The Houstonian

Starting at 9:30 a.m. today in the LSC mall area, find clues for the missing Sammy and get a chance to win an HP Mini Netbook

Huntsville, Texas

Vol 114 — Issue 15

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

HUNTSVILLE CITY COUNCIL

Lengthy debate yields no decision on alcohol establishments staying open until 2 a.m.

By Kristin Meyer Contributing Writer

Two hours, 120 minutes, 7,200 seconds- is it really that long?

Last Tuesday, Oct. 6, the Huntsville City Council held a meeting to discuss extending the hours allowed to sell alcoholic beverages from 12:00 a.m. to 2:00 a.m. and the meeting was adjourned without a final decision being made.

The proposed Ordinance 2009-59 says that any alcohol establishment must

obtain a Late Hours permit to sell mixed alcoholic beverages, beer, and wine from midnight to 2:00 a.m.

There were many people present at the meeting in favor and opposing the new ordinance, but the main concern for the final decision is whether or not the issue is ethical or not. Many argued that it is an ethical issue because these students that drink until 12:00 a.m. leave and drive to Conroe or other towns to continue drinking at the bars that stay open till 2:00 a.m. This presents a

SHSU President takes part in Distinguished Alumni Gala

By Victoria Craven Contributing Writer

The Distinguished Alumni Award is the highest honor the Alumni Association and Sam Houston State University can bestow upon alumni. Of the hundreds of thousands of people that have graduated from SHSU in its 130-year history, only 147 have received this prestigious award. At Friday’s Distinguished Alumni Gala, five more joined the ranks of those such as Newton Gresham, Dan Rather, Elliot T. Bowers, and many more.

The LSC Ballroom was packed to the brim with many alumni and their families on the evening of Tuesday, Oct. 9. Alumni of all ages were seated around beautifully decorated tables covered in striped cloth and centerpieces of fall flowers.

The alumni sat in style in chairs draped in black satin, and many could be seen bustling about at other tables, catching up and hugging old friends. Waiters buzzed around like black and white bees refilling drinks and clearing plates, while a live pianist played a sophisticated melody. Soft lights illuminated the room, while the talk of old friends vibrated happily.

Then Ray Burgess, the Master of Ceremonies, quieted everyone down, and began the awards ceremony by introducing President James Gaertner as “…the 14th President of the United States.” Gaertner chuckled along with the rest of the room, and wondered aloud whether he was eligible for a Nobel Peace Prize yet. After

the laughter calmed down, President Gaertner made several announcements to the alumni, all followed by thunderous applause. He informed the crowd that the student population was currently 16,800 students, with a class of 4,000 freshmen. He also let them know that he was maintaining the 1:20 student to professor ratio, the Woodlands campus would begin construction in the summer of 2010, and that student retention was up 11%. “This is a very special night for our grand ole university,” he said, and without further ado, the ceremony began.

Each recipient had a short video played, highlighting their personal and professional accomplishments, and then they received their award from President Gaertner and Ed G. Owens, president elect of the SHSU Alumni Association.

The first distinguished alumnus to receive his award was Ed Compton IV, class of 1994 and 1995. He was honored due to his outstanding accomplishment of taking a tiny business and turning it into a large, successful, fleet vehicle business, known today as Professional Fleet Services. He was inspired to be an entrepreneur ever since he was a child, running a two-employee local lawn care business. He has also served the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo for over 10 years, and is an active member of the Sigma Chi fraternity and the Order of Omega. As he accepted his award, he thanked his fraternity, his family, and all of his advisors and teachers

Simulator to virtually raise awareness SHSU Public Relations

The Dean of Students’ Office and the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative will take students on a virtual journey through a drunk driving accident on Tuesday (Oct. 13).

The 2009 “PEERS Aware III Simulator,” a machine that allows students to ex-

perience drunk-driving accidents, will be held from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. in the Lowman Student Mall Area.

The tour will show incidences with varying levels of blood alcohol concentration and a crash scene involving passengers and other cars in different traffic venues.

— See PEERS, page 4

WHAT’S ON THE WEB Visit our website to participate in our latest poll or post your comments on the stories in this issue at houstonianonline.com!

Courtesy photo of flickr.com

Possible after hours. There have been many opinions regarding keeping alcohol establishments open to 2 a.m.

problem because students are then intoxicated on the road

at 12:00 and then even more intoxicated on the roads re-

turning home at 2:00.

Co-owner of Doc’s Place Saloon, Mona Peck, said that she is in favor of this ordinance because students and adults could stay safely in Huntsville and drink, and not have to drive 20 minutes to and from Conroe, increasing their chances of getting into an accident.

Another ethical issue is that after the bars close, if students do not go to Conroe, then they go to house parties, where drinking is not monitored. Citizens argued that, by staying in the bars,

students can be monitored closely and even receive a ride home if needed.

Others said that economics are involved in this issue because, by going to Conroe, these students are taking their money elsewhere, instead of feeding it to Huntsville. It would also benefit smaller alcohol establishments by extending their hours, which would give them more time to take in revenues that could potentially be used to hire more workers, also benefit— See COUNCIL, page 4

NON-SMOKING POLICY

Up in smoke

Krystal Jackson | The Houstonian

Enforcing the new policy. The Student Government Association approved a new policy that would enforce any smoker to stay at least 25 feet away from any gate, entryway, arch, doorway, and common path of travel, air intake or open window.

“Sense of the Senate” passed by Student Government Association puts into action 2007 smoking bill

By Amanda Earp

Contributing Writer

The Student Government Association approved a “Sense of the Senate” at Tuesday night’s meeting by majority vote. The “Sense of the Senate” F09-01 is for re-implementation of the smoking bill that is already in place.

