6-23-11

The administration outlined possible effects that the new university budget may have on students, faculty and staff during the public budget meeting held Tuesday.

University President Dana Gibson, Ph.D. said state funding for SHSU has declined from 60 percent in 2001 to just under 40 percent for this upcoming fiscal year. She showed how this decline has resulted in higher tuition as well as some other changes for students, at the meeting.

Tuition is also being increased in an effort to cover professors’ salaries, non-state funded benefits for employees of the university, as well as a 15 to 20 percent increase for the Texas Public Education Grant.

Her goal is for the budget cuts to result in as little change for the students as possible.

“As states pull away from higher education funding, it does fall more and more on the backs of the students,” Gibson said.

She said the state had no choice but to cut higher education funding because it is considered optional in comparison to other state funded programs. Texas has the lowest per capita spending of any other state, meaning there is less frivolous funding to cut,

according to an analysis by Government Product News.

State revenue projections increased late in the congressional session, protecting the state budget from more cuts, including ones to higher education.

The SHSU budget received a $6.5 million cut. However, Gibson assured faculty and staff at the meeting it would not result in academic budget cuts.

The deans of individual

colleges are responsible for finding ways to cut costs within their own departments to aid in covering the cuts in funding.

Gibson told audience members that the school already operates frugally and efficiently, so there will be many difficulties to overcome with the budget cuts.

“We will manage and get through,” she said.

The university is now

looking to get more revenue from the continuously growing student population. However, Gibson reminded everyone that the university’s cost of tuition and fees is below average for public universities in Texas even after an increase.

Budget cuts will mainly affect faculty and staff, but students will see some minor changes as well.

She introduced a strategic enrollment management plan that included efforts to increase the number of graduate students within the student population as well as use alternate and online campuses for additional revenue.

Because state revenue projections were determined later than usual, financial aid distribution was set back six to eight weeks, although more financial aid will be distributed overall.

Students will see an increase in class size over the coming semesters, but Gibson assured that the university will not switch to an auditorium class structure as a measure to control departmental costs.

Students will likely see a difference in the number of class offerings for summer sessions, but Gibson said she doesn’t want fall and spring semesters to be affected.

The official university budget will be released sometime in August.

Roads affected by the Cowboy Church/Midway Fire reopened Tuesday at 10 a.m. following the 100 percent containment of the fire by local, county and state fire fighters.

The fire began on Sunday, somewhere along Bishop Road and Highway 75, according to Butch Davis, emergency operations coordinator for the county.

The fire claimed at least 2400 acres along Interstate 45 between FM 2989 and FM 247, forcing approximately 60 homes to evacuate in response. There were no reports of fire damage to homes.

Huntsville officials attributed the fire’s fast growth to the current drought conditions.

The dryness index, or KBDI, was at 722 on Tuesday. Drought conditions occur when the index is over 575.

“We’re in really bad shape,” City Manager Bill Baine said during Tuesday’s city council meeting. After Wednesday’s rain, the index lowered to 647.

Walker County is currently 15.25 in. behind on rainfall, according to the Huntsville City Council. The county has only received 7.75 in. over the course of the year.

Huntsville is currently under a Stage 1 Water Shortage, said Baine.

“As of this moment, we are requesting that citizens

conserve their water on a volunteer basis,” he said.

John Cromer, an outspoken meeting attendee, disagreed with this voluntary conservation.

“I live more in the country, and it amazes me when I drive through town and see folks watering their lawns,” Cromer said. “Our lawns are just now starting to get brown and dry. It’ll come back though. I shouldn’t see folks, like in Elkins Lake, watering their lawns every day or night.”

Voluntary participation in the drought contingency program calls for citizens to cut back on non-essential water use, or uses of water that are not essential or required for the protection of public, health and welfare.

This includes, but is not limited to, watering lawns, washing vehicles, washing down sidewalks, washing buildings or structures for purposes other than immediate fire protection, filling or refilling pools or fountains, failing to control leaks or using water from fire hydrants for purposes other than firefighting.

