The East Tex an
S TUDENT NE WSPAPER OF TE X AS A& M UNIVERSIT Y- COMMERCE SINCE 1915 XCV, No. 4, 8 pages
Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010
www.theeasttexan.com
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Golf course brings entertainment to Commerce Pastime will give students, citizens chance to engage in family activities chancellor mills opinion Editor
Two Commerce residents recently decided to partner up to open an indoor miniature golf course downtown. Artist Durwood Smith approached his friend and property owner Ray Embro with the idea when one of Embro’s properties became available. “Ray [Embro] had the JCPenney building down there on the square
and I’ve always liked it,” Smith said. “I put in Creative Expressions three years ago and became friends with Ray then. He already owned Eagle Properties and the building came up. He wanted to lease it and I just talked him into going in as partners on the golf course, and it’s something that has just gone from there.” According to Embro, he was almost immediately on board with Smith and his plan.
“He was overwhelmed and he said, ‘This would be perfect for my dream of having a golf course here,’” Embro said. “The building was empty. He showed me his sketches and what he wanted to do and I said, ‘Okay. Let’s do it.’” Smith originally created a design for an indoor mini-golf course several years ago. However, his plan was originally for a 12,000-square-foot, 18-hole course.
“I was an artist in New York and I designed a miniature golf course, probably 15 years ago,” Smith said. “And then we moved to Texas and I kind of put it on the back burner.” The golf course – which will be named Eagle Golf & Gift – will be located downtown at 1209 Washington Street. The establishment will also contain an arcade, a snack bar and a special room for birthdays.
Feral felines given aid
CHAZ ALLEN / THE EAST TEXAN
PRYCE DAVENPORT / THE EAST TEXAN JASMIN BROWN / THE EAST TEXAN
One of the many feral cats hides beneath the stiars outside of the James G. Gee Library. The feral cat program has been in use since last yeat and is geared at controling the feline population.
A kitten drinks from a pool of water a year ago after the ferrel cat program was initiated and the same cat a year later still spends its time around the library.
Campus stray cat program still in works Jared watson Digital media editor
A&M-Commerce faculty and members of the Commerce community continue to work to reestablish the Feral Cat Program on campus. “A feral cat is a kitten that is not socialized by humans,” English professor Dr. Robin Reid said. “They have the same response to humans that a wild animal would, which is to run away and hide. They won’t come to you, and they don’t look on humans as friendly.” The program, which involves trapping stray and feral cats on campus, spaying or neutering and vaccinating them, releasing them back onto campus, and then installing feeding stations, was discontinued during fall 2007. As reported by The East Texan in October 2009, Reid submitted an initial proposal to restart the program last fall.
Thursday H: 91 L: 71
Friday H: 90 L: 69
“When [former A&M-Commerce president Keith] McFarland ended the feral cat program,” Reid said, “he was doing it under the impression that by not having feeding stations, we would not have stray cats on campus. However, if you look around on campus, you will see the stray cats are back [and] the kittens are back, especially by the library.” President of the Commerce Humane Association Jody McIntier thinks the program would have substantial benefits for the university. “You will have healthy cats that are being fed at no cost to the university, vaccinated, not reproducing and helping to control the rodent population,” she said. “The feral cat program is really a no-brainer.” According to McIntier, there are approximately 30 feral cat colonies in the Commerce area, with each consisting of about 25 to 30 cats. Reid said that feral cat colonies will always exist in cities and
Saturday H: 89 L: 70
towns, largely because of human waste. “Any place where you have a lot of food being dumped, you will have ferals,” she said. “There is no way to keep them away.” Reid said the problem is exacerbated by people’s sympathetic but misguided attempts to help. “It is a habit of human beings to feed stray cats,” she said, “and I know of some illicit feeding on campus.” According to McIntier, such gestures often do more harm than good. “You may decide, ‘Hey, I’m going to start feeding these cats,’” she said. “Well, if you do that for two weeks, the cat becomes dependent on that food, and will come back looking for more. So if you decide you don’t have the time, the cat will be forced to eat whatever else is available, and that can make them sick.” Approval of the initial proposal has been delayed because the Animal Care and Use Committee, which has been See CAMPUS page 3
See MINI page 3
Annual bash adds new night james bright Editor
The 25th annual Bois d’ Arc Bash will be held Sept. 23-25 featuring music, food and a 5k run. This year’s festival also features a college night, which is the first time the bash has directly involved the university. “We’ve always wanted to involve the community and the university,” Commerce Chamber of Commerce Trey Boyles said. “The university is an integral part of the community.” The college night will be held Thursday, Sept. 23 and will feature a wide variety of food and music. Every year, the Chamber of Commerce’s concession booth carries a signature item and this year it is the Bois d’ Arc Bash Slushie. “It’s concocted to put everyone in the mood to celebrate,” a press release on festival’s website said. Other foods offered through out the bash will be funnel cakes, turkey legs and a pancake breakfast offered Saturday morning by the Commerce Kiwanis club. A multitude of item vendors will be attending the bash as well. “For shoppers seeking crafts and unique merchandise, the Bois d’ Arc Bash delivers endless pleasures in the discovery of unusual items at affordable prices,” the release said. The 5k run will be held Saturday morning followed by the breakfast and vendors setting up for the days sales. A parade will also be held Saturday morning. Headlining Saturday night’s music entertainment will be Dallas natives wakingNorman. The band will take the stage at 10 p.m. According to the release the band is a mixture of rock, funk and jazz. “Their unique music originates with an electric violin and electric guitar,” the release said. The chamber said they are proud to have the band to headline the show. “We are very happy
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OPINION
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Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010
Columnist Jared Watson faces a measure of heartbreak with the recent loss of many of his iPhone apps.
Writer says goodbye to iPhone apps JARED WATSON DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR I’m glad you could all be here for me at a time like this. It’s not every day that 60 or 70 of my dearest friends are taken from me all at once. The wound still seems so fresh that it’s hard to believe they’re gone, but I must accept the loss and move on. They would have wanted it that way. On what seemed like a normal Friday afternoon, I plugged my iPhone into my computer and casually hit the “sync” button. I ignored the “some of your apps
are not saved to iTunes” warning and even callously told the program “don’t show me these messages in the future.” Little did I know “some apps are not saved” really meant, “every single thing on your phone is going to go away.” I didn’t even get a chance to say goodbye. Just like that, they were gone, and all I have left are the memories. Even now, I can remember how some of them made me smile. Oh, Facebook and Twitter, my bedrock apps. My phone’s screen still has two greasy spots
where your sweet icons use to be. I’ll always remember how you constantly updated me on John Hodgman’s Scrabble games, Bill Simmons’ thoughts on “Jersey Shore,” and the day-to-day affairs of irrelevant people I went to high school with. Oh, how I wish I could find out if our former prom queen was “having a blah afternoon ” for just one more day. Battleship, truly you were “the original naval game.” My fleet flies their flags at half-mast for you. B7? Hit. Very, very hit.
MLB At Bat 2010, I may miss you most of all, and not just because of the $15 it took to buy you. No, I’ll miss all the hours I wasted finding out if Cliff Lee got the win for my fantasy team instead of studying, and all the power you sucked away as I listened to game audio of Roy Halladay’s perfect game. Fare thee well, you battery vampire. Words with Friends, I loved how you never judged me for using a Scrabble solver to help me cheat and beat my friends. Thank you for keeping quiet that I never cared what “matzas” were as long as I got the triple word score that came with them. Shazam, thank you for letting me impress all my friends by smugly telling them the music in that one Verizon commercial was Cold Case’s “Life Magazine.” I’ll always owe you for that. Urbanspoon, I…I actually don’t remember ever using you. You were a stupid download. But now, you’re all gone, all $100-plus of you. Sure, I could download most of you again (except you, MLB. I still need to feed myself), but it would be like buying a new dog after my old one died. It just wouldn’t be the same. Besides, if I felt the need to write a eulogy for my apps, it’s clear that I must spend way too much time on my phone anyway.
