November 13, 2012 by The Houstonian

TODAY’S FORECAST HI: 62o LOW: 40o Samantha Villarreal| The Houstonian

Part 1 of Misc-en-Scene: a look at the set design behind Spring Awakening

Chance of Rain:

KTRK anchors to visit campus, discuss presidential campaigns

Volume 122 / Issue 22

Mears: Racist remarks against Obama irrational, outdated criticisms

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Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Two wins, two champions, one day

CONNOR HYDE Sports Reporter

Sam Houston State University is establishing itself as a powerhouse athletic school in the Southland Conference by clenching two conference titles Saturday. Both SHSU volleyball and football teams claimed a share with

University of Central of Arkansas in the Southland Conference title by defeating conference rivals. The Bearkat football team easily handled the Northwestern State Demons with a 52-17 victory while the Lady Bearkat volleyball squad triumphed over Lamar University in just three sets (2516, 25-16, and 25-21). Head

football coach Willie Fritz and his squad captured the conference title for the second year in a row, while volleyball coach Brenda Gray and group claimed their first conference title since 1994. “I want to give credit to every team that came through in all the years that I’ve been here that helped lay the ground work,” Gray

said. “I couldn’t be happier for this group. I love this team. The championship is just wonderful for them because they have worked extremely hard.” Over the past decade, Southland volleyball had been led by Texas State-San Marcos and Stephen F. Austin State University who both have four conference titles each

before the Bobcats moved to the WAC Conference at the end of 2011 season. This season the Bearkats clenched their spot at the top by winning 14 of their last 15 games to close the regular season with a 20-10, SLC 15-3 record. Out of the 20 victories, 13 of them —

CHAMPIONS, page 6

Gamers answer “Call of Duty” at midnight release MCKINZIE BROCAIL Senior Reporter

orty-degree weather did not stop hundreds of gamers from waiting at the release of Activision’s “Call of Duty: Black Ops II” at the GameStop in Huntsville on Monday night. The first-person shooter video game was officially released at midnight in across North America for XBOX 360, PlayStation 3 and Microsoft Windows. Black Ops II is the ninth game of the Call of Duty (CoD) series, and the sequel to the 2010 “Call of Duty: Black Ops.” Rather than having people wait in a long single file line outside the building, the GameStop prepared for the crowd by allowing gamers to pay for the game and return with their receipts containing a group number, so they could leave and return at midnight to pick it up. Some gamers came prepared for a wait. There were lawn chairs, packed coolers, and even a trunk loaded with speakers, a flat screen and a gaming console. Many laughed when asked why they didn’t just go home after —

BLACK OPS, page 6

McKinzie Brocail | The Houstonian

ANSWERING THE CALL SHSU students Christian Bowsher (left) and Chase Hunt (right) play each other during the “Call of Duty; Black Ops II” midnight release.

AP Photo/Activision, File

National

NATION & WORLD

Students unsure if Texas is ready for ‘high life’ CODY MILES Staff Reporter After Colorado and Washington voted to legalize the recreational use of marijuana last Tuesday, some students have wondered if Texas is also ready for such a decision. The recent vote has given rise to states rights, marijuana tourism, as well as the benefits and drawbacks of Amendment 64, which legalizes the recreational use of marijuana. Some students have questioned if Texas would ever consider a similar amendment. “Texas is too conservative,” said senior Melissa Avendano. “I am reminded that the majority of people who actually go out and vote are also the people who have strong feelings against it. It’s up to the people of Texas to show up and support whatever side they feel is the right one” said Annalee Miller. According to a Gallop Poll released on Oct. 17 a record-high 50 percent of Americans now say the use of marijuana should be made legal. This is up from 46 percent last year. Some states have decriminalized marijuana’s use, some have made it legal for medicinal use, and some officials, including former U.S. Surgeon General Joycelyn Elders, have called for legalizing its use. “What I think is horrible about all of this, is that we criminalize young people. And we use so

AP Photo/Paul J. Richards, Pool

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Senate Intelligence Chair Dianne Fienstein wants answers to why the FBI did not notify Congress of the alleged affair between CIA Director David Patraeus and biographer Paula Broadwell.

AP Photo/The Indianapolis Star, Matt Kryger

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Firefighters work the scene where an explosion has killed two people and damaged more than a dozen homes late Saturday in Indianapolis.

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More than 50,000 signatures have been added to a petition on the White House website asking that Texas be peacefully allowed to secede from the United States in protest of the reelection of President Barack Obama.

AP Photo/Ed Andrieski

LIVING THE HIGH LIFE. Marijuana plants flourish under the lights at a grow house in Denver, Thursday, Nov. 8, 2012. Marijuana legalization votes this week in Colorado and Washington state don’t just set up an epic state-federal showdown on drug law for residents. The measures also opens the door for marijuana tourism.

many of our excellent resources … for things that aren’t really causing any problems,” said Elders in an interview on Oct. 18. “It’s not a toxic substance.” “Studies have shown that it’s not really all that bad for you. It’s not good for you, but not that bad,” said Matt Klaser. “Legalizing it would lower the power to drug dealers and lower

pot related crimes. It would also percent. keep recreational users out of the A study by the Colorado Center jail system when they aren’t really on Law and Policy also said ‘criminals.’” legalizing the drug could boost Support for marijuana’s state revenue by about $24 million legalization is directly and based on excise taxes alone. inversely proportional to age, Although the recreational according to gallup. Among use of marijuana is now legal adults ages 18 to 29 there is a 62 in Colorado and Washington, percent approval rating. Ages 65 federal law still recognizes its use and older, however, are down 31 — WEED, page 6

