Huntsville, Texas
Owls make a late run and beat the Bearkats
Scrambling for the green
Third annual Golf fundraiser for B earkat Volleyball to be heldatRaven’sNest By Jake Pickard
Contributing Writer
The third annual Bearkat Volleyball Golf Scramble Fundraiser will be held this Saturday in Huntsville at Raven’s Nest Golf Course. The event will begin with lunch at 11:15 a.m., followed by a welcome from volleyball coach Brenda Gray at 12:15 p.m., and then the tournament begins with a shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. “It’s great giving back to the girls,” said Daryl Loving, the coordinator of the event. “Our goal is to put some money into the back pocket of the program.” The proceeds gathered by the fundraiser will go to the Sam Houston State volleyball program. “It helps with their travelling expenses,” Loving said. “Some of the things it helps with are their food costs and transportation costs.” Loving helped start the event three years ago after his daughter joined the Bearkat volleyball team. The tournament has increased in size since its inception. “It’s done a good job of taking hold,” Loving said. “Each year it’s a little bigger and a little better, and it gets a little more successful each year.” Each team will be made up of four people, and will follow traditional scramble rules. Anyone that can provide the entry fee will be allowed to participate. “Anybody can make a donation and anyone can still put a team together,” Loving said. “We’re still accepting teams until the tee off at 12:30.” Loving says that even individuals that show up without a team will be able to participate, as some teams already signed up don’t yet have four members. The entry fee is $100 per person (or $400 per team), and any additional donations will be accepted. “Come on out, we have a fantastic time,” Loving said. “Meet the girls we’re helping, enjoy the beautiful weather and enjoy a great round of golf.”
SEE page 6
INDEX
Nation & World...page 4
Viewpoints................page 2
Entertainment........page 5
Campus................page 3
Sports....................page 6
Tuesday, April 15, 2010
SEE page7
Behind the scenes
BASEBALL
Vol 115— Issue 24
Holy text for safer sex
SHAAHFTA organizes controversial “Canons for Condoms” campaign, invites SHSU to give away their religious scriptures in exchange for condoms, pamphlets, and other educational texts. By Kara Vaughn
Contributing Writer
A small event has sparked a heated debate on campus. Since Tuesday, the first ever ‘Canons for Condoms’ has taken place in the LSC Mall area to accept any religious scripture and trade it for condoms, pamphlets or educational text. The Atheist, Agnostic, Humanist and Free thinker Association, or SHAAHFTA, is promoting the event again on Thursday, April 15 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the mall. SHAAHFTA said their intention is to offer rational and scientific thinking as an alternative to those already questioning their religious beliefs, and to encourage safe sex as a more realistic outcome than the call for abstinence. “The first goal is to promote the organization to the campus. A lot of students who are not religious don’t know about the organization. They have been asking a lot of questions,” said Brittany Wilbert, SHAAHFTA Event Coordinator. Not everyone is happy with the event. Some claim the organization has gone too far. “They seem to be wanting to bribe students to take away their religious text,” said Joe Magee, Director of the Catholic Student Center at SHSU. “You would think at a university they would want students to read everything. It doesn’t seem to fit in what the
Joe Buvid | The Houstonian
CANONS FOR CONDEMNS. The goals of this campaign, which was held April 13-15 in the LSC mall area, is “to promote SHAAHFTA as an alternative to the saturated religious landscape for those who are questioning their religious beliefs or are already non-theist, to support religious believers to question the morality of their holy scriptures, and to foster honest and frank discussions between and within the religious and the nonreligious communities on campus. After “Canons for Condoms” is complete, all religious texts will be given to the Unitarian Universalist Bearkats, an organization on campus, the local library and other charitable organizations. None of the texts that will be received will be thrown away by SHAAHFTA.”
free thinkers claim to be.” SHAAHFTA members argue they didn’t set out to attack anyone, and only wish to
promote safe sex and education through clear thought, not religious condemnation. “I understand people may
be upset with the event as disrespecting their beliefs. This event is not to convert anyone,” said Wilbert. “They don’t have to
give away their Bibles. We don’t want to promote that either.” — See CANONS, page 3
Eventful night comes to an end 16th annual Sammys awards respected leaders and organizations of the university for their services By Kristin Meyer Senior Reporter
On Wednesday night, students and faculty slipped on their ties and dresses to attend SHSU’s official awards ceremony, The Sammys, to honor outstanding students, faculty and organizations. “It’s rare that the people in the organizations that were represented [at the ceremony] actually get the recognition they deserve,” said sophomore Clayton Goss. “It’s really nice to see, not only the organizations hosting the event, but to see everyone take it seriously and dress nicely.” Awards were presented to students, organizations and faculty who embody the university’s motto, “The measure of a life is its service.” FOR MORE SEE page 7
John Rudolph | The Houstonian
A glimpse of the winners Honorary Sammy President Gaertner Best Community Service project SGA--Bearkat- All- paws-in Outstanding Religious Organization Alpha Nu Omega Outstanding Cultural Organization African Student Association Special Interest Organization Collegiate Veteran’s Association Overall Organization Political Science Junior Fellows Creager Award Jeremy Carroll McDermett Award Carolyn Hall Faculty Sammy Johnathan Charles For a complete list please go to www.houstonianonline.com
— See SAMMYS, page 5
Voters MIA for SGA Elections to end today, participation expectation low despite student notifications, promotions and advertisements By Jessica Priest
Associate News Editor
Students hoping to make a significant change at Sam Houston State University may do so with a single click by casting their votes in this year’s Student Government Association Election via their SHSU e-mail account. The election, which is scheduled to end on April 15 at 5 p.m., provides SHSU students with the opportunity to elect individuals to represent and fight for their concerns. In addition, the ballot will also include a referendum to increase the International Stu-
dent Fee from $1 to $2. This additional $1 will go towards funding study abroad opportunities and scholarships for SHSU students. This fee increase was initially proposed by College of Criminal Justice Senator Ayomide Shittu. Despite the election’s obvious importance, it has historically received very little student participation. “Last year, we got a little under 1,100 total (votes) and that’s about average,” SGA president and presidential candidate Ryan Bridges said.
