ThePRAIRIE
September 17, 2014
Vol. 97 Iss. 4
Read more about
on page 10 Photo by: Megan Moore | Design by: Victoria Stone
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Professor works with rescued horses
Original “Apprentice” visits WT
Bowling team begins a new season
Meet the volleyball team’s biggest fan
#WhyIStayed #WhyILeft
2 NEWS NEWS
Buff News Briefs
PPHM celebrates Molly Goodnight Day
Staff EDITOR Megan Moore ASSOCIATE EDITORS Alyssa Bonner Preston Thomas ADVISER Dr. Butler Cain AD MANAGER Alyssa Bonner LAYOUT DESIGNERS Cheyenne Black Victoria Stone
Photographers Ian Kelty Natalia Molina
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.
M
ary Ann “Molly” Dyer Goodnight is wellknown in the panhandle for taking care of bison and helping to keep them from becoming extinct. The PanhandlePlains Historical Museum and Caprock Canyons State Park hosted an event on Sept. 13 in celebration of Goodnight’s 175th birthday anniversary. Molly Goodnight Day was held on Sept. 13 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the PPHM. The cost of attending the event was free with regular museum admission. There was fun and entertainment for the entire family, including educational activities about American bison. West Texas A&M’s live mascot, Thunder 11, also made an appearance at the event.
AGN moves printing location to Lubbock
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he Amarillo Globe News will soon be partnering with The Lubbock Avalanche Journal for a new printing press. Both newspapers in Amarillo and Lubbock have older printing presses that no longer produce, and they both feel that repairing or upgrading the printers would be too costly. The new printing press will be moved to Lubbock instead of Amarillo because the newspaper is better set-up in Lubbock in terms of printing and operating. Minimal changes will be made when it comes to the delivery of the paper. Those who subscribe to the AGN will still receive their papers no later than 6 a.m.
Buffs for Christ hosts retreat to New Mexico
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uffs for Christ, the Church of Christ bible chair, has a retreat coming up Sept. 19-21. They will be leaving at 1 p.m. on Sept. 19 and will return on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m. The retreat will cost $50 to participate. The Buffs for Christ organization will be going to Camp Blue Haven located near Las Vegas, N.M. The trip will focus on spending more time with God through prayer and study. There will also be outdoor activities as well as singing, studying, scripture reading and prayer.
VSA hosts annual Moon Festival at WT
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T has a diverse student body on campus, not only from varying parts of the United States but also from all around the world. International students bring with them views and cultures that American students may be completely unfamiliar with. Fortunately, various student organizations put on events to teach WT students about other cultures and on Sept. 19th the Vietnamese Student Association will contribute once again with its annual Moon Festival. “There will be a short part in which we talk about the meaning of Moon festival,” Kristin Le, VSA vice president, said. The celebration will be held in Legacy Hall from 7:30 pm until 10:00 pm, and will feature traditional Vietnamese songs and dances as well as Vietnamese cuisine.
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September 17, 2014
It’s A Buffs Life
September 17, 2014
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3 NEWS NEWS
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WT professor volunteers with local equine rescue Jessica Vallejos MCOM 3309 Multimedia Journalism
D Jessica Vallejos/ MCOM 3309 Multimedia Journalism Dr. Bonney MacDonald not only brings students to work at Dove Creek Ranch, but also hosts events there as well.
