4/11/2018 Weekly Edition

Wednesday, April 11, 2018

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

The Official News Source of Sam Houston State University Volume 129 | Issue 23

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SHSU disaster sim yields preparedness Make Your Choice: Run, Hide, or Fight tion with other departments including Athletic Training, Criminal Justice and the SHSU Police Department.

“We plan almost year round for these events,” Clinical Assistant Professor of Nursing Linda James said. “Sometimes we run an army-style lane training; sometimes we run emergency preparedness drills.”

Students arrived as early as 7:30 a.m. and had a presentation from Director of Emergency Pre-

BY TYLER JOSEFSEN Associate Editor The fourth floor of the The Woodlands Center was transformed Friday into an emergency preparedness drill for Sam Houston State University nursing, athletic training and criminal justice students.

Photo courtesy EYP Once a semester, the School of FIGHT OR FLIGHT. Ever wondered how you would handle an emergency Nursing puts together an event to situation? SHSU provided select students with the opportunity to find out. help train its students in conjunc-

paredness and Safety David Yebra. According to senior Nursing major Sheli Cryer, Yebra talked about and even showed examples of mass shootings. The simulation began shortly after and was run through twice with two different groups of students before a debriefing at the end.

These events take a lot of planning and a lot of cooperation from multiple sources.

“That’s called Nursing continues on page 2

National Case Closed: Eller named SGA president Former Kats Book highlight Awards Sam takes stage, Houston discusses chickens touchy subjects

BY RACHEL NORTON Contributing Reporter Jordan Likens| The Houstonian

The 2018 National Book Awards Festival Mainstage Reading and Discussion will take place April 16 from 6-7:30 p.m., in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center. Authors Danez Smith, Lisa Ko and Jason Reynolds will read excerpts from their awardnominated novels, and discuss the topics addressed in each.

Their books confront the subjects of race, sexuality, adoption, life-or-death decisions and the art of letting go.

Smith will present his poetry collection, “Don’t Call Us Dead,” which opens with a harrowing sequence that imagines a utopia for black men shot by police, a place where suspicion, brutality and grief are replaced with the safety, love and longevity they deserved here on earth. Smith then delves into desire, mortality and a diagnosis of HIV positive.

“Some of us are killed / in pieces, some of us all at once,” Smith said in his novel.

2017 Finalist in Fiction Lisa Ko will present “The Leavers,” a tale of Deming Guo, an 11-yearold whose mother Polly leaves for work and never returns home.

Deming is adopted by two white college professors who rename him Daniel Wilkinson in their efforts to make him into their version of an “all-American boy.” In an examination of borders and belonging, “The Leavers” tells the story of how one boy comes into his own when everything he’s love

TEARS OF JOY. The Sam Houston State University Supreme Court made a unanimous decision to overturn the election commission’s decision to disqualify presidential candidate David Eller.

BY EMILY DAVIS News/Viewpoints Editor The Sam Houston State University Supreme Court convened Tuesday to deliberate the disqualification of Student Government Association (SGA) presidential candidate David Eller.

The court made a unanimous decision to overturn the election commission’s decision to disqualify Eller, officially making him the SGA president with Alexus

explain his case, while court members were able to ask questions.

On March 27, a “top five” banner was found hanging outside on the front of the Lowman Student Center, showing all five of the top ticket candidates running for the SGA executive board. The banner was removed by LSC Director Robert Webber after current SGA President Briauna Augustus asked SGA continues on page 2

Hall, Briscoe in national spotlight

Visit HoustonianOnline.com for entire article.

TEACHER STRIKE, P. 2 Contributing Reporter Elisabeth Willason explains why teachers in Texas cannot strike.

CHICKEN BOOK. Former Priority One students have collaborated to Jasmyne Eastland were both create a book centering around the sworn in under oath. Eller then Sam Houston chickens. The book is proceeded, having 10 minutes to slated to release April 27.

Hardy as vice president, Jaidyn Wilkerson as secretary, Christian Wolford as treasurer and Amanda Lee as chief of staff.

“We find that the election commission committed error,” Director of the Office of Student Legal and Mediation Services Gene Roberts said. “We are also encouraging the election commission to certify the results with the votes of Mr. Eller prior to the protest and the disqualification.”

At the beginning of the hearing, petitioner Eller and witness

Two Bearkat football players are generating buzz ahead of this year’s annual NFL Draft. Where will Hall and Briscoe land?

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What’s happening at SHSU? SERIAL PODCAST, P. 3 Find out all the details about a popular podcast with a very real effect on a convicted criminal’s life.

MLB THE SHOW, P. 4 MLB The Show 18 is worth taking the field for.

Tyler Josefsen reviews the intricacies of the game.

Photo courtesy Victoria Gillis

STORY ON PAGE 6

Photos courtesy SHSU Athletics

FOSTERING HISTORY, P. 5 Check out The Houstonian’s new column about campus history filled with fun facts.

BY EMILY DAVIS News/Viewpoints Editor It is nearly impossible to visit Sam Houston State University without spotting the chickens that cross the road from the Sam Houston Memorial Museum grounds to wander through campus. Have you ever wondered why the chickens cross the road?

