West Texas A&M NewsWire

WTAMU Student Heads to Washington, D.C. for Internship

Tue, 16 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dec. 16, 2008

CONTACT: Dr. James Hallmark, provost/vice president for academic affairs, 806-651-2044, jhallmark@wtamu.edu

COPY BY: Rana McDonald, 806-651-2129, rmcdonald@wtamu.edu

WTAMU Student Heads to Washington, D.C. for Internship

CANYON, Texas—Blake Adams realized he had a deep interest in public policy and government after taking a required political science course at West Texas A&M University—an interest that is now taking him to Washington, D.C. as an intern in the Office of U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry, R-Texas.

Adams, a junior accounting major with a minor in political science from Tulia, will head to the nation’s capital in January and spend the next five months learning the ins and outs of how a congressional office works.

“The reality of this opportunity is starting to set in, and I’m really excited,” Adams said. “I want to go to law school, and this will give me some first-hand experience in the real world.”

The Congressional and Public Policy Internship with Thornberry’s office provides student interns a chance to experience the day-to-day operations in the administrative, legislative and communication branches of the office. Adams also will have the opportunity to participate in the many opportunities available in the city. Students participating in the intern program earn six semester hours of credit and a stipend from the University.

Adams applied for the internship at the encouragement of Dr. Dwight Vick, assistant professor of public administration.

“Blake is one of the brightest minds I’ve encountered at WT, and I’ve met quite a few,” Vick said. “He’s one of those students you know will achieve much in their personal and professional lives. Blake is confident in his abilities and knows he can accomplish whatever he sets his mind to do. I’m glad to pay a small part in his overall education. I expect great things from him. For Blake, WT and the congressional internship are the beginning of many great accomplishments.”

Adams is a member of Gamma Beta Phi, Alpha Chi Honor Society and Students in Free Enterprise. He also is involved in the University’s first student-led political science journal. He works as a supplemental instructor and last spring served as a resident assistant on campus. He volunteers at the High Plains Children’s Home and enjoys weekends working on his family’s ranch near Tulia. He is the son of Donald and Roxanne Adams of Tulia.

—WTAMU—

Horse Judging Team Wins Eighth-Consecutive Crown

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dec. 9, 2008

CONTACT: Dr. John Pipkin, 806-651-2550, jpipkin@wtamu.edu

COPY BY: Rana McDonald, 806-651-2129, rmcdonald@wtamu.edu

Horse Judging Team Wins Eighth-Consecutive Crown

WTAMU Team Has Two of Top Three Individuals

CANYON, Texas—The West Texas A&M University horse judging team has done it again.

The talented team had two of the top three individuals—including a first-place overall—to take a convincing eighth-consecutive team triumph at the National Reining Horse Association National Championship Dec. 4-5 in Oklahoma City.

The WTAMU horse judging team scored 4,396 points for the win, followed by the University of Wisconsin at River Falls in second place with 4,323 points and California Polytechnic State University at third with 4,207 points. Virginia Tech took the fourth-place berth with 4,171 points.

In all, the national championship event featured 18 teams and 81 contestants.

“This completes a truly outstanding year,” Dr. John Pipkin, interim head of the Department of Agricultural Sciences and coach of the horse judging team, said. “The team captured three national champion awards, the national Reining Breeder’s Classic in April, the All-American Quarter Horse Congress and the National Reining Horse Association. I am so proud of this group for their character and the manner in which they have represented WT and brought national prestige to the University.”

Randi Jameson, a sophomore agriculture major from Pueblo West, Colo., placed first overall in individual standings, and teammate Sarah Moentmann, a junior agriculture education major from Carrollton, Mo., placed third. Rachel Olson, a junior equine business major from Alexis, Ill., placed sixth.

“Randi’s performance was simply outstanding,” Pipkin said. “Anyone that wins a national championship has done something exceptional.”

Team members are listed by their hometowns, classification and majors.
Alexis, Ill.
Rachel Olson, a junior equine business major
Brooklet, Ga.
Montana Smith, a senior equine business major
Carrollton, Mo.
Sarah Moentmann, a junior agriculture education major
Cincinnati, Ohio
Nikki Murray, a senior equine business major
McLean, Ill.
Jake Becker, a junior plant, soil and environmental science major
Pueblo West, Colo.
Randi Jameson, a sophomore agriculture major
Stonyford, Calif.
Amy Petrie, a sophomore animal science/pre-veterinary major

—WTAMU—

Stuntz Named President Elect of H-Net

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dec. 9, 2008

CONTACT: Dr. Jean Stuntz, 806-651-2409, jstuntz@wtamu.edu

COPY BY: Rana McDonald, 806-651-2129, rmcdonald@wtamu.edu

Stuntz Named President Elect of H-Net

CANYON, Texas—Dr. Jean Stuntz, associate professor of history at West Texas A&M University, has been named president-elect of H-Net: Humanities and Social Sciences Online, one of the largest interdisciplinary organizations of scholars in the world.