— See SGA, page 3
Photo courtesy of JJ Photography
LEADING STUDENTS. The candidates for this year’s SGA election include senior general business major (center-left) Ryan Bridges for president, senior criminal justice major (center-right)A. Rene McKelvey for vice president, graduate student (left) Jimmy Williams for treasurer and sophomore criminal justice major (right) Tyler Eberhart for secretary.
VIEWPOINTS
Page 2 The Houstonian
Retiring the confederacy Kevin Jukkola talks about the controversy involving a new proclamation in Virginia. Recently, Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell released a proclamation declaring April Confederate History Month for the state. In the statement, McDonnell failed to mention slavery when attempting to enlighten the masses about the reason for the establishment of the Confederacy. This would be tantamount to writing about the 2009 baseball season and failing to mention that the Yankees won the World Series. The Confederate States of America were specifically started as a response to the election of Abraham Lincoln, a man who ran on a platform of refusing to expand slavery to the west. To ignore this basic fact in favor of a reality that makes the South seem like an innocent bystander in the conflict that became the Civil War seems irresponsible and ignorant. Many Confederate sympathizers insist that the Union soldiers acted unethical, immoral or unsympathetic toward the South in the midst of the conflict, which, by the way, happens in every single war. Plus, nothing excuses the primary reason for the war, which was the South’s defense and continued acceptance for the evil institution of slavery. Other countries believe that being accountable for your actions and recognizing the entirety of your history is an important part of being a patriot. It is still a crime in Germany to declare that the Holocaust did not occur. I would not support this extreme measure because of my firm belief in freedom of speech, but it is a curious departure from the way we view history.
Most Americans are not even aware of the shameful Japanese internment camps during World War II that imprisoned innocent people in deplorable conditions. Those who argue that honoring the Confederacy is a representation of Southern culture are completely off base. It only symbolizes a racist white Southern culture in which minorities were essentially treated like livestock. They were used for their resources and often murdered after their production had slowed. These are facts and they should be inarguable. I am not asking anyone to ignore the history of the
ily neutralized by a closer examination of previous political figures. Former President Ronald Reagan, the supposed beacon of the Republican party, firmly believed in states’ rights and echoed this sentiment through his policy making decisions and actions without ever feeling the need to wave the stars and bars for confirmation on these sentiments. That leaves only two possible reasons for someone to continuously display the Confederate flag. Either you are a racist who pines for the day when slavery was permitted or someone who roots for losers.
“Those who argue that honoring the Confederacy is a representation of Southern culture are completely off base.” South, but to disregard the differences between it and other celebrations of the past seems reckless. For example, Black History Month honors civil rights leaders who fought for equal protection of blacks under the law. Anyone who honestly believes that the cause of the confederacy should be treated in the same way as the significant and virtuous fight for civil rights has lost touch with reality. The Confederate flag itself should be retired because its use has run its course. Some argue that it represents the acknowledgment of states’ rights above those of the federal government, but this can be eas-
If you root for losers, that seems odd. The war ended approximately 145 years ago and you lost. Give it up already. There is a reason why you don’t often see people wearing buttons supporting the failed campaigns of Bob Dole from the 1996 election or Michael Dukakis from 1988. It would seem utterly ridiculous and so does this. By hanging a Confederate flag on your wall, it implies that you agreed with all of the core principles of the South, including that which promoted slavery as an enterprise that deserved to thrive and continue. If a person were to have a swastika symbol proudly displayed, it wouldn’t nec-
essarily mean that you supported the Nazi deeds, but it does show that you at least agree with their platform. There is simply no other explanation to celebrate this reprehensible organization. You also have to question the timing of Governor McDonnell’s statement. We live in dangerous times. Economic uncertainty often leads to anger that can fuel an anti-government sentiment, leaving the possibility of militias, such as the one that sprouted up in Michigan, flourishing and becoming more powerful and hazardous. Is there any wonder why the biggest increase in the membership of the Klu Klux Klan took place during the Great Depression? Proclamations like these simply fan the flame of violent discontent aimed at the federal government that should be avoided in favor of healthy debate over policy making decisions. Ultimately, history must be accepted as it was, not as how you wish it should have been. In the earliest parts of our country, Native Americans were slaughtered and their land was taken, Africans and others were enslaved and treated like property and women were considered second class citizens. All of this happened. Now, let’s make sure it doesn’t happen again. Kevin Jukkola is the Entertainment Editor for The Houstonian. He is a Senior Print Journalism major, Political Science minor.
