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Chi Alpha scrutinized by former member Sammypalooza shocks students Ultimate Frisbee should be sanctioned

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Volume 125/ Issue 19

Thursday, March 27, 2014

NEWS ANALYSIS

CAMPUS

Class drop deadline looming for students KASSIDY TURNPAUGH Assistant News Editor

Brynn Castro | The Houstonian

BOOMSNAP. Miss Sam Houston Briarley Dellinger (right) speaks during Tuesday’s meeting after Student Body President Ramiro Jaime, Jr. heard of his impeachment charges. Dellinger was a part of Jaime’s fight to protest the Senate’s disapproval of his election commission being entirely populated by Greeks.

SGA critics may be spot on JAY R. JORDAN Associate Editor

Student Body President Ramiro Jaime, Jr. has received impeachment files against him for his failure to appoint six students to the election commission by Feb. 18, despite the Student Government Association Election Code explicitly stating so.

Additional charges include multiple alleged violations of SGA Rules and Regulations as well as for “failure to act in a manner befitting the President of the Student Body in dealing with members of student government and the student body.”

One previous SHSU student body president, alumnus Ryan Bridges, said while he can’t speak on the impeachment turnout, he disapproves of some of Jaime’s actions, including his choice of election commissioners.

On multiple occasions and by multiple senators, Jaime was told that the Senate thought it was inappropriate to appoint six Greek life members to the election

commission, because it made the commission lack diversity and a true representation of the student body. Jaime’s said multiple times that he took this as an attack on Greek life.

“When I was president, it was a policy of mine to get students from all different areas of campus involved with committees, so we could have as much diversity of opinion as we could,” Bridges said.

Bridges also said Jaime’s actions towards some of the Senate’s suggestions in past meetings wouldn’t have been acceptable under his administration.

During the March 18 general Senate meeting, after two of Jaime’s election commission appointments were rejected by the Senate, multiple Senators thought to write suggestions for commissioners and give them to the president for his appointment. Jaime reportedly rejected the idea.

“If I was in Ramiro’s shoes, I would’ve jumped at the opportunity to receive feedback like that,” Bridges said. “I think the idea about the senate compiling a list of possible nominees was a great one.”

SGA’s chambers were at standing-room only capacity Tuesday for the first time at

least two years. The tension in Tuesday’s general Senate meeting was palpable, not only because of the close-quartered chamber, but because of the measures Student Body President Ramiro Jaime, Jr. took.

After the debate on the diversity of his election commission appointments, Jaime sent a text message to an unnamed individual involved in Greek life: “Please announce that we are trying to get as many greeks as possible to the SGA meeting tomorrow night at 6:30pm in LSC Room 320. Senators have publicly stated that ALL greeks are corrupted and don’t deserve a voice. We want them to say it to our face.”

“I don’t think that the senate wanting diversity is disenfranchising to any one group, and I don’t think Ramiro should be interpreting it that way,” Bridges said.

Bridges, speaking from his own two-year’s experience, said although the job of student body president is sometimes “lonely,” it still requires a dutiful student to fulfill it.

For the full version of this article, visit houstonianonline.com.

FILM

Director talks making ‘Rocky,’ ‘The Karate Kid’ HANNAH ZEDAKER Senior Reporter Oscar-winning film director John G. Avildsen shared stories of his career in the film industry with students and faculty Tuesday as part of the President’s Speaker Series at Sam Houston State University.

As the director of “Rocky” and The Karate Kid trilogy, as well as many other successful films, Avildsen is renowned for his ability to capture the timeless story of the underdog beating the odds and coming out triumphantly.

Courtesy Today@Sam After a book signing in OSCAR WINNER. Film director John G. Avildsen shared his life-long career the Lowman Student Center, in the film industry to an audience of SHSU students and faculty Tuesday.

Avildsen spoke candidly in a

press conference before his public speech.

“The awards are nice, but when people come up and give you stories about how they were feeling one way and then they saw a movie and then they feel a different way as a result of seeing it, those are the things that make you most pleased,” Avildsen said. “The Oscar has this universal ‘wow’ quality to it, which is nice, but the personal stories that I hear from people, or I get messages from them on YouTube, it really makes my day and it’s very gratifying when I hear those stories.”

Avildsen won an Oscar for Best Director in 1977 for —

DIRECTOR, page 6

A change to course drop deadlines has students at Sam Houston State University facing the music of course grades earlier than in years past.

After years of students being able to drop a course up until the last class day, the Faculty Senate approved a University Affairs Committee proposal to move the drop date to the 10th week during a February 2013 meeting.

This semester the policy was implemented and the last day to drop a course is Friday.

SHSU’s drop date was much later in the year compared to its sister universities, the committee reported.

Many students have expressed concern over the changes made and fear that said changes could mean dire consequences for both students and the university.

