The Houstonian by The Houstonian

Vol 116— Issue 18

Huntsville, Texas

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Campus gun scare Students criticize KatSafe delay By Kolby Flowers Senior Reporter

The Sam Houston State University KatSafe alert system is the subject of student criticism as it was not immediately initiated following the reports of a campus gun scare on Friday. Around 2:30 p.m. on Friday, the campus was put on lockdown by the University Police Department, after they received an anonymous phone call about several individuals carrying what appeared to be guns near the University Theatre Center. Police confirmed that there were not multiple gunmen on campus, but rather it was students engaged in a “nerf ball”

game, according to a KatSafe notification received by a Houstonian staff member at 4:05 p.m. UPD Deputy Chief James Fitch confirmed yesterday the students involved were from an organization within the University Theater Center, and that the group did not obtain permission from either the Dean of Students Office or UPD to play this game. “The good news today [is] that it was toy guns,” said Bruce Erickson, SHSU’s director of communication, during a press conference on Friday. “It was a group of students, who did not mean harm. The worst thing I could do — See SCARE, page 3

Houstonian Online Poll How soon should the KatSafe alert system have been initiated during Friday's campus gun scare?

KatSafe should notify students immediately or as soon as a report is made. 59 % (79) KatSafe should have been updating students as the event unfolded. 38 % (51) Jared Wolf | The Houstonian

NOTHING BUT NERF. According to the University Police Department the toy gun on the right most resembles the Nerf gun in Friday’s incident. The United States Code of Law under the commerce title set different requirements to differentiate real guns from fake guns.

KatSafe should notify students only after the university had all of the facts on the incident. 4 % (5) Total number of votes 135

Almost doesn’t count Kats fall short in Battle of the Piney Woods By Mike Silva Sports Editor

HOUSTON---- A crowd of 24,685 roaring fans got a glimpse on Saturday of what’s to come for the next three years of the Battle of the Piney Woods rivalry at Reliant Stadium. The Southland Conference showdown between Sam Houston State (2-1 SLC, 4-3) and Stephen F. Austin (3-0, 6-1), the top two teams in the conference, ended in a 31-28 nail-biter, with the Lumberjacks narrowly evading a Bearkat comeback in the final seconds of the game. After battling back from two 14-point deficits, SHSU made the game interesting with two chances at closing in on the Jacks’ lead with a few ticks left on the clock. The SFA defense, though shaky at times, stood tall when it mattered most and forced back-to-back turnovers on downs to end the game. With

eight seconds left, the Lumberjacks lined up in the victory formation and took a knee, killing the clock and the spirits of the Bearkat faithful. “Obviously, we didn’t start off real well,” Head Coach Willie Fritz said. “I was telling the kids in the locker room when you play a game like this, against a quality opponent, you’ve got to make plays there in the end, both as coaches and as players, and we just came up short. “There were two or three opportunities for us, I thought, to take charge of the game and have an opportunity to win, and it just didn’t quite happen.” One of such opportunities came within the last three minutes of the game. Down 31-28, the Kats faced a fourth and four on their own 31. Quarterback Brian Bell hiked the ball and bobbled the snap. After getting a grip on the football, he heaved it to Richard Sin-

cere, who had made several big plays throughout the game. Running down the SFA sideline, Sincere had at least two steps on the pair of defenders tailing him. He dove, attempting to make a play on the ball, and watched as it sailed inches away from his outstretched fingers, ending the drive with an incomplete pass. Had Bell put a little less push in the pass, Sincere could have easily walked to the endzone, giving SHSU its first lead of the game. “We got a little confusion at the beginning, but we got everything straightened out,” said Bell, who finished with 177 yards, including 85 yards on 1216 passing in the fourth quarter. “I picked up the snap and went with the first thing I saw, and I made a bad throw. That’s the way it goes sometimes, I guess.” — See GAME, page 7

Photograph by John Rudolph| The Houstonian

LONG RIDE HOME. After falling into a two-touchdown hole, the Sam Houston State football team rallied to within three points with a little more than two minutes left in the game. The Lumberjacks’ defense put the brakes on the Kats’ comeback and ultimately sealed the win, leaving Brian Bell (right) and D.J. Morrow (far right) in disbelief. In the 85th matchup between the two teams, SFA cut into SHSU’s series lead by improving their record to 35-48-2 all-time in Texas’ second oldest NCAA Division I FCS rivalry.

Student Supreme Court upholds SGA election results By Meagan Ellsworth Editor-in-Chief

The Student Senate’s decision to uphold the results of the election commissioner’s report have been justified by a Student Supreme Court ruling Monday. The controversy was a result of differing opinions as to whether or not to include abstaining or “no answer” votes as part of the election results. The Supreme Court’s official opinion states that the "no answer" choice is not counted toward the final tally in elections and that the results presented in the Election Commission's report are to be upheld. According to the opinion, the presented issue dealt solely with the tabulation of votes and not any other part of the voting process. The opinion of the court is that the auto-filled answers are synonymous to abstention votes because the voter chose not to select another answer.

