The Houstonian

Saturday, Sep. 4, 2010 6 p.m.

Floyd Casey Stadium, Waco, Texas

Graphics by Jared Wolf | The Houstonian

RB #10 D.J. Morrow LT #61 Chris Crockett

SHSU Defense

DE #11 Terrance Lloyd DT #13 Tracy Robertson NG #98 Phil Taylor

LG #67 Riley Smith

DE #10 Gary Mason, Jr.

C #73 Travis Watson

SLB #4 Elliot Coffey

RG #72 Cameron Pound RT #77 Caleb Hobson TE #83 T.J. Jones WR #31 Kevin Matthews WR #3 Grant Merrett WR #19 Brandon Closner

Phil Taylor is a well-rounded player who is a force on the defensive line.

In 12 games last season, Taylor had 25 tackles (2.5 for a loss), an assisted sack, five quarterback hurries, two blocked kicks and an interception.

Watch him to get in the Bearkat backfield often and put pressure on the offense.

MLB #36 Chris Francis FLB #7 Antonio Johnson LCB #3 Antareis Bryan FS #8 Tim Atchison H #14 Byron Landor RCB #9 Chance Casey

The Kats on offense For the first time, Willie Fritz will take the helms of the Sam Houston State Bearkats. Fritz, who was a former defensive backs coach for the Bearkats in the 90’s, is coming from Central Missouri University where he holds the record for all-time wins.

In his first season of starting, senior quarterback Bryan Randolph will lead the team against Baylor. Randolph has backed up Rhett Bomar and Blake Joseph in the past, making one start against Stephen F. Austin last year.

The biggest change for the Bearkat offense will come on offense this year, where the team will leave their traditional passheavy offense and move to a more balanced offense.

Running back will be a tough position for the Bearkats, with none of last year’s running backs return and that position will be

completely new. With Coach Fritz’s plans of balance this year, running the ball more often will be a major part of the game plan, week in and week out.

The backs on the depth chart include Louisiana Tech transfer D.J. Morrow and freshmen Ridgeway Frank and Cameron Brown carrying the ball.

For receivers, both Chris Lucas and Jason Madkins have graduated with only Brandon Closner and Melvis Pride returning. But with the addition of a great recruiting class from Fritz, as well as transfer students, the offense should show some sparks.

The offensive line will return with depth. One thing Randolph shouldn’t worry about is taking too much punishment, but only time will tell as the season moves forward and the injuries roll in.

Vol 116— Issue 3

Baylor Offense

QB #11 Bryan Randolph

Huntsville, Texas

Thursday, September 2, 2010

2010 Football Season Opener

Phil Taylor

Photo courtesy of Joe Buvid

Bryan Randolph

Senior quarterback Bryan Randolph has been patiently waiting for his starting debut.

After seeing limited time while backing up Rhett Bomar and Blake Joseph, Randolph will get his chance.

Look for Randolph to put pressure on a weak Baylor secondary all day.

VIEWPOINTS

Page 2 The Houstonian

Out of Limbo

Brandon Scott examines the president’s decision to end the combat mission in Iraq With tears welling in my eyes, I held my infant daughter in one hand, while turning up the television volume with the other.

President Obama was speaking in the Oval Office for only the second time since he was inaugurated a year and a half ago. Even in his melancholy tone, the words he spoke were not only highly anticipated, but critical to the spirit of morale in reviving our ever so devastated economic status as a nation.

“It is time to turn the page,” Obama said when declaring the U.S. combat mission in Iraq had ended.

“Operation Iraqi freedom is over and the Iraqi people now have lead responsibility for the security of their country.”

Finally, the nightmare has ended, though not officially but idealistically. According to the president, the exit strategy has American troops out of Iraq by the end of next year.

While critics will harp on the notion that the war was never declared as won and the mission considered incomplete, the important fact is that the limbo phase is over.

Forgive me for only being 21 years-old, but seven years seems like an awfully long time to me, especially

if it refers to the duration of a war that, ultimately, had no basis and turned out to have very little purpose in the long run.

