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City manager will discuss state of the city Sex-selective abortions should be outlawed Volleyball narrows focus on game speed
TOMORROW’S FORECAST
HI: LOW:
SGA membership increases despite drama
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Brynn Castro / The Houstonian
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Volume 124/ Issue 15
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Thursday, October 17, 2013
TENNIS
Game. Set. Match.
SHSU tennis player beats cancer, excels in collegiate career COLIN HARRIS Contributing Reporter
Connor Hyde | The Houstonian
FIERCE SERVE : Olivia Battye (above) practices as a member of the Sam Houston State University tennis team. She has battled Ewing’s sarcoma - a rare disease in which cancer cells are found in bone or soft tissue.
CAMPUS
Hotel adjusts after fire report MOLLY WADDELL Associate Editor The Sam Houston State University Hotel has fixed several fire hazards and are in the process of tending to the rest after they were discovered in a State Fire Marshall audit in February, according to Steve Shields, Director of Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management. The University Hotel had nine fire safety problems that needed to be addressed, according to physical plant. Five of them have been fixed and the last two have been scheduled and funded. One problem that has yet to be fixed is the fire alarm system. According to the report, the fire alarm system in the hotel is inadequate and does not have the required detection devices and alarm placement. The current alarm can’t be heard in all of the rooms, and there is no visual notification devices for the hearing impaired in the public areas. Also, the sprinkler system will not activate the building fire alarm upon activation. “The fire alarm system operates just as it was designed and was installed many years ago,” Shiflet said. “It just does not meet today’s code.” The remedy for this is to contact a state licensed fire alarm contractor to evaluate the building and install a complete fire detection and alarm system complying with the Life Safety Code. “There will be a brand new, state-of-the-art fire alarm system installed by the end of the year,” Shiflet said. According to an updated audit report, this problem will be fixed —
FIRE, page 6
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It started with back ache. Occasional aches and pains wouldn’t have surprised Olivia Battye while she was pursuing a collegiate tennis career. But when the English tennis star first visited the doctor for upper back pain in 2009, the initial diagnosis didn’t quite match what Battye was instinctively concerned about. “The doctors I went to said it was a muscle problem,” Battye said. “As an athlete, I’m more aware of my body and I knew it was something more than that.” And it was. Still a teenager, Battye was diagnosed in 2009 with stage four Ewing’s sarcoma - a rare disease in which cancer cells are found in bone or soft tissue. Four years later and 5,000 miles from home, Battye is cancer free and captain of the Sam Houston State women’s tennis team. After seeking a second opinion and having medical imaging done, doctors concluded the source of her cancer. Battye said the tumor spread from the top of her back into her nerves and
experienced frequent numbness in her extremities. Two weeks later, surgeons operated on her and she spent the better part of 2010 confined to a hospital bed. Then she began questioning her return to tennis. During her treatment she produced a series of YouTube videos that SHSU head tennis coach Jim Giachino discovered during Battye’s recruitment as a transfer student from Troy University. Her positive attitude throughout the videos gave insight into her character, he said. “It was amazing to see how upbeat and positive she was about the entire situation,” Giachino said. “Doctors had told her she had a 5 percent chance to live… you can see that every day is so important to her. She truly enjoys tennis and loves to play.” For Battye, the opportunity to play collegiate tennis in the United States allowed her to reinvent herself and not be defined by the illness that plagued her earlier in her life. Although she still participates in charity events back home in England, she said she wants to disassociate herself from cancer survivor stories. “When I came over here, I got —
TENNIS, page 5
CAMPUS
LSC expansion land to be used as field HANNAH ZEDAKER Senior Reporter Construction to level out the area behind Sam Houston State University’s Lowman Student Center will create an outdoor field intended for use by students and organizations, according to Daniel McDaniel, LSC director. “The idea for the area is that maybe we could bring the Sam Jam carnival here, Greek life events, and other outdoor student activities,” McDaniel said. “Right now, the only other outdoor places students really have to go are the intermural fields and the Farrington pit.” Due to the steep incline of the land, McDaniel said leveling it out is necessary for students
to adequately be able to take advantage of it. Upon leveling, the area will be covered with grass and an automatic sprinkler system will also be installed. Although the field will be used by students over the course of the next few years, it is only a temporary void until funding for the LSC expansion comes through. Once that happens, the LSC will be expanded and take place of the field. “The issue with construction is that the funding is based on student size, but fees that were waved for certain students have had a big effect on the budget,” McDaniel said. “The loss of income through waivers has significantly impacted what we
—LSC, page 2
Kaleigh Treiber | The Houstonian
ALTERNATIVE: The area behind the Lowman Student Center will be used as an outdoor field for student groups until the expansion begins.
