9-5-13

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WHAT’S INSIDE? Sandoval disagrees with NCAA’s hit rule Coach Fritz wants to make A&M work for points.

Sudent examines the dangers of payday loans

P3 P3 P5

TOMORROW’S FORECAST

HI: LOW:

Artist commemorates March on Washington

95o 73o

Miranda Landsman |The Houstonian

Chance of Rain:

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20%

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Volume 124/ Issue 3

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Thursday, September 5, 2013

SGA battles over budget CAMPUS

JAY R. JORDAN Senior Reporter Awkward, personal and heated debate broke out at the Student Government Association meeting Tuesday as concern arose over its proposed budget.

Student Body President Ramiro Jaime, Jr., placed his budget up for Senate vote only to be met with a counter-budget, neither of which were approved. He also said because of the lack of action during the meeting, SGA won’t function until a budget is officially passed.

Jaime’s budget consisted of three key changes from FY 2013 in spending. Included were a $4,200 (11 percent) decrease in overall Officer Stipends, a $6,665 (148 percent) increase in Executive Student Assistant wages to cover more ESAs and Ramiro’s new Personal Executive Assistant position, and a $535 (four percent) increase in the Senate Discretionary Fund.

Although the overall Officer Stipends decreased, the President and Vice President both had proposed raises, while other administrative positions received relatively greater pay decreases.

Compared to FY 2013, Jaime’s budget calls for a stipend change of a $75 ($925 to $1,000) increase to the President, a $50 increase to the Vice President ($750 to $800), a $300 decrease from the Secretary ($600 to $300), a $150 decrease from the treasurer ($450 to $300), and $50 increased to the chief of staff ($250 to $300).

Jaime claimed his increase to ESA wages was due to the lack of hours the SGA office was open to students.

“The reason for [the ESA wages increase] is that last year we only had one ESA,” Jaime said. “The issue with that was, if he had class, the office was closed. If the students needed to come by, they had no one to speak to.”

Jaime explained that with the new ESA budget, SGA plans on having the office open and accessible to students from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday. The increase also included an administrative assistant to the president.

According to Jobs for Kats, the new position titled Personal Assistant to the Student Body President will “serve at the

pleasure of the student body president, schedule appointments, attend some meetings, answer and return phone calls/emails, [and] take notes.”

Senator and Caucus Chair for the College of Humanities and Social Sciences Steven Perry presented a counter-budget to Jaime’s budget moments after Jamie called for a vote.

The amendment calls for major changes from Jaime’s original proposal including $3,000 less in overall Officer Stipend, $4,165 less in ESA wages, $2,500 more to Bearkat All Paws In, and $500 less for the Student Advisory Board.

Other changes include a $250 increase for University Affairs and a $415 increase for Incidental Expenses and Office Supplies.

Jaime’s budget is a 17.1 percent increase in SGA’s internal spending while Perry’s budget is a 10.5 percent decrease in internal spending. Records obtained by the Houstonian show SGA internal expenditures increased 278 percent from 2005-2011, or more than $13,000 in 2005-2006 to more than $49,600 in 2011-2012.

Even though SGA’s total budget increased by 56.5 percent ($46,000 to $72,000) in the six-year span, student-oriented spending decreased by 38 percent and senate discretionary funds went down by 19 percent.

Among the major changes in Perry’s budget was $5,000 to be set aside for a scholarship fund that the Student Service Fee Committee had previously denied. Perry claimed that the board only denied SGA initially due to the lack of logistics for the scholarship.

“What we were told is that they weren’t going to give us an extra $5,000 because they haven’t seen the way it worked before,” Perry said. “They wanted to see a pilot program. So that’s what I want to do.”

Jaime rebuked what Perry said about the committee’s decision.

“First of all, the SGA scholarship fund – we cannot do it,” Jaime said.

“The school has said no. There’s no ifs, ands, or buts about it. So that’s $5,000 there you can count out of the budget… It’s not that we’re mean and we don’t want to give it away; the university said no.”

Vice President Kolby Flowers served on the committee last year and confirmed that they said the program lacked structure, but was

Brynn Castro | The Houstonian

BUDGET WARS. Cacaus Chair for CHSS, Steven Perry, proposes his counter budget, while SGA president Ramiro Jaime listens intently at Tuesdays SGA meeting.

a possible initiative for SGA to pursue.

