Vol 120 | Issue 26
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Publishing since 1913
Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
Viewpoints ....... pg. 2 A&E ................... pg.5 News .................. pg. 3 Sports................. pg.7
4-Day The Parking Games: Forecast Wed., Apr. 25 HI: 88 LOW: 68
Thursday, Apr. 26 HI: 86 LOW: 67
Stephen Green | The Houstonian
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a thousand parking tickets for Fall 2011 to Spring 2012, which accounts for 8 percent of parking tickets issued. The library lot falls right behind with little over a thousand tickets issued for this school year. The spots on campus that typically low number of tickets issued are the Farrington lot (P27), the Criminal Justice horseshoe(P3), the Baldwin West lot (P45), the 1600 Block of
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This is part 1 of 4 in a series on SHSU parking tickets.
Check out HoustonianOnline.com for an interactive map of parking lots on the SHSU campus.
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tickets issued. All revenue earned from parking tickets go to funding the school’s Parking and Transportation department. At Texas State University, more than 36,000 tickets were issued within the 2011 fiscal year, earning them $1.1 million. While it may seem like this is much more than at SHSU, Texas State has twice as many students leaving the ratio of tickets issued and number of students relatively similar. The top five parking lots that parking patrollers frequent are: 20th street next to South Paw Dining, officially known as P-24, the faculty and staff lot outside Newton Gresham library (P6B), the coliseum lot (P12), the admin lot (P26), and finally, Bowers stadium lot (P14). These lots bring in nearly 30 percent of the total parking tickets issued on the Bearkat campus. Twentieth street by South Paw generated over
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Friday, Apr. 27
Parking on Sam Houston’s campus at 9:30 am on a Tuesday can be like parking wars: SHSU edition. When a student decides to park in an undesignated area, it’s a life decision. Needless to say, parking is a pain in every student’s butt. According to the Parking and Transportation rules and regulations, “Faculty, staff, and students are required to park in the assigned areas only, according to permit type and/or color zone designated.” As if it is ever that simple.
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HI: 84 LOW: 64
JANISE RICHARDSON JESSICA FURDOCK Contributing Reporters
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Tuesday, Apr. 24
Fortunately for students, there are statistics that can help them… well, not be a part of the statistic. The Houstonian analyzed data collected from annual parking and transportation records from Fall 2011 to April 2012. The analysis shows that SHSU issued more than 15,000 tickets and collected revenues from fines of more than a half a million dollars. There are also specific problem lots where most tickets are issued, and a dramatic decrease in the number of tickets issued when Spring semester was compared to Fall. From the beginning of September 2011 to the end of March 2012 there were 15,094 tickets issued at SHSU with revenue totaling $582,385. More than 10,000 of those tickets were issued in the fall. But for spring 2012, the projected number of total tickets issued is 5,967. This accounts for 44 percent of total
Librar
Information from Weather.com
Analysis reveals hotspots for tickets, dramatic decrease in Spring numbers
Lots of tickets
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INDEX
Tennis team makes SLC tournament for eighth straight year., pg. 7
Ad m
Faculty, staff to preview next Read to Succeed book, pg.3
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
REMEMBERANCE. Faculty, staff, administrators, and students gathered in front of the clock tower and new memorial at 11 a.m. on Friday to students of SHSU that have passed away. Members of Orange Key and the ROTC led the event.
‘Gone but not forgotten’ Event recognizes deceased students
MISTI JONES Senior Reporter The inaugural Raven’s Call memorial service honored and celebrated the lives of many Sam Houston State University faculty, staff and students that have passed away within the past couple of years. Presented by the Orange Keys Student Ambassadors, Raven’s Call was held April 20 by the Blatchley Bell Tower in Bearkat Plaza to remember the lives of fallen Bearkats consisting of 26 retired SHSU faculty and staff members, six students and four faculty and staff members.
SHSU Brass Quintet began the ceremony with “Amazing Grace” and ROTC presented the colors. President Dana Gibson, Ph.D., spoke to thank the families of the fallen Bearkats and the SHSU students, faculty, staff and student organizations who came together to make Raven’s Call possible. “The university remains loyal to many traditions and I know this will become a strong one here,” Gibson said to attendees. “It’s very appropriate that we add a new tradition to remember those members of the university community that we lost during the last few years.”
