The Independant Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University Vol 117— Issue 18
Happy Feet, Page 5
Photo Courtesy SHSU Athletics
SHSU Baseball, Page 7
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
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INDEX
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Local support, GLOBAL pride Get the free mobile app for your phone
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Gay-straight alliance organization offers week-long activities,support for students By Kolby Flowers Senior Reporter
GLOBAL, the gay-straight alliance organization on campus, is hosting the university’s first Pride Week with several programs throughout the week. “We are trying to uphold our mission,” said Jason Tilton, co-founder and former president of GLOBAL. “Which is to promote tolerance and acceptance and to educate the community about Gay Lesbian Bisexual and Transexual (GLBT) issues and highlight the fact that they are students, friends, brothers and sisters, leaders, co-workers, and human beings that deserve equality and the same rights that everyone has else.” Tonight in CHSS 252, GLOBAL will have a guest speaker to talk about the importance of Activisim. Tomorrow evening a social will be held at the Grove and on Thursday a candlelight vigil will
be held for GLBT youth who have taken their lives as a result of bullying or harassment. Friday will consist of an obstacle course type game with Saturday holding a “Pride Prom” for gay and straight students. “Other universities have participated in pride weeks and developed their own activities just like this,” said Tilton. “We sat down and considered that Pride Week is something that we would love to do.” GLOBAL was formed last semester and is the only gay-straight alliance organization on campus. “I think there is a huge need for a group like this on campus,” said Tilton. “Students who are questioning themselves need answers, They are scared. They need advice, they need to feel loved, empowered. This is a place for them to go if they need help. They can be proud of who they are and gain — See GLOBAL, page 4
Photo courtesy of SHSU GLOBAL Facebook
SHARING THE LOVE. The Sam Houston State University branch of GLOBAL is hosting its first meeting at the Grove on Wednesday, complete with a candlelight vigil in honor of the GLBT youth who have taken their lives as a result of bullying or harassment.
Obama talks Libya power transition
WAKEBOARDING RESULTS Dockside Marine Collegiate Cable Jam" - held this past weekend at the Bethy Creek Wake Park in Riverside, TX. 25 competitors - From SHSU, UT San Antonio, Texas Tech, Texas A&M Attendance - 75-80 Location: Bethy Creek Wake Park | Riverside, TX Sponsors: Dockside Marine & Endless Ride Systems Point of Contact: Randall Vincent (info@bethycreek. com Notes: This was the first wakeboarding competition hosted by Bethy Creek Wake Park
By Erin Peterson
Associate News Editor
E. Jay Miranda | The Houstonian
CATCHING AIR. Chase Thomas shows off his skills, placing first in the tournament in Riverside, Texas.
RESULTS Novice - 1st place: Chase Thomas (UT San Antonio) "great solid run. Huge tantrum" - 2nd place: Hunter Adams (SHSU) "close 2nd to Thomas" - Bryan Labareera (UTSA) Advanced - 1st place: Aaron Snow (SHSU) w/ the Moby Dick - 2nd place: John Phillips (UT San Antonio) - 3rd place: Trevor Akers (Texas A&M) Wake Skate - 1st place: Quinn Kauffman (SHSU) - 2nd place: John Phillips (UT San Antonio) - 3rd place: Gage Fugler (SHSU) Womens - 1st place: Alex Miller (UTSA) - 2nd place: Christian Trenno' (UTSA) - 3rd place: Ashley Ferangi (SHSU)
E. Jay Miranda | The Houstonian
LETTING LOOSE. Sam Houston State University participated in the wakeboarding competition in Riverside, Texas, competing against 24 other schools.
In last night’s address to the nation, President Barack Obama gave good news: the US on its way to being essentially out of Libya’s governmental matters. THE CONFLICT IN LIBYA “For more than four decades, the Libyan people have been ruled by a tyrant, Moammar Gaddafi,” Obama said. “He has denied his people freedom, exploited their wealth, murdered opponents at home and abroad and terrorized innocent people around the world – including Americans who were killed by Libyan agents.” Last month, pressure put on Gadaffi by the Libyan people finally began to give way. “For the first time, we finally have hope that our nightmare of 40 years will soon be over,” one Libyan citizen said. Faced with serious opposition, Gaddafi began to attack the Libyan people.
“As President, my immediate concern was the safety of our citizens, so we evacuated our embassy and all Americans who sought our assistance,” Obama said. In conjunction with the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Denmark, Norway, Italy, Spain, Greece, Turkey, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates, the US “broadened [its] sanctions, imposed an arms embargo and enabled Gaddafi and those around him to be accountable for their crimes.” “I made it clear that Gaddafi had lost the confidence of his people and the legitimacy to lead, and I said that he needed to step down from power,” Obama said. In response to the international pressure, Gaddafi escalated his attacks, launching a military campaign against the Libyan people, the people he had served for nearly 42 years. He targeted
— See OBAMA, page 4
Debate team finishes regular season with impressive showing By Adam Key
Contributing Reporter
Photo courtesy of Adam Key
ARG-UE HAPPY? Members of the SHSU debate smile with their awards in hand Photo:
(from left to right) Sara Harrigan, Fabiola Sanchez, Clayton Goss.
