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Volume 125/ Issue 3
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Thursday, Jaunary 23, 2014
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STATE
TAMAYO EXECUTED
SHSU reviews alleged rape KASSIDY TURNPAUGH Contributing Reporter An alleged rape that occurred on campus late last year has been taken up by the Sam Houston State University judiciary system for further investigation, although the University Police Department’s investigation is on-going and no arrest has been made. The campus-run court has begun the review of the University Police Department’s investigation and initiated an investigation of its own into the alleged sexual assault. According to Police Chief Kevin Morris, the investigation is still in process and the department is awaiting the results of a rape kit taken after the incident. No charges have been filed at this time. Once the rape kit analysis is returned to UPD, the information gathered throughout the investigative process will be sent to the Walker County District Attorney’s office. At that time the district attorney will determine
whether or not to file charges. Morris chose not to comment on the prospects of the case. “It is not our place to pre-judge,” Morris said. “Our obligation is to the students and their safety.” According to Dean of Students John Yarabeck, his office has received the case, and they are currently awaiting the final report from UPD. Cases that go before the university court system are subject to the scrutiny of a campus investigation and must meet the “more likely than not” criteria set by the university. Meaning that after analysis, if the odds of the events occurrence weigh in at 51 percent or higher, then the alleged is found responsible for the incident. In addition, actions have been taken to ensure the alleged victim’s safety. “Our first concern is with the victim’s well- being,” Yarabeck said. “We have made sure to offer counseling and support and have made housing options available if needed.” In accordance with Title IX, the
university has also begun offering training to students, faculty and staff on the issues of sexual assault, such as prevention, safety, response and how to handle such events. In cases of sexual assault, the investigations performed are some of the more complicated processes addressed by the university. “We have to take into consideration all aspects of the relationship that may or may not have existed between the students prior to the incident,” Yarabeck said. “In addition, it is due to the fact that there is rarely a witness. The incident normally takes place between two people, by themselves, making the situation more complicated to analyze.” If the court finds the alleged perpetrator to be responsible, punishment ranges widely. A responsible party may be subject to expulsion, suspension or counseling based upon the findings made. Yarabeck also stressed the importance of communication of —
ASSAULT, page 6
CAMPUS
Kaleigh Treiber | The Houstonian
EXECUTION. (ABOVE) Cheryl Smith (left) and Sam Houston State University criminal justice professor Dennis Longmire, Ph.D., (right) stand in opposition to the execution of convicted murderer and Mexican national Edgar Tamayo. Tamayo was convicted of killing Houston police officer Guy Gaddis in 1994. (BELOW) Houston police officers stand with Gaddis’s family the night of Tamayo’s execution. Officer Richard Piña said, “I want to show my support for his family. Houston Police Department should always support its own.” (TOP) Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement member Pat Hartwell voices her opposition to the death penalty. TDPAM is based out of Houston and protests every execution performed in Huntsville, Texas.
BAND OF BROTHERS. Behind the arc has become home for senior guard Jasmine Johnson this season. Johnson has hit back-to-back buzzer beaters from behind the 3-point line to turn two losses into two victories for the Bearkats.
PTSD group opens Huntsville location HANNAH ZEDAKER Senior Reporter The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Foundation of America has branched out to Huntsville by hosting weekly support group meetings at the Veterans Memorial Museum on Wednesdays at 7 p.m. David DeKerlegand, who served in the U.S. Army for 21 years, is the veterans’ coordinator for Camp Hope, a 90-day program in Houston that helps assimilate combat veterans with PTSD back into society. Dekerlegand was one of the main coordinators in bringing the PTSD Foundation of America up north to the Huntsville area. “We want to help combat veterans find their new norm
and help integrate them back into civilian society,” Dekerlegand said. “During an outreach, we noticed that there was no one in this area [to help with PTSD] so we networked with the university, the museum and Jeffrey Clark to organize a group.” PTSD is more than just an acronym. To museum volunteer, retired law enforcement officer, and U.S. Army veteran Jeffrey Clark, PTSD is life. “When you say you have PTSD, you’re immediately labeled as crazy, truth be told,” Clark said. “However, we’re not the crazy ones. You all out there in the real world are the crazy ones.” Clark served eight years during the 1980s and 1990s as well as an additional 17 years in law enforcement as a border patrol
officer. According to Clark, over time humans have lost many of their primal instincts. However, as a soldier in combat, some instincts are renewed. “The reawakening to the primal instinct of survival occurs during combat and then you put the combat veterans back into a fantasy world where everyone only has one primal instinct— where they see that everything’s rainbows and butterflies and nothing bad is ever going to happen to them,” Clark said. “I’m constantly identifying potential threats because I live with a heightened sense of awareness. Combat veterans live in a more realistic world where there are dangers around every corner, so there’s a compatibility issue.” —
PTSD, page 6
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News
Thursday, January 23, 2014 houstonianonline.com/news
