February 23, 2012

College is a time of learning. Students learn skills associated with their desired degree but they also learn how to live on their own without the help of mom and dad. Some student’s have apartments with friends or significant others, but others opt to live alone.

According to the New York Times Census Map online, 34% of those in the Huntsville area live alone.

With a large student population, many of them are Sam Houston State University students.

Jonny Peres, senior mass communication major, has been living alone for a year and a half. He came to the decision of living alone after feeling a “mix of discomfort with sharing my personal space with a stranger and trusting that stranger.”

Most apartment complexes in Huntsville will match you with a random roommate if you don’t already have one.

It can be a way to meet people who you otherwise would have never met. But the chance of getting matched with someone who you do not get along with

is enough to push a lot people towards one bedroom apartments.

Stephan Nysveen plans on living in a one bedroom next year for just that reason. He graduates in December and doesn’t “want to stick my roommate with a random stranger” after he finds someone to take over his lease.

But there are some upsides to not having a roommate. Peres likes that everything is right where he left it. You never have to clean up after someone else’s mess, and you won’t disturb someone if you come home late.

Living alone does have its drawbacks. One bedroom apartments tend to have higher rent and utility rates since there is no one to share that cost with. And if you

A record number of students have signed up to participate in Bearkat All Paws In after the deadline ended on Wednesday, according to BAPI officials.

Sen. Kolby Flowers (CFAMC), BAPI volunteer coordinator, said the event, which is sponsored by Student Government Association, more than doubled the number of volunteers from Spring 2011. As of Wednesday, Feb. 22 at 7 p.m. the deadline for registration closed.

The number of volunteers currently registered is more than 720 university community members. This is more than double the more than 300 volunteers during the Spring 2012 semester.

“We are reflecting [the university motto] in our daily lives,” Scudder said. “Students are looking for a way to give back and really represent what this university is all about.”

51 groups and teams are signed up, the Zeta sorority being the largest with 74 volunteers.

“I’m looking forward to meeting some great folks and giving back to this great community that has given us so much,” Scudder said.

SHSU President Dana Gibson, Ph.D., said in a BAPI press release that community involvement and student service are a part of the complete university experience.

“I hope this leads students to a life of service as engaged citizens of Texas,” Gibson said. “This day is a huge benefit to the community and I respect the students’ dedication of service.”

Gibson will join featured BAPI speaker and Dean of Students Jon Yaraback at the event that day.

BAPI will also host a voter registration drive for students and community members who wish to. In addition, they will host a book drive for Premiere High School in Huntsville. They say any books are requested.

BAPI will occur on Saturday, Mar. 6.

The anticipated presidential elections are approaching and student organizations on campus have begun setting up tables on the mall area to prepare students for voting and promote their choice of candidate.

Wednesday afternoon, the NAACP teamed up with Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority to do voting registrations on campus, followed by a “Crash Course” in the evening to show the history of blacks in voting.

“We’re basically trying to get as many people signed up as we can,” Cortnie Crayton, president of NAACP said. “If we don’t stand up for ourselves, nobody is going to do it.”

As the race between Republican candidates heats up and new conflicts arise with the Obama administration, several political student groups have taken it upon themselves to educate the student body about the presidential candidates running for office.

Derek Zarosky, president of the SHSU College Republicans group says they have been promoting the republican primaries all year by featuring republican candidate speakers at their meetings and volunteering with the Walker County Republicans.

“We are not allowed to endorse a single candidate alone so we support every

republican that is running for an office,” Zarosky said.

Similarly, the Bearkat Democrats are required to support all democratic candidates; however they are fully supporting President Obama because they do not see a primary challenger for him.

The Bearkat Democrats are reaching out to students with several planned events this semester including a mock congress, where all four political groups on campus will participate, and a “Why Are We Democrats?” forum.

“We try building coalitions with other groups on campus to broaden our member base and to ensure that we get differing opinions on issues,” Cristan Shamburger, president of Bearkat Democrats said.

Other political groups who are clearly supporting a specific idea or candidate have now begun to emerge on campus as well, such as the most recent Youth for Ron Paul campaign.

“We as young people want to hear the cold hard truth about the problems and the solutions to fix them,” Thomas Glenn, president of Youth for Ron Paul said. “Ron Paul is the only presidential candidate on either side of the aisle that is willing to make the tough decisions.”

