Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014
The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
What’s happening at Sam SURVIVOR P.3
FRIENDS, P.4
BOWLING, P.5
ANNIVERSARY P.3
A former modern-day child slave spoke to students, faculty and staff
Netflix is adding Friends to its lineup to cure your Suddenlink blues
The national champion Bearkats are set to roll Friday
The Presidents Tree was dedicated 10 years ago today
Volume 126 | Issue 15
T HE H EADL I N E S i n br i e f Compiled by: Manny Jawa web editor
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Tuition increase in future for SHSU
ADPI denies online assault allegations Police report filed by victims Tuesday
MILITARY COVER UP
The New York Times released a report Oct. 14 stating that from 2004 to 2011, at least 17 military personnel were secretly injured by old chemical weapons found by disposal teams or used by insurgents. The U.S. recovered over 5,000 artillery rounds and rockets with chemical agents according to an investigation of redacted government files and interviews with former soldiers. Troops interviewed by the NYT said they did not receive proper medical treatment or medals after being exposed to chemicals like mustard agent and sarin. The Pentagon declined to comment on the report.
NUCLEAR FUSION
The “Sunk Works” team from aerospace and defense contractor Lockheed Martin announced a technological breakthrough yesterday that would allow a nuclear fusion reactor to fit on the back of a truck. Their compact fusion reactor harnesses the power of nuclear fusion, the same process that powers the sun, and could potentially create near-limitless amounts of pollution free energy from the fusing of two or more lighter atoms. (Current Nuclear power uses fission, the splitting of atoms to generate energy).
SNOWSTORM
A snowstorm in near the Annapurna circuit in the Himalayas killed at least 17 hikers and guides Oct. 14 according to officials. Cyclone Hudhud, which made landfall on the eastern seaboard of India on Oct. 12, has caused heavy snowstorms and avalanche conditions in the area.
Courtesy Jaimie Lawless
Brynn Castro | The Houstonian
CRY FOR PI. Members of Alpha Omicron Pi cheer for their sorority during the festivities commemorating the fall 2014 bid week for Panhellenic groups on campus. While recruitment has ended, initiation has yet to begin.
TEDDI CLIETT Staff Reporter As Sam Houston State University continues to expand at rapid rates, resources like faculty members must expand, too. In order to allow for these expansions, the fall 2015 tuition is slated to increase by roughly $200 per semester. The rates must be approved by the Texas State University System Board of Regents before they take effect next fall. University President Dana G. Hoyt explained how this number was created at the Student Government Association meeting Tuesday and again to students and staff on Wednesday during an open forum. “The university sets our priorities and looks at our needs,” Hoyt said. “Then we also look at our legislative and budget requests.” The increase in tuition will help cover the costs of raises for faculty and staff, fixed as well as start-up rates for programs and databases used around campus, and 20 new
faculty positions which the university hired over the summer, according to Hoyt. Senior mass communication major Katherine Oliver, however, does not agree with the allocation of funds. “My initial thoughts are that the money they are taking from us they can take from a program that doesn’t need as much funding as they’re giving it, like athletics,” Oliver said. “Sure it’s important but this is a college, we’re educationbased, we shouldn’t be so focused on athletics as much as we’re focused on the students’ experience.” Oliver also added that she feels that students should have input when it comes to where their money goes. “If we had a choice between rebuilding the student health center and increasing parking, I’d probably choose parking,” Oliver said. “If we had a choice between expanding the student center versus providing shuttle services for the Woodlands campus, I’d probably choose the shuttle service. I feel like the stu-
dents should have a say-so in what they feel is most important to their experience on the college campus.” For the upcoming 84th state legislature, SHSU will request $60 million in tuition revenue bonds in order to expand and improve the science buildings on campus. “We’re in desperate need of science and laboratory space,” Hoyt said. “Our priority for this session is that science building. If I were to go back and name a second, an art building would be close because we really need a visual arts complex.” As well as expanding SHSU’s main campus, $3 million will be requested to finish building construction at SHSU The Woodlands Center. “We’re trying to spend some funding to try and upgrade some academic buildings on campus,” Hoyt said. “All across the state, universities are requesting an increase in this fund so [universities] can maintain the facilities that are getting older and older.”