r. Bonney MacDonald, an English professor at WTAMU for six years, has been bringing recognition to Canyon’s Dove Creek Ranch, an equine rescue facility, through her American Literature classes. Five or six students have volunteered at Dove Creek Ranch as a direct result of Dr. MacDonald’s influence. “I volunteer every other Saturday for about two or three hours,” said Ravyn Mares,
a senior English Education major, who was recruited by Dr. MacDonald through a Facebook post that mentioned the volunteer program. Volunteers, such as Mares, do several different things with the horses, such as grooming or mucking stalls. Mares said that “once a month…we’ll actually get to ride the horses after working with them.” Erika McGee, the Volunteer Coordinator and Administrator for Dove Creek Ranch, said that part of her volunteer program teaches all ages basic care of a horse “so that they don’t end up in a horse rescue or abandoned,” like many of the 22
rescue horses currently in their care. McGee said Dove Creek is a different type of horse rescue facility in that they don’t just rescue horses and give them away again. “We help these horses recover from abuse, neglect, or flat out abandonment, and turn them back into a horse and let them be a horse.” Student volunteers are welcomed at Dove Creek Ranch, much like the abandoned horses in search of a home. In regards to volunteering at Dove Creek Ranch, Dr. MacDonald said that “to whom a great deal has been given, a great deal can and should be expected, especially when there are creatures, as well as people, who can’t always help themselves or don’t have a voice.” That, coupled with her commitment to community outreach at WT, led to her involvement with Dove Creek Ranch, and has been on Dove Creek’s Board of Directors for three years. Dr. MacDonald maintains that seeing the volunteers with rescued horses is a very rewarding experience and encourages students to volunteer saying that the “hands-on experience, like in Thoreau, is absolutely vitally connected to intellectual learning.” Dr. MacDonald said horse training has a deep-rooted connection with her own style of teaching. She suggests “true horse training, and true teaching, are a conversation” between teacher and student, whether that student is a horse or a college freshman. For more information about volunteering, sponsoring a horse, or donating is avaliable at www.dovecreekranch.com.
4 NEWS NEWS
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WT adjusts to co-ed changes Hope LaFreniere Reporter
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est Texas A&M University has converted Jarrett Hall from an all-male hall to a co-ed hall over the summer. Jarrett Hall was converted in order to meet housing demands on campus. There is no shortage of housing on campus, however, the conversion of the hall gives Residential Living more space to work with. “People have been historically used to more space,” Cindy Spencer, Senior Director of Residential Living, said. “Jarrett Hall has been all-male, to co-ed, to all-male again.” Jarrett Hall, specifically, is easier to change to co-ed because of how the hall is set up. “It is important to have options,” Spencer said. “There are benefits to both. It depends on the student.” Incoming residents may feel uncomfortable about moving into a co-ed dorm, but many students find it easy to settle in. “You see a different type of community in each,” Spencer said. Trent Kelly, a Resident Assistant at Jarrett Hall, said he sees a positive change in the hall. “The girls around have the guys coming out of their rooms more,” Kelly said. “The guys are on their best behavior.” “I like living in a co-ed dorm,” Dayren Tolliver, a Junior and resident of Founders Hall, said. “I don’t feel any sort of threat living with guys. It’s just a good way to meet people from all walks of life, regardless of sex.”
It is Kelly’s third year as a resident assistant. “The lobby’s always full,” Kelly said. “There’s a lot more interaction.” Co-ed halls, however, restrict members of the opposite sex from being on designated floors at certain times without an escort, and that can pose some challenges. “The best part about living in Shirley is the sense of community,” Emma Russell, a Resident Assistant at Shirley Hall, said. She is a former resident of Centennial Hall and said living in an all-female building gives
residents more mobility. “They can go to the upper level without being wary of having escorts,” Russell said. “There are no barriers in their home.” “I have learned to compromise. Sharing a room with a complete stranger can definitely be an interesting experience,” Tolliver said. Residential living can be contacted through email at housing@wtamu.edu, or phone 6513000. Their offices are located on the corner of 26th Street and University Drive, in the southwest corner of Centennial Hall.
