November 17, 2011

The best little rivalry in Texas? Dallas versus Houston.

“Oh, you love the Texans? Yeah, there’s a lot to love. They’ve been around for, what, nine years? The Cowboys have been around for five Super Bowls, 18 division titles, and 10 conference championships. How ‘bout them Cowboys?”

This quote may be borrowed from an old Budweiser commercial, but with SHSU situated between the two great Texas cities, it is understandable that it could be mistaken for a local conversation questioning one’s fan-hood.

Although many differences divide Houston and Dallas fans, campus has become a melting pot of students raised in both cultures, forcing two different professional sports fan bases to collide and learn to coexist with each other, peacefully or otherwise.

“Growing up in Houston, I was a huge Astros and Rockets fan as a kid,” Andy Pondillo, SHSU alumnus, said. “The Dallas hatred is more of a thing passed on from parents and family. I personally just didn’t care enough about Dallas to dislike them, until I reached

college. Half of my friends are Dallas fanatics and could never pass the opportunity to bash the Astros . . . As to be expected, the Astros have been a terrible team the entire tenure at school, while the Rangers have had great success. However, I’m the type of guy that will sit and take the flack until I

get my golden opportunity. You best believe after a devastating loss my Dallas friends will hear it.”

Even though the Houston-to-Dallas ratio of students is quite lopsided (about ten to one), the trash talk definitely isn’t.

In reality, most Dallas and Houston teams have

little reason to despise one another. Various factors and twists of fate have colluded to limit head-to-head competition for the Astros and the Rangers and the Cowboys and the Texans/Oilers. The only teams in the same division are the Mavericks and the Rockets.

Because of this un-

intensity, some fans will root for any team as long as it plays in Texas.

“I’m a Dallas fan, but more importantly, I’m a fan of the state of Texas,” senior Clay Mitchell said. “Therefore, if your team lies somewhere in the border of our great state, I hold no hatred towards you. In fact, I will pull for your team just because they’re from Texas . . . unless they’re playing a Dallas team. Houston fans are born with ‘little brother’ syndrome and are raised with a hatred for all things Dallas. Frankly, the feeling isn’t mutual: I wish Houston the best, and yes, that does make me the better man.”

It seems, then, that there is still an undeniable newborn competitive nature that has arisen in the “neutral” city of Huntsville. Either Dallas is “best” or Houston.

Cowboys vs. TexansThe Dallas Cowboys are

one of the most historical franchises in NFL history. They have five Super Bowl titles, a legendary nickname, “America’s Team”, and are even one of the only teams that get to play on Thanksgiving Day. On the other hand, they have continuously been criticized for putting on quite the soap opera and not delivering

The SHSU Social Media Policy and Procedure Manual has been eliminated, according to a member of the social media committee.

Steven Perry, Student Government Association representative, said the committee decided to stop working with the current policy and start work on goals for a new one. This was also confirmed by other committee members.

“The committee ultimately decided that instead of amending the proposed policy, we would rebuild it from the ground up to best affect the needs of both the University and the student body,” Perry said.

The committee, which consists of faculty, staff and administration members in addition to Perry, was formed to examine the issue of social media in light of the controversy around the policy.

The policy was an effort of Assistant Vice-President of Marketing and Communications Kris Ruiz. Several student and faculty organizations protested against the policy as a “violation of the right to free speech.”

Adam Kissel, VP of Programs for the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education

(FIRE), spoke on campus in October against the policy and warned other students of other policies that may be in effect.

“You need to be empowered [to question],” Kissel said.

“Like John Stuart Mill said, ‘The idea that you hate might be right.’ But you have to have conversations with people to know if you do, and if nowhere else it should be on a college campus.”

Organizations including the SHSU Lovers of Liberty, College Republicans, Bearkat Democrats and Young Democratic Socialists held a protest against the policy with a free speech wall that was dismantled after being damaged by a professor with a box-cutter.

Perry said the committee will being discussing what will be in the policy they create in the coming weeks. The purpose for the committee was to look at the social media policy, as well as deal with other issues relating to social media and the university.

Other committee members include Ken Hendrickson, Ph.D., adviser for NORML Kats and SHSU Lovers of Liberty, Paul Loeffler, Ph.D., faculty senator who spoke out against the policy; and Debbi Hatton, professor of mass communication and free speech expert.

By Jeremy KleiberSenior Reporter

By Erin PetersonEditor-in-Chief

Vol 119 | Issue 25

Publishing since 1913 Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Viewpoints ...... pg. 2News ................ pg. 3Lifestyle ............ pg. 4

A&E ................. pg. 5Sports ............... pg. 6

INDEXKAT Links

For additional content and news updates, visit houstonianonline.com.

Burn ban lifted after nine

months, pg. 3

Rants about library life,

pg. 2

— See RIVALRY, page 6

Stephen Green | The HoustonianSAFELY ERADICATED. One vandalized free speech wall and an official committee later later, the official Sam Houston State University Social Media Policy has been officially dropped, a mere eleven months after its original commission by University President Dana L. Gibson in January 2011.

By Stephen GreenAssociate News Editor

INTERSTATE TENSION. Dallas and Houston fans alike have settled in Huntsville, a mere three hours away from Dallas and one hour away from Houston. They brought their rivalries with them.