BLOODY. Jaimie Lawless, 23, posted this photo to Facebook after she was allegedly attacked at The Villas on Sycamore on Oct. 10.
JAY R. JORDAN Editor-in-Chief Victims of an assault at The Villas on Sycamore on Oct. 10 claim they were attacked by members of Sam Houston State University’s Alpha Delta Pi chapter. Sophomore dance major Emma Hunter and Jaimie Lawless, 23, told Huntsville Police Department they were attacked by students affiliated with the sorority. However, SHSU ADPi Chapter President Martheya Nygaard and ADPi International President Tammie Pinkston deny the allegations that the assailants were sorority members or pledges. According to Lt. Jim Barnes, HPD will begin its investigation today. The dean of students’ office and ADPi International are conducting their own investigations as well. According to Lawless and Hunter, the two were out party hopping late Friday night when they were invited to a party at The Villas on Sycamore. When they arrived, they —
ATTACK, page 6
APPLE & EGGS
Seeking to attract more women into the tech industry, Apple and Facebook recently announced offers to pay for the medical costs involved in oocyte cryopreservation. The process, which freezes a women’s eggs for future fertilization, has been shown to make women feel more “empowered” to advance their careers according to a 2013 study. The two companies are not the only employers offering this coverage.
EBOLA UPDATES
The Texas Department of Health confirmed that a second healthcare worker has contracted Ebola in Dallas. In an interview with the Washington Post, Jon Schultz, the owner of the domain ebola.com, said he wants to sell the domain for $150,000. Schultz began purchasing disease-related domain names in 2005. Statistics released by the World Health Organization say that the Ebola virus has killed at least 4,493 people out of 8,997 cases total probable and confirmed cases in seven countries. The nations of Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone, are still struggling to contain the outbreak.
Brynn Castro | The Houstonian
Sorority works to end domestic violence SEAN SMITH Campus Culture Editor A young girl cowers in her home as the police take her father away. Frightened and confused, she learns that her father had abused her mother throughout their relationship. Years later, the same girl sits in a truck with her fiancé. After cracking a joke, a hand blasts across her face, leaving her shocked and silently terrified. Her relationship has suffered
the same fate as her mothers. It has fallen to domestic violence. Stories like this were heard throughout the Lowman Student Center Mall Wednesday as one of Sam Houston State University’s Greek organizations worked to raise awareness about domestic violence. The Delta Kappa chapter of Panhellenic sorority Alpha Chi Omega has partnered with the SAAFE House during the month of October to promote domestic violence awareness month. Groups on campus have hosted events about the
issue throughout the month. Alpha Chi Omega hosted their own this week, and have more events scheduled for the future. The sorority hosted a luminary last night to honor victims of domestic and family violence. Survivors of the crime shared their stores with the audience of over 200 people. The event fell on the sorority’s founder’s day, a day to celebrate a Greek organization’s birth. Junior education major and Alpha Chi Omega member Blair McDougal said her sorority traditionally
spends their founder’s day supporting their philanthropy and she encouraged people speak up about domestic violence in their lives. “It’s great that we do not only get to celebrate our founder’s day, but we also get to do something for the community at the same time,” McDougal said. “[People] need to look out for all the signs of domestic violence and if they know someone or are in a relationship with domestic violence, tell them to get out right away and tell someone.” —
AWARENESS, page 6
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. 16, 2014
Page 3
Presidents Tree dedication celebrates tenth anniversary SEAN SMITH Campus Culture Editor The landscape of Sam Houston State University’s campus is brimming with landmarks of historical importance to Texas, Huntsville and the university itself. From Austin Hall, which housed the first law school in Texas, to the campus’ newest building, the Student Health and Counseling Center, SHSU’s physical features add to the academic environment more than 19,000 students call home. One such landmark is celebrating its tenth anniversary of dedication at SHSU. The Presidents Tree, located in the Alumni Garden near the Low-
man Student Center and the Dan Rather Communications building, is a southern magnolia tree that is more than 100 years old. SHSU President H.C. Pritchett moved the State Residence from its original location to the Wilson lot, located at the current site of the LSC. The State Residence was under renovation for thenuniversity President Harry F. Estill in summer 1911. During construction, the home was destroyed in a fire that spread to the nearby Mitchell Boarding House. The Presidents Tree was planted in 1912 following the construction of a new state residence that the Estill fam-
ily would occupy. Presidents Charles N. Shaver and President Harmon Lowman would occupy the residence after the Estill family, with the Lowman family being the last to live in the home. After the house was vacated in 1964, it housed economics classes for six years until it was torn down and removed from campus. However, the Presidents Tree has remained in its spot ever since and serves as a reminder to current students, faculty and staff of the history and legacy of the university. The SHSU Alumni Association dedicated the tree Oct. 16, 2004, with today being the tenth anniversary of the tree’s dedication to the university.
