10-3-13

WHAT’S INSIDE? Honors students take trip to University Camp Twelve games you should go out and buy Men’s golf wins Jim Colbert tournament

P2 P3 P5

PLAY HELPS AUDIENCE SEE ‘RED’

TOMORROW’S FORECAST

HI: LOW:

89o 72o

Pg 4

Kaleigh Treiber/The Houstonian

Chance of Rain: www.HoustonianOnline.com

Volume 124/ Issue 11

Facebook.com/ TheHoustonian

Follow us today! @TheHoustonian

30%

Thursday, October 3, 2013

CAMPUS

Court to determine president

Case against Senate brought forth after vote of no confidence

Brynn Castro | The Houstonian

R

EMOVAL: (Top) Former President Jaime Ramiro hands over his position to Vice President Kolby Flowers. (Bottom left) Jaime sits next to Assistant Dean of Students Jeanine Bias and Dean of Students John Yarabeck, after being removed from his position.

(Bottom right) Members of the SGA senate prepare for the meeting after Jaime was removed.

The Student Government Association leadership is in disarray.

SGA Vice President Kolby Flowers assumed the position of the president in an 11-2 vote during Tuesday’s meeting that temporarily ousted Student Body President Ramiro Jaime Jr. from power. The Senate argued that Jaime wasn’t fit for duty and cited a constitutional clause that gave Flowers the ability to temporarily ascend to the presidency.

Article IV, Section 7(a) of the SGA Constitution says that the vice president can assume powers of the president if the current president is unable to fulfill his duties.

Jaime appealed the decision to the Supreme Court Wednesday.

Although the action stood throughout the Tuesday meeting, Chief Justice Frank Parker issued a Stay of Action Wednesday reversing the vote until the Supreme Court reviews the Senate’s decision. It’s unclear what all Jaime brought to the Supreme Court, but because the Senate’s vote was temporarily reversed, Jaime is still SGA president.

Jaime refused to speak to The Houstonian directly but spoke with observers and a senator after the meeting.

“All this will be overturned [in the Court],” Jaime said to an observer. “They definitely went out of their bounds. All of this will be over soon. There’s a regime.

This is why I’m trying to grow student government, to get more people, to get this regime out.”

The Senate also voted in favor of rescinding the appointment of Jaime’s unauthorized personal assistant. After weeks of arguing

over budget concerns, Jaime persisted in using Student Service Fee funds for hiring a personal assistant, despite not having Senate affirmation of the appointment.

Flowers said students shouldn’t have to fund a personal assistant, and that the president didn’t receive Senate approval as required by the SGA Constitution.

“He is not that busy,” Flowers said. “The president wants a personal assistant to check his emails and book appointments for himself. No student should have to pay for a personal assistant to a student, no matter where the money comes from. The president has clearly not followed the rules that govern the SGA. That is why I voted with the Senate on Tuesday night.”

“

He is not that busy. The president wants a personal assistant to check his emails and book appointments for himself.

- SGA VP Kolby Flowers

“

JAY R. JORDAN Assistant News Editor

In addition to the vote on Jaime’s personal assistant, Flowers voted in favor of granting the power of the president to the vice president.

“The president asked to see me in his office [before the meeting] to talk about what has been going on,” Flowers said. “He claimed this was a personal attack on him, and I assured him it was not.”

Flowers said he went through the list of charges after Ramiro contested he did nothing wrong.

“When I told him face to face that he had to seek the consent of the Senate to appoint a personal assistant,” Flowers said, “he shrugged his shoulders and said nothing. He sat there saying nothing as he knew what he did — SGA, page 2

WORLD

US, Iran in talks over nuclear programs SAMANTHA GALINDO Staff Reporter

The United States has been approached with diplomatic solutions to its conflict with the Syrian government’s suspected use of chemical weapons, but also

by Iran hoping to lift American economic sanctions, according to reports by the New York Times.

Only a few weeks ago President Barack Obama requested Congressional approval for a military action against Syria after mounting evidence that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad used chemical weapons on rebel forces outside Damascus as part of a two-year civil war.

On the brink of Congressional contemplation over the issue, Syria submitted to an appeasement. After discussions with U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and the Russian Foreign Minister, Syria agreed to sign the international chemical weapons treaty, according to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons in a New York Times report.

Visit our website! www.HoustonianOnline.com

AP Photo/Charles Dharapak

RENEWED HOPE: President Barack Obama makes a statement after he spoke with Iranian President Has-

san Rouhani. Congress generally backs Obama’s new outreach to Iran. But with tougher U.S. economic sanctions against Tehran on the way, the president’s diplomatic task will only get harder if he doesn’t make quick progress.

The United Nations already began the process of organizing the logistical steps towards destroying Syria’s chemical weapons after the passage of the U.N. Security Council resolution on Sept. 26.

In addition, Iran has made

efforts to resolve the international sanctions imposed by the United States and the European Union, which are a result of Iran’s nuclear program. Strong sanctions are currently active by the U.S. including boycotting the Central

Bank of Iran, according to Reuters.

Sam Houston State University political science professor Masoud Kazemzadeh, Ph.D., is an expert on the Middle East and North Africa and a native Iranian. He said there have been several sanctions

on Iran regarding nuclear weapon development.

“There have been four United Nation Security Council resolutions that impose sanctions on Iran,” Kazemzadeh said. “All of those four resolutions explicitly said Iran cannot enrich uranium in Iran, it’s called zero enrichment.

