August 30, 2011 by The Houstonian

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University Vol 119— Issue 2

Thursday, August 30, 2011

Scudder talks redistricting decision, pg. 2

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian Photo courtesy of Kendall Scudder

Volleyball off to perfect start, pg. 5

DOWNLOAD OUR APP

INDEX

Viewpoints..............page 2 Sports ....................page 5 News ...................... page 3 Special ..................page 6 A&E .......................page 4

Visit either the Apple Store or the Android Market to download our app for free. Use to get updates and more from HoustonianOnline.com.

Students rave to beat cancer By George Mattingly Arts & Entertainment Editor

tudents lit up the night with bright colors and danced to the fast-moving beats of electro music and dubstep as Intramural Field 3 was transformed into party central at “Rave for the Cure” on Saturday night. “Rave for the Cure” is the first event of its kind in Huntsville to introduce a new genre of music to the community and bring out as many as 100 rave partygoers to raise money for the fight against cancer. For senior Justen Barber who created the event, the fundraiser was a way to get more people involved in a cause he knows well. “One of my best friends and uncle both had cancer,” said Barber. “Seeing them go through everything was enough for me.” “Rave for the Cure” capitalized on something all college students can relate to: music. The lineup featured several DJs and performers from all over Texas, including a special guest performance by Ennovi, an electro pop artist out of Austin. The idea behind involving music and dance as a big part of the fundraiser was to bring out students who normally wouldn’t show up to a cancer fundraiser. “If they can pay to go out to a bar or club, they can pay to help save a life,” said Barber. Proceeds from the fundraiser that came from ticket sales, shirt sales

DANCE BATTLE.

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

Senior Justen Barber organized the first Rave for the Cure, held on August 27 at Bowers Stadium, in an effort to raise money and awareness against cancer.

and donations all went to benefit the American Cancer Society. Among the campus organizations in attendance at the fundraiser were Colleges Against Cancer and Kappa Delta Chi, that each donate to the American Cancer Society every year. Although they were not directly involved with “Rave for the Cure”,

each group had a personal connection to their presence at the event. “My family has been affected by cancer and through events like this, we are able to build a connection with someone and help them,” said Cathy Do, president-elect of Colleges Against Cancer. “It’s important for people to be aware because it can

happen to anybody,” said Kappa Delta Chi historian Carmen Damian, whose family also struggled with cancer. Although attendance at the rave was not as high as expected, what mattered most to students was getting more people involved with the cause behind it. “This is a good way to

promote the cause,” said senior Brittany Winner. “I think if there were more events like this, more people would be willing to come.” As the night progressed, the crowd grew from just a few people to a large crowd of students all dressed in colorful outfits, all bringing their best dance moves to dance in the bright lights

and lasers. For the first time, the SHSU community saw the rave culture come out, and although it was uncommon for Huntsville, some students saw it as a good thing. “It is definitely a big culture shock for some people, but it’s good for people to experience something new,” said junior Nicko Nordstrom.

Fall coaches talk “chalk” Qaddafi family flees Libya Nine of 11 defensive starters returning for 2011 season

By Zach Birdsong Sports Editor

The first of the “Bearkat Chalk Talk” luncheons kicked off on Monday. The luncheon was the first in a series of six that is designed to keep fans up to date in upcoming athletic events. The “Chalk Talk” on Monday was designed to highlight the fall sports which include football, volleyball, and soccer. Each respective head coach made an appearance and updated the fans and alumni in attendance on the current state of each sport. Marlyn Montoya | The Houstonian

— See TALK, page 4

CHIT CHAT. Head Coach Willie Fritz highlights Runningback Tim Flanders, named Southland Conference Freshman in 2010.

