The restaurant lies in west Fort Worth and is located at 5837 Camp Bowie Blvd.

Fortuna’s walls feature murals of the countryside and dangling grapes on part of its ceiling. The restaurant has an intimate, café vibe because of its dim lighting and Italian music.

As soon as you are seated you are greeted with a basket of warm, homemade bread rolls and a side of oil, vinegar and herb dressing. The bread is nicely toasted and the dressing gives it the perfect touch of seasoning.

By the time the waiter comes to take your order you will most likely be full because of the bread, but you will not be able to resist ordering something from the menu.

Fortuna serves everything you would expect from an Italian restaurant.

Appetizers include fried calamari, stuffed mushrooms, grilled portobello and fried cheese for $6.

Fortuna also offers salads that range in price from $4 to $5.95.

Fortuna’s dinner menu features a variety of pasta dishes to choose from including fettuccine alfredo, linguine, baked lasagna, baked manicotti and of course spaghetti. These dishes range in price from $7.50 to $10.

Ready to try something new, I decided to order the baked manicotti instead of ordering spaghetti like I usually do at other Italian restaurants.

The baked manicotti was even better than I expected.

The pasta shells were filled and covered with mozzarella cheese and marinara sauce. The marinara sauce had just the right amount of herbs to give the manicotti a spicy kick. The baked manicotti costs $7.95.

Those who are not too full after the main dish and bread rolls can satisfy their sweet tooth with a dessert.

Fortuna’s dessert options include New York style cheesecake for $4 and tiramisu for $5.

Whatever you order at Fortuna’s Italian Restaurant you are sure be satisfied by the flavors.

Fortuna’s is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.

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The week of events begins April 11 and ends with an awards banquet the night of April 16.

Greek Week is planned and organized by the United Greek Council.

Michael Chaney, coordinator of student activities and volunteerism, helps UGC by making sure ideas are thought out and all necessary equipment is available.

“Greek Week is a friendly competition between Wesleyan’s Greeks to determine who has the best team and who works together best,” Chaney said.

Each fraternity and sorority is responsible for choosing and hosting an event. Events take place every night and during Tuesday and Thursday free periods.

Last year’s competition included a trivia game, tug of war, volleyball, 3-on-3 basketball and a three-legged race.

“It’s really about trying to bring the Greeks together and giving them something to rally around,” Chaney said.

Greek Week will count on the participation of nine Greek fraternities and sororities.

The fraternities competing against each other are Lambda Kappa Kappa, Lambda Theta Phi, Kappa Alpha Order and Phi Beta Sigma. The competing sororities are Gamma Phi Beta, Alpha Xi Delta, Lambda Theta Alpha, Zeta Phi Beta and Gamma Sigma Sigma, a coed sorority.

Melinda Pospichal, junior marketing major and member of Gamma Phi Beta, said she likes the friendly competition that takes place during Greek Week and the camaraderie it develops.

“My favorite part about Greek Week is how it strengthens the bonds of sisterhood and brotherhood in each organization,” Pospichal said.

Lisa Puente, junior English major and member of AXiD, was part of last year’s Greek Week.

“I mostly did the events during free period because I’m a commuter,” Puente said. “I did the tricycle relay and fell, but other than that it was really fun.”

Puente also said she believes Greek Week helps bring attention to Greek life and she looks forward to participating again.

“I think the events during free period bring more attention to Greeks because people are walking around campus and they see us in our shirts,” Puente said.

Chaney also believes Greek Week helps spur interest in Wesleyan’s Greek life.

“If carried out successfully and the Greeks really get behind it and participate, it absolutely shines good light and helps them potentially recruit new members,” Chaney said. “It shows people that our Greek organizations do fun stuff on campus.”

The banquet recognizes Greek Week winners and new UGC officers are presented at the banquet.

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On May 13, students graduating will make the traditional walk across the stage to celebrate the completion of their academic careers, with some changes implemented this semester.

Graduation will now take place in the Fort Worth Convention Center and the ceremony will be split by school.

