Vol 120 | Issue 27
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Publishing since 1913
Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
Sam Houston Folk Festival to celebrate history, pg.3
Like us on Facebook: “The Houstonian SHSU”
Baseball wins against Houston Baptist Universtiy, pg. 7
INDEX Viewpoints ....... pg. 2 A&E ................... pg.5 News .................. pg. 3 Sports................. pg.7
4-Day The Parking Games: TICKET TALES Forecast HI: 89 LOW: 68
Friday, Apr. 27 HI: 86 LOW: 69
JASMINE BROWN JOHNNY PERES Contributing Reporters Many students feel that Sam Houston State University parking has more than a couple problems. One of the major problems students name as the source of their parking woes is the lack of available spots. Sophomore Ashley Redden said the lack of
Saturday, Apr. 28 HI: 86 LOW: 67
Sunday, Apr. 29 HI: 85 LOW: 68
This is part 2 of 4 in a series on SHSU parking tickets.
Check out HoustonianOnline.com for an interactive map of parking lots on the SHSU campus.
available parking is the reason why many people park illegally. “Lots of students park illegally in parking lots due to the lack of spots,” Redden said. “We’re forced to choose between parking illegally and getting tickets or missing class.” Freshman Chris Ripkowski is one of many students who has dealt with this first hand. “I’ve had to park illegally a couple of times because there
were simply no spots in the area my permit designates me to park,” Ripkowski said. “I had to get to class.” Assistant Director of Parking and Transportation David Kapalko also addresses the concern of those who believe there are simply not enough parking spaces. “We don’t have a parking problem [here at Sam], we have a proximity problem,” Kapalko
No Permit
Parking in Faculty/Staff
9,049 Tickets
2,063 Tickets
1,066 Tickets
NOLAN, page 7
PARKING, page 3
1,054 Tickets
Improper Display 689 Tickets
9/1/2011-3/1-2012 SHSU UniversityPolice Department
SHSU plans tuition increase, campus parking expansion MOLLY WADDELL Associate News Editor
ZACH BIRDSONG Sports Editor
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Prohibited Unauthorized Parking Color Zone
MLB’s Ryan maintains lifelong SHSU friendship Ruth Ryan, wife to Hallof-Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan, picked up the phone one day after receiving a phone call from Houston Post sports writer Mickey Herskowitz. Herskowitz, who would normally call for Ruth’s husband, was inquiring about a “Fantasy Camp” game that she had participated in, which allowed her to bat against her husband. “She had got the bat on the ball and she was real proud of that,” Herskowitz said. “And then she said that, that had happened after [Nolan] had broken her wrist.” According to Ruth, the first pitch her husband threw to her knocked her down. To break her fall, she put her hand down to break her fall and she injured her wrist. He then lobbed one over and she grounded out to shortstop. After hearing this, Herskowitz demanded to speak with Ryan, inquiring about what happened. Ryan jokingly responded with “Mickey, I had to. She was digging in on me.” Herskowitz and Ryan, who is speaking at Sam Houston State University on Monday, developed a bond that exists 46 years later. Herskowitz, who later became a professor in the mass communications department at SHSU, covered Major League Baseball during his time at the Houston Post, and in 1997, was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall-of-Fame. The former sports writer also covered Ryan during his entire career. In 27 years as an MLB pitcher, Ryan compiled 5,714 strikeouts and pitched seven-no hitters, both the most in MLB history. During his time covering Ryan, Herskowitz learned that pitcher had a strong sense at humor, but still maintained a strong passion for the game.
said. “The stadium lot has never filled on a class day since August 2010.” The lack of spots also poses a source of confusion for what is a designated parking spot and what it not. Bad parking and limited spots leave small gaps that look like spots. Senior mass communications major Colby Mullen has been fooled by one of
Stephen Green | The Houstonian
Thursday, Apr. 26
Stephen Green | The Houstonian
Information from Weather.com
Students speak out on SHSU parking, admin. talk future
Meagan Ellsworth | The Houstonian
IN THE AIR Sam Houston Village was one of a few buildings that received complaints according to documents recieved by the Houstonian. There were only four specific complaints that Residence Life gave to the Houstonian.