Glenn and his group are currently

Vol 120 | Issue 11

Publishing since 1913 Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University

Thursday, February 23, 2012

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

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

INDEX

Visit us on Facebook: “The Houstonian SHSU”

Basketball teams win over Northwestern

State University, pg. 5

HKC rockwall reopens after being

flooded, pg. 3

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

Facebook.com/HoustonianSHSU | @TheHoustonian

Campus political groups focus efforts on upcoming electionsSOFIA MEDRANOContributing Reporter

Bearkat All Paws In recruits record number of volunteersSTEPHEN GREENEditor-in-Chief

SGA TOWNHALL. Student Government Association held their university-wide town hall on Wednesday night to discuss issues important to students. Panelists discussed parking fees, financial aid, and the possibility of a university sponsoered shuttle for students in addition to other things. Panelists included; David Kapalko, assistant director of parking and transportation; Lisa Tatom, director of financial aid; Mark Adams, associate VP for information technology; Elisa Crosslan, director of IT client support; and Valerie Muesham, assistant dean of the College of Business Administration. SGA meetings are held Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m. in teh Lowman Student Center, Room 320.

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

POLITICAL ACTIVISM. NAACP members Kayren Alexander (left) and VIce-President Warren Akrie are two of thousands of college students working to register other students for the upcoming, and other national elections.

Sofia Medrano | The Houstonian

— ELECTIONS, page 3

Living alone in the university environmentJESSICA LUNDSTROMContributing Reporter

— ALONE, page 3

Page 2Thursday, February 23, 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.

Don’t you just love it when you’re sitting in class and instead of being able to pay attention to

the professor all you can hear are the two best friends chatting next to you? Or when someone walks in late and makes as much noise as possible taking their notebook out of their backpack. Or when someone decides to open a bag of chips in the middle of class?

Neither do I. When I go to class I go with

an intention to learn something not hear about someone’s test that they failed miserably, or how drunk you got this weekend. It is not as if these classes are free, we pay a substantial amount to go to school. If you want to waste your money on talking that is your own business but that does not mean you can drag down the rest of the

class with you. You are not only disrespecting

the people around you, but you are also disrespecting the teacher. They have earned the right, and degree to stand up and front of the class and talk for 50 minutes, you have not.

This is also something that can be fixed on the professors’ end too. When your students are talking, take control and tell them to shut their traps. Don’t wait until it gets out of hand and the whole class is talking, when you notice it stop it right then. As I said before you have earned the degree to stand up in front of class and lecture for 50 minutes, they have not, so make sure it is just you talking. If it were me (which it is not thank you very much) I would say if you want to talk, well then there is the door.

Another disruption that cuts

into my concentration is when you show up late (which is bad enough on its own), and then decide to make all the noise in the world

taking their spiral out. It sounds like you are taking a sheet of paper and crumbling up over and over again. It is not that difficult to take your spiral out.

Now I know there are days when you just cannot help but be late and what you do in that situation, which I have done before, is prior to walking into the classroom take you spiral or binder out so you don’t disrupt the whole class.

Now this last thing does not happen as often as the previous annoyances do, but it does happen. Sometimes students get the sudden urge to eat in the middle of class and pop out a bag of chips. They try to open it slowly and quietly but that just makes it worse.

Not only is it rude to eat during class, but to break it out in the middle of things is insane. I can’t

stop you from satisfying that craving but I can tell you how to do it properly.

I understand that some of you go all day in classes and don’t have a break for lunch, if that is so anticipate it. Before you go into that third or fourth class of the day open up your snack and put it somewhere that you can easily reach it without making a commotion. Ta-Da! Problem solved. You get your snack fix and I receive my education interruption free.

If you are one of the students that talks, shows up late, and snacks think about this article and your fellow peers before you act. People will thank you in the end, and you will thank yourself for actually knowing the information on the next test.

Molly WaddellAssociate News Editor

Classroom etiquette 101Molly Waddell voices a few common pet peeves of classroom behavior

Robin JohnsonFaculty Adviser936-294-1499

Stephen [email protected]

Molly WaddellAssociate [email protected]

Karmen KingViewpoints [email protected]

Misti JonesSenior [email protected]

Matt FrazierWeb & Multimedia [email protected]

George MattinglyA&E [email protected]

Zach BirdsongSports [email protected]

Cody LewisSports [email protected]

Jessica GomezSenior Photographer

Megan LauriePhotographer

Allison McMathCopy Editor

Chelsea BoydAdvertising [email protected]

Ad DeadlinesTuesday’s IssueFriday 5 p.m.

Thursday’s IssueTuesday 2 p.m.

Editorial Staff Business Staff

Paty MasonBusiness [email protected]

Meagan EllsworthProduction [email protected]

Adam KeyRecurring Columnist

Today, I got a call I hope that none of you ever have the misfortune to get. I was midway

through teaching a speech class at one of the area prison units, like I do every week. Midway through a student’s speech, a secretary taps me on the shoulder with a note that says the office called and that I needed to call my veterinarian as soon as possible. My hedgehog, Rudy, had recently been diagnosed with cancer and was currently in surgery to remove it. I had caught her eating some of her bedding and had taken her in to the vet the day before to make sure she was okay. It turns out the bulge on her

stomach I thought was a swollen stomach was a tumor.