According to Baine, city water usage was over 10.8 million gallons as of Thursday, June 16. If city water usage stays above 10.6 million gallons for a period of 10 consecutive days, Huntsville will move to a Stage 2 Water Shortage.

Authorities have not yet received any word on what caused the fire but it is still under investigation.

The Independent Student Newspaper of Sam Houston State UniversityThursday, June 23, 2011

Viewpoints ..................................... page 2Sports/A&E ................................... page 3Special .......................................... page 4

INDEX

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Bowlers nationally recognized, pg. 2

Photo courtesy of GoBearkats.com

By George MattinglyArts & Entertainment Editor

By Jerusha RodgersContributing Reporter

Vol 118— Issue 2

Android

Photo and graphic courtesy of City of HuntsvilleBATTLE OF MIDWAY. The above photo is an aerial shot of the fire, taken Sunday. The below graphic shows the area that experienced the fire in red with those still in danger featured in yellow.

By Erin PetersonEditor-in-Chief

Midway Fire 100 percent containedCity under Stage 1 Water Shortage, nears Stage 2

J.K. Rowling is set to unveil her latest addition to the Harry Potter world, a new website called Pottermore.com, this morning at 6 a.m.

The site comes as a mystery to many fans, who are anticipating the end of the Potter series with the release of the last film installment, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2, next month. Speculation is running high as to what could be the big secret.

Currently the site features a message from Rowling, “Coming soon…” followed by her signature and surrounded by owls.

The site also has its own Twitter page with more than 80,000 followers, stirring up more hype before the site even launches.

Hopes for a new book have been shut down when spokeswoman Rebecca Salt said that Pottermore.com is “not a new book” and “not

directly related” to the final movie.

Even Harry Potter star Daniel Radcliffe revealed “I know nothing about that whatsoever” when asked about his possible involvement with the site.

Several theories about what the site has in store for fans have been circulating since Rowling made the announcement about the site., including an interactive website for fans featuring games, Harry Potter encyclopedia, and a place for fans to buy the books. It is also rumored that the website will be a new online game where fans can play as characters from the series and interact with other players on the web.

To keep up with the latest updates about the site, follow Pottermore.com on Twitter at http://twitter.com/pottermore or follow the owls to the countdown on J.K. Rowling’s YouTube Channel at http://www.youtube.com/JKRowlingAnnounces.

Fans to get more Potter

Keep water usage down

- Avoid watering lawn or washing vehicles- Do not wash the sides of buildings or other structures, except for in emergency fire situations- Do not fill or refill pools or fountains- Take showers instead of baths- Wash dishes in sink full of soapy water, then rinse- Turn off the water while brushing teeth

Burn banWalker County and many other surrounding counties are currently under a burn ban. This means:

- No fireworks- No unnecessary burning of crops

Violation of the burn ban is considered to be a Class C misdemeanor, punishable by a fine not to exceed $500.

School takes 20 percent funding hitTuition increases, larger classes on horizon for students

File photoCUTTING BACK University President Dana Gibson, Ph.D., met in an open forum with students, faculty and staff on Tuesday to discuss the future of the university in the eyes of the budget.

The 33,000 additional troops sent to Afghanistan in 2009 will be coming home by the end of August 2012, the President announced yesterday.

“America, it is time to focus on nation building here at home,” President Barack Obama said.

Obama said in a press

conference that sending those troops over was one of the biggest decisions he had ever had to make.

The withdrawl of the so-called “surge” troops will come home in two waves.

He said that the first wave of 10,000 troops will come home by the end of this year. The 23,000 other troops are planned to return by the end of August 2012.

Obama pulls out troopsBy Stephen GreenAssociate News Editor

iPhone

Only 16 percent of Latino adults have an associate’s degree or higher — compared to 33 percent of the total working-aged population in Texas, according to a report by Excelencia in Education, a Washington D.C-based non-profit organization focused on boosting Latino success in higher education. The national average is 38 percent.