Obama’s presidency, following the failed eightyear George W. Bush experiment, reminds me a bit of the recent box office smash, Inception. If you haven’t seen the movie, I will lose you with this for sure. But I’d have to consider that as more of your fault than mine.

an intruder. Now, not only is fantasy confused with reality, but Bush’s projections (the Republican Party) begin to attack Obama for nothing more than simply being there.

Still, Obama’s mission is to plant an idea of peace and civility, not in the dreamer specifically, but in the world that has been created by the dream itself. Not easy stuff, I can only imagine.

Opposed to the War in Iraq from the beginning,

“Finally, the nightmare has ended, though not officially but idealistically.”

For a moment, allow the War in Iraq to be thought of as what we all wish it was; a dream. First, President Bush made the dangerous mistake of using memories (terrorist attacks on 9/11) to create this dream. This blurred the perception of what was real and what wasn’t. Point being, the attack from the Taliban was real, but the weapons of mass destruction and threat of Iraq to U.S. security were not.

But this leads to a bigger issue. Obama enters the dream as somewhat of

Obama is now forced to endure criticism for handling a nasty situation that he knows for a fact to have been highly unnecessary. But unlike the movie I referenced, Obama knew exactly what he was getting himself into and has been resilient with his agenda.

He promised to pay attention to the dire health care needs of middle to lower-class Americans, who, in some ways, have been cheated of their civil liberties. The party to the right is still outraged

over this. “What’s wrong with that Obama,” they frequently complain.

“Spending all our taxpayer money on healthcare? We have healthcare and we like it.” I know, he’s just a horrible guy. It’s funny how some Americans aren’t willing to sacrifice for their own countrymen, but they support a war that compromises the entire nation, for the benefit of who exactly? The Iraqis?

Or nobody?

Now, Obama wants to pull our troops from combat, one that cost the country $750,000,000,000 and the lives of more than 4,400 soldiers. What is he thinking, right? Perhaps, he is considering the other war we’re fighting. The fight against Al-Qaeda has developed into our longest war since Vietnam.

President Obama should be able to better focus on making sure we finish our mission there, since we actually know what we’re over there fighting for. The economy is just as much a work in progress.

So, now that we’re out of limbo, consider this as a dream deferred.

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Letter to the Student Body

Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alumni: 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 support of The Houstonian.

Brandon Scott Viewpoints Editor bks007@shsu.edu

Thanksgiving Paws Up, Facts andDown trivia Paws

With the Thanksgiving break approaching, we at The Houstonian decided to lighten the mood take a of look at the not-so-serious In thisand section the opinions page, side of Turkey Day. After all, we all need we take a look at some various news something funny to get us through the days stories around campus and give the with crazy families.

parties involved either a “paws up” for a good job, or a “paws down” for a not so good job.

“Paws UP” to Game Week.

SHSU football opens the season on Saturday when they visit Baylor. Check out our sports page for coverage.

“Paws DOWN” to any of you who walk in front of moving vehicles. Not only is it dangerous, but it’s foolish. Quit it!

Brandon Scott is the Viewpoints Editor for The Houstonian. He is a junior Print Journalism major.

Comedy Corner

“Paws UP” to Labor Day weekend. But, remember, we’re living in the free world. Wear white whenever you feel like it.

“Paws DOWN” to The Houstonian office supplies for being totally outdated.

We’ve named the printer ‘Ol Betsy and the fax machine is lucky to still be in one piece.

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) 294-4864. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press.

The Houstonian Editorial EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Meagan Ellsworth...............................................................936-294-1505 FACULTY ADVISOR Robin Johnson.....................................................................936-294-1499 SECTION EDITORS Jessica Priest..................................................................Associate Editor Brandon Scott..............................................................Viewpoints Editor Mike Silva...........................................................................Sports Editor Thomas Merka.........................................................Entertainment Editor Erin Peterson.......................................................................Copy Editor

STAFF Lotis Butchko.................................................................Sports Reporter John Rudolph.......................................................................Photographer Krystal Jackson.............................................................Photographer Jared Wolf....................................................................................Graphics

Advertising BUSINESS MANAGER Brittany Hampton............................................................936-294-1500 STAFF Branden Price.....................................................Advertising Manager Chelsea Boyd..........................................................Account Executive

Advertising Advertising Deadlines Deadlines

Tuesday’s Issue............... Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Thursday’s Issue........... Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.

