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Volume 124/ Issue 4

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Tuesday, September 10, 2013

SPACE

Humans could be the real Martians, study says CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZ Staff Reporter In popular culture, Martians are depicted as green, cold and slimy creatures with elongated fingers and eyeballs. If a new study is to be believed, all we need to do is look into a mirror to see the real Martians.

According to a new study presented at the annual Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference in Florence, Italy, there is compelling evidence that life on Earth received a vital push from Mars.

Steve Benner from The Westheimer Institute for Science and Technology in Florida, said the conditions here on Earth 3.5 to 4 billion years ago would have made it impossible for life to occur on its own.

The basis of Benner’s research is the theory of abiogenesis, where life spontaneously formed from organic compounds, which were also formed spontaneously. This is commonly accepted among many scientists. However, scientists don’t know whether abiogenesis occurred on Earth, or somewhere else and was then deposited here via meteorite, known also as panspermia.

Benner stated that around 3.5 to 4 billion years ago the conditions on Mars for abiogenesis would have been perfect. This is because Benner believes that RNA could have only been created around highly oxidized molybdenum and boron.

In a nutshell, the building blocks for RNA, crucial for basic life, were non-existent on Earth, Brenner said. Earth didn’t have an oxygen rich atmosphere 3 billion years ago, which would make the form of molybdenum unavailable.

Also, boron couldn’t have been available either since the mineral is only found in extremely dry places.

The key point of his research is to show that since the materials for RNA was not present on Earth during that period of time, it had to have come from Mars.

Benner believes that Mars had an atmosphere and dry areas enough where boron could form in high concentrations. Given the conditions, he hypothesizes that if RNA-based organisms did actually form on Mars, then it is possible that life on Earth came from Mars because of the short distance.

While the public announcement of his research has been gaining ground, not everyone is

Kassidy Turnpaugh | The Houstonian, Kevin M. Gill | Flikr

completely on board. Both Patrick J. Lewis, Ph.D., associate professor of paleobiology and Chris Randle, Ph.D., associate professor of molecular systematics at Sam Houston State University weren’t completely on board but didn’t rule-out the idea.

“On a personal level, I’d say it’s quite plausible,” Lewis said. “But as

CAMPUS

a scientist, I’d say there are a few holes that need to be addressed before everyone can jump on it”.

Lewis disagreed with Benner’s claims that life was non-existent 3.5 to 4 billion years ago, and said that life can be found in the most inhospitable of places even today.

“From ancient subterranean lakes in Antarctica, to geysers,

and even the ocean floor, life can happen just about anywhere,” Lewis said.

Lewis also mentioned the Miller Urey experiment, which he said recreated the primitive conditions on Earth from billions of years ago and proved that basic life could —

MARS, page 2

TEXAS LEGISLATURE

Packed like sardines: Departments on campus limited space on campus dorms COLIN HARRIS

Assistant News Editor

In order to meet the demand of the growing number of students who live on campus, Sam Houston State University will be building two dormitories scheduled to be open by the 2016-17 academic year, according to officials.

The new facilities, tentatively named the South Residential District, will be located south of 21st Street between Ave. I and Ave. J, and should house approximately 650 students in total.

The project is in the programming phase of new construction, where the need for new facilities is location, funding and scope of the project is established.

“Programming is done with a company contracted through TSUS (Texas State University System),” Denise Neu, director of facilities planning and construction, said. “It involves determining spatial adjacencies as well as qualitative and quantitative information about the proposal.”

The site for the project is currently home to a university-operated commuter parking lot and the Richmond Apartments, which were purchased by SHSU in 2012.

The Richmond Apartments will be demolished to clear space for a new parking lot, and the South Residential District dorms will be

built where the parking lot lies.

The proposal also includes a road expansion to provide better access to the new residence halls.

SHSU President Dana Gibson, Ph.D., said in her State of the University address that the university is at 99.7 percent capacity. Because of this, director of residence life Joellen Tipton said, special care must be taken during the programming stage of development in selecting a site that’s suitable for student needs.

“A lot of times, when you need to build a new dorm, you can raze one of the old ones and construct on that lot,” Tipton said. “We can’t afford to lose a dorm for the length of time it would take to build another one in its place. During preplanning we had to determine where we had the space and where it was feasible to build the new residential complex.”

Building new residence halls is imperative to match the university’s projected growth over the next decade, according to the updated Master Plan.

