september 16, 2013

Caring for kidsCampus daycare recieves

additional funding.

TexAnn laid to restTarleton remembers Baily

Gasch.

September 16, 2013

jtacnews.com

Pg. 3

Pg. 13

Non-Stop SportsCoach Biel first full-time

conditioning coach.Pg.18

A LEESE ON LIFEFormer student, current staff member celebrates 50 years of Tarleton memoriesby Leslie CrossonStaff Writer

In the fall of 1963, Dr. Mike Leese made Ferguson Hall his new home as a first time freshman from Fort Worth.

Today, almost 50 years later, Leese is still a member of the Tarleton family and has lived a life fully encircled by the campus.

“It’s déjà vu everyday when I come to work and I park in the same parking lot and I’m in the same suite of offices as I was when I first came to Tarleton,” Leese said.

As a freshman, Leese was involved in several organizations on campus, which included the JTAC, Alpha Phi Omega, student government and a fraternity.

These activities are what he believes help to keep students on campus and spending less time at home.

“It’s better to have a significant role in two to four student organizations rather than being a member of 10 to just show on your resume,” Leese said. “Students that are connected and that have their groups and are here on the weekends supporting activities are happy to be here and are less likely to travel home as often.”

In addition to the time he spent participating in student activities, Leese recalled being a part of numerous pranks that took place in Ferguson.

LEESE, cont. page 12

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jtacnews.comofficial student publication of

Tarleton State University

STAFF Dawn Skinner

Editor-In-Chief

Chelsea BradleyManaging Editor

Jordan McCroryPatrick Smith

Advertising Representatives

Justin GreenGrad Assistant

Brittany BroussardPhoto Editor

Bethany BrooksSports Editor

Kenneth BrisendineEditor-At-Large

Landon PoolReporter

Ashley HusbandsLura Rylant

Leslie CrossonElizabeth Chilton

Josh HarvilleStaff Writers

Austin BradleyJordan Garrard

Sport Writers

Kristi WalkerGretchen Kirchner

Heather CappsSara BeyerPhotographers

Contact us at: Office: Barry B. Thompson Student Center, Room 20 Telephone: (254) 968-9312 Fax: (254) 968-9709 E-mail: [email protected] Mailing Address: The J-TAC Office of Student Publications Box T-0440 Stephenville, TX 76402

Opinions expressed in The J-TAC are not necessarily those of

Tarleton State University or The Texas A&M System.

Content of this publication is copyrighted material of The J-TAC. Written permission must be granted

or reproduction of any protion of The J-TAC.

2 September 16, 2013Opinion

I don’t know anything about Syria.

by Chelsea BradleyManaging Editor

In fact, I had to Google “What’s going on in Syria?” just to find out that the young country is currently in the midst of a violent civil war – a war responsible for over 100,000 deaths in the past two years. My lack of knowledge is undoubtedly due to the fact that I’ve been too busy watching Supernatural and reading about Miley Cyrus to pay attention to foreign politics, and I’m sure many of our readers are in the same boat.

Here’s what I’ve come to understand about the situation in Syria, courtesy of the Washington Post. In April 2011, a series of peaceful protesters raised some reasonable objections against the Assad dictatorship they’ve been

JTAC News

Caleb ChapmanStudent Publications Director

answering to for the last 70 or so years.

Naturally, the government’s response was to begin kidnapping, torturing and raping the activists and their families, dumping their bodies on the sides of the roads. Soon, protests became more frequent, with government troops firing openly into the crowds. Civilians eventually started firing back.

Since then, Syria has been enveloped in a full-scale civil war. The Syrian government has bombed entire neighborhoods in an attempt to regain control over the people, even using chemical weapons.

President Obama is pushing for a peace deal between Assad and the rebels, but much like two siblings forced to apologize, neither side is interested in going first. We could send in ground troops, but that would likely just increase the death toll and get American troops stuck in Syria for another ten years (sound familiar, President Bush?)

So if Obama’s goal isn’t to end the war, why is he so bent on getting the U.S. involved? The answer is that Obama knows the air strikes he intends to hit Syria with wouldn’t end the war – he intends to punish

Assad for using chemical weapons against his people. This, he reasons, would encourage other military leaders in the future to never stoop to that level of unfair.

Now that you (and I) have a better understanding of what is going on, I hope we can form our own opinions on whether or not the air strike is necessary. The use of chemical weapons is a very real threat to the future of war, and anything we can do to deter it is in our best interest. However, does America really need to get involved in another foreign war?

I urge you, valued readers, to start educating yourselves on the world outside the U.S. We are the next generation of voters, politicians and lawmakers. We have to be able to make informed decisions about the future of our government. We will never be a powerful generation if we drop what we’re doing every time an attention-hungry pop star decides to grind on a man who’s claim to fame is a song about maybe raping someone. (There’s nothing blurry about those lines, Robin Thicke.)

Come on, Generation Y. We’re better than that.

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remain the same, however the addition of new children may create diversity in the classroom.

Overall, the center will continue to function normally and provide care to those who attend Tarleton and those who do not.

