Vol 120 | Issue 18
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Publishing since 1913
Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
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SGA election set, job of president uncontested
Information from Weather.com
Tuesday, Mar. 27 HI: 83 LOW: 62
Wed., Mar. 28 HI: 81 LOW: 61
Thursday, Mar. 29 HI: 81 LOW: 64
Friday, Mar. 30
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
ROAD TO RANKIN. Shane Rankin (center) is running unopposed for the SGA presidency as of Friday.
HI: 75 LOW: 64
Saturday, Mar. 31 HI: 83 LOW: 64
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
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Viewpoints ....... pg. 2 A&E ................... pg. 4 News .................. pg. 3 Sports................. pg. 5
MISTI JONES Senior Reporter Student Government Association posted its candidates for the 2012-2013 school year and Sam Houston State University may already have its next student body president. The Executive candidate list consists of Shane Rankin who is running for student body President and Kolby Flowers for student body Vice
President. Rankin, who, barring no election code violations, will serve as president, is excited to show what he can bring to the table for next semester. “I can’t wait to continue working for the students,” Rankin said. “Some of the things I’ve done this semester to build on for next semester are that I’ve made the relations with SGA and University Administration a lot
closer and a lot more a worthy competitor to cooperative than before. [show] different ideals As well as, the new and ways of going about ‘Kat Chat’ that’s being making the Student introduced on April 5, Body President position we’re hoping to make better than it already is,” that a regular event, Rankin said. “However, bringing students and since no one decided to administrators together run against me, I’m very on an open forum to proud to be the future talk about different president of the Sam matters concerning the Houston student body student body.” and I intend to keep the Student may ‘write in’ direction of the SGA candidates but a person always moving forward must have at least five and efficient and doing votes to be considered what’s best for the on the ballot. student body of SHSU.” “For [Executive] There are four officers, they have to get candidates on the a majority vote,” current executive candidate list SGA Vice President running for Student Jason Tilton said. “For Body Secretary, Molly the Senate, they have to Smith, Cody Hatcher, get a plurality vote.” Madelyn Clarke and This means that the Ronell Walker. Jimmy officers Williams who are is running I intend to keep the elected solo for m u s t direction of the SGA Student Body receive at always moving forward Tr e a s u r e r least 50 and efficient and doing while two p e r c e n t what’s best for the student students are plus one body of SHSU. running for of the -- Shane Rankin Student Body student Chief of Staff v o t e s including to become appointed Victoria Towery and their new positions. A Cristan Shamburger. plurality vote means the The Senate candidate top vote-getters receive list includes individuals these positions, as in the running for each of case of Senators. the six colleges. Three Rankin is currently students, Towery, running unopposed but Clarke and Joseph Le, he plans to campaign are currently running just as any other for College of Business candidate would. “I do wish that I had — SGA, page 3
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GSK kicks off PRIDE week at SHSU, pg. 3
INDEX
A&E Editor George Mattingly reviews ‘Hunger Games’, pg. 4
Honor students, faculty have dinner “talk” AMANDA MORGAN Contributing Reporter As guests gather into the main dining hall filled with tables, Todd Primm, Ph.D., walks to table number 21 and lays a topic guide in front of every seat. Ten guests from various university departments, including the College of Business Administration, the College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication and the College of Education anxiously greet him as they find their nameplates situated all around the table and wait for “Let’s Talk! A Night of Conversation” to begin. The “Let’s Talk!” program is an annual event that raises funds for Sam Houston State University’s Elliott T. Bowers Honors College and features renowned experts who discuss various topics while
University deals with expansion of Hazlewood benefits MOLLY WADDELL Assocaite News Editor Sam Houston State University may have to find $4 million, to fund Veterans, because of the increasing number of Hazlewood Act recipients. The terms of the Hazlewood Act before the recent changes stated that in order to be eligible to receive a Hazlewood Act exemption a Veteran must, be a resident of Texas, have a military discharge as honorable, have served 181 days in active service not including training, and must not be in default on an education loan made or guaranteed by the State of Texas. This is due to the expansion of eligibility to spouses of members of the United States Armed Forces whose deaths were related to their time in service, who are missing in action, or as a result of injury they receive 100 percent veteran affairs disability, according to the SHSU Veterans Resource center. Another change that is effecting costs to universities is that eligible veterans may assign unused hours of exemption eligibility to their children if they are Texas residents; are the biological, legally the child of the veteran; are 25 years or younger on the day of first semester; and make satisfactory academic progress in their degree. According to the Houston Chronicle, Associate Vice President for enrollment management, Scot Mertz Mertz said the increase has forced SHSU to shift hires from other departments to the veterans’ resource center. “Sam Houston State University is committed to providing an education to Texas veterans and eligible dependents through the Hazlewood Act as mandated by the state legislature. We are working diligently to balance the increasing costs associated with the mandate with the needs of the university community,” University President Dana —
Brian Blalock | SHSU
TALK OF THE TOWN. Microbiology professor Todd Primm, Ph.D., discusses drug resistance at the “Let’s Talk” event with faculty, staff and students.
