The Lake Front February 2011

Exactly 100 years ago, in 1911, Our Lady of the Lake was introduced as a two-year college program for the first time. As you would think, a lot of things have changed since then. Some of them are obvious: Our Lady of the Lake became a university; male students started attending the classes, etc. But some of the changes that have occurred during these hundred years are rarely noticed and often taken for granted. A diverse student body, availability of the professors and tolerance to various viewpoints were not always the case, according to faculty.

Sister Ann Petrus used to study at Our Lady of the Lake; she came as a freshman in 1960. According to her, “Things are different in many more different ways.” There are many more majors available now, before there was no such thing as service learning, there are a lot more subject areas to study and a more people are currently talking about graduate programs. Before, in the 1960s, these qualities were very rare. Sr. Ann also talked about the demonstrations of Hispanic students in the early 70s and how our university started

shifting from a predominantly Anglo student body to a predominantly Hispanic student body.

“After the 1970s, we started becoming more aware that we are a Hispanic-majority University, we are still thinking about it, we are proud of it, we celebrate it,” says Sr. Ann.

Dr. Oswald John Nira, who has been teaching at OLLU for ten years and introduces the history behind the university to his freshman honors students, also shared some of his observations about the positive changes that have taken place at Our Lady of the Lake. World Religions Studies, which Nira instructs himself, is a fairly new course to our university. OLLU started providing this course in the mid-80s.

“The whole shift occurred because of Vatican II, when the Catholic Church decided to open the doors,” explains Nira.

So now OLLU is much more tolerant of other religions. Nira also pointed out how much the entire city changed and how big of an impact this had on our university.

“San Antonio changed from a small town to a big small town,” states Dr. Nira.

The effects of having a bad and struggling economy are finally being seen at OLLU. Budget cuts are being seen throughout all areas. However, there is one in particular that might cause loss of some very important areas that many students need. The state budget stated last month that they would be making significant budget cuts that will reduce funding to the TexShare library resource-sharing program.

“Its sad that this is happening, but we have to realize that this is happening in other states as well and libraries are an easy target,” says Judy Larson, Library Director.

The state is now recommending that libraries pay a full rate for their databases. Having this budge cut in our databases means that the University will have to pay a full rate for the databases which amounts to an estimates $130,000 compared to the $3,000 that it has been paying in the past when the amount us to be subsidized.

“I can’t believe that the state would recommend cutting the budget of our libraries, they are essential to the education of students across the state,” says Carla Chavez, a junior at the Lake majoring in international business.

The Sueltenfuss Library on a regular basis offers students 45 full-text databases and according to Larson many of them might be cut to prioritize for those that are really needed and more widely used. Some of the scholarly

databases will be lost in the process of this budget cut and this will all be taken into effect on the next state fiscal year.

The final state decisions will be made late this spring. This means that the University will have about a year to figure out how they will pay for the cost of the databases.

“Hopefully there will be no significant gaps or signs that of this happening in our databases. We will make sure to keep

the databases that are more heavily used available,” says Larson.

The databases that the library is prioritizing and making sure will be available to the students are the Academic Search Premier database and the Business Source Complete database.

“I hope that next year I wont have to struggle to access information that I need to research. I just hope that the state sees how much this will

affect the education of some and retract this new cut,” says Chavez.

Larson also states her worries about the state library that will also be affected and will be negotiating with vendors on how the process will go and how they will be prioritizing as well.

Larson comments on how the Texas Equalization grant might be cut next year as well, which might affect a lot of our students attending the University.

Students are being persuaded to write a message on “What My Library Means to Me” and support the state funding for online databases to the Texas Legislature. Representatives will then be delivering all the messages to the Texas Legislature.

If you would like to write a message and need more information visit the checkout desk in the library or contact Steven Wise, associate professor off Learning Resources.

“This is a time were students can get involved in the political process. It is time to educate ourselves on this issue and start to e-mail the state representatives,” says Larson.