Indoor air quality inspections not fully performed, documented MISTI JONES Senior Reporter Sam Houston State University does not perform routine inspections for indoor air quality such as mold and other harmful substances on any of its buildings, including student dorms, despite having a written program stating these inspections are performed annually, officials said. The Indoor Air Quality Management Plan says an IAQ coordinator responsibilities include: maintaining IAQ records including “IAQ complaints and resolutions; and documentation of any maintenance, repair, or remodeling activity that could adversely impact indoor air quality.” This person is also responsible for “conducting an annual, at the minimum, documented inspection of the premises.” Mark Shiflet, University Safety Coordinator, told the Houstonian that annual inspections are not being performed because they are not required by law. “If there’s a complaint, if there’s
something that we know that is wrong, then we respond to that,” Shiflet said. Joellen Tipton, Department of Residence Life director, said the IAQ Management Plan is not a university policy but is a plan developed by the University Safety Office. Tipton said the guidelines are generally followed by all areas of the university, including Residence Life. On the Safety Department web site, the IAQ Management Plan is listed under the SHSU Safety Manual that is part of its Injury and Illness Prevention Program. “I could actually make the argument that [the IAQ Management Plan] is actually being followed because we do have preventative maintenance programs, which you could call an inspection,” Shiflet said, “although an inspection usually means you are looking at something to see if it needs repairs or if there’s work that needs done.” Shiflet said preventative maintenance programs determine when it is time to
change belts on air conditioners, when to change air filters and when to check mechanical gear that is prevalent in all buildings in order to prevent it from breaking down prematurely. “The heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) equipment is the key piece of equipment regarding indoor air quality,” Shiflet said. “The Residence Life Maintenance department and the Facilities Management Maintenance department work very hard to keep this equipment running so there will not be an IAQ problem.” Julia May, associate director of Communications and Public Information Officer, said Residence Life conducts at least five room inspections a year as preventative maintenance for any safety and health hazard issues, not limited to IAQ, in order to ensure the safety of students. “They try to do this when students are in their rooms so that they can voice any concerns, including those about indoor —
AIR, page 3
Tuition will increase for the spring 2013 semester, President Dana Gibson, Ph.D. told Alumni board members on Friday. Gibson said the increase will go from $4,060 to $4,220 for full time students. All of the information given to the board members was verified by Al Hooten, vice president of finance, because Gibson was unavailable for comment. There is also a possibility that tuition could increase more from student center fees and medical service fees if approved by Texas State University System Board of Regents, and through student referendums. According to Hooten, SHSU is proposing that the medical service fee be increased from $38 to $75 to help pay for the expansion of the Student Health Center and that the SHSU has student c e n t e r raised tuition in fee be the last three increased semesters, as well from $60- as, several student fees. The fees will $100 to go toward campus fund the expansion. expansion of the Lowman Student Center. “By state statute these fees cannot be raised unless a student referendum approves an increase,” Hooten said. “Since we must also have the board of regents approve these fees, we will be asking the board of regents at the May board meeting to approve an increase in these fees pending a student referendum, which will occur during the fall semester 2012.” Gibson let the Alumni board know that we still have the cheapest tuition in the area, excluding community colleges such as Lone Star. The Alumni board was also told about plans for new buildings and parking lots.
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TUITION, page 3
Viewpoints
Page 2 Thursday, April 26, 2012
houstonianonline.com/viewpoints
Today in history:
April 26
1607 – English colonists make landfall at Cape Henry, Virginia. 1865 – Union cavalry troopers corner and shoot dead John Wilkes Booth, assassin of President Lincoln, in Virginia. 1956 – SS Ideal X, the world’s first successful container ship, leaves Port Newark, New Jersey for Houston, Texas. 1958 – Final run of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Royal Blue from Washington, D.C., to New York City after 68 years, the first U.S. passenger train to use electric locomotives. 1981 – Dr. Michael R. Harrison of the University of California, San Francisco Medical Center performs the world’s first human open fetal surgery.
April 27
1773 – The Parliament of Great Britain passes the Tea Act, designed to save the British East India Company by granting it a monopoly on the North American tea trade. 1861 – President of the United States Abraham Lincoln suspends the writ of habeas corpus. 1865 – The New York State Senate creates Cornell University as the state’s land grant institution. 1911 – Following the resignation and death of William P. Frye, a compromise is reached to rotate the office of President pro tempore of the United States Senate. 1936 – The United Auto Workers (UAW) gains autonomy from the American Federation of Labor. 1974 – 10,000 march in Washington, D.C., calling for the impeachment of US President Richard Nixon. 1981 – Xerox PARC introduces the computer mouse.
April 28
1986 – The United States Navy aircraft carrier USS Enterprise becomes the first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to transit the Suez Canal, navigating from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea to relieve the USS Coral Sea.
Habla conmigo en Español Joel Hendrix laments the inefficiency of the Spanish labs
S
panish is the fastest spreading Language in the bottom half of The United States of America and most likely in all of the U.S. With the growing population of Spanish speaking people in the U.S. comes a greater demand for bilingual speakers. Jobs everywhere are looking for talented Spanish speakers so that the language barrier can be taken down. The increase of bilingual speakers is dependent on good education systems that clearly educate people and engage people in the language. I have noticed some issues in the foreign languages department at Sam Houston State University that can and should be fixed. I am sure they have the best of interest for students, which is why I am sure they would like to make changes…I hope. Issue number one is the huge lack of practicing the language. For the first two semesters of Spanish, students are required to take online labs. These labs take place in computer rooms which have mixed languages, and most of the lab instructors are not able to
Faculty Adviser 936-294-1499
Stephen Green E dito r-in-Chie f 936 -294-1505
I
understand we’re college students and that we tend to be more industrious with our resources. I get that – that’s wonderful. However, I have seen a spike in the amount of e-mails I get from Blackboard recently. Blackboard is a great communication tool for the professor to the student, and even from student to student if you need a little help with something. It’s a place to post exam reviews, grades, handouts, power points, and any other supplemental material necessary for the class. Even though it may not be perfect, I enjoy the format very much! I
think it’s a wonderful accessory to our education. However, recently I haven’t gotten as many questions on course assignments as I have gotten information about a sublease for an apartment, or an invitation to something a student organization is doing. Again, Blackboard is a place to ask for assistance in a given area. If you don’t understand something, you can get quick feedback from other people who are in the class. I know I have helped countless peers with questions by using the Blackboard communication system. This system, though, is impeded
when students spam their classes with news of a apartment to sublease. Its use becomes something drastically different than it should be. I understand you need someone to take over your lease, I understand your organization wants me to come support their bake sale this Thursday – that’s great! However, the student policy states that you can only distribute materials with approval from student activities. In addition, the university has a policy against using Blackboard for such purposes. I understand not everyone has time to go and print flyers about their apartment, and sending a
mass e-mail is quick and easy. But this exploitation of the system really impedes any academic goals it is set out to do. I understand that I can easily delete the e-mail – and I do. But, after deleting ten or twenty e-mails, I get tired of the spam. Please, use Blackboard for its intended purpose. Ask your peers questions. Search for answers, look up your grade, or any of the other services Blackboard offers. But, please, I implore you – stop spamming our e-mails with subleases and organizations’ activities!
