May 3, 2012

Vol 120 | Issue 29

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Publishing since 1913

Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

Senior staff members say their goodbyes, pg.2 & 3

Like us on Facebook: “The Houstonian SHSU”

Texas A&M destroys SHSU baseball team, pg. 7

INDEX Viewpoints ....... pg. 2 News ................... pg.4 Viewpoints........ pg. 3 A&E................. pg.6 Sports.................. pg. 7

4-Day Overcoming adversity in Cuba Forecast for success in United States Information from Weather.com

Thursday, May 3 HI: 91 LOW: 70

Friday, May 4 HI: 91 LOW: 72

Saturday, May 5 HI: 91 LOW: 72

Sunday, May 6 HI: 91 LOW: 71

MEREDITH MOHR Contributing Reporter

Rafael Saumell sits back in his chair, his eyes calm, and looks out the window. For a moment he is silent, and then he says, “To overcome adversity, you have to overcome first your own personal limitations,” Saumell said. “ It is not a matter of philosophy or religion, but also the will. You must have patience, perseverance, and remember your goals. It doesn’t mean that it is easy. It is an uphill battle with many failures. But you will meet people who, in the midst of adverse circumstances will give you their hand, and their heart.

That is how you overcome it.”

Saumell, a native of Cuba and a Spanish professor at Sam Houston State University since 1992, knows these things from his own experience.

Before he came to the United States, he was working in Cuba as a TV scriptwriter and director and in the radio and TV industry.

Following the Mariel Boatlift Crisis of 1980 and subsequent exodus of Cuban citizens from the country, Saumell felt it was his duty to write about what motivated these people to leave their country. He published a book of anecdotes,

Photo from Today@Sam.

SAVING SAUMELL. Rafel Saumell is a native of Cuba and Spanish professor at Sam Houston State Unversity since 1992. He came to the U.S. after working as a TV scriptwriter and director in the radio and television industry.

which called the attention of the Cuban political police.

On the morning of October 14, 1981, the Cuban secret

The Parking Games: Ticket revenue won’t bring more parking spots lots.

Hooten said the total budgeted revenue for 2012 is $1,714,000.

A large part of that amount is payment of debt for the parking garage at more than $300,000.

Assistant Director for Parking and Transportation David Kapalko said that the money from parking tickets also goes to permit orders, parking garage hardware, software for writing tickets electronically, and a portion of the police budget.

Kapalko said that the parking garage is a major expenditure of the university.

“When it is built, the university obtains state-issued revenue bonds, which are essentially like a 20-year mortgage,” Kapalko said.

“To break even on a new parking garage, we would have to have a minimum of $150 per month, per space. Most people are not willing to pay that kind of money for parking.”

Kapalko noted that was discussed at the recent Open University Forum on campus, at

which students could come to the public meeting and ask questions to administrators, the reason they can’t build more parking garages to start to alleviate parking situations is because of that very reason.

“The garage is not selfsupporting,” Kapalko said. “We can provide the best parking environment that people are willing to pay for.”

Stephen Green | The Houstonian

MEREDITH MOHR Contributing Reporter In the morning as classes start, the campus floods with students – and their cars. Parking on campus is a real problem. And a lot of students find themselves with parking tickets from the University Police Department after parking in the wrong lot or trying to find a space in a desperate measure to get to class on time.

But after you pay your parking ticket, what happens next? Where does the money go?

According to Al Hooten, Vice President for Finance and Operations at Sam Houston State University, the money goes right back into the program that issues the tickets. Revenue from parking fees and fines is used to support the University’s Office of Public Safety – funding the salaries of SHSU police officers, civilian employees and student workers.

Funds received beyond budget go to a reserve which is used to construct and maintain parking

This is part 4 of 4 in a series on SHSU parking tickets.

Check out HoustonianOnline.com for an interactive map of parking lots on the SHSU campus.

police searched his house and arrested him for having “enemy propaganda.”

“At the end of the search they

told me I had to come with them, and they took me to a police

NICOLE GABLER Contributing Reporter Seeing a ticket tucked neatly underneath a windshield wiper can ruin any student’s day. But getting ten or more tickets in a year is expensive and becoming more common.

There were more than 70 students with vehicles who had ten or more tickets issued from the fall and spring semesters.

One vehicle, a Toyota, had the most tickets issued at 24 since Fall 2011. The Toyota driver racked up 11 no permit citations, parked in a faculty/staff lot five times, in the wrong color zone four times, and covered all the bases with a fire zone violation, parking across marker lines, improperly displaying the permit, and parking where prohibited.

Sam Houston State University officials said that they are not allowed to release names or license plate numbers of students with tickets. This information is protected under The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, or FERPA, according to David Kapalko, SHSU assistant director of parking and transportation.

The Houstonian believes it’s quite a feat to get 24 tickets since the Fall 2011, so the Toyota driver should come forward and claim the honor of being the most ticketed student on campus. Your story needs to be told.

FERPA restricted the search for repeat offenders’ names, but volunteers can come forward. If you received more than 10 tickets over the last year, we want you to hear your story as well. Contact the news desk at 936-294-1505, sgreen@houstonianonline.com or comment on the Houstonian’s Facebook page.

According to the SHSU Office of the Registrar, FERPA is a federal law that states that colleges and universities will maintain the confidentiality of student education records. This law also affords students certain rights with respect to their education records.

The law basically says that no one outside the institution has access to students’ education records nor will the institution disclose any information from those records without the written consent of the student.

—SAUMELL, page 5

Reports show more than 70 students with 10+ tickets in past year

Students create website ‘like Craigslist for Sam Houston’ MEAGAN ELLSWORTH Contributing Reporter The spring semester is coming to an end, which means some students are ready to sell back their textbooks.

While the bookstore offers students one option for returns, it does not always guarantee a 100 percent refund.

In fact, the bookstore often only gives a small fraction of the original price back.

That’s one reason why two Bearkats have teamed up off of the football field to provide a new alternative service to satisfy SHSU students ‘ buying and selling needs.

EduMarket creator Matthew Foster and partner Seth Patterson said their new free service site launched for Sam Houston State University in December.

“It is like a Craigslist,” Foster, who is a Computer Science major, said. “The only way it is different is that it is only for Sam Houston.”