mingling over dinner with guests. This year’s “Let’s Talk!” was held in the Lowman Student Center’s Ballroom March 22. SHSU President, Dana Gibson, Ph.D., officially starts off the evening by welcoming everyone while Genevieve Brown, Ph.D.; Chair of “Let’s Talk!” introduces each of the renowned experts to the room full of guests. During the event, guests discussed pre-
selected topics at different tables with different pre-selected speakers. Primm served as one of the esteemed speakers and is an expert in the field of Microbiology at SHSU. Primm discussed the danger and benefit of bacteria and viruses in his segment called, “Superbugs & Superdrugs: It’s war”. “Antibiotics are different from other drugs, because of DR [drug resistance] they become ineffective,”
Primm said. “The more antibiotics are used, the more DR appears.” Primm’s conversation about the work he does as a microbiologist was not only intriguing but also very informative. “Public health, water treatment, hygiene and medical access, has played a larger role in reduction of infectious diseases than antibiotics,” Primm said. Primm led the discussion over —
TALK, page 3
CHANGES, page 3
Gibson to lead forum for students on univ. expansion Dana Gibson, Ph.D., will host a forum for all student, faculty and staff, according to an email sent to the university community. The email says topics will include “budget, legislative, and organizational structure updates.” The university created two seperate days to “encourage attendance and accomodate schedules.” The University Open Forum will take place Mar. 27 and 28 at 3 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Theater.
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Viewpoints
Page 2 Tuesday, March 27, 2012
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ESPN has a ‘Tebow’ner
Zach Birdsong is tired of the sports network’s swollen coverage over the so-called “Football Jesus” and other NFL drama
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mmediately after Super Bowl 46 ended and after NBC stopped its broadcast, I had the same question that every other fan of the NFL had, how much longer until the start of next season? As the lasting images of New York Giant players celebrating with the Lombardi Trophy replayed in my head, I couldn’t wait for next season. Before all that is set to take place, as every sport does, the NFL has to go through the off-season. However, I’m proposing that NFL should consider naming this time period the N.B.D, Nothing But Drama. I know this time of year is considered “March Madness” but I thought that was in reference to the NCAA Basketball tournament that is currently ongoing, not things relating to the grid iron. I mean, lets analyze everything that has occurred in the last week alone. Monday, as my colleague and fellow Houstonian employee Cody Lewis wrote in a viewpoints
article, Peyton Manning signed a five-year $96 million deal with the Denver Broncos. While this may have seemed trivial on the surface, this would set in motion more drama including some that you know had to have had ESPN producers excited like a kid on Christmas. As confirmed last Wednesday among different sources including the television network, the Broncos would trade Tim Tebow and officially became a member of the New York Jets. How could ESPN and other network affiliates plan this any better? You have the goody-good Christian Boy going to a team full of hard nose aggressive players and a head coach, Rex Ryan, who spouts his mouth off anytime and anyplace that he feels like. That in itself has the making of a great reality show. HBO’s reality show “Hard Knocks,” a documentary that follows a franchise during the preseason and during the summer workouts, analyzed the team in
Zachary Birdsong Sports Editor
2010. The makers of the show have stated previously that they don’t want to cover the same team twice, but I think they should heavily reconsider after the events that have occurred this past week. With everything that has occurred, you know people will be tuning in to see how Tebow and Ryan interact with each other. If the show makers don’t pull the trigger on it, I know VH1 or MTV
Case for care
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concluded otherwise and found them guilty. Former Saints defensive coordinator Gregg Williams would also be penalized as he was in charge of running the program. While Payton’s suspension has been listed and he will be allowed to coach in 2013, Williams’ suspension has been listed as indefinitely. On top of that, the League is also reviewing to see if any players should be suspended, so there’s more drama moving forward. On Monday, reports on ESPN stated that Payton has asked legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells to lead the franchise during his absence. While it would be great to see Parcells on the sidelines again, it would be better if it was on his own terms and I have to disagree even with possibility. As last week stated the NBD is just now in full effect and it’s going to continue until the start of the regular season. Here’s hoping that September gets here soon.
Y U NO Wi-Fi?