According to the “Sense of the Senate”, in February of 2007 a non-smoking policy statement was released by the Office of the President that states: “Smoking areas are permitted outside university faculties provided that these areas are located far enough

away from the doorways, windows, and ventilation systems to prevent smoke from entering buildings and facilities. In general, this is at least 25 feet from any gate, entryway, arch, doorway, and common path of travel, air intake or open window.”

According to Chief of Staff Kendall Scudder, this is just to cause awareness of a bill that is already in place.

Also at the meeting, the SGA unanimously elected three new senate members.

One of the senators is for the College of Criminal Justice, while the other two are for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Christina Smith is now the

FEATURE PRESENTATION

Entertainment editor Kevin Jukkola reviews the horror film Paranormal Activity.

SEE page 5

fifth senator of the College of Criminal Justice. Smith is a junior with a major in both criminal justice and psychology. She is currently a director of student information on the University Affairs Committee.

Vice President Lance Weaver said, “She always has some kind of idea and is always trying to get more involved with SGA.” Rebecca Staton and Rachel Voss will become the seventh and eighth senators of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences. Staton, who is a sophomore political science major, is a ViceChair member of Bearkat Democrats.

Scudder said, “She has done a phenomenal job in membership of Bearkat Democrats.”

Voss is a junior getting a major in both political science and history. She is a member of Walter P. Webb.

According to Senator Ahmed Adewodu, “[Rachel] has a good head on her shoulders.”

Also at the meeting, the SGA approved to allocate $1,000 to help co-host tailgating at Homecoming with Agriculture IT. “Agriculture always does awesome tailgating for Homecoming,” Scudder said.

INDEX

Nation & World...page 4

Opinions................page 2

Entertainment........page 5

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

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

OPINIONS

Page 2 The Houstonian

THE ROSTRUM

“It is my express wish that in awarding the prizes no consideration be given to the nationality of the candidates, but that the most worthy shall receive the prize.”

Alfred Nobel Swedish chemist and creator of the Nobel Prize 1833-1896

Key Words: Gay like me.

Adam Key

continues the discussion about

modern day discrimination in America.

This past weekend, the SHSU Speech and Debate team saw a lot of firsts at our tournament.

It was our team’s first trip to the University of Arkansas – Monticello (you may know them from the KGB commercial about stupid mascots), several students advanced past prelims for the first time, and I did something I had never done before in over a decade of competitive debate: I went off in anger on someone in a round.

Over the years, I’ve heard some pretty ridiculous and inflammatory things during rounds, but I always took it in stride.

There have even been times where my character has been questioned and I’ve been personally insulted. None of it bothered me, up until this weekend.

We were debating whether history repeats itself, specifically concerning civil rights.

At multiple points during my opponent’s speech, he belabored his view that the discrimination that is

happening to homosexuals now is insignificant when compared to the cultural intolerance faced

by African-Americans.

As he spoke, I became incensed.

My rebuttals to his points were overflowing with righteous indignation, exuding so much passion that the judge literally put her pen down and, like everyone else in the room, stared wide eyed at me as I tore his ignorant argument apart.

It must have worked, because not only did we win the round, but also several people including the judge asked afterwards if I was gay.

Now, objectively, prohibiting marriage is not on the same level as turning fire hoses on protesters.

But for my opponent, neither black nor gay, to presume that he could say that one form of discrimination was somehow less equal to another is outrageous.

How dare he attempt to tell someone that their denial of rights, something

he had never experienced, wasn’t that bad?

Whether you’re made to drink at a different water fountain or prohibited from marrying a person you love, discrimination all has the same result: it makes you feel less than human.

Everyone else has the ability and the right to do what he or she wants.

These things come by virtue of being a person.

So when you are denied the ability to do things people get by this virtue, there is only one conclusion: society views you as less than a person.

In 1959, a white man from Mansfield, Texas by the name of John Howard Griffin decided to find out firsthand what it was like to be considered less than a man.

Using a combination of medical treatments and sunlamps, he turned his skin dark enough to pass as a black man.

Spending several weeks in Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi, Griffin experienced the inequality felt daily by

black men and women living in the Deep South.

His experiences, documented in his book “Black Like Me,” not only changed his perspective, but that of many others.

While we might never go as far as Griffin did to understand discrimination, the lesson from his text is still important.

Until we experience discrimination for ourselves, until we are hated without cause, until our most basic rights are denied to us, we cannot judge the experiences of others.

The important thing to remember is that there are still people, even in today’s society, that are regularly made to feel less than human.

We would all benefit from a nice long walk in another person’s shoes.

Oh, did I mention I’m straight?

Adam Key is a recurring columnist for The Houstonian. He is the head coach of the SHSU Speech and Debate team.

Sick and tired of being sick and tired

Meagan Ellsworth discusses her concerns regarding dropped grades for missed classes.

He has a cold. She has one too. I’m sure I’m coming down with something, but we don’t have time to be sick.

The Dean of students office said if a student comes down with the Swine Flu they can bring in documentation to their office stating how long they will be out, and will be excused as long as it’s from the doctor.

That’s nice, if the professor accepts it.

Some professors will drop a students a letter grade for missing three days or more out of the semester.

Regardless of the reasons, or as some may call them “excuses”, it is at the professor’s discretion whether or not they wish to accept an email from the Dean of Students office or the physician’s letter head saying that a student was legitimately sick.

I understand how these personal policies could be considered as

an incentive to come to class, especially for keeping those who receive financial aid in check, but at the same time a student who does not receive financial aid, who has a good grade point average or

after you have already missed those three allowed days.

Before you begin your rant about how in the “real world” you will get fired from your job for missing a certain amount of days, keep in

nice, if the “ That’s professor accepts it class average, should not be penalized simply for getting bronchitis and missing more than three days.