Freshman music therapy major Reid McFadden worries that the changes could endanger the process by which students find the proper major for them.

“As a freshman, I believe it would be a huge benefit if we were able to drop course at any point in the year,” McFadden said.

“Indecision is common and to help with the stress of signing up —

DROP, page 6

IN BRIEF Osama bin Laden’s son-in-law and chief spokesperson for alQuaeda, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, was convicted Wednesday for his involvement in a conspiracy to kill Americans. He could potentially get life in prison during his sentencing Sept. 8.

Connecticut approved the highest state minimum wage rate of $10.10 per hour by 2017 Wednesday. This is the same minimum wage President Barack Obama is advocating for at the federal level. The bill passed by a vote of 21-14 in the Senate and 87-54 in the House.

After a mudslide occurred March 22 in Oso, WA., 16 people have been confirmed dead with an additional eight bodies which have been located but not recovered. A total of 90 people are still missing.

Nineteen days into the search for Flight MH370, 122 objects were spotted via satellite floating in the Indian Ocean where officials believe the Malaysian Airlines plane crashed. The objects were spotted by a French satellite.

However, researches have yet to pursue their findings due to poor weather conditions.

THE SAM HOUSTON MEMORIAL MUSEUM Presents

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Page 2

News

Thursday, March 27, 2014 houstonianonline.com/news

SPENCER COPELAND President

DREW CARSON Vice President

EMMANUEL OMOEGBELE President

TYLER LIVEZEY Secretary

BROOKE HUNTER Vice President

JOANNA MOORE Secretary

VICTOR IHEZUKWU Treasurer

TYLER PATEK Chief of Staff

NOT PICTURED SAMUEL IREDIA ROBERT FERGUSON Treasurer Chief of Staff

JOHNATHAN RODRIGUEZ Vice President ISAAC RUIZ Chief of Staff

COBA Dean: courses should focus on soft skills JAY R. JORDAN Associate Editor

The necessity of curriculum changes was the topic of discussion among faculty members at Sam Houston State University, President Dana Gibson and Provost Jamie Hebert during a roundtable discussion Wednesday.

The discussion boiled down to the realistic effectiveness of the current curriculum as it pertains to fitting in the professional workplace.

“If you go back to 30 years ago, most bachelor degrees were 132 hours,” dean of the College of Business Administration Mitchell Muehsam said. “You have some financial constraints that reduce the number of hours that we have in front

of our students for a degree. And then at the same time, the amount of knowledge in the world has increased exponentially.

And so the challenge is how do we get this information in front of our students and at the same time grow as a human being?”

Muehsam said he believes the since SHSU is a regional university with many first-generation students, as opposed to the University of Texas where some students come from a long line of “a greater array of professionals,” they should be better prepared for the professional world.

“When they come to the university, they are just as smart,” Muehsam said.

“They haven’t had the experience to see the connections.”

Muehsam said his best idea for professors is to teach real-world professional skills, such as communicating with future employers, by incorporating more out-ofclass assignments into the curriculum.

“I would continue to challenge our faculty who are passionate about our students learning to find a way to expand the learning base,” he said. “Classroom assignments, outof-classroom assignments, and learning opportunities that are classroom-based and not classroom-based [will] give our students a chance to learn from each other, to learn from faculty and to learn from outside mentors.”

Other items faculty discussed with Gibson and Hebert were the involvement of local and regional businesses with the university. Faculty members advocated for businesses to visit the university more often and see the impact it has on the community.

Gibson said multiple CEOs and company owners from Houston often visit the university but only after an initial contact.

“I think we can be very proud of what we’ve got here,” Gibson said. “I also think sometimes that first you have to reach out,

you have to be on your turf, you have to go there and get them interested.”

Gibson also said that the CEOs from most of the hospitals in Houston have visited campus but only after she visited them first.

Gibson also said the arts and entertainment the university hosts are important links to the community.

“The other side of that is why do you want to go to the music and dance performances in downtown Houston when you can come up here? It’s much easier to get to music and dance up here [from Montgomery County].”

Gibson and Hebert host roundtable discussions to receive real input from faculty and staff at SHSU. This meeting’s topic was one of many the two have held, including one wanting input on the implementation of massive open online courses at SHSU.

CAMPUS

Psych services aid non-student patients HANNAH ZEDAKER Senior Reporter The Psychological Services Center at Sam Houston State University provides a venue where doctoral psychological students can gain hands on, supervised experience and is utilized by clients from Huntsville, Walker County and surrounding counties.

While the Counseling Center only accepts SHSU students, the Psychological Services Center treats anyone.

Mary Alice Conroy, Ph.D., is the director of the center and said clients who visit the center come

for a variety of reasons.

