Monday, October 29, 2018
The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
Students Dedicated to Professional Journalism Volume 130 | Issue 5
@HoustonianNews
@houstoniannews
/HoustonianNews HoustonianOnline.com
Kats Bounce Back With Homecoming Win
SHSU defeated SLU 28-25 at Bowers Stadium to win their 10th consecutive Homecoming game. Tyler Josefsen
BY JORDAN SMITH Sports Editor The Sam Houston State University Bearkats edged out the Southeastern Louisiana Lions 28-25 to win their tenth consecutive Homecoming game. Redshirt freshman quarterback Ty Brock had another 300-plus yard game— throwing for 320 yards on 23/32 passing with one touchdown and one
interception in the victory. Sophomore running back Kyran Jackson had another career day. 19 carries led to 114 yards and three rushing touchdowns. Not only did Jackson make an impact on the ground, but he also had three catches for 32 yards out of the backfield. The Kats faced adversity early when standout senior wide receiver Davion Davis had to be helped off the field after a tackle in the red zone. He eventu-
ally left for the locker room on crutches and was unable to return to the game. With Davis off the field, freshman Dee Bowens stepped up, finishing the day with eight catches for 155 yards and the only touchdown reception of the game for the Bearkats. Bowens talked about his breakout performance where he picked up his first collegiate touchdown. “I thought I performed pretty
well,” Bowens said. “Davion [Davis] got hurt, and I knew that I had to step in and make some big plays. I had some big shoes to fill, so I had to step up.” Bearkats head coach K.C. Keeler talked about the close victory and the fight his team endured all game long. “It was a great win,” Keeler said. “There were times I looked out there, and there were four freshmen at the skill positions. It was a well-fought game, and
I’m very proud of our guys. It doesn’t matter what the name on the back of the jersey is. You’re a Bearkat. We need you right now. We absolutely enjoyed a great win.” The Bearkats have a pivotal contest coming up against the University of Incarnate Word Cardinals who are part of a four-way tie for second in the Southland Conference with SHSU. Kickoff will be Saturday at 2 p.m. in San Antonio.
Tyler Josefsen
President Dana G. Hoyt (left) shakes hands with distinguished alumni. This year’s alumni included Tom Freeman, Russell Gordy, Alan Tinsley, Melissa Alvarez-Downing, Bill Baldwin, and Carol Weller.
Tyler Josefsen
Senior Business Finance major Ethen Espinoza and junior Healthcare Administration major Ciana Garcia are the newly crowned Homecoming King and Queen of Sam Houston State University.
Gavin Guinther
Gavin Guinther
The Houstonian | bit.ly/SHSUCampusNews | Monday, October 29, 2018
election news
Page 2
The Houstonian | bit.ly/HuntsvilleCommunityNews | Monday, October 29, 2018
election news
Page 3
The Houstonian | bit.ly/HoustonianAandE | Monday, October 29, 2018
Page 4
arts & entertainment
City Secretary Has High Hopes for Huntsville responsibilities intrinsic to the job, Lee says her true motivation is the citizens of Huntsville. “[Huntsville residents] deserve efficient and effective governance, and their taxes fund it,” Woodward said. “Every city thinks it has the best citizens, of course, but ours are truly compassionate, concerned and hard-working.” Even after nine years in this line of work, Woodward still finds excitement in even the dayto-day proceedings of the job. “The other thing that wakes me up and gets me to work The Huntsville Item every day is the sheer variety of things we handle,” Woodward BY TESLA CADENA said. “I get to work with the Arts & Entertainment Editor citizens, the council members and the city staff, and each has different needs and priorities. Huntsville City Secretary It is truly a pleasure to help find Lee Woodward lives her life solutions, and we never stop according to neutrality, honesty learning, which I really like. You and integrity. For the past nine never know it all in this job, and years, the City of Huntsville has if you think you do, a legislahad her behind the scenes helptive session will come along and ing to steer the city in the right change something.” direction. Woodward’s passion for Tasked with council adminHuntsville is deep-rooted. It istration, elections and the role stems from when her family of public information officer, came to the city in 1968. WoodWoodward’s experience with the ward is a proud Huntsville High city is nothing if not extensive. School graduate. She