Vol 117— Issue 10
Huntsville, Texas
SPORTS
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
FEATURE PRESENTATION
‘Fear is a Factor’ bull riding competition will be held Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the rodeo arena at Gibbs Ranch.
Entertainment Editor Thomas Merka interviews SHSU alumni, resident choreographer Greg Graham
SEE page 4
For the full story check out The Houstonian website.
INDEX
Entertainment........page 5
Viewpoints................page 2
Special..................page 6
Diversity ...............page 3
Sports....................page 7
Campus................page 4
Special.................page 8
Colleges anticipate CHL Controversial legislation awaits verdict, stirs debate on whether or not licensees should carry guns on campus By Erin Peterson
Associate News Editor
College students, faculty and staff in possession of concealed handgun licenses across Texas may soon be able to legally carry on campus. Institutions of higher education across Texas are awaiting the verdict of House Bills 86, 750, 1167 and 1356 and Senate Bill 354 to see whether college and universities will be forced to allow concealed handgun licensees to carry on campus. Many Texas residents are apprehensive about this idea. "If I was taking an exam and knew the person next to me had one, I don't know how comfortable I would feel," Frankie Shulkin, first-year law student at the University of Texas, said. "I am in favor of guns rights and [am] your typical conservative guy, but the classroom thing bugs me." Some Sam Houston State students agree. “I think it’s a crazy idea,” Kristen Roatch, senior criminal justice major at Sam Houston State University, said. “Just because you have a CHL doesn’t mean you have a stable personality. I just don’t understand why anyone would
Student arrest By Meagan Ellsworth Editor-in-Chief
Police have charged and arrested King Hall resident Alaric Salazar for resisting arrest last night. Police responded to eye witness reports who said a female student told them he allegedly tried to kiss her without her consent. Police are still investigating and have not charged him with any other crime except for resisting arrest as of press time. Check for updates on The Houstonian website and Thursday’s issue for more details. Lotis Butchko, Kolby Flowers and Hugo Lopez contributed to this report.
Middle East Protests Photo Illustration by Jared Wolf | The Houstonian
CONCEALED ON CAMPUS.Institutions of higher education across Texas are awaiting the verdict of House Bills 86, 750, 1167 and 1356 and Senate Bill 354 to see whether college and universities will be forced to allow concealed handgun licensees to carry on campus. need a gun at school.” However, Jeff Shi, president of Students for Concealed Carry on Campus (SCCC), a national, non-partisan, grassroots organization
composed of over 43,000 college students, parents, faculty and employees, argues that these concerns aren’t a valid issue to keep the bills from passing.
According to Shi, every type of common crime, violent and property, occur on-campus as well as off-campus. He believes that allowing campus carry will give
students and faculty the same means of protection they are afforded anywhere else. — See HANDGUNS, page 4
Fundraiser to honor local Bataan Death March Survivor By Hugo Lopez
Contributing Reporter
Hours after the Pearl Harbor bombing, Japanese forces invaded the Bataan Providence of the Philippines and engaged in a battle that lasted from December to April against the American and Filipino forces. In April of 1942, U.S. Army second of command, General Edward King, surrendered the Filipino and American forces to the Japanese. Japanese forces forced more than 70,000 Filipino and American personnel to march over 60 miles to Camp O’Donnell. But, somewhere
between 5,000 and 11,000 people LaRue said there were only two never made it to Camp O’Donnell. occasions that he was able to receive Huntsville water. resident, “The first 9 5 - y e a r - o l d “I scooped some water with time I got Sgt. Virgil my shoe and drank from it… a little sip LaRue, is from what I a survivor the Japanese would bayonet was able to of this day anybody who were slow or fell pick up with known as the behind.” my hands,” Bataan Death LaRue said. --Sgt. Virgil LaRue March. “The second “We were time I low on ammo, had no food, water and scooped some water with my shoe and almost no other supplies.” said Sgt. drank from it… the Japanese would Virgil LaRue, which is the reason they bayonet anybody who were slow or had to surrender. fell behind.”
World of Jenks comes to campus By E.Jay Miranda Marketing Manager
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
Andrew Jenks, star of MTV’s documentary “World of Jenks,” made his way to Sam Houston State University on Feb. 19 as the main keynote speaker for the 2011 Diversity Leadership Conference.
Few people ever get to experience the life of a professional cheerleader, a homeless person or an animal recovery mission investigator that goes undercover to shut down illegal slaughter houses in Florida. And then you meet Andrew Jenks, star of MTV’s documentary “World of Jenks,” and wonder how a 24 year old American filmmaker could have experienced so much in such a small amount of time. Jenks made his way to Sam Houston State University on Feb. 19 as the main keynote speaker for the 2011 Diversity Leadership Conference. Speaking to an intimate group of eager onlookers, his words added the final touch to a weekend long conference composed of leadership workshops and guest lecturers. — See JENKS, page 4
LaRue was held in the Philippines for six months until he was transported to China to where he was sent to another prison camp. “For two years I wore the same clothes and we were always covered in lice,” he said. Eventually, the Russians advanced to China where they liberated the Americans, including LaRue. A fund riaser dinner to honor LaRue will be held March 1. It is being organized by SHSU SROTC Maj. James Ross and create the Sgt. Virgil LaRue scholarship. — See MARCH, page 4
Few realize federal holiday for Presidents By Kolby Flowers Senior Reporter
Many students woke up yesterday morning without realizing that it was a federal holiday. Presidents Day, held every third Monday in February, celebrates the service of former American presidents. The holiday, however, has become well-known for being a day in which several stores give huge discounts on its products. “I think Presidents Day has become irrelevant over the years, “ LaTriece Bruce, a sophomore, said. “It isn't a big deal like it was in elementary and we don't get out of school for it anyways.” Presidents Day began as “Washington's Birthday” in 1880 by an act of congress for government offices in the District of Columbia only. It
expanded to all federal offices in 1885 and became the first holiday in America to honor a citizen. The holiday was originally held on February 22, Washington's birthday, but the holiday was shifted to the third Monday in February by the Uniform Monday Holiday Act. The act moved other holidays to Mondays as well including Memorial day, Columbus Day and formerly Veterans Day. The term “Presidents Day” was not introduced until 1951 when a committee was formed to establish a holiday that honored the Office of the Presidency as a whole and not just any particular president. The bill was stalled in Congress. — See DAY, page 4
Protests continue to spread across the Middle East and North Africa as at least 12 countries in the region have protestors demanding the immediate resignation of their leader. Libya is the latest nation to take the world stage as reports of numerous deaths of peaceful protestors fill media headlines. Several unconfirmed reports indicate that the Libyan government ordered the bombing of areas overrun by protestors. The United States condemned violence in Libya and called for a halt of the “unacceptable bloodshed,” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said in a statement.
