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Martin Luther King Jr. p. 2 and 4
Belles basketball p. 6
Volume 79 Issue 15 Jan. 25, 2013
LifeLine Response plans to make its debut at ASU in a couple of weeks An advanced and modern way for students to stay safe Allison Price Managing Editor After months of existence, University Police prepares to launch a phone application that will ensure the safety of students, faculty and staff. ASU will be the first university in the country to deploy the LifeLine EDU safety app, University Police Chief James Adams said. Peter Cahill, creator of LifeLine Response, has worked on this project for two years and the result of his work is an iPhone and Android safety application available to the public. “I have had a series of personal events happen in my life, and I didn’t want those events to continue to happen,” Cahill said. “Nine months into development, I knew that this was something we had to get to the market quick.” LifeLine Response was put on the market in August of 2012 and was created to specifically prevent sexual assaults, abduction and rape from occurring, while simultaneously alerting the authorities as well as alerting friends and family of the user. “I asked myself, ‘What if there was a way I could stop [sexual assaults, attacks, etc.]?’ Not just reduce it but eliminate it completely,” Cahill said. “This app is strictly for someone who wants to be proactive about their safety.” There are two versions of the app, Cahill said. LifeLine Response is available to private citizens and LifeLine EDU is free and marketed for the education field, but both apps do the same thing. “LifeLine Response seems like a great way to keep yourself safe,” freshman Brittni Villarreal said. “Students have
Photo Illustration by Rio Velasquez The LifeLine EDU application is available for download, but will not function for another couple of weeks after all tweeks have been finalized.
to be careful when they are walking around and this phone app will help to keep them safe.” In a scenario, if someone is walking back to their dorm from the library, before they leave they would initiate LifeLine Response, Cahill said. The user would have to insert their specific code and place their thumb anywhere on the phone screen. If an attacker comes, the user will drop their phone; just as a natural impulse. Within a tenth of a millisecond, the user’s information is sent to the call center. “Our call center calls you and asks if
Summer camp job fair brings various opportunities Casual fair will last longer than normal Mariah Powell Editor Most students desire summer fun and summer cash, and Career Development Center has set out to bring them both to your convenience. Career Development Center is hosting its annual Summer Camp Job Fair on Jan. 29-31. This is the first year that the job fair will run for more than a few hours in a day. Career Development assistant Adra Enos said the expansion is good because it gives students an opportunity to attend the fair between classes, and camps have the option of setting up their booth for more than one day. “Having the fair here for more than one day is a great idea because it gives us the opportunity to find a job even if their schedule was full on the first day of the fair,” junior Samone Foster said. Over ten camps will be a part of this job fair, Enos said. Available positions include: life guard, horse wrangler, children’s camp counselor, arts and crafts, kitchen crew, pho-
tography and many more. There will also be a couple of paid internships participating, she said. Camp locations range from Hill Country to Fort Worth. “I would love to work with little kids and I think it would be a good opportunity for education majors,” Foster said. “It’s nice because you get to live in San Angelo and practice your future.” Students looking for outof-state summer camp opportunities will have a chance to skim through a catalog at the job fair and get information on camps in places such as New York, Enos said. “It’s a wonderful opportunity for students, and they should take advantage of the job fair if they want a summer job,” she said. “Even if you are taking summer classes most of these camps are flexible and you can work half the summer.” This job fair is more relaxed than normal job fairs, meaning students can dress casually, Enos said. “You always want to make a good impression, but dressing up is not required,” she said. The job fair will be from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. each day beginning next Tuesday.
