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.
Viewpoints
Page 2 Tuesday, February 1, 2011
houstonianonline.com/viewpoints
Arab world in crisis, now what
Karmen King addresses the responsibility of the U.S
and the unraveling situation facing the Middle East The world has been shocked by the waves of protests that are rocking the Arab world. First, Tunisians were able to oust their autocratic President Zine el Abidine Ben Ali on Jan. 14 in what is now being called the Jasmine Revolution. Now, Egyptians have taken to the streets demanding the resignation of President Hosni Mubarak, who has been in power since 1981. There have also been smaller demonstrations in Jordan and Yemen, with Syria and Lebanon keeping a close eye on the events as they unfold. What does this mean for the U.S? Egypt and Tunisia have long been held up as shining examples of the Arab world, despite the obvious lack of free elections. U.S. policy has always had a dual nature. While desiring democracy for all nations, this country has often taken measures to prevent hostile groups from taking the reins of another
nation. After allowing free elections in newly liberated Iraq, the U.S. ended up with a government that is more sympathetic to the government of Iran than our own. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton hit all the Sunday morning talk shows to state the administration’s views on the situation in Egypt. She has had to walk a fine line using carefully crafted statements that both support the Egyptian peoples’ right to democracy, but explain past support for the government of Mubarak. “So, what President Obama and I have been doing is sending a very clear message about where the United States stands,” Clinton said. “We want to see an orderly transition to a democratic government, to economic reforms – exactly what the protestors are seeking. “At the same time, we want to recognize that Egypt has been our partner.
They’ve been our partner in a peace process that has kept the region from war for over 30 years, which has saved a lot of lives – Egyptian lives, Israeli lives, other lives.” Clinton also said, “We want to see the outcome of what started as peaceful protests legitimately demanding redress for grievances to result in a true democracy. Not a phony one like we saw with Iranian elections, not to see a small group that doesn’t represent the full diversity of Egyptian society take over and try to impose their own religious or ideological beliefs.” President Mubarak’s speech on Friday was reminiscent of the speech given by the Shah of Iran shortly before he was forced to flee the country in the wake of the Islamic Revolution. Mubarak, like the Shah before him, clearly showed just how out of touch he is with the will of the people.
But, drawing the conclusion from this that radical Islamists are leading these protests and are destined to take over would be a mistake. Egypt, and Tunisia, are two of the most liberal and secular nations in the Arab world. Ben Wedeman of CNN tweets from Cairo “In last 5 days haven’t seen any major expressions of political Islam. It’s not there, armchair “terrorism” experts. Move on.” So what can the US response be to all these demonstrations? Should we intervene in the democratic process of another nation to prevent an outcome that might not suit our interests? Or will our meddling only feed the flames of an antiAmerican fire? I believe our best option right now is to wait and watch…closely.
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. Stephen Green Viewpoints Editor sgreen@houstonianonline.com
What is your worst on-campus parking experience? “It was in the old parking lot where the new dorm is. I drive a Honda and parked in a normal sized spot for my car and four trucks parked around me. I then got a ticket and couldn’t move my car until the next morning. And they gave me a ticket because of that.”
- Karmen is the president of the SHSU Middle East Student Support Group
Comedy Center
Allyson Naylor Junior
“At Belvin there is no parking except for the other dorms. I’m a girl and I can’t be parking all the way away so that some perv can get me.”
Jonelle Ervin Sophomore
Jennie Malone Senior
FOX NEWS FAIL. Perhaps in light of recent events, the Fox news team will learn where Egypt is on the map. This image is from July 2009.