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR The East Texan welcomes readers to voice their own opinions. Send an email to the editor at theeasttexan@gmail.com or comment on an article at theeasttexan.com. Content may be edited for length. Dear Editor, I completely understand where you are coming from! Dealing with the FA office just makes me want to bang my head against a brick wall. Every
semester if its not one thing, its another! Not to mention that getting ahold of someone without having to be transfered several times just to answer a question is just about impossible! This is certainly something I will not miss when I graduate, however, it will be something I don’t ever forget when telling others about this campus. -Ashlie
Dear Editor, I find the financial aid office to be prompt and courteous when I phone, email, or drop by their office. I think the author’s experience was unfortunate but rare. I am a graduate student at TAMU-Commerce. -PetraKirsten Note: These comment are in reference to the Sept. 16 article, “Writer annoyed by financial runaround,” by Caleb Slinkard.
Be sure to catch our special Hunt County Election Day issue on Nov. 3, as well as online coverage at theeasttexan.com on Nov. 2-3 Quotes out of Context “I never have a problem with length,” Jared Watson, Digital Media Editor. “We just watched this thing about the Trail of Tears, and it was hilarious,” Chancellor Mills, Opinion Editor. “I don’t know, but they have a good shrimp gumbo recipe,” Caleb Slinkard, Managing Editor. “You have no mints, you have no power,” Chancellor Mills, Opinion Editor. “I have to wait for Fred to get back so I can plug in my cat,” James Bright, Editor.
The East Texan, official student newspaper of Texas A&M University-Commerce, is published 12 times per semester during the Fall and Spring by students in reporting and editing classes. Content is solely the responsibility of the student editors and writers. The comments and views expressed in The East Texan do not necessarily reflect the beliefs of other students, staff, faculty, administration, or the Board of Trustees. The East Texan is located inside the Journalism building on the east side of campus in room 113. Single copies are available in Journalism 113 for an additional 25 cents. Letters to the Editor are welcome and should be limited to 250 words. They will not be edited for spelling, grammar and libelous or malicious statements. We reserve the right to refuse publication. Letters should be typed or e-mailed and must include a signature, classification (grade level) and telephone number. Mailing address is The East Texan, P.O. Box 4011 Commerce, Texas 75428.
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Sports editor deals with “short”comings
ADAM TROXTELL SPORTS EDITOR I believe in learning a lot about yourself during your time at university. It happens naturally, like when you all of a sudden enjoy a television program you never took the time to watch back home, or when you get a first taste of Ultimate Frisbee. Over time you also learn what your strengths are and how to use them to overcome your own“downfalls.” After two years at A&M-Commerce, I’ve finally learned how to get over something I’ll probably have to overcome the rest of my life: I am small. And I don’t mean in only height. Let’s just say when I have to do clothes shopping (which I hate), I’m required to go on an hours long safari searching for the elusive men’s size 29 or 28, searching through the dozens of 30s, 32s, and 34s, unwilling to traverse into the dreaded “youth” section. I’m not exactly the person you call to do any sort of heavy lifting either. I can forget about building any muscle or weight, as well. All the years of running and playing soccer have my metabolism in overdrive. Would you believe I actually lost weight when I came to college? I’d been holding steady at about 138 since freshman year in high school, only to drop below 130 by the time my sophomore year at Commerce was done. What’s up with that?! More than just a physical issue, it’s caused a few mental walls as well. Seeing all the taller,
bigger, and obviously stronger men on campus doesn’t exactly give me a confidence boost. Plus, it’s nature’s law for the ladies to be attracted to males who are larger and more muscular. This is science, and although for humans it’s not as common than it is in the true animal kingdom, it certainly does not help. There are even studies that show taller, larger people will both literally and mentally “look down” on someone smaller. It’s just naturally easier for you to throw your weight around. I suppose I could try harder to become bigger, and probably succeed in time. I know my friends have already started a workout program. I could easily become a part of it, although I feel the actual weight lifting wouldn’t come so simple. I could probably drink those absolutely disgusting protein shakes, or better yet find someone with the hook-up on campus and pull a Barry Bonds. Someone on campus or in the Commerce/Greenville area has to have some sort of ‘roid’ connections. The thing is, I just plain don’t want to. Would any extra incentive from changing my outer appearance really benefit me? I’d still be the same person (hopefully), still feel the same things, yet I’d be doing twice the work. So, I’ve just learned to deal with my, quite literal, shortcomings by accentuating one thing I feel I have a lot of: determination. Sure, a few things in life might come easier if I were bigger, but they are still achievable in my 126 lb., 28 inch waist human shell. My advice to all the fellow small people out there: have a lot of heart. If you can’t be noticed for physical stature, you might as well be recognized for using what you’ve got for all that it’s worth.
Fun Fact of the Week: Did you know
that feral cats do not meow? Meowing was an adaptation by domesticated cats to communicate with humans.
Editorial: A&M-Commerce seeks community President Jones’s goal of having 3,000 students living on campus is not only a fantastic idea, it is the best way to allow as many students as possible to get the most out of their college experience. If you ask graduates about what made their time in college great, most will mention the friends they made, business connections that helped them later on and
perhaps a party here and there with an adult beverage or three. Almost none of them would mention how great the classes were. By restricting themselves to merely showing up for class and leaving when the hour is up, commuting students are doing themselves a tremendous disservice and missing out on a lot of what college is really about.
The East East Tex Texan an The Established 1915 JAMES BRIGHT Editor Caleb slinkard Managing Editor
JARED WATSON digital media Editor
ADAM TROXTELL Sports Editor
kat huffines Graphics Editor
CHANCELLOR MILLs opinion editor
MEGAN CAREY ART SCENE Editor
jasmin brown copy desk chief
stephanie norman campus life editor
MELISSA ARCHER STAFF CARTOONIST
What we like best about this plan is that the university is not trying to increase students living on campus at the expense of the large commuter base. Some students have no choice but to commute, such as adults that are returning to school, or students with young children, and the university should never make any attempt to exclude them from seeking to
better themselves. It can be scary moving to a new place and having to fit in with a group of strangers, but in the end, overcoming that fear and taking hold of the opportunity is the only way to make the most of your education. We appluad the university’s attempt to turn this campus into more of a community, where the student body can learn and grow together.
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Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010
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...mini golf course to open CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
It has only been in recent months that Smith has decided to make his dream a reality. According to him, his wife had a lot to do with the decision. “My wife passed away seven months ago of cancer, and I decided you better do what you want to do,” he said. Smith is hopeful that the golf course will be-
come something out of the ordinary for people throughout the community to enjoy. Golfer and senior marketing information systems major Andy Kroll is receptive to the new venture. “I think it is a fun addition to Commerce,” Kroll said. “This is a step in the right direction to getting more things for students to do in the town.” Kroll said he is
excited at the prospect of being able to widen his range of dating options. “I’m a broke college student, and going to the movies and out to eat can get expensive,” he said. “So it would be nice to have a cheaper alternative for date nights with my sweetie pie.” Smith hopes to have the golf course up and running by Thanksgiving, but he said he will
not be constrained by a rigid schedule. “We’re shooting for Thanksgiving, no later than Christmas,” Smith said. “We’re making good headway on it, but it’s one of those creative things.” “We want to make it Disney quality and we might make it by Thanksgiving. I think we can do it, but I’m not going to compromise on quality to meet a schedule.”
Courtesy photo Ray Embro The birthday room is one of the many attractions developer Ray Embro hopes to have completed when the golf course opens.
...campus protects cats CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
Courtesy photo boisdarc-bash.com Bois d’ Arc bash attendees surround the funnel cake cart in 2006. The bash is known for bringing new ideas into the festival every year and this year a college night will be introduced in an attempt to bring A&M-Commerce into the bash.
...annual festival has 25th anniversary CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1
that our efforts to bring wakingNorman to Commerce is about to be fulfilled,” President of the Commerce Chamber of Commerce Lisa Arnold said. “We have been in discussions with these specific artists since the Bash committee started tossing around ideas.”