Gibson said Raven’s Call will become an annual ceremony “remembering those who passed and nurturing those who remain.” After a brief moment of silence, Dean of Students John Yarabeck read the roll call of the faculty, staff and students who passed away. The Blatchley bells rang three times to honor these fallen Bearkats to let them know, as the Raven’s Call motto goes, they are “gone but not forgotten.” “Here, at the Blatchley bell tower, is the ideal site for Raven’s Call,” Yarabeck said. “Our hope is that in the future when you hear the bells sound, it will bring
to mind these members of our campus community that we honor here today.” Sarah Martin, president of Orange Keys, presented a new monument that will forever stand in front of the bell tower. She said the monument and Raven’s Call were designed and dedicated to the remembrance of all Bearkats who have gone. “This event was created to celebrate the lives of members of the Bearkat community to show that we, and the university as a whole, are grateful for the service
and contribution of both students, faculty and staff that have passed on,” Martin said. Heath Martin, senior vocal performance major, concluded the memorial service by singing the SHSU Alma Mater as attendees released orange balloons into the sky. After the ceremony, a private reception was held for the family and friends of the departed loved ones in the Peabody Memorial Library. —
CALL, page 3
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Viewpoints
Page 2 Tuesday, April 24, 2012
houstonianonline.com/viewpoints
Grow up later
Today in history:
April 23
Allison McMath ponders the next phases of life
To the tree that scratched up A&E Editor George Mattingly when he climbed out of it after taking pictures for a story. To baseball b e i n g ranked in all 4 major polls for the first time in school history. To softball pitcher Shelby Lancaster for her no-hitter versus Southeastern Louisiana.
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atching young Simba in the Lion King shout out how he “just can’t wait to be king” made growing up look absolutely terrific. You grow up, meet a cool lioness, and become king. It all seems great. No stress, no problems. If only the real world was that simple. I used to think how cool it was going to be to grow up, go to college all by myself, and feel confident walking with coffee in hand to my big time job. However, I didn’t really think about the struggles of growing up, the unanticipated challenges of college life, and actually finding that big time job in a less-than-stellar economy. Now that we’re at that stage in life where our decisions majorly affect the rest of our lives, it is way scarier than I anticipated. Looking for jobs can be intimidating and trying to figure out how to pay off school loans is a pain. And for some, moving to a new location is in the future, which can cause more aggravation. For me, it seems difficult because I worry about whether employers will want someone so young, because I am graduating early. Will they have doubts that I can’t do what they
Allison McMath Copy Editor
request, or will they want someone with more experience? Or say for education majors, how difficult will it be to find a job when many districts aren’t hiring? Although we don’t always have the answers right then and there, eventually things sort themselves out and sometimes work out better than we originally planned. It all seems very daunting at first
until we realize that it’s all part of the adventure. Most of the challenges we face today will be something we laugh about in the future. Things we can look back on and say, “Now kids, don’t be like your dad…do this instead.” I get plenty of those stories at my house. When we come across those times where we just want to find a corner and hide from the rest of the world, just think about the boy who never grew up; Peter Pan, who only had happy thoughts and thought life was nothing more than stories and learning to fly. He chose to live in his innocence and ignore the realities that awaited him in the real world. Although he loved the life of being a carefree kid, he never got to experience the crazy adventures of growing up. As you have probably already experienced, growing up has its fantastic moments too. No, being an adult will not always be sunshine and roses, but look for those moments that make us appreciate being older. As many of us are graduating or moving into different phases of life, just remember that while growing old is mandatory, growing up is 100 percent optional.
Gleek out
To coursekit for changing the branding of their website right before the end of the semester. Worst business move ever!
Hey you!
Yes, you!
Do you have an idea for a ‘Paws’ UP or a ‘Paws’
DOWN?
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This led to a discussion in the newsroom as to what songs Glee did better than the original and which ones missed the mark. There was much debate, but for most songs the consensus was either in favor of the original or the Glee version and for the most part the distribution was 50/50. Obviously, there are just some songs that the original artist is so good, like Adele, that there is no way Glee can even come close.
Where the original won:
Back to Black
(Amy Winehouse) Cough Syrup (Young the Giant) Friday (Rebecca Black)
(Cyndi Lauper) Misery (Maroon V) Imagine (John Lennon) Raise Your Glass (P!nk)
(Robin Thicke) Forget You (Cee Lo Green) Marry You (Bruno Mars) Firework (Katy Perry)
(Lady Antebellum) Turning Tables (Adele) Born This Way (Lady GaGa) Perfect (P!nk)
When I Get You Alone
E dito r-in-Chie f 936 -294-1505
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1704 – The first regular newspaper in the United States, the News-Letter, is published in Boston, Massachusetts. 1885 – American sharpshooter Annie Oakley was hired by Nate Salsbury to be a part of Buffalo Bill’s Wild West.