Portland, OR – The Sam Houston State University Speech and Debate team continued its long tradition of competitive excellence this past weekend at the Pi Kappa Delta National Convention and Tournament in Portland, OR. A small squad consisting of Fabiola Sanchez, political science sophomore, Sara Harrigan, marketing senior, and Clayton Goss, criminal justice junior, traveled with coach Adam Key to Oregon for three nonstop days of competition with competitors from across the nation. Other universities attending included University of Nebraska, the College of Idaho, Boise State University, Kansas Wesleyan University, and Wiley College.
“Debate tends to be a regional competition,” Key said. “Generally, we compete against a set of schools from Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee. This gave us the chance to show off the talent of Sam Houston State University to some of the top schools across the country.” Pi Kappa Delta is one of the nation’s oldest and largest speech and debate organizations. Sam Houston has had a chapter since 1929. A total of 117 competitors competed in the Varsity division of the International Public Debate Association at the national tournament, making it one of the largest IPDA tournaments in history. Of those, only eight competitors advanced to elimination. One of those eight competitors — See DEBATE, page 4
Viewpoints
Page 2 Tuesday, March 29, 2011
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In the limbo of college
Stephen Green believes college is a place where ideas flourish, compared to other areas While walking throught the hallway yesterday I saw a flyer for teh Junior Fellows Democrats versus Republican charity football game and it made me realize how radically the college environment is from the real world. As we saw in the catfight between the Wisconsin Republicans and Democrats, if one party doesn’t agree with the other it can get explosive. Rivalries exist across every spectrum of life. In elementary school, it was the cool kids against the nerds. In high school, it was the jocks against, lets face it, everyone. And in real world situations it is usually divided on political lines. I feel that college serves as a sort of limbo that has students skip a time of division. In high school and elementary school, you are stuck with the same people for 13 years. Tensions tend to build up, especially when the main point of high school is who can get the most votes in an election, who has the latest in fashion, and who is dating who. A good example of this is when in high school, I had a fierce rival that was a high school version of a political party. It was myself and my friends, and our supporters; against him and his friends and supporters. We fought, bickered and truly couldn’t stand to be around each other because of our division on almost every issue and policy that was brought up. From what I’ve heard, now that he is in college he has mellowed out and I would welcome the opportunity to sit down with him over a cup of coffee to see how things are going. We spent too much time in-fighting over who got this and who got that to get
anything productive done. This doesn’t go for high schoolers only. The U.S. Congress has a way of doing the same thing. Let’s take the DREAM Act for example. J o h n McCain was one of the senators w h o
to do is wait for a semester and it’s over. In high school, not only would you see the rival in class, but also in the next class, during prom, in elections, etc. In the workplace, the enemy could be your boss, co-workers, or the creepy old lady delivering sandwiches. Everyday you see the lady pushing her cart that smells of onions and cats and she would glare at you, always giving you the wrong order. This negative behavior only exists temporarily in college and that will serve as a benefit to both the old lady and her rival. The final point is that in the end, we are all college students bound by one
“In the workplace,
the enemy could be your boss, co-workers, or the creepy old lady delivering sandwiches.”
cosponsored the act originally. In light of the recent political impasse in Congress, he has become a staunch member of the opposition to the bill. If these men would get together and use their brilliant knowledge to make the best possible solution to a situation for the American people, and not for the furtherment of party goals. In college this really doesn’t exist. The first reason for this is that college students first goal is to graduate and pass classes, and in most cases, this is above all else. If you are in many organizations that is great. However, they come second to grades because without grades you can’t participate. The will to pass a class will override rivalries if two people are in the same group, and I speak from experience. The long run game of college is played like a game of chess. In the end you want to beat the opponent, but you may have to make sacrifices and work with the opponents moves in order to win in the long run. Another reason is that any rivalry that occurs in college doesn’t hit as close to home as one may in high school or in the workplace. While you may not like one kid in class, all you have
thing, we are all Bearkats. Once I graduate, I won’t be remembered as Stephen who was a member of this or that. I will be Stephen, the Mass Communication major with an emphasis in broadcast journalism. Everyone should remember that the people you are with now may not remember you in a few years and that is ok. So make good of the time you are stuck in limbo. Don’t worry about the past because you have already spent enough time there. Don’t worry about the future because there is enough of that in front of you. Enjoy and have fun in college. You will have enough problems later when the sandwich lady purposely forgets that you are allergic to mayo. - Stephen is the Viewpoints Editor and member of the Elliot T. Bowers Honors College.
Comedy Corner All cartoons courtesy of creators.com.