Stuntz will begin her duties as president elect on Jan. 1, followed by a one-year term as president in 2010 and a final year as past president in 2011. She has served on H-Net’s executive council for the past three years. During her term as president, Stuntz will travel extensively, attending numerous conferences as a representative of H-Net.

“This is a big deal, and I’m very excited,” Stuntz said. “My role as president will help bring international recognition to WT.”
H-Net utilizes technology to advance teaching and research in the humanities and social sciences with an international group of scholars and teachers. The organization is based at Michigan State University, but its 100,000-plus subscribers come from more than 90 different countries. Its website at www.h-net.org offers information on more than 100 different network discussion lists, numerous book reviews as well as information about conferences, workshops and calls for papers along with a job guide that posts vacancies for numerous academic positions.

“When H-Net first started, one of its main goals was teaching subscribers how to use email,” Stuntz said. “It’s been updated, but we want to continue to move the technology forward. We are looking into Facebook and MySpace to get the younger scholars interested.

“Our lists also reach different niches—English, art history, genealogy—and we add lists all the time.”

Stuntz received a bachelor’s degree from Baylor University and a doctor of jurisprudence from the Baylor School of Law. She also holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of North Texas. She joined the WTAMU faculty in 2001. She is the author of Hers, His and Theirs: Community Property Law in Spain and Early Texas, which has won numerous awards from different scholarly organizations.

—WTAMU—

WTAMU Production Advances to Regional Competition

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 00:00:00 GMT

Dec. 9, 2008

CONTACT: Perry Crafton, 806-651-2813, wcrafton@wtamu.edu

COPY BY: Rana McDonald, 806-651-2129, rmcdonald@wtamu.edu

WTAMU Production Advances to Regional Competition

CANYON, Texas—The West Texas A&M University Branding Iron Theatre production of Rabbit Hole is one of seven plays selected to advance to the coveted regional competition of the American College Theatre Festival (ACTF) Feb. 24-28 at Texas State University in San Marcos.

Colleges and universities from throughout the state have been competing for the right to advance, and ACTF announced on Tuesday, Dec. 9 the seven productions chosen for the regional level in February.

The production, directed by Perry Crafton, associate professor of theatre, earned the chance to advance to regionals after receiving an Outstanding Production commendation in ACTF competition in October. In addition to Outstanding Production, Rabbit Hole also earned Excellence in Ensemble Acting, Excellence in Directing—Crafton, Excellence in Scene Design—Shawn Irish, assistant professor of theatre, Excellence in Costume Design—Alexandria Gore, a junior theatre major from Canyon, and Excellence in Sound Design—Stephen Brunson, a senior theatre major from Canyon.

Rabbit Hole is a gut-wrenching drama that won playwright David Lindsay-Abaire the Pulitzer Prize for Drama in 2007. It tells the story of Howie and Becca Corbett in a marriage struggling to survive amid the aches and pains following the accidental death of their son.

Cast and crew members are listed by hometown, classification, major and role.

Amarillo
Ian Ferguson, a senior theatre performance major—Howie
Casey Hayes, a sophomore theatre performance major—Jason
Canyon
James Bilnoski, a junior theatre major—lighting designer
Stephen Brunson, a senior theatre major—sound designer
Alexandria Gore, a junior theatre major—costume designer
Keller
Bailey Lawrence, a sophomore musical theatre major—Becca Corbett
Sonora
Kaci Chavarria, a freshman theatre performance major—Izzy
Wills Point
Sally Jean Sparks, a senior theatre performance major—Nat

The University’s production will compete with six other schools for the right to advance to the national competition in Washington, D.C. later in the spring. The six other schools are University of Oklahoma, Anatomy of Grey; Oklahoma Baptist University, As It Is In Heaven; Texas State University, Caucasion Chalk Circle; Midwestern State University, Doubt; Texas State University, House of Several Stories; and Centenary College of Louisiana, Metamorphoses.

WTAMU began participating in ACTF in 1994, and every production since then has received a chance to advance to the regional festival. The University last competed at regionals in 2005 with The Old Boy.

—WTAMU—