3/7/22 E-Edition

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

Monday, 7 March 2022 | Volume 109 | Issue 4

Students Dedicated to Professional Journalism

Celebrating 229 years of Sam Houston’s Legacy

CAMPUS SGA welcomes Huntsville officials to SHSU Huntsville local officials speak on their background and their role within the community to the student body Sydney Ferguson

SHSU Student Government Association recently organized Meet Your Local Officials, an o pen panel where students were given the opportunity to speak and engage with some of Huntsville, Texas’ current elected officials and department heads on March 3 from 6:00-8:30 p.m. in the Haney Auditorium.

The main goal of the meeting being introduction, each panelist went down the line introducing themselves, their work and explaining what their specific position does for the city of Huntsville as well as students attending SHSU. Councilman Russell Humphrey spoke first. Humphrey originally came to Huntsville for the university but stayed for the people. He has now lived in the city for more than 40 years.

“The role of city councilperson, you’re a policy maker for the city,” Humphrey said. “You’re one vote but what council people do is we try to implement policies, we vote on budgets, we have workshops on things that are projects-to-be that come to the city. All in all, our number one thing is to have responsibility to the citizens; to provide the basic services while at the same time trying to keep the level of entertainment. It’s a balancing act.”

Councilwoman Daiquiri Beebe is a local realtor and business owner.

“Whenever I decided to run for council, I was very passionate about public safety and the beautification of Huntsville.”

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Beebe recently graduated from SHSU after double majoring in political science and communication studies.

She has six kids, the oldest of which is set to attend SHSU as well in the fall of this year. She has been on the council since November 2019.

“I agree, one of our main jobs is to create policy but another thing is we do represent the citizens,” Beebe said. “One of my main goals is always to reach out to citizens or hear from the citizens, get their feedback, get their concerns so that we as councilmembers can represent their best interests and try to get those issues resolved. Another thing is to advocate for things that the citizens want in the city.”

Councilwoman Vicki McKenzie was brought to Huntsville by her daughter who graduated from SHSU in 2017. She relocated through her employer and has been here ever since.

McKenzie is in her first term on the council but her second year.

She hopes to serve the full eight years she is allowed.

“Whenever I decided to run for council, I was very passionate about public safety and the beautification of Huntsville,” McKenzie said. “Public safety was probably my first priority and now as I’ve been in and realized that I’ve always been able to balance a budget for retail operations, watching a general fund and how your city dollars are spent has been really inspiring to me. We work hard to make sure your tax dollars are well spent. That’s why I joined is to make sure that [students] have a safe place to come.”

Mayor Andy Brauninger is enter-

ing his seventh year as Huntsville’s mayor. He retired to Huntsville in 1999 and was elected Mayor in 2015. His eight-year term will end in 2023.

“It’s interesting because a lot of people think the mayor’s got more of a role than he actually has,” Brauninger explained. “The mayor is one of nine. The mayor gets one vote. He has no more influence than anyone else on the city council. His main role on the council is to keep the city council meetings moving.”

Mayor Brauninger said his role on the council is 50 percent working with the council and working with the city staff on various issues, and 50 percent socially citing his attendance at events such as Eagle Scouts Award Ceremonies and SHSU’s March to The Grave as evidence of how often he is asked to speak.

Fire Chief Greg Mathis said he grew up in Huntsville and its fire department due to it being the only one he’s ever worked for fulltime.

He has been in Huntsville for 32 years and referred to it as an amazing place for him to build his career.

He spoke briefly about additions to be made to Huntsville’s fire department. The building will feature a museum available for tours and is being built with the help of Huntsville’s City Engineer.

City Engineer Kathlie Jeng-Bulloch became head of Huntsville’s engineering department in December 2021.

At the meeting she presented a short PowerPoint that detailed her job responsibilities as a city department head like approving con-

struction projects and deciding which gas, energy and internet companies can operate in the city such as Spectrum or AT&T. When asked how their roles effected SHSU students, responses differed. To name a few, councilmembers have worked at creating internships at the city level and bringing more higher-paying jobs to Huntsville to address the student workforce, city infrastructure is regularly updated to make sure water can accommodate thousands of students, retail and shopping centers have been encouraged, and the council is currently considering implementing bike

lanes, a request they have received mainly from students.

