The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
Monday, 6 December 2021 | Volume 109 | Issue 2
Students Dedicated to Professional Journalism
Celebrating 100 years of bright lights and cold nights Sam Houston student and faculty mark 100 years of the Tree of Light ceremony, in time for the holiday season
CAMPUS Annual Tree of Light held in LSC Yard Sam Houston celebrates 100th Anniversary of the Tree of Light, the oldest standing tradition in Sam Houston State University history Robert Greenwald
The Tree of Light ceremony is the longest standing tradition in Sam Houston history held every year during the end of the fall semester in December. This year’s event marked the centennial anniversary of the event, which first began in 1921. The Tree of Light took place Wednesday, Dec. 1 at 6:00 p.m. with activities beginning as early as 4:30 p.m. To begin the event, holiday musical selections were sung by the Sam Houston Chorale, followed by performances by the Orange Pride Dance Team. Following the performances, President Alisa White took the stage and spoke to the community of Sam Houston State and Huntsville about the importance of this tradition. “Our history is rich with spirit, pride, and tradition and the tree of lighting is one of the oldest,” White stated. “Hundred years ago, in the winter of 1921, a large evergreen cedar tree was decorated as the first tree light ceremony. In 1938, President Harry Estill recognized the tree as a symbol of unwavering courage in the face of discouragement and of cheerfulness that never frowns.” The original tree used for the lighting of the tree tradition was used from its inception in 1921 up until 1965. Following 1966, a dif-
“Our history is rich with spirit, pride, and tradition and the tree of lighting is one of the oldest.”
ferent tree was used which stood in front of Old Main. “What is so special about that original tree is that it is still standing,” White explained. “It is nestled safely in the Evans Complex courtyard and has withstood time, such as the notorious Texas weather and campus development.” Despite the original tree never being used in the Tree of Light Ceremony after 1965, the tree has withstood numerous changes throughout the history of Sam Houston. Before the commencement of the centennial anniversary of the first Tree of Light, President White, Vice President for Student Affairs Frank Parker, Director of Student Activities Brandon Cooper and Student Body President LaYauna Bonds honored the original tree with a plaque to remind people in the community of its importance in this long standing tradition. “The tree has been saved twice from being cut down and has outlived the tree that was supposed to replace it in the 1960s,” White stated. “On Monday night, we had a plaque honoring that first tree 100 years ago.” Following President White, the tree was lit and Bonds walked onstage to recite a poem written by herself. Bonds emphasized that with finals season right around the corner, she writes to de-stress, which is why Bonds decided to present a poem to the audience. “To me, the lighting of the tree signifies light and unity in the face of darkness and I wanted to portray that in my writing,” Bonds stated. The Tree of Light ceremony has
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served as a tool to serve the community. Continuing that tradition, this event served to gather canned goods to donate to the Good Shepherd Mission. Walker County Alumni Club President Scott Francis along with other members of the leadership team were present at the ceremony to present a check for $1,000 to the Good Shepherd Mission. “You identify who you are because of the work and service you put into this community and in
Photo courtesy of Brisenia Flores
these classrooms,” Good Shepherd Mission Executive Director Rev. Dave Smith stated. Following the numerous speakers at the event, the Tree of Light ceremony concluded with the various organizations from campus adding their own personally decorated ornament to the 42foot tree. In the end, the Tree of Light ceremony serves to remind people in the community of Sam Houston State University’s motto: “The measure of a Life is its service.”
