Texas Tech University - La Ventana Yearbook (Lubbock, TX)

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Designed by Amy Komatz Soldiers - 27

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Living on tine Edge T, . he war is over, but it ' s memory is still very real to the soldiers from Tech who served in the Persian Gulf. Brian Sanchez, a senior history and Spanish major from Carrizozo. N.M., went to Saudi Arabia on New Year ' s Day. 1991. The ground war started on Feb. 24, 1991, just two days after Sanchez ' s birthday. It wasn ' t really scary until two days before the ground war, Sanchez said. It was a test of my character. You train all the time for war. and when it comes around, you really want to see if you have what it takes to carry it out. I was more scared of failing than I was of dying. Kerry Dowlin, a senior exercise and sports sciences major from Portales, went to war as an Army reservist ser- geant. She was involved with helping the Iraqi refugees who wanted to defect, or those who were wandering around the desert starving. Dowlin said the Iraqis did not take care of their soldiers, and many didn ' t even believe in what they were doing. Brian Sanchez stands in front of a tank in Saudi Arabia. (Photo courtesy of Brian Sanchez) On the right. Sergeant Kerry Dowlin guards two Iraqui prisoners as they dig a pit for trash. (Photo courtesy of Kerry Dowlin) I felt really good about what we did, she said. The people (of Kuwait) wanted to thank us. I am really proud of what I accomplished over there. Dowlin said a lot of the Iraqis were astounded to find out she was a woman when she took off her sunglasses and hat. Middle Eastern culture demands that women be submissive, but Dowlin said if she remained in uniform, she didn ' t have any trouble. I tried to respect their culture, she said. Ijust wanted them to think of me as a good soldier. Both veterans said coming back to Tech was difficult because they felt that they had grown in a figurative sense while they were overseas. They came back having changed so much, they said, but everything here at home had remained the same. Sanchez, for example, ran into prob- lems because he had to leave in the middle of the semester. He received three incompletes in his classes, and just finished making them up last fall. Dowlin was fortunate in that she got to finish the semester before her orders sent her overseas. DowlLn said the experience was what you made of it. She said she slept on cots for two and a half months and ate dehydrated food out of bags, but she said she felt fortunate to have had the experience. The best part of the whole experi- ence, Sanchez said, was the camarade- rie among the soldiers. He said the troops got to know each other well and learned to trust each other. As a member of the Texas Tech women ' s golf team. Dowlin was the only athlete in any sport in the Southwest Conference to be sent to the war. She said the Tech athletic department was wonderful in helping her get her golf scholarship re-instated upon her re- turn. Sanchez wrote a farewell letter to his famUy in the event that he died fighting for his country. 1 was very aware of my mortality. Sanchez said. by Lynda Reinarz 26 - Soldiers

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SWC Champs Lady Raiders Have a Most Triumphant Journey Th Lhe games have been played. The season is over. The cheers have faded and the crowds have gone home. The stories have all been written and the stats have been quoted over and over. But the memories and the luster of a near perfect season for the Lady Raid- ers remain. And those moments re- main especially vivid for Marsha Sharp and her team. Sharp coached the team through some frightening moments and right into the NCAA Sweet Sixteen, where the Lady Raiders stumbled against Stanford, the future national champi- ons. The last game was tougher for some of the Lady Raiders than it was for those who would be returning to the squad for another season. I don ' t think it really hit me that this would be my last game until we had a timeout and 1 was walking back on to the court. 1 was about to cry, but then I thought, ' No. Not on national televi- sion, ' said Teresa McMillan, one of the squad ' s four graduating seniors. But there was the share of good times. Ltke beating the Raiders ' old enemy, the Texas Lady Longhoms. 1 have a lot of respect for (Texas coach) Jody Conradt. We ' ve modeled much of our program after Texas, but it ' s really hard when you ' re chasing one of the top teams in the country right in your own conference, Sharp said. 1 don ' t think we ever really thought about losing. The only thing Coach Sharp said was, If we ' re going to get beat, let ' s not get embarrassed, ' and I think that really helped, Krista Kirkland, a junior point guard, said. Another fond memory of the season was playing for the conference champi- onship in front of the first Lady Raider sellout crowd. Walking into the Coliseum for the conference championship game against A M and seeing that crowd. You know all those people are there for you, McMillan said. Will next year be as sweet? Count on it. by Jori Bratton Jennifer Buck cuts down the net after winning tl e game against Rice. (Photo by Sharon Steinman) 28 - Lady Raiders