CAMPUS

Thursday,September 2, 2010

The Houstonian, Page 4

16th and Sycamore to become four-way stop, Bobby K. Marks and Bearkat to be evaluated

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

SIGNS OF THE TIMES: David Welch, City of Huntsville Street Services Superintendent, hopes the traffic device change will

increase safety in the area and slow drivers down. “Why do people speed? I don’t know what their hurry is...they’re just going to Falco’s to get a soda water.”

By Jessica Priest Associate News Editor Effective Monday, Sept. 7, the intersection between 16th Street and Sycamore Ave. will become a four-way stop.

David Welch, the Street Superintendent of the Huntsville

Street Services Department began to study the traffic flow of the area in July of 2010 at the request of the Huntsville City Engineer, who was concerned traffic would increase due to the construction of a new student apartment complex, The Forum.

“There were some concerns about the speeding and limited sight distance [at the intersection] and that’s part of the reason for the four-way stop, but it had to meet warrants and it did,”

Beating the heat

John Rudolph | The Houstonian

POPSICLES A-PLENTY. Representatives from Program Council, an event planning student-run organization, refreshed the student body on Tuesday, Aug. 31, by handing out popsicles and informational flyers in the LSC Mall Area.

“What’s for dinner?”

The following is the tonight’s dinner menu for Cafe Belvin, which is located in between Belvin and Elliot residence halls. Dinner is served from 4-9 p.m.

ENTREE Tofu grilled teriyaki Burger beef 3.2 oz Chicken creol (with cooked chicken) Pork cutlet breaded Chicken taco basket EXIBITION STATION Chips homestyle ranch Citrus-Dill Seafood ciabatta sandwich GRILL

Burger beef 3.2 oz w/ french fires Shoestring 2 1/4 oz w/ french fries Monte cristo sandwich PIZZA Taco pizza-16-res pizza 16 (14) Cheese 8ct Pepperoni pizza-16-1 SALAD White bean and herb

salad Salad bar residential Toasted Barley and cucumber tabouleu SOUP Soup oriental beef noodle Soup potato leek-res VEGETABLES AND STARCHES Corn mexican Spinach Rice brown

Got news tips? Want to contribute to the Houstonian?

Please contact Associate News Editor Jessica Priest at jpriest@houstonianonline.com.

Welch said.

The study was conducted via traffic counters, also known as traffic analyzers, which measure vehicles that pass over them for both their length and the speed at which they are traveling.

Engineers then use the data collected by Welch and his associates to determine where additional traffic control devices are needed.

Furthermore, Welch has experienced first-hand the accidents that have occurred at the intersection as a result of no traffic control device.

“I actually saw an accident happen one day. They knocked a fire hydrant clear off the corner,” Welch said. “I don’t understand why anyone has to exceed the speed limit. There is no good reason for it.”

According to data collected by the Huntsville Police Department, there have been approximately 47 accidents from May of 2008 to May of 2010 at that intersection alone.

Still, Welch said this new traffic control is not a response to the accident that occurred on Sam Houston Ave. last week.

“That incident has nothing to do with our traffic control devices here,” Welch said. “It was probably a fatal error on part of the driver. He pulled out when he shouldn’t have.”

SHSU student, Robert Edward McCurry, was killed in a two-car collision on Thursday, Aug. 29. McCurry was turning left out of the Gateway Apartment complex when his vehicle was struck by a 19-year old man traveling southbound on Sam Houston Ave. in a black, Dodge pick-up.

Right now, the stop signs are covered with garbage bags, but Welch and his team have made several attempts to warn residents of the impending change.

“We have to be careful. We can’t just throw up a four-way stop and expect there not to be problems,” Welch said.

In addition to this new four-way stop, Welch is also looking forward to conducting a study of the traffic flow at the intersection of Bobby K. Marks and Bearkat Blvd.

“We just wanted to do something that would do some traffic calming in that area and slow some people down,” Welch said.