CAMPUS
New core curriculum provides fewer options STEPHEN GREEN Editor-in-Chief Students entering college in the fall 2014 will have less choice in what classes they have to take in the core curriculum if current plans are accepted. The new makeup of Sam Houston State University’s core curriculum – 42 credit hours that must be taken by every student – gives students 82 different options across nine topic areas designated by the state. The curriculum currently in place gives students 105 course options across 10 topic areas. After a suggestion from the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, SHSU’s Core Curriculum Committee
completely scrapped the current system and asked departments to resubmit every class they wanted considered. Dean of Graduate Studies and core committee co-chair Kandi Tayebi said the reason for the smaller core was a result of departments not submitting the number of classes they did before. “Some people decided that their classes (currently in the core and otherwise) weren’t a good fit, no longer matched (component areas), or couldn’t meet the skill objectives,” Tayebi said. THECB is now requiring all Texas public universities to assess their students across six skills or concepts each curriculum plan should teach their students: critical thinking, communication, empirical and quantitative, teamwork, social responsibility,
and personal responsibility. In addition, the board broke down the required 42 credit hours into nine component, or topic areas, including communication (six hours); math (three to four hours); life and physical sciences (eight hours); creative arts (three hours); American history (six hours); political science (six hours); social and behavioral sciences (three hours); language, philosophy and cultural studies (three hours); and a university option area (three to four hours). Each potential class, Tayebi said, needed to show how the department fit the component area, how the class incorporated the skills, and how they could assess if the class actually taught the skills. Faculty were asked to rank their top three most important
component areas in a survey taken of 307 faculty members. The results showed that “three R’s” were especially important for students to learn – reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmatic. Specifically, faculty said that students needed to have better abilities to express themselves in writing (communication), have increased math skills, as well as an expanded worldview (language, philosophy and cultural studies) in that order. Ninety percent of faculty said that SHSU “students need six hours of composition” in the core. “Our students cannot write (compose) a complete sentence,” one faculty survey commenter said. “They have difficulty getting their points across. I think we —
CLASSES, page 2
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News
Thursday, October 17, 2013 houstonianonline.com/news
CAMPUS
SGA numbers more than double JAY R JORDAN Assistant News Editor Despite the supreme drama over the past six weeks, there is increasing membership within Sam Houston State University’s Student Government Association. Since the beginning of the school year, the Senate has more than doubled in size with more to come, according to Secretary Chaston Pruitt. Vice President Kolby Flowers said that SGA’s new organization and communication attribute to the high turnout. “We spent much of the summer planning and preparing for this,” Flowers said. “We were at orientations handing out applications and signing people up to join. I would also say communication. We have been keeping constant communication with those wishing to join SGA.” Flowers said that previous government officials were enthusiastic about growth but would not follow through. “The previous director would take names and emails and never contact anyone,” Flowers said. “We never expected this great of a turnout though.” SGA currently has 22 Senators and 17 members on Freshman
Brynn Castro | The Houstonian
NUMBERS ON THE RISE: Several new SGA members listen at Tuesday night’s SGA meeting. Their numbers have increased despite weeks of bickering.
Council, according to Pruitt. “SGA isn’t the sexiest organization to be a part of but we are excited for our newest freshman members,” Flowers said. “I’ve received nearly 200 applications since the summer began for both freshman council and senate. Many of them have already been actively involved in
SGA so far, and I look forward to working with them in the future.” The College of Humanities and Social Sciences, College of Criminal Justice and College of Science each have six members in the senate. The College of Business Administration has three members, and the College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication
only has one. Senator Spencer Copeland (COCJ) said one possible reason for the recent influx of interest was the scandalous start student government had this year. “It may be that the negative things, impeachments, Supreme Court debates, drama, appear sexy to the student body [that] wants to get involved,” Copeland said. SGA Supreme Court Chief Justice Frank Parker shamed SGA on Oct. 8, saying that their low numbers were unacceptable. The SGA Constitution calls for 90 seats in the Senate, a feat the organization is far from. “At the end of the day, I don’t know why we have such a large turnout, and quite frankly I don’t care. They are coming in, and they are actually doing work, anyone would be happy with this,” Copeland said. “On top of all this Senators have done an excellent job of reaching out and trying to get people into the Senate, and there have even been professors and other faculty actively recruiting for us.” Twelve students stated their intent to join the Senate on Tuesday. If they are confirmed to the Senate at the next meeting, it will be the biggest growth-spurt the Senate has seen all year. SGA meets Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in LSC 320.
SGA Update
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Three new Senators and two new freshman councilmen were added to SGA.
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Thirteen students stated their intent to join SGA.
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F13-07, removing a fiveseat cap per college in the Freshman Council, passed unanimously.
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F13-08, placing SGA recycling bins at tailgates and other events, was tabled until next Tuesday’s meeting in an effort to ensure SGA has the power to do so.
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Sen. Robert Ferguson gave an update on his continuing Americans with Disabilities Act compliance research on and around campus.
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Sen. Spencer Copeland said the investigations involving an extra-credit scandal in classrooms are ongoing.
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Copeland motioned to resend the appointment of SGA’s new Executive Student Assistant. Sen. Pierce Davila motioned to table the discussion and vote until next Tuesday’s meeting due to time constraints.
