1/31/2018 Weekly Edition

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

Wednesday, January 31, 2018

The Official News Source of Sam Houston State University PLANS REVEALED, P. 2 Huntsville can expect construction at the old H-E-B lot as plans are revealed for the space.

Volume 129 | Issue 14

JOURNALISM, P. 3 Opinion: Associate Editor Tyler Josefsen explains fake news and the truths behind journalism.

ART EXHIBITION, P. 4 Art department puts together their 58th annual exhibit to showcase faculty talent.

/HoustonianSHSU

@HoustonianSHSU

GRAMMYS, P. 5 Bruno Mars swept the top categories at the Grammy Awards. Find out who else took home hardware. @HoustonianSHSU

HOOPS, P. 6 The Bearkat men and women’s basketball teams are having two very different seasons.

HoustonianOnline.com

SHSU Kats stand united after religion Art answers takes a radical form on campus department prepares for call for makeover healthcare need in Texas ELISABETH WILLASON Staff Reporter

Sharon Raissi | The Houstonian

A NEW MEDICAL PROGRAM. Sam Houston State University is getting a new college. An osteopathic medicine program has been approved to open in the Fall 2020 semester and will include 150 students.

RYAN REYNOLDS Editor-in-Chief Sam Houston State University is inching closer to establishing a college of osteopathic medicine, scheduled to open in Fall 2020.

SHSU has secured a location in Conroe’s Grand Central Park, and each class will have 150 students and will have a capacity of 600 students.

“The facility will be built on land donated to the university,” University Spokeswoman Emily Binetti said. “The programming for the building is underway. We are also in the process of hiring additional staff and faculty.”

Osteopathic medicine uses modern medicine while also incorporating hands-on diagnosis and treatment through a system known as osteopathic manipulative medicine, according to the American Association of Colleges of Osteopathic Medicine.

According to Dr. Charles Henley, dean of the college of osteopathic medicine, Houston is home to some of the best hospitals and medical research facilities in the world; the other 80 percent of Texas is medically underserved and predominantly rural. A medical school in Houston cannot adequately serve the people in East Texas towns like Crockett, Lufkin, Centerville and countless others.

The SHSU Osteopathic Medicine program is designed to focus on the primary care needs of those rural and underserved Texans, which follows the university motto “a measure of life is its service.” It will be a four-year, doctoral program that will consist of classroom training during the first two years followed by student rotations in medicine, surgery and women’s health.

SHSU conducted a regional needs assessment in 2013 for an overall health sciences strategic plan where two critical needs were identified: nurses and primary health physicians. The university then responded by doubling its already existent nursing program Medicine continues on page 2

Tyler Josefsen | The Houstonian

FREE SPEECH, FREE PREACH. Sam Houston State University is a common ground for religious radicals to preach their views to college students. Bearkats seem to denounce these unwelcomed visitors by uniting to drown out their words. Despite the resistance, the radicals continue to return.

SHARON RAISSI Campus Culture Editor “Jesus said unto her, ‘…go, and sin no more.’” John 8:11 It is the quote featured on the front of their pamphlet, a precautionary one dedicated to, as their signs say, “rebellious women,” amongst others. They stand, they scream, they warn until they are red in the face. But who are these people, and what are they doing on our campus?

It never seems to fail that several times every semester a group of people show up in the Lowman Student Center mall area holding signs and screaming their beliefs.

This group belongs to two different organizations: the Pentecostal Lighthouse Church, led by Pastor Joshua Herridge, and the Consuming Fire Fellowship Church, led by Britt Williams.

Every school day from Friday through Tuesday, these organizations stood out in front of the LSC, yelling at most any students that happened to be passing by.

“We’re here today preaching the gospel to them,” Williams said. “The bible says there’s a means to communicate the gospel, and that means is preaching.

The Greek word for preach means ‘public crier’.”

Well, if there is anything these organizations are good at, it is crying publicly. The screams of their preachers can be heard from several buildings away. Their wildly colorful and straight-forward signs catch the eye immediately, begging to be questioned. They say fairly straightforward things like “LAKE OF FIRE FOR ALL SINNERS,” “ETERNAL HELL AWAITS” and “#BE A HO NO MO.” While explaining the theatri-

cal protest tactics his church uses, Williams brought up a movement that he felt was comparable to his own: the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

“There used to be free speech areas all over campus when I was a young man,” Williams said.

“The ‘60s protests and what have you. People were not afraid to speak their ideas publicly in a very passionate manner.

Radicals continues on page 5

Sharon Raissi | The Houstonain

Construction on the new Sam Houston State University art building is scheduled to begin in Spring 2018, and the building is expected to open in Fall 2019 or Spring 2020.

The new building will be across Bobby K. Marks opposite the Newton Gresham Library and the University Theater Center and will bring all of the art programs together under the same roof.

“We are very excited that the new building will allow all of our programs to be housed under one roof and [we are] looking forward to the synergy created by interaction between the programs,” Department Chair Michael Henderson said.