Dr. Allen Henderson, provost and senior vice president, said issues with the Will Rogers venue were key factors in the decision to find a new location for graduation.

“Will Rogers discontinued their guarantee not to bump us to Saturday or another date even though we had reserved the facility,” Henderson said.

Henderson said students’ demands for more tickets and parking problems in the past few years were considered in the decision.

“The spring 2011 graduating class is the largest one we have had in recent years and maybe ever,” Henderson said. “We would prefer not to split graduation into two ceremonies, but the Convention Center is not big enough to hold all school graduates and guests at one time.”

These changes have created mixed feelings amongst some graduating seniors.

Ashly Spencer, senior education major, said she believes students should have been asked whether they agreed with these changes.

“I don’t like that half my professors won’t see me graduate after five years of hard work,” Spencer said. “I hate that I need a ticket to see my friends graduate and vice versa.”

Spencer said the splitting of ceremonies takes away from the experience and meaning of graduation.

Rose Boots, senior marketing major, agrees that the separation of the class ruins the graduation experience.

“I feel that I won’t graduate with a bonding experience,” Boots said.

Tara Cates, senior psychology major said that there are some positive aspects to the split in ceremonies.

“What a lot of students probably don’t realize is that this 2011 Graduating class is the largest one Wesleyan has had in recent years ,” Cates said. “As much as I’m looking forward to graduating and basking in my success, I don’t want to wait four hours for that to happen.”

The school of arts and letters and natural and social sciences will have its graduation ceremony at 4:30 p.m. The graduation ceremony for the schools of education and business and all graduate students will follow at 8 p.m.

“Regardless of the time we graduate, we are all still Rams,” Cates said.

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Driving down East Rosedale Street reveals older shops, such as Burge’s Hardware that has been in business since the early 1900s.

However, East Rosedale is also home to a newer wave of businesses.

One such business is Los Pastores Mexican Restaurant. Los Pastores has been in business in the Poly area for 14 years.

The restaurant began with a taco stand in the ’90s and was the vision and creation of Rosario Villalpando.

Los Pastores is mostly a family-run business and will eventually fall in the hands of Nellie Villalpando, daughter of Rosario Villalpando.

“My dad had a taco stand for about five years before opening the restaurant,” Villalpando said.

Before becoming a restaurant, the building was a house and was half the size it is now.

“When my dad first started he didn’t know anything about business,” Villalpando said. “But eventually the whole family got involved.”

Villalpando, who works as a cashier and waitress at the restaurant, has been spending time at her father’s restaurant since she was 12 years old.

“I used to come here on the weekends and I hated it,” Villalpando said. “But now I’m glad to be learning the family business.”

Los Pastores offers a variety of egg-based breakfast items including Mexican- style eggs and eggs and ham or sausage for $5.99 or less.

The restaurant also serves seafood, such as shrimp tostadas, shrimp cocktail and breaded catfish fillets for prices ranging from $3.99 to $10.99.

As if that was not enough, Los Pastores also offers a selection of tacos, tortas, burritos and gorditas. Each can be ordered in different meats, including beef, chicken or pork and range in price from $1.35 to $5.55.

Blanca Navarette, a cook and baker, has been working at Los Pastores for 12 years and has noticed that customers mostly come in looking for fajitas or tacos.

“Every once in a while people come in asking for queso or nachos and we don’t have that because it’s more Tex-Mex,” Villalpando said. “We serve authentic Mexican food.”

The restaurant then expanded to include a bakery and meat shop by the same name. All three businesses are next to each other on East Rosedale Street.

Although the bakery opens at 5 a.m. the bakers start their work at 3 a.m. in order to put out fresh, made from scratch bread every day.

The bakery offers a variety of traditional Mexican breads and pastries, including donuts and churros.

The bakery also offers a variety of already-made or specialty-ordered cakes, including the traditional flavors of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla, and the more diverse flavors of neopolitan and mocha.

Mary Alvarez, an employee at Los Pastores for six years, said the bakery is busy year-round, but the busiest time is during holidays such as Thanksgiving and Mother’s Day.

