September 12, 2007 Vol. 99, No. 2Fort Worth, Texas

The RamblerThe students’ voice since 1917

T E X A S W E S L E Y A N U N I V E R S I T Y

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It’s a rush!Kappa Alpha continues

its 2007 rush events, whichinclude a pool night Sept. 12and a cigar and poker nightSept. 14. Both events beginat 6:30 p.m. in the Eunice L.West Library.

Calling all latin men!Students interested in

joining Lambda Theta Phi,the first national latin frater-nity, can attend the lastinformational meeting dur-ing free period Sept. 13 inroom B17 in the Eunice L.West library. Interested stu-dents can contact DanielBravo at dabravo@mail.txwes.edu.

Party with Ms. StellaAll students are invited

to the free Stella RussellHall balcony party from 9p.m. to midnight Sept. 20for the musical stylings ofDJ T-Thurm, free food,drinks and a chance to win aPlayStation PSP hand-heldentertainment system.

Got paintball?Student Life is looking

for students interested in anall-day paintball extrava-ganza Sept. 21. Sign-up listsare posted around campusand at least 15 people arerequired. Contact theStudent Life office in theSUB for more information.

SGA wants you!Texas Wesleyan

University’s StudentGovernment Associationholds regular meetingsevery Tuesday at 12:15 p.m.in the Carter ConferenceRoom. Free food andrefreshment are provided.

See you at the chapelChapel is held at free

period every Tuesday in theChapel of PolytechnicUnited Methodist Church,followed by a free lunch.Chapel services this monthinclude youth pastor RussellClark (Sept. 18) and JerryChism, pastor of ArlingtonHeights UMC (Sept. 25).

Baptist Student MinistryTWU’s BSM invites

you to come hang out andshare a meal with otherWesleyan students. BaptistStudent Ministries partici-pates in ministry activitieson campus, in the communi-ty and around the world.Meetings with free lunch areWednesdays at noon in theCarter Conference Room,on the second floor of theSid Richardson building.

Make your mark nowThe Rambler is now hir-

ing writers and photogra-phers. Get paid and have funhelping produce Wesleyan’soldest news publication.Regular meetings are at12:15 p.m. every Thursdayin the lobby of StellaRussell Hall.

NEWS BRIEFS

Power innumbers

Trustee named as candidate for area bishopDr. Tim Bruster, a Wesleyan alumnus and

member of the board of trustees, is up for the postof bishop with the Central Texas Conference ofthe Untied Methodist Church.

In 2008, Dr. Ben Chamness, also a Wesleyanalumnus and member of the board of trustees, willretire from the bishop position. With thisannouncement, it was up to the Central TexasConference to select its candidate for bishop. Thebody decided to approach Bruster, the senior pas-tor of the First United Methodist Church in down-town Fort Worth.

The Central Texas Conference and the posi-tion of bishop are vital components to the UnitedMethodist Church.

The General Conference of the UnitedMethodist Church is a worldwide organization. Itconsists of annual conferences in Africa, Europe,Latin America and the United States. Every fouryears, the delegates elected by these annual con-ferences meet together to review the issues of theday, including theological, social and politicalissues, while considering social principles and

theological stances of the past. There they publish the United Methodist

Book of Discipline, which they review every fouryears. The last general conference was inPittsburgh, Penn., in June 2004. The conferencesite changes to different jurisdictions of the coun-try. An annual conference refers to the Methodistarea governed by a bishop. First Methodist is amember church of the annual conference knownas the Central Texas Conference.

When the annual conferences meet the yearbefore the General Conference meeting, eachannual conference elects an equal number of cler-gy and lay delegates. Sometimes the leader of theclergy delegation is asked by those elected if he orshe would allow the delegation’s support for his orher election to the episcopacy, or the office ofbishop.

That’s where Bruster comes in.Some might wonder why Bruster would want

to pursue the episcopacy when he is the pastor ofa very large church. As Bruster said, a bishop is ina “unique position” to provide guidance and lead-ership within an annual conference in order toclarify the duties of the church and to focus its“vision for ministry.”

“[The office] has a real opportunity to affectpositive change in the direction of Methodism,”said Bruster.

According to Bruster, a bishop is meant toprovide “general oversight in leadership” for oneor two annual conferences. He describes them asthe executive branch of the United MethodistChurch. They appoint all district superintendentsand ordained ministers.

For example, every male and female ministerpresent at First Methodist was appointed with theapproval of Ben Chamness (or his predecessors),the senior pastor and the Staff-Parish RelationsCommittee.

It is their respective duties to cast the vision ofthe annual conference.

“They represent the larger denomination,”Bruster said.

The mission of this annual conference and theUnited Methodist Church is to “make disciples ofJesus Christ for the transformation of the world,”he said.

Although the office of bishop seems to be alarge undertaking, Bruster has no intention of giv-ing up his dedication to Texas Wesleyan, he said.

KEVIN KEATHLEYSTAFF WRITER

See Bruster, page 2

Alumna’s business gains national attentionWesleyan graduates tend to be shooting stars. We have been equipped

with the ability to go above and beyond and shine with-in our own lives and within our community. GraduateTeresa Nelson is no exception.

Nelson graduated in 1993 with a bachelor of busi-ness administration in economics/finance. While usingher degree for a short time in banking, she aspired tosomeday own her own company. Nelson began design-ing gifts from her home after much prompting from alocal craft mall owner who saw a demand in the giftbasket market.

Finally in 2000, Nelson opened the doors to hervery own business, Teresa’s Treasures. Her regularcustomers stop by to gaze at the variety of very uniqueand specialized gift baskets available. The designsrange from baskets for birthday celebrations to basketsof baby gifts. During her first Christmas in business,Nelson made 1,800 baskets.