When I called the vet back, I was expecting that the surgery was going to cost more than estimated and that they needed me to authorize a larger payment. Instead, I was told that she was not going to make it out of surgery. The cancer had spread to the rest of her organs and there was nothing that could be done. I stood there, floored at the thought that my pet wouldn’t be coming home. The vet broke the silence by asking for permission to put Rudy to sleep. I barely eeked out a yes. Thankfully, there was only one speech left to go. It took everything in me to

get through that speech without losing it. I quickly d i s m i s s e d the class, left the unit, and made it to my car.

I consider myself an educated person. I have two Master’s degrees and over 100 graduate hours. I have studied under some of the best and the worst educators that this country has to offer. But today, I was taught a lesson by a hedgehog. When I first got Rudy, it was from

a friend who was unable to take care of her. She already had one hedgehog and two meant twice the work when she barely had time for the one. Rudy had an abusive owner for the first three years of her life before my friend took her. H e d g e h o g s also don’t

live particularly long, so when I got her in November, there were plenty of reasons not to take her. Had I looked at the odds of her making it versus the likelihood of problems, I might have declined to take her.

Mitch Hedberg once observed

that people would often tell him he shouldn’t drink red wine. When they would ask if he knew that drinking red wine would give him a headache, he would tell them “Yeah, eventually! But the first and the middle part are amazing. I’m not going to stop doing something because of what’s going to happen at the end. ‘Mitch, you want an apple?’ ‘No, eventually it’ll be a core.’”

My friends, there are a lot of apples of opportunity out there. Eventually, they might rot, they might become cores. Your new job or new relationship might have a bad ending. However, if we focus on the possibility that things might fail, we’ll never take a bite of the apple in the first place. Things not turn out the way we want, but it doesn’t mean the journey there won’t be great. Don’t let fear of the future stop you from enjoying the present. You may miss pain and heartbreak, but you’ll miss the chance for love, friendship, and the occasional hedgehog.

Key Words: Have an appleAdam Key wants everyone to make the most of every opportunity

Ok, I try not to be too gripey anymore, but I’ve got a bee in my bonnet.

After the football program was so successful last season we saw a jump in student attendance numbers. I was hoping this would translate over to winter sports like basketball.

However, the attendance at basketball games remains stagnant.

Now here’s what really chaps my hide. It seems that only a small group of people even care that we have a women’s basketball team. Every week I look in the stands and all I see are the players’ families.

While the men’s players can’t walk across campus without drawing attention, the women walk around in almost complete

anonymity.Yesterday, players from the

women’s team handed out free cookies in the LSC mall area with President Dana Gibson. Yes, that’s right, FREE cookies. Not just any cookies, but Aramark cookies, aka heaven in your mouth.

However, hardly anyone glanced their way. They’re not hard to miss at 6’ plus. They were even dressed alike.

They eventually had to take the cookies all over the mall to hand them out.

It gets better. Our women’s basketball team has a better record this season than the men’s team. (Sorry guys, I love you bunches, but fact is fact.)

I just can’t figure out why this trend continues.

People always tell me that they prefer the excitement and fast

pace of the men’s game. I tell them the women’s game is a beautiful example of a purer form of the sport. Oh, and by the way, come watch Britni Martin draining threes from near half court or Sequeena Thomas pull down double-doubles almost every game and tell me the women’s games aren’t exciting.

This season is winding down, but you still have one more chance to catch the women at home, Saturday, March 3, at 2:00 p.m. and get to know these amazing athletes. After that, they’ll be headed to Katy to try and bring home the Southland Conference championship trophy.

I hope to see you there.Is anybody there? SHSU President Dana Gibson tries to get students to come meet the women’s basketball team. Despite the free cookies, few students stopped by the table in the LSC mall area Wednesday afternoon.

Karmen C. King | The Houstonian

Is anybody there? Does anybody care? Does anybody see what I see?Karmen C. King is sick of female athletes being ignored on campus by the students

- Karmen is the Viewpoints Editor.

The HKC rock wall reopened on Monday after month long repairs.

Many students have been looking forward to this activity for about a month and now are able to get back to regular scheduling. The Rock Climbing has been a significant part of the Recreation Center as many students do it for fitness and also just to try

something new. “It adds on to the program,”

Chris Mahlen, the Assistant Director for Outdoor Recreation, said

Several students came out to the re-opening and it look like it had never closed.

“The regulars were excited, and we had newcomers,” Kat Kuczaj, outdoor camp coordinator, said.

The Wall is usually noticed when students and guest first go into the Recreational Center.

“There are normally 14 to 16 regulars daily that come to use the wall”, Kucjac said.

