compromised to make the agreement work,” Jim Gleason,
a community relations and business development manager for Barnes & Noble, said. However, with Borders closing in 2011, this brings attention to the cause of the downfall of brick-and-mortar stores. E-books and new devices such as the Kindle and Nook offer readers other ways to purchase and read books, and consumers are interested. “Increasingly, consumers are ordering print books online and reading e-books delivered instantly to mobile devices and e-readers such as Amazon’s Kindle and Barnes & Noble’s Nook,” USA Today reported. Due to the increasing interest in e-books as well as other forms of purchasing books,
bookstores such as Borders have closed their doors. “There is different factors as to why [Borders] had to close down,” said Gleason. “They got in late in the game and to me, they didn’t market it as much as they should have. They had the mindset that it was just the icing on the cake when the e-reader was far more than just that.” However, some people feel that there are some experiences that cannot come from online. “I think it somewhat has an effect on sales, but there are people who like to come in and feel the book in their hands and browse around,” Joe Stevens, owner of Buffalo Bookstore, said. “We also have a lot of books by local authors and we
love to tell about the books because we have knowledge of them and know the authors personally. It is something you can’t get online.” Although textbooks are increasingly being sold in e-reader format, some students still like a physical copy. “Being able to hold the book in your hand has value,” Carly Dunlop, a textbook-receiving clerk at the WTAMU Bookstore, said. “I like being able to take notes [and] I like to highlight through it. I was an art history major and I’m going to keep all of my art history books. I like knowing the fact that I’m going to have those books for the rest of my life if I want it. That is something e-books cant
guarantee you.” Barnes & Noble has managed to reach success through integration and playing to the public’s interest. Gleason said, “We have integrated with the Nook and the college bookstores, as well as having our online bookstore,” said Gleason. “Without these, Barnes & Noble would not be where it is today. Having an e-reader, online book store as well as a physical store compliments each other to a great extent.” As for the Amarillo Barnes & Noble, students can expect them to be around for at least seven more years.
freshman Agriculture majors in the afternoon followed by a reception, dinner, lecture and question and answer session for all juniors and seniors. The event allowed students within the Agriculture department to hear from successful business leaders around the region, including Ed Wright, a successful national leader as a cattle buyer. “This lecture series is such an amazing and unique opportunity as it allows students to hear from successful business owners in the community directly,” Kristi Benedict, senior Equine Business major, said. “There are not many places that we can hear from the individual and get a personal view of the business world from them. It not only is an opportunity to learn but it
is also a confidence builder as we graduate and experience the business world for ourselves.” Each one of the presenters was given their own individual time to speak and tell their story of how they made it to the top of the business world. Chyna Tynney, a senior Agriculture Media and Communications major, said it was a great opportunity to listen to successful people and hear their advice while listening to the story of how they got to where they are. “The secret to any success is how to manage the stress and use it as a motivator,” Wright said. “People who can handle stress are in the top two of money makers in this country.” This year’s lecture offered the first businesswoman to speak at the series. Laura
Conniff shared her story of being a fifth-generation farmer, the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas Director and co-owner of her own business. “I think it is a level playing field between men and women,” Conniff said. “If anything it is tilted towards females in some ways. My advice is to take
advantage of it. Take every opportunity that knocks on your door and run with it. Life changes, you have to be flexible, you have to continue learning. You can have it all. You just can’t have it all every day.”
Agribusiness leaders speak to WTAMU students Addie dAvis reporter
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he second annual Agribusiness Leaders Lecture Series was held Oct. 2 for all students majoring in Agriculture. This lecture series not only offered a free meal for the juniors and seniors in the Agriculture department, but also provided information and advice on being a successful businessman or woman in the field of agriculture. According to Agriculture department Head Dr. Dean Hawkins, the lectureship is a great way to expose students to these successful businessmen and women in hopes that this is where they will be in a few short years. The lecture series included a presentation for the
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SportS
Half a century later Keltin Wiens KWts sports Director
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ongratulations to Miguel Cabrera for winning Major League Baseball’s hitting Triple Crown. By leading the American League with 44 home runs, a .330 batting average and batting in 139 runs, the Detroit Tigers’ third-baseman collects one of baseball’s highest and most difficult honors. On Wednesday, the final day of the Major League Baseball regular season, Miggy, as many call him, won the Triple Crown for only the seventeenth time in the last 134 years and only the tenth time in the modern era. Cabrera is the first infielder to win the award since Lou Gehrig did it in 1934. Cabrera is also the first player since Carl “Yaz” Yastrzemski won it in 1967 for the Boston Red Sox. This is the biggest gap in the history of the Triple Crown. The longest span before 1967 was ten years.