February 2011 Volume 52, Issue 2 www.lakefrontsa.com

n e w s F o r t h e s t u d e n t s . b y t h e s t u d e n t s . | o u r L A d y o F t h e L A K e u n I V e r s I tys A n A n t o n I o , t e X A s

the LAKe front

Sarai Bejarano

editor

Library databases could face budget ax

online Lake front

the redesigned online site for the Lake Front contains stories, videos, slideshows, blogs, an archive and more. Check it out at: lakefrontsa.com

SPortS: In sports news, look for Courtney Minten’s update on saints softball.

“I can’t believe that the state would recommend cutting the budget of our libraries.”

Carla Chavez,junior

continued on page 3

Prayer in the classroom has been a highly controversial topic in the United States since the Supreme Court case Engel v. Vitale (1962) banned classroom prayer from public schools. The First Amendment prohibits public schools from sponsoring religious observances, causing a commotion in many religious communities. It is common knowledge that Our Lady of the Lake University is a private Catholic institution; therefore, the laws concerning prayer can be interpreted differently. Many professors like to begin their classes with a short prayer, but students are not obligated to participate. Dr. Oswald Nira, Assistant Professor of Religious

Studies and Theology, believes prayer is an important part of the school. “This institution was founded on Catholicism, going back to John Martin Moye,” Nira stated. “Without prayer this school would not exist.” Beginning class with a prayer is meant to bring the class together; professors who choose to incorporate prayer into their classes are in no way attempting to convert or preach to the students. “Because it’s a Catholic institution, I think it is OK. Prayer is appropriate in the classroom; it’s a way of focusing, and it has a practical dimension,” Nira said. Some students understand that they are attending a Catholic institution; hence they anticipate prayer in the classroom prayer. “None of my professors have ever started class with a prayer, but

if they did I wouldn’t mind. It is something I would expect coming to a Catholic school,” Sophomore Jennifer Lewis said. Not all students would agree with that statement, but it is understood that prayer is not a requirement and students may step out if they feel uncomfortable. Although the Lake’s student population is somewhat small, it is very diverse, with people from various cultural and religious backgrounds. This may cause prayer to seem problematic for many. Our Lady of the Lake does not require students or faculty to identify as Catholic, and there are ways for people of different religions to express their beliefs. University Ministry encourages all community members and is open to all faith traditions.

Marking 100 years» Faculty reflect on century of changes in Lake communityMariam Kevlishvili

reporter

photo by sarai bejaranostudents attend a workshop hosted by the trIo program on how to manage their budgets.

photo by mariam kevlishviliDr. James Hall reflects on the past 28 years he has been at OLLU.

photo by mariam kevlishviliLocal children rehearse their parts for an upcoming performance in thiry Auditorium. see story on page 3.

SLIDeShoWat lakefrontsa.com

Prayer during class sparks debateLizeth Dominguez

Contributing writer

Project: SING! at OLLU

At Our Lady of the Lake, you encounter a crucifix in every classroom and receive daily e-mails that encourage you to attend the Mass. You’re aware that a convent is just across the hallway, you would think that starting a class with praising the Lord wouldn’t bother anyone - but it does. I’ve heard a lot of people complaining about prayer in the classroom, and I, being a non-Catholic and lot less religious than my classmates, get uncomfortable when a professor begins to pray. I am not bothered with religious attributes or soliciting e-mails because I am well aware that I’m studying in a private Catholic University; so why is it that prayer makes me feel uneasy?

I think it all has to do with how excluded I feel when everyone else around me is bowing their heads, looking down, praising the glory of God that I don’t believe in. Everyone else is aware of a presence of something not available for you. It gives you the sense that you don’t belong in this community - that you have to pretend to pray with everyone else in order not to seem disrespectful and to try to get rid of the distance you feel between you and your class.

It is very much different from religious solicitation because by “marketing” Catholicism, other people are trying to include you and invite you. When people start practicing their religion in your class, assuming that you will join them, they disregard the the possibility that you do not share their beliefs. This seems more like an invasion. I think that the least professors can do before starting their class with a prayer is to ask for everyone’s consent so that no one will feel so detached from this otherwise very welcoming community.

