Huntsville, TexasVol 115— Issue 11 Thursday, February 18, 2010

INDEX

Viewpoints................page 2

Campus................page 3

Entertainment........page 5

Sports....................page 6

SPORTS FEATURE PRESENTATIONEntertainment contributor James Ashworth talks to Solarcade about their musical success

SEE page 5

Nation & World...page 4

SEE page 6

Softball falls short to Texas A&M

Thursday, Feb. 18 Monday, Feb. 22Friday, Feb. 19 Saturday, Feb. 20 Sunday, Feb. 21

61°43°

10%

60°49°

30%

64°51°

10%

67°50°

40%

67°47°

10%

CRIME STOPPERS

Crime Stoppers pays up to $1000 in cash rewards for tips that lead to the arrest of the person or persons

involved in crimes.

Information courtesy of the Huntsville/ Walker County Crime Stoppers

Sometime between Jan. 17 and Jan. 18, unknown suspects broke into Anderson Paint and Body Shop, located at 316 US 190 East.

The suspects broke out a front window pane, damaging the building.

Suspects then damaged a GMC pickup and a Chevrolet Impala located inside the building.

The suspects then opened a bay door and stole a Chrysler 300 from the business, which was later found abandoned on FM 2929 by the Walker County Sheriff’s Department.

Some headrest televisions were removed from the Chrysler along with a DVD player. The suspects also stole other items from the body shop, including a car buffer and radio.

You do not have •

to give your name

when you call.

You can call •

Crime Stoppers at

936-294-9494.

http://•

walkercounty.

crimestoppersweb.

com

A residence in the 700 block of Gray Street was broken into between Feb. 11 and Feb. 12. The house was damaged and ransacked. Some of the items stolen from the house included a Vizio 48-inch television, PlayStation 3, Dell desktop computer and monitor, HP laptop computer, and other items.

A residence in the 2000 block of Pleasant Street was broken into on Dec. 22 during the mid-day hours. Some of the items stolen from the residence include a PlayStation 3 with a red and black controller, an LG 36-inch television and video games.

Another semester is passing by and, for future graduates, life choices and world ex-periences loom ahead. As job numbers decline, competition increases in the job market and many students worry over finding employ-ment. A determining factor on a resume is the level of education and skill with an advanced degree through gradu-ate school.

The number of ap-plicants at graduate schools is increasing and a P.h.D. or M.B.A. may be the requirement for any professional ad-vancement in the future. For teachers, lawyers, doctors and research-ers an advanced degree is a must, but for those just wanting to improve skills and specialized knowledge for a com-petitive edge, it is sim-ply a wise choice.

Around 52 percent of students working on their M.B.A.’s receive job offers before grad-uation, according to gradschools.com, prov-ing graduate schools of-fer great prestige and a broad social network.

At SHSU, teachers have come together to prep those ready for the next step in education by creating review ses-sions for the Graduate Record Examination. There will be three ses-sions throughout the semester on Feb. 19-20, March 26-27 and April 16-17. The sessions are free and all students are eligible. The only requirement is that the student must provide a study guide, available at bookstores.

The test is designed to measure a student’s readiness for graduate-level work and includes analytical writing, verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning. The GRE is accepted at over 3,000 graduate and business schools. Getting a good score is essential since admis-sions and financial aid consider GRE scores.

Students can par-ticipate by signing up at the SAM Center or CHSS Building. Space is limited and fills up fast, so register quickly. Also, free online prac-tice tests are available at http://gre.org.

By Kristin MeyerSenior Reporter

University’s responds to Haitian crisis

What was once a Caribbean paradise is now a land of desolation. With the death toll from the earthquake that struck Haiti on Jan. 12, which left approximately 100,000 dead in less than a minute, people are gearing up around the world to send aid to the devastated country.

On Wednesday, Feb. 17, the members of the SHSU community banded together in the LSC theater to discuss the sending of needed medical kits to the people of Haiti.

“We wanted to hold this meeting to attempt to provide a university-wide response to the Haitian disaster that will involve the full spectrum of students and student groups, the faculty and the staff of SHSU,” said Rick Carpenter of the Sam Houston Press, and an organizer for this relief effort.

Other organizers include John Yarabeck of the Dean of Students’ Office, and Max Adams of the campus Wesley Foundation.

Since the Red Cross is only accepting cash donations, Carpenter said that the effort to collect and assemble something tangible, such as these aid packets would garner

more interest and participation by the SHSU community, particularly among the students and student organizations.

“It is important for us to do this quite simply because we are able to do this,” said Carpenter. “As a responsible academic community that

impacts the state, nation and world, we think SHSU can and also should act as a responsible humanitarian community.”

The kits will include needed essentials such as hand towels, washcloths, toothbrushes, soap, nail clippers, etc. Because of the extent of the Haitian earthquake, these kits are in high demand but short supply.

