October 30, 2012 by The Houstonian

TODAY’S FORECAST HI: 74o LOW: 55o Brian Blalock/SHSU

Chance of Rain:

Volleyball team continues 11-game winning streak, highest since Div. I move

Likens, Jones square off on the necessity of the LSC expansion

Volume 122 / Issue 18

Parents of Murdered Children to speak at Criminal Justice event

www.HoustonianOnline.com

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Campus News

Revolution: ‘luxury Egypt couldn’t afford’ Egyptian journalist says there is ‘hope where there was none’; citizens, government still have long road before success STEPHEN GREEN Editor-in-Chief

George Mattingly | The Houstonian

EGYPTS NEW DAYS. Shahira Amin speaks to a group of mass communication students before her speech on Monday, Oct. 29.

National News

The world should give Egyptian president Mohamed Morsi a chance to prove himself, according to former Nile TV anchor and journalist Shahira Amin on Monday. Amin made the statement in a speech at the grand opening of the Sam Houston State University Global Center for Journalism and Democracy. Her opinion is opposite to many who are quick to condemn Morsi for his ties to the Muslim Brotherhood. Morsi was the candidate for the Freedom and Liberty Party, the official party of the Muslim Brotherhood, but has since taken steps away from the Brotherhood. “We were taught to believe the Islamists were the boogeyman,” Amin said. “This was a tactic [former president Hosni] Mubarak used against the Western world and against Egyptians.” Amin said Morsi has shown willingness to cooperate and hold his promise to be “a president for all Egyptians.”

In one example, Amin described how he contradicted Brotherhood officials who said they want to end certain peace treaties. Morsi said all official statements would come from the president’s office and that he has no plans for eliminating any previous treaties. Morsi promised that Egyptians would see substantial change in the first 100 days of his presidency, something Amin said was over ambitious. “He inherited a country in disarray,” Amin said. “After 30 years of a Mubarak regime, we had an ailing economy. The tourists aren’t coming and the investors were scared off.” Egyptian unemployment is at 12.8 percent compared to pre-revolution numbers near 8.9 percent. Crime rates have also increased according to many news agencies and Egyptian officials, but no solid numbers have been confirmed. Amin said this has much to do with the lack of security after the revolution. Revolution Amin said the poor state of the

country may be due to the fact Egyptians weren’t ready for the revolution, the Arab Spring, in the first place. “We just marched out there and began protesting,” Amin said. “We were surprised when the regime fell in 18 days. Then everyone said ‘Yay’ and went home.” She said had the protesters been more organized, Egypt may be in a different state. “Had there been more organization, we may not have Morsi as a president,” Amin said. “Liberals just sit around and complain on Twitter instead of going out there.” The revolution was necessary, she said, but maybe too early. “The revolution was a luxury I don’t think the Egyptians could afford,” Amin said. Rights Amin is not only a journalist, but also an activist for, among other things, women’s rights. “Women have made great strides in the last 15 years under the Mubarak administration,” she said. —

EGYPT, page 6

Sandy slams into Northeast

John Mincillo/Associated Press SANDY ROUGHS UP NORTHEAST. Sea water floods the Ground Zero construction site, Monday, Oct. 29, in New York. Sandy continued on its path Monday, as the storm forced the shutdown of mass transit, schools and financial markets, sending coastal residents fleeing, and threatening a dangerous mix of high winds and soaking rain.

Posting the vote: how social media affects political engagement CODY MILES Staff Reporter Some Sam Houston students believe that social media is harmfully impacting political engagement. Networking sites like Twitter and Facebook have become powerful platforms for discussing political issues, but as this election season draws to a close some have wondered about its efficacy in positively influencing others.

“It’s easy to form an opinion based off your friend’s opinions,” said Crystal Thomas, senior. “I feel like a lot of people allow themselves to be misinformed.” Analysts from the Pew Research Center have also expressed concerns about the impact of social networking sites on the broad political culture. In a report released last September, the center revealed that social media has been shown to play a modest role in influencing

user’s views and political activities. The survey revealed, however, that users might be living in echo chambers where they only encounter and chat with people who share and reinforce their political views. The results were based on a survey from Jan. 20 to Feb. 19 and based on conversations with 2,523 respondents over the age of 18. “People are willing to say anything because their followers on social networking sites

encourage it,” said SHSU alumnus Lauren Daniels. “An example: the rumor about Mitt Romney’s slogan being the same as the KKK.” White House Communications Director Dan Pfeiffer recently told the New Yorker magazine, “With the internet, with YouTube, with TiVo, with cable TV, people are selective viewers now… People approach their news consumption the way they approach their iPod.” “I honestly think sharing

opinions, especially something that’s so heavy and controversial on Facebook isn’t the best idea,” said junior Maria Trela. “Ideas can get misconstrued and the overall meaning of something can be taken the completely wrong way.” Regardless of its effects, social media is an unavoidable and prevalent force in society. The second presidential debate, according to Bluefin Labs —