Letter to the Student Body Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alumni: The Houstonian would not survive were it not for the continued involvement and dedication of the SHSU student body. We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor. If at any time you feel the need to express an opinion, please do not hesitate to email your thoughts or drop by our office in the Dan Rather communications building. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued support of the Houstonian. Stephen Green Viewpoints Editor sgreen@houstonianonline.com
The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call (936) 294-4864. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press.
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Dear Houstonian and its audience, I don’t know any other way to start this other than, I need help. The past few years I have been trying to discover my sexual orientation. Maybe that sentence is blunt, but it’s been the constant question going through my mind. Who do I like? Do I like anyone? As a college student I should be active, but I’m not. The problem is that when I am around any person, even when I had girlfriends, I don’t feel attracted to them. That goes for any gender. When I tried to talk to my best friend about it, he told me I was gay. I thought that he may be right, but then wondered why he said that. I’ve never been attracted to a guy, so that means not being attracted to women means I’m automatically gay? The truth is I don’t want to be gay. I can’t see myself in a relationship with a guy, nor does it follow my beliefs. The culture is strange to me and I don’t want to be a part of it. At the same time, I don’t know if I’m capable of being with a woman. I think a major problem in my dilemma is that I’ve never had sex. I don’t know what I would like. It’s like choosing between two flavors of ice cream. I can’t decide which one I like best, because I’ve never tried either. I can’t talk to my family about this because they wouldn’t understand, or care to. I would be disowned at the thought of me not being straight. All I want to know is what I am, be that straight or gay, so that I can deal with that in my own time. What would you do if you were in my situation? Sincerely, Confused --------------------------------------------------------------Dear Confused, First of all, we at Houstonian feel enormously flattered that you’d come to us for help. It’s truly an honor. Secondly, the fact that you’re asking for help is huge. Kudos to you. Now, while I’m no expert, I believe that Erin Peterson you’re over-thinking Associate Editor this whole ordeal. Not to say that it isn’t serious, because a person’s sexual orientation is pretty darn significant, but you need to take a step back and relax a little. You’re only stressing yourself out and that’s making this a lot scarier than it needs to be. Take a deep breath in… and out… okay. Ready? Here we go. Experiment. That’s my advice in a nutshell. College wears somewhere in the vicinity of a thousand different hats. It has an academic hat, a rebellious hat, a sports hat, a free-thinking hat, an I’m-gonna-kick-yourbutt-if-you-don’t-get-it-in-gear hat… you get the idea. My favorite hat that college wears is that of experimentation, and that’s not just in terms of sex. Don’t get me wrong, sex is great. It’s a beautiful thing and I sincerely hope that you get to have mind-blowing sex with someone you love some day. However, in spite of what every teen movie tells us, sex isn’t the be all and end all of everything. Experimentation means figuring yourself out. Don’t like your major? Change it. Dislike your roommate? Find a new one next semester. Keep changing your mind again and again and again until you figure out exactly what you want. Ultimately, you’re not obligated to anyone except yourself, and I think that’s something people often forget. Yes, you want to make your parents happy, and that’s fantastic. That makes you a good son to them. However, don’t try to please them so much that you’re afraid to let yourself be happy. That won’t make anyone happy, and you’ll hurt your parents more by doing so. If they really do love you, then they’ll come around. Whatever you decide, wait to tell them until you’re ready and then give them time. As their son, the best thing you can do here is sit down and be honest with them. It’s going to be a little scary, but that’s to be expected. Tell them you’re not happy or comfortable or whatever… just be honest. They may get mad. They may yell. Worse, they may cry. Just be patient. As far as sex goes, do it with someone you trust and only do it when you really, truly want to. You don’t get your first time back. When it does happen, savor the moment. Or make a lot of mental notes for next time. Whatever applies at the time. The important thing is that you put yourself out there. You’ll never know who or what you like until you give it a shot. If you do decide that you’re gay, then that’s okay. Just don’t sit around and wait for you to come to you, because you’ll wait forever. Worst case scenario: you kiss a guy and you don’t like it. If so, get through the next five embarrassing minutes and get back out there. You’ll find someone. Maybe you just haven’t met the right girl. Or guy. Or whatever. Either way, best of luck. I hope you find yourself and some happiness along the way. Welcome to the game, Confused, Erin Peterson Associate News Editor
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News
Page 4 Tuesday, March 29, 2011
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SGA alters election code to suit Supreme Court ruling By Stephen Green Viewpoints Editor
