10/19 Edition

Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

What’s happening at Sam ANGIES ANGELS, P.2

FILM REVIEW, P.4

Justin Lopez speaks with student about Domestic Violence Awareness.

The Houstonian review the popular Netflix film the “13th”.

Volume 128 | Issue 08

Pres.

Debate Watch Party

BLM , P.6 Students respond to recent opinion piece about the Black Lives Matter Movevment.

/HoustonianSHSU

@HoustonianSHSU

MENTAL HEALTH, P.7 Viewpoints writer, Masey White opens up about her experience with mental health.

Budget SARA REYES Staff Reporter

CJ Marshall | The Houstonian

‘Hero’s Will Rise’. SHSU homecoming kicked off on Wednesday with the Sam Jam carnival and ended with another win from the Sam Houston Bearkats. The football team is now number one in the FCS.

TESLA CADENA Staff Reporter @TeslaCannon SHSU’s homecoming week has been an annual celebration since the mid-1940s, each year’s events bigger than the lasts. Last week, from Oct. 10 to 15, SHSU’s Bearkats dedicated each day to the heroes in their lives.

Student Activities’ Program Coordinator for Special Events Steven Begnaud felt ‘Heroes Will Rise’ was the perfect theme because one doesn’t have to have super powers to make a difference in someone’s life.

“We can all define a hero as something different, which is what

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makes it so great,” Begnaud said. “A hero could be a firefighter, military personnel, a parent, a sibling, a stranger, or literally anyone. How we define that is up to us.”

To launch the week, a Kickoff Rally hosted at Bearkat Plaza allowed students and Sammy the Bearkat to meet the Houston Zoo’s Hanna the Bearcat. Some select students even got to pet her.

Freshman Tate Ashby appreciated the opportunity to learn about Bearcats.

“I’ve always thought Sammy was cool, so it was cool to meet a reallife Sammy,” Ashby said.

Next was one of the biggest homecoming events. The Sam Jam Carnival at Holleman Field on Oct. 12 offered free rides, games, and

classic carnival food and snacks.

After experiencing the carnival, SHSU freshman Savannah Burrus has a newfound appreciation for Sam’s activities.

“I decided to go because many of my friends were going, and I love small town carnivals,” Burrus said. “It was obvious how much work was put into the carnival because there were legit rides, good supervision, and exceptional food. I will definitely be attending the rest of the homecoming events after experiencing this.”

Of course, it wouldn’t be homecoming without the annual parade. For the first time, the Huntsville ISD’s homecoming overlapped with Sam’s, so we

— HOMECOMING , page 4

No. 1 on the Field, No. 1 in the Polls Rank

School

Record Points PRK

1

Sam Houston State (113)

6-0

4030

2

2

Jacksonville State (19)

5-1

3865

3

3

Eastern Washington (17)

5-1

3689

4

4

North Dakota State (11)

5-1

3575

1

5

The Citadel (5)

6-0

3330

8

6

Richmond

6-1

3291

6

RYAN REYNOLDS Sports Editor @Ryan_Reynolds9 The STATS FCS Top 25 had a shake up this week as the North Dakota State Bison, the winner of five straight FCS National Championships, fell to rival South Dakota State 19-17. Sam Houston State benefitted from the Bison loss, as they slide into the number one spot on Monday.

Already with the No. 1 ranked offense, the Bearkats (6-0) showed

Wednesday, October 19th

LSC Theater

HoustonianOnline.com

Homecoming Features Hoyt Heros of Sam Houston Talks

@uno_dos_trace_3

6:00 - 7:00 pm

It was Past vs. Present at Pritchett in the annual alumni lacrosse game.

@HoustonianSHSU

TRACE HARRIS Staff Reporter The third and final presidential debate will be held in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas today. Here at Sam Houston State University, students will be able to watch the debate with their closest friends.

The College of Humanities and Social Sciences, The Department of Political Science and the Student Government Association will be hosting a debate watch party tonight at 8:00 p.m. in the CHSS building room 90.

According to London Sneden, president of the college democrats, the event is a free way for students to get educated on the election.

“The purpose of this debate watch party is to give students an opportunity to watch the debate and get educated on the candidates’ positions in this year’s elections,” Sneden said.

There has been three other debate watches with the current election. This will be the final debate before voters go to the polls.

The Debate Watch Party was originally thought of by Department of Political Science Assistant Professor Heather Evans and Assistant Professor Thomas Haase. SGA joined in co-hosting the event due to corresponding goals. Each co- host wants to provide an opportunity for students to be educated on the current presidential election.

“Student Government Association got involved with them (the debate watch party) because we have been focusing on accomplishing the same goal this semester,” Sneden said. “We have been promoting the debate watch parties on campus and encouraging students to go out and get involved.”

Colleges are one of the major frontlines of the campaigns as millennials are one of the largest voting groups and seem to be interested in a change and may very well have a large turnout.

College students have been amongst the most involved group in this election. Many students are not particularly impressed by either candidate, but just want to make sure one won’t get in to office.

Students have been particularly interested in the topics of free college tuition, societal equality, and paid family leave.

There has been a large amount of Americans tuning into each debate, and one of the largest proportions coming from college students.

The third presidential debate comes just 10 days after the Sunday night showdown between Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and Republican nominee Donald Trump.

For the entire article visit HoustonianOnline.com

LACROSSE, P.8

poll voters on Saturday why they deserved the number one spot in the polls, with a dominating 4821 victory over Abilene Christian (0-6). The powerhouse gained 113 of the 165 first-place votes in the national media poll and are one of two unbeaten FCS teams.

SHSU head coach K.C. Keeler is aware of what being ranked atop the polls means and he believes his team will continue their high level of play.

“The message was simple it was that this is not the final destination.

The goal was not to be number one

How To Pay Your Student Loans

in the country in October. It’s nice, we’ve worked hard, we’ve played well, it’s a great recognition,” Keeler said. “It just reminds you of the standard that you’re trying to set every single day. [We have to] be aware that the bullseye on our back just got a lot bigger.”

This is the first time the Bearkats have graced the top spot in a national poll since Sept. 7, 2015.

The team will now prepare to live up to their new ranking as they will travel to Thibodaux, LA to take on a tough Nicholls State team.

Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m.

Many things are on the students’ minds on campus, from parking concerns to rent prices and tuition rising. Many students are also left unaware of why these things are happening on campus.

Last Tuesday, Sam Houston State University President Dana Hoyt spoke to the Student Government Association and students from Greek Life on the upcoming budget changes for fall 2017.

Hoyt will be giving this budget presentation called “Designated Tuition Increases” to the student body on Nov. 2 at 3 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center Theater.

This will give students a chance to hear and discuss budget changes with the president.

“We hope to provide information and answer questions during the Designated Tuition forum, particularly why increases are necessary for educational growth,” said Hoyt.

According to Hoyt, one of the biggest concerns for the university’s faculty is gauging the students’ thoughts and attitudes of what is happening on their campus. This is hard to do, when many students still do not attend open forums given by administration.

“Our open forums have been well-attended by our faculty and staff; however, we would like to have more student participation in the forums,” Hoyt said.

At the presentation last week were several faculty members from across administrative positions like Student Services Vice President Frank Parker, Financial Operation Vice President Carlos Hernandez, Dean of Students John Yarabeck, and Associate Dean of Students Chelsea Smith.

The presentation was followed by students asking questions for Hoyt. She answered each one the best she could and offered to out the budget presentation on the school website soon for students.

This is not the first time that SGA has been given the presentation before the rest of the student body. The last address was given about eighteen months ago, during the Spring 2015 semester.

The goal for sharing the message with SGA and Greek Life is that they will let their peers know about the upcoming public forum.

“We do try to communicate and let students know the purpose of the forum,” said President Hoyt.

“In addition, we have held open forums in the past to show how we distribute university funds across campus. Unfortunately, not many students have attended.”

Student attendance and participation is encouraged, so please tell a friend, bring a friend, and pass around the email information. This is an open forum specifically meant for students to have a chance to ask about their money situations. Students should have also gotten an email notification about this upcoming event.

Free Pizza and Drinks, first come first serve.

Must have an active Bearkat OneCard to participate in the event.

Attend 3 workshops and your name will be entered into a drawing for one of our $400 scholarships.

You finally made it to graduation; but, how will you pay back your student loans? Through rebates and other options, it might be possible to reduce the amount you owe. Let the SMMC help you find the best solutions for your Financial Future.

Student Money Management Center 919 Bearkat Blvd.

Student Services Annex 936.294.2600 - smmc@shsu.edu shsu.edu/smmc

@SHSU_SMMC

10/18/2016 10:15:39 PM

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/news | Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Page 2 T HE H E A DLI N E S i n br i e f Compiled by: The Houstonian’s Mass Media Practicum Students

85-YEAR-OLD BREAKS MARATHON RECORD

Ed Whitlock, holder of 36 track and road world records, broke the world record on Sunday for the 8590 year old marathon category at the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon. Whitlock ran the race in three hours, 56 minutes, and 38 seconds, beating the previous record of four hours, 34 minutes and 55 seconds.

