Sul Ross State University
A Member of the Texas State University System

News Release for Oct. 13, 2009

SUL ROSS GRAD STUDENT MISTY SUMNER DESIGNATED WILDLIFE SOCIETY FELLOW

Sul Ross State University graduate student Misty Sumner, Kent, was recently named a Wildlife Society Fellow by the national organization during its annual conference in Monterey, Calif.

The Wildlife Society Fellows Program recognizes members who have distinguished themselves through exceptional service to their profession. Fellow appointments are for life.

Sumner, who is a wildlife biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department, was nominated by Steve Demarais of the Mississippi State University Department of Wildlife and Fisheries. Demarais' nomination praised Sumner's commitment to the promotion of wildlife management and education. The nomination noted that she used annual leave and paid her own expenses to maintain professional involvement in Texas Wildlife Society (TWS) activities, chapter meetings and as an instructor in the annual Wildlife Camp.

"She is committed to promoting TWS programs and especially student involvement," Demairais' nomination stated. "Her involvement in the Texas Chapter's Wildlife Camp has helped promote conservation among hundreds of high school students."

"Misty...is the epitome of active members that creatively engage and contribute significantly to our profession," the nomination continued.

Sumner, who is completing her master's degree at Sul Ross, is presently conducting research on mature mule deer bucks on the Jobe Ranch near Kent.

Photo: Sul Ross graduate student Misty Sumner, shown here in a mule deer research project, was recently named a Wildlife Society Fellow by the national organization during its annual conference in Monterey, Calif. Sumner is a wildlife biologist for the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department. Photo by Steve Lang

SUL ROSS CHOIR, WIND ENSEMBLE CONCERT OCT. 15 IN MARSHALL AUDITORIUM

The Sul Ross State University Music Department will present the fall concert, featuring the Wind Ensemble and Concert Choir, on Thursday, Oct.15, 7:30 in Marshall Auditorium. There is no admission charge and the public is invited.

The program will include pieces by Joseph Haydn, Percy Grainger, Leonard Bernstein, and Donald Freed. The ensembles will be conducted by Drs. Michael Lippard and Donald Freed, with pianist Carol Wallace accompanying the Concert Choir.

BFA EXHIBITION THROUGH OCT. 19 BY SUL ROSS STUDENT CELINA RODRIGUEZ

"Colores de mi Herencia," aBachelor of Fine Arts exhibition by Sul Ross State University student Celina Rodriguez, Carrizo Springs, will be on display through Monday, Oct. 19.

A closing reception will be held Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. in the Main Gallery, Francois Fine Arts Building. Viewing hours are 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday.

"Colors of my heritage are the everyday colors that I am surrounded by," Rodriguez said. "They represent my family and cultural background."

For more information, contact, Office of Fine Arts and Communication, (432) 837-8218.

Photo: "Colores de mi Herencia," a BFA exhibiton by Sul Ross student Celina Rodriguez, Carrizo Springs, will be on display through Monday, Oct. 19 in the Main Gallery, Francois Fine Arts Building. A closing reception is scheduled Friday, Oct. 16, 7 p.m. Photo by Steve Lang.

SUL ROSS' FREED PUBLISHES REVIEW IN CHORAL JOURNAL

Dr. Donald Freed, Sul Ross State University associate professor of Music, recently published a book review in Choral Journal.

Freed reviewed "Tenor: History of a Voice," by John Potter, published by Yale University Press, in the October issue of Choral Journal.

For more information, contact Freed, (432) 837-8216 or dfreed@sulross.edu.

"TARTUFFE" ON SUL ROSS STAGE OCT. 16-18, 23-25

Moliere's classic comedy "Tartuffe" opens the 2009-2010 Sul Ross State University theatre season, Oct. 16-18 and 23-25 in the Studio Theatre, Francois Fine Arts Center.

Directed by Gregory Schwab, "Tartuffe" will be the final production in the Studio Theatre prior to a renovation project. The Studio Theatre will re-open for performances next spring. Curtain times are 8:15 p.m. Friday-Saturday, Oct. 16-17and 23-24; and 2 p.m. Sundays, Oct. 18 and 25. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for children and senior citizens and free to Sul Ross students, faculty and staff with current ID.