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Student body grieves recent student death JAY R. JORDAN Associate Editor Sam Houston State University is mourning the loss of yet another Bearkat this semester. Senior Andrew Polk, 23, died in Spring, Texas on January 9, according to Dean of Students John Yarabeck. He began attending SHSU in 2009 and was on his way to graduate in May. Polk’s death came almost a month after three students died in a drunk-driving accident on campus in December 2013. Yarabeck said since Polk’s death was over the break and far from campus, it didn’t need the publicity or university involvement like that of December’s fatal crash. “In this case, Polk is a good example of the other end of the spectrum,” Yarabeck said. “It happened over a break period. When we were notified, [Polk] had already had his funeral and viewing, because often it’s the parents, spouses, girlfriends who let the university know. When something like that happens, family members often don’t think about contacting the university.” A formal protocol for interuniversity communication doesn’t exist, but Yarabeck said an informal notification system has been in place since he became dean of students eight years ago. Included on the list of university officials notified of a student death are the university president, registrar and student body president. Student Government Association passed Senate Resolution S14-02 in memory of Polk Tuesday. “When the life a fellow Bearkat comes to an untimely end, it brings great sadness and serves and an emotional blow to the student body, faculty and staff of the university,” the resolution stated. “Our university will deeply miss the company and fellowship of our fellow Bearkat Andrew Polk.” When looking into the lives of those who survive those who die, Yarabeck said the main concern of university is the safety of its students. The university has in place a Crisis Management Team that addresses and assesses the emotional impact an event has on campus and then acts accordingly. “The counseling center does have hours set aside each day for students who are in crisis,” Yarabeck said. “This particular scenario, [students] are probably not in crisis at that moment. They might feel depressed, they might lose sleep and they might have a hard time concentrating because they’re missing their friend.” Apart from the CMP is the Students of Concern program which takes input from students, faculty and staff about other students who might be showing signs of suicidal or peerthreatening tendencies. The program came about at SHSU in response to the deadly Virginia Tech shooting in June 2007 in which 33 people died, including the shooter who took his own life. Yarabeck said Students of Concern helped prevent a handful of mass shootings at SHSU. “We’ve also intervened on two students that I would be very concerned who, had we not intervened, would go on to be campus shooters,” Yarabeck said. “Last year we had almost 150 students of concern. Again, that’s anything from someone sitting by themselves in a classroom dressed in black to a person who’s bonafide, talking about suicide who’s turned in a paper in talking about torturing people.” If anyone has a concern about a friend or peer who is expressing signs of being suicidal or threatening, fill out an incident report on the SHSU Students of Concern website. As always, free counseling is offered through the university counseling center.
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Houston Astros make pit stop at SHSU AUSTIN SMITH Contributing Reporter The Houston Astros Caravan made a quick pit stop at Sam Houston State University to talk to students Wednesday at Don Sanders Stadium. The Astros wrapped up their daylong trip in Huntsville after visiting San Antonio, Galveston, Texas City, Baton Rouge and Lafayette, La., and Conroe earlier in the day. A crowd of SHSU students including the Bearkat baseball and softball teams listened in on Astros’ starting pitcher Mike Foltynewicz and outfielders L.J. Hoes and Houston native Robbie Grossman. Director of amateur scouting Mike Elias and Astros’ broadcaster Robert Ford joined the players as they answered questions from students as well. “It’s good to go out into the community and meet fans face-toface. You want to give back to the fans who support us.” Foltynewicz said. “I love being with these guys and hanging out with them.” Grossman described the experience of his Major League Baseball debut for his hometown team. As a graduate from Cypress Fairbanks High School in 2008, Grossman made his Astros debut July 30, 2013, and said the experience is something he’ll never forget. “It was very cool,” he said. “My parents got to see the game. I was really happy for them.” Hoes, formerly of the Baltimore
Alex Broussard | The Houstonian
ON THE ROAD. (From left to right) L.J. Hoes, Mike Foltynewicz, Mike Elias and Robert Ford answer questions from Sam Houston State University students Wednesday at Bowers Stadium. The Astros players made a stop off at SHSU as a part of their 2014 Astros Caravan.
Orioles, discussed his trade to the Astros just hours before the two teams played each other in Baltimore, Md., in July last season. “It was kind of surreal to go from being in the lineup with the [Orioles] and going into the locker room and seeing I got traded to the team I was supposed to be playing,” he said. Hoes said his family was on their way to the game dressed in Orioles gear and had to switch to Astros gear once they heard about the trade.
Fans took photos with the guests and received autographs from each of the players. After completing a few more stops on this year’s caravan, the Astros will head off to spring training in Kissimmee, Fla. “The first wave of these guys in the minors will be coming up to the majors for spring training,” Elias said. “It shows just how near we are to getting the help we expect to get from the farm system.” Hoes said he’s excited for the rest
of the caravan with his teammates and moving into training to prepare for the new season. “I’m looking forward to being around the guys,” he said. “You build such camaraderie with them. They become like brothers.” The Astros’ caravan will head into Austin, Victoria, Rockport, Beaumont, College Station and Bryan Thursday before heading back to Houston Saturday for FanFest at Minute Maid Park.
