Vol. 77 Iss. 23 by Angelo State Ram Page

Pg. 3 Nuclear crisis

Pg. 9 Softball

Friday, March 25, 2011 asurampage.com Vol. 77 No. 23

Pg. 7 Death Penalty

Unrest in Libya, world increases gas prices

University may employ daycare

Understanding

Factors: Foreign affairs, Con-

gas prices

gress, supply and demand

Dana Choi Copy Editor San Angelo, along with the rest of the country, is experiencing a rise in gas prices partly because of the civil unrest in Libya and concerns of the broader Middle East. Unrest in an oil-producing region causes uncertainty of supply, so oil prices tend to increase, said Dr. Robert Ehlers, Center for Securities Studies director. The markets get involved and there is a lot of speculation on trading, he said. “For instance, the current revolution in Libya,” Ehlers said. “Libya provides a reasonably large portion of Europe’s and Asia’s oil. Not nearly as much as many other countries, but enough to be felt significantly.” The unrest in Libya is one reason oil prices are increasing, Ehlers said, but not as high yet as people anticipated. If there was unrest in the Arabian Peninsula, which holds almost half of the world’s known oil reserves, gas prices would skyrocket. The U.S. gets most of its oil from Canada, Venezuela, a little bit from the Middle East, and its own sources, Ehlers said. Around 14 percent of its oil comes from the Middle East. However, much of the other industrialized parts of the world are very dependent on the Middle East for oil supplies and the free flow of oil, Ehlers said. See “Oil” pg. 4

Photo Illustration by Pam Belcher

Survey: Student need impacts decision-making

Mark McDaniel Staff Writer

Photo by Ashley Romo

Prices exceed $3.30. Prices have risen due to international and domestic issues.

Photo Illustration by Ashley Romo

Students will have the chance in the coming weeks to decide through a survey if they want a school-funded daycare on campus. Executive Director of Business Services Greg Pecina said the need for daycare will be determined by a second survey sent to random students, faculty and staff through Ram Mail in the coming weeks. If results indicate there is a need, the university may implement one within two years. “First of all, we need to see if there is a need,” Pecina said. “We pushed out [a primary survey] on an electronic web server, and it went to a fifth of the students at random. It asked questions like: what the service be helpful to you? Or would you be willing to pay for a service like this?”

See “Survey” pg. 5

Tutoring labs to combine in computer lab Replacement: Classroom to be retained

Scott Dykowski Editor-in-Chief The university plans to convert a computer lab into a tutoring center over the summer. The Porter Henderson Library’s third floor computer lab will become the Students Mapping A Right Track Tutor Center by fall 2011, bringing most of the university’s several tutoring labs to one location. “That’s easier, instead of go-

ing to different places,” freshman Nefertiti Burden said. The Title V Hispanic Serving Institute grant will fund this project. At this time, cost estimates are unknown, Project Manager Clay Smith said “The scope of work is being defined,” Smith said. The center room in the computer lab will house the general tutoring services. The north classroom in the computer lab will house the math lab and the south classroom will remain a classroom, each with a separate entrance. “It’s important to note that

the classroom will be retained,” said Nancy Allen, vice provost of Undergraduate Education. “It has high utilization by academic departments, particularly by [the Department of Communications, Mass Media and Theatre].” The south classroom may be available for student use, Allen said, but classes will be scheduled in high volume, and no IT employee will monitor it. There are no plans to open a replacement computer lab. “The question is, does it need to be replaced,” Allen said. “At this time, there is sufficient lab space for students and the lovely new commons in the li-

brary. [Information Technology] will closely monitor that situation, especially as our enrollment increases.” The third floor computer lab has almost 100 computers, four black and white printers and one color printer. The future use of those computers is unknown. “Since the library computer lab was already scheduled for refresh in the fall, any unused computers would go through the university’s normal inventory salvage process,” said Elaine Beach, director of Customer Support and Multimedia Services. “Through this process, the computers are often passed

Now

Photo by Ashley Romo

Students using five of the almost 100 computers in the third floor library computer lab.

on to school districts or other state agencies.” The lab in the Mathematics-Computer Science building houses 112 desktop computers, seven black-and-white computers and one color printer. The Learning Commons on the first floor of the library has 50 laptops, 18 desktop computers, two black-and-white printers and one color printer available. “With the flexibility built into the Learning Commons concept, we can adjust the number of laptops to meet the students’ changing needs in the most efficient manner,” Beach said.

Future rough draft

Page 2

Campus News

Friday, March 25, 2011

Group helps restore New Orleans over break Volunteer: Group rebuilds, gains knowledge

Megan Ellis Staff Writer

Extended Coverage

See more photos at asurampage.com

More than five years after Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans, students and staff volunteered to help rebuild and restore the city. The Project Spring Break group volunteered over Spring Break in New Orleans. “The point was to go out and help people from New Orleans who are still in need,” freshmen Martha Esquivel said. Senior Roger Quintana traveled with the Project Spring Break group for a second year. “After over five years since Hurricane Katrina hit, New Orleans is still in need of help,” Quintana said. “We helped at a family’s home that needed exterior painting.” The group also explored the city and learned about its different culture. “New Orleans has so much to offer,” Jennifer Johnson, Project Spring Break coordinator, said. “The students are immersed in the culture, traditions and history the city is known for.” Students volunteered during the day and experienced the city and culture by night, Quintana said. “We went to the Katrina and Beyond Museum, which educated us about what really happened before, during, and after Hurricane Katrina,” Esquivel said. “Listening to the stories being told by people who experience[d] this hurricane made me realize how fortunate I am.” Project Spring Break provides an opportunity for students to get away from the conventional Spring Break and do positive things for other people, Johnson said. “I am really grateful I was chosen to participate this year,” Esquivel said. “I learned a lot, met new people, and had so much fun.” Johnson said she chose to help New Orleans because there is still a lot of work, even though it has been more than five years since Hurricane Katrina. “I love this trip because I love giving back, and I love New Orleans because it is such a resilient city,” Quintana said. “Katrina ruined [people’s] homes and businesses, but it didn’t ruin their spirit and love for their city.