The bash will feature other acts such as the Blandelles. Boyles said a second stage will be set up next to the main stage featuring a continuous line of acoustic acts. “During the bash Saturday there will never be a time where there is no music,” he said. Vendor’s space may be purchased in advance for Sept. 25,
from the chamber office. VIP tickets will be available for $25 in advance. For more information contact the Commerce Chamber of Commerce at 903-886-3950.
and Use Committee, which has been designated as the oversight group for the project, was not able to give final approval by the end of the fall 2009 semester. Reid is working on a new version of the proposal to resubmit. “It takes time to get things done in academia,” Reid said. This version of the Feral Cat Program will also serve as a grantfunded research project, by continuing work on reducing and stabilizing cat populations begun by the veterinary school of Texas A&M University in College Station. It is the research aspect of the project that interested Provost Larry Lemanski most, according to Reid, as it would support his plan to shift the university’s focus to research. “Dr. Lemanski approved and would support the program if it was done in the context of the scholarship part of the issue,” Reid said.
McIntier would like to see veterinary students at A&M-Commerce get involved in the project as well. “We wanted to do the spaying and neutering on campus and have the pre-vet students assist,” she said. “It would allow them to get hands-on experience without having to wait for an internship to do it.” Reid also adds that there are benefits to having a stable, controlled cat population on campus, such as reducing the number of rodents in university buildings. “It was ironic that once the Feral Cat Program was shut down on campus, [the Hall of Languages] had an invasion; a plague of rats,” Reid said. “We’re talking about dropping out of the ceiling on to secretaries’ desks. So the ferals do help keep the rats back, not necessarily by hunting them, but just by being present. Smart rats do not hang around where there is a colony of cats.”
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Fire chief to reach out to students CALEB SLINKARD MANAGING EDITOR
The Commerce Volunteer Fire Department is working on establishing a program that would provide scholarships and other compensation for A&M-Commerce students who join the department. Commerce City Council approved an application from Fire Chief Brian McNevin to the Department of Homeland Security’s SAFER Grant. If accepted, the SAFER Grant would provide the Fire Department with $760,000, enough money to fund the program for four years. “We strongly believe that with continued growth of our city and the university, coupled with increases in emergency responses, inspections, public fire and safety educational programs, and other calls for service,” McNevin said, “this type of aggressive program to recruit and retain qualified individuals will be vital for our department to continue to improve our service and provide the highest level of service to our community.” A&M-Commerce has committed to providing resources for the program after the first four years of funding runs out. “Over the four-year project we will work to identify scholarships and resources to sustain the project through the fifth year and after the funding period,” Dr. Dan Jones, president of A&M-Commerce, said. “We will also assist in identifying and developing other grants to continue this worthwhile initiative.” McNevin plans on utilizing A&MCommerce to market the program to students, an idea that Dr. Jones fully supports.
thetaxipikes.com Members of the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity give a check to the Commerce Fire Department last semester for $500. Fire Chief Brian McNevin said he hopes to create more programs like this that will give students the chance to work with the fire department.
“I know that through an effective partnership we can bring the resources of our One-Stop Center for Student Access and Success and other divisions of the university to assist in making this project a success,” Jones said. The program would have minimum training and work requirements for volunteers. They will be required work at the fire station, respond to events, train and participate in events. “We would give students physicals and train them,” McNevin said. “Once they become active members and meet our minimum requirements they will be eligible for tuition reimbursement.”
McNevin hopes to bring in 21 new reserve members through this program, which provide quicker response time to incidents and cut down on the overtime current volunteers have to work. “This will help our initial response to incidents and increase our on-duty staffing from four to six, with two on reserve,” McNevin said. McNevin expects it to be more than simply financially beneficial for students. “I think people getting involved in a program like this will make them a better person,” he said. “We’re wanting to take these students and mold
them into something. I’ve been doing this job for 36 years and it makes me more appreciative of everything that goes on outside of this job.” If the application is accepted by the Department of Homeland Security, the Commerce City Council will have to approve the program again for it to go into effect. “We’re just saying a prayer that our application is accepted,” McNevin said. The Commverce Volunteer Fire Department is currently taking applications for volunteers. Interested parties can contact Fire Chief Brian McNevin at his office phone number 903-886-1137.
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Ca mpus Life
Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010
www.theeasttexan.com
An artist’s rendering of the new student housing, which A&M-Commerce hopes to have completed by the fall of 2011. The new residence hall, which will have 258 beds, is part of A&M-Commerce’s plan to increase the number of students living on campus.
College to increase campus housing CALEB SLINKARD MANAGING EDITOR
With approximately 83 percent of A&MCommerce’s students living off campus, the university has gained a reputation as a commuter school. Even if more students wanted to live on campus, with current housing structure the university can only house close to 2,000 students. But that is a fact that A&M-Commerce President Dan Jones wants to change. “A vibrant living and learning community is a marquee trait of a thriving university,” Jones said. “I think you’ll see a new spirit of enthusiasm on campus this year from having such a large freshmen and sophomore class. That excitement can’t help but rub off on the rest of our students. That sense of friendship, com-
mon purpose and thrill of being part of something special will build on itself, create a need for more new residence halls and help establish a dynamic campus that will be the envy of the region. Not only will an established community aid in recruiting, it will enrich the legacy of our university and be a source of pride for students and alumni.” In order to meet Jones’s vision of a residential campus, the university is preparing to construct a new 258-bed residence hall by fall 2011 and another one by fall 2012. The second hall’s location will hopefully be determined by Thanksgiving in order for planning to begin in January 2011 and construction in summer 2011. The second hall will potentially house anywhere from 400 to 600 students. “As we were looking
at the growth of the campus, we really wanted to expand campus housing,” Dean of Campus Life and Student Development Brian Nichols said. “A lot of that has to do with campus life and all the things we can do with a larger residential population.” A&M-Commerce has been looking to enhance students’ college experience for the better part of a decade now. “One of the things I heard from students when I got here was that they weren’t having the same college experiences as their friends,” Nichols said. “When I asked them about those comments, I realized what they were talking about was campus life.” With the additions of the Morris Recreation Center, the Sam Rayburn Memorial Student Center, New Pride Apartments and now the new resi-
dence halls, the university is focused on providing top-notch facilities. “We want to be on the cutting edge,” Nichols said. “We want to give our students the best facilities possible.” According to Interim Director of Residential Living and Learning Dennis Koch, living on campus is better for students. “It helps a student’s focus and it gives them the opportunity to make connections and network,” Koch said. “When you get into the workforce, it’s not as much about what you know as who you know, and if you’ve been isolated your entire collegiate career, you wouldn’t have learned how to netxwork. That’s not to say that you wouldn’t be able to find those connections if you lived offcampus, but it would be more difficult.”
Anna Carmichael (far right) enjoys a night in Commerce with friends.
