October 23, 2012 by The Houstonian

TODAY’S FORECAST

HI: 87o LOW: 66o

Courtesy GoBearkats.com/Brian Blalock/SHSU

Chance of Rain:

10%

SHSU Bearkats dominate McNeese in Homecoming football game, 45-10

Texas lawmakers to be featured in Texas Tribune ‘Hot Seat’ event

Volume 122 / Issue 16

A&E Editor Molly Waddell reviews Taylor Swift’s new “Reddit” album

www.HoustonianOnline.com

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Campus News

SGA to host City Council open candidate forum GEORGE MATTINGLY News Editor

With Election Day nearer, Sam Houston State University students will have the opportunity to hear from local candidates today as the Student Government Association hosts its first Candidate Open Forum. Held in the Lowman Student Center, the forum will feature three candidates running for Huntsville city council including James Fitch, who is running unopposed for At-Large Position 1, Joe Rodriguez who is running for AtLarge Position 3 against incumbent Don Johnson, and SHSU student Kendall Scudder, who is running for At-Large Position 4 against incumbent Keith Olson. The forum will begin with opening statements from the candidates about campaign issues they feel are important followed by questions from the audience. Members of SGA created the event as way to encourage civic engagement among students at SHSU as part of their responsibilities to students. “One of Student Government’s primary responsibilities is to foster civic involvement by members of the Student Body, and we felt that is important that students know how the candidates stand on the issues in order to determine who would best represent them,” Steven Perry, SGA Rules and Regulations Chief and

Legal

Former student files civil lawsuit against SHSU police dept. STEPHEN GREEN Editor-in-Chief

George Mattingly | The Houstonian

ON THE TRAIL. Huntsville city councilman James Fitch, and candidates Kendall Scudder and Joe Rodriguez have agreed to appear in an open forum hosted by SGA. Councilmembers Don Johnson and Keith Olson have shown interest but have not confirmed their attendance.

event sponsor, said. Although only three candidates have confirmed, Perry said SGA is hopeful more city candidates will attend to keep the students well-informed before Election Day. SGA hosted an event before for potential city counci and mayoral candidates. At the time, every mayoral candidate attended. City council candidates did attend the last debate,

however, those that attended did not succeed in their bid for their respective races. The Candidate Open Forum will begin at 6:30 p.m. in LSC room 320 and is open to everyone. Early began on Monday and will continue through Nov. 2. For more information on all the candidates running for city council, visit www. huntsvilletx.gov.

A former Sam Houston State University student has filed a civil lawsuit against the University Police Department, Sam Houston State University and the City of Huntsville for personal injury, according to the documents he filed. Aman Abdulaziz alleges his civil rights were violated in a complaint filed on Oct. 1, 2012, two years to the day of the event that he is suing for. Abdulaziz alleges in his complaint on Oct. 1, 2010 he was the victim of a “gang assault and excessive force” by members of the University Police Department. In a widely publicized YouTube video picked up by Houston news stations, the dashcam video of the event shows, Abdulaziz alleges, an officer can be heard saying, “I choked the shit out of him.” Abdulaziz alleges that he was beaten before being taken to the police headquarters. He said the police originally charged him with three crimes while at the scene of the incident; possession of marijuana, tampering with evidence, and evading arrest. Abdulaziz was found not guilty of a fourth charge, assaulting a police officer, close to a year later. Requests for the police report and dashcam video were unable to be fulfilled by press time. Calls to Abdulaziz lawyer and the district attorney were not returned by press time.

Campus News

Samantha Villareal | The Houstonian

NOM AT OMM. Over 600 student diners voted on their favorite dish, making Athletic Director and “chef ” Bobby Williams, left, the winner with 27 percent of the votes with his beef flank satay.

Williams wins Aramark guest chef challenge SOPHIE NELSON Staff Reporter

Sam Houston State University administrators fired up their grills Monday night at Old Main Market in the second annual President’s Culinary Challenge, where each administrator created their own “culinary masterpiece”. Over 600 student diners voted on their favorite dish, making Athletic Director Bobby Williams the winner with 27 percent of the votes with his beef flank satay. Students deemed the event a success and raved over the quality of the food, as well as the general

atmosphere of the event. The event also featured a DJ to play the latest music, which students said gave Old Main a more upbeat vibe. Seth Wrights, a freshman Criminal Justice Major, said that he had a great time at the event. “The food was absolutely wonderful,” Wrights said. “It was also really nice to see the administrators other than in passing or at events.” Wrights’ comments about administrators seemed to be the shared attitude among students, as many of people commented on how much they appreciated being able to see “a more human side” to