“We’re looking at several options, not necessarily just putting a four-way stop there.”

Mr. Doug Greeney, of the SHSU physical plant, approached the city engineer about the study, Welch said. Traffic counters, like the ones used for the study on 16th Street and Sycamore Ave., will go up on Friday, and a decision to take action could be reached in as little as a few weeks.

“They’re not just going to make a flash decision,” Welch said.

Summit to rid students of excuses

By Janise Richardson Contributing Reporter Discover the dangers of substance misuse at the fifth-annual Alcohol and Drug Summit on Sept. 10.

The annual event educates students as well as encourages responsibility to prevent the negative consequences associated with alcohol and drugs.

ADAI coordinator Rosanne Keathley said the summit is “a great opportunity for students to learn about drug and alcohol awareness.”

The theme for this year’s summit is “No Excuses,” so students are forewarned of the consequences of drinking and drugs.

The summit will feature nationally renowned cam-

pus guest speaker, Mark Sterner, and his speech on “DUI: a Powerful Lesson,” which discusses the affects of drinking and driving among a group of friends.

Students can register for prizes, earn co-curricular credit and S.W.A.T.T. points. Participants in four of the summit sessions will receive an official free “No Excuses” ADAI t-shirt.

Students will learn skills necessary to keep themselves or a fellow Bearkat peers alive.

Alcohol and drug abuse is an issue across all college campuses, and this is a way to address the problem.

The coordinator said that the summit teaches the students “skills needed to make responsible decisions when binge drinking, drink driving [not drunk driving],

Follow us on twitter @HoustonianSHSU

riding with an impaired driver and date rape drugs,” Keathley said.

The summit’s goal, as noted on the registration form, is “to proactively educate the [university] community about the multi-faceted problems associated with substance use and abuse.”

In order to attend, students and faculty must sign up for summit sessions.

Forms are on the website www.shsu.edu/adai and can be returned to the following locations: the Student Activities office (LSC 328), Health and Kinesiology office (HKC 207), the Student Health Center, Rec Sports Expansion area and Enrollment Management (Estill 314). Students and staff are encouraged to attend.

CAMPUS

Page 4 The Houstonian

Thursday, September 2, 2010

University police respond to suspicious odor in dorm

By Jessica Priest Associate News Editor A University Police Department officer was dispatched to Jackson Shaver residence hall in reference to a suspicious odor emitting from a dorm room on Aug. 22 at 9:15 p.m.

According to deputy chief James Fitch, a resident advisor for the dorm called the police department to investigate the odor.

Upon arrival, the three suspects, two of which were seniors and one of which was a junior, found in the dorm room admitted to smoking marijuana to the police officer, and they were given a citation for the possession of drug paraphernalia, which is a class C misdemeanor. The students’ names were not released due to the fact no arrests were made and it was a minor offense.

In addition, Fitch said that students found committing crimes on campus are not only subject to fines and criminal punishment, but they also have to face the Dean of Students and Residence Life for subsequent consequences.

“To mess up on campus is a serious

thing and sometimes being kicked out of your dorm and having to tell your parents is a lot worse than having to pay a fine,” Fitch said.

The 12th rule in the Student Code of Conduct prohibits the, “Illegal possession, use, sale, or distribution of any quantity, whether usable or not, of any drug, narcotic, or controlled substance.”

The Dean of Students’ Office receives reports from local police or sheriff’s department, UPD, State and Federal Agencies, as well as residence life staff and faculty and other university staff and students.

According to a Dean of Student’s office report submitted to the Houstonian, disciplinary actions against those found to be in violation of the student code of conduct vary on a case by case basis, and they are punitive or educational in nature.

Possible consequences of violations include warnings, disciplinary probation, loss of privileges, community service, letters of apology, reflection papers, educational seminars, suspension for from the University or, expulsion from the University.

The student discipline process does not lead to anyone being “convicted of a

crime. “Instead, it is in place to determine if a student is found responsible violating the Code of Student Conduct and other campus regulations. It can only result in a student discipline record that is maintained for a period of time.

Dean John Yarabeck is the Dean of Students, and Dean Jeanine Bias is the Assistant Dean of Students.