Aussie finds joy in Commerce lifestyle ADAM TROXTELL SPORTS EDITOR
Australians are often thought of in America as slightly different than the rest of the predominantly English-speaking world. Stereotypes that involve their supposedly crazy attitude toward life, their multitude of exotic and dangerous animals, and their sports can be found throughout U.S. media. For A&M-Commerce students, a source of how life really is Down Under can be found on campus every day. Self proclaimed “sophomore-and-a-half” and psychology-biology double major Anna Carmichael came to Commerce in 2008 from her home country of Australia. “Commerce was my first experience of being overseas,” Carmichael said. “I didn’t even get to go to Dallas first. They picked us up from the airport and drove here. It was a mixture of, ‘Oh God,’ and, ‘It’s not as bad as I thought it might be.’ I feel like my mom prepared me for the ultimate worst, because she’d been Googling Commerce.” Carmichael grew up around Melbourne, a major city in Australia. “I come from Mt. Eliza, it’s on the beach, Current figure drawing instructor Gerald Huber talks with antendees of his art show, which was held last spring. Huber’s figure drawing class is and it’s the last suburb of a difficult one for students, as it emphasizes every detail of the human form. Melbourne before it gets rural,” she said. Carmichael said her decision to come to A&M-Commerce was ALYX DAVIDSON remain observant and once introduced.” retirement in 1981 that the based on a mixture of STAFF WRITER aware,” Huber said. Once the students begin class was offered. wanting to see the world, “They must learn to detail the sketching process, how- “Today’s society places pursuing an education, In most situations, pub- every shape, shadow, ever, Huber said the model a certain stigma on nudiand getting the chance to lic nudity is unsettling. In wrinkle and crease on might as well be a bag of ty, especially in front of a play her favorite sport, A&M-Commerce’s figure the skin, as well as the potatoes. group,” Huber said. “To soccer. drawing class, it is a contour of muscles and “You lose the awareartists, nudity is a “It was originally weekly occurrence. bones beneath the surface. ness that they are human,” positive condition.” going to be a gap-year, The class, which A close proximity to the Huber said. Huber appreciates the which is the year you go meets every Tuesday model is important to The course would mean willingness of these mod- overseas after you finish high school,” she said. “I and Thursday evening, ensure that every subtle very little if the model els to be placed in such thought I could do it at consists of 15 students surface detail were fully or even a vulnerable state for the college, then I thought I who gather to study and is noticeable.” partially clothed. sake of the class. could do it playing socsketch the human figure. Huber goes through a “Clothing is distractive “Without them,” “The nude figure is long process of introducing and causes students to pay Huber said, “there would cer, which just randomly led me to Commerce perhaps the most comthe course and its content less attention to the small be no class.” through a scouting proplicated and subtle thing before bringing the model but important surface fea Model applications gram. Then I enjoyed it, to draw,” current figure to the classroom. tures,” said Huber. can be submitted to Julie so I stayed.” drawing instructor Gerard “Because the initial reac- A&M-Commerce hasn’t Phillips in the Art Office. She spent a year on the Huber said. “With the tion of students to a nude always been so receptive to Models are paid $10 per women’s soccer team rostensing and relaxing of figure is generally one of the concept of nude figure hour and both males and ter, and is also a member every muscle, the figure is mild shock and discomdrawing. females are encouraged to of the Honors College. constantly changing.” fort,” Huber said. “It is Former A&Mapply. Interested students Carmichael said she likes Replicating the human important that they at least Commerce President F.H. can stop by the Art Office the university for its form is no easy task. know what to expect and McDowell forbade nude for more information on more intimate setting. “It is extremely chalhow to be respectful to the modeling for art classes the course or on “Everyone always lenging for students to model and it wasn’t until his modeling positions. hates on Commerce, but
Replicating human form no easy task
I actually enjoy it,” she said. “It’s a lot smaller. I went to university in Australia for a while, the university in Melbourne, and it was gigantic. I had to commute an hour and a half there and back each day, and my lectures had, like, 600 people. Commerce, it’s not.” There’s always a chance international students at A&M-Commerce will run into questions about typical stereotypes Americans give to different countries, and it has been no different for Carmichael. She spoke about the questions presented to her by American students when they discover she is Australian. “I guess kangaroorelated questions,” she said. “Honestly, I think I’ve seen one in my entire life. I’m not exactly an expert, but everyone asks me.” Carmichael said her native country is much more similar to places in the U.S. than what might be imagined. “I don’t think it’s that much different from a lot of places in America,” she said. “People seem to think it’s the outback, desert, or like what you see in “Australia” the movie, which I’ve never seen. People just reference that movie constantly as Australian life, and I’m pretty sure that was 100 years ago anyways.” However, Carmichael admitted there are a few differences between Australian and American culture. “I know Australia is a lot more laid back,” she said. “Here, people are much more prompt. And my sarcasm, people absolutely don’t get it. I’d say that’d be the major difference.” Carmichael said she has an idea of what she wants to do after completing her degree at A&M-Commerce, but has not decided whether to do it in the U.S. or return to Australia. “It’s crossed my mind either way, but I definitely want to go to grad school,” she said. “Whether I do it in Australia, America or Europe, I’m currently undecided. I’ll think about that when I graduate.”
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Ca mpus Life
Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010
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Izzy’s offers more than a piece of cake JASMIN BROWN COPY DESK CHIEF Six-year Commerce resident Joann Izzarelli has won over Commerce’s sweet tooth with her family-owned and operated business Izzy’s Cakes & Bistro. Izzarelli originally opened the business as a pastry shop, along with her husband and daughter Jamie, on the square in downtown Commerce last October in a trial run venture. “The reason I put the shop in there was to find out if we could even get a bite in town to be able to service the customers with better cakes and pastries,” she said. It didn’t take long for Izzarelli to learn that Commerce was indeed a viable market for her business. “I’ve found that Commerce eats desert first,” she said. “This is an eatdesert-first town.” Izzarelli also discovered a wider, unmet market for Izzy’s, which prompted her to move the business to its current location at 1940 Live Oak Street in March. “The community’s the reasonv we really moved over here,” she said. “They wanted something more from us – a healthy alternative to fast food. And that’s when we broadened our menu to do gourmet soup, salad and sandwich.” Izzy’s serves its full menu during all business hours including breakfast items such as pastries, quiche, muffins and scones, three fresh soups, which change daily and sweet delicacies such as cheesecake and cake balls. For Izzarelli, the business is the realization of a childhood aspiration, which she recently ended a 30-year career as a regional sales manager to devote herself fulltime to. “It’s something I had wanted to do since I was young,” she said. “I think that our area out here needed something like this. You deserve something besides a grocery store cake. Cake’s special to us and to our family. It was huge thing for me growing up and it’s a huge thing for my kids and grandkids now.” In fact, Izzarelli said the business is named by way of a family tribute. “Izzy comes from my father, him being called it for years, me being called it through school, through my whole career,” she said. “I did it as a tribute to my dad, who’s still living.” However, Izzy’s is “not just about cake,” according to Izzarelli, a fact many community members are unaware of. “A lot of people see Izzy’s Cakes and think we only do cakes,” she said. “But we do a full-line bakery service and
lunch. We feel like we can get you out of here with a healthy lunch for $7-7.50. We are a convenient and healthy alternative to fast food. We do everything fresh.” Izzy’s expanded services have been welcomed enthusiastically by many in the community, including faculty, staff and students from A&M-Commerce. “We have a ‘cult calling’ as I call it,” Izzarelli said. “We have professors at lunch, all the local business. We’re known in the afternoons for the kids to come from the college. We have free Wi-Fi. They come by the carloads and eat cheesecake.” Sophomore marketing major JenAnne Shumway is one of many A&MCommerce students who have enjoyed visits to Izzy’s. “I liked the ‘small-town’ atmosphere,’” she said. “It’s convenient for a quick, quaint light lunch.” Izzarelli said one department in particular at A&M-Commerce is highly supportive of her business. “The athletic department over at the college, Carlton Cooper and his staff has
supported us unconditionally. We help energize that athletic department over there. They support us and we get to give it back, so that’s a good thing.” Jamie, who manages the shop, created a Facebook page for Izzy’s Cakes in March. “I caught wind that we had a minifollowing of unofficial Izzy’s fans and they were all posting to each other [on Facebook],” she said. “One person would post to everybody else about what we were serving and things like that.” Jamie said the page acquired almost 100 fans during its first day and has been “steadily growing” since. Izzy’s also dabbles in large catering projects outside of Commerce such as recently supplying Hunt Regional Healthcare in Greenville with 1,600 cupcakes for a celebratory event, and even has a market in the Dallas metroplex. “We have lots of Dallas people for wedding cake,” Jamie said. Izzarelli said a lot of Dallas area business is acquired through word-ofmouth, as she has a growing reputation
as a sugar artist. “There’s not a lot of people that do sugar work like I do,” she said. Izzy’s is also involved in charitable ventures. During the week of Sept. 20-26, Izzy’s is taking part in CancerCare’s 7th Annual Cupcakes for Cause. According to Izzy’s Facebook page, CancerCare for Kids is a program that offers free support services to children affected by cancer. “All the cupcakes we sell next week will go for that,” Izzarelli said. According to Jamie, their goal is to sell 6,000 cupcakes for the fundraiser. “It’s a huge deal for us,” she said. Izzarelli and Jamie are grateful for the chance to be able to give back to community and the loyal customers who support Izzy’s every week. “We see the same people all the time,” Izzarelli said. “They’ll eat lunch here four days a week. That tells you something. Izzy’s is open Monday-Friday 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. and Saturdays 8:30 a.m.2:30 p.m. They can be reached at 903886-4800 or through Facebook at “Izzy’s Cakes.”