Now, seven and a half years later, that number isup to more than 8,000 at Christmas. The businessserves more than 7,000 clients world wide from itssouth Fort Worth showroom, which features some1,500 of her products.

Prior to this success, however, Nelson faced a set-back. During the semester Nelson was supposed tograduate from Wesleyan she was involved in a terrible

car accident. A semi-truck pulled out in front of her car and they collided. “If my car had been two inches over, I would have died,” Nelson

explained. After the accident, Nelson and her family were overwhelmed by the out-

reach from the Wesleyan community. Professorswould stop by her home to visit with her.

“That is what impressed upon me the most,”Nelson said. “Wesleyan is like a family.”

Nelson attended her graduation ceremony, butcouldn’t participate as she was in a wheelchair. Duringthe ceremony, the president of the university gave aspeech about Nelson and her determination. After theceremony, students brought her cards, letters andpoems of inspiration, which she still has.

“This was an emotional experience,” Nelsonremembered.

Despite this setback, Nelson went on to graduatein 1993 and eventually became known locally andnationally for her wonderful accomplishments.

Teresa’s Treasures has been honored with numer-ous awards including the 2002-2004 Small Business ofthe Year, 2003 Mayors Award of EntrepreneurialExcellence, 2006 Mayor’s Global Award and 2006Spirit of Inspiration award.

Also, Nelson was inducted into 2005-2006National Who’s Who for Business Executives, was the2006-2007 Great Women of Texas recipient and wasnamed the 2006 National Gift Designer of the Year.

SKYLA CLAXTONADVERTISING MANAGER

Alumna Teresa Nelson opened the door toher gift shop Teresa’a Treasures in 2000,and now caters to more than 7,000 cus-tomers across the globe.

Photo by Skyla Claxton

Photos by Kevin Keathley

See Treasure, page 2

Wesleyan students of all kinds turned out for a varietyof rush week events including kick ball, water-fightsand movie nights. Above, junior Britni Hollar, juniorLiz Neal and sophomore Marquita Guyden show offtheir school spirit at a rush week social event. At right,the girls of Gamma Phi Beta demonstrate a pyramidfor the nearby crowd of rush week attendees.

News2 September 12, 2007 The Rambler

20 great yearsHead cashier celebrates two decades at Wesleyan

She had a reason: to save money on her daughter’s college tuition. That’s why JaneMitchell applied to work at Wesleyan 20 years ago.

She and her husband had just finished paying for their daughter Carri’s first semes-ter at Wesleyan when a friend recommended getting a job on campus. After realizing thatworking on campus would save money towards her daughter’s tuition, she was sold.

Although the job she originally applied for, secretary to religion professor Dr. GlenBallard, was taken, she jumped at theopportunity to work in the cashier’soffice as the sole cashier, handling stu-dent accounts. At that point the officehad a computer through which she couldlook up accounts, but she spent most ofher time counting.

“I had to count everything backthen,” Mitchell said. “I even had to bal-ance money taken in by the university.”

She recalls many mornings spentunlocking and locking safes and carry-ing drawers of money up and down thestairs of the administration building.

“They didn’t want me to take theelevator because they thought someonecould attack me and take the money,”she said. “In reality, they could havethrown me down the stairs if they reallywanted it.”

One of Mitchell’s past jobs includessweeping floors at Alcon where hermother worked. She and her sister spiltthe duty and were paid with a quarter.After graduating from high school her parents offered to send her to college, but sheopted to work and helped to support her parents.

“It was amazing I actually got a job here,” Mitchell said. “I’m not outgoing. I’m veryquiet, and the thought of something new scares me to death.”

However, to talk to her, you would never know it. Mitchell is committed to workingwith college students. Both her daughter, Carri, and her son, Chad, graduated fromWesleyan.

“I love the atmosphere, and I’ve always liked getting to know everyone,” Mitchellsaid.

Mitchell never expected that she would stay at Wesleyan for as long as she has butknows that if she retired, not only would she be bored, but she would miss the interac-tion with the students.

“She’s always so nice to me, and I’m sure she has to put up with a lot,” said AshlySpencer, sophomore educationmajor.

After 20 years, Mitchell has seenmany changes, one being the onlinetechnology available to students.

“As the years go on, theyimprove things, and everythingbecomes more automated,” she said.“I’m glad things are easier for stu-dents, but I miss that closeness.”

Mitchell is reminded of the timeswhen students had to come to thecashier’s window and she was able topersonally assist them and be a partof their college experience. She saidshe misses the pre-Internet dayswhen her life intertwined with thelives of the students.

Holding back emotion, sherecalls the numerous students whohave visited her after they graduatedto say thank you and give her a hug.

She calls her position more thanjust a job, but rather a calling – one to

which she has now dedicated two decades of her adult life. And retirement? Who knows. “I don’t have a time frame,” she said. “I’m 65, but I don’t feel 65. There’s just no

reason.”

JULIE DAVIS & SHAWN R. POLINGSTAFF WRITER & EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Photo by Baryn Shephard

Jane Mitchell started working at Texas Wesleyan 20 years ago when she was the only cashieremployed. Her daughter and son both graduated from Wesleyan, and Mitchell plans to stick aroundat Wesleyan for as long as she can.

Politicians, universities and loan companies are working together to restruc-ture a shattered private student loan industry that has come under fire in previ-ous months after reports that university officials have been fired for acceptingkickbacks for recommending specific lending companies to students.

U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, Massachusetts Attorney General MarthaCoakley and New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo began investigationsin early May in Massachusetts to determine whether relationships betweenschools and private lending companies in the state were improper.

In addition, Cuomo discovered during his investigation that some lendingcompanies were discriminating against applicants based on what school theyattend — some historically black schools were hit with higher interest rates —and other factors not directly tied to their credit history, according to a June 6New York Times article.