ELECTIONS, page 6

Page 2

News

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 houstonianonline.com/news

“Parents of Murdered Children” to share experiences, history with SHSU students SOPHIE NELSON Staff Reporter A panel of four speakers will be discuss their thoughts and experiences as “Parents of Murdered Children” with criminal justice students today at 6 p.m. in the Criminal Justice courtroom. There will be four speakers featured in the panel this year, three from the Houston chapter of Parents of Murdered Children and the Victim Advocate of the City of Houston. Additionally, the program will cover a brief history of Victim’s Rights, a movement which is also celebrating its 30th anniversary. Raymond Teske, Ph.D., a professor in the College of Criminal Justice, has been teaching the Victimology class for 30 years, and continues to host the program that began the same year as the class. Teske began having the panel of speakers visit SHSU because he wanted his students to experience first-hand the power of victim’s rights in real cases. According to the Federal

Bureau of Investigation Expanded Homicide Data, in 2010, approximately 1,200 youth under 18 years of age were victims of homicide. They account for roughly 10 percent of murders recorded in the FBI’s Uniform Crime Report. “I want to give my students an introduction to what murder victim’s families have to experience, as well as the family’s exposure to the criminal justice system,” Teske said. Teske stressed that the program is not for his class alone, but is open to everyone who wishes to attend. “This program will help anyone gain insight to what the families go through in terms of being a relative of a murdered person, and also the accomplishments and failures of the criminal justice system for both their personal experiences and in general cases,” Teske said. “But I have to warn those who want to come; you need to bring some tissues, because this event tends to be very emotional.” For more information, contact Beth Kuhles at 936-294-4425.

Eric Fite | The Houstonian

BY THE NUMBERS. According to the FBI Uniform Crime Report, 90 percent of youth murdered in 2010 were from 0-4 (39 percent) and 13-17 (50 percent) age groups.

Food pantry gains approval, closer to becoming organization JAY R. JORDAN Staff Reporter The Sam Houston State University Food Pantry is one step closer to becoming a new organization after receiving a thumbs-up from campus officials on Friday. The pantry received approval from Vice President for Student Services Frank Parker along with a $3,000 contribution. The pantry was created for students who are unable to afford balanced meals and provide volunteer and networking opportunities for students. Candice Wilson, Program Coordinator for First Year Experience, is a part of the advisory board for the food pantry. She said the next step for the pantry is to make it an official

organization. “The advisory board has discussed making the food pantry a student organization because of organization benefits and because it will be easier for other groups to work with us. So completing all of the necessary requirements for that is a next step,” said Wilson. After making the pantry official, the next step is to find a location for the physical aspect of the pantry. Amber Spell, a sophomore computer science and mathematics major, played a major role in the organization’s creation. “I did a lot of research on food pantries in various universities and colleges across America,” she said. “There were a lot. I was so surprised because I hadn’t ever heard of it. I researched how

they put together their pantries and how it was presented to the campus. With all this information, I knew that this project was going to need a team,” Spell said. Spell alongside Bernice Strauss, Ph.D., Director of Academic Support Programs, and other members of the pantry’s advisory board gained support from the faculty senate, Project CONNECT, Bearkat Learning Community, McNair Scholars and Sam Houston Elite. The recent approval from VP Parker is a step toward ending student hunger at SHSU. “It’s so exciting,” Spell said. The benefits of the organization are not only for hungry students. “The great thing is that it’s strictly a project for improvement,” Spell said.

“We want to improve the food shortage, network opportunities, volunteer opportunities, and the character in our student body. Not many people will want to turn this away.” Wilson agreed and said the program is a chance for the SHSU community to grow. “The [beneficiaries] won’t just be students who struggle with food insecurity. It’ll also be the students who contribute to our food drives and to the SHSU community, the students who develop personally through their volunteer work with us, and the students who learn more about needs in the SHSU community.” For more information, contact Candice Wilson at c.wilson@ shsu.edu.