Through verbal fireworks and physical comedy, "Tartuffe" demonstrates one of the most miserly and selfish "scandalvangalists:" of all time. Set in 1640s France and moving forward through time to 2008 Washington, D.C., the production leads the audience through the history of hypocrisy via comedy.

"Religious hypocrites have existed since the dawning of man," said Schwab. "There have always been those who take advantages of their fellow humans in the guise of religious fervor. The blatant duplicity of this play's title character is both appalling and appealing; only in farce can you love and hate a person equally."

Schwab, who directed "Tartuffe" on the Sul Ross stage in 1990, has added new twists to this production.

"I latched onto the concept of showing how man's character flaws, such as insincerity, naiveté, and stubbornness, have not changed in past 350 years.," he said. "Thus, the production starts in the time of Molière and Louis XIV (Paris, 1670), then moves to the time of Rasputin and Nicholas II (Russia, 1915).

"After intermission, the setting jumps to the time of the Vietnam War, hippies and Nixon (San Francisco, 1969) and finally the play ends in the transitional time between the Bush-era and the "Hope"-filled Obama administration (Washington, D.C., 2009)."

"What we also attempted to do with this production is to illustrate that not just one religious movement holds the patent on religious hypocrisy and, in the true nature of Molière, to hold a mirror up to society as a means of instruction not condemnation," said Schwab.

Cory Hill (Tolar) plays Tartuffe, while Miguel Angel Pena (Fabens) plays his servant, Laurent. Other cast members are: Missy Mae Wallace (Florence, Ariz.), as Madame Pernelle, Orgon's mother; Chelsea Rios (Marfa), Flipote, Pernelle's lady-in-waiting; Linsey Dugan (Stanton), Elmire, Orgon's second wife; Anya Carreon-Reyes (Austin), Dorine, Elmire's maid; Joseph Rosco (Beaumont), Damis, Orgon's son; Terra Peters (Alpine), Marianne, Orgon's daughter; David DeLaO (Alpine), Cléante, Elmire's brother; Joseph Matthew Hardison (San Antonio), Orgon; Payton Shipley (Whitharral), Valère, Marianne's fiancé; Derek Rhein (Corpus Christi), Sheriff Loyal; Benjamin Castro (Marfa), Deputy Blunt; Stefan Hambright (Johnson City), Deputy Frank; and Robert Powell (Houston), FBI Agent.

Shelley Scott (Alpine) serves as assistant director and Carrie Turney (Sweetwater) and Kiana Downing (Van Horn) are stage managers.

For more information, contact Dona Roman (4321) 837-8219; 888-722-SRSU (7778) or droman@sulross.edu.

SUL ROSS' RIO GRANDE RESEARCH CENTER AWARDED $1.434 MILLION FOR WATER STUDY

The Rio Grande Research Center at the School of Arts & Sciences at Sul Ross State University has been awarded $1.434 million by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to fund biophysical research in the Rio Grande Basin.

The award is part of $6.5 million in funding secured for important agricultural research in the 23 rd Congressional District for Fiscal Year 2010.

U.S. Congressman Ciro D. Rodriguez (TX-23) made the recent announcement.

"Ranching and agriculture are the backbone of our Texas heritage," said Rodriguez, whose district stretches from San Antonio to El Paso and down to the U.S.-Mexico border. "I'm glad that this funding is now firmly in place to ensure the continuation of important research to protect our agricultural heritage, improve the safety of our food and help us use our resources more wisely."

One of the programs funded by Congress is the Sustainable Agricultural Water Conservation Project. Coordinated through Sul Ross' Rio Grande Research Center in Alpine, the project supports a broad array of research and projects focused on sustainable use of Rio Grande basin resources. Researchers from Sul Ross, Lamar University, Texas State University San Marcos, and Sam Houston State as well as some non-governmental agencies are involved. The project began in 2004, partly in response to the fact that the once-mighty Rio Grande/Rio Bravo actually ceased flowing to the Gulf of Mexico for a period of time. Research by the University of Texas (Austin and UT PanAM) has also been funded through the project. The goal is to create a basin-wide management plan for the Rio Grande region.

"Interactions within this watershed system are not well understood. Considering the many changes taking place in the region, support for this research from Congress is timely," said Project Director Dr. Kevin Urbanczyk.