“Robert's Rules of Order clearly states abstentions have absolutely no effect on the outcome of the vote since what is required is either a majority or two-thirds of the votes cast,” the opinion stated. According to the Supreme Court, in this particular case, that means polls and referendums had to obtain a majority or two-thirds of the "yes" or "no" answer choices. As a result of the ruling, the amendments adding the elected position of chief of staff to the SGA and the reapportionment of Senate seats received the needed two-third majority to pass. “After thorough consideration, Justice Dr. Robert Lane determined that ‘students not voting either for, or against, one or more of the referendum items did not intend to vote on that item, thus a 'no answer' should not be considered either for or against the referendum,’ the release stated. “Echoing this sentiment, Justice

Dr. Michael Lau also cites Robert's attributed to former Parliamentarian Rules of Order as well as saying that and Attorney General Adam Key, in they would also not count in statistics the last issue of the Houstonian have either,” it stated. been strongly opposed by members of According to the release, the four the Student Government Association. student justices, Emily Rice, Jerusha In an article entitled “A House DiRodgers, Hector Menendez III and vided,” following the Oct. 19 meeting Blake Roach, all agreed that the "no where Key announced his resignaanswers" do not count toward the tion, he expressed his opinion during total percentages and can not act to an SGA meeting that the SGA had negatively impact the outcome of the “squandered” both the voice and the vote because they are not "no" votes. $65,000 given to SGA to represent the The only time an abstention has the student body. same effect as a “no” vote is in situaKey pointed out in his column that tions that require a quorum, or an at- Chief of Staff Kendall Scudder suptendance of 50 percent plus one, to be ported an amendment to the constipresent. The election did not require a tution that, if passed, would result in quorum, the justices ruled. him receiving a salary. Dean John Yarabeck, SGA faculty However, Scudder abstained from advisor, has read and authenticated the vote when the Student Senate the results of the Election Commis- voted in favor of the Election Comsion's report as accurate in accordance mission’s report that verified that the with "no answer" not being tabulated. amendment had passed. SGA Responds Several statements and opinions, — See SGA, page 3

INDEX Viewpoints............page 2 Campus.................page 3 Lifestyle................page 4 A&E.....................page 5 Special..................page 6 Sports....................page 7 Special..................page 8 Become a fan of The Houstonian on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @

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Viewpoints

Page 2 Tuesday, October 26, 2010

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In technology we trust I watched four UPD officers frantically motion to each other. They hopped in three different cars that were parked at the Sam shuttle stop, not too far from the area where a reported gunman was lurking. Of course I had no idea what was happening, but I do know UPD would take over the world if it could. So I drove out of the BLC parking lot, laughed it off and turned the music up. But when I eventually made it to the LSC, a man that I had never seen before, ordered me to come inside because we had an emergency on campus. I looked around and there wasn’t a soul in the mall area, or close to the library, or anywhere. I get inside and sitting in a chair with his head against the wall was Professor Mel Strait. He was in a joking mood, as usual. “I left my gun in the office, did you?” “Oh, definitely,” I replied. We’re stuck there. About 30 minutes into this lockdown, I’m stuck in the LSC with people everywhere, many of them on their cell phones or laptops. But somehow, during the fallout, the university has been blamed for not notifying students about the situation in a timely matter, through this KatSafe program that sounds just outright laughable to me. And seriously, people are

let down and adamantly only question now is can we frustrated with the become any more spoiled university. than we are right now? This is insane. Here is a post from The Just like most of us, I keep Houstonian Facebook page: up with what’s happening “As a Senior at Sam on Facebook through my Houston State University, phone just as much as my I believe our NEW laptop. One time, I even PRESIDENT owes all of caught myself checking the staff and students an my Facebook mobile while apology after the lack of I already had it up on the actions taken today. She is computer screen (don’t the one in power and after act like you’ve never done reading up on it tonight that). she can implement kat safe Anyway, The Houstonian at any given time. So yes I went into “take over the believe she owes everyone world UPD an apology. mode,” and I’m just our staff was sayin...” all over the He’s just story. There saying he were 10has no idea 20 minute what he’s Facebook talking updates until about. Try we finally t e l l i n g found out it students was just a few like me, Brandon Scott nerds with who were Viewpoints Editor nerf guns. Give actually this paper some apart of the credit; it did a better job lockdown, about the “lack than KatSafe. of action” that forced us to But I’m reading posts stay in the building (albeit I that are bashing the had my feet up in a recliner, university. The stories go watching Rome is Burning from “gunman on campus on a transparent screen in turns out to be a nerf gun the Kat Club). game”, to “students criticize But I was on campus KatSafe delay in campus and almost immediately gun scare.” notified. Furthermore, if I The comedy never ends. had been thinking smarter, I Students are using the would’ve gone home when technology that informed I saw the officers flip out them of the incident, like madmen. And as for to complain about the KatSafe, that’s not suppose technology that didn’t. The to be our lifeline is it?

I’m all for holding the university accountable and there should have been an “electronic message” to inform people. But let’s not act like the majority of us aren’t connected to each other through personal or social networking, and there are only so many ways you can say “lockdown, gunman on campus.” Let’s not pretend like our lives, our safety depended on the university. The power of social media is more potent than any message the university could have ever sent. Truth is, we didn’t need KatSafe, because we had each other. Facebook may have been our best bet in the first place. Really think about, who’s usually quickest to inform you of a public emergency? Media, friends, THEN public officials. In this case, the media was Facebook, Twitter and The Houstonian. Saying the university didn’t take action on Friday, is saying that you definitely weren’t on campus, which makes sense because most of us get the hell out of here on Fridays. Complaining about KatSafe means you were all over the internet, obviously getting the information from people who were actually apart of the action, who happened to be on the internet, too. Get over yourselves.