CITY
City Manager’s State of the City to discuss ‘major advances’
need to make sure they can read, write and present by the time they graduate from college.” No additional courses were added in writing or math courses. However, the committee used three of the university option courses to add what essentially functions as a visual and oral communication component. The four classes in the component area – two from communication studies, one from mass communication, and a business speech class in the College of Business – are all focused on speech or speaking skills. In the survey, the results were much closer on if this change was wanted. Fiftyseven percent agreed that a “three-hour speech course is required in the core.” An additional 33 percent disagreed and eight percent didn’t know either way. In addition, the survey addressed the formerly mandated, one-hour health class. Sixty-five percent of faculty said students do not need additional health hours. KINE 2115 was required of all students in the old core. In the proposed one, students will also have the option of a digital research or a social economics course. A three-hour health studies class was added into the cultural studies component. Sixteen classes are new to the core, 34 were not resubmitted from the current curriculum, and six classes were either rejected, voluntarily pulled or are still being considered. Tayebi said that there was only one class – MCOM 2351 Film History and Criticism – that was outright rejected by the committee. Two classes – PHIL 2352 Introduction to Contemporary Logic and THEA 1364
LSC,
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can borrow for funding. In the meantime, our administration is looking into other options for funding.” McDaniel said that the project is necessary with the growing student population of SHSU. “Initially, the project was something the students were asking for because they wanted more outdoor programming space,” he said. “The project is really needed because students are already crowded and they are limited on what they can do, due to a lack of space.” Although McDaniel says the project is a necessity, some students beg to differ. “At first, I did think the construction going on was the extension of the LSC,” sophomore business major Summer Styles said. “I don’t think space for organizations is really a problem right now, but seeing as how it’s not being used anyway, I suppose
Beginning Acting – are currently in component area review. The committee asked the departments in the other three classes to revise their submissions, but departments chose not to. “We gave (departments) a chance to go back and revise their submissions (rather than outright rejecting them),” she said. “They were all new to the system like (the committee) was. So, PACE even came out and worked with some of the programs to rework the courses to incorporate the skill objectives.” The core curriculum committee – made up of faculty – is building a foundation that the standing university curriculum committee will use when determining future core class submissions. The approved classes are currently sitting in an assessment committee that is determining how SHSU will assess the skill requirements. The department chairs, academic deans, the core curriculum committee, and the Academic Affairs Committee have already approved classes in the proposed core. After the university chooses the methods of assessing the skills in the core, the entire package will be sent to the Texas State University System Board of Regents and the THECB for approval. “I don’t think we’re going to have problems,” Tayebi said. “They’ve said before to look at something, but we’ve been in constant communication with (the THECB) to make sure that (core classes aren’t rejected).” Tayebi said she’s not sure when the curriculum would go up for approval but that the deadline for submitting to THECB is in November 2013. The new core would go into effect for incoming freshman in Fall 2014. it’s a good use of space.” Junior mass communication major Tiffany Cozart said she thinks although the long-term project will be worthwhile, the make-shift area could be put to better use. “Extending the LSC will be really cool when it’s finished, but I really think our campus needs more parking,” Cozart said. “The activity field is a good idea but there are other fields that we already have which could be used instead—there’s only so much parking.” Although the space will be used by various organizations, it will not be blocked off to the rest of the student body. “You could reserve it just like we reserve the Farrington Pit, but when it is not under use by various locations, students will be welcome to use it,” McDaniel said. “We may need to put something up during use for special events if necessary, but if not, maybe other students could join in as well.” Construction will cost approximately $30,000 and should be completed by the end of October.
and is open to all members of the public. Carol Smith, Chamber president, said there will be refreshments including wine and light hors d’oeuvres. “The Chamber is very pleased to sponsor this seminar, and we feel it will be very advantageous for everyone in Walker County to
participate in the event and meet the leaders of our various city agencies,” Carol Smith, Chamber president said. Neighborhood resources director Sherry McKibben said tables will be set up throughout the storm shelter to display current city functions and projects.
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CLASSES,
the advances made by our departments this year,” Benoit said. “We hope the presentation will show our residents the many things they have to be proud of as members of the Huntsville and Walker County community.” The event will be at 5:30 p.m. at the Walker County Storm Shelter
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The Huntsville-Walker County Chamber of Commerce will present the “State of the City” address Thursday, according to a press release.
The address will include a description of major advances made by the city during the last fiscal year, as well as a few upcoming announcements, according to the press release. The address will be presented by City Manager Matt Benoit. “I am very excited to discuss
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2013 SPRING INFORMATIONAL WHERE:
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Viewpoints
Thursday, October 17, 2013 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints
PAWS UP
Government shouldn’t impede abortion
Kassidy Turnpaugh | The Houstonian
SAMANTHA GALINDO Guest Columnist The U.S. has come to fear the idea of a woman having the ability to make her own decisions about her body. Some argue that this is a separate debate from abortion, but it is not. We must step away from the issue and view it from every perspective. Many have argued that the decision a woman makes to have an abortion should be her own. Others argue that abortions should be outlawed entirely. Some give some ground and say that abortions should only be allowed in the case of rape and when the life of the mother is in jeopardy. The use of these phrases are used more so as rhetoric in political pandering. When did barreling against women’s civil rights become a way in which politicians seeking public office prove their worth as a candidate for voters? Proclaiming to be pro-life has become a checklist by how we measure our representatives in Congress. Geez…how well is that
working out for us right now? The real misfortune with regards to this issue is the fact that many social conservatives wish to write a simple instruction manual for handling sex in America. Do not teach school sex education at all. Instead, preach abstinence only. The belief is that if sex is not discussed by teachers then students will not have sex believing that the best course of action would be to follow Nancy Reagan’s advice and “Just Say No.” Then, after that course would fail and a teenage girl finds herself pregnant, she should not even be allowed to see a doctor who could advise her on the health realities of having an abortion. In Texas, 85 out of every 1, 000 births are from mothers between the ages of 15 and 19. This is above the nation’s average of 68 out of every 1, 000 according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Office of Adolescent Health. Since the 1990s, the rate of teen pregnancy has declined by 42 percent and most data indicates this is due to the increased use of contraceptives. A lot of attention
is drawn towards the idea of abortions being performed constantly and using taxpayer money to do some. The funding for Planned Parenthood has been significantly reduced recently due to their affiliation with performing abortions despite the fact that public funds are not allowed to be used towards abortions. And there is fear of the entire country being populated with heathens as the rate of abortions has actually decreased every year in which data is available since 2000. In 2009, 15.1 legal abortions were reported per 1, 000 women age 15-44, a decrease by 5 percent compared to 2008 according to available data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention. It should be a point of pride in America that a woman can if she chooses have an abortion legally. The alternative of skirting the law and attempting to have an unfit professional with subpar medical equipment perform the abortion risks death to the woman and is very unappealing. We do not live in the 1950s anymore. We cannot ignore the fact that sex does exist and
that there are real and direct consequences to having it, but that should not mean that our society should be legally allowed to decide which course of life women must follow because of a decision that two people made. Eighty-two percent of teen pregnancies are unplanned. The majority of abortions performed are the result of an unplanned pregnancy. We can no longer ignore the fact that it is the 21st century and women are going to have abortions. We cannot preach to strive towards technological and scientific advancements then force women to live in the 17th century. This is America and we value the right to our civil liberties. Preventing a woman from having an abortion is a violation of her civil rights – that is fact. The political rhetoric that is driven into the media outlets is mere fancy and ignores the real statistics. We cannot allow our society to move backwards towards injustice and the inequality of women, but instead embrace the fact that we are all entitled from birth to our own voice.