To date, the Rio Grande Research Center has coordinated the distribution of over $7.942 million toward projects focused on resources within the 335,000-square mile physical boundary of the Rio Grande Watershed. The Rio Grande is 1,896 miles long, the fifth longest river in the United States, draining more than 40,000 square miles in Texas alone, an area larger than the state of South Carolina. Alpine is very near the geographic center of the Rio Grande watershed basin, making Sul Ross the ideal location for coordinating research conducted in remote areas of the basin.

"We are very happy to receive the funds. This funding supports critical research focused on limited resources within the Rio Grande Basin," said Dr. Ricardo Maestas, Sul Ross President. "The exceptional support for Sul Ross State University on the part of Congressman Rodriguez and his staff provides opportunities for faculty and students which has a positive impact in the region and beyond."

For more information, contact Urbanczyk, (432) 837-8110 or kevinu@sulross.edu

SUL ROSS LANGUAGES AND LITERATURE FETES OCT. 20 NATIONAL DAY OF WRITING

Sul Ross State University will hold the first National Day of Writing event Tuesday, Oct.20.

A write-a-thon will be held from 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. in the University Writing Center, Morelock Academic Building, Room 102. Sul Ross students will express their ideas in a continuous flow of genres and languages.

Students will have the opportunity to write short personal anecdotes, add to a continuous poem, or help develop a short story in either Spanish or English. The write-a-thon will be placed in journals which will be displayed for review and ultimately archived for permanent collection as the Lobo Gallery.

The National Day of Writing Event will culminate in The Sage Literary Magazine's annual reading at 3:30 p.m. in MAB, Room 302. The reading celebrates the contributors of the 2009 issue by inviting them to attend, read from their work, or discuss their art or photography. This event is open to the public.

"In the past, we have offered the reading in the spring semester, but this year, we hoped to kick off the 2010 submissions reading period," said Dr. Laura Payne Butler, faculty sponsor of The Sage.

"The Sage serves as a forum for the many talented writers and artists at Sul Ross. The National Day of Writing seemed like the perfect opportunity to give our annual reading," Butler said.

Along with the Department of Languages and Literature, both events are co-sponsored by the Spanish Club, The Sage, and Sigma Tau Delta, the English Honor Society.

For more information, contact Butler, (432 837- 8744 or Dr. Sharon Hileman, 837-8151. More information on the National Day of Writing may be found on the website, www.ntce.org/dayonwriting.

YOUNG SUL ROSS WRESTLING TEAM SEEKS TO LIVE UP TO RANKINGS

by Jason Hennington, News Writer

Sul Ross State University's young wrestling team is eager to put its ranking on the mat.

Sul Ross, ranked first in the initial National College Wrestling Association (NCWA) Coaches Poll and 12th in the most recent (Oct. 12) balloting, will open competition Oct. 31 at College Station, with the Quad tournament. The Lobo wrestlers will pit moves against host Texas A&M, Texas Tech and the University of Texas at Dallas.

The NCWA was created to enable collegiate wrestling competition on a club basis. Recent budget reductions have forced numerous colleges and universities to eliminate wrestling as a varsity sport.

A pair of El Paso area wrestlers, Leroy Mendez, El Paso (Bowie High School), and Eric Saucedo, Fabens, formed the Sul Ross team a year ago, and participants have doubled to 10.

"It's not a game; we go out there with no pads or anything," Mendez said. "It's a six-minute match, but it's the longest six minutes of your life. You get tired, and it's an individual sport, you against the guy on the mat."

Saucedo insists that it takes fortitude and courage to wrestle.

"Wrestling is the best sport," he said. "It's an individual sport. You don't depend on anybody else. In football you depend on your quarterback and in basketball you depend on the other four players on the court. In wrestling you can't blame anybody but yourself, and that's what I like about it."

Sul Ross, competes in the Southwest Conference, with teams including the University of Colorado, Colorado State-Boulder, Colorado State-Pueblo, the U.S. Air Force Academy, Kansas State, Wichita (Kan.) State, Pittsburg (Kan.) State, Louisiana State and Northwestern (La.) State, Northwest Missouri State and fellow Texas universities Sam Houston State, Texas A&M, Texas Christian, Texas State, Texas Tech, UT-Arlington, UT-Austin, UT-Dallas and West Texas A&M.