Comedy Center Courtesy of comics.com

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) 294-1503. To submit a letter to the editor, send an email to Viewpoints Editor Brandon Scott at bscott@houstonianonline.com

The Houstonian Editorial

FACULTY ADVISOR Robin Johnson.....................................................................936-294-1499 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Meagan Ellsworth...............................................................936-294-1505 SECTION EDITORS Jessica Priest..................................................................Associate Editor Brandon Scott..............................................................Viewpoints Editor Mike Silva...........................................................................Sports Editor Thomas Merka........................................................Entertainment Editor Jared Wolf.......................................................................Graphic Designer STAFF Lotis Butchko.................................................................Sports Reporter John Rudolph.......................................................................Photographer Jessica Gomez......................................................................Photographer Erin Peterson.......................................................................Copy Editor

Advertising

BUSINESS MANAGER Brittany Hampton...........................................................936-294-1500 ADVERTISING MANAGER Branden Price..................................................................936-294-1503 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Chelsea Boyd............................................................................................ Brittany Hamilton.................................................................................... Kyle Mackey............................................................................................ Stephanie Mashburn............................................................................... Chibuike “Chip” O.................................................................................. Mark Smith..............................................................................................

Advertising Deadlines

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

Letter to the editor In concerns to what an individual seems to feel is a lack of fulfillment in my duties as student body vice president, I stand in very strong opposition; I have no doubts that the Student Senate will back me in everything that I am about to say: During my tenure as a Senator, Caucus Chair, SGA Secretary and now as Student Body Vice President, senate membership numbers have grown by more than 200 percent, our visitor log has seen massive numbers as opposed to past years, our Senate Intern rates have grown by 500 percent and we have seen the implementation of a volunteer initiative that brought more than 300 Bearkats out of their beds at 8 in the morning on a Saturday; with our advocacy for volunteerism and the hard work of last year’s University Affairs Chief and committee, our Bearkats now stand on the forefront of community service in Walker and surrounding counties. In addition to these things, when parking got even tougher for students here, we pushed hard for a shuttle system that is to begin within the next year. We are also in the process of seeking out renovations to the Lowman Student Center and Recreational Sports facilities that will better serve our students on a level never seen before in our area, a parking and transportation committee has been established that has more students than any other in the history of SHSU, a dining committee that will ensure better eating standards for our students is now in place and this is all thanks to the administration the members that are now being attacked faithfully served on. In addition to these things, stronger ties have been established with outside business-

es for the betterment of the Huntsville community, and last but definitely not least, our Executive board helped to place for than $50,000 in additional funds into Campus Life Development for struggling organizations, not including the $3,000 that SGA gave to an internal cosponsorship fund. The issue at hand is that SGA is based on the total and complete betterment of the Bearkat community. If this were not our objective, I would gladly resign from my position as Student Body Vice President. However, the Student Government Association and the remainder of the student body is where my loyalties lie...firmly. Since in office, I have fulfilled every one of my duties as an officer, Chief of Staff Kendall Scudder stands before us as a fearless leader and the last of dying breed when it comes to that, and University Affairs Chief Rachel Voss has to be one of the most dedicated individuals that this organization has seen in a while. I am sure that this senate house is NOT divided and that the student senate will also second that. Regardless of what is dished out, I hope all students know that they are still more than welcome to attend SGA meetings and have their voices heard just as much as other students. Please come join us on Tuesday evening at 6p in LSC 326. With that said, no SGA members will further entertain accusations that will hinder us from serving the student body as efficiently as possible. That is our objective. That is our job. That is what we will do. Thank you, SGA Vice President

A. Rene’ McKelvey

Don’t turn blind eye to gay bashing George Mattingly Guest Columnist

The topic of gay rights has come to the forefront of the media and politics with things such as Proposition 8 in California and the Don’t Ask Don’t Tell policy. Now, in light of the recent suicides of six gay teens across the U.S. in recent weeks, the focus has turned to bullying and discrimination in schools. Often times, many people are afraid to approach the topic because of its sensitivity and the norms that exist in our society that say being gay is wrong. However, the reality is that not only have these young teens and their families suffered, but also members of the gay community have suffered blows to their morale in fear of facing persecution and for some, their confidence in ever being accepted by society. It is time to face the reality of what is happening

because it is here to stay and more importantly, to act upon it to provide support and acceptance to the gay community affected by bullying. According to the Trevor Project, a national organization focused on preventing suicide for the LGBT youth, harassment affects 86.2% of LGBT students in school; 60% felt unsafe at school due to their sexual orientation. As a result, LGTB students are more likely to skip school, use drugs, and attempt and complete suicide than heterosexual students. While the recent suicides have been highly publicized and are new to some people, sadly, these incidents have been occurring for quite some time. Many people have tried to come up with excuses for why this happens: they often go unseen by witnesses which is not as strong since 82% of bullying incidents are have witnesses, and that it is a part of growing up which follows the old saying “kids

will be kids,” which ignores the things we all could be doing to fix this problem. However horrible these acts of bullying may be, the bully is not to be overlooked. On a recent episode of Larry King Live, openly gay singer Lance Bass admitted that he made fun of gays along with his friends as a teen to hide his own secret, “When you are 13 and 14, you just go along with what the other people are doing. You want to fit in and make sure your friends like you,” he said. Contrary to some beliefs, this is the case for some bullies and the big question raised is why would they do this? It falls back on societal norms. Views about homosexuality are inherited from older generations that tell younger generations being homosexual is abnormal combined with traditional religious views that denounce homosexuality. Thus, at a young age, many youngsters are exposed to ideas they do

not yet understand and they tend to stay with them as they get older. As a result, when young people are introduced or interact with gay youngsters, they reject it automatically. There are organizations aimed at providing support and acceptance for the LGTB community such as the Trevor Project, and the NOH8 Campaign but these can only do so much; acceptance must start within our society. When people step into reality and begin accepting homosexuals for who they are, it can trickle down to the youth in future generations and decrease horrible acts of maltreatment. Reach out to those who are bullied and looked down upon for being different before making a snap judgment about them. Only then, can we truly open the doors for homosexuals to the equality they so rightfully deserve. -- George is a sophomore mass communications major