Users are required to provide a university email address to access the service as a means to provide more security and reduce the risk of fraud and scams that sometimes take advantage of buyers on similar classifieds sites.

“Therefore it is safe and exclusive,” he said, adding that this was one of the main reasons the new service was built.

The creator is able to ensure that only SHSU students are using the site because the email address shows the user’s domain.

“So if you don’t have that email address in there then you won’t be put into the site,” Foster said.

Patterson said the two also created the site because there seemed to be a need for the service since there was not a Craigslist for Huntsville.

“I like it because it’s the Craigslist for Sam Houston,” SHSU Business Marketing Major and EduMarket user, Colton “DJ KickFlip” Cornett said.

The service has categories ranging from clothing to video games and everything in between, but Patterson emphasized that the service could prove to be useful when selling back textbooks.

“Everybody gets screwed when they go try to sell (back) to the bookstore,” he said.

“They bought a book for $300 and they sell it back $40. They could sell it to another student for $100, they’d be happy and you’d be happy. You don’t get to negotiate with the

bookstore. ” The service includes internal messaging, so that buyers and sellers are able to negotiate the best price and arrange the exchange.

“Payment arrangement is made between users,” Foster said. “I bought a calculator off of there a month or so ago. I was just messaging the seller back forth and then we met in the LSC. I gave her the cash, she gave me the calculator-it was easy.”

The two explained that users would be unable to receive replies to messages about their items with an illegitimate email address.

“Say you put in MMM001 and that’s a fake (address),” Patterson, who is an —

MARKET, page 5

Viewpoints

Page 2 Thursday, May 3, 2012

houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

But I will see you again I will see you again a long time from now Senior Photographer Jessica Gomez is magical and no one wants her to leave!

S

am Houston State University was my first and only choice. Not only was it one of the most beautiful campuses that I had ever seen, but it was one of the only universities in Texas with the major I wanted to pursue, photography. My freshman year wasn’t the best. I didn’t know anyone and it was just really hard for me to make friends.

Then this wonderful, horrible thing happened. I was forced to take a class called WASH my sophomore year. If you’re an art major, you know what I’m talking about. While I hated the class, it forced me to make friends within the class and I couldn’t have been happier. One of the people I met through this class was Amanda Priest. Then Amanda introduced me to her sister Jessica Priest who worked for the campus paper at the time. It turned out that they were looking to hire a photographer so I applied in the summer and got the job! It was probably one of the best days of my life. I am never as happy as when I have that camera in my hand and now I could pretty much do this everyday and get paid for it. Yes, I can say that it was a really, really good day.

In the newsroom(and outside of it to the staff), I am known as Gomez. When I started Jessica was still at the paper so I was forced to be called by my last name because I was the new kid. I didn’t really care though. This continues to be my name even though Jessica has now graduated. How funny that a name that I received in college would carry on to what I do after. When I graduate, I plan on joining the Navy. This name, Gomez, will continue to live through this. I know this must sound kind of random to some people. Jessica Gomez? The Navy? But if you know anything at all about me, you know I love to help people. I love to be counted on by my friends and my family.

This is one of my favorite qualities about myself so why not spread this around? I really believe in our university’s motto, “A measure of a life is its service” and I plan on remaining true to this in the Navy and beyond. Overall, I am very proud of the work I put in at this paper and my time at this school. I am looking forward to

what comes next and putting this knowledge to good use. I owe a lot to these people: George MattinglyOh my gosh, George. I got to know you before you got on staff. We didn’t hang out much in those first years but I still always thought you were really awesome. Thank God for you these past two semesters.

Your constant laughter that you have brought into my life has kept me in that newsroom even when things got frustrating. I am so glad we got to hang out as much we have been. I will miss you so much.

You are an amazing writer and I hope to continue to read what you have to write. Stephen Green- I’m not exactly sure who started the whole Gomez nickname thing but I will definitely give you props for keeping it going. Like I said, I love it and I will never be anything but Gomez to you. I have enjoyed reading your stories, your friendship, and most recently your leadership. I truly believe this paper was missing leadership.

It was missing you. I know you’re going to do great things with the time you have left here and I cannot wait to see it.

Zach Birdsong- I am so grateful for you this year, Zach. One of my favorite things to cover this year was the football team(and sports in general) and I am so glad I got to do this along side of you. You are truly one of the nicest guys that I have ever met. I enjoyed discussing sports and music with you this past year. I wish you the best of luck in everything you do.

Meagan Ellsworth- Jessica Priest may have brought me in but you gave me the job. You gave me a chance to learn this business and I can’t thank you enough for that.

I was definitely nervous that first day I came into the newsroom and got my first assignment. You didn’t even know me at all but you really made me feel like you believed in my skills and that just made all the difference. You are one of the funniest people I have met here at SHSU. I have enjoyed our talks about random things in the newsroom. Also your taste in music is excellent. The very fact that you like City and Colour makes you one of the greatest people I know! I wish you good luck in everything you do after graduation. Maybe we’ll work

together again someday. Again, thank you. Kelly Reese- My sister.

It’s going to be so weird not to be going to school with you anymore.

We’ve been through it all together.

Every single school grade up to college. As much as it’s gonna be weird not to be in school anymore, it’s going to be even more weird not to see you everyday. You’ve been such a constant in my life and I’m not sure if I’m ready to see that end. Nobody will ever understand some of my humor as much as you do. It’s like that one time when we were sitting on my couch eating lemons and you said, “Man, who am I going sit around with laughing about eating lemons? Nobody does that!” It’s so true. It’s going to be hard but we’ve made it this far and time and distance won’t change anything between us. I won’t let it. Marissa Nunez- I am so glad we got to be roommates this year. I knew you last year and we were friends but this year was different. You are probably the most laid back person I have ever met and I really needed that this year. Being a senior in college is really demanding and stressful. I’m glad I had a friend like you to bring me back down and just sit back and talk about music and life outside of school.

I will miss you. Shiner’s just not gonna taste the same without you.

We’ve had some really great times.