There is a free Rock Climbing special for students all this week. Semester passes will begin going on sale at the beginning of next week. The seasonal pass includes equipment as well. There is also a drawing going on for free seasonal passes for the students, contact the HKC for more details.

Rock Climbing is a recreational

activity that is not only opened for experienced climbers, but there are also opportunities to learn.

“We have clinics and classes for those who are interested, students can visit the recreational website for more information,” Mahlen said.

There was a plumbing problem that closed the program for a month for clean-up and now students are looking forward to getting back to climbing.

The climbing wall is open 2pm-8pm Monday through Thursday and 12pm to 5pm Friday.

The Rock Climbing is the perfect way for students to experience a different way to not only get in shape, but to also build self-confidence and learn about team work.

For those interested in Rock Climbing, call the front desk of the Recreational Center at 936-294-1985.

Page 3Thursday, February 23, 2012 News

houstonianonline.com/news

JASON CRAIGContributing Reporter

HKC rock wall clears up the rubbleAfter a month of closure students allowed to climb again

OK BAIL BOND Co.“Putting your feet back on the street since 1976”

OK PAWNLoans on anything that don’t EAT!

GUNS--JEWELRY--ELECTRONICS

936-291-1400936-291-7296

Sè Habla EspañolB Sam Houston Ave

Huntsville, TX 77340

TAKE THE MOUNTAIN. Sarah Adams enjoy the rock wall after a month of closure due to a plumbing problems.

Megan Laurie | The Houstonian

SHSU students attend leadership conferenceSeven Sam Houston State

University students had the opportunity to go to the 24th annual National Collegiate Leadership Conference in Tucson, Ariz., last week.

NCLC is a student led conference at the University of Arizona that brings 650 college students from all over the nation that is a “cornerstone of leadership and training,” according to the NCLC website.

This is the first year that SHSU attended the NCLC.

Students were able to choose from 84 workshops over three days. Meredith Conrey, Program coordinator for Center of Leadership & Service said she made the students each go to a different workshop so they could diversify their knowledge. The students also got to hear from keynote speaker Divinity Matovu, a 25-year old honors graduate

of the University of Southern California and the School for International Training World Learning Program.

According to Conrey, the SHSU students that attended had to step out of their comfort zone and

meet new people, but from that they gained contacts.

Every SHSU attendee received an “Excellence in Leadership and Service” certificate by participating in 10 hours of workshops and/or service projects including the all-conference service project, according to Conrey.

“I thought the conference was outstanding,” Conrey said. “I am on a leadership high right

now. They had a nice balance of programs that were lead and service specific.”

Fourteen students applied to be able to attend the all expenses paid trip but Conrey could only take seven. The seven students that were selected to go were; Risa Mitchell, Daniela Sosa, Janayn Evans, Corinthian Hatchett, Skye Parsons, Tracy O. Nnamadim and Kalyn Cavazos.

The selection process consisted of an application and an interview. During the interview students were asked about their previous leadership positions, and what they wanted to learn from the conference along with other questions.

“The decision on who to choose to come was really hard,” Conrey said.

The NCLC always falls on Presidents Day weekend; Conrey plans on going again and hopes to be able to take more students next year.

LEADING AND SERVICE. Skye Parsons, Risa Mitchell, Meredith Conrey, Tracy Nnamadim, Daniela Sosa, Janayn Evans, Kalyn Cavazos and Corinthian Hatchett gained a lot of information at the NCLC last week.

Photo provided by Meredith Conrey

MOLLY WADDELLAssociate News Editor

““I am on a leadership high right now. They had a nice balance of programs that were lead and service specific.

- Meredith Conrey

SGA elects six Spring election commissioners

Lovers of liberty flex their rights

Student Government Association appointed six Election Commissioners for the 2012 Spring Election Commission at Tuesday’s meeting.

The new Election Commissioners are Stephanie Elizondo, Dylan Staton, Andrew Colarusso, Austin Nardone, La’Shondra Young and Alison Williams. These individuals were voted on by the Senate to administer upcoming elections to determine Student Body President, Student Body Vice President, Student Body Treasurer, Student Body Secretary and Student Body Chief Of Staff. The Election Commission also rules on any issues that may occur during the election period.

President Tyler Eberhart commended the Senate on

its exceptional and selfless service for Sam Houston. He encouraged the Senate to bring education majors to the meetings in order to fulfill positions for the College of Education.

Eberhart announced that the Tobacco Policy had been passed. The policy bans all tobacco products including snuff, dip, smokeless tobacco or cigarettes from being used anywhere on campus.

Vice President Jason Tilton presented a Sexually Transmitted Infections Report initiative to the Senate to be given to the student body in the near future.

