The Paisano Vol. 44 Issue 11

Independent Student Newspaper for the University of Texas at San Antonio

11.02.2010 Vol. 44 Issue 11

The

Paisano

Delivering Independent Student News To UTSA Through Six Presidencies

Weekly Beak

The University of Texas at San Antonio’s varsity debate team is ranked number three in the nation after holding the position of number one last week in the National Debate Tournament.

The decrease in rank happened when the team elected not to participate in the Las Vegas tournament Oct. 22 – 24 in order to concentrate on academic work. Schools preceding UTSA in ranking this week are Liberty University (1st) and Northwestern University (2nd).

UTSA’s Derrick Liles and Andy Montee managed to place 18 out of 145 in this past weekend’s tournament at Harvard University, a tournament in which only a select few can participate. Tournaments are held every weekend.

The team’s success is attributed to their hard work, explained the team’s coach Skip Eno. “They took part of their summer to get prepared,” Eno said. “They just believed that they could do it.”

Eno won the Amy Fugate Leadership Award for lifetime contributions to the collegiate debate community. Eno, a faculty member in the communication department, has coach the debate team since 1980.

The debate team meets regularly Tuesday evenings at 8 p.m. During the meetings, the team holds practice rounds with the assistant coaches.

The team is open to any degree-seeking student. Some of those on the debate team are majoring in biology, political science, communication, science and business.

File Photo

UTSA debate team ranked third

Roadrunners volleyball is riding high on a 10-game win streak, including a weekend victory over Southland Conference leader Central Arkansas. At 17-9, the girls are advancing towards one of the most successful seasons in program history. See page 7 for more details.

UTSA to switch to Plus/Minus Grading System in Fall 2011 Dana Messer

paisanonews@sbcglobal.net UTSA will be implementing a plus/minus grading system by Fall 2011 for both Graduate and Undergraduate programs.

There is still some debate over the finer details of the policy; nevertheless, the proposal has been approved by the Faculty Senate and the Provost Office, and is currently awaiting implementation by the Office of Registrar and OIT. With this new optional grading policy, stu-

San Antonio Symphony The San Antonio Symphony honors veterans with the free Sixth Annual Salute to Service concert on Sunday, November 7, 2010 at 7:00 p.m. Maestro Ken-David Masur, the San Antonio Symphony and guests from the San Antonio Opera will celebrate Veterans Day with the music of Copland, Sousa and more.

Debate article: Dyan Lofton, Contributing writer Source: San Antonio Symphony

dents will no longer be blanketed into grades but will be more precisely placed into a plus or minus category. Currently a 4.0 is an A, 3.0 is a B, 2.0 is a C and 1.0 or below is an F. Under the new grading policy, instructors will now have the option to further classify students by using 3.67 as an A-, 3.33 as a B+, 2.67 as B-, 2.33 as a C+, 1.67 as a C-, 1.33 as a D+ and .67 as a D-.

Under the current grading system, there is no distinction between a student that earns a B

and a student that earns a B+; they both receive a 3.0 on their transcripts. To make the distinction between those grades, the plus/minus grading system was first introduced to the Faculty Senate in 2006, but after two surveys of faculty members, the proposal was rejected due to a split interest in the subject, so UTSA continued with the A, B, C, D, F grading. On May 11, 2010, however, Faculty Senate member and Chair of the Academic Policy and Requirements committee, Dr. Bennie Wilson III, reintroduced the proposal of a plus minus grading system to the Faculty Senate, and the rejuvenated proposal passed in the Faculty Senate 15 to 9 in favor and has since been signed by the Provost.

“The main motivation of this whole system is to be more focused on how we grade students,” Wilson said. “Under an A, B, C, D, F system, two students can have almost a 10% difference in their grades [and still] get the same grade.”

With the realization that there is more to gain from hard work in courses, faculty and administration feel students are less likely to become complacent in their studies and will work to

earn the higher grade. Dr. Wilson explained the importance of students not becoming satisfied with the average.

“I call it settling for mediocrity,” Wilson said. “The idea is that [the plus/minus system] will probably help some students who say, I’m not doing any more, this is enough. This wouldn’t happen as much. For example, under the plus/minus system, I may be making a C+, but if I work just a little bit harder, I could be making a B-.”

