Tuesday, Sept. 16, 2014
The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
What’s happening at Sam TITLE IX, P.2
TULL SCHOLARSHIP, P.3
OCTOGENARIAN, P.4
VOLLEYBALL, P.5
CROSS COUNTRY, P.6
President Dana G. Hoyt sent out an email outlining new student requirements
Music will audition for an exclusive award in alumni’s namesake
The oldest student on campus is 83 and starting a new column
Bearkats make appearance at another tourney, end up with 1-2 record
A group of runners live in one house passed on from generation to generation
Volume 126 | Issue 6
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MCOMICON to showcase mass com orgs
T HE HEA DL I N E S i n br i e f
DHARMESH PATEL Viewpoints Editor
Compiled by Manny Jawa, web editor
SCOTTISH INDEPENDENCE
On Thursday, Scotland constituents will vote on whether or not they should remain a part of the United Kingdom. Although, Scotland has been a member of the United Kingdom for nearly three centuries, pro-independence leaders argue that a separate Scotland would better represent and govern itself. If the measure goes through, Scotland and the UK will have to work out the division of debts and assets. A poll from Bing, using web and social media data, has predicted the vote at 47.5% for and 52.5% against.
CALIFORNIA STAYS WHOLE
A petition to split California into six separate states failed to make the 2016 ballot. The campaign, led by venture capitalist Tim Draper, suggests that dividing into six states would allow citizens to be better represented. The plan called for dividing the state into South, West, Central, North, Jefferson (Far North), and Silicon Valley. The California Secretary of State’s website said that the organizers did not collect enough valid signatures, but the campaign intends to appeal the decision.
SOLAR FLARE
Two large X-class solar flares began hitting the Earth Sept. 12. Flares are classified by their peak flux, with X being the most intense. The resulting solar storms peaked on Sept. 13 and produced the Aurora Borealis in parts of the U.S. and Canada through the weekend. The flares were expected to impact satellites and astronauts in space and communication infrastructure on the surface.
Brynn Castro | The Houstonian
CROSSING. A student is seen jaywalking across Bobby K. Marks Drive toward the campus of Sam Houston State University on his way to the rec center. City and university officials agreed this intersection is in need of crosswalks.
Crosswalks closer to reality on campus Crosswalks confirmed for construction on Bobby K. Marks Drive CONNOR HYDE Senior Reporter Both city and Sam Houston State University officials confirmed Bobby K. Marks Drive is the targeted stretch of road where crosswalks will be constructed to increase students’ safety on campus. Huntsville City Manager Matt Benoit has drafted an inter-local agreement that will detail different responsibilities for the city and SHSU. Benoit said he sent the
agreement to Doug Greening, associate vice president for facilities management at SHSU, for review. Greening and Benoit have met to discuss the agreement and outline the content. “I put it in his capable hands for whatever review is necessary at the university level,” Benoit said. Confusion of jurisdiction between the city and SHSU has delayed progress of the project over the past year. Sixty-thousand dollars are allocated from the city’s Fiscal-Year 2013-14 budget to fund the project, however the city has pushed SHSU officials to take lead of the project. Benoit said he met with university officials last week and it was “a
very, very, very productive meeting.” Student Body President Spencer Copeland echoed Benoit and said he is happy the project is moving forward with the city’s lead. Copeland said rough designs of the crosswalks have been discussed, but the university is waiting until an engineer has been assigned to the project. “Right now we’re waiting for the engineering firm to do their traffic student and to find out what they think is best for this road, how many they need and what they will look like,” Copeland said. “We’re all happy that it’s moving forward.” Follow The Houstonian for continuing coverage.
TALIBAN HIT MEN CAPTURED
Pakistani army officials announced on Sept. 12 that the group of Taliban hit men who shot educational reform activist Malala Yousafzai in 2012 have been captured. Yousafzai, an advocate for girls’ education, spent a year undergoing cranial reconstructive surgery in the UK after his attack. Mullah Fazlullah, head of the Pakistani Taliban ordered the attack after Yousafzai wrote about life under Taliban rule in a blog for the BBC. Fazullah’s location is still unknown, but army officials are continuing their search efforts.
