Valentine’s day will be all but flowers, candy and hearts as the campaign against domestic violence brings awareness to the Sam Houston State University campus.

The Secular Student Alliance and Young Democratic Socialists have teamed up to create the One Billion Rising campaign, which brings the seriousness of violence in domestic relationships to the attention of SHSU students.

The campaign takes place throughout the day in the SHSU mall area, as student volunteers will be representing abusers and abused partners in a domestic relationship.

Emily Vega, a representative of SSA said that that each partner in the relationship will be wearing certain clothes as well as holding a sign.

“The students representing the abusers will be in regular clothing while the students representing the abused will be wearing the various colors representing the different kinds of domestic violence awareness,” Vega said.

Vega also stated that all relationships from romantic to friendships will be represented in the campaign.

SSA and YDS decided to host the campaign on Valentine’s Day to show that not all relationships are full of love and romance but that some are faced with violence and abuse.

One Billion Rising represents the statistic that one billion women will be raped or beaten in their lifetime, meaning that 1 out of every 3 women will experience some form of abuse.

By showing the students of SHSU the seriousness of domestic violence, SSA and YDS hope to bring awareness to more couples and partners in a domestic relationship.

TODAY’S FORECAST

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SHSU Theater delivers comedy in complex themes in first show of the semester.Connor Hyde | The Houstonian

How to have fun being single on Valentine’s Day P3 P5

P4Connor Hyde and Ryan Bowers debate over Brian Bell

www.HoustonianOnline.comVolume 123 / Issue 8 Thursday, February 14, 2013

Groups to raise awareness for domestic violenceCHEYENNE SIMPSONMultimedia Reporter

SHSU requests meal plan increase, degree name change at Board of Regents

LABELED: Hawaii’s House Committee on Agriculture passed a bill Monday requiring the labeling of all genetically modified (GM) produce shipped into the state.

Associated Press

Sam Houston State University is requesting a three percent increase in Aramark prices at the Texas State University System Board of Regents meeting today in Austin, according to SHSU Communications Director Julia May.

SHSU is requesting this increase becasue the Market Basket reports that food prices are rising due to the drought and cost of living increases, according to May.

SHSU will also be asking for authorization to set room and board rates. The univesrity is requesting a three percent rise in meal plan cost.

The SHSU master plan is

also going to be updated if approved. The master plan has not been updated since 2008 and enrollment has greatly increased since then, changing the needs of the university. Some of the changes being requested are increased financing for south district residence facilities, a south dining facility, new academic buildings for nursing and biology, and an agricultural

and engineering technology building.

SHSU will also be submitting a request for a degree name change. Masters of Art in Community Counseling will change to an MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling to comply with the accreditation standards.

The TSUS Board of Regents is meeting today and Friday.

US Airways, American Airlines approve merger

The boards of US Airways Group Inc. and AMR Corp. have approved merger, which will create the world’s largest airline.

Lady Gaga cancels remainder of tour due to hip injury

The singer cancelled the rest of her tour dates because of a hip injury. According to Live Nation Global, Gaga has a tear in her right hip that will require surgery and a recovery period. Fans that have already purchased tickets for the tour will be refunded beginning Thursday.

Obama declares disaster in Miss. after tornado

President Obama declared Wednesday a federal disaster in Jaskson, Miss. after a huge tornado tore though a college campus and destoryed and damaged more than 800 homes in the southern part of the state.

Apple may lose iPhone naming rights in Brazil

Brazilian regulars on Wednesday rejected Apple Inc.’s request to register the iPhone name in that country, causing a potentially costly legal dispute in one of the world’s fastest-growing smartphone markets.

Mental patient threatens to kill HIMYM star Alyson Hannigan

The actress has obtained a restraining order through the L.A. County Superior Court claiming that John Hobbs has been harassing her on the internet, including posting threatening messages on Facebook, MySpace and her fan website. She also has protection for her husband and her two kids.

Kentucky’s Nerlens Noel done for season with torn ACL

The no. 1 NBA prospect went down while trying to block a shot against Florida. It was his 106th blocked shot of the year but now the star freshman requires surgery and faces 6-8 months of rehabilitation, the school announced.

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Hawaii’s House Committee on Agriculture passed a bill Monday requiring the labeling of all genetically modified (GM) produce shipped into the state. If passed by the rest of the state’s legislature, Hawaii’s bill would be the first in a slew of “citizen’s right to know” label laws being pushed by states throughout the country.

The largest concern with GM food items, according to the Just Label It campaign – a national institute composed of over

600 companies, organizations and individuals advocating the need for GM labels – is that genetically engineered (GE) crops have not been adequately tested for human consumption and as such pose a great health risk to consumers.

According to the USDA, between 88-94 percent of all corn and soybean crops are GM crops.

No similar bill has been filed in the 83rd Texas Legislature.

The environmental impact of GE crops has ongoing side effects, according to GM label advocates.

