november 21, 2011
DESCRIPTION
The November 21 issue of The Houstonian.TRANSCRIPT
An SHSU student who was allegedly beaten by University Police officers October 2010 is now coming forward to the media, according to a report by MyFoxHouston.com.
Aman Abdulaziz, 19, was a freshman when he says he was assaulted by officers while on his way to pick up a friend from a dorm.
“They asked for license and registration so I went to my car to get it and when I went to get it and I started looking around and that’s when I was asked by [a police officer] to give me what was in my pocket and the incident went from there,” Abdulaziz said.
In the dashboard camera video Abdulaziz provided, officers ask the freshman what was in his pocket multiple times. One officer toward the end of the video is heard yelling, “He’s eating the dope. He’s eating the dope.”
Following the incident Abdulaziz was charged with assaulting a police officer. He was later found not guilty. He said after the incident he was asked to
The Texas State University System Board of Regents discussed SHSU’s enrollment during its meeting Friday on campus.
Jamie Hebert, provost and vice president of academic affairs, informed the board of enrollment numbers and changing demographics at SHSU.
Since 2007 student enrollment has risen from 16,400 to 17,618 students.
This increase has SHSU facing a changing population in demographics. There are more underclassmen than upperclassmen and more minority students than before.
The national average of freshman-sophomore retention rates is 73 percent. SHSU falls into that average, but Hebert said it is looking to be at 78 to 80 percent in the future.
“Our freshman-sophomore retention rate has been steadily increasing despite the fact that we’re growing our student population,” Hebert said.
Other than student classification demographics, SHSU has also seen an increase in minority students who are graduating from the institution.
“The percentage of American college students who are Hispanic, Asian/Pacific Islander, and Black has been increasing”
according to a report by the National Center for Educational Statistics.
SHSU is among the top 100 universities in the United States with minorities graduating.
The university is ranked 64 for graduating Hispanics, 80 for African Americans, 96 for American Indians and 96 overall for total minority students.
As well as minorities graduating, SHSU has
also seen an increase in the number of doctorate students graduating each year.
“Since 2006, we have graduated over 30 doctorate students each year,” Hebert said. “It’s a tremendous accomplishment for the type of institution we were 20 to 30 years ago.”
SHSU has a new doctoral program, the Doctor of Education in Developmental Education
Administration. Officials think the new program will push doctoral numbers completely over the top in terms of enrollment, Hebert said. The program is entirely online.
Enrollment has also grown due to online classes.
In 2008, SHSU had just over 5,000 semester credit hours being taken by students online. For the 2011-2012 year this number has rocketed to 22,000.
More than 90 percent of students who are in online courses at SHSU the census day actually complete these courses, Hebert told the board.
“While distance education can use a variety of technologies, it has grown most rapidly online with the use of the Internet,” according to a report by the US Government
Following Saturday’s game against Texas State, most of the football team ran off the fieldwith their hands raised, signaling number one.
The Sports Network Poll, released Sunday morning, ranked the Kats number one. On a special that aired Sunday morning on ESPN U, the FCS committee named SHSU as the overall number one seed going into the NCAA FCS playoffs, which officially begin on Nov. 26.
The Bearkats stand as the only undefeated
team in the FCS (11-0) and are currently riding a 13-game winning streak, the longest active streak in all of Division-1 football.
SHSU received all of this after Montana State, the previous number one team, fell at the hands of rival Montana on Saturday, 36-10.
“It’s hard to say (if SHSU should be number one), we haven’t played teams in other parts of the country,” head coach Willie Fritz said after the Texas State game. “I think we deserve it though. We won our conference very convincingly.”
North Dakota State (10-1) was named as the number two seed, while Georgia
Southern (9-2), Montana (9-2) and Northern Iowa (9-2) rounded out the number three, four and five seeds.
The Southland Conference had two schools make it into the playoffs, as Central Arkansas (8-3) was also named to the playoffs and will take on Tennessee Tech (7-3) in the first round on Nov. 26.
With the number one seed, SHSU will receive a first round bye into the playoffs and take on the winner of Albany vs. Stony Brook on Dec. 3 at Bowers Stadium.
They also clinched home-field advantage throughout the playoffs and will have home field advantage through the semi-final.
“It sounds very good (being ranked number 1), especially with us being the only undefeated team in the FCS, everything sounds great,” said running back Tim Flanders after the win on Saturday. “We are expected to play some teams from up north, but I think we can survive the test.”