By McKinzie Brocail Senior Reporter The wife of Libyan dictator Colonel Muammar el-Qaddafi, and three of their children fled early Monday across Libya’s border into Algeria according to a statement released by the Algerian Foreign Ministry. Qaddafi’s wife, Safia, two of his sons Hannibal and Mohammed, and his daughter Aisha escaped to neighboring Algeria via land. Qaddafi’s whereabouts are still unknown, although rebel fighters assumes he is still hiding in Libya. Algeria has remained neutral since the chaos started in Libya seven

months ago. The country has no intention to “interfere in any manner whatsoever in [Libya’s] internal affairs,” said Foreign Minister Amar Belan in a published statement. “[Qaddafi’s family members] have been greeted on humanitarian grounds” in compliance with Algeria’s cultural “holy rule of hospitality,” Algeria’s ambassador to the UN, Mourad Benmehidi, told the BBC World Service. “This would be an act of aggression against the Libyan people and against the wishes of the Libyan people,” said the rebels’ National Transitional council spokesman Mahmoud Shamman. Hannibal and Mohammed

are the least two politically involved of Qaddafi’s sons. Aisha, until recently, was involved as a goodwill ambassador for the U.N. Development Program. Qaddafi’s son Khamis died in a battle against the rebels Saturday. Khamis led Libya’s 32nd Brigade, an infamous force accused of shooting 150 captive civilians last Monday who had been told they would be released. His final battle against the rebels took place in northwest Libya between the small towns of Tarunah and Bani Walid. He was taken to a hospital where he died from his injuries. — See LIBYA, page 4

Welcome Week Bearkat Picnic

Chrystal Golden | The Houstonian

CHOW TIME. Student Activities polished off Welcome Week on Friday with their annual Bearkat Picnic, held outside Austin Hall at 11:30 a.m. Left: Associate Director of Student Activities Brandon Cooper and Assistant Director of Student Activities Chuck Collins pass out t-shirts.qw Above: ELA student Eunna Cho, Junior Mark Denman, and Sammy hanging outside Austin Hall.

Viewpoints

Page 2 Tuesday, August 30, 2011

houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

STAFF LISTING Robin Johnson

FACULTY ADVISER 936-294-1499

Erin Peterson EDITOR-IN-CHIEF 936-294-1505

epeterson@houstonianonline.com

Stephen Green ASSOCIATE EDITOR sgreen@houstonianonline.com

Karmen C. King VIEWPOINTS EDITOR

kking@houstonianonline.com

Kolby Flowers WEB AND MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

kflowers@houstonianonline.com

Zachary Birdsong SPORTS EDITOR

zbirdsong@houstonianonline.com

George Mattingly A&E EDITOR

gmattingly@houstonianonline.com

How to save a life

Kessler McLaughlin wants university to join him in the battle against cancer

It was five years ago when I heard the words “you have cancer.” At the time, my doctors told me that if I was lucky enough to survive the rare type of leukemia I had, it would be five years before they would release me from treatment. That’s this year! This Christmas break, I will have my last cancer test in Houston and once the negative results come back I won’t have to see another oncologist again for the rest of my life! With the help of my sister (my bone marrow donor) and the American Cancer

Society I can proudly say that I have survived a disease that claims thousands of lives annually. Five years ago I was fighting cancer to save my life. Now I’m fighting to save the lives of others as the Event Chair for Relay for Life of Sam Houston State University! Relay gives SHSU students, faculty, and staff a unique opportunity to advance the mission of our university. If “the measure of a life is its service,” how can we serve so that others have lives to measure? Relay is the answer. With every dollar we raise for

McKinzie Brocail SENIOR REPORTER

mbrocail@houstonianonline.com

Jessica Gomez PHOTOGRAPHER

April Sanders COPY EDITOR

Marlyn Montoya

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

GRAPHIC COORDINATOR

Relay we inch that much closer to a world in which no one else has to hear the words “you have cancer.” Though the big Relay event isn’t until the Spring semester our committee will be working tirelessly throughout this year to sponsor events to raise awareness and enthusiasm for a worthy cause. Colleges Against Cancer will be holding meetings every Tuesday at 5:30 in LSC 315 for those that would like to become involved. Also, be sure to join our Facebook page (Colleges Against Cancer: Sam Houston State University Chapter) for updates on upcoming events. I would like to take this opportunity to invite and challenge my fellow Bearkats to join together and fight back! Eat ‘em up Kats! -Kessler is the Relay For Life Event Chair.

Paws Up,

P a w s D ow n “Paws UP” to SHSU volleyball for starting the season 4-0 .

“Paws DOWN” to the never ending heat wave.

