The Prairie News

The Prairie editor bids adieu to WTAMU

Krystina Martinez
December 3, 2012

It was a long and frustrating journey, but completely worth it. I came into WTAMU as a transfer student in 2010. I graduated high school in 2007, spent a semester at the University of Texas at Arlington,...

Homecoming 2012: Game Crowd

Krystina Martinez
October 16, 2012

Our Editor got some video of the crowd at the 2012 Homecoming Game! You can watch it below. To check out the rest of our videos, visit our YouTube channel.

Homecoming 2012: Pre-Game Crowd

Krystina Martinez
October 16, 2012

Our editor got some video of the crowd at the First United Bank Center, getting ready for the Homecoming 2012 game. You can watch it below. To check out the rest of our videos, visit our YouTube channel.

Homecoming 2012: Marching Band

Krystina Martinez
October 16, 2012

Our editor got some video of Marching Band practicing for the Homecoming 2012 game. You can watch it below. To check out the rest of our videos, visit our YouTube channel.

Homecoming 2012: Cheering

Krystina Martinez
October 16, 2012

Our Editor got some video of Lady E.X. Clusive and the Cheerleaders cheering at the 2012 Homecoming Game! You can watch it below. To check out the rest of our videos, visit our YouTube channel.

Election 2012: What You May Have Missed So Far

Krystina Martinez
September 4, 2012

Mitt Romney formally accepted his nomination for the Republican ticket last week at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. He emerged as the Republican winner in the long primary season,...

WTAMU Student Senate amendment fails to pass

Krystina Martinez
May 1, 2012

An amendment to the WTAMU Student Government constitution failed to pass in the Student Senate meeting on April 23. The amendment would allow part-time students to run for Student Senate. Current requirements...

“There will always be something to argue about.” Former president speaks on the importance of cooperation

Krystina Martinez
April 24, 2012

Former President Bill Clinton spoke at the First United Bank Center on April 24. The former president attracted people young and old, who listened to his remarks on the Flight 93 Memorial, his time as...

Study finds multi-generation households increase

Krystina Martinez
April 24, 2012

In a recent study conducted by the Pew Research Center, 63 percent of 18- to 34-year-olds know someone who has moved back home because of economic conditions. The study, entitled “The Boomerang Generation:...

WTAMU hosts Arbor Day Celebration

Krystina Martinez
April 17, 2012

Web Editor's Note: To see more Arbor Day photos, click here! The WTAMU Campus Beautification Committee and Roots and Boots teamed up for the Arbor Day Celebration on April 14. Students planted trees...

ATO Fundraiser Game: This Week in Photos

Krystina Martinez
April 17, 2012

Alpha Tau Omega had a softball game to raise money for Ronald McDonald House. You can read more about it here or check out our pics of the fundraiser.

Arbor Day: This Week in Photos

Krystina Martinez
April 17, 2012

Check out the pics of this week's Arbor Day events! To read more about the Arbor Day celebration at WT, click here.

Student services and extracurriculars take a cut

Krystina Martinez
April 10, 2012

Web Editor's Note: The list of approved allocations is posted outside the Student Affairs office in the JBK. The final recommendations for Student Service fee allocations for the 2012-2013 school year...

Social, traditional media explodes over Trayvon Martin

Krystina Martinez
April 10, 2012

The Feb. 26 shooting of 17-year-old Florida teen Trayvon Martin has captured national attention. He was shot and killed by George Zimmerman, a self-appointed neighborhood watchman. The controversy comes...

WT town hall budget meeting looks at the 2013-2014 year

Krystina Martinez
April 3, 2012

A town hall budget meeting was held on March 27 to discuss updates for the 2013-2014 school year. “State appropriations have declined [14 percent] over the last couple of years,” WTAMU President...

Student Government, SIFE calls to “Fill the Field”

Krystina Martinez
March 27, 2012

WTAMU Student Government and Students In Free Enterprise (SIFE) will be co-sponsoring a humanitarian project called “Fill the Field,” which will take place on April 4 at the Buffalo Sports Park from...

WT’s traffic appeal process to change

Krystina Martinez
March 6, 2012

WTAMU announced a change to the traffic appeals process on Feb. 20. The new process will allow students to appeal parking tickets prior to payment. “There was some current concern about paying...

WT’s Student Fee Committee holds second budget meeting

Krystina Martinez
February 28, 2012

The WTAMU Student Fee Advisory Committee met on Feb. 24 to continue the discussion on student fee allocations for the next school year. The meeting’s agenda covered allocations towards academic organizations...