The gloomy statistics were unveiled at a press conference in San Antonio this morning attended by state Rep. Joaquin Castro and representatives of higher education organizations.

“While some in Austin hope to slash education in the name of so-called fiscal responsibility,” Castro said in a statement, “the partners assembled here all understand that our future economic success depends on investing in education and finding new ways for all Texans to succeed beyond

high school.”As part of its effort to

bolster higher education success by 2015, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board has made increasing attainment among Hispanics a priority. According to the fact sheet distributed at today’s event, the number of Hispanics earning undergraduate degrees increased 7 percent from 2006 to 2008, while other groups increased 4 percent. Over 3 years, among the top 10 states enrolling Latinos, Texas has had one of the largest increases in degrees conferred to that population.

However, disparities remain. “We have to find ways to do better, to do more,” said Deborah Santiago, co-founder of Excelencia in Education. Santiago’s organization has also been spreading this message in states like Florida and Pennsylvania as part of a national initiative called “Ensuring America’s Future by Increasing Latino College Completion,” which is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, the Lumina Foundation for Education, and the Kresge Foundation.

Heeding that call, at the press conference, ACT, Inc. — best known for its college entrance exam — announced a new project called “Graduation Texas,” which will focus on focus on providing early identification

and counseling to first-generation college freshmen.

“We know that identifying students during their freshman year and counseling them effectively will put them on the path to college completion,” Karen Pennell, ACT assistant vice president and regional manager, said in a statement.

Today’s press conference also identified some examples of practices that seem to work for boosting Latino success rates, including dual enrollment programs for high school students at the University of Texas-Brownsville and the Model Institutions for Excellence program at the University of Texas-El Paso.

Other organizations partnering with Santiago’s organization and the initiative include the University of Texas System, the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities and the Intercultural Development Research Association.

“While a small group of organizations are committing to doing more, I don’t believe they can do it alone,” Santiago said. “But I do know they are stepping forward and being vocal about their commitment to being part of the solution.”

Latinos lag in college educationReeve Hamilton explores the facts presented in a survey detailing higher education, Latinos

Thursday, June 23, 2011Viewpoints

houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

The individual opinions on the Viewpoints page are not necessarily affiliated with the view of The Houstonian or SHSU. The Houstonian is published semi-weekly on Tuesdays and Thursdays. It is a news publication of Sam Houston State University, a member of the Texas State University system, and is produced by students. It is self-supporting and welcomes all advertisers. Those interested in placing ads or classifieds should call (936) 294-1495. The Houstonian is a member of the Associated Press and the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association.

Dear Sam Houston Students, Staff and Faculty and Alumni:

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

Karmen C. KingViewpoints [email protected]

Letter to the Student Body

I read an article recently discussing data that suggests today’s incoming freshmen are more self-centered than every generation preceding them. It also concluded that they are increasingly prone to feelings of entitlement and being superior to those p r e v i o u s generations.

Any high school teacher that’s been around a while would p r o b a b l y agree with these findings. The only thing they are allowed to do anymore is teach students how to pass a test. Instead of encouraging c r i t i c a l thinking they are forced to praise assimilation and the ability to correctly bubble in an answer.

It’s also much easier to be a straight “A” student these days. According to a UCLA study, in 1966 only 19 percent of college students who were surveyed earned an “A” or “A-minus” average in high school, compared with 48 percent in 2009.

These findings suggest to me that teachers are afraid for their jobs if they don’t have enough students excel in class.

This problem has even begun to seep into higher education as reports of grade inflation have become

rampant.A l l

of these factors have led to the feelings of superiority that today’s y o u t h have. The p r o b l e m is when they enter c o l l e g e and then later the job market. They’re not accustomed to failure or having to earn their place.