JASMIN BROWN / THE EAST TEXAN
Izzy’s Cakes & Bistro serves breakfast items such as pastries, quiche, muffins and scones, three fresh soups, which change daily and sweet delicacies such as cheesecake and cake balls. During the week of Sept. 20-26, Izzy’s is taking part in CancerCare’s 7th Annual Cupcakes for Cause.
Psychology students research Furries JERIC GRIFFIN STAFF WRITER The psychology department of Texas A&M University-Commerce uses students from lowlevel classes as subjects for research in multiple studies. Dr. Stephen Reysen, assistant professor of the Psychology and Special Education Department, calls these studies double blind experiments. He said that to get accurate results, the participants must be ignorant of the purpose of the study. “The experimenter should not know what is going on, either,” Reysen said. This semester’s studies focus on the identities of humans, both personal and social. Reysen said personal identity includes aspects like taste in music, which is related to fandom. The social identity is who a person is to society. In February 2011, Reysen will be traveling to Dallas to try and survey approximately 1,000 participants who call themselves Furries at one of their conventions called Furry Fiesta. This organization consists of people dressing in realisticlooking animal costumes, which is considered a type of fandom. Dr. Kathleen Gerbasi is an associate professor
of Psychology at Niagara County Community College. Along with six other researchers, she has written the only scholarly journal regarding Furries. Gerbasi’s 2008 study found that roughly one quarter of Furries considered themselves less than 100 percent human and would change themselves to zero percent human if possible. The basis of Gerbasi’s study was Furries’ sexual orientation. Sexual
“ We
get to study and investigate the things about everyday life that most people aren’t even aware is occurring.” - Jamie Snider, undergraduate assistant activity is a big part of the conventions attended by this unique organization and Gerbasi examined that specifically. Her research shows that many Furries consider themselves gay or bisexual. In addition to Gerbasi’s study, a different investigation in 2002 shows that a small
percentage of Furries take interest in zoophilia and/ or plushophilia. Furries are not all about sex. Their assemblies include animal art, which ranges from comic drawings to 3D models. Regardless of the activities Furries partake in, everything has to do with animals and
animal behavior. Reysen said he would like to study Furries more from the identity aspect and learn more about the fandom of the group. “They are often perceived as weird, but it’s just like examining a different culture,” Reysen said. “They are not weird; they are just different.”
boingboing.net
The Furry Fiesta convention consists of people dressing in realistic-looking animal costumes, which is a type of fandom. Dr. Stephen Reysen will be traveling to Dallas next year to survey some Furries themselves.
The identity of Furries is different than the typical American interest in sports. Reysen said he would like to examine how the fandom of Furries differs from other usual forms. Jamie Snider, Reysen’s undergraduate assistant, said she especially likes the study on identity and fandom. She belives that the study helps to see the Furries in the psychological light. “Being a part of the studies, such as the ones we conduct on identity and fandom, has given me knowledge and experience in these areas that I would have never received anywhere else,” Snider said. “We get to study and investigate the things about everyday life that most people aren’t even aware is occurring.” She went on to say that being a part of this identity research has changed the way she looks at things. That’s a huge part of Reysen’s study; the society norm can learn to accept groups like Furries as just another unique identity. Even though the general public may not see Furries in that light, this psychological research is meant to change that.
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Art Art Scene Scene
Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010 www.theeasttexan.com
Fromage du Jour A weekly look at film cheese
MIDNIGHTRELEASING.COM
“Biophage” catches attention with its use of the non-zombie name for the zombie’s in the film: phage. The film still falls horribly flat. COURTESY OF MATT PLUMMER
Dr. Carrie Klypchak personally contacted the playwright Don Nigro for permission to bring his play to the stage for the first time. Nigro was invited to Commerce for the premiere of the play, but will not be able to attend.
University Playhouse presents world premiere of “Iphigenia” SAVANNAH CHRISTIAN STAFF WRITER Assistant theatre professor Dr. Carrie Klypchak will direct the world premiere of playwright Don Nigro’s “Iphigenia” in October at the University Playhouse. Klypchak found the script online and sought permission to perform the premiere production of Nigro’s work by contacting him personally and working with him as well as the Samuel French Publishing Company. “I stumbled across the play, ordered it and immediately fell in love with the script,” Klypchak said. The A&M-Commerce theatre department was chosen as one of the Kennedy Center/ American College Theatre Festival’s regional finalists last year after their production of “The Bird and the Bee.” This distinction showed Nigro the quality and dedication of the students, and reassured him that A&M-Commerce is capable of producing his play. “We hope that the university and surround-
ing community understand what a huge, massive honor this is for A&M-Commerce and the city of Commerce,” Klypchak said. According to Klypchak, world premieres for a well-known playwright such as Nigro are usually reserved for professional companies in cities such as New York or Los Angeles. “This speaks to the professional quality and extreme level of commitment in our students’ work,” she said. The play is inspired by the Ancient Greek myth of Iphigenia, but is set in East Ohio during the years 1909 through 1911, according to Klypchak. “The ancient mythology of guilt, betrayal, sacrifice and ambiguous redemption manifest in the play through Nigro’s unique combination of suspense and witty dialogue,” she said. “Iphigenia” is an educational play, which makes it especially appropriate to be performed at an educational institution. “This is a very funny, yet intense tale that contains mature content
and is expected to bring great prestige to not only the university, but to Commerce as a whole,” Klypchak said. Nigro was invited to Commerce to attend the production, but will not because of prior obligations. However, Klypchak is attempting to find a time for Nigro to speak to students about his accomplishments, and provide inspiration and advice. “I have been working with the university to find a way to fund Nigro’s trip to Commerce, and I hope that the students get a chance to meet him,” she said. Junior theatre major A’Mari Rocheleau will play a lead role as Jenna, an 18-year-old girl in a dysfunctional family, along with four additional cast members and a chorus. This will be Rocheleau’s second lead at the university. According to Rocheleau, her secret to success is listening to the advice of Klypchak, applying the character to her own life, and performing extensive research on the era in which the play is set.
“There is so much pressure on us in performing this play, but we feel very honored to be given this opportunity and Dr. Klypchak does a great job calming us down,” Rocheleau said. Graduate theatre student Jeffrey Stirl will play another lead. Stirl has been in more than 60 productions, and “Iphigenia” will not be his first world premiere. Stirl will play Michael Ryan, a man attempting to restart his life after committing a crime. “Being cast in a world premiere is incredible because it gives me a chance to put the first stamp on the character, leading people to live up to my work,” Stirl said. Dates for the play are Oct.12-16 at 8 p.m. and Oct.17 at 3 p.m. Tickets will be $10 for adults, $8 for senior citizens and $3 for students and children under the age of 18. For more information, contact the Box Office at (903) 8865900 or playhouseboxoffice@tamu-commerce.edu.
