Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014
The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
What’s happening at Sam DEAF ADVOCACY, P.2
QUIDDITCH, P.3
REACTION, P.4
BUSTED, P.5
FOOTBALL, P.6
Vonnie Basham signed on domestic violence in the deaf community
The club sport will host its first at-home tournament this weekend
An anonymous reader submitted a scathing review of our PAWS UP
Two SHSU coaches locked themselves in jail for a cause (not a crime)
McFarland scrutinizes Bearkat football’s 1-3 nonconference record
Volume 126 | Issue 7
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SGA approves new election code Senate also OK’s commissioners, new senators
HoustonianOnline.com
THE HE AD LI NES in brief Compiled by: Hannah Zedaker, associate editor & Connor Hyde, senior reporter
RECORD BREAKING BATS
Jose Altuve added to his record season at the plate by breaking former Astro-great Craig Biggio’s franchise record for most hits in a season, Tuesday. The record held by Biggio was 210 hits which Altuve, .346 BA, broke with a single up the middle in the seventh inning against the Cleveland Indians. The Astros lost 4-2 Tuesday night. Jay R. Jordan | The Houstonian
OBJECTION. Student Body President Spencer Copeland (middle) explains to junior biology major and prospective senator Esteban Contreras the inner workings of Student Government Association.
TEDDI CLIETT Staff Reporter The Sam Houston State University Student Government Association election code changed after a unanimous vote during Tuesday’s meeting. The new code combined the executive board and homecoming rules for a more streamlined process. “I’m excited for [the changes]; it was a group effort,” SGA President Spencer Copeland said. “Everybody pitched in and had their own ideas. We had open discussion senate meetings where ideas were pitched in and written down. It wasn’t my code, it was our code.”
Changes to the election code include new requirements for SGA election procedures regarding legal and preferred names as well as senatorial and presidential candidate campaigns. After running into a hiccup last spring, election ballots will now contain both a legal name and a preferred name for each candidate. The election commission has final say on whether preferred names are appropriate or allowed. “The reason it was written as legal name and not preferred name [last spring] was because if I wanted to run as ‘Sammy the Bearkat,’ who’s not going to vote for Sammy the Bearkat?” Copeland said. “[Now,] if I wanted to run as anything inappropriate, vulgar or just
a name that’s unreasonable here on the ballot, the election commission has that say.” According to the new election code, the election commission has the power to disqualify any candidates for a preferred name so long as they find it inappropriate. The way the rule is worded states they can do so without explanation. However, Copeland said it is up to the student body president at the time to make sure the commissioners on the election commission do not abuse this power. “The accountabilities that the senate and the president has is to actually pick competent, qualified individuals, someone who will be professional and reasonable in making rulings, not only on names
but on disqualifications or any kind of punitive actions,” Copeland said. According to the edited election code, the election commission is also responsible for all disciplinary action regarding all campaigning for student body elections. Violations have been divided into three categories, class A, B and C, with class A being the most serious infractions while class C violations consist of things like excess amounts of campaign signs. Class A violations can conclude in disqualification from election at the commission’s discretion. The approved changes to the election code apply to both homecoming and spring elections.
U.S. House arms Syria COLEMAN EXECUTED STAFF REPORT The United States House of Representatives voted to give authority to President Barack Obama to train and arm Syrian rebels to fight against Islamic State militants. The Republican-dominated House approved 273-156 Wednesday with little pride as “this is the best of a long list of bad options,” Rep. Jim Moran, D-Va., said. “[The House] took an important step forward as our nation unites to conform the threat posed by the Islamic State group,” Obama said in a statement following the vote. According to CNN, many Republicans argued arming Syrian rebels is not enough to neutralize ISIS, and is a potential avenue to pull the U.S. into another military engagement. Currently, the vote is awaiting the Senate’s vote that could happen as early as Thursday. House Democrats are in line with Republican concerns as many are skeptical, however Democrats defending Obama’s request argue the effort would encourage international partners to join the U.S. against ISIS. California Republican representative Duncan Hunter told CNN he has “no confidence we are arming
the right people,” citing the sectarian violence in the region has worsened from his experience as a Marine in Iraq and Afghanistan. Of the Republicans who voted to approve the strategy, Rep. Kevin Brady, D-The Woodlands, said the approval does not expand Obama’s authority, moreover “restricts the Administration’s authority, emphasizing Congressional oversight.” “It’s clear that ISIS is the best equipped and financed terrorist threat America has faced, and left unchecked is a grave threat to our security,” Brady said in a statement. “Air strikes alone are not enough; capable armed forces on the ground are necessary.” Brady said although arming Syrian rebels is a first step to defeat ISIS, the responsibility is on “President Obama to build a coalition with our allies to eliminate this terror threat, including strengthening our own border.” The House’s vote comes the same day as ISIS released a video to YouTube idolizing the group and belittles Western soldiers. Titled “Flames of War,” ISIS video is a response to Obama’s speech, according to NBC News, and a “declaration of war from ISIS on the U.S.”