They’re also being told that they can accomplish anything if they put their mind to it. However, they’re not being told that it also takes hard work and time.

Their expectations are far higher than the reality on the ground. This is making for a harsh lesson when they enter the “real world” and things don’t look the

way they expected it to.Several university

professors I have spoken to on the subject agree that incoming freshmen are completely unprepared for college. The common complaint is that students do not know how to think for themselves.

Another of my acquaintances, who lectures at a different university, wished that high schools could still teach critical thinking like they could before No Child Left Behind was implemented.

Programs to help bridge the gap between high school and college, and then college and career would be an excellent step in the right direction.

However, with all the funding cuts faced by not only secondary schools but higher education institutes as well, programs like this can never be implemented.

What we need are mentors that are there to guide the students in preparing to navigate the real world. Students need encouragement in areas they excel in and constructive criticism in the areas they could improve. Sadly, these people are few and far between.

The bestest everKarmen King comments on the mindset of today’s youth, failure of secondary education

Reeve HamiltonTexas Tribune Reporter

- Reeve is a reporter for the Texas Tribune. Article courtesy of the Texas Tribune.

PHOTOGRAPHERJessica Gomez

FACULTY ADVISERRobin Johnson

(936) 294-1499

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF(936) 294-1505

ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Erin Peterson

[email protected]

Stephen Green

[email protected]

SPORTS EDITORZachary Birdsong

[email protected]

WEB AND MULTIMEDIA EDITORKolby Flowers

[email protected]

A&E EDITORGeorge [email protected]

GRAPHIC COORDINATORMarlyn Montoya

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVEChelsea Boyd

[email protected]

COMMUNICATION SPECIALISTChrystal [email protected]

STAFF LISTING

BUSINESS MANAGERBrittany Hampton

[email protected](936) 294-1500

AD DEADLINESTuesday’s Issue Friday 5 p.m.

Thursday’s Issue - Tuesday 2 p.m.

Paws Up,Paws Down

“Paws UP” SHSU senior Chris Cralle being named 2011 Southland Conference Outdoor Track and Field Student-Athletes of the Year.

“Paws UP” to the large student turnout at yesterdays City Council meeting including members of SHSU SGA.

- Karmen is the Houstonian Viewpoints Editor.

“...in 1966 only 19 percent of college students who were surveyed earned an “A” or “A-minus” average in high school, compared with 48 percent in 2009.”

Today in history:

1868 – Christopher Latham Sholes was awarded a patent for the Typewriter.

1926 – The College Board administers the first SAT exam.

1958 – The Dutch Reformed Church accepts women ministers.

1985 – A terrorist bomb aboard Air India flight 182 brings the Boeing 747 down off the coast of Ireland killing all 329 aboard.

1989 – The U.S. Supreme Court rules that a law passed by the U.S. Congress banning all sexually oriented phone message services is unconstitutional.

VIEWPOINTS EDITORKarmen C. King

[email protected]

All comics courtesy Creators.com

Correction: In the issue from June 16, 2011, Huntsville Mayor J. Turner was mistakenly referred to as Jack Turner.

Y o u r t h o u g h t s o n r e d i s t r i c t i n g :“Thanks for the coverage of the redistricting fight. I’m not sure what scares the council so much about Map B. Is it they will lose their perceived control of Huntsville? I think it to only be fair to give the students a ward. We ARE Huntsville, Period. We are the ones who eat, shop, play and dine more than any other segment of the population. Huntsville could not support two taco bells, mc donalds etc. without the students. This is another sign of the City not wanting to accept the fact the University is growing and there is nothing they can do to stop it. Just remember we are Huntsville…”-Tim Jeske via Facebook

“Following @HoustonianSHSU’s updates on the city council meeting. Sorely disappointed in some council members.”-Emily Rice via Twitter

(936) 294-4864

The Sam Houston State University men’s rodeo team captured the national championship this past weekend, for the first time since 1968, at the National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyoming.