The Student Government Association has amended the election code in an emergency meeting called on Monday. The act clarified the qualifications it takes in order to run for an officer position after a Supreme Court ruling issued on March 25 invalidated a section of the code. The section in question contained the controversial phrase “actively participate in SGA” that, according to Romeal Johnson, associate justice, was one of the main issues amongst the justices when it came to the policy. The amendment to the article changed the controversial phrase to now say, “[the candidate] must have attended three (3) general body meetings and six (6) committee meetings between June 1 and the filing deadline of the current election cycle.” Mariel Kanene, who submitted
the complaint to the Supreme Court, issued a statement Monday that said SGA proceeded with the policy despite the ruling. “Following the March 25 ruling on this manner…SGA leadership has proceeded with this policy and, with an attempt to clear the vagueness, the current leadership approved clarifications of said policy,” Kanene said, “but ultimately restricted students from being able to run beyond what has been established within the Constitution.” Kendall Scudder, chief of staff for the Student Government Association, said in a statement that the Senate rose to the plate after the Supreme Court decision in order to clarify the policy. “Since the fall of 2010, our organization has held numerous, open committee meetings and received valuable input from students across this great university about how we can help our organization fight for hard working,
From DEBATE page 1
was Harrigan. “Normally, we advance between half or a third of the competitors to elimination rounds,” Key said. “In this case, they advanced less than seven percent. The fact that Sara was able to advance, by itself, is a phenomenal accomplishment.” In addition to elimination rounds, Harrigan and Goss brought home additional honors. Pi Kappa Delta distributes Superior awards to the top ten percent and Excellent awards to the remainder of the top thirty percent of competitors in each division. Goss won an Excellent award while Harrigan earned a Superior. After advancing to elimination rounds, Harrigan bested her opponents in quarterfinals and semifinals before finally downing in the final round on a 2-1 decision to Northwest Arkansas’ John Jerome Thompson. “I never expected to make it this far,” Harrigan said. “God is really good.” Harrigan, who had never debated before Key recruited her from a public speaking class he was teaching last Spring, is in her first year of competition. After competing in two tournaments in the novice division, the debate coaching staff decided to
move her to the Varsity division. “Sara is a remarkable competitor and student,” Key said. “She’s a shining example that despite a lack of experience, a person with the drive and determination to succeed can accomplish great things.” Heading into the IPDA National Tournament in two weeks, the Sam Houston team is once again leading the field in multiple divisions. Though official numbers have not been released, based on the results of several independent point calculations, the debate team once again has produced two season-long national champions. In 2010, Goss was the seasonlong Varsity national champion and Key was season-long Team National Champion along with partner Jeremy Coffman. This year, Goss is once again Varsity Division National Champion and Key is Professional Division National Champion. Based on the results of this weekend, Harrigan is in the top 10 of both Varsity and Team divisions. Students interested in joining the team are encouraged to come to meetings on Thursdays at 6pm in room 125 of the Dan Rather Building.
From GLOBAL page 1
fulfillment in their lives.” Tilton also gave advice to those who might be questioning their sexuality. “I think that people who are questioning feel alone,” said Tilton. “You are never alone. Regardless of who you are, Global is here for you and to answer all of your questions. We appreciate new members and everyone is welcome and this a great, safe place to find out more about the community and engage with like-minded people.” All programs are free to students except for Saturday's Pride Prom which is $10 per person, $15 per couple, and $5 for a photo. For more information, log on to SHSUGlobal.com.
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everyday students. Luckily, we were able to accomplish this task with plenty of time before the election filing deadline; over 60 days in advance.” He continued saying the Senate was in vast support of this type of legislation and this policy is a continuance of that, receiving only one negative vote. “Though our code as modified may not meet the particular interests of individuals who may have chosen to opt out of this process, our job as an organization is to fight for the student body as a whole, not for a select few,” Scudder said. “With the advancement of this election code, which has already been ruled constitutional by the Supreme Court, our group is going to be able to move past this issue and help to find real solutions to real issues.” A summary judgment was filed by Frank Parker, chief justice and vice president of Student Services. The opinion said that Article XII, Section A of the election code
is invalid because “it is “poorly written, vague, unclear and overbroad.” “It was the opinion of the court that the policy, the way it was written, was not appropriately written and not good policy for Sam Houston State University,” Parker said in an interview on Friday. “Basically we said the rule was not appropriate because it was vague. If you rule it is vague and overbroad, you are saying it isn’t constitutional. That’s a given.” Sections A and B were added into the election code on Feb. 8 by a unanimous decision of the Senate. Parker said that while the court issued this opinion, SGA can still make changes to the code. “If they need to try something, they can try and re-write it or something like that,” he said. “We just didn’t think it was good policy to restrict students from being able to run.”