Campus

Page 3 Tuesday, October 26, 2010

houstonianonline.com/campus-news

LSC Takeover to spook students By Kolby Flowers Senior Reporter

John Rudolph | The Houstonian

Enrollment exceeds 17,000 By Stephen Green Senior Reporter University enrollment has reached a new high this semester exceeding projected numbers according to a press release from the Office of Enrollment Management. The total number of students has increased by 2.8 percent, to 17,214, when compared to last fall’s enrollment of 16,772. This ranks SHSU second in total enrollment compared to other schools in the Texas State University System (TSUS). Currently SHSU has 14,659 undergraduates,

2,256 post-baccalaureate and master’s students and 299 doctoral students. New freshman have increased by 4.1 percent, new transfer students had an 8.1 percent increase and the graduate student population increased by 18.1 percent. The total number of undergraduates has grown by 5.7 percent. Those three areas of growth impact not only SHSU, but help the university achieve the statewide goals in target markets, according to Heather Thielemann, Ph.D., VicePresident for Enrollment Management. Thielemann also said that the new student growth is important as well.

“The freshmen growth is important because, based on statistics for Texas high school graduates from May of 2009, 75 percent of them attended a community college,” Thielemann said. “So, for us to continue to increase in our freshman class, is a success.” Thielemann said that one of the reasons for the growth has been a focused recruitment effort and scholarships that are available for transfer students. “Students who transfer in 30 or more hours to SHSU are the most successful at completing a degree, but they can also receive their associate’s degree with our

Meetings

The next general Student Government Association meeting will take place Tuesday at 6 p.m. in Lowman Student Center Room 320. For directions, call its office at 936-294-1938. From SGA page 1

Although Scudder said he does not disagree that the constitutional amendment would result in him being paid, he did disagree that he was motivated by personal gain. He said that one Houstonian article and Key’s column insinuated this. “[In] the first article that came out, the last paragraph was, ‘if this particular referendum were to pass Kendall Scudder would be gaining,’ and that is completely accurate information,” Scudder said. “But it’s the way that we leaned into it as if I am rigging these votes or this outcome in order to put money in my pocket. This is what the dean of students [wanted]. I’ve done everything I was told to do.” The Houstonian article stated that “if Key’s interpretation is declared law, then all of the amendments would

From SCARE page 1

now is tell you someone got hurt, and that did not happen.” It wasn’t until around 3:30 p.m. that police confirmed there was no real threat. Several university students have raised concerns on social networking sites, such as Facebook and Twitter, about what they said was a lack of timely notification from university officials. “KatSafe is meant to alert students when something happens, not two hours after the fact,” said SHSU student Audrey Morgan in a Houstonian Facebook comment. “We didn’t even get a message alerting people. We just got the message saying everything was safe.” University President Dana Gibson, Ph.D., said that the university could have communicated more effectively. “I think what we need to

have failed, including the addition of chief of staff, which would make the chief of staff position an official position in SGA. This would mean that Scudder would not be paid by SGA. However, if Scudder’s interpretation is correct, then he would become an official officer and would receive payment from SGA.” In his column, Key expressed his opinion that Scudder had “thousands of dollars hanging in the balance and that he [Key] was rocking the boat.” In response, Scudder said that he disagreed with Key’s opinion and that he has not received payment for any political behavior since he was 10 years old, except for a half of a paycheck when he was interim secretary. “We’ve done great,” Scudder said. “We’ve got Tortilla Fresca, we did parking, we did safety, we did recycling, we did All-Paws-In, we’ve done so much, and I am the only officer that did not receive one paycheck the entire

time.” In a “Letter to the Editor,” Student Body Vice President Rene McKelvey also took issue with comments Key made about her not fulfilling her duties. “Since in office, I have fulfilled every one of my duties as an officer, Chief of Staff Kendall Scudder stands before us as a fearless leader and the last of dying breed,” McKelvey said. “I am sure that this Senate house is not divided and that the Student Senate will also second that… With that said, no SGA members will further entertain accusations that will hinder us from serving the student body as efficiently as possible. That is our objective. That is our job. That is what we will do.” To clarify, an article that ran in Thursday’s issue of the Houstonian entitled, “A House Divided” that read, “The Election Commission report did not include abstained votes” should have said results.

communicate more effectively is a new communication strategy,” Gibson said. “Effective communication is real time communication. By the time students would have been notified of [this incident], it would have already been over. That in itself is a weakness in the system. We have identified the weakness and that is a good thing.” The university has been criticized in the past for timely notification during emergency situations, including an assault and abduction in the fall of 2008. In 2008, the university implemented the KatSafe system to provide campus leaders and security professionals with the ability to reach students with information and updates during unforeseen events or emergencies within minutes through phone calls, e-mails and/or text messages, according to a university press release. The system is only activated at the discretion of the

University Police Department and the university president, according to the university’s 2010 Critical Incident Management System. Erickson said students were not immediately notified on Friday because the facts were unknown at the time. “When we send out a message on our system, we don’t want it to be wrong,” said Erickson. “We don’t want to have to correct it. We don’t want to cause panic. Had there been a shot fired, [the notification] would have been real fast.” “We wanted a report from the scene [by] one of our officers, who had visual certainty of what they were carrying,” Erickson said. “It was 35 to 40 minutes before we had an officer in front of these students.” While Erickson believes that the KatSafe system functioned properly, he agreed there is room for improvement.

reverse transfer program,” Thielemann said. Overall, the TSUS increased 6.1 percent in enrollment, a higher increase than the population of the state of Texas. In comparison, Lamar University increased enrollment by 2.8 percent; Lamar State College-Orange increased by 17.37 percent; Lamar State CollegePort Arthur increased by 12.73 percent; Texas State University-San Marcos increased by 5.8 percent. Sul Ross State University and SRSU – Rio Grande College did not have exact numbers released yet.

