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The April 16 issue of the Houstonian.
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Students, staff, faculty and alumnus of Sam Houston State University that have passed in the last year were honored on Friday at the Second Annual Raven’s Call under the bell tower.
Raven’s Call honored about thirty honorees according to Andrew Colarusso, Orange Key chair of the event. This included eight students, four faculty or staff members, and 17 retired faculty and staff members and honorary Bearkat, Fred Gibson, President Dana Gibsons father.
“It was moving and beautiful. The balloons were prefect. It was just very moving,” Marianne Gibson, wife of Fred Gibson and mother of Dana Gibson said.
SHSU student Brittany Averitt’s mom, Lynn Averitt, said that Ravens Call helped her grieve.
“It kind of brings some sense of peace to us to hear what they have to say about her,” Lynn Averitt said.
One of Brittany Averitt’s friends, Terra Bowen, loved the tribute to everyone and remembered her “laugh and sweet smile.”
Colarusso came to realize what Raven’s Call really meant a few weeks before the event.
“Just a few weeks ago I experienced a tremendous loss of my own,” Colarusso said. “I realized we must remember our loved one not for the suffering their death has brought us, but for the legacy they will leave behind.”
Family members and friends of people who have passed were in tears while Dean of Students John Yarabeck called out their names and the bell
tower rang three times. Kalyn Cavazos, president of the
Orange Keys said how the event came to be.
“Raven’s call was brought forth to us by a parent who had lost their student,” Cavazos said.
MISTI JONESViewpoints Editor
William Pereira quietly sat beside Aisha Aguilera in history class during freshmen year at Sam Houston State University.
They eventually began dating and would meet up under the clock tower between classes for lunch during their four years at SHSU.
After graduating in 2011, the couple returned to the clock tower Saturday afternoon when Pereira embraced Aguilera’s hand and proposed beneath the tolling bells.
“This was my dream,” Aguilera said. “When I pictured he would propose to me I pictured it coming back to the place where we first met.”
The couple drove down from Dallas the previous day after friends invited them to visit for the weekend. According to Pereira, the trip didn’t hinder his plans for Saturday.
“She had mentioned [wanting to come down] after I had thought about it and I didn’t want to lead her into thinking anything,” Pereira said.
According to Aguilera, the morning of the proposal Pereira was quiet but she remained unsuspicious.
“He was so quiet and was awake really early and was wanting to get up and go,” Aguilera said. “I could tell he was eager about something.”
As the couple neared the clock tower, Pereira said he told Aguilera he had alternative motives for coming to Huntsville.
“I pretty much knew as soon as he said that what was happening,” Aguilera said.
Pereira and Aguilera live together in Dallas, but after graduation, moving back home strained their relationship with 246 miles between Cypress and Garland.
“Even when we were dating throughout our college experience when we had a summer break that was hard for us,” Aguilera, a Garland native, said. “Graduating was hard. The only thing we were really certain of is that we knew wherever we were going to be we wanted to be there together.”
Pereira and Aguilera were apart for six months before buying an apartment together in December.
“It was kind of hard because I didn’t have a job right out of college,” Pereira said. “I eventually got a job where I could move wherever I want.”
Aguilera remains a student studying for her Master’s degree in cognition and neuroscience at the University of Texas in Dallas while Pereira works for Transocean Oil offshore.
For the future Aguilera is unsure of her future plans+, but foresees a possibility of returning to SHSU.
“One of the things that has been brought up as a possibility is that one of the professors that I had here asked if I thought about coming back to [SHSU] and teaching here,” Aguilera said. “Everybody asks you what you want to do now but I’m unsure about what I want to do. I want to keep my mind open.”
Pereira will remain employed for Transocean’s offshore drilling but once married for a few years he wants to move onshore.
A wedding date hasn’t been set, but Pereira said they want the ceremony planned to avoid the Texas heat.
The Sam Houston State University Spirit Programs successfully took home more national titles at the NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championships last weekend in Daytona Beach, Florida.
The Orange Pride dance team won first place for the fourth consecutive year, co-ed cheer squad took home their second consecutive Division-1 National Championship and the all-girl cheer team won second place in Divison-1 at the competition.
Out of the five years the dance team Orange Pride has competed in National Dance Alliance (NDA), they’ve received first place in the past four, becoming the first team to win more than two consecutive titles in the Division-1 Open Dance category.
This year was the biggest competition Orange Pride has seen. The 15 team members who competed performed a jazz dance to a remake of “Sweet Dreams” and got first place in the Open Dance I division with a score of 9.678 out of 10, beating out 20 other teams in their division for the national title.
“In 2 minutes and 15 seconds
we had to prove to the judges why we won for the last three years, why we were in first going into finals, how bad we wanted it this year and that no one wanted it as much as we did,” Orange Pride captain Everest Guerra said. “After our final performance we were all more than happy with how we did and that it was finally over.”
Orange Pride learned their routine in October and spent seven months cleaning and perfecting the dance for the competition. The co-ed and all-girl cheer squads were unable to comment about their wins before press time.