The truth is college life is challenging enough without having to worry about scheduling when we can get sick or when we need time to take care of ourselves when we are sick.

Not to mention, sometimes an alarm clock doesn’t go off, sometimes a car won’t start, and sometimes the unexpected happens

.”

mind that most students do have a job.

A job that helps them make ends meet, helps them to pay the bills, and helps provide a future for themselves or their family.

These personal policies for attendance keep students from taking the time to make an appointment to a doctor where they can receive the treatment and care they need to make it to that job and to continue excelling in class.

Students should be protected from the policies. In fact, the policies shouldn’t even be allowed.

At the very least, all documentation from the Dean of Students office or the doctor should be accepted if there is a legitimate reason for an absence.

If a professor wants to take roll call, fine.

Roll should only serve as a written record of whether or not a student deserves an “F” or suspension from Financial Aid. Students spend roughly $3500 each semester at Sam Houston State University, most with the intention of getting an education out of the investment, so give us a break and stop burning our money.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

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. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued support of the Houstonian.

Addison Reed Opinions Editor dar015@shsu.edu

Paws Up, Paws Down In this section of the opinions page, we take a look at some various news stories around campus and give the parties involved either a “paws up” for a good job, or a “paws down” for a not so good job.

“Paws UP” to SHSU Japanese instructor Yuki Waugh for holding a traditional Japanese paper crane folding to wish a student well before she undergoes brain surgery.

“Paws DOWN” to everfluctuating East Texas weather and the havoc it wreaks on Bearkats’ allergies and sinuses.

“Paws UP” to the mighty Bearkat football team for a decisive 44-21 homecoming victory over Nicholls State.

“Paws DOWN” to the Twins, Red Sox, and Cardinals for rolling over rather quickly at the beginning of the MLB Postseason and leaving nothing else on TV. Got an opinion? Visit www.houstonianonline.com to post your thoughts or responses to any one of the columns you’ve seen today or this year.

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 Kristina Salazar...............................................................936-294-1505 FACULTY ADVISOR Patsy Ziegler.....................................................................936-294-1499 SECTION EDITORS Meagan Ellsworth........................................................Associate Editor Addison Reed................................................................Opinions Editor Lotis Butchko....................................................................Sports Editor Kevin Jukkola........................................................Entertainment Editor Thomas Merka.....................................................................Web Editor STAFF Kristin Meyer.................................................................Senior Reporter Mike Silva......................................................................Sports Reporter Joe Buvid..............................................................................Photo Editor Krystal Jackson.................................................................Photographer Heath Wierck.......................................................................Copy Editor

Advertising BUSINESS MANAGER Tammie Nokes..................................................................936-294-1500 STAFF

Meagan Ellsworth is the Associate Editor for The Houstonian. She is a junior Mass Communication major.

Brittaney Pires.....................................................Advertising Manager Samantha Berezowsky............................................Account Executive

Advertising Deadlines

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

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

CAMPUS

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

The Houstonian, Page 3

The stand against lethal effects Happy hunting In memory of her son, alumna and mother reaches out to students about the dangers of alcohol in the hopes of making a difference through education.

By Thomas Merka Contributing Writer SHSU alumna Susan Wagener has been a counselor for 30 years and is no stranger to alcohol and its negative effects on young adults. She experienced first-hand the devastating effects alcohol can have on the unaware.

Her son Michael, a Texas A&M senior, died on Aug. 3, 1999 from alcohol poisoning after celebrating his 21 birthday.

Drawing from personal experiences, Wagener spoke to a group of approximately 40 students Tuesday at the Lowman Student Center about alcohol-related topics, such as alcohol poisoning, current alcohol use and abuse trends, and how alcohol affects the body.

SHSU’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative (ADAI) hosted the talk as a part of National Collegiate Alcohol

Awareness Week.

“I hear all the time ‘It’s just alcohol – it’s no big deal,’” Wagener said. “Knowing what you’re putting in your body is important.”

Wagener said she believes just talking to her son about the possible lethal effects of alcohol could have saved his life. Since his death, she has devoted her time to educating young adults to keep families from going through the loss of a child due to alcohol.

“I can’t bring my son back,” she said. “So my hope is that I can make a difference with just one other person.”

Making a difference on campus is the goal of ADAI. Its mission statement is to ‘reduce alcohol consumption among Sam Houston State University students through coordinated efforts to inform, educate, and change perceptions about alcohol abuse.”

“We try to get students at

all types of different angles,” ADAI Coordinator Rosanne Keathley said. “We take a pro-active approach in which we try to help people before a problem occurs.”

In 2004, SHSU president James Gaertner became very concerned after several students died in an alcoholrelated accident, and he called a meeting of several faculty and staff members to discuss the issue. ADAI is the brainchild of the meeting.

“Alcohol is not a bigger issue here than at any other university our size,” SHSU first lady Nancy Gaertner said in an interview following Wagener’s talk. “A few years ago, it had been, but this initiative has helped.

We are sure that there are students that would not be alive without this initiative.”

The ADAI program is research-based, using observations of programs at other universities and adapting them to fit the

SHSU student body.

Keathley believes that the success of the program is due to the amount of support it receives from all sources.

“We have administrative support, including the university president and provost,” Keathley said. “Programs at other universities do not have this type of support.”

“Also, we have a large committee of volunteers composed of students, staff, faculty, administration and the community,” Keathley added.

For more information or to get involved with the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative, contact Rosanne Keathley at 936-294-1171.

Students invited to win a new HP notebook

By Amanda Earp Contributing Writer

Student Services will host a student scavenger hunt on Tuesday, Oct. 13, starting at 9:30 a.m. and

ending about 1 p.m.