M&M FILLING

CARAMEL

For the first time in 75 years, M&M is adding another flavored filling to their list - caramel. It will stay a permanent flavor like milk chocolate, and peanut butter. This new addition has been in the works for years, has over 100 million dollars invested in it, and will be released the May of 2017.

BOB DYLAN WINS NOBEL PEACE PRIZE

Last Thursday on October 13th, 2016 Bob Dylan, a singer-songwriter, won the Nobel peace prize in literature. Though it is considered a huge honor, Dylan has ghosted the award committee for the past 5 days. This is nothing new, however, as Dylan also didn’t attend the Oscars in 2000 where he was to receive Best Original Song, and in 2010 where he failed to show up to the White House to receive the National Medal for Arts.

Alumnus Speaks on Domestic Violence MICHAEL FLORES Staff Reporter SHSU shows support for Domestic Violence Awareness Month by having Justin Lopez speak on his experience with Domestic Violence and his foundation Angies Awareness Angels.

Justin Lopez gave his talk last Thursday in the LSU Theater over his experience with domestic violence and how it inspired him to start Angies Awareness Angels.

Justin told the story of how his mother Angela Renee Fonrenot Lopez was murdered in front of her 12-year-old daughter Porsha by her ex-boyfriend William Ray Parker.

He continued on telling how they formed Angies Angels to bring awareness of domestic violence and the outreach and programs to support victims of domestic violence. William Parker received the max sentence of 99 years and now resides in the Ellis Unit as part of the Huntsville Prison System.

“I am extremely happy and blessed with the turn out of 99 years. The only thing that still haunts me in my sleep is that in 2042, which seems to be a long way away, but it’s not in my shoes and my sister’s shoes and my family’s shoes,” said Lopez. “2042 he is

eligible for parole. I am glad he is in the position he is in, we just have the worry and stress of parole.”

Lopez’s story will forever be apart of Sam Houston and neighboring university’s thanks to Dr. Lisa R. Muftic and Dr. Leah Daigle. Dr. Muftic is the director of CJC undergraduate programs and associate professor who helped co-write the Victomology textbook that several universities will be using. In chapter 7 of this text book they go into detail about Lopez’s story and the events of his tragic loss.

“My Mother will forever be a statistic, but she is also a continued educator. The Book is sold at many universities around the world, my mom is studied every day thanks to Dr. Muftic here at Sam Houston, and that’s a big deal to us,” said Lopez.

Lopez speaks once a year in Dr. Muftic’s class about domestic violence and outreach. He spoke just last week at Texas A&M. “We do a lot of outreach programs in the college station area, in this area and in Houston as well,” Lopez said.

Lopez stresses the importance of talking about domestic violence and why it is an important conversation to have.

“If somebody just shares a Facebook post, imagine the

“My Mother will forever be a statistic, but she is also a continued educator. The Book is sold at many universities around the world, my mom is studied every day thanks to Dr. Muftic here at Sam Houston, and that’s a big deal to us.”

- Justin Lopez Founder of Angies Awareness Angels impact it could have on someone,” said Lopez. “Domestic violence is not just physical abuse, it is mental and emotional.” On Angies Awareness Angels Facebook page they post hotline numbers and outreach programs for people who are suffering from domestic violence.

Along with Lopez speaking there were several tables set up by Student Services with information about individual counseling, group counseling and couples counseling.

Counseling services are available to anyone who is currently enrolled on the SHSU main campus.

Montgomery Country Women’s Services had a table set up handing out flyers for the programs they

offer for domestic violence.

Programs including: Emergency Shelter for those fleeing abuse, counseling, legal services, education and outreach. You are also able to volunteer with the Montgomery County Women’s Center, if interested you can call or or visit their website.

Houston Area Domestic Violence Hotline: 713-528-2121 SHSU Counseling Center Services: 936-294-1720 Rape Abuse and Incest National Network: 1-800-656-4673 Montgomery County Women’s Center 24 hour hotline: 936-4417273

Challenge Encourages Student Fitness MASON GONZALES Staff Reporter @MasonUltra54 Everyone who has taken a Lifetime Health and Wellness class knows that the main factor in a person’s health is their lifestyle.

There are students who are active every day, those who exercise frequently or some who are designated as “couch potatoes”.

The Sam Houston State

University REC Center’s 21 Day Fitness Challenge is made for students to become more accustomed to exercising on a regular basis.

According to Fitness Supervisor Jenna Bothell, the program is designed to welcome all students no matter if they have been exercising throughout the semester or if they have yet to begin exercising.

“It’s basically an incentive program to get people to be active and healthy and fit,” Bothell said.

Students who participate will attend the fitness classes offered at the REC center.

The schedule is structured for five days of classes along with two days for resting.

“On your rest days you can make a healthy meal, go for a walk, or take a jog, anything to keep you active,” said Bothell.

Generally, the fitness classes range from 35 to 45 minutes.

Assistant Director of Fitness Scott Berkowitz referred to the challenge as a way to help someone establish a habit in working out.

Each semester the Fitness program has programs for promoting physical fitness to students.

“Usually we try to do a different incentive program each semester just to try to get students who have stopped working out this semester or haven’t to be active,” said Berkowitz. “Having a healthy lifestyle is going to help people, it’s going to boost their immune system, and overall be a healthier person.”

This semester the event began this past Monday and will end on Nov. 14.

The calendar timeline is 28 days in order to give participants more to time to purchase there passes or decide on the classes they wish to participate in.

For those participating, when they attend their fitness classes the instructors will provide cards for the participant to have checked by each of their instructors for fifteen classes.

The first 100 participants who fill out their card completely will win a free CamelBak water bottle.

If they have not already in possession of one, those who wish to take part must purchase a fitness pass from the rec center in order to attend these classes.

“That pass will get you into any of the group fitness classes, you can go to as many as you like,” Berkowitz said.

A group fitness pass for students at this point in the semester is $25 and one for non-students is $35 for a whole semester.

A single class pass is only $3 for students and $4 for non-students.

A single class pass is only for attending one fitness class on one particular day.

“It’s encouraged to get a group fitness pass,” Berkowitz said. “It is more cost effective. The group fitness pass will get you unlimited classes for the semester.”

Some of the classes offered include TRX, Zumba, Hardcore, and Size. The full list of classes can be found at http://www.shsu. edu/dept/recreational-sports/ programs/fitness/fitness.html#

Orgs Join Together For Breast Cancer Awareness Event ALLISON FAITH Staff Reporter

Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Incorporated, The Exceptional Men of the Talented Tenth, Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority, Kappa Alpha Order, Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Incorporated and The Student Government Association will host the first ever Tacos for Ta-Tas as a way to bring the community together to raise awareness for breast cancer and to honor breast cancer survivors.

The event will be held from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the SHSU Gazebo located near Pritchett field. Activities will include serving tacos, a march through Sam Houston Avenue, games and a balloon release for loved ones.

“Our main goal of the event is to build community relations all around and raise more awareness than any other event held previously,” said Omega Delta Phi Secretary Johnathon

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Fernandez. “We will also have donation jars set up around the event in order to raise money, so we, as a whole community, can donate to the efforts to find a cure for Breast Cancer.”

Student Body Vice President Briauna Augustus said she hopes the event will provide an opportunity for students all over campus to support each other and a touching cause.

“SGA is sponsoring this event to show support for Breast Cancer Awareness while also networking with different organizations on campus to promote unity through teamwork for a great cause,” Augustus said.

Students are welcome to come volunteer at the event by helping with set up, serving, and clean up after.

“Any student, faculty member, or local community members, are welcomed to come out and enjoy the activities, free food, and live music that will all be provided,” said Fernandez .

10/18/2016 10:15:53 PM

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/news | Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Page 3

Local Animal Shelter Makes Major Changes TRICIA SIMS Associate Editor @TriciaAnnnn The Rita B. Huff Humane Society has gone through some major changes this year and plans to continue these changes with the introduction of a few new programs.

Opened in 1982, Rita B. Huff is a private non-profit organization that has a contract with the city of Huntsville to take in strays that animal control brings in. The faculty has room for about 46 dogs and has a big cat room.

Starting in November, the organization will begin to offer low cost spay and neuter program, a low cost vaccine clinic and a trap neuter and release that will cut down the wild cat population.

These changes along with the big one to switch to a no-kill shelter this past spring have been in result of a change in leadership. According to the President of the Board of Directors Misty Harrelson, the society will be hiring a permanent executive director.

Rita B. Huff made the switch to no kill cold turkey on April 21.

“We started looking at the numbers of the animals that were being put down and it was ridiculous,” Harrelson said. “There were some years when over 2,000 animals were being killed.”

The main reason the organization was putting these animals down for all those years was

due to lack of space.

