Panhandle Storytelling returns to WT for festival

Posted on May 1, 2012 by Daniela Fierro

2012 Storytelling Festival Poster. Photo courtesy of Panhandle Storytelling Guild Facebook page.

Since 1991, the Panhandle Storytelling Guild has held festivals for the WTAMU family and surrounding community.

On May 4, they will hold their annual festival with this year’s theme being ‘Lives and Legends’ with guest artist Barbra McBride-Smith.

“I’ve never met McBride-Smith in person, but we’ve watched her [story]telling in class throughout the semester,” Jere Ellison, Vice President of the Guild, said. “Her mix of familiar Greek tales with a ‘southwest’ twist should be appealing to all who attend.”

Dr. Trudy Hanson, head of the Department of Communication, said the festival will follow its normal format, with a few changes.

“We’re following the same formula for the festival,” Hanson said. “But this year, we will have three international students and they’ve chosen stories in their interests.”

Hanson said there will be two children’s concerts in the morning, a workshop with McBride-Smith at 1:30 p.m. in the Fine Arts Complex room 185 and a performance at 7 p.m. with McBride-Smith and WT graduate students in the Branding Iron Theater.

Continue reading →

Dr. Robert Ballard to speak at WTAMU about Titanic discovery

Posted on April 21, 2012 by Lisa Hellier

Dr. Robert Ballard will speak at the Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall at 8 p.m. on April 23 as part of the WTAMU Distinguished Lecture Series. His presentation will focus on his discovery of the R.M.S. Titanic, which sunk in the North Atlantic on April 15, 1912.

“The committee decided, with this being the 100th anniversary and the current release of Titanic in 3D, it would be a perfect time to bring him to campus,” Dr. James Calvi, associate dean of education & social sciences, said.

With years of work and his development of state-of-the-art underwater visual imaging technology, Ballard was able to discover the Titanic in July of 1985. Ballard has participated in over 100 deep-sea excursions and has discovered other underwater historical graves.

Calvi described Ballard as “the most famous explorer of the ocean alive today.” Calvi said he hoped students would take advantage of the lecture because of all of the knowledge Ballard has to offer.

Ballard is the director of the Institute for Archaeological Oceanography at the University of Rhode Island, president of the Institute for Exploration, explorer-in-residence for the National Geographic Society and scientist emeritus at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

“I think this event is cool and beneficial because the Titanic was a moment in history that, for 73 or so years, nobody actually knew the facts about,” Maranda Rivas, junior Biology major, said. “Robert Ballard is the man that brought light to the events that happened that fateful night. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that WT is giving to us students to listen to a man who made history by discovering the Titanic.”

The event is open and free to the public. No tickets are required.

PULSE raises awareness for Sexual Assault Prevention

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Jordan Fry

Peers Understanding, Listening, Speaking, Educating (PULSE) is partnering with Family Support Services to raise awareness for Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“We’re trying to increase awareness to reduce assault and give victims comfort in knowing they’re not alone,” Stephanie Brackett, assistant director of Student Activities and PULSE advisor, said. “Sexual assault happens more often than people think.”

PULSE and Family Support Services has organized events to get students and the community involved while increasing awareness.

One such event, the Human Awareness Ribbon, took place last Friday at Westgate Mall where participants formed a teal-colored ribbon, which signifies the official awareness ribbon of Sexual Assault Awareness Month.

“The ribbon is a way to bring the community together,” Nelly Villagomez, Family Support Services peace project educator, said. “It gives survivors of sexual assault a voice.” Continue reading →

WTAMU hosts Arbor Day Celebration

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Krystina Martinez

Valerie Swope, Dulce Chavez, and Kiana Garcia plant flowers. Photo by Krystina Martinez.

Web Editor’s Note: To see more Arbor Day photos, click here!

The WTAMU Campus Beautification Committee and Roots and Boots teamed up for the Arbor Day Celebration on April 14. Students planted trees near Guenther Hall and flowers around the Buffalo Sports Park.

“We love helping on campus and community service is a big thing to us,” Mariela Mendoza, a sophomore Education major and a member of Kappa Delta Chi, said. “It sounded like fun to plant trees.”

The celebration is part of a process WT is going through to become a member of Tree Campus USA, a program under the Arbor Day Foundation.

“Candidates must host two events: an Arbor Day celebration and a service learning project,” Linda Washington, co-chairperson of the Campus Beautification Committee, said. “We have a beautiful campus and we want to advertise it.”

