Volume 126 | Issue 8

Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

REMINDER: Today is National Voter Registration Day. Go register!

What’s happening at Sam SAMMY, P.2

KHRASH, P.3

SCANDAL, P.4

SOCCER, P.5

REC CENTER, P.6

Sammy the Bearkat has a bodyguard. He has two, actually.

A rebooted organization on campus helps kinesiology and health students

Our editor-in-chief responds to recent criticism of the newspaper

Bearkat soccer bests Incarnate Word 4-0 in its first SLC win of the season

Everything but the building itself is expanding with student growth

Volume 126 | Issue 8

THE H E A DLI N E S i n br i e f

/HoustonianSHSU

@HoustonianSHSU

@HoustonianSHSU

SHSU QUIDDITCH FALLS TO LSCC UPD hosts

Bearkats Fight the Night

KIMBERLIN MOORE Contributing Reporter

Compiled by: Manny Jawa, web editor

U.S. - ISIS AIRSTRIKES

Late Monday evening, The Pentagon announced that the U.S. and its international allies carried out the first air strikes against the Islamic State in Syria. Flying alongside Arab warplanes, U.S. fighter jets and drones struck an array of targets in the militants’ de facto capital of Raqqa, Syria.

According to Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel, further airstrikes will target ISIS safe havens in Syria.

The strikes come 13 days after President Obama’s announcement of expanded military action against the Islamic State.

HOUSTON, WE HAVE ORBIT

NASA’s Mars orbiter, MAVEN, successfully entered orbit the evening of Sept. 21 after a 10-month journey. MAVEN, short for Mars Atmosphere and Volatile EvolutioN will spend the next year gathering information about the red planet’s upper atmosphere and how its loss of atmospheric gas helped to change the climate on the planet.

WHITE HOUSE SECURITY

Two security incidents this past weekend have pushed White House Secret Service to expand patrols. Oscar Gonzalez, 42, was apprehended Sept. 19 near the North Portico doors. He had ignored orders from officers and scaled the northern fence. The following day, another man was arrested for trying to unlawfully enter the White House. He first came to the gates on foot and then returned in his vehicle and refused to leave. The president and the first family were not at the White House during that incident.

CALIFORNIA WILDFIRES

Firefighters in California are still battling record numbers of wildfires, including the King Fire along Highway 50 in Fresh Pond.

Three years of harsh drought has dried out brush and trees, helping to fuel the flames in the U.S.’ most populous state. Thousands have been evacuated and thousands of firefighters continued to battle as this year’s fire season is on track to become the most destructive on record.

IG NOBEL PRIZE

On Sept. 18, 10 Ig Nobel Prizes were awarded in Cambridge. The 24th annual awards recognize the year’s quirkiest scientific research items. Researchers who concluded that dung beetles can find their way home using the Milky Way was awarded the joint prize in biology and astronomy. Also awarded, the physics prize for research into banana peel friction and the neuroscience prize for a study into why people sometimes see Jesus in a piece of toast. The Ig Nobels are often awarded by winners of the real Nobel Prize.

HoustonianOnline.com

Courtesy Chris Winfield

Higher One issuing new cards to some students JAY R. JORDAN, Editor-in-Chief CONNOR HYDE, Senior Reporter

Bearkat OneCards may have been among the roughly 56 million bank cards targeted during a recent Home Depot security breach, and some students will receive a free replacement card.

Higher One Holdings, Inc., the banking and ID card service behind Bearkat One, is offering a free replacement card to those affected by the breach.

The initiative is precautionary, according to Kristy Bienne, associate vice president for student ser-

vices. Only some students will be getting a new card.

Higher One sent an email to SHSU students who are potentially affected by the security breach, asking those to monitor their recent online transactions and statements.

“This is an isolated email and not everyone is getting a new Bearkat OneCard because of the Home Depot breach,” Kristy Vienne, associate vice president for student services, said.

“If you made a purchase with your Higher One Debit MasterCard between April and August 2014, though you will not be re-

sponsible for any fraudulent charges to your account, your personal information may be at risk,” Higher One said in an email. “Remember to check your online bank statements and transactions frequently.”

“We apologize to our customers for the inconvenience and anxiety this has caused, and want to reassure them that they will not be liable for fraudulent charges,” Frank Blake, Home Depot chairman and CEO, said in a statement. “From the time this investigation began, our guiding principle has been to put our customers first, and we will continue to do so.”

September is National Campus Safety Awareness month for colleges across the country. At Sam Houston State University, the University Police Department’s Community Out-Reach Efforts (C.O.R.E.) program has organized an event to highlight the safety resources available for everyone at SHSU and in the Huntsville area.

“Bearkats Fight the Night” is scheduled for Wednesday from 7-9 p.m. at Bearkat Plaza. Students, staff, faculty and visitors will have the opportunity to meet and greet officers and other safety professionals from the area. Free food and giveaways will be offered throughout the night.

According to Officer Jeff Butterworth, during the event, students will be able to receive assistance with UPD’s property registration program for valuables they own, as well as have the chance to meet UPD officers and see the variety of vehicles and equipment the department uses on a daily basis.

In addition, the Walker County Sherriff ’s Office will have their Ballistic Armored Tactical Transport (BATT) vehicle on hand and the Huntsville Fire Department will be providing fire safety tips for residents.

