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WHAT’S INSIDE?

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SHSU online classes overpriced, ineffective Symphony to feature for silent film remake Soccer transfer adds depth to defense roster

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SLC SHOWDOWN FOR BEARKATS

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Volume 125/ Issue 9

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Thursday, February 13, 2014

CAMPUS

Group stopped ‘09 campus threat HANNAH ZEDAKER Senior Reporter

Courtesy Tim McGuffin

NERF-GUN SHOOTER. University Police and Huntsville Police surveying campus outside Academic Building 1 in 2010 during an active shooter scare. Since 2010, Sam Houston State University hasn’t had scares similar to 2010.

IN BRIEF

Sam Houston State University’s Students of Concern Crisis Management Team has prevented at least two campus shootings throughout its five years of existence, according to Dean of the Students of Sam Houston State University John Yarabeck. The SOC team is a partnership between the Dean of the Students office and the Counseling Center that takes proactive measures to help identify and counsel students who may become depressed or even suicidal during their time at SHSU. As chair of the organization, Yarabeck said one of the strongest functions of the group is the get help to students who are having suicidal tendencies as well as addressing students with other mental illnesses. “It also could be [that] they could have depression, not taking their medication that’s been prescribed, sometimes recreational drug use, things like that where students find themselves, for whatever purpose, starting to spiral out of control,” Yarabeck said. “Our job is to intervene in whatever means

is appropriate.” According to Yarabeck, about five years ago the SOC team was able to successfully prevent a student who empathized with the Columbine High School shooters from potentially replicating the shooting at SHSU’s campus as the student had threatened. Yarabeck said the student had created a website called “Sympathy for the Columbine Shooters” on which he posted “I really hope I can get the courage up next week to do what they did at Columbine here at Sam Houston.” To prevent the incident from unfolding, the student was contacted and the plans were intervened by SOC. The student’s parents were contacted, and the student resigned from SHSU. “I think it’s very likely given the way that he was spiraling out of control, that he could have gone on and actually done something, or at least attempted to do something,” Yarabeck said. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation, most activeshooter incidents occur in smalland medium-sized communities where police departments are limited by budget constraints and small workforces. In addition, 98 percent of the time the offender is a single shooter, 97 percent of

the time they are male and in 40 percent of the cases, the offender kills himself. Yarabeck said he pictures campus shooters and individuals who become a threat to the university as loners and have a history of victimization and are looking to find reciprocation. “There is no profile of a campus shooter; they can be from wealthy environments, poor environments, they can have high self-esteem, low self-esteem, etc.,” Yarabeck said. Students are more likely to get hit by lightning than to be a victim of a campus shooter, according to Steve Shields, SHSU’s director of Environmental Health and Safety and Risk Management. “It seems like with each passing year, we tend to get more of these incidents, even around here,” Yarabeck said. “I think it’s a mistake to say that this happens so frequently because when you take into account that there’s over 3,000 colleges and universities nationwide, and that doesn’t even include the online ones, you might have one or two of these incidents a year on average, sometimes more. One of the reasons Yarabeck — SOC, page 2

32-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF OLD MAIN FIRE

The United States Congress has agreed to raise the debt limit in the wake of a dramatic casting of votes, Wednesday. Drama surmounted after Ted Cruz (TX-R) objected to the raise of the debt ceiling and in turn forcing a vote to be taken. Child actor and singing little starlet Shirley Temple Black passed away at the age of 85, earlier this week. Known for songs like, “Animal Crackers” and “Baby Take a Bow,” Temple was a hollywood staple throughout the 30’s. She leaves behind three children. Chinese lunar rover, Yutu, has officially been lost on the moon. The rover experienced a mechanical malfunction Jan. 25.

Courtesy Sam Houston State University Archives

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN. Built in 1889, Old Main served as Sam Houston State University’s main building until 1982 when it was destroyed by a fire around 1 a.m. Wednesday marked the 32-year anniversary since the Old Main fire in which SHSU’s Facebook notified students.

LOCAL

All Paws In reaches beyond Huntsville JAY R. JORDAN Associate Editor Community service will be done not only in Huntsville but across the nation March 1 thanks to Student Government Association’s Bearkat All Paws In and some dedicated alumni. Student Body President Ramiro Jaime, Jr., announced Tuesday that Sam Houston State University alumni, including BAPI’s founder Mariel Kanene, will participate in this year’s banner event and exemplify SHSU’s motto, “a measure of a life is its service.” “We’re doing our duties of fulfilling the motto [of SHSU],” Jaime said. “The motto doesn’t say ‘a measure of your college career,’ it says ‘a measure of a life’.”