Valerie Swope, co-chairperson of student group Roots and Boots, said being a member of Tree Campus USA would be beneficial for the University.

“It looks good for WT to have that certification,” she said. “We want to help out with the environment.”

The second part of the application process requires a service learning project, which Washington said would most likely involve Work-A-Thon in the upcoming fall semester.

Shack-A-Thon and Give-A-Goat returns to WTAMU

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Jacob Cain

Shack-A-Thon/Give-A-Goat 4.0 kicks off on April 18 and students are getting ready to construct and live in temporary structures made of little more than wooden pallets, cardboard and tape.

The event is sponsored by the WT Alliance, a coalition of campus ministries, to raise money to buy goats for people in Africa. The five campus ministries represented in the alliance are Buffs for Christ (Church of Christ Bible Chair), BSM (Baptist Student Ministry), CSC (Catholic Student Center), NAVS (Navigators) and The Wesley (Methodist Student Ministry).

“The students like pooling their money and giving holistically [to buy a goat],” Kent Mereness, director of the West Texas Church of Christ Bible Chair and member of the WT Alliance, said. Continue reading →

President George W. Bush to host the Warrior 100K

Posted on April 17, 2012 by Maria Molina

Former President George W. Bush will host the second annual Warrior 100K at Palo Duro Canyon State Park on April 26-28. The 100-kilometer mountain bike ride is dedicated to U.S. servicemen and women wounded in Iraq or Afghanistan.

“I look forward to spending time with these wounded warriors in a beautiful part of Texas,” Bush said in The Bush Center web site. “The W100 is a great way to remind all our fellow citizens of the unbelievable courage, skill, and sacrifice of those who wear the uniform of the United States.”

Twenty veterans will participate in this ride which, according to The Bush Center web site, “highlights the courage and sacrifice of U.S. military personnel who served their country honorably and were significantly injured during Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom.”

According to a representative from The Bush Center, the event is not opened to the public and it is dedicated to the 20 warriors and their families. Continue reading →

Former President Bill Clinton to speak at WTAMU

Posted on April 4, 2012 by Maria Molina

Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to speak April 24 at 8:00 p.m. at WTAMU as part the Distinguished Lecture Series. The event will take place at the First United Bank Center and it is free and opened to the public. Doors will open at 7:30 p.m.

Oceanographer Robert Ballard, who discovered the Titanic in 1985, will also speak as part of the Lecture Series on April 23.

‘Nefarious: Merchant of Souls’ shows at WTAMU

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Lisa Hellier

Nefarious poster. Courtesy of the Nefarious Facebook Page.

On March 22, a documentary about human trafficking called “Nefarious: Merchant of Souls” will show in the WTAMU Virgil Henson Activity Center Ballroom at 7:30 p.m.

The documentary takes an in-depth look at modern sex slavery in the human trafficking world and includes interviews with real victims.

“It is incredible,” Social Work major Mackenzie Price said. “It is the best thing for anybody who doesn’t know about human trafficking. It gives you an overview look of what human trafficking is globally. They show you so many different faces it can take. It is not this one specific thing.”

The document was written, produced and directed by Benjamin Nolot, who is also the founder and president of Exodus City, a human trafficking abolition organization. Continue reading →

CORE will sponsor 2012 annual university formal

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Monica Gambert

The annual university formal, sponsored by the WTAMU CORE office, will take place at the Amarillo Civic Center Grand Plaza from 7 p.m. – 11:45 p.m. on March 3.

This year’s university theme is “Salsa.” Marco Jimenez, a graduate student in Business Administration and formal king candidate, said he finds the theme appealing.

“I love it. I think it represents the diversity that WT has,” Jimenez said. “On a personal level, I’m Latino and I love salsa.”

The CORE office hired professional salsa dancers from Salsa Magic to give ticket holders free lessons.

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs James Hallmark said salsa is a fun theme.

“I’m sure formal will draw well,” Hallmark said. “The challenge with the university formal is that some students will go no matter what the theme might be, while others are not attracted. The challenge is to get more students to go.” Continue reading →

S.A.G.E. to host dodgeball tournament for WT students

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Brittany Castillo

Students Assisting in Good Endeavor (S.A.G.E.), a WTAMU campus organization, is hosting its eigth annual dodgeball tournament on March 1.

The games will begin at 7 p.m. in The Box and everyone is welcome to attend, said S.A.G.E. president Jordan Welch, a Childhood Education major.

“Any WT student can participate,” said Welch. “[The first] 180 people [to arrive] will receive a t-shirt.” Continue reading →

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