The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University Vol 118— Issue 5
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Johnson joins Team USA, pg. 3
Women’s sports does better when US doesn’t, pg. 2
Photo courtesy of GoBearkats.com Photo courtesy of GoBearkats.comPhoto courtesy of JM Rosenfeld’s Flickr
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UPD Update July 14, 2011 A female university student was arrested in the 1900 block of Avenue I for outstanding warrants of arrest (117250).
Districts deferred til 2012 By Erin Peterson Editor-in-Chief
A male university students was arrested in the the 1400 block of Nottingham for outstanding warrants of arrests (117255). Officers responded to Bearkat Village at 9:54 PM, located at 2401 Montgomery Road, in reference to a reported fire. Upon arrival, officer made sure the residence in question was fully evacuated in addition too the surrounding apartments. Officer noted that the fire had already been suppressed by the overhead water/ sprinkler system. The fire investigation was then turned over to the University’s Safety Officer (117268). July 13, 2011 A male university student was arrested in the 100 block of Vista Way for outstanding warrants of arrests (117202). July 12, 2011 A female university student was arrested in the 1800 block of Avenue I for outstanding warrants of arrests (117192). July 11, 2011 Officer was dispatched to the 1528 Avenue J to assist with a medical call (117156).
Nation & World Man executed at Walls Unit in Huntsville for post-9/11 murder Mark Anthony Stroman was put to death at 9:53 p.m. on Wednesday after shooting Vasudev Patel, an immigrant from India, in the head during a series of revenge shootings on Sept 15, 2001. Stroman, an admitted white supremist, targeted those he believed to be of Middle Eastern descent. Living Marine to receive Medal of Honor Dakota Meyer, the first living Marine recipient to receive the Medal of Honor, is being recognized for his actions in Afghanistan in 2009, when he ran repeatedly through enemy fire to collect the bodies of his fallen comarades. He currently lives in Austin. Debt talks still underway Obama held separate meetings with congressional Democrats and Republicans in an effort to raise the debt ceiling by August 2. 12 days remain before the US will no longer be able to pay its bills. Apple launches faster MacBook Air, discontinues white, plastic MacBook The new MacBook Air is now available, starting at $1,300 and now featuring faster processing speeds and a backlit keyboard.
Photo courtesy of City of Huntsville
LINEAR THINKING. Map C, shown above, received a lot of attention during Tuesday’s Huntsville City Council meeting from both students, including SGA Senator Kendall Scudder and senior Katie Newman, and members of city council. However, the new wards will not take effect until next year for the 2012 election.
Redistricting 101
Huntsville City Council voted to delay the effects of the ongoing redistricting decision until the 2012 election. Mayor J. Turner made the motion, which was approved unanimously. “We don’t want to rush this,” he said. Currently, three choices remain: Maps B, C and E. SGA Senator Kendall Scudder has continuously advocated for the selection of Map B over the course of several meetings. “I believe that Map B is the choice that unifies communities and neighborhoods with like interests,” Scudder said during Tuesday’s city council meeting. Map B, which unites the students in their own ward, something that hasn’t been seen in Huntsville since the 1970s, was voted on by
SGA in June as the singular choice of the students. However, both Scudder and senior Katie Newman lent their support to Map C, a surprise after many weeks of continuous campaigning on behalf of Map B. Map C would split the proposed student ward of Map B into two wards, as opposed to being split into the all of the current four wards. “It joins communities with like interests,” Newman said. “I believe Map C would be a fair compromise.” Scudder, not one to remain quiet during the Huntsville City Council meetings that deal with redistricting, also spoke in favor of Map C. “While I still believe that Map B is the choice that unifies like communities, Map C would be a good compromise.” Councilman Mac Woodward of Ward 2 also
offered his opinion of redistricting and Map C. “My concern is not with [the possibility of a] student ward, but instead with separating the east and west,” he said. “I’m now seriously considering Map C as a good compromise.” Before the close of the meeting, Mayor Turner and Councilmember James Fitch, also the deputy chief of the University Police Department, recognized SGA for their attendance over the last several meetings. “It gives me great hope to see the students here in totality,” Turner said. “We have a lot of people that leave after their topic is talked about, and you stay.” “I challenge you to continue to come to these meetings and take part in the community,” Fitch said. For more information about redistricting, visit www.huntsvilletx.gov.