For more information on this event, please visit www.shsu.edu/ police or SHSU University Police Department’s Facebook page.

SHSU student loses home in devastating fire

WHITNEY WYLIE Contributing Reporter A fire destroyed a Sam Houston State University student’s East Texas home in the wee hours of Sept.

14, leaving her family with little to nothing.

SHSU junior nursing major Shelby Sanders said she received a frantic phone call from a neighbor, who reported the fire in the 1700 block of Highway 105 in Sour Lake around 10 p.m.

“When I got the phone call, I immediately became short of breath and felt like I was having an anxiety attack because I wasn’t sure if [my family] was in the house when the fire started,” Sanders said.

Investigators with the Sour Lake Volunteer Fire Department have not confirmed the cause of the fire but believe it may have been started by a candle that was left burning.

“You probably had 20 ft. flames and it progressed throughout the attic,” district chief Glenn Withers with Hardin County ESD 5 said.

“It ran ahead of us, we couldn’t get head of it, didn’t have the water volume to get ahead of it. It’s the largest single structure fire we’ve had in several years here.”

Sanders’ mother and sister were returning from the store when their trip was interrupted by an unexpected Facebook message.

“We were on our way to Beaumont trying to get an algebra calculator,” Sanders’ mother Karley Harris said. “Heading home, somebody messaged me on Facebook asking where I lived and told us there was a house fire.”

The owners returned to the home reduced to rubble.

The fully involved blaze consumed the entirety of Sanders’ house, destroying sentimental items she had hoped would be a part of her upcoming wedding day.

“I’m getting married after graduation, so it was devastating to think about all of my pictures from childhood that are now gone,” Sanders said. “But as hard as it is to lose these things, I can’t express how thankful I am that no one was hurt.”

An account collecting monetary donations was set up for Sanders’ family. SHSU’s Student Nurses Association will also be accepting clothing, toiletries and nonperishable food items that can be delivered to the nursing building.

Visit www.gofundme.com/ejdwio to donate.

Courtesy Shelby Sanders

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/news | Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014

Page 2

Students reflect on being Sammy’s muscle HANNAH ZEDAKER Associate Editor At Sam Houston State University, when students hear the name “Sammy,” a talented orange-clad furry creature that epitomizes school spirit tends to come to mind. However, many fail to think about the two students they tend to see following Sammy around. No, they’re not adoring fans or celebstruck stalkers; they’re Sammy’s bodyguards.

Senior criminal justice and political science double major Brad Ertl has spent the last three years of his college career accompanying Sammy on his appearances while making sure he is safe and protected.

“Sammy needs a bodyguard for various reasons,” Ertl said. “Sammy’s bodyguards are basically his right hand men. If Sammy needs anything, he just gives me a sign and I get it for him. That could be anything from a drink of water, to taking a picture, to stopping a toddler (or an adult) from pulling on his tail. Sammy’s bodyguards protect him in situations that we feel may be dangerous for Sammy.”

James Federbush, a junior and also a double major in physics and computer science is currently learning the ropes during his first year as Sammy’s bodyguard.

“I am still learning as I go, but the main thing is to learn his signals for when he wants to go home, wants water or is in need of some help,” Federbush said. “Being Sam-

my’s bodyguard usually involves setting up appearances, making sure there is no danger, making sure he has his uniforms cleaned and ready for his appearances and making sure he gets to his appearances in a timely fashion as well.

We make sure he and his fans are safe and most importantly having a good time.”

Both of Sammy’s guardians said that one of the main reasons they decided to apply to become a part of Sammy’s team was because it was a way to become more engaged with on-campus activities.

“I had an interest in being Sammy’s bodyguard because I really enjoy getting involved with things at school,” Ertl said. “I had heard during my freshman year about how good of a mascot Sammy was, a three-time national champion, and wanted to be involved in a program that had been so successful. I also couldn’t help but laugh when I saw Sammy on campus for career fairs, basketball games, etc.”

According to both Ertl and Federbush, the process to become one of Sammy’s bodyguards is pretty straightforward including an interview in May during tryouts in which the candidates are evaluated by a panel of interviewers to verify that he or she has what’s in Sammy’s best interest at heart.

“The only real way to learn how to be a bodyguard for Sammy is just to do it,” Ertl said. “When I started, Sammy taught me all of his signs for his various needs. I slowly learned what they meant. It’s kind

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of cool because now, I usually know what Sammy needs even before he tells me. Someone who’s interested in being Sammy’s bodyguard really just needs to have a strong sense of loyalty and commitment to our university’s favorite furry character.”

Although there are currently only two bodyguards on Sammy’s “secret service team,” Ertl also said that the two sometimes elicit help from their friends for long events like football games so they don’t have to work the entire time. According to Federbush, this is because Sammy is a very active Kat which makes their jobs as his bodyguards very tiring.

“We like to have a bodyguard with Sammy at all of his appearances and sometimes have two bodyguards with him,” Ertl said.

“At large events, such as football games, Sammypalooza or Party in the Pit, we like to have two bodyguards just simply because of how many people attend these events.

Sometimes people make dumb decisions and it’s always good to have two people who can watch Sammy’s back at all times.”

According to Federbush, one of Sammy’s biggest pet peeves is getting picked on. Students can help Sammy and his bodyguards do their jobs by refraining from doing things that Sammy may not like or by politely telling those who are, to stop.

