The Houstonian

Vol 114 — Issue 27

Huntsville, Texas

SPORTS Baseball Preview: Learn about returning players and the upcoming schedule

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

FEATURE PRESENTATION

INDEX

Nation & World...page 4

Entertainment editor Kevin Jukkola discusses his disappointment in “The Book of Eli”

Viewpoints................page 2

Entertainment........page 5

SEE page 5

Campus................page 3

Sports....................page 6

there are a number of logistical issues that have to be in place before application, according to Watts.

“CACREP requires that entry-level programs, master’s level programs, be accredited prior to the doctoral level being able to be accredited, and you have to have graduates from the program before you can apply for accreditation,”

he said.

SHSU’s doctoral program in counselor education began matriculating students in June 2003. Since then, 13 students have graduated from the program that takes a minimum of three years to complete.

SEE page 6

Doctoral program earns counseling accreditation

By Jennifer Guantt

SHSU Public Relations

Sam Houston State University’s doctoral program in counselor education has become one of only 54 programs in the nation and the only one in Southeast Texas to receive accreditation by the Council for Accreditation of Counsel-

ing and Related Educational Programs.

“Accreditation by CACREP is the premier recognition of program quality for a counseling education program,” said Richard Watts, professor and director of the Center for Research and Doctoral Studies in Counselor Education.

“Our program was accredited with no conditions

whatsoever,” he said. “That’s not all that uncommon with programs that undergo reaccreditation, but for this being a first-time accreditation, it is a very significant.”

The approval of the doctoral program was added to the accreditation already in place for SHSU’s master’s program in counselor education, which was received in 2006. Both

programs will be up for reaccreditation in 2014.

While the College of Education is already accredited through the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and the National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education, CACREP accreditation is special in that it is discipline specific, focusing solely on counseling education, and

— See PROGRAM, page 4

Funding the future

Students learn about upcoming U.S. headcount

“Every year, more than $400 billion in federal funds is awarded to states and communities based on census data. That’s more than 3 trillion over a 10-year period,” Meadows said.

FORECAST

By Kristin Meyer Senior Reporter

On January 15, the Sociology Department hosted a Brown Bag event with guest speaker Paula Wright, Partnership Information Specialist from the Dallas Regional Office, to inform students, faculty and staff about the upcoming U.S. Census.

The U.S. Constitution requires a national census once very 10 years.

The census is a count of everyone residing in the United States: in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.

— See CENSUS, page 4

Photo Courtesty of Charlotte Meadows

FIVE DAY

Census Quickfacts • The 1st Census took place in 1790 and 3,929,214 people in the US were counted.

• In 2010 the projected population that will be counted in the US is 310,233,000 • Population, 2006 estimate in Huntsville: 37,537, Texas: 23,507,783 • Population, percent change, April 1, 2000 to July 1, 2006 Huntsville: 6.9%,Texas: 12.7%

Congrats Kats!

“The SHSU co-ed cheer team placed fourth over the weekend in the Universal Cheerleading Association’s national competition, beating squads from Texas State—San Marcos, Belmont, Tennessee Tech, Northern Arizona and Wichita State universities. The competition was held Jan. 14-18 in Orlando, Fla. It will air on ESPN 2 in late February.”

-SHSU Public Relations

High /Low (°F) Precip. %

Tuesday, Jan. 26 Sunny 68°/49° 0% Wednesday, Jan. 27 Cloudy 68°/59° 10%

Thursday, Jan. 28 T-Storms 65°/32° 70% Friday, Jan. 29 Cloudy 44°/25° 20% Saturday, Jan. 30 Sunny 50°/26° 0% KATlinks

Information

courtesy of www. weather.com

NATIONAL NEWS ALERT WASHINGTON (AP) — AP sources: Obama to seek 3-year freeze on part of federal budget for 2011.

Find out about big stories breaking around the state -See page 4

Page 2 The Houstonian

Letter to the Student Body Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alumni: The Houstonian would not survive were it not for the continued involvement and dedication of the SHSU student body.

We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor.

If at any time you feel the need to express an opinion, please do not hesitate to email your thoughts or drop by our office in the Dan Rather communications building, room 210. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued support of the Houstonian.

VIEWPOINTS

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Comics for thought

Heath Wierck Viewponts Editor haw002@shsu.edu

For the love of Mar ti a l Ar t s Lotis Butchko

shares his experiences with MMA. There are certain moments in our lives we will never forget; first girlfriend, first love, and first pet. The one memory that really sticks with me is the first time I ever saw a Mixed Martial Arts fight.

I remember some friends invited me to Hooters to watch the fights. I had never seen the Ultimate Fighting Championship before, but I felt like it was something I should try. My only memories of the UFC was the early days while I was still into professional wrestling, and Ken Shamrock was the worlds most dangerous man.

But when I saw my first UFC fight I fell in love.

Matt Hughes defended his welterweight belt against Frank Trigg and ended the fight in an amazing fashion with a standing rear naked choke.

I was hooked. I loved the idea, and it went against everything modern day America preached.

And that I guess is what makes it so great. Think about everyone you know now, and how much they avoid fights and confrontations. How many people do you know who are so pas-

sive aggressive, they won’t bring a real argument to anyone’s face and just subtly do things around them that annoys them. I hate that.

I hate that people have lost their edge, that no one really brings a true argument to the table anymore, and yet this sport exist in the midst of it all.

In a world where they are banning dodge ball and tag on elementary play grounds because they feel they are picking out the weak kids, this sport is turning the world on it’s ear, and putting two guys in a cage and telling them to start swinging.

The beauty of being a fan of MMA is watching it grow. I have seen this sport go from banned on pay-per-view to sponsors like Burger King and Harley Davidson. The UFC has blossomed, and as a fan I can only think, what’s next?

Lotis Butchko is the Senior Editor for The Houstonian.

He is a Junior Print Journalism major, English minor.

