Former San Jac player gets baseball’s

biggest prize

e student publication of the San Jacinto College DistrictVol. 23, No. 5 November 12, 2012

SAN JACINTO TIMES

President Obama takescharge of divided nation

Barack Obama was elected toa second presidential term Tues-day Nov. 6, receiving 303 elec-toral votes and 50 percent of thepopular vote to narrowly defeatRepublican candidate Mitt Rom-ney.

Obama’s re-election was fueledby majority votes from Latinos,women and age groups 18-35.According to CNN’s website, theincumbent president nearlyswept the polls in the battle-ground states of Colorado, Ohioand Virginia.

During the campaign, the ad-ministration directed attention to-wards college students sayingthe White House intends to standup and defend financial aid.

“Higher education cannot be aluxury,” President Obama said ina video news release in April, “Itis an economic imperative thatevery American should be ableto afford.”

During his first term, PresidentObama increased Pell Grants toreach an additional three millionstudents and lowered interest

rates on student loans by 3.4percent. According to the IRS,the president plans to make theAmerican Opportunity Tax Creditpermanent.

Without intervention, it will ex-pire at the end of 2012 eliminat-ing a number of tax creditsavailable to students and theirparents.

President Obama addressedhigher education in his victoryspeech in Chicago on electionnight.

“You’ll hear the determination in

the voice of a young field organ-izer,” President Obama said,“who’s working his way throughcollege and wants to make sureevery child has the same oppor-tunity… I believe we can seizethis future together because weare not as divided as our politicssuggest… We are and foreverwill be the United States of Amer-ica.”

-- San Jacinto Times staff contributed to this story.

Former San Jacinto College base-ball player, Brandon Belt, becamea champion with the San FranciscoGiants when they won the 2012World Series in October.

Belt, who is from Nacadoches,was on the Gator’s roster in 2007.That same year, he helped guideSan Jac to the Junior CollegeWorld Series. Belt was awardedthe Rawlings Big Stick for beingthe most impressive hitter at thetournament. That included the bestJUCO teams from all over thecountry. The phenom from Naccontinued to demonstrate a profi-ciency guiding a team to a cham-pionship game during his stint atthe University of Texas. The Long-horns were champs at the CollegeWorld Series in 2009.

The Giants’ first baseman toldwww.sanjacsports.com before thestart of the 2012 World Series,“This is an amazing feeling (get-ting to the World Series). I’ve al-ways dreamed of being in thismoment, and it’s hard to wrap mymind around it.” Belt could havetaken a big payoff right out of highschool in 2007, as he was draftedin the 11th round by the AtlantaBraves organization, but he choseinstead to lend his talents to San

Jacinto College. “Some of the besttimes of my life were at San Jac,”Belt said, “I’ve been fortunate tohave been a part of some closeteams throughout my career, start-ing at San Jac, and including thisGiants team.”

The road to the championshipwasn’t easy.

The Giants came from behind inboth the National League DivisionSeries against the Cincinnati Redsand the National League Champi-onship Series against the St. LouisCardinals. “We performed wellfrom behind,” said Belt. “We hadconfidence in each other, and itwas a full team effort.”

When asked if his past successhas helped lead to his current suc-cess, Belt confidently said, “Nodoubt. It helps to have played on abunch of different teams that havebeen successful. I never played infront of a big crowd until I playedin the JUCO World Series with SanJac, and I’ll never forget that.”

Belt is affectionately nick-named Baby Giraffe as a resultof the ‘funky’ play he made asan outfielder during a roadgame against the MilwaukeeBrewers.

See Belt on Page 6

College campus threatshit close to home

Jose AlejandroCommentary Editor

In the last month it seems thatschools in Texas have had todeal with plenty of bombthreats, making San JacintoCollege students wonder howits campuses would handle asimilar situation.

On Oct. 18, Texas State Uni-versity had to call an emer-gency evacuation to deal with abomb threat they received. Thefollowing day on Oct. 19,Texas A&M evacuated theirschool and closed it off for theremainder of the day to dealwith a similar bomb threat.Then on Oct. 24 Lone StarCollege evacuated its Tomballcampus due to a bomb threat.

Texas State University wasevacuated on Oct. 18 after

three separate emails were re-ceived which said the admis-sions building was going to be“blown up.” The email was re-ceived at 8:20 a.m. and read, “Iwill blow up Texas State up tosmall little pieces starting withthe admissions office today atthree, central time.” CaptainDaniel Benitez with the TexasState’s police department toldThe Eagle that he couldn’t re-lease whether the email wasencrypted or with whom theemail correspondence was be-tween.

Police in San Marcos arrested19-year-old former Texas Statestudent, Brittany Henderson,Tuesday Oct. 23 after she waslinked to the emails. Hender-son was charged with threecounts of making terroristicthreats, one for each email.

Each charge is a third-degreefelony, and carries a penalty ofup to a decade in prison and a$10,000 fine.

Then on the Friday of thesame week that Texas Statewas evacuated, Texas A&Mwas evacuated for a similarbomb threat. A&M students re-ceived alert messages on Oct.19 that told them to evacuatethe campus.

Erika Arredondo, a four- yearstudent at the university, ex-plained that the school haswhat they call a “Code MaroonEmergency Notification Sys-tem where we can opt to re-ceive texts and emails (viaCodeMaroon.tamu.edu) alert-ing us of anything that we asstudents should be aware of.”

See Threats on Page 6

Anally De LeonStaff Writer

Anais Fournier of Marylanddrank two cans of Monster energydrink for two consecutive days. Itwas the last decision the 14-year-old girl ever made.

The Food and Drug Administra-tion (FDA) caps the amount ofcaffeine in a soda to .02 percent,but there are no comparable lim-its for energy drinks. One 24ounce Monster contains the caf-feine equal to seven cans of 12ounce cola.

Anais had a genetic disorder thatcauses blood vessels to weaken.This condition, known as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, impeded theheart to pump blood, leavingAnais in a coma.

Anais’ parents filed a lawsuit onOctober 20th against the manu-facturers of Monster. The lawsuit

states Fournier died from cardiacarrhythmia due to caffeine toxic-ity resulting from the consump-tion of two 24 once Monsterdrinks. The lawsuit also calls forpackaging to carry warning labelsoutlining the risks associated withdrinking the product.

The FDA is investigating reportsof five deaths and one non-fatalheart attack allegedly resultingfrom the consumption of Monsterenergy drinks. Some of the inci-dents date back to as early as2004.