you are hurt, etc.,” Cahill said. “They will deploy the police unless you give them the correct disarm code. If the attacker is right next to you and you are not able to say you are in trouble then you can say your silent trigger, which is a number up from your actual code. That code immediately alerts the response center that you are in danger and they will deploy the police.” Adams first heard about LifeLine Response last summer and, has been working with the company for about a year as they developed the product. “We were involved in the Beta testing that way we could see for sure how the
app functioned the way the company said it would,” Adams said. “When it was all said and done, the app functioned like the company claimed.” University Police is planning to get a call center located at the police department, Adams said. “We will be monitoring the students’ safety regardless of where they are,” Adams said. “A student could go home to Austin, Dallas, Houston, etc. and if they have an emergency, the app could work right there.” Before anyone tries to download the app, Adams said he encourages people to go look watch the video on the LifeLine Response website. “If you watch the video and think that the app is not for you, then don’t download it because we are paying for every license,” Adams said. “For those who are going to use the app then we encourage people to use it.” The LifeLine Response company is not going to the education field as a profit, but instead trying to help keep students safe, Cahill said. “We are starting to deploy the app on other campuses,” Cahill said. “We want to make this economically affordable across the table.” Cahill said, James Adams is way ahead of his time, as he has been working close with the app and the company. “Chief Adams is an exceptional chief,” Cahill said. “The faculty and staff are so lucky to have someone so dedicated to their profession.” Although the app is not ready to be downloaded, 30 people have already tried, Adams said. “This is just a trial and it is interesting there is already that kind of response,” Adams said. “It is good we have at least 30 people trying to get the app.” For more information about the app, and to watch the video about the app, check out www.llresponse.com.
Meats and Livestock teams rank high, hoping for more success Teams look forward to another good year
ment, or a competitive edge,” Braden said. “We’re definitely improving every year and we have a goal in mind to win contests.” Senior Agriculture Science and Leadership Adam Sauceda major, Sondra Lohse, who has been a part Staff Writer of the program for the past three years, has judged wool, livestock, and meats and says it’s a lot of hard work, but she absolutely loves it. ASU’s Meats Judging “You put in a lot of Team ranked in the top hours to get to where you five nationally at the want to be,” Lohse said. end of 2012. “After going through these The Meats Judging programs, you really learn Team finished in the to communicate with peotop ten at all seven of ple and learn how to manthe contests they enage your time and school tered, including five work.” top-five finishes and a The program has befirst-place victory. tween 45 to 55 students The Livestock Judgand those students can ing Team took second compete on either of the place overall at the anthree teams. nual Arizona National Braden says these stu- Associate Professor of dents are the face of ASU Livestock Judging Contest held Dec. 29-31 in Animal Science, at the contests and, they Phoenix, Ariz. Dr. Kirk Braden broadcast ASU’s name The Livestock Judgacross the country. ing Team finished sec“In the past, there’s been ond in Sheep Judging and third in the Beef a couple of years where we haven’t had a team Judging, Swine Judging, and Reasons catego- because it was difficult to get enough students ries, according to a press release involved,” Braden said, “but we’re getting to the What makes the teams’ accomplishments point to where we are growing.” even more impressive is the fact they competed Braden says all of the teams work together in exclusively against teams from Division I uni- solving problems and making sure that everyversities, such as Texas Tech and Texas A&M. thing comes together. Associate Professor of Animal Science Dr. “I would personally regret not being a part Kirk Braden says the teams do not worry about of these teams because of how much that I’ve the fact they are Division II. benefitted from it,” Lohse said. “I know that “The contests are more about the other ele- in the future getting a job or continuing my ments they get, whether it is team work, pub- master’s degree that I’m going to have benefits lic speaking skills, networking, time manage- from the judging team.”
“We’re definitely improving every year and we have a goal in mind to win contests.”
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NEWS
Friday, Jan. 25, 2013
Events Calendar Get involved on campus! Here’s what’s going on this week. Friday, Jan. 25 Music Program Auditions open for students who want to audition for acceptance into the music program. Located in the Carr-Education-Fine Arts Building, Eldon Black Recital Hall. Auditions will be held all day. Texas Outdoor Leadership Conference, hosted by ASU’s Outdoor Adventures, begins. Registration starts at 1 p.m. at the ASU Lake House Visit www.angelo.edu/tolc for a complete schedule. ASU Friends Book Sale PREVIEW from 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Located in the Fellowship Hall of the College Hills Baptist Church and the cost for the preview is $5 Nelly’s Echo will be here for a performance, hosted by UCPC. The performance will be from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the Plaza Verde Commons Area.