“Part of the reason they had to kill was because they were getting so many animals and they kept anticipating more coming in,” Harrelson said. “Regardless if they got more animals or not they would go back and kill to make room for new ones.”

According to Harrelson, the shelter kept the animals anywhere from 13 to 15 days.

Now with the change to no kill, the organization only puts down animals when they are suffering in their quality of life. If the animals are dying of old age, has an attacking and dangerous nature or has an untreatable illness the society will put them down.

“No kill means that we do everything that we can to help get these animals adopted,” Harrelson said.

“We treat minor illnesses like kennel cough. Anything that you could treat your own personal pet for.

Those animals are still adoptable.

We are not going to kill something in order to make room for another animal.”

The no kill concept is fairly new to Huntsville but throughout the country this method is popular.

“We have been pretty behind the times in animal welfare here,” Harrelson said. “It just has to do with education. Nobody can fault them for that.”

The organization has also worked on the smaller details to improve the office and the response people have when they come to Rita B. Huff. There have been improvements on their smell, the décor and

Jason Theriot | The Houstonian

RITA B. HUFF HUMANE SOCIETY. Local animal shelter Rita B. Huff has made the change to no-kill this past spring.

The society is under new leadership and will be offering new low-cost programs to the Huntsville community starting next month. The goals for the non-profit organization are to educate the public on pet care and how they can help the community as a whole.

the welcoming nature according to Harrelson.

With the changes made to the society, there has been an increase in the number of volunteers. There are plenty volunteer opportunities at Rita B. Huff. To see a full list of tasks that our available through Rita B. Huff visit the webpage justserve.org.

A specific volunteer opportunity is reading to the shy dogs inside their kennels.

“It is a way to help socialize dogs who are more shy,” Harrelson said.

“It just gets them used to having people around.”

Another program offered at the organization is called Rita’s runners. This program is managed by a SHSU master’s student, volunteers grab a shelter dog and go run with them once a week.

“She has 35 participants so far,” Harrelson said. “We have got a lot of people who come and do that.”

The Rita B. Huff Humane Society’s goals for the future are is to work on educating the public on pet ownership, what their role to

the community and building the pet foster care program “That is how you get successful in the community,” Harrelson said.

“That’s why we are stepping up. We want to help the community in this regard. We owe it to the community to do that.”

The organization is open Monday-Friday from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday 12 p.m. to 4p.m. For more information visit their website at http://www.ritabhuff.org/ or call them at (936) 295-4666.

Priority One Hosts Lucy Chambers

Holly Gray | The Houstonian

Q & A WITH PUBLISHER. Sam Houston State University’s media practicum class Priority One, which acts as a student- run Public Relations firm, hosted their first event of the semester Questions & Answers: Ask Lucy yesterday at 2 p.m. in the Evans Complex. The special guest was Lucy Chambers, a publisher and co-founder of publishing company Bright Sky Press. Mass communication professor Peter Roussel and clinical english professor Amanda Nowlin- O’ Banion conducted the Q &A. Some questions came from the student audience as well. Chambers discussed the twisting path to her carrer in publishing. She previously had a teaching career and was an editor at a New York publishing company. These experiences made her a well-rounded publisher with strenths in all parts of the job.

TH E P OLI C E B LOTTER Compiled by Tricia Sims

OCTOBER 18, 2016

16-14405, Theft, 9:33 AM: An individual contacted the University Police Department to report that their vape device was stolen while left unattended in the Evans Complex (1901 University Avenue).

OCTOBER 17, 2016

16-14361, Theft, 9:51 AM: An officer was dispatched to Academic Building IV in reference to a report of a theft. Upon arrival, the officer met with a complainant who reported that several items were missing from his office and in the suite where his office located. An offense report was completed and an investigation is under way.

16-14368, Damaged University Property, 12:02 PM: An officer met with a university staff member who reported damage to a department owned university vehicle that were sustained while in the Dallas, Texas area. An incident report was done to document the damages.

OCTOBER 16, 2016

16-14338, Welfare Concern, 7:52 PM: An officer met with a student who was reported to be highly stressed and very emotional. At this time the student was connected with additional SHSU resources.

OCTOBER 14, 2016

16-14210, Public Intoxication, 3:16 AM: An officer was dispatched to the 2000 block of Bobby K. Marks in reference to a report of a welfare concern regarding a male who appeared to be sleeping near the side of the roadway. Upon arrival, the officers located the individual in question and determined that the male university student was intoxicated. The male was arrested and charged with the Class C Misdemeanor offense of Public Intoxication.

16-14235, Damaged Vehicle, 5:58 PM: An officer met with a complainant who reported that while traveling in the 1500 block of Sam Houston Avenue, a SHSU Flag Pole with attached flag struck the passenger side rear view mirror causing damage. An incident report was completed.

16-14241, Drug Offense, 9:48 PM: While conducting a traffic stop on a motor vehicle in the 1900 block of Bobby K. Marks Drive, the officer determined that the female driver was in possession of contraband. The driver was subsequently issued a citation for Possession of Drug Paraphernalia and released.

16-114248, Drug Offense, 11:02 PM: While conducting a traffic stop in the 2300 block of Sam Houston Avenue, the officer determined that the driver was in possession of contraband. The driver was arrested and charged with the Class B Misdemeanor offense of Possession of Marijuana.

OCTOBER 13, 2016

16-14192, Warrant Service, 8:23 PM: A female was arrested in the 2400 block of Montgomery Road for an outstanding warrant of arrest.

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10/18/2016 10:16:16 PM

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/campusculture | Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Page 4

Recital Season Features Students, Faculty TARA MARSHALL Staff Reporter October kicked off the recital season here at Sam Houston State University.

The month started with a Wind Ensemble on Oct. 6 and a Chorale Concert this past Saturday, and there are many more events coming to the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center.

The College of Fine Arts

and Mass Communications slotted several student performances for the months ahead. The Women’s Choir Concert will be the next performance on Oct. 22.

In addition to vocal entertainment, there will be several student instrumental performances. Jazz students will host a concert on Oct. 27 and the Wind Ensemble will be on Nov. 15. There will be two percussion performances on Oct. 30 and November 3. The first will be

performed by the Sam Houston State University Steel Drum Band, and the second by general percussion students.

Professors and guests will also perform the Concert Hall Venue. On Oct. 20 the Kolonneh String Quartet, a group of string musicians comprised of acclaimed faculty such as Naomi Gjevre, will play for the campus.

Dan Hearle will also make an appearance on the stage with his quartet on Oct 26.

Dancing with the Kats to Return TARA MARSHALL Staff Reporter

The second annual Dancing with the Kats returns to Sam Houston State University Oct. 21 in the LSC ballroom.

Much like the television show “Dancing with the Stars”, eight student couples are paired with choreographers from Bailamos Latin Dance (BLD) and Anybody Can Dance (ABCD) and will compete in front of a panel judges to win the Mirror Ball Trophy.

Each team will be accompanied by live music.

The doors will open at 6:00 p.m., and the show starts at 6:30 p.m. The event provides food and refreshments to guests, as well as an allotted time for social dancing.

BLD, Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc., The Talented Tenth Inc., and Zeta Tau Alpha formed Dancing with the Kats last school year.

According to former BLD president Kerrie Hall, Dancing with the Kats was created to show off the variety of students SHSU has and help each organization involved raise money.

“We started it as a way to promote cultural diversity and unity on the campus of Sam Houston State University and to raise funds for each organizations respective philanthropy,” Hall said.

The inaugural event hosted roughly three hundred attendees, and featured Grupo Movimiento, a local Latin band as well as other guest performances.

This year will have a Miami Beach theme and will also feature surprise guest performances.

Christian Morales, who competed in last year’s event, will also be performing again this

Micheal Flores | The Houstonian

DANCING WITH THE KATS. SHSU students paired with coreographers from Bailamos Latin Dance (BLD) and Anybody Can Dance (ABCD)

to compete in a dance competition to win the Mirror Ball Trophy.

year.

“I’m going for 1st this year,” Morales said.

The event is sponsored by ABCD, BLD, Omega Delta Phi Fraternity, Inc, and Theta Chi Fraternity, Inc. Edgar Banegas, member of Theta Chi Fraternity, Inc. and president of ABCD, is coaching a competing team. “(I look forward) to see my

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couple, (William Nolasquez, and Isabel Cristina Phillips Rangel), kill the dance floor and go home with the number one,” said Banegas.

Tickets costs $7 at the door.

Pre-sale tickets cost $5 for just the ticket and $12 for a ticket and a T-shirt.

ensemble cast of tubas, as well as solos.

The final event of the year is an Opera tribute to Shakespeare, titled “The Bard: Opera’s Celebration of Shakespeare.”

With the exception of OcTUBAfest, which has one event beginning at 6:00 p.m., all the performances will start at 7:30 p.m.

Each performance costs $15 for general admission, $12 for seniors, and $5 for students and children.