Comics for thought
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Letter to the Student Body Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alumni: The Houstonian would not survive were it not for the continued involvement and dedication of the SHSU student body. We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor. If at any time you feel the need to express an opinion, please do not hesitate to e-mail your thoughts or drop by our office in the Dan Rather, room 210 in the communications building. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued support of the Houstonian. Heath Wierck Viewpoints Editor haw002@shsu.edu
Letter to the Editor Condoms for Bibles? Brittany Winner writes in to share her feelings on the Cannons4Condoms event going on this week around campus. When I received a text message from my friend that a group on campus is giving out condoms in exchange for bibles, my first reaction was shock. Then came anger; then sadness. It seemed like such a sudden, unprovoked attack on the Holy Bible, which we Christians believe to be the Word of God. By exchanging the most precious source of knowledge about our religion for a cheap rubber excuse, I think people are giving up the truth for a lie. Putting all emotional reactions aside, I assure you that I understand the importance in some people’s minds of promoting “safe sex,” and realize that one method to prevent the spread of infectious diseases is the use of condoms. These same people who advocate condoms for the sake of safe sex cannot, however reluctantly, deny that abstinence (no sex at all) is the safest practice to avoid infection or pregnancy. But for those who take the risk, condoms are a satisfactory measure to prevent adverse consequences. The message of safe sex is clear, but what about the message of exchaning the Bible for a condom? Why did this organization insist on an exchange at all for condoms? I argue that their distribution could have been more efficient had they been freely giving condoms away, simply because college students adore free things, especially useful free things. And are those who so willingly give up their Bibles for objects easily obtained at Planned Parenthood (by the shoebox full) going to be the ones who are even carrying a Bible in the first place? Ultimately, I think that the idea of promoting safe sex practices did not necessarily need to include the exchange of what some people consider holy.
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Comic courtesy of comics.com 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) 294-4864. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press.
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Mad Brad: The essence of change Brad Basker reminisces about the change
he’s seen around campus during his time here. In five years I have seen a lot of changes in every aspect. I’ve watched the campus and community evolve in certain ways, and it’s cool to think that I remember buildings, faces and places that are no longer there. Every semester there is a flood of budding intellectuals, and it‘s weird to think that, whatever state the campus is in upon their arrival, that will be their experience. They have no recollection that AB1 had the most popular computer lab on campus. They will only know the LSC mall area for its ability to drag you into unwanted social interactions. They never got to see the building that was their beforehand. It was demolished and that’s funny to me. But despite all the time I’ve spent on campus, I still find there is much that I don’t know. When visitors ask me where something is I direct them to the nearest map or information center, and although I’d make a dismal tour guide, I’ve been able to ascertain these facts
about the SHSU facilities and grounds. • Someone plants at least one new tree or bush in the mall area every night. • The teacher education building smells like strawberries and cream. • The sparkling rocks in the floors of the CHSS building give you vertigo.
have its channels changed, and become a huge HD flat screen. • The chemistry building is the nicest building on campus, and if I had seen it before now I would have taken a class just to linger in its glory. The interior is stylish, the atmosphere is sterile and
“I have no opinion about Academic
Building II... I am under the impression that it indeed doesn’t exist.” • The Library is always cold. • I have no opinion about Academic Building II, and since I have never had a class there, I am under the impression that it indeed doesn’t exist. • The LSC is a combination of brightly and dimly lit areas which makes wearing sunglasses difficult. The couches make for great procrastination; while the televisions on the second floor need to
I was surprised there was no security to remove trespassers like myself. • The criminal justice building makes me feel paranoid. • I’m glad the new fine arts facility will be finished soon because the current situation is very confusing. I learned two years ago that art students take classes in metal shacks in the boondocks of campus. Although dance and ROTC represent completely
different social entities they’ve managed to co-exist in one building. • I think the agriculture classes are somewhere by I-45, but I’ve never seen them. They don’t exist either. Most buildings are attached somewhere in the stream of my Bearkat timeline, and are indicative of classes, events, friends, successes and failures. I like to sit under the clock tower when it’s not raining too hard. And I can count the number of times BSM had to feed me on Wednesdays. But of all the places I’ve spent the most time in the Mass Communications building. At least half of my college career was spent there in between classes and The Houstonian. I loathe it like a grumpy old husband does his wife. Which probably means I’ll miss it. Brad Basker is a recurring columnist for The Houstonian. He is a Senior Public Relations major, Spanish minor.
CAMPUS
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Frustration demolition derby
The Houstonian, Page 3
Code word: Language By Alyssa Dupree Contributing Writer
Joe Buvid | The Houstonian
FACING YOUR FEARS: Students beat out their frustrations Wednesday on a donated 90’s GMC Trailmaster to combat such present-day issues as terrorism, racism, sexism and vandalism.
By Malissa Peek Contributing Writer It is not every day someone hands you a bat and says, “go ahead, destroy something.” For many Bearkats that unlikely day was yesterday. Their victim was an 90’s GMC Trailmaster. The graffiti-covered vehicle sat between AB1 and the LSC as one of Program Council’s many events. “First I just noticed ‘beat the car for isms’ and thought ‘ism’ stood for something I was unaware of but, I eventually noticed ‘terrorism’ and the idea of beating the car made perfect sense,” former Army Ranger and SHSU student Curtis Smith said.
Program Council member and Multi-Cultural Co-Chair, Monae Yancey said the idea derived from other “Beat the Car” events but she has never seen one with such a strong meaning. The beat-up car was covered with other “isms” such as racism, vandalism and sexism. The crowd started off small but eventually hitters were coming from every corner of campus. “Our job is to educate and bring awareness to the students and faculty that these are issues people still do face,” Yancey said. “The students are beating the car for a reason and maybe through this event people will see that others go through some of the same things they do.” The busted-up automobile
was furnished by Huntsville’s own Longhorn Auto Salvage. The price of a salvage yard Trailmaster is $300. The bold statement made by Bearkats: Priceless. Though this event was not intended to be part of SHSU’s UniDiversity Week it fell into place quite well. In recgonition of UniDiversity Week the Multi-Cultural and International Student Services, or MISS, will host the Campus Diversity Enhancement Project on Friday, April 16. According to MISS Coordinator, Donielle Miller, guest speaker, Brian C. Johnson is the most requested diversity speaker in the nation. The event will take place in the LSC, room 320 at 11 a.m.