Jessie Hutt- I want you to know that I wouldn’t be half as happy as I am without you. Freshman year sucked. Half of it was because of a not so great roommate. I couldn’t have asked for a better college roommate these past years. I feel like I need to thank you for the friends I’ve made in college. I wouldn’t have had half the courage to make friends without you for a roommate my sophomore year. I was able to come out of my shell and actually put forth effort into making friends because I knew if it didn’t work out, I already had an awesome friend within my roommate. I’m sorry this year was weird. I will miss you.

You’re a great person and smart as hell! Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You’re gonna do great things.

Kristian Cross- Well. It really did have to start with that. I met you through friends two years

Jessica Gomez Senior Photographer ago. We weren’t really that close.

In fact, we became better friends once you left which is kind of sad if you think about it. I am so thankful you came back this year. You have become one of my closest friends. Best friend really.

I missed having a friend to call that. Your friendship keeps me well grounded and I can’t thank you enough for that. It’s going to be extremely weird not seeing you everyday. I can’t even began to write how much I am going to miss you. You are one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. This is one of the things I admire most about you. Don’t ever lose that. Don’t let anyone take that from you. This was probably the scariest, hardest, and craziest year of my college

career and I don’t think I would have gotten through it without you. You are going to do some great things and can’t wait to see.

I know I have left people out but please know that I didn’t do it out of hate. I promise! This is already 1400 words! To all my friends that I have made here, please know that even though I’m not here anymore I’m just a call away. I will be here for anyone who needs me.

Please remember that. This has been a wonderful experience in my life. I have learned so much from this newspaper and this university. I know that with what I have learned I am ready to make this next step.

Thank you.

Thank you all.

Today in history:

Cuz sooner or later it’s over

May 3

I just don’t want to miss you tonight

1957 – Walter O’Malley, the owner of the Brooklyn Dodgers, agrees to move the team from Brooklyn, New York, to Los Angeles, California.

Karmen C. King sort of says goodbye

1978 – The first unsolicited bulk commercial e-mail (which would later become known as “spam”) is sent by a Digital Equipment Corporation marketing representative to every ARPANET address on the west coast of the United States.

I

want you all to know that I’m writing this against my will. For it is not a goodbye column. I’m not going anywhere, dang it!

Since, however, I am no longer going to be an editor Stephen insisted I write a good-bye piece.

But, I’m not going anywhere!

Except, in reality, I am going somewhere. I’m moving on to grad school. It just happens to be right here at Sam. Because of my time here at The Houstonian I feel prepared for this next step in

Editorial Staff Robin Johnson Faculty Adviser 936-294-1499

Stephen Green E dito r-in-Chie f 936 -294-1505

c b oyd @ hou s toni a nonl i ne. c om

Th u r sday ’s Issu e Tu esday 2 p.m .

c l ewi s @ hou s toni a nonl i ne. c om

Business Mananger 936-294-1500

m j ones @hou s toni a nonl i ne. c om

S p o r ts Edi to r

zbirdson g@h oust on ian onl i ne. c om

George Mattingly

Molly Waddell

gmat t in gly@h oust on ian onl i ne. c om

mw ad d e l l @ho u s to ni anon lin e.c om

Cody Lewis

kkin g@h oust on ian on lin e. c om

Zach Birdsong

A & E Edi to r

Matt Frazier

We b & Mul ti m e di a E d i t o r mf razier@h oust on ian on line. c om

Business Staff

Ad Deadlines

Misti Jones

Vie w p o i nts Edito r

including me in all the fun.

Matt: You are a lifesaver! You’re my favorite gazelle having a seizure.

Allison: Don’t look up!

Chelsea: My heart’s a stereo…

Gomez: You are truly magic!

George: You don’t write everything!

Megz: Breathe, breathe, and breathe. And no more coffee Monster!

Now for my bowling buddies: Zach: What can I say? It’s been an interesting year. Is there any thing

Chelsea Boyd

Karmen King

s g re e n@ho u s to ni ano nl i ne.c om

Asso ciate Edito r 936-294-1502

my life. So instead of a goodbye column, I’ll write a thank you or two to the people I’ve worked with this last year.

First, to our adviser Robin: Thank you for figuring out how to put up with me. I will always value how you pushed me to be better, at whatever. You’ll always be my favorite bronie.

Sequeena Thomas: Thanks for helping me with our groundbreaking twinterviews!

Coach Nichols: Thanks for making my job easier and

S e n i o r R e p o rt e r

S p o rt s R e p o rt e r

Jessica Gomez

A d v e rt i s i n g M a n a n g e r 936-294-1495

Paty Mason

Tu esday ’s Issu e F r i day 5 p.m .

A ccoun t Executives 936.294.1503

p m a s on@ hou s toni a nonl i ne. c om

Steve Sears

P h o t o g ra p h e r

Meagan Ellsworth

Keelanni Cabrera

Allison McMath

m el l s wor th@ hou s toni a nonl i ne. c om

S e n i o r P h o t o g ra p h e r

Megan Laurie Co p y E d i t o r

P ro d u ct i o n M a n a n g e r

s s e a r s @ h o us t o n i a n o n l i n e . c o m k c a b re r a @ h o us t o n i a n o n l i n e . c o m

Ashley Fordyce

a fo rdy c e @ h o us t o n i a n o n l i n e . c o m

we DON’T talk about? Thanks for always making my basketball stories better. And dang it don’t go too far away so we can bowl in league!

Stephen: I thought about not even including you in this. How can you express the feelings you have for someone you owe everything to? Yep, you can’t, so I’m not even going to try.

Thank you to all of the people who contributed this year, make the next person’s job easier and contribute even more!

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.

Viewpoints

Page 3 Thursday, May 3, 2012

houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Spor ts Editor Zach Birdsong says goodbye to all those who helped him

A

fter six years of being in college, I can finally say that I am less than two weeks away from graduating, and boy does that sound weird.

I started going to school at the University of Oklahoma in the fall of 2006, but found myself hating every minute of being there. I’m not saying that OU isn’t a great school because believe me; I had always wanted to attend school there ever since I was a little kid. I just learned quickly that it wasn’t for me, but stuck through it until I just couldn’t handle it anymore and I came home to Houston in the spring of 2009.

After taking somewhat of a year off while I was attending classes at the Lonestar Community College, I found what I wanted to do and that was become a journalist. The question was, where could I go that I would love and feel like myself.

