February 14, 2012

Vol 120 | Issue 8

Publishing since 1913 Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Viewpoints ....... pg. 2News .................. pg. 3

A&E ................... pg. 4Sports................. pg. 5

INDEX

Visit us on Facebook: “The Houstonian SHSU”

Kyle Park comes to Huntsville for

show, pg. 4

Brandon Scott shares

thoughts on Whitney

Houston’s death, pg. 2

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Facebook.com/HoustonianSHSU | @TheHoustonian

Scott Tegeler has it easy. His girlfriend loves cliché and

generic Valentine’s Day gifts. He plans on taking her out to dinner somewhere, giving her flowers and a stuffed animal.

When asked if he views Valentine’s Day as an obligation or something he enjoys doing Tegeler answers: “It’s mostly an obligation. I enjoy seeing her happy, but the process of preparing to make her happy can be a pain.”

The fact is that the commercialization of Valentines is all about what marketers think women want.

On Valentine’s Day the average man will spend about $170 on his significant other while a woman will spend about $70, according to the National Retail Federation. That means men spend over

double what women do. But men also have it easy.

Valentine’s Day ads featuring the top gifts of chocolate, jewelry, flowers, and cards are gifts men may not care much about receiving. Women are not given a script on what to give in return.

Flowers and candy don’t mean as much to the average man as it does to a woman. Jewelry commercials on TV are targeted towards men getting their other half the perfect gift. Ever seen a jewelry advertisement targeted towards women buying their man that something special.

Men’s choices are laid out for them. Superstores have a section dedicated to Valentine’s gifts, most of which are clearly for women.

But women’s choices aren’t as defined. Every February, articles pop up online like hercampus.com’s The 20 Cutest

Things to Do With Your Boyfriend on Valentine’s Day. These stories feature ideas such as going ice skating, buying tickets to see a favorite sports team, or signing him up for a beer of the month club.

Mandy Grudzieski, a recent

SHSU graduate, said her Valentine’s Day request has changed with full time employment.

“We usually don’t have money to do anything,” Grudzieski said. “But now since we have jobs, I kind of made him take me somewhere. We’re just going to a

fancier restaurant.”It’s not that men don’t

care about this day of love. They just care in a different way. More often than not they just enjoy making their date happy.

Relationship expert Jenni Trent Hughes said that although men and women’s roles have changed, being in love still rules the day.

“We may no longer be knights in shining amour or damsels in distress, but we still want and need romance – it is part of our emotional DNA,” Hughes said.

Even men who are

skeptical of Valentine’s Day will buy their girlfriends or wives some sort of gift. Not just because they will be in the doghouse if they don’t, but because who doesn’t like making their significant other smile?

Samuel Keen, Grudzieski’s fiancé, isn’t a big fan of the day.

“I feel as though it’s a commercial holiday,” Keen said.

“But it makes Mandy happy to do something. I guess I view it as a good excuse to go out and do something nice for [her].”

Tegeler thinks that the little planning he does goes a long way.

“It’s not so bad if we do things right and our lady is tickled pink at the finished product of whatever we were going for,” Tegeler said.

So although as the commercialization gears the day towards making women happy, that doesn’t mean men don’t have their own reasons to get excited around Valentine’s Day.

JESSICA FURDOCKContributing Reporter

A new law changing what procedures are required to be used in photographs and live lineups, goes into effect June 17.

The new law added to the Texas Code of Criminal Procedures, passed in Sept., requires all law enforcement agencies of the state to “adopt, implement, and as necessary amend a detailed written policy regarding the administration of photograph and live lineup identification procedures.”

The biggest change from this new procedure is how live lineups are done. In the past they have

used a simultaneous method; a handful of people stood next to each other in a line. They are now recommending a sequential method; which, defined within the policy is “photo arrays where the photographs are presented one at a time to the witness or victim.” These procedures are designed to reduce wrong identifications, enhance the reliability of eyewitness identifications, gather eyewitness evidence correctly and to respect the needs of victims and witnesses.

The Bill Blackwood Law Enforcement Management Institute of Texas (LEMIT) has researched and written a model procedure for Texas agencies to

use, in the event that they do not want to write their own new procedures.

The final draft of this policy states that the purpose of the changed procedure “is to outline proper protocol for eyewitness identification procedures for photographic, show-up, and live lineup identifications which maximize the reliability of identifications, protect innocent persons, and establish evidence that is reliable and conforms to established legal requirements.”

David Webb, Assistant Executive Director of LEMIT said the change came about “because bad identifications wrongly imprisoned people” and hopes the

new policy “would lead to people not being wrongly [identified].”

Another major change is lineups are now blinded, “a procedure wherein the person administering the live lineup or photo array does not know who the suspect is”, the model policy states. This is so the person conducting the lineups doesn’t accidently give away who they believe the suspect is.

