April 25, 2013 by The Houstonian

TODAY’S FORECAST

HI: 74o LOW: 57o

George Mattingly | The Hosutonian

Theatre production of ‘Pirates of Penzance’ combines whimsy, humor and charm

Chance of Rain:

30%

‘Oblivion” is ego-trip for Tom Cruise, who overshadows all else

Baseball back to winning ways after defeating UT- Arlington

www.HoustonianOnline.

Volume 123 / Issue 27

P4 P5

Thursday, April 25, 2013

Dancing past social norms CHEYENNE SIMPSON Multimedia Reporter While bobbing his head and moving his hips down the streets of Huntsville he attracts the curious stares of people nearby. But he doesn’t care. Many students would describe him as, “that guy who dances on campus”, but under the booming sound of his bright blue headphones, Arnold Washington is just another student. Washington, a junior health and kinesiology major, has an overwhelming passion for music and dance. While theater and music aren’t in his degree plan, which some might be surprised by, he uses these passions to express himself freely. “I have been dancing on campus the past three years,” Washington said. “I love it, I have fun and I believe dancing is an expression of self and that is what I am doing. I am an open lively free person and I show it in my dance.” Washington feels his major has everything to do with music and dance. “Getting up, moving around and expressing yourself is all about moving your body and being healthy, both spiritually and physically,” Washington said. Music from all genres inspires him as he glides through Huntsville. While artist like Adele, Bruno Mars and Little Wayne are at the top of his playlist, he prefers to hear the rhymes of 90’s R & B. The genre helped him become more comfortable expressing himself through dance. “I consider myself a 90’s baby and grew up with that iconic music and I think that’s when I really started dancing,” Washington said. Even though he is known as, “that guy who dances on campus” Washington lives out his passion through his involvement with the national music fraternity Phi Mu Alpha and playing his trumpet in the Bearkat Marching Band. At the end of the day Washington hopes that his free spirit personality brings a smile to the faces of Huntsville. “As long as I can make someone smile or help them realize they can express themselves freely too, I am happy,” Washington said. While not that many people stop him to ask him what he is doing, he loves to answer questions and talk to curious minds. “I don’t get a lot of questions but when I do I am more than happy to explain myself and help people learn about free expression,” Washington said. Washington remembers a comment that made him realize he is doing something right. He said, “I was dancing down Sam Houston Ave. when a lady pulled over and told me that every time she sees me she can’t help but smile”

Cheyenne Simpson, Stephen Green | The Houstonian

White House reporter gives insider view JAY R. JORDAN Senior Reporter

Jay R. Jordan | The Houstonian

IN THE HOT SEAT. ABC ‘s White House Correspondent Ann Compton sat in the interviewee chair for a change at the Presidential Speaker Series on Tuesday.

“When someone reads a story the lede should make them say ‘What the hell,’ but by the end of it, they should say ‘Well I’ll be damned.’” That was the advice given by ABC News’ White House correspondent Ann Compton who spoke at SHSU as a part of the President’s Speaker Series and Priority One’s Mingling with the Media. Compton has covered every Presidential administration since Gerald Ford, winning several awards and being inducted into the Society of

Professional Journalist’s Hall of Fame, as well as the respect from her peers. SHSU President Dana Gibson and Priority One advisor Peter Roussel interviewed Compton on stage at the Performing Arts Center. Gibson asked Compton to recall her emotional experience of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, which led her to the point of tears. By “the luck of the draw” she was the only broadcast journalist allowed on Air Force One with President George W. Bush. She kept up with his hurried events all day, which led her to receive a Peabody Award

for her coverage. After landing in Washington, D.C., the events became tangible. She opened a message from her eldest son who said one of his fraternity brothers was on the 93rd floor of the north tower when the first plane hit. “At that instant, a day of doom’s day scenarios, burning buildings and people fleeing in panic and terror had a human face,” Compton said. “It was of a handsome young man who had just gotten his first internship with a fancy Wall St. company, and he never knew what hit him.” —