“Sammy adores his fans; whether they are liking his posts on Facebook or just in person giving him

high fives, hugs, taking pictures with him, or really anything that is fun for everyone,” Federbush said. “He really does not like to get picked on, or have his fur or tail pulled—who does? So if you see someone doing that just ask them nicely to stop otherwise he may just want to leave because he does not believe everyone is having fun.”

Ertl echoed Federbush’s advice for Sammy’s fans urging students to stick up for Sammy.

“When you see Sammy, have fun with him,” Ertl said. “He enjoys nothing more than interacting with all of us students. When you see someone picking on him or pulling his tail, stick up for him. He loves chilling with people but when someone starts picking on him, he loses all interest. Also, if you want a picture with Sammy please have your camera ready and I will be more than willing to take it for you—that’s my job. All in all, look out for him. He loves and respects all Bearkats and I think that we should reciprocate those feelings.”

Both Ertl and Federbush recounted their favorite memories as Sammy’s bodyguards thus far. For Ertl, that experience occurred during his first year as Sammy’s bodyguard when he was able to travel across the country to Bozeman, MT and both support the SHSU football team and protect Sammy during the quarterfinal football game in 2012, which was aired on ESPN 2.

“Being from Wisconsin, I remember myself laughing at every-

one complaining about how ‘cold’ it was; it was only about 25 degrees with the wind chill,” Ertl said. “Going to Montana with Sammy my first year as a bodyguard was by far the most fulfilling experience that I’ve had as his bodyguard. I hope that it will be only one memory, in a box of many.”

For Federbush, his most notable experience with Sammy in the short time span he has been a bodyguard has included getting to be a part of making fans joyful and excited.

“One of the most fun [events] was Casino Night in the Lowman Student Center on campus in which we went and played different casino games with a lot of the student organizations on campus and everyone enjoyed playing cards against Sammy,” Federbush said.

“Win or lose, it was just a whole lot of fun.”

Both bodyguards expressed that they would certainly like to continue working with Sammy in the years to come.

“In the short time I have been his bodyguard I have gotten to go watch the home football games, hangout with Sammy on campus and go where ever he goes,” Federbush said. “It is one of the most fun experiences I have had in college so far and it is only just the beginning of the year.”

For Ertl, his experience as Sammy’s bodyguard has been so meaningful it has even made him recon—

SAMMY, page 6

Groups celebrate National Voter Registration day STACY HOOD Contributing Reporter Sam Houston State University’s student political organizations are taking an active role in preparing for the upcoming midterm, gubernatorial and local elections.

With today being National Voter Registration day, both partisan and non-partisan student groups will be hosting voter registration drives beginning today and continuing through Thursday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. in Bearkat Plaza.

Student Government Association is partaking in the political process by assisting organizations to inform the public by handing out flyers and using social media to send people to organizations for information about their affiliation and the candidates they represent.

Student Body President Spencer Copeland said student government wants to help make each drive as successful as it can be. He said that it is important to be educated on elections, and knowing who the candidates are helps a voter make the best choice in casting their ballot.

“Even if you don’t enjoy politics, your vote has a say in how you live,”

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Copeland said. “Having good leadership can create a lot of change.”

The Bearkat Democrats and SHSU College Republicans are putting their boots on the ground by knocking on doors campaigning for their respective candidates.

With their efforts, the students hope to reach every residence on and off campus.

“Face to face contact is the best tool for voter outreach,” Bearkat Democrats President Liz Turner said.

Focusing on citizen education, SHSU College Republicans are participating in block walks to spread the word about Texas Republican nominees and subsequent platforms.

“We do block walks because a lot of people in the community are not even aware of who is running for certain offices,” SHSU College Republican President Alycia Hester said.

For the houses that are out of their reach, both the republicans and the democrats are working with their state’s parties to call citizens for their vote.

Turner said that the focus of the Bearkat Democrats is to raise voter turnout overall from college

students, faculty and staff. She said that they can play a significant role in local elections where students make up a large part of the population.

“Students make up a huge voting bloc,” Turner said. “If we can get them voting, then we can make change happen [in Huntsville] and in the gubernatorial race.”

The Bearkat Democrats registered 110 voters in the SHSU mall area last Wednesday in conjunction with the Walker County Democrats.

The SHSU College Republicans teamed up with Turning Point USA, a national conservative student organization, to incite weekly discussions in the mall area on Thursdays. Topics will include national debt, the Affordable Care Act and free speech rights.

“We as college students are the future of our country,” Hester said.

“If we are not educated and involved in the decisions and voting, we will not be able to help shape the future for what we want it to become. The more involved we are, the more we can do to help our future.”

—

VOTE, page 6

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/campusculture | Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014

Page 3

RUSH WEEK ENDS WITH PLEDGES

Courtesy Scott Lawrence

FINISHED. IFC fraternities welcomed new members to their groups Saturday during “Bid Day” at Old Main Pit. New members received bids following a week long recruitment period known as “Rush Week,” where new they learned the ins and outs of Greek life.

Caribbean author opens year-long reading series SEAN SMITH Campus Culture Editor The Sam Houston State University Master of Fine Arts program in creative writing, editing and publishing opened their 2014-15 reading series Monday as a critically acclaimed author visited campus.

The reading started off an annual series where writers and other professionals bring their experiences to campus and share those with students, according to Scott Kaukonen, director of the MFA program.