Saturday, Jan. 26 ASU Friends Book Sale begins at 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. and is free to the public. Located in the Fellowship Hall of the College Hills Baptist Church. Women’s Basketball: ASU at Abilene Christian in Abilene, TX, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball: ASU at Abilene Christian in Abilene, TX, 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
Photo courtesy of Noel Johnson
IM Legends brings home the wins for ASU after competing in Florida Intramural flag football team steps up their game Jennifer Valdivia Staff Writer
Tuesday, Jan. 29 Summer Camp Job Fair. The fair is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the University Center. Special Presentation: “Sex and Excess: Surviving the Party” with Elaine Pasqua. The presentation will begin at 7 p.m. in the Junell Center. Civil War Lecture Series: Solider Motivations. The lecture will begin at 7 p.m. in the CJ Davidson Center.
Wednesday, Jan. 30 Summer Camp Job Fair- continued. Women’s Basketball: ASU vs. Eastern New Mexico @ Junell Center 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Men’s Basketball: ASU vs. Eastern New Mexico @ Junell Center 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m.
Thursday, Jan. 31 Summer Camp Job Fair- continued. Planetarium weekly showings at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m. *Art Exhibit: “Childhood Play/Adult Realities will continue to be open all week in the Carr Education-Fine Arts Building, Room 193.
ASU’s intramural flag football team, IM Legends, won two national titles at the University of Central Florida. The 2012 National Campus Championship Series (NCCS) Flag Football National Championships was held at the University of Central Florida in Orlando from Dec. 31 to Jan. 4. “I have been on the team for three years and when we won I was glad I could finally say I got a Coed National Championship since this is my last year playing,” graduate Noel Johnson said. IM Legends started the week off by winning the American Collegiate Intramural Sports National Championship (ACIS), followed by the NCCS tournament, in which they had received runner up the previous year. “I had never played against UCF prior to these two tournaments,” graduate student Danielle Walts said. “I know that all of my teammates were really excited about finally beating them.”
Photo courtesy of Noel Johnson
IM Legends won the NCCA tournament 18-9, and won the ACIS tournament 20-10. “I have seen them play and knew they were good enough to beat any other team,” senior Dreshawn Murray said. ASU also took female and male teams to the tournament. Both teams were playing about four games a day between all the divisions. ACIS was hosted by the University of West Florida in “Pensacola, Fla.,” and NCCS was hosted by the
University of Central Florida in Orlando. The ASU’s Wolfpac ended the tournament for the men’s division as runner-up, losing to a team from the University of Nebraska with a score of 27-14. Vixen, the ASU female team, was also runner up after losing to Florida A&M, 27-0 in the championship game. “After hearing about them winning, it definitely motivates me to participate more in intramurals,” Murray said.
Submit event requests by 5 p.m. Tuesday for Friday publication to rampage@angelo.edu
...The perfect cure 2100 W. Beauregard 3 2 5 - 9 4 2 - 1 6 4 7
Photo courtesy of Noel Johnson
Third annual MLK celebration takes place Celebrating the birthday and life of an influential Civil Rights activist
the importance of Martin Luther King and how far the country has come since the 1960’s civil rights movement. The interview was followed by the MLK’s “I Have a Dream” speech. Short interviews that highlighted the many great things Martin Luther King had accomplished followed the speech. “I have seen MLK’s speech many times in school and it never gets old,” sophomore Roy Mojica said. “This year we had a ‘Reach for the Stars’ theme,” Garcia said. “Students were encouraged to write some civil rights-related goals, or even personal goals onto
a e v a H I
Jennifer Valdivia Staff Writer
Students and faculty gathered in the University Center on Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 11:30 a.m. to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day, at an event hosted by the Multicultural Center. The event started off with a video of an interview with President Obama who spoke about
“
the paper star that would be hung from the ceiling of the UC.” “We try and change the event a little every year”, Garcia said. “For instance, last year we had a huge birthday card for MLK that students could sign and a memorial wall where students could write down their hopes and aspirations.” Finger foods, cake, and lemonade were served at this event. “I really enjoyed the event,” sophomore Antonio Smith said. “My favorite part was the stars, and reading what other students’ goals were and being able to relate to them.”