“I have had students tell professors that they cannot come to class because they do not have someone to care for their child,” Spencer said. “By persuading the state to provide

3September 16, 2013 News

On campus child care center to accept subsidies from stateby Leslie CrossonStaff Writer

The Child Development Center has begun accepting subsidies from the state of Texas to fund child care to low income families.

“The need for child care has grown so much in the area that we recently added the care of 18 month olds to our credentials,” said Dr. Kimberlee Spencer, the center’s director. “By accepting the subsidy, the center will be able to care for more families who would not otherwise be able to afford it.”

Currently, the center has 24 children enrolled in the program, including children of faculty and students of Tarleton.

As for Tarleton students enrolled in the child development, education, kinesiology, psychology and nursing programs, Spencer says that the observation portion of the classes will

photo by Gretchen Kirchner

One of the many children that utilize the Child Development Center.

by Jordan GarrardSports Writer

Tarleton State University hit a peak of 11,130 students on the third day of classes this semester. Since then the number of students has decreased to 10,930 because of drops. However, the number is likely to increase before Tarleton submits enrollment information to Austin on the twentieth class day. The final number of students is not likely to exceed 11,000 this year, but with the growth seen in the past two years, it will more than likely top it in 2014.

This year Tarleton had an increase of 667 students, a growth of 6.5%.

“It’s remarkable given that there are so many other universities across the country including this state who are seeing decreases in enrollment, where we’re seeing increases,” said Dr. Weissenburger, Associate Vice President for Enrollment Management. “We had 2,355 freshmen, and that is a 5.37% increase. Transfer students were up 11.79%, and we have a 6.99% increase on continuing students, so those who started came back, which we want. Overall

these numbers are really looking good.”Tarleton has started to open up applications

earlier. This year the date was moved to August 15 and next year will be moved to August 1. So far this fall Tarleton has had 245 applicants, 65 of whom have been admitted thanks to academic standards that are even more rigid than last year.

“The number of classes and courses students are taking is increasing. The average student is taking more hours now than they were before and so classes are filling up more as well, not just because of the growth in enrollment but because our students are taking more hours,” Weissenburger said. “And that’s a good thing because we do want students to get their degree as quick as possible. It saves them money and time and so forth.”

Weissenburger says that the reason Tarleton has seen such growth is largely due to its affordability and openness.

“First of all, we manage the cost so that we are one of the least expensive public universities to attend in the state. Second of all we’ve got a culture here that’s very friendly and when

people come to visit they automatically fall in love with the place. Not just for its looks, but because of the way that they’re treated.”

“We have all sorts of growing pains, but they are good growing pains, I guess you could say. They are positive. People want to come to Tarleton and we have a wonderful reputation,” Weissenburger said.

Parking is an obvious problem, and the University is working to alleviate the issue. There are efforts being made to buy property along the peripheral of the university, and any of the old structures will be torn down and converted into parking lots.

“We’ve really got a great culture here and we’re going to maintain that,” Weissenburger said. “Of course we know that as we grow, we need to be careful that we don’t lose that, and we’re going to make sure that we don’t. There will be a point at which we will say, we’ve grown enough on this campus. What that magic number is, it could be 10,000 on the Stephenville campus and several thousand more on the other campuses. (Fort Worth, Waco and Midlothian). That is going to be way down the road.”

Good growing painsTarleton enrollment increases by 6.5 percent

“ By accepting the subsidy, the center will be able to care for more families who would not otherwise be able to afford it.”

-Dr. Kimberlee SpencerChild Development Center

Director

our center with subsidy, we hope to eliminate this issue.”

The subsidy amount will be based on each individual family’s income which means that some families may not have to pay for child care at all.

“This will be one less bill families

have to worry about,” Spencer said. “Parents will have the pleasure of knowing that their children are being cared for in a great facility by outstanding teachers and student workers.”

.indd 1 9/10/13 9:43 PM

4 September 16, 2013News

by Lura RylantStaff Writer

Chief of Police Justin Williams has worked on Tarleton State University’s campus for five years now and has seen quite a few illegal decisions made by students. One thing he cautions against is the use of fake IDs.

“While working for the university, I have not dealt with the issue of fake identification. However, with my previous employer, it was not uncommon to come across someone with false identification. Most situations resulted in the confiscation of the document and criminal charges filed if it was an altered state document,” said Williams.

If caught with a fake ID, penalties can range from a $500 misdemeanor offense to being considered criminal

impersonation or forgery, both felonies punishable by up to a year and a half in state prison. Tampering with an existing identification card could lead to charges for other crimes such as altering government documents, an even more serious felony in most states.

There are laws in several states that also allow civil reparations from bars or liquor stores against minors who try to use a fake ID. In Alaska, for example, any establishment may confiscate the ID and sue the minor for $1,000 per attempt. This is in addition to being able to detain them for arrest, and whatever other penalties follow from that.

The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Commission (TABC) also has ways to help local bars and businesses catch underage drinkers with false identification. TABC has developed

Operation Fake Out, a cooperative venture involving alcoholic beverage retailers, the TABC, the Texas Department of Public Safety, U.S. Secret Service and local law enforcement.

