Two students dismissed from basketball team

Inside:
Page 2: UVa-Wise fitness center
adds new equipment.
Page 2: Read about college life
down under in Austrailia.
CAVALIER
The Highland
The Official Student
Newspaper of UVa-Wise
highlandcavalier.com
Volume 66, Issue 7
January 28, 2015
Two students dismissed from basketball team
Damean Mathews
Senior News Writer
Dm7dm@uvawise.edu
Two freshmen basketball players have been
banned from campus and removed from the basketball team following a report of an attempted
rape on campus.
Campus police got a report of an attempted
rape Dec. 6, according to police reports. Campus Police Sgt. Kevin Yates said once the report
came in, the college’s Title IX team was notified.
The person who made the report was taken
to the Wise County Magistrate’s office to give a
report to officers there, Yates said.
The Highland Cavalier does not identify
victims of attempted rape.
Two students, Aaron Michael Meredith of
Norfolk, Virginia, and Cederick Darryll Ross of
Waynesboro, Virginia, were both arrested at the
time of the report.
Charges were initially filed against both
men, but have been postponed in anticipation of
a direct indictment by a grand jury next month,
Photo courtesy of ETSU
Photo courtesy of UVa-Wise Athletics
Aaron Michael Meredith, left, and Cederick
Darryll Ross, right, have both been dismissed
from the UVa-Wise basketball team following
their arrest on campus.
said Michael Abbott, interim Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney.
Both men have been ordered not to return to
campus except under police escort, according to
college officials.
And, the two students have been dismissed
from the basketball team, said Darrel-Dingus
Ely, director of athletic media relations.
Under Title IX, both Meredith and Ross, as
well as the person who made the report, had the
right to take exams outside of a traditional classroom setting if they wanted, but since the two
men were given orders not to return to campus,
they received an incomplete grade in their classes, and had 45 days to finish the work in order
to receive a grade, according to Associate Vice
Chancellor Jewell Worley.
There are currently two investigations of the
matter taking place on campus, said Director of
News and Media Relations Kathy Still.
“There is the Title IX investigation and the
police investigation, and they are separate,” Still
said.
Meredith and Ross are both out of jail on
bond, Abbott said.
Parking forum will open for ideas New leadership arrives in SGA
Photo courtesy of Highland Cavalier stock photo
SGA will host a parking forum today to discuss on-campus parking issues
and ideas.
Damean Mathews
Senior News Writer
Dm7dm@uvawise.edu
Campus officials and the Student Government Association have
arranged an open forum to address
parking on campus at 1 p.m. Jan.
28.
The forum, hosted by SGA,
is intended to address the issue of
parking and give students a place to
voice their concerns and opinions,
said SGA President and junior psychology major Shannon Walker.
Parking has been an issue for
some time, and has been addressed
by a number of students, Walker
said. The SGA allocated one-third
of its budget last year to the park-
ing fund in an attempt to fix the issue, Walker said.
Another reason the forum is
important is to allow students to realize that their concerns are being
heard and to address the fact that
progress can not be made instantly,
according to Walker.
“We have a procedure we have
to follow and they have to get a
certain amount of estimates before
they can actually pave lots, so that
was a big thing I believe they were
going to hit on,” said Walker.
Members of Campus Police,
Provost Sandy Huegenin and Sim
Ewing, vice chancellor for finance
and administration, as well as SGA
members are expected to be there.
The end goal is to let students
Photo courtesy of Katelyn Sturgill
Former SGA Vice President Jordan Viars poses for a photo with SGA
President Shannon Walker on the left and the newly sworn in SGA Vice
President Katelyn Sturgill, left, at the Red and Gray 5K last semester.
Damean Mathews
Senior News Writer
Dm7dm@uvawise.edu
The Student Government Association has seen two positions
change hands recently.
On Nov. 21, Associate Vice
Chancellor Jewell Worley resigned
from her position as advisor for
the SGA, followed shortly by Jordan Viars, the organization’s vice
president and a senior psychology
major.
The resignations left President
Shannon Walker, a junior psychology major, forced to find two new
faces to fill the spots.
“At first it was scary having to
have two new positions on our executive board,” Walker said.
“I thought it was going to put
us back a little bit with some of the
things we’d gotten ahead on, but I
don’t think it’s going to stop us at
all.”