Six of the Southwest Conference members are ranked in this week's poll: Kansas State (10 th); Sul Ross (12 th, including one first-place vote); CSU-Pueblo (14 th); Texas State (15 th); Texas A&M (17 th); and UT-Arlington (21 st). Grand Valley (Mich.) State topped the polls.

The Southwest Conference open tournament will be held Nov. 21, hosted by UT-Arlington.

For Mendez and Saucedo, forming the team has been a labor of love.

"We started it for just the love of the sport," Mendez said. "Had a rough start, but it's gotten bigger and better."

Last season, they were the only members with wrestling experience, this season everyone has experience on the mat. Although wrestling is a club sport, many of the team members came to Sul Ross specifically for wrestling. Three of the ten wrestlers are from out of state, Antwon Jones, St. Louis, Mo.; Kevin Glass, who moved from California and now lives in Helotes; and Jasen Ramos, Valentine, Neb.

Two other wrestlers, Vincent Moore, El Paso, and Shawn Sharp, Killeen, are also on the Lobo football team. They balance their time between football practice, wrestling practice, and school.

"They're on it," Saucedo said. "They go to football practice and then come here to practice. They've never missed a day."

Also on the team this year are Stevie Cisneros, Lubbock, and Javier Minjaraz, Seagraves. Minjaraz is no stranger to hand-to-hand competition -- as he is a mixed martial artist -- but this will be his first time as a wrestler.

Saucedo uses three words to describe what it takes to be a wrestler -- heart, dedication and discipline. Both he and Mendez emphasized that a wrestling practice is intense and tiring.

"We nearly crawl out of here," Mendez said. "We work hard for what we have."

Practices consists of conditioning, practicing holds, and working from the bottom, top, and neutral positions. Jones displays leadership qualities, and is looked to by the coaches for leadership among his teammates. Leading team conditioning and demonstrating holds in practice, Jones makes his coaches believe in their team.

For the wrestlers, rankings have served as motivation for practice.

"I tell the team it's just a coaches poll, but since they think they should put us up there, then we need to prove them right," Saucedo said.

Mendez agrees that the ranking is just another reason to practice harder.

"We're not cocky, we take practice seriously," he said. "Since we're ranked number one we practice even harder."

"We have a full team, and if they want us first we'll be ready," Saucedo said. "We want to win our conference, all the ranked stuff we'll worry about later."

The team wants to have matches here at Sul Ross, but is in need of a competition mat.

"Being that we're a newer team a lot of teams want to come here, but we don't have a mat," Saucedo said.

During the Fall Carnival Oct. 29 the team plans to have a dunking booth and sell Sul Ross wrestling sweatshirts to help with funding. The idea of wearing and selling Sul Ross wrestling attire is an attempt to help promote the university.

"We want to help get the name Sul Ross out there," said Mendez.

With the ranking and increased participation, the team is eager to compete.

"I'm looking forward to a great season," Mendez said.

For more information, contact Mendez (by e-mail) lmen755@sulross.edu or Saucedo esaucedo@sulross.edu.

Photo: The Sul Ross Wrestling Club prepares for the new season. (kneeling, from left) Kevin Glass, Javier Minjarez; (standing) Leroy Mendez, Jasen Ramos, Shawn Sharp, Vincent Moore, Antwon Jones, Eric Saucedo. Photo by Jason Hennington.

LOBOS' CARSON RUSHES TO FIT INTO NEW POSITION

by Jason Hennington, News Writer

Sophomore Dominique Carson has rushed into a new position in record-tying style for the Sul Ross State University football team. Carson, Waxahachie, who shifted from running back to quarterback in coach Wayne Schroeder's offensive scheme, carried the ball 22 times and collected 287 yards and four touchdowns in the Lobos' 35-7 win over visiting Texas Lutheran University Oct. 10. In the process, he tied two Lobo single-game records (yardage, with Bubba Jones, 1988) and touchdowns (Jones, Andrew Hill and Maurice Stephens). He scored on runs of 85, 46, 31 and 21 yards.

His efforts won him American Southwest Conference Offensive Player of the Week honors. Carson leads the ASC in rushing with 700 yards in five games, 140 per contest and 8.4 yards per carry. His per-game average is about 40 yards ahead of his closest competitor.