“Each year, more and more upper classmen want to stay on campus,” Tipton said. “We’ve always had around 35 percent choose to renew [their on campus accommodations] every year, but that number is growing, because of the convenience factor and affordabil—

RES, page 2

Kassidy Turnpaugh | The Houstonian

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squished MOLLY WADDELL Associate Editor

Several departments on campus have to reevaluate growth plans because the Texas Legislature failed to pass tuition revenue bonds.

Agriculture and engineering, art, and the nursing departments were in line to get new buildings by 2015 to help manage the growth of students, according to Texas State University System records.

Tuition revenue bonds, or loans to an institution using tuition as the payback promise, were the main funding for the construction projects. The revenue bonds must be passed by the Texas Legislature in order for them to be given to the universities.

Money for the Nursing, Biology and Allied Health Building was requested in SB16, which passed the House but failed to reach a vote in the Senate.

Without this money and the new buildings, the departments are suffering, officials say.

The art department needs new buildings, according to department chair Michael Henderson.

The current art buildings do not provide enough space for the art students, he said, which spreads the students into other buildings around campus. Henderson wants all of the art students to be centrally located.

“One of the issues we have (is that) the upper administration knows (the art department needs new buildings),” Henderson said.

“So, they are hesitant to put money in our current buildings since they will be torn down soon,” In addition to inefficient space, he said the outside of the buildings are deteriorating. The art complex was built in the 1980’s.

The new art complex is scheduled to be built in 2017. However, if the state denies the revenue bonds again, the university will

not get the $12.6 million that they need.

The agricultural department took a hit as well.. According to the department’s chair, Stanley Kelley, Ph.D., their department has had record growth in the last 15 years.

The agricultural department’s original building was torn down in the 1980’s and they were relocated to the Thomason building.

According to Kelley, the department was told that it would be a temporary relocation until a new building could be constructed.

“Our temporary relocation has (lasted) for 30 years now,” Kelley said.

According to Kelley, the delay in a new facility has prevented the department from having modernized classroom and laboratory space.

“We have no wall or floor outlets so students can charge or utilize electronic devices during class,” Kelley said. “[There are] no PODs or vending areas, and minimum gathering or social area for a department that has more than 1,100 majors.”

In the last several years the department has become more specialized than what it had been previously, creating the need for additional space.

“This specialization warrants the need for specialized lab space and equipment to not only meet curriculum needs but to allow faculty to remain competitive in their research and grant writing,” he said.

Kelley said every faculty member wants more space for their office, lab, classroom or storage.

“As an administrator we must make certain that we efficiently utilize our allocated space,” Kelley said.

The new agriculture and engineering technology building was scheduled to be built in 2014, but with the lack of $9.8 million they

had requested in tuition revenue bonds, it may not happen. The total cost of the project is $20 million, where $10 million came from alumnus Fred Pirkle and the additional $200,000 will come from auxiliary funds.

The school of nursing officials said they are also in need of a new building. Currently, they are only able to let 40 students in a semester due to the lack of space.

“We have really outgrown this building,” Anne Stiles, Ph.D., chair of the school of nursing, said about the Academic Building III in a previous Houstonian article.

The new building was supposed to start being built next year, but they needed $37.5 million from tuition revenue bonds to start to build their $39.7 million building.

The tuition bonds not passing put the university in a tight spot, according to Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs Jaimie Hebert, Ph.D. “Without those, we have to find another way to fund (academic buildings),” Hebert said. “Without having private money (donated) we may have to wait until the next legislative session (to build any academic buildings.)”

SHSU wasn’t the only university that didn’t receive the revenue bonds. No Texas schools did. Hebert said this isn’t a problem for bigger schools like the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M because they have extra state funds. State-passed tuition bonds are the only funding for academic buildings except for private donations.

“Bonding is critical funding,” Hebert said. “(SHSU) doesn’t have enough surplus. Not even close to enough to build buildings. We have to accomplish what we can in the space we have.”

The next time tuition revenue bonds can be passed will be when the Texas Legislature meets in session again in 2015.

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

Tuesday, September 10, 2013 houstonianonline.com/news

Economic impact focus of address JAY R. JORDAN Senior Reporter

Sam Houston State University President Dana Gibson addressed faculty and staff about how SHSU has impacted Walker County’s work force, on Thursday.

According to Gibson, the SHSU-based Gibson D. Lewis Center for Business and Economic Development published a study to detail the economic impact the university had on the community.