The kits will cost around $12, plus $2 for shipping, and will be packaged in a one-

gallon Ziploc bag.“The kits will be assembled,

from the items donated via the Bearkats for Haiti effort here at SHSU, along with help from the participating organizations, and then transported to the Church World Service shipping location in Houston,”

said Carpenter. “CWS is a well-respected ecumenical relief agency with official support from many church denominations.”

There will be another planning meeting on Feb. 24, and the collection of the items for the kits will begin soon after, concluding on April 30.

To donate money to Haiti relief through the American Red Cross, logon to www.redcross.org

Serving Survivors

KAT KIT: John Yarabeck of the Dean of

Students’ Office (above) is among

the organizers planning a medical

kit to be sent to struggling Haitians.

The kits will cost around $12, plus $2 for shipping and will include

needed essentials such as hand

towels, washcloths, toothbrushes, soap,

nail clippers, etc.

Jared Wolf | The Houstonian

Jared Wolf | The Houstonian

By Kara VaughanContributing Writer

Taking education

to the next levelSHSU to offer three review sessions for grad school examination

GRE

— See SGA, page 3

E-xperimental changeSGA targets incremental fee increases and textbook technology

Senators of the Student Gov-ernment Association rolled up their sleeves Wednesday night to start discussing some tough topics that may affect the fu-ture prosperity of Sam Hous-ton State University.

The first item of new busi-ness Senate Resolution S10-01, or The Shittu Act, was passed with two senators op-posing and two senators ab-staining from the vote.

The Shittu Act, which was created by College of Crimi-nal Justice Senator Ayomide O. Shittu, proposes that SHSU administration raise the Inter-national Education Fee by $1.

While a few senators were adamantly opposed to rais-ing any fee costs, most sena-tors were concerned that a $1 increase would not provide sufficient funds to benefit the many students involved in SHSU’s international educa-tion program.

“Whenever I met with Dr. Jenkins, he did suggest an in-crease of more than a dollar, but I felt like this would be a good start,” Shittu said. “You know bringing it up to the administration, that’s a 100 percent increase right now…going up 200 percent doesn’t make a lot of sense in the busi-

ness world.” SGA Vice President Lance

Weaver echoed Shittu that SGA should not get ahead of themselves.

“I think we should take it easy, go ahead and pass this and see where it goes,” Weav-er said.

In all, the SGA senators found the Shittu Act a worth-

while endeavor. “Just a dollar increase is not

going to hurt anybody,” said SGA Sergeant-at-Arms Justin Haynes. “I would be willing to pay probably $5 or more, because I know a couple inter-national students that actually can’t come over here because they can’t afford it…some-thing like this would help.”

SGA Chief of Staff Kend-all Scudder agreed, “I think if we already have to pay fees on things that aren’t educational, I don’t see anything wrong with paying a fee for something that is going to help people go to school.”

By Jessica PriestAssociate News Editor

Jared Wolf | The Houstonian

SGA BEAT

VIEWPOINTSPage 2 The Houstonian Thursday, February 18, 2010

The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Housto-nian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-week-ly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call (936) 294-4864. The Houstonian is a member of the Associ-ated Press.

SECTION EDITORS

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

The HoustonianEditorial

Lotis Butchko....................................................................Senior EditorJoe Buvid.............................................................................Photo EditorJessica Priest..................................................................Associate EditorHeath Wierck..............................................................Viewpoints EditorMike Silva...........................................................................Sports EditorKevin Jukkola........................................................Entertainment EditorThomas Merka...................................................................Web EditorAmanda Earp.......................................................................Copy Editor

Meagan Ellsworth...............................................................936-294-1505

FACULTY ADVISORPatsy Ziegler.....................................................................936-294-1499

STAFFKristin Meyer.................................................................Senior ReporterBrandon Scott.................................................................Sports ReporterJohn Rudolph.......................................................................PhotographerJared Wolf....................................................................................Graphics

AdvertisingBUSINESS MANAGERTammie Nokes.................................................................936-294-1500

STAFFBrad Basker.........................................................Advertising Relations Brittany Hampton...............................................Advertising Manager Brittany Pires.......................................................Production Manager

Tuesday’s Issue............... Friday at 2:00 p.m.Thursday’s Issue........... Tuesday at 2:00 p.m.

Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alum-ni:

The Houstonian would not survive were it not for the con-tinued involvement and dedication of the SHSU student body. We welcome all column submissions and letters to the editor. If at any time you feel the need to express an opinion, please do not hesitate to email your thoughts or drop by our office in the Dan Rather, room 210 in the communications building. We look forward to hearing from you and thank you as always for your continued support of the Houstonian.

Heath WierckViewpoints Editorhaw002@shsu.edu

Letter to the Student Body

AdvertisingDeadlines

Comic courtesy of comics.com

Comic courtesy of comics.com

Skinny boy versus the machineThomas Merka shares his frustration and

advice when dealing with vending machines.I am sick and tired of

having my money stolen right out of my hand.

