February 19, 2013 by The Houstonian

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Volume 123 / Issue 9

Mass Communication and Ravens Films present Alfred Cervantes, Deputy film commissioner. Great discussion for all majors.

Morgan Mears talks about best ways to accomplish lent.

www.HoustonianOnline.com

Womens Basketball falls to third in SLC rankings.

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

‘A shoulder and a wink’

Students, faculty remember dance professor Johnny Charles

All photos by Molly Waddell | The Houstonian

MOLLY WADDELL News Editor The Sam Houston State University is mourning the loss of Assistant Professor of Dance Jonathan “Johnny” Charles Smith who has been teaching for 20 years. Smith died Feb. 14 of short term illness. SHSU is holding a memorial performance beginning at 11 a.m. on Wednesday in the University Theatre Center’s Erica Starr Theatre. The memorial performance will include students performing dances Smith choreographed. Dance, Theatre and Musical Theatre students and professors met in the Dance Theatre of the Performing Arts Center after finding out about Smith’’s death. They told stories of the “charismatic man” and cried over his loss. Students also broke out into Smiths jazz dance class warmup according to assistant professor of dance, Dana Nicolay. Students and professors met again on Friday to tell more stories. “I remember last semester in ballet class we got him on a story tangent... He basically told us his life story, but one part stuck out to me. He told us he became a

SHSU confessions page taken down due to trademark violations STEPHEN GREEN Editor-in-Chief The popular “SHSU Confessions” Facebook page mysteriously disappeared on Wednesday just as mysteriously as it appeared. Sam Houston State University officials asked the page administrators to remove trademarked materials or they would take further action against the page. The administrators of the page said it was an amicable decision. “They told us that it wasn’t necessarily a matter of what was being posted, it was just simply that we didn’t have the rights to post on behalf of SHSU as a whole,” the administrator said. “Everything was trademarked. Both sides of the conversation were polite and professional. They actually highly praised us upon our punctuality and professionalism by coming to resolve it face to face.” The page allowed Facebook users to anonymously post any confession they wanted to make about SHSU through web—

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special service performer,” junior dance major Alexandria Hess said. “He traveled with troops and performed all over the world. I also remember him saying one time they were on a balcony on base somewhere, and saw the sky light up with bombs and thought it was cool... And then an officer came out and asked them what the hell they were doing out when they saw bombs that close!” Smith made his dances as crazy, or “fabulous” as possible according to junior dance major Adornina Nguyen. “During the summer, when I

was doing Gay Men’s Chorus of Houston with him and he wanted me and two other girls to be dressed as mermaids. He got us these wheel chairs so that the boys could push us around and then these diving flippers so they could be our tails,” Nguyen said. “He spray painted them pink so they could match out costumes that he made just for us and had a bunch of glitter, because he loved glitter. He was so proud of the dance with the costumes because he found it —

SMITH, page 6

IN MEMORIAM. Students gather in the PAC Dance Theatre to say goodbye to Johnny Charles. They shared their funny stories and cried over the loss. Another memorial service will be held on Feb. 20 in the Dance Theatre and will include some of Smith’s performances as well as slideshows for him.

TSUS approves new master plan, will respond to concealed handgun policy JAY R. JORDAN Staff Reporter

Student Government Association talks to TSUS Board of Regents Student Government Association President Shane Rankin and Vice President Kolby Flowers visited Austin, Texas to present issues facing Sam Houston State University students to board members of the Texas State University System’s Board of Regents and a state congressman. The Board of Regents also approved a new master plan for SHSU. After a series of focus groups with students, SGA presented the student’s views on gun control, parking issues and other campus safety measures to the TSUS Student Advisory Board. The board that consists of two representatives from each of the eight universities in the system told the Board of Regents that campus safety was the biggest concern to students. Vice President Flowers said that SHSU was one of the first universities within the system to address the issue of gun control and other issues on campus. “The Student Advisory Board… agreed that all of these things are issues facing students and need to be addressed,” said

Flowers. “However not all of the issues have been brought up at other schools. Like the concealed handgun policy. It has been passed at Texas State but not even considered at Lamar University.” Due to the weight of these issues, the Board of Regents Chair Donna Williams agreed with Flowers and other representatives that a response should be made by the board in this year’s report. The date of the report is yet to be determined. Along with representing the school at the quarterly regents meeting, SGA members met with State Rep. John Otto (R-Huntsville) about bills inside the Texas Congress regarding a mandatory tuition freeze for university students. HB29 by State Rep. Dan Branch (R-Dallas) requires that universities must offer a frozen tuition plan to four-year students. “On House Bill 29, we wanted to let the representative know that we support a tuition freeze plan,” said Flowers. “However, universities should have the opportunity to opt in and opt out of the program.” Flowers said that SGA members also asked for Otto’s support on SGA’s SB 13-02, which would allow concealed handgun licensees to carry

on campus property, where it was otherwise disallowed, in accordance with upcoming legislation.

TSUS Board of Regents approves new master plan In the Board of Regents meeting, SHSU President Dana Gibson successfully convinced the board to approve a new master plan for the university. “The campus infrastructure needed a comprehensive review focusing on the renewal of existing systems and expansion to serve new facilities,” Gibson said. According to a press release by SHSU, new projects include more residence halls on the south side of campus, a south dining facility and new buildings in the nursing, biology, agriculture and engineering departments. SGA urges students to attend an open forum on the issue of guns on campus, and SB 13-02, tonight at 6:30 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Theatre.