Currently, Art Department classes are spread out between eight different buildings, including the SHSU WASH building, which is currently located on Avenue M behind Josey Park offcampus.

The WASH program is a required foundations program for all SHSU art students, and it will have its own studio space on the building’s first floor. Now, WASH students will be able to attend their classes on-campus.

The new building will be four stories high and will boast a new University Art Gallery that Henderson says will be accessible and inviting.

The gallery will be located on the first floor with WASH, alongside a Student Resource Center that will provide equipment that the students and faculty need, a sculpture lab with an outdoor workspace and a ceramics studio that also includes an outdoor space for kilns.

On the second floor, students will have access to graphic design studios and production labs, alongside studios for computer animation students. On the same floor, the animation program will have a production studio and sound recording lab specifically for their students.

On the top floor, the photography program will get a photo studio with professional lighting, a digital darkroom with mural printers and a traditional Art continues on page 2

Jordan Likens | The Houstonian

THE ART OF EDUCATION. The Sam Houston State University Rebecca Jones | The Houstonian art department is getting a new NEXT STOP... PARTYVILLE. Sam Houston State University students and Huntsville residents can hop aboard the home. Multiple programs will get upgraded facilities all housed in the Gateway Shuttle that turns into a very literal party bus Thursday nights through Saturdays. Story on page 2 same building.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/news | Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Page 2

SHSU policies under review EMILY DAVIS News/Viewpoints Editor In mid-December the Academic Affairs Council met and approved changes to Sam Houston State University’s academic policies.

The council is comprised of Sam Houston State University Administration from all Departments, and they meet twice a year, once at the end of the Fall and Spring semester. The Council serves as an advisory capacity to the Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. The AAC’s purpose is to provide a forum for the discussion of academic matters and concerns.

“These policies are waiting for the President’s signature to make them official,” Vice Provost Mary Robbins said. “Then they go up on the website.”

Several changes were proposed at the meeting, including

many that will impact students directly such as (800401) class attendance, (801007) acceptance of courses and grades transferred from other colleges/universities, (860904) academic credit for former employment, (890228) use of tobacco products on campus, and (890303) employment of graduate students.

“We expect the new policies up within the next week,” Robbins said.

Until the approved policy changes are made public, students can find the current description of these policies at www.shsu.edu/ dept/academic-affairs/policies. html.

Stay up-to-date with The Houstonian as the details surrounding unfold.

/HoustonianSHSU @HoustonianSHSU

Gateway shuttle strikes midnight, turns into weekend party bus REBECCA JONES Contributing Reporter Gateway Apartments, a local student-housing complex, utilizes its complex-to-campus shuttle as a party bus on the weekends.

From Thursday night to Saturday, the Gateway shuttle bus provides safe, free and convenient transportation to Gateway residents and their friends. The bus stops include five local bars in Huntsville: Draft Bar, Humphrey’s, 12 Street Bar, The Jolly Fox and Shenanigans. The bus leaves the complex around 9:30 pm and leaves the last bar around 1:30 a.m.

“They emailed all [the residents] and posted it on twitter

and Instagram,” current resident and sophomore Glennis Cornwell said. “It was not super reliable because it was not on a time schedule, but it definitely was cool when we finally got on it. Me and my friends have used it once or twice before, and it is a definite possibility for the future,” Cornwell said.

The bus has only been in progress for about two weeks, and the first saw a large passenger turnout.

“The route takes the driver about 30 minutes,” property manager Alex Bash said.

There is also an app called Shadow Tracker Mobile that residents can download and use to help track where the bus is and where its next stop will be.

Location of the new art building

Photo courtesy Sam Houston State University

Art continued, page 1 — darkroom equipped for black and white and alternative processes. Also on the top floor, new studio spaces for painting, drawing and printmaking will have indirect natural light provided by large windows on the North side of the building.

There will also be a multipurpose room for Art History and smaller seminar rooms, as well as a computer lab for teaching digital art.

Plans for old H-E-B lot revealed

“The Department of Art is planning for and anticipating growth in Computer Animation, Graphic Design, Art Education, Art History and our Community Engaged courses and programs,” Henderson said. “In addition to the new building, the Department is looking forward to new opportunities to interact with the Community in off-campus programming at our Downtown Satellite Gallery where we have been having exhibitions for the past five years.”

Tyler Josefsen | The Houstonian

MORE HOUSING. The former H-E-B lot on Sam Houston Avenue will receive a makeover in the coming months. Plans are in the works to demolish the old grocery, and transform the space into an apartment complex.

EMILY DAVIS News/Viewpoints Editor There is a new student apartment complex in the works for the old H-E-B location on Sam Houston Avenue.

On Dec. 8, Marissa Nunez of the Huntsville Item reported that “According to Aron Kulhavy, the city’s director of economic development, there are plans in motion to convert the property to new living quarters for Sam Houston State University students.”

Questions arose after publication about whether construction of a new student dorm was coming in the near future.

Executive Director of Residence Life Joellen Tipton shot down the rumor by saying that her office was unaware of the uniMedicine continued, page 1 — and initiating a study on how to best address the widening primary care gap, which Binetti said is predominantly in rural regions of Texas.