A Century in Time La Yauna Bonds
This is the time to come together, A time to be elated. Celebrating the 100th Annual tree of light That shows how much we appreciate it. A tradition that was started so long ago with a significant tree The roots have begun to spread, becoming even moresuch as giving back to the community. During this time, Celebrations may be different- for different folks, Still, everyone coming together at once, no and that isn’t a hoax. This is a time to cherish, A time to be glad, A time to remember how much fun within this year that you have had. 100 years strong … that is ten decades times ten. The best things about traditions are that we will be doing them Again and Again. www.houstoniannews.com
CAM Holiday concert uplifts Christmas season at Sam Houston State University Nicole Alford
The College of Arts & Media presented a CAM Artist Series holiday concert in the Payne Concert Hall, at the Gaertner Performing Arts Center on Dec. 2 at 7:30 p.m. This concert set the tone of Christmas with classic holiday songs by faculty and students such as “Joy to the World,” “Little Drummer Boy,” “Conzon in A,” “O Holy Night” and “Jingle Bells.” “This event is important because it highlights the incredible talents of faculty and alum while also bringing people together to enjoy familiar music that speaks to everyone,” junior music major with a focus in vocal performance Lucianna Astorga said. “It creates a space for unity created by the musicians and music.” The music spoke to everyone with fascinating dynamics, voices, to performances by ensembles as well as choirs. This concert went from being only faculty, to including graduate
Photo courtesy of Nicole Alford
and undergraduate student performers. This brought the college of arts and media closer with their jaw dropping performances and trust. “I thought it was really nice, especially with the fact that it was meant to be faculty, which is a high-level concert,” senior music education major and performer Jimmy Paz said. “The fact that they trusted us to be able to provide a level of the same quality of music is nice also considering these are my last two concerts here.” With some of the students having their last music concerts this week, talent was shown through love of music and the students’ careers to come. “I am excited for Christmas, especially with the work that we did on ‘Silent Night’,” Paz said. “Our rehearsals kind of dueled as a history lesson so we got to learn at a more fundamental level of Christmas in Austria, which was nice.” The Jazz Orchestra as well as Anthony Caceres were loud and energetic, filling the hall and
lobby with famous Christmas tunes with a jazz twist. With the performances amplifying the spirit in the room, the audience proved to be excited for the holidays. With great performances throughout, there were many highlights of the night, which included the Houston Jazz Orchestra with guest singer Caceres. “I loved White Christmas with the faculty duet because it was such a great display of their artistry, and it was simple and pleasant,” Astorga said. “I also loved the jazz ensemble and guest artist- it was fun and made the evening even more special because of the hall filling music and skills on them.”
“This event is important because it highlights the incredible talents of faculty and alum while also bringing people together to enjoy familiar music that speaks to everyone.”
Program Council host Exam Cram for finals Katelynn Trout
With the end of yet another semester in sight, preparing for and acing the dreaded final exams are at the top of student’s radar. To help with last minute preparations, Sam Houston’s Program Council hosted Exam Cram, held on Thursday Dec. 2 at 11 a.m., to offer a tranquil environment for students to receive some tools needed to prepare for exams. The Program council invited all students with an active student ID to stop by the Lowman Student Center for a free study care package and a chance to step away and take a break from the hectic www.houstoniannews.com
life of an end-of-semester college student. “I have four finals next week and I have been continuously studying so it was nice to stop for a moment and receive a care package,” junior Health Care Administration major Shelby Ridley said. The care packages included a plethora of items to help with finals. Inside were candy, chips, scantrons, highlighters, pencils, flashcards, hot cocoa and coffee packets. It was a perfect gift for students to get prepared for finals week. “It was nice to have some special treatment to get ready for her first finals week,” freshman Business Administration major Bayleigh Collins
stated. “With this all being new to me, it is a very stressful experience.” The Program Council and Lowman Student Center have also made many study rooms available for students to use to get some peace and change of scenery from the usual hangout spots like the library or their own homes. The students are the main part of Sam Houston State University, so the Program Council holds events to get students involved and keep a great atmosphere on campus. As the semester comes to an end it can be hard to stay focused so students need an extra push to finish out strong before the holidays and a care package can help do just that.
Photo courtesy of Brook Cagle on Unsplah.com
06 December 2021 | Houstonian News | 03
COMMUNITY Workshop Creations: What Gingerbread filled holiday Gingerbread men are provided housing at a free event hosted at The Wynne Home Arts & Visitor Center for children of all ages
Amos Brown brings Christmas to the Tropics wwith his creation for the gingerbread house competition for the Wynne Home this Saturday. Categories are divided into under-12, 12-and-up and 18-and-up.
A group of all ages creates gingerbread houses at a workshop at the Wynne Home of Arts Saturday. The gingerbread houses are shown at the same location on Dec. 4th.