CAMPUS
Dean search underway for CHSS and College of Education KASSIDY TURNPAUGH Assistant News Editor The search committees of the College of Education and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences have entered the application phase of their respective searches for new deans. Currently the CHSS is under the oversight of interim dean and dean of the honors college, Gene Young, while the College of Education is under the control of interim dean Jerry Bruce. A search committee made up of Dean Ron Shields of the
College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs Mary Robbins and Vice Provost Richard Eglsaer, as well as several professors and assistant professors from the College of Education is hoping to have a selection of three finalists for the College of Education by the end of next week. At this time, applications are still being reviewed and processed by an outside search firm, which forwards any considerable applications to the committee. Once the applications have been narrowed down to the final three prospective deans, the committee
will schedule interviews and oncampus tours, Egslaer said. Out of the applicants, the department hopes to find a candidate “with an appreciation of teacher education at the undergraduate level.” “[They need] experience in doctoral research at the graduate level as well as strong leadership capabilities,” Egslaer said. The CHSS currently has applications still in the review stage by an outside search firm, Greenwood Asher and Associates. The search is projected to narrow down the final three applicants by February, according to College
of Science Dean John Pascarella, who is the head of the search committee. Pascarella said the search committee hopes to find an applicant “with the vision to lift the college forward.” In addition, the committee formed of department representatives and alumni is looking for a student body representative from CHSS to assist in the final applicant review process. If students are interested in the representative position, contact Pascarella at 936-294-1401 for more information.
CITY
City Council decides water plant fate HANNAH ZEDAKER Senior Reporter Huntsville city council members met Wednesday night to consider a long-term plan to fund repairs to a local water treatment plant. Constructed in 1971, the N.B. Davidson wastewater treatment plant, located within the Sam Houston National Forest, has accumulated corrosion and rust making the various components of the water plant both dangerous to operate and less effective. The plant is the oldest of three total wastewater plants located in the Huntsville area. Each plant delegates water to the Elkins Lake subdivision as well as several prison units, and other various businesses and residences in west Huntsville. Public Works Director Carol Reed presented to councilmembers an eight-year long, four-phase project, which would take the precautions and actions necessary to repair the water treatment plant before it is imminent. According to Reed, the current state of the plant was not due to a lack of funding or a lack of maintenance, but to “aging technology.” “It was just time to take a critical look—there wasn’t any one thing that happened other than walking around out there and seeing that we have some issues here,” Reed said. “It’s time to make a proactive move and look ahead to see what we can do to avoid a catastrophic
Alex Broussard | The Houstonian
LEGALIZE. City Attorney Leonard Schneider mulls over documents during Tuesday’s city council meeting. The city approved multiple resolutions, including for City Manager Matt Benoit to apply for a Wildfire Community Development Block Grant.
failure and an emergency repair.” The completion of all four phases would cost roughly $2 million, according to Reed. Prior to Wednesday’s meeting, Reed presented the council with three options for tending to the water treatment plant which including repairs, reconstructing it or abandoning it altogether. Reconstructing the entire plant would cost between $6.5 million and $9 million, while demolishing the plant could cost anywhere between $4 million and $13 million. Demolishing the plant would also push the remaining two plants to maximum capacity. After considering these consequences, city council decided that fixing the plant
would be the most cost-effective route. “I think this plan is the best bang for our buck, and I like that we are working within the same footprints in that we don’t have to acquire new land and we can operate all plants at a good capacity,” councilmember Lydia
Montgomery said. If the repairs can be made to the N.B. Davidson plant, Reed said she expects it to have at least 20 more years of use. Reed and her engineering team will present at future city council meetings before any decision is made.
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Viewpoints
Thursday, January 23, 2014 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints
NATIONAL
Politicians will overcome rocky starts STEPHEN GREEN Web Editor The campaign has already started for the next United States President and Texas Governorship despite months, even years, before the election. Campaigns are heatedly pounding away at loosely worded press releases and, less importantly, attack campaigns. Candidate for Governor and Texas State Sen. Wendy Davis, D-Fort Worth, got caught with her hand in the cookie jar trying to
cherry-pick parts of her life story. The biography on her website and long-touted stories, as the Dallas Morning News reports, are mostly true but the details lacked veracity. For one, she mislead supporters by saying she was separated from her husband at 19, when she was actually divorced at 21. This isn’t technically lying but definitely used to play up her struggle. She also seemingly lied when she claimed she paid her way through Texas Christian University and Harvard Law School through scholarships and loans. In actuality, her then-husband paid for her last two years at TCU and cashed out his 401(k) for her Harvard education and took out a loan during her final year. The information that her campaign fudged is vestigial at best, but in the long run it may be telling of her character. My mother
certainly remembers the year she was divorced and when she had her children. The rationale behind the lies appears political - so she could use keywords like “single, teenage mother” and “worked her way through college.” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, stepped in a pile recently too – or more likely his enemies shoved his foot in the pile for him. There’s no proof – yet – that the George Washington Bridge closing has a direct tie to Christie, but culpability lies instead with his former deputy chief of staff. Nonetheless, media outlets for better or worse have labeled it “Bridgegate” and latch the event to Christie in a slipshod way. These two events have sparked a wildfire of negative press and are touted by pundits on both sides as character-damning acts. Well,
possibly. It’s more likely that we’ll all forget about it come time for elections. One reason for this is a theory called the “CNN Effect” where the media – specifically 24-hour cable networks – set the political discussion as agenda setters. The thought is that whatever the networks are talking about, so must the nation. Next week there will be a new trending story and Bridgegate and Davis’s Biography...gate? will both fade into recent history. Republicans and Democrats also don’t care in the long run. While negative campaigning has increased in the last few years, political parties try to tout the “awesome” qualities of their candidates with no vested interest in the opposite party candidate’s gaffes. In the end, most people will determine how the candidate’s
ideals will affect their day-to-day lives (healthcare, transportation, etc.) rather than mistakes they’ve made in the past. Politicians have a stereotype and for good reason: they’re human. In the end humans all make mistakes and lie – some politicians just make worse mistakes than others. The odds that a lie or verbal slip will ruin a campaign *cough cough* Todd Akin *cough cough* are unlikely and only happen in rare circumstances. Too many voters tow the party line and rhetoric without knowing exactly for what they’re voting. While it’s fun to gossip about Davis’s embellished vita and Christie’s embellished waistline, everyone should instead make a list of which issues matter to them and vote that way.