“Our specialty is the three milk cake,” Alvarez said. “It is made from a family recipe.”

The meat shop, which has now been in business for three years, was the most recent of the Los Pastores businesses to open.

“We’re expanding. Maybe we’ll be the whole block eventually,” Villalpando said.

Los Pastores Mexican restaurant is located at 3806 E. Rosedale St. The bakery is located next door at 3812 E. Rosedale St. and the meat  shop is at 3822 E. Rosedale St.

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Wesleyan is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools, that allows the university to award its students with baccalaureates, master’s and doctoral level degrees.

Since Wesleyan’s last reaffirmation of accreditation in 2003, the SACS has adopted new principles of accreditation. Under the new set of principles, each university is expected to develop a

Quality Enhancement Plan.

Dr. Helena Bussell, chair of the Leadership Team, said she believes developing a QEP will show peers that Wesleyan is capable of identifying particular issues that support student learning

“I think the QEP will really help us focus on something that will have a great impact on student learning,” Bussell said. “It will help us be the best we can be.”

To develop a QEP that enhances student learning, the Leadership Team, chaired by president of the university, Frederick Slabach and Bussell, established a QEP planning and topic selection steering committee to assist in the process of identifying QEP topics.

Dr. Elizabeth Battles, chair of the QEP Planning and Topic Selection Steering Committee, said she believes it is necessary to gather ideas and opinions from everyone in Wesleyan’s community to identify and choose a QEP topic that will impact a significant number of students.

“Every university has a different culture,” Battles said. “We have to choose a QEP that will enhance student learning at Wesleyan.”

According to their websites, other universities in the SACS, such as Sam Houston State University, have chosen to implement QEPs that focus on improving specific academic skills.

Sam Houston’s QEP, titled Foundations of Science: Improving Scientific Reasoning among Non-Science Majors, seeks to improve critical thinking and scientific reasoning among its non-science majors

According to their website, administration at Austin College has also chosen to implement QEPs that focus on a broader topic.

Austin College’s QEP, titled The GLOBE Program: International Cultural Awareness for All Students, seeks to enhance its on campus and study abroad educational opportunities by increasing its emphasis on cultural awareness. 

Although Battles has seen the types of plans other universities have created and implemented, she said she knows it is important to develop a plan specific to Wesleyan.

“We need a topic that is achievable and realistic,” Battles said.

Once Wesleyan has come up with a list of topics of its own, the QEP Planning and Topic Selection Steering Committee will evaluate them and choose one for the QEP. After the topic is chosen, a QEP Development Team will be created to develop the assessment plan, construct the budget and create the five-year plan.

From now until March, the QEP committee will use surveys, focus groups and meetings to gather ideas from Wesleyan’s faculty, staff, students, alumni and board of trustees.

“We want to make sure everyone has the opportunity to complete a survey,” Battles said. “We want everyone to be represented and have a voice.”

Students with QEP topic ideas are welcome to e-mail them to QEP@txwes.edu.

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Gamma Sigma Sigma, a national service sorority, is based on the ideals of service, friendship and equality

Jazmin Mendoza, vice president of membership for the Beta Theta chapter, was introduced to the sorority during Ram Camp her freshman year in 2007.

“I didn’t know anyone, and a member of Gamma Sig invited me to sit with them,” Mendoza said. “Before that moment I had never had an interest in joining a sorority, but they made me feel welcome.”

The sorority’s focus is on helping different organizations and the Fort Worth community.

Cristina Brewis, junior Spanish major, was motivated to join Gamma Sigma Sigma because of its dedication to service.

“I was eager to find something to replace the community service projects of my church,” Brewis said.

The Beta Theta chapter at Texas Wesleyan has participated in national and local events such as Relay for Life, Boo at the Zoo and the Fort Worth Burrito Club.

For the Burrito Club event, members of Gamma Sigma Sigma prepare 80-200 bean and cheese burritos and deliver them to people at the homeless center on Lancaster.

“I was scared the first time I participated,” Mendoza said. “But the people were nice and said ‘thank you,’ some of them even said ‘no thank you’ because they had already eaten.”

