4/18/2018 Weekly Edition

Wednesday, April 18, 2018

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

The Official News Source of Sam Houston State University Volume 129 | Issue 24

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Recent crime Executive Director of Residence Life: trends in “For a long time, tearing down sorority Huntsville hill has been in the master plan” SORORITY HILL NO MORE?

BY JOSHUA BLASCHKE Staff Reporter

Crime in a college town is, unfortunately, nothing new for most people. However, Huntsville may have experienced a minor increase in theft over the past few months.

Since January 2018, the Sam Houston State University Police Department (UPD) and the Huntsville Police Department (HPD) have noticed a trend of individuals making unforced entry into residences during day and night-time hours.

Four burglaries have been reported during daytime hours at SHSU on-campus housing, in which the residences appeared to be unlocked. Personal property was determined to be stolen from these homes.

According to Public Information Officer for Public Safety Crime continues on page 2

Jordan Likens| The Houstonian

According to Executive Director of Residence Life Jollen Tipton and Greek Life Coordinator Abby Hurt, Sam Houston State University sororities will no longer be able to reside as a unit on campus after May 2019.

Photo courtesy Today@SAM

NUMBER ONE. Sam Houston State University’s online Criminal Justice graduate program was

SHSU introduces new head coach

BY JORDAN SMITH Sports Reporter Sam Houston State University Athletics officially introduced new women’s basketball head coach Ravon Justice Tuesday at the Ron Mafrige Fieldhouse.

Athletic director Bobby Williams opened the press conference with some positivity.

“It’s an exciting time for our department, our university and our program,” Williams said. “We are really blessed to where this search has gone. Any time you have changes and going through the hiring process, you are interested Justice continues on page 6

BY ABIGAIL VENTRESS Contributing Reporter Sam Houston State University sororities will soon no longer be able to reside as a unit on campus as a result of the university’s space and budget limitations.

SHSU Residence Life met with Greek Life coordinator Abby Hurt to announce that sorority hill will only provide sorority housing through May 2019.

“I’m really excited, and I think it’s an opportunity,” Hurt said.

“The houses are just dilapidated.

They’re old. They’ve gotten all of their use out of them.”

According to the Department of Residence Life, the sorority houses on campus will either be repurposed to serve as regular student housing or demolished to make room for the future construction of a large residence hall.

“It’s not a factor of the university not wanting the sororities to be here,” Executive Director for Residence Life and LivingLearning Programs Joellen Tip-

ton said. “It is about what is feasible.”

The sorority houses and other small houses on sorority hill typically house 36 students each. The sorority houses have large common areas, storage closets, one washer and dryer and a formal kitchen space.

“The university has outgrown the system, and we don’t have room for that type of housing anymore,” Tipton said. “Simply, the university can’t afford to build something that’s only for the sororities.”

Most of the sororities that have houses on campus require members to live in the house for a year or two in order to fill all of the available spots. If a sorority does not fill each spot with a member, the members who did not fulfill their housing requirement are typically fined by their sorority, and Residence Life will fill the spot with another student that needs to live on campus.

“It has not been great for the sororities over the past few years anyways-having people live in Sorority continues on page 2

Raven’s Call: Gone but never forgotten

BY SHARON RAISSI Campus Culture Editor Raven’s Call is an annual memorial service dedicated to individuals connected to Sam Houston State University who passed away the previous year. This year’s memorial will be held Friday at noon in front of the Ron & Ruth Blatchley Bell Tower.

This coveted tradition is hosted by the Orange Keys. During the service, names of students, faculty and staff that have passed are read aloud and orange and white flowers are placed on the on the monu-

ment in their honor.

“100 years from now, none of us are going to be here… so what are we going to do?” Dean of Students John Yarabeck asked. “What are we going to accomplish? I think the biggest message of Raven’s Call is to celebrate your time here and celebrate people who have gone before us. If you do that, you’re going to take something away from it that will be meaningful.”

The memorial goes beyond just calling the person’s name out and Photo courtesy SHSU Dean of Students placing a flower in their name. An art gallery and a family reception ETERNITY. The annual Raven’s Call ceremony is a chance to honor and remember fallen Sam Houston State University students, faculty and staff.

Raven continues on page 2

What’s happening at SHSU? ISLAMOPHOBIA, P. 2 Find out all the details of Islamophobia Awareness Week and the growing support of diversity.