Think of how much the world has changed since then. There are approximately 114,068,912 more people in the United States now. The price of a gallon of gas was $0.33 and the federal government only spent $157 billion in 1967. We have since landed on the moon, ended the Cold War, got 52 American hostages back safely from Iran, witnessed the advent of the Internet, have seen the digital revolution change just about every aspect of our lives and countless more events. In those 45 years since Yaz took the Triple Crown, the Red Sox won their first world title in 86 years and the Chicago Cubs have gone more than a century without winning another World Series. There are only five bigleague parks still in existence when Yastrzemski hammered 44 home runs, 121 Runs Battled In and finished with a .326 average.
October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com
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he Buffaloes football team defeated Lone Star Conference rival Angelo State University 35-9 in Angelo Saturday, Oct. 6 to remain undefeated in conference play. The defense showed their dominance as junior linebacker Kyle Voss had 11 tackles including 2.5 for a loss. In total, the Buffaloes defense had eight tackles for losses and one sack. “Defense made tremendous plays on a short field as our punting game was not performing up to par,” Head Coach Don Carthel said, “This was a great showing
of courage and determination to keep points off the board.” The defense would make it a 25-3 game, as junior defensive back Curtis Slater intercepted a pass from junior Angelo State quarterback Blake Hamblin 85 yards for a touchdown. The following drive, Slater made it an encore by picking off Hamblin again for another 39 yards. “Curtis is so smart and such a veteran and he is sneaky when it comes to making interceptions and big plays,” Carthel said, “He showed all conference capabilities throughout the entire game.” The Buffaloes only had 66 more total offensive yards than
Lady Buffs soccer splits weekend games
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Matt WatKins sports eDitor
Needless to say, winning he No. 7 WTAMU Lady Buffs the hitting Triple Crown is a volleyball team traveled to big deal. Cabrera has remained San Antonio on Oct. 5 to take humble even though this is only on the Incarnate Word Cardinals the tenth time since 1920 this and to Kingsville on Oct. 6 to battle has happened. He didn’t want the Texas A&M-Kingsville Javelito be taken out of the game on nas. WT swept both matches in Wednesday against Kansas City, convincing fashion. a move that was made to preThe Lady Buffs battled for serve his batting average after a 10-8 lead to start the first set a 0-2 start to the game. In fact, against UIW. WT took control by Cabrera hasn’t wanted to be going on a 12-1 run while the score taken out of many games over was tied at 13 to take the set 25-14. his career. He has played in 160 The second set was much more or more games four of the last closely contested. It was hard five seasons. fought, with the Cardinals and In an era in which baseball Lady Buffs exchanging the lead has been stained by steroid abuse, it is great to finally see six different times. WT finished it some positive news come from with a 7-2 run while down 23-20 the majors. There couldn’t be a to pick up a 27-25 set win. The Lady Buffs got off to a 14-0 better role model for the MLB start in the third set. WT would in Miguel Cabrera. He quietly increase their lead to 22-2 at one goes about his business, just dopoint. They would win the set 25-5 ing his job. His commitment to to clinch the match. putting team before self should Junior Halie Harton led the be practiced by every player, no Lady Buffs with 13 kills and 10 matter the sport. digs, followed by senior Erin
Angelo State. It would be enough though, as junior quarterback Dustin Vaughan would have 236 passing yards, three touchdowns and a lone pick (only his third of the season). Junior wide receiver Torrence Allen would add to his team-high yards and touchdowns with another 67 yards and two touchdowns. Senior running back Khiry Robinson rushed for a season-high 149 yards. Although it only produced nine points, the offense of Angelo State didn’t have a problem moving the ball early in the game. Hamblin was 23-52 for 264 yards a touchdown and had two costly picks to Slater.
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Volleyball now 7-1
Dougherty with 13 kills. SeniorTyler Anderson Lacy Hayes dished out 34 assists sporTs reporTer and senior Lauren Beville finished n a continuation of their fourwith 15 digs. WT started the first set with game homestand, the Lady TAMUK down 6-3 before going Buffs soccer team shut out on a 17-3 run to take a 20-9 lead. Abilene Christian 2-0 on Friday, The Lady Buffs took the set by a Oct. 5 before falling to Midwestern State 4-1 on Sunday, Oct. 7 25-12 score. WT opened set two with a 6-2 at The Pitch. lead. Each team traded points On Friday night, senior striker throughout the set until the Lady Leslie Briggs and freshman midfielder Emily Krenek knocked Buffs won it 25-21. WT battled for a 10-8 lead to in shots for Lady Buff points as start the third set. A 15-5 run by senior Lindsey McHorse, sophothe Lady Buffs clinched the match more Hannah Blakely, and sophomore Jasmine Schultz provided with a 25-13 set three win. “We played flat,” Head Coach the assists. Junior goalkeeper Jason Skoch said. “Fortunately, both teams did.” Harton finished with 14 kills on the day. Hayes collected 35 assists and senior Stormi Lancaster had 14 digs for WT. The Lady Buffs are now 16-2 overall and 7-1 in Lone Star Conference action. WT’s next game will be in Abilene on Oct. 13 against Abilene Christian at 2 p.m.