Campus Calendar Tuesday, March 29: - 9:30 a.m. - American West Trip: Class meeting and information session - Evans 212 - 2 p.m. - “Real Talk with CJ”: Agent Daniel Casey - CJava Cafe - 3:30 p.m. - Graduate Research Exchange TEC, 2nd floor - 5 p.m. - 2011 SGA Election: Candidate Information Meeting and Application Deadline LSC 326 Wednesday, March 30: - 3 p.m. - How to Transition from Student to Professional - AB IV, Suite 210 - 3:30 p.m. - American West Trip: Class meeting and information session Evans 212 - 6:30 p.m. - Baseball v. Rice - Don Sanders Stadium
Potential ‘Katfish’ arrive at Sam By Jasmine Brown Contributing Reporter The weekend brought both beautiful weather and lots of potential Bearkats to campus. Sam Houston’s Visitors’ Center held its 51st Saturdays @ Sam event this past weekend, successfully bringing together thousands of prospective Sam students and their families and showing them exactly what the university has to offer. The event kicked off with performances by multiple groups, including the Orange Pride dance team and the SHSU cheer squad. President Dana Gibson also welcomed visitors, speaking to them about academics, campus life and many other advantages to attending the university. After this, prospective
From OBAMA page 1
and attacked hospitals; “journalists were arrested, sexually assaulted and killed; supplies of food and fuel were choked off; water for hundreds of thousands of people in Misratah was shut off; cities and towns were shelled; mosques were destroyed; apartment buildings were reduced to rubble and military jets and helicopter gunships were unleashed upon people who had no means to defend themselves against assault from the air.” Confronted by this “brutal repression and a looming humanitarian crisis,” Obama ordered warships into the Mediterranean, accompanied by Libyan opposition and the Arab League. In addition, the US led an effort “with our allies to authorize a no-fly-zone to stop the regime’s attacks from the air and further authorized all necessary measures to protect the Libyan people. Ten days ago, the international community offered Gaddafi one last chance to stop his destructive campaign, “or face the consequences.” Instead, Gaddafi continued to his advance on Benghazi, “home to nearly 700,000 men, women and children who sought freedom from fear.” After hearing Gaddafi declare that he would show “no mercy” to his own people, the US and world faced a serious decision. “We knew that if we waited one more day, Benghazi . . . could suffer a massacre that would have reverberated across the region and stained the conscience of the world,” Obama said. The next day, the US and its allies, under United Nations Security Council
students were able to break off into groups of their intended major to find out more about the specific colleges they would be joining. These sessions were very informative and interactive. In the College of Criminal Justice, Dr. Holly Miller, assistant dean of Undergraduate Studies, helped to answer any questions students or parents had. She also had the assistance of Fabia Bristow, undergraduate advising coordinator and president of Phi Alpha Delta, National Association for Blacks in Criminal Justice, Alpha Phi Sigma, Society of Forensic Science, and Lambda Alpha Epsilon during Q&A. “I really wasn’t sure about my major,” Valeria Faz, prospective student, said after the session, “but now I know for sure that I
want to major in criminal justice.” Campus and residential tours, advising opportunities and organizational fairs were also available to those at the event. Mother Connie Tindle was very happy with the information that was made available to her by the Saturdays @ Sam experience. “They give you a lot of knowledgeable information to answer all the questions that us as parents have,” said Tindle. Students were impressed with the information and experiences provided as well. “You get to see the whole campus and meet the faculty,” Christian Tugman, prospective freshman, said. “It really helps you get closer to making a choice.” Many students felt that
getting another opportunity to be on campus was the best part of the experience. “It’s a beautiful campus,” Anisa Ybarra, prospective student, said. “Just walking around campus again and seeing all the flowers blooming is great. It looks really pretty.” Overall, the university made quite an impression on the prospective students and their parents. “I’d be very happy if my daughter chose Sam Houston as her school,” Maria Dominguez, prospective parent, said. “It’d be good for her here.” The next Saturdays @ Sam event will be hosted November 19. After the success of this event, university officials hope to see an influx of students in the 2011-2012 school year.
Resolution 1973, authorized military action and a nofly-zone. The resolution saved Benghazi and its people, hit Gaddafi’s troops in neighboring Ajdabiya, cut off the majority of Gaddafi’s supplies and hit his air defenses, making way for the no-fly-zone. “Tonight, I can report that we have stopped Gaddafi’s deadly advance.” PUTTING IT INTO PERSPECTIVE “When people were being brutalized in Bosnia in the 1990s, it took the international community more than a year to intervene with air power to protect civilians.” Obama continued on to reiterate his promise to the American people. “I made a promise to the American people at the outset of our military operations,” he began. “I said that America’s role would be limited; that we would not put ground troops into Libya; that we would focus our unique capabilities on the front end of the operation and that we would transfer responsibility to our allies and partners. Tonight, we are fulfilling that pledge.” Beginning Wednesday, the US Armed Forces will transfer their power to NATO, who will, in turn, transfer the power to the United States’ allies and partners. “I am fully confident that our coalition will keep the pressure on Gaddafi’s remaining forces,” Obama said. From there, the US is to play a “supporting role,” which will include providing intelligence and logistical support, search and rescue assistance, and capabilities to jam regime communications. “The risk and cost of this operation – to our military and to American taxpayers – will be reduced