The policy, which LEMIT wrote and prepared has been thoroughly researched and revised as to get the best possible procedures. In Sept. LEMIT held a day-long meeting to show those findings, and a draft of the new policy. It received many good reviews from various groups involved including

law enforcement agencies and non-governmental organization stakeholders like those who have been wrong accused.

In a FAQ document on LEMIT’s website it says, “based on that round of comments, the policy was revised again and the revised policy was sent to a number of working detectives to provide feedback on clarity and consistency. That feedback led to the final draft.”

The new policy is still in its beginning stages and is currently being implemented with many police officers being taught the procedures so they can apply the policy and teach it to their home agency.

JESSICA FURDOCKContributing Reporter

Since partying is often part of the college social scene, the likelihood of students getting in alcohol and drug related incidents increases. Now, one man is heading the attempt to save as many lives at Sam Houston State University as he can.

Eddie Gisemba, 24, took over direction of the ADAI just a month ago, replacing the former director, Rosanne Keathley. Gisemba earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical humanities from Hiram College in Ohio, continuing on to get his Masters degree in public health from Case Western Reserve in Ohio.

Sam Houston State University’s Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative, the ADAI, was formed in 2005 as the Alcohol Abuse Initiative under direction of former SHSU President James Gaertner, Ph.D. It was formed after an unusually high number of SHSU students died in alcohol related accidents.

It wasn’t until 2007 that it got voted to expand the scope into drug abuse issues as well.

The Center of Disease Control states that according to recent surveys, “approximately 92 percent of U.S. adults who drink excessively report binge drinking within the last 30 days, and that the prevalence of binge drinking among men is higher than the prevalence among women.”

“I want students to know me as more than just the ‘alcohol guy’,” Gisemba said. “I am a diehard Cleveland sports fan, I play guitar, enjoy stand-up comedy, and feel like I could really connect with the students since I am around the same age as most.”

According to Gisemba, the ADAI is only as successful as the students make it. He plans on putting a stronger focus on the social aspect, around trending topics among the students, such as MTV’s “Jersey Shore”, or Tucker Max from the book I Hope They Serve Beer in Hell.

“I want to get more students involved as well, having them

share their personal experiences, form advocacy groups, give presentations, and share the consequences of making such decisions without sounding too cliché,” said Gisemba.

“I like to think of myself as a 20 year old stuck in a 24 year olds body, “ Gisemba added. “I want to be able to help students on a personal level if needed, and help them to be able to prepare and learn skills such as public speaking, for their future.”

Danielle Schwager, Gisemba’s

friend since freshman year at Hiram College, and fellow resident assistant said his character makes him well suited for the Alcohol and Drug Abuse Initiative position at Sam Houston State University.

“It was after college that I really saw Eddie take advantage of his academic and professional opportunities and follow his passion of helping others. He genuinely cares for others, both in his work and professional life, and this is evident in his everyday actions. He is an amazing person

and an even better friend,” Schwager said.

Gisemba is available from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the top floor of Kirkley Hall but is currently in the transition of moving his office to Allen House. He can also be found around the coffee places.

Currently, ADAI is working on getting ready for R.I.D.D. week.

“I think it would be cool to bring a different entertainment on campus, or other organizations to help get students more involved,” Gisemba said.

JESSICA LUNDSTROMContributing Reporter

SAVING LIVES. Eddie Gisemba, 24, took over direction of the ADAI just a month ago, replacing the former director, Rosanne Keathley. He earned his bachelor’s degree in biomedical humanities from Hiram College in Ohio.

Jessica Furdock | The Houstonian

Law changes live lineup procedures

Living above the influence

Stephen Green | The Houstonian

Meaning of Valentines Day: What women want

ADMIT ONE

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ZACH’S HEART

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Page 2Tuesday, February 14, 2012Viewpoints

houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

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 Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

We should start with Jennifer Hudson’s elegant tribute to Whitney Houston at the

Grammy Award Show Sunday night.

It was beautiful. The most critical observers

are saying Hudson didn’t sing “I Will Always Love You” enough like Whitney would have, which is actually the whole point of Houston’s legend in the first place.

No one asked or expected Hudson, an Academy award winner and Grammy nominated artist herself, to get on stage and magically become Whitney Houston. That’s an unreasonable expectation.

The way you successfully sing a Houston song is to not mess it up, and many good singers would have. Not only did Hudson avoid ruining Houston’s classic track, but she excelled within her own ability.

If you want to see an artist ruin a performance like that, ask them to try to be something they are not or do things they can’t do.

Hudson didn’t fall for the okie doke there, and that tribute will go down as one of the most beautiful

moments in music history. Since that is out of the way,

Houston’s cultural impact is the broader picture here.

The barriers she broke and her unparalleled talent (which was apparent even in Hudson’s performance) are timeless. All of this we know.

But what’s interesting is how Houston contrasts from other legends with similar issues that seemed to have died way too soon.

One of my colleagues said the news made him think immediately of Rick James, while others have compared such a tragedy to the death of Amy Winehouse, which isn’t even a year into our recollection yet.