Correction In the H1N1 story of Thursday’s issue last week, it should have read “The virus was active on our campus last semester and there were some confirmed cases.” In regards to there being no reported cases last semester. Also in last Thursday’s issue, on the Viewpoints page in the column “Good things come in small packages”, the author’s name was misspelled, and should read Brittany Pires.

The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call (936) 294-4864. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press.

The Houstonian Editorial EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Meagan Ellsworth...............................................................936-294-1505 FACULTY ADVISOR Patsy Ziegler.......................................................................936-294-1499 SECTION EDITORS Lotis Butchko....................................................................Senior Joe Buvid.............................................................................Senior Jessica Priest..................................................................Associate Heath Wierck..............................................................Viewpoints Mike Silva...........................................................................Sports Kevin Jukkola........................................................Entertainment Thomas Merka...................................................................Web Kristin Meyer.......................................................................Copy

Editor Editor Editor Editor Editor Editor Editor Editor

STAFF Brandon Scott.................................................................Sports Reporter John Rudolph.......................................................................Photographer Jared Wolf....................................................................................Graphics

Advertising BUSINESS MANAGER Tammie Nokes.................................................................936-294-1500 STAFF Brittaney Pires.....................................................Advertising Manager

Advertising Deadlines

Tuesday’s Issue............... Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Thursday’s Issue........... Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.

Comic courtesy of comics.com

Conan O’Brien, Social Reformer?

Chris Marek talks about cynicism in our culture and its relevance to O’Brien In the final episode of his self-titled talk show with NBC, a process that has been tumultuous in a way not relevant to the purpose of this article, Conan O’Brien set aside the comic persona and became the sage momentarily: “And all I ask is one thing, and I’m asking this particularly of young people that watch: please do not be cynical. I hate cynicism. For the record, it’s my least favorite quality and it doesn’t lead anywhere.”

O’Brien here is touching on the mode of this era in America, particularly that of my generation.

Celebrities and politicians, employers and employees, friends and enemies, these are all subject to the plague that is this age’s extreme cynicism.

The first thing we all think to do is to knock

down everything above us, and it is not just those examples I just gave, but also institutions, traditions, and beliefs.

I would argue that the cynicism of our time—as opposed to the healthy Cynicism of certain

“The problem with this age is

that none of us seem to have the fight.”

Greeks beginning with Antisthenes—is more the result of insecurity than a desire to improve the world or institutions or relationships.

Lethargy, being another problem with this age, has villainously convinced us that we ought to bring the world down to our immovable level.

There was a time when

Skinny b oy go es clubbing When they said “white men can’t dance,” they were talking about me.

Despite my lack of dance skill, I decided last week to go to a club for the first time in my life.

Yes, I know, how can I be 19 years old and have never been to a club before?

Well, I already explained that. I can’t dance!

Don’t try to tell me what everyone else does, “Anyone can dance! You just move to the beat.”

Have you ever seen a walking stick having a seizure? Well, if not, then just imagine what that would look like. Got it?

Well now you know what I look like on the dance floor.

Okay.

Maybe I exaggerated a little, but the truth is my body just doesn’t gyrate in the correct manner to allow me to pop, lock, or drop anything.

And no amount of Youtube videos is going to fix it.

Nevertheless, my first club experience was surprisingly enjoyable for two reasons. One, I did not get made fun of, and two, going out made a horrible day transform into a glorious night.

For the majority of last week my nerves were a little on edge, or rather, ready to jump over the edge. I can describe last week in one word I know we are all familiar with: stress.

So on Thursday night I planned to just finish a bit of homework and go to bed

to exist was to create, to modify, to improve.

People, in their jealousy of all that had risen above them, fought to rise as well rather than to tear down everything else around them.

This cynicism is weak

early, but then a group of people living in my dorm asked me to go out with them. Did I want to? No. Did they pressure and guilt me into going anyway?

Yes, and I’m glad they did.

One of the big differences between college and high school for me is that you seem to learn just as much out of class as you do in class, when at college. The night of my first clubbing experience I learned that dancing, or attempting to, is an amazing form of stress relief.

When I left the club that night, I felt an immense sense of relief. Issues that had seemed gargantuan earlier now seemed trivial.

The time spent shaking my groove “thang” allowed my mind to take a break and stop worrying about issues I had no control over.

Although I look like a spastic insect on the dance floor, I have found a great new outlet for my emotional baggage, and I highly recommend going to a club if you have never been. So the next time your feeling down, head out to your local night club and be prepared to leave your worries behind and shake the stress away.

Thomas Merka is the Web Editor for The Houstonian.

He is a Sophomore Broadcast Journalism major, Theatre minor.

and embarrassing for those who take part in it.

It is as Herbert Hoover said: “Words without actions are the assassins of idealism.”

Under this sort of cynicism, history can only look back on this generation and all that relate to it and see a void, a purposelessness remembered only for that

same quality.

There will not have been a liberal or conservative agenda behind it because these two philosophies without action are void as well. If one is against tradition, one should fight to replace it; if one is for tradition, one should fight to maintain it.

The problem with this age is that none of us seem to have the fight.

Conan O’Brien’s philosophy here is wellfounded and necessarily illuminated. We ought not to destroy everything we criticize without the goal of creation, modification, or improvement.

Chris Marek is a guest columnist for The Houstonian. He is a Senior with a double major in English and Philosophy

Paws Up, Paws Down

With the Thanksgiving break approaching, we this at The Houstonian to lighten the In section of thedecided Viewpoints page, mood andatake look at the not-so-serious we take looka at some various news side of Turkey Day. After all, wegive all need stories around campus and the something funny to get us through the days

parties involved either a “paws up” for a good job, or a “paws down” for a not so good job.

“Paws UP” to the extremely nice weather Huntsville has been having the past few days, and hopefully will continue through the weekend.

“Paws DOWN” to the continuous suffering the Haitians are going through in this devastating time while searching for friends and family in the rubble around Port-au-Prince.