The women’s rodeo team also had a great weekend, finishing second to Montana State University.

SHSU head rodeo coach Bubba Miller, credits his team’s composure while in the national spotlight.

“The main thing was that they just stayed focused,” Miller said in a statement to the Huntsville Item. “They didn’t let the pressure of a national title interfere. They just stayed focused and did what they did all year long, and that was it.”

On top of the overall team’s performance, two individual performances stood out. Bearkat bull rider, Cody Teel, claimed an individual championship on Friday for his performance. This is the first time since 1961 that SHSU has won an individual championship in bull riding.

Elizabeth Combs was also able to capture her own individual championship, during the Barrel Racing competition on Saturday. Combs is the fourth woman in program history to win the individual championship in Barrel Racing, and the first time since 1986 when Lynn McCafferty won it.

With the inclusion of both Teel and Combs, seven Bearkat students competed in titles.

Jeremy Melancon finished fifth in Saddle Bronc riding. Caleb Smith finished 17th in Tie Down Roping. Cade Rice took 17th in Steer Wrestling, placed 13th in Team Roping, and would go on to finish fifth overall in the Men’s All-Around competition.

On the women’s side, Breanna Byler took 23rd in Breakaway roping, and Victoria Gunn took 10th in Goat Tying.

The men’s team was able to finish the weekend with a total of 755 points, 55 points in front of Southland Conference foe McNeese State, who finished second. The women’s team finished with 430 overall, trailing Montana State by 130 points.

In his third year, Miller strived to revive the program at SHSU. In a statement to the Huntsville Item Miller reflected on his time at SHSU.

“It’s been a building process,” Miller said. “This is our third year and we’ve just been out recruiting and trying to get the caliber of guys and girls that can win a national title.”

Although the team just claimed the national title

on Saturday, they are not taking a summer break. Miller stated that the team is ready to do it again.

“We’re already talking about repeating,” Miller said to the Huntsville Item. “We’re going to do everything we can, work hard through the summer and come back next fall ready to win a national title next year.”

Thursday, June 23, 2011Sports

houstonianonline.com/sports twitter.com/HoustonianSport

Kats keep their ‘A’ game on, off the lanes

Teel leads team to victory, wins individual comp.Kats rope biggest titleBy Zach Birdsong Sports Editor

Bearkat juniors, Dayna Galganski and Lisa Ma-cAllister, were recently named to the National Tenpin Coaches Associa-tion (NTCA) All-Academic honor team.

In total the NTCA hon-ored 123 bowlers from 29 Universities that are com-peting in NCAA Division I women’s bowling. The NTCA honors 15 bowlers that are selected to either a first, second or third team, while the other bowlers re-ceive honorable mentions. To make the honor squad, a person must have a cumu-lative grade point average (GPA) of a 3.40.

Galganski, a junior trans-fer from the University of Central Florida, was placed on the third team. The mass communications major from North Palm Beach, Florida, had a 3.72 GPA while producing a 196.39 pins average in the inaugu-ral season of the bowling program.

“To be selected as one of 15 athletes on the three Academic-All American teams is amazing,” Galgan-ski said. “It means so much that I can continue to bring All-American honors to the new bowling program and to the entire university.”

MacAllister, a junior transfer from Trinity Val-ley Community College was an honorable mention. The kinesiology major from Kemp, Texas had a perfect 4.00 GPA while producing a 190.42 pins average.

“I made it a goal at the beginning of the season to become an Academic All-

American,” MacAllister said. “I worked hard all year in the classroom and I felt a bit of relief knowing that all of the hard work and dedi-cation actually paid off.”

The women’s bowling program was the 17th team sport added to Bearkat ath-letics in 2009. Under the guidance of head coach Brad Hagen, the team won 70 of the 112 matches played and was the only in-augural program to qualify for the NCAA Division I national championships.