is accountable for process“I eventually ended up working public information requests, ing overseas but returned to serves as parliamentarian for the the area around 2004 or so,” council and is in charge of many Woodward said. “A friend of other city functions. mine told me the job would fit Woodward has also comy mania for organization and authored the 10th and 11th multitasking. It did, and those editions of “Texas Municipal are some of the things I really Clerks Handbook,” and won the enjoy about the job.” local Salt Grass Chapter’s 2017 Asked to interview for the Clerk of the Year award. She position in September 2009, she also serves as president of the was given the job that same fall. Texas Women Leading Govern- However, she came to the job ment’s Gulf Coast Chapter. with an idea of how to do it. Aside from the assortment of “I had worked for a member
of Congress while I was at Texas A&M and spent a semester in that office in D.C. but had never really considered a career in local government,” Woodward said. Woodward believes being accessible, open and respondent to the community is the best way to foster relationships, in hopes that it keeps citizens informed and willing to participate more in their local community and government. She says there are a lot of people that may not know about city hall’s purpose, atmosphere or even about local officials themselves; Woodward wishes to change that. “I wish people knew how approachable the city council members are and how important a wide variety of public input is,” Woodward said.
in the U.S., but he was passionate about local issues,” Woodward said. “It’s really important that municipal government is not affiliated with political parties because, as they say, potholes are not Democratic or Republican. There doesn’t have to be agreement on any hot button issues in order for us to do our best for
“I hope every conversation or transaction with the City of Huntsville helps tear down the stereotype of bureaucrats.” “I wish more children and young people personally knew our fabulous police officers and fire firefighters. I wish more SHSU students followed the city’s social media accounts and joined in at events and volunteer opportunities, and I wish so many people would attend the State of the City address that we’d have standing room only.” Through her life experience, Woodward has developed specific ideals about certain ways a city should be operated. “My father held a resident alien ‘green’ card all his life and could never vote in any election
FASTER. SAFER. SMARTER.
the community.” Action, civility, awareness and compromise must be a two-way street when it comes to solving local issues. Woodward explained that starting conversations and breaking down stereotypes about the government, political parties and officials is one of the tougher aspects of the job. “Especially in today’s environment of poor behavior on television, it can be challenging to slow the rush to make noise and assumptions when what’s needed is time spent working with those who have questions or opposing views,” Woodward said. “City employees and elected officials are open to hearing about diffi-
Suncity E.P. Review BY KEMBERLIE SPIVEY Contributing Reporter
TEXAS HIGH SPEED TRAIN HOUSTON TO DALLAS IN 90 MINUTES WITH A STOP DEEP IN THE HEART OF TEXAS
Visit TexasCentral.com to learn more. Text TRAIN to 52886 for updates.
culties and concerns and finding answers. Likewise, sometimes issues are easily resolved with a call to a department or the City Manager, rather than assuming no one wants to help or venting on social media. And, as is to be expected, some topics take more time and more consideration. I hope every conversation or transaction with the City of Huntsville helps tear down the stereotype of bureaucrats.” Woodward knows Huntsville can continue improving and encourages citizens to vote, watch the live City Council Meetings on Channel 7, read the “City Connection” along with Mayor Brauninger’s monthly “Huntsville Item” contribution, visit city facilities, support local businesses and go to public festivities. Her overall advice is to just be involved. “In any city you live in, for the rest of your life, commit to participating in some way,” Woodward said. “It could be serving on a city board, volunteering at a holiday festival, donating to a library or arts center, attending city council meetings or anything. The range of functions cities perform in different places is staggering. You will meet some good people and learn something about where you live.”
