Category Archives: News

Financial crisis creates talking points at WTAMU

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Students met with business professionals in the WTAMU Legends Lounge on Nov. 30 for the Global Financial Crisis seminar to discuss the crisis’s impact on global and local scales.

“It’s very important that we discuss these things and understand what’s happening,” Dr. James Owens, WT department head of accounting, economics and finance, said to the crowd of students.

Students diligently took notes as business and finance professionals explained and analyzed the financial crisis that has caused a firestorm of economic debate all over the world.

One of these professionals, Dr. Dale Duhan, professor of Business at Texas Tech University, explained most of the financial problems today are caused by people spending more money than they have, leading to debt.

“A lot of the problems that we’re seeing around the world, whether it’s currency issues and national environments or local issues like the housing markets…they’re rooted in the growing popularity of living beyond your means,” he said.

Dr. Owens took a more global perspective on the issue and raised facts about how deep in debt the United States is compared to other countries. According to Dr. Owens, Ireland owes 95 percent of its gross domestic product, while Italy sits on 119 percent and Greece hovers around 143 percent. The bigger the percentage, the larger the debt. Continue reading →

Financial Aid requires students to meet criteria

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Web Editor’s Note: This story was written for the MCOMM 3309 – News Editing & Reporting Class

Although most students do not plan on performing poorly in their college courses, some choices and situations can cause students to end their semester on a bad scholastic note. However, these choices not only threaten students’ academic records, but their capability of receiving financial aid as well.

According to WTAMU’s Satisfactory Academic Appeal Information office, Financial Aid requires students to meet certain criteria to be able to apply for financial aid. One requirement is that students must complete 75 percent of the hours they attempt annually.

“The basic GPA should be 2.0 for undergraduates, and it’s 3.0 for graduate [students],” a specialist from the Financial Aid office said.

If students don’t meet these requirements, they will be placed on financial suspension and will not receive any form of financial aid from the University. Tabitha Perry is a former WT student who was placed on financial suspension.

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Lady Buffs basketball sweeps weekend road games

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After a slow start to the season, the Lady Buffs hit their stride with a sweep on the road this weekend, taking on the University of Incarnate Word on Dec. 1 and Texas A&M-Kingsville on Dec. 2.

The Lady Buffs started out in San Antonio to take on University of the Incarnate Word for their first Lone Star Conference game of the season. The team had some troubles to overcome in the game after going to the locker room for the break down 22-20. The Lady Buffs made four of their six free throws in the first half but 10 turnovers would be their downfall going into the break.

The team would return to the court fired up and ready to play during the second half. It would be Devin Griffin’s seven point run at the 7:31 mark that really turned the corner for the team with the score sitting at 45-38 after her run.

Both teams continued to find the basket for the last five minutes of the game but Kenisha Harris would secure the WT win by scoring the game’s final six points. The scoreboard would show the final tally as 61-51 in favor of the Lady Buffs.

Devin Griffin would lead WTAMU in points with 16 with Ashley Leven scoring 14 points and a team-high eight rebounds. Kenisha Harris would dominate the top of the leaderboard with seven rebounds, seven assists, and four steals on the night.

The Lady Buffs would use their Friday night momentum going into Saturday’s game in Kingsville against Texas A&M-Kingsville in another LSC match up.

WT got off to an early start with 12-0 and 21-0 runs in the first half to gain a comfortable lead for the rest of the game. Devin Griffin made her way on the scoreboard early by starting the 12-0 run with two free throws and a lay-up. Ashley Leven scored off of another layup to take the score up to 19-6.

TAMUK would pull within eight points after the 12-0 run but WT wouldn’t give up any advantage, scoring 21 points in a little over five minutes before the Javelinas could find the basket again. Even with the Javelinas breaking up the run, the Lady Buffs would take a 54-20 lead into the break.

WT would continue its roll right out of the break as Joni Unruh scored off a jumper with Chon White scoring soon after to give WT a 42-point lead. Both sides saw the ball go into their baskets multiple times, with TAMUK outscoring the Lady Buffs 42-36 in the second half but that wouldn’t stop WT from winning the game 90-62.