“Monster does not believe thatits products are in any way re-sponsible for the death of Ms.Fournier or any other fatality, andintends to vigorously defend thelawsuit,” said Roger Pondel, at-torney for Monster Corp.

Dr. Kenneth Jutzy, chairman ofthe Department of Cardiology atLoma Linda University Medical

Center, said “energy drinks, likeanything else, in small amountsare not that big a deal, but two,

See Monster on Page 6

MCT Campus

High caffeine levels can lead tohealth complications.

Energy drink under fire forMaryland teen’s death

MCT Campus

Election winners celebrate victory together in Chicago on Tuesday night.

Rob Vanya, San Jacinto College Marketing

Ex-Gator Brandon Belt, shown here in 2007, won the WorldSeries title with the San Fransisco Giants.

Opinion/CommentaryNovember 12, 2012 San Jacinto Times Page 2

The San Jacinto Times is published bi-weekly by the journalism students at SanJacinto College Central, 8060 Spencer High-way, Pasadena, TX 77505. Opinions expressed herein are those of the

writer and not necessarily those of the staff,its adviser, the administration or the Boardof Regents.The Times encourages letters to the editor.

Letters must be in good taste, accurate, freefrom libel, malice or personal controversy.Letters must be limited to 200 words inlength. Letters submitted without the author’ssignature will not be accepted.

The staff reserves the right to edit the let-ters for accuracy without altering the generalmeaning.Letters can be e-mailed to Hellen.Papada-

cos@sjcd.edu. Letters must include nameand phone number for verification.

The online edition of the Times is availableat http://issuu.com/sanjacintotimesAdvertising space is available for $5.00 per

column inch. Special rates are available. Fornews tips and information on advertising,contact the Times at 281-478-2752.

LIFESTYLE EDITORSCourtney Mouton, Edith Manzanares

ADVISERHellen Papadacos

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFCaty ChristySan Jacinto

TimesSan Jacinto College

Student Publications

NEWS EDITORSAngelica Rodriguez, Vanessa Piña

COMMENTARY EDITORJose Alejandro

STAFF WRITERS

Araceli R. Bautista

Amy Chandler

Monica Davila

Anally De Leon

Liliana I. Delarosa

Leif Hayman

Brooks Kubena

Asher C. Minx

Adrian X. Salas

Christopher T. Villegas

ADVERTISING Sara Quintana SPORTS EDITOR

Brandon Hurley

CIRCULATION MANAGERChristian O’Connor COMMUNITY EDITOR

Jaclyn M. Bates

STUDENT LIFE EDITORJaneth Cervantes

PAGE DESIGNERChristopher Shelton

Asher MinxStaff Writer

Drone strikes are a nonpartisan issuefor establishment politicians. Bush wasthe first to capitalize on unmanned aer-ial vehicles in combat, but the Obamaadministration increased their use mul-tiple times over. Romney made it apoint in the last presidential debate toexpress how much he agrees with thatdecision. Why?

From a strategic perspective, their appeal is easy enough to understand.Drones are fast, effective, and don't putsoldiers in harm's way. As a risk-freemethod of targeted killing, the technol-ogy has been integral in the decimationof al Qaeda and the Taliban by takingout thousands of suspected terroristsand several high-ranking leaders.

That appeal becomes somewhateclipsed, however, when your son hasbeen blown to bits for standing half amile from a target. According to the Bureau of Investiga-

tive Journalism, between 474 and 885civilians have been inadvertently killedin Pakistan alone. These were not fire-fights where some benefit of the doubtcan be given for the chaos that devel-ops in the heat of battle. Drone attacksare planned assassinations, completewith intelligence gathering and severallevels of authorization.In many cases, these casualties were

not accidents. They were calculatedsacrifices.I don't think anyone put it more

poignantly than Time columnist JoeKlein during a segment on GoodMorning America after the last presi-dential debate: "The bottom line in the end is, whose

four-year-old gets killed? What we'redoing is, is limiting the possibility that4-year-olds here are gonna get killed,by indiscriminate acts of terror."Yes Joe, you laid out the bottom line,

which is that you're a dude who justi-fies killing 4-year-olds. Is this whatbeing a progressive means to somepeople? Abhor injustice and human

rights violations until you're guy isdoing it and it becomes politically vi-able not to?

Okay sure, terrible, but Joe is acolumnist. His argument may be stom-ach turning, but at least it's comingfrom someone a hair removed from thepolitical process. The same cannot besaid of Robert Gibbs. When pressedabout a drone strike that killed a16-year-old American citizen who hadcome to Yemen looking for his dad—an al Qaeda propagandist who had metthe same fate two weeks earlier—thesenior advisor of the Obama campaignstated, "I would suggest that you, uh,should have a far more responsible fa-ther."

Clearly that kid should have knownbetter than to be somebody's son.

If this is the kind of explanation weaccept, though, one has to wonder,why stop there? Under this new war-but-not-war logic, would it not alsomake sense to kill any bystanders whorun in to help drone victims? They'retrying to rescue terrorists, right? Alsoon the table, why not find funeralsbeing held for dead terrorists and wipeout all the mourners? An entire familyof terrorists, slain in a single strike.

Just kidding, we already do both of

those things. It's called "double tap-ping", but if this is your first time hear-ing the term, you'll know it by its morecolloquial name—"terrorism". I hopeyou're a fan, because we aren't stop-ping anytime soon.In fact, according to a report the

Washington Post put together based oninterviews with dozens of national se-curity officials, we are on the precipiceof a new perpetual system for countert-errorism. The Disposition Matrix, asit's called, will be a next-generation listof potential militant threats that willbecome a part of our defense infra-structure and continue to aggregatenew names indefinitely. When speak-ing of the drone war's timeline, thePost article chillingly states, "Target-ing lists that were regarded as finiteemergency measures after the attacksof Sept. 11, 2001, are now fixtures ofthe national security apparatus. Therosters expand and contract with thepace of drone strikes but never go tozero."This just might be a defense contrac-

tor's dream come true. Going beyondthat though, and beyond all the legaland ethical liberties we continue tak-ing, consider our prize at the end of theday: a dead guy with possible links to

terrorism. Sometimes confirmed, moreoften suspected. That's not sayingmuch, especially considering that theadministration now officially assumes"all military-age males in a strikezone" to be combatants.Couldn’t any of these people have

been, you know, captured? Like weused to do? Before we started embrac-ing indiscriminate murder? It's uncom-fortable to think about, but is there nota slight possibility our preemptivestrikes may be playing a contributingrole in new terrorist recruitment? Canyou imagine if the sides wereswitched, if unseen Pakistani militantswere killing American civilians withremote-controlled aircraft? How muchtraction would an extremist anti-Pak-istan group gain?You can dress it in reaffirming nation-

alist sound bites and give it a spinningbowtie, but this is unacceptable. HouseRepublicans, House Democrats, wheneither of your parties take a stand todenounce and reject drone attacks out-side of combat zones, you can sweettalk the country about your commit-ment to fighting terror abroad.Until that time, shame on you. Shame

on both of you.Please don't kill me.