That’s right! It hap-pens more often than you would think.

Before you get crazy images of big, tall scary guys in ski masks carry-ing guns and cornering me in an abandoned al-leyway, let me tell you that it is not a human that has been stealing from me.

This criminal comes in a much sneakier form. It’s a device we like to refer to as a vending ma-chine, or as I like to call them “take your money and give you nothing” machines.

It has happened to all of us at some point in our lives. We get out a dol-lar bill, ready to enjoy a refreshing beverage or tasty treat, only to have the buck snatched from our hands with no snack in return.

Worse yet, have you ever searched your pock-ets, car, couch, and under the rug for just enough change to get that Snick-ers Bar, and then have

the malevolent machine either jam or take your coins? All that effort and for what? A big fat noth-ing, that’s what.

Well I’m sick and tired of it, but there’s not re-ally anything I can do about it. I could go and get certified as a vending machine repair man and fix any broken, money stealing machine I come across, but that would

take time and money that I don’t have.

So, I guess giving you advice on how to handle these pesky contraptions will have to suffice.

First, vending ma-chines are not change machines. I have to ad-mit I am guilty of break-ing this rule myself, and in fact, I broke this rule yesterday, but I had a good reason.

I really needed a Dr. Pepper; it was one of

those days. The drink machine wouldn’t take my dollar bill and was only accepting quarters for some unknown rea-son, but I didn’t have any quarters. So, I tempted fate and used the snack machine to my left to break my dollar. I don’t suggest this because with some machines, once you put your dollar in, it isn’t coming back out.

Do not rock the ma-chine back and forth. You could die. Seriously. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission there have been 37 known vending machine fatalities and 113 injuries since 1978 caused by people rocking or tilting the machines. I don’t know about you, but I sure don’t want to be turned into a human pancake.

Finally, please do not

attempt to stick your arm into the vending machine to get a stuck item. It’s quite possible that, along with your treat, your arm will get stuck inside the machine. Do you know how embarrassing it is to call the fire department and have them come and remove your arm from a vending machine? Me ei-ther and I don’t want to find out.

Every time you en-counter one of these ma-licious machines you’re taking a gamble on contentment or hunger, wealth or poverty, and life or death. Sometimes the safest way to deal with a cranky vending machine is to just accept defeat and walk away. You may leave empty handed, but at least your hand isn’t trapped inside the machine.

Thomas Merka is the Web Editor for The Hous-tonian. He is a Sophomore Broadcast Journalism ma-jor, Theatre minor.

Everyday role modelsMeagan Ducic discusses the idea of par-ents as role models and their importance today.

I worked out at a YMCA in Houston last month and saw a family of three. The mother’s body language made it clear that she was there only to be seen, and the boy who looked about twelve years old was just baggage for her to drag around.

Every pore on her too-tan face was covered in thick, shiny make-up. Her hair was flat-ironed and down and she wore her baseball hat slightly crooked.

The son repeatedly asked her how to adjust the back on the machine he was trying to use, and because she wasn’t that interested in helping him, she never really answered.

He asked once more and she curled up her big silver lips in disgust and loudly said, “Jesus, if you keep doing this we’re not bringing you back.”

She walked away and left him there. I quickly

peeked up at the father; he said nothing and continued his workout. I hate to think what happens when that boy needs help with his homework.

The best role models children have are their parents, regardless of who’s on their iPod, or starring in their favorite TV shows and movies.

There are times when an older sibling, aunt or uncle, or other close relative can serve as a primary role model, but it isn’t often. The role models in that poor boy’s life are teaching him to be selfish, superficial and flat-out classless.

We should be striving to raise children with honorable values who

are also of great value to society. Whether or not a person becomes of value to the world is largely effected by role models.

A problem with this is the inability of some to recognize their role models, and determine if they themselves are role models for others. The argument is often

made that musicians, actors, actresses and other famous people have a responsibility to act as role models, but this is unnecessary. If parents do their job at home, it won’t matter what the famous people are doing.

Parents have the most access to their children, and therefore the greatest responsibility. Children

watch everything, hear everything, and understand a lot more of it than one might think. Though it puts parents under a lot of pressure, great things can be done with that kind of exposure.

If a child feels love, patience and understanding from their parents, odds are they will retain those qualities and do the same for others. However, the same is then true if a child experiences disrespect, vulgarity and greed.

This means that once you become a parent, you need to re-evaluate everything about yourself and decide who you want to be, and more importantly, who you want your child to grow up with.

“Every time you encounter one of these malicious machines you’re taking a gamble...”

Comics for thought

Every day we wash our faces, brush our teeth and apply anti-perspiring deodorant with the hope that it will not fail us at an inopportune moment. In life many things are subject to change, but hygiene is not one of them.

The doors of social ridicule and a life of solitude become as open as inflamed nostrils when you don’t take care of your body’s odor, so cleansing yourself should be a no brainer in daily tasks.