COMPTON, page 2

Page 2

News

Thursday, April 25, 2013 houstonianonline.com/news

Campus

Media Live allows students to make connections

HANNAH ZEDAKER Staff Reporter Mass Communication students will be able to meet professionals in their fields of interest and make connections with professors in their major. The Mass Communications Department of Sam Houston State University will hold its first Media Live event on Tuesday from 10 a.m. to 3p.m. in the Lowman Student Center. Media Live is hosted by members of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) and the National Broadcasting Society (NBS) “Media Live isn’t really a career fair; it’s more of a day for students to get informed about

classes and the field they’re going into,” Ashlee Page, member of the Media Live committee and senior mass communications major said. “It’s important, especially for students just now getting into mass communications, because they will get to talk face-to-face with professionals and professors who can tell them which classes to take to stay on track in starting their careers.” Although Page said there have been mass communication career fairs in the past, Media Live will be a different, more personable experience. “Students will be able to bring their resumes and have professors and professionals look at them,” she said. “Because these adults know SHSU, they will be able to tell students what they need to do and go through in order to be

Jay R. Jordan | The Houstonian

SIGNING-OFF. Anne Compton signs the Wall of Honor in the Performing Art Center with her sign-off.

COMPTON,

page 1

Compton said that sobering moment made her feel more vulnerable. “I think about that every day as I walk up the White House steps,” she said. When she walks into her White

House press office that she’s had since 1973, she said she uses one tool in particular. Compton was asked early on if the essence of skilled writing was still relevant among an everchanging media atmosphere. The correspondent laughed at the notion that writing doesn’t matter.

Graduation

successful in the career they’re pursuing.” Page said had she had an event like this earlier on in her college career, things may have been easier. “Everybody needs something like this,” she said. “I know when I first started in public relations; I didn’t know what I wanted to do. If I had a mentor early on to guide me, I probably would have done more and been more active earlier on because I wouldn’t have had to do things on my own.” There will be several different rooms on the third floor of the LSC that will host the different concentrations offered in the department—broadcasting production, multiplatform journalism, public relations/ advertising, and film. “Going to this event is a

“Clearly, in a compelling fashion with power, artistry and vocabulary, it is the single most important tool you’ll have in any career,” Compton said. “The ability to write and to write well is absolutely number one.” Compton said that writing isn’t a skill solely allocated to writingfocused careers like journalism. Her son commissioned TIPE (Technology In Plain English) in Austin despite his lack of interest in writing during school. “[He] was great in math and science, but he was bored silly by english and the civics like social studies,” Compton said. According to Compton, practicing writing over time helped her son be able to write for his career. As for her, she said that the skill is dynamic and can always be improved. “It’s a life-long career growth,” she said. “I’m a better writer today than I was ten years ago

Provided by Media Live

CONNECTIONS. The Mass Communications Department adn PRSSA have put together an event that will give students the opportunity to make connections , better their resumes and get advice.

great way for students to make connections and become more knowledgeable about their fields of interest,” Page said. “We hope it will become an annual event that

will continue in the future.” For more information, students are encouraged to “like” the Facebook page “Media Live.”

as a reporter, and I was a better writer ten years ago than I was when I graduated college. I urge every student and every adult to keep writing and that is still the single most important tool that you will have in a professional or a personal capacity.” Along with being a sculpted journalist, Compton said that the demands of being a mother are just like a parent in any other field of work. “I feel the same way every mom does who may not have an office to go to, but she’s got 90 things to do,” Compton said. “The family is still the center of my universe. The long

hours are difficult, but I was smart and married outside my ‘faith’ and married a doctor.” She said that as she covered campaigns and presidencies for three weeks at a time in some cases, her husband Dr. William Hughes was always at home in DC where his work was. After 30 years in the same job, Compton said unlike others in her field, she hasn’t grown tired.