A crutch is a crutch
Ryan Leonard discusses the new problems modern veterans are encountering in their return to civilian life When I left for basic training in June 2003, I made up my mind I would not bother my drill sergeants with concerns I felt they would consider to be petty; like feeling homesick or tired. Obviously, that was the right call. I had battle buddies for that. Three weeks into training, we had our first ruck march. Halfway through, we were ordered to simulate taking cover on the side of the road and I got my first dose of Fort Benning’s finest poison ivy. I considered just dealing with it, but it started to spread and it itched constantly, so I informed my drill sergeant that I would need to go to sick call. I felt that I had a legitimate concern, but I was surprised when he seemed irritated by my request. Did he expect me to train with poison ivy all over my arms and legs? No, of course not. But he needed me to think that’s what he wanted. He needed me to see that I was putting my own needs before the mission. Even if
seeking medical attention it’s usually uglier coming was the right call, he needed out than it was going in. me to think twice next time Now that we’re out of the so I wasn’t a hindrance on military, why do we keep my unit. It wasn’t until stuffing our problems into I arrived at my first duty a duffel bag? And don’t tell station that I caught on to me we don’t have problems. the act. Any of us who have gone to “Drink water, drive on.” college to take advantage of “Lunch is a crutch.” our G.I. Bill have probably “Sleep is a had some 18 crutch.” year old kid feel “A crutch “All of these state- compelled to is a crutch.” ments were meant to explain how the A l l world works. of these get us to forget about Others have s t a t e m e n t s our problems and fo- gotten jobs were meant right after their cus on the mission at military careers to get us to forget about hand. And don’t get had ended and our problems me wrong the mili- been asked, and focus on point-blank, if the mission tary was right to do they had ever at hand. And this...” killed anyone. don’t get me That is if you wrong; the could find a job military was right to do this. to begin with. As members of the There is no doubt in my military, we volunteered mind that some employers to defend our country choose not to hire veterans. I no matter the cost. This personally don’t understand sometimes meant burying their reasoning, but we did our problems at the bottom fight to give them that right, of a duffel bag until later. so what can you do? But, after something sits at Have I covered every the bottom of a duffel bag, problem facing the newest
generation of veterans? No, not even close. That’s because everyone has their own concerns that are just that: theirs. And each one of them is legitimate and worth trying to solve. I’m not talking about going to a shrink and lying on a couch while you discuss your childhood, or looking at ink blots all day. I’m talking about sitting around with other veterans who have been there and talking. Or listening. I’m talking about a group of veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom or Operation Enduring Freedom gathering together and helping each other. Giving tips on whose hiring, offering to help get enrolled in school and figuring out the changes to the G.I. Bill. I’m talking about a place you can go to gripe about how ignorant civilians are. It’s not counseling. It’s not psychiatry. It’s help. And there’s nothing wrong with that. - Ryan is a sophomore english major
“When I was a freshman Ike was coming through and everyone was frantic. I parked in a parking lot to just get my stuff and then leave. I came out after a few minutes and apparently I was parked in a green spot and I had a blue ticket. There wasn’t even a marker!”
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 FACULTY ADVISOR Robin Johnson.....................................................................936-294-1499 EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Meagan Ellsworth...............................................................936-294-1505 SECTION EDITORS Mike Silva.............................................................................Senior Editor Jessica Priest.......................................................Multimedia/Web Editor Erin Peterson..................................................................Associate Editor Stephen Green..............................................................Viewpoints Editor Brandon Scott.........................................................................Sports Editor Thomas Merka........................................................Entertainment Editor Jared Wolf.......................................................................Graphic Designer STAFF Kolby Flowers................................................................. Senior Reporter Lotis Butchko.................................................................Sports Reporter Jessica Gomez......................................................................Photographer
Advertising BUSINESS MANAGER Brittany Hampton...........................................................936-294-1500 ADVERTISING MANAGER Branden Price..................................................................936-294-1503
HEAD ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE Chelsea Boyd............................................................................................ PRODUCTION MANAGER Chanel Montgomery................................................................................
Advertising Deadlines
Tuesday’s Issue............... Friday at 2:00 p.m. Thursday’s Issue........... Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.
News
Page 3 Tuesday, February 1, 2011
houstonianonline.com/campus-news
Campus The following are the student-related crime statistics for the month of January, according to University Police Department records.
