Volume 126 | Issue 13

Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

What’s happening at Sam SLAVERY, P.3

FOOTBALL, P.4

VOLLEYBALL, P.5

REVIEW, P.6

CLOCK TOWER, P.6

An on-campus group is fighting to end modern-day slavery

The number of football fans seems to dwindle as the game goes on...

The Bearkat volleyball team finally returns home tonight

‘Machinal’ review tells of dramatic and exciting tale feature on campus

SHSU Maintenance cleaned the clock tower yesterday, and it was awesome

Volume 126 | Issue 13

T HE H EADL I N E S i n br i e f

/HoustonianSHSU

@HoustonianSHSU

@HoustonianSHSU

HoustonianOnline.com

Bearkats jam despite rain

Compiled by: Manny Jawa web editor

EBOLA PATIENT DIES IN THE U.S.

Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital reported that Thomas Duncan, the first person in the U.S. that was diagnosed with Ebola, had died as result of the virus early yesterday morning. Elsewhere in the nation, five international airports along the east coast will begin to see stricter medical screenings by Customs and Border Protection in order to identify people who may be showing symptoms of Ebola.

MILITARY BODIES RECOVERED

Col. Kevin Clotfelter, 116th Air Control Wing Commander reported yesterday that the bodies of all three U.S. airmen who were swept to sea by a strong typhoon in Japan had been recovered. The Air Force identified the men as Senior Master Sgt. James Swartz, Sgt. David Paschal and Air Force Staff Sgt. Joshua Schoenhoff.

COMCAST MERGER

Comcast shareholders officially approved the company’s merger with Time Warner yesterday. The $45.2 billion buyout, originally announced in February, would merge two of the largest cable companies in the U.S. Time Warner shareholders are expected to approve the acquisition today.

CHINESE EARTHQUAKE

Over 230,000 people are homeless after a 6.0 magnitude earthquake hit Yunnan, China in the late hours of Oct. 7. The quake comes a little over a month after a deadly 6.3 magnitude quake hit the same area. Government officials reported that the quake injured at least 324 people and has displaced over 124,000.

ANIMAL CRUELTY GETS UPGRADED

The FBI hopes to allow law enforcement authorities the ability to better track and report cases by identifying cruelty as a “crime against society”. The FBI announced this month that starting in 2016, animal cruelty will join the likes of murder, trafficking, arson and assault as a Group A Felony.

Catherine Stalland | The Houstonian

Freshmen friends Logan Lowry kinesiology major, Sunnie Ward engineering technology major and Abigail Hargis criminal justice major (bottom right) brace themselves for a ride on the Cliffhanger at Sam Jam which took place Wednesday at Holleman Field parking lot. Sophomore Psychology major Lucy Perez (bottom left) has her eyes on the prize while waiting to begin that one game that nobody knows the name of where you shoot water into the target.

Students react to Red Bull settlement STAFF REPORT Customers who bought any Red Bull product between 2002 and Oct. 3 2014 are being reimbursed with either $10 in cash or $15 worth of Red Bull products, according to a settlement made in August.

The settlement stemmed from a class action lawsuit alleging the energy drink company of false advertisement of its products. Red Bull’s slogan, “Red Bull gives you wings,” came under scrutiny from plaintiff Benjamin Careathers who claimed the slogan “misleads consumers.”

Freshman mass communications major KaDeja Lewis said she

thought Careathers’ case was “stupid.”

“How do you really think you’re going to get wings?” Lewis said.

“How old was this dude? Seriously?

He should be admitted to a mental place since he thought he was going to get away with it.”

However, freshman mass communications major Daisha Watson said just the opposite.

“I think he was smart,” Watson said. “It’s a lot of money.”

“Red Bull defendants persistently and pervasively market their product as a superior source of ‘energy’ worthy of a premium price over a cup of coffee or other sources of caffeine,” the suit states.

Pluto plaque reiterates outdated information

TWITTER VS. U.S. GOVERNMENT

Twitter filed a federal lawsuit Oct. 7 against the U.S. Government over restrictions placed on service providers’ abilities to disclose the exact number of National Security Letters or Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Court Orders. Twitter officials allege that the restrictions have impeded on their first amendment rights by hindering their ability to respond to users’ concerns by providing meaningful and exact information about the scope of U.S. Government surveillance.