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Page 3

Viewpoints

Thursday, April 25, 2013 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

Letter to the editor To the Houstonian Staff, This is a response to the recent viewpoint ‘SHSU should go green already’ issued on Apr. 23, 2013. This is not a disagreement on the issue. This is about researching recycling on campus. I know this is just a viewpoint; however, you do need research to prove your own opinion. Anyways, I work with the SHSU Grounds Department and we have a recycling program that two people work on every week. One guy goes around the whole campus and changes out full trash bags for new trash bags. Once his cart is full of trash bags, he then takes them to our shop. At the shop, a lady goes through each and every bag and puts anything that is recyclable into a recycling bin. This bin is pretty big and gets full almost every two weeks. Now I have seen her go through these bags and it is disgusting most of the time. She does this almost every day. These two also go around the whole campus picking up trash and litter that is spread out and they recycle this as well. Now these trash bags being replaced are only trash bags outside of buildings. I do not know how it is done on the inside of buildings. I do agree with you that there does need to be more areas, bins, and opportunities to recycle on campus. My point that I am trying to bring across to you is that the staff should have done more research on this topic and give someone credit. The two workers doing the recycling program should have gotten a lot of credit for their efforts on recycling. If you walk campus there is a lot of trash bins and they go through all of them. So these two do a lot of recycling for the campus and they deserve the credit. I know if I was one of the two working day in and day out doing nothing but picking up litter, changing trash bags, and recycling and if I would have read this article in the newspaper, I would be upset to have gotten no credit for my efforts. I am sure many people would feel that way. I do agree we do need to recycle more; however, we can’t even get people to stop littering on campus. The only reason this campus stays clean is because those two and a couple of other people (me being one of them) each go to different spots of campus and pick up trash in that area. If we do not pick up trash the campus would be filthy. So before we start encouraging recycling, can you please start encouraging not littering and putting trash in a trash can. I mean this out of respect. If I was rude at all that was not my intention. I just hope to open the eyes of people on what is really going on out there with recycling and littering. I read The Houstonian every Tuesday and Thursday and really enjoy hearing what is going on around campus.

Photo courtesy of Facebook

Conspirators use social media to theorize about marathon bombings Mears analyzes Internet users’ conspiracies about Boston Marathon bombings MORGAN MEARS Staff Reporter

It was only a matter of time before conspiracy theorists started spouting out their ideas about what “really” happened during the Boston Marathon explosions. From YouTube clips to obscure blogs, these “theorists” have taken it to the next level, using social media to concoct multiple, alternative scenarios that are far off track from official media reports. One theory from YouTube user Max Malone titled “Frenchfries with Gravy” is a prime example of conspiracies gone too far. The video urges users to keep watching despite the ignorant title of the video. Malone argues that he named it so that the video would not be deleted due to insane claims that it contains. In the video, Malone argues that the entire bombing was a staged event, using another conspiracy theorist’s article from Beforeitsnew. com as ‘facts’ to support his claim. For 17 minutes, Malone argues that the bombings were staged and that it was simply smoke powder, not a bomb. He says no one was truly hurt and that all the photos that were shown to the public were of actors wearing prosthetic limbs. According to The Guardian, another such theory is that memorial pages for those injured and killed by the explosion were created before the event. The Guardian reported that two Facebook pages memorializing the attack were allegedly created beforehand, but Facebook users are able to choose the date that their pages are created, started or founded. Why would someone create a memorial page for a tragedy that they

RICHARD MCKINNEY Staff Reporter

Herpes could be billowing out the end of that hookah hose you’re holding. Herpes labialis, or mouth herpes, can be transmitted through saliva. This exchange could happen through kissing, or something as simple as sharing a hose at the local hookah bar. This happened at Colorado State University in 2008 and with the introduction of Gundy’s, it could be possible here if people don’t take the necessary precautions. I talked to the owner, Taylor Gunderson, and he assured me that they take very thorough precautions towards protecting their customers. He mentioned

Shaun Davis

PAWS UP

PAWS UP to A.J. Clemente for making everyone else’s jobs easier. Thanks for the f-bomb.