” m a e r D
See MLK Celebration photos on page 4
Friday, Jan. 25, 2013
NEWS
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Department changes name and location Adam Sauceda Staff Writer The Theater department has left its long time home with the Communications and Mass Media department to combine with the Visual Arts and Music in the new department of Visual and Performing Arts. The decision was made last summer that theater would be best served if taken out of the Communications and Mass Media department and put in with Art and Music according to Michael Burnett, Assistant Professor and Assistant Director of the University Theater. Many faculty involved in the decision believe this change will be beneficial. President of ASU Dr. Brian May said the restructuring of the departments will make scholarship allocation, fundraising, and coordination more efficient. “Theater, in particular, could well benefit from being in a Fine Arts Department rather than one focused on Communications and Mass Media.” May said. “We believe that having offices near one another will positively contribute to the collegiality and efficient functioning of the proposed new department.” Junior Rebecca Sussdorf, who is majoring in Communications with a minor in theater,
thinks it makes more sense that theater is going to combine with art and music now, though she chose theater as a minor because it was combined with the Communication department. “I guess it was a good decision for them to do that.” Sussdorf said. “As far as organization goes, they made a good decision to change the departments.” Bill Doll, theater professor and director of University Theater, thinks each discipline will continue to evolve. The new department will function relatively the same way academically and productionwise, according to staff members. “The program is the same; we just have a different department to report to,” Burnett said. Many students said they had no idea that the Theater department was switching departments, and some express uncertainty. Senior theater major, Janna Pinson says she’s disappointed in the switch but it’s mainly because the faculty in the Communications department supports the theater work. “They come see all the shows and never hesitate to tell us how proud they are even if they aren’t technically our professors,” Pinson said. “I know most would assume the arts are where we need to be as theater students, but we found a home with the Communications department.”
Graphic illustration by Mariah Powell
Theater program makes its big break
Think smarter when encountering high-risk situations Learn the effects of high-risk behavior on college students Allison Price Managing Editor Elaine Pasqua, Advocate for Responsible Choices, is presenting the program “Sex and Excess: Surviving the Party,” at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 29, in the Junell Center for ASU students, faculty and staff. “We are excited to have Elaine come to campus,” Athletic Academic Coordinator Jaci Morriss said. “She is going to be presenting “Sex and Excess” which is basically about high-risk behaviors in a college setting. I think it is extremely informational and relevant to our college population.” According to www.elainepasqua. com, Pasqua educated health and social service professionals about the psychosocial dynamics of HIV/AIDS in 1995. Pasqua broadened her research and expertise to develop a powerful model for educating diverse groups about highrisk drinking, sexual responsibility and sexual assault.
“I think these presentations are a good idea, especially since high-risk behavior is a broad category and most people don’t realize that they participate regularly in one or two high-risk behaviors,” sophomore Carmela Booker said.
“I think it is really important to have people who can talk from their own experiences.” - Athletic Academic Coordinator Jaci Morriss Pasqua has recently worked with collegiate athletes, which has then led her
to provide player-development training for the NFL and NBA, including teams like the New York Giants, New York Jets, Baltimore Ravens and Philadelphia Phillies, according to www. elainepasqua.com. “Elaine can do programming specifically towards student athletes, but we asked that she open it up to a student population because we did want all ASU students to benefit,” Morriss said. Although Pasqua recently started speaking out and working with athletes, Morriss said ASU athletes won’t benefit from the program anymore than a regular student would. “Student athletes are exactly the same as the rest of the student population,” Morriss said. “As an Athletic Department, we hold student athletes to a higher standard because they have so many other responsibilities other than their academics and extracurricular other than athletics.” “[Student athletes] are always in the spotlight so we just really want them to understand the repercussions of actions of high-risk behaviors that they constantly come in contact with in a college setting.” While covering different topics during the presentation, the sole mes-
sage students will grasp is to party responsibly, respect their peers and keep each other safe, according to www. elainepasqua.com. “It is important for ASU to be informed about this certain type of behavior the presenter will be speaking about,” sophomore Will Weirich said. “The stereotypical college kid goes out to parties not thinking of what choices they will be making within a couple of hours.” “If students knew the trouble partying and drinking bring them later down the road they might think twice about the types of decisions they make.” Morriss said she encourages students to attend the presentation because having guest speakers come to campus helps relate the message they are trying to send. “I think it is really important to have people who can talk from their own experiences,” Morriss said. “It is great to use someone from the community but sometimes you need a professional speaker to come to campus to really send the message that hits home for people.” For more information contact Jaci Morriss at (325) 486-6048 or at jbrindus@angelo.edu.
midnightrodeosanangelo.com
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FEATURES
Friday, Jan. 25, 2013
Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration
Photo by Rio Velasquez Students wrote down a dream of their’s on a star that was hung from the ceiling in the UC.