Stay tuned ...
Books and papers aren’t the only things the English department is focused on, proven by the “Coffee and Colloquium” series, which will continue this week. On Friday, April 16, Professor Helena Halmari is scheduled to discuss her research on ‘bilingual code-switching’ for the lecture series. “Language tells an awful lot about the world, communities, relations between people, individuals and how they use language,” she said. Halmari currently teaches courses in linguistics and the history of the english language, and has been an interim chair of the English department since last year. The lecture will present Halmari’s research on how bilingual speakers utilize the fact that “they have their feet in both worlds,” and use language as a way of “signaling that they belong to two different cultures.” “When we look at code-switching, we are looking at universal features of language,” she said. “For instance, when two come together, we can learn about grammar. The phenomenon tells a lot about the attitudes and poweridentity relations of people who use the language.” According to Halmari, code-switching “makes communication richer” and is “like a resource for bilingual people.” “I know a lot of people who code-switch; it’s something other bilingual people do with other bilingual people,” Halmari said. Although she is originally from Finland and speaks Finnish as a native, she can also speak English, Swedish, Russian and some German. Halmari’s lecture will be the 4th of the 2009-2010 school year, following lectures given by Dr. Linda Cook, Dr. Kimberly Bell and Dr. Lee Bebout. “[The series] is extremely important so we in the English department can learn about what other people are doing. [It gives a] faculty member [a chance] to share [their work] with students and other colleagues.” The lecture, which will take place at 2 p.m. in Evans Building Room 417, will be open to all students and faculty who are interested. “It’s a way to learn what other people are working on instead of going into our office and sitting behind a computer.”
Read online...
• Friday, April 16, 11 a.m. in LSC 320: “Campus Diversity Enhancement Project”
From SGA page 1
A. Rene McKelvey, the vice presidential candidate and current SGA secretary, also expressed dismay with the consistent low voter turn out. “(It) is really sad because there are over 17,000 students registered here,” she said. Some students attribute this poor participation to a lack of advertising. On the other hand, Bridges said that students were adequately alerted of the opportunity to cast their ballot. “To the university’s credit, it goes to everybody’s email,” Bridges said. “So, regardless of advertising, it’s a lot of students just ignoring the e-mail that goes out.” Needless to say, this years election will be a little different from year’s past, as all candidates are running unopposed. “We didn’t get that many people to file this year,” Bridges said. “We advertised it, we told people about it, we made an announcements at every single SGA meeting… even a lot of our normal seniors, the seniors we have now, did not re-file.” According to McKelvey, all SHSU students were eligible to file for nomination. This year’s candidate for SGA secretary, Tyler Eberhart, is an SGA newcomer
From CANONS page 1
“It seems that they are promoting sex,” said Magee. “Not all religions are about abstaining. They are implying there is an opposition between having sex and being a believer.” Christopher Randle, Assistant Professor in the Department of Biological Sciences, understands people are offended because they believe “somebody else is questioning the sacredness of their Bible.” “The goal of this is to raise awareness. It’s a good idea,” Randle said. “It doesn’t go as far as some student atheist
Please visit www.houstonianonline. com for more photos, articles and polls. Read more about... - Scholarly exchange set for today - Christian sorority celebratation who is doing just that. “Next year will be his first year in SGA, which makes him an awesome candidate because he’ll bring to the table more so of what it’s like for different organizations and bring their insight into that position a little better,” McKelvey said. Eberhart has several big ideas, but his main goal will be to foster more communication between different colleges within the university and McKelvey, the current SGA secretary, is confident in his ability to do so. So, while the deadline to file for officer nomination passed on March 30, the door to SGA is always to those students who wish to make a difference. In fact, they encourage it. “There is not really a cookie cutter explanation of someone who is perfect for SGA,” candidate for treasurer Jimmy Williams said. “Someone who is good for SGA is someone who attends Sam Houston State University.” Eberhart agrees that the purpose of SGA is to pool students together for a common goal: creating a better university. “We represent the students of Sam Houston State University,” Eberhart said. “Not just the students of a particular organization.” Despite the dismal numbers of semesters past and the uncontested race, all four
SGA candidates insist that every vote counts and that the student body’s voice will not be ignored. “We want to build off the success we had this year with making ourselves known to the student body and increasing student involvement,” Bridges said. “We didn’t have a lot to work with when we came to office at the beginning of this year, but we were able to lay a framework that I think we can expand upon.” SGA plans to tackle its long to-do list by working with local and state legislators to combat the recent 5 percent budget cut in higher education. “One of the big things we are going to be pushing in the state legislature is for them to stop handing these budget cuts to our education,” Bridges said. “I believe, as well as many others, that they do not need to be cutting into higher education.” The time for action is now and seasoned SGA officers, like Bridges and McKelvey, believe that things can only get better. “Part of the advantage of me running and Rene running in another officer position is that we’ve done this song and dance already,” Bridges said. “It’s a chance to tweak it this year,” McKelvey said. “Students will know exactly who is running … and they will see us. It’s not an option, it will happen.”