FCC FINES AT&T

AT&T agreed to pay a $105 million Federal Communication Commission fine to resolve allegations that it “crammed” customers for millions of dollars in unauthorized charges from premium SMS, ringtones and celebrity gossip services. The fine is the largest in FCC history, but only represents a small fraction of AT&T’s revenue, which amounts to $32.6 billion in the second quarter of this year alone. The Federal Trade Commission also filed a lawsuit against T-Mobile in July alleging similar acts of cramming.

Brynn Castro | The Houstonian

Pluto’s plaque sits in the ground and states it is a planet. However, it was stripped of its planet status more than seven years ago. Read a full report by Associate Editor Hannah Zedaker online at HoustonianOnline.com.

SGA to continue BOTPW wager

Jay R. Jordan | The Houstonian

TEDDI CLIETT Staff Reporter Students across campus are counting down the days until orange and purple collide, Bearkats and Lumberjacks clash, and every bit of school pride is accounted for.

The Battle of the Piney Woods.

For the past few years however, something other than bragging rights rides on the outcome of the annual football game. The student governments of both Sam Houston State University and Stephen F. Austin State University have made a friendly wager that states the losing university’s SGA must attend and participate in the winning school’s community service project.

This year, if SHSU bests SFA once again in the rivalry, Lumberjacks could potentially be volunteering at SHSU’s annual event, “Bearkat All Paws In” held on March 21, 2015.

The four-year-old community service project consists of a range of volunteer-based activities from picking up trash at the Huntsville State Park to spending time with the elderly at Ella Smithers Geriatric Center.

If SFA steals a victory, then SHSU’s SGA will volunteer at “The

Big Event,” a community service project where SFA students spend the day saying “thanks” to their Nacogdoches community through small jobs like window washing and various yard work activities.

Allegedly, this friendly wager stemmed from the bet that Dean of Students John Yarabeck had with SFA’s Dean of Students, Adam Peck where the dean of the losing school had to take a picture wearing a tie from the winning school.

The SGA volunteer agreement was created to provoke even more school spirit, comradery and provide more volunteers for each university’s community service project. For the last three consecutive years, SHSU has yet to lose the game or wager.

Student Body President Spencer Copeland explains that, in the event of a loss, senators will attend Nacognoches on a volunteer basis.

The entire SGA organization will not be required to go. However, all of SGA is looking forward to the big game.

“We’re always very excited every year,” Copeland said. “We’re not going to lose, so we’re excited to get the extra help.”

The Battle of the Piney Woods will be Nov. 1 at NRG Stadium, formally Reliant Stadium, at 3 p.m.

UPD not actively investigating Theta Chi JAY R. JORDAN Editor-in-Chief Criminal hazing allegations against Sam Houston State University’s Theta Chi chapter were dropped, according to University Police Chief Kevin Morris, because

the alleged victims did not want to press charges.

Morris said the University Police Department is no longer actively investigating the alleged hazing in the form of military-style exercises.

UPD will keep the case open to let the victims press charges at a

later date if they choose to do so.

The statute of limitations for a class B misdemeanor, a charge under which hazing falls in this case, is two years.

“It’s not a criminal investigation,” Morris said. “We would still do an administrative investigation based

on statements from the complainants and from the victims. We then take that information and send it to the Dean of Students’ Office.”

The Dean of Students’ Office investigation is still ongoing, according to Dean of Students John Yarabeck.

James A. Baker, III

Former U.S. Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, and White House Chief of Staff

Thursday, October 16, 2014 Lecture

11:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.

James & Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center, Concert Hall 815 17th Street, Huntsville, TX There is no charge to attend.

For more information contact the President’s Office 936.294.3415 or events@shsu.edu.

Sam Houston State University

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/campusculture | Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014

Page 3

GCJD joins national

movement to end slavery

Brynn Castro | The Houstonian

SLAVES TODAY. Students take notice of sophomore musical theater major Maggie Ellison as she portrays a modern day slave. The demonstration took place Wednesday in the Lowman Student Center Mall.