“Paws UP” to Aramark’s new snack cart between LDB and Farrington.

“Paws DOWN” to the clock towers. The chimes keep getting further and further apart.

AD DEADLINES Tuesday’s Issue

Friday 5 p.m.

Thursday’s Issue - Tuesday 2 p.m.

Paty Mason BUSINESS MANAGER 936-294-1500

pmason@houstonianonline.com

Brittany Hampton ADVERTISING MANAGER 936-294-1503

bhampton@houstonianonline.com

Meagan Ellsworth PRODUCTION MANAGER

mellsworth@houstonianonline.com

Chelsea Boyd

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE

cboyd@houstonianonline.com

Chrystal Golden

COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST cgolden@houstonianonline.com

Today in history: 1836 – The city of Houston is founded by Augustus Chapman Allen and John Kirby Allen 1922 – Battle of Dumlupinar: the final battle in the Greek-Turkish War (“Turkish War of Independence”). 1940 – The Second Vienna Award reassigns the territory of Northern Transylvania from Romania to Hungary. 1945 – The Allied Control Council, governing Germany after World War II, comes into being. 1945 – Hong Kong is liberated from Japan by British Armed Forces. 1963 – The Hotline between the leaders of the U.S.A. and the Soviet Union goes into operation. 1967 – Thurgood Marshall is confirmed as the first African American Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. 1984 – STS-41-D: The Space Shuttle Discovery takes off on its maiden voyage.

Battle lines are drawn Kendall Scudder

tells students who is on their side in Huntsville City Council The whole City of Huntsville redistricting process this year was quite a sight for political junkies, but hopefully, even if you aren’t a political junkie like me, you can still take away a valuable lesson or two from the process. If you haven’t been following redistricting, first, here’s a synopsis in a nutshell. A map (Map B) was produced that gave students, minorities, and working class families each their own wards for representation within their government. Some Huntsville City Council members wanted to keep the current map which dices the campus and working class communities into multiple wards, so they fought for a map (Map E) that keeps us all divided to decrease our voice in city hall. Students and other members of the community persistently turned out to the council meetings, wrote letters, delayed the process for 3 months, and ultimately came out on top with a compromise map (Map C) that reduces the division. We didn’t get everything we wanted, but because of the high level of involvement, the end result was significantly altered in the public’s favor. But despite a call from the public for a compromise map, Council members Don Johnson, Keith Olson and Lydia Montgomery refused to support middle ground and ultimately voted to stifle the voice of students and working class citizens. With that said, there

KENDALL SCUDDER Recurring Columnist are a couple of important lessons that students should take away from this redistricting process. First lesson: there are council members that are truly looking out for the best interest of students and the community. In fact, Dr. Tom Cole, despite being up for reelection this year, stood by his lonesome in favor of Map B until the very end. Mayor Turner and Council members Wagamon, Fitch, and Barrett opted to compromise with a map that everyone could be happy with and that was still a step in the right direction for students. Second lesson: The anti-student sentiment in Huntsville is still very alive, but is luckily in the minority at the moment. Council members Olson, Johnson and Montgomery didn’t care how many people came to them in an attempt to find a middle ground; their number one concern during this process was making sure that their own best interests were met. Third lesson: try as they might to censor us, as long as the Huntsville

City Council has people like Cole, Wagamon, Fitch, Barrett, and Mayor Turner, the best interest of the entire community, not the select few, will be met to the best of their ability. Although Dr. Cole is the only member of that crew still up for reelection during the municipal elections this year, it is CRUCIAL that students stay in the know and turn out to vote in favor of those council members that will fight for the little guy, the students, and the working class families in this town, folks like Dr. Tom Cole. As a student representative, I was disgusted by the condescending, hateful, and half-hearted nature by which Don Johnson, Keith Olson, and Lydia Montgomery treated students that showed up to have input in the redistricting process. This attitude that we should only show up when called upon is exactly the type of behaviors that we as a body should push back against. On November 8, you get that option. I’m not asking you to vote for the folks I want you to; I’m asking you to vote for the folks who will fight for you. Because, let’s be honest, the only thing that would scare the anti-campus goons at city hall more is an educated student body, voting.