Sex-selective abortions should be outlawed ALEXA GRIGSBY Assistant Viewpoints Editor There are 101 men for every 100 women in the world. For those who wonder why, the main culprit is sex-selective abortion. Sex-selective abortion is the practice of aborting a fetus based on it being male or female. It is more predominant in China and other Asian countries, but do not assume that it is limited to the Eastern Hemisphere. Sexselective abortion happens in the U.S. as well, and it is neither illegal nor uncommon. In China, couples have preferred having sons to daughters, which is highlighted by the one-child policy that the Chinese government put into effect back in 1979. Sons are considered more valuable because they carry the family’s last name and can pass it on to future generations. Comparatively, when girls are married off their last names change, and they are
no longer considered a part of the family whose surname they have dropped. Sons are also considered more valuable because they can provide for their families. As a result, couples choose to abort female fetuses and try for sons. Social scientists warn that if this practice continues, there is a very real possibility that there will be around 35 million more Chinese men of marrying age than Chinese women by the year 2020. Sex-selective abortion is also prevalent in India, where parents who have daughters are required to pay a dowry when marrying off their girls. Families burdened by poverty often choose to abort female fetuses, and daughters are perceived as a social and economic burden. The Indian culture, similar to the Chinese culture, views sons as providers for their families, which makes them ultimately more valuable. India has taken measures to prevent sex-selective
abortion from happening, and laws have been passed to make sex-selective abortion illegal. However, this act of feticide still occurs much too often and leads to the consequential lack of women in the country. In the U.S., sex-selective abortions are common in AsianAmerican communities. Two researchers from the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) conducted a study on U.S.-born children of Chinese, Korean, and Asian Indian parents. Their research revealed sonbiased sex ratios. If the firstborn of these parents was a son, the sex ratios remained relatively normal. However, if the firstborn was a daughter, there was a higher tendency for the subsequent children to be male. Sex-selective abortion is something that must be cracked down on. I support the United Nations (UN) recently
launched campaign that focuses on eliminating gender-based violence. A proposed method of restricting it is to prevent couples from finding out what the sex of their child will be even though parents all over the U.S. have protested against this, claiming that it would be a violation of their rights. The prevention of sex-selective abortion is also one of the main arguments for prolife advocates across the U.S. Sex–selective abortion is unacceptable a result of unregulated abortion combined with perverse societal incentives. As we cannot change culture itself, the only logical way to deal with this issue is regulation. While I do not support an outright ban, sex-selective abortion shows what society does given no restrictions. It’s time that the abortion policy debate stopped ignoring the consequences of unregulated abortion.
PAWS UP to Congress for ending their childish behavior and non-sensical grandstanding as they passed a plan to re-open the government and raise the debt ceiling. Compromise should always be the way to handle legislative differences.
PAWS UP to Pokémon X and Y for not disappointing us fans of the decades-old game series.
PAWS UP to rain! You know what this means? Winter - or at least colder weather - is coming....brace yourselves.
PAWS DOWN
PAWS DOWN to finding out Hot Tops is a Huntsville hair salon and not our town’s first gay club.
PAWS DOWN to midterm exams making our lives miserable. We opt for a more generous assessment of our skills like a group s’mores roast.
The Houstonian Editorial
The Houstonian was named in the top 100 college newspapers for journalism students by JournalismDegree.org. Members of Associated Collegiate Press and Texas Intercolligiate Press Association.
EDITOR’S NOTE Articles, letters and cartoons by Houstonian staff members or others in this paper are their own and not the opinion of the Houstonian, unless it is noted as such. Submissions and letters to the editor are welcome. Please send submissions to viewpoints@houstonianonline.com. Articles may be edited for grammar and spelling at discretion of editor. Unsolicited oppinions should be 150 words or under. Please contact us if you wish to submit anything longer. Deadline for submission is by 5 p.m. on Mondays or Wednesdays.