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NEW MEMBERS APPOINTED TO TSUS BOARD OF REGENTS By Molly Waddell

Gov. Rick Perry appointed three members to the Texas State University System Board of Regents, according to the Office of the Governor’s website. Perry appointed Charlie Amato of San Antonio, Vernon Reaser III of Bellaire and William “Bill” Scott of Nederland. Their terms will end Feb. 1, 2019. Amato is co-founder and chairman of Southwest Business Corporation and chair of the University of Incarnate Word Board of Trustees. Amato received a bachelor’s degree from Sam Houston State University. He is reappointed to the board. Reaser is president of Texas Teachers Alternative Certification and Texas Educators Association Inc. Reaser received a bachelor’s degree and a Master of Business Administration from Texas State University. Scott is chairman and CEO of Trans-Global Solutions Inc. Scott is a member of the Lamar University College of Business Board of Advisors and Capital Campaign Cabinet. Scott received a bachelor’s degree from Lamar University. He is reappointed to the board. These appointments are subject to Senate confirmation.

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News

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 houstonianonline.com/news

Economy

Ag technology to go before Supreme Court Group calls Monsanto corp., farmers in fight over patent exhaustion, whether new seeds need to be bought each season

AUDRA BERRY Staff Reporter Supreme Court will hear a case regarding the doctrine of patent exhaustion – particularly with self-replicating technologies, today. Vernon Hugh Bowman, a 75-yearold Indiana soybean farmer accused of purchasing, planting and saving Roundup Ready seeds – seeds resistant to Monsanto Company’s herbicide Roundup – from a grain mill and refused to pay Monsanto’s fees, is challenging the agribusiness giant in a landmark case that could potentially affect more than just the agriculture industry. Monsanto Company engineered and patented a specific seed and argues that in order to maintain the seed’s integrity the patent should follow the infinite generations of seed that crops grown from the original seed produce, and farmers should have to pay each year in order to use those patented seeds, according to the Supreme Court documents. Bowman asserts he did nothing wrong by purchasing his variety mix of seeds – containing more than just Monsanto’s patented seeds – from the grain mill since it wasn’t labeled for planting according to the Supreme Court documents. “They made sure they didn’t sell it as seed. Their ticket said ‘outbound grain’,” Bowman told National Public Radio reporters. A ruling in favor of Bowman would allow farmers to keep seeds produced from their crops and replant them in subsequent years, lowering the farmer’s overhead costs. Something that SHSU senior and farmer Jarred Stuhrenberg says is impractical. “As a farmer [I find it] impractical to save, clean and treat seeds for planting next season. Forcing us to buy seed [each year] wouldn’t matter a whole lot because of this,” said Stuhrenberg. However, Stuhrenberg doesn’t appreciate the control Monsanto is trying to exert either. “It would be annoying to know that they would have that kind of say in what you did do with the seed you produce.” In their brief to the Supreme Court however, Monsanto Company claims that a victory for Bowman would “devastate innovation in biotechnology.” Many biotechnology and computer software companies as well as universities invested in that research agree and have filed briefs with the Supreme Court supporting Monsanto. The United States also agrees. The Solicitor General has been approved to give 10 minutes of testimony Tuesday as to why patents should be held in place beyond the first generation

SOPHIE NELSON Senior Reporter

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

ROUGH ROAD GAME. Indiana farmer Vernon Hugh Bowman, 75, is seen visiting the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, Monday, Feb. 18, 2013. On Tuesday, Feb. 19, 2013 the Supreme Court will hear arguments in a case between Bowman and agribusiness seed-giant Monsanto.

for self-replicating technology – technology that goes beyond seeds and includes DNA used in medical and technological research, live vaccines and even some nanotechnology. The Supreme Court’s decision on this case

has even further reaching implications than agriculture or biotechnology research. In April, the Court is due to hear a similar case regarding the patentability of human genes – a controversial subject for many people.

Tech

Intel to introduce new set-top-box that will compete with Video on Demand companies CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZ Staff Reporter

Intel, the computer chip manufacturer, revealed their plans for a new set-top box that will deliver video on-demand and live TV via internet. According to Intel’s corporate vice president of media Erik Huggers, the device will provide a much better experience than what consumers have today. The yet to be named box will launch under its own brand via Intel’s new media division. They plan to compete directly with the Roku box, Apple TV, Microsoft’s Xbox 360, and cable/satellite providers. While many consumers are

for changes in student loan policies

surprised by Intel’s latest move, one professor at Sam Houston State University is not. “I’m not shocked”, said Director of the Center for Excellence in Digital Forensics, Professor Andy Bennett. “They’ve tried to make other products over the years. Their network cards were their best product.” The device will offer “Catch Up TV”, which is a service that makes anything that is broadcasts on network and cable TV will be available on demand. Intel also announced that they may have Netflix as a streaming service partner. Bennett said that Intel’s greatest challenge would be providing a streamlined experience for consumers. “It has to be a low-friction process”, Bennett said. “The