POP CULTURE
Bieber controversy is criminal, not surprising
COLIN HARRIS Viewpoints Editor In this same page nine months ago I wrote about Justin Bieber in the context of his self-serving comments in the guest book at Anne Frank’s house, saying he “will be relegated to the banality of VH1 punch lines before he celebrates his 30th birthday.”
In retrospect, maybe I was giving Biebs a little too much credit, as he seems to be hell-bent on ruining his career before he turns 21. According to reports in TMZ (I know, I know, but if there’s a better source for Bieber news, I have yet to find it.), the Canadian superstar had his Calabasas domicile of debauchery raided by police last week in an effort to link the teen heartthrob to a string of ritualistic killings in the Los Angeles area that could be related to the occult. Nah, just kidding, Bieber egged one of his neighbor’s mansions and the cops were looking for video evidence on the star’s home security system. During the raid, police discovered unidentifiable drugs in the singer’s home and
Empathy, reason keys to debate
NATALIE PETAIA Columnist I was watching one of my favorite British antagonists, Piers Morgan, the other night argue with Corey Knowlton about his $350,000 purchase of a black rhino tag in Namibia. Initially I completely agreed with Morgan in the argument, because while I have built up a tolerance and even appreciation for hunting during my time in Texas, I’m still not sold on the idea of hunting as a sport purely for trophies. However, as the conversation continued I found myself more and more siding with Knowlton
and his decision to go to Namibia and kill this rhino. The argument between the two men demonstrated a few important things and I suppose some general good tips for life—if you’re planning on arguing with someone. Australia, like Britain, is a fairly anti-gun and anti-hunting type of country. There are still ways to purchase a gun, but it’s pretty difficult, and actually knowing someone who owns a gun is far and few between. It’s just as unlikely to know somebody who goes hunting on a regular basis or who enjoys hunting. Before moving to Texas, I had never seen a gun let alone held one, but of course by the end of my first semester I was able to tick that box off of my bucket list. Next on the bucket list was hunting.
arrested his confidant and aspiring rapper, Lil Za. Initial reports suggested the house was littered with drugs and paraphernalia, but an LAPD spokesman later denied the claim. We’ll get back to the drugs later, but let’s examine the vandalism in which Beiber’s been implicated. According to the alleged victim, who happens to share a property line with Bieber, the incident started around 7:30 p.m. on Jan. 9. Let that sink in. Millionaire Justin Bieber egged his next-door neighbor’s mansion shortly after dinner. I’ve read countless lamentations about child stars not learning valuable life lessons as they’re shuffled around the world to perform. In his glamorous
adolescence nobody taught Bieber the proper methods of vandalism! Caveats about how property crime is a real crime and how terrible it would be if something like that happened to your own house, blah blah blah. If you’re going to egg a house within walking distance (generally a bad idea), do it under the shroud of darkness and not on your block. After the incident went public, Bieber drew from his preferred well of atonement: Instagram. Rather than go the shirtless selfie route (which he did after the Anne Frank jackassery), he posted a collage of selfies with his adorable younger siblings. More recently, members of Bieber’s inner twerkle have suggested he check himself into
“I don’t really care. I don’t eat there anyway.”
Word on the Street: How is Burger King’s temporary closure in the LSC affecting your life?
-Jamie Giglio Senior Psychology
Full the full story go online.
rehab, because he’s supposedly addicted to lean. I dispute this allegation, based on nothing other than the fact that lean addicts tend to stay glued to their couches listening to shitty, slowed down rap songs. They don’t egg houses. Then again, drugs cause differing reactions among individuals, so maybe the world’s biggest brat throws eggs at mansions when he’s done sittin’ sidewayz. What can we learn from all of this? Virtually nothing - but what did Bieber learn from the negative headlines? Somehow even less, as the former YouTube total hits record holder reportedly spent $75,000 at a Miami strip club on MLK Day in celebration of Lil Scrappy’s birthday
“It definitely takes out some of the variety here. It’s good that it’s opening back up soon.”
“At first I didn’t know it was closed, but that’s really inconvenient. I want a burger every once in a while.” -Steven Blakeley Freshman Industrial Technology
-Arlissia Knight Senior Biology
The Houstonian Editorial
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EDITOR’S NOTE Articles, letters and cartoons by Houstonian staff members or others in this paper are their own and not the opinion of the Houstonian, unless it is noted as such. Submissions and letters to the editor are welcome. Please send submissions to viewpoints@houstonianonline.com. Articles may be edited for grammar and spelling at discretion of editor. Unsolicited oppinions should be 150 words or under. Please contact us if you wish to submit anything longer. Deadline for submission is by 5 p.m. on Mondays or Wednesdays.