- Kendall is a Senator from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences..

All comics courtesy Creators.com

Don’t let society silence you!

shivenes | Flickr

Write in to The Houstonian and let your voice be heard!

Letter to the Student Body Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alumni: The Houstonian would not survive were it not for the continued involvement and dedication of the SHSU student body. We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor. If at any time you feel the need to express an opinion, please do not hesitate to email your thoughts or drop by our office in the Dan Rather communications building. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued support of the Houstonian. Karmen C. King Viewpoints Editor kking@houstonianonline.com

The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call 936-294-1495. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

News

Page 3 Tuesday, August 30, 2011

houstonianonline.com/news

Trending: Under-skin piercings File photos

THE SKINNY. Microdermal piercings are semi-permanent piercings under the skin. Anchors, above, hold the piercing in place once the skin grows over and through the holes. By McKinzie Brocail Senior Reporter Melissa Moncada had been craving a change for a while, something more permanent than an updated hairstyle or Facebook identity. She drove up to a local tattoo parlor with a friend and decided to get something new. While she didn’t get a tattoo or a typical piercing, she did get something very new and very different: a microdermal piercing. Microdermal piercings, also commonly referred to as microdermal implants or dermal anchorings, are semi-permanent piercings. They are considered semi-permanent because if the body jewelry is removed, the body will heal completely, leaving no hole. The piercing involves a titanium anchor with a post and a jewelry end that screws on to the post. The flat anchor, which has multiple holes it its base, is inserted below the skin into a pocket made by either a dermal punch or a gauged needle. This allows for tissue to grow through the holes, securing the piercing as it heals.

The piercer cleans the area and marks the spot with ink. Once the position of the microdermal is confirmed with the customer, the piercer uses a dermal punch or a large needle to create a pocket or slit. Lastly, the anchor, set with the jewelry typically already screwed onto it, is inserted into the pocket using a curved motion until the piercing is parallel to the skin’s surface. As with any piercing, it is important to keep microdermals clean to allow for proper healing. Due to their small size and level of simplicity for piercers, they can be done just about anywhere there is enough skin for a pocket. Like most piercings, they are convenient and quick. “I was only in [the parlor] for about 15-20 minutes,” said Moncada, a 20-yearold Huntsville resident who got two microdermals inserted into her lower back. Depending on the customer, it usually takes one to three months for a microdermal to entirely heal. Once healed, the gem portion can be changed out for a different look. The biggest difference between microdermals and

your average body piercings is that once healed they become part of your tissue. Since the anchor becomes embedded under the skin, it can only be removed by breaking the tissue around the anchor. To get rid of the piercing entirely, the customer should return to the piercer to get it removed. “I want them to be permanent, I really like them,” said Moncada. “It’s like other piercings where

the initial piercing hurts, but inserting the anchor hurt more. Once it was done though it wasn’t bad.” Titanium is most commonly used instead of surgical steel to avoid the body’s possible rejection of the metal. “If I had to I’d do it again. I always wanted them, but I kind of held back. It’s a new semester, a new [school] year, and I just wanted something new.”

McKinzie Brocail | The Houstonian

A LITTLE EXTRA SPARKLE. Melissa Moncada, above, shows off her microdermal piercings, seen on her lower back. Microdermal piercings are semi-permanent.

Kat’s Meow Karaoke Night at the PawPrint

Rachelle Sadler | The Houstonian

SINGING LOUD AND PROUD. Junior Ashley Baker, geography major, with her fellow karaoke participants during Monday night’s Kat’s Meow, the karaoke night put on by Student Activities.

From LIBYA page 1

Khamis was buried in Zlitan according to the vice chairman of the Military’s Council Mahdi al-Harati. Some of the rebel forces are still advancing to Surt to continue their fight and search for Qaddafi after seizing his Bab al-Aziziya compound in Tripoli last

Tuesday, while others are striving to reestablish electrical power and fuel, running water, as well as transporting medical supplies to hospitals. “Nobody knows for sure, but [Qaddafi] may be captured in the next few days,” said Dr. Masoud Kazemzadeh, a professor of International Relations and Middle East Politics at Sam Houston State University.