“It’s a great honor for student-athletes to receive that academic acclama-tion,” athletic director Bob-by Williams said. “We want to have quality students in the academic area and qual-ity athletic performances as well.”

Both Galganski and Ma-cAllister attributed their

success to coach Hagen, their professors, advisors, teammates and the adminis-trators in the athletic depart-ment.

“Dayna and Lisa have both worked very hard to achieve this honor,” Hagen said. “We have established a strong foundation of integ-rity and accountability on and off the lanes and this is just another stepping stone proving that SHSU in now among the elite in NCAA Collegiate Bowling.”

The team will continue to build on that foundation go-ing into next season as they will make another run at the NCAA Division I national championship.

For more information about the women’s bowling team, go to www.gobear-kats.com.

SHSU football to be televised twice by Southland Conf.

The 2011 football season opener between Sam Houston and Western Illinois, as well as the 85th annual “Battle of the Piney Woods” rivalry with Stephen F. Austin, will be televised regionally on the Southland Conference Television Network.

The two games are part of the 2011 football telecast that was made last Wednesday by the Southland Conference. The 10 games will be broadcast on the network, while an additional game will be broadcast regionally on Cox Sports Television.

“We’re very pleased to announce another season of outstanding football broadcasts,” Southland Conference commissioner Tom Burnett said in a press release. “The Southland Network has provided welcome and compelling programming over the last three years, and the “in-house” concept of our broadcast effort has been mimicked by other conference as a unique and effective way to promote institutions and their student-athletes.”

The first scheduled broadcast will be on Sept. 1 at 6 p.m.as Sam Houston State hosts Western Illinois.

“It’s going to be a really neat deal for us,” head coach Willie Fritz said. “Having the opportunity to play on television will be even more special for our football program.”

The “Battle of the Piney Woods” rivalry game will be held at Reliant Stadium in Houston and will be televised on Oct. 8.

This is the second year in a row that the rivalry game is being held at Reliant Stadium. Last season, the rivalry game was played in front of a record crowd of 24,685. This will also

be the second time in a row that the game will be broadcasted on television.

“Our games have been the highest ratings on the Southland Conference Television Network and it allows us to showcase our athletes and our institution,” athletic director Bobby Williams said.

According to Fritz, having the “Battle of the Piney Woods” game on television will give SHSU great exposure not only for the football program, but for Sam Houston State University.

The 2011 SCTV football schedule is as follows:

Thu., Sept. 1 Western Illinois at Sam Houston State 6 p.m.

Sat., Sept. 24 Northwestern State at Nicholls State* 3 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 1 Lamar at Southeastern Louisiana* 3 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 8 Sam Houston State at Stephen F. Austin*# 2 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 15 McNeese State at Central Arkansas* 3 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 22 Central Arkansas at Lamar* 3 p.m.

Sat., Oct. 29 McNeese State at Stephen F. Austin* 3 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 5 Central Arkansas at Northwestern State* 3 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 12 Wild Card Game* 3 p.m.

Thu., Nov. 17 Nicholls State at Southeastern Louisiana* 7 p.m.

Sat., Nov. 19 Wild Card Game* 3 p.m.

All times Central;

schedule subject to change; *Southland Conference

Game #Reliant Stadium,

Houston Wild Card games will be

announced 7-10 days prior

By Cheval John Contributing Reporter

Kats bring their A game. (From left to right) Juniors Dayna Galganski and Lisa MacAllister were named to the 2011 NTCA’s All-Academic honor team. Galganski was named to the NTCA’s third team while MacAlister was named as an honorable mention.

Photo courtesy of gobearkats.com

By Cheval JohnContributing Reporter

Photo courtesy of CNFRHolding On. Bearkat bull rider Cody Teel holds on during his run at the College National Finals Rodeo. Teel went on to win the individual title on Friday for his perfomance. Teel is the first person since 1961 at SHSU to win the individual title in bull riding.

Two SHSU women bowlers named to Tenpin academic honor team

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