The scavenger hunt will begin in the LSC mall area and all students are allowed to participate.

After starting at the LSC, students will be going to different departments to collect clues and puzzle pieces.

Matt Mosley, who works at Student Services, said “[Students] are going to start off with Student Services in the LSC and then go to various departments to collect clues and puzzles that lead them to other various departments.”

Once the scavenger hunt is completed students will be entered to win an HP Netbook.

Golden Circle

Krystal Jackson | The Houstonian

Distinguished alumni gala Krystal Jackson | The Houstonian

Ed Reyna

TommyFrank

Edd Compton IV, Distinguished Young Alumnus

Col. (Ret.) Jerry Marshall

“Five Sam Houston State University graduates who have brought pride to the university through their contributions in business and public service were honored as part of the university’s 2009 Homecoming festivities.” -SHSU Press Release

Ronny Carroll

All photos courtesy of Paul Olle and the Alumni Association

Krystal Jackson | The Houstonian

Follow up: The President’s Office hosted Golden Circle as a part of Homecoming week activities on last Friday.

Page 4 The Houstonian

From PEERS page 1

The simulator includes screeching brakes, crying, screaming, sirens, flashing lights, blood, and injuries that have proven to make an impact on the drinking and driving behaviors of students.

It also provides the ability to implant a split-second delay on the part of the impaired driver that negatively affects responsiveness.

“This delay allows participants to experience virtually every tendency that a driver would endure while alcohol impaired,” said Lisa Joyner, ADAI assistant.

In addition, tour guides include those who have personally experienced drinkdriving tragedies as passengers in drinking related crashes and by losing loved ones through these lifechanging incidents.

From COUNCIL page 1

ing the residents of Huntsville. This ordinance would probably also draw more potential students into Sam Houston State because, let’s face it, partying is a big part of college.

By passing this ordinance, some Huntsville residents felt that the city would be encouraging drinking and thus, alcoholism.

“It would be a disgrace to the city of Huntsville to approve any ordinance that would extend the drinking hours for these young people,” R.M. Fowler said.

“If they cannot have enough

NATION & WORLD “The 2009 PEERS Aware III Simulator” was designed to show students how alcohol affects reaction time and motor skills from a sober prospective,” Keathley said.

“This is a shocking, ‘inyour-face’ presentation of reality, addressing the very real and often fatal consequences of poor decisions.”

The event is open to all students, faculty and staff members, as well as community members. Students can also receive co-curricular credit and Six Weeks of Alcohol Awareness Training points for participating in the tour.

For more information regarding the tour, call assistant dean of students Jeanine Bias at 936.294.3026.

Faculty members who want to send their classes to the “PEERS Aware III Simulator” may do so by contacting Keathley at 936.294.1171. to drink before 2:00 in the morning, then there is something wrong. I am sure the parents of these students did not send them to school to learn how to be alcoholics.”

The vote on this issue was postponed to a later date because the council decided that they wanted more hard evidence and statistics of the possible outcome of this ordinance, plus a councilmember was not present at the meeting. The council plans to research the effects that this decision has made on other college towns and how they handled voting on this ordinance. The date for the voting on the ordinance is currently unknown.

Calif governor signs gay marriage recognition bill AP) — Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed a bill recognizing gay marriages sanctioned in other states during the nearly five months such unions were legal in California.

Schwarzenegger says the action is consistent with a state Supreme Court ruling upholding the marriages of samesex couples who tied the knot in California before voters approved Proposition 8.

Proposition 8 is a con-

stitutional amendment passed in November that limits marriage to a man and a woman.

The bill signed by the governor late Sunday also says gay and lesbian couples who were married in other states after Proposition 8’s passage have the same rights and benefits that California grants domestic partners.

The bill was sponsored

by Democratic Sen. Mark Leno of San Francisco.

Report: North Korea fires 5 short-range missiles AP) — North Korea fired five short-range missiles off its east coast on Monday, news reports said, even as South Korea proposed working-level talks with its communist neighbor.

The reported launches were the first since the regime conducted a barrage of seven ballistic missile tests in early July, and come despite signs North Korea is reaching out to rival South Korea and the United States after months of heightened tensions over its missile and nuclear programs.

Ties between the divided Koreas had been soured after conservative South Korean President Lee Myung-bak took office early last year with a

pledge to get tough with Pyongyang’s communist government.

Tension on the peninsula further heightened after the North conducted a longrange rocket test in April and a second nuclear test in May. Pyongyang, however, has recently reached out to Seoul and Washington.

The regime toned down its threatening rhetoric, released detained South Korean and American citizens and pledged to resume key stalled joint projects with South Korea.

The Korean War ended in a cease-fire, not a peace treaty, which means that the two Koreas are still technically at war.

FBI delves into DMV photos in search for fugitives (AP) — In its search for fugitives, the FBI has begun using facial-recognition technology on millions of motorists, comparing driver’s license photos with pictures of convicts in a hightech analysis of chin widths and nose sizes.

The project in North Carolina has already helped nab at least one suspect.

Agents are eager to look for more criminals and possibly to expand the effort nationwide. But privacy advocates worry that the method allows authorities to track people who have done nothing wrong.

Earlier this year, investigators learned that a double-homicide suspect named Rodolfo Corrales had moved to North Carolina. The FBI took a 1991 booking photo from California and compared it with 30 million photos stored by the motor vehicle agency in Raleigh.

In seconds, the search returned dozens of drivers who resembled Corrales, and an FBI analyst reviewed a gallery of images before zeroing in on a man who called himself Jose Solis.

A week later, after corroborating Corrales’ identity, agents arrested him in High Point, southwest of Greensboro, where they believe he had built a new life under the assumed name.

Corrales is scheduled for a preliminary hearing in Los Angeles later this month.

