March 22, 2012

Vol 120 | Issue 17

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Publishing since 1913

Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

SHSU President Gibson speaks with student senators, pg. 3

5-Day Forecast Information from Weather.com

Like us on Facebook: “The Houstonian SHSU”

Former Bearkat pursues NFL dream, in upcoming combine, pg. 5

Freerunning group finds trouble with univ. police MISTI JONES Senior Reporter

HI: 80 LOW: 54

Everyone walking around campus may have seen members of parkour freerunning around campus, doing seemingly impossible stunts off of trees and back-flipping off buildings, but recently, the organization has run into trouble with the authorities who temporarily banned the group from training and practicing.

For those who haven’t seen parkour, it is an art of movement. The members use techniques of gymnastics and acrobatics to run, jump, climb, roll and flip around obstacles. They train their bodies to move and develop stamina, balance and coordination by defying gravity.

Earlier this month, the Kinetic Disruption Parkour and Freerunning Club was practicing near the Lowman Student Center Mall Area, on the day of the incident.

A parkour member, who chose to go by “Hawk”, told the Houstonian that the situation started when two non-university students became interested.

He said a 14-year-old boy had asked to be involved to join in the training session, but the group told him it was against school policy for him to participate. The boy sat down to watch. A couple of University Police Department officers noticed the parkour group and took note of an underage boy sitting nearby. They then approached the group.

“They were yelling, ‘Hey stop!’ so of course we did,” Hawk said. “They asked what we were doing, and we had no reason to lie. We said, ‘Parkour.’ They said, ‘Oh, you mean jumping around off stuff.’ They obviously had a bad perception of us and what we are capable of and train our bodies to do.”

Hawk said the officers proceeded to line up the students, “shoulder-to-shoulder for police safety”, checking their identifications and criminal records.

“We told them we had a club and that we had waivers,” Hawk said. “They told us our waivers were completely revoked and didn’t apply to campus.”

The Sam Houston State University students were told they could leave and no charges were filed against them; however, the 14-year-old spectator and a 17-year-old non-SHSU student, who had been training with the parkour group, were taken aside.

UPD gave the 17-year-old a Criminal Trespassing Warrant (CTW), prohibiting him from the SHSU premises for a year, confirmed by campus officials.

HI: 80 LOW: 57

Saturday, Mar. 24 HI: 83 LOW: 60

Sunday, Mar. 25 HI: 85 LOW: 62

Monday, Mar. 26 HI: 85 LOW: 63

NOW HIRING. The Houstonian is currently searching for a parttime Graphic Designer.

Applicants must be SHSU students.

Preference will be given to those with graphic design experience, or graphic design majors.

Those interested in this, or other, positions should contact Stephen Green at: sgreen@houstonianonline.com or

936-294-1505 CORRECTION: The pull quote on the front page of Tuesday’s issue was made by Torrence Williams, not SHSU Athletic Director Bobby Williams.

Viewpoints ....... pg. 2 A&E ................... pg. 4 News .................. pg. 3 Sports................. pg. 5

Parkour no more?

Thursday, Mar. 22

Friday, Mar. 23

INDEX

AMANDA MORGAN Contributing Reporter

Mesgan Ellsworth | The Houstonian

According to Hawk, the officers told the young man that if he came onto campus, they would arrest him and send him to “big boy jail.”

“They told the 14-year-old boy that he was wasting his time with parkour,” Hawk said. “The —

PARKOUR, page 3

Journeys: An act of encouragement Economics prof. Nath turned experiences into successful career MEREDITH MOHR Contributing Reporter A young boy sits on the edge of the wooden bench, drawing circles absentmindedly in the dirt under his feet. With his chin in his hand, he completes the day’s schoolwork, and his teacher notices he is far beyond the other students in his class. Outside, fields of tea waver in a forgiving breeze under the hot Indian sun.

In a corner, Sam Houston State University economics professor Hiranya Nath observes the activity in the classroom quietly.

Occasionally, he bends over a desk, speaking to students as they work. This is one of many trips he has made back to his home state of Assam, India, to visit rural schools like the one he grew up in.

For Nath, these visits are an act of encouragement – he says he sees the potential of their bright minds and knows they can do well despite challenges they may face, much like his own story.

Kudos given to SHSU faculty, staff Roy Botard was surprised when a group of Sam Houston State University faculty and administrators filled his office handed him the Kudos and Thanks (K.A.T) Award.

In January, Botard received the K.A.T. award after an anonymous student nominated him for his extra effort helping them.

The K.A.T. award is a monthly program, which is sponsored by the Division of Student Services that recognizes SHSU staff and faculty members based on their outstanding service to both the university and students.

Botard is the Construction Manager in the Facilities Management division on campus and learned about award program from his own experience with it.

“I had no idea the [K.A.T.] program existed until I was presented with the award,” Botard said. “I now know it is a program for honoring faculty and staff for their good deeds above their normal duties.”

Every month, students can nominate a professor or administrator by submitting a nomination ballot at the designated locations across campus or online.