Devin Griffin led the scoring with a career-high 26 points with Kenisha Harris and Ashley Leven following with 13 points each. WT’s shooting percentage for the game was .508 from the field with a 3-out of-7 success from beyond the three-point line. The team also converted .692 percent of its free throws, seeing players at the line 39 times.

WT returns home Dec. 10 to take on Texas Woman’s at the First United Bank Center at 4 p.m.

Terry Fator gives students a real world experience

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Web Editor’s Note: This story was written for the MCOMM 3309 – News Editing & Reporting Class

This semester, WT students from the College of Business and the Sybil B. Harrington College of Fine Arts and Humanities have had the opportunity to undertake a project that allowed them to gain real world experience. They have been doing marketing research for Las Vegas performer Terry Fator, gathering information for Fator’s management team to improve the Terry Fator Show.

Dr. Nicholas Gerlich, College of Business department head and professor of Marketing, said that the door to this opportunity was opened by an existing professional relationship between his research group and the Terry Fator Show.

“This effort is the result of earlier work by Dr. Leigh Browning and Ms. Lori Westermann from the College of Fine Arts and Humanities and myself from the College of Business,” he said. “We have had a professional relationship with The Terry Fator Show for over a year now and Leigh, Lori, and I are also research collaborators and have a private consultancy.”

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VHAC has damage

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The Virgil Henson Activities Center (VHAC) closed the indoor track and all-purpose room after 60 mph wind tore up part of the roof.

Within a week, insulation was used to repair and cover up the holes.

“They’ll have to completely replace the entire roof,” Director of Recreational Sports Bill Craddock said.

The rooms were recently opened back up and are available to students.

According to Craddock, the roof can be worked on in sections so that not all of the courts in the all-purpose room have to be closed.

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Counseling Services sought out by WT students

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Web Editor’s Note: This story was written for the MCOMM 3309 – News Editing & Reporting Class

Although the Office of Student Affairs is bustling with hectic construction work and endless meetings, a particular division strives to attain tranquility at WTAMU: the Counseling Services Office.

Counseling Services is among one of the most sought out offices on campus and continues to help all students who are in need of a pair of ears.

This office works in many areas of help. They offer personal counseling, career counseling and couples counseling.  Although the office is busy all semester long, finals week is quickly approaching and with that, students are more anxious and pressured.

“As this time of year approaches, we get more and more students who need a bit of counseling because the stress of finals has just overwhelmed them,” said Karla Morrison, administrative assistant for the Student Success Center.

“Our website can help guide a student in the area where they need help. We even have a free paintball game link available to all on our site. It’s there to help with the stress,” said Morrison.

Although stress from finals is a good reason for a student to seek Counseling Services, there are other reasons to take a peek into their frosted windows offices in the Classroom Center. Continue reading →

Music department wins “Can-Tree” food drive

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On Nov. 30, the departments of the Sybil B. Harrington Fine Arts College came together for “Cans For Christmas,” an event put together by the Ad/PR Society to support the High Plains Food Bank.

“Our philanthropy is the High Plains Food Bank, and we wanted to do something that would get the entire FAC involved,” J’Rhea Wise, president of the Ad/PR society, said.

Before the event, each department collected cans and other non-perishable goods.  The food would be used to construct a Christmas tree. The winner would be able to pick a faculty member of their choice to dress in an elf costume on Dec. 7.

“It’s for a good cause, and Dr. [Robert] Krause wanted us to get involved,” Mark Tenorio, a freshman Music Performance major, said.

Each department had 15 minutes to put their tree together. The atmosphere was competitive, especially between the Music and Mass Communication departments.

“We’ll try our best [to win],” said Tenorio.

Brock Carter, director of communications for the High Plains Food Bank, judged each tree for its size and creativity. At the end, the Music Department won first prize, with Speech Communication winning the award for Most Creative.

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Twelve junior colleges attend livestock contest on campus

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On Dec. 3, WTAMU hosted the Junior College Livestock Contest. The contest helps prepare junior college students for larger competitions as well as having the opportunity to recruit new students to WT.