Page 2

News

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 houstonianonline.com/news

ABC anchors to share experiences, advice Priority One event to offer insight into broadcasting, politics SOPHIE NELSON Staff Reporter Two ABC 13 news anchors/ reporters will be making a guest appearance tonight as SHSU Priority One hosts its semiannual “Mingling with the Media”. Elissa Rivas and Katie McCall will be be on campus to share their experiences covering the 2012 election and provide a firsthand perspective of the journalism field. During the second segment of the program, students will have a chance to ask questions of Rivas and McCall, which are to be submitted before the start of the program. A reception will be held at six before the program begins, and will have free food and free shirts for the first 50 students who come. Rivas expressed her excitement at the opportunity to come to SHSU to share with students. “Students at the college level are those coming up next in the field,” Rivas said. “They want to know what it’s like to have a job in media since it is an ever changing experience. This is not only an

Photo provided by Priority One

MINGLING. Katie McCall and Elissa Rivas from Houston’s ABC 13, will be be on campus to share their

experiences covering the 2012 election and provide a firsthand perspective of the journalism field. exciting opportunity for college students to learn, but for myself to be able to share my experiences with the next generation.” According to ABC 13’s website, Rivas anchors the

weekend morning broadcasts, as well as continuing to cover stories. She has received the regional and national RTNDA Edward R. Murrow Award for her coverage of a child abduction and

murder in El Paso. She has also received a National Communicator Award of Distinction and a first place award in Serious Feature reporting from

the Texas Associated Press for her documentation of teenage alcohol and substance abuse. Rivas graduated from Vanderbilt University with a degree in communications and political science. According to ABC 13’s website, McCall also anchors the weekend morning news and covers news stories. She has worked to have an award winning career and has received two Associated Press awards and was named “best local TV news reporter” by the Houston Press in 2004. McCall graduated cum laude from Vanderbilt University with a BA in English and Spanish. The program will be held in the Dan Rather building room 125 and will begin at 6:30 p.m. Seating for 75 is available with standing room left over. Priority One is the on-campus public relations firm that is run by students who want to pursue a field in public relations. Their sponsor is Peter Roussel, Warner Endowed Chair and Advisor in the college of Mass Communications.

Biomedical Science degree available for Spring JAY R. JORDAN Staff Reporter Students at Sam Houston State University will have a chance to pursue a degree in Biomedical Science in the 2013 spring semester. The new major is now available for students in DegreeWorks. Students can also register for classes under the new degree. The new degree comes after students expressed interest in adding it to the department though Chad Hargrave Ph.D., Chair of Biological Sciences department, said he has heard from less than 15 students inquiring about the new program so far. “It was something that the Department

of Biological Sciences came up with in response to student interest,” Anne Gaillard Ph.D., associate professor of Biology said. “A lot of students who are biology majors are interested in Biomedical Science.” Hailey Heatherly, a sophomore Biomedical Science major, will begin her courses under the new pogram next semester. “I’ve been involved in sports my whole life. I just enjoy fixing up people’s scrapes and bruises and thought that it would be great to become a nurse and make a career out of it,” Heatherly said. “SHSU opening a [Biomedical Science] program was the final factor in making me want to attend Sam.” According to Gaillard, a degree in

Biomedical Science will open up doors to a variety of career paths including a crime lab technician, food and drug inspector, or a mortician. “There is a wide variety of career paths a student with a Biomedical Science degree could take,” said Gaillard. “Biomedical Science research is a huge area of scientific research, so there will probably be several [students] that will pursue that route.” The program will also help prepare students for graduate or medical school along with more research opportunities, Gaillard said. “It’s an opportunity for students to focus their studies on a particular area of biology,” Gaillard said. “Biology is very diverse

and our current BS in Biology degree is sort of a well-rounded degree with lots of different types of focuses. Biomedical Sciences is focused toward the biomedical side of biology and that includes health professions, but it also includes [initiatives] for students that are interested in doing research.” The Biomedical Science degree at SHSU will join a list of other Texas universities with a undergraduate degree program including Texas A&M University and Tarleton State University. Students interested in the program can contact Hargrave at cwhargrave@shsu.edu with any questions.

Students, faculty welcome arts plaza, outdoor classroom An Arts Plaza and Outdoor Classroom is inaugurated In addition to the College of Humanities and Social Sciences building, students and faculty now have a new Arts Plaza and Outdoor Classroom to embrace. John de Castro, Ph.D. Dean of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, hosted an opening ceremony on Friday. The event included a variety of performances and a speech from internationally known artist, Jesus Moroles. As a lover of both the arts and environment, de Castro was persistent in finding a way to provide faculty and students with an area that would showcase

different art forms in a beautiful Jesus Moroles is the artist and environment. He not only designer of the Arts Plaza. Moroles envisioned a space used for the works as a granite sculptor. In arts, but for the classrooms as 2008 he was the youngest person well. to receive the National Medal “The idea of Arts from former came from an President George W. understanding To me it’s a collaboration be- Bush. Moroles has more that we have tween the space and nature than 2,000 works in a beautiful and just the total interaction. foreign countries such environment as Switzerland, China, here and Egypt, France, Italy, and faculty love to Japan. come outside -Alicia Carlin Moroles created a and share this space that would be able environment to hold seating for an with their students and have event. Along with a 9 foot water outdoor sessions, but we didn’t wall, the space provides excellent have an appropriate space,” de acoustics. Castro said. “When I looked at “The space reflects out and fills the space here I thought it was beautifully,” de Castro said. perfect.” De Castro officially opened

“

CARI PARKER Contributing Reporter

the arts plaza by ceremoniously turning on the water wall for the first time. According to de Castro, having performers at the ceremony was crucial. “I wanted to show off what was possible in the space,” de Castro said. The performance consisted of multiple poetry readings and an interpretive dance. While Zachary Carrettin serenaded the audience with the electric violin, dancers Kim Clay and Alicia Carlin performed their interpretation of what the Arts Plaza represents. “It was mostly trying to bring the space in and bless the space with my energy and love,” Clay said. “It was bringing it all in and sending out that blessing to the space.”