Facial-recognition software is not entirely new, but the North Carolina project is the first major step for the FBI as it considers expanding use of the technology to find fugitives nationwide.

So-called biometric information that is unique to each person also includes fingerprints and DNA. More distant possibilities include iris patterns in the eye, voices, scent and even a person’s gait.

FBI officials have organized a panel of authorities to study how best to increase use of the software.

It will take at least a year to establish standards for license photos, and there’s no timetable to roll out the program nationally.

Calabrese said Americans should be concerned about how their driver’s licenses are being used.

Licenses “started as a permission to drive,” he said. “Now you need them to open a bank account. You need them to be identified everywhere. And suddenly they’re becoming the de facto law enforcement database.”

State and federal laws allow driver’s license agencies to release records for law enforcement, and local agencies have access to

North Carolina’s database, too. But the FBI is not authorized to collect and store the photos. That means the facial-recognition analysis must be done at the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.

Dan Roberts, assistant director of the FBI’s Criminal Justice Information Services Division, added: “We’re not interested in housing a bunch of photos of people who have done absolutely nothing wrong.”

Gone are the days when states made drivers’ licenses by snapping Polaroid photos and laminating them onto cards without recording copies.

Now states have quality photo machines and rules that prohibit drivers from smiling during the snapshot to improve the accuracy of computer comparisons.

North Carolina’s lab scans an image and, within 10 seconds, compares the likeness with other photos based on an algorithm of factors such as the width of a chin or the structure of cheekbones.

The search returns several hundred photos ranked by the similarities.

The technology allowed the DMV to quickly highlight 28 different photos of one man who was apparently using many identities.

It also identified one person who, as part of a sex change,

came in with plucked eyebrows, long flowing hair and a new name — but the same radiant smile.

The system is not always right. Investigators used one DMV photo of an Associated Press reporter to search for a second DMV photo, but the system first returned dozens of other people, including a North Carolina terrorism suspect who had some similar facial features.

The images from the reporter and terror suspect scored a likeness of 72 percent, below the mid-80s that officials consider a solid hit.

Facial-recognition experts believe the technology has improved drastically since 2002, when extremely high failure rates led authorities to scrap a program planned for the entrances to the Winter Olympics in Salt Lake City.

Lamm said investigators reviewing the galleries can almost always find the right photo, using a combination of the computer and the naked eye.

Marc Rotenberg, executive director of the Electronic Privacy Information Center, questioned whether the facial-recognition systems that were pushed after the Sept. 11 attacks are accurate or even worthwhile.

Curacao seeks help in case of missing US diplomat (AP) — Investigators in Curacao are asking the public for help solving the disappearance of an American diplomat whose bloodied clothes were found last month on one of the Caribbean island’s beaches.

A police-produced video broadcast over the weekend asks islanders to plug gaps in the last known movements of U.S. Vice Consul

James Hogan, who vanished Sept. 24 after leaving home for one of his regular midnight walks. The 10minute video also includes a request for information about the 49-year-old official’s social life on the Dutch island.

It was after 11 p.m. when Hogan, dressed in sneakers, blue jeans and a blue polo shirt, told his wife he was

going for a walk and set out from their home outside the capital, Willemstad. Hogan often took late-night walks for an hour or two, according to Huggins.

The video asks for witnesses to come forward if they gave Hogan a ride or saw him walking one of the roads between those neighborhoods. In particular, it asks for information from

the driver of a two-door BMW seen in one of the neighborhoods.

Curacao lies about 30 miles (48 kilometers) north of Venezuela and is the headquarters of the Netherlands Antilles government.

The U.S. stations military planes at the island’s airport for multinational counterdrug missions in the Caribbean.

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Job data to show stimulus aided teachers, laborers (AP) — President Barack Obama’s stimulus plan spared tens of thousands of teachers from losing their jobs, state officials said Monday amid a nationwide effort to calculate the effect of Washington’s $787 billion recovery package.

State officials around the U.S. worked to meet a Saturday reporting deadline as part of the most ambitious effort to calculate in real time the effect of a government spending program. From 11 jobs repaving a road in Caldwell, Texas, to one job at Utah food banks, to two forensic scientist positions in North Dakota, states were required to say exactly what became of billions in government aid.

The national data won’t be available until later this month. But based on preliminary information obtained by The Associated Press from a handful of states, teachers appear to have benefited most from early spending.

That’s because the stimulus sent billions of dollars to help stabilize state budgets, sparing what officials said would have teacher layoffs.

In California, the stimulus was credited with saving or creating 62,000 jobs in public schools and state universities. Utah reported saving about 2,600 teaching jobs.

In both states, education jobs represented about two-thirds of the total stimulus job number. Missouri reported more than 8,500 school jobs, Minnesota more than 5,900.

In Michigan, where officials said 19,500 jobs have been saved or created, three out of four were in education.

Job estimates have become political chips in the debate on whether the stimulus was worth its hefty price tag, particularly since many of the jobs created are temporary contract positions.

Since the president signed the bill in February, millions of jobs have been lost and unemployment has climbed higher than White House aides predicted.

The Obama administration, bolstered by some economists and anecdotal evidence, has said things would have been far worse without the stimulus. The White House says more than

1 million jobs have been saved or created so far, a figure that is so murky it can never be verified. That’s because the White House estimate is based on economic models that try to calculate the effect of tax cuts and the ripple effect of government spending.

The numbers being collected by contractors and states are expected to provide a much more accurate count of workers employed by stimulus money. The job count will not tally jobs created by Obama’s $288 billion tax cuts or attempt to quantify the ripple effect of stimulus spending.

Many states had little information to make public.

In some states, government agencies and contractors reported their data separately and governors were still getting a handle on what the job picture looked like. In other states, officials were still reviewing the data for errors.

