Page 2 Reverse osmosis water stations removed from campus Page 4 Campus safety awareness preaches caution
RAM PAGE Volume 81 issue 3 Sept. 14, 2012
No. 13 Belles’ set to chase conference title 6-2 ‘Belles look to continue dominance from last year Stephen Cogan Staff Writer ASU’s ‘Belles began their fifth season under Head Coach Chuck Waddington with one goal in mind. “It’s to win a conference championship,” Waddington said. “There’s no question about that. We’ve got the talent to do it; we’ve got to put it together.”
ASU has had four winning seasons and a 9548 record with Waddington at the helm, but they fell short last year with a Lone Star Conference Championship loss to West Texas A&M University. The ‘Belles look to finish the job with improvement from returning players and skills
from freshmen, as well as the acquisition of junior Shelbi Goode. The 6’2’’ middle blocker/right side hitter said she has her eyes set on winning. She is in her first season at ASU after transferring from the University of Alabama, and she said she has her eyes set on winning. See BELLES pg. 6
President search coming to end Board aims appointment
for
October
Sawyer Ricard Editor-in-Chief The search continues for ASU as candidates for the sixth president of the university are narrowed down from 60 to four. The search committee interviewed six candidates recently and passed four names up to the Chancellor and the Board of Regents, said David Tarver, professor of education and a member of the president search committee. “The regents and the Chancellor will interview those four,” he said. “Then Chancellor Hance will make a recommendation on whom to hire with the regent’s approval.” Photo courtesy of Preston Wimberly
Junior Preston Wimberly poses with (D)-NC Harvy Gnatt.
Student guest at Democratic convention Honors student travels to heart of democratic party Allison Price Staff Writer An ASU student recently returned from his two-week trip to Charlotte, N.C., where he attended The Washington Center’s Campaign 2012 Academic Seminar held at the Democratic National Convention. “I attended Bill Clinton’s speech, and I volunteered at the arena where all of the speeches were held checking creden-
tials,” said Preston Wimberly, junior and President of the Honors Student Association. According to www.demconvention.com, the DNC was founded in 1832, and it has allowed delegates to meet and nominate their presidential and vice presidential nominees. “For the first week that I was there, we were with an
internship program called the Washington Center and we listened to speakers and [participated in] discussion groups talking about what would happen,” Wimberly said. “The second week they let us go and we helped around the city and found out what we could do to get into the different events.”
See CONVENTION pg. 2
Faculty and staff recognized ASU alumni give back to university Dillon Brollier Managing Editor Three members of the ASU family were recognized last Wednesday for their contributions to the university during an awards event in the C.J. Davidson Center. Mrs. Jody Casares, business office coordinator for Biology, Bonnie Amos, professor of Bi-
Page 2 Awards (cont.) R.O stations gone ASU at DNC (cont.) SGA meets Page 5 Hearts humbled Lest we forget
ology and Paul Swets, Interim Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences all received recognition for their contributions to ASU. Over 30 of ASU’s administrators, faculty and staff were nominated for the second annual Gary and Pat Rodgers Distinguished Awards that comes
with a $2,500 honorarium and the recognition of the ASU community. Casares was emotional when she was chosen as one of this year’s winners and fought to hold back tears of joy.
See GIVING pg.2
Page 3 “World Researcher” Greek life expands News Briefs Page 4 Campus safety awareness
Visit www.asurampage.com
“I think whoever they appoint is going to be a great president.”
- ASU president Joseph Rallo
The decision should be made soon, ASU president Joseph Rallo said. “It’s my understanding that the board meeting will be on October 11 and 12,” he said. “They are supposed to make a final decision at that point.” The new president will be announced on October 15, he said. The chancellor indicated that the announcement will probably be made from ASU, he said. The names of the applicants will be kept confidential until the announcement is made, he said. “You have a lot of people that apply who are sitting presidents,” he said. “As soon as they put their name out there the board of their school often times is not very happy.” Keeping names confidential makes things easier for ASU, Rallo said. “If you want a large pool of qualified people to apply you’ve got to keep it quiet,” he said. The search for a new president is going well, he said. “I’ve been on the outside for obvious reasons but I think they had a very well-respected national search front from Robert Lawless [of AGB search] and about 60 applicants to choose from,” he said. The end result should be positive, he said. “I think whoever they appoint is going to be a great president,” he said. The next question to answer is when the new president can take over, Rallo said. “I’m hoping they’ll be able to start November 1st so I can just do the one job as opposed to two,” said. According to Texas Tech’s website, a search committee made up of both ASU and Texas Tech representatives started looking for a replacement for Rallo in May and expect to have the position filled in October.