“To me it’s collaboration between the space and nature and just the total interaction,” Carlin said. “I was just feeling the wind in my hair with all the trees and hearing the music. I really just got to take in the space and the audience.” The Arts Plaza and Outdoor Classroom is a multi-purpose facility that is located behind the CHSS Building, adjacent to the Coliseum. Wi-Fi will be provided outside for students. “I want to bring in more than just my college together; I want to bring in the whole university community together,” de Castro said.

CLASSIFIEDS ROOMMATE WANTED: - Located in the avenues, great location - 2 bedroom house - Central air and heat - 1 ½ blocks from SHSU (walking distance to campus)

Available spring semester/January 1, 2013 Please call or email: Sara Holly (512) 484-1297 OR Mr. or Mrs. Peters (936) 295-5414 (936) 291-1102

Page 3

Viewpoints

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

PAWS UP

PAWS UP to the Bearkats exorcising the Demons, 52-17. Way to go, Kats!

PAWS UP to the SHSU Rodeo Team ‘Gangnam Style’ video done by Raven Films. It was great!

PAWS UP to volleyball and football clinching Southland Conference titles Saturday

Mary Jane here to stay College campuses, gas station parking lots and moonlit public parks nationwide rejoiced as Colorado and Washington legalized recreational marijuana use Tuesday. This incident marks Nov. 7, 2012 as the first time in human history anyone has ever seriously considered moving to Colorado or Washington on purpose. Not everyone is satisfied with their decision, however, as hordes of old women, Facebook Republicans, and that principal from The Breakfast Club all lined up give their two cents on the subject. Many of them expressed concern that other states would follow, causing an increase in marijuana related accidents and deaths. A common tactic used to support legalization is to claim that by that same logic, alcohol should also be outlawed, if not even more so than marijuana. Any mind-altering substances will naturally cause a hefty amount of accidents, but alcohol related deaths eclipse marijuana related deaths in embarrassing numbers. And if health is your concern, smoking is also tremendously awful for you, yet Joe Camel isn’t going to wind up smashed into the hood of a cop car anytime soon. These failures in logic are where many people hit the wall in their arguments against marijuana

PAWS DOWN

PAWS DOWN to not getting into required classes because of a lack of professors, times and/or classroom space

PAWS DOWN to thousands of people signing a petition for Texas to secede from the U.S.

PAWS DOWN to the new Rebecca Black, Nicole Westbrook with her song “It’s Thanksgiving”

Editorial Staff Robin Johnson Faculty Adviser

936-294-1499

Stephen Green Editor-in-Chief

Fellow Bearkats, if you have a test on Thursday, when do you start studying? Right after the last test? A week before? The night before? Let’s get real. You studied 20 minutes before the test. We all wonder why we bomb those crucial assignments. It has got to be that the professor is out to get us. It can’t possibly be the fact that I waited to the last moment. I, personally, have been trying to find the secrets to working ahead and de-stressing my life. I have compiled the advice I have received from many SMART people who actually do their work on time. Crazy thought, huh? 1. Put your school work ahead of extracurricular activities. I know the thought of sitting around and shooting the bull seems like so much more fun than doing your pre-algebra homework, but just

Molly Waddell Matt Frazier

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Misti Jones

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Sports Editor clewis@houstonianonline.com

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George Mattingly

Viewpoints Editor mjones@houstonianonline.com

television show I want. 4. Start studying early to destress your life. If you start studying a couple weeks before the test, you won’t be so stressed the night before. You will feel more prepared and surer of yourself right before the big day. 5. Remember why you’re in college. Everyone goes to college hoping one day to receive a degree. Even if it means you become a super senior. That’s an honor right? They want this degree to further whatever great career they have in mind. So throughout the semester, our grades should be the most important thing in our life. With that said, remember to have fun and the best way to have fun is to quit procrastinating. I know this is a lot to ask of my fellow Bearkats. Just remember the less you procrastinate the more time you have to be a real college student and enjoy the perks of being a college student.

I knew I shouldn’t have waited until professors teach one subject, creating the day before class registration to get the anxiety of trying to register for the advised−facing a two hour wait for class before thousands of other students a five minute conversation with an do, but there aren’t a lot of options for a advisor−but I knew I wouldn’t be able sophomore. to register for the classes I needed to Students are forced to choose late take anyways. I always leave the SAM times, to race other students for spots, center with some idea of what classes I to not register for the classes they need need to take but it never works out how to take before graduation or are forced I plan, and I know I’m not the only one. to take $300 online courses. With the course number sheet in More professors should be available MISTI JONES hand, I look up my prospective classes for each course in order to allow more Viewpoints Editor and jot down what looks do-able for students to take the required classes. the next semester. Knowing that I have to work, I Class sizes could be bigger to let students register for try to plan my classes early in the morning; I look classes and online-only courses should not be forced at all my options. There are always about five course upon students who don’t want to take them. options for each subject that I’m allowed to take Maybe the requirement that students be advised but somehow many of the course numbers do not before they register for classes could be omitted, appear. Therefore, I am forced to choose one or two allowing for one-on-one appointments with classes I can take. advisors and an alleviation of wait times. If a student What happens when I click on my choices? Only doesn’t want to be advised, he/she can just look at one professor teaches each course or it’s a late, late DegreeWorks on the SHSU page. class with limited spots left and I can’t register until There’s got to be a better way for students to get in, 3:30 p.m. on a Thursday. get out and get registered for the classes they want Not only are there issues with how many or need.