“I don’t want to give you data and have it change as it gets corrected,” said Tom Evslin, whom Gov. Jim Douglas appointed as Vermont’s top recovery officer.

Evslin said before the public could see the data, state lawmakers would receive a briefing Thursday.

Other states that refused to make information public feared getting ahead of the release in Washington.

The Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, the independent body set up by Congress to monitor recovery act spending, will release job data in two batches. On Thursday, the board will release data on direct spending from federal agencies. That will include jobs such as repairing military bases and improving national parks.

Later this month, the board will release grant data, which will include jobs such as construction workers hired to repair local highways using federal money.

Officials have said the unprecedented accounting could become standard for government programs in the future, and this week’s data release will offer the first indication of how it’s working.

Security of Pakistan nuclear weapons questioned (AP) — An audacious weekend assault by Islamic militants on Pakistan’s army headquarters is again raising fears of an insurgent attack on the country’s nuclear weapons installation.

Pakistan has sought to protect its nuclear weapons from attack by the Taliban or other militants by storing the warheads, detonators and missiles separately in facilities patrolled by elite troops.

The components are stored in protected underground sites. The warheads themselves are electronically locked to ensure that they cannot be detonated even if they fall in terrorists’ hands, Gregory said.

The Pakistan military carefully screens and monitors the officers vested with protecting the warheads, drawing them almost exclusively from Punjabi officers who are considered to have fewer links to religious extremists or with the Pashtun area of Pakistan, where the Taliban garners much of its support.

No action or decision involving a nuclear weapon can be undertaken by fewer than two persons. But Greg-

ory acknowledged the possibility of collusion between cleared officers and extremists.

Individuals in the Pakistan military have colluded with al-Qaida in providing safe houses for Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and individuals in Pakistan’s civil nuclear sector have met with al-Qaida figures, including Osama bin Laden himself, Gregory said.

Top government scientist A.Q. Khan operated a global black market nuclear network for more than a decade until he was uncloaked

by U.S. intelligence. And the CIA has confirmed a meeting between Khan associates and bin Laden before 9/11.

Israel has not taken a formal position on the danger of Pakistan’s nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terrorists. However, in a parliamentary briefing last year, Defense Minister Ehud Barak mentioned such a scenario as a nightmare for the world, according to security officials speaking on condition of anonymity because the session was closed.

ENTERTAINMENT

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Entering the Cosmic Theater:

Impressions about the artwork of Michiko Itatani Kaima Akarue

Contributing Writer

My heart raced with anticipation and hope of meeting the woman behind such complex beauties.

While waiting for Michiko Itatani to enter the room, I wandered around the gallery, captivated by the detail and precision demonstrated on each canvas; all rich in color, all drenched in content.

In the midst of constant chatter and enthusiastic faces, stood a woman, small in stature and demure in demeanor. However, there was no trace of timidity in her art.

Japanese artist Michiko Itatani held a reception Thursday evening in the Gaddis Geeslin Gallery at 5 p.m. after giving a lecture in regards to her life and her art.

With Cosmic Theater: HyperBaroque &Moon Light/ Mooring, Itatani embarked on an internal journey, adding a new vocabulary to not only the

Gaddis Geeslin but to the traditional idea of Baroque art. Infusing 17th century architecture and art with the systematic and theoretical nature of science, it would be mistaken to deny the presence of each canvas that evening.

Itatani had always had a knack for larger-than-life entities and grew up with a passion for writing and “still firmly believes that fiction can tell a deepest truth.” Her influences were Baroque art and science fiction.

“My conceptual process of painting is similar to writing a novel. After research and consideration, I make a series of works,” Itatani said.

Itatani’s inimitable perspective and execution excited the gallery visitors.

“As an art student, would you think of putting Baroque and science fiction together and pulling it off?” Marcia Jackson said.

“How does she do it?”

The crowd couldn’t wait to inquire about Itatani’s intricate elements and

technique.

Itatani depicted interior scenes with vast spaces that, at first, create an almost impersonal field.

She adorned each canvas with oil and wax to produce hundreds of meticulous lines that crosshatch inward. Like opulent charms, her art glowed with metallic paint blots that bedazzled the architecture and nature. “All the little dots looks like jewelry,” Jackson said.

It takes Itatani six to nine months to finish one painting. She admits that consistency and patience aid in the progression of her work. “They are very intimidating from far away,” Jackson said. “But once you get closer, you realize that the techniques are quite simple.”

Itatani aims to create an environment in which the artist and the audience can connect. “There is a triangle,” Itatani said.

“I want my audience to meet my painting as their background.” It isn’t until the transaction between

artist, art and audience is complete, that the work is complete.

Using polar opposites, Itatani developed the relationship by sending the audience through a series of emotions. They first encounter the massive nature of the work but as they walk closer, the details and composition become less daunting and more nostalgic.

There is a reoccurring them of halos or bright orbs in each piece. “It is a presence that can be omnipotent, you, me, anybody,” Itatani said.

The audience should enter the cosmic theater with the intent of revival and the opportunity to let the series reveal some truths in their lives. If nothing else, leave the gallery with insight of “personal and humanistic” connection.

The dialogue began to soften and between the food and canvas, stood Itatani, smiling as the guests waved good-bye and saluted her on a successful shows.

Entertainment Poll of the Week Since I believe that “Paranormal Activity” is one of the most terrifying films I have ever seen, it would be interesting to know what you think is the best horror movie of the decade?

Choices: -28 Days Later -American Psycho -The Cell -Joy Ride -Pan’s Labyrinth

The Houstonian, Page 5

School Events Classic Foreign Film Festival

Where: Evans Building Room 105 When: Every Wednesday at 3:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

For more information: Contact Ralph Pease at (936)294-1436.