Jessica Furdock explains her views on the Affordable Healthcare Act as it goes before the Supreme Court
he Supreme Court began three days of hearings Monday that will decide the future of the Affordable Care Act which goes into full effect in 2014. The law which was signed two years ago by President Obama is being challenged by Texas, 25 other states and the National Federation of Independent Businesses. But I believe this challenge will hinder any positive changes in the health care industry. The Supreme Court will focus on two main issues in regards to the ACA, the individual mandate and the Medicaid expansion. They will hear six hours of arguments spread over three days - the most time the court has heard arguments since the 1960s. The individual mandate would require most Americans to buy health insurance or pay a fine if they do not. In theory, this would lower the cost of insurance, making it more affordable for lower income families. Many are arguing this requirement is unconstitutional and that Congress does not hold the power to do so. If it is found unconstitutional, the court will have to decide if the rest of the law can go into full effect or if it should be killed. The Medicaid expansion would allow people with an income of up to 133 percent of the poverty level to be covered by Medicaid. The program, which is run by the state, helps the poor and disabled get adequate medical care. Those against the ACA argue the federal government can’t force
is licking their chops and hoping to get an opportunity at that. Regardless of that, ESPN has already begun to have their influence on the situation and asking fans to vote online, Tebow or current Jets starting quarterback Mark Sanchez. If you thought the Tebow hype was bad when he was in Denver, well then ladies and gentleman, you are in for a treat during next season. Another idea for the “Hard Knocks” executives might be the New Orleans Saints, after all, on the same Wednesday that Tebow was traded, Sean Payton, head coach of the Saints was suspended for the entire 2012 season. The suspension came after the NFL investigated a potential bounty program that occurred in the franchise, essentially paying Saints defensive players to hurt opposing players starting in 2009 when the franchise won the championship. While the franchise denied the allegations, the league and commissioner Roger Goodell
Matt Frazier talks about benefits free Wi-Fi would bring to businesses
the states to change and expand their states program. Yet the states only provide up to half of the funding for this program, with the federal government providing a big chunk of money for Medicaid. If they are helping fund a program, shouldn’t they be allowed to have some say in how it is run? Other changes that are included in the ACA are forbidding insurance companies from denying coverage to people because of pre-existing conditions, and putting a limit on the amount of money companies can charge senior citizens. Melissa Mancilla, a Human Resource representative in San Antonio, Texas, whose insurance company tried to drop her because she has cancer stated, “as someone who is directly affected by the ACA, I can personally speak from experience when I say it will save lives.” The latest census shows about 48 million people in America don’t have health insurance. Prices are sky rocketing and people are becoming buried in debt. This plan may not be the ideal answer to the health care problems, but sometimes a flawed solution is better than no solution at all. The final decision of The Supreme Court is not expected to be revealed until June. While this health care plan isn’t something everyone is happy with, it is a step in the right direction.
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ecently I acquired my first smart phone with a data plan. Being able to use functions requiring the internet virtually anywhere is great. I can keep in contact with friends via Facebook, check my e-mail, and even check my grades on BlackBoard for my classes. There are a few issues though, that I am sure other people share. Data connections use a large amount of battery power and staying constantly connected consumes a lot of data. Most data plans have a cap, or are “unlimited” and throttled at a certain point, so people would do best to keep their data usage low. One of the best ways to do this is to use every wi-fi connection you can. Sometimes, this can be a problem though. Many businesses everywhere are installing free and open wi-fi networks, but many still have not. In the two weeks I have had this phone, I have been quite surprised at some businesses not having free wi-fi for their customers. I have been to restaurants and even a movie
- Jessica is a mass comm major.
theatre that did not have wi-fi. People would argue something like “Well you should not be using your cell phone all the time at these places anyway,” and I consider that a cop out argument. I agree that you should not always be on your cell phone at places like that, however people are overlooking the benefits of having these modern communications. For instance, say you are out somewhere and the current group of people you are with is planning on going home after you leave there. However, you have another group of friends on Facebook who post statuses mentioning they want people to go see a movie with them. You are not quite ready to go home and would like to go meet the other group of friends. Having a wi-fi connection would really help you see this, as it would be a little cumbersome to mass text message your entire contact list. You can just use the regular cell connection to get to Facebook, but remember that cuts into your data, and you generally want to save that for when you know you cannot possibly have a wi-fi connection, such as riding in a car or public transportation. Like I mentioned before, data connections consume a large amount of battery life on most phones. I went to see a movie once, and left my cell phone in my pocket the entire two-hour movie. Before the movie, it was close to full battery. By the end, it was at less than ten percent. I realized that leaving background data connections enabled caused so much data to be used, as it was
constantly connected to multiple services, such as push e-mail, Steam, Skype, Facebook, Twitter, and Google+. In a day of classes, I am connected to the wi-fi connection on campus. At the end of the day, my phone still has more than 80% of the battery left, and that is even with me actually using my phone between classes. Wi-fi uses much less battery than the cell connection does, so having all these services on while staying on a wi-fi network would barely use any of the battery. Businesses should implement wifi because it would be a relatively inexpensive step to make their customers happier. It might also attract more customers, due to the increased number of channels of communication. Customers can tweet to their friends to meet them there, or send them an instant message on Skype. This would also help people that have low numbers of text messages in favor of higher data volumes. Many people in this situation use Google Voice to replace texting, as this uses only data. On wi-fi, using Google Voice would cost nothing to the customer. Having wi-fi readily available at more businesses would not cause any harm and in fact would actually benefit everyone. The fear that it will just cause people to be more isolated from the rest of the world is an irrational one. People are usually using their cell phones for communication with people, and even if they cannot do that, those that would isolate themselves with their cell phones will find something else to do on it, such as playing a game.