“The initiative will encourage students to be safe, be knowledgeable and help prevent the spread of STIs on campus and in the surrounding areas,” Tilton said.

He will exchange the report with Sarah Hanel,

Director of Student Health Center, and Andrew Miller, Ph.D., Executive Director of Counseling and Health Services. The group will share ideas, compare thoughts and agree on a finished product that best fits the needs of everyone.

The Senate tabled two impeachments until next week, but voted to impeach Senator Ashley Howard. Public Relations Chief Lori Brooks resigned from her position.

SGA is currently pushing for more members. Visitors hoping to become apart of the organizations must attend two general and committee meetings and are encouraged to meet with the Caucus Chair of their college.

SGA will meet next Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. in the LSC 320 and continues to encourage student attendance.

The SHSU Lovers of Liberty will pair with Program Council to host a “Flex Your Rights” screening for all students, informing them on their rights during encounters with law enforcement, in LSC 320, on March 5.

The event will present a video, either ‘Busted’ or ‘10 Rules for Dealing with Police’, to inform students about what their rights are during these situations. “Flex Your Rights” will advise on proper things to say, or not say, when faced with police officers at the door, traffic stops, street stops, protests and more. It will also educate attendees about what law enforcers are and aren’t allowed to do in these types of situations.

Rhonda Beassie, J.D., Director of Student Legal Services, will be speaking to those who attend immediately following the screening. She plans to further educate students about their rights during police encounters to prevent issues that may arise. Beassie will also explain the presentation more in depth, but no decision has been made about which video will be shown.

Morgan Freeman, president of SHSU Lovers of Liberty, said the organization’s purpose is to educate students on the ideas and principles of liberty. The group promotes liberty on campus such as freedom of speech.

Freeman and SHSU Lovers of Liberty, as well as other political organizations on campus, dealt with UPD during the Social Media Policy scandal from last semester. In

protest of the SHSU Social Media Policy, Lovers of Liberty put up a “Free Speech Wall” for all students to write on, which was edited with a box-cutter by a math professor. UPD was called to the scene where they gave the organizations three options to deal with the situation or they would be cited for Disorderly Conduct.

SHSU has several free speech policies that limit students’ rights to free speech on campus. Lovers of Liberty is currently trying to make SHSU a “green light” campus, meaning all speech policies are in line with the Constitution and the First Amendment, Freeman said.

The Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE) sent SHSU President Dana Gibson a letter requesting removal of the social media policy and later visited campus to speak with students about student free speech rights on campuses.

FIRE describes the range of free speech by designating them a “green light” campus, meaning little to no free speech violations, to a “red light” campus, meaning there are significant free speech right violations present. SHSU is currently a “yellow light” campus, meaning there are several policies in place that the organization says violates student speech rights.

Lovers of Liberty is continuously working to fix free speech policy issues on campus and will host events such as “Flex Your Rights” to educate the student body on their rights.

MISTI JONESSenior Reporter

MISTI JONESSenior Reporter

are a person who doesn’t like to be alone from time to time, a one bedroom may not be for you.

Pere doesn’t see that as a setback, “I was always a bookworm and a bit of a loner to begin with, so that is not a problem for me...People who live alone are not confined to that apartment. I can spend all day at school or with my friends and just come home and relax.”

One bedrooms, though expensive, can be well worth it for some students. For others, it may not be an option.

ALONE, page 1

spreading Ron Paul’s message of “limited government, peace and liberty” mainly through word-of-mouth and their highly active Facebook page. The group successfully spread their message by putting a table on the mall area, where they gained about 70 students to join their campaign.

Youth for Ron Paul has also teamed up with the Young Americans for Liberty to share ideas that relate with both groups. Morgan Freeman, president of the liberalist group on campus says that they are focused on promoting pro-liberty ideas so students

can evaluate political candidates on things other than being republican or

democrat.“We want to show

students how liberty can solve so many things that are wrong with this country today,” she said.

Religious and other nonpolitical student organizations on campus are promoting voting in their own ways, although they do not support specific candidates.

Several on campus ministries including Kats for Christ and the Catholic Student Center base their choice of candidate on who closely relates to them. Joe Magee, director of the Catholic Student Center

said they encourage students to vote for the candidate that most supports their Catholic beliefs.

The Student Government Association is also working on organizing voting registrations on campus for students who are not signed up but want to take part in elections.

“We do not participate in bi-partisan elections because we represent the students as a whole,” student body president, Tyler Eberhart said. “We always try to get students involved in local elections in Huntsville and always want students to vote.”

ELECTIONS, page 1CORRECTION

March 2, 2012SHSU Chopped Edition will be held at Old Main Market, not Old Main. 5:00 p.m.