Minx Thinks: Don't kid yourself, drone attacks are terrorism

Careless social media presence keeps youth from

jobs, college entry Brandon Hurley Sports Editor

Today, most humans do not drinkmilk past infancy. That behavior pre-dominantly takes place in westernculture. Milk has been marketed toAmericans as healthy, safe, and -some would say - patriotic. While itmay be hard to imagine a life with-out dairy products, it is actually theway nature intended.

Let’s start by talking about wherewe’re getting our milk. Milk from acow would appear to be the bestsource because the animal is strong,docile, and produces a lot.

Why don’t we use human milk fordaily consumption? As odd as it maysound, let’s pretend it isn’t weird todrink breast-milk past infancy.Human females only produce milkduring their children’s infancystages, or as long as they’re being“milked.” Then, the body shuts offproduction as nature intended.

This is the same with cows. Milkproducers would not be able to ethi-cally inject hormones and enzymesinto human women and constantlymilk them to increase productionlike they do with cows.

Fifty years ago, a dairy cow couldnaturally produce around 2,000pounds of milk per year. Cows aremuch bigger than humans, so thisisn’t a big surprise. Cow milk is for-mulated to help calves grow. Today,after many years of selective breed-ing and developmental research, a“dairy cow” that has been enhancedwith BGH, bovine growth hormone,

can produce 50,000 pounds of milkper year.

Because we’re talking about cattle,and not human women, does thatmake the process any more ethical?It depends on how you feel about an-imal rights. Is it natural? Not achance. Most people don’t see any-thing wrong with drinking cow milkbecause we’ve been doing it for solong.

Imagine if it wasn’t cow milk, butsomething else. Could you considerit normal to drink dog milk, cat milk,or milk from any other mammal?“Hey bro, I just milked my GoldenRetriever! She had pups and now wehave free milk! You come over?”

“No that’s disgusting. You’reweird.”

Cow milk is for cows. Human milkis for humans and only for a shorttime during infancy.

In other parts of the world, espe-cially in Asia, Africa, and SouthAmerica, adults drinking milk istaboo. It’s like watching a 30-year-old man sucking on a pacifier.

The truth is daily consumption ofdairy products has been linked tomany diseases Americans are facedwith today. BGH has been directlylinked to various types of cancer.

Here’s a shocker: contrary towhat’s been advertised, new discov-eries in science are showing milk ac-tually may contribute to thedevelopment of osteoporosis.

In an article written by The Physi-cian’s Committee for ResponsibleMedicine, they say, “Milk’s mainselling point is calcium, and milk-

drinking is touted forbuilding strong bonesin children and pre-venting osteoporosis inolder persons. How-ever, clinical researchshows that dairy prod-ucts have little or nobenefit for bones...”

The article goes on tosay, “Prostate andbreast cancers havebeen linked to con-sumption of dairyproducts, presumablyrelated to increases in a

compound called insulin-like growthfactor (IGF-I).

IGF-I occurs more frequently incows treated with BGH. Cowstreated with BGH are also morelikely to develop mastitis, or an in-fection of the udder. In response,they are supplemented with antibi-otics that may turn up in the finalproduct. Even more disgusting, mas-titis can lead to the udder leaking adischarge, or pus, which can end upin milk that sits on grocery storeshelves.

In theory, it would be safer to drinkorganic milk, but it’s still unnatural.It’s like trying to build a house withthe wrong raw materials, there aregoing to be structure problems downthe road.

“Cow’s milk is a foreign substancethat has pervaded every corner ofour diets... Today, there is littledoubt that early and frequent feedingof dairy products leads to greatly in-creased incidence of childhood dia-betes. It has been confirmed thathigh cow’s milk consumption is amajor cause of osteoporosis.” SaidLinda Folden Palmer, DC, in herbook Baby Matters: What Your Doc-tor May Not Tell You About Caringfor Your Baby.

Switching to soymilk or almondmilk is the best alternative. Mostbrands are fortified with the vita-mins that you obtain when drinkingcow milk so you don’t miss a beat.

Finally, we’ll give PETA, Peoplefor the Ethical Treatment of Ani-mals, the last word on this. They’repretty good at this sort of thing.

According to the home page ofPETA’s anti-milk website,www.milksucks.com: “Dairy prod-ucts are a health hazard. They con-tain no fiber or complexcarbohydrates and are laden withsaturated fat and cholesterol. Theyare contaminated with cow’s bloodand pus and are frequently contami-nated with pesticides, hormones, andantibiotics. Dairy products arelinked to allergies, constipation, obe-sity, heart disease, cancer, and otherdiseases.”

So, let me ask you one more ques-tion: “Got milk?” I sure hope not.

New studies show Americans shouldsteer clear of milk

Jaclyn M. BatesCommunity Editor

Have you ever had a sloppy drunkweekend or an ultra embarrassing Hal-loween costume? Do you have friendswho can’t seem to resist posting in-criminating pictures or videos of theseincidents on Facebook? If these sce-narios sound familiar to you and youare unemployed, this could be the rea-son.

Employers now have access to yourpersonal life and social life via Face-book, Twitter, and other social mediasites. College admissions specialistscan also search social media. Possibly,this is why you receive more rejectionletters than acceptance letters.

We live in a digital-centered era. It isso easy to hop on a search engine, suchas Google, and search for someone. Asearch conducted by first and last namewill yield your Facebook profile, Twit-ter account, and other websites you area part of. A single Facebook profilecontains over 40 pieces of recognizableinformation. They often include fullname, birthday, education and employ-ment history, contact information, sex-ual preference and relationship status,political and religious views, and pic-tures.

Screening applicants through their so-cial media accounts is becoming acommon trend among prospective em-ployers. Facebook statuses and Twitterposts can reveal more intimate personalinformation, such as a sick familymember or a devastating break up.