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With SHSU alumni scattered around the world, Kanene said BAPI is a time to unite them in a day of service. He currently works in Washington, D.C., and expects a “handful” of Bearkat alumni in the D.C. area to participate. Kanene said he and his fellow alumni will be tending to nonprofit Common Good City Farm in D.C., an urban farm and education center geared towards low-income individuals. “What they do is they grow organic, local food,” Kanene said. “I thought it’d be a fun thing to do on a Saturday.” This year marks the fifth anniversary of the project, and Kanene said continuing the tradition across state borders brings SHSU into the limelight of its motto. “Being the founder of All Paws

In, I always go back to it and it refreshes me to know that BAPI continues to be relevant… and grow bigger and bigger every year,” he said. Jaime said Bearkats of the Woods, a student advancement group in The Woodlands, and SHSU’s Young Alumni and Friends Club in Houston will be serving in their respective communities in the spirit of BAPI. According to Precinct 4 Commissioner Tim Paulsel, who serves on the Walker County Proud commission, BAPI is working in coordination with the commission’s event called Trash Bash. The city of Huntsville is also working in coordination with SGA, making the implementation of community service more effective by reducing duplicative work.

Jaime said he’s glad to finally line up the dates for the each entity’s respective community service project. “What’s happened in the past is that their event is just like All Paws In, except it’s for citizens of Huntsville,” he said. “Well, the problem is theirs is before ours, and it’s always a week or two before ours. When it comes time for BAPI, there’s nothing left to do.” The event’s growth combined with Huntsville’s earlier service project would have left BAPI volunteers with nothing to do. Now that Huntsville’s event is held alongside All Paws In, all SGA has to worry about is having enough projects for volunteers. Sophomore political science major Ariel Traub is Huntsville’s Main Street Program assistant and

said the city contacted SGA first about combining the events. “I actually came to him with the idea, because we usually do a ‘spring cleaning,’ and we wanted to combine with the university,” Traub said. “We’re going to be working together. The city is working with our parks and recreation department to get things together for volunteers of Bearkat All Paws In not to do just around Main Street and downtown, but around all of Huntsville and the state and local parks.” Thursday is the deadline to register for Bearkat All Paws In. For more information and to register, visit http://www.shsu. edu/~org_sga/bapi.

Be sure to pick up the Houstonian’s Best of Huntsville survey located in Dan Rather 210 to nominate your favorite hot spots on campus and in the City of Huntsville!


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News

Thursday, February 13, 2014 houstonianonline.com/news

CAMPUS

ADA responses by end of spring JAY R. JORDAN Associate Editor The Sam Houston State University main campus is one step closer to finding out if it is in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Associate Vice President for Facilities Management Doug Greening said in an email that the university is “working to address the issues listed in [Student Government Association’s safety report].” “[We] intend to provide complete responses to each element in the report before the end of the semester,” Greening said in the email to SGA’s University Affairs Chief Spencer Copeland. The 2013 Campus Safety Report by SGA stated there were at least 68 individual spots on campus that were in noncompliance with ADA. These range from wheelchair ramps being too

Brynn Castro | The Houstonian

REPORT. University Affairs Chief Spencer Copeland reads pieces of legislation at an October 2013 meeting. Copeland spearheaded the Americans with Disabilities Act initiative within Student Government Association.

narrow to restroom accessibility issues. The report brought up accessibility problems witnessed by various senators within SGA in Academic Building I, the Bobby K. Marks Administration Building, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Dan Rather Communications Building, Evans Building, Health and Kinesiology