Our Lady of the Lake was founded on a Catholic background by the Sisters of Divine Providence. Although the sisters are generally less present on the university campus than they once were, they still live right next door and integrate their values with those of the school. OLLU is a private Catholic university that upholds the beliefs upon which it was established If it does not uphold these values, then it does not deserve the Catholic title. That isn’t to say that all of its students and faculty should be Catholic or should adhere to Catholic values; it just implies that the university as a whole should work toward goals that coincide with the principles held by the Sisters of Divine Providence. We owe it to the sisters to continue their legacy and hard work that they put into establishing this institution. When a student enters this university, he

or she is obviously aware that Our Lady of the Lake is a Catholic university. The very name of the university gives it away. Regardless of whether or not the student is Catholic, he or she should be open-minded and respectful of Catholic practices upon entering the university. For example, if a teacher wants to pray before holding a class, the student should know that he or she has every right to do so because they teach at a religious institution. Students are not required to participate in the prayer, but, by attending a Catholic school, they are called to acknowledge the right of the professor to profess his or her faith openly. Open-mindedness is key to upholding the Catholic values of this institution.

The university definitely does its part in acknowledging the varying faiths of its students and faculty. No one is discriminated against because they are not involved in University Ministry or because they do not attend masses at the Sacred Heart Chapel on Sundays. The university offers a wide variety of religion classes, and does not judge non-Catholics upon acceptance to the school. Overall, the campus atmosphere does not reflect a stuffy, overly conservative stereotype of Catholic piety. The university does its part in accepting and respecting those who hold beliefs other than those held by the Catholic faith. It is now up to us, as students, to respect the Catholic ideals of the institution. This should be a place where, although traditions are predominantly Catholic, anyone can openly practice their religion without offending others and with high respect for people who may believe differently.

t h e L A K e F r o n t | o u r L A d y o F t h e L A K e u n I V e r s I t y

edItorIAL & oPInIonpage 2 February 2011

the opinions published in the Lake Front are not necessarily those of its staff or the faculty, staff, administration or student body of our Lady of the Lake university. the Lake Front publication strives to inform, entertain and communicate with oLLu and its surrounding communities. Advertisement information is available upon request.

Submission requirements:the Lake Front accepts letters to the editor for publication on the opinion page of this newspaper. Letters should have the author’s printed name and contact information. Anonymous letters will not be published. Letters can be submitted in person, electronically or by mail and become the property of the Lake Front upon receipt. the editor reserves the right to edit letters for libelous material, grammatical errors, space constraints and/or offensive language. the Lake Front does not discriminate because of age, gender, ethnicity, national origin, disability or sexual orientation. “Letters to the editor” is intended to serve as a public forum for issues related to the oLLu community.

the Lake Front is published monthly during the academic school year. the Lake Front newsroom is located in Main building, room 219.

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San Antonio, TX 78207(210) 434-6711, ext 2445

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editorsarai bejarano

assistant editorValerie Cowan

sports editorCourtney Minten

reportersFlor salas

Lexie Maxwell

online editorMariam Kevleshivili

ads managerFlor salas

designerPablo negrete

photographerMariam Kevleshivili

advisorKay o’donnell

press

san Antonio Press

the LAKe front

VIeWPoInt

VIeWPoInt

SoUnDInG off

Couple 1:

Lauren Eveler and Antonio Diep describe themselves as the least romantic couple. Lauren says that she likes typical dates, like “going out to the movies and dinner.”

Couple 2:

Stephanie Llanes and Luie Manzano “are complicated but compliment each other.” Stephanie thinks that the most romantic thing Luie can do is surprise her when she least expects and Luie thinks that the most romantic thing she can do is kiss him.

Couple 3:

Jesus Gaza and Angelina Rogers are “the super-comfortable couple.” Angelina: “He does little romantic things all the time, he knows I’m obsessed with Harry Potter, and he got me a stuffed owl for Christmas.” And Jesus thinks that the most romantic part of their relationship is how comfortable he is around her.

Prayer in class should be expected

Classroom worship alienates non-religious

Couples define romance

The OLLU Board of Trustees approved an increase of up to $75 a semester in room and board for the 2011-2012 school year.

As part of OLLU budget planning process the Board of Trustees requested information about the room and board rates. The difference is that this year the board requested the office of residence life to submit recommendations of various levels that included different prices between the old residence halls and the new halls.

After the finance and facilities committee reviewed these proposals made by residence life on Jan. 25, the changes for the next academic year were finalized.

