The Houstonian

Vol 116— Issue 19

Huntsville, Texas

Oct. Fall Festival: 28

at 5:30 p.m. at Gibbs Ranch. For more information, contact Maggie Collum, director of university events, at 936.294.3415.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Oct. Halloween Scare Fair: 29

all day, in the Lowman Student Center. For more information, contact the Department of Student Activities at 936.294.3861.

Little house of horrors Spivey residents haunt the halls for SAAFE House

By Kolby Flowers Senior Reporter

SCARE DARE. In addition to being open last night, Spivey’s House of Horrors will be open again tonight starting at 7 p.m. and lasting until midnight.

Students to do “Monster Dash”

By Jessica Priest

Associate News Editor

Anyone who has ever seen the movie “Zombieland” knows that the first rule of survival is cardio. This year, students won’t run for their lives, but the lives of others during the “Monster Dash” event this Friday.

Dressed in costumes, students are scheduled to meet in the Old Main Pitt at 5 p.m. to complete a one-mile race around campus. Organizers from Plastic Bottles and Junk (PB&J), who is hosting the event, hope the dash will encourage philanthropy in the community, as they are also

collecting non-perishable food items for the Good Shepherd Mission.

“Thanksgiving and winter break [are] just around the corner,” Tracy Lau, PB&J secretary, said. “We want to make sure people in the surrounding area have a good holiday. We also felt that many non-profit organizations in Huntsville have been neglected, so we chose the Good Shepherd Mission.”

The cost of admission is a minimum of two non-perishable food items, and PB&J currently expects an attendance of 150.

— See DASH, page 3

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

INDEX

Entertainment.......page 5

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

Special...................page 6

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

Sports...................page 7

Lifestyle................page 4 Special...................page 8

Students from Spivey Residence Hall have spent the past two weeks setting up their second annual House of Horrors.

Last year, Spivey residents held their first House of Horrors as part of an event hosted by “The Valley”, a group of residence halls consisting of Spivey, Vick, Randall, and White Hall.

“Last year’s haunted house was amazingly successful,” said Donnie Wiggins, director of the haunted house and Spivey resident. “Some people were not able to go through the whole house and finish because they were too scared.”

After last year’s success, Wiggins expects around 500 people to visit the haunted house. He also said that half of the proceeds from this year’s admission will go to Sexual Assault and Abuse Free Environemnt, or SAAFE House.

“The number one reason to come is because it is absolutely and completely worth it for just a dollar,” said Wiggins. “It takes just

eight minutes to go through and your money is going to a good cause at the same time” Spivey House is also the Honors College residence hall, and the many residents that help out with the construction of the house get community service hours in return.

“No one who lives here is required to help put this event on,” said Wiggins. “Most residents pitch in simply because it’s a lot of fun.”

The haunted house will consist of a clown room, a jungle and a butcher room, but that’s not all, according to Wiggins.

“There is a lot more to it than just those rooms,” said Wiggins. “Every public room in Spivey has been used including the stairwells, the computer lab, tv room and study hall.”

In addition to being open last night, Spivey’s House of Horrors will be open again tonight from 7 p.m. to midnight.

“This is not a really quick and cheesy haunted house,” said Wiggins. “There is so much here for everyone to enjoy. We have put so much effort into this and know it will be a great success.”

Death comes to town Huntsville venues to host international film festival Halloween weekend

By Matthew Jackson

Special to The Houstonian

The City of Death International Film Festival, a twoday event featuring nearly 30 independent horror films from Texas and beyond, is set to kick off Friday with the first screenings to begin at noon at the Old Town Theatre in Huntsville.

The free event is sponsored by the Universal Ethician Church and includes films produced by Universal Ethician Church Bishop and Huntsville businessman George Russell.

Films will be screened from noon to midnight Friday at the Old Town Theatre and noon to midnight Saturday at the Smither Warehouse at 1405 University Avenue. Films will include a mix of feature length and short films, and screenings are set to begin approximately every two hours.

Saturday’s screenings will kick off with screenings of Russell-produced films “Long Pig” at noon and “Naked Horror: Celebrity Edition” at 2:30 p.m.

— See DEATH, page 4

Matthew Jackson | The Houstonian

NIGHTMARE ON UNIVERSITY AVENUE. A hearse was parked in front of the Smither warehouse in Huntsville to promote one of the venues for the Halloween weekend’s City of Death International Film Festival. Films will be screened from noon to midnight Friday at the Old town Theatre and noon to midnight Saturday at the Smither Warehouse at 1405 University Avenue.