Page 4Thursday February 23, 2012Arts & Entertainment

houstonianonline.com/a-e

CINEMA WITHOUT MATINEES

3.75” tall

291-0248CINEMA 10

GHOST RIDER: SPIRIT OFVENGEANCE PG-13

3:00 5:10 7:20 9:30THIS MEANS WAR PG-13

3:35 6:25 9:10IRON LADY PG-13

3:30 6:45THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY G

3:50 6:10 8:30THE VOW PG-13

3:45 6:45 9:30JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUSISLAND PG

4:00 6:20 8:45SAFE HOUSE R

3:40 6:15 9:00WOMAN IN BLACK PG-13

4:00 7:00 9:25CHRONICLES PG-13

3:00 5:05 7:10THE GREY R

9:05

NEW WEB-SITEwww.huntsvillemovies.comSEE

$3 MATINEESbefore 6 PM

Music groups to swing together

Music students gathered in San Antonio for four days full of education, performances and networking at the annual Texas Music Educators Association convention.

TMEA is an organization that brings together students, educators and performers from each of the five divisions including band, orchestra, vocal, elementary and college.

Every year, more than 100 SHSU music students go to the convention to learn about new techniques in music education and network with other students and educators.

This year’s convention was held from Feb. 8 to 11, and for many students, offered the chance for exposure to the wide world of music.

“I went to the All-State Men’s and Mixed choir concert and the SHSU jazz band concert,” Frances Villarreal, freshman music education major, said.

“I also attended a session on

how to take care of your vocal cords and a session on teaching techniques that are successful on middle school students.”

For her, the sessions she attended were an investment in her future as a music educator.

“I learned how to work with middle school students and keep them occupied and focused while I teach”, she said. “But most importantly, I learned that the students must have fun while learning about music!”

Each year, the convention brings special guest composers and conductors to teach students different techniques and perform with their groups on stage. Performances also feature a variety of All-State groups from each division.

Among the guests this year were the Magnificent Brass Quintet who performed and taught a workshop, composer Randall Stroope and former presidential candidate Michael Huckabee.

Some students found the performances in the convention entertaining and beneficial.

“My favorite part of the

convention was not just the music I was exposed to and the things I learned, but the people I was able was able to meet and reconnect with,” Mallory Connor, Music Therapy major, said. “

It was so great to be able to share that experience with such an amazing group of people.”

For more information about the SHSU choir program, visit http://www.shsu.edu/~music/choir/

AMANDA MORGANContributing Reporter

The sounds of an influential jazz musician will come to life on stage as the Jazz Ensemble joins the Symphony Orchestra in a collaborative concert performance on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.

Held on Saturday in the Performing Arts Center Concert Hall, the concert will be a first for the School of Music to join two music groups on stage in order to celebrate the music of Duke Ellington as a part of Black History Month.

Ellington is considered one

of the pioneers in American jazz music, writing for bands, theater and dance from the 1920s through the 1960s.

“His [Ellington’s] music was elegant,” Aric Schneller, Director of Jazz Studies, said.

“He’s most known for the big band sound and the famous swing sound.”

The concert will include some of Ellington’s biggest hits such as “Take the ‘A’ Train”, featuring faculty soloist Marshall Davies on piano and student soloists Luis Ayala and Louie Pardo on trumpet; “Prelude to a Kiss”, featuring soloists Davies and student Justin

Jones on saxaphone; “Rockabye River”, featuring student soloists Brennan Lamont on trumpet and Jones. The program will also include a Duke Ellington medley, “Night Creature” and “Grand Slam Jam”.

Schneller said the challenges while working on the concert had to deal with blending the sounds the jazz band with the orchestra, including staging a drum set in the middle of the orchestra.

The sounds are a combination of the powerful chords of the brass in jazz and the elegance of the strings in the orchestra which represents sounds of life in New

York City, according to Schneller. While it may be the first time

for students to perform in this type of concert, Schneller said it was important to their music careers because of the versatility of Ellington’s music.

“Jazz music is improvisation at its best,” Schneller said.

“It’s creative, and outside the box which are all good attributes to have as a musician.”

The concert will also offer an opportunity for the audience to hear music that is timeless and influential on today’s culture.

“Any music in the U.S. has a foundation in blues,” Schneller

said. “The feeling and groove of it is

part of culture and very influential to what we’re listening to now.”

He said he hopes to combine music groups for future performances and expand it to include more visual elements for the audience.

The Symphony Orchestra is directed by David Cole, and the Jazz Ensemble is directed by Schneller.

Tickets for the concert are $17 for adults, $5 for students with an ID, and $5 for children. For ticket information, contact the PAC box office at 936-294-2339.

GEORGE MATTINGLY Arts & Entertainment Editor

LEARNING TO EDUCATE: The Magnificent Brass Quintet performed to open this year’s TMEA convention and taught a workshop for music students.