“This is what Sam Houston State University does,” Henley said. “It’s what we’ve always done since our founding as a teachers college. We identify a real need, build a corresponding program, educate the next generation of professionals and return them to the communities where they come from— where they are needed most.”

Four out of every five counties in Texas are designated as medically underserved and 177 counties out of 254 are classified as rural. A recent national report ranked Texas 36 out of 47 states for rural health care and assigned a “D-minus” to the state because of “low access to care, poor physical health and high mortality rates from heart disease and stroke.”

Henley said that recruitment will focus on students from rural and underserved areas to help build a pipeline of qualified medical students who are more likely to return to their communities, benefitting those people living in serviced areas. The university is also partnering with new teaching hospitals and medical facilities in the East Texas region to support the clinical training of 150 students.

“The proposed College of Osteopathic Medicine is affiliat-

versity purchasing the building.

“This has not been discussed with us at all, and there are no plans to build a new residence hall anytime soon,” Tipton said.

However, Dinerstein Companies intends to build a multistory apartment complex with on-site parking that will target SHSU students.

“Dinerstein ordered a density variance test to construct a student apartment complex on the site in October of this year,” Kulhavy said.

According to Huntsville Planner Janet Ridley, this company has developed previous student housing in the Huntsville city limits, such as Gateway and former Brook Place Apartments.

“I do not believe the sale on this property has closed as of yet,”

Kulhavy said. “We have received a permit application for demolition of the existing structure from the Dinerstein.” “[The complex] will be similar to the Armory, such as it being a high rise, with a parking garage up the backside,” Ridley said. “At this time the development plans have not been submitted, but they are in the process of getting demolition permits for the H-E-B building.”

Dinerstein has already received the density variance test results on the vacant location. However, Kulhavy does not know a time frame for the demolition of the old grocery store or the start of construction on the 179-apartment complex.

Visit huntsvilletxed.com for updates.

ing with hospitals in rural areas to establish clerkship training programs,” Henley said. “There are numerous opportunities for interdisciplinary collaboration between academic and research areas.”

The Texas State University System Board of Regents passed a motion for full approval to develop the proposed osteopathic medicine program in August

2017. According to Henley, the osteopathic medicine degree at SHSU is under review by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and the next steps include a pre-accreditation site visit by the Commission on Osteopathic College Accreditation and the completion of a selfstudy for provisional accreditation.

Whata-switch, new location Feb. 21 JORDAN LIKENS Copy Editor On Feb. 21, a new Whataburger restaurant will open for business in the Ravenwood Village Shopping Center of Huntsville.

When the new Whataburger at 263 IH-45 South opens, the current Whataburger location at 140 IH-45 South will close. According to Whataburger Restaurants, Ryan Reynolds | The Houstonian LLC, employees will be given the NEW BEGINNINGS. Whataburger is moving locations to the opportunity to transfer to the opposite side of IH-45, and opening its doors at the end of February. new, upgraded location.

“The modernized restaurant is

easier to access for customers, and features a state-of-the-art kitchen, double drive-thru lanes and an updated dining room,” Whataburger SVP of Real Estate James Turcotte said. “Whataburger also sponsors Sam Houston State University athletics and this new restaurant features SHSU’s logo to show our Bearkat pride as well as a wall mural showcasing the university’s history.”

Many residents of Huntsville feel that the current Whataburger location has not been ideal for customers or business. Junior In-

terdisciplinary Studies major and Whataburger customer Brooke Chaplin looks forward to visiting the new, convenient location.

“Whataburger’s decision to relocate is a wise decision as a business, because it will be located in the shopping center of Huntsville that has gained a lot of attention,” Chaplin said. “It has a lot of traffic and well-known businesses that attract customers.”

Whataburger Restaurants, LLC encourages customers to stay tuned for social media updates.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/viewpoints | Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Page 3

‘Fake News’ and the truth behind journali$m

Graphic created by Tyler Josefsen

WHAT IS NEWS? “Fake News” seems to be a major part of contemporary society. Today’s journalism has evolved from acting as an outlet for the truth to becoming a business. The people who deliver the news profit from the news, and that goes against journalistic foundations.

TYLER JOSEFSEN Associate Editor “The press was to serve the governed, not the governors.”

- U.S. Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black, New York Times United States (1971) News spreads like wildfire.

That’s great until someone gets burned.

Almost every story starts with a pure, honest idea: something wholesome and informative, something to be proud of. Along

the way, the original story can become so diluted it is basically just a drop of truth in the bucket of sensationalized news.

Unfortunately, that original drop of water is never enough to extinguish the “fake news” epidemic that has engulfed 21st century America.

“The Post,” currently in theaters, is a Steven Spielberg production that chronicles The Washington Post newsroom during the controversial time of the Pentagon Papers. Meryl Streep portrayed Katharine Graham, publisher and president of The Washington Post.

She had a great quote in the beginning of the film when she said, “Quality and profitability do go hand in hand.” I would argue there are too many corporations these days that believe profitable news is quality news, rather than the other way around.