features should help the interface without interacting”. According to Wired.com, Huggers emphasized that they planned to streamline and enhance consumers’ experience when viewing media. To do so, Intel decided to include a redesigned electronic guide and a camera. The camera determines who is watching and adjusts the environment and suggestions based on who is watching. This allows the consumer to change either experience without any input. The feature can also be turned off. Bennett said that if the box were to include a Blu-Ray player, Intel will have the competition locked up. Bennett also said that Intel’s greatest threats would be the cable

companies’ cap on bandwidth and programming delivery. “Consumers can only stream so much before their limit is reached”, Bennett said. “Intel’s programming will cut into ISP’s revenue. So they will respond by offering a better deal than what Intel already has”. Intel has also had trouble with marketing their products in the past. Their other products, such as their app store AppUp and a small Mac mini competitor called NUC, hardly have any publicity according to Wired.com. As for the box’s potential success, Bennett said that it is a strong possibility but no guarantee. However, he said that the concept of online on-demand content is the way of the future. “The success of the concept is inevitable”, Bennett said.

Campus Progress is currently working on rallying people around the country in an effort to appeal to Congress about the student debt crisis. The campaign, It’s Our Interest, is focused on offering solutions to fix the financial system so those with student loans can refinance to better afford their payments. Brian Stewart, the communications manager for Campus Progress, said that student loan debt now surpasses credit card debt and totals at around one trillion dollars. “What people don’t realize is how broad the range of affected Americans is,” Stewart said. “Only 40 percent of the debt holders are under 30. And this is just the beginning of statistics that show how much trouble student loan holders are in.” Stewart said that over 13 percent of borrowers have defaulted on their loans due in 2009 and another 26 percent became delinquent on their notes, one step above default. Tobin Van Ostern, the deputy director for Campus Progress, said exactly why loan holders should push for the option to refinance. “Refinancing loans allows borrowers to get out from under debt by getting a new loan with better terms,” Ostern said. “Refinancing would also boost the economy by allowing people to save money on interest and would encourage even more people to go to college.” Ostern said that even private loan debt could be remedied if students refinanced under a federal loan deal. Ostern reminded students that they were one of the essential parts to making changes happen when it comes to government issues, and one of the key components used by Campus Progress. “This is the chance to engage tens of millions of borrowers,” Ostern said. “With the wide range of American borrowers, even a fraction of those getting involved will make a difference. People encouraging their officials and government agencies to look at the issue will bring more attention to our cause and will eventually create results.” According an article by Ostern on the Campus Progress website, refinancing loans would be not only beneficial for students, but also for the nation. “It is in the nation’s best interest to ensure that students are able to make timely payments,” Ostern said, “and it’s time for federal policy makers to take action.”

Student Loans Defaults in Public Schools

According to US Dept. of Education

2010 9.1%

2009 7.2%

2008 6%

2007 Kayla Stallings|Houstonian

5.9%

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Viewpoints

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

Willpower, self-discipline key to success during Lent

Morgan Mears says to give up something that is challenging to live without Beginning on Ash Wednesday, and carrying on until the Saturday before Easter, Lent is a period spanning 40 days, not including Sundays, during which many Christians devote their time to fasting, abstinence and penitence. The purpose of setting aside time during Lent is to reflect on Christ’s suffering, life, death, burial and his resurrection. While some believe that only Roman Catholics practice Lent, or “give something up” during the Lenten season, it is also observed by those of Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian and Anglican denominations. In order to stay strong, and refrain from picking up what you gave up or what you are trying to stay away from during Lent, one must have a lot of willpower. When trying to figure out what

to give up during Lent, wasn’t until this year that I some people give up started to fully understand small things that are why people give up easy to live without. something that they love While that is fine to during Lent. some, others feel that Lent is meant to be you should give up a reflection period and something that you people deprive themselves find challenging to of some small pleasure live without in order or indulgence that has to experience the full derailed them from their effect of sacrificing path to God. By giving something that brings something up, Christians you pleasure to grow MORGAN MEARS hope to take the time that is Staff Reporter closer to God. normally focused on these Being a Christian indulgences and focus it on of the Methodist denomination, returning their lives to the path that personally, I do observe Lent. In God wants us to be on. the past, I did not ever really grasp This Lenten season, I have given the true meaning of Lent and I gave up my books that I read during my up things like chocolate and coffee, free time in the hopes that I will read simply because I knew that you were my Bible more. Being an English supposed to “give something up.” It major, this is going to be a hard

task; I have vowed to only read what is assigned to me for homework. Instead of going and picking up the latest book at Hastings, I would pick up my Bible and in turn my knowledge of the Bible will grow, just as my relationship with Christ will. Although refraining from reading all books but the Bible will be hard, I understand that I have to have the willpower to abstain from what I have given up in order to further my relationship with God. Willpower and self-discipline are keys to being successful during Lent. As described by Alison Griswold on islandpacket.com, “Lent is a spiritual boot camp, a chance to grow in self-discipline, so that in denying ourselves in small ways we are practiced in saying no to ourselves when the destructive temptations show up.”