Conference educates on North Korea issues Debate: Human rights

and North Korea-China relations

Dana Choi Copy Editor

Students and faculty attended a symposium Wednesday to learn about current issues surrounding North Korea. The Korean Economic Institute (KEI), which sponsored the event, held “Fallout Northeast Asia: Nuclear Neighbors, Human Rights and Delicate Diplomacy” in Rassman 105 at 5:30 p.m. Associate Professor of Political Science Bruce E. Bechtol, the panel moderator, said the conference’s purpose was to expand student and faculty knowledge of important issues in North Korea that have an impact on northeast Asia and American policy as a whole. “I think it’s important that the information is able to broaden your knowledge of importance issues in North Korea and northeast Asia, so that you have a better understanding about what our government should do when it comes to policy,” Bechtol said. “The kind of things you need to bring up to elected officials in Washington and here in Texas.” Senior Patrick Kim, a South Korean international student, said even though many people did not know much about the topics, the four panel members explained them on a level easy to understand. “It was very educational and beneficial for people who are interested in North Korea and its issues,” Kim said. “I really had a lot of fun.” People should not know just about domestic issues, but also about world issues, he said. “China, Japan and Korea are the top three developed countries [in Asia], so world leaders [and] American students need to know what is going on in the world to be more open,” he said. The panel discussion covered violation of human rights in North Korea and the development of relations between North Korea and China. “Human rights in North Korea are much more compelling, much

more important than just about any other area of the world,” Bechtol said. “In addition, it’s important for students to have a knowledge of how important the North Korea-China relationship is, and what the implications of all of these things are for American policy.” Bechtol said he thinks the conference was a success. “I think the audience really enjoyed hearing from a few gentlemen that are so knowledgeable in their fields and who are so well able to articulate themselves,” he said. The panel consisted of Greg Scarlatoiu, director of Public Affairs and Business Issues of KEI, Gordon Chang, author of “Nuclear Showdown: North Korea Takes on the World,” Associate Professor of Political Science and Criminal Justice Woojin Kang, and Professor of Criminal Justice Dr. Won-Jae Lee. KEI holds multiple informational conferences every year, Bechtol said. The conference was not linked to or caused by a current event in particular, he said. “[KEI was] able to do one with Angelo State this year,” Bechtol said, “and it’s particularly compelling because of the fact that there are some quite interesting events that have occurred in both China and Korea in recent months.” ASU affiliated with KEI within the past few months, Kang said. KEI is one of the most prestigious institutes in Washington, D.C. for Korean politics and economy.

Photos Courtesy of Jennifer Johnson

(Left) Dale Mantey, Jennifer Johnson, Heather Valle, Kelly McFerren, Joe Galbadon Jr., Roger Quintana, Martha Esquivel and Mary Jones show ram horns in front of a house they volunteered to paint in New Orleans over Spring Break. (Top to bottom) Roger Quintana paints a back porch frame. Martha Esquivel takes a break from painting.

Best Little Whorehouse

in Texas

Photo by Pam Belcher

Greg Scarlatoiu talks about relations between North Korea and China.

Photo courtesy of Matt Smith

Friday, March 25, 2011

Could a nuclear accident affect us? Reactors: West Texas in one of safest regions of country

Mark McDaniel Staff Writer Some question the safety of nuclear power after the catastrophic earthquake and tsunami that damaged nuclear reactors in Japan. Should a nuclear disaster occur in Texas, is San Angelo safe? Director of Center for Security Studies Dr. Robert Ehlers said San Angelo is in one of the safest regions in the country in terms of potential dangers from nuclear reactors. “First of all, in West Texas there are no nuclear reactors close by,” Ehlers said. “For West Texas to suffer any significant radiological effects, there would to be a massive release of an [airborne radiation] at a fairly high concentrated level for a fairly long amount of time in a jet stream.” The only ways for such a large amount of radiation to reach San Angelo would be a total meltdown of a reactor west of Texas or in nuclear arms exchange with another country, Ehlers said. “[Radiation reaching San Angelo from a meltdown] is really impossible, given the amount of radiation that can be released,” Ehlers said. “In terms of the nuclear arms exchange, San Angelo is certainly no better off, but no worse off than any other place in the country.” Ehlers

Nuclear reach San Angelo

ASU is approximately 200 miles from the closest nuclear plant. At this distance, it is safe in the case of a nuclear accident.

Dark Red

The air in this 10 mile radius would not be safe to breathe.

Light Red

The food and water in this 50-mile radius, including Forth Worth, Weatherford and Stephenville, would not be safe to use. Information from CNN

said that although the odds of a meltdown are very slim, it is possible the Comanche Peak reactor near Fort Worth could have problems. “There will be warning time to get people out of the area,” he said. “Reactors don’t melt down in a matter of hours.” Ehlers said Japan was aware of the risks involved even

Informational Graphic by Tim Lester

though the chances of any problems were extraordinarily low. “The fact of the matter is that the Japanese have a very good track record in terms of the safety of their nuclear facilities,” Ehlers said. “This is the sole exception, and this was caused by a 9.0 earthquake on the Richter scale, which is massive.” Japan, a country without any oil or major natural resources, is willing to take the risks necessary to supply its citizens with energy, Ehlers said. “The big question is, should the American people tolerate a certain amount of risk to get a certain amount of energy? ” Ehlers said. He said younger generations, which include ASU students, should use the Japan tragedy as a tool to assess the risks associated with alternative energy sources and with our current energy production methods. “I think that nuclear energy is not as dangerous as it is hyped up to be,”

sophomore Dillon Dees said. “Judging by the number of problems they have had, it seems much safer and more environmentally responsible than oil or coal.” Ehlers said energy is the single most sustaining factor of prosperity and safety in the United States today, and in order to retain the standard of living we are used to, we must think past oil and gas to more sustainable resources. Events like Chernobyl and Three Mile Island still linger in the minds of many Americans when the nuclear energy debate is brought up, Ehlers said, and they are the cause of many misconceptions with nuclear energy today. These events were caused almost entirely by human error. While many Americans are still not open to the idea of more nuclear reactors, it is imperative that they are responsible with energy production, Ehlers said. “What you should be thinking about, as a young American who has to deal with things that the generation before you screwed up so badly, is what are the acceptable levels of risk you’re willing to take with the nuclear energy program, with oil exploration and drilling and the exploitation [of natural resources]?” Ehlers said.

Page 4

Campus News

Friday, March 25, 2011

Tommy Janusz, President, Ram Powerlifting

Major: Kinesiology Classification: Senior Music: “I like punk rock mainly,” Janusz said. Frequented Website: Facebook, Craigslist and eBay Hobbies: “I like to read, and occasionally be artsy and draw and paint,” Janusz said. Restaurant: “Franco’s – the chicken topatios with lettuce and cabbage,” Ramirez said.

with

Ram Powerlifting

and

Tommy Janusz

Photo by Tim Lester

Ram Powerlifting

Purpose: It’s, upfront, a competitive sport for men and women, but it also exists to build camaraderie with others. Events: “March 31, we will be competing in the Collegiate Nationals with four of our lifters,” Janusz said. Eligibility: “We follow most NCAA rules for athletes – you have to be a full-time student, passing your classes, and be clean of any drugs,” Janusz said. Advice: “Find someone to show you how to squat to protect your knees,” Janusz said. “Those are the knees you are going to have for the rest of your life, so take care of them.”

