Photograph by Anthony Bauer
Freshman outfielder Brittany Carlson and freshman third baseman Katie Lenz work on bunting and hitting.

Burr scored the first run for the team in her final game as a UW-P Pioneer, and the hit was a home run. The hit marked her 24th career home run, the most by any UW-P softball player.

“Superior is a good team and I nod my head to them.” Burr said.

Sophomore Kristen Nelson hit  a single to score teamate  freshman Jordan Johnson  in the third.

Freshman Chantal McReynolds hit a single to bring in Nelson in the fifth, providing the final score for UW-P.

The final run for the Pioneers tied the game at 3-3, but the Yellowjackets proved to be too tough and took the lead for good in the bottom of the fifth, with both of their final runs ending the game at 5-3.

The Pioneers needed to beat the Yellowjackets in both games to win eighth place in the WIAC tournament, which started Friday. The softball team finished with a 5-29 overall record and 0-15 in the WIAC.

Although UW-P lost their final game, it was not a bad ending to a great career for Burr. Burr ended the game with the highest career batting average WIAC history. The team’s only senior ended four years at Platteville beating UW-Stout’s Suzanne Brion in 1994-96 with a batting average of .446, according to the UW-P Athletics Web site.

Burr was very humble and had great advice to all the students.

“I’m not really sure what to say. When one’s career ends, it’s hard to find words. I love the game of softball with all of my heart, and it saddens me to know my career at UW-P is over. Yet, I gave my all and left everything on the field,” Burr said. “Four years flies by and I advise all younger classmen to not take any moment for granted. These will be some of the best times of your life!”

Photograph by Anthony Bauer
The UW-Platteville softball team honored 1997 shortstop Jenny Walter on Jenny Walter’s Memorial Weekend. Freshman Megan Pozezinski tries to make a play from left field.

Hoping to improve on Friday night, UW-P played UW-Stout in a WIAC doubleheader. The team ended up losing 6-1 in the opener and then 4-2 in the second game. Even though the Pioneers led early with a score of 2-0 and Tera Burr hitting a triple in the third, Stout came back to beat the Pioneers in the sixth inning to end the game with a final score of 4-2.

After four games the two previous days UW-P played again on Saturday losing 16-6 and 11-1 in the two games. The Pioneers played well but every hit seemed to go directly to a UW-River Falls player. The communication was there but the River Falls team just seemed to hit every ball with excellence. With hopes of the lone senior leading the way, senior infielder, Tera Burr played hard scoring the only run for the team in the second game. Burr was recognized Saturday on Senior Day for her career at UW-P.

According to the UW-P Sports Information Web site Burr had 197 hits and a .449 career average to her name. The .449 average is the best in the history of the WIAC. Even with Burr’s motivation to lead the way, the UW-P Softball team lost both games Saturday.

Even though it was Senior Day Saturday, Burr did not want the focus to be her.

“The most important part of this weekend was that it was the Jenny Walter’s Memorial Weekend,” Burr said.

Jenny Walter’s was the starting shortstop for the Pioneers in 1997 when her life was cut short by a drunk driver. Every year UW-P honors her family with the Jenny Walter’s Memorial Weekend. Her parents, Dennis and Arlene Walters, have continued to support the softball program at UW-P. Their support for the program over the last 13 years has been monumental. Each year the UW-P softball team takes the field to honor the fallen member of their team to “Keep the Game Going!”

“We always play to win, but Jenny Walter’s Weekend gives us an extra boost. Unfortunately we came up on the losing end of both games,” Burr said.

UW-P falls to 5-25 overall, 0-12 in the WIAC conference. The team travels for doubleheaders at Loras College Friday, April 24 and UW-Superior Sunday, April 26.

Photograph by Kate Olsen
Kimberly Matthers, left, agribusiness senior, and Danielle Rozonos, ornamental horticulture junior, hand out test booklets to high school students.

After being greeted by Duane Ford, dean of Business, Industry, Life Science and Agriculture, and David Markee, UW-P chancellor, students split up to begin judging and testing. The students were judged on individual scores and combined team scores in hopes of qualifying for the state level contest.