The conjoined sanctions levied by the US and the European Union have plummeted Iran’s oil exports, which are nationally owned, according to Reuters.

The question now is whether the economic strains Iran is currently under will result in an actual resolution.

“The official belief of the Iran’s Supreme Leader [Ali Hosseini Khamenei], who has stated officially, is that Americans want regime change, and sanctions as [a way to get] regime change,” Kazemzadeh said.

After initial talks with Kerry and a 15-minute phone call between Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani - the first conversation between the two leaderships to take place since 1979 - Iran will participate in resolution talks Oct. 15 to 16 in Geneva, according to Reuters.

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, October 3, 2013 houstonianonline.com/news

CAMP

NATION & WORLD

Honors students take challenge UNIVERSITY CAMP GROWS

Presidential meeting fails to produce compromise Congressional leaders met with President Obama at the White House yesterday in an effort to circumvent further furloughs during in the midst of the federal government shutdown. The congressmen emerged late Wednesday afternoon still blaming each other’s parties, and no progress was made towards funding the government.

MJ’s concert promoter deemed innocent AEG Live hired Dr. Conrad Murray to treat Michael Jackson, but neither parties were responsible for the King of Pop’s drug overdose. The Los Angeles Court stated Wednesday that Jackson was a drug addict, and he hid it very well.

Bus crash kills 8, sends 14 to hospital in Tenn.

An accident along Tennessee’s I-40 east of Knoxville occurred when a bus blew a tire, crossed the center median, and crashed into a tractor trailer and SUV. Six passengers from the bus were killed along with one person from the SUV and the driver of the tractor trailer.

Southwest Airlines fires pilot after crash landing A pilot who crash-landed at LaGuardia Airport in New York in July was fired, according to the airline. The captain took over control of the plane when it was below 400 feet, which rarely happens. The result was the plane crash landing nose first into the runway.

Follow us today! @TheHoustonian Tom Clancy dies at 66 The author died in his hometown of Baltimore.

Clancy had multiple best sellers and movie deals and founded Red Storm Entertainment, a videogame company. He was 66.

Giant killer hornets found in China, are breeding At least 28 people have died in connection to a recent outbreak of Asian Hornets recently.

According to Huffington Post, the rise in population of the insect is attributed to rising global temperatures. In 2012, the bug was reportedly spotted in Arlington, Ill. Government shutdown enters day three House Republicans and Senate Democrats have yet to reach an agreement on the Continuing Resolution or appropriations bill that would release funds to federal agencies that had to close as of Oct. 1. Pres. Barack Obama met with Congressional leaders Wednesday morning, but no word on if successfull bargaining took place.

According to the Congresssional Bugeting Office, more than 800,000 government workers have been furloughed as of the Oct. 1 shutoff date that ended the fiscal year. Federal departments like NASA had to shut their doors to all non-essential employees. NASA, for example, laid off 95 percent of employees except those monitoring the International Space Station where two Americans are stationed.

Other departments closed include national parks, the National Institute of Health, federal museums, food inspecting plants, and background check employees.

Stories written by Assisstant News Editor Jay R. Jordan and Editor-inChief Stephen Green.

Dr. Patrick Lewis | Submitted Photo

TRUST: (Above) Two honors students traverse the ropes section of the challenge course at the University Camp during class. The Honors College went on a Journey’s Seminar which taught them trust and to test their limits.

HANNAH ZEDAKER Staff Reporter Honors College students were pushed to their limits Sept. 23 at the University Camp’s challenge course, according to Lt. Col. David Yebra, volunteer assistant developer of the Sam Houston State University leadership academy.

The students went to the camp as a part of the Journey’s Seminar class.

The challenge course includes both “high” and “low” elements.

The high elements include three different challenges from 35 ft. above the ground as well as a zipline across a lake.

“We utilized the challenge course for its intended purpose, which is to bring out specific leadership lessons and to help push people a little bit to the edge of their comfort zone in order for them to learn a little bit more about who they are,” Yebra said.

“And in some cases, accomplish something that they never thought

they could accomplish.”

Not only does the challenge course help to build confidence, he said, but teamwork as well.

“They get the chance to work with their teammates, others in their classes and others in their organizations, and they get to learn a little bit more about each other,” Yebra said. “And whenever an organization can get to know more about each other as individuals, I think they enjoy working a little bit more with each other.”

Junior criminal justice major Karen Castiblanco said she discovered a lot about herself while traversing course.

“I compared the obstacle course to my life and when I was at the highest points.” Castiblanco said.

“I thought of it as one of those tough moments in life, and after I finished the course, the feeling of accomplishment was great.”

The University Camp has been under development for several years and is continuing to change and grow. Along with

the challenge course, it includes a lodge, a dining facility, a new pool, a lake and cabins that can be utilized for overnight events.

“The university has a wonderful facility out there at the University camp,” Yebra said.

It is located at 2245 FM 980 in Riverside and is under the direction of the outdoor recreation department, Yebra said.

“I think the challenge course is just a wonderful addition to the university as a whole,” Yebra said. “It offers facilities that are far enough away from the main campus to create a little bit of a distance and a mental separation from the day-to-day activities at the University, but it’s also close enough to the university that it’s not a huge burden on any group or organization that would like to go and utilize the university camp.”

The Journey’s Seminar is a class where professors from across the university speak to Honors College students about their academic or professional careers.