1980 – Eight U.S. servicemen die in Operation Eagle Claw as they attempt to end the Iran hostage crisis. 1990 – STS-31: The Hubble Space Telescope is launched from the Space Shuttle Discovery. 1996 – In the United States, the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 is introduced. 2004 – The United States lifts economic sanctions imposed on Libya 18 years previously, as a reward for its cooperation in eliminating weapons of mass destruction.
April 25 1846 – Thornton Affair: Open conflict begins over the disputed border of Texas, triggering the MexicanAmerican War. 1939 – DC Comics publishes its second major superhero in Detective Comics #27; he is Batman, one of the most popular comic book superheroes of all time.
1953 – Francis Crick and James D. Watson publish Molecular structure of nucleic acids: a structure for deoxyribose nucleic acid describing the double helix structure of DNA.
All comics courtesy Creators.com
Editorial Staff Stephen Green
Need You Now
April 24
1944 – The United Negro College Fund is incorporated.
viewpoints@ houstonian online.com
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Poker Face (Lady GaGa) Rolling in the Deep (Adele) Girls Just Want to Have Fun
Somebody That I Used to Know (Original by Gotye) Baby (Justin Bieber)
We’ll even take a SIDE ‘Paw’ if that’s what you have! Send your ideas to
Robin Johnson
However, there are lots of songs that Glee was the clear winner. Finally, there was one song that instead of the original the comparison was between one cover and another, “I Will Always Love You.” There was not a clear winner between the Glee version, performed by Amber Riley, and, of course, the Whitney Houston version. Below is a newsroom consensus on a few of the more popular songs Glee has performed.
Where Glee got it right:
1985 – Coca-Cola changes its formula and releases New Coke. The response is overwhelmingly negative, and the original formula is back on the market in less than 3 months.
1898 – The SpanishAmerican War: The United States declares war on Spain.
Viewpoints Editor Karmen C. King discusses Glee vs. the originals with the newsroom
everal of the editorial staff are admitted Gleeks and a few are closet ones. Sunday, Gotye, original performer of the song “Somebody That I Used to Know”, blasted the Glee cover of his song. “They did such a faithful arrangement of the instrumentals but the vocals were that pop Glee style, ultra-dry, sounded pretty tuned and the rock has no real sense, like it’s playing to you from a cardboard box,” Gotye said.
1635 – The first public school in the United States, Boston Latin School, is founded in Boston, Massachusetts.
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P h o t o g ra p h e r
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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 Students compete for cash prizes Page 3
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
houstonianonline.com/news
MOLLY WADDELL Associate News Editor Team Dub Nation took the grand prize at the 5th annual Sam Houston Challenge hosted by the Sam Houston State University Program Council held on Friday and Saturday. This year the theme was Dr. Seuss. Six teams of eight signed up to participate in the cash prize competition. First place received $500, second got $250, and third was awarded $100. The six teams were as follows: Dub Nation, Club Basketball, Team Jumanji, One Time, Black Student Alliance, and Who Hash. Day one of the competition was held in the Health and Kinesiology Center on the basketball court. The first competition was a spirit rhyme. This was taken by One Time. Next the teams participated in “Quick Digest” where two girls and two boys from each team had to eat a pan full of green died rice crispy treats, which represented green eggs, in the fastest time. Some competitors poured water onto the treats to make them easier to eat. Team BSA came out on top. “Fish Pong” shortly followed where teams had to throw Swedish fish into glass bowls, the farther the bowl was from the more points it was worth. Team members switched back and forth between over hand and under hand to throw the fish. Club Basketball
got the most fish in the bowls. The obstacle course was the only physical event of the day. Two teams at a time, in relay style, ran through a two person blow up obstacle course. The event was timed so all teams could be compared to each other. Club Basketball won again. The last event of day one was called “Who’s Who.” Participants were asked trivia questions about the school and PC. To earn points team members had to know things such as “who is the dean of each college,” “what is the room number of student activities,” and “how many rooms are in the Lowman Student Center.” Jumanji took first place in this event. Day two took place on intramural field three and began at 2:30 p.m. The first three events were done in rotation style with two teams at each station. Tug of War was judged best two out of three and done championship style. Teams would try running in the opposite direction, or wrapping the rope around the person at the end so he could pull the weight. After having to compete against all of the teams, some more than once, Club Basketball came in first. There was also the “Dizzy Run” where one at a tim,e members of a team had to run to a softball bat and spin around it 10 times, head to bat and bat to ground, then run back to tag the next person. Most participants were extremely disoriented after spinning around
the bat. At one point two people ran into each other. Through all the dizziness the team with the fastest time was Dub Nation. The last station was the fourlegged race, where three team members had to tie bandanas around their ankles and run around a cone and back. Several teams tripped, but one team put the smallest person in the middle and picked her up and carried her while they ran. One Time ran it in the fastest time. The “Hula Hoop Jig,” was the last small challenge. Teams had to connect hands in a straight line and send a hula hoop down the line and back without letting go. One time completed the Jig first. The last competition of the day was a relay scavenger hunt where competitors had clues that led them to different parts of the campus. Some students had to run all the way to Old Main Market. Team Basketball came out on top. The scores were tallied and the teams were told who won. Team Jumanji came in third, Club basketball placed second, and Dub Nation won the grand prize. “It was hard work, but we overcame,” Amie Boseman, from team Dub Nation, said. “It paid off.” Blakeley Johnson, another member of the winning team, said that teamwork is what helped them win. The next PC event is the Masquerade Ball on April 28 in the LSC Ballroom at 8 p.m.