Social media can keep you from re-ceiving unemployment benefits in ad-dition to keeping you from being hiredin the first place. Stephen Burns lost hisjob after his employer found out aboutseveral negative Twitter posts. Burnssaid his work environment was “toxic,”his co-workers were “morons,” and hisadministrative assistant was “dysfunc-tional,” “psychotic,” and “schizo-phrenic.” Burns’ employer had severalpolicies set that stressed respect in theworkplace and prohibited harassmentand disparagement of co-workers. Hisemployer confronted him about the in-

criminating posts and Burns admittedto authoring them.

Burns further admitted at his compen-sation hearing that not only was he theauthor of the posts, but he also wasaware of the respect policies at the timeof the tweets.

At first, a referee granted unemploy-ment benefits to Burns. The grant wasappealed and the Pennsylvania Unem-ployment Compensation Board of Re-view reversed the original decision anddenied him benefits.

Burns openly admitted to posting thetweets and violating a reasonable workrule. He was denied benefits for thosespecific reasons.

Most employers have now put socialmedia policies into place and usuallydiscuss them during orientation. The only thing to do now is clean upyour social media sites.ABCNews.com pointed out thatcleaning up your social media sites ishelpful during the college process.Begin by eliminating inappropriateposts and pictures. You should know what your friends

are posting also. Even if you are not“tagged” in pictures or videos, em-ployers may stumble upon them.Next, tighten your privacy settings.You have the option to set your pro-file’s privacy so that only your friendsand you can view any posts. Youshould do this. Perform your own searches. Googleyour full name and see what pops up.Conducting your own research willlet you know what is on the Internetabout yourself. Search engines have the ability to

work around whatever privacy set-tings you put in place, so searchingyourself can offer better insight intowhat is out there. Go back throughyour old postings. College admissions people and em-

ployers will go all the way throughyour social media sites. Check yourpages at least once a week to stayalert to any new postings. A good rule of thumb to follow: If

you don’t want your parents to see it,take it off. Art Courtesy of Asher Minx

Around CampusNovember 12, 2012 San Jacinto Times Page 3

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8 DAYS A WEEK8 DAYS A WEEK

Monday, November 12• MMA Meeting, 8:30 a.m., S21.120

• Live Music by Jake Ousley, 11:30 a.m.,

Student Center Atrium

• Tennis Club Meeting, 3:15 p.m., Tennis Courts

• Pre-Med Club Meeting, 5 p.m., S7.102

Tuesday, November 13• Career Carnival, 10 a.m., Student Center Lawn

• Service Learning Cosmetology, 11:30 a.m.,

Student Center Atrium

• SBF Meeting, 12 p.m., S11.111

• SGA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S11.228

• Game Enterprise Guild, 3:30 p.m., S8.1062

• 17 & Under Tennis Club Meeting, 3:30 p.m.,

Tennis Courts

Wednesday, November 14• Career Carnival, 10 a.m., Student Center Lawn

• HSF Meeting, 1 p.m., S9.208

• PBL Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S8.2018

• Philosophy Club Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S7.102• WEBB Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S7.156

• Coyote Future Teachers Club Meeting, 3 p.m.,

S7.100

Thursday, November 15 • GSA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S9.250

• SVA Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S8.2066

• Game Enterprise Guild, 3:30 p.m., S8.1062

• 17 & Under Tennis Club Meeting, 3:30 p.m.,

Tennis Courts

Friday, November 16• MMA Meeting, 9 a.m., S21.120

• PTK Meeting, 1 p.m., S6.152

Saturday, November 17• No Scheduled Activities

Monday, November 12• Agriculture, Wildlife, & Fisheries Club Bake

Sale, 10 a.m., Student Center Lobby

• Free HIV/STD Testing, 11 a.m., C14 Lounge A

• Martial Arts Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C18.11

• College Democrats Meeting, 2:30 p.m., C2.224

Tuesday, November 13• Tell Us Your Story Casting Call Sponsored by

Marketing, 9 a.m., Student Center

• Creative Writers Meeting, 11:30 a.m., C3.257

• Live Music by Jake Ousley, 11:30 a.m.,

Student Center Raven Café

• NSCS Meeting, 1 p.m., C1.233

• Psychology Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C2.204

• Sociology/Anthropology Club Read a Book,

1 p.m., Library Lobby

Wednesday, November 14• Houston Police Recruiting Information Table,

9 a.m., Student Center Lobby

• Anime Society Meeting, 1 p.m., C15.115

• VYNE Meeting, 1 p.m., TBA

Thursday, November 15 • Engineering Day, 11 a.m., Science Building

• Phi Beta Lambda Enterprise Day, 12 p.m.,

Student Center Ballroom

• PTK Meeting, 1 p.m., C1.230

• GSA Meeting, 3 p.m., Raven Café

• Creative Writers Poetry Jam, 6 p.m.,

Raven Café

Friday, November 16• TACHE Meeting, 12:30 p.m., C2.210

• Robotics Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C20.320

• SGA Meeting, 1:30 p.m., C1.155

Saturday, November 17• Gaming Society Meeting, 10 a.m., Student

Center 1st Floor

Monday, November 12• No Scheduled Activities

Tuesday, November 13• No Scheduled Activities

Wednesday, November 14• Houston Fire Department Recruiter, 10 a.m.,

Student Center Lobby

• Ladies of Integrity Meeting, 11:30 a.m., N10.128

Thursday, November 15 • UH Downtown Transfer Recruiter, 9 a.m.,

Student Center Lobby

• Culinary Club Meeting, 3 p.m., N12.215

Friday, November 16• No Scheduled Activities

Saturday, November 17• No Scheduled Activities

N o r t h

S o u t h

C e n t r a l

8 DAYS A WEEK8 DAYS A WEEK

Monday, November 19• Mixed Martial Arts Club Meeting, 8:30 a.m., S21.120

• Coyote Science Club Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S12.109

• Coyote Future Teachers Club Meeting, 3 p.m.,

Volunteering Off Campus

• Tennis Club Meeting, 3:15 p.m., Tennis Courts

• Pre-Med Club Meeting, 5 p.m., S7.102

Tuesday, November 20• SBF Meeting, 12 p.m., S11.111

• Student Government Association Meeting,

2:30 p.m., S11.228

• Game Enterprise Guild Meeting, 3:30 p.m., S8.1062

• 17 & Under Tennis Club Meeting, 3:30 p.m.,

Tennis Courts

Wednesday, November 21• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Thursday, November 22• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Friday, November 23• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Saturday, November 24• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Sunday, November 25• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Monday, November 26• Mixed Martial Arts Club Meeting, 8:30 a.m., S21.120