Photo by Rio Velasquez The Multicultural Center offered food and refreshments during their MLK event as well as displaying Mr. King’s famous “I have a dream” speech.
Photo by Rio Velasquez Senior Clayton Banister hung his “dream star” among the other ASU student’s stars during the Multicultural MLK event. The stars were written by ASU students at the MLK event.
OPINIONS
Friday, Jan. 25, 2013
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Classroom setting still takes the winning vote Staff Vote: 6 - 1
For Traditional
When it comes to the university life and counting down these wonderful credit hours, we believe that traditional classroom courses are more effective than online courses. Online courses are a struggle to most people. It undermines the purpose of having a class with a professor. A professor is supposed to explain the material, using analogies, and dumbing it down for those who need it. We come here for an education, if we were just interested in the topic and wanted to read, maybe we would drop the classes and read the $100 book to ourselves. A student has to interpret the book correctly and the teacher is there to make sure the interpretation is correct. Some students feel it is easier and much better for the instructor to explain the material face to face. It is helpful when a professor talks about what they expect from their class and what they expect for each assignment. Other students may contribute to someone understanding by asking beneficial questions during lectures. Interpersonal communication is much more effective than reading a book, taking a quiz or test and contributing to a discussion question. With online courses, there is not a huge opportunity for students to develop relationships with other students, or the professor, like they would in a classroom setting. This situation could
be detrimental to lonely freshmen students. Working and studying in groups can help them break the ice and bring them out of their ‘home sick stage,’ or most importantly, make them a better student because it keeps the class material interesting and engaging. You pay more for distance education classes and it is something you never have to leave your home for, but in the end you learn a lot less. A professor might send their class a message and half the class may not understand what the professor is trying to say. So now the professor either has to send out another mass message breaking down the material or individually answer each question the student(s) have, which may lead to more questions. Yes, the professor still gives office hours and tries to make you feel welcomed to come by but it almost seems like a joke to meet face-to-face unless you necessarily have to. Traditional courses give you something to look forward to. It is much more organized in terms of time. You have a set time to attend them, which gives you a reason to roll out of bed. On the other hand, online courses do not, which makes the online class easier to forget about. Having to physically be in a classroom holds students more accountable than sitting in front of their laptop, where they can scroll to Facebook or checkout their friends’ Pinterest. For most students, quizzes in on-
Do you prefer classroom or online courses?
“In class. It gives me a reason to wake up in the morning.
Anais Alday
Sophomore
line courses are extremely hard because there is no lecture and no notes to go along with the reading assignments they were assigned. We would much rather listen to a professor give a lecture and take notes than read a chapter and try to remember the material it covered. Either you will be in charge of making your own lecture outline or after reading three chapters you will still be completely clueless. People sometimes underestimate online courses by not reading the assignments and thinking they can cheat their way through the quizzes. Most of the time it is not as easy as it looks. For the most part, these quizzes and tests are timed and skimming through a book slows you down. Why take that risk and end up with a bad grade or even academic suspension? Be smarter. Take a class on campus and sit through those lectures that you may think are boring because in the end they seem to help you most. Overall, we feel the classroom is a more suitable place for learning and students will be able to understand what they are supposed to do. We recommend students only take basic courses online and then take harder subjects in a traditional classroom setting. If you struggle with a subject do not even think of signing for online classes just because the only time it is offered on campus is 8 a.m. Do better for yourself.
“I prefer in class because of the experience of being in class learning”
Manuel Zapata Junior
“I prefer in class because if I get confused I can ask and get an answer fast.”