significantly,” he said. COMPLETING THE JOB AT HAND Obama cautions Gaddafi and his followers: “It should be clear to those around Gaddafi, and to every Libyan, that history is not on his side.” Obama continued to say that the United States will work with the international community to provide assistance to the Libyan people, starting by safeguarding the more than $33 billion frozen from the Gaddafi regime for the Libyan people to use to rebuild their country once the feud is over. “This money does not belong to Gaddafi or to us – it belongs to the Libyan people, and we will make sure they receive it.” Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is travelling to London today to meet with the Libyan opposition and consult with US allies to focus on what kind of political effort is necessary to pressure Gaddafi while also supporting a transition to “the future that the Libyan people deserve.” QUESTIONS REMAIN As Gaddafi has not yet stepped down from power, many uncertainties remain regarding the future of Libya. Obama stated that until Gaddafi steps down, Libya will remain a “dangerous place.” After he does leave, however, “40 years of tyranny have left Libya fractured and without strong civil institutions.” He continued on to say that, while the transition to a legitimate government responsive to the Libyan people will be difficult, “it will be a task for the international community and – more importantly – a task for the Libyan people themselves.” Back home, Americans are on two sides of the fence. “[Some] argue that there
are many places in the world where innocent civilians face brutal violence at the hands of their government, and America should not be expected to police the world, especially when we have so many pressing concerns here at home,” Obama explained. “Given the costs and risks of intervention, we must always measure our interests against the need for action. “But that cannot be an argument for never acting on behalf of what’s right… To brush aside America’s responsibility as a leader and – more profoundly – our responsibilities to our fellow human beings under such circumstances would have been a betrayal of who we are.” On the other hand, “there are others who have suggested that we broaden our military mission beyond the task of protecting the Libyan people and do whatever it takes to bring down Gaddafi and usher in a new government.” However, Obama disagrees. “Broadening our military mission to include regime change would be a mistake,” he said. “If we tried to overthrow Gaddafi by force, our coalition would splinter,” he explained. “We would likely have to put US troops on the ground or risk killing many civilians from the air. The dangers faced by our men and women in uniform would be far greater. So would the costs and our share of the responsibility for what comes next.” In short, Obama is keeping America out of the ground fight. “With the time and space that we have provided for the Libyan people, they will be able to determine their own destiny, and that is how it should be.”
Arts & Entertainment
Page 5 Tuesday, March 29, 2011
houstonianonline.com/entertainment
-Ebony and Ivory Step Show-
On March 24th, the Zeta Phi Beta sorority hosted their annual Ebony and Ivory Stepshow in the Johnson Coliseum. Nearly 700 students, faculty and alumni were in attendance as sororities and fraternities from different councils came together and tantalized attendees with their versed stepping + dancing abilities.
The fun and the fury
Photos courtesy Hairstyles99.com (left) and LadyGaga.net (right)
SHOWDOWN IN HOUSTON. Ke$ha (left) and Lady Gaga (right) will both have shows in Houston next month.
By Hilary Collins
Contributing Reporter
In Kathleen Hanna’s 2001 electrofeminist punk anthem “TGIF,” the lyrics “I think it looks all right; we’ve got friends in sight. Yeah tomorrow we fight, so let’s have fun tonight” seem today like mash up of Ke$ha’s hit single “Tik Tok” and Lady Gaga’s newest, “Born this Way.” Ke$ha delivers the fun, and Lady Gaga brings the fight. And Houston will cater to both in April. Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour is coming to Houston’s Toyota Center, and Ke$ha is coming to the Verizon Wireless Theater. Lady Gaga has three shows lined up and Ke$ha is playing one. These two artists have been dominating the music industry lately, with Lady Gaga’s fame starting in 2008 with the release of her first album, “The Fame”, and Ke$ha following in late 2009 when her hit single, “Tik Tok,” dropped. On the surface, there are a lot of similarities between the pop stars: both are young, blonde women who cultivate a crazy public image and specialize in songs you’re most likely to hear in the club. However, a closer look shows that there are differences as well. Lady Gaga’s success has been international and spans multiple media styles. She is a master of the internet, with her videos dominating YouTube and her Twitter the most popular on the site. She is influential in the fashion world and is active politically, especially supportive of gay rights. Though Ke$ha has been able to gain a n
respectable place on the pop charts, she has not attained the level of international fame to which Gaga has risen. “What I’m bringing to the pop table is that I’m not pretentious,” Ke$ha told Matt Diehl of Interview magazine. “I’m fighting this war against all that because pop music, in my opinion, should be fun.” In that same interview, Ke$ha said she viewed herself not as a “star” but as a “dance commander,” emphasizing her light-hearted take on her popularity. Gaga, on the other hand, takes her message more seriously, and it is definitely a more serious message. She is known for her intense devotion to her fans, who she named “Little Monsters,” and her passionate support of the LGBT community. Her latest single, “Born This Way”, is an anthem for that group of people. “The point with ‘Born This Way’ is to fight for something that not everyone believes in,” Lady Gaga said on her Twitter feed. “To overcome adversity with a message.” Even though Ke$ha’s first hit single “Tik Tok” outsold Gaga’s first hit single “Just Dance” in the single digital sales by almost 200,000 purchases, most critics seem to agree that Ke$ha doesn’t pack the same punch as Gaga. Auto-tuned and singtalking her way through most of her songs, Ke$ha will have a difficult time matching Gaga on tour, where Gaga is able to belt out her hits with gusto live. However, both artists are on everyone’s lips and on everyone’s iPod. Despite whose fame is more overwhelming or more enduring, both of these ladies are very big right now.