WTAMU Student Fee Advisory discusses budget

Krystina Martinez
February 21, 2012

Members of the WTAMU Student Fee Advisory Committee met on Feb. 17 to discuss the allocation of student fees for the 2012-2013 school year. “We’re going to try not to raise [fees] because they’ve...

WTAMU’s Code of Student Life will undergo revisions

Krystina Martinez
February 15, 2012

The Code of Student Life Committee, which consists of WTAMU students, faculty and staff, will be accepting proposals for changes to the Code of Student Life. “The Code of Student Life is the rules and...

Twitter announces new withholding capability

Krystina Martinez
February 7, 2012

On Jan. 26, Twitter announced on its blog the capability to “reactively withhold content from users in a specific country while keeping it available in the rest of the world.” The announcement...

This Week in Photos: Miscellaneous

Krystina Martinez
February 7, 2012

Check out the miscellaneous photos for this week! To read the articles related to these stories, click here: Cornette Library at WTAMU offers Kindles for checkout Twitter announces new withholding...

WTAMU’s Student Senate works to fill vacancies

Krystina Martinez
January 31, 2012

As of Jan. 26, the WTAMU Student Government has 22 vacancies in its senate. According to the Student Government Constitution, the Senate must have at least 51 percent or two-thirds of their seats filled...

Then there were five: GOP candidate gives up bid

Krystina Martinez
January 24, 2012

On Jan. 19, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced that he was ending his election campaign, just days before the South Carolina primary. Although Perry’s campaign started off strong, the announcement...

Then there were five: GOP candidate gives up bid

Krystina Martinez
January 24, 2012

On Jan. 19, Texas Governor Rick Perry announced that he was ending his election campaign, just days before the South Carolina primary. Although Perry’s campaign started off strong, the announcement...

Music department wins “Can-Tree” food drive

Krystina Martinez
December 6, 2011

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

Obama and Republicans face challenges in 2012

Krystina Martinez
November 29, 2011

President Barack Obama will have to jump a few hurdles in his 2012 re-election campaign. According to a recent New York Times & CBS News poll, 43 percent approve of his performance. The nation’s...

Comedy Club Night to host Chad Daniels

Krystina Martinez
November 22, 2011

On Nov. 29, CORE will be hosting Comedy Club Night in the JBK Legends. The show will feature Chad Daniels, who has performed on Comedy Central, the Late Late Show on CBS, and the Tonight Show with Conan...

Candidates vie for Republican nomination: Part 2

Krystina Martinez
November 15, 2011

Web Editor's Note: This is Part Two of a two part series. To read the first article in this series, click here. Election season has kicked off strong with ten Republican candidates seeking the GOP nomination...

Candidates vie for Republican nomination: Part 1

Krystina Martinez
November 8, 2011

Web Editor's Note: This is Part One of a two part series. To read the second article in this series, click here. Election season has kicked off strong with ten Republican candidates seeking the GOP nomination...

Amendment will expand the ability to finance student loans

Krystina Martinez
November 1, 2011

On Nov. 8, Texas voters will line up at the voting booths to vote on several amendments to the state constitution. One of the amendments is Proposition 3, which will expand the Texas Higher Education...

Dr. O’Brien wins Tricycle Race

Krystina Martinez
November 1, 2011

On Oct. 31, WTAMU administrators faced off in a tricycle race to benefit the State Employee Charitable Campaign (SECC). Dr. Patrick O’Brien took first place. “We decided to increase the excitement...

State Employee Charitable Campaign Tricycle Race: This Week in Photos

Krystina Martinez
November 1, 2011

Photos of the State Employee Charitable Campaign Tricycle Race! Want to read all about it? Click here! [imagebrowser id=103]

Students, faculty sound off on Occupy Wall Street

Krystina Martinez
October 25, 2011

Amidst growing unrest over the state of the economy, Americans took to the streets to protest in a movement known as “Occupy Wall Street.” The first demonstration was on Sept. 17 at Zucotti Park...

Power outage strikes Canyon

Krystina Martinez
October 25, 2011

A late morning power outage affected WTAMU and parts of Canyon on Oct. 24. “[The power outage] fried four computers in the HELC,” Jessica Phillips, an IT employee, said. “We got a call about an...

Libya’s former leader is dead: Cellphone footage shows the capture of Muammar Gaddafi

Krystina Martinez
October 20, 2011

Libya’s former leader, Muammar Gaddafi, was killed on Oct. 20. According to Reuters, National Transitional Council fighters captured the leader’s hometown of Sirte, where there had been fighting...