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remember that pre-algebra grade will help you towards the degree and the money. Shooting the bull may lead to a great story, but that epic story won’t pay the bills. 2. Put yourself on a schedule. I’m not trying to be your parent and tell you that you should map out every moment of every day. A schedule can help you fit in work, school, and maybe even some fun. If you use your time effectively you can manage to do everything you want. You may have to cut the nine hours you usually spend on Pinterest to two, but I promise you will live! 3. Provide yourself with incentives. Studying and doing homework is absolutely no fun. Trust me, I understand. If you provide yourself with incentives it will help the time go by faster. Set guidelines for yourself. I will study this wonderful physics homework for an hour, then I reward myself with an episode of whatever

Advising, class registration processes hinder progress, need improvement

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legalization. Don’t throw me off a ledge just yet when I say this, but in the ideal world- in mine, at least−neither marijuana, smoking, nor alcohol would be legal, or even exist. There’s quite literally no reason whatsoever behind any of them; it doesn’t taste good, it’s not healthy, and it makes the inside of your car smell like you’re driving around a trashcan from the Renaissance Festival. Now to get this out of the way−no, I am not supportive of marijuana use. Personally, I loathe it on a level that almost makes Pink Floyd unenjoyably to me. But at the same time, I also understand that this doesn’t necessarily warrant outlawing anything, as it doesn’t seem to do any good. Ask Al Capone if illegalizing something makes it magically disappear. Organized crime isn’t ashamed to adopt whatever we

Tips to avoid procrastination, enjoy your college experience ALLYSON WILEY Staff Reporter

PAWS UP to the new CHSS plaza for outdoor classes

TAYLOR LIKENS Staff Reporter

deem contraband, and the amount of money criminal organizations make funneling marijuana into American public is not small portion of their income. And even if you view marijuana as the incarnation of all evil, simply outlawing it wouldn’t be the best way to purge it from the earth. With marijuana no longer in the underground, the novelty of smoking would likely fade away, along with a sizeable portion of its appeal. Less than seven percent of the population uses marijuana more than once a month to begin with, meaning it would likely just fall into part of the occasional rotation of social gatherings. No, this kind of compromise doesn’t mean we shouldn’t bother outlawing anything if people are only going to do them anyway. This means we should take a step back, analyze our situation and determine whether prohibiting something is going to help anyone or only make things horrendously worse. Accepting the reality of the situation is the only true first step towards rising above it−no matter how unfortunate that reality may be. Sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and do what you can with what you’ve been dealt. As they say, wish in one hand, spit in the other and see how many people are disappointed you didn’t shit in your hand like a madman.

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Brandon K. Scott Sophie Nelson Jeremy Kleiber Cheyenne Simpson Jasmine Brown Morgan Mears Allyson Wiley Taylor Likens Jay Jordan Karmen King Cody Cobb Cristina Baumann Caitlin Adamcik Cody Miles

Post-election:

Think before you post online, leave racism out MORGAN MEARS Staff Reporter With the election behind us and Obama looking at another term in office, many people are voicing their opinions on how they truly feel about his reelection. From Facebook to Twitter, social networking sites have been bombarded with comments and posts regarding his next term; many of these comments have sparked some controversy. While many people post these comments and statuses without thinking, many people are becoming outraged with the ignorance of these comments due to their awful racial remarks regarding others of different race. According to the Twittersphere, many people are commenting on the issue surrounding food stamps and Obama’s stance on the matter. One such tweet, from user Not4TheGimmeParty, commented on how the people that want the food stamps are greedy, lower class, nonCaucasian citizens in the U.S. The tweet sparked outrage and had many people saying this user was a racist bigot because he claimed that those on food stamps were not and could not be members of the Caucasian race. Not only is Twitter alive with racial tension, Facebook is as well. According to NBC News, a California woman was fired from her job after posting “maybe he will get assassinated,” referring to the reelection of President Obama. The woman replied with a statement saying she is not racist and her comment should not have been taken as a racial slur. The post was made without thinking of how it would be received by the Facebook community and her comment was viewed as hurtful and a nasty racial slur by many. According to a poll done by TheGuardian, while many people would believe that most racial comments would be coming from social networking cite users all over the U.S., it is clear to see the majority of these hate tweets regarding Obama’s reelection are primarily from Alabama and Mississippi. However, these postObama reelection hate posts are not limited to the south, while the number of racial and hate tweets is almost half that of the south, states like North Dakota and Utah were among the highest in the North. Although the number of hate tweets between the north and the south differ by almost half, it is clear to see that as a whole many people are not happy to see President Obama reelected. In every political race there is going to be a winner and a loser. With Obama in the Oval Office for another term, it seems as if Romney’s fans are taking to Facebook and Twitter to express their hatred for our president, causing controversy and hate with their racial slurs and hateful comments. People need to think about what they say online before posting. When you post something, it is there forever; you make think you delete it but it’s still there. Think before you post!