Molly Campbell created a lopsided gingerbread house decorated for the holidays Campbell and another gingerbread artist Cindy Makowski-Eiles have to keep their creations out of the competition and only on display because they take the top prizes of the contest so often.
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Tye Willoughby spoons a candy on the lawn as Gequetta Horton sets up a snowman. The event brings many different people together to create a kind of artwork.
The Newmans join forces to make their two gingerbread house. The event is meant to teach people how to make the houses as well as provide the space to make them.
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Huntsville’s holly jolly Christmas fair Jacob Courtney
Main Street program volunteers hosted the Christmas fair and Winter in the Park on Saturday, Dec. 4 that promoted local businesses and provided fun for families in Downtown Huntsville. The event lasted from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. providing food, vendors and entertainment to the community. “People, we’re hoping, are getting into the holiday spirit, but we wish it was a little colder outside,” Cultural Services Manager and Wynne Home Director Sarah Faulkner said. The event included a pet costume competition as well as a music show hosted by Billy Hillman and the Sleigh Riders. For the children, there was a chance to meet Santa Claus, listen
to Mayor Andy Brauninger read a story or have a snowball fight in the imported ice. “The kids look forward to it for sure,” Economic Development Department intern and volunteer Madison Brashear said. “We’re always like ‘There is snow down the road’ and they’re like ‘Oh my gosh!’” The event usually coincides with the Christmas Parade and Light show, but both were pushed back to Sunday due to a lack of security to cover both events this year because of the football game played by Sam Houston State University on Saturday. “It’s just staffing trying to provide entertainment to the community throughout downtown this year and provide the security needed,” Director of Economic Development Tamara Gann said. Gann
explained that the two events are downtown and nearby in Rather Park, where there are bounce houses and crafting activities for children. The timing of the event in early December is to attract holiday season talent, like the Sleigh Riders, as they make their business throughout the state during the busy month. “It starts with getting the word out, marketing properly to a different audience,” Gann said. Word has reached far outside of Huntsville to Stephanie Feinauer and her family of four children from Humble. Feinauer had a great time and appreciated that there were free events so all could participate. “I feel like the community really thinks about that and wants to include everyone,” Feinauer said.
Photo courtesy of Jacob Courtney
A Distant Star: Journey Through Bethlehem rides off to Huntsville Jacob Courtney
During the Journey Through Bethlehem event, community members and families were invited to watch King Herod exclaim news of the Messiah, the angels proclaim Christ’s birth and see the baby with his parents in the manger. Merchants gave samples of a Roman era diet, helped children craft materials, let visitors pet a donkey or goat and play ancient games. There was even a synagogue where one can learn about the origins of Hanukkah and light a menorah. A coalition of Christian church members created a piece of first century Israel on the Walker County Fairgrounds on Dec. 3 and 4 to educate children about Jesus Christ’s birth as told in the Bible and celebrated at Christmas. “It changes people’s hearts to be www.houstoniannews.com
Photo courtesy of Jacob Courtney
able to come to something like this and experience life like it was in the ancient days,” Shepherd and Church of Jesus Christ of LatterDay Saints member Clayton Carr said. Since 2003, when Leslie Nevitt
Michaelson saw a similar event held at George H. Henderson Jr. Exposition Center in Lufkin, TX, local churches gathered together to build a similar project. Ellen Willett has been with the event for the 18 years it has been
running. As a former associate pastor of the First United Methodist church, she was on the board of members who constructed the panel wood sets that make up the city. “We almost never thought we
could do something like that in Huntsville,” Willett said. Co-Chair of Journey to Bethlehem Jana Brown explained that most of the money raised for the event goes into renting the fairgrounds leaving little to renovate the aging sets. There were more churches that sponsored the event directly, but it is not the case now. “It is more individuals now and I think our competition is the Lights and Parade,” Brown said. Despite the event crowded weekend, there is still a loyal base of roughly 2,000 supporters for the event, according to Brown. Brittney Langley is one of those whose family has been coming here for eight years and has seen that there are some changes throughout the years. “It has gotten bigger and is able to accommodate more families,” Langley said about the event.