‘PIPPIN,’ P. 3 Sam Houston State University’s newest play has opened up in the Erica Starr Theatre.

MAN’S BEST FRIEND, P. 4 Opinion: Taylor Thompson expresses why adopting from an animal shelter is the right answer.

NEW SGA PRESIDENT, P. 5 New student body president David Eller submitted a letter to his fellow Bearkats.

RAVON JUSTICE, P. 6 SHSU Athletics officially introduced the new women’s basketball head coach, Ravon Justice.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/news | Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Page 2

Melanie Lawson mingles with SHSU

BY EMILY DAVIS News/Viewpoints Editor Reporter Melanie Lawson from ABC Channel 13 will speak at Sam Houston State University on April 19 at 6 p.m.

Lawson will speak at Mingling with the Media, an event hosted

by Priority One Public Relations that serves as an opportunity for students to hear the professional journey of a well-known journalist or reporter.

Lawson has been an anchor and reporter at KTRK-TV for more than three decades. She is the anchor of “Live at 5” and “Eyewitness News at 11 a.m.” She also hosted a weekly community affairs program called “Crossroads” for ten years.

Visit HoustonianOnline.com for entire article.

ABC 13’s Melanie Lawson

Jordan Likens | The Houstonian Sorority continued, page 1 — the house that aren’t members,” Tipton said. “It’s hard on the sororities and on us because we have to fill the space.”

The rooms in the small houses are shared between two people and have a conjoining bathroom with another pair of roommates; the rooms have twin beds and built in wardrobes.

“The way the houses are now is not the best quality of living,” Hurt said. “It’s a little bit bittersweet for sure because they’ve been here for so long and the houses have been a vital part of their sisterhoods for many years.”

According to Tipton, the small houses were renovated in the early 2000s to add electrical outlets.

This renovation was not structural.

“Even at that point in time, we spent a lot of money knowing that the houses would have to come down,” Tipton said. “They were built really well, but they were never meant to last this long.”

Tipton said an engineer looked at Rachel Jackson last summer and found that the structure met code, but was settling quickly.

She said that the engineer’s theory was that this would spread to its connecting house, Sigma Sigma Sigma.

“Looking at what a renovation would cost, there was no way we would be able to afford to redo all of them,” Tipton said. “Because

we are landlocked, we have to lose things to build things” The most recent new residence hall on-campus, Piney Woods Hall, was more costly to build than the one on sorority hill will likely be. However, the university still plans to have a large residence hall to meet the everincreasing demand of on-campus housing.

“We want to keep upperclassmen on campus,” Tipton said.

“We have a lot more wanting to stay on campus now than we ever had before because of cost, convenience and other reasons.”

Residence Life will not know how to build on the hill or if the hill will have to be removed until it is determined by an architect.

Tipton said that the building will probably start where the Title IX office is located and bleed over into the sorority hill parking lot.

Visit HoustonianOnline.com for entire article.

Raven continued, page 1 — are also put up to honor those who have passed.

“Every student, faculty and staff member who have died in that time that we’re aware of, we honor [at Raven’s Call],” Yarabeck said. “We do this in a number of ways. In the art gallery, families are asked to send a picture and a descriptor of what they’ve done and we display it there so that people can know a

little more about them. We have a reception for the families prior to the actual ceremony that talks about the history of it.”

Orange Keys President Courtney Shaw spoke about how Raven’s Call serves as a reminder that no one in the Bearkat community will be forgotten.

“I feel Raven’s Call is an important SHSU tradition because it shows that when you come to Sam, you are not just another face in the crowd,” Shaw said. “We are a community and we care about all of the people who come through Sam, and we should honor not only what they gave to the university, but their lives also.”

Everyone from the community is invited to attend the event— not just SHSU students. Shaw explained how she feels the event is important and often overlooked.

“I know when I was younger, I was not quite sure what [Raven’s Call] is, but to me it is one of the most sacred traditions here at Sam,” Shaw said. “To be able to honor fellow Bearkats is a great opportunity for the school to come together as a whole.”

The Orange Keys begin planning Raven’s Call at the beginning of the spring semester, and spend a good amount of time making sure everything is in order for the event.

Visit HoustonianOnline.com for entire article.