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His new followers have created Facebook pages urging the government to free him like: “Dzhokhar Tsarnaev is Innocent,” a Facebook page which has more than 12,000 likes. They have also created a Twitter trend using the hashtag #FreeJahar, which includes the nickname that Tsarnaev goes by. These movements and those following Tsarnaev all have one thing in common: they are all completely crazy. Tsarnaev has not only admitted to the crime, but there is reasonable evidence linking him to the explosion as well. Yes, he is innocent until proven guilty, but why would Tsarnaev admit to the attack if it was “set up” by our government? Other theories include Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the 26-year-old dead suspect, was arrested naked after the Watertown, Mass., shootout and was later killed by police; the U.S. government planned the bombing to distract public from passing CISPA; the attack was initiated by a group of military/law enforcement professionals from Craft International and because the older Tsarnaev was not flagged by U.S. authorities after Russia warned them, he is believed to be “an FBI informant.” Theorists have also raised many questions about the 19-year-old Tsarnaev’s involvement in the April 15 bombings. Many people claim Tsarnaev walked away from the explosions with his backpack still in hand and others don’t believe he outran thousands of police officers for a day. Conspiracy theorists, like all of us, have benefitted from the advent of social media and are now using these tools to spread their particular brand of crazy far and wide.

Herpes gets hooked on hookah hose

I really appreciate your time in reading this,

Robin Johnson

knew was going to happen? If they had any kind of sense, they wouldn’t because they would be revealing everything they know. Numerous theories state that the explosions were an inside job courtesy of the U.S. government. Theorists often come to this conclusion based on the New York Post, which irresponsibly identified two men as suspects in their paper and that one suspect was a “Saudi national” who possibly met with U.S. government officials. Those who believe this particular theory then go on to argue that it was an inside job because Michelle Obama visited with the “suspect” while he was in the hospital and Secretary of State John Kerry supposedly had a private meeting with the Saudi foreign minister after the Post’s article came out. Conspirators believe President Barack Obama supposedly had an unscheduled meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Saudi Arabia. As if three ridiculous ideas weren’t enough, people took to Twitter, to support their next philosophy. Boston Globe posted tweets about an explosion taking place before it actually occurred. The Boston Globe posted a tweet stating: “Officials: There will be a controlled explosion opposite the library within one minute as part of bomb squad activities.” The tweets were apparently sent before the explosions occurred, and the tweet times match the time zone of the account reading them. As if it wasn’t enough for conspiracy theorists to try and argue that the Boston Marathon explosion “was an inside job, done to us by our own government,” one of the accused suspects, Dzhokhar Tsarnav, who has admitted on his own accord to carrying out the incident, now has 99,029 online followers.

Online News Developer mfrazier@houstonianonline.com

Ashley Baker

Online News Director abaker@houstonianonline.com

Connor Hyde

Sports Reporter chyde@houstonianonline.com

that some hookah bars use really nice hookah hoses – mainly for aesthetic reasons. These hoses tend to fall apart after cleaning several times. This is why Gundy uses the plastic hoses – so that they can soak in water without the threat of breaking or falling apart. The process by which Gundy’s cleans the hoses is nothing to push away. They have a three compartment sink; each hose begins with a hot water soak to help disinfect the instruments, followed by a soak and clean in soapy water, then finally a soak in water to rinse everything off. The lounge also provides plastic mouth pieces to each person that comes in – but the use of those

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Senior Reporter snelson@houstonianonline.com

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Multimedia Reporter csimpson@houstonianonline.com