“Genetically engineered

crops have been credited with an increase of 383 million pounds of herbicide use in the U.S. over the first 13 years of commercial use (1996- 2008),” according to the Just Label It campaign. “In August of 2011, the US Geological Survey reported that glyphosate (the active ingredient in the herbicide ‘Roundup’) is now a common component of the air and rain in the Midwest during the spring and summer.”

In November, California gained nationwide recognition for its initiative to establish the first across the board label

It’s that time of year, it’s Valentine’s Day! Many people are wondering what gift they should give to their significant other on this special occasion. As we all know, a Valentine’s gift can either make or break a relationship. Some go above and beyond when buying gifts. However, many are unaware of the ridiculous gifts that people receive on this holiday.

Surprisingly, many women express their romance by getting their man a bacon tie. This is a tie made solely out of bacon that men can ultimately wear and eat. As if men don’t already have enough grease their arteries, now women are suggesting they wear it on their bodies. Before women consider this a winning gift, they might want to get the opinion of another man. “A bacon tie? No

thank you. I prefer bacon on my plate rather than on my clothes. It will smell and leave a grease stain on my shirt,” said, senior, Anthony Yanez.

Some people use this holiday as a way to drop settle hints to their partners. One of the top gifts bought by women during Valentine’s Day is a back hair groomer for their man. It’s shocking, but true. Some women buy their man a back hair groomer to help them take care of an uncontrollable problem. Sadly, this gift is also a settle way to end a relationship. Some women might purchase this gift while others will mock it. “I think he should already have his back hair groomed in the first place. I shouldn’t have to get him that gift for him to get the hint,” said, freshman, Rachel Watkins.

One item that has become quite popular is the world’s largest gummy bear. However, as a Valentine’s gift there are mixed feelings as to whether or not this

would make a good gift. For the sweets lovers in the world, this might be the perfect gift. As far as a romantic gift, this might be going in the wrong direction. “I think that would be an awesome, but messy gift. Gummy bears are delicious,” said Watkins. For a man, a way to his heart is through his stomach. Many men would agree this is a delicious and fun gift. “That’ll be pretty cool because gummy bears are delicious and who wouldn’t want a massive gummy bear,” said Yanez.

The stress of finding the perfect Valentine’s gift continues to grow each year. Many believe giving a funny gift will be easier than stressing about a romantic gift. However, at the end of the day you can never go wrong with a romantic dinner and just spending time with your partner.

CARIAN PARKERContributing Reporter

Hawaii bill requires labeling of all GM foodsHOUSTONIAN STAFF

— GMOs, page 2

MOLLY WADDELLNews Editor

Valentine’s Day gifts of the abnormal

An on-campus concealed carry bill filed in the Student Government Association was grounds for discussion during a special open forum SGA meeting on Tuesday. SGA members, students, faculty, and staff voiced their concern over the intentions and implications of allowing concealed handgun license holders in buildings on campus, as well as other options for personal protection.

Caucus Chair for the College of Business Josh Beaman filed SB13-02 on Feb. 5 in an effort to tell lawmakers in Austin that Sam Houston State University wants to make it legal to carry on campus. The bill states that in accordance with upcoming legislation, students, faculty, and staff with a CHL will be able to lawfully carry a concealed handgun inside buildings and on other campus property where it is hitherto prohibited.

Opposition came quickly as the microphone was opened to audience members.

“Upon hearing about this new bill made me very uncomfortable,” said Emily Vega, senior English major. “I’m incredibly uncomfortable with more guns on campus. I understand the intent… and sentiment behind it, but it makes me uncomfortable because… as numerous sources state, more guns lead to more violence.”

Vega said that UPD “kind of doesn’t do their job all the time. There are people who park on campus without parking passes. So if they’re not going to give those guys tickets, what makes you think they’re going to up their security [with more guns on campus]?”

In attendance to the meeting was Sgt. Ron Cleere of UPD, who chose to participate

in the forum. Preceding a roar of laughter, Cleere said, “As for the parking situation goes, we write as many tickets as we can.”

In a serious statement, Cleere said that he had issues with some of the wording in the bill and took “personal offense” to it.

“To say that somebody [with a gun] can come onto campus and be completely unopposed, I find that to be a fallacy,” said Cleere. “When the final version of this comes along, I’d like to see that changed.”

Cleere said that despite the safety statistics mentioned in the bill, there have only been two mass shootings on college campuses in the last ten years. While the rate of incidents is low, Cleere said that is no reason to not be prepared.

“Several law enforcement agencies [including UPD] are already conducting training to handle mass shooting events on college campuses,” said Cleere. “We are taking an active part in doing what we can to respond and prevent these things.”

College of Criminal Justice Sen. Spencer Copeland supports the bill, and wishes to see it passed.

“I do believe that the school would be generally safer if we allowed concealed carry on campus,” said Copeland.