Crime continued, page 1 — Services David Yebra, the perpetrators continue adjusting and changing their tactics when they see opportunities.

“We see burglaries rise when we return to school from the summer or the holidays or when we become complacent leaving doors unlocked and high-value items in plain view,” Yebra said.

“We just have to keep in mind those who commit these crimes are also looking for ways to steal and for areas where we are vul-

nerable.”

Most recently, HPD took a report from an apartment complex in the area where a female awoke in the middle of the night to discover an unknown male in her bedroom. It is undetermined whether property was stolen.

“Last year, the trend involved burglary of motor vehicles in residence hall parking lots and surrounding apartment complexes,” Yebra said. “Recent burglaries involve the theft of video game systems and components— items that can be quickly moved for profit.”

According to Associate Director of Communications at SHSU Emily Binetti, students should remember to utilize the university’s Property Registration System. “[The system] allows you to register any item of value that you may have on campus, in your vehicle or at home, such as laptops, bicycles, IPODs, phones, televisions and car stereos,” Binetti said.

It is important for students to remain vigilant at all times—especially in unfamiliar locations.

“Keep high-value items out of plain view when traveling in a vehicle, or in places where others you don’t know can observe,” Yebra said. “The perpetrators do their best to blend in and look like they belong.”

The university encourages students to lock their residences while away and during the nighttime hours. Students should not bypass security systems in place by allowing people to enter locations without proper authorization or credentials.

If any suspicious activity is observed on campus, students are encouraged to contact the University Police Department at 936-294-1800 for non-emergencies or 936-294-1000 for emergencies. For off-campus reports, contact the Huntsville Police Department at 936-435-8001, or call 9-1-1 for emergencies.

Islamophobia Storms put food trucks on backburner Awareness Week

BY MICHAEL FLORES Staff Reporter

BY TRACE HARRIS Staff Reporter Last week, April 9-14, the Sam Houston State University College of Humanities and Social Science hosted special events to highlight Islamophobia Awareness Week.

The first event included an all-day seminar Saturday called “A Day of Dialogue: Diversity and Inclusion in the classroom.” Other events included a film on ‘Arab Representation and Hollywood’ and a speech

by Dr. Erman El-Badawi, founder and head of the University of Houston’s Arab Studies program.

The awareness week events were organized by SHSU Professor Dr. Samar Zahrawi.

El-Badawi kicked off the week with his lecture on ‘Diversity and Modern Islam: The LGBT Community and Beyond.’

The food trucks near Academic Building IV on the Sam Houston State University campus have been a large success with students and faculty. However, when it comes to days with bad weather, students may need to look for other options on campus.

For example, on March 28 the food trucks were forced to close due to thunderstorms.

“It’s for our safety,” Chick-fil-A food truck operator Nafis Shaige said. “We have all these wires and stuff, and everything is out in the open. So if there is a thunderstorm, it could cause damage to us.”

According to Shaige, the operators look at the weather predictions daily to see if there is a chance of rain or thunderstorms in the area in case they need to Visit HoustonianOnline.com for close. entire article.

“We have only had to shut down the food trucks once this semester “This presentation demonstrates that the diversity of modern Islam includes but is not limited to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) interpretations of the Qur’an and classical Islamic Law, but other “communities of reception,” El-Badawi said.

“These include African-American communities, feminists and other groups. The research behind this presentation is being published as a book: Communities of the Qur’an: Dialogue, Debate and Diversity in the 21st Century, Introduced and edited by Emran ElBadawi with Paula Sanders. London: OneWorld (forthcoming).

Islam is the most rapidly growing and most misrepresented religion in the world today.”

because of really bad weather,” Aramark marketing manager for food services at SHSU Logan Hickle said. “It’s for the safety of our employees. They need to bring products across campus and it’s not safe when they have to carry heavy items like that.”

Aramark updates SHSU students any time they may need to close the trucks through its social media pages and by posting signs on the food trucks.

According to Hickle, the food trucks are not owned by SHSU, but are leased. Therefore, when it comes to inclement weather they have to take precautions to protect the trucks from water or storm damage. The mobile registers that are used outside cannot fit inside of the trucks. When a storm approaches they have to take Visit HoustonianOnline.com for entire article.