“The counseling center sees only SHSU students,” Conroy said. “We can see SHSU students but we usually recommend the counseling center because it’s free for them. However, they don’t do assessments for learning disabilities and other conditions like that but overall, we don’t see many students in therapy because they have their own center.”

The center caters to a variety of patients, ranging from the ages of 3 to 79, who may visit the center on their own, who come as the result of a court order, or who come from a hospital referral.

“We provide many different

services including behavioral intervention, depression or suicidal treatment, and dysfunctional family therapy,” Conroy said. “The services we provide are decided on a case-bycase basis and are dependent on those particular circumstances.”

A large demographic that makes up the center’s clientele includes juveniles on probation in Walker, Brazos, Montgomery and Polk counties. Jill Saumell is the director of Walker County Juvenile Services, which works with juveniles from the ages of 1017.

“We do all of our psychological services through SHSU, and

we have for maybe the last 13 years or so,” Saumell said. “The psychological testing they do helps us with finding the appropriate places they may need to go and it’s been really beneficial to our clients.”

According to Saumell, many of the juveniles have behavioral problems, anger issues or substance abuse problems.

In addition to its wide acceptance of a diverse group of people, the center uses a sliding scale that takes into consideration the client’s income and number of family members when deciding fees. According to Conroy, using this scale makes their service

STATE

Execution set for delivery driver’s murderer KASSIDY TURNPAUGH Assistant News Editor Anthony Dewayne Doyle is scheduled to be executed at the Huntsville’s Walls Unit at 6 p.m. Thursday.

After spending the last decade on death row, Doyle faces execution for the 2003 murder of Hyun Cho of Dallas County.

In January 2003, Cho was working as a delivery driver for Chaha Donut shop in Rowlett, Texas, when she was called to deliver to the home of Doyle’s mother, according to case records.

Upon her arrival, Doyle attempted to rob Cho but found she had no money. He then beat Cho to death with a baseball bat, placed her body in a trashcan and attempted to clean the blood from the walls of his home.

Doyle was later seen driving Cho’s car and attempting to use her credit cards, according to court records. Once police found Cho’s body, Doyle attempted to dispose of the evidence which was later found by police and traced back to Doyle.

After being brought in for questioning, Doyle spent two hours giving a 10-page confession to Cho’s murder.

During the investigation it was also found that Doyle had stolen Cho’s cellphone and personal effects before meeting up with friends where he eluded to having committed a murder.

At trial, the defense team tried to bring forth character witnesses in an attempt to lighten any sentence Doyle would receive.

During this time the defense also revealed that Doyle was capable of understanding right from wrong, when they showed that he was in fact not of deficient IQ to stand trial.

This later led to complications in Doyle’s claims during the appeals process.

During the trial the prosecution revealed Doyle’s troubling and violent past, according to an appeal he filed with the Fifth Circuit Court. The prosecution brought forth evidence of Doyle having committed numerous violent outbursts while in high school as well as evidence connecting him to a violent gang in the area.

Despite his admission of guilt and being

only 93 days past his 18th birthday at the time of the crime, Doyle was quickly sentenced to death after the 2004 trial.

He has since appealed his sentence on several separate occasions, each time being denied. Most recently, he was denied an appeal Monday.

In his 2013 appeal to United States Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals, Doyle claimed a violation of his eighth and 14th Amendments, stating “he was developmentally a juvenile” at the time of the crime.

The court denied his appeal, citing the same case he had attempted to use to sway his sentencing, Roper v. Simmons. The court claimed that the case proved that anyone beyond the age of 18 at the time of the crime cannot use the case as a shield.

His March 21, 2014 appeal was recently reviewed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals where Doyle alleged the use of forged evidence in his trial. The appeal was reviewed and denied by the court.

No stay of execution has been made as of press time.

relatively inexpensive.

While doctoral students serve as the clinicians in the center, they are supervised by licensed psychologists. The center has English and Spanish-speaking clinicians, all of whom specialize in different subjects to help better cater to their client’s needs.

“I have 35 years of experience so you just get used to dealing with people,” Conroy said. “The students always have a supervisor on site which, I think, serves as a comforter to them. I’m very proud of our students. They really are the best and the brightest.”

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Viewpoints

Thursday, March 27, 2014

CAMPUS

Why I left Chi Alpha JAY R. JORDAN Associate Editor Chi Alpha (XA) isn’t a part of Greek life, although it’s more cult-like than most fraternities on campus at Sam Houston State University. I left this Christian ministry after realizing I was a part of a false ministry that has the wrong priorities as a voice of Jesus.

The group should reevaluate its mission statement as a college ministry.

Before I go on, I’d like to make something very clear. I believe in God, His love personified through Jesus Christ and wisdom found as the Holy Spirit. I consider myself a Christian, not in the worldly view that I’m going to heaven just because I believe, but because I have found The Lord’s wisdom in the trials and tribulations in which I’ve spent a good portion of my life.