06 December 2021 | Houstonian News | 05
OPINIONS Finding memorable holiday traditions as a new family As your new family enters its first holiday season, take some time to make some new holiday memories Justin Hardcastle
Growing up and getting out in the world. Whether that is college, work or military service, people tend to forget some of the Christmas traditions that made the holiday wonderful for them when they
were children. Being a new parent gives you an opportunity for these wonderful things to be explored again with your young family. It also gives you a new appreciation for the holiday now that you are enjoying it with your own young family, and makes you realize why
Photo courtesy of Justin Hardcastle
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your parents did some of the things they did during the holiday. I left home at 18 and missed a couple holiday seasons due to training or overseas deployment. I felt a little out of touch with the feeling of holiday fun. A recent visit to “Santa’s Wonderland” in Col-
lege Station, Texas was my first step in establishing a holiday tradition for my young family and I did not even realize it. My wife and I made the decision to go on a whim as the semester had been stressful and we wanted something fun to do. We figured our daughter would enjoy it. Even though she is only 4-months-old, seeing the sparkle in her eyes as she admired all the different colors of Christmas lights and her visible happiness with the atmosphere made me realize that it did not matter if she would remember it or not. In that moment she was happy, we were happy and our family was
enjoying a fun holiday activity for the first time together. That alone was worth it. We got a new holiday tradition because of it. She enjoyed getting out and seeing all the sights and Christmas lights, and we enjoyed a nice night out away from all the stresses of school and work. While we were eating the smores we made at the smores station, we realized that this was a great idea for our family and that we had done our first Christmas activity together. For any new families this season, take some time to do something spontaneous and Christmas related. It may seem silly at first, but the memories made will be well worth it.
Photo courtesy of Justin Hardcastle
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Tips and tricks to succeeding your exams during finals week Justin Hardcastle
A 1200-word story, a cumulative psych final and an extra shift at work all within 48 hours. This is a very typical situation that many students find themselves in during finals period and it is when students are most at risk for burnout. In order to not burnout and fall short of your goals, it is important that you take time to adequately prepare for your finals, so they do not completely overwhelm you. If you know your final is cumulative, do not attempt to cram at the end of the semester and expect to be able to retain a semester’s worth of knowledge. Organize your schedule in a way that will not stress you out. If you know you can take a final online between 8 a.m. and midnight, do not wait until 11:30 to do it. Allow yourself some study time in the morning, take it and give yourself time after to decompress. There are a number of things that one can control that will allow a person to manage the stress level. Do not let your schedule bunch up, do not put things off, if you have a paper due, do not wait until the last minute to do it and definitely do not try to knock it out the same day as a final. Do finals on one day, and finish papers on another. Not allowing homework, reviews and finals to pile up will help students stay less stressed during a jam-packed end of the semester. Putting your stressors off until they all hit on the same day may seem like a good idea at the time, but it will ruin your mood that day and may prevent you from fully enjoying your break because of all the stress. Final’s week is stressful enough. Everyone wants to power through them so they can get on with their winter breaks, but it is important to remember, there is a responsible way to manage them. If students tackle them responsibly, then their semesters will end on a much more positive note. www.houstoniannews.com
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06 December 2021 | Houstonian News | 07
ARTS & ENT. AstroWorld festival leads to countless problems Instead of what was supposed the be one of the largest concerts of the year, muscical artist Travis Scott is now under fire after his venue led to deaths as well as numerous other injuries sustained by concert goers
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Lola Stewart-Morris
The 2021 AstroWorld Festival has been deemed as one of the deadliest concerts seen in Houston, hosted by Travis Scott, the event turned into utter pandemonium once Scott took the stage, leading to the deaths of ten people ranging from ages nine to 27. The first morning of the two-day festival held in Houston, concertgoers began to line up outside of NRG Park, excited to see artists like SZA, Roddy Ricch, Lil Baby and ultimately Travis Scott. However, with the long lines and being overrun with excitement and ambition, fans began pushing past security and running into the venue. More than 1,000 security staff and police were present, which is an increase from