Copeland cited a shooting in San Antonia on Dec. 16, in which an aggravated ex-boyfriend took vengeance against his ex-girlfriend by shooting at her in a restaurant before fleeing to a neighboring theatre and opening fire once again.

The senator’s point was made by the fact that the gunman was stopped by an off-duty police officer who was carrying and shot the assailant four times before he was able to cause any casualties.

“It’s not a perfect system,” said Copeland. “To be in a perfect world we would have no

guns ever… but that’s not going to happen. I do believe that this is part of a step [towards working] other issues, and there are other things we can do other than just this. But I think this is a part of what we can do fix the issue.”

Dean of Students Yarabeck concluded the meeting with statements about how SHSU is a safe school with statistics to show it.

According to a 2010 survey on TheDailyBeast.com, SHSU ranked number 27 in the Top 50 Safest Colleges, outranking Texas A&M, whose own campus gun bill is already in effect, at number 38.

Although he said that he wouldn’t state his opinion on the guns bill, Yarabeck said, “Think about if you could actually shoot somebody. Could you actually do it? Law enforcement people have a hard time doing that even when they’ve gone through all the training…”

During the meeting, College of Humanities and Social Sciences Sen. Steven Perry introduced three amendments to the bill. Two of the amendments changed the wording in two subsections, while the third said that this bill should be sent to the students for approval on the Spring 2013 referendum.

SGA will hold a final open forum about this issue on Feb. 19 in the LSC Theatre. Voting is scheduled to take place that day.

JAY R. JORDANStaff Reporter

Gun control debate sparks at forumGovernment

Page 2houstonianonline.com/news

Thursday, February 14, 2013 News

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Study: Texas schools barely meet teen dating violence policy standards

Education

The Crime Victims’ Institute at Sam Houston State University recently published a study that analyzes the Teen Dating Violence Policy required in all Texas school districts, and identifies the problems found in the districts’ implementation of the law.

According to the study, the researchers evaluated a sample of school districts in Texas for whether or not they met requirements set by Texas in 2007 regarding a dating violence policy for schools.

According to Robin Jackson, a doctoral research assistant in the College of Criminal Justice and co-author of the report, she and the other researchers decided to look at school districts’ codes of conduct and student handbooks to verify that districts were following the law, and providing both a

definition of dating violence and addressing a plan in the event of a dating violence situation.

Jackson detailed that their findings revealed that most of the schools only had the bare minimum of what the law required, and some had nothing at all. The issue she was most concerned with was the lack of information about victims rights in almost all cases.

“In nearly every handbook we looked at, victim’s rights aren’t addressed specifically,” Jackson said. “They mentioned bullying and sexual harassment, but never gave details a victim’s rights or even promoted victim’s services and awareness.”

Jackson then explained that she felt like the current law is the initial state of implementing the policy and hoped that legislation would continue to improve and expand the policy to center more on the victim instead of the perpetrator.

Jackson also commented on dating violence in general, and detailed that it is starting to gather more attention in society than ever before.

“For many years, marital violence has been so focused on, that dating violence stayed in the background,” Jackson said. “In the last 10-15 years though, dating violence has been acknowledged at higher and higher rates as a serious problem. As we see more incidents happening, especially with teenagers, the more aware people become.”

Jackson urged students, both in high school and college, to get information and get help if they are a victim in a violent relationship, or if they know of a victim.

“Get out of the situation as quickly and as safely as possible,” Jackson said. “You don’t have to be ashamed to ask for help, and know that it happens more often than you think. There are websites and counseling centers everywhere that are willing to provide information and assistance.”

Jackson reminded SHSU students specifically that the Counseling Center on campus provides both information and counseling services on their website and in their offices.

SOPHIE NELSON Senior Reporter

Students, police voice opinions on SGA bill in support of potential Texas law in legislature

Graduate students to release book at signing event

A group of graduate students at Sam Houston State University will celebrate the release of “Historic Walker County: THe Story of Huntsville and Walker County” with a book signing event on Thursday.

The students, led by history associate professor Jeff Littlejohn, Ph.D., wrote the book that spanned from the region’s early inhabitants, to the establishments of the prisons, to the foundation of education.

The book was originally a class project.

“The students took responsibility of finding primary sources in Huntsville at the courthouse, museum and university archives that would enable us to write the story for each chapter, which is what real historians do,” Littlejohn said.

In addition to gaining real-worl experiences, Littlejohn said the experience is a unique opportunity to discover new information about Huntsville.

The signing for the 88-page book will be held in the Walker County Education Center at 3:30 p.m. where they will discuss what went into making the book.

GMOs, page 1

– one that would apply to all raw and processed GM foods. The bill failed by a marginal vote, due in large part to a corpulent agri-businesses campaign of over $40 million to stop the proposition, according to California-Right-to-Know advocates.