Today in history: March 27
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1886 – Famous Apache warrior, Geronimo, surrenders to the U.S. Army, ending the main phase of the Apache Wars. 1915 – Typhoid Mary, the first healthy carrier of disease ever identified in the United States, is put in quarantine, where she would remain for the rest of her life.
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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
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Tuesday, March 27, 2012
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Students give up break to volunteer out of state
MISTI JONES Senior Reporter
Alternative Spring Break brought selected Sam Houston students and staff members together to participate in community service projects in Tennessee, Louisiana and Oklahoma during spring break, from March 10-17. The program helps students learn about issues such as literacy, poverty, hunger, environmental and racism while performing community service projects together in various states. The participants were dedicated to a week full of duties to help better the community. Seven SHSU volunteers ventured to Crossville, Tenn. to Cumberland Trails. The group consisted of two site leaders, Michael Doherty and Michael Oyeteju, one staff participant, Andrea Rabon from the Student Money Management Center, and four students. These volunteers worked with six others universities from across the nation to clear a trail for recreational hiking in a section of the Cumberland Trail. “In the week that we were there, in three days of service, we cleared about a mile of the trail,” Doherty said. “We removed all the top layer of leaves, roots and rocks. They call it ‘duff ’ and it’s the top layer of bad soil and stumps and a few trees had to be moved. We got tools and dug them out.” Another group consisting of seven SHSU volunteers traveled to Lake Charles, La. for Habitat for Humanity Collegiate Challenge and helped build homes for families. The Louisiana group had two site leaders, Nevate Bailey and Sarah Hagler, one staff participant, Meredith Conrey from Center for Leadership & Services, and four
students. These SHSU participants were the only volunteers for this trip because the others rerouted to different locations due to weather. The SHSU team worked on several houses that were in different stages of completion painting sheds and columns, putting in appliances, putting down siding on the homes and cutting wood for the home. “You could physically see the difference that you were making,” Conrey said. “You could see that ‘oh, we put a roof on the house today’ or ‘oh, that siding wasn’t on that house today but now it is.’” The group witnessed a ground breaking for the future homeowner and her son and had the opportunity to meet and take pictures with them. The mayor of Lake Charles spoke of ASB’s involvement and how he envisioned the children would grow up in the home. The Louisiana group also met staff members of Habitat for Humanity who also came to support these new homeowners. “It was a huge eye opening experience and it made us more aware of the kinds of social problems that go along with poverty housing situations,” Bailey said. “We now have a lot of respect for the people who do construction work every day for a living. We also gained friendships and bonds and learned skills that we didn’t have before we left.” Seven SHSU volunteers traveled to Eucha, Okla. to work with the Cherokee Nation. Tracy Szymczak, graduate assistant for Service Programs, served as both the site leader and the staff participant of the trip. She and six SHSU students paired with a group from the University of Connecticut to paint park benches, swing sets, and the base of a community park. They also worked on a community
Photo provided by Meredith Conrey
COLLEGIATE CHALLENGE. ASB participants, Nevate’ Bailey, Sarah Hagler, Rae Dawn Jiles, Felicia Reyes, Ana San Andres, Olivia Sisk, and Meredith Conrey who went on the trip to Lake Charles, La. helped Habitat for Humanity.
building next door that had been damaged by a tornado and built a greenhouse at a local alternative school. “Ours was also an educational trip as well as community bonding,” Szymczak said. Each trip allowed free time to explore the city they were working in. In Tennessee, the volunteers were given a day off and explored the local town. In Louisiana, the group bonded by going to dinner and enjoying seafood and cajun food. In Oklahoma, the participants explored the courthouse and met judges, went to a local jail, went to a museum exhibit for the Trail of Tears and enjoyed a Cherokee storyteller with Cherokee tacos, according to Szymczak. “The city bought us lunch. They were very appreciative and they let us know that. That’s why they set up a lot of community interaction for us,” Szymczak said.