After Qaddafi’s ministers abandoned their offices last week and now his family fleeing to Algeria, it seems more likely to rebels that the end of this war is coming closer to an end. “[Libya] has never had an experience with democracy [and they] have been brutalized for 42 years; I am not pessimistic about [Libya’s] future outcome,” says Kazemzadeh.

Become a fan on Facebook

UPD Update August 28, 2011 - While conducting a traffic stop in the 2400 block of Montgomery Road at 11:40 PM, officer determined that the passenger in the vehicle (a male university student) was in possession of contraband. The passenger was arrested and charged with Possession of Marijuana, a Class B Misdemeanor. The dirver was issued a citation for the offense and released. - While checking on the welfare of pedestrian in the 2500 block of Sam Houston Avenue at 12:49 AM, officer determined that the male (a resident of Grapevine, Texas) was intoxicated. The male was arrested, transported to the Walker County Jail, and charged with the Class C Misdemeanor Offense of Public Intoxication. August 26, 2011 - A male resident of Huntsville, Texas was arrested at 12:30 AM in the Lowman Student Center Ballroom, located at 1802 Avenue I, for the offense of Public Intoxication. In addition, due to the individuals behavior, the male was issued a criminal trespass warning for all SHSU property. - While conducting a traffic stop in the 1000 block of 15th Street at 2:33 AM, officer determined that the driver (a male university student unde age 21) was had

been drinking alocholic beverages. The driver was issued a Class C Misdemeanor citation for the offense of Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol by a minor. A passenger in the vehicle (a minor male university student) also admitted to consuming alcohol. The passenger was issued a Class C Misdemeanor citation for the offense of Minor in Consumption. Both were released to a sober driver. - At 11:53 PM in the 2000 block of Sam Houston Avenue, officer observed two males who appeared to be having a verbal argument. Upon checking on their welfare, officer determined both males were highly intoxicated. The two males were arrested, transported to the Walker County Jail, and each individual was issued a Class C Misdemeanor citation for the offense of Public Intoxication. August 25, 2011 - While assisting with a loud noise complaint in the 5000 block of Sam Houston Avenue at 11:38 PM, officer determined that a male univeristy student was in possession of contraband. The male was issued a citiaton for the offenses of Minor in Possession of Alcohol and Loud Nois Violation.

Arts & Entertainment

Page 4

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Dance profs light up festival houstonianonline.com/a-e

By George Mattingly

Arts & Entertainment Editor

An SHSU dance professor will present “Splitting Night: An Evening of Dance and Light” as a part of the Houston Dance Festival on September 2 and 3 at Barnevelder Movement Arts Complex in Houston. NobleMotion Dance, a non-profit dance company headed by director and professor Andy Noble and his wife and co-director Dionne Noble, will present the show. The show was a collaboration between NobleMotion Dance and prominent lighting designer Jeremy Choate,

who created the lighting for the show. Usually, the dance comes before the set for the show is designed, but in this show, the lighting design came first and served as the inspiration for the movement and dance in order to create a unique dynamic on stage. “With this light design, we are directing where the audience looks,” said Noble. “With the lighting, we can make dancers appear and disappear on stage.” This is not the first time the Nobles have collaborated with Choate. Their previous work together includes Photo Box D and Light Blanket

X44 in which Choate designed original lighting to inspire choreography.

Choate is known for his creativity with lighting, using unconventional

agreed with one user who said, “watching the #VMA and wondering what goes on in Lady Gaga’s head??”, her video for “Born This Way” received the first award of the night, “Best Video With A Message”. This year, there was no host at the VMAs which is a major improvement from last year after Chelsea Handler’s dismal job as host. Instead, MTV opted for Kevin Hart to do skits behind the scenes that worked better. Ne-Yo and Pitbull took to the stage to perform their overplayed song “Give Me Everything”. Their performance was almost an exact copy of their American Idol performance and for the VMAs, I would expect more. A definite highlight of the night was when Adele took the VMA stage for the first time to sing her latest