Operation Fake Out provides retailers and TABC agents the opportunity to work together as a team to restrain underage drinking.

TABC agents with expertise in detecting fake ID’s work alongside the employees of an alcohol providing business. The establishment’s doorman checks an ID presented and passes it to the TABC agent, and then the TABC agent re-checks the ID to detect imperfections. They closely compare the person to the physical description and photo. Those found to be using fake or altered ID’s are arrested and transported to jail.

Operation Fake Out holds underage drinkers responsible for their actions when caught using false identification, and does so in a public way so that others might be deterred from attempting to purchase alcohol illegally themselves.

“The altering of a government issued document is a crime. Remember, adult decisions equal adult consequences,” Williams said.

Fake IDs lead to real consequences

“ The altering of a government issued document is a crime. Remember, adult decisions equal adult consequences.”

-Justin Williams

Tarleton Chief of Police

.indd 1 9/10/13 9:44 PM

“Follow your dreams,” Jakimier said. “I am enjoying what I am doing now a whole lot more than I was just a few years ago because I



Becoming an architect in the late 80’s and graduating from the University of Texas at Arlington, Eric O. Jakimier, now a developer and entrepreneur, is undoubtedly a success story.

Practicing architecture for 10 years, he found out the hard way that even a man who can create new and innovative buildings has to report to a higher position.

“The way I made the shift from architecture to developer is I designed all of this stuff which I thought to be fabulous and some guy at a desk in New York cancelled the project. I spent two years working on this project and was literally about to start construction, and he was like we are not building that,” Jakimier said.

“Then I realized okay, the architect gets to create the design, but there is someone above him who dictates all the designs. I

The man behind the up and coming Mustang Ranch Apartments

“ I want a bunch of happy residents, but all I can do is give them a facility that is nifty.”

-Eric O. Jackimier

want to be the guy that drives the design,”Jakimier said.

That’s when he became a developer and created his own business, Mustang Ranch.

He made his way into the student housing business after working for JPI in 2002, where he had been developing for them. A friend told him about the opportunities in student housing, and Jakimier has been involved with it ever since.

can make it my own.”The upcoming Stephenville

property will be Jakimier’s third project for his company.

Student housing for Tarleton State University became a new project for Jakimier after talking with friend and Tarleton alumni Cody Yarbrough. However, he is not working with Residential Living and Learning. This particular complex will stay privately owned, although Jakimier says he is open to have a master lease with the university if needed.

The Mustang Ranch will have a Texas Vernacular to it and will be fully furnished, comparable to The Grove and similar housing on campus, although Jakimier plans to keep it affordable for students. The complex will also have their leasing office open this November and the facility will be open by next August.

“I want a bunch of happy residents, but all I can do is give them a facility that is nifty,” Jakimier said.

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6 September 16, 2013Campus Life

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Housing dilemma under construction

by LURA RYLANTStaff Writer

As the population at Tarleton State University rapidly grows, administrators have begun contruction on several buildings around campus to accomodate the needs of students, both new and old. With the new facilities arising, there is one in particular that students have their eyes set on. The new residence hall construction broke ground in the beginning of August and has been slowly working its way up to the surface. This year alone Tarleton has reached 117% over capacity in the residence halls and has leased

more beds than ever before. “We have almost 900 beds leased

off campus,” said Dr. Mike Leese, Executive Director of Student Life Development.

The new residence hall will help lessen the over capacity Tarleton has been faced with in the last couple of years.

“The new hall has 514 spaces and is intended for freshmen,” said Dr. Leese. “We want this transition to be seamless for students so no matter what hall they live in the experience is all the same.”

The new hall will have 16 learning communities with about 30 students in each and plenty of space for the

learning communities to thrive.Although a new residence hall is

being built, Tarleton will be keeping some of the older residence halls to help with over capacity.

“We will keep Ferguson, Bender, Moody and Gough for at least another year since they house about 500 students already,” said Dr. Leese. “If we take out the older residence halls in the next year it will not do the campus any good in alleviating some of the growing pains.”

The new residence hall will be finished by August 2014. Texans and Texanns will be able to view its progress via live video that will begin streaming in the next

couple of weeks. Balfour Beatty Campus Solutions Company is also scheduled to start pouring concrete this upcoming week and begin framing one end of the new hall.

After next August, Tarleton plans to break ground on the second phase of residential living for spring of 2015.The next two halls are planned to be finished in the next couple of years and will focus on upperclassmen, mainly sophomores.