Of course, the Michael Jackson comparison is evident as well.

These are stars with untouchable ability, until confronted with their own self destruction. So it all makes sense.

But Houston is different because her struggle is not exclusive with her music career as say James’. Houston didn’t address her battle with addiction through her work the way Winehouse did and her problems are more associated with her career downslide as opposed to its peak, much like Jackson but

with a more tragic feel.We don’t bring off-stage and on-

stage Whitney together very often and that’s a good thing in the sense of being able to separate the polar opposite lessons to learn from her.

With her death, we can talk about Houston’s dead-end relationship with Bobby Brown until we’re blue in the face and show young girls what not to put up with.

Houston is a classic symbol of a battered woman who stayed

around too long, maybe to the point where she ruined whatever was left of herself as an individual, whoever that was.

I remember growing up listening to my mother tell this story of Brown’s New Edition band mate Johnny Gill fighting Brown because he was being abusive to Whitney in public for God and everybody else to see.

In 2009, Houston told Oprah Winfrey that Brown once spat in her face. That’s reprehensible and folks have been murdered on the spot for less than that.

Houston also said she believed Brown was jealous of her, since she was obviously the bigger and more global star than he was.

One moment that sticks out to me from the couple’s debacle of a reality show in 2005, “Being Bobby Brown,” is when Brown tries to impress a middle-age white man with his celebrity. The man knows nothing about Brown’s prerogative, but when Brown tells him, “I’m married to Whitney Houston” it suddenly clicks.

The man was probably thinking, “So you’re the one who ruined Whitney Houston.”

A lot of factors ruined Houston, perhaps her own stubbornness

holds the biggest claim to that. But for parents out there with

young daughters, such as myself, we have to raise our girls to be able to recognize a fool like Bobby Brown and sadly, prevent them from becoming a Whitney Houston.

She was a beautiful, talented black woman and my daughter will be happy if she accomplishes in her profession half of what Houston did professionally.

Still, she’ll likely learn from Houston’s flaws and tragic mistakes more than anything.

Isn’t it chilling how a voice with such inspiration and such promise belonged to a woman that will now inspire young girls to do what she couldn’t do?

It’s an ironic twist because the lesson is never mind trying to sing like Whitney, because that’s something you’re unlikely to ever be able to do.

Just know that it is more important to take care of yourself first, and any relationship that holds you back from that is unnecessary at best, but fatal at worst.

Fittingly, that’s a Valentine’s Day message to hold on to forever.

W

Brandon K. ScottRecurring Columnist

Where do broken hearts goBrandon K. Scott reflects on what we can learn from the tragic end of Whitney

Houston’s life, a Valentine’s message to hold to

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Zach BirdsongSports Editor

a p p y S i n g l e s Awareness D a y

everybody! Or, as some of you might say, Happy Valentine’s Day!

I for one have never seen the point of this holiday, as to me it just seems like a cheap holiday for companies to garner in a little bit of cash while exploiting the general population.

Be that as it may, I don’t hate today. In fact, it’s just the opposite. Love is great and love is grand, so why not celebrate today with that somebody special?

While Valentine’s Day is primarily designated for couples, I advise single people to use this day to celebrate those around you who you consider to be special.

My question that I propose to you, the reader is: Why should we designate just one day out of the year to show that special somebody how we feel?

I mean, honestly, if love is so grand and we value it as much as we say we do, shouldn’t we celebrate it more often?

I can hear all the guys reading this scoff at this suggestion. But listen, I’m not suggesting that you guys have to be extravagant about it. Believe me, the last thing

I want to do is a drop a bunch of money every month.

I’ve been single for a while now (shocker, right?), and one thing that I’ve learned is that girls love the “little things,” even if they won’t admit it.

And girls, the same could be said about us. Even though we won’t admit it, we do like the “little things.”

And to my single people, just do a little

something for all those closest to you to show you that you care. It will definitely be appreciated.

So, I’m ok with keeping this day as a “holiday.” However, I am suggesting that we as people work on showing a little more gratitude on an everyday basis.

While I won’t be celebrating today’s holiday with anybody, I will be giving those around me a phone call and say how thankful I am to have them in my life.

And I’m going to make sure that this is more than a one-day occurrence. I hope the rest of you will join me and follow.

*Just for the record, Zach is accepting applications for a possible girlfriend. All applicants must be female and must be able to read and write. They also have to think the Houstonian is the most awesome newspaper ever.

Saving all my love for youZach Birdsong talks being single on Valentine’s Day

Word on the street...

...Valentine’s Day

“Me and my good girlfriends are actually celebrating Valentine’s week. We’re going to have movies and hanging out and baking. Surround ourselves with good friends.”

-Yemi Otulana, sophomore theatre major

“I’m not doing a damn thing. I’m going to go to work, go home, and clean my room.”

-Ronell Walker, senior mass comm major

“One of my boyfriend’s friends just told me that he handcrafted me a lot of stuff so I don’t really know what’s happening. It’s a surprise and there will be glitter. I feel like I don’t have to do anything.”