single, “Someone Like You”, which was unique to the music industry. There was no unnecessary theatricality, hard-hitting choreography or dramatic lighting. She stood at the microphone, under a beam of light, with the piano behind her and sang her heart out. Although it may sound boring to most people, it was a raw performance that showed extreme vulnerability and talent; that’s what made it unique. Chris Brown’s performance was commendable. All things considered, he has managed to do what most artists have failed to do: rebuild his career. He did not sing one note during his performance, which left some people puzzled as one Twitter user said, “Is Chris Brown going to sing or just dance?” He made up for it with his dancing. He danced

to different genres of music including Nirvana’s “Smells Like Teen Spirit”, and flew over the audience. Overall, he did a good job, but my advice would be to add some singing somewhere in there next time. Later that night, Britney Spears received the “Michael Jackson Vanguard Award” for her achievements over the years and received her own tribute that included several “mini-Britneys” dancing on stage. The tribute reminded me of why I liked Britney before auto-tune dominated her music. The star of the night was Beyonce, who after belting out her 60s inspired song “Love on Top”, revealed her baby bump underneath her sparkling tuxedo jacket. She appeared very happy and thankful to finally have the chance to be a mother. The announcement left fans equally happy for her who

Photo by Jon Nalon

TAKING THE STAGE: Dancers Jer Cho and Shohei Iwahama showcase their althleticism in “Splitting tne Night”. It will be performed on September 2 and 3. w

materials such as fluorescent lights, cameras, intelligent lights and projection to create lighting cues for the dancers. “Splitting Night” features eight light inspirations based on what light means to people and their response to it, such as the use of a night light, the mysterious things that happen in the absence of light, the light seen when dying, and the light of sunset and sunrise. Each of the light inspirations has its own dance movement, featuring a wide array of styles such as contemporary, hip-hop and classic. The show also features five SHSU graduate students and three

alumni who are “known for doing things the average person cannot do” said Noble. The show has already sold out shows in August and received standing ovations from the audience according to Noble. “I want the audience to walk away feeling excited about dance and to feel inspired by the show,” he said. Tickets are on sale for $20 in advance and $25 at the door or $15 for students with an ID. To purchase tickets or find out more about NobleMotion Dance, visit their website at http:// www.noblemotiondance. com/index.html.

VMAs: the good, bad and the baby

By George Mattingly

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Lady Gaga appeared as a man and Adele delivered a chilling performance, but Beyonce, or rather her growing baby bump, stole the show at MTV’s Video Music Awards on Sunday night. Lady Gaga turned heads when she opened the show dressed as her male alter-ego Joe Calderone. Dressed in a white t-shirt, black blazer and slacks and smoking a cigarette, Gaga stayed true to her theatrics and delivered a monologue before belting out her latest single “You and I” with Brian May from Queen. Although I am a Lady Gaga fan myself, her musical talent is enough to get her through her performance; she doesn’t need the outfits and stunts to make her performance. Despite stirring up a buzz amongst viewers on twitter who

Stephen Green |The Houstonian

SHARING THE NEWS:. After her performance, Beyonce showed off her growing baby bump to the audience. She and husband, Jay-Z have been married for three years.

used Twitter to express their excitement, one user tweeted, “Beyoncé rubbing her belly is the sweetest thing I’ve ever seen. Such a touching moment!” Later during the night, Tony Bennett, Russell Brand and Bruno Mars were among the artists who gathered to pay tribute to jazz singer Amy Winehouse, who passed away in late July. Bennett said she was “a true jazz artist in the tradition of Ella

Fitzgerald” and showed a clip of them recording together that revealed Winehouse’s talent. Then, Bruno Mars took the stage to sing “Valerie” and did it justice. I’m not the biggest Bruno Mars fan, but it was the best I’ve heard him sing. This year’s VMA’s definitely topped last year’s and had some major moments that will have viewers talking for a while…until next year of course.