The nominations must be very specific in pinpointing the specific situation or occurrence that determines how the nominee has excelled in serving their fellow Bearkats.

The K.A.T. award program is extremely confidential with the submitted nominations and do not release the name of the student who nominates the winner.

After receiving his K.A.T. Award, Botard is not sure who nominated him or even why he was nominated and won the —

KUDOS, page 3

‘Mentally unstable’ man to face firebombing charges on Texas Senator STEPHEN GREEN Editor-in-Chief

Submitted photo.

ROUGH ROAD TO SAM. Hiranya Nath, Ph.D. started his career in Assam, India. He occasionally returns to his native country to give back.

Nath has been a professor at SHSU since 2002. Before he began his position as assistant professor in economics and international business, he earned his bachelor’s and master’s degree from the University of Delhi, his Master of Philosophy degree in economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University and a Master of Arts in Economics and a Doctorate in Economics from Southern Methodist University.

But it all began in rural Assam, in a school far from the standards of modern education. As one of three children, Nath said that life was “hard, but it was fun.”

“My parents could not afford a lot, so I went to public school, which was free,” Nath said. “In rural areas, public school is almost nothing. The schools there do not have roofs, electricity, running —

NATH, page 3

A mentally unstable man allegedly firebombed the office of Texas Sen. Wendy Davis will face charges Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott said on Mar. 21.

The man, 40-year-old Cedric Steele, allegedly threw a bag filled with six Moltov cocktails at a door at Davis’ Forth Worth office.

Steele faces charges of arson of a building, however, federal officials may add additional charges, according to reports by the Texas Tribune.

The Tribune also reports that police said Steele visited Davis’ office on Friday and Monday asking to speak with the senator.

Her staff then said he allegedly said they would see him in the news.

Davis said the incident shows why cutting mental health service funding can be a danger to society.

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Viewpoints

Page 2 Thursday, March 22, 2012

houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

For only love can conquer hate Brandon K. Scott discusses racism, profiling issues, broader story behind the Trayvon Martin killing

I

hope to never be mistaken for a suspicious person.

It could easily happen, though. I’m young, black, and my dreadlocks just keep getting longer.

Also, it’s never been above me to walk to a corner store for some Skittles and iced tea, or to gaze at homes if I just happen to be hanging out anywhere close to a gated community.

The photos of Trayvon Martin, a black 17-year-old who was killed in Sanford, Fla., a suburban Orlando city, almost a month ago by a self-proclaimed neighborhood watch captain, have circulated.

We’ve seen images of Martin, and if he’s suspicious, I don’t even want to know what I am.

“Suspicious person” as a call type is a bit suspicious in and of itself because it’s vague and welcomes all sorts of biases and preconceived notions, which give way to discriminatory practices that include stereotyping and profiling.

Martin was profiled as a suspicious person by an overzealous citizen, 28-year-old George Zimmerman who had reportedly dialed 911 at least 46

times in 2012 circumstances” already. of the shooting.

Zimmerman Sanford noticed Martin police have walking in the said this is neighborhood, not an issue of and decided race, therefore he “wasn’t making the right” or was issue of race “on drugs or even more s o m e t h i n g .” troubling and How did he disheartening. figure that, you This is not wonder? only an issue of So do I. race, but it is an The story issue of racial gets ugly from indifference there, since when a glaring of course, issue of race Zimmerman occurs. And p u r s u e d the truth is, M a r t i n , that’s a lot to parked his car, werthmedia | Flckr overcome. confronted Members for Trayvon. A sign held up at a rally to bring attention to the killing of him, fought Justice of the Sam 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. with him and Houston State then shot him, NAACP Unit without being arrested or charged police.

6816 formed a Trayvon Martin It’s an extremely sad situation, Task Force on Monday and the with a crime. which has a healthy part of the idea was to bring in a group of Martin is dead because black American community in experts working as a team to solve Zimmerman was forced to defend outrage. himself from the 17-year-old, a specific problem.

Finally, the FBI announced 140-pound black boy with the There were a lot of good ideas Skittles in his pocket and iced tea Monday it was opening an there. We prayed on the yard on in his hand, according to Sanford investigation into the “facts and Tuesday and presented the Student

Stop, look, listen (to your heart)

S

and meet new people or just sit on a bench and watch the crazy squirrels run around.

If you are a night owl, a great place to watch the stars at night is on The Hill behind Old Main. I spent many evenings just listening to the breeze and looking at the bright night sky. Of course I don’t recommend sleeping there, just spend 10 minutes or an hour if you have it and enjoy the scenery.

One of the simplest things you can do to ease your worries is to just simply smile. I noticed when walking into a building yesterday that almost no one was smiling. I don’t care how stressed or busy you may be, smiling is scientifically proven to help.

Smiling releases endorphins that make us feel better, so even if you fake smile, many people tend to feel better…even if they don’t want to admit it. Being miserable won’t help your situation any, so

- Brandon is a mass comm major.