Key Words: What you won’t hear at graduation
I
Adam Key focuses on some hard post-graduation truths
t’s been a heck of a year, Sam Houston. We started off with Student Body President Rene’ McKelvey being forced from office. The campus united against the social media policy, save for a boxcutter wielding professor and some overzealous police officers. Our football team and debate team both had stellar years, capped off with Willie Fritz and yours truly being named Coach of the Year for our respective organizations. We started a new college, only to lose the new dean under somewhat questionable circumstances. And we remembered both the memories of fallen Bearkats and planes that struck towers and changed our lives ten years ago. When you look back, it is hard to believe everything that happened this year. Now we come to commencement. There are so many of you donning robes and mortar boards that they have to hold several ceremonies over multiple days just to fit everybody in. And, as always, I am sure the speakers will have an inspiring message as they send all 1,958 graduates off into the wild blue yonder. However, before you say your tearful goodbyes, I have a few things to tell you that likely won’t find
their way into any commencement address. First, for the majority of you, along with other graduates across the country, there is probably not a job waiting for you after you exit stage left. As much as the politicians like to pander that we are coming out of the recession, it doesn’t take a Nobel prize to know that the economy is in a bad state. Second, for those of you planning on marrying your sweetheart right out of college, you’re facing some grim odds. Infidelity is at an all time high, and there are even commercial websites out there, most famously AshleyMadison.com, to make cheating on your spouse even easier. Third, as you hug your friends, classmates, and even professors after graduation finishes, realize that for most of them, you are hugging them goodbye. While we promise with the best intentions to keep in touch, the truth is the most contact you’ll have with the vast majority of them is when Facebook reminds you to write happy birthday on their wall. Is anyone inspired? Feel ready to conquer the world? I didn’t think so. For those of you still reading
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this, I have this message: It’s time to suit up and man up. (Yes, that sounds sort of sexist, but dress up and person up just didn’t have the same ring to it.) Sure, the world isn’t everything that Disney movies, high school counselors, and our parents always told us it would be. That doesn’t mean we need to throw our hands in the air and quit. It means we need to get to work. The odds facing us aren’t pretty. That’s what makes overcoming them mean so much more. They didn’t call our grandparents’ generation the “greatest generation” because they had it easy. These people grew up during the Great Depression, risked their lives fighting Nazis in World War II, and came back and got right back to work turning this country around. Earlier in this column, I showed you what’s currently true about the world in regards to getting a job, getting married, and keeping in touch. Despite the Hunger Games mantra, the odds are never in your favor. However, to quote the great philosopher Han Solo, “Never tell me odds.” Just because these things are true of the generation you are inheriting the world from does not mean they
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attendance policy is not correctly managed. Students who take online Spanish do not have to physically go to lab. Students who have a class that they physically go to, have to physically go to lab. Those students required to be present in lab, have to make up their labs if they miss over one or two labs. Online students do not have to go and they can do their lab at any time they please. I actually like most all of the staff working in the foreign languages department at SHSU, I just see that improvement can be made. I have stated what I and a lot of the students feel are issues with the system; all I am asking is to try and solve them not only for me but for the future students of SHSU. Not everyone wants to take Spanish, but for those who do, please make adjustments so we can get out in the career field ready to speak. And hopefully if changes are made, we can come closer to meeting the demand for bilingual Spanish speakers in the U.S. and take down the language barrier.
Richard McKinney bemoans Blackboard abuse
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each answer and I got 0 percent correct; I get three tries and each time I got 0 percent. Not only that, it will not show you what is correct until you take the quiz once more after your limited tries are used up. Am I wrong when I say that there is more than one way to say things? For example in saying hello, I could say many different things and they all mean the same thing. So, maybe there could be a more specific question and having actual humans grade the work we do instead of computers. Issue number three is that the audio in Spanish lab is not clear. While having audio is neat and innovative, it is also hard to follow. The audio is hard to understand, sometimes has unclear sound, which causes the listener to misinterpret words. Also, the Spanish speakers in the online lab do not talk like the average Spanish speaker here in Texas. This is why we need actual Spanish speakers in class that we can listen to and talk back to. Issue number four, I am sure that most students can agree that the
Blackboard bombardment
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help us due to lack of knowledge in certain areas. Languages are taught in class; labs just require you to take quizzes on line. At this point Spanish fundamentals are easily learned, and for the most part people understand them. What we don’t know is how to SPEAK Spanish with other people. A fault I find in lab is that there is no interactive speaking with anyone except for saying, “Here” when the instructor takes role. I can compare learning Spanish to fishing in the sense that we learn how to put string on the reel and put lures on the hook, but we won’t know how to fish unless we well….. fish. The more Spanish is practiced, the faster we can develop the skill of speaking with other people. So I am asking for a interactive Spanish lab program, with people who can help understand the language. Issue number two is the nonflexibility of written quizzes online. Meaning that there is only ONE correct way to write the answer, or THE ANSWER IS WRONG! I have taken a quiz, writing out
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need be true for you too. You are uniquely poised to make a change, to be the next “greatest generation.” For those of you who have no job lined up and no prospects, you might be looking in the wrong place. If there are no jobs available, then make one available. Start a business, invent a new product, or show a company a need that they didn’t even know they had. For those getting married, I recently saw a Facebook post about an elderly couple celebrating their 60th anniversary. When asked how they stayed together so long, the couple replied, “In our generation, when something broke we didn’t replace it, we fixed it.” For those saying goodbye to friends… well, there’s not much that can be helped there. If we actually kept in touch with every person we wanted to, we would do nothing all day but write letters. There are some friends, though, that are worth keeping. Those rare friendships, where both people are constantly putting each other first. Hold on to those people, they’re what make life worth it in the end. And for everyone else, never give up, never surrender, and never forget who you are. The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call 936-2941495. The Houstonian is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.