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September 17, 2014
10 FEATURE FEATURE
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October 1, 2014
WT students balance work on top of school work
Alyssa Bonner Associate Editor
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t has been said before that a college student can only have two of the following things: good grades, sleep and a social life. Some college students juggle each of these three things simultaneously, and some even take it a little further by working jobs to support themselves on top of homework, friends and classes. Some students have long days because of the jobs they maintain while going to school, and finding balance and giving up time with friends are things some WT students do. Abbey Coufal, senior Mass Communication major, balances three jobs on top of classes, school work and student organizations. “I’m a nanny, I work in the athletic department on campus as an assistant business manager and I also have a part-time job at an urgent care center in Amarillo,” Coufal said. In a typical week, Coufal works more than 40 hours while going to school. “I usually work anywhere between 40 and 45 hours a week,” Coufal said. “Most of my work is done early mornings, evenings and weekends because most of my classes are in the afternoon. A typical day starts at 6 a.m. with my first job and ends at 9 p.m. with my last job.” Bailey McFerren, senior Applied Sport major, works at Pure Water to support herself while attending WT. “I work to pay for living expenses and adult bills,” McFerren said. “I work about 20-25 hours a week. I only work part
time, so I do have some free time, but that’s when I spend my time studying and catching up on homework.” Some students who work during their college careers establish schedules and do not allow themselves to fall behind. “I have to force myself to do homework,” Coufal said. “If I don’t, then I will fall behind. There isn’t much flexibility in my schedule to put off homework.” Finding balance is another key factor in staying successful while working through school. “Having balance just means making a routine,” McFerren said. “It’s usually all morning classes [for me], going straight to work, then home to do homework, and it starts over the next day. On my days off, I just make time to do a few fun things before homework.” McFerren and Coufal also give up time with their friends in order to keep up with their school and work schedules. McFerren says a challenge for her is having to miss certain events because of her work schedule. She often misses out on being with her friends due to being at work. Coufal also finds it difficult to find time to hang out with friends. “Working during college makes scheduling projects with groups or hanging out with friends difficult,” Coufal said. “Sometimes I am unable to hang out with friends. I am really blessed to have understanding friends that are basically just as busy as I am. We always make time for each other. It’s just part of growing up.” Kim Bruce, instructor of
Mass Communication, said professors at WT are aware that many students support themselves by working while going to college. “A lot of our students are selfsustaining,” Bruce said. “They pay for their own everything, and because of that, I think a lot of them work an enormous amount of time or hours.” Bruce said professors take it into consideration when planning upcoming tests and homework assignments. “It’s definitely something we as faculty juggle in reference to homework and tests and the work load,” Bruce said. “I think it can interfere with schoolwork, but thankfully we have a lot of students [at WT] who have learned to juggle carefully and do creative things like working in the evening hours and being at school in the daytime hours.
I’m honestly always aware that I have students working and what kind of impact that has on their ability to do a lot outside of class.” Bruce said she would advise freshman students not to work more than 20 hours, but that she, and other professors, understands there are a number of students on campus who need to. Despite the ongoing struggle to keep up with homework and not fall behind while also giving up time with friends, McFerren said it feels good to work while going to school. “It feels like I am accomplishing more with my life,”
McFerren said. “I’ve made great friends [at work] too, so it’s okay because they understand what it’s like to miss things too.” Coufal said working full-time is nothing new for her, and she is gaining valuable experience while working three jobs and going to school. “My family values work ethic, so working over 40 hours a week while going to school is just something that’s normal for me,” Coufal said. “Honestly, I can’t imagine not working in college. I love knowing that I am independent, learning time management skills, and am getting some pretty great experience on my resume.”
“It feels like I am accomplishing more with my life.” –Bailey McFerren
Alyssa Bonner/The Prairie Bailey McFerren works up to 25 hours each week at Pure Water to support herself through college.
6 SPORTS SPORTS
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September 24, 2014
Buffs beat Hawks 27-19 in LSC at AT&T Stadium
Thomas Koenig/ The Prairie Maroon Platoon raises morale for buffs.
Thomas Koenig/The Prairie Geremy Alridge-Mitchell aludes shorter defense at Lonestar Football Festival. Thomas Koenig/The Prairie WTAMU offense takes field in first half.
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Thomas Koenig/ The Prairie Torian Oakley keeps an eye on wide reciever Trey Lawhorn. Thomas Koenig/The Prairie WTAMU about to charge on to the field.