Viars submitted his resignation via letter, and said he is cutting
back classes to part-time status.
“It is unfair for me to continsee SGA Leadership, page 3
see Parking, page 3
Upcoming
Sorority
recruitment
The Landing
Worship
Fall 2015
Graduation
Registration for Sorority
recruitment is happening
now until Friday, Jan. 30,
everyday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
in the Slemp Student Center Atrium.
Worship and discussion
group, The Landing, is
an open environment that
meets every Monday at 7
p.m. in the Smith Dining
Commons.
Graduation Applications
for Fall 2015 are due on
Monday, Feb. 2 to the registrar’s office.
Index
news
page 2
et cetera
page 3
opinion
page 4
sports
page 5
news
The Highland Cavalier
Jan. 28, 2015
Page 2
From a dorm down under, Australian campus life
Larrisa Harris
Staff Writer
Ljh6d@uvawise.edu
I must admit, when I arrived
in Wise I did not expect American
and Australian culture and practices to be too dissimilar. ‘Americanisation’ is spreading throughout the
world and Australia is not immune.
However, what I have found are
subtle differences between living
on-campus in little Wise to just-abit-bigger Bathurst.
My campus of Charles Sturt
University is located in Bathurst
(two-and-a-half hours inland of
Sydney). My Uni [University] is
one of the smaller ones and specialises in distance education.
I live on campus at a residence
called Diggings. Diggians [people
who live at Diggings] are a passionate people with ute’s [smaller
version of a truck] filling the car
park and durries [roll your own
cigarettes] being shared in Steve,
our communal shelter.
Monday night is Dorm Sports,
where dorms compete for pizza in
touch [less aggressive rugby] and
netball [slower version of basketball]. Tuesday’s are trivia at Uni
Bar where you get a free dinner of
wedges for every team. Wednesday is the big Uni Night and not
one passes without a themed event.
Thursday is karaoke, followed by
‘Townie Friday’ when the DJ only
plays those songs your parents
love. And then the weekends, well
they’re for study, sport and working.
In Australia, you can legally
drink and purchase alcohol when
Photo courtesy of Larissa Harris
Students at Charles Sturt University take part in Returners Night(night when upperclassmen move back on
campus) by wearing colors for the dorm in which you live.
you turn 18. And that brings me to
the humble goon sack. It sounds
dirty and gross and Bogan [Australian version of a redneck] and it
definitely is all three. This cheap
wine (usually sweet white wine)
comes in a foil bladder with a tap
dispenser, all presented in a cardboard box. It is a Uni students’ best
friend and worst nightmare and I
would recommend mixing it with
black currant juice. I have yet to
find the American alternative.
In Australia it is very uncommon, almost unheard of, for Uni
students to share rooms. In Diggings, my dorm is made up of three
double story buildings with eight
single rooms on each floor. The
eight individuals on these co-ed
floors share a retro style bathroom
and kitchen/lounge room. The
dorm is supervised by an RA, who
is also the coach, tutor, counsellor,
party organiser, decorator and costume designer.
There are no sororities or fraternities and sport is more often
played for enjoyment and fitness
than competition.
Bathurst is home to Australia’s most famous car racing track,
Mount Panorama. Every October,
the town swells as people make a
pilgrimage to the Bathurst 1000.
During the rest of the year this
four-mile track is a great way for
students to stay fit or to test their
own driving skills.
Because our campus backs
onto bushland, it is quite common
to see a few kangaroos, especially
during the holidays when minimal
students remain on campus.
Note from the Editor-In-Chief: The
Highland Cavalier chose to leave
in the letter s when we would typically use a z in order to to respect
the Australian spelling.
SGA and SAB plan semester full of fun
Fitness center grows even more
Damean Mathews
Senior News Writer
Dm7dm@uvawise.edu
Zemery Gilliam
Senior Features Writer
Zag5b@uvawise.edu
also has a lot of events planned to
help students break the monotony
of the school and help them relieve
some stress around finals week,
The Student Government As- said Assistant Director of Student
sociation and Student Activities Activities Mikaela Logan.
Board has made sure that this
The semester will be full of
spring semester is going to be full events that have proven successful
of events for students to enjoy.
in the past, such as Free Fridays,
The SGA has arranged a new movie nights and the annual Stuffopen forum for students, said SGA A-Bear day on Feb. 13, just in time
President and junior psychology for Valentine’s Day.
major Shannon Walker.