• Coyote Science Club Meeting, 2:30 p.m., S12.10

• Coyote Future Teachers Club Meeting, 3 p.m.,

Volunteering Off Campus

• Tennis Club Meeting, 3:15 p.m., Tennis Courts

• Pre-Med Club Meeting, 5 p.m., S7.102

Monday, November 19• Martial Arts Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C18.117

• College Democrats Meeting, 2:30 p.m., C2.224

Tuesday, November 20• Creative Writers Meeting, 11:30 a.m., C3.257

• National Society of Collegiate Scholars Meeting,

1 p.m., C1.233

• Psychology Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C2.204

• Sociology/Anthropology Club Read a Book,

1 p.m., Library Lobby

Wednesday, November 21• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Thursday, November 22• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Friday, November 23• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Saturday, November 24• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Sunday, November 25• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Monday, November 26• Martial Arts Club Meeting, 1 p.m., C18.117

• College Democrats Meeting, 2:30 p.m., C2.224

Monday, November 19• University of Houston Clear Lake Recruiter, 9 a.m.,

Student Center Lobby

• Recreation Sports Sign Up, 9 a.m., Student

Center Lobby

• Math & Engineering Club Meeting, 10 a.m., N8.251

• Science Club Meeting, 12 p.m., N8.201

Tuesday, November 20• Recreation Sports Sign Up, 9 a.m., Student

Center Lobby

• Men of Honor Meeting, 12 p.m., N12.112

Wednesday, November 21• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Thursday, November 22• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Friday, November 23• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Saturday, November 24• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Sunday, November 25• College Closed for Thanksgiving Holiday

Monday, November 26• No Scheduled Activities

N o r t h

S o u t h

C e n t r a l

Vanessa PiñaNews Editor

College Algebra professorJoseph Fischer didn’t always in-tend on teaching math.

Professor Fischer graduated col-lege with a Bachelors of Sciencein math and a minor in businessand eventually completed a mas-ters’ degree in mathematics. Atthe time of graduation the countrywent into a recession leaving pro-fessor Fischer unable to find a job.He began teaching in the 1970’s.

“I wound up teaching, becausethat’s the only job I could find,”Mr. Fischer said. Although hisfield was not education, he real-ized he enjoyed teaching. How-ever, he also realized that the paywasn’t enough and he would haveto leave it and pursue his originalcareer path.

One day while still teaching, an-other teacher taking an appraisalcourse came to the math depart-ment looking for help. ProfessorFischer knew the other teacherwas in real estate. After helpinghim, professor Fischer asked afew questions about real estate.The two struck up a friendshipand the teacher he’d helped, re-ciprocated by sponsoring him toget his license and helping himget into real estate. He did it parttime for a couple of years until heopened his own business. Thoughhis real estate career took off andhis business was doing well, Mr.Fischer continued teaching. “Ikept teaching over the years, aclass or two at night,” Mr. Fischersaid.

Besides being a teacher and asuccessful business owner, Mr.Fischer never let go of his dreamsand the things he wanted to ac-complish in his lifetime.

“There was a time where I gotinto my mid to late thirties that Istarted to realizing that I was start-ing to get a little older and therewere things that I needed to do be-fore I got too old to do them,” Mr.Fischer said.

Some of the things he wanted todo were scuba diving and flying,and he set a goal to do one eachyear. He began with flying. Thisspecial goal took him more than ayear to reach, but it paid off in theend. He now owns an airplane.

Professor Fischer has alsotaught a few aviation classes andcontinues to fly his airplane forfun. He has the advantage of vis-iting relatives, and takes all lug-gage he pleases. “We can take allthe shampoo we want,” he said.

He continues to teach part timeand this is his third year at SanJacinto College. Though his ca-reer didn’t take off right away, hediscovered and learned newthings that helped him along theway.

Vanessa Piña San Jacinto TimesAlgebra professor Joseph Fischer (top) poses in front of his airplane before taking it out for a flight.

Spotlight on FacultyAlgebra professor flying high

Arredondo also said that thefirst text message she receivedwas at 11:34 a.m. which read“Code Maroon. Bomb threatreceived for campus in general.Evacuate campus by foot im-mediately. Do not use vehicle.”

Texas A&M canceled classesfor the remainder of the dayuntil authorities cleared thebuildings of any threats. Thecampus remained closed until4:02 p.m. when students re-ceived an eight message whichread, “Code Maroon Campus isreopened. Uncleared bldgs stillclosed. We're confident event

venues are safe.”Closer to home, Lone Star

College evacuated its Tomballcampus after a threat was re-ceived at 1:31 p.m. WednesdayOct. 24. The school posted anemergency alert on their web-site at 2:12 p.m. and later thatafternoon the all-clear was is-sued at 4:40 p.m. after authori-ties found no evidence of abomb on campus. HoustonBusiness Journal reported thatall classes were canceled at theTomball campus as a precau-tionary measure until bombsquads from Montgomery andHarris counties were able tosweep the entire campus.

This latest evacuation followsa clear number of bomb threatsat colleges in Texas and acrossthe country and has students

asking, how would San JacintoCollege handle a situation likethis?

When asked about this topic,Officer Ludwig said that infor-mation on this issue is limitedto students and to the San Jac-into Times because they don’twant to publicize the manner inwhich they would handle it.They don’t want bomb threatsbeing called in after studentsknow the full details, but headded that police would assessthe situation and respond ac-cordingly. The one thing thatwas clear is that, just like anyother major situation at SanJacinto College, studentsshould expect a San Jac Alertmessage, the same way thatA&M students received theirCode Maroon.

From the CoverNovember 12, 2012 San Jacinto Times Page 6

Brewers. The former SJCGator was the Giants’ highestranked prospect at the start ofthe 2011 season. Belt made theOpening Day roster that year,but jumped back and forth fromMajor league to AAA six dif-

ferent times throughout the sea-son. His role has since in-creased and the numbers don’tlie.

Belt played 145 games andhad a .275 batting average withseven home runs, 56 RBIs, and47 runs scored. He also stole 12bases.

In the final game of the WorldSeries, Belt hit an RBI triple inthe second inning to give theGiants an early lead which they

lost in the sixth and would haveto regain in the 10th to securetheir place in history books asworld champs.

Belt offered some advice toplayers who have big leaguedreams of their own: “Keepworking, never give up, and bedetermined. Find out what youdo well and do it 100 percent.”