Alternative Spring Break allows students to meet students nation-wide while participating in community service projects in various cities and states. Conrey hopes to get more faculty and staff members interested in future trips to provide risk management, supervision and financial security. She said it is relaxing to go as a staff participant because site leaders are the ones in charge of the groups. Conrey hopes to expand ASB. “We want to grow,” Conrey said. “We want to be one of those schools one day that has 10 trips going out every spring break, or doing break trips at other times of the year, like around summer or Christmas time.” All trips are expected to stay between $200-$250 and the cost includes all transportation, lodging and meals. CLS covers the rest of the expenses. CLS partners with a group named Breakaway thats provides a
list of possible sites for ASB work. Although destinations for next year’s Alternative Spring Break have yet to be determined, their options are open. “I believe all of our sites have offered for us to come back, but we also want to diversify the experience for the students on campus,” Conrey said. Conrey said their goal is to have 10 SHSU participants per trip but this year averaged about seven due to a lack of applicants. Students can begin applying in the fall, but must submit an application with answered essay questions in order to be selected for the opportunity to help the community on their spring break. Aubrie McClendon, a freshman biology major who went on the Cherokee Nation Trip, said, “It was an amazing cultural experience that took me out of my element and brought me closer to the people on the trip.”
Pride Week to celebrate LGBT community JESSICA LUNDRTROM Contributing Reporter
“We will not give up on you, and we will never rest until you get everything you need to survive,” Jason Tilton, President of Gamma Sigma Kappa said. “Because that’s what we would do for the people we care about.” March 26- 31 is the Second Annual Pride Week on Sam Houston State Univesity campus and is being sponsored by Gamma Sigma Kappa, originally called Global. Pride Week includes many different events that are open to the entire campus ranging from having a Candlelight Vigil to a masquerade ball on the final day to end it with a bang. “The programs purpose is offered to all Bearkats and gives them an opportunity to expand their cultural intelligence,
SGA,
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Administration. Three students, Rankin, Smith and Robert Arriaga, are on the candidate list for College of Criminal Justice. Walker is on the ballot for College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication. Steven Perry and Shamburger are running for College of Humanities and Social Sciences, while Flowers and Hatcher are in the running for College of Sciences. No one has decided to run for College of Education. Each candidate was required to attend a “Candidate Meeting” on March 23 in order to be selected for the ballot. However, five prospective candidates were disqualified from the campaign due to their absence from the
help raise awareness, celebrate diversity, and support the allinclusive campus community,” Tilton explained. “It was created in the Fall of 2010 by a group of students striving to empower the Lesbian-Gay-BisexualTransgender and Straight allies by building community and fostering acceptance for all.” According to the National Youth Association, nine out of 10 students have experienced harassment at school, and more than one-third of LGBT teens have attempted suicide. Also 30 percent of all completed suicides have been related to sexual identity crisis. Tilton explained that the reason Pride Week is so vital to all SHSU students’ college experience is that we are constantly increasing our understanding of different cultural segments, inside and out of the classroom, to improve our
value in the world. The LGBT is one of the most underrepresented groups on campus. “This week is to show everyone that no one is alone at Sam Houston State and that there is a welcoming family on the campus. There is simply power in numbers and the more people the stronger the reinforcement for what we are fighting for,” Grant Howarth, a sophomore, involved student said. Tilton also said that, “Among the many reasons Pride Week is important to me is because my heart goes out to everyone who struggles with rejection and discrimination, specifically in this case. They don’t have enough people fighting for them, and that’s what strong minds, leaders, individuals who care about making things better do—they never give up on the people they care about.”
mandatory meeting. These students include Cristal Calderon, Xochilt Endsley, Michael Harvey, Ramiro Jaime Jr. and Michael Johnson. The candidates have until 8 a.m. on April 11 to campaign. Students will be voting from April 11 until April 12 for next year’s SGA positions.
The number of Hazlewood students from 2009 to the 20102011 school year at Sam Houston State University increased from 147 to 378, the cost of their tuition increased from $437 thousand to $1.4 million, Mertz said . This number is expected to increase even more. Vice President of Finance, Al Hooten, said that the university will have to pay for the increase within our budget source, so they will take funding away from some
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Gibson, Ph.D. said, according to Julia May, Associate Director of Communications & Public Information officer Hazlewood Act recipients receive 150 hours of tuition and fee exemptions at Texas public colleges and universities.
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things to go towards Hazlewood. mycobacterium diseases and viruses and encouraged the guests to interject with questions and comments over the topic.