TODAY’S FORECAST
HI: 87o LOW: 71o
Chance of Rain: 40% P2
P4Bill would require DNA testing before defendant goes to trial
www.HoustonianOnline.comVolume 123 / Issue 23 Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Matt Sayles/Invision /AP
P3New forms of instant social media poses potential rsks to children
Aubrey Plaza, right, as she tries to take away an award presented to Will Ferrell during the MTV Movie Awards. Recap of the awards by George Mattingly.
Spirit squad makes it a fourpeatMISTI JONESViewpoints Editor
A Bearkat love affairSHSU alumni meet under
clocktower for engagementCONNOR HYDESports Reporter
Check out the Houstonian audio slideshow of the event with more interviews and photos.
ENGAGED William Pereira proposes to his girlfriend of six years under the clocktower at SHSU where they would meet between classes after first meeting.
Connor Hyde | The Houstonian
Event celebrates fallen Bearkats
CHAMPIONS. The Orange Pride dance team poses holding up four fingers representing their four consecutive national championships.
Submitted photo Natalie Nunez
CELEBRATION ELEVATION. Raven’s Call attendees release baloons to remember members of the SHSU community who have passed away.
Molly Waddell | The Houstonian
Page 2houstonianonline.com/news
Tuesday, April 16, 2013 News
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TxDOT warns drivers “Talk. Text. Crash.” State
The Texas Department of Transportation has announced their latest plan to end distracted driving across Texas will begin with their “Talk. Text. Crash.” campaign.
According to a press release from TxDOT, there were 90,378 crashes in 2012 that were the result of distracted drivers, an increase of 8 percent from 2011. Of those crashes, there was a 9 percent increase in deaths from 2011.
“Distracted driving is unacceptable, and it’s something that is preventable,” said John Barton, TxDOT’s deputy executive director in the press release. “If you reply to or send a text while driving, you are putting your life or someone else’s life at risk.”
The campaign was launched in April specifically to occur simultaneously with National Distracted Driving Awareness Month. TxDOT is planning to gain the attention of the public through community events, TV public service announcements, advertising both online and outdoors, and through a partnership with AT&T.
“In today’s tech-connected age, people are relying on text messages and smartphones to stay in touch, but texting while driving is something that carries profound, very real risks,” Dave Nichols, president, AT&T Texas said. “. . . It’s time we worked together
to change behaviors, attitudes, hearts and minds. We can each commit not to text and drive. We can lead by example. That’s why we’re pleased to join the Texas Department of Transportation in its Text.Talk.Crash. effort and why we continue to raise awareness through our AT&T’s own It Can Wait campaign.”
Mark Cross, a media contact from TxDOT, said the main reason they are promoting the campaign is to try to make drivers aware of how dangerous distracted driving can be.
“We are trying to reach all motorists to convey that any distracted driving, but especially with an electronic device, is dangerous to them and other motorists,” Cross said. “We would advise them to pull over any time they need to look away from the road for something. Paying attention to the road will reduce risk and save lives.”
Barton also urged in the press release for people to commit to drive without distractions, whether it be the phone, the radio or other diversions.
“Use of cell phones while driving isn’t the only action that can lead to serious injury or death,” Barton said. “Other actions, such as reading the newspaper, eating or smoking while driving are also distractions. Keeping drivers safe is our priority.”
According to TxDot’s website, typing a text message takes 4.6 seconds, which means the driver is not looking at the road for the length of a football field.
SOPHIE NELSONSenior Reporter
DNA testing bill hopes to end wrongful conviction
DNA testing of defendants prior to trial may soon be required if Senate bill 1292 gets passed.
SB 1292 was recently written and introduced by Democratic Senator Rodney Ellis (TX, District 13). SB 1292 requires the DNA testing of defendants who are accused of committing certain capital cases prior to being tried, in an attempt to avoid wrongful conviction.
Currently, the bill has support from both parties—written by a democrat and approved by the republican attorney general.
According to the Director of the Sam Houston State University Student Legal & Mediation Services, Ralph Roberts Jr., support from both ends of the spectrum gives the bill a good chance of becoming a law.
“The fundamental purpose of our criminal justice system is to seek justice,” Roberts said. “If this bill provides prosecutors and defense attorneys with a tool that can be used to make sure that justice is being served—that is, only the guilty are convicted—then I cannot think of a reason why this bill should not be passed, especially given the bipartisan support it is receiving.”
According to Roberts, this bill is not just an option, but it is a vital necessity to upholding the integrity of the United States criminal justice system.
“The death penalty is the only punishment that, if a mistake is made, nothing can be done to make the wrongfully accused whole,” he said. “That’s why the attorneys in death penalty-eligible cases have to meet stringent criteria and why the court system makes every effort to review these convictions in the appellate process. The sponsors of the bill say that it will help to make sure that those who are guilty of crimes are convicted and that the innocent are not subject to deprivation of their liberty.”
According to Roberts, although the passage of this bill will affect the entire country, it will also present the community of Huntsville, as well as SHSU, with a unique opportunity to continue its leadership in the Texas criminal justice system.