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Page 4

Arts&Entertainment

Tuesday, November 13, 2012 houstonianonline.com/a-e

Mise-En-Scène:

Set design draws inspiration from indie rock concerts

MOLLY WADDELL Arts & Entertainment Editor The set designers of “Spring Awakening” have been working since July to make sure the Indie Rock feel is portrayed to the audience. Assistant theatre professor and set designer for “Spring Awakening” Liz Freese and set design students have been doing research on the set for the musical since July. They would sometimes have meetings over Skype. Freese said that they did research over time periods, like Germany in the late 1800s. The director’s concept for the play was like an indie rock concert so they researched that as well. “Some of the main inspiration for the set then came from basically New York, Brooklyn top indie rock concerts,” Freese said. “All of these really great warehouses that have been completely revitalized to be music venues, so that was a lot of key research.” After finding inspiration, Freese started planning out the set. Eventually it turned into a color model. The color model shows every aspect of the set and allows the director to play “dollhouse”

Samantha Villarreal

| The Houstonian

CREATING DIMENSION: Zach Adir, freshman theater major, works on painting the brick walls inside the warehouse , which is the main stage set for the upcoming musical “Spring Awakening”.

and move the characters around. The color model is done by a quarter inch scale meaning one quarter inch is equivalent to one foot. The model is placed in the shop

for the students to refer to while putting the set together. Freese wanted to make it clear that the set in Sam Houston State University’s version is nothing like the Broadway version.

“Our version is more about the directors’ purpose,” Freese said. “It is about a group of students’ story telling the story through indie rock music. For those people who are coming wanting a carbon copy

of the Broadway show, they will be disappointed.” Allison Forsyth, theatre design and technology major, is heavily involved in the set design as the Assistant Set Designer. Whenever Freese needs her, Forsyth is there. Over the summer Forsyth helped Freese with research. During the school year Forsyth has done everything from building the model box to aging the set. Forsyth enjoys every aspect of set building. “I love painting; I like the design process like the research, the model making and the rendering,” Forsyth said. “There is a lot of drafting that goes into it. So all of it as a hole I enjoy.” Before becoming the Assistant Set Designer for “Spring Awakening,” Forsyth was in charge of costumes for “Seagull.” “It’s really nice to get to change up instead of doing the same thing every time,” Forsyth said. “It’s cool to get a lot of different experience. “Spring Awakening” will be showing Nov. 28- Dec. 1 Look in out next issue for part two of the “Spring Awakening Mise-En-Scène” series which will discuss the costume designing and making process.

“Sand In Line” exhibits multi-modal art SHSU orchestra delivers CHEYENNE SIMPSON Staff Reporter Art that explores line, form and text can be used to describe “Sand in the Line.” an art exhibit displaying various works made from print media, film and unexpected material. The art exhibit, curated by Michael Henderson, showcases the works of Kana Harada, Jen Hofer, John Pluecker, Dawn Pendergast and Trish Ramsay. The artists also conduct workshops that demonstrate their specific from of art. “We are happy to be able to bring creative visual artists to interact with our students and share their ideas,” Henderson said. Artists Pluecker, Hofer and Pendergast use several forms of media to explore the interaction of creative writing and visual arts. Pluecker who uses film and slide projections with live performances of the spoken word has several pieces for display including his work “Caza” published in 2012. Pluecker also conducted a workshop entitled “How to cut and paste your way to artistic freedom” in which students cut and reconfigured text to create visual art and poetry. Hofer a creative writing teacher at California institute of the Arts, uses newspapers, books and other materials from thrift stores to create quilt-like collages. Theses collages tell stories about places and journeys which may not be told in their original form. Hofer also has a unique piece

of art entitled “Front Page News (one month)” in which she cut out the front page of her local newspaper and made a cut-up poem. Pendergast is another artist that uses recycled materials to showcase her art. Her work entitled” Little Red Leaves Textile Series” is a series of hand sewn chapbooks by various authors and is displayed at the exhibit. Pendergast is a poet, author and founder of an independent press. Pendergast also showcased the art of bookmaking in a workshop, teaching students how to take make a book into art. Artists Ramsay and Harada give a different outlook on the exhibit by using unexpected materials to create elegant sculptural works. Ramsay, who uses fabrics, fibers and metallic forms Cheyenne Simpson| The Houstonian to create unique pieces on walls and landscape, did a MODAL ART. Harada, a Dallas-based site-specific installation on Japanese artist used hand cut foam pieces to make intricate designs. campus to go with her works Japanese artist used hand cut foam in the exhibit. Ramsay chose the installation site because of pieces to make intricate designs its beauty and a large cedar tree, that hang from the exhibits ceiling. Henderson said this about which was SHSU’s first Christmas Harada’s works, “Her threetree. Ramsay is set to give a lecture dimensional forms provide a about her work in Art Building E, graceful and decorative quality to room 108 today at 5 p.m. followed the exhibition.” “Sand in the Line” will be by a reception at the landscape installation in front of the Evans on display until Nov. 29 in Art Building F room 101. Complex. Harada a Dallas-based