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Arts&Entertainment
Thursday, January 23, 2014 houstonianonline.com/a-e
CAMPUS
Professor balances stage, academic life KIZZIE FRANK A&E Editor Queen Elizabeth II has watched her perform. And the late Nelson Mandela as well. She is native to Durban, South Africa, and her powerful soprano voice has been heard around the world and the U.S. And now it is mostly heard in the classroom at Sam Houston State University. Adjunct voice professor Bronwen Forbay is the only female from South Africa to receive a Doctor of Musical Arts for voice performance. Since coming to SHSU, she has performed multiple international and American opera roles including performances of Mozart’s “Queen of the Night” with the Wolf Trap Opera Company, Eugene Opera and Tulsa Opera. Forbay continues her stage performances most recently as the soprano soloist in Mozart’s “Requiem” with the Brazos Valley Symphony. She also worked in conjunction with the Voces Intimae Society in Dallas, where she took an active part of their rendition of various gypsy songs. An excerpt from Forbay’s doctoral research on “Afrikaans Art Song Literature” was selected for the Artist Series of the 2013 Texoma National Association of Teachers of Singing conference. Forbay has also received the Standard Bank Young Artist Award for Music in 2013 as a finalist in the National Opera Association voice competition in South Africa. Although Forbay maintains her performing career, she has found another career teaching students. Forbay said she was referred to SHSU about two years ago by a former mentor and said that it is
a “wonderful place to work.” She currently teaches voice classes with about 17 students. Forbay said her achievements as an international performer has helped her coach students to a point they can perform on stages similar to the venues she’s stepped foot upon. “One has to be mentally and physically strong,” she said. “I gained the love of language. To be a believable performer, you have to have a genuine love for music. Otherwise, you won’t get very far.” Forbay said she teaches her students about the importance of pursuing one’s passion. Allowing life to take one where he or she should go or where he or she belongs is the best thing anyone could do. It is a belief that has helped her throughout her career as an international opera singer. “I heard a song on the radio, and I thought it was really lovely. I thought ‘I want to sound like that,’” Forbay said. “If you go with it, you have an experience that you wouldn’t have had otherwise. It’s invigorating.” Her impact as a teacher has helped elevate aspiring singers to follow in her footsteps. Two of Forbay’s students from the College Conservatory of Music at the University of Cincinnati have gone on to make appearances on Broadway. Two of her voice students at SHSU were semi-finalists in the 2013 Texoma National Association of Teachers of Singing student auditions. Other students of Forbay Kizzie Frank | The Houstonian have performed roles in opera performances including “Little ADAGIO. Sam Houston State University adjunct professor Bronwen Forbay, Ph.D. sits at her piano in her office. Forbay Red Riding Hood” and other is the only professor at SHSU with a Doctorate of Musical Arts in Opera. fairytale scenes in the recent “Once upon an Opera” scenes solos in the Women’s Choir SHSU scheduled for March 17. assisting her students in pushing program at SHSU. Many of her students are Ensemble and the SHSU Chorale. Forbay said she will continue to to be award winning artists. Forbay’s students will be showcase her voice while carrying members of the various choral ensembles at SHSU with various starring in a voice recital here at out her purpose as a professor by
NATIONAL
CAMPUS
Grammy Awards unpredictable Art exhibit to showcase faculty’s diverse works
DHARMESH PATEL Assistant A&E Editor
The Grammy Awards are music’s most prestigious awards, and this year there are many tough choices and possible outcomes for Sunday’s ceremony. The awards are unpredictable, and many big-name artists don’t end up taking a trophy as they lose out to new comers or the underdogs. This year there are plenty of new comers contending to take home the golden award. Jay Z leads the way with nine nominations, but he is not a favorite to win the most number of trophies, according to USA Today. Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams and Macklemore and Ryan Lewis each have seven nominations, but they find themselves on the bottom tier in their categories as well. When breaking the major categories this year, the Grammy’s curse remains the same: it’s the year of the underdog. ALBUM OF THE YEAR: “Red” by Taylor Swift, “good kid, m.A.A.d city” by Kendrick Lamar, “The Heist” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, “The Blessed Unrest” by Sarah Bareilles, “Random Access Memories” by Daft Punk. Swift and Macklemore and Lewis had huge record sales, and many hits off of their albums find a spot on the Billboard Top 40. Yet they are not favored to win in this category, according to USA Today’s report. Although Bareilles should be recognized for her talent, she’s expected to get snubbed as well. Between Daft Punk and Lamar, this year’s Grammy should go to Lamar. The up-and-coming hiphop artist has maintained a strong fan base while approaching the hip-hop genre in an untraditional manner. His album “good kid, m.A.A.d city” exploded onto the charts with his hit “Poetic Justice.” RECORD OF THE YEAR: “Get Lucky” by Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams and Nile Rodgers, “Radioactive” by Imagine Dragons, “Royals” by
SEAN SMITH Contributing Reporter
Lillie Muyskens | The Houstonian
Lorde, “Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars, “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams. Daft Punk won’t “Get Lucky” and Mars will be “Locked out of Heaven” this year in their categories. Even though Thicke and Imagine Dragons had a great run in 2013, neither will be able to beat out newcomer Lorde. Lorde has been a media favorite, according to Rolling Stone, and is featured on the soundtrack for the blockbuster hit the “Hunger Games.” SONG OF THE YEAR (songwriters): “Just Give Me a Reason” by Pink, Nate Ruess and Jeff Bhasker; “Locked Out of Heaven” by Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence and Ari Levine; “Roar” by Katy Perry, Lukasz Gottwald, Max Martin, Bonnie McKee and Henry Walter; “Royals” by Lorde and Joel Little; and “Same Love” by Macklemore, Ryan Lewis and Mary Lambert.
