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KTRK anchors Katie McCall (left) and Elissa Rivas (right) talk to students about world of news, getting started in the business at ‘Mingling’ event
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Bearkats to face-off against Texas A&M, Indiana in two sports
Volume 122 / Issue 23
Mears: Cyberbullying never okay, no excuses for the online aggressors
www.HoustonianOnline.com
Thursday, November 15, 2012
THECB proposes cuts to TEXAS grant ‘Retooling’ of program eligibility to combat growing number of students with need MCKINZIE BROCAIL Senior Reporter The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB) has proposed a retooling of the Towards EXcellence, Access and Success Grant Program (TEXAS) for the next legislative session. The THECB’s recommendation is to alter the grants, so that they are for less money, but would reach more students. The proposal is to leverage TEXAS Grants to cover academic charges for more students, and in turn would hopefully encourage more students to attend college. Across the state, 18 out of 100 students who apply for TEXAS Grants receive the maximum amount to cover academic charges. For public universities, like Sam Houston State University, the maximum amount
is $7,400 per year. “Today, we try to maximize the award amounts to help cover tuition fees, textbooks, room and board, transportation, etc,” Dominic Chavez, THECB spokesperson, said. “If we continue to operate this way, we’ll only be able to serve 18 out of 100 students, meaning 82 percent won’t even receive money.” Over the last five years there has been an 88 percent increase in the number of TEXAS grant eligible students. Based off the projected funding, $1.4 billion is needed over the next two years to fully fund all eligible TEXAS Grant students, which is three times the amount that is currently available. “We want to make it to where students get more moderate award amounts to cover academic charges,” Chavez said. “This
would cover up to 95 percent of needy students.” A student’s eligibility for a TEXAS Grant is determined by the university’s financial aid office. We’re proposing to work with universities,” Chavez said. “The universities would make local decisions. Their financial aid offices make the decisions to accommodate students and give them the flexibility to dictate students’ award amounts.” In 2011, the Legislature cut funding for TEXAS Grants for the first time in its history and established a model for distributing the awards that favored high-performing students. “The bottom line is: To sustain TEXAS Grant money long term, we are going to have to rethink how we use it due to the diminished funding,” Chavez
said. During the Fall 2012 semester, a total of 1,666 SHSU students received TEXAS Grants. “I agree with the proposal to an extent,” Bob Hoadley, political science sophomore and TEXAS Grant recipient, said. “Maybe in later years they can experiment to where students get more money or more of what they deserve, but for now I say we try this out.” The requirements for those eligible would become somewhat stricter. If the proposal passes, in order to be eligible, students would have to take 12 hours per semester instead of the current nine. Also, the lifespan of the grant would be capped at eight regular semesters rather than the current 150 credit hours. Under the recommendation, the TEXAS Grant Program would become a program that
is exclusively for university students. Funding for community colleges would come from other sources and eligibility pathways for transfer students would also be opened up. “This is a good thing,” Rosa Lopez, senior psychology major, said. “The economy is bad. People are in need of money, but what can we do? We can either be greedy or share the wealth. It will be a good thing [if it passes] because it is help, and any help is good.” To find out their eligibility, students should check their Banner Self Service requirements. For more information on TEXAS Grant eligibility, visit: www.shsu.edu/~fao_www/fa_ intro/grants.html#Texas. The SHSU Financial Aid Office failed to respond to repeated attempts of contact.
Secession talks uncover myths, misconceptions of Texas law JAY JORDAN Staff Reporter Micah H., of Arlington, created a petition on Nov. 9 asking that President Barack Obama to “peacefully grant the State of Texas to withdraw from the United States of America and create its own new government.” Five days later the petition has received over 103,000 signatures, which is well over the 25,000 required to garner a response from the White House. The fact that Texas, or any other state, has the explicit ability to secede is a myth. Many students across the state are taught to believe that due to Texas’ unique history and previous independence, the state is allowed to leave the Union whenever it pleases. “That’s a false assumption,” political science professor Michael Smith said. “Texas can break up into five states if it chooses, but as far as secession, no.” Texas is among more than 40 states whose citizens are calling for secession. Most of the petitions have a relatively small number of —
PETITIONS, page 6
NATION & WORLD
0-1,000 signatures 1,000-5,000 signatures 5,000-10,000 signatures 10,000-20,000 signatures AP Photo/Charles Dharapak
20,000-40,000 signatures •
40,000+ signatures
AP Photo/Adel Hana
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Eric Fite | The Houstonian CALLING IT QUITS Texas is among more than 40 states whose citizens are calling for secession.Five days after its creation, the petition has received over 103,000 signatures, which is well over the 25,000 required to garner a response from the White House.