Walker County averaged 26,100 jobs during FY 2012 of which SHSU students worked 5,800 (22 percent) of the jobs, according to studies published by CBED. The study showed the total impact on Walker County was about $393 million. Gibson said roughly 8,100 jobs were held by SHSU students in Walker County and surrounding counties, estimating a $664 million contribution to the local economy.

Jay R. Jordan| The Houstonian The Houstonian was unable to YOU DONT SAY? SHSU President Dana Gibson gave the State of the Union speech, during a Faculty and Staff verify the numbers presented dur- meeting. She spoke about how university graduates are impacting Walker County’s job market and explained the ing the meeting. According to As- master plan and its progress. sistant Communications Director Julia May, the report cited by GibGibson said that the university after classes started, enrollment full-time students decreased by son during her presentation has has a projected goal of 18,830 stu- was unofficially over 19,000. over 14 percent the past ten years yet to be released. dents in fall 2013. The projected “That is through all of your ef- from one to 21 in fall 2003 to one “The university, as it’s grown, enrollment shows a 40 percent forts,” Gibson said to the faculty to 25 in fall 2012. The projected racontinues to have a larger impact,” growth over the past ten years and staff. “When we see this large tio for fall 2013 is one to 26, which Gibson said. “We’re going to be from fall 2003. She also indicat- of change over this time period, falls just short of Texas A&M’s one trying to update these on an annu- ed that although the official tally that’s 4 percent annually.” to 21 ratio and Texas State’s one to al basis so you can see the growth won’t be taken until the 12th day The ratio of full-time faculty to 20, according to US News. and impact we have in this area.”

RES,

MARS,

page 1

ity of living on campus.”

Currently, residence life uses Sorority Hill for overflow housing for freshman girls who couldn’t be accommodated in a regular dorm with the hope that once the rush period ends, sorority pledges who live in a dorm on campus would be willing to swap rooms with a student temporarily living in their respective sorority house.

“We believe in the value of freshmen living on campus,” Tipton said. “The South Residential District is a natural expansion to meet the needs of our growing student body.”

It’s unclear if the district will also include the new South Side dining facility, a building similar to Old Main Market.

The TSUS Board of Regents approved the development of the South Residential District at their quarterly meeting in May as part of an omnibus capital improvements program, which included several renovations to the SHSU campus.

In addition to constructing the South Residential District, the capital improvements program includes the eventual demolition of Randel, Vick and Spivey Houses, White Hall, and Sorority Hill, the construction of a new art complex and $30 million in renovations to the Lowman Student Center.

TSUS documents show the cost of the project will total more than $87.5 million, by far the largest capital improvement project slated through 2019.

The next step in the development of the South Residential District is the design phase, which precedes construction. Groundbreaking is tentatively scheduled for summer 2015.

Sept. 8

page 1

occur back then. Lewis said this experiment punches a hole in Benner’s claim that life couldn’t have existed then.

Randle is also hesitant to accept Benner’s claims on face value.

“His findings haven’t been published nor peer reviewed yet,”,Randle said. “So, we’ll have to wait and see”.

Randle begins his skepticism of Benner’s claim by saying a peerreview of the study is the first step and to “take it with a grain of salt.” “[First,] one of the problems I’ve always had with panspermia is that it refutes the principle of parsimony,” he said. “To say that the precursor of life originated on Mars and then came to Earth assumes more than explains. In other words, it has low explanatory power”.

Randle also said there are other ways for ribose, an important building block for RNA, to occur without molybdenum or boron.

“There was a paper published by Gerland and Sutherland in ‘Nature’ back in 2009 demonstrating that you can (create) nucleotides in the absence of molybdenum and boron,” Randle said. “I’m sure Benner has dealt with that.

But again, since his work isn’t published yet I don’t know what he has to say about that.”

While Benner’s research has a lot of scientists pondering the beginnings of life on Earth, many people’s biggest question is this: If Benner’s theory is true, what happened to life on Mars?

“That is something the Ray Bradbury within me would love to find out,” Lewis said.

Gibson also highlighted Master Plan changes at the meeting Thursday. She focused on land allocation and gave updates on various building projects.

“It’s good for you to know as member of the university and community to know where we are going,” Gibson said.

The university was transferred 75 acres from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in August and is in the final process of transferring the deeds. The land, which is on the north side of town on Highway 75 North, will be the home to a new TDCJ training facility. This is the first project that’s being planned this year, according to Gibson.