Perry is the first one out of the competition as there was much controversy surrounding “Roar,” which was accused of being a copy of fellow nominee Bareilles’s “Brave.” Similarly, there was much speculation that Thicke copied Marvin Gaye’s record for “Got to Give It Up” on his track “Blurred Lines.” Mars won’t be getting into heaven once again. Even though Pink won last year, “Same Love” is the number one contender this year as it has been an anthem for the past year and loved by the masses and critics alike. The Grammy Awards are always surprising to watch, and the winners are up in the air until they are announced. The show will be full of huge performances, and this year the lineup includes Jay Z and Beyonce, Swift, Perry and Lamar among others. The award show will broadcast live Sunday on CBS at 7 p.m.
Students get plenty of chances to show their work to the public. This time art professors are stepping up to show their students what they have up their sleeves. Faculty artwork will be displayed at the 54th annual Faculty Art Exhibit at the Gaddis Geeslin Gallery starting Monday. Featuring the work of nine different faculty members, many different artistic media will be showcased including animation, sculpture, photography, painting and drawing. Along with the exhibit, several faculty members will give lectures discussing their artistic practice. “Being professionally active and producing and exhibiting work that is critically engaged with the current dialog in our field supports our teaching in the classroom,” assistant professor of studio art and 3G committee chair, Annie Strader said. Each year the art department
features approximately half of the faculty’s work in the annual exhibit, allowing larger works to be displayed in order to give a more in-depth look into an individual work. Strader said that the exhibit provides students with the opportunity to experience their professors’ work firsthand. Along with exhibiting work, professor Valerie Powell will be giving a lecture discussing her artistic practice before the exhibit’s reception Monday. Adjunct lecturer Tudor Mitori and visiting assistant professor Ron Hollingshead will also speak in the gallery about their works Feb. 3. Other faculty artists exhibiting include Thomas Seifert, Patric Lawler, Edward Morin, and Martin Amorous. The exhibit will run until Feb. 13 and will be open weekdays from 10 a.m. through 5 p.m. with Saturdays open from 1 p.m. through 5 p.m. The exhibit is free, and there will be an opening reception on Monday at 6 p.m.
Lillie Muyskens | The Houstonian
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Sports
Thursday, January 23, 2014 houstonianonline.com/sports
BASKETBALL
Senior basketball star creates national buzz MARISSA HILL Sports Reporter
Half a second isn’t enough time to do anything. Unless your name is Jasmine Johnson. Sam Houston State’s women’s basketball team is on a three-game winning streak in conference and two of those wins have the senior guard’s signature – a last-second, game-winning shot. The Bearkats spent the second half of the contest hosting Nicholls State Jan. 11 in close scoring quarters, never leading by more than four points. With three seconds remaining on the game clock, Nicholls State drained a free throw for a two-point advantage over the Bearkats. There was enough time for one last possession. “With .5 seconds, you can get a catch and a shot off,” head coach Brenda Nichols said. Sophomore guard Amanda Barnes inbounded the ball to Johnson, and she sank the 3-pointer as time expired to snag the victory 51-50.
“Jasmine’s been doing this a long time,” Nichols said. “It was a heck of a job by her.” She replicated the same feat against Southeastern Louisiana one week later. SHSU trailed SLU the entire game except when they were up 2-0 in the first 30 seconds of play. “We start off a little slower than I think we should,” Johnson said. “But we definitely click in the end.” The ‘click’ for the Bearkats came within the last 30 seconds of regulation as they were down 75-72. After a missed shot and a rebound, Johnson found the ball in her hands again with 15 seconds from the end of regulation. She did it again. Johnson drained the gamesaving shot that sent the two teams into overtime. The Bearkats gained some momentum going into overtime as they either led or were tied with the Lions for the period. The contest was tied 85-85 and with one second remaining, SHSU was fouled by Southeastern, sending Johnson to the charity stripe. “Nothing really goes through
my mind,” Johnson said. “I just know it’s what we need.” She connected on one of the free throws, giving the Bearkats a thrilling overtime 86-85 victory in Hammond, La. Johnson’s steely gameplay not only led her team to victories, but it also landed her on ESPN’s Top 10 Plays earlier this month. “It was really exciting,” she said. “It was a good moment for my team, a good confidence boost.” With little time remaining on the clock for Johnson’s career at SHSU, she believes that the team will be in capable hands after she’s gone. “Angela Beadle and Jazmin Wiley definitely,” Johnson said. “Those two down low will definitely be something to mess with next year.” But for now, Johnson will continue to play her game, doing whatever she has to do for her team whether it be hitting the game-winner or sinking a clutch free throw. “I just have to put it in the hole,” she said.
Connor Hyde | The Houstonian
CLUTCH. Behind the arc has become home for senior guard Jasmine Johnson this season. Johnson has hit back-to-back buzzer beaters from behind the 3-point line to turn two losses into two victories for the Bearkats.
BASKETBALL
Basketball heads into San Antonio electrified JEREMY VILLANUEVA Sports Editor
Sam Houston State’s women’s and men’s basketball teams will travel down to San Antonio in a Southland Conference matchup against University of Incarnate Word Thursday night. Both teams are heading into the match on winning streaks: women’s on a threegame winning streak with the men on a four-game winning streak. The Lady Bearkats are driving into San Antonio hot off a dramatic overtime victory on the road against Southeastern Louisiana and a blowout win at the University of New Orleans.
