The Skyline Newspaper

Photo: Regas (left) and Reisberg at the opening of their exhibition. Photo by Steve Lang

"Cowboys, Chefs and Chili Heads" Photos on Exhibit

"Cowboys, Chefs and Chili Heads," featuring the photographs of Chris Regas and Andy Reisberg and celebrating the Terlingua Chili Cook-off, opened Sept. 8 at the Museum of the Big Bend.

The exhibition continues through Feb. 17, 2008, at the Museum, located on the Sul Ross State University campus.

Museum hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday and 1-5 p.m. Sundays.

This photography exhibition pays tribute to the "Original Terlingua International Frank X. Tolbert -- Wick Fowler Memorial Championship Chili Cook-off," founded in 1967 by Frank X. Tolbert.

This two-person exhibition is comprised of approximately 100 color and black & white photographs created between 1968 and 2006. Regas presents a cross section of his best work from 1968-2005, and Reisberg presents contemporary imagery in black & white and color taken since first attending the Cook-off in 2003.

The exhibit has three distinct sections: "Old Town," "Behind the Store" and "Cowboy Camp."

Regas presents some of his vintage black & white photographs from the early years of this tradition. Andy Reisberg presents medium and large format black & white photographs of Cowboy Camp taken over the past three years. The rich textures of the South Texas landscape and romantic qualities of a bygone era are evident in this section of the exhibit.

Regas (b.1926) is a fine art photographer, commercial photographer and teacher residing in Dallas, Texas. His career in photography spans five decades in Texas.

His first artistic foray into fine art photography occurred in 1968 while traveling in and around the Santa Elena Canyon, Big Bend National Park, with fellow photographer Bank Langmore.

His "Dust Storm" portfolio from this period has proved to be his signature work.

He has earned 12 gold medals in international photography salons, and his work is in the permanent collections of museums and corporations throughout the state.

Regas has been a judge at the Terlingua Chili Cook-off for more than 22 years and has accumulated nearly 1,000 images on film during this time.

Reisberg (b.1956), a photographic conservator and gallery director in Dallas, founded Photographic Archives Lab & Gallery in 1981. He specializes in the repair and reproduction of historical photography and provides custom black & white darkroom services as well as state-of-the-art digital restorations.

He was the recipient of a National Endowment for the Humanities Grant in 1979 for his photographic project, "Texas Neon, An Historical Survey of Our Cultural Artifacts," a visual and oral history documentation of neon sign making in Texas.

And in 1990, he received a grant from the Friends of the Dallas Public Library to conduct a photography survey of the city, which resulted in a publication entitled "Dallas, Then & Now." In 2006, Reisberg was appointed the "Official Photographer" of the 40th Anniversary of the Terlingua Chili Cook-off.

For more information, contact Liz Jackson, Museum of the Big Bend, (432) 837-8143; Reisberg, (214) 352-3167; Regas, (972) 247-2312; or Kathleen Tolbert Ryan, (817) 251-1287.

Freed Publishes Article in "Southwestern Musician"

An article by Dr. Donald Callen Freed, Sul Ross State University faculty member, has been published in the September issue of "Southwestern Musician."

Freed wrote "Keeping Choral Music Alive in a Small Texas Town." The article traces Sul Ross' long-standing invitation to community members to participate in the university chorus. Beginning fall semester 2007, high school students also have the opportunity to take choir as an elective course.

For more information, contact Freed, (432) 837-8216 or dfreed@sulross.edu

Schlosser, Sullivan Publish Article in "Insight" Magazine

An article by Sul Ross State University faculty members Dr. Rebecca Schlosser and Dr. Kip Sullivan was published in the summer 2007 issue of "Insight" magazine, a publication of the Texas Association of School Administrators.

Schlosser, assistant professor, and Sullivan, professor of School Administration, co-authored "A Sound Framework for an Effective Professional Development Plan - At Your Fingertips." The article focuses on the availability of a ready-made professional development plan using the state mandated TExES Principal and Superintendent Competencies.

For information, contact Schlosser, (432) 837-8173; or Sullivan, 837-8394.

Alumnus Tandy Receives 2008 Teacher of the Year Award

Last May, Sul Ross Alumnus Sara Tandy was chosen as the 2008 Region 18 Elementary Teacher of the Year.

Her enthusiasm and dedication have made her a popular teacher in Alpine and in several schools throughout the state of Texas. When asked her philosophy of teaching, she had this to say, "Teaching is not for the fainthearted! It is a rewarding yet exhausting profession because doing it right requires the use of body, mind, spirit and heart!

"When a teacher is passionate about her work, students and parents alike sense that and respond positively.

Teaching in not only about grades or academics; it is about reaching the whole child."