“If this bill becomes law, I suspect that we will need individuals who are uniquely trained to test and make conclusions about DNA and other biological evidence,” Roberts said. “The state will need these individuals, as will defense counsel. I believe that Sam Houston will continue to lead the state in training individuals who will have the education, training and insight to make sure that our criminal justice system not only seeks justice, but is just.”
Assistant Professor of the philosophy dept. Diana Buccafurni-Huber said she is still undecided about her vote on this bill due to some vagueness it holds.
“This bill seems to be motivated by good intentions,” she said. “Conviction of the innocent is certainly something we want to avoid. However, it is not clear that the crimes for which the bill is proposed are the kinds of crimes for which DNA ought to be required—such as forgery. But, if conviction of the innocent is something we want to avoid, then I suppose it can be the case that DNA samples are justified.”
Although she agrees that DNA testing is a reliable resource, Buccafurni-Huber said she is not so keen to claim its applicability to all crimes.
“I think requiring DNA evidence is certainly required for criminal homicide like capital murder,” Buccafurni-Huber said. “I think such evidence is better in terms of quality versus some of the other evidence that is called upon—evidence that has shown to be unreliable such as false confessions and mistaken eyewitness testimonies. Expanding the scope of crimes for which DNA is required, though, I am not yet convinced is justified.”
Thirty-five of the 50 states allow capital punishment with Texas being the leader in death penalty executions with 492. According to The Bureau of Justice Statistics, a total of 1,226 executions have occurred in the U.S. since 1776. Additionally, 130 people have been released from death row with evidence of their innocence.
Roberts said with the advances in science and technology today, the justice system has an obligation to its citizens to use these tools to their full-advantage.
“We now have the technology to test biological samples that are found at crime scenes, and just as fingerprints were once new science, but generally speaking widely accepted today, I think that DNA testing will be widely accepted, if it’s not already,” Roberts said.
Not only will the bill help in preserving the innocence of those who truly are guilt-free, but according to Roberts, if passed, it may also save time and money, the average cost of a death penalty case is $2.4 million according to the Bureau of Justice.
“This bill may also help save the court system from costly and time-consuming appeals because DNA testing will take place early in the justice process and not as an appeal point later in the process,” he said. “But most importantly, it can help to increase the likelihood that the guilty are punished and the innocent are free.”
However perfect this bill may seem, Roberts said there are also a few concerns it raises.
“One item that needs to be carefully examined is the quality and integrity of the DNA testing labs,” Roberts said. “Unfortunately, we’ve heard several stories recently of labs where tests were either falsified or not undertaken. We need to make sure that processes are in place so that Texas doesn’t experience what’s recently happened in Massachusetts.”
A recent scandal recently reported in Massachusetts involved a crime lab technician was found falsifying test results and tampering with evidence. As a result, several of the prosecutions were thrown out due to the unreliable results and the lab technician is now being accused of falsifying test results in as many as 34,000 cases.
The bill was filed March 7 and came out of the Senate Committee of Criminal Justice on April 11 with four affirmative votes, three absentees and zero opposing votes. However, the bill still needs to go through 5 stages before it can become a law: voted on by senate, out of house committee, voted on by house, governor action, becomes a law.
Ellis did not reply by press time. If passed, the bill will take effect Sept. 1,
2013.
HANNAH ZEDAKERStaff Reporter
Nation
69% of drivers in the United States ages 18-64 reported that they had talked on their cell phone while driving within the 30 days before they were surveyed.
In 2011, 3,331 people were killed in crashes involving a distracted drive.
There were 90,378 car crashes caused by distracted driving in 2012.
Kayla Stallings| The Houstonian
Zero TV households are on the rise in U.S.
Technology
A new trend has started to gain popularity not only in the U.S., but in Huntsville as well. According to the Nielsen Co. there are five million Zero TV households in the U.S. as of April 2013. That number has gone up from two million in 2007.
A Zero TV household is that doesn’t have any television sets and relies on other means, such as Netflix and Amazon Prime, to get their entertainment.
Many students at Sam Houston State University are also moving to the Zero TV household idea for different reasons.
Junior student Amanda Banasiak said that although she has a TV, she can understand why students wouldn’t want one from an educational perspective.
“It’s very distracting by just having it in your room alone,” she said. “If it’s on, it’s even worse because you’re tempted to watch it instead. It also keeps you up all night.”
According to a 2012 study performed by California State University’s Psychology Professor, Larry Rosen, Ph.D., the longest he could get his students to focus with a TV on was about 30 minutes.
Another student said that it works out because there are no ads to worry about.
“Why pay for a TV and cable when you can just have internet and Hulu Plus instead?” junior student Joey Balderas said. “It’s more convenient because there are no ads to get annoyed over.”
Nielsen Co. recently revealed in their report that three-quarters of homes in the U.S. have at least one TV set, but two-thirds get their content on other devices.
“The most common way the households view content through an alternative device is via the computer (37 percent), followed by on TV internet (16 percent), via smartphones (8 percent), and via tablets (6 percent). Almost half of these homes watch TV content through subscription services,” Nielson Co. reported.
Despite Nielsen Co.’s report, the biggest reason why students have made the transition is because of cost effectiveness.