The knowledge I have gained and express in this article is from my time spent as a small group leader in the organization. My time as a small group leader showed me nothing but what it’s like to have fake friends and shallow relationships with those to whom the organization tells us we were called to bring to Jesus.

Small groups are, as defined by XA, a group of people who are spiritually directed by a leader who has gone through a $150 class the organization

puts on to bring every small group leader up to speed according to XA’s standards. But don’t worry, that’s the discounted price from more than $150 in years past.

During these classes, we were told to practice deceit in order to connect with people and get them in our small group, care for those with whom we have no connection and that we were destined to this position simply because our thensmall group leaders had to fill a threeperson quota for putting us through the class.

On multiple occasions, many current small group leaders confided in me by saying they felt they weren’t ready to go through the class and to lead people, but felt forced into it by their small group leaders and the hierarchy of leaders in the organization.

This is just one testament to the mentality of the ministry: save the souls, no matter the cost.

I was subject to many shallow friendships, all but two of which were severed against my will when I decided to leave for personal reasons (I didn’t want anything to do with the cultish organization). One of those is my current relationship with my girlfriend, who also left after much prayer and consideration.

The friendships made while being a member, while seemingly sincere, were obviously tied to my membership in Chi Alpha. They were lost because I left and certainly not on my own terms.

One thing I think students don’t realize is how large and incorrectly intentional the organization is. During our final meeting before being sent out to help students move in and join XA, we were told we should get at least six people in our small group.

This mentality, in my opinion

formulated by the encounters I had with leadership, was intimidating and was hidden under the guise of bringing people to The Lord.

The organization’s leaders claimed they wanted quality over quantity, but failed to actually fulfill that statement by demanding more and more people join the organization through the aggressive, brainwashing tactics implemented by hundreds of small group leaders every year.

During move-in day, when a sea of XA t-shirt-clad “Christians” came ready to swoop new students off their feet and save them from the demented, devil-infused whirlpool they’re about to get into at college, small group leaders are thinking not of helping move in the freshmen but how to recruit them into their small group.

They don’t care about the person they’re moving in, but the person they’re going to get into XA. This is a competitive game for the leaders with many different people “claiming” students as their own and even stealing them from one another in the name of The Lord. Drama runs rampant throughout XA with its leaders almost turning a blind eye to it because they feel they have the Lord on their side, when all they actually have are the fees and devotion of their members.

These examples are just a few of the problems with the Chi Alpha ministry.

I would advise students already in small groups to question their leader’s intentions, because students are treated as projects by XA, not people. Don’t let the XA culture and hype cloud your judgment, because above all, the Holy Spirit should have the last word in your life, not your small group leader.

For the full version of this article, visit houstonianonline.com.

Word on the Street: Why are you waiting in line for Sammypalooza?

“I’m looking forward to seeing Wiz Khalifa. I’ve seen him twice already, so he should be as good as always.”

-Gerald Johnson Junior Mass Communication

“Wiz Khalifa goes hard. I hope he does some of his older stuff like when he first came out. ‘Up’ is one of my favorite songs by him.”

-Jacory Wiley Junior Sociology

NATION

We need to rethink the homeless problem

BRENT LEITH Columnist James Boyd was a mentally unstable homeless man illegally camping in the foothills adjacent to a suburban community in Albuquerque, N.M. On March 16, residents reported the transient, and police were dispatched to remove him. Boyd was killed in the encounter.

I do not recommend watching the disturbing footage of Boyd’s death taken from one officer’s lapel camera, but thanks to the Albuquerque Police Department, the shocking video is available online. The department released the footage in full Friday to support its claim that deadly force was necessary to subdue Boyd.

In the video, Boyd ranted at the officers, then seemingly agreed to

submit to arrest. Moments later a flash bang went off and a police dog lunged for Boyd. Boyd stumbled backwards and produced two knives from his pockets.

Two officers armed with rifles opened fire, hitting Boyd six times.

As Boyd lay on the ground, bleeding, another officer fired beanbag rounds at him. The officers swarmed and cuffed Boyd, who was likely dead at that point.

The department said Boyd presented a clear threat to the canine officer.

The footage caused on outcry in the community and online. Many commenters on local news sites are criticizing police for the use of excessive force. It’s difficult to disagree after witnessing the footage, but I believe the criticism also masks the failings of their own community.

Recent reports from Albuquerque have revealed more of Boyd’s past. His record for violence and instability dates back 20 years. He was arrested at least three times for violent attacks with bladed weapons.

Witnesses to those events describe Boyd as a deeply disturbed individual who believed he was a government agent. He was once arrested for attempting to enter a military base while claiming to be acting on orders from former President Gerald Ford.