News Briefs Businesses vandalized Someone broke store windows at Sealy Flatts, Eggemeyers and Main St. Furniture late March 21 or early March 22. Two vehicles near Shannon Hospital, one belonging to a Shannon employee, also were reported broken.

Teacher Job Fair When: March 30, 9 a.m to noon Where: Junell Center Who: Open to all candidates for graduation receiving a teacher certification Contact: Career Development Center Phone: 325-942-2255 e-mail: career.development@angelo.edu

Ram TV renovations to support university

Secrets of the Sun What: Planetarium show When: March 24 to May 6 Where: Vincent Science Contact: Planetarium Phone: 325-942-2188

“It’s connecting ASU to the community.”

New set: Simulates real newsroom

Senior Recital When: March 31, 7:30 to 9 p.m. Where: Dr. Eldon U. Black Recital Hall Who: Alisha Bailey Admission: Free Contact: Jaxine Boling E-mail: jaxine.boling@angelo.edu

Photo by Ashley Romo

Ram TV will possibly showcase the new studio set Monday.

Megan Ellis Staff Writer Ram TV completed additions and renovations to its studio on March 22 and hope to start using it Monday. Ram TV installed a new set to work with high definition equipment. Dr. Shawn Wahl, head of the Department of Communication, Mass Media and Theatre Department, said this renovation will help others outside of the department. “It allows us to support the overall capability of the university to where it’s not a renovation in a new set that just works for our department, but it’s also

Dr. Shawn Wahl, CMMT head something that we can partner with other departments in terms of distance education,” said Wahl. The Department of Communications, Mass Media, and Theatre will be able to serve many departments and partner with centers and other components at the university, Wahl said. “It’s also connecting ASU to the community,” Wahl said. “That’s something that’s really important to us - we can not only serve our students, but also

partner with the community in distributing information that’s useful for education, cultural issues, or anything that’s relevant to citizens of the Concho Valley.” Before the renovations, the set was very old and in need of a makeover. “All of our sets were fairly outdated,” Senior Jens Clayson said. “Anyone who has been in the studio can tell you that.” The new set will benefit students in their job search after college, Clayson said.

“When students come to the point where they need to make portfolios for senior seminar classes and resumes, I’m sure many of them will try to use projects involving the new set.” Senior Amanda Pape remembers watching interviews from the past and seeing their old set in all of the videos. She said they all look very outdated. “The new set will help establish ASU’s advancement in new technology and will be much more professional,” Pape said. The renovations are more closely simulating a real newsroom, Wahl said. “We believe that this enhances the overall experiences our students have when you compare the ASU Communication, Mass Media and Television experience to other institutions.”

Student Government’s

new home Student Government is now located in the basement level of the Houston Harte University Center.

“I, personally, am excited that SGA is located in the CSI office now. I feel our new location is a good change.”

The SGA office had its grand opening Tuesday, March 22.

Photo by Pam Belcher

- Jennifer Lovett, Election Commissioner, Student Government Association

Oil prices to remain high if U.S. remains dependent Continued from Page 1 “Because we’re so intertwined with them economically, we can’t afford for oil not to flow to those parts of the world because of the economic ramifications,” he said. The U.S. has put itself in the same kind of situation because it does not drill enough of its own oil, Ehlers said. Congress

has chosen to do nothing about the U.S.’s own large, untapped oil reserves since 1974. There are massive quantities of oil in the Gulf of Mexico, which can be reached through all kinds of new drilling techniques, he said. However, many people are afraid further drilling may cause more massive oil spills. “The reality is, there was a

“The reality is, there was a $500,000 backup shut-off valve that was required in every major country of the world, but somehow, our environmental protection agency didn’t require that.” Dr. Robert Ehlers, director, Center for Security Studies

$500,000 backup shut-off valve that was required in every major country of the world,” he said, “but somehow our environmental protection agency didn’t require that.” Prices will continue to go up as long as the federal government does not figure out how to deal with this problem. “It takes some strategy, some thinking, some toughness to develop your own oil,” Ehlers said. “We haven’t done that.” The U.S. will always be dependent on the rest of the world’s oil supplies because it cannot supply all of its own oil, he said. However, it can decrease its requirements dramatically. Drilling oil is not necessarily

a dangerous or dirty business, Ehlers said. “By not drilling our own oil and taking a slight risk, we are allowing a lot of countries to sell us oil when those countries are producing oil in unbelievably dirty ways, spilling all over the place and wrecking the environment,” Ehlers said. “It’s a disaster. It’s a very complex problem, but at the end of the day, it’s a supply-and-demand issue and an availability-stability issue. “So oil prices will continue to go up in this country as long as we remain unnecessarily and highly dependent on the rest of the world’s oil supplies.” “If people want to live with a very high standard of living and get oil at affordable prices,

then they have to deal with Saudi Arabia,” Ehlers said. “You pay their prices.” To lock in a price for oil for weeks ahead of time, the country has to pay a higher price. “So the worse things get, the more oil [prices are] going to go up,” Ehlers said. Another factor in rising oil prices is other countries’ developing economies. China and India, which have 2.3 billion people together, have put a huge demand on every kind of commodity, Ehlers said. Prices go up along with demand and consumption. “Everything’s interconnected,” Ehlers said. “Oil is no exception.”

Friday, March 25, 2011

Page 5

Financial Aid to simplify scholarship application Update: Eliminate ‘hurdles,’ paperwork

Mark McDaniel Staff Writer

Photo Illustration by Ashley Romo

English department introduces creative writing minor, course Subhead: subhead subhead subhead

Megan Ellis Staff Writer The ASU English department will offer a new creative writing minor and course beginning in the fall. English Department Head Dr. Laurence Musgrove said that the new minor will be available to all students of any major or concentration. “We began to offer this minor so that students in other majors with an interest in creative writing might gain additional practice in writing poetry and fiction,” said Musgrove.

There is also a hope that with these new programs, there will be more submissions to the student literary and arts magazine, Oasis, he said. There are four creative writers in the English department who will teach the classes in the creative writing minor: Terry Dalrymple, Chris Ellery, John Wegner, and Musgrove. All four of these professors have published works of creative writing, Musgrove said. The new creative writing course, English 2328: Introduction to Literature and Creative Writing will fulfill the sophomore literature requirement for the core curriculum, Musgrove said.

Dalrymple and Musgrove will teach the class. “In addition to fulfilling that requirement, it provides students interested in creative writing with some fundamental theory and practice of writing poetry and fiction,” Dalrymple said. “It is beneficial because it offers another option for students with a creative inclination – those students whose inclination is to respond to experience both analytically and imaginatively.” The new course will focus on reading of literary texts, terminology, analysis, creative writing, theory, discussion, and practice of methods for creating original, imaginative work, he said.