The Texas Department of Agriculture’s 2013-17 Strategic Plan doesn’t address GMs, nor does it advocate for GM agricultural products in Texas to be labeled.

Drew DeBerry, TDA’s deputy commissioner, has approached the issue of the organic food and the GM labeling movement with caution in his public statements.

“While it’s foolish to discredit small farms and the organic movement, it is equally unrealistic to think their methods and production outputs – however well intended – can wholly sustain the planet’s impending population explosion,” DeBerry said.

Whether corporate agriculture will continue to fight label laws on a state by state basis remains to be seen, but thus far, no known large scale opposition to the Hawaii bill exists.

The Alliance for Better Foods, an advocate of biotechnology and GM products, said that labeling biotech foods differently may mislead consumers into thinking that biotech products have different health effects than organic food.

Today is Valentine’s Day, however, I am going to be celebrating discount chocolate Friday, personally. I have thought about looking for love or a relationship a lot. A particular sorting mechanism I hear often is ranking people on a scale from one to 10. This is a bit ridiculous to begin with, but that is not what I am writing about.

The only rational explanation for this ranking is that people are looking for a perfect 10. Why? That seems crazy to me. Not that you are not perfect, I’m sure you are, but nature tells a different story of how we should bond, particularly covalent bonds.

Now, each atom is comprised of protons and neutrons in the nucleus and electrons orbit around in what is known as the valence cloud – the higher the number of protons, the more electrons and clouds. When two atoms come together in a covalent bond they physically share electrons between them – for all intents and purposes we will call this bond entirely inseparable (it is Valentine’s Day, after all). What is interesting is that the noble gases have a perfect valence cloud. They have every electron they need making it almost impossible for them to forms these

bonds naturally. Even when they do form these bonds, it is solely the noble gas that is sharing electrons.

This is why I don’t see the point in finding a perfect 10. See, in this example, the ‘perfection’ cannot get any better, so what’s the point? If we look at what perfection is, it simply doesn’t make sense. If something were perfect, there would be no reason for it change or grow; much like the noble gases. If we are searching for a perfect 10 it would be almost ridiculous to think that a sustainable, stable relationship could occur.

Now, before you throw up arms about how great and wonderful love is – let me finish. What we should

be looking for is not a perfect 10, but someone to complete that outer valence shell; someone whom we can form a covalent bond with and grow together. That’s what love and a relationship entails.

Celebrate Valentine’s with your partner, or friends. That’s the great thing about Valentine’s Day, it revolves around love, which comes in multiple forms and varieties – dating, friendship or family. If we look around for opportunities to forms those covalent bonds our network of love grows larger and larger, which will only enrich our lives.

I encourage you to stop searching for the perfect 10; instead start looking for the one with whom you can bond and grow together. Find the person who offers the opportunity to memorize the color of their eyes, fall in love with their laugh, and understand every contour of their hands. Then take those things and notice the subtle changes over time until you cannot even remember a time when you weren’t together.

Don’t be afraid to search – soon enough, you will find them. When you do, the covalent bond you form will be inseparable.

‘Chemistry’ of loveRichard McKinney talks relationships,

covalent bonds and “perfect tens”

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Christian Vazquez

RICHARD MCKINNEYStaff ReporterY

YYYYYY

LET’S DO COITUS

U R THE

FATHER

GET TESTED

UR SISTER WAS

BETTER

I JUST WANT THE ‘D’

IT’S NOT ME IT’S

U

I woke up y e s t e r d a y a f te r no on in utter panic, as it quickly dawned on me that I forgot to go to Jared over the w e e k e n d . I needed to score

a pandora charm or five to add some Valentine’s Day flavor to the toddler-chic look my sexy sweetheart’s been going for lately. Too late for that.

I couldn’t order expensive fruit dipped in chocolate online without getting gouged on next-day shipping and hastily gluing together a homemade Valentine out of construction paper is exactly the sort of ammunition for a future fight you never give a girlfriend. I was fucked.

“Wait a minute,” I thought. “What am I freaking out about? I’m single. I don’t have a girlfriend. Total independence. My own man. This is way better than being in a relationship and dealing with V-Day stress.” So I rolled into the fetal position and put my indie folk revival playlist on shuffle, whimpering.

Just because I’ve embraced a crippling depressive state on Valentine’s Day as a single person doesn’t necessarily mean you

should. You can easily avoid feelings of inadequacy even though there’s no “special someone” this year.

First up, stay away from social networks all day. Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest and probably LinkedIn will transform into a frantic medley of declarations of love, interjected with Instagram-filtered evidence of how unbelievably romantic all the boyfriends of America are. A picture caption might actually say, “OMG look at all the candaaay and roses my bf got me today! I love him soooooooo much! Muah! XOXOXO #vday #loveofmylife.”

But to lonely singles, it might as well read, “OMG look at how complete my life is compared to yours! You’ll never have this! The most action you’ll ever get is by reading ‘Fifty Shades of Grey’ you pathetic wretch! #youwilldiealone #unloveable.”