New Zealand Earthquake A 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck in Christchurch, New Zealand, Monday night. Multiple fatalities have been reported as buildings were toppled onto buses. Large scaled evacuations are under way in the city, according to a news release from New Zealand Police. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck at 1 p.m. New Zealand time (6 p.m. Central time) and a 5.6 magnitude aftershock struck about 15 minutes later and another 5.5 magnitude aftershock two hours later.
Wisconsin teachers to end protests Teachers are expected to return to work today after eight days of protest at the State Capitol in Wisconsin. Protests began last week over a budget bill that would increase the costs of benefits to public employees and restrict some of their collective bargaining rights. The bill would increase contributions to state workers to their pensions and health insurance benefits. 14 Wisconsin democratic state senators boycotted the legislation by traveling to Illinois to prevent a quorum from passing the the bill.
Viewpoints
Page 2 Tuesday, February 22, 2011
houstonianonline.com/viewpoints
Letter: Scott Walker is not Hitler
Books Ryan Leonard supports the Wisc. Governor should be Neither is President rights. Silencing the voices big deal. I didn’t vote for Obama, George W. Bush of employees is definitely a President Obama, but it anyone else in American controversial move, but pure wasn’t because I thought he on the list orpolitics that you might hate. evil? Give me a break. was going to lock me up in Have we all forgotten what I was heartened to see an article about a student expanding his cultural horizons. (Kolby Flowers’ “What’s a Mick Jagger?” published on 2/15/2011). But when I finished the article, I felt disappointed. I found it very sad that “Literature” wasn’t even a category on the “Something New” list. This isn’t surprising: beyond the classroom, literature is probably not a concern to many college students. But literature offers an unparalleled richness of experience to the young intellectually curious mind. Most of the problems we face are not new at all: they’ve been chronicled in countless works of literature already. It wouldn’t be difficult to at least read a short story every week or so. I wonder if Kolby has ever read or, better yet, watched a performance of a Shakespeare play? Here’s my suggestion: Watch a production of Hamlet and then watch the dark comedy “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead”. (You can find both of them easily on Netflix). So, please Kolby, amend your “Something New” list. That’s my two cents’ worth. Take it or leave it. I don’t expect the Houstonian to run cover stories in iambic pentameter or devote an issue to great American writers. Although doing so wouldn’t necessarily be as goofy as, say, running an entire issue devoted to an imaginary sport from a children’s book about wizards. - B. P. Herrington is a professor in the school of music.
CALLING ALL WRITERS!!!
The Houstonian is looking for writers to work for the twice-weekly student newspaper. For more information contact Erin Peterson at epeterson@ houstonianonline. com.
If you’ve been following the situation in Wisconsin at all, you’ve seen the protest signs depicting Governor Walker as Adolf Hitler. If you have not been paying attention, here’s the basics: Wisconsin is broke and the state government is voting on a budget that is loaded with cuts in order to get back in the black. Some of those cuts include increasing the amount teachers pay into their own pensions from less than 1% to 5.8% as well as the amount they pay for their healthcare premiums. State employees would also lose their collective bargaining
Comedy Corner
All cartoons courtesy of creators.com.
a concentration camp. There were probably Nazis that liked dogs. I like dogs. Does that make me evil? Do you see where I’m going here? Passing Obamacare wasn’t evil. Throwing living human beings into furnaces was. Seeing a $136 million deficit in your states budget and attempting to pass budget cuts isn’t evil. Separating families before ultimately killing them all was. If you’ve come to the point in an argument where all you can do is draw a Hitler moustache on someone’s face, you’ve lost that argument. Folks, we’re still young. We have a great many elections left in our lives. I really hope we can get a grip on reality and see that those around us who don’t see things the way we do are not evil, they just don’t see things the way we do. It’s as simple as that.
made Hitler evil? It wasn’t because he abolished unions in 1933 and it wasn’t because he enforced stricter gun control laws. No, what made Adolf Hitler one of the most evil men in history was his extermination of millions of Jews, Gypsies and others he had deemed to be unworthy. I can’t remember the last time an important issue came to light in American politics when one side or the other didn’t start pointing out similarities between the other party’s ideals and Nazis. Arguments like these are too common: “Hitler also ran on ‘Change.’” Honestly,
- Ryan is a sophomore English major.