Decisions are financially-based— perhaps a necessary evil, but simultaneously a violation of journalistic foundations.

I believe that every major news corporation that ever embodied the fallacious ideal that they would change the nature of news reporting was at some point forced to abandon this dream during their rise to fame.

The definition of what is “newsworthy” is arguably becoming as murky as the news itself. It seems that newsworthiness has strayed away from the original ideas like timeliness, proximity and human interest and rather now possesses a bias toward stories that will produce the most responses from an audience.

If information is power, then what is news? Is it information?

Is it unequivocal truth? Is it a ruthless, cutthroat business?

Yes, yes, and sadly yes. Now the question that every potentially great journalist has wrestled with at one time or another: Can I find the balance in the middle?

Personally, I don’t know. I honestly hope so, but countless

others have tried. I am writing this article as the Associate Editor at a university newspaper.

I am not Dean Baquet, and this is not The New York Times.

This article likely won’t reach millions, but in the interest of upholding my main argument, I feel like this should be shared.

I feel like people are never given the opportunity to understand the decision-making process of a writer, a reporter and an editor (in this case an editor that holds himself and his writers to the highest of ethical journalistic standards). Whether you are a person that turns the news on every free moment you have or even if the extent of your world knowledge is the top three stories on social media each week, you are our audience. You deserve to know what our goal is as we communicate with you.

Journalism is a grind; everything a journalist says and does is scrutinized. When a professional baseball player strikes out with two outs and

the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth inning in game seven of the World Series, it can change his public perception.

For a journalist, every word we say and every story we print can turn into that make-or-break spotlight moment. The pressure that comes with that feeling is the grind, but that does not excuse the journalists that crack under it.

I will continue the grind.

Not everyone will agree with everything I write, and in the interest of being honest with my readers I feel inclined to divulge how difficult that is to accept.

There are times as a journalist that I feel I have comprised a story that should be unanimously well-received, but that is not the world we live in. The world we are part of is a difficult one where political leaders harvest secrets and journalists treat information like a bargaining chip. Perhaps, though, the truth can level the playing field.

This is easier said than done, of course. The people with the desire to change the status quo often don’t have the power to do so, and those with the power have no interest in the status quo changing. This is where journalists need to be journalists for the right reasons: for the people, for the freedom of information and the disbursement of truth. Trust the process, and trust that news reported for the right reasons, will produce the right outcome.

Everyone that says news is not a business is lying to themselves and to you. From small, local newspapers to national corporations, news agencies are nothing without their viewers.

News is not free, but it is worth the price when done for the right reasons.

@HoustonianSHSU @HoustonianSHSU

Construction causes conundrum

Jordan Likens | The Houstonian

DEMETRE FOSTER Contributing Writer Fellow Bearkats, we must discuss the appearance of our home. Sam Houston State University is known for its outdoorsy campus. It is about 368 acres of nature blended with man-made constructs.

However, we have seen a wave

of construction scattered across our campus.

During the Summer II 2017 semester, a section of Bowers Boulevard was dug up. It started at the intersection of Avenue H and Bowers Boulevard and ended where Bowers Boulevard meets Avenue I. This made walking to campus a pain.

Students had to choose which side of Bowers Boulevard that they wanted to walk on, and if you chose incorrectly it added five or more minutes to your trip. Fortunately, Bowers Boulevard has been freshly paved and is rather pleasant to cross.

Even though the construction workers forgot to add the cross walk ground markers, it still looks great.

This semester, I tried my best to ignore all the heavy equipment and easily assembled barriers, until walking through Bearkat Village. Normally, I would cut across Intramural Field 1, but to my surprise most of the field is blocked off by a chain-link fence. Inside of that fence is an entire construction camp. Unfortunately, I had to make an adjustment in my daily routine to find another way around. I used to be able to leave my apartment and make it to class in about 15 minutes or so, but now I leave 30 minutes early to make sure I don’t run into unexpected construction.

While the construction is unsightly and inconvenient, there are also times that the construction brings unwanted noise. When I was attending one of my classes, I was disturbed by a constant drilling sound that rang on-and-off for several

minutes. In addition to that, construction workers constant yell to one another. I don’t mind the yelling, but when you look over at them to see what on earth they are yelling about you’re regularly greeted with a sneer. I know the stereotype is that construction workers aren’t the friendliest people, but they are literally tearing apart our campus. I think it would be nice to get a neighborly nod at least, instead of a mean mug.

I am happy to report that the sewage smell that was occasionally wafting around the Lee Drain and Academic IV buildings is gone. I assume it was the construction that invited the unwelcome smell.

Even though the construction has bothered me on multiple levels, it is a necessary evil. I know it may take longer to get to class, but I appreciate the new pipes that are under our streets.

I enjoy the smooth paved road of Bowers Boulevard; however, I still question what construction workers are doing to the

Administration Building, but I am sure it’s worth something. I also need to mention the newly planted foliage and trees around the Evans building and am also excited to see the Lowman Student Center updates, even though I will graduate before it is finished.