Another project Gibson mentioned was a new residential complex on the south side of campus on the parking lot currently between Ave. I and Ave. J. “If any of the Resident Life folks are here in the room, they’ll let you know that we are at 99.7 percent occupancy,” Gibson said.

“Usually you don’t see those kind of occupancy rates.”

It’s unclear if these numbers are for freshman only or for all undergraduate occupants.

More updates presented include the new Student Health and Counseling Center. She said that she hopes to break ground on the new building by the end of the year.

Phi Gamma Delta joins Greek life, wants charter

ALEXA GRISBY Contributing Reporter Incoming freshman and other students will now have another Greek organization to join during their time at Sam Houston State University.

Phi Gamma Delta, also known as Fiji, is a campus organization that is hoping to get a national charter in the coming years.

The fraternity that was founded in 1848 at Jefferson College in Pennsylvania and promotes five core values: knowledge, friendship, service, morality, and excellence.

Ryan Caycoya, a junior mass communication student and member of Fiji, said the group has already gotten members in the past year.

“We had field secretaries from national headquarters come and speak to us, and we attended different recruitment events,” Caycoya said, “They recruited us into the fraternity for a chapter here at Sam, and then we went through a six-week interview process.”

Caycoya said at the end of the six weeks they received a bid into the colony, or interim chapter, at SHSU. The next step, he said, is looking forward to become an official chapter of the national fraternity.

“The goal is to stay on top when it comes to academics, and to get

Jay R. Jordan| The Houstonian

chartered within the next two years,” Caycoya said.

Fiji hosted some events last week and are planning to host other social events throughout the semester to promote their fraternity.

“Recruitment week is our main focus, as well as Greek Week, because we want to make sure we get along with the rest of the Greek life society,” Caycoya said.

The newly-established colony has yet to secure its own housing, but Caycoya has expressed that getting their charter is the primary objective, and then to have their own house at some point in the next 10 years.

Recruitment week, which is currently on-going, is an opportunity for Fiji to expand its membership. Currently at 17 active members, their goal is to recruit

15 new members by the end of the week and a long term aspiration of between 50 and 60 active members each semester.

Though social events are what Greek organizations are primarily known for, academics are imperative to Fiji’s growth and survival.

“We don’t want people who are joining fraternities just for the parties,” Caycoya said. “Yeah, we like to go out, but at the same time we make sure that our grades come first because our fraternity focuses on scholarship.”

Fiji is also the leader in academics in Greek life at Sam with an average GPA of 3.29, Caycoya said.

For more information on the group, contact Ryan Caycoya at rac037@shsu.edu or through their Facebook page, “Sam Houston Fiji”.

Huntsville Police Department Daily Shift Reports

•Jesse Baggerly was arrested on a warrant serve.

•Justin Johansson was arrested for resisting search, and arrest.

•Criminal mischief was reported at the intersection of Southwood Drive and SH 75 South.

•Burglary was reported at the 400 block of Sam Houston Avenue.

•A two vehicle crash was reported at the intersection of Avenue N and 14th Street.

•Tinuke Agbetola was arrested for theft.

•Tolu Adebimpe was arrested for theft.

•Timothy Smith was arrested on a warrant serve.

Sept. 6 •Brian Lambert is being held for criminal nonsupport.

•Kanetra Riles is being held for criminal trespassing, assault, and criminal mischief.

•Larry Currie is being held for burglary.

•Kendrick Norman is being held for criminal nonsupport.

Sept. 8 •Christopher Galban is being held for possession of marijuana.

•Barry Mohammed is being held for possession of marijuana.

•Dean Ford is being held for driving while intoxicated.

•Jennifer Ragan is being held for driving while intoxicated, and driving with an open alcohol container.

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Page 3

Viewpoints

Tuesday, September 10, 2013 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

ADBLOCK OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS

Pushing back pop-ups An inconvenient truth Don’t you hate it when you’re browsing your favorite sites and then a huge ad rolls up from the bottom of the screen and plays a movie without your consent?

And let’s not forget how small CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZ that “x” button is Staff Reporter when you try to close it. Or how about the ones that don’t have the close option at all; and you’re forced to sit through the entire ad about debt consolidation or gambling. Have you ever had a mother or significant other get the wrong idea when they walk into a room and the less than modest of pop up is spread eagle across your screen. My point is that it’s obvious why Adblock Plus is so commonplace now.

It’s no secret that millions of people use Adblock Plus on their browsers every day.