Critical thinking: essential piece of the puzzle RICHARD MCKINNEY Staff Reporter I love puzzles. The way you make a picture piece by piece is fascinating to me. It always frustrated me when I got garage sale puzzles and there was a piece or two missing – the puzzle would forever be incomplete! Well, education works in a similar manner; if we don’t have all of the pieces, it will be incomplete. For many students, we receive a basic level of science education throughout our time in Kindergarten through 12th grade. This education is more about facts than anything particular. Those facts aren’t any good, however, unless you can effectively apply them. This was an observation shared by a few people in various areas of science here at Sam Houston just a few years ago. Sam Houston is required by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools (SACS) to develop a plan to promote critical thinking – a key element in the application of education. Now this works a little like Shark Tank; people come up with an idea. A committee is then formed to narrow the selection down and then they are presented to all other colleges to be voted upon. Okay – so not quite like Shark Tank, but you get the idea. This happened almost four years ago and

today we have what is now called Foundations of Science. This course promotes an essential piece of the scientific puzzle. “It was based on my, and others’, observations of science and science literacy,” Dr. Marcus Gillespie, a key creator in the class, said,“that there seemed to be a growing gulf between the fact that we are a technology oriented society, yet more and more people were questioning basic scientific findings, such as vaccinations.” To address this issue they decided to address how students look at these findings. 78 percent of people are scientifically illiterate. What this means is that 70 million people in America would not be able to pick up the science section of a newspaper and understand it. This poses a real problem for civilization and democracy itself. “The nature of science is a form of critical thinking,” Gillespie said, “drawing reasonable conclusions based on logic and evidence. If we don’t have an educated public making democratic decisions then they’ll be more likely to make bad decisions which could threaten democracy and civilization itself.” This is based off of H.G. Wells, “Civilization is a race between education and catastrophe.” Take the example of climate change; while America’s public is starting to warm up to its existence (pun intended), there are still a large portion of people

who don’t believe it exists. Regardless of your personal views, if it is real, and we don’t believe it’s real, there are very serious ramifications. “What we’re trying to get through is the notion that evidence and logic matter,” Gillespie said, “so when we make a decision about these things we do it by avoiding fallacies and bias. Openly, honestly and comprehensively looking at the information and make conclusions based on that.” This course does not try to tell students what they should or should not believe, or what products or medicine to buy – the goal of this course is to provide the necessary tools to evaluate claims. Students who have taken this course score higher on the Critical Thinking Assessment Test than students in the university who have not taken the course, students outside the university who have not taken the course, and they even score higher than the national average. I, personally, recommend this course to anyone who needs a science (which is everyone). I want to extend a thank you to the professors helped develop it. Without them, many students would not have been able to complete the puzzle of scientific education by adding the essential piece of critical thinking.

Tailor your Facebook to fit potential lovers Colin Harris provides “tips” for finding a lover via Facebook In the hustle and bustle of social networking, it’s hard to get noticed by potential love interests. With little variety, Facebook profiles all start to blend together. You might believe your “Destination: Destin- SB 2012, bitchezzz” photo album provides a unique and compelling visual account of a week you hardly remember, yet won’t ever forget. In reality, it’s just like everybody else’s Spring break albums: a bunch of douchebags donning swimwear and Darque tans, mugging for the camera while getting shit-faced at the beach. The same can be said for the things you “like” on the site. Naps, Harry Potter, Jesus Christ and Coldplay. C’mon, who doesn’t like those things? Snape and Satan. That’s it. Obviously we’re all young and have overlapping interests, but that doesn’t mean your Facebook profile need be as dull as the rest. There are a myriad of ways to tweak your profile and leave a lasting impression when you finally “friend” that fine hottie from your

biology study group three semesters ago. First, quit posting and getting tagged in photos with same-sex friends who are obviously betterlooking than you. This won’t make your profile any more interesting, but it’s important that the person you’re trying to woo is genuinely interested in you and not a threesome with two of your hot friends. If you make sure you’re surrounded by a gaggle of hideous misfits in all your Facebook photos, your prospective partner will have little choice but to notice your comparative hotness. “But Colin,” you might counter, “all my friends are way hotter than I am.” Doesn’t matter. Find a homely loser somewhere on campus, sneak in for an unexpected photo together and never cross paths again. Though it might make you initially feel like a sociopathic asshole, your pangs of conscience will fade with time. For me, it comes so naturally that whenever I see someone bust out a camera at a party, I immediately make my way over to the corner where all the grotesque outcasts are huddled just to be safe. Once your entire photo collection features an array of slack-jawed, mouth-breathing inbreds who belong on a TLC show, you might wonder what to do with the written components of your profile. The

easiest way to stand out is to “like” a shit-ton of interesting hobbies and activities that cater to the type of person you’re trying to attract. If you happen to actually enjoy any of them in real life, lucky you. With tons to choose from the point is to make sure they’re not necessarily things you like, but what your crush wants their ideal lover to like. Some suggestions for guys include upper-body workouts, The Avett Brothers, going to the park, performing oral sex, “Grey’s Anatomy” and art museums. For women, go ahead and “like” lower-body workouts, The Coen Brothers, going to the lake, performing oral sex, “Breaking Bad” and music festivals. The last thing you should consider is also the most social aspect of Facebook: status updates. Again, the focus isn’t on your own thoughts and feelings but what you think your soon-to-be date wants you to think and feel. Ladies, instead of posting, “Can’t wait for the new Real Housewives!” go with “Can’t wait to go buy more lacy lingerie!” Remember, the sluttier the status, the more likely Mr. Right is to notice your efforts. Guys might want to write, “Shitty day, gonna go jam some Kendrick Lamar and crash.” Change it up and type, “Shitty day, gonna go

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jam some Mumford and Sons and crash, dreaming about giving massages to women with no expectations for sex after ward.” She’ll be COLIN HARRIS smitten Staff Reporter with lustful desire. Successful writers know what their audience wants. So too should successful Facebookers. Your profile needs to be more projection than reflection for it to be an effective seduction tool. If all else fails, there’s never a bad time to post nude photos in your mobile uploads. I know, I know, it’s against the terms of use and might get you banned but if your timing’s perfect, that secret crush will see the fullfrontals before they’re taken down and consequently make a move to see your naked body in person. Just kidding. You don’t need to lie about yourself or change yourself to find a lover, especially on the Internet. If you took what I said seriously, shame on you for not catching on sooner.