Men’s golf team starts season Megan Moore Editor
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he West Texas A&M University’s Men’s Golf team began their season on a home course playing at the Ryan Palmer Foundation Invitational at Tascosa Golf Club on Sept. 1516. Freshman Oscar Spolander tied for first with a score of 207 in his first collegiate tournament. “Oscar played really well,” Eric Moore, Head Coach, said. “I knew he had the talent to do that and to have the mental capability to come out in your first college tournament with all the nerves he was feeling and to come right out and tie for the win and shoot nine under par in the process, that’s unbelievable.” For senior Logan Leggett,
this was his fifth time to play this particular tournament. Leggett received a medical redshirt last year for injury. He was able to play in the home tournament but herniated two disks in his back and was unable to play the remainder of the season. “He’s probably the only person to play in the Ryan Palmer five times, so that’s pretty cool,” Moore said. “This is his fifth year on the team and his second year with me. He’s been a real blessing.” Leggett tied for 21st and finished with an even par 216 on rounds of 74,71 and 71. “I have high expectations for myself,” Leggett said. “I expect that if i’m going to get out there, I’m going to have a chance to win. I expected a lot more out of myself. I didn’t play very well but I still shot an even par for the tournament so there’s nothing to be extremely upset with.”
Leggett is currently the only senior player on the team’s roster and expects to play in all 10 tournaments this season, while increasing the team’s depth. “Last year we were not very deep at all, especially last year when we lost Logan to injury,” Moore said. “That really hurt us a lot because I think the guys look up to Logan as the leader and when he went down for a lot of the tournaments it was a ‘what do we do’ kind of situation but this year we are much deeper. Realistically we are as deep as we could be.” Top Five Qualifiers for Northeastern State Golf Classic Sept. 22-23 1. Oscar Spolander 2. Logan Leggett 3. Ethan Peterson 4. Carson Greathouse 5.Jesse Hogan
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7 SPORTS SPORTS
Volleyball fan brings life and perspective to team Alyssa Bonner Assistant Editor
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he Box is packed with excited, cheering fans. The cheerleaders are getting ready to pump up the crowd. The Lady Buffs volleyball starters get together in the center of the court to share words of encouragement and motivation before the match starts. Meanwhile, on the bench, Hali Thompson excitedly makes her way to each remaining player, giving her a high five to start the game. Hali is the biggest fan of Lady Buff volleyball. Hali, 25, has developmental delays and a physical illness that challenge her in different ways. “She’s obviously very social,” Brad Thompson, Hali’s father, said. “The social side of her really probably keeps her physical health as good as it is. Being in a group of people causes her to really flourish in these settings.” When Hali was in seventh grade, she began following her first volleyball team. Hali’s parents, Brad and Karen, wanted her to be a part of a team, and the seventh grade volleyball coach was thrilled to have Hali join them. “I love sports,” Brad said. “Karen willingly goes with me, and our son was involved in football and baseball. We wanted Hali to have a team, and Canyon girls’ athletics is awesome. We knew the seventh grade volleyball coach, and she was like, ‘Yeah, come on.’” As a sophomore in high school, Hali had to have brain surgery. “She wouldn’t let them do it
until volleyball was over,” Karen said. “She told the neurosurgeon she couldn’t do it until after volleyball and her brother Justin was done with football.” When Hali was a junior in high school, the Canyon volleyball team played in the state finals. Hali receive a state silver medal from the tournament, which she prominently displays. “We’ve been blessed because she graduated from Canyon and came [to WT], and the Lady Buffs were always great,” Brad said. When Hali went to WT and participated in the Where the
Learning Continues program, there weren’t many women who knew her. Fortunately, a setter from Canyon High School went on to play for WT. She was Hali’s ambassador to the WT volleyball team. “She said, ‘Hey, here’s H-Baby,’ and they just took her in and loved her, and seven years later, we’re still doing this,” Brad said. Hali is introduced by the seniors of the WT volleyball team each year to the new players. “They introduce her as the tradition,” Karen said. Hali attends a few practices in the spring and meets a few of
the new players who have come in. The Thompson family attends the Meet the Lady Buffs event each year, and Hali attends a few practices in the fall. “Coach Skoch doesn’t give himself enough credit,” Brad said. “He stops practice as soon as Hali walks in the door.” Head coach Jason Skoch said Hali was already here when he began coaching at WT; he inherited her. “I take this job very seriously, and probably a little too serious at times,” Skoch said. “Having her around gives me perspective. She just enjoys herself and being around company. She’s happy, so why not? She enjoys life, and those are fun people to have around.” Hali works hard to know
each one of them and remember their names. Each year at the BritKare Lady Buff Classic, Hali gets a program that includes a team roster, and she studies it until she knows each one of them, at least by their numbers. “I am studying them,” Hali said. “I’ve known some of them maybe about four or six years.” Hali enjoys standing with the team at home games and cheering for them. Before each game, Hali can be seen giving high fives to each of them. She also has “secret” handshakes that she does with a few of the players. “I just love every one of them,” Hali said, “including the ones I really don’t know very well. It feels like all of them are family, including the new ones.”