FREE CONCERT!!! LIVE AT UHBC

August 30th at 7:00pm AT University Heights Baptist Church : 2400 Sycamore AVE. Doors open at 6:00pm with special guests: Bethany Dillion and Freely Brought to you by:

And SHSU Student Services For more info call 936-295-2996 or email office@uhbc.net

Sports

Page 5 Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Team wins tournament, go 4-0

houstonianonline.com/sports

twitter.com/HoustonianSport

By Cheval John Sports Reporter

For the first time since 1983, the Bearkat women’s volleyball team started the season 4-0, winning the Bearkat Invitational Tournament over the weekend. This is the 12th time in the tournament’s 36 year history that the volleyball team has won the tournament. Friday, in the first game, they defeated the University of Texas-Pan American Broncos in four sets with scores 25-14, 25-15, 20-25 and 25-21. Senior outside hitter Carli Kolbe led the Bearkats with 11 kills and 14 digs in the game. “Carli gave us a spark today,” head coach Brenda Gray said. “It was good to see her carry the team on her shoulders when it was needed.” Junior transfer outside hitter Kendall Cleveland had 10 kills, two blocks, two digs and an ace in her first game as a Bearkat. “Kendall balances Carli and it is nice to have two outside hitters who can terminate the ball,” Gray said. The Bearkats won the first two sets easily, but would lose the third set. The team would battle their way through the fourth set that had nine tie scores and three lead changes. With the score tied at 18, Kolbe had a kill that gave them the lead. Freshmen outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson scored the final two points that put the game away for the Bearkats.

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

GAINING A VICTORY. Senior Carli Kolbe celebrates after gaining a point for the women’s volleyball team.

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

GETTING A HIT. Senior Kim Black goes up for a hit against Rutgers.

“We could not have won without Deveney,” Kolbe said. “She had a block and two kills. To step up like that as a freshman is very reassuring for us.” Senior middle blocker Kim Black contributed with eight blocks and nine kills, while senior setter Kym Loving had 38 assists and three kills. In the second game, the Bearkats defeated the Rutgers Scarlet Knights in four sets: 25-14, 25-19, 2325, 25-22. Kolbe led the Bearkats with 11 kills, 15 digs, three assists, an ace and a block. Black had nine kills, nine blocks and two aces while Loving had 31 assists, five kills, eight digs, six blocks

and an ace. The Bearkats won the first two sets in the game, but lost the third set in the match. The fourth set was a battle between the two teams with six tie scores and one lead change. Sophomore middle blocker Haley Neisler had two key kills that put the game away for the Kats. “Haley did an excellent job tonight,” head coach Brenda Gray said. “She runs complete slides and blocks very well. That is what she’s there for.” In the third game, Saturday afternoon the team defeated Texas A&MCorpus Christi Islanders in four sets with scores of 2521, 25-15, 23-25 and 25-22.

Soccer team loses two in Tulsa ByAmy Turek

Contributing Reporter

The women’s soccer team was swept at the Tulsa Invitational over the weekend, with a 3-2 loss to Oral Roberts University and a 6-0 loss to the University of Tulsa. Friday’s game against Oral Roberts was back and forth with the first half ending 1-1. Oral Roberts scored with just three minutes left in the first half, but Megan Manis tied the game within a minute. Oral Roberts scored early

From TALK page 1

Coming off a perfect 4-0 start, and winning the Bearkat Invitational Tournament, head volleyball coach Brenda Gray hoisted the trophy that the team had won. Gray spoke about the weekend and addressed the current team’s standing. “We couldn’t be more excited for this group,” Gray said. “We didn’t lose anybody last year, we returned a very good core of players and we have brought in five new girls.” Gray also mentioned that even though pre-season rankings have team listed as finishing sixth in the Southland Conference, she expects the team to do well in the conference. “Before this year started we had an idea that we could do something’s this year in the conference,” Gray said. “But, we feel sure about what we have.” Head football coach Willie Fritz described the offseason for the team, and then went on to talk about the upcoming season. Defensively the team will return nine of 11 starters, and 11 of the team’s top 12 tacklers. Fritz also talked about his returning offensive players