“The Story of the Sam Houston Chickens,” a book written by former members of SHSU Priority One Public Relations, a studentrun Public Relations firm, is hitting shelves April 27.

“Well it’s kind of an old story, but with a twist,” co-author Tricia Sims said. “Why did the chicken cross the road? Our answer is to go to Sam Houston State University! Our chickens in the story explore campus.”

The idea was hatched when Bright Sky publisher Lucy Chambers, attending SHSU for a Q&A hosted by Priority One, mentioned to the Priority One advisor and professor Peter Roussel what an interesting story the chickens would make.

“I remember Roussel and [Chambers] making small talk about the chickens and how charming they were,” Sims said.

“She then said someone should Book continues on page 2

GOING PRO?, P. 6 Former Bearkats P.J. Hall and Jeremiah Briscoe have their sights set on the upcoming NFL Draft.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/news | Wednesday, April 11, 2018

Page 2 EXPLAINER

Teacher Strike: Why Texas teachers cannot participate

Ryan Reynolds | The Houstonian

BY ELISABETH WILLASON Contributing Reporter Teachers in Oklahoma are approaching a full week of protests due to the poor state funding for education and teachers across the United States are joining them.

These teachers have staged a walkout in order to demand not only higher wages for themselves, but more funding for books and classroom supplies that they need to effectively teach their students.

According to Texas law, however, Texas teachers cannot strike or they could be at risk to “forfeit all civil service rights, reemployment rights, and any other rights, benefits, and privileges the employee enjoys as a result of public employment or former public employment.”

“I think that preventing teachers in Texas from striking is a dangerous form of censure,” SHSU alumna and Houston teacher Danielle Dunn said. “In Houston, at least, teachers’ salaries are significantly higher than in states like Oklahoma or West Virginia, but there are other issues that I am afraid to speak up about out of concern for my job security.”

Dunn says that the law prevents teachers in Texas from striking not only for wages, but concerns about things like Special Education programs and safety issues like having armed guards or armed Visit HoustonianOnline.com for entire article.

SGA continued, page 1 — him to remove it because it would be in violation of the Election Commission code to have campaigning materials sponsored by any on-campus entities. This violation required the candidates to remove all of their campaigning materials on campus and on social media. All social media posts were deleted, and the group went out to take down all of their on-campus signs.

“We took two hours during the thunderstorm and tornado warning that day to get all of our signs,” Eller said. “We could not find two of them. So we did obey what they said by going and removing everything. We literally could not see in front of us, we were wading through water, lighting was striking all around us. As soon as we couldn’t find the two yard signs, I made it a point to speak to the Supreme Court Chief Justice at the time, who was Vice President Frank Parker, and let him know. I spoke with Dean Smith, I spoke with Dean Yarabeck, and I sent Briauna an email.”

Augustus replied to Eller, agreeing that under the circumstances it was “fine,” so Eller did not file an appeal because it seemed unnecessary.

The top five’s opponents then found one of the missing yard signs and filed another protest against them.

“When the sign was found, the sign was standing straight up like no wind had blown that whole day,” Eller said. “But every sign we did find was blown away or laying down flat, and we did not place any signs on that side of the LSC. I am not saying that they planted that sign there, but I am saying that anything could happen. Someone could have picked it up and put it there.”

When the Election Commission met to deliberate the consequences of the campaigning materials, they ultimately decided to disqualify Eller from his presidential candidacy and allow the other four of the top five candidates to keep their elected titles.

According to Eastland, following the election commission’s meeting, she overheard two commissioners speaking to Eller, saying that they did not agree with the decision made and that they did not know that they could have overthrown the entire protests by speaking out. Eastland also witnessed Augustus, who serves as election coordinator, say to Eller that he should appeal the commission’s decision.

After the election commission made their decision, it then went

to the Supreme Court for deliberation. Following Eller and Eastland’s testimonies, the Supreme Court ultimately concluded that Eller should not be disqualified.

Eller fought back tears of excitement as he heard the verdict.

Fellow SGA members comforted him outside the courtroom, reminding him that it was finally over.

“It’s been a really long process and even though we have really been drug through the coals, the students can appreciate that we are still here to fight for them like we said at the beginning,” Eller said. “We are still here to fight through all the personal issues. We are here to serve the students, and that’s exactly what we are going to do.”

Book continued, page 1 — write a book about the chickens. She mentioned that she

their scope of practice is.”

Clinical Assistant Nursing Professor and RN to BSN coordinator Pam Slagle emphasized the ideal of interdisciplinary cooperation and the values of communication associated with the event.

“They have to learn how to work as teams,” Slagle said. “It’s not just nurses you depend on.

It’s still about learning how to work with other people in a team environment.”

They are not always easy to plan or inexpensive to execute, but the coordinators believe these simulations are mutually beneficial for students and faculty.

“When you look at the costbenefit, the students are gaining a lot out of it,” Williams said.

“The other thing is we’ve been able to present at conferences about what we’ve done and share a little bit of our research findings.”

Photo courtesy Tricia Sims MEET THE BROOD. Casey Roon, Victoria Gills, April Lawson-Isabell, Lucy Chambers, Tricia Sims, Peter Roussel and Chandler Smith (not pictured) meet in June 2017 to discuss the next stages in the book process.

helped publish a book about cats at The Alamo and that it would be such a cute idea for someone to write about the Sam Houston State University chickens.”