Brynn Castro| The Houstonian
In it to End It PHILLIP GARCIA Staff Reporter Sam Houston State University students and audience members alike experienced an emotional wakeup call yesterday as author Shyima Hall spoke of her personal experience as a modern-day slave. The Global Center for Journalism and Democracy presented the program as part of their involvement with the End It Movement, a national social media effort to end modern-day slavery. Hall’s presentation focused on raising awareness for the oftenoverlooked issue in today’s society. Her story shocked audience members and provided a first hand account of the horrors forced laborers and human trafficking slaves endure. Hall urged audience members to be aware of people in the community who may be held captive as slaves and called for stricter laws regarding human trafficking. “Honestly, a lot of people don’t know it happens, and it happens in our own country,” Hall said. “I would like to change the law to be a little bit harsher and for officers to
go through training to know how to look for signs and for others to lean about the whole process.” Hall also spoke of her love for helping people not only directly but also by informing others on what to look for. Hall now takes pride in being a mother to her daughter. As guests entered the Gaertner Performing Arts Center, they were met with the striking image of examples of modern-day slaves as portrayed by students in SHSU’s theatre department. During the event, students experienced a vivid interpretive dance performance of what human trafficking may look like. The dance was choreographed by junior Kaylee DeMetrotion and performed by junior Mikaela Fuller, both SHSU dance majors. A video showcasing three individuals that were held captive in many different forms of slavery was shown as well. The video caught the attention of the audience through graphic images and reenactments, as well as providing statistics that shocked vieweers. According to the End It Movement, there are 27 million modern-day slaves – more than in the entire African slave trade.
Sean Smith | The Houstonian
SPEAK UP. Former child slave Shyima Hall visited campus as part of the GCJD campaign with the End It Movement. She told her story of being sold into slavery at the age of 8 in Egypt. After being freed she travels in hopes of raising more awareness on the topic of modern day slavery.
Former secretary of
state to speak on campus
PARBATTEE MAHARAJ Assistant Viewpoints Editor It is not often that you will get the chance to work one-on-one with the president of the United States. However, when the opportunity does present itself one must eagerly accept the offer. Today, former Secretary of State James A. Baker III will be speaking at Sam Houston State University. The event will take place at 11 a.m. in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center, admission is free and is open to the public. Baker is a Houston native who graduated from Princeton University in 1952. After serving in the Marine Corps for about two years, he attended and graduated from the University Of Texas School of Law. He is currently working as a senior partner at the Baker Botts law firm. With such a prestigious background, it is no surprise that Baker is no stranger to politics and all it entails. His political career first
began in 1975 as undersecretary of commerce to President Gerald Ford. Baker has served as not only secretary of state but as secretary of the treasury and White House chief of staff as well. He has served under three different U.S. presidents, which include Presidents Ronald Regan and George H.W. Bush. He has worked with numerous people throughout his career, including SHSU mass communication professor Peter Roussel. “I first met and worked with Jim Baker in 1970,” Roussel said. “Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with and for him in various endeavors. The one that particularly stands out for me is when he was White House chief of staff during President Regan’s first term and I was deputy press secretary. In July 1981, on my first day on the job, he assigned me to go to Phoenix, Arizona and handle media relations for the announcement of Judge Sandra Day O’Conner as the first female ever to be nominated to serve on the United States
Supreme Court. It was a moment that will forever be indelible in my memory. ” This will not be Baker’s first time at SHSU. According to Today@ Sam, he is one of four people to have received the Sam Houston Humanitarian award. He also gave the spring commencement address in 2004. Aside from dedicating a large part of his life to politics, Baker has also written his memoir “Work Hard, Study… And Keep Out of Politics! Adventures and Lessons from an Unexpected Public Life.” The book was published in 2006. Roussel has high praise for Baker. “He is one of the finest, smartest and most able individuals with whom I have ever worked,” Roussel said. “I have been fortunate to work with him and have seen those qualities evidenced on many occasions. I have learned a great deal just by watching him calmly interface with other when moving toward a decision.”