“To say the school won’t allow the fund is incorrect,” Flowers said. “The faculty members on the (committee) have expressed concern over how SGA has handled its money in the past and wants to see, not just hear, a structured proposal.”

Perry said that he feels SGA’s role is to serve the students and spend their money wisely.

“Scholarships are a great way to both ensure SGA’s fiscal responsibility, and directly benefit our fellow Bearkats,” Perry said. “Student government has an obligation to ensure that each dime we spend is used as effectively as possible, and will benefit the student body as much as possible.”

Several students also spoke out during the meeting, many in support of Jaime’s budget. Most students said that if the president submitted a budget, that there must be a reason for it and that the Senate should support that.

Senator Spencer Copeland requested a temporary budget be passed so that ESA wages wouldn’t be furloughed. That motion was never voted on.

Perry and Jaime’s respective budgets were referred to a committee for further review. The

committee will be presided over

by Treasurer Robert Arriaga and consist of five senators appointed

by Jaime and approved by the

Senate.

The next meeting will convene on Sept. 10 at 6:30 p.m.

BAPI also budget concern Another controversial topic of the night was Perry’s proposed $2,500 increase to the Bearkat All-Paws-In project, SHSU’s largest community service organization. According to the senator, BAPI went roughly $2,500 over budget last year, and this increase is to brace for the possibility of that happening again.

Jaime was quick to remind the senate that SGA is still trying to get rid of surplus t-shirts and supplies from last year’s project.

He also said that BAPI isn’t about the giveaways, but the service.

“We spent a lot of giveaways,” Jaime said. “This is a community service outreach program. If you don’t want to do community service, then stay home. If you’re coming for a t-shirt, some pizza, a bracelet – please don’t show up because the humans of the world deserve better than that. All those extra giveaways – for what?

We can’t even give them away, so there’s no need to expand the

budget.”

Perry stood by his budget proposal after the meeting, saying that keeping the budget the same was essentially shrinking it and that the promotional materials were the only marketing the organization had for the event.

“It’s really hard to plan an event that you want to get better with a budget that gets smaller,” Perry said. “I do think that whoever’s going to be in charge of BAPI is going to have to be fiscally responsible… as student government always should be, but I think that we need to make sure we have those tools in place.”

Perry said that the budget increase isn’t necessarily for the giveaways, but for essential tools for community service.

“In the past, what has ended up happening was a shortage of waters, we’ve had people picking up trash without gloves, just because we have a shortage of supplies we actually need,” Perry said.

CAMPUS

Nursing School growing faster than space allows MOLLY WADDELL Associate Editor

Christian Vazquez| The Houstonian

Visit our website! www.HoustonianOnline.com

The new School of Nursing is already overgrowing its space.

The first graduating class is projected to have 24 students.

Anne Stiles, Ph.D., chair of the School of Nursing, said that they only admit 40 a semester. There are currently 101 majors in the Bachelor of Science in Nursing and about 1,000 students in the pre-nursing program.

The school can only accept 40 students into their program each semester because they currently share a building with ROTC and military science.

“We have really outgrown this building,” Stiles said about the Academic Building III. This means that only one out

of six students in the pre-nursing program can be accepted into the school each semester.

Plans to build a new building for the School of Nursing were supposed to begin next year. The building was planned to be paid for by a state tuition revenue bond, but while the bill was passed by the Texas House of Representatives, it failed in the Senate, and Gov. Rick Perry did not add it to the special sessions’ agendas. This is the third time that the school has asked for the bond. Tuition revenue bonds provide funding through the state to pay for the construction on public university campuses.

The School of Nursing also just found out that they get to expand to The Woodlands Center. According to Stiles the Pre-licenser program and the Registered Nurse to BSM program will both be expanding

to The Woodlands.

The Pre-licenser program will accept 20 students in the fall of 2014.

The School of Nursing currently offers only one degree, but Stiles hopes to create more in the near future.

“We want to get a master’s in here by the fall of 2016.” Stiles said.