With so many instances of violent

and unpredictable behavior on record, why was Boyd still on the street? Why wasn’t he receiving psychiatric care? The New Mexico authorities had so many opportunities to help Boyd. Why did they keep failing him?

I passed a homeless man in San Diego’s Balboa Park last summer. He was mumbling incoherently and kicking an empty Coke can between the mounted aircraft on display at the entrance to the Aerospace Museum. His behavior was odd but not especially menacing. In the museum lobby, a woman was alerting the attendant to his presence “Park security will tell him to move along eventually,” the attendant assured her. “We can’t call the police every time a homeless person wanders into the park.

They’re here all the time. The police don’t come unless there is an incident.”

Nobody comes to help the homeless and mentally ill, only to haul them away for a time, then set them back on the same path.

The James Boyd tragedy should give us pause. We should think about the more than 3,000 homeless people sleeping on Houston’s streets unsheltered tonight, or the tens of thousands of others on streets across the country, many of them suffering from mental illness. We should do something to prevent this happening to them.

“I’m here, because it’s a concert and I like going to concerts, especially if they’re free.”

-Ashley Kelley Junior Criminal Justice

“Well, I’m just holding a spot in line for someone I know. I don’t have my own tickets, so I’m not actually going.”

-Sean Goforth Senior Criminal Justice

The Houstonian Editorial

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

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

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Arts&Entertainment

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Sammypalooza lights up SHSU CAMPUS

KIZZIE FRANK A&E Editor As the old saying goes, “Where there’s a will, there’s a way.”

This year’s Sammypalooza was headlined by Wiz Khalifa Wednesday.

The rap star and electronic pop duo Capital Cities blazed the stage in front of thousands of students.

Doors opened at 7 p.m., but students were lined up hours before to claim their rightful spot in the venue.

“I’ve been here for about an hour and a half or two hours at this point,” said Lone Star College student Dexter Byerly. “I told myself I would be front and center to see Wiz.” The show was tailored to Wiz’s fans. A few students showed up dress like him and his iconic wife, Amber Rose, in hopes to catch Wiz Khalifa’s attention.

Wiz’s presence didn’t quite overshadow the die-hard Capitol Cities fans. All of the performers have recently made an appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live.

The most common question of the night was how or why an artists with star power such as Wiz Khalifa and Capital Cities.

Vocalist and guitarist of Capital Cities Ryan Merchant said they are just going with the flow.

“When I saw that we would be performing in Texas, I didn’t have any preconceived notions about Huntsville,” Merchant said. “I just saw that it was near Houston, and we said ‘Okay cool. Let’s go.”

Capital Cities performed a number of songs, including mostly those from their debut album, “Tidal Mysteries.” Students also rocked out to their 2010 single, “Beginnings.” The artists believe the show went well.

“We were super excited. It was a fun, epic, and joyous dance party,” the man on the keys and vocals, Sebu Simonian. “We can’t wait to come back and see you guys.”

Their non-album single called “One Minute More” will appear in the album “Iron Man 3: Hero’s Fall” this spring.

Before Wiz was considered to be a mainstream artist, he created mix-tapes. One concern was whether or not Wiz Khalifa would perform his older, rawer songs like “Studio Lovin” and “Up.” “My top two songs for him to perform is ‘Up’ and ‘Old Chanel’,” said Byerly. “My life is complete.”

Wishes were fulfilled for the girls in the room as Capital Cities told everyone to take off their jackets and swing them in the air. People in the audience took off their shirts; no pants were removed. Wiz Khalifa showed his sensual side by serenading girls in the front row.

Both Capital Cities and Wiz got

Dharmesh Patel | The Houstonian

SAFE AND SOUND. Vocalist of Capital Cities (above), Ryan Merchant belts out high notes to a crowd of screaming fans. Merchant encouraged everyone to “take off ” their jackets and swing them around like a helicopter. The audience complied. Capital Cities was not the only act that caused an uproar. Wiz Khalifa (right) occassionally sipped from a bottle of water and threw it out to the crowd. The “Black and Yellow” artist wore a “Don’t mess with Texas” shirt for most of his performance. Capital Cities and Wiz each closed out with an inspirational message.

the audience out of their seats and dancing with upbeat songs.

The Wiz had help from his hypemen with his single “Black and Yellow” and “Roll Up”. After the show Wiz expressed his gratitude.

“Thank you Sam Houston. I had an awesome time,” Wiz said to the Houstonian. “I can’t wait to come back.”

Every year since 2010, Student Services and Rec Sports team up and have yet to disappoint ‘Palooza goers. In the past few years, Ludacris, Mike Epps, Taking Back Sunday, All-American Rejects and Gabriel Iglesias are only a few that made a stop at the Johnson Coliseum.

The musical gathering’s first year began with bands Lifehouse,

Story of the Year and Versecity.