Carson, who was a reserve tailback last season, thought Schroeder was joking when he suggested shifting to quarterback, a position he had never played.

According to Schroeder, the team needed a new direction on offense and Carson was the right choice for the position.

"Dominique has shown promise in the relief of Jermaine Swearington in several games in 2008," he said. "He rushed for over 300 yards last year at tailback, and I knew was very athletic and wanted to give him a shot at quarterback in 2009."

"I was willing to try," Carson said. "It's been good. It's hard, but it's fun, though."

Since moving to the new position, Carson has expanded his knowledge of the game by seeing differences between quarterback and running back.

"I have more respect for quarterbacks now. Everything is on their hands," he said. "You have to know what everybody is doing instead of just you. Now you have to read the defense instead of just run. You have to read and throw the ball."

During the offseason Schroeder saw improvement in Carson that led him to offer him the position.

"After last season I felt that we needed more of a ball control offense to blend with our passing attack," Schroeder said. "Dominique worked on this through the spring drills, but he did not assume the starting duties until the week of Western New Mexico game when Monte Morales got hurt in practice."

After playing in the position more, Carson has started to like it more because of the unpredictability.

"I've always liked it, I just never played it. I like it because you never know what's going to happen. Something different can happen every play," he said

Moving to the quarterback position was not just an adjustment for Carson, but for his teammates, too. He feels that the team bonded and made the adjustment together.

"We all practiced together so we all got better," he said. "They helped me out, and I think I helped them too."

The transition from running the ball to throwing the ball has helped Carson in regards to becoming an overall better player. He feels he sees the field better, but he still makes mistakes and learns from them.

"I see the holes faster now," he said. "Sometimes it messes me up and sometimes it helps me out, too. Sometimes I read things too early during the play."

He believes that if he had to return to running back, then his experience at quarterback would help him mature in the position.

"I would have more patience," he said. "You have to have patience at quarterback and that would help me."

This season Sul Ross is running a passing offense, but out of a running formation. Carson thinks this helps to confuse the defense and lets him do what he is best at, running.

"We're in a passing offense, but you can't tell because we're in a running formation," he said.

According to Carson, this makes it harder for the defense to figure out what will happen next, and helps Sul Ross make big plays.

"Run, run, run then hit them with the big pass," he said.

Carson's rushing total against TLU was the third best single-game performance in ASC history in addition to tying two Lobo marks. His focus remains on team success, though.

"I never knew about the records, they are all new to me," he said. "I'm just playing and want to win. What's the point in getting records and not win anything? That just doesn't feel right."

Carson also believes his team is the key to his success. He credits the offensive line for opening up holes for him to run.

"I didn't really win the game, the defense and offensive line did, I just had a part in it," he said. "The offense did most of the work. Everybody did their job, I just ran. Everybody had a man and that helped everybody out."

Carson says he has always been a team player, and his main focus is to win. He also says he is not happy with losing no matter how his performance was.

"I'm a sore loser," he said. "I'd rather throw five interceptions and win than rush 600 yards and lose."

After his outstanding performance, Carson says he will not be influenced by people telling him about records he can possibly break in the future.

"I really don't pay attention to what everybody says,," he said. "We have a game plan. I'd rather play bad and win than play good and lose. I'm going to stick to the coaches' plan."

Schroeder feels that his plan is going to work, and takes time to perfect, but the team is working hard to learn.

"Dominique and the entire offense team are still learning just learning the option offense," he said. "Coach Tyree has run this offense for over 30 years and there is still so much to add but that is a teaching, learning, executing progress that must come slowly."

Carson feels that football success benefits the entire university.

"If we can win, then the school can get noticed and more people will come here. You see how many people came to school here this semester, just think what can happen when we're winning more," he said. "It can also help the town too. The town can grow and more things can come here."

After last year, Carson believes the team has improved, and seeks to continue their success as the season progresses..

"The team is communicating better, has come together more these past few weeks," he said. "We look good as a team."

Schroeder agrees.

"I am very pleased with our offense's success, but we can go so much further," he said. "That's what's so exciting about the future. We started one senior, three juniors, five sophomores, and two freshmen against Texas Lutheran."

And Carson's legs and arm may well be the catalyst.

Photo: Dominique Carson (16) sprints for one of his four touchdowns against Texas Lutheran. Photo by Ivonne Arellano.