“It’s a lot cheaper to just have internet and a content provider than to pay for the whole package,” junior student Steffany Smith said. “I watch shows on my computer and tablet than I do on my TV anyway.”
According to the Leictman Research Group, the average cable casts have jumped 7.2 percent in the past year. Because of this, many consumers are turning to video streaming from cheaper content providers such as Netflix to save money.
The research group also went on to note that Netflix U.S. subscribers have watched 80 percent more streaming video hours than were viewed in the same period on all United States pay Video On-Demand offerings combined. Financial Services Company Standard & Poor’s sees cable subscriptions taking a hit as more customers try to trim costs.
CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZStaff Reporter
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According to TxDOT and the CDC
There’s nothing saltier than a teenage celebrity feud, and boy oh boy, have we got one on our hands in Amsterdam between Canadian teen heart-throb Justin Bieber and deceased teen Holocaust victim Anne Frank. In the midst of his totes awesome European tour, Biebs popped into Anne Frank’s house to find out what all the fuss was about for some girl who wrote some book he had to read a couple of years ago.
Crowds have been lining up outside this girl’s house for more than 50 years, so maybe he could pick up some tips to make sure Beliebers keep twerkin’ it ‘til World War III. After spending one whole hour, according to media reports, at an after-hours visit to the historic memorial with his entourage, Biebs signed off in the guestbook to share his love and support: “Truly inspiring to be able to come here. Anne was a great girl. Hopefully she would have been a Belieber.”
Boom. Gauntlet dropped. Your move, Anne Frank. Unfortunately after spending two years hiding out in a small, secret living space in the very house Bieber had just ostensibly toured, Frank and her family were discovered by SS and shipped like livestock to various concentration camps in Eastern Europe. Anne Frank ended up at the Bergen-Belsen camp in Germany, where she would eventually perish during a typhus outbreak due to the most
inhumane conditions imaginable, so she can’t respond to Bieber’s attempt to jump on her fame train and clear up the issue of whether or not she’s a Belieber.
A social media firestorm ensued due to his tone-deaf comment, and to atone Bieber posted two shirtless photos of himself to his Instagram account.
Whether or not Frank would have been a Belieber isn’t really the story here though. It’s that by being self-referential to his own fame,
in a guestbook for a monument to a young girl who chronicled the desperate situation many Jews in hiding faced during the Holocaust, Bieber proved himself to be the biggest Belieber of them all.
His defenders contend that, well, he’s only 19, so he’s bound to say stupid things from time to time. In most instances of young celebrity gaffes, I tend to agree. This is different, though, because he toured the museum in private, allowing ample time for
reflection, and still came to the conclusion that the world revolves around him. Given the circumstance, it’s not a gaffe, but an insight into his character.
I’ll be the first to admit that, at 25, I’m thankfully too old to have witnessed the Bieber phenomenon firsthand among my generation. However, I did visit Anne Frank’s house when I was about 12 years old. I didn’t sign the guestbook, but my main takeaway from the museum wasn’t “I wonder what Anne Frank would think about meeeeeee! Everybody, look at meeeeeeee!”
Through seven words, Bieber confirmed suspicions that he’s so vacuous and self-consumed that he’s lost all perspective on the world around him. For Bieber, the past is of no consequence, because he wasn’t there. The future only matters in as much as people will remember him.
Unfortunately for Bieber, he’s a pop star. His shelf-life is somewhere south of eight years. Barring some revelation of actual talent, ala Justin Timberlake, Bieber will be relegated to the banality of VH1 punch lines before he celebrates his 30th birthday. Anne Frank, on the other hand, will be forever memorialized and her diary will continue to be read, because her story matters.
She deserved far better than the inhumanity the Nazis subjected her to. After signing the guestbook, it’s obvious Bieber deserves far less than the thoughtless adulation and fame his immature fan base gives him.
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PAWS UP
I have pride in myself. I have pride in myself because there are people all around the world who can’t. I have pride in myself because there are people who took their lives because they weren’t allowed to.
This week is Pride Week – a week that is selected by the local LGBT community for everyone to get together and celebrate hope. Gamma Sigma Kappa will be hosting events throughout the week to offer love and encouragement to the LGBT community here at Sam Houston State University.
This week is a time where we can join side by side in courage with how far we’ve come and to recognize we still have some lingering problems. According to the Williams Institute on Sexual Orientation Law and Public Policy, between 15 and 43
percent of the LGBT community have experienced discrimination as a result of their sexual orientation, specifically in the workplace; with 90 percent of transgendered individuals having experienced discrimination. There are still 29 states where people can be fired simply for being gay. Texas is one of those states.
This is why we stand in solidarity of pride. Having pride within yourself breeds a growing understanding of the problems and issues that we face as a community. One death due to discrimination is bad enough – much less the hundreds we see.
Matthew Shepard was a young college student who attended the University of Wyoming in the 90s. He was bullied and beaten to death because he was gay. In today’s world - this still happens. People are still tormented every day because of who they are.