The Lowman Student Center will be transformed during the 4th annual LSC Takeover on Wednesday. “This event is where we take over the entire LSC from the ground floor up to the third floor,” Atraviya Thomas, director of marketing and public relations for the student organization Program Council, said. “We try to make each year a big attraction for students.” This year’s takeover will include a haunted house, a Velcro wall, sumo wrestling, air brush tattoos and a showing of the movie the Final Destination 3 in 3D. Students will also have the opportunity to make their own music CD’s or to put

themselves in a movie poster, which they can take home as a gift. Program Council will also be replacing last year’s ice skating rink with a two-story outdoor laser tag game. Sports, the Dean of Students Office, Multicultural and International Student Services and Student Activities are all cosponsoring the Takeover, according to Thomas. The event, which is set to last from 8 p.m. until midnight, is free to students, and Aramark is catering. An estimated 1,200 students will attend, Thomas said. “It’s a great way to be around a whole bunch of your friends right before Halloween,” Thomas said. “It’s also a great way to get prepared for Halloween.”

Houstonian Creative Writing Contest The Houstonian will host the first annual Creative Writing Contest to create more opportunities for SHSU students to grow in the areas of art and writing. Students engaged in the contest, which opens from on Oct. 27 to Nov. 19, will submit creative stories fewer than 500 words. Winning papers will be selected by a judging panel designated by The Houstonian. Prizes are to be determined

Each paper should be transmitted electronically in Microsoft Word to E. Jay Miranda at ejay@ houstonianonline.com.

KATlinks For more information, please visit www. houstonianonline. com.

Preparing for battle

John Rudolph | The Houstonian

Sparks flew at the annual Firefest pep rally on Oct. 21. Students gathered in the intramural field no. 3 for games, free food and spirit in preparation for the Battle of the Piney Woods against the Bearkats’ arch rival the Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks that took place this past weekend.

“This day could have ended very badly,” Erickson said. “We will look at how we communicate…We will adapt our procedures to where the messaging will be handled in a location away from the activity and the action.” Erickson said if students hear rumors and don’t get a KatSafe message, then it is still only a rumor until an

alert is sent. Gibson said she wished the university would have had more real time communication abilities. “I’m sorry from the standpoint that we didn’t have real time communication capabilities,” Gibson said. “I’m not sure, that for this specific situation, that KatSafe was an effective communication

tool.” In the future, Gibson said that in addition to KatSafe, she would like the university to have more of a social media presence when it comes to emergency situations, along with the installation of a loud speaker system in order to increase real time communication.

Lifestyle

Page 4 Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Students: KatSafe failed, MISS to host social networks efficient

houstonianonline.com/campus-news/lifestyle

‘UniDiversity’

By Stephen Green Senior Reporter

will help student leaders to self-evaluate their actions,” Miller said. “Sometimes [student leaders] don’t put any passion behind their actions, they should follow same standards for themselves as they put on the students they lead.” Miller said she wants the event to get students not to associate diversity with race alone. “Diversity also deals with considering other points-ofviews and the way others think,” Miller said. “Agism is a huge thing in our country. We see this because of the almost exclusive use of social media in our country by the younger generation.” “MISSconception” will discuss the viewpoints of social media at 11 a.m. in LSC 307. “Reality Check” will address student leadership roles at 4 p.m. in LSC 304. The “LSC Takeover” will occur Wednesday at 8 p.m.

By Stephen Green Senior Reporter

UniDiversity Week will promote the ideas of unity and diversity, using the theme of trending topics this week according to Multicultural and International Student Services. The events started yesterday with the FollowMe@ SHSUDiversity event held at the Lowman Student Center mall area at noon. The week will encompass events including those of today entitled “MISSconception: Social Media and Millennials” and “Reality Check.” MISS will end the week pairing with Program Council for the “LSC Takeover.” “This event is supposed to be more of an eye-opener,” Donielle Miller, coordinator of MISS, said. “It is supposed to be about opening up to other trains of thought and perspective.” Miller also said that college should be a place to educate and where students can have an enlightening conversation. “Our ‘Reality Check’ event

Students used social media to communicate in the absence of the KatSafe alert system during the one and a half hour gun scare incident Friday at Sam Houston State University. Facebook and Twitter was utilized as another source of information to express concern with what they said was a slow response on the part of university officials. “It’s not really a good thing,” Ouis Ortega, junior mass communication student, said. “There are people that sign up for [KatSafe] via phone or email. I was one of those people, and I didn’t get any notification. I had to find out a harder way. [KatSafe could notify people] easier through Facebook.” Facebook pages and YouTube videos have popped up criticizing KatSafe and lack of official notice. Parents, like Brenda Watt, joined students in the criticism. “Speaking as a parent, it is extremely disturbing that I should have to find out about this situation from a posting on Facebook from the Houstonian,” Watt said in a Houstonian Facebook

For more information about the events, visit its web site at http://www.shsu. edu/~miss_sa/v2/calendar. html.

comment on Friday. “I would have thought a call from KatSafe would have been a priority. My daughter has yet to be notified.” Student Audrey Morgan agreed with Watt and compared SHSU’s situation with shootings at other campuses earlier this year. “I agree that KatSafe was a fail today,” Morgan said in a Houstonian Facebook comment. “[Texas A&M] has the same kind of notification system and it works perfectly. Maybe SHSU needs to get some pointers. This seems to me like the kind of thing we should all be notified about from the university, not from other students.” The Official SHSU Facebook and Twitter pages were updated between 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. and received 87 comments. The University Police Department Facebook page was never updated about the incident. The Houstonian Facebook page increased 856 active users and received 37 comments on the posted material about the incident. At the time of the incident, Bruce Erickson, director of communication,

made the decision not to implement KatSafe, leaving students without official university information for one hour and 30 minutes. Erickson said that cell phones and person to person communication are probably faster than KatSafe. He added that the decision to not implement KatSafe was made so that police could verify the information. “We don’t want to have to correct [the notifications],” Erickson said. “We don’t want to cause a panic. In this situation there will be some imperfect consequences. There was a lot of wasted anxiety today.”