“We absolutely need to revamp this industry,” American Association ofCollegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers spokesman Barmak Nassiriansaid. “There needs to be a complete overhaul in student lendings — there is toomuch stress and debt to approach this in a conventional way, and we need newand innovative options.”

Nassirian said that the industry’s downfall stems directly from the “failureof the government to protect students” and said there is far too little oversightfocused on the relationship between schools and lending companies.

“The ideal distance between the two should be arm’s length,” he said.“Lenders should compete on the basis of service and what they offer to students— not what they offer to a third party — the school.

“It allows third parties to have a say in who gets which loans, and that’s adecision the students should be making for themselves,” he added.

Karin Pellman, a spokeswoman for the private student lending company MyRich Uncle, agreed and said that students lose out when they are not given theopportunity to choose.

“What we’re seeing in the industry is fallout and conflict of interest,” shesaid. “Lenders are being viewed by admissions officers as customers of loans,and the current direction is not in the best interest of students.”

Pellman also agreed that more government intervention is needed to makethe student loan market safer and more cost-efficient for students.

“Since the investigations, the government has taken a much closer look.They’ve come down hard on the Department of Education and they’re comingdown to assist the borrower’s right to choose,” she said. “There are laws thatprevent these unacceptable relationships but they are simply not beingenforced.”

Pellman said My Rich Uncle, founded in 1999, works with students and notdirectly with financial aid offices. She said that financial aid officers complicatethe student loan process and the relationship between student and lending com-pany would be “ideal” without them.

Illinois senator and Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama is onepolitician that has recommended reforming the student loan industry by simplyrelying on federal student aid and eliminating private subsidies — which hecalled “wasteful and unnecessary” — he told The Daily Free Press in May dur-ing a telephone conference with college newspapers.

Though Pellman agreed change is necessary and imminent, she believes thestep is overstated and unnecessary.

“We do need to open the road to banning the preferred lending list offeredby colleges to students,” she said. “But the cost of education is rising four to sixpercent each year and federal loans are not enough.

“The private student loan market is worth $18 billion; it’s one of the fastest-growing sectors of consumer finance, and it’s a viable market.”

National college, political officialscall for private student loan reform

MATT DONNELLYTHE DAILY FREE PRESS/ UWIRE

Over the years, Bruster has served on the Advancement Committee and the Academic AffairsCommittee at Wesleyan. Bruster has helped officials to solicit money from individuals and foundationsto raise funds for the school and has helped work with the deans to review and evaluate policies and pro-cedures in order to make recommendations in regard to the academic life of the university.

“I consider Wesleyan to be a very fine institution that [the Methodist church] can be very proud of,”said Bruster.

He believes that the university has improved since he joined the board of trustees in November 2003. Dr. Lamar Smith, also an alumnus and member of the board, has approached Bruster about the pos-

sibility of having an annual Texas Wesleyan University Sunday at FUMC. Bruster said the ties betweenFUMC and Texas Wesleyan are primarily through trustees, such as Smith and himself. In addition, reli-gion professors like Dr. Ron Ballard are encouraged to teach Sunday school.

Currently, the church allows religion majors to work or volunteer, and they plan to collaborate onvarious types of internships in the future. As to a Sunday dedicated to celebrating Texas Wesleyan, thefuture holds nothing but possibilities.

“It’s a strong possibility that I would welcome,” said Bruster.Not to forget his religious obligations, Bruster is just as serious about his work as a Wesleyan trustee

as he has been in his work as a clergyman. He considers his appointment to serve as senior minister atFUMC a high point in his life and has worked hard to bring the church community to the “next level ofeffectiveness and service.”

Bruster said he is thankful that he has been there to “help people grow in their faith,” to be there forthem during their faith journey, to lead congregations to the next level of service and effectiveness andto have had the honor of having served wonderful congregations.

“I feel blessed to have been involved with individuals and families at the most pivotal moments intheir lives,” said Bruster.

Just this March the company received the Clear Channel Media Award for Excellence in Business. “I am very humbled by these awards.” Nelson reflects. “You cannot have pride, but that doesn’t mean

you cannot be proud.”The business philosophy that Nelson follows is reflected in the company’s mission statement noted

on the company’s Web site, www.treasuresbyteresa.com: “To provide beautiful, high-quality gifts at a fairprice while exceeding our customer’s expectations and to provide a Christian, uplifting work environ-ment, in which our employees can grow and succeed. We strive to earn the respect of our communityand colleagues through fair and ethical business practices, community involvement, and high moral stan-dards, all the while, honoring the One who has honored us with this entrepreneurial opportunity!”

Nelson said the work ethic and high moral standards possessed by herself and all her staff haveproven to be extremely successful.

“You must have respect and commitment to service,” said Nelson.

Bruster, from page 1

Treasures, from page 1

In collegeyou payto write papers

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www.txwes.edu/rambler

OpinionsThe Rambler September 12, 2007 3

Drive East through downtown and you will see abillboard calling all of the Katrina victims home.“Fort Worth took you in, now New Orleans

wants you back,” the sign declares. Just weeks after the two year anniversary of

Katrina, and the world looks into the Big Easy and seesthat not much has changed. The progressis slow, as people slowly return to theirhome.

I was in the Crescent City justweeks before the Category 3 storm hitthe city, and I watched the homes of my

loved ones get washed away by the mismanagement of theCorps of Engineers and the corrupt Louisiana governmentand then continued to watch while our federal governmentfailed to provide a real solution for the people whose liveswere torn apart.

I was also in the city on three different occasions afterthe storm to help with the relief effort and pray over NewOrleans. It was during these trips that I was able to see thedestruction that had come with this storm and how muchwas lost.

