Home Blog Page 3778

Alondra Vazquez named MVC Freshman of the Week

0

Vazquez had her best weekend of the season

 Fresh off of her best weekend of the season, University of Evansville volleyball player Alondra Vazquez was named the Missouri Valley Conference Freshman of the Week in an announcement by the league on Monday.

Vazquez had an excellent weekend as the Purple Aces made history with their second-ever win over UNI.  In Friday’s win over the Panthers, Vazquez recorded 25 kills and 25 digs, both career highs.  She added two aces, two block assists and an assists.  In the efficient effort, she hit .279 in the 5-set win.

Evansville took Drake to five sets on Saturday and Vazquez added 14 more kills and 19 assists.  She notched two block assists and one solo block.  For the weekend, Vazquez led UE in kills and digs with 3.90 and 4.40, respectively.

In her first season at UE, Vazquez completed the year with 3.08 digs per set, which ranked second on the team.  On the offensive side, she ranked third for the Aces with 2.56 kills per game.  She had a total of 21 service aces, 18 blocks and 19 assists in 2018.

 

Women students, expelled after reporting assaults, sue Purdue

0

Marilyn Odendahl for www.theindianalaewyer.com

Purdue University has been hit with another lawsuit over expelling students following investigations into allegations of sexual assaults, but in this instance, the students banished from the school were the accusers.

The plaintiffs, who filed under the pseudonyms of Mary Doe and Nancy Roe, claimed the university retaliated against them after they each reported separate attacks by different male students. They claim Purdue violated Title IX while the investigation was “slipshod” and the investigators made “discriminatory assumptions” about each woman’s behavior.

“Purdue treated the Plaintiffs as if they were the accused harassers, imposed lesser penalties on the male students who were accused of harassment, and punished the Plaintiffs for making protected Title IX complaints,” the complaint stated.

The lawsuit, Mary Doe and Nancy Roe v. Purdue University, et al., 4:18-cv-00089, was filed Nov. 13 in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana.

According to the complaint, Purdue has implemented a policy that allows for women to face discipline, including expulsion, if they cannot prove their claims to the satisfaction of the university’s decisionmakers. Both women have since appealed, and their expulsions have been converted to two-year suspensions.

Purdue is not the only Indiana university facing lawsuits over investigations into sexual assaults. To date, at least 10 complaints have been filed in federal court against at least six Indiana institutions of higher education. However, this appears to be the first lawsuit filed by the accusers who were dismissed after alleging they were assaulted.

Doe, 20, claims she was assaulted in her dorm room by a male student who had threatened another female student’s life and had since been excluded from the campus. She reported the incident to university policy and spoke with a university investigator but then exercised her right to refrain from participating in the investigation.

The lawsuit asserts the university held Doe’s decision not to take part in the investigation against her and did not give her notice that she had become the target of the investigation. In the end, Purdue alleged Doe had fabricated the assault and expelled her.

Roe, 21, alleges she was assaulted by a male student who walked her to her dorm room after she became intoxicated at a fraternity party. The male student, according to the complaint, served the drinks to Roe.

Although Roe was incapable of consenting, she claims the male student sexually assaulted her, choked her, and made audio recordings of the assault. Roe received medical treatment for her injuries and reported the incident to the university. Purdue investigated and determined Roe had made the report maliciously and expelled her.

Both women are alleging Purdue violated Title IX by denying them federally guaranteed equal access to educational opportunities and by suspending them, which was unlawful retaliation. They also claim the decision to suspend them violated their constitutionally guaranteed right to equal protection and due process.

The women are seeking reinstatement to Purdue and an award for compensatory and punitive damages plus attorney fees.

This is the second lawsuit filed against Purdue University filed after the school’s investigation into another allegation of sexual assault. The first lawsuit, filed by a male student identified as John Doe, claimed the university used a “Kafkaesque process” to investigate the accusations made against him by a former girlfriend.

Similar to the two women students, Doe asserts Purdue violated Title IX as well as the 14th Amendment’s right to due process. He claims the investigation into the allegations did not include any kind of hearing, allow for cross-examination or sworn testimony, and he was not provided access to the evidence, so he could not adequately defend himself against the allegations.

The university determined John Doe violated the school’s anti-harassment policy and suspended him for one academic year.

Doe filed a lawsuit but after the Northern District of Indiana Court granted summary judgment to Purdue, he appealed to the 7th Circuit Court of Appeals, Oral arguments in John Doe v. Purdue University et al., 17-3565, were heard Sept. 18, 2018.