“We see it as part of our mission as a program and as a university to continue to bring to campus a diverse range of talented writers, writers who will enrapture and thrill students with stories and language and ideas,” said Kaukonen.

The MFA reading series will bring several writers to campus this fall, including Ken Waldeman, Alaska’s Fiddling Poet and Adrian Matejka. During the spring, the series will host the National Book Awards where finalists and winners from the contest will come to campus to speak at a series of events.

Fall speaker Adrian Matejka was

a finalist in last year’s poetry division of the National Book Awards.

Caribbean author Tiphanie Yanique started the series Monday with a reading from her debut novel, “Land of Love and Drowning.”

The novel, described by the BBC as a tale of “shipwrecks, hurricanes, wartime and the roiling energies of love,” characterizes the author’s “new Caribbean” style, according to SHSU associate professor of English April Shemak.

“The works of earlier generations of writers often deal more explicitly with the legacy of European colonialism, independence movements, and nation-building, so it is interesting to read work that can be contextualized within the history of U.S. imperialism in the region,” Shemak said in a statement. “In her creative work and in interviews, Yanique challenges the perceptions of the Caribbean as primarily a tourist destination and instead demonstrates that it is an active site of ongoing intellectual and cultural production, a region that continues produce a thriving literature.”

For more information on future events in the MFA reading series, contact Scott Kaukonen at 936294-1407.

Catherine Stallard | The Houstonian

FICTION. Guest speaker Tiphanie Yanique kicked off SHSU’s MFA reading series Monday. The series will bring several guest speakers and writers to campus throughout the 2014-15 school year.

KHRASH helps kinesiology and health majors connect SAVANNAH WOODWORTH Staff Reporter You may have seen their booth at OrgFair on Wednesday and wondered what kind of organization is named “KHRASH.” KHRASH is an abbreviation for Kinesiology Health Recreation Association for Sam Houston, a group that helps kinesiology and health science majors with networking

and to answer questions regarding their chosen field of study, according to the association’s president Sylvia Avila.

“We are really stressing it for networking for [students] within this profession,” said Avila. “Also, it is good resume building. It’s good for involvement within the department and with the student body and with the professors.”

One of the important aspects of KHRASH is bringing in guest

speakers to come and talk to students. Speakers from Blinn College and Sam Houston State University are lined up for this year with hopes of promoting involvement within the department.

“KHRASH is basically an organization to help students, it’s for the students,” said Avila. “My goal as president is to provide guest speakers and answer a lot of questions that [kinesiology] or health majors might have about their profession.

‘Am I on the right path?’ or ‘Do I want to continue studying [kinesiology]?’ KHRASH is here to help them.”

While the organization is relatively new, Avila said the group has worked to grow the association.

“It wasn’t really a big organization on campus, but within the Kinesiology Department,” said Avila.

“Now that I took the president position, it’s gotten bigger, or we are trying to make it a bigger organiza-

tion because it is the only one on campus and now that we are College of Health Sciences we’ve been trying to work this semester and during the summer to make it big on campus.”

KHRASH is also involved in projects to promote health and wellness in the community. Events such as food drives and 5k races are some of their goals to help build the organization on campus.

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The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/viewpoints | Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014

Page 4

WE DON’T HATE YOU Why do you hate us?

A letter to the editor

KATELYN MATTINGLY Guest Writer Being Greek isn’t about the elaborate parties or the comfort color shirts we make for every event. It is not about bid days, crafting or Total Frat Move. Being in Greek Life is so much more than what people see in the movies or on Yik Yak. From the outside looking in, you can’t understand it and from the inside looking out, it is so difficult to explain it.

In light of recent events, articles and social media postings, I thought it only appropriate that I defend myself, my chapter and the entire Greek community.

I want to set a couple things straight: we don’t hate you for not being in Greek life. It’s your personal choice. Don’t get us wrong, we would love to have all of you as our brothers and sisters but we understand it isn’t for everyone.

We don’t hate you so why do you hate us?

Greek life is not perfect, it will never be. Each chapter has their flaws. And yes, there are some people who join for the wrong reasons but at the end of the day they are still Greek and we will always be there to support them.

Over the summer and during Panhellenic recruitment, I served as a Rho Gamma. A Rho Gamma is a Panhellenic sorority member who briefly disaffiliates from

her chapter (meaning no letters, no sisters, and no sorority shirts) so that we could properly help women find their home in an unbiased way. I watched over 200 girls come in and out each day of Recruitment, so eager to fall in love with a sorority. And they did. Each day, girls would come and talk to me with light in their eyes, telling how they “really clicked with the girls” or that they “couldn’t wait to fight for that philanthropy” because it meant so much to them.

The fact that I was genuinely happy for each of these girls finding a home, that wasn’t even my sorority in some cases, means that we, as Greeks, ARE doing something right. Sure, we have flaws. But what organization doesn’t? I know in my heart that we as a Greek community can stand up for what is right, good and true.

I know that there is Panhellenic, IFC, NPHC and MGC love. And I think now, more than ever, that we should show it.