-Kyle Scholl, senior theatre major

“I’m going to go home and see my girlfriend and just hang out.”

-Chris Gorski, freshman accounting major

Photos by George Mattingly

Stephen Green

United States public health officials and policy makers from University of California in San Francisco, Columbia and Virginia Tech are advocating for policies to raise excise taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages to decrease their consumption. The taxes are expected to monitor sugar intake to put a dent in overweight and obesity rates that have steadily increased over the past decade.

According to Yaleruddercenter.org, the revenue from these taxes could be large enough to be used on obesity prevention, anti-hunger and other health initiatives. The Rudd Center has considered a smaller 1-cent-per-ounce soda tax, than the proposed 2-cents-per-ounce tax which Philadelphia almost passed last year.

Countries such as France, Greece and Denmark have already created soda taxes, and the idea is being considered by more than 20 U.S. cities and states. Excise taxes would increase shelf prices and steer buyers clear of costly sugary soda expenses.

Mark Bittman, New York Times writer, wrote of a study conducted by Y. Clair Wang, assistant professor at Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health:

“[It is] predicted that a penny tax per ounce on sugar-sweetened beverages in New York State would save $3 billion in health care costs over the course of a decade, prevent something like 37,000 cases of diabetes and bring in $1 billion annually. Another study shows that a two-cent tax

per ounce in Illinois would reduce obesity in youth by 18 percent, save nearly $350 million and bring in over $800 million taxes annually.”

The American Heart Association says studies have shown drinking too many calories has caused more weight gain than calories from foods. Soft drinks are liquid calories that have absolutely no nutritional value and cause the body to feel less full.

The added sugars of American diets mostly come from soft drinks and other sugar-filled beverages. A daily diet is

suggested to consist of 2,000 calories; however, studies show Americans swallow about 22 teaspoons of sugar--about 355 calories--on a daily basis. It has led to health risks such as

heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, obesity epidemic and much more. These incidences are leading killers of Americans and cause increases in public health costs annually.

Some believe these tax policies will not stop Americans from enjoying unhealthy drinks or foods, and many will spend the extra money to continue consuming them.

Bittman wrote, “[The policy’s] mission is not public health but profit, so they’ll continue to sell the health-damaging food that’s most profitable, until the market or another force skews things otherwise.”

Many states’ legislations have decided not to pass the soda tax thus far, but some states including Hawaii, West Virginia, Vermont and Rhode Island have passed the bill on to higher committees for approval.

Valentine’s Day is one of the most popular days to buy jewelry, flowers cards and candy.

Even though Valentine’s Day is not first among the top sales for jewelry; flowers, cards and candy is still in the top four.

According to Rhonda Wolff, Owner of Crazy Dazy Bokays in Huntsville, Valentine’s sales come in a close second to Mother’s Day.

“It’s a significant amount, anywhere between 40 and 50 percent more than any other holiday other than Mother’s Day,” Wolff said.

Wolff said her most popular flowers around this time are Stargazers and Gerber Daisy’s.

According to aboutflowers.com 23 percent of adults purchased flowers as gifts for Valentine’s Day 2011; of those 61 percent were men and 39 percent were women.

Based on a nationwide poll on aboutflowers.com, the most popular types of flowers that consumers are buying around Valentine’s Day are mixed flowers, which come in at 45 percent. Red roses come in second at 42 percent, followed by non-red roses at 29 percent. Other types of flowers and plants come in at 23 and 22 percent respectively.

According to Keith Olsen,

owner of Olson’s Fine Jewelry in Huntsville, when it comes to jewelry sales, Valentine’s Day also comes in second, but behind Christmas instead of Mother’s Day.

“Sales go up about 15 to 20 percent [around Valentine’s Day], compared to the rest of the year.”

Olsen said rings and necklaces come in at a close 50/50 in popularity, for Valentine’s Day gifts.

According to Hallmark, Valentine’s Day card sales come in second behind Christmas. There are 1.5 billion Christmas cards sent, including boxed and individual cards, and there are 144 million Valentine’s Day cards sent, not including classroom valentines.

According to the National Confectioners Association, Valentine’s Day comes in fourth for highest candy sales after Halloween, Easter and Christmas.

More than 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate will be sold for Valentine’s Day.

The most popular candy for Valentine’s Day is the Sweethearts, according to nationalgeographic.com

Crazy Dazy Bokays is located at 275 FM 247, and Olsen’s Fine Jewelry is located at 1211 15th St, for those last minute Valentine’s Day shoppers.

Page 3Tuesday, February 14, 2012 News

houstonianonline.com/news

MOLLY WADDELLAssociate News Editor

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Valentine’s Day sweeps sales of candy, jewelry, flowers and cards off their feet

LOVE IS IN THE AIR. Valentine’s Day, a day based in pagen partying, is a day of love, and gift giving for couples. Candy, flowers, jewelry and cards are among the favorite things to give.