“Students at Sam Houston State University are every bit as vital to the make-up of Huntsville as anybody who was born and lived here for 150 years,” Humphrey stated.

“Just because you’re a student, don’t think that you’re not entitled to your part of Huntsville and how it’s run and how it operates. It’s y’all that we represent.”

Councilmembers encourage students to get involved and attend city council meetings which occur at 6 p.m. every first and third Tuesday of the month at city hall. All city council meetings are open to the public.

Photo courtesy of Headway on Unsplash.com

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Crawfish boil draws record crowd to Don Sanders Daniel Robinson

Photo courtesy of Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs

Making space for women to be heard Kali Camacho

To kick start Women’s History Month, the Center for Diversity and Intercultural Affairs (CDIA) presented “Black Women Your Voice Matters.”

The event consisted of a panel of four black women, including Dr. Tiyahri Wilson, students Naima Bradshaw and Faith Adjei-Sarpong and SHSU President of NAACP Dierra George.

The panel answered questions from a mediator and the audience consisting of discrimination, stereotypes, representation and inclusivity.

The event was held March 3 in “Communication and educating people, I feel like that’s really important to help break through stigmas and to break stereotypes.”

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the Lowman Student Center from 5-6 p.m.

“This event is mainly to showcase diversity among black women on campus,” Digital Media Director for CDIA Veronica Nformangum said.

The purpose of this event was to start an open conversation and for black women to share their experiences with discrimination. Panelists gave examples from their own lives of how racism impacts their daily lives.

They also talked about the negative light the media portrays black women in.

It was also discussed on how to create more inclusivity in the classroom, at jobs and in the media.

“A better environment for black women is simply just to listen to black women, even if black women are angry just understand that we have a right to be angry,” Nformangum continued. “Allow black women everywhere, even in

LGBTQIA spaces as well, because I know that’s often very overlooked when it comes to black women.”

Some of the panelists were brought to tears while answering difficult questions.

Although some panelists did not agree on every question, this event was an intimate and safe way for people to have meaningful conversations and share their opinions.

This event was not just for black women; however, it was also for those who want to be allies.

“I think it’s really important to stand up for us even when we’re not present,” George stated.

“Communication and educating people, I feel like that’s really important to help break stigmas and to break stereotypes.”

CDIA has more events lined up for Women’s History Month. On March 9, they will be hosting their monthly Chat & Chew. On March 23, the Virtual Diversity Speaker Series will be presented.

Any game involving the top team in the country, no matter what sport, is always a big deal.

The Sam Houston Bearkats hosted No. 1 University of Texas Longhorns in baseball on Tuesday as one of their non-conference games. Prior to the game, the Department of Student Activities, The Office of Alumni Relations and Athletics held a crawfish boil from 4:00- 6:00 p.m. at Don Sanders Stadium.

Before that, the students feasted on the cook-out outside. Organizers from the school and local business flocked to the Don Sanders Stadium to celebrate the upcoming game.

Montgomery Road was cut off, letting the tents take up the space. From the Sam Houston State University Criminal Justice department to the local HEB, festivities were far and wide.

Barbecue and drinks were shared along with the main event: the crawfish.

Free crawfish was given to

students who had an active bearkat one card and was sold for $25 to members of faculty, staff and alumni from the university.

“A lot of students came to show support for the team, obviously we’re playing UT, one of the big schools so we have a lot of spirit and we want to win,” freshman Omar Elasmar said.

Students did arrive, lining the sidewalk past the Bearkat Village Apartments. Some students passed the time by playing sports alongside the line, while others stuck to their phones. As students ate, a live band showed off their sound. The Stringbenders, a country and rock band from Houston, provided the soundtrack for the event.

The Sam Houston Bearkats would lose the game 10-2.

While the Bearkats did not beat UT, their pre-game show drew many to the game with Don Sanders Stadium having a record breaking 2,928 crowd attend the game.