The Huntsville City Council passed a lower tax rate and approved a $62 million budget for Fiscal Year 2014-15 on Tuesday. The council approved a tax rate at 41.06 cents per $100 for 2014-15, one cent lower than the 2013-14
fiscal year. The $62 million budget recommended by City Manager Matt Benoit underwent two changes from council, including two additional part-time positions at the Huntsville Public Library and an increase to the council member travel and training budget. The library positions increase
Arizona Cardinals’ Jonathan Dwyer was deactivated Tuesday after his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence. The Cardinals released a statement in light of Dwyer’s arrest “we have taken the immediate step to deactivate Jonathan from all team activities.” Dwyer averaged 4.7 yards per-carry during his four-year tenure with the Pittsburgh Steelers before becoming a part of the Cardinals in 2014.
SUPPRESSING THE SPREAD OF EBOLA VIRUS
The United States took its first step to contain the spread of Ebola virus in Liberia with its first planeload of hospital equipment expected to arrive in the region on Friday. The plane is the first of 13 shipments containing equipment suited for a 25-bed hospital to be erected in Monrovia, Liberia. According to Reuters, the facility will be staffed by 65 Americans who will treat Ebola infected patients.
APPLE MAKES IOS 8 AVAILABLE
Apple Inc. released iOS 8 to the public Tuesday with slight changes to some notable differences. Of the tweaks included in the new operating system, autocorrect is no more with the new QuickType feature. Users also have the capability to send voice texts through iMessage as well as group messaging options – removing yourself and others from group messages. Of the new apps bundled with the iOS 8 installation, the HealthKit app allows users to store fitness data on their phone with sharing capability.
RETIRED ATF WINS LAWSUIT
Courtesy Texas Department of Criminal Justice
MUGSHOT. Yesterday, Lisa Ann Coleman, 38, became the ninth convicted killer and second woman to be executed in Huntsville’s Walls Unit this year, as well as the fifteenth woman nationwide since the Supreme Court resumed the administration of the death penalty in 1976. Coleman was executed after she was charged with the kidnapping, torture and death of Dovontae Williams, her girlfriend’s 9-year-old son in 2004. Williams’ death was caused by starvation. Less than two hours before her sentence was carried out, the U.S. Supreme Court denied Coleman’s final appeal. She died at 6:24 p.m. Wednesday.
City lowers tax rate, construction bids STAFF REPORT
D E A C T I VA T I O N DUE TO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE
the budget approximately $22,000 and are geared to allow the library to have longer hours and keep current employees from overworking. City council also unanimously approved agreements and bids for various construction projects across the city. Of the authorized agreements – including Binkley & Barfield
Consulting Engineers drawing up designs for the 7th Street Rehabilitation project and Klotz Associates for engineering services allocated for the Town Creek Sanitary sewer replacement project – the city manager was authorized to award a bid for the construction of sidewalks on University Avenue and Sam Houston Avenue.
Former Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives agent Jay Dobyns recently won his lawsuit against the U.S. after battling in the courtroom for several years. A federal judge ordered that the U.S. pay Dobyns $173,000 in restitution after Dobyns claimed that the U.S. breached an earlier settlement dispute agreement.
TOMATO FIGHT
Russian sanctions on European fresh produce import have left farmers in the region with large excesses of crop and a severe loss of revenue. In protest to the sanctions, Dutch men and women painted Amsterdam’s Central Square red with tomatoes on Sunday. Taking cues from Spain’s “La Tomatina” Festival, the protesters pelted each other with tomatoes at close range, covering the square in a red sludge. Around 1000 protesters paid 15 euros ($18) each to join the one-hour fight. Organizers say the proceeds will go to tomato farmers hurt by the sanctions.
The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/category/news | Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014
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Deaf community advocate discusses domestic violence HANNAH ZEDAKER Associate Editor American Sign Language students at Sam Houston State University congregated in the Olson Auditorium on Tuesday night to better understand the domestic violence that occurs within the deaf community and learn how they can help. Vonnie Basham, a social worker, therapist and member of the deaf community, gave a presentation to roughly 100 students and faculty members serving as a doorway into the very small, close-knit group known as the deaf community. The audience also included two ASL professors, two interpreters and Basham’s mother. A native of Kansas, Basham was born into a family with deaf parents. She attended a school for the deaf in her home state before moving to Austin, where she and her family believed they would have access to better services and communication networks. “When I was younger, people would stare at me and feel sorry for me and I could tell they felt uncomfortable when I tried communicating,” Basham said. “Now people seem more comfortable and I see more ASL students, like here, which is great and more schools offering it as a foreign language so that helps tremendously.” After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in social work at Gallaudet, one of the most notable institutions exclusively for members of the deaf community, Basham went on to receive her Master’s degree in social work at Ohio State. “Many hearing people don’t understand deaf culture,” Basham said. “Many people don’t understand that there even is a deaf culture. We do have a culture, we have
Brynn Castro | The Houstonian
BODY LANGUAGE. Vonnie Basham addresses American Sign Language students on the issue of domestic violence in the deaf community. Although domestic violence is prevalent in the hearing world as well, being unable to hear emphasizes the difficulty in reaching out for help.
behavior, customs—we have our own culture.” Basham elaborated on the various kinds of abuse which occur in the deaf community including emotional abuse, isolation, economic abuse, issues with self-esteem, intimidation, manipulation of children and sexual abuse. “The deaf community is extremely small,” Basham said. “It’s just like having a small town because everybody knows everybody’s business, so it’s very difficult to get help or to keep a secret.” Basham was very interactive with the student audience asking their opinions on certain subjects and receiving feedback through interpretation. Basham explained that smaller, more rural towns are less accessible communicationwise for the deaf community.