With all the new arrangements in place, Dr. Leese hopes to develop true living and learning communities and have enough on-campus housing for both freshmen and upperclassmen.

photo by Dawn Skinner

.indd 1 9/10/13 9:49 PM

8 September 16, 2013Campus Life

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On Oct. 3, three students and a staff member from Tarleton State University will be boarding an international flight for Ethiopia. As a part of Tarleton’s “Real-World Experiences Applied to Learning” Program, faculty member Nikki Jackson will be taking graduate students Angie Knaupp and Kayln Brymer, as well as undergraduate student Diana Hejtmanek, on a seven day research and service trip to Gondar, Ethiopia. The R.E.A.L Study Abroad program to Ethiopia began with Nikki Jackson creating a research partnership with Jewish Voice Ministries International (JVMI), a mission organization based in Phoenix, Arizona. “This organization has been travelling to Gondar, Ethiopia for nearly 14 years, providing medical care that ranges from gynecology, prenatal, and pediatric, to dental work such as extractions, fillings, cleanings, even as far as cataract surgery,” Jackson said. “And much of this is done under a tarp covered tent [with] dirt floors.” Jackson’s research has mainly been focused on the demographics of the people being treated by JVMI, and her studies have shown that by far, the most prevalent illnesses that have been seen and treated are water-related. Involving the Texas Institute for Applied Environmental Research (TIAER) into the partnership as a hydrology and engineering program was Jackson’s next step, as a way to develop an education program. “TIAER is a water-research institute, so surely we can come in and educate on water sanitation, hygiene, and the importance of having access to clean water.”

Jackson said when discussing why she wanted to get TIAER involved with the program. This education program is expected to impact over nine thousand people in five days, and over four thousand of them will also be given the benefit of the LifeStraw water filtration devices. People who receive treatment from the JVMI clinic will be brought into the education program, and taught about safe and unsafe water resources in the country. Many will be given a personal LifeStraw water filtration device, and be taught how to use it. This device is a water filter designed to be used by a single person, and is capable of removing 99.9 percent of waterborne bacteria and parasites. These devices are capable of making a large impact on the number of people who suffer from water-related illnesses. This information will be the foundation of the demographics data that the research team will be gathering as a part of next year’s journey. All of this effort will be used to help determine how many of the people that will be treated and educated this year will have to be treated next year for the same diseases and illnesses. What Jackson and her team of students hope to see is that

the education program and LifeStraw devices will show the people of Gondar the importance and impact of clean drinking water.Jackson is also excited about the opportunity to provide community

filtration systems in two locations. In a Jewish

community within Gondar, as well as at a school within the country, LifeStraw Family will be provided to

increase the quality of drinking water for larger groups of people. Jackson has hopes that the education and services provided in years to come, as well as the long-term research produced by the program, will lead to a much more permanent program. Already, Jackson has begun communicating with the University of Gondar, which hosts the research team, in efforts to establish a more long-term study abroad service learning opportunity. It is Jackson’s vision to create a more long-term program. “I’d love to see a full-time, permanent facility in Gondar where this work would continue,” she said. “The education, and providing resources and outreach materials.” From there, Jackson envisions students from Tarleton going to Ethiopia once or twice a year as a part of the R.E.A.L. program, and travelling to the surrounding rural areas to spread the education of safe water and its impact. As a part of the foundation for this vision, Jackson’s team of students shares her desire to help improve the quality of life in Ethiopia. As a part of her graduate studies, Knaupp will be documenting the time in Ethiopia through film and

photography, part of a plan to create a documentary about the program in Ethiopia and the impact it is making for the people there. Although Brymer is not yet working on her thesis for her graduate degree, she hopes to be able to

incorporate the program in Ethiopia with her agricultural degree within the following

years. Hejtmanek is an undergraduate student who has talked of joining the Peace Corps after graduation, which will be similar in many aspects to what she will be doing this coming October. In five days, over nine thousand people will be treated and impacted by the outreach service and water education program. In five days, four women will be impacted by nearly all of these people.

Tarleton “Keeping it R.E.A.L” in Ethiopiaby Elizabeth ChiltonStaff Writer

photo by Sara Beyer

by Brittany Broussard

-11.indd 1 9/10/13 11:03 PM

12 September 16, 2013Features

“One time, we had a friend who wanted an aquarium, so we got together and lined his bed with saran wrap and filled it with water and filled it with fish,” Leese said. “I think the pranks on campus were worse then than they are now, but Ferguson hasn’t changed much since I lived in it.”

Since Leese spent the majority of his time on campus, he was able to meet his wife while working as editor of the JTAC. The two also raised their children and found their future careers here.

“My sophomore year, my wife transferred here as a junior and became editor of the Grassburr in the office across the hall from the JTAC,” Leese said. “We came

back to Tarleton after two years of teaching on the coast and lived in the Dean of Students house, so our kids were all but raised on campus. My son would get mad when the students played on the tennis courts because he would have no place to ride his tricycle and we

would have to explain to him that the tennis courts belonged to the students.”

After earning a Political Science degree and working for 20 years at Tarleton, Leese moved to College Station to work at A&M for three years and then to South Western

at Georgetown for the next 19 years before making the decision to return to Stephenville.

“I enjoy being back. I love the people I’m working with and the greatest thing about Tarleton that isn’t found at many other schools is being part of student life and

working close together with academic affairs and coordinating programs like transition week,” Leese said. “We’re all here for the students and we’re all trying to increase student retention and the graduation rate, so to do it we all need to be working together.”

After beginning his studies here 50 years ago, Leese plans to complete his career at his home away from home, Tarleton.

“There’s not many of us that have the opportunity for life to come full circle, so it’s neat to end my career where I started it,” Leese said.

“ There’s not many of us that have the opportunity for life to come full circle, so it’s neat to end my career where I started it.”