Jordan Likens | The Houstonian

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/campusculture | Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Page 3

‘Pippin’ prepared to dazzle audiences Fostering

BY KELSON JENNINGS Contributing Reporter The Sam Houston State University Department of Theatre and Musical Theatre’s next big show is “Pippin.”

The production is directed

by Penny Hasekoester, choreographed by Kyle Craig-Bogard

and music directed by Laura Avery and Eric Gunderson.

The show has a cast of 24 actors, with eight leading roles and sixteen supporting cast roles known as the Troupe of Players.

The leading cast includes Brandon Schultz as Pippin, Malik Cole as Leading Player, Aaron Ruiz as Charles, Tanith Albright as Catherine, Enrique Cantu as Theo, Anna Drake as Fastrada,

Photo courtesy Gavin Calais Photography

SPREAD A LITTLE SUNSHINE. “Pippin” is set to run from Wednesday through Saturday in the Erica Starr Theatre.

Ian James as Lewis and Audrey Rose as Berthe.

“I find the cast to be kind of innovative, very creative, very focused, very intuitive about a lot of things and a real willingness to understand and play the character because many of them play multiple characters,” Director Penny Hasekoester said.

“Pippin” is an adult musical that focuses on Pippin—the young prince, heir to the Frankish throne.

He encounters the cunning Leading Player and his traveling troupe of actors. Pippin, searching for his own place in life, joins the troupe and commits insidious deeds with them. Pippin goes through this journey to learn what real happiness and fulfillment are in his life.

“Pippin” has elements of being a humorous story about growing up and taking responsibility, but it is also interlaced with darker undertones that warn a precautionary tale. The

musical is based on the original production from 1972 with the original musical works of Stephen Schwartz, the choreography of Bob Fosse and the book

by Roger O. Hirson.

Choreographer Kyle CraigBogard explained the challenges of approaching the show.

“It’s hard approaching a Fosse show in that you want to honor the style that is so intrinsic in the music that he has created for the show and especially the dance segments and yet trying do your own thing– it is a fine line to walk,” Craig-Bogard said.

“Pippin” is running April 18-21. It will be at the University Theatre Center in the Erica Starr Theatre. General admission tickets are $15 and discounted tickets are $12 for those who are senior citizens or those who have a Bearkat OneCard.

For more ticket information, anyone can contact the box office at 903-294-2339.

History: Bobby K. Marks

BY DEMETRE FOSTER Campus Culture Columnist

Last week, “Fostering History” mentioned that Sam Houston State University has a rich history of presidents that have guided our campus to what it is today.

In addition to Elliott T. Bowers—last week’s subject—one of those presidents was Bobby Kees Marks, the 11th SHSU president.

Marks was a journeyman born in Louisiana. He was raised in Beaumont where he earned his bachelor’s degree at Lamar viewers the developing character University. He continued his intrigue — particularly between education, garnering his masCmdr. Franklin and Capt. Fran- ter’s degree at the University of cis Crozier. When the weather North Texas and his doctorate at the University of Arkansas.

Visit HoustonianOnline.com for Marks came to Sam Houston the entire article.

State Teacher’s College as an instructor of management in 1960.

Marks also was an instructor of business administration at the University of Arkansas in 1963.

Marks’s administration set its goals on using

AMC’s ‘The Terror’ sure to be a classic

BY LINDSEY JONES TV/Film Reviewer This review only pertains to the two-hour, two-episode premiere “Go for Broke/Gore.”

Deeply developed characters trapped in a breathtakingly hostile sea of white with undisguised cruelty and signs of psychological deterioration creeping upon them at the most dreadful of times — AMC’s “The Terror” is a nightmarish delight.

This latest historic horror series

gives its two-hour running time justice, a match made in heaven for those with a taste in adept storytelling and appreciation for well-thought-out, old-fashioned horror that dates back to John Carpenter’s masterpiece “The Thing.”

“The Terror” follows British Royal Navy Capt. Sir John Franklin (Ciarán Hinds) at the end of his shaky career. Labeled as “a man everyone likes, but no one respects,” Franklin sees one crew member after another perish on previous expeditions,

and now he plans on retiring with honors after discovering the Arctic’s treacherous Northwest Passage. Guiding the HMS Erebus into uncharted territory blinded by his own hubris, this supposedly simple journey led two ships worth of captains, their crews and royal marines to struggle to survive in a land that wants them dead, with Franklin trying to undo the damage that he has caused.