According to Clarity-Ray, an ad-block protection company, the overall rate of ad-blocked impressions in the US is 9.26 percent! Sure the fact is staggering, but I’m here to say that there is nothing wrong with that. While most websites depend on ads for funds, almost all of the ads they have are extremely bad, annoying, and obtrusive.

Some of them even take you to the dark corners of the internet where they suggest you buy male enhancement products. Oh sure, that ad saying you’re the millionth visitor on their site will award you alright… with pictures of scantily clad women and a Trojan; the bad Trojan.

Now don’t get me wrong, I love Adblock Plus to death, but I also understand the implications of how it affects companies and independent sites. It severely cuts their revenue and forces publishers to make difficult decisions on how to provide content to their readers while still being able to make a profit.

So yes, Adblock Plus hurts the sites that you love but that doesn’t mean you should

stop using it. Why? Because it grants you the power of choice. You can choose to whitelist the sites that you love visiting while blocking the ones that you don’t. It’s a great feature that grants flexibility and lets you browse the internet the way it was meant to be—your way. You’re already paying a good chunk of money for your internet so use it how you see fit.

Many websites have begun to counteract Adblock Plus however by launching subscriptions to their readers. The concept is simple: pay a certain amount per month or year, and you get full access with perks. For example, Destructoid.com, an independent gaming news site (which I love) just launched a membership program that gives you some pretty sweet perks such as automatic contest entries, live chat with the editors and 25 percent off their merchandise, just to name a few. The reason for launching this is pretty obvious; during February of this year, their Adblock rate was at 42.9 percent according to site founder Niero Gonzalez. Instead of the site bursting into flames, the founder found a much less annoying way to keep his site running.

As counterintuitive as it may seem, Adblock Plus is actually a good thing for advertising. Publishers are going to become selective about what ads they run. We know they’re already working their asses off providing good content and establishing loyalty with their readers, but the truth is that they still have little control over what actually shows up in the ad slots. And what usually shows up is an ad that doesn’t fit the site’s design, has nothing to do with its content or readers’ interests, and is usually annoying with its random pop-ups.

Publishers don’t have to worry about the readers who don’t have any other choice but to live with the ads. But for Adblock Plus users, publishers will want to exercise more control over advertising layout and content to pull those readers back in. This forces ad graphic designers to make better and less obtrusive ads. Visitors will respect the site more as a result, and come to love and support it by whitelisting. This is selective service in a whole new light folks.

If you go to a store, you pay in order to buy a good so the store will continue to operate. In a restaurant you pay in order to compensate the establishment for a meal, and so that in the future you can eat there again. There is a flourishing industry filled with small businesses who are knowingly being deprived of their pay because internet users aren’t willing to deal with the slightest inconvenience that would let them thrive.

It’s as if Adblock was a means of getting away with dine and ditch and once successful restaurants are dropping like flies. Adblock is a program stops banner and pop-up ads from appearing on websites which, while certainly convenient, is absolutely lethal to websites because it deprives web developers of profits, encourages more pervasive advertising, and incentives websites to restrict more and more content to paying users all in the name of a few moments of convenience.

Imagine some of the websites you access regularly like Facebook, Blogger, Google, Yahoo, or Amazon. These big sites, like their thousands of smaller peers, are all run on advertising revenue and without that revenue would not be able to operate. These sites make most of their money through advertising like the kind that Adblock interrupts.

Advertising on the internet is not based on number of times the ad is clicked, like some people seem to think, but rather on total page views and tools like Adblock prevent the ad from acquiring page views, depriving the website from as much as 15 percent of their due profits. For a massive electronic empire 15 percent is not necessarily vital to their day to day operation but for independent users on YouTube, Blogger, or WordPress that 15 percent can be the difference between making rent or not.

Over time advertising has tended to improve. Ads on TV used to be simply statements of facts and now they are affairs with massive budgets, plots, and clever scripts all meant to entertain as well as inform. Ads online similarly have tended to improve in quality over

the years. With the advent of Adblock the focus of online advertising is no longer on quality and is strictly focused on bombastically getting a word in edgewise.

Sponsored posts on social media TY ODEN sites, video gate Guest Columnist captchas, and full site redirects have all become commonplace in a world where they would not have been needed a few years ago, all due to revenue lost to ad blocking programs.

With less and less reliable revenue stemming from ads websites have had to look elsewhere for revenue. Many site which were once completely free now have “members only” features or entirely “members only” sections of their sites.