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Production Manager & Graphic Designer

kstallings@houstonianonline.com

instruments is, of course, up to the customers. Sam Houston has been vigilant about comprehensive sex education, offering multiple seminars about proper protection, but I would like to take this time to warn you about oral protection. When going to an establishment l i k e Gundy’s, or even l e i s u r e hookah smoking at a friend’s place, be sure to stay safe. At Gundy’s, u s e the plastic mouth pieces; regardless of where y o u go, you will be smoking with friends – and it’s a little demeaning to just ask them

Staff Reporters Morgan Mears Christian Vazquez Carian Parker Richard McKinney Colin Harris Ryan Bowers Kassidy Turnpaugh Hannah Zedaker

of their diseases. So be sure to take any possible precautions. Use the mouth pieces at Gundy’s, or bring something that only you have touched that can be put on the end of the hose, or something to wipe it off after each use. I would hate to have a Bearkat breakout of herpes across this campus because students don’t take the necessary precautions.

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Page 4

Arts&Entertainment

Thursday, April 25, 2013 houstonianonline.com/a-e

Whimsical love story charms audience RICHARD MCKINNEY Staff Reporter

The whimsy of “Wizard of Oz,” the endearment of “The Fantasticks” and the fantasy of “Seussical” are combined in latest SHSU Musical Theatre production of “The Pirates of Penzance.” The show, which opened Wednesday in the Erica Starr Theatre, follows a band of credulously simple and fun pirates. Pirate member Frederic is approaching the end of his service to the band and sets off on his own to explore the world and what it has to offer. He meets Mabel and her father, Major General. Through a myriad of song, dance and fun the show chronicles the tale of the two young lovers as they try to start a life together. Don’t let the sentiment

fool you though, the play has plenty of comedy to offer even the most stone-faced audience member. The show sets off with a fun and hilarious introduction to the group of sword-wielding pirates. The upbeat music draws you into the world without even realizing it. The production pulls the comedy into modernity with references to today’s pop culture and even bringing the music director into the show, furthering the comedic and impromptu style. This Gilbert and Sullivan operetta contains precise comedic moments that the cast executes excellently. The three standout performances in the show were Frederic, Mabel and Major General. Senior musical theatre major James Smith, who plays Major General, made the most iconic song from the show, “I Am The Very Model of a Modern Major-General” come

to life with brilliant poise and phenomenal dictation. Smith really captures the verbose structure of the quick-paced music. Senior musical theatre major Julia Green, who portrays Mabel, really showcases her range by hitting the high notes with piercing clarity. From the moment she floated onto the stage, she kept the grace and elegance indicative of Mabel. Sophomore musical theatre major Brandon Whitley, who plays Frederic, manages to wow the audience with the power and resonance in his voice. Much the way Frederic has a growing up a process, Whitley displays some growth in his acting – since his performances in “bare: a pop opera” and “Spring Awakening.” The fun of ‘Pirates’ goes beyond the acting, singing and dancing. The show enthralls the audience with a beguiling

sense that a group of pirates got together and decided to just put on a musical as a way to pass time on a voyage. The costumes and set played well with this idea. It looks as though the costumes were taken from each stop they made and spread out between the members, each one having their own bright and colorful pattern. The set became another character, any chance the actors could use it was an opportunity to be drawn even deeper into the world, from rolling across the stage on gravestones to pushing the ship out to sea. Overall “The Pirates of Penzance” is a fantastic production. The show has been dedicated to late dance professor Jonathon ‘Johnny’ Charles. There is no doubt that the fun and exciting show would make the long-time Sam teacher proud.