entertaining, quality music

SAM MCCARL Staff Reporter SHSU’s Symphony Orchestra’s Classical (R)evolution featured a three piece set reminiscent of the influences of the budding Classical era of music and the forefront of the changes in music yet to come. The concert was the second this season, held at the PAC Concert Hall on Saturday. The concert had a strong start with a late Renaissance brass octet by Giovanni Gabrieli entitled Canzon noni toni a 8, or Song in the Ninth Mode for Eight. Haydn’s Symphony #49 in F Minor, la Passione, was the first piece performed by the full orchestra before an intermission for a silence, aural cleansing before the star piece featuring guest violinist Dylana Jenson. Haydn’s Symphony features the Sturm und Drang (storm and stress) style prevalent in the mid-Romantic era. With an alternating slow-fast pattern to the movements, the tensions carry throughout. Where the first movement was slow and emotional with flowing phrases, the second movement was fast, high-tension and energized, almost panicked. Following trend, the third movement was slow again with an alternating 1 and 3 feel mixed with tempo and rhythm changes. As a finale for this piece, the fourth movement was mostly unison with a strong build up to the end. Elegance reigned supreme in the end, despite the stress and tension given by violin trills, conquering

the storm and stress style. Traditionally brass and woodwind players are forced to the background in orchestral settings, yet the inclusion of Gabrieli’s piece was a nice addition and a fantastic start. The brass stood in the rafters to the sides of the stage where their sound could echo throughout the concert hall. The piece is characteristic of Renaissance music with phrases passed around the voices in a canon and simpler phrases. Jenson showcased her technique with Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major, op. 35. The biggest surprise in this piece is the virtuoso’s ability to perform the entire 35 minute work from memory. Every aspect of Jenson’s performance dripped with perfection and mastery of the instrument, from her posture to technique. The orchestra provided the ideal support for Jenson, keeping the rhythmic and steady pulse consistent. A stunning unison from the orchestra rang out clearly in the concert hall. The amount of technique and finesse of all the performers made it easy to forget it was a student ensemble on the stage, not a professional orchestra. While the Haydn piece dragged out, the other two pieces provided entertainment and enjoyment even for those with little exposure to this genre of music. This concert receives 4 out of 5 paws, if only because Haydn has been known for putting people to sleep in any other situation.

French Week film displays exaggerated acting, comedy Facebook.com/TheHoustonianSHSU

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CAITLIN ADAMCIK Staff Reporter Les Visiteurs, a French film, was shown on Monday for French Week. The film is about a nobleman, Godefroy, and his peasant, Jacquouille, who are sent from 1193 to 1993. While in 1993, they run into their future relatives, who help them get back home. It was a fantasy and comedy movie. The film was strange. It was expected to be out there because French comedy is different from American comedy. The French exaggerate their jokes and play up the goofy effects. It has more of a cartoon element, but in real life. The effects are definitely over the top. In a scene where Godefroy drinks from

his spiked flask and starts to hallucinate, the castle he is looking at starts bouncing and the faces of his friends start to swirl. The movie was easy to follow and simple. The story seemed overdone. There are “millions” of movies that have the plot of ancient people coming to current times. It is a crowd pleaser to see people be incompetent of our current technology. For example, in Les Visiteurs, the two men from ancient times do not know where to wash their hands so they wash them in the toilet instead of the sink. The two also get confused about using the telephone. The acting is alright. An actor that Americans would know is Jean Reno. He is in the The Da Vinci Code and

has a small role in Couples Retreat. Reno plays the nobleman, Godefroy. All the other actors are French and known for French movies. The actors were talented, they portrayed their characters as strange which was what the whole movie is about. The audience should be opened minded if they want to see Les Visiteurs. Any foreign film may seem odd to Americans. This is also a comedy so the amusing parts will be different from what we are used to seeing. We give this movie three out of five paws. To continue French Week, there will be a food sampling Tuesday in the University Hotel second floor lobby at 6 p.m. and the showing of Joyeux Noel at 5 p.m. in AB4, room 302.

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Sports

Tuesday, November13, 2012 houstonianonline.com/sports

Bearkats cast out Demons,52-17 victory CONNOR HYDE Sports Reporter The Sam Houston State Bearkats clench their second consecutive Southland Conference title with a 52-17 landslide victory over the Northwestern State Demons Saturday in Natchitches, La. Saturday’s victory extended the Bearkats winning streak to seven this season to share the title with the University of Central Arkansas. The Bearkats held Northwestern’s offense to only 183 total yards compared to SHSU’s 509. Brian Bell and running back Timothy Flanders accounted for five of SHSU’s seven touchdowns and 377-yards in Saturday’s matchup. SHSU’s offense established the running game early with a 56-yard run from Flanders late in the first quarter. Flanders’ breakaway run broke the offensive standstill after an exchange of punts between SHSU and Northwestern. “We came out soft, we didn’t come out upbeat, we didn’t come out loud like we normally have been the past couple of games and it showed,” receiver Trey Diller said. Northwestern responded to Flanders’ run with an 82-yard kickoff return at the end of the second quarter to tie SHSU 7-7. After a 34-yard field goal from Miguel Antonio, the Bearkats ran four uncontested touchdown drives to close the first half with a 38-10 lead. After halftime, Northwestern struggled to gain momentum as the Bearkats continued to drive down the field and score two more times in the second half. “We didn’t start off great but boy

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

SPLIT DOWN THE MIDDLE: For the first time since 2004, the Sam Houston State Bearkats share the Southland Conference title with another team. In 2004, they shared it with McNeese State. In 2012, they share it with Central Arkansas.

we just played great the second, third, and fourth quarter,” Coach Willie Fritz said. “Once again in the fourth quarter, everyone in the ballpark knows we’re going to run it and we were still able to run the ball effectively.” Saturday’s win secured a spot in the FCS playoffs for the second consecutive year, establishing SHSU’s program as one to watch for future playoff appearances.