the 2019 AstroWorld festival. At the 2019 festival, minutes before the gates opened, fans exhibited the same behavior and climbed over barriers, racing each other to the entrance of the venue. As a result of the 2019 behavior, three people were trampled and hospitalized. By 4 p.m. on the day of the festival, according to the activity log from Houston Police Department, at least 54 patients had been treated by medical staff. At 9 p.m. Scott took the stage and the deadly crowd surged toward the front as he began. With a crowd of over 50,000 people rushing to the stage and trampling others in an effort to get closer to the front of the crowd, people were squeezed so tightly that many people could not
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breathe. At 9:30 p.m., officials received reports of people falling injured in the crowd and eight minutes later, the AstroWorld Festival was declared as “a mass casualty event,” by the Houston Fire Chief, Samuel Peña. Officials told the Houston Chronicle that Live Nation Entertainment, the concert promoter, agreed to cut the show short but Scott continued his set. In the midst of the audience being ridden with turmoil, Scott did not stop the show until 10:10 p.m. and the event came to an end. More than 300 people were treated by medical personnel onsite and 25 were transported to the hospital. On Nov.6, the day after the deadly festival, the remainder of the festival was canceled and Scott
released a statement via his Instagram story stating that he is, “absolutely devastated by what took place on Friday night.” Learning of the lives that were lost, Scott pledged to cover the funeral costs of all victims and provide further aid to the individuals affected by the Nov. 5 tragedy at AstroWorld. Scott also partnered with BetterHelp to provide free mental health services to all those affected by the tragedy. Bharti Shahani, a 22-year-old college student, suffered from multiple heart attacks in the incident and had been on a ventilator for six days after being critically injured at Astroworld. Shahani had not shown any brain activity since being admitted to the hospital and passed away
from her injuries on Nov. 10. Nine-year-old Ezra Blount, who sat on his father’s shoulders before the crowd surge took place, was placed in an induced coma after he fell and was trampled; Blount passed away on Nov.15. As a result of AstroWorld’s planning, more than 200 lawsuits have been filed against Travis Scott, Live Nation Entertainment, Apple Music and Drake. The lawsuits allege that they were “negligent and stood to make an exorbitant amount of money from the event but chose to cut corners, cut costs, and put the festival attendees at risk.” Altogether the lawsuits seek over $2 billion in damages resulting from “extreme pain and suffering, loss of earnings, emotional distress and medical expenses.” www.houstoniannews.com
The 64th Grammy Award nominations released for 2022 Lola Stewart-Morris
The 64th annual Grammy Awards ceremony will be held at the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles on Jan. 31, 2022. The Grammys are held to recognize the best recordings, compositions, and artists from the eligibility year of Sept. 1-30, 2021. Last week the nominations were revealed during a live stream, shocking the many artists that were nominated. Trevor Noah will be returning as the host, having previously hosted the 63rd Grammy Awards. Leading with 11 nominations is Jon Batiste, one of them being for Album of the Year for his album “We Are.” Following behind Batiste are Doja Cat, H.E.R. and Justin Bieber all with eight nominations across several different categories. While people are excited about their favorite artists being nominated for such a prestigious award, The Recording Academy
made some big changes this year. In the general field of awards: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Best New Artists, but the number of nominees for each award rose from 8-to-10. This decision was made 24 hours before the nominees were announced. With this new decision, ABBA and Lil Nas X were added for Record of the Year, Taylor Swift was nominated for Album of the Year, Baby Keem and Arooj Aftab in Best New Artist and “Kiss Me More” and “Right on Time” for Song of the Year. With his new nomination thanks to increasing the number of nominees, Lil Nas X is the first artist from Atlanta to be nominated in the big categories since OutKast in 2004. With almost 22,000 submissions, voting for the Grammy’s is up 17%. In recent years, the awards are voted on by The Recording Academy of around 12,000 music mak-
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ers representing all genres and creative disciplines. However, this year the Academy decided to do away with committees due to the backlash in 2000 from The Weeknd after
he was excluded from all nominations despite having one of the most successful albums. Although The Weeknd vowed to never submit music for consideration, he has three nominations
this year from appearances on Doja Cat and Kanye West’s albums. As always, the Grammy’s are one of the most anticipated events that are viewed every year.