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Monday, March 26 a Red Gala took place in the Performing Arts Center to promote awareness of HIV/AIDS and the effects it has on their family, friends, and personal lives. Tuesday, March 27 from 6:30 -8 p.m. a guest speaker with the LGBT Resource Center out of Houston will talk about his experience with a hetero-normative society Wednesday, March 28 from 8-10 p.m. in LSC room 320, Picture and a Picnic will be showing a documentary, “Fish Out of Water.” It explores the impassioned relationship between homosexuality and the Bible, followed by a Skype Q&A with the writer, Director, and Producer, KY Dickens.
Mary Robbins, Ed.D., interim dean of the College of Fine Arts and Mass Communications, listened intently as Primm and the other guests talked about “superdrugs and super bugs”. “I love Todd, he’s so exciting and passionate about his topic,” Robbins said. “He’s so diverse.” The evening’s distinguished speakers are from a wide range of backgrounds and expertise, including: Farouk Shami, Founder and Chairman of Farouk Systems; creator of CHI and BioSilk hair products and being a Guest Judge on NBC’s “Celebrity Apprentice” in his segment about being, “The Ultimate Celebrity Entrepreneur”. Walt Anderson was another of the esteemed speakers and shared with his table’s guests the
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Thursday, March 29 on Bearkat Plaza a Candlelight Vigil will be held to mourn, remember, and support LGBT youth affected by anti-gay bullying. Friday, March 30 Gamma Sigma Kappa will host a drag show in the LSC Theatre from 7-9:30 p.m. A winner of the drag contest will receive the title of Mr. or Miss Gamma Sigma Kappa Pride. Saturday, March 31 a Masquerade Prom will finish off the week in the LSC Ballroom from 7-9:30 p.m. It will give students an opportunity to meet and socialize in disguise, to make friends, create relationships, and inspire trust, without the first initial judgments. Tickets will be sold for $10 each.
experience of being, “On the Field with an NFL Referee” during Super Bowl XLV. These are just a few of the over 24 renowned experts that filled in their table’s guests on the various topics that they discussed. The “Let’s Talk!” program started in 2008 and has continued to grow in attendance and attract more and more renowned speakers to enlighten the event’s guests all in the name of the expansion of education for SHSU’s Honors College. For more information about “Let’s Talk!” or the Elliot T. Bowers Honors College, visit http://www. shsu.edu/~honors/letstalk/index. html.
Arts & Entertainment
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Jazz fest revives classic tunes Guests artists take stage to perform, educate JASMINE BROWN Contributing Reporter
George Mattingly| The Houstonian
‘HERE’S TO THE BAND’: The SHSU Jazz Ensemble performed alongside guest artists Vaughn Nark, Lynn Roberts and Bill Watrous and made an impression on the audience of students with such tunes as “Round Midnight”.
Jazz students of all ages gathered for a weekend of education, competition and performances at the 52nd annual Bill Watrous Jazz Festival. The two-day event, held in the Performing Arts Center, was hosted by the School of Music and featured a combination of workshops and performances from guest and faculty artists. The festival was also a competition for junior high and high school students who performed through each day and received critiques from three judges and competed for top awards announced at the end of each night. Several high school students won individual awards for their solo performances while a total of six high schools took home the top awards each night. On Friday night, in between student performances, trumpeter Vaughn Nark gave a workshop on jazz trumpet and Saturday, jazz vocalist Lynn Roberts gave a workshop titled Jazz Standards. Each night included a concert as the SHSU Jazz Ensemble performed alongside Watrous, Nark and Roberts to perform classic jazz tunes such “The Lady
is a Tramp”, “Never Let Me Go” and “Round Midnight”. The lively music was a hit for the audience that applauded and gave standing ovations throughout the night for the performances. “Anytime we get the wonderful opportunity to play with artists like Bill and Lynn, I feel like we are connected to that lineage a little bit,” Aric Schneller, Director of Jazz Studies, said. Aside from entertainment, the festival was an educational experience for students as they learned about classic jazz music directly from the artists who performed it. “For us [music students], [Bill Watrous] brings back ‘old jazz’ back and we get to experience what players did back then,” Randy Laran, music education major, said. “It gives us a new outlook on what jazz has and will become.” Throughout the concert, each of the artists stressed the importance of learning jazz and its impact on music. “[Jazz] is American and part of our heritage,” Roberts said. “It’s very important to keep it alive. Old jazz has evolved into what is happening now.” After the concert, several students, who were eager to meet the artists that inspired them, rushed to the stage to get autographs from Watrous, Nark and Roberts. “It was wonderful to have an audience that appreciates the music,” Roberts said. “You feel the connection, you feel the love.” According to Schneller, the festival was an opportunity for all students to gain exposure to jazz and take away appreciation for it. “I think the festival was a great success,” Schneller said. “I know the students are growing [from this] and getting better and better.” *George Mattingly contributed to this story
Odds in favor for ‘The Hunger Games’
Film offers more for viewers, leaves room for more to come GEORGE MATTINGLY Arts & Entertainment Editor One of the most anticipated films of the year opened on Friday as “The Hunger Games” left the shelves for the big screen. Although the film was action-packed and thoughtful, in some ways it fell short of some important details that could have taken the film even further. The film is based on Suzanne Collins’ novel set in the dystopian future of North America. Each year, the government selects 24 teen “tributes” to compete in a glorified fight to the death called “The Hunger Games. When Katniss Everdeen takes her sister’s place in the competition, she unexpectedly becomes the face of rebellion. From the start the cinematography worked very captured the grim tone of the impoverished country. When ‘the Games’ began, the camera was shaky and dizzying at times, but it worked in the context of the film to portray chaos and desperation of the characters. It made the story more realistic. The film also captured the sights and glamorous parts of the future that were so detailed in the book. Every detail of ridiculous fashions, the attitude of the characters, the look of the Capitol and the arena for ‘The Games’ helped convey the future
Jessica Gomez| The Houstonian
‘THE GAMES’ EARN BIG: ‘The Hunger Games’ earned $155 million at the box office in its opening weekend, making it the third biggest weekend opening of all time behind the “Harry Potter” finale and “The Dark Knight”.