groups on other campuses.” Students may bring any religious text, from Bibles to flyers, and it may be traded in. The size and amount of literature brought in will determine the number of condoms received. “Here in the United States our views are colored by Christianity. When I gave up my Bible it relieved all my guilt. It felt great to walk away from all the rules and regulations,” said SHAAHFTA member Brian Peterson. “It was symbolic. We are giving people at Sam Houston State University the same opportunity.” The event has been ongoing since Tuesday with no complaints from the student
body, but organizers aren’t taking any chances. Wilbert contacted UPD on Monday to make them aware of the event and potential threat. If any disruption is caused, the organization will evacuate the area immediately to ensure the safety of SHAAHFTA members. After the event, no religious text given will be destroyed. The texts will be donated to the Unitarian Universalist Bearkats on campus, the local library and other charitable organizations. “SHAAHFTA is giving those books to a group that wants them. They will not be trashed or burned. They are important and will be read by other people,” Randle said.
Page 4 The Houstonian
Local College News
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Lambda Chi loses members
Photo Courtesy of Daily Campus
SMU’s Lambda Chi has had several memebers lost after hazing charges Meredith Shamburger
Editor-in-Chief | SMU Daily Campus
The house sat quietly with its main door propped open. The atmosphere was somber. Moving day had come, but no goodbye celebrations full of hope and promise were taking place. Up the stairs to the right, down the winding hallway lined with boxes and bare walls, sophomore Jack Haake’s room is decorated with two beds and a coffee table between them. In the corner beside a stack of LSAT prep books is the Band of Brothers DVD set. Dr. Pepper cans litter the flat surfaces, and a sombrero hangs on one bed. Haake is wearing his LXA letters, even though he’s not supposed to as a former member in bad standing. “I’m not going to leave until they do [put an eviction notice on my door],” Haake said. “I’m not going to leave because an alumni said I had to. The school owns the house—the school didn’t kick me out. Texas State Law says you have 90 days to be evicted. And neither the national fraternity or the
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school is above the law.” Haake is sitting next to another sophomore, Hayden Blair. Both students were expelled last weekend from the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity because of charges that they say are a lie. “We don’t deserve this,” Haake said. SMU’s Lambda Chi Alpha chapter saw 36 members expelled last Sunday after conducting a membership review the previous Saturday. Forty-seven members saw all charges against them dropped and were returned to good standing within the organization. Several members, who were not expelled, as well as alumni, have resigned their membership from the fraternity. The Daily Campus could not find any official total concerning those who have resigned because the number keeps growing as each day passes. According to John Holloway, director of chapter services of the international headquarters for Lambda Chi, the membership review came after a “thorough and sophisticated assessment”
from which chapter alumni and international headquarters “corroborated reports of hazing, drug use in the chapter house and risky behaviors with little to no consequence at any level within the organization.” “None of us saw any of this coming,” sophomore William Crouse said. Crouse resigned from LXA after the membership review did not expel him. He had been the social chair. Members were notified of their expulsions by letters dropped off at Hughes-Trigg. Many members’ mothers were in attendance because it was Mothers’ Weekend for the fraternity. “The room went pandemonium,” Haake said. “Some people were crying, people were screaming, moms were yelling—moms didn’t know what was going on, moms still don’t understand, we still don’t understand.” Expelled members lost their standing in the organization and cannot live in the LXA house, wear insignia with the LXA letters or represent themselves as members of LXA. Expelled members will be
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given pro-rated refunds for dues, housing and meals. Those who lived in the house, both expelled and resigned, were given hotel accommodations paid for by LXA for Sunday, Monday and Tuesday night. After Tuesday, Alumni Control Board member and SMU alumnus (’05) Andrew Baker said the fraternity does not have an obligation for housing those members. Campus housing is being made available by SMU. Thirty-one brothers lived in the house before the membership review, and all but eight have been expelled or have resigned. “I’d rather take the charter from the ritual room downstairs, walk it across the street and give it to SAE than have 20 kids carry on what used to be our name,” Haake said. “A fraternity of 20 men can’t compete.” Among those expelled included all but three of the fraternity officers. Four freshmen that had only been full members for a week and a half were also expelled. They had been associate members for eight weeks. “They paid [pledge dues] to have a miserable f**king existence,” Haake said. “Lambda Chi Alpha International Fraternity intends to further grow and develop a collaborative relationship with the SMU campus community and administration by ensuring our chapter provides a quality co-curricular experience where every man is treated with equality and respect,” Holloway wrote in an e-mail. “We recognize that it is unfortunate for some that such an action was needed to identify individuals who exemplify our core values and traditions.” Members each sat for a 15minute interview with alumni during the membership review. SMU did not play a role in these proceedings and had no role in expelling members. Holloway said the interviews “seek to establish better understanding in regards to chapter operations and the fitness of each individual in the restructuring and refocusing of the
chapter.” LXA had been placed on probation for risk management violations by the international headquarters in January 2009. According to Holloway, the chapter was making “little progress” on completing the probation terms and additionally, “they had two more risk management incidents which violated state and local laws, General Fraternity laws and the policy of SMU.” The chapter then asked, in October, to be allowed to impose a self-governing plan that would correct their behaviors to the brotherhood’s core values. However, Holloway wrote that the chapter “provided zero evidence” that they were following this plan, even after repeated promises to the contrary. “In late February there were some efforts beginning to be reported, but the local alumni had reason to believe that there was still questionable behavior going on,” Holloway wrote. “Issues continued to arise and more focus on social enjoyment rather than responsible adherence to the standards of the brotherhood.” Blair and Haake denied that the fraternity had engaged in rampant drug use and hazing. They said interviews were taken out of context and misconstrued. They also said the LXA headquarters had failed to tell them exactly why they were being kicked out. “I will die not knowing why I was kicked out of my fraternity,” Haake said. “They’ll never tell me.” Expulsion letters cited “conduct unbecoming of a gentleman, failure to act for the good of the Fraternity or committing an act detrimental to the Fraternity, violation of an oath of membership and violation of a Mandatory Policy Resolution approved by the General Assembly of the Fraternity.” LXA members took part in an assessment three weeks ago. In that assessment, the chapter took part in small group conversations and large group processing of where bad choices were still