The national championship game will played at Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, Texas, on Jan. 7.
“We are 11-0, but in reality we are just 0-0,” quarterback Brian Bell said after the win. “It’s win or go home now. We just
— See REGENTS, page 3
By McKinzie BrocailSenior Reporter
Vol 119 | Issue 26
Publishing since 1913 Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State University
Monday, November 21, 2011
Viewpoints ...... pg. 2News ................ pg. 3Lifestyle ............. pg. 4 Special ................ pg. 5
A&E .................. pg. 6Sports. ............... pg. 7Special ............... pg. 8
INDEXKAT Links
For additional content and news updates, visit houstonianonline.com.
No Shave November,
pg. 3
Breaking Dawn review, pg. 6
By Zach BirdsongSports Editor
— See NO. 1, page 7
— See ASSAULT, page 3
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
A PERFECT SEASON. Senior quarterback Greg Sprowls, No. 15 (left); senior running back Michael Buse, No. 44 (center); and sophomore quarterback Brian Bell, No. 11 (right) celebrate as the regular season comes to a close with a perfect 11-0 record.
By Stephen GreenAssociate News Editor
Want to stay connected? Catch us on our new Facebook page and follow us on Twitter.
Facebook.com/HoustonianSHSU | @TheHoustonian
QUARTERLY UPDATE. Vice Chair Donna Williams of Arlington, Chairman Charlie Amato of San Antonio and Regent Jaime R. Garza, Ph.D., of San Antonio, three of the nine members of the Texas State University System Board of Regents, met Thursday and Friday at SHSU.
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
Board tunes in to campus update
No. 1 Kats prepare for playoffs
Student allegedly assaulted by UPD
University aims to raise freshman-sophomore retention rate from 73 to 78 percent
Page 2Monday, November 21, 2011Viewpoints
houstonianonline.com/viewpoints
PHOTOGRAPHERJessica Gomez
FACULTY ADVISERRobin Johnson
936-294-1499
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF936-294-1505
Erin Peterson
ASSOCIATE EDITORStephen Green
SPORTS EDITORZachary Birdsong
WEB AND MULTIMEDIA EDITOR
Matt [email protected]
A&E EDITORGeorge [email protected]
GRAPHIC COORDINATORChristian Pratt
COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTChrystal [email protected]
STAFF LISTING
ADVERTISING MANAGERChelsea Boyd
AD DEADLINESTuesday’s Issue - Friday 5 p.m.
Thursday’s Issue - Tuesday 2 p.m.
VIEWPOINTS EDITORKarmen C. King
Today in history:164 BC – Judas Maccabaeus, son of Mattathias of the Hasmonean family, restores the Temple in Jerusalem. This event is commemorated each year by the festival of Hanukkah.
1620 – Plymouth Colony settlers sign the Mayflower Compact (November 11, O.S.).
1877 – Thomas Edison announces his invention of the phonograph, a machine that can record and play sound.
1905 – Albert Einstein’s paper, Does the Inertia of a Body Depend Upon Its Energy Content?, is published in the journal “Annalen der Physik”. This paper reveals the relationship between energy and mass. This leads to the mass–energy equivalence formula E = mc².
1979 – The United States Embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan is attacked by a mob and set on fire, killing four.
1986 – Iran-Contra Affair: National Security Council member Oliver North and his secretary start to shred documents implicating them in the sale of weapons to Iran and channeling the proceeds to help fund the Contra rebels in Nicaragu.
SENIOR REPORTERMcKinzie Brocail
COPY EDITORApril Sanders
BUSINESS MANAGERPaty Mason
PRODUCTION MANAGERMeagan [email protected]
- Write for advice at [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]
We gather togetherThe Houstonian staff thanks the people who keep us going
Have spirit, will travelKarmen King hopes for a cheaper way
As the days get shorter and the nights get longer, we find ourselves looking back on the things we’re most thankful for. We spend most of our time in the office, and we absolutely love what we do. That being said, we’re looking forward to the break just as much as everyone else. But, before we take our leave, we want to send a few words of thanks.
Taco Bell, Paw Print and Old Main Market, you keep us fed at all hours of the night.
Mrs. Mary, you and the rest of the custodial staff make sure everything stays clean and respectable looking. Even though we make it difficult for you sometimes, we sincerely appreciate everything you do.
To our families, we love you so very much. You stand by us through thick and thin, and you don’t complain too much about never seeing us because we spend all our time in the newsroom.