Visit www.HoustonianOnline.com to view information about redistricting and maps currently being considered.
of 30 Borders to close Professor years passes away By George Mattingly
Arts & Entertainment Editor
Nearly 11,000 people will lose their jobs as Borders Group Inc., the second largest bookstore chain, is set to close its doors for good when they begin the process of liquidating their assets today. The decision to close nearly 400 remaining stores comes after the company could not find a buyer to keep it going in the long term. The private equity firms Hilco and The Gordon Brothers are set to liquidate the company’s assets. Store closings could begin as early as Friday and continue through September. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in February of this year in hopes of reorganizing. When they filed, Borders listed $1.29 billion in debt and $1.27
million in assets. They owed $272 million to 30 of its largest creditors including several publishers that were unwilling to settle after losing millions in books shipped to Borders that could not be paid for. The 40-year-old company is credited for jumpstarting the book superstore industry that paved the way for other large bookstore chains such as Barnes & Noble. One of the main reasons that lead to the decline of Borders stores is their failure to capitalize on the success of the eReader that has changed the book industry. While competitors such as Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com have created their own signature products, the Nook and the Kindle respectively, Borders lagged behind in an industry dominated by online sales. “All of us have been working hard towards a
different outcome, and I wish I had better news to report to you today,” said company president Mike Edwards in a statement on Monday. “The truth is that Borders has been facing headwinds for quite some time, including a rapidly changing book industry, eReader revolution, and turbulent economy.” Now, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million will most likely benefit from the Borders store closings either by moving in to empty stores or attracting new customers. Even smaller independent bookstores are delighted by the prospect of gaining new business now that one of the largest bookstore chains will be out of the picture. Borders will present the proposal from Hilco and Gordon Brothers for court approval in a hearing scheduled for today.
Jeff Lee Harwell 1952 - 2011 By Stephen Green Associate News Editor Associate professor of accounting Jeff Harwell, 59, died on July 13 after a lengthy battle with cancer. Harwell was a CPA and professor at SHSU for 30
years. He began his career at Ernst & Ernst after getting his degree from Texas A&M in 1974. Phillip Morris, Ph.D., acknowledged Harwell’s numerous years at the university. “He has positively impacted the lives of thousands of Bearkats in that time,” Morris said. “He was a great teacher, a wonderful colleague and will be greatly missed.” A memorial service was held on July 16. It is requested that anyone who would like to give a gift in his honor can donate to the scholarship fund at the accounting department.
If you would like to share your memories of Mr. Harwell, please email Stephen Green at sgreen@ houstonianonline.com for a future article.
Conservation group donates scholarships
By Stephen Green Associate News Editor The Tu-Mile Chapter of the Quail Coalition has donated $5,000 in scholarships to the Department of Agriculture and Industrial Sciences for the second straight year. The money will be divided into five scholarships, totaling $1,000 each, will be awarded to five students majoring in animal science with an emphasis in wildlife ecology. Josh Shafer, an agriculture graduate student, said the financial help gave him more time to focus on school. “I was able to take part in valuable activities outside of the classroom that gave me the chance to learn through hands-on experience and expand my networking opportunities,” Shafer said. He said that scholarship donors make a significant impact on a collegiate career. “I hope that one day I can become a contributor
Photo courtesy of Today@Sam
FOR GOOD. The Tu-Mile Chapter of the Quail Coalition, the oldest quail conservation group in Texas, donated $5,00 in scholarships to the Department of Agriculture and Industrial Sciences for the second year in a row. The donation will be split into five $1,000 scholarships for animal science students.
as well and provide rewards and assistance to deserving students so that their college career can be as positive as mine has been.” Stanley Kelley, chair of the Department of Agriculture and Industrial Sciences, said that students in the agriculture program share many values with the conservation group. “Our agriculture
students have an inherent appreciation for natural resources and their preservation, therefore it is very appropriate to honor five of our top students who not only excel academically but also share a common goal with the Tu-Mile Chapter,” Kelley said. “We are grateful for the generosity of the chapter and its board members
for hteir contribution to habitat preservation and assisting students with their education through these scholarships.” The Tu-Mile Chapter is the oldest quail conservation group in Texas. The local chapters cover Walker and the surrounding counties. Andy Brauninger, chairman of the Tu-Mile
Chapter, said that the organization is completely volunteer, so there are no overhead costs. “All money raised through each chapter’s fundraising event-their annual banquets-stays in Texas,” Brauninger said. “It enables us to provide shooting schools, do habitat projects and quail restoration work, and donate money for scholarships, like donations we make to Sam Houston State University.” This year’s banquet will take place Friday, Aug. 19, at the Walker Coutny Fairgrounds. The banquet is open to the public. Tickets are $60 for adults and $25 for youth 16-years old and under and can be purchased at the door. In addition to a steak and quail dinner, those purchasing tickets will be entitled to immediate membership in the Quail Coalition. For more information about the banquet, or the Quail Coalition, contact Andy Brauninger at 713305-7377.