Page 6 Rams ready for Valdosta Look at Cowboys Stadium
NEWS
Page 2
Events Calendar Get involved on campus! Here’s what’s going on this week.
Friday, Sept. 14 Soccer: Rambelles vs. Midwestern State, 5 p.m. to 8 pm. Volleyball: Rambelles vs. Cameron University, 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 15 UCPC Road Trip Football: ASU vs. Valdosta State, Lone Star Football Festival, 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Dallas Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, TX Sunday, Sept. 16 Soccer: Rambelles vs. Abilene Christian, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 17 Society of Physics Colloquium: “Have we Harnessed the Higgs? Discovery of a New Boson at the Large Hadron Collider.”, 5 p.m. Mathematics-Computer Science Building, Room 100, 2200 Dena
Tuesday, Sept. 18 Community Engaged Faculty Fellows Meeting 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. Houston Harte University Center, Room 209 14th Annual Women’s Business Roundtable 4 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Historic Cactus Hotel Volleyball: Rambelles vs. Tarleton State, 7 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 19 TExES Certification Exam (CAT) at ASU 8 a.m. Vincent Nursing-Physical Science Building, room 291 Puerto Rico Celebration (Hispanic Heritage Month) 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Houston Harte University Center What’s New in Music Technology and Why Do I Need It? 4 p.m. Carr Residence Hall Band Hall Thursday, Sept. 20 Concho Educators FCU: Free Root Beer Floats 2:30 to 3:30 p.m. Houston Harte University Center, Spine
Award founders give back to ASU Biology department well represented at same awards one year later Continued from page 1 “I am messing up all of my makeup, and I am supposed to be taking pictures,” Casares said. The award “humbled” Casares, she said. “I am here for the students, and the students chose me,” she said. “It makes me very happy.” Gary and Pat Rodgers created the awards, and both are San Angelo natives. They said they have since been pleased with how the awards have been handled. “I thought the awards were fantastic,” Pat Rodgers said. “I am glad I was not choosing because it sounded like there were so many fantastic nominees.” Gary Rodgers said he wanted to give back to the individuals that help run the university. “I felt that there were a lot of awards here for the students with the Carr scholarship and all of that but we did not see a lot of things for the faculty, he said. The Biology department continued their strong showing at this year’s awards when Amos was selected for the Distinguished Faculty
award, and she extended her gratitude to the award founders. Amos said the award is a generous offer from two people (The Rodgers’) giving back to the university that they came from. The Biology professor was “shocked” when she heard her name announced, she said. “I have worked with colleagues who are excellent, and to even be a part of that group is reward enough,” she said. The final award of the event was given to Swets. “It is a huge honor,” Sweats said. “To be selected by your peers and the people you work with is great.” Swets noted the number and quality of the nominees and shared the same reaction with the events’ other two winners. “[I was] shocked,” Swets said. “There were so many good nominees.” The selection process for the winners slightly differed from the administrator award and the faculty and staff awards.
Reverse osmosis stations removed from campus Rising cost of fountans leads to elimination Logan Reynolds Contributor ASU will no longer have reverse osmosis fountains on campus beginning this fall semester. As part of the changes being made by the Student Government Association during the upcoming semester, the Reverse Osmosis fountains located throughout campus will be replaced with fountains using carbon filtering. Although many of the carbon filtered fountains are not yet in operation, the R.O. fountains have already been disabled. This decision was made due to the high cost of operating the R.O. fountains. R.O., while effective, can be inefficient in its use of water when compared to other forms of filtration. The upkeep of R.O. fountains is another factor in the high cost of the machines.“I understand the reasoning behind the decision, but the R.O. fountains will definitely be missed,” sophomore Arielle Reynolds said. Due to many people’s opinions on the quality of drinking water in San Angelo, the R.O. fountains were very popular among both students and faculty, many of whom relied on them every day. “I believe that ASU should allow for purer drinking water even if there are less fountains around campus,” senior Amanda Hill said. Although not as high of quality as R.O. fountains, the new carbonfiltered fountains are still said to be of better quality than those without
any sort of filtration system.SGA said in a statement to the student body that the installation of the carbon fountains will proceed as the budget permits. However, because carbon filtration costs less than Reverse Osmosis, SGA said that more filtered fountains will be made available across campus. Some locations where the carbon fountains have already been installed are the Sol Meyer Administration building, the Academic building, the University Center and the third floor of the library. This transition comes on the heels of another drought-filled summer for the Concho Valley, where water restrictions have been in place for some time. According to North Dakota State University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, “Reverse osmosis is sometimes referred to as ultrafiltration because it involves the movement of water through a membrane.” “The membrane has microscopic openings that allow water molecules, but not larger compounds, to pass through. Some R.O. membranes also have an electrical charge that helps in rejecting some chemicals at the membrane surface. Proper maintenance is essential to retain effectiveness over time. Some units are equipped with automatic membrane flushing systems to clean the membrane.”