Tandy will travel to Austin on November 3, 2007, for a luncheon honoring all regional participants and for the state competition. Tandy graduated from SRSU with a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education and a Master's Degree in Reading.

Mountain Research is a Hoot for Graduate Student

By Jason Hennington
News Writer

Hooting into the night awaiting a response is a typical night for Sul Ross State University biology graduate research assistant Tim Mullet.

Mullet, originally from Mansfield, Ohio, graduated from Ohio State University before coming to Sul Ross. For the past two years he has been conducting research on the Mexican Spotted Owl, which is a threatened species. His research allows him to track the unique bird at night in the Guadalupe Mountains of West Texas and Southeastern New Mexico.

"We are trying to find out as much as we can about these birds," Mullet said.

Mullet uses information provided by the Chihuahua Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network and the National Park Service to learn the habitats and necessities of the Mexican Spotted Owl. Once he has received enough information he then puts it into the Geographic Information System (GIS), which creates a map of areas that have these characteristics for the owl's survival.

"GIS allows us to create and utilize maps all over the world," Mullet said. "We can use certain variables of information to predict distribution of wildlife."

In other words, these maps help predict where the owls are located. The maps generated show areas that are more likely to be a habitat and which areas are not likely to have any owls.

Because owls are nocturnal animals, Mullet spends his nights trying to communicate with the birds. He settles in an area from the map and hoots to see if he gets a response.

"I validate the information and then go out into the field and find the owls," Mullet said. "I hoot three times and wait for a response. I don't always get one, but sometimes I might get two or three. After the response, I can determine whether the area is a good habitat or not."

The historical information for this area is provided by Lincoln National Forest, Carlsbad National Park, and Guadalupe Mountains National Park. This information helps with the surveys that Mullet conducts to determine where owls are currently present and their habitat requirements.

Part of the research is also protection of the threatened species.

"Once we find where the owls are, we can have them protected," Mullet said.

There are 20 protected activity centers and about 40 owls in the West Texas region. Only two sightings have been reported in the Davis Mountains.

The Mexican Spotted Owl is one of three sub species with the Northern Spotted Owl and the California Spotted Owl.

The Mexican Spotted Owl is usually found in Utah, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, certain regions of West Texas, and Mexico.

Mullet's research is funded by the Chihuahua Desert Inventory and Monitoring Network and Fish and Wildlife Service. He basically does the ground work for these two organizations.

A biology major under the advising of Dr. Ritzi, Mullet has always had a love for conservation and saving endangered species, and he was able to apply that love with his research.

"I've always had a love for saving endangered species and always had a love for wildlife," Mullet said. "I liked playing with computers too, and this was a way to put them all together."

Mullet supervises and works with two other students from different universities hired by Sul Ross to assist with the research: Daniel Reed, Lamar University, and Jared Grummer, Cornell University. After three months in the field, Mullet will finish his research at the end of September.

"I will need volunteers at the end for help," Mullet said.

Mullet will be taking interested students out to sites of research to engage in hooting and trying to communicate with the owls.

"It's important that people are aware of the wildlife in this part of the world," Mullet said. "Not a lot of people know much about the species. If people are interested I'd like to have the research carried on through the university."

Mullet explains this as a "real cool experience" and says that the success rate has been just over 40%.

"This is real gratifying work," Mullet said. "Sul Ross has enabled me as a graduate student to find the venues to network into conservation of threatened and endangered species."

Anyone interested in going on hikes can contact Tim Mullet at (432) 837-1287 or timullet@yahoo.

Seeing Iraq Through the Eyes of a Soldier

By Spike Miller
Skyline Reporter

There is a saying etched in stone over the Korean War Memorial. It says, "Freedom Is Not Free." A major point of the next presidential debate has been bringing our troops home.

"Why are we over there?" "Why are we fighting?" These are questions I hear often from my peers. So I asked my friend Lance Corporal Price of the United States Marine Corps his thoughts.

His response via e-mail from Iraq reminded me of what this war is all about.

"The war (in Iraq) means a lot of things to us. Freedom, justice, revenge.

I've been deployed for the past three years voluntarily. I didn't come because I had to, but because I wanted to and because I believed in what I was doing.

"We're helping these people every day to have what we take for granted in the states. Think about this, 'When was the last time we were attacked on U.S. soil?' 9-11 right? We haven't been attacked since because we (the military) are over here on their front doorsteps hunting them down.

"If we come home, the message sent will be loud and clear. They will have driven out the 'infidels' from their country, and then there's nothing stopping them from attacking us again. They will have won."

Senators and presidential candidates would have us believe that the troops in the Middle East are dying for no reason.

What they fail to realize is that soldiers like Lance Cpl. Price see the war first hand, know the dangers, and still would willingly die fighting to protect not just our safety but democracy and everything it stands for.