To our friends, the same goes for you. We’re lame and hardly ever go out, but that’s only because we’re obsessive and never leave this office. Thanks for being patient.
Robin Johnson, you rock. You’ve been the best
and most challenging advisor we’ve had in a long time.
LeeAn Muns, you’re difficult, crazy, loud and rebellious. We adore you.
Debbi Hatton, thanks for advising our newspaper over the summer. We’re not entirely sure we ever thanked you for doing that. You really helped us out.
Deanna Briones, thank you for all of your help, especially over the summer.
To The Huntsville Item, thank you for your unwavering patience over the years. You’re incredibly kind people, and our print edition always looks so nice. Also, we’re always running late, so thanks for putting up with us.
Julia May, thanks for keeping us informed. Also, for sending us basically every tiny document and agenda that we ask for.
Lee Woodward, you are wonderful about keeping us up to date on city affairs. We appreciate all that you do.
Brian Blalock, your photos are amazing. We appreciate the permission to use them on occasion.
To the staff in the athletics department, we appreciate the photo permissions and help with statistics.
To our contributors, we couldn’t function without your help. You’ve been our saving grace several times this last year, and you’re an absolute pleasure to have in the office. Thank you so much for putting up with us and hanging in there. We’re a difficult bunch.
To our advertising staff, you are all so amazing to work with. You all work hard and it shows. It is an honor to work with you.
To our advertisers, thank you so much. We appreciate every advertisement and every classified. Your contributions are so very appreciated around here.
Finally, thank you to our readers. We wouldn’t exist without you. We value every column you send in and every comment you leave on our website, complaints and praise alike. We encourage you to keep reading, keep commenting, keep sending in your columns and keep sending in requests for advice.
For shame. Saturday our football team was looking to go, and did indeed go, undefeated in the regular season against rival Texas State. San Marcos is not that far away, however, many of us do not have transportation to make the trip.
While Texas State is not our main rival, they are the school that tried to make us take their name.
That is the only time I’ve ever approved of Rick Perry and the Texas Legislature is when they chose to protect our proud and historic name and that of Stephen F. Austin State University.
All the more reason to make it happen.The Alumni Association once again
chartered a bus to San Marcos, however, due to lack of participation, they had to cancel. They offered refunds and alternative rides to the people who had already paid. I believe only 3 of the 13 people chose that option.
Well of course hardly anyone signed up
for the bus, it cost 40 dollars!I don’t know about the rest of the student
body, but this late in the semester that is way out of my price range. Heck, early in the semester that is way out of most student’s price range.
This was a historic game. There was a great showing from the Bearkat fans in San Marcos, but we needed even more orange in the stands to cheer our heroes on. If the Alumni Association really wanted students and others to get to the game they would charge a much lower fee and then find a sponsor to foot the rest of the bill.
I’m sure there are a few wealthy SHSU football fans and alumn out there that would love to help.
Next year when I’m an alumni I will be doing everything I can to get as many fans as possible to every game. I hope everyone will join me.
Feeling blue about the holidays? Beca has the answers to all your questions!
What do you think of at Thanksgiving?
We asked the staff...“The only turkey I have on Thanksgiving is wild and 101 proof.” – Karmen“Fooooooooooooooooood” - Stephen“It’s my favorite holiday. There’s not as much pressure as Thanksgiving, like Christmas. It’s just a time to relax and spend time with family.” – Jessica“I enjoy spending time with family, watching football and stuffing my face.” – Zachary“I think about the Doug episode,” Good food, good meat, good gravy, let’s eat;” elastic pants and chaos.” – Megzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz“I keep thinking about food, and all the plates I’m going to eat. I might actually gain weight this year. I’m looking forward to being with my family for the break.” – George“I’m always more excited for the leftovers than the actual dinner. I’m not big on all the sides; I’m mostly there for the turkey. We always have to go around the table and say what we’re thankful for… my house becomes a zoo because it’s the time when everyone comes back, since like Easter and Christmas.” – Kinz
Interested in joining
The Houstonian staff?
Email us at sgreen@
houstonianonline.com
- Karmen is the Viewpoints Editor
Former Huntsville City councilmember Dr. Tom Cole was honored with his own day by the Sam Houston State University’s Student Government Association Senate at Huntsville’s City Hall on
Tuesday.SGA Senator Cristan
Shamburger read the “Dr. Cole Appreciation Act” at the City Hall meeting, expressing students’ gratitude and recognition for the former representative.
