June 26, 2012

Volume 121 / Issue 3

Editorial: The Houstonian staff debates possible changes to the core curriculum

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SHSU theatre department brings acting back to basics in their performance of “Betrayal.”

Tuesday, June 26 HI: LOW:

Website makes easier for undergrads to get funding for research GEORGE MATTINGLY News/Viewpoints Editor The process for obtaining funding for research as an undergraduate student can be a difficult one involving strict requirements, competitive fields and limited funding.

A new website is attempting to combat those problems by making the process of receiving research funding more accessible to undergraduate students.

Fundageek.com was launched last November and is headed by CEO Dan Gutierrez to present students conducting research in technology, engineering and physical and social sciences with an opportunity to raise their own money utilizing the concept of crowdfunding.

Crowdfunding combines small contributions from several people who follow and support a research project. This is different from traditional forms of research funding such as loans, private investors and state and federal funding because it avoids the restrictions and competition to allow for a more interactive, accessible way to raise money, according to Gutierrez.

“Crowdfunding presents a unique opportunity to promote a project and raise money at the same time instead of going through the long process of traditional funding.”

Those who are seeking funding for a project through fundageek.com must create a profile for potential backers to view including details of their projects, videos and other information. Once the project profile is approved, the profile will be visible to the public to submit pledges and students can promote their project using social media.

“It’s a more personal way of getting funding because you can develop a following from people who know about you and your project and can spread the word before you even start your research,” Gutierrez said.

While other sites offer crowdfunding for research, Gutierrez pointed out a key difference is that other sites require researchers to meet a goal amount for their projects. If they do not meet the goal, they get nothing.

“The difference with fundageek is that at the end of a campaign, the researcher gets all the funding they have raised during that time, even if they are short,” he said. “It relieves some of the pressure on researchers to raise a certain amount.”

Undergraduate research opportunities at Sam Houston State University are found on all six colleges, but none with opportunities to use crowdfunding.

“Lots of universities are looking at crowdfunding, but don’t know how to classify it,” Gutierrez said. “Our goal is to get people used the idea of using crowdfunding as an alternative way to fund their research projects.”

To find out more about how to start a project campaign or funding opportunities, visit www.fundageek.com

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Ortiz to move on to ‘big leagues’ Miss Sam Houston, other SHSU student to compete in Miss Texas pageant at Allen arena in July

GEORGE MATTINGLY News/Viewpoints Editor When Angelic Ortiz first heard about the Miss Sam Houston pageant, she was too shy to even sign up for the competition. But after participating in the pageant in April, she beat nine other women to win the title.

Now, Ortiz will head to Allen, Texas as a representative of Sam Houston State University in the 2012 Miss Texas Scholarship Pageant in early July.

As this year’s winner of Miss Sam Houston, Ortiz will be the first to compete in the Miss Texas Pageant since the 1980s.

“It’s exciting,” Ortiz said. “I didn’t know winning Miss Sam Houston was such a big historical marker for the university.”

Ortiz said her pageant experience has helped her break out of her comfort zone despite it being only her second time competing.

Since winning the title of Miss Sam Houston, Ortiz has visited schools in the Houston area to speak about the college experience has begun creating programs for children in Huntsville and generating fundraising ideas for

the university.

“The most rewarding part of this experience is to see myself growing as a person,” she said.

However, that growth has not come without its challenges.

“Now, I work out every day during the week and this is my first time on a diet,” she said. “It’s a whole new world for me.”

Ortiz said she has also been practicing her public speaking, walking and body language, and following current events to form opinions.

“All of my challenges have been preparing for Miss Texas because I feel like it’s the big leagues,” she said.

Ortiz will be participating in several events during the three day pageant experience including group rehearsals and preparing for the different portions of the competition.

Despite the challenges of a new experience, Ortiz said her involvement at SHSU has helped prepare her for what is to come.

Ortiz said with the pressure heating up before the competition, she remains positive about her goal of making the top 15 in the pageant as a rookie.

The Miss Texas Scholarship

Allison McMath The Houstonian

GROWING UP: Angelic Ortiz said that becoming Miss Sam Houston has helped her grow up and be less shy.