“The hearing people in other small towns tend to not really understand the deaf and they don’t know what to do with the deaf— they really treat them like aliens,” Basham said. “So it’s very difficult for them and they’re extremely isolated and that happens very easily.” Basham described several scenarios in which deaf people may have trouble reaching out for help or getting fair treatment due to what she refers to as “hearing privilege.” Some of these common situations included trying to communicate with police officers at the scene of an accident, battling for custody of a child in divorce court or trying to find refuge in homeless shelters. “There’s a lot of barriers that they go through and numerous times that they’ve lost their faith with the community and with the commu-
nity resources,” she said. According to Basham, many deaf people lose their sense of privacy when trying to communicate with the hearing world because a two-way conversation becomes a three-some with the necessity of an interpreter. “It’s not always easy and they can’t always just bring in an interpreter, they’re not necessarily oncall around the clock and you can’t just bring them in on a moment’s notice,” Basham said. “In the future, I tell students that maybe you can work with the deaf community or you can find something you really enjoy to make things more accessible to the deaf so they don’t always have to have an interpreter.” Despite miscommunication between the hearing world and the deaf community, Basham said
that technological advances have helped immensely in bridging the gap—especially when it comes to getting help in emergency situations. “Technology is a lot better today and a lot of people have devices like smartphones where they can call 9-1-1 via text,” she said. “Video phones make it easy to call 9-1-1 and that also shows their address when they call, so in the past it was very difficult before we had that. If we had a pager, maybe the battery was dead. It was just hard to find a way to get emergency help like that but it is getting better and there is a better response to the deaf community for meeting their needs so it is better than it used to be a long time ago.” Toward the end of the presentation, Basham had the students view a clip of the subtitled ASL movie “Till Domestic Violence do us Part” which, according to Basham, was one of the first movies to truly expose the problems that occur within the death community. Following the film, students used what Basham had taught them to point out the different types of domestic violence that was occurring throughout the storyline. Upon conclusion, Basham encouraged students to take what they learn in their ASL classes and bring it to the real world in hopes of merging two worlds to become one. “You can advocate when you work with agencies, courts, social security offices—anywhere you work, and educate them about needing communication accessibility for deaf people to meet their needs,” she said. “Even if you can’t sign, go on and try to write notes back and forth and try to communicate because I’ve seen a lot of deaf people who really appreciate your effort.”
UPD offers services to ensure campus safety Guest talks bioterrorism KIMBERLIN MOORE Contributing Reporter
COLIN HARRIS Staff Reporter
The safety of the students, staff and visitors of Sam Houston State University is the number one concern of the University Police Department. To ensure that, the department offers several different services that benefit everyone on campus. Although many of the programs offered by UPD are common knowledge, some of the littleknown ones include assistance to vehicles with dead batteries or flat tires. “The department will assist with ‘jump starting’ a battery or possibly changing a tire,” UPD officer Jeff Butterworth said. “All other vehicle problems such as locking your keys in your vehicle are referred to a local wrecker service.” Additionally, with the fall semester just getting started and midterms just around the corner, students and staff are more prone to be on campus after dark. UPD offers an escort program 24-hoursa-day to students, staff and visitors going to on-campus destinations. Upon being called, a uniformed patrol officer or student assistant with UPD will accompany the pedestrian across campus to ensure
“I assume you’re all here because you’re budding bioterrorists.” Despite beginning his presentation with a bit of levity, Bruce Budowle, Ph.D., executive director of the Institute of Applied Genetics at the University of North Texas, discussed the grave and emerging threat of bioterrorism Monday morning. Budowle worked for the FBI for more than 25 years and was one of the primary architects behind the Combined DNA Index System, a national database of genetic criminal evidence. “We use science to be somewhat more objective when analyzing evidence,” Budowle said. “Forensics is a more reliable witness than personal observations (from eyewitnesses).” He compared the readiness of first responders to address biological attacks to car insurance, in that the hope is that it remains unused. “We don’t prepare for catastrophic events because we expect them to happen, but because the consequences are so dire,” Budowle said. Rick Lewis, a doctoral student in criminal justice concentrating on forensics and genetics, attended the lecture and came away impressed.
Alex Broussard | The Houstonian
safety. “An individual can also always call 9-1-1 in case of an emergency and UPD will be notified as well as the City of Huntsville,” Butterworth said. All students, faculty and staff of SHSU are encouraged to register their property with UPD. By registering property, in the event that it is stolen, UPD can access serial numbers to help locate the items. According to Butterworth, the data entry from the registration will remain in the database even after a student graduates and can be given to any law enforcement agency for investigative purposes.