Cole is now an honorary Bearkat. Dr. Tom Cole Day will be November 29, 2011.
“I’m deeply touched,” Cole said when presented with a copy of the act.
Cole is known for protecting Huntsville’s students’ rights.
As well as defending all of his constituents, he also fought hard for students.
Cole was one of the leaders in extending drinking laws to 2 a.m., he helped initiate the additions of recycling and sidewalks around campus and he supported Map B in the redistricting issue (involving students).
“It’s a great honor,”
Give thanks. Eat turkey. Twirl your ‘stache. Repeat.
It seems like the checklist of yearly practiced November traditions, much like the facial hair of Bearkats everywhere, continues to grow. Various “man movements,” such as “Movember” and “No-Shave November,” have generated a world-wide competition where men grow out their facial hair every year in support of testicular cancer awareness. The most widely-practiced collegiate tradition since the custom of the red Solo cup; “No-Shave November” has intertwined fighting for a good cause with a highly responsive competition that allows men to abandon any obligations to personal hygiene.
“It’s the perfect opportunity to not only support a good cause, but also to grow a nice manly face sweater,” SHSU alumnus Brady Sapp said.
Some suggest “No Shave November” originated in Melbourne, Australia in 2003. This idea involved cultivating and rising a mustache for the entire month of November to
raise awareness and funds for cancers that affect men around the world.
Overtime, these mustache masterpieces soon expanded their borders across the faces of men, becoming unruly, yet beautifully motivated beards.
“It puts me in the company of other famous thinkers with beards, like Friedrich Nietzsche, Sigmund Freud, Eleanor Roosevelt, Yosemite Sam, and Denzel Washington some of the time,” Dan Ambromowitz said, author of “Why My Beard Makes Me Seem Thoughtful and Worldly.”
As contributory as Movember has become in raising funds and awareness for men’s health (more than $42 million in 2009), most participating college males do so just for the enjoyable process, or as an excuse to grow suspicious facial hair and get away with it.
November has quickly become a month of hibernation for Schick’s and Gillete Fusion’s world-wide.
“I’ve had friends that have been affected…it’s an issue that everybody will be faced with at some point in their lives,” student Frank
Mosca said.“I definitely applaud
those that have donated and participate in the Movember and No-Shave November movements.”
Immense strides have been taken towards shifting attitudes and habits relating to men’s health around the world, but there is still much to be done to catch up with the women’s health movement. Via the moustache, beard, and other creative “man manes”, both Movember and No-Shave November aim to satisfy its vision of having an everlasting influence on the face of men’s health by continuing to spark conversation and spread attentiveness of men’s health issues each year.
“It’s a glorious movement that offers valuable knowledge, celebrates the art of manliness, and separates the men from the boys,” University of Houston alumnus Thomas Cook said.
“For me, the moustache is not only an element of style, but also functionality. Is it the best icebreaker? Yes. Is it the best example of my manliness? The most visibly when clothed.”
Page 3Monday, November 21, 2011News
houstonianonline.com/news
Day named in honor of councilman
City of Huntsville
DR. TOM COLE
leave SHSU.Abdulaziz is still facing
charges of resisting arrest and marijuana possession in January.
SHSU officials were unable to be reached by deadline, but MyFoxHouston says officials would not comment due to his pending charges.
Accountability Office. “Online distance education is currently being offered in various ways to students living on campus, away from a campus, and across state lines. School offerings in online learning range from individual classes to complete degree programs. Courses and degree programs may be a mix of face-to-face and online instruction—‘hybrid’ or ‘blended’ instruction.”
Outside of Texas, 39 states have contracts with SHSU’s online program. The university is looking to expand on this aspect of student population growth.
From ASSAULT page 1
From REGENTS page 1
Board of Regents announce university awards
By McKinzie BrocailSenior Reporter
University recognition and accomplishments were a large topic of the campus update at the Board of Regents meeting on Friday.
Sam Houston State University has recently received multiple recognitions as a whole as well as through individual departments.
Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs Jamie Hebert reported SHSU’s achievements.
SHSU was selected by The Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching to receive the “Community Engaged Classification” in 2010.
SHSU was also recognized as a “Great College to Work For” in 2010 and 2011 by The
Chronicle of Higher Education.
Another gain for SHSU includes being rated second out of U.S. colleges for having the least student debt upon graduating according to the US News & World Report.
Some of the student successes mentioned in the report were the undefeated Bearkat football team, SHSU’s debate team and both the men and women’s rodeo teams.