PB&J to bring students closer to nature

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MCKINZIE BROCAIL Senior Reporter Plastic Bottles & Junk (PB&J) is hosting “Relax on the Quad Day” to bring students closer to nature on Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. PB&J is a student organization at Sam Houston State University dedicated to promoting campuswide recycling and raising community awareness for a cleaner and greener environment. Students are encouraged to sit out in the grassy area outside of the Evans Complex, Austin Hall and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) to de-stress on “Relax on the Quad Day.” “We want students to go outside and relax in a natural setting,” Amy Perez, Vice President of PB&J and senior biology major, said. The student group was founded in 2009 by its current president Brandi Cannon, a senior biology student. Since its start PB&J has gone in a more philosophical route, edging away from physical things setting up recycling bins and hydration stations on

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REUSE, RECYCLE The Hydration Stations on campus are in the Paw Print area of the LSC and the Health and Kinesiology Center.

campus. “We’re hoping that if students enjoy being in a natural environment, they’ll be more inclined to treat it better,” Perez said. By getting students to sit outside and feel calm, PB&J is hoping to convince students to want to make it greener. “We will be handing out free snacks to students who are relaxing and we may set up a recycle center,” Perez said. “We wanted to do something in October and now that the weather has cooled down and with midterms recently it’s a convenient way to relieve stress.”

Unlike the typical recycling initiatives of PB&J, “Relax on the Quad Day” is a little different. “It’s not so much related to recycling, but it’s an attempt to get people to come out and relax outside and enjoy the parts of campus that are natural and catch some sunshine,” Perez said. Students are encouraged by the university to recycle every Wednesday at the circle turnaround outside the CHSS and Lee Drain buildings between 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. and 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. PB&J meets every Tuesday in the LSC room 308 at 7 p.m.

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Page 3

Viewpoints

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

Students square off over new student referendums, campus necessities Jones argues expansions Likens says LSC expansion necessary, beneficial waste of student money

This year I voted ‘yes’ on pub would allow students to the Homecoming ballot student have a safer area to drink and referendums to increase tuitions spend time with friends. fees to expand the Lowman There have also been issues Student Center and Student regarding overcrowding and Health Center. Why? Because I lack of space for on-campus believe these projects will liven and off-campus groups who up and modernize our campus’ want to meet inside the LSC. appearance, satisfy student, Many of the third-floor meeting facility and staff demands, and rooms are booked and times for expand facilities to support the student organizations to meet MISTI JONES increasing student population. are limited; demand for rooms Viewpoints Editor While I don’t particularly was so high last year that the enjoy having my tuition LSC had to extend its hours. increased, as I already struggle to afford With the approved referendum, the second each semester’s payments, I don’t mind level of the LSC will feature more meeting paying approximately $100 to have some rooms, event space and an 11,000 square more entertainment around here. My foot grand ballroom. approval vote, as well as 63.48 percent of Let’s not forget about the Student other students’ votes, will help construct Health Center expansion. According to a necessary, fun-filled student center that a Today@Sam press release regarding will benefit the needs of students and the the referendums, the current student emergent student body. health facility, built in 1965, supports a The current LSC can only service a population that is “222 percent larger than population of 12,500 people with its the 5,743 enrolled students” from that 125,000 square foot capacity. This poses time; this makes it difficult for students a problem because Sam Houston State to be seen when they need to be and the University is steadily growing to more facility lacks physicians. than 18,000 students enrolled. The LSC SHC director Sarah Hanel told Today@ was not designed to handle this abundance Sam that students attended approximately of students and lacks the necessities of a 20,000 appointments for a variety of true student center. medical issues last year and the health Students at SHSU have been begging center had to turn away 206 students in for improvements to the LSC for years. In the beginning of the semester because they spring 2010, students asked the LSC for had no open appointments. upgrades and additional entertainment to The $37 raise in student health fees be added to the Kat Klub. They wanted will ensure a larger facility that offers a brighter space to hang out with TVs, new services to students such as samevideo gaming and more computer spaces. day appointments, expanded women’s According to Dan McDaniel, director health services, radiology services and an of the LSC, after these renovations were expanded pharmacy. The plan will allow made, student traffic to the Kat Klub for more students to be seen and for two or increased by 44 percent while program three new physicians to be hired. attendance increased by 92 percent. I do not believe the tuition fees are a The renovations serve to fulfill student tremendous increase with all that they needs with the additions of an arcade, a are going to accomplish. The student six-to-eight lane bowling alley and pub referendums are necessary for the steadily in the Kat Club. The university has a growing student population and are highly rated women’s bowling team and implemented to benefit campus-wide the bowling alleys will fit their needs for needs. practice and tournaments. An on-campus