Building, Lowman Student Center, Music Building, SmithHutson Building, Thomason Building, University Theatre and White Hall. Every small house on campus was reviewed and reported on in a separate report. Copeland authored the report and said Greening has been more than helpful in the whole process. “We raised concerns, which

were unknown to him, and now we are working together to get problems on campus fixed,” Copeland said. “He started work immediately and has taken concerns raised in the SGA Safety Report seriously. We couldn’t have gotten as far as we have without his help.” Greening said the review of the report will be conducted in-house by a faculty architect who is wellversed in ADA. SGA is expecting students to raise more concerns about their experience on campus in order for SGA to act as the official voice of the student body. “We, as students, need to vocalize our concerns and bring it to the attention of the administration,” Copeland said. “Once we do this, we need to continue to work with the administration to get our goals accomplished. It is our hope that the university will do all it can to ensure our compliance with the law and will work, with our help,

to improve life on campus.” Some of the issues brought up regarding small houses won’t be taken care of, according to Copeland, due to the scope of the issues they bring. He said nothing short of demolishing and rebuilding the dorms will do. Complaints on the report about 13 of the small houses on campus include the lack of elevators, ramps, automatic doors, handicap parking, brail and handrails. Copeland said SGA is satisfied with how the university is handling the ADA noncompliance situation. “Overall, we are very happy with the response we have gotten from the university, but we will continue to work until all of our problems are fixed,” Copeland said. “There are still a lot of problems to fix, but the only way for them to be fixed to through cooperation between the university and the student body.”

CAMPUS

TNA wrestling makes pit stop at Coliseum JEREMY VILLANUEVA Sports Editor TNA’s Impact Wrestling will make a stop at Johnson Coliseum Sunday as part of their Road to Lock Down Tour. The event will include appearances by wrestling icons Bobby Rhode, Bully Ray, Magnus, Mr. Anderson, “The Cowboy” James Storm and, most notably,

Kurt Angle. “Watching wrestling live is a whole different experience than watching through the television,” said Ed Chatal, recreational sports associate director for facilities. This isn’t the Coliseum’s first time hosting wrestling superstar. In 1999, World Championship Wrestling came to Huntsville. At the event, superstar Rey Mysterio broke a table at the Coliseum and signed it after the event as a

souvenir for SHSU. The Coliseum still has it in its office. The “Nature Boy” Ric Flair also featured in the event. In 2006, World Wrestling Entertainment made a stop at the Coliseum, which included an appearance by the Big Show. Although TNA Impact isn’t as well-known as WWE and WCW, it still brings in the crowds, broadcasting every Thursday night on Spike TV.

TNA will only be making three stops in Texas: Abilene on Friday, Austin on Saturday and in Huntsville on Sunday. “They could have went anywhere, but they picked us,” Chatal said. Sunday’s event is a stop before TNA reaches their PPV event, Lock Down. Even though Sunday’s event isn’t PPV, it will feel like it as TNA will feature a cage match between

Magnus against “The Samoan Submission Machine” Samoe Joe for the World Heavyweight Title. “These steel cages matches are pretty rare now-a-days,” Chatal said. “They lug around these steel cages for these small shows.” There are six other matches slated for the event Sunday, including four title matches. The event begins at 5 p.m.

JUMPS

SOC,

GIRL SHY WITH AN ORIGINAL SOUNDTRACK PERFORMED LIVE BY

TWO STAR SYMPHONY

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said he thinks school shootings occur has to do with a generation that is “desensitized.” According to an article in Mother Jones magazine, many mass shooters have been associated with violent video games, yet their actions have more to do with complex mental-health problems. Columbine shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold both had a history with mental illness, which has been well-documented. Robin Johnson, Ph.D., who specializes in video game research, said the academic literature examining connections between video games and violence or aggression has never been able to establish causality. “A few psychological studies have found statistically meaningful links between playing video games and aggression, and

other studies have not. A causal link between the two is a popular misconception,” he said. To date there have been no school shooters nationwide that have been intervened on by a Students of Concern Team or the Behavioral Intervention Team, according to Yarabeck. “That’s the whole point of the Students of Concern Team because we rely on students, faculty and staff to be our eyes and ears,” Yarabeck said. “If they notice someone who’s acting a little strangely or getting depressed, instead of trying to handle it themselves, they can work with us and let us know what’s going on so that we can help them to get the help that they need, usually through the counseling center or psychologists and getting parents involved.” Johnson is the adviser to the Houstonian.