being made and what would be needed for that to change. That assessment’s results led to Saturday’s membership review. The international headquarters sent the university a letter last week about the assessment. Baker said he doesn’t blame anyone for being upset or disappointed. “I think that’s normal and expected,” he said. “I think the mood is getting better. I think that comes with time and people understanding that what’s done is done—good or bad—and the only way we can go is forward.” Members in good standing and alumni are both meeting at this time to discuss the future of the fraternity. Haake and Blair predicted that even more members and alumni would resign in the coming weeks. “My sense is that right now things are moving in the direction that they need to,” Baker said. “My sense is that the young alumni support is good right now, and I think there are enough people in this house and chapter to lead recruitment efforts beginning as early as this summer and going into the fall.” Holloway also said that LXA’s future at SMU will move forward. “We have enjoyed a long and valued presence in the history of SMU,” Holloway wrote. “Be assured that the chapter alumni and international fraternity agree that this will allow us to invest in and become known for profound accomplishments for our brotherhood moving forward at SMU.” Expelled members have the opportunity to appeal the international office’s decision. Haake and Blair say appealing the decision is not worth it. “I can honestly say that I regret my fraternity experience 100 percent,” Blair said. “And that I will look back on it as all being just full of sh*t.”
To read more of Meredith Shamburger’s story, go to www.smudailycampus.com
ENTERTAINMENT
Thursday, April 15, 2010
From SAMMYS page 1
A total of 23 awards were given out at the ceremony, including two Sammy awards presented to Gabrielle Montoya and Daniel Palowski. The Sammys is a way not only to honor the faculty, students and organizations, but to showcase some of the programs that SHSU has to offer. The Theatre Program performed the opening scene of Rent by singing “Seasons of Love;” the Opera Workshop performed “A Hand of Bridge;” the Dance Program presented “Vivaldi Trois;” and the Jazz Ensemble performed “When You’re Smiling,” and “Spain.” “The Sammys brings all the different departments together,” said Daniel Palowski, emcee and Sammy award winner. “There’s dance, music, theatre, political science, communication- and they all come together for the awards ceremony.” Hundreds of people turned out for the event, filling the 625 chairs avaliable and lining the walls of the LSC Ballroom. “We probably had about 650-670 people attend,” said Brandon Cooper, Assistant Director of Student Activities. “We have so many great students at Sam Houston State and they seem to get better each year, which makes the ceremony better.” The 16th annual Sammys awards ceremony brought students together from all across the unviersity to honor the students who carry out SHSU’s motto , and encourage others to do the same.
GADDIS GEESLIN GALLERY
Juried Student Exhibition highlights talent from SHSU’s best artists James Ashworth Contributing Writer The 11th Annual Juried Student Exhibition began Monday, highlighting student work from the Sam Houston State University’s Art Department. SHSU artists may chose up to three pieces for the exhibition. Due to size and space constraints, not every piece entered could go on display. Out of the more than 60 items in the gallery, there were a few pieces that really shined. The unique concept behind the exhibition is that it gives art majors control over the gallery’s content. For this reason, it was the most outstanding student art exhibit this semester. What made the exhibition so interesting was that it covered many distinctions in art: painting, drawing, metal sculpture, clay sculpture, ceramics, photography, and collaging. There are even plastic bags holding fetuses draped from the ceiling. I was really impressed by the level of skill some of these young artists have. Kyle McAvoy’s welded metal piece entitled “Left Handed” shows immense expertise.
“Left Handed” looms over the gallery, protruding eight feet in the air. Formed from sliced metal bars, the piece resembles a fragmented tree trunk. Out of all the entries, McAvoy’s is certainly the largest and heaviest. Natalia Diaz and her oil paining “Contemplation” taps into classical sensibilities with a contemporary touch. At face value, the painting shows a scene of a woman in a kitchen with a chopping board. Yet, there’s intense emotions being channeled in “Contemplation”. The woman appears distressed, pressing her hand on her forehead. There’s a large knife on the chopping board as well. Could this woman be contemplating cutting a potato? Or is the knife a representation of violence? Not only that, but the woman is dressed in a gown, like she’s about to go out. Draw your own conclusions, but Diaz’s painting will surely leave you contemplating. Of the numerous ceramic pieces in the gallery, Natalie Daravasham’s “Birds” caught my eye. The 101 sculpted birds were arranged in a square on the floor, with the largest bird towering over the others. While at first I was tempted to roll a bowling ball into the scene,
“Birds” present an artistic approach to fascism. The uniformity of the birds, which were painted black, and the fact that they were placed in even rows, has all the indications of militarism. Finally, the largest bird stands above them, just as a dictator during a military parade. Continuing with the antiauthoritarian theme, Christian Hildago’s picture “Humans Everywhere” introduces a dystopian vision of the future. Utilizing acrylic paint, marker, and pen, the drawing shows a man in a gas mask, holding what looks like a dinosaur, in front of zombie-like droves of people. Behind this setting is a gloomy, faceless, backdrop. Smoke pours into the air, obscuring a burning sun. Hildago’s drawing is centered around the man in the gas mask, who appears to be some sort of hero. Visit the 11th Annual Juried Student Exhibition at Art Building F in the Gaddis Geeslin Gallery until April 29t. The final evening there will be a reception and award ceremony, which is scheduled to start at 5 p.m. Artists will receive awards and have their work for sale. Visit www.shsu. edu/~gallery for more details.