campus administrators. Morgan McGee, a freshman Instruction Management and Architectural Design major, felt that seeing the administrators at the students’ level was a really good thing for the campus. “They were really interacting with students,” McGee said. “I think it shows that they do care about us, and I think it’s really great that they’re so important but they still take the time to come down and serve us.” Adena, a senior Criminal Justice major, was also glad to see the administrators serving the students, but for a different

reasons. “I work as a barista at the Starbuck’s in the library and I’m used to seeing a lot of these people as I serve them their coffee,” Adena said. “It’s a nice change to see them serving me tonight.” The administrators and their dishes featured on Monday were President Dana Gibson with her Texas dream cake, Vice President of Academic Affairs Jamie Hebert with chicken pinwheels, Vice President of Finance and Operations Al Hooten with muffaletta sandwich, Vice President of University Advancement Frank Holmes

with ceveche, Vice President for Enrollment Management Heather Thielemann with teriyaki salmon, Vice President of Student Services Frank Parker with pot stickers, Vice President for Information Technology Mark Adams with fish tacos and Williams with beef flank satay.

Facebook.com/TheHoustonian

Page 2

News

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 houstonianonline.com/news

State representatives to take “Hot Seat” at SHSU to address legislative session GEORGE MATTINGLY News Editor The campus community at Sam Houston State University will have a rare chance to discuss legislative issues with two state legislators on Thursday at “The Hot Seat in Huntsville”. Presented by the Texas Tribune, a non-profit online news organization, and the SHSU department of mass communication, the event will feature John Otto, R-Dayton and Charles Schwertner, R-Georgetown. The discussion is part of a statewide series of events by the Texas Tribune is to spread civic engagement throughout the state by visiting several Texas universities in cities like Tyler, San Angelo, Denton and Galveston. The “Hot Seat” will begin with a discussion of the 83 rd legislative session led by Evan Smith, editorin-chief of the Texas Tribune followed by a Q&A session with the audience. SHSU assistant professor of mass communication Robin Johnson, Ph.D. decided to bring the event to the university to after

a student pitched the idea. “I thought [the event] would be a good showcase of SHSU and provide exposure for the mass communication program to a media organization in the state,” Johnson said. For students, the event presents a unique opportunity to speak directly to state legislators about issues plaguing them before the upcoming legislative session in January. “It’s really a fantastic opportunity to question directly the people who represent us,” Natalia Ciolko, Events Coordinator for the Texas Tribune, said. “We don’t get too many opportunities to do this… the sooner [college students] can become involved in politics the better off they will be.” According to Johnson, the discussion comes at a key time for college students. “It’s good for college students to see real Texas politicians and to have their perspectives in a public forum, especially with issues that affect them like health care and public funding for universities.” According to SHSU President Dana Gibson, SHSU currently

receives the lowest amount in state funding compared to other public four-year universities, an issue she said she hopes to address at the legislative session. In 2011 SHSU received $193 dollars per student totaling more than $2.7 million. This placed SHSU second to last on the list, according to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Otto was first elected in 2005 and represents District 18, which includes Liberty, Polk, and part of Montgomery Counties in the Texas House of Representatives. Schwertner is the Republican candidate for Texas Senate District 5, a seat currently held by retiring Sen. Steve Ogden. Schwertner is a managing partner and practicing physician at Georgetown Orthopedics, PLLC. The “Hot Seat in Hunstville” will be held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Gaertner Performing Arts Center. Students can RSVP by emailing rsvp@texastribune.org. Students who make reservations will be proved a light lunch. However, all members of the campus community are encouraged to attend.

Rafael Marquez | Flickr

ON THE HOT SEAT. Students will have the chance to hear from state legislators on Thursday as John Otto and Charles Schwertner come to campus to address the 83rd legislative session.

Students take advantage of early voting benefits JAY R. JORDAN Staff Reporter Early voting in Texas began on Monday, allowing citizens and students the chance to cast their ballots before Election Day. Early voting in Texas allows voters to cast their vote at the nearest voting station in their county.VoteTexas.gov states, “vote at a location in your political subdivision that’s close to where you live or work.” This is an advantage to many who work or live away from their voting precinct, like many students at Sam Houston State University. For most students, it’s not easy to make a trip to their home county. The federal government allows voters to mail-in their vote during early voting, as long as the application is post-dated by November 7. “Early voting is good because you can get it done and out of the way in case [you’re busy] on that Tuesday,” Brittany Walter, a sophomore criminal justice major,

Upcoming events Tuesday

Program Council’s (PC)- “I Am Every Woman” Week: Social Media for Success Balfour – Speaking about class rings at The Woodlands Center 3:00-6:00 p.m.