Pageant will be televised across the state, and will be held in the Allen Center Arena. Viewers may vote online for the Miss Texas People’s Choice Award. Each vote is $1 and the contestant with the most votes automatically makes it to the final night of the competition. To vote, viewers may visit www.misstexas.org

Core curriculum committee divided over speech, lab requirements

STEPHEN GREEN News/Viewpoints Editor Some members of the core curriculum committee are standing their ground over adding a speech credit to the bachelor’s degree requirement, according to an email obtained by the Houstonian.

The email addressed the June 18 and 19 town hall where members of the core curriculum committee heard opinions from the university community on what students should be required to learn. Richard Eglsaer, Ph.D, and Kandi Tayebi, Ph.D, co-chairs of the committee, wrote a joint letter to tenured and tenure-track faculty to explain the ongoing discussion, including that regarding speech.

“All courses in the communication component, including the composition courses, will be required to address written, oral, aural, and visual communication,” they said.

“Although most at the (town hall) meeting felt that we needed to retain the two composition courses in the core, there was much debate as to whether or not the oral communication component in the composition courses were sufficient to meet the oral communication requirement.”

The university requires six hours of communication credit, where some members of the committee suggested a three-hour speech credit should go.

Students are currently required to take six hours of English composition credit in this component.

According to notes from the town hall meeting, there were two solutions regarding the communication component: eliminate three hours of English credit, or require seven hours of communication credit where students would take five hours of English (one three-hour class and one two-hour class) and a two-hour speech course.

Faculty members on the committee have verbally rejected these solutions outright.

A survey conducted by the committee showed more than 90 percent of faculty agree or strongly agree composition is needed in the core. In addition, 57 percent felt a three-hour cultural studies class is needed.

SHSU also has six hours of credit where members of the core committee decide what other classes students should take that fall outside of other components. Currently, two of those hours are used as the lab class for the natural science requirement; one hour is designated to the Fitness for Living class in the kinesiology department; and the other three hours are a language, philosophy and cultural studies component.

The third option was to eliminate the language, philosophy, and cultural studies component of the

NATION & WORLD

Supreme court rejects parts of Arizona law The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that Arizona could not create state crimes targeting illegal immigrants, that it is not a state crime for immigrants not to carry federal registration or for immigrants to solicit work, and that state and local police cannot arrest illegal immigrants without a warrant. ¬The court did allow Arizona to keep the part of the law that requires state and local police to check the immigration status of people they have stopped or detained under reasonable suspicion that they are illegal.

core curriculum and replace it with speech.

Students must take a three-hour course designed to enhance students’ cultural awareness. Students can choose classes from agriculture, economics, geography, philosophy, psychology, sociology, and speech departments.

According to the town hall notes, some members of the committee suggested professors “could choose readings in English and speech to make the cultural aspect.”

Only 57 percent of faculty surveyed said speech should be required in the core, while 34 percent disagreed and 9 percent didn’t know or had no answer.

In an open-response in the survey one faculty member said, “when I promote communication – I mean visual communication or electronic communication. Speech communication is significantly different – not nearly as important in terms of university-wide needs.”

Several other responses reflected that sentiment.

Another said, “my concern is that everyone is focusing on courses and protecting departments (such as speech) instead of focusing on what the students need.”

Another response disagreed.

“I think that it is important to retain the 6 hours of ENGL and I think a COMS (speech) course needs to be added,” the faculty member said. “I don’t think the cultural course or the KINE (Fitness for Living) courses meet the objectives set for them.”

Another debate is soon to be over. Sources on the committee say sciences may no longer require a onehour lab class to be independent of the three-hour lecture course. Instead, the lab will be built into the lecture portion.

One faculty member said in an open-ended response to the survey, “our SHSU science classes do not seem to be connected to the lecture since transfers with 3-hour sciences can take any unrelated lab to meet SHSU requirement. That doesn’t make sense.”

The other schools in the Texas State University System have already moved to cutting the one-hour lab requirement as well as community colleges in Austin, Dallas and Alamo Community College.

In the survey, 52 percent of faculty disagree with the effectiveness of this plan, while 32 percent agree with its implementation. The remaining 15 percent didn’t know or had no response.

The committee has said the core curriculum will shrink by six credit hours from the current system.

The committee has yet to vote on any of these core requirements

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Tropical storm hits Florida, knocks out power Governor of Florida declared statewide emergency due to Tropical storm Debby. Debby brought heavy rains, flooded low-lying neighborhoods, and knocked out power to an estimated 35,000 homes and businesses.