Cody Lewis | The Houstonian

As the Girl Scouts of USA celebrate their 100th anniversary, coined the “Year of the Girl”, they are also in controversy surrounding the girl scout cookie boycott.

In light of a Denver troop allowing membership to a trans-gendered child, organizations started to voice their concerns.

Felisha Archuleta, mother of 7-year-old Bobby Montoya, says that Bobby was born a boy but considers himself a girl.

The Denver troop leader said people knew that he was a boy and even called the child “it”.

Colorado state Girl Scout leaders stated “If a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout.”

According to the Washington Post, “In an e-mail....Michelle Tompkins, a Girl Scouts spokeswoman said the organization “prided itself on being an inclusive organization serving girls from all walks of life.”

A girl scout member from California, known as “Taylor”, posted a Youtube video, propelling the

boycott of the $4 boxes of cookies sold each year.

According to globalpost.com, the girl is quoted as saying “Right now, Girl Scouts of the U.S.A....is not being honest with us girls, its troops, its leaders, its parents or the American public.”

“Girl Scouts describes itself as an all-girl experience. With that label,

families trust that the girls will be in an environment that is not only nurturing and sensitive to girls’ needs, but also safe for girls,” the member said.

The site HonestGirlScouts, posted the video of Taylor and many other posts supporting the boycott. Some posts are of their boycott flier as well as “What the Girl Scouts don’t want you to know”.

Organizations in Louisiana and other troops have resigned from the girl empowerment group, citing that they would not be apart of something that supported a “dangerous situation”.

Facebook pages, supporting and

rejecting the boycott sprung soon after. Pages such as “Stop the Girl Scout Cookie Boycott” and “Girlcott the Boycott! Girl Scout Cookies for Tolerance” rejected the idea of boycotting the cookies.

Fans of the page “Girlcott the Boycott! Girl Scout Cookies for Tolerance” posted their thoughts in reference to the boycotts.

“I’m buying twice as many cookies this year!”

“Pass the page around! It’d be great if we could figure out how to purchase cookies from Bobby!”

Girl Scouts of USA have not formally responded to the accusations and the boycott itself.

The organization has posted an article titled “In Defense of Girl Scouting”.

In it, they say “With a rich one-hundred year history of building girls of courage, confidence and character, it is no surprise that people from coast-to-coast come out in support of Girl Scouting when critics seem eager to discredit everything from badges to cookies.”

Contact to the headquarters has not been responded to.

Some members and parents have resorted to joining American Heritage Girls organization.

Hospitality House provides shelter, support for families of prisonersMISTI JONES

Senior Reporter

““If a child identifies as a girl and the child’s family presents her as a girl, Girl Scouts of Colorado welcomes her as a Girl Scout.

- Girl Scout Leader

JANISE RICHARDSONContributing Reporter

GIRL SCOUTS OF AMERICA. Established in 1912, The Girl Scouts was made for girls and now they are facing an issue with someone who was born a male but considers himself a girl.

Photo courtesy of atlantaintownpaper.com

Controversy among girl scouts

““[The policy’s] mission is not public health but profit, so they’ll continue to sell the health-damaging food that’s most profitable, until the market or another force skews things otherwise.

- Mark Bittman

Health officials discuss sugar tax

The Hospitality House is doing all it can to help hundreds of families of Huntsville prisoners by inviting state-wide groups to come volunteer for the cause.

On Monday, the Hospitality House Board approved plans for a city-wide community spring fundraiser, in either April or May, but no dates have been confirmed. There are also plans for a fall event that have yet to be determined.

The Board also approved for tiles to be purchased by visitors for the Hospitality House’s prayer garden. They can put a scripture, or In-memory-of or in-honor-of to put in the garden. Prices have not been set.

Staff members will go to Midlothian to represent the Hospitality House at the Go Now Discovery Weekend from Feb. 17-19. The purpose is to interview and recruit students from all over Texas to work as summer missionaries.

Students will come and work with Hospitality

House on Feb. 18 for Fellowship of Huntsville Volunteer Disciple Now. University Heights also has students coming to work around the house for their DNow weekend.

Many groups schedules times to help Hospitality House on a monthly or weekly basis. First United Methodist cooks a meal every Saturday for the visitors. Every Monday, a group of women volunteers does laundry for the upcoming week.

Baptist Student Ministries, headed by David Griffen, will bring 12 students to help Hospitality House get ready for spring by working on the prayer garden, on Feb. 25. Bearkat All Paws In will bring a large group of volunteers on March 3.

Built in 24-hours in 1986, the Hospitality House was created to help provide temporary shelter, food, counseling, worship and entertainment for families of loved ones incarcerated in Texas. The house can hold a maximum of 52 people in its 16 bedrooms, but the amount of available

space varies weekly.The organization provides

food, school and toy drives all year and appreciates all sorts of donations. The Hospitality House is always in need for items such as stamps, school supplies for school drives, Christmas toys and food.