Viewpoints houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

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

We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor.

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

Brandon Scott Viewpoints Editor bscott@houstonianonline.com

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

“Paws UP” to the Battle of the Piney Woods turnout of over 24,000 people, the most ever to attend the rivalry game.

“Paws DOWN” to the ineffectiveness of KatSafe and an even bigger paws down to the incident that caused Friday’s campus lockdown.

Page 2 Thursday, October 28, 2010

KatSafe, some of the time Alyssa Dupree Letter to the editor If you’re reading this, you’ve most likely been informed about Friday’s gun scare. You probably have your own opinions about the situation and have probably sounded off on the effectiveness of KatSafe.

For those of you who are still unaware of what KatSafe is, it is an emergency notification system that allows for campus and security officials to contact students, faculty and staff in the event of an emergency.

That being said, I am one of many who have been outraged by the lack of contact campus and Huntsville security officials used during what could have been a disastrous situation last week.

In Tuesday’s issue, Brandon Scott brought up many good points about how many of us rely on technology to find out about important events, however I was disheartened to hear that some students, including Scott himself, feel as though Facebook and Twitter are effective enough to inform us of on-campus emergencies.

But if it is “in technology we trust”, as his column was titled, why should we have to “get over ourselves” when we are upset at the fact that the technology created to inform us fell short?

While I was not on campus, nor was I headed to campus at the time of the emergency, it does bother me that I would have not known about what was going on had my sister not been on Facebook.

Regardless of where I was, as a student of this university, I have a right to be informed.

Although I cannot speak for every student, I can say with certainty that I am not the only person who is not connected to Facebook or Twitter at every moment of the day. Additionally, I am glad that faculty and staff are not addicted to the social mediums like some students, because I think we can all agree that both students and staff should be paying attention to their classes and not what their friends’ latest updates are.

Is it not the responsibility of the university to inform us all on things like a campus lock-down or gun scare, regardless of the information they have?

If they lock the campus down, regardless of the reason, a notification should be sent out through KatSafe to inform students and faculty alike.

Maybe it’s just me, but I don’t think it really matters where we are or aren’t on campus. If we are registered at this university as a student or employee, we have the right to know that the university is on lock-down.

Let’s say for arguments sake

that the gunman on campus was carrying a high-powered rifle instead of a nerf-gun. I can almost guarantee that the public outcry from students, faculty and families would be much larger than it is now. I can also safely say that, were KatSafe used the way it was intended, many would have found a safe place to hide or would have simply stayed put and not come onto campus if they were in their dorm or apartment.

Brandon Scott is the prime example of what could have been (theoretically) disastrous. Had he gotten a KatSafe message on his phone while he was still in the parking lot, he would have never had to be pulled into the LSC by a faculty member.

He would have been able to make an educated decision and his fate would not have been dependent on whether or not he had checked his Facebook or Twitter accounts before going to class.

I would rather a single text message or email that simply tells me that campus officials have shut down campus because of the threat of a gunman. People will panic no matter how many facts or rumors they do or don’t know; students and faculty will be worried if they know that there is a rumor of one gun-man or if there is confirmation of three gunman.

Personally, I feel that if officials have armed UPD

officers posted on campus and have shut the campus down, they are clearly not treating the situation lightly.

They are also not going with the idea that the situation should be treated as a rumor unless it has been confirmed.

In the past ten years, we have all watched horror stories unfold where a gunman opened fire on campuses and office buildings across the country.

We have also reveled in the fact that today’s technology allows us to stay connected with one another.

In 2010, I do not think that any student on any campus should have their fate left to checking social mediums if their university has a system to inform them of these situations.

Sadly, students and staff alike were ill-informed on Friday. We got lucky that it was a false-alarm, but that does not negate the fact that it took nearly two hours for the proper officials to contact us.

I will say that I’m glad to see that President Gibson and Bruce Erikson have both admitted that the program could use some work.

Regardless, if KatSafe is supposed to make me feel safe, I say do a better job and use the technology as it was intended, or change the name.

-- Alyssa is a senior print journalism major

Comedy Center

“Paws UP” to Halloween on Sunday. Have a scary fun weekend, but stay safe.

“Paws DOWN” to SFA for the obvious reasons. But a special paws down to the Lumberjack football coach, for his condescending remarks at Saturday’s postgame press conference.

