Weekly Edition 01/22/2019

Monday, January 21, 2019

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

Students Dedicated to Professional Journalism Volume 130 | Issue 8

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The Houstonian | bit.ly/SHSUCampusNews | Monday, January 21, 2019

Page 2

campus news

Everything You Need to Know About the New LSC

BY TYLER JOSEFSEN Digital Media EIC The Lowman Student Center Expansion at Sam Houston State University is officially open.

The new $40 million building, which is adjoined to the existing LSC, is 80,000 square feet and contains meeting rooms, study areas, a brand new ballroom, an atrium, a courtyard, a patio, restaurants and the new Kat Klub.

“We’ve worked so hard on this part of the project,” LSC Director Rob Webber said. “Down to every last detail, fabrics and furniture selections. All of those details to really tell a story of the spirit and tradition that is Sam Houston State University.”

The newly relocated Kat Klub consists of an eight-lane bowling alley, six orange billiard tables, video games, a small stage and performance area, and the brand new Three Horse Tavern that will serve wine and beer.

Steak ‘n’ Shake and Oath Pizza are new additions to the university and sit on the first floor of the LSC expansion building

just outside the doors of the Kat Klub.

The 10,000 square-foot Orange Ballroom sits on the second floor. It can be used as a single large venue but is also divisible into four separate spaces. The ballroom features a large stage, theatrical lighting and speakers with advanced sound capabilities.

“This is a standard concert rig,” Webber said. “This is the stuff that you’re seeing in Houston at any of your concert venues. We now have that capability here in Huntsville at Sam Houston State University.

This is more sound than we need in this space, but it gives us the ability to do anything and everything in here.”

With phase one of the LSC Expansion Project completed, phase two will begin in March and will renovate the existing LSC building and add about 1,900 square feet to the structure. Phase two will cost $15.65 million. The renovations will begin on the west end of the third floor by the President’s Dining Room, the east wing of the second floor by the Dean of

Students Office and the old Kat Klub.

“We have a plan,” Webber said. “It’s a good plan, and as we go we’ll roll with the punches

and make it work.”

According to Webber, the purpose of this phase is not to have an ‘old’ and a ‘new.’ The major goal of this renovation is to

Kat Klub Hours Sundays: 3-8 p.m.

Mondays-Thursdays 11 a.m. - 10:30 p.m.

Fridays 11 a.m. - 6:30 p.m.

Saturdays 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Grant Worley

Grant Worley create one single, seamless area consisting of the existing LSC and the expansion building.

Kat Klub Prices Billiards Table $4/hr Table Tennis $1.50/hr Video Games $2/hr Arcade & Board Games FREE Cards FREE Bowling $3 per game Shoe Rental $2 Sock purchase $2

The Houstonian | bit.ly/SHSUCampusNews | Monday, January 21, 2019

Page 3

campus news

All of Us Research Comes to SHSU

BY SHARON RAISSI Editor-in-Chief Sam Houston State University’s School of Nursing and the Newton Gresham Library will host an informational meeting about a research program Monday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The meeting will be in the LSC White Ballroom and light lunch will be provided.

The meeting will be about the All of Us Research program, a nationwide effort to gather data from one million or more people in the United States. The goal of the research is to take into account differences in environment, lifestyle, socioeconomic status and biology to have a more accurate look at precision medicine.

“I think one of the things that we’re really interested in getting out there is, here’s how your genetic information can help future generations with guiding treatments and pharmaceutical developments and the things that will help people get better treatment and hopefully live longer, more fruitful lives,” Associate Dean of the College of Health Sciences Ryan Zapalac said.

The meeting will be completely educational, and no attendees are required to commit to anything at the meeting. The goal is to educate SHSU students about the All of Us research.

“They’re going to give out more about what the All of Us program is about, what the NIH (National Institutes of Health) is doing to protect participants

information, because everybody is always worried about hacking of databases and things like that,” Clinical Associate Professor Kelly Zinn said. “They’re going to learn about that and how it will help or impact their own health and the benefits for them as an individual who chooses to participate.”

Those who choose to participate in the research can expect to get some benefits in return.