Deviantart is notorious for restricting site storage, content access, and other tools for users behind a wall of “premium membership”. All these features were fully unlimited and open when the site originally launched in August 2007.

ArsTechnica, one of the sites largest tech content aggregators, recently had a 12 hour “experiment” during which they linked all content in as ads, so that users running Adblock could not view any content. Their site manager posted an article about the damage that Adblock had done to the site, saying about their users “while [some] showed up to support our actions, there was a healthy mob of people criticizing us for daring to take any kind of action against those who would deny us revenue even though they knew they were doing so”. Ars declared their test an experiment gone wrong, but I for one think that websites should not feel ashamed for protecting themselves and their writes livelihoods by cracking down on people who would see their profits flushed for the sake of convenience.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR

A bet with the university President TAREK MAALOUF President of Maalouf Properties When people consider the dangers of Artificial intelligence (AI), they might think of Arnold Schwarzenegger going on a rampage, or a self-perpetuating autocracy run by a machine (as seen in The Matrix). While these ideas may seem preposterous, the possibility of sentient AI is becoming more real every day. Japanese scientists have created robots that can play soccer and claim they will win the world cup by 2050. The South Korean government has a plan to create a robot-centered intelligent society. Hans Moravec, a robotics pioneer, says “by the year 2050, entire corporations will ex-

ist with no human employees, or investors, at all.” [1] Looking at how far computing has come in the past few decades, these predictions are not surprising.

AI is, roughly speaking, the simulated intelligence of a machine (it is also a field of study in computer science). As AI research progresses, the definition of true AI changes. Software for speech recognition, language translation and decision-support was previously included in the field of AI but now is more closely associated with neuroscience. Artificial neural networks are commonly used to simulate brain activity, which can exhibit models of learning and neuroplasticity. The Blue Brain Project uses a biologically realistic model of neurons (different from a simple artificial neural

network) in an attempt to create a synthetic mammalian brain. One of the goals of this project is to eventually help shed light on the nature of consciousness.

When assessing the potential threat of AI, one should consider—what would motivate a machine to betray its creators? If humans gave the gift (or as some might say, the curse) of sentience to a machine, could it experience Cartesian doubt? If it found reason to, would it abandon its duties and seek out meaning elsewhere, only to return in a state of existential nihilism after discovering the vast abyss of nothingness that is available to a machine? Can it feel emotions in the same way a human can? Can it suffer? These questions are not easily answered, but they are essential when the

advent of sentient AI is on the horizon. Moreover, a machine that mimics a human brain perfectly may not behave in the same way as a sensible human, due to its artificiality.

A sentient machine may find it reasonable to attack or eliminate humans as a byproduct of other goals or interests. If AI had a motivation to achieve a goal, it would, by definition, resist being turned off as an automatic defense. Thus, in the same way that humans are not actively seeking to harm animals when they level a forest in order to build luxury housing, AI could indirectly harm humanity in trying to achieve its goal. Logically, humans should be able to prevent an AI from defecting with precise control. However, a machine that obtains self-awareness

may display undefined behavior.

With that being said, I don’t believe AI will pose a threat to humans in the foreseeable future.

The benefits of AI far outweigh the drawbacks and sensationalistic doomsday predictions. Modern robots are becoming more and more common as household items. Vacuum cleaners, lawn mowers, pool cleaners, and security bots are just a few examples of domestic robots. In the field of medicine, AI can help individual cancer patients survive. Artificial intelligence can be used to advance neuroscience and gain a better understanding of the nature of consciousness. We should not approach the idea of AI with trepidation, but with hope; for a better understanding of what it means to be human.

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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BUSINESS MANAGER Paty Mason......................................................................................................................................936-294-1500 STAFF Stacy Hood.............................................................................................................................Advertising Manager

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Page 4 Tuesday, September 10, 2013

Arts&Entertainment

houstonianonline.com/a-e

Fey to host SNL season open Nation celebrates Arts in Education JOSEPH REDD Entertainment Editor

Veteran comedienne and former head writer Tina Fey returns to host the 39th season opener of Saturday Night Live with musical guest Arcade Fire.

After leaving SNL in 2006, Fey went on to create and star in the critically acclaimed NBC comedy 30 Rock, Baby Mama and Date Night. She has received numerous awards, including seven Emmy Awards, two Golden Globes, five Screen Actors Guild Awards and four Writers Guild of America Awards.

In 2013, Entertainment Weekly called Tina Fey “the funniest woman in the free world.