However, when I went to shower the other morning, I found my lathering experience to be lackluster. It was a quick and efficient job as I hurried in the late morning, but once it was all done I paused.

“That’s it?”I thought as I turned

the water off. Sure, I was clean. But to what means?

I began to reminisce on my hygienic development and realized I was at a stagnate point in life. The last time I had any real significance during shower time was when I discovered loofahs over a year and half ago. O how the suds satiate my soul when I lather with my luxurious loofah. But overtime their savor has lost its flavor.

My shower may have cleaned my pores, but I recall a time when hygiene was more than a notch on my to-do list. Bathing used to be an adventure. When it was time to hop into the bathtub I would always bring a few friends with me. They were carefully chosen members of my action figure repertoire, and each played an

intricate role in an ongoing storyline.

I remember my aquatic adventures featuring members of the X-Men and Stars Wars universes. It was like I was the creator of a world, and my minions awaited my omniscient command.

However my power was severely limited and often interrupted by my mom yelling at me to get out of the tub.

“Bradley Matthew! Stop playing with those toys! You better be clean when you get out of there!”

I would quickly splash water on myself to appease her, because I was not in the bathtub to be clean. I was there for adventure and plot development. Not hygiene.

These days are long gone, and now merely a bath time bereaved in my memories. As I got older, I got bigger, and as I got bigger the bathtubs seemed to get smaller. Before I knew it I was standing under cascading currents singing Taylor Swift’s “You Belong to me.” The dwellings of Huntsville apartments and homes haven’t helped much either, because no tub has been able to fully accommodate my 6 foot stature of mantasticness.

Maybe I’ll find adequacy for my aquatic accommodations when I make it to the big time, but for now the status quo will work. I’ll be clean, but I won’t like it.

Brad Basker reminisces on bath time rituals as a kid.

Meagan Ducic is a guest columnist for The Houstonian. She is a Senior Print Journalism major, English minor.

Brad Basker is a recurring columnist for The Houstonian. He is a Senior Public Relations major, Spanish minor.

Mad Brad: Merelybath time bereaved

“The best role models children have are their parents, reglardless of who’s on their iPod...”

CAMPUSTuesday, February 16, 2010 The Houstonian, Page 3

On Tuesday the LSC Ballroom was packed with students dressed to impress the 42 businesses hiring SHSU students for internships, as well as full and part time jobs.

From 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., students carrying stacks of their own resumes were met with potential employers, hoping that their first impression would be a lasting one.

“The career fair gives us the opportunity to briefly meet with business representatives and recruiters that will hopefully allow us to stand out among other applicants in the future,” said junior accounting major Brad Bickmore.

The College of Business Administration Career Fair gave hope to students and alumni looking for employment after graduation in a job market that is getting more and more difficult to enter.

“It was great, because within a half hour I was able to talk to almost a dozen companies and leave my resume with them,” Bickmore said.

The career fair was designated for business majors with most of the companies on the lookout for students seeking a business degree. However, some companies were willing to take a look at students studying a major outside of business, such as psychology and sociology.

“We think it is great that our company can come to this campus and receive so many applications from qualified individuals looking for work after graduation,” said a recruiter from Amegy Bank.

Companies came to SHSU from all over to find future employees. Well known businesses at the career fair were Enterprise Rental, H-E-B and Target Corporation. Federal and state business firms were also present, such as Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts, Federal Reserve Bank and the Texas Department of Banking.

Prestigious accounting firms such as BKD, Grant Thornton and KPMG were in attendance as well, receiving attention from many students.

“The representatives were very welcoming and understanding; they seemed to show interest in what we as students have to offer their company. I am excited to get a jumpstart on the process of starting a career,” said sophomore accounting major Chris Tuck.

Most of the businesses in attendance were looking to hire students applicants as soon as they graduate in May. Companies were also searching to fill internship openings for the summer and fall semesters.

“Companies have been coming for several years; they keep coming back because of the previous success at Sam Houston,” said Carol Shaw, Administrative Assistant to the Dean. “Businesses know that our students are always high-quality and hard working.”

Students seek work at business career fairContributing WriterBy Shawn Ramsey

Better jobs for BearkatsStudents find flexible hours and convience on campus

Contributing WriterBy Malissa Peek

“It is the best job a student can have,” said senior lab as-sistant Rachel Weiser. Weiser has been a “labbie” for three years now and is just one of the many students who have chosen an on-campus job.

On-campus jobs are ben-eficial in many ways. Not only are they conveniently lo-cated in the same place most students spend a majority of their time, but they also offer flexible hours.

“I get to make my own schedule,” said Weiser.

Weiser’s job as a lab as-sistant is to maintain a pro-ductive lab for students. She trouble shoots problems, fixes printers and, if you’re lucky, she might even help you with your homework. One of Weis-er’s biggest problems is being labeled the bad guy. Although no computer fatalities have occurred on Weiser’s watch, she says it is very important to keep food and drinks out of the lab because accidents may happen.