Patrick Finnegan | Flickr.com
Wisconsin gives us hope More options Lotis Butchko disagrees with Walker’s approach Everyday, I wake up, turn on CNN and debate on jumping off a building after hearing how bad things are getting in the world. Whether it’s a huge deficit left by our good friend George W. Bush, who didn’t pay for his wars, or how bad things are getting for our friends to the south in Mexico, nothing seems to put a smile on my face. But finally, in the midst of $100 barrels of gas, I can look up north and see people stand up to their government. The Republicans, who were voted in during the midterm, thanks primarily to a great smear campaign run by Fox News, have decided instead of upping the taxes on the richest people in the state, will just cut jobs. There are a lot of ways to attack this, but the most obvious, is to say this: If we cut teachers jobs, and pay, we hurt students more than anyone. Constantly, we Americans have to hear about how stupid we are compared to the rest of the world, so we have decided to fix that by cutting our teaching staff. Teachers already don’t get paid near enough money to
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.
are available Zach Kahn argues
that contraception, not preaching, is best kind of pregnancy prevention
CindyH Photography | Flickr.com
deal with stupid, annoying, and foul mouth children, but now they want to take away healthcare benefits and pensions. I have a firm belief,that teacher should be given free healthcare for life. First year Governor Scott Walker has created a noprogress work zone in the state senate, and the current bill, that would essentially eliminate unions, and take more money and benefits away from teachers, that he has refused to budge on. That’s why the Democrats have finally done something about it. While I am a liberal, I am first and foremost a Texan, so when I see Democrats get pushed around, and really have no backbone it really irks me. The few who do stand up to the Republicans, like Nancy Pelosi who I believe is one of the best House majority leaders (Just look at her parties voting record), are mocked and made fun of constantly. But finally, the 14 Democratic senators in Wisconsin, have done something about it. The Senate in
Wisconsin holds 33 seats, 19 for the Republicans, 17 for the Democrats. In order for the state to vote on the senate budget, at least 20 seats must be present. The Democrats have shown their disdain for this bill by simply not showing up, and fleeing to Illinois. This in turn has put the voting on hold. Couple that with teachers taking “sick” days to protest, and students joining them, our country finally has reason for hope. What makes this scenario even funnier, is that doctors have shown up to write these teachers sick notes so they can continue to protest. The protestors have now taken to sleeping in the lobby, and yesterday, they were joined by fire fighters, who would be exempt from the cut, came to join the teachers. But the thing that looks the brightest is the students. Instead of hanging out at home, playing “Call of Duty”, they went to stand with teachers and made a stand.
- Lotis is the Houstonian sports reporter.
Stephen Green Viewpoints Editor sgreen@houstonianonline.com
As I pondered about what topic to discuss that was in differing opinions between Republicans and Democrats, I remember back to the day in high school when I had to go to a presentation by a pastor who was going to talk to us about abstinence. I then remember all of my friends, along with most of the student body, talking about how much of a joke the entire thing was going to be. Sure enough the student body made it into a joke. It seemed as though not a person took the man seriously and this was no surprise to me. Why do you think the student body was in laughter as he proclaimed that not having sex until you’re married was the correct route? Because at that point a lot of the student body was either having sex or were not willing to wait until marriage to do so. Now, the Republican Party would have you believe that if we tell our children to not have sexual intercourse that they will obey and listen to adults. Have you ever, under any circumstances, heard of a teenager not becoming rebellious after an adult, not even their parents mind you, tells them that they cannot participate in something that they find to be pleasurable and don’t necessarily see anything wrong with? I sure
- Zach is a member of the Bearkat Democrats.
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EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Meagan Ellsworth...............................................................936-294-1505
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.
haven’t. I am sure though that there are kids out there that would simply listen and obey, but the vast majority of students obviously do not do this. Don’t believe me that teenagers don’t listen and that the Republican led abstinence campaign isn’t a complete failure? According to About.com, in states ranked by rates of pregnancy for women aged 15-19 years, of age Texas ranks number five in pregnancies per 1,000 women in that age group. In states ranked by rates of live birth for women aged 15-19 years of age, Texas ranks number two in live births per 1,000 women in that age group. From the previous statistics, it is plainly obvious that teenagers are not going to abstain from sex no matter how many times you tell them to do so. The obvious solution to the huge teen pregnancy problem within Texas and the United States as a whole is to drop the teaching of abstinence only in schools and begin teaching kids how to properly use various forms of contraception. Like any parent should always tell their children, “If you’re going to do it, make sure to be safe about it.”
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News
Page 4 Tuesday, February 22, 2011
houstonianonline.com/news
Campus Calendar
This... is... Financial Jeopardy! Students get educated on financial awareness, compete to win Xbox 360 with Kinect, other prizes feature a variety of events that include games, workshops on financial aid, scholarships, saving, investing and free income tax assistance. By attending a minimum of five events, students will also have the opportunity to enter an individual contest to win a $650 scholarship. Also, campus organizations and residence halls have a chance to win funding ranging from $500-$1,000 by having the largest number of members attend events throughout this week. Monday’s events included the workshops “Scholarships 101”, “Banking 101” and a “Financial Aid Workshop.” Monday night, six students competed in the semi-final round of “Financial Aid
Jeopardy” where the finalists Cody Hatcher, Treveon Murdock and Erika Wright will go on to compete in finals on Wednesday night for a chance to win an Xbox 360 console with Kinect, “It was a real challenge,” Murdock said, “I think this is a really good program. It not only increases our knowledge, but it increases the knowledge of the people in the audience”. Today’s events will begin with “Credit Scores & Reports” at 9:30 a.m., “Budgeting Workshop” at 11a.m. and “College Students and Debt” at 12:30 p.m., with all events taking place in LSC 315. The Huntsville Memorial Hospital will present
“Healthy Meals on a Dime,” which will discuss eating on a college budget, at 5 p.m. in the LSC Ballroom. Professor of economics at the University of Washington and “stand-up economist” Yoram Bauman will kick off activities on Wednesday at 11 a.m. in the LSC Theater. Other events include “Financial Aid 101” at 2 p.m. in LSC 315, “Saving for Spring Break” at 4 p.m. in LSC 315, and the finals of “Financial Aid Jeopardy” at 6 p.m. in the LSC Theater. The “Kat Cab,” based on Discovery Channel’s “Cash Cab,” will be driving around campus between noon and 2 p.m. on Thursday to interact with students directly and give them a chance to win
prizes. Other workshops that day include “Smart Consumerism” at 11 a.m., “Credit Cards: Make Them Work for You” at 2 p.m, “Loans & Lending Facts” at 2 p.m. and “Investments 101” at 4 p.m., all in LSC 315. On Friday, the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program will be in LSC 315 from 9am to noon to provide students with free income tax assistance. “Our goal is educate students to help them make more informed decisions and circumvent the bad ones” said Brossman. To find out more about Financial Aid Literacy week, visit http:// w w w. s h s u . e d u / ~ s m m c / FinancialLiteracyWeek.html.