Students seek alternatives to campus bookstore, go online By Hugo Lopez Contributing Reporter
Instead of going to the campus bookstore, students are purchasing and renting textbooks from websites like chegg.com, Amazon.com, Bigwords.com and Ebay.com for a cheaper price than the cost at the campus book store. Due to the high price of textbooks, students are replacing bookstores with online stores. Fayez Alsalem, an international student from Saudi Arabia, said that the textbooks for the English Language Institute, or ELI, cost about $200 at the campus bookstore. Alsalem said that he buys the textbooks at Amazon.com for about $110. “It is unfair that they charge so much at the bookstore
because international students will usually buy the textbooks in the campus store, as they think they are cheaper there,” Alsalem said. Kyle Caraway, sophomore nursing major, said he purchased most of his textbooks online using Bigwords.com, a website that finds the cheapest textbooks among multiple websites. Caraway said that his physiology textbook, including the workbook, costs $250 at the bookstore, but got it for $110 through Bigwords.com. However, not everyone is comfortable with purchasing or renting books online. When renting books from chegg.com or other similar websites, buyers never know in what condition the books will arrive, so getting books
online can be considered risky. Josh Vaughan, sophomore psychology major, had a bad experience with online stores, so he says he will never use them again for textbooks. “When sending them back, they tried to make me pay a fee of some sort,” Vaughan said. “Human error creates lots of stress and ill… I can speak face to face with someone rather than make many phone calls to people I don’t know are actual employees.” Other students never even buy textbooks, and most of them say they got an A or a B for their class grade. The campus bookstore would not comment about what students said were its outrageous prices.
ScholarX applications due
Student Money Management Center offers spending tips
by George Mattingly Contributing Reporter
With expenses such as tuition, books, rent and food weighing heavily on students’ budgets, every little bit of money helps. The ScholarX program offers all students an opportunity to win scholarships to ease students’ financial burden. ScholarX, an online scholarship application, originated six years ago to simplify the long process of applying for separate scholarships for students. “ScholarX gives students a simple source for all scholarships available,” Paula Turner, financial offices administrator, said. “With this program, students are electronically matched to the scholarships all over campus that they qualify for.” There are several types of scholarships available based on major, GPA, financial need and community service that are open to all students, from freshman to graduate students. What makes the program unique is the fact that, when they apply, students are essentially applying for all the
scholarships on campus, not just those from the different departments, taking the burden away from students and opening the door to other scholarships available all at once. Turner strongly urges students to read the application carefully to be sure of the deadlines. “The deadline for Criminal Justice and the College of Education is February 1. We continue to accept applications after February 1 on a first come, first serve basis for awarding, but students can still receive scholarships after this date,” she said. If a student wins, they are notified through mail from a department, an email from the financial aid office or through Banner Self-Service. Funds are usually distributed beginning at the end of February until funds run out. Several students are at a loss after they receive grant or scholarship money and often encounter problems with budgeting, according to the Student Money Management Center, or SMMC. “Typically, many students have budgeting issues
because they don’t know how to control their spending. They misuse their refund and run out of money for other bills,” Monica Eaton, peer counselor, said. Other issues students have include building credit, paying off student loans and saving money. According to Eaton, one major reason why students drop out of college is due to financial stress. The SMMC offers both peer counseling, professional counseling, seminars, workshops and online resources to help students combat their financial problems. “It is important to plan from the beginning. When you know you have money coming in, sit down and plan what you are going to do with it before spending it spontaneously,” Jessica Correll, peer counselor, said. “Students also should not eat out as much, and they should try to set spending limits by using cash instead of their card.” To find out more about the Money Management Center, visit their website at www. shsu.edu/smmc.
Fellows prep future citizens
Junior Fellows ready local immigrants for citizenship process By Blake Pavlock Contributing Reporter
The Political Science Junior Fellows will be educating recent immigrants on the process of obtaining citizenship. The five week program will contain information on the various details involved in filling out the paperwork, as well as preparation for the naturalization exam. The course will resemble a college classroom with lecturing segments conducted by Junior Fellows adviser and SHSU political science professor Mike Yawn. At the end of each class, there will be group tutoring sessions led by Junior Fellows members. The course will conclude with a “Thanksgiving dinner,” for which each person will have the opportunity to bring a dish from their native country. This marks the fourth year for the program, and Yawn hopes it continues to be an invaluable learning experience for both the
immigrants and the Junior Fellows. “It’s a unique program,” Yawn said. “It provides immigrants with a better understanding of the United States, while also giving the student volunteers a chance to learn more about the world.” In the past three years, the program has seen upwards of 60 applicants from over 20 different countries. Obtaining citizenship is important for these local immigrants. Mazhar Mahmood, an immigrant from Pakistan, achieved his citizenship after taking this course, and called this accomplishment “one of the greatest days of my life.” The deadline to sign up and attend is Feb. 5th. The course will begin on Monday Feb. 7 and will meet every Monday night until March 7. Applications to attend are made available by contacting Yawn at (936) 294-1456 or mike.yawn@shsu.edu.