George Mattingly | The Houstonian

Art exhibit hilghlights culmination of student artwork AUBRIE WALKER Contributing Reporter A group of 13 art students at Sam Houston State University showcased their original works as part of the 14th annual senior graphic design exhibit Held in the Gaddis Geeslin Gallery, the exhibit represents a culmination of student work over their four years at SHSU. Each student contributed at least 10 of their best pieces in their professional portfolio from their last four semesters of schoolwork and their own freelance work. “This is their final show before they

graduate so it is showcasing all the graphic design work that is in their professional portfolio,” said Chuck Drumm, associate professor of art. On display is a wide range of artwork from different media including posters, logos, t-shirt designs, package designs, brochures, book covers and more. The exhibit, which opened Tuesday, features the work of students Deborah Clanton, Sabrina Coronado, Andrew Gehrke, Marvin Guzman, Kevin Harris, Stephanie Herrera, Diana Mendoza, Meagan Mitchell, Amanda Montgomery, Christopher Moore, Kenneth Smith, McKenzie Smith and

Katelyn Talbot. The exhibit is an opportunity for the SHSU community to view the work of seniors who are leaving in hopes of greater endeavors. For students, the exhibit also serves as a learning experience for after graduation. “I have learned that you can be hard on yourself, but don’t be too hard on yourself because anyone can get a job,” said Deborah Clanton, a senior graphic design major. There will be a closing reception from 6-8 p.m. Thursday in the gallery to celebrate the accomplishments of these soon-to-be graduates. For more information contact Drumm at 936.294.1319 or chuckdrumm@shsu.edu.

Aubrie Walker | The Houstonian

LEAVING LEGACY BEHIND: One of the collections on display features covers, logos, fliers and a variety of other prints.

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Page 5

Sports

Thursday, April 25, 2013 houstonianonline.com/sports

Baseball back to winning ways CONNOR HYDE Sports Reporter Despite struggles in the lineup, Sam Houston State continued their midweek win streak with help from the long ball. Bearkat home run leaders Luke Plucheck and Hayden Simerly connected for a pair of three-run homers to edge a 10-7 win over University of Texas-Arlington Tuesday at Don Sanders Stadium. With runners on first and second with two outs in the bottom of the first, Plucheck hit a towering, 406 foot homer over left center to put SHSU on board 4-0 following a sac fly from Kevin Miller. Plucheck’s sixth homer of the season cushioned the Bearkats’s poor pitching performances from Tyler Eppler and Cody Dickson. The Mavericks interrupted the Bearkats offensive momentum with a long ball of their own. UTA designated hitter Matt Shortall’s solo homerun in the bottom of the fifth kindled a two-run inning. Shortall slapped a single into right center in the sixth to continue UTA’s production at the plate for a 6-5 lead into the seventh. Starter Eppler was scheduled for a maximum of 50 pitches, but two earned runs and walks supplemented run support for

the UTA lineup, said Head Coach David Pierce. “I didn’t think Tyler was sharp at all to start the night,” Pierce said. “I just think we made some mistakes late in counts and we just got to be better there and base on balls is still hurting this team.” Pierce worked new faces into the lineup and defensive alignments to keep veterans fresh and try upcoming players in the mid-week matchup. “The biggest reason we put Plumlee at first is because I like to keep Farney in the mix,” Pierce said. “It was just a good combination to go in there. We’ll continue to use multiple players and multiple lineups.” Right fielder Dirk Masters doubled into left center for his second hit of the season to start the second inning. Masters would finish the night with one hit and two strikeouts. SHSU’s bullpen struggled to settle in the strike zone and work in off-speed pitches against the heart of the lineup, falling into hitter’s counts late in the game. Simerly’s three-run homer in the seventh recaptured SHSU’s lead 8-6 and broke pitcher Chase Weaver’s control of the strikezone. “He just did a good job with most of us today. He only gave up a couple of hits until the seventh

Alex Broussard | The Houstonian

IT’S OUT OF HERE: Luke Plucheck is greeted by teammates Carter Burgess and Anthony Azar after a homerun in the first inning. Plucheck and Hayden Simerly both hit three-run homeruns in the Bearkat win.

inning when we punched him pretty hard,” Simerly said. Simerly worked into a full count before connecting for his seventh homer of the season. “He worked me a lot outside and luckily the ball I hit out was outside and I hooked around it.”