-Dr. Mike Leese Executive Director of Student Life Development

LeeseContinued from page 1

Photo Courtesy: reporternews.com

Page 12.indd 1 9/10/13 9:57 PM


Bailey Gasch was a senior at Tarleton State University majoring in Animal Production with an emphasis in Equine Science. She was employed as a breeding assistant at ESMS on the Brazos working with Equine Reproduction. She was also a member of the National Honor Society and graduated with honors from Cooper High School in 2010.

Throughout her life, Gasch was involved in dance, gymnastics, softball, cheerleading, basketball, track, cross country, rodeos, and spent countless hours at the field house supporting and assisting the football team. Gasch was also a member of the Cross Trail Cowboy Church in Fairlie.

She was to graduate college early this December. Gasch was eager and looking forward to beginning a new phase in her life.

“You can remember only that she is gone, or you can cherish her memory and let it live on. You can cry and close your mind, be empty and turn your back. Or you can do what she’d want:

smile, open your eyes, love and go on,” a friend of Gasch’s, Hailee Richard, said.

On Saturday, Aug. 24, Gasch fell from her horse in the 5000 block of Farm Road 129, which is about six miles northeast of Santo in rural Palo Pinto County just south of Mineral Wells. Six days later, on Friday, Aug. 30 she was pronounced deceased from a closed head injury due to the fall, according to the medical examiner.

“She will be missed by so many,” Gasch’s past Resident Leader, Mica Williams, said. “She was one of those residents that an RL never forgets. Bailey always had the warmest smile. She could walk in the hallway and the whole place felt better.”

Gash’s mother Sherry is proud to know that her daughter is being honored not only by Texas but also by Channel 5 News. “I am one proud Mama. My kids are my life and to be going through this horrible loss it is so nice as a mother to watch my daughter Bailey Gasch being honored all day on Channel 5 news. Bailey was a blessing to all and I love and miss you so much, Bailey.”

Gasch is survived by her parents, Greg and Sherry Gasch, brother Codi Gasch and sister

Logan Gasch, all of Paris. Special friend Ethan Crumby, maternal grandparents Randolph and Faye Hunter of DeSoto, paternal grandmother Jane Gasch of Euless, Aunt Laurie Hunter, cousins Brenden, Ashlyn, Jaedyn and several aunts, uncles and cousins, and a host of other loving family and friends are also mourning the loss.

13September 16, 2013 Features

Tarleton remembers Bailey GaschSenior animal production major passes after horse accident

by Justin GreenEntertainment Editor

Tarleton State University student Kimberly Peacock, who passed away in late April, was honored on Aug. 29, which would have been her 20th birthday.

Peacock’s mother Valorie Hoard and stepfather Daniel Hoard hosted an event in the Barry B. Thompson Student Center to raise money for a plaque at the Abilene Zoo in her honor.

“The actual one that I’m gearing up for is the zoo that we would have taken her to after she passed, where you actually get to feed the giraffes,” said Hoard. “They are doing a new exhibit and we were wanting to get a spot. Basically you’re contributing to make the new giraffe exhibit but you’re buying a spot. It’s kind of going to be like an African shield. It’s

Kimberly Peacock: Gone but not forgottengoing to have her name with whatever I want written on it. They give you twenty-five characters so we’ll have her name, the date she was born and the date she passed. Then they are going to have a whole ceremony about it.”

“Kimberly’s mom had plans to

meet with her at the zoo a month ago to see the giraffe exhibit, because Kimberly’s favorite animals were giraffes. She loved how awkward they were, so they were going to go see them, but that couldn’t happen,” said Elizabeth Casey, a friend of

Peacock’s.Peacock’s Phi Mu sorority sister

Rachel Leeth said, “Kim was always happy. I never saw her any other way. Even when she felt sick or was sad, she was still happy. This memorial will be an amazing way to honor her. Kim deserved the world and she

deserves to be honored with this.”During the fundraiser, Peacock’s

family was able to raise $1156 towards the plaque.

“I was blown away at how sweet and generous everyone was to give that much in only 3 and a half hours,”

said Casey. “Valorie went to the Abilene Zoo and deposited all $1156 into the Buy a Spot fund in Kimberly Genice Peacock’s name. The plaque will go up in 2015.”

“Kim’s mom Valorie, step dad Daniel, and little sister Sophee were all very encouraged by the number of people who stopped by the table,” Casey said. “Thanks to everyone who stopped by to take a flyer, printed picture of Kim, or cookie. The Tarleton faculty, staff, and student body made a great, lasting impression on Kim’s family. Every person who came and shared a memory of Kim with her family really honored them by saying that Kim has not been forgotten.”

Former Phi Mu advisor at Tarleton, Megan Logan, said Phi Mu is working on setting up a scholarship in Peacock’s memory, as well as Courtney Smalley, who also passed away in the accident.

“ This memorial will be an amazing way to honor her. Kim deserved the world and she deserves to be honored with this.”

-Rachel Leeth

photo courtesy: Gasch’s Facebook

Page 13.indd 1 9/10/13 10:05 PM

The Tarleton State University Art department has added Knut Hybinette to its staff, a full-time Digital Media professor who is also a world renowned artist.

