January 28, 2014 • Vol. 96, No. 16
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THCW’s Nightmare Pro, bang for one’s buck Jacob Helker Reporter
he anticipation is palpable. As people file in and find their seats, an excited chatter fills the room. There are seats scattered around the floor and a bar along the wall, but a small ring in the center dominates the atmosphere. The lights begin to dim, save two spotlights above the ring, sending the crowd into a boiling frenzy. A ring announcer calling himself Caligula Jones steps underneath the glow, and with a booming voice, the show begins. Total Hardcore Champion Wrestling’s Nightmare Pro, an Amarillo based professional wrestling promotion, began in 2010. Making claims that Amarillo had been “starved of great action,” the promotion
has the stated mission of “[restoring] the prestige of professional wrestling in Amarillo, Texas.” Since its inception, Nightmare Pro has begun holding monthly shows at the Wreck Room in Amarillo. Its most recent show on Jan. 24 named “A House Divided,” featured matches between wrestlers such as El Gringo Loco, Phoenix and “Handgun” Dan, with the main event seeing Lillith Blood challenge THCW’s Nightmare Pro Champion Jordan Calubs. Nightmare Pro, like other wrestling promotions, features a large assortment of feuds and alliances. One such alliance present at the Jan. 24 event was the Solution Revolution, a group of wrestlers whose stated intent in to discourage “hardcore” wrestling, a style of
SPORTS
ENTERTAINMENT
FEATURE
OPINION
Career Services aid students for the future.
Lady Buffs basketball rolls through LSC competition.
Preston Thomas reviews the sequel of The Shining.
Music Career Day gives insight into music majors.
Internships are necessary for college students.
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match in which weapons are used and wrestlers cannot be disqualified for misconduct. “It’s not something that professional wrestling needs,” said Rick Elsey, leader of the Solution Revolution. “It creates a hostile environment for those who choose to actually apply their wrestling craft in the ring.” He stated that he blames the fans and promotion equally for the perceived thirst for violence, saying that Nightmare Pro “glorifies bloodshed.” achieve their goals.
NIGHTMARE PRO on PAGE 5
JACOB HELKER/THE PRAIRIE Lillith Blood challenges for the Nightmare Pro Championship.
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NEWS
January 28, 2014 | theprairienews.com
Western Writer Series hosts Rick Bass
Megan Moore Co-Editor Laci McGee Reporter
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he Western Writer series partnered with the Department of English Haley Professorship, Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum and Cornette Library in hosting Rick Bass, American writer and environmental activist, as part of the Distinguished Lecture Series Jan. 23-24. “We are always happy to collaborate with the English department and the library to host an author of his stature,” Amy Mitchell, Programs Coordinator at PPHM, said. Bass is a native to Texas, born in Fort Worth and he resided in Houston as well. He now lives in Montana with his wife Elizabeth Hughes where he serves on the board of the Yaak Valley Forest Council and Round River Conservation Studies. Bass ventured back to his roots and began his visit at WTAMU with a “Conversation with the Author,” where stu-
STAFF
EDITORS Tyler Anderson Megan Moore
ASSISTANT EDITOR B.J. Brittain
dents and faculty members alike were able to visit and have an exclusive conversation with the award winning author. He shared tips and tricks as well as inspiration for his works with those who attended the luncheon. “The most important thing I’ve learned specifically in helping me become a writer-wow
there are a few of them,” Bass said. “I think the most important thing is show don’t tell. Be specific.” Bass shared a reading from his latest novel All the Land to Hold Us in a presentation held at the PPHM Thursday evening. He concluded the reading with a question and answer session along with a book signing. Bass
ended his visit to WT with an 8 am hike in Palo Duro Canyon with students and faculty members. “It is nice to see him,” Sara Stone, Student Supervisor at the Cornett Library, said. “He is everything I expected and more.” Bass writes in both fiction and non-fiction genres. He has been published in many well
known places such as O, The Oprah Magazine, New York Times Sunday Magazine, the Washington Post, and many more. He is the recipient of distinguished awards for his writing from the Texas Institute of Letters, as well as fellowships from the National Endowments for the Arts.