“Only when our voices are united in love for all the children of our nations will this terrible violence come to an end,” Ted Jennings, professor of biblical and constructive theology at Chicago Theological Seminary, said. “That is why it is so important to make clear in all areas of society that homophobia must cease. Homophobia is not a personal opinion. Homophobia is not a cultural tradition. Homophobia is not a religious teaching. Homophobia is murder.”
It’s this message that we have to spread; one of love and hope. That is what pride week is meant to be; a symbol to show the families of those people who lost children that we will fight against the injustice.
This simple message means so much to those that hurt and have anguish from attending school every day or going to work. The worst part is that children do this. Be careful of
the things you say because children will listen to you. And then repeat the word “faggot” to that sad, lonely, confused kid on the playground who grows up believing he is anything less than normal. He eventually kills himself because of that six-letter word on a playground.
I have pride in myself because there are people who still have to hide their identity because they fear what could happen. I have pride in myself because there are still people who must remain anonymous about their identity in the workplace. I have pride in myself because Matthew Shepard was never afforded that opportunity.
As Ted Jennings mentions, “When we join our hands and voices together for the sake of the rights of LGBT people it is not simply a matter of changing this or that law. It is a matter of life and death.”
brings LGBT together, celebrates hopeRICHARD MCKINNEYStaff Reporter
PAWS UP to the brave men and women who assisted victims of the
Boston Marathon bombing.
COLIN HARRISStaff Reporter
Colin Harris says Bieber’s comment in the Anne Frank House’s guestbook shows his self-absorptionJustin Bieber: The world’s biggest Belieber
PAWS DOWN
PAWS DOWN to the mysterious haze all over Huntsville today. *cough*
We’re still wheezing from the smoke.
Many are turning from “sharing” on social media giant Facebook to “exploring” on photo sharing application Instagram. This move could lead to many problems with America’s youth.
Traditional social media like Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus inhabit a saturated market of conversation. Though slowly, users are starting to spring a leak.
Social media tracking company SocialBakers found in early December 2012, 1.7 million users jumped ship. Many of those are now turning to more rapid sharing social medias like Instagram, Kik, Keek, Vine and Snapchat.
Instagram is the most like traditional social media allowing users to comment and like their favorite images. Kik and Snapchat are basic messaging applications that have no permanent user interaction.
In addition, it’s an interaction between only two individuals, or group texts. Definitely not easily seen by outside eyes.
Parents – you have been warned.Kik and Snapchat on their own
are harmless ways for teens to send funny pictures to each other. However, there is a down side.
Traditional social media has a type of permanency where parents can log in and see what their teen has been up to, or can check in from their own accounts. Things don’t easily disappear.
The only way parents can make sure nothing fishy is going on with their children when using the new social media is to literally stand behind them while it’s being used. Snapchat messages aren’t visible once the time expires on the pictures and Kik messages are easily erasable.
Unfortunately, underage children are being exposed to adult themes at younger ages. Twitter’s Vine (video) service, another up-and-coming service, has been under scrutiny as being an outlet for porn.
Thanks to Tumblr, Snapchat has gotten attention for this after a classy page called “Snapchat Sluts” (since shutdown) showed pictures girls sent over the app in different stages of undress.
Survata.com, a web-survey group, studied 18 to 29-year-olds to assess how much they sext. Not surprisingly, almost a quarter of
respondents said they’ve done so through text and more than 13 percent said they do it on Snapchat. It’s reasonable to estimate that Kik has the same, if not worse problems because it’s so similar to text messaging.
Parents first wanted their children to have more privacy online, which is a reasonable request. However, increased privacy controls that are default in these new forms of social media make it extremely difficult to find others. This is an excellent feature for protection from pedophiles or stalkers, but not good for parents.
It’s hard to be big brother if their children remotely set the privacy settings. Parents can feel safe knowing random users can’t easily access their kids profiles, but they need to be aware that it becomes more difficult to monitor their behavior.
Instagram does protect users from pornographic material due to younger ages.
But these applications have other issues aside from the X-rated material.
They further inhibit personal communication. Seems counter-intuitive but communication
experts say social media breaks down the ability for children to communicate person-to-person.
At the point all children have to do is snap a picture or video, or type a quick message it’s easy to lose touch with reality.
This sounds far-fetched but it’s what happened when texting popped up. People of all ages are texting more then calling someone on the phone than ever before.
Traditional forms of social media still provided a variety of communication methods with video, images, written, instant chat, groups, lists, forums, discussion boards, etc. It also allowed users to find each other easily.
This isn’t to say that the applications aren’t without their merit and should be abolished from
tween use. They are an incredibly user-friendly way for kids to stay in touch with their friends without running up the phone bill.
Online communication is the wave of the future so it is important for parents to allow their children some form of access to these devices and applications so they aren’t falling behind their peers.
The best thing for parents to do is to keep in touch with their children and ask questions. Make sure their children are aware of the dangers of the Internet, but not to restrain them too much.
The online world is a gateway to creativity. Parents need to be aware of the risks involved but also not to be afraid to let their children explore the tools on the new horizon.