UPD frequently deals with cases of theft and burglary of a motor vehicles.

To combat this, Fitch has started a program in which officers patrol parking lots on campus and check to see if valuables are left visible inside students’ vehicles.

“The officer will then take down their information (i.e. their license plate number), and I will send out an e-mail to that student warning them not do to leave their stuff in their car,” Fitch said.

He hopes this courtesy program will increase students’ awareness and dissuade thievery.

UPD is also adding two new officer positions.

“Right now, we currently have 18 officers, but we were just approved for two more positions,” Fitch said.

Graphic courtesy of Elizabeth Evans

In this section of the newspaper, the Houstonian sits down with UPD deputy chief James Fitch to discuss the past month's crimes on the campus of Sam Houston State University.

Campus Emergency Rolodex *UPD (non-emergency) 936-294-1794

Campus Calendar

Fire, police or medical: (936)-294-1000 or 911

Sept. 3

Women’s Soccer vs. North Texas

Sept. 6

Labor Day Holiday

Sept. 7

Women’s Volleyball: SHSU vs. Texas Southern

Sept. 10

12th Class day: last day to drop a course for a 100 percent refund

Sept. 10

Application deadline for students who anticipate graduating Dec. 17-18

University Health Center: (936)-294-1805 Counseling Center: (936)-294-1720

What’s your excuse?

There are many reasons why people choose to drink, but there is NO EXCUSE for drinking irresponsibly.

Join the SHSU Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative for its 5th Annual Alcohol and Drug Summit, a one-day event filled with a series of educational sessions designed to teach participants about the consequences associated with alcohol and drug use.

ADAI “No Excuses” Alcohol and Drug Summit Friday, Sept. 10, 2010, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center •

•

Registration is FREE Door Prizes include an iPod Touch • Free lunch and giveaways for all participants • Open to the Bearkat and Huntsville communities

For more information, or for a registration form, call Rosanne Keathley, ADAI coordinator, at 936-294-1171 or visit http://www.shsu.edu/adai.

A Member of The Texas State University System

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Di-

ENTERTAINMENT

The Houstonian, Page 5

Rocks

Local rock group VerseCity talks about their accomplishments and the inspiration behind their name

By Thomas Merka

Entertainment Editor

The sun is blazing, the temperature is rising and the sweat is pouring, but nothing keeps these guys from rocking out. VerseCity played their hearts out in front of Johnson Coliseum last week at Sammypalooza and took time to meet in the shade for a quick interview after cooling down from their intense performance.

VerseCity is a local rock group from Houston, TX. The full band formed in January of 2008, but the group actually started a year and half sooner as an acoustic duo, including lead singer Micah Walker and guitar player Marcus Edwards.

“It took us about a year and a half to find the rest of the pieces to get the band we have now,” Walker said. “We’ve been a full band for about two years, but VerseCity has been

alive for about three and a half years.”

The missing pieces include drummer Daniel Roscoe, guitarist Nelson Baradat, violin player Serayah Robertson, and new bass player Jeff Birmingham. VerseCity is an original and easily remembered

unique.

“We all come from different backgrounds as far as styles of music and when you put all of that together we have a lot of versatility as a band,” Walker said.

“You noticed during our set we have some slow songs, some jazzy stuff,

“We a l l c ome f rom d i f fe re nt backgrounds as far as styles of music, and when you put all of that together we have a lot of versatility as a band.” name, but it also has multiple hidden meanings.

“The name come from a couple of different things,” Walker said. “We were students at the Uni-‘versity’ of Houston. If you look at us now, we have a black guy, a white guy, a Venezuelan and a Jewish guy. So we have a lot of di-‘versity’ in the band.”

The diversity of the band leads to another quality that makes this group

some hard rock, some alternative rock, some soulful rock and so we have a lot of versatility in our band.”

The name VerseCity is a reflection of those three aspects of the band, versatility, diversity and university. The band chose to spell its name in such a way that it would reflect what they are all about, music.