My heart has ached for New Orleans ever since thosetrips. I was able to experience the culture, music andunique personality of the Marti Gras city, and I was there to witness itscollapse.

As I walked through the Lower Ninth Ward for the first time after thestorm, I remember asking my friend and Wesleyan alumnus TonyLeverett why the government didn’t just clear away all of the debris andstart over.

“Property rights — one of the foundational American rights,” he said.“The people who own these lots have the right to choose what to do with

their property.” I was aware, as I stood there looking at the wreckage of neighbor-

hoods, that it would take years to rebuild what Katrina had torn down. Ilistened as students around me made comments about how they were “sosick of hearing about New Orleans,” and I knew that if I were one of thepeople who had to deal with the consequences of that storm on a daily

basis, that I wouldhope for people tobe more understand-ing and willing tolisten.

Now, two yearslater, it seems thatwe as a nation andNew Orleans as acity have not learnedanything. The Corpsof Engineers aremaking the samemistakes with levies,the New Orleansgovernment is stillnot using the moneythey are given the

right way and the nation is still not prepared to handle another nationaldisaster of that kind of latitude.

According to the August issue of Time magazine, only a third of NewOrleans’ population has returned. But how can we expect people to returnto a city, where the possibility of losing everything is still so real andclose?

COLLEENBURNIE

Colleen Burnie is a senior writing major and is the entertainment editor for TheRambler.

The RamblerFounded in 1917 as The Handout

Harold G. Jeffcoat, Publisher Kelli Lamers, adviser Shawn R Poling, editor-in-chief Zainah Usman, photo editor Tiara Nugent, managing/college life editor Jack Walker, sports editor Colleen Burnie, entertainment editorSkyla Claxton, advertising manager Amanda May, Web editor

Member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

Opinions expressed in The Rambler are those of the individual author only and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Texas Wesleyan community as a whole.

Letters to the editor: The Rambler, a weekly publication, welcomes all letters. All submissions must have a full printed name, phone number and signature; however, confidentiality will be granted if requested.

While every consideration is made to publish letters, publication is limited by time and space. The editors reserve the right to edit all submissions for space, grammar, clarity and style.

Letters to the editor may be subject to response from editors and students on the opinions page.

"We are not afraid to follow the truth...wherever it may lead." -Thomas Jefferson

Address all correspondence to:Texas Wesleyan University, The Rambler, 1201 Wesleyan St., Fort Worth, TX 76105.

Newsroom: 531-7552 Advertising: 531-7582 Fax: 531-4878 E-mail: twurambler@yahoo.com

Rambler RatingsThumbs up to the IT depart-ment for quick and successfulsolutions to our needs at theRambler.

Thumbs up to the new up-to-date computers in the ARCcomputer lab.

Thumbs down to the book-store for not keeping up withorders.

Thumbs up to the financialaid ladies for saving studentsand their accounts!

Aug. 2 marked the 70th anniversary of the start of one of the greatsocial experiments in American history. Sadly, the experiment has

failed miserably and should have ended years ago. The first national anti-marijuana law, the Marijuana Tax Act, was

signed into law by President Franklin D. Roosevelt on Aug. 2, 1937. Though disguised as a tax, the law functioned as the first federal ban

on the possession and cultivation of marijuana. Theban continues in various forms to this day. Now, 70years later, we can see this program has not prevent-ed the use of marijuana in the United States.

Marijuana use increased after the drug was banned. In 1937, marijua-na use was rare in the United States because marijuana virtually wasunknown to many parts of the country, according to a study conducted atthe University of California, San Francisco.

The federal government has estimated in the pre-prohibition era, about1.2 percent of the population had tried marijuana by age 35. In recentdecades, figures show the range to consistently hover at 40 to 50 percent,according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse.

Marijuana is now our nation’s largest cash crop by a whopping margin.According to Americans for Safe Access, an organization based inOakland, Calif., the 2006 U.S. marijuana crop was valued at $35.8 billionby street pricing, exceeding the value of corn ($23.3 billion) and wheat($7.45 billion) combined.

Opponents of the drug will argue marijuana would be more widelyused if legalized. In the Netherlands, adults are allowed to possess andpurchase small amounts of marijuana from regulated businesses. Rates ofmarijuana use are lower there than in the United States.

According to figures collected from both the U.S. Department ofJustice and the Netherlands Ministry of Health in 2005, 17.1 percent ofNetherlands residents age 12 and older had tried marijuana, compared to40.1 percent in the United States.

Instead of stopping Americans from using marijuana, prohi-bition of this herb simply has handed a lucrative market tocriminals. With legitimate businesses banned from producingor selling a popular product, gangsters steppedin to fill the void.

With prohibition keepingthe price high, there always willbe new growers ready to replaceeach one who is busted. There has

been little progress madefor the tens of billions ofdollars spent seizing mari-

juana plants and arrestingusers at the rate of near-ly 800,000 per year.

These costs are even moretragic when considering the sci-entific experts who consistentlyreport marijuana is a far safer drugthan alcohol or tobacco — it is lessaddictive, much less toxic and is lesslikely to induce aggressionor violence. These resultswere found in a study by Dr.Andrew Weil and Dr. Norman Zinbergin a Dec. 13, 1968, issue of Science. TheDrug Enforcement Agency no longer allowsthe possession of marijuana for research pur-poses, thus newer studies have not been conducted.

It’s time to learn from our nation’s disastrousattempt to ban alcohol. Instead of the futility anddestruction of prohibition, let’s put marijuana under a common-sense sys-tem of taxation and regulation, just like alcohol and tobacco.

Banning pot causes more problems

The wreckage Katrina left behind is not a simple mess to clean upor, for New Orleaners, an easy loss to take.