WTAMU Cricket Club sets their sights on regionals

Krystina Martinez
October 18, 2011

On Sept. 17, the WTAMU Cricket Club participated in the seventh annual W.P. Dayawansa Memorial Cricket Tournament at Texas Tech University. The club beat out 16 other teams to win the tournament. “People...

Johnson hypnotizes, entertains WTAMU students

Krystina Martinez
October 11, 2011

On Oct. 3, the C.J. Johnson Comedy Hypnotist Show took place at 10 p.m. in the Mary Moody Northen Recital Hall. The event, sponsored by the Residence Hall Association, was in lieu of the cancellation...

Time capsule sealed in special ceremony

Krystina Martinez
October 4, 2011

On Oct. 3, a time capsule was interred in a special ceremony at the Fine Arts Mall. Dr. Patrick O’Brien opened the ceremony with a speech, leaving a message for the future University president...

Time Capsule: This Week in Photos

Krystina Martinez
October 4, 2011

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UPD releases annual WT crime report to public

Krystina Martinez
September 27, 2011

The WTAMU University Police Department released their annual Campus and Fire Safety Report. The report contains statistics of reported crimes on campus and in the surrounding area.“Canyon...

Teaching leadership for the real world

Krystina Martinez
September 20, 2011

The Freshmen Leadership Organization (FLO) is a branch of the WTAMU Student Government whose main goal is to build leaders among freshmen. Although FLO is a part of Student Government, Executive Director...

Student Government opens applications for associate justices

Krystina Martinez
September 13, 2011

Student Government will have applications open for students interested in serving on the judicial board. The judicial board is responsible for hearing a wide variety of cases assigned by WT, ranging from...

President speaks to student senators about budget

Krystina Martinez
September 6, 2011

A special session Student Senate meeting took place on Aug. 29 to address budget concerns. University president Dr. Patrick O’Brien came to speak to student senators about the challenges the school will...

Student Government appoints chief justice for 2011-2012

Krystina Martinez
May 12, 2011

Through an executive order signed by Student Body President Tim Vela, Audra Thurman was sworn in as Chief Justice of Student Government on May 12. The original motion failed at the May 2 senate meeting...

Annual Spring concert depicts students’ hard work

Krystina Martinez
May 3, 2011

‘The True Colors of Dance’ was this year’s theme for the WTAMU Dance department’s annual spring concert. The concert featured five pieces, all of which incorporated colors in costuming, set design, and the overall theme of the individual piece.

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Student Government will start school year without chief justice

Krystina Martinez
May 3, 2011

The judicial branch of Student Government was placed on hold after the bill to appoint Audra Thurman as chief justice failed to pass during the Student Senate meeting on May 2. Thurman, a Public Administration major, was the only applicant for the position of Chief Justice. She had previously served as an associate justice on the judicial board, and briefly served as Chief Justice Pro-Tem.

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Annual Spring concert will begin this week

Krystina Martinez
April 26, 2011

WTAMU’s Dance department will be putting on their annual spring dance concert from April 28-30. This year’s theme is the “True Colors of Dance,” where the performers will be able to showcase styles of dancing that may be unfamiliar to the audience.

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Students bring some criticism for shoe program

Krystina Martinez
April 26, 2011

Through WTAMU’s “21 Days of Change” campaign, TOMS shoes were the talk of the university in the days leading up to CEO Blake Mycoskie’s visit.

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Spring Fling draws an all-ages crowd

Krystina Martinez
April 19, 2011

Spring Fling brought the party to WT on April 16, featuring entertainment for all ages. Sponsored by CORE, it was an opportunity for the community to come together to see local bands, play carnival games, and enjoy a good Snow Cone.

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Panhandle Plains Historical Museum announces renovations

Krystina Martinez
April 18, 2011

Cliff Vanderpool, director of the Panhandle Plains Historical Museum, announced April 6 that the museum will be undergoing renovations. Specifically, Pioneer Town will receive a $20,000 upgrade.

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“By the Bog of Cats”: a must-see show

Krystina Martinez
April 12, 2011

On April 7, “By the Bog Of Cats” opened in the Happy State Bank Studio Theatre. An Irish tragedy written by Marina Carr, “Bog” takes a different turn from the WT theatre’s last big production, “The Secret Garden”.

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Quidditch will make magical debut at WTAMU

Krystina Martinez
April 5, 2011

Thanks to the Resident Hall Association, the fictional game of Quidditch will make its WTAMU debut on April 8. Fans of the Harry Potter franchise will be familiar with the game, a popular sport in the books and movies.