Senior Alba Sandoval also works on-campus at the noto-rious Kat Klub.

“Working on campus means less commuting and less stress,” said Sandoval.

The Kat Klub, located on

the first floor of the Lowman Student Center, is a unique environment where students can play pool, arcade games and compete in tour-naments.

“We have pool tournaments and poker tournaments,” said Sandoval.

Students can also rent out a lounge area at no cost for two hour increments. It is a great place to study or just kick back and watch movies.

Sandoval likes her job because she enjoys working with students and says her staff is like a second family.

Like Sandoval, many students have taken the on-campus route and have found it rewarding. This cam-pus has many opportunities for students to get paid, focus on grades and enjoy their col-lege experience.

Junior Allegra Ellis has been working at the infor-mation desk inside the Low-man Student Center for about a month. Her job is to help people with any questions regarding the university. She is also in charge of renting equipment out to organiza-

tions interested in promoting themselves in the mall area.

“I get to interact and help people while learning a lot about what this campus has to offer,” said Ellis.

One of the many features this campus offers is an on-site bookstore. Junior Joel Eichler has been working at the bookstore for two years and says his job is conve-nient. He keeps the shelves tidy and people happy, and also works the cash register. Eichler says one benefit of his

job is that his work schedule always accommodates his class schedule. He would also like to note that they are not any more expensive than the other local bookstores.

On-campus jobs are a good way to interact with fellow Bearkats. There are a wide ar-ray of jobs available at Sam. If interested, students can go online to the “Jobs 4 Kats” site and fill out an applica-tion, or simply visit the job of interest for more informa-tion.

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SHSU students currently pay an international educa-tion fee of $1. If the SHSU administration chooses to approve this suggested increase, students would have to pay a $2 interna-tional education fee for the 2010-2011 academic year.

So, is a fee increase im-minent?

Not necessarily.As far as SGA is con-

cerned, the Shittu Act only expresses the opinion of SGA and its support for an increase of $1 in the Inter-national Education Fee. Essentially, it is only a sug-gestion of a fee increase to the SHSU Administration.

“We’re not saying they should definitely increase it, because we do not have the power to do that,” Shit-tu said.

Senator Shittu plans on gathering the support to proceed with SGA’s fee in-crease suggestion by send-ing copies of the passed resolution to University President James F. Gaet-ner, Dean of Students John Yarabeck, Director of In-ternational Programs Keiko Clark, Associate Vice Pres-ident for Academic Affairs Dr. Richard Eglsaer, Vice President of Academic Af-fairs Frank Payne, Channel 7 News Team, The Hous-tonian and the Huntsville Item.

A fulltime student en-rolled in 7 to 12 hours at Texas State University cur-rently pays $3 for interna-tional education. According to Shittu, students enrolled at Stephen F. Austin State University also pay $3.

E-textbooks on the ho-rizon?

Lastly, Weaver opened a discussion about the possi-bility of using E-textbooks at SHSU in the future. Ac-cording to Weaver, this is the number one topic on the student advisory board agenda, which will meet in conjunction with the Texas State Board of Regents this Thursday and Friday.

“Right now, it’s more of a feasibility study,” SGA President Ryan Bridges said. “They haven’t allot-ted any money to it yet, and it could be several years before it is actually imple-mented.”

Many senators came to the consensus that this would be a move in the right direction and could significantly decrease the cost of textbooks that bur-den SHSU students each semester. However, there were some concerns about how this move toward E-textbooks might effect the infrastructure of the uni-

versity.“One thing I hope that

everyone considers is the increased computer use on campus and if this is some-thing Sam Houston is go-ing to have a problem with in the labs,” Weaver said. “If we do something like this, we’re going to have put some kind of restric-tions on the paper limit, be-cause people are going to try to go in there and print off their entire textbook…we’re going to be using a massive amount of paper.”

Dean of Students John Yarabeck agreed with Weaver and offered an in-sight of his own.

“Make sure that if you’re going to support this that the university’s infrastruc-ture can handle it. Not only in terms of copies, but what about power outlets? You’ve got a lot of com-muter students and I see a lot of people down stairs plugging stuff in where people can almost trip over cords. If most people (use E-textbooks), you’re going to need, in my opinion, a lot more plugs.”

The Board of Regents is also exploring the possibili-ty of a Kindle E-reader. Ac-cording to Amazon.com, a Kindle E-reader is an elec-tronic device that weighs approximately 10.2 ounces and is capable of carrying up to 1,500 books. Kindle E-reader is only sold on Amazon.com and costs ap-proximately $259.

While the SGA senators did vote to unanimously support the transition to E-textbooks, the installa-tion of E-textbooks is ulti-mately a decision that will be made by the Texas State Board of Regents, Bridges said. Still, he believes, this is an exciting prospect for the future.