Healing won’t be forced on victims

Photo by Colleen Burnie

A look at New Orleans’ journey to reconstruction and healing post-Katrina

Courtesy of Google Images

GUEST COLUMN

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College Life4 September 12, 2007 The Rambler

If someone were to ask you to define character, what would you say? Would you say it is one’smorals, one’s standards or possibly a combination of the two?

Character is one of those traits that is difficult to define but simple to recognize. I have heard itbe defined as who you are in the dark – when no one’s looking.

Character will set you apart from the crowd. It shows the world who you are and what you are. Ifyou have it, it shows and if you don’t, it shows even more.

So, as we continue on this journey called life, let us remember that character is always a goodthing to have on our side. You will never have to make excuses for having it, but you may find your-self in a position having to explain why you don’t.

“Watch your thoughts, for they become words. Watch your words, for they become actions. Watch your actions, for they become habits. Watch your habits, for they become character.

Watch your character, for it becomes your destiny.” — Unknown

Living apart from the crowd

JULIEDAVIS

Julie Davis is a senior English major and is a staff writer for The Rambler.

RushRushRush

Photos by Kevin Keathley

Need a car? It’s a little well known fact that Texas, and Metroplex residents in general,are dependent on their vehicles, even addicted some would say. Well now there is a solutionfor those in need, who don’t have the credit or bank roll to get one on their own.

Ways to Work is a national program that works out of non-profit offices all over the nation to help low income parents get towork or school, and helps them secure a more stable financialfuture.

“Not only is it great that these people get a car at zero to 8 per-cent interest,” notes Sheri Mata, director of career services, “butthey also get help with their finances.”

The program, which was founded in Wisconsin more than 20years ago, recognized the growing need of working parents forreliable transportation to their jobs or schools, particularly in areassuch as Fort Worth-Dallas where the public transportation systemdoes not offer comprehensive options for transportation.

“A car can help students get better paying jobs, better jobs,keep them from being late and alleviate the stress from car issues,”said Mata.

The Ways to Work program will offer low interest loans up to$4,000 to its recipients for a reliable used car, help in buildingcredit and counseling for repayment.

According to the Ways to Work Web site, the cars that loanrecipients receive have been thoroughly repaired, are fuel efficientand come from companies such as Toyota and Honda.

To date, the program has assisted more than 25,000 families with loans totaling morethan $40 million.

According to a story that was published in Profitwise News and Views in May 2007,

Ways to Work President Jeffrey E. Faulkner teaches men to fish rather than giving them onesalmon dinner.

“We firmly believe in the value of making loans for cars, not just giving them away,” saidFaulkner. “We carefully screen our applicants to make sure they can afford the loan. The actof paying it back helps them develop sound financial habits, and it also begins their work ofbuilding a payment history that will eventually allow them to take advantage of greater finan-

cial opportunities.”The requirements of the loan are that the

borrower be employed for at least sixmonths, or be enrolled in school, be a parentand be unable to get a load from a bank orcredit union as well as agree in writing torepay the loan. A referral is required and canbe obtained in the Career Services, located inthe Academic Resource Center.

In 2006, Ways to Work commissioned astudy to assess the results of their outreach.The results were tremendously positive,showing that the availability of reliable trans-portation led to better job attendance and bet-ter overall quality of life by allowing morefamily time. The take home pay of borrowersincreased by an average of 41 percent.

There are other alternatives for studentswithout children as well. Car dealers such asToyota and Volkswagen have college grad

programs. Students who are six months away from graduation or less than 24 months out ofgraduation are eligible for financing without any credit history. The only requirement is acommitment letter from an employer or future employer.

“There are options for today’s students in need of reliable transportation,” said Mata.

Looking for a way to work? Want a Toyota?National non-profit organization offers help to low-income students with children

COLLEEN BURNIEENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Courtesy of Google Images

An efficient and reliable vehicle makes a working student and parent’s lifeconsiderably easier by decreasing stress.

The Greek organizations ofTexas Wesleyan

pulled off a phenomenal rush

week Sept. 3-7.Alpha KappaKappa was noexception. Fun

events that weekincluded kickballand a waterfight,

both favorable pre-views of events yet

to come.

. . .And enter the realm ofcapitalism .

WRITE FOR THE RAMBLER.

Give of your natural resources . . .

SportsThe Rambler September 12, 2007 5

Log on to:www.ramsports.netfor the latest game

information and profilesof your favorite Wesleyan

Teams and Athletes

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Texas Wesleyan Golf had a dominating performance in the 2007Fort Worth City Golf Championship.

Taking titles in both the collegiateand men’s championship divisions,Wesleyan junior Paco Saracho and 1997graduate of Texas Wesleyan Matt Dunntook first place in their respective divi-sions. Saracho proved to be the best ofthe collegiate players, while Dunn wonthe men’s championship flight. Bothplayers finished with a final round 206.

The three day tournament that tookplace over Labor Day weekend was heldon three separate courses: Rockwood,Meadowbrook and Pecan Valley RiverCourse. Saracho’s solid opening roundof 64 (-6) at Rockwood placed him atopthe strong field of college players afterthe initial day of competition.

With rounds of 70 and 72 the finaltwo days, Paco was able to stay ahead

of teammate Mitch Hendon and Texas Christian University’s FranklinCorpening by a single stroke.

“This was my first tournament win in the U.S.,” said Saracho.“Winning this tournament means a lot to me especially after recoveringfrom my hand injury.”

“We have a solid team and we’lldefinitely have a solid season if wecontinue to play like this, he said.”

Hendon, a 2007 Second Team All-American, was optimistic about theteam’s first performance of the 2007-2008 season.

