The team won the overall reasons, beef cattle, beef reasons and performance beef cattle divisions, and placed second in the sheep division.

Texas Tech’s Livestock Judging Team was crowned national champions at the 2009 North American International Livestock Exposition.

The team won the contest by a four-point margin, posting a total team score of 4,653 points. Texas A&M University, the University of Nebraska, Western Illinois University and Oklahoma State University rounded out the top five teams.

For the first time in school history, Texas Tech has won the contest for three consecutive years.

“Consistency in winning national championships is rare,” said Kevin Pond, Department of Animal and Food Sciences chairman. “Having three consecutive national championship teams is the result of great coaching, a strong work ethic and attracting the best students to Texas Tech.”

The competition tested the contestants’ knowledge of cattle, sheep and swine as well as their oral reasons.

“It was a thrilling victory because we thought we were too far behind in placings to win,” said Ryan Rathmann, assistant professor and coach of the team. “But, the team won reasons by such a large margin that they narrowly pulled it off.”

The Red Raiders won the overall reasons, beef cattle, beef reasons, and performance beef cattle divisions, and placed second in the sheep division.

Individually, Josh Flohr, a senior from Emmitsburg, Md., was awarded fourth high individual and won the swine reasons and overall reasons divisions. Ben Cammack, a senior from Seguin, won the cattle reasons divisions.

In addition to Flohr and Cammack, team members included:

• Micah Dorsey, a senior from Strasburg, Colo.
• Paige Futrell, a senior from Midland
• Cade Halfmann, a senior from Garden City
• CA Jones, a senior from Sunray
• Drew Perez, a senior from Nara Vista, N.M.
• Drew Schmidt, a senior from Taneytown, Md.
• Trae Simmons, a senior from Tipton, Ind.
• Olivia Tilly, a senior from Hawley
• Austin Voyles, a senior from Hale Center
• Curtis Williams, a senior from Clovis, N.M.

The team is coached by Rathmann, Josh Campbell and Bryan Bernhard.

Under Rathmann’s leadership the livestock judging teams have garnered six national championships in each of the six years he has coached, three at Texas A&M University and three at Texas Tech. This accomplishment makes him the winningest coach in livestock judging history.

“I’ve been blessed with outstanding students on our judging teams, and I’ve been extremely proud of their accomplishments,” he said. “This win proved to these students that there is nothing in life that they will not be able to take head-on and accomplish with hard work and determination.”

While “Twilight’s” Edward Cullen’s attractive looks and mysterious appeal may attract the attention of many readers and viewers, his character is quite different from that of vampires in classic literature.

Few are unaware of the popular "Twilight" saga that has grabbed the interest – and hearts – of many.

One reason why the series has flourished is Edward Cullen, the protagonist of the series. While his attractive looks and mysterious appeal may attract the attention of many readers and viewers, his character deviates from classic vampire mythology in several key ways.

Erin Collopy, associate professor of classical and modern languages and literatures, said there was a transition from vampires of mythology to the modern, sensitive and more seductive vampire.

Collopy teaches The Vampire in East European and Western Culture. She has a doctorate in Slavic linguistics from the University of Washington and received her master’s degree in Russian language and literature from the University of Arizona.

She said Cullen fits the mold of the sympathetic vampire that popped up periodically in literature prior to the publishing of “Dracula.”

“Dracula set the tone of vampire literature for a long time,” she said.

The new hit series “True Blood” revived the erotic vampire in popular literature, while Stephanie Meyers took the more repressed-sexuality approach in “Twilight.”

When comparing “Twilight” to previous vampire stories, Collopy notes one substantial difference between Cullen and that of his undead peers: Meyers’ protagonist is too beautiful, rather than too cursed, to be seen in sunlight.

“‘Twilight’ is really more of a romance than a true horror story,” she said. “Of course, you often get that crossover between gothic romance and gothic horror novels.”

Causey-Bush and her husband – Dr. Lawson Bush V, Cal State Los Angeles/UC Irvine Joint Doctoral Program director – were teaching at Texas Tech University when she founded Sacred SISTAHS

Some fans have added other traditions to a home game at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Members of Texas Tech’s Red to Black Program were present at the conference to receive the award.

Dorothy Durband, director of the Red to Black program, said it is an honor for the program to be recognized.

“It is exciting to be recognized for the work that we’ve done,” Durband said. “I’m even more excited to accept this award on behalf of the current and former students whose work has made the nationally recognized model program what it is today.”

Durband said that because Red to Black is a model program, other universities often contact Texas Tech when they are attempting to start their own financial literacy programs.

Durband said she feels the program deserves this award because of the passion of student volunteers who deliver Red to Black’s services.

“The program has demonstrated commitment to serving our clients by advocating responsible financial behavior through financial counseling, financial education and transfer of skills,” Durband said.

Red to Black provides free financial counseling and planning in the form of client-based and outreach-based services.

AFCPE is a nonprofit, professional organization dedicated to educating, training and certifying financial counselors and educations.

CONTACT: Dorothy Durband, director, Red to Black, Texas Tech University, (806) 742-5050, or dottie.durband@ttu.edu.

The team won the contest by a four-point margin, posting a total team score of 4,653 points. Texas A&M University, the University of Nebraska, Western Illinois University and Oklahoma State University rounded out the top five teams.

For the first time in school history, Texas Tech has won the contest three consecutive years.

“Consistency in winning national championships is rare,” said Kevin Pond, department of animal and food sciences chairman.  “Having three consecutive national championship teams is the result of great coaching, a strong work ethic and attracting the best students to Texas Tech.”

The competition tested the contestants’ knowledge of cattle, sheep and swine as well as their oral reasons. 

“It was a thrilling victory because we thought we were too far behind in placings to win,” said Ryan Rathmann, assistant professor and coach of the team. “But, the team won reasons by such a large margin that they narrowly pulled it off.”

The Red Raiders won the overall reasons, beef cattle, beef reasons and performance beef cattle divisions, and placed second in the sheep division.

Individually, Josh Flohr, a senior from Emmitsburg, Md., was awarded fourth high individual and won the swine reasons and overall reasons divisions. Ben Cammack, a senior from Seguin, won the cattle reasons divisions.

In addition to Flohr and Cammack, team members included:

• Micah Dorsey, a senior from Strasburg, Colo.
• Paige Futrell, a senior from Midland
• Cade Halfmann, a senior from Garden City
• CA Jones, a senior from Sunray
• Drew Perez, a senior from Nara Vista, N.M.
• Drew Schmidt, a senior from Taneytown, Md.
• Trae Simmons, a senior from Tipton, Ind.
• Olivia Tilly, a senior from Hawley
• Austin Voyles, a senior from Hale Center
• Curtis Williams, a senior from Clovis, N.M.

The team is coached by Rathmann, Josh Campbell and Bryan Bernhard.

Under Rathmann’s leadership the livestock judging teams have garnered six national championships in each of the six years he has coached, three at Texas A&M University and three at Texas Tech. This accomplishment makes him the winningest coach in livestock judging history. 

“I’ve been blessed with outstanding students on our judging teams, and I’ve been extremely proud of their accomplishments,” he said. “This win proved to these students that there is nothing in life that they will not be able to take head-on and accomplish with hard work and determination.”

CONTACT: Moriah Beyers, coordinator of meat science programs, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, Texas Tech University, (806) 742-2805, or moriah.beyers@ttu.edu.