Photo courtesy of Daniel Robinson

07 March 2022 | Houstonian News | 03

ARTS & ENT. Race riots take center stage at Sam Houston Detroit ‘67 is the newest iteration in the renaissance of depicting life’s social problems on the stage Julia Landry

The race riots that took place during the summer of 1967 in Detroit, Michigan is set as the background of Dominique Morisseau’s play, “Detroit ’67.” Sam Houston State University’s theater department performed this play March 3-5 in

Photo courtesy of Jonathan Condon

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the Erica Starr Theatre. Directed by Aaron Brown, the show tells the story of two siblings who are using their basement as an after-hours hangout spot in order to make ends meet. The play introduces the audience to the characters of Lank and Chelle, a brother and sister pair, as well as their friends Bunny

and Sly. The story begins as an almost light-hearted tale of siblings having different ideas and dreams, but when the character of Caroline, a young white woman with a troubled past is introduced, deeper problems arise.

Before the play even began, it was obvious what the important

themes of the story were just from the set design. Photos of human rights activist Malcolm X, artwork of the Black Power fist as well as numerous Motown records covered the walls of the “basement” on stage.

These details would be helpful for someone in the audience who

may not have been familiar with the story of the play to know what to expect.

While the set was a helpful guide for the plot, it was the characters that really brought the story to life.

By having five unique, intricate characters, each individual actor and actress was able to shine and stand out from the rest of the cast.

The motherly and sensible character of Chelle, played by junior Johanna Wylie-Turner, provided a great contrast to her fun and easygoing friend Bunny, played by junior Rayevin Johnson. The go-getter and dreamer character of Chelle’s younger brother Lank, played by freshman Jalen Tinsley, was a cohesive match for his entrepreneurial friend Sly, played by senior Brandon Collins. Having this close-knit group of friends who felt comfortable and safe around each other was a stark contrast to the reality of Caroline, played by SHSU senior Taylor Orsak.

This play shares the harsh realities many African-Americans faced, and still face, in America.

Showing how African-Americans deal with prejudice, racial discrimination and police brutality were important elements of the story and showed the sad truth that these elements could still be applied in today’s society.

One of the most powerful moments of the show took place in the final scene.

The character of Chelle was experiencing a monumental heartbreak and as she was delivering this scene a slideshow of numerous African-Americans who were killed due to police brutality played in the background, providing an emotional, memorable ending. www.houstoniannews.com

Inspiring to inspire art Kay Carpenter

Photo courtesy of Boris Krupnik on Unsplash.com

Euphoria Sunday Colleen Canavan

Everyone by now knows about the show “Euphoria” on HBO max. This show covers real life events that many people can relate to or gain a better understanding of certain things.

Euphoria follows the life of troubled 17-year-old named Rue Bennett, played by Zendaya, who is a drug addict right out of rehab that has no plan on staying clean.

There are also many more characters within the show with different storylines but they all can relate back to each other. The show is filled with drama and suspense and keeps the viewer hooked from the very first episode.

Videos, memes and angry tweets were sent every Sunday night as a reaction to the most recent episode which gave it the www.houstoniannews.com

name “Euphoria Sunday.” TikToks were posted of people redoing scenes and sharing their thoughts on what could happen next.

Even Angus Cloud, who plays Fez on the show, tweets out during the airing of each show to add to the social media madness of Sunday nights This past Sunday, Feb. 27, was the season two finale and lots of people had opinions about this episode.

There were a lot of interesting storylines from the start of season like the relationship between Lexi, a shy studious student, and Fez, the town drug dealer for example.

One story line included the main character Rue continuing to fight with her struggle of choosing to either stay sober or escaping the realities of life with copious amounts of drugs. And of course,

since it is high school, there is always drama on who is dating who, which plays a large part in the side story of the whole friend group focused on in the first season.

However, towards the end some of those stories had missing parts to them or left a lot to be desired in waiting for the third and most likely, final season.

It had the audience asking more questions so there may have been a reason for this though. Maybe to keep people interested in the next upcoming season?