UPD officers will be on hand to provide assistance with the property registration program and safety information for on and off campus living. Participants will also have an opportunity to meet and greet officers from the police department and check out the variety of public safety vehicles and equipment the department uses. UPD is available 24 hours a day to assist students, staff, faculty and visitors to the SHSU campus at any time, even during holiday breaks. To contact UPD, you can call, 936-294-1794 for non-emergency purposes or 936-294-1000 in the event of an emergency.
“The entire presentation was extremely informative,” Lewis said. “This program in particular was good considering how diverse CJ is. The focus on science and forensics really struck a chord with me.” In addition to contemporary acts of bioterrorism, including the 2001 anthrax attacks on U.S. senators which he personally worked on, Budowle also outlined the history of biological warfare, from nerve gases used in World War I all the way back to the ancient Romans. “The Romans didn’t know what caused it,” Budowle said. “But they knew if you threw dead bodies into an enemy’s well, it would poison the water supply.” Budowle wrapped up his talk by describing his work for the FDA during the mad cow scare in late 2003. Although that event was natural in origin, his experience segued into an explanation of the threat agroterrorism (attacks on a population’s food supply) can pose. “It’s not about killing animals,” he said. “It’s about disruption and causing fear to bring a people to its knees.” Budowle visited as part of the Beto Chair Lecture Series, a program established in 1988 to invite preeminent criminologists to the SHSU College of Criminal Justice for presentations on their given expertise.
The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/category/campusculture | Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014
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Quidditch tournament first for SHSU campus SAVANNAH WOODWORTH Staff Reporter Though they cannot fly, though they do not know magic, the goal is all the same: catch the golden snitch. Quidditch is a sport inspired by the Harry Potter books and films. While the sport is based on fiction, the tournaments are real and the next match is coming to Sam Houston State University. The fourth annual “Breakfast Taco Chicken and Waffles and Beignets Quidditch Tournament” will be held Saturday, Sept. 20 at the Intramural Fields. It may be the fourth annual tournament, but most people outside the quidditch community have never heard of this event, let alone the sport. This is the first year the “Breakfast Taco Tournament” will be held at SHSU. Brandi Cannon, a Sam Houston State alumni and former president of Quidditch at Sam Houston, has consistently been involved with the tournament’s planning. She said the tournament is a pre-season game for any team that wishes to
come and see how they match up against the other members of the southwest region. “The whole idea of it is to have an unofficial tournament that isn’t so much of a stressor, and to allow new teams with new players to get the feel of a tournament,” she said. “There is a lot of camaraderie between the southwest. Teams like UT, A&M, LSU, and Baylor are big parts of the region.” The Texas A&M University Quidditch team helped the original SHSU team get started 5 years ago. The activity has grown throughout the last few years into a highly competitive sport that is regulated by a group known as the International Quidditch Association. Quidditch teams are composed of four types of players – chasers, keepers, beaters and seekers. The team itself is a close nit group that is always looking for new members and maintaining connections with alumni. The activity is a co-ed full contact sport where players are prohibited from using pads and helmets. PVC pipes are used in place of magic brooms and players are required to have the “broom” be-
Courtesy Helene Barrera
EXPECTO PATRONUM. Wizards and witches are coming to Sam Houston State University as the school’s very own Quidditch team hosts a tournament this weekend.
tween their legs at all times. Volleyballs and dodge balls are used in place of bludgers and quaffles, the three balls used in the fictional sport from the books and movies. The all-important snitch, a winged golden ball as portrayed in the fictional series, is represented
Professors, guests to speak for Constitution Day Constitution Day was founded in remembrance of the signing of the U.S. constitution on Sept. 17, 1787. SEAN SMITH Campus Culture Editor The final assembly of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met 227 years ago Wednesday, and people across the nation took time to observe this monumental anniversary. Sam Houston State University was no exception, as professors and guest speakers have come to campus to present a series of speeches on the constitution and the controversies surrounding recent Supreme Court rulings. SHSU’s two-day celebration of Constitution Day continues today with a series of lectures and discussions. Thomas Cox, associate professor of history, said in a statement that the discussions to be presented will address why America is living in an incredibly important constitutional time. “These talks examine the ways that not just judges and attorneys but ordinary Americans have used
the Constitution as a crucible for addressing the moral and political controversies that inform our lives,” Cox said. There are four talks scheduled for today. Cox will give a presentation titled “From the Founders to the Tea Party: Changing Views of the U.S. Constitution” and will run from 9:30-10:50 a.m. Later today, associate professor of history Jeffery Littlejohn will speak at “Civil Rights Landmarks: Commemorating the 60th Anniversary of Brown v. Board of Education and the 50th Anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964” at 11 a.m. That afternoon there are two talks scheduled: “The Constitution Doesn’t Interpret Itself: Written Constitutions and Proceduralism,” with SHSU department of political science assistant department chair, Kenneth McIntyre, Ph.D, and “Roe v. Wade—A Conservative Decision?,” with philosophy professor and program coordinator Frank Fair. Ph.D.