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The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/viewpoints | Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014
Page 4
Suddenlink tried to do me over but Netflix got my back
MICHELLE WULFSON Contributing Columnist Suddenlink on your side? More like Suddenlink creeped up from the depths of hell and stabbed me in the back. In the spirit of Halloween, let me tell you a horrific story about how Suddenlink crushed my world. Every night, I have to have the television on and some background noise to fall asleep. I know, it is a terrible habit, and I need to kick it hard but what can a TV addicted college girl do? I usually opt to have an episode of “Friends” playing on Nickelodeon while I fade into la la land to the voices of Ross,
Phoebe, Joey and the rest of the gang arguing about whether or not someone was on a break. But on one dark and stormy night in the not-so-distant past, I was getting ready for bed and flipping through the channels until finally settling on my usually choice of “Friends.” But unlike any other night and the fact that it may or may not have been dark and stormy, I tuned into Nickelodeon and was horrified by what I saw. It was straight out of a nightmare. I could not believe what my eyes where seeing. The freaking Sprout channel had been dropped by Suddenlink along with a host of other important and life sustaining Viacom channels including MTV, VH1 and BET. And instead of Nick@Nite, a terrible, colorful and musical children’s show was staring back at me. I mean it was an absolutely horrific experience to have a children’s show on at 11 p.m. What kind of cruel unusual punishment is this? What do I watch now to lull my precious self to sleep? Nothing. I have to listen to silence and bugs dive bombing at my window. There are no “Friends” here. I can’t just try the next house over like I’m the Big Bad Wolf in search of
some fresh bacon or something. You know what Suddenlink? I was bitter at first, but it is okay now. I am not even mad anymore, because you know what, Netflix has got my back. While Nickelodeon, TBS and other small cable channels replay the same few key episodes over and over, Netflix announced Wednesday that all 10 seasons and all 236 episodes of “Friends” will be available to stream January 1, 2015. What a time to be alive. Warner Bros. actually celebrated the 20th anniversary of “Friends” on Sept. 22 this year and even launched a pop-up Central Perk coffee house in New York City with the love of my life: James Michael Tyler (AKA Gunther). I guess my formal invitation got lost in the mail. And if you cannot wait until January to get your late night “Friends” fix, Netflix added Gilmore Girls to the streaming service. It is especially helpful if you just cannot get your mom up at 10 a.m. to watch it with you on ABC Family, and you need something to tide you over until the New Year.