“Easy A” wastes Emma Stone on throwaway story JARED WATSON DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR If you’ve seen trailers for the new comedy “Easy A,” you may think it is some kind of charming retelling of Nathaniel Hawthorne’s “The Scarlet Letter.” Let me dispel that notion right off the bat. “Easy A” has about as much to do with Hawthorne as “Ernest Goes to Camp” had to do with “Walden.” The movie starts Emma Stone as Olive Pendergast, a non-descript unpopular high school girl who becomes the center of attention after a rumor spreads that she has lost her virginity. She decides to capitalize on this by allowing men to claim they have slept with her in exchange for cash, gift cards, or even a Bath and Body Works coupon. She takes things further by beginning to dress in a manner befitting her reputation and sews her own “scarlet letter” A’s on every shirt she owns. Things inevitably spiral out of control, and Emma has to make some tough
decisions about how she wants to be seen by her peers. Let’s start with the good news. Emma Stone is a genuinely charming actress and she has been long overdue for a starring role in a major movie. Her comic timing is impeccable, and she is a joy to see on screen. Some of the grownups in the movie also steal the show, especially Olive’s parents, played by Stanley Tucci and Patricia Clarkson. As the liberal and super-understanding parents we all wish we had growing up, the pair pepper the film with some of the best lines in the movie. Now for the bad news. It’s clear from almost the beginning what “Easy A” wants to be: a John Hughes movie. It references “Sixteen Candles,” “Say Anything,” “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” and “The Breakfast Club” with regularity, and even points out when it’s doing something that would be in one of those movies, like the pointless music number toward the end. The trouble with doing that is it automatically reminds you of
those older, better films. It’s like when people on “American Idol” sing Mariah Carey or Whitney Houston songs. They’re not going to be better, so why even invite the comparison? Not every adult shines quite so well as Olive’s parents either. The teachers in the film, Thomas Haden Church, Malcolm McDowell, and Lisa Kudrow all fall pretty flat as one-note-jokes of characters. Also, a lot of the dialogue seems much more concerned with being hip and quotable than informative and story-driving. The characters tend to take turns participating in a “who can come up with the most preteen-friendly one-liner” contest at the expense of any kind of real communication. In some ways, “Easy A” is what a raunchy teen comedy would be like if it was written by the staff of “Hannah Montana.” The movie also takes a lot of cheap shots at religion. The chief antagonist is Marianne Bryant (played by “She’s the Man” start and “All That” alum Amanda Bynes), the leader of the school pack
of “Jesus freaks” who spends the entire movie judging Olive and speaking trite platitudes about salvation and damnation. As she and her group are the only representation of religion in the movie, essentially all of Christianity is lumped in as a stereotyped bunch of unsympathetic bigots, which seems extremely unfair. I’m not a particularly religious person, and even I was offended by the way Christianity was dragged through the mud in “Easy A.” In the end, I came to the conclusion that this movie was really not meant for me. This was confirmed when the gaggle of 13-year-old girls to my right screamed “Best movie ever!” as the credits rolled. Maybe they saw something I didn’t, but to me, “Easy A” was a lightweight, brainless comedy that wasted the talents of a rising star. I hoped that Ms. Stone’s next project would be something that might use her more effectively, but a quick look at the Internet Movie Database shows her next movie is called “Friends With Benefits.” Yikes.
“Biophage” full of bad acting, but not zombies JARED WATSON DIGITAL MEDIA EDITOR
Question: how do you make a zombie movie if you never actually use the word “zombie” in the film? After seeing “Biophage,” I clearly have the answer. You don’t. Oh “Biophage” has plenty of the walking dead in it (don’t say the “z” word), but I would never, ever call this thing a movie. See, the writers of this “film” decided to get cute and call the zombies “phages.” How very clever. You know what? This inspires me. Since we’re just randomly renaming things, from now on, I won’t call “Biophage” a movie, I’ll refer to it as a “ham sandwich.” Anyway, this ham sandwich stars Ron Marnich as Sgt. Cain, a soldier charged with escorting Dr. Bell (played by Aaron Jackson, best known for the role of Mark Winkle in the TV series “California Dreams”) back to the medical lab they were holed up in after the world was infected with a virus that turned the vast majority of the population into something very similar to but totally not zombies, because they called them something else, after all. The lead actors are about as dull as rusty butter knives, and obviously couldn’t speak loudly enough on set because about 95 percent of everyone’s dialogue has clearly been dubbed over in post-production. Or maybe the filmmakers could only afford a camera, not a mic, I don’t know. The only thing that made this ham sandwich slightly watchable was the appearance of a character I can only call “Cannibal Hermit
Wilford Brimley.” It’s not him, obviously, but this guy looks exactly like what Mr. Quaker Oats would look like if he dressed up as the guy that built “Jurassic Park.” Anyway, Cannibal Hermit Wilford Brimley lures Cain and Bell back to his cabin in order to kill them and keep their bodies for food. (The cabin still has working electric lights, by the way. Kudos to you, post-zombie apocalypse electric company.) But predictably the two younger men overpower him and eventually kill him. I guess it was the diabeetus. But the problem with this ham sandwich is that it tries way too hard to be some kind of highbrow philosophical film with a surprise twist ending and it fails on every conceivable level. It sets up the idea of a big secret early on, and that secret turns out to be, wait for it, “I’m already dead.” What does that mean? Don’t ask me, and certainly don’t expect the ham sandwich to explain itself. If you want a little bit of extra fun at this ham sandwich’s expense, check out its website, www.biophagemovie. com, where you can learn that the cast has been in projects as diverse as the independent film “Tangy Guacamole” and stints on the National Shopping Network. The latter will be convenient because they can throw copies of “Biophage” in with your next order of steak knives. As for the movie itself, let me put it to you like this: I spent part of a shift at my job this week cleaning vomit out of a toilet. I’d rather do that again than watch “Biophage.”
Crappy story, crappy acting, crappy plot and all-around crappy execution pretty much doomed “Biophage” from the start. Far from “so bad it’s good,” “Biophage” is so bad it’s...well...really, really bad. The movie is barely 70 minutes long, but it feels like it drags out for days. I drove the DVD back to the video store and dropped it in the return bin like it was a hand grenade. T.J. Hooker does not approve, and neither do I. Please pass on “Biophage.” -Jared Watson Digital Media Editor
SPORTS
www.theeasttexan.com
Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010
A&M-Commerce’s Stacey McDAniel punts the ball during a match when she attended the university and played soccer from 2003-2005.
Goalkeeper returns to play, coach ADAM TROXTELL SPORTS EDITOR
Graduate Student Stacey McDaniel thought she had left A&M-Commerce behind in 2005. Her three years of goalkeeping for Lions women’s soccer, classes and college experience could never be replicated, and all she could do was use it to further her career as a coach. “When I graduated, I took a job doing junior high P.E. and coaching volleyball, basketball and track in Houston for two years,” McDaniel said. “Then I moved to the high school level and became the head women’s soccer coach at a 5-A school, Cypress Ranch High School, in Houston, and I did that for a couple of years.”
She then decided to take up a position as a graduate assistant for women’s soccer at A&MCommerce at a time when the goalkeeping position was lacking depth. Junior Randi Hafele is in her first year as a full starter and freshman Elizabeth Lanier is coming off back-to-back knee injuries. So, when head coach Neil Piper saw McDaniel had another year left of eligibility with the NCAA, he asked her to be a part of the team for one last time. “Stacey [McDaniel] played for us for three years, and she played some big games,” Piper said. “She is a good goalkeeper.” McDaniel said getting back into the team is not as easy as she would have
imagined, but she has enjoyed having the chance to play her favorite sport. “I didn’t realize I was going to be on the roster until a couple of weeks before the season,” she said. “But, I was definitely, and still am, out of shape, and wasn’t really expecting my body to be going through what it’s going through right now. But, it’s been fun getting out there, getting to play again, and having that opportunity. When you graduate you think you’re done with soccer for good, so getting another opportunity to play is just awesome.” She started soccer at an early age, and said she chose it due to its fast pace. “I started playing soc-
cer when I was in second grade, just needed to do something a bit more active than baseball,” she said. “I found out I really enjoyed it, I enjoyed running around, and my parents enjoyed me wasting a lot of energy.” Goalkeeper was not always her position, as she started out playing in the midfield. As she progressed in the sport, she said playing between the sticks became more of a preferred choice. “I had knee surgery when I was in sixth grade, and I wasn’t able to come back to the field right away,” she said. “I was always the back-up ‘keeper just in case our club team needed one. I decided I would just try and do that, and it ended up
Lions Sports Week v. Angelo
Thurs. Sept. 23
State, 7 p.m.
v. LenoirRhyne 6 p.m.
Friday Sept. 24
Saturday Sept. 25
Sunday Sept. 26
@ Winter Park, Fla.
@ Eastern
v. Abilene
New Mexico
Christian
3 p.m.
7 p.m.
Cowboy Jamboree @ Stillwater, Okla.
Lions drop LSC matches SPORTS INFORMATION
@ Rollins 1:30 p.m.
Monday Sept. 27
Tuesday Sept. 28
Sophomore Racehel Robertson attempts a spike during a match.
v. Texas Woman’s 7 p.m.
Wed. Sept. 29
The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team dropped a 20-25, 12-25, 15-25 decision to host No. 22 West Texas A&M on Thursday night in its first match of Lone Star Conference play. A&M-Commerce (4-5, 0-1 LSC) senior Naomi Mays paced the Lions attack with 12 kills and freshman Jordan Neal nearly had a double double with 26 assists and seven digs in the defeat.