STEPHEN GREENEditor-in-Chief
Social media causes potential problems for parents
Stephen Green | The Houstonian
BELIEBE. Justin Bieber wrote an entry into a guestbook at the Anne Frank House museum in Amsterdam, saying he hoped the Jewish teenager who died in a Nazi concentration camp “would have been a Belieber”, or fan of his, if history were different.
AP Photo/Peter Dejong
Hannah Zedaker
Dancers wowed audiences with unique props and intriguing stories as they performed original pieces in a concert, “ROYGBIV” Thursday and Friday nights.
The dance happens once each semester, and includes works that are all choreographed by grad students and performed by undergraduates in the dance program. This semester’s event took place in the Performing Arts Center to an enthusiastic crowd.
The concert showcased a variety of dance styles that kept the audience engaged.
“I really liked that it was all different,” audience member
Denise Brown said. “It wasn’t just one type of dance. There was tap, ballet, and modern. It made it interesting.”
Many dances made use of several unconventional props. The piece “Getting Clean” used soap and a bucket of water as two dancers seemed to fight against each other.
It evoked shock from the audience as a piece of soap was pushed into the others mouth and then laughter as the dancer finally spit it out. It was a dilemma that eventually ended in one dancer washing off in the tub of water.
The dancers made use of a swing in “For James”. The dancer used the swing throughout, from just touching it, to having it twirling in the background as she
danced, and finally swinging on it as the song ended.
One of the more popular pieces of the night was titled “Ndani” and was choreographed by Shaté L. Edwards. No music played during the performance and the only sounds were dancers who stomped their feet and exhaled loudly throughout the performance to deliver a raw performance without the distraction of music.
Another popular piece came from choreographer Takiesha Scimio. The piece titled “Femina” enthralled audiences with a unique story of women’s stereotypes.
“The duct tape represents women being seen and not heard and the dresses that they wore were all different styles because they’re different kinds of women,”
Scimio said. “They took them off at the end because the dresses represented the stereotypes often placed on women and they got back in line and they were still able to be women without oppression and having a voice and all those stereotypes.”
The piece titled “Mephobia,” choreographed by Travis Prokop, took audiences inside a rock show, as the scantily-clad dancers strutted across the stage. The music for the piece was loud and fast and gave off a concert vibe. The dance was more provocative then the other pieces as the dancers took on diva personas.
Lighting also played a part in setting the tone for each performance, changing in color and intensity to illustrate the
different emotions of each dance.In one piece, “Just Another
Exit,“ the lighting seemed to be the main focus. The lights were projected across the stage and onto the floor and back wall and created a runway.
Another audience member, Emily Jaso, thought the concert provided a thrilling variety for the audience.
“It was interesting to see the different styles all combined in one show,” Jaso said. “All the dancers were great and I felt engaged the whole time.”
The next dance event will be “Spectrum” from April 25-27 at 8 p.m. each night in the PAC Dance Theatre. For more information, visit the Dance Program website.
Page 4houstonianonline.com/a-e
Tuesday, April 16, 2013Arts&Entertainment
Local folk artists bring community together
FOLKING AROUND: Local folk artists Zachary Keane Crocker (left) and Mary Brett (right) perform in the second installment of the Huntsville Main Street Music Series last Friday. Both charmed audiences with original songs at Walker County Courthouse lawn. The next concert will feature two more groups on April 19.
Yolissma Vance | The Houstonian
ANGELA BEEL Contributing Reporter
AUBRIE WALKERContributing Reporter
Yeah Yeah Yeahs evolve, fail to rekindle original sound
GRAMMYS The group’s “It’s Blitz!” was nominated for the Grammy for Best Alternative Music album.
AP Photo/Interscope Records
Dance mesmerizes audience with unique props, stories
Audience members sat on blankets in relaxation on Friday as local folk artist charmed them with music in the second part of the Huntsville Main Street Music Series
Musicians Zachary Keane Crocker and Mary Brett performed original songs in a variety of styles from gospel to blues at the Walker County Courthouse lawn.
The concert was a part of a music series created as a way to bring the community together with local sounds and tastes.
“It is a way to show that we care for the community to revamp the downtown to make it have life and bring people to their downtown and not forget about it,” said, the Intern for the Main Street Program, Jessica Rodriguez.
The first performer was Zachary Keane Crocker accompanied by Greg Pickett on guitar. Crocker started out with a gospel song while the rest of his music was a cross between blues and folk music. The guitar he played was a type of Resonator that caught the audiences’ attention. Mary Brett who was the second performer went on stage with Crocker to play the washboard for one of his songs.
During her performance she played guitar and sang songs that she wrote as well as covers of “The Head and the Heart” and “First Aid Kit”.
“The singers were really different from what I expected and what I am used to, but they are very talented,” student, Page Trahan said. “They are refreshing change from the average folk band.”
After her performance, Brett stressed the importance of being involved with the community. Brett, a singer/songwriter, came to Huntsville for school and stayed due to her love for the city. Volunteering at Avenue L, a local coffee shop, Brett developed a heart for the people and community of Huntsville.
“The town needs to realize that you have a good community, you don’t have to stay inside and watch TV you can go out and enjoy your community,” Brett said.