Controversy arises, however, towards the lower end of the grade spectrum near the C-, C range. Although the proposal has been approved, the Faculty Senate is still questioning the passing prerequisite grade of a 2.0 when under the plus/minus system a C- equals 1.67. The approved proposal of the plus/ minus system states that courses with a prerequisite grade of C or higher will default to a C-.

Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. John Frederick, says the shift down is an obvious decision.

“The question is does [a C] devolve to a C-, and I would argue that it does simply because right now a student could earn the equivalent of 70% in See GRADES, Page 2

Women’s basketball preview

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East German art exhibit

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Goin’ boot shoppin’

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NEWS

The Paisano

November 2, 2010

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GRADES: UTSA to switch to Plus/Minus System a class,” Frederick said. “Right now it would be called a C, and you would accept that as meeting the prerequisite. So if we all of sudden change our label for what 70% is to C-, why would that not still meet the prerequisite?”

Although the grey area for lower end grades is continuing to cause question, the addition of the plus/minus system will greatly alleviate the burden of assigning a grade for borderline students.

“As a faculty member sometimes I have a very hard decision to make,” Dr. Lawrence Williams, Vice Provost and Dean of Undergraduate Studies, said.

“You have to cut off the grades at a certain point. There may be two students close together [numerically], but one gets a B and the other gets a C.” The option of pluses and minuses will allow instructors to differentiate better between two students. Soon the high C student can be assigned a B-; however, this system has raised the issue that borderline students

will seek out instructors that do not use pluses and minuses in their grading.

Dr. Bennie Wilson doesn’t see this as a problem.

“Students shop for instructors right now,” Wilson said, explaining that there is no standard to grading between professors, so optional use of pluses and minuses will have little effect.

“I may have my class give an oral presentation, and I will count that grade for maybe 10% of the total. Another instructor may give an oral presentation and count it as 50% of the total, so grades are already different. There is no such thing as consistency between faculty members.”

Although, the grading policy is generally based on an individual

for using the plus/minus system, but talk about those policies have not yet been voiced in the Faculty Senate meetings, which is where the addendums must go to be approved.

With the lack of an A+ in the system, it is expected that overall GPA will drop slightly as more A students become A- students.

Despite the minor deflation of grades, administrators are confident that the effects will be miniscule.

“I don’t think that you’re going to see a large change in GPA on campus because of this,” Frederick Said; “however, I think that we’re probably going to have a broader campus based conversation about our academic standards, as we go through this academic year. What it means to get an A, what does it mean to get

a C because I don’t think that conversation has occurred here in a while. I think it would be a good thing for the campus to think more deeply about those kinds of subjects.”

The minor shifting in the GPA of a student prompts the question, what does it matter to future degree holders? Rachel Espinoza, Assistant Director/Employer Relations at the University Career Center says GPA is one of many elements employers are looking for when considering a resume’.

“There are many employers that have GPA requirements,” Espinoza said. “They’ll usually be very specific whether they would want it in your major, or they want an overall.”

A student that graduates on the lower end of the plus/minus spectrum need not fear, according to Espinoza. “What [students] want to do is make sure they are very strong with their interviewing skills and the way they present themselves.

There’ve been employers that have told me that if the student presents themselves well and their very impressive [the employer] can overlook [GPA].”

Illustration: Robert Calcagno

From Page 1

instructor’s prerogative, department heads may be discussing their own departmental policies

UTSA receives $22 million private gift Melanie Canales

paisanonews@sbcglobal.net

BE

UTSA has received a $22 million private gift from San Antonio native Mary E. McKinney, the largest gift in the university’s history.

McKinney earned a bachelor’s degree from Trinity University at age 19 and later a master’s degree from the University of Texas at Austin (UT). After receiving her master’s degree she returned to San Antonio and took postgradu-

ate courses at UTSA from 1992 to 1996.

During her time at UTSA she began to interact with students and learned that many of them were struggling financially to continue their education. McKinney also struggled as a college student while at Trinity because her father was a railroad worker without much money. Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs John Frederick said he could only assume she felt a connection with

students in financial need and that is what inspired her to help them.