Sims, along with co-authors April Lawson-Isbell and Chandler Smith, all members of the Spring 2017 Priority One team, drafted a copy of the book together and presented it to the rest of the class for their approval.

According to James, this year’s simulation cost around $200.

They were able to keep the cost low because their supply cost was minimal and they were able to utilize The Woodlands Center for the drill. Financial concerns have arisen in the past, however, and money plays a major role in

Ryan Reynolds | The Houstonian these events.

“There’s a cost factor,” James said. “There’s the expense of dressing supplies. People are out there for eight hours. We have volunteers that come from Student Nursing Association and from the Kinesiology Department, and we have to feed them.

Rental for facilities, that kind of thing. We’ve scrounged, and looked for donations, but that’s hard.”

Approximately 55-70 students were in attendance.

“Everyone that shows up [participates], whether they’re a victim, a nurse, a tech or an observer,” Cryer said. “We have actual observers in the room watching what’s going on so they can get an outside perspective…to see and give feedback to the nurses.”

Cryer explained how important the observer roles are to the success of the simulation.

“They actually check and look to see what’s going on and the criteria that they need look for,” Cryer said. “It’s a huge dynamic that these young, new nurses are having to put these scenarios in their head.”

The Houstonian attempted to reach out to observers during the drill, but due to a mandatory confidentiality agreement from the School of Nursing, participants were unable to provide us with any information regarding their thoughts or experiences during the simulation.

Visit HoustonianOnline.com for entire article.

Nursing continued, page 1 — inter-professional education,” Assistant Professor for Athletic Training Mary Williams said.

“It’s a big point of emphasis for all healthcare in the United States and beyond. The benefit is that [the students] not only get emergency preparedness training, but they learn about each other’s professions and what

Photo courtesy Linda James A REAL TEAM EFFORT. The SHSU School of Nursing partnered with Criminal Justice and Athletic Training for the emergency preparedness drill.

Police Blotter: SHSU’s Finest Keep the Campus Safe April 5th: Burglary of a Habitation (2:53 p.m.)

An officer was dispatched to Bearkat Village Building, 2400 Montgomery Road, in reference to a burglary. The complainant stated that several of his personal items were removed from his room without consent by an unidentified individual. The victim wishes to pursue charges for this incident.

April 6th: Evading (2:11 a.m.)

An officer while driving northbound in the 2200 block of Ave., observed a vehicle enter the one-way (southbound) portion of the 2100 block of Avenue I in the wrong direction (northbound). The officer activated the overhead warning lights in an attempt to stop the vehicle. The officer activated the siren as well and continued to pursue the suspect vehicle attempting to evade. After nearly striking several vehicles, the driver quickly parked and turned off the lights. The officer established contact and transported the driver to the Walker County Jail.

April 8th: Criminal Trespass (1:15 a.m.)

An officer conducting roving security at the Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum, 1964 Bobby K. Marks Drive, observed an incident of criminal trespass leading to this supplement report. Persons began attempting to gain entry into a scheduled event that had been restricted due to reaching the capacity of 800 people. The officer observed a group of people making entry through a door exceeding the capacity. The officer requested that they depart the event.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/viewpoints | Wednesday, April 11, 2018

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‘Serial’ podcast grants man retrial for murder

Photo courtesy rollingstone.com JAIL TIME. “Serial” podcast co-producer Adnan Syed awaits his retrail for the murder and kidnapping of his high school girlfriend Hae Min Lee. A Maryland Judge has granted Syed a new trial on the basis that his former attorney Radia Chaudry and the Baltimore Police Department acted insufficiently.

TRACE HARRIS Contributing Writer On March 29, the subject of season one of the podcast “Serial,” Adnan Syed, was granted a new trial by the Maryland Court of Special Appeals.

Syed was convicted in 2000 of the 1999 murder of ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee. In June 2016, Syed had his sentence vacated in appeals court, but the State quickly appealed. The State could still appeal this ruling, if it chooses to, within 30 days.

“Serial” premiered in late 2014 and became an instant sensation.

To date, it has been downloaded over 150 million times, making it one of the most popular podcasts of all time. It is a spin-off of “This American Life,” one of the

original podcasts on the medium.

Listeners quickly became enamored with the “week-by-week” podcast, the story and Syed himself. Syed was a 17-year-old high school senior in Baltimore when he was arrested for the murder of his ex-girlfriend; he has remained in jail since.

From the beginning, the case was objectively suspicious. There was no DNA tying Syed to the crime scene, or Lee herself. What got Syed convicted was cell phone tower pings and the testimony of a former acquaintance, Jay, who admitted to helping Syed bury the body. However, Jay was a local marijuana dealer and pathological liar.

The new trial was granted on the grounds that Syed’s attorney at the time, Christina Gutierrez,

who died in 2004, did not provide an adequate defense. In fact, one of the main factors the judge cited in the decision was that Gutierrez had not called up an alibi witness. The witness was Asia McClain, a classmate Syed was with at the time of the murder.

The original trial ended in a mistrial and was followed by another trial that convicted Syed.