Wednesday

PC- What is Your Passion Party “Exploring Majors Fair” in the LSC Ballroom from 10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Balfour – Speaking about class rings at The Woodlands Center 3:00-6:00 p.m.

Thursday

PC- Full Throttle The Texas Tribune’s “The Hot Seat” conversation series in the Performing Arts Center Recital Hall at 11:30 a.m. between Tribune CEO and editor-in-chief Evan Smith and Rep. John Otto (R-Dayton) and Rep. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) Criminal Justice’s Victim Studies Open House from 10:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. in the Friel Room in the Criminal Justice Center

Friday

PC- Dinner and a movie

said. Walter, who lives outside of Walker County, noted the benefit of the mail-in vote was that students can still cast their vote even if they can’t do it in their home county. For other students, early voting provides a way to work in the time to vote in between tests, homework and working hours. “[Voting early] is good especially if you’re a full time college student and working parttime…,” Michelle Fernandez, freshman business major, said. “You don’t have to sacrifice on or the other to take part in voting, which is something really important.” Early voting is a fairly recent idea that sets out to encourage constituents to participate in elections by giving them more time to vote other than the unconventional “Tuesday after the first Monday of November,” as mandated by Congress. According to a report on KUHF in Houston, a record 13.64 million

Walker County Voting Locations • Pct. 101, Walker County Justice Center, 717 FM 2821, Huntsivlle, Texas 77320 • Pct. 102, Walker County Annex, 1301 Sam Houston Ave. Ste. 101, Huntvsille, Texas 77340 • Pct. 204, Walker County Fairgrounds, 3925 SH 30 W, Huntsville, Texas 77320 • Pct. 206, Huntsville Fire Station No. 1, 1987 Veterans Memorial Pkwy, Huntsville, Texas 77320 • Pct. 301, Huntsville ISD Transportation Building, 95 Martin Luther King, Huntsville, Texas 77320 • Pct. 302, Calvary Baptist Church, 1135 U.S. Hwy 190, Huntsville, Texas 77320 • Pct. 401, University Heights Baptist Church, 2400 Sycamore Ave., Huntsville, Texas 77340

*For a full list of voting places, call the County Voters Office at 936-436-4959.

POLLS OPEN. Early voting in Walker County began on Monday and will run through Nov. 2. There are many locations to choose from in the area that allow early voters to cast their vote.

voters have registered and are expected to vote in Texas this year for this year’s election. Early voting in Walker County will run through Nov. 2. Those

voting in Walker County will go to the Walker County Annex at 1301 Sam Houston Ave. Room 101. Voting takes place from 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. Monday through

Friday with two 12 hour days on Oct. 23 and 30. For more information, visit www.huntsvilletx.gov.

Page 3

Viewpoints

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

PAWS UP

PAWS UP to Bearkats beating the Cowboys 45-10 during the Homecoming football game

PAWS UP to early voting taking place around the country. Go out and vote!

PAWS UP to all the students who ran for homecoming king and queen

PAWS DOWN

PAWS DOWN to being unsure of who to vote for even after the three presidential debates

PAWS DOWN to the expensive SHSU class rings for seniors

Poor mental health to Ask Ally How to work blame in mass shootings out a troubled When Radcliffe Haughton opened fire in a Wisconsin spa, killing three and injuring seven, it was all too familiar a story for anyone with a television set or an Internet connection. However, if you’re tired of hearing bad news, you can make a game out of it. Pull up any article about these murders, take a wild guess at what sort of uneducated bickering this event is going to stir up, then scroll down to the comments section. As predictable as Brady Bunch reruns, it’s gun control. Every. Single. Time. However, to blame the problem on firearms is a severe case of denial. The issue is not in the guns--it’s in us. Mostly, it’s the fact that America’s mental healthcare system is a brutal, unfunny joke. Since the 1950s, America has had quite the problem with keeping our mental institutions open, a gradual process called deinstitutionalization. One by one, funding issues and policy changes have practically turned America into a boneyard for mental health facilities. When said institutions close, overcrowding makes merging patients a huge problem. The solution? They’re wished the best of luck and booted into the streets. This trend caused an explosion of homelessness in the 1980s, and the system is shrinking to this day, with less and less room and less and less efficiency. Unfortunately, the way our society copes with this influx is to send them to prison--a paradox,

considering that they are honestly better off there. Somehow, the treatment the mentally disabled receive in prison is overwhelmingly superior to the treatment they would get in the average mental institution. Those of you who don’t have the urge to fact check that statement clearly don’t understand how ridiculous that is.

