Photo: Reagan Lynch

Sul Ross Graduate Student, Conservative Reagan Lynch Earns D.C. Leadership Fellowship

By Jason Hennington
News Writer

Sul Ross State University graduate student Reagan Lynch, Midland, has been selected for a one-year fellowship at the Leadership Institute in Washington, D.C.

Lynch left earlier this month for Washington, D.C. As one of four students selected, he will  learn about political fund raising, take part in political events, and receive training in grass-root issues important to the conservative movement. The fellowship continues through January 2009.

While in Washington, Lynch’s title will be Development Fellow, and he will receive a small salary along with free housing.

“The Leadership Institution is the nation’s premier organization dedicated to identifying, recruiting, training, and placing conservatives in politics, government, and media,” Lynch said.  “It can be described as the ultimate stepping stone to a political career.”

The institution offers several schools throughout the year on political topics, including television media and public relations, as well as a complete program for people wishing to become campaign managers.
Lynch, who received his bachelor’s degree in political science from Sul Ross in 2007, has had some training that will assist him during his stay in Washington. 

“At Sul Ross I was able to sharpen my research skills, improve my writing, and take part in class discussions that have prepared me for not only my career but for life itself,” Lynch said.  “The political science program is the best program I have had the chance to experience. Students who leave the political science program are well prepared to do just about anything they wish, but students should also be aware of opportunities to advance their knowledge and skills beyond Sul Ross State University.”

Lynch completed his degree and continued his graduate studies despite deteriorating vision that eventually resulted in blindness.

Prior to coming to Sul Ross, Lynch was diagnosed with a condition known as Retinitis Pigmentosa. The condition is a degenerative disease of the retina, which causes full and total vision loss over time. 

“When I first arrived at Sul Ross I could still see some, but no longer.  Now I can only detect the presence of light, and then only if it is really bright or really dark and I’m going from one to the other,” Lynch said. 

Although he has lost his sight, Lynch continues to progress as a student and refuses to let his disability hold him back.

“Being blind has always just been something I have with me. I don’t treat it like a hindrance or a crutch,” Lynch said.  “It is kind of like having blonde hair - you just have it and you have to live with it.”

Lynch has been informed about a number of advances that can restore his vision but believes he was put on this earth blind for a reason.

“God made the determination, and who am I to second-guess his wisdom,” Lynch said.

While at Sul Ross, Lynch was mentored by Dr. Jim Case and speaks highly of him.

“Dr. Case is probably the finest person you can ask for as a mentor. I am doing things today that I probably would never have done had it not been for something Dr. Case said or did,” Lynch said.

Case is pleased with the outstanding work Lynch has done while at Sul Ross, and believes this will be a great experience for him.

“I was pleased to hear that Reagan received an invitation to work with the Fellowship Institution in Washington. 
Reagan has this great drive to be involved in the policy process.  He already has served on state and national advisory committees, as well as interning in municipal and congressional offices, and this opportunity will take him to another level,” Case said. 

Case said this will give Sul Ross programs more exposure because it puts another graduate student in the public sector.

“Rather than serving in an advisory capacity to government agencies, Reagan will now be helping to draft the policies and working with political types to adopt the policies.  Reagan will be in his element.  This will be great for Reagan,” Case said.

Lynch praised Case for letting him explore his interests and abilities, sometimes with reckless abandon.

“He will never get me to support a Democrat, and I’ll never get him to support a Republican, but we can agree on the conceptualizations of politics, public policy and public administration,” Lynch said.

Along with his selection to the fellowship, Lynch was recently appointed to a three-year term on the Tax Advocacy Panel (TAP) at the Internal Revenue Service by Secretary of Treasury Henry M. Paulson.  TAP is comprised of citizen volunteers who identify and report on issues facing taxpayers concerning IRS customer service and satisfaction.

“Trappings of Texas” at  Museum

Cowboy/photographer, Peter Robbins, Allen, will be among new featured artists at the 22nd annual Classic Trappings of Texas Exhibit and Sale, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 29-March 1 at Sul Ross State University.

Trappings is a juried invitational exhibit that brings together the best contemporary cowboy gear and art.  This unique event is hosted by the Museum of the Big Bend at Sul Ross State University and has become a West Texas tradition. Trappings is the nation’s second-longest running gear show, behind Elko, Nev.      

Ron N. Lane, manager of the Pitchfork Land and Cattle Company, met Robbins at Lane’s first branding in March 2007.  Robbins was part of the seasonal help that the Pitchfork brings in every spring and fall to help with branding and weaning.  It was several days later that Lane realized that, besides being a cowboy, Peter was a very talented western artist. 