-- Brandon Hurley contributed tothis story.

BeltContinued from Page 1

ThreatsContinued from Page 1

three, or four in a day is rais-ing the caffeine and sugars, wereally don’t know how safe it islong term.”

The Association Doctors ofNova Scotia from Canada isasking their providence to banthe sale of caffeinated drinks to

those under the age of 19. Thisis the same association thatsuccessfully lobbied the gov-ernment to pass a law makingit illegal for anyone under theage of 19 to tan.

At Cape Breton University inCanada, an exchange studenthad an outburst after consum-ing an energy drink. His psy-chiatric report indicated that hewas heavily intoxicated withcaffeine. He was charged withmischief, creating disturbance,

and criminal harassment andwas sent back to Korea.

Monster Corp. sales lead theenergy drink market garneringa 39 percent share. Followingclosely behind, Redbull andRockstar sales have also bene-fited from the surge in popular-ity of energy beverages. Theenergy drink industry is ex-panding internationally toEcuador, Hong Kong andSlovenia with more to follownext year.

MonsterContinued from Page 1

Ink more accepted, still problematic

Araceli BautistaStaff Writer

A job seeker is typically ex-pected to look as professional aspossible when going on a job in-terview. This means, they shouldbe dressed modestly, be wellgroomed, and have a confidentdemeanor.

With more companies institut-ing strict policies regarding tat-toos, are tattoos also a factor indetermining professionalism?

According to a poll conductedby the Pew Research Center, 36percent of Americans between theages of 18 and 25, and 40 percentof those between 26 and 40, haveat least one tattoo.

Student Danny Arrazola, age47, does not have any tattoos ofhis own but said he has seen asignificant change in opinionsover the years.

“When I was younger, tattooswere thought to be sort of gang-related and overall had a bad rap.Nowadays, you see people withtattoos everywhere. Times havechanged. I think the idea that tat-toos are unprofessional will go

away with time,” Arrazola said. Although public opinion has

shifted, there is still some stigmasurrounding body ink.

According to The Patient’sGuide, a website dedicated toskin care, within the last yearlaser tattoo removal has increasedby 32 percent.

Many cited employment as thereason for undergoing the proce-dure.

Tattoo removal businesses oftensee new college graduates con-cerned their tattoos will hindertheir chances of getting a goodjob.

“I’m currently self-employed sothere’s no need to hide my tat-toos,” San Jac student Diana Hig-gins said. “I always had to coverthem up with my past jobs and itwas so frustrating. Once I gothired for a retail job and the dayafter my orientation I got a callfrom the store saying that visibletattoos were restricted.”

“Tattoos are a beautiful way toexpress yourself and in my opin-ion it’s demeaning when compa-nies turn someone down simplybecause they don’t think tattoos

are appropriate for the work-place.”

Student Robert Davila agreeswith Higgins.

“Who’s to say that a person withno ink is a better employee thansomeone with a sleeve of tattoos?A person’s skill and work ethicshould be the deciding factorrather than their physical appear-ance,” Davila said.

While many feel they are dis-criminated against because oftheir tattoos, companies have theright enforce policies regardingthem.

“I have countless friendswho’ve had to cover or removetheir tattoos because of a job. Ofcourse, I understand their reason-ing behind it, but I think it’s ashame that a lot of people still seetattoos in a bad way,” San Jac stu-dent Angel DeAnda said. “Icouldn’t work for a company thatdidn’t accept my tattoos.”

Although some agree with De-Anda, not everyone can be aspicky. Texas’ unemployment ratemay have decreased, but the des-peration for jobs is still present.

Personal career coach ElenaGrymes suggests students whodecide to get tattoos shouldchoose a career path that will notleave them regretting their tattooslater.

“I encourage my clients and jobseekers in general to be them-selves and if that means express-ing themselves through tattoosthen absolutely go for it,” Grymessaid.

“A lot of employers provide abit of leeway when it comes totattoos. If you’re able to coverthem up with pants and longsleeves, it isn’t a problem.”

While Grymes disagrees withanti-tattoo policies, she urges jobseekers to do their research andfind out about a company’s dresscode before pursuing a job there.

Araceli Bautista San Jacinto Times

David Young, 29, proudly displays his tattoos.

Baptist Student Ministries offerwarm meals, recreation

Student Life & CommunityNovember 12, 2012 San Jacinto Times Page 7

Anally De LeonStaff Writer

The Baptist Student Ministrylocated on Central Campusgrounds is promoting spiritual andmoral growth of individual stu-dents. At BSM, students can getinvolved in Bible studies, mis-sions, and conferences.

BSM is sponsored and joinedwith other facilities throughoutthe State of Texas. Scott Flenniken has directed the

Central campus location for over20 years. His duty as a guide, aswell as that of other volunteers, isto clear up thoughts of those stu-dents who are part of the organi-zation and ultimately understandand follow Christ.

Short Bible studies are avail-able every Wednesday beginningat 12:15 p.m. and are based onleadership principals. Their pur-pose is to lead students to honor-able and acceptable conduct byrecognizing right and wrong in so-ciety.

According to Flenniken, BSMinstallations are meant to offer amore intimate feeling compared tothe intensity of students at the stu-dent center. It is a place to meetand make long friendships withstudents who are there just torelax. Ping-Pong and pool tablesare also available for student use.The facility opens every day at 9a.m. and is operated by the volunteers.BSM is partnered with 120

local Baptist Churches fromaround the local area. Representa-tives of the churches donate theirtime to bring students a warmmeal. The organizations under-stand that the average college stu-dents are always busy as in a fulltime job. By bringing in themeals, the members help the col-lege students be well nourish andalimented which are factors forprosperous students. The freelunch is served every Wednesdayat 11:30 a.m. More than 160 stu-dents take the advantage everyWednesday and drop by for the

delicious lunch. All students areencouraged join for lunch andgive thanks.Anyone who attends SJC or any

other college is welcomed tocome. It is completely free andopened to all religious prefer-ences. “We want students to comein and see what we are all about,”said Flenniken.

Students can sign up for mis-sionary pastimes. Missions areavailable all across the world fromHawaii to East Asia. Students takethe opportunities to help the onesin need.The requirements to join a mis-

sion are to have a valid travelingVISA and raise partial trip ex-penses. The nationwide BSM Club do-

nates the remaining funds to cov-ers a portion of the dues.Christmas break and spring mis-sions are now open for student’senrollment.

For more information contactScott Flenniken or visitGonowmissions.com.

