Kayla Goodman.

We hope you have all been enjoying the “new” Prairie this year. As this semester is coming to a close, so is the Prairie. But don’t worry, we will be back in the Spring. We will have two more issues for the Fall semester that focus on the holidays – Thanksgiving and Christmas. If you have any suggestions or want to see something particular in these holiday issues email us at
theprairiemail@yahoo.com.

If you have any fun photos showing your holiday traditions, send them in too! We want everyone to be a part of this holiday season.

As for this issue, we have put together many feature stories that are also success stories.

To surviving in New York from sharing hope in Lundazi, Zambia, we have it all right here at WTAMU. The students that you walk around with everyday on this campus are some amazing students, and we wanted to let you in on their lives and what they have experienced.

I hope you read this issue to gain insight on what it means to be great.

Kayla Goodman

This week, our staff wanted to feature something off campus. Not many individuals get the chance to see mass quantities of hot air balloons everyday, or even in a lifetime. Amarillo Balloon Association has done a great job in this area to bring one of the biggest rallies right here in the Panhandle. Otherwise, you would have to go to Albequerque, N.M. to enjoy this rare occassion.

Also, this week we wanted to show a new pizzeria in Amarillo that has a great atmosphere for college students, and you can make your own concoction/name for your specialized pizza.

And lastly, we especially wanted to cover the ornament for this year’s cenntenial at WTAMU.

This is a special event because it is the cenntenial, and it will feature the last ornament.

Make sure you get your fill of the Prairie this week, and thank you for your continued support!

Kayla Goodman

This week was interesting as we did something we haven’t done before. We highlighted a sports “story” for the main topic of this week’s issue. We wanted to do a cover story over Natalie Johnson, who is a Senior volleyball player here at WTAMU. We wanted the front cover to have more of a Sports Illustrated look for this issue.

Also, we wanted to cover a great organization that does many community service projects around campus and Canyon.

S.A.G.E does a great job being involved with the community, and we wanted to show just what exactly they do on their weekends. Along with this issue is an art expo that the Panhandle Plains Historic Museum is putting on, and a performance by the WTAMU Symphony Orchestra featuring the Iron Mask.

There is much to see in this week’s edition, and we hope you take the time to enjoy it!

Kayla Goodman.

This week’s issue is a conglomeration of topics.  There is something for everyone.

We wanted to highlight the play Fiddler on the Roof presented by our own WT students.  As the first play this season, it has been a great success with many nights sold out!  Also, we wanted to highlight some departments that aren’t usually recognized for their efforts and hard work.

The Nursing Department dedicates numerous hours on and off campus.  These students are some of the most dedicated individuals who are passionate about what they do, and we wanted to show you a day in the life of a nursing student.  Also, the wind energy department has done some amazing things these past few months right here in Canyon.

Not only is it important to the students studying it, but to all of us during this economy.  It is important to be “in the know” with current events and your peers, so take the time to read this  issue and discover a whole new world outside of your major and lifestyle.

Kayla Goodman

This week we wanted to focus on the upcoming event, Halloween.

With many opportunities in Canyon and Amarillo to celebrate this yearly tradition, we wanted to highlight some ways to get in the spirit of Halloween.  Whether you will go trick-or-treating or not, there are still ways to join in the fun.  Some of these include corn mazes, haunted houses and much more.

We wanted to encourage you to still celebrate your youth and have fun with Halloween this year.  Also, we wanted to highlight the Broadcasting department this week for the hard efforts they have put forth.

They have been working on a remake of FreeCreditReport.com, and have used actual WT students to bring it all together.  We hope you all enjoy this issue and make plans to have fun this month of October.

Kayla Goodman

With homecoming activities underway all week, The Prairie wanted to be involved also. This issue is what we call “The Homecoming Issue.” All of the stories you will find in this week’s issue have something to do with homecoming.

As some of you know, this is Kimbrough’s 50th Anniversary, which is a special event we all get to be a part of. Some of the stories highlight this occasion as well as the overall traditions of this University. Another story shows insight of many individuals here on campus and what they believe is the best part of Homecoming. We hope you all enjoy this issue, and continue to have school pride in everything you do on and off campus.

GO BUFFS!!!!

Kayla Goodman

Kayla Goodman
Prairie Editor

This week, the Prairie Staff discussed the importance of programs, special individuals that grace us with their presence and opportunities to expand here at West Texas A&M University.