Today in history:

Allison McMath appreciates the simple things in life

pring always brings hectic schedules, from extra year-end meetings to finals and graduation. But unfortunately we get caught up and forget the little things in our day-to-day life that are important.

A wise individual told me about a year ago to take time and enjoy the “simple pleasures” in life. Like many others, I often find myself panicking and stressing about little things like losing my phone or getting all of my assignments done. And while those things are important, I wish I took more time to just sit back and just chill for a few minutes.

It’s good for the soul.

Take a look at all the beautiful blooms that have started to sprout up around Huntsville. I have already seen bright bluebonnets along the streets and newly planted flowers around campus.

Take time to just walk campus

Government Association with a resolution to reach out to the Martin family in some capacity.

I mentioned something about reaching out to the local police departments to find some clarity on what a suspicious person is. We need to know if there is a way to avoid racial profiling when using that call type, and if we can’t, how serious of a problem is that?

Hopefully it is at least one that would be taken seriously.

Now, let’s be fair about the Martin incident. While racial stereotyping is about as common as drinking water, the actual homicide itself is sort of an anomaly in comparison to how black children were killed shamelessly in previous decades, such as the Atlanta baby killings in the early 1980s.

But we still have to confront some serious questions in our society in regards to our racial perceptions, and the ghost of Trayvon Martin is just yelling and screaming it: What is a suspicious person?

And is there any possible way I can change your mind before you call the cops, or even worse, shoot?

might as well be happy and see the positive side of things.

By no means am I saying to ignore homework or be happy all the time, but just take a second out of your busy life to enjoy the simplicity of life.

If you’re daring, turn off your phone for a bit and take in the silence. Realize that life doesn’t always have to be complicated and crazy, but there are still simplicities in life like eating a good snow cone or watching a baby giggle.

To that wise man, thanks for giving me a great new perspective that has helped me through the last year. I hope that others will begin to follow this example and see the world from a different angle.

Take time and enjoy the simple pleasures.

- Allison is the Copy Editor.

March 22

1621 – The Pilgrims of Plymouth Colony sign a peace treaty with Massasoit of the Wampanoags.

1622 – Jamestown massacre: Algonquian Indians kill 347 English settlers around Jamestown, Virginia, a third of the colony’s population.

1638 – Anne Hutchinson is expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony for religious dissent.

1765 – The British Parliament passes the Stamp Act that introduces a tax to be levied directly on its American colonies.

1972 – The United States Congress sends the Equal Rights Amendment to the states for ratification.

1972 – Eisenstadt v. Baird decision by the United States Supreme Court allows unmarried persons the right to contraceptives.

1989 – Clint Malarchuk of the Buffalo Sabres suffers a near-fatal injury when another player accidentally slits his throat.

March 23

1775 – American Revolutionary War: Patrick Henry delivers his speech – “Give me Liberty, or give me Death!” – at St. John’s Church in Richmond, Virginia.

1806 – After traveling through the Louisiana Purchase and reaching the Pacific Ocean, explorers Lewis and Clark and their “Corps of Discovery” begin their arduous journey home.

1909 – Theodore Roosevelt leaves New York for a postpresidency safari in Africa. The trip is sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution and National Geographic Society.

1965 – NASA launches Gemini 3, the United States’ first two-man space flight (crew: Gus Grissom and John Young).

1989 – Stanley Pons and Martin Fleischmann announce their discovery of cold fusion at the University of Utah.

All comics courtesy Creators.com

March 24

Editorial Staff Robin Johnson Faculty Adviser 936-294-1499

Stephen Green E dito r-in-Chie f 936 -294-1505

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S p o r ts Edi to r

1989 – In Prince William Sound in Alaska, the Exxon Valdez spills 240,000 barrels (38,000 m3) of petroleum after running aground.

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1958 – Rock’N’Roll teen idol Elvis Presley is drafted in the U.S. Army.

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1832 – In Hiram, Ohio a group of men beat, tar and feather Mormon leader Joseph Smith, Jr..

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The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers.

Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call 936-2941495. The Houstonian is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

News Fashion show gives tropical escape Page 3

Thursday, March 22, 2012

houstonianonline.com/news

JASMINE BROWN Contributing Reporter Beautiful Alliance hosted their Tropical Escape Runway Show in the Lowman Student Center Ballroom on March 20.

Tropical decorations of grass and flowers were present on the stage and around the Ballroom.

Upon entry, leis were handed out to everyone who attended.

Raffle tickets were also sold for a dollar. The raffle winner’s prize was a bag designed by DaVieria Greenwood, president of BA. The event was hosted by Dominique “Nicko Suave” Freeman and twins Albert and Gerald Thomas. The island themed show kicked off with a dance from three African Student Association dancers to usher in the tropical vibe. Next the

modeling began. Each segment was sectioned off by designer and each perspective designer introduced their section and gave the audience a little info about it.

MeetGreetDelete line by Zae Brown, started off the runway, which featured slogans from everyday life incorporated into attire. Brown described his line as, “keeping it simple, but fresh, while expressing ourselves through fashion.”