News
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Thursday, April 26, 2012
houstonianonline.com/news
Local festival celebrates Lone Star state
MISTI JONES Senior Reporter
The 25th Annual General Sam Houston Folk Festival encourages state-wide participation for the community to enjoy crafts, art, performances and historical demonstrations while celebrating the legacy of the Lone Star State. The General Sam Houston Folk Festival will be held on April 27 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and April 28 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum complex on Sam Houston Ave and 19th St. The Festival is two full days of entertainment on 18 acres of land, packed with a variety of craft demonstrations, history reenactments, museum tours, musical and historical performances. Festivities include cultural food and drinks, dance performances, musical and theater entertainment, craft exhibits and hands-on demonstrations, educational programs for kids and storytellers dressed as historical Texas leaders. The event typically attracts more than 15,000 guests from Texas, surrounding states and foreign countries. “If you come and experience
provided by the folk festival facebook page
CELEBRATE TEXAS. The General Sam Houston Folk festival is not just about celebrating the life of Sam Houston, it is about celebrating Texas history and tradition. People will be dressed up in period wear and performing in folk style.
the history that we have here with our historical homes, [you] can experience or see the crafts and demonstrators who are doing things from Sam Houston’s time period,” Mac Woodward, Huntsville mayor and Folk Festival advisor, said. “Enjoy a nice day in the park and have a good time.” The first day of events is Friday School Day and this day will host mainly educational demonstrations, crafts, vendors and food for children. There will be a Civil War camp, blacksmith shop, glassblowing shed, pottery
shed and woodworking as well as face painting, artists and games. “More than 2,000 fourth grade students from the area have already signed up to participate,” Woodward said. All performances will be held on Saturday and this year will star major performing acts from Austin, Houston and other cities. Musical entertainment will feature local bands such as Lone Star Blue Grass Band, Gillette Brothers, No Foolin’ String Band and Houston Celtic Chorus. Dance performances will include groups such as the Huntsville Promenade
Dancers and Sahawe Indian Dancers. Admission for Friday is $3 for all ages and rates for Saturday are $8 for adults, $3 for ages five-12, free for children under five years of age and $5 each for groups of 15 or more. Any proceeds or profits after expenses are donated back to Sam Houston Memorial Museum for improvements to its facilities. According to the Festival’s website, “previous contributions have paid for installation of electrical hook-ups and equipment on
Children); SHSU Legal Services; Dean of Students Office; Aramark; University Police Department; Counseling Services/ Students with Disabilities; CosMEDIC Solutions; Kiri Dyken, liscenced massage therapist, Nutrition Department; Huntsville Memorial Hospital, Mended Hearts; Earth Day representatives; Free Hug table; SHC; and the Baptist Student Ministry. With all of the booths there, students had many opportunities to learn something new. Clarkson hoped that along with information from the vendors that students would walk away with one more thing. “That their health is in their
hands,” Clarkson said. “They have the control over what they do to their bodies.” After students went to 10 vendors they turned in their “passport” and were asked to fill out a survey. Some of the questions they asked were: What was your favorite table to visit? Name one new health related thing you learned today, and what suggestions might you have for next year’s fair. “It was pretty informative, I learned some good stuff,” Foster said. “I also found I know more about psychology than I thought.” The SHC is located at 1528 Avenue J. To make an appointment call (936)294-1805.