All in the family
University member’s birthday helps him match world record CODY MILES Staff Reporter Sam Houston Alumni Wayne Frosch may have a bid for a title in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most siblings born on the same day who are also twins. Guinness declined the application, however, to award Frosch with the five other families who are listed as having incurred the same incidental circumstances. “They’re looking for someone to break the record. The chances of this are very slim. The odds of this happening are 17-million-toone” Frosch said. Frosch and his brother were born June 1, 1945 and his two younger siblings, also twins, were born on the same day in 1949. “We were approved as having equaled the record. I’m from a family of 13, I was number 10 and number 11 was my twin who
President Barack Obama says the economy cannot afford a tax increase on all Americans and is calling on congressional Republicans to support an extension of existing tax rates for households earning $250,000 or less.
Cody Miles | The Houstonian WORLD RECORD. Alumnus Wayne Frosch may have a bid for a title in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most siblings born on the same day who are also twins.
died at birth,” Frosch said. Perhaps, there is yet room for Frosch and his family. Frosch tied with the existing record holder, Laura Shelley, who gave birth to
a set of twins in 1990 and 2003 on Mar. 25. The four other families who tied with Shelly also gave birth during the 1990s and early 2000s.
“The people who won were born in the 90’s. They could have used fertility drugs or induced labor. We were born in the 40’s. The doctor might not even have been there when we were born” said Frosch. Frosch remembers the doctor, who lived 15 miles from their farm, coming to the house to help deliver his younger siblings. “I am not saying the other parents listed used fertility drugs or induced labor,” Frosch wrote to Guinness, “but these options were available, since they were born in the 1990’s or later.” “Both of our sets of twins were born at home and these options were not available to our parents.” Frosch graduated in 1969 from Sam Houston State with a degree in business. His wife, Ferne, also graduated from Sam Houston in 1989 with a degree in Accounting. He currently works as the property manager at Sam Houston.
The exhumation of former Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat began Tuesday according to state officials. The late leader’s body is being retrieved as part of an investigation into his death, which happened more than eight years ago. Leaders say the process could take more than two weeks to complete because of the delicacy of the artifacts. Follow us today! @TheHoustonian
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China on Thursday revealed the elite group of leaders who will set the agenda for the country for the next 10 year on Tuesday.The seven members of the committee now in charge of China’s political system were led by Xi Jinping, who takes over from Hu Jintao as head of the Communist Party, which has ruled China for more than 60 years.
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Florida teenager was sentenced Wednesday to a year in jail after he was convicted of four felonies linked to his impersonation last year of a physician’s assistant in a hospital emergency room. Matthew Scheidt, 18, will then spend a year under house arrest, followed by eight years’ probation.
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News
Thursday, November 15, 2012 houstonianonline.com/news
Houston anchors talk careers, offer advice
Students gain insight into news environment, getting jobs
SOPHIE NELSON Staff Reporter Channel 13’s Katie McCall and Elissa Rivas visited the campus Tuesday evening to speak to students about their careers and to give professional advice to students’ questions. The reporters/anchors spent two hours in the Mass Communications building in front of a student audience in a two part program in which they recounted their journey into television and then held a question and answer session with the audience. Students were pleased with the program and felt it was very beneficial, whether they were a mass communications major or not. They also praised the hard work of SHSU’s Priority One for putting together an event they deemed very successful. “I thought the program was very helpful,” Casey Hall, a senior Mass Communications and Public Relations double major said. “Hearing them [McCall and Rivas] speak really shed some light for students on how the industry works and how we should go about getting into it. I am really grateful to Priority One for giving this opportunity to students and I think they did a
Samantha Villarreal | The Hosutonian
MINGLING. Katie McCall (left) and Elissa Rivas (right) from Houston’s ABC 13, talked about their political
careers, the news environment and how to get a job after college with a room packed full of SHSU students as Priority One hosted this semester’s “Mingling with the Media” event. great job of hosting this event.” McCall and Rivas detailed their start into television, and gave several helpful hints to students, including gaining experience while in college, internships, skills needed before starting a television job, what market they should begin in, tips for after getting a television job, and many others. The women then gave students
an opportunity to ask questions. The issues brought up by SHSU students consisted of where to look for a job after graduation, specific terms used in television they were not clear on, how to deal with being a non-Caucasian ethnicity in the television world, and McCall’s and Rivas’ future plans for their career. One of the biggest points made by Rivas and McCall in