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January 28, 2014 | theprairienews.com
Buff News Brief
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areer Services will host four career fairs this semester. The Summer Camp Fair is on Monday, Feb. 10. It will be in Legacy Hall from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Summer Camp Fair is for anyone interested in working at a camp this summer, and all majors are welcome and encouraged to attend. The spring semester Career Expo is on Thursday, Feb. 27, and is located in Legacy Hall. It will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Students of all majors and classifications are welcome and encouraged to attend. The Educator’s Expo is for any student who is interested in a career in teaching. The Expo will be in
Legacy Hall from 9 a.m. until noon on Wednesday, March 26. School districts from across the state will be in attendance. The final career fair this semester is the Student Employment Job Fair. This fair is for students seeking summer, seasonal or part-time employment. It will be in Legacy Hall on Thursday, April 10, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Career Services encourages students to attend one of their resume workshops before attending a career fair.
Alyssa Bonner Reporter
Pregnant?
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January 28, 2014 | theprairienews.com
Career Services gives students a hand
Alyssa Booner Reporter
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areer Services is one of the many places on campus that can help students. They offer assistance to students seeking part-time or full-time jobs and internships, many workshops to assist in professional development, job fairs and career guidance. For students who are looking for a part-time job on or off campus, Career Services is a one stop shop. Students can go online to the Student Employment Services database, browse through job postings and apply for those in which they are interested. “We’ve really brought the job search for the student to the 21st century, where you go one place electronically to look for the job. It makes it much easier for the student,” Denese Skinner, Director of Career and Counseling Services, said. Students can go into the Career Services office to seek help when applying for parttime jobs on campus. “Career Services helped me find the job application I needed to apply to the Activity Center. They showed me how I could fill out the application,” Sarah Jones, junior Communication Disorders major, said. “I was very happy with the help they offered me.” Students may also find internship opportunities through the SES database. Buff Jobs is another online database that is available to students. Students can post their resumes and allow employers to view them online. Students can also search for full-time job openings,
internship opportunities and view the schedule of upcoming career fairs. To prepare for career fairs, Career Services offers resume workshops and critiques. Resume workshops are held two to three times a week. Students do not need a resume to attend the workshop. “We’re going to start from square one,” Skinner said. “We’re going to tell you everything you need to have.” For students who already have a resume, Career Services offers critiquing. Career Services encourages students to attend a resume workshop to learn the basics of what employers have told them they want to see. After students have learned and applied this to their resume, Career Services will view it and provide feedback. Students must have attended a resume workshop before receiving critiques on their resume. Other workshops that are available include interviewing, job search, professional development and internship workshops. Workshops are held in room 113 of the Classroom Center. A schedule of workshops can be found on the Career Services page on the WT website. All workshops are also available online for students who are unable to attend in person. Career Services also hosts mock interviews every month. Real employers come in and conduct practice interviews with students. In order to participate, students must have an approved resume uploaded to Buff Jobs. Students can look
at the list of employers who will be coming to do the mock interviews and sign up for a time. Employers who hire WT students upon graduation come in and act as coaches during mock interviews. They do a 20-minute real interview with the student, and then spend 10 minutes telling the student what they did right and what can be improved. “The interviewer scoped out my resume and asked good questions from there. It helped me know how to think on my feet more and have prepared answers,” Julia Greif, graduate
Communication student, said. To help students continue their professional development, Career Services offers training in dining etiquette. “Either through the interview process or after you get hired, it is going to be necessary that you know how to eat appropriately so that you impress people with your professionalism,” Skinner said. Career guidance is available for students who do not yet know what career path they want to take or who may not know all of the job opportunities that are or are not available for them in a specific major. Career
guidance helps students to be in control of their job searches instead of their search being a shot in the dark. “We want them to know what they are looking for,” Skinner said. Career Services is here to help students prepare for future careers in any way possible. “Our mission in Career Services…anything necessary to be successful in the world of work, we’re going to coach our students on that,” Skinner said. “We’re where reality meets dreams. We help with the game plan to go get that dream.”