The case surrounding Syed was already remarkably weak, but detectives William Ritz and Gregory McGillivray and District Attorney Kevin Urick took it and ran. The policemen were later implicated in numerous wrongful arrests and convictions in the corrupt Baltimore Police Department.

The popularity of “Serial” has led to many spin-off podcasts

and largely led to a boom in interest in podcasts overall. One notable podcast is “Undisclosed,” hosted by Syed’s family friend Rabia Chaudry, who is an attorney and prominently featured in “Serial.” Chaudry came out with

her own book profiling Syed’s life and the case from the view of friends and family close to him.

If the case goes to trial, it would likely not take place until 2019. However, the state could still appeal the ruling and delay the process even further. Alternatively, they could decide to drop the charges, which is very unlikely. What Syed’s current attorney Justin Brown and “Undisclosed” contributor and lawyer Colin Miller expect is a plea deal from the State. In this case, Syed could be released based on an Alford Plea, granted when a defendant is able to maintain innocence while avoiding a trial.

However, the State offering this and the fact that a retrial was granted at all shows the weakness in the evidence and case against Syed as a whole.

In the meantime, Syed’s family and legal team hope for him to be granted bail. How long that may take is unclear, but the state must respond in the next month, which will answer many questions for those close to Syed and “Serial” fans alike. Whatever happens, this podcast and investigation has brought a lot of attention to Syed, his case, and the flaws in the legal system.

Photo courtesy thenewdaily.com.au

Child marriage problems reap domestic consequences TASNEEM BAJIR Contributing Writer Sherry Johnson was forced to marry her rapist at the age of only 11 in 1971, and in six years she had five more children with him before they finally divorced.

When I first heard about this case, I just could not believe it.

I knew child marriages existed, but only thought in developing countries like India or Pakistan, but not in America. However, the child marriage case of Sherry Johnson is just one of thousands in America.

In 2017, research done by Unchained at Last showed that 248,000 children were married underage in America between 2000 and 2010. Of these, more than 1,000 children were under the age of 14. In some cases, girls as young as 14 (in Alabama) and 17 (in Idaho) were married to men as old as 74 and 65, respectively.

Most of these states hold the age of sexual consent at 16 or 18, yet people younger than that are still allowed to marry. In legal terms, this would be considered statutory rape.

Currently, minors that are under the age of sexual consent are able to marry in 25 states as long as they meet their state’s exceptions. These exceptions are parental consent or a judge’s approval in the case of pregnancy.

This exception has led to the marriage of children as young as 10 years old, as the minimum age limit is not set. However, the need for parental consent and a judge’s approval does not always protect the child, because the

judge’s approval may solely be based on the fact that the parents have given their consent. Also, the child does not need to have an appointed counsel in most states.

The minor can be easily forced or coerced into a marriage by their parents, and no investigation will be done to see if the minor was willingly getting married.

Getting married at a young age can have lifelong consequences for the minor. It can affect their health, economic opportunities, education and have an increased chance of being in violent relationships. Women who get married before they turn 18 have a 23 percent higher risk of diabetes, cancer, stroke or heart attacks than women who marry later as marriage increases their stress levels. They also have a higher risk of developing psychiatric disorders.

According to The Washington Post, they are also 50 percent more likely to drop out of high school and four times less likely to graduate college. They have a 31 percent higher chance of living in poverty later in life, and they are three times more likely to be in a physically abusive relationship. The ones that do manage to get divorced are likely to face economic hardships.

Considering all of the negative effects early marriage has on an individual, it is surprising that child marriage is still legal in the U.S. Some lawmakers do not want to stop it because they believe it is against religious freedom, and marriage is the best solution for teen pregnancy. The problem with this reasoning, according to The Washington Post, is that

pregnant teenagers are at an even higher risk of being forced into early marriage. Even if religions allow, it is not an obligatory practice and religion should not be a reason for not banning child marriages.

Another problem with child marriage is that they are stuck in the marriage for a while. It is not an option for them to get divorced since they cannot file legal action in their own name, and very few attorneys are willing to represent them. They also cannot seek help from organizations as they are considered to be runaways and the organization could face charges.

Some states are moving in the right direction and trying to amend this problem. There

are currently pending bills in Connecticut, California, Massachusetts, Missouri, Texas, Pennsylvania and New York for ending or limiting child marriage. Florida has just introduced a bill limiting child marriage because of the advocacy of Sherry Johnson.

There are organizations like the Reiss nonprofit organization that provides these girls with legal support and helps them rebuild their lives.

Florida representative George Moraitis voted against a bill that would ban child marriages with the exception of some 16 and 17-year-olds when a pregnancy is involved. He cited a legislative staff analysis that said between 2012 and 2016 only one 13-year-

Photo courtsey girlsnotbrides.org old was allowed to marry. He said he encourages pregnant “women” to get married.

However, the best solution to this problem would be to eliminate all exceptions of marriages to children under 18 years old. In the case of pregnancy, the father can still provide support for the child without marriage, and they can get married in a few years.

This way it would prevent forced minor marriages in America.