In 1994, she established the Felix and Elizabeth McKinney Memorial Scholarship Fund to honor her parents. The scholarships offer up to the full cost of tuition and fees for full-time students with 30 hours of completed course work and a 2.75 G.P.A. or better.

McKinney’s $22 million donation will go entirely to her scholarship fund. The gift will provide $1 million every year, helping many

students continue their higher education at UTSA. The largest gift before McKinney’s bequeath was $2.5 million.

“This is a very special gift, it’s a 1 in 40 years kind of gift,” Frederick said. Aside from providing aid to students, McKinney’s gift might also attract attention to UTSA from private donors or organizations.

“Anytime someone makes a gift of that size it tells other people that the university is worth investing in,” Frederick said.

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The McKinney check for $22 million can be found in the Main Building on the fourth floor outside of the Provost’s office. McKinney passed away last year on Nov. 16, 2009.

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The Paisano

November 2, 2010

Photo Poll

What issues are important to you in this election?

Jesse McKinnies Senior/ Kinesiology “They haven’t really told me anything that’s new. I’d like to see a change in health care and border control.”

Lourdes Rios Sophomore/ Biology “I try not to get involved with politics. People have different perspectives and I want to avoid conflict.”

Peter Shugart Freshman/ Art “I don’t know about this election, I’m not from Texas.”

Junior/ Education

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Commentary Paisano Vote logically with a broader perspective Editor-in-Chief: Joseph Tidline

Two years ago, in the week following President Obama’s historic victory, I wrote an article that stated that we as a society could not merely rest on our laurels. We had to move forward as a generation and as a society rather than just try to make do with what we had before. Change had to occur, be it the right direction or the wrong direction.

However, I only considered the recession in an economic sense.

Now I see that it is not only a recession of capital, but a recession of the mind as well. Rather than following logic and reason, it seems that the worst attributes of the decade have only been amplified to the point of drowning out compromise and initiative to work for a better tomorrow.

People are getting more and more frustrated with the Obama administration for not doing enough to create jobs and getting us out of the recession. In spite of the fact that ending the recession by now would have been the quick-

est recovery in American history, our modern impatience has acted against the changes that Obama has made. Despite changing health care, financial aid, Wall Street; resolving two wars; and stimulating the country enough to at least prevent a more severe recession, it is what hasn’t been done that angers people.

I had an epiphany during the BP oil disaster, when the right-wing pundits were blaming Obama for not doing enough to prevent something that wasn’t the government’s responsibility to begin with. While I initially saw it as another contradiction from the Tea Party types (the whole “he’s doing nothing yet changing everything!” rhetoric that has been one of the more irritating things of the past two years), I saw it in a more objective sense.

Perhaps there are just some things that the government is not capable of changing in its current state. Both parties are stagnant and in decline. I give Obama credit for trying to do as much as he can with such a flawed system. For a man that’s hardly dealt with Washingtonian politics, he’s had to deal with a slate of issues that will

take several presidential terms to resolve.

People expected Obama to change the world, but he, more than anyone, tried to emphasize the fact that we are in hard times, that change will be difficult, and that change will take time. If you read between the lines, he’s far more grounded than the messiah people wanted him to be.

What we need more than anything, and especially as we head to the polls, is a measure of perspective, both historical and personal.

Change takes time and times will be hard; we fail to remember that it is the strength of our society that has allowed us to manage the recession far greater than other countries. We’re hurting, yes, but we’re not injured.

I believe in the American people in spite of themselves. Just think of the future as you head to the polls today; don’t act on your frustrations about the present, instead, think of the future.

Yes, we still can and we still will.

Trying to score with Blackboard Shall we sit down together, students and faculty, to learn the proper ways of Blackboard?

What a strange and frightening system. I don’t mean to mystify or spiritualize what seems beyond so many people’s grasp, but Blackboard is just so alien. As I type ‘bb.utsa.edu’ in the address bar, I clench my fist and turn my head as if to receive literal blows from the warning sign popping up on my computer monitor.

Once I’ve logged in I lean forward, skeptical that all my classes have been pulled up. While I read through the 21 hours worth of courses, I ignore the stray geology

class from last semester and the mysterious never-clicked-on Elibrary resource. I’m about to take a quiz; I’ve traveled to the UTSA library so that I might have some person vouch for me if the internet suddenly crashes or Blackboard goes on the fritz.