The success behind “The Terror” lies in the narrative taking its time to spoon-feed its

Visit HoustonianOnline.com for the entire article.

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The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/viewpoints | Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Page 4

Save a Life: Adoption vs. buying from breeders

BY TAYLOR THOMPSON Contributing Writer According to the American Pet Products Association’s National Pet Owners Survey conducted in 2017-2018, 68 percent of American households own a pet, with 71.2 percent of those homes owning a dog. With more than half of the American population owning a pet, why are there still so many animals in shelters who do not have a forever home?

If you ask most people, they’ll tell you they have a favorite dog breed. All kinds of desirable breeds like corgis, huskies and pugs are put up for sale by breeders or mall pet shops for hundreds, even thousands, of dollars. Maybe you want a German shepherd for their intelligence and trainability or a dachshund because they have cute little legs.

Sure, these breeds make great

companions and will be a wonderful addition to your life, but do you know where these purebred dogs come from?

The answer is puppy mills.

A puppy mill is a business that breeds puppies for sale, often in inhumane conditions for the sake of cost reduction. It’s estimated by the Puppy Mill Project, an organization fighting to end puppy mill cruelty, that there are about 10,000 licensed and unlicensed puppy mills in operation in the United States.

The two million puppies that are bred in these mills each year are subject to inhumane conditions like 24-hour confinement, unsanitary environments and cruel euthanasia practices. Mother dogs are kept in tight cages and forced to be pregnant every heat cycle, then are killed when they are no longer useful and able to produce. The puppies that are bred in these horrible condi-

tions are sold over the internet or in pet stores. In fact, the Puppy Mill Project website states that nearly all puppies for sale at pet stores come from puppy mills.

Buying that cute puppy from the mall only supports inhumane puppy mills run by money-hungry breeders. Raising awareness about the cruel practices these puppy mills engage in is one way to combat this issue, but there is another way.

Adoption from a shelter vis a clear way to stop supporting puppy mills. Shopping for that purebred dog will not only clean out your wallet, but it will help contribute to the business of puppy mills. If nobody is buying these expensive breeds, then mills have no way to make money and continue their cruel practices.

Currently, the ASPCA estimates about 3.3 million dogs enter shelters in the United States every year, and 670,000 of those

Photo courtesy Bark Post dogs are euthanized due to problems like overcrowding.

No-kill shelters, like Huntsville’s own Rita B. Huff shelter, are overrun with homeless animals, causing them to be short on resources and supplies to support these animals. Adopting can reduce the number of dogs euthanized in shelters and help no-kill shelters be able to manage the

dogs they house.

You might not get that breed you were hoping for, but adopting a mixed breed actually has more benefits than people think.

Adopting a mixed breed from a shelter is cheaper. Mixed breeds also have less risk of developing debilitating and expensive health issues. To produce a true purebred dog, you have to breed two dogs that are from the same gene pool, meaning the two parent dogs have to be a part of the same family line.

Diseases like aortic stenosis, elbow dysplasia, intervertebral disc disease and epilepsy are a few of the hereditary diseases that are found in purebred dogs, according to the Institute of Canine Biology. Breeding related dogs increases the probability that the offspring will inherit the genes responsible for these disorders.

Adopting from a shelter is less expensive, thwarts the efforts of inhumane puppy mills and lessens the incidence of some debilitating diseases that are more prominent in purebreds. Millions of dogs are waiting in shelters to be adopted into their forever home, so if you’re looking for an addition to your life, please consider adopting and not shopping.

It’s the better option.

A Bearkat’s tips to studying for finals Finals week is right around the corner and The Houstonian is here to help

BY TIARA DENMAN Contributing Writer The end of the semester is coming and it is time to break out the Espresso shots, panic, stress and a few tears because final exams are approaching. A lot of students stress about finals, but some don’t know how to prepare for or even how to study for them.

Here are some tips to get ready for finals.

• If you know that you have a final exam coming up, plan ahead so you have adequate time to study for each section of the test.

• Do not multitask. When multitasking, your mind is too busy focusing on one thing more than another. This can cause more stress.

• Keep a positive attitude.

Keep smiling and remain positive throughout your day.

• Control your breathing.