both sessions was to encourage students to not give up on their dreams because of how daunting working on television can be. McCall specifically made the point of telling students that they should not give up, no matter the obstacle. “I want to encourage anyone with a dream whether it’s reporting or something else to not let anyone discourage you from carrying out
that dream,” McCall said. “I was told to not go into the business because it was so selective, but I kept the mindset that they have to give the job to someone, so why not me. Chase your dreams, even if you are rejected. Even when failing, don’t give up, and don’t ever let anyone else change your mind.” Rivas also encouraged students to not give up if something goes wrong on the job. She said that when she had a bad day, she always cured her discouragement by forcing herself to go back to work the next day and starting over. Rivas took the time to comment specifically on how appreciative she was for the opportunity to speak and made the point of letting students know how much coming to SHSU meant to her. “The students here asked wonderful questions,” Rivas said. “I can tell they are really focused in class on how to apply what they are learning to the real world. As I’m telling these stories and answering their questions, I look at the people in front of me and am reminded of exactly why I got into the business.” McCall and Rivas anchor the weekend morning news for channel 13 and cover stories as news reporters.
Former Attorney General to discuss “American Dream” GEORGE MATTINGLY News Editor
Students will have a rare opportunity to hear from Former Attorney General Alberto Gonzales as he joins President Dana Gibson to discuss “Pursuing the American Dream” on Tuesday. The event will be held in Performing Arts Center Concert Hall from 11 a.m. to noon in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall. Maggie Collum, Director University Events, hopes the event will be relatable to college students, especially for firstgeneration, minority students. “A lot of our students [at Sam Houston
State University], are first generation students,” Collum said. “It’s a one-time opportunity for those students to hear from him first hand.” According to the SHSU scholarship website, more than half of SHSU’s graduates are the first in their families to earn a degree. Gonzales, born in San Antonio, is one of eight children and the only one to attend college. After completing law school at Harvard University, he was named general counsel to then-Governor George W. Bush in 1995. When he was appointed the first Hispanic Attorney General under George
W. Bush, Gonzales helped leaders in the administration’s decisions after the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11. As the director of the Department of Justice, Gonzales focused on protecting children from sexual predators, preventing acts of terrorism and reducing threats of gangs, drugs and violent crime. He stepped down in 2007. In 2011, Gonzales was selected as the Doyle Distinguished Chair of Law at Belmont University in Nashville. In his speeches around the country, Gonzales speaks about his heritage, background, public service, family and freedom. With his attendance at SHSU,
Gonzales will join a list of 18 speakers who previously participated in the President’s Speaker Series. “We encourage everyone at SHSU to attend because [he will be speaking about] pursuing your American Dream,” Collum said. “[The event] will be a conversation style with President Gibson so that brings another rare opportunity for students to ask questions.” Students can submit questions for Gonzales on the SHSU Facebook page. The event is free for everyone to attend. For more information call 936-294-3415.
ADAI educates students on responsiblity behind drinking, safe sex GEORGE MATTINGLY News Editor Responsibility while drinking alcohol and practicing safe sex were the topics of discussion among faculty and students as the SHSU Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative hosted “Playing With the Wrong Odds”. Eddie Gisemba, Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative Coordinator, tested students’ knowledge of sexually transmitted infections and dangers of alcohol consumption. Gizemba focused on the social roles that alcohol and sex play in students’ lives and the consequences of each. . In one demonstration, Gisemba used a spin wheel game to represent how much peer pressure influences a person’s decision to drink more or to have sex. “Socially alcohol plays a huge role,” Gizemba said. “We often connect it to the meals we eat and how we socialize. It’s also related to class because we relate a bottle of Grey Goose with someone who has lots of money versus a six pack of beer for someone who doesn’t have a lot of money.” The event, hosted by ADAI, Dean of Students Office and Alpha Delta Phi, drew about 80 students to learn more about the social aspects of drinking and sex. “[The information] was for [college students] to know about this because a lot of people can get caught up with [drinking and sex] because it’s ‘what is cool’,”
Courtney Winslow, freshman family and consumer science major, said. Although the ADAI has hosted several similar events for students, Gizemba said this presentation was the first of its kind. He took a different approach to addressing the topics with Sam Houston State University students, focusing on responsibility rather than prevention. “These topics are part of the college culture; they’re socially expected,” Gisemba said. “Often times, telling students ‘don’t do it’ is not effective because it’s not realistic. “So what I try to do is focus more the responsibility and health and legal consequences of these actions.” The presentation also struck a chord with students who saw it as a learning experience. “It encouraged me not to participate in [underage drinking] because the consequences not only affect you, but the people around you,” Annie Pilgrim, freshman business major, said. For more information, visit the ADAI program on the SHSU website.