The sophomore’s homer not only sparked a five-run rally, but continued the home run battle with Plucheck. “We’re constantly joshing each other, because I’ve always had a lead on him,” Simerly said. “Once he ties it up, if not the game or the

game after I’ll hit another one. It’s just fun and games.” SHSU (24-17; 9-6 SLC) will hit the road to face off against Southland Conference rival Northwestern State (11-30; 2-13 SLC) with game one Friday at 6:30 p.m.

Bearkats run-rule Tigers 8-0 in five innings CODY LEWIS Sports Editor The Sam Houston State softball team continued to roll as they run-ruled Texas Southern 8-0 in a non-conference matchup in Huntsville Wednesday. Shortstop Tiffany Castillo, catcher Ashley Isbell and third baseman Angelica Gonzalez all had two hits and drove in four of the Bearkats’ eight runs. The Bearkats are now 29-19 on the season while the Tigers dropped their season record to 30-14. SHSU is third in Southland Conference

standings behind McNeese State and Northwestern State with a 14-7 league record. Shelby Lancaster was in the circle for the Bearkats and threw all five innings, allowing only five hits and striking out three. The game was her 12th complete game of the season, and she now sports a 10-7 season record. First baseman Alyssa Gregg provided the walk-off double in the bottom of the fifth inning that scored Gonzalez and second baseman Alyssa Coggins, who were on base with consecutive base hits.

Castillo blasted a ball over center field to put the Bearkats up 5-0 in the third inning. The homerun was Castillo’s seventh of the season. Rebecca Villareal was the starting pitcher for the Tigers and lasted only two innings, giving up five runs. Since the Bearkats will face Southland Conference leaders McNeese State this Saturday and Sunday in Huntsville, head coach Bob Brock stressed the importance of resting some of his starters. “It was great to see some of the younger players have the opportunity to have some

success and they came through,” Brock said on gobearkats.com. The Cowgirls’ 16-3 SLC record has them atop the SLC. The series will be the Berakats’ final home series of the 2013 regular season, which will come to an end next weekend. SHSU faces Northwestern State in a three game series in Louisiana. The series against NcNeese State will begin Saturday at 1 p.m. for a double-header and conclude on Sunday starting at 1 p.m.

Page 6

News

Tuesday, April 23, 2013 houstonianonline.com/news

Campus

Technology

Senior gets job DRM framework for HTML5 with prestigious design company may restrict playback of

Destination Graduation: SOPHIE NELSON Senior Reporter The newly constructed office suite still smells of fresh paint. The owners walk through the bare, echoing rooms, pleased with their masterpiece and are glad that their new company is almost ready to begin operating. As Lisa Lin tours the new building with its owners, she studies the size and features of each room, knowing that her job as interior designer has only begun. Lin will be graduating from Sam Houston State University in May with a degree in interior design, and will immediately go to work for prestigious design firm M Moser Associates, an international company with 16 offices worldwide. Lin decided she wanted to work for M Moser after considering numerous companies because of her international background and then strived very hard to achieve her goal. “Through an extensive research, I found M Moser, who spoke to my passion in commercial design and different cultures,” Lin said. “I contacted the director of the Houston office, Dick Markel, to express my interest..” Her job at M Moser will include all the aspects that go into designing a commercial project, including the actual design, client communication and construction overview. “My role as a designer is providing suitable and constructible solutions for the clients through various communication methods including research, interviews, visual aids and more,” Lin said. “Throughout the constructing