Next was part one of DaVieria Greenwood’s line, Greenwear. The first portion of her line was very colorful and eclectic with lots of floral patterns and self-made accessories.

Elexis Stephens XSentric Espionage line followed which featured all male pastel colored pants.

RespectVintage by Aleesha

Jocab came next. Jacob’s line was all about appreciating the past and everything modeled in her segment will be available in her online store RespectVintage.com.

Adeola Mosanya’s line, D.E.O.L.A mixed funky prints with classic cuts.

The finale was Greenwood’s second part of her Greenwear line which featured more eccentric patterns.

“I’m proud of everyone who participated and thankful for everyone that came,” said Greenwood.

BA’s Vice President, Brittany Hamilton was also proud of the show’s outcome. Hamilton encourages everyone to come out to Beautiful Alliance meetings on Tuesdays in LSC room 308 from 6:30 - 7:45 p.m.

SHSU is the least costly out of the top ten universities such as Texas State, Texas A&M, Stephen F. Austin and University of North Texas. Gibson explained in detail what the raised tuition and fees would support.

“The main portion of that is going to be used for a three percent merit pool for our faculty and staff,” Gibson said. “We did not give increases in salary this year for our faculty and staff.

For those faculty and staff, who I think work very hard and really care a lot about what they do here, that really meant that they had a decrease in their net salary because our health insurance went up.”

Gibson said what they are asking to increase, which is a part of the 3.94 percent, will

include an increase in athletic fee, student service fee and advising fees to raise number of advisors in the Sam Center. Fixed costs have increased such as utilities, software licenses and contracts and gasoline for vehicles used on campus have increased. Gibson said these amounts are built into the tuition and fees projection.

The student body will have to vote and endorse an increase in student center fee and medical service fee. These increases would provide funds to build an expansion of the Lowman Student Center and Student Health Center.

Gibson said if tuition increased, SHSU students would still be paying less than any university competitor. An additional tuition and fees increase will not occur until fall 2014.

Rana Banks | The Houstonian

WALK THE RUNWAY. RespectiveVintage designer Aleesha Jacobs, talks about her collection that shown in the Beautiful Alliance Runway show.

University president tells SGA about tuition increases

MISTI JONES Senior Reporter

Student Government Association welcomed University President Dana Gibson as she spoke of proposals for tuition and fee increases during the spring 2013 and fall 2014 semesters.

Dana Gibson, Ph. D, addressed tuition and fee increases to the Senate in order to take their input to Board of Regents meeting for approval. In her presentation, Gibson showed how Sam Houston State University compares to other Texas institutions in relation to tuition and fee expenditures.

Currently for a student taking 15 credit hours, tuition costs an average of $4,060. In spring 2013, tuition would increase by 3.94 percent to $4,220. Gibson said

PARKOUR,

page 1

reality is that we are no more a cause for concern than football or rugby, where some huge guy is running as fast as he can to tackle or hurt you.”

James Fitch, Deputy Chief of UPD, said it isn’t the department’s intention to prevent any student organizations from participating on campus.

He said organizations, such as football, have officials present to ensure that all rules followed. UPD officials were simply ensuring the safety of the parkour members and juveniles who were present, according to Fitch.

“Parkour has an advisor, but this advisor has not been present when our department has been called,” Fitch said. “If there was someone present to make sure that rules were not broken and the stunts were not too dangerous and create safety hazards for those involved, I believe a lot of the issues would go away.”

Student Activities’ Student Organizations Policy “Co-Curricular Use of University Facilities” Section 3.2 says “a faculty/ staff advisor may be required to be in attendance during the scheduled use of any university facility by an organization.”

Fitch said UPD is responsible for the safety of everyone on campus including individuals who participate in functions such as parkour.

“If something is deemed unsafe, it is our responsibility to make sure that no one gets hurt,” Fitch said. “This includes non-students and juveniles, who may or may not have their parent’s permission to do these types of things.

There are also times where since this is a student organization, the liability that is presented to the University must also be considered.”

When asked about the 14-year-old juvenile and 17-year-old non-student, Fitch said they had previously been warned

by UPD on more than one occasion. He confirmed the trespassing warrant that was

given to the 17-year-old but said he had continuously participated with parkour after prior meetings with UPD. Fitch also discussed incidents where people called UPD in reference to the parkour members “trampling the plants and flowers in flowerbeds.”

He said it was reported that a small tree had been broken as well. Student Organizations Policy “Co-Curricular Use of University Facilities” Section 3.2 says that all sponsored organizations “assume full responsibility for any financial obligations, damage to facilities or equipment and actions of participants.”

He said there had been reports of the members attempting to “jump out of the parking garage onto a mattress.” Fitch stresses that UPD is not against the parkour club or its existence, and it is simply a concern for safety and liability.

According to Adventure. howstuffworks.com, parkour was founded in Lisses, France by David Belle in 1988. Belle adapted this freerunning phenomena from his love of martial arts films and his father’s military training. Belle’s father learned to sync the body and its surroundings through military obstacle courses, which inspired the later creation of parkour.