George Mattingly | The Hosutonian
NEW APPROACH. Eddie Gizemba of ADAI, adressed responsiblity with students on
Wednesday.
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Viewpoints
Thursday, November 15, 2012 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints
PAWS UP
Unacceptable acts of pantslessness Ally Wiley says girls should stop wearing tight leggings in place of pants
PAWS UP to trolling friends with made-up stories and keeping them out of the loop
PAWS UP to collegehumor. com’s video “Gay Men Will Marry Your Girlfriends”
PAWS UP to the basketball team blowing out HardinSimmons by 51 points for the home opener
PAWS DOWN
PAWS DOWN to unfortunate winter fashion choices like tights without pants being worn by females on campus
PAWS DOWN to classes taking place the Monday and Tuesday before Thanksgiving
PAWS DOWN to secession petitions...AGAIN
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Stephen Green Editor-in-Chief
ALLY WILEY Staff Reporter Blue jeans, slacks, skirts, capris, pedal pushers, goucho pants, bell bottoms, I could go on and on. Bottoms come in so many styles, brands and colors. You can have short ones and long ones; you can wear skirts or even the occasional skort (only on very rare occasions) but it was never okay to not wear anything at all. Attention all girls on college campuses: tights are not pants. I
MORGAN MEARS Staff Reporter
Bullying is not normally talked about a whole lot after people leave high school. We tend to think that when we go to college, people automatically grow up and stop acting like fools. Unfortunately that’s not always the case and bullying is still an issue in college. From calling people names to physical confrontations, bullying has taken on many different faces. Today, one of the forms of bullying that we hear about the most is cyber bullying. Many people think that it doesn’t happen often, but on the contrary, it happens every single day to many different people. Being in college, you would think that you wouldn’t hear about someone being cyber bullied because we are all adults, and most of us tend to think before we do something, but here recently that hasn’t been the case. At the beginning of October, I started receiving messages on Facebook from a girl that I have never met nor spoken to; the messages started out as your typical “you’re stupid” and “you’re ugly” messages that bullies tend to use. I ignored them but the more I disregarded her messages, the ruder the girl got. Her most recent messages ranged from telling me that no one loves me and that I’m a
With a grand total of 95,597 signatures as of Wednesday morning Nov. 14, 2012, fellow Texans, we have done it. But my statement is not meant to be congratulatory, it’s meant to question our accomplishment and whether or not it was a truly wise move. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I’m referring to a petition that was filed with the Obama administration on Friday Nov. 9, 2012 from an Arlington, Texas, resident. The pointed, yet brief, petition is no more than a request for the federal government to allow “Texas to peacefully withdraw from the United States of America and create its own new government.” Now I’m not much for political squabbling but I do support factual clarity. So in case you have some preconceived ideas about secession and the issues surrounding it, this may help clarify those ideas. First of all, our own governor, Rick Perry, does not support the
insult or silly ‘joke’ could affect that person’s well-being.