Stiles said the department was thinking about a Master’s in Nursing Forensics. Nursing forensics is a field that utilizes trained nurses to perform an exam on a victim, such as a sexual assault victim, that includes the nurse examining and also taking evidence to put the perpetrator away.

Formerly known as the Department of Nursing, the school admitted its first students in spring 2012.

They officially joined the newly formed College of Health Sciences on Tuesday. The college includes the School of Nursing and the Department of Health and Kinesiology.

Stiles said she and the School of Nursing are excited to be a part of a college.

“We are great,” Stiles said.

“We have a good, diverse faculty in terms of age, ethnicity and specializations.”

The School of Nursing also earned their Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing during the summer. The accreditation gives the school more credibility and allows graduates to go to graduate school. Stiles said they will go for their Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education accreditation next.

Be sure to check out the Houstonian Orientation Guide located around campus and the City of Huntsville! Can’t find one? Let us know and we’ll get you a copy.

Page 2

News

Thursday, September 5, 2013 houstonianonline.com/news

Miranda Landsman | The Houstonian

I HAVE A DREAM. Ronald Oliver paints a protrait of civil rights leader Martin Luther King, Jr., in a celebration of the 50th anniversary of his historic “March on Washington” and speech.

University honors civil rights 50-year-old milestone speech MIRANDA LANDSMAN Multimedia Reporter In 1963, thousands of people gathered at the Washington Mall to stand up for their civil rights; it was a turning point for a movement that continues on to this day.

Students, faculty and staff at Sam Houston State University were given the chance to take part in that movement Wednesday.

More than 100 people came together to commemorate one of the most significant events in American history: the March on Washington. The campus event honored the march where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his historic “I have a dream speech.” The event also let students show their support through open mic and artistic expression.

“Great art is like freedom,” artist Ronald Oliver said. While many participants chose to speak during the event, Oliver painted a portrait of King, who was assassinated not long after his famous speech.

“I wanted to put a face to what is still going on. The march is still happening today and we need more marchers,” Oliver said.

Professors and students read speech excerpts from the 10 men who spoke at the Washington March. Graduate student

Chelsea Branch chose one given by Asa Philip Randolph.

“I chose to read his speech because it calls for a spirit of integration,” Branch said.

“If we had that same spirit today, a lot of things could change.”

The event was hosted by associate professor Jeffrey Littlejohn, a history advocate and activist. The civil rights movement is, to him, one of the most fascinating periods of American history.

Fifty years ago King gave his speech on civil freedom; the Civil Rights Act was passed less than a year later.

Shortly after came the Voting Rights Act of 1965, but the fight did not end with these victories. Every day people fight for equality. The American people have come a long way, and as the Bearkats demonstrated Wednesday, they do not intend on stopping.

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Huntsville Police Department Daily Shift Reports

Day Shift Sept. 2 •Assault was reported at the 200 block of Blalock Street.

•Car vandalism was reported at the 2700 block of Montgomery Road.

•A domestic dispute was reported at the 1200 block of Avenue E. •Theft was reported at the 2500 block of Lake Road.

•Car vandalism was reported at the 600 block of IH 45 South.

•Quinton Dosia was arrested on a warrant serve.

•Katrina Hatfield was arrested for assault against a family member.

Night Shift Sept. 2-3 •A verbal dispute was reported at the 1300 block of Smither Drive •A two vehicle crash was reported at the intersection of SH 19 and Old Colony.

•Theft was reported at the 2300 block of Sam Houston Avenue.

•A two vehicle crash was reported at the 3000 block of SH W. •Don Rankin was arrested for public intoxication.

•James West was arrested for public intoxication.

•Tommy Jackson Jr. was issued a citation for possession of drug paraphernalia.

•Dedric O’Bryant was arrested for assault.

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Page 3

Sports

Thursday, September 5, 2013 houstonianonline.com/sports

Fritz: We want to make them work CONNOR HYDE Sports Editor

Texas A&M reminded college football in week one they are not a high caliber team without Johnny Manziel.

Manziel’s half-game suspension during the No. 6 Aggies’ home opener against Rice University jolted the Aggie offense to outlast the Owls 52-31 after a tight 28-21 first half.

Approaching week two, Sam Houston State University will travel 45 minutes to suit-up against Manziel and company for a second consecutive year.