dystopia, an idea that is very important to the story. This reality of the film was also achieved through the casting, something that has fallen short in other teen movie series like the Twilight films. Not only does Jennifer Lawrence make a very convincing Katniss, but many of the other supporting characters such as Seneca, Cinna, Rue and other tributes were important to ‘get right’ in this film. Not only did the cast fit the look of the characters, but they also
conveyed their emotions and attitude very well. Despite the overall enthralling feel of the movie, some details were left out or not used that could have taken the film to the next level. In the book, the relationships between Katniss and the people around her are an important part of her story. In the opening, the camera introduces Katniss and Gale. However, there is never a clear understanding of what the relationship between them is. On the face of it, they look
to be friends, but could be more than friends and sometimes they looked like brother and sister. The fact that this is not explained is very confusing for anyone who did not read the book and it interrupted the flow of the plot in the movie. The book is written in Katniss’ voice and while the film cannot achieve that as easily, director Gary Ross fell short to include her thoughts in the movie, which is a serious setback. The story focuses so much on Katniss’ story and her relationships that
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for the Ross not to include her thoughts is disappointing. This could have been better achieved if they included some narration by Katniss in the beginning and end of the movie to help explain how she feels. Perhaps the most intriguing thing about the entire film was that it was very thoughtprovoking because it is set in the future, not in a fantasy world like Harry Potter or Twilight, which makes the situations more realistic. Through the setting and barbaric characteristics of ‘the Games’, the movie addresses issues that are relevant to the world today such as poverty, oppression, the role of government in society and the effects they have on people. It raises questions about the society’s relationship with the government and how much we are willing to sacrifice for entertainment and fame. The story is before its time and if people pay close enough attention, it may help in the future. Overall I would rate ‘The Hunger Games’ a four and a half out of five stars. It stuck very close to the story while leaving out some details, but it is a great start for the film franchise that can only get better later on.
Sports
Page 5 Tuessday, March 27, 2012
How sweep it is
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Baseball sweeps Texas State for first time since 1989
photo courtesy of gobearkats.com
COMING UP BIG AT HOME. Third baseman Kevin Miller (4) makes a play in a game earlier this season. This past weekend Miller helped lead the Kats to a sweep over Texas State, the since 1989.
CODY LEWIS Sports Reporter The Bearkat baseball team swept the Texas State Bobcats in a three-game home series last weekend for the first time since 1989. With the sweep Sam Houston (14-9, 7-2 SLC) is in first place in the Southland Conference and are currently ranked 28th in the nation after defeating Texas State who was previously ranked 23rd before the series began. This is the last time Texas State (14-9, 4-5 in SLC) will come to Huntsville, as they are leaving in July to go to the Western Athletic Conference.