Parkour is allowed by university officials at Virginia Tech, but has been banned from Florida State University for liability issues. No decision has been made yet on the fate the SHSU parkour organization, but as far as Fitch knows, they are still an active organization.

According to Angie Taylor, director of Leadership Intiatives for the Department of Student Activities, the student organization board is currently reviewing the active registration status of the parkour and freerunning club.

KUDOS,

page 1

award.

“I really have no idea [who] nominated me,” Botard said.

Every month the winner of the K.A.T. Award is selected by a committee that votes based on the nomination ballot they collect from the previous month.

The K.A.T. Award publicly acknowledges individuals that outstandingly serve others in the university community.

Faculty and administrators from the division of Student Services share this recognition with the Bearkat community by presenting the award to the winner each month.

“I think any program that recognizes special deeds done by special people is a good thing for any business,” Botard said.

“Especially a public entity where ‘merit’ awards are not easily attainable.”

Botard is this semester’s first K.A.T. award recipient but there have been five other recipients since August of 2011 including Rachel Hurst in August, Jore Varela in September, Kathy Roberts in October, Scott Vieiera in November and Shirin Edwin in December.

NATH,

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water, and sometimes there is a shortage of teachers.”

But a zest for learning outweighed those challenges.

“I spoke Assamese as my native tongue,” Nath said. “I learned English by reading the grocery bags made of old newspapers.

I finished all the books we had. When I was growing up, I was almost like a group project for my teachers. As an educator, I teach for the average student, but there are always students who need extra attention because they can handle it. It was the same for me in school, and I

Gibson announced two Forums that will allow students, faculty and staff to discuss campus issues on March 27 and March 28, both at 3 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Theater.

“She [came] here to reach out to our organization. She made a request to present this before she said it to anybody else. That speaks volumes of the respect that she has for the organization and the value she places on the feedback from you guys,” President Tyler Eberhart said to the Senate.

Vice President Jason Tilton announced that the Senate must fill out election forms in order to stay a Senator for next year.

Voting for Senators will take place on April 11 to April 12. The list of those campaigning for next year’s positions are yet to be determined.

did very well.”

Nath scored high on his placement exams and was accepted to the University of Delhi, which was 1400 miles from home.

“My parents had to make a very difficult decision because they could not afford to send all three of us to school in Delhi,” Nath said. “It meant my siblings would go to school in Assam, but my father said it will be difficult but you will do it.”

When he got to Delhi as a 16 year old, the first time he’d lived away from home, he was not only faced with the challenges of higher education, but also social challenges he didn’t expect.

“When I went to Delhi, it was the first time I had ever boarded a train,” Nath said. “When I went back for school, I found that I did not know a lot of things about every day spoken English and the kids who had gone to boarding school and could speak very good English made fun of me for that. Some of the stories I have from school are funny now, but at the time, they were challenging. I was in the rich kid school and I was a nobody there.”

Nath said he was faced with these challenges in a different time than students now – there were no cell phones and he couldn’t just go home for the weekend if being at school was tough.

“I would write letters to my father, but it would take two weeks to get there and then another two weeks for his letter to get back to me,” Nath said. “In the meantime, I solved problems on my own. Early on, I learned to be independent and that is a big factor in how I turned out. In the end, it was a good thing, facing these challenges, because I told myself I would probably face many more things but

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On behalf of Technology Coordinator Joseph Le, University Affairs Chief Shane Rankin announced that wireless nodes are expected to be put in the LSC in a couple of weeks for cell phone reception availability.

Motion unanimously passed Senate Resolution S12-06 to stand in support of the bringing to justice to the killer of Trayvon Martin. Martin, 17, was killed in Florida last month for appearing “suspicious” after walking home, unarmed, from a convenience store with only candy and iced tea on his person.

Director of the LSC, Danny McDaniels, will present the proposal for the expansion of the student center to the Senate on April 3.

that should not stop me.”

Nath is on the other side of these challenges now, and he said when he can, he encourages his students to keep on going, despite what they might be facing or feeling now.

“Sometimes I have students who open up to me and come talk to me about what’s going on in their lives,” Nath said. “I tell them, these sorts of things happened to me too, but at the end of the day, it doesn’t really matter. When I go back to India, I typically just drop by the schools because I don’t want to be in the limelight, I just want to tell them they can do it. I tell them I expect you to be independent, but I am not telling you not to call your parents – it was a different time. But maybe some of the things I have learned, they can learn from too.”

These days, Nath said that he emphasizes that what young minds need is opportunity and someone to tell them they can do it, something that was offered to him in his studies.

“I was very lucky to have met some good people in my life who did not really know me but gave me the opportunity to do well,” Nath said. “One time there was professor who never taught me but who thought highly of me wanted to help me do well, and the fact that he trusted me helped me to succeed because I didn’t want to let him down.”

One of these people was SHSU economics professor Donald Freeman, Ph.D. Freeman met Nath as a graduate student at SMU, and later on Nath was assigned a discussant for a paper Freeman had written and was presenting at a conference. Freeman said that while most discussants lack constructive feedback for the presenter, “my

experience with Nath was altogether different.”