SEAN SMITH Campus Culture Editor The Lowman Student Center Mall is home to a variety of student groups presenting a multitude of ideas, interests and issues. From prayer circles and Greek recruitment, to free food and t-shirts, the mall gives a space for groups large and small to spread their influence across campus.

However, an area of the mall shifted to a serious tone Wednesday to highlight an issue of which many college students are unaware.

27 million men, women and children are trapped in slavery today, according to the End It Movement, a national social media effort committed to ending modern-day slavery. 200,000 of those slaves are held captive in the United States alone.

The Global Center for Journalism and Democracy at Sam Houston State University has joined the fight and will present several events throughout the next week to raise awareness on the issue of modernday slavery.

GCJD kicked off their campaign yesterday with a demonstration titled “Experience the Reality” in the LSC Mall. The demonstration used student actors to portray forcedlaborers, slave workers and prostitutes, all of which are examples of modern-day slavery.

Senior mass communications major Cesar Jimenez spearheaded the campaign along with GCJD executive director Kelli Arena.

Jimenez said their focus is to promote awareness through social media to college-aged-students.

“What we’re trying to do is make a big social media push to really make 18 to 25 year olds know that this is a reality,” Jimenez said.

Senior theatre major Lex Lass worked with the group to find the actors for yesterday’s demonstration. He said modern-day slavery is an issue that has an impact close to home.

“You could be sitting in class next to someone and they could be a forced laborer, they could be in prostitution,” Lass said. “You would never know, they blend in with society. We just want people to show that they’re out there, they’re next to you.”

Jimenez echoed Lass’ thoughts on the proximity of modern-day slavery.

“Houston is a huge port for prostitution and forced labor,” Jimenez said. “It’s mostly because [Houston’s ports] have a lot of ships coming in, and that’s what brings [slavery] in. It’s also because Texas has one of the biggest borders of any state.”

The campaign will continue next week with two more events on campus.

GCJD will host an exhibit on modern-day slavery featuring stories of former slaves and facts on slavery around the world. The gallery will also feature information from slaveryfootprint.org, which shows how profits on products support slave labor, according to Jimenez.

“The reason we support that website is not because they’re trying to force you to stop buying things that you love,” Jimenez said.

“Most companies don’t know. They have good intentions because they

FITNESS

PASSES

PRORATED

are making these products right.

Where the issue comes in is where their suppliers are.”

The gallery will be on exhibit Oct. 13-14 in the LSC Atrium.

The week concludes with a GCJD Speaker Series event that will feature Shyima Hall, an author and former child slave.

Hall was sold to another family for less than $30. She was smuggled in to California at the age of 10 to serve the wealthy Cairo couple that purchased her.

Jose Medina, senior mass communications major, said attentive neighbors in the family’s southern California neighborhood led to Hall’s freedom.

“It wasn’t until neighbors saw this 10 year old kid sneaking out to the garage when she should’ve been in school that they notified authorities,” Medina said.

Hall is now 24 years old and a U.S. citizen, with her memoir, “Hidden Girl,” being published in January. She speaks across the country about fighting human trafficking and has briefed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents on the trauma that victims of modern-day slavery endure.

Hall’s next stop is at SHSU. “Meet Shyima Hall” is scheduled for Oct. 14 at 5 p.m. at the Gaertner Performing Arts Center Concert Hall.

While the End It Movement events at SHSU end next week, the fight never stops. For more information on how to end modern-day slavery, visit enditmovement.com, or the GCJD website, shsu.edu/ global-journalism.

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The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/viewpoints | Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014

Page 4

I’m talking to you, fake Bearkat fans Sam Houston State University has more than 19,000 students enrolled and only about 700 students go to a game. That includes our cheerleaders, band and Orange Pride dancers. I would say our Bearkat spirit is weak and unmotivated when it comes to athletic support.

ALEXIS BLOOMER Staff Columnist As the air begins to chill, Sam Houston State University turns orange, not only with the colors of fall but also with Bearkat spirit. Fall is a magical time at SHSU. In fact, it is my favorite time of the year.