TAYLOR LIKENS Staff Reporter Reflect on these shootings a moment. Colorado. Virginia Tech. Columbine. This very incident in Wisconsin. In all of those cases, the assailants had a history of violence, mental instability or severe depression. In retrospect, it’s clear as day that they were practically screaming for help. One could say they had simply flown under the radar but it’s hard to fly under a radar that doesn’t even work. If the United States had a mental healthcare system that wasn’t busy twiddling its thumbs when it wasn’t earning funding at the street corners, all of these individuals could have been identified and directed towards

help, preventing these tragedies altogether. Unfortunately, the public hasn’t been educated to understand how vital it is they report such concerns. Medication, counseling, even institutionalization-anything is better than nothing, than being allowed to sit and fester until SWAT has to get involved. And no, that’s not just speculation. Combined, the six states commonly revered as having the most professional mental healthcare systems (Connecticut, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York, Oklahoma) have had only seven mass shootings in the past 20 years. California, a flagship for American gun laws, but notorious for its inferior mental healthcare, has had nine major shootings alone, gang shootings disregarded. And don’t chalk that up to population just yet--together, those states outnumber California by more than three million people. So long as the unhealthy are forced to walk among us without the proper treatment or precautions, the chances that they’ll don a Papa Smurf costume and firebomb a JC Penny’s isn’t going to be helped much by disposing of firearms. The issue of gun control is complex one. Claiming that getting firearms out of the hands of civilians would quell these murders not only fails to realize the source of the problem, but serving an injustice to the debate of gun control as a whole.

#RomneyGoogleHistory revealed MORGAN MEARS Staff Reporter From campaigning in the streets, advertising on television and the debates, we’ve seen President Barack Obama and Mitt Romney square off for the presidential race all year long. With the race heating up and Election Day coming soon, it seems as if the race has taken a new turn from debating on television to Twitter. This past week, one of the trending topics on Twitter was #RomneyGoogleHistory. With people tweeting their wittiest replies to what the presidential candidate could possibly be Googling, hundreds of replies had me almost in tears from laughing. While supporters of Romney may argue that these tweets were distasteful, being a supporter of neither candidate, I can honestly say that looking at these

replies with an unbiased view, I couldn’t help but laugh. With replies such as “how to make friends” and “how to be likeable,” it seems as if many people in the twittersphere are not fans of Romney. Many of the tweets had to deal with Romney’s views on subjects involving women and the homeless. Many mentioned both. With Romney switching his views on some political subjects, many people used this to their advantage when thinking of a tweet to send in. My personal favorite tweet was “What was my last position on all political issues.” While many people view these tweets as rude, I have to say that with all the seriousness of the presidential debate, sometimes voters just need to take a minute and laugh, even if it involves taking a stab at the candidates and their stand on certain issues.

‘A’ Team takes homecoming ballot

Ashley Baker and Ashton Winfree dish about winning queen and king “To win Homecoming King is thrilling. It’s pretty amazing. It’s an honorable title to have as a student at SHSU. You can’t win without deserving of the title. It shows the how much those you surround yourself with and those you may encounter on random terms support you. Now that I’ve won, my voice will be heard on a wider scale. It provides a megaphone when something needs to be said. I want the student body to think for themselves, respect themselves, and most of all love themselves. With this position, more individuals will be accepting to the positivity I tend to spread during my time here at SHSU.”

PAWS DOWN to postponing the show, “Community”. Sounds like a job for Inspector Space Time!

- Ashton Winfree

“It’s such an incredible feeling. I’m extremely honored that my peers, friends, Delta Xi Nu sisters and even people I didn’t know voted for and supported me. I’ve connected with so many different types of people during my time here at Sam and it means so much that they would take the time to vote for Ashton and [me]. It means I get to represent my school on a bigger scale. I love this university so much. It’s given me much more than just an education. It has shaped me into a leader and molded me into the person I am proud to be today. With this position I hope to instill the love and pride I have for my school in others.”

facebook.com/TheHoustonianSHSU

- Ashley Baker

Provided by Ashley Baker

Editorial Staff Robin Johnson

Staff

Molly Waddell

Faculty Adviser

A&E Editor mwaddell@houstonianonline.com

Stephen Green

Matt Frazier

936-294-1499

Editor-in-Chief 936-294-1505

Web & Multimedia Editor mfrazier@houstonianonline.com

George Mattingly

McKinzie Brocail

Misti Jones

Connor Hyde

Cody Lewis

Eric Fite

sgreen@houstonianonline.com

News Editor gmattingly@houstonianonline.com Viewpoints Editor mjones@houstonianonline.com Sports Editor clewis@houstonianonline.com