“Paws UP” to SHSU’s lady basketball team for winning their second conference game in a row, beating UT-Arlington for the first time since 2001.

And another “Paws UP” to SHSU’s men basketball team besting UT-Arlington, making them 2-2 in conference, and looking for another win against Lamar on Wednesday.

CAMPUS

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Houstonian, Page 3

Texas A&M professor to speak at Physics colloquium Te x a s A & M P r o f e s s o r D a v e To b a c k w i l l visi t S H S U t o d a y t o d i s c u s s h i s w o r k “Searching for Particles of an Early Universe”

By Jessica Priest Associate News Editor Ever contemplate the mysteries of the universe? Texas A&M associate professor Dave Toback will explore these questions and many more as he discusses his work “Searching for Particles of an Early Universe” today from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Lee Drain Building, room 214.

His lecture, which will last approximately one hour, is designed to be accessible to non science majors and will offer students an exciting look into the debates and experiments prevalent in the physics community today.

“In this talk I will briefly discuss why many models that can explain the Dark Matter we observe in the Universe today also predict the existence of new fundamental particles. In particular, I will focus on a powerful theory of particle physics, Supersym-

metry, and how it could be discovered in highenergy collider experiments that reproduce the earliest moments after the Big Bang,” Toback said.

“I will (also) highlight some of the different experimental techniques and predictions, and concentrate on the stateof-the-art searches at the Tevatron, with an eye on the implications for the impending data of the LHC.” “(Professor Toback) is going to play an instrumental part in interpreting some of the results that are coming out of the large hadron collider experiment in Geneva, Switzerland or the LHC,” said coordinator of the colloquium, and SHSU physics Professor, Joel Walker. “The LHC is probably the most exciting particle physics experiment to be constructed in the last several decades.”

“Particle Physics in the last several decades have been filled with large amounts of

speculation of what the next energy frontiers might hold, but until we had devices sufficiently powerful enough to directly study the enormous energies involved, it was impossible to distinguish, with any certainty, between the various possibilities that have been studied,” Walker said.

“Recent experiments have shown that approximately a quarter of the energy density of the universe seems to consist of what is called “dark matter”. Dark matter is a matter that contributes to the rotation of galaxies but does not shine in a way that our telescopes can see. The LHC needs to create extremely powerful collisions between protons and antiprotons in order to produce, hopefully, the first direct and unambiguous evidence that mankind has ever seen for dark matter,” Walker said.

This is not the first year that the SHSU physics department has hosted colloquiums and

Photo courtesy of http://particleadventure.org Physics Colloquium set for today: Professor Dave Toback’s lecture on his work “Searching for Particles of an Early Universe” will focus on a powerful theory of particle physics, Supersymmetry.

Photo courtesy of http://faculty.physics.tamu.edu/toback/

Physics Colloquium set for foday: Thaman

Professor for Undergraduate Teaching Excellence and associate professor of experimental high energy particle physics at Texas A&M University, Dr. Dave Toback, will discuss his work “Searching for Particles of an Early Universe” from 3 to 4 p.m. in the Lee Drain Building room 214.

stimulating discussions, but Walker hopes to gain students’ enthusiasm for the event and fill every seat in the lecture hall.

“Currently we have seats available on a first come, first serve basis,” Walker said.

“We have colloquiums very regularly, but this is a very exciting one ... just because of all the international interest we have in this huge experiment starting up and the possibilities to really nail down the theories people have been speculating about for decades.”

There are approximately 160 seats available in the lecture hall and

there is no fee to attend.

“This is just a really great chance for SHSU students to feel that they have got some local connection with this project,” Walker said.

Toback received his bachelor’s degree in physics from M.I.T. in 1991 and his Ph. D. from the University of Chicago in 1997. He joined the Texas A&M faculty in 2000.

For more information on the Physics Colloquium, please call 936-294-1601 or visit http://www.shsu. edu/~phy_www/.

Program Council hosts “Animal Awareness”

Students can attend a free seminar sponsered by the small business development center’s computer learning center today from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The Houston Zoo will be in the LSC Mall Area Jan. 27 with four to seven endangered animals

Contributing Writer Theft is a major issue in our society, which is why Sam Houston State University’s Small Business Development Center is putting on its “Scams, Shams and Flimflams” seminar.

This free event will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 26, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Small Business Development Center’s Computer Learning Center.

The purpose of this event is to teach people how to protect themselves and their businesses from money and

identity theft. This seminar is geared more toward small businesses, but personal theft will be discussed as well.

According to Ce Cowart Schlicher, training coordinator of the SBDC, this seminar will show attendees what to look for to avoid being scammed.

“These con artists have really clever, really honest looking ways to get our money,” said Schlicher.

The seminar, which will be presented by Joe Thorton, Community Service Officer of the Huntsville Police Department, will explain many current money and

Joe Buvid | The Houstonian

“Scams, Shams and Flimflams” seminar today: Community service officer of the Huntsville Police Department Joe Thorton will be on campus today to speak to students and small business owners on how to avoid theft and con artist scams.

identity theft schemes and how people and businesses can avoid being fooled. He will also allow people to ask specific questions about theft pertaining to themselves or their businesses.

Many recent scams have been internet-based.

Emails will seem as though they were from the IRS or the bank and will ask for social security numbers or bank account numbers.

Many people fall for these claims and proceed to give out extremely important information.

“People just click and don’t realize what they are doing,” said Schlicher.

The “Scams, Shams and Flimflams” seminar is open to the public. Those who wish to attend should RSVP because the maximum attendance is approximately 20 people. Attendees are asked to bring a brown bag lunch, but soda and coffee will be provided.

The Small Business Development Center has been in business for 18 years. It is a free and confidential service that offers seminars, resources and important information for small business owners.

They offer advice on how to start up a business and keep it going, as well as financial advice for business owners.