In the spring of 2010, I took a tour of Sam Houston State University and immediately knew that I was “home.” When I officially moved to Huntsville in August of 2010, I had never felt more comfortable.

In the spring of 2011, my life changed for the better when I was taking the mass communications course, Writing for Mass Media. My professor for that course was Robin Johnson, Ph.D., and the faculty advisor of the Houstonian, the student newspaper on campus.

I still remember one of the first things that he said in class and that was that the newspaper was always looking for students to contribute.

I took that upon myself and immediately printed an application from the newspaper’s website and applied.

Shortly after leaving my application, I received a phone call from then Viewpoints Editor, Stephen Green. He asked me what

I wanted to and I said “sports” and he gave me the Sports Editor at the time, Brandon Scott’s phone number.

I got in contact with Scott and a day later, I found myself covering my first sporting event at the university, and was on the sidelines of the SHSU and Stephen F. Austin men’s basketball game.

In the summer, after having applied, I was named Sports Editor at the Houstonian and believe me, I was nervous about that. Little did I know that I would be working with a great staff and have the opportunity to experience so much in the one year that I have been an editor at this newspaper, and for that, I am so thankful for the opportunity.

This year, I have experienced a lot including interviews with Taking Back Sunday and most recently Nolan Ryan, and then I also had the tremendous opportunity to cover the football team as they made the 2012 Football Championship Subdivision National Championship game.

Despite all of that, the thing that I will remember the most out of anything is the great people that I worked with during my time at the Houstonian. Since this is my “goodbye” article, I thought it would be a good opportunity to remember all of those people. And so my fellow staff writers can relax a little bit, I am going in the order of people who I first came in contact with.

Brandon Scott, you immediately helped me get into sports writing and I can’t thank you enough for that. Still to this day, you continue to give me advice and I can’t tell you how much I appreciate it. In this business it’s about staying ahead and knowing the advantages, so I’ve been appreciative of everything that you have told me.

Stephen Green, hopefully my lead in this article didn’t suck. Joke

aside, everything that you have done this semester as Editor-in-Chief has been to push us and me to make us better. And while I may have been a little frustrated, I know it’s for the best and I know it will help me after I graduate. Outside of work though, you have become a friend and I’ll remember all the bowling nights and hopefully if things go right, I’ll be able to join a league with you.

Speaking of bowling, the next person for me to mention has to be Karmen King. You are the one person on staff that I could talk to about anything, although I’m sure most times you were thinking, “just shut up already,” or maybe that was reserved for Meagan. I will feel sad in June when I don’t have another “dumb” article for you to run this month, I just randomly complain about how there’s nothing for me to write about. Just like everyone else on staff, you have become a friend to me and I’ll miss you next semester.

George Mattingly, “Sassy” or whatever other nicknames we had for you in the newsroom, I’ll miss randomly laughing with you and all the inside jokes that we shared and I’ll miss your insane rants. You were always direct and honest and I appreciated that. But I have to ask, “Hahah, so did you hear about….”

Jessica Gomez, the amazing photographer who always snapped great shots, I’ll definitely miss you.

When the fall comes around, I’ll miss following you around and talking with you on the sidelines of football games. And even more so, I’ll miss your personality and randomly talking about different bands that we’ve seen in concert and which bands we do or don’t like.

Cody Lewis, even though you are a Dallas fan, I’ll forgive you and say that I’m going to miss working with you. You have a great writing style already and just continue to work

on that and you will be successful in the future. I’ll definitely be keeping in contact and see how everything is going.

Misti Jones, “Mitay” or anything else you go by, you have done a tremendous job this year as Senior Reporter. I know at times you have felt stressed out and overwhelmed by it all, but trust me, this will all benefit you in the future. You have a great talent, and I can see you going far in this field.

Molly Waddell, I will definitely miss your sense of humor as well as the random animal sounds that came from your phone. As I’ve told Misti and Cody already, just continue and work on everything and you will go far in this field because you have the talent to do so.

Matt Frazier, it’s definitely been awesome getting to know you.

Just like Stephen and Karmen, I’ll remember all those bowling nights with you. Most of all, I’ll miss all your crazy impersonations that you would do for us all in the newsroom.

Those impersonations would always make me laugh.

Allison McMath, don’t worry I didn’t forget you, as you are probably editing this right now. Unfortunately, we never got to include a crossword puzzle into the newspaper, but keep fighting Stephen for that. It has been a pleasure to work with you and getting to know you over this last semester. And just know that I will never again pile articles on you, at 10 p.m.

As I made mention earlier to you, Robin Johnson, you have been a wonderful Faculty Advisor.

Every time that I needed help with anything on my page or things to include in my stories, you were always there to help me out. It was because of your one mention in class about getting involved in the paper that brought me to the Houstonian,

Zach Birdsong Sports Editor

and allowed me to experience one of the craziest and greatest years of my life. Thank you for that.

Erin Peterson, I don’t know if you’ll read this or not, but I wanted to say that it was a pleasure working with you. You were the Editor-inChief when I was hired and you taught me a lot about In-Design and just helped me get through the semester. I still can’t believe that you went to Cy-Falls and I’ll never forget recalling the stories about “Turtle Lady.”

Lastly, I wanted to thank the athletic department at SHSU and namely Paul Ridings Jr. (PR). Going into the Fall of 2011, I was worried about taking over as Sports Editor, but you have made my job so much easier and really helped me.

I appreciate you taking the time to answer back all of my emails, even if they were stupid ones.

I never intended to write so much, but as I kept typing I realized that I had so much to say. I’ll miss everybody that I included in my story and I will miss my time here at Sam Houston and the only thing that I can say is that I am so proud to be a Bearkat.

News

Page 4

Thursday May 3, 2012

houstonianonline.com/news

Strauss suggests study skills

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

STUDY SESSIONS. Jeff Smith, senior criminal justice major, studies in the library with all of his materials, and his iPod.

MOLLY WADDELL Associate News Editor Dr. Bernice Strauss, director of academic support programs at the Sam Houston State University Mentoring Center, spoke with the Houstonian about ways to study for finals.