Senior Reporter mbrocail@houstonianonline.com Sports Reporter chyde@houstonianonline.com Graphic Designer efite@houstonianonline.com

Megan Laurie Multimedia Reporter

Samantha Villarreal

Multimedia Reporter

Samantha McCarl Copy Editor

Brandon K. Scott Sophie Nelson Jeremy Kleiber Cheyenne Simpson Jasmine Brown Morgan Mears Allyson Wiley Taylor Likens Jay Jordan Joselynn Taylor Cody Cobb Cristina Baumann Caitlin Adamcik Karmen King

relationship

ALLYSON WILEY Staff Reporter Dear Ally, My boyfriend and I have been fighting a lot. I think it might be because we spend so much time together and we get on each other’s nerves. He can be pretty immature and rude at times, and I cannot help but get angry because he’s so embarrassing to be around. Ally, what can we do to fix our relationship and stop fighting so much? I just want us to be back to normal. Sincerely, Love bird

Dear Love bird, A very wise person in my life once asked me, “Can you see your life without this person (your boyfriend)?” If the answer is no, then you should definitely fight for your relationship. If yes, then you may want to reevaluate what you are getting out of the relationship. If you’re not happy, it isn’t worth it. Let’s assume that you cannot picture a day without your boyfriend around. First, I would say step away from his hip then go out and do something for you! A great relationship is two separate lives coming together and sharing them with each other. If you give up everything you find interesting to spend time with him, you are cheating yourself and causing problems in the long run. If you love to shop and he absolutely hates it, don’t drag him along every time. Go out and shop by yourself or with your girlfriends. Then let him do his thing, like playing video games or watch TV. I remember back at home, I fought with my siblings constantly because we were together every day. It can apply to a relationship as well. Step away for a weekend. Let yourself breathe. Let him breathe. Usually when you get into a long-term relationship, you drift away from some of your closest friends. If I had any advice for you, I would suggest calling these friends up. Spend some time with people who you are comfortable being around. They can help you get your mind off of the situation and you can enjoy time with different people. If you are getting on each other’s nerves, it may have something to do with stress. Everyone handles college stress differently. Some people bicker with loved ones because they know they won’t leave. If your man is extremely stressed, let him cool down and try to understand what he’s going through. However, if he is truly getting on your nerves, you may want to talk to him about it. Ask him what he is going through but don’t confront him aggressively. Just casually bring it up and ask him without accusing him of something; guys usually don’t take that very well. Also, if he is being rude to you and hurts your feelings, he needs to be made aware of it. He may not realize what he is doing. If he loves you, he will understand. Finally, from someone going through a break up right now, if this is what you want then fight for it. If you are hesitant, it may be time to take a break. Make yourself happy because you deserve nothing less than to be happy. Sincerely, Ally *If you or someone you know is suffering from a problem, and would like some advice, you can email me at awiley@houstonianonline.com.

Business Staff Paty Mason

Business Manager 936-294-1500

pmason@houstonianonline.com

Stacy Hood

Advertising Manager shood@houstonianonline.com

Daniel Brown

Ad Executive dbrown@houstonianonline.com

Christina Molina

Delivery Manager cmolina@houstonianonline.com

McKenzie Smith

Production Manager msmith@houstonianonline.com

Brianna Drisdale

Promotions Director bdrisdale@houstonianonline.com

Account Executives

Steve Sears

ssears@houstonianonline.com

Keelani Cabrera

kcabrera@houstonianonline.com

Ad Deadlines Tuesday’s Issue Friday at 5 p.m. Thursday’s Issue Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Page 4

Arts&Entertainment

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 houstonianonline.com/a-e

Taylor Swift breaks away from country genre, into pure pop

MOLLY WADDELL A&E Editor

Taylor Swift has broken free of the country music genre in her fourth album, “Red.” Her third album, “Speak Now,” started to step in a different direction, but she held on. Almost every song on Red has a touch of pop. Her slow songs show the maturity of her voice. Swift’s songs are still autobiographical and based on boys, but she has stepped away from being obvious about who she is talking about. Swift’s first single from “Red”, “We are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” sets the tone for the album. It is extremely playful and sung in a conversational tone. This is the only conversational song on the album, but the upbeat music is carried throughout. The title song, “Red,” is a fast yet emotional song. Swift discusses the auras that people give off when they are in love or heart broken. It takes the listener on a journey of the love she felt for a guy and how she felt when they broke up. Like many of her songs it is easy to relate. Keeping true to herself, the majority of her songs are about past or current relationships, but she did manage to put two songs in about life. “22” is self-explanatory; it is a song about going out, partying and feeling young. This song has a strong Ke$ha feel to it. “22” could easily be played in clubs or turned up loud in a car with a bunch of girls singing at the top of their lungs. Whether you are 22, younger or older this is the new girl party anthem. “The Lucky One,” voices the struggles of being famous and the toll it can have on some people. Swift tells the story of a famous person’s downfall and then Swift