I can’t blame anyone for their desire to share their love with the online world but seeing it repeated on your timeline/newsfeed every 14 seconds could lead to a little resentment.

After making a commitment to get off the grid for a day, what’s next? Since Valentine’s Day isn’t a real holiday like Columbus Day or the day after Halloween, you should definitely go to class and fulfill whatever obligations you may have. It’s never a bad time to focus on academics and if you pretend the girls toting flowers around campus are actually vagrant drug-

addicts selling stolen roses to score their next fix, you’ll be golden.

If getting through the day is easy, notions of isolation and despair may begin to creep in as the sun sets. Hopefully you have some single friends to enjoy the evening with. Go out for food and drinks at a really unromantic restaurant, like a sports bar or Cracker Barrel. Talk about how nobody’s good enough for any of you. Hit on the 55-year-old waitress. Steal some rock candy and a Dean Martin CD from the gift shop.

Get kicked out and cause a scene in the parking lot. Whatever it is that you do, just make sure you have a good time doing it.

Can’t find anyone to go out with? Entertain yourself with a movie. Anything that doesn’t contain the words “based on the best-selling novel by Nicholas Sparks” on its cover should be fine. My personal suggestion would be a Ben Stiller rom-com since they smartly illustrate how little control we actually have in our romantic relationships.

No matter how you spend your day, just don’t despair. Unless you’re the walking embodiment of a callous asshole or vapid bitch, odds are that you’re single because you just haven’t connected with the right person yet.

Give it some time and always look forward. By next year you’ll probably be the one sharing intimate love notes with the entire internet.

Don’t dwell: How to have fun being single

COLIN HARRISStaff Reporter

Extravagant bouquets, chocolates, cheesy life-sized teddy bears and expensive gifts are synonymous with Valentine’s Day, but what happened to the ‘love’ aspect of the holiday? (And I don’t just mean sex).

Showering someone with gifts is not a way to prove you love them. However, many men and women spend countless amounts of dollars buying their significant others materialistic presents.

Let’s look at the facts - Over $1 billion worth of chocolate, 189 million stems of roses and about 1 billion mass-produced Valentine’s Day cards are purchased and exchanged in U.S. each year, according to stvalentinesday.org. Department stores and grocery stores have commercialized Valentine’s Day, persuading customers to buy and buy and buy to express their love.

Valentine’s Day is a lovers’ holiday, which many seem to overlook. The popular commemoration of love and romance traces its origin to an ancient Roman festival

and a legend of St. Valentine, who advocated marriage and sent a love letter to his paramour. (No, the holiday was not created by greeting card companies as some people speculate.)

This holiday is an expression of love toward those special someones in your life. Yes, it’s cliché but it’s true.

Couples should spend the day in the company of their loved ones, celebrating being in love. It’s a beautiful occasion that couples should take advantage of without giving in to the norm of store-bought gifts.

Why not show you care with a romantic dinner at your lover’s favorite restaurant or have a night in where you cook their favorite meal? Write a love poem, make a mixed CD, walk around the city, stay in for the night with a movie, go to the park or make a gift from the heart and it is sure to be memorable.

Love is a deep affection and desire for a person; it is not defined by how many chocolates, flowers and gifts a person receives. So remember this Valentine’s Day to forget the giant stuffed teddies and bring love back.

Bring love back to Valentine’s DayMISTI JONESViewpoints Editor

Hearts, chocolates and flowers oh my! Valentine’s Day has arrived.

From sending flowers and chocolates to a significant other to handing out small cards to friends and family, love is in the air. However, with the focus primarily on love and spending the holiday with a valentine, those who are single or having relationship problems are often left out of the festivities and left feeling lonely.

Sadly, suicide rates and suicidal thoughts seem to increase during spring, especially around Valentine’s day.

“The myth is that Christmas is the most high risk time for people to become suicidal, but actually it’s springtime,” Diane Brice, director of Suicide Prevention Service of the Central Coast (SPSCC), said in an article, “Nationally, that’s the time with the highest rate of suicide.”

With a red heart around every corner, love and having someone to call your valentine are the main focus of the holiday.

People look around and see couples in love and people celebrating love and feel left out; Valentine’s Day reminds them about how they don’t have that significant other to spend the day with. Many are left feeling jilted on this love filled holiday, and many contemplate suicide.

According to a story on stlouis.cbslocal.com, President and CEO of Behavior Health Response, Lesley Levin, explains that the phone staff at BHR expects “up to 600 crisis calls, compared to an ordinary day of about 400 calls.”

Valentine’s Day tends to put a lot of emphasis on being with a significant other or being partnered up and for many of the people who spend the day alone versus with a valentine, they are left feeling sad and isolated. According to pharmatherapist.com, isolation is one of the most dangerous triggers for potentially suicidal persons.