EW quoted Mindy Kaling saying “I always feel unoriginal bringing up Tina as my inspiration, but she’s everyone’s inspiration for a reason.”

Saturday Night Live has seen its fair share of celebrity hosts. Alec Baldwin leads the amount of time hosted with a total of 16 times,

KIZZIE FRANK Assistant Entertainment Editor Educators around the country will be encouraging and possibly promoting the role arts play in today’s education throughout this week.

This year’s Arts in Education week kicked off Sunday.

Students at SHSU don’t have to travel very far to experience how art education affects campus life here. The Gaddis Geeslin Art Gallery will have a reception for Icing (Just Like This) by Josephine Burkin, and the School of Music offers both a viola recital by Zachary Carretin and a saxophone recital by Nathan Nabb this week.

The idea for having a dedicated to the arts in education was introduced by U.S. Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) in 2010.

The movement was not nationally recognized until May 2011 when The President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities released their report called “Reinvesting in Arts Education: Winning America’s Future Through Creative Schools.”

According to the text of HR 275, the resolution “calls on governors, mayors, and other

Photo courtesy David Shankbone

his first appearance was April 21, 1990, and his most recent appearance was on Sept. 24, 2011.

Baldwin is closely followed by Steve Martin and John Goodman, who have hosted a total of 15 and 13 times.

Saturday Night Live has been on air for more than 40 years,

spanning the time period of President Nixon’s resignation to the first African American President, Barack Obama, being elected President.

Fey will host the premiere on September 28th, followed by Miley Cyrus on Oct. 5 and Bruce Willis on Oct. 12.

MOVIES COMING SOON

elected officials…to issue proclamations to raise awareness of the value and importance of arts in education. Officials seem to be doing their part to spread the word on this week.”

The promotion has already begun.

Ronald Shields, Ph.D., dean of the College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication at Sam Houston State University, wrote his support of the dedication in a Huntsville Item letter to the editor.

“We are fortunate to live in a community that offers many affordable or free cultural events…dance, theater, music, film and visual arts,” Shields said.

He encourages people to celebrate this week by taking advantage of all the different blends of culture displayed at SHSU. Melody Barnes, former domestic policy advisor to President Barack Obama, was the first to speak publicly about the resolution live on Ustream in 2011.

“Education without the arts is an incomplete education,” Barnes said. “It made me a better person. It made me a better professional.”

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AP Photo/FilmDistrict, Matt Kennedy

college ski & board week

The sequel to Insidious, Insidious: Chapter 2 continues to follow the haunted Lambert family and how they seek to uncover the mysterious childhood secret that has left them dangerously connected to the spirit world. Release date: Sept. 13.

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A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space. Sandra Bullock and George Clooney star in the upcoming movie, Galaxy. Release date: Oct. 4.

Photo by Arthur Molai/Invision/AP

When Keller Dover’s daughter goes missing, Hugh Jackman (left)’s character takes matters into his own hands as the police pursue multiple leads and the pressure mounts in the upcoming movie Prisoners. Jake Gyllenhal also stars (right). Release date: Sept. 20.

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Page 5

Sports

Tuesday, September 10, 2013 houstonianonline.com/sports

FOOTBALL

Alex Broussard | The Houstonian

SECONDARY STRUGGLE. Junior Michael Wade receives coverage assignments during Sam Houston State University’s contest against No. 7 Texas A&M University Saturday at Kyle Field.

Wade and the starting defensive secondary struggled to contain Heisman winning quarterback Johnny Manziel in the backfield and allowed 714 offensive yards from the Aggie offense.

Manziel eases past SHSU, 65-28 Heisman quarterback throws 426 yards against Bearkat defense CONNOR HYDE Sports Editor Texas A&M duet featuring Johnny Manziel and Mike Evans sang in perfect harmony against Sam Houston State’s cornerbacks Bookie Sneed and Shelby Davis during Saturday’s 65-28 win.

SHSU’s secondary could not support Timothy Flanders’s 173 yard rushing effort against the No. 7 Aggies, while the Heisman winner steered the reigns for 426 passing yards and three touchdowns.

Following a 20 minute performance against Rice University in week one, capping

the extensive NCAA investigation for allegedly selling his likeness, Manziel completed 29 of 42 passes against SHSU, targeting Evans for 155 yards.

“That’s embarrassing honestly,” Sneed said. “We should do a better job defensively containing him in coverage.”