RANDY ROGERS BAND • JOSH ABBOTT BAND TURNPIKE TROUBADOURS • WILLIAM CLARK GREEN KEVIN FOWLER • JOHN D. HALE • AMERICAN AQUARIUM ZANE WILLIAMS • CROOKS • SHINYRIBS SPAZMATICS • AND PEOPLE'S CHOICE


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Viewpoints

Thursday, February 13, 2014 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

HOLIDAY

THE DEBATE: VALENTINE’S DAY V-Day is all about forgiveness

COLIN HARRIS Viewpoints Editor Religions throughout the world observe various traditions to atone for past misbehaviors. Jews celebrate Yom Kippur through fasting, prayer and attending synagogue. Catholics have the sacrament of reconciliation, where one confesses his sins to a priest and receives absolution. For Christians more broadly, Good Friday serves this purpose with fasting and reflection on Jesus’s sacrifice on the cross. Hindus in India bathe in the Ganga River on their holiday of Ganga Dussehra to rid themselves of 10 lifetimes of sins. Valentine’s Day serves a similar, albeit more secular purpose, for men all over America. No matter how much of a loathsome degenerate you’ve been recently, Hallmark and Russell Stover have joined forces to give you a day to make it all up. It’s a consumerist miracle! Let’s say you spent the latter months of 2013 watching, reading about, attending and discussing football, but you sort of forgot you had a girlfriend most of the time. Fantasy football champions aren’t born of kissy-faced milquetoasts constantly worrying

about trivial stuff like their paramour’s emotional needs. Guess what, chief? Friday is the day to make it up to her. Take her out to a nice meal and buy her candy and flowers. Thankfully baseball and football are in the boring parts of their off-seasons, so you won’t miss much on the tube. Maybe your indiscretions aren’t limited to something as harmless as observing football season. Perhaps you’re just a romantic with no need for professional sports. While in your current relationship you were romantic with that girl you met in the gym, the one from your Spanish study group, and the horny cougar you picked up that one Friday back in September at the Fox, who got so shitfaced and subsequently hungover on long islands, she forgot to go to Bearkat Family Weekend with her daughter the next day. Well you can’t spell “tryst” without “try,” so V-Day is the perfect opportunity to try and salvage your relationship, you philandering deviant. I could attempt to give advice on the perfect Valentine’s Day atonement date, but every woman is different so go for something unique to her. Whatever your past mistakes are, from a careless comment about her weight you made in March that she will never let go, to a string of infidelity, as long as the relationship hasn’t ended, you have an opportunity for a blank slate Friday. If love isn’t all about consistent fuck ups and wholesale bribery to undo the damage, then maybe I’ve got a lot more to learn.

Holiday emphasis is overplayed

NATALIE PETAIA Columnist Get ready to empty your wallets, fellas, because Valentine’s Day is on the horizon. For single men who are lucky enough not to feel the pressure to channel Nicholas Sparks in a romantic gesture, enjoy it while you can. Revel in your freedom and don’t despair. Not that I don’t enjoy Valentine’s Day. I’m a girl and if I said I didn’t like getting presents and being spoiled, I would be lying. There’s just something about a predetermined romantic day that takes the romance out of it. There’s no spontaneity, hardly any originality, and think of the number of poor girls disappointed because their longtime boyfriends don’t propose on the most ‘romantic’ day of the year. Everyone needs to take a step back and stop investing so much emotional energy into one random day in the middle of February. Now for all the angry single people who are reading this right now and thinking, “at least couples have someone to share it with.” Why be miserable about being young, independent, and free on one day, when every other day you revel in it?

Since we are all young, emotionally charged adults, Valentine’s Day is bound to affect us in one way or another. Singles should embrace the fact that they don’t have to deal with the pressure and high-expectations of the lovers’ holiday. There’s a lot of stress on couples – old and new – and even ambiguous couples who might not consider themselves couples yet. Questions arise like, “Do I get my other half a present?” “Should I take them out for dinner?” and “Are they even my other half!?” It’s ridiculous that one day can cause so much romantic consternation and despair for people who truly care about one another. For such a sweet, innocent holiday, Valentine’s Day can mess with your mind like St Patrick’s Day never will. Also why do you need a day once a year to celebrate love? Isn’t that why we have anniversaries? I understand the competitive nature of relationships, but there’s no need to rub your ‘loved-upness’ in everybody else’s faces. Furthermore for those of us who have recently suffered from breakups, Valentine’s Day is like rubbing salt in an all too open wound. People in lovey-dovey relationships need to cool it with their V-Day obsession. There are 364 other days on the calendar to spread the love. Women should temper their expectations and men should stop pretending to be Ryan Gosling characters. If you truly love each other, breaking the bank Friday shouldn’t be a realistic expectation from either party.