The financial aid office plans to eliminate the universal application for all scholarships next year to make the application process easier for students. Under the old system, students who did not apply for specific scholarships were unable to receive any benefits, Bennett said. Without filling out an application, all students are eligible for the scholarships they meet the criteria for, as long as their correct information is in the system. “In the past there was a Carr Academic Scholarship application, a general scholarship application, and, depending on which department you are applying with, there were probably 14 or 15 different applications,” Director of Financial Aid Michelle Bennett said. “In 2009 and 2010, ASU [Board of Regents] mandated that we start eliminating hurdles,” Bennett said. “If we know what the qualifications are for students, why are we making students fill out these pieces of paper?” She said one of the biggest complaints received is that students did not know an application existed. Bennett said the university is able to each student to the scholarships to for which they qualify because possible because the students’ information is already in the database.

“For 98 percent of the scholarships students apply for here at ASU, we can already identify who is in the applicant pool without making our students fill out any papers,” Bennett said Some students are happy that the scholarship application process is finally easier. “It sounds like it will save us a lot of time,” junior Kaitlin Murphy said. “I’m just glad we won’t have to jump through so many hoops to receive our scholarships.” Other students seem wary of solely relying on computer systems to get the job done. “My main concern is that they’re going to get my information right in making sure they enter me for the correct scholarships,” sophomore Rachel Pyle said. “Also, it seems to me that it would make it harder to receive a scholarship because more people are in the running for it.” Bennett said Financial Aid can only award scholarships to the number of students that school funding allows. This concept is not new, as the financial aid department has been trying to scale back the application process for several years now, Bennett said. “This upcoming year, however, is our first year to be applicationfree,” Bennett said. She said that in the current school year, there was a general scholarship application and there were a few residual applications in different departments, but moving into the award period for next year there will be no application.

Survey shows some student demand for campus daycare Continued from Page 1

Photo Illustration by Pam Belcher

Pecina said the first survey showed there was support for the service, however, few students actually needed it. Faculty and staff make up a majority of the need for child care, according to the survey. Depsite that majority, Pecina said student demand would take priority over faculty and staff demand. “Our focus is students who are trying to go to college and trying to give them opportunity to do so,” Pecina said. “If there was a limit on the amount of children we could have based on the size of the space we had, I would guess that all the priority would go to students.”

2011-2012

Ram Page

Apply on the third floor

of the

Porter Henderson Library,

The daycare would function like a regular daycare, except it would be on campus and would most likely be subsidized through extra funds tacked on to every student’s tuition, Pecina said. “I think it would be a great thing for students who cannot afford a normal daycare,” sophomore Jordan Hunt said. “I would definitely be willing to contribute a specific amount of money each semester to help support it.” Other students however feel that it is not worth the time or money. “I feel that the current ratio of students without kids to the students with kids just does not warrant a school-funded day-

care,” sophomore Casey Lily said. Many students seem to be in the middle of the road on the debate. “People with children need to go to school too, but they need money to be able to do that,” freshman Evan Walters said. “But if we take a step back and look at it pragmatically, it depends on the ratio of those who have children and those who don’t, and how much each student would contribute per semester.” Pecina said it is not as simple as finding a room for kids and hiring people to look after them, and most people do not realize how technical it really is.

STANDING UP FOR YOURSELF IS STRONG. STANDING UP FOR YOUR COUNTRY IS ARMY STRONG.

OfficeB324

midnightrodeosanangelo.com Friday, March 25th

Friday April 1st

granger moonshine band smith WEDNESDAYS Jb and the

Starting March 30th

MISS contest

3 X $150

CASH WEEKLY!

The U.S. Army has defended our country for more than 230 years. And built character and strength in its soldiers for just as long. When you join the most respected ground force in the world, you can expect no less. You’ll train in one of more than 150 career fields and develop leadership skills for life. You could even be eligible for enlistment bonuses and money for college. To find out more, visit your local recruiter, log on to goarmy.com or call 1-800-USA-ARMY.

Friday, March 25, 2011

Page 6

Staff Editorial

Headline here for an awesome editorial We think Planned Parenthood should continue to receive federal funding. The biggest factor in many people’s opinions on this matter is whether or not they support abortion practices. However, we think the deciding factor in this should not regard abortion. Abortion is already legal. Rep. Mike Pence of Indiana explicitly stated that his effort to cut all funding for Planned Parenthood is based on his pro-life beliefs. We do not necessarily disagree with his values—actually, some of us are against abortion—but

the passing of this bill would hurt the many people who use Planned Parenthood’s services, many of which are not abortion services. It is not a matter of opinion that Planned Parenthood supplies birth control and parenthood awareness to everyone who needs and seeks it. The government should support that. If funding were to be cut, it should be cut because of budgetary issues, not because of differing opinions. Planned Parenthood offers many other services including pregnancy testing, STD

Staff Vote: 8-1

testing and treatment, birth control, emergency contraception, and information about sexual health, relationships, gender and sexual orientation, diseases, and pregnancy. It seems as though Planned Parenthood is being depicted as a center that encourages and only performs abortions, which is obviously not true. Many people need federal assistance to get the services and treatments for their health. Personal beliefs should not block thousands from access to vital reproductive health care and sex education.

What do you think the university should do about ‘floaters’?

Non-scientific poll from www.asurampage.com

Words from the Web from Issue 14, published March 11

Floaters, get out of the way! In the time that someone spends sitting, waiting for a spot to open up, they could have very well parked, walked and made it to their destination quicker. Not to mention, sitting there is a waste of gas, who can afford that? Not to mention it’s very rude. Anonymous

Each car should be installed with a “floatalyzer”, a GPS device that starts a timer when the vehicle is floating in a lot. Once the timer hits zero, the driver is hit with a mild electric shock to encourage them to drive on. Anonymous GO AROUND!!! ANOTHER ROW!!!

USE

Anonymous

Contribute

Letter to the Editor Column writing News writing Cartoon (325) 942-2323 Photography rampage@angelo.edu Comments LIB B324

Sidewalk

Survey How do you feel about Planned Parenthood possibly losing its federal funding?

“It’s OK if they lose it. I am against abortion. It will call for parents to step up or be more careful with their sex lives.”

“It is not good because people will lose their support and there will be disease – that will hurt our future.”

“I am fine with the idea. It is not the government’s place.”

“I am not really biased because they are helping out future mothers, but I do not believe in abortion whatsoever.”

“It is not good to take away federal funding from an organization that helps young parents learn to take care of their children.”