SGA opens 2012-13 meetings
UCPC Outdoor Movie Night: Men in Black III 9 p.m. Super Slab
Alix Henry Contributor
Smoking and R.O. fountains hot on docket The Student Government Association held its first meeting of the semester Monday, Sept. 10, in the Nasworthy Suite of the University Center. In the meeting, the executive and senate members discussed the new smoking ordinance, reverse osmosis water and new senators. One of the first topics addressed in the meeting was the revising of the meeting times for the senate. Because the bylaws do not state that SGA has to meet every week,
“The Distinguished Administrator of the year is chosen by an ad hoc committee comprised of the faculty and staff senate,” annual fund coordinator Debbie Velasquez said. The members of the committee go through the nominations and select a winner. The faculty and staff awards are chosen by a separate entity comprised of a committee of students that is spear-headed by the Student Government Association. Although Gary Rodgers has led much of the coordination for this award, he said he gives credit to his wife for her passion for education. “Pat had her degree in education, so she is a big supporter of education,” he said. Last year’s winners were Cindy Weeaks, director of Registrar Services, who won the Distinguished Administrator Award, Dr. Crosby Jones, professor of Biology, who won the Distinguished Faculty Award and Heather Valle, coordinator for student organizations, who won the Distinguished Staff Award. All were awarded the $2,500 honorarium.
ASU represented at democratic convention Student involved with national convention Continued from page 1
Volleyball: Rambelles vs. McMurry, 7 p.m.
Submit event requests by 5 p.m. Tuesday for Friday publication to rampage@angelo.edu
Friday, Sept. 14, 2012
Josh Heimbecker, SGA Vice President, and Hector Romo, SGA President, along with other officers decided to hold general senate meetings only twice a month instead of every week, while continuing to hold executive meetings each week. Romo said meeting every two weeks should alleviate some of the time commitment issues, as well as help create a more efficient general senate meeting.
See SGA Pg. 3
According to an ASU press release, only 100 students nationwide were chosen to attend the seminar. Wimberly said he met many people from other states at the convention. “There were a 120 people in our Washington Center group, and there were people from all over the country,” Wimberly said. “There was another girl from Texas, a couple of people from California, a couple from New York and a couple of Charlotte natives. We were a diverse group.” There were more than 100 speakers at the DNC and some of those speakers included former president Bill Clinton, Texas Congressman Al Green and Chief of Executive Officer of the Democratic National Convention Committee Stephen J. Kerrigan. “The speakers were amazing that they brought out for us,” Wimberly said. “I really juggled throughout the week with what I want to do with my life.” Shirley Eoff, director of the Honors Program, nominated Wimberly to attend the convention as a delegate of ASU. “The Washington Center’s Campaign 2012 program seemed particularly appropriate for Preston as he is a Political Science major who has aspirations [for] a career in law or politics,” Eoff said. “Attendance at a national political convention allowed him to view the political process first-hand and to gain a deeper understanding than one achieves through classroom study alone.” In his group, a requirement was to keep a journal and log his thoughts about his experiences during the convention. “I talked about, in my journal, how you really have to think about what you want to do with your future,” Wimberly said. “This was a big eye opener as to what I wanted to do with my future.” At the DNC, he said he was able to get the grasp of an actual political scene. “It was the perfect political hands-on experience,” Wimberly said. “I came back and [shared] my experiences with everyone.” Eoff said that one of the goals for the Honors Program is to help students maximize their individual potential and to provide enrichment opportunities that better prepare them to compete for graduate and professional schools as well as future careers. “What I really took away from [the convention] was that an event like this can bring together politically active youth from all different walks of life,” Wimberly said. “I am glad that I was able to interact with all these different people who have a love for politics like I do.”