“What it does, is it can give you a report of medications that work, don’t work, kind of will work for you for different health conditions,” Zinn said. “It allows doctors and nurse practitioners and prescribers to individualize the care that a patient receives.

That’s really the goal of All of Us.” The SHSU School of Nursing was awarded a grant from the American Association of Colleges of Nurses (AACN) to educate students, faculty and community members about the research.

A main reason for SHSU being awarded the grant was the outstanding diversity of students.

“The big thing that I did was that I shared that our student body is 49% ethnic diversity,” Zinn said. “So, the AACN told us that was why they chose us. Because Sam Houston is a rural community college, with students that come from lots of rural communities, but also lots of students from the Houston area.”

The All of Us Research program is part of the Precision Medicine Initiative (PMI), which

is an effort to help researchers and healthcare providers help develop individualized medicine.

“The goal of this Precision

Memorial 5K Run to Honor Fallen

BY SHARON RAISSI Editor-in-Chief

Medicine Initiative is to increase the diversity of the pool of genetic information that researchers can research from,” Assistant Professor Lisa Connor said. “Because it’s government funded, all that research will be available to researchers even at Sam Houston, anywhere across the country, people will be able to access the data coming out of this program.”

For those unable to make it to the Monday meeting, another meeting will be held on Tuesday at Lone Star College in their Montgomery Theatre. Light refreshments will be provided there.

Each meeting includes a Q&A and quick surveys both before and after the event.

“The potential is there for us to do research, but just to be crystal clear, the grant was only to provide an educational event,” Connor said. “We’re only providing an arena for representatives from the AACN to come in and present information about this program. We’re not requiring anyone to sign up, this program is totally voluntary.”

For more information on the All of Us Research program, visit allofus.nih.gov or visit one of the two meetings.

A memorial 5K will take place Saturday starting at the Bowers Stadium parking lot. The run is held in honor of Captain Rowdy J. Inman, the first Sam Houston State University ROTC graduate to die in combat.

“This run was established to commemorate the sacrifice that Captain Inman and other service members have made for this country’s freedom,” senior Criminal Justice major Caitlin Arrigali said.

Captain Inman served with the U.S. 3rd Armored Calvary Regiment out of Fort Hood during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

A veteran of Operation Desert Storm and Operation Just Cause, Inman received many honors including the Bronze Star with oak leaf cluster, the Purple Heart and the meritorious service medal with oak leaf cluster.

Inman graduated from SHSU in 2000 as a major in Kinesiology and a minor in Military Science. He was commissioned as 2nd lieutenant soon after that.

“When it came to planning the memorial, a 5K just kind of felt like the right way to honor one of our own,” Cadet Arrigali said. “The military promotes health and fitness among its members and those involved, and this was our way of keeping that idea within our own event.”

This is the first year a 5K has been held in Inman’s honor. The run will be a 3.1-mile loop starting and ending at the Bowers Stadium parking lot. Sponsors will hand out refreshments and other items to runners and ca-

dets, alumni or other volunteers.

Above all, Arrigali hopes that the inaugural Captain Rowdy Inman Memorial 5K run will serve as a reminder and a way of honoring all service members.

“When making the decision to serve, you are choosing to put the freedoms of others before your own personal wellbeing at some point,” Arrigali said. “Although not all service members may be on the forefronts of conflict, they have all at one point or another raised their right hand and sworn to ‘support and defend the Constitution of the United States,’ and that is something that should be recognized and remembered.”

The price to participate is $20 per person, which includes a t-shirt and snacks.

Flyers are posted around campus with QR codes that can be scanned in order to pull up a registration link on their phones.

At the request of Inman’s wife, Shannon, there is a link discounted for high school students.

To register for the 5K, scan the QR code on this page, find a flyer around campus, or sign up directly by going to the Lowman Student Center mall area. ROTC members will have a table set up with a computer ready to sign people up on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HuntsvilleCommunityNews | Monday, January 21, 2019

Page 4

community news

Wounded Warrior Banquet to Benefit Veterans PRESENTED BY CONROE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT COUNCIL AND THE CONROE/LAKE CONROE CHAMBER

7TH ANNUAL

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JANUARY 29 FROM 1-5 PM LONE STAR CONVENTION CENTER

936.756.6644 FOR A FULL COMPANY LIST VISIT WWW.CONROE.ORG. UNDERWRITING SPONSOR

BY TYLER MOWERY Community News Editor The 10th annual Wounded Warrior Banquet takes place in Walker County on Thursday at the Walker County Fairgrounds.