Stress can sometimes lead to anxiety. Take deep breathes and clear your mind.

• Put your phone away or on silent to remain focused on your studies.

• Make sure you are wellrested in order to stay awake and remain focused.

• Studying in a quiet, secluded space ensures noise and distractions will be at a minimum.

• Play relaxing music, like classical music, can help your mind focus and relax you.

• Set a study goal for how long you would like to study each day.

• Make a study table or guideline so you can keep track of what you need to know.

• Take short breaks in between studying to review all the information you gathered before studying more.

• If studying for more than one subject, take two-hour gaps in between studying different material.

Another problem that all students deal with is procrastination. We are all guilty of procrastinating. It is something we sometimes cannot control, but that does not mean that we have to continue doing it, especially as college students.

Planning ahead is the main priority when it comes to not procrastinating. When you get an assignment or a project, you work on it day-by-day so that you do not have to try to start and finish it the night before it is due. If you get stuck on an assignment or project, do not

wait until the last minute to ask for help. Get help soon before the project is due. Procrastination

does not have to be an everyday thing. Following these tips is the best way to help ensure a smooth

end of the semester, and to make sure you stay informed and prepared for all of your finals.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/viewpoints | Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Page 5

Letter from SGA President David Eller What’s the

Photo courtesy David Eller

BY DAVID ELLER SGA President My name is David Eller, a Junior Interdisciplinary Agriculture major from Silsbee, Texas.

Throughout my time here at Sam Houston State University I have had the opportunity to serve you in many capacities.

Out of all of the positions that I have held, I am beyond lucky,

blessed and humbled to serve you as your next Student Body President here at SHSU. Coming from a small town and being a first-generation college student, I never dreamed of being in this position. It would only be right to give all of the credit to my family, friends, mentors and YOU! Your support of myself and my amazing administration was remarkable and made this entire process beyond worth it.

We faced many challenges throughout the process, but fought through it all with transparency, dignity and honesty because in the end we are all here for one reason, and that is to serve the students of SHSU. This year you will see a change in leadership, attitude and dedication to serve you and having your voice heard across campus.

My administration and I are here to break the mold of many past administrations by being present throughout the year at many events, meetings and programs.

We are here to represent you and that is exactly what we will do.

Throughout this upcoming year my office door will always be open to you.

The one thing that I want to stress the most is that I am here to hear any comments or con-

cerns that you may have, good or bad. This is the year for change, and most importantly, this is the year to take the step to unite our campus and to embrace the diversity that surrounds us. Be on the lookout for events such as “Bearkats United,” open forums and others that will be the ignition to the fire that we will light throughout all individuals, student organizations and SHSU administration. SGA will create positive change with these new events and initiatives, the continuity of programs and events that bring positivity, education opportunities and change to our campus each year.

If at any point you would like to contact me, please feel free to email me at dge004@shsu.edu or stop by the Student Government Association office in the Lowman Student Center suite 326. It is time to BE HEARD, Bearkats!

Senior pictures, applying for jobs, cramming for tests and trying to save money. Any of this sound familiar? The graduation season has most people completely overwhelmed, not to mention all the stress and anxiety that comes with it.

Graduation is, of course, an exciting time for many students. You are about set off on life’s path, temporarily free of homework and classes. However, thinking beyond graduation day, the last grueling semester leading up to it can also be stressful.

As a senior, I would say this has been by far the hardest semester physically, emotionally and mentally. All of these emotions tend to elude us because we are so focused on the prize— our hard-earned degree.

Let’s just start from the time you become a senior, when you get all these crazy emails about purchasing your regalia, applying for graduation and the to-do list goes on and on. During your senior year, you have to put in all your final efforts for anything school related, and start preparing yourself for the next chapter in your life.

Unfortunately, you may begin to experience “senioritis,” as

some people call it. Seniors may fall into a rut as they near graduation, becoming complacent and slacking. That is the case for many, including myself. I have had many friends say their grades during their senior year were the worst because they stopped caring as much they once did due to

the anticipation of graduation.

The real anxiety starts when you have to start looking for jobs, though. You ask yourself, “How am I going to do this? What will be the trickle down effects now that I have earned this degree and venture out into the big leagues?”

You may face rejection because you have no real experience. You may be forced to take a job that you do not like or one that your degree doesn’t apply to. Between bills and soon-to-be student loans, you may feel at an all-time low. A student may be in debt for several years before they have some type of financial freedom.