The room and board rates increased $50 for all the residence halls and meal plans except for Flores double and Centennial single, which were raised by $75. “This will be the first year it is done like this,” said Jack Hank, vice president of student life.

“The economy is an important factor,” said Hank. “If food, cable, electricity… increases, we will have to increase rates as well. It varies year to year.”

However, “the last electrical rate (and first in 17 years) was made in early 2010,” said John Moreno, CPS energy spokeperson. Moreno also mentions that in 2012 CPS will be going to the City Council to propose

a rate increase. It is important that students

understand that money collected from room fees is not all for the improvement of the residence halls but a part is used “to run the university,” said Mark Center, director of residence life.

Compared to St. Mary’s, Incarnate Word, and St. Edward’s University, OLLU still offers the lowest residence hall rates. “The university does everything they can to keep the price low as possible,” said Center. Yet, OLLU student life charges $30 for lockouts, while St. Mary’s and

Incarnate Word University charges $1 the first time, $5 the second time and $10 the third and consecutive times.

“Overall I like it… but my paint is falling of my walls,” said Regina Chapa, a Providence Hall resident. The prices were raised taking

in consideration the amenities students have access to and the other universities rates. OLLU doesn’t provide students with a gym, kitchen and a recreation area in every residence hall, but the price is not as high as the other universities that do.

“We try to be closely competitive,” said Center.

In the past two years, changes have been seen. New lounge furniture was placed in Flores and Providence hall, both with their individual style. “I like it, (it) is comfortable, but I would like to see a study lounge, primarily a printer,” said Maria Fabela a Providence hall resident.

The Pacelli lounge is in the process of being renovated. The improved amenities will include shades, new furniture, pool and ping-pong tables.

“I’ve been trying to bring value to the students,” said Center.

In addition, free laundry machines, micro-fridges, and movie rentals are available to students.

“We get to wash for free, so that’s good,” said Leah Waig a St. Ann’s hall resident.

“I don’t have to worry about traffic,” said Clarissa Garcia a Flores resident, adding that it is convenient to live on campus.

Center reminds students that if they live in the residence halls in the spring and sign up to live in the halls in the next fall they will receive a $20 gift card to the bookstore.

“Every year since I have been here I have taken steps to improve the environment,” said Center. “That’s my goal.”

It all started with a vision of bringing music to the children of the inner-city of San Antonio, of uniting them through song, and of providing them the opportunity to work together toward a common goal. Marguerite McCormick, the founder of the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio, collaborated ten years ago with Sister Madeline Pape, CDP and former vocal instructor at OLLU, and Irma Taute, staff member of the CCSA in order to make their vision a reality. Each strove to make singing outside of school more accessible

to children of the lower-income communities of San Antonio. Project: Sing! provides an ethnically rich playlist to around 80 children representing the broad cultural palette of the heart of San Antonio. Over the course of seven rehearsals leading up to a final performance for the community, children this year memorize songs in Hebrew, French, and Latin, and of course English. The diversity in both the upbringing of the children and the genres of music stands as testament of San Antonio’s harmonious blending of traditions and backgrounds. “I think every year we’re amazed at all these kids because they’re coming from all these

different schools, different teachers, different abilities, and all these different situations. Yet the music binds them all together, and they become partners with us through their singing and our conducting,” says Taute. The children, ranging from grades three to six, are hand-picked for Project: Sing! by choir directors and music teachers in Title 1 schools as well as some private schools in the area surrounding OLLU, where most of the rehearsals and the final performance take place. Project: Sing! offers a closer, tuition-free alternative to the Children’s Chorus of San Antonio, in which children ranging from infants to late teenagers rehearse and perform throughout each semester. The Our Lady of the Lake University Choir takes part in the program by singing two side-by-side songs with the children. The University Choir, formerly under the direction of Sister Madeline Pape, has experienced recent growth, and the children’s choir will experience more interaction with the university students this year than in previous. Parents will also receive interaction with the university setting, as Sr. Pape plans to guide them on a tour of the university’s stunning Sacred Heart Chapel during one of the rehearsals. “Of course the benefit to the university is that it encourages [the children] to think about coming to school here. It makes it very accessible, it’s their neighborhood,” states McCormick. Becky Valdez elaborated on