Nathanial Redic, freshamn

Logan Kinkade, Staff freshamn

Grant Thornbrugh, graduate student

Marissa Saulnier, sophomore

AJ Woehl, junior

Ram Page 2010-2011 Angelo State University

Headline heeeerrreeeeee

Editor: Scott Dykowski Managing Editor: Tim Lester Copy Editor: Dana Choi Photo Editor: Ashley Romo I do not know why they Sports CoEditor: Andy do those things, so I canAtterbury not offer any suggestions Sports Co-Editor: Lauren as to what could be done Wilde Features Editor:about Mariahbullies. What I do know is Powell kidsHelms who are victimized Online Editor: Jason onMca regular basis need Staff Writer: Mark support. I know—that is Daniel so obvious. But if it is so Staff Writer: Megan Ellis Photographer: Pam Belcher why do people obvious, Cartoonist: Dana so Choi seldom reach out to Circulation Manager: Jamin Goecker Dana Choi them? Advertising Manager: Sara Beth Criner Copy Editor I cannot speak for evAdviser: Dr. Cathy Johnson eryone, as everyone has

If there are two things different experiences and Page in theRam world I will prob- different ways of dealing ASU Station ably never #10895 understand, with problems, but when San they Angelo, areTexas76909-0895 the string theory I was a kid, I could not and bullies. tell my parents about my Editor: rampage@angelo.edu I am lucky because I problems because I did Managing Editor: rampagenews@angelo.edu have not had to deal with not want them to worry. Features Editor: rampagefeatures@angelo.edu bullies since I was twelve. The last thing I needed Advertising: rampageads@angelo.edu However, I still feel a kind was added stress. I did despair for kids today not think telling any of Editor: (325)of 942-2323 who are still stuck. my teachers would help Newsroom: (325) 942-2134 I do not know what because a lot of the haAdvertising: (325) 942-2040 goes through bullies’ rassment occurred right Fax: (325) 942-2551 minds whenofthey spread under their noses. Getting Member rumors, yell hurtful involved, for them, probnames from across the ably entailed annoying room, purposefully kick legal issues and extra pathe chair of the person perwork. in front of them, or pick Even when I did get physical fights with some- “help” from a more auone who looks weaker. thoritative figure, the

most the other child got was a slap on the wrist (if you could even call it that). I got a half-assed apology and absolutely nothing changed. One of the things that may have helped me and probably others greatly is simply knowing there were people in the world other than bullies. (Seriously, teachers need to intervene.) Why am I writing about this now? Well, even though I am now a young adult, go to col-

Instant Noodles

PUBLISHING POLICY

Published every Friday and available to students, one copy per student, the student newspaper of Angelo State University is a public forum, with its student editorial board making all decisions concerning its contents. Unsigned editorials express the views of the majority of the editorial board. Ram Page welcomes all letters. Please include your name, classification/position and a phone number and/or e-mail address for verification purposes. Letters must be signed and be no more than 350 words. The paper reserves the right to edit letters for grammar and clarity, and all letters are subject to laws governing obscenity, libel and privacy. Deadline is 5 p.m., Monday. Submission does not guarantee publication. Letters may be mailed, e-mailed or submitted at the newspaper’s office, Room 324 on the third floor of the Porter Henderson Library. Opinions in letters are not necessarily those of the staff, nor should any opinion expressed in a public forum be construed as the opinion or policy of the administration, unless so attributed.

What’s

lege, and no longer have to deal with bullies, I still ocassionally see or hear of somesome being seriously harassed. I think, there is no reason anyone should have to go through that. I am sure most people have had some experience with this problem. Can we all try to make a difference? Raise bully awareness and remember: a few random acts of kindness can go a long way.

Dana Choi

Comment with your thoughts on Planned Parenthood funding & other issues at

www.asurampage.com

mind

Features

Friday, March 25, 2011

Page 7

Students take on death penalty Mariah Powell Features Editor A group of college and high school students spent a day of their Spring Break in Austin to participate in “Day of Innocence” on March 16. People against the death penalty lobbied Texas legislators and rallied outside the capitol. ASU students have their own opinion on the death penalty and how things should be handled. “Who are we to decide who lives and dies?” freshman Shon Neyland said. “I am against [the death penalty], and would have rallied in Austin. if I knew about it.” Freshman Lauren Landon is from New York, where the death penalty was abolished in 2007. “Under certain circumstances the death penalty is reasonable,” Landon said. “If someone goes out and shoots 30 people, showing that he is a mass murderer, then yes maybe he should [be killed].” She said if the killing was accidental it should not count against the person as involuntary manslaughter. The Texas Penal Code section 49.08 says, “If a person is intoxicated and by reason of that intoxication causes the death of another person, he is guilty of intoxication manslaughter, a second-degree felony.” Landon said she would participate in a rally if cases were not being looked into good enough and the death penalty had no restrictions. According to stopexecutions.blogspot.com, six

death row exonerees made up the discussion panel for “Day of Innocence” in the Texas Capitol. They had previously spent years on death row for crimes they had not committed. Freshman Christine Rawlins said people who commit crimes worthy of death deserve to die. “I agree with the death penalty to a certain extent,” Rawlins said. “We cannot pretend to be God and determine who lives and dies, but the world would be better if some people did not exist.” She said they are wasting state money if they are sentenced to life. “We are already in debt, and money should not have to be spent on them,” Rawlins said. Rawlins said rallying is safe as long as violence is not involved. Sophomore Jordan Greene said it depends on the severity level of the crime. “If someone murders a family they deserve the death penalty,” Greene said. “However, things like child molestation deserve life in prison.” Senior Jeremy Bell said it is a moral choice of individuals and he would not want to be the one deciding upon someone else’s life. He said it seems like an easy way to control the population in prison based on the severity of crime. “I am glad the death penalty exists, but I would not want to be the one to enforce it,” Bell said. “There is a multitude of people that we can say deserves the death penalty, but should people really have the right to say rather someone else should die or not?”

“I am glad the death penalty exists, but I would not want to be the one to enforce it.”

-senior Jeremy Bell

ASU Events

Tell us what you think about death penalty at

asurampage.com or find us on Facebook.

March 26: James M. Varnadore

Memorial Scholarship Fundraiser Picnic will take place from 4 - 11 p.m. at the lake house on 1925 Beatty Road. This event is to remember James Varnadore, a Geology student that passed away January in a car accident. There will be live music and a 5 p.m. brisket dinner. Donations are encouraged for the scholarship.

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Rodrick Rules

Starring: Zachary Gordon, Devon Bostick, Robert Capron, Steve Zahn, Rachael Harris Genre: Comedy, Drama

Sucker Punch

Reception and Showcase Concert, the

Starring: Vanessa Hudgens, Emily Browning, Jamie Chung, Jena Malone, Abbie Cornish Genre: Action/Adventure, SciFi/ Fantasy, Suspense/Thriller

March 29: F.A.M.E Art Gallery

March 30: Air Force ROTC: Pass in

Review Parade will be from 4 - 5 p.m. on the band practice field.