Along with the usual features of Homecoming week (loud noises, uncomfortable places to sit and various food items to inevitably vomit back up later that night) this year’s homecoming hosted the voting for two of the proposed renovations on campus. Both passed, with 74.6 percent of students approving expansion in the Health Center and 63.48 percent of students voting “yes” on the Lowman Student Center renovations. This correlates rather well with my own observations that somewhere between 63 percent and 75 percent of students are idiots. As far as my own experiences have shown, the Heath Center seems to be functioning fine. I have personally been there many times, and never experienced any problems with overcrowding, extended waiting times or getting appointments. But maybe the problem isn’t as obvious as that. I still see no need to expand the Health Center but am willing to give the benefit of the doubt, within reason. It’s the fact that the LSC renovations passed that truly boggles the mind. The new additions to the LSC ought to be as welcomed a renovation as the average brain tumor, but yet again, bright colors and shiny things have overcome the forces of

miserable as it is. To my knowledge, the only proposed actions against the parking problem all involve parking garages, which unsurprisingly requires payment each time they are used or a single payment of $300 per semester. On top of that, even the earliest of these expansions isn’t due to begin until 2016. While it would certainly be an interesting experiment to move all faculty parking to the edge of campus and see if there is any sudden change in priorities, I feel that in the meantime expectations for better parking should be kept low. Bowling alleys and pubs are big, boisterous things that catch the eye and reel in students. Their revenue, at least. These renovations are safe bets. There is sure to be at least a small portion of student applications owed to them and SHSU will reap the benefits. They just won’t have anywhere to park. Shame is upon you, students of SHSU. I already consider it an accomplishment if I get home in the evenings without having to get to know anyone new. I don’t like most people and intentionally raising my tuition gives me all the more reason to self-seclude. Guess I’ll be having tap water for dinner again tonight.

TAYLOR LIKENS Staff Reporter good. Paving the road for a multitude of exciting new ways for the university to charge students for even more things they aren’t going to use, the LSC is due to receive a pub and bowling alley. The Texas State University System claims the project will cost about $30 million to complete, a cost that will naturally be paid for by further increases in tuition. If the college was looking to do a true service, the bowling alley could be dropped completely and in its place they could simply post a nice placard giving directions to the bowling alley five minutes away from campus. As for the pub, it can be forgiven if it is given an appropriate or crude name, such as “The Beerhole” or “The Drunken Bearkat.” This misguided use of funds is made all the more unsettling by the fact that I have yet to hear of any logical reason parking at SHSU has to be as utterly

Allyson Wiley offers last minute costume ideas ALLYSON WILEY Staff Reporter

What are your plans for Halloween?

Word on the street

It’s the night before Halloween and you’ve just been invited to a party. The only problem is you have to wear a costume and you don’t have one. Well don’t freak out, I have a few clever ideas that I have accumulated over the years that will help you in a flash. First, let’s do a few don’ts of Halloween costumes: 1. Don’t go out and spend a ton of money. You are never going to wear the costume again. Let’s face it, being Honey Boo Boo won’t

“I’m dressing up as a fairy with a glow-in-the-dark wand. I’ll probably take my little sisters trick-or-treating.” -Daniela Mendez Junior Education major

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second you get! 3. What about Toddlers in Tiaras? All you will need is a shorter cocktail dress (the puffier the better), a binky, some pixie sticks and a tiara. Throw a few tantrums throughout the night and you might just win the Grand Supreme title. Now I don’t want to leave the guys out: 1. Go as the Brawny man! All you need is a flannel shirt, jeans and some work boots. It can’t get any simpler or guy proof than that. Let everyone know that you have “The Strength to Get Things Done!” Girls will swoon.

2. What about Mark Zuckerburg? Go grab that grey t-shirt, black zipper hoodie and jeans. It’s a plus if you can make yourself a Facebook logo or name tag. Don’t want to be too obscure! 3. Finally, you could always go as Danny Zuko. Go to Wal-Mart and find a white t-shirt in your size. Now buy the shirt two sizes down and put on your darkest pair of blue jeans. Make sure to have large amounts of gel in your hair, and for added bonus, roll up a carton of cigarettes in your t-shirt sleeve. Grease Lightning!