process, my job also includes site visits and continuous communication to all stakeholders to ensure the quality of final products.” To get the job at M Moser, Lin first had to work on her resume, make connections in the design world and volunteer in the design community to gain experience. “At the beginning of job search, I applied to approximately 50 companies but received zero feedback,” Lin said. “I decided to switch gears: [I] updated my resume and portfolio, [and] exposed them on design networks and job search websites. I started volunteering at a design community and made connections. I also did a lot of research to improve my job searching skills. At the end, I finally started receiving phone calls and emails, even from my home country.” Laura Burleson, one of Lin’s professors, praised Lin’s diligence in striving to achieve the job she wanted. “Lisa set a very high goal of working for a top interior design firm that had international connections,” Burleson said. “Through her connection as an ASID volunteer she met the lead architect in M Moser Associates Houston office. Everyone in the interior design program was pleased when the company decided to hire Lisa this spring and use her employment time as her internship.” Lin said during her education at SHSU -- having the opportunity to not only learn in a classroom -helped, but being able to work as a student worker helped prepare her for her future career. “In addition to the knowledge learned from classes, the experiences of working as a teacher’s assistant and student

worker really improved my social and communication skills,” Lin said. “I have changed so much from a quiet, shy person to one who enjoys interacting with people. SHSU helped me build the confidence I need to succeed in the real world.” In addition to working on campus, Lin also felt that certain professors on campus really helped her learn what she needed for the job. “Dr. Burleson granted me the opportunity of working in studios in which I was educated more than I could assist her,” Lin said. “Dr. White took me in as a student worker, and I gained the experience of working at an office which I could have never learned in class. Ms. Brock changed my perspective [about] this industry from her extensive knowledge and real-world experience. I would never be who I am today without them.” Burleson said that Lin would go very far in her future career because of her exceptional skills. “I would like to say Lisa has absolutely amazed me with her attention to detail, and interior design is full of details,” Burleson said. “Lisa’s work is totally complete down to the smallest detail. It has truly been a joy to watch Lisa move to the professional interior design level and I wish her continued success in reaching her dream of becoming a registered interior designer.” Lin said she knew she was ready to begin at M Moser, because of the education Sam Houston helped give her. “I am excited to start my career,” Lin said. “I know there will be challenges and there will be moments I might say ‘I wish I was still in school,’ but I’m ready for a bright future!”

copyrighted web content CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZ Staff Reporter Internet users beware: copyrighted web content could soon be out of reach. HTML is the main markup language for creating web pages and other information that can be displayed in a web browser, and the World Wide Consortium (W3C) meets meets regularly to update the language for the growing challenges of the web. Their newest project focuses on protecting copyrighted content from being copied from one virtual place to another. A framework for digital rights management, also known as DRM, is currently under development for HTML5 web browsing by the impartial W3C’s HTML working group. “It’s inevitable,” SHSU Director of Digital Forensics Andy Bennett said. “If we’re lucky, it will be a well thought out standard that is easily applied and used.” The W3C is the main international standards organization for the World Wide Web. Founded and currently headed by Tim Berners-Lee at MIT, the consortium is made up of member organizations that maintain full-time staff for the purpose of working together in the development of standards for the World Wide Web. The DRM framework is currently known as the Encrypted Media Extensions proposal, which is backed by Google, Microsoft, Netflix and other media giants. According to the W3C’s Editor’s Draft, “This proposal

the way

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extends TMLMediaElement providing API’s to control playback of protected content.” An Application Programming Interface, commonly known as API, is a protocol intended to be used as an interface by software components to communicate with each other. This, along with the proposal, means that HTML coding will provide an interface for different websites to communicate with each other whenever copyrighted material is used without permission on a website. As a result, any copyrighted content that is not properly used will not work on that given website. The proposal is controversial because many find that DRM opposes the open nature of HTML. According to Scott Gilbertson from Webmonkey.com, there are numerous problems with the current draft of the proposal. He says that currently it might be impossible for open source web browsers to implement without relying on closed source components. Bennett also related the problem to displaying media content, such as YouTube. “Let’s say DRM was embedded in YouTube videos via HTML5. That denies open source developers, which means no money is involved, the access to pay for the module because they cannot afford it. This means that if they don’t provide the encryption engine for free, browsers like Firefox wouldn’t be able to play YouTube videos.”

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