Club Cafe presents comedian Donald Glover from 7:30 - 9 p.m. in the C.J. David-

son Center. Student tickets are $2 and on sale now. Admission is $5 to the the general public starting March 28 - 30. The first 120 audience members will receive a free Club Café coffee mug.

reception will be held in the art gallery from 5 - 7 p.m. and the concert in the C.J. Davidson Center. The concert is from 7 - 9 p.m., admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students and seniors.

Yo-yoing recaptures minds Mariah Powell Features Editor Said to be over 2,000 years old, the yo-yo has decided to “Loop the Loop” back to Angelo State. Senior Bryce Parsons said he found a yo-yo he bought at Hastings and decided to play with it. “When I bought it a couple of years ago I thought it would be fun to get back into yo-yoing, but I didn’t,” Parsons said. “After finding it in January, I kept it out and

started throwing it to get my accuracy back.” Parsons still has yo-yos that he plays with from when he was a kid. “I had a blast yo-yoing about 11 years ago and I was pretty good at it,” Parsons said. “I have a ton of free time and I try to find ways to fill that free time. I am really good at learning and relearning things, so to eliminate that boredom, I decided to make use of that time.” He said his goal is to learn fancy tricks with his yo-yos.

Loop the Loop Over the Shoulder Rock the Baby Elevator Forward Pass Rewind Hop the Fence Motorcycle World Tour Rattle Snake Gravity Pull Warp Drive

How many can you do?

A couple of yo -yo tricks

Find more at www.howtoyoyo.com

“I want to learn some of the tricks that will really earn me some respect with the yo-yo pros,” Parsons said. “Some are basic, but I have not quite mastered them.” Sophomore Reginald Levingston said he found a yoyo outside of his car last week. He said he is just getting readjusted to the yoyo before working on his skills. “I hadn’t played with a yoyo since I was 8 years old until now,” Levingston said. “Finding it was random, but I’m going to keep playing with it.”

Friday, March 25, 2011

Page 8

Staff Editorial

Consider this: a four-day week 2/14/2011 “The University should go to a 4 days a week -10 hour days work week. This would save huge amounts of energy as there would be no heating or cooling required for most buildings. Since schedules are being built now this suggestion should be looked at now. Exceptions to the 4 day work week would need to be Admissions and certain other admin offices such as student accounts.” Taken from UBAT “drop box” We think the university should consider the possibility of a four-day week. A comment left for the University Budget Advisory Team, Feb. 14, suggested the univer-

sity switch to four days a week, 10 work hours a day. According to TIME, Utah experimented with this format and saw success. While retaining the schedule resulted in less commuting and lower utility bills. On top of this, applied to ASU, students can benefit. We do not think this change would significantly affect workload for students, if Monday/ Wednesday/Friday classes were altered to mirror Tuesday/Thursday classes. In fact, a whole extra day to study or do homework might make it hard for some students to excuse themselves from academic obligations. This is not to say that no one will take advantage of the new system, but responsible students would put the extra day to good use.

Staff Vote: 8-2 The university is always encouraging students to be more involved on campus. A Friday or Monday off would allow just that. Why not join a few clubs when you have extra time to participate? Fewer days for classes could help students who commute from out of town, especially with today’s gas prices. On the other end, this would also allow students an extra day to travel. Students with jobs could work a full work day instead of having to take up a weekend day to get more hours, and would not need to request as much time off. The university should at least consider the possibilities. Make Thursday the new Friday!

Words from the Web from Issue 14, published March 11

Floaters, get out of the way!

In the time that someone spends sitting, waiting for a spot to open up, they could have very well parked, walked and made it to their destination quicker. Not to mention, sitting there is a waste of gas, who can afford that? Not to mention it’s very rude. Anonymous

What do you think the university should do about ‘floaters’? 6%

Lower the cost of ‘D’ permits so more students will buy them.

Nothing, ‘floaters’ are not that big of an issue.

24%

GO AROUND!!! ANOTHER ROW!!!

USE

Contribute

Convert the ‘D’ lots to general use lots to open up more parking.

47%

Anonymous

Create a policy to limit the amount of time someone can ‘float.’

24%

Non-scientific poll from www.asurampage.com

Letter to the Editor Column writing News writing Cartoon (325) 942-2323 Photography rampage@angelo.edu Comments LIB B324

Sidewalk

Survey How do you feel about gas prices? Why do you think they are so high?

“They are ridiculously high! Because the government wants more money.”

“They are not great, but it’s better than three or four years ago. Greedy oil producers.”

“Upset. I am upset with the OPEC nations. I think they just want more money.”

“They are too high. Wish they were fifty cents a gallon again, like way back in the day. The government wants too much money.”

“It is too high. I fear it is so high because of our economy and how far we are in debt.”

Lauren Pecor, freshman

Aaron Babinski, freshamn

Charles Scammel, junior

Kirstyn Pulis, freshman

Marissa Sellman, junior

Ram Page Staff

Our generation’s tool

2010-2011 Angelo State University

Editor: Scott Dykowski Managing Editor: Tim Lester Copy Editor: Dana Choi Photo Editor: Ashley Romo Sports Co-Editor: Andy Atterbury Sports Co-Editor: Lauren Wilde Features Editor: Mariah Powell Online Editor: Jason Helms Staff Writer: Mark McDaniel Staff Writer: Megan Ellis Photographer: Pam Belcher Cartoonist: Dana Choi Circulation Manager: Jamin Goecker Advertising Manager: Sara Beth Criner Adviser: Dr. Cathy Johnson Ram Page ASU Station #10895 San Angelo, Texas76909-0895 Editor: rampage@angelo.edu Managing Editor: rampagenews@angelo.edu Features Editor: rampagefeatures@angelo.edu Advertising: rampageads@angelo.edu Editor: (325) 942-2323 Newsroom: (325) 942-2134 Advertising: (325) 942-2040 Fax: (325) 942-2551 Member of The Texas Tech University System Associated Collegiate Press Texas Intercollegiate Press Association

PUBLISHING POLICY

Scott Dykowski Editor-in-Chief They call them the Class of 2011. The generation of people our age causing reform and revolution throughout the Middle East and Africa. Yet you don’t see young adults in America making contributions of the same magnitude to their nation. What makes those young adults so different? The truth is, while there are a range of differences, the tool they utilized to accomplish such magnificent feats is one they have in common with us. Social networking.

In the 17th and 18th century, the introduction of newspapers and pamphlets provided individuals with the means to start revolutions in America and Europe, which helped spread democracy. The same trends, high food prices and high unemployment rates among young adults, incited these revolutions. Today, we see young adults inciting change through social media. We use social networking to keep up with

accomplish if we were as driven as they are. After all, there are a number of things in the United States or even at ASU, that we, as a generation, are unsatisfied with. I often hear students commit to wishful thinking, but not to using the tools as they have, such as Facebook and Twitter. Do we need to wait until our food prices and unemployment rates are even higher in the US? Lets take advantage of the tools given to us now.