Molly Waddell & Megan Laurie | The Houstonian
WORKING HARD. (Left) three members of the winning team, Dub Nation, compete in the four legged race. (Right) A member of Team Basketball eats rice crispys as fast as he can.
Molly Waddell | The Houstonian
PUT YOUR BACK INTO IT. Team One Time tugs as hard as they can to defeat the other team.
Faculty and staff discuss ‘immortal life’ AMANDA MORGAN Contributing Reporter
The Bearkats Read to Succeed program will be previewing “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks” by Rebecca Skloot, as the newest selection of the program’s common reader for the upcoming 2012-2013 school year. Sam Houston State University faculty, staff and administrators are invited to attend the preview luncheon on Friday, April 27 from noon to 2 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Ballroom. This will include five riveting presentations from guest lecturers and SHSU professors. In “The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks”, Skloot tells the story behind cells that are known
TICKETS,
page 1
Avenue I, officially known as P36 (alongside the Criminal Justice and Performing Arts Center buildings). And lastly, the BPA lot or P23B (Parkhill Barrett and surrounding areas) saw infrequent ticketing. The tickets issued at the Farrington lot are a mere 22 tickets. This parking lot is actually a teacher/staff lot, so the tickets issued there may be from students. The Criminal Justice horseshoe follows with 32 tickets issued, which is also a faculty/staff lot. The lots that tend to generate the least amount of tickets are faculty/staff lots as well as “blue permit parking” or resident lots. Overall, these five parking lots generate about .013 percent of the total parking tickets issued on Sam Houston’s campus. The most common ticket issued is parking with no permit, with more than 9,000 tickets. This adds up to $361,960, which accounts for 62 percent of the total revenue collected. The lots that had the most tickets with no permits includes P12 a commuter lot by the coliseum and P14, a remote permit lot by the football
Tender Bender
in the scientific community as HeLa. HeLa is the name given to Henrietta Lacks’ cells that have been bought and sold in the range of billions but little is known about this woman or why her cells are so vitally important. In her book, Skloot shares Lacks’ story as a poor, African American tobacco farmer whose cells were taken, without her knowledge or permission, in 1951 as a means for the vital development for multiple scientific discoveries such as the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and much more. Even after these great discoveries in science, Lacks’ has received little recognition and still today her family cannot afford health insurance. Skloot’s non-fiction tribute to Henrietta Lacks and the scientific
field, which is often referred to as orange parking. A common misconception is that students can park anywhere on campus after 5 p.m. regardless of whether they have a parking permit or not. Without a parking permit of any color, drivers will not be permitted to park in any lots and run the risk of getting a ticket. All permit colors are permitted to park in orange lots at any time; resident and commuter permits can park in faculty/staff parking between 5 p.m. and 7:30 a.m. Resident permits are allowed to park in commuter lots between 5 p.m. and 7:30 a.m., but orange and commuter permits are never permitted to park in resident lots. Daniel Vasquez, a SHSU senior, wasn’t aware that Sam Houston even had orange parking lots, or that green and blue permits are allowed to park there at any time. Parking in Faculty/Staff is the next most common ticket issued with 2,036 tickets. At the Newton Gresham Library parking lot almost 50 percent of violations were for parking in this Faculty/Staff lot without having the proper
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marvels that have come into being due to her cells is a New York Times best-seller and taps into such topics as ethics, race and of course biological medicine. To further examine the related themes found in the book, guest philosophy lecturer Diana Buccanfurni will discuss “BioEthics: Informed Consent”. Political science department chair Rhonda Callaway will explain “How do we know what we know? Using HeLa to Explain Research in the Social Sciences” along with associate professor of history Bernadette Pruitt as she presents, “Welcome Jim Crow: The Triumph of White Supremacy, Blackness in Reverse, and the Long Road to Citizenship”. Joining them will be biological sciences department chair Todd
permit. Parking while prohibited is the third most common ticket issued with 1,066 tickets. Parking in a handicapped zone without the proper permit is one of the more serious offenses within this category and a ticket of such will cost $100. In lot P27 by Farrington, parking in handicapped spots accounted for 73 percent of the violations recorded in that lot. Behind the CHSS, lot P9, parking in handicapped is also a problem with 70 percent of the violations. According to Parking and Transportation Assistant Director David Kapalko, convenience is the top reason for students parking in these spots. Students might rationalize their decision by parking in a handicapped zone by saying they are only going to be there for a minute. “But what they don’t realize is that if their car is there and a mobility impaired person drives by, for that minute they may