One new event that will be comThe first event will be held at ing to campus, courtesy of SAB, is
1 p.m. today, Walker said. It will UFO laser-tag on April 7. For this
be a parking forum for students in- event a 1,600-square-foot inflatable
terested in talking about the issue “UFO” will be set up on McCraray
on campus. Other events are also Lawn which students can play laplanned for the rest of the semester. ser tag inside of from 6:30 p.m. to
Basketball Homecoming Court 10:30 p.m., Logan said.
will be held during halftime of the
The semester will come to a
men’s basketball game on Feb. 28 close with other familiar events
and the Miss UVa-Wise Pageant such as the End of the Year Bash on
will be held on March 28 at 7 p.m. April 28, Massage and Relaxation
in Greear Gymnasium.
Day on April 29 and Late Night
SGA will end the semester with Breakfast at 10 p.m. on May 4 in
the annual Spring Formal on May Smith Dining Commons.
1, the last day of classes.
Each event will be announced
The Student Activities Board in the Highland Happenings emails.
With a new semester comes
even newer equipment to the Winston Ely Health and Fitness Center.
Equipment at the state of the art facility, completed this past summer,
has doubled over winter break, and
staff have accepted an influx of
non-student/staff memberships.
Julie Scott, director of the center, said the feedback has all been
positive and that staff members
have been taking the feedback they
receive and doing what they can to
keep members happy.
“Over time, people have been
asking for free weights,” Scott
said. “We have that and crossfit
type activities.”
Previously, if you wanted to
use free weights on campus, you
had to participate in college athletics to gain access to the weight
room located beside the football
field. Now all students and staff
can have access to free weights at
their convenience.
“I like that it’s more updated,”
said Maddison Gaither, a junior
communication studies major.
“There are more choices to choose
from and it brings more attention to
the gym.”
When asked whether there is
a benefit to using the newer free
weights over the adjustable machines Scott said some people are
intimidated by free weights.
“With selectorized [pieces] of
equipment, it shows you how to
use it, it’s easier,” she said. “Obviously people with injuries or range
of motion issues use free weights
so really it’s personal preference.”
Membership numbers have
also been on the rise, Scott said.
She said there are 259 members
currently.
Another suggestion from students and staff was to open the gym
earlier in order to accommodate
people who are unable to make it
in the evenings. A change has been
see Fitness Center, page 3
et cetera
The Highland Cavalier
Fitness Center
Jan. 28, 2015
Page 3
International faces teaching at UVa-Wise
Continued from page 2
Zemery Gilliam | The Highland Cavalier
Kaushiki Saha instructs her Elementary Probability and Statistics class.
Jay David | The Highland Cavalier
Senior business administration major Dayne Mullins enjoys the new fitness equipment while helping senior nursing major Kenzie Poindexter
with her form.
Zemery Gilliam
Senior Features Writer
Zag5b@uvawise.edu
made to the hours of operation with
the gym opening at 5:30 a.m. on
weekdays to accommodate individuals who like to workout earlier
in the day.
Questions about the new equip-
UVa-Wise offers many courses
and programs that employ a wide
variety of faculty from all over the
country. The international faculty
often share stories with students
about their travels, their time here
at UVa-Wise and differences between their country of origin and
Southwest Virginia.
Kaushiki Saha, (Instructor in
Mathematics) is originally from
Kolkata, India and was hired in
2007.
“Why I came here specifically
was to have higher status,” she said.
“[My husband and I] both got a job
over here and we both came from
our graduate studies in Wyoming. I
felt like we made a good decision.”
She said she feels welcomed
here.
“In general I find the region
very warm, welcoming and friendly,” Saha said. “Which, [compared
to] where I come from, kind of
matches.”
Saha said that her favorite part
of UVa-Wise was the size of the
college and that she enjoys knowing everyone.
“In the class, I can see everyone [and] talk to them,” she said.
“When I teach, I can reach out,
make eye contact and see that that
ment, membership prices or hours
of operation, can be answered by
a link on the UVa-Wise homepage
or by speaking to the receptionist
at the desk on the first floor of the
wellness center.
Applebee’s Super Bowl Party
Come to your friendly Neighborhood Bar and Grill
and join us @ 6:30pm for Super Bowl XLIX!!