entering into the same scene. Although with a quick beat, it is a sad song about how cruel the tabloids can be. “Treacherous” and “I Almost Do” were two of the seven slow songs on Swift’s album. “Treacherous,” tells of a sticky relationship that Swift doesn’t want to leave. She knows it is bad for her but she keeps getting dragged back into the “quicksand.” In “I Almost Do,” Swift is out of a relationship and having issues not going back into it. Both of the songs talk about the downs of relationships well. “Stay, Stay, Stay,” is a cute upbeat story about things that Swift and her boyfriend like about each other. Like the title many words are repeated in the song. At the end of the song Swift laughs and says, “That was fun.” This adds character to the album and shows more of Swift’s personality. In “Holy Ground,” another fast song, Swift happily reminisces on a past relationship. She talks about the place they met as the “Holy Ground.” This shows that just because a relationship ends doesn’t mean that it was a bad one. “State of Grace” has a good beat to it, making it another great dancing song. Swift sings about a boy who changed her life. “I Knew You Were Trouble” is the most pop oriented song on Swift’s album. Swift uses auto tuning to put more emphasis on the word “trouble.” Although auto-tune is frowned upon in the music business, Swift manages to put it in their artistically because the majority of the song is her voice. She didn’t do it because she can’t sing, which she can; she did it for emphasis. “Starlight” is the only song that points directly to who she is singing about. Swift says in the song, “The night we snook into a yacht club party.” Swift and Conor Kennedy were busted for “crashing a wedding” even though it was for someone in Kennedy’s

Paranormal thriller proves to be suspenseful, spine-chilling

Photo provided by Associated Press

TOBY. “Paranormal Activity 4” brings together all three of the previous movies by explaining gaps and plot holes.

CAITLIN ADAMCIK Staff Reporter

“Paranormal Activity 4” gives the audience jumps, scares and laughter. This movie is not meant to be insightful or “pee your pants” scary, but it is fun to go see with friends. In “Paranormal Activity 4” five years have passed since the disappearance of Katie, played by Katie Featherston, and Hunter from the previous movies. A residential family notices bizarre events occur whenever the strange little boy from across the street visits their house. The movie is fun. It is not meant to be a serious horror movie because there are far scarier movies out there. The scary parts in the movie are usually something non-scary jumping onto the screen. Granted, towards the end of the movie it gets more intense. Those parts at the end made some audience members scream. To balance out the creepy parts, there are plenty of funny parts thanks to Ben, played by Matt Shively, the boyfriend of the teenage girl Alex, played by Kathryn Newton. Some people did not take to well to the movie. “Paranormal Activity 4: Because

people are stupid enough to pay to watch the same movie a fourth time,” @ThugPickles said on Twitter. The filmography was absolutely terrible because of the style of movie. The acting is laughable. The movie is a joke, but people go to watch it because it is still entertaining. People watch the Paranormal movies because they laugh at the terribleness but still jump at the surprise creepy moments. The viewer should at least see Paranormal Activity 1 and 2 before seeing the fourth movie. There are points in the movie that follow up on past events. Tweeter Tom Syndicate embraced “Paranormal” for what it is, a scary funny movie. “Haha! Paranormal Activity 4 was so random! Was more funny than scary :) good film though if you have watched all the others!” Syndicate said on Twitter. Do not go see “Paranormal Activity 4” expecting to be scared senseless. Grab a couple friends and go see this movie at night, relax and have fun together. We give this movie three out of five paws.

