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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 7, 2002)
Sports The Battalion Page 1B • Thursday, November 7, 2002 Soccer team begins run in Big 12 Tournament WV V1IUJ|| i ht in lluskerland By Troy Miller THE BATTALION , —™ The No. 3 Texas A&M women’s soc- 1 ' lt Tllmaulingaij certeam (15-3-1, 9-0-1) is looking to ahomaSoonersfo defend its 2001 Tournament title and its regular season championship this week in San Antonio at the Big 12 Championship Tournament. The last time the Aggies won a regular season was in 1997, when they went on to win their first-ever tournament crown. The 2002 season has been full of ups land downs. The Aggies have a 14-game [unbeaten streak, which is a team record for consecutive games without a loss. The streak started after dropping three matches in a row, which is the team record for most consecutive losses. With the Aggies 2-1 win against No. 5Texas Friday, giving them the regular season title, the Aggies secured the first end of the Big 12 Championship dou- -dip. Now that the first goal has been met, the Aggies are moving on to the next step in their quest. “We’re reassessing our goals for the rest of the way,” said head coach G. Guerrieri. “We consider (the Big 12 Tournament) to be a season unto itself.” The Aggies enter the tournament as •ft "Injuries' is to succeed.Con- pl ay book is email quarterback. »ESTATE the first ‘Houstoi er. Increasedfrairii that this year that their way up. RN the number one seed by virtue of their first place finish in the regular season. They begin by facing off against the eighth-seeded Oklahoma State Cowgirls who are making their program’s first Big 12 Tournament appearance. The Cowgirls are coming off a 3-2 win against archrival Oklahoma. OSU sophomore Jeni Jackson scored a hat trick, or three goals, in the last six min utes to overcome a 2-0 deficit and give the Cowgirls their first Big 12 Tournament birth. “(OSU) is going to be a hungry team,” said Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week Emma Smith. “It’s going to be a good game for us to go in and play first. It’ll be a good hard game.” Smith has picked up her game as she has scored six goals in the last six games and is on a current six-game point streak. Coupled with sophomore Linsey Woodard, whose 13 goals lead the Big 12, the Aggie offense is running on all cylinders. “(Our midfielders) have been unbe lievable at getting behind people and sending in crosses,” Smith said. Freshman Kati Jo Spisak, the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week and First-Team All-Big 12 selection, has continued to improve her aggressiveness in the net. Spisak made six saves against Texas, including a save on a penalty shot. The rest of the defense, anchored by First-Team All-Big 12 selection Jessica Martin, has forced opponents away from their strategies. “All over the field everybody, throughout the season, has stepped up,” said senior midfielder Heather Ragsdale. “As a team we have started to play a lot better overall.” The competition in the Big 12 Tournament should be fierce. Texas, the No. 2 seed, did not lose a game until it faced the Aggies. No. 3 Nebraska won the Big 12 Tournament in 1996, 1998, 1999, and 2000 and No. 4 Missouri has netted 13.9 percent of its shots. “We should be nothing but confi dent,” Guerrieri said. “The players should have experienced the satisfac tion of what hard work brings, and they’ve worked hard.” The Aggies begin play at 11 a.m. on Thursday against Oklahoma State at Blossom Field in San Antonio. The winner of that game will take on the winner of Missouri vs. Colorado in Friday’s semifinal. JOHN C. LIVAS • THE BATTALION A&M sophomore Linsey Woodard battles for the ball against Texas last week. Texas baseball team given probation for coach’s violations Paid Advertisment to Help Others , %. iiiiilggflKj; DO to stifle their of feorfor denied the exis- nding yes, (he irs prior to o st-obortion ry a subsequi i emotionol wrtions, of J,ss this e veryoM, :en able 10 ily up to a art of the women and Do you realize that you can promote post-abortion healing without ever talking to people about their past abortions? You don’t even have to know if someone has had an abortion. And you certainly don’t have to become a trained counselor or an expert in post-abortion issues. All you have to do is sow a few words of healing mto your everyday conversations. In every case, your goal is merely to plant the seeds of under standing, empathy, and hope that can lead to future healing. You are not frying to complete the healing process. But you can help break ow n some of the obstacles to healing. In a simple, conversational way, cover the following three points: (1) Announce that you have come to a whole new understanding 0 t e abortion issue, including why people choose abortion and how « affects them; (2) Express your compassion for women and men who have had a options, knowing that they must constantly face the fear that others a* -6 judging or condemning them, and that they may be experiencing ee mgs of doubt and regret; and (3) Describe how you have heard of new programs that help women and men find freedom from the burdens of secrecy and shame associated with past abortions. that F ° rexarn P le ’ y° u might simply say, "I read an interesting article feavc me a whole new understanding of why women have abor- ons. 1 never really understood before how much pressure many are un der to have an abortion. j * a ' so didn’t realize before how much they feel judged and con- ^mned by others. That fear of judgement can really make it hard for it tT t0 COm P^ e ^ e the healing process. Did you know that on average a es around ten years for women to recover emotionally from a P as t abortion? 