R&B artist Khalid Donnel Robinson, known professionally as Khalid, captivated the world with his break-out track “Location” and his debut album “American Teen.” Khalid has returned with his follow-up extended player (E.P.) “Suncity,” another name for El Paso, Texas. Khalid’s new E.P. is a sweet, brief introduction to his softer side. The 21-minute project features an excerpt from the day the 20-year-old singer/songwriter was presented with the keys to the city of El Paso in September 2018. The El Paso singer has talent. Khalid can jump from genre to genre; his voice is strong, and he even has some charm. “Suncity” doesn’t escape that feeling. Khalid shows love and appreciation for El Paso, where he attended high school. He is a pop star, and he’s talented on the R&B end— but it’s just not where he’s most comfortable. The 7-track playlist includes a brief opening called “9.13,” a track of Khalid receiving the keys to the city of El Paso. Other songs such as “Vertigo” enhance a range of Khalid’s vocals that I have never heard from him before. “Saturday Nights” strikes as a low tempo guitar-based ballad about being young and lost but finding your way through it all. “Salem’s Interlude” seems to follow a story of fear and direction. “Motions” appears to express the triumph of falling in love. “Better” is a softer side of Khalid that embraces a little of R&B. Honestly, it is my favorite
song off the E.P. The main track “Suncity” stands out as the midtempo track that brings a special Latin vibe. In the bilingual collaboration track, Khalid sings in English and Spanish with Latin American singer/songwriter Empress Of. Khalid seems to feel at home having another vocalist to bounce off of and not having to carry the future hit on his own. Having history with the mostly Hispanic city of El Paso helped Khalid to create a feeling of certainty. I insist you listen to the entire album because it is definitely enjoyable from beginning to end. This music was genuine, and it seems as though Khalid spent a lot of time figuring out the right songs to put on this E.P. Khalid stated that he wants his music to grow and represent how he is growing up. I think the E.P. accomplished Khalid’s goal through sound in a new form. Even though Khalid has grown throughout the project, he is mostly the same. He is still the least controversial pop star we have right now—which, in this moment, we need more of. Khalid’s E.P. is definitely hinting towards a full album in the future. I hope there will be a release in early 2019.
The Houstonian | bit.ly/HoustonianOpinions | Monday, October 29, 2018
Page 5
Opinions
Personal Narrative: Dia de los Muertos
BY ALLURA GUERRA Contributing Writer The Day of the Dead, or Día de los Muertos, is a popular Mexican celebration that allows family and friends to remember loved ones who have passed away. It is said that the spirits of the dead return to visit their families on Oct. 31 and leave on Nov. 2. For those who participate in this celebration, death is seen as another stage after life, and it isn’t something that people fear. The coming of our deceased loved one’s souls are celebrated and welcomed. To honor and celebrate their loved ones, families typically create ofrendas (altars) that are filled with their loved one’s favorite foods as well as flowers, candles,
pan de muerto, sugar skulls and, most importantly, pictures of their loved ones. This long-lived tradition is probably the most important aspect of the day, as it serves to welcome the spirts home and show them that they haven’t been forgotten. Families typically create and display the altars in their homes and decorate them with bright, festive colors. Altars may even display representations of hobbies that deceased loved ones enjoyed in their life. However, while food and symbolic items are placed on the ofrendas, the four essential elements of nature (earth, wind, water and fire) must always be included. Earth is typically represented through dried fruits or objects from the harvest season— such as rich soil. Wind is presented through papel picado (artistically cut paper), which is used to decorate the alter. Water is also included so that souls may replenish their thirst after their long journey home. Lastly, fire is represented by candles as to light the way for souls to find their way home. The movie “Coco” released in 2017, shed light on Day of the