They are located at 2424 Sam Houston Avenue next to the University Police Department.

For more information on the seminar or to sign up, please call 936-294-3737.

Jared Wolf | The Houstonian

The Student Health Center will administer the H1N1 vaccine free of charge to all SHSU students and faculty on Wednesday, Jan. 27, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., in the LSC Atrium.

Everyone should bring their SHSU ID. Please note: Those who are pregnant, nursing, or taking anticoagulants must present an authorization from their physician in orer to recieve the vaccine.

You can find the authorization form at http://www.shsu. edu/~pin_www/pdf/ Physician%20Authorization%20for%20 H1N1%20Vaccine.pdf.

Protection from identity theft the main purpose of “Scams” seminar

By Brittany McClure

Student Health Center to administer free H1N1 vaccines

By Jessica Priest

SHSU Review Deadline Quickly Approaching The deadline to submit short stories, poetry, and/or essays to the Sam Houston State Review is Feb. 1.

All submissions must be typed. Prose submsissions should be double spaced. Please include contact information and a brief biographical statement.

Current students, facutly, staff and alumni are invited to submit.

Those whose work is accepted will be invited to read at the Reviews annual event late in the spring.

You may also submit your artwork for this year’s cover. The deadline for submitting artwork is Feb. 15.

Please mail all submissions to:

Associate News Editor Lions, tigers and bears?

Program Council is saying ,“Oh yes!” on Jan. 27 with their first program of the semester, “Animal Awareness”.

“Animal Awareness”, which will begin at 11 a.m. and last until 2 p.m. in the LSC Mall Area, will teach students about the endangered species of the world by providing them with an up-close encounter with some of the Houston Zoo’s endangered animals.

“Animal Awareness is our education chair, Courtney Hill’s, first program of the semester,” said the Director of Marketing and Public Relations of Program Council, Ashly Poyer. “We are going to be (hosting) the Houston Zoo and they are going to bring out some of their endangered animals (present) so students can learn how we can prevent them from going extinct.”

Program Council will also have booths set up about how to get involved in their organization as well as more information on the various endangered species that will be present.

Right now, Program Council has not nailed down the exact number or name of the animals the Houston Zoo will be bringing to the SHSU campus.

“There will be anywhere from four to seven animals , and we are also anticipating an alligator,” Poyer said.

Either way this is going to be an exciting event for all students to enjoy, Poy-

For more information, please contact the Student Health Center at 936-294-1805 or visit http://www.shsu. edu/~uhc_www/.

SHSU Review Department of English, SHSU Box 2146 Huntsville, TX 77341 or electronically to: shsureview@yahoo. com Please attach your submissions as a word. doc(x).

Photo Courtesy of the Houston Zoo

“Animal Awareness”: Program Council will be hosting their first program of the spring semester, “Animal Awareness”, to raise awareness about the endangered species of the world. As part of the program, the Houston Zoo and as many as seven endangered animals will be present in the LSC Mall Area from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Jan. 27. er said. Program Council hopes to see as many as 200 to 350 students attend the event.

“Students should come to ‘Animal Awareness’ because it’s a great event,” Poyer said. “It’s different and it’s a great learning experience for students on how to make a great impact on our earth and how it’s always changing.”

This is the first year that Program Council is hosting “Animal Awareness”.

There is no cost of admission.

For more information, please contact Program Council at 936-294-1763 or visit them online at http:// shsuprogramcouncil.ning. com/.

Houstonian Classifieds Real Estate

Small house, 1-1, 1 1/2 blocks from SHSU, nice area, shaded.

Call 936-291-1102 Classified Rates • Rate: $1.50 per line, per issue • All ads must be paid in full prior to publication • No refunds • Lost and found ads are free • Deadline: For Tuesday’s paper is 12 p.m. Thursday For Thursday’s paper is 12 p.m. Monday Note: The Houstonian is not responsible for any misleading or misinterpretation of advertisements.

NATION & WORLD

Page 4 The Houstonian

220,000 gallons evaporated,

dispersed in oil spill

By John McFarland Associate Press

DALLAS (AP) — The worst Texas oil spill in more than 15 years was contained Monday, and authorities credit a massive emergency response with averting an environmental disaster.

About 462,000 gallons of oil spilled when an 800-foot tanker headed for an Exxon Mobil Corp. refinery in Beaumont collided Saturday with a vessel pushing two barges. As of Monday, roughly 220,000 gallons of oil had evaporated or dispersed, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

No injuries have been reported, but Port Arthur residents were evacuated after the spill while officials tested the air quality. So far only two oilcovered birds have been reported; one of them was captured and cleaned up, and the other flew away.

More than 60 vessels and 550 people from the Coast Guard, the state, the shipping company and others responded to the spill. More than 11 miles worth of the plastic walls known as booms are floating around the spill, and 27 skimmer boats were removing the oil floating on the water.

“This response has helped contain this oil and keep it from becoming a catastrophe,” said Texas General Land Office spokesman Jim Suydam. “Had this oil escaped the ship channel, it could have been a catastrophe.”

It was the largest spill in Texas since 1990, when a Norwegian tanker spilled 4.3 million gallons about 60 miles off Galveston.

Two sensitive wildlife areas near the weekend spill remain unaffected by it. The spill is mostly contained in a 2-mile stretch of the Sabine Neches Waterway near Port Arthur, about 90 miles east of Houston. The estuaries and other delicate environments are

Julio Cortez|AP Photo/Houston Chronicle

Officials ride along the water where crude oil was spilled when two vessels collided causing as much as 450,000 gallons of crude oil to spill, according to the U.S. Coast Guard, on Saturday, Jan. 23, 2010, in Port Arthur, Texas. Officials contained the spill, but were still assessing the scope and cause. No injuries were reported from the collision.

crucial for fish, shrimp and “everything that lives in the Gulf,” Suydam said.

Environmental watchdogs were encouraged by the speedy response but concerned about what air pollutants the people nearby were exposed to.