Junior history major Chelsie Scheffer said she is interested in Fair’s discussion on Roe v. Wade. “I’m learning about it currently in one of my classes,” she said. “It’ll be interesting to get another opinion besides my professor’s.” Scheffer said this event is a great opportunity for non-history majors to immerse themselves in American history. “I think it’s cool because not a lot of students are history related or even enjoy history, so this being kind of a big thing on campus for students to go to is great,” she said. “[History majors] think it’s cool because other kids get to learn about stuff that we enjoy. Not a lot of students like history so its cool that we get to teach other people what we enjoy.” SHSU’s celebration of Constitution Day began Wednesday night with a presentation from Houston Baptist University professor of government John Tyler. For more information on the remaining events, contact Cox at 936-294-4804.
WEDNESDAY 9/17 6PM AT KAT KLUB REGISTER EARLY IN HKC 104 OR ON-SITE
XBOX TOURNAMENT INTRAMURAL 3V3 BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT REGISTER IN HKC 104 BY 5PM ON WEDNESDAY 9/24
JUMP IN. PLAY HARD.
find out more at shsu.edu/recsports
by a player dressed in yellow or gold with a tennis ball in a sock attached to the back of their shorts. The seekers chase the snitch, and whoever removes the ball first wins 30 points for their team and ends the game. Quidditch at Sam Houston
holds recruitment and fundraising booths in front of the LSC from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays. They also hold practices Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at Lower Pritchett Field from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. and welcome those interested in trying out the sport.
Men’s soccer at SHSU? RYAN REYNOLDS Staff Reporter Title IX is a piece of legislation included in the Education Amendments of 1972 that require any school receiving federal funding to provide men and women with the equal opportunity to compete in sports. This piece of legislation is why Sam Houston State University does not have an NCAA affiliated men’s soccer team. However, there is have a men’s club soccer team. “I think it’s a good thing to get females involved in sports as much as possible,” said Jack Woosley, junior right back and president of the club. “Not being associated with the NCAA gives us a lot freedom. We get to choose who we play, pick our own coach and represent SHSU with our own style and play.” Club soccer’s season and conference takes place during the fall semester, along with a regional and national tournament. The club has been around for years, but only recently have they started making a name for themselves. During the fall 2012 season, the club finished second in their conference and advanced to the
regional tournament. A few close games later, the club advanced to the national tournament where they were bounced in the quarterfinals after a tough match against the University of California, Berkley. “That was the point that changed the club,” Woosley said. “When people on campus started hearing about our success against some of the top teams in the nation, people started to get interested.” Last year, the club was put in a prickly situation. After losing a majority of their team due to graduation, the club was forced to rebuild the squad almost from scratch. The club is currently 0-2, with losses to the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. However, both games have been tough and close losses, according to Woosley. “These losses are not wanted of course, but at the beginning of the season with almost a brand new squad, it’s almost expected,” Woosley said. “The team – like all sports teams – needs time to gel. We are gaining confidence every day.” The club will play host to Texas Christian University Saturday at 3 p.m. at Pritchett Field.
The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/category/viewpoints | Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014
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VIDEO KILLED THE NFL STAR
What’s the
The NFL has been plagued recently with a string of child and spousal abuse scandals. But the real issue isn’t whether the stars of the league committed a crime - it’s how the media are handling the situation.
COLIN HARRIS Columnist Last week two NFL running backs were in the headlines not for their play on the field, but rather misconduct off of it. The violence exhibited by both Adrian Peterson and Ray Rice against members of their families has spawned countless jeremiads on the violent culture of football. The propensity for some millionaire athletes to rage against those they love no doubt deserves further examination. However perhaps a more important question is why it takes video or photographic evidence to elicit opprobrium from NFL bigwigs, the sports punditry, corporate sponsors and the viewing public. The Rice situation serves as a better example for this phenomenon, as there was a considerable amount of lag from when NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell first levied his laughable two-game suspension on the former Raven to when the brutality of Rice’s actions that night in Atlantic City
were foisted upon the public consciousness by TMZ. In Peterson’s case, punitive action for the flagellation of his 4-year-old son happened almost concurrently with the release of visual evidence by the Montgomery County Sheriff ’s Department. It took only four days from when Rice was first charged with simple assault for the first video of the incident to enter the public domain. That initial video shows only the aftermath of Rice’s assault as he is seen dragging his unconscious thenfiancée Janay Palmer from a hotel elevator. Coupled with his application to a pretrial diversion program ten weeks later, evidence of Rice’s culpability in the incident was quite apparent. Furthermore, Atlantic County prosecutors indicated at the time that they had further video evidence of the attack which would all but assure Rice’s guilt in a trial by jury. These early May revelations should have transformed what was a low murmur of public tsk-tsking into the palpable indignation on display the past week, yet they didn’t. Only when actual video of Rice’s jarring left hook was released Sept. 8 did the NFL and society at large deem Rice’s offense beyond reproach. It shouldn’t be like this. Then we get to Peterson. Pictures of the lacerations the Vikings star meted out upon his son’s legs were released in conjunction with the criminal charges. Would there be significant outrage were there no images of the child’s injuries? Looking at the relative silence in re-
sponse to two other incidents of domestic violence from NFL players Greg Hardy and Ray McDonald and the answer is clearly “no.” I wish I could chalk up the societal shrug to some form of reverence for the innocent until proven guilty principle of criminal law, but that isn’t the case. Running the risk of fully embracing an “old man yells at cloud” tone, the shameful reason for our requirement of visual documentation prior to collective condemnation is our incredibly short attention spans working in tandem with a voyeuristic obsession. Hardy and McDonald and their baleful attitudes towards women live on in relative obscurity precisely because there’s no video or pictures at which to gawk and point and shake our heads in moral superiority. This tendency even bleeds into international affairs. ISIS is the existential threat du jour due in large part to their embrace of cinema decapitique. A continent away, Boko Haram still terrorizes Nigeria, yet #bringbackourgirls is more a punchline for an effete administration than a call to arms to halt a sadistic band of rapists and marauders. No video, no cry. The lesson for any aspiring degenerate, whether foreign or domestic is simple: be as much of a menace as you want, but if you expect to get away with it in the court of public opinion, make sure the cameras aren’t rolling.