NEWS
January 28, 2014 | theprairienews.com
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“Pastoral” art exhibition visits WTAMU Jessica Malacara Reporter
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he formal art gallery in Mary Moody Northen Hall is featuring unique art from Jan. 16 through Feb. 15. Victoria Taylor-Gore, artist and WTAMU alumni, shows off her photograph and video collages with a twist. Taylor – Gore uses unique ways with photographs, video of miniature sets, and plastic toys in the landscapes of West Texas. Although Taylor-Gore is known for her paintings, she is expanding her skills to short filmmaking, photography and digital collages.
“It’s all part of visual storytelling,” Taylor-Gore said.
You can see this with the art in the WT gallery and with the
other content that is on her website. Taylor-Gore has also been featured in many countries over the past 20 years. Using animals like a deer and a cow, Taylor-Gore shows the mythological and spiritual symbolism that goes along with them. Each photograph is mixed with a star or planet chart. “It brings a greater perspective on the universe and our magical and spiritual nature,” Taylor-Gore JESSICA MALACARA/ PRAIRIE said. One of the works on display at the Pastoral art exhibition.
Nightmare Pro from page 1
He also said that while his organization is trying to “change the game,” they have no problem using hardcore tactics to achieve their goals. “We fight fire with fire,” he said. While the Solution Revolution perceived serious problems within the company, other wrestlers made use of a more gentle approach. Pierce Price, a wrestler with Nightmare Pro, said that his focus is mentoring the newer and younger wrestlers and help them hone their skills. He stated that he had witnessed times where the “cream of the crop,” wrestlers would constantly be the focus of their respective promotion, while the less wellknown wrestlers were kept “under the radar.” While he expressed, “a hair of frustration,” with the process of moving newer wrestlers into the limelight, he says that the future looks bright for the athletes. “There is a lot of promise. There’s a great hunger about them,” said Price. Although many performers are try-
ing to effect change, the fans appeared to be satisfied with Nightmare Pro. Arturo Carrillo, a fan since the 2010 launch, said that the promotion was “different” enough from others to draw him to the shows. “I come out from Lubbock, two hours away,” said Carrillo. “They give it all to the fans, every show.” Nightmare Pro will hold its next show, “Love At First Fight,” on February 7th at the Wreck Room, located at 6007 Amarillo Blvd. East in Amarillo.
LOGO COURTESY OF THCW’S NIGHTMARE PRO.
The cow image presents two icons, one for the “Old West” and the other as a feminine nurturing symbol of the earth itself. Many of her art shares the same surreal and symbolic qualities. “There are accidental and intentional symbols in the images along with the play of opposites,” Taylor-Gore said. Some examples of the opposites that are shown in some of her art are, Earth vs. Heavens, and Sun vs. Moon, and many more. The video that runs during the exhibition shows the process that the collages took through Adobe Photoshop to get the final picture.
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SPORTS
Richard Sherman’s FOX interview sparks debate Tyler Anderson Co-Editor
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veryone has been talking about Richard Sherman as of late. Of course, when I talk about it, it’s more or less a day late and a dollar short. However, there is a reason for sitting on this and looking at it from all perspectives. Simply put, in his interview with Erin Andrews after the conclusion of the NFC Championship Game, he put himself on the map with his taunting tirade of San Francisco 49er wide receiver Michael Crabtree. Some thought that it was unwarranted; others applauded the member of Seattle’s Legion of Boom – the nickname that the Seahawk defensive backs have been given. While I am a fan of the Denver Broncos (I have been since the days of Elway) and hope that Peyton Manning shows the Legion of Boom a thing or two, I am not one to blast Sherman for his post-game interview. In essence, it reminded me of Bart Scott’s post-game interview from 2011. Centering on another fandom of mine, it was no different than a pro wrestling interview. Except that “Mean” Gene Okerlund had been replaced with Sal Palantonio and Erin Andrews, respectively. I want to put a side note here; Okerlund wasn’t too impressed with Sherman’s interview. Citing the New Jersey Star-Ledger, “Richard will have to do better than that,” Okerlund said. Well “Mean” Gene, I disagree with you, brother. Richard Sherman is a