In the relatively short

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

A WOMAN’S TOUCH. SHSU Freshman Serayah Robertson plays the electric violin for VerseCity during their song ‘Believe’. Robertson is the only girl in the group and is also dating one of the band’s guitar players, Marcus Edwards.

time that the band has been performing, VerseCity has already made some astonishing accomplishments. The group has played with other well known artists such as Cobra Starship, Frankie J and We The Kings.

In 2009, VerseCity released their first album and competed in a national Battle of the Bands contest sponsored by Hard Rock Café. The group competed against over 400 other indie or unsigned bands and placed second nationally, but the group agrees that their favorite performance to date was at the House of Blues in Houston.

“We almost sold out House of Blues in Houston,” Walker said. “I think it sells out at like 1,400, 1,500, and we sold over 1,300. It was incredible, the most unbelievable venue.”

Just a few weeks ago, the group traveled to LA to perform at The Rainbow Bar and Grill and Life on Whilshire, but ran into a sticky situation on the way.

“We almost got jacked in El Paso,” Walker said. “We decided to stop in El Paso to sleep and the hotel we were staying at was kind of sketchy. There were some guys in the parking lot breaking off antennas and breaking into cars, looking at us laughing like ‘we’re coming for your van, we’re coming for your equipment,’ so we had to stay up all night with the van.”

Pulling an all-nighter was just another opportunity for the band to do what they do best, have fun and write music. When working on the music, every member of the band contributes, drawing from their diverse musical back-

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

TIK TOK ROK. The local rock group from Houston gave a high energy performance at Sammypalooza. VerseCity is known by many for their cover of the pop song “Tik Tok” recorded by Ke$ha. Above, lead singer Micah Walker belts out one of the band’s original songs outside Johnson Colesium.

grounds.

Although the diversity of the group is what makes VerseCity unique, the members know that working with five different personalities is not an easy task.

“The hardest thing to being in a band like us is really and truly keeping the band together,” Walker said. “We all want to make it. We all love what we do, but we have four different guys, one girl, with five different mindsets and five different personalities.

We’re like brothers and we fight all the time, but really and truly the hard-

est thing is making sure everyone stays happy and stays together.”

By learning to work together, the group has created an image and sound all of their own, and, with their success thus far, it’s hard to believe that the band is still unsigned.

“We are unsigned right now,” Walker said. “On the hush, hush, we are talking to a few different people, that’s all I’ll say about that, but we are still unsigned.

We’re working, whether we sign or not, we’re working towards making it, and we believe we can make it without being signed.”

A New Direction

The SHSU Bearkat Marching Band gears up for the coming season while following the lead of a new director

By Thomas Merka

Entertainment Editor

There’s a new boss in town. Brian Gibbs stepped foot on campus Monday as the new director for the SHSU Bearkat Marching Band, and is settling in to get ready for the upcoming season.

Gibbs is a former music education professor and associate director of the marching band at TCU. He graduated from SMU with a degree in music before going on to receive his masters from Amberton University, and is currently completing his Ph.D. from Walden University.

Although Gibbs missed the summer band training and rehearsals, the late arrival of the new director is not slowing the band down “I didn’t try to just start teaching right away,” Gibbs said. “I spent the first rehearsal just watching their procedure because they’d been working hard for a week and they had already done a lot of really good work. I need to catch up with them, not them catch up with me.”

Although the first home football game is the third week of September, the band is already getting the first of two shows ready to perform.

“The first thing we’re doing is a ‘Blues Brothers’ show,” Gibbs said. “We’re going to have a second show but we don’t know exactly what that’s going to be. We do have some people that have expressed interest in arranging some things and they have some pretty cool ideas, so we’re going to try and do that.”

Apart from getting the halftime shows ready for the field, another project may soon occupy the band’s time.

“There’s some interest in having the marching band do recordings of the fight song and the alma matter and some of the stand tunes that they play all the time,” Gibbs said. “There’s some interest from alumni to have that kind of thing, and it’s also a really good recruiting tool to be able to hand out something when kids are interested in coming to school here.”

A major change that high school students have to go through when coming to college and participating in marching band is the lack of formal collegiate competitions.