Once the quiz has been completed or the assignment graded, inevitably I have to try and make way to the grades section that may or may not exist. Is it too much to ask, too hard to program that I cannot have an answer to the ultimate question, “How did I score?” Even in the case where my grade has appeared, the score is diluted by the assignments that have yet to be given, which still calculate as zeros.

I’ll wait to check my report card every few years to make sure I’m a

Editorial Assistant: Alexandre Smith

News Editor:

Christopher Connell

Features Editor: Arianne Evans

Assistant Features Editor: Allison Tinn

Arts Editor: Ruben Mercado

Sports Editor: Vanessa Elizarraras

Assistant Sports Editor: Stephen Whitaker

Photo Editor: Burk Frey

Graphics Editor: Robert Calcagno

Web Editor: Robyn Lorkovic

Ads Manager: Kevyn Kirven

Interim Business Manager: Jenelle Duff

Staff: Megan Lovelady, Bradley Banks, Graham Cull, Jaqueline Calvert, Stephen Whitaker, Samantha Burns, Nina Hernandez, Alex Lopez, Jared Kalmus, Kristoffer Hellesmark, Brandon Hawkins, Kristin Acosta

Robert Calcagno Graphics Editor

Commentary

Sudoku Kendall Liggin

OPINION The

good person until I’m old and grey.

Finally, on my death bed, I’ll review my conduct in hopes of graduating from the school of hard knocks.

This is similar to my disdain as I wait to see the grades I scored on the paper I gave birth to and the five-page critique.

Perhaps there should be a course offered to faculty, teaching the ways of Blackboard. Maybe some kind of handheld computer could add, divide and multiply for me.

If only Blackboard was spiritual I might have someone or something to blame for the countless and diverse troubles that I’m sure we have all experienced.

Alexandre Smith Editorial Assistant

Interns:

Jennifer Cisneros, Dana Messer, Joey Alabbassi

Contributing Writers:

Ben Campbell, Fidelity Gomez, Cxrystal Cox, Gabriellena Weidanz, Carly Cirilli, Melanie Canales, Bailey Curwich, Maritza Avelar, Daniel Herrera, Victor Hernandez

Advisor: Diane Abdo

Advisory Board: Steven Kellman, Mansour El Kikhia, Jack Himelblau, Sandy Norman, Matt Stern The Paisano is published by the Paisano Educational Trust, a nonprofit, tax exempt, educational organization. The Paisano is operated by members of the Student Newspaper Association, a registered student organization.

The Paisano is NOT sponsored, financed or endorsed by UTSA. New issues are published every Tuesday during the fall and spring semesters, excluding holidays and exam periods. All revenues are generated through advertising and donations. Advertising inquiries and donations should be directed towards: © The Paisano

Last week’s Sudoku answers

14545 Roadrunner Way San Antonio, TX 78249 Phone: (210)690-9301 Fax: (210)690-3423 E-mail:

“I don’t know much about it. It’s just dumb how in the commercials officials just bash each other. We don’t learn anything about them from this.”

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Send letters to: paisanoeditor@sbcglobal.net

Letters must be less than 400 words and include the writer’s name, classification or title and telephone number. The Paisano reserves the right to edit all submissions.

David Kaplan Freshman/ Biology “I think too much money is being wasted on minor issues such as changing the color of recycle bins.”

Christina Rivera Graduate student/ TESL “Jobs, education, immigration are my top three.”

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FEATURES

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The Paisano

November 2, 2010

These boots were made for shopping How to find the perfect boot to fit your budget

Alex Lopez

Aldo’s $120.00

paisanofeatures@sbcglobal.net

Aldo’s $130 Black flat boots are a classic piece that can be paired with any outfit. Whether you wear them with a dress or pants, these boots will always be a comfortable asset to your winter wardrobe.

I

t’s about time to kick off your summer flipflops and slip into some warm winter boots. We all know that fall footwear can be pricey, but fortunately for you we have sought out the best deals that won’t break your budget. Target, Ross and TJ MAXX had the most favorable prices for designer look-alike items, but stores like Forever 21 and Payless rarely disappoint.

Target, $34.99

Teen Vogue declared the military boot to be the new “it” boot of 2010. Wear these with tights or jeans.

