12/4/19- Bi Weekly Issue

Monday, December 4, 2019

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

Students Dedicated to Professional Journalism Volume 131 | Issue 8

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The 98th annual Tree of Light celebration was held Dec. 3 in the mall. According to Sam Houston State University’s website, Tree of Light is the university’s oldest and most cherished tradition. What began as a simple Christmas tree lighting evolved into a celebration with dancers, singers, t-shirts, a canned food drive, educational events, photo opportunities and more.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/SHSUCampusNews | Monday, December 4, 2019

Page 2

campus news

Law Will Enforce Mandatory Reporting of Title IX Violations

BY RYAN WELCH Contributing Reporter On June 14, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed into law Senate Bill (SB) 212. This new law creates a criminal offence and authorizes administrative penalties for any employee of a Texas university who fails to report incidents of sexual harassment, sexual assault, dating violence or stalking against a student or employee.

SB 212 requires university employees to report sexual misconduct violations to a Title IX coordinator or deputy Title IX coordinator or they could be charged with a misdemeanor and the university will terminate their employment.

The Texas State University System has issued a 37-page policy letter for its universities in response to the passage of SB 212 called the “Texas State University System Sexual Misconduct Policy and Procedures.”

The new policy was approved in August.

Courtesy of Her Campus LEGISLATION FOR EQUALITY. Title IX is a clause in the 1972 Education Act stating that no one shall because of sex be denied the benefits of any educational program or activity that receives direct federal aid.

According to the National Center for Education Statistics the overall number of reported on-campus crimes decreased by 32% from 2001 to 2016. A University of Texas study conducted between 2015 and 2017 found that 10% of female undergraduate students and 4% of male undergraduate students across the University of Texas system reported being raped.

Title IX is a federal law intended to prevent students from being denied federally funded educational opportunities on the basis of sex. U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos proposed easing Title IX restrictions on how universities are expected to handle reported sexual assaults on their campuses last year. The new guidance would replace Obama-era rules

that some believed did not do enough to protect the due process rights of those accused of sexual misconduct.

Abbott and the Texas Legislature passed SB 212 and two other campus safety bills partially in response to the possible changes to Title IX sexual assault reporting requirements.

Texas now has one of the tightest regulations in the nation for how colleges and universities must handle cases of sexual misconduct.

There is a potential conflict between the proposed federal guidelines and the new Texas law. Under SB 212, a university employee who knows about an inappropriate comment to a student on campus that could interfere with the student’s education would need to report the incident to a Title IX coordinator. The proposed federal changes to Title IX would require a much higher standard of misconduct. It would require that sexual misconduct effectively deny a student of equal access to educational programs and

activities.

Perhaps the biggest difference between the federal law and the Texas law is that non-compliance with federal Title IX regulations could result in the withdrawal of federal funds, including monies earmarked for student loans. In contrast, non-compliance to SB 212 creates a criminal offense for university employees who fail to report possible sexual misconduct.

Wesley Johnson, a San Antonio attorney, told the Dallas Observer that one possible problem with SB 212 is that it creates a different standard for sexual harassment at the higher education level than it does for K-12. Texas’ new law only applies to colleges and universities and creates a situation where a certain behavior might not be considered sexual harassment in high school, but if it took place on a college campus, it would.

SB 212 went into effect Sept.

1, and criminal sanctions go into effect Jan. 1, 2020.

Emily Guerra

The Houstonian | bit.ly/SHSUCampusNews | Monday, December 4, 2019

Page 3

campus news

Advanced Technology Makes Cheating Easier

BY RACHAEL FORBES Contributing Reporter In the past few years headlines about college students being caught cheating on GroupMe and Quizlet apps have become increasingly prevalent.

Assistant Professor of Mass Communication Katharine Hubbard said that students may cheat for a variety of reasons.

“They don’t have to do the real work of learning and haven’t been caught before, so they keep doing it, which is laziness,” Hubbard said. “Some students

also cheat because they feel pressured to be perfect in education and grades. I think in some cases they really don’t know they are doing something wrong.”

With technology improving, students have new convenient opportunities to cheat. The ability to have answers saved on a smart watch, use a fake calculator app, have a replacement test and use the GroupMe app to compare answers with others while taking an at-home quiz has accelerated classroom dishonesty.