Bullied school bus monitor donations rise

The 68-year-old school bus monitor that was bullied by seventh- graders is now up o $650,000 in donations. She plans to not only go on the “vacation of a lifetime,” but to also give some to charity, and some to her grandkids.

“They need cars, they need, they need, they need - it never ends,” she said jokingly.

Two of the four boy’s have sent her short written apologies, one boys mother sent a longer apology, and one boy’s father has apologized in person.

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Turkey wants NATO to consider Syria as threat against alliance

Turkey announced Monday that they will push the North Atlantic Treaty Organization to consider Syria’s downing of a Turkish jet as an attack on the whole military alliance.

The Turkish jet was an unarmed RF-4E reconnaissance was shot down a mile inside international airspace on Friday.

According to the Turkish government, two pilots are still missing.

They are pushing NATO to consider it an attack based off of Article 5 which states that attack against one NATO member is an attack against all NATO members.

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Viewpoints

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

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PAWS UP

Editorial: Below the belt

Communications studies classes should not take precedent over cultural diversity in core curriculum PAWS UP to Angelic Ortiz who will compete in the Miss Texas pageant.

PAWS

UP Morgan Davis and Travis Watson for receiving the honor of Southland Conference Athletes of the Year.

PAWS

UP to BearkatOne card office getting acknowledged for their marketing excellence.

PAWS DOWN

PAWS DOWN to the

first tropical storm of the season, Debby, hitting Florida and leaving thousands without power.

PAWS

DOWN to people still smoking on campus due to the non inforcement of policy.

PAWS DOWN to all the construction going on campus. The fences and dirt everywhere are making our beautiful campus not so beautiful.

The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is temporarily published weekly on Tuesdays during the summer. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers.

Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call 936-294-1495.

The Houstonian is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association and Associated Collegiate Press.

A large conference room in Academic Building 4 is playing host arena to a boxing bout in the largest degree.

In this corner, a speech class requirement.

In the other corner, a language, philosophy and cultural studies class.

However, it’s quite clear to the Houstonian staff that cutting classes that promote diversity is not the option…especially for a speech class.

The 2014 core curriculum committee is split over whether or not to require three hours of speech, or communication studies, class. To do so, the committee would have to cut either (a) the amount of English classes, or (b) cut component area 4 (language, philosophy, and cultural studies).

In the new core curriculum, the previous nine hours in component area 4 (three for visual/performing arts, three for cultural studies, and three for philosophy) will be replaced by only a three hour requirement called language, philosophy, and cultural studies.

It’ll let students choose from all the classes in the previous component.

One goal of the university (to quote the mission statement and goals) is to “promote and support diversity and provide equitable opportunities for underrepresented groups.”

A good way to promote diversity is to expand cultural classes and require foreign languages…not cut them out entirely. At least the status quo allows for the exposure to other cultures, which is desperately needed especially in Texas. Currently, Hispanics are

the largest growing population in the United States and exposure to their culture is vital.

Interestingly enough, there are no representatives from any of the seven communication studies professors on the core committee, yet there is a huge push for speech from a minority of the committee.

It seems there is only an interest in protecting a relatively small department on a university-wide level.

A second problem with doing this: speech is a blow-off class. Ask any student who has taken a speech class if they learned anything. Or if they had fun. The answer is going to be “probably not.”

Instead what they will say is that “it was super easy” or “it’s an easy A.” While the university’s goal shouldn’t be to bludgeon student over the head with difficult classes, at least they should consider if the programs they are funneling money into are actually effective.

Yet another problem is forcing all students to take the same speech class. Talk on the committee shows that certain members want all students to take COMS 1361 Public Speaking. Even if the idea of eliminating culture classes gets approved, having all students take the same course is a waste of time.

Business students would benefit more from COMS 2382 Communication for Business and the Professions. Political science students benefit more from COMS 2384 Argumentation and Debate. Nursing students from COMS 3372 Interpersonal Health Communication. A public speaking requirement would just vacuum wasted dollars out of

Digruntled

George Mattingly criticizes the WTA no-grunting rule The Women’s Tennis Association has declared war on grunting during a tennis match.

According to an article in USA Today, the Women’s Tennis Association wants to implement a new rule that would eliminate grunting from the game with the use of a new handheld device for umpires to measure noise levels on the court.

What the WTA has really done is propose a ridiculous rule that challenges the long-standing nature of the game.