Target, $21.99

Cole Haan’s $230

Target, $39.99

These casual, rugged boots are great for unstructured and thrown together looks.

Frye $ 190

Ross, $25.99

Don’t be afraid to let your boots be the center of attention by choosing boots in colors that pop.

“ I always want to choose what’s the most unique.

The boots I choose have to make me think that people who see them will say ‘whoa, let me look again,’”said senior English major Jennifer Scott.

“When I’m shopping for boots I like to imagine all the outfits I might wear with them before I make my choice,” said senior public relations major Alyssa Carreras.

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ARTS

The Paisano

November 2, 2010

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Breakthrough! Art Exhibit presents artwork from former East Germany The University of Texas at San Antonio Department of Art and Art History hosted “Breakthrough! Twenty Years After German Unification – Critical Perspectives of Berlin Artists,� which displayed sculptures, paintings and photographs by dissident artists of the former East Germany. The presentation of the artwork is touring in only five United States cities.

It highlights the work of ten visual artists from former East Germany who beared hardships such as harassment, imprisonment and exile under the Communist regime before the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall and the resultant reunification of Germany one year later.

The featured artists were Gerald Adam Hahn, Harold Hauswald, Peter Herrmann, Thomas Klingenstein, Wolfgang Petrick, Frank Rodel, Hans Scheib, Inge H. Schmidt, Reinhard Stangl and Robert Weber. The event was curated by Helen C. Frederick and organized by the Breakththrough Art Organization.

Angelica Jansen, representative of the San Antonio Dresden Alliance and a UTSA College of Liberal and Fine Arts Advisory Board acknowledges that, “All of these artists suffered for their work and fought for the right to have freedom and artistic expression.�

Jansen escaped from from East Germany in 1964. At that time she was 20 years old and was in search for a higher quality of life.

She has been beneficial in bringing “Breakthrough!� to the university and San Antonio in general. In speaking in regards of the artists, Jansen adds, “We hope San Antonians come out to meet them, hear their stories and view their work.�

Jeff Thines, a recognized expert in GermanAmerican relations, founded Breakthrough Art Organization in 2009. The organization which is nonprofit is based in Washington, D.C. The organization advocates artists whose art use the art to define the overcoming of social, political, and personal hurdles. Thines reported that, “By bringing this program to the U.S. to mark the 20th anniversary of a reunited Germany, “Breakthrough!� aims to remind American audiences of the basic freedoms enshrined in our First Amendment and inspire them to stand against threats to those freedoms.�

The gallery had various sculptures, paintings, and pictures that depicted certain messages such as groups trying to stand by their beliefs. Some pictures even showed some of the struggle that was endured during that particular time. Much thought and meaning were contained within the art pieces.

The gallery hours are Monday-Friday 10 a.m. – 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 1-4 p.m., and also individuals can set up appointments upon request. “Breakthrough!� has been running since Oct. 28. It will continue until Nov. 17 in the UTSA Art Gallery on the main campus.

Vagnie Bradley / The Paisano

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Photo Courtesy of UTSA Today

Vagnie Bradley

ONLINE EXCLUSIVES

Interview with the band We Are Scientists regarding their new album “Barbara�.

A UTSA student observes the work ofThomas Klingenstein.

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ARTS

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The Paisano

November 2, 2010

UTSA Students Bring Halloween Thrills to Karma Lounge

Water Cooler

Paty Castro

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Ruben Mercado

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Zombie Overkill?

Paty Castro/The Paisano

On Thursday Oct. 28, the local hookah bar Karma hosted a small event highlighting a couple of San Antonio’s up-and-coming performers. Dressed in their Halloween ensemble, UTSA students Emily Ford and Tori Allen lit up the stage with their quirky personas and trained vocals.

Allen, originally from Austin, is a music education major that began exploring her musical talent at a young age. She opened and performed several of her original pieces throughout the night. Her folk rock sound, similar to Regina Spektor and Priscilla Ahn, and her interactive crowd-pleasing style, drew in the audience as she sang and jammed on her guitar in her black sneakers and French maid getup.

When asked who she was influenced by and why, Allen answered, “Taylor Swift, because of how she writes and targets her audience.”