“Coach stops practice as soon as Hali walks in the door.” -Brad Thompson
Alyssa Bonner/The Prairie Hali Thompson (front center) poses for a picture with the Lady Buffs.
8 ARTS LEISURE ARTS& & LEISURE
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September 24, 2014
Sons of Anarchy says farewell to seven year series Cheyenne Black Reporter
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ept. 9 marked the beginning of the final season of the well-known biker show, Sons of Anarchy. The show started off as a hard-core biker club that was devoted to the family business of selling guns. Through six seasons of family and club feuds, death and betrayal, Jackson ‘Jax’ Teller (Charlie Hunnam) manages to find solace in the one thing that keeps his sanity on track: the love of his life, Tara Knowles (Maggie Siff). With a connection to Tara that pulls him back to reality, Jax never wanted “the weight of the gavel”, for fear he would turn into his “weak,” dead father, or worse, the self-serving stepfather, Clay Morrow (Ron Pearlman). At the end of season six, Jax was sitting at the “head of the table.” Since coming back to charming, Tara did her best at trying to get Jax out of the club and Charming, but Gemma Morrow, (Katy Sagel) Jax’s mother, somehow always intervenes and finds a way to make him stay. “It’s never normal, every time you think it’s going bad it always comes out good in the end,” Sarah Sabins, graduate student “It starts out like Hamlet, but never ends like it,” said. “I love the crazy suspense, and Kurt Sutter is just really good about captivating the audience,” Hannah Roy, Pre-Vet major, said.“Keeping you guessing what’s going to happen next, and then out of nowhere something way unexpected happens, and he makes you feel for the
characters.” Kurt Sutter, creator and character Otto, a loyal and imprisoned solider to the club who turned on the club by biting out his tongue and pinning the murder of a nurse on Tara. Throughout the series of SOA, there have been hints and speculation of whether or not the main storyline and characters are based off of Hamlet. For instances, Hamlet’s Ophelia, daughter to Polonius, lives with her father and is in love with Hamlet. While it is not a romantic relationship, the parallels with Opie Winston (Ryan Hurst) are obvious. Even his
name evokes Ophelia. Also, after the death of Polonius, Ophelia goes mad and kills herself. Likewise, after the death of Piney, father to Opie, loses his way and ultimately sacrifices his own life, essentially killing himself out of loyalty to Jax. “There’s always scenes where you’re like, ‘Hey no go back! Tell me more!’ But the way Kurt Sutter writes it is perfect,” Roy said. It is debatable for which character each modern day actor plays in Hamlet, but a definite link between the two are Hamlet’s Claudius (Pearlman) and Gertrude (Segal). Claudius, King of Denmark, and Hamlet’s
uncle killed Hamlet’s father and took his crown, much like Clay killed John Teller and took his position. Hamlet/Jax sought revenge upon Claudius/Clay, while Claudius/Clay sought to assassinate Hamlet/Jax to protect power. Both failed. “There’s only so far he can take their development. Some main characters have become irredeemable, which must make writing extremely difficult,” Yodit Yoseph, a ju said. In the original Shakespeare play, Gertrude (Segal), Queen of Denmark and mother to Hamlet, was not part of the plot to kill Hamlet’s father, although Sutter
has combined those elements. Here, Gemma was part of the plot to kill John Teller, but she backed away from it, pinning it entirely upon Clay, although Jax — like Hamlet — is suspicious of his mother. Similarly, at the beginning of the play, Gertrude lies more with her husband than her son, as Gemma sided more with Clay in the early seasons. Gertrude is killed in the end by poison meant for Jax, which means she’ll probably be an accidental victim of crossfire. “There are not a lot of shows about hardcore bikers and love of family in one show,”Sabins said.