competitor, fueled by the trash talk that he and Crabtree exchanged before and during the NFC title game. While Sherman had to apologize and was fined $7,875 (mere chunk-change) by the NFL, I felt that he didn’t need to apologize. It was a heated game for a spot at the Super Bowl against a hated rival, and Fox Sports knew what it was getting into by finding Sherman after he made the tip against Crabtree that led to a game-ending interception. Furthermore, Sherman is by no means a thug by any means, as some ignorant folks are led to believe. One could argue that he came from the city of Compton, but Sherman is one of those men that came from nothing, and ascended to the top. Richard Sherman was a Salutatorian at Compton Dominguez, where he won a high school championship and earned All-American honors in track and field, along with being a member of the 2010 Stanford Cardinal, coached by current 49ers Head Coach Jim Harbaugh and quarterbacked by Colts star Andrew Luck. Sherman also graduated Stanford, one of most prestigious universities in America, with a degree in communication. Even though the Seattle Seahawks drafted him in the fifth round, Sherman has a pedigree to him. By the way, he made Skip Bayless look like a chump on live television. That alone makes me a fan of Richard Sherman. If, and I will emphasize the ‘if’, he didn’t
play the Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl. Of course, you have add in his taunting of Tom Brady and his Twitter feuds with Darrelle Revis and Roddy White. Here’s another thought to chew on as well. What if Sherman is attracting all of the limelight to ease the burden off of Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson? After all, this is Russell Wilson’s first Super Bowl appearance. For the sophomore quarterback, even though Wilson is an exceptional individual, the spotlight does indeed pose a potential problem. However, I feel that Wilson doesn’t have the pressure that Peyton Manning has on his shoulders heading into Super Bowl Sunday. But here’s the moral of the story: if you were able to back yourself up with exceptional play, wouldn’t you want to speak boldly as well? My answer is yes, and every single athlete would openly agree with me. That statement will bring me to my last point. Sure, it’s great to be humble, but if you are the best in the world at what you do, it’s not a terrible thing to say so. Not only will you elevate your playing field, but also you will work hard to maintain that level that you have achieved. All in all, this could be another classic Super Bowl. Now, if the NFL would just swallow the bitter pill and play the big game in the snow, it will be a barnburner through and through. By the way, go Broncos.
January 28, 2014 | theprairienews.com
wants YOU! Who we are looking for next semester: Reporters Sports Reporters Multimedia Layout Designers Photographers For more information, email theprairiewt@gmail.com or come by the Fine Arts Complex, Room 268.
Come join an organization that has been serving the WT community since 1919.
SPORTS
January 28, 2013 | theprairienews.com
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Buffs Basketball loses to Texans and Lions Wyatt Miller Sports Reporter
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he West Texas A&M Buffaloes hit a two-game skid fell to fourth-ranked Tarleton State with a final score of 87-63 on Jan. 22 at the First United Bank Center of Canyon before dropping to Texas A&MCommerce in Commerce, 93-84 on Jan. 25. Despite the defeats, West Texas A&M’s senior guard Drimir Ferguson’s scored a game-high 31 points against the Lions. At home against Tarleton, the Texans scored two early three pointers and a fast break layup to start the game leading the Buffs 8-0. It was senior guard Drimir Ferguson who would put the first points on the board for the Buffs. The Texans kept attacking, as they led by as much as 17 points in the game.