As many of you know, fall also means football games and Homecoming. You think about the Sam Jam Carnival, the Homecoming parade or the tailgate with all the past alumni returning to cheer on our Bearkats to victory. However, that would require you to actually go to a game. In case you did not know, we have a football team, and judging by our student section at games, many of you do not know that.

Sam Houston State University has more than 19,000 students enrolled and only about 700 students go to a game. That includes our cheerleaders, band and Orange Pride dancers. If I were to sum this up, I would say our Bearkat spirit is weak and unmotivated when it comes to athletic support.

I can say that because I am not an athlete, and this is from a completely outsider point of view. It seems that we all have Sam Houston State University in our Facebook bio, wear orange and call ourselves Bearkats, but we do not support a huge part of

SHSU tradition.

You do not have to be a football fan to attend the game, but at least go and support your school. If our athletic programs had half the attendance at games as big schools, our overall morale would be unreal. I have a few things I would like to point out to you: 1. Our students only go to games when we are winning and they leave as soon as we start losing. Imagine how that feels to our team when they look up and see the student section leaving Bowers Stadium or better yet, when our student section is the same size as my 2A high school student sections. This is why I say, stop going to game and taking a selfie, and then leaving at half time and calling yourself a fan.

STOP THE SELFIES AND START SUPPORTING! 2. We all seem to talk smack about how awful our football team is on social media, when most students probably cannot even name one player on our roster. It is so easy to talk on social media, but if you have not been to a game all season, you don’t have room to bash our players that are practicing daily and trying to stay motivated when their own school is not supporting them.

3. We expect our athletic programs to support our organizations, when we fail to support their programs. SHSU has more than 200 student organizations. If we brought all those together, imagine how packed our stadium would be. That is the great thing about sports. It does not matter if you are involved, where you came from or whom you hang out with, sports give us a platform to set aside our differences and come together as one. Think of the situation this way, above all, we are Bearkats. Without SHSU, we would not be who we are today.

4. Finally, you are paying for it, liter-

ally. Part of your fees goes to paying for your free entry to the games. Schools like LSU, A&M and UT have to get tickets in advance because everyone wants to go. I know you are probably thinking, “Well duh, their games are fun and their schools are huge…” Our games could be fun if we all go and create new traditions. However, it is up to us.

This weekend is Homecoming and it is one of the most important games of the season. The McNeese Cowboys come to our stadium Saturday at 3 p.m. Our football team will spend three hours battling McNeese, so we can spend three hours losing our voices in support of our Bearkats.

I think as Bearkats, it is our job to defend our home. This is our territory, and if there is not an empty seat in the house, imagine what that could do for our team’s confidence on the field. Our Bearkats are 3-9 against McNeese at Bowers Stadium, so I encourage you to partake in a tradition that is way bigger than any one of us.

After all, Homecoming is more than just a crown, tailgating or spirit activities.

It is showing Bearkats of all generations that they left their beloved SHSU in good hands. I encourage you all to cheer on our athletic teams and show support, not only at Homecoming but also at every game.

This can be the start of a new tradition at SHSU. If we want our athletes to respect us, we as students need to respect them, both on and off the field. Good luck to all our Bearkat athletes this weekend, and shout out to the Kat Krazies, band, cheerleaders, Orange Pride Dance Team, twirlers, trainers and everyone else involved in supporting our Kats. You’re the real MVPs.

Would you like a turkey leg and some mead, good sir?

Come one, come all, magical beasts and humans alike. Grab your capes, swords, and peasantlike garb., and make your way over to the world’s largest Renaissance Festival. Providing good food, good drinks and good times.

PARBATTEE MAHARAJ Assistant Viewpoints Editor Pull out those bonnets and tights, and brush up on your Shakespeare because the Renaissance Festival is back in town, and I could not be more excited. It is the perfect time of year for the RenFest with October and Halloween fast approaching. Not to mention the temperatures will be dropping, so it’s the perfect time to grab a cutie for some one-on-one cuddle time.