Hilton Kelley, a Port Arthur environmental activist and head of the group Community In-Power and Development

Association, said he was near the water Saturday during the evacuation. He said the smell was so overpowering that he had to put on a respirator mask, and that he told two women walking down the street with their coats over their faces to leave because it was dangerous.

“The fumes were just unbearable,” he said. “Our main concern is the number of

people who might have been impacted over the long term by the fumes.”

The evacuation was lifted Saturday night. The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality was monitoring the air and water quality and said there were no reports of problems with drinking water or wastewater.

“We’ve learned a lot over the years how to do this right,” said Tom “Smitty” Smith of the activist group Public Citizen. “The downsides, of course, are the long-term impacts of the people who are exposed to the emissions.”

The shipping channel was closed Monday, and it remains unclear when it will reopen, the Coast Guard said.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Larry Chambers said there are currently 13 vessels waiting offshore to get into the waterway and 11 waiting to get out. He said about a dozen tankers move through the waterway each day.

AET Tankers, the company that owns the vessel called the Eagle Otome, said it’s still unclear exactly how the accident happened that left a 15-foot-by-8-foot hole in the tanker. The National Transportation Safety Board and the Coast Guard are investigating. The Coast Guard is reviewing radio transmissions from the vessels as part of the investigation but is not releasing any information from them yet, Chambers said.

A spokesman for AET Tankers, a Malaysian company with offices in Houston, said the company is cooperating with the investigation and working with the Coast Guard on the cleanup.

“It was our product that spilled and right now, we are the ones responsible for cleaning it up,” spokesman Darrell Wilson said.

--Associated Press Writer Jeff Carlton contributed to this report.

Shootout in Mexico kills 2 soldiers, 4 gunmen MEXICO CITY (AP) — Authorities say a shootout between troops and suspected drug traffickers in northern Mexico has killed two soldiers and four gunmen.

The Defense Department says the clash began when gunmen opened fire on a military patrol Sunday in the town of Doctor Arroyo, in Nuevo Leon state.

A Defense statement says soldiers returned fire, killing three assailants inside a home and another in a car.

Also Monday, police in Veracruz state said a

federal court official kidnapped last week was found dead.

State prosecutor Jose Franyutti said Nayeli Reyes’ mutilated body was discovered Sunday in the same residential neighborhood of Boca del Rio where she was abducted.

A threatening note signed by a drug cartel was left with the corpse.

Fort Hood suspect’s lawyer seeks mental exam delay ByAngela K. Brown Associate Press

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — An attorney for the Army psychiatrist accused of going on a shooting rampage at Fort Hood said Monday he wants his client’s mental evaluation delayed citing a potential conflict of interest with the exam panel.

Army officials previously appointed a three-member board of military mental health professionals to determine whether Maj. Nidal Hasan is competent to stand trial and his mental status the day of the November shooting, which left 13 dead and dozens wounded on the Texas Army post.

The board is to start reviewing documents next week and begin evaluating the Army psychiatrist as early as Feb. 8, said Hasan’s attorney John Galligan. After the board interviews and does psychological testing on Hasan, the findings will go to Army prosecutors by the end of February.

But Galligan said one panel member taught at the medical school Hasan attended, although Galligan was unsure if that doctor directly taught or knew Hasan. Galligan declined to release any board members’ identities.

In his motion to Army officials last week, Galligan said he also requested an all-civilian board, saying doctors with no military ties likely would be more objective and not worried

Photo courtesy of The Associated Press

FILE - This 2000 file picture provided by the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS) shows Nidal Malik Hasan as a medical student at the F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine, USUHS, in Bethesda, Md. According to information gathered during an internal Pentagon review and obtained by The Associated Press, Hasan struggled academically, taking six years to complete the four-year program, but his separate military record was clean enough to get him into Walter Reed for a four-year psychiatry internship and residency.

about repercussions if their diagnosis was considered favorable to Hasan.

Earlier this month, Defense Secretary Robert Gates released an internal Pentagon

review that found several unidentified medical officers failed to use “appropriate judgment and standards of officership” when reviewing Hasan’s performance as

a student, internist and psychiatric resident.

“Why would this same system evaluate one of its own in a case of this magnitude?”

Galligan said Monday from his office near Fort Hood, about 150 miles southwest of Fort Worth.

Fort Hood officials did not immediately return a call seeking comment Monday.

Galligan also said he still has not received military files relevant to Hasan’s mental status, including academic and performance evaluations, records indicating Hasan was at risk of psychosis and minutes of meetings in which Hasan allegedly discussed his religious concerns.

Galligan said he wants to present those documents to the board for its review.

“I don’t know if it will help or hurt his case, but it’s something the board should have,” Galligan said.

The exam is expected to be done at Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, where Hasan is undergoing rehabilitation for his paralysis. Authorities have said Hasan was shot and wounded by Fort Hood’s police force.

The sanity board will determine whether Hasan had a severe mental illness at the time of the shooting, and if so, his clinical psychological diagnosis, whether that prevented him from knowing at the time that his alleged actions were wrong, and if he is competent to stand trial, according to military law.

Tuesday,January 26, 2010

Homes evacuated in Texas as ground shifts below

SAN ANTONIO (AP) — Dozens of homes were evacuated in San Antonio after the ground below began shifting, creating crevices up to 15 feet deep and nearly splitting a nearby retaining wall in half, officials said.

About 80 homes were first evacuated on Sunday after residents in a northwest side subdivision reported that the ground was caving behind several houses. No one was Jerry Lara | The San Antonio Expressinjured.

News (AP) The large crack in the retaining wall sent soil “In this Jan. 24, 2010 photo, tumbling out below.

San Antonio Fire Department Fences were tossed personnel survey the damage to a retaining wall as the askew and crumpled ground shifts beneath it in San like accordions, and Antonio.” aerial photos showed land had given way near the foundations of hour. several homes.