Photo by Amanda Thorndike

Houstonian Staff Oscar Predictions

BEST PICTURE

BEST ACTOR

BEST ACTRESS

BEST SUPPORTINGACTOR

BEST SUPPORTINGACTRESS

BEST ANIMATEDFEATURE

“The Help”

Brad Pitt, “Moneyball”

Viola Davis, “The Help”

Jonah Hill, “Moneyball”

Octavia Spencer, “The Help”

“Rango”

Music students gather to learn, experience world of music

1&2 bdrm Apts Nice Area, CH/CA

Triplex1.5 blocks SHSU

936-294-1102

CLASSIFIEDS

2BR/2BA roommate plan, on ranch close to

town. Can work P/T for part rent, no pets, horse

OK. $600/mth.

Call 936-291-3226 or 936-661-3185

CLASSIFIEDS

The Bearkats women’s basketball team defeated the Northwestern Demons, 80-64 on Wednesday.

The win comes on the heel of a tough road loss against Central Arkansas.

The first half started slow for the Bearkats as they looked chaotic, rushing shots and making poor passing decisions. However, at

the nine minute mark the Kats came alive, going on an 18-4 run to distance themselves from the Demons.

Shots started falling and the Kats shot 47.4 percent (18-38) from the field and 71.4 percent (5-7) from beyond the arc in the first half. They held the demons to just 37.5 percent (12-32) from inside.

In the first half alone, junior Sequeena Thomas had nine points and 11 rebounds and junior guard Britni Martin had 16 points and four rebounds.

Taking a 14-point lead into the locker room at half (49-35), the Kats struggled to get going again in the second.

After only committing seven turnovers in the first half, the Kats turned the ball over nine times in the first 10 minutes of the second half. Overall the team had 23 turnovers that the Demons

capitalized on, scoring 19 points.“It’s something we’ve seen in

the last couple of games,” graduate assistant coach Lauren Tippet said. “Taking care of the ball and ball possession is important and it’s something we’ve been stressing.”

Once the Bearkats got back in the rhythm of the game there was no hope for the Demons to come back as the closest they could manage was within 12 with 9:54 left in the game.

The Kats shot 60.9 percent (14-23) from inside the arc and 50 percent (2-4) from beyond in the second half.

The Demons were only able to knock down 10 of 33 shots (30.3 percent) in the second half as the Kats strengthened their defensive game.

The Bearkats outrebounded the Demons 48 to 31, pulling in 15

offensive and 33 defensive boards.In addition to Thomas’s 17

total rebounds, freshmen Angela Beadle and Jazmin Wiley each added eight boards.

“Wiley had a great game,” Tippet said. “Our rebounding improved a lot today which is something we’ve been stressing all season.”

The Kats finished the game shooting 52.5 percent (32-61) with Martin as the scoring leader with 24, followed by Thomas with 15 points.

Wiley contributed with 11 points and guard Jasmine Johnson had 10 points and eight assists.

The team continues to outshine their opponents in assists, with 27 to the Demons 19.

The Bearkats hit the road this Saturday at 2:00 p.m. to take on the 7-6 (15-12 overall) Lamar Cardinals.

The Sam Houston State softball team split a double header in the home opener against Prairie View A&M on Wednesday, earning their first victory of the season.

The Bearkats are now 1-9 on the young season.

SHSU started off the first game of the double header with an offensive explosion that had not been seen all season on their way to an 11-0 win against the Panthers.

The star of the game was first baseman Kim Damian, going three-for-three from the plate, with a double, triple and grand slam driving in six runs.

“The first win was very important,” Damian said. “It shows that we can do this.”

Hillary Adams went 2 for 2 including a two run home run that

went deep. Tomi Garrison got the win for the Kats, striking out four batters and allowing only two hits.

The second half of the doubleheader was not so fruitful for SHSU as they lost 7-3.

The Kats jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the fourth inning and Prairie View answered with a run in the fifth. all of this became inconsequential when SHSU had a meltdown in the sixth inning

that resulted in six runs for the Panthers.

The Kats had four errors and walked six batters in the game. Prairie View scored on seven of eight hits while the Bearkats only capitalized on three of 10.

The Kats will next play host to Texas A&M on Wednesday at the Bearkat Softball Complex. scheduled for 4 p.m.

In a sloppy game, the Bearkats men’s basketball team got the win on the road against the Northwestern State Demons on Wednesday, 50-37.

Senior forward Antuan Bootle had a career game grabbing 20 rebounds on a night when both teams struggled to make a basket.

SHSU shot just 37 percent from the field (15-of-41) while limiting the Demons to shooting a dismal 20 percent (13-of-66) and held them scoreless from three-point territory (0-of-26).