how Project: Sing! has given her fifth-grade daughter Amanda a major confidence boost. She looks forward to the more immediate future for her daughter’s singing aspirations. “I personally can’t afford it to send her to singing lessons or something like that, and at least she knows where to start off with this… She’s getting ready for her quinceañera; I was like, ‘how about singing on your quinceañera?’ Hopefully we’ll get there,” says Valdez. Her daughter Amanda also

gives her enthusiastic consent to the program. “My favorite thing is that we get to sing, and we like let ourselves go because some people feel trapped or they don’t like to sing because they think they have a bad voice. Here everybody gets to sing and they can know that everybody has a beautiful voice,” says Amanda. The final Project: Sing! performance is free for the community to attend and will be held in Thiry Auditorium on Feb. 23 at 6:30 p.m.


CAMPusneWSpage 3 February 2011


CAMPusneWSpage 3

Children sing for heart of San Antonio

Room prices increase, however, residents expect more

Valerie CowanAssistant editor

Dr. Philip Hall has been teaching biology at OLLU since 1983. He is happy about the growth in the number of students along with the growth of the campus.

“We built many new buildings; the UWAC and physical plant didn’t exist, the library didn’t exist, and Flores didn’t exist. The campus had to grow,” states Hall.

Although they are generally very happy about innovations at OLLU, some of our faculty still misses several things from the old days. Sr. Ann reminisces about how close sisters and students used to be.

“OLLU faculty members have families now that they go home to at the end of the day, but we (the Sisters of Divine Providence) stayed

here. We had a stronger sense of community,” says Sr. Ann.

One change that none of the professors interviewed approve of is the change in the attitudes of many of the students.

Nira stated that students today seem less literate and that their reading skills are not as strong as they were in previous generations. Sr. Ann believes students can’t concentrate on studies as much anymore because many have to work full time jobs, which was not the issue in previous years, when tuition was much less.

Dr. Hall misses the times when he used to know all the other professors. “I believe there was a time when I knew the names of all the faculty. There were lot more social activities among the faculty. We didn’t have to spend that much time on e-mail.”

Looking through all these changes, one might have a logical question: has OLLU changed its

mission and purpose and turned from traditional Catholic liberal college into a vocational university? Nira discussed the tension between these two types of institutions that has existed for the longest time. He would like to believe that OLLU is still liberal “so that business or social work majors don’t only concentrate on their field but know other things like History, literature, etc.”

OLLU faculty is currently in the process of approving a bachelor’s program in nursing, there are many more career-oriented programs because there is a whole new market available, and that’s where OLLU needs to be.

Although Sr. Ann and Hall also believe that OLLU has kept a little bit of its liberal core, as Hall said, “We can’t be stagnant. We changed, but we still have the high standards.”

100 years

flor Salas

reporter

continued from page 1

photo by mariam kevlishvili

dr. oswald nira comments on the transitions in student body at the Lake.


Irma taute instructs choir members from grades three to six.


Marcela Pena and Leiah Ieremia using the amenities in Pacelli hall.

page 4 February 2011t h e L A K e F r o n t | o u r L A d y o F t h e L A K e u n I V e r s I t y

Our Lady of the Lake prides itself for prioritizing the needs of the students attending the University. The Lake has many academic support systems that help the students succeed in their academic career. The Center for Academic Support for example guides students and helps them find tutoring services in all departments, from workshops in math, English, science and more. However, student parents are lacking childcare services that could assist them while continuing their academic careers. “A main concern of many of our members and other parenting students is the access to affordable and accessible childcare. Many parenting students take classes on the weekends or at night and childcare centers are usually not available on the weekends or after 6 p.m.,” says Denise Ramirez, president of the Students Moms Organization. This lack of childcare assistance often brings some student’s parents to be accompanied by their children to some of their classes. Student parents are sometimes forced to bring their children to classrooms because they don’t have any other options. Having an estimated 1,163 graduate student means that many of them are not only handling school but work and a family life as well. “Its fun to have children in the classroom at times. Some of my weekend college students bring their children into my classroom and I don’t mind it. I welcome parents with their kids as long as they are well behaved,” says Robbie F. Kouri, associate professor of physics/astronomy and chair of the department of chemistry. The Student Moms Organization is working on offering student parents a childcare available and finding off campus solutions for the students to work around this situation. According to the National Association of Childcare Resources and Referral Agencies, childcare cost in Texas is on average anywhere from $5,900 to $7,600 annually. This is $300 more than a four-year tuition to a state college according to CollegeBoard.com. “Student Moms is in the preliminary phases of attempting to make childcare available which involves research, feasibility, and other options such as childcare co-ops and off campus solutions,” says Ramirez. Since childcare is so expensive