“The season two finale had my eyes glued to the TV the whole time,” senior criminal justice major Justin Armon said. “There were lots of emotions throughout the show from the scene with Ashtray and Fez to Lexi’s play.”

Overall, season two gave the audience a lot to look forward to for the final season. Euphoria is expected for another season but not until 2024 and no one is sure what to expect.

Artists inspiring artists is a tale as old as Duchamp and Da Vinci, to Led Zeppelin and Greta Van Fleet. Master of fine arts candidate Keeley Dunnam, has taken this concept to the next level for her thesis, creating “Telephone;” an immersive artistic experience.

Dunnam created a five-part experience for her audience, three dance segments and two art galleries with various pieces; all inspired

by Dunnam’s choreography. Dunnam calls her work “a catalyst to motivate,” and hopes for her art to continue the avalanche of inspiration that has been a common theme in the art world for centuries.

Her choreography for the first piece, “Same but Different but Same,” has a fun tension giving the viewer the feeling of almost multiple times before finally cascading into satisfaction. There is a comfortable rawness to the entire collection, capturing how inspiration can be a struggle which forces the audience to fall into their most raw selves.

Dunnam’s second piece,

“Chrysalis,” focuses on individuality and connection with others.

More specifically, the piece showcases a struggle to balance the two elements of life. The dancers utilized colored scarves to show individuality but mirrored each other’s moves in an effort to convey the struggle of being yourself when the entire world is telling you to be something else.

This piece provides a tone switch for the gallery, a more serious moment that has the audience reflect on themselves; and how they balance themselves and others.

To round out Dunnam’s thesis, her last choreographed piece called “Shared Space,” brings the story to a close, while leaving the message open to interpretation.

“Shared Space” gives the audience a look at how human beings can coexist in a world so focused on individuality.

Instead of looking for ways to fit in, Dunnam expresses the importance of staying true to yourself, and simultaneously learning how to compliment those around you.

Photo courtesy of College of Arts & Media

7 March 2022 | Houstonian News | 05

OPINIONS Huntsville needs to make its streets more walkable Inflation and the war in Europe are leading to higher prices at the gas pump, and the city layout makes it difficult to walk anywhere in town Justin Hardcastle

As the average nationwide price for gas went up to over $3.80 this week. More Americans will likely try to avoid the pumps as often as possible.

Walking at an increased speed during a 30-minute walk can allow our bodies to burn more calories and give us numerous cardiorespiratory benefits, according to Prevention.com. With the rise of gas prices, walking around Huntsville is something students should consider lowering the use of gas. Howev-

er, one of the problems with walking around Huntsville becomes apparent very quickly when you try to walk. Much of our infrastructure is built around driving, not walking.

There is a disturbing lack of sidewalks along the side of town near the Sam Houston Museum.

Any walking done in residential streets has to be done on the street itself, which can be very dangerous if you have small children.

The city has shown that they can build sidewalks effectively, the problem is, some of them are built where they are totally unneeded.

Such as the “walking path” that surrounds the market area of town where Target and Academy are.

This is a strip of sidewalk that leads to nowhere and serves no real purpose.

As gas prices continue to rise due to inflation and the war in Europe, the city of Huntsville should take a hard look at how tax dollars are being allocated, and try to use some of them to make the city more walkable. It is an option that will help citizens save money at the pump, and live healthier and more active lifestyles.

Photo courtesy of Austin Tiffany on Unsplash.com

FaceTime and Flights: Dealing with long distance relationships Rodrigo Mendoza

Photo courtesy of Elizabeth Machuca

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When people talk to me about being in a long-distance relationship, the first thing that is said is “Wow I could never do that?” or “What is it like dating someone 1,200 miles away?”

To which I respond with lots of FaceTiming and lots of flights.

I reconnected with Jazmine Alena Cash on Twitter on New Year’s Day of 2020, we initially got to know each other through our love of rap artist Logic but we remained friends for several years.

From the start of our relationship the road was clearly not going to be easy. We started off living cities away to states away, making our families aware that our relationship was anything but typical.