From the huge heart shaped boxes of chocolate to the paper cut out hearts people put too much emphasis on this day, it’s just a regular Thursday that has been given the title Valentine’s Day.

Instead of placing so much emphasis on finding a valentine people should focus on loving themselves first. Be your own valentine, love yourself. Don’t fret about not having a significant other on this one single day of the year; chances are you aren’t the only person spending the day alone. Do something for yourself, do something you love. If you love pizza and horror movies, stay in and have a movie night. Remember to love, focus, and treat yourself right on Valentine’s Day. Have a personal date night. Do something that will make you happy.

Do not think that you need someone to be happy; you and you alone create your happiness. Don’t spend time fretting over not having a valentine. Instead, learn to love yourself.

Suicide prevention groups are open during the holiday and encourage people who notice any slight feeling of depression or who have suicidal tendencies to call them. The suicide prevention hotline number is: 1-800-273-8255.

Suicide is not the answer, ever.

Not-so sweet hearts

NO

Colin Harris

Audra Berry

Kayla StallingsGraphic Designer

Suicide rate increases show darker side of Valentine’s dayMORGAN MEARSStaff Reporter

It’s that time of year again, time for Valentine’s day and

candy hearts with sweet sayings. The Houstonian has come up with some not-so sweet candy hearts for the

special occasion.

Warning: Some crude topics below.

Ashley BakerWeb Directorabaker@houstonianonline.com

Page 4houstonianonline.com/a-e

Thursday , February 14, 2013Arts&Entertainment

Actors deliver refreshing Beckett revival

CHRISTIAN VAZQUEZStaff Reporter

WAITING FOR SALVATION: Vladimir, played by Nick Cuellar holds Estragon, played by Allen Hughes, after he suffers from nightmares and falls out of his bench. They cling to each other as they wait for the mysterious Godot.

Connor Hyde | The Houstonian

New radio show to bring odd topics to SHSU

McCarthy rescues Identity Thief from comedy flop

Cast chemistry, comedy bring complex themes to life on stage

The Sam Houston State University Theatre Department took audiences on a journey to find the meaning of life and existence as they presented their first show of the semester “Waiting for Godot” on Wednesday.

The play takes place in a post-apocalyptic world and tells the story of two men, Vladimir and Estragon, who wait restlessly for the mysterious Godot to arrive. As they do, they find ways to entertain themselves and bring up questions about life, death and hope.

While the play could have been extremely boring because of its writing and complex themes, the actors took the challenge head-on to make it entertaining and thought-provoking.

The two lead characters, plated by Nick Cuellar and Allen Hughes, were a great pair on stage. They fed off of each other’s movement, jokes and lines to deliver characters that possessed depth. They were able to capture all the complex emotions involved with being the last of humanity such as desperation and fear while still being able to draw laughs from the audience with their comedic timing and body

language. It was refreshing to watch as they went from being on the edge of madness to dancing around on stage and singing.

Despite the small cast of five men, the supporting characters were not to be ignored as they

added to the comedic moments on stage that filled the theater with laughter.

In one moment, Pozzo, played by Matt Stepan, brings comedic relief to the serious tones of the play. When he is seemingly

delirious and blind, he pleads for help from Vladimir and Estragon to get off the ground. When they do, the three end up in a huge pile on stage that made even the quiet audience members burst with

laughter. Aside from the acting, the set

was designed to depict the decay and barrenness in the aftermath of the apocalypse. Broken and weathered debris were askew across the stage juxtapposed to a singlular tree, which gives the characters hope for survival throughout the show.

Even though the show dragged a little in the beginning, when the characters begin to question their own existence is when the central themes of the play surface for the audience.

Vladimir and Estragon struggle to survive and cling to each other as they wait for their only salvation in Godot. They question their own beliefs about God, salvation and their purpose in life. The show serves as a metaphor for today’s society to question their life’s meaning when waiting for salvation and the ability to reflect.

Thus, although it is complex, the actors delivered a great comedic performance with characters that showed depth in a stimulating revival of Samuel Beckett’s masterpiece.

“Waiting for Godot” will show every night at 8 p.m.until Feb. 16 with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m. Tickets are $10. For tickets, call the University Theater Center at 936-294-3968.

GEORGE MATTINGLYArts & Entertainment Editor

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A different kind of live broadcast will be hitting the airwaves this week. Titled “The Odd Friday Hour Radio Show,” the show consists of four college students coming together to create an odd-topic show while playing classic rock songs.

The show will air from Sam Houston State University on Fridays from 3-4 p.m. on 90.5 The Kat.

William King Forney Jr., senior student and marketer for the broadcast, said that the group wants to give an entertaining and comedic experience for everyone in the Huntsville area.

“It’s a show that’s for everybody,” he said. “We just want people to laugh and feel good when they listen to our show”.