In addition to the university camp, the outdoor recreation department is in charge of the university’s trips and workshops, climbing center, equipment rental and Bearkat camp. The department includes both faculty and student staff members who Yebra said, have been well-trained to safely execute the activities which take place at the university camp.

“It’s a combination of staff and students that make up outdoor rec,” he said. “There are some wonderful coaches and guides that are members of the staff. The staff members, along with the students, have gone through pretty extensive training in order to properly run the challenge course and the initiatives that come along with utilizing the University Camp.”

Although the University Camp is a part of SHSU, there are separate costs to participate in the different activities out there that are not included in the recreational sports fee. Yebra emphasizes the varying activities with different groups that can take place out at the university camp.

“The university camp offers a nice opportunity for an organization, students, staff and faculty, to get away from the university proper, spend some time outdoors, with a team building event or a nice place to even just have a meeting that requires some free-flowing thought,” he said.” The environment out there at the university camp creates just a wonderful atmosphere for discussion and for learning.”

According to Yebra, the experiences and memories made at the university camp, can become life-lessons later on.

“I think it has a nice effect where individuals that leave, feel a little bit better about themselves and about what they’re able to accomplish,” Yebra said. “And maybe when you get to those challenges you will face in life, you might have a little newfound courage to take on those challenges.”

For more information, contact the outdoor recreation department on the university website.

HEALTH

Universal flu vaccine could be created in 5 years DANA PRICE Staff Reporter A universal flu vaccine could be developed in five years, according to an article in Nature Medicine.

Scientists said the answer was found in the blood of the people who beat the 2009 pandemic without being sick.

“New strains of flu are continuously emerging, some of which are deadly, and so the Holy Grail is to create a universal vaccine that would be effective against all strains of flu,” Professor Ajit Lalvani, chair of infectious diseases at the National Heart and Lung Institute in Imperial College London said.

Lalvani and his colleagues collected blood from 340 volunteers during the 2009 swine flu pandemic.

The donors were asked in emails sent every three weeks to report any symptoms they experienced for a two-year period after the pandemic. If symptoms surfaced they were asked to mail a nasal swab to the lab where the scientist could confirm if the person had the flu.

The scientist then discovered that people who had a type of virus-killing immune cell were more likely to not have a serious illness during the pandemic. The finding meant that the vaccine would be designed to increase the virus-killing cell levels and could prevent flu viruses than getting a regular flu shot.

“This could curb seasonal flu annually and protect people against future pandemics,” Lalvani said.

Lalvani said the vaccine should

be able to effectively protect people from the continuously rising new strains of the flu virus.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the normal flu shot protects against three or four influenza viruses that research says will be common during the upcoming season.

They also say that everyone at least six-months-old should get a flu vaccine this season. It is also important for people who are at high risk of developing serious complications, according to the CDC. People with medical conditions, women who are pregnant, children younger than five, and people who are older than 65 should be vaccinated.

“Our findings highlight the benefits that would accrue to the nearly 18 million college and

university students in this country if they were vaccinated,” the VA Medical Center study authors wrote.

Each year nine to 20 percent of US college and university students get the flu each year, according to The VA Medical Center and The University of Minnesota.

However, the CDC said that people who should not be vaccinated are those who have a moderate to severe illness even without a fever and have history of becoming severely ill after receiving influenza vaccine.

For more information on flu vaccines, visit the CDC website. For information about on-campus options, contact the Student Health Center on the SHSU website.

JUMPS

SGA,

page 1

During last year’s student body presidential election, candidate Mike Apt was thrown off the ballot for illegally campaigning.

This left Jaime’s ticket, which included Flowers, the only choice left on the ballot.

“I stood by and let it happen, but now I’m finding the truth behind it all,” Jaime said to an observer after the meeting. “It’s a circus. That’s why we need more people in [SGA] because we can’t vote them out if we just allow this to happen.”

The events during the meeting came after 10 members of the Senate officially filed Jaime’s impeachment papers Monday.

Their grievances with the president were over the misuse of unauthorized funds when Jaime hired a personal assistant without Senate approval, according to the impeachments documents.

More charges include dereliction of duty in the form of ignoring legislation passed by the Senate and malfeasance for not appointing positions required to be filled by the third meeting.

Jaime’s impeachment is scheduled for Oct. 15. Parker said in the Stay of Action the schedule for the Supreme Court hearing will be announced this week.

@TheHoustonian Want to stay up to date with the latest news from our organization?

Follow the Houstonian on Twitter for breaking news!

Facebook.com/ TheHoustonian

Visit our website! www.HoustonianOnline.

Page 3

Viewpoints

Thursday, October 3, 2013 houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

PAWS UP Kassidy Turnpaugh | The Houstonian

W

hether you are learning how to control the controller, or an adept gaming fan, there is something on this list for everyone. Some are touching, some have revolutionized the genre but all of them are very fun.

“Portal” (2007, Valve) - A puzzle game that ushered the 3-D platform into a new era. Portal introduced a simple concept: the ability to create functional worm holes and travel though them, and delivered it in such an appealing way that it is still the subject of memes and bad jokes today.

“Mass Effect” series (Bioware) - A massive role-playing game set in a far-flung future, complete with intergalactic travel and a wealth of alien species. Mass Effect is on this list because it’s wonderful gameplay woven into its incredible story.