Primm presenting, “So What Are HeLa Cells?” to break down what the cells are, look like and explain exactly what an “immortal cell” is. Assistant professor of chemistry, Donovan Haines will conclude the professorial presentations with his “Connecting with Students Through Cancer: An Education Application.” These presentations of related topics discussed throughout the book are to benefit teachers and professors by allowing them to understand what is being covered in the book and be comfortable talking with their students about these topics. The Bearkat Read to Succeed program began in 2008 with the goal of providing intellectual content for SHSU students throughout their college
not be able to park there and may not be able to get to class or work,” Kapalko said. While parking may seem like a costly expense after dealing with parking woes, compared to other Texas colleges and universities, Sam Houston State is less expensive. Texas State University’s on campus parking for students is $210 for the year; SHSU’s student resident/commuter yearly parking pass is less than half of at $80. SHSU also has a parking garage that costs $300 per semester, or an hourly wage of one dollar, with a maximum of $5 for the day. SHSU fares better on parking citations as well. The first offense is a $30 fine, raising five dollars with every offense, while at Texas State the general parking or “all other” $40. But if it is not paid within 10 working days, a $15 late fee will be added. While parking on campus can seem like an uphill battle, as long as
experience, from day one to graduation. SHSU faculty that attend the complementary preview and luncheon will receive a free copy of ‘The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks’ if they choose to use the book for their classes, as well as a academic learning packet that includes activities that relate to the book. It is encouraged for those SHSU faculty and staff, who would like to attend, to reserve a seat as soon as possible by contacting the Professional and Academic Center for Excellence or Student Success Initiatives. To make a reservation or for more information, contact PACE at pace@shsu.edu or call 936-2942688.
students are aware and follow all of the rules and regulations they can avoid many of these tickets that are being issued. So it would be wise to pay attention to the regulations so students wont become apart of the parking statistic.
CALL,
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An Art Gallery tribute was set up in the Lowman Student Center all week, displaying pictures, short biographies and written memories of the students, faculty and staff. Raven’s Call was initially suggested by a local Huntsville dentist who had lost a loved one. She wanted to create a ceremony to honor and remember SHSU members that had passed away. A task force, comprised of John Yarabeck, chair, dean
of students; Jeanine Bias, assistant dean of students; Charles Vienne, director of Alumni Relations; Darlene Andrews, director of Donor Relations; Deborah Hatton, Mass Communications professor and faculty council; Chuck Collins, assistant director of Student Activities; Vicki Barrilleaux, Undergraduate Admissions/Staff Council; Elizabeth Braun, Orange Keys President 2010-2011, made this idea possible. The idea was approved from the President’s office. Meagan Lee, Raven’s Call committee chair and Orange Key member, said, “The name Raven’s Call symbolizes a unique way to call our Bearkats home and remind their loved ones that they will always have a family at Sam Houston State University.”
Arts & Entertainment
Page 5 Tuesday April 24, 2012
houstonianonline.com/a-e
Audience applauds ‘Whimsy’ on stage
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Dance concert showcases drama, humor, skill
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GEORGE MATTINGLY Arts & Entertainment Editor Audiences applauded as the dance department combined humor and classic ballet on stage this past weekend in this semester’s dance Spectrum concert titled “Whimsy”. “La Spectre de la Rose,” originally choreographed by Michel Fokine in 1911, exhibited an intimate personification between a young woman and her rose. Senior dance major Shohei Iwahama embodied the rose with graceful pressure and precise technique to a piano waltz titled “Invitation to Dance” by Carl Maria von Weber. Freshman Dance Major Demario Scimio explained that Iwahama’s performance showed classic ballet style. “Because it’s a classical dance there’s not a lot of dramatic expression,” said Scimio. “It was to appreciate the technique.” Katy Connor accompanied Iwahama as a young lady dreaming of her affectionate duet with her rose. Connor’s role maintained the simplicity of the duet while harmonizing with Iwahama with grace and elegance. Another piece titled “There are things we don’t share” by Erin Reck was a tearful set that silenced the audience. Dancers approached front stage dressed in casual attire spanning the entire stage. Arranged to Jeff Buckley’s rendition of “Hallelujah,” the piece unfolded the hardened layers of repressed despair held by ordinary people. Expressed with short, restrictive gestures and sullen faces, “There are things we don’t share” highlighted problems and insecurities of common people
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HANGING IN “STRATA” : With dramatic lighting and contortions, dancer Alicia Marie Carlin hangs above the stage entangled in aerial silks in “Strata”, a piece choreographed by dance faculty member Dana Nicolay and Carlin.