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 Stephen Green....................................................................Senior Reporter Kolby Flowers................................................................. Senior Reporter John Rudolph.......................................................................Photographer Jessica Gomez......................................................................Photographer

Advertising BUSINESS MANAGER Brittany Hampton...........................................................936-294-1500 ADVERTISING MANAGER Branden Price..................................................................936-294-1503 ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES Chelsea Boyd............................................................................................

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Kyle Mackey............................................................................................

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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.

Courtesy of comics.com

It’s just a guy thing There are few times in an adult man’s life when he is allowed to act childish.

In these instances, even the mature adult who says, “Hey, act your age,” is making a motion in futility.

For these cases, there is no hope to slide us, as men, to a favorable mood.

Most of the time, when we get in this “mood,” it is because something is out of our hands or there is something happening in which we have no control of determining the outcome, yet somehow we feel unfairly shorted and begin to place blame on any and every thing, unreasonably.

One example includes when your team is losing.

Obviously, we have no power in altering the work ethic and accomplishments of complete strangers being paid millions for recreational activities. Either way, their short fallings seem to affect us in the biggest way.

Typical rundown of what

happens: my Yankees are jokes aside: the man who losing, I become irate; I dominates Madden is the blame the loss on the umps, real man. and the terrible front office So understandably, when for bringing in “bums” to fill we lose, it’s the end of positions; I accuse these allthe world. This somehow stars of playing worse than means you’re less of a my 71-year-old man than grandmother your winning could, all adversary, so of which is the immaturity complete resurfaces. It’s nonsense. bad enough if Another you lose to a occurrence stranger, but when this by all means, b r a v a d o don’t lose to a dilemma exists friend. Names is when guys will be called, face off in tempers will Madden. For flare, and you Mike Silva any guy who is will hear for Sports Editor truly a guy, I don’t hours how you need to elaborate on the suck. That is, until you importance of winning a defeat your friend, and the game of Madden. tables turn.

Through some ridiculous In any case, we blame flaw in logic, we equate the game on cheating for whoever is best at Madden our opponent, or claim the with being the most manly game wants our friend’s guy of the bunch. Throw team to win, and that’s all corny Chuck Norris why we lost, which again

is completely off the wall.

These actions are inevitable. No matter what, we men will be on at least one end of this sort of incident at multiple times in our lives. The question is not how to prevent or alter the outcome. The real query is why we do it.

Maybe it has to do with our competitive nature.

Maybe it has to do with jealousy, where we would rather triumph and brag about than see the reverse happen with another guy.

Maybe it has to do with how arrogant we have become and how we are spoiled with ways to entertain ourselves.

I don’t know if anyone will ever understand why we do it. Until someone discovers that answer, my explanation will be simple and to-the-point: it’s a guy thing.

-- Mike is a senior broadcast journalism major

Campus

Page 3 Thursday, October 28, 2010

houstonianonline.com/campus-news

SGA news brief

A new Attorney General was appointed by the Student Government Association on Tuesday.

President Ryan Bridges appointed junior political science major Clayton Goss to the position after senior Adam Key announced his resignation last week.

Senator Rebecca Staton was also appointed as sergeant-at-arms.

Both appointments were confirmed at the meeting.

The appointment of Romeal-Dorsay Johnson for

Supreme Court Justice was tabled until next meeting for due diligence.

The Senate asked that the other potential nominees be brought to speak in front of the Senate.

College of Humanities and Social Sciences Chair Joy Stanka nominated Ronell Walker for Senator. The nomination passed.

In addition, Student Body Chief of Staff Kendall Scudder, Vice President Rene’ McKelvey and University Affairs Chief Rachel Voss were recognized by the Sense of the Senate Resolution, F10-06, which passed unanimously.

The SGA resolution commended the officers for exemplifying unity of the Senate.

The next meeting will be on Tuesday at 6 p.m. in room 320 of the Lowman Student Center.

Hauntings in Huntsville

Top 5

• Demon Road • Peabody Library • Oakwood Cemetary • Walls Unit • Austin Hall

KATlinks For more information, visit http://halloween. whipnet.net/history/ haunted.html

Photo courtesy of Kristin Edwards

BUSTED. The Huntsville Police Department uncovered more than one pound of marijuana in the possession of two university students last week.

CRIME TIME

Students arrested in narcotics bust

By Jessica Priest

Associate News Editor

Four university students were arrested last week in connection with two separate narcotics investigations led by the Huntsville Police Department, Lt. Curt Landrum said.

Jonathan Lee, 19, and Karon Crouch, 21, were arrested and charged with the possession of more than one pound of marijuana on Oct. 18, Landrum said..