Vintage Laughs 2004

What’s

friends, share our lives and creep on people by looking at their pictures. They use social networking to spread news, inform people of plans and encourage each other to continue in hopes that world leaders, such as Hosni Mubarak, will step down. They have been astoundingly successful. While I think that (and am a huge fan of) keeping up with friends is a vital role in social networking that we should continue, I wonder what we could

Winston Hall

Comment with your thoughts on the rise in gas prices & other issues at

www.asurampage.com

mind

Sports

Friday, March 25, 2011

ASU wins over Incarnate Word

‘Belles perform top notch Track: Senior claims indi-

vidual indoor national title

Softball: Rambelles have out-

Andy Atterbury Sports Co-Editor

standing overall record of 25-2 Andy Atterbury Sports Co-Editor Nationally ranked No. 1 ‘Belle softball won a three-game Lone Star Conference series against Incarnate Word 2-1 on March 18 and 19. In the first game the Cardinals (16-11) (33) took down the girls 5-1. “We had a rough first inning,” Head Coach Travis Scott said. “[They] had a couple bloops fall, but give them some credit – they hit some base hits hard.” The ‘Belles (25-2) (4-1) were down 3-1 after one inning and only mustered two hits in the game. Sophomore shortstop Chelsey Walters produced both hits for the girls and finished 2-3 with one run on the day. “We couldn’t quite rebound from the first inning,” Scott said. “I thought we did a good job after that. We played solid from there on, we just couldn’t get the breaks.” Saturday was a different story for the ‘Belles. Angelo State took Game One of the double-header 4-1. Angelo State took a 2-0 lead after junior third baseman Elsamartina Apo hit a twoRBI single. The ‘Belles added another run on a fielding error to take a 3-0 lead after four innings. Junior southpaw Claire Molina (100) threw a complete game with six strikeouts and only one earned run. The ‘Belles were down 3-2 in the bottom of the seventh inning in Game Two until sophomore catcher Kacie Easley hit a two-

In her final race as a Rambelle senior Andria Nussey made school history by claiming Angelo State’s first ever individual indoor national title in the 800-meter run at the National Championships Saturday.

Photo by Ashley Romo Freshman Morgan Spearman awaits the next pitch against Texas A&M International on March 6.

out, two-RBI double that bounced out of the diving outfielders glove to win the game 4-2. “I was just trying to put it in play,” Easley said. “I’ve been hitting the ball well all weekend, and I just wanted to hit a base hit to keep the rally going. When it hit her glove I was so upset, because we weren’t catching a lot of breaks, but then when it dropped I was overcome with excitement.” Next on the ‘Belles’ plate is another threegame conference series against Tarleton State in Stephenville March 25 and 26. “It’s the Lone Star South, no one expected it to be easy,” Scott said. “Nobody has pushed the panic button around here.”

Photo courtesy of Athletic Communications Andria Nussey

“It was really unbelievable,” Nussey said. “Nothing about being an athlete is easy, but when you achieve something like this it makes it worthwhile.” Nussey started off the race boxed in and on the last lap she

Track: Jr. long jumps

second best in the nation Andy Atterbury Sports Co-Editor

Photo by Ashley Romo Freshamn Dylan Walter perfects his high jump at practice on Wednesday afternoon.

nior Andrea Edwards’ 45.95-meter throw brought her first place in the hammer throw. “[The meet was] very productive,” junior sprinter and jumper Trevor Rogers said. “I liked the results and we had a good turnout.” Rogers posted the second-best long jump distance in the nation so far this season with his 7.53 meter jump. Senior jumper and thrower Tyler Orlando took first in the pole vault with a 4.72-meter vault and javelin with his 57.83-meter throw. Sophomore Mark Slone’s 15.90-meter triple jump brought first place for the Rams, along with junior Nick Alejandro’s 15.71-meter shot put. Senior Wade Goode’s discus throw was good for 47.32 meters and first place, and Alejandro won first with his 48.65-meter hammer throw. Reid said many of the track and field athletes are ahead of where they were last year. “Our focus is always conference meet and the national meet,” Reid said. “I feel like we took a lot of good C

Photo by Ashley Romo Senior Brian Holik practices his hurdles.

CMY

Junior jumper Kelsey Wilson took first place with her 3.77-meter pole vault and sophomore Kimberly Williams won first in shot put with 13.88 meters. Freshman thrower Marquisia Elam threw her discus 44.51 meters for first place and ju-

moved herself to the front and held off the other runners to take the event at the NCAA Division II Indoor track and field championships

“Nothing about being an athlete is easy, but when you achieve something like this it makes it worthwhile.”

Men, women earn second Angelo State track and field competed at the IBC Cactus Cup in Kingsville Texas on March 19. Both the men’s and women’s team brought home second place and posted seven NCAA qualifying marks. “We had a really good meet,” Head Coach James Reid said. “It was kind of hard during the meet because so many things were going on at once. But when I started going back and looking through the results, we had our highest number of qualifiers at any one meet this year. I think that shows a lot.” On the women’s side, sophomore sprinter and hurdler Bree Bennett won first in the 100 meter hurdles with a time of 13.90. Bennett, alongside freshman Tiffany Wilcox, sophomore Theresa Sue and senior Makayla Meyers ran the 4x100 meter relay in 48.24 to secure first place.

Page 9

steps in that direction everywhere – on the track, on the throws and on the jumps.” Angelo State will host a Spring Break Multi-Event March 24 and 25. It will feature heptathlon and decathlon events, and sophomore Shane Holmes, sophomore Junior Carrasco and freshman Donald McCarthy will participate for the Rams. The team will head to Denton on March 26 for the North Texas Mean Green Twilight meet. “Everyone just wants to improve on our marks,” Rogers said. “We did decent, but we can do a lot better. If all goes well you should see me at the USA Olympic Trials.”

-Sr. Andria Nussey

with a time of 2:10.42. “I have been on a national championship team, but as an individual it’s somehow different,” Nussey said. “I don’t really know what was going through my mind.” Senior Chrystal Ruiz set personal bests in every pentathlon event, including a 2:16.09 to set the 800-meter pentathlon record. Ruiz was edged out by Central Missouri’s Lindsay Lettow, who set the meet pentathlon record with 4,064 points. “I am proud of the outcome,” Ruiz said. “It’s hard to have personal best marks in every event for indoor; making runner up stings a bit more. But all in all, I competed and left it all on the line,” Ruiz said.” Freshman Kati Holly finished 12th overall in the high jump with a jump of 5’6”.