“Saint’s Row: the Third” (2011, THQ) – If you want to be a gang boss, steel airplanes or slaughter innocent civilians with a dub step

gun, this is the game for you. It takes every stereotype about gang life to its craziest and funniest extreme. This game, more than any other, makes you feel like a quintessential badass.

Irrational Games) - A first-person shooter set in a dystopian city in the sky in the early 1900s. It is a gem of a game in which gameplay is vitally integral to the story it is trying to tell.

“The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim” (2011, Bethesda) – A massive, beautiful, immersive open world game set in a Nordic fantasy realm. This is the game for would be dragon slayers, mages and thieves. It’s notable because, rather than emphasizing a main plot, it lets players explore and interact in the world in any way they choose.

“Braid” – (2008, Number None, Inc.) A 2-D puzzle game about a man named Tim saving a princess from a castle. While this may sound like Mario, its storyline, hand-painted art and the ability to travel through time (by pressing x) make it shine on its own.

“Minecraft” (2011, Mojang) Imagine being given an infinite number of Legos and being told you can create anything you want. It’s is a game that gives players basic building blocks and allows players to create their own objectives, and the players in turn have created everything from functional in-game computers to recreations of all world wonders.

“Bioshock

Infinite”

(2013,

“Red Dead Redemption” (2010, Rockstar Games) – “Red Dead Redemption” is an openworld western game concerning a former outlaw and his family.

It makes you feel like a tough cowboy for most of the game, but cuts you down in a heartbreaking ending.

“League of Legends” (2009, Riot Games) - a 30-60 minute game in which players choose champions to fight for territory. More than 100 champions each with many

items to choose from adds a rewarding layer of complexity with near infinite replay-ability.

Players must co-operate effectively and solve problems to succeed.

“Shadow of the Colossus” (2005, Team Ico) - A truly unique game that combines action gameplay with puzzles and exploration.

Shadow puts you in the role of a young man faced with a daunting task: slay 16 massive titans in order to steal back an enigmatic young woman from death.

“The Sims 3” (2009 E.A.) - A game that allows you to simulate everyday life activities such as going to work, having a family and building a house. It’s a fun game for anyone who wants to escape into a different life for a while.

“The Last of Us” (2011, Naughty Dog) – It’s played in a thirdperson perspective as players explore a world overrun by plantinfected zombies. The story is as emotionally compelling as the gameplay is intense.

PAWS UP to breast cancer awarness month. Ladies, remember to get a mamogram!

PAWS DOWN

PAWS DOWN to Tom Clancy’s death, his games and his novels will be missed.

TECH

From the banal to the sublime-video games art

MOLLY SHOVE Viewpoints Editor

G

angsters stealing cars, dealing drugs and blissfully killing pedestrians with a purple dildo baseball bat. Those are probably the least offensive gameplay moments in “Saints Row: the Third.” I can see why it and games like it get a bad reputation.

Video games often depict lewd acts of sex, drugs and in the case of “Brutal Legend:” rock ‘n’ roll.

Despite all of this, video games are part of an exciting medium.

They have much to offer not only to hardcore gamers, but to anyone who would watch a movie or read a book.

Just like novels, there are many genres of video games. You have “Call of Duty” or “Kane and Lynch.” These are the pulp fiction of video games with large appeal and nothing profound to say.

On the other hand, there are games like “The Elder Scrolls: Skyrim” and “Fable” that represent the expansive and deep fantasy realms, immersing you in interactive worlds reminiscent of “Lord of the Rings” or “Game of Thrones.”

There are classics such as “Mario” or “Tetris” that may seem as dated as the “Canterbury Tales” but are valuable in understanding the history of the medium.

But there are also games like “Bioshock,” “Braid” and books like “House of Leaves” that tell their stories in such a way that it is impossible to communicate the story in any other medium. That’s right, there is more to video games then just violence and sex!

One type of story that works well given this medium is one where the impact is stronger if you invest yourself in your actions. An example of this is the puzzle game “Braid.” The protagonist is Tim, a normal man who broke up with his girlfriend. He spends the game navigating the world going from level to level and castle to castle

in an attempt to save his princess from some kind of monster with the ability to go back in time and change one’s actions as a central game mechanic. In the last minute of the game all control is taken away from the player and the consequence of Tim’s actions are shown. In that moment all of the work and effort you, the player, have put into the game comes crashing down around you. Because you were personally invested in the gameplay, the impact of the story is much more powerful.

Another type of story best told in game-form involves free will.

In “Bioshock Infinite,” most of the game you are given the freedom to walk and explore as you wish. At critical moments in the game, you are forced to do horrible things.

These parts of the game are to show players that, in this universe, there is no free will. When one is forced to enact one’s destiny, it is much more compelling than reading about someone else’s destiny.

This is why I am asking you not to judge a story by its medium.

Just because there are lots of violent video games doesn’t mean all video games are that way. In fact, games are an exciting new artistic medium to be celebrated.

The only reason that games have this kind of reputation is because empty, bad games sometimes sell better. So do yourself and the industry a favor this weekend: before you plop on the couch with a generic FPS, go buy a game with a great story.

LETTER TO THE EDITOR To whom it concerns, I am writing in response to an Oct. 1 article entitled “SHSU Psychology chair refutes extra credit accusations.” I have very serious concerns about the fact that the Houstonian apparently found it acceptable to publish the name of one of the Teaching Assistants involved in this potential scandal.