If convicted, the state jail felony charge can result in a sentence of up to two years and a fine of up to $10,000.

HPD officer Kevin Hammond was initially dispatched to the 2200 block of Ave. L ½ because someone reported a suspicious odor, Landrum said.

Both Lee and Crouch were taken to the Walker County Jail, Landrum said.

In a separate incident, Geoffrey Coleman, 20, and Ashley Fordyce, 20, were arrested and charged with the possession of a controlled substance on Oct. 19, according to police reports.

HPD officer Justin Schubert was initially dispatched to the Aberdeen apartments, located at 1410 Nottingham Street, after HPD received a tip at 1:15 a.m. Coleman and Fordyce were found in possession of one gram of Adderall, a medication used to treat narcolepsy and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and 0.3 grams of cocaine, Landrum said.

Possession of less than one gram of a controlled substance is a state jail felony, punishable up to two years in state jail.

Possession of more than one gram of a controlled substance is a third-degree felony, which is punishable up to 10 years in a state prison.

Although police seized a large amount

of drugs during the arrests of Lee and Crouch, Landrum said drug-related crime is not uncommon in Huntsville.

In the past month, HPD has made 10 arrests for the possession of marijuana, nine arrests for the possession of a controlled substance and one arrest for the possession of drug paraphernalia, according to police reports.

In addition, the University Police Department has made one arrest for the possession of marijuana and one arrest for the possession of drug paraphernalia in October, according to police reports.

Still, Landrum said HPD is striving to alleviate drug related incidents.

“In these situations, we always welcome the assistance of the community,” Landrum said. “We will continue to fight drugs with the various means at our disposal.”

Bearkats “takeover” Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

(From left to right) Students packed the LSC Mall area last night for the laser tag game during the LSC Takeover event from 8 p.m. to 12 a.m. Inside, students faced off during a sumo wrestling match.

Become a fan on facebook Follow us on twitter @HoustonianSHSU

From DASH page 1 “The actual numbers will most likely be higher,” Tau said. “We are in the middle of the department contests to see which office collects the most cans, and we’ve had a good response from the participating offices so far.”

Some of the academic departments participating include the English, political science, agricultural and industrial sciences and biology departments. The SAM Center and the Honors College will also help out.

Prizes will also be awarded to winners chosen from the following categories: first ten runners to finish, individual/ group with most cans do-

nated, best male/female costume, most creative male/female costume, sexiest male/ female costume, best group theme, and fraternity and sorority with most cans donated.

Tau said PB&J was inspired to create this event after seeing other campuses carry out similar projects.

“We want to do it for a good cause, [but] at the same time, college students need to have fun,” Tau said. “What better way to do that than to run around in your favorite Halloween costume after midterms and prior to final exams?”

The Plastic Bottles and Junk organization was founded on the campus of SHSU in the fall of 2008 by Brandi

Cannon. Its purpose is to create philanthropy in the community, but its main focus is on recycling.

“She realized there was a lack of recycling on campus, a feature on most of our neighboring universities [like] Texas A&M University, Rice University and the University of Houston,” Tau said. “As our organization has progressed, we’ve also included philanthropy as part of our mission.”

For more information on the “SHSU Monster Dash” and PB&J, contact PB&J President Brandi Cannon at bcc013@shsu.edu.

Got news tips? Want to contribute to the Houstonian? Please contact Associate News Editor Jessica Priest at jpriest@houstonianonline.com.

Lifestyle

Page 4 Thursday, October 28, 2010

houstonianonline.com/campus-news/lifestyle

Site helps students plan out college roadmap

A-Okay Recipes Halloween Kitty Litter Courtesy allrecipes.com Serves: 20 Ingredients -1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix -1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix -2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix -1 (12 ounce) package vanilla sandwich cookies -3 drops green food -coloring -1 (12 ounce) package tootsie rolls MyEdu.com gives students access to several apps that help them organize their college schedules.

By Kolby Flowers Senior Reporter

A new online tool has emerged to helps students map out their college career and organize their class schedules.

MyEdu.com is a website, which has created several different academic apps, that believes it can help students be better prepared for college life.

After registering

From DEATH page 1

Many of the films contain violence and nudity, and though admission is free organizers will ask all attendees to present a photo ID before entering screenings, and those under 18 years of age will not be admitted without a parent or guardian.

According to Carlo Rodriguez, festival organizer and director of both “Long Pig” and “Naked Horror,” the festival is an opportunity to showcase a group of independent horror filmmakers from as near as Huntsville to as far as Ontario, Canada.