Jenny McCarthism: The New American Scare KASSIDY TURNPAUGH Columnist With diseases long thought dead, such as Ebola, spreading like wildfire across the globe, one of the most frightening things that could happen at this point is another wave of people actively denouncing vaccines. Yet as flu season rounds the corner, this is exactly what is happening. As with every year since Jenny McCarthy decided to pretend she knows things, parents across the nation have resigned from vaccinating their children from common ailments that would otherwise maim them. These parents damn their children to long term suffering, because for some reason, people trust anything that comes from a woman whose claim to fame is her boobies.
Dear Darla, I moved into an apartment excited to have my own space and to be comfortable doing my own thing but my roommate situation has become a complete nightmare. Do you have any advice on how to deal with a messy, indoor smoking (may not be legal) and an irresponsible pet owning roommate? Dear disgruntled roommate, It sounds to me like your roommate
IN RESPONSE TO TUESDAY’S FIRST PAWS UP
A letter to the editor from anonymous: As an alumni of SHSU and a social fraternity, I am disgusted at the remarks you
While most people now know that Andrew Wakefield, purveyor of autism and vaccine-related lies, is full of it, some individuals have refused to accept the truth. Apparently for some, infallible, empirical evidence is not enough reason to protect their precious offspring from looking like a bullfrog-human hybrid. These avid followers of McCarthy blindly follow an individual who has no knowledge of the subject they talk about, spread lies with no concern for consequence and has done far more harm to people than ever expected. A formula for chaos that has been evidenced to make a nation go crazy and call their grandma a Russian spy. Rather than listen to logic and leaders in the field of Epidemiology—the study of the spread and cause of disease – people would prefer to learn the hard way. In fact, Americans have so heavily been impacted by the claims of Wakefield and McCarthy, a duo to best all others, that in a large chunk of California, the vaccination rates as of 2013 are on par with wartorn Sudan. Comparing a stretch of the U.S. to a developing third-world country known for genocide and dead babies is surprisingly easy when people think they know more than doctors and experts.
Additionally, the recent increase in vaccination refusals has led to the inevitable rise of disease. Whooping cough cases have jumped from 1,010 in 1976 to 48,277 in 2013 alone. Consequently, 18 infants died from pertussis in 2013, a whopping 12-infant spike from 1976. The startling fact that the consequences from a fraudulent and consistently disproven study is nauseating to sat in the least. The difference between the uninformed masses and experts is knowing that correlation is not causation. Saying that vaccinations cause autism is the virtual equivalent of claiming that breathing is the cause of death. Just because all people breath and all people die, does not mean that breathing is the cause of death. The question to be considering during flu season isn’t, “Should I get my child vaccinated?” The only thing that you need to worry your pretty little head with is, “Where do they keep all of nurses who are good at giving shots?” The only reason that you should not be taking your family to get vaccinated right now is that you already did. In which case, you should be telling all of your friends and relatives the truth: Vaccines don’t cause autism.
DE AR DARLA. . .
may need some help growing up. There is a certain culture that unfortunately consumes many college students. They take full advantage of the fact that they no longer have to answer to parents and follow “lame” rules. They also no longer have someone forcing them to clean up their mess or clean it up for them. Have you tried talking to your roommate? I know it’s hard to keep calm and level headed with someone who has comallowed to be printed in your “PAWS UP” section. I am not a member of the fraternity the “wine bottle in the neck” refers to, but I am still outraged at the fact this was allowed to be printed, especially as a person who had many classes in the Dan
WORD ON THE STREET? Minnesota Vikings running back Adrian Peterson has been suspended from the team until further notice for the suspected abuse of his 4-year-old son.
What do you think about the Adrian Peterson situation? “I think they should justify the truth before jumping to conclusions. Disciplining you children is one thing, but physicality is another level.”