Provided by Associated Press

SWIFT SHIFT. Taylor Swift changes style from country to pop in her fourth album, “Red”. Half of the top 10 most downloaded songs on iTunes are from the new record.

family. This points to the song being about Kennedy. Swift also repeatedly talks about being on a boat with the boy; Swift and Kennedy have been on boating trips. She does say they are seventeen but maybe this is her way of hiding it. Swift’s two duets were a disappointment. In “The Last Time,” featuring Gary Lightbody, his voice is too raspy and almost too high to compliment her voice. He also drowns out her voice when they

sing together. “Everything has Changed,” featuring Ed Sheeran, shows their voices blend well but Swift overpowers Sheeran’s voice when they sing together. There needs to be a balance with a duet; both artists should be featured. Swift has once again released a relatable album to girls of all ages. She covers every step of relationships and even touches on being young and free. We give this album four out of five paws.

facebook.com/TheHoustonianSHSU

Page 5

Sports

Tuesday, October 23, 2012 houstonianonline.com/sports

Bearkats wrangle Cowboys, 45-10

CONNOR HYDE Sports Reporter

After a slow start in the first half, the Sam Houston State University offense ran six unanswered scoring drives against the McNeese State University defense during Saturday’s 45-10 victory at Bowers Stadium. Wide receiver Richard Sincere ran for two touchdowns from the wildcat formation, while running back Timothy Flanders and quarterback Brian Bell added to their career totals with a touchdown each. “Every defense is going to have a game plan for us,” Flanders said. “They’re going to have to stop one of us…it’s pretty much pick your poison, just like last season.” Early in the first quarter the SHSU offense had a costly turnover with an interception from Bell that set up a Cowboy touchdown. After working McNeese’s defense, Bell answered at the end of the first quarter with a 14-yard touchdown pass to receiver Chance Nelson. Bell would continue to attack in the air completing 16-25 passes for a total of 193 yards. With his touchdown pass to Nelson, Bell threw his 40th passing touchdown to claim SHSU’s all-time passing touchdown record over previous leader Dustin Long. Offensive troubles continued into the second quarter for the Bearkats with a fumble from Bell that led to a McNeese field goal to give the Cowboys a 10-7 lead. “It’s frustrating when you’re the one allowing them to be successful,” Coach Willie Fritz said. “We just didn’t do a good job with ball security.” McNeese’s offense was not allowed to score the rest of the game as SHSU’s defense, led by Darnell and Darius Taylor, held the Cowboys to only 210 offensive yards. “That’s just the goal of the defense every week is just to keep pressure on them and force them to make big plays and play with tremendous effort,” Bearkat defensive tackle J.T. Cleveland said. SHSU’s offense began their attack in the second quarter. Sincere ignited the Bearkat offense with a 44-yard run for a touchdown to put SHSU

Samantha Villarreal | The Houstonian

SPUR OF THE MOMENT. Keshawn Hill carried the ball three times for 51 yards, contributing to the Bearkats’ 348 yards on the ground. The Bearkats totaled 541 yards on offense. Hill was the fourth-leading rusher in 2011.

on top 14-10 seven minutes into the second quarter. McNeese couldn’t answer and was force to punt after four plays, when Flanders answered with a 12-yard rushing touchdown with two minutes left in the first half; giving the Bearkats a 21-10 lead going into halftime. “I had a good week of practice,” Sincere said. “I was looking forward to having a big game this week.” According to Fritz, SHSU continued their momentum into the second half to carry the game out of reach of McNeese State. “I thought a big key to the game was the beginning of the second half,” Fritz said. “We take the kickoff and get a pretty good return, [and] march down the field and take about six minutes off the clock [and] scored a touchdown. [We] Kickoff to [McNeese], get a take-away [and] get three points out of it. Kickoff again and do a really good job defensively.” Bell recorded his first touchdown of the

game in the third quarter with a one yard rush. SHSU’s special team would continue the attack with a recovered fumble at the Cowboy 25-yard line that led to a Miguel Antonio field goal to extend the Bearkat lead 31-10 with 5:46 left in the third quarter. McNeese’s offense only recorded one yard in the quarter. With two consecutive sacks in the fourth quarter, Cleveland directed the SHSU defense to continue stopping McNeese’s offense into the fourth quarter. “We want to be the aggressor. We want to attack them. When they’re not making plays there’s really nowhere [for them] to go,” Cleveland said. Backup quarterback Chris Grett sealed the Bearkats’ victory with a 7-yard touchdown rush late in the fourth quarter. Altogether SHSU scored 38 unanswered points from the second quarter and through the second half. “I thought we played a really, really good

ball game tonight in all three phases,” Fritz said. “We had a couple of costly turnovers early in the ball game [with] an interception and fumble. From that point forward I thought our offense played really, really well.” With the victory over the Cowboys, the Bearkats moved up in both major NCAA FCS polls, claiming the number five spot. This Saturday the Bearkats return to the road as they travel to face Lamar University in Beaumont. With Saturday’s win the Bearkats stretch their conference record to 3-1 and are looking to add another win this week against the 0-3 Cardinals. Kickoff is at 3 p.m. Visit www.gobearkats.com to purchase tickets and access the full schedule and roster. Follow @HoustonianSports for play by play updates

Volleyball goes streaking with ninth straight win

Photo courtesy of Gobearkats.com

ROUGH ROAD GAME. Deveney Wells-Gibson had her second straight game with 20 kills, leading the Bearkats to their ninth straight victory.