The night’s show visibly established her fearless performing. Even though she had mentioned earlier in the evening that a smaller crowd was always more nerve-racking; she performed with ease to the eyes of a bystander.

Allen is currently working on signing with a label and has a very supportive father who has been guiding her to help her reach her dream of one day becoming a well-known recording artist. Her music can be found on iTunes and on her website, toriallenmusic.com.

Ford, the second performer of the night, dazzled the audience with her eccentric indie sound and impressive guitar picking skills.

Her self-written songs were raw, witty and very relatable. She was an open book, and with each song, she shared a piece of her life story, leaving the audience feeling as if they knew her. Her sound was mellow and soothing all the while incorporating a touch of humor.

Ford currently has 105 videos on her YouTube channel, Emmyfordmichelle.

Karma has a weekly custom of hosting a diverse group of performers, ranging from salsa dancers to magicians and even stand-up comics. The ambiance and décor in Karma is laid back with a modern theme; it is the perfect place for students to unwind and relax with friends, and not to mention good for students on a budget.

This past Halloween, AMC premiered their new show “The Walking Dead.”

The show is based on the comic book series of the same name and features a small group of survivors following the zombie apocalypse. Does this sound familiar? Because if it does, that’s because there has been a flood of zombie related media for the last several years.

The film Zombieland was a huge hit last year, the video game series Left 4 Dead is hugely popular and the novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies was a New York Times bestseller. Even Hollywood mega-star Brad Pitt is getting in on the action, as he is set to star in an adaptation of the novel “World War Z,” which features an oral history following the near collapse of civilization following a zombie outbreak.

Zombies are fun, of course. This is most certainly why adaptations and new zombie stories keep popping up. “The Walking Dead” on AMC was a great start to what appears to be a promising new series, but the issue of oversaturation needs to be thought of.

Too much of a good thing can become a bad thing. One has to wonder how long before the figurative zombie well begins to run dry. At least judging from the huge critical acclaim and ratings “The Walking Dead” got (viewed by 5.3 million people according to MTV.com,) it doesn’t seem like the zombie fad is ending just yet.

Personally, I’m enjoying the zombie madness. It seems to always make for good entertainment. However, all it takes is one crappy movie or TV show to bring it all down. I just hope that doesn’t happen until the vampire fad dies, too.

Emily Ford and Tori Allen pose before performing at Karma hookah lounge.

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Paisano Jams Here’s what the editors at the Paisano have been listening to this week: Joseph: “Hung Up” - Madonna Burk: “Not in Love” - Crystal Castles Vanessa: “Sugar in my Bowl” - Asylum Street Spankers Ruben: “Science of Fear” - The Temper Trap

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Arianne: “Shining Star” - Earth Wind and Fire Robert: “Wild Flowers” - Tom Petty Robyn: “Pokerface” - Lady Gaga

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The Paisano

November 2, 2010

SPORTS

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UTSA tops Central Arkansas, ends their conference streak

Women’s basketball sets sights on championship

Vanessa Elizarraras

Stephen Whitaker

The Roadrunners volleyball team extended their winning streak to 10, this weekend when they defeated the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears in four sets (25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 25-19) Saturday, Oct. 30.

“The last time they lost was two years ago, and we beat them at their place, so it’s just unbelievable to think that they’ve had such a streak and we’ve broken it twice,” Head Coach Laura Groff said of snapping the Sugar Bears’ winning streak.

The Roadrunners, who were led

by Kendra Rowland (16 kills) and Brian Mason (14 kills) on attack, held the Sugar Bears to a .151 hitting percentage for Saturday’s win.

Through the first set, the Sugar Bears kept the Roadrunners on their toes by staying just one point behind them. At 15-14, the Roadrunners went on a 6-0 run and extended their lead to seven at 20-14.

Towards the end of the set, the Sugar Bears snuck in some points and took down the lead to 21-17, but a service error by the Sugar Bears brought the lead to five.

At the end of the set, a service error by the Sugar Bears and a kill by Andee Josserand gave the Roadrunners the win.

Both teams kept the score close in the second set, but an attack error by the Roadrunners gave the Sugar Bears the lead; it wouldn’t be theirs for long.

