Campus

The Rambler | www.therambler.org 3 February 10, 2011 |

Blind professor adapts electronically

Jonathan Resendez
jlresendez@mail.txwes.edu
Dr. R. J. Wilson, professor
of education and department
chair, takes slow, deliberate
steps while he maneuvers his
way around the second floor
of Wesleyan’s School of Edu-
cation building.
He roams the thick-carpet-
ed halls with his head tilted
slightly back, sometimes stop-
ping to chat with colleagues
on the way back to his office.
Although 10 liters of chro-
mic acid left Wilson blind
more than three decades ago,
he navigates the halls with the
same skill with which he runs
his department.
Wilson serves as chair of
the undergraduate education
program. Technology and a
love for teaching help him
perform his daily duties as
a teacher and departmental
head, Wilson said.
“I love to teach,” he said. “I
can’t imagine myself doing
anything else at this point.”
A self-proclaimed “gadget
guy,” Wilson uses a software
program called JAWS on his
laptop to check his e-mail,
grade papers and perform
administrative duties. JAWS
features technology that reads
all Microsoft documents out
loud to him. The laptop syncs
with his iPhone 4, which also
talks to him.
Wilson describes his class-
room as being totally elec-
tronic because all of his lec-
tures are delivered in some
form of media.
“While it may seem excep-
tional to some, the technol-
ogy is there for everybody,” he
said. “I just use it most.”
Teaching however, wasn’t
his chosen career path when
he was studying biology at
Quincy University in Illinois.
“To tell you the truth, I
didn’t even like kids,” he said.
Wilson spent six weeks in a
state-run rehabilitation center
after his laboratory accident.
One of Wilson’s counselors
arranged a last-minute, Fri-
day evening meeting for him
with a university representa-
tive from Southern Illinois
University at Carbondale.
“Two and a half hours lat-
er, she convinced me I could
teach,” he said.
Wilson received his Ph. D in
education in 1985 and came
to Texas Wesleyan, where
he said he has witnessed a
tremendous growth in the
school of education.
Wilson said 10 years ago,
only seven faculty members
resided in the school of educa-
tion. Today the school boasts
nearly 20 professors and 14
adjunct professors.
Wilson said he undertook
the tremendous task of reor-
ganizing the school of educa-
tion programs and hopes to
increase its quality with a new
direction.
“Texas Wesleyan is an out-
standing institution for pro-
ducing teachers and we are
trying to capitalize on that,”
he said.
Sue Passmore, education
professor at Wesleyan for 43
years, was on the committee
that hired Wilson.
Dr. R.J. Wilson
“He’s extremely intelligent,
beyond the norm,” she said.
One of the only fears the
committee held was the ten-
dency for intellectuals to have
trouble with social skills. This
wasn’t the case with Wilson,
she said.
“Even though he can’t see
[the students], he learns most
of them by voice on the first
day of class,” she said.
Not only did he connect
with the students, he was able
to incorporate his science
background into his teaching
as well.
Wilson taught Sarah Smith,
admission counselor and grad-
uate education student, during
the fall 2010 semester. She said
although his teaching style was
discussion based, most of her
classmates found it educational
and challenging.
“He really gave a good
foundation on what to ask
and how to formulate good
research questions,” she said.