idea. He has said in Secondly, it will take multiple interviews more than signatures that he understands for Texas secession to why people are be considered by the frustrated with the federal government. A government and petition for secession that he has the sends the message to same issues with the government that it. However, he has the issues of fiscal also stated that we responsibility need to be are an integral part addressed and addressed of this country and soon. In addition to it wouldn’t be in the CASSIE SOCHA Texas, 46 other states best interest of the have followed suit with Contributor United States or the residents filing petitions State of Texas for the with the government on state to secede. the topic of secession. Though they As Texas provides huge may not have as much support, contributions of revenues these petitions definitely help that fund the national budget, send the message of those states’ secession would be a crushing discontent. But with Texas being economic blow to the rest of the such an economic force in the United States. Also, if Texas was to nation, it’s extremely unlikely that secede and Perry was to step down, any real action will occur because then how could we be expected to of these petitions. Real secession thrive on our own? Sure, our state would require much more radical government could hold out for a action than collecting signatures while, but without a unified vision on a petition document. personified in a leader, how could To emphasize that the petition we survive in the long run? will not have the effect nearly
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worthless person and that I should kill myself. Although I’ve dismissed these messages, this girl keeps sending them. I have taken it to the police and she has been blocked, yet she still seems to find a way to let me know how awful and worthless she thinks I am. Cyber bullying is just as harsh and mean as any other form of bullying. According to CBC News, there have been 18 suicide cases linked to cyber bullying since the start of 2012. Bullying of any form hurts, and sitting behind a computer screen with your keyboard typing out hateful and rude messages to people makes you weak; it shows how spineless you are. People like this girl need to be stopped. No one deserves to ever feel like they are worthless, and no one deserves to ever have these types of things told to them. People need to remember that words hurt just as bad as, if not worse than, your actions can; these simple little black words on a computer screen can cause someone so much pain and heartache. In order to stop this problem, people need to think about what they are saying and posting before they post it. Once you post something, it’s there forever. You can’t get rid of it. So please, before you call someone a bad name or you tell them they are ugly, think. Use your head because you never know how your
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going to class you are not running. I’m pretty sure you are just sitting and they aren’t called sitting tights. So throw on a pair of sweatpants or a pair of shorts, and you are good to go for class. 5. Don’t even get me started on jeggings. BAD IDEA. I don’t mean to take tights away from girls completely. I think they are perfectly tasteful underneath a too short dress or an oversized top. I basically think they are appropriate under anything that covers your bum such as a nice tunic. If I have offended you, I am truly sorry but some things just need to be said. I’m just trying to look out for you because no one likes to be made fun of behind their back. Stay tuned for the articles about pulling up your pants, the fact that Uggs and shorts are not going to keep you warm, and many other fashion accidents that plague college campuses nationwide.
Photo provided by: Morgan Mears
Secession not answer for Texans
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skinny. I’m not sure what your logic is behind the idea of wearing the tightest thing you can find on your bottom half. If you have even an ounce of cellulite it’s going to show and 99 percent of girls have some kind of cellulite. If you are part of the one percent disregard this whole article because you have to be a goddess, and we all know they only wear togas. 3. I’m 90 percent sure they can’t be comfortable. I have worn tights underneath my dresses, and underneath pants but I’ve never thought they were comfortable. I feel restricted and tight. They never stay in the spot you want them, so you are always yanking them (that’s not cute). Also, don’t you feel exposed? I mean I wouldn’t know. I would like some feedback on this one but, I mean, it has to feel like everyone is staring at your goods. 4. The running tights are okay at the gym or running but if you are
Cyber bullying spineless, childish
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know that may blow your mind and it may offend the groups of girls out there who think this trend is all the rage, but I have to put a stop to this atrocious idea. This trend must have been started by a guy because I’m hoping a girl would know that showing all your goods out in the open is not a good idea. I have put together a list of reasons, which any girl can relate to, why these are not pants. 1. They leave nothing to the imagination. As girls we need to let people wonder what God gave us and not flaunt it for everyone to see. There is an area on your body that is not for the world to see and I know you know where I’m talking about. I’m not trying to set female kind back a 100 years, but if I can tell you have a cloudshaped birthmark on your butt, you’re not wearing the right pants or pants at all. 2. They are not flattering. They do not make you look cute or
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100,000 people in Texas are asking for, there is another petition in the works that calls for everyone who has signed a petition for their state asking permission to secede, or to vote to secede, be deported. That petition was only started on Monday Nov. 12 and already has over 14,000 signatures. Again, I do not see this radical petition being put into action but I do see a rising discontent among the people that will cause more trouble than it is worth. If you’re wondering just how quickly the Texas secession idea is growing: since I began writing this article, the total of signatures has risen by about 1,000. By press time, the total number of signatures was more than 103,447. So, in closing, I will leave you with some advice that I was once told by a professor and family friend: “The reason we study history is to understand and foresee the future. This is simply because history is doomed to repeat itself.”