Many students agree that since every year has gotten better, Student Activities cannot go back from this year’s performance.

“I was shocked to see that Wiz Khalifa was coming,” senior SHSU student DJ Kickflip said. “He gave us a great show…I enjoyed the fact that he performed new and old songs.”

One student feels further efforts to top this year’s lineup will be futile.

“They will not be able to top this performance,” Byerly said. “This is number one thus far. If Tupac was resurrected, that is when this year will be topped.”

TECH

The State Of Gaming Address, MOBAs J.P. MCBRIDE Contributing Reporter

It’s no secret that the PC has become the go-to platform for the hardcore gaming community, even with the recent release of Microsoft and Sony’s new consoles.

Gaming desktops and laptops undoubtedly provide the best gaming experience when comparing the technological aspects of all gaming platforms and have become more and more affordable each year. “(PC’s technology) sort of allows gamers better opportunities to get the games they want and play the games they want when they want,” said Robin Johnson, Ph.D., a Sam Houston State University assistant professor whose research focuses on video games. “They aren’t tied to the TV anymore. They are tied to laptops, which have pretty good graphics processing, or dedicated PCs for gaming, which are just as good as the Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, or Xbox One and PlayStation 4.”

However, better technology is not the only draw for gamers, as

the versatility of PCs and mobility of laptops make investing in a quality computer worthwhile.

“PCs are great for multitasking,” senior dance major Laquane Anderson said. “They’re your all-in-one spot for your every entertainment need.”

Steam, Valve’s digital distribution platform, has played a big part in the rise of PC gaming as well.

Being able to purchase virtually any video game in one place, combined with the appealing sales that are commonly found on Steam, gives a wide range of gamers the opportunity to play and compile all of their favorite games in one location.

“With Steam… you can buy the same copy of a console game and generally get them for a lot cheaper, which is a major positive when it comes to PC gaming,” Anderson said.

Playing a game online through Steam is completely free, which Johnson said is another reason gamers might choose a PC over the consoles.

“You don’t have to pay for subscriptions for Steam, whereas

with Xbox Live, if you want to play online you have kick out the annual fee,” Johnson said.

He said the recognition and praise Valve has received is welldeserved, as the company has been vital to the increased popularity of PC gaming.

“No one would’ve known that Steam would become mainstream, even like five or six years ago when it was just sort of a gem that only gamers knew,” Johnson said. “I think that Valve has done a great job with their marketing and their bundling of packages to entice people.”

A fairly new genre of gaming called MOBAs, which includes games like League of Legends, Dota 2 and Smite, has taken advantage of the increased popularity of PC gaming and become a cultural phenomenon within the gaming community.

These free-to-play games are enticing to gamers because of their low specifications, which allow nearly any PC to run them, and because they can be played without spending any money.

“There are a lot of PC games that require you to have quite a powerful machine to run them,” Anderson said. “However, League of Legends can run on a potato.”

Many gamers enjoy MOBAs because of the high level of strategy and teamwork that are required

in order to achieve victory in a match which has created a highly competitive community of players.

As gaming becomes more accessible, PC gaming remains the best platform available to the masses, because it allows them to play a larger variety of games.

Page 5

Sports

Thursday, March 27, 2014 houstonianonline.com/sports

ULTIMATE FRISBEE

Ultimate fights for sport’s status KARAH RUCKER Contributing Reporter High-level competition that is developed through drills, conditioning, scrimmages, new techniques and play.

That’s the definition of sport and Deuce Ultimate, Sam Houston State’s ultimate Frisbee club team.

However, ultimate Frisbee is not recognized as a sport by NCAA or many others for that matter.

“One of the main reasons it’s probably not considered a sport is because there are teams who don’t take it seriously,” Frisbee handler Ricky Forbes said.

Ultimate Frisbee is played across the world by recreational, school and national teams with a variety in age levels. Two teams of seven players play against each other on a field. The team on offense progresses to the end zone by passing the Frisbee to an open player, who must stop where he or she is before passing it forward. The players on defense attempt to intercept the pass.

Possession also changes if the Frisbee is dropped.

At SHSU, ultimate Frisbee is a club sport.

“I would say on the collegiate level we aren’t really as forward minded about becoming NCAA sanctioned,” head captain

Judson Snook said. “We’re funded by the school, so we still get money to play.”

The game requires fundamentals, athleticism and endurance like any other sport, but most people don’t see the skill behind the Frisbee.

“I would say hand eye coordination is a big technique,” Snook said. “Conditioning is also required. We have gone 10 minutes in a game before not being able to sub out, so the ability to run is necessary.”

The game of ultimate Frisbee has similar aspects to other sports such as football and soccer, but finds its own unique path as a game, Frisbee member Charles Waters said.

“Not a lot of people can throw a disc as accurate as they think,” Waters said.