“Right now, I have no plans but I might go to a bar. My friends said they were going to get me a Frodo costume because they say I look like him.” -Jackson Barrett Freshman Criminal Justice major

Staff

Faculty Adviser

936-294-1499

1. Go as one of the characters of Bridesmaids. All of us probably have an old prom dress or Homecoming dress that the sales associate promised ‘we could totally wear again’. Well here’s your chance! Make sure you also have a flask and mess up your hair and make-up. Look a little trashy! 2. You can be Rosie the Riveter. You know, the one from the ‘We can do it!’ posters. All you’ll need is a denim shirt (there’s one at Marshall’s on clearance) and a red and white polka dot bandanna. Voila! You have completed an awesome costume, but make sure you walk around flexing every

“I’m going to go to the LSC Takeover for sure because they have all that ‘build your own’ stuff and laser tag. That’s going to be fun. I might go to Demon’s Road with my friends.” -Kyssemee Bradley Sophomore History major

Editorial Staff Robin Johnson

work next Halloween. Most of the expensive costumes are based on pop culture references that can’t be reused. 2. Don’t go as something obscure that no one is going to understand. You want your costume to be recognizable. No one wants to listen to your 20 minute explanation about how you are that one guy from that one movie. Now if you are still with me and not running to return that $100 sexy Snooki costume, I have a few inexpensive, clever last minute costume ideas. Here are a few for the girls:

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Page 4

Arts&Entertainment

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 houstonianonline.com/a-e

Molly Waddell The Houstonian

GATHER ‘ROUND. In a scene from “Seagull”, an audience crowds around Trigorin’s play as Nina acts out an odd monologue that Trigorin created.

SHSU theatre to premiere new translation of “Seagull” MOLLY WADDELL Arts & Entertainment Editor Anton Chekhov’s “Seagull,” a play filled with love and longing among an ensemble of characters in 19th century Russia, is the latest show by the Sam Houston State University Theatre Department is putting on “Seagull” by Anton Chekhov in the Showcase Theatre in the University Theatre Center. The show will run every day at 8

p.m. from Wednesday through Saturday with a 2 p.m. matinee showing on Saturday. SHSU production of “Seagull” will be the world premiere of this translation by Marina Brodskaya. According to Professor Maureen McIntyre, director of “Seagull”, the second time the play was produced by Konstantin Stanislavsky, it was a huge success. Stanislavski created the realistic acting styles that are used today with this play.

“It’s exciting for students to see how the way they act today was created,” McIntyre said. “Seagull” is about finding happiness through art, love and friendship, and is set in late 1890s Russia. There is a cast of 13 people, four set changes as well as four costume changes. The costumes are extravagant. The women wear beautiful gowns and gloves while the men wear suits and ties with nice overcoats.

The sets include items from Russia such as coats, rugs, Russian dolls and silk. There will also be real coffee, tea and eggs. The backdrops of the scenes are abstract, meaning the whole object isn’t represented but the audience can tell what it is. According to McIntyre the play is different because the actors will not always be facing the audience. This is also different from recent SHSU plays because it is heavy in character development.

McIntyre says the play is humorous, touching and dramatic all at once. She also says the play is conversational and will be easy for the audience to follow. “I think people will like it because everyone gets to the point of saying, ‘Will you love me?’” McIntyre said. Tickets for “Seagull” are $10 and are available at University Theatre Center Showcase Theatre UTC Box Office at (936) 294-1339.

Top five My SHSU:30 videos in tight race for top prizes CHEYENNE SIMPSON Staff Reporter Sam Houston State University is holding a contest to see who can sum up their college life in a thirty second television commercial. The contest started on Aug. 31 and will end on Nov. 21. Professors, students and alumnus are all competing to see who will win the prize and get to be the face of SHSU in their new commercial. First place will win the opportunity to air their entry as a SHSU commercial that will be shown regionally and will also win a Nook Tablet. Second place will win a Nook Color and third will win a Nook Simple Touch. With less than a month left to enter and vote, Kats are hopeful to win the big prize of having their

entry become the commercial for SHSU. Right now, the MySHSU:30 video gallery consists of 18 video entries. In order to vote, viewers can visit myshsu30.com and click the Facebook “like” button for their favorite commercial entry. For the most part, the videos either have hundreds of likes or hardly any at all. Viewers wonder if this is more of a popularity contest or whether the commercial really represents SHSU. Based on the most Facebook likes, the top five video submissions are running very close together. The first place entry is from Amanda Crowley called SHSU Gangnam Style. This video submission has over 300 likes on Facebook. This video shows