the Museum grounds and many needed infrastructure improvements.” The Festival’s purpose is to “recognize the importance of Sam Houston and the Houston family, to celebrate that time period in Texas history and to provide support for the Sam Houston Memorial Museum,” Woodward said. In 1988, Sam Houston Memorial Museum faced the threat of closure, causing many local Huntsville citizens to create the East Texas Folk Festival Inc. The Festival was eventually named the General Sam Houston Folk Festival to represent one of Texas’ most famous historical figures. In its inaugural year, the Festival successfully raised enough money through admissions and sponsorships to keep the Museum alive. The Festival is now geared less toward fundraising and more toward educational, family-fun entertainment. The historical and educational festivities begin this Friday at 9 a.m. at the Sam Houston Memorial Museum complex. For more information visit: http://www.shsu.edu/~smm_ www/FolkFestN/
Student health center educates students at fair MOLLY WADDELL Associate News Editor Sam Houston State University’s annual health fair, “What the Health is Going On?” was held on Wednesday in the Lowman Student Center mall area. The purpose of the fair is to educate students over different areas of services for health both on and off campus, according to Lisa Clarkson, program coordinator of the Student Health Center. Students were drawn to the booths that ran down the walkway by the call of free t-shirts, and out of curiosity. “I saw it on the way to work and thought I would check it out and see what was going on,” Chris
PARKING,
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these faux spots before. “Sometimes it’s hard to tell whether or not a spot is a parking place because people park everywhere,” Mullen said. “I once parked between two cars thinking it was a parking place. One of the cars left before I got back and I got a ticket.” Some students are fed up with ticketing that’s not given out equally. Senior business major Travis Ross knows students who have experienced this situation in the Bowers Stadium parking lot. “A friend of mine got a ticket for not having a permit, even though we could clearly see cars in the same lot that had no permits and had received no ticket,” Ross said. Many ticketed students admit that they had broken the parking rules in some way. Several of these students complain that others parked nearby at the same time and committed the same offense and were not ticketed. Kapalko doesn’t believe this is a conscious effort. “We do not target individuals, we cite violators,” Kapalko said. He believes that there are a number of things that could have occurred in instances where students have felt targeted by ticketers. “There may be vehicles not cited nearby which parked after the violator was cited, or the violator may have removed their citation
Foster, graduate student english major, said. To earn the free t-shirts students had to swipe their bearkat card at the SHC booth, get a “passport” or list of vendors, and visit 10 vendors. When students went to the vendors booth they had to answer questions that had to deal with the vendor’s area in health. Students also were given free items at the booths they went to such as, natural peanut butter, tissues, hand sanitizer, bracelets, hugs and massages. There were 19 different vendors at the health fair. The vendors were: Kats Taking action: Supporting Livestrong; University of Texas Medical Branch (Women, Infants,
their windshield previously,” Kapalko said. “It’s also possible others’ permits may be displayed but not observed by the complainant.” A senior ticket issuer, who wishes to remain unnamed, agrees with Kapalko. “I don’t think there’s a parking problem [at Sam],” the issuer said. “Most college students are just too lazy to park in some of the spots farther away and have to do some walking to class as opposed to trying to park as close as possible to their class every day.” Kapalko plans on fixing what he believes is the proximity problem by building more parking garages. Lack of funding is keeping this idea at bay for now. “The University has a series of hurdles to face before we can [build the new garages],” he said. “Right now there are no tuition dollars or state appropriated funds available to do that.” Kapalko warns new parking garages come at a cost. “As more garages are built, parking fees will have to increase,” Kapalko said. “It would take $140150/per month, per space, for a garage to generate sufficient revenue to pay for itself .That means surface lot permit fees will have to increase to subsidize new garages.” However, he isn’t in a rush to start construction on these garages. “It is safe to say no garages will begin construction in
the next year,” Kapalko said. The lack of urgency for new parking facilities, he said, is a drop in the need. “Parking demand has dropped since August 2010 as more students take online and distance learning classes and a fourth apartment complex now offers shuttle service,” he said. “Permit sales have dropped as well.” The campus master plan does include a timeline to construct a new parking garage in the coming years.
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King Hall will be demolished and made into a parking lot. “The location is maxing the capabilities of Old Main Market to effectively handle student traffic,” Hooten said. SHSU is planning to build new housing and an additional food service facility on the southern edge of campus, according to Hooten. Smith and Kirkley will be demolished this summer, and dependent on the student referendum, this space will be used for the LSC, according to Hooten.
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quality, they have to the Residence Life staff,” May said. “If the student is away from the room, a note is left advising them of the steps they can take to report their concerns, such as filing a work order to have something checked out.” In November 2010, The
Houstonian requested annual inspections conducted by the Physical Plant from 2003 to 2010. Sheri St. Clair, SHSU Facilities Management Plant Operations and Maintenance Work Control Supervisor at the time, replied that their annual reports were on the web page and that no more reports had been produced other than the ones from 2001-2003 on the site. Clair stated that Residence Life should have their own records. In February 2012, the Houstonian obtained all available records of complaints about IAQ for the last five years. There were only four complaints on record. The information was obtained through a Freedom of Information request after repeated request for inspection documents. May said the staff looks for any indications that there are problems with air quality as part of the routine inspections; however, there is no record of these inspections. If there are questions or concerns about the area, an outside contractor is brought in to check the air quality. The area will be checked for contaminants, including those that cannot be seen or smelled. Three records were given to the Houstonian showing that many Sam Houston Village dorm rooms went through the mold remediation protocol by an outside contractor. “Sam Houston State
Molly Waddell| The Houstonian
NATURAL. An Aramark employee hands out natural peanut butter and explains how it was made.
University is committed to providing a safe and healthy living environment for students while they reside on campus,” May said. “That’s why the preventive maintenance inspections take place multiple times throughout the year. Because the inspections look for many things that ensure the safety of our students, including the quality of air, there is no need to do a separate inspection just for the air.” The Texas Administrative Code, Title 25, “Recommendations for Implementing a Governmental Building IAQ Program” says a written IAQ management plan should be developed and maintained in all government buildings. It states a plan should include: “record keeping with a written procedure that defines the minimum documentation to be collected, handling instructions and length of time for record retention in response to IAQ complaints, including any maintenance, repair or remodeling activities conducted in the building that could adversely impact the IAQ.” UT-San Antonio does annual official inspections with infrared to look for signs of water leaks inside building that may lead
to mold. According to Keith Kewley, coordinator for Asbestos, IAQ and Construction Safety at UTSA, said the safety staff inspects a percentage of the dorms and does a report to, theoretically, prevent student health risks. Texas State does not perform annual IAQ inspections on its residence halls. Russell Clark, Environmental Health, Safety and Health Management director of Texas State, said IAQ maintenance responds to student requests for inspections but does not enter a student’s private room unless there is a question or problem within the room. According to a number of research studies, occupants living within a space provide a more relevant IAQ report from a health prospective of the premises than inspector reports if the occupants are given a checklist or survey to fill out. Currently, SHSU does not provide surveys to students living in Residence Halls about IAQ and does not perform annual IAQ inspections. The Houstonian tried to contact Texas Department of State Health Services Indoor Air Quality Program several times to comment on the issue but their phone calls were never returned.