This past Christmas, the Hospitality House helped over 220 families bring joy to their children with help from tons of toy donations.

Debra McCammon, Director of Hospitality House, said many individuals have really helped fix the house up. She said all are welcome to contribute to the Hospitality House.

McCammon said, “We always have a food drive going on. If anyone is able to contribute any groceries or food to assist families in need, that would be great. That’s always a huge need. If they are interested, have time and want to volunteer, we would love for them to.”

For more information on how to donate or volunteer for the Hospitality house, contact them at (936) 291-6196.

MISTI JONESSenior Reporter

Page 4Tuesday February 14, 2012Arts & Entertainment

houstonianonline.com/a-e

Performers received a standing ovation on Friday night as they combined theater, dance and poetry on stage to shed light on the dark subject of the suffering of black women in a concert titled “Monologues of My Nappy Hair”

The concert, held in the Performing Arts Center Dance Theater, was a part of a Master of Fine Arts Thesis for graduate student LaNita Joseph.

The full audience of about 150 people looked on as the concert used different elements such as dance, spoken word and video to take them on a journey through time and told the emotional stories of different black women.

Joseph said the idea behind the concert came from several “awakenings” she had that made her realize the notions of white supremacy and decided to explore that subject in her thesis.

The performances expanded the idea of the pain of black women as the audience got glimpses of different struggles of the women trying to fit into a society dominated by white supremacy.

The monologues brought reality and comedy as they highlighted different issues relating to black hair such as a girl’s first perm, division in the community over “good” hair and problems girls have embracing their natural hair.

Meanwhile, the dance performances added emotions such as anger, pain and fear behind message of the concert.

In a piece titled “Skin Deep”, the dancers walked around the stage scratching and twitching as if they were in pain trying to change.

In “The Struggle”, dancers conveyed the idea of control. As

they stood in pairs on stage, one dancer controlled their partner’s movement, making them the object to be manipulated and silenced.

“I loved it all,” junior Janet

Adams said. “It [the concert] was very thought out and entertaining.”

The concert was an eye-opener for some of the performers who also learned something while working on the show.

“Some people don’t understand what we [black women] go through,” theater student Shananda Malone said.

“I didn’t know perms were that bad and what it really meant.”

During a discussion held after the concert, the audience and some performers shared their thoughts about the ideas in the show.

When asked about feeling pressure to have straight hair, all the performers said they felt pressure at some point to get perms, wear straight hair and keep it that way. Others noted the influence of the media and marketing to young girls about having straight hair.

“It’s something we’ve been conditioned to think,” dancer Estee Burks said. “It’s [straight hair] long, it’s wavy and it’s pretty.”

For Joseph, who is one step closer to getting her master’s degree, the performance was fulfilling.

“It feels amazing,” she said. “I feel like I’ve touched a lot of people.”

Despite initially receiving negative feedback about the show during rehearsal stages, Joseph said she received nothing but praise from audience members who connected with the characters and message in the concert.

“So many women were open to tell their stories and problems,” she said.

“A lot of them needed help with trying to feel confident. I got the opportunity to affirm other black women.”

GEORGE MATTINGLYArts & Entertainment Editor

POSITIVE IMPACT: ‘Monologues’ which initially recieved bad reactions by some students, recieved praise from the the full theater audience that was able to connect with the stories and the messages about the black community.

Megan Laurie | The Houstonian

1&2 bdrm Apts Nice Area, CH/CA

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Audience applauds ‘Monologues’Concert combines theater, dance to convey powerful message

“Oh I think I’m fallin’ in love with someone. Somebody’s tryin’ to steal my heart. Oh Heaven help me call 911.”

A packed house sings every lyric back to young, Texas country artist Kyle Park. His style is sweeping small cities and music festivals across the Lone Star State. Huntsville will be among those cities when Park head to Shenanigan’s on Wednesday night.

The Austin-born newcomer has been turning heads with his new album, “Make or Break Me”. This album is his debut as a record producer and a follow up to his 2010 EPs.

“The album is definitely a country and rock record with some other elements,” Park said to the Dallas Morning News.

“It’s more of a mainstream type record, which is what I wanted. I want to play this record all around the world, and not just in

one specific location or for one musical demographic.”

“Make or Break Me” is compilation of 15 songs, written or co-written by Park. The album features six new songs and a mix of remixed and remastered tracks from his previous EPs.

Park’s original songs are built on soulful, personal lyrics and a melodic style that features fresh, powerful lead guitar.

Park has performed with or opened for big name acts like Gary Allan, Randy Rogers, and Eli Young Band.

His livewire performance style has shaken the old wooden floors in dancehalls to rodeos across Texas. His motivation continues to be the die-hard fans and new listeners alike.

“It’s the fans in Texas,” Park said to the Abilene Reporter.

“We have fans that support live music and country so much. We have our own music. We don’t have to go anywhere else to see it. It makes sense that we have such a scene for musicians.”