Word on the Street

“My mom got me a pillow pet. I collect them and call them my family, but she got me one I already had. So I asked her why and she said it was so I could have twins in my family.” Freshman Mass Communications Yasmeen Gutierrez

“Possibly one of my best Valentine’s Day experiences was going ice skating with one of my exes. She’s still a really good friend of mine. It was pretty amazing. I fell a few times, but it was worth it.” Sophomore Biology Nick Garcia

CAMPUS

Little benefit to online classes STEPHEN GREEN Web Editor It’s kind of funny that students don’t ever seem to be happy with online courses. On one hand they leap at the chance to take Fitness for Living or History of Rock, Jazz & Popular Music, but as soon as they don’t have an option for a face-to-face (F2F) class, they complain about the cost. They have a point, regardless of how immature the complaints seem on face value. There are a few issues with the status quo

that need addressing: the cost of online courses, the inherent problems with online classes for undergraduates and the comparison to the expressed goals of the university. Research has shown multiple times that online classes aren’t conducive to undergraduate education. This is primarily because they aren’t likely to keep up with their classwork and thus make bad grades, according to a study by Columbia University released this year. This isn’t to attack SHSU’s growing 2,303 online-only students. Those students know what they’re getting themselves into. The same goes for graduate students. If pursuing a degree online-only is what they choose to do, SHSU has some of the best programs out there and the awards to prove it. However it seems that although classes have negative

repercussions for mixed F2F and online students, the university is moving more classes onlineonly. Anecdotally, I have taken two classes that – at the time – were offered only online but were required by the department. I am not in any way a good student of online education, but I don’t have a choice. There’s a reason I moved three hours away from Orange, Texas to see the faculty in person. Several classes that I am taking this semester, including Investigative Reporting and International Human Rights, were only offered online when it’s clear that the professors could do so much more F2F. On top of that, the amount of the “distance learning fee” is too damn high. The university charges $101 per credit hour, which gives them a nice payday every semester. In the spring 2014 semester SHSU made $2.67 million off of that fee alone. A

normal 3-hour, in-person class should run you $1,038, but an online course fee bumps that up to $1,341 for one class. Take basic Spanish online and with the lab fee it’s $1,692 – almost 63 percent more than the original class. SHSU ranked second in a list of U.S. News & World Report of colleges that leave students in the least debt in 2011. The university markets itself as an affordable college – something that’s increasingly becoming hard to believe. Any classes offered by the department in non-online degrees should have at least one in-person option. The university shouldn’t be charging outrageous fees for on-campus students taking online classes they don’t have a choice but to take. I commend SHSU for the explosion in online offerings, but I don’t want to have to choke in the fallout.

“My mom always gives us gifts, so we don’t feel bad. She expects us to give one back to her, and one time I forgot. She wouldn’t tell me what was wrong and I couldn’t figure it out until late at night.” Sophomore Studio Art Paul Ajibolade II

“I found out that my exboyfriend was cheating on me one Valentine’s Day. That’s really bad, but I still got my stuff.” Freshman Kinesiology Brittiney Trezevant

The Houstonian Editorial

The Houstonian was named in the top 100 college newspapers for journalism students by JournalismDegree.org. Members of Associated Collegiate Press and Texas Intercolligiate Press Association.

EDITOR’S NOTE Articles, letters and cartoons by Houstonian staff members or others in this paper are their own and not the opinion of the Houstonian, unless it is noted as such. Submissions and letters to the editor are welcome. Please send submissions to viewpoints@houstonianonline.com. Articles may be edited for grammar and spelling at discretion of editor. Unsolicited oppinions should be 150 words or under. Please contact us if you wish to submit anything longer. Deadline for submission is by 5 p.m. on Mondays or Wednesdays.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Connor Hyde ........................................................................................................................................936-294-1505 FACULTY ADVISER Robin Johnson..................................................................................................................................936-294-1499 STAFF Jay R. Jordan .................................................................................................................................Associate Editor Colin Harris...................................................................................................................................Viewpoints Editor Jeremy Villanueva..................................................................................................................................Sports Editor Kizzie Frank.............................................................................................................................Entertainment Editor Stephen Green...........................................................................................................................................Web Editor Kassidy Turnpaugh.............................................................................................................. Assistant News Editor Dharmesh Patel.........................................................................................................Assistant Entertainment Editor Marissa Hill........................................................................................................................................Sports Reporter Hannah Zedeker.................................................................................................................................Senior Reporter Steven Snook.............................................................................................................................Multimedia Reporter Samantha Zambrano.............................................................................................................................Layout Editor Lillie Muyskens..............................................................................................................................Graphic Designer Staff Reporter(s)..................................................................................................... Kaleigh Treiber, Alex Broussard