“The line-up is very strong overall with some amazing works. And the fact that this is an international event - with films from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada and Ontario, Canada being showcased - makes it all the more special,” Rodriguez said. “Films produced in Houston and Texas are also being presented as well as Huntsville, so this is also a showcase for Texas filmmakers in particular.

The other films hail from California and Missouri so you can see that we have a great cross-section of the country represented.

“This is the perfect event for the Halloween holiday

for an account, students are are able to compare several degree plans, and the are asked to select one.

The next step is to create a degree timeline.

MyEdu provides an app that gives a visual roadmap of the courses needed in order to achieve the correct amount of credits to graduate with a chosen degree.

Using this app, students can plan out their courses for each semester

,and I think it's great for Huntsville as it will bring in filmmakers who will spend money renting hotel rooms and eating at restaurants,”Rodriguez said.

This is the first year in which the event will take place, but we believe that we have an opportunity to build this into an event that will be a must go for independent film makers and those who support their work. This could be terrific for Huntsville tourism in the years to come.”

The festival will close with a wrap party and awards ceremony at 11 p.m.

Saturday, when awards will be presented to both feature and short filmmakers in six categories, including Best Actor, Best Director and Best Film.

“All category winners will receive a framed certificate but, most exciting of all, the winners in the categories for Best Actor, Best Actress, Best Script Writer, and Best Director will also win an actual grave in the Green Burial Cemetery located in Waterwood, Texas near Lake Livingston,” Rodriguez said. “These grave plots are donated by The Universal Ethician Church.”

For a complete schedule of films and a list of filmmakers involved, visit www.cityofdeath.com.

and even see how long it will take to complete those courses. Also provided is a percentage of how complete a students’ schooling is.

While choosing classes, students can also set up their class schedule that they can later be shared with friends. During this process, they can see the ratings of professors at SHSU and the expected workload, along with the average GPA given in that class.

After classes are chosen, students now can access the textbook app, which shows a list of textbooks required for class as well as given a list of websites to compare the prices .

The point of MyEdu is to help students keep up with their credits and ensure

Kolby Flowers | The Houstonian

that they graduate on time.

The Credit Manager app shows all of the credits that have been attained. The app also includes any credit by exam credits, along with transfer credits, and credits obtained on campus.

The same app calculates a student’s GPA.

Only 53 percent of students will graduate within six years and the average timeframe to earn a college degree is 5.3 years and rising, according to the U.S. Dept. of Education.

93 percent of students who used MyEdu obtained a GPA of 3.0 and above and 70 percent of MyEdu users graduated on time in comparision to 36 percent nationwide, according to MyEdu’s website.

Directions 1. Prepare cake mixes and bake according to package directions (any size pan).

2. Prepare pudding according to package directions and chill until ready to assemble.

3. Crumble sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup add a few drops of green food coloring and mix.

4. When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 of the remaining cookie crumbs, and the chilled pudding. You probably won’t need all of the pudding, you want the cake to be just moist, not soggy.

5. Line kitty litter box with the kitty litter liner. Put cake mixture into box.

6. Put half of the unwrapped tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until softened. Shape the ends so that they are no longer blunt, and curve the tootsie rolls slightly. Bury tootsie rolls randomly in the cake and sprinkle with half of the remaining cookie crumbs.

Sprinkle a small amount of the green colored cookie crumbs lightly over the top.

7. Heat 3 or 4 of the tootsie rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle lightly with some of the green cookie crumbs.

Heat the remaining tootsie rolls until pliable and shape as before. Spread all but one randomly over top of cake mixture. Sprinkle with any remaining cookie crumbs.

Hang the remaining tootsie roll over side of litter box and sprinkle with a few green cookie crumbs. Serve with the pooper scooper for a gross Halloween dessert.

Happy

Halloween 32 years passionately pursuing justice

If you have any stor y 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 Thursday, October 28, 2010

houstonianonline.com/entertainment

“Paranormal Activity 2” “Dead Man’s Cell breaks bad sequel curse Phone”

By Jessica Priest

Associate News Editor

The Theatre Department’s Production of “Dead Man’s Cell Phone” opened yesterday and entertained audiences with an unusual story of death, love, the after life and technology. The show runs Oct. 27-30 with curtain opening at 8 p.m. There will also be a matinee performance Saturday at 2 p.m. For more information or to reserve tickets, contact the University Theatre Center box office at 936-294-1339.