Strauss wanted to make it perfectly clear that there is no secret to studying and passing finals.

“I will give you some tips, but there is an expectation that there is a secret and that I am going to tell you something that will help students that have procrastinated all semester to pull out an A or B,” Strauss said. “No secret like that exists.”

One thing that Strauss recommends is using resources.

To do this, students need to talk to their professors, but not just at the end of the semester, the whole

time. Strauss said professors appreciate student contact out of the office, and that it shows that they care.

When talking to their professors, students should ask for resources that might help them do better in class. Strauss said professors are here for students and that they want them to succeed.

Another resource students can use is a friend to quiz them on their material.

When it comes to actually studying students need to find a quiet place, with no outside distractions. These distractions include other people who are not studying, iPods and the television.

Although Strauss recommends no music while studying she realizes that it works better for some students.

Even though a student’s bedroom may seem like a quite place they should not study in their bed because that sets the student up for falling asleep, according to Strauss.

When reading large texts students should read a whole chapter before taking a break, although this does vary for different people. The break should be no longer than 15 minutes.

According to Strauss to really

SHSU to celebrate new campus in Woodlands MISTI JONES Senior Reporter The official Grand Opening celebration of the new Sam Houston State University The Woodlands Center will be open to the public from 2 to 4 p.m on May 30 located at 3380 College Park Dr. in The Woodlands.

The public is invited to attend the ribbon ceremony and the dedication of the Lois W. Kolkhorst Atrium presented by SHSU President Dana Gibson, Ph.D. The building will be named The Woodlands Center and the plaque will list the Board of Regents.

State Representative Kolkhorst will also be speaking at the ceremony.

Guests will take a tour of the new four-story, 144,164 square-foot facility and a reception will take place from 2 to 4 p.m. on all floors of the building.

“The theme of the event is based on our core values of tradition, honor, spirit and success,” Maggie Collum,

SHSU director of university events, said in a press release about the grand opening.

According to the press release, the SHSU School of Music will provide entertainment for all attendees, who will be treated to hors d’oeuvres and desserts. Guests will also receive a goody bag of SHSU souvenirs.

“It is open to all students, faculty, staff and the general public,” Janet L. Mullings, Ph.D., executive director of The Woodlands Center, said. “We want everyone to see this beautiful new SHSU facility.”

The Woodlands Center was designed to offer more space for programs provided at The University Center with new classrooms, labs, enrollment counseling, advising, administrative services and a large parking garage.

IT@Sam has implemented one general use computer lab, four instructional computer labs, four interactive television classrooms, teaching stations and one technology equipment test facility for

the Center.

The new campus was built to accommodate the evergrowing SHSU population in order to allow master’s and non-traditional students to further their education closer to Houston; however, almost all of the baccalaureate and doctoral degrees will remain at the Huntsville location while many classes for the master’s programs will be located at The Woodlands Center.

According to SHSU Heritage Magazine, the Lone Star College System provided SHSU with seven acres of land near The University Center in return for the use of 50 percent of the classrooms and free parking from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. until approximately 2022.

Many Texas State University System officials and regents, SHSU administrators, faculty, staff, students, alumni and community members are expected to attend the event that will begin at 2 p.m. sharp.

HARLEM GLOBETROTTERS The Harlem Globetrotters are offering summer clinics for the first time, according to Eric S. Nemeth, senior director of live event publicity. The dates and locations are: June 11; 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:00-5:00 p.m. --Friendswood, TX 77546; June 12; 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:00-5:00 p.m. -- Pasadena, TX 77505; June 13-14; 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:00-5:00 p.m. -- The Woodlands, TX 77380; June 15; 8:30-11:30 a.m. and 2:00-5:00 p.m.

-- Katy, TX 77450. For more information and prices go to www.harlemglobetrotters.com

For more UPD Updates, students can visit http://www.shsu.edu/~upd_ www/upd/dailypolice.html

comprehend what students are reading they should have note cards out and take notes on them.

This way when the student wants to study again they will not have to read the whole chapter again.

“It makes studying more active,” Strauss said. “A lot of students highlight and they end up with the whole thing highlighted.”

Trying to decide what to put on the note cards can be figured out by asking two questions, according to Strauss. These questions are: Is this information important, if so what does it mean?

According to Strauss if students can explain what the information means in their own words they can better understand it.

Strauss does not recommend energy drinks, or all nighters.

Energy drinks will only facilitate bad habits. According to Strauss all nighters do not allow students to sufficiently study.

“This is not a time for allnighters that your ability to recall and function effectively will depend on good night sleep and good breakfast,” Strauss said.

Students get tired of studying, but Strauss said to keep going.

“You’re going to get tired of studying no matter what,” Strauss said. “Think about a long term

goal to stay motivated and use a support group. Breaks could be motivation and so could what you are doing after finals.”

Strauss also wanted to let students know that now is not the time to say I wish I had or I should have. This is the time to finish strong.

“After grades come out there is a wealth of information to help you do better next year, and that is the time to say what I could have done differently,” Strauss said.

Strauss will be holding a Study Skills series during Summer I and II. The study skills program is six, one hour sessions that address core essentials for academic success.

According to the academic support programs website the sessions address, “procrastination, time management, taking class notes, test-taking strategies,” and more.

“Success is not about how smart you are it is about about the skills you have to do the work,” Strauss said.

Students can find more information about the Study Skills series at http://www.shsu. e du/~s am_w w w/mentor ing/ study_skills.html, or by calling 936-294-4444.

UPD Update May 2, 2012

At 2:07 a.m,, officer observed an individual in the 1500 block of 11th Street who had just been in an altercation. Upon contact with the male (of Navasota, Texas), officer determined that he was extremely intoxicated. The male was arrested and charged with the Class C Misdemeanor offense of Public Intoxication.

May 1, 2012

Officer was dispatched to the HKC at 1:20 p.m. where the complainant reported that a large shoulder bag was stolen from an unsecured cubby hole. The bag was located a short time later near the library with only some cash missing. An investigation still continues.

will be forwarded to the Dean of Students’ Office for review.