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BUSINESS MANAGER Paty Mason......................................................................................................................................936-294-1500 ADVERTISING MANAGER Stacy Hood.........................................................................................................................................936-294-1495 STAFF Cristina Tazado.............................................................................................................................Delivery Manager

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Arts&Entertainment

Thursday, February 13, 2014 houstonianonline.com/a-e

PREVIEW

‘Girl Shy’ to break long silence KIZZIE FRANK A&E Editor

Courtesy of FAMC

HUSH SHY BOY. Actor and Director, Harold Lloyd, courts Jobyna Ralston in the original production of “Girl Shy,” begin courting.

Despite Michel Hazanavicius’s “The Artist” hitting the big screens in 2011, silent films have remained in film history textbooks after their peak in the 1920s. Yet the genre is seeing a revival with a recent adaptation of the 1924 hit “Girl Shy,” which will hit Sam Houston State University Friday at the Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center. Originally directed by famed director and actor Harold Lloyd, Houston-based string quartet Two Star Symphony revived the film after composing an original soundtrack to match the film. “Girl Shy” is about a boy who is bashful around girls and sets off to write a guide to teach boys how to interact with girls they are interested in. He meets and begins to court a girl and later finds out she is engaged and fairly close to

being married. During the height of silent filmmaking films were watched without recorded sound. Audiences watched movies with a live piano to accompany the movement and events on screen. Sometimes sound effects were used including triangles, wash boards, and symbols. In correlation to “Girl Shy,” Two Star Symphony will follow the turn of events in the tempo and mood of what the audience will hear, marketing coordinator of the College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication Emily Binetti said. “It is a film and a live music concert at the same time. The music adds a certain component to it,”Binetti said. “It moves the story along and effects how the audience reacts to it.” Binetti said that this is not the first time Two Star Symphony has created a score or soundtrack to a movie. The symphony has

performed their original scores in Houston and will be performing the day after they leave SHSU. Some professors, including Laquane Anderson, assistant technical director of the Department of Dance, said an event like this hasn’t been held at SHSU in recent years. “I think what interests me the most is the fact that they have a live accompaniment. It makes it pretty unique,” Anderson said. “It’s like you’re getting a music production and musical.” According to Binetti, the department wants to continue the anything-but-silent film trend if “Girl Shy” does well at the box office. Curtain time is set for 8 p.m. Friday. Tickets can be purchased at the box office of the PAC or online at shsu.edu/boxoffice. For more information about prices and times call 936-294-2339.

HOLIDAY

How to murder romance on Valentine’s Day KATE SAUTER Contributing Reporter Jail cells, Walmart and eatable G-strings are not typically the things that scream romance on Valentine’s Day, but if you ask enough people, you will find some real doozies. Normally, Valentine’s Day is composed of romance and items including heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, stuffed animals and overpriced flowers. According to the San Francisco Gate, roses double in price the week of

Valentine’s Day when compared to the week before. The Houstonian decided to ask around and look around to find some of the many ways to avoid clichés on Valentine’s Day. As a reminder that relationships chain people to one another, visiting a prison would solidify that feeling of entrapment. Melinda Enos sent her husband, Jesse James Hollywood, pictures of herself since she could not send flowers to his prison cell, according to a recent article in the Santa Barbara Independent highlighting the unique relationship between a

convicted child murderer and his new bride. Taking a date to discount chain retailer Walmart, widely recognized for its less than conservatively dressed clientele, might get you locked out of the bedroom and onto the couch. “It would be really bad if you took your date to Walmart and made them pick out their own gift,” freshman nursing major Brian Balba said. Junior criminal justice major Dalton Powell thought he would be clever and heighten the anticipation of V-day.

“One time I dumped my girlfriend for the whole day just so she would be extra excited for the dinner and gifts,” he said. “Because the girls are always expecting it, but if you dump them and then surprise them, they’re extra ecstatic.” Powell said his girlfriend was caught off guard and in tears. He said he would never try it again. But the worst thing one can do is just not show up, especially if your date is cooking dinner, according to a fellow Bearkat. “My date didn’t show up for dinner I cooked, so I ended up

drinking too much and falling asleep,” senior education major Tamara Thomas said. “A call or text would have been nice.” What Valentine’s Day means to individuals varies across the board. To some it’s showing the love to one another while others attempt to get creative and end up causing unneeded stress. However, if surprise and shock are the end goals, then thinking outside the heart-shaped box is the right way to go.