In 2012 SHSU drove into College Station in high spirits after clenching their second consecutive SLC title with a 7-1 league record. The Aggie defense barred SHSU’s explosive run game and locked down the air attack with a shut-out first half.

SHSU head coach Willie Fritz said his concern covering Manziel is locking down his ability to complete precision passes.

Manziel’s ability to throw precise passes in heavy coverage is often overlooked by his scrambling speed. Fritz wants to maintain leverage in the backfield and keep the secondary over-the-top when covering receivers.

“We want to make those guys work for points,” he said. “[Manziel] is going to get his yards. If things break down back there that’s where he causes you trouble.

You just need to get good leverage.”

Last year Manziel threw for 267 yards against SHSU’s veteran secondary and found 109 yards rushing through middle seams. Last week during their home opener against Rice, Manziel accounted for three passing touchdowns and 31 rushing yards during his 20 minutes of play. The reigning

Courtesy GoBearkats

REMATCH: Senior Bearkat linebacker Jesse Beauchamp closes in on Hesiman winning quarterback Johnny Manziel. Manziel threw for 267 yards and three touchdowns against SHSU in 2012.

Heisman quarterback was soon benched after taunting Owl defenders, calling for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty.

The quarterback did not address the media in post-game interviews, but head coach Kevin Sumlin said the penalty was “foolish,” and “[Manziel] is going to face that every week with people chirping.”

Aggie receiver Mike Evans received for 84 yards including two touchdowns against the Owls, similar to his performance against the Bearkats in 2012. The sophomore receiver abused SHSU’s secondary with 81 yards and two touchdowns in his freshmen performance.

Bearkat defensive back Bookie Sneed said his matchup with Ev-

ans will be similar to covering Detroit Lions receiver Calvin Johnson. Sneed is listed at 6’0”, 180-pounds, with Evans listed at 6’5”, 225 pounds.

“You may not win every single battle but I’m going to go in on him with everything I have,” Sneed said. “I’m trying to pick up on a lot of his tendencies. It’s all about going out there and trusting what you do.”

The senior defensive back said the defense has worked scrambling drills to prepare for Manziel and his ability to work precision passing on the run and out of the pocket.

“It’s like chasing a rabbit out there,” Sneed said. “We need to lock on, knowing when he’s in the pocket.”

The Bearkats starters will clock substantial game time against the Aggies, following SHSU’s 74-0 shutout against Houston Baptist in week one. First string teams on both sides of the ball slowly trickled back to the bench with the second teams steering the reins in the second half.

Week one’s shutout recorded the team’s fifth highest shutout in school history.

Suspensions linger in Texas A&M’s lineup with the suspension of three defensive players a few hours before their contest against Rice. Steven Jenkins, Gavin Stansbury and De’Vante Harris were suspended for violation of team rules, according to the university.

With fresh legs carrying from week one, running back Timothy

Flanders sights in on exposing a weak defensive line and narrow his deficit from the Southland Conference’s all-time rushing record. Flanders recorded 52 yards against the Huskies with a strong presence pushing through the middle seams. The senior All-American is 469 yards from claiming the all-time rushing title.

“Records are meant to be broken but I’m going to do everything I can to add to it,” he said.

Flanders said he wants to maintain momentum and energy against the Aggies, a feat that lacked against HBU during the second half.

Game time kicks off Saturday at 6 p.m. in College Station. Tickets are available at www.gobearkats. com.

Errors hurt Sam Houston as they fall to Texas State MARRISA HILL Sports Reporter The reigning Southland Conference champions Sam Houston State University Bearkats stumbled into the 2013 season, extending their record to 1-3 during their home-opener loss.

The Texas State University Bobcats improved upon their four-game win streak Tuesday night against SHSU with three consecutive set wins.

The Bearkats came out strong early in the first set, but after a few reception errors, the Bobcats soon took over the lead, winning the first set 25-19.

Bobcat head coach Karen Chisum said she was surprised by the Bearkats’ performance; claiming her team’s slow approach in the first set.

“I don’t know if we came out slow or if [SHSU] came out fast, but we continued to play our game,” she said. “I knew they would be scrappy defensively, so we worked on blocks because Sam Houston sets high, something other teams don’t do.”