Christian Pratt | The Houstonian

Social media policy scrapped

The best little rivalry in Texas Board of regents to convene

JanuaryPolicy commissioned by President Dana Gibson.

AUG. 26First emails sent to organizations about the policy.

Sept. 15Houstonian article published about policy.

Sept. 27Free Speech Wall erected in LDB atrium. It was later torn down after being damaged by a professor with a box cutter.

Oct. 25Social Media Policy Committee officially formed.

Nov. 10Committee decides to quit amending old policy and start “from the ground up.”

Life of the Policy

The university will play host to other members of the Texas State University System during the quarterly board of regents meeting today and Friday.

In addition to regular business, the board plans to discuss a study abroad fee, a campus update, authorization for amendment seven to the Food Service Contract, and approve an honorary doctoral degree for Lois W. Kolhorst.

The meeting will begin at 12:15 p.m. today in Lowman Student Center, reconvening at 8 a.m. Friday morning.

The board may choose to go into executive session to consider legal, personnel and real estate matters before moving into scheduled public business.

In addition, the university will attempt to revise the school mission statement, and the board will review the Smoke Free and Tobacco Free policy.

For additional information, see the special Monday edition of The Houstonian.

Want to stay connected? Catch us on our new Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.

Facebook.com/HoustonianSHSU | @TheHoustonian

Thursday, November 17, 2011Viewpoints

houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

PHOTOGRAPHERJessica Gomez

FACULTY ADVISERRobin Johnson

936-294-1499

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF936-294-1505

Erin Peterson

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ASSOCIATE EDITORStephen Green

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SPORTS EDITORZachary Birdsong

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WEB AND MULTIMEDIA EDITOR

Matt [email protected]

GRAPHIC COORDINATORChristian Pratt

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STAFF LISTING

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AD DEADLINESTuesday’s Issue - Friday 5 p.m.

Thursday’s Issue - Tuesday 2 p.m.

VIEWPOINTS EDITORKarmen C. King

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Today in history:1558 – Elizabethan era begins: Queen Mary I of England dies and is succeeded by her half-sister Elizabeth I of England.

1800 – The United States Congress holds its first session in Washington, D.C.

1810 – Sweden declares war on its ally the United Kingdom to begin the Anglo-Swedish War, although no fighting ever takes place.

1869 – In Egypt, the Suez Canal, linking the Mediterranean Sea with the Red Sea, is inaugurated.

1933 – United States recognizes Soviet Union.

1947 – The U.S. Screen Actors Guild implements an anti-Communist loyalty oath.

1968 – Viewers of the Raiders–Jets American football game in the eastern United States are denied the opportunity to watch its exciting finish when NBC broadcasts Heidi instead, prompting changes to sports broadcasting in the U.S.

1973 – Watergate scandal: In Orlando, Florida, US President Richard Nixon tells 400 Associated Press managing editors “I am not a crook”.

SENIOR REPORTERMcKinzie Brocail

[email protected]

COPY EDITORApril Sanders

BUSINESS MANAGERPaty Mason

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PRODUCTION MANAGERMeagan [email protected]

ADVERTISING EXECUTIVEDestini Ogbonna

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Letter to the Student Body

The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call 936-294-1495. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alumni:

The Houstonian would not survive were it not for the continued involvement and dedication of the SHSU student body. We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor. If at any time you feel the need to express an opinion, please do not hesitate to email your thoughts or drop by our office in the Dan Rather communications building. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued support of the Houstonian.

Karmen C. KingViewpoints [email protected]

P.E.T.A. vs. MarioErin Peterson thinks the campaign is a case of oversensitivity

Oh what a change 7 months can makeKarmen King updates her viewpoint from April 14 on Syria

Erin PetersonEditor-in-Chief

So guess what PETA is pissed off at now?

A 23-year-old video game in which the main character dresses up in the skin of a raccoon dog and saves the day. No, seriously. Super Mario Bros 3, released October 23, 1988, enticed fans with the costume that gave Mario and Luigi a different kind of super power. Super Mario Bros 3D Land, also featuring the tanuki, or Tanooki as the game calls it, was just released on November 3.

“Tanooki may be just a ‘suit’ in Mario games,” PETA says on its website, “but in real life, tanuki are raccoon dogs who are skinned alive for their fur.”

While the offense the organization speaks of is quite sad, it’s just a couple hundred pixels in this particular case. Not even tangible. It’s not real. Only in the game developers minds and the televisions on which the game is played. The end.

Granted, yes, it’s a little weird.

However, it’s simply a reflection of Japanese folklore.

”Tanuki are associated with shape-shifting tricksters in folklore, and are also seen as symbols of good luck in Japanese culture,” said Matt Alt, author and game localizer.

It is this shape-shifting trickster upon which the Tanooki Mario suit is based.

23 years ago, this wasn’t a big deal.Now, we’re overly sensitive. To

everything.Like animated animal

skins.Honestly, the only reason

it’s probably still in the game is because the Tanooki suit worked out so well for the game the first go round.