IPHONE SHIPPING DELAYED
Pre-ordering for Apple’s latest iPhone opened at 3 a.m. (ET) on September 12 and by 9 a.m. the larger iPhone 6 Plus had already reached a three to four-week shipping delay. Record-setting orders also delayed shipping for certain iPhone 6 models anywhere from seven to 10 days. Pre-orders placed from carriers may take even longer to ship.
HoustonianOnline.com
Jay R. Jordan | The Houstonian
MALFUNCTION. A worker attempts to fix a broken scoreboard at Bowers Stadium during the Bearkat football game Saturday. Read more about the malfunction and a game recap on page 5.
The Sam Houston State University department of mass communication will be hosting a convention-style organization fair starting today and continuing tomorrow. MCOMICON, the first event of its kind at SHSU, will take place in the Dan Rather Building room 301 from 1 to 3 p.m. The convention will be geared towards mass communication students but is open to everyone interested in organizations focusing on media, journalism, public relations, radio and film. Participating organizations include The Film Society, National Association of Black Journalists, The Houstonian, Channel 7, Public Relations Student Society of America, National Broadcast Society, 90.5 The Kat, 90.5 HD2 El Gato, Priority One and the Global Center for Journalism and Democracy. Mass communication sophomore and NABJ president Alexis Reese stressed the importance of joining clubs and organizations to help students supplement their education and add to their resumes. “Every student needs to join at least one organization that is focused on their major here at SHSU,” Reese said. “NABJ will help students develop certain skills that are essential for a mass communication major as well as develop ties with other members and professors around campus. I encourage everyone to come out and check out mine and other clubs.” Mass communication junior and TFS president Khoi Nguyen will be representing the film side of the industry. “TFS is a new film organization that is focused on building a community with talented student filmmakers in order to expand the up-and-coming film program at SHSU,” Nguyen said. Each organization will have its own table where representatives will have information about membership, upcoming events, professional development and volunteer opportunities. MCOMICON hopes to raise awareness about different mass communication organizations on campus and increased student involvement on both academic and professional levels.
Internship fee waivers under review by VPFO JAY R. JORDAN Editor-in-Chief Jacob Ratliff is a senior criminal justice major with nine credit hours left at Sam Houston State University. He enrolled in an internship program with Richardson Police Department, near Dallas, to complete his last nine hours and graduate in December. But he’s paying more than $400 this semester in fees for facilities and services despite being more than 200 miles away from campus. “I’m being assessed fees that everyone is assessed for being a student on campus,” Ratliff said. “I am going to be 200 miles away, and I’m not going to drive 200 miles to use
the rec center or the health center or the student center.” Students who take classes exclusively online already have medical center, student service, student center and recreation center fees waived since they would not be on campus. However, students who get credit exclusively from an internship do not have those same fees waived regardless of where the internship is located. The 2012-14 Undergraduate Catalogue states “Student Service, Student Center, Medical and Recreational Sports Fees are waived, if only on-line courses are taken and the distance learning fee is charged for each credit hour taken.” Ratliff said the fees he feels he
shouldn’t be paying – those that are waived for online-only students – total $419. The policy first appeared in the 2002-04 Undergraduate Catalogue. “That’s not practical,” Ratliff said. I would say [to the university] waive the fees on a case-by-case basis. Create a form and present that documentation to the appropriate offices to have the fees waived. Because I can understand that there are several internships in the Huntsville area [where students] might still use the rec center if they were still in the area.” After complaints from students, including the Student Advisory Board, the university said it will look into revising the way they waive fees for students with intern-
ships. “What we’re doing is simply going back and reassessing the different methodologies for institutional [fee] waivers,” Carlos Hernandez, acting vice president for finance and operations, said. “Now, there’s a whole slew of different exemptions and waivers that are authorized in the statute. However, this specific area [lies in] the authority that’s handed down to the institution to establish institutional waivers, and that’s what we’re revisiting, the institutional policy waiving any fees for any student.” Hernandez said the fact that SHSU has to compete with other —
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