Male and female hosts Josh Strokes & Loud Mouth will be capping off the bizarre and weird topics, as well as other stories, that go on during the week at Sam Houston State University.

The hour long show will be broken down into 3 minute topic segments with classic rock music playing during the break.

When asked about what he enjoyed most about creating the radio show, Forney said it was creating the show’s logo and working with his team.

“I feel like we have the best group”, he said. “We work really well together. You can feel it when you listen to the show.”

For their first broadcast, they will be covering the best and worst gifts to give for Valentine’s Day, as well as other

topics such as the Super Bowl and the weather.

As for the question of future guests and live call-ins for the show, Forney said that it will be decided at a later date.

“It would be really cool

if we could have that in our show because we want to hear everyone’s take on out topics”, he said. “But that’s a maybe for now”.

The show will air for the entire spring semester.

There are only two words that can really describe why Identity Thief was a successful comedy: Melissa McCarthy.

McCarthy plays the con-artist Diana, who steals the identities of people with unisex names in order to obtain fake credit cards and in turn live a life full of expensive toys, cosmetics and maxing out bar tabs.

Thus enters Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman), Diana’s first victim to actually have the nerve to chase her down half way across the country.

After that no charges would be pressed if Diana helps Patterson get his life back into order, things go well until bullets begin to fly from bounty hunters and thugs chasing Diana for her past.

Her funniest scenes include the numerous throat punches she throws as her go to move throughout the movie, bringing down anyone that gets in her

way. Most of the time this “anyone” is Patterson.

The polar opposite duo embark on a hilarious road trip from hell as the two characters develop a sort of camaraderie despite their past in order to make it back to Patterson’s

home in Colorado. Had this movie starred anyone

else but McCarthy in Diana’s role, then this movie would have been a complete flop. Her ability to elicit laughter from any challenge set before her, whether it is her raunchy humor

or her sprinting down the side of a highway, it is just proof to her talent as an actress carrying the entire performance.

That being said, it is not that the other actors within the film gave horrible performances, only that they all seemed to play off of McCarthy throughout the movie. Even Bateman, a successful comedy actor from movies such as Horrible Bosses, was only entertaining when reacting to McCarthy’s performance.

Had there been a script that presented a better balance between the two main characters at least and not

strictly focus on McCarthy, then it would have resulted in a stronger chemistry between the actors and a much better comedy.

Overall, Identity Thief offers plenty of laughs that make this movie worth a night out to see it. We give this movie four out of five paws. McCarthy next movie ‘The Heat” opens on April 5.

ZEKE OSBORNEContributing Reporter

MAKEING A SCENE: This undated publicity image released by Universal Pictures shows Jason Bateman, left, and Melissa McCarthy in a scene from, “Identity Thief.”

(AP Photo/Universal Pictures)

ODD NEWS. One of the hosts of the new “Odd Friday Hour Radio Show”The Houstonian

Brian Bell is entering his final year of eligibility at Sam Houston and his credentials are outstanding. With a great senior year, he has the potential to hold most major statistical categories for a QB at Sam Houston. And he is clearly going to be starting next year under center.

The question is not whether Brian Bell is the right choice to start next year for Sam Houston football. The question is whether he can lead us to a national championship. He has come close, leading the football team to two consecutive national championship appearances. But as most coaches will tell you, close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.

But if you delve deeper into the stats and aspects of Brian Bell’s game, it becomes a little harder to argue that he will lead Sam Houston back to the title game and actually win the big one during his senior year.

Bell has done a great job of improving his game each year. As a freshman, he was limited in what the coaches would allow him to do. As a sophomore the playbook was opened up and Bell became a better decision-maker and more accurate passer as a result. In his junior year he became even better, putting up more touchdowns.

But there is one thing lacking from his game: the deep ball. Anyone who has watched a Sam Houston football game knows that Brian Bell does not typically throw the nicest deep ball. Too often they float much longer than a football should before being caught and the receiver must slow down his route in order to catch the football.

Those who were around to watch the Cal Poly playoff game this year watched Brian Bell throw two deep passes to wide

open receivers. Both times the ball floated so long that the receiver had to slow down, and nearly stop their route in order to catch the ball. Both times if Bell had thrown a better deep ball, it would have resulted in easy touchdowns.

As of right now, Brian Bell simply does not have the arm strength to throw it deep and be the consistent threat that you would n o r m a l l y expect from a four year starter at QB. He threw only 5 passes over 40 yards during the 2012 season.

The other p r o b l e m lies with the running game. It is evident that when the running game struggles, Brian Bell struggles. In four games dating back to the 2011 FCS championship game, when Tim Flanders rushed for less than 100 yards, Brian Bell averaged less than 150 passing yards. Brian Bell has had trouble showing that he can win a game with his arm alone. For most of the season that isn’t a problem. But in the playoffs, when he faces top defenses, Bell has struggled.

