Vol 117— Issue 4
Huntsville, Texas
SPORTS
Sports Editor Brandon Scott discusses the cultural relevance of the Globetrotters on the first day of Black History Month SEE page 5
Tuesday, February 1, 2010
VIEWPOINTS
INDEX
Entertainment........page 4
Thoughts on the turmoil in Egypt
Viewpoints................page 2
Sports....................page 5
Campus................page 3
Special...................page 6
SEE page 2
Exploring the future
Nations remembers fallen astronauts, discusses fate of exploration program Harlem Globetrotters
SEE page 5
Women’s basketball loses second straight conference game By Lotis Butchko Sports Reporter
Photo courtesy of NASA
SPACE AND TIME. Eight years ago, Space Shuttle Columbia was exploded during as it re-entered the atmosphere over Texas killing all seven on board. Last year, President Barack Obama signed the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 on Oct. 11, which officially ended the constellation program.
By Kolby Flowers Senior Reporter
Eight years ago today, the world watched as fragments of the Space Shuttle Columbia streak across the skies of Texas. Just minutes before its scheduled landing time, the shuttle disintegrated during re-entry into the Earth’s atmosphere. All seven astronauts on board were killed. The shuttle was lost as a result of damage sustained during launch when a piece
Weather alert
Be sure to bundle up. An arctic storm is expected to move in today with the possibility of snow later this week.
Protests in Egypt A heated movement is underway in Egypt to get the current president to step down. See Thursday’s issue to learn more about the role social media and students have played in the revolt.
Applications due Students who anticipate graduating in May must file degree applications by Feb. 3 with the Registrar’s Office. Those who fail to apply by the deadline will be assessed a $25 late application fee in addition to the $25 graduation fee.
of foam insulation the size of a small briefcase broke off the Space Shuttle external tank, according to the Columbia Accident Investigation Board. About 82 seconds after launch, the debris struck the leading edge of the shuttle’s left wing, damaging the thermal protection system, which shields the shuttle from heat generated during atmosphere re-entry. This allowed super-heated gases to enter the wing structure and caused the destruction of Space Shuttle Columbia.
Corey Stout, a junior, was just 13 years old when the shuttle disintegrated over his home. “We were living in Toledo Bend and it went right over us,” Stout said. “There was a loud bang and it shook our house. It was crazy.” Hours later, President George W. Bush made the tragic announcement in a nationally televised address. “The Columbia is lost; There are no survivors,” Bush said. “In an age where space flight has come to seem almost routine, it is easy to
overlook the dangers of travel by rocket, and the difficulties of navigating the fierce outer atmosphere of the Earth. These astronauts knew the dangers, and they faced them willingly, knowing they had a high and noble purpose in life.” In that same address, Bush vowed that “our journey into space will go on” and in January 2004 he outlined his “Vision for Space Exploration.” — See NASA, page 3
After a blazing hot start for the Women’s basketball team, who opened the door winning their first five games in conference, the Bearkats dropped back to back games to Stephen F. Austin in Nacogdoches and again to the University of Texas – San Antonio. Against Lumberjacks, the Bearkats lost their touch in rebounding and had to pay for it. On Saturday the team simply couldn’t score. Point guard Khamra Echols was challenged to be a shooter by UTSA. Defenders gave her shooting space and she made them pay with a game-high 18 points. Echols also had nine rebounds, five of them were offensive boards. Still, the Kats never stayed in a consistent rhythm throughout the contest. “We weren’t really playing our game, like team ball,” SHSU guard Britni Martin said. “We weren’t running our offenses and setting up our offenses. They were running a triangle and two. We were prepared for it, but the shots weren’t really equal across the board the way they
normally are.” The Bearkats started the game against the Roadrunners, dropping behind 31-13. Coach Brenda Nicholls pleaded with her team to close it within 10 points before the half. The Kats responded by getting within 11. “We talked about everything, you know, our good and bad,” Martin said. “We were 50 percent from the free throw line. We lost by nine and missed 13 free throws. That’s the game right there.” The Kats came within four points in the second half, but again their shooting went cold, and the team suffered their second straight loss. SHSU plays again on Wednesday in Johnson Coliseum against the first place team in the Southland Conference, McNeese State. “I guess the intensity just wasn’t there like it should have been,” Martin said. “We’ve watched film on McNeese. They’ve got twin guards that pretty much carry their team, we realize that. But if we focus and play our game, we’ll come out on top. I think we beat ourselves.”
Auto accident causes power outage, chemical spill in Lake Road area By Hugo Lopez
Contributing Reporter
A driver crashed into a utility pole early Friday morning on Lake Road causing a power outage at University House and Aberdeen Place apartments and a cleanup of chemicals that spilled onto the road, police said. Police reports stated that Casondra Vanderweyst, 21, was arrested and charged with DWI in the incident. Police said Vanderweyst allegedly pulled out of University House when she lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a utility pole with transformers causing two other utility poles to go down in a domino effect. University House and Aberdeen Place apartment residents reported loss of electricity. Residents woke up around 3:45 a.m. to a loud explosion and saw their alarm clocks and other electronic equipment turned off. HEB and other businesses on Lake Road were without power all morning. Entergy brought help from Conroe and other cities in
order to restore power. An Entergy worker estimated the damages at $100,000 in labor costs. Huntsville Police and SET Environmental shut down Lake Road to clean up any possible hazardous material that may have spilled from the transformer. Inglehart said the transformer did not contain toxic agents as modern transformers are filled with mineral oil, but a SET employee at the scene said they were neutralizing hazardous chemicals spilled by the transformer. Entergy employee Dan Inglehart said that the driver could have been seriously injured by electrocution. "She was lucky somebody pulled her out right away," Inglehart said. "The cable [that was a couple of inches away from the car] was still hot." Huntsville Finance, Fire and Police departments did not have damage estimates at the time of the report. SET Environmental would not comment.
Photo courtesy of Hugo Lopez
POWER HOUR. Casondra Vanderweyst, 21, was arrested and charged with DWI after she crashed her car into a utility pole on Lake Road early Friday morning. University House, Aberdeen Place, HEB and other business near Lake Road reported power outages. This incident will require an estimated $100,000 in repair and labor costs, an Entergy worker said.