Twelve junior colleges attended the contest from six different states, consisting of around 150 contestants. The grand champion was Redland Community College in Oklahoma.

The first part of the contest consists of the students judging groups of four animals or classes to rank the animals that have the most desirable characteristics. There is an official committee that also ranks the animals so that the students can be scored based on how they compare to the committee. The second part of the contest is a two-minute oral presentation where students give reasons why they picked the animals they did in front of an official.

“The great thing about livestock judging, is that it’s a learning activity giving students limited information, making a decision, and defending that decision in a convincing way,” said David Lust, a WT Animal Science professor and contest superintendent. “It’s a fantastic skill set that’s transferable Continue reading →

Computer buying tips for the average non-techie

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Computers can be great gifts to give and receive, but knowing how to choose the right one can feel daunting. Depending on what one needs in a computer, here are a few things to keep in mind:

Casual-Use

Accessing the Internet is the most common use of computers, according to a survey done by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, and for most people this is all they need. Technology professionals like WTAMU’s Michael Reagan, manager of the IT Service Center, said almost all basic set ups of computers reach this level with 4 gigabytes of RAM, 500 gigabytes to one terabyte of hard-drive space and a simple multi-core processor. With these specifications, the consumer does not have to be very selective, according to Pantex Information-Management Technologist Seth Ritter.

“There is not a huge difference in brands,” Ritter said.

Westgate Computer’s General Manager Brad Sanders also suggested that even a tablet device such as an iPad might suffice.

Gaming-Uses

When it comes to a gaming computer, more knowledge and consideration is needed in order for the consumer to buy a computing system that can handle big-name titles such as Battlefield 3.

“It is all about the speed,” Sanders said.

To reach high-computing speeds Sanders, Ritter and Reagan said you will need 8-16 gigabytes of RAM, one terabyte or more of memory, a high-end processor and an advanced video card such as G force GTX 580. These experts said buying a computer with these specifications will put a sizable dent in your wallet for the initial purchase. Significant investments may also be required for the inevitable updates needed to keep the machine from becoming obsolete.

“Gaming hardware is expensive, so keep in mind it might be more cost-effective to use a console (Xbox 360- or PS3-type system),” Reagan said.

Creative-Uses

According to Sanders, content creators for media such as videos and music require computing needs somewhere between gaming and casual uses. He recommends computer specs of eight gigabytes of RAM, 500 or higher gigabytes of hard-drive space and a quad core processor. However, Reagan pointed out that a lot depends on the kind of programs the consumer intends to use.

“I would use (software) system requirements as a guide, but more is obviously better,” he said.

Beyond system specifications, Sanders advises that a consumer should look at the support given by the company after purchase. It is because of Westgate Computer’s support service that this local company has been successful, Sanders said.

“The support behind the machine can be just as important as the machine itself,” he said, “especially for the first-time computer buyer or novice.”

“Juguetes para Juárez” ayuda a niños afectados por la violencia

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To read this article in English, click here. – Web Editor’s Note

El 14 de Diciembre, Juan Gallardo, presidente de la Asociación de Estudiantes Hispanos (HSA),  junto a otros miembros de esta organización distribuirán juguetes en El Paso, Texas. Estos juguetes serán entregados a la organización Realizando Sueños quienes se encargan de juntar juguetes para niños afectados por la violencia en ciudad Juárez, México.

“Ellos [Realizando Sueños] recolectaron 800 juguetes [el año pasado] pero 6,000 niños asistieron,” dijo Gallardo. “Por tanto se quedaron más de 5,000 niños sin juguetes.”

También dijo que “Juguetes para Juárez” empezó como un proyecto en la universidad a través del cual HSA esperaban recolectar entre 100 y 200 juguetes.  Gracias a diferentes compañías  de la comunidad, el proyecto creció.

“Nuestro proyecto creció mucho hasta que tuvimos un evento que no era solo en la universidad, sino que involucraba a toda la comunidad,” dijo Gallardo. “Ahora nuestra meta es recolectar 5,000 juguetes porque ese es el numero de niños que no recibieron un juguete el año pasado.”

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