Harlem b-ball bounces back Campus update

Barry Grubbs
bgrubbs@mail.txwes.edu
The Harlem Ambassadors Pro-
fessional Show Basketball team will
return to Wesleyan’s Sid Richardson
Center at 7 p.m. Feb. 19, taking on
the Cowtown Kiwanis Club team.
The  Harlem Ambassadors  are a
family friendly Harlem-style bas-
ketball exhibition team that features
a high-skills athletic performance
including ball handling, slam dunks
and a dose of comedy.
The Ambassadors, who were
originally conceived in 1997 by Dale
Moss, work with non-profit and ser-
vice organizations across the country
to raise funds for local communities.
This is the third consecutive year
the Harlem Ambassadors will per-
form their unique show on campus.
Wesleyan’s Community Outreach
Coordinator, John M. Gonzales
said, 100 percent of the proceeds
from ticket sales are used to support
Fort Worth Poly-Wesleyan Kiwanis
projects within the community.
“We mainly use it to implement
education and leadership programs
in the [local] elementary schools,”
Gonzales said.
One program served by the Poly-
Wesleyan Kiwanis is the Bring Up
Your Grades program at D. McRae
Elementary and Sagamore Hills
Elementary schools in Fort Worth.
The program recognizes students
for improving personal academic
performance.
Originally, the Harlem Ambas-
sadors organization toured a single
co-ed team, but a second team was
added for the 2002-2003 season al-
lowing the Ambassadors to put on
more fundraising shows.
“All of our players are positive role
models,” Dale Moss, Ambassadors’
founder, said. “All of our perform-
ers have their college degrees. So,
they not only talk the talk, they have
walked the walk.”
Moss expressed pride in the di-
versity of the teams’ line-up.
“Just being able to see our wom-
en players on the floor competing
against and beating male opponents
is sometimes, even in this day of
gender equity, a real eye opener,”
Moss said.
The Ambassadors program has
toured for more than 11 years through-
out the country, as well as numerous
overseas tours including Europe, the
far East and South Pacific.
Wesleyan students are looking
foward to the visit from the Ambas-
sadors tomorrow.
“I’m really interested in seeing
them,” said Wesleyan junior busi-
ness major Ashley Bringol. “I think
it’s awesome, especially since it’s
[the team] both girls and guys play-
ing together.”
Tickets can be purchased for $5
and sponsorships are available by
contacting John Gonzales at 817-
531-5814 or jgonzales@txwes.edu.
with SGA
Fellow Students,
I hope you have kept warm and safe these last few weeks. It's not
very often that we get to have a "Spring Break" in the middle of Feb-
ruary. Hopefully your break was well spent. Time to get back after
it though. Luckily, our real Spring Break is right around the corner!
I do have a few announcements: 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 11, is the dead-
line for the Travel Fund requests. If you want to be considered for
some monies to travel this semester please come by the offices and
pick up a form.
Also, for the next two weeks the Student Government will meet on
Thursdays at 5:30 p.m. Feel free to stop by and say hi.
Lastly, any organization still needing money, we do have 14 $100
Honorariums left. Just grab the form and fill it out!As always...I hope
to see you around!
Heath A. Scott
89th President
Texas Wesleyan University SGA

Snow Antics:
Wesleyan community enjoys six
days off due to inclement weather

Bradley Gray | Courtesy Photo

Texas Wesleyan saw a record-breaking number of consecutive snow days last week, Feb. 1-
Feb. 6. After just two days of classes, the streak continued when a second snow storm blew
through North Texas and granted students and faculty another day off Feb. 9.

Black History Month Those aren’t snowflakes. Download a Mobiletag App

Exhibit open in SUB and on your smartphone and scan the codes above to view
SGA Chamber Hallway videos of the Wesleyan community taking in, and talking
about, the snow. You can also visit therambler.org.
Come check out the Black History Month Exhibit displayed
in the SUB and SGA Chamber Hallway honoring the men,
women and events that have changed the course of history
for our nation and the world

Pick up a quiz in the Student Life office (answers found

somewhere in the Exhibit) and win a prize for answering all PhysAssit Recruiters will be on campus
They are hiring for business, biology, pre-med and exercise science majors
the question correctly! March 1 10:30 - 1:15pm
Library
Over 150 jobs are now posted on Job recruiters on campus year round
Career Link Texas Wesleyan Career Services
www.txwes.edu/careerservices Phone:817.531.6512
Username:Your full email address Fax: 817.531.4980
Password: Ramlink Password Email: careerservices@txwes.edu