The pandemic made things

particularly tough. The constant FaceTimes made our relationship stale, we started arguing more and we would quickly run out of things to say.

Part of our relationship going stale was on me, I feared being lonely. I did not want to get to know my roommates because their idea of fun and mine were complete opposites. While she was busy with family obligations to make any connections in a new city.

She was not making any friends or going to work and living in a trailer with her family wasn’t easy and I hadn’t met any of my friends at the Houstonian or with the National Sports Media Association.

She had to learn things as well, like being a little bit more Continued on page 7

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FaceTime and Flights: Dealing with long distance relationships Continued from page 6

Rodrigo Mendoza

open with me and learning to have a conversation as things from her past continued to play a role in her mental health.

Our relationship got even harder in late January of 2021, Jazmine’s dad was working for a pipeline company and finding work was getting harder.

So, the Cash family made the choice to leave Texas and move back home to Nevada.

Despite the tribulations, we were determined to not let a bump in the

road break us apart. Throughout our relationship, we took advantage of cheap airline tickets to visit whenever we had the chance. We sent letters and packages to one another to feel more connected in a physical form and slowly the distance became smaller in our hearts.

However, the distance could still be felt on the holidays meant to be spent with your loved ones.

Valentine’s Day was especially difficult, but it did not mean we could not go on a virtual date to make it seem like a date for the both of us. Long distance might not be easy, but no relationship is.

It is the time and dedication to one another that makes relationships work.

I know despite the challenges; long distance is not a hindrance but a challenge of the love you have for another.

Our skewed perception of conflict on social media Ana De Leon

TikTok is one of today’s most popular social media outlet. People of all ages use TikTok to create entertaining content as well as other sorts of mass media.

Sam Houston State students have different views on these videos and notice the influence the app is having on coverage of events like the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

On Feb. 24, 2022, Russia launched a large-scale military invasion on Ukraine. This led to a widespread rumor of a possible World War III causing panic across the globe.

TikTok users filled the main page with different theories and perspectives on the topic. Many of the videos created involved what many may find as insensitive humor and others served as very informative content.

“By showing videos about the subject, TikTok lets people see the different sides of the war,” Sam Houston State University student www.houstoniannews.com

Danielle Tello said. “It’s similar to news stations being biased on some spectrums. I do like that TikTok has allowed videos related to the war to be shown on its media platforms, but it does get tricky with how it’s being shown. Either way, I think that by TikTok allowing these videos to surface gives others little or more insight if they don’t already know about the situation.”

Although many may agree that TikTok serves as a useful outlet for current news, some consider it to be more of an entertaining environment. Several viewers find most TikTok videos on the topic of war to be insensitive and immature considering the circumstances.

“I’ve seen many videos done by different points of views and most are to spread some sort of dark humor,” Sam Houston State University Alumna Eric Aguilar said.

“Many consider this a coping mechanism, but I feel it to be insensitive especially during the circum-

Photo courtesy of Jakob Rubner on Unsplash.com

stances that the people of Ukraine are facing. People are dying and these are troubling times, I think its best to spread awareness on a serious note.”

These perspectives show that not everyone agrees one how coverage of this war on social media is being handled. And staying literate

and up to date on the current news about the conflict can help you avoid misinformation on social media.

7 March 2022 | Houstonian News | 07

SPORTS WACVegas: Basketball to set stage in conference tournament As the Bearkats prepare for their first trip to Las Vegas for, both basketball programs look to make a statement across the WAC

Photo courtesy of Hiram Rodriguez

Collin Neill

March is a special month. Spring break arrives for college students to take time off from school. But in the sports world, it is March Madness time when it turns midnight on March 1 every year.

In their first year in the Western Athletic Conference, both men’s and women's basketball for Sam Houston reached their respective tournaments. It seems as if there is a ton of pressure on both teams because of that first-year stigma.

Here is a look forward as to what to look for as the Bearkats travel to Las Vegas, Nevada for “WACVegas.”