First Year Experience transitions San Jacinto College students into higher ed lifeAdrian SalasStaff Writer

Having a successful collegiatecareer is a challenge. How doesone start off college on a goodnote? San Jacinto College be-lieves it begins with a departmentcalled First Year Experience(FYE).FYE was established in March

2011 to address the issues of stu-dent success and student retentionfor first year college students.The goal of providing a first year

experience to incoming studentsthat will allow them to have suc-

cess in college is the most impor-tant factor within FYE’s exis-tence.One of the tools FYE uses is

New Student Orientation (NSO)for incoming students. “We takethem on a tour of the whole cam-pus, show them around, and wealso guide them through registra-tion.” Jennifer Garza, San Jac stu-dent and second year FYEMentor, said. NSO is the first impression first

year students will have of college,many of which are new to thecommunity and surroundingareas. When asked if NSO pro-

vides an opportunity for studentsto get to know other students, shereplied, “Yes. Of course, and aswell because we (FYE Mentors)are students as well.”Another tool FYE has in place is

its Calling Campaign, which facil-itates the contacting of first yearstudents by designated FYE Men-tors. The Calling Campaign’s goalis to make sure students are doingwell during vital points of the se-mester, and ensuring they con-tinue to register for classes.

“We’ve been doing this formany, many years.” said Liz Gar-cia, FYE Coordinator for San Jac-

into College’s central campus.”“The first round is within four to

five weeks of school to say: ‘Hey,how did it go? Did you buy yourbooks?’” Throughout each semester FYE

sponsors events. According totheir department brochure, FYE’sevents are meant to “encourage student participation

in campus activities, support theacademic mission of the college,and connect first-year students totheir campus communities.”

FYE changes some of theevents from year-to-year to adaptto the changing environment at

San Jacinto College. This year, all three campuses

held a new event called Kick-OffPriority Registration. This eventgives enrolled students an opportunity to register for

classes before new students. The event

also encourages students to lookahead for registration.According to Garcia, “We recognized that this date was

here (priority registration). Welearned last year that not a lot ofstudents took advantage of earlyregistration. So, we really wantedto prevent that (this year).”

As a result FYE held the Kick-Off Priority Registration.This demonstrates FYE is constantly developing and willing to change their routine to

accommodate the experience offirst year students.

According to Garcia, there areroughly 2,500 first time studentsthis semester. FYE’s target audience is first time students. The Mentors and Coordinators

will accommodate and guide anystudent looking for help. They also partner with other departments within San Jacinto

College to broaden their outreach.

Classes That Meet Exam Day Exam Time8 a.m./8:30 a.m. MWF or 8:30 a.m. MW Monday, Dec 10 8:00 - 10:00

10 a.m./10:30 a.m. MWF or 10 a.m. MW Monday, Dec 10 10:15 - 12:15

12:30 p.m. MWF or 1 p.m. MW Monday, Dec 10 12:30 - 2:30

2:30 p.m. MWF or 2:30 p.m. MW Monday, Dec 10 2:45 - 4:45

5:30 p.m. MW Monday, Dec 10 5:15 - 7:15

7 p.m. M or 7 p.m. MW Monday, Dec 10 7:30 - 9:30

8 a.m./8:30 a.m./9 a.m. TTH Tuesday, Dec 11 8:00 - 10:00

9:30 a.m./10 a.m. TTH Tuesday, Dec 11 10:15 - 12:15

1 p.m. TTH Tuesday, Dec 11 12:30 - 2:30

2:30 p.m. TTH Tuesday, Dec 11 2:45 - 4:45

5:30 p.m. TTH Tuesday, Dec 11 5:15 - 7:15

7 p.m. T or 7 p.m. TTH Tuesday, Dec 11 7:30 - 9:30

7 a.m./7:30 a.m. MWF or 8 a.m. MW Wednesday, Dec 12 8:00 - 10:00

9:30 a.m. MWF Wednesday, Dec 12 10:15 - 12:15

11:30 a.m. MWF or 11:30 a.m. MW Wednesday, Dec 12 12:30 - 2:30

1:30 p.m. MWF Wednesday, Dec 12 2:45 - 4:45

4 p.m. MW Wednesday, Dec 12 5:00 - 7:00

7 p.m. W Wednesday, Dec 12 7:15 - 9:15

7 a.m./7:30 a.m. TTH Thursday, Dec 13 8:00 - 10:00

11 a.m./11:30 a.m. TTH Thursday, Dec 13 10:15 - 12:15

open Thursday, Dec 13 12:30 - 2:30

4 p.m. TTH Thursday, Dec 13 2:45 - 4:45

7 p.m. TH Thursday, Dec 13 7:00 - 9:00

Final Exam Schedule

Sports & FitnessNovember 12, 2012 San Jacinto Times Page 8

Graduates of Texas Community Colleges Receive:

Learn more at texas.wgu.edu/sjcc or call 1.877.214.7011.

Finish to Go Further with WGU Texas

Brooks KubenaStaff Writer

The Coyote’s season came to anabrupt end in a gut-wrenching lossto Paris Junior College on an over-time penalty kick in the openinground of the Region XIV Tourna-ment. This marks the team’s sec-ond straight overtime playoff loss,after losing in the second round toTyler last season.

Ranked eighteenth in the coun-try, the Coyotes headed into thetournament hot off an 11-1 tear atthe end of the regular season, de-feating Paris twice during thatstreak. But the playoffs endedsooner than expected, leaving theteam to wonder what could havebeen.

“I think the guys did very well,especially being a young teamwith so many freshman and my-self being a first time head coach.”Head coach Ian Spooner said. “Ithink we were all disappointed in

the way it ended. We felt we werethe better team against Paris. Wejust didn’t finish our chances andended up losing in a penalty kickshootout. It can go anybody’s wayin soccer. But all in all, I think theboys did very well. I was veryproud of them. To go 12-4-1 isvery good.”

Falling short of the RegionalTitle for the second straight year,head coach Ian Spooner will takea young team through the off-sea-son.

With 16 returning players,Spooner will have plenty of talentin next year’s roster. Those playershave seen what it takes to reboundin a season, turning a 2-3 start intoa nine game winning streak.

“I think we learned a lot throughthis season.” Spooner said. “Ithink we realized that we all haveto work together, play together,and it’s more than just an individ-ual player that’s going to win agame for us. I think that showed

throughout the season. I think theguys just learned that it takes hardwork every game and it doesn’tmatter who we’re playing,whether it be a ranked team or anon-ranked team that we have tocome out and play hard in thegame for the whole time.”