West Texas A&M (5-4, 1-0 LSC) extended its winning streak to 50 straight against conference foes with the win. The Lady Buffs hit at a .337 clip and were led by Stormi Lancaster, who had a match-high 14 kills in the win. The two-setter attack by WT saw Erika Dupree finish with 18 assists, nine digs and six kills and Robin Marsala, who had 16 assists and six digs. The two teams were tied eight times in the opening set, including at 20.
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being successful. I stuck with it, because I had lost a bit of touch in the field.” She played in goal throughout high school and said she was faced with the decision of staying in the game or leaving it competitively when choosing a college. “I was being recruited by couple of different schools,” she said. “Some of them were smaller than my high school, so I kind of threw them out of the picture. I was really set on going to Texas Tech, but I knew I had the opportunity to use my talent and what a waste it would be if I didn’t. I just really prayed about it, God led me to Commerce, and it turned out to be a good choice.” McDaniel played in eight matches during her first season in 2003, where she started in seven, and recorded three shutouts. In 2005, she had seven shutouts and recorded a 0.30 goals against average. “The team was great when I was here, I really enjoyed playing with them,” McDaniel said. “Two out of those three years we made the NCAA tournament. We had a lot of chemistry, and I just really enjoyed the team environment. We really clicked, and it was fun getting to know them.” McDaniel said the university has changed a lot since she graduated five years ago, but it still has the charm that made her enjoy it in the first place. “When I was here, it was definitely an older
school, it was smaller, there still wasn’t a whole lot to do,” she said. “But, I kind of enjoyed the escape from the city life originally. Three years later I was ready to get out. I think I was missing my friends and family who were all in Houston and College Station. I like Commerce, the small town life, the peacefulness and the relaxing environment.” In addition to playing, McDaniel is also getting the opportunity to coach some of her teammates, especially the goalkeepers. “Liz [Lanier] is coming back from an injury, so she’s working back through it and doing a good job with that,” she said. “Randi [Hafele] is great. She listens, she takes what I say and applies it. I look for her to be a real good ‘keeper.” As it was when she played the first time around, the ultimate goal for A&M-Commerce is to win a national championship. McDaniel said she hopes her experience in national tournaments before can help this current Lions team along to do the same. “I have a little bit more wisdom now, and to pass that on it’s great for them and it’s fun for me to act as that coach and leader on that team,” she said. “I absolutely think they have what it takes. I think it’s one of the best groups I’ve played with and they absolutely have every bit of talent they need to win a national championship.”
However, the Lady Buffs responded behind the serve of Marsala and fivestraight points. During the run, they capitalized on four attack errors and closed out the set with a service. In the second set, following a 4-4 tie, back-toback kills by Lancaster put the Lady Buffs ahead for the remainder of the set en route to a 25-12 victory. Holding a two-set lead, WT took control in the third set from the start and the Lady Buffs’ Lauren Thedford had five kills in the set to close out the match with a 25-15 win. A&M-Commerce will wrap up its opening weekend of conference play on Saturday at 3 p.m. as they take on Eastern New Mexico at 3 p.m. (CST); 2 p.m. (MST). The Texas A&M University-Commerce volleyball team dropped a 25-22, 25-16, 25-21 decision to host Eastern New Mexico on Saturday afternoon. A&M-Commerce (4-6, 0-2 LSC) sophomore Rachel Robertson paced the Lions attack with 10 kills in the loss. Freshman setter Jordan Neal had 27 assists and
freshman libero Daokta Crockett had 15 digs to pace A&M-Commerce. Jessica King had 13 kills in the win to lead Eastern New Mexico, who improves to 6-5 overall and 1-1 in the LSC. The Zias’ Veronica Valdez-Kent had a double double with 29 assists and 12 digs. ENMU led from start-tofinish to take the opening set by a 25-22 margin. In the process, the Zias hit .209 with 17 kills, including seven from King. Following a 9-9 tie in the second set, Eastern New Mexico scored the next four points to build a 13-9 advantage. The Zias held the lead for the remainder of the set, including a 6-1 run to close out the set for a 25-16 victory. Facing a two set deficit, the two teams were tied nine times and the lead exchanged hands on three occasions. With the score tied at 20, Eastern New Mexico scored five of the final six points to secure the third set and the match. Next, on the schedule, for the Lions is a contest against Angelo State on Thursday at the A&MCommerce Field House at 7 p.m.
Haight, Herrman put Lions past Harding ADAM TROXTELL SPORTS EDITOR The A&M-Commerce women’s soccer team bounced back from their first loss of the season to beat Harding University 2-0 at the A&M-Commerce soccer field on Friday, Sept. 17. Both goals came in the first half, and were less than a minute apart. Head coach Neil Piper said scoring twice early really helped his team. “It was a big boost,” he said. “Both teams came out looking to attack tonight, neither team was too defensive minded, and so it made for an up and down game. That can be scary, but when you’re on top it’s okay.” Senior Chelsey Haight scored the first goal of the
game and her first of the season in the seventh minute of play. She ran onto a pass from junior Devon Herrman, gained her composure, then sent the ball around Harding goalkeeper Chelsea Hornbeck and into the back of the net. The Lions’ lead quickly became two, as Herrman got herself on the score sheet. After senior Megan Monroe tapped a ball through the Harding defense, Herrman headed the bouncing ball over the goalkeeper for her first of the year. Haight had the chance to double her tally on the night and add a third for A&M-Commerce later in the first half. After going through on goal unmarked, the seniors shot went just wide of
the post. Harding also put the ball into the back of the net in the first half, only to have it called back for offside. The Lions continued to pile on the pressure in the second half, but never did find another goal. Hornbeck kept her team in the match with multiple saves, including one just over 10 minutes into the second half against A&MCommerce freshman Elle DeFreitas. Hornbeck later pulled off the save of the match off of a Lions corner kick. Junior Evan Stanberry sent the ball curling in, Herrman sent the ball sailing towards the goal with a header, but Hornbeck quickly got a hand up to push the ball up and over the bar.
Herrman said while it was good to get the two early goals, the Lions should have had more, especially since they out shot Harding 16-7. “We had our chances, and we just didn’t get it,” she said. “We’ve just got to finish the ball. Compared to shots on goal we only had two goals to show for it, and we need to produce more than that.” Piper also said his team’s scoring record in an issue they have to overcome. “That’s going to be a problem for us,” he said. “The effort was there, the work rate was there, but the urgency to score wasn’t there, and that’s a big concern. I was hoping to score a bit more tonight, but that’s how it goes. I’ll take the win.”
Junior Devon Herrman (right) and Harding’s Meghan Przecewski fight for possession of the ball in last Friday’s home match.
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sports
Thursday, Sept. 23, 2010
www.theeasttexan.com
That Sports Thing? Lions or Cowboys, more disappointing? ADAM TROXTELL SPORTS EDITOR
CALEB SLINKARD MANAGING EDITOR
The A&M-Commerce football team has, no doubt, come at this season with everything they’ve got. It is full of hard working athletes, which is more than you can say about the Cowboys, and there’s no way anyone can say they’re not trying their hardest to get wins, or at least better performances. Now that some of the no-brainer statements that are easy to say are out of the way, I’m afraid I have to delve into some not-so-positive language. Coming into the 2010 season, there was a sense of optimism around Lions football. Maybe it was because the experience Guy Morriss was at the helm once again and had a better sense of “his team.” Maybe it was because we had returning quarterback Adam Farkes to lead the offense once again. It could also have been the return of LSC North Division Linebacker of the Year Cory Whitfield, until he went down during the fourth play of the first game of the season with what was apparently a cracked kneecap. Perhaps this was the beginning of a drop in spirit. When faced with the challenge of A&MKingsville last season, the Lions put up a valiant effort and only lost by a 35-34 margin. This time around, they couldn’t even get a single point. Sure, it’s more difficult away from home, and you have to take that into account. But, for a team that was tipped to perform better, it is slightly disheartening to see them get shut out. Better yet, this season’s Harvey Martin Classic was nothing compared to 2009. It took an immaculate interception in overtime for Abilene Christian, a nationally ranked and all-around stronger team, to sneak away with a win at the Cotton Bowl last season. This time around, three Angelo State interceptions restricted the Lions to just one touchdown, while their opponents scored four. I’m not saying the season is now hopeless. A&M-Commerce could very well win out the rest of the year. Maybe it’s because they represent my school, but so far the Lions’ season has been slightly more disappointing than the Cowboys’ first few games. I think it’s natural for it to hurt more, since we want more for them than we expect from a bunch of overpaid, high-strung, selfish “professional” athletes.