Public Education The following actions were taken in the Jan. 19-21 meeting of the Texas Board of Education: - Called for new instructional materials to be used in classrooms, beginning in school year 2011-2012; estimated cost is over $490 million, though this figure may go down once publishers submit their final pricing. - Approved a new mathematics course to satisfy a student’s fourth math credit necessary for graduation. More information about the Jan. 19-21 meeting can be found at http://www.tea.tx.us/.
From NASA page 1
“Inspired by all that has come before, and guided by clear objectives, today we set a new course for America’s space program,” Bush said. “We will build new ships to carry man forward into the universe, to gain a new foothold on the Moon, and to prepare for new journeys to worlds beyond our own.” Bush then signed the NASA Authorization Act of 2005, which directed the NASA Administrator to develop a “sustained human presence on the Moon” and created the Constellation program. The mission of the program was to send astronauts, first, to the International Space Station. From there, NASA would head to the Moon and then to the planet Mars, and beyond. With these plans, NASA had expected to send man back to the Moon by 2020 with a small, four
Become a fan on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter @HoustonianSHSU
person crews. By 2024, the completion of a Moon Base would allow a continual presence on Moon and serve as a “midway point” for future trips to Mars. However, a year ago from today, President Barack Obama announced his proposal to cancel that program. In 2009, Obama ordered a review of the Constellation program that indicated NASA was over budget and behind schedule for the project. After the review, Obama excluded the Constellation program from the 2011 US Federal Budget, which would cut funding for the program. Facing extreme criticism for cutting NASA’s budget, Obama held a space conference last April at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, to outline his vision for NASA’s future. “The challenges facing our space program are different, and our imperatives for this program are different, than in decades past,” Obama
said. “We’re no longer racing against an adversary. We’re no longer competing to achieve a singular goal like reaching the Moon.” Obama, in the same speech, said he was 100 percent committed to the mission of NASA and its future as he announced his goals for the agency. Within the next decade, Obama plans to have systems required to send manned flights beyond lowearth orbit. By 2025, new spacecraft designed for long journeys to allow the firstever crewed missions beyond the Moon into deep space. “By the mid-2030’s, I believe we can send humans to orbit Mars and return them safely to Earth,” Obama said. “And a landing on Mars will follow. And I expect to be around to see it.” Last year, Obama signed the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 on October 11, which officially ended the Constellation program.
GOT NEWS TIPS? Would you like to write for the Houstonian? Do you have an story idea? E-mail Associate News Editor Erin Peterson at epeterson@houstonianonline.com to become a contributor.
Arts & Entertainment
Page 4 Tuesday, February 1, 2011
houstonianonline.com/entertainment
Professor signs ‘Wonder’-ful book Box Office Hits Rankings from weekend of Jan. 28-30
By Thomas Merka
1.
Entertainment Editor
SHSU associate professor of physics Renee James and illustrator Lee Jamison held a book signing at Hastings last Friday to promote the recent publishing of James’s book “Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted.” James’s first book was published in December by The John Hopkins University Press and looks at the universe around us with a new perspective. “It’s about ‘night,’ ‘light,’ ‘stuff,’ ‘gravity,’ ‘time,’ ‘home’ and ‘wonder,’” she said. “It’s for people who have absolutely no knowledge of science at all but think that it’s kind of interesting. “Every chapter basically starts out with a little kid asking their parents something like why it gets dark at night,” James said. “The chapter goes into the simple answer, then a slightly more complicated answer, an ‘I’ll bet you never considered this problem’ answer, and finally gets to the level of why is space dark.” The book has been described as a cross between Dave Barry and PBS “Cosmos: A Personal Voyage” narrator and cowriter Carl Sagan, and it is designed to reach a broad audience of readers of all
Ashley DeHoyos | The Houstonian
WONDERFUL. Associate Professor of Physics, Renee James. signs a copy of her new book “Seven Wonders of the Universe That You Probably Took for Granted” Friday at Hastings.