Around the World in 50 Minutes

Where: LSC Theater When: Tuesday, October 13 at 4 p.m.

For more information: Call (936)294-3861.

At the Movies with Kevin: Paranormal Activity Kevin Jukkola

Entertainment Editor

“Paranormal Activity” is one of the most terrifying films I have ever seen.

There is a feeling of perpetual dread that slowly overwhelms the characters in an indescribable way. The audience begins to experience the same horror, which continues after leaving the theater, because of the intimate and almost claustrophobic nature of the foreboding camera.

“Paranormal Activity” has a similar filmmaking style to “The Blair Witch Project” but is more effectively petrifying because the characters reactions to this situation are thoroughly understandable. Anybody in the audience might have

made the same decisions and found themselves in a similar situation that breeds unimaginable horror. The question of believability and intelligence of the characters often resounded during the course of “The Blair Witch Project,” when some audience members wondered the reasons for the continuation of this increasingly dangerous mission. In “Paranormal Activity,” the characters are powerless in fighting a force that is inhumane, incomprehensible, and inescapable and that realization and the depiction of its affects is extraordinarily frightening.

Alfred Hitchcock, the great director, always believed that great horror was not from the bang but rather the anticipation of it. “Paranormal Activity” perfectly

illustrates this belief with a mostly subtle, intermittently startling storyline that leads to its shocking conclusion. The reason people went so willingly to horror movies has often been a mystery to me, but maybe it is so that they can feel the chill subside in their spine afterwards because of the detachment they feel from the screen. The feeling of escape that puts your mind at ease is not easily attained after this enveloping experience.

The interplay between Katie and Micah appears to be a realistic and loving relationship, complicated by the entity that may preemptively cut their future together short. Each person flirts, jokes, and smiles at the other, looking for comfort when they feel like iso-

lated victims who are alone in understanding the other’s internal terror. The affection seems genuine and the concern seems authentic, which is what makes the possible implications of the circumstances worse.

The film’s marketing campaign has been one of the most ingenious of the last few years and should be used in aiding the release of other independent movies, which are struggling to find an audience. The idea is to get a certain amount of people from a certain area request the film, as if people are reserving tickets for a movie that might never show. This means the distributers can see where the best places are to put the film and gain the most box office success, while opening it in the least amount of

Katie doesn’t know. Katie Featherston does not understand the demon that has continuously haunted her in “Paranormal Activity.”

theaters and making the best profit. The overall use of technology is both refreshing and brilliant, using given resources to their fullest, and it could be influential as a new strategy to releasing independent works.

“Paranormal Activity” is amazingly effective at expressing terror in the most basic and scariest sense.

This is exceptional filmmaking, an exhibition of the success that can be attained when a specific vision is respected and realized. The demon illustrated feels real and its unbreakable hold infects the entire audience because “Paranormal Activity” is more than a movie. It is an experience.

Paranormal Activity

Stars: * * * * Grade: A Running Time: 96 min.

MPAA: Rated R for language.

Cast:. Katie Featherston (Herself), Micah Sloat (Himself), Mark Fredrichs (The Psychic).

Written and directed

by Oren Peli.

SPORTS

Page 6 The Houstonian

Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Bearkats blow out Nicholls in first conference game

Joe Buvid | The Houstonian

Gotcha. Luke McCall makes a tackle on A.J. Williams. McCall had ten tackles on the day.

Joe Buvid | The Houstonian Running for it. Blake Joseph strolls into the end zone for a game winning touchdown against Nicholls.

The Bearkats struggled with Nicholls triple option but pull out a decisive win Mike Silva

Staff Reporter

Sam Houston State started Southland Conference play this weekend with a Homecoming rout over Nicholls, 44-21.

The Bearkats improved their record to 3-2 overall for the season and, 1-0 in the conference after defeating the Nicholls Colonels for the fourth straight year.

Sam Houston won its third Homecoming game under head coach Todd Whitten and improved their homecoming game record to 35-40-1 overall, dating back to Sam Houston’s first homecoming game in 1931.

The Bearkats played well on both sides of the ball and kept composure when tested in their impressive victory over Nicholls this Saturday.

“Number one I think it’s awfully nice to start off 1-0 in conference play, and number two I think it’s awfully nice to get a homecoming victory,” said Coach Whitten. “I thought we played well defensively. We gave up three big plays. That’s sort of been our Achilles’ heel. We’ve got to continue to work on that.

“Offensively, I was pleased. We were a little sluggish but I think we threw it well, we protected well, but it didn’t feel like we got a lot of movement

on the point of attack. But overall this is a really good victory for us.”

Running back James Aston highlighted the offense with 81 yards on 13 carries and three touchdowns, along with three receptions for 52 yards.

Aston was also a factor in the return game, with four returns for 124 yards, including a pivotal 50-yard return that led to the go-ahead touchdown for the Bearkats in the third quarter.

“There was good blocking on the kickoff return, it had some good creases, and it’s always good to start on that side of your field,” Aston said, who accounted for 257 all-purpose yards in the Sam Houston victory.

“We went down, punched it right in, and we got the touchdown. We just kind of captured that and took the momentum right back.”

Quarterback Blake Joseph completed 21 of 36 passes for 269 yards and a touchdown. He also rushed 11 times for 54 yards and two

Luke McCall

Game Statistics Passes

Att-Cmp-Int

Yds.

TD

Lng

Blake Joseph

36-21-1

269

1

33

Rushes

No.

Yds.

TD

James Aston Blake Joseph Chris Poullard

13 11 8

81 54 38

3 2 0

Receiving

No.

Yds.