For one, as you state in the article, the investigation has not even taken place to determine if there was any wrongdoing. Therefore, you are subjecting the TA to undue scrutiny when nothing has

even been proven to happen.

Second, even if the investigation shows the actions of the psychology department to be unethical, the TA should not be singled out for this. At the very worst, the TA was following department guidelines, as any TA is expected to do, so once again you putting the spotlight of “scandal” upon someone who does not deserve such.

This has potentially very serious consequences for the TA in a multitude of ways. Most immediately, she has to continue teaching class to students who may now believe her to have been unethically scamming them into

buying unneeded materials. The lack of the trust in the TA and the extra stress put upon the TA, who has potentially done nothing wrong anyway will, undoubtedly have negative consequences for the class. Consequences your newspaper is responsible for.

Secondly, this could have consequences in the future for the TA if they are attempting to be hired as a faculty member at a university. Perhaps to the Houstonian this seems small and inconsequential, but universities are very cautious about who they hire to fill their few-and-farbetween faculty positions. There

is most certainly a possibility that this article could come up with a quick Google search for the TA’s name. At best this would be something she would have to explain to people she wants to hire her, and at worst it will make the difference between her and some other similarly qualified applicant, of which there will be many. An accusation of unethical conduct as TA is extremely serious for an aspiring professor.

In conclusion, the lack of journalistic integrity shown by the Houstonian is extremely disappointing. I do not know if this was the result of lack of

oversight or lack of sense, but regardless it seems prudent for the Houstonian to redact the TA’s name from the online article if possible and certainly from any print articles in consideration.

I would personally like to see a short apology for the mistake and a statement that the named TA is in no way responsible for these actions, so that at the very least if it does come up in the future she will have something to counter with. I hope the right thing will be done.

Sincerely, Jason Lawrence

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 TBA...................................................................................................................................................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

Advertising

BUSINESS MANAGER Paty Mason......................................................................................................................................936-294-1500 ADVERTISING MANAGER Stacy Hood.........................................................................................................................................936-294-1495 Delivery Manager Cristina Tazado.............................................................................................................................Delivery Manager

Advertising Deadlines

Tuesday’s Issue............... Friday at 2:00 p.m.

Thursday’s Issue........... Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.

Call for pricing.

Page 4

Arts&Entertainment

Thursday, October 3, 2013 houstonianonline.com/a-e

REVIEW

‘Red’ paints vivid picture of artist’s life JOSEPH REDD Arts & Entertainment Editor

Plays are often about listening to the proverbial tight-rope of the ebb of relationship and the flow of language.

With its bold, rich writing, “Red” – John Logan’s Tony Award-winning drama about artist Mark Rothko and an assistant currently being performed by SHSU’s theatre department – upholds this value to the highest degree.

“Red” was first produced by the Donmar Warehouse in London in 2009. The original production was directed by Michael Grandage and performed by Alfred Molina as Rothko and Eddie Redmayne as his fictional assistant Ken. The production, along with its two leads, transferred to Broadway at the John Golden Theatre for a limited engagement which began March 2010 and closed in June. It was the 2010 Tony Award winner for Best Play. Additionally, Redmayne won a 2010 Tony Award for Best Performance by a Featured Actor in a Play.

Red paints the vivid picture of master abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, who has just landed the biggest commission in the history of modern art, a series of murals for New York’s famed Four Seasons Restaurant. For the next couple of years, Rothko worked with his assistant, Ken, in his studio on the Bowery. Rothko realizes his biggest accomplishments could be his undoing when Ken finally gets the courage to confront him.

Before you even make out the shape of his body, you can feel the intensity of his person as he stares hard at the painting in front of him. “What do you see?” he asks in the play’s first line, with a sense of urgency that is part hope and part despair. It’s impossible as an audience member not to feel privileged to be able to see an artist embrace his own work.

Portraying the artist Mark Rothko is Tyler Martin, a senior musical theatre major. Martin is charged with the daunting task of commanding the space as only Rothko’s gravitas can.

Much of Red unfolds as a combative Socratic dialogue between teacher and student about the purpose of Rothko’s

art and art itself.

Through debate and self-discussion, Martin truly paints his language with such vibrant and interesting colors just as Rothko would with his paintings.

More than any stage work I can recall, Red captures the relationship between an artist and his creations. As Rothko thinks about his paintings hanging inside the Four Seasons restaurant, he regards them as his children hoping that they will forgive him. Martin feeds the audience with this moment of vulnerability that is so surprisingly and subtly perfect. His feelings are not just parental, but beautifully obsessive as you can see Martin’s feverish eyes so clearly as he looks out at the unseen painting between the audience and the stage.

Rothko’s work in the show was designed by the talented senior theatre design major Marissa Hetzer. The relationship between artist and his art is the most touched on by Logan. But there is another relationship that fills the play with dialogue, confrontation and resolution. The relationship with Rothko and his young protégé, Ken. Logan presents this younger voice of the non-radical, new generation of young artists that threatens Rothko’s reign over art.

Ken is there to challenge Rothko’s dislike of hugely popular artists Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg and Andy Warhol, and to totally contradict Rothko’s mission to hang contemplative paintings in a “temple of consumption” like the Four Seasons.

Brandon Whitley, a junior musical theatre major who plays the role of Ken, has a unique stage presence, neither over nor under whelming. He is able to hold his own against Martin’s explosive and dramatic Rothko. Ken has to be able to challenge Rothko and yet never indulges the artist in screaming matches. He always makes sure to react without becoming too heavily burdened with a horrific backstory that influences certain neediness to his character that creates the overall conflict between him and Rothko.