students wearing their Bearkat colors dancing Gangnam Style. Students throughout the film join along for the fun ending the video with “Sammy Bearkat Style”. Although this does not quite capture what SHSU means to its students, it is still a fun and entertaining video to watch. “That was random but funny,” Orlando Martinez said in the Facebook comment section. Next in close second is Video Eight submitted by Carolina Torres. In her video submission, Torres shows why she is proud to be a bearkat. With pictures from football games, school events and SHSU surprises, her video has 300 likes. Erika Wright is taking third so far in her video submission “Bearkat Unity”. Wright’s video

plays “We Are Family” while showing pictures and highlights from previous football games and of course, Sammy. “Bearkat Unity” has pulled in about 276 likes. With 275 likes, Sarabella Helton’s video entry “Sarabella’s SHSU 30” really hits home. Helton not only focuses on what her life is like at Sam Houston State, but also takes a look into other students, organizations, majors and groups at SHSU. Helton’s video starts by introducing SHSU’s motto “The measure of a life is its service.” This entry does a fantastic job of representing not only the university but the campus life as well. Members of the Facebook community also liked Helton’s

entry. “This is wonderful! I think it represents SHSU very well,” Summer Palmertree said in the Facebook comment section. The Fifth video has a way to go following Sarabella’s SHSU 30 video with 100 less likes on Facebook. Keenan Jones shows he is happy to be a Bearkat by riding a bike around campus to the song “Sometimes (I Get A Good Feeling)”. Although this video is high quality and well done, viewers are having a hard time understanding what the purpose of the video is. With three weeks left to vote, show some Bearkat pride and pick the video you think best represents education, student life and Bearkat pride.

Scare on the Square fills streets with goblins, ghouls CODY MILES Staff Reporter

The festivities in Huntsville over the Halloween weekend were filled with laughter and kid-friendly activities. The Main Street Program hosted the 10th annual “Scare on the Square” Saturday which included ghost tours, a spooky fun house, bounce houses, facepainting and piñatas holstered from a fire truck. “You can really see how Huntsville supports the community,” Meghan Kelly, senior at Sam Houston and volunteer at the Wynne Home Arts Center said. “It’s really cool to see how the community comes together.” Student volunteers and community organizations lined the streets with games and prizes for children. Costumed characters of all ages could be seen migrating from venue to venue. Many Greek organizations volunteered at the event. Among them, Delta Xi Nu painted children’s faces and gave out candy and Omega Delta Phi offered bowling for prizes. “This is fun because we’re new to Huntsville. We didn’t know this many people volunteered,” said Rachel Watkins, freshman. The fire department gave children turns at hitting a piñata that hung from the ladder on a fire truck.

photo provided by Montana Fuoco

INTO THE STREETS. The Hulk plays a dice game at the fair while Iron Man gets some candy.

“We just love the Huntsville Fire Department,” Main Street Coordinator Kim McAuliffe said. “I didn’t know what to expect when they told me they were going to bring piñatas.” The costume contest was the most anticipated event of the night. Contestants were broken up by age into four groups and judged by a panel of Sam Houston student volunteers. A male and female winner were chosen from groups 6 months to 3 years old, 4 to 6, 7 to 9, and 10 and up. A large crowd hovered around the gazebo to watch the contest. It was not unusual to see a 4-year-old Tony Stark,

complete with facial hair, or any number of superheroes and zombies. The next event the Main Street Program will be hosting is the Downtown Christmas Fair on Saturday, Dec. 1 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. “I’m really looking forward to this event because it helps put people in the holiday spirit,” McAuliffe said. “We will have SNOW once again, an elf on stilts, live entertainment, arts and crafts vendors, unique food vendors, a children’s area and all of the downtown stores will have shopping specials.”

Spring Break Mission Trip—Honduras March 8—16, 2013

Christian non-denominational organization that helps orphanages needs SHSU! No experience necessary. This trip typically cost $1,300, can be paid in installments and will include airfare, lodging, and food. Please email for more information or to see how you can help no later than 11/5/2012. GroupMissions@yahoo.com