“I am very pleased with our new hire,” Digital Media professor Chris

Ireland said. “Knut has studied and taught at some of the most prestigious art schools in the country. He has experience in commercial design as well as being an accomplished artist. I think that it is a sign of the excitement building around our program that we could attract a talent such as Knut.”

Hybinette is the former art-head of the gaming program at the Cleveland Institute of Art. He moved to Texas because it is one of the largest gaming states in the

country.“I wanted to

come down here and work with other gaming companies,” Hybinette said.

“I also checked on the web to see who was teaching here [at Tarleton] and I saw Chris Ireland

was teaching here and he was actually

a student at where I used to teach before. So, I thought if he was here then this must be a great school.”

Hybinette was born in Enkoping, Sweden. In 1980, his parents decided to move their family to the United States.

“They thought it would be better for us to have a better education and a better future,” Hybinette said.

“The colleges here in the United States they were saying were

much better. It has more variety and better choices here as well. At that time

my parents said we were going to become doctors and lawyers but we kind of chose our own paths.”

Ever since Hybinette was a child, he wanted to be an artist. He was 8 years old when he moved to the U.S. and couldn’t speak English.

“So, in the classroom, they gave me books with images of Greek mythology and classical art and I would mimic those drawings,” Hybinette said.

When he started college, Hybinette was a criminal justice major. Throughout his college career he changed his major 4 times.

“Finally I had enough and wanted to do something I really loved and that was art; photography,” Hybinette said. “The reason I picked art is because it’s so hard. There’s no true answer on how to make a good artwork and I like that.”

Hybinette received his Bachelor of Arts from the University of Georgia and a Master of Fine Arts from the Art Institute of Chicago.

Also, he worked as a journalist for his hometown newspaper in Sweden for six years.

“In the 1996 Olympics I was one of the photographers and I took pictures of all the Swedish athletes,” Hybinette said.

Hybinette has exhibited his work around the world including Portugal, Germany, Greece, Japan, Sweden and the U.S. In addition, he has been published in several works including the American publication Oculus.

“You always get different responses on what the work means,” Hybinette said. “I do all kinds of work; gaming, video, animations, and I’ve shown in film festivals as well. It feels amazing that people actually want to see my work.”

One game that Hybinette helped design was a medical game called Esmart for the nursing department at Case Western Reserve University. The game was recently sold to a medical company in England.

“This game was made to teach patients who had chronic pain or a chronic illness to deal with rude doctors and health insurance,” Hybinette said. “In the gaming world, it’s not just making games for fun, it’s medical too.”

Currently, Hybinette is teaching a seminar class for basic interactive art/gaming/ and graphics as an advanced art upper elective. Next fall, he hopes to teach a game production class and bring gaming companies into the class.

“I will have Microsoft to critique the students’ games,” Hybinette said. “I will also have collaboration from other schools around the country. A lot more colleges are working together. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology computer science engineers could make the game, and Tarleton could work on game design and artwork for the game.”

By teaching at Tarleton for a few weeks, he has already seen a difference from teaching in Cleveland.

“The one thing really nice here is that you get these really diverse students from different departments. I mean, I’ve never experienced it before,” Hybinette said. “When I taught at Cleveland it was always art students but here I get criminal justice, business and nursing majors in the class and that’s really cool because they bring a different perspective.”

In the future, Hybinette wants to teach specific topic classes like environment design, 3D animation, and classes in special effects in different areas of gaming and animation.

“I want to make this one of the best art schools in the country,” Hybinette said. “It takes small steps and I feel like this is a good start already.”

14 September 16, 2013Features

New digital media professor brings gameby Dawn SkinnerEditor-In-Chief

“ I want to make this one of the best art schools in the country.”

-KnutHybinette Digital Media Professor

PhotobyBrittanyBroussard

Page 14.indd 1 9/10/13 10:39 PM

15September 16, 2013 Features

byJustin GreenGrad Assistant

Within Tarleton State University’s student body, some students like to participate in the Student Government Association, while one student prefers to participate in politics on a larger scale.

Colton Buckley, who is a sophomore under the Political Science department, is Danny Pelton’s campaign manager.

“We had never run into each other along the campaign trail beforehand but I was contacted by him shortly after I decided to transfer to Tarleton from another institution and moved to Stephenville,” Buckley said.

Pelton informed Buckley about the Republican Party affairs in Erath County which is a courtesy from party officials to political activists in the area.

Pelton also talked to Buckley about his, “activism and experience with working for public officials and campaigning for candidates in Texas, and Danny told [him] he was seeking the nomination for State Representative.”

“That struck the deal for me,” said Buckley.

“I chose to take on the task of managing Danny’s primary campaign for the clear reasons that we need better representation for House District 59 and Tarleton

State University’s students,” Buckley said. “Danny is a man of his word and will say what he means, and do what he says.”

Being the only one in his immediate family to be involved in politics, Buckley said, “We live in an environment where you can be whatever you want to be. You

choose to succeed or you choose to fail. They taught us when we were young that if we put our minds to something, it can happen if we have the passion, integrity and perseverance to so. I believed that in first grade and I believe it today.”