It is all the tedious things that pile up on us during our senior year. Making sure you are clear for all your classes, and even still, the uncertainty of whether you will pass or fail your classes remains. It all starts to set in and you have to plan accordingly.

Sometimes this is not considered, and we assume that because we are graduating, everything will magically fall into place and we will have a newfound freedom.

However, we are rewarded one freedom, but now we have to start from scratch again. Finding a job, specifically one that you really like and that relates to what you studied and invested thousands of dollars in, is the hardest after graduation.

Graduation season, nevertheless, is still a time of joy. Sending out the invitations, getting your regalia—it begins to set in that you are done. Time to walk that stage and conquer the next stage in life. Congratulations, seniors.

Well done!

User numbers drop immensely after Cambridge Analytic scandal In 2013, Global Science Research (GSR) used Facebook to create a personality quiz that Facebook users could take to determine if they were an “extrovert or neurotic.” GSR collected and used psychological data from more than 50 million users and then sold it to Cambridge Analytica.

Cambridge Analytica is a British political consulting firm that

combines data mining, data brokerage and data analysis. When Cambridge got ahold of this data they then used it to create targeted political advertisement.

According to data scientist Christopher Wylie, every Facebook user that took the quiz has given Cambridge Analytica unknown access to their statuses, messages, friends and more.

Cambridge Analytica then took the handful of users that took the quiz and accessed their Facebook friends, then their friends’ friends and so forth. Based on the results

of the quiz and data, scientists dug through as much information as they could. Cambridge Analytica was able to strategically place users in different groups based on their demographics. They then used that information to influence these groups in a political manner for the 2016 presidential election. The data that was collected was used and assumed to determine which affiliation you would most likely associate with and would then target that affiliation with your liking.

So, at whom do we point the

STREET? How do you feel about Campus Carry?

Sophomore English

Is it too late for Facebook to apologize?

BECCA JONES Contributing Writer

on the

JAKE ST. ANGELO

Stressed Out: Anxiety of graduation GABY TORRES Contributing Writer

WORD

“I don’t like guns at all. It’s a tool for destruction, but that can be said for a lot of things.

In this case specifically I don’t think fighting fire with fire works. If I saw someone walking around on campus with [a concealed firearm] I would probably be fine with it, but in general, knowing people are walking around with guns it kind of freaks me out. ”

WYATT RATH

Sophomore Agriculture Engineering Technology

“It does not make me feel uncomfortable. If I was old enough I would get my [concealed carry] license.”

BIANCA WALKER Sophomore Education

finger? Facebook or Cambridge “It doesn’t make me unAnalytica? comfortable. I understand Mark Zuckerberg takes responsibility for the incident al- that people need to protect though he claims that they were themselves, but at the same not aware that Cambridge Anatime I feel like people should lytica had used apps to access have background checks and the information. Zuckerberg has apologized and expressed his should be licensed in order to commitment to ensure that this carry a gun. As long as its not never happens again. He said he visible, and you don’t come to plans to investigate every app class with an AK-47, then I am that may be violating the users’ Visit HoustonianOnline.com for entire article.

okay with it. I understand you have to protect yourself.”

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/sports | Wednesday, April 18, 2018

Page 6

Bearkat Football: 2018 first look

Tyler Josefsen | The Houstonian

BY JORDAN SMITH Sports Reporter The Sam Houston State University Bearkats football team suited up for the first time in 2018 with the annual Orange vs. White Spring football game Thursday night at Bowers Stadium.

The Bearkats showed great play on both sides of the ball with some key goal line stands on the defensive side and even some deep throws down the sideline from the offense.

Head coach KC Keeler knows that answers will not come overnight, and it takes time and patience to try to fill in the gaps left by players last season.

“We are a work in progress,” Keeler said. “We have definitely made progress. It’s tough playing spring ball without your top three tight ends. But, I definitely have seen a pretty dramatic improvement with our defense.”

Keeler has been satisfied with both sides of the ball so far, especially considering all of the offensive weapons the Kats lost

last year.

“I think the offensive line is coming along. But, when you bring in a brand new offense in a short period of time, there is going to be some growing pains.

All in all, I thought it was a really good spring.”