RenFest begins this Saturday and will run every weekend until Nov. 30. Each weekend will have a different theme which is part of the allure of the festival. Oktoberfest is the theme for the opening weekend, so brings your mugs and prepare to be blown away by authentic German beer.

The next weekend’s (Oct. 18-19) theme

Editorial

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jay R. Jordan ........................... 936-294-1505 STAFF Hannah Zedaker .................... Associate Editor Dharmesh Patel .................. Viewpoints Editor Jeremy Villanueva ...................... Sports Editor Sean Smith ................... Campus Culture Editor Manjot Jawa .................................. Web Editor

is 1,001 Dreams. This weekend includes wizards, fairies and, maybe if you are lucky, you will even see a troll or two. The weekend after that is right before Halloween, so the theme of All Hallows Eve is fitting. Pull out your pointy hats and keep your brooms handy to fly around, I’m sure you will need it at one point or another.

The following weekend themes includes Pirate Adventure, Roman Bacchanal, Barbarian Invasion, Highland Fling and, finally, Celtic Christmas. Each weekend brings about new adventures with the new themes, so why not swing by and check it out?

I have attended RenFest for the past two years, and had the best time. There are numerous activities that are available, so you are sure to find at least one thing that you will enjoy. From a variety of games to just about any food you can think of on a stick, there are plenty of activities that are family-friendly, so grab your parents and siblings and make it a family outing. If family activities are not really your thing, then take a friend as it will enhance the experience.

Activities include different musical and stage performances. I highly recommend checking out more than one of each because there are so many talented people performing, and they are quite entertain-

STAFF, cont.

Brynn Castro ................................ Photo Editor Parbattee Maharaj...... Asst. Viewpoints Editor Connor Hyde .......................... Senior Reporter Ryan Reynolds.............................Layout Editor Jasmine Rangel...........................Layout Editor Lillie Muyskens .................. Graphic Designer Alex Broussard ............. Senior Photographer

ing. My favorite activity might have to be towards the end of the day when everyone gathers together in the arena for a good ol’ fashions jousting. Nothing compares to two knights beating the crap out of each other with large sticks.

Another thing I really enjoy are the weddings. If 16th century styles weddings are your thing, then I would definitely consider checking some of these out.

Some of the weddings are private so take that into consideration before barging in and ruining someone’s special day. RenFest offers four different wedding packages, so if you’re looking for a place to get married why not check it out.

I’m not a huge fan of camping, but it is something that the RenFest offers to visitors. If you intend to attend an entire weekend, camping might be a good idea rather than driving to and from each day.

No matter what you are interested in, I’m sure there is something at RenFest that will catch you attention. If you have never been then you seriously need to check it out. You will more than likely have a great time. I know that Shakespeare and the 16th century is not everyone’s cup of tea (or obscure German beer), but I still recommend that you check it out. You might find yourself pleasantly surprised.

Editor’s Note Subject matter in this newspaper and on www.HoustonianOnline.com does not reflect the opinion of The Houstonian unless otherwise noted. Staff editorials are subject to the approval of listed Houstonian staff members. For more information, call 936-294-1505.

Faculty Advisor Marcus Funk ......................... (936) 294-3553

What’s the

WORD ON THE STREET? SHSU has a long tradition of Homecoming with a weeklong celebration of activities including Sam Jam, the parade and the game itself.

What do you know about Homecoming here at SHSU and are you participating in any of the activities?

CHASE GIBSON Junior Business Management

“I actually just transferred here to Sam Houston from the University of Houston and I’m learning about all the little cultures and all the different kind of festivities they have. I haven’t really learned a lot but a couple of buddies are trying to get me interested in some stuff so I’m going to see what that’s about.”

“What I know about homecoming is that it’s a gathering of past alumni who come bad and there is a lot of events I’m with Project Sunshine KRISTI KORENEK and I will be Sophomore representing the Education organization at the carnival.”

“I’ll be at the carnival tonight, the Sam Jam carnival, and I’m going to try to make it to the football game.”

KARLIEGH BRASWELL Sophomore Education

“My office, Student Legal Mediation, participated in the week long celebration and we won the most creative banner award. I can’t attend the HUGO SANCHEZ parade unfortuJunior nately but I will Political Science be at the game Saturday.”