Enjoy ½ price appetizers (9pm-12am), ice cold
beverages, All you can eat boneless wings, prizes,
and a night full of cheering for your favorite team.
The big game will be showing on all 12 TV’s at
your local Applebee’s on Hawthorne Drive.
For additional information contact our store or marketing representatives:
Amber Showers @ 540-241-5814 or Robert Collins @ 757-814-7663
Store number: 276-679-5790
person understands.”
Assistant Professor of Hispanic
Philology David Fernández-Díaz
is from Barcelona, Spain. This is
his third semester teaching at UVaWise.
Fernández-Díaz found his way
to UVa-Wise after attaining his
doctorate degree from the University of Virginia.
When asked about the environment of UVa-Wise and it’s surrounding area, Fernández-Díaz
said, “people are very friendly here
on campus.” He also said that he
liked the size of the college.
“Everything seems more connected than the other campuses,”
he said.
Yang Feng, assistant professor
of communication studies, is originally from Chengdu, Sichuan, China. This is Feng’s second semester
teaching at UVa-Wise.
Feng said that students here are
very friendly.
“I find people here to be very
hospitable, people here welcome
people from other places to come
and share their cultural experiences.”
Feng said she is very excited
about the new advertising courses
offered at UVa-Wise.
“This is the first time our department offers these courses. I can
introduce the topic to the students
and that is very exciting,” she said.
Parking
Continued from page 1
know that the faculty and staff
know that parking is a problem and
they are working on it and trying
to address the issues, but can’t just
make it happen one day, according
to Walker.
“The big thing that we, as the
SGA try to do is engage the students
and tell them about their campus,”
Walker said. “A lot of people get so
angry about certain issues and they
keep them to themselves and then
one person gets mad about it … all
it takes is one person to say something and then we get a solution.”
The forum is an event that
could occur again, if students show
as much interest in other campus issues.
SGA will provide pizza and
drinks and encourages all students
interested to take part in the forum.
SGA Leadership
Continued from page 1
ue in a position that I am not fully
committed to, especially a position
like that of [the] vice president’s,”
Viars wrote in the letter.
Viars, who said that his decision to resign came from a need
for greater focus on grades and not
because of any difference between
himself and the SGA, had to resign
according to the SGA’s constitution, which does not allow any student who is considered part-time to
hold a position.
“It hit me hard, because I wasn’t
expecting it,” Walker said. “To lose
an adviser and a vice president at
the same time … it brought me a lot
of concerns trying to find someone
to fill Jordan’s shoes.”
When there is a resignation, the
president has two options. There
can either be a nomination made by
the president or a mass email can
be sent to the student body asking
for applicants.
”I feel more comfortable opening it to the students and finding
out who is really interested in SGA
and letting them interview for the
process because sometimes the best
people don’t necessarily have to
come from the SGA itself,” Walker
said.
Viars’ replacement, junior history major Katelyn Sturgill, was
elected and sworn in on Jan. 23.
“I am honored to represent the
student body this semester and to
bring my ideas forward to further
the goals of the college,” Sturgill
said.
Rusty Necessary, vice chancellor for enrollment management,
has taken Worley’s spot as advisor.
opinion
The Highland Cavalier
Jan. 28, 2015
Page 4
Don’t wait, seek help for sexual assault
Hannah McNew
Opinion Editor
Hnm4s@uvawise.edu
Recently, the news has been
covered with alleged sexual assault
victims coming out and accusing
Bill Cosby of harming them, years
after the incidents are said to have
occurred.
After person accused Cosby
nearly 30 years after the incident
allegedly occurred, it started a
frenzy and caused other women to
bring to light their pasts with Cosby.
Not many people seem to be
buying into the idea that Cosby is
innocent, especially since more and
more women have accused him of
sexual assault.
After the Cosby fiasco began to
boil, it seemed as if more women
began to report having been sexually assaulted. Because women
were speaking up against Cosby,
it enabled other women to let their
stories be heard, as well.
Yet, one thing to bear in mind
is that Bill Cosby is such a famous
figure that news will spread like
wildfire. Those victims will have
had tremendous support.
What does that say for someone
who is a victim of a predator and
that predator is just your average
person? Will people care as much
if something happened in a small
college campus such as UVa-Wise?