Over the last 10 years, the event has raised more than $2 million for injured veterans and their families.

The inspiration for this event began in 2009, when event organizer Tom Fordyce toured the Center for the Intrepid at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

“We were so taken aback by the amount of wounded men and women coming back that we felt that we ought to do something to give back to them,” Fordyce said.

Fordyce is also involved with the Mighty Oaks Warrior Program (MOWP), a program that works with veterans suffering from PTSD. MOWP has property in Texas, California, Virginia and Ohio.

“We take these wounded warriors, at no cost to them, so if they’re struggling with PTSD they can go through our program and heal,” said Fordyce.

“The funds that are raised by the banquet benefit the veteran and the family, and that’s at no cost to them.”

Tickets for general seating are $50 per person or $350 for a full table of eight.

“There are anywhere from 1,100 to 1,130 people,” said Fordyce. “The banquet is open to the public. Walker County has been extremely supportive, people from every walk of life from Walker County shows up to the banquet. The only place large enough to hold that many people would be the Walker County Fairground.”

The funds generated from

this banquet every year greatly improves the quality of life for these veterans as they adjust back to civilian life.

“They’ve grown up for the last 18 to 20 years with all their limbs or not being burned. So now they’re recuperating and the hospital can only do so much, then they are released back into society,” said Fordyce.

Many of these injured veterans are Sam Houston State University students as well.

“We have a lot of students that have come back from Afghanistan and Iraq that are veterans and this is another method to help them if they struggle going back to school,” said Fordyce.

The banquet begins at 5:30 p.m., with registration and a ribeye dinner. Special keynote

speaker Sgt. Maj. Carlton Kent will speak at the event. Kent is a national advocate and spokesperson for Veteran Care, and recipient of the General Gerald C. Thomas Award for Inspirational Leadership with over 35 years of experience in the United States Marine Corps.

NFL Hall of Famer Earl Campbell attends the banquet every year, and will make an appearance at the event this year.

There will be a silent auction and a live auction as well.

Tickets are available for purchase at the H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Museum located at 463 Highway 75 N., and at The Trailer Store located at 660A Interstate 45 N. Only a limited amount of tickets are sold at the banquet.

Tyler Mowery HONORING OUR TROOPS. Tickets for the Wounded Warrior Banquet go for $50 per person. Over the last 10 years, the event has raised over $2 million for veterans.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HuntsvilleCommunityNews | Monday, January 21, 2019

Page 5

community news

Huntsville Public Library Hosts Free Spanish Lessons

BY JAMIE BARNES Contributing Reporter The Huntsville Public Library hosts free weekly Spanish classes ranging from beginner to intermediate levels. Although the program spans 16 weeks, students eager to learn are encouraged to register throughout the semester depending on their knowledge of the language.

Instructor Beth Williamson aims to help those wanting to learn Spanish embrace the language and reach their goals.

“This class is usually adults, occasionally college students, but it’s mostly grown-ups who want to speak Spanish,” Williamson said. “We now have the evening class for people who work, but still want to come to

class.”

She teaches a beginner level class every Wednesday from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. and intermediate level from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the library’s community room.

While the classes focus on learning Spanish, Williamson wants students to gain an appreciation for the language.

“The benefits of this class include an increased vocabulary, we talk a lot about traveling because I’ve been to Spain and I go to Mexico twice a year,” Williamson said.

Students taking part in the classes have their own reasons for wanting to learn Spanish through this program.

“You know, the bigger the world gets the more we need to know,” student LaDeanna Holcomb said. “So, I’m taking this class for myself, to be able to

speak and understand what other people are saying. I just want to grow my horizons a little bit.”

The classes are designed to have a lot of speaking among students and little written work.

“It’s all oral, I don’t give any written exams because I promised myself I’d never grade another paper,” Williamson said.

“If people get to the level where they’re proficient enough to read, I encourage them to read.”