200,000 Snapchats leak and it is all your fault MICHELLE WULFSON Contributing Columnist Internet trolls are at it again, and this time you do not have to be famous to be exploited! Snapchat, an app that - let’s face it - is basically for sending racy pictures, hypothetically without them being able to stab you in the back somewhere down the road by self-destructing in a matter of seconds, is not to blame for the leak. You can all stop writing your strongly worded letters to Snapchat customer service. Instead, Snapchat says you can all blame yourselves, or rather those of you who use third party Snapchat apps such as snapsaved.com to save pervy pics without the sender knowing. You know who you are. According to The Guardian, 13 GB of Snapchat content was leaked with what is estimated by the world-class geniuses over at Reddit, about 100MB of which were actual nudes. The Huffington Post fur-
ther posted that since about 50 percent of Snapchat’s users are between the ages of 13 and 17, it is likely that a good amount of those nudes are child pornography. “The Snappening,” perhaps related to “The Fappening,” the recent exploitation of personal celebrity photos, are suspected to both be orchestrated by the same hackers, although nothing has been proven yet and nothing probably will. While police opened investigation on “The Fappening,” no arrests were ever made, and the whole ordeal seems to have been brushed under the rug and forgotten. Now, I do not find it fair to blame the victims. Everyone should feel safe to send pictures of their anacondas and hot-crossbuns to their lovers and friends if they want to, but it is 2014, and the idea of privacy is practically folklore by now. So here is some realistic advice: until the world is a perfect place (don’t hold your breath), think about who you are trusting, and with what you are trusting them. Today, “who” is not as simple as a boy or a
girl anymore, it is also a cellphone service, iCloud, apps, anything social media and the strangers that are trying to find their way through security holes. Our world is so taken over with technology and an obsession with documenting every single thing that I think we forget that it is possible to be sexy and interesting without social media. If you want to shake it online and you just do not care, good for you! Own it, and be the sex goddess you were meant to be! If not, that is okay, too. There are fun and creeper-proof ways to express your freaky self. Give your partner a private show in person, walk around your house naked, buy some frisky undies from Victoria’s Secret but then go commando, or install a pole in your house and take up pole dancing for a hearty work out. That being said, I am all about getting your freak on, but for the love of God use some common sense.
Ebola is funny until it happens to you
DHARMESH PATEL Viewpoints Editor Outbreaks, epidemics and even pandemics have plagued the world throughout history. Humanity has not been inflicted with one in quiet some time as modern medicine has been able to thwart diseases like the bird flu and H1N1. But what if a new and currently incurable virus were to take root and threaten global populations? Ebola is not a new disease and has been around for years, but it was not until recently that it made headlines after a massive outbreak in west Africa. According to the New York Times, more than 4,300 cases of Ebola have been recorded in the last six months in the African countries of Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea and Nigeria. The death toll has already risen to 2,300 individuals in these countries and the World Health Organization has warned that there could be thousands of new cases per week by early October. The Ebola epidemic is half a world away. You may be asking yourself, ‘how does this affect me?’ Being fortunate enough to live in a developed country with the best medicines and preventative medical care should ease your fears and help you sleep
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
easily at night. However, living in a developed country also means that everything and everyone is interconnected as globalization allows people, places and spaces to become smaller, closer and more accessible. Thomas Eric Duncan, the Liberian man who lied about his whereabouts and entered the country illegally, was the first person to contract and spread the virus to civilians in the United States. Due to his careless actions, more than 100 heath care providers in Dallas were exposed to Ebola and two nurses have currently been diagnosed and tested positive for the incurable disease. In addition, one of the nurses traveled on a plane between Cleveland, OH and Dallas further putting countless people at risk. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Ebola is not spread through the air, water or food, nor is it spread by mosquitos or other insects. It can only be harbored and spread by mammals including humans, monkeys, bats and apes. Ebola is spread through the direct contact with blood or bodily fluids, including urine, saliva, sweat, feces, vomit, breast milk and semen of an infected person. The virus can also stay active and potentially contagious for several hours outside of a host in contaminated objects and surfaces. As the world continues to watch the spread of Ebola, many people continue to fuel false rumors about the spread of the disease through social media and nonnews outlets. It is important to remember that not all the facts you hear are true, especially if they come from sources like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. Young people live their lives on the Internet and are quick to jump to unverified conclusions. Over the last couple of weeks,
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
I personally have heard many ignorant jokes and comments pertaining to misconceptions about Ebola. Even more disturbing is the racial accusations and obnoxious remarks claiming that all African-Americans carry the virus, which we in the educated community know to be untrue and repulsive. The social media app Yik Yak allows anonymous trolls to post offensive remarks while cowardly hiding behind a mask. One anonymous user posted “Everytime ‘Sierra Leone’ by Frank Ocean comes on shuffle I skip it in fear of getting Ebola. Is that wrong.” A Facebook group has emerged from behind the piles of empty pizza boxes and rat infested apartment and call themselves “Ebola Jokes.” They recently posted the following: “Remember kids, if you set eyes on the new kid on the block from Africa, you’ll get Ebola.” Remarks such as these are grossly misguided and show an individual’s lack of comprehension when dealing with serious global issues. People joke about the situation for a variety of reasons. They may feel that jokes can help raise awareness or that it is okay to make fun of people and issues that do not directly affect them. However, Ebola is quickly spreading across the globe and has even shown up in our own backyards. Making fun of other people’s suffering is tacky and proves your ignorance. I implore you to get informed and stop making generalizations about Ebola and those who have been effected by the deadly disease. These and similar comments are ignorant and not funny. You know who you are and making these tacky and baseless jokes in unnecessary and shameful. Cut it out.