The Main Street Program partnered with the local artists last fall to showcase local talent. This spring series will run through May 10 with a performance every Friday.
The next concert will be on April 19 with artists Tom & Gary and The Shades. For more information call the Huntsville Main Street Program at 936-294-5920 or visit the organization’s Facebook page.
With four LPs spread out over a ten year career, I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s simply aren’t ever going to match the raw vitality present throughout their 2003 debut, “Fever to Tell.” While their newest offering, “Mosquito,” is a solid effort and has more haunting melodies than any Yeah Yeah Yeah’s album to date. The band has calmed down quite a bit with age and seem to have matured past the rugged garage rock that initially drew in fans.
“Mosquito” begins with the interesting single “Sacrilege,” a well-produced song that manages to juxtapose a Portishead-esque tribal beat with backing vocals that sound like a gospel choir pelting out Biblical hymns. Lead vocalist, Karen O, hasn’t changed much despite the band’s constantly evolving sound, and on “Sacrilege” she’s at her best, interjecting distorted cries between her brooding verse lines.
The album’s next song, “Subway,” fits more with the theme of the album. It’s slow and downbeat, with the focus on O’s somber crooning, while ending as slowly as it started. Tracks “Under the Earth” and the chilling and introspective “Wedding Song” follow a similar form.
The third song, “Mosquito” is the most accessible track on the album for mainstream audiences with similar tribal drumming as the opening song. It’s easily the album’s catchiest song, and O’s repeating line of “he’ll suck your blood” all but guarantees its appearance on the soundtrack for some vampire romance movie or TV show.
The closest the Yeah Yeah Yeahs come to emulating their punk/garage rock roots is on the song, “Area 52,” but in the context of the rest of the album, it feels thrown in to appeal to fans of the band’s early days.
The highlight of “Mosquito” is the second to last song, “Despair.” It starts out slow, like many of the other tracks, but gradually picks up, coming to a fantastic climax at the end, showcasing what this band is capable of if they would quit genre-hopping in attempts to expand their audience.
As a huge fan of their “Fever to Tell” debut, I’d like to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs try to incorporate more of their old sound into the new material. While many bands change styles over time, it seems like each successive album is a further departure from the garage sound that made me a fan.
The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have grown up over the past ten years and it shows in “Mosquito.” They’re no longer into providing a shock and awe factor to audience through heavily distorted guitars and sarcastic lyrics. There’s more thought involved in their creative process and less instinct. Without a doubt, “Mosquito” is a solid album.
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Male performance: Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Movie of the Year: “The Avengers”, Directed by Joss Whedon
Female performance: Jennifer Lawrence, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Shirtless Moment: Taylor Lautner, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn- Part 2”
Breakthrough Performance: Rebel Wilson, “Pitch Perfect”
Best Kiss: Jennifer Lawrence and Bradley Cooper, “Silver Linings Playbook”
Best Fight: Cast in “The Avengers”
Best Villain: Tom Hiddleston, “The Avengers”
Best Hero: Bilbo Baggins in “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey”
MTV Movie Award Winners
The Sam Houston State Bearkat Football team will have a 12-game regular season for the first time in the team’s 97 years of history.
Sam Houston and Houston Baptist will open up the regular season in Huntsville on August 31 at Bowers Stadium, Bearkats Athletic Department announced.
The Houston Baptist Huskies’ inaugural football season starting this year and their regular season will consist of seven games.
SHSU now has seven home games including the 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” game, after a season with only three.
“We’re excited to have the opportunity to play our season opener in front of our home fans,” Bearkats head coach Willie Fritz said to Gobearkats.com. “The support our team receives from our students and the Huntsville community has been a big factor in the program’s success.”
The Bearkats are following the two most successful seasons in the school’s history.
The two-time Southland Conference champions went 25-5 in 2011 and 2012, making back-to-back national championship appearances and being ranked number two in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision national rankings. Forty lettermen and 12 starters will be returning from last year’s 11-4 team.
SHSU’s first road game will be against the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station on Sept. 7.
“With seven Saturdays at Bowers, the SFA battle at Reliant and the Texas A&M game at College Station, nine of our 12 regular season games are right here in the Greater Houston and Huntsville area,” SHSU director of athletics Bobby Williams said. “We’re thrilled to have such a great schedule this year.”
Along with Southland Conference play, the Bearkats will host Incarnate Word, Texas Southern and Eastern Washington, three teams that the Bearkats defeated in 2012. Season tickets are now available for purchase.
Page 5Tuesday, April 16, 2013Sportshoustonianonline.com/sports
Football to have first ever 12 game seasonCODY LEWISSports Editor
Bearkats drop series against Lamar in Beaumont
Sam Houston State baseball dropped their first conference series of the season against Lamar to fall back to the third spot in Southland Conference rankings last weekend.
Bearkat ace Cody Dickson set the tone for the series in game one, lasting three and two-thirds innings, allowing 11 runs for a Cardinal run-rule 19-8 in seven innings.