“The team had a solid showing inthe first tournament with three play-ers in the top five.” Hendon said. “Ifwe continue to play like this the restof the year we’ll have a good chanceof taking home the [conferenceand/or national] title.” The Ram’s Golf unit will see its next

action Sept. 10-11 in Abilene, Texasfor the Charles Coody Intercollegiateat Diamondback Golf Course.

KEVIN DOSKOCILSTAFF WRITER

After Rams golf goes low in season opener,team sets high standards for rest of season

“To give anything lessthan your best, is to sacrifice the gift.”-Steve Prefontaine, deceasedUniversity of Oregon distancerunner and holder of manyAmerican track and fieldrecords

Women’s Volleyball @ PaulQuinn 7 p.m., Sept. 12

Men’s Soccer @ West TexasA&M 2 p.m., Sept. 12

Women’s Soccer @ WestTexas A&M 4: 30 p.m.,Sept. 12

Women’s Volleyball DoubleHeader @ SAGU Sept. 13

Game 1 vs. SAGU @ 3 p.m.Game 2 vs. Wayland Baptist

@ 5 p.m.

Numerology 101

89The minute that forwardTheo Nabassi scored a

game-tying goal in the Rams sea-son opener. A regulation soccergame is 90 minutes long.

15Seconds left in doubleovertime when Nabassi

scored the game-winner.

14Number of kills and digsregistered by senior out-

side hitter Sandra Ayala in theSept. 9 volleyball game againstUT- Brownsville.

50The length in feet of PacoSaracho’s birdie putt on

the final hole of the Fort WorthCity Men’s Golf Championship.

4The length in feet ofSaracho’s par putt on the final

hole of the championship thatsealed a one-stroke victory in thetournament.

6Number of former or currentRams baseball players that

either joined the professionalranks or were monumental in thehighly regarded summer colle-giate leagues. They were RyanRiddle, Jason Diaz, Billie Hicks,Ross Elmore, Brandon Frazier,Victor Burgos and HaydenLackey.

3Players from last year’smen’s varsity basketball

team, Jeremy Fox, DaneDmitrovic and Fred Eshon, thatremain on the squad. The teamwill feature 12 new faces thiswinter: four freshman, two soph-omores, four juniors and twoseniors.

Cowboy ContendersThe Dallas

Cowboys may be donningthe unchanged uniformsfrom years past and sportingthe same star on their hel-mets as they have fordecades, but this year’ teamis definitely a differentsquad from seasons ofbefore. In Sunday’s seasonopener, they gave good rea-son for their abundant fan

base to look forward to a year of success.Although they narrowly escaped with a victoryin a high-scoring and action packed game, theydemonstrated plenty of reasons why they willcontend for a Super Bowl championship thisseason and strike fear into the hearts of oppo-nents all over the NFL.

In Sunday’s initial regular season contest,Dallas hosted a formidable NFC East divisionrival in the New York Giants. It may haveappeared imminent to some that quarterbackTony Romo may have botched the game late inthe fourth quarter after throwing a bad inter-ception late in the fourth quarter on their own30 yard line. Shortly thereafter the Giants tookadvantage of the mishap with a quick strikefrom quarterback Eli Manning to PlaxicoBurress in the end-zone to put the game withinreach at 38-35 with less than five minutesremaining in the game. Then, with 3:03 left toplay, Romo stepped up and threw a deep shotto second-year receiver Sam Hurd, a 51 yardtouchdown strike that finally put the gamesafely out of reach, and proving that Romo isthe competent quarterback that we all knew hewas.

Although his 345 passing yards for fourtouchdowns and his 9-yard third quarter scam-per to the end-zone for another score may noterase what happened in last years playoffgame, it was a significant step in doing so.

After week one competition, Romo standsabove all other play-callers as the NFL’s No. 1passer, and him and his offense by all meansbailed out a defense that was strugglingintensely with the arsenal of offense that theGiants used to assault Dallas through the airover and over again.

Indeed the fourth-quarter was seeminglyuncomfortable for many fans, but when thefinal whistle blew, it was evidenced to allCowboys supporters that there’s somethingspecial about this squad. Even Terrel Owensmight concur.

The wide receiver is finally healthy andspearheading a lethal core of both agile veter-an and young and speedy receivers, and thingsare finally starting to look in sync in Dallas; atleast more then they have in times of yore.

Under former coach Bill Parcells, theDallas offense was all about maintaining pos-session of the football and running down thegame clock. Judging by Sunday’s triumph, theCowboys are sporting an entirely new offen-sive character, recognized by their fast attacks,perpendicular aerial assault and, of course, theresult, big plays.

This is plenty of reason for fans to behyped up about this season. The Phillips 3-4defense did allow 438 yards of total offenseand of course the 16 fourth quarter points theysurrendered wasn’t the most pleasant late gameexperience for supporters. But, each game is anexperience in its own, and you can bet that youwon’t be seeing the same sloppy secondaryyou did in Sunday’s final period in the nextfew games.

Strong safety Roy Williams is a sensationwhen it comes to defending the run, and coachWade Phillips is a former defensive coordina-tor. Look for him and current defensive coordi-nator Maurice Carthon to attempt to alter someof that aggression into Williams more profi-ciently defending the pass. And look for them

to do this successfully. The late strike that wentright over William’s head in the fourth quarterwill not happen again.

Keep in mind that Dallas also has somedisabled list issues, with a small handful ofdefensive impact players inactive.

Moving on, let’s not forget offensive coor-dinator Jason Garrett. Ring a bell? Garretbacked up Hall of Fame quarterback TroyAikman back in the ‘glory days’ when the teamwon three Super Bowls. Now he’s the offen-sive guru, and if Sunday’s game was his firstexam for a grade, he definitely did well.

Whatever Garrett’s dispatch was onSunday night, it was by all means successfullycarried out by his running backs and widereceivers, and that is something to look for-ward to in games to come, especially for thosefans that fancy a high-powered offense.