“Let’s say everyone on campus gets to carry guns. Do we really have increased security? No,” Griffin said. “But we do believe [that allowing guns on campus] would deter mass shootings. “Anyone who comes into a classroom with the idea of shooting people would have to think twice; there will be defense closer to the person shooting. We believe it would act as a base-level deterrent.” "It's strictly a matter of self-defense," Sen. Jeff Wentworth, R-San Antonio, said. "I don't ever want to see repeated on a Texas college campus what happened at Virginia Tech, where some deranged, suicidal madman goes into a building and is able to pick off totally defenseless kids like sitting ducks." On Monday, April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a senior English major, launched two separate attacks on the Virginia Polytechnik Institute and State University, or Virginia Tech, in Blacksburg, Va., killing 32 people and injuring countless others before committing suicide. Cho was diagnosed as being mentally ill prior to
the incident. "People tell me that if they would have been there, they would have shot that guy. That offends me," Colin Goddard, a student that was shot four times in the chest in his French class during the Virginia Tech shooting, said. "People want to be the hero, I understand that. They play video games and they think they understand the reality. It's nothing like that." Prior to what has become known as the Virginia Tech Massacre, the deadliest shooting on a school campus belonged to the tower shooting at the University of Texas in Austin. On Aug. 1, 1966, Charles Whitman, a student at UT-Austin and a former Marine, killed 16 people and wounded 32 others. After killing his wife and mother at their homes, Whitman killed three people from inside of the university’s clock tower and then another ten from the observation deck on the 29th floor. Karen Griffith, his final victim, died in the hospital a week later as a result of her wounds. When a similar bill approached the Texas
Legislature in 2009, many cited fears that the concealed handgun license eligibility would be brought down from age 21 to an early college age. “I don't think CHL's are bad, but when on campus you bring the age level of carriers down," Fitch said to The Houstonian in a Feb. 19, 2009 article. "Training is the biggest part of it. Citizens have the right to train themselves, but they don't have the training. It's like we'd be opening Pandora's Box. “As for law enforcement, I think it causes more problems for us than it solves,” Fitch said in a more recent interview. “If there's a shooting on campus and someone else pulls out a gun to stop it... when we get on the scene, anyone with a gun is a bad guy. We don't have the time to assess who's who in the heat of the moment.” Many other higher education officials agree. "There is no scenario where allowing concealed weapons on college campuses will do anything other than create a more dangerous environment for students, faculty, staff and visitors," Oklahoma
Chancellor of Higher Education Glen Johnson said in January. In order to obtain a Texas Concealed Handgun License, applicants must be 21 years of age, pass both a state and federal criminal background check. They must be of sound mind mentally, not be delinquent in debt and not have a felony record or a Class A or B misdemeanor record for the previous five years. They must take a 1015 hour course and pass a marksmanship exam very similar to that of the police weapons qualification exam. During the application process, they must submit two fingerprint cards and submit a non-refundable $140 application fee, all according to the Academy for Firearms Training. Currently, House Bills 750, 1167 and 1350 have been filed and have not yet been referred to a committee. House Bill 86 is currently in committee with the Homeland Security & Public Safety Committee. Senate Bill 354 is currently in committee with the Criminal Justice Committee. The 82nd Legislature comes to a close on May 30, 2011.
From MARCH
From JENKS
Ross said the Sgt. Virgil La Rue scholarship will be awarded to a cadet who “overcame obstacles.” The dinner will take place in the HEARTS Veterans Museum, located at 463 State Highway 75N, Huntsville. Ross said tickets for the dinner will be available at the G&O Barber Shop, HEARTS Veterans Museum and at the SHSU Veterans Resource Center. The dinner will consist of Cajun chicken and sausage gumbo which will cost $7.50 or $6.50 for Cadets. Caroline Crimm, Ph.D., SHSU History professor will also give a speech during the dinner.
He began his presentation by describing his ventures into filmmaking as a 19 year old moving into an assisted living facility. In the hopes of seeing life at the other end of the spectrum, he platformed himself to success as his documentary began to win
several film festivals and was noticed by HBO, who bought the documentary and began syndicating it nationwide. Through sharing his experiences, he offered a few words of sound advice that catapulted him into the success that he has now. First, never take no for an answer. And secondly, fake it ‘till you make it. Because of the time constraints of his visit, I wasn’t able to meet with him before he began to address the conference, but I was able to ask the final question during the end of his presentation. I explained to him that as a final project for my last semester of college, I began creating documentaries on campus --- finding unique groups/organizations and telling their story through film. “I have two things to ask you,” I said to him. “One, for a beginner like me, I was wondering if you had any
tips or suggestions you could share. And, secondly, I was wondering if I could shake your hand and thank you.” Before he began to answer my first question, he replied, “So. Lets get the second one out of the way,” and shook my hand. After that, he began to explain how people make it into the industry. Some are very well off, and have the connections to make it. Others hustle for years until their big break. Even though he notioned that his final words could be considered cheesy, they were definitely true. "If you make a project about something that you are passionate about and you really care about. And if in your head, you are thinking, ‘Even if no one sees this, i know that i got to make this.’ I think that's your best chance of being successful.”