“We’re going in to take care of business,” head coach Brenda Nicholls said. “We just got to go in and play our game.” SHSU was winless in conference until their last second 51-50 victory over Nicholls State. Since the game, SHSU has excelled in turning their 0-3 record to 3-3. “We didn’t peak early in the season,” Nicholls said. “We could have done this early and could be going down.” The UIW Cardinals (2-2, SLC) will have to shut down the dominance of junior post player Angela Beadle and senior guard Jasmine Johnson. Beadle has been the rock on offense for the Bearkats. After a 34-point performance at Southeastern Louisiana to lead the Bearkats into overtime and steal the win, Beadle was awarded SLC Player of
the Week. Johnson has garnered attention herself after back-to-back buzzer-beater shots against Nicholls St. and SELA. The duo has accounted for 28.2 points per game for SHSU. “The leadership is coming now,” Nicholls said. SHSU’s men’s team is 5-1 in conference with their only loss coming in a road game at Stephen F. Austin State, the current SLC leader. Although SLC standings are in favor of the Bearkats, the Cardinals are 14-3 on the regular season and are looking to make a name for themselves in their rookie season in the SLC. A win over second place SHSU could be their ticket in igniting the fuel to make their way into the conference tournament.Junior transfers guards from Seward County Community College, Kaheem Ransom and Jabari Peters have led the Bearkats on offense. Ransom’s 21.5-point average pushed SHSU over Southeastern Louisiana and the University of New Orleans for weekend sweep at
home. His performance was recognized by the SLC when he earned SLC Player of the Week earlier this week. Peters leads the team in minutes, rebounds, and most notably, points per game with 13.6. “[They’re] some needed scoring boost that we didn’t have last year,” head coach Jason Hooten said. Against the Cardinals, SHSU’s defense is going to have to contain two high-scoring guards with Denzel Livingston and Kyle Hittle heading UIW’s offensive attack. Livingston averages 18.5 points a game, edging out Hittle’s 17.6 points a game. SHSU has two road games left before returning back to Huntsville Jan. 30. Hooten said that the road games haven’t phased SHSU’s gameplay. “We’ve been on the road all year long,” Hooten said. “We’re used to it. We look at it as a challenge and continue to play with a chip on our shoulder.” The Lady Bearkats will tip-off in San Antonio at 5:30 followed by the men’s contest at 8:05.
Courtesy GoBearkats
#THEBEADLE. Senior post player Angela Beadle is coming into the match against University of Incarnate Word as Southland Conference’s Player of the Week. Beadle posted a season-high 34 points last week against Southeastern Louisiana.
FOOTBALL
SHSU debunks Tjeerdsma rumors JEREMY VILLANUEVA Sports Editor Sam Houston State University football head coach candidate Mel Tjeerdsma has been rumored to take reigns as the next head coach, according to Football Scoop. However, SHSU athletics is saying otherwise. Football Scoop, an online source for coaching information, broke the announcement on Twitter last night regarding the 67-year-old from Division II’s Northwest Missouri State. “Everything I’m hearing coming out of Sam Houston sounds like Mel Tjeerdsma will be the guy. Look for an announcement tomorrow,” the tweet read. Although Football Scoop broke the story regarding former SHSU head football coach Willie Fritz’s departure, the website’s announcement was a little premature. An official announcement from SHSU is expected soon, but the athletic department hasn’t confirmed any rumors. Northwest Missouri State’s athletic department spoke to Tjeerdsma at their women’s basketball game Wednesday night. Tjeerdsma told the department that he expects a phone call Thursday morning regarding the SHSU job, but felt the offer was “slipping away.”
If Tjeerdsma did become SHSU’s 15th head football coach, he would be leaving as director of athletics at Northwest Missouri State, where he led as head coach for 17 seasons from 1994 through 2010. During his time as head coach, Tjeerdsma led the Bearcats to three Division II national championships with three supplemental national championship appearances. During his tenure, Tjeerdsma racked up 10 conference titles and two shared titles. SHSU’s Associate Director of Media Relations Paul Ridings said the athletic department hasn’t reached any concrete hiring as of 1:30 p.m. Wednesday, but the department is pushing to name a head coach as soon as possible to get the position filled with only two weekends remaining for recruitment. “It’s a work in progress,” Ridings said. Director of Athletics Bobby Williams hasn’t counted any coach out and reiterated no one has been signed. “The process for hiring a new head football is still on-going,” Williams said. National Signing day is Feb. 5, and Williams said he is hoping to have a decision made quickly. “We hope to have an announcement soon so the new coach can hit the ground running,” he said. “With National Signing Day right around the corner we understand the importance of having someone in place.”
