The Skyline Newspaper

Photo: Six candidates seek the crown of Miss Rodeo Sul Ross. Reigning Queen Mary Briggs (at right), will crown her successor prior to the Saturday, Oct. 6, performance of the 62nd annual Sul Ross NIRA Rodeo. Candidates (back row, from left) are: Julie Lesjal, Junior; Amanda Renfro, Junior; Ashley David, Freshman; Cayla Slaughter, Sophomore; and (front row, from left) Kaydi Kubala, Sophomore; and Kayla Clingingsmith, Freshman. Photo by Jason Hennington

Contestants vie for Rodeo Queen Title

A Sul Ross State University Rodeo Queen is much more than a beautiful girl who looks good in Wranglers. Each contestant must excel in horsemanship, on a written test, and in an interview.

According to Lana Grubb-Hickok, SRSU Rodeo Queen Committee Director, "It is a difficult and rigorous process that demands the very best from each contestant."

The horsemanship competition will begin Friday, Sept. 29 at 7:00 p.m. at the S.A.L.E. Arena, Turner Range & Animal Science Center. Each rider will complete two patterns, one on her own horse and one on another, unfamiliar horse. This event is open to the public.

The other public event, the style show and question and answer session, takes place in the University Center on Saturday at 3:00 p.m. The clothing for the show is provided by Johnson Feed and Western Wear.

Contestants this year are:

Freshman Kayla Clingingsmith, Seguin. Clingingsmith is an Ag. Education major sponsored by K4 Ranch of Seguin.

Freshman Sarah Ashley David, Cisco. David is a Reproductive Physiology major sponsored by Texas Treasures of Alpine.

Sophomore Cayla Slaughter, Wink. Slaughter is an Animal Science major sponsored by S & W Enterprises, Inc. of Pyote.

Junior Amanda Renfro, North Richland Hills. Renfro is a Kinesiology major sponsored by Luther's Services of Alpine.

Senior Kaydi Kubala, El Campo. Kubala is an Animal Science major sponsored by Big Bend Saddlery of Alpine.

Junior Julie Lejsal, Pearland. Lejsal is an Animal Science—Pre Vet major sponsored by Sunrise Stables of Alpine.

The winning contestant will promote the 62nd annual SRSU NIRA Rodeo by visiting with sponsors, doing radio interviews, and working with the rodeo team to prepare for the rodeo, which will take place Oct. 6 and 7, 2007.

She will be crowned by reigning Queen Mary Briggs, Odessa.

Front Street Sells Books Independent of Big Chains

By MaryAshley P. Gredell
Skyline Assistant Editor

Front Street Books is a far cry from the major retail bookstores you probably left back home, and they are extremely proud of the fact.

Front Street, located on Holland Avenue (across from Alexander's Grill and Cantina) is an independent bookstore which opened in 1994. What exactly does "independent" mean?

"An independent bookseller is an endangered species, a vanishing breed, almost extinct; we are local, privately owned, not a corporation; we make our own decisions about what we want to carry. Independent means just that; we're independent," said Jean Hardy, owner and general manager of Front Street.

A step inside the front door reveals that being local and privately owned does not restrict diversity on the shelves. Regional books and bestsellers greet the customer at the entrance, morphing into a colorful children's section, cookbooks from across the culinary board, poetry, travel guides, memoirs, and beyond that and more, an extensive selection of used fiction books at extremely affordable prices.

"We're a very complex book store because we have so many used books as well as new books," said Hardy. "We have any kind of book here for any type of person, and if you can't find it on the shelves, we'll find it for you elsewhere."

The staff at Front Street make both customer and community service their priority, offering their annex location (across the street) to many local organizations and events. They also have a variety of services to assist Sul Ross students in finding necessary materials.

"All of our new books and any books we can order off of our main supplier are automatically 10% off for Sul Ross students, we have many sophisticated tools at our disposal, and we can find books online most people can't access. We're just experts at finding what people want," said Hardy.

Textbooks, however, are an entirely different industry altogether, one that would sacrifice much of what makes Front Street so welcoming and personal.

"We've tried textbooks," explained Hardy.

"What people don't understand is that textbooks are a very financially risky business. Publishers have the consumer over a barrel because teachers must require students to buy these books, so they have an automatic market. The shipping costs are outrageous as well, and we don't have the space or staff to house tons of huge, heavy books.

"I'd need half a million dollars to start carrying textbooks here. I understand the student frustration, and we try to help when we can.

"Sometimes we have a good relationship with the professors, who allow their students to come here and we can help them," said Hardy.

For the student, Alpine resident, or visitor passing through, Front Street houses an impressive selection of books to suit a whole spectrum of tastes. Their success and uniqueness seems to be attributed to their independent business practices and a passion for the written word.

"Alpine is a great place to be in the book business. This is a very free-spirited area," said Hardy.

"I enjoy spreading information, entertainment, knowledge, and culture to the community through people who want to acquire a library."

Study to Monitor Barriers on Pronghorn Herds in West Texas

Hunter and landowner participation is sought for a Sul Ross State University-Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife study on west Texas pronghorn populations.