The thing is, being mad at this is a waste of PETA’s time. The game has already been released (again, mind you) and making a fuss over it now isn’t going to take the idea of a grown, mustache-wearing man dressing up in dog skin go away. In fact, it’s just going to make people focus on it more.

These things only have the power we give them.

Take the f-word for example. A word, made up of only four letters, with an imprecise etymology. This short word, paired with the last name of our current

president, caused an SHSU math professor to cut out a section of the free speech wall hung in the atrium of the Lee Drain Building, causing an uproar amongst both the student and faculty bodies.

The only power that word had over him was the power he gave it.

The same thing goes for this silly game. I love Mario. I grew up playing the original Super Mario World on my Super Nintendo, a game I miss terribly, but the idea of wearing a dog suit is kinda dumb. However, it worked the first go round, so why fix what isn’t broken?

PETA, get over it. Fussing over every tiny thing makes you look ridiculous. People already think you’re a little nuts and getting in a tizzy over something that most likely originated from an idea hundreds of years old makes you look dumb, too.

Why did it take the people of the Middle East so long to rise up against their cruel dictators?

Imagine this scenario: 12,000 troops surround your city. These troops with their tanks begin shelling your city. This continues for more than three weeks. Your city is reduced to rubble; no one is allowed to leave.

When the shelling finally stops, the troops move in and begin to shoot at anything that moves.

People are locked in buildings and then the buildings are set on fire. The soldiers go into the refuges, take the young girls from what’s left of their families. Their families never hear from them again. Many find their daughters left in public bathrooms where they had been raped and murdered and left to rot.

If you try to go to a hospital for help you are met by soldiers. These bloodthirsty soldiers hack at the wounded with butcher’s knives.

All of this and more happened in Hama, Syria in February 1982.

Conservative estimates put the number of people massacred at 10,000 to 25,000. Most agree that the numbers are closer to 30,000 to 40,000. With only 1,000 of those being soldiers. That means 9,000 to 39,000 innocent civilians were slaughtered. In addition 15,000 went missing and 100,000 were expelled from their homes.

Many would look at these figures and think: war is hell. This was not a case of one country trying to conquer another. These were the actions of a government against its own people in retaliation for some snipers killing a few soldiers.

Fear of events like this has been what has kept the people of the Middle East from taking a stand. Until now.

For the most part, the recent uprisings in the Middle East have only had limited, but still reprehensible, bloodshed. The exception, of course, is the murderous lunatic in Libya. Many wondered if Syria would join in this Arab Spring. Hafaz al-Assad, who ordered the 1982 attack on Hama, is no longer the leader in Syria, his son Bashar is. While Bashar has sold himself to Syria and the rest of the world as a more modern, caring ruler than his father, this did not stop him from responding to the first signs of Syrian unrest with violence.

On March 18th security forces killed three people taking part in a peaceful protest in the southern

town of Daraa. Six days later in Daraa, six people were killed in the Omari mosque complex. Later that same day, security forces opened fire on hundreds of youth marching in solidarity.

In a weak attempt to quell the demonstrations, Assad announced on March 24th that he would form a committee to raise the living standards and study the possibility of lifting the emergency law that has been in place since the Baath Party took over in 1963. The next day more deaths were reported over a widespread area, including for the first time Damascus.

That day a few hundred brave people in the city of Hama joined their brothers and sisters across the country in protest, chanting “freedom” in the streets. We’ll never know the extent of the courage it took for the people of that town to gather in the streets.

The protests have continued in Syria while the attention of the international community has been focused on Libya. Every day the people of Syria protest, and every day more and more deaths are reported. Every day the protests spread to new cities, every day the protests spread to new sectors of society. Now, in the major cities of Damascus and Aleppo, the students have begun to protest in the universities.

Looking at the exponential increase of violence from the government security forces we can only speculate that the unrest in Syria is far from over. We can only hope that the people can topple the Syrian regime before much more time has passed. We can only hope that there will not be further bloodshed. We can only hope that the events that unfolded in Hama in February 1982 will not be repeated.

But nobody is holding their breath.

I wrote that column back when the Arab Spring had only just sprung. A lot has changed since then. Tunisia had elections, but Egypt has not. Many Arab rulers have made minute changes in an attempt to appease the protestors. The only thing that hasn’t changed is Syria. Well, that isn’t completely true. The brutality levels and the body counts have risen. Sadly, what I predicted last spring has come to pass.

A few days ago the Arab League even went so far as to suspend Syria after they failed to conform to the recommended peace plan. In fact, the violence has only escalated since then. The United Nations says more than 3,500 people have died since the protests started in March.

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has become the epitome of the saying, “like father like son.”

The international community has been reluctant to step in and end the bloodshed after the less than successful missions in the Middle East over the last decade. The Western world is no longer seen as the savior of the Middle East, but as presumptuous aggressors.

I believe the correct way forward is to let the Arab League continue to take the lead. However, they need to realize that it’s going to take more than sanctions and a slap on the wrist to remove Assad from power. It’s time for them to step up and put their own boots on the ground.

- Karmen is the Viewpoints Editor.

Top 5 rants about library life:5. Computer Lab Printers-Not only are they

outnumbered by computers 85:1…they’re also about as clutch as LeBron James in the NBA Finals….seriously, step it up, printers.