Whitley brings this out extremely sparingly, making it not only easy for the audience to recognize, but for Martin to fully react to. The greatest moment was during the final scene when

Whitley and Martin’s characters seem to switch roles, Whitley’s Ken begins to trump Martin’s Rothko when he fully devotes himself to disproving Rothko’s beliefs and finally exposing his natural artist ego to become intellectually equal with Rothko. SPOILER ALERT!!!!

After this happens and still holding your breath expecting Rothko to beat Ken within an inch of his life, Rothko relieves the audience.

“This is the first time you’ve existed.

See you in the morning.”

Though both actors did wonderfully, no credit can be taken away from the director of this play, senior theatre major Matt Stepan, who grew the characters of Ken and Rothko in a very intense rehearsal process. Through his vision and hand in every operation of this production, he has a huge success on his hands. The only sad thing is, is that it runs for only one weekend.

“Red” is open Thursday to Saturday at 8:00 p.m. with a matinee at 2:00 p.m. General admission tickets are $10 and student discounts at $5. For more information or to reserve tickets, visit the SHSU University Theatre Center Box Office or call at (936) 294-1339.

This play gets 4 paws out of 5.

CAMPUS

English fundraiser to send students to conference GABRIELA COJULUM Contributing Reporter The English honor society Sigma Tau Delta has been conducting a fundraiser so that members can attend an international conference in Savannah, Ga. Students in the organization want to attend the Sigma Tau Delta 2014 International Conference, where the society will celebrate its 90th birthday. The fundraiser includes t-shirts, handmade book bags and miscellaneous donated items sold at the Evans Complex between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

“We’re hoping to maybe getting three or four members of the society accepted to present at the conference,” Public Relations officer Heather Robbins said. “That is going to cost a lot for airfare and hotel fees.”

So far, the group said the fundraiser has been a success, but that there is no projecting how much money they’ll make total until the sale is over.

“We’ve sold over $400 the first day, $400 from our T-shirt sales,” Robbins said. “We are well on our way and hopefully we can get the rest of these taken care of in the next couple of days. We are grateful for what

we’ve got so far. If we didn’t make another penny we’d be grateful. Although we hope that’s not the case.”

The fundraiser is also a tactic to get new associates for the club Robbins said.

“People that didn’t even know we were here to begin with (may join),” she said.

“And for those who might have questions for us, there is always an officer here.”

Unsold items will be donated to charities Sigma Tau Delta is associated with.

“We do this annually, but we are most likely going to start to do this more often,” Robbins said. “It just depends on how many donations we get.”

The conference will feature guest authors Alison Bechdel, known for “Fun Home: A Family Tragicomic” and “Are You My Mother?: A Comic Drama;” Justin Torres, known for “We the Animals;” and scholar Daniel Mendelsohn, who is a New York Times book critic known for “The Well and the Mine.”

Anyone interested can donate new or old used books to Sigma Tau Delta. The books could be used in the fundraiser or given to the group’s charities. The sale runs through Thursday.

For more information, contact the English department.

Kaleigh Treiber | The Houstonian

SEEING RED. Tyler Martin (Rothko) and Brandon Whitley (Ken) practice for the opening night of play about a New York artist.

Page 5

Sports

Thursday, October 3, 2013 houstonianonline.com/sports

VOLLEYBALL

Kim Wroth | The Houstonian

REACHING: Senior middle blocker Haley Neisler reaches to block against Houston Baptist University Saturday 28th. Neisler has been a significant presence on the floor for Sam Houston State University, teaming with senior setter Tayler Gray and junior outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson as a strong offensive trio against Southland Conference opponents.

Momentum key against Lamar MARISSA HILL Sports Reporter

Kim Wroth \ The Houstonian

STUFFED: Sam Houston State volleyball has rolled through conference opponents early this season. Setter Tayler Gray (middle) and middle blocker Shelby Genung (left) block against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.

Sam Houston State will make the first stop of their threegame road stint Saturday against the Lamar Cardinals (4-13) in Beaumont.

The two teams opened up the Sam Houston Invitational in midSeptember where SHSU ousted Lamar in three straight sets.

Even though they’ve been victorious once, junior outside hitter Deveney Wells-Gibson believes the Bearkats need to sustain momentum heading into the heart of their conference season.

“Just because we beat them once doesn’t mean anything,” Wells-Gibson said. “[Lamar] is the type of team that fights until the last point. We have to take care of business.”

The Cardinals come into this match 2-3 in league play, placing

BASKETBALL

As a former member of the University of North Texas Mean Green basketball squad, new assistant coach Kenneth Mangrum is working to toughen the Bearkats’ inside game.

Sam Houston State head coach Jason Hooten announced the addition of Mangrum to the Bearkats’ coaching staff late September.

Hooten said Mangrum’s experience as a former collegiate player will help communicate with players while working in his new system.

“Anytime you were a good basketball player, guys, because they know you played at a high level, they look up to you,” Hooten said. “The toughness he brought as a player will really help in his coaching style with the guys.”

Mangrum said the success and traditions of the Bearkat basketball squad drew him to Huntsville. With team practices already underway, Mangrum said he wants to harden the Bearkats’ presence inside the paint.

“I was one of the hard nose players,” Mangrum said. “That toughness and grit, that ‘I’m going to come at you offensive and defensively,’ is what I’m working with.”