Advertising BUSINESS MANAGER Paty Mason ........................... 936-294-1500 ADVERTISING MANAGER Stacy Hood ............................ 936-294-1495

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ADVERTISING STAFF Advertising Executives ....................... TBD Joey Peters ....................... Delivery Manager

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Thursday’s issue ............. Tuesday at 2 p.m.

Call for pricing.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/sports | Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014

Page 5

SHSU returns to Johnson Coliseum AMSHI STEPHENSON Staff Reporter

After being on the road since Aug. 30, Sam Houston State volleyball finally returns home Thursday to face Incarnate Word.

Looking to extend their twogame winning streak, the Bearkats are determined and excited to put on a show for their home crowd for the first time this season, senior Devaney Wells-Gibson said.

“It’s like our comfort zone,” she said. “That’s where we have been training for the past two months this season. And it is our time to defend our home against conference opponents.”

Sophomore setter Michelle Griffith admits that it is a challenge going into someone else’s gym and immediately taking over the tempo of the game.

“This is our house, and we will continue to protect it this year,” she said.

Junior middle blocker Carling Urben missed playing at home and

said being away for so long really makes you appreciate your home gym that much more.

Freshman outside hitter Jordyn Vaughn is far from nervous to play her first SLC home opener of her college career.

“It is such a relief to be playing here,” Vaughn said. “We’re all excited to show Sam Houston what we got.”

Entering her second SLC season, sophomore middle blocker Shelby Genung said she has been waiting for this moment.

“It is going to be so nice to be in our own gym and locker room,” Genung said. “Plus I think starting out with Incarnate Word for our first game will be perfect because we are super pumped to play them again and get payback.”

SHSU will seek revenge after last year’s unexpected five-setter loss in the Cardinals’ home gym.

UIW travels to Huntsville with a 1-3 SLC record. They are on a twogame losing streak after falling to Northwestern State on Saturday.

The Cardinals gave up a one-set lead and allowed the Demons to come back and win three straight sets in a row, bumping them to 5-12 overall.

UIW is led by sophomore outside hitter Brittani Dear, junior middle blocker Angelique Vidaurri and sophomore outside hitter Shaina Garza. The Cardinals defense is run by sophomore defensive specialist Claudia Hernandez.

The Cardinals have a disadvantage because they have yet to win an away game but beating the Bearkats last year still rests in their minds.

SHSU begin the match with a 2-1 record in SLC play and is already starting off strong with a perfect 4-0 home game winning streak from preseason.

The Bearkat coaching staff is overjoyed to be back at home.

“There is nothing like defending your home court,” head coach Brenda Gray said.

First serve will take place at 6:30 pm.

Courtesy GoBearkats

KILLER. Senior Devaney Wells-Gibson leads the team in kills for Sam Houston State. Wells-Gibson returns home Thursday for her last Southland Conference season at Johnson Coliseum.

Cowboys ride to Huntsville for Bearkat Homecoming CANAAN CADWELL Staff Reporter

Alex Broussard | The Houstonian

SET FOR REVENGE. Junior Zachary Stevens sets to hike the ball to sophomore quarterback Jared Johnson in the Bearkats last game at home. Sam Houston State is 1-0 in Southland Conference play heading into Saturday’s match for Homecoming. Last year, McNeese fell to SHSU 31-23 in Lake Charles, La.

Sam Houston State football will square off against No. 4 McNeese State for their homecoming game Oct. 11.

The Bearkats lost last season against the Cowboys 31-23, giving up 215 rushing yards in their lost in Lake Charles, La. Besides it being a conference game against the highest ranking Southland Conference squad, the pressure of seeing past players make their way to Bowers Stadium makes Saturday all the more special, sophomore cornerback Darion Flowers said.

“Homecoming to me means a time when all of the great players of the past come back and reminisce on the good times they had while watching,” he said.

McNeese is 3-1 this year with their only loss coming from No. 19

Nebraska in week one 31-24. Last week, the Cowboys ran the ball 27 times against Nicholls State for 325 total yards as a team in a blowout victory 45-3. The week before that, the Cowboys rushed for 228 yards against Arkansas Tech in a 61-7 victory.