having an alternative such as a childcare facility here on campus might be the solution to stop bringing in children into the classroom and maybe into an appropriate childcare service. Even though a child might be well behaved and causes no disruption to the class, the parent is focused on keeping their child entertained and is not focusing on the lecture or material in which they should be attentively paying attention to. Having a childcare service on campus might be the solution every student parent might have been waiting for. “Oftentimes, parents bring their children to class with them when they have exhausted all of their options. As a parent, I know that I do not want to bring my child to class with me, but if it was absolutely necessary I would,” says Ramirez. However, bringing children into the classroom affects more than just the parent it also affects the other students in the classroom. While some students are completely unaffected by having a child in the classroom some students might

be distracted by the fact that is a child present and this might cause a distraction that makes them loose focus in their class. “As a student I really don’t mind having kids in the classroom. I believe that we should be understanding and the professor should be flexible with this type of situation because the student might be experiencing some difficulty in their life and the professor and students should be considerate,” says Cecilia Avila, project coordinator for the Center for Women. Kouri also comments on how the final say to bring a child into the classroom is on the professor teaching the class. He mentions that the faculty at OLLU is known to be very fair in situations like this. “I believe that every student has the right to do what is necessary to accomplish their academic goals; as long as it is legal and ethical,” says Ramirez. “I think that being able to bring your child to class is a courtesy that can and should be afforded to a student depending on individual circumstances.”

Childcare services at OLLU?

Sarai Bejarano

editor

»Parents bring children into class


student, elva Villarreal, brings her daughter Indali on campus.

page 5 February 2011t h e L A K e F r o n t | o u r L A d y o F t h e L A K e u n I V e r s I t y

The softball program at Our Lady of the Lake University might only be 2-years-old, but most athletes on the team have been playing their whole lives. The softball program was established in 2009. Upperclassmen on the team are in their second year and the other half of the team are new to the Lady Saints softball. After six years of coaching at St. Mary’s University, Head Coach James Kling took on his position at OLLU. Coach Kling acknowledged that he has faced at least a couple of obstacles with taking on a new team. “Getting to know all the different personalities,” said Kling, “and different talent levels” are two of the obstacles. With a few losses and one win in the pre-season, the brand-new team is adjusting well to each other. Some strength determined

by Assistant Coach Lorena Reyes would be the offensive side. With good batting speeds and manufactured runs, the Lady Saints are “making the transition as a newer team,” said Coach Kling. “(They are) working on that mental toughness and getting through the season.” Much like all the sports at OLLU being an athlete means great sacrifices. With Monday through Friday softball practices, commitment is high and time management is detrimental. Twice a week study sessions help the Lady

Saints maintain their academic success. The Saints played their first game of the season against Coastal Bend College, where they won the first 15-2 and the second losing 10-8. Hannah Godina, junior centerfield, hit four home runs. Brooke Hernandez, senior first basemen, managed to get three runs. She also put out seven players on defense. “Everything starts with the pitcher,” Coach Reyes said. Starting pitcher Tiffany Stritz helped grab the win for the Saints and even

drove in two runs. The Saints biggest competition this year is Texas Wesleyan, who received second in conference and Northwood who went to national last year. Northwood will be a home game on March 5. Some innercity rivalry will take place at the Saints vs. the Tigers at Trinity University on March 30. Most students are familiar with high school softball but few are with college level. “This level is a huge leap from high school,” Kling said. The speed of the game is much quicker form high school which gives it a high energy atmosphere. Students and faculty can be a part of that atmosphere Feb.19 when the Saints take home field advantage against Alvin Community College or Feb. 27-28 they play Huston-Tillotson University.