March Sadness

Andy Atterbury Sports Co-Editor

Around this time last year I changed my major to Bracketology. I failed out and had to take a year off, but I am back now and feeling good about college basketball again. I picked Notre Dame to win the 2010 NCAA Tournament on a gut feeling. How did the Fighting Irish reward me for having faith in them and picking a six-seed to win? They lost in the first round to underdog 11-seed Old Dominion. I haven’t been made fun of that much since I got locked in the bathroom as a seventh grader. But I wanted to be bold; I did not want to pick a favored team to go all the way. Where is the fun in that? Picking an upset in March Madness is like trying to go to the gym on a regular basis – easier said than done. I’m not the only person who gets ripped on for basketball failures. President Obama was heavily scrutinized for picking all one seeds and not taking enough risks in his bracket this year. Then again, people who care about the president’s bracket should be heavily scrutinized anyways. As it stands today my bracket is stunningly 28.6 percent correct. Eight of my sweet 16 picks are still alive, but that isn’t anything to brag about. Who did I pick to cut down the net this year? You guessed it – Notre Dame. They lost in the third round this time, so it’s not too bad. If I pick the Irish every year, the law of probability states that eventually they have to win, right? As terrible as I am at this whole bracket madness thing, I’m not even in last place in my group, which gives me hope for a brighter March in the future. But I am currently ranked 4230796 overall, which kind of hurts my feelings. I have a year to collect my thoughts and find myself, so hopefully by next March I’ll have college basketball figured out. Or I’ll just pick Notre Dame again.

Page 10

Friday, March 25, 2011

Sports

Ram baseball swings big during break Baseball: Rams vying for top spot in Lone Star Conference

Standings Baseball School

Incarnate Word Southwestern OK Tarleton St. Cameron Southeastern OK Angelo State WTAMU A&M- Kingsville Abilene Christian Central OK Eastern NM East Central Northeastern St.

Softball

Andy Atterbury Sports Co-Editor

Conf. Overall 13-5 15-6 12-6 10-5 10-5 11-7 9-6 10-8 7-8 6-12 3-12 3-15 2-16

16-8 20-8 17-7 17-8 13-10 17-12 18-8 13-11 14-11 11-14 5-16 7-20 3-20

School

Conf. Overall

Angelo State Abilene Christian Tarleton St. Texas Woman’s Incarnate Word WTAMU A&M- Kingsville Eastern NM

5-1 5-1 4-2-0 3-3 3-3 2-4

25-2 19-14 15-10-1 16-10 16-13 22-6

1-5 1-5

18-15 8-22

What to watch for:

3-25: Track vs Angelo State Spring Break Multi-event All day SB at Tarleton St. 3:00 pm BB vs Tarleton St. 7:00 pm 3-26: BB vs Tarleton St. (DH) 3:00/6:00 pm SB at Tarleton St. (DH) 12:00/2:00 pm Track at North Texas Mean Green Twilight All day

Ram baseball played nine games from March 11 through 20, seven of them against ranked teams, and posted a 6-3 record during Spring Break. The Rams swept a three-game series against No. 30 ranked Abilene Christian on March 11 and 12. “It was really good to go down there and sweep them,” Head Coach Kevin Brooks said. “They have never been swept at home in a conference series.” After three straight losses to the Rams, ACU dropped out of the top 30. “We definitely took care of business,” junior pitcher Bryant Rutledge said. “Our relief threw well, our starters threw well and our hitters did excellent.” Henderson State also fell victim to a Rams sweep. After two wins against the Reddies, Angelo State pushed their win streak to nine. “We had really good pitching and got timely hitting,” Brooks said. “We found ways to win like we have been doing.” The Rams went 1-3 in two doubleheaders against No. 11 ranked St. Mary’s to finish off the Spring Break schedule. “I thought we played really well during Spring Break,” Rutledge said, “It was a rough Spring Break. Not much being at home, a lot of traveling and a lot of late nights.” Currently the Rams sit at sixth place in the Lone Star Conference, but only two games separate them from conference No. 1 Incarnate Word. “It was fun winning,” Rutledge said. “Spring Break, baseball – it’s great.” Coach Brooks said nine games over the break were tough on the team. “We knew our whole stretch of March was really hard,” Brooks said. “We did a good job and won the first nine of them.” The Rams play a two-game series

Photo by Ashley Romo Junior Tate Allison scores another run for the Rams against Southeastern Oklahome on March 5.

against No. 28 ranked Southern Arkansas in Ft. Worth on March 22, and then come home for a conference match-up with Tarleton State. The first game of the series the “Pack the Park” promotion; first pitch is Friday at 7 p.m. “We’ve had good crowds,” Brooks said. “I think this is a fun team to watch.

Two finish top 20

Golf: Women prepare for Cal

“I was in the zone in the first round, everything went my way,” Czarnecki State Monterey Bay Tournament said. “In the second round, it seemed like Jason Helms nothing went my way, which happens Contributing Writer sometimes in golf,” she said. McCormick finished the tournament Two Rambelle golfers finished in the with a score of 159 (81 + 78), to finish tied Top 20 of the Midwestern State Invitationfor twentieth in the standings. al held at the Champions Course at Weeks Freshman Courtney Rutledge finished Park in Wichita Falls, Tuesday. just 15 strokes behind the tournament winner with 84 strokes on the first day with 78 on the second day, for a total of 162. Finishing just three strokes behind her was Senior Randee Stegman who shot rounds of 81 and 87, while Freshman Makenzie Stone finished with a total of 181 strokes (95 + 86). “I’m really proud of our team,” Stone said. “We never gave up, and nearly all of us improved our scores on the second day.” As a team, the Rambelles were just nine strokes behind the leaders, Northeastern State and host team Midwestern State, but their efforts Photo courtesy of Athletic Communications would not be Krista Czarnecki putts the ball. enough after Tuesday, Sophomores Krista Czarnecki and as they would finish ninth out of the 16 Maury McCormick finished the two-day teams that competed. tournament in sixteenth and twentieth, “Even though we probably could respectively. have done better, I’m still very proud of After Czarnecki’s impressive our team,” Czarnecki said. “Overall, I had 73-stroke opening round Monday, she ena lot of fun.” tered Tuesday’s final round as co-leader. The ‘Belles travel to Monterey Bay, However, she did not stay in the lead Calif. Saturday to compete in the Cal State as she finished Tuesday’s final round with Monterey Bay Tournament at the Black 84 strokes for a tournament total of 157, Horse Golf Course, March 27-29. just ten strokes behind the leader to finish sixteenth overall.

Hopefully we’ll have a big crowd [on Friday], they’ll come out and make some noise and help us win. There is nothing better than sitting out at a ballpark.” The Rams’ double-header against the Texans starts Saturday at 3 p.m.