April 29, 2012

Officer responded to a call for assistance near the intersection of 13th Street and Avenue E for crowd control at 3:10 a.m.. Upon arrival, officer located a vehicle with what he recognized as a heavy odor of marijuana emitting from the vehicle. Upon contact with the driver (a female of Lufkin, Texas), officer determined that the driver and passenger (also a female of Lufkin, Texas) were in possession of contraband. Both the driver and passenger were arrested and charged with the Class B Misdemeanor offense of Possession of Marijuana.

At 12:48 a.m., officer made contact with a male resident of Huntsville, Texas in the 1200 block of University Avenue. While speaking with the male, the officer determined that he was highly intoxicated. The male was arrested and charged with the Class C Misdemeanor offense of Public Intoxication.

Officer observed a male (of Crockett, Texas) sitting in the 2500 block of Sam Houston Avenue at 2:10 a.m. who had just been in a physical altercation. While checking on him, the officer determined that the male was intoxicated to a point that he was a danger to himself. The male was arrested and charged with the Class C Misdemeanor offense of Public Intoxication.

At 2:44 p.m., officer met with a female student complainant who reported that she was assaulted while attending a student organization party on April 28 held in the Johnson Coliseum.

The complainant provided a statement to the officer regarding the incident that occurred. The complainant then signed a nonprosecution request. At this time a report has been completed and

Officer was dispatched to Randel House in reference to a harassment report. Upon arrival, a male student reported that he was having problems with a former friend. Officer located the former friend. During the investigation, it was determined that this individual was a non-student and in violation of University policies. The male was issued a criminal trespass warning for all SHSU property.

April 30, 2012

CLASSIFIEDS

Rental 2BR/2BA Roommate plan on ranch, close in town. Can work P/T for rent. No pets, horse OK. $600/mth.

936-291-3226

Special

Page 5 Thursday, May 3, 2012

houstonianonline.com/

SAUMELL,

page 1

station in my neighborhood,” Saumell said. “Then they took me to the secret police headquarters and I walked out of prison five years later.”

Those five years, he said, were “an outrageous experience.”

“It is tough for anyone, no matter what you’ve done,” Saumell said. “You have to surrender your freedom of movement, your privacy. There is a scale of daily life that is meant to control you – your body and your mind – for years.

The food you eat is what they choose for you, and how they choose to cook it. Private letters you receive or write are censored. What you read is chosen for you. I remember we were only allowed three books, to receive from our families every six months, but they had to be written in Spanish, published in Cuba, and published after 1959, which was the year Castro came to power. They treat you as a modern slave.”

In these conditions, Saumell said he discovered that “what brought me to the ground was eventually what built me up again.”

“I began to write short poems that were easy to memorize, since we weren’t allowed to have paper or pens or anything,” Saumell said. “You are totally isolated from the world. You’re not even allowed to read the newspaper.

So I wrote about my family, and my destiny. You don’t get used to living there, but I began to accept what I had to do and how I had to persevere, endure and grow through this time. One of my cellmates said to me that it was acceptance, he said, ‘Rafael, we are just lucky, we have to dance with the ugliest woman in the world, and we have to love her and we have to keep dancing.’ ” Eventually, he was moved to a larger prison, where he wrote many long letters to his wife and children, even if they couldn’t read them. He started keeping a journal secretly, and learned the jargon of the prison, which he says he was fascinated by because “it was a part of the Spanish language I had never heard before.” He became more involved in his spirituality and read “voraciously, even the worst literature available.”

The lonely days, he said, dragged on in the sweltering heat of the tropics in the windowless prison.

“Christmas was the worst time to be in prison, and weekends,” Saumell said. “No one is around. Sundays were one of the most horrible days to be in prion for me. The silence is deafening.”

But then, in 1986, it was the time of “perestroika” (restructuring) and “glasnost” (openness) in the Soviet Union and communist countries, when Mr. Gorbachev, the Secretary General of the Communist Party started to make changes in the way countries conducted their business.

And finally, six months before the end of his sentence, Saumell was granted freedom.

“There was an openness in Cuba and they were relaxing,” Saumell said. “I found out I was going to be released six months early. In prison, six seconds is an eternity. It was good news. Usually they would release people in the middle of the night, but just after lunch, maybe around 2 or 3 p.m., as I was talking to my friends, a guard came and said,

‘Rafael Saumell! You are free!’ and I felt so cold and it was silent. And then I was walking in the halls of the prison where I hadn’t been allowed to walk before, and I just kept thinking, I am free. I am free. When I had to change out of my uniform to civilian clothes, it was unbelievable that I was wearing a t-shirt. It was like I had a new identity. When I crossed the last fence, I remember thinking, ‘free at last, free at last. It was beautiful.’”

But Saumell realized that his beautiful city of Havanna was not the same since he had been gone.

“I knew at that moment, that I had lost my country,” Saumell said. “It was not the city I remembered. The country for which I loved, for which I wrote, that was gone. I would only be living through memories. Only my friends, my wife and my children made sense.”

In the years following his release, Saumell said he had the immense privilege and luck to have the opportunity to go to Washington University in St. Louis, where he experienced a completely different side of education and life in America that was not possible in Cuba.

“I always say that if someone had predicted the future that I would be here, I would ask the person, what kind of drugs are you smoking that the future is so beautiful, so wonderful?,” Saumell said. “Looking back I can tell you that it was a very formative experience that I regret to have had but it made me a better person that values things more – freedom, love, family. Freedom is very complicated, and there are many flaws in every government – but it is immensely better than the alternative from which I came.”

These days, Saumell said that his journey has reminded him of the blessing of the reality of his life – in everything, no matter what it is, that he has done and everywhere he has been.

“I have nothing to regret. I am very happy,” Saumell said.

“Because for the quarter of a century that I have been living here, I have been blessed. For me, the idea of freedom, no matter how many people blame the U.S. for problems or how many enemies this country has or how many enemies there are of democracy – they don’t have a better alternative.

America can always improve. It would never fail like the Soviet Union. That’s why the idea of America and what it means will always prevail, no matter how many difficult journeys lay ahead. I would do it again, for that, with no hesitation.”

MARKET,

page 1

Accounting major, said. “Then how are you going to get someone to message you back and you get that message?”

Made by students for students, Foster said it cuts out the middleman.

“You’ll find a place in between where you are both happy,” he said. “You are selling to other students, so you negotiate with students what price it is.”

