Thursday, August 28, 2014
The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
REMINDER: HPD EXECUTING NO REFUSAL BLOOD WARRANTS TONIGHT
What’s happening at Sam FEATURE, P.2
SOCCER P.9
COMEDY SHOWCASE, P.3
MOVE-INS, P.2
FOOTBALL, P.8
One SHSU student spent the summer in New York with Dan Rather
Two new assistant coaches are driving the team to practice harder
The star-studded event on campus brought students together in laughter
Freshman moved in Saturday. Were you photographed?
After the loss to EWU, the Bearkats hope to be redeamed Saturday
Volume 126 | Issue 1
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Alex Broussard and Brynn Castro | The Houstonian
NEWS University welcomes newcomers TOP EVENTS OF LOGAN SELF Contributing Reporter
New and returning students alike were greeted by 12 different events during the first half “Welcome Week 2014”. Events began Saturday Aug. 23 with new student move ins. Oncampus housing opened at 11 a.m. and several student organizations assisted new residents. That afternoon, SHSU football fans were invited to the LSC Kat Klub to watch the no. 13-ranked Bearkats play no. 3-ranked Eastern Washington. The game, which was broadcasted nationally on ESPN, resulted in a 35-56 loss. Students were able to relax after a stressful move-in weekend at the Recreational Sports Center pool party Sunday afternoon. Immediately following the pool party, students headed over to the Gaertner Performing Arts Center and were welcomed to Sam Houston State University at the New Student Convocation. SHSU President Dana G. Hoyt, Ph.D., student speaker Alexis Bloomer and the author of the Bearkat Read
to Succeed common reader book, Ernest Cline, spoke to students in the event styled similarly to graduation. Later that evening, students headed to the LSC to get a first look at the newly remodeled campus book store at Barnes and Noble VIP Night and rounded out the evening with billiards and games at the Kat Klub Bash. Monday morning, fellow Bearkats were given the opportunity to volunteer at charity organizations. Students volunteered at SAAFE House, which helps families of family violence and sexual abuse, and at the New Life Alliance, an organization that provides encouragement and empowerment to a wide variety of people. That evening, students interested in Panhellenic groups on campus attended SneakPeek@Greek. Students were able to speak to several fraternities and sororities and become familiar with currents members and receive information about those organizations. Senior agriculture communications major Catherine Till and Sigma Sigma Sigma member said
that SneakPeek@Greek helped both prospective and active greek members. “Sneak Peek at Greek was a great start to what we believe will be an amazing recruitment for Panhellenic,” she said. “It offered us the chance to meet incoming freshmen as well as showcase what and who Tri Sigma is.” Comedians Judah Friedlander and Nick Swardson brought laughs to campus at the Kat Comedy Showcase organized by the Department of Student Activities. Tuesday morning, Student Activities also helped students find their classes on campus. Later in the evening, students headed to Party in the Pit to celebrate the last night of summer. Students received free pizzas, red bulls, glow sticks and the always popular free t-shirt at the event held in Old Main Pit. Party in the Pit was the first Welcome Week event Freshman kinesiology major Kasey Mcgee attended. She enjoyed how the university organized events for students to enjoy. “Back at home I really didn’t go
out much,” Mcgee said. “This is very cool to get the chance to experience a lot of stuff.” Freshmen Forensic Chemistry Major Breana Sheridan says Welcome Week events like Party in the Pit help students get out and connect. “I feel like it gives us a chance to see who is a part of our freshmen class,” she said. “It’s nice to know who is a part of your freshmen class.” After the first day of classes, students gambled the night away at the Casino Night in the LSC. Participants lined up to try their luck at slot machines and poker tables in hopes of winning several prizes such as iPods, a flat screen TV and other electronics. That night, the Student Money Management Center also hosted an event titled “So you’re on your own; now what?” to help students learn to deal with their personal finances. Although the semester just started, welcome week is only half over. Events continue until Sunday.
PURGE, page 5
Following the police shooting of an 18-year-old African-American Michael Brown by a white police officer Aug. 9, racially-charged riots broke out in Ferguson, MI. Though the details of the event are still unclear, this event has fueled debates over the existence of racism in the U.S.