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ARTS LEISURE 9 ARTS& & LEISURE TRIVIA TEST BY Fifi Rodriguez 1. U.S. STATES: Which four states within the United States are referred to as commonwealths? 2. LITERATURE: In how many of Shakespeare’s plays does the character of Sir John Falstaff appear? 3. MEDICAL TERMS: What would a patient with alopecia be lacking? 4. GEOGRAPHY: What is the only continent that has no desert region? 5. LANGUAGE: From which two words is the term “cyborg” derived? 6. MYTHOLOGY: What is a harpy? 7. TELEVISION: What was the name of the concierge in “Gilmore Girls”? 8. MOVIES: What horror movie series featured the character Mike Myers? 9. ENTERTAINERS: Comedian/actor John Candy was born in what country? 10. FAMOUS QUOTATIONS: What groundbreaking female comedian said, “I hate housework! You make the beds, you do the dishes and six months later you have to start all over again”?
Answers
9. Canada (Ontario) 10. Joan Rivers
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5. Cybernetic organism 6. A female monster in the form of a bird with a human face 7. Michel 8. “Halloween”
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1. Kentucky, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Virginia. 2. Three 3. Hair (baldness) 4. Europe
September 24, 2014
10 FEATURE FEATURE
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September 17, 2014
Wi-Fi hot spots are numerous throughout Seoul
Julia Greif Special to The Prairie
Editor’s note: This is the first story in an occasional series about international travel written by WT students and faculty.
J
ust for a minute, imagine a world where Internet connection was no problem, where your smart phone would always have connection to all of the resources it has to offer. Destination: Seoul, South Korea. With 97% of the city connected to Wi-Fi, according to tnooz. com, this city is one of the most connected cities in the world. Back in 2011, the city of Seoul spent $44 million to allow residents to connect to Wi-Fi any way possible: Buses, cars, subways, street corners, stores and just about anywhere you can imagine. Anywhere you look, people are on their phones. It’s as if face-to-face interaction is no more. “Koreans have a need for Wi-Fi,” said expat Tab Burnett. “Their culture is so fast and up to date, including the use of technology. They spend their days with it day in and day out at their fingertips – literally.” Walk into any subway station and look around. All that is seen are people on their phones with their headphones in their ears. It’s so quiet on a subway ride that you can’t help but notice when a foreigner boards. This constant connectivity is a high contrast to its neighboring country, North Korea, where Internet signals won’t go into the country or out of the country. It’s a part of the Korean peninsula that is cut off to any outside contact. It’s amazing what Seoul has done with their culture and
high profile IT status. “This hyper connectivity allows Korea to lead innovation in many ways,” said Hannah Bae, a former resident of Seoul who has since returned to the United States. “For example, there’s a lot of smart use of QR codes – like you can scan a QR code at a bus stop and find out when the next bus is coming. In addition, Seoul’s previously impossible-to-navigate back alleys are not as much of a maze anymore, thanks to GPS on our smartphones.” It’s easy to spot a tourist on a subway system because of the giant, hand-held maps they are carrying. One will notice, upon entering almost any subway station, that not only is everyone glued to their phones, they are also looking at maps. If someone has a smart phone, there is an app that allows the subway map to show on the screen, which many residents take advantage of when looking for a place to go. “If you look around the subway, you’ll see almost everyone glued to their smartphones. We’re addicted to our mobile devices,” Bae said. Seoul’s connectivity is not just for residents, either. Meet Samantha. Samantha is a typical American tourist who is used to texting, Facebooking and being on any social media site nonstop. She walks the streets of Seoul missing her friends and family back home, wondering what they are doing. Samantha stops at a coffee house in the morning and begins receiving messages. Her next stop: a temple, and even there the WiFi signal is strong. Throughout the day, Samantha has no problem keeping up with her friends
or surfing the web because not only does the country have its own Wi-Fi to connect to, but also a lot of Wi-Fi is open for tourists and out-of-country visitors. “Wi-Fi is a life savior as an expat,” Burnett said. “Having WiFi constantly available helps me plan my days, figure the route if lost, and most importantly, fit in with the locals. Koreans are always on their phones, iPads, laptops, etc. - always.” Not only does the free Wi-Fi offer an interesting atmosphere,
it also drives a culture fueled by innovations and technology. Minju Kim, a Korean graduate student studying in Seoul, uses Wi-Fi on a daily basis to keep up with friends, schoolwork and to find her way around. Kim realizes the importance of Wi-Fi but also how Korean connectivity is vital to her culture and others. “I do think innovations [from] Seoul are driving other countries to be more reliant on technology,” she said. “Samsung constantly provides fast, convenient, multi-function smart-
phones to Korean markets and Korean people react to the products by buying the products. I heard that Korea is the country of the highest percentage of its population using smartphones.” Korea is a unique place, and not just because of the culture. There are many sights to see, parks to visit and people to meet, and Seoul has provided the gift of Wi-Fi to help make this happen. The city’s heart is reflected in the niceness of the people and the ability to connect within this beautiful city.