At the end of the day, I will leave some wisdom for my fellow Bearkats that want to make the best of our construction situation. Leave earlier than you normally would. Pay attention to SHSU emails or campus alerts.

Also, read The Houstonian for updates on construction and general campus news to help better navigate through our patchwork campus.

Jordan Likens | The Houstonian

Fall from Grace: Issues at Bungie

Photo courtesy THEPAREPORT.com

JOSHUA BLASCHKE Contributing Writer

The work environment at the Bungie, Inc. headquarters in Bellevue, WA is one that has experienced turmoil over the past several years. Creative and joyous minds once collaborated there to make the critically lauded “Halo” series, with an almost child-like whimsicality. But after

Bungie’s departure from Microsoft, signing with Activision and the departure of key figures such as writer Joseph Staten and composer Martin O’Donnell, the studio has become a shell of its Visit HoustonianOnline.com for the entire article.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/campusculture | Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Page 4

New art exhibition displays diverse range of faculty work SHARON RAISSI Campus Culture Editor The Sam Houston State University Department of Art will present its 58 Annual Faculty Exhibition, open from Jan. 29 to March 2. An opening reception is set to take place Feb. 1 from 6-7 p.m. in the Gaddis Geeslin Gallery, located in Art Building E. 12 faculty members will contribute pieces from genres of drawing, painting, video, animation, ceramics, sculpture and photography. All events are free and open to the public.

“In terms of content, there’s not one thematic thing that carries throughout, but I think that artists living and working in close proximity, there’s always a lot of sharing of ideas and similar experiences,” event coordinator Max Manning said. “Potentially, subconsciously there can be dialogue that spreads, but we try to pick so that there is a good mixture.”

The opening reception of the event will be catered with light refreshments. Students and faculty from all departments are

encouraged to explore the different facets of art displayed in the gallery.

“I’m trying to kind of spread the word past the department so we can get students and faculty members from different areas to attend,” Manning said. “We want to promote cross-disciplinary conversations and things like that.”

An artist talk will also take place on Thursday where a selection of the artists featured in the exhibition will give short talks pertaining to their pieces. Manning and his gallery organizers have worked to put the gallery together on-par with other professional exhibits.

“It gets down to fractions of an inch, in terms of where things go on the wall,” Manning said.

“It’s like the ultimate irony of the work: it’s extremely intentional and precise, but it looks like it just happened. It should look effortless, but it certainly isn’t.”

Featured artists in the exhibition include Martin Amorous, Chris Cascio, Lauren Clay, Melissa Glasscock, Shaun Griffiths, Patric Lawler, Tudor Mitroi, Edward Morin, Valerie Powell,

Photo courtesy Max Manning

A THOUSAND WORDS. The Gaddis Geeslin Gallery will host the 58th Annual Faculty Art Exhibition. It features artworks from 12 different faculty members and will stay open until Mar. 3.

Heather Joy Puskarich, Jessica Simorte and Edie Wells.

“What we have here in Huntsville is important because we don’t have a ton of art available to the community,” Manning said. “It’s a great opportunity for people to have a high quality of

art shown right here near them.”

To witness the diverse content of contemporary art in the exhibit, stop by the exhibit sometime before its closing date on March 2. Admission is free.

Jordan Likens | The Houstonian

Review: ‘The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel’ revives ‘50s feminism

ALICIA SANCHEZ Staff Reporter Back in April of 2017, Amazon launched a string of pilots for its Prime members to vote on to choose Amazon’s next original series. “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” was chosen from five original pilots to be picked up for a full season, and in November 2017 Amazon released season one of this hilarious new show.

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” takes place in 1958 Manhattan when Jewish housewife Midge’s

(Rachel Brosnaham) perfect life takes a turn for the worse when her husband Joel (Michael Zegan) leaves her for his secretary.

In her quest to deal with the situation, she discovers a new talent: stand-up comedy. With the help of her friend and manager Susie Myerson (Alex Brostin) they work together to turn Midge’s new-found hobby into something more.

The writer and creator of the show is none other than Amy Sherman-Palladino, who also penned the beloved series “Gilmore Girls” back in the ear-

ly 2000s. She is back and better than ever writing another truly woman-empowering show. The witty and comedic banter between all the characters is wellwritten. Whether it is between Midge and her parents or Midge and her friend, Susie, they are all equally incredible.

However, what is arguably the best writing in the show is Midge’s stand-ups. What makes them great is that they speak the truth of what it is like to be a woman. The ‘50s can be a tricky time period to write about, but Sherman-Palladino does it flaw-

Miss Sam Houston Pageant, Feb. 8

The Miss Sam Houston Pagaent will be Feb. 8 in the Lowman Student Center Ballroom. Check out The Houstonian’s Feb. 7 issue for a full preview and more information.

lessly. She adds era-appropriate references, even adding Lenny Bruce, a real ground-breaking comedian in the late 50s, as a character. The writing is unlike that of “Gilmore Girls” in that each episode of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” does not just end abruptly like “Gilmore Girls,” but ends just right with just enough intrigue to keep audiences watching until the end.