The Buffs never gave up, and they slowly began to cut away at the impressive Texan lead. At the eight-minute media timeout, the Buffs showed promise having cut the lead to 32-23. Buffalo junior forward Antjuan Ball slam-dunked coming out of the timeout. With 4:20 left in the first half, junior guard Tez Dumars and senior guard David Gibbs both connected on three point shots to cut the Texan lead to 38-33 with 3:01 left. A few fast breaks later, the Buffs were within four points going into the break 43-39. The Buffaloes were led at half by junior guard Keon Pledger with nine points three rebounds and three assists followed by Dumars and Ferguson with seven points each. Duncan and Ball each had five points as the Buffs went 16-28 from the floor
including 4-7 from three point range and 3-9 from the foul line. The teams traded buckets to start the second half before the Texans began to pull away. The Texan lead was 13 at the 13:20 mark following a slam-dunk by Ball. This would be the closest the Buffs would get for the remainder of the game as the Texans depth proved to be too much. Ball and Pledger led the Buffs with 11 points each. Dumars had 10 while Ferguson and Duncan scored 9 each. West Texas A&M went 25-of-52 from the floor including 5-of-14 from three-point-range as well as 8-15 from the line to shoot a measly 48%. On Jan. 25, the Lions jumped in front early leading 7-3 with 18:05 in the first half. A three pointer from Gatewood would spark a Buffs run that gave
them a 12-8 lead. The Lions would take the lead back 1813 with 11:06 remaining. Buffs slowly fought back, and an Antjuan Ball dunk cut the lead to 31-30 with 5:24 left in the first half. Commerce finished the first half with a strong run and led the Buffs 44-40 at half. Ferguson led the Buffs at the break with 18 points going 4-5 from the floor and completing seven of his nine free throws. Junior guard Tez Dumars ended the first half with 12 points. WT was 12-22 in the first half shooting 54.5% from the floor. The teams exchanged buckets early in the second half, but the Lions led by 11 with 15 minutes to play in the first half. An inside the paint jumper from WT junior forward Barry Robertson would cut the lead to 66-64 with 7:56 to play. A Ferguson would later get the
Buffs to within one point at 7372 with 5:41 on the clock. Lions finished the game on a run and took the win 93-84. Ferguson led the Buffs offensively with a game high 31 points and five assists. Dumars scored 19 for the Buffs followed by Gatewood with 10. The Buffs shot 26-53 from the floor 10-20 from beyond the arc and 22-29 from the stripe. The struggling Buffs drop to 8-9 (1-5, LSC) while the Texans maintain their undefeated record as of Jan. 25 at 17-0 (6-0, LSC) and the Lions improve to 13-5 (2-4, LSC). The Buffs return to the First United Bank Center in Canyon for their final nonconference matchup against the Hardrockers of South Dakota School of Mines. Tipoff for the game is set for 7 p.m.
The Lady Buffs started the third quarter with eight straight points and outscored Tarleton State 56-17, going back to the opening minutes of regulation. For WT, senior guard Casey Land had a season-high 22 points on 7 of 11 from the field and four three-pointers. Senior forward Devin Griffin scored 14 points and senior guard Raven Gerald added 10. Tarleton State had a strong run in the second half and cut the deficit to as little as 15 points. However, WT was able to finish winning 82-60. WT has scored 80 points or more in three consecutive games. The Lady Buffs defense also contributed to the win as 30 points were scored after forcing 21 turnovers.
On Jan. 25, West Texas A&M opened the game with an 11-2 lead and continued strong throughout the first half, going up 49-29. For WT, Devin Griffin had 16 points and 11 rebounds. Senior guard Raven Gerald and freshman center Maddison Wild scored 12 points each. The Lady Buffs outscored TAMU-C 50-37 in the second half. WT’s 99 points were the most for WT in conference play since scoring 110 against Texas A&MCommerce on Jan. 4, 2012. On Jan. 26, the Lady Buffs traveled to Denton to take on Texas Woman’s University. TWU entered the game winning three of four after losing four straight. The Lady Buffs had won five straight in the series,
including both meetings in the 2012-2013. After a quick start the game before, the Lady Buffs struggled out of the gates in the quick turnaround on Sunday. They were able to come back from an early deficit, going into halftime leading 40-33. Heading into the second half, TWU cut the deficit to 54-48 with 11:09 left, but WT quickly built the lead back to double digits at times by as many as 13 points. WT closed out the game stopping TWU’s attempts at making a comeback but came up short. Leading scorers for the Lady Buffs were Devin Griffin and Raven Gerald with 17 points and Lacee Logan with 14 points. WT shot 50.9 percent on 28 of
55 from the field and were 7 of 16 from three-point range and 18 of 24 from the free throw line. With the victory, the Lady Buffs moved to 14-1 and 5-0 in LSC league play, while Tarleton State fell to 13-3 and 4-2. The 16-1 start by the Lady Buffs is the best start since the 2009-2010 season when the team went 30-4. Texas A&MCommerce fell to 3-13 on the year and 2-5 in league play while TWU fell to 8-9 on the year and 4-3 in league play. The Lady Buffs will return to Canyon and host Eastern New Mexico on Sat. Feb. 1 at 2 p.m. in the First United Bank Center and will finish the first half of Lone Star Conference play.