BRENTON ESTORFFE Senior Finance
“There’s nothing wrong with disciplining your children, and it’s not fair to ban him from the NFL. You have to discipline you child or else they’ll run around crazy. They’re making deal JASMYN VALLIER about it because Sophomore he’s a celebrity.” Criminal Justice
“I think it’s blown out of proportion because he’s a superstar. If he hit him in the face on purpose multiple times it’s different than if it was an accident –it all depends on the severity.”
XAVIER JACKSON Sophomore Physics
pletely disregarded the fact that there is another human being depending on them to be responsible, but it is possible. Be the bigger person in the situation and talk to them. Be honest and mature while letting your roommate know that this is not acceptable and remind them that their pet and their own wellbeing are in danger because of the decisions (especially the illegal ones) they are making. Home should be the one place
in this world where we feel completely comfortable and if someone is jeopardizing that, then certain measures need to be taken. If talking with your roommate doesn’t change anything, consider talking with management to make different arrangements and let your roommate deal with the repercussions. Good luck to you and your sweet little pet!
Rather Communications Building. Who is running this paper now? The student who made this and the editor that approved it should be removed from the paper immediately. This makes me ashamed to say I was once a part of this school.
PAWS DOWN to The Houstonian: We did not think an editorial piece would offend so many people. But none of us got fired.
Be sure to check out other Twitter responses to our PAWS UP by visiting HoustonianOnline.com
Editorial
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The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/category/sports | Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014
Page 5
Journey to the center of the endzone CAMERON BUNCH Contributing Reporter Bowers Stadium was used to ringing the names of graduated running back Timothy Flanders and graduated quarterback Brian Bell for the past three years. Sam Houston State was expected to hear the likes of senior running back Keshawn Hill and sophomore quarterback Jared Johnson making the first touchdown of the season at the stadium. However, the first touchdown of the season for SHSU at Bowers Stadium came from the Bearkats’ junior center Zachary Stevens. In the opening drive against Alabama State on August 31, Hill ran the ball into the end zone but fumbled, and Zach recovered the ball with one hand. “Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the ball pop out and went straight in the endzone, and I just took off,” Stevens said. “That’s every lineman’s dream to score a touchdown.” His reaction was priceless as he made his way out of the pile and ran up the sideline to celebrate with
Alex Broussard | The Houstonian
OH SNAP. Sam Houston State’s junior center Zachary Stevens snaps the ball to sophomore quarterback Jared Johnson in the Bearkats’ first home game of the season where Stevens recorded his first touchdown at SHSU.
his teammates. As he was holding on for dear life with one arm, he heard the referee telling people to “get up and get off, [Stevens] got it. It’s a touchdown.” Stevens started all 14 games at center last year and has started all of the games this year so far. He has lettered twice as a reserve offensive lineman and a special teams player in 2012 and 2013. In spring, he underwent surgery
on the labral in his left shoulder and came out feeling great. “This year, I’m more confident in myself and don’t have worry about my shoulder,” Stevens said. With a brand new system intact for the Bearkats, the entire offense has transitioned from a man-toman blocking scheme to a zone team. The Kats have passed a lot more often than last year and they have been able to keep the defense
on their toes. “The offensive line has taken on more of a leadership role and become more vocal as a unit,” Stevens said. The offense did not see too much success Saturday against Division II Colorado State-Pueblo. The Kats dropped their 23-game win streak to the ThunderWolves 47-21. “It’s on us, it’s not on anyone else,” Stevens said. “We didn’t play
to our best ability. [We’re] using that as motivation going into our next game.” Starting conference play next week in Beaumont against Lamar, the Bearkats are looking to push pass a tough non-conference season. “We’re looking to go 1-0 and we’re not looking at anyone else,” Stevens said. “We need to go out there and play to our full potential.” As the Southland Conference has gotten stronger each year, the Bearkats look for a looks to fight with everything they have in a conference full of ranked FCS teams. Stevens said that with this face paced offense head coach K.C. Keeler has installed the Kats are bringing their ‘A’ game this fall for the Southland. “Look for the explosiveness in the offensive both in the running and passing game,” Stevens said. The Bearkats have a bye week this weekend but will be back in action next Saturday in Beaumont to take on Lamar at 7 p.m.