The delivery of a joke is just as important as the joke itself, and Rachel Brosnaham does a phenomenal job as the perfect ‘50s housewife, Midge Maisel. If Brosnaham looks familiar, that is because she previously had a small part in Netflix’s “House of Cards.” Alex Borstein as Susie adds a sarcastic undertone to the show which helps to balance with Midge’s less satirical humor. Two of the surprises of the show were Tony Shalhoub and Marin Hinkle as Midge’s parents, Abe and Rose Weissman. Hinkle and Shalhoub portrayed wise and humorous Jewish parents who provided several laughs throughout the season.

If the show’s writing and incredible cast does not convince you to watch “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,” then perhaps the

show’s critical acclaim will. Besides being chosen out of five pilots last year, Amazon Prime members have given it five out of five stars and Rotten Tomatoes has given it a 96%. Still skeptical? Earlier this year at the Golden Globes, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” won Best Lead Actress in a Comedy or Musical as well as Best Comedy or Musical. At the Critics’ Choice TV Awards, it took home the trophy for Best Comedy, beating out comedy giants such as “The Big Bang Theory,” “Modern Family” and “Black-ish.”

“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” is a brilliant show with genuine characters, an amazing story and witty dialogue. Episodes one through eight are available to stream through Amazon Prime, and the streaming platform has already renewed the show for a second season.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/campusculture | Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Page 5

Tyler Josefsen | The Houstonian

Radicals continued, page 1 — It’s not isolated to Christianity.”

Some have spoken out on Facebook, voicing their disillusionment with the ongoing ruckus these organizations bring to campus.

“I don’t pay this school money to have a disruptive learning

environment throughout the week,” Digital Forensics major Yesenia Valles said. “I can sit in class and be distracted almost the entire time because there is a horde of religious nuts outside literally screaming. Freedom of speech is fine, but once it starts to impact the quality of classes students pay for, there is a huge problem.”

Their homemade signs included warnings to people in the following categories: “lewd women, sports nuts, Mormons, pot-smoking little devils, homos, witches, rebellious women” and so forth.

In the midst of the intense and sometimes vitriolic nature of the event, students could be seen “counter-protesting” them, in a

manner just as loud and proud.

At one point, the sound of the church’s yelling was completely drowned out by more than a dozen college students yelling the words to the early 2000s hit song “All Star” by Smash Mouth.

“I’ve been going here for four years now,” senior Zeke Lewis said. “They come all the time, they stand in the LSC area, and they tell people they’re going to hell, call people names. It’s not the right approach, but there’s freedom of speech, and we are a public campus, so they’re able to come do it. I’m a Christian, but I don’t believe in spewing hatred.”

Some let themselves get worked up, some argue with them just as passionately, some clown around, and some simply stand and watch. There were even people there who skipped class to see what all the fuss was about.

The effectiveness— or lack of— is clear at this point. Both organizations are free to continue coming to campus and yelling at students, but they should be mindful that these students yell back. That is the beauty of the college campus culture— every

action has an equal and opposite reaction. In their attempt to shame rebellious women, homosexuals, sports enthusiasts, and others, they instead bring them together into a unified force.

Even if the students’ reproach together is singing washed-up pop hits in a unified manner to drown out the hate, it is still a more profound sense of community than one that thrives off yelling at unsuspecting college students.

Tyler Josefsen | The Houstonian

Dual Review: ‘The Death Cure’ prompts mixed feelings

TYLER JOSEFSEN Associate Editor Editor’s Note: This dual-review was written by Tyler Josefsen with Marina DeLeon as a contributing writer. DeLeon’s contributions are italicized within the article to differentiate from Josefsen’s writing.

I walked into the theater opening night with nothing but excitement and anticipation to see “The Death Cure.” I left the theater wondering if there was a cure for the boredom that may have almost killed me after sitting through the two-and-a-half hour film. The predictability was an absolute let-down.

I completely disagree. I did not find very much within the movie that I felt was “predictable.” Outside of Thomas (Dylan O’Brien) being the cure for the Flare Virus, which they set him up to be from the beginning, nothing seemed too blatantly obvious. I thought the movie was very entertaining and action-packed, just like both of the other films in the se-

ries before it.

“The Death Cure” is the third movie in The Maze Runner trilogy. One of the best cinematic elements of the first two movies in the series was the mysteries that unveiled throughout. In “The Maze Runner,” the audience spent the majority of the film on the edge of their seat dying to find out “Why are these kids in a maze?” and “Who built the walls?” Before finally getting an answer to those questions in the last few minutes: an answer that brilliantly prompted more questions. Audiences everywhere would be forced to wait, however, to have those questions answered in the second film—”The Scorch Trials.” “The Death Cure”, disappointingly contrary to the other two films, progresses with a lack of mystery; blatantly put, I was bored during the movie.