Dallas should contend for a Super Bowlthis year. They might even capture a first roundbye in the playoffs. Now, of course this wasjust the first game of the season and there isstill much blood, sweat and tears to be lost inorder to maintain their winning record. But, theMetroplex should still be energized for the restof the season to be a flourishing one.With the new coaching staff, a mix of experi-enced veterans and flashy youthful athletes,Dallas will be considered a highly dangerousopponent for every team they square-offagainst this season.

Years ago it was Jay Novachek, MichaelIrvin, Emmitt Smith, Daryll Johnson andAikman making noise as one stealthy unit.Now it’s Jason Witten, Marion Barber, JuliusJones, Owens and Romo bursting onto thescene as an explosive group of talent for yearsto come. Look out, NFL.

JACKWALKER

Jack Walker is a junior mass communicationmajor and is the sports editor for The Rambler.

New coach, look and new stadium underway give fans reason to cheer

The Wesleyan Rams golf team walked away with a trio of trophiesfrom the 2007 Fort Worth City Golf Championship.

Photo by Kevin Doskocil

Sports performanceof the week

TWU men’s soccerand forward Theo Nabassi

As the fall sports season kicked off two weeks agowith a men’s soccer game at Martin Field, home

of the men’s and women’s varsity soccer teams, atremendous talent from Togo emerged on theWesleyan sports scene.

In his first collegiate game, the 27-year-old attack-er netted a game-tying goal with just moments

To vote for the sports perform-ance of the week, e-mail

twurambler@yahoo.com withyour vote.

remaining in the contest (vs. Manhattan ChristianCollege) to send the game into overtime.After the first extra period expired and the compe-

tition remained knotted at two goals apiece, the sensa-tional striker found the back of the net with 15 sec-

onds left in the second overtime slot off a direction from senior captian EddieHernandez, sealing the thriller for the Ram’s and giving the team a healthy 1-0start for the season.

Since then, the Rams have won two more games and lost just one to national-ly ranked Sooner conference member Oklahoma City. That contest also went intoovertime, and Nabassi now has 10 points on the season (3 goals, 1 assist).

Nabassi was recently named Conference player of the week, according to theRed River Athletic Conference Web site.

The Wesleyan men, under second-year head coach Josh Gibbs, are off to theirbest start in years at 3-1. At press time, they were ranked fifth in their respectedregion, according to the NAIA Intercollegiate Athletics Web site. Coming off wins against the University of Mary-Hardin Baylor and Mid-AmericaChristian University, the team is only gaining momentum. Gibbs was quotedonline, at Ramsports.net, saying, “We have some very dangerous players.”

- Jack Walker

After making a name through magazines, televisionshows and parties, Hugh Hefner is at it again.

This time Playboy is targeting college co-edsthrough a social networking site known as Playboy U.

According to an Aug. 22 Playboy Enterprises pressrelease, playboyu.com is strictly for college students 18and older. Those who do not have a .edu at the end oftheir e-mail will not be allowed to create an account. Asthe site reads, “Sorry, high schoolers, old dudes andyour Mom can’t join.”

Chip Ross, director of Playboy U, explained thatnudity is also not allowed on the site, and the social net-work is for girls and guys alike to join.

“The Playboy lifestyle means a lot more than nudi-

ty,” Ross said referencing Playboy’s reputation for theparty atmosphere and cool social scene. Ross explainedthat instead of nude or provocative photos, Playboy Uoffers blogs and forums on social issues such as datingand relationships. Each topic has advice and opinionsdirectly from user dialogue, and Ross hopes to get moreexpert advice as well as the site progresses.

To distinguish themselves from other social net-works, the Aug. 22 press release explained that PlayboyU has its own radio show, which debuted on Sirius-Satellite Radio, and Playboy’s transition to the socialnetwork is considered to be a smooth process.

“I think there is a natural tie between the college lifeand the Playboy life,” Ross said.

And this is not the first time Playboy has reachedout to the college demographic. “We are now just bring-ing that to life on Playboy U,” Ross added.

Playboy’s move to the social network comes at nobetter time as technological advances are opening upnew media avenues.

“Twenty-five and unders are moving away from theprint media. They are going to the Internet,” Jim Munz,Illinois State University instructional assistant market-ing professor, said.

“We are trying to find new ways to expand andreach people through these mediums,” Ross said.

Although the site is fairly new to the World WideWeb, Ross said it already has a few ISU students loggedinto the network.

Other social networks like Facebook and Myspaceare open to high school, college and non-students. Onlytime will tell the future of Playboy U, but for now Rosssaid the social network lives by a simple mantra,“Celebrate the social side of college.”

Reading is fun, for the most part. I find it to be just as entertaining astelevision; both are great options if I don’t feel like being very

active. It’s simple. Your eyes travel left to right, up and down, from pageto page in a very logical manner. Reading doesn’t take much work.

That’s unless you pick up a novel by a young novelist named MarkZ. Danielewski. His two novels, House of Leaves and OnlyRevolutions, look completely normal at first glance. When youfinally open the front cover of either, you realize something isdifferent. Take for instance Only Revolutions, which includesdirections on how to read the book so it makes sense.

Before taking a chance on either book, you have to take astep back and follow these three simple steps:

1.) Forget everything you know about the common novel form.2.) Keep a thorough dictionary handy.3.) Don’t travel too far from a mirror.

Confused yet? Let me explain. The majority of House of Leaves is written like a textbook (with footnotes,

most of which have their own footnotes), chronicling the theatrical release andthe following controversy of a documentary, The Navidson Record. The docu-mentary followed the journey of the Navidsons in their new home, which justhappens to be bigger on the inside than it is from the outside. Even stranger, mys-terious doors appear and disappear, leading into a never-ending, ever-changinglabyrinth of darkness.