Arts & Entertainment
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Theater brings fun twist to fairytale
Colorful costumes, set to spoof “Princess and the Pea” GEORGE MATTINGLY Arts & Entertainment Editor The Sam Houston State University Theater department will put its own wacky twist on a classic fairytale with colorful characters in its musical production of “Once Upon A Mattress”. Held in the Erica Starr Theatre, the show is a spoof of the fairy tale, “The Princess and the Pea”, where the queen places a pea under 20 mattresses as a test of a true princess worthy of marrying the prince. “Once Upon a Mattress” takes place in a kingdom ruled by the evil Queen Aggravain, who makes it law that no one will marry until her son, Prince Dauntless, marries. With a series of unfair tests, she stops every princess who tries to marry her son. But when Princess Winnifred is brought to the castle, she proves that it won’t be that easy for the queen to get rid of her. The show stars Katelyn Helene as Princess Winnifred, Sarah Meyers as Queen Aggravain and Jonathan Teverbaugh as Prince Dauntless, among a colorful cast of about 30 that includes princesses, knights and a wizard. “The show is not the typical princess story,” said Leslie Swackhamer, director of the show. “It’s more like Shrek than Princess Bride.” The music for the show is written by noted American Broadway composer Mary Rodgers and is different take on the classic Broadway musical, according to Swackhamer, who
Jessica Gomez l The Houstonian
SOOTHING SOUNDS FOR SLEEP: The Nightingale, played by Daniel Rosales, tries to sing Princess Winnifred, played by Katelyn Helene, to sleep at Queen Aggravain’s command in the SHSU Spring musical production of “Once Upon a Mattress”. The show opened Wednesday and will run through Saturday night.
described the music as “lively” and “lush”. A variety of dance accompanies the music to add to the zany of the show, according to assistant dance professor Jonathan Smith, who choreographed the dances for the musical. “There’s lots of lifts, step dancing and other dances like the tango, the chicken dance, the jerk and the monkey,” he said. With bright colors, vibrant patterns and over-the-top
embellishments, the costumes in the show also help to bring the show to a world of fantasy. “This show is not only a spoof on the fairy tale, but it’s also a spoof on the medieval times,” Swackhamer said. “It’s about exploding regular objects to bring them into fantasy.” The set resembles the inside of a large, colorful castle with turrets towering on stage and two large chairs in the center, which was inspired by childhood tales and
toys. “The set designer and I both have daughters so when we got together, we considered the cult of Disney princesses and Barbie,” Swackhamer said. “It’s like if Barbie and Barney got together and had a baby.” With the over-the-top nature of the show, Swackhammer hopes it will be a humorous relief for students from the stresses of finals and the end of the year. “[The show] is absolutely
NobleMotion to travel to showcase style, emotion CONNOR HYDE Contributing Reporter NobleMotion, a Huntsville based dance company, is set to travel to Austin April 27 to premiere their evening length set Spitting Ether: A Reality Bending Dance. Collaborating with Kathy Dunn Hamrick Dance Company in Austin, both casts are showcasing new original work in the performance Scenes Flamboyant (and intimate). NobleMotion was established in 2009 and is headed by artistic directors, Sam Houston State University dance professors Andy Noble and Dionne Sparkman Noble. The company intends to provide intense work for dancers as well as cultivating the art form. “We are trying to figure out what Houston needs and what we can provide,” Dionne Sparkman Noble said. NobleMotion strives to find their niche in the Texas art culture. “We are a Houston company but we want to have a presence in Austin as well as in Dallas, let’s be Texas’ company.” The duo has successfully merged the dancing background
Photo by Lynn Lane
INSPIRING WITH LIGHT: NobleMotion lit up the stage of the Wortham Center in Houston in their show titled “Splitting Night”in September. The company is led by SHSU dance professors Andy and Dionne Noble.
of each cast member to develop a sound style that is uniquely NobleMotion. Second year company dancer Shohei Iwahama, describes his style as being completely different from the characteristics of the company. “They can utilize what I do so it is unlimited,” he said. “[The company] doesn’t limit yourself as a dancer.” NobleMotion strives to push the boundary of humanism and remain rooted in natural movements yet embody an unearthly quality to their performances.
The exclusive relationship with lighting and technical artist David Deveau helps NobleMotion fuse their organic qualities and innovative lighting sets to mold lighting and dance movements. “I want to find an efficient and simple way to create something interesting,” Deveau said. “I like people to be wowed by what we do.” The company is set to feature pieces titled Lorelei’s Whisper and Landing Light in Austin. Both pieces teeter on the deception of reality and the subconscious with the use of
George Mattingly | The Houstonian
INFLATOPIA: Freshman animation major Bradley Ivey stands in front of the “S.S. WASH”, an inflatable submarine made by a group of five students. The sub stretched about 70 feet long and was a part of a project for the Workshop in Art Studio History (W.A.S.H) program in the art program at Sam Houston State University. Students had to measure, then piece together pieces of plastic using hot irons. Turn to page six for more pictures of other inflatable projects by students.
simple projections and grounded movements. Company Dancer Seth McPhail describes his ability to personally connect with these pieces due to the level of realism and humanism. “It’s easy to connect with their work because it is human. As a performer I can feel the humanist of it all,” said McPhail. Noble mentioned that each piece the company develops works diligently with the aspect of a spectacle, the connection with the audience and the cast to depict the strongest emotions and still find the piece aesthetically pleasing. “One of our biggest goals is to make it work, something that resonates some element of humanity and some visual spectacle,” said Noble. Both companies will perform in the AustinVentures Studio Theater Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 3 p.m. Tickets will be sold at the door and are $12 for students and seniors and $17 for general admission. For more information about NobleMotion, visit their website is www.noblemotiondance.com.
charming and fun,” she said. “We all need a laugh and nice break. This a chance to go to a fantasy kingdom on a hot air balloon.” “Once Upon a Mattress” opened on Wednesday and will run through April 28 at 8 p.m. each night with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets are $17 for general admission and $14 for senior citizens and SHSU students. For more information, call the University Theatre Box Office at 936-294-1339.