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stephen Green....................................................................................................................................936-294-1505 FACULTY ADVISER Robin Johnson..................................................................................................................................936-294-1499 STAFF Molly Waddell.............................................................................................................................Associate Editor Molly Shove.................................................................................................................................Viewpoints Editor Connor Hyde......................................................................................................................................Sports Editor Joseph Redd...........................................................................................................................Entertainment Editor Monty Sloan.............................................................................................................................................Web Editor Jay R. Jordan......................................................................................................................... Assistant News Editor Kizzie Frank..............................................................................................................Assistant Entertainment Editor Jeremy Villanueva.................................................................................................................Assistant Sports Editor Alexa Grigsby..............................................................................................................Assistant Viewpoints Editor Marissa Hill.....................................................................................................................................Sports Reporter Hannah Zedaker...............................................................................................................................Senior Reporter Miranda Landsman................................................................................................................Multimedia Reporter Samantha Zambrano.............................................................................................................................Layout Editor Kassidy Turnpaugh.....................................................................................................................Graphic Designer Staff Reporter...............................Dana Price, Christian Vazquez, Robert Sandoval, Samantha Gallindo, Kaleigh Treiber, Hannah Zedaker, Colin Harris
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Arts&Entertainment
Thursday, October 17, 2013 houstonianonline.com/a-e
THEATRE
Despite classic script, actors shine CAITLIN ADAMCIK Staff Reporter The Sam Houston State theater department has delivered a moving and intense play in Gilbert Murray’s translation of Euripedes’s “The Trojan Woman,” which opened Wednesday at the Erica Starr Theater. “The Trojan Woman” is a story about the women of Troy after the fall of their city and their emotions throughout the aftermath. The story is hard to follow, however the acting is not the issue. The actors do well at delivering their lines and giving their character more depth than the script seems to call for. It’s also difficult to understand at times for those not used to hearing complex wording because the script is written in rhyming verse. The play has an impressive production value. Everything from the acting to the sets is all brilliantly produced. The costumes in the play represent the story well including the simple togas that even have hints of blood on the cloth to show the physical turmoil of the Trojan women. The choreography is a big standout. Particularly, the action between the encounter with Andeomache and Menelaus stood out. The piece was more or less a modern dance displaying the trials of the Trojan women. It was beautiful to watch. The chorus did a fantastic job at conveying the pain and sorrow they had suffered. The attention to detail in the set is incredible. Part of the stage juts out into the first few rows of the audience. There was visual aid up stage and it did not take away from
the story but actually added to it. There are pictures to add to the set of the stage and there are a few clips of characters. A platform sits atop the stage as well. It is placed in front of the screen but doesn’t interfere with the performance stage. On the platform, characters would pose to show different emotions for a scene. Soldiers would show different battle positions. The actors would hit the positions as if they were from a drawing on pottery. There is great use of shadows during Courtesy of COFAMC Facebook the play as well. All TROJAN: Nathan Wilson, playing Talthbius, (left) was a part of the cast in the SHSU production of Euripede’s “Trojan Women”. the chorus and the soldiers are shown each character’s voice. The chorus Curtis, is the daughter of Hecuba. plays such as “Helen.” in shadows for scene transition was good as well. The smaller Cassandra has gone mad and Although some of the and it is another great visual aid. details like slight trembling of predicts her death, but none of costuming worked for the play, Shadows are a fantastic way to their hands or body adds to the the other women think much of it. other choices did not. move a story along. It is simple, misery and powerful emotion. Curtis was wonderful, giving the The robes for the Gods were but it can give more meaning to Katelyn Johnson, who plays impression of being both crazy not striking. The robes should be the story. Hecuba, did an excellent job at and lost. embellished and godly rather than Some of the characters are sent portraying a fallen queen. She Menelaus, played by Thomas basic. Poseidon, played by Sean away from their home, Troy. When shows the pain of her losses by Williams, is portrayed as a strong Willard, has shells on his cloth this happened, they characters displaying scarred emotions. king. Williams gave his character and Athena has a huge headpiece walk off the stage and into the isles Talthybius, played by Nathan a palpable power, ruthless and that does look impressive. covered in a bright white light Wilson, is a Greek solider who intimidating. Poseidon’s trident did not read while a simple video clip of the passes messages to the Trojan Helen, played by Samira as godly either. It looked like it is character in white robes played women. He is the one Greek Williams, was not a sympathetic made simply from wood rather on the stage. The video clips give character who seems to have character. There was no problem than something stronger like a more meaning to the characters sympathy for the Trojans because with Williams’ delivery, but the metal. The body armor is well because it adds to the emotion. It he seems reluctant to take away a emotion didn’t come off in the done, but the bottom looked more is a powerful scene to watch. baby from Andromache, played way that a woman who just caused like metal scales. Still, this was not All the lead actors delivered by Sarah Myers. Wilson plays his the fall of an empire should have. enough to detract from the overall their important speeches with role well and gives his character Through no fault of the actress, production. confidence and with appropriate almost a Trojan heart despite the script made Helen out to look The “The Trojan Women” can tone and emotion. The audience being the enemy. weak instead of the strong woman be seen at the Erica Starr Theater will physically feel the emphasis in Cassandra, played LaToya the character is in many other at 8 p.m. on Oct. 17, 18, and 19.
CELEBRITY
Battle of the Divas: Rihanna vs Britney Spears GABRIELA COJULUM Contributing Reporter Many pop artists make an appearance in the music industry and then disappear. Talent comes and goes, but for the past few years, many have speculated on who can be titled the “Queen of Pop,” Rihanna or Britney Spears? Actually, according to Rolling Stone magazine tabulations of numerous factors, Lady Gaga is actually the reigning Queen of Pop. So maybe we can crown Rihanna or Spears as the Duchess closest to the thrown. They both have different sounds that attract the same audience, but many can argue on who is the better artist. Britney has been around for years, giving her the leg up, but Rihanna has quickly made her way up the charts since her debut single “Pon de Replay.” Britney Spears is without a doubt a pop culture icon. She has captivated the attention of many since her early years in Disney’s “Mickey Mouse Club.” That role was able to lure in a loyal fan base that are still around today. As she grew so did her fans, who were
able to accept her transition from a teen pop star to an adult sex symbol. Some of her earlier hits include “Oops!...I did it again” and “I’m a Slave 4 U.” Although these were released more than a decade ago, Spears has still managed to stay in the spotlight and keep on releasing hit singles. During the summer, she debuted “Ooh La La,” a song found (Left) U.S. Navy | Chief Warrant Officer Seth Rossman (Right) Jeff Griffith| Associated Press on “The Smurfs 2” soundtrack, DIVAS: (Left) Britney Spears performs at NFL Kickoff Live ‘03. (Right) Rihanna Performs in Perth Australia, on her Diamonds and she has just Worlds Tour. The two pop icons are constantly called the “Queen of Pop,” but who actually holds that title is up for debate. able to reach a larger fan base which emphasizes her talent for years now. They both release released her music video for her new single “Work because she does not stick to just and ability to bring in a larger amazing songs that manage to stay audience. on the top 100 chart for weeks. B**ch,” reminding the world that one genre of music. Although most of her music is A lot of her songs capture a Although many can argue that she’s not ready to go anywhere and is going to be around for years to pop, she has collaborated with rap story with a deep meaning, such one artist might be better than the artists such as Eminem in their hit as her song “Unfaithful.” Although other, no one can deny that they come. Rihanna was able to quickly single “I Love the Way you Lie.” some songs are about a heavy are both talented. Both pop duchesses will make her way up the charts, Her sound has been influenced by topic, others are just fun to dance definitely be around for years to making her one of this decade’s her upbringing around Caribbean to such as “SOS.” Britney and Rihanna have been come and there is no doubt about bestselling artist. She has been music. A lot of her singles are able to capture the essence of reggae, fighting for a spot on the charts that.