Erickson assured that if there had been a real gun, response would have been quick. They had to first decide whether the original call was a prank or fake. Overall, Erickson said students should rely on social media in the absence of KatSafe. He said the university can learn to use different social media such as Facebook and Twitter more effectively. “I wouldn’t claim that we have perfect command of all social media at this point,” Erickson said. “The good news is nobody got hurt, and we learned a lot.”

Stephen Green | The Houstonian

If you have any story suggestions for this page, please Contact Stephen Green at sgreen@ Houstonianonline.com, or Kolby Flowers at kflowers@ houstonianonline.com.

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Arts & Entertainment

Page 5 Tuesday, October 26, 2010

houstonianonline.com/entertainment

The “Smoke” settles Octubafest

Huntsville Community Theatre to perform Concert series to feature final piece to “Smoke on the Mountain” trilogy tuba and euphonium players Thomas Merka

Entertainment Editor

Thomas Merka

Entertainment Editor

The Huntsville Community Theatre’s production of “Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming” opens on Nov. 5th at 7:30 p.m. at the First Christian Church. “Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming” is the third play of a trilogy written by Connie Ray, conceived by Alan Bailey with musical arrangements by Mike Carver and Mark Hardwick. Molly Campbell is directing and Carol Carden is providing musical direction. The play focuses on the Sanders family of Mt. Pleasant, North Carolina, home of the Mt. Pleasant Pickle Factor. The family first performed at Mount Pleasant Baptist on June 14, 1938 after a five-year hiatus from the gospel circuit, returning to Mount Pleasant each year until the beginning of the war in 1941. The 1941 Christmas service was the last time all were together before the boys, including Dennis Sanders, went off to war. The play takes place on Saturday night, October 6, 1945. VJ Day was two months prior and the Sanders families have come together to celebrate the end of the war. Our boys are home, the Depression is a bad memory, and the baby boom has begun. Huntsville Community Theatre’s production of “Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming” promises to take you back to 1945 as the Reverend Mervin Oglethorpe, played by Darol Hail, prepares to give his last sermon in the sanctuary of Mount Pleasant Baptist Church in Mount Pleasant North Carolina, Blue Ridge Mountains. Oglethorpe been called to preach in Wildorado, Texas and is preparing to ride into the sunset with his 10 gallon hat and his eight-months-pregnant wife June Sanders-Oglethorpe, played by Christina Webb. June’s brother Dennis, played by Jeremy Mitchell, will take over as the congregation’s pastor, having grown up through military service in WWII, and June’s sister Denise, played by Ashley Volkmer, is now married to Donnie Culpepper and is the proud mother of thee-year-old twins. Mike Pugh as Burl Sanders, Ruth White Bond

Photo Courtesy of Huntsville Community Theatre

as Vera Sanders, and David Gray as Stanley Sanders reprise their roles as the elders of this lively family. Also returning will be the Sanders Family Musicians “Uncle” Ray Hall, “Cousin” Gerald Waltz and “Aunt” Carol Carden. Musician newcomers to this Sanders family production include guitarists “Uncle” Tommy Lynch, “Brother” Tom Laurent and “Sister” Sharon Kopesky. “Cousin” Lauren Parker joins in with her flute and “Cousin” Alex Johnson plays his fiddle. Sitting on the front row of the church in the “Amen” corner, approving and disapproving of the shenanigans of this family, will be crowd favorites, Miss Myrtle (Molly Campbell) and Miss Maude (Mary Laurent). The show contains 25 bluegrass gospel favorites, including “Leaning on the Everlasting Arms,” “Standing on the Promises,” “I Love to Tell the Story”

and “Unclouded Day.” HCT’s production of “Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming” opens on Friday, November 5th at 7:30 p.m. Other performances are scheduled for November 6th, 12th, and 13th, all at 7:30 p.m., and November 7th and 14th, both at 2 p.m. Performances will be held at the First Christian Church, 1800 Avenue “R” in Huntsville (corner of Avenue R and 19th Street). Ticket prices are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors (65 plus) and Military (active duty or retired w/ID), and &7 for children (17 and under), high school and college students (with school ID). Military personnel who attend in their uniform will be given free admission. To reserve tickets for “Smoke on the Mountain Homecoming,” call (936) 291-7933 or visit HCT’s website at www.HuntsvilleCommunityTheatre. org.

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Tonight, tuba and euphonium players will pay homage to SHSU faculty members when they kick off three performances scheduled for “Octubafest.” The faculty recital, featuring euphonium player Henry Howey and tuba player Robert Daniel, will begin at 7:30 p.m. in the Performing Arts Center Recital Hall. Howey and Daniel will be joined by SHSU’s staff accompanist Mieun Lee and tuba player Stephen Adams in performing a number of selections, including “a selection of beautiful folk songs by the famous English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams,” according to Daniel. “I will pay tribute to former Houston Symphony principal tubist and SHSU tuba professor Bill Rose in performing a classic theme and variation style solo, ‘Beelzebub,’ by the Italian composer Catozzi,” he said. “I will also premiere

an arrangement by Dr. Howey of a work by Carl Maria von Weber titled ‘Concertino,’ originally written for natural horn.” On Sunday, the SHSU Tuba-Euphonium Ensemble will celebrate “Tubaween” by performing special arrangements for the ensemble by Howey at 7:30 p.m. in the PAC Recital Hall. “Since this is Halloween, sorry— Tubaween, there will be special programming for the occasion,” Daniel said. “The music will not only be entertaining; it will be scary.” Finally, on Nov. 3, students from the Euphonium and Tuba Studios will perform a variety of solos for both instruments, as well as in some small chamber groups, at 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. in the PAC Recital Hall. Some solos will be accompanied by the piano. All Octubafest performances are free. For more information, call the School of Music at 936294-1360.

