The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University Vol 119— Issue 6
Tuesday, Septermber 13, 2011
Lady Kats win 9-0 against TSU, pg. 6
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
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Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
PAC puts on Scholarship Gala, pg. 5 INDEX
Viewpoints..............page 2 A&E ....................page 5 News ...................... page 3 Special ..................page 6 A&E .......................page 4
Medical fee increases $3 Student Health Center hires additional nurse practitioner By McKinzie Brocail Senior Reporter The university’s medical fee increased $3 this semester to pay for the hire of an additional nurse practitioner. The Student Health Center has brought Terry Kunz, FNP, onto its staff. The SHC offers routine medical services and health education to all currently enrolled SHSU students. Kunz came to Sam Houston from a family healthcare practice that saw patients who ranged from two months in age to 102. “I love it here! It’s nice to make an impact on [students’] lives to make for a healthier adulthood,” said Kunz in joining the Bearkat family. “[At SHSU] there is a much more consistent age group.” The McKelvey Student Health Act proposed last semester gave the SHC five options to choose from to better accommodate
students who are sick since the clinic is open to appointments only; they don’t take walk-ins. The SHC chose to bring another nurse practitioner on staff. They previously had two full-time practitioners, and one who was part-time. This action has changed the cost of the medical fee in tuition from $35 to $38, a relatively small growth towards a step closer to accepting walkins. According to a survey from 2009 on the designated health service fee for universities in the Texas State University System, SHSU’s medical fee is nearly half the cost of other schools. “Honestly, we hope to raise [the medical fee] again to hire another practitioner,” said the director of SHC Sarah Hanel, MHA. “It’d be great if we could have a walk-in clinic maybe three days a week with a $10 copayment to be seen.” It’s not only students
McKinzie Brocail | The Houstonian
GETTING HEALTHY. The cost of health care is on the rise, and now so is education. The $3 increase witnessed on students’ fee statements went towards paying for an additional nurse practitioner, bringing the center one step closer to what students want: the acceptance of walk-ins.
acknowledging that the clinic needs to be able to see students. Appointment slots are constantly booked for days.
“Sick students are not getting to be seen,” said Hanel. Even if a student cannot be seen, they are still helped
to an extent. “We refer them to other nearby clinics and offer home remedies,” said Lisa Chaddick-Clarkson, the
A measure of a life is its service By McKinzie Brocail Senior Reporter
McKinzie Brocail | The Houstonian
SQUARED AWAY. Senior Nate Brown and several of his fellow veterans have begun repairing and refurbishing buildings around Huntsville in an effort to bring business into town. Brown repainted the marquee outside of the strip center on Ave. I.
As Nate Brown drove down the streets of Huntsville he began to feel disheartened. Through his window he saw buildings left unkempt, falling apart and abandoned. That’s when he got an idea: he’d fix them up. Brown, a senior political science major at Sam Houston State University, is a natural-born entrepreneur. He always has creative ideas, and typically he acts on them. “Huntsville has so much potential; I hate to see it all go to waste,” said Brown. With this in mind, he started Squared Away, a project in which he and some friends repair or refurbish buildings around
town for lower prices than contractors charge. Brown and his friends aren’t just students who want Huntsville to look its best; they are also veterans. Brown completed a 4-year stint with the Navy in San Diego before coming to SHSU. “Think of it like a prescreening: we are all good guys, we’re all veterans.” They have repainted a few businesses and fixed up a few things here and there. Brown tackled the strip center on Avenue I (where Potato Shack is) and revamped the neglected, rusting roof and marquee. “I want to keep people in Huntsville, not just have them here for school. I want to give them a reason to stay on weekends.” Huntsville has an incredible history, but
it doesn’t need to look historic. “I want to do anything to make Huntsville look better. After all, you can’t stop growth. It’s a college town; people will always be coming to Huntsville.” Ruben White, a junior majoring in criminal justice at SHSU is a part of Squared Away. White was in the Army, National Guard, and a military police officer. “I just want to give back to the community and this is a good way to do it,” said White. Squared Away specializes in exterior repairs, cleaning, pressure washing and painting. If you know of any places in Huntsville that need some TLC for a fair price, contact Nate Brown, creator of Squared Away, at (619) 944-6823.
programming coordinator for the SHC. The problem isn’t just the lack of funding going towards the SHC, it’s also a lack of space. The building’s rooms are all in use, so hiring even another practitioner would mean they would need space for another office, not to mention more patient rooms since more students would be able to be seen. Despite the inability to take walk-ins, the clinic is doing things to keep students healthy and save them money. They are offering free Flu shots at a first-come-first-serve basis on October 25 and 26 from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the LSC atrium. For student who cannot make it to the LSC on those days, the SHC is reserving 150 Flu shots in the clinic. The Student Health Center has a clinic, a laboratory and a pharmacy. For more information on the SHC, contact its front office at (936) 294-1805.
Republican Debate: Rick Perry Texas Gov. Rick Perry took a lot of heat during Monday’s debate, held in Tampa, FL. Currently seen as a front runner, Perry went head-tohead on issues like illegal immigration, job growth and the requirement of HPV vaccinations for young girls in Texas. To see how Perry fared and to hear how the rest of the party responded to similar issues, visit CNN.com for the full video.
Driver crashes into AB IV, flown to Houston for treatment By Erin Peterson Editor-in-Chief 20-year-old Daquane Hubbard was Life Flighted to the Texas Medical Center in Houston Friday morning after crashing his 2001 blue Ford Explorer into the wall
of Academic Building IV along Ave. J. “His injuries were severe, but not life-threatening,” said Deputy Chief James Fitch of the University Police Department. “What we know is that the student was traveling
east on Bowers [Blvd.] at a high rated speed, hit the stop sign and then hit the wall [of AB IV].” Hubbard’s medical status is unknown, and the accident is still under investigation.
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE.After crashing his 2001 blue Ford Explorer into the brick wall outside AB IV, Daquana Hubbard was Life Flighted to the Texas Medical Center in Houston for treatment.