Buckley believes that engagement in politics in the

younger generation is crucial.“My generation has been called

a plethora of things. The lazy generation, the iPhone generation, etc. but to me, we’re the 9/11 generation. This generation

witnessed the 21st century Pearl Harbor and we must strive to better ourselves, our communities and our standing in the world,” Buckley said.

“Look at what you owe in debt for tuition and textbooks. Now turn on the television and check out the national debt – over $15 trillion. Part of that is everyone here who walks on this campus because of foolish decisions made by our leaders who don’t listen to us. We now have a government that puts us in wars we have no fight in, has programs that specifically report our personal activities and invade our liberty,” Buckley said.

“Our generation must get off the couch and get involved or we’ll lose the most precious gift we have, the privilege of being an American,” Buckley said.

In the future, Buckley aspires to be a State Representative or the Texas Commissioner of Agriculture.

In politics, Buckley says he looks up to Barry Goldwater.

“He was a fighter and he spoke his mind,” Buckley said. “He fought hard to restrain government interference and he worked tirelessly to represent the American people’s interest.”

Tarleton student manages State Representative campaign

“ I chose to take on the task of managing Danny’s primary campaign for the clear reasons that we need better representation for House District 59 and Tarleton State University’s students.”

-Colton Buckley

Check us out at

jtacnews.com

photo by Dawn Skinner

Page 15.indd 1 9/10/13 10:15 PM

16

Arena/ Horse Barn/ Calf Pen for RentCalf roping arena; Horse barn with 2 stalls Calf pen and patch; Horse walker; Water

paid; References needed; Across from city park in Dublin; $300.00 a month plus labor for

maintenance of property (254) 445-2900

The Mu s ic Fest .comat Stea mboat

Are You Superhero Savvy?

Across 1. First actor to portray Batman on

TV 4. Batman’s second sidekick, later

returns as Red Hood 5. This super hero was denied a bank

loan 6. Captain America’s sidekick,

introduced in “Captain America” #117 7. Gotham City Asylum

9. Spiderman teamed up with the cast of this show in Marvel Team-Up

#7410. First actor to play David Banner

13. Marvel hero, also known as “Power Man”

15. “The Man Without Fear” 16. Peter Parker’s day job

17. Originally a villain, this anti-hero first appeared in Marvel’s “New

Mutants” in 1991 19. This Marvel hero was created on

a dare 20. Original name of Marvel Comics

Down 2. Another name for Superman

3. Jim Rhodes’ alter ego 8. Portrayed The Joker in Tim

Burton’s “Batman” 11. Wolverine’s REAL name (hint -

it’s not Logan) 12. Incredible Hulk’s original color 14. Aunt May’s ill-fated husband

18. Wonder Woman’s Lasso of ___

Games September 16, 2013

Pat GreenRandy Rogers

Rob BairdRyan Bingham

Texas CountryWordJumble

Aaron WatsonBobby Duncan

Brandon RhyderJosh Abbott

Six Market Blvd

Page 16.indd 1 9/10/13 9:58 PM

17September 16, 2013 Comics

geometryby Josh Harvilleby Otoniel Chaine

The Atomic Comic

Page 17.indd 1 9/11/13 8:18 AM

18 September 16, 2013Sports

by Bethany BrooksSports Editor

Former Stephenville High School head coach, Mike Dacus, will be assisting Tarleton State University Women’s Basketball Head Coach Ronnie Hearne this season. Dacus will be coming in as a volunteer assistant.

“Coach Dacus will be in charge of the fast break offense and our zone defense along with other duties. He has tremendous knowledge of the game and is an o u t s t a n d i n g teacher,” said Coach Hearne.

Before coming to Stephenville, Dacus was the head coach for the Navasota High School Rattlers for 23 years.

Dacus has been coaching in Stephenville for 12 years. He has been the head basketball coach for the Stephenville High School Yellow Jackets and the Stephenville Faith Home School Knights.

Dacus took the Yellow Jackets to the playoffs 24 out of 33 seasons and retired from public school in 2011. His overall record as a public school coach was 684-322. He had a winning percentage of .673.

For the past two years, Dacus has gotten the Knights’ team off the ground and led them to the Texas Athletic League state tournament both years.

On Feb. 7, 2012, during his first season with Faith, Dacus earned his 700th win as a head coach.

Coach Dacus will join former TexAnn and assistant coach Misty Wilson and Coach Hearne on Nov. 13 at 6 p.m. when

Tarleton plays St. Mary’s at home.

TexAnn basketball adds Mike Dacus to coaching staff

by Bethany BrooksSports Editor

The Tarleton State University Athletic Performance program has officially hired its very first full-time Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach, Adam Biehl.

“Every athletic department in the country that is trying to improve must increase their staff size to do so. It is huge for us to add someone of Adam Biehl’s caliber to our department,” said Rod Cole, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Performance.

Before coming to Tarleton, Coach Biehl was Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach at Coastal Carolina University, then was the Assistant Director of Strength and

Conditioning at Gardner-Webb University in North Carolina for two years.