Among the students in the beginner class, the main goal is to understand the world around them.

“I’m taking the class because I wanted to learn Spanish,” student Sharon Frey said. “It’s all around me and I want to be able to understand and communicate with anyone I’m in the room with as far as Spanish and English speaking goes.”

Along with learning Spanish, Williamson wants her students to learn about each other and make new connections through the program.

“I hope that people will get acquainted with each other and make new friends in the class,” Williamson said.

Tyler Mowery To register and learn more information about either class contact Beth Williamson at (936) 291-5471 or go online at www.myhuntsvillelibrary.com.

Both classes are limited to 35 students and are free with all materials included.

Walker County Wildlife Management Seminar

BY TYLER MOWERY Community News Editor Land owners have an opportunity to attend a free wildlife management seminar at the Walker Education Center Jan. 29 at 6:30 p.m.

The company presenting the seminar, Plateau Land & Wildlife Management, is a private company that works with land owners to help protect their rights and make the most out of their land.

“We have a staff of biologists and registered property tax consultants who take the guesswork out of moving from ag or timber to wildlife and offer consulting on all levels to landowners to help them help their property reach its full potential,” Sales Manager Tim Milligan said.

Plateau Land & Wildlife Management wants to help landowners better manage and make the most of their property by providing a seminar explaining their services. The presentation covers ideas on how to transition to Wildlife Management Tax Valuation “exemption” from traditional ag or timber.

After the doors open and open-space valuation is discussed, wildlife management is explained around 6:45 p.m.

Learning how to apply wildlife management as a property tax strategy and learning how state and county requirements work can be confusing. This section of the seminar helps landowners understand why wildlife management exists, who qualifies for it, and how it works.

At 7 p.m., wildlife management activities take place and

at 7:15 p.m., Plateau explains how they can help. Finally, at 7:30 p.m., a question and answer session will take place.

While the seminar is most relative to property owners in ag and wildlife or any rural retailers and home builders, anyone who wants to learn more about the Wildlife Management Exemption is welcome to attend.

“Anyone who can’t attend and wants the information we

are happy to share it personally any time,” Milligan said. “Just call and tell us you’d like more information about Wildlife Management, and we will get you to someone who can help.”

Anyone can attend the seminar at no cost.

Those interested in the seminar can visit www.plateauwildlife.com, or call 512-894-3479 for more information.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HoustonianAandE | Monday, January 21, 2019

Page 6

arts & entertainment

Phillips Brings Architectural Ingenuity with LSC Mural

BY TYLER JOSEFSEN Digital Media EIC From being an Interpreter Translator in West Berlin in the 1970s for the U.S. Army in a top-secret area to now residing in Huntsville having recently celebrated his 50th wedding anniversary, 73-year-old designer and builder Dan Phillips has constructed quite the legacy in Huntsville.

Phillips began his tenure at Sam Houston State University as an English and Journalism undergraduate. His girlfriend at the time was part of the dance troop.

“She told me, ‘We need someone to carry a girl across the stage,’” Phillips said. “And I thought, ‘All right. I’ll do that.’

And I discovered that I had an aptitude for dance.”

With the military draft of the 1960s in full force at the time of his graduation, Phillips decided to remain a student and get his master’s degree in Dance from SHSU before heading to the University of North Carolina.

After some time as a student, he eventually got his draft notice for the army. After his duty was complete, he needed a job—landing him back in Huntsville.

“I applied for every open-

ing I could find whether I was qualified or not,” Phillips said.

“Sam Houston [State University] was the first one that popped up. I said ‘I’ll take that’ because I knew they had a good program.”

Phillips remained on the dance faculty at SHSU for a decade. According to Phillips, he eventually got tired of it, so he and his wife, Marsha, began a business restoring antiques. He has aspirations that would take him even further than that job, though.

“I always wanted to be a builder,” Phillips said. “I thought, ‘Oh boy. I better get busy if I want to be a builder.’ And now I’m a builder.”

Building upon a lifetime of diverse jobs and inimitable experiences, Phillips founded Phoenix Commotion in 1997, which has completed more than a dozen projects and houses around Huntsville to date.

Phillips and his company create more than just creative, aesthetically pleasing structures.