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NEWS
Friday, Sept. 14, 2012
ASU professor awarded with “World Researcher” award Professor cited nearly 1,000 times by fellow scholars Allison Price Staff Writer An International Business professor was named “Outstanding World Researcher 2012” in August by the International Association of Multidisciplinary Research (IAMURE). “Anyone who is doing research in any disciplines, such as humanities, economics, business etc., is eligible to be nominated for the award,” Dr. Detelin Elenkov said. Elenkov has been teaching at ASU since January 2010. According to an ASU press release, Elenkov’s work has been cited 928 times by other scholars and corporate executives for his top 16 academic publications. “I talk about my own research in my classes,” Elenkov said. “I like my students to stay up to date [on information]. I don’t like to work the textbook because a textbook published in 2012 is at least five years old in material.” Anyone is eligible for this award. In order for a recipient to be chosen, IAMURE looks at several publications the nominees write and if those works were cited and how many times. “One criterion is to be listed in the Financial Times top 50 journals and [IAMURE] picked those top 50 journals in disciplines such as humanities, economics and business,” Elenkov
said. “[IAMURE] then finds how many times the work, certain individuals write, was cited. If someone is cited more often, it is considered by peers to be more important and influential.” When the news went around to the students, he said they were pleasantly surprised. “This is a very prestigious honor for Dr. Elenkov,” said junior Shakitha Easley, an international business student. According to the ASU press release, Elenkov’s research interests include cross-cultural management, focusing on economies in transition, environment scanning, and sustainability as it pertains to the triple bottom line accountability concept and it applicability in developing countries. “It’s pretty cool that he [received] this award,” said junior international business student Antonio Delgado. “I think that it will make the class more interesting when he talks about his own findings and studies in relation to what we are learning.” Currently, Elenkov is president-elect of the International Academy of Business and Economics (IABE). According to the ASU press release, IABE is a global organization of academic
scholars, business executives, students and public policymakers in business, economics and related fields. “My most immediate [upcoming] responsibility is to take charge of the position of President of IABE in January 2013,” Elenkov said. “This is a major challenge for me, but I am looking forward to it.” He will continue to research several areas, and he is in the process of finalizing a project that he has been working on, Elenkov said. His project is about subcultures, and he has identified three subcultures in California and six in Russia. “There are much more than three in California and six in Russia but the significance of this research is that my collaborators and I have identified the presence of subcultures in an individual state and country,” Elenkov said. “These subcultures have major impact on the way people behave. That impact motivates me to find out how the impact affects people doing business. This is innovative because it hasn’t been researched as of yet.”
New fraternity hones in on academics SGA meetings and good times for new members reconvene for Greek life continues to grow at ASU
new year
Alix Henry Contributor A new school year brings with it new students and, this year, a new Greek organization. Kappa Delta Rho joined the other three fraternities on campus for Rush Week Sept. 4 through 7 as the members aim to expand their new colony in the hopes of becoming an established chapter. The founding fathers are current ASU students who want to be the start of something new. “Kappa Delta Rho wanted to expand to universities in the South because they are a predominately,” said Northern state university fraternity sophomore Rigo Zuniga, president of Kappa Delta Rho. “They are focusing specifically on universities in West Texas such as ASU and UT Permian Basin, as well as UT Arlington.” Zuniga said that recruitment has gone well. He said they have met some great guys with good personalities. Kappa Delta Rho started out as a “gentleman’s club” with a strong brotherhood and they expect their members to uphold those same standards,” Zuniga said. Members should put school first and partying last because they want their members to exceed in life and in careers after college. But with three established fraternities already on campus, what will make Kappa Delta Rho stand out from the rest? “KDR is going to be different,” Zuniga said, “We are scholars, leaders and gentlemen. We are more of a gentlemen’s fraternity. We are going to be more involved with the school and community. We will help our brothers achieve their goals in life.” Freshman Michael King said he wants to
News briefs
Continued from P.2 go Greek because “brothers watch each other’s backs. They are always there for each other. That’s what it’s all about, brotherhood.” The reasons for joining frats differ from student to student, but KDR seens to have one reason in particular. “Some people join us because we are gentlemen,” Zuniga said. “It’s something new and exciting. We are starting a new fraternity at ASU, not many people can say they started a frat.” Some current Greeks share Zuniga’s excitement of the new fraternity. “It’s good that we are getting new Greeks on campus,” senior Drew Barton , member of Tau Kappa Epsilon said. “It shows that we’re expanding, which is always a plus. We are gaining more positive guys and more traditions for campus, which is a good aspect for the campus community.” While greek life is a large part of college for many students Zuniga said importance in academics and high life standards are key goals for their members. “We want our members to keep good grades, have morals and show respect for their selves,” Zuniga said. “They should also be respectful towards everyone else. We are looking for guys who are here for an education because school comes first. We are setting a 3.0 GPA requirement for all members to maintain instead of a 2.5 GPA. We want guys who get along with a lot of people and aren’t afraid to make new friends.” Zuniga said Kappa Delta Rho hopes to be an established chapter in two years but that it could happen in as little as a semester if they get enough members.