However, the Roadrunners gained the lead immediately after kills by Rowland and Mason. Errors by the Sugar Bears, towards

Joseph Tidline / The Paisano

paisanosports@sbcglobal.net

Briana Mason had 14 kills and 4 block assists in Saturday’s defeat of Central Arkansas.

the end of the set gave the Roadrunners a six-point lead at 24-18.

With the Roadrunners two points away from victory, the Sugar Bears scored twice to put the score at 24-20, but their final error closed the set at 25-20.

After intermission the Sugar Bears came back recharged and opened scoring to put themselves at 2-0 in the set. The Roadrunners were quick to tie the game at five before going on a 3-0 run to lead the Sugar Bears 8-5. After being tied at seven, the Sugar Bears took a two-point lead. A kill by Rowland put the Roadrunners within one point of the Sugar

Bears and then a couple of kills

by Mason gave the Roadrunners the lead at 12-11.

At 18, all the Roadrunners went on a 3-0 run to give them the lead at 21-18. The Sugar Bears inched their way closer to the Roadrunners and tied the game at 21. Eventually a ball-handling error and attack error by the Sugar Bears gave the Roadrunners the points they needed to win the set.

The Sugar Bears came out to a quick start and took a 3-0 lead.

They extended their lead to 5-1.

Although the Roadrunners started the set down, they were able to rally and tie the game at six.

After the tie, the Roadrunners took a 9-7 lead. The Sugar Bears were able to catch up to the Roadrunners at 12, but the Sugar Bears, committed four consecutive attack errors to give the Roadrunners a 17-12 lead.

The Roadrunners were a point away from handing the Sugar Bears their first defeat in conference play, but the Sugar Bears were able to sneak in some last minute points to hold the Roadrunners to three match points before a kill by Mason ended the set.

The Sugar Bears suffered their first defeat.

“We just need to keep working hard at everything that we do and keep getting better, keep improving,” Rowland said after the game.

“I think that the rest of the conference is ours to take right now.

It’s all on us; destiny is in our hands.”

The Roadrunners have clinched a SLC Tournament berth and will be playing against Northwestern State at UTSA, Thursday, Nov. 4 at 6:30 p.m.

paisanosports@sbcglobal.net The Roadrunners women’s basketball team’s dream of a three-peat as conference champions ended in the first round of the Southland tournament to UT-Arlington.

The months have passed since that day in March and now the women of the hardwood are set to begin the quest for a third trip to the NCAA tournament in four years.

For the Roadrunners, the memories of a season marked by injuries have been forgotten. Now there is only the promise of a new season. For the senior- laden Roadrunners that promise is strong.

“We have a lot more leadership this year; we have five seniors so we have a lot of depth, a lot of versatility,” Head Coach Rae Rippetoe-Blair said.

“Last year we lost Alysse Davis and Cori Cooper to seasonending injuries, but they have gotten back and are playing very well right now.”

The schedule for the Roadrunners includes games on the road at Houston, LSU, and Texas Tech.

“We have always played a tough schedule” Rippetoe-Blair said. “One reason is that our kids get really motivated to play good teams and it helps you to get prepared for the conference tournament.”

For some Roadrunners the trip to Lubbock will be familiar as it was where in 2009 the Roadrunners became the first 15 seed to ever take a 2 seed

to overtime in the history of the women’s NCAA tournament in a close loss to Baylor.

“It is a big place but I think the experience of it will help” Rippetoe-Blair said. “It is nice to go in there with some confidence that you can play there, but it was great experience to play Baylor at that level.”

The home schedule includes games against SMU, TCU and Kansas State but no matter where the game is the team will need to find the post players.

“The one thing I have seen that I like, that we didn’t go to last year, is our game in the post” Rippetoe-Blair said.

“Right now we are really trying to get the ball inside and our kids have bought into that. It opens up your outside game.”

While the inside game is coming along, the communication between players is still developing, but that is to be expected before a season begins.

“We need to work on our communication and defense” Rippetoe-Blair said. “That’s to be expected but with an older team you really would like for that communication to be there.”

The journey back to the NCAA’s will go through many places none more important than the Southland Conference Tournament in Katy.

“The only way to make the NCAA tournament is to win the conference tournament” Rippetoe-Blair said.

That’s the goal and that’s what the Roadrunners will work to accomplish.

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The Paisano

November 2, 2010

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