4. Cell Phones-Although a “La Bamba” ringtone may provide some momentary comic relief to the philosophy paper I’ve been slaving on for the last 2 hours, the fact that you let your phone make it to 3 rings without silencing it is preventing me from becoming a big fan of yours. Can I get a courtesy vibrate on that? Thank You.

3. Unwritten Rules on NOISE-To those that are quite generous with their decibels: know that the

higher the floor you find yourself on, the less noise you should make. If you really want to be rambunctious, I welcome you to the front of the Library behind the glass where Java City is located…it’s like an aquarium for the rowdy. My name is Kaptain Kleiber and I approve this message.

2. The Library has 4 Floors?-Not only is this your first time to the library this year, but I’d also bet you’re a firm believer that “class gets in the way of college”. Don’t get me wrong, I’m all about having a good time, but balance is a necessity. I applaud you for being here, but your attempt at throwing up an academic “Hail Mary” the day before finals might be too little, too late. Enjoy your Vodka-scented flash cards, bro.

1.Facebook notification:- “5 of your friends

checked in at: Newton Gresham Library”. This interests me. An iPhone app that is most commonly used to let people know that you’re having more fun than them, has now been converted into some kind of reverse peer pressure? Genius! “Don’t go to the bar tonight, all the cool kids are studying.” This is a foolproof way to make sure you don’t miss out on anything exciting. Reverse Peer Pressure: tricking your friends into thinking something nerdy is actually hip. I like it! Also see: “Thursday night date with my man Newton Gresham”, or “ Party at the Newt!”. In my opinion, this practice is not only revolutionary, but, “Slow-Clap” worthy.

- Jeremy is a recurring columnist.

Syria-Frames-Of-Freedom| Flickr.com


The burn ban has been lifted on what could be a temporary basis, Walker County announced Wednesday that.

According to City of Huntsville Fire Chief Tom Grisham, the significant rainfall received this week has made it safe to lift the burn ban, allowing citizens to get rid of some of their accumulated debris.

“Most of Walker County received significant rainfall yesterday during the thunderstorm, so we feel like we’re safe to lift the ban for the time being,” Grisham said. “We’ve been on a burn ban since February 28, and we wanted to give everyone the opportunity to get rid of some of their debris.”

“We’re not sure how long the ban will be lifted. Come Monday, the County may decide to stay off the ban or make the determination to put it back on.”

Grisham said he encouraged residents with debris accumulated on their

property to take advantage of the opportunity to dispose of it.

“While this is not a sign that we are out of drought conditions, we need to take this c h a n c e to get some of the debris piling up o u t s i d e of houses out of here,” he said. “We know how dangerous that can be as excessive debris can contribute to the spread of wildfires.”

The Huntsville area received almost 1.5 in. of rain in the storm that caused tornado watches in various parts of the state including Jefferson County. Over the past 30-days, Huntsville has received 2.4 in. of rain.

According to the University of Nebraska’s Drought Monitor, which is used by several government agencies, Huntsville is

one of many areas under the worst, or “exceptional d r o u g h t , ” conditions.

The city also lifted the Stage 2 water res t r ic t ions due to daily average water consumption below 8 m i l l i o n gallons for 10 days as well as significant recent rainfall and lower a v e r a g e temperatures,

the City has discontinued the water restrictions and is allowing citizens to return to normal water use.

Huntsville implemented Stage 2 mandatory water restrictions in September after water consumption levels exceeded 10.6

million gallons daily for 10 consecutive days.

“The City of Huntsville Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan allows us to discontinue the Stage 2 water restrictions due to the return of water consumption levels to a rate of 8 MGD for 10 days along with other environmental factors,” Public Utilities Director Carol Reed said.

“As of Wednesday, we are recommending that the City discontinue Stage 2 and return to normal water use, and [Grisham] agrees with this recommendation.”

Reed still encourages everyone to maintain water conservation methods during the drought conditions.

The City of Huntsville Water Conservation and Drought Contingency Plan as well as current City water usage is available on the City’s Web site, www.huntsvilletx.gov.

The burn ban will be on the Commissioners’ Court docket Monday morning for re-evaluation.

Sam Houston State University is a historical college institution with a vast history of positive changes within every aspect of itself. Because of the multitude of transformations, SHSU has managed to maintain its renowned traditional atmosphere that its students, faculty and the Huntsville community have been celebrating for more than 130 years, while attracting new students.

SHSU has made changes in its leadership, facilities and student activities.

One of the university’s most recent chronicled changes was the installation of Dana L. Gibson, Ph. D., as its president. President Gibson was sworn in on March 8, of this year not only as SHSU’s thirteenth president, but also as the first woman president of SHSU.

SHSU promised to “add some new twists to old traditions” during the president’s investiture, according to a press release from the university. Gibson’s gender is certainly a “new twist” to a historically male-dominated position.

Other than leadership changes, the university has also been adding many new buildings and structures.

SHSU is a campus that has been under the process of remodeling and reconstructing to better accommodate incoming and current students for years. The James and Nancy Gaertner Performing Arts Center is a key example of SHSU architecture that is keeping up and outperforming other Texas universities.