Women’s Basketball The fact that this team is here is just outstanding. On Nov. 29 of last year, in the middle of this current season, the Sam Houston Athletics department announced that Head Coach Ravon Justice would take an indefinite leave of absence. Assistant Coach Brittany Mason took over the reins, but without Coach Justice, the Bearkats struggled.

The Bearkats went 2-9 without Justice, including a six-game losing streak to begin conference play.

The Bearkats then started turn08 | Houstonian News | 7 March 2022

Photo courtesy of Hiram Rodriguez

ing things around with a road win against the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Vaqueros on Jan. 24, where they won 66-52. It was their first road win of the season.

In their next game, three days later, it was announced that Justice would in fact return to the hardwood and continue her coaching duties. That same day, Justice and the Bearkats knocked off the California Baptist Lancers 73-65. The Lancers had a 23-conference game win streak snapped.

The Bearkats went on to finish 9-9 in conference play, good enough for the sixth seed after the initial 0-6 start.

With the sixth seed, they get a first-round bye, which is huge considering how much resilience they have had to do just to get where they are.

The Bearkats will be looking for their main starting five to get going in order to make a deep run.

One of the key players for the Bearkats heading into the tournament is junior forward Madelyn Batista. Batista is important when it comes to not only scoring (11 points per game) and rebounding (2nd in the WAC with 8.6 per game), but also opening up more opportunities for the other starting

four in senior guard Faith Cook, senior forward Courtney Cleveland, junior guard Damaya Telemaque and sophomore forward Kaylee Jefferson.

With Batista roaming the paint, Cook, who was 4th in the WAC in scoring with 15 points-per-game to get open shots at the threepoint arc where that is her specialty. This also opens the mid-range game for the others.

Telemaque came alive at the end of the regular season, including a career high 23 points against the UTRGV Vaqueros on Feb. 19. She can not only shoot, but also drive into the paint and get to the free throw line.

Senior transfer guard LeAndra Echi will look to also be a big part by being the defensive asset she has been all season for the Bearkats.

The Bearkats' run in the tournament will begin on March 9 as they await the winner of the match Lamar Cardinals vs. New Mexico State Aggies. The Bearkats were 1-1 to each of them in the regular season.

Men’s Basketball Head Coach Jason Hooten brought his time into a renounced basketball conference and com-

peted with the best of the best all season long. They had a bad start to the year that included tough losses to teams they were expected to win against and close games where they could not find a groove.

Hooten seemed to have had enough of this after a disappointing loss to the Bradley Braves on Dec. 21 where it was a score of 8661.

After the loss, Coach Hooten kept his players in the locker room for a few hours to talk things over.

The Bearkats that night were 4-8.

They went 14-5 after that night.

They even started WAC play winning eight of their first 10 games, including winning three in a row at home against WAC giants Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, New Mexico State Aggies and the Grand Canyon Antelopes.

They finished WAC regular season play at 13-5, which was good enough for a fifth seed, which gives them a first-round bye.

The Bearkats will be led by graduate student transfer forward from Texas A&M Savion Flagg, who has played his way to being a top contender for WAC Player of the Year.

Flagg was 3rd in the WAC in scoring (18.7 ppg) and rebounding

(8.1 rpg). While being one of the most athletic players in the WAC, he will knock down the three (35.9 three-point field goal percentage) if left open.

Junior guard Jaden Ray will be there for the Bearkats as the floor general who has really taken over the role. He will be important to setting Flagg and others like senior guard Demarkus Lampley.

Lampley is someone to keep an eye on as he had an off regular season, but it is never too late to get hot and get going starting in the conference tournament.

Junior forward Tristan Ikpe will continue to man the paint as he will be looking to continue his impressive defense and offense.

One player though out of the main lineup that should have eyes on him is junior guard Javion May. As said before on occasion, May will not light up the stat sheet, but he will make as big of an impact on defense as anyone else. See him guarding every team’s best player for most of the game like he did to potential WAC Player of the Year New Mexico State’s Teddy Allen who was only held to only two points. He was leading the WAC with scoring at that point.