For more information or to comment on stories, visit www.houstonianonline.com
Joe Buvid | The Houstonian
Gaddis Geeslin Galler y. The 11th Annual Juried Student Exhibition is currently being held in Art Building F through April 29, highlighting unique work from SHSU students.
The Houstonian, Page 5
Opening This Week Theaters
SPORTS
Page 6 The Houstonian
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Rice edges SHSU in late-inning rally Brandon Scott Sports Reporter
The euphoric feeling of having a full house created the poignant scene at Don Sanders Stadium on Tuesday. Sam Houston State had the acclaimed Rice Owls on the ropes with a 7-3 advantage headed into the seventh inning before a crowd of just over 1,000 people. Within the next three innings, however, Rice scored five runs to rally an 8-7 comeback win over Sam Houston. “It just comes down to whoever makes fewer mistakes,” Braeden Riley said after the game. “We always seemed to make that one extra mistake and they capitalized on it. That’s what good teams do though.” After Bearkat pitcher Jordan Westra walked leadoff hitter Chad Mozingo in the first inning, Rice opened up the lead with Anthony Rendon’s two-run blast to left-centerfield. For Rendon, it was his 11th homer of the season and started what became a big-time hitting night for the Owls. Later in the inning, Craig Manuel lined one to Riley at second, but he bobbled the grounder and allowed another Rice runner to score. The Bearkats stepped to the plate in the bottom half of the first inning down 3-0, but they had bat speed of their own. Designated hitter Jessie
Kats Stats SHSU BASEBALL RESULTS
TUESDAY, April 13 SHSU 7 Rice 8
UPCOMING GAMES April 16 - April 18 SHSU at Lamar
STANDINGS Texas State Southeastern La. Northwestern State Stephen F. Austin McNeese State UT Arlington
12-3 10-5 9-5 9-5 9-6 8-7
(20-11) (27-7) (22-10) (21-10) (18-13) (15-18)
Lamar Nicholls Texas A&M-CC UTSA Central Arkansas
6-9 6-9 5-10 4-11 3-12
(20-15) (15-17) (13-20) (13-18) (10-22)
Sam Houston State 8-7 (15-19)
SHSU SOFTBALL Brian Blalock | Sam Houston State University
LOSING THE LEAD LATE. The Sam Houston State baseball team was unable to fend off the Rice Owls’ comeback in Tuesday night’s nonconference contest. After going into the 7th inning with a 7-3 lead, the Kats surrendered five runs to the Owls, ultimately losing the game 8-7.
Plumlee led off with a single to centerfield. Then, Ryan Mooney put the Bearkats on the board with an RBI double. With one out, right fielder Chris Andreas zipped a basehit just inside the right field
line to bring Mooney in and cap the two-run first inning for Sam Houston. From there, Bearkat pitcher Brandon Kimbrel came in for Westra and threw more than five shutout innings. Kimbrel struck out four, walked none and gave Sam Houston not just a fighting chance, but allowed them breathing room after the Bearkats took the lead 6-3 in the fourth inning. Reliever Matt Shelton entered the game for the last out of the sixth inning, but struggled to throw strikes during his time on the mound. The Owls scored three runs to tie the game at seven, but the damage was already done. The momentum shifted into Rice’s favor. Senior Diego Seastrunk, who returned to Rice to better his draft status after being selected in the 31st round of Brian Blalock | Sam Houston State University 1000 WINS FOR JOHNSON. Head Baseball Coach Mark Johnson last year’s draft by the San was honored for eclipsing the 1000-career wins mark last night. Coach Francisco Giants, homered Johnson won his 1000th game earlier this month against UTSA. off the left-field pole to give
his team an 8-7 lead in the top half of the ninth inning. “We’re still having trouble shutting things down,” Sam Houston head coach Mark Johnson said. “That’s just the way it is and they’re a goodhitting ballclub so you can’t make mistakes like that.” Coach Johnson was honored before the game for reaching his 1,000th career victory earlier in the season against UTSA. It was a night filled with emotions that ended with a hard thump in left-field. Rendon, who was named as the National Freshman of the Year just a year ago, talked about how tough it is to get a win at Sam Houston. “It’s always rough out here. I was just talking to Coach Graham about this and he’s been here 10 years and only won once,” Rendon said. “It’s always a grind when we come over here. We started off good, the whole season
we’ve been coming back in late innings. It just shows our heart and how we like to fight.” Sam Houston continues to battle its pitching woes and the inconsistencies in the bullpen. To combat that, the Bearkats are at the top of the conference in errors with 60 on the season. Even with the disappointing loss, the Sam Houston ball club was especially excited to provide high-drama for what they considered to be a real live audience. “It was nice to come out tonight see all the people out,” Riley said after the game. “It actually looked like a legitimate college baseball game.” Sam Houston (15-19 overall, 8-7 Southland) returns to conference action on Friday when they visit Lamar (20-15 overall, 6-9 Southland) in the first of a three-game series.