Levi Wedig, a freshman at Darlington High School, participated in the livestock judging at the University Farm. Wedig thought the CDE event was a great experience for any high school student.

“I not only learned more about animals, but I also got to see what college was all about,” Wedig said.

Every year students from all over Wisconsin travel to UW-P to participate in this FFA contest. Students study courses they have an interest in or hope to pursue a career in someday. Mark Zidon, professor of agricultural education, and Rick Bockhop, assistant professor of agricultural education, headed the large event. Bockshop said that he participated in this event in 1971, when he was still a high school student.

The National FFA Organization has been promoting CDE since 1928, when the organization first started to promote agriculture and connect students in the classroom with real life experience. In total there are 23 categories students can participate in. The goal of CDE is to implement what was learned in class and exhibit their skills in a competitive setting.

CDE is a great way for students to express their love for agriculture and gain knowledge. Not only did the event promote the importance of agriculture but also what is offered at UW-P for high school students.

Weber, a 1995 graduate of UW-P, is currently working as a self-described power engineer, who fully understands the importance of electricity. He explained what electricity was and how energy and power relate to electricity.

During his presentation, he explained the difference in power and energy. Weber said that electricity does work; it lights our house, cooks our food and so much more. Energy is the measure of the work and power is the rate at which this work is done.

Graphic by Randy Batz

Windmills were one source described by Weber to produce electricity. The spinning motion of the turbine blades spins a shaft connected to a generator. This generator converts kinetic energy into electric energy that can be sent across the country through electric lines. Almost all sources of electricity use some type of spinning motion to convert kinetic energy into usable energy.

The next example given by Weber was if a wind farm produces 3,000 mega watts, the unit that measures power and a nuclear plant produces 1,000 mega watts, who produces more electricity?

Weber said that they are equal. A wind plant only operates at 30 percent efficiency, whereas a nuclear plant is 90 percent efficient; of 100 percent of the power made, only 30 percent of the power made at the wind farm and 90 percent made at the nuclear plant, are used at the end.

Hydro, wind, nuclear, renewable resources and fossil fuels are all currently fulfilling the U.S. electricity needs, but there is a need to push towards renewable resources or biofuels. Weber did briefly discuss these trends. The big push is corn ethanol, a great alternative for the constant burning fossil fuels. Weber shocked some audience members by telling them that it takes four gallons of gas to produce five gallons of corn ethanol.

“You have to think about the energy you use to make the energy you receive,” Kimberly Matthews, senior agricultural business major, said.

Weber agreed, some type of ethanol would be a fantastic alternative but corn ethanol may not be the most efficient way to go.

Statistics show over 48 percent of the electricity the U.S. uses is coal, while only two and a half percent of electricity used are in renewable resources.

The reason I did this is because I think it’s important for people to realize where you get a majority of you energy, Weber said. “And that’s fossil fuels.”

With the United States having a large supply of coal, it doesn’t seem this demand will fade any time soon.

“Our supply of coal is like Saudi Arabia’s supply of oil: you tell them to stop using oil and see how that goes,” Weber said. “The United States is just like that.”

A request for $3,500 was brought to SUFAC’s attention by Mark Sethne who will chair the campus’ new outdoor recreation department. A proposal submitted by Sethne outlined the need for the money including funds for tents, first aid kits, sleeping bags and other general camping supplies. Sethne also noted the newly formed outdoor recreation department’s schedule is filling up fast with trips to local caves, thus providing evidence money is needed to keep the new department moving.

A motion by Conor Harris, commissioner of SUFAC, set the tone for a unanimous vote allowing these necessary funds to be readily available. Harris explained because the department is new to campus, the outdoor recreation department was unable to make it in the yearly budget process like other organizations and departments. Now that this department is developed, there is no money set aside specifically to fulfill their needs.

In other business, the committee tabled a contingency request by the UW-P men’s volleyball team until Feb. 26 due to insufficient funds at this time, and passed a request from the Student Center Advisory Committee in the amount of $100 for printing, service and other promotional fees for a petition drive. SUFAC’s next meeting will be held on Thursday, Feb. 26.