The Performing Arts Center, which was dedicated at the end of September 2010 to the former university president and his wife in honor of his retirement, has featured scores of thrilling dance, musical

and theatre presentations, including performances by the Houston Symphony Orchestra and the Dominic Walsh Dance Theater of Houston.

It also features seven public art installations including sculpture, mosaics and murals that were specially commissioned for the center. It displays a hanging sculpture by James Surls, an internationally-known artist who is also an alumnus of Sam Houston.

The center has an 800-seat concert hall, a 150-seat dance theatre, an outdoor performance space, dance studios, practice rooms, dressing rooms, audition areas, a scene shop for set construction and a costume shop encompassed in more than 90,000 square feet of space.

Opened in fall 2010, the $38.5 million Performing Arts Center is a venue that is built to showcase artistic talent and creative works, serving the community and the region. It serves as a world-class academic facility for students in dance, music, and theatre.

“We have absolutely world class performing arts programs here, but our venues are simply unacceptable,” Gaertner said before the Performing Arts Center was built. “We’ve reached a stage where we deserve to have a venue that will be a tremendous asset for our campus, the community and the area.”

The university certainly did just that.

The grand opening of the Performing Arts Center triggered the idea for the fall of 2011 grand opening of the new dining facility on campus, Old Main Market.

“It’ll be similar to the Performing Arts Center, where there were a lot of performances,” Jimmy Williams, SH Dining marketing director, said. “Except here we’re cooking.”

Old Main Market is located just behind the Belvin-Buchanan Hall, and is a cafeteria-style facility with modern touches. Unlike ordinary cafeterias, SHSU has changed it up with the Old Main Market, as it has a “Fresh Food” concept, meaning it is a restaurant without a kitchen. The facility houses five independent dining stations where all the food is stored, prepared and cooked right in front of the customer.

SHSU has also brought the student past time of going to concerts to its campus.

Sammypalooza is a yearly concert that transforms the Johnson Coliseum into a music venue with indoor and outdoor stages. Co-created by the Recreational Sports Department and Student Activities in 2010, it has become the premiere, free and exclusive event for Sam Houston students. Featuring music, activities, food and games, it is considered by many students the must-see event at SHSU.

The event hosts musical artists and bands that are hired based on a student body vote of musical genres requested. This year’s performances included the famous alternative rock bands Taking Back Sunday and Vertical Horizon. Last year, big names like Lifehouse, Story of the Year, and Jack Ingram

played.Due to Sammypalooza’s

success and the high student demand for concerts, plans are to have another large-scale concert in the spring of 2012. However, in order to help fund the $140,000 cost of the concert, officials say students may be charged for tickets.

Other sounds the Bearkats are accustomed to are the bell tolls on campus.

The Blatchley Bell Tower, named in honor of alumni Ron and Ruth Blatchley, who commissioned it, was introduced in October during Homecoming week in 2005. It is meant to inspire students to remember their alma mater.

Classical, folk and seasonal music is played hourly on the bells, as well as the SHSU Alma Mater and Bearkat Fight Song.

The tower is 65-feet tall; for comparison, the Sam Houston statue along Interstate 45 is 67 feet tall.

The Blatchley Bell Tower replaced the eight-speaker electronic bell system from 1980 after it became irreparable. The couple also donated the clock with chimes in the Alumni Garden just west of the Lowman Student Center in 2003.

“The whole purpose behind the bell tower was to create something that encourages people to give back to the university that has given so much. It doesn’t have to be millions and millions of dollars. It’s the giving that is important,” Blatchley said.

A big part of SHSU that is away from Huntsville is The Woodlands Texas University Center (TUC).

TUC has been utilized by SHSU since 1998 to conveniently teach students who live closer to Houston. It is used by six universities including SHSU, Prairie View A&M University, Texas A&M University,

Texas Southern University, University of Houston, and University of Houston-Downtown.

TUC is owned by Lone Star College and is rented to SHSU for nearly $1 million despite teaching nearly 90% of the classes they offer. SHSU is in the process of building its own university in the same complex that will be exclusively its own.

In addition, ground-breaking will take place for SHSU’s new $35 million Woodlands Academic Building and 750-space parking garage at the end of this fall semester.

The enhanced campus of today draws new students to SHSU. This appeal has given SHSU the ability to serve a more varied student population while maintaining the charming character of the main campus for which the university is known.

Thursday, November 17, 2011News

houstonianonline.com/news

By McKinzie BrocailSenior Reporter

Alterations to the Bearkat Nation

By Stephen GreenAssociate News Editor

Burn ban, water restrictions lifted after significant rainfall


THE TIMES, THEY ARE A CHANGIN’. Six major changes have taken place at SHSU over the past 13 years that have resulted in positive alterations in leadership, structures and activities, including the university’s first female president, the new Performing Arts Center, Old Main Market, Sammypalooza, The Blatchley Bell Tower and The Woodlands Texas University Center.

Six major changes impacting today’s campus

UPD UpdateNovember 14, 2011

Officer was dispatched to Bearkat Village (located at 2401 Montgomery Road) at 11:15 p.m. in reference to a suspicious odor. Upon investigation, officer determined that a male university student was in possession of contraband. The male was arrested and charged with the Class B Misdemeanor Offense of Possession of Marijuana and the Class C Misdemeanor Offense of Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.