Dead and made it more relatable for many of us. The movie is based on a young boy named Miguel who accidentally finds himself in the Land of the Dead and uses the help of his great-great-grandfather to return home. The opening scene portrays Miguel and his family preparing offerings for Día de los Muertos in remembrance of their ancestors who have passed away. The relationship that we have with the dead is a key theme introduced to us as “the final death.” Throughout the movie we slowly learn that a person who passed away can only continue living in the beautiful Land of the Dead if there is someone to remember them in the Land of the Living. If there is no one left to remember them, the per-
son disappears into the abyss of nothingness. This concept of the “final death” that is introduced to us is drawn from traditional Mexican ideas that there are “three deaths” that a person experiences. The “first death” is simply a physical one when an individual’s
body dies. The “second death” is one that has a significant relationship with nature in that the body is seen as being laid to rest in the earth. Lastly, the “third death” is the one introduced to us as “the final death” because it’s the moment when all memory of an individual fades. The movie did a great job at accurately representing the rich Mexican
culture found in this significant day of Día de los Muertos. It not only taught us some rich cultural history, but pulled at our heart strings and helped us appreciate our family a little more. As for my family and me, Día de los Muertos does serve as a reminder for us to never forget our loved ones who have passed away before or during our lifetime. Although I was born after my grandmother on my dad’s side passed away, pictures and stories do help me to celebrate and remember her life. Family is so important to me and embracing my Hispanic culture and participating in events such as Day of the Dead helps me to appreciate my loved ones even more. I love when my family and I come together to look at old photographs of our deceased relatives and when we take a trip to their graves to bring them flowers or other decorations. I hope that after reading this you understand a little more about Día de los Muertos and that maybe you and your family can create an ofrenda of your own.
The Art and the Students at Risk: Is Lack of Artist: Bill Cosby Security Cameras a threat?
BY MEGHAN METOYER Contributing Writer American comedian, actor and author, Bill Cosby, 81, has been imprisoned after being convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent sexual assault back in April. Close to five dozen women have come forward accusing Cosby of sexual misconduct. I find Bill Cosby’s actions deplorable, though initially, his contributions to black American culture gave me pause - I didn’t know what to believe. Could a man who inadvertently contributed so much to my childhood have done something like this? To start, in no way am I trying to be a rape apologist, nor am I defending sexual predators. I wholeheartedly believe that what Bill Cosby did is wrong, and I’m happy that he’s being held accountable (especially since most sexual assault cases don’t always work in favor of the victim). That said, Bill Cosby has been contributing to the world of comedy since before I was born. I was born in 1993, so I can admit that my knowledge of Bill Cosby’s work is limited to Jell-
O commercials and reruns of “A Different World” and “The Cosby Show.” Still, those two shows impacted me so much. “The Cosby Show” was such a great depiction of a middle-class black family navigating the world while balancing family issues. I didn’t realize its impact on me as a child, but in retrospect, “The Cosby Show” gave me something to aspire to—the Huxtables weren’t perfect, but were overall a functional, normal family. Not to mention, the show was, for the most part, free of harmful stereotypes about the black community. “A Different World””— which was a spinoff of “The Cosby Show”— followed the lives of several students at the fictional Hillman University and tackled issues such as rape culture, domestic violence, etc. This show was one of few reasons I even considered college as an option as a kid. Watching “A Different World” made me excited to get to college and explore my independence, perspective and identity as a woman. To this day, I’ll admit that I’m not rushing to change the channel when either of these two shows air. However, I don’t think everyone has to have this viewpoint. I don’t blame people if they don’t want anything to do with Bill Cosby, but I personally believe that it’s possible to hold the person accountable for their actions without punishing the art.