Photos by Jessica Gomex | The Houstonian

Sometimes there really can be too much of a good thing. This is evidenced by the existence of Saw 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and now 6.

Enough is enough, people. Can’t we just let it go? My hatred for sequels goes way back, and that’s probably why you won’t see me in line for the Hangover 2, even though I loved the first movie. More often than not, the viewing of any sequel can significantly alter the high esteem I once held for its predecessor. But this past weekend, even I broke my own rule by viewing Paranormal Activity 2. What’s life without a little risk right?

After I watched the film with my sister, I was regretfully unable to find solace in my dreams, often succumbing to paranoia and mistaking the hum from my refrigerator as the ominous presence of a supernatural being, and that’s when it hit me: maybe this sequel wasn’t so bad, maybe the curse of the sequel has been lifted…but let’s not get too ahead of ourselves here.

Paranormal Activity 2 is much of the same. It builds off both the success and the storyline of the original film by rewinding to the past, often explaining the demon’s motives and origin during daylight scenes and off-handed banter. A low budget production that is overseen by new director Tod Williams, it still relies on the concept of found footage to illustrate supernatural happenings and instill a sense of dread in its audience by exploiting devices, such as mirrors, shadows and silence, rather than portray pointless gore for shock value, which is something I vehemently prefer.

In the original, viewers met the young, bickering couple Katie (Katie Featherson) and Micah (Micah Sloat), who set up a camera in their bedroom to record the strange doings that are supposedly occurring while they sleep. Convinced that what they are observing through the lens is not normal, Micah pursues what is believed to be a ghost despite the warnings of his girlfriend, and chaos gradually ensues.

This time; however, viewers have a host of characters to surreptitiously watch. The premise of the film focuses on Katie’s sister Kristi (Sprague Grayden), who has just returned home from the hospital with newborn Hunter. We find out through Katie’s frequent visits that the pair has experienced traumatic hauntings throughout their childhood, but this fact is quickly dismissed by Kristi’s skeptical husband (Brian Boland) much to the dismay of the audience.

There is also a likeable nanny, who uses suspicious rituals to ward off evil spirits, the family dog, Abby, and a teenage daughter (Molly Ephraim) from a previous marriage,

all of whom fall victim to the demon’s antics throughout the 90-minute film.

Also significantly different is the amount of vantages in which the family may be viewed. After their California home is supposedly “burglarized” while they are away on vacation, the father decides to invest in video surveillance, installing six cameras around the house. There is also one hand-held camera, which is used effectively during moments of extreme tension.

Furthermore, the characters in Paranormal Activity 2 don’t fall victim to the clichés of most scary movie cinema, like choosing to investigate a funny thump in the night or venture down a ominous stairway.

(Okay, I may have lied about the last part.)

Overall, their reactions to the frightening situations in which they find themselves are very realistic. At one point, Kristi, who is assaulted by a flying pan, screams, “Leave me alone!” and flees to her room. As amusing as her outburst was, wouldn’t we all do the same? I applaud the actors for not succumbing to the temptation to be stupid and ignorant to the threats of a violent, albeit fictional, supernatural being.

The success of both Paranormal Activity and Paranormal Activity 2 hinges on the fact that it allows viewers to insert themselves into a seemingly realistic scenario.

Terrifying things are occurring in the present day to an ordinary family, and that seems far more realistic than a masked man with a rusty chainsaw chasing one into a deserted mansion. Audiences leave the theater asking the question, “What if that were me?” and the answer boggles the mind for hours on end. Perhaps the success and money that the Paranormal Activity movies garner will prompt the birth of a new franchise, let’s hope they won’t be executed as frequently as the previously bashed Saw movies …I still think that’d be overkill.

My Grade: A Movie details: Paranormal Activity 2 Movie Type: Horror MPAA Rating: R for some language and brief violent material Running Time: 91 minutes Directed By: Tod Williams Written By: Michael R. Perry, Oren Peli Produced By: Jason Blum, Oren Peli Released: Oct 22, 2010 (Nationwide) Distributed By: Paramount Pictures

PAC to present prestigious dance

By Erin Peterson Copy Editor

The SHSU dance program will present a concert featuring four award-winning works that have been performed at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C., Wednesday through Saturday (Nov. 3-6).

Performances for the “Kennedy Center Retrospective” will begin at 8 p.m. each evening, with a 2 p.m. Saturday matinee, in the Performing Arts Center Dance Theatre. The show will also include three other works honored by the American College Dance Festival Association and the New York Dance Gallery.