While attempting to make a traffic stop in the 2500 block of Sam Houston Avenue at 1:27 a.m., vehicle fled from the officer. The vehicle finally came to a stop in the 2200 block of Bobby K. Marks where the driver exited the vehicle and fled. After a brief foot chase, officer was able to apprehend the driver (a male resident of Huntsville, Texas). The male was arrested and charged with the following State Jail Felony Offenses of Evading Arrest/Detention and Possession of a Controlled Substance.

Officer responded to the 900 Block of Bearkat Boulevard at 1:17 p.m. where the complainant reported that she was missing a purse. A theft report was completed for the missing purse.

“While this is not a sign that we are out of drought conditions, we need to take this chance to get some of the debris piling up outside ...”

-Tom Grisham

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Thursday, November 17, 2011Arts & Entertainment

houstonianonline.com/a-e

Sights, sounds and colors filled the Performing Arts Center Recital Hall as AURA, a contemporary music ensemble, performed a set of unique pieces in their concert “Voyages” on Wednesday night.

The six selections for the concert included several works commissioned by AURA. The pieces combined the traditional use of voice and instruments with the added appeal of different media such as video and audio.

AURA, directed by Rob Smith, is made up of a group of musicians from the Moors School of Music at the University of Houston that focuses on performing contemporary chamber music by a wide array of American and international composers.

Right from the opening of the concert, AURA kept the audience intrigued with their unique use of voice. In “Church Car”, two speakers used the simple words “church” and “car” to create a series of rhythms that were synchronized with video featuring driving and crashing cars.

“My favorite part was the spoken voice,” a music

education student who wished to remain anonymous, said.

“It was a very interesting take on music.”

In “Footprints”, flutist Lauren Sofka delivered a very demanding performance that kept the audience excited about the music.

It began very aggressively with fast moving notes that ranged from high to low in pitch. Then, the music slowed into a lighter mood and conveyed a playful side.

The mood changed throughout the nine minute piece as the music became

angry and harsh with high piercing notes and then slow and lyrical at times.

Music and art met in a piece titled “Red Arc/Blue Veil” by using video that featured different shapes and colors to go along with the music that added an extra layer to the performance.

The music started out calm and soft following the blue color on screen.

Then, as the screen changed to red and fast movement became the focus, the music became hectic and urgent with fast moving notes on both the piano and

percussion. “It was interesting to see

cotemporary music performed because we don’t see a lot of it here,” the music student said.

“The variation of literature and different instrumentation was not typical.”

Upcoming concerts will include other performances from the Houston Masterworks Chorus on Sunday at 4 p.m. and another from members of the Houston Symphony on Tuesday at 7:30 p.m., both held in the PAC Concert Hall.

Music, art, AURABy George Mattingly Arts & Entertainment Editor

By George Mattingly Arts & Entertainment Editor

Fourth film offers promises of drama, suspense

U of H ensemble intrigues crowd with contemporary music, unique sounds

Breaking Dawn to draw ‘twihards’

While several students will be preparing for Thanksgiving break next week, in a matter of hours, hundreds of fans will be waiting in line chattering with excitement and arguing “Team Edward” or “Team Jacob”.

The final movie installment of the widely popular Twilight series will hit theaters tonight with the midnight premiere of Breaking Dawn Part 1.

The best-selling book series, written by author Stephanie Meyer, was turned into a movie series in 2008 by Summit Entertainment.

It beckoned book and movie fans alike to wait in line and sparked a cultural phenomenon that spread as fast as vampire venom.

Readers become intrigued with the ongoing love triangle between Bella, Edward and Jacob intertwined with the twist of the classic battle of mythical creatures between vampires and werewolves and the constant threat of danger for them.

Breaking Dawn picks up right where the Eclipse left off, with Edward and Bella set to

wed at the opening. As they begin to

enjoy their never-ending lives together, they become parents of a half-vampire child which stirs trouble for the werewolf and vampire worlds.

The story will take a different direction as the relationship between Edward and Bella becomes vastly complex, leaving Jacob to face his personal issues on his own.

For one local fan, Breaking Dawn holds the promise of more drama and suspense for all the characters, which adds to the allure of the story.

“I am looking forward to all of the drama in the movie,” Kristian Cross, sophomore pre-nursing major, said.

“If it is anything like the books, it should be dramatic and exciting. I’m more excited for this movie because it’s the end of the series. ”

With all the excitement surrounding Breaking Dawn, the Huntsville movie theater is sold out for the midnight showing.

For those lucky to get tickets before they sold out, the thrill of a midnight premiere gives them a chance to see the movie before everyone else, which adds to the thrill of the experience.

“I am going at midnight for the excitement,” Cross said.

“Yeah, I could wait until Friday, but I like the excitement of standing in line, waiting with of the other fans and being able to talk about it with other people before they’ve seen it.”

Breaking Dawn Part 1 officially hits movie theaters on Friday while Part 2 is set to open next year.