BY JORDAN LIKENS Copy/Photo Editor On Oct. 26, someone near and dear to my heart was involved in a hit-and-run accident. Fortunately, she made it out alive with minimal bodily injuries—just a few scratches and dents to her rear-end. That someone was my black 2016 Nissan Altima, commonly known as “Valentina.” Valentina was parked outside my apartment at Bearkat Village, simply minding her own business when a young, clearly inconsiderate, college student rolled up in a white vehicle, clipping Valentina’s bumper as they whipped into the parking spot beside her. The student did not report the incident. When I later discovered the damage, I proceeded with filing a police report. As the officer scribbled down my information and documented the details of my day, I surveyed the parking lot for any sign of a security camera or surveillance equipment. To my dismay, the officer informed me that not only does Bearkat Village lack security cameras in its parking lot, but this is true for most of the parking lots on
campus. The officer confirmed that as few as two dorm buildings actually have security cameras in their parking lots. This reality enraged me more than the damage done to my car. According to Neighborhood Scout, 1-in-45 people will fall victim to either a violent crime or property crime in the city of Huntsville. With a student body population of over 20,000 students (that’s approximately half the population of Huntsville as a whole), these types of crimes are bound to occur on our campus. How is it that our university has failed to provide crucial surveillance equipment, such as security cameras, in parking lots and throughout campus? Security cameras could assist in deterring crime and allowing for more thorough criminal investigations. According to Watchmen Security, security cameras have been beneficial in deterring crime for many cities with high crime rates. After the installation of security cameras, East Orange, New Jersey saw a crime rate reduction of almost 50% from 2003 to 2006. Criminals are less likely to act if they are aware that their actions could be documented. When a crime has been committed, however, security footage is some of the most significant evidence in an investigation. In a study of the effectiveness of security cameras in solving
crime, 251,195 crimes reported by the British Transport Police were analyzed. Security footage was available to police in 45% of these criminal cases and was determined useful 29% of the time. Not only has security footage been proven to deter crime, but aid in solving it, as well. Had there been security cameras in the parking lots on campus, I would not be required to “foot the bill” for someone else’s mistake. Had there been security cameras to document the incident, the guilty party could be held accountable for their actions. I was fortunate enough, however, to have only fallen victim to a minor property crime. What if it had been a more serious crime— such as robbery, rape, kidnapping or even murder? Without eyewitness testimony, police would have no evidence to assist their investigation. According to SHSU’s website, these are just a few of the most significant crimes committed oncampus in 2017-2018: 43 counts of larceny-theft, 27 counts of destruction/damage/vandalism, 10 counts of burglary, and 6 counts of simple assault. Utilizing security cameras in our parking lots would ensure the safety of our student body, faculty and staff. Sam Houston State University’s inadequacy is putting students’ safety at risk.
The Houstonian | bit.ly/HuntsvilleSports | Monday, October 29, 2018
Page 6
SPORTS
New Leaders, New Era of Bearkat Basketball
GoBearkats.com BY JORDAN SMITH Sports Editor The Sam Houston State University Bearkats basketball programs are gearing up for another season of hoops and look to start their new era of reign in the Southland Conference. Men’s Basketball The 2018-19 Bearkats squad is loaded with new faces after big names like Christopher Galbreth Jr., John Dewey III and Jamal Williams departed from last season due to graduation or other reasons. Head coach Jason Hooten talked about getting back into the swing of things with his team. “We’re getting close to being full basketball mode, but we are not close to being a good team yet,” Hooten said. “We’ve got a long, long, long ways to go, and I think as a coach you just always forget how hard it is when you have seven new people and especially those seven new guys that are going to have to play an integral part of your team.