I love my sorority. When I sit down at chapter that I know I am sitting in a room with a hundred women that I not only respect but I also can the time of my life with. These women are not just my friends; they are my sisters, my confidants, my late night study partners. They are my life. I know that when something goes wrong in my life, when I am feeling lower than low that my sisters will be the first ones at my door with a diet coke and a hug. And I know somewhere in the crazy future when some dumb fool decides to marry me, that my sisters will be standing next to me, helping my every little step and tear along the way.

I love that I am able to joke around with my friends and say, “come hang out with me! My parents pay good money for you to be my friend, I want to get my money’s worth” …because in reality, we know it’s not true. Over the summer I worked day and night to pay for my own dues...

I pay for our Nationals. I pay for t-shirts, Monday night meals and Panhellenic. But I don’t pay for my friends. You can’t put a price tag on the love that is sisterhood or brotherhood. You can say what you want but nothing on my bill says “being a friend…$120”.

I love our work and our dedication to not only our philanthropy but all of our philanthropies. The work that we, as a Greek community, do is uplifting and so rewarding to us and to the community.

We don’t do it because we have to; we do it because we truly believe that we are here to make a difference. That if just one person is helped by the philanthropic work we do, then we have done our job.

I love that when I walk around campus I will see tons of smiling faces saying hello to me, making me feel wanted and special.

When I walk into a huge classroom filled with people that I can always find a member of the Greek community to sit and learn with.

We begin our journey in our houses as crazed, confused and lonely children but as time changes and the semesters go by; we graduate as a mature, worldly, brave men and women who are ready for life outside Huntsville.

You can say what you want about certain chapters but please know that will not stop any of us from showing our unconditional love and support for not only them but the entire Greek community.

I’m not trying to recruit you or even make you love us. All I want is for you to see it from our point of view. We just care too much. You see, what we are a part of dates back to the 1800’s, to men and women who created something much bigger than themselves. Every day, we are just trying to make them, and the hundreds of other people who have come after them, proud.

WE DON’T HATE YOU, EITHER We just don’t know about you.

A letter from the editor

JAY R. JORDAN Editor-in-Chief Our publication recently ran an editorial piece on our Viewpoints page in our Paws Up/Down section. The Paws Up in question read, “PAWS UP to Rush Week: Mom and dad cough up that cash for you to have friends while you sit back and reap the rewards (a broken wine bottle in your neck).”

I am the editor who gave the final say in whether or not to run it. On behalf of the Houstonian staff, I would like to apologize for this Paws Up. With that being said, our publication also had calls from the author of this week’s letter to the editor that we do not

cover the “good side” of Greek life organizations and only print the “bad side.”

With the entire Greek life v. Student Government Association showdown of 2014 out of the way, I can say that since I’ve worked at this newspaper, we have lacked a proper coverage of Greek life. However, I would like to ask any one inside a Greek life organization to send any and all story ideas to editorial@houstonianonline.com.

This way, we are able to gather information and write a proper story. I would love to publish stories reflecting the good side of Greek life, but I cannot do so if I do not know about it.

However, I stand by its publication and the writer who wrote it. While this Paws Up was neither in my nor the entirety of our staff ’s opinion, I stand by our freedom to do so without persecution nor prior restraint.

When the politics and bad blood are taken out of the equation, you should agree with me, too.

There was opposition to our Paws Up. This came from a number of students who were upset with the content and the means by which this opinion was published. This opinion was published on our Viewpoints

page, which is reserved for editorials, opinions, letters to the editor, cartoons, retractions and corrections.

However, multiple students took to Twitter to complain, tweeting that the Houstonian was biased and does not report the news. Others said we were not being “classy” and, again said we needed to be unbiased. This is where the nature of the Viewpoints page is extremely relevant in that it is the one page where we should print opinions, regardless of the author.

This is where the Viewpoints page differentiates from the News page. Our news is unbiased. No, not the faux “Fair and Balanced” unbiased, but our reports truly tell both sides of a story, so long as both sides are willing to cooperate with our reporters. For example, if person A and person B get into a fight, and person A tells a reporter all of the details but person B refuses to go on record, we can only print a story with the details from person A. I challenge any student reading this to scour through our news section since I began my tenure as editor-in-chief and find a truly biased article. I will take the liberty to draft a correction and print it on our Viewpoints page.

What’s the

WORD ON THE STREET? We published a Paws Up last week which stated, “Paws Up to Rush Week: Mom and dad cough up that cash for you to have friends while you sit back and reap the rewards (a broken wine bottle in your neck).”

Do you think that The Houstonian should have published the remark in Tuesday’s edition regarding Greek life?

“It’s based on an opinions page, so it’s appropriate. I don’t think anyone should be angry about it.”

LEMMIS STEPHENS Member Iota Phi Theta Junior Mass Communication

“I think that it’s fine because it’s true. That’s what most kids end up doing anyways; the parents pay dues, and the kids just sit back ASHLYNNE BOLES and have fun.”

Member Alpha Delta Pi

Freshman Family & Consumer Science

“Maybe bring up that it was going a little too far. I think it could have been expressed differently.”

MEGAN JORDAN Sophomore Nursing

Now, for a change of pace.

The Octogenarian: Textbooks are too expensive

KENNETH LEVIN Guest Writer One morning last week as I was entering the Estill Building on campus, a young man, a stranger,

greeted me warmly and. anticipating my movements, called out to his friend to hold the elevator.

After completing my business upstairs, I was leaving the building, when that same young man (please understand that on campus, everyone deserves the preface young to their identity when that description is coming from me) stopped me and requested that I answer a question for him.