The Texas State Uni-versity System Board of Regents is composed of nine members who meet throughout the year to make influential decisions about the institutions they represent, which include: Lamar University, Sam Houston State University, Sul Ross State University, Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College, Texas State University San Mar-cos, Lamar Institute of Technology, Lamar State College Orange, and La-mar State College Port Ar-thur. For more information about the Texas University System, please visit http://www.tsus.edu/.

The next SGA General Meeting will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 23 at 6 p.m. in the Lowman Student Center, Room 320. For more information about SGA, please visit http://www.shsu.edu/~org_sga or call their office at 936-294-1938.

From SGA page 1

Michaela Keck | The Houstonian

BETTER JOBS FOR BEARKATS: Computer Lab Assistants Dane Clas-sen and Hanan Khalil are trained to help computer users in any of the thirteen computer labs on campus. They have an overall knowledge of computer software and hardware and are additionally trained every month in a different software or hardware category.

Thursday, February 18, 2010 The Houstonian, Page 5ENTERTAINMENT

While Sam Houston State University has been known to produce talent in all walks of life, former Bearkat Tony Pomilla and his band, Solarcade, have reached national acclaim. This local musician has humble beginnings as an undergraduate student and an officer in Huntsville’s correctional facilities.

After leaving Huntsville to pursue a music career, Pomilla, along with singer Paul Van, started the groundwork for Solarcade in 2002. This Los Angeles rock group has been compared to both Depeche Mode and the Killers. Pomilla’s guitar sound bears resemblance to U2’s the Edge, utilizing numerous chorus and phaser effects to thicken the notes. Solarcade’s 2009 EP Songs For The Gathering was engineered by Brian Reeves, whose worked along side Patti Labelle, Joe Cocker, and Elton John. Besides these production credentials, Solarcade has made a splash in the Canadian market, where album sales are significantly higher than in the United States. I questioned Solarcade on their newfound

success and the experiences Pomilla had at SHSU.

1. The Houstonian’s entertainment editor explained to me that Solarcade has become popular in Canada. What are your experiences in touring that region? Are ticket sales higher? Are the audiences more receptive in Canada?

We have not toured in Canada yet but hope to by 2nd to 3rd quarter. Sales are pretty good considering it’s an independent release. The foreign market is way more receptive than the U.S., as it’s always starving for new talent.

2. This is one for Pomilla. You are a former student of SHSU. What was your experience at the college?

I loved going to SHSU. I was a Correctional Officer at Wynn Unit, Walls Unit, and Ellis Unit on the night shift. I still stay in touch with Dr. Roth in the C.J. Department. He taught me a lot in and out of the classroom. We swapped CDs and he would always beat me at racquetball.

3. Did you play guitar in any local bands prior to Solarcade?

I had a previous group called Temper Scarlet with singer Sundance Head, who

went on to American Idol Fame in 2007 when he gained attention along with Sanjaya Malakar.

4. Could there be a show on campus in the future?

I surely would hope so. I just hope KSHU can let their listeners know there is a Bearkat in Hollywood playing music and making things happen. I found a fellow Bearkat named Jimmy

Hammond who also shot our video RISE, so it was a great collaboration.

4. Do you have any issues with the commercial rock industry? We all know A&R representatives, radio DJs, and record labels can be cumbersome. Do you prefer independent record labels over large commercial ones?

I don’t have many problems with the industry. You adapt

to the ever changing animal of the business. I prefer independent record labels, as you have more control and get to maintain artist integrity unlike fabricated pop singers, such as Britney Spears.

5. What are the folks like at A&I Records? What producers did you work with on “Songs For The Gathering”?

It’s just an indie label who

really believes in us and gave us full control. Brian Reeves produced the album. He has done tons of stuff from Miley Cyrus, Jonas Brothers, to Billy Idol.

6. Who are your major influences? I know you’ve been compared to U2, but let’s dig deeper. In my opinion, your sound is comparable the British shoegazer scene of the early 90s.

I grew up on the “grunge” scene from Seattle, but I enjoy groups along the lines Radiohead, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, and Death Cab For Cutie.

7. Who are some of the bands you have shared the stage with?

We have been grateful to open and support The Killers and Puddle of Mudd. We went from the Viper Room of about 100 people to Staples Center, where the Lakers play to 25,000 people, so it was very drastic indeed.

8. Finally, if you could describe Solarcade in one word, what would it be?

One word: songs. I think we have songs that have legs to the test of time, like Coldplay.

For more information about Solarcade, visit www.myspace.com/solarcade.

James AshworthContributing Writer

Finding the light. Solarcade member Tony Pamilla has found his purpose in Los Angeles as a musician after graduating from SHSU.

Pomilla revels in success of SolarcadeMUSIC SPOT

Opening this WeekRENTAL PICK OF THE wEEK 1. Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, NBC, 32.6 million.

