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e thwichitan Wednesday
September 21, 2011
DAMES continued from page 1
The Derby Dames at practice. Kassie Bruton “You get your sea legs back pretty quickly,” Nursing Student Lauren Shelton said. “If you skated as a kid, and if you put skates back on, it takes about 30 minutes to get your sea legs back and about a week to get your footwork back.” While footwork can come back quickly, many of the women aged 21 to 45 years old have difficulty hitting the brakes. While some of the teammates are still adjusting to quad skates, as opposed to blades, the other women are frightened that stopping will injure them. “It’s scary, because if I get hurt, that’s going to affect my job,” Aerobic Instructor Anna Jentsch said. “Thank God for the pads. But we’re all there to help each other. Nobody
laughs – we all fall and we’re all learning together.” Shelton recently injured herself while skating for fun. In her opinion, most of the injuries are conditioning problems. The team needs to work on strengthening their muscles to be able to withstand physical contact. The team is also working together in another aspect – every woman is a part of a committee, and many of them have referred to it as a second full-time job. “It’s not for everybody,” Skater Larissa Loyd said. “It does require a lot of time. It’s skater-owned, skater-operated…so we have to be very dedicated to that. But I like that aspect. Everybody is working together.”
At practice, the girls have been working on technique. During a “bout,” the girls must skate while squatting. This has proved to be challenging, but the women recognize that it does help with stability. “The snake drill (is my favorite part),” Graduate Teaching Assistant Rachel Rex said. “You have to weave in and out between girls without falling or colliding with the other girls. In the process, you must tell the girls whether you are going to the inside or outside of the line that moves at a brisk pace.” Rex has also embraced the roller derby style with a new name – Sanchosaurus Rex. This is something that every teammate will do before bouts begin in January.
Roller derby has brought many of the women together – which was unexpected by some of them. “Derby seems to bring the renegades together – the women who ‘didn’t really hang out with the girls,’” Catherine Deem said. “We were the ones who were the tomboys, the loners, and playing sports. I really love that I’ve found other women with like-minds who I can hang out and be competitive with.” Other teammates said they are getting what they bargained for. “I have followed roller derby since I was a kid in the 70s,” Jennifer Lewis said. “I liked how the girls were powerful, and ever since then I wanted to do derby.” Practice is somewhat of a girls’ night for some of the women. Whether they are full-time students, mothers, or work long hours, time at derby practice is personal time. “I really wanted to do something that was for me,” Jenn Neal said. “I have kids that are very active and most of my time is devoted to them. I wanted to remember what it felt like to be devoted to something for me.” The entire league is currently on a 90-day probation while they prepare to split into teams. Every player must meet certain requirements set by the Women’s Flat Track Derby Association. During this preparation, the women are strengthening and improving their skills daily. “You never know what you’re capable of until you push yourself,” Deem said. “And derby is definitely pushing me. I find out more about myself at every practice.” The women agree that roller derby is for everyone. Whether you play, watch or support, everyone can enjoy it.
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CAMPUS BRIEFS Wednesday The Wealth Gap in America 1:30 p.m. CSC Shawnee. Student Success Series: MyFace, Spacebook, and Other Issues of Technology for Students 7 p.m. CSC Comanche Suites.
Thursday
Speakers and Issues: Exploring the Edges of Texas 7 p.m.- 9 p.m. Museum of Art at MSU. Admission is free, donations are welcome.
Friday
MSU Family Day Noon
Tuesday
Annual Book Banning and Censorship Protest 1 p.m.- 3 p.m. CSC Atrium and Sunwatcher Plaza.