“Peter has, through his hiring on to work on the ranch, immersed himself in the cowboy way of life that he captures,” Lane said. “There are very few people today outside of our ever-shrinking sphere of influence that have experienced what those of us that live this life take for granted.

“In my position as manager of this great and historic ranch, I feel that I have a responsibility not only as a steward of the land entrusted to me but also as steward of the traditions of this way of life.  I am honored that Peter has chosen this ranch to be the subject of so much of his art and through his art to be able to share what we do here with so many people that never have the opportunity to experience it.”  Glenn Moreland, Fort Davis, a longtime supporter of Trappings with his musical entertainment, will also exhibit his sculpture at this year’s show.

“Trappings is the only major fund source for museum programs and exhibits,” said Liz Jackson, assistant to the Museum director. “Last year was a record-setting year for proceeds due to increased sales, a magnificent auction and the support and continuing growth of private sponsors, along with businesses and corporations.  We have been fortunate to experience such positive growth and look forward to this year being better than ever.”

This year’s event kicks off with a lecture presented by Michael Duty, guest curator of art, on Thursday, Feb. 28, 3:30 p.m. in Lawrence Hall, Room 309.  The lecture, titled “Old Masters: Taos School of Art,” will be informative and educational.

The main event, the Trappings sale and opening reception will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 29, at the newly renovated Museum of the Big Bend on the Sul Ross State University campus.  Tickets must be purchased in advance for $40 per person or $75 per couple.The Trappings public auction will be held from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday, March 1, at Lawrence Hall, third floor, room 309. Items for the auction have been graciously donated from gearmakers, artists, and businesses from not only the Big Bend, but from across the globe. 

For more information and tickets, contact Jackson, (432) 837-8143.

Christmas Mountains’ Uncertain Future

By MaryAshley P. Gredell
Skyline Reporter

The Christmas Mountains look like they may be getting a second chance from the Texas School Land Board Commissioner Jerry Patterson.

A decision by the three-member board this past Tuesday rejected two private bids to buy the property. A third proposal from the National Park Service to purchase the Mountains could not be discussed because it had been submitted too late to be on the School Land Board’s voting agenda.

The R.K. Mellon Foundation was the original owner of the Christmas Mountains property and entrusted it to the state. When ownership of the property was transferred, the Foundation made its wishes known that the land be used by the public, possibly by making it a part of the National Park Service’s Big Bend National Park, which lays adjacent to the south.

Wanting the land to remain in its current near-pristine condition, the Mellon Foundation placed conservation easements on it restricting development and, most controversially, banning hunting. The proposed management plan published by the National Park Service who wishes to become the steward of the Christmas Mountains, includes no hunting, as was planned by the land’s original owners.

It does include limited-access hiking, horseback riding, primitive camping, and research and education projects much like those Sul Ross is involved with in the region.

According to a Feb. 6 “Dallas Morning News” article on the decision, Patterson stated: “With the question of private ownership resolved for now, we can now more fully explore the option of public ownership. And there is a lot to consider. But there are some things we can do in the meantime.”

Commissioner Patterson has left the door open for other state agencies, like Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, to bid on the Christmas Mountains property in addition to the National Park Service.  Patterson appears to be holding out for an agency which will allow hunting, despite the original owner’s clear wishes against such use.

A full year or more may elapse before a decision is reached, but ,for the moment, the property is to be stewarded by Big Bend National Park and made available to the public.
“The Vagina Monologues” honors V-Day, Supports Charities

“The Vagina Monologues” opens tonight at 8:15 p.m. in the Studio Theatre of the Francois Fine Arts Building and runs through Saturday night. This production is the second time Sul Ross has hosted the show, as well as the V-Day Campaign, which helps to raise funds to combat violence against women and girls.

This year’s production is different from the 2002 production in several ways. One of the differences is that this year’s show has a smaller cast, creating a more intimate environment for the audience. The cast is made up of fifteen women, including students from the college and members of the community. These women are from various backgrounds, ages, and ethnicities. Cast members are Keisha Atkinson, Rebecca Benson (Producer), Amber Bowman, Caroline Crawley, Marilyne Dieckert, Savahna Estrada, Amanda Gutierrez, Melissa Harmon-Jeffs, Sonya Jáquez, Jen McKenen, Karla Moore, Susan Penney, Dona Roman (Director), Michelle Selk, and Blair Seney. Other notable women involved are Gwyn Johnson (Stage Manager), Sara Schultz (Art Installation Design), and Carol Fairlie (Art Gallery Curator).