Lady Buffs extend their winning streak Tanner Sims Sports Reporter
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he No. 7 West Texas A&M Lady Buffs continue a strong run through the Lone Star Conference by defeating No. 17 Tarleton State 82-60 at the First United Bank Center in Canyon on Jan. 22 before dismantling Texas A&MCommerce in Commerce 99-56 on Jan. 25 and taking care of Texas Woman’s University in Denton, 81-65. The Lady Buffs came out aggressive hitting nine threepointers in the first half finishing with a season high 12 in a game. WTAMU shot 17 of 33 and 9 of 26 from three-point range. At halftime, the Lady Buffs led Tarleton State 51-26.
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ENTERTAINMENT
January 28, 2014 | theprairienews.com
Review: Doctor Sleep by Stephen King Preston Thomas Reporter
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ven the most voracious reader would find the task of reading the complete works of Stephen King daunting at best. The native New England author, who published his first novel in 1973, isn’t helping the difficulty of the task much either. Released September of last year, Doctor Sleep adds to the ever growing list of novels to have escaped the confines of King’s mind. Interestingly enough, the subject matter of Doctor Sleep picks up the threads of a certain story King wrote way back in 1977 about a certain family in a haunted Colorado hotel. Yes, Doctor Sleep is a sequel to the Shining, continuing the story of Danny Torrance, the young boy with the eponymous power of the shining. He doesn’t stay young for very long, though. After learning one last trick from Dick Halloran, one of the other survivors of the Overlook Hotel, the stories opening chapters follow Dan’s descent
into alcoholism, following his father’s ignominious footsteps. The not-so-young Dan eventually takes root in a small New Hampshire town where he finds work, friends, and a 12 steps program that reigns in his rampant alcoholism. While Dan finds use for his special talents in his new job at the town’s
COURTESY OF STEPHEN KING’S WEBSITE Cover of King’s novel Doctor Sleep.
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hospice building, other threads begin winding their way into the plot. On the night of August 30th, 2001, a young couple’s child wakes screaming in the night and won’t quiet, despite the fact nothing seems wrong with her. Far across the country a sinister group travels the highways, looking like innocent RV tourists to all outsiders. Though despite having a childhood beleaguered by strange events centering around herself, the young baby grows into the well-adjusted 10-yearold Abra Stone, though she is far from being an average girl. Abra has the shining, just like Dan, but hers is even brighter and more powerful than the now elder Torrance. Dan, however, is not the only one aware of Abra’s power. They call themselves the True Knot, and like any good villain in a King novel they are evil to the core. Blending in to American society with the image of a small clan of nomadic RV-people, the True Knot’s true
purpose is much more sinister than sight-seeing and campsites. They are quasiimmortal, extending their own lives and youth by feeding upon, “steam,” the life essence carried within people that possess the shining, and they definitely don’t ask nicely for it. Events begin to get complicated when Abra accidentally finds herself spying upon the True’s illicit activities from hundreds of miles away. In her dreams she sees the True Knot torture a young boy, a baseball player who always seems to know where the ball is going to be thanks to his small shining, and the True notices that someone is watching. The following game of psychic cat and mouse reveals the True Knot’s existence and motives to Abra and Dan, but it also reveals Abra’s immense power to the True Knot, who have found themselves scraping the bottom of the barrel. Racing against each other, the True find themselves facing a formidable foe while Abra feels the pressure of being hunted by
the vampiric True Knot in the book’s fast-paced page turner of a final act. Overall the book stands as another good addition to Stephen King’s ever-growing bibliography. Fans of the Shining will enjoy picking the story of Dan Torrance back up and exploring the aftereffects the Overlook had on his life. Callbacks to the Shining and sneaky references to King’s other works run throughout the novel, so longtime fans will get a kick out of catching the connections. The novel, however, is not impenetrable to the outsider. While perhaps not an ideal starting point for those looking to dive into the dark worlds of King, Doctor Sleep has enough exposition that a perceptive reader could jump in cold, though reading the Shining first will help prevent confusion about some elements of the story. For the Constant Reader and new fans of King alike, Doctor Sleep is another work from the Maine madman that just might keep you up at night.