Page 6
News
Thursday, January 23, 2014 houstonianonline.com/news
Faculty researchers make headway with $4 mil. grant STACY HOOD Contributing Reporter Sam Houston State University researchers collected more than $4 million in research grants in summer 2013 from a number of state and national entities. Since accepting their grants, SHSU researchers have developed projects such as a new degree plan as well as a training program for educators, state employees and law officials. Seventeen faculty members were awarded grants to enhance research in their fields, and the research has the potential to affect people throughout Texas and the world, according to school officials. In an interview with Today@ Sam, Delia Gallinaro, executive director at the SHSU Office of Research and Sponsor Programs, said the current research has helped build the university’s reputation and establish a national footprint. “[The grant recipients’] work will enhance SHSU’s scholarly reputation as well as provide opportunities for our students to be involved in solving very important social and scientific
problems,” Gallinaro said. Cecelia Marquart, project director of the Impaired Driving Initiatives, received the Drug Impairment Training for Educational Professionals grant and the Drug Impairment Training for Texas Employers grant combining for $1.5 million provided by the Texas Department of Transportation. The purpose is to continue her awareness training program throughout the state over the course of three years, she said. Marquart said her research will create and implement an employer drug and traffic safety education system to help make Texas roadways safer. Since receiving the grant in 2013, the program has trained 383 participants surpassing the grant requirement of 300. “Our grant is an intervention grant, dealing with alcohol and drugs,” Marquart said. “The majority of it has to deal with training, not only law enforcement but now we are training educators and employers.” The training program is a bridge between the field sobriety test and a drug recognition expert, she said. The goal is to raise awareness for rising prescription drug abuse and to keep the roads safe.
The department of Industrial and Agricultural Sciences received the Capacity Building Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture for the second year in a row. Tim Pannkuk, Ph.D., assistant professor of Horticulture and Agronomy, is leading the effort to establish an online curriculum for students wanting to obtain a Master of Agriculture degree in alternative agriculture systems. The $291,000 that was granted will be used over a three-year period. Within that time the department plans to provide education, outreach and research. Pannkuk has hired SHSU graduate student Kyle Ferrell to design and send out a survey to determine the needs of the agricultural industry. With the information they obtain from the industry, they will be able to create an appropriate curriculum for the master’s degree. “We as faculty see a demand for an agricultural degree by nontraditional groups” Pannkuk said. “[The] grant allows us to pursue an endeavor that’s beneficial to society.” The department will be able to allow the first cohort of 15 to 20 students in the fall of 2015.
JUMPS
ASSAULT,
page 1
one’s intentions. “Students need to be smart about these things,” Yarabeck said. “In addition, these situations would not occur nearly as often if students were more open about
their intentions in a relationship. While many students don’t find that ‘cool’ and think they are too suave for that, it really does help to talk about any sexual intentions either party may have.” President Barack Obama announced Wednesday the creation of a task force to put
pressure on colleges and universities to prevent and police sexual assaults on campus. According to a recent report by the White House Council on Women and Girls, one in five female college students has been assaulted, but only 12 percent report it.
PTSD,
page 1
The PTSD support group in Huntsville hosted its first meeting on Jan. 15. Both Dekerlegand and Clark are members of a support group located in The Woodlands where, according to the two veterans, having combat veterans facilitate the meetings to help other combat veterans is vital. About 30 percent of men and women who have spent time in war zones experience PTSD, according to the Department of Veteran’s Affairs. Clark said there are currently 800 registered veterans at Sam Houston State University. Although at their very first meeting they only had one attendee, Dekerlegand said in about eight months he hopes their group will build up to reach maximum capacity between 40 and 50 regulars. “Everybody in that room, even though we may not know each other or be complete strangers, has a bond that instills a level of comfort where he might tell me something that he won’t tell his wife because she can’t understand what he did in Afghanistan whereas I can,” Clark said. “There’s a certain level of comfort among strangers if they’ve experienced the same things.” There are different severities of PTSD, according to the VA’s National Center for PTSD. Clark’s own particular case includes symptoms of intense nightmares accompanied by sleep walking, he said. “When I got back home, after two weeks of throwing my now ex-wife around in my nightmarestate of sleep walking – because I thought she was one of my soldiers and she needed to take cover so I’d throw her off the bed because she needed to take cover – it got to the point where when it came bedtime, she had to lock me in the living room because I couldn’t sleep in the same room
as her and that’s where I slept for about 10 months,” Clark said. In another instance, Clark was found in a hotel lobby screaming at a private who didn’t exist. Clark said another symptom for him is uncontrollable emotions. “Today I could be at home watching TV and a laundry detergent commercial can come on and I’ll start crying like a baby. There’s nothing I can do about it,” he said. “I used to think just ‘man up, it can’t be that bad,’ but you can’t control it and you have to learn to deal with it. … I spent four days in Saudi Arabia in the 90s during Desert Storm. The conscious me thinks that was nothing—I shouldn’t feel the way that I do because I only went on four missions— but the four missions I went on were fairly traumatic.” Clark said he hopes the combat veterans at SHSU and in the Huntsville area will take advantage of this opportunity he and Dekerlegand are offering so that they may be able to avoid going through what they did. “I’m 46 years old and some of those kids at the school are in their young twenties,” he said. “I don’t want them to have to go through those 22 to 23 years of suffering that I’ve gone through. Unfortunately PTSD is kind of like your salvation—it’s a neverending process because once it’s there it never goes away, but that doesn’t mean that it has to consume you.” According to Clark, although PTSD may not be completely curable, it can be helped as long as a person is willing to try. “You’re hurting yourself because the rest of the world is going to continue to spin and everything else is going to continue to go on—you’re just not going to be a part of it,” Clark said. “You’re cheating yourself and you’re hurting yourself by not getting out. You’re not hurting those people over there, you’re hurting yourself. So let’s get you help and let’s get you fixed so that you can enjoy life along with everybody else.
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