8°od news is that there are a lot of new programs now to Pwoiricn and men who are dealing with post-abortion problems, for ^ S ^ ^° U ^ ave planted the seeds. Perhaps someone will ask pub| T '° rC ' n * orrna D° n > in which case you can give them a copy of this •cation or refer them to a post-abortion ministry in your area. Us t rc member these three key words: understanding, compassion, auu hope. 3T>e first step, expressing understanding, respects the mind, e second step, expressing compassion, soothes the emotions. e third step, offering hope, feeds the spirit, sow i° U ^ n * our wor ld be a better place if everyone would begin to e seeds ol understanding, compassion, and hope? Peonl 6 * 1dVC P re P arec l this publication precisely to raise up millions ol Wec- C y° u ’ to sow the seeds of post-abortion healing. Togethci Cdn create a much more loving and healing environment for those are burdened by a past abortion, oo r~ • ■ • Do listen patiently. They are trying to sort out their feelings. Verbalizing them with someone who will listen helps. Expect and allow them to repeat themselves ond to bring the subject up again later. Listen for clues to their deeper feelings to which you can respond later. • Do reassure them that we all make mistakes, and all religions teach that our mistakes/sins can be forgiven. God wants to forgive us. All we have to do is to admit that we need and desire it. • Do reassure them that their feelings are normal. Others have experi enced the same thing and found healing. Build up a sense of hope that they can be healed and reconciled with God and their child in heaven. • Do allow them to vent their anger toward others. Remind them that it is a sign of an even deeper hurt that lies beneath the anger. Encourage them to get in touch with both the anger and the hurt, which they need to do before they can "let go" of their anger and approach forgiveness. Encourage them to see that the people they blame were also confused, scared, or just looking for the fastest woy out of a hard situation. • Do allow them to regret their choice. Remind them that we all learn from our mistakes. Women and men who have found healing after an abortion often become more humble, compassionate, and sensitive. Even a negative experience can be used to help others. • Do encourage them to entrust their child completely to the care of God. Reassure them that, on a spiritual level, their loss is only tem porary. Someday they can be with their child in heaven, and they will be able to ask for, ond receive, their child's forgiveness. • Do give them o copy of this publication, on 800 number to a post abortion hotline, or some other referral information. If you don't hove if on bond, promise to get it to them within the week. Then keep your promise. • Do show that you care by keeping in touch and continuing to be a sounding board for them. Make at least one follow up call to see how they are doing. DON’T • Don't shut them off by changing the subject. Don't condemn them for making a bad or immoral choice. Texas had done o with Couch, we thought we it was a viola- Ay understand- what they were said Texas offi- | explaining the 4e took the job, ;p on him. the case was alt only with a 'ers. “*• ^ James Doyle, rat these events )igation.” fron H USe ^ 0 °1- some extra copies of this publication to leave 0r wh SCfl ° o1 or at wor k* to place in the literature rack at your church. If ^ ,ncoura S c your friends and family to read it. win u i 18 Plication has opened your heart or mind in any way, it Wl11 help others, too. INS TIT ut £ Ho p E * ND Healing Don't deny thot they lost o child • Don't encouroge them to blome others for the abortion. But don't push them to forgive others either, especially when they are in the initiol stages of venting their anqer and rage. Don't insist that they did the "right thing" or the "best thing" ot the time. ■ Don't suggest thot having another child "someday" can moke up for the one that was lost. Future children ore a blessing and comfort, but they can never replace the child who was lost. Don't leave them without encouraging them, over and over again, to find and accept the help of post-abortion counselors or peer support groups. Please Help To Spread Hope This paid advertising insert has been brought to you by donors to the Elbot Institute’s post-abortion outreach campaign. To continue this outreach effort, we need ynur help. Millions of people feel trapped by the secret grief of a past abortion. They need to discover that they are understood and not alone. They also need to be encouraged with our invitation to find healing and peace of heart. Every $50 donation enables us to reach about 650 households as we distribute Hope and Healing through community and college newspapers. Your gift may even be doubled through a matching grant. Please send your tax-deductible donation to: Elliot Institue, PO Box 7348-HH, Springfield, IE 62791-7348. Thank you. fterabortion.org