With a year of experience undertheir belt, both Spooner and his re-turning players know what thenext step is.

“The next step is winning thatplayoff game to move on to theDistrict Championship. I think weare right there on the edge waitingto break through. It’s a big groupof players that should be comingback. We’re almost there and theyknow what it takes, so we shouldbe able to get over that hump nextyear.”

Paris Junior College moved onto the NJCAA District Tourna-ment, beating Pearl River Com-munity 1-0, then were eliminatedby Tyler Junior College 5-0.

Heartbreaker ends Coyotes ’ season

Pole dancing extends beyond adult entertainmentMonica DavilaStaff Writer

Spending time on the pole is notjust for strip clubs. It is a sensualworkout that helps boost confi-dence and helps improve controlof the muscles in the body.

Dancing in skimpy outfits andshowing off ‘the goods’ for enter-tainment is not everything thatpole dancing is about and it did notstart that way.

According to the InternationalPole Dance Fitness Association(IPDFA) and Ezine Articles, thefirst recorded strip tease comesfrom an ancient Sumerian mythwhen Inanna, the goddess of love,descended into the underworld tofind her love Damouz. At each ofthe 7 gates of hell she removed anarticle of clothing or a piece ofjewelry. Some believe that thismyth evolved in the Dance ofSeven Veils of Salome from theBible. Different countries havedifferent names for their type ofpole such as Chinese Pole and In-dian Pole.

IPDFA and Pole Diva Danceboth state that pole dancing datesback to the 12th century withMaypoles — African tribal danceswhere women would dancearound a wooden pole in front ofmen. Some believe that theydanced in front of men they wereengaged with to show how shewanted him to make love to her.Others believe the intention of thedance was to boost fertility.

The wooden pole was destroyedin 1547 as a ritual because it wasconsidered a pagan idol, but by

that time the concept of pole danc-ing had expanded and changedacross the world.

Chinese pole use was mainlyfrom circus professionals. Theywould have a pole about three tonine meters in height laced in arubber material and wear full bodycostumes.

Chinese acrobatics would dis-play their skill on the pole throughclimbing, sliding down, stretchingand holding positions. The burnmarks the performers would getfrom the training became a wayfor them to identify and have re-spect for one another. The acrobatsinfluenced circus acts that fol-lowed them, including Cirque DeSoleil.

Indian pole use was mainly fromwrestlers. Mallakhamb was usedto develop speed, reflexes, con-centration and coordination. Thistraining helped increase stamina,strength and endurance. It wasbeneficial for other sports such asJudo, horseback riding, and gym-nastics.

Pole dancing disappeared forcenturies and reappeared aroundthe start of the 20th century. Dur-ing the depression, traveling cir-cuses would set up tents andwomen would dance around thetent poles. These were known asthe hoochie coochie dances ac-cording to IPDFA and Pole DivaDance.

The pole craze was believed tohave kicked off in Canada in the1980’s. A woman named FawniaMondey-Dietrich was one of theworld’s first pole dancing champi-ons and a decade later she started

teaching and released the first in-structional pole dancing videos.

Now, pole dancing is still con-sidered both sensual and erotic bymany and is still found in stripclubs, but it has also evolved as aform of aerobic dance. Many fit-ness clubs offer pole dancing forboth men and women who are notonly signing up for a form of ex-ercise, but also to gain confidence.It is becoming so popular thatgroups of women are holding “henparties” to learn pole dancing.

“It is difficult to calculate howmany calories are burned duringpole dancing because there ismore than one action occurring.Every muscle in the body isworked, hanging upside downwhile spinning while holding outyour legs is not an easy task.” saidpole dancing instructor Elle Saizl.“The less clothing worn the betterbecause bare skin can get a bettergrip on the pole.”

There are many pole competi-tions to this day. The competitionshave become so organized that theIPDFA began pushing for the sportto be included in the Olympics.

The effort to include pole danc-ing in the Olympics was initiatedby K.T. Coats. IPDFA seeks togain the International OlympicCommittee’s recondition of poledance as a sport by speaking withthe Olympic committee membersabout the facts.

The fusion of Chinese circusperformers, energetic acrobaticskills of Indian wrestlers, and al-luring sensuous dance skills of theWestern world are what make uppole dancing today.

Another day at the officeRavens push streak to 25

Brooks KubenaStaff Writer

Winning a closer game than ex-pected against Wharton Commu-nity (18-18) 3-2 in the regularseason finale, the Lady Ravens ex-tended their win streak to 25games and clinched the top seed inthe Region XIV Tournament.Head coach Sharon Nelson andher team are looking to win theireighth straight Region XIV title,facing off against Trinity Valley(18-10) in the opening round. Thewake-up call against Whartonmay have been a valuable lessonheading into a game versus thelowest seed in the tournament.

“Any given day, anybody canbeat anybody.” Nelson said.“We’ve really worked on beinglevel-headed and taking eachgame one ball at a time, one pointat a time. There’s always possibil-ity of anything happening in vol-leyball. It’s verymomentous-oriented. Anythingcan happen at any time in anygame. So I definitely don’t feellike we’re looking past [TrinityValley]. I think we’re really fo-cused on taking care of the ball.Some of the games we’ve hadlately pointed that out to us.”

The number one ranked team inNJCAA Volleyball will head intothe tournament without leading inany team statistic categories. Thehighest individual statistic per-former is sophomore middleblocker Oni Lattin, who is fourthin blocks per set (1.35). But that’snot the type of team they are. Theylead in the one category that mat-ters: wins.

“I really think this team definesteam chemistry for me.” Nelsonsaid. “They are very much a team.They really sell out for each other.If someone is really having an offday, they will step up for eachother. They don’t make excuses.We’re probably the biggest we’vebeen in the middle since I’ve beenhere. I think everyone steps up anddoes their job really well. Justworking together and buying into[the system], this is probably oneof the better groups I’ve had forthat.”

With six players six feet tall ortaller and a team average of 5’10”,San Jac has been able to controlthe net against their opponents.

A win against Trinity Valleywould send them to the RegionalFinal to face the winner betweenthird seed Laredo Community andfourth seed Panola.

Monica Davila San Jacinto TimesInstructor Lisa “Elle” Anders demonstrates the body strengthnecessary to dance on a pole at Yoga Rasa in Houston.

Courtesy of San Jac MarketingLady Ravens return a serve during a match with Baytown.