NICOLE GABLERContributing Reporter

Texas country artist to perform at local club

Remember that $5 Hallmark card you gave your sweetheart last Valentine’s Day?

It was adorable, but all you did was sign your name and write “xoxo”. It didn’t have the same impact as homemade cards from kindergarten.

For students on a college budget, diamond tennis bracelets and five-star dinners are a rare occurrence.

Forget the commercialized decadence and luxury that breaks the bank and show your love with scissors, construction paper, and glitter.

Here’s a few, simple projects that will knock your date’s socks off AND they are quick to make:

“Reasons I Love You” Scrapbook

This is a simple way to display your collection of memories, quotes about love, photos, and favorite recipes.

Each page shows why you fell head over heels for that person. Make the pages bright and colorful. Fill it with movie stubs, a coaster from a special night on the town, and this article.

Love BoxGrab a shoebox or old box.

Cover it with a pretty wrapping paper or brown paper that you can decorate yourself.

Cute a hole in the top and don’t forget to wrap the lid separately so the lid can be taken off. Fill it with love quotes and small nostalgic items.

Thumbprint ValentineCut sheet of paper into squares.

Use an ink bad or nontoxic marker to color in your thumb and make two criss crossing thumbprints in the shape of a heart on each one. Add a love quote at the bottom and you have a memorable V-day card.

Pain Chip Valentine Bookmarks

Paint chip cards are free, so don’t feel bad about taking a few. Use a heart-shaped hole punch and punch a heart out of each color on the paint chip. Tie a pretty ribbon at the top.

These Valentine’s Day projects are just inspiration. Use creativity to show your love this year. You may be surprised at how far a home made gift will go.

NICOLE GABLERContributing Reporter

RETURNING ACT: Kyle Park, has performed with Gary Allan and the Eli Young Band and will perform with Cody Johnson on Wednesday night.

photo courtesy of dave_hensley | flickr.com

Home made gifts work best

GRABBING GRAMMYS: Adele claimed the night’s top awards while the stars paid tribute to Whitney Houston. See full Grammy converage at houstonianonline.com

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

Redemption was the name of the game on Saturday afternoon as the Sam Houston State men’s basketball team defeated the Texas A&M-Corpus Christi Islanders 61-53 to avenge a one-point loss to the Islanders earlier this season.

Steve Werner had a stellar performance for Sam Houston, (10-15, 4-7 SLC) scoring 23 and pulling down 12 rebounds for the double-double.

Demarcus Gatlin, who was coming off a weak performance against UT-Arlington last Wednesday night, scored 10 points. Konner Tucker scored 14 points.

The Bearkats trailed by one point with a little over six minutes left but a layup by Werner put the Kats up by one and they didn’t lose that lead for the rest of the game thanks to a 10-2 that ended the game. The Bearkat bench outscored the Islanders’ 16-5.

Sam Houston shot 40 percent from the field and 35 percent from the three-point line.

Corpus Christi (4-20, 3-8 SLC) wasn’t far behind in overall shooting, with 40 percent from the floors and 25 percent from the three-point line.

Chris Hawkins-Mast led the Islanders in scoring with 17 points, and Terrence Jones scored 16.

Hameed Ali was the one who hit the last-second jumper last time. He was unable to score for the Islanders this time around.

The Bearkats had lost five of their last six games, and this was a much-needed win. This was the Bearkats’ second win out of their last three and they look to carry momentum to the end of the season as they hope to get into the Southland Conference Tournament.

Sam Houston went into the tournament last year as the three seed and got knocked out of the second round by the UTSA Roadrunners, who went on to win the whole thing.

Sam Houston next plays the University of Central Arkansas on Wednesday, who is currently on a seven-game losing streak. Tip-off for the game will be at 7 p.m. in Johnson Coliseum.

The SHSU softball team fought hard but ultimately went 0-4 in the three-day University of Houston Classic tournament over the weekend.

Friday, the team started off the tournament against No. 16 Oklahoma State. Before the game, a two and half hour rain delay occurred pushing back the start of the game.

Oklahoma State pitcher Simone Freeman had 15 strikeouts against the Kats and only allowed four Bearkats to get a hit. A three-run homer by catcher Taylor Woodall helped OSU coast to a 5-0 win.

Saturday, SHSU appeared to be off losing to the University of North Texas, 9-1. Although the team lost to the Mean Green, the game was part one of an impressive day for Kats first baseman Kim Damian. Against UNT, Damian got a hit in both of her at bats, one of which was a home run in the third inning.

In the afternoon game against the host school and No. 22 ranked Houston Cougars, Damian had a follow-up performance getting a hit three times in her four at bats including a double. Although Sam Houston tried to battle against Houston’s early four run lead, they fell short losing 8-3.

At the end of the tournament, the Bearkats had one last shot in a re-match against the Houston Cougars and did not waste it. After two scoreless innings, the Bearkats scored two runs in the third which were answered by Houston with four at the bottom of the inning.