Biehl’s master’s degree is in kinesiology and comes from Texas A&M University. While at TAMU, Biehl was a Graduate Intern. He also received his bachelor’s degree from Miami University of Ohio in exercise science, and held a position as a student intern in the strength and conditioning program while studying.

“I remember Coach Raychelle Ellsworth, my mentor at Texas A&M, talking very highly about Coach Cole and his work at Tarleton State. I had to really dig and search for this position, but when I found it had opened, I contacted Coach Ray who talked to Coach Cole and got

me the interview. I am really excited to be back in Texas and be a part of the Tarleton State family,” said Adam Biehl.

Biehl will be Tarleton’s first full-time strength and conditioning professional for the sports of baseball, softball, and track and field

“Adam’s presence can’t help but make the athletes in those sports stronger and more athletic. We are very excited about having him join our Tarleton family,” continued Coach Cole. “Adding a full-time assistant with his experience and expertise is a big step forward for our Athletic Department. He has all the attributes, certifications, and experience we were looking for to make a home run hire in this position.”

First full-time Assistant Strength and Conditioning Coach

TEXAN & TEXANN CROSS COUNTRY SCHEDULESept. 21 West Texas A&M Stampede Canyon

Oct. 5 Chile Pepper Festival Fayeteville, AR

Oct. 15 ASU Blue/Gold San Angleo

Oct. 26 LSC Championships Portales, NM

Nov. 9 NCAA Regional Championships Canyon,

Nov. 16 NCAA D. II National Championships Spokane, WA

photo by Heather Capps

Adam Biehl has been official hired on as the first full-time Assistant Stength and Conditioning Coach for baseball, softball, and track and field.

2013 TEXANN GOLF SCHEDULESept. 15-17 Concho River Classic San Angelo - Bentwood CC

Oct. 13-15 DBU Golf Classic Dallas - Golf Club of Dallas

Oct. 20-22 OK Intercollegiate for Women Lawton, OK - Fort Sill GC

Oct 27-29 Rock Barn Collegiate Invitational Conover, NC - Rock Barn Golf & SpaPhoto by Gretchen Kirchner

Page 18.indd 1 9/10/13 10:49 PM

The 2012-2013 Grassburrs

will be here soon.

They Are

Coming!

Follow them on facebook.com/

grassburr for when and

where they are ready for

pick up.

Page 19.indd 1 9/10/13 10:03 PM

P U B & G R U B

Large Pizza & 8 Wings $16.00

(Stuffed crust add $1.00)

Tarleton Night

10% off w/ ID

Family Pasta

$10.00

Wing Wednesday

50¢ each

Large Pizza & 10 Choc. Dunckers

$15.00(Stuffed crust add $1.00)

Any Large


Large Pizza, 5 Bread Stks & 2 Ltr.


Closed Closed Half Price Apps 5-11 pm; $2.25 Dom. Schooners all day, $1 Wells 9:30-11pm; Texas Country Tuesday in City Limits

*Purple City Limits VIP wristband - $1 Domestic

Drafts 11am-9pm

$3 Schooner Margaritas & $2.25 Domestic

Schooners all day; All You Can Eat Enchiladas $6.99 from 5-11pm; $2

Crown 8-11pm*Purple City Limits VIP

wristband -$2 Bloody Marys all day

Purple Thursday$9.99 Sirloin with

baked potato and salad 5-11pm;

$1 Wells 9:30-11pm*Purple City Limits VIP

wristband -$3 Margaritas all day

$1 Wells 9:30-11pm &

HARRYOKE in The Agave

*Purple City Limits VIP wristband -

25% off appetizers all day

$4 Jagerbombs - check out our concert & event calendar for

a good time Saturday night!

*Purple City Limits VIP wristband - $3 Dos XX Draft from 11 am - 9pm

Get your

info out

there!!

Pizza Hut2320 W. Washington,Stephenville254-968-3941

The Agave1907 E. Washington,Stephenville254-968-5222(*Must mention VIP deal to server when ordering)

SPONSORSHIP ADavailable 4 x 2 - $150.00 per month

* No Discounts*

It is illegal for persons under 21 to purchase or consume alcohol.

Need A Ride? Call (254)968-1TAT. IT’S FREE!!!

JTAC News asks you to please drink responsibly!

This space is available! Call 254-968-9057

Grumps1645 W. South Loop,Stephenville254-965-9659

Happy Hour3 - 7 pm

$1.95 Schooners

Tarleton Tuesday

Bring in your Student or Staff ID & get 10% off your entire purchase.

$1.95 Schooners until 9 pm

Happy Hour3 - 7 pm

$1.95 Schooners

Happy Hour3 - 7 pm

$1.95 Schooners

Ladies NiteHappy Hour Margaritas &

Swirls3 - 9 pm

Happy Hour3 - 7 pm

$1.95 Schooners

Happy Hour3 - 7 pm

$1.95 Schooners

Page 20.indd 1 9/10/13 5:10 PM

september 16, 2013

Documents

student activities

student organizations

mike leese

student government

thompson student center

tarleton family

time freshman

current staff member