ages. “It’s fun to read,” James said. “I actually got my parents and I my 11-year-old son, who’s now 12, to read it and they understood it.” Paperback copies of the book were available at the signing for $25, and James and Jamison personalized them with “clever witticisms.” Copies of the book are still available
at the Huntsville Hastings location and online at www.amazon.com, www. barnesandnoble.com and www.press. jhu.edu.
Domestic Gross: $14,789,393
2.
For more information, contact James at phy_crj@shsu.edu or 936.294.4888.
Student Activities announces emcees By Thomas Merka
Entertainment Editor
Emcees for the 17th Annual Sammy Awards were announced on Thursday night after the auditions concluded. Emcees for the ceremony are Senior Ashley Poyer and Junior Cody Wall, and the announcer for the event is Sophomore Erik Johnson. After finding their emcees, the Student Activities Department is now seeking nominations for SHSU’s outstanding students, organizations and advisers for the 17th Annual Sammy Awards. Nominations for the Sammy Awards are due by 5 p.m. on Feb. 10th. “The Sammys serve as
the official student award ceremony and really showcases our amazing student accomplishments,” said Brandon Cooper, Student Activities assistant director. “The awards are a way for the university to recognize the outstanding students and organizations that we have.” Sammy awards will be given to 18 individuals and organizations, nominated by the university community at large, as well as four individual graduating students and faculty/staff members, who are recognized for their “outstanding contributions and service to the university,” Cooper said. In addition, five awards representing excellent service from a student in
each of SHSU’s colleges will be awarded. These students will be nominated strictly by members of the SHSU faculty within each student’s college. Students nominated for individual awards must have a minimum overall grade point average of 2.5 and meet the minimum hours required for the class standings in which they are nominated. Nomination forms, available online through the Student Activities Web site, should be returned to the Department of Student Activities, located in the Lowman Student Center Suite 328; through campus mail to SHSU Box 2507 or faxed to 936.294.3652. “This is such a great time
of year, when we are able to seek out those individual students and student organizations who have gone above and beyond for their university,” Cooper said. “We encourage your participation and support of the Sammys,” he said. “It is a wonderful opportunity for all to recognize the amazing people SHSU has to offer.” This year’s Sammy Awards ceremony will be held at 6 p.m. on April 13 in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center Concert Hall. For more information, call 936.294.3861 or e-mail sammyawards@shsu.edu.
Screen Actors Guild Awards Results
THEATRICAL MOTION PICTURES
PRIMETIME TELEVISION
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Leading Role: Colin Firth / King George VI - “The King’s Speech”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Al Pacino / Jack Kevorkian – “You Don’t Know Jack” (HBO
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Leading Role: Natalie Portman / Nina Sayers – “Black Swan”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Television Movie or Miniseries: Claire Danes / Temple Grandin – “Temple Grandin” (HBO)
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Supporting Role Christian Bale / Dicky Eklund – “The Fighter”
Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series: Steve Buscemi / Nucky Thompson – “Boardwalk Empire” (HBO)
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Supporting Role: Melissa Leo / Alice Ward – “The Fighter” Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture: “The King’s Speech”
Outstanding Performance by a Female Actor in a Drama Series: Julianna Margulies / Alicia Florrick – “The Good Wife” (CBS) (For all results visit www.sag.org)
Domestic Gross: $39,502,304
3. Domestic Gross: $11,422,006
4. Domestic Gross: $78,485,016
Photos courtesy of www.boxofficemojo.com © Images copyright their respective owners; usually the distributor of the above titled movie unless otherwise noted.