They provide opportunities to unskilled workers that pick up the necessary knowledge to enter the labor force after completing projects—projects that utilize an assortment of recycled or even previously thrown away materials that lead to affordable housing.

“The mission of Phoenix Commotion is to keep stuff out of the landfills,” Phillips said. “I always expected that you could build a whole house out of what went into a landfill, and sure enough it’s true. I can use anything: bottle caps, wine corks, broken tiles, chicken eggs, tree branches, bones.”

His most recent project was the structure in the Lowman Student Center Courtyard, equipped with mosaics that form a mural.

“The mosaic itself is just so interesting,” Phillips said.

“The artists—there were some student artists and some artists from around town—and then Flying Carpet Creative collaborated. The mosaics pretty much represented all of the disciplines on campus. We didn’t hit them all, but we tried to.

“I thought it might add a little bit of a pickle if we had a puzzle, so I went around to all of the departments and asked for a factoid… that somebody with advanced knowledge in that area would know. If you decode [the riddle] then you get to the various answers within the mosaics.”

“It makes it more interesting because you can just stand there and stare at all of the mosaics,” Phillips said. “But it’s not just a bunch of mosaics. There is something there that can be fun.”

Phillips enjoyed the collaborative effort on this project.

“Working with artists is so enlightening and empowering,”

Phillips said. One of the reasons we love artists is they don’t follow the rules… but you learn so much about yourself, about our humanity, and you learn to see the world.”

He hopes the mysteries that lie within the mosaics will continue to entice students to search for answers for decades to come.

When asked to reveal something not a lot of people know about him, Phillips simply and humbly remarked that he wore a shoe size 8 1/2. While that may be the size of the physical impression his boot leaves in the Earth, his lasting footprint will be remembered on a much larger scale.

“I’ll never be saving the world anytime soon,” Phillips said.

“But one person can make a lot of noise.”

Phoenix Commotion

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HoustonianAandE | Monday, January 21, 2019

Page 7

arts & entertainment

Review: Audiences Should Wave Bye Bye to “Bird Box”

BY SHARON RAISSI Editor-in-Chief I watched Bird Box piled on my sisters couch on New Year’s Day at about 3 a.m., so bear with me here.

There’s a lot of buzz going on about this movie, for better or worse. Some good buzz, some bad, some downright stupid (looking at you, Bird Box challenge.)

The memes and the hype are, admittedly, impressive. What’s more impressive is that this movie came out Dec. 21 and yet someone is still here reading this in January. Hey there, January reader. I hope you enjoy your time at my review.

Just for a quick recap, Netflix’s most popular original movie is “Bird Box,” a thriller based on a 2014 novel by Josh Malerman.

The plot is a little thick to wrap your head around quick, but here’s a loose summary.

Basically, a mysterious force overtakes the United States, and anyone who sees it automatically commits suicide. The audience never catches even a glance at the mysterious phenomenon.

However, the audience does have to witness all the people kill themselves in increasingly uncomfortable and gory manners.

After literally every adult character you meet for the first hour of the movie dies, the main character, Malorie (Sandra Bullock) ends up traveling blindfolded downstream with two five-year-old children in search of a safe haven for them all. And that’s the gist.

Something I love in movies is unanswered questions. I think it’s good for the viewer. Being vague leaves more up to interpretation, which is what art is about. Interpret it how you will, but don’t pull your hair out worrying about author’s intent.

It doesn’t matter. What matters is what you get out of the

TURNING A BLIND EYE. Netflix’s “Bird Box” leaves much to be desired, and too many questions unanswered.

The potential for this movie was sky high, but unfortunately, it let the audience down.

experience.

So, what did I get out of the experience? Not a lot.

While I like to defend unanswered questions in movies, I recognize that there is a difference between unanswered questions and plot holes. One example is the unlikely survival of Tom and Malorie’s kids for five years when the vast majority of adults couldn’t even survive one. Why did the birds only work as a warning sign when it was convenient to the plot? How did those birds survive all those years anyway?

I think it’s fairly widely agreed upon that “Bird Box” did not live up to what it could have. What could have been an eye-opening (no pun intended) metaphor for a number of things, ultimately was lost between the lines.