Marcus Henderson signs with UE men’s basketball

0

University of Evansville head men’s basketball coach Walter McCarty has announced the signing of Marcus Henderson to a National Letter of Intent to play for the Purple Aces starting in 2019.

Henderson is a 6-2 guard from Charlotte, N.C. who attends United Faith Christian Academy.

“Marcus is a natural leader who will shoot the ball very well for us.  Every shot he takes looks like it is going in,” McCarty said.  “He really knows how to play the game; he can process it and really has a good understanding of how to play basketball the right way.  He can play point guard, pass it, play off the ball, he is just a good all-around basketball player with a high IQ.”

Last season, Henderson played for Statesville Christian High where he averaged 12.5 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 2.2 steals per contest.  He helped his team to a 27-6 record.

“We are looking forward to getting him here with our guys, he fits in very well with what we do.  I think he is a college-ready player right now.  He can step in and play both guard positions,” McCarty explained.  “He has an understanding of how to use his skills to take advantage of defenders.  Marcus is incredible for a kid so young.  He will fit right in and fight for minutes.”

 

Henderson will be a true freshman for the Aces next season.

 

Holly’s House Hires Holly M. Edmond as Executive Director.

0

Holly’s House, a local child and adult victim non-residential advocacy center, has hired Holly M. Edmond as their new Executive Director. Before coming to Holly’s House, Edmond was employed as a project manager at BWX Technologies where she was responsible for maintaining multi-million dollar budgets, managing a cross-functional team while working with the U.S. Navy during a U.S. Department of Defense highest priority program. She was an Accounting Major at Indiana University, Bloomington, from which she holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business, Cum Laude designee. She also has an advanced degree in Business Administration from Anderson University, Anderson, Indiana.

The Holly’s House Search Committee said, “Holly brings business acumen, as well as an understanding of the non-profit sector, to the position. She is committed to continuing the high quality services provided by Holly’s House. Her compassion for the community has been demonstrated throughout the years by her willingness to share her expertise with many local non-profit agencies. We are pleased that she will be leading Holly’s House as we begin our next decade of service to the region.”

Holly’s House is a non-residential child and adult advocacy center providing services for victims of child abuse, domestic violence and sexual assault in Southwest Indiana.  The mission of the organization is to empower victims of intimate crime and abuse by providing support, promoting justice and preventing violence. For more information, please visit www.hollyshouse.org.

 

PUSH THE LIMIT AT TROPICANA EVANSVILLE!

0

St. Louis band, Push The Limit, keeps the holiday party in full swing at Tropicana Evansville’s 421 Lounge this weekend!

Push The Limit delivers a high-energy show with five vocalists and a rhythm and horn section.  Their non-stop show pushes all boundaries with a musical repertoire of Contemporary, Top 40, Dance, Pop, Disco, Motown, Jazz, Country and Ballads!

Bring your friends to Push The Limit’s debut at 421 Casino Lounge on Friday, November 23 from 7PM-12AM and Saturday, November 24 from 7PM-10:30PM.  Must be 21.  No admission fee, just a two-drink minimum for a night of fun!

After Saturday’s performance, DJ Jones Capone deals out the perfect mix to keep you dancing from 11PM-2AM!

For more information, contact Bobbi Warren, Bobbi Warren Productions, at 812-401-0094 or bobbi.warren@att.net.

 

BOARD OF PUBLIC SAFETY CANCELED MEETING

0

NOVEMBER 21ST, 2018

The Board of Public Safety regular scheduled meeting for November 21st, 2018 has been canceled due to an insufficient quorum of members.  The next scheduled meeting is December 5th, 2018 at 1:00 p.m. in Room 301.

USI Men’s Cross Country Earn Bid to National Championship

0

The NCAA has announced the University of Southern Indiana men’s cross country team as an at-large bid to the NCAA Division II Cross Country Championships in December.

Led behind the first-place performance of freshman Titus Winders (Mansfield, Tennessee), the Eagles placed fourth as a team over the weekend at the Midwest Regional through sloppy conditions in Hillsdale, Michigan.

The top three teams from each region received an automatic qualification with a committee determining the ten at-large teams with USI being one of them for a grand-total of 34 teams.

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Slippery Rock University will serve as host for the 2018 NCAA Division II National Championships at Schenley Park on December 1.

USI Women’s Hoops set for busy week

0

University of Southern Indiana Women’s Basketball returns to the court Tuesday at 6 p.m. when it hosts NAIA foe Indiana University Kokomo at the Physical Activities Center.