“Dead Man’s Cell Phone” Theatre Department to open s econd show of s e as on Thomas Merka

Entertainment Editor

The curtain will go up on the SHSU Theatre Department’s second show of the season, “Dead Man’s Cell Phone,” on Wednesday night in the University Theatre Center Showcase Theatre at 8 p.m. “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is SHSU’s 20102011 participating entry in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival and provides a discussion of how the dead are memorialized and the changes within a person as one remembers those who are gone. The dark comedy tells the story Jean, a woman who is forced to deal with her own ideas of morality, redemption, and the insatiable desire to connect to a world obsessed with technology after answering the incessantly ringing cell phone of a dead man. The cast includes musical theatre majors Adrianna Jones (Jean), Garrett Line (Dwight) and Molly Pierce (Other Woman), as well as theatre majors Heather Limmer (Hermia), Chaney Moore (Mrs. Gottleib), Bennett Schmidt (Gordon) and Latoya Curtis and Cameron Davis (both

ensemble). Junior theatre major Michael Madro is the stage manager, and designers include junior theatre major Jeff Lindquist (set), senior theatre major Josh Fehrmann (sound) and theatre faculty members Eric Marsh (lights) and April Keith (costumes). “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” is written by Sarah Ruhl, whose plays are no strangers to the SHSU theatre department. Her play “Eurydice” was part of the 2009-2010 season. Tickets are $10 for general admission. Group rates also are available. The show contains adult content and language; therefore, children under the age of 3 will not be admitted. For more information, call the University Theatre Center Box Office at 936294-1339. COLLEGE SKI & BOARD WEEK breckenridge

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Sports

Page 6 Tuesday, October 26, 2010

houstonianonline.com/sports

Jacks tailor made

John Rudolph | The Houstonian

TEXAS TOAST. The Lumberjack receiving corps had no problem beating the Kats’ secondary on Saturday. SFA wide receiver Cordell Roberson (above) reeled in five passes for 162 yards and two touchdowns and was a key contributor to the Lumberjacks’ 418 yards in the passing game.

By Lotis Butchko Sports Reporter

HOUSTON -- In the first quarter of Saturday’s Battle of The Piney Woods, Stephen F. Austin quarterback Jeremy Moses took the snap, checked his reads, dropped back three steps, and found his target. With linebacker Kash David rushing up the middle of the line, Moses floated the ball over cornerback Bookie Snead’s shoulder and right into his receiver’s hand. This one instance was repeated several times during the first half, as SFA’s offense seemed to beat the Bearkats on every over-theshoulder attempt. “We just came out and didn’t play,” said Head Coach Willie Fritz. “We were close on a lot of balls, and the last few weeks we have been defending those balls and getting them out. We didn’t do that. And when they have success early they’re going to keep coming back to it.” Sam Houston’s big blitz defense is both risk and reward. The reward is a great

probability of sacks, like earlier this year when Sam Houston defeated Nicholls and recorded 12 sacks in the process. The risk is leaving corners on an island against an outstanding quarterback, such as Mosses. “Close doesn’t count when you are playing press man coverage out there in the perimeter,” said Fritz. “That’s how we are going to do it. We started mixing in some zones and had a few balls in our hands that we didn’t intercept.” Moses seemed to fire at will, racking up 314 yards of pass offense in the first half. Each pass, while defended adequately by the Bearkat defense, was floated over their heads right into their waiting receivers’ arms. “They started off with exactly what they showed on film,” Moses said. “They had man coverage with one safety and blitzed everyone else. They gave us our chance, our guys against their guys one on one.” In the second half, Defensive Coordinator Scott Stoker put two safeties over top which seemed to slow down the high powered

Lumberjack offense. Robert Shaw, last week’s Southland player of the week on defense, played well at corner, even moving to safety at one point, but that effort seemed too little too late, as the Lumberjacks had 21 points at half. Without question, SFA’s best weapon was wide receiver Cordell Roberson, who finished the game with five receptions for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Roberson enjoyed the one safety look, recording all of his yards in the first half. “All week in practice we were working on releases so, we knew when we came out we would be able to beat them,” said Roberson. “If we even we leaving, that’s what we go by.” Though the game ended with a loss, Sam Houston found a flaw in the passheavy offense, so the threepoint loss isn’t completely in vain. The second half proved to be almost flawless, and the defense allowed just one field goal after the opening touchdown drive of the second half.

Kats pull within half game of first in SLC By Amy Turek

Contributing Reporter

The Bearkats may have lost the football game to the Lumberjacks on Saturday, but the weekend did not belong entirely to SFA because the Lady Bearkat soccer team defeated the Lady Lumberjacks 2-1 on Friday. The crossbar saved the Lady Bearkats from going down an early goal in the 9th minute when SFA’s Kim Kimmel blasted a shot past the SHSU defense. The Lady Bearkats caught the Lady Lumberjacks on a counterattack in the 18th minute, when Amanda Biega stole the ball at midfield and passed it to Natalie Johnson, who took a shot from 30 yards out. The ball bounced off an SFA defender into the goal, making the score 1-0. In the first minutes of the second half, the Bearkats went up 2-0 when Emily Edenstrom lofted the ball over the SFA goal keeper in the 48th minute. The only goal by the Lady Lumberjacks came only seconds before the final whistle. SFA’s Edwina Forbes bent the ball around the post on a corner kick to make it 2-1. “We felt that we needed to sit back and try to absorb their pressure,” SHSU Head Coach Tom Brown said. “[After both goals,] there was no reason to keep pressing the game so we got very defensive and killed the game the best that we could.”