Documentary Covers Race Relations ETHAN HORN Campus Culture Editor @TheEthanHorn “13th” is the next film from the director of “Selma”, a critically acclaimed picture charged with the same racial tension as the actual events depicted in the picture.

The documentary operates under the premise that the 13th amendment didn’t effectively free the slaves, but rather transition people of color to other insidious methods of subjugation, namely into the role of criminals.

Structured very similarly to a lecture, the film begins by running through the history of both society’s treatment of minorities and the various enactments of criminal law.

Beginning in the early 20th century, archival footage is paired with one-on-one interviews in a tried and true documentary style.

Since “13th” is airing on Netflix, the archival shots aren’t softened, a point made later in the film. At times the age old structure seemed tiring with such relevant, timely material, but stellar interviews almost across the board help distract from the hundredth panning shot of a speaker.

The material in “13th” is incredibly relevant.

Moving up through the last century of discrimination, alienation and segregation the scenes familiarize the viewer with the brutality of a time gone by.

As it progresses the through the film, the storyline is sidetracked by relevant side threads, such as a takedown of the ALEC organization. These do feel like necessary sidesteps to better inform the viewer about the larger narrative.

The documentary has an educated, nuanced explanation of the political progression of the

prison system and does an excellent job of presenting the information in a logical manner. Some may complain that these portions take shots at past Presidents unduly, and Republicans in general.

Later in the film “13th” uses interviews from Republican Grover Norquist is used as an almost belligerent, humorous juxtaposition to the rest of the commentators. There are well thought out conservative defenses to the questions raised in the film, but “13th” favored establishing its own rhetoric rather than tackling others.

That decision doesn’t make for anything less powerful, the arguments and points made at the heart of 13th don’t rely on others to stand up. After the film has, as previously mentioned, educated viewers on the past, developed a vocabulary with the audience in how director Ava DuVernay speaks about race, the real points that it is trying to make are made clear.

Using the same clips from earlier in the film, the past is compared in sickening style to the present.

Powerful parallels are drawn from what was to what is, and footage from recent riots and political rallies help encapsulate the point of the film, that slavery persists in less apparent, deceptive methods. In a harrowing moment “13th” even goes so far as to describe where the next form of subjugation will appear.

As the credits rolled, “13th” leaves a sour taste in your mouth.

The problems aren’t anything new, but they are things that have been normalized to a point where they are unrecognizable to casual scrutiny. It takes the nuanced examinations of experts and activists to lay out such a damning case against practices only 20 years old. The film “13th” may annoy some for its one sided approach to the narrative, but it was necessary to create a powerful case.

The Jump

— HOMECOMING , page 1 combined ISDs to create a mega parade of nearly 130 participants.

On Oct. 13, the streets were packed with floats decorated like comicbased cities and people dressed as heroes.

Program Council’s Chairman for Entertainment Maya Palacios believes it is important to include an activity the entire town can be a part of.

“It’s a great way to bridge the gap between high school and college and show that we care about the community,” Palacios said. “It gives kids something to look forward to and proves that it may not be a big town, but it still has a lot to offer.”

Oct. 14 was no less exciting as the Program Council hosted their Homecoming Movie – the Suicide Squad. The giveaways consisted of a lawn chair, and various nifty cups filled to the brim with goodies such as pens, hand sanitizers, and even sunglasses.

“This movie is about villains taking on the superhero persona, and we found it cool that they’re doing something good,” Palacios said.

“It fits in with our theme because our heroes, even if they’ve done bad, have also done a lot of good to make sure the world is becoming a better place. It gives a new image and edge to the word hero.”

Later that day was the 44th Distinguished Alumni Gala featuring Duke Austin, James Lopez, Mia Gradney, Jerry Streater, and Nan McRaven. These recipients were selected in early April and Alumni Relations spent the next few months creating biographical videos in their honor to be premiered

“Dan Haerle is a composer, performer, educator and ambassador of jazz piano. The other members of the quartet also come to us with impressive backgrounds as well,” Emily Binetti, marketing coordinator for the Fine Arts and Mass Communication, said.

The faculty will also perform a woodwind concert on Nov. 1.

Both faculty and students will come together to present OcTUBAfest with events on Oct. 25, 30 and Nov. 6. It will feature an

during the reception.

The guests then received their award from President Hoyt, and gave a brief speech. Associate Vice President for Alumni Association Charlie Vienne feels students have a lot to learn from these alumni.

“I think it shows students what kind of talent SHSU is putting into the workforce in all career fields, whether it’s criminal justice, business, or fine arts and mass communication,” Vienne said. “I think it’s beneficial for students to see how these alumni stay connected to the university and do things in their community to support them and make them grow.”

Finally, Oct. 15, the day of the big game, was the busiest. At 10 a.m., Alumni Relations hosted Alumni Coffee which offered coffee, baked goods, sports TV shows, and live jazz from SHSU’s own music department.

“Anytime we have an alumni association event or activity that has music incorporated, we try to use our students to put them on display to show alumni what our talent level is in our school of music,” Vienne said.

Later that afternoon, Black Alumni and Friends hosted a pregame reception which provided an exclusive basketball practice with SHSU’s Head Basketball Coaches Jason Hooten, and Brenda WelchNicols. Live music was provided by Lloyd Hicks.

“The focus was to get the alumni engaged with the basketball teams before the season starts, so that they will come back to watch during the actual season,” Vienne

said.

Then it was time for tailgating at Bearkat Alley. Free turkey legs and sausage on-a-stick was served and the first 1000 people to attend received free tumblers. There were various giveaways, but the most impressive was the annual Alumni Association Tuition Drawing Program.

For the ninth year, people could buy tickets to win 24 hours of instate undergraduate tuition paid for, which is equivalent to about 5,000 dollars. The winner will be chosen on November 18th and will receive the money on their bearkat card before Christmas break.

“We award anywhere from 10 to 17 1,000 dollar scholarships from the program every year,” Vienne said. “This is our ninth year with the program and have awarded over 200,000 dollars directly to students with financial aid support and scholarships from the tuition draw program.”

At 3 p.m., it was time for the SHSU football team to face off against Abilene Christian University. During halftime, it was announced that Georgiana Reefer and Lawrence Jones Jr. were crowned homecoming king and queen. They also won a class ring along with the recognition.

Homecoming King Lawrence Jones Jr is honored to receive the award after his hard work and dedication to this university.

“It was exciting to win because I love this campus and the student body,” Jones said. “To have the opportunity to represent them on this level was incredible. I laughed a

lot initially because honestly this is nothing I would have ever seen myself running for, certainly not winning.”

The win was obvious from the

start and Sam Houston saw victory at Bowers Stadium with a final score of 48-21 to bring an end to homecoming week.

10/18/2016 9:02:01 PM

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/viewpoints | Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Page 5

Letter to the Editor: Voting ANGELA THEIS Contributing Writer Dear Editor, As I perused the October 12 issue of The Houstonian, the viewpoint on a person’s civic duty to vote caught my eye. As a major proponent for civic engagement, especially in young voters, I published a viewpoint on the very subject back in March.

After wading through the somewhat excessive sarcasm in the opening paragraphs, I began to understand where the author was coming from, but I disagree with the way in which he made many of his points. He stated that “you do NOT have the duty to vote.” This statement is whole heartedly false.

Every American has the duty to vote, because if they don’t then the pillars of our

democracy will crumble like sugar cubes.

With that being said, every American ALSO has the duty to be informed. These duties are not mutually exclusive as the author seemed to imply.

Voting, regardless of what people may believe, is. not. optional. BUT, neither is being a member of an uninformed electorate; They must be presented together to be effective.

In defense of the author, I think we may agree, and this fact was just poorly articulated in his viewpoint. Furthermore, there was one other detrimental mistake made by the author. Assuming that knowing sentimental yet inconsequential facts, like “what year our nation was founded” or “who won the civil war,” has any effect on a person’s ability to vote on present issues.

In my opinion, patronizing an electorate does not make them more inclined to

exercise their power or have confidence in their ability to make decisions. You are speaking to adults, not fifth graders trying to pass a test designed to encourage memorization instead of real critical thinking skills.

The truth is, as sentimental as those facts are, the answers being 1776 and The Union (no, I didn’t google them), they do not have ANY actual bearing on the issues facing today’s elections.

Yes, basic knowledge of the interworking of our national and state governments is necessary to be an effective voter, but you don’t have to be an ass to tell people that.

So, in effect, I encourage EVERY eligible person to be informed on the issues faced in the upcoming election and use that information to CONFIDENTLY vote for the candidate you believe would be best for this great nation.

What’s the

WORD ON THE STREET? How was Homecoming this past weekend?

What did you do?