Grunting has been a huge part of tennis for many years. Major players such as Maria Sharapova and Venus and Serena Williams have been known for their yells on the court. Grunting adds emotion to the game and makes it more exciting and entertaining to watch.

Trying to eliminate grunting in tennis would be like the NFL trying to eliminate dancing or flipping in the end zone.

Most would agree that a sport would not be worth watching, or as exciting without things that are a part of the nature of the game like grunting, end zone dancing, famous stances and poses. Those are the things that make some of the best moments in sports and create a public personality among all players. It would be

GEORGE MATTINGLY News/Viewpoints Editor nothing without the emotion. If all sports were to follow the same unreasonable path as the WTA, we would be left with nothing to watch, nothing be excited about, and nothing to be a fan of.

The WTA likes to think it is trying to eliminate “excessive noise” on the court, but here is where they run into another problem. How do they judge what is too loud and what isn’t?

Ordering a tennis player to lower their grunt is like telling someone their sneeze is too loud and to lower it. Often times, players

cannot control their grunt just like we cannot control the noise we make when we sneeze. Trying to judge the noisiness of a grunt relies too heavily on the subjectivity of umpires to determine what is too loud and what isn’t. Even with the use of technology to measure noise level, there’s not guarantee it will eliminate the subjective nature of the rule.

In addition, as a part of the rule, the WTA wants to spend money to build a device to measure grunting levels on the court. I don’t know about you, but I could think of other intelligent ways for the organization to spend its money that would be more beneficial to the sport. It would be wiser to invest in more technology to examine if a ball or player’s foot is in bounds or better training for umpires to fairly judge a match.

Years ago, tennis was without a way for players to challenge a call made by an umpire. It took serious evaluation and thought to determine what was best for the game. If the WTA were to use the same logical thinking as they did then, they would realize this ridiculous no-grunting rule is not the way to treat the nature of the sport, it is not a wise way to spend money; it is not necessary.

Letter to the student body Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff, Faculty and Alumni:

June 26 1804- The Lewis and Clark Expedition reaches the mouth of the Kansas River after completing a westward trek of nearly 400 river miles.

1848,- U.S and Britshi pilots began delivering food and supplies after the city was blocked by a Soviet Union Blockade.

1862 - General Robert E. Lee attacks McClellen’s line at Mechanicsville during the Seven Days’ campaign.

1900- The United States announces it will send troops to fight against the Boxer Rebellion in China.

1917- General Pershing arrives in France with the American Expeditionary Force.

1926- A memorial to the first U.S. troops in France is unveiled at St. Nazaire.

1963- President John Kennedy announces “Ich bin ein Berliner” at the Berlin Wall.

1971- The U.S. Justice Department issues a warrant for Daniel Ellsberg, accusing him of giving away the Pentagon Papers.

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June 27 1862- Confederates break through the Union lines at the Battle of Gaines’ Mill–the third engagement of the Seven Days’ campaign.

1918- Two German pilots are saved by parachutes for the first time.

1929- Scientists at Bell Laboratories in New York reveal a system for transmitting television pictures.

1944- Allied forces capture the port city of Cherbourg, France.

1950- The UN Security Council calls on members for troops to aid South Korea.

The Houstonian would not survive were it not for the continued involvement and dedication of the SHSU student body. We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor.

If at any time you feel the need to express an opinion, please do not hesitate to email your thoughts or drop by our office in the Dan Rather communications building. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued suport of the Houstonian.

1973President Richard Nixon vetoes a Senate ban on the Cambodia bombing.

George Mattingly Viewpoints Editor gmattingly@houstonianonline.com

1985- The U.S. House of Representatives votes to limit the use of combat troops in Nicaragua.

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students wallets.

Over the last few years, the communication studies department is struggling to maintain enough students to retain its degree plan with the Texas State University System Board of Regents.

In most cases, students obviously don’t want to take a speech course, especially one they don’t learn from or like going to.

This is not to say that students should only take classes they want to, but that the university wouldn’t be doing its due diligence in doing what’s right for the students.

The best solution to the issue is to not put speech in the core and leave the diversity and culture classes at three hours. Then allow individual departments to decide whether or not to include speech in their degree track.

The curriculum committee is actually slimming the core down from its current 42 hours to 36.

This leaves six more hours open for the departments to add to their degree tracks if they so desire.

Several already do this.

Business, education, political science (and more) students are already required to take certain speech classes. So if, for example, the math department decided it’s students need a math course, they can put one in. If not, there is no need.