Of course Ted Cruz and Big Bird would have beef in 2021 Taylor Hines
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Ted Cruz has become a notorious figure in meme culture. He along with many political figures utilize Twitter to have more instantaneous interaction with citizens but the app often showcases another side to these politicians. “Sesame Street” character Big Bird drafted a tweet encouraging kids to get vaccinated, Cruz was not pleased when it popped up on his timeline. Thus ensuring the surge of a new meme. On Nov. 13, the show “Saturday Night Live” took it upon themselves to capitalize on it. The skit creates a parody of “Sesame Street” but instead of Elmo being the host it was Texas’
very own, Ted Cruz. Throughout the six-minute scene, variations of beloved characters from the show such as Cookie Monster, Bert and Ernie, along with Joe Rogan are introduced to be used as commentary on current issues and the conservative stance on them. Throughout the skit, jokes were made about a range of issues such as, odd COVID-19 remedies, different social injustice topics that the two sides vastly disagree on and over all poking fun at the sheer amount of false information that cycles through media. This entire saga brings up the big question, should politicians and government figures use social media such as Twitter or is it just a trap for poor publicity and
a hub for fake news? This has been an argument since former President Donald Trump was banned from the app in the beginning of 2021. It seems the traction gained from these apps for the figures is not from like towards their ideals and policies but potentially from thrill factors. Either way these politicians are remaining in the public eye for their media presence, which is ultimately their goal. Whether people resonated with Ted Cruz’s anger, or got a kick out of the fact he was offended by a fictional character. Many can agree that the whole ordeal puts a political agenda at the front of the audience's mind, at least for a minute even when it comes to something like this.
6 December 2021 | Houstonian News | 09
SPORTS Kardiac Kats strike again, move onto FCS quarterfinals The Bearkats football team continued their winning ways in the 2021 FCS playoffs with victroy over Incarnate Word Trey Burnett
Photo courtesy of Brisenia Flores
Photo courtesy of Brisenia Flores
Photo courtesy of Brisenia Flores
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The Sam Houston Bearkats outlasted the University of the Incarnate Word Cardinals on Saturday afternoon at Bowers Stadium, with a fourth down goal line stop by the defense being the difference in the Bearkats 49-42 victory in the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs second round game. The Bearkats (11-0) took the lead, 49-42, with 2:07 remaining in the game when junior quarterback Eric Schmid scrambled into the end zone from three yards out. This was a cause for concern for some as the Cardinals (10-3) had been moving the ball with ease for most of the game, and the Bearkats left them with two minutes to work with. The Cardinals got the ball and drove down to the SHSU four-yard line. On fourth-and-goal sophomore quarterback Cameron Ward, who finished the day with 481 passing yards and five touchdowns, attempted a QB draw and
was brought down by senior defensive tackle Joseph Wallace oneyard short of the end zone. Schmid finished with 210 passing yards and one touchdown, coupled with 47-rushing yards and two touchdowns. The Kats were led by junior running back Ramon Jefferson and his 171 rushing yards and two touchdowns. Sophomore running back Noah Smith nearly hit the century mark with 95 rushing yards on 10 carries. Graduate wide receiver Jequez Ezzard paced the Kats receivers with four receptions for 60 yards and a touchdown. Sam Houston’s biggest lead of the game was when they were up 31-14, after Schmid leaped over a defender into the end zone to cap a drive off. UIW would cut the lead down to ten before the half, driving down the field as time was expiring. The Cardinals came right back to start the second half and put together a touchdown drive with Ward finding an open receiver for
a 16-yard score that made it a 31-28 Bearkat advantage. The Kats got into sophomore kicker Seth Morgan’s range later in the third quarter thanks to 12- and 19-yard carries from Jefferson, and a 12-yard reception from junior wide receiver Ife Adeyi. Morgan nailed the 34-yard field goal to put the Kats ahead 34-28. On the Cardinals next possession, they took their first lead since being ahead 7-0 when Cameron Ward hit senior wide receiver Darion Chafin for a 48-yard touchdown to make it 35-34. Chafin finished with 172 yards receiving and two touchdowns. The teams went on to trade touchdowns again, with Sam Houston converting a two-point conversion to go back up seven, at 42-35. Sam Houston now looks ahead to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs as they host Montana State, who defeated UT Martin 26-7, this upcoming Saturday at 7:30 p.m. at Bowers Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Photo courtesy of Brisenia Flores