Staff Report
The Blue and Gold Beginnings Ceremony announced Monday the three iPad winners from the previous Friday. The winners are Samantha Jones, Sarah Turnham and Trent Campbell. Jones is an athletic training major from San Angelo, Turnham is a biology major from New Braunfels and Campbell is a physics major from Merkel. The iPad’s were purchased by the University Development Office specifically for the Blue and Gold Beginnings Ceremony. Next year, Dean of Freshman College Dr. Andy Wallace said he hopes to improve the program by making a few minor changes. “We may scrap the procession so the band can be in the Junell Center, change the formal program to an informal program and shorten the time period of the event,” Wallace said. Blue and Gold Beginnings had an attendance of 350 freshmen with faculty, staff and other students. According to sanangelotexas.us San Angelo is currently under drought level two and is projected to move into drought level three in October. Drought level three is declared when the city’s water level drops below 12 months. The Hickory Aquifier is slated to be up and running in 2013 and will be able to supply San Angelo with water from anywhere from 50 to 100 years upon completion. For more information on drought levels and the Hickory Aquifier visit http://sanangelotexas.us/index.
Executive meetings will only involve officers and committee chairs, Heimbecker said. These meetings will involve the discussion and delegation of tasks for the Senate. There will also be discussion on any intra-senate tasks that need to be done. Heimbecker said that with all meetings, anything that he or Romo is exposed to that is pertinent to the student body will be mentioned. SGA also discussed how the new smoking area rules can be enforced because students are failing to follow the rules. Romo said there is a possibility of amending the policies on the 50 yard smoking signs to help enforce the rules, but that is still under discussion. SGA talked about replacing the R.O. water systems with the carbon filter systems. For the $4,000 it costs to maintain the four R.O. water systems on campus, 29 carbon filter water systems could be installed and maintained instead. The last topics discussed were the election of new senate members for various departments on campus that were being under-represented, as well as the presentation and recognition of the Kappa Delta Rho fraternity as a new student organization on campus. Monday, Sept. 17, SGA will host their annual Round Table meeting at the ASU Lakehouse. This meeting is by invite only and is an opportunity for the senators to ask various faculty and administration on campus about any concerns they may have.
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Friday, Sept. 14, 2012
Campus awareness month promotes safe thinking, use of common sense saves lives Protect your friends, your drinks and yourself Allison Price Staff Writer September marks Campus Safety Awareness Month for all colleges and universities to remember and raise awareness for the rules of protection and tips to keep safe. “When it starts to get darker, I do tend to go to my dorm because many students are outside messing around,” freshman Anabel Ramirez said. Campus safety is important for students to reflect on some of the dangers that may occur. “If something dangerous were happening to me [at night], people wouldn’t notice because it’s too dark,” Ramirez said. According to http://crimeprevention101.com, there are 30 campus safety tips listed, as well as other tips for domestic violence, street harassment and self-defense. “I’m aware of the emergency exits in many of the buildings,” junior Mik Samaniego-Lira said. Some tips from http://crimeprevention101.com include mapping out safe routes to take, tell someone where you are going and staying alert if you will be out late. “You must make responsible choices individually,” counselor Terry Favor said. “If you know you are going out for the evening, watch how much you are drinking and never leave your drink no matter what it is.” One in four college students are sexually assaulted, and they do not report the incident because they blame themselves, she said. “When students [don’t talk] about their experiences, they end up leaving college,” Favor said. “[Students] can’t deal with the [emotions], and by not asking for help, they have no help dealing with the incident.” According to http://crimeprevention101.com, it is always important to trust one’s first instinct and if one feels that something is not safe, one has the responsibility to change the situation. “I try not to take any unnecessary risks while walking around campus,” junior Samaniego-Lira said.