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Arts&Entertainment
Thursday, November 15, 2012 houstonianonline.com/a-e
Mise-En-Scène:
Costume designer gets inspiration from steampunk
MOLLY WADDELL Arts & Entertainment Editor When you think of school uniforms steam punk isn’t the first thing that comes to mind is it? Steampunk is a style of clothing that involves gothic and Victorian ideas. This was the starting point for the inspiration behind the costumes of Sam Houston State University’s fall musical “Spring Awakening.” SHSU alumnus and costume designer for “Spring Awakening”, Keith Pitts, started out with the idea of steampunk which then turned into mixing the modern world with the Victorian world. This made sense to Pitts and director Greg Graham because “Spring Awakening” the musical is a mash up of the original script, written as a play in the 1800’s and the rock music added in when the play was redone in 2006. “The mash up of the music didn’t really coincide with the era of the show so we thought ‘let’s do that with the world of the show and how we will present the world of the show in that way’” Pitts said. Pitts and Graham, also an alumnus of SHSU, started looking at mixing the two elements in a way that it looked like the student characters are putting on a concert and went out and bought
school uniform is going to make every child in a school conform to a unified code.” In “Spring Awakening” the girls aren’t seen in uniforms, but the boys are. Pitt’s is going to put the girls into uniforms because they are being pushed into conformity Connor Hyde | The Houstonian as much as the boys. Pitts could not have done any CREATING DIMENSION: (above) Kieth Pitts assistant, Lacy works on of this without reading the script costumes for “Spring Awakening.” (top right) Kieth Pitts discusses the ins and first. outs of costume designing for the fall musical “Spring Awakening.” “You always start with the script, “It’s not as easy as, ‘well it’s and you read the script because costumes. Once Pitts found his inspiration a school so we are going to do that is the common point,” Pitts he started looking at school clothes school clothes’ it’s about the idea said. “The most important thing since the play is about a group of that the adults are making these in theatre is story if you lose the children conform,” Pitts said. “The story then why the hell are you school kids in 1800 Germany.
doing what you’re doing?” Pitts gives an example of the designing process for the characters with Melchior who is the bad boy of the show. “I started off with images like James Dean then going into more modern things such as Johnny Depp back in his ‘21 Jump Street’ days,” Pitts said. “Also I [looked up] Billy Joe Armstrong who is in Green Day that has a ragged image.” After all of the research is done Pitts started mind drawing which are the first drawings of the costumes. Pitts did these on the back of grocery paper bags, and he gave them a graffiti style. After the final renderings, costume designs, were drawn Pitts met with April the costume shop manager, and Lacy and Carver his assistants. They went over the show and the renderings of the costume. He explained to them what he was looking for and they go off of that and the renderings. “They have done of the heavy lifting,” Pitts said. “I would be dead in the water without their help because the do a lot of the pulling of stuff.” Pitts will be involved in the show until opening night. They have already had two fitting sessions and the first dress rehearsal will be Saturday.
Sophomore dance major joins NobleMotion CHRISTINA BAUMANN Staff Reporter Sophomore at Sam Houston State University, Rachael Hutto, proved herself her freshman year and was asked to join NobleMotion Dance Company at the end of the summer semester. Hutto was born and raised in Flower Mound, Texas and has been dancing since she was three years old. “I did not begin serious training until the fifth grade,” Hutto said. “The majority of my training came from a competition dance studio by the name of Dancin’ Feet. The director’s main focus was jazz and contemporary techniques and styles of dance.” Hutto remained at Dancin’ Feet for eight years. Once she began attending Marcus High School, Hutto changed studios every year so that she could learn from different directors and expand her knowledge of dance.
“One of those studios was a ballet conservatory, which was my first real exposure to ballet training,” Hutto said. While attending high school, Hutto was on the school dance team, known as the Marquettes. “For three years, I was a Marquette,” Hutto said. “For two of those three years I was an officer.” Throughout her senior year, Hutto was struggling to make a decision on which university she wanted to attend. After researching different schools and dance programs, she stumbled on the Sam Houston State University website and wanted to audition. “Auditions went extremely well and I remember telling my mom ‘this is the place for me,’” Hutto said. “And that was it. I became part of the Bearkat family.” After her first semester, Andy and Dionne Noble, owners of NobleMotion Dance Company, asked Hutto to spend her spring semester as an apprentice. By
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the end of the summer, Hutto was officially moved up to a full company member. “I love dancing with all the other dancers in NobleMotion because they all have so much to bring to the company,” Hutto said. “Each dancer is very individualistic which allows them to bring different and unique qualities to the company. I have so much to learn from all of them.” Hutto’s plans for the future are to move to Portland, OR and pursue professional dance after she receives her bachelor’s
degree in dance. “As of right now, I do not plan on obtaining my masters,” Hutto said. “I really want to double major in physics or minor in either photography or studio art, but only time will tell how my future pans out!” Hutto loves the environment and the people she gets to dance with at NobleMotion Dance Company. Dance is her way of embodying emotion and she feels very lucky to be a part of NobleMotion.