Errors committed in later sets killed the Bearkats in the remaining three sets.

SHSU hit for a -.065 percentage with service and receiving errors from all fronts extending their offensive and defensive struggle.

“I thought we came out as the aggressors early, but then Texas State became the aggressors,” head coach Brenda Gray said.

“We just have to be more consistent and the talent has to come together.

SHSU rallied within three points of the Bobcats during the third set, closing in 6-9,

but consistent errors continued to haunt the Bearkats as the Bobcats went on a six point run, making the score 15-9.

Haley Neisler was strong during the third set making several key kills for the Bearkats, but it was not enough to pull out the win.

SHSU will head into the SMU Mustang Invitational this weekend ranked 14th in SLC standings.

The Bearkats will open the weekend against conference rival Lamar University (1-4).

Kim Ross | The Houstonian

SLOW START: Freshman outside hitter Breanna Homer spikes for point against Texas State University.SHSU claimed the first set but dropped the following three matches.

NCAA hit rule ridiculous ROBERT SANDOVAL Guest Columnist

Baltimore Raven’s blogger and WNST show host Jeff Kryglik agrees that players just need to be able to play the game for what it’s always been.

He sees where the NCAA and NFL should protect their players but said a sport known for contact is losing the contact portion. He said each player knows the risk of playing the game of football from when they are little kids to grown men.

Pereira said he sees the new rules saving football killing the sport in the future.

“The NFL has the same issues as college,” Pereira said. “This isn’t all about college football. The rules are about parents who don’t want to put their kids in Pop Warner football because they are scared of all

coverage about concussions. I have news for you: if the game dries up on the Pop Warner level, it will on every other level, too. There is no college or NFL football. It’s a trickle-up effect.”

The game is becoming faster, and athletes are too. There are safety measures that do need to be taken but with these changes that they are making, the NFL and NCAA are slowly but surely making every play moves become non-existent.

The big hits that spark a moment swing are becoming less relevant. The big cut block that a lineman needs to make to save his quarterback is fading away. These are just a few things that can change the dynamics of the game but they are being taken away and it’s just disappointing seeing plays you grew up with being turned into grainy memories.

-Full Story Available Online

Page 4

Arts&Entertainment

Thursday, September 5, 2013 houstonianonline.com/a-e

Fans celebrate past of future show KIZZIE FRANK Assistant A&E Editor Futurama, now a veteran of comedy shows, aired its final episode of their seventh and last season yesterday at 10/9c p.m.

The season seven finale Professor Farnsworth presents Planet Express with a time shelter.

Fry and Bender pull off a jewelry heist, and Fry finally proposes to Leela. In Futurama Live! Fans express their gratitude to a series well done.

“I don’t think we could have asked for a better ending,” said an audience member.

This adult comedy has had four different “series finales” already. The fact that the executive producer has vowed to take a break from the show is questionable.

Their track record shows that their word is possibly not their bond when it comes to this longstanding show. According to Comedy Central’s website David X. Cohen, Executive Producer of Futurama, said, “This time, I can feel like we made it. Over the course of 14 years, we did seven seasons…”

During the live chat with producers of Futurama, Cohen

announced the winner of a Zoidberg figurine that was signed by one of the cast members.

Futurama first aired on Fox back in 1999, which happens to be the same year as Family Guy. Futurama did well in its younger years, winning an Emmy for Outstanding Animated Program in 2001. Despite its success, Fox decided to cancel the show in 2003. Comedy Central agreed to commission 16 new episodes from direct-to- DVD movies in 2008 that ran as 30 minute episodes.

With its considerably high ratings, Comedy Central ordered 26 more episodes to be aired over two more seasons only a year later.

Phillip Fry referred to in the series as “Fry”, was a 25 year old with a dead end pizza delivery job. Fry somehow freezes himself on the last day off December, 1999. He wakes up 1,000 years later to a futuristic world, where he finds a one-eyed alien named Leela and a poorly manufactured robot, Bender. Fry’s distant future nephew employs him and his two new friends at Planet Express, an intergalactic delivery service.