Sports
Page 5 Tuesday, February 1, 2011 twitter.com/HoustonianSport
houstonianonline.com/sports
Globetrotter mystique
Brandon Scott discusses the history and culture of the Harlem Globetrotters.
HUNTSVILLE -- When our editorial staff began communication with the Harlem Globetrotters public relations staff, there was a general consensus that Monday night’s show featuring the Globetrotters and Washington Generals was going to be a special event. We wanted access to one of the players for coverage building up to Monday, so a telephone interview w a s arranged by the PR reps and me. That’s when I came up with what seemed like a bright idea. Since I was set to interview a Globetrotter around the same time I do a weekly podcast with fellow staffers, why not have the guy on our show? Trust me; this would have been far more interesting than anything we’ve ever published on the Houstonian Sports Show (which, by the way, you should be listening to as directed by this page every issue). However, one of my colleagues didn’t think it would go with the idea of what we do, a colorful sports podcast conducted by college amateurs. My objection dealt with his initial one; No one does color and sports like the Harlem Globetrotters. We went back and forth on the subject for a while. Still, I question my colleague’s legitimacy as a sports fan because of this. But the most telling sentiment came after I had cooled down a bit – after I told him how ridiculous he was being. Through text, he writes, “This MUST be a black thing.” He was joking around, since we often make light of race because that’s more fun than being so serious. Indeed race is a serious issue of our society and in some ways, even the root of it. Just as well, the Globetrotters were founded by black players during a time of blatant racial tensions. “We broke down walls that we had been trying to break down all of our lives,” said
Globetrotter coach of Clyde Sinclair who is in his 23rd year with the team. “Martin Luther King came and really did the job, but we started a long time before he started and we’re still knocking down walls.” During the 1920s, the original Globetrotters formed on the south-side of Chicago, where most of players attended Wendell Phillips High School – the first predominantly black high school in the city and named after an American abolitionist. A b e
Saperstein – a white man, eventually controlled the Globetrotters and put Harlem in the name because its significance to the black community at the time. Of course, this was also a way to give the team more notoriety. The Globetrotters didn’t actually play a game in Harlem until 1968. What makes them significant to AfricanAmericans, or as I should say,
the reason why it’s a “black thing” is because of the way it transcended basketball and professional sports in some respects. In 1950, as pressure to break color barriers in professional sports was intensified, (Jackie Robinson had already broken the color barrier in Major League Baseball) the Globetrotters eventually delivered the first black player to be drafted by an NBA team (Chuck Cooper, Boston Celtics). The Globetrotters became more of a recruiting tool for black talent and eventually empowered the NBA we all know today. Also, before integration in professional basketball, the all black
Globetrotters defeated George Mikan’s all-white Minneapolis Lakers in both 1948 and 1949. The hallmark moment for America was seeing black athletes, at least in this situation, were not inferior to white ones. But it’s very critical to understand that it’s not just a “black thing”. The Globetrotters’ contributions to basketball and general community go beyond racial complexities. For basketball, the team introduced the famous behind-the-back pass, glamorized the slam dunk as well as exposing the nation to showmanship with ballhandling tricks. The Globetrotters were criticized by civil rights activists during the movement, for their buffoonery and antics. Really, all they were doing was giving black people something to take pride in, as well as providing the community with flare, entertainment and a sense of unification. Now, the Globetrotters have played in 118 countries around the world. From 1971 to 1995, when they lost to Kareem Abul-Jabbar’s All Star team in Austria, the Globetrotters recorded 8,829 consecutive victories. This means they averaged 368 games over a 24-year period, or sometimes more than one game in a day. On the first day of Black History Month, it seems not only important to recognize the Harlem Globetrotters for pillars in the AfricanAmerican community. We must also acknowledge that after 85 years, this is more than a “black thing.”
Photos by Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
Want more SHSU sports? Listen to our podcast:
houstoniansport.podbean.com The Houstonian Sports Show
l l fa
2011 spaces going fast apply online today @ villasonsycamore .com
2-story townhomes + private bedrooms w/ huge walk-in closets + resort-style amenities
villasonsycamore.com 1615 sycamore ave • 936.439.5234