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Sports
Thursday, November15, 2012 houstonianonline.com/sports
Top-ranked Kats take on 12th Man JEREMY KLEIBER Staff Reporter Tradition. Tailgaiting. Upsets. It’s no secret the mentioned paraphernalia is exactly what makes the College Football addiction so unique, but what if this Saturday against Texas A&M, the conditions may be perfect for the Bearkats to experience all three? The Sam Houston State Football team (8-2 Overall, 6-1 SLC) travels to College Station this weekend to take on the 8th ranked Texas A&M Aggies (8-2 Overall, 5-2 SEC) in front of a sold out Kyle Field crowd. Johnny “Football” Manziel has helped thrust himself and the Aggies into national consciousness after defeating the top ranked team in Alabama last weekend and shocking the college football world. And in college football, upsets can be contagious. As a freshman quarterback, Manziel has been impressive, averaging 379.4 yards per game of total offense (including 18 passing TDs and 15 rushing TDs). “We have to make sure we don’t take anybody lightly,” Aggie Linebacker Jonathan Stewart said. “Sam Houston State isn’t Alabama, LSU, Florida, or a marquee name that you’re going to get amped up about, but we have to prepare and make sure we can take care off what we can take care of.” Sam Houston State isn’t just any ole’ FCS team; they’re ranked no. 3 in the subdivision and average 46.2 points per game- the most in the nation. The Bearkats are coming off their seventh consecutive win and have outscored their last five opponents 264-34. Timothy
Eric Fite| The Houstonian
UPSETS ARE CONTAGIOUS: Sam Houston State heads in to College Station to play Texas A&M with a seven game winning-streak. A&M, on the other hand, just pulled off one of the biggest upsets in college football history.
Flanders has eaten up turf religiously this season, coming off his fourth straight 100-yard rushing performance to total 1,087 yards and 16 trips to the end zone on the year. SHSU Quarterback Brian Bell, the school’s all-time winningest signal caller, has led the orange and white to 27 victories. He ranks second with 5,333 passing yards and 6,124 yards of total offense,
trailing Rhett Bomar in both categories. Playing in front of a packed house shouldn’t shake Bell, as he has performed consistently on NFL stage Reliant Stadium and in a National title game over the last couple of years. “No matter how big the venue, no matter how bright the lights are, it’s always going to be a 120yard field,” Brian Bell said. “You just have to play your
game, not beat yourself, and look at them like they’re all the same.” During their last two contests against BCS opponents, the Bearkats have been a force to reckon with. Last season, they beat New Mexico 48-45 in an overtime thriller. Timothy Flanders led the offense with 5 TDs in that victory, as the game cost the Lobo head coach his job. Earlier this season, Sam Houston led Baylor 20-10 at
halftime on September15th, but fell short in the end. Before the Aggie/’Bama game this past weekend, it would absolutely logical for one to claim that SHSU has the same chance to beat Texas A&M as Texas A&M had against Alabama. Now that A&M has emerged victorious in that match, the Bearkats look to solidify a name for themselves in College Football upset literature.
Connor Hyde| The Houstonian
STRONG START: After losing by only five points to Arkansas, the Sam Houston State basketball team shuts out HardinSimmons by 51 points. Jeremy McKay (left) had 12 points and Darius Gatson (right) led the team with five steals.