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Sports

Thursday, February 13, 2014 houstonianonline.com/sports

SOFTBALL

Lady Bearkats drop season opener to A&M KYLE KELLY Contributing Reporter It was a homerun derby at the Bearkat Softball complex Wednesday Evening. Unfortunately for Sam Houston State, Texas A&M was leading the boards. SHSU fell to Texas A&M 8-3 in the Bearkats’ first game of the season. Pitcher Shelby Lancaster took the loss against the Aggies’ Rachel Fox. Fox, already 1-0 on the season, threw an impressive performance of two-hit softball until the bottom of the ninth. Lancaster on the other hand pitched two solid innings before succumbing to the A&M offense, giving up 7 earned runs on 11

hits. However, Lancaster did pitch all seven innings and fanned four Aggies. Aggie catcher Nicole Morgan, coming into the game with an impressive .500 batting average and team leading four homeruns, batted 2-3 with an early threerun homerun that set the tone of the game and gave the Aggies the momentum. A&M’s middle infielders Taran Tyler and April Ryan also had a two-run and solo homerun respectively for the Aggies putting the score at 7-0 going into the final inning. The Aggies would later add another run in the top of the seventh. The Bearkats were able to score three runs off a combination of walks and RBIs from centerfielder Tayler Gray, first baseman Angelica Gonzales and third

Alex Broussard | The Houstonian

STRIKE THREE. Shortstop Sarah Allison finished the game 0-2 Wednesday night, striking out to Rachel Fox and popping out on her other appearance.

baseman Alyssa Gregg, but the late rally wouldn’t be enough to top

A&M, falling 8-3 to the Aggies. Coach Bob Brock had a positive

outlook on the game even though his team dropped the season opener. “You know, I have nothing negative to say about that game,” Brock said. “I liked our effort out there on the field and that’s something we’re going to move forward with.” While losing isn’t an ideal start for a team’s season, Brock’s high expectations for the season have not faltered. “I think we have a chance to do some really good things, a good returning team, and also a chance to advance in NCAA tournament,” Brock said. The Bearkats return to the diamond this weekend in the Houston Tournament, Feb. 14 – Feb. 16. SHSU will take on rival Stephen F. Austin first, Friday at 9 a.m.

SOCCER

Soccer transfer provides defensive depth JEREMY VILLANUEVA Sports Editor

Madeline Gangi finished her fall season tapered in her orange and white as a University of Tennessee Volunteer, and she will return to an orange and white uniform. But this time as a Sam Houston State Bearkat. Gangi joined the Bearkat soccer squad during the winter break, transferring after her first semester at Tennessee. “[SHSU] is a lot closer to home,” Gangi said. “I really like the campus and the soccer program is really good.” Head coach Tom Brown had his eyes on Gangi before she signed with Tennessee, noticing her speed to attack upfront as a

defender. In her senior season at Frisco Centennial High School, Gangi posted 18 assists, totaling 56 assists in her high school career. “She creates attacking opportunities,” Brown said. This past season, Brown suffered because of two injuries to his backline: Colby Glover and Mariah Hadley. The defensive depth chart didn’t go deep, which made the holes on defense apparent. The Bearkats finished their 2013 season shy of qualifying for the Southland Conference finals as they fell to league leader Stephen F. Austin State 1-2 in the semi-finals. When Gangi took interest in SHSU, Brown was quick to get her on his squad. “When she decided to take a

look at us, she was definitely a player that could help us,” he said. “We probably would have gone after her anyways.” Brown said his desire for Gangi to get use to the team and really build the relationships with her teammates on the field, the way she has off the field. But Gangi started connecting nine years ago. Gangi grew up playing with Bearkat teammate Allie Johnson in 2005. The familiar face is making the move to Huntsville and the transition easier for Gangi, she said. “Her and I work well together,” Gangi said. “We know each other and know how we play. Our communication is really good.” With a month until the Bearkat’s first spring game, Gangi

Alex Broussard | The Houstonian

CHANGE. Freshman defender Maddie Gangi joins SHSU’s women’s soccer team after transferring from University of Tennessee. Head coach Tom Brown is excited to have Gangi after facing injuries to his defense this past fall.

has been practicing daily to get use to her new team and be gametime ready. “I want to help the team as

much as I can,” she said. “I hope to be more confident on the field and just to play the game I know how to play.”