Sul Ross' Department of Natural Resource Management is partnering with TPWD for a two-three year study to determine the effects of barriers on pronghorn populations. The project goal is to evaluate the current herd units.

"We have documented situations where a pronghorn herd has expanded in numbers and distribution while an adjacent herd has diminished," said Dr. Louis Harveson, associate professor of Natural Resource Management.

"However, it isn't always clear whether the trend occurred entirely because of differences in habitat and/or productivity or whether movement across herd unit boundaries was a contributing factor.

"Additionally, we understand that highways, certain types of fences, and other barriers may impede movement of pronghorn across West Texas," Harveson said. "It is important to determine the extent to which various types of barriers restrict movement and to evaluate the effects of barriers on pronghorn populations. Several West Texas landowners have voiced concerns to TPWD staff of possible genetic isolation of pronghorn on their ranches."

Research will investigate the questions using modern techniques, including the use of genetic markers.

"These genetic markers are so distinct that we will be able to identify which herds are moving freely and reproducing with neighboring herds and which herds are isolated by barriers," said Harveson.

Specific objectives of the project include: identifying geographic patterns of genetic similarity, assessing dispersal rates and spatial scale of population structure, and evaluating current herd units to delineate biologically based management units and formulate management recommendations to ensure the health and viability of pronghorn in western Texas.

Landowner and hunter participation will have a major effect on the study, Harveson said. He is soliciting information during the 2007 hunting season, specifically, a tissue sample from a harvested pronghorn -- the one-inch tip of the tongue, marked with the date and location (pasture and ranch) the animal was taken.

The success of this study will depend on landowner and hunter participation and Dr. Harveson would like to enlist your assistance in this project.

The tissue sample should be placed in a plastic bag and frozen. Hunters are asked to mark the date, location, and TPWD's pronghorn permit number on the enclosed data card and place it in the bag with the tissue sample. At the end of the season, call your local TPWD biologist or Dr. Harveson at (432) 837-8488 so that the samples may be picked up.

"The results of this project will provide information on pronghorn movements and allow us to improve management strategies for this important wildlife resource of West Texas," Harveson said.

"This information will be especially important as the Natural Resource Conservation Service has expressed interest in including pronghorn habitat management as an EQIP priority for their local and state programs, which may provide federal cost-share funds for future habitat management strategies."

For more information, contact Harveson, (432) 837-8488 or lharveson@sulross.edu.

Museum Hosts Workshop

Round III of the successful Preserve America workshop series will include a stop at the Museum of the Big Bend on Oct. 15.

"Texas Heritage Trails Program: Helping Communities Reach Their Tourism Potential," will feature exhibit development and design. The Museum, located on the Sul Ross State University campus, will host the Mountain Trail workshop, one of a statewide series sponsored by the Texas Historical Commission's Texas Heritage Trails Program.

Dr. Anne Toxey and Patrick McMillan of Toxey/McMillan Design Associaties, San Antonio, will conduct the workshop.

The design team's exhibits have been on display at the Judge Roy Bean Interpretative Center and the Dallas Museum of Natural History. They have worked with many communities to develop exhibits for the Texas Department of Transportation's Safety Rest Area program, as well as collaborated with museums in Utah, California and France.

Workshop participants will learn core concepts on approaches and objectives of exhibit interpretation, methods of research, as well as development of graphics and production logistics.

Attendees will receive a copy of the THC's newly released Heritage Tourism Guidebook, unveiled in February with Round I of the workshop series. The book provides assistance to those interested in developing heritage tourism to preserve historic and cultural resources and boost local economies.

The THTP is the THC's nationally recognized, award-winning regional tourism initiative designed to help Texas communities promote tourism, revitalize local economies and foster community leadership through historic preservation.

Workshop fee is $25 and registration is limited to 30 participants. For more information on the workshop, contact Liz Jackson, (432) 837-8143 or ejackson@sulross.edu.

For a complete listing of the third round of Preserve America workshops visit www.thc.state.tx.us. For more information on the Preserve America White House initiative, visit www.preserveamerica.gov.

Theatre Review: "The Children's Hour"

By David Johnson
Skyline Contributor

"The Children's Hour" is a three act play by Lillian Hellman written in 1934 about a real 19th Century scandal in Scotland involving two women accused of being lesbians, which all but shut down their school for girls and ruined their lives, even though they eventually prevailed in court.

If you haven't seen "The Children's Hour" yet, consider the short version of this review to be, "You ought to see it this weekend."

The play is still running through Sept. 30, 8:15 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 2 p.m. on Sunday. Upon completion of your viewing of the play, then you're welcome to finish reading this review.

If you haven't seen it and are still reading, you follow directions poorly. So be aware; "spoilers" are ahead.

The message of the play as stated by the director is one of tolerance and "accepting people as they are." This is only partly true for reasons I'll explain later. Dr. Michelle Selk has directed a very good performance, helped in a large part by the talented actors she has working for her.