“He was prepared, thorough, and probably more expert on the subject than I was,” Freeman said.

“He gave me some very good ideas that I had not thought of and that proved quite useful later on. I thought to myself at the time that he would make an outstanding colleague when he graduated, and fortunately that’s how it turned out. He joined our department shortly after that, and we have been far better since Nath came to SHSU.” Now as colleagues at SHSU, Freeman said noted his observations of Nath in the classroom and in the department speak volumes about who he is.

“Nath is one of the kindest and most unselfish people that I know,” Freeman said.

“He comes from a remote area in Northeast India that most Americans have never heard of, yet he has managed through dint of hard work and determination to be an accomplished scholar and a fine teacher.

These days, Nath remembers the impact of his own education in emphasizing the importance of perseverance, courage and creativity in academics to students in India and Huntsville alike.

“I have had good fortune in my successes, and met many good people. These things I do in the field of economics, I love,” Nath said. “I tell my students that it has not been without challenges, but in the end, it was a good thing, facing these things, because I told myself I would probably face many more things but that should not stop me. I try to give them that confidence too.”

Arts & Entertainment

Page 4 Thursday, March 22, 2012

houstonianonline.com/a-e

‘Hunger Games’ to satisfy fans’ appetite GEORGE MATTINGLY Arts & Entertainment Editor The latest book series craze has hit students at Sam Houston State University who have been eagerly scrambling to read the pages of Suzanne Collins’ thrilling post-apocolyptic trilogy that has readers hungry for more.

Readers will finally get to see the story come to life when the “The Hunger Games” leaves the shelves for the big screen Thursday at the midnight premiere.

The story strays away from the fantasy worlds of Harry Potter and Twilight and takes place in future North America, now called Panem. The government selects 24 “tributes” to compete in a fight to the death broadcast on television for everyone to watch.

When 16-year-old Katniss Everdeen, played by Jennifer Lawrence, takes her sister’s place in the competition, she unexpectedly becomes the star of the games and the face of rebellion against the government.

“The Hunger Games” hit the shelves in 2008 and currently holds the top spot on USA Today’s Best-Selling Books list with 133 weeks at number one, while the two sequels in the second and third spots. With its popularity, the series looks to also be a hit in the box office.

With the excitement surrounding the books, local fans are eager to see the dystopian world of Panem come to life on the big screen.

“I’m excited to see how the [filmmakers] pull the ‘Hunger Games’ off in the movie,” Becca Stanton, senior political science major, said. “I also want to see the ridiculous costumes they describe in the book,” she said.

Amidst the action-packed, suspenseful scenes and shocking environment that dominate the story, there is room for a love story

in “The Hunger Games”.

The story adds a layer of vulnerability to the characters in the triangle among Katniss, her best friend Gale, played by Liam Hemsworth, and her fellow competitor Peeta, played by Josh Hutcherson.

Other fans are eager to see how the love story plays out on screen.

“My favorite thing from the book was suspense and how Peeta was so sweet to Katniss, so I want to see that in the movie,” Deysha Whatley, sophomore biology major, said.

Also, for readers who follow the books, “The Hunger Games” film looks to be more promising than other major films like the Twilight series because of the cast.

“I’m excited that the characters in the movie are actually close to how I pictured them from reading,” Whatley said. “I was disappointed in Twilight for that [casting], so I think ‘The Hunger Games’ will be better.”

With the buzz over the books a film, the Cinestar of Hunstville has already sold out of the midnight premiere. For a complete list of show times for “The Hunger Games”, visit www. huntsvillemovies.com.

Photo courtesty of Film_Poster| Flickr.com

LET THE ‘GAMES’ BEGIN: According to CNNMoney.com, because of its popularity, the Hunger Games trilogy has been credited for a large part of the 22 percent increase in shares of the Scholastic Corps. that publishes the book series.

WINNER A C A D E M Y AWA R D S

BEST PICTURE

®

©A.M.P.A.S.®

BEST DIRECTOR BEST ACTOR BEST COSTUME DESIGN BEST ORIGINAL SCORE MICHEL HAZANAVICIUS

JEAN DUJARDIN

MARK BRIDGES

LUDOVIC BOURCE

Jazz festival to educate students, honor musician Guest artists head to PAC for workshops, performances for students JASMINE BROWN Contributing Reporter Music students will gather for a weekend full of education and performances as the School of Music hosts the 52nd Bill Watrous Jazz Festival Friday and Saturday.

Held in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall, the festival will include two full days of workshops and guest performances from faculty and highly reknown guest musicians.

While Sam Houston State University has hosted the festival for many years, this is only the second year the School of Music

has honored noted jazz trombonist Bill Watrous.

He is known for his boporiented sound and has worked with several artists including Quincy Jones, Maynard Ferguson and Woody Herman throughout the 1960s.

Director of Jazz Studies Aric Schneller, Ph.D. said the festival was held as a way for “promoting jazz education and securing Bill Watrous’s legacy of jazz education here [at SHSU].”