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Sports
Thursday, October 17, 2013 houstonianonline.com/sports
VOLLEYBALL
Bearkats set to reclaim top seed MARISSA HILL Sports Reporter
Sam Houston State volleyball is getting back to basics this week as they take on Southland Conference rivals and reestablish their reign in the league. The Bearkats return to Johnson Coliseum to host the University of New Orleans Thursday with Southeastern Louisiana driving in for a Saturday afternoon match. Bearkat junior outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson said SHSU will need to match the intensity of their opponents to maintain a steady fight - a problem evident against Incarnate Word last week in San Antonio. “I think we were a little taken aback by their aggressiveness,” she said. “But, we vowed to not let that happen again.” UIW stole the Bearkats perfect conference record with aggressive offensive attacks and keeping SHSU offensive tools at bay with dominating front line coverage. Wells-Gibson said this week’s practices have improved the Bearkats quick offensive scheme, working blocking drills to solidify the front line. “We sort of lost sight of blocking [against UIW,]” she said. “Now we need to bring it back into our game.” The UNO Privateers will not bring strength on offense or defense due to low hitting percentages and weak defensive
coverage. Defensive errors plague UNO in several key categories that are crucial to picking up victories: service, service reception and blocking. On serve-receive, the Privateers have accumulated 165 errors-twice their opponents’ 80 errors. The deficit in the Privateers’ blocking contributes to their high opponent hitting average that has collected 89 blocks on the season-a shadow of their opponents’ 130 blocks. The Privateers have committed 143 serving errors this season while their opponents’ service errors combine for 152 -- an average 7 errors per team. The key to victory for SHSU is staying focused, using its arsenal of offensive firepower and sealing the net against UNO. With Wells-Gibson leading the Bearkat offense alongside seniors Tayler Gray and Haley Neisler, the Kim Wroth | The Houstonian keys to victory are definitely in REDEMPTION. Sam Houston State junior outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson tips over the net against Houston their hands. Baptist earlier this season. The Bearkats return to Huntsville to continue conference play. “We had our ‘oops’ and we are all aware of that,” Gray said. “We the SLC with 54 blocks recorded Thomas and Mikayla Shippy, 54 assists. as outside hitter and setter, The Lions’ strength will be are ready to play someone else for the season. Against Southeastern respectively. their blocking. With 158.5 blocks, and show them we aren’t playing Louisiana, SHSU can’t play down Thomas has appeared in they’ve outscored opponents around anymore.” 74 sets for the Lions, posting by nearly twenty blocks on the In SHSU’s weekend stretch to their opponent. The Lions roll into town on a 218 kills. One of her strongest season. against Abilene Christian, Gray Currently, SHSU is one of three assisted on 52 of the Bearkats’ 64 7-14 overall record and 1-8 in SLC performances this season came at the Florida Atlantic University teams on the heels of SLC-leader kills -- opening up the offense for action. “We already learned the hard Invitational tournament against University of Central Arkansas Wells-Gibson and Neisler. Wells-Gibson connected with way that we can’t play to our Florida Atlantic. Thomas drilled in league standings. With two Gray for 28 kills last game while opponents level,” Grey said. “Any 16 kills home and earned a spot on wins this weekend, SHSU hopes given night that we don’t bring our the FAU All-Tournament Team. to narrow UCA’s lead and regain Neisler accounted for 10. Shippy shined during the Lions’ conference prominence. Neisler plays double-duty for A-game we could be in trouble.” At the center of the Lions’ match with Nebraska-Omaha in The first serve against New SHSU as she is a dominant force on the front lines, sitting fourth in offense stand sophomores Tiffany mid-September where she set up Orleans is set for 7 p.m.