There have also been episodes centered on a semi-central character, such as Bender “going to hell” for all of his sins and Leela

Kassidy Turnpaugh | The Houstonian

meeting her biological parents.

Futurama is, or was, a show with predominately laugh producing events, but every so often an emotional, gut-punching episode

pops up. Fans are still crying over season five’s “Jurassic Bark”.

This science fiction animation was created by David X Cohen and Matt Groening. Groening is

also responsible for creating the Simpsons. Even though the final episode has aired, there is rumored to be a cross-over episode of the Simpsons with Futurama.

James Franco roast left audiences satisfied GABRIELA COJULUM Contributing Reporter “Why are we here, James? … I know why I’m here, because every time you do something without me it sucks!”

Seth Rogen was the host for Comedy Central’s special, The Roast of James Franco, which aired on Labor Day. The lineup of roasters was a different range of comedians who did not miss the opportunity to take jabs, not only at the actor, but at each other. Some guests included Sarah Silverman, Andy Samberg, Jonah Hill, Aziz Ansari, and Nick Kroll.

The hilarious stand ups had the audience roaring in laughter as each comedian took turns at the podium taking a shot at Franco.

The lineup began with Nick Kroll, who although his speech was forgettable, had some funny moments. He went from Jewish jokes to ending it with saying “if anyone here bombs tonight, it’s just because they’re doing an impression of James Franco at the Oscars.”

His last joke was a great way to end his turn because it left the audience in a roar, making them forget about anything else he had said.

Other comedians who had a more memorable performance include Jonah Hill, who poked fun of his fellow roasters through pointing out their minute current acting roles, failed attempts at the big screen, box office flops, and pointing out how insignificant some of the comedians are, such as Kroll. As the main event of roasting Franco came, he did not miss the beat in pointing out James Franco’s failed attempt at hosting the Oscars, which was a topic many had something to contribute to.

One of the most memorable comedians to roast Franco was the ever so lovable, Aziz Ansari.

He was able to take a shot at everyone who roasted him prior and keep the audience laughing throughout his turn. Sam Houston sophomore, Arnold Vargas, agreed “I liked Aziz Ansari more!

His jokes and entire roast seemed to flow. It didn’t seem like he tried, he’s just naturally funny.”

Ansari was even able to captivate the attention of senior Abraham Aviles who, he himself was not a fan of the show.

“Aziz was one of the two people who made me laugh,” Aviles said.

“The show itself was a chore to watch...”

As the night came to an end,

James Franco was able to give his rebuttal on hearing all the hilarious but hurtful things his friends had to say about him. He kept his composure throughout the evening and was a good sport as he took every vicious attack with grace and charm.

“This is truly my punishment

for the Oscars,” Franco opened up. He was able to poke fun at his roasters and had the audience laughing with his charisma. He ended the night by signing his name on the podium making the crowd go into a hoot.

AP Photo | Evan Agostini

Miley Cyrus went overboard RAVEEN JOHNSON Contributing Reporter Miley Cyrus raised many eyebrows after her interesting performance at the Video Music Awards (VMAs) last Sunday. The Disney star-turned-pop princess seemed to be having a grand time on stage, but many viewers were not impressed. Fans and viewers have not hesitated to express their opinions on Cyrus’ performance, but Miley has finally decided to quiet the naysayers.

The pop star felt like her

performance was no more controversial than those of past VMA performances such as Madonna and Britney Spears, but viewers saw that as no excuse for Cyrus’ boisterous performance.

“They’re over-thinking it.

You’re thinking about it more than I thought about it when I did it. Like, I didn’t even think about it, ’cause that’s just me,” Cyrus said on Tuesday.

It was obvious to everyone who witnessed the show that Cyrus did not think her entire performance through; from the props and decorations to the reaction from

her fans and viewers. Using voluptuous African-American women as the accessories and her sexual behavior along with her scanty clothing were absolutely inappropriate.

Cyrus failed to consider the aspects of her performance that could have been received as offensive and, quite frankly, disrespectful.

The performance, in its entirety, was one for the books, but most of the memories will not be so pleasant. It seems as if Miley and the media have only scratched the surface with her quirky shows and their aggressive opinion.

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Page 5

Viewpoints

Thursday, September 5, 2013 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

GENERATION Y U NO CARE?