Hebert highlighted the university’s 24 national and international journals, especially the American Mathematical Monthly, which is the most widely distributed mathematics journal in the world.
A future improvement SHSU is looking to implement is the Pathway Builders Initiative, a software program for students who have declared their majors that gives them immediate access to information regarding their field.
In addition, Hebert discussed the groundbreaking will take place for SHSU’s new $35 million Woodlands Academic Building and 750-space parking garage at the end of this fall semester.
By McKinzie BrocailSenior Reporter
By Jeremy KleiberContributing Reporter
Movember moustaches
SO LONG, FAREWELL. Dr. Tom Cole, was honored at city hall on Tuesday with a banner of appreciation after “Dr. Tom Cole Day” was announced at SHSU by the Student Government Association. Cole was declared an honorary Bearkat for “his service to the student body at Sam Houston State University.
McKinzie Brocail | The Houstonian
Cole said. “Sam Houston students are some of the most industrious people I’ve ever met.”
He was elected to City Council in the spring of 2008. Cole is a native of
Huntsville and attended Huntsville Public Schools, the University of Texas and Duke University Medical School. He returned to Huntsville to practice medicine in 1974, and was elected to the Walker County Hospital District in
1979 and served three terms on that board.
“I have learned a lot,” SGA Senator Kendall Scudder said in regards to Cole. “I’ve learned to do what’s right, no matter what the consequences are. He was the fiercest advocate
for students and we are blessed to have had him.”
Cole was invited to Tuesday’s SGA meeting in room 320 of the Lowman Student Center at 6 p.m. All students are welcome to attend.
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Page 4Monday, November 21, 2011Lifestyle
houstonianonline.com/
11 teams battled for the championship of the Red Bull Kickoff Friday afternoon.
Red Bull Kickoff is a fast paced urban 3v3 soccer tournament set to a running clock with no timeouts. The traditional soccer pitch has been shrunk to only 30 by 60 feet, so teams are challenged with a constant shift between offense and defense.
Over 150 students watched as Sig A battled through three rounds of competition, including a sudden death overtime win over Delta Tau Delta, to claim the championship.
Sig A consisted of the Sam Houston State chapter of Sigma Chi members: Elliott Quassa, Torey Melofsky and Chris Ferringle.
When asked what he thought of the experience, Elliott Quassa replied, “It was a great brotherhood experience, a great tournament and a great day”
Red Bull Kickoff-Sam Houston State is part of a burgeoning event taking place at universities across the US this fall.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact Mike Harman at (210) 573-1646 / [email protected]
Sig A conquers Red Bull Kickoff
RED BULL KICKOFF CHAMPS. Sig A consisted of the Sam Houston State chapter of Sigma Chi members: Elliott Quassa, Torey Melofsky and Chris Ferringle.
All photos by Meagan Ellsworth| The Houstonian
By Meagan EllsworthProduction Manager
Greek Life hosts ‘Day for Kids’Greek Life raised approximately
$800 for the local Huntsville Boy’s and Girls’ Club during its Day for Kids, held Saturday.
Coordinator Mike Abt said that this is the first time the organizations were able to successfully hold the event despite their efforts in the past organize the community outreach program.
One obstacle that challenged the union in the past was transportation, which is why the organization brought the day of entertainment and service to the children.
The carnival style event included a variety of activities such as tether ball, Red Bull Soccer Kickoff, dancing to live music spun by local Huntsville DJ Super Jay, and free pizza rolls from Double Dave’s. Each organization brought their own carnival theme activity as well, including a bounce
house and face painting. At the end of the night SHSU step
show groups put on their best moves for the crowd and local musicians played tunes on the guitar. Funds were raised by donations from each chapter, which presented in a check to the Boys’ and Girls Club.
“Seeing the excitement in 200+ kids’ eyes as they stampeded down the hill to the field day was all worth the effort,” Senior Sigma Chi member, Erich Stolz said.
ABOVE. Miss Sam Houston 2011, Risa Mitchell, was among the Day for Kids participants. BELOW. “I think it was a good show of all the Greek organizations working together to make it better for all the kids,” sophomore, Sigma Chi member, Ben Burto said.
By Meagan EllsworthProduction Manager
Page 6Monday, November 21, 2011Arts & Entertainment
houstonianonline.com/a-e
While I have, and always will remain to be a loyal fan of the books, I was one of the people excited to watch “Breaking Dawn Part 1” this weekend.