The homes were in a Engineers at the scene Monday were trying new subdivision built to determine why the by Pulte Homes Inc. ground was shifting and The homebuilder was how much damage it providing lodging and meals for the evacuated could cause. company Fire Department residents, Valerie District Chief Nim spokeswoman Kidd said at least seven Dolenga said Monday. streets had to be closed since the ground started shifting on Friday. Kidd estimated the ground has been slipping at the rate of about 4 inches an

From PROGRAM page 1

A “competitive entry” program, only 10 to 12 are accepted annually. Those in the program are responsible for 69 hours of course work, including a minimum of nine hours for a dissertation, clinical and teaching internships and two semesters of supervising master’s students.

“It’s strongly preparing them for academia, but it also prepares them to supervise counselors, and they also have a clinical piece,” Watts said. “The focus is preparing people for the professorate, but there are clinical and supervision components built in.”

Accreditation means several things, for both the program itself and the students who are interested in earning a doctorate.

“It has to do with quality control because you know that the program has been thoroughly examined and meets high national standards,” Watts said. “It’s an indication of a really good program that has been carefully examined.

“Having this doctoral pro-

From CENSUS page 1

This includes people of all ages, races, ethnic groups, both citizens and non-citizens.

The date for the upcoming census is April 1, but students are encouraged to fill out the form as soon as possible.

According to the 2010 census website, the 2010 Census will help communities receive more than $400 billion in federal funds each year for things like hospitals, job training centers, schools, senior centers, bridges, tunnels and other-public works projects, and emergency services.

The 50 attendees of the event received valuable information from Paula Wright about census products, the American Community Survey, the Economic Census, census data for Researchers, census jobs, and the impact of the census on local and state funds from the federal government.

gram CACREP accredited is also a tremendous advantage for our students because every faculty announcement in the journals, the magazines, say without exception ‘CACREP accredited graduate preferred’ so this is really going to help our students.”

SHSU joins six other universities in Texas with the approval, including St. Mary’s, Texas A&M’s Corpus Christi and Commerce universities, University of Texas at San Antonio, University of North Texas and Texas Tech.

“Because of the rigor of going through the CACREP accreditation process, there are only 53 in the country that are CACREP accredited.

It’s a really big deal,” Watts said. “We’re very proud of it. It was a lot of work, but it certainly will be worth it, both for the prestige of the program and for the marketability of our students.”

The application deadline for the program’s eighth cohort is Feb. 1.

For more information on SHSU’s doctorate in counselor education, visit http:// www.shsu.edu/~edu_elc/ counseling/phd.html.

Charlotte Meadows, Partnership Assistant with the United States Census and representative for SHSU, said that for every person who does not fill out a census questionnaire, $2500 is lost every year for 10 years (per person).

Questionnaires include ten questions that cover things like how many people live in your household, phone number, date of birth, sex, race, etc.

Most questionnaires will be English-only, but if you live in a highly dense Spanish-speaking area, you may receive a bilingual questionnaire.

If you have any further questions about the census logon to 2010.census.gov or if you could not attend and would like to have Ms. Wright or someone else from the Census talk to you, your organization, or class, please contact Charlotte Meadows at cmeadows2010@gmail. com or 936-245-9159.

ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

The Houstonian, Page 5

At the Movies with Kevin: The Book of Eli not as profound as it seems Kevin Jukkola

Entertainment Editor

“The Book of Eli” is not boring, but it is also not necessary. The film never reaches the intellectually or religiously profound depths it strives for. It is like listening to a lecture by a professor who often has interesting anecdotes that have little relation to the lesson being discussed.

Eli (Denzel Washington) resides in a post-apocalyptic world without excess, where water is scarce and people are animalistic. It is difficult to find decent individuals without a sinister agenda, which is the reason for both Eli’s loneliness and his continuous distrust of others. He is heading west with a book coveted by Carnegie (Gary Oldman) and is forced to use his extensive martial arts training to fight off people who intend on harming him or taking the document.

After years of isolation, Eli arrives in a town populated by parasitical people, including Carnegie. Solara (Mila Kunis) is among the respectable souls who are looking for something to bring meaning to this reprehensible world. She wishes to break away from

the persistent carnage of this vicious town, and Eli gives her some much needed hope.

The remainder of “The Book of Eli” consists of various explosions that are supposed to indicate a struggle between good and evil that will decide the fate of the world through the possessor of the book. The fight between the two entities seems diminished by a subdued ending that does nothing to apply significance onto the previous proceedings.

When closely evaluating the psychological makeup of the characters, more questions than answers are provided.

In any world, the difference between Eli and Carnegie would be substantial, but in a such a contemptible world, wouldn’t the evil of Carnegie and the sinful nature of the common man be less distinguishable? It is possible that I am thinking about “The Book of Eli” too much, but the film wants you to contemplate the various thinly veiled themes. The biggest problem with “The Book of Eli” is that the more you think about it, the less there is.

By the way, if the world is without many valuable resources, than why are these people loaded up

with more ammunition and explosion devices than the entire Czechoslovakian army? The film could be making a statement about the importance of weapons in such an insidious universe, but I don’t believe it thought that deeply into the implications of the firearms. I think they were simply looking for excuses to blow stuff up.

Normally, I hesitate to question the casting of films because there are usually reasons behind the placement of certain actors in roles, but the choice of Denzel Washington to play Eli seems like a misstep. Washington’s presence is best utilized when he has the ability to influence a number of people, including tremendous roles in “Glory” and “Malcolm X”, but he is forced into many moments of silence and introspection in “The Book of Eli”, which is not where he is strongest. Terrence Howard, who seems effortless in being able to show concern over a sad state of affairs through his eyes, might have been a more astute choice. That said, the movie might have been more difficult to produce with the money necessary for the special effects to seem realistic without Washington.

Is the film saying that faith can be both the cause of the wars of the world and the cure? Or, is it stating that the vindication of the faithful will come after the apocalypse?