Hillary Clinton V. Donald Trump

COLTON HAAS Viewpoints Writer

There are 20 days until the Presidential election of 2016. Have you taken the time to consider your two main choices, Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump? Now given their record setting, high disapproval ratings, it should come as no surprise that making a choice may not be as easy as you expect. We all know Presidential candidates tend to be like used car salesmen. In this two part editorial, I am going to bring you through just a few things each of the candidates say. First I’ll present what they say about themselves, and then we will discuss the things they say about each other. In part two, we will find out what the truth is.

Hillary Clinton, the seasoned politician. It is in no doubt that she has the political resume to fit the brand created this election cycle. According to her website, here are just a few things that she

promises to work toward if she is elected: “A fair tax system,” “An economy that works for everyone,” “Climate Change,” “Gun Violence prevention,” “Housing” and “Ensure the rich pay their fair share.”

Donald Trump, the successful businessman, has put an emphasis on his real estate empire as well as his “not a politician” status. Having never served in a political office, his branding also seems fitting. According to Trump’s website, here are just a few things he promises if he is elected: “Ensure our veterans get the care they need,” “Be the nation’s biggest cheerleader for school choice,” “Reduce taxes across-the-board, especially for working and middle-income Americans who will receive a massive tax reduction” and “Ensure the rich pay their fair share.”

Now don’t get me wrong, the issues section on each of their websites is downright riveting, but I want to get to the red meat of this entire piece. That is, what Clinton and Trump say about each other. What I can tell you for certain is that their back and forth has been nothing short of entertaining. With Trump’s childlike, “nah-nah-boo-boo” pokes and Clinton’s arrogant, holier than thou prods, I can’t help but grin with gluttony in deciding where to begin.

Clinton made headlines a few weeks back after she claimed that half of Trumps supporters are a “Basket of Deplorables”.

Why she used the word ‘basket’ instead of box, crate or bushel, the world may never know. In response, Trump surprisingly took the high road tweeting “While Hillary said horrible things about my supporters, and while many of her supporters will never vote for me, I still respect them all!” However, don’t be tricked into thinking this is the norm.

Being the absolute master of diction that he is, Trump has labeled Clinton as

“Crooked Hillary”. A name many of his most faithful supporters have adopted in their own rhetoric. Trump has gone on to cite the highly criticized decision by FBI Director James Comey to not recommend prosecution of Hillary for her use of an illegal email server. While not necessarily addressing this specific label, Clinton has launched a full out assault on Trump’s integrity by pointing out his “constant lies.” In the second presidential debate, Trump said, responding to a criticism from Clinton, that he never tweeted “check out a sex tape” the week after the first presidential debate. This was entirely false. Clinton made sure the audience and everyone at home knew this. Pushing people to go to her website to view her team’s very own fact check of Trump.

Beyond the mistruths and other miscellaneous fibs, sexual assault has understandably become a focus point of the back and forth jabs this election cycle. Most recently, Clinton has made hay of Trump’s “Grab em by the pu**y” comments. Claiming that he is not fit to be President because of the way he denigrates women, whether it be on TV, Twitter or any other medium. Trump claiming it was simply “locker room talk,” pivoted and shot back with an attack on Clinton’s history of silencing and intimidating women that her husband, Bill Clinton, allegedly sexually assaulted.

Alright, how on earth did we make it to this point? It’s like we searched for the worst two possible candidates in all of the United States to be our leader and found them. The arrogant liar and the narcissistic liar. Next week, we will walk through what the truth is regarding some of the claims Clinton and Trump have made.

“It was a fun and productive day!.”

JARVIS MOOODY Junior Kinesiology

“I was busy so I couldn’t make the game or parade, but I worked hard on our float and it was a lot of fun!”

BRADLEY STONE Junior Business

Benefiting From A Gig Economy

MICHELLE SKLAR Viewpoints Writer

Are you familiar with the gig economy yet? You should be, because it’s probably touching your life in some way. “A gig economy is an environment in which temporary positions are common and organizations contract with independent workers for short-term engagements,” according to “WhatIs.com.”

Also known as the ‘sharing economy,’ it refers to the emergent business model that includes businesses like Uber and Airbnb, where workers offer their services at will.There’s a lot more involved than just rooms and rides.

According to Huffington Post, gigs can be found in industries such as healthcare, writing, graphic design and other visual arts, home services and personal assistance, legal services, caregiving, coding and programming, consulting and manufacturing.

“The 53 million Americans who are freelancing already contribute more than $700 billion to our national economy and help U.S. businesses compete and find the skills that they need. The connected era we live in is liberating our workforce. The barriers to being a freelance professional – finding work, collaborating with clients and getting paid on time – are going away,” according to Fabio Rosati, CEO of Upwork, a freelance matching company.

A recent study by Intuit predicted that the on-demand economy will more

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than double by 2020 to 7.6 million workers, about 40 percent of the nation’s workforce. You might wonder why you should care about this. Well, the first reason is that you most likely will be required to make a living at some point in your life. That’s harder to do since the Great Recession; recovery has been slow for the labor market.

The second reason, equally important, is that being your own boss offers a world of potential that’s not available to most nine-to-fivers. That includes not only the opportunity to pile up some serious cash but also the flexibility to pursue your real passions. There are some downsides to being in the on-demand labor market.

For one thing, there’s less stability and income can be inconsistent as jobs dry up, as industries go through cycles, or as increased competition decreases demand for certain jobs.

Workers incur more costs when they are not covered by an employer, including health insurance, gas for the car and other supplies for work. Also, there are a number of protections offered to employees that are not extended to independent contractors, such as paid time off, severance pay, disability leave, sick days and workers’ compensation.

In most service-based businesses, reputation matters. One of the biggest flaws in the gig economy system is that reputations are so easy to destroy in this digital age. Customer satisfaction is all too often entirely arbitrary, and one reviewer’s bad day posted on Yelp or Amazon could do serious damage to a freelancer. Another possible hazard is mobile business apps going out of business as a result of litigation, or because the funding dried up.

With all those possible issues, and with all those questions, why is the gig economy good for us? Which ‘us’ are we talking about here? When you look at the big picture, it’s actually good for all of us: workers, employers and the economy as a whole.

More people working and making money benefits the entire nation. It means less unemployment, less poverty, less homelessness and less crime. It means a higher standard of living for everyone. A sharing economy is good for businesses because it helps them to compete, which

drives quality and variety up and prices down. It allows them to preserve more capital by not having to spend money on things like benefits, office space and training.

Best of all, a gig economy is good for workers because it allows more options for work, more freedom to choose what jobs to take and the flexibility to work or not work, when or where to work.

The barriers to entry are lowered. For example, it just takes a good driving record and a reasonably new car to drive for Uber. Top freelance jobs for coders have an intensive entry process, but don’t require college degrees or specific experience – just the ability to do the work.

“Gigging” gives people the ability to earn money using assets they already own, like a house, a car or a skillset.

Fierce competition for the best workers compels companies like Google to offer premium benefits to keep their top performers on board. Everybody wins.

So, how much can you make working on-demand? Income varies wildly, from a few bucks for a small handyman job listed on “Taskrabbit” to up to $1000 per hour for elite coders. Bloomberg profiled James Knight, who quit his job writing software for Google to make twice as much money as a freelancer, writing code while he vacations around Europe.

Some adjustments by the government could remove much of the uncertainty.

Labor laws and regulatory systems need to be re-examined and reformed to meet the needs of this rapidly changing labor market, and portable benefits – not tied to an employer – would provide a basic safety net.

More data needs to be compiled before any solid conclusions can be drawn, but the picture is very bright for the future of this new business model. “A more collaborative, community-based form of capitalism could change not only our economy, but our polarized politics,” wrote Rana Foroohar, economics columnist for Time. One thing is sure: In an unstable and depressed job market, it might be more important to diversify your income streams than your stock portfolio.

“It was a very hot football game, but fun!.”

JESSICA ROBLES Freshman Criminal Justice

“I went to the football game and had a lot of fun with friends!.”

CANDICE SCOGINS Freshman Victim Studies

“I had to take care of someone who was ill, so I missed it.”

EMILY GORDON Senior Public Health

10/18/2016 8:43:35 PM

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/viewpoints | Wednesday, October 19, 2016

Page 6

Letter to the Editor: BLM Movement TRI KEAH HENRY AND LAYNE DITTMANN Contributing Writers The Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement is not a hate group nor should it be equated with one. The organization was created in response to the death of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, and has since evolved from a popular social media hashtag to a thriving civil rights organization with 38 independent locally established chapters and one international branch. Its main mission is to promote the humanization of Black people, recognize their contributions to society, and combat state violence perpetrated against people of color. State violence is inflicted in numerous ways—not just through violent acts carried out by state police—and is maintained through institutional racism.

“Racism” is an evocative word and being labeled a racist in today’s culture is a serious accusation. So, let us be clear on what we mean by institutional racism. When we refer to institutional racism it does not mean that all individuals working within a particular system are inherently racist; instead, the institutional structure itself is organized in a way that perpetuates inequality through discriminatory practices. Given the nature of its formation, the BLM Movement is often credited for highlighting discriminatory practices in the criminal justice system, pointing to the experiences of African Americans with law enforcement, the judicial system, and the correctional system.