Spanish professor Sujey Myers said many students cheat during online tests and use apps.

“One of the biggest [things] talked about in faculty meetings is kids taking tests online without proctors and being able to cheat because of this,” Myers said. “Another one is using Facebook or GroupMe apps to send and receive information from class members.”

Hubbard said the most creative way she’s ever seen a student cheat was changing major content words within a sentence written by another student.

“I knew they were cheating because they were using words that haven’t trended in vocabulary since the late 1800s or early 1900s,” Hubbard said.

Stiff consequences come for those students who are caught cheating. This includes dropping letter grades, failing a class, suspension or even expulsion.

Myers said she talks to her students about the consequences of cheating while going over the university policies in the syllabus.

“Normally in the beginning of the course while going over the syllabus is when I cover cheating,” Myers said. “It is in the policies of the university and I like to mention that not learning for classes they are paying for isn’t the smartest thing to do.”

Hubbard believes the best way

to address cheating is to create a culture that doesn’t believe it is okay to cheat, but instead understands that it is acceptable to fail until you get it right.

“If our students believe cheating is wrong, they will be less tempted to do it,” Hubbard said. “I think creating learning environments where it’s okay to fail at something and using it as a learning experience, instead of a harshly graded punishment, could help. It would allow students to try new ways of doing things without feeling like they have to get it right the first time.”

What’s the WORD on the STREET? What is your holiday tradition?

EVAN SHUMARD Senior Mass Communication

“My family and I travel to my aunt and uncle’s house every year in Houston to open presents and eat as a big family.”

TAYLOR WEBB

Senior Business Administration

“My family is very religious, so going to church is a must during the Christmas holidays. It makes our bond even stronger.”

DEJOHN PIPPINS Junior Computer Engineering

“I play the saxophone, my brother plays the piano and my sister sings, so we usually have fun with singing Christmas melodies all together.”

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HuntsvilleNews | Monday, December 4, 2019

Page 4

community news

Keep Christmas Jolly With Expert Safety Tips How to keep a Grinch from stealing your Christmas.

BY DOMINIQUE STANFORD

Contributing Reporter With the holiday season upon us crime is expected to rise steadily. The city of Huntsville has seen crime surge since earlier this month.

On Nov. 15 through Nov. 17 there were zero cases of burglary, while during the same period there were two cases of theft reported by the Huntsville Police Department, according to the Huntsville Item’s police blot-

ter. On Thanksgiving weekend there was an increase with seven cases of theft and four cases of burglary, both vehicle and household, reported.

Huntsville Police Department reported slow and steady increases of both theft and burglary rates.

Five of the reported theft and burglary locations have been in areas associated with student apartments off campus.

The surge of crime could be related to the fact the holiday season is approaching. Students

tend to leave their apartments and visit home during the holidays, leaving their apartments empty and potentially vulnerable.

ASecureLife is a news outlet that tests products, conducts research and creates resources that pertain to safety. They say to not indicate publicly when no one is home, which includes social media posts. Instead of posting photos during the holidays while away, waiting to post until getting back from the holiday could make a difference.

Closing curtains and blinds and moving valuables out of sight can make an apartment less intriguing to potential criminals. To prevent mail from building up outside the door while no one is home, people can go online and have USPS hold the mail at the local post office for free for 30 days.

In addition to household crimes, vehicle crimes were also reported to rise over Thanksgiving weekend.

The National Neighborhood Watch suggests that during

the holiday season individuals should avoid keeping valuables in their vehicles and remember to lock car doors. The National Insurance Crime Bureau advises people to park only in well-lit areas and make sure their windows are closed.

Holiday Season is Not So Merry Behind Bars

BY AMANDA J. RAASKA

Community News Editor During the holiday season, people are focused on Christmas shopping and preparing meals for their families. Media can show this time of year as cov-

ered in glowing lights and happiness. However, some groups of people don’t get the holiday experience.

One group of people are prisoners living out their time in correctional facilities throughout the country. Huntsville is home to seven different prisons that

contain both men and women within their walls.