Buffs football extends streak with Angelo State win John lee sports reporter
SPORTS
October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com
The win is the Buffaloes’ fifthstraight win as they head into next Saturday’s Homecoming game against arguably their biggest rival, Abilene Christian University.
“Get ready for our most heated rivalry,” Carthel said, “They are 5-4 against the Buffs since we took over back in 2005.”
Yvette Bedoy recorded seven saves in WT’s rout of the Wildcats. As an added bonus, the Lady Buffs soccer program posted its 100th victory in the Lone Star Conference. However, as Senior Day honored Briggs, McHorse, midfielder Becky Peth, defender Julia Greif, and midfielder Kelsey Wright, the Lady Buffs were dealt with a reality check as they fell behind early to a score by Midwestern State’s Payton Fookes, who also chipped in an assist and the first of two Ashley Cottrell goals. WT responded with a Jasmine Schultz
score to tighten the gap at halftime and stellar defensive play kept competition close through most of the match until the Mustangs pulled away in the final minutes with a goal and assist by Mickey Brown and Katy Catney, respectively, and the second of Cottrell’s two scores. “We played really well Friday night and got a good win there, but it’s really tough to play Friday and Sunday, but that’s what you have to do if you want to try to win two games over a weekend,” Coach Chad Webb said. “We didn’t start very well, and found
ourselves behind 2-0 really early. Once that happened, the girls responded and put out quite a bit of effort, trying to come back. We were close; we scored the one, and almost got a few more. They just wanted it a little bit more than we did.” While the Lady Buffs fail to take command of the Lone Star Conference, they still control their own destiny by remaining in first place alongside a surging Incarnate Word squad. In the split, WT steady themselves with a 6-3 conference tally and a 7-5-1 overall record as
Abilene Christian falls to 1-6-1 in Lone Star play, 3-8-1 overall. Midwestern State, on the other hand, improves to 3-7-3 overall and attaining a .500 record in the LSC at 3-3-3. The Lady Buffs continue their season on the road Oct. 12 as they travel to Denton as they aim to sweep the TWU Pioneers for the season before moving on to Commerce Oct. 14 to even up the season series against the Lions of Texas A&M-Commerce.
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ENTERTAINMENT
GAMES
October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com
Two-day ceramics workshop at WT
Laci McGee RepoRteR
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isiting artist James C. Watkins will give a two-day ceramics workshop on Oct. 11 at 9 a.m. in Mary Moody Northern Hall. “I give four to five workshops a year,” Watkins said “I use the same techniques in each workshop.” Watkins will demonstrate different techniques from his book “Alternative Kilns and Firing Techniques,” including techniques used for a Raku kiln, a low heat, rapid-fire technique for firing ceramics. Once removed from the heat, the ceramics are placed in an airtight container filled with a flammable material such as newspaper or sawdust. The different materials do different things to the surface of the ceramics. The workshop has some art students excited, including senior Art major
Dione Pompa who said she preferred the Raku technique to others. “[It’s] un-predicting, makes the work exciting,” she said. For Jacob Gillette, senior Studio Art major, any chance to create threedimensional images is an exciting opportunity. “I prefer creating 3D over drawing 2D images,” Gillette said. The workshop will run all day Thursday and into Friday, Oct. 12. On the second day, those attending will get the opportunity to try the techniques out for themselves. There will be a public reception for Watkins Thursday evening from 5 to 7 p.m. in the Mary Moody Northern Hall Formal Art Gallery. For more information about the workshop contact Professor Easley at measley@wtamu.edu.
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.
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October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com
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October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com
Art enthusiasts engage in community “Live free or fly?” Tough it out, instead Robin MosieR RepoRteR
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ive music and the buzz of shared interest fill the Galleries at Sunset Center once a month when it hosts the First Friday Art Walk. The first Friday of every month from 5-9 p.m., the community is welcome to admire and mingle free of charge through 55 studiogalleries displaying the work of over 100 local artists’ personal work exhibited in the indoor mall. First Friday has become part of some individuals in the art community’s monthly schedules, such as regular attendee Elvin Lamb, who said for him and his wife it’s somewhat of a tradition. “I’ve been coming out here since it began, I don’t know how long it’s been,” Lamb said. “I had a friend open a gallery way back when, and me and my wife have
been coming back every month since.” Artists and art enthusiasts alike are given the unique opportunity for a glimpse into what one another has been working on for the past month, giving attendees a chance to both view and purchase pieces that catch their eye. “Of course selling art, for me, is a major part of it,” David Alan Corbin said, owner and artist at gallery ArtGecko. “We try to make up what we put into in, which is why ArtGecko offers so much diversity. We try to make a market for everyone.” Corbin and his wife, Loretta, have been participants and artists in First Friday since 2005. “People travel to Taos and Santa Fe and will pay three times what they would here in their own backyard,” Corbin said. “We tell people they need to buy local, support local art.”