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? University President Dana G. Hoyt announced a plan to increase tuition and fees by $202.50 starting fall 2015. The revenue generated by the increase in tuition fees will be used to increase faculty pay and hire new faculty.
How do you feel about the potential raise in tuition in order to increase faculty pay and hire new faculty members? “I feel like it needs to happen because Sam Houston is growing so much and we have doubled our population and with that comes new cost. Also, with the new engineering and other new programs coming to Sam, we need new teachers. Our professors do not get paid enough or anything at all, probably just as much as some teachers do and it is not fair because they have doctorate degrees.”
MARIAH MURPHY Senior Sociology
“I have to agree with the increase in tuition because a lot of my classes that I signed up for were too full or full for me to even get into. So hopefully hiring more faculty would mean more classes available. I was an orientation leader and having to sign up freshman for classes they weren’t even supposed to be in because there weren’t enough professors to teach the classes they needed was really hard. So $200 for tuition increase isn’t so bad when compared to other schools we don’t even pay that much.” JORDAN JANKE Sophomore Nursing
“It is like a half and half kind of thing because there is a lack of professors, especially in my field of interior design. It would be really nice to get more faculty, but then at the same time, it’s kind of hard on the students, especially when you consider a lot of students that have loans and they are already struggling to pay those back. They shouldn’t raise it so much every semester but to get more faculty it is okay.” ANISSA GARCIA Senior Interior Design
“It should not happen. The faculty do not always do their jobs anyways so why should we be paying more for them to get more money. I do not agree with it at all.” JORDAN JOHNSON Sophomore Mass Communication
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The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/sports | Thursday, Oct. 16, 2014
Page 5
SHSU heads to Conway, Ar., take on undefeated UCA AMSHI STEPHENSON Staff Reporter Sam Houston State travel to Conway, Ar. to face Central Arkansas on Saturday. The Bearkats will hit the road after having three home games in a row to face a Sugar Bear squad that is undefeated in Southland Conference play. SHSU holds a 7-0 home court record after Tuesday’s 3-1 win over Lamar, moving the Bearkats to 5-1 in SLC. The Sugar Bears will host the Bearkats looking to become 8-0 in SLC. Both teams are evenly matched and have had rivalry competitions in the past years. In 2012, SHSU and UCA tied for the SLC championship title. The two-time defending SLC champions, UCA, are led by junior outside hitter Heather Schnars and senior outside hitter Alicia Dittrich. Schnars, who totaled a match high 21 Brynn Castro | The Houstonian kills against Nicholls on Saturday, also had SWEET REVENGE. Sam Houston State was able to get its revenge on Lamar on Tuesday at Johnson nine digs and one service ace. Dittrich finColiseum after giving up a two-set lead in the teams’ last meeting. SHSU stays perfect at home with ished with 10 kills, three digs and one block. a 7-0 record, but head to the road to face Central Arkansas on Saturady in Conway, Ar. Sugar Bears’ freshman setter Kristine Hjembo had a match high 44 assists, a number which ties for the sixth most in Central Arkansas history for a three-set match. SHSU’s senior outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson leads the Bearkats after totaling 20 kills against Lamar on Tuesday. Junior middle blocker Carling Urben added 14 kills to the scoreboard. Freshman outside hitter Jordyn Vaughn Are doing deadlifts, Olympic lifts, or squats correctly? and sophomore middle blocker Shelby Genung are other key offensive players for the Bearkats. In Tuesday’s match, Vaughn had an