This particular film did not need to be full of mystery because it was the final “chapter” in the series. The goal of “The Death Cure” was to

close the book, to tie up the loose ends and reveal Thomas’s purpose as the cure. Most of the major questions that set up the post-apocalyptic society had been answered, and this movie was more about the adventure of having to infiltrate and overthrow WCKD and rescue their friend, Minho (Ki Hong Lee).

The plot that DeLeon described was actually the main reason I felt a lack of excitement despite the A-plus production and almost constant action.

It had a very “Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1” feel to it. A group of kids led by the chosen one with a little help from the rebellion must sneak into the heavily guarded compound where their kidnapped friend is being held as part of a larger plan to overthrow the corrupt governing body all sounds a little too much like Katniss Everdeen needing to save Peeta Mellark. The rebels even blew open the front gate to the city after being innocently slaughtered by soldiers. Thomas

SHSU Counseling to host social confidence workshop

The Sam Houston State University Counseling Center is hosting a social confidence workshop Feb. 2 at noon in the Lowman Student Center. For the full C.O.P.E. Workshop Series shown above, visit www.shsu. edu/dept/counseling/c-o-p-e-workshops.

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ended up being the Death Cure, and Janson (Aidan Gillen), the formerly trusted rescuer of the maze survivors who turned out to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, ultimately dies in a final battle against our protagonist. Do not misunderstand me, I respect the classic plot structure of the hero’s quest, but this time it just seemed all-too-familiar.

Janson needed to die, though. He was the hunter, and the hunter always ends up becoming the hunted (not in a predictable manner, but rather a necessary following of the “rules” of action cinema). Plus, the way he died was creative. He was not simply shot by Teresa (Kaya Scodelario) or beaten to death by Thomas, but rather devoured by the very cranks that they were experimenting on. There was a kind of cinematic irony there that I did not see coming. Speaking of deaths I did not see coming, Newt (Thomas Brodie-Sangster) and Teresa’s were both shocking. Newt revealed that he was infected part-way through the film, but it never felt like he would lose the battle for his life. The fight scene between Newt and Thomas had me literally on the edge of my seat as Brenda (Rosa Salazar) raced to them with the serum. To counter “The Hunger Games” point Josefsen made earlier, Katniss and Peeta got their happily-ever-after; Thomas and Teresa did not. After Newt’s death, and Ava Paige’s (Patricia Clarkson) death, Teresa died saving Thomas with just minutes left in the movie.

I will concede, here, that Newt’s death was one of the best on-scene moments I have seen in a long time. The back-and-forth between Newt as a mindless

crank trying to kill Thomas and his consciousness returning momentarily where he tried to kill himself to end it all was an emotional tug-of-war to say the least.

Thomas finally being forced to thrust a knife into Newt’s chest and watch his closest friend’s body fall to the ground sent a wave of despair over the entire theatre. Teresa’s death, however, had little effect on me. I never really felt like she redeemed her character enough to be worthy of melancholy compassion when she died. Granted, she died saving Thomas’s life, but she put him in this situation to begin with during her betrayal at the end of “The Scorch Trials.” Once again, though, her death came as no surprise. The writer’s groomed Brenda to take Teresa’s spot next to Thomas the entire film.

The movie was thrilling. From the opening scene to the final literal leap off a burning building, I was hooked. A series of exciting events dispersed with unpredictability kept me guessing. The re-introduction of Gally (Will Poulter) who supposedly died in the first film, Newt’s death, Janson shooting Paige before revealing he was infected with the virus and Teresa’s last-minute turn against WCKD produced one of the best movies to start 2018.

“The Maze Runner” and “The Scorch Trials” were two of the best action flicks since 2014, and they set a bar that “The Death Cure” simply did not reach. As a fan of the series, the lack of suspense in the final film of a trilogy built around mystery was a disappointment that drops this movie to the bottom of my list.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/sports | Wednesday, January 31, 2018

Page 6

And that is the way the ball bounces

Photo courtesy David Barfield A TALE OF TWO TEAMS. With Sam Houston State University basketball well underway, the men’s team looks to make a run at the top of the Southland Conference, while the women look to get out of the gutter.

JORDAN SMITH Sports Reporter The Sam Houston State University Men’s basketball team is just a short win streak away from possibly making some lateseason drama in the Southland Conference. Sitting at a record of 12-10 overall on the season (6-3 in Southland Conference play), the Bearkats sit in fifth place, right behind Stephen F. Austin who has a 17-4 overall record and a 6-2 Southland conference record this season.

Head Coach Jason Hooten explained how he feels with this almost entirely new roster.

“We have continued to improve and progress as a team who lost seven seniors last year

would do,” Hooten said. ”We have played very well at home with a 9-1 record, and struggled at times on the road, again like a new and inexperienced team does. But, we have continued to get better and I feel that this team, like most of our teams have done, will finish strong.”