It seems as if many people are
often afraid to speak up and report
sexual assault in small areas. It is
something that is pushed under the
rug more and not reported.
If you are ever one of the few
who falls victim to sexual assault,
you should call the police immediately. The sooner you seek help, the
better.
I am sure it is easier said than
done. I cannot fathom the thoughts
that go through a victim’s head
after being subjected to sexual assault, but is it really worth the risk
of something like that happening to
one of your friends?
You want to make sure your
perpetrator gets the punishment he
or she deserves.
In a smaller community like
UVa-Wise, odds are that you will
know the predator or you have seen
them around campus. I can understand how that would make it harder to file a report against them.
What if it is someone you know
and you thought you trusted?
After all, you realize that they
might have a good reputation to uphold, so you feel like you should let
it slide. You figure that it happens
to everyone at some point, right?
No, it most definitely does not.
That is no excuse.
Remember that you are the victim, and the perpetrator should be
reported.
You should not wait to report
someone. Waiting to report sexual
assault carries an infinite amount of
risks.
Anyone who has seen enough
“Law and Order: Special Victims
Unit” episodes knows that you cannot wait days and then decide to get
a rape kit done.
According to The Rape, Abuse
& Incest National Network, it is
best to do a rape kit before showering, that way the evidence is still
there.
Keep in mind that your clothing can even contain evidence, so
you should avoid washing your
clothes or your bedding.
The most important thing is
that you should not wait days or
even years like Cosby’s accused
rape victims to report sexual assault.
Call the police or even speak to
one of the certified counselors on
campus. Seek help and support as
soon as you can.
Supersized phones worth it? Keeping New Year’s resolutions
Zemery Gilliam
Senior Features Editor
Zag5b@uvawise.edu
Hannah McNew
Opinion Editor
Hnm4s@uvawise.edu
For the last two years, my
smartphone has been an HTC One.
In my opinion, it is the best Android phone money can buy, which
I have detailed in previous stories
in The Highland Cavalier. My contract ran out in December and I
knew, without a shadow of a doubt,
I was switching back to iPhone. I
wasn’t dissatisfied with my HTC
One, but when I had an iPhone, I
felt like it was the complete package of what a smartphone should
be.
With all of that in mind, I had
a decision to make that in previous years, had not been an option.
iPhone 6 has a screen that is 4.7
inches diagonally - already an increase in size from previous generations. However, that is nothing
compared to the massive 5.5 inch
iPhone 6 Plus. Keep in mind, I have
an iPad mini and I knew that the
size of the 6 Plus alone would make
my iPad irrelevant.
As of this writing, the apps
that I use on my iPhone are not
enhanced by this large screen experience. Also, I have not seen any
existing apps take advantage of this
larger screen. To this tech geek,
the only real benefit, as of January
2015, is that video looks amazing
on this full high definition screen.
I say “as of January” because
iPhone 6 Plus is technically a first
generation device and with any first
Students on campus were asked about their New Year’s resolutions.
Most students that I asked made no resolutions at all this year, which
again, was no surprise. New Year’s resolutions seem to be a bit outdated.
It’s basically just a promise to yourself that you don’t intend to keep.
However, as outdated as it may be, some people actually do a great
job at sticking to these resolutions. It is a new year and a brand new beginning for you to start over.
Here are a few popular New Year’s resolutions and tips so that you
can reach your goals:
1. Lose weight/Get healthy
Losing weight can be one of the hardest things to do, which is why
many people do not follow through with their goals. It can be stressful to
lose weight, and sometimes that stress can stop that number on the scale
from going down. People need to understand that losing weight is a process, and it is like a formula. Without each part of the formula, it will be
hard to lose weight. Drink plenty of water, exercise daily, and eat nutritious foods using reasonable proportions. It is also helpful to set a milestone goal, such as running a marathon or other endurance challenges.
2. Quit smoking
I know how tempting it can be to light up a cigarette, especially during exam week. It’s a stress reliever. Seriously, though. Have you seen
what lungs look like after 10 or 20 years after smoking, or even seen the
recent commercials with the trache? I don’t know about you, but that is
enough for me to not ever light up a cigarette in my life. If that fails to stop
you, just think about how much better you will feel. You will be able to
walk around campus (even the dreaded stairs) without thinking you will
need an inhaler afterwards.