Opening the concert will be “Fairy Rainbow,” a traditional Chinese ribbon dance choreographed by Master of Fine Arts degree alumna MeiLing Chen, which was selected for the National College Dance Festival in 1996.

“The work presents an explosion of color with delicately refined grace,” said Dana Nicolay, dance professor and associate dean for the College of Arts and Sciences.

“The dancers have risen to

the challenge of mastering beautiful silk ribbons up to 25 feet long in a dance that is technically similar to ballet but with a special sense of style and poise that clearly identifies its Chinese origins.”

“Sabachthani,” a dance for six men performed to Samuel Barber’s famous “Adagio for Strings” was choreographed

by Nicolay and performed at the Kennedy Center in 1998.

“The work explores Christian imagery evocative of the Easter story,” Nicolay said.

Recent MFA alumna Marian Hart’s “One Step Closer” is a “humorous and sometimes frustrated look at the trials of completing graduate school,” which was selected for the ACDFA South Central Regional Gala performance in 2008.

“Ms. Hart is a superb tap dancer with what would not be described as the typical dancer’s body, working in a world of ballet and modern dance,” Nicolay said. “She delivers an immaculately timed comic monologue filled with commentary on the different styles of dance and the special challenges she has encountered.”

Closing the first half of the

program will be an ACDFA National Festival selection in 1992 by former faculty member Kris O’Shee. “‘Choral Stance’ is inspired by bas-relief and ceramic figures from early Greek culture and set to music by the Bulgarian State Radio and Television Women’s Chorus,” Nicolay said. “It is a powerful ensemble work that evokes a strong sense of ancient mythic ritual.”

After intermission, Noble will continue the program with “Photo Box D,” a “starkly radiant piece that uses aggressive lighting design and subtly rendered movement to explore concepts of intimacy, weight and space in surprising and unconventional ways,” according to Nicolay. The dance was recently selected for the dance gallery performance at the Alvin Ailey Theatre in New York.

The program originally included Noble’s “Kinky Kool Fan Blowing Hard” that was performed at the Kennedy Center last May; however, key performer, Jared Doster, was recently cast in the world famous Pilobolus Dance Company’s coming European tour, so the work cannot be

performed.

“This is a wonderful problem to have, and we all wish Jared the greatest success in his exciting new opportunity,” Nicolay said.

“Afterimages,” choreographed by SHSU Dance Professor Cindy Gratz and performed at the Kennedy Center in 1994, explores the stages of grief and recovery from childhood abuse.

“Using a variety of music ranging from Kurt Weill’s ‘Mac the Knife’ to chanting

by Tibetan throat singers, Dr. Gratz uses a wide variety of movement qualities and relationships to express the compound and lasting effects that traumatic events can have on the lives of young people,” Nicolay said.

Finally, Jonathan Charles, assistant professor of dance, will close the program with “The Red Socks.”

“Using Benny Goodman’s ‘Sing, Sing, Sing,’ Charles fills the stage with dynamic energy in a jazz/tap performance that brought down the house at the 1999 ACDFA South Central Regional Gala,” Nicolay said. “All in all, the evening promises to be a cornucopia of outstanding choreography and

performances that will take full advantage of the beautiful new Dance Theater in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center.”

Tickets are $15 general admission and $12 for seniors, students and those with an SHSU ID. For more information, call the Performing Arts Center Box Office at 936.294.2339.

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Sports houstonianonline.com/sports

Page 7 Thursday, October 28, 2010

Bearkats chase history

By Mike Silva Sports Editor

File Photo | The Houstonian

READY TO REPEAT. The Bearkats, led by senior Gilberto Clavell (above), are poised to reclaim the Southland Conference title.

Back on track

With October nearing

Men’s Basketball Schedule an end, the start of 2010-2011 Season the 2010-2011 men’s Nov. 13 Nov. 15 Nov. 23 Nov. 27 Dec. 01 Dec. 04 Dec. 08 Dec. 11 Dec. 18 Dec. 21 Dec. 28 Dec. 29 Jan. 02 Jan. 08 Jan. 12 Jan. 15 Jan. 19 Jan. 22 Jan. 26 Jan. 29 Feb. 05 Feb. 09 Feb. 12 Feb. 14 Feb. 19 Feb. 23 Feb. 26 Mar. 02 Mar. 05

Mary Hardin-Baylor Northwestern Oklahoma St. at Texas at Colorado State Saint Thomas Houston North Texas Cleveland State at Florida International at Houston Air Force (El Paso) Western New Mexico (El Paso) at UTEP at UTSA UT-Arlington Nicholls at Texas State at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Stephen F. Austin UTSA Southeastern Louisiana at UT-Arlington Texas A&M-Corpus Christi at McNeese State at Central Arkansas Northwestern State at Lamar at Stephen F. Austin Texas State

basketball season continues to draw closer.