Sarah Kitchen is a former Texas Department of Criminal Justice Sergeant in the Ferguson Unit. During her time with TDCJ, she worked within the kitchens and directly with prisoners.

“Working during the holidays was both very stressful and depressing,” Kitchen said.

For the case of the holiday meal, prisoners would get to enjoy some classic holiday foods on Thanksgiving Day and Christmas: ham, turkey, green beans and types of pies. If the prisoner had a specific religious meal or restrictions, the prisoner would have to write the prison clergy to explain their religious preferences.

Prison clergy put on certain religious events during the holidays like Christmas sermons for Christian prisoners and reading the Torah for Jewish prisoners.

Other religious activities like midnight mass were banned due to prison guidelines.

If the holiday didn’t fall during the weekend visiting hours, families could not visit prisoners during the day. Also, every prisoner is different, with some getting a lot of mail during the holidays while others may not even get a letter.

“[Some of] the inmates would either contemplate suicide or escaping due to fact they had very limited or no family contact through visits and messages,” Kitchen said.

Prisoners spent the holidays sticking to their regular schedule of recreation times and work hours even if it is the day of Christmas. They could give each other “gifts” from commissary, but the prisoners could not call them gifts or wrap them in any way.

For the guards in the prison, the holidays can be even more of an unenjoyable experience.

“Most of the guards would stay at alert for escapes or suicides, because it was a very tense time with a chance of riot can happen at any time,” Kitchen said.

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The Houstonian | bit.ly/HuntsvilleNews | Monday, December 4, 2019

Page 5

community news

God, Family, Wine: The Story Behind Froggy Winery

BY ALLURA GUERRA

Contributing Reporter Debra Arp looked outside the car window as she and her husband drove down Knox Circle, a long, narrow gravel road northeast of Huntsville off TX 19. With nothing but trees as far as she could see, Arp noticed a small sign for a local business called Froggy Wines.

Arp and her husband, with no plans for the day, stopped in for a wine tasting.

When the couple arrived at the small, two-room shed, they were happily greeted by the owners and were offered five different wines to try.

Six years later, Arp recalled that it was the hospitality of the owners and the flavorful wines that have kept her coming back.

“When we walked in, we were greeted by two of the friendliest people we’ve ever met,” Arp said.

“They offered us a free wine tasting and after the first glass, we were sold.”

Those friendly people were Richard and Deborah Henriksen, the co-owners of Froggy Wines, located at 104 Knox Circle, just off TX 19 toward Riverside and roughly nine miles from Sam Houston State University’s campus as the crow flies.

Richard Henriksen, 67, is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Leadership and Counseling at Sam

Houston State University, and Deborah Henriksen, 62, serves as the assistant to the chair in the Department of Engineering Technology.

The Henriksens have busy schedules at the university, so time management is key. There are no off days when it comes to running a business, but family plays a key role in supporting the winery and its success.

“The business really is a family affair,” Richard Henriksen said. “My daughters help out when they can, and me and my wife both own the business equally.”

Deborah Henriksen coined the name for the winery jointly based on her frog collection she assembled over 40 years and her

Courtesy of Froggy Wines Facebook WINE NOT? Richard and Deborah Henriksen both work at SHSU and run the local winery, Froggy Wines.

unwavering Catholic faith.

“We wanted to share God’s love with people when they ask about our business name and creating an acronym gave us a perfect way to do so.

Froggy stands for ‘forever rely on God’s gifts to you,’” Deborah Henriksen said.

The couple started their winery 10 years ago by toying around with wine kits.

“When we first found out the wine kits were being sold, we went and bought one to make our first batch of wine,” Richard Henriksen said. “We shared it with our friends and they loved it.”

They gave away free bottles of wine every time they made a batch and eventually calculated how profitable the hobby would be if they were selling their product instead of giving it away.

“After realizing how successful our wine was among our friends, we decided we needed to turn our hobby into a business and start making some money,” Richard Henriksen said. “Although I graduated from Sam Houston and had lived here previously, we moved away be-

cause I couldn’t find a teaching position after I graduated.

“But my wife and I eventually came back when [a teaching position] opened up here and that’s

when we decided we were going to open a winery,” he continued.