“I do think innovations [from] Seoul are driving other countries to be more reliant on technology.” -Minju Kim
Dr. Butler Cain/ The Prairie The Gangnam area of Seoul is one of the city’s Wi-Fi hot spots.
September 24, 2014
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11 OPINION OPINION
Trigger warnings make appearance in academia
I
magine a world where everything came with warning labels similar to those on cigarette cartons. Imagine what life would be like if, everywhere you went, there were warnings letting you know when you could see something you may not want to. Perhaps it is a nude photo. Perhaps it is a war scene. Perhaps it is something that “triggers” a feeling of distress or trauma. According to the article “Warning: The Literary Canon Should Make Students Squirm,” from the New York Times, the campuses of some universities across the nation have been addressed with concerns from students of some of the content they are covering in classes. Students are requesting what are known as “trigger warnings,” which the New York Times defines as “explicit alerts that the material [students] are about to read or see in a classroom might
upset them or, as some students assert, cause symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder in victims of rape or in war veterans.” Trigger warnings have long been used on the internet, first appearing on feminist websites. The idea was to protect assault victims from material that may trigger PTSD. They have since become more widespread, landing on a variety of websites and material readers may find distressing, and now trigger warnings are landing in classrooms. Trigger warnings have been a prominent topic at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where the student government formally passed a resolution calling for them. Professors would have to include mandatory trigger warnings on their course syllabi that indicate days of lectures that would include readings, films or discussions that may trigger feelings of physical or emotional distress.
The resolution passed by UC Santa Barbara’s student government calls for warnings if course content will involve “depictions and discussions of rape, sexual assault, suicide, pornography or graphic violence, among other things,” according to an editorial in the Los Angeles Times. Professors would be required to excuse students from class with no penalty if the students felt the material would cause them to become distressed. It is unclear how assignments would be complete or tests would be scored in regards to the “triggering” course content. The resolution is simply advisory, meaning it is a recommendation from the student government that campus authorities can either reject or turn into policy. Campus authorities would be wise to choose the former. As clearly stated in the editorial from the LA Times, “[They]
should explain firmly to students why such a policy would be antithetical to all that college is supposed to provide: a rich and diverse body of study that often requires students to confront difficult or uncomfortable material, and encourages them to discuss such topics openly.” It is one thing for professors to give students a heads up that they will be covering content that could be distressing, but it turns into something completely different when professors must excuse students for the day. That brings it to the point where it changes from sensitivity to censorship. Allowing students to miss class without consequences allows students to self-censor themselves from things that are real. As noted in the LA Times editorial, psychologists have pointed out that a post-traumatic response is just as likely to be triggered by an incident
completely unrelated to the subject matter, such as catching a glimpse of the same color of clothing that was visible during the traumatic event or a certain scent that was in the air that day. Trigger warnings contribute to a college culture that is too overprotective and hypersensitive in an effort to ensure not to offend any students and make sure that no student is made to feel uncomfortable. College classrooms should not have to be “politically correct” because life isn’t. Life doesn’t care who sees something emotional or something graphic or something distressing. Life is real. These things happen, and real people, like college students, witness them. Colleges, universities and professors should not and cannot wrap students in bubble wrap, nor give students the power to do it themselves.
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, U.S. Constitution @The_Prairie
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September 24, 2014
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