Zemery Gilliam |The Highland Cavalier
Two students compare sizes of the
iPhone 6 and iPhone 5.
generation Apple device, it takes
some time for the app developers
to create, develop and innovate
apps that will make the jump in size
worthwhile.
The exact same thing happened to the first iPad with blown
up iPhone apps to fill the iPad
screen. It really was an oversized
iPod Touch at the time but after a
year, the apps came and so did the
people.
Don’t get me wrong, my iPhone
6 Plus is a much better phone than
my HTC One. For most people I
would not recommend the iPhone 6
Plus over the iPhone 6, especially if
you have small hands and virtually
no pocket space.
In a year or two, I could see
whatever iteration of this phone being the “must-have phone.” I don’t
think most people need to drive a
Hummer for a five-minute commute either.
To read the rest of Hannah’s article and see
what our volunteer from down under,
Larissa Harris, had to say about New Year’s
resolutions visit
www.highlandcavalier.com.
Cavalier Editor Review
Zemery Gilliam
Senior Features Editor
Zag5b@uvawise.edu
Clint Eastwood’s “American Sniper” is a
film that will masterfully satisfy any moviegoer with any political belief. If you are antiOperation Iraqi Freedom, then this movie will
be highly entertaining to you and that belief. If
you fully support the deployment of troops to
the Middle East, then this movie will give supporting evidence to that belief and you will be,
for lack of a better term, exhilarated.
Editorial Board
Jaime Robinson
Damean Mathews
Justin David
Darrian Pickett
Hannah McNew Dalena Adams
Zemery Gilliam
Stella Matheos
Dakota Gallimore
Allie Gibson
Editor-in-Chief
Senior News Writer
Photo Editor
Sports Editor
Opinion Editor
Copy Editor
Senior Features Writer
Ad Manager
Web Master
Staff Adviser
This movie is both one of the best war movies and one of the best anti-war movies I’ve ever
seen. This is due to director Clint Eastwood’s
ability to exemplify, in film, that the nature of
war is ambiguous. The events that occur with
Chief Petty Officer Chris Kyle, played by the immensely talented Bradley Cooper, are completely straightforward but open to debate. Though
everyone that has talked to me about the film has
their own political reviews and opinions, they
all left with the same feeling of patriotism.
The advertising of this film would leave
you to believe it is mainly a family drama, with
Staff Writers/Photographers
Larissa Harris
Gabriel Hawkins
scenes focused on Chris Kyle and his wife’s
struggles with multiple tours of war. However,
a vast majority of the movie is spent in the warzone. The emotional pieces are there, but they
don’t overstay their welcome. With Cooper and
the equally talented Sienna Miller, the drama of
the couple comes across very effectively.
Though this is film is rated R, I would recommend seeing this with family, especially
those who are veterans.
I know I have a greater appreciation of what
a select few have done for this country, just by
watching this film.
The Highland Cavalier is the official student newspaper of The University of
Virginia’s College at Wise. The newspaper is published bi-weekly on Wednesday. It
functions to inform, educate and entertain readers accurately and responsibly. It does
not necessarily reflect the opinions of the college’s administration, faculty or staff.
Also, the opinions expressed on the Opinion Page are those of the individual writers
and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of newspaper editors and staff members.
The Highland Cavalier welcomes all contributions, which can be delivered to
the newspaper in person (317 Slemp Student Center); by standard mail (Campus
Box 4682, The University of Virginia’s College at Wise, 1 College Avenue, Wise,
VA 24293); by phone (328-0170); or via e-mail (highlandcavalier@uvawise.edu).
Letters to the editor can also be e-mailed to Opinion EditorHannah McNew
(hnm4s@uvawise.edu). All letters to the editor must be signed — including the
writer’s department or major, address and telephone number. Letters may be edited
for length, grammar, clarity and libel.
sports
The Highland Cavalier
Jan. 28, 2015
Page 5
Baseball prepares for upcoming spring season
Darrian Pickett
Sports Editor
Dnp6a@uvawise.edu
Last spring the Highland Cavalier baseball
team finished the season with an overall record of 16 -29 and a 13-22 record within the
Mountain East Conference.
The team lost three seniors: pitcher Cody
Compton, outfielder Andrew Jessee and infielder Mike McCollum last year.
Eight freshmen were added to the roster
including third baseman Matt Wright, but according to Head Coach Hank Banner, they
haven’t made many changes.