According to receiver T.J. Jones, clenching this year’s title was a harder feat than last year’s undefeated season. “We had three home games and played away all the time,” Jones said. “Being a ranked team all year everybody gives us their best game…we just had to find ourselves as a team and just come together and take it one game at a time. It means a lot more than last

year.” Next week the Bearkats will travel to College Station to face off against BCS ranked Texas A&M. The Aggies stunned the nation by dethroning formerly top ranked Alabama in Tuscaloosa, Ala. According to players, the Bearkats are looking to put up a fight. “We’ve battled back [after the loss to UCA] for seven weeks in a row we’ve been handling business,”

Diller said. “We have the team that can play with any team in the country,” defensive back Darnell Taylor said. SHSU will face A&M in College Station Saturday November 17 for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff. Tickets are sold out at Kyle Field but the game will be available to watch on pay-perview by FOX Sports Southwest. For more information visit www.gobearkats.com.

Volleyball ‘finishes first’, sweeps Lamar in three sets JEREMY KLEIBER Staff Reporter With the Southland Conference in the rearview, Sam Houston State claimed their share of the SLC Volleyball Championship after they handled Lamar (10-23, SLC 2-17) 25-21, 25-16 and 25-21, in three sets Saturday. “I couldn’t be happier for this group. I love this team. The championship is just wonderful for them because they have worked extremely hard,” Coach Brenda Gray told Gobearkats.com. With a total of nine ties and three lead swaps, the first set went back and forth before the Bearkats emerged victorious, 25-21. The second set followed suit, recording five ties and three lead changes. In the second set, the Cardinals fought their way to an early 8-7 advantage. The Bearkats then answered with a run of their own, as they scored

three straight points to lead 10-7 on kills by junior Haley Neisler, senior Kaylee Hawkins and a block by junior setter Tayler Gray and Kim Black. From there, Sam Houston maintained control as they tallied 15 out of the final 22 points to own the second set 25-16. Deveney Wells-Gibson, who earned offensive player of the week honors, led the Bearkats attack with 13 kills and 12 digs. The junior outside hitter ranks second in the conference with 4.06 kills per set. Kaylee Hawkins added 10 kills and nine digs, respectively. Kendall Cleveland added nine more kills, totaling 350 on the season. Junior setter Tayler Gray helped the Kats’ cause with her 34 assists. After a 5-9 start to the 2012 season, the Bearkats dominated the opposition down the stretch, finishing with a 20-10 overall record and a 15-3 Southland mark. Putting a dent in the record books, they strung together a school best 13 match winning streak. The squad was almost untouchable during that streak, managing to win 39 of their

45 sets and eventually sweeping 13 out of their 20 victories on the season. “I want to give credit to every team that came through here in all the years that I’ve been here that helped lay the ground work,” Gray said. Saturday marked the final home appearance for the senior volleyball quintet Camille Alfaro, Kim Black, Kendall Cleveland, Jamie Haas and Kaylee Hawkins. As the first senior Bearkat group to clinch a league title since 1994, the five-some has combined to lead the team to 71 victories and four consecutive Southland Conference post season appearances since 2009. The Bearkats will share the Southland Conference Volleyball Championship with Central Arkansas, since the Bears swept Stephen F. Austin Saturday afternoon. Sam Houston will be the no. 2 seed in the post-season league tournament, taking on Nicholls State Friday at the Farris Center in Conway, Arkansas.

Razorbacks slide past Bearkats in basketball season opener, 73-68 CODY LEWIS Sports Editor In what many would have thought to be a blow out, the Sam Houston State basketball team put up a serious fight against Arkansas for their season opener, losing 73-68 in Fayetteville Friday night. With only two starters and a total of five returning players altogether, head coach Jason Hooten and his coaches have had to practically put together a new team. Hooten says they will be better shooters than last year. The Bearkats got behind their coach’s words and knocked down eight three point shots, four of them coming from returning starter Darius Gatson, who led the Kats with 20 points. The senior guard went 4-6 from the three point line and 7-10 from the field. Forward James Thomas, a junior transfer from Navarro College, had 14 points and led the Bearkats with eight rebounds in his first game in a Sam Houston uniform. “There’s a guy you sign every once in a while, that you know will probably be one of the better signs you had,” Hooten said. “That’s him. He’s a junk-yard dog. He plays his heart out every single day and gives you everything he has.” Demarcus Gatlin, the other returning starter, put up 10 points. Sam Houston started strong and led 8-4, but the Razorbacks went on a 10-6 run, tying the game at 14.

After a layup by Thomas put the Kats up 16-14, the Hogs went on a 12-2 run; putting them up 29-18 with little more than six minutes left in the first half. The Berakats clawed back to stay relevant and only trailed by eight at halftime. Hooten’s squad kept the game close in the second half, cutting the lead to four points twice, and once to three points. Jeremy McKay, a junior transfer from Wallace State, knocked down a 3-pointer with 51 seconds remaining in the game to cut the lead to three, but the Hogs were able to hold on for their 18th consecutive season-opening victory. The Bearkats had a higher field goal shooting percentage and 3-point shooting percentage than Arkansas, but the Razorbacks were able to get to the free throw line 32 times, cashing in on 26 of those attempts. Arkansas’ Coty Clarke led the Razorbacks with 20 points, 10 coming from the free throw line. “This was a hard game to play,” Hooten said. “[Our guys] haven’t played a game yet. [Arkansas] has played two exhibition games. I was really happy with the way these guys didn’t fold under pressure.” The Bearkats will play their 2012-13 home opener tonight at Johnson Coliseum at 7 p.m. against HardinSimmons. They will then travel to Bloomington, Ind. to face the number one-ranked Hoosiers for the Progressive Legends Classic. The Bearkats will play host to the Progressive Legends Classic sub-regional at Johnson Coliseum Monday through Wednesday of next week with double-headers on each of those days.