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impressive start to win the first set for SHSU. SHSU’s sophomore setter Michelle Griffith had 12 more assists than Hjembo. Griffith totaled 56 out of 62 total kills. The high total number of assists means the match Saturday will be the battle against the hard hitters; who will outhit who, who will outsmart who and which team can defend the key offensive players’ balls. Defense will be another key factor in the match. The Sugar Bears are led by senior defensive specialists Shelbee Berringer and Megan Nash, finishing in 17 digs and four blocks, both of which were match highs Saturday. The Bearkats’ defense is run by sophomore libero Claire Kilpatrick who totaled 30 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Breanna Homer added 20 to the stats in Tuesday’s match. Both teams enter the match on a long winning streak. The Bearkats are preparing for Saturday’s match by focusing on their opponent’s tendencies, both weak and strong. “Our team is starting to click on all cylinders,” Griffith said. “Just taking it one game at a time and this week is UCA, and we know we’re going to have to show up.” Head coach Brenda Gray reminds her team that anything is possible and being undefeated in conference means nothing because two years ago the Bearkats broke UCA’s streak. “You have to prepare the same for every opponent,” Gray said. “Understand that they have to play us; we just don’t have to play them.” The match is scheduled for 2 p.m.
Bearkats begin bowling Friday TREY OURSLER Contributing Reporter Sam Houston State’s bowling team closed out the 2013-14 season with a national championship to its name. The Bearkats enter the new season looking to fill holes and maintain focus after losing four of the original players from the squad. “We as a program always strive to set the bar high and figure out how we cannot only obtain it but surpass it,” head coach Brad Hagan. “Winning the national championship adds a new level of excitement, standards and energy level to the program that the returnees plan on following through with at a new level and the first year ladies adopting.” Hagen has been the SHSU bowling coach since 2009 and has brought an attitude that is extremely contagious to winning. Excuses are not an option with this team, and Hagen pushes SHSU to play to a high standard for the team to aim for every time they hit the alleys. A top priority for Hagen will not be to get his returning players ready. It may be the new faces that will need step up for the team. Juniors Anna Groce and Erin Brown will be back for another letter year for the Bearkats, as well as redshirt sophomore Janine Kuwahara and lone senior Rebecca Pittser.
Newcomer redshirt junior Carrie Hopkinson transferred from Florida A&M, via Ontario, Canada and looks to add a spark to the club. Three freshmen round out the roster for the Bearkats including Heather Penatzler, Stephanie Zavala and Emily Notebaert, all with impressive credentials from their respective high school seasons and summer showcases. “Adding excellent talent to the team each year really doesn’t change our approach in regards to philosophies at all,” Hagan said. “It may change how we get to the same results but the approach doesn’t change.” SHSU was selected third in the preseason Tin Pin Coaches Association Poll behind Nebraska and Arkansas State. Conference foe and notorious rival Stephen F. Austin State snuck in the top ten at 9th, receiving 200 points less in the poll standings than SHSU. The team is scheduled for ten tournaments this season, including the SHSU-hosted TRACK Kat Klash held in Houston, but begin play in their opening tournament this Friday. “We need to come out of the gate swinging this fall to build up as much momentum as possible,” Hagan said. “We have a gauntlet of a tournament schedule in November that starts in [New Jeresey] and ends at our home event in Houston.” SHSU will first roll Friday at the Tulane Invitational in New Orleans, La.