Brian Bell is a very good quarterback but it takes a great one to win a national championship. Right now he is not a great QB. He can become one by next year but

first he must fix the issues that have plagued him. He must improve his deep ball and he must show he can win a game with his arm alone.

Sam Houston State has been exposed, dissected and dismembered by scouts and tapes evaluating Brian Bell and Timothy Flanders under Doug Ruse’s offensive scheme.

Only one team has managed to be successful: North Dakota State.

Consecutively the Bison have managed to comfortably handle SHSU’s evasive rush attack and seemingly uncontainable pass schemes. Although Bell has fallen short—three interceptions against NDSU cough, cough—he’s a leader.

As the Bearkats starting quarterback since 2011, Bell has led his squad to two Southland Conference titles and two trips to Frisco for the FCS Division I National Championship.

And yet, SHSU students castrate Bell. Bell’s mobility outside the pocket and

arm strength to surgically find Trey Diller and Chance Nelson in coverage accounted for 31 touchdowns and 2,715 yards in the air during the 2012 season. Ruse’s pass heavy playbook accommodated Bell’s ability to scan the secondary and connect with his receivers.

Although Diller’s hands and speed will be absent from the Bearkats’ arsenal, Chance Nelson, Richard Sincere and Torrance Williams will return for 2013.

With a new breed of NFL quarterbacks birthed from the BCS with the ability to outrun safeties and scramble for 40 yards consistently, Bell fits within the spectrum. Quarterbacks like Robert Griffin III, Colin Kaepernick and Russell Wilson, Bell mimics their running capability to get outside the pocket and find seams to convert on third and long. His legs compensate for the interceptions Bell has been known to commit.

Bell’s break out game against SFA solidified his role as SHSU’s man under center.

Throwing for three touchdowns

and scrambling for two against the Lumberjacks silenced Bell naysayers and revamped SHSU on a seven game winning streak closed out the conference schedule tied with Central Arkansas for a second conference title.

Inconsistency and late game interceptions against Baylor, Texas A&M and NDSU have raised the question of Bell’s ability as an efficient quarterback. But as the pos t - s ea son p r o g r e s s e d , B e l l ’ s qua r t e rback e f f i c i e n c y c l i m b e d on national television.

G o i n g into spring, Bell still remains as the top quarterback for Willie Fritz and the Bearkats. Two conference titles and two appearances at the national championship override any raw talent any incoming freshman out of high school brings. Seasoned quarterbacks, who are familiar with the offensive scheme, are able to keep composure in high profile games and are less likely to botch assignments late in the game.

What will get Bell his title ring will be his ability to reduce interceptions in the fourth quarter and establish first quarter momentum.

Page 5Thursday, February 14, 2013Sports

houstonianonline.com/sports

Can SHSU win the big one with Brian Bell?

CONNOR HYDESports Reporter

Alex Broussard | The Houstonian

Softball gets run ruled in home opener

Sam Houston State softball couldn’t find a rhythm at the plate against the Texas A&M pitchers nor could they quiet the bats of the Aggies as the Bearkats were run ruled 8-0 in their home opener Wednesday night.

With only two hits in the game from Tori Benavidez and Kim Damian, the Bearkats only lasted until the sixth inning.

“I think we just flat got over powered, we got up there and took our swings and sometimes when you’ve got a pitcher like that you can’t get behind in the count,” head coach Brock said.

Junior pitcher Shelby Lancaster started the game on a good note with no runners making it on base in the first inning. However, she would go on give up 8 hits, including two solo homeruns, accounting for five runs though the start of the fifth inning.

Brock made a pitching changebringing in Meme Quinn at the top of the fifth inning in hopes of slowing down the Aggies. She entered the game with five Aggie

runs on the score board.“I was excited about going in and

played it like it was zero zero still.” Quinn said.

Quinn only gave up one hit in the fifth inning and was able to get the outs needed to end the inning.

In the top of the sixth, Quinn gave up a three run homerun with two outs, ending the game.

The Bearkats were not able to get any runs across the plate to try and force the Aggies into a seventh inning.

“We just need to be a little more patient at the plate, cause we are a pretty decent offensive team so we’re just going to have to concentrate on that,” Brock said.

The Bearkats will travel to Southern Mississippi this weekend for a tournament and, according to Brock, there are some positives to be taken form the shutout against A&M. He feels there is no reason why the Kats can’t compete with the teams they will face this weekend.

The Bearkats record for the season is 2-4 going into this weekend’s tournament.

KATRINA KEOTTINGSports Reporter

ROCKEY START: After getting run ruled by the Texas A&M Aggies, the Bearkats have started the season 2-4. Last year, however, the Bearkats started the season 1-13 but were able to bounce back and have a winning record.

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Brian Bell 2012 Stats2,715

passing yards

380rushing yards

31total touchdowns

10interceptions

Bell’s experience will get it done in Frisco next season

Bell’s lack of deep passes will hold him back in 2013

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