Loaning your soul to the devil ANTHONY ORMSBEE Columnist We have a new villain in town. It’s a growing financial industry that targets lowincome people, with a growing emphasis on college students. It slides under and around regulations and is more slippery than a snail and an oil spill and has gone largely without regulation for long enough. It is time for the nefarious payday loan industry to stop their systematic oppression and exploitation of people who are suffering from financial hardships.

Many people are appalled at the idea of a credit card with 22 percent interest rate and would never think of applying for one but travel down the main streets of any town and you will find payday loan storefronts advertising their extremely low rates – of up to 664.30 percent APR. The Consumer Federation of America estimates that there are 22,000 payday loan stores nationwide and that the insidious industry loans more than $40 billion annually while collecting more than $6 billion in finance charges; not include late fees, service fees and additional

Kassidy Turnpaugh | The Houstonian

fees.

Here is how the payday loan system works. Let’s say that you have just gotten your book list for the semester and several of your books must be purchased new from the bookstore because you also need the product keys. You haven’t received your financial aid refund and your family doesn’t seem to have hundreds of dollars laying around for you to buy books. You go to a lender and get approved for a certain amount, on average between $300 and $500

dollars, and you write a postdated check with the amount plus the finance charge.

You usually have up to 14 days to pay the loan back in full or, when the time is up and you do not have the cash for the loan, you can write another check for the original amount plus additional finance and service fees to buys you another two weeks of financing. This cycle will continue until you default on the loan or pay the larger amount back with cash.

Students who may have little or no credit

Former Houstonian employee reflects on her experience I feel very lucky to be a part of the Houstonian’s history, because had it not been for one really great professor, I probably would have never joined the staff.

When I was introduced to the Houstonian, I was a somewhat unaware sophomore who came from a small town and wasn’t really sure what I wanted to do with a degree in journalism. I chose to major in journalism because I was a pretty good writer in high school and came to SHSU for the reputation of its program.

But I wasn’t very active during my early years at SHSU, and while I had read the Houstonian (and used it to protect me from a few bad thunderstorms) as a freshman, it never actually occurred to me that I could get a job there until the middle of my sophomore year, when a professor, Dr. Hugh Fullerton, recommended I submit my reporting class coverage of the rodeo team to the editor to see if he was interested in running the stories. At that time, we were assigned beats in the reporting class and were responsible for coming up with two stories a week on our beat; no one at the Houstonian was covering the rodeo team and the team was pretty good even then, so Jeff, the editor at the time, used my stuff quite a bit. At the end of the semester, I was offered a job without even having to apply.

I ended up working for the Houstonian

from 2001-2003, as a senior reporter and copy editor my first year and managing editor my senior year. Working at the Houstonian was nothing short of life changing for me. I made great friends at the Houstonian and gained experience in what being a journalist was really like.

I was challenged to expose myself to new things and new people, which was very hard for someone as shy as I was, and while I wasn’t necessarily writing hard-hitting stories (I never had the taste for conflict that some journalists have and often let other writers take the more scandalous topics), several stories I wrote had a profound impact on my core beliefs. One of the stories was for a special “love section” and was on one of my homosexual peers. I hadn’t known anyone “out” at that time, and his story of the difficulties and discrimination he faced touched me; it is a story I will never forget. I became an advocate for gay rights that day, and in retrospect, while it wasn’t that long ago, it still surprises me how different things were. We have a long way to go, but we’ve also come a long way in those 10 years.

Because of the Houstonian, I also joined the Student Government Association, after being assigned to cover their meetings, and found a passion for higher education that would turn into a career.

I actually got a job as a student writer in the SHSU Public Relations Office through my connections at the Houstonian, and that job opened up to my first, and only, full-time, post-college job. I still use a lot

- Anthony is a sophomore sociology major and Houstonian recurring columnist.

Same-sex tax policy great for spouses

AFTER DEADLINE

JENNIFER GAUNTT Guest Columnist

often turn to payday loans because they feel as if they have no other option. They take out a loan with the intention of paying it back with their next paycheck. However most people who take out payday loans live paycheck to paycheck and so this creates a cycle of paying off the loan plus interest and then having to take out another one because you just spent all the money you have paying off the first loan.