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Arts & Entertainment
Thursday, April 26, 2012
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Art students unleash ‘Inflatopia’
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian George Mattingly| The Houstonian
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
George Mattingly| The Houstonian
George George Mattingly| Mattingly| The Houstonian The Houstonian
George Mattingly| The Houstonian
George Mattingly| The Houstonian
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
INFLATABLES TAKE OVER CAMPUS: A group of art students worked for about three weeks to a month to create an inflatable object that could hold eight people at one time. Student projects included a Mario tube maze, a giant squid and a converse shoe. The projects were a part of the Workshop in Art Studio History class composed of students of all classifications. Students had to measure, cut then iron pieces of plastic together in order to create large inflatable that could be blown up with small fans. Sophomore animation major Dawnsonick Luckett stands welcoming student to her group’s giant squid (middle left), group member, freshman Bradley Ivey stands at the end of the inflatable submarine S.S. WASH (bottom left corner), freshman graphic design major Avery Kelley stands with a sign that says “DNAlien” welcoming students to his group’s alien inflatable, and students Devon Hernandez and Erin Duncan look out the windows of the S.S. WASH (bottom right corner).
Sports
Page 7 Thursday, April 26, 2012 houstonianonline.com/sports
twitter.com/HoustonianSport
Baseball puts down Huskies
Kats complete season sweep of Houston Baptist
photo courtesy of Katie and Brian Blalock SHSU
AN OFFENSIVE ONSLAUGHT. Sam Houston State University right fielder Jake Arrington slides into theird against Houston Batptisist University on Tuesday. In he fourth inning on Tuesday, Arrington hit an RBI triple, as the Bearkats totaled six hits in the inning and they easily defeated the Huskies, 8-3. Next, SHSU plays Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in a weekend series that begins on Friday at 6:30 p.m.
ZACH BIRDSONG Sports Editor The Sam Houston State University baseball team totaled 11 hits as the squad easily defeated Houston Baptist University 8-3 at home on Tuesday. Right fielder Jake Arrington and left fielder Luke Plucheck each added RBI triples in the nonconference victory. Ten different Sam Houston hitters were able to get hits off the Houston Baptist pitching and shortstop Corey Toups led the march with two. The Bearkats (29-11) started their scoring in the second inning,
scoring two runs off of two wild pitches by Chad Valcoviak, who lasted only three innings for the Huskies, (15-23) giving up six runs on six hits and taking the loss. Sam Houston put up six more runs in the bottom of the fourth inning, as they collected six of their 11 hits and nearly hit for the cycle. Third baseman Kevin Miller and designated hitter Anthony Azar hit singles, catcher Shea Pierce and second baseman Jessie Plumlee hit doubles and Plucheck and Arrington hit triples. The Huskies were able to score their first run in the sixth inning when shortstop Corey Jones hit
an RBI single to score center fielder Jake Gonzalez. They scored two more runs in the eighth and ninth innings with RBIs from third baseman Tanner Kalina and right fielder Kolby Arnst. “I think we did a really good job of coming out there and handling business and putting them away early,” Plucheck said. “We are focused on this weekend with a great opportunity to extend out lead and win a championship.” Michael Oros (6-0) pitched five scoreless innings, allowing only two hits and striking out seven as he picked up the win. Andrew Godail, Cody Dickson and Michael Burchett all pitched in relief.
“Pitching really came through again and closed it out after we got the lead,” Arrington said. “That win was big for us coming into a tough series this weekend. When you get this late in the season, it’s a grind and momentum is a huge part of the success of our team and we gained some after that win.” The Bearkats have only four more Southland Conference series, including two nonconference games against Texas A&M and Rice, before the Southland Conference tournament starting May 23 in San Marcos. “The tournament isn’t a huge priority to us,” Plucheck said. “We are right where we want to be in
first place in the conference. We just want to finish strong and in first place so we can win the season championship and secure the top seed for the tournament.” The first of the remaining four conference series will be this weekend at Don Sanders Stadium against ninth place Texas A&MCorpus Christi, who is coming off a series loss to Stephen F. Austin. The other conference series will be against the University of Texas-Arlington, Southeastern Louisiana and Central Arkansas. First pitch for game one of the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi series is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m. For more information about the team, visit gobearkats.com.
CODY LEWIS Sports Reporter
The Islanders left ten base runners stranded but were unsuccessful in scoring runs. In the nightcap, Tucker, who is the Southland Conference’s home run leader, hit a three-run homer in the first inning to start the scoring for the Bearkats. Damian also hit a two-run home run in the second inning. The Bearkats would get off to a 6-0 lead before the Islanders would score a lone run in the top of the third inning. Adams hit her eighth home run of the year and Erin Burford hit an RBI single in the seventh inning to add two more insurance runs, which led to the 8-2 win. Shelby Lancaster, who was fresh off of a no hitter against Southeastern Louisiana, got the win. The Bearkats have only four games remaining in the regular season, all being against Southland Conference opponents. They travel to Arlington to play two games against UT-Arlington this weekend. On May 3, they will end the season with a two-game series against first place Texas State at home. For more information about the team, visit gobearkats.com.