Venus Casteneda, Amber Bowman, Rebecca Benson, and Spike Miller were all at that level of excellence you hope to see every time you go to theatre. When they were on stage, especially together, it didn't matter what lines they were given: it worked.

Casteneda plays Mary Tilford, to my knowledge her first stage role and one of the most convincing portrayals of a child I've seen, as manipulative and two-faced as that character was. At the beginning, I wanted to believe Mary's excuses and take her side against the mean women tormenting her, but once she revealed her true character, I was actually angry at what she said and did. Both times I took the bait, which is exactly what you want an actor doing to the audience.

Miller is unquestionably the best actor with a Y-chromosome on stage (other than him, it was an all female cast) and pretty damn good in general. He satisfies all of the humor, compassion, outrage, and weakness asked of his character. I have no complaints.

Benson and Bowman are very good actors in general and don't disappoint here, either. Like Miller, they display a wide variety of emotions including an awful lot of yelling and boohooing that never came off as melodramatic. I wouldn't expect anything but a solid performance out of them.

Most of the other parts were small and admirably filled, although Amanda Almarez playing Grandma Tilford stood out for being underwhelming when surrounded by the aforementioned four, and the probably wonderful character of Aunt Mortar, played by Julia Rubio, sounded flat and unnatural throughout. They weren't terrible and if they'd had smaller parts, it wouldn't be worth mentioning negatively, but they did stand out for the wrong reasons.

The play itself is a good one, even seventy years after it was written, and needs no updating. The first act is a bit slow, but as an introduction to the characters, it works fine until things pick up later.

The second act, and especially its second scene, are as good as anything I've seen in theatre. Certainly the script is good, but those four actors did a great job of making it fantastic to watch by making the audience feel real antipathy toward the proper characters and root for someone to go punch them in the face. Or I can imagine a person might feel that. Ahem.

The third act ran long, and I don't mean in terms of time. Objectively, it was probably shorter than the others, but it reminded me of "Lord of the Rings: Return of the King" where I got to the end and kept expecting a credit roll that didn't come. For nearly every exchange after Karen and Joe's circular conversation (really nothing more than an extended break-up), I was waiting for someone to say their last line and stare out into the audience before the lights faded and bows were taken.

And it wasn't that important parts of the plot weren't still happening or being revealed, it was just less, "Oh, my God!" and more, "Oh, she killed herself," because that's how the play treated it and had yet another scene right after.

Basically, the third act seems rife with manufactured drama that is cheating when the rest is genuine and sensible. Yes, the final act shows how accusations can follow a person even beyond the immediate impact; I understand that, but it could have been better written. And it was indeed a fault of script rather than of performance or direction.

Finally, as I mentioned before, the stated message of this performance is one of tolerance and acceptance. I take issue with this because that's not the play's message as written.

If the play was updated and accusation changed to a modern deviation, rather than lesbianism, you would have a more accurate representation of the feelings of the characters of that time. And we would be sympathetic to their fears, considering them reasonable, as the people who saw that play no doubt felt when the rumor was lesbianism.

The play is not about acceptance because no matter how tolerant our society becomes there will always be unacceptable things, acts in a subjective or absolute sense considered deviant and harmful. If we react only based on what we accept, the sins of this play remain intact and its moral unheeded.

Biology Club Seines for Mud Turtles

By Justin Ciniceros
Graduate Student, Biology

September 8 found members of the Biology Club in deep water in Presidio County.

The club members were participating in a long-term mark and recapture study that trends data on the Chihuahuan mud turtle, Kinosternen hirtipes. This threatened species is found within the United States only in Presidio County, but known populations are documented in northern Mexico as well.

The study was initiated by former Sul Ross biology professor Dr. James F. Scudday and Mr. Dennis Miller in the early 1980s. Currently the program is under the guidance of Sul Ross Assistant Professor Dr. Steven Platt.

Dr. Platt came to teach at Sul Ross in the fall semester of 2006. Platt, once quoted in class as saying "I love animals, that's why I eat them", has contributed numerous articles to scientific journals on his field research projects involving crocodiles and turtles.

The Biology Club was invited to participate in the K. hirtipes study by Dr. Platt. The members used seine nets to dredge the bottom of several small tanks. The tanks were often waist to neck deep in cold spring-fed water and teemed with aquatic life such as fish, algal mats and giant water bugs.

Once a turtle was captured, scientific data such as length, width, and sex was collected. If the turtle was a recapture, then the turtle was then released back into the tank after data collection. If the specimen was a new capture, then it was marked on its shell using a file and then released back into its habitat.

Students seining efforts produced some significant finds, including the capture of several hatchling turtles, a sure sign that reproduction is accruing in this population. The data collected also demonstrates that some turtles are growing at a rate of over 1 cm within a two-month period. These findings will contribute greatly towards the understanding of this species.

Membership in the Biology Club is open to all students, faculty, and staff interested in biology. We strive to have a better understanding of the natural world by participating in research projects and outdoor activities.

Meeting times are the first Tuesday of every month at 6:00 p.m. in WSB 206. For more information, contact Justin Cineceros at jcen076@sulross.edu (attn: Biology Club).