Ever since the Cowboys began to string together winning seasons a few seasons ago after a disastrous late 90’s/early 00’s period, fans and sportswriters alike have crowned them Super Bowl champs before the season began. It’s hard not to do. After all, the Cowboys are perennially stacked at skill positions. Quarterback Tony Romo is a gunslinger with Brett-Favre like intangibles. Running back Marion Barber is a pounding rusher, while compliment RB Felix Jones has breakaway speed. Wide receiver Miles Austin led the NFC in receiving yardage last season, while former first round pick Roy Williams and explosive rookie Dez Bryant have that potential. Tight end Jason Witten always has a stellar year. On the defensive side of the ball, the Cowboys have a beast of a pass rusher in linebacker DeMarcus Ware and solid, young players in most positions. It’s not surprising that everyone expects them to succeed. The Cowboys have the second highest payroll in the league ($146,401,600) and play in the most expensive stadium of alltime $1.2 billion. This year, the Super Bowl will be held at Cowboys Stadium, which means that if Dallas could make it to the Super Bowl they’d be playing in their own house. Talk about home field advantage. With all of this money and expectation placed on Dallas, their 0-2 start is particularly disappointing. The losses have both been close- Dallas only lost by seven points in each game. In their first game against an inferior Washington team, a juvenile holding penalty cost them the game. In their Week Two game against Chicago, poor play-calling and turnovers doomed them to lose. What’s important about both of these losses is that they were to teams that are, for all intents and purposes, inferior to Dallas. Combine the Cowboys expectations, the money poured into the team, the talent of the squad, the margin they’ve lost by and the ease of their early schedule, and Dallas is by far the most disappointing football team. It doesn’t get any easier for the Cowboys who, at this point in time, are a long shot to make the playoffs.
Senior Chelsey Haight attempts to block a clearance by Florida Southern defender Kristen Vollmer in Sunday afternoon’s home match.
Soccer downs twelfth ranked Mocs ADAM TROXTELL SPORTS EDITOR The women’s soccer team knocked of No. 12 Florida Southern at home on Sunday 2-1 in a heated affair that included the visitors having a player sent off. Senior Chelsey Haight got both goals on either side of halftime, and the win sends the Lions to 4-1 on the year. A&M-Commerce opened the scoring in the 20th minute off of a glaring mistake by Florida Southern goalkeeper Martina Tangen. After receiving a pass from a teammate, Tangen missed her kick and allowed Haight to poke the ball away and send it into the back of an empty net. A few minutes after that Haight got her second yellow card of the season. Haight said the card changed the way she had to handle herself. “You’ve just got to be composed,” she said. “It’s hard for me to be composed, but I have to do it when I have a yellow.” After the goal both teams pressed forward looking to score. At halftime the shot count was sevent to six, in favor of the Lions. Florida Southern came out the better of the two sides in the second half, and quickly got a goal back. After a free kick was sent into the middle of the Lions’ goal area, a scramble ended with Emily
Griffith scoring from close range and knotting the game at 1-1. The Lions slowly managed to get themselves back on the front foot, and eventually got the winner. This time it was the Florida Southern defense who made the mistake that let Haight through on goal. She took the ball away from a central defender, before going in one-on-one with Tangen and beat the goalkeeper low to her right. The visitors continued to apply pressure, and came dangerously close to finding an equalizer late in the match. Kara Moore sent a long range shot sailing toward the upper right corner, which clanged off the under side of the cross bar, and it appeared the ball might have gone over the line. The linesman did not signal for a goal, and the game was allowed to go on. There were five yellow cards given out in the match, and one red card given to Florida Southern’s Anna Ott. A&M-Commerce junior goalkeeper Randi Hafele, who ended the match with eight saves, came out to punch away a crossed ball. After getting some of the ball, Hafele was clashed into by Ott. The referee gave Ott her second yellow, taking Florida Southern down to 10 players. Florida Southern head coach Ben Strawbridge
had a chat with the referee immediately following the red card and again after the match. He said while he felt the refereeing of the game was fair, his problem was with the card distribution. “I thought the referee did a good job,” he said. “The referee can never determine the outcome of a game. Their job is to just call the fouls, and they did a great job calling them. We just disagreed with the way the cards were given out.” Strawbridge also had an issue with the shot that was adjudged to bounce down and out of the goal, but said after the match he could not tell whether it went in or not. “Of course we’re going to think it went in, it was our shot,” he said. “We wish that it had gone in. The lineman had a decent view of it and didn’t call it. That seems to happen a lot. I thought the reason they even made goalposts that way was so when it did hit it, it went in. But, I can’t tell.” The Lions were out shot 13-11 in the match, and head coach said he enjoyed the effort of his team. “That was great,” he said. “We talked about our tactics to begin the game, and I thought in the first half we did it well. When we started the second half, I switched up the style a little bit and I thought we were a little
flat. I don’t think the goal was the cause of it, but we went back to the high forward and we looked good. It wasn’t pretty, but they worked hard and it was a good result for us.” The loss is Florida Southern’s first loss of the season, and Strawbridge said his team has a few things to fix before progressing. “I thought we did a great job in being patient and disciplined going forward, we just made a couple of bad mistakes in the back,” he said. “We need to work on the way we control the ball in the back.” Piper said the pressure is now on his team to keep up their efforts, especially with conference play beginning this week. “We just can’t rest on our laurels now, we have to keep working hard and keep getting better,” he said. “I still don’t think we’ve played our best game yet, and we’re 4-1. I can see every game we play being like this, because the rest of the way out we’ve got tough teams.” Haight said the team now has to move on from the match and concentrate on a more crucial part of the season. “I still think we need to prepare for conference and put this game behind us,” she said. The Lions’ next home game is on Oct. 8 against Angelo State at 7 p.m.
Lions shut out at A&M-Kingsville SPORTS INFORMATION
14 third quarter points in rainy conditions led No. 5 Texas A&M-Kingsville to a 21-0 win over Texas A&M UniversityCommerce on Saturday night in Kingsville, Texas. A&M-Kingsville (3-0) wide receiver Robert Armstrong ran for a touchdown and caught another to lead the Javelinas. In addition, running back Fred Winborn ran for a game-high 149 yards. It is the seventh career 100yard game for the North Hollywood, California native. The win is the fourth in a row by the Javelinas in the annual Chennault Cup series.
A&M-Commerce (1-2) managed just 69 yards of total offense and converted just one third down in the loss. Junior running back Marcus Graham ran the ball 11 times for 49 yards. To pace the defense, sophomore linebacker Danny Mason had a team-best 13 tackles. On the initial drive of the game for TAMUK, the Lions defense had stopped the Javelinas on third down. However, they were called for a personal foul to extend the drive. Two plays later, TAMUK capitalized with a sevenyard end around for a touchdown by Armstrong for the early 7-0 lead. In the second quarter,
a botched snap forced Lions’ punter Cameron Frosch to throw the ball; however, he was called for intentional grounding to set up first and goal for the Javelinas. The A&MCommerce defense rose to the occasion and held them to a 23-yard field goal attempt that was blocked by Jacoby Veals. The Lions nearly got on the board in the final seconds of the opening half, but a 36-yard field goal attempt that was blocked by the Javelinas. On their second drive of the second half, Armstrong caught a five –yard touchdown pass from Nate Poppell to extend the margin to 14-0. In the drive, the
Javelinas were sparked by a 37-yard run by Winborn and a 20-yard completion to Delashaun Dean. On the final play of the third quarter, Poppell completed his second touchdown pass of the game to Dean on a fourth and five play to stretch the lead to 21-0 for the Javelinas. TAMUK had a short field to work with as they took advantage of an Adam Farkes interception. A&M-Commerce will next take to the road to face Eastern New Mexico on Saturday, Sept. 25 at 3 p.m. Next up for the Javelinas is a LSC South Division contest against Incarnate Word in San Antonio at 7 p.m.
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