Photos by E. Jay Miranda | The Houstonian
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Sports
Page 7 Tuesday, March 29, 2011 twitter.com/HoustonianSport
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Baseball wipes floor with UTSA Cheval John
cdj001@shsu.edu
HUNTSVILLE - The Bearkats swept the three-game series against the University of Texas at San Antonio Roadrunners over the weekend. SHSU won the first game by the score of 10-5. Designated hitter Chris Andreas went 3 for 3 with a pair of RBI singles and Mark Hudson went 3 for 4 with a pair of RBI singles. Pitcher Paul Spinn relieved starting pitcher Matt Shelton and received the victory for the Bearkats, while starting pitcher Casey Selsor went down with the loss for UTSA. The Roadrunners took the lead in the first inning as they scored three runs and the Bearkats scored two in the bottom of the inning. Then Andreas hit a two-run double and second baseman Ryan Mooney drove him in with a single to give the Kats a 5-3 lead in the bottom of the second inning. UTSA tied the game at five when designated hitter Jake Wood scored on an error and third baseman Ryan Dalton hit an RBI single in the top of the third inning. Left fielder Luke Plucheck hit a double to left field that gave the Kats the lead for good. They added 3 runs in the bottom of the fifth and another in the bottom of the eight inning. In the second game, the Kats won 6-3. Pitcher Brent Powers went six strong innings, giving up only two runs on five hits and striking out seven batters and walking only two. “We really fed off the good start we got from Brent Powers (five hits and two runs in six innings),” Mooney said. “I think that’s where it all started. He gave us a good six innings and the bats came alive and we were able to score some runs in the middle innings. “We put a lot of hits together and we just put the ball in play, I think that
was the biggest thing.” In the third game, UTSA struck first in the top of the first inning and scored again in the top of the second. But the Kats came back again in the bottom of the third scoring two run and adding another in the bottom of the fifth inning. Chris Andreas started the rally with an RBI single. Then Mark Hudson hit a single that scored Ryan Mooney and gave the Kats the lead for good. The Kats added insurance runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The Bearkats finished the sweep with a 5-1 victory. Right fielder Greg Olson lead off the bottom of the first with a walk. Designated Hitter Chris Andreas drove in the first run of the game. Mark Hudson grounded into a double play that allowed the second run to score. Third baseman Kevin Miller led off the third with a walk and catcher Doug Oney drove in the third run of the game with a double. Olson walked for the second time and second baseman Ryan Mooney drove in the fourth run of the game on a ground out. Pitcher Brandon Kimbrel went seven and a third innings, giving up only one run on seven hits, striking out three batters and walking four. Paul Spinn came in relieve of Kimbrel in the top of the eight and Michael Burchett came in the ninth to complete the sweep. “Brandon was typical Brandon. He goes out there and he forces guys to hit the ball, but he makes them hit his pitch,” SHSU head coach Mark Johnson said. “He changes speeds and he’ll move the ball in and out. He works both sides of the plate so well. “It’s not as dominating as some pitchers where he’s blowing it by people, but that’s his game. He makes them put the ball in play the way he wants them to and he stayed out there forever and did a great job.” Sam Houston visits Dallas Baptist
K atistics SHSU BASEBALL RESULTS FRIDAY
UTSA 5 SHSU 10
SATURDAY
UTSA 3 SHSU 6
SUNDAY
UTSA 1 SHSU 5
UPCOMING GAMES TUESDAY, March 29 SHSU @ Dallas Baptist
WEDNESDAY, March 30 Rice at SHSU
STANDINGS Texas State Stephen F. Austin. Texas A&M-CC Lamar UT Arlington
17-6 18-7 19-8 17-10 13-11 Southeastern LA 15-9 Sam Houston State 17-8 McNeese State 13-11 Central Arkansas 12-13 Northwestern State 7-16 Nicholls State 8-14 UTSA 7-18
SLC (8-1) (8-1) (6-3) (6-3) (6-3) (5-4) (4-5) (4-5) (3-6) (2-7) (1-8) (1-8)
SHSU SOFTBALL Courtesy of SHSU Athletics
BACK ON WINNING TRACK. The Sam Houston State baseball team started the season on a hot streak, but after struggling to begin conference against UTArlington and Texas State, the Kats respond with a sweep over UTSA. Senior catcher Doug Oney (above) has continued to play a major role in the Kats’ success
SFA sweeps singles matches
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RESULTS SATURDAY (Game 1)
Northwestern St. 0 SHSU 4
SATURDAY (Game 2)
Northwestern St 4 SHSU 0
SUNDAY
Northwestern St 0 SHSU 1
UPCOMING GAMES SATURDAY, April 9 (DH) SHSU @ McNeese State
STANDINGS