The Screaming Eagles (3-1) are riding a three-game winning streak into a busy week that sees them host the USI Thanksgiving Classic in addition to IU Kokomo. Bellarmine University and Michigan Tech University tip-off the Classic Saturday at noon, while USI hosts Lake Erie College Saturday at 2:30 p.m. USI concludes the weekend Sunday at 2:30 p.m. when it hosts Michigan Tech, while Bellarmine and Lake Erie square off at noon.

Live stats and GLVC Sports Network coverage for all five games can be accessed at GoUSIEagles.com, while 95.7 The Spin will carry all of USI’s games on the radio and on the internet at www.957thespin.com.

The Gobbler Gathering

0

The Gobbler Gathering this year will serve as the Evansville Rescue Mission’s 96th annual Thanksgiving food basket giveaway for Tri-State families, which will be held at the Old National Events Plaza (715 Locust Street, Evansville, IN 47708) for the second consecutive year.

At Tuesday’s Gobbler Gathering, thousands of folks will visit the Old National Events Plaza as a food basket recipient, a Mission staff or Board Director, a community volunteer, or as a curious bystander. 

The Evansville Rescue Mission is expecting more than 1,750 Tri-State families who will be attending one of five distribution services (which will be held at 10 a.m., Noon, 2, 4, and 6 p.m.) to hear a message of hope and receive a food basket filled with Thanksgiving-themed items such as; a frozen 10-13 pound turkey, bagged potatoes, bagged onions, fresh celery, flour, corn meal, a loaf of bread, canned corn/green beans/peas/chicken broth/yams/cranberry sauce, stuffing mix, cake mix, Jiffy cornbread mix, and macaroni & cheese.

 

With the help of community volunteers and Evansville’s TWO MEN AND A TRUCK, the Rescue Mission will deliver nearly 500 grocery bags of food to neighboring downtown Evansville apartment communities such as Kennedy & Buckner Towers, Liberty Terrace Apartments, Horizon Homes, Lucas Place II, and Vision 1505.

 

That being said, the Evansville Rescue Mission is anticipating being able to fully assist a total of approximately 2,203 Tri-State families for this year’s Gobbler Gathering.

 

The Gobbler Gathering; however, would not be a success without the help of our tremendous 1,000 community volunteers. These volunteers are scheduled with assisting Rescue Mission staff with registration, transfer food from our pallets into baskets, or lend a helping hand toward our food basket recipients. We are very grateful for all of those who are willing to give their time to help us on this wonderful day.

 

More than 200 Tri-State churches, schools, businesses, and families donated an assigned food item or a needed service to ensure the 96th annual Gobbler Gathering can take place.

In addition to distributing food, community volunteers will be handing out coats and accessories to any child who may be in need of warmer clothing on Gobbler Gathering day in lieu of the Evansville Rescue Mission’s “Coats For Kiddos” program.

Tracy Gorman, Evansville Rescue Mission’s President/CEO, states, “The Gobbler Gathering at your Evansville Rescue Mission is one of our favorite days of the year because of the sheer number of individuals and families we have the opportunity to help through this event. Our staff works on this event literally all year long, and we put a lot of effort into it because we know what a blessing this day is to so many. We’re so grateful for the donors, volunteers, staff members, and everyone else who make this incredible day possible for the people of our community.”

It should be noted that we are still in need of canned yams (14 ounces), children’s coats and winter accessories for both boys and girls (sizes infant on up). Please send donations to your Evansville Rescue Mission’s main campus tonight until 9 pm or the Old National Events Plaza tomorrow from 8 am to 6pm.

Your Evansville Rescue Mission gladly accepts monetary donations for the Gobbler Gathering.  Gobbler Gathering contributions can be mailed to ERM at 500 E. Walnut St., Evansville, IN 47713 or by visiting our website, www.evansvillerescuemission.org. 

Aces Volleyball announces signing class

0

UE adds four student-athletes

  University of Evansville head volleyball coach Manolo Concepcion has announced the signing of four student-athletes to National Letters of Intent to play for the Purple Aces next season.

“I am extremely excited about this class. This level of talent would have not been possible to bring to our program, if it wasn’t for the program culture that the current seniors have left behind, which we are perennially grateful for,” Concepcion said.  “It is probably one of the best classes that we have ever brought to UE. They are not just good players that will impact the program right away, but they also share traits of dynamism, speed, and power.”