Always willing to visit when time allows, I answered affirmatively and approached him. His question was, paraphrased, “If somebody

Editorial

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jay R. Jordan ........................... 936-294-1505 STAFF Hannah Zedaker .................... Associate Editor Dharmesh Patel .................. Viewpoints Editor Jeremy Villanueva ...................... Sports Editor Sean Smith ................... Campus Culture Editor Manjot Jawa .................................. Web Editor

STAFF, cont.

Connor Hyde .......................... Senior Reporter Lillie Muyskens .................. Graphic Designer Brynn Castro ................. Senior Photographer Alex Broussard ............. Senior Photographer

tells you something, do you believe him or not?” My answer was quick, simple and personal, “If I know the statement to be false or inaccurate, I will challenge the premise. If not, I accept what I am told as truth.”

If I understand his explanation, he was being reported for telling his class that the price of textbooks is too high and the system is unfair.

Smiling, I told him that I had been hearing that argument since I attended college in the 1950s. I think I told him about a professor I had for two consecutive semesters who wrote and published a new book

Editor’s Note Subject matter in this newspaper and on www.HoustonianOnline.com does not reflect the opinion of The Houstonian unless otherwise noted. Staff editorials are subject to the approval of listed Houstonian staff members. For more information, call 936-294-1505.

Faculty Advisor Marcus Funk ......................... (936) 294-3553

every year to cover the two subjects he taught and demanded the purchase of the new edition of the book as a part of your grade. Of course that was before the days of Rate Your Professor.

I did not tell him that at the beginning of the last school year, on the Saturday before classes began, while shopping in my campus bookstore, I had a stroke. When asked by the staff of the emergency room to which I was taken, and to anyone else who would listen, I have openly but jokingly attributed my sudden stroke to my shock at

the cost of my books.

We then discussed what I consider to be one of the two biggest rip-offs of the American Public in modern history and that is the student loan program.

We also discussed something that I am passionate about. In the country which originated and developed free education for all, I believe that free education should be expanded to include grades pre-K through 16 [college], with accommodation beyond that if for no other reason than it is a part of our national security.

Advertising BUSINESS MANAGER Paty Mason ........................... 936-294-1500 ADVERTISING MANAGER Stacy Hood ............................ 936-294-1495

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The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/sports | Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014

Page 5

Hats off to Alonzo, SHSU scores first SLC win JEREMY VILLANUEVA Sports Editor Sam Houston State’s junior forward Ashley Alonzo completed the covenant hat trick to give the Bearkats the 4-1 victory over Incarnate Word on Sunday.

SHSU is now at 1-1 in the Southland Conference after a 3-2 loss to Abilene Christian on Friday.

“Before the game, we talked about connecting those passes and finding that perfect through ball in and trying to find runners through because we knew they had gaps in their defense,” Alonzo said.

Heading into Friday’s match, SHSU saw troubles on offense with only five goals on the season. In the last two games, the Bearkats netted six goals – five alone between Alonzo and junior midfielder Shelby McDaniel.

“I think the biggest thing is those possibilities have been there for a long time,” head coach Tom Brown said. “Hopefully now they can feel like they can get in and will continue to work on their goal scoring and be able to produce on the field.”

The Bearkats opened the scoring early at Pritchett Field against the Cardinals when senior defender Ashley Fluty threaded a perfect long ball to sophomore forward Allie Johnson inside the box in the fourth minute of the match. Johnson took a touch and buried the ball to the back of the net.

With 17 seconds left in the first half, sophomore forward Maddy Panozzo split the defense just outside the box, giving Alonzo the easy finish past the Cardinals’ keeper.

The Cardinals had an easy look on goal with 15 minutes left in the first half. UIW was awarded a penalty kick that didn’t leave head coach Tom Brown happy. However, the Cardinals’ junior midfielder

Alex Broussard | The Houstonian

ROOM TO RUN. Junior forward Ashley Alonzo gets past two Incarnate Word defenders in Sunday’s Southland Conference match at Pritchett Field. Alonzo finished with her first collegiate hat trick and SHSU’s first hat trick since 2009.

Megan Baker blasted the shot high over the crossbar.

UIW was able to find the back of the net in the 58th minute when the ball was tossed around backand-forth inside the Bearkats’ box before landing at Cardinals’ senior midfielder Sarah Johnson’s feet for the goal past junior goalkeeper Kylie Hambleton.

It was Hambleton’s first start in SLC play this season after sitting out against ACU. She said it felt great getting back between the pipes, especially getting the three points, she said.

“We needed those three points at home,” Hambleton said. “We’re trying to get all the points at home and steal a few on the road.”

Alonzo found goals two and

three in the last 20 minutes of the game to give SHSU its first hat trick since 2009.

Junior midfielder Mariah Titus sent a corner kick to Alonzo, who was wide open inside the box in the 72nd minute. Alonzo buried the one-time shot to the upper-left corner of the goal.

Senior forward Jessica Toms was taken down inside the box seven minutes later, awarding SHSU with a penalty of its own.

Alonzo received the nod for the penalty and struck it to the bottom left corner for the final goal of the game.

SHSU is idle Friday, but will resume SLC play Sunday against McNeese State.

GAME GRADES Compiled by Jeremy Villanueva, Sports Editor

OFFENSE: A For the first time this season, Sam Houston State’s offense came out in full force.