The film has many religious undertones, but never fully places them into a coherent message. I am not sure exactly what it is saying, and I don’t think the filmmakers are that interested either.

“The Book of Eli” is not a complete mess, mostly because of the craft of the set pieces and predominant consistency of tone. The obvious reason for this is the talented filmmakers, the Hughes Brothers, who are obviously confident in the vision, but not the ideas of the movie. The Hughes Brothers are credited with directing the powerful “Menace II Society” and the intriguing “From Hell”. Both of those films were interested in the physical and emotional vulnerability and fragility of the main characters, while even enforcing these beliefs with endings that made a lasting impression. On the other hand, “The Book of Eli” has an inexplicable twist toward the conclusion that makes everything before it basically impossible. Some kind of lasting impression.

The Book of Eli

Stars: * * 1/2 Grade: C+ Running Time: 118 min.

MPAA: Rated R for brutal violence and language.

Cast: Denzel Washington (Eli), Gary Oldman (Carnegie), Mila Kunis (Solara), Ray Stevenson (Redridge), Jennifer Beals (Claudia), Tom Waits (Engineer), Michael Gambon (George).

Directed by Albert and Allen Hughes.

Written by Gary Whitta.

Praying for victory. Eli (Denzel Washington) and Solara (Mila Kunis) pray before a meal in “The Book of Eli.”

Screen Actors Guild Box Office Winners Award Winners

Motion Picture Awards

Best Ensemble Cast Inglourious Basterds

Best Actor Jeff Bridges, Crazy Heart

Best Actress Sandra Bullock, The Blind Side

Best Supporting Actor Christoph Waltz, Inglourious Basterds Best Supporting Actress Mo’Nique, Precious Best Stunt Ensemble Star Trek

1. Avatar, $36.0 million one week, $552.8 million overall 2. Legion, $18.2 million one week, $18.2 million overall 3. The Book of Eli, $17.0 million one week, $62.0 million overall 4. Tooth Fairy, $14.5 million one week, $14.5 million overall 5. The Lovely Bones, $8.8 million one week, $31.6 million overall 6. Sherlock Holmes, $7.1 million one week, $191.6 million overall 7. Extraordinary Measures, $7.0 million one week, $7.0 million overall 8. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel, $6.5 million one week, $204.2 million overall 9. It’s Complicated, $6.2 million one week, $98.6 million overall 10. The Spy Next Door, $4.7 million one week, $18.7 million overall

Top Movie Rentals

Television Awards

Best Ensemble Cast-Drama “Mad Men”

Best Ensemble Cast-Comedy “Glee”

Best Actor-Drama Michael C. Hall, “Dexter”

Best Actor-Comedy Alec Baldwin, “30 Rock”

Best Actress-Drama Julianna Margulies, “The Good Wife”

Best Actress-Comedy Tina Fey, “30 Rock”

1. The Hangover 2. Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs 3. District 9 4. Tyler Perry’s I Can Do Bad All By Myself 5. Halloween II 6. Inglourious Basterds 7. Julie and Julia 8. Paranormal Activity 9. All About Steve 10. A Perfect Getaway

SPORTS

Page 6 The Houstonian

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Batter up, Bearkats!

With the 2010 baseball season just weeks away, Sam Houston State looks poised to win its fourth consecutive Southland Conference tournament title.

Mike Silva

Sports Editor

January is flying by and February is quickly approaching. With February comes the beginning of spring, which brings the return of Bearkat baseball.

The Sam Houston State baseball team will take the field in less than a month in Fort Worth, where they will play TCU on February 19 to open the 2010 baseball season. The Bearkats will look to build off of last season’s success by defending their Southland Conference tournament title, a title that they have held for three years in a row.

Last season the Bearkats swept through the playoffs without even one loss, improving their Southland Conference tournament winning streak to 12 games en route to their third straight SLC tournament title. With these three straight tournament titles, Sam Houston State won its way to an NCAA Division I regional tournament berth for the third straight year last season.

The Bearkats look poised and ready to build on that success and hope to carry it over into this season.

“We’re excited to get started,” Head Coach Mark Johnson said. “We’re getting our bullpens in, everybody’s getting in shape, we’re working on conditioning, and we’re trying to get a feel for this year’s team. I expect us to do well. I always expect us to do well. We have reason to believe in that.”

Since Coach Johnson began coaching Sam Houston State in the 2007 season, the Bearkats have been the team to beat in the Southland Conference. Johnson coached the Bearkats to one of the best turn-around seasons in NCAA Division I baseball by swinging Sam Houston’s record from 23-31 in 2006 to 40-24 in 2007.

This 17-win turn-around led Sam Houston to its first NCAA Regional bid since 1996, which resulted in the Bearkats advancing to the NCAA Division I Regional finals for the first time ever. Coach Johnson then led the Bearkats to two back-to-back winning seasons en route to three conference titles, making Sam Houston State the elite team in the Southland Conference.

Sam Houston State will start the season without some of their veteran leaders from last season. The Bearkats will be without some major stat leaders from last season, including Nick Zaleski, Mark Wyatt, and Tyler Knight. When this season kicks off, the Bearkats will be returning 10 lettermen from last season, including four infielders, four pitchers, a catcher, a designated hitter, and a lot of new faces.

“We’ve got a lot of new guys this year, but they’re all very talented,” junior second

Joe Buvid | The Houstonian

Ryan Mooney is one of last season’s returning lettermen who looks to make a big impact in 2010.

baseman Braeden Riley said. “In the position areas, we’ve got a lot of young guys but there’s a lot of talent on this team.

We’ve got freshmen and transfer players that we can tell will be impact players for this team.”

Riley is one of the most decorated players returning this season. The junior second baseman set the Southland Conference record for hits last season with 111, a stat that led NCAA Division I baseball in 2009.