So, we’re not near a finished product by all means. We’ve had one scrimmage. We have another one tomorrow, and then we are going to try to maybe do an intrasquad Thursday night and maybe have it open to the public. Then we’ll get ready for the sixth. It’s going to be a while, it’s going to be a process. I think that defensively, we’ve got a long ways to go.” Returning to the squad this season and taking over as the defacto “face of men’s basketball” is redshirt senior guard Marcus Harris. He returns to the court this season as the only Bearkat selected to the Southland Conference 2018-19 Preseason All-Conference second team. Last season, Harris, was reliable on the score card with an average of 9.4 points per game on .369 percent shooting from the field. Harris also was reliable from the charity stripe, converting 77.9 percent from the free throw line. The Bearkats have a new look, with seven new faces on the roster. One of those new faces that Hooten and the rest of the coaching staff thinks highly of
is redshirt sophomore forward R.J. Smith. A transfer from Butler Community College, Smith averaged 13.7 points per game in 30 starts last season. Smith also averaged 7.5 rebounds per game and hit 46.9 percent from the field and 31.2 percent from beyond the arc. Smith talked about his new opportunity that lies before him this season. “I’m looking forward to a lot,” Smith said. “I’m a transfer, I came from a junior college. So, just being here, playing in division one basketball is going to be fun. I just can’t wait to play with everyone on the team, they are a great group of guys.” The men’s squad plays their first game of the season at home with a tip-off of 6:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 6 at Johnson Coliseum as they take on the East Texas Baptist University Tigers. Women’s Basketball With a new head coach in Ravon Justice being hired this offseason, the Bearkat program is optimistic about the future and their hopes to one day see their team get to the promised land of the NCAA March Madness
tournament for the first time. The Bearkats are looking to get over four wins for the first time since the 2015-16 season where they saw the program get to the Southland Conference tournament and end in eighth place with a 14-18 overall record last season. Justice talked at the Bearkat Madness event about what excites her the most about the upcoming season. “The thing I’m most excited for is just competing every game,” Justice said. “We want to compete every game and have fun with it.” Returning to the helm of the Women’s program is junior guard Jenniffer Oramas, who last season averaged 10.0 points per game on 33.5 percent shooting from the field and 30.0 percent from behind the three point line. Oramas also averaged 3.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds per contest in the 26 games she played in last season, 25 of which she started. Oramas talked about what the mindset is going into this season for the Bearkats. “Just competing, winning more games,” Oramas said. “I
feel like we are really working hard and it’s just all going to pay off.” Also returning for the Bearkats is senior forward Lydia Baxter and junior guard Rachel Harrell. Baxter last season was the main force down in the key with an average of 7.3 rebounds per game and had three doubledoubles last season from points and rebounds. Harrell returns with one of the best three point percentages on the team with a 30.4 shooting percentage from behind the arc last season. Of her 154 points last season, 123 came from downtown. Harrell also heads into the 2018-19 season with a career 32.6 shooting percentage from three point territory. The women’s squad tips-off their first game of the season at 5:30 p.m. on Nov. 6 in Baton Rouge as they take on the Louisiana State University Tigers. Their first home game of the season will be at 4 p.m. Nov. 8 at Johnson Coliseum as they take on the Jarvis Christian College Bulldogs.
Huntsville Hornets Celebrate Homecoming With Shutout BY JONATHAN WILLIAMS Huntsville Hive Reporter
The Huntsville High School Hornets took home another win this season during their Homecoming game, shutting out the Paetow Panthers 48-0 Friday night. This marked the Hornets’ third shutout of the season as they improved to 5-0 in the District 10-5A Division II Standings. A pass from junior quarterback Matthew Southern to junior Cameron Meyers scored the first touchdown of the game, giving the Panthers just a glimpse of the potent offensive show to come. The Hornets continued to show their strength in the first quarter as they totaled three touchdowns. The offense dominated through the second quarter and took a 41-0 lead into the locker room. On the other side of the ball, the defense kept the Panthers at bay. During halftime, Matthew
Cano and Ivette Santos were crowned Homecoming King and Queen. In the third quarter, the Hornets tacked on one more touchdown and continued to keep the Panthers off the scoreboard. For the rest of the game the Hornets played a mean defense just as they have throughout much of this season. The combination of the high-scoring offense and stout defense has led to a 7-1 overall record. Despite the lopsided score, the Panthers held up well against the Hornets given this was the first year the new school had a football team. “We dominated them on all parts of the ball,” sophomore Jayden Baker said. “If anything, we should have been cleaner in our fourth quarter, but we did really [well] over all.” The Hornets will hit the road to face the Lake Creek Lions (2-6) on Friday. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m.
@HoustonianSport Huntsville Hive