By George Mattingly Contributing Reporter Students will have the opportunity to win a $650 scholarship and other prizes during Financial Literacy Week, which ends on Friday, Feb. 25. The Student Money Management Center, or SMMC, kicked off its third annual Financial Literacy Week on Monday to educate students on tackling “the biggest financial decisions− and mistakes−of their lives”. Jacki Brossman, assistant director of the SMMC, said this is a chance to educate students on something they all have in common: personal finances. This week will
From HANDGUNS page 1
“The Texas [Concealed Handgun License] program is among the strictest in the nation, and, according to the Texas DPS reports on CHL conviction rates, Texas CHL holders are the most lawabiding major subset of the population,” said Shi. “There is absolutely no evidence to substantiate the claim that campus carry will negatively affect the learning environment, make campus less safe or make the job of on-campus police harder.” Many members of various university communities agree. "Gun-free zones are shooting galleries for the mass murderers," Derek Titus, Texas A&M senior and CHL licensee, said. "We do not feel that we must rely on the police or security forces to defend our lives." Bob Griffin, president of Students for Personal Safety at the University of Houston, supports the purpose behind this type of legislation, but only if these bills achieve their goal of increased campus safety.
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From DAY page 1
An early draft of the Uniform Monday Holiday Act would have combined both Abraham Lincoln's birthday, February 12, and Washington's birthday as Presidents Day but that was later changed. Presidents Day falls between February 15 to 21 and never includes the actual date of either president's birthday. While most students were unaware that a holiday took place, they were disappointed when they realized what day it was and that they still had to go to school. “We should be out of class to honor and celebrate the great achievements of all our past presidents,” said Chip Reyes, a junior.
Tuesday, Feb. 22 - Festival Inspiracion - see www.shsu.edu/~music/ festival/ for additional details - Weekly SGA Meeting - 6 p.m. in LSC 320 - Baseball v. Houston Baptist - 6:30 p.m. at Don Sanders Stadium - Chinese Film Showcase: “New Dragon Inn” - 7 p.m. in AB IV, Room 220 - Concert and Symphonic Band Performance - 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. in the PAC Concert Hall - SAMentors Game Night Festival: College of Arts and Sciences - 7:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. in LSC 304 Wednesday, Feb. 23 - Festival Inspiracion - see www.shsu.edu/~music/ festival/ for additional details - Softball v. Houston - 4 p.m. at the softball field - Men’s Basketball v. Northwestern State - 7 p.m. in the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum - Multicultural Top Chef - 7 p.m. in the LSC Ballroom - Creacion - 7:30 p.m. in the PAC Dance Theater - “Orpheus Descending” - 8 p.m. in the University Theatre Center’s Erica Starr Theatre - General admission $12, SHSU students and senior citizens $10
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Follow us on Twitter @HoustonianSHSU Today in History - 1371 - Robert II becomes King of Scotland, begins Stuart dynasty - 1632 - Galileo’s “Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems” is published - 1819 - Adams-Onis Treaty: Spain sells Florida to US for $5 million - 1847 - MexicanAmerican War: Battle of Buena Vista - 5,000 Americans drive off 15,000 Mexicans - 1856 - Republican Party opens first national meeting in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania - 1862 - Jefferson Davis is inaugurated for a 6 year term as the President of the Confederate States of America in Richmond, Virginia - 1889 - North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Washington are admitted to the US - 1915 - WWI: Germany institutes unrestricted submarine warfare - 1924 - Calvin Coolidge becomes first president to deliver a radio broadcast from the White House - 1942 - WWII: Franklin D. Roosevelt orders Gen. Douglas MacArthur out of Philippines - 1943 - WWII: Members of the White Rose are executed in Nazi Germany - 1948 - Communist revolution in Czechoslovakia - 1958 - Egypt and Syria join to form the United Arab Republic - 1959 - Lee Petty wins the first Daytona 500 - 1974 - Assassination attempt on President Richard Nixon by Samuel Byck fails - 1980 - Miracle on Ice in Lake Place, New York - 1997 - Scientists in Roslin, Scotland announce that an adult sheep named Dolly had been successfully cloned
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 erp008@shsu.edu to become a contributor.