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Bowling sit atop NTCA Scott Morris
Photo courtesy of Brisenia Flores
Sports springing forward: A look at baseball and softball coming up Juwan Duckworth
With fall 2021 coming to an end and the seasons beginning to change, the athletics department can start focusing on more Sam Houston sports teams coming in 2022. The Bearkats basketball season will be halfway through their season going into next year. Not only this, but Sam Houston baseball and softball season beginning in 2022. Bearkats baseball will be without two of their most impressive players, Jack Rogers and Colton Cowser after both players were drafted in the 2021 Major League Baseball draft. Cowser, who was the Bearkats starting center fielder since 2018, became the highest drafted player in school history in any sport after being taken fifth overall to the Baltimore Orioles. Rogers was taken in the ninth round of the MLB draft going to www.houstoniannews.com
the Cincinnati Reds as a left-handed utility man, playing primarily first base for the Bearkats. He also played games at the corner outfield positions as well as starting a number of games at pitcher. Coming off a 20-15 conference record season in 2021, Sam Houston is looking to come back strong after an impressive run in their last Southland Conference Tournament, finishing as runners-up. Looking to replace some stars, Sam Houston signed nine new members to their roster this year. They will have five seniors on next year’s roster. Senior starting pitcher Tyler Davis looks to be the Bearkats ace and will be a strong key to success for the Bearkats in the upcoming season. The Bearkats baseball team will look to begin their season Feb. 18 against the University of Nebraska Huskers in Huntsville, Texas in a four-game series. They will begin conference play in Huntsville
against the Tarleton State University Texans March 11. Sam Houston’s softball season will also start in 2022 coming off an even 14-13 conference record in the 2021 season. The Bearkats softball team will also be looking to fill the center field gap as starter Megan McDonald from a year ago graduated. McDonald was named Southland Conference Softball StudentAthlete of the Year and Southland Conference All-Academic first team in 2020. The Bearkats recently signed three new athletes to their roster hoping to build a stronger team in the upcoming season. Sam Houston has a group of young players with only one senior on their 2022 roster. They will have returning sophomore utility player Ellie Grill who was named to the Southland Conference All-Academic second team.
After finishing with a 33-5 match record after three tournaments, the Bearkats bowling team has jumped to the No. 1 team in the country in the most recent National Tenpin Coaches Association poll. The NCTA is the official NCAA women’s bowling poll. The Bearkats were originally No. 6 ranked when the preseason poll was released. The team received 37 total first place votes with 1,975 overall points. McKendree University followed behind in second with 1,829 overall points.The Bearkats currently lead the nation in scoring with a 209 average per game. Sam Houston opened their season with a tournament win at the USBC Tier 1 competition in which they finished first out of 26 teams in Wichita, Kansas. During this tournament, the Bearkats played a lot of close matches as all three games played on the opening day were taken to five sets. Even after the championship game, the Bearkats were sent to a fifth game against Mount Mercy University. A week later, the Bearkats would travel to Harahan, Louisiana and finish third in the Colonial Lanes Classic. The Bearkats played hard as they
achieved a score above 200 for almost all matches. While they finished the tournament with an 11-2 record, the two losses would come late in the day. They would be eliminated after a loss to Louisiana Tech University in which they led three games to two. In their final tournament played in the fall season, the Bearkats would finish as runnersup in the annual Track Kat Klash held in Houston. After the opening round, the Bearkats got their revenge on LA tech from the previous tournament as they swept the Bulldogs in the semifinals. The Bearkats would go on and face off against the University of Nebraska in the championship game. Sam Houston would lead 3-2 going into the final two games but would fall short of the championship losing 4-3. Sophomore Denise Blankenzee would follow up her stellar freshman season by winning tournament MVP at the Kat Klash. The Bearkats will re-open their season Jan. 21 in Deptford, New Jersey at the North East Classic. This will be the first of seven invitational and tournaments Sam Houston will compete in before the Southland Bowling League Championship held Mar. 25-27 in Harahan.
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6 December 2021 | Houstonian News | 11
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