In the month of January, the Bearkats saw a complete 180-degree turn from December. In the final month of 2017, SHSU finished with a record of 1-5, with losses to Baylor, Ole Miss, LSU, Abilene Christian and Utah Valley: the only loss at home in the 2016-2017 season thus far. In the month of January, however, the Kats sit with a record of 6-2 in the first 31 days of the new year. In that stretch, the Bearkats are a perfect 4-0 at

home, with wins against Central Arkansas, Houston Baptist, Northwestern State and Southeastern Louisiana. Upcoming in the month of February are opponents in Abilene Christian, A&M-Corpus Christi, Lamar and New Orleans- who are the outright leaders at the current moment in the Southland standings with a conference record of 8-2.

Hooten shared his aspirations and beliefs of this squad and just how much he believes in his squad.

“From here on out, I expect us to continue to grow and get better every day,” Hooten said.

“We have nine games remaining, five at home and four away. I think this team has a great shot to reach its potential, whatever

that may be. Hopefully we are playing in Katy in March with a chance to go to the NCAA tourney.”

The men’s side has been led this season mainly by a couple of players in six-foot seven-inch senior forward Chris Galbreath Jr. and six-foot junior guard John Dewey III. Galbreath Jr. leads the team in points (15.0) and rebounds per game (8.8), while Dewey II leads in assists (4.9), steals (1.1) and free throw percentage (87.4).

On the women’s side, there is a different story to be told. With a record of 4-14 overall and a conference record of 1-8, the women have struggled to get a consistent winning streak going this season. Their only four wins this season come against Wiley College, St. Thomas (Texas), Jackson State and Southeastern Louisiana, with SLU being the only victory on the road. On the other side of it, some of their biggest losses have come at the hands of Stephen F. Austin, Lamar, Houston Baptist University, Rice and LSU. In the month of January, the Kats have gone just 1-7 with their only win coming against Southeastern Louisiana in the first month of 2018. The Bearkats have averaged 52.5 points per game in January, while giving up an average of 68.38.

The SHSU women’s basketball team looks to turn their season around Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in Huntsville against McNeese State.

@HoustonianSHSU

Photo courtesy Josh Goff

Photo courtesy Brian Blalock

Photo courtesy Chris Reich

Photo courtesy Brian Blalock

Photo courtesy Brian Blalock

@HoustonianSHSU

SHSU tennis in full swing for spring season

Photo courtesy Brian Blalock QUITE A RACKET The Sam Houston State University tennis team is in the midst of its spring season, and they have had some tough opponents.

HIVAN MORENO Assistant Sports Editor The Sam Houston State University tennis team have

started the season 1-2 as they took home its third team loss on Sunday against the University of Houston.

The Bearkats started their season strong as they took a

6-1 win over Prairie View. The match started with doubles point as freshman Rosalie Gerritsen and senior Fabienne Gettwart paired to defeat Jessica and Stacy Lackey 6-1 and sophomore Lusine Chobanyan and freshman Sahaja Yamalapallie beat the Houston duo Jamena DuranCastellanos and Tatiana Ruhl 6-2.

“It’s always great to win the opener,” head coach Rob Hubbard said. “The girls did well overall. We struggled in a couple of spots, but that’s normal for an opener, especially with the problems with the weather this week.

We worked hard during the fall to get stronger. We got a lot accomplished with our work the past week getting ready for this match. We had three newcomers

playing in their first dual match for Sam Houston today and I was impressed with the way they handled themselves.”

The team’s next match was against the national power house Texas A&M. The Aggies reached the final 16 last May in the NCAA National Championship. Although the Bearkats lost, the team held up well against a nationally recognized program. Senior Carrie Casey and Chobanyon won their individual matches.

“I’m extremely proud of how well we competed today against such a strong nationally-ranked program as Texas A&M,” Hubbard said. “The team was not intimidated by the situation and just rolled up their sleeves and went to work.”

PLAYERS OF THE WEEK TYLER ADAMS TRACK & FIELD MULTIEVENTS

Senior competitor Tyler Adams turned in a stellar performance recently at the Ted Nelson Invitational in College Station. He set a facility record in the men’s heptathlon and qualified for the NCAA meet with 6,016 points. He competed in seven events, taking first place in five of them: the long jump, high jump, 60-meter hurdles, pole vault, and 1000-meter run. His other two events were second place finishes in the high jump and 60-meter dash.

TRISTYN ALLEN TRACK & FIELD JUMPS

Junior competitor Tristyn Allen was recently named the Southland Conference Women’s Indoor Athlete of the Week after claiming the triple jump title at the Ted Nelson Invitational in College Station. Her mark of 41-7.75 currently puts her tenth in the nation. Allen’s eye-opening performance led the Bearkats to a top-spot team finish among the 13team field. She is the reigning indoor and outdoor conference champion in the triple jump.

The Bearkats’ most recent match came against the University of Houston. SHSU lost versus the Cougars 6-1 notching only one win in the sevengame match. The victory came from Chobanyan, as she took on Houston’s Ana Glumac. Coach Hubbard felt that Chobanyan performed well in her match.

“Lusne came up big again in singles while we had a couple more close ones get away from us,” Hubbard said. “We have lots to work on this week as week prepare for our next match.”

SHSU will hit the road to play the University of Texas at San Antonio on Saturday. The match is set for 1 p.m.