Arts & Entertainment
Page 5 Tuesday, February 22, 2011
houstonianonline.com/entertainment
Spotlight: SHSU Alumni Greg Graham
Thomas Merka interviews resident choreographer of “Billy Elliot the Musical” By Thomas Merka
Entertainment Editor
The national Broadway tour of the 2009 Tony Award-winning Best Musical, “Billy Elliot the Musical,” will come to Theatre Under The Stars in Houston starting Wednesday. The show is based on the international smash-hit film and features music by Elton John, a book and lyrics by Lee Hall, choreography by Peter Darling and direction by Stephen Daldry. “Billy Elliot the Musical” has earned critical acclaim on Broadway including 10 Tony Awards. Now the national tour of this show is coming to Houston and has an exciting connection to Sam Houston. The resident choreographer for the tour is SHSU alumni Greg Graham. Graham was born in Houston and grew up in Missouri City. He got his start in dance during his sophomore year of high school when he delved into the world of musical theatre, after becoming captivated by a female classmate. From there, the
love-struck Graham began to take dance classes at the request of the classmate. After graduating high school, Graham didn’t immediately attend Sam Houston, but quickly changed his mind after seeing the opportunities available to SHSU theatre students. “When I graduated [high school] I went and saw “A chorus Line” that was playing at TUTS (Theatre Under the Stars) and there were a few of the students from Sam Houston that were in it,” Graham said. “I had talked about going to Sam Houston but ended up not going for my first semester, and I went and saw that [theatre students] were working and doing professional theatre and I thought ‘Well if they’re getting something out of it, I must too,’ so I decided to go the next semester.” After leaving Sam Houston, Graham spent some time doing community theatre in Houston before moving to Houston. For many the transition from smalltown Huntsville to the big city may be hard or even frightening, but for
Photo courtesy of Michael Brosilow | TUTS
Graham the transition was simple. “I had visited New York; I had done some auditions and I had taken some classes [there] during the summer,” Graham said. “I sort of knew the town already so when I got here it was just about settling in and deciding what my life was going to be.” Many people travel to New York in hopes of finding a successful career in the theatre industry and Graham is one of the lucky few that have made it, but Graham’s success stems from before he ever moved to New York. “Before I came up here, I took a three week intensive training program in Florida where I met Gwen Verdon and Ann Reinking… they’re basically celebrities in this industry,” Graham said. “I approached them before I left the program and told them I would be moving to New York and would love to audition for them someday. I moved up here and three or four days later one of their shows called “Fosse” gave me a call and said they would like me to come in and audition for one of the slots that were opening up in the show and I did, and got the part the next day.” From there Graham’s career has been on an upward rise, allowing him to work on Broadway for twelve years, which he says is his biggest career achievement. “Twelve successful years of constant employment on Broadway is my biggest achievement,” Graham said. “It can be difficult to do to always stay employed in this business, and I guess through training and hard work and persistence I’ve been able to make a name for myself in the industry.” In relation to the show at hand, Graham shared his thoughts on
Photo courtesy of TUTS
GOODBYE HUNTSVEGAS, HELLO NEW YORK. SHSU Alumni Greg Graham moved to New York after graduation and has since been working on Broadway for 12 years. Now he is serving as the Resident Choreographer for the national tour of “Billy Elliot The Musical” that will come to Houston on Wednesday, Feb. 23.
“Billy Elliot The Musical,” saying it has the power to influence lives. “Billy Elliot is a great story about a boy and a great story about a town in England that are both trying to overcome some pretty dramatic struggles in their time and in their life. It’s great to see how a story like this can influence people’s lives. It definitely influenced mine and I’ve seen it influence others’ as well. It’s a really great musical.”
“Billy Elliot The Musical” will play at The Hobby Center in Houston Feb. 23 - March 13. Tickets for the show are on sale and can be purchased at the Hobby Center Box office, by phone at 800-982-ARTS or online at www.tuts.com. One hour before each show, a student discount will be available for 50% off tickets when a valid student I.D. is presented. For more information visit www.tuts.com.
Black Student Alliance and Act One team Latin Festival up for vibrant Black History production Schedule By Brandon Scott Sports Editor
The Black Student Alliance partnered with Act One, one of the universities’ rising organizations, to present a tribute to Black artistry at the LSC Theatre this past Tuesday. The event was open admission, as is every Act One event. Tribute to Black Arts: Black Box Theater featured a culmination of AfricanAmerican organizations on campus, including the Soul Lifters and dancers from Fade to Black. The story followed a young girl, played by Caryn
Waldon, who landed in a renaissance fantasy land of black art. Her experiences would teach her the value of her voice and her heritage. Throughout the show, performers sang Luther Vandross and Beyonce selections. Praise dancers and pantomimes moved to the sounds of Smokie Norful and other gospel music. The Soul Lifters stole the show with an exaggerated rendition of hysteria in the black church, filled with habitual praise and worship, which received the most reaction from the crowd full of friends and associates. “All the people that
worked in the show were pretty dedicated,” said Justin McAdams, co-star of the show. “Most of everybody that was in it is in at least two or three other organizations so it turned out to be a really good thing because everybody was dedicated.” McAdams says rehearsals were interesting not only because of the inconvenient change of venues they found themselves in, but also because of the non-stop fun and laughter between the crew. Paula Teague is the president of BSA and the founder of Act One,
which welcomes students who are interested in singing, dancing, acting, poetry writing and even script writing. Paula is the visionary behind the operation. Julian Williams wrote and directed the production based off a similar concept he witnessed at the Houston School for Performing and Visual Arts, where his younger brother attended. “We try to have a good time,” Williams said. “We try to make sure that as a Black people we stay elevated and we’re motivated to be proud of who we are and everything we do.” Act One received its official notification Dec. 16 of last year, recognizing them as an official organization on campus. The group is looking for students of all backgrounds who share in common creative minds and a dedication to take the university to another level.
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Tuesday, Feb. 22, 2011 • “El Arte de la Improvisación” (The Art of Improvisation) Latin Jazz Workshop with Danilo Pérez • Painting at Wynne: Adelina Moya • Sculpture at Wynne: Jesús Moroles • Latin Styles Clinic - Part II • SHSU Faculty Jazz Combo Open Jam Session • Ballet Folklórico • Humanities Theme: México and Mexican Americans • Presentations 10 am-12 pm and 1:30 -4:30 pm • Film festival: San Rafael Productions, Pat Collins, filmmaker, The Wynne Home Arts Center, 7 – 9 pm • Holy Week in San Miguel de Allende • Guadalupe: Mother of all México • Following the Spirit Wednesday, Feb. 23, 2011 • “Viva el Ritmo” (Long Live Rhythm) Latin Jazz workshop on Latin rhythms with Danilo Pérez and musicians, 10-11: 30 am, Recital Hall or Room 201 • Painting at Wynne: Adelina Moya painter, The Wynne Home Arts Center, 10 am-1 pm • “Creación del Alma” (Creation of the Soul) —Sculpture, Modern Dance, Percussion Improvisation performance: PAC Dance Theater, 7: 30 p.m • Jesús Moroles (sculptor), Dr. John Lane, percussion and company, Ms. Jaime Zahradnik, dance and company” • Humanities Theme: Literature/Arts in Latin America Presentations 10-12 pm and 1:304:30 pm; Lowman Student Center Ballroom A LULAC Ballet . Schedule for the rest of this week and the weekend will be published in Thursday’s issue of The Houstonian.