Now try to keep up with me. The book’s “author” is named Zampano, whowent mad writing his manuscript. Some words are missing, some are crossed out,some pages have less than 10 words, and some passages are written upside downand backward (hence the mirror).

After his disappearance, the manuscript is found by a tattoo artist, Johnny, who alsogoes mad and splices in his own story into the text. Finally, Johnny discovers that there isno proof that the Navidson Record actually exists, not to mention all the footnotes andsources also seem to be fake.

If that wasn’t confusing enough, in Only Revolutions Danielewski takes his experimen-tation a step further. The novel is told from the point of view of Hailey and Sam, two“young” immortal lovers who experience a variety of history’s greatest moments together.

The plot is definitely less complicated than that of House of Leaves, but the writingisn’t. The story is told separately by both Hailey and Sam but can only make sense when

the two are read together. The novel has two front covers, each pagesplit between the two monologues, each going in a different direction.

How to read such a book? First you read eight pages worth of onemonologue, then flip the book over and read eight pages in the otherdirection. To make things just a little bit harder on the reader, instead ofa common fiction style of writing, the stories are told in a mix of poetryand ramblings.

I can say without a doubt that these two novels are challenges tocomplete. Both stories are excessively but stylishly fragmented, andtaking an extended break from reading one only sets you behind.Reading Only Revolutions made me feel like a translator.

It’s easy to tell that Danielewski is a man of many words. He grad-uated from Yale with an English degree and considers his two maininterests to be writing (anything) and semiotics. He plays around withwords, style, color, meaning and form.

Sound like a writer you’d be interested in? Maybe not, butDanielewski’s novels are two of my favorite literary works. True, read-ing normally doesn’t require a mirror, and most authors don’t color cer-tain words to express meaning that is never explained, but each bookfeels like a literary journey. House of Leaves has even another dimen-sion to its world; Danielewski’s rockstar sister Poe recorded her albumHaunted as a companion to the novel, meant to be played during.

Once I understood how his books “worked,” I really got into reading them.Danielewski asks more of you that most authors. It’s up to you, the reader, to piece togeth-er the puzzles that are his novels. I’ve never had more fun reading.

Entertainment6 September 12, 2007 The Rambler

Off Campus:

* How I Found My Way byGetting Lost: A Photographer’sOdyssey: Amon CarterMuseum, 11 a.m.

* Grapefest: DowntownGrapevine, all day.

*Alumni volleyball match:gym, 6 p.m.

Off Campus:

* Graoefest: Grapevine MainStreet, all day.

*Carousel: Irving Arts Center,www.lyricstage.org

Off Campus:

* Wearing Todd: Sherlock’sArlington, 7 p.m.

On Campus:

* Student GovernmentMeeting: Carter ConferenceRoom, noon

* DVD releases: TheCondemned, We Are Marshall,and Grindhouse-Death Proof

TTHEHE

WWEEKEEK

AAHEADHEAD

On Campus:

* Methodist StudentMovement meeting: PolyUMC, noon, free lunch served.

* Baptist Student Ministry: SidRichardson Building, noon,free lunch served

* Bleu Edmondson plays live:8.0, 5 p.m.

12

To submit an event forthe calender, e-mail

twurambler@yahoo.com.

Wednesday

On Campus:

* The Rambler staff meeting:Lobby of Stella Russell Hall,12:15 p.m.

* Teching Circles: OrientationMeeting: University Club,12:15 p.m.

Off Campus:

* The Killers: NOKIA Live atGrand Prarie, 8 p.m.

13Thursday

Off Campus:

* Movie Releases: TheBrave One, Kind ofCalifornia, AcrossCalifornia, In the Valley ofElah

* Grapefest: GrapevineMain Street, all day

14Friday

18Tuesday15Saturday 16Sunday 17Monday

SHAWN R.POLING

Shawn Poling is a senior English major and is the editor-in-cheif for The Rambler.

Danielewski experiments with the novel

Playboy announces the launch of PlayboyU.comThe new social networking site exclusively for college students

Photo courtesy of Amazon.com

Only Revolutions exploresnew literary techniques.

MATT SPIALEKTHE DAILY VIDETTE / U-WIRE

WineStyles brings a taste of culture and fun to Fort Worth

Wino. It’s the name given to peo-ple who marvel in a wonderful pairing,who find happiness not at the end ofthe bottle but in the journey of gettingthere, those who cannot help but soakup the culture and flavor that accompa-nies a good glass of wine. For thewinos out there, Fort Worth has a storethat was designed just for you:WineStyles, a store that is everythingwine.

“Our store focuses on small pro-duction vineyards,” said Montgomery

Plaza store owner and manager GigiSullivan, “which allows us to havereally great wines in the $10-$25range.”

The store is organized by style ofwine -- smooth, bold, crisp, etc.--rather than by type, which allowsnovices and traditionalist to step outand try something new.

“In addition to being a retail store,we are also a place where you cancome in, open a bottle of wine, drink itand take home what you don’t finish,”said Sullivan.

While winos can feel right at homein WineStyles, novices are also wel-

come.“We have free wine tasting every

Tuesday night from 6 to 8 and a Wine101 class on Sept. 23,” said Sullivan.The store also features live music a fewtimes a month and Bunco nights.

“Our customers tell us what theywant and we do it,” said Sullivan. “Wehave a lot of fun!”

Fort Worth has three WineStyleslocations, one on Camp Bowie, one onHulen, and one in Montgomery Plazanear Target off of Seventh Street. Formore information on the store or eventsvisit www.winestyles.net.

COLLEEN BURNIEENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Courtesy of Google Images

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