Staff Reporters

Morgan Mears Taylor Likens Senior Reporter snelson@houstonianonline.com Audra Berry Carian Parker Cheyenne Simpson Richard McKinney Multimedia Reporter Colin Harris csimpson@houstonianonline.com Ryan Bowers Christian Vazquez Kayla Stallings Production & Graphics Manager Katrina Koetting kstallings@houstonianonline.com

Monty Sloan Copy Editor

Letter to the editor Dear Sirs, I am a letter carrier for the United States Postal Service and I wish to comment about Richard McKinney’s “Viewpoints” article from the Jan. 29 issue of The Houstonian. I have had three mail routes since 1995 when the Texas legislature passed the Concealed Carry Handgun License Act which was signed into law by Governor Bush. One [of my] mail route’s residents comprised about 60 percent Sam Houston State University students, my last mail route comprised about 95 percent SHSU students and my current mail route comprises about 20 percent SHSU students. There has not been a huge number of my residents who have received a Concealed Handgun License over the past 18 years, maybe 35 to 40. Of that number, only one was an SHSU student! She is the only female I have delivered a CHL to (so far), and being in her early 20s, by far the youngest. All of the rest of the CHLs I have delivered have all been for men in their 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. In other words, the psychopaths Mr. McKinney is worried about should CHLs become legal for colleges and universities will be SHSU teachers and administrators! I have never heard of Anthony LePage or Brad Bushman, but Leonard Berkowitz is notorious for hating guns and gun owners and he has been conducting ‘studies’ that condemn both for decades. His most embarrassing study was when he locked himself in a room with a .44 magnum revolver and claimed that the gun made him feel aggressive. I was an armed guard for Mustang Security in 1983 and ’84 where I carried my uncle’s .38 special revolver and sometimes a 12 gauge ‘riot’ (nine shot) shotgun. Since 1999 I have been a part-time corrections officer for the Texas Department of Criminal Justice where I am armed with a .357 magnum revolver and a 12 gauge shotgun when I am in an outside picket, driving the patrol car around the prison at night, or transporting an inmate to the hospital. I have been a gun owner since 1994. For Mr. McKinney to claim that guns make a person violent is wrong. He is obviously a hoplophobe and a Democrat. Sincerely, Kelley Barber

PAWS DOWN

PAWS DOWN to the death of a wonderful dance professor, Jonathan “Johnny” Charles Smith

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Arts&Entertainment

Thursday , February 14, 2013

Author tells students to allow “permission to write badly” AUBRIE WALKER Contributing Reporter A well-known creative author and professor told students to “give yourself permission to write badly” when she shared her experiences and advice with students at Sam Houston State University on Monday. Jesse Lee Korcheval, author of several books and poems such as: “Dog Angel, Not, and Blue Plate” shared her descriptive, simple poetry and a part of her own memoir, “Space” with a crowded room of students and faculty in Austin Hall. Her readings were a part of a series of speakers headed to campus hosted by the MFA program in creative writing, which began last fall. Students then had a chance to discuss Korcheval work in a reception after the readings, where she shared her advice on the writing process. “Do not let the critic inside scare you from writing,” she told some creative writing students. Korcheval also stressed the importance of staying close to home roots as a writer in order to help find a story. Korcheval’s words struck a chord among students who were intrigued by her style of writing and experiences. “I took from [the event] the recipe of her writing, she mingles events in her life and makes them work,” Amanda Dellett, graduate English major, said. Korcheval also told students that it is also important to make time for writing. She

Aubrie Walker | The Houstonian

DESCRIPTIVE READING: Jesse Lee Korcheval, author and professor, read several of her poems to SHSU students and faculty on Monday in Austin Hall as part of a series hosted by the English dept.

dedicates every Thursday just for writing. “Ask yourself where can I make a spot for writing and do it,” she said. However, her most important piece of advice came when told students to “give yourself permission to write badly” as part of the writing process. She said writers should keep writing freely in spite self-criticism, a problem students often face in their own work. Korcheval was brought to the university by her former pupil and assistant professor of

English at SHSU Nick Lentz has known and worked with Mrs. Korcheval for 10 years and has been really affected by her teaching. K writes poems, fiction, and non-fiction novels. She has written 12 books and is coming out with a novel called My Life as a Silent Film, to be released this fall. The next speaker as part of the series will be Michael Kardos, author of the short-story collection One Last Good Time and the novel The Three-Day Affair on Feb. 25. For more information, call 936-294-1407.