For a country that is working towards ending child marriages in other countries as a human rights violation and has proactive organizations such as U.S. Global Strategy to Empower Adolescent girls, there is no reasoning for this practice to be legal within it’s own borders.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/campusculture | Wednesday, April 11, 2018

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Iris Suite Grand Opening LGBTIQ group raises awareness

BY TESLA CADENA Asst. Campus Culture Editor

The Department of English is hosting the Iris TechnicalCommunication Suite ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on April 12 from 2-4 p.m. in room 251 of the Evans Complex to give tours, equipment demonstrations and provide refreshments and conversation with faculty who are familiar with the suite.

The Iris Suite is a creative space that provides industrystandard technologies in audio, video, print and digital document production such as Adobe Audition, Apple Garage Band, Adobe Premiere, Apple iMovie, InDesign, Photoshop, Acrobat, Illustrator, the Makerbot Print software for a 3D printer and more.

The current hours for the suite are Monday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Tuesday and Thursday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The hours will expand as the demand for the space increases.

As for equipment demand, students generally do not need to make reservations. However, if one item becomes too scarce due to high demand, there will be electronic sign-up sheets, so students can check equipment availability.

The suite is open to all students but is best suited for those with project related needs in a Technical-Writing or English course, or any project that was assigned with the Iris equipment in mind. For example, it is not a general-access IT “lab” for students to simply print papers.

Students must bring their Sam Houston State University IDs to Iris and check in at the front desk to log which course and professor a student is taking for the suite’s tracking system.

The Department of English and the College of Humanities and Social Sciences (CHSS) helped make the Iris Suite a reality, along with some key people: Dean of CHSS Abbey Zink, As-

BY KRISTA KISTLER Contributing Reporter

sociate Dean of CHSS Carroll Nardone, Administrative Coordinator of CHSS Brittany Johnson, Assistant to the Chair of English Shanna Hollis, Visiting Assistant Professor of Technical Communication Brandon Strubberg and the Associate Professor of Technical Communication Brian Blackburne .

Blackburne said he and colleagues have been wanting a space like this for years, but it wasn’t until fall of 2016 when Dean Zink provided the opportunity for space and funding. All the funds for Iris came from the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

Though the space was finished late fall of 2017, it wasn’t fully operational until now.

“Dr. Nardone, Strubberg, and I have always wanted a place where students could access the types of tools that we’ve needed as technical communicators in industry and academia,” Blackburne said.

“We’ve always worked with students to make the most of their personal technologies, but we knew that our workarounds had limitations. Now students can focus on the process of creating without worrying about how to access the necessary equipment.”

Blackburne said this new space not only aligns with the department’s goal to empower students to create professional work but has allowed students to work in meaningful ways.

“Students are already benefitting from the space,” Blackburne said. “For example, this semester, Dr. Strubberg is having his Rhet-

oric students create podcasts and produce and edit videos for course assignments. Dr. Nardone and I have students who are using the professional photography equipment to produce high-quality images for client-based projects. I’ve also had my students printing professional-quality documents using our color laser printer and cutting/binding equipment.”

There are 28 seats across the different work stations, and Blackburne is confident that there is enough room for students to create.

“Iris is a place where students can work fluidly,” Blackburne said. “All the chairs can be moved around easily, and a good deal of equipment is mobile too. Whether students want to collaborate on projects, work on iPad Pros, or record audio in the sound booth, a variety of tasks can happen at once.”

Blackburne is thankful and excited for the completed space.

“Seeing Iris completed feels fantastic ,” Blackburne said.

“Moving the space from concept to reality took a lot of planning and work, but it all paid off. One of the great parts about working for SHSU is that our administrators really listen to faculty and students’ needs. And people like Dean Zink understand the importance of looking beyond what is working ‘today’ as a way of enhancing students’ experiences tomorrow. Now that Iris is up and running, we can’t wait to see the wonderful things that students will do with it.”

The Haven LGBTIQ organization hosted their first training session last week. Dr. Michelle Stone, a Counselor at the Sam Houston State University Counseling Center and coordinator of the events, spoke at the Haven 101 training. Haven 101 covered topics such as vocabulary, gender and sexuality, power and privilege, risks and stats, current laws and what makes a “good ally.”

The next event is a follow-up of 101—Haven 102 on April 26.

It will touch on subjects such as heteronormativity, identity development, coming out, microaggressions, difficult dialogues and allies in action.

“One of the main reasons we have Haven is to see people who are excited to and interested in creating a more inclusive campus for the students,” Stone said.

Haven trainings help students, faculty and staff to better understand the LGBTIQ community.

The Haven is a network of informed, supportive people who work toward the elimination of stereotypes, myths and misconceptions, as well as a resource for anyone who needs it.

During the trainings, there are vocabulary quizzes to see what all the participants know, as well as various other activities and lectures on specific topics. Students are given binders with the quiz— pages of activities and resources of who to contact if they need someone to talk to or more information.

On the SHSU website under Campus Life >> Haven, it states,

“Within the environment, Haven works to foster an atmosphere that promotes the exploration of thought, self-reflection, perceptions, beliefs, philosophy and theories in an environment of social acceptance. Haven works to promote this unconditionally accepting environment amongst the SHSU campus community by being a group of active advocates for the LGBTIQ community.”