It managed to live up to the book and offered a new level of maturity that the other films did not have.
The story begins right where the “Eclipse” left off, as Bella and Edward are preparing for their wedding, leaving Jacob distraught at the thought of it.
When Jacob and Bella become expecting parents of a hybrid child, it caused problems for everyone.
As the vampires and werewolves prepare for a face-off to protect Bella and her unborn child, the love triangle between Edward, Bella and Jacob
becomes more complex than ever before.
This movie set itself apart from its previous installments because it was darker, more mature and captured the wide range of emotions involving all of the characters.
It was definitely more graphic than any of the other films.
While it was disturbing for some members of the audience, I really liked that the filmmakers did not sugar coat the birth scene.
It added a reality to the story, even in the most unreal situation of giving birth to a hybrid baby.
Also, Bella’s death has been a recurring threat in all of the films, but each time the audience is able to predict that she always has Edward or Jacob to save her.
In this movie however, no one can save her from
her own child because she won’t let them.
It made her death a certainty and left the audience questioning what was going to happen to her. The fear of the unknown added a layer of suspense to story.
One thing that stood out about this movie more than the others was the soundtrack.
Some of the songs featured in the movie like “Requiem on Water” by Imperial Mammoth and “Love Death Birth” by Carter Burwell matched perfectly with the major scenes such as the wedding, the honeymoon and the birth scene.
The songs captured the emotion of each scene and helped add another layer to go along with the visual aspect of the movie.
The acting also improved from Kristen Stewart and
Taylor Lautner but still could be more realistic to make each of their characters believable.
Another negative of this movie was the ending.
Although it was intended as a cliffhanger, I feel that they could have shown a little more than they did to transition into the next film.
Also, the fact that fans will have to wait nearly an entire year for Part 2 of the movie is very disappointing, but with it being the last of the Twilight series, it won’t lose its appeal among viewers.
Overall, Breaking Dawn Part 1 was the best movie of the series and for fans of the books, it represented them well.
Even if you don’t like the series, you may find that you can sink your teeth into this movie and enjoy it.
“Breaking Dawn” raises the barBy George Mattingly Arts & Entertainment Editor
By George Mattingly Arts & Entertainment Editor
The winter spirit will be upon campus after Thanksgiving with “Winter Fest,” a week full of events and activities for students held Nov. 28 through Dec. 2.
“Winter Fest” is this year’s theme for Fall Fest, an event posted by Program Council every year, which will feature a variety of winter-themed activities for students to
prepare for the upcoming holidays.
The Fall Fest is usually held earlier during the semester, but the dates for this year’s event had to be moved around due the Board of Regents meeting, according to Laurie Brooks, Director of Public Relations and Marketing for Program Council.
On Nov. 28, there will be “Sammy the Santa and Snow Day” from 11 a.m.to 1 p.m. with snow in the LSC mall area where
students can take pictures and Sammy the Bearkat will make an appearance as Santa.
The mall area will be transformed into “Sammy’s Workshop” on Nov. 29 where students will be able to decorate their own holiday cookies from noon to 2 p.m.
“The Tree of Light” Ceremony, a 90 year university tradition, will take place on Nov. 30 at 6 p.m. in Bearkat Plaza. It will feature performances
from different campus organizations and the Christmas tree lighting and student organizations can decorate the tree with an ornament.
On Dec. 1, PC will provide supplies for students to build their own snow globe at “Shake it Up” held in the mall area from noon to 2 p.m.
“With Christmas right around the corner, students can make a snow globe which would make a nice gift,” Brooks said.
“Winter Fest” will come to a close on Dec. 2 with “Dinner & Movie” featuring “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” beginning at 7 p.m. at Old Main Hill.
There will also be hot chili, hot chocolate and different deserts served for students during the movie.
According to Brooks, the event will be chance for students to ease back into school after Thanksgiving break and relax before the stress of finals.
“It’s (the event) a nice way for students to unwind and relieve stress before finals,” Brooks said.
“We hope students can enjoy their time with friends before the end of the semester.”
For more information about Winter Fest, contact Program Council at 936-294-1763 or visit their website at www.shsu.edu/~org_pc/.
PC to bring week full of winter spirit
Fourth Twilight film gets darker, more mature
BREAKING RECORDS: “Breaking Dawn Part 1” earned $139.5 million its opening weekend, making it the second highest in franchise history and the fifth-largest opening weekend ever.