“Girls Night Out,” a presentation by ASU, shows females how important it is to know people well and to know their character, Favor said. “As far as safety is concerned, girls need to make safe choices for themselves when they are dating and drinking,” Favor said. “Girls are at a higher risk of falling into [unsafe] situations than males.” It is always good to have a buddy with you whenever you are going somewhere, counselor Kristie Walton said. Go and leave with a friend and do not separate from one another. “I am someone who is very paranoid to be by myself when people are in groups because I feel like I’m in some sort of danger,” Ramirez said. Men and women Saftey awareness extend past dark streets and nights out may encounter certain Photo by Rio Velasquez dangerous situations, but it is advised to get help and counseling in order to help with the aftermath, Favor said. “You don’t have to necessarily file a police report; you just need to tell someone and get validation,” Favor said. “Use common sense.”
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OPINION
Page 5
Friday, Sept. 14, 2012
Hearts humbled and lessons learned
Lest we forget
Lisa Dees Copy Editor
My family has sponsored a Kenyan child through Compassion International for about twelve years. After making plans to work in Kenya this past summer, I arranged to meet Irene, a friend and a sister, but yet a stranger. Compassion allowed me one day to spend with Irene, so I determined to make the most of it; I brought gifts from the states and bought food for the family. Upon arrival in Mulwanda, Kenya, someone who had never met me except through letters, sprinted from her classroom and hugged me as I climbed out of the taxi. Irene prayed for me and for the day we would share. She hung a change purse around my neck, something every Kenyan woman owns. Irene took me to her school and introduced me to her teacher and classmates. About thirty pairs of chocolate eyes stared at me from afar, shy smiles sneaking up their faces. Mzungus, or white people, were new to them. In the afternoon, Irene and I made the brief walk to her home. Nearing her family’s mud hut, I was appalled. “Oh, Irene. I’m so sorry you have to live like this.” Those were my thoughts, but my understanding was quite lim-
ited by my perspective. Once in the mud hut, I was pleasantly surprised to find that all was well-kept and clean. The cramped living room was filled with furniture topped with pink table cloths, and pictures hung on the mudcracked walls. There was no running water or light except for the sun spilling through the doorway, yet I immediately felt at home. Rose, Irene’s mother, and her father—although his name escapes me—entered the room and welcomed me. We visited for a few minutes with mixed Swahili and English. I presented the gifts I had brought from Texas to Irene: caramel, starbursts, an ASU book bag, a photo album, and a Texas t-shirt. She was so proud of the presents, especially the shirt, and her white smile lit up her dark complexion. I felt a burst of self-righteousness bubble up inside me, like I had brought these American gifts and made her day. Quickly, Jesus humbled me. Irene’s father brought a gift (a bowl in the shape of a chicken), and as he presented it to me, he told me how much he and his family appreciated mine. He explained how they prayed daily for us, and that they love us, though we had
never met before. He wanted us to know how grateful he and his family were for sponsoring Irene and for our prayers. Then, he brought another gift (a vase), and he and his family prayed over me in Swahili. I do not know what they said, but the language washed over me and filled me. Once her family had prayed for me, I prayed for them. It was an honor to pray for the people who we had cared for from afar for many years. Irene’s mother, Rose, brought oranges for us to eat, and she expressed her gratefulness and appreciation. After eating, I gave Rose the food I had brought with me from Kitale, where I had been living. I had stuffed maize flour, cooking oil, bread, rice, beans, sugar and an orange Fanta for Irene in a box. It was enough to feed the family for two weeks. Then, we went outside, where Irene’s family asked Irene and me to plant a tree in remembrance of the day. We took a picture in front of their home, and I said goodbye to Irene’s family. Irene presented me with more gifts that evening: a wooden bird, a deer figurine, a bowl, and a bowl holder. The story of the widow in the Bible ran through my mind. Jesus said the widow was
Jenni DeBie Contributor
more generous than the rich because she had given all she had, while the rich had given out of abundance. Irene and her family have no material possessions, and yet they scrimped and saved to afford these gifts for my family. To think that they gave so selflessly reflects the heart that Jesus desires. When have I ever given like that? Never. And to think that I was so proud of the gifts I had brought for Irene. Humility is a hard lesson to learn. It’s easy to think we are better than others because we “have” more. Proverbs 22:4 says, “The result of humility is fear of the Lord, along with wealth, honor and life.” (HCSB) Irene may be financially poor, but her wealth outweighs mine. She is honorable and loves Jesus because He has provided for her. And her life—her life is full of joy. It’s a hard concept to grasp, but I’m trying. I want to desire that kind of wealth, honor and life because I know that’s what Jesus desires. I want to be like Irene, storing up eternal blessings instead of finding extra storage for my earthly possessions that will someday fade away.