“However, it was tough at the beginning because we only knew the arts side of making wine, not the science or the business side.”

To learn the science and business sides, the couple enrolled in classes in oenology, the study of wine and winemaking, at Grayson College in Denison.

For two years, they studied how to open a business, learned about the scientific process of making wine and continued their plan to establish a winery.

The couple also hired students from the College of Science and Engineering Technology to help construct the primary building of the winery itself.

Students have also provided input on the winery’s landscape design, which was incorporated in the final production of the building.

Richard and Deborah Henriksen said they plan to erect a new building on their property solely for manufacturing, while continuing to submit their wines to wine competitions and creating a bigger footprint in Huntsville.

“We would like to expand our business by selling our wines at local restaurants and stores, but we don’t plan to go further than Trinity County,” Richard Henriksen said.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HoustonianAandE | Monday, December 4, 2019

Page 6

Arts & entertainment

Summer Walker Recieves Backlash for Social Anxiety Claims

BY ARIOLE JONES Arts & Entertainment Editor Recently, R&B singer Summer Walker claimed that she had social anxiety in attempt to explain her lackluster performances.

I would not say I am a fan of her music, as I have only heard a few songs, but I am also not against her. She is very talented and worthy of her fame. When she said she had anxiety while performing in front of people, it was not a surprise to hear because many artists do. Her first performance on NPR’s “Tiny Desk Concerts” was not enough for me to say she was unfit to be an artist, but as time went on and she performed more, I started to think about a few things.

Being a celebrity is a job.

At a job, there are duties and guidelines to follow in order to keep the image of the company in good standing. I would hate to say that Summer Walker is allegedly “faking” anxiety because it is a feeling that many people have, and many celebrities come forth about it. My issue is that she tends to be shy or timid during almost all her performances and that no one on her management team seems to be helping her try to get

over it and become a better performer. Some may feel that coaching her is not their job, but let’s look back on a similar artist from the past.

Aaliyah was a young R&B artist in the late ‘90s and early 2000s, who also came forth about her anxiety while performing in front of audiences. She found a way to get over it by wearing sunglasses when she performed on or off camera. If you watch her interviews and music videos from the start of her career up until her passing, you see that she eventually got rid of the glasses and her confidence heightened. It may be wrong to compare the two, as they are different individuals who may process things differently, but it is merely an example.

At this point, I feel she is taking advantage of her fans emotions because they are the only people backing her up against said “bullies” on the internet who doubt her mental state. The arguments are that she does not have to prove anything to anyone and that she is not obligated to explain herself, but come on. As an artist, that is literally one of your biggest obligations if you choose to stay in the limelight. Besides that, she apparently never wanted to be famous and at the point in her career where she is, she has

enough money to step down and still be a low-key artist.

However, because she has not done that, has not shown how she copes with anxiety or even tried to sympathize with others in the same predicament, I believe she is using the pity of fans to keep a base.

She recently took to social media to address how she has been treated after telling the world she fears performing. “I just want to let y’all know… this is how people commit suicide. When people tell you what’s literally going on with them and then people still continue to bully them,” she said.

I found that very disrespectful and almost sarcastic because it’s a used excuse- yes it is an excuse- and there are people who have actual mental issues that should be taken seriously but instead of using her platform to address it, she used it to cover her back as to why she walked off stage at one of her performances.

Since she has many college-aged fans, she could work in many ways by teaching and helping people her age

Courtesy of BET.com SUMMER DAYS DRIFTING AWAY. R&B artist Summer Walker has recently faced criticism after her claims of struggling with social anxiety.

understand anxiety and what it means in the professional world. I understand it may not be her duty, but she could be someone people look up to as a role model. There are better and more professional ways to address mental issues in the music industry or just life in general and calling people out and blaming them for increased suicide rates was not the right move.

As for Sam Houston State University students, if you feel you may suffer from social

anxiety or anything similar, there is an on-campus counseling center with walk-in hours in the Student Health and Counseling Center. All on-campus students have free access to this service and it is accessible five days a week Monday through Friday. If you feel that you may have any issues, even in the slightest way, please do not be afraid to talk to someone about it.