Bearkats win home opener by 51 points over Hardin-Simmons CONNOR HYDE Sports Reporter
Junior Guard Will Bond showed off his 3-point accuracy to lead the Sam Houston State basketball team to a victory over Hardin-Simmons University 82-31 Tuesday night at Johnson Coliseum. Bond shot 4-6 beyond the arch and totaled 14 points with three steals on the night that carried the Bearkats out of reach of the Cowboys. “When I’m open coach tells me I pretty much have the green light,” Bond said. “If I make the first one I’m going to look for a second one to get on a roll.” Sophomore guard Marquel McKinney totaled 13 points against the Cowboys and added to the Bearkats total 3-point shots, shooting 4-6. Overall, the Bearkats shot 48.1 percent from beyond the perimeter. According to SHSU Coach Jason Hooten, depth and strong defense quieted Hardin-Simmons offense and gave SHSU momentum to continue their attack. “We felt like our pressure would hurt them, and our depth, and it did,”
Hooten said. Sophomore center Michael Holyfield led the Bearkat’s defense with 12 total rebounds under the basket. Holyfield would wow fans with an open slam dunk halfway into the second period; he totaled for seven points. Once the Bearkats had a comfortable 47-18 lead at the end of the first period, SHSU’s defense lost composure. “Defensively when you play a team like [Hardin-Simmons] and you get a big lead, whether you talk your guys into not doing it, or warning them about it, they tend to get a little bit sloppy so to speak, or aggressive and gamble and do things that we’re not going to do Thursday night against Indiana,” Hooten said. SHSU held Hardin-Simmons to only 13 points the second period while sinking 35-points for their first home game victory of the season. Four players on the SHSU roster scored in double digits including Bond, McKinney, Jeremy McKay (12), and James Thomas (12). Senior guard Darius Gatson also put on a strong performance, swiping five steals and totaling nine points.
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Hooten and company will face off against number one ranked Indiana Hoosiers in Bloomington, Ind. today and will expect to keep using their defensive pressure to come out victorious. “This will be the second time in the history of [SHSU] that we’ve had an opportunity to play the number one team in the nation,” Hooten said. “We did it in 2006 when we went to UCLA and that team went on and played in the Final Four that year. We got seven new guys and a lot of these guys have never played defense the way we want to play defense here at Sam Houston. We were 28th in the country last year for a reason.” According to Bond, keeping focus and playing aggressive will lead the Bearkats to an upset victory. “We got to take it one game at a time,” Bond said. “Whether it’s Hardin-Simmons or Indiana you just got to play like anybody and play your hardest.” Tipoff will be at 6 p.m. and will be televised on the Big 10 network as well as a play-by-play broadcast on KSAM 101.7 FM. For a full roster and season schedule, visit www.gobearkats.com.
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Thursday, November 15, 2012
PETITIONS, page 1
signatures. However, because of larger petitions forcing a response from Obama, his response will be largely regarded as precedent for the rules of secession if a case does not reach the Supreme Court. There is currently no law that explicitly allows or disallows for the secession of any state. Most experts agree that in the case of an act of secession, it would be up to the sitting president to make the call on what action would be taken. The petition is in response to Obama’s re-election for four more years, and cites the existence of the Nation Defense Authorization Act and the Transportation Security Administration as grounds for secession. The petition reads, “the citizens of the US suffer from blatant abuses of their rights such as the NDAA, the TSA, etc. Given that the state of Texas maintains a balanced budget and is the 15th largest economy in the world, it is practically feasible for Texas to withdraw from the union‌â€? Jacob Luna, senior agriculture business major, said expressing the right to petition in the first amendment to the Constitution is good, but seceding isn’t what is in Texas’ best interest. “It’s cool with a petition to express your grievances with leadership,â€? Luna said. “As far as seceding, I don’t think people understand all that comes with it.â€? He said that while Texas has the resources of a nation, they’re all in the hand of the federal government. “We have oil and ports, and those things are through the United States of America,â€? Luna said. “Nobody has a trade agreement
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with the Republic of Texas. Also, we’re going to have to think about food. Sure, we have a bunch of fruits and vegetables and cash crops such as cotton, but that’s not enough to get from inside the state.� Danielle Turner, senior musical theatre major, said Texas wouldn’t make it on its own. “I think that Texas succeeding from the union is unconstitutional and I honestly don’t think we could stand as a country alone,� Turner said. “I love Texas and am happy to have lived here, but I believe there is a reason we’re a part of the United States of America and that is how we should stay, united.� Some ignore the post-Civil War readministration of Texas to the Union as a state, and say that the state is still a republic, as argued in Texas v. White in 1869. In this case, those individuals believe secession isn’t necessary and that Texas has never been a part of the union. Rick Perry made headlines in the Republican primary when he made comments that suggest Texas secede. After the petition gained support, Perry rejected the idea. “We’ve got a great union,� Perry said. “There is absolutely no reason to dissolve it.� In a light-hearted, yet slightly serious, petition, residents of Austin filed a petition to remain with Texas in the event the state succeeds in secession. The White House hasn’t said when the Obama Administration is going to respond to the petition, but will likely respond through the Department of the Interior. For more information on the petitions, visit petitions.whitehouse.gov/petitions.
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