It’s best to leave speech up to the individual departments to decide if the students in their area need it and not eliminate the cultural awareness classes. Otherwise it may be the students to take the knockout punch.

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Arts&Entertainment/Sports

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

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Betrayal captures audience The first play in the summer one repertory showed that props are not needed for good play

program.

The emphasis of the Repertory Theatre is “on the acting The audience was and directing with taken on a journey of the barebones approach lies and deceit of adultery to sets, lights, and over the weekend when costumes,” according the Sam Houston State to the program.

University department A musical theatre of theatre presented student explained why “Betrayal” by Harold she liked the simple set.

Pinter in the Performing “They didn’t have Arts Center dance much but everything theatre. was correct,” Katelyn The story of Emma, Johnson, junior, said. played by Kathryn “It was simple and Porterfield, and Jerry’s, the audience could played by Zane Thrift, understand it.” betrayal against her Betrayal had a small husband and his best set and it gave the friend Robert, played audience a chance to

by Garrett Line, was not focus on the story line told in order, allowing for and not the elaborate breaks in the serious tone decorations. of Robert finding out.

One actor explained Most of these comedic that acting without reliefs were provided an elaborate set was by the most dynamic difficult. character, Robert. He “It was definitely shocked the audience a challenge for all of with his strange reactions us, but the script was to finding out about the so well written on its affair, and even got drunk own that it’s important Molly Waddell | The Houstonian the audience not be enough to almost slip to Jerry that he knew about CIRCLE OF LIES. (bottom left) Robert and Emma talking distracted by too much,” the affair. The audience after she admits her betrayal.

Thrift said. “It was a fun was able to laugh about challenge to take on.” his drunken state.

The actors handled What made this play different than other SHSU this feat very well with only a few slipups on opening theatrical performances was the unelaborated set. night.

This play along with three others is a part of the The next play the theatre put on was The Credeaux Summer Repertory Theatre, summer one, which is Canvas on Saturday and Sunday. a long standing tradition at SHSU according to the MOLLY WADDELL A &E/ Sports Editor

courtesy of USA track and field Facebook

(above) A.G Kruger, Kibwe Johnson and former Bearkat Chris Cralle stand on the podeum after winning at the Olympic Trials. (below) Cralle gets ready to throw his hammer during the trials.

HAMMER TIME.

Former Bearkat barely misses chance to go to Olympics MOLLY WADDELL A&E/Sports Editor Former Bearkat Chris Cralle competed at the Olympic Trials Hammer Throw on Thursday in Beaverton, Ore. at the Nike headquarters, unfortunately he did not qualify for the Olympics, according to the Associated Press.

Cralle placed second in the trial but his score of 243-11 did not meet the Olympic “A” standard of 255-11, according to the Associated Press.

Kibwe Johnson won with a throw of 245-11 and will be heading to London next month.

A.G. Kruger finished in third with a throw of 242-6, and he will also be going to London.

Even though Kruger and Johnson’s final scores did not meet the Olympic “A” standard they had met that mark earlier in the trial.

Although Cralle did not make it to London, several Bearkats said how proud they were of him. “eat ‘em up!!!!! way to go cralle!!!” Kristi Hermes commented on Facebook.

Cralle even earned a comment from David Self, his former coach of the Sam Houston State University track team.

“GREAT JOB CHRIS!!..way to represent Bearkat Throws!!”

Self said on Facebook.

Cralle was a member of the SHSU Track and Field team from 2007 to 2011, but was redshirted during the 2010 season.

Cralle won the Southland Conference Championship in hammer throwing in 2008 and 2009.

He set the SHSU record in the hammer with a score of 215’ 0” at the Ty Terrell Relays in 2009. When Cralle won the SLC he set a meet record of 200-2, according to gobearkats.com Even though Cralle didn’t make it he is still able to look forward, and told a press conference after the trials why.

“This is the best experience I have had in track and field for six years,” Cralle said. “I’m just glad I was able to get up there with A.G. and Kibwe.”

The summer Olympics will begin on July 27 and will continue until August 12.

Play leads audience to look at past MOLLY WADDELL A&E/Sports Editor The second play in Sam Houston State University’s summer repertory theatre one, touched the audience in a way that made them think of their past over the weekend in the Performing Arts Center dance theatre.