The Bearkats as a team have one of the best defenses and rebounding games in the WAC in conference play, they allowed only 61.8 points per game and garnered 36.2 rebounds per game. However, they will need to limit the turnover as they were third worst in taking care of the ball in the WAC. The Bearkats currently await the winner of the game of UTRGV Vaqueros vs. California Baptist Lancers. They will face the winner of that game on March 9. www.houstoniannews.com

Rodrigo Mendoza

The head coach of the Sam Houston Bearkats soccer team Tom Brown has resigned from his position on Wednesday with immediate effect. Brown was hired in 2008 and was the second coach in program history after replacing coach Marcia Oliveira.

"After much consideration, I have decided to resign from my position as head soccer coach here at Sam Houston,” Brown said in a statement published on Gobearkats.com.

Brown posted a record of 103136- 22 ties overall in the 14 seasons and a 64-64-11 record in conference matchups. The Bearkats went 8-10 record in the 2021 season including a 6-4 record and qualifying to the Western Athletic Conference tournament.

Brown went 9-7 in his first season as head coach of Sam Houston State and fell short in Southland Conference tournament play.

Brown’s second season in 2009 was a more successful season making it to the Southland Conference Semifinals by defeating UTSA

Soccer head coach Tom Brown steps down after 14 seasons

www.houstoniannews.com

the coming days thanks to his combine results.

He stood out among all corner backs at the combine having a 4.33 second 40-yard-dash. He also had the best three-cone drill and 20-yard shuttle time of all the other cornerbacks at the combine.

He also was one of five players at the combine to receive an athleticism score of 99, according to the NFL’s Next Gen Stats department. He was the only corner to do so.

McCollum has also continued to gain national attention with his combine stats as multiple NFL and scouting reporters have continued to talk about his performance overall thanks

to his combination of size and speed.

During his time at Sam Houston, he accumulated 13 total interceptions in five years, having three total in four of those seasons. He also had 54 total pass deflections and six forced fumbles as a captain of the Bearkats defense.

During their national championship run, he only had one interception in the shortened season but forced two of his six fumbles during that season. He also had 46 total tackles during that season.

McCollum also looks to be the first player drafted in the NFL from Sam Houston since P.J. Hall was in the 2018 draft.

Photo courtesy of Brisenia Flores

before falling to Texas State University.

Brown posted his most winningest season in 2015 when he led the Bearkats to a 10-6-5 record until they ultimately fell to South-

Zyon McCollum shows out at NFL Combine

Photo courtesy of Leila De La Cruz

well as defeating Southeastern Louisiana for the first time since 2014.

The Bearkats would again make it to the Southland Conference Championship in 2020 but they

would ultimately lose again to Southeastern Louisiana 3-0. This time the Bearkats would make it with a 7-6-1 record.

Brown’s team made conference tournaments 11 out of his 14 seasons as the head coach of Sam Houston. Brown’s final win as head coach of the Bearkats came against rival SFA in Huntsville Oct. 30, 2021, by a score of 2-1.

"He took over this program while it was still in the early days of the building process and provided stability as we were continuing to grow as an athletic department," Director of Athletics Bobby Williams said in a statement published to Gobearkats.com Sam Houston will play the 2022 season in the WAC before moving to Conference-USA during the 2023 season “This next hiring comes at an important time for this program," Williams said in the same statement. "With our transition from the WAC to Conference USA, we will be moving into a league that has been historically strong in women's soccer.”

Brown’s replacement has not been yet announced but the search has already begun.

eastern Louisiana University 3-1in penalty kicks in the Southland Conference Championship.

Brown would have his biggest victory in the 2017 season when they beat Jackson State 8-0 as Scott Morris

Around this time every year, the NFL combine hosts the best of the best talents coming from college football in players who are ready to go to the next level.

This year, former Sam Houston Bearkat football cornerback Zyon McCollum has been gaining a lot of attention heading into the 2022 NFL draft.

The school has not had a defensive back drafted in the NFL since 1989, but that looks to be changed this year.

McCollum is currently projected as a third day draft pick, but that could be changed in

7 March 2022 | Houstonian News | 09

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