In closing I'll just say this; I get to sleep safely every night because of the troops willing to pay the ultimate price for our freedom.

Sul Ross Theatre Starts the Year Off With Drama

By Amber Bowman
Contributor, Theatre Major

The Sul Ross Theatre Department is kicking off the season with playwright Lillian Hellman's critically acclaimed drama, "The Children's Hour." Dr. Michelle Lynn Selk, Assistant Professor of Communication, directs the production.

Other shows this fall will be the musical, "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown," directed by Dona W. Roman, and two very special reader's theatre Christmas shows, "The Ballad of King Windowglass" and "Christmas: 1933," both directed by Sul Ross senior, Eric Flint.

"The Children's Hour," featuring Sul Ross students Rebecca Benson as Martha Dobie and Amber Bowman as Karen Wright, is about two best friends and co-headmistresses at a prestigious boarding school for young women.

The women's friendship and livelihood and Karen's relationship with Dr. Joseph Cardin, played by Spike Miller, are challenged when a spiteful little girl, played by Venus Castaneda, starts a rumor that the two women are lovers.

Other students playing schoolgirls include: Vanadie Caprio, Keisha Atkinson, Jennifer Holochwost, Chelsea Rios, and Amanda Gogliardi. Julia Rubia plays Mrs. Mortar, an actress, and Amanda Almaraz plays Mrs. Tilford.

The show opens Friday, September 21, 2007, and will run for two weekends. Performances will be in the Fine Arts Building Studio Theatre at 8:15 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays and 2:00 p.m. on Sundays. Ticket prices are $6.00 for adults and $4.00 for seniors and students. Tickets are FREE for all Sul Ross students, faculty, and staff with a current SRSU ID.

The production contains some language and mature content and may not be suitable for children. For more information, please contact the Department of Fine Arts and Communication at (432) 837-8218.

MP3 Players: iPod vs. Zune

By Madeleine Cantu
Skyline Reporter

If you asked someone five years ago about an mp3 player, they might have asked you what you're talking about.

Now, however, they're all the rage--people not walking around with white earbuds in their ears are definitely missing out.

Currently, there have two major brands to choose from when it comes to comparison shopping: Apple's iPod (I'll be talking about the 5th generation 30GB video one) and Microsoft's relatively new competitor, the 30GB Zune. Which is the better choice? I'm going to break down the pros and cons that other critics have brought up, as well as those that I experienced when handling these two players.

I'll start with the Zune. The navigation may be circular like the iPod's but is not touch-sensitive; it has dedicated buttons that make scrolling through songs or album lists more accurate. The Zune's background screen is customizable and the user interface is pretty straight-forward. When I picked up the device for the first time, I had no problem sifting through all the multimedia possibilities. Also, the cover is scratch-resistant and doesn't attract fingerprints.

To access the Zune and update its library, use Microsoft's version of iTunes, called the Zune Marketplace. This software, unlike iTunes, can search for all the missing album art and info on your computer's existing library.

Surprisingly, 70% of the 6,000 songs loaded onto the Zune were updated.

For unlimited downloading of songs, you can subscribe to the Zune Pass at a monthly charge of $14.99. There is a drawback to this, however. If you allow that subscription to lapse, you will lose access to all the downloaded music you've legally purchased (but the files will not be erased) until you renew your subscription. Although the Zune can play videos, the Zune Marketplace offers no video content for purchase currently.

The Zune has two novel standard features: WiFi feature, which can allow people to transfer music, videos, or photos to other Zune users up to thirty feet away, and a built-in radio. This is not present in previous iPods--although you can purchase it for an extra $50.

Now, on to the iPod. Although a little smaller than the Zune, the two units are comparatively priced at $249 and have similar battery life. Both yield approximately 14 hours of audio playback and roughly 3.5 hours with video.

Approximately 250 TV shows are now available through iTunes and can be purchased relatively inexpensively. With the correct cables, you can view this content on your TV. The iPod was a little sluggish when I tried viewing large files but not slow enough to prove annoying.

You can also move pictures directly from a digital camera to the iPod, although again, you have to purchase the optional cable. There are some strong cons associated with the 5th generation iPod. The main one is that those users without an internet connection at home cannot expect to purchase music or update their iPod. Purchasers do not get any software in the original product box, so they will not have iTunes ready to install.

In addition, I had an issue with easily transferring pictures from multiple computers. The only option I could select was to auto-synch, which meant that if I wanted to load pictures from two different computers, the photos already on the iPod would be deleted.

The Zune has some strong cons, but some strong pros, too. It is a solid mp3 player, and most of the problems I encountered were more through the content that Microsoft "allowed" the Zune buyer to access rather than the device itself. The iPod is still a strong leader, but the Zune will give the mp3 world a run for its money. It has some great things in store for those of us who live for portable music.