POP, LOCK AND DONATE SHSU coaches “lock up” for MDA fundraiser
JEREMY VILLANUEVA Sports Editor The Huntsville Police Department arrested Sam Houston State’s cross country coach Jesse Parker at approximately 11 a.m. at Bowers Stadium on Tuesday. Parker entered the back of the cop car and headed toward Huntsville’s Texas Prison Museum. As he entered the cell, he saw a familiar face: SHSU’s head soccer coach Tom Brown. The two participated in the Muscular Dystrophy Association LockUp at the museum, a fundraiser for MDA to support families in the Huntsville community. The idea of the fundraiser was MDA selecting
members of the community to be “arrested” and go to “jail”, but the only way to get out was through bail. The two coaches set a bail amount to help raise money to donate toward MDA. “It was good,” Parker said. “It [was] for a good cause, and you got to benefit families in the communities.” Parker had set a goal amount to raise $1000 through the bail. Although he was just short of achieving the amount, he was still able to get close families and friends of his to donate. “My approach was to get as many people to make small donations,” Parker said. “If everyone does a little bit, you can do a lot.” Brown had a bail of $1800. Like
Parker, he didn’t reach the full amount, but it didn’t take away from giving back. “It’s neat to see it helped and benefited a family in the community,” Brown said. Nikia Allen, fundraising coordinator for MDA, contacted different people around SHSU and was able to get the two coaches to jump on board. Allen also got HPD to volunteer to go around and arrest the participants and bring them back to the museum. “They were excited to be a part of the fundraiser,” Allen said. “It makes me feel good.” The MDA Lock-Up is one of the oldest and longest events MDA does. It will return to the museum next year.
Lillie Muyskens | The Houstonian
The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/category/news | Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014
Page 6
McFarland: SHSU struggles, needs fixing SHAWN MCFARLAND Staff Reporter The Sam Houston State football team finished the non-conference portion of their schedule last weekend. With one win against Alabama State and three losses to Eastern Washington, Louisiana State, and Colorado State-Pueblo, the Bearkats find themselves with a 1-3 record going into conference play. The Bearkats haven’t started a season 1-3 since 2005, and if they want to win a Southland Conference championship, things need to be fixed. Coming into this season, the Bearkats had high hopes they could return as powerhouses in the SLC even with new head coach K.C. Keeler and losing key players such as graduated running back Timothy Flanders and graduated quarterback Brian Bell. When you lose your all-time rusher and winningest quarterback, a new offense must be created. And so far this season, SHSU’s offense has not shown up in the past two games, being blown out by LSU 56-0 and the embarrassing loss to Colorado State-Pueblo 47-21. In the latter game, the Bearkats didn’t score until the third quarter, already being down 34 points. Some believe the problem offensively is the quarterback play from sophomore Jared Johnson and the lack of the run game compared to previous years. Johnson has thrown five touchdowns and four interceptions with completing only 56 percent of his passes. His inaccuracy in the passing game has been noticed by many and some are calling for sophomore Don King III or even the redshirt freshman John Roderique. Keeler put in King III to replace Johnson in last week’s loss to the ThunderWolves. In just a quarter and a half of work, King went five for seven for 74 yards and one touchdown. The passing game has been used
Alex Broussard | The Houstonian
SHAKY START. In head coach K.C. Keeler’s first four games at Sam Houston State, he sits 1-3 heading into Southland Conference Saturday’s game at Lamar.
more this season than in years past yet not enough when they need it to show. Redshirt freshman receiver Yedidiah Louis leads the Bearkats in receiving this season with 21 catches for 229 yards but zero touchdowns. In the LSU game, Louis was the diamond in the rough with 102 yards, nearly half of the whole Bearkat offense in the game. Another receiver not being utilized is Ladarius Brown, the junior transfer from Texas Christian, who has 13 catches for 173 yards. The Bearkats’ offense has been at its best when the different receivers have been utilized. The running game could be used as well as it has been used in the past. The number one running back job was given to senior Keshawn Hill who has 450 yards but 202 of those are receiving. Two transfer running backs each have
over 100 yards rushing so far this season. Junior Donavan Williams, from ASA college, and sophomore Jalen Overstreet, from University of Texas, have each shown great sparks this season. Hill, Williams and Overstreet should all be used more often in the Bearkats’ run game as they all average over five yards a run, yet all three combined have only taken 91 rushing attempts. But the run game has been hampered by Johnson, who has 39 attempts for only 107 yards. The offense for SHSU is not the only problem. The defense has allowed more than 2,000 yards of offense and given up 179 points. The defense has only forced five turnovers and nine sacks. The Bearkats’ linemen are getting beat on every snap and the secondary is giving up too many big plays. In the LSU game, the Tigers’ first play on of-
fense was a 94-yard touchdown reception, the longest in LSU history. SHSU is also giving up an average of 44.8 points per game and allowed 101 first downs to the 86 the Bearkats have. To make matters worse, SHSU’s punter has already punted more in the four games this year than he did all of last season in the 14 games the Bearkats played in. The Bearkats have not played their smartest this year, having 38 penalties for 364 yards. The penalties have really hurt the Bearkats in their key games. SHSU had 16 penalties for 159 yards in the Eastern Washington game and 10 penalties for 95 yards against Colorado State-Pueblo. This season so far has not been the best for the Bearkats, but it is all a learning experience for this team. The season is not done ei-
ther. While a record of 1-3 before conference is not the best, all three games were not supposed to be an easy ride. SHSU was not favored to win against Eastern Washington, then the no 1. ranked team in FCS, or against LSU, the now no. 8 in FBS. Colorado State-Pueblo, the no. 2 ranked school in Division II, played their best in last weekend’s game while the Bearkats played their worst. The Bearkats did have a good showing against Alabama State, but they have harder games coming up in this season. SHSU will have to open strong against Lamar to set the pace for the rest of the SLC season.
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