in the second half and the Bearkats trailed until the 71st minute when Tricia Mallory scored from seven yards out after a pass from Jessica Toms. Minutes later, however, Oral Roberts’ Maria Grados scored the game winning goal from 15 yards out. On Sunday, Tulsa started the scoring early, knocking in two goals within seconds of each other. Two more goals were scored before halftime by Tulsa’s Stephanie Aitken in the 33rd and 44th minutes, giving Tulsa a 4-0 lead at and highlighted sophomore Tim Flanders, who was in attendance at the luncheon. Last season Flanders rushed for 948 yards, and was named as an all-conference running back, as well as conference freshman of the year. Fritz went on to mention that the team would face a challenging schedule that included three FBS programs including Texas State, the University of Texas San Antonio, and New Mexico. While the team does have a difficult schedule, Fritz is excited about his returning players and coaching staff. Head soccer coach Tom Brown addressed the current team situation. After starting the season 1-1, the team traveled this past weekend to Tulsa, Okla. to play in the Tulsa Invitational against Oral Roberts and the University of Tulsa. The team lost both games and Brown mentioned that the team had been plagued by injury, and during the Tulsa Invitational was forced to leave approximately 25 percent of the team behind at home. “The good thing though is that it’s forced us to play a lot of players that are coming in as freshman,” Brown said. “Although it

Photo courtesy of gobearkats.com

GOING UP. Freshman Jessica Toms, goes up to hit a ball against Oral Roberts.

halftime. In the second half, Tulsa scored two more goals in the 55th and 57th minutes. The Bearkats next face Grambling State on Friday in Louisiana and Rice University on Sunday in Houston. may give you a few more gray hairs as the game goes on, in the long run it’s probably a good thing because it forces me to get some of the younger players into the game, and we can get a good idea of how they react to that. And it also gives them a good idea of what’s to be expected of them as we get into conference play.” Despite dealing with injury, Brown emphasizes that is his goal to get the team to overcome these difficulties. “Every team is going to go through some type of crisis, ours just happens to be not playing well on the road,” Brown said. “It just depends on how you deal with it and how you move on from it.” Athletic Director Bobby Williams, thanked the alumni and fans for coming out. Williams also addressed the passing of alumni and donor Ron Mafrige. Williams spoke of Mafrige, mentioning he was close to the university, and that before Thursday’s football game, there would be a moment of silence in remembrance of Mafrige. For more information on the “Chalk Talk” series and the schedules for each sport, visit gobearkats.com.

Kolbe led the Bearkats with 21 kills, 18 digs, three aces and a block. “Carli wants to win,” graduate assistant coach Jason Curnalia said. “She has taken her leadership in her four years to another level and the girls are following her lead.” Neisler had nine kills, five blocks, five digs and an ace while senior setter Kym Loving had 49 assists, 13 digs, two aces, one kill and a block for the Kats. The Bearkats won the first two sets, but lost the third set in the match. The fourth set was another battle between the two teams with 18 tie scores and seven lead changes. Neisler’s two kills gave the Kats a boost that would lead them to win the set and the match against the Islanders. The Bearkats won their fourth and final match by defeating the Louisiana Tech Techsters in straight sets: 26-24, 25-9 and 25-20. Kolbe led the Bearkats

with 19 kills, seven digs and an ace while sophomore outside hitter Kelli Stewart had 10 kills, six blocks and one dig. The first set was an uphill battle for the Bearkats as they were trailing four times by a total of three points. Stewart set the tone with a kill that brought the Kats within two. The Techsters would gain another point on an attacking error by Kolbe to make it 24-21. Kolbe added two key kills and then an attacking error by the Techsters’ Clara Vido tied the match at 24. Neisler and Kolbe each had a kill that completed the comeback and won the set for the Bearkats. The Kats would cruise the final two sets to sweep the Techsters and win the tournament. Kolbe finished the tournament with 62 kills and was named the “Most Valuable Player.” “It’s really great to start off 4-0,” Kolbe said. “We

have played some really good teams and we wanted to start the season strong. She was also named to the Bearkat Invitational All-Tournament team along with Black, who had 28 blocks in the tournament and Loving, who had 156 assists and 36 total digs. “Winning the tournament solidifies our hard work over the last two and a half weeks of preseason,” Loving said. “The win means a great deal to us,” Haas said. “This is another step toward winning the conference title, so we have to go out and win the next tournament.” The Bearkats will be in Denton for the North Texas Invitational on September 2-3. They will face the University of North Texas on Friday at 7 p.m., along with the University of Cincinnati and the University of Oklahoma on Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.