Your mental state is serious and should be taken in such a manner.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HoustonianAandE | Monday, December 4, 2019

Page 7

Arts & entertainment

Here are the Most Instagrammable Places in Huntsville We looked for the best places in town to take “Instagrammable” photos. Here is what we found. Locations include: Mr. Hamburger

The Duck Pond

Old Town Theatre

918 11th St, Huntsville, TX 77340

Huntsville, TX 77340 across from campus

1023 12th St, Huntsville, TX 77340

Steamboat House 1237 19th St, Huntsville, TX

77340

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Old Town Theatre -A historic theatre located in the downtown square.

Graffiti Man 1203 University Ave, Huntsville, TX 77340

Steamboat House- A former home of General Sam Houston.

Graffiti Man- Found in Town Square and hidden in an alley.

Photos by Amanda J. Raaska

Digital Director Editor-in-Chief

Sharon Raissi

Assistant EIC/Campus News Editor Mason Storrs Arts & Entertainment Editor

Ariole Jones

Sports Editor

Tyler Josefsen

Opinions Editor

Jacob Courtney

Community News Editor

Amanda Raaska

Assistant Sports Editor

Colton Foster

Jordan Smith

Run Sheet Manager

Kia Seastrunk

Social Engagement Director Alexis Berkey

Promotions

Carlos Medina

Graphic Designers

Staff Reporters

Bre’Anna Bivens Katy Hills

Advertising Graphics Emily Guerra Business Manager

Paty Mason

Faculty Advisor

Debbi Hatton

Ashley Defrancis Jake St. Angelo

Photographers

Hallee Atchley Elizabeth Machuca Chelsey Norton Jesus Perez Hannah Trojan

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HoustonianOpinions | Monday, December 4, 2019

Page 8

Opinions

True Crime Podcasts Spotlight Controversial Cases

BY KATHERINE SOOKMA Contributing Writer

On Nov. 25 the U.S. Supreme Court declined to review the Adnan Syed murder case with no explanation of the decision.

When a popular podcast titled “Serial” debuted in 2014, its first season talked about the tragic murder of Hae Min Lee that occurred in 1999. Syed, her boyfriend at the time, was accused of the crime and sentenced to life in prison.

The entire first season of “Serial” was centered around Syed’s case. Many new details were unraveled over the course of the season as the narrator of the podcast took it upon herself to investigate as far as she could.

Being featured on a wellknown podcast made this case a hot topic. It also secured a lot of reputability with many people who may not have known about it prior to listening to the podcast. The podcast led listeners to believe Syed’s conviction might be wrongful, according to The Washington Post.

Society needs podcasts that talk about legal cases like this because none of us know every single detail about every case out there. It’s shocking to me to see how much was done for Adnan Syed’s case after he was featured on the “Serial” podcast.

Much of the popularity surrounding Syed’s case came from a combination of consistent coverage made by this podcast and extremely responsive feedback

from the audience.

If other cases are discussed and investigated as deeply this one, we may be able to find hidden details that were overlooked which could potentially help the cases for or against people who were wrongly let go or convicted.

The cultural impact of true crime podcasts like this one have opened a whole new world to listeners and drawn in the interest of a larger audience.

One effect that true crime podcasts have on society is that people start to develop differing perspectives and begin to empathize with people who may have been wrongly accused of crimes.

Having podcasts that talk about these things not only helps shine a spotlight on the

Photo Courtesy of Karl Merton Ferron/Baltimore Sun HEARD AT LAST. Adnan Syed’s case almost made it to the U.S. Supreme Court in large part due to questions raised by the podcast “Serial.”

case and the people involved, but it also helps push people to uncover new things that may have been skipped over the first time around.

People have a right to freely question legal cases and true crime podcasts provide an outlet to do it.

Pardoning Eddie Gallagher: Let the Conviction Stand

BY JACOB COURTNEY Opinions Editor

Imagine that you are a police officer brought into court for the murder of a suspect that surrendered and shooting at innocent people. You are found not guilty for any charge except taking pictures with the suspect’s body.

You might be surprised if this charge ended up costing someone like the State Attorney his job for keeping the conviction.