SHSU will have a huge load facing against the Cowboys, but the players would hate to lose to them again.

“Last year they scheduled us for their homecoming game,” junior cornerback Tevin Creeks said.

“They won, so I feel as if this year will be our payback.”

Coming off of a huge win against the Lamar before the second bye week, the Bearkats look to bring that exact momentum in front of their home crowd this weekend.

“It is a game for everyone to show team spirit,” Flowers said. “I feel like if we play our best game we will come out successful.”

SHSU ran the ball for 268 rush-

ing yards against the Cardinals and found a balance on offense. The Bearkats hope to carry that over to a much tougher opponent in McNeese. They have also found success in previous games where they controlled the time of possession and limited turnovers. Those two keys will be vital if SHSU does not want to upset their fans on homecoming.

The last time SHSU lost its homecoming game was in 2008 to the Cowboys 28-17.

Although the Bearkats are ready for one of their toughest opponents of the season, it makes the homecoming game just as more meaningful for a victory.

“I enjoy homecoming games because it brings the entire Sam Houston family as well as the alumni family together,” Creeks said.

“I’m very excited to play.”

Kickoff is scheduled for 3 p.m.

Saturday.

Men’s golf wins again, women finished second MATTHEW STANFORD Contributing Reporter Sam Houston State golf continued its successful stride at its home tournament Tuesday at Raven Nest Golf Club.

After returning to Huntsville with first place honors last week, the Bearkat men won its second tournament in a row at the Harold Funston Invitational while the women came up just short to Houston Baptist.

The tournament did not start off great with a two-hour weather delay on Monday. Head coach Brandt Kieschnick said that his team actually played better after the delay.

The men’s team beat runner-up Tyler Junior College by 25 strokes.

All five players for SHSU ended up

in the top 15 of the tournament, while four ended in the top 10.

Senior Zach Cabra defended his individual title from last year at the tournament. Cabra was able to grab his second straight title at the tournament after he shot a 69 in both the first and final rounds, while shooting a 72 during the split round Monday and Tuesday. He believes this win and the last are helping push his team into the next tournament, he said.

“I’m looking forward to next week,” Cabra said. “The team is playing great. I’m so thankful that we have five guys who can really go out there and play.”

Sophomore Klein Klotz kept his score low with a 68 in the second round. He shot a 74 in the first round and ended with a 72.

Senior J.T. Taylor tied for sixth

place after scoring better and better as the tournament proceeded.

Taylor scored a 73 in the first round and a 72 and 71 in the second and last, respectively.

Senior Logan Boatner tied for 10th after shooting a 72 in the first round. He turned things around in the second round by shooting a low 68 in the second round. However, he could not finish strong, ending the tournament with a 78.

Sophomore Andrew Ertel was 13th after scoring a 76 in the first round, but improving his score back down with a 72 in the second round and a 71 in the last round.

The women’s Bearkat golf team was not able to claim back-to-back first place finishes. After ending the first day in the lead, SHSU fell in the second by a rise from HBU. The women’s team fell by 13 strokes.

Freshman Sarah Black had her top performance of her college career and led the team by placing in the top 10. Black shot a 73 in the first round followed by a 74 in the second round and finished with a 76.

With the weather delay Monday, Black was determined to make the most of however many holes she was able to complete in the first day, she said.

“I didn’t know if we were going to finish all 36 so I knew the holes we did get to play needed to count,” Black said.

Senior Alisa White finished in the top 10 also for her fourth straight tournament. She scored low with a 72 in the first round and a 73 in the last round, but was hurt with an 81 in the second.

Southland Conference’s Sep-

tember golfer of the month Paige Nelson was first in the tournament after one round but fell in the individual boards after a tough second day of competition. Nelson and sophomore Celeste Lo tied for 12th. Junior Nicole Budnik ended in 16th after shooting a high 82 in the second round.

The men’s golf team will be hosting again next week at the Miramont Country Club in Bryan. The women’s team will have a week off and end the fall schedule in Pensacola, Fl. at the University of Alabama - Birmingham Fall Beach Bash.