The sports media is full of stories about star athletes who make miraculous recoveries, but we seldom hear about the trainers behind the scenes who put in long hours nursing the athletes back to health.Chassity “Chass” Muniz is Our Lady of the Lake’s athletic trainer, and at 5’1”, she’s often hard to spot in the crowd of athletes that usually surround her. She is there before and after games and practices for all sports to give treatment to sore and injured athletes. She is always the first one on the court or field when a player gets hurt, and she’s often the one supporting the player when he or she hobbles off to the training room. Muniz, however, didn’t always want to be a trainer. She originally wanted to be a pediatrician, and then, when she was a student trainer at Brackenridge High School in San Antonio, she wanted to be a physical therapist. It wasn’t until her senior year at Brackenridge that she decided to be a trainer. After finishing her undergraduate work at Texas Lutheran University in 2003, she went on to get her master’s at St. Mary’s University, where she worked as a graduate assistant, from 2004 to 2007. “I was covering a lot of sports and in charge of a lot of athletes,” Chass said. “I was in charge of student trainers as well, which was kind of fun. That job helped prepare me to be a head trainer.” In 2007, Chass got the head trainer job at Our Lady of the Lake.

“I like the atmosphere here,” she said. “It’s a small school, and the athletes are great.” And the feeling of respect is mutual between her and the athletes. “I absolutely love Chass as a person,” senior softball player Tiffany Stritz said. “She has an amazing personality. She’s really down-to-earth and straightforward about stuff.” Athletics are new to Our Lady of the Lake, so the athletes are a tight-knit group. Muniz is a part of that group’s inner circle, athletes said, adding that she understands them

and loves knowing that she is a part of their transition to adulthood. “The difference between Chass and my other trainers is that she is a lot more involved with the athletes,” said Elyse Escobar, a junior volleyball player. “She is very approachable – a great friend, teacher and trainer.” Although Our Lady of the Lake is a small NAIA school, being the head trainer comes with a lot of responsibility and long hours, but Muniz takes it in stride and has really made an impact on the athletes here.

“Some people don’t realize that I can be here up to 11 hours a day,” she said. “When one sport is done, another one starts, and sometimes another after that. I may sometimes be cranky from working too much, but deep down inside, I love it.” Muniz’s life on campus revolves around treating injuries for athletes in all different sports. Softball player Stritz has gone to Muniz for treatment on a cyst on her knee and a shoulder injury. “I really do think she was helpful in the healing process,” Stritz said. “Without her to guide me on

what rehab I needed to do, I would have been lost.” Every sport has its common injuries, Muniz said. Volleyball and softball players often injure their shoulders, basketball players their knees, and soccer players their hamstrings and quads. Although those injuries are common, that doesn’t mean they are the only ones Muniz has needed to treat. “I’ve seen ankle bones popping out,” she said. “I’ve seen blood dripping out of people’s heads. I’ve even had to put someone on a stretcher before. That day was the scariest.” Being a trainer isn’t the only demand on Muniz, though. She’s also mom to a five-year-old daughter, Cailee. Muniz said she would love to be a trainer for ever, but she just doesn’t see that happening. She doesn’t want her long hours to cause Cailee to miss out on being involved in sports and other extracurricular activities. “My plans for the future depend on my daughter,” she said. “Being a trainer and a mom is hard. I really love my job, but I love her even more.” For now, though, training at Our Lady of the Lake is exactly where Muniz wants to be. “My favorite moment is when someone is hurt and they play again,” she said. “When I see them score, it brings this feeling to me that makes me smile – because I know I helped them get back on the court or field. I don’t know what I would be doing if I went down a different path, but I do know at this moment, I wouldn’t want to be doing anything else.”


SPortSpage 6 February 2011

Courtney Mintensports editor

Team adjusting to new members

tasha YanceyContributing writer


Girls oLLu softball team playing against the university of Incarnate word.

“They are working on that mental toughness and getting through the season.”

James Kling,Softball coach

Athletes support before and after games


head athletic trainer, Chassity Muniz, helps athletes with any injuries before and after practices and games.

Documents

The Lake Front February 2011