NEW MUSIC: AURA, a contemporary music ensemble from teh University of Houston, came to the univeristy to perform. Their arrangement of “In Memorium Dylan Thomas” combined voice with orchestral instruments to pay tribute to poet Dylan Thomas.

George Mattingly| The Houstonian

when it counts. As for this season, there’s still a lot of football left to play. The Cowboys are currently 5-4, one game behind for the NFC East lead.

One Houston fan was envious of the history of the Cowboys.

“AstroWorld never left,” alumnus Reid Wendell said. “It just moved across the street to Reliant Stadium. Texans roller coaster.”

This season, the Houston Texans, despite suffering crippling blows from key player injuries, have shown their maturity and proven able to close out games against worthy opponents.

Astros Vs. RangersThe Astros advanced to

the World Series in 2005, but they have been hard to watch as of late, finishing the season with a league-low 100 loses. With the talk of new ownership and relocating to the American League, fans definitely have something to look forward to.

The Texas Rangers are 11-2 in their last 13 meetings with the Astros and are the first MLB team to appear in back-to-back World Series since the New York Yankees (2000-2001). Due to their recent explosive success, don’t be surprised to see more blue caps around campus with a “T” on the front.

Rockets Vs. MavericksThe Houston Rockets

dominated the league in the mid 90s, bringing home back-to-back championships. After the 1995 season, they didn’t advance past the first round until the exciting year of 2009, when they almost advanced to conference finals.

For the Dallas Mavericks, a long history of mediocrity before Mark Cuban bought the team was finally overcome with a sweet triumph against the Miami Heat in the 2011 NBA Finals, leaving them Champions. It was their second NBA Final appearance in five years (2006). With the NBA facing a lockout and possible

no season due to revenue sharing disputes, the Mavs might get to hold on to that trophy a little bit longer.

So what is needed to take place to develop a true, hated, historic rivalry? More head-to-head play? Consistent championships? More creative trash talk that leaves the mothers out of it?

“I don’t believe one really exists between the cities,” Pondillo said. “I believe the cities have become so starved for success during the recent decades it makes the fans feel better to bash the other.”

“Dallas has become head of the class and has a lot of great things going on,” he said. “Will I support them? Probably not, but I wouldn’t go out of my way to watch them lose either. It’s not Boston-New York, San Fran-LA, or even close to that magnitude. With the Astros moving to the American League, it could add some heat. But a true rivalry will only be built around consistent success of both teams, and decades of construction.”

The men’s basketball team was routed 74-41 against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Wednesday night.

With the loss the team drops to 1-1 on the season.

Marcus James led the way for the Bearkats as he was able to score 16 points while pulling down eight rebounds.

The Fighting Irish defense was solid all night and limited Sam Houston to shooting 34 percent from the field (18-of-53) and only allowed them to shoot 3 out of 15 from three-point territory.

In two games this season, the Kats have struggled when it comes to shooting three-pointers and have shot 16 percent (5-of-31).

The Irish also did a good job of keeping the Kats

away from the free throw line. SHSU only attempted five free throws while only making three.

Freshman Michael Holyfield was able to grab eight rebounds and scored six points.

Notre Dame (3-0) finished shooting 53 percent from the field (27-of- 51) and shot 10-of-19 from three-point territory.They also shot 10 out of 20 from the free throw line.

Pat Connaughton led the Fighting Irish and came off the bench and scored 24 points and pulled down five rebounds.

Guard Jerian Grant added 17 and pulled down six rebounds and had seven assists.

Notre Dame never trailed in the game, but at one point in the first half SHSU pulled within one and trailed 15-14.

After that, the Irish went on a 23-2 run and went into

halftime with a 38-16 lead. In the second half, the

Irish maintained their commanding lead and the Kats were never able to get closer than 19.

Next, the Kats will compete in the College Basketball Experience Classic (CBE).

The first game of the tournament will take place against Mercer (1-1) Macon, Ga., and tip-off is scheduled for 6 p.m. on Monday.

After that, the team will remain in Mancon and take on South Dakota State (1-2) on Tuesday and Niagara (1-0) on Wednesday.

Both games will start at 3:30 p.m.

The next home game will be against Dallas Christian on Tuesday Nov. 29 at 7 p.m.

For more information about the team, including questions about scheduling visit gobearkats.com.

Fresh off a victory against the Northwestern State Demons, the football team celebrated winning their first undisputed Southland Conference title in school history on Saturday.

The celebration is over and the team is moving forward and setting their focus towards the Texas State Bobcats on Saturday and will be in search of their first undefeated season since 1956.

After the win last week against the Demons, Sam Houston (10-0, 7-0 in SLC) jumped to number 2 in this week’s Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) rankings, and was five votes shy of being tied with the current number one team, Montana State.

The team is also riding a current 12 game winning streak that is tied for the longest in school history (1955-57), as well as being the longest active streak in all of Division-I football.

Texas State (6-5) is coming off a loss in a very tight contest between Central Arkansas, 23-22.

The Kats and Bobcats run a similar style of offense.

Bobcat quarterback Shaun Rutherford leads the way for their offense. In 10 games this season, Rutherford has thrown for 1,227 yards, 12 touchdowns and has completed 58.3 percent of his passes.