“That’s something that’s really different for a lot students who come from very highly competitive high school programs,” Gibbs said. “The whole aspect of performance and music when you get to the college level, that in it-

self is competitive because [although] you are no longer competing with other organizations, it’s the individual trying to become the best musician they can be.”

“To a certain degree there’s a level of competitiveness anytime we’re going to be performing at a halftime show with another band present. It really becomes that they’re doing this for the enjoyment and the school spirit aspect of it.”

Striving for greatness, increasing publicity and boosting school spirit are goals that Gibbs has set for himself while he is here at SHSU. “What I would like to do is contribute to the success the band has already had and look for opportunities for the band to be more visible,” Gibbs said. “I think the band is already recognized as key to school spirit. We want to entice more people to come to football games and be a part of that excitement.”

Just like the fans at a football game, Gibbs is excited about this season and discovering what the band can accomplish.

“They’re going to be really, really good,” Gibbs said. “The band’s going to sound good, they’re going to look good and I think we’re going to have a lot of fun together.”

Photo courtesy of Aramark

BIG WINNER: After joining JAM, a student/faculty loyalty program for eating on campus by SH Dining Services and Aramark, William Dittmann was selected at random to win a $500 Prepaid VISA Gift Card. Students visit www.jamrewards.com TODAY to begin earning entries to this month’s give-a-way.

Do you have an Entertainment story or event?

Tell us about it!

Send story suggestions to tjmiv@houstonianonline.com

Bears photos courtesy of Daniel Cernero | Baylor

Robert Griffin III

In the 2009 season, Kenneth Jenkins finished fifth in the Southland Conference in total tackles with 87 (53 total, 34 assisted).

Jenkins also finished fourth in the SLC for passes defended with 9.

He also forced two fumbles. Watch Jenkins to make an impact at Baylor this weekend.

The Kats on defense

Kenneth Jenkins

Baylor Offense

QB #10 Robert Griffin RB #23 Jay Finley

LT #59 Danny Watkins LG #71 Cameron Kaufhold

Photo courtesy of Brian Blalock

SHSU Defense

DE #56 E.J. Nduka

N #57 Dwight Kennedy T #59 J.T. Cleveland DE #90 Edward Decambre

C #74 Philip Blake

WLB #21 Will Henry

RG #63 John Jones

MLB #47 Kash David

RT #78 Ivory Wade

WS #38 Darnell Taylor

TE #9 Brad Taylor WR #3 Lanear Sampson WR #2 Terrance Williams WR #12 Josh Gordon

After missing almost all of last season after an ACL tear against Northwestern State, Robert Griffin III looks to show everyone his vast potential after a tremendous freshman year.

Look for Griffin to stretch the field with his play-making abilities, both on the ground and through the air.

CB #23 Robert Shaw FS #32 Kenneth Jenkins SS #18 Chuck Obi CB #20 Jarvis Pippins

After a season full of woes on defense, Sam Houston State University will look at this year’s unit as a strength rather than a weakness.

Full of inexperienced freshmen players, the 2009 Bearkats struggled to hold opponents enough for the offense to keep pace. SHSU was seventh in the Southland Conference in total defense, surrendering 423 yards per game, sixth in points allowed per game, with 33.7, and sixth in pass defense (253 yards per game). But this year holds new promise.

The defense saw vast improvements toward the end of last year, with big games against St. Joseph’s and Central Arkansas.

As the season progressed, so did the skills of the young defense, who grew a rapport working with one another.

Each player is now a year older under Defensive

Coordinator Scott Stoker’s system, transforming a team of unfamiliarity into a group of veterans.

The Kats return a number of key players from last season’s squad throughout the defensive depth chart.

In the secondary, an area where SHSU had problems in 2009, Kenneth Jenkins, Robert Shaw, Darnell Taylor, Victor Carmichael, Brandon Bruce and Jarvis Pippins have all returned and looked poised for the 2010 season.

The front line also returns several impact players. Will Henry, Eric Fieilo, Darius Taylor and Kash David bring experience to the linebacker corps, while E.J. Nduka, Edward Decambre, and Marlowe Poitier return on the defensive line.

While 2009’s defense was suspect, 2010’s D will be a tough unit to play against.