The Haven website also has helpful LGBTIQ resources for anyone who might need them, such as links to various other organizations and centers. Also listed on the website are the names and contact information of SHSU students, staff and faculty members who have successfully completed a Haven Diversity Advocate training seminar and have volunteered to be listed.

“I think the Haven is important because everybody on campus deserves to have a place where they feel safe and understood,” Stone said. “Through our work, that is something that we hope to accomplish. A more inclusive campus creates more safety and a more welcoming environment for everybody; whether you’re a part of this community or not a part of this community, there is always plenty to learn.”

Stone says the ideal outcome for Haven is to “uplift, empower and celebrate our LGBT students, just like we would the rest of our students.”

The Haven events take place in the Counseling Center in Conference Room 208. Students can email haven@shsu.edu to join the organization or to get in contact with co-chairs.

‘MLB The Show 18’: A grand slam for baseball fans Houstonian Reviews Rating: 4.5/5

BY TYLER JOSEFSEN Associate Editor Writing a review of “MLB The Show 18” is a lot like opening the game for the first time.

There is so much anticipation, so many questions: Which players are rated the highest? What does the in-game commentary sound like? Are the Houston Astros still as exciting in virtual form in March as they were in real life in The Fall Classic in October?

Everyone always makes a big deal about the graphics. I thought “MLB The Show 18” did a great job, especially coming off what I can only describe as an underwhelming 2017 execution by the game-makers. My favorite year, as far as graphics are concerned, is still 2016. 2018 clearly put a lot of focus into the details of stadiums, throwback uniforms and more realistic player movements; I commend the game on these aspects. I do, however, feel that realistic depictions of certain players were sacrificed during that execution.

It seems that every year the players’ ratings become stricter, and that trend remains the case with 2018. However, there was a slight increase in the number of players rated 99 overall—representing the uppermost echelon of Major League Baseball players. “MLB The Show 18” has four of these elite stars: Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout, Houston Astros second baseman Jose Altuve and Los Angeles Dodgers pitchers Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen.

Perennial MVP candidate Nolan Arenado, third baseman for the Colorado Rockies, just missed the cut coming in at 98 overall.

From there, the numbers drop off. There are 29 players rated 90 or above overall—consisting of 16 pitchers and 13 position players. The nearly-perfect split is definitely a microcosm of the entire game, where neither pitching nor hitting takes the upper hand. The overall leagues are well-balanced, and various teams’ strength and weaknesses

are similar to their on-field performances in 2017.

Another balance is the player archetypes in Road to the Show.

Most people remembering playing through RTTS in 2017 until their player had 99 overall speed, power and 0 contact. While creating the literally perfect baseball player and hitting .500 in a season or striking out 18 batters every nine innings is fun, 2018 puts a cap on certain abilities based on player profiles. A speedy shortstop that makes good contact is not going to hit 40 home runs a season, and likewise a control pitcher with a good breaking baseball will not compliment it with a 99 mph heater.

My biggest complaint is the ingame color commentary by Mark DeRosa and Dan Plesac. I like Matt Vasgersian as the lead commentator, but I wish there would be a little more variety in what he says compared to past years.

There are some new phrases as he calls the game, but the majority of commentary is noticeably recycled. Partnering him with DeRosa and Plesac, to me, was a mistake. The trio works well together in real life (particularly DeRosa and Vasgersian who is affectionately referred to as

“Matty V” often in their partnership), but the lines that the pair of color commentators provide are simply too long. They run through the game action, overwhelm moments where gamers want to hear Vasgersian’s voice and are just too liberal with their use of “baseball jargon.” Most of that blame is on the writers’ shoulders, but in my opinion DeRosa and Plesac do not deliver the information well.

Over and above the annual excitement of new graphics and updated rosters with the arrival of young prospects, “MLB The Show 18” had some extra anticipation for a lot of local consumers because of the Houston Astros 2017 World Series run. New faces like Yulieski Gurriel, Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole shining alongside the overall team ranking of the defending World Series champions is incredibly appealing to the Houston market.

Whether it is beginning a new franchise, continuing a franchise from 2017 with some new names, or taking your Road to the Show player up through the Visit HoustonianOnline.com for entire article.

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/campusculture | Wednesday, April 11, 2018

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Backstage of new Raven Rep Fostering History: summer theatre program Elliot T. Bowers

BY RACHEL NORTON Contributing Reporter The College of Fine Arts and Mass Communication is offering students a shot at becoming a member of the new summer repertory company, Raven Rep. “It’s designed to provide more opportunity for students in the arts to perform,” Theatre Department Associate Dean and Head of Raven Rep Penelope Hasekoester said.

According to Hasekoester, it will count as an internship and allow students to experience the rigors of working in a repertory setting while also receiving educational credit.

The company will accept around 15 members. Rehearsals will begin mid-May, and the last show will close July 7.

The schedule will be demanding, with two shows in rehearsal at all times, coinciding two performances.

Raven Rep members will perform three family-friendly pieces, directed by SHSU faculty. These pieces include “Harvey” directed

by Kevin Crouch, “The Fantasticks” directed by both Hasekoester and Dr. Laura Avery and “Smokey Joe’s Café” directed by Hasekoester and choreographed

by Kyle Craig-Bogard.