Huntsville, SHSU celebrate student-produced book ANGELA BEEL Contributing Reporter Huntsville residents eagerly came out on Thursday to show support of a new book on the history of Walker County written by graduate students at Sam Houston State University. The book release and signing was held in the Walker County Education Center where attendees were able to meet some of the authors and get a little more information on how the book was made. The book titled “Historic Walker County: The Story of Huntsville and Walker County” details the history of the region from its early inhabitants, to the establishment of the prisons, to becoming a place of education. The book was written by student authors who began their research for the 88-page book in Fall 2011 as part of their “Public History” course taught by Jeff Littlejohn,

Ph.D., associate professor of history at SHSU. One of the authors said that she was glad to be a part of the project. “It was a great experience being graduate students and having the option to submit published work,” Meredith Austin said. Each student chose a chapter to write and then worked with community partners from the Walker County Chamber of Commerce to find primary resources and photos to go along with their work. After all the hard work that was put into the book, it was a fulfilling experience to see the final product. “From when we started, all we saw was just the written part but we also had the opportunity to choose our pictures for the chapters, and then when it culminated together into a finished product, it was amazing,” author Sharla Miles said. “I’m so proud of it.”

Austin agreed that the finished product was more than they expected it to be. The president of the Walker County Chamber of Commerce, Carol Smith, said that publishing a book like this is not an uncommon occurrence in the state of Texas. “We actually initiated the book,” she said. “The Chamber of Commerce across the state, it’s a fairly common thing to do to capture the history of your area. There are professional companies that we work with and they said, ‘well we’re going to need someone to actually write the history’, and so that’s how we connected with doctor. Littlejohn,” Smith said. The finished product impressed Smith and others in attendance. “I’m very happy,” said attendee Nell Miller-Smith. “I think it will be good for Walker County. And I’m just very pleased that these authors decided to write on something as worthy as this.”

New ‘Aliens’ game proves weak, impractical version of films ZEKE OSBORN Contributing Reporter

You’re walking through a dark claustrophobic hallway with your gun raised and the only sound you can hear is the beeping from your motion tracker. Second by second you see the tiny blips get closer and closer yet you can’t see anything within your immediate surroundings. Suddenly, a hiss sounds above you and all you can do is look up before the xenomorph pounces on top of you and a frantic battle for survival initiates. Congratulations, you have just experienced the only good part of the entire game and you are not even 20 minutes into the campaign. Now that I have completely crushed your expectations for “Aliens: Colonial Marines”, let me confirm my point by saying that this game is just awful. The single player campaign places you within the shoes of Christopher Winter, a marine whose crew has been sent in to investigate a distress call from the U.S.S Sulaco. Set after the second film, Aliens, the game tries to incorporate a balance between remaining faithful to the movie franchise and branching off into its own original story. It does not succeed. Looking past graphics that not even early generation PlayStation 2 and Xbox games would boast about and painful voice acting, the first chapter of the game seemed promising. It

(AP Photo/Sega)

really played upon that fear of not knowing where the aliens would pop out from that fans of the movies loved so much. To only rely on your motion tracker and your own two eyes really set the groundwork for some terrifying moments. However, this nostalgia only lasts for about twenty minutes before the developers completely throw out the one good thing going for their game, and instead turn it into a constant barrage of seemingly endless hoards of aliens. While this non-stop fear factor may seem like positive, it really only succeeds in being incredibly annoying. The guns you are offered throughout the game, even after upgrading, are just about useless as recoil. Weak damage will have you wasting full clips of ammo for just a few aliens. Additionally, you are constantly berated by groups of aliens in the dozens about every five minutes, and you’ll find yourself praying to just get through the campaign as quickly as possible. If the developers were going to make this game a constant

hoard mode, they could at least provide an in-game team that was actually helpful. You’re fellow marines will constantly shoot at anything in front of them, yet whenever you are getting overrun, they completely ignore your pain and suffering. Other times, your teammates will completely vanish without a trace in the middle of the largest firefights only to magically reappear at the end, boasting their kill count when you know damn well they did not help at all. What made the movies so successful was that constant feeling of being watched and never knowing where the next danger would show up. This is what this game should have been like, instead of constantly throwing alien after alien at the player every few minutes, leaving them second guessing in their paranoia as they navigate through the game. After enduring the five hour campaign (yes five hours), I found myself absolutely ecstatic once the credits began to role because I was done and would never have to play

this game again. Despite the disappointment of single-player mode, the multi-player mode makes the game a bit more bearable. There are four different modes to choose from: Team death match –One team plays as marines while the other plays as aliens. Each team’s goal is to kill each other to earn points. Extermination – Marines are tasked with certain objectives such as destroying all of the Alien’s eggs, while the Aliens’ main concern is to eradicate every human being. Escape – In Left 4 Dead fashion, marines try to escape different nightmarish scenarios while the Aliens work to make that task as difficult as possible. Survivor – A group of marines try to survive as long as possible while the Aliens work to kill them. Aliens have infinite revives while marines must do what they can in the one life provided to them. The multiplayer modes within “Aliens: Colonial Marines” just might be the one redeeming factor of the game. Whether its one of the aforementioned modes, or playing through the campaign cooperatively, you can at least look forward to some laughs when playing with your friends. Is multiplayer alone enough to shell out the 60 bucks for the game? Absolutely not. If you have already bought the game, try to get some enjoyment out of it before trading it in at the nearest GameStop. We give this game 2 out of 5 paws.