However, Rutherford can be a duel threat as he has picked up 449 yards on the ground and has scored three rushing touchdowns.

Overall, the team averages over 205 rushing yards a game. Running backs Terrence Franks and Marcus Franks have combined for 1,421 rushing

yards and 12 touchdowns. Running back Tim

Flanders, wide receiver Richard Sincere, and quarterback Brian Bell control the offense for the Bearkats.

Last week Flanders was able to run for 145 yards and two total touchdowns, which pushes him over 1,000 yards for the season while scoring 18 rushing touchdowns.

Sincere was able to generate 75 rushing yards, 102 receiving yards, and three total touchdowns in the win.

This season Bell has

thrown for over 66 percent of his passes while racking up 1,470 yards and 13 touchdowns. Against the Demons, Bell was able to throw for 200 passing yards, two touchdowns and completed 10 of his 14 pass attempts.

While the two teams run similar offenses, it could be the defense that separates them.

This season, the Bobcats have been allowing opponents to pick up 402 yards of offense a game (244 passing and 159 rushing).

The Bearkats have

been the opposite and are currently ranked number two in the FCS, allowing 262 yards a game (206 passing and 56 rushing).

The Bearkats also are second in the FCS at turnovers and are +24 in the turnover margin, and have been able to create at least three turnovers in seven straight games.

Safety Darnell Taylor was named as Southland Conference defense player of the week after his performance against the Demons. In that game, Taylor was able to get 10 tackles and returned a 23-

yard interception for a touchdown.

In the last game of the season and with the Kats already clinching a birth in the playoffs, some teams might be tempted to rest their starters. However, Coach Fritz has stated that he will not be resting any starters.

“This isn’t the NFL, we aren’t going to rest anybody,” head coach Willie Fritz said. “We’re going to play our top line guys and give our best effort. If we didn’t do that, we’d be cheating Sam Houston.”

With Texas State leaving to join the Western Athletic Conference in July, this could be the last game between the two schools for a while.

“It’s been a fantastic rivalry,” Fritz said. “There’s a lot of change in college football now a days. It’s sad for a lot of people around here and for people at Texas State that we won’t hookup anymore.”

The game will take place in San Marcos and kickoff is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday.

For more information, visit gobearkats.com.

Everything seemed to be clicking for the women’s basketball team in their season opener on Sunday.

The Lady Kats scored the opening points and never looked back as they went on to an easy victory against the UT-Tyler Patriots, 94-74.

The five starting players for the Bearkats scored in double-figures and the team shot 45.7 percent from the floor.

Junior Sequeena Thomas lead the team with 23 points and shot 10-15 from the field. Thomas also finished with nine rebounds, one

short of a double-double. In her first game as a

Bearkat, freshman Angela Beadle had a stand-out game and was able produce a double-double, scoring 14 points and pulling down 12 rebounds.

Jasmine Wiley added 17 points, Britni Martin 13, and Jasmine Johnson finished with 12.

The defense also played well and was able to force the Patriots into 23 turnovers. SHSU was able to capitalize on those and scored 30 points off of the turnovers.

Four players for the Patriots finished with double figures in scoring. Nicole Tucker lead the way

for the Patriots and scored 14. Lindsey Hausmann finished with 13, SheCara Humphrey 11, and Melissa Thomas and Alex Boyd each added 10.

The first points of the game came off of free throws shot by Wiley. The Patriots tied the game shortly, but it was all Bearkats after that.

At halftime, the Kats lead 49-32 and shot 55.6 percent from the field.

Things didn’t get any better for the Patriots and the Kats were able to control the game in the second half. At the 16 minute mark, the Kats had their largest lead of 24.

In the second half, the

Kats were able to get inside and scored 26 points in the paint during the half, 48 overall.

“I think overall the team did a very good job,” head coach Brenda Nichols said. “I thought it was a very team oriented win. We had five kids in double figures and it was just fun and exciting to see everybody get out there and contribute and do well.”

Next up, the Kats will host Mary-Hardin Baylor on Friday. Tip-off for that game is scheduled for 12 p.m.

For more information about the team, visit gobearkats.com.

From RIVALRY page 1

Thursday, November 17, 2011Sports

houstonianonline.com/sports twitter.com/HoustonianSport

By Zach BirdsongSports Editor

Kats attempt purrrfection By Zach BirdsongSports Editor

By Zach BirdsongSports Editor

Women start season with big win against UT-Tyler, 94-74

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

STRUTTING IN STYLE. Running back Tim Flanders rushes the ball against the Northwestern State Demons. In the game Flanders rushed for 145 yards and scored one touchdown. Flanders also had two reception for 41 yards and had one receiving touchdown. This season, Flanders has rushed for 1,000 yards and has scored 18 touchdowns. Overall the offense generated 443 yards (200 passing and 243 rushing) and the defense held the Demons to just 279 (215 passing and 64 rushing).

GETTING TO THE HOOP. Senior Khamra Echols (11) drives to the hoop against UT-Tyler on Sunday. Echols scored two points.

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

Men routed in South Bend, 74-41Bearkats lose to Fighting Irish in first road trip of new season

November 17, 2011

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