The festival will be an all-day event with college, high school and junior high school jazz bands performing throughout both days.

In addition to the performances, the festival will also be a competition for jazz groups with nationally acclaimed jazz musicians present to critique the groups.

This year, workshops will be hosted by nationally acclaimed guest artists including “Big Band Era” singer Lynn Roberts, and trumpet player Vaughn Nark.

At 2 p.m. on Friday, a clinic will be held with Nark, and Saturday, a clinic will be held with Roberts.

The concert portion of the festival begins at 7:30 p.m. on both nights in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall. The concerts will feature performances

by Watrous, Roberts, and the SHSU Jazz Ensemble directed by Schneller, along with other special guest appearances.

Schneller said the festival is also a unique opportunity for all students.

“Jazz is a true American art form,” Schneller said.

“It’s so prevalent in our culture with all music that we listen to and it’s still relevant today in terms of improv and how people interact.”

Admission for the Bill Watrous Jazz Festival is $17 for adults, $14 for seniors, and $5 for students.

For more information call the School of Music at 936-294-1360.

Artist A DISTURBING IMAGE AND A CRUDE GESTURE

NOW PLAYING AT THEATRES EVERYWHERE Check Local Listings for Theaters and Show Times.

Photo courtesy of John Dugan | Flickr.com

WEEKEND OF JAZZ: The Bill Watrous Jazz Festival will feature performances and workshops from Watrous and other musicians like jazz vocalist Lynn Roberts and trumpet player Vaughn Nark. All performances and workshops will be held in the Performing Arts Center.

Sports

Page 5 Thursday, March 22, 2012 houstonianonline.com/sports

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Baseball swept by Bears

Kats fall at home to Baylor, 10-3 CODY LEWIS Sports Reporter

The Sam Houston State University baseball team hosted a top-25-ranked Baylor team and took a 10-3 loss at home on Wednesday.

Pitcher Andrew Godail got his first start of the season for the Bearkats and lasted only two thirds of the first inning after loading the bases with three straight walks. Taylor Holt was next in line and he allowed a double that gave the Bears their first three runs. The Bears loaded the bases four separate times in this game.

In total, SHSU sent out nine different pitchers who dished out 11 total walks.

“We have pitched well on the weekends,” Bearkats head coach David Pierce said. “We just didn’t respond on the mound.

Unfortunately for the other players, they have to deal with that.”

Pitcher Joey Hainsfurther started for Baylor and lasted five solid innings, giving up two hits and no runs. He was the first of five Baylor pitchers.

The Bearkats scored for the first time in the bottom of the sixth

photo courtesy of gobearkats.com

A ROUGH TWO GAME SERIES. The Bearkat baseball team competed against Baylor in a home-and-home series. Both times, the Kats came out on the losing side. On Feb. 28 SHSU lost to the Bears on the road, 5-2. Wednesday, the Kats were defeated 10-3. The Kats will host Texas State in a three-game series this weekend.

inning when shortstop Corey Toups hit a double down the left field line to give the Bearkats their first extra-base hit of the night.

Colt Atwood followed with a single over the head of pitcher Trae Davis to put runners on first and third. John Hale then hit a ground ball, which scored Toups.

Right fielder Jake Arrington also hit a single in this inning, scoring a run.

“We didn’t give up,” Toups said.

“We didn’t want to give this game away, but we just have to put it behind us.”

The Bears, however, started the seventh inning with two straight singles and scored a run, making the score 10-3. Jake Arrington saved another run from scoring by firing the ball from right field to catcher John Hale, who tagged a runner out at the plate.

The Bearkats were able to manage five hits against the

Bears while Baylor totaled 12 hits against SHSU. Left fielder Greg Olson, replaced outfielder Luke Plucheck, who injured his ankle last Sunday against Nicholls. John Hale got the start behind the plate for injured catcher Anthony Azar.

Baylor met Sam Houston earlier this season on Feb. 28 and took a 6-2 victory. This win gave Baylor a season sweep over the Bearkats.

Baylor leads Sam Houston in

the all-time series 59-39, and after tonight the series of games played in Huntsville is even at 25.

The Bearkats host Texas State for a three-game Southland Conference series starting Friday at Don Sanders Stadium.

The Bearkats have yet to lose a three-game series to a Southland Conference opponent. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.

For more information about the team, visit gobearkats.com.

Former Bearkat football player Women’s basketball hopeful that NFL is in his future continues to set records despite season ending

photo courtesy of gobearkats.com

READY FOR THE BIG TIME. Former SHSU outside linebacker E.J. Nduka was invited to the National Combine in Detroit that lasts March 29-31.

ZACH BIRDSONG Sports Editor Former Sam Houston State University outside linebacker E.J. Nduka has had the dream of playing in the National Football League.

On a muddy field in San Marcos on Wednesday, the former outside linebacker became one step closer to achieving that dream as he showcased his talent in front of an estimated 15 scouts as he took part in an NFL Pro Day. The 23-year-old will continue to showcase his ability, but this time on a national level as he was invited to compete in the National Combine that is going to be held in Detroit.