Last season he hit for a .387 batting average and owned a 16-game hitting streak, making him a National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association preseason All-America

selection for 2010. He’s a tested veteran that looks to be the leader of this year’s team.

Junior Ryan Mooney is another big name returning next season. Mooney’s range and diversity allowed for him to play half of last season at shortstop and the other half at third base. He hit for a .305 batting average and had 17 multi-hit games last season, making him one of the Bearkats’ biggest weapons.

He likely will get most of his playing time at shortstop this season.

“I think we’re going to be strong this year,” Mooney said. “We can swing the bats and pitch, so it should be a good season.

“One thing this team has is good

camaraderie. No one is separate from the team. I think everyone’s aiming for the same goal of putting in hard work and getting ready to go.”

The Bearkats’ returning pitching staff includes a group of talented veterans with experience under their belts that look to be the strength of this season’s team. One of the big arms returning is junior righthander Matt Shelton, who accumulated a 7-0 record with 1.99 earned runs average last season. Shelton’s great play rolled over into the post-season tournament, where his wins over UTSA and Texas State led him to “Most Valuable Player” honors in the Southland tournament in 2009.

Another returning veteran pitcher is junior right-hander Dallas Gallant. His 9-4 record in 2008 made him an honorable mention all-league selection and candidate for “Freshman All-America.” Gallant looks to bounce back from a shaky 2009 season, where he went 4-4 with a 6.52 earned runs average in 69 innings of work.

The other six returning lettermen include right-handed pitcher Justin Jackson, lefthanded pitcher Brent Powers, first baseman Daniel Nottebart, third baseman Peter Goudeau, designated hitter Jordan Bunch, and catcher Brandon Yates.

The Bearkats will start the season on the road at TCU for a three-game series before hosting Prairie View A&M on February 23 for the home season opener. After their game against Prairie View, Sam Houston State will play host to Utah for a three-game series at home.

Sam Houston State will host a number of tough non-conference opponents at home this season. Some of these opponents include Northern Colorado, Creighton, Houston Baptist, Dallas Baptist, Texas Southern, Rice, and Texas A&M. The Bearkats also face some tough nonconference road opponents throughout the season. These include Baylor, Houston, Rice, and Texas Southern.

Sam Houston begins conference play on March 12 against UT-Arlington for a three-game road series. Following the UTArlington series, the Bearkats return to Don Sanders Stadium to play their conference home-opener, where Sam Houston State will play host to Texas State.

The 2010 baseball season looks to be an exciting one, as Sam Houston State looks to make it to the NCAA Division I regional tournament for the fourth straight year.This year’s Bearkats will produce an exciting team, mixed with talented young players as well as a group of skilled, seasoned veterans.

The action will begin on February 23 at Don Sanders Stadium for the home opener against Prairie View A&M.

Men’s basketball team Lady Bearkats edge wins fourth in a row UTA in OT thriller Amy Turek

Contributing Writer

The Lady Bearkat basketball team faced off against the UT-Arlington on Saturday at Johnson Coliseum.

After two hard fought halves and one five-minute overtime, the Bearkats won 77-75 with just seconds to spare.

The win brings the Bearkats’ record to 2-2 in conference play and 5-11 overall. The win marks the first time the Bearkats have beaten the Lady Mavericks since 2001.

“Right before we went into overtime, we had already played 40 minutes of hard basketball,” Head Coach Brenda Nichols said. “As we

got ready to go back out, I told them we had to play hard for five more. They did.”

In the first half, the Bearkats trailed by nine after a series of traveling calls forced them to turn the ball over.

They were able to play a cleaner game in the second part of the half, putting them up 42-39 at halftime.

In the beginning of the second half, the Bearkats struggled to score, recording only 7 points in 10 minutes.

They also struggled to defend, allowing UTA to hit several three pointers.

In the last few minutes, however, Sam Houston began to mount a comeback. They were down by 2 with one second remaining when senior

Whitney Smith made a jumper to tie the game at 70.

In overtime, the Bearkats were winning by one with 10 seconds left to play. UTA was fouled and shot two free throws, sinking one to tie the game. With only two seconds left, senior Ray Alexander threw up a shot and scored, putting Sam Houston up by two points. UTA was unable to get a shot off before the buzzer, handing the Bearkats their second conference win.

“It was a total team effort,” Nichols said. “The seniors stepped up. Our girls are pumped up. We’re on a roll now.”

The Bearkats next face Lamar this Wednesday night in Beaumont.

D.J. Shafer | The Huntsville Item

Gilberto Clavell, who led the Bearkats with 25 points and 10 rebounds in the win, was a force at UTA.

Paul Ridings

Sports Information

ARLINGTON – Josten Crow drove for a layup with 15 seconds left and Gilberto Clavell added a free throw with four ticks remaining as Sam Houston held off a late UT-Arlington rally to win 67-64 in a Southland Conference men’s basketball game at Texas Hall Saturday night.

The Bearkats never trailed in the game, going up 39-24 at halftime and leading by as many as 18

points early in the second half.

Fifteen points down with 10:29 to play, UTA turned up the defensive pressure, holding the Bearkats without a field goal until Crow’s basket with 15 secons to play.

The Mavericks had cut the margin to two points, 6462, before Crow’s score.

Clavell ended the game with 25 points and 10 rebounds for Sam Houston as the Bearkats upped their record to 12-5 for the season. The Kats are unbeaten (4-0) in Southland action.

Marcus Hayes led UTA with 25 points. The Mavericks stand 8-9 for the season and 1-4 in league action.

Sam Houston outboarded the Mavs 41-32.

Ashton Mitchell, in foul trouble most of the game, scored seven points while Drae Murray scored six.

Crow had five points and seven rebounds.

The Bearkat men will bring their four-game Southland winning streak back to Johnson Coliseum Wednesday night to play host to Lamar at 7 p.m.

Sports Information

Senior guard Ray Alexander scored 15 points, had nine assists, and hit the game winning shot in OT.