“A hard working group of future student-athletes that fit our immediate and long term needs tremendously, because of their ability to learn, adapt, and progress on and off the court. And for us, that is probably the skill that we are considering the most, when recruiting future Purple Aces. It is also thrilling to also know that we are not done with the incoming class yet, as we project more additions soon.”

Melanie Feliciano – Ponce, Puerto Rico – Outside Hitter

A volleyball and track/field star at Colegio Sagrado Corazon in her native Puerto Rico, Melanie Feliciano has received numerous accolades in both sports.  She was named the MVP in 14 volleyball tournaments in her high school career, which lasted from 2014 through 2018.  She was also a 4-time champion in track and field.

Feliciano was her varsity team captain as a senior and added to her honors by being named a Jeep Volleyball Championship All-Star, Power League Volleyball Tournament All-Star, High School Tournament All-Star and National Honor Society Volleyball Tournament MVP.  On a national level, she took part in the U20 Women’s Pan-American Cup.

Coach Concepcion on Feliciano: “Incredibly athletic, dynamic player that will have an immediate impact in our offensive numbers. One of those athletes that plays a lot higher than her height, because of her explosiveness, speed, and power. A hard worker on and off the court, and just like Mildrelis, a quiet leader that is capable of impacting her teammates immensely with her consistency and reliability. We project her as someone that can become one of the top scorers in the conference.”

Chloe Bontrager – Syracuse, Ind. – Outside Hitter/Right Side

Chloe Bontrager was a 3-year varsity volleyball player at Fairfield High School and performed exceptionally well, being named a Second Team All-State player in 2017 and 2018.  She was also a 2-time All-Conference NECC athlete.  The 2018 Most Valuable Player on her squad was named the Best Offensive Player in 2017 while garnering a spot on the 2017 Shondell Family Invite All-Tournament Team.

Bontrager was a 2-sport athlete who was a 3-time All-Conference track athlete.  Her other track honors include being a 3-time Regional Qualifier and 3-time Indoor All-State honoree.  She was a State Qualifier in 2017 while winning the Freshman Award in 2016.  Bontrager holds her high school’s long jump record.

Coach Concepcion on Bontrager: “When we first saw and evaluated Chloe a couple of years ago, we saw raw potential with the ability to become something special, and that is what she is today. Chloe is also a sensational athlete in the sport of Track and Field, recognized as one of the best in the state for her events. So she brings a background of advanced motor skills and physical stability. I am excited about her capability of playing all three offensive positions.”

Laura Ruiz – Cayey, Puerto Rico – DS/Libero

Laura Ruiz brings a long volleyball pedigree to the Aces program.  Ruiz has been her varsity starter for multiple seasons at Colegio Radians and served as the team captain in 2018.  The MVP award winner in her school’s tournament has competed at the national level.

She helped her team win the Junior National Volleyball Championship in 2015.  Off the court, Ruiz was a 4-time Honor Roll student while being a member of the National Honor Society for the last three seasons.

Coach Concepcion on Ruiz: “It is not a secret that serving is one of the main aspects that we emphasize in our program, and she will be an incredible asset in this area, with her ability to top spin and jump float at a high speed. Laura is someone that we are looking into developing as a Defensive Specialist and Libero positions, where because of her height (she has played Outside Hitter all throughout her career), will add a different dimension in terms of range, which will combine with her advanced reading skills and mental toughness.”

Hannah Watkins – Henderson, Ky. – Middle

A native of nearby Henderson, Kentucky, Hannah Watkins is one of the top players in the region.  A 2018 Second Team All-State player, Watkins was the Region 2 Player of the Year.  In 2017, she was an All-State Honorable Mention while being named the Best Defensive Player on her squad.  Watkins is a 5-year varsity starter and has been named an Academic All-State performer in each of those seasons.

The 3-time All-District Team member has been named to the All-Region Team and the All-Region Tournament Team in each of the last two seasons.  In track and field, she finished 7th in the state pole vault in 2016 along with earning top five finishes in the 4×100 relay, the 100M dash and 4×200 relay.  Watkins also earned a varsity letter in tennis in 2017.

Coach Concepcion on Watkins: “She is a local sensation. A multifaceted person that impacted not just her high school and club, but also the community in general. She understands and already plays under the same principles and systems that we use here at UE, so her transition will probably be the easiest one from all the incomers. She is an offensive middle that compensates her size with her reading skills, lower body power, and incredible dynamic movements.”

 

1...3,7773,7783,779...7,211Page 3,778 of 7,211