and their routine lifestyles. The use of vocals by Amy Wright and compulsive counting of numbers pronounced her anxiety and obsession of order. “It’s emotional,” second year graduate dance student David Deveau said. “[There’s] a lot of constricted movement. It’s about letting go.” Deveau led the set, humming “Hallelujah”, and then concluded with boisterous movements breaking the restraints of past gloom. “Mine was about my anger from my divorce,” Deveau said. “Strata,” choreographed by Dana Nicolay and Alicia Marie Carlin, as well as the cast, was one of the most dramatic pieces of the show. Haunting lights lit the stage while dancers moved under a
cloth that stretched and billowed from the ceiling. The acrobatic performance was comparable to the artists of Cirque Du Soleil with awe-shocking contortions from the dancers while dangling from delicate ropes of cloth. “Strata” dove deep into the origins of the world. It explored the chaotic order stemming from beauty and harmony consumed by deranged forces. “It’s the evolution of civilization,” Scimio said. Junior theater major Katie Fritz, who sat close to the stage, said the unique eeriness of “Strata” provoked feelings of anxiety and nervousness. “It was ritualistic at points,” Fritz said. “I felt nervous because I didn’t want the dancers above me to fall.” Compared to last semester’s
“Precipice”, “Whimsy” showed polished precision and strict timing with composed unity across the stage in the opening ballet piece “Les Sylphides: Excerpts and Interpretations. Dancer Adorina Nguyen was phenomenal, executing impressive footwork and points. The audience applauded “Whimsy” for the diversity showcased by the dance department at Sam Houston State University. SHSU’s Dance Program’s next event is a non-majors dance show on April 30 in the Gaertner Performing Arts Center. The semester will conclude with Senior Showcase and Awards Ceremony on May 2 in the GPAC. For more information visit http:// www.shsu.edu/~dnc_www/.
Correction: In last Thursday’s issue, an article titled “Students to premiere original short films”, the festival location was incorrect. The Animation at Sam Festival will be held in the Performing Arts Center Dance Theater on May 3 at 6 p.m.
Arts students earn praise for ‘Episwede’ in exhibit GEORGE MATTINGLY Arts & Entertainment Editor A group of 14 art students gained recognition for their variety of artwork shown in the 13th annual Juried Student Exhibition on April 12. Guest juror Arturo Palacios narrowed down the winners from 98 art pieces in the exhibit. The first place award of $1,000 went to a six-member group for their video entitled “Star Wars: Episwede 1,” based on their homemade version of “Star Wars: Episode 1”. The assignment for the exhibition was to recreate a special effects film while only using in-camera effects. Group members Weston Jones, Carter McEachern, Ethan Byerly, Mark Acosta, Ross Bradfield and Kevin Mulcahy decided upon the idea of recreating a Star Wars trailer because they all shared similar childhood memories of the film. “We knew we couldn’t faithfully recreate it and decided to do a humorously bad rendition,” Jones said. Susannah Strader, assistant
Photo by Sofia Medrano
LOOKING ON: Viewers look on at the variety of artwork displayed in the Gaddis Geeslin Library in the Juried Art Exhibit held on April 12. The top three winners were selected by guest juror Arturo Palacios from 98 art pieces.
professor of art and Chair of the Gallery Committee said the contestants were judged based on the quality of the work that was entered. “Definitely wasn’t expecting any sort of recognition for this film. I assumed the award would go to a more ‘fine art’ piece,” Bradfield said. “But then again, it lends itself to question: what
classifies ‘fine art?’” The group found creative ways to recreate the movie trailer with the little resources they had, including shooting the pod racing scenes with Target shopping carts and singing all of the music and sound effects that were used for the video. The group also made their own props and costumes for the trailer by using household
items like tires, boxes and flashlights. Since none of the group members had any experience singing, they felt the hardest part was making it resemble actual music versus noise that distracted the viewers from the video. The video was a success, reaching several websites such Geekologie.com, a blog dedicated
to “the scientific study of gadgets, gizmos, and awesome,” according to the website. Blog categories on the site include video games, cute, fail, scary, sexy and Star Wars. The short film also earned praise on YouTube with more than 40,000 views. One YouTube user fieldsofgravy commented, “Better than 3D” while user, deso125 said, “I would watch this sweded version of Phantom Motion over the real film.” Another user, frozenslumber said, “Put that in your pipe and smoke it, George Lucas.” “It was definitely a surprise,” Jones said about winning the prize. “We certainly worked hard on it, having only a week and its bookend weekends to work on it in its entirety, but we really never expected any professional to give it such an honor.” “Star Wars: Episwede 1” beat out the second place $800 award for cicadas and found objects piece entitled “Lies Our Mother Told Us,” and the third place award of $600 for the animation entitled “Heritage.” For more information, visit http://www.shsu.edu/~art_www/.