But, are these grievances and critiques of the criminal justice system real? Do we have cause to believe that African Americans are

being treated characteristically different by the criminal justice system in comparison to other groups? Or have we let the images of Black men and women dying at the hands of state officers cloud our judgement of reality?

Fortunately, these are empirical questions that have been examined scientifically for over three decades.

Beginning with policing research, some studies suggest that, compared to Whites, Blacks are stopped, searched, ticketed, and arrested at significantly higher rates. For example, a 2015 study on drug use and drug arrests found that African Americans, were “no more, and often less, likely to be involved in drug offending than Whites,” however, Blacks were 235 percent (or 2.35 times) more likely to be arrested for these offenses. Similar racial disparities are found across court processing. A 2014 study found that Blacks are 30 percent more likely to be sentenced to prison. Moreover, a study conducted by a Sam Houston State University criminal justice professor found that African Americans receive significantly longer sentences for the exact same crime committed by Whites (5.1 percent longer sentence).

Given these research findings, it should come as no surprise that Blacks are also disproportionately represented in our nation’s jails and prisons. Recent estimates suggest that African Americans make up roughly 12 percent of the US population but represent approximately 37 percent of the male prison population. According to a 2015 Bureau of Justice Statistics report, the imprisonment rates of young Black males (age 18-19) were 10 times higher compared to young White males. At this rate, 1 in every

3 Black males born in 2013 can expect to spend at least some amount of time behind bars during their lifetime–only 1 in every 17 White males can expect the same. In short, research shows that the BLM Movement concerns over racial bias and unequal treatment by the CJ system are not only legitimate, but are shocking for those who expect fair and equal treatment regardless of race.

Some may argue that these disparities reflect the inherent criminality among people of color. These people may suggest that African Americans commit more crime so they are more likely to encounter agents of the criminal justice system, subsequently increasing their rates of arrest and incarceration. If only it were that simple.

Arrest rates do not adequately represent rates of offending for several reasons. First, a substantial amount of crime goes unreported to police officers. As a result, arrest data only represent crimes that result in this specific law enforcement response.

When self-report data is considered (i.e., asking people about their offending behavior), the gap in offending between Blacks and Whites closes significantly. Second, patterns of arrest often reflect departmental resources and specific concerns of individual law enforcement agencies. For example, if a police department has a policy to actively pursue drug crimes, the rates of arrest for this crime will likely increase. This does not imply an increase in the actual occurrence of drug-related crimes. Instead, arrest increases are a result of officers paying more attention to these crimes because they’ve been directed to do so. Finally, broad departmental policing strategies also influence rates of

arrest. If a department actively engages in highly aggressive, order maintenance forms of policing, they are more likely to come into contact with citizens. This increases the potential for arrest. Important to the current discussion, these types of strategies are often used to police minority communities, which can affect the rates of arrest among these groups. Therefore, it is imperative that we acknowledge that rates of arrest cannot fully be understood without taking into consideration criminal justice processes.

To echo the article in The Houstonian that motivated this letter, truth does indeed matter and denying the truth doesn’t change the facts. It is relatively easy to create narratives that fit individual perspectives. In doing so, we can feel safe in our worldview because we don’t have to challenge our belief systems and the narrow realities we know. That may be sufficient for those outside the university, but as students actively engaged in critical thinking, we are called to a higher standard.

During our tenure as students at SHSU, we will undoubtedly be exposed to differing viewpoints. Instead of arbitrarily dismissing these viewpoints, we should take the time to understand them. At the same time, we should remember that our perspectives are often derived from personal experiences, which may not generalize to society more broadly. Therefore, it is important to rely on scientific knowledge, when available, to inform our opinions. If you are interested in learning more about criminal justice issues, feel free to visit the George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center were you can solicit unbiased and professional answers based on the current state of evidence to any questions you may have.

Voting: The Election is Not Over Yet

ANGELA THEIS Contributing Writer

It may not be November 8, but, if you’re not voting for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump has already won. Throughout the last few months, and especially after each of the debates, many people have told me they “just aren’t voting”. These people have decided not to pick between what they see as the “lesser of two evils”, but this is a problem in more ways than one.

First, voting is a fundamental right that we are lucky to have as citizens of a great nation. This right is provided to us ONLY through the intelligent people that framed our constitution and those who continue to sacrifice so much to defend it on a daily basis.

Second, you are effectively doing EXACTLY what Donald J. Trump wants.

Like a cheesy pirate movie, you have fallen directly into Trump’s trap. The trap that

paints Hillary Clinton as a “lesser evil”.

Third, and finally, Hillary Clinton is not the monster Donald Trump has tried to smear her to be.

Now, hear me out, Hillary Clinton plays the game of politics as much as the next, and I agree that corruption, money and lies run rampant in our political system, BUT she is the only hope our country has, at this point, to prevent becoming the metaphorical dog poop on the bottom of this Earth’s shoe.

You see, when Donald Trump set out to run for President of the United States I don’t believe he ever actually expected to win. He selfishly set out to gain more power, more fame and divide America in the process.

As a sociopath, Trump lives for manipulation and lying. His career is based on it. His wealth is based on it.

Manipulation and lying are the only two skills Donald Trump actually possesses, and he isn’t even all that great at the latter.

Trump did not enter this election with the intentions of swaying middle of the road voters. He entered this election to turn them into cowards, to manipulate people into believing that there is no choice and in effect allow a minority of deplorable human beings to overtake our political system and voice.

He doesn’t want respectable, real people to vote. You threaten not just his agenda but his pursuit for power.

If you’re not voting for Hillary Clinton, and especially if you’re not voting at all, then you have played right into Trump’s tiny Hillary hating hands and allowed yourself to be manipulated with false evidence.

The “emails” have been a source of

ammunition for the constant berating of Secretary Clinton. Donald Trump even said in the most recent town hall debate that if he were president, Hillary Clinton would “be in jail.”

However, the New York Daily News reported in early March of 2015, that there have actually been many instances in which high ranking public officials used private email servers for official governmental business. These politicians include Former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, who kept a private personal email on top of both an official government account and regular personal account, former GOP Nominee and Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney, who along with his aids used private email accounts to conduct official state business, and even one of President George W. Bush’s top advisors, Karl Rove, caused 22 million emails and four years of official correspondence to be lost due to the improper use of his Republican National Committee email.

Would these republican politicians also be in jail under a Trump Presidency if after investigation, all were found to have not legally done anything wrong?

Many of Trumps supporters will say he is not a politician and that it’s time for a change, but on June 16, 2015– when Donald Trump announced his run for POLITICAL office– he became a politician. Nothing can falsify that truth.

Another principal topic used to smear and delegitimize Hillary Clinton’s character and ability to lead a nation is a set of actions in which she had no direct involvement, aka Bill Clinton’s actual and accused infidelities.

Last time I checked, marriage licenses do not have a line for signing away your

autonomy as a human being with free will.

Hillary Clinton is a woman who happens to be married to a man that made mistakes.

Those mistakes may help define that man but they in no way whatsoever define the woman he is married to.

Secretary Clinton has been continuously criticized for merely being associated with a man who may or may not have done inappropriate things with women, but Donald Trump has BEEN a man that has, on record, said and done misogynistic, derogatory and sexist exploits.

Trump was recorded saying that pregnancy is “certainly an inconvenience for a business,” and that “it really doesn’t matter what the media write as long as you’ve got a young, and beautiful, piece of ass.”

Additionally, he tweeted that Huffington Post founder Ariana Huffington is “unattractive, both inside and out” and he “understand(s) why her husband left her for a man.”

Regardless of the truth that Huffington’s ex-husband actually announced his bisexuality after their divorce, Donald Trump’s only reason to make statements like those above is to support his longstanding view that a women’s only purpose is to be a sexual object for male consumption.

I could continue to write pages about the despicable attributes Donald Trump displays as the actual physical embodiment of everything wrong with our society, but there are more important topics to discuss.

The fact of the matter is, if you don’t vote for Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump may still lose the election, but he will have defeated, cheated and duped you, and isn’t that just as bad?

Being Catholic While In College

SARAH BADILLO Viewpoints Writer

Being Catholic in College can be both challenging and rewarding. Living in a secular culture, there is temptation everywhere, and movies, television shows, social media are all contributing factors.

It can be overwhelming and can lead to

Editorial

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confusion as to what to feel, how to think or who to talk to. Starting a new college, finding a new parish to attend Mass on Sundays or making new friends offers its own set of challenges. With these challenges comes learning experiences, room to grow and opportunity to change for the better.