THE JU M PS AWARE, page 1 — 119 women lost their lives to domestic violence in Texas alone during 2013, according to the Texas Council on Family Violence. During the luminary, the names and ages of all 119 victims were read out loud as a candle for each person was placed on a table at the front of the event. Kimberly Weiser, community relation’s director of SAAFE House said their partnership with Alpha Chi Omega has provided many opportunities to educate the SHSU community about the reality of domestic violence. “I think there is sometimes a real misperception that domestic violence is only happening in low socio-economic status homes or in places that are not on the college campus,” Weiser said. “The reality is that we do have women and students here at Sam Houston that are fighting against domestic violence. We really want to take the opportunity to bring to light that issue and to be able to say, yes it is an issue on campus, yes it is affecting your classmates and yes you can do something about it.” Today, Alpha Chi Omega encourages students, faculty and staff at SHSU to wear purple for “Go Purple Day” as a means of spreading awareness and educating others on campus. The organization spent time Wednesday to further “purple out” the campus by tying purple ribbons around the university. Fellow Panhellenic sorority Zeta Tau Alpha joined Alpha Chi Omega during the ribbon tying process, as Zeta Tau Alpha tied pink ribbons around campus in support of their philanthropy, breast cancer awareness. Alpha Chi Omega will host another event to support the SAAFE House next month. “Kendra Gives Back” will take place Nov. 11 from 6-8 p.m. at the Kendra Scott Location in The Woodlands, Texas. 10 percent of the pro-
ceeds will go to the SAAFE House. Through the rest of the week, Alpha Chi Omega will be providing information about domestic violence and selling t-shirts in the LSC Mall. T-shirts are $10 and will benefit SAAFE House. When domestic violence awareness month ends, the fight continues on. Alpha Chi Omega and SAAFE House host awareness events throughout the year and continue to educate the public about the issue.
ATTACK, page 1 —
were reportedly questioned by partygoers and told to leave after 15 minutes. “We were just trying to have a good time,” Hunter said. “We were not trying to cause [them] any grief. About 15 minutes [after we arrived], they start screaming, ‘everybody we don’t know, get the fuck out. You’re not wanted here.’” As the two were leaving, Lawless claimed she was “sucker punched” in the back of the head and then pummeled by three to four more people. “I had a giant gash,” Lawless said. “I have perforated ear drums, and there’s creaking in my rib cage. I also have three giant knots. I have to have and MRI and a chest scan. They did harm to me and if they had taken it any further, I would be dead. The organization does need to be held accountable for it.” Hunter later joined in the fight to help Lawless, who she said eventually collapsed. The party was not affiliated with Alpha Delta Pi, according to Pinkston. “We’re very troubled by these serious allegations, and have been investigating this on our own for the past few days,” Nygaard said. “We do not see any ADPis on the disturbing video footage sent to us, and eyewitness accounts confirm that none of those involved were ADPi members. Only one ADPi new
Page 6 member was at the party earlier that evening and left before the assault took place.” As the incident progressed, multiple HPD officers were dispatched to the scene under reports of mutual fighting, according to Barnes. However, no report was filed that night. Barnes said the reason no report was filed by on-scene officer Cody Perkins will come out as the investigation goes on. However, Nygaard said the reason was none of the parties involved wanted to file charges then. “The Huntsville police were there that evening and decided that it was a mutual fight involving intoxicated people, none of whom wanted to file charges at the time,” Nygaard said. “We hope that with the help of the Huntsville police, justice will be served quickly.” Both Lawless and Hunter claimed they were attacked by “at least a couple members” of ADPi. They said they know this because they saw partygoers perform the ADPi hand gesture as they arrived. Pinkston said while there was an ADPi member at the party, she was not involved in the fight. “Based on what we’ve been able to uncover in our investigations, only one ADPi new member was present at the party that night, and she left before the assault began,” Pinkston said. “The party was at an off-campus apartment and was attended by a mix of non-Greek and nonSHSU students.” A deluge of rumors about the fight flooded various social media, including Yik Yak, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram after Lawless posted on Facebook calling out the sorority. Because of the nature of some of the posts directed at ADPi’s Twitter and Facebook accounts about the fight, the SHSU chapter was advised by their international affiliation to suspend the accounts until the investigation was closed.
HUNTSVILLE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2014 SAM HOUSTON STATE UNIVERSITY Pritchett Field-1302 19th Street Huntsville, Texas 77340 Every step raises awareness and funds to help solve the cruel mystery. Sign up today at
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