TD

Jason Madkins Darnell Jones Chris Lucas James Aston

7 4 4 3

93 56 31 52

0 0 1 0

touchdowns on the ground.

Jason Madkins led the receiving core with seven receptions for 93 yards.

Darnell Jones caught four passes for 56 yards, and Chris Lucas caught four passes for 31 yards and a touchdown.

The Bearkats’ defense has continued to improve. The defense held Nicholls to 321 total yards and 21 points, the second lowest amount allowed by the Bearkat defense this season.

Excluding a few big plays, Sam Houston shut down the Nicholls’ option-dominant offense. Most notably, Sam Houston was solid on third

down, where Nicholls was only three for 12.

“I feel like we played pretty good, big plays are just what got us today, but other than that we played pretty good,” said linebacker Luke McCall, who led the defense with 10 total tackles. “I think we played pretty well on third down, which is nice to get off the field when we can.

“We got a bunch of new guys and a new defense, so it’s going to take a couple games for the new defense to adjust and learn the system, but I think we’re coming into it pretty well now.”

The Bearkats opened the

Anna Ferguson voted player of the week Paul Ridings

Sports Information

Sam Houston State senior, middle blocker, Anna Ferguson has earned Southland Conference Volleyball “Offensive Player of the Week” honors after leading the Bearkats to a pair of road league victories Thursday and Saturday.

Southland Conference players-of-the-week are decided by vote of the league’s sports information directors. Ferguson takes home her first award of the season giving the Bearkats three player of the week awards in the last two weeks.

Ferguson led Sam Houston volleyball to a pair of five-set road wins at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and UTSA. The victories extended the Bearkats’ current winning streak to five, the longest for Sam Houston since 2005.

Sam Houston is currently 5-1 and in first place in the Southland West Division, the team’s best conference start in five seasons. Sam Houston now has wins over each of the teams in the West Division.

Ferguson totaled 18 kills against the Islanders and a season high 24 kills in the victory over UTSA. For the weekend, Ferguson had 42 kills and only six errors in 91 attempts to produce a .391 hitting percentage.

The Southland’s volleyball defensive player of the week was Danielle Daigle of Nicholls.

Sam Houston State brings its five-match winning streak back to Johnson Coliseum Wednesday when the Bearkats play host to Southeastern Louisiana.

Match time is 7 p.m.

Tickets for Sam Houston home volleyball matches are $5 for adults and $3 for youth.

game with a touchdown drive on the their first possession. Marching 73 yards down the field on three passes and six runs. Following a two-yard touchdown run by James Aston, the Bearkats took the lead, 7-0.

Nicholls responded two drives later with a 77-yard run by running back A.J. Williams. Sam Houston safety Victor Carmichael forced a fumble that rolled into the end zone. Both teams scrambled for the loose ball, but Nicholls’ wide receiver Anton Robinson recovered it in the end zone, tying the game at 7-7 following the extra point.

The Bearkats fought back on their first possession in the second quarter on a drive that began on the Nicholls 31-yard line following a failed fake punt. Following a 16-yard touchdown run

by Aston, the Bearkats regained the lead, 14-7.

Later in the second quarter, Nicholls again tied the game up. After a 68-yard touchdown reception by Anton Robinson, the Colonels knotted the game up at 14-14.

Right before the half, the Bearkats responded after a 22-yard punt return

by Brandon Closner that put Sam Houston in field goal range. Miguel Antonio booted a 42-yard field goal to give the Bearkats a 17-14

going into the half.

Nicholls came out firing in the second half and took its first lead of the game.

The Colonels marched 80 yards down the field and took the lead, 21-17, following a one-yard run by Trey Hopson.

The Bearkats kept composure and did not panic.

A 50-yard kickoff return

by James Aston set up the go-ahead scoring drive for Sam Houston. The Bearkats regained the lead at 24-21 following a six-yard touchdown run by Joseph.

Sam Houston went on to score 27 unanswered points en route to victory, including an additional touchdown run by Joseph, a touchdown pass to Chris Lucas, and another touchdown run by Aston.

The Bearkats play another conference foe next week when they take on Southeastern Lousiana on the road. They look to improve their overall record to 4-2 and increase their conference record to 2-0.

Women’s soccer beats Nicholls Paul Ridings

Sports Information

Joe Buvid | The Houstonian

James Aston

Leah Snelson scored one goal and assisted on another to lead Sam Houston to a 2-0 Southland Conference women’s soccer victory over Nicholls Sunday afternoon on a muddy Intramural Field No. 3.

Only three minutes into the contest, Emily Jurecka passed the ball down the left sideline to Snelson who centered a pass to Kirby Zak at the far post. Zak right footed Sam Houston’s first shot of the match into the net for a 1-0 lead.

The goal was Zak’s fifth of the season.

Both teams battled the muddy, rainy conditions as much as they did each other in a match that went scoreless for the next 54 minutes.

Finally Snelson punched in a goal at the 57:49 minute on a pass from Zak for an insurance goal for the

Bearkats. The score was Snelson’s four goal of the 2009 season and the seventh assist this year for Zak. Sam Houston goalkeeper Jenny Pence, who missed the final 40 minutes of Saturday’s 3-2 overtime loss to Southeastern Louisiana with an injury ankle, was back in goal for the Bearkats today. Pence was credited with three saves as she picked up her fifth shutout of the season.

The Bearkats took 16 shots while limiting Nicholls to eight. Kandice Champagne led the Colonel offense with five shots.

Sam Houston upped its record to 5-6-2. The Bearkats stand 3-1 in Southland Conference play.

Nicholls fell to 4-10 for the year. The Colonels are 03 in Southland action.

Sam Houston State’s next soccer match is Friday, Oct. 16, when the Bearkats will travel to Nacogdoches to meet Stephen F. Austin.