Page 5

Sports

Tuesday, October 30, 2012 houstonianonline.com/sports

Bearkats dominate Lamar 56-7, move to second in Southland Conference standings CODY LEWIS Sports Editor With Walter Peyton Award candidate Tim Flanders leading the way, the Sam Houston State Bearkats defeated the Lamar Cardinals 56-7 to move to number two in the Southland Conference standings, behind only Central Arkansas. The Kats also moved to number four in both national FCS polls. Sam Houston is ranked in the top ten of both major polls for the 18th consecutive week, while being ranked in the top 20 of these polls for the 21st straight week. “It was a good overall victory,” SHSU head coach Willie Fritz said. “We came out of the box fast and furious.” This was the Bearkats’ (6-2, 4-1 SLC) fifth straight win, and the third consecutive year they have beaten the Cardinals (3-6, 0-4 SLC). Flanders finished with 136 yards and four touchdowns on 16 carries for his 20th career game with over one hundred yards. SHSU’s all-time leading rusher became the all-time leading scorer for Sam Houston with his four touchdowns (300 points on 50 touchdowns). The Bearkats finished with 378 total rushing yards and had six different rushers with double digit yardage, including Keshawn Hill, who rushed for 90 yards and a touchdown. Running back Cody Morgan punched in a three-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter to put the Cardinals away for good. Quarterback Brian Bell threw

Photo courtesy of: Gobearkats.com

BEST IN SHOW: Running backs Richard Sincere (left) and Tim Flanders (right) combimed for a total of five touchdwons and over 200 total yards.

his 40th touchdown pass of his career, passing former SHSU quarterback Dustin Long’s record of 39 set in 2004. Bell had 84 passing yards on the day, including a 48-yard strike to wide receiver Trey Diller in the second quarter after a Cardinal turnover. Bell was not the only Sam Houston passer against the

Cardinals. Richard Sincere finally got to show off his arm as he connected with Brandon Wilkinson for a 42-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. “We’ve been having that in the play book for a while,” Sincere said to gobearkats.com. “They finally decided to call it. I was really looking forward to it.” Bell, who has 4,924 career

passing yards, trails only Rhett Bomar, who holds the current school record with 5,964 yards. The gap between total yards, however, is much closer. Bell has racked up 5,694 yards in his career while Bomar holds the record at 6,160. Kicker Miguel Antonio also broke a record on Saturday,

passing up former SHSU kicker Billy Hayes (258 points from 1985-1988) and now has 264 total points from 42 field goals made and 138 point-after attempts. While his twin brother Darius was serving a one-game suspension, Darnell Taylor had four solo tackles and one assisted tackle as he led the Bearkat defense to holding the Cardinals to only 181 total yards on offense. Taylor is also now knocking on the door of a previous SHSU record. He is six solo tackles away from tying Stan Blinka’s record of 215 while he played here from 1975-1978. Taylor is only the fourth Bearkats ever to record over 200 solo tackles. Early in the second quarter, Gary Lorance forced a fumble from Lamar running back DePaul Garrett, which was recovered by J.T. Cleveland and taken to Lamar’s one yard line. This set up Flanders’ second touchdown of the day. “Our defense got us in some good positions,” Fritz said. Along with an interception by Bookie Sneed, the Bearkats recovered two of the four fumbles the Cardinals had, making it a good day defensively for the Kats. The only points given up were on an 89-yard kick return by Lamar’s Kevin Johnson in the third quarter. The Bearkats will try and take some of the momentum they gained in this game into Saturday’s match-up against Southeastern Louisiana, who are coming off of a loss to Central Arkansas. This is the final home game of the regular season for the Bearkats. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m.

Can you dig it? Volleyball bumps winning streak to 11 JEREMY KLEIBER Staff Reporter The Sam Houston State Volleyball team has been playing carnivorous volleyball as of late, win or be eaten. In addition to their inspiring 11-match winning streak, the Bearkats have devoured their competition in 33 of their last 39 sets. SHSU swiped first place from Central Arkansas in four sets Saturday, going 27-29, 25-28, 25-14 and 25-19. After a 5-9 start to the season, Bearkat Nation has watched the win column swell to an overall record of 16-9; with a Southland Conference best 11-2 league mark. Sam Houston hit an imposing .328 during the UCA contest, led by Middle Blocker Haley Neisler and Outside Hitter Kendall Cleveland, who each hit .500 on the day. Cleveland had 14 kills, two digs, and a block, while Neisler had seven kills, seven blocks and two digs, respectively. Kaylee Hawkins posted a doubledouble for the match, owning team-highs of 18 kills and 17 digs.

Huntsville Product Tayler Gray handed out 45 assists while also recording 15 digs, four blocks and two kills. Central Arkansas (23-4, 11-3) rallied back from a 14-0 Bearkat advantage to win the first set. But even after an exhausting fiveset marathon victory over Oral Roberts Thursday, Sam Houston was able to dig down deep and take the next three sets. “The girls are hitting on all cylinders now,” Coach Brenda Gray said. “This was a great team effort and a big win.” With the victory in Conway, Sam Houston now holds a half game lead over the Bears for first place in the Southland Conference standings. The current 11-match winning streak is Bearkat Volleyball’s longest since the program moved up to the NCAA Division I level. The Bearkats return to Johnson Coliseum for some home-cooking against Southeastern Louisiana (10-15, 5-10 SLC) Thursday at 7p.m. All SHSU students get free entry to the event with their Bearkat One card.