The offense-heavy Bearkat lineup connected for a .268 series batting average against the Cardinals. SHSU kept Lamar leashed going into the bottom of the fourth
down 3-4. Dickson worked into a quick two out inning before allowing a single and issuing two walks to load the bases. A series of mistakes including a wild pitch, two extra walks and mistake pitches resulted in two singles, driving in seven runs for the Cardinals to extend their lead 11-3.
Catcher Anthony Azar and third baseman Kevin Miller accounted for four runs from four hits, but they were not enough to hold off Lamar, who continued to tack on runs.
The Bearkats rekindled signs of life in game two with 7-4 victory from a sound performance by pitcher Andrew Godail.
Godail held Lamar to four runs in six and two thirds innings and received support from the Bearkat lineup with a comfortable
4-1 lead into the second inning. Luke Plucheck hit 3-5 and tallied
four RBIs on his season stats against the Cardinals. Plucheck set the stage with a two-RBI triple in the first inning. The left fielder would connect for a double in the gap for another two RBIs.
Reliever Jason Simms recorded his fifth save of the season with two and one thirds inning of relief to close game two.
Plucheck’s season best performance wasn’t enough to carry the Bearkats into game three as SHSU dropped the series with a 5-1 loss.
Pitching woes continued for the young Bearkat rotation with two walks issued from Caleb Smith for two runs.
Ryan O’Hearn narrowed Lamar’s lead 2-1 going into the bottom of the fifth but a solo homerun and two runs in the sixth added insurance to the Cardinal’s lead. Alan Scott closed for the Bearkats allowing two hits to silence the Cardinals in the final three innings.
SHSU will host nationally ranked Texas A&M for the second game of their two-game season series Tuesday at Don Sanders Stadium. Opening pitch is expected for 6:30 p.m.
The Bearkats will host Prairie View A&M Wednesday at 6:30 p.m. before conference opponents Oral Roberts drive in for a three game weekend series starting Friday.
CONNOR HYDE Sports Reporter
8-48-48-48-46-66-66-66-6
2-102-10
13-312-511-711-79-89-98-8
6-125-133-15
SouthlandConferenceStandingsBaseball
Southeastern La.Texas A&M- CCSam Houston StateStephen F. AustinCentral ArkansasLamarMcNeeseOral RobertsNichollsNorthwestern State
SoftballMcNeeseNorthwestern StateSam Houston StateLamarNichollsSoutheastern La.Central ArkansasHouston BaptistStephen F. AustinTexas A&M-CC
Kasssidy Turnpaugh | The Houstonian
Page 6Tuesday, April 16, 2013
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SHSU film student’s work will be showcased at Cannes Film Festival
Jonathan Kinsey is a junior film major at Sam Houston State University whose stage-lighting documentary “Illuminate” was selected to be showcased at the Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” Kinsey said. “I knew that there was a trip that had been planned that students were getting to go to the Cannes Film Festival to participate, but I didn’t know that they were submitting student films to the actual festival.”
When associate film professor Tom Garrett told Kinsey that his film was selected for submission, he said that he was surprised. Kinsey said that his love for film and lighting helped him in his determination to create a work worthy of such a prestigious acclaim.
“Illuminate was good, but it could have been better,” Kinsey said. “It makes me a little more excited and a little more shocked that it’s going.”
He started this endeavor after being placed in an independent study with Mass Communication Chair Jean Bodon, although Garrett was of great help to them during the study.
“Jonathan’s passion, interpersonal interactions with others and the quality of his work embody the characteristics of a successful person in the film and media industry or anything he pursues,” Garrett said. “He has the ability to establish an
excellent rapport with many different constituents including students, administrators, staff and industry contacts”
Kinsey said he was close with those who work lighting at the Performing Arts Center and decided to highlight them in his film because he believes that lighting professionals often go overlooked.
“They are the un-sung heroes of production,” Kinsey said. “You don’t know about them. If they do their job correctly, you don’t know that they are there.”
The documentary highlighted musical technical director Carrie Barton, dance technical director David Deveau and senior theatre major Mercedes McCleary as they went through their lighting technique and passion.
“I work with them all the time,” Kinsey said. “I followed Carrie Barton around to many different productions that she was working on and I filmed her in action.”
Kinsey hopes to attend graduate school to study
audio engineering. He said that he enjoys creating music and collaborating with clients whom need his technical and creative services. Most recently, Kinsey created a dance track for the SHSU opera workshop production of Die Fledermaus that was featured during its two-night run at the PAC in early April.
“He blends a well- organized, task-oriented style with the sensitivity and creativity to all his projects and interactions,” Garrett said. “I am truly confident in all his endeavors as he continues to grow and explore future opportunities, both academically and professionally as a filmmaker.”
Three other SHSU students films were accepted into the Cannes Film Festival: sophomore Datpeter Ton, freshman Chase Parker and graduate Gerald Morris Jr.
The 66th Annual Cannes Film Festival will run from May 15 to 26 in Cannes, France.
ILLUMINATE. Jonathan Kinsey’s film focuses on stage-lighting. These are some of the crew members of the film.
Submitted photo Stephanie Pardo
JAY R. JORDANSenior Reporter