Photo by Summit Entertainment
have to come to play every week and there’s no difference between us and every team in the nation right now.”
Student tickets are available for the playoffs at a discounted price of $5, and can purchased during business hours on Monday- Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. at the Ron Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium.
For more information about the playoffs and the football team, visit gobearkats.com.
The regular season ended on Saturday after the Bearkat football team defeated rival Texas State in one of their last regular season meetings, 36-14.
In July of 2012, Texas State (6-6) will be leaving to join the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and be joining the Western Athletic Conference (WAC).
With the win, the Kats ended the season on a perfect note, 11-0, the second undefeated season in school history and the first since 1956.
The team also moved up in the Sports Network Football Championship Subdivision rankings and was named as the number 1 team, the highest ranking in school history.
They also are currently riding a 13 game winning streak, the longest in school history and the longest active streak in Division-I football.
The Kats were able to put 7 early points on the board as running back Tim Flanders scored on a 32-yard run.
Kicker Craig Alaniz nailed a 35-yard field goal that extended the lead 10-0.
At the start of the second quarter, quarterback Brian Bell connected with wide receiver Torrance Williams for an amazing 28-yard touchdown grab.
The Bobcats battled back and scored on a 9-yard touchdown before halftime when Bobcat quarterback Tyler Arndt to wide receiver Darius Bolden, after Bell fumbled the ball at the Kats 32 yard line.
In the third quarter, the Bobcats took their first drive for a touchdown after Arndt hit wide receiver Isaiah Battle with a 15-yard pass.
Up by three, the Kats took the ball down the field and settled for a 27-yard field goal by Alaniz.
On the next drive, the Kats second ranked FCS defense stepped up and forced Bobcats running back Marcus Curry into fumbling the ball. Linebacker Darius Taylor recovered the ball at the Bobcats 44 yard line, but the Kats offense wasn’t able to do anything with the football.
After an interception by Bell, the defense stepped up and helped the offense again, as they forced Arndt into fumbling the ball. Linebacker Will Henry
recovered the ball at the Bobcats 25 yard line.
“We knew that their offense tried to get our eyes in the wrong spot,” defensive lineman Preston Sanders said. “We knew we had to play close to our keys. Early in the game, they just made some people miss. Our coaches, they prey on us all the time. They keep telling us, you’ve got to go hard every play.”
Four plays later, the Kats were into the endzone, as Flanders scored on a 2-yard run.
Flanders finished the game with 132 yards, and two touchdowns, giving him 22 total touchdowns
this season, a new Southland Conference record. Flanders also tied the school record for most rushing touchdowns in a season, 20, which was set by Luther Turner in 1987.
“That’s a big, great accomplishment, “Flanders said. “That’s one of my secondary goals. My primary goals is being conference champions and going undefeated. My last goal is to win a national championship.”
After a blocked field goal by the Kats defense, the offense responded and scored on a 6 play, 48-yard drive that was capped off by a 13-yard touchdown
run by running back Ryan Wilson.
Alaniz added a 20-yard field goal, that ended the scoring for the game.
“Texas State did an excellent job and really put up a hard fought battle,” head coach Willie Fritz said. “This is probably good for us because it made us work and fight through some adversity. I’m just really proud of everyone associated with the program.”
Sunday, the Kats were announced as the number one team in the FCS and were selected as the overall number 1 seed in the NCAA FCS playoffs, receiving
home-field advantage for the playoffs.
The team will have a first round bye and will take on the winner of Albany (8-3) and Stony Brook (8-3) on Dec. 3 at Bowers Stadium. Start time for that game has not yet been announced.
“We are 11-0, but in reality we are just 0-0,” quarterback Brian Bell said after the win. “It’s win or go home now. We just have to come to play every week and there’s no difference between us and every team in the nation right now.”
For more information about the playoffs and team, visit gobearkats.com.
It wasn’t exactly a tough game for the Bearkat women’s basketball team, but they notched their second win of the season against Mary-Hardin Baylor on Friday, 87-53.
With the win the team improves to 2-0 on the young season.
Despite what the final score read, the Crusaders (0-1) battled with the the Kats in a close game. At the 17 minute mark of the first half, the Crusaders held a 7-2 lead.
However, the Kats rallied back and towards the end of the first half, and Sam Houston began to pull away, taking a 35-23 lead into the break.
The second half was all Bearkats as Sam Houston scored 52 points in the half and shot 54.8 percent (17-of-31) from the field, including 50 percent from three-point range (3-of-6).