Auditions will be held in the James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center, and will involve a three-step process. Students must audition in all three areas to be considered for company membership.

Vocal auditions are April 24, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Students are expected to perform two contrasting 30-40 second cuts: one contemporary musical song from between 1960-1980 and one rock-n-roll era song in the style of Leiber and Stoller.

The acting audition and interview is April 25, from 5:30-8:30 p.m. Students must prepare a single one-minute contemporary monologue for the acting portion.

The interview will consist of questions composed to help the judges better understand an auditionee’s interest in joining. The judges will also answer any ques-

tions at this time.

The dance audition is April 26, from 5:30-7:00 p.m. Students are asked to wear appropriate dance clothing and either jazz shoes or character shoes.

“Each member will be cast in two out of three theatre and musical theatre productions,” Hasekoester said. “They will also be required to perform technical work as part of their company membership and internship.”

The Dance and Music departments at SHSU will also be involved.

“Noble Motion Dance Company will perform during the week of dance events and the School of Music will have various ensembles perform as its’ contribution to Raven Rep,” Hasekoester said.

Raven Rep will give performers a stage on which to display their craft, and also look great on a resume.

For more information, students can contact Penelope Hasekoester at drm_pah@shsu.edu.

@HoustonianSHSU

Review: ‘A Quiet Place’ leaves audiences speechless

BY MASON GONZALES TV/Film Reviewer I am going to start this review by saying that if you are going to watch “A Quiet Place,” you need to see it in theaters, surrounded by darkness and silence in order to experience this film the way it should be experienced.

Directed by and starring John Krasinski (“The Office”), along with Emily Blunt (“Edge of To-

morrow”), the film tells the story of a small family trying to survive in a post-apocalyptic world where creatures have destroyed society and the only way to survive their onslaught is to remain perfectly silent.

One thing that this movie does exceptionally well is build tension. As soon as the terror starts, it does not stop until the end. The film does a fantastic job at making the audience feel afraid for the characters, hoping they are

not spotted by the creatures and making you want to stay quiet, as well. As the movies progresses, the audience starts to feel as the characters did: uncomfortable and anxious for anything to happen. As I was sitting in the theater, I did not want to make any noise myself.

The film also has some nice cinematography and a fitting Visit HoustonianOnline.com for entire article.

BY DEMETRE FOSTER Campus Culture Columnist Sam Houston State University has a rich history of presidents that have guided our campus to what it is today. One of those presidents was the late Elliot Toulmin Bowers, the ninth president of SHSU. Bowers was born Aug. 22, 1919 in Oklahoma City. After a move to Texas, he attended college at Sam Houston State Teachers College, where in 1941 he received his bachelor’s degree in Music. However, his education did not end there; he continued until he received his master’s degree one year later.

During World War II, Bowers served in the United States Air Force from 1943 to 1946. He taught meteorology and navigation. In addition to those services he also aided in counterintelligence in the South Pacific for two years. After Bowers returned home from his service, he became the director of testing and guidance at the university from 1946 and 1951. Continuing his career, he served as director of the student union in 1951 to 1959.

While Bowers worked at SHSU, he pursued higher education. He earned his doctorate in Education Administration from the University of Houston in 1959. The following year, he became the Vice President for University Affairs and Dean of Students from 1959 to 1970.

There were two occasions that Bowers served as acting president. From 1962 to 1964, Bowers acted as president following the death of Dr. Harmon Lowman and again when Dr. Templeton resigned to become founding president of the University of Texas at San Antonio.

In October 1970, Bowers was honored with the permanent position of interim president. During this time, Sam Houston was facing difficulties. A neighboring Texas A&M began accepting female students for the first time (since 1963), ultimately affecting attendance at SHSU. In addition, student enrollment was declining due to economic challenges.

This led to many potential students attending new community colleges instead. The campus faculty credentials and facilities needed improvements and upgrades.

Bowers was more than up for the task. He focused his efforts in academics, construction and renovation, faculty development and student recruiting. Bowers knew that less than half of the faculty held doctorate degrees. However,

by Fall 1976 three out of every four faculty members held doctorates, which made SHSU highly valued by accrediting agencies.

Bowers continued this momentum by improving the campus itself.

Bowers’ administration led to the completion of numerous facilities on campus that had a major impact on what SHSU is today. The facilities that were completed under Bowers’ administration includes the Teacher Education Center, Bernard G. Johnson Coliseum, University Theatre Center, George J. Beto Criminal Justice Center, Dan Rather Communication Building, Lee Drain Building and the mall area, the Health and Physical Education Building (currently known as the Health and Kinesiology Center), Bearkat Stadium (currently known as Bowers Stadium), Field House and the Music Building.

After Bowers strengthened the faculty and facilities he started focusing on student recruitment.

In Fall 1970, there were 10,025 students registered for classes at SHSU. However, four-year institutions were falling. Many students were no longer becoming full-time students, which had an adverse effect on state funding.

However, due to the well-educated faculty and new and improved facilities, student enrollment increased to 12,359 by Fall 1989 when Bowers left office.

Bowers retired after stepping down as interim president in 1989. A proposal was made to rename Bearkat Stadium after Bowers. When he was asked how he would like to be remembered, he puffed a couple times on his pipe and said, “That I cared.”