Junior center Michael Holyfield

finished the 2012-13 season with 100 points with an average of 4.4 rebounds a game. The 6-foot11-inch center has established himself as a strong inside blocker, but soft reeling in rebounds. “[I’m] getting them a little lower and getting a base so they can’t be moved easily…not letting the defense get to them first, but them meeting the defense,” Mangrum said.

With 30 practice days available, Mangrum said he is continuing to build as a coach working with Hooten and players.

“As the players come in through the office every day, I get to know them a little more,” he said.

Mangrum averaged 6-pointsper-game as a guard between 1998 and 2002, shooting a 50 percent average from the field. He built his reputation as a defensive specialist at UNT and was selected to the Indiana Hoosier Classic All-Tournament during his junior season.

Mangrum worked as a graduate assistant with the Mean Green staff after graduating with his bachelor’s degree in 2002. While studying for his master’s degree in kinesiology, Mangrum was an instructor in UNT’s kinesiology department.

The Bearkats’ 2013-14 season kicks off Nov. 8 against University of Texas-Pan American in Edinburg.

CAN’T MAKE IT TO THE GAME?

@HoustonianSport Follow the Houstonian sports team on Twitter for live updates!

in their favor. The majority of the Huskies points fell in the back corners of the court.

Despite the win Brenda Gray stressed that there needed to be some improvement with protecting the back line.

The Bearkats enter the upcoming matchup as the current conference leaders with a 5-0 SLC record. However, Brenda Gray said conference standings are irrelevant to her team.

“This team is very composed,” she said. “They stay on an evenkill and don’t panic.”

In their previous matchup, Wells-Gibson headed SHSU’s firepower against Lamar with 12 kills with insurance from Haley Neisler’s seven kills.

Neisler also posted three blocks against the Cardinals and has since totaled 19 blocks this season to maintain the Bearkats’ defensive presence on the front line.

The first serve is set for 1 p.m.

Saturday at McDonald Gym.

GOLF

New basketball coach toughens inside game CONNOR HYDE Sports Editor

them eighth in the Southland Conference.

Senior outside hitter Sierra Whittaker and junior defensive specialist Megan Schwartz lead the Cardinals with strong offensive firepower.

Whittaker has posted 147 kills for the season, leading the team with 3.50 kills per set. Whittaker posted a match-high 18 kills against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi but wasn’t able to secure a win, losing in five sets.

Schwartz leads the Cardinal defense with 233 digs on the season.

The keys to success for SHSU are energy and defending the back corners, head coach Brenda Gray said.

“Coming out strong is crucial to our success,” senior setter Tayler Gray said. “We have the talent and leadership to be a great ball club. We just have to keep the mentality of one game at a time.”

Houston Baptist tipped the back corners against SHSU’s defense Saturday, which worked

Courtesy of GoBearkats

ON THE GREEN: Junior men’s golfer Zach Cabra (above) has steered Sam Houston State to top 10 finishes in their first two tournaments. Cabra has averaged 69.7 strokes in six rounds. The Bearkats return to Huntsville next week to host the Sam Houston Harold Funston Invitational at Raven Nest Golf Club.

Cabra tops Colbert leaderboard JEREMY VILLANUEVA Assistant Sports Editor Junior transfer Zach Cabra led the Bearkat men’s golf team to a first place team finish at the Jim Colbert Intercollegiate hosted

by Kansas State Monday and Tuesday.

Sam Houston State finished at the top of the leaderboard overall at Kansas State.

Cabra shot a 67 during the second round on the par-72 course. Cabra fired a 73 in the first and finals rounds to keep him ahead of his opponents. He finished three under par and six strokes ahead of the second place finisher. “[Cabra] just had another solid week,” head coach Brandt Kischnick said. “He shot 3-under on one of the hardest courses we’ll

play all year, and I’m extremely proud of him.”

Cabra has had nothing but success since coming to SHSU. During the opening tournament at the University of Southern Mississippi Fred Hall Invitational, Cabra broke the school and course records with his first-round 62.

Cabra’s performance in September earned him the Southland Conference Men’s Golfer of the Month. Cabra has averaged 69.7 strokes in six rounds including his performance at USM. The Bearkats went into the Colbert Intercollegiate with confidence and knowing they had a good chance to do well, Kischnick said.

“I knew we were strong going in, and if we played each shot well we’d be in contention,” Kieschnick said. “I encouraged the team to

focus on that.”

The focus worked in the team’s favor to bring home their first win of the season.

Freshman standout Klein Klotz placed sixth in the tournament to continue his successful first season after placing 13th at the Sam Hall Intercollegiate tournament.

Senior Albert Miner tied for ninth while Logan Boatner’s 13th place finish completed the top-15 finishes for the Bearkats.

“We played collectively as a team about 2- to 3-under in the last few holes,” Kieschnick said.

“This is just a really good win for our program and a great way to start the season.”

SHSU will hope to take advantage of playing at home as the team hosts the Sam Houston Harold Funston Invitational Monday and Tuesday at Raven Nest Golf Club in Huntsville.

Page 6

News

Thursday, October 3, 2013 houstonianonline.com/

CAMPUS

Alpha Omicron Pi latest addition to SHSU Greek Life

New sorority accepts members ASHLEE SYMANK Contributing Reporter Alpha Omicron Pi was chosen out of 22 possible sororities to begin a new chapter at Sam Houston State University in the Fall semester.