A similar incident like this happened on a national scale in the case of Navy SEAL Eddie Gallagher, who managed to be found not guilty of war crimes such as murdering an ISIS prisoner, obstruction of justice and firing on civilians. Like the example above, he was only found guilty of posing with the

Photo Courtesy of AP Photo/Julie Watson SEAL OUT OF HOT WATER. Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Eddie Gallagher will walk away with his full rank and retirement pay even after being convicted of a war crime.

body of the dead fighter.

The charge resulted in him being demoted to petty officer first class and serving four

months confinement.

Then came President Donald Trump to the rescue, using his ability to grant pardons to over-

turn Gallagher’s demotion.

Following the pardon, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy Richard Spencer was asked to resign. He said in his resignation letter, “I cannot in good conscience obey an order that I believe violates the sacred oath I took in the presence of my family, my flag and my faith to support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

Gallagher was initially charged under the Uniform Code of Military Justice, which is a federal law that defines the military justice system.

It is important to know that if troops from our country commit a crime while fighting overseas, they will be held as accountable as they would back home.

Even though demoting Gallagher was a token gesture, it at least showed the system can

offer some punishment to those who blatantly break the rules.

Trump, who has used his power of pardoning the convicted quite liberally, undermined what little justice was truly sought in this trial. Gallagher made a mistake and punishment was essential. Even if this just meant a reduction in pay and his pride stung by loss of rank.

No one would like their body passed around for photos like the trophy of a hunter. There should be an effort to try to treat even our worst enemies with the respect we wish them to show us.

While the validity of the use of pardons varies on a case-bycase basis, it should be clear that this time the verdict should have stuck.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HoustonianOpinions | Monday, December 4, 2019

Page 9

Opinions

Republican Defense of President Dishonors Party

BY TYLER FEDERICO Contributing Writer

The impeachment hearings of President Donald Trump have been the biggest news story in America for the past few weeks and the way the Republican Party members in Congress have reacted to the impeachment hearings has not reflected well on the party.

We have heard testimony from many key witnesses, including Lt. Col. Alexander Vindman, U.S. Ambassador to the European Union Gordon Sondland and former U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine Marie Yovanovitch.

Regardless of where you land in the debate about whether or

not President Trump should be impeached, it is observable that the GOP has not done a good job in defending the president during these hearings.

The Republican Party has done a poor job of arguing their defense of the president, as they haven’t provided any solid evidence or arguments to combat the claims made by firsthand and secondhand witnesses.

Besides calling the investigations a “sham” or a “witch hunt” every chance they get, the GOP representatives have done several things that do not reflect well on the party or the process that is laid out in the constitution.

Ambassadors Sondland and Yovanovitch have also been the subject of many defamatory

Photo Courtesy of AP NO TRUMP CARDS LEFT. Republican attempts to defend President Trump fall flat.

comments that have attempted to discredit them as witnesses. This includes a tweet from President Trump during Yo-

vanovitch’s testimony that was read live by Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif.

The way Republicans have handled the impeachment of the president has not come off as a party that is trying to defend one of their own and more as a party that is desperately attacking their opponents.

There has been enough evidence coming forward from the witnesses in the impeachment hearings to lend credence to the investigation, whether it leads to conviction or not. The division of the country is only going to get worse as both sides continue to act as if the opposite party is the enemy.

That doesn’t change the fact that the gaslighting by Con-

“The division of the country is only going to get worse as both sides continue to act as if the opposite party is the enemy.” servative representatives in Congress during these hearings has made it seem like the party is trying to paint the Democratic Party in a bad light more than they are trying to defend the president.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HuntsvilleSports | Monday, December 4, 2019

Page 10

SPORTS

Season Split: A Look at Bowling’s Successful Fall

Chasing a Third Straight Cup The Kats not only won the overall cup last year, but also the Men’s All-Sports Trophy with five men’s championships.

SHSU has a conference-best seven Commissioner’s Cups.

1st place at Tulane Invitational

4th place at TRACK Kat Klash

“It makes every sport equally important. It makes each student athlete important. Early on, people didn’t know what it was because we weren’t finishing that high. As it went along, I had...people around campus ask me ‘Where are we in the cup standings? How are we doing?”