“Lest we forget” is a very old phrase, an outdated phrase. It reminds us of biblical translations and tombs long covered in dust. “Do this in remembrance... lest we forget.” But today I am not asking for your religion or lack thereof. I am not asking you to enter a house of worship, and I am not asking you to lift up your eyes or hands. I am asking only for your silence. I am asking you to find your peace and to hold your heart still. I am asking you to remember that 11 years ago this week many of you sat in a grade school classroom while a teacher struggled to convey what exactly had happened to our country. I am asking you to remember the fumbled words and deep silences and angry speeches that followed that day 11 years ago. I am asking you to think of the lives lost. I am asking you to look on the bonds we gained with our fellow countrymen. We are a nation divided by so many things and united by something much greater. I am asking you to do all of this in remembrance, lest we forget.
Sidewalk
Survey What do you think about the football team playing at the Cowboys’ Stadium?
“A really good idea! I hope a lot of people go.”
“That’s awesome!”
“I think it’s a good opportunity for ASU to get recognized. ”
“I’m excited! I can’t wait!”
“It will be cool to see the stadium!”
Adriana Marin
Logan Pieper
Jose Cano
Shae Chiles
Sabrina Espinoza
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SPORTS
Page 6
Friday, Sept. 14, 2012
‘Belles volleyball continues early season tear Continued from Pg. 1 “That was obviously one thing that I told Coach; I want to win,” Goode said. “I want to win a conference championship. That’s why I’m here. It’s to win.” The native Texan from Georgetown said she is feeling at home with her new team around her. “I think that ASU’s program is more familyoriented,” Goode said. “As far as the team goes, we’re a lot closer and I like the change.” She began her career here by winning the Lone Star Conference’s first Offensive Player of the Week award this season after achieving 56 kills in the four-game Hilltopper/Rattler Classic Tournament that opened the season with a 4-0 start. Goode won the award while overcoming the different styles of volleyball play from Division I and Division II athletics. “The style here is a lot more ball control, longer rallies and things like that,” Goode said. “In Division I, they have more athletic players and players that go up and just terminate the ball. It is definitely a different style of play.” The ‘Belles’ senior captain and setter Alex Woolsey won the Lone Star Conference’s Setter of the Week after making 158 assists over the weekend to help the team go perfect in the tournament. “I try and set the example that no matter what you do you have to put all your effort into it,” Woolsey said about being the captain of the team. “No matter what role you have and whether that be playing or cheering, you have to do your role and do your best.” Woolsey has been a lifetime ‘Belle and she has 274 of the team’s 354 assists. Woolsey is only 821 career assists from breaking the all-time record set by Amber Nelson in 2004, but the record doesn’t compare with her desire to win. “I’m more concerned with winning,” Woolsey
said. “If I get it, awesome, but if I don’t, it won’t really matter. I’m more concerned with how the season’s going to go.” The season is going from a 2-2 split in the Colorado Premier Challenge in Denver, Colo., to the start of conference play. “We made it a lot more difficult on us last weekend by losing two region matches,” Woolsey said. “But we’ve got to focus on conference now and let that one go. Take it one game at a time.” Setter/defensive specialist Shelby Wilt is the team’s only sophomore, but she plays a vital role for the team as she started the new season winning Defensive Player of the Week to make it a clean sweep of weekly awards for the first week of the season. Wilt won the award by making 65 digs in the four-match sweep while providing nine assists. Wilt said she would like to break her personal record of three Defensive Player of the Week awards, which she earned as a freshman last year. To do that, she will have to win the award three more times this year. “I think just from last year, I really worked on my confidence on the court,” Wilt said. “Just telling myself that even though I am young, I can be a leader in some ways. I think that really helped my experience on this team, and I feel that I can see it on the court, as well.” Woolsey said that they have a great group of girls and will need a team effort to achieve their goal of winning a conference championship. Those girls include senior middle blocker/right side hitter Chelsea Gibson, who is 21 kills away from the 1,000 career kill milestone and a captain of the squad. There is defensive stalwart Maddie Huth, a junior middle blocker who leads the team in total blocks and solo blocks with 24 and four respec-
tively. “I think we have the talent to do it, Woolsey said. “We have a lot of hard work to do and we set ourselves back a bit, so we have to focus now.” The focus will be on conference play which is set to begin Sept. 14 against Cameron University at 7 p.m. It will be the ‘Belles first home game of the season located in the Junell Center.