Amy Palmer Sophomore
For Online
For some people, online courses will get the job done. They are convenient and accessible for those students that cannot be catered by the “normal student” schedule. It is great for when those unexpected emergencies arise and you cannot make it to campus for whatever reason. Not everyone is a people person. Some people are angered by side conversations during a lecture, especially when they need extra help because the topic is one they don’t quite understand. Some people may be angered by students taking the good seats in class only to sit and text while the professor is teaching something essential. Sadly, the students sitting on the back row may not have had many seat options because their class before never lets out early enough to get the “listeners” spot, tough luck. So for those people who are always ready to explode due to their personal problems, maybe online classes are best. Offering online classes to those who need a completely quiet environment is a brilliant idea. Online courses are also beneficial to those mothers who have just enough time to read a few chapters after putting their children to sleep shoot for online classes if that is all you have time for. Maybe one day online classes will be respected as much as a classroom setting but until that day we say keep looking forward to climbing out of bed.
“I like both equally because I am learning the same anyways.”
Derin Oduye Freshman
“In class because I understand more what the teacher is saying.”
Selene Corcino
Ram Page Staff
2012-2013 Angelo State University Editor: Mariah Powell Managing Editor: Allison Price Copy Editor: Rachel Riggs Online Editor: Riley Mashburn Staff Writer: Stephen Cogan Staff Writer: Adam Sauceda Staff Writer: Jennifer Valdivia Circulation Manager: Mariah Powell Photo Editor: Rio Velasquez Advertising Manager: Kaitlynn Glendinning Adviser: Dr. Cathy Johnson Ram Page ASU Station #10895 San Angelo, Texas 76909-0895 Editor: rampage@angelo.edu Advertising: rampageads@angelo.edu Newsroom: (325) 942-2323 Advertising: (325) 942-2040 Fax: (325) 942-2551 Member of The Texas Tech University System Associated Collegiate Press Texas Intercollegiate Press Association
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.
Go ahead and tell a friend, we know you want to. Feel free to leave comments and story ideas.
Sophomore
SPORTS
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Friday, Jan. 25, 2013
The most baffling aspect of the Manti Te’o story
Stephen Cogan Staff Writer Everybody loves a good true story. One of the major reasons I chose to become a sportswriter is because I love the nonfiction stories that sports provide. Personally, my favorite stories are the emotional ones; the ones that tug at our heartstrings that make us feel the burden of certain athletes and cause us to fall in love with them like an arrow from Cupid. Manti Te’o’s story was one of those stories. How many men are capable of handling the deaths of the woman they were in love with and the woman who raised them? Let’s not forget that both deaths happened within six hours of each other. And how many young men can then channel the grief and lead their team to an emotional 20-3 win over Michigan State while recording 12 tackles? It used to be just one man who could say that he battled through that kind of emotional adversity: Manti Te’o. However, now it is no one since the entire story of Manti Te’o’s girlfriend who died of cancer was a complete phony. That’s right. Lennay Kekua doesn’t exist. She’s as real and substantive as Jane Doe, the lost city of Atlantis, the Mayan’s 2012 prediction and Linus’s Great Pumpkin of Halloween.
One of my favorite movie scenes is in “The Shawshank Redemption,” where Red tells Andy that he can’t just make a person up. But Te’o did! It still is a beautiful work of fiction from the first meeting on Facebook three years ago to our dear Te’o staying up all night talking to her on the phone while she was in the hospital battling leukemia. I can just see every woman in the world cooing over this dream boy. Too bad he’s just a nightmare con artist. That’s the problem with this entire situation. We as a society crave that sweet story that deserves to be made into a movie with tear-jerking dialogue and heart-wrenching background music that makes us happy to be alive and human. Everyone in South Bend got so wrapped in a romantic version of “Rudy” that no one even dared to question its authenticity, and that’s what has boggled my mind the most. The complete lack of fact-checking from everyone, including ESPN and Sports Illustrated is what stuns me the most. It wasn’t that Te’o’s story was a facade, but it was that he managed to fool every single person he ever talked to about this phantom. Whenever a writer wanted to talk to Kekua or her family, Te’o would say they didn’t want to be bothered and that was that. No one bothered to try and find her friends at Stanford. No one bothered to try to find out where she spent her childhood and do some interviews there. No one bothered to ask Te’o for a photograph of the two together. Now Manti Te’o wants the world to believe that he is a victim of a terrible hoax; a vicious campaign of lies by cruel people stringing him and his heart along for the ride. He’s willing to admit that he never met the girl he was so in love with and own up to being a sap. Two problems with that though. Not everyone is going to buy his story this time and all of us can bet that there will be fact-checking this go-around.