Page 6 Thursday, February 13, 2014 houstonianonline.com/news

SHSU eyes SLC top spot MARISSA HILL Sports Reporter

Johnson Coliseum will get hot Saturday as the top two Southland Conference teams, Stephen F. Austin and Sam Houston State, take the floor for their second showdown of the season. While both teams have established themselves as strong presences in the SLC, it is the Lumberjacks who lead the conference with a perfect 11-0 record. The Bearkats remain in close quarters as they only trail by two games (9-2). The matchup will be tough as SFA has gained national attention, moving up to no. 3 in College Insider’s national mid-major poll. Riding a 19-game winning streak, not only does SFA have momentum on their side, but they also have a senior guard tandem providing energy for them. Leading the Jacks up the polls are senior guards Desmond Haymon and Deshaunt Walker. Both have played pivotal roles in SFA’s storied campaign. Haymon

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dropped 36 points in the Jacks’ contest with Cal State Northridge in late December, allowing for a thrilling come-from-behind win. He finished 12-of-17 from the floor with four of those shots coming from behind the threepoint line. Walker brought 22 points in his 22 minutes on the floor against North Texas in mid-December. Going 7-of-9 from the field, including five three-pointers, Walker helped the Jacks pull off their first road win against the Mean Green in 19 seasons, their last coming from the 1994-1995 campaign. However, the Lumberjacks aren’t the only ones with weapons to wield. The Bearkats strength has come from their offense this season with junior transfer guards Jabari Peters and Kaheem Ransom running the floor. Together they command an offense that totals nearly 81 points per game, which has landed them second in SLC scoring offense. SHSU’s bench has also proven itself to be a force. In their last match against Lamar, eight players came off the bench allowing

Alex Broussard | The Houstonian

LOOKING AHEAD. Head coach K.C. Keeler discusses the 13 new additions to his football program. Keeler had two weeks to recruit after being hired on Jan. 23. According to Keeler he emphasized filling holes on offense.

almost everyone to contribute to the victory. Dakarai Henderson, Marquel McKinney, and Terrance Motley combined for 35 points in the Bearkats’ 84-70 victory over the

Cardinals. But the Bearkats are taking the matches one game at a time, and head coach Jason Hooten doesn’t want to look too far ahead as his team faces Northwestern State

Thursday. “With such a big game to take care of tonight, I don’t want to talk about Saturday’s game,” Hooten said.

Wynne Home Center features obscure art Marrying plants, sitting in a diner for 24 hours, and walking for miles with buckets of water attach to someone’s feet may seem bizarre. Yet art duo The Art Guys find nothing strange about it. The pair have brought their unconventional art to the historic Wynne Home Arts and Visitor Center. Titled “Scattershot,” the exhibit, which opened Jan. 25,

showcases unique and quirky twists on everyday objects by either altering them in an obscure way or pairing two unrelated objects. For example, “Ship in a Bottle,” involves a hammer stuck through a book. Most of the projects featured at the exhibit involve paintings intertwined with sculpting and metal working techniques to add depth and eeriness to each piece. “They have fun with their art and do things that are unusual and out there but make people laugh at the same time,” Linda Pease,

cultural services coordinator for the Wynne Home, said. The Art Guys, also known as Michael Galbreth and Jack Massing, began their collaboration in 1983 at the University of Houston. They dipped their hands in paint and shook hands while letting the excess drip onto canvas. By creating their first piece, “The Art Guys Agree on Painting,” the partnership was solidified, Pease said. Thirty years later Galbreth and Massing have become nationally recognized for their eccentric art

displays and performances. The two have been featured in more than 150 galleries and museums, including 60 solo exhibitions, and has spoken at more than 60 universities. “They are very much about ideas and most of their work is designed to make people think,” said Pease. “We are very fortunate to have them here.” From vintage photographs decorated with clown noses and pin needles, to PVC pipes protruding from the floor and towel racks hanging above the fire

mantel, the Art Guys use various materials to encourage the viewer to look past the physical and aesthetic aspect of the piece and to find a deeper meaning within it. “They once said that no matter how unrelated two things might be, once you put them together people will always try to find a deeper relationship between the two,” Pease said. A piece in particular uses assorted items to link together and stretch across the gallery to express the message of staying connected with one another.

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