2. "American Idol" (Tuesday), Fox, 27.9 million.3. Winter Olympics (Sunday), NBC, 26.4 million.4. Winter Olympics (Saturday), NBC, 26.2 million.5. "American Idol" (Wednesday), Fox, 25.2 million.6. "NCIS," CBS, 19.8 million.7. "NCIS: Los Angeles," CBS, 17.9 million.8. "Two and a Half Men," CBS, 17.7 million.9. "The Big Bang Theory," CBS, 16.3 million.10. "The Mentalist," CBS, 15.9 million.11. "Undercover Boss," CBS, 15.5 million.12. "The Good Wife," CBS, 14.8 million.13. "Criminal Minds," CBS, 14.3 million.14. "Survivor: Heroes-Villains," CBS, 14.2 million.15. "House," Fox, 13.6 million.

Primetime Nielson Ratings

SPORTSPage 6 The Houstonian Thursday, February 18, 2010

SHSU falls short in pitching duelThe Aggies edge the Bearkats, 2-1, in SHSU’s 2010 season home opener

Missed opportunities and runners stranded on base made the story of the Sam Houston State softball team’s loss to Texas A&M, 2-1.

SHSU came out on the short end of a pitchers’ duel between Bearkat pitcher Morgan Mikulin and Aggie pitcher Rebecca Arbino in SHSU’s 2010 home opener. The loss drops the Bearkats to 1-5 on the season and extends SHSU’s losing streak to five games.

Wednesday’s game didn’t see a run on either side of the scoreboard until Aggie centerfielder Kelsea Orsak hit a solo shot to right field in the top of the fifth inning. Following another score on a wild pitch, Texas A&M came out of the inning with a 2-0 lead. SHSU started finding their bats in the sixth inning following two hits and an RBI single by third baseman Erin Burford. But the offensive surge came too late in the game, as the Aggies pulled away with the one-run victory. The Bearkats left nine runners stranded on base, including five stranded in scoring position.

“We’ve got to do a better job of taking care of our chances when we get them,” Head Coach Bob Brock said. “I think we’ll put it together. We’ve got some youth on the team and we’ve had a tough schedule so far. We just need to be more opportunistic hitting, especially with runners on.”

After going four games without scoring one run, the Bearkat offense started finding its bats in the sixth inning of Wednesday’s

game.Burford batted in SHSU’s

only run in the bottom of the sixth inning when she hit a single to third base to bring in first baseman Amy Brown home from second base. Burford entered the game in the top of the sixth inning as a defensive sub for Holli Hatcher at third base.

Second baseman Shelbi Tucker played a solid game for the Bearkats after making some noise in opening weekend tournament in Houston. Tucker got on base three times in four at-bats, reaching on two hits and an error. She will look to be a force on the offensive side

of the ball for SHSU this season.

“The way we swung the bat today was a big improvement,” Tucker said. “Today was my first time to bat leadoff and I was nervous about it at first but I stuck in there, saw the pitches I needed to hit, and drove them like I was supposed to.”

SHSU’s defense struggled at times in Wednesday’s game. Shortstop Hailey Wiginton committed three errors in the game. She also struggled to find her bat, going 0-3 with one walk in the game.

Altogether, the Bearkats

left runners in scoring position stranded on base in five out of seven innings in the loss to the Aggies. Until the offense picked up in the sixth inning, SHSU had just two hits in the game.

The pitching was sound for the Bearkats once again. In seven innings of work, Mikulin (1-3) fanned six batters and allowed two runs on six hits. In 28 innings pitched this season, her earned runs average is at 3.25. Mikulin also hit for one of the Bearkats’ five hits in the loss to Texas A&M.

“Our attitude is what we’ll take away from today going into the next game,”

Mikulin said. “We were so pumped coming into this game. We’ve been working on being more aggressive in the box, not taking so many pitches, and taking cuts on pitches that we like. We improved on that and look to keep working on that for the next game.”

SHSU hits the field again this weekend in Denton, Texas to take part in the North Texas Invitational Tournament.

The Bearkats start the weekend’s play against Colorado State at 10 a.m. Friday morning and look to break their five game losing streak.

Mike SilvaSports Editor

Joe Buvid | The HoustonianFIGHTING FOR EVERY HIT. Shortstop Hailey Wiginton rushes to the base to force out the Texas A&M runner. Getting on base was cru-cial for both teams in the 2-1 nail-biter. Wednesday’s game saw just three runs on 11 total hits for both teams combined in the pitchers’ duel.

KINDER - Led by Shelby Hardy and Meghan Stevens who finished fifth and sixth respectively in the individual competition, the Sam Houston State women’s golf team finished as the runner-up at the Koasati Pines Classic hosted by McNeese State Monday and Tuesday.

Lamar held off a final round charge by the Bearkats to win the title by one stroke. Sam Houston put together a final round score of 301, seven strokes ahead of the Cardinals. But Lamar took home the winner’s trophy with 54-hole total of 320-307-308--935. Sam Houston’s second place total was 314-321-301--936.