Soccer tournament to begin Thursday JEREMY KLEIBER Staff Reporter The Sam Houston State Soccer team will represent Bearkat Nation as the No. 5 seed in the 2012 Southland Conference tournament this Thursday in Lake Charles, La., where the champion will receive the league’s automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Southland Soccer Tournament will take place Nov. 1-4, 2012 at Cowgirl Field on the campus of McNeese State University. In the tournament’s first match, No. 4 seed Oral Roberts (5-3-0) will challenge No. 5 seed Sam Houston State (4-3-1) Thursday at 4:30 p.m. During their last rendezvous, SHSU fell to Oral Roberts 1-0 in a double overtime thriller. The Bearkats are making their fourth appearance in

the tournament, whereas the Golden Eagles qualified for an appearance in just their first season in the Southland. The winner of the match will play top-seeded Stephen F. Austin Friday at 4:30. The Lady Jacks wore an unblemished league record of 8-0-0 this season, posting a school record 15 total victories. The championship match will be televised on the Southland Conference Television Network, available live on more than 20 affiliates across the league’s four-state region. Also, every tournament match will be streamed live on the new Southland Conference Digital Network, available at southland. org or on the Southland Conference mobile apps. Students of all Southland Conference institutions are awarded free admission with a valid ID.

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Tuesday, October 30, 2012

~~JUMPS~~ EGYPT,

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“He wasn’t all bad.” She said women gained a lot of respect during the revolution. “Women were very much a part of the uprising,” Amin said. “They were leading the chants in Tahrir [Square in Cairo].” However, the progress of women may be halted and taking a step back, according to Amin. The panel tasked with constructing the country’s constitution has only six women out of 100 members. In addition, Islamist members make up 60 percent of the panel and constantly push for “in accordance with Sharia law” to every article. Doing so, Amin said, can take away every step forward women have taken. Page Trahan, senior mass communication major, said she now has a deeper understanding of the situation in Egypt. “I’m burdened by all I didn’t know,” Trahan said. “I’m glad she came, now I want to be a part of the change.” Amin also mentioned the reduction of female genital mutilation rates declining from 90 percent of women to 75 percent after a law was passed in 2007 banning the practice. Future Amin said Egypt won’t be rebuilt in a few days. “It will take several years to see real change,” Amin said. “I believe Morsi made a serious and solumn vow [to be a fair president and work hard on rebuilding the country.]” Amin is still working as a journalist stationed in Cairo and travels all over the world speaking on behalf of Egyptian journalists and women’s rights. The executive director of the GCJD and SHSU professor Kelli Arena said journalists like Amin are the types of people the center supports and wants to bring to Huntsville. Amin is scheduled to speak at Georgetown University on Thursday.

ELECTIONS,

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researcher Eleanor Dowling, generated 12.24 million social media comments11.7 million tweets and 572,000 public Facebook posts. Its social media buzz was considered the third most social TV event of all time after the 2012 Grammy Awards and the 2012 MTV Video Music Awards. Politicians cannot avoid social media, either. Both Barack Obama and Mitt Romney and scores of state and local candidates and advocacy groups have used social media platforms like Facebook to engage voters. There are those users that enjoy political engagement in social media. “I value the opinions of my friends so even if I disagree with what they may say, reading their posts gives me an opportunity to challenge my own beliefs, positions and perspectives” said Jesse Gutierrez. Others hold similar beliefs, especially politically engaged social media users. “I feel the give and take over social media only helps people think through their prejudices and previously held bias,” said alumni Kristopher Scroggins. “I would be talking with my close friends about important ideas such as policy debates anyway. Social media simply allows me to communicate with many people at once, and get information from many people at once” said senior John Vandivier. “Furthermore, it allows me to tap resources that I wouldn’t be able to otherwise because, for example, I’m not personal friends with the editor of the NY Times, or the Heritage Foundation, but I can like their Facebook page or follow their tweets and still get cutting edge information about what they think about all kinds of stuff.” Whether social media is in actually a good or evil in society remains unanswered. However, it certainly appears, like most issues, to have a lot of give and take.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 6. Make sure to find the correct precinct and the voting location associated with it before that day. Early voting is available at all polling location until Nov. 2.

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