Upward Bound is a great opportunity for high school students who might not have otherwise gotten a chance at higher education. We have WT professors who have been around the world and even won awards in the Olympic Games. Many people do not realize who we have right here at WT that have accomplished great goals.

Also, we have a chance to voice our opinions on many issues, such as expansion for our University.

This college really is a great place for higher education even though we don’t always agree with every decision made. I hope you take the time to read this issue and see how special WT is.

Last Week's What's On My Mind? Poll Results, 09/24/09

EDITOR’S NOTE

The Prairie Staff is dedicated to hearing both sides of an opinion. We are not biased and welcome all views, which is why we are publishing a letter received a few days ago in retaliation to Sam Carter’s What’s On My Mind article about group work. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but we encourage opinions that are based off of some facts, not just anger.

Keep in mind, while we know some topics are heated, think of both sides before spewing in your comeback letter. While there are always at least two sides of any issue, we expect anyone to write in about an issue we have discussed or your own. This is what comes from the joys of free speech.

While the polls of last week’s opinion piece clearly showed students want group work to stop, not everyone, mind you, in the University texted in. However, you would think the majority who texted in wanted group work to stop, which represents the “leaders” in these groups who go above and beyond and take the extra time and effort to text in, not the “slackers” of the group.

Below is the letter from Mr. Ryan Hazelwood.

Kayla Goodman

Prairie Editor

Web Editor’s Note: Feel free to add your own comments at the end of this article!

LETTER TO THE EDTIOR

Dear Mr. Carter and Prairie Staff,

While reading the September 17, 2009 edition of the Prairie I came across the What’s On My Mind article speaking to group work. I must say that I found it a little off base.

First a little about me, I am a full time employee of WTAMU, graduate student, teach a SCOM 1315 class, assist with Maroon Productions, assist with Live Crew, am currently working on my thesis, a graduate student senator and full time single parent; this is just off of the top of my head. I know as much as anyone of the time demands students face on a day to day basis and because of the circumstances of my situation. I also understand group work and can look at it from both sides of the aisle.

First, instructors and professors are anything but lazy for assigning group work. The idea of group work is as real as the job that you will hope to land after you graduate. Aside from my current life course, I have also worked in “the real world” after graduating with my B.S. in 1999. If you think that it is harder to get a couple of fellow students together to work on a project than coworkers living in different cities, working in different time zones , working in different departments (production, marketing, sales, etc.), with family obligations as well as professional you are just plain fooling yourself. As someone who has been asked to do just this, the world of collegiate life that you live in is a dream.

As an instructor and staff member and someone that has worked in “the real world”, what I have seen as the problem with group work is the reluctance of the typical “complainers” of group work to do one of two things. First to step up and be a leader that holds others in the group accountable. Sure in both college and “the real world” there will be those in your group that you have to hold their hand and coddle through any process. Welcome to “the real world”. Second, most of the time someone in a group work situation complains it is because they are not easy to work with and that person tends to hinder the work that the rest of the group gets done and no one wants to work with them because of this. You see being a leader is something more than demanding something of your group, but being an example that the rest of the group is inclined to follow. These two problems that I have observed really work hand in hand.

I would challenge you that the next time you are in a group work situation:

1) Be that type of leader that you would follow and 2) Realize that however hard you think working in this fantasy world of an academic setting may be, you have not seen anything yet… depending on your level of achievement after graduation.

Sincerely,

Ryan Hazelwood
Department of Communication
WTAMU Box 60754
Canyon, TX 79016
806.651.3258

Kayla Goodman

At WTAMU, we have many individuals who have traveled across seas due to opportunities given by this University.

Some of those major trips are from the Readership program for the freshman class. This year, the trip is featuring Turkey as the destination.

A handful of freshmen will be chosen based on their essay submissions to make the trip to Turkey. Another traveling opportunity that happened this summer highlights a professor here at WT. Dr. Hansen, professor of voice, traveled to Paris… ooh la la… that’s right, the Eiffel Tower, Paris.

He received the opportunity to be the only American on the opera stage. With so many more traveling experiences happening with WT students that we don’t know about, think about the endless possibilities you could have to travel abroad.

This is the time of your life, in college, so I challenge you to jump out of your comfort zone and do something unusual like travel around the world.

This is when it will impact you the most. With two of our main stories this week being about students/professors traveling, what more of an incentive can you ask for?

Take the time to read this issue spotlighting a few individuals and maybe it will change your mind about staying in the United States for all of your college career.