The 6’5” sophomore receiver utilized his size against Sneed to escape lockdown coverage and abused the Bearkat secondary.

Evans’s performance against SHSU recorded his third 100 plus yard receiving game as an Aggie.

“Receivers are like basketball players, once they get one or two catches on them they keep rolling,” Sneed said.

Although clouded by botched coverage and a weary defense, Flanders expanded his Southland Conference resume, achieving the second spot in the conference’s alltime rushing leaders.

Flanders’s three touchdown performance kindled early production with consecutive first down runs stretching the sidelines.

Offensive coordinator Doug Ruse hit the crippled Aggie defense with continued quarterback options and sweeps for positive rushing yards in the first half.

Senior All-American Flanders maintained SHSU’s only offensive breath of production on the ground pushing into the latter minutes of the third quarter. He narrowed SHSU’s deficit to within nine points with a

68 yard touchdown to break open the third quarter.

“The score really didn’t tell how we played the whole game,” Flanders said. “I think we played pretty good for the most part.

Even at halftime we knew we weren’t out of it.”

Flanders received the SLC’s offensive player of the week for his performance against the Aggies.

Tackling continued to be a prominent issue on defense – a problem that head coach Willie Fritz blamed on himself. SHSU’s youth was a factor in the Bearkat’s secondary during the second half stemming from costly penalties and inability to contain Manziel in the backfield.

Fritz told the Houstonian preceding Saturday’s contest he did not push heavy contact drills on defense during fall and

summer drills. Manziel exploited SHSU’s lack of ability to wrap up in the backfield, eluding pressure in the pocket from the defensive line.

“When you play an opponent like that you either have to keep matching them or you got to stop them at some point in time,” Fritz said.

The Aggies slipped away in the third quarter with three consecutive touchdowns while swarming Flanders in the backfield. Bell struggled to connect for positive yards and produced costly turnovers to hand Manziel possession in Bearkat territory.

SHSU (1-1) fell to fifth place behind Towson University in FCS standings following Saturday’s loss.

Kassidy Turnpaugh | The Houstonian

SOCCER

‘More than a goalkeeper’ JEREMY VILLANUEVA Contributing Reporter It takes a specialist with confidence and gifted hands to step up and operate with time running down to keep the numbers where they need to be.

People anxiously wait to see if Sam Houston State University’s goalkeeper Kylie Hambleton can repeat her 2012 season.

Entering her sophomore season, her coaches say Hambleton is not the typical soccer player.

Assistant coach Meredith Flaherty describes Hambleton more than a goalkeeper, but as an athlete. The raw power and speed they say Hambleton exhibits in every training session and game is just a few of the characteristics that set her apart from the rest. “[Kylie] can do things that a lot of other players, even in this conference, can’t do,” she said.

Putting 1,458 minutes in 16 games during her first season, Hambleton only let 17 goals get past her while getting six shutouts. This season, Hambleton already has her first shutout and tied her career high of saves in a game with 12 in only three games.

“Over the past year, I’ve watched her develop from a younger player who wasn’t quite sure what her role was going to be on the team to being one of the best leaders on the team,” she said. “She’s vocal and with her playing ability, a lot of the players look to her to set the standard of what the performance levels are in games.”

Flaherty describes Hambleton as a leader

who sets a positive example for others to follow.

Hambleton exerts her talent on the field and during training which makes an impact on the other players, including junior goalkeeper Magan Ross.

Ross explained Hambleton emanates motivation and determination working with herself and freshmen goal keepers Tara Cole and Carlyn Neubauer.

“With me and Kylie and the other two, when we’re always working, we’re always making each other better, making each other work harder and push to the next level to keep us all at the top of our game and improve,” Ross said.

Hambleton’s work ethic has caught the attention of more than just SHSU. At the end of her freshman season with the Bearkats, Hambleton was named the Southland Conference “Soccer Freshman of the Year.” Two weeks into the regular season of her sophomore year, the SLC awarded her with “Goalkeeper of the Week.”

“It’s an honor to be picked for anything like that,” Hambleton said. “It’s an awesome feeling that the work you’ve done throughout the year has been noted.”

But Hambleton isn’t searching for her own personal gains this season, she said.

She commits everything she does on and off the field to improving not only herself, but the team altogether.

“I bring confidence in the back to the table [and] I’m willing to step up and make big calls and decisions,” she said. “I don’t want to ever go down without a fight. And if we do that, [it] will lead us to exactly where we want to go.”

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