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TOMS shoes founder coming to WT

Krystina Martinez
March 29, 2011

April 1 will start ‘21 Days of Change’, a university-wide initiative culminating with a lecture by Blake Mycoskie, the CEO of TOMS shoes on April 21.

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El Paso named on Foursquare’s ‘20 Rudest Cities’

Krystina Martinez
March 22, 2011

Mobile platform Foursquare has named the 20 rudest cities in the English-speaking world based on check-in data from their servers. The top American city on the list was not Los Angeles (number-15), but El Paso, Texas, taking second place to Manchester, England.

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Student Senate opposes proposed athletic fee

Krystina Martinez
March 22, 2011

The March 7 session of the WTAMU Student Senate came away with the passing of SR 21011 in response to the proposed raise of the student athletic fee. The senators chose not to support the proposed fee increase.

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FBI law enforcement foils terrorism plot

Krystina Martinez
March 8, 2011

A 20-year-old Saudi Arabian from Lubbock was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction on Feb. 24. FBI investigators were tipped off when the Carolina Biological Supply of Burlington, N.C. reported suspicious purchases by Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari on Feb. 1.

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Gender, racial issues at forefront of talk

Krystina Martinez
February 22, 2011

The second event of Communication Week on Feb. 15 featured a lecture by visiting scholar Dr. Jean Kilbourne. Dr. Kilbourne is internationally recognized for her work on alcohol and tobacco advertising. ...

North, South battle: Korean talks end on ugly terms

Krystina Martinez
February 15, 2011

Hopes for reconciliation between North and South Korea were dashed on Feb. 9 when the North Korean delegation walked out on the first official talks with South Korea since the Yeonpyeong island bombing...

Secret Garden cast blossoms on stage

Krystina Martinez
February 8, 2011

The WTAMU theater department brought The Secret Garden back to life on Feb. 3. The musical, directed by professor of theater Royal Brantley, is an adaption of the classic children’s novel by Frances...

Signs are a’changing

Krystina Martinez
February 1, 2011

Astrology lovers around the world were shocked when it was reported in early January that the dates for the zodiac signs had “changed”. The Minnesota Star Tribune published an article stating...

Severe winter weather enters area

Krystina Martinez
January 31, 2011

Freezing fog will develop on Monday afternoon in the Canyon area. Monday night temperatures will be around five degrees with a wind chill below zero. A spokesperson with the National Weather Service...

Annual dodgeball tournament kicks off

Krystina Martinez
January 25, 2011

Rec Sports will host a dodgeball tournament on Jan. 27 to kick off the spring intramural season. The tournament began six years ago, when dodgeball started to gain increased popularity, thanks to movies...

Procrastinator’s Guide to Christmas Shopping

Krystina Martinez
December 6, 2010

The holidays are serious business for the U.S. economy. With the combination of this year’s extended Black Friday and Cyber Monday blowouts, the Dow Jones jumped up 250 points on Dec. 1. According...

Faith City Ministries hosts benefit

Krystina Martinez
November 30, 2010

Faith City Ministries hosted its annual benefit at Trinity Fellowship Church in Amarillo on Thursday, Nov. 18. The “With Open Arms” benefit featured guest speaker, Texas Rangers all-star outfielder...

WTAMU faculty publishes Christmas tale

Krystina Martinez
November 30, 2010

WTAMU communications instructor Paula Schlegel will be the second faculty member this year to publish a book. Dr. Emily Hunt, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, co-authored a children’s...

Harry Potter charms audience once again

Krystina Martinez
November 20, 2010

The “Harry Potter” film series is nearing its end, but the hype over the films is anything but dying. “The Deathly Hallows,” the last film installment of the book series by J.K. Rowling,...

HD Studio to host KWTS’ The One Sessions

Krystina Martinez
November 2, 2010

WTAMU’s AT&T HD Studio will host its first event on Nov. 8 with KWTS’ ‘The One Sessions’. “It will be an all-acoustic show, with a VH1 Storyteller vibe,” Ricky Mariscal, program director...

Students vote against restrictions for offices

Krystina Martinez
October 19, 2010

A constitutional amendment seeking to restrict student body candidates failed at the voting booths on Oct. 5. The amendment passed through the student senate 22 to 7 before it was presented to the student...

Campus jobs are scarce: Students struggle against budget cuts

Krystina Martinez
September 21, 2010

WT students will have a hard time finding an on-campus job with the University’s increased fall enrollment and budget cuts. The university has raised tuition and cut $6 million out of their fall...