While having an opportunity to profit from their work is important for some artists such as the Corbins, others such as Brandi Florek, artist and resident of gallery “The Stache,” say the atmosphere and community behind First Friday are what bring her back to Sunset Center every month. “It’s cool to see people looking and thinking, and of course sometimes buying your work,” Florek said. “It’s an amazing sense of community, all of the artists together being supportive of one another.” “The Stache,” a gallery open since April, is a cooperative effort of 10 artists, most of whom are local educators according to Florek, who has personally been employed by Region 16 since August. Florek says that they all pitched in to form “The Stache” because of their shared love and apprecia-
tion for art. “Every month, I really think we all try and step it up from the previous months, try new things,” Florek said. “And everyone offers something so different to the group. Photography, oil paintings, mixed media pieces, graphic design, sculpture, we let anything and everything in.” While fully enjoying the fun and diversity of the event, Florek and Corbin both conceded to the amount of work that goes into the monthly show. “It takes the full month to get ready for another show, and sometimes it’s difficult finding inspiration for new work,” Florek said. “But I think getting
ready and hanging art before the show opens is my favorite part, I love it. People come bringing in new stuff; it’s so cool to see what everyone came up with every time.” Similar to many of the artists participating in First Friday, all of the residents of “The Stache” work fulltime day jobs, according to Florek, who says it never feels like there’s enough time to get everything done. However, she says somehow they all just make it work. “[First Friday] is so exciting and fun,” Florek said. “You really put yourself out there for everyone to see. It pushes your boundaries, which can be scary, but really worth it.”
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irliner JetBlue has launched a marketing campaign that capitalizes on the upcoming election. The contest, called “Election Protection,” encourages participants to vote on their preferred presidential candidate. If “the other guy” wins, Jet Blue will fly winners out of the country. It’s a smart campaign that plays on fickle voter behavior. Every four years, there is usually a group of people who threaten to fly to Canada if “x” candidate becomes president. Unfortunately, JetBlue’s only international flights travel to Central and South America and the Bahamas. Sorry, Canada. So if someone took this contest seriously and decided to say ‘adios’ to America for good,
would they be better off? Maybe if they were rich. According to a Fox News article published in the summer, up to 8,000 U.S. citizens are expected to renounce their citizenship in 2012. Some reasons are truly political, but most are based off of economic reasons such as avoiding the high tax rate imposed on the wealthy. For the average American, it would not be a wise move. Expatriates are required to pay a 15 percent ‘exit tax’ based off of all their collective assets. The idea of renouncing one’s citizenship because of temporary domestic issues is a little ridiculous. Any nation is going to have problems. If one were to leave the country every time America had a problem, he or she would be making the trip
every other year. In that time, he or she would probably realize that other countries have problems as well. The European Union is suffering from monetary issues far worse than the U.S. Japan is still dealing with the fallout from Fukushima. China may be an emerging superpower, but the state of their government and infrastructure leaves much to be desired. Sure, America isn’t perfect. But were we ever perfect to begin with? The rose-colored glasses are finally coming off and we’re seeing the problems that we’re facing as a country. Instead of threatening to run off to another country, let’s face our problems and learn to solve them.
CourTEsy PHoTo/JETBluE Robin MosieR/ The PRaiRie This metal art piece welcomes attendees into the entrance of the Galleries at Sunset Center for First Friday every month.
Question of the Week “Do you think national media should cover car chases or are they a waste of time?” “It seems to be a waste. Sensationalizing a crime by giving attention to the perpetrator.” -- Tim Harleson “They should cover the civil war in Liberia instead.” -- Eddie Torres
Robin MosieR/ The PRaiRie This piece of art was inspiration for naming “The Stache” and hangs outside the entrance to the gallery.
The Prairie will be asking a Question of the Week every Tuesday through Facebook and Twitter. Reply to our Question of the Week post on Facebook or use the hashtag #thePrairieAsks on Twitter to respond. Student responses will be printed in the next edition of The Prairie.
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October 9, 2012 | theprairienews.com
This Week in Photos: Students get involved Alex MontoyA Photo editor
Students Trent McAnear (freshman) and Hannah Valigura (freshman) register to vote at the NAACP table in the JBK.
Trevor Williams (freshman) and Miles Prugle (junior) from the WT Tech Club play Borderlands 2 in the JBK.
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Zeta Tau Alpha poses for a picture during Work-A-Thon on Oct. 6.
Psychology Club participates in the COESS Chili Cook-Off on Oct. 4.
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