John Rudolph | The Houstonian

HOT AT HOME. The Bearkat soccer team has been dominant at home lately. Friday’s win marked the fifth in a row at Pritchett Field.

The victory meant more than just another conference win for the Lady Bearkats. SHSU SOCCER “It’s important within our team and within the Sam Houston community anytime we can beat Stephen STANDINGS F. Austin,” Brown said. Southeastern La. 5-1-1 (12-2-3) With their victory Friday, UTSA 5-1-1 (10-6-1) the Lady Bearkats improve Sam Houston State 5-2 (9-8-1) to third place in conference Stephen F. Austin 4-2-1 (11-5-1) 4-2-1 (10-6-1) standings. They round out Texas State Central Arkansas 2-3-2 (6-7-3) the regular season with Lamar 2-4-2 (4-10-3) home games against UTSA Northwestern State 2-4-1 (7-10-1) on Friday and Texas State McNeese State 1-4-3 (4-11-3) Nicholls on Sunday. 0-7 (6-9-1)

From GAME page 1

The conference’s most prolific rushing attack was a key factor in the offense. Tim Flanders was a force again, as he extended his 100-yard rushing streak to six games with 100 yards on 23 carries and a pair of scores. Sincere showed versatility and produced in almost every facet of the offense. He collected 107 total yards and a touchdown in the game. While the offense took a while to warm up, the defense was the biggest problem area early on in Saturday’s game. SFA’s Jeremy Moses completed 20 of 32 passes for 314 yards and three touchdowns in the first half alone. The defense tightened in the second half, limiting Moses to 104 yards and another touchdown, but getting behind in the opening period burdened the team in the long run. “We came out and the defense looked a little shellshocked,” SHSU linebacker Kash David said. “They weren’t doing anything that we didn’t think they were going to do. We just got together as a defense and said, ‘Hey, we’re better than these guys and we’ve got to show it.’ Sure enough, everybody bought in and it worked. It was just too little, too late.” The Kats’ first points came in the second quarter on a 32yard run by Sincere, made possible by a converted fake

punt pass by Bryan Randolph imitating Matt Foster, on fourth and six that extended the drive. SHSU’s special teams continued the trick plays in the ensuing play. Eric Fieilo recovered an onside kick, giving the ball back to the Bearkats. Flanders broke a 45yard touchdown run to cap the drive, tying the game at 14. “We got down, and we had to make something happen,” Fritz said. “At that point, we weren’t playing real well defensively. We wanted to keep their offense off the field… it really provided a spark for us early in the ball game.” SFA responded with two more touchdown passes that carried over to the third quarter. Down 28-14, SHSU fought back once again. Flanders ran for another touchdown, and D.J. Morrow pulled in a seven-yard pass from Bell to give the Kats 28 points. The Jack’s 34yard field goal in between SHSU scores proved to be the difference in the game. Nevertheless, the Bearkats showed a lot of character by never giving up. “The kids believe in what we’re doing,” Fritz said. “We were playing to win the game, not to come close, and that’s how you’ve got to play against a team like SFA. I didn’t expect any less of our guys.” SHSU’s next game is at Northwestern State, where the Kats will go for their third win in conference and fifth overall.

Kats Stats SHSU FOOTBALL RESULTS SATURDAY, Oct. 23 Stephen F. Austin 31 SHSU 28

UPCOMING GAMES SATURDAY, Oct. 30

SHSU at Northwestern St.

STANDINGS Stephen F. Austin

3-0

McNeese State Northwestern State Central Arkansas Nicholls Southeastern La. Texas State Lamar*

2-1 2-1 1-2 1-2 1-2 0-3 1-3

Sam Houston State 2-1

(6-1)

(4-3)

(3-4) (3-4) (4-3) (2-5) (2-5) (3-4) (3-4)

*eligible in 2011

VOLLEYBALL RESULTS SATURDAY, Oct. 23 SHSU 3 Southeastern La. 0

UPCOMING GAMES THURSDAY, Oct. 28 Texas State at SHSU

STANDINGS EAST DIVISION Central Arkansas Nicholls Lamar McNeese State Northwestern State Southeastern La.

10-0 (21-6) 5-5 (13-10) 5-5 (9-12) 4-6 (10-15) 2-8 (11-12) 1-9 (10-17)

WEST DIVISION UTSA Texas State

9-1 (15-9) 7-3 (14-10)

Texas A&M-CC Stephen F. Austin UT Arlington

4-6 (11-13) 4-6 (11-14) 4-6 (10-14)

Sam Houston State 5-5 (11-14)

Photo courtesy of Joe Buvid

SHOOTING THE LEAD. The Kats continued to fight after trailing by 14 twice. D.J. Morrow’s (above) touchdown reception late in the game showed SHSU had heart, battling adversity against all odds.

Want more SHSU sports? Follow the Houstonian sports staff on Twitter at:

twitter.com/ HoustonianSport

Battle of the Piney Woods houstonianonline.com/sports

Page 7 Tuesday, October 26, 2010

John Rudolph | The Houstonian

Courtesy of Joe Buvid

John Rudolph | The Houstonian Courtesy of Joe Buvid

John Rudolph | The Houstonian

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