“The Credeaux Canvas” by Keith Banin is a tragic story of how a plot to make money ripped apart three relationships and left the three characters perpetually unhappy.

Amelia, played by Stephanie Drew, and Jamie, played by Cameron Davis, were dating, and Jamie lived with Winston, played

by Calvin Hudson. The three were floundering in their jobs and were in desperate need of money.

What began their problems was Jamie’s idea to con an old lady by selling her a fake Credeaux painting.

What made the play so captivating was the relationship building between Winston and Amelia while the painting was being done. Since they were in such close quarters with each other an affair sparked.

The peak of the play, also provided the most comedic relief when the old lady, Tess played

by Katie Stefaniak comes in to examine the piece of art.

Tess was a quirky over the

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Phelps loses to Lochte at Olympic trials

Ryan Lochte, the man who Michael Phelps used to leave in the dust, beat Phelps at 400-meter individual medley at the Olympic swim trials.

Although Phelps did not win he came in second and still qualified to go to the Olympics along with Lochte.

Lochte won with the fastest time this year of 4:07.06 with Phelps close behind at 4:07.89.

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WTA wants grunt limit in tennis The Womens Tennis Association wants to put a limit on grunting on the court with a ‘grunt-o-meter. If this plan were passed it would include: • The development of a handheld device for umpires to objectively measure on-court grunting levels • new rule setting acceptable and nonacceptable grunting levels • education at large tennis academies, national development programs and at all levels of junior and lower tier professional events The current generation of players will not be affected by the plan

Brave’s animation went above and beyond Molly Waddell | The Houstonian

CON WITH CHARM. Jamie (middle) tries to convince Amelia and Winston to go along with his plan to fake a painting to con an old woman.

top character that was easily excited and had eccentric ways of describing the painting in front of her.

Another reason that Tess’s entrance was a key point in the play is because through analyzing the art she was able to reveal Winston and Amelia’s affair.

The tragedy of the story began with the painting and ended in the death of Jamie and the incomplete lives of Winston and Amelia who broke up the day the painting was revealed.

The play gripped one audience member in such a way that she could barely find the words to describe it.

“It was very sad,” Adrienne Trantham said. “It kind of made you think back on the mistakes we

make and see what they did to us.”

The audience was on the edge of their seats when Amelia pulled out a knife to ruin the painting, but she just couldn’t bring herself to do it.

Even if Amelia had ruined the painting it wouldn’t have taken back all the damage that the painting had already caused.

The next two plays in Summer Repertory One are the Laramie Project and Murder by Mistake.

The Laramie Project premiered Monday and the last showing is tonight at 8 p.m. in the PAC Dance Theatre. Murder by Mistake will be showcased Wednesday and Thursday at 8 p.m. in the PAC Dance Theatre. Tickets are five dollars at the door.

Two Bearkats named SLC athletes of the year MOLLY WADDELL A&E/Sports Editor Travis Watson and Morgan Davis, both bearkats, were chosen as male and female Southland Conference student- athlete of the year for Sam Houston State University, according to katfans. com Two students are chosen from each SLC school, according to southland.org. To qualify, the student-athletes must be a letter winner with a minimum 3.20 cumulative grade-point average.

They must also have completed two years of intercollegiate

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competition at the school they were nominated at.

Watson, a football player, is a political science major with a 3.44 GPA. He was selected as part of the Football Championship Subdivision Athletics Director’s Association Academic All-Star Team, and was the starting center for the Bearkat offensive line.

Davis, a track runner, is a biology major with a 3.63 GPA. She earned All- Southland honors at the indoor and outdoor meets, and was also the SLC indoor pentathlon champion and runnerup outdoors in the heptathlon, according to gobearkats.com

Both were named “StudentAthletes of the Year” in their respective sports within the university as well.

It took six Pixar engineers more than three years to bring Merida’s hair to life.

“We’ve never seen anything like Merida’s curly hair,” Claudia Chung, the movie’s simulation supervisor said. “Technically that was really hard to achieve.

It took researchers six months to see whether the process was even possible.

“Brave” came in first at the box office opening weekend, making $66.3 million.

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Trebeck feeling better after heart attack

Two days after suffering a mild heart attack, “Jeopardy!” host Alex Trebeck’s condition is improving.

Trebeck, 71-years-old, has been moved to regular room at the hospital and looks forward to returning home pending the doctors approval, according to Paula Askansas, Sony Television rep.

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