- Athletic Director Bobby Williams

3rd place at SFA Ladyjack Classic 1st place at UMES Hawk Classic Photos courtesy GoBearkats.com

Bearkat Athletics won the 2018-19 Commissioner’s Cup by its largest margin ever (11) with 159.5 total points, beating rival Stephen F. Austin State University. SHSU currently sits tied for seventh place in the standings with 36 points.

The Houstonian | bit.ly/HuntsvilleSports | Monday, December 4, 2019

Page 11

SPORTS

Bearkats’ Zach Nutall Has Strong Start to Sophomore Season

NOTHING BUT NET. Nutall shoots a jumper at Johnson Coliseum vs LeTourneau.

BY COLTON FOSTER Asst. Sports Editor The Sam Houston State University men’s basketball team is looking to secure the Southland

Conference title for a second year in a row, but this time they have a new look with sophomore guard Zach Nutall.

Nutall and the Bearkats have started their 2019 campaign 4-3 and are a perfect 3-0 so far at

FULL COURT SMILE. Nutall enjoys a 43-41 lead at halftime.

Bryan Henderson

home at Johnson Coliseum. Last year’s title, however, was not enough to satisfy Nutall.

“I don’t feel accomplished,” Nutall said. “We won a conference championship last year, and we are just pushing to do it again this year.”

The Bearkats had a stellar season last year gaining a regular season title before falling short in the semifinals against the New Orleans Privateers 79-76.

Nutall averaged 17.4 minutes per game last year as a freshman and is now a full-time starter in his second year as a

Breanna Vasquez

Bearkat.

Even with minimal minutes, Nutall averaged 6.6 points per game which was good for topfive on the team, and his 3.2 rebounds per game was fourth best. On Feb. 2 against rival Stephen F. Austin State University, he picked up a career-high nine boards.

His career-high game in points came this year against the University of San Francisco on Nov. 23 when he tallied 23 points. Nutall started the season strong by averaging 16.4 points per game through the first five contests.

Nutall has been effective defensively as well averaging 1.7 steals and four blocks on the year.

“I enjoy playing the one, two, three and four,” Nutall said.

“Anything I can do for this team to help them win, I’m going to do.”

Being able to play more than one position has been a big help for the Bearkats after losing both Cameron and Josh Delaney.

SHSU is also led by senior forward Kai Mitchell who currently leads the team in points, rebounds and blocks.

The 6-foot, 3-inch guard out of Bryan High School was a four-year letterman who helped lead his team to the regional tournament in 2017 for the first time since 2003. Nutall was the District 18-5A Offensive MVP his senior year when he averaged 21 points, seven rebounds and 1.8 steals per game.

Nutall and the Bearkats will return to action this Sunday at Johnson Coliseum to face Louisiana Tech University with tip-off

slated for 4:30 p.m.

Dec. 18 marks the opening of conference play when SHSU battles Northwestern State University at 6:30 p.m. in Huntsville. Conference play will run through December and into 2020 up until the Southland Conference Tournament March 11-14 in Katy.

@HoustonianSport

Semester in Review- Fall 2019

Miranda Martinez Anayah Cooper SAFETY FIRST. Kats Safety Bash provided an opportunity to meet Huntsville’s first responders and see live presentations of burn house, a helicopter landing, a jaws of life demonstration and more.

HALLOWEEN HOWLS. People and pets alike dressed up for Huntsville’s annual Scare on the Square.

Tyler Josefsen BEARKAT ROYALTY. SHSU crowned its Homecoming King and Queen, Marsalis Johnson and Bria Ferrier.

Tyler Mowery FAR OUT. Parade-goers brought color and fun to the 2019 Sammystock themed Homecoming Parade.

Colton Foster KATS AXE JACKS. Sam Houston State University took home the Battle of the Piney Woods Trophy for the ninth straight year.

Sharon Raissi FUTURE FIREFIGHTER. Huntsville community comes together for family fun at Fair on the Square.

Sharon Raissi TROUBLED WATERS. Protesters brave downpour to make a point about climate change during the global climate strike Sept. 20.

Colton Foster SAMMY CLAUS. Sammy the Bearkat decked the halls during the annual Tree of Light celebration.