Texas A&M-CC UT Arlington Texas State UTSA McNeese State Southeastern LA Sam Houston State Northwestern State Central Arkansas Stephen F. Austin Nicholls State
SLC
29-9 (13-2) 23-12 (10-2) 15-17 (8-7) 12-17 (8-7) 13-20 (7-8) 14-15 (4-5) 14-22 (6-8) 19-14 (5-7) 12-19 (4-8)
8-22 8-20
(4-8) (2-9)
Softball takes series in extras After splitting Saturday’s double-header, Kats edge Northwestern St with walk-off hit Courtesy of SHSU Athletics
ALL THE SINGLE LADIES Tennis was impressive during the doubles point on Saturday, but SFA reasponded to win all singles matches. Imke Jagau and Natalie Petaia pictured above
Amy Turek
art011@shsu.edu
HUNTSVILLE. - The Bearkat tennis team faced a devastating defeat on Saturday in matches against conference rival, SFA. The Bearkats won all three doubles matches, giving them the doubles point and the only point they would win from all matches. Doubles No. 1 Tatyana Postnikova and Nadya Dubyanskaya went up 6-1 before giving up three straight games. They were able to close the match out and win 8-4. In other doubles matches, Doubles No. 2 Cally Woerner and Sheridan Currie won 8-3, and Doubles No. 3 Natalie Petaia and Imke Jagau won 8-6. The Lumberjacks dominated the Kats in singles. Singles No. 1 Jagau went down an early break in the first set and never recovered, losing the first set 2-6. Jagau also went down an early break in the second and was down 2-5 with her opponent serving for the match. She was able to break and recover to 4-5 but her opponent held serve for the win. In other singles matches, Singles No. 2
Postnikova lost 6-4, 4-6, 1-6; Singles No. 3 Dubyanskaya lost 7-6, 4-6, 0-1 (2) losing the third set in a super tiebreaker; Singles No. 4 Sheridan Currie lost 3-6, 3-6; Singles No. 5 Anrinette Botha lost 4-6, 3-6; and Singles No. 6 Petaia lost 6-4, 4-6, 0-6. This is the first time since 2001 that the Bearkats have lost to SFA. “This was the first year they’ve (SFA) had a team that was a lot higher than what they have previously been,” Assistant Coach Peta Taylor said. Taylor said the girls were not getting enough balls in play, contributing to the loss, which caused some frustration on the courts. “We’re 3-2 [in conference] right now,” Taylor said. “The next two matches are pretty crucial to where we are going to be standing in the line-up for the conference tournament. We’ve just got to keep in mind the stuff we did, fix them and then move forward.” The Kats next face first place UTA and seventh place Texas State in home matches on Saturday and Sunday.
Amy Turek covers tennis and is a regular contributor to The Houstonian
Courtesy of SHSU Athletics
FIGHTING TO THE FINISH. Bearkat softball has struggled this season. After getting the better of Northwestern last weekend, the Kats hope to carry over the momentum
Cheval John
cdj001@shsu.edu
HUNTSVILLE - The weekend was filled with softball action as Sam Houston State hosted Northwestern State Demons in a three-game series that started with a double-header on Saturday The Bearkats won the first game by the score of 4-0. The Kats struck first as shortstop Hailey Wiginton led off the first inning with a double and then scored the first run of the game on Alex Survant’s single. Afterward, Survant scored the second run of the game on Shelbi Tucker’s single. Alyssa Collins hit a two-out single in the bottom of the fourth inning which started the onslaught as Hailey Wigington hit her second single and then left fielder Tori Benavidez drove Collins in on a RBI single. Then Wiginton scored the fourth and final run of the game on Alex Survant’s second single of the game. Starting pitcher Tomi Garrison went the distance, pitching a four-hit shutout game with three strike outs. The second game belonged to the Demons with the score of 4-0. Pitcher Kylie
Roos went 1 for 3 with an RBI single and centerfielder Ashlee England went 2-3 with a solo homerun. The third and final game went the distance as the Bearkats won 1-0 in 10 innings. The Demons had an opportunity to score with the bases loaded in the top of the fourth inning, but came up empty. The Bearkats had the same opportunity with the bases loaded in the bottom of the fifth, but to no avail. The key play happened in the top of the 7th inning. With a runner on first base and two outs, Kylie Roos hit a blast that hit off the top of the wall and into the glove of the centerfielder Taylor Gray, then threw out the runner as she tried to score from first. In the bottom of the 10th inning with two outs and the bases loaded, catcher Sarah Allison hit a bloop single that scored the game-winning run and gave the Kats the victory. Freshman pitcher Cecilia Castillo went eight full innings and Tomi Garrison(11-11) came in for relief to get the win and preserve the shutout. Cheval John is a blogger for The Houstonian and a Spanish graduate student
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