The Bearkats finished with 18 shots, nine of which were on target. They also made the most of set pieces with junior midfielder Mariah Titus and sophomore forward Ashley Alonzo connecting a corner followed by Alonzo burying a penalty kick.

DEFENSE: B Junior goalkeeper Kylie Hambleton defended the goal after missing Friday’s loss to Abilene Christian. Her backline had a good showing but allowed the Cardinals to break the shutout. The two freshmen centerbacks, Caitlyn Schwartz and Ashley Long, were a wall for most of the match. Long gave up a penalty to the Incarnate Word, but the Cardinals were unable to convert the short.

Yet another volleyball tourney, another 1-2 finish AMSHI STEPHENSON Staff Reporter Sam Houston State volleyball finished 1-2 in the Texas Christian Molten Invitational this weekend.

This is the third straight 1-2 tournament finish after starting off the season 4-0 at the Bearkats’ home tournament.

SHSU started on a low note after losing two straight matches to TCU and High Point but redeemed themselves after sweeping Arkansas-Pine Bluff in three straight sets in their last match of the tournament.

The spotlight shined on junior middle blocker Carling Urben this

weekend as she contributed to the team in a confident way and was named to the all-tournament team.

“I am really happy I was able to positively contribute to my team,” Urben said. “I couldn’t have accomplished it without every single one of my teammates.”

SHSU came out mentally prepared and hungry for a victory over host and Big 12 team TCU on Friday. Yet TCU would defeat the Kats 25-21, 19-25, 25-18, and 25-16, but this was the only match of the tournament that TCU went four sets with their opponent.

Senior outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson led the Bearkats with 14 kills, and Urben came close with 11.

The Bearkats got a quick start on

the match with three kills off the bat for a 3-0 lead, then sophomore middle blocker Regan McGuire put a stop to the Bearkat run and added TCU’s first point on the scoreboard.

SHSU bounced back and won the second set after dropping the first. The Horned Frogs did not let up after the competitive previous sets and took sets three and four away from the Bearkats.

Sophomore outside hitter Ashley Smith led the Horned Frogs with 16 kills while digging up 11 balls for her third double-double of the season.

There were a total of 25 tied scores and 8 lead changes through the match.

The Bearkats then took on High

Point in a long and thrilling five setter that resulted in the Bearkats’ final loss of the tournament, 23-25, 25-22, 19-25, 25-23 and 19-17.

There were 44 ties and 27 lead changes in the entire match. High Point brought up match-point four times in the final set, finally securing the win on a smart dump by junior setter Gabi Mirand.

Wells-Gibson totaled a career best with 33 kills, which is the sixth highest single match total by a Bearkat in SHSU volleyball history.

The Bearkats completed the TCU Invitational with a quick win over Arkansas-Pine Bluff 25-7, 2513 and 25-15 Saturday.

Freshman outside hitter Jordyn Vaughn added 11 kills for the Bearkats. Sophomore libero Claire

Players of the Week

GRANT BULEY, DISTANCE RUNNER

Sam Houston State’s cross country team participated in the Texas A&M Invitational on Saturday in College Station. Grant Buley led the Bearkats, finishing 35th in a time of 19 minutes and 45 seconds.

Finishing right behind him by one second was his teammate senior Karl Schreiber. The freshman from Wylie East was the leading runner to a ninth place finish for the Bearkats.

ASHLEY ALONZO, MIDFIELDER

Ashley Alonzo recorded a hat trick in Sam Houston State’s 4-1 win over Incarnate Word on Sunday.

Alonzo’s first goal came in the closing seconds of the first half. Alonzo’s second goal came in the 72nd minute when she was left unmarked by the Cardinals’ defenders. Alonzo’s goal to clinch the hat trick came in the 79th minute off a penalty kick. The junior midfielder from Little Elm now has three goals.

Kirkpatrick and freshman outside hitter Brooke White each had 13 digs.

Graduate student outside hitter Ashlie Jones was the highest scorer for UAPB with just six kills.

SHSU ended preseason with a 7-6 record.

The Bearkats travel to Beaumont to take on Lamar for the Southland Conference opener Saturday.

“The group is ready for conference play and ready to reach their goals,” head coach Brenda Gray said. “Every opponent is difficult.

Every team has a different dynamic that we must face. We have to focus on one game at a time and one goal.

We can never look ahead.”

ROW

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/news | Tuesday, Sept. 23, 2014

Page 6

RSC increases services despite fee cap HANNAH ZEDAKER Associate Editor With the surge in student population at Sam Houston State University pushing almost 20,000 this semester, the various facilities on campus are busting at the seams, including the Recreational Sports Center.

According to Scott Vaculik, assistant director of recreational sports at SHSU, the most noticeable and significant difference this semester as opposed to years past has been the increased number of students utilizing the facility and its programs.

Despite the apparent need for an RSC expansion, according to Vaculik, renovation plans are out of the question for the time being.

“Unfortunately, our fee structure is capped,” Vaculik said. “Therefore, at this time we are not able to have any renovations.”

Although modifications to the current building are not in the budget, the construction of an ad-

ditional building is already in the works.

“There is a great need for another building so that is our future plan,” Vaculik said. “The University’s Master Plan actually shows a new Recreation building on the current White Hall dorm site.”