Bowers was honored as designated President Emeritus, and Bearkat stadium was renamed in his honor.

He continued to live with his wife, Frances Handley Bowers, whom he had been married to since May 29, 1940 until her death in September 1999. Bowers later passed away in May 2003.

Bowers was known by students, faculty, staff and alumni for his sincere interest in any of their problems— whether were big or small. He gave his time to others despite having a busy schedule. Elliot Toulmin Bowers embodies the university motto— “The measure of a life is its service.”

The Houstonian | HoustonianOnline.com/sports | Wednesday, April 11, 2018

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Bearkats looking to go pro Softball

struggles through season

BY JOSHUA BLASCHKE Sports Reporter

Photo courtesy SHSU Athletics

BY JORDAN SMITH Sports Reporter Former Sam Houston State University defensive end P.J. Hall has been garnering national attention and creating buzz ever since his performance at the SHSU Pro Day on March 26.

NFL Network Draft Analyst and co-host of “The Bench” on 97.5 FM Houston Lance Zierlein has a feeling that Hall is someone in the draft to watch for as a sleeper pick.

“You have 42 career sacks, 86.5 tackles for loss, 14 blocked kicks and then he had nine forced fumbles and four interceptions just for fun,” Zierlein said.

“This is Grady Jarrett all over again, including the orange uniform. I love PJ Hall and I think he goes sometime in the third or fourth round.”

Some of the teams that have already met and talked to Hall include the New England Patriots, who took Hall out to dinner the night before and have shown

intense interest, the Cleveland Browns, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers, Baltimore Ravens, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Oakland Raiders just to name a few.

Hall’s career numbers are all-time records at SHSU. The two-time first-team Associated Press FCS All-American’s complied 86.5 TFL for 406 yards is a school record, as well as his 42 career sacks which are best all-time in Bearkat history. Hall passed Andre Finley who held the record before Hall at 36 career sacks from the 1986-1989 seasons.

Head coach K.C. Keeler, in a phone call with NFL Network in late March, talked about the raw ability of Hall.

“It’s uncanny how he does it,” Keeler said. “I don’t know if you can teach it. I know no one here will take any credit for teaching it. He’s just really, really good at it.”

Hall kept a little bit in his

bag of tricks for Pro Day and believes he turned some heads.

“Everybody knew I could move a little bit, but I don’t think they expected me to be that explosive,” Hall said. “There was kind of a ‘Whoa’ after I jumped.”

Other notable Bearkats include two-time Walter Payton Award winning quarterback Jeremiah Briscoe, who was not able to participate in the Bearkat Pro Day due to injury but was still in attendance. On April 4, Briscoe was invited to the Houston Texans’ local prospect day— according to a league source not authorized to speak publicly.

During his career at SHSU, Briscoe threw for 11,488 yards with 116 touchdowns and 31 interceptions, as well as a completion percentage of 59.1 percent; he is expected to go undrafted.

The 2018 NFL Draft is set for April 26-28 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington.

/HoustonianSHSU

It would be remiss to say that this season has been ideal for the Sam Houston State University Bearkats softball team.

Coming into the year, the team had not tallied a winning season since 2013, but things were looking up after the 2017 season. New and old talent alike aspired to give head coach Bob Brock a sendoff fitting of his historic tenure.

Unfortunately, as the season has progressed, those aspirations never became reality.

The struggles began early on for the Bearkats, dropping eight of their first 10 games including the Bearkat Softball Classic in which they were outscored 32-15. They had to wait until the Bulldog Slamboree in early March to pick up their first positive tournament record.

After that series, things briefly picked up for the Kats when they picked up five wins in six games. That success was fleeting, however, as starting March 17 they would lose their next eight straight matchups.

As of Tuesday, the Bearkats have posted two wins and two losses in the month of April and are the owners of a 14-26 (6-9 against the Southland Conference). The Bearkats are currently in ninth place out of 12 teams in the conference, outpacing only Incarnate Word, Houston Baptist and Texas A&M Corpus Christi.

Myles Smith | The Houstonian Following an 8-4 win hosting Lamar, they will travel to Corpus Christi to take on the 9-28-1 (114 SLC) Islanders.

The Bearkats’ biggest struggles have come on the road, having won only three of their 15 away games. Fortunately, they can round out the season on a six game homestand, where they are 7-11 this season.

The season has not been all doom and gloom for the Bearkats; there were quite a few bright spots.

Sophomore outfielder Megan McDonald has made significant strides in her second year on the squad, earning a .299 batting average along with 35 hits and 19 runs, all team highs.

Sophomore infielder Tiffany Thompson has netted a .283 average, five home runs, and 13 RBIs while also stealing 11 bases.

The contributions of Junior pitcher Lindsey McLeod have certainly made an impact as well, posting a 2.55 earned run average in 129 innings pitched while accumulating 145 strikeouts.

With only two seniors departing Huntsville and the immense amount of young talent on the squad, it is reasonable to predict SHSU will see more success in the following seasons.

It is certainly unfortunate the team could not muster a better record in Bob Brock’s final season coaching the Bearkats, but the future could be bright for whoever takes the helm after this season.

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