Mary Hardin-Baylor will visit Johnson Coliseum on Nov. 13 for Sam Houston State’s season opener.

There will be many notable non-conference opponents for the Bearkats this season.

Some include Texas, Colorado State, Houston twice, Air Force, and UTEP. After competing in the Bank of the West Don Haskins Sun Bowl Invitational in El Paso, SHSU will visit UTSA to kick off conference play on Jan. 8, then host UT-Arlington at home on Jan. 12.

This weekend marks a chance to make history at Pritchett Field.

Since the team’s inception in 2003, the Sam Houston State women’s soccer team has never placed higher than fourth in the Southland Conference at season’s end.

Starting with UTSA on Friday and Texas State on Sunday, the Bearkats have an opportunity to finish in the top two, and, with some help, the Kats could claim the number-one spot. With one game separating five different teams atop the standings, the season’s final weekend promises for drama and determination for all involved in the race.

“At least our fate is in our own hands,” Sam Houston Head Coach Tom Brown said in an interview with GoBearkats.com. “If we win both matches Friday and Saturday we are assured of a top two finish and a bye in the first round of the Southland Conference tournament next week.”

The way it’s lined up now,

Southeastern Louisiana and UTSA are tied for first with 16 standings points at 5-11 in conference play. SHSU (5-2) is in third place with 15 points, and Texas State and SFA are tied for fourth place with 13 points at 4-2-1.

The Lions will determine their own destiny with less competition in this weekend’s matchups. SELA can clinch the title with wins over Central Arkansas (2-3-2) and Northwestern State (2-4-1), and a UTSA loss.

“Both UCA and Northwestern State still have a shot at the final berth in the tournament, so it will be a fight for Southeastern,” Brown said. “But we just have to worry about our matches.”

SHSU faces more of an uphill battle to close out the year with the upcoming opponents.

UTSA can score easily. The team leads the SLC with 2.35 goals per game this season.

The last matchup between the Kats and Roadrunners ended in a 3-2 overtime SHSU victory in the first round of last year’s post-season event.

The Bobcats are led

by Britney Curry, the

conference’s leading goalscorer, with 12 this season.

Texas State also boasts one of the league’s top defenses, something that attributes to their current rank in the standings.

Regardless of the weekend’s outcomes, the Bearkats have already clinched a tournament appearance for the second consecutive season. Last year, SHSU was bounced by the regular season champ Texas State 2-1 in the semifinals.

The SLC post-season tournament kicks off Nov. 4 in San Marcos with the No. 4 and 5 seeds playing at 4:30 p.m., followed by the No. 3 and 6 seeds facing off at 7 p.m. The semifinals are on Friday, and the finals will be played Sunday.

The tournament winner earns an NCAA Division I tournament automatic bid.

Before the game on Friday, SHSU’s five seniors will be honored.

These players include midfielders Alex Clifton and Adriana Vasquez, defender Nichole Watkins and goalkeepers Jenny Pence and Kelley Sikinger.

Kats Stats SHSU FOOTBALL Sam Houston State Record: 4-3 (2-1 SLC) Second place

Strengths:

-League’s best run game -Stingy run defense -Rich with playmakers

Weaknesses:

-Inconsistent secondary -Slow start in pass game

X-Factor:

-How will the team respond to heart-breaker against SFA?

Northwestern St. Record: 3-4 (2-1 SLC) Second place

Strengths:

-Tough passing defense -Versatile players -Two-game win streak

Weaknesses:

-No offense in any facet -SLC worst total defense

X-Factor:

-How will the league’s worst run defense contain SLC top rusher?

CROSS COUNTRY UPCOMING EVENTS THURSDAY, Oct. 28 Southland Conference Cross Country Championship Beaumont, Texas

VOLLEYBALL UPCOMING GAMES THURSDAY, Oct. 28 Texas State at SHSU

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Follow the Houstonian sports staff on Twitter at: John Rudolph | The Houstonian

SALUTE TO SENIORS. Midfielder Adriana Vasquez (above) is one of five seniors that will be honored before Friday night’s game at home against conference foe UTSA.

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