There are several ways to prevent falling prey to this system. Do your homework when applying for loans and credit cards.

Becoming an educated consumer at a young age will not only establish a healthy credit rating for you but it can pay off for you when it comes time to buy a car or home. Most credit card companies offer cards with low limits and rates for students who are building up their credit. Banks and credit unions will generally have some type of combination account or loan program designed for college students.

If you are trapped in a payday loan there are resources on campus and in our community that can assist you. The Student Money Management Center can provide financial counseling and resources to help students develop healthy financial habits.

The Student Legal Services department can also help you understand the terms of your loan contract as well as answer any questions you may have about how this could impact you.

ALEX RANGEL Guest Columnist

of what I learned at the Houstonian every day in my current job at SHSU, from the connections I made, to the leadership skills I acquired and honed, to dealing with conflict, to becoming a more mature writer and helping others to do so as well.

I think about my own experiences every time I pick up a copy of the Houstonian every Tuesday and Thursday.

I remember the way too long nights, filled with laughter and discussion and reading or laying out text, even as our eyes burned from focusing on the computer screens for sometimes eight or more hours a night. I smile knowingly when the staffs make mistakes, remembering the Thursday morning my peers and I picked up a copy of our paper to see “Washington” misspelled in size 40-plus font, above the fold; it still haunts me. When I think about the Houstonian celebrating its 100th anniversary this year, I can’t help but think about all the past, present and future students who will have similar experiences as I did as an undergraduate.

I think about the pride that has been and will be felt in creating something you can call your own, having the freedom to make those mistakes and learn from them, and coming to understand the true power of the press. Just as I did, many will find their journalistic calling because of their work at the Houstonian, and many will go on to achieve great things. But the one thing we will all have in common is the Houstonian and the paths it helped put us on. It’s a “brotherhood” I’m extremely proud to be a part of.

Editor’s Note: Full column available online.

Love it or hate it, he federal Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) is going to change the lives of samesex couples in the United States. Up until very recently, no one has known exactly how.

The portion of the DOMA that defined legal marriage as only between a man and a woman had been struck down in the Supreme Court case Windsor v. United States, but the other half of DOMA which prevents states from being forced to recognize legal same-sex marriages from other jurisdictions was left unaltered.

Could same-sex couples have access to the 1,138 federal benefits, rights, and privileges in states, which do not recognize them as legally married?

After nearly three months of deliberation the federal government have revealed the details on how the recent rulings would affect one of the most important connections we have to our government. Something equally as vital to the nation, lasting more iron clad as the institution of marriage: taxes.

Last Thursday, the IRS and the Department of the Treasury announced that all legally married same-sex couples would be recognized for federal tax purposes, meaning that where the marriage was celebrated is the determining factor, not where the couple resides.

First and foremost this is going to help real families in Walker County in a meaningful way.

According to the 2010 census, Texas has one of the highest percentages in the nation of same-sex couples raising children and the average income of these families is generally 20 percent lower than that of different-sex married couples raising children.

Despite the fact that the new tax policy still leaves the LGBT movement unfinished, it’s still a meaningful step in the right direction.

The Houstonian Editorial

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Stephen Green....................................................................................................................................936-294-1505 FACULTY ADVISER Robin Johnson..................................................................................................................................936-294-1499

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. Deadline for submission is by 5 p.m. on Mondays, or Wednesdays.

SECTION EDITORS Molly Waddell.............................................................................................................................Associate Editor Molly Shove.................................................................................................................................Viewpoints Editor Connor Hyde......................................................................................................................................Sports Editor Joseph Redd...........................................................................................................................Entertainment Editor Monty Sloan.............................................................................................................................................Web Editor Colin Harris......................................................................................................................... Assistant News Editor Kizzie Frank..............................................................................................................Assistant Entertainment Editor STAFF Marissa Hill.....................................................................................................................................Sports Reporter Jay Jordan.......................................................................................................................................Senior Reporter Miranda Landsman................................................................................................................Multimedia Reporter Samantha Zambrano.............................................................................................................................Layout Editor Kassidy Turnpaugh.....................................................................................................................Graphic Designer Christian Vazquez...............................................................................................................................Staff Reporter

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