Deuce Ultimate consists of playing to have fun but still practicing intensely three times a week to improve their skills for the team’s five tournaments a year.

“It’s nice when we put our formations into action and make the plays we practice,” Waters said.

Regardless of the time, effort and passion the players have for the game, the fact still remains that ultimate Frisbee is an unsanctioned sport by the NCAA. But for Deuce Ultimate, it doesn’t matter.

“It’s fun and I love it,” Waters said.

BASEBALL

Bearkats pull 3-1 win over McNeese KYLE KELLY Contributing Reporter Alex Broussard | The Houstonian

HIGH FLYER. Frisbee handler Austin Somers goes up to catch the Frisbee in one of his ultimate matches.

The Bearkats rolled back into Don Sanders Stadium on Wednesday with a new breath, having finished their shaky road trip with an 8-1 win over the Aggies Tuesday.

Freshman Dylan Ebbs took the hill Wednesday for the Bearkats, which was his first start, previously regulated to the bullpen. Ebbs pitched a solid seven innings and only yielded one earned run. He rebounded early, giving up his only earned run in the first inning of the game.

Ebbs was relieved by sophomore Logan Boyd and junior Ryan Brinley out of the Bearkat bullpen. Brinley earned his first save of the season and his first pitching role as the team’s closer, going on to close out the 3-1 win for the Bearkats.

“We had a good scouting report coming into the game, and we threw the right pitches and we threw strikes. When you do that you’re going to win a lot of games,” Ebbs said.

The Bearkat offense was not at its usual high-octane performance tonight, however.

Although when the Bearkats were down late in the game, junior Colt Atwood played the role of the team’s saving grace. The center fielder had been 0-3 coming up to the

plate in seventh inning, but with two men on base, Atwood delivered with a ground ball up the middle receiving help from the Cowboy’s second baseman who recorded an error on the play.

The Bearkats transitioned from a 1-0 deficit into a 2-1 lead at the swing of the bat.

“That was my third opportunity with two outs and runners on, I definitely wasn’t going to miss that chance.” Atwood said.

“Coming out of that weekend series, we needed this, and it’s nice to get two in a row like that.”

Senior Anthony Azar remained the steady force he has been for this Bearkat baseball squad all year, getting out of his slump for the game in the 8th inning hitting, a solo home run, and stretching the lead to two runs. Azar also made several highlight reel defensive plays from behind the plate, throwing out two Cowboy base runners.

“Azar is the domination of this team and has been our rock all season,” head coach David Pierce said. “He is someone all the guys respect and rally around in tight situations.”

The Bearkats moved to 18-8 on the season and head into their weekend at home against North Western State on Friday at 6:30 p.m.

BOWLING

SHSU rolls into NCAA JEREMY VILLANUEVA Sports Editor

Sam Houston State’s bowling team cheered Wednesday afternoon as the team accepted a bid into the NCAA Division I bowling championship.

This is the Bearkats’ third berth in the NCAA championships in the team’s fouryear existence.

“Getting back to the NCAAs has been our goal all year and we’ve really pushed each other to get there,” senior Neishka Cardona from the inaugural team said.

Senior Kimi Davidson has been by Cardona’s side since the first season. After two NCAA championships appearances of falling just short to the championship, Davidson is hoping to make the most and bring home the gold in her last time on the lanes.

“Every year, we’ve gotten better and better,” Davidson said. “Being a senior, it’s our last chance.”

The Bearkats will be joining seven other squads in the big tournament: Arkansas State, Central Missouri, Nebraska,

Maryland-Eastern Shore, Farleigh Dickinson, Vanderbilt and WisconsinWhitewater.

SHSU has defeated all teams previously in the season, but the biggest victory is waiting for the team in Cleveland at the NCAA championships.

“We need to keep that going and keep pushing as we head to Cleveland,” Davidson said.

Head coach Brad Hagen attributes the team’s success from the leadership of his seniors and wants to get the victory for the two original bowlers and the rest of his squad. Having a shot again at Cleveland is setting up for the icing on the cake.

“The one that ironically got away was last time was in Cleveland,” Hagen said.

“Making the national championship now isn’t enough anymore. We need to step up and take care of what we have to do.”

The Bearkats hold a 90-42 record in dualmatch play heading into the championships.

The first roll is April 10 and the tournament will go through April 12 at the Games of Wickliffe bowling center in Wickliffe, Ohio.

Karah Rucker contributed to this report.

Be sure to follow @HoustonianSport on Twitter for all things Bearkat sports!

Page 6 Thursday, March 27, 2014 houstonianonline.com/news

SHSU splits with Baylor SOFTBALL

MARISSA HILL Sports Reporter Sam Houston State’s softball team split their non-conference matchup against No. 10 Baylor, taking the first game 4-3 and losing the last in a shutout, 0-12.