To keep up with the thriving student population, Vaculik said that the department has increased and added the amount of fitness classes they offer as well as the amount of equipment in the facility.

Some of these activities offered include intramural sports, informal recreation, club sports, wellness, special events, outdoor recreation and aquatics.

In addition to the RSC, other facilities managed by the department of recreational sports include the Health and Kinesiology Center, Johnson Coliseum, McAdams Tennis Complex, Pritchett Field Sports Complex, three intramural sports fields, sand volleyball courts and the University Camp.

Specifically pertaining to the RSC however, the facility houses

a 34-foot-tall climbing wall and bouldering area, a 10,000 squarefoot weigh room and cardio area, several multipurpose fitness rooms, and an outdoor heated swimming pool. Additionally, joined to the HKC the facility also offers four basketball courts, two multipurpose rooms, an eighth-mile indoor running track, ten racquetball courts as well as a supplemental weight room.

In the meantime however, until the Master Plan becomes a reality for the RSC, Vaculik recommends students and faculty utilize the facilities during the time frames that are less frequented by the rest of the population to avoid having to wait for machines.

“The busy times are Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday’s between 3 p.m. and 8 p.m.,” he said. “I would recommend coming in the mornings—we do open at 6:30 a.m., or later in the evenings—we close at 12 a.m. Monday through Thursday.”

Despite the inconvenience a crowded workout area may pose

Brynn Castro | The Houstonian

FUN RUN. During the late afternoon, students and faculty utilize the weight room and cardio area of the Recreational Sports Center to burn off some energy while relieving stress.

for students and faculty, Vaculik said the importance of spending time in the RSC has ramifications students cannot overlook.

“Working out daily can reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing,” he said.

For more information regarding the services offered by the Department of Recreation Sports and Activities, call 936-294-1985 or visit the department office located in the RSC room 162.

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The Associated Press

TOP LEFT: Secret Service police officers walk outside the White House in Washington on Monday.

An intruder managed to jump the north fence of the White House and escape capture until he was inside the North Portico entrance of the presidential mansion Friday. TOP RIGHT: Pentagon press secretary Navy Rear Adm. John Kirby speaks during a briefing at the Pentagon. The Pentagon on Monday said the U.S. and partner nations have begun airstrikes in Syria against Islamic State militants. In this artist concept provided by NASA, the MAVEN spacecraft approaches Mars on a mission to study its upper atmosphere.

T HE JUMP S

— SAMMY, page 2 sider his future plans.

“I will absolutely continue being Sammy’s bodyguard,” he said. “I don’t know of anything that has positively impacted my life more. I won’t graduate until spring 2016 because I’m a double major with a minor in legal studies and I plan on being Sammy’s bodyguard until that time. I love it so much that it makes me ponder going to graduate school.”

Through every appearance, event and social engagement Sammy’s bodyguards attend, their ultimate goal is ensuring safety while enhancing fun.

“I like to say that I’m Sammy’s personal assistant, I get him whatever he wants, when he wants it, and how he wants it,” Ertl said. “Most important of all, I ensure Sammy’s safety when he’s out in public. Sometimes people like to get a little rough with Sammy and it’s my job to resolve those incidents as quickly and safely as possible. My number one goal is to make sure that Sammy and Sammy’s fans are safe at all times. The safer he feels, the more he is willing to do, and therefore the more fun everyone has.”

—

VOTE, page 2

Since the 1990s, Texas government positions have mostly been held by mem-

bers of the Republican Party, according to the Texas Almanac. The SHSU College Republicans said they are hoping to continue this tradition by pushing the party’s platform.

“We try still, because people move from Texas to other states all of the time,” Hester said “When you inform one, person they can inform another and another and the Republican Party spreads even more across the nation.”

Democrats in Texas are hoping to turn the state blue during this election cycle.

Bearkat Democrats remain optimistic regardless of the outcome and are going to continue their fight long after Election Day. “Voting matters,” Turner said. “Nothing will change unless we stand up now and try to make a difference.

Even if we lose the election the effect of our efforts will last into the next election”.

The League of United Latin American Citizens is a non-partisan group that seeks to encourage political discussion in lieu of party affiliation. According to Sargent at Arms Luis Zarazua, this semester, LULAC is emphasizing the need to be politically active as it is an important election year.

“We have until Oct. 6 to get people registered to vote for the November election,” Zarazua said. With the midterm elections just around the corner, we have a chance to influence policy on issues

important to us all.”

The urge to be a politically active citizen came to Zarazua after attending multiple national and state conventions, where he meet civic and politically active members of society.

“This election year, a huge number of statewide and national positions are up for grabs,” Zarazua said. “The fact that there isn’t a whole lot of discussion about things that are important to us such as education, immigration and various other public policy issues [made me get involved].”

Since coming to the university in 1999, political science chair Tamera Waggner said this year students seem to be more active. She says that this is odd, given that it is for a midterm election.

“I have not seen this much push for voter registration for midterms ever on campus,” Waggner said. “I am pleasantly surprised to see that more organizations are taking an interest.”

LULAC, Bearkat Democrats and SHSU College Republicans will be tabling for their organizations in the mall area weekday afternoons to inform students, answer questions and remind them to go out and vote.

Texans who are not already registered to vote must register before Oct. 6 to vote in the Nov. 4 elections.