houstonianonline.com/a-e

Houston film professional to discuss business side GEORGE MATTINGLY Arts & Entertainment Editor The campus community will have the chance to hear about the business side of the film industry as a Houston film commissioner heads to Sam Houston State University. Hosted by Raven Films and the SHSU Department of Mass Communication, Alfred Cervantes , Deputy Film Commissioner for the Houston Film Commission will return to campus to speak to students about how his organization serves as a source for all media and film professionals. Cervantes’ insight into a different side of the film business is vital for media students who are graduating soon, according to Tom Garrett, associate professor of film. “[The event] is about understanding how to market yourself,” Garret said. “It’s a great way to understand how to get jobs and how jobs are created in the film business. The HFC is the go-to source for any media professional in film, TV or advertising.” Garrett said that although Cervantes works in film, the event will also open doors not just for film students, but for several other majors across campus. “This is also a great opportunity for students who are marketing and business and theater students to come see about the [film] business in Houston and in Texas,” Garret tsaid. The event will be held at 6 p.m. in Dan Rather Building room 125.

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Page 5

Sports

Tuesday, February 19, 2013 houstonianonline.com/sports

Women’s basketball falls to third

CODY LEWIS Sports Editor

The Sam Houston State women’s basketball team’s cold streak continued as the team was unable to contain Courtney Duever and Megan Herbert as the Bearkats fell to Central Arkansas 71-51 Saturday in Conway, Ark. Duever and Herbert scored 23 and 19 points, respectively. This was the Bearkats’ third straight loss against Southland Conference opponents;

they now hold a 9-4 conference record. The three losses dropped them to third place in the conference behind Oral Roberts and Lamar, two of the three teams they lost to. UCA was a preseason favorite but are only .500 (7-7) in conference play so far this season. The Bearkats held an early 9-6 after Britni Martin hit a three early in the game, but the Bears were able to tie the game at 10-10 shortly after. The Bears then went on a 15-2 run to put them up by 13. With another Martin three pointer, the

Bearkats cut the margin to six. The Bears, however, went on a 10-2 run going into halftime and led 37-23 at the break. SHSU made only one of nine free throws in the first half and shot 32 percent from the field while UCA made six out of six free throws and shot 42 percent from the field. Sequeena Thomas was the leading scorer for Sam Houston with 14 points and 14 rebounds for her 17th career double-double at Sam Houston. Chanice Smith scored 12 and Martin added 10. Three point shooting was also a problem

for the Bearkats. They made only three of 10 in the second half. SHSU shot only 35 percent from the floor compared to UCA’s 41. The Bearkats also made on four of their 15 free throws, which has not recently been a problem for this Bearkat team. The Bears were able to shoot 78 percent from the free throw line. The Bearkats will be back at Johnson Coliseum Wednesday to play rival Stephen F. Austin, who stands at seventh in the Southland Conference. Tipoff is set for 5:30 p.m.

Bearkats struggle at plate in opening weekend CONNOR HYDE Sports Reporter Sam Houston State baseball closed their opening weekend 1-2, dropping against no. 22 Tulane (2-0) and Missouri State (2-3) but rallied late to edge out a win against Texas State 10-9 in San Marcos, TX. Averaging eight runners left on base per game, SHSU struggled to establish a presence at the plate hitting for a team average of .234 over the weekend. Against Tulane, the Bearkats were silenced by pitcher Tony Rizzotti tossing his first complete game of the season, allowing a mere single from Jesse Plumlee in the bottom of the third inning. Rizzotti struck out five Bearkats, averaging 93 to 97 on his fastball, and allowed one walk in Friday’s matchup. “[Rizzotti] threw the best stuff we’ve seen in a long time,” Assistant Coach Sean Allen said. “Good pitching does that to hitting.” Bearkat pitcher Caleb Smith struggle to gain composure walking seven batters in his four innings on the mound. “He’s going to bounce back. He’s just didn’t have a good feel for his change-up and his fastball. He still gave our team a chance to win,” Allen said. SHSU’s hitting woes spilled over into the next game against Missouri State’s ranked pitching

FRESH START: After falling to Tulane and Missouri State, the Bearkats rallied back and defeated former Southland Conference rival Texas State 10-9.

Anthony Azar (above) had three hits and three RBIs in the win.

rotation Saturday. Nine runners left on base hindered the Bearkats’ ability to ignite at the plate and take a late inning lead against the Bears. “We just didn’t get the big hit. Our guys had good at bats we just couldn’t get that one big hit,” Allen said. Missouri’s pitching rotation led

Southland Conference Basketball standings MEN Stephen F. Austin Northwestern La. Oral Roberts Southeastern La. Sam Houston State Nicholls State McNeese Central Arkansas Texas A&M-CC Lamar

12-2 12-2 11-3 8-5 7-6 5-8 4-9 4-10 3-10 1-12

Oral Roberts Lamar Sam Houston State Nicholls State McNeese Central Arkansas Stephen F. Austin Northwestern La. Southeastern La. Texas A&M-CC

10-4 9-4 9-4 8-5 8-5 7-7 6-8 5-9 3-10 2-11

WOMEN

Listen to the C & C Sports Factory podcast every Friday on Houstonianonline.com/sports

the nation during the 2012 season with a .279 ERA. The Bearkats’ bats started clicking early against Texas State leading 7-1 going into the top of the seventh inning. Pitcher Derek Barosh loaded the bases and allowed the Bobcats to score three runs during his outing, initiating a landslide of eight total runs in the

seventh for Texas State to even the scoreboard. “We walked too many guys in the seventh inning. You walk guys you’re going to give up some runs,” Allen said. After a series of singles from Ryan Farney and Plumlee, Luke Plucheck doubled into the gap to left field to bring in Farney and