In the opening match, the bats were quiet for much of the game as both ball clubs held each other scoreless until the 10th inning.

The Bears opened up the inning with a home run from Holly Holl, who also batted another Baylor player in, giving them a quick 2-0 edge. Another runner scored on a fly out, putting the Bears up 3-0 going into the bottom of the 10th.

The Bearkats answered the call starting with a right field single Alex Broussard | The Houstonian TOUGH OUTING. Sam Houston State softball pulled the upset over Baylor from junior outfielder Jessica in the first game of the doubleheader, but assistant coach Adrian Gregory Slater. Junior shortstop Tayler didn’t walk away from Bearkat Softball Complex in smiling fashion as her team Gray came behind Slater and dropped the second match.

reached first.

Freshman Tori Koerselman and senior Alyssa Coggins both singled and loaded the bases.

The first run came from a walk to junior infielder Hillary Adams.

Senior outfielder Cecilia Castillo singled to bat in another run, and sophomore catcher Tiffany Castillo walked with the bases still loaded, bringing in the tying run.

A wild pitch brought sophomore outfielder Jennie Kieval across home plate.

With the Bearkats toppling a ranked team, Kieval said she believes that this will add to their confidence.

“If we beat Baylor, then we can beat Lamar,” she said. “We just need to come with the same approach as we did in the first game.”

SHSU rode the coattails of the

first game into the second, and it cost them. Baylor sealed their fate by unloading 12 runs on the Bearkats, 10 of them coming in the fourth inning.

“Our outfield played great,” Gray said. “Our infield just got very sloppy.”

The Bears were held scoreless in the fifth, but the Bearkats still couldn’t muster any last-minute magic.

Baylor took the 12-0 run-rule victory in five innings.

Despite the loss, Gray said she knows that this matchup will be an asset for them in Southland Conference play.

“We are just going to take the positives from the first game and learn from the second,” she said.

The Bearkats return to league action Saturday against Lamar.

First pitch is set for 3 p.m.

I’ve had regular jobs and making movies is a lot more fun.”

Avildsen said now there’s no reason for young people not to follow their dreams behind a camera.

“Shoot. The more stuff you shoot, the better you get at it,” Avildsen said. “These days, where everyone’s got a camera in their pocket. The more familiar you become with the mechanics of the camera and editing, the better you’ll be able to do a good job if and when you’re ever lucky enough to get a good script.”

Junior mass communication major Tiffany Cozart said Avildsen’s speech was inspirational at best.

“He was very entertaining and had a lot of really good stories to share from his years

in Hollywood,” Cozart said.

“Although I don’t have any interest in partaking in the film industry, he definitely is an advocate for chasing dreams.”

Regardless of the difficulties that face aspiring filmmakers in the competitive business, Avildsen said he wouldn’t trade his career for anything.

“I’ve had a very happy time in this business,” he said. “I say it beats working because when you’re making a movie, it’s makebelieve and you get paid for it, it’s great fun, very, very satisfying.

Now it’s a tough business to make a living in because it’s popular and it doesn’t always work, but I’ve been very fortunate and I would recommend to anyone to give it a shot.”

JUMPS page 1

for courses, dropping at any point in time would be awesome.”

Without the ability to “Q” drop a course later on in the semester, senior mass communications major Trent Scott said students will be facing more pressure and stress than they ever have before.

“I think that this is going to make more students who are concerned with passing or failing a course to be more nervous than ever,” Scott said. “I see this hurting more people because now they are going to have to take a gamble on dropping their GPA with a course they are unsure of.”

Despite the strong support of the Faculty Senate, students such as Scott cannot see this change doing any good for either students

or the university.

“Really, I see no upside to this,” Scott said. “Not for the university or the students. I can see this winding up hurting a lot of students and just increasing the F’s given out.”

DIRECTOR,

page 1

“Rocky,” one of the highest earning franchises in the history of film that also garnered nine other nominations.

“The writer of the movie isn’t nearly as acknowledged and appreciated by the public as they should be,” he said. “Things tend to go to the star or the director, but it originates with someone filling out a blank page and that’s the trick. I don’t have that talent.

It’s always the script, and without

a good script, you’re out of luck, no matter how clever you are, no matter how many gadgets you have, if it’s not on the page, you’re in the wrong place.”

Avildsen got his start in the world of movies after he was honorably discharged from the Army in 1961 when he was able to learn and develop his director skills on the sets of various movies helping other directors.

“Getting the job—it’s very hard to get these jobs. There’s a lot of competition,” Avildsen said. “Once you get the job then you’ve got to get a days work done, you’ve got to get as many shots in as you can, you’ve got to do so many pages every day, you’ve got to do it right, you don’t want to go into overtime, all those different mechanical problems, but it’s fun,

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