Overall the team shot 53.1 percent from the field (34-of-64) and dominated inside, scoring 44 of their 87 inside the paint.
Sequeena Thomas led the way for the Kats and had a double-double, scoring 24 points and pulling down 11 rebounds.
“It’s been fun watching her,” head coach Debbie Nicholls said. “She just keeps maturing and growing. She went home over the summer, and really matured into a very good leader. I want to keep seeing good things from her.”
Britni Martin added her own double-double scoring 16 and dishing out 10 assists. Angela Beadle was one rebound short of her second double-double of the season, and added 13 points.
The Kats defense held the Crusaders to shooting just 38.3 percent in the game, including 18.2 percent from beyond the arc.
Jovana Miles led the Crusaders in scoring and had 12 points in the game. Gabby Guzman also added 11 points.
It was “Pack the House” day at Johnson Coliseum, and many elementary schools got a chance to attend the game. More than 3,000 people attended the game and made their voices heard.
“The atmosphere was great,” Nicholls said. “Anytime our players can come out to that kind of atmosphere, that’s just going to motivate them.”
“We ran a little slower pace game tonight and tried to slow it down a bit and work our offense. We got some big games on the road for us, so we really need to take care of the ball and not get into a running match.”
Next, Sam Houston will travel for their first road trip of the season against Vanderbilt (3-0). After that they will travel and take on Kentucky (4-0) on Nov. 25 before returning home to take on Texas-Pan American (1-2) on Dec. 2.
For more information about the team, visit gobearkats.com.
From NO. 1page 1
Page 7Monday, November 21, 2011Sports
houstonianonline.com/sports twitter.com/HoustonianSport
By Cheval JohnSports Reporter
Kats claw Texas State, 36-14By Zach BirdsongSports Editor
By Zach BirdsongSports Editor
Women team cruises past Crusaders, starts season 2-0
Jessica Gomez | The Houstonian
TALK TO THE HAND. Wide receiver Torrance Williams stiff arms Bobcat safety Xavier Daniels on Saturday. Williams finished with 3 catches for 39 yards and one TD.
Over the weekend, the Bearkat volleyball team competed in the annual Southland Conference tour-nament, defeating the Uni-versity of Texas-Arlington before getting bounced by UTSA on Saturday.
The Kats won against the Mavericks in five sets on Friday.
The first set was a battle between the two teams, as there were sixteen ties and eight lead changes.
With the Kats leading 23-22, the Mavericks scored two straight points to make it 24-23 on two kills by se-nior outside hitter Amanda Aguilera. The Bearkats tied it at 24 on the next play. The Mavericks scored the next three out of four points to take the first set by the
score of 27-25.The Mavericks opened
the second set by scor-ing four straight points to make it 4-0. The Bearkats responded by exploding for seven straight points to make it 7-4 and would go on win the second set 25-21.
The Mavericks scored
the first four out of five points in the third set to make it 4-1. But the Bear-kats battled and, with the Mavericks leading 20-19, scored the next six out of eight points to take the third set by the score of 25-22.
The Kats scored the first three out of five points in the fourth set to make it
3-2. But the Mavericks re-sponded and took the set, 25-22.
In the fifth and deciding set, the Kats opened the set scoring the first three out of five points. The Mavericks scored the next seven out fourteen to lead 10-9. But the Kats battled and took the set, giving them the
match, 15-12. Senior outside hitter Car-
li Kolbe led SHSU with 30 kills, 20 digs and a block. Junior outside hitter Kaylee Hawkins also finished the match with 17 kills, 10 digs and a service ace, while Kym Loving contributed with 53 assists, six digs, two blocks and two service aces.
The Bearkats lost to the Roadrunners in straight sets, ultimately ending the Kats season, with the scores of 26-24, 25-17, 25-22.
Kolbe led the Kats with 12 kills, eight digs and two blocks while Loving con-tributed with 31 assists, two digs, a kill and a ser-vice ace.
Sophomore defensive specialist Tayler Gray was second on the team with 12 digs and a service ace.
Texas State continued
on to win the tournament against UTSA in four sets and claimed the Southland Conference championship.
Volleyball team gets bounced from SLC tournament
Jessica Gomez | The HoustonianGOOD SHOT. Jazmin Wiley shoots against Mary-Hardin Baylor
photo courtesy of gobearkats.comSMACKING IT. Senior Carli Kolbe (6) returns the ball against the UTA in the SLC tournament.