Upcoming Events April 25 Wind Ensemble Concert
April 27 General Sam Houston Folk Festival
April 25-26 50th annual Contemporary Music Festival
April 25-28 SHSU Theater production of “Once Upon a Mattress”
Sports Baseball wrangles in Cowboys Page 7
Tuesday, April 24, 2012
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Kats win series against McNeese, ranked in all four polls
CODY LEWIS Sports Reporter The Sam Houston State baseball team continued to roll through Southland Conference opponents, after winning two-of-three games on the road against McNeese State last weekend. The Bearkats have not lost a conference series all season and are inching closer to competing in the Southland Conference tournament, where they will compete for the Southland Conference Title. For the first time in school history, the Bearkats are ranked in all four major baseball polls. The highest ranking was 22 in the Collegiate Baseball poll, dropping two spots since last week. Due to a rain delay on Friday night, the Bearkats (28-11, 17-4 SLC) had to play a double-header on Saturday against the Cowboys. Solid pitching from Sophomore Caleb Smith and Senior Justin Jackson led the Kats to 5-2 and 4-0 victories. Jackson had the most notable start in game two of the doubleheader, as he took a no-hitter into the ninth inning, allowing only two hits and no runs. He allowed only two base runners in the first eight innings before giving up back-to-back singles in the bottom of the ninth in his first complete game of his college career. Jackson is now 7-3 and was named Southland Conference baseball “pitcher of the week.” “It felt good to go out there and give my team a chance to win the ball game and win the series,” Jackson said. “I was just trying to repeat pitches and let them put the ball into play and let my defense work for me.” This season, Jackson has a 2.85 earned run average in 10 starts,
photo courtesy of gobearkats.com
ALMOST A NO-NO. Senior pitcher Justin Jackson pitches in a game earlier this season. Saturday, against McNeese State, Jackson pitched eight innings of no-hit baseball. Jackson wasn’t able to complete the no-hitter as with one out in the ninth, McNeese hit back-to-back singles. The Bearkats went on to win the game, 4-0.
is holding opponents to a .227 batting average and has recorded 50 strikeouts—10 one which from his shut out on Saturday. Although he didn’t nearly throw a no-hitter, Smith’s start was solid and led to a win. He pitched eight innings, giving up two runs on three hits en route to a 5-2 victory for the Bearkats. He now has a 6-2 mark. Michael Burchett came out and pitched the ninth inning in relief. Shortstop Corey Toups and second baseman Jessie Plumlee
led the Bearkats at the plate with two RBIs each. The Bearkats were also able to score another run in the seventh inning off of a Cowboy error. In the second game, Toups and Plumlee once again had RBIs that contributed to the 4-0 shutout. Center fielder Colt Atwood and left-fielder Luke Plucheck knocked in the other two runs. The Bearkats dropped game three of the series with a 5-1 loss on Sunday afternoon to give them their fourth conference loss of
the season. Cody Dickson got the start for Sam Houston but lasted only two and one third innings, giving up one run off of one hit and striking out two. Dickson took the loss and is now 4-3. He was the first of five Sam Houston pitchers. Jordan Bunch, Allen Scott, Michael Oros and Brandon Bergen all pitched in relief. The one Bearkat run came off the bat of catcher Shea Pierce as he hit a solo home run in the eighth inning. After this series, the Bearkats
shutout on the season as SHSU went on to win 3-0. The Bearkats who kept Southeastern Louisiana scoreless, have now pitched four straight shut outs as earlier in the week, the pitching staff of SHSU held Prairie View scoreless in a doubleheader. In the first game, the Bearkats got out to an early lead after catcher Ashley Isbell hit a solo home run in the bottom of the second inning that put SHSU up 1-0. In the bottom of the fourth inning, SHSU added a run on an RBI double by right fielder Erin Burford. Alyssa Coggin hit an RBI single in the bottom of the sixth that ended the scoring for the Bearkats. In game number two, the Bearkats lone run came in the sixth inning after shortstop Sarah Allison hit a sacrifice fly to drive in Burford. SHSU takes on Texas A&M Corpus Christi at home on Tuesday in a double-header. Game one of the series is set to start at 4 p.m.