Junior guard Demarcus Gatlin led both teams in scoring with 17 points and guard Konner Tucker put up 14.

Northwestern would lead early and were up 6-2 at the 14:40 mark of the first half. Just three minutes later, the Kats would take the lead for good, going up 7-6 after a made three-pointer by Gatson.

The first half ended in sloppy fashion for both teams as both teams combined for 13 turnovers in the half. The Demons shot just 14 percent from the field (4-of-29).

In the second half, it was more of the same but the Kats eventually pulled away securing their largest lead of the game with 1:37 left to go, 45-31.

The Kats poor free-throw shooting continued in this game as the team shot just 41 percent (16-of-39) from the line. However, the Demons were just as bad and shot just 44 percent (11-of-24).

SHSU will return home and take on the Lamar Cardinals on Saturday in Johnson Colisuem. Under the direction of former Texas Tech head coach Pat Knight, the Cardinals are one of the top teams in the Southland, sporting an 8-5 record in conference play.

Start time for that game is at 7 p.m.

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

The Sam Houston State baseball team grabbed its third straight victory after defeating the Prairie View A&M Panthers with an 8-1 win on Tuesday.

SHSU (3-1) scored the eight runs off of nine hits and three errors. A solid defensive effort by the Kats kept the Panthers (0-4) to only one run from four hits.

Michael Burchett started and got the win for the Bearkats, allowing only two hits in a season-high six innings pitched. SHSU sent out three other pitchers after Burchett including Andrew Godail, Michael Hillard

and Caleb Smith.Smith, who started and took the

loss for the Bearkats on opening night, gained his first save of the season, as he allowed no hits or runs in the ninth inning.

The Bearkats started strong by scoring three runs in the second inning. First baseman Anthony Azar, who had two hits on the day, started it all with a double, and then Prairie View pitcher, Cody Thompson, walked the next three batters. This scored Azar and then a single by shortstop Corey Toups drove in two more runs.

The sixth inning was also rough for the Panthers. They committed all three of their errors in this

inning, one of which allowed two runs to score.

Luke Plucheck, in only his second start got on base four times, and scored two runs. Colt Atwood went two for five and scored a run. There were a total of 10 Bearkat base runners that got on with a walk.

The Bearkats start a four-game road trip this weekend. They first play a three-game series against Louisiana-Monroe, and then one game against Baylor next Tuesday.

Game one of the three-game series with Louisiana-Monroe will be on Friday. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.

Page 5Thursday, February 23, 2012

Sportshoustonianonline.com/sports twitter.com/HoustonianSport

Basketball excercises Demons

MEN’S BASKETBALL

SOUTHLAND STANDINGS

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

SOFTBALL

East Division

West Division

slc overallMcNeese St.LamarNorthwestern St.Nicholls St.Southeastern La.Central Ark.

UT ArlingtonSFAUTSASHSUTexas St.TAMU-CC

East Division

West Division

slc overall

Central Ark.McNeese St.Lamar

Nicholls St.Southeastern La.Northwestern St.

SFASHSUTexas St.

TAMU-CCUTSAUT Arlington

Teams

slc overallUT ArlingtonMcNeese St.Central Ark.SFATexas St.UTSA

Nicholls St.Northwestern St.Southeastern La.TAMU-CCSHSU

10-38-57-65-83-102-11

15-1117-1115-139-1710-167-19

13-09-48-56-74-93-10

21-616-1116-1212-1612-155-22

12-110-37-6

6-75-81-12

22-420-715-12

13-1310-165-21

9-49-47-6

4-94-94-9

19-714-1015-11

8-188-186-19

0-00-00-00-00-00-0

5-29-48-54-64-64-6

0-00-00-00-00-0

2-82-82-81-61-9

Baseball gets third straight win with strong offense performance, 8-1CODY LEWISSports Reporter

JOHN PERESContributing Reporter

KARMEN KINGViewpoints Editor

Women’s team gets win over Northwestern at home, 64-61

GETTING BACK ON TRACK. Junior guard Britni Martin (10) drives to the basket against Northwestern State on Wednesday. Martin led both teams with 24 points, shooting 9-of-14 from the field. The Kats were hot in the second half, shooting 60 percent from the floor on their way to a 80-64 win over the Demons.

Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian

Men’s team gets sloppy win on road, 50-37ZACH BIRDSONGSports Editor

Softball picks up first win of season in home opening double header against Prairie View

2-story townhomes. private bedrooms & huge walk-in closets. resort-style amenities. individual leases. pet friendly.

N E W S T U D E N T T O W N H O M E S • R E S E R V E Y O U R S P A C E T O D AY

limited spacesremaining for fall

scan

& li

ke

apply online @ villasonsycamore.com936.439.5234 • 1615 Sycamore Ave