In the movie, the only people who can look at the mysterious force without committing sui-

cide shortly thereafter all have some sort of mental instability.

These people will then go to great lengths to try and get others to look as well, which always leads to that person committing suicide. At first glance, maybe that’s excusable. In the grand scheme of things, it’s a dangerous and tired narrative.

I think the general public has had enough of demonizing or promoting fear of mentally ill people. Horror movie settings in

psych wards are far too common. The idea of the deranged mental patient coming to hurt you is overused. With all the unanswered questions in this movie, the one answer that rang out loud and clear was that they were happy to perpetuate that narrative.

Overall, “Bird Box” was a more thrilling than average way to spend a few hours, but had little substance left after the movie ended.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HoustonianOpinions | Monday, January 21, 2019

Page 8

Opinions

Three Horse Tavern: Sitting on Opposite Sides of the Bar

BY MARINA DELEON Contributing Writer Going off to college comes with stereotypes that most people just sweep under the rug; eating Ramen for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the fact that 8 a.m. classes are a real thing, and that alcohol use is the norm.

On Jan. 15, Sam Houston State University had its grand opening of the new Lowman Student Center (LSC) expansion. The big ticket items in the expansion include a few new dining spots, a bowling alley and, yes, a bar. The Three Horse Tavern to be exact.

While I do not oppose consuming alcohol, I do think that putting a bar steps away from impressionable and developing minds is a problem. A university is supposed to shape the minds of its students and not cause potential harm by exposing them to depressants and the possibility of addiction. There

BY ETHAN EICHHORST Contributing Writer “This is the bar they were talking about?”

Yes it is, it’s the Three Horse Tavern, the pub so anticipated

by Sam Houston State University students for the past year. Its colors neutral (other than the sacred orange), and its demeanor tame; the bar injects an element of class into the new LSC addition. But most importantly,

are so many gray areas that are involved with this new establishment: how will the university undoubtedly ensure that minors aren’t consuming alcohol, is there a cut off and what does the university hope to gain from this?

According to the National Institute of Health, approximately two-thirds of college students engage in binge drinking, where, by definition, they consume enough alcohol in

a small window of time for the person’s blood alcohol content (BAC) to greater than or equal to 0.08 g/dL. Binge drinking has many consequences, including declining academic performance, raised risk of physical and sexual assault, the possibility of dependence and even death.

SHSU is now providing students with the tools required to binge drink.

The safety of students should be put first. With the installation

of this bar, I’m not so sure that is the case. It seems like a misguided grasp at a way to have “cool points” compared to other campuses. This could compromise the safety of every student on campus because this will be new territory for everyone.

There is no way to know how the tavern patrons will react.

The safety of this campus and everyone that steps foot on it is not comparable to points on the coolness scale.

the $3 price for a draft beer is especially appealing. It may not be cheap, like the recently deceased bar across Sam Houston Ave., but it is affordable.

On opening night, the bar was occupied by couples and people enjoying a brew alone. Even faculty and staff members were in attendance. In the hour or so that I was there, only one boisterous group of more than four entered, laughing hysterically and making fun.

This bar is not for yelling at

your friends across the table, worrying about a ride home or needing to crawl yourself over to Oath Pizza or Steak ‘n’ Shake to make you, you again. This bar is for when you’re working on a thesis and another cup of coffee would make you shake, or when you’ve just got out of a concert or theatre performance at the performing arts center mere steps away. Its for subtle moments and joyful moments, moments of reflection and moments of relief.

Sharon Raissi Just outside the bar is the rest of the new Kat Klub, which features a bowling alley and large lounge couches amongst other things. The classy appeal of the tavern is constantly under attack by the deafening music and rambling people outside.

I have some recommendations.

First, a wall and door going in, or at the very least a large curtain, to create a separation between these tame, respectful bar Bearkats and the wild, overly energetic Bearkats in the rest of

To some, Three Horse Tavern is going to be great. It will be a change of scenery from The Fox or Shenanigans. Though it will be busy for a while because of its newness and the ‘wow factor,’ it will still be worth it to some.

To others, however, that come from families where alcoholism is present, it is a possibility that there is a feeling of discomfort and uncertainty.