Journalist
American journalist James Foley was kidnapped in Syria on Nov. 22, 2012 while on assignment. Foley was considered missing for two years until a video was released entitled “A Message to America” on Aug. 19 showing his violent murder and beheading. Along with Foley, the terrorists group of the Islamic State claims that they are holding another American journalist Steven Sotloff captive and will proceed with his execution if the U.S. does not halt air strikes against them. Designated terrorist group, the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (or ISIS) has seized control over parts of Iraq through violent bloodshed and even an attempt at genocide. The U.S. is currently weighing its options to intervene with military action.
Israel & Gaza
HANNAH ZEDAKER Associate Editor
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Ferguson
ISIS
THE PURGE: UPD ready for anything Texas is the newest target of “The Purge” threat which has circulated throughout the country. “The Purge,” in reference to the 2013 movie and its sequel “The Purge: Anarchy,” released this summer, both portray a futuristic version of America in which the government sanctions a 12-hour period each year during which all crime is allowed without punishment and all emergency services are shut down. Earlier this month, the first purge threat was made in Louisville, Kentucky where, although it was nothing but a hoax, the threat began gaining momentum in other parts of the country, such as Illinois, California, Ohio, Delaware and now Texas. Although the threat has been made against the entire state via Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, the areas most plagued include Huntsville, Conroe, New Waverly and The Woodlands. The event is set to take place Aug. 29. According to University Police Department Investigative Detective Chanda Brown, UPD was made aware of this threat early last
THE SUMMER
Brynn Castro | The Houstonian
PATROL. A University Police Department vehicle sits idly by a rack of bicycles outside the Gaertner Performing Arts Center on Wednesday. New university policy mandates students to purchase free permits for bicycles.
Students must register bikes CONNOR HYDE Senior Reporter As a part of Sam Houston State University’s new parking rules and regulations, students and faculty are now required to register their bicycles in an effort to increase security and tighten parking violations around campus. SHSU’s presidential cabinet approved the new parking regulations April 21 with the new bicycle registrations becoming a forefront for parking and transportation to communicate to the SHSU population. Students and faculty must register their bicycles at the parking and transportation office, at no charge, before riding their bicycles on cam-
pus. Matt McDaniel, assistant director of SHSU’s office of parking and transportation, said bicycles will be treated as vehicles and are subject to fines and impoundment if parked illegally. As of press time, only 55 students have registered their bicycles. McDaniel said implementing the bicycle registrations for students and faculty has been developing over the past few years. After maintaining a stricter observation of where students parked their bicycles last year, McDaniel said it was time to carry out the policy. “This is really more of a knowledge piece of where to properly park,” McDaniel said. “If you don’t have that permit, it’ll just be harder for us to track the owner.”
Illegal parking is considered, but not limited to, securing a bicycle to building fixtures, trees or walking pathways. The new policy will also act as a gauging mechanism to determine where additional bicycle racks are needed around campus. Currently there approximately 60 bicycle racks on campus, according to the main campus parking map, with additional bicycle racks slated for the 2014-15 school year, McDaniel said. Currently there is a work order with physical plant to install new bicycle racks in the areas near the Margaret Lea Houston Building and the Old Main Market parking lot, McDaniel said. —
BIKES, page 5
After seven weeks of fighting, a truce mediated by Egypt has been reached between Israel and Palestine. This conflict has left more than 2,200 people dead with the majority of those victims being Palestinians. Tensions are still high as the details and conditions of the treaty are being negotiated.
Ebola Outbreak: The World Health Organization has traced the source of the recent Ebola epidemic which broke out in Central Africa. The virus was contracted by a pregnant woman from a slain bush animal. Due to the nature of international travel, the disease has spread to four West African countries and even to two American aid workers. Beats by Dre
Apple Inc. acquired Beats Electronics for a record $3 billion deal making Dr. Dre the first billionaire hip-hop artist. As with anything Apple, the future of Beats headphones is clouded in secrecy.
Robin Williams
After a struggle with depression, the beloved actor, comedian, filmmaker and family-man Robin Williams committed suicide on Aug. 11 at the age of 63.