He said the team members hope to improve in certain aspects of the game such as
defense and pitching.
“We were second in the league at defense,
hopefully that stays the same,” Banner said.
“We need to improve our pitching numbers
Darrian Pickett
a little bit; we walked too many people last
Players practice pitching, fielding and hitting a practice on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
year. That’s been a focus for us since the fall
| The Highland Cavalier
started, is throwing strikes.”
Catcher Ryan Dickt was added to the rosThe Cavaliers will play their first game of
Bill Steven and Chaz Tanner return for the ter in the fall, and Banner believes he should the season on Sunday, Feb. 15 against Virginia
Cavaliers as seniors.
help the team out defensively.
State University.
Men’s and women’s basketball continue to adjust to MEC play
Darrian Pickett | The Highland Cavalier
Darrian Pickett | The Highland Cavalier
Left: Junior, Charles George lays the ball in on a fast break against Shepherd University.
Right: Senior Katie Jo Dockery, drives past her defender in the Cavalier’s game against Shepherd University.
Darrian Pickett
Sports Editor
Dnp6a@uvawise.edu
Over the break the Cavalier men’s basketball team competed in eight games and are more
than halfway through the season with an overall
record of 1 - 14 and a 0 - 10 record within the
Mountain East Conference.
There has been a new addition made to the
team as James Cousins, who is also a member of
the Cavalier football team, joined the roster over
winter break.
Freshman guard Philip Owens II leads the
men’s team in scoring, averaging 14.3 points
per game and has the team’s highest 3–point
shooting percentage of 37.8 percent.
The Cavalier women’s basketball team has
an overall record of 5 -12 and a conference record of 4 – 7.
The women won seven of the eight games
that they competed in over winter break.
Junior guard Blair Harding leads the team
in scoring as she averages 15.8 points per game,
and sophomore guard Taylor Sandidge leads the
team in steals with 27 and assists with 43 overall.
Remaining schedules for both womens and mens teams:
Date
1/29/2015
1/31/2015
2/2/2015
2/5/2015
2/7/2015
2/12/2015
2/14/2015
2/19/2015
2/21/2015
2/28/2015
Opponent
Glenville State College*
Urbana University*
Notre Dame College*
Wheeling Jesuit
West Liberty University
West Virginia State*
University of Charleston
Shepard University
Fairmont State Univerity
Concord University*
Time:
Womens: 5:30 p.m. - Mens: 7:30 p.m.
Womens: 2 p.m. - Mens: 4 p.m.
Womens: 5:30 p.m. - Mens: 7:30 p.m.
Womens: 5:30 p.m. - Mens: 7:30 p.m.
Womens: 2 p.m. - Mens: 4 p.m.
Womens: 5:30 p.m. - Mens: 7:30 p.m.
Womens: 2 p.m. - Mens: 4 p.m.
Womens: 5:30 p.m. - Mens: 7:30 p.m.
Womens: 2 p.m. - Mens: 4 p.m.
Womens: 2 p.m. - Mens: 4 p.m.
*Indicates home game
Upcoming games
Basketball
The UVa-Wise basketball
teams will host Glenville State
College and Urbana University
this week for two doubleheaders starting Thursday at 5:30
p.m. and Satruday at 2 p.m.
Softball
The UVa-Wise softball team will
travel to Limestone College on
Feb. 7 for a doubleheader starting
at 1 p.m.
Baseball
The UVa-Wise baseball will
travel to Virginia State Univerisity on Feb. 15 to compete in
their first doubleheader of the
season.
Lacrosse
The UVa-Wise women’s lacrosse team will host their
season opener in a scrimmage against the University of
Pikeville on Feb. 18 at 4 p.m.
sports
The Highland Cavalier
Jan. 28, 2015
Page 6
Lacrosse prepares for first season in MEC
Darrian Pickett | The Highland Cavalier
Lacrosse girls huddle in after running drills at practice on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
Darrian Pickett
Sports Editor
Dnp6a@uvawise.edu
The UVa-Wise women’s lacrosse team is
about to kick off its inaugural season in the
Mountain East Conference. Head Coach Megan Dennehny has spent the last six years of her
coaching career at Queens University in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has spent the past few
semesters starting a brand new team here at the
college.