A cut above
RESULTS WEDNESDAY, April 14
SHSU 3 Texas A&M 4
UPCOMING GAMES SATURDAY, April 17 (DH) UT Arlington at SHSU
SUNDAY, April 18
UT Arlington at SHSU
STANDINGS Texas State Stephen F. Austin Nicholls UT Arlington McNeese State UTSA Texas A&M-CC Northwestern State
16-5 (21-16) 13-5 (20-12) 12-6 (20-11) 13-7 (23-17) 9-9 (23-20) 10-11 (14-25) 9-12 (27-17) 7-11 (20-18)
Central Arkansas Southeastern La.
5-12 (15-26) 2-14 (9-24)
Sam Houston State 7-11 (15-23)
WOMEN’S TENNIS RESULTS
WEDNESDAY, April 14
SHSU 4 Stephen F. Austin 3
COMING MATCHES April 23 - April 25
Southland Conference Tournament Corpus Christi, Texas
STANDINGS
Northwestern State UT Arlington Texas State Lamar
11-0 10-1 8-3 7-3
(15-1) (10-6) (12-6) (12-8)
Southeastern La. Texas A&M-CC Stephen F. Austin Nicholls McNeese State UTSA Central Arkansas
4-5 4-6 4-7 4-7 4-7 1-10 0-11
(8-11) (9-10) (9-10) (13-8) (8-9) (4-16) (2-15)
Sam Houston State 7-4 (8-10)
Sports Information
SCORING ON AND OFF THE COURT. Senior Brittany Brooks, a general business major, accumulated a 3.34 grade-point average while playing a key part to SHSU’s first postseason push since 2004.
Sam Houston State Sports Information
Sam Houston State senior Brittany Brooks has been named the 2010 Capital One Bank/Southland Conference Women’s Basketball Student-Athlete of the Year, the league office announced Tuesday in conjunction with the release of the Women’s Basketball All-Academic Teams. Brooks is one of two Bearkats on the 2010 honor squad. Ray Alexander, senior guard from Dallas Skyline, is a second team selection. A native of Spring, Texas, Brooks is the first Sam Houston State player to be named women’s basketball studentathlete of the year. A business major with a 3.34 grade-point average, Brooks played an integral role in leading Sam Houston to its highest win total (11) since 2000, and first Southland tournament berth since 2004. A second-team all-conference selection, Brooks started all 29 games in 2010 and finished fourth in scoring (15.3) in the league. Brooks ranked third in 3-pointers per game (2.3) and 3-point percentage (.332). Her 3.7 assists per game ranks sixth and 1.9 steals per game is seventh. Alexander, a 5-5 guard, is a health major with a 3.00 GPA. She finished her Bearkat career ranked sixth
in Sam Houston women’s career assists with 281 and scored 758 points in her 100 games as a Bearkat. She was the team’s third leading scorer this year. “This is a tremendous honor for both these young ladies,” Sam Houston head coach Brenda Nichols said. “They have been a part of all four of our teams here at Sam Houston and have played a major role in laying a solid foundation for the program in the future.” The Southland Conference awards committee, which consists of one administrator from each of the 12 member schools, voted for the student-athlete of the year. The student-athlete of the year award is presented to the one male and one female student-athlete who achieve excellence in both academics and athletics. All nominees shall have earned at least a 3.2 GPA on a 4.0 scale, and demonstrated achievement in athletics for at least two years at the nominating institution. The All-Academic teams are voted on by the head coaches, sports information directors and academic/compliance administrators from each Southland university. Student-athletes must possess a 3.0 cumulative GPA, have completed one full academic year at the nominating institution and participated in at least 50 percent of the team’s competition to qualify for the all-academic squad.
MEN’S GOLF RESULTS Sam Houston State Sports Information
Sam Houston’s Justin McKay finished as the runnerup in the individual medalist competition as he led the Bearkat men’s golf team to a runner-up team finish at the Texas State Jim West Intercollegiate Tuesday. UT-Arlington won the team competition with a 281281-289--851 total on the par 72, 6,901 yard course at Victoria Country Club. The Bearkats finished 22 strokes behind with a 285-297-291-873 team score. Rice placed third with a 881 total, followed by Texas State 891, Texas-Pan American 906, Cal. St.-Fullerton 908, McNeese State 914, Centenary 924, Dallas Baptist 931 and Nicholls 932. Bryce Easton of UTA won the individual medalist championship with a seven-under 54-hole score of 69-71-69-209. McKay tied with Bobby Massa of UTA as individual runner-up. McKay’s card read 67-76-1--214. Other Sam Houston State scores and finishes included Fergal Rafferty sixth 7373-71--217, Garrett Driver ninth 75-70-74--219; Beau Willis 13th 73-74-73--220, Scott Kelly 17th 72-75-76-223 and Kort O’Leary 43rd 82-75-78--235
UPCOMING EVENTS April 26 - April 28
Southland Conference Championship Hammond, Louisiana
Page 7 The Houstonian
Sammy’s
The 16th annual Sammys were Thursday, the Theatre Department peformed the opening scene from Rent to the tune of Seasons of Love. The opera workshop performed “A Hand of Bridge,” the Dance Program presented “Vivaldi Trois;” and the Jazz Ensemble performed “When You’re Smiling,” and “Spain.” Photo’s by: Joe Buvid and John Randolph
Thursday, April 15, 2010