Sports
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Southland Conference Royalty Women’s basketball team transforms into conference winners, Sequeena Thomas emerges as leader
By Brandon Scott Sports Editor
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rior to game time, women’s basketball head coach Brenda Nichols tries to build her players up with intensity and focus. This year’s team is raw, not overwhelmed with senior leadership, or proven veterans. Through ups and downs in the course of a season, Nichols reminds her young team: “When we focus and work our offense, we score. So, let’s make it happen.” Before leaving the locker room, the Lady Kats pray the Lord’s Prayer in unison. Then, things lighten up, to put it mildly. All the ceremonious pep talks and meditation are important - except the players, by nature, aren’t really that serious. Actually, they’re flat-out goofy. Not in an obnoxious or reprehensible manner, but fun stuff. When the prayer is over, players immediately show coaches the exit. The locker room has to be coach-proof because what comes next is enchanting, maybe even risqué. Sophomore Sequeena Thomas, or Queen, can only bottle in her emotions for so long. She gets hype before games, so Queen uses R&B tunes by Chrisette Michele to mellow herself out so she can focus. But, eventually, it’s time to get the adrenaline pumping again. Turn the music up. “Put ya number twos in the air if you did it on ‘em,” Nicki Minaj’s lyrics blast through
the speakers as Queen initiates a krumping session. Fellow sophomores and close friends Clarke Davis and Chanice Smith, nicknamed Cha-Cha, join in. Krumping is an exaggerated and highly energetic street dance, used to show expression and creativity. College students of this generation were more than likely introduced to krump through Chris Brown videos beginning in 2005. It’s not popular in Huntsville and likely will never be, but whatever gets these girls motivated, right? Besides, krumping has ballistic swagger to it. The whole team doesn’t dance. It’s mainly Queen, Cha-Cha and Clarke but the energy is omnipresent. What distinguishes these Lady Kats from past ones is their fighter’s mentality, which Queen exemplifies with her double digit rebounding prowess and a knack for knocking down big buckets. She shifted through southern states as a child – born i n Alabama, moved to Georgia, Florida and back to Georgia. Then, after her parents’ divorce, she relocated to Texas with her mother and brother.
Pretty soon, her mom remarried and Queen inherited three step brothers, which she says left her around sports and a lot of boys to toughen her up. But as she’s telling me how tough she is, and I definitely believe her, there’s a huge smile plastered on her face. The “rugged enforcer” look she shows on-court is an intuitive basketball thing, a spectacle of sorts.
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e’re at a local sandwich shop on Martin Luther King Day, just two days after Queen scored a career high 26 points to lead the Kats to their first 3-0 conference start in seven years. She and Cha-Cha are just killing time before a film session on Texas State at 6:30 and practice from 7-9pm. Clarke is at her dorm r o o m sleeping. According to Queen, the life of a Division I student-athlete leaves little time for naps and days like this are longed for during the season. For a few minutes, Queen and Cha-Cha go back and forth on their competition. Cha-Cha is from the Arlington area so she’s got it out for UTA, but she says there’s not much of a personal rivalry with SFA (who beat them a week later).
Face Time with Scottie Jones
Illustration by Mike Silva The Houstonian
The Houstonian: Ok, Scottie tell us a little bit about yourself. We know you’re a senior and one of the leaders of the track team. Scottie Jones: Well, like you said, this is my fourth year here at Sam. I am one of the captains of the Sam Houston State Track and Field team. I’m majoring in marketing and management as well, double majoring there. I also work here as a marketing intern for the athletic department. TH: We know that track is one of the more unappreciated sports on campus, but you guys do a lot of good things. Talk about what people miss when they don’t make it to the meets. SJ: The biggest thing is, and a lot of people don’t know this, every week we go to the track meets, we’re actually competing with some of the bigger schools in the nation. It’s not like some other sports, where it may be the highlight of their season, playing a University of Houston or A&M. We actually compete against those guys every weekend. We actually compete well and beat some of those guys. That’s something I think someone who isn’t coming to our competitions might be missing; us competing against some of the biggest schools in the nation. TH: I know you run the hurdles. That’s one of the toughest things to do out there. Talk a little about your event. SJ: Hurdles is an interesting race. I specialize in hurdles so I do the sprint hurdles specifically. We’ve got a lot of competition out there, nationally. It’s one of the races that’s always loaded with guys who are really good at their event. I’ve had some success here at Sam and I can attribute that to having great coaches and teammates. Coach Dave Self works really closely with the sprint hurdles group and we work year round to, like I said, compete with those big schools. TH: We always like to ask athletes about rivalries. Of course we have school rivalries like SFA and Texas State. But what are some of the schools you just love to compete against? SJ: I like competing against some of the bigger schools. It’s always a pleasure getting to compete against our rivals like SFA. They
have some pretty good athletes we compete against. And really anybody and everybody I can line up with. When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. TH: Within the past couple of weeks, the weather has put people in uncomfortable situations. Talk about how you continued to train in that situation. SJ: I know we’re specifically referring to a comment I made on Facebook where I was just talking about being thankful for the fact that we have the ability to train, you know, in the cold weather. A lot of people are hurt or injured and just don’t get a chance to compete at a Division I level. So just trying to bestow some of those values and attitudes in some of the younger people on the team, because that’s really Sam Houston’s bread and butter, not being as big of a school. We take pride in the fact that nobody works harder than us out there on the track. That’s what gives us the ability to go out there and compete well, in some instances, nationally.