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Page 6

News

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Guest speaker to discuss ‘Amazing World’ of the Higgs Boson GEORGE MATTINGLY News Editor A guest professor and researcher will be on campus on Wednesday to discuss “The Amazing World of the Higgs Boson” with the Sam Houston State University community. Dimitri V. Nanopoulos, Ph.D., of Texas A&M University will discuss how the Higgs Boson, a theory for providing mass for particles, is beneficial to other particles it interacts with, the problems it solves, and the history of its discovery. The idea of a Higgs boson has existed since 1962, proposed by Peter Higgs as the visible remnant of a hypothetical mechanism for providing mass to particles that must otherwise go without. In 1976, in collaboration with John Ellis of King’s College in London and Mary K. Gaillard

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of the University of CaliforniaBerkeley, Nanopoulos worked to isolate processes by which the Higgs might make its presence known in a future collider environment, focusing on the very clean two-photon decay channel. Nanopoulous previously served as Walker’s thesis adviser and research partner on the Higgs Boson. According to Walker, Nanopoulous is deeply involved in physics of the Higgs Boson and how its discovery might play out in the future “Without the Higgs Boson, particles like the electron could have no mass and we would be unable to explain the weakness of a weak nuclear force,” Joel Walker, Ph.D., professor of Physics said. According to Walker, it is important for students to gain outside exposure to their field.

BLACK OPS, page 1

getting their tickets. “There’s a tournament, and this is like tailgating for gamers,” Chad Gooch, a CoD enthusiast said. “I’ve been here since 3:30 this afternoon and we’ve all just been hanging out and trading gamer tags. This was Gooch’s sixth time waiting at a video game release, and he first in line both last year and this year for the “Black Ops’” releases. “They say the graphics are different and better, and it’s set in the future,” Gooch said. “The guns are going to be different. I’m most excited for the multiplayer.” This time around, the Zombies mode has its own campaign. The game also features branching storylines where the player’s

“Sometimes classes it’s very hard for us to speak about cutting edge topics,” Walker said. “Our classes are oriented toward more basic material. It’s very exciting for students to have a chance to see how the topics discussed in class ties into to real-world, research applications.” Nanopoulos, a Greek citizen, studied physics at the University of Athens, graduating in 1971. He received a Ph.D., specializing in High Energy Theory, two years later from the University of Sussex, in England. He joined the Texas A&M Department of Physics faculty in 1989, was awarded the status of Distinguished Professor in 1992, and has held the Mitchell/Heep Chair in High Energy Physics since 2002. “The Amazing World of the Higgs Boson” will begin at 3 p.m. in Lee Drain Building room

actions affect not only the current mission, but also the overall track of the story. Instead of going home and coming back later, numerous hardcore CoD fans waited for hours to play in the store’s Black Ops II tournament. “I normally come out for the CoD releases,” Christian Bowsher, criminal justice freshman, said. “It’s the next in the franchise. Call of Duty gives me something to do in life. I’ll go home and play the campaign first, I don’t have class until 12:30 tomorrow.” The store manager said this release was bigger than last years, and last years’ was huge. There were two screens set up with two players each for the tournament in 3D display. The first to five kills won and everyone who played got Black Ops’ patches or posters.

Photo provided by Joel Walker

~~JUMPS~~ — WEED, page 1 as a criminal act, reports Reuters. The federal government will likely intervene, putting pressure on marijuana shops which will be followed by street-level enforcement of federal law. “This is a symbolic victory for [legalization] advocates, but it will be short-lived,” said former adviser to the Obama

Even gamers showing up to get in line hours after others had already received theirs were excited. “You’ve got to be the first,” Tyler Eppler, kinesiology sophomore, said. “The Newtown maps are the best.” The preorder of Black Ops II features “Nuketown 2025,” a bonus multiplayer map. A few girls were present among the release’s gamer crowd. “I came to the release of Black Ops last year with my boyfriend,” Briana Van Dyne, a kinesiology freshman, said. “He got me into it then.” Her boyfriend, Kei Harvin, sophomore mass communication major said, “I have to kind of carry her on the team, but she’s getting better.”

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administration’s National Drug Control Policy Kevin Sabet. “They are facing an uphill battle with implementing this, in the face of… presidential opposition and in the face of federal enforcement opposition.’ The National Institute on Drug Abuse states that “Marijuana is the most commonly abused illicit drug in the United States.”

CHAMPIONS, page 1

were sweeps. On the gridiron, Fritz has coached the Bearkats up into the top three in FCS rankings. Last year the Bearkats rolled through their schedule with an 11-0 regular season record and advanced to the NCAA Division I Championship when they fell to North Dakota State 6-17. This year, Fritz and company have battled back with seven consecutive conference wins after starting the season 0-1. “The thing that was the toughest part was starting off 0-1,” Fritz said. “Everyone knew that we had to win seven FCS games. It wasn’t a secret but our guys did a good

job focusing at the task at hand and competing week after week.” According to receiver Trey Diller, SHSU is ready to finish the season out with a NCAA Championship title. “We got one goal in our mind to get back to where we were last year finish,” Diller said. “As long as we get a spot in the playoffs I think we’ll handle business from there.” Gray and her girls will be looking to clench the Southland Finals this weekend as they travel to Conway, Ark. for the Southland Quarterfinals against Nicholls State University at 11 a.m. SHSU football will wrap up their season in College Station Texas A&M, ranked eighth in BCS standings, Saturday at 2:30 p.m.

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