The LSC expansion is a great new addition to this university’s attempts at modernizing the beautiful grounds of SHSU. Along with all the pros this expansion brings to SHSU, there are just as many cons— the new Three Horse Tavern being one of them. Jeopardizing the physical and mental well-being, as well as the safety, of the students on this campus is not worth any cool points or any money that will be generated by this new establishment. Adding a bar on campus is, and was, a not-so-thought-out plan by the university.

the Kat Klub. Along with that, different music. I would love to hear jazz in the Three Horse Tavern, but would understandably settle for a mix of classic rock, blues, funk and soul.

Do not get me wrong, this bar is intensely simple, but it is quaint. The taverns simplicity, cleanliness and tame demeanor in no way encourages you to have six, but perhaps two. This bar yearns for moderation and a good time.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HoustonianOpinions | Monday, January 21, 2019

Page 9

Opinions

Letter from the Editor: Carrying a Legacy, Planting Flowers

BY SHARON RAISSI Editor-in-Chief College is like a garden, of sorts. You get out of it what you put in.

Bear with me here, Bearkats, I promise I’m going somewhere with this.

When I took over as Edi-

tor-in-Chief earlier this semester, I knew what I wanted.

I wanted an unbiased and uncensored news source, one that doesn’t sugarcoat or stifle.

I guess that’s the goal of The Houstonian: to be a reliable news source for Sam Houston State University and Huntsville.

We plant the seeds of what we want to see grow in our community. I want more trustworthiness, more bold and unwavering honesty. The Houstonian has steadily been on the rise recently, and I am humbled to take it over at a time when community trust in us is expanding.

Having an uncensored voice on a college campus is a rare privilege. As an independent

student newspaper, we pride ourselves on the content we put out. We work after hours, weekends, overtime, you name it, just to be sure what we’re putting out is quality. The Houstonian provides a unique opportunity to students: if you have something to say, say it. If you have something to investigate, investigate it. Raise your voice, and someone is bound to hear it.

We are privileged to have an office at the heart of campus, our finger on the pulse of its happenings. We filled our newsroom with a staff that exudes competence and ambition. We work to serve a diverse and informed community that supports our free press.

We’re expanding our outreach digitally to ensure that a greater number of people have access to the news that affects them.

We’re bringing the community closer with the campus, and vice-versa.

When I started at The Houstonian, I just really needed something to get me out of my dorm. As I worked my way up, I realized just how easy that becomes when you give yourself a reason.

The Houstonian is a vessel for greatness. With alumni like Dan Rather behind you, there is an expectation for quality. With every story we put out, we are upholding a legacy.

I can assure you, we in the

newsroom work tirelessly to bring quality content to our readership. We have that covered.

As students, faculty, and community members, you are the newsmakers. You are the ones who decide where the future takes all of us. And we’ll be there to report it along the way.

Remember what I said about the garden?

Fill your garden with what you want to see grow. Your time in college, your experience in life, is what you make it.

Fill your garden with flowers, and let the rest fall into place.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HuntsvilleSports | Monday, January 21, 2019

Page 10

SPORTS

UPCOMING SPORTS

SPORT Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball Men and Women’s T & F Women’s Tennis Men Basketball Women’s Basketball Women’s Tennis Women’s Basketball Men’s Basketball Women’s Basketball Men’s Basketball

VERSUS vs. Northwestern State vs. Northwestern State vs. Lamar vs. Lamar vs. SE Louisiana vs. SE Louisiana vs. SFA vs. SFA

TIME 6:30 PM 6:30 PM 2:30 PM 5:30 PM 3:00 PM 1:00 PM 6:30 PM 7:00 PM 4:30 PM 7:00 pm

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Women’s Basketball Moving in Right Direction

BY GABE MYERS Sports Editor The Sam Houston State University women’s basketball team is on the upswing this season.

After going a combined 7-48 (4-32 against Southland Conference opponents) the last two seasons, the Bearkats are 7-7 (2-2) through 14 games in the 2018-19 season.

“Culture is something that you have to work on every day,” head coach Ravon Justice said.