Plumlee in the top of the ninth. Closer Logan Boyd secured a Bearkat win striking out Bobcat Colby Targun to close out the ninth. SHSU will square off against the University of Houston for their home opener Tuesday at Don Sanders Stadium. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

Page 6 Tuesday, February 19, 2013 houstonianonline.com/news

SMITH,

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hilarious and with his usual saying and his famous wink, he said; ‘You ladies just look fabulous in those dresses and fin.’” Dana Nicolay was touched in many ways by Smith. “Jonathan was my first dance hero,” Dana Nicolay. “The very first dance lesson I took when I was 22 I joined this small company in Kansas and we went up to the Kansas Dance Festival and Johnny was already a member of the Kansas City Ballet and I saw him on stage. It was beautiful it was just beautiful. He very much inspired me.” Students and faculty talked about how Smith was such a character and an overall great guy. “He was a really big character and was super fabulous. He would walk into a room and everybody’s mood would change and it would

just be like ‘the day is saved Johnny is here he can fix it.’...” sophomore dance major Marina Miller said. “He always had a way of uplifting people even if he was really rude to you, you wouldn’t really be offended by it. You would still be like, well that kind of hurt my feelings but I am going to try hard anyways.” Dana Nicolay and adjunct lecturer Betty Nicolay said that Smith was a caring person. “Johnny was a really generous person you know as far as anyone needing anything he was the first person to be there for them to help them out,” Betty Nicolay said. According do Dana Nicolay, Smith would even come to the school for students at any hour. “If a student needed to get in the building at midnight, Johnny was up,” Dana Nicolay said. “If you needed something and he had it, it was yours.” Betty Nicolay said Smith

volunteered his time to better the students. “Johnny, every summer we had no dance classes in the summer here in the building, Johnny volunteered his time at least twice a week he would come up here after the kids got off work… about 5:30 or 6 class would happen a couple of times a week,” Betty Nicolay said. “Just out of generosity and his spirit, because he was worried the kids weren’t going to have any other way to keep in shape.” Students and faculty can’t see the Dance Department being the same without Smith. “It’s just going to be weird without him because he really brought together the Program,” Miller said. Dana Nicolay said that Smith’s death hit the dance department hard. “It changes everything around here, it’s like 9/11. There has just never been a hit like this that we

have taken in the dance area or even the theatre area as far as I can tell,” Dana Nicolay said. “I mean there have been important changes but to just have a spirit like that removed so abruptly and finally and sadly. It’s really tough.” Dana Nicolay is still in denial over Smith’s death, but believs that Smith’s spirit lives on. “I think I’m just completely in denial still. I don’t think I can accept it. I look down in his office and he is in there, I know he is in there. I see all of my students and all of his students he’s in them too,” Dana Nicolay said. “That part is all kind of mystical but I just have not in any way accepted the fact that I’m not going to get to see him again. I am not going to get to see the shoulder and the wink and all of those things that were so much a part of him. I’m feeling, I guess confused is the main emotion that I feel. I feel a great sense of loss; you just don’t get that many real friends.”

PAGE,

AP Photo/Houston Chronicle, Mayra Beltran

PRESIDENTS DAY. Ron White, dressed as George Washington, is scanned by security before entering the historic Harris County Courthouse after the “I Love Texas Courthouses” campaign to raise awareness and show appreciation for Texas’ historic courthouses on Monday, Feb. 18, 2013, in Houston.

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survey site SurveyMonkey. com. The same administrators opened a new page with the same concept under the name “Prison City Confessions.” The sometimes-explicit content was one of the reasons they decided to comply with the request quickly. “We agreed to take it down by request from SHSU to avoid possibly harming the name and reputation of (the university),” the administrator said. “We knew from the beginning we would run into the issue so once it arose we just didn’t want to fight or argue with them.” Kris Ruiz, SHSU marketing director, said the university’s issue arose not from the content but it’s labeling. “As per recommended Facebook procedure for trademark infringement, we first contacted ‘SHSU Confessions’ regarding the unauthorized use/infringement

of university trademarks prior to formally reporting the violation to Facebook,” Ruiz said. “We asked they remove all registered marks including ‘SHSU’ from their page.” Page administrators said it wasn’t easy to remove the trademarks, including the logo and “SHSU” from the title. “After the page got 200 likes we were unable to change it so at that point we decided to just change the page all together,” the administrator said. “When we talked to them they told us our content was not a problem just the pictures and the name, they gave us an hour to take it down before they said they would personally take it down for us, so we deleted it.” Ruiz said the university has been reactionary and not proactive in tracking down trademark violators. “In the past, we have not actively monitored the Internet or social medium platforms for infringement violations. To date, all the infringement cases we have had to address were referred by other people.” Once a group has been deemed to be in violation, Ruiz said recommended university policy is to first contact the group and request they comply with trademark law. After that the university would take steps to have the page, or any materials in violation, removed. Although she didn’t release specific numbers, Ruiz said everyone that has been asked to remove material has complied with the request.

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