FOOTBALL
Fritz wants Bearkats to limit McNeese running game
CONNOR HYDE Sports Editor
The Bearkats travel three hours eastward on Saturday to suit up in a match that will set the tone for their Southland Conference run. Following their 14-3 win against Lamar University to commence their league schedule, Sam Houston State will look to defend their SLC title by derailing a thirsty McNeese State squad. “They have been the bell cow in the Southland Conference,” SHSU head coach Willie Fritz said. “Last year [McNeese] lost a couple of games in the last second and they really had both those games in hand, and it would have put them in the playoffs.” The Cowboys escalated through SLC and
FCS rankings with their week five landslide victory over Central Arkansas to situate them No. 10 in FCS and No. 1 in conference. MSU recorded a season-high 595 offensive yards against a UCA group that claimed a top stop in The Sports Network preseason polls. MSU will look to abuse the Bearkats in the same fashion, however, SHSU is well aware of the target on their back. “We’re going to get everybody’s A-game, and we need to come out ready,” Fritz said. Despite the Cowboys’ 24-9-1 series advantage over SHSU, the Bearkats’ are have made a habit of establishing a home away from home. Since the start of the 2011 SLC championship season the Bearkats have accumulated a 12-6 road record, with a
near perfect road stretch in 2012. The only hiccups last season came from dropping games at Baylor, UCA and Texas A&M. SHSU has remained within the comforts of Bowers Stadium this season, but concerns of performance on the road remain unnecessary, Fritz said. “Our guys travel really well,” he said. “Sometimes you get away and you get a little more focused the night before and the morning of.” Last season Fritz and company kept the Cowboys’ offense off balance through the second and third quarters to run away with a 45-10 win. With a strong rushing performance from running back Timothy Flanders and Wildkat specialist Richard Sincere, Fritz will look to replicate the same ground success, despite Flanders’ recording
only 83 yards against Lamar. “We just didn’t break any long [runs],” Fritz said. “[Lamar] did a very good job tackling.” Fritz said his concern is to limit MSU’s effectiveness on the ground, with Cowboy running back Marcus Wiltz averaging 112 rushing yards per game this season. The senior tailback leads the Cowboys in rushing, and is in the top echelon of SLC running backs, reeling in enough spotlight to be placed on the 2013 preseason All-SLC second team. For SHSU to hinder Wiltz finding green space, maintaining consistent anchoring from linebackers Tanner Brock and Eric Fieilo will be needed. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. and will broadcast on ESPN3.
Samantha Villareal | The Houstonian
HIT THE ROAD. Sophomore running back Keshawn Hill rushes against McNeese State at Bowers stadium in 2012. The Bearkats will travel to Lake Charels, La., this Saturday to square off against the Cowboys.
TENNIS,
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a fresh start,” Battye said. “Back home, I felt like I was being suffocated by (my recovery) and people just saw me as a cancer survivor. Here I’m a tennis player and student-athlete.” Before her diagnosis Battye contemplated forgoing competitive tennis to pursue her studies in England. Battye said overcoming the adversity of cancer caused a shift in perspective of the sport. “If I hadn’t gotten sick, I probably wouldn’t have come to America,” she said. “I was planning on just going to college in England and focusing on school and not tennis. (Surviving cancer) made me determined to do something with my life and not just be ordinary.” Although she originally signed with Troy University in Alabama, a series of injuries made her ineligible to compete due to the school’s medical clearance policies, which led her to SHSU. Battling cancer left her with the residual effect of extended recovery time from minor injuries, she said. Giachino recognized this
and identified an opportunity when she reached out to him. “She’s a young lady with tremendous upside,” Giachino said. “I knew that if she was brought along slowly, she could be a productive and positive member of our team.” In her first competitive fall at SHSU, Battye finished with a 6-3 record, but was redshirted in the following spring due to injuries. This season she looks to improve upon that mark and is off to an encouraging start, having recently won the consolation championship for the No. 5 singles flight at the Northwestern State Demon Invitational on Oct. 12. Battye said she wants to continue to improve her skillset as a tennis player, and team captain, while earning her degree in kinesiology. Giachino said any of the girls could be captain, but Battye’s teammates nominated her as the team leader with Giachino’s immediate approval. “Her biggest strength is her ability as a competitor,” Giachino said. “If you can fight cancer and beat it, somebody across the net from you doesn’t really seem that scary.”
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News
Thursday, October 17, 2013 houstonianonline.com/
TECH
PS4 controllers to work with PCs CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZ Staff Reporter In the gaming industry, Microsoft has had the biggest advantage over Nintendo and Sony for years because their Xbox 360 gamepad works seamlessly with PCs, according to extremetech.com’s James Plafke. However, some say that trend is about to change. Shuhei Yoshida, president of Sony’s Worldwide Studios for Sony Computer Entertainment Inc., tweeted that the PlayStation 4 controller will work on PCs “for basic functions.” Basic functions include controlling the analog sticks and buttons. This is a step forward for Sony after their previous controller, the DualShock 3, needed drivers like the “DS3 Tool” installed before
it could work on PCs. This was a tedious process compared to the 360 gamepad, where it was plug and play. Junior computer science student Dustin Hamann said that DualShock 4’s compatibility isn’t exactly a plus for PC gaming and that this feature won’t change a lot of consumers’ minds who are already set on what they want. “I don’t think it’s a boon, necessarily,” Hamann said. “It’s just a luxury to have, really. Besides, those who want an Xbox One will get one. The same goes for those who want a PlayStation 4. They’ll still get one. Plafke wrote that the DualShock 4 should support “Xinput” API, a driver that allows the computer to recognize any gamepad as a 360 controller. “If Sony gave its new gamepad Xinput support, the company would be relenting a little bit,”
Tufuprod | Wiki Commons
PS4: The Dualshock 4 controller has the ability to work on a PC right away.
Plafke said. “But it already won the bigger battle of Blu-ray, so perhaps it won’t mind using Xinput.” Sony also has an advantage on
Microsoft because of the timing. According to Alexis Santos from engadet.com, Xbox One’s gamepad won’t be compatible with PC’s until 2014 because of
coding issues. Junior criminal justice major Shannon Jackson said Xbox One’s controller not being compatible with PCs right away was “dumb” and that DualShock 4’s immediate compatibility was an incentive for her to purchase a PS4. “Microsoft should’ve been prepared for that,” Jackson said. “I play PC games, so the PS4’s gamepad compatibility kind of makes me want to get a PS4 for a nice bonus. I don’t want to wait another year for One’s gamepad to work with my PC.” Hamann said that controllers being compatible with PC’s only give way to the bigger picture of the gaming industry. “It’s all going back to PCs,” Hamann said. “Consoles are looking and behaving more like PCs these days. So having PC compatibility with next-gen just cements that fact.”