New offensive coordinator Ryan Carty is bringing a new style to the offense. He is coming off of his gig with the University of New Hampshire for 11 seasons—in which the last six seasons his role was as offensive coordinator. Carty is working with Keeler for the second time in their football careers; Keeler was coach when Carty played as a quarterback at Delaware and was the signal caller.

Carty, with the new job and new competition that he will be facing, has had to make adjustments within the offense.

“We have made a few [changes] here and there,” Carty said.

“Not too much to where anyone couldn’t handle it. We wanted to make sure that we were still going to play as clean as we could. But, we also wanted to make some tweaks so we could

make sure that everyone is on the same page and knowing exactly what we need from them to hopefully take the next step in going to the national championship and win the national championship. That’s what we are here to do.”

One of the key battles that everyone was keeping their eyes on during the game was the battle at the quarterback position.

SHSU is looking to find a new starter since the departure of Jeremiah Briscoe after his final season in 2017.

Mike Dare, who is in contention for the starting job at quarterback, talked about how he felt the offense performed during the game.

“Tonight, I felt great,” Dare said. “Honestly, I thought our offense came a long way from the start of the spring semester.

Meeting the new guy [Ryan Carty] coming in here and grasping the offense really quick and getting used to two starts like Davion [Davis] and Nate [Stewart]. Getting used to them and being able to throw to them is really easy now, especially with the chemistry and summer is only going to make that better.”

SHSU opens the 2018 season on Sept. 8 at Bowers Stadium against the Prairie View A&M Panthers.

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Photo courtesy SHSU Athletics

And Justice for all Justice continued, page 1 — in what people from the outside think of your program.”

Williams elaborated on the amount of competition Justice had for the position.

“We had over 70 applicants and inquiries into our program,” Williams said. “That’s extremely positive for our university.”

Justice is the tenth head coach in program history; she is also the fourth coach to take the helm since the 1997-1998 season. The Bearkats, since that 97-98 season, have made nine appearances in the Southland Conference tournament and one appearance at the Women’s National Invitational Tournament [WNIT].

She started off her portion of the press conference with a lot of thanks to the people close to her.

“This program has such a rich tradition and great potential and I am truly excited to be a Bearkat today,” Justice said. “I would like to say thanks to my biggest support system- my family. My parents were the first to teach me that I control my own destiny and that with hard work and belief in myself that I can achieve all of my dreams.”

SHSU is still looking for its first appearance in the Women’s March Madness tournament in program history and is hoping that Justice will be the newfound answer to getting rid of that dry spell.

Justice’s resume includes a tenure at Houston Baptist University, when they were still a team in the Red River Athletic Conference (RRAC), where she was an assistant coach for five seasons. She helped HBU moved from a D-II to a D-I athletic program once they left the RRAC in 2007 and joined the Southland Conference that following season.

Justice also has experience as an assistant coach and recruiting coordinator at the University

of Houston, helping lead the Cougars to a Women’s March Madness appearance in her first season as head coach of the program. In that 2010-2011 season, the Cougars ended the season with a record of 26-6, sending UH back to the March Madness tournament for the first time since the 2004-2005 season.

Justice talked a bit about her recruiting technique and how she goes about finding players for the future of the program.

“We recruit character first,” Justice said. “That’s important to me. Character goes a long way because that ball is going to stop bouncing. So, that’s why we want to make sure we recruit the right student athletes. [Also] athletes that can play at a high level, that has passion for this game, that has a lot of energy, that takes care of their bodies so they can last in games. So, my recruiting philosophy is character first, great athletes and winners.”

Justice joined the Panthers at Prairie View A&M University on April 12, 2016 with her first head coaching job. While at PVAMU, Justice posted records of 15-16 (12-6 conference) in the 2017-2018 season and 13-18 (8-10) in the 2016-2017 season. Both of those seasons saw fairly great home records, as the Panthers were able to grab a home record of 10-3 in the 1718 season and 11-2 in the 16-17 season.

During the 2016-2017 season, Justice took on the Bearkats at the William J. Nicks building in Prairie View on Dec 3. Her Panthers defeated the Bearkats by a final score of 75-65. The two did not meet in the 20172018 season.

The Bearkats look to have Justice take them back to the postseason and reach the March Madness tournament for the first time in program history as she starts her first campaign this coming fall.