NO-HIT BID. Sophomore Shelby Lancaster pitches in a game earlier this season. Saturday, in a double-header against Southeastern Lousiana, Lancaster pitched a no-hitter in game number two. Lancaster struck out two and faced 23 batters.
still hold down the Southland Conference with a four game lead over Southeastern Louisiana and Texas-Arlington. The Bearkats return home this week for a five game home stand where they will face Houston Baptist, Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Texas A&M. They will first play Houston Baptist on Tuesday night at home for a non-conference match-up. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. For more information, visit gobearkats.com.
Lancaster throws no-hitter, softball sweeps Lions ZACH BIRDSONG Sports Editor
Sophomore pitcher Shelby Lancaster was the star for the Bearkats on Saturday, throwing a no-hitter, as the Sam Houston State University softball team swept Southeastern Louisiana in a double-header at home. With the win, the Bearkats improve to 22-17 on the season and 10-4 in Southland Conference play. After starting the season, 1-13, the Bearkats have now won 21 of their last 25 games. Lancaster (9-6) threw her first no-hitter at SHSU, struck out two and faced 23 batters in the second game on Saturday and the Bearkats would go on to win, 1-0. The no-hitter was the first in Bearkat history since Tomi Garrison pitched one as a sophomore in 2010 against Texas Southern. On Monday, Lancaster was named as the Southland Conference pitcher of the week for her performance on Saturday. Garrison (8-8), who pitched the first game, pitched her fourth
photo courtesy of gobearkats.com
SOUTHLAND STANDINGS Tennis falls to Texas State, makes BASEBALL slc
Teams
overall
SHSU Southeastern La. UT Arlington Texas St. McNeese St. Central Ark.
17-4 13-8 13-8 11-10 11-10 10-11
28-11 28-13 26-14 23-16 17-20 16-20
Northwestern St. SFA TAMU-CC Nicholls St. Lamar UTSA
10-11 9-12 9-12 8-13 8-13 7-14
14-23 16-24 16-24 19-20 15-23 17-23
SOFTBALL
Teams
slc
overall
Texas St. SHSU TAMU-CC UTSA McNeese St. Central Ark.
12-2 10-4 10-4 9-5 8-6 9-7
29-15 22-17 16-16 20-22 25-16 33-18
Nicholls St. Northwestern St. SFA UT Arlington Southeastern La.
5-7 6-10 4-12 3-9 2-12
11-26 18-25 13-30 13-21 10-31
eighth straight SLC tournament AMY TUREK Contributing Reporter The Bearkat tennis team will compete in the Southland Conference tournament for the eighth straight year, after finishing seventh in the conference during the regular season. Saturday, the Bearkats had their last matches of the season and fell against Texas State at the Texas A&M tennis complex. The matches were originally scheduled to take place the previous weekend. Doubles matches were able to take place, but singles matches were suspended due to rain. The doubles point was won by Texas State the previous weekend, already giving the Bobcats a 1-0 lead over the Bearkats. They would go on to capture four single wins, and allow them to
defeat SHSU 5-2. Singles No. 1 Imke Jagau lost 6-1, 6-1 and No. 6 Olivia Battye lost 6-3, 6-2. No. 2 Sheridan Currie and No. 3 Natalie Petaia both fought hard three set matches after they both won the first set. Currie lost 4-6, 6-1, 6-2 and Petaia lost 3-6-6-1, 6-2. No. 5 Nadia Dubyanskaya also fought a hard three set match but won 4-6, 6-2, 6-1. No. 4 Tatyana Postnikova secured the second point for the Bearkats, winning 6-2, 6-3. Sam Houston (11-8, 5-6 in SLC) will have a re-match against Texas State (14-5, 9-2 in SLC) on Thursday in Nacogdoches at 11 a.m. in the first round of competition. According to head coach Jim Giachino, there are advantages to playing Texas State again so soon after Saturday’s loss.
“The team knows how to play against their individual opponents,” Giachino said. “Doubles will be one of the keys, although we have the talent to win 4 singles matches even if we don’t win the doubles point.” As for the preparation for Thursday’s matches, Giachino said that “all the hard work has been done” already this season. “This week is just about maintaining their games and feeling good about their ability to win on Thursday,” Giachino said. Should the Bearkats advance to the second round, they will face either the number three seed University of Texas-Arlington or the number six seed Lamar on Friday. The final matches of the tournament will be held on Saturday. For more information about the team, visit gobearkats.com.
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