HEALTH
Researchers developing first malaria vaccine DANA PRICE Staff Reporter A new malaria vaccine showed promising result in clinical trials. Researchers realized that injecting patients with life-weakened, malaria-causing parasites created a protective effect, according to a recent report from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. Malaria is caused by a parasite transmitted by a mosquito bite, according to World Health Organization (WHO). Researcher and Navy Capt. Judith Epstein said the vaccine is currently in an early step in the process. “We’re in the first stages now of really
being able to have a completely effective vaccine,” Epstein said. The study said the volunteers were given the vaccine and split into two groups. They were then exposed to the bite of malarial mosquitoes. One group received a high dosage of the vaccination and the other group received a low dosage. Only three out 15 of the participants who were given a high dosage contracted malaria, while 16 out of 17 who were given the lower dosage became infected. The test group that did not have the vaccination had 11 out 12 participant became infected when they had contact with the malarial mosquitoes. According to the study, researchers collected malaria parasites while they were
still in the sporozite stage, which is when the parasites usually travel to the human liver after a bite occurs. The vaccine is made of the weakened versions of the sporozites that, when injected in the body, is shown to encourage the system into producing more antimalaria antibodies. It also produced more immune system cells specific to the vaccine. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 1,500 cases of malaria are diagnosed in the United States each year. The CDC also said that most of the cases where from those who recently returned from traveling to countries where malaria transmission occurred. Sam Houston State University’s study abroad program tells students of ways to stay healthy while studying in other countries, according to their website. The CDC website also showed that it is important for people to see the warning signs of malaria and receive treatment immediately. Kelly Granger, anthropology major from
Davidson College in North Carolina, took a six week program in Ghana. A few days after returning home, she became ill. Granger started feeling tired and had a headache and fever. When she went to her doctor, he diagnosed her with jet lag. However, after her symptoms became worse, her parents took her to the emergency room. According to the CDC, the doctors had to prepare her for an exchange transfusion. This is when her red blood cells, which were mostly infected with malaria parasites, would be removed through an IV in one arm and fresh red blood cells from a blood donor would be transfused into Granger’s other arm. That procedure was able to bring down the level of malaria parasites in her blood and Granger was able receiver physical therapy to gain back her strength. She then able to returned to school the following fall semester. Even though the vaccine is still in the early stages, Epstein hopes the vaccine will be licensed in three to five years.
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by Dec. 31 and will cost $99,950. Another problem that hasn’t been fixed yet is the lack of self-closing devices installed in the doors separating the Criminal Justice building from the Hotel. This may lead to a potential fire to jump to the other building, the audit noted. This will be fixed by June 1, 2014, according to the updated audit. The five problems that have been fixed where completed between the inspection in February and now. One of the problems that State Fire Marshal Chris Connealy reported was that there was a large quantity of combustible items stored in the unfinished basement area of the hotel. “The quantity of combustibility of the stored items may overwhelm to fire sprinkler system if a fire occurs,” the audit report stated, “placing occupant safety and structural stability at risk.” This problem was fixed in April by moving the combustible items to a dumpster or to property to be sold in the auction they hold twice a year, according to Mark Shiflet, environmental health and safety coordinator. “The storage problem was the result of inadequate storage areas,” Shiflet said. The Hotel also had no emergency lighting installed in the north and south fire exit stairways. The audit report said persons using the stairs with the lights out could be at risk of injury and the lack of illumination will slow the evacuation of the building. “Some of the findings were not problems at all- such as the emergency lighting in the stairwells,” Shiflet said. “Those lights are powered by an emergency generator. There was no panic hardware installed on the exit door leading from the north stairway to the building exterior, according to the report. “Panic hardware is required to permit exiting occupants to bypass any latch or locking mechanism installed upon an exit door,” the report said. “[This prevents] delay in exiting which could cause occupants to ‘pile up’ and jam the door close.”
Officials said that problem was fixed in May. The firefighting standpipe in the basement mechanical room was missing the adapter device that allows a fire hose to connect for water. This was fixed in April. The mechanical rooms in the hotel had unsealed vertical penetrations for the passage of pipes. Those were addressed in April. “Unsealed openings may permit fire, smoke and toxic gases produced by a fire to spread from floor to floor,” the report stated. The fluorescent lighting fixtures in the unfinished basement were connected to outlets with long extension cords draped over piping; the safety department fixed this in April. The last problem reported that has been fixed is the door separating the hotel laundry room from the north stairway exit foyer. It did not have a self-closing device. According to the report, a fire in the laundry room could produce heat and smoke that would block the path of occupants using the exit stairway. This was fixed in April as well. Connealy also reported minor problems at White Hall, Belvin-Buchanan, Sam Houston Village, Gibbs Ranch House, the CJ center Dormitories, and Alpha Delta Pi, Alpha Chi Omega, Sigma and Zeta sorority houses. These have all been taken care of except for one in the CJ center dormitories. According to the report, the fire alarm system was “red tagged” for the second consecutive year. The impairments include all audiovisual alarm devices on the second floor didn’t work, smoke detection sensitivity testing failed, and the water flow detection service for the firefighting standpipe and hose cabinets indicate a trouble condition requiring repairs. According to an updated audit report this is scheduled to be fixed by Aug. 31, 2014, and will cost $138,648. Shiflet said that Connealy will be coming back to campus in November for a progress report. Connealy was unable to be reached by press time.