JEREMY KLEIBER Staff Reporter The Sam Houston State Volleyball team secured their 9th consecutive victory against Texas A&M Corpus-Christi Thursday, allowing them to recapture second place in the Southland Conference standings. The Bearkats won 25-18, 25-12, 30-32 and 29-27, contributing to their already notable win streak by taking 27 of their last 30 sets and upping their conference record to 9-2. By tallying 25 kills and only six errors in the first two sets, Sam Houston capitalized on 17 Islander errors to steam roll to a 2-0 lead at intermission. A&M Corpus Christi reached a tie score only five times total during the first two frames, whereas the final two sets featured 35 ties and 10 lead changes. “We were really clicking on all cylinders in those first two sets, but we lost some momentum at the break,” Coach Brenda Gray told gobearkats.com . “We didn’t play with enough urgency in the third set, but we came back to finish at the end. This was a great team effort.” A&M-Corpus Christi stole the momentum to lead off the third set, totaling 21 kills and taking a 20-14 lead. Sam Houston then rallied to level the set at 24-24 and

persisted through five set points before the Islanders finally forced a fourth frame. Both squads continued to battle in the fourth set, trading points back and forth with 20 ties and seven lead changes before the Bearkats came out on top. With the score even at 9-9, the Islanders scored to take a onepoint lead, and the two teams fell into a routine of trading point for point until the score reached 1616. Texas A&M – Corpus Christi led by as many as three at 23-20, but failed to force a deciding fifth set. The Islanders led 27-26 before the Bearkats scored the final three points for a 29-27 win and a 3-1 match final. Deveney Wells-Gibson notched her second straight 20kill performance with 23 kills. Kendall Cleveland and Kaylee Hawkins added 14 and 10 kills, respectively. The Islanders were led by Ivy Baresh with 15 kills and Brianna Brink with 12. The Sam Houston front line combined for 13 blocks. Kim Black recorded eight and Hawkins added five. Tayler Gray had 52 assists of Sam Houston’s 60 kills and directed the defensive effort with 17 digs. The Bearkats square off against Oral Roberts (10-12 overall, 6-5 SLC) at 7 p.m. Thursday in Tulsa, Okla.

Page 6

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

Win McNamee/Associated Press HOME STRETCH. Republican presidential nominee Mitt Romney and President Barack Obama answer a question during the third presidential debate at Lynn University, Monday, Oct. 22, 2012, in Boca Raton, Fla. The debate centered around Romney’s possible future in foreign policy and Obama’s history.

Candidates prepare for final stretch of election STEPHEN GREEN Editor-in-Chief

With only 14 days until the election, presidential candidates Barack Obama and Gov. Mitt Romney are amping up their game as seen in Monday night’s debate. The two candidates squared off for the first extended period of

time on foreign policy matters. Obama was attacked on his handling of affairs in Pakistan and Afghanistan as well as being too soft on China. Romney claims Obama has allowed jobs to be exported to foreign countries including China and India, something he said he will not allow. Obama fired back, claiming

Romney has flip-flopped on the issues and that he contradicted himself several times during the debate. A major issue during the debate was Iran’s movement toward nuclear proliferation and the socalled “red line.” Romney has called a nuclear Iran the “biggest national security threat to the United States.”

S E T A R W NEW LO e -i immediate mov

n available

STARTING AT $469

save with zero down

2-story townhomes + private bedrooms huge walk-in closets + resort-style amenities

APPLY ONLINE TODAY @ VILLASONSYCAMORE.COM 936.439.5234 • 1615 Sycamore Ave Premier Sponsor of SHSU Athletics limited time only. rates, fees, deadlines and utilities included are subject to change.

Obama said he is taking steps to ensure Iran will not become a naitonal security threat through nuclear power. The candidates also made it a point to say that a major problem with U.S. foreign policy is the economy. Both talked extensively on the need for a stronger economy and a better education system in order to become a safer

country. CBS’ Bob Scheiffer had to bring the debate back to foreign policy several times due to the candidates straying from foreign policy on so many occasions. Early voting began on Monday and continues until Nov. 2. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 9. Polling times and location can be found on the Texas Secretary of State website.