The first of SHSU’s runs in the fourth inning was a pair of solo home runs by Damian and Hilary Adams. The teams matched runs in

the fifth and the Cougars followed it up with another run in the sixth inning. SHSU scored in the seventh inning, but could not pull ahead giving Houston a clean sweep in the tournament with a 6-4 victory.

Despite the results, Bearkat head coach Bob Brock felt the tournament ended on a positive note.

“It was a great learning experience,” Brock said. “We played all but one of our pitchers, and we steadily improved both offensively and defensively throughout the tournament.”

While the outcome was not what the team wanted, they fought tooth and nail against nationally ranked competition and held their own.

The season will continue when the Bearkats travel to College Station and take on Texas A&M on Wednesday at 4 p.m.

After that, the team will travel and play in the North Texas Mean Green Invitational which starts on Friday and lasts through Sunday. In that tournament, SHSU will play Wichita State, Missouri State, South Dakota State, Creighton and Missouri.

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

The Bearkat women’s basketball team turned the tide on the Texas A&M Corpus Christi Islanders, winning 75-54 at home on Saturday.

Early in the game, the Kats struggled and turned the ball over 11 times in the first half and the team as a whole shot just 35 percent from the floor (11-of-31) and 20 percent from three-point territory (2-of-10).

The Islanders took advantage and shot 44 percent from the field in the first half (13-of-29) and 50 percent from beyond the arc (2-of-4).

At the 5:21 mark of the first half,

the Islanders had their biggest lead and were up 31-17.

“We weren’t taking care of the ball,” junior guard Britni Martin said. “We had way too many turnovers especially from our guards. We were letting them penetrate and get to the hole, and that’s what we were supposed to stop them from doing.”

At the 4:28 mark of the first half, junior guard Chanice Smith hit a three-pointer that sparked the Kats offense, sending them into the break on a 12-4 run.

Down 35-29 at halftime, the Kats outscored the Islanders 46-19 in the second half.

Juniors Sequeena Thomas and Martin lead the second half charge, both putting up 21 points.

Thomas, who scored 14 of her 21 points in the second half, also pulled down 15 boards and had five block shots despite being ill most of the week.

Smith also had an impressive performance down the stretch, shooting 3-of-6 from three-point range on her way to 12 points in the contest.

“Chanice just wanted to join the party,” Martin said. “I was glad she

joined. I was fine just watching it go in.”

In the second half, the Kats picked up where they left off opening the half with a 16-6 run. At the 16:33 mark of the second half, Martin put the Kats up for good as she buried a three, putting the Kats up 40-37.

As a team, the Kats shot 62 percent from the field in the second half (18-of-29) and 85 percent from three-point range (6-of-7).

The Kats defense clamped down in the second half, limiting the Islanders to shooting just 23 percent (7-of-30) from the floor and 20 percent from beyond the arc (1-of-5).

The Bearkats sit at the top of the Southland Conference West Division with a conference record of 8-3 and 13-9 overall.

The Kats will take on the number one team in the East, the Central Arkansas Sugar Bears (20-4, 10-1 in SLC) on Saturday at 2 p.m.

For more information about the women’s basketball team, visit gobearkats.com.

Page 5Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Sportshoustonianonline.com/sports twitter.com/HoustonianSport

KARMEN KINGViewpoints Editor

Womens team gets third straight win at home, 75-54

Basketball teams strand Islanders

GETTING TO THE HOOP. Senior Khamra Echols (11) drives to the lane against Texas A&M Corpus Christi on Saturday. The Kats won the game, 75-54.

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

MEN’S BASKETBALL

SOUTHLAND STANDINGS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SOFTBALL

East Division

West Division

slc overall

McNeese St.LamarNorthwestern St.

Nicholls St.Southeastern La.Central Ark.

UT ArlingtonSFAUTSA

SHSUTAMU- CCTexas St.

East Division

West Division

slc overall

Central Ark.McNeese St.Nicholls St.

LamarSoutheastern La.Northwestern St.

SHSUSFATexas St.

TAMU-CCUTSAUT Arlington

Teams

slc overall

Central Ark.UT ArlingtonMcNeese St.

Northwestern St.TAMU-CCNicholls St.

Southeastern La.SFAUTSA

Texas St.SHSU

8-27-47-4

4-83-82-9

12-1016-914-11

8-169-147-16

8-27-47-4

4-83-82-9

12-1016-914-11

8-169-147-16

10-17-36-5

5-54-61-10

20-417-713-11

13-119-145-19

8-36-45-5

4-63-73-7

13-916-713-10

8-157-165-17

0-00-00-0

0-00-00-0

4-13-24-3

2-31-31-4

0-00-00-0

0-00-0

1-41-41-4

1-50-4

JOHN PERESContributing Reporter

Mens team bounces back with win on road, 61-53CODY LEWISSports Reporter

Softball has ‘learning experience’ in Houston, starts new season 0-4

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