“It’s not just when you come to practice. It’s film, you know it’s school, it’s having a great attitude every day… We talk about winning the day every day, and

that’s what we want to be a part of our culture.”

Under first year head coach Ravon Justice, the Bearkats have implemented an up-tempo, paceand-space style of play, which has led to success.

“Pace-and-space is our game,” Justice said. “That’s really important to me because you can’t just turn it on in a game. If you’re going to be a fast-paced team then you have to practice it every day.”

Playing faster has paid huge dividends for the Bearkats, as they have scored at least 100 points twice this season. It is the first time they have reached triple digits since the 1994-95 season against Nicholls State

University. In 2019-19, the Kats are averaging 72.6 points per game, which is an improvement of over 15 points from last season. If they keep up this pace they would set a school record as the highest scoring team in SHSU history, breaking the 2010-11 squad’s record of 69.3.

Leading the offensive outburst this year is junior guard Jaylonn Walker. Walker leads the team in scoring with 15.7 points per game and is second on the team in assists with 3.6 per game.

A transfer from McClennan Community College, Walker has helped the Bearkats become competitive in their first year under Justice.

“The biggest thing is you

want to compete every night,” Justice said. “As long as you compete you have an opportunity to win games.”

After being picked to finish last in the Southland Conference preseason poll, the Bearkats have made it clear that they are not going to be a cellar dweller.

After a solid 5-5 non-conference stretch, they have continued momentum into conference play with wins over the University of Central Arkansas and Incarnate Word. The UCA Sugar Bears were picked third in the preseason and were one of just two teams with first place votes in the poll.

One area in which the Bearkats have improved the most

is team chemistry. The team did return eight players from a season ago, but anytime you implement an entirely new style the way that Justice has, chemistry does figure to be an issue.

“The biggest thing is chemistry,” Justice said. “I don’t think people realize how hard it is to love basketball when you’re losing. That’s the biggest thing is just the chemistry and encouraging each other through tough days, and that’s what I’m the most proud of.”

The Bearkats look to continue implementing a winning culture going forward, as they start a four game homestand Wednesday Jan. 23 against Northwestern State.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HuntsvilleSports | Monday, January 21, 2019

Page 11

SPORTS

Men’s Hoops Sits Atop Southland Conference

BY GABE MYERS Sports Editor The Sam Houston State University men’s basketball team is off to a hot start in Southland Conference play. The Bearkats have hit the ground running to start 5-0— good for first place in the early stages of the season and the only remaining undefeated SLC squad.

After going just 5-8 in non-conference play, the Bearkats appear to be a real contender for the championship in Katy in March.

“You know our schedule early was brutal,” head coach Jason Hooten said. “We had at one point played more quality road

games than any division one team in the country. So I just think you gain a lot from that.”

The common theme for any Hooten-led team is defense. In their four conference games this season, the Bearkats have yet to allow 70 points to any single opponent. Twice they actually held their opposition to under 60.

Big contributions from the Delaney brothers were to be expected given that this is their senior season. What was perhaps less predictable was the impact by freshmen guards Zach Nutall and Xavier Bryant. They have burst onto the scene with major impacts in their first years with the Bearkats.

Nutall led the team in scoring

in two of their four conference games, putting up 18 against Central Arkansas and 15 against Texas A&M Corpus Christi. He is averaging just under 12 points per game in conference play, while Bryant is settling into his role as a facilitator for the Bearkats.

Bryant really began to find his rhythm right before conference play on December 31 against Texas Lutheran when he had 12 assists, a season high for any Bearkat player so far.

“Our depth off the bench is something that I’m really happy with right now, and I think a big part of it is those two guys,” Hooten said. “Early in the year Zach played a whole lot more than Xavier because of physical-

ity and position. Then all of the sudden we got to conference and Xavier started to figure some things out.”

While it would be easy to start looking ahead at how the Bearkats could fare in March, or how they match up with arch-rival and perennial conference power Stephen F. Austin, Hooten is consumed with making sure his team focuses on the here and now.

“This season will be successful if we continue to improve as a team,” Hooten said. “And we continue to come together and understand that it’s all about winning and working hard every day.”

The Bearkats will look to continue their perfect start to

conference play on Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. in a road battle against the Northwestern State University Demons.