The school’s newest sorority inducted 95 new members during its colonization ceremony Sept.

22.

According to Associate Dean of Students Jeanine Bias the addition of this new sorority allows more women to join and find their place in SHSU’s Greek Life program.

“We’re not all the same,” Bias said. “There are still people out there in the Sam Houston community that are interested in Greek life but maybe there is not that perfect niche or chapter, and that’s why it’s extremely important for us as an office to bring new chapters here.”

The process began in the spring 2012 semester by creating an exploratory committee to figure out if it was possible for a new sorority to come to campus.

In addition, an expansion team looked at the potential organizations and took a vote from SHSU’s existing sororities to conclude which organization would become a part of SHSU’s Greek community.

New members are excited to be part of making the sorority their own by embracing their differences and creating a dynamic sisterhood.

“Everyone is so different,” Selena Christofferson, ΑΟPi member said. “We are not the cookie cutter type that most

Courtesy AOPi Facebook page

GREEK LIFE: (Above) New members of the Alpha Omicron Pi fraternity for women pose. The organization was chosen out of 22 possible sororities to begin a new chapter at Sam Houston State University in the fall semester.

people expect. We are real, and our opposites attract, making us work really well as a team. We can do great things through our chapter.”

ΑΟPi’s philanthropy includes both general arthritis research and the Juvenile Arthritis Organization. SHSU students can expect to see various events

throughout the year promoting and benefiting these causes.

“Most people don’t know about the Juvenile Arthritis Organization,” Christofferson

said. “It’s really important and I’m so excited to help.”

For more information on ΑΟPi, contact them on Facebook and Twitter.

STATE

Texas could see first posthumous exoneration in 1991 murder case KASSIDY TURNPAUGH Staff Reporter Texas execution laws and standards may be threatened by a 1991 capital murder case conviction and 2004 execution that may become Texas’ first ever posthumous exoneration, according to an Innocence Project’s request filed Sept. 26.

Two days shy of Christmas in 1991 a house fire broke out in the Willingham household in Corsicana, Texas. The blaze’s cause was originally determined to be arson through what was assumed to be accelerant burn patterns found in the home, according to the original fire investigation. This would have been an open and shut case had it not been for the fact that Cameron Todd Willingham, the home owners’ three young daughters were killed in the blaze.

Willingham was soon charged with homicide and accused of setting the fire to kill his daughters, according to court documents. Throughout the subsequent trial, conviction and incarceration Willingham maintained his innocence.

Feb. 17, 2004, Todd Willingham was executed in Huntsville, by lethal injection, according to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice execution records.

Two months after Willingham’s death, The Innocence Project, an organization dedicated to innocent peoples’ names, published a 48-page report deeming the methods used in the investigation of the fire invalid.

This was followed by a lengthy investigation conducted by the Texas Forensic Science Commission that began in 2008 and still has not concluded. In 2009 an arson expert hired by the commission released a statement on the case followed by a draft report from the commission released in April 2011, according to the TFSC. The Chicago Tribune also published an investigative report commenting on Gov. Rick Perry’s decision to remove several members of the commission during the investigation, leading to the cancellation of trials and hearings in connection with the review of Willingham’s case. Several people have called it a strategic move in effort to deter the finishing of the review.

The fire and arson expert concluded “Texas fire investigators had no basis to rule [the] deadly house fire was an arson,” said the Chicago Tribune in a series that scrutinized the investigation in 2009.

With the numerous sources of review spanning throughout the nation including

an extensive review by the New Yorker, the Chicago Tribune and several others, Perry has received unprecedented criticism for his decision to carry out the execution despite challenge from countless sources and appeals reaching the federal court system.

If he is exonerated, the impact on Willingham’s kin is uncertain.

There has never been a posthumous exoneration in Texas. There is no precedence in this matter according to Sam Houston State University’s Gene Roberts, Director of Student Mediation and Legal Services.

Roberts said that part of the problem is that if he is exonerated, it is unclear of what will happen since no execution has ever been exonerated before.

In addition, the question of who is responsible for the alleged wrongful execution provides for many more problems.

“This is unprecedented and one of the issues that has to be overcome legally is: Who would the family sue? Because if he is determined to be actually innocent that means that prosecution, the defense, the judge, the jurors, the appeals courts, the multiple layers of appeals courts, the state system and the federal system all failed,” Roberts said. “And under our system of law all of the actors would have something called immunity, because presumably they are acting in their official capacity. “ It’s also not clear if Perry would receive consequences.

“In a way it’s very easy for folks to say, ‘I’m actually innocent’ and to send paperwork to different offices and different courts and ask them to review it and in our justice system it happens every single day,” said Roberts.

“I would guess that the governor’s response was that we have to trust our jury system and our entire system of law. Any executive has a difficult task because they are asked to issue pardons all of the time.”

Roberts said that it wouldn’t be right if Willingham was wrongly executed.

“There is an ancient maxim in the law that says it is better to let 10 guilty people go free than to put one innocent in jail, and if there is an example where a manifest injustice has been done [this] to me is the core of manifest injustice,” Roberts said.

Roberts also said that if Willingham is in fact exonerated, there would most likely expect a legislative reaction or change of some form.

“To take someone’s life innocently despite all of the due process we have I think the legislature would react to it,” Roberts said.

“How specifically? I don’t know. These are cases where you have to get it right. There is no margin for error.” Roberts said.