Photo by Tim Peevy The ‘Belles prepare for Cameron University.
Cowboys Stadium, a closer Rams prepare for debut in state of the art stadium look at the house Jerry built Will meet No. 18 Valdosta State
Jerryworld unlike many other stadiums
Stephen Cogan Staff Writer
Stephen Cogan Staff Writer
It is not going to be a home game, but it is not going to be an ordinary road game either. On Saturday, Sept. 15, the Rams will play inside Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas where events from the Super Bowl to boxing championship matches have been held. The Rams football team has been given the opportunity to play in the stadium against Valdosta State University in the Lone Star Festival, and at least one player is going to get a chance to see his family on this trip. “I grew up a Cowboys fan in Mansfield, which is down the street from Arlington,” senior running back Donovan Roberts said. “It’s nice to have my family be able to come down and see me, the ones that don’t get to see me that often here.” The excitement is among the players, but Roberts said he still views this as any other game. “At first, it’s going to be pretty different,” Roberts said. “But, as soon as the game starts, I’m going to be ready.” The glamour of the stadium could possibly affect the players’ mental preparation, sophomore linebacker Rush Seaver said. “I’m excited,” Seaver said. “[We are] definitely going to be in awe, so we’re going there earlier to get used to it.” Seaver said that going to the Cowboys Stadium has added extra motivation to play even harder
because they are in front of a big crowd and on such a big stage.
“It’s nice to have my family be able to come down and see me, the ones that don’t get to see me that often here.” - running back Donovan Roberts
Getting used to the stadium won’t be a problem for junior guard Isi Cocker, who is actually a veteran when it comes to playing in Cowboys Stadium, he said. “I played there four other times,” Cocker said. “So, I’m going to be ready.” Cocker said that his teams had won all four times that he played in the Cowboys Stadium, so he is not planning on spoiling his perfect record with a loss this weekend.
The home of the Dallas Cowboys is in Arlington, Texas, and the stadium is rather unique. Inside the stadium, above the field, is the gigantic, humongous, unbelievable high definition screen television that is known as the Jumbotron. The Jumbotron, at the time of its creation, was the largest television screen set in history, according to the Guinness World Records. Four televisions span over the entire field with the two sidelinefacing screens measuring 180 feet wide by 50 feet wide for an area of 9,000 square feet and a 2,241 inchdiagonal, according to Dallas Observer. The two smaller end zonescreens are 48 feet by 27 feet for an area of 1,296 square feet, according to the Dallas Observer. Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones said that you can watch the game on the giant screen and not have to worry about looking at the actual game. In total, the Cowboys Stadium cost $1.15 billion to build, according to NFLtouchdown.com. The Cowboys Stadium was first opened to the public on May 27, 2009, and began its legacy as a host to events on June 6 when country music stars Reba McEntire and George Strait headlined a concert that was opened by acts by Blake Shelton and Lee Ann Womack, according to Reuters.com The first sporting event for the football stadium was ironically a soccer match between Costa Rica and Guadalupe in the Gold Cup
Quarterfinal game, according to ESPN.com On Aug. 21, 2009, the Dallas Cowboys played their first exhibition game in the stadium against the Tennessee Titans, where the Cowboys won 30-10, according to NFL.com. On Sept. 20, 2009, the Cowboys opened their NFL season against the New York Giants and the stadium set an attendance record among stadiums with 105,121 fans in attendance, according to ESPN.com. On Feb. 14, 2010, the stadium broke its own record by hosting the NBA All-Star Game which attracted 108,713 fans in attendance, according to NBA.com On March 13, 2010, the stadium set a boxing attendance record when Manny Pacquiao faced off against Joshua Clottey with 50,994 people in attendance, according to ESPN.com. The Cowboys are 13-11 in three years of regular season play and 1-0 in postseason play, according to Pro-Football-Reference.com. The Rams will clash against the Valdosta State Blazers from Valdosta, GA. They will seek to bounce back from a 19-7 loss last week to Chadron State College and improve their record to 2-1 before facing rival Abiline Christian University on Sept. 22 in San Angelo.
By The Numbers 1- The number of games ASU Ram football will have played in Cowboys Stadium after this weekend. 2009- The year that George Strait headlined the first event at the new stadium. 187,713 - Attendance for the 2010 NBA all star game, highest in the building’s history. The Rams football team prepares for their date with No. 18 Valdosta State.
Photo by Tim Peevy
$1.2 billion - The total cost to construct Cowboys Stadium.