I have had my own personal doubts and struggles about the (Catholic) Church, and since starting college, there have been changes nationally and within the Church that have caused a stir. People from the outside might look down upon the Church’s teachings on abortion or same-sex marriage and assume you are some anti-gay, womenhating person when that is far from the truth. Millennial Catholics are either leaving the Church or hiding out in fear of being misunderstood when this does not have to be the case.

It is not the easiest thing to believe in something you cannot see — even more so a Church with deep roots and rich tradition.

It is easier, however, to believe in a higher power when things are going smooth. For example, passing an exam you thought you

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did horrible on or finding a parking spot without having to drive around in circles.

Praise God for these things, but when I fail an exam or have an overall horrible day, giving thanks to any kind of higher power is nowhere on my to-do list. Despite this, believing there is something out there so much greater than myself brings me an unfathomable amount of comfort.

College is a season of change. It is a transitional period going from youth to having to figure out life on your own.

While it is hard to go about this kind of change alone, finding a community of like-minded people can also be a challenge.

Unless you already have a community built, sitting in an adoration chapel or having a conversation about the sacraments or going to daily Mass is not what most people consider “fun.” It took me until this year to find that community I longed for, but as I reflected on the past three years of searching, I now understand the different choices I was given.

There is a newfound freedom that comes along with attending college. I quickly learned I do not have to go to Mass. I do

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not have to go to confession. Instead, I choose to go to Mass. I choose to go to confession. Changing my “haves” to “wants” changed my perspective on my faith. I may have wanted a group of fellow Catholics to connect with, but ultimately my faith is not who my friends are. My faith is a personal journey that I continue to pursue, learn and grow from. Each person is different, but it is all about finding what works best for you and what it is that will challenge and encourage you.

Aside from having a shirt with Pope Francis’ face on it, I do not go around advertising my faith — not out of shame, but because it will not make me any better of a person. I understand my mission in life is not to convert anyone to Catholicism, but rather to be an example — to give love, to show love, to be love. While being Catholic in college has its challenges, there is always a silver lining. Remain hopeful, and do not be afraid to stand up for what you feel is right. This goes for any religion or anyone who believes in something greater. Do not be ashamed. Be proud.

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I Am Not Ashamed of My Illness

MASEY WHITE Viewpoints Writer College is a time filled with stress. This stress is easily amplified by pre-existing mental illness, such as depression and anxiety. For someone suffering from these illnesses, certain points in our lives can get overwhelming.

Everything seems hopeless, and the end seems nowhere in sight. During one of these points in my life, I decided to admit that I was suffering from a mental illness, and I decided to receive treatment for it. I have since been on different medications, along with counseling, in an attempt to “get better.” While I still struggle when times get rough, I am so much better than I was before.

Even though this made such a big difference in my life, I have only told a handful of people about my illness and my medication. It is

something that I have been ashamed of. I felt like I was weak and I would be judged and considered insane. I was afraid of the reactions people around me would give, but how unfair is this? Cancer patients openly go through chemotherapy. People with muscle or bone issues go to physical therapy without keeping it a secret. When you have the flu, you don’t have to feel ashamed to go to the doctor and get medication to make you feel better.

So, why do I have to feel ashamed for going to a trained psychiatrist who can prescribe me medication that will help me feel somewhat normal, teach me how to cope with what I’m feeling and be able to properly function with less difficulty?

About 14.5 million people suffered from cancer in the United States in the year 2014.

Approximately 43.8 million adults suffer from a mental illness in any given year in the U.S. Additionally, 1 in 25 Americans have a mental illness that prohibits them from living their lives.

However, of these 43 million people and more only 41 percent of them had the courage to receive medical attention for their mental health issues. Cancer is nationally publicized.

We have walk-a-thons, sell pink ribbons and raise awareness of prostate cancer. Heck, I even have a sticker on my car that says, “Feel your boobies!” in support of breast cancer awareness. While I will support this and don’t believe cancer should receive any less support, I do believe that mental illnesses deserve just as much. People suffering from a mental illness should be able to feel just as comfortable with seeking treatment as someone with any other illness.

There are tons of people who can’t leave their house without touching their doorknob exactly 17 times. These people are our friends, our siblings, our co-workers and our family and that number doesn’t include 14-year-old me, who couldn’t go to school because of her illness, or the countless other teens feeling the same way.

There are others that feel the same way you do. You do not have to fight this battle alone.

If you have a sickness, you aren’t expected to suffer from it and hope it goes away on its own.

Likewise, you are not expected to suffer from your mental illness on your own. There are people who have spent many years in school and training simply to help you. Don’t let the fear of what people may think of you keep you from being happy and more comfortable. This is your life, not theirs, and the help that you receive can change your life.

I am not ashamed that I had to receive help.

I knew that I simply could not keep living the way I was, nor should I have to. I knew that I could not help myself. I knew that, despite the stigma and judgment I might receive, it was necessary. So, please, do not ever feel like you cannot ask for help. Do not ever feel like you cannot receive the medication or counseling you need because you will be judged. Do not feel like you are weak. You are so strong for the fight you have put up, and you are even stronger to have the courage to help yourself. Please, do not ever, ever, ever feel like you are alone.

Because I, as well as the 43 plus million other people in the world that suffer the same way you do, are there for you. You are not alone, nor will you ever be. Get the help you need. Don’t be ashamed.

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Paws up to a great Homecoming weekend, the best timeof the semester!

Paws up to Paws up to the Bearkats beoming the #1 football team in the FCS! Great job guys!

Emulators: Legal or Not Legal? system and ROMs are the games you wish to play. Emulators are legal to download and use to your own leisure, but downloading ROMs is technically illegal in the judicial world.

Emulators don’t violate any law, while ROMs violate copyright laws.

The only way that you are legally able to have a ROM file of a game is if one the said ROM is released to the public domain by the owner who owns the copyright, two the owner sold or gave you the copyright to the game, three the copyright has expired, which is 75 years after its publication date, which no video game in this century has reached or four the file is an archival copy that you have created for the purposes of backing it up, it can’t be downloaded.

ARTURO MOSQUEDA Viewpoints Editor @cherrio16 There is a grey area for these types of video games in the modern era. Some people are against the use of emulators while some are for them and love to download all of the old classic retro video games from the late 20th century.

For those who don’t quite know what they are, emulators are essentially programs that are used to mimic a certain device on a computer (PlayStation 2, Gameboy Advance, Nintendo 64, etc.) to play a wide collection of video games files on the internet which are called, Read-Only Memory (ROM.) ROMs are file formats that are used for games.

Take for example a Pokémon Red Version ROM would be the file format of the Pokémon Red Version game. Think of the emulator as the

You can theoretically be sued for downloading ROMs but not arrested or charged of any crime since it is just a civil issue and not a criminal one.

Now, if you redistribute said copyright software without authorization, that’s where the potential criminal charges can come into play. What is my opinion on this matter? I believe emulation is probably one of the best things ever created for the gaming community. I have played a multitude of games from ROM websites just so I can play the classic Nintendo 64 games that are not as easily obtainable now. Having to go through the process of purchasing a system that has been discontinued from the past decade and getting an outdated television set just to play that one game is too tedious in my opinion. Old hardware is built like a brick, but after 20 plus years of having it stowed away in your closet, you are bound to run into some technical issues.

I had never had the chance to play through the Kingdom Hearts series when I was a small child.

I had heard great things about these games and read positive reviews but for some reason I never got the time to get to that game.

This past Summer I decided I wanted to dive into this game title. I searched for my PlayStation 2 in my parent’s outdoor shed but did not find it anywhere. I looked in every corner of the shed and did not find one trace of the PS2. My dad sadly broke the truth to me that he had shipped that game system, along with other games to my cousins in Mexico. So much for having a fun afternoon. I was thus left with two options, go online and place an order for an old PlayStation 2 console and wait two weeks for it to get to my house, or use an emulator and download the ROM on a website I trust in less than a minute.

Of course I went with the latter and had a splendid time in the world of Kingdom Hearts that weekend.

I could tell you that you should not download ROMs since it is not legal, but in the end, you can do whatever you want with your computer. I am for downloading older games in the 80s and 90s era, but if you emulate a PlayStation 3 or Xbox 360 game on your computer, then that is a whole different story. It’s not hard to purchase one of those systems from your local video game store.

It’s a system that is still easily available in stores that don’t require a special order from across the world to get. Use emulators for convenience and not to save you a few extra dollars.

Emulators are cool and a fun way to dive into some nostalgia but be smart and thoughtful about it.

Why Anonymous is a Joke

NICK WARD Viewpoints Writer

One of my favorite television shows right now is the USA Network show, Mr. Robot. The show depicts a hacker named Elliot joining a group named fsociety to take a business conglomerate that secretly controls everything.

I enjoy the show due to its acting, writing and cinematic production quality, but other people enjoy it for its parallels to real life. However there is one comparison people make that drives me insane, and that is when people try to say the hacker group, Anonymous is the real life version of fsociety.