Gamma Sigma Sigma is affiliated with different organizations, including March of Dimes, American Red Cross and the American Cancer Society.

The Beta Theta chapter has also participated in campus events such as Expanding Your Horizons and has created the Pot Squat event.

Pot Squat is one of the spring semester events the chapter uses to raise money for the National Kidney Foundation. The event takes place in the mall area and members take turns sitting on a toilet for a period of 24 hours.

Mendoza’s favorite event is Expanding Your Horizons. The event is a series of workshops hosted by Texas Wesleyan for middle school girls.

“I was a translator for Hispanic students and told them about scholarships,” Mendoza said.

In addition to volunteering at campus events, the chapter also hosts events to raise money for national organizations.

“This year we are hoping to get other Greeks on campus involved too,” Mendoza said.

Lindsay Choice, adviser and alumna of the Beta Theta chapter, believes the sorority’s dedication to service helps differentiate it from other sororities on campus.

“We do have a social aspect, but our main focus is participating in service projects at Wesleyan and the surrounding community,” Choice said.

Gamma Sigma Sigma also sets itself apart frm other reek organizations on campus by accepting into membership both men and women.

“Even now with our small numbers I love the camaraderie,” Brewis said.

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In today’s society using these devices is a part of our daily routine; almost second nature.

Everything runs smoothly when our technology works properly, but when our gadgets start to malfunction our lives enter a state of chaos. This is what happened to me when the electricity went out at my house for two hours last Friday.

It was around 8 p.m. and I was in my room using my computer to check my e-mail when suddenly the lights in my room started to blink on and off. After a few seconds, everything went black. The electricity… out.

I ran my fingers across the keyboard, but it did no good. I had no Internet connection and my computer turned off because it was not charged. I was in complete darkness.

I reached for my cell phone to use as a flashlight and stepped into the hallway. I saw dim light coming from the living room. My mom began lighting every candle she could find.

I used to think the candles in the living room were pointless decorations. But at that moment, I was grateful. However, I could not help but feel like I was in the dark ages.

I sat on the couch next to my dad and he surprised me when he said in a sarcastic tone:”It’s good to finally see you away from the computer.”

I rolled my eyes and laughed a little, but then I began to think.

As college students, we spend several hours a day consumed by our laptops and phones. Although computers can be used to help us with school work, they also give us access to things that distract us from getting tasks accomplished.

I cannot count the times I have had trouble focusing on homework because I am scanning my news feed on Facebook or watching videos on YouTube. All hopes of finishing any assignment on time are gone.

Aside from distracting us, computers also lessen our ability to be patient. When a website takes more than a few seconds to load, we quickly become frustrated.

Cell phones are a little bit worse. Not only can we use these small devices to text friends, but we can also connect to the Internet. I sometimes think that in a few years we will all have twitching fingers because of the amount of time we spend texting every day.

Although, I appreciate technology for all the ways in which it facilitates our lives, such as saving us from having to remember so many phone numbers; I also despise it for distracting me and consuming so much of my time.

I have to admit that when the electricity in my house went out I was bored at first, but it felt relaxing to sit in the living room with my parents and have a conversation.

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The restaurant has been serving up tasteful hamburgers since 1983.

Tommy Smith, the founder of Tommy’s Hamburger Grill, graduated from Texas Wesleyan in 1972. His daughter, Kelly, followed his footsteps and received her undergraduate degree from Wesleyan in 1990.

“My parents opened the first Tommy’s down off of Lake Worth,” Smith said. “We had a Texaco convenience store and started grilling burgers down there.”

After a few years, Smith decided to offer customers a complete meal, instead of only snacks.

“We had a lot of Lockhead customers coming in just for snacks, and gas, and we decided to offer something for them to eat,” Smith said.

The idea for a restaurant soon emerged and proved successful. The Camp Bowie location opened in 2002. Since then the Lake Worth location has closed down, Tommy’s Hamburger Grill has also expanded to Green Oaks.

Walking into Tommy’s will definitely give you the feeling that you’re in the lone star state.