Photo by Rio Velasquez Senior Morgan Youngblood prepares to pass the ball of to her teammate against ACU.
‘Belles head to Abilene to battle fierce Felines ‘Belles sit in the middle of the Lone Star Conference rankings Stephen Cogan Staff Writer ASU’s ‘Belles are headed to Abilene to face ACU’s Wildcats for round two of their 2013 matchups. Round one went to Wildcats by a score of 53-39 and now the ‘Belles are looking to spoil ACU’s home court. The ‘Belles’ season up to this point has been with the team being in the middle of everything, including statistics. There are 11 teams in the Lone Star Conference and, the ‘Belles are ranked in the middle in three major categories. They are sixth in wins with a 7-9 record, they are seventh in points scored per game with 60.5 and they are sixth in points allowed with 61. They have scored 968 points and allowed 976 points, which is an eight-point difference between points scored and points allowed. In contrast to ASU, Abilene Christian has scored 1212 points and allowed 956 points, which is a 256-point differential. Abilene Christian is tied for first place in the Lone Star Conference at the moment and, for ASU to beat them, they will have to be better than a median basketball team that gives up as many points as it scores.
The ‘Belles have yet to hit that groove of consistency that would propel them into the Top 25 rankings despite having talented players on their squad like, sophomore forward Haylee Oliver, junior guard Leah LeMaire and junior center Lauren Holt. Oliver is the reigning co-Freshman of the Year from 2012 and has scored 178 points, but in the first game against Abilene Christian, she scored zero. The ‘Belles have not had a winning streak longer than two games and, have had overtime and a double-overtime game this year. The ‘Belles’ largest margin of victory this year has been 10 points and smallest margin of victory has been six points. Whereas, the Wildcats are on a sixgame winning streak with victory margins as low as 14 and as high as 87 points. The ‘Belles have the added disadvantage of the fact that they lost the first matchup to Abilene Christian 53-39 while shooting a combined 12/51 from the floor with no three-pointers. Holt leads the entire conference in blocked shots with 37 and six in the first game against Abilene Christian as well as leading the team in scoring with 188 points, but even she cannot carry this team game after game. The ‘Belles have a long road ahead of them to propel themselves into one of the top team in the Lone Star Conference and it starts with a matchup against the Wildcats on Saturday, Jan. 26 at 5:30 p.m. in Abilene.
Close but no cigar; Rams fall 59-56 to Wildcats at home Looking for rematch Jan. 26 in Abilene Stephen Cogan Staff Writer
Photo by Rio Velasquez Chris Talkington (right) makes a three-pointer against ACU.
The Rams’ 5-12 record makes their chances of making the Lone Star Conference Championship Tournament contingent on a major winning streak from the Rams. That streak needs to start against the Abilene Christian Wildcats on their home court after hosting them and losing a nail-biter 59-56 with senior Antonio Dye’s last second threepointer hitting the rim and time expired. The majority of the Rams points were split up between four players. Junior Chris Talkington scored 11 while Dye, sophomore Dakota Rawls, and junior Bryan Hammond all scored 13 points. Freshmen Jovan Austin and Reggie Sutton scored the final six points as the Rams have lost two in a row now. The scoring offense for the Rams is ranked fifth in the middle of the pack with 1185 total points for an average of 69.7 points per game.
Photo by Rio Velasquez Jovan Austin (right) watches his oppenent as he looks to pass the ball.
However, their defense hasn’t been up to the task as the Rams have allowed 1251 total points for an average of 73.6 points per game, which is second to last in the conference. If the averages were every game’s score, the Rams would be winless this season. Even though the Rams’ offense is potent at times, it lacks a top-10 scorer. The closest the Rams have for a top-10 scorer is Austin, who is 12th with 203 points scored. Besides Austin, the Rams have four players with over 160 points
this season in Talkington, Dye, Rawls, and Hammond. The team is young and has experienced difficulty with consistent offense and has had defensive problems throughout the year. Now, the Rams will have to face Abilene Christian again on their home court to have a chance at making the Lone Star Conference Championship Tournament. The Rams face the Wildcats on Saturday, Jan. 23 at 7:30 p.m. before returning home for a game against Eastern New Mexico University.