Cold temperatures and wet grounds hindered the golfers Monday during the opening round of the McNeese State Koasati Pines women’s collegiate tournament. The golfers had to complete the second round Tuesday morning before playing the final 18.

UTSA placed third with a 943 team score followed by Houston Baptist 947, Louisiana-Monroe 950, South Alabama and McLennan 964, Central Arkansas 969, A&M-Corpus Chriti 971, McNeese 985, Redlands 986, Dallas Baptist 1016, Stephen F. Austin 1017 and Centenary 1028.

Julie Aime of Lamar was the individual medalist with a score of 80-73-71--224.

Sam Houston individual scores and finishes were Shelby Hardy 5th 78-77-74--229, Meghan Stevens 79-81-70--230, Jessica Borth 77-82-78--237, Landa Stewart 23rd 80-81-79--240 and Meghan Musk 41st 82-86-79--247. The tournament was the first of the spring semester for the Bearkats.

Paul RidingsSports Information

Kats second at the Koasati Pines Classic

Bearkats take 11th in a row at Lamar, improve to 11-0 in SLC

OWNING THE PAINT. Gilberto Clavell scored 18 points and pulled in five rebounds in the road win over the Cardinals.

John Rudolph | The Houstonian

BEAUMONT - Led by Preston Brown and Gilberto Clavell who combined for 37 points, Sam Houston State used a powerful inside game to roll over Lamar 66-54 Wednesday night to run the Bearkats’ Southland Conference record to 11-0.

Brown also pulled down 11 rebounds as the Kats out-boarded the Cardinals 42 to 26. Sam Houston scored 26 points in the paint, hitting 24-of-52 from the field for 46.2 percent.

Owning a three-game lead over second place Stephen F. Austin and Texas A&M-Corpus Christi coming into the contest, Sam Houston inched ever closer to clinching their third Southland Conference record season under head coach Bob Marlin.

At 19-5 for the season, Sam Houston is one victory away from its fourth 20-victory season in the last five years.

Corey Allmond scored nine points and Ashton Mitchell added eight as the Bearkats jumped out to an early 10-2 lead and never

trailed in the contest.Sam Houston led 33-

18 at intermission and the Cardinals could come no closer than 10 points at any time during the second half.

Justin Nabors led the Cardinals with 19 points.

Sam Houston completes a two-game Southland Conference road swing Saturday night when the Bearkats meet the UTSA Roadrunners in the Convocation Center at San Antonio.

Next week, Sam Houston plays the first of its final two home games of the year, facing McNeese State

on Wednesday at 7 p.m. at Johnson Coliseum. A victory in both the UTSA and McNeese games would clinch the title for the Bearkats.

Following the regular season, the top eight teams meet at Merrell Center in Katy for the annual Southland Conference tournament March 10-13 to decide the league’s NCAA playoff representative. Sam Houston is the only team in the Southland that has already clinched a tournament berth.

Paul RidingsSports Information

Brandon ScottSports Reporter

Southland Conference leading Lamar Cardinals upset at Johnson Coliseum

A TEAM EFFORT. Whitney Smith, who scored 13 points, was one of four Bearkats in double figures in Wednesday night’s upset.

Sports Information

The women’s basketball team came away with a much needed upset against the conference-leading Lamar Cardinals on Wednesday night at Johnson Coliseum. Senior guard Ray Alexander, who led the Bearkats with 19 points, made seven critical free throws in the final minute of the game to take the 73-65 victory.

The Cardinals came into the contest after winning nine of their last 10 games, one of those victories being over Sam Houston State on Jan. 27. But

the Bearkats fought hard in the game, despite the odds of the outcome.

“The kids believe in it,” Head Coach Brenda Nichols said after the game. “They know to come in here and take this win from Lamar, it’s outstanding. It’s just icing on the cake for us. We owe them. We’ve owed them for two games now and our girls were not going to let this game be given away.”

In the first half, the Cardinals shot a horrific 29 percent from the field and went 2-13 from long range. The first half was a sloppy display, with the teams recording 19 turnovers collectively. The Bearkats went

into halftime with a five-point advantage amidst 10 first half points by Alexander.

Sam Houston State began the second half with a 13-5 run following a jumper from Brittany Brooks with 11 minutes left to play. Lamar rallied to cut the lead to three with only a minute remaining when junior guard Jenna Plumley knocked down a three along the baseline. The Bearkats held off the run with critical free throws down the stretch.

“This is what we’re focused on with our team right now,” Nichols said. “We’re right where we need to be. Other

teams have already been winning. We’re going into the tournament on some good highs and some good wins. We’re really together as a team.”

Brooks scored 15 points and sophomore Bre Agnew stepped up with 14 points. Whitney Smith also reached double-figures with 13 points in the win.

The Cardinals were led by all-conference senior forward Darika Hill who had a game-high 29 points against the Bearkats. Freshman forward Kalis Loyd added 15 points in the losing effort.

Sam Houston State hosts UTSA on Saturday at 2 p.m.