Sam Houston pitchers put on some of their strongest performances of the season in all three games. Cody Dickson took the win in game one of the series as he pitched eight innings, allowing six hits and recording five strikeouts. Michael Burchett took care of the last three outs of the game and got his first save of the season. Justin Jackson followed in game two with another win as he pitched five and two thirds innings, giving up five hits and striking out four. Michael Oros, Jordan Bunch and Michael Burchett pitched the last three and one third innings and gave up only four hits altogether. “We knew Justin was going to throw a great game,” third
baseman Kevin Miller said to Gobearkats.com. “Once he started getting tired we had to rely on our bullpen, and today they came in and did a good job.” Caleb Smith finished the job on Sunday by grabbing the third win of the series. He pitched a stellar seven and two thirds innings giving up five hits and striking out eight. Brandon Bergen got the save, getting the last four outs of the game. “Our guys are ready for the challenge,” SHSU head coach David Pierce said. “I thought they were outstanding all weekend. It was a complete series and we’re really excited about it.” Anthony Azar was the hero on Friday night as he hit a two run
homer to score Colt Atwood and himself, which capped off a fourrun seventh inning to give the Bearkats their first lead of the game. SHSU was able to fight off the Bobcats who scored one run in the ninth and had a runner on third-base with two away in the final inning. The Kats hung on and got the narrow 4-3 victory. Travis Ballew, who took the loss for Texas State, held Sam Houston scoreless for six innings, but the Bobcats could not recover after Azar’s home run. Saturday, third basemen Kevin Miller went four-for-five from the plate including a pair of doubles and scored three runs en route to a 10-4 win for the Bearkats. Sam
Houston totaled 15 hits. Center fielder Colt Atwood was the star on Sunday. He led the Bearkats with three RBIs and went two for three from the plate as they defeated the Texas State 5-2. “It felt great to get the sweep,” Atwood said. “Everyone on the team contributed. If the bases were not loaded, I would not have had the chance to get any RBIs.” After building up a lot of momentum, the Bearkats will face Dallas Baptist University on Tuesday night at 6:30 p.m. at Don Sanders Stadium. For more information about the team, including questions about scheduling and tickets, visit gobearkats.com.
two in the sixth to secure the victory, 6-0. The shutout highlighted the biggest problem the Bearkats had all year, an inconsistent offense. “We gave up runs early and just couldn’t close,” SHSU head coach Bob Brock said. Brock added that it was surprising that his team did not score more because they had been doing well offensively during their seven game win streak. The two losses this weekend ruined an impressive seven game win streak that Sam Houston State had accrued over the last two weeks. Sam now has a record of 8-15 and is 2-2 in conference play. The Bearkats return home on Tuesday where they take on rival Stephen F. Austin. Game time is set for 4 p.m. Sunday, SHSU will play host to Northwestern State in a double header that was previously scheduled to take place on March 14 and 15, but was canceled due to rain.
ROUGH ROAD SERIES. Bearkat catcher Ashley Isbell makes a play at the plate. This weekend the Bearkats traveled to Central Arkansas and fell in both games of a two-game series. Friday, the Kats fell 5-1 and Saturday the team lost 6-0.
Softball swept by UCA, snaps seven-game win streak
JOHN PERES Contributing Reporter The Bearkats softball team came up short last weekend in Conway when they were swept in a two game series against the Central Arkansas Bears. On Friday, the Bears jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning after a home run by catcher Melanie Bryant. In the top of the third, Sam Houston State University shortstop Sarah Allison returned the favor with a homerun of her own, making the score 3-1. That was last run the Bearkats would score all weekend as the Bears would go on to win 5-1. Allison was responsible for two of only four SHSU hits. The Bearkats did not fare any better on Saturday as the game got off to a poor start when UCA scored its first run on a bases loaded walk. The Bears brought in three runs on four hits in the second inning and added another
photo courtesy of gobearkats.com
Tennis falls to rival SFA AMY TUREK Contributing Reporter
The Bearkat tennis team faced off against nationally ranked conference rivals, Stephen F. Austin in away matches on Saturday. The Bearkats (9-4, 3-2 in SLC) were only able to take one point from the 43rd ranked Lumberjacks and lost 6-1. In doubles, Imke Jagau and Kayla Stevenson won their match 8-4 but SFA won the other two doubles matches, giving them the
Tender Bender
doubles point. Tatyana Postnikova and Nadia Dubyanskaya lost 8-3 and Sheridan Currie and Natalie Petaia lost 8-4. The Bearkats captured their only point of the day in singles with Petaia coming from behind to win 3-6, 6-4, 10-7. Because SFA had already won enough matches for the overall win, a super tiebreaker was played in lieu of a third set. Petaia has won 10 of 13 singles matches this season, tying her with Postnikova
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for the most singles wins on the team. “Natalie is growing into a true competitor because of a solid work ethic, the willingness to listen and adapt her game to improve, and a growing belief in her skills,” coach Jim Giachino said. Despite Petaia’s win, the team was disappointed with Saturday’s loss. “Winning a couple of matches is not something that anyone on the team should be overly happy with, even against a strong, nationally-ranked team,” Giachino said. “Bottom line, we did not compete well enough to win., Jagau lost 6-1, 6-1; Currie lost 4-6, 6-1, 10-5; Postnikova lost 6-1, 6-4; Dubyanskaya lost 6-4, 6-0; and Stevenson lost 6-3, 6-1. The Kats will take on Central Arkansas and Northwestern State this weekend on the road.
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