There is an eye-catching mural with a longhorn hung over it at the entrance. The mural features the restaurant’s awards.

As soon as I sat down, a waitress brought a menu and asked what I wanted to drink. I decided to keep things simple and ordered tea. However, the tea was not sweet enough for my taste and required me to use two packets of sugar.

The burger I ordered weighed a half pound and was juicy and full of flavor. The bun was warm and soft.

I played it safe and stuck with the basic condiments: lettuce, tomatoes, mustard and pickles. I also ordered the homemade chips and ranch sauce.

The lettuce was fresh and crisp and the pickles added a nice tart flavor to the burger.

Each bite of the chips delivered just the right amount of crunchiness. The ranch sauce was slightly tangy and sweet, and complimented the chips perfectly.

Tommy’s menu features the green chili cheeseburger, bacon swiss burger and mushroom swiss burger to name a few. For a full menu visit their website www.tommyshamburgergrill.com

For the more health conscious Tommy’s also offers the veggie burger, grilled chicken sandwich, turkey and swiss sandwich, the classic BLT and the southwest chicken sandwich.

All burgers and sandwiches are less than $10 and are served with your choice of mashed potatoes, fries, tater tots, okra, cheddar poppers or homemade chips.

Tommy’s is located at 5228 Camp Bowie Blvd. The restaurant is open Monday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m., 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Fridays and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays.

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The changes in Dora’s and the SUB were fueled with ideas from Will Timmerman, director of food services. Timmerman, an employee of Aramark, joined Wesleyan’s food service department at the end of November.

Aramark has been Wesleyan’s food service provider since 2006, and beat out other companies when Wesleyan accepted bids to contract a food service provider in December 2005.

Debbie Cavitt, director of purchasing, said Aramark was the better option because it offered the best service at the best price.

Timmerman entered the Wesleyan community with several new ideas for improving and expanding food offerings in Dora’s and the SUB.

“He has done great things to spruce up the cafeteria,” Cavitt said.

Dora’s now offers artisan breads, including ciabatta, pitas, hot or cold wraps, paninis and low-carb sandwiches.

The salad bar was moved from its prior position, and a new breakfast and soup station was installed.

A Swiss Miss hot chocolate machine was also added, along with a new dessert case.

“My overall goal is to drive students’ satisfaction so that they feel comfortable renewing their housing and meal contracts,” Timmerman said.

Dora’s now features fiesta Tuesdays, where all the meals have a Latino theme. There are also $3 Thursdays and fried Fridays for students, staff and faculty.

Fridays will feature a menu that includes fried chicken, wings, vegetables and catfish.

Timmerman will also incorporate themed dinners in the upcoming weeks.  

On Valentine’s Day, Dora’s will have cookie and cupcake decorating as well as chocolate fondues for dipping fruit.

“That way everybody’s going to be a Valentine, either to themselves or somebody else,” Timmerman said.

Other events included are Fat Tuesday on March 8, which will feature Cajun food and St. Patricks Day, when Dora’s will have turkey pastrami reubens.

“They make good food,” Cavitt said. “I eat there.”

Courtney Briley, a sophomore criminal justice major said she appreciates the salad, fruit and hot sandwich options at Dora’s, but prefers their pizza.

“I always get pizza,” Briley said. 

Students who eat at Dora’s are also now greeted at the door with the option of selecting two free, freshly baked cookies.

Not only has the food in Dora’s changed; its appearance has also been updated.

Timmerman said after noticing that Dora’s needed a touch of campus spirit, he decided to have photos of Wesleyan athletes hung from the ceiling and the walls.

There are still a few spaces where more photos can be added and Timmerman would like to add photos of other student activities, such as theatre and choir.

“I’m getting a lot of positive feedback with the changes we’ve made,” Timmerman said.

The SUB has also undergone changes, including a new paint job.

 The walls are now a light peach color with golden and royal blue streaks throughout.

The C3 Express convenience store will move to a different area of the SUB in order to give the food court a more open appearance.

 The SUB now features Chick-fil-A on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

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