“I was intrigued with starting a new program especially at the state school, and I liked
the fact that the school was located in a rural
area because I thought I would have a student
athlete that came here that was committed to
both athletics and academics,” Dennehny said.
The team is a mix of players who have
played lacrosse before and a few that haven’t.
Sophomore Kendall Clay has never played
lacrosse before coming to Wise, but said she is
enjoying her time on the team. Clay has only
participated in practices and a scrimmage earlier
in the fall.
“I wanted to get back into a sport and it
looked interesting. I played field hockey, so then
I wanted to try lacrosse,” Clay said. “I’m kind
of nervous because I’ve only played like one
scrimmage, and I was kind of confused at first
but it’s getting easier and easier and I like it.”
Two freshmen, Kelsey Greene and Taylor
Lawton, played lacrosse in high school before
deciding to bring their talents to UVa-Wise.
Both were in search of a small school where
they could take advantage of all opportunities
that are offered.
“I liked the small setting school,” Greene
said. “That’s what I was really looking for in a
college, to get more individual attention from
the teacher. And I love playing lacrosse for my
high school team so an opportunity to continue
playing lacrosse was really exciting.”
Lawton, a Palm Harbor, Florida, native also
wanted to go to school in a smaller setting.
“Coming from a city, I wanted a small area
also,” she said. “I really like the one-on-one with
the teachers. I loved the coaches right away.”
The players and the coaches have set goals
to achieve in their first season.
“We’ve talked all year about the fact that
we’re not going to look at the record. We’re a
brand new program, so we’re building. Every
game we’re going to be gaining more experience, so we’re looking at improving from the
day before,” Dennehny said. “That’s our focus
for the year going forward, and I think that with
that focus we’ll be more successful than we
thought we’d be.”
The lacrosse team is scheduled to compete
in their season and home opener on Wednesday,
Feb. 18 in a scrimmage against the University
of Pikeville.
Softball thinks of achieving another championship
Darrian Pickett | The Highland Cavalier
Sophomore, Alexa Hernandez scoops up a ground ball during a drill at practice on Tuesday, Jan. 20.
Darrian Pickett
Sports Editor
Dnp6a@uvawise.edu
After winning the Mountain East Conference title last May, the UVa-Wise softball team’s
2015 season is underway.
Last year the Cavaliers ended the season
with an overall record of 37-14 and a conference record of 20-6. This year they added four
freshmen and three transfer students.
“We have a lot of new faces on the team,”
said Head Coach Karen Bitter. “We had seven
seniors graduate, so there’s going to be some
new faces in those positions and we’re looking
forward to whatever they can bring to the team.”
According to Bitter, some essential members of the team are returning for this season.
“There’s some key returners coming back
on the team that will continue to work hard and
to stand out,” Bitter said.
“We also have Erika McLaughlin who was
on the team last year but she was a redshirt, so
she’ll be able to play this year. We have some
freshmen that are going to be playing in some
key positions.”
Other returners include sophomore pitcher,
Taylor Brandts and sophomore second baseman
and team captain Alexa Hernandez.
According to Hernandez, having younger
players can help the team focus on a bigger goal
after winning the conference title last season.
“We have fun, we joke around like sisters,
we knit pick at each other. It’s the same as last
year, the older ones act like my older sisters, and
the younger ones try to act like my older sisters
but I always put them in their place,” said Hernandez. “At the end of the day, we just act like
a family.”
As they begin to experience their first college softball season the freshmen are getting
used to the collegiate level of play and the training regimen.
“The freshmen have adjusted well, I think it
certainly was a shock for them; they’re handling
it well.” Bitter said. “They’re working hard,
they’re stepping up, but of course with weight
room and that kind of thing it’s a change of life,
but they’re doing a great job.”
Freshman Kayleigh Kent, a Loudoun County native, is looking to earn a starting position in
her collegiate softball debut.
“I’m adjusting well. It was kind of a shock
coming in here, but you get used to it. You kind
of just adapt to however coaches run things. I
think the biggest change was probably just the
amount of practicing and training that we do. I
never really worked in the weight room before
coming to college so that was an adjustment,”
Kent said. “I’m working for a starting position.
I’m really just focusing on my average at bat
and keeping that up.”
The Cavaliers will compete in their season
opener on Feb. 7 against Limestone College and
their first home opener will take place on March
1 against King University.