The SHSU men’s team will teeoff on Oct. 20 while the women will have to wait until Oct. 27-28 for their next action.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/campusculture | Thursday, Oct. 9, 2014

Page 6

Cast, effects dazzle in ‘Machinal’ PHILLIP GARCIA Staff Reporter “Machinal” took the stage for the first time yesterday and from beginning to end, audience members experienced an eerie and sometimes uncomfortable setting.

In “Machinal,” the bold protagonist, Helen, is in the constant struggle for love and, more importantly, her struggle to understand her insanity.

Throughout the play, there are many bold displays of provocative behavior and some domestic violence. While some scenes were hard to watch, they played an important role in the plot, and most times these uneasy scenes were displayed through an interesting silhouette on canvas.

Brynn Castro | The Houstonian

CLEANING TIME. Water and pigeon feces fall to the ground as the Sam Houston State University maintenance crew clean the famous Ruth and Ron Blatchley Bell Tower. The bell tower, which is located in the center of campus is home to several pigeon families who were briefly displaced Wednesday while the cleaning took place.

HHHH. ONE OF THE

“

BEST FILMS OF THE YEAR. Jeremy Renner delivers an Oscar -caliber performance. ®

Smartly directed. A must-see movie.”

Steve Oldfield, FOX-TV

JEREMY RENNER IS ELECTRIFYING.”

“

Kristy Puchko, CINEMA BLEND

FOCUS FEATURES PRESENTS A BLUEGRASS FILMS PRODUCTION A FILM BY MICHAEL CUESTA JEREMY RENNER “KILL THE MESSENGER” ROSEMARIE DEWITT RAY LIOTTA TIM BLAKE NELSON BARRY PEPPER OLIVER PLATTMUSICMICHAEL SHEENMUSIC MICHAEL KENNETHEDITEDWILLIAMS CASTING AND ANDY GARCIA BY AVY KAUFMAN, CSA SUPERVISOR JIM BLACK BY NATHAN JOHNSON BY BRIAN A. KATES, ACE MARYPRODUCTION ELIZABETH WINSTEADDIRECTOR OF EXECUTIVE DESIGNER JOHN PAINO PHOTOGRAPHY SEAN BOBBITT, BSC PRODUCERS PETER LANDESMAN PAMELA ABDY DON HANDFIELD MICHAEL BEDERMAN BASED UPON PRODUCED

BY SCOTT STUBER NAOMI DESPRES JEREMY RENNER THE BOOKS “DARK ALLIANCE”BY GARY WEBB AND “KILL THE MESSENGER” BY NICK SCHOU WRITTEN DIRECTED

BY PETER LANDESMAN

BY MICHAEL CUESTA www.KillTheMessengerTheFilm.com

BASED ON A TRUE STORY

ARTWORK: ©2014 FOCUS FEATURES LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

IN THEATERS OCTOBER 10 TH 4.92x9.9 College Campaign BW

The play used three different towers with various images projected upon them. That was the only set pieces besides two blocks, requiring the directors and designers to use the towers in a very abstract way. This often allowed distortion, not only of the images they were projecting, but distortion of your thought process. That seemed to be an ongoing theme in the play.

However, the disorienting play let the talented actors make their intentions and the plot very clear.

The plot itself was deeply involved with the common understanding of Helen and her insanity. Not only do you see her swaying emotions grow to sometimes violent situations, you actually see her thought process. Often, her thoughts were acted out, but most times, they projected onto the three towers.

During the play, the theme seems to be constant and is often drilled into your mind with repetitiveness.

The play also displayed an interesting dance number, amplifying the 1920’s setting. There is also a little singing, which showcases the magnificent cast’s range of abilities and talent.

The director of the David McTier, Ph.D, said the energy was good and the audience was attentive.

He also noted the technical aspect of the show, saying it is a difficult show to put on. This was observed from the audience perspective, but for the entirety of the play, transitions between projections, lighting and sound were borderline flawless.

“Machinal” will be showing in the Erica Starr Theatre evenings at 8 p.m. through Oct. 11.