Management Information Systems student Latitus Reason discussed his experience with selling back textbooks.

“If I wasn’t early I didn’t get too much money back,” Reason said. “The longer I waited to sell back the less money

I got for it. If it wasn’t a newer book I definitely didn’t get any money back,” Reason said he would use EduMarket because he’d know who is clientele is that he would be negotiating with.

“I know I’m selling it to people that are going to need it,” he said. “If they’re on that site then nine times out of ten they need that book because they don’t want to buy it at bookstore prices.”

“Even though I’m selling it cheaper than the bookstore would I’m getting more money from selling it (to other students), than the bookstore would have given me back,” Reason said.

EduMarket can be found on Facebook and Twitter, but is now also available as an iPhone App to add another convenient way to access the new service.

In the last two weeks since the launch of the EduMarket app, the service has had 100 downloads with 74 listings and 400 unique visitors on the site.

There are plans to make the app available to other mobile devices in the future.

To visit the site, go to www.edumarket.me Note: The Bookstore was not able to be reached for a comment about prices by press time.

INFO May 3: Memorial Service Honoring Frederick L. Pirkle February 17, 1946-March 9, 2012 Sam Houston State University Austin Hall Quadrangle at 10:30 a.m.

May 11: Residence halls close at noon.

May 21: Students graduating in August 2012 may begin submitting applications for degree to the Registrar’s Office.

May 31: Summer I starts.

Arts & Entertainment

Page 6 Thursday, May 3, 2012

houstonianonline.com/a-e

NobleMotion captures Austin Audience CONNOR HYDE Contributing Reporter Huntsville’s own NobleMotion Dance wowed audiences in Austin this weekend as they performed their original work, Splitting Ether: A Reality Bending Dance.

Teetering on the mediums of theater and modernism, Splitting Ether captivated patrons with exciting technological use of lighting and smoke to create a subconscious universe that the audience became immersed in.

“Landing Light” portrayed isolationism confined to a mere spotlight.

Featuring dancer Brittany Thetford, her stressful, constrained movements impressed senses of anxiety and lonesome depression hinging on the dependency of outside forces. Thetford composed herself strongly, though she portrayed a weakened character. She was accompanied by freshman dancer Rachael Hutto and senior dancer Joe Shepherd who assumed the roles of doctors in scrubs.

Thetford resisted the gravity Hutto and Shepherd magnetized on her, eventually disappearing within the curtain that forcefully shut her from view. Thetford had a brief appearance that was unsatisfying. Her anxiety and depression built a wall of sympathy from the audience that was stripped away and left the piece unfulfilled.

Dancer Tristin Ferguson continued the piece with a captivating solo accessorized with layered videos complimenting her movements. Although her solo was strong, it was too brief to make a better impact.

The piece continued with a solo featuring dancer Erin Reck contorting her body around placed camera tripods capturing her grace and vulnerability.

Reck’s solo introduced intimacy in the set, but with an unneeded

Photo by Lynn Lane

ADDING DEPTH: In “Lorlei’s Whisper, light designer David Deveau, who designed the light intallations to offer a new look of the human body form.

anxiety accompanied outside of the cameras. Anxiety and tension took precedence over “Landing Light,” but the gravity the dancers exhumed pulled the audience into their stratosphere and enveloped them in an intimate fog distorted by light.

The set concluded with “Lorelei’s Whisper” which astonished the audience with its epic control of the stage as the performers tip-toed between diffracted light and a curtain of fog that consumed the dance hall. Dancers commanded their use of the stage and captured the audience as they reached out to each individual to create their own sense of intimacy.

Lighting and Technical Artist David Deveau composed a haunting stage layout that conducted the dancers and manipulated the light that teased the audience and intensified the anxiety and intimacy throughout the performance.

Deaveu’s lighting projected no prejudice by consuming each dancer equally.

Without his projections, Splitting Ether would have been obsolete and empty.

With music performed by Mozart, “Lorelei’s Whisper” broke the boundary of the subconscious and reality. Dancers acted the role of mythological sirens that tantalized the audience with their silhouettes moving in and out of

the fog and light. With a cooling feeling of sullen calmness, the piece concluded with an abrupt explosion of bellowing opera accompanied with unrestrained movements expressed by the entire NobleMotion cast.

“Lorelei’s Whisper” was the high point in the the performance.

The preceding pieces seemed as fillers compared to the finale but still necessary to the entire story that unfolded.

Head Choreographers SHSU faculty members Andy Noble and Dionne Sparkman Noble showed sure understanding of their pieces to set the order of each set and implement the entire cast to enhance the boldness and power

Students embrace new eco-friendly fashion trend JASMINE BROWN Contributing Reporter One of the latest trends in fashion has made its way to Sam Houston State University students who want to style for a low price while helping the environment.

Upcycling is a new trend on the rise in fashion design where designers acquire previously used pieces and update them to fit styles of today. Many designers see upcycling as a way to help the environment while catering to the popular demand for vintage-style clothing and accessories. Online businesses such as acidlace.com and recycleboutique.co.nz have embraced upcylcing to make it available to the masses.

Etsy.com also features a number of sites that host individuals selling their own upcycled pieces. The search for “Upcycled Clothing” brought up more than 25,000 results.

Many students at SHSU have embraced upcycled clothing for its affordability.

“I like to thrift and if I don’t completely like how something from the thrift store fits or looks I’ll cut it or add something to it to spruce it up,” said senior Business major Teshawna Jackson. “It’s a great way of getting cute, cheap items that no one else has.”

Aside from style, other students see upcycling as a way to help the environment.

“I think upcycling is a great idea for preserving [our planet’s] resources,” said graduate student Kristi Williams. “I’m glad designers are becoming more earth-conscious in their work.”

Ecostylist and creator of Vancouver’s Eco Fashion Week, Myriam Laroche, dresses her clients in vintage or recycled clothing and accessories.

“My clients can wear them and feel even better now, knowing that

they are having an impact on the health of the world,” Laroche said on her Facebook page.