In January, Nduka alongside former SHSU wide receiver Grant Merritt, competed in the Houston regional designated for those who had not yet been invited to the National Combine.

Out of an estimated 500 hopefuls that competed in the regional, Nduka was one of only 12 athletes that were invited to compete at Nationals. He was also one of two players that were selected from the outside linebacker position.

“I was extremely excited,” he said. “It finally felt like all the sweat and tears that I’ve been putting in since my freshman year was paying off. But, I knew now that I’ve been invited to the center

stage, I have to show my best so that a team will fall in love with me.”

Since the regional, the former Bearkat has been training at Velocity Sports Performance in Houston every day. He has been training with different players from the University of Texas, Texas Christian University, Utah and McNeese State amongst other schools.

“We work on explosion, speed and position specific drills,” he said. “I’ve been training twice a day with good nutrition. I’m just trying to make sure I keep my competitive edge.”

During his Pro Day, the 23-yearold demonstrated his abilities in different drills that included running a 40-yard dash, vertical leap, broad jump, shuttle run and an L-drill.

The NFL scouts on hand also wanted to see how he could play in space, move his hips and catch the ball. According to Nduka, he did well in those and “left an impression with them.”

After the drills, he was approached by several scouts including ones from the Houston Texans, Jacksonville Jaguars, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Pittsburgh Steelers and Atlanta Falcons.

Pittsburgh sent former Steeler defensive tackle “Mean Joe” Greene as their scout. Greene and a scout for the Jaguars approached Nduka after and asked him to run

some extra drills.

He also mentioned that the Falcons also wanted to see him perform a 60-yard shuttle run to see how well he could change his direction and maintain his speed.

From a fan’s perspective, Nduka admits that rather than being a fan of an NFL team, he is more of a fan of certain individuals. He admits that he models his game after his two favorite players, Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis and former Philadelphia Eagles linebacker Jeremiah Trotter.

“I really admire Ray Lewis’ faith and he applies it on the field,” Nduka said. “He is obviously a future Hall of Famer, but he remains humble and strives to improve every single year and the same thing with Trotter.”

At SHSU Nduka was a member of the 2009-2011 active squads.

After his first year on the team, the coaching staff changed and current head coach Willie Fritz took over the program.

In his second year at helm, Fritz led the Bearkats to a 14-1 record where they competed in the programs first ever National Championship game.

Nduka likes the changes that the second-year head coach has made and thinks the program is headed in the right direction.

“There’s a lot of talent on the team,” he said. “I’ve never been around that many talented people who had the right mind set and the same goals. The team will be really good for a while.”

Above all else, Nduka wanted to thank those closest to him for helping him try to achieve this goal.

“I am extremely thankful for the ability God has given me and I am very grateful for my family and friends who have supported me from day one,” he said.

The Combine is set for March 29-31 and will be televised on the NFL Network.

KARMEN KING Viewpoints Editor The records just keep falling.

After a historic season that included the first ever post-season competition and Britni Martin’s 1,000 point achievement, came to a close the Bearkat women’s basketball team learned that they had set another record, attendance.

For the third time in four years the Bearkat women have won the Southland Conference’s “Pack the House” challenge.

A school record crowd of 3,141 saw the Bearkats defeat Mary Hardin-Baylor 87-53 on Friday, November 18, in an afternoon game at Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum.

The challenge is part of a broader competition within the NCAA that has the goal of setting attendance records.

SOUTHLAND STANDINGS BASEBALL slc

Teams

overall

Texas St. SHSU McNeese St.

4-2 4-2 4-2

14-6 11-8 7-11

Northwestern St. Southeastern La. UT Arlington

4-2 3-3 3-3

7-12 15-6 13-8

Nicholls St. Central Ark. TAMU-CC

3-3 3-3 3-3

12-9 8-9 10-12

UTSA SFA Lamar

2-4 2-4 1-5

10-11 7-13 7-12

SOFTBALL

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The games are held earlier in the day so that local elementary and middle schools can bus their students to the games.

The NCAA awards a prize of $500 to the non-profit organization chosen by the winning school in each participating conference.

This season’s attendance grew from last year’s record, 2,503.

Sam Houston Elementary will receive the prize for the student’s outstanding spirit, cheering and attendance at the game in November.

“What a great accomplishment for Sam Houston,” head coach Brenda Welch-Nichols said. “We get post-season play and ‘Pack the House.’ It shows how hard our girls work in the community.

Thanks to all our support with elementary schools in Huntsville.

It all pays off, just one more accomplishment for this year’s squad.”

Teams

slc

overall

Central Ark. McNeese St. SHSU

2-0 2-0 2-0

22-10 17-8 8-13

Texas St. TAMU-CC Northwestern St.

3-1 3-3 1-1

17-11 7-13 12-16

UTSA UT Arlington SFA

1-3 0-0 0-2

10-14 12-10 7-17

Southeastern La. Nicholls St.

0-2 0-2

6-21 4-18

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