GAMES
January 28, 2014 | theprairienews.com
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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December 3rd
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10 FEATURE
Music Career Day BJ Brittain Assistant Editor
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he WTAMU School of Music will continue a long standing tradition this Thursday, Jan. 31. This tradition is Music Career Day, which has happened on campus longer than anyone can remember. The School of Music hosts Music Career Day every year to help high school students understand how the music program works, as well as the dedication that being a music major actually takes. “Last semester, I was up from about 9 a.m. to two in the morning every day,” Oren May, a freshman Music Education major, said. “It is pretty much just back to back classes all day, and then for tuba lessons I need to put in three to four hours a day, plus an hour for piano, so that is already four to five hours of practice time every day, plus homework, marching band and practice for other things.” Students do not realize how much time and commitment being a music major requires until they actually begin to take all of the classes and put in the time. “You hear people talk about how hard it all is, but you never really connect the dots,” Daniel Corkill, a sophomore Engineering major and former Music Education major, said. “You never have really a clear picture until you are in the middle of it. I mean you have your different classes with homework, like theory, which is hard, then all of your ensembles and studios that you have to practice for. Once you progress, you have to learn how to play different instruments as well, and that is hard.” This is why the School of Music puts on Music Career Day every year; to educate high school students who are considering a major in music when they get to college, as well as to show them the different choices there are when it comes to music. “These students get to check out
pretty much everything,” Dr. Nicholas Scales, Professor of Music and organizer of Music Career Day, said. “They will have a session with admissions, see some performing groups, go on tours, visit rehearsals and then finish off the day with auditions. They really get to see how everything works.” In addition to getting to see all of these different things, the students will also learn about the different majors that are included in the School of Music, including Music Education and Music Therapy. This year, Music Career Day will tie into the Faculty Grand Recital, which will be held later that evening at 7:30 p.m. “We are going to tie it into the Faculty Grand Recital, which I am excited about,” Dr. Scales said. “This year one of my former professors here, David Murray, is going to join with us in the performance, so it should be very cool.” In the past years, the average attendance for the event was 25 to 60 students, so there is generally good participation. This year, they are expecting about 30 students to attend the event, but are prepared in case more show up on the day of the event. The School of Music is excited to continue the tradition of Music Career Day. They hope to be able to show these students the realities of majoring in music, as well as the different choices there are when it comes to a career in music.
January 28, 2014 | theprairienews.com
OPINION 11
January 28, 2014 | theprairienews.com
Internships help students into the door
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s college students, we want nothing more than to figure out what we want to be when we grow up. We spend countless hours debating a change of major and contemplating the concept that once we graduate, we will be in the real world. We have heaps of homework, studying and projects that are supposed to get us to the ultimate goal of graduation.
Some students know exactly where they fit in and what career path calls them, others just aren’t so lucky. Thankfully we have roughly four years of college to figure all that out, with one thing in our favor to make the decision process easier: Internships. Though internships can be identified with getting coffee, confirming appointments, and running pointless errands,
there’s a reason that most degrees require them. They help. It’s kind of like a practice run before graduation and having to be stuck with a career that isn’t a right fit. Internships give experience and preparation in addition to what is taught in the classroom. Internships are a great way to get a foot in the door as well. In a recent movie, The Internship, staring Vince Vaughn and Owen
Wilson, the idea that interning can help them move up the ladder and that it’s a starting point for a career is evident throughout. It showcases the hard work and struggles that come with an internship as well, and can be related to that of what a college student experiences. Since internships can be of great value for a wandering student, both colleges and
universities across the country should implement the requirement of an internship. The combination of a classroom learning experience and a real world experience can only be beneficial for a student. It can provide a learning experience and help ease the burden of figuring out the future.
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PHOTOS
January 28, 2014 | theprairienews.com
Rick Bass visits PPHM for Writer series For information on Rick Bass and the Western Writers Series, visit The Prairie website at www.theprairienews.com MEGAN MOORE/THE PRAIRIE Rick Bass gives a speech for the Western Writers Series.
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MEGAN MOORE/THE PRAIRIE The book presented by Rick Bass.
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