Although it may seem like just a fashion trend, it can make an impact. According to the Fair Companies blog, more than 20 million textiles are thrown away in the U.S. each year. Worn Again, a blog dedicated to upcycling in the United Kingdom, says that every ton of discarded textiles reused saves 20 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

“It’s a shame [upcycled clothing] styles haven’t gotten even more attention given the fact that secondhand clothing is one of the greenest fabrics,” said blogger Kirsten Dirksten of Fair Companies, a site that advocates upcycling.

Though upcycling may seem like small act toward improving environmental health, as it gains popularity in fashion, it may prove to make a larger impact that expected.

Art students to showcase culmination of work in senior exhibit GEORGE MATTINGLY Arts & Entertainment Editor A group of 22 senior art students will showcase a culmination of their work at Sam Houston State University in the Graduating Senior Art Exhibit during finals week.

Held in the Gaddis Geeslin Library, the exhibit will feature a variety of work from students

of “Lorelei’s Whisper.”

The performance awakened Texas to the talent and unique style of NobleMotion.

The Texas art scene should expect to see the Huntsville company rise through the national and into the international scene with pieces continuing to stretch the boundaries of dance.

For more information on NobleMotion, visit their website at www.noblemotiondance.com to view upcoming events and a listing of the entire cast.

Sam Houston State University students will be able to see the performance during the summer with dates yet to be released.

receiving their Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree. The exhibit will feature a variety of senior students’ artwork including sculpture, video, drawing, painting and animation. “[The exhibit] is a capstone experience preparing for [the students] for exhibiting in galleries beyond SHSU,” Annie Strader, assistant art professor, said.

Strader added that the exhibit will also be a chance for the students to share their work with the campus community.

“Hopefully, it will broaden others’ perspectives and for students to see what their peers are doing in the art department,” Strader said.

The Graduating Senior Art Exhibit will be held from May 7 to May 12 with a reception following commencement on Saturday.

Catch the latest news in the summer when new issues of the Houstonian return in June.

Paralegal:

Your career in five months Rice University’s Paralegal Graduate Certificate Program

“I would not have been able to make it this far in my career in such a short time without the Rice program.”

– EMILY SHAW, PAST PARTICIPANT

CLASSROOM PROGRAM:

Join us for an information session on June 19 or August 8 at 6:00 p.m.

Classes begin August 27, 2012 WEB-DELIVERED PROGRAM:

Connect to a virtual information session on August 22 or September 19 at 6:00 p.m.

Classes begin October 8, 2012 $300 discount for information session attendees

paralegal.rice.edu | 713-348-4803

Sports

Page 7 Thursday, May 3, 2012 houstonianonline.com/sports

twitter.com/HoustonianSport

Aggies walk over Kats, 10-0

CODY LEWIS Sports Reporter In a contest between two top 25-ranked teams, Texas A&M dealt Sam Houston a 10-0 loss, which was only the second shutout given to the Bearkats this season.

The ninth-ranked Aggies totaled 18 hits and were walked eight different times by Sam Houston pitching.

Senior Michael Oros (6-1) was the first of seven Sam Houston pitchers, got the start and took his first loss of the season. He pitched four innings, giving up six hits and five runs.

“It’s a tough loss because we know that we can compete with a team like them,” Oros said.

“Things did not work out our way.”

A&M improved their season record to 32-13, while the Bearkats fell to 31-14.

The game drew a crowd of 2,032, which is the largest crowd in Don Sanders Stadium’s sevenyear history in Huntsville. The previous time this record was broken was when Sam Houston faced the Aggies in 2008.

A&M pitcher Daniel Mengden earned his first win in four decisions, pitching seven innings while allowing all six of the Bearkats’ hits and no runs. Sam Houston was able to get two base runners on third against Mengden, but could not get home.

Ray Corey and Ray Parker also pitched an inning each in relief for A&M. The Aggies loaded the bases with no outs in the third inning, but the Bearkats held them to only one run due to a sacrifice fly by second baseman Scott Arthur and a double play by the Bearkats.

Aggie right fielder Chance Bolcerek led off the fourth inning with a triple and score on a sac fly

photo courtesy of gobearkats.com

SHUT DOWN. Sam Houston State freshman shortstop Ryan Farney (9) fields a ground ball against Texas A&M on Wednesday. Despite, having the largest crowd in the history of the Don Sanders Stadium at SHSU, the Aggies dominated the Kats on offense and defense as they went on to win the game easily, 10-0.

from left fielder Brandon Wood to make their lead to 2-0.

Consecutive singles by designated hitter Mitchell Nau, shortstop Mikey Reynolds, who went four for four from the plate, and second baseman Scott Arthur loaded the bases with no outs again in the fifth inning and all three would score on walks.

Pinch hitter Matt Juengel singled in another run to extend the Aggie’s lead to 6-0. For the next four innings, A&M would add a single run to their lead,

eventually equaling ten runs. By the end of the game, the Aggies had 13 at-bats with the bases loaded.

Right fielder Greg Olson had two of Sam Houston’s six hits and center fielder Colt Atwood, left fielder Luke Plucheck, first baseman Ryan O’Hearn and shortstop Corey Toups all hit singles.

“I looked for my pitch and got it,” Plucheck said. “I hit the ball hard three times. Two of them were just right at them.”

After this loss, the Bearkats want to put it behind them and look forward to something they have had in mind all season: the Southland Conference championship.

“It was just another game and we are still focused on the championship,” Plucheck said.

Sam Houston has only three Southland Conference series remaining in the season. They will travel to Arlington this weekend for a three game series against UT-Arlington. The Mavericks are

in third place in the Southland Conference and are still on the heels of the Bearkats, who are holding down a four-game lead.

“The important thing is to concentrate on this weekend and continue towards our goal in winning the Southland Conference,” Oros said.

First pitch against UTArlington is set for Friday at 6:30 p.m.

For more information about the team, including questions about scheduling, visit gobearkats.com.

JOIN THE NEIGHBORHOOD

pay $475 with zero down or

pay $489 with zero down & receive a $150 gift card

scan & like

2-story townhomes. private bedrooms & huge walk-in closets. resort-style amenities. individual leases. pet friendly.

apply online @ villasonsycamore.com 936.439.5234 • 1615 Sycamore Ave Rates, fees, deadlines and utilities included are subject to change / see office for details / limited time only