Courtesy of SHSU for The Houstonian
Without hesitation, Queen tells us she hates all of them. “On the court I try to be tough and try to be mean, because really I don’t like the other team I’m playing,” Queen says. “Even if I have friends on the other team, I’m trying to hype my team up. No mercy.” She was serious about that. With all the inside jokes and giggling between Queen and Cha-Cha, there’s no kidding around when Queen shows an elevated resentment for her opponent. “You talk noise and you’re on the list,” Cha-Cha says. They’re admittedly hypocritical when it comes to on the court dialogue. Opponents only talk smack in reaction to what these characters initiate. “Heck yeah, we talk noise,” Queen says. This team is looking to gain a psychological advantage, as well as a physical one. Queen and Cha-Cha want the Kats to be the bullies of the league, which is in complete contrast to the mindset of last year’s squad. The 2009-10 Kats were like a comeback story. They rose from the dead, so to speak. Prior to Queen’s arrival in 09, the Lady Kats won only 10 games in the previous two seasons. “I looked at their record and said, ‘that can’t be right’,” Queen laughs. She also recalls defeating last season’s number one team in the Southland Conference, and eventual champions Lamar as her best memory at Sam, so far. The Kats really showed heart in that game,
limiting all-conference guard Jenna Plumley to only twoof-18 from the floor. But that was a team grown accustomed to losing. They entered the post-season with a .500 record as the sixth seed. The conference tournament seemed unreachable at one point. In some ways, getting that far and losing had valuable moral victories tied to it.
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fter a gritty victory over Central Arkansas on Saturday, Queen hung out in the locker room for a while. Her mother came to town, who Queen says is her biggest critique as well as supporter. She tells her to keep shooting when she’s struggling and not to put her head down. Her mother is also vocal on every missed layup. But on this day, Queen recorded her typical 17 “Heck yeah, we talk noise.” points and 12 ueen - Sequeena Thomas boards. and Cha-Cha The Kats jokingly point “You talk noise and you’re are focused, to which fingers not riding on the list.” they want to off the 5-0 put rings on. conference - Chanice Smith As a broadcast s t a r t anymore. communication major, Queen is articulate Reality eventually set in. SHSU with excellent interpersonal isn’t focusing on any records, communication skills. instead on winning the next Standing six-feet tall, she is game. Seven games remain on the combined regular and posta nightmare to box out. But season schedules. They aren’t she’s actually gentle when looking at the season from a she’s not playing ball. historical perspective, rather Queen writes about life- one victim at a time. happenings and relationships, The vibrant, smack talking, particularly. Given the attack mode approach from coincidental, but somewhat the trio Clarke, Cha-Cha and historical circumstances of a Queen are at the center of the black reporter interviewing emotional conscious of the black female athletes on Lady Kats, who stand at the Martin Luther King Day, for top of the West division. Britni an article set to be published Martin raining 3s and Khamra in February (Black History Echols controlling the tempo Month), Queen weighed in doesn’t hurt either. on the legend of the slain civil With this new and improved rights leader. attitude, Queen says the team “He opened up a lot of doors has no ceiling. So expectations for black people in general. As are only rising as the season a (black) female athlete it was nears its end. Let’s hope the a lot harder for us, of course, good times keep rolling like because we got everything that holiday afternoon at the last. Just for me to be able to sandwich shop. be here with a scholarship, not having to worry about school, Photo by Jessica Gomez it’s nice and I’m appreciative.” The Houstonian
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Kats make Sanders Stadium debut By Brandon Scott Sports Editor Sam Houston opened the 2011 season on the road last week, taking one of three games against No. 25 Tulane. The score in all three games was 3-2 with SHSU winning on Friday and the Green Wave earning the victories on Saturday and Sunday. “We got good pitching but left a lot of men on base in the two losses,” Sam Houston head coach Mark Johnson said. “The home opener always is an exciting night. We’re looking forward to the game.” Three seniors led Sam Houston at the plate during the Tulane series. Third baseman Ryan Mooney went 4-for-10 with a pair of doubles and an RBI. Second baseman Braeden Riley went 4-for-12, bringing in two runs. Designated hitter Chris Andreas went 3-for-10 with a home run and two RBIs Sam Houston State plays host to Houston Baptist in 2011 home opener for Bearkat baseball Tuesday at 6:30
Courtesy GoBearkats.com
SAFE! (above) Braeden Riley slides home for a Bearkat score.
p.m. at Don Sanders Stadium. The 2011 season marks the sixth year at the Bearkats' modern baseball facility. Sam Houston is 3-2 in past home openers. SHSU defeated Texas Southern 16-3 in 2006 in the stadium's opening game. The Kats also knocked off No. 1 Rice 13-12 in the 2008 home opener and defeated Creighton 8-6 in 2009. The team's two losses in home openers came in 2007 to BYU and last year to Utah.
The Houston Baptist contest is the first of five home games the Kats will play at Don Sanders this week. SHSU plays host to Northern Colorado and Nebraska in the Bearkat Baseball Invitational Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Houston Baptist brings an 0-3 record into Tuesday's game. The Huskies lost all three of their games in a season-opening series at New Mexico State Friday through Sunday.
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