Softball leaves TAMUCC stranded on Lonely Island
photo courtesy of gobearkats.com
SIX STRAIGHT VICTORIES. Sam Houston State softball junior infielder Shelbi Tucker bats in a game earlier this season. In game two of a double-header against Texas A&M Corpus Chrisit, Damian hit a homerun as the Bearkats went on to win, 8-2. The Kats completed the sweep of the Islanders after they had previously won game one on the day, 1-0.
NOLAN,
page 1
In 1992, the two collaborated and released a novel together titled “Kings of the Hill.” In that novel, Ryan gave his personal take on some of MLB’s so-called greatest pitchers. When the two were working on the novel together, Herskowitz brought up a story that was told when Ryan was drafted by the New York Mets in 1966. Ryan, who grew up in Alvin, a suburb of Houston, began to catch the attention of reporters when he played at Alvin High School, setting numerous school records including striking out 21 batters
in one game in 1965. That record would hold for 44 years until two Alvin pitchers, Aaron Stewart and Josh Land, tied it in the same week in 2009. While still in high school, Ryan would wake up at 1 a.m. and bundle copies of the Houston Post and toss them at the doorstep of the Alvin subscribers. When Ryan was drafted by the Mets, the sports editor at the Post wrote a column jokingly stating that it was because of the newspaper that the pitcher had so much success and helped him develop his legendary arm. However, Ryan never got the joke and wanted to clear up any
fabrications that might have been made about his career. “He thought it was serious,” Herskowitz said. “He was telling me it couldn’t have happened because he couldn’t throw the papers with his right arm because he had to throw it across his body. So he would throw it out the window with his non-pitching arm. But, he made it a point of correcting that at least two decades later.” After retiring in 1993, the former pitcher didn’t stray too far from the game and is currently the Chief Executive Officer and President of the Rangers organization.
The Sam Houston State softball team improved its record after notching two victories against Texas A&M Corpus Christi in a double-header on Tuesday, 1-0 and 8-2. SHSU (24-17, 12-4 in SLC) who had previously held opponents scoreless for 43 straight innings, had that streak broken in game two of the double-header. Shelbi Tucker, Kim Damian and Hillary Adams all hit homeruns in these games to bring the team’s total for the season to 45, shattering the old record of 39 that was set in 2006. With this sweep, the Bearkats have cemented second place in the Southland Conference and have won 24 of their last 27 contests, after starting the season with a 1-13 record. Senior Tomi Garrison picked up the win for the Bearkats in the opening 1-0 victory over the Islanders, giving the Bearkats their fifth straight shutout. The lone run came off an RBI single by second baseman Alyssa Coggins to score catcher Ashley Isbell in the fourth inning. Ryan is scheduled to visit Sam Houston State University on Monday and will be speaking at the “Mingling with a Major Leaguer” program that is sponsored by the President’s Speaker Series in conjunction with Priority One, a course within the university’s mass communications department. Start time for the program is set for 6:30 p.m. and it will take place in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center. Admission is free and open to the public. No autographs will be allowed. For additional information, contact the office of the President or email events@shsu.edu.
photo courtesy of today @sam
ALL ABOARD. Former Major League Baseball player and current Hall-of-Fame pitcher Nolan Ryan will be visiting Sam Houston State University on Monday.
Calendar of Events 2012 Downtown Huntsville, TX General Sam Houston Folk Festival Friday, April 27 9 a.m. – 4 p.m. Saturday, April 28 7 a.m.-7 p.m.
Spring Clean Saturday, April 28 9 a.m. – 2p.m.
Downtown Farmers Market Every Saturday May 5 – August 25 8 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Triple A Event – Art Antiques & Autos Saturday, May 5 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Cinco de Mayo Festival Saturday, May 5 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
Fun Cat Show Downtown June 2 9 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Fair on the Square Saturday, October 27 5;30 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Huntsville for the Holidays: Downtown Christmas Fair, Winter in the Park & Lion’s Club Lighted Parade Saturday, December 1 10 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Fincher Fabric Fantasies
Antiques, Garden Art, Custom Pet Clothes Open 7 days a week 1102B 11th St. 936.435.0800
Huntsville Walker County Pet Organization Pet Events and Boutique 1102A 11th St. 936.435.0800 www.hwcpo.org
News
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Thursday, April 26, 2012
houstonianonline.com/news
Molly Waddell | The Houstonian
WHAT THE HEALTH? (top left) The deans of students office passed out hand sanitizer and tissues at the fair. (top right) Students wait in line to receive their passport and swipe in for the fair. (left)Students receive their bags with information about the student health center after swiping in.
INFO
The Sam Houston State University Mentoring center is offering parents relief during finals so they can study. Parents will be able to have someone watch their children while they study on May 2 and 3 from 5-7 p.m., for free. Bernice Strauss, Ph.D. , from the Sam Mentoring Center, put this opportunity together this year. “I had such an impressed response from students that I just couldn’t say no,� Strauss said. Another reason Strauss wanted to offer this opportunity again was because she believes the school needs to provide programs for all kinds of students to help them succeed. Strauss and volunteers that have undergone background checks will be watching the children. Parents will be within visual distance of their children. Pre-registration is required by April 26. To register, students can either go into the office in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences room 170, or call Strauss at (936)-294-4455.
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