The purpose of “The Vagina Monologues” and the V-Day initiative is to inform the community and the world about violence against women and girls as well as to raise money for women’s charities. This year the proceeds from all ticket sales and concessions will be donated by the Sul Ross Theatre Department to two charities: ten percent will go to the Women of Katrina fund, and the rest will benefit the Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend.

Sul Ross State University’s 2008 production of The Vagina Monologues sets itself apart from other productions of The Vagina Monologues in many ways, but there is one common thread that ties every production of “The Vagina Monologues” together: Hope. Hope that this play and the people involved can make a difference, inform people, and bring violence of all kinds to an end.

Tickets will be available at the box office, or in advance by calling 837-8218, and are $8.00 for general admission and $5.00 for all Sul Ross faculty, staff, and students with ID.

The show contains adult themes and language.

Exhibit on Women, by Women, to Accompany Theatre Production

By Trey Darby
Skyline Editor

There is a quote on the “Wall of Words” in the Women’s Museum, a Smithsonian affiliate in Dallas, that reads “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.”  It was Helen Keller who spoke these words. 

On view concurrently with “The Vagina Monologues,” Feb. 14 – 16, will be an exhibit that proves Ms. Keller’s words have been especially true for women through the years.  The exhibit has been created by female students and faculty and showcases the achievements of local, national, and even neighboring (Mexican) women, both past and present.

“Our goal is to give attendees of ‘The Vagina Monologues’ additional information on the history and achievements of women,” explained graduate theatre student Sara Schultz, contributor to and coordinator of the exhibit.

Four themes on the history and accomplishments of women will be displayed in the halls of the Francois Fine Arts building. 

Schultz has created a time line highlighting the achievements of the V-Day organization, one that, according to their web site, “brings the issue of violence against women and girls front and center in the culture and the community.”  The production of “The Vagina Monologues” is running concurrently with the tenth anniversary of the campaign, and all proceeds from the show will go to the Family Crisis Center of the Big Bend and the Women of Katrina fund.

In her own contribution to the exhibit, Director and Associate Professor of Theatre Dona Roman recognizes performers of this year’s show, as well as those who peformed the show at SRSU in 2002, in concurrence with the fourth anniversary of the V-Day campaign.

Theatre major Gwyn Johnson uses a colorful jumble of picket signs in her presentation to remind us of the politically minded women in America’s past who ran for the office of  president or vice-president.  Her straightforward display brings back a time that was not only more politically engaging, but possibly even more shocking – with female candidates running for offices only held by men, and her supporters rallying strongly behind her.  

Graduate theatre student Olivia Gallegos and undegraduate Spanish major Brenda Gallegos, with a presentation on the accomplisments of Mexican women, remind us that women across our own imagined borders have also achieved much, despite the borders imagined by their own society.

With this diverse presentation on the accomplishments of women, Schultz hopes to see “viewers walk away from the exhibit and the show with a deeper understanding of, and respect for, women.”

Accompanying the exhibit and the theatre performance will be a display of local art - by, for, and about women.  The juried exhibition, in the Francois Art Gallery, is presented by Professor of Art Carol Fairlie, and features works by students, faculty, and community members.

Although no woman or man may ever match the personal, social, or political achievements of Helen Keller, this exhibit is a fascinating presentation on the women who made “life… a daring adventure, [instead of] nothing at all.” 

Both the exhibit and art show are open for viewing Feb. 14 – 16.  There will be an opening night reception at 7:30 p.m. in the Francois Art Gallery.  All, regardless of gender, are encouraged to attend.

Historic Cottages Gain New Aesthetic Appeal

By Shanna Elmore
Journalism 3301 Student 

New landscaping around the historic red brick cottages on the Sul Ross campus adds a classic Southwestern look to the historic property.

Red-rock gravel surrounds the cottages, replacing the loose dirt and large rocks that once covered the area. A red brick retaining wall has been put in place below the cottages to secure the slope and prevent soil erosion.
The area is accented with several types of cacti. According to Kenneth Smith, Grounds Superintendent at SRSU, more plants have been ordered from a local nursery, and installation of a sprinkler system is in the works.

“We try to keep up the integrity of the university and attractiveness of the campus in everything we do. We want it to have aesthetic appeal,” Smith said. “We want to invite everyone to come take a look at it if they haven’t already.” 

Twenty-eight “monopoly houses” were built in 1948, by the Civilian Conservation Corps, when housing facilities for students were scarce. Of the structures, 25 were demolished in early 2005 to make room for the newest student housing facility, the 650-bed Lobo Village.

The three remaining cottages serve as administration offices today. Mary Bennett, director of the McNair Project, and Secretary Marsha Cox have turned the quaint living space into an efficient workroom. “We love being here,” Cox said.