Anonymous is a loosely associated group of hacktivists that is known for their organized publicity stunts and their distributed denialof-service attacks on various websites meaning they overwhelm the website with traffic from

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multiple sources making it inaccessible. The group emerged in 2008 gaining notoriety with their attacks on the Church of Scientology known as Project Chanology. They then continued other “attacks” on groups including the KKK, ISIS and have even claimed to have hacked NASA. Members are distinguished by their Guy Fawkes’s mask like the one the protagonist wears in V for Vendetta.

There can be many comparisons made between fsociety and Anonymous. This includes their purpose and their use of a movie mask as the symbol for their group.

However there is one major difference: fsociety actually does stuff instead of just trolling their targets.

Anonymous is celebrated by many, but I have no idea why. None of their operations have led to a positive outcome or any outcome at all, and Project “Chanology” is a great example of this.

The attack was organized in response to the removal of a video by the church featuring an awkward interview with Tom Cruise promoting Scientology. The group than organized various DDoS attack, black faxes and prank calls. A major problem from the beginning is that these illegal attacks on the Church could actually assist it with them shaping it as an attack on their religious freedom. While trolling the Church on the internet would provide a great inconvenience, it was not going to shut them down. However, they did start to lead legal protests against the churches, including attempts to highlight corruption and disprove their tax-exemption status. However, even now their attack on Scientology declined, because they got bored and switched on

Paws down to thee beggining of class project season.

Paws down to the continued construction on campus. I want my parking spot!

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to something else, which the very similar to their other operations in that they don’t rarely result in anything at all, or information .

For the entire article visit HoustonianOnline. com

10/18/2016 8:44:17 PM

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/sports | Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2016

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Next Up: Nicholls Football Kats Host NWSU, Enter Crucial Stretch GABRIEL MYERS Sports Reporter @G_Myers33 The Nicholls State Colonels are 3-1 in conference play this season, and are currently in the hunt for a conference championship, but they will face a tall task this Saturday against the new number one team in the nation, the Sam Houston State Bearkats.

Here is what people can expect from a tough Colonel team.

Nicholls is coming off an exciting win over Houston Baptist, in which “Last Chance U” star defensive lineman Ronald Ollie blocked a field goal and returned it for a touchdown to aide a 33-30 victory last Saturday in Houston.

Ollie was named the Southland Conference Special Teams Player of the Week because of that play.

Those who watched the show know Ollie very well.

The 310-pound defensive lineman was portrayed as a giant teddy bear off the field, whose tragic childhood experiences led him down the wrong path at a young age.

On the field though, Ollie is anything but a teddy bear. Ollie is a key player in the Nicholls defense, which head coach K.C. Keeler considers the best his team has faced this season.

“They are very sound defensively, maybe the best defense we have played this year,” Keeler said. “[They have] good talent, but very well coached and very sound on that side of the ball.”

Earlier this year, the Colonels traveled to Athens, Georgia to take on the Georgia Bulldogs in a paycheck game. The team fought hard and fared well; losing 26-24 to a team that was ranked in the FBS Top-15 at the time. That experience should help Nicholls this Saturday, as they’ve shown they can compete with a good SEC team on the road.

“Georgia did not look very good in that ball game,” Keeler said. “But I think Georgia was surprised by how good Nicholls was.”

The Nicholls defense will need to play their best game of the season in order to have a chance at defeating the Bearkats Saturday.

The defense has been allowing only 243 passing yards per game, which is well below the Bearkats season average of 363 yards per game, but the Bearkats passing attack will be the best one Nicholls has seen this season.

Whichever team wins that battle on Saturday will likely be winning the game as well. Keeler is confident in his offense’s ability to get the job done.

“I don’t know if there is a more talented offense in the country than the one we have,” Keeler said. “We don’t have any warts; the quarterback play, running back play, the receivers play, the tight end play, to the offensive line. This offense is really special.”

This Southland conference showdown will take place Saturday at 2:30 p.m. at John L. Guidry Stadium in Thibodaux, Louisiana.

Photo courtesy SHSU Athletics

KATS vs. DEMONS. The Bearkat volleyball team will look to snap a two game losing skid on Thursday as the squad will host the Northwestern State Demons in gym two of the Health and Kinesiology Center.

GABRIEL MYERS Sports Reporter @G_Myers33 Last Saturday the Lady Bearkat volleyball team suffered a heartbreaking five set loss at ACU. The Bearkats will have the opportunity to erase that memory right away, as they return home Thursday night to take on the Northwestern State Demons.

Last week was odd for the Bearkats, as six girls on the team were diagnosed with the flu, and three were not even feeling well enough to travel with the team to Abilene.

The Kats are looking forward to getting things back to normal at home this week. Thursday’s game will be the Bearkats’ first game at home in nearly three weeks.

Northwestern State will present a tough challenge for the Kats.

The Demons currently hold a Southland Conference record of 6-3, which has them tied for third in the conference standings. The Demons are led by star outside hitter freshman Alexis Warren. Al-

though just a freshman, Warren is the team’s leader in kills for the season with 274, and is averaging over three kills a set this season. In addition, she is also second on the team in digs.

It is rare for a player to be among the team’s leaders in kills and digs; that just shows how good of an allaround player Warren is.

“She[Warren] is their go to player,” assistant coach Charlie Olson said. “When they want a kill they are going to set her up.”

Even more so than Warren, the Bearkats are preparing for the Demons multi-dimensional attack on offense. The Kats believe that the Demons offense is like looking in a mirror, as it resembles their own.

The Bearkats believe that they can exploit the Demons’ passing game, and that serving well will be the key to doing just that.

“They run a very varied offense, and we just need to exploit their weaknesses,” Olson said. “If we can exploit their passing game by serving well, then they won’t be able to run their offense.”

The Bearkats are still in the hunt for the conference tourna-

ment with an SLC record of 3-4, which currently has them in a fourway tie for seventh. The Kats hold tiebreakers over the other three teams, so if the season were to end today, they would be the seventh seed in the conference tournament.

These next few games could end up determining the fate of the Bearkats’ season. After Northwestern State, the Bearkats play at home against sixth place Central Arkansas, and then they travel to Houston Baptist to take on the fifth place Huskies, before turning right back around to play the Lamar Cardinals in Beaumont, who are also apart of the four way tie for seventh. Faring well in the next four games could boost the Kats all the way to fifth in the standings, but faring poorly could knock the Kats out of the conference tournament race.

This is probably going to be the biggest stretch of the season for the Bearkats, and they know the importance of starting it out with a win. The game against the Demons will take place Thursday at 6:30 p.m. in the gym two of the Health and Kinesiology Center.

Lacrosse Holds Annual Alumni Game HIVAN MORENO Sports Reporter @wild_game_boy The SHSU Lacrosse team hosted their annual alumni game at Pritchett Field over the weekend.

The alumni game featured previous SHSU lacrosse players battling it out against current team members. The Alumni team came out to a strong start, but eventually fell to the current team 10-3.

The alumni game’s main purpose is to raise funds for the current lacrosse team by selling merchandise, such as SHSU lacrosse themed polos, T-shirts, shorts and hats all created by Class of ’04 Alumni Eric Keown. Denisee

Mann, an alumni mom, was at the game selling merchandise.

“One of the alumni named Erick Keown creates the merchandise,” Mann said. “Every year he designs an alumni package that includes a shirt, pair of shorts, and a tank jersey. The alumni buy the packages as a way to support the team. All proceeds from the alumni shirts and packages will go to the support of the Sam Houston lacrosse team.”

The past vs. present game felt special for junior team captain Kenny Jonga, as he had the chance to play against previous lacrosse players.

“The alumni game is special because you get to see the alumni again with their winning tradi-

Players of the Week

JANINE KUWAHARA, BOWLING

The SHSU bowling team began their season with a bang, winning the Mid-States Intercollegiate. Senior Janine Kuwahara was the Bearkat standout as she was named to the all-tournament team. The second ranked individual during the team baker format bowled a 221 average in six games. The bowler will look to build off her performance, as the team willcompete in the Wildcat Invitational on Oct. 21.

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tion,” Jonga said. “It’s what Sam Houston is about. These older guys running up on the newer guys is always nice to see. They teach us a lot what the program is about.”

Junior Bobby Quintos also took part in the special game. He explained that the alumni players have taught him a lot and he wouldn’t be the player he is today without them. He believes that the alumni have made him a better player.

“They taught me a lot of new things like the proper way to shoot and different tricks shots from behind the net,” Quintos said. “It was a lot of fun.”

For the entire article visit HoustonianOnline.com

DARION FLOWERS, LINEBACKER

SHSU football continued their season of dominance Saturday as the team rolled to a 48-21 victory over Abilene Christian. The player that stood out the most was the junior from John Tyler high school.

Flowers blossomed on the defensive side of the ball as he was accredited with 8.5 tackles, eight unassisted and one sack. The Bearkats will now hit the road and take on a tough Nicholls State team.

10/18/2016 10:17:20 PM