Immediately after the first 2012 presidential debate, the world of social media virtually exploded with disappointment in President Barack Obama, and surprise in the performance of Gov. Mitt Romney.

Romney, who has been in debate practice for months, was a decisive favorite after the debate both in polls and social media.

A CBS instant reaction poll that asked who won the debate, Romney received 46 percent, Obama received 22 percent, 32 percent said neither won.

CNN poll of registered voters who watched the debate showed that 67 percent believe Romney won, 25 percent believe Obama won.

Twitter and Facebook users reflect that response.

@PhillyGodfather said “You know Romney won the debate tonight when all the Democrats agree. #Blowout win for Republicans. Final score Romney 27 Obama 10.”

Most Twitter users seemed to grudgingly agree with analysis of Romney’s performance. Facebook users has similar reactions.

“Where were the specifics we were promised?” Alex Dobbert said. “Why, in this debate, were factual inaccuracies ignored? Yes, Romney ‘won this debate’. This will also go down in history as a train wreck of a debate. Still, the president should have performed better.”

Romney supporters are jubilant.“Romney won this debate!” Judy

Weeks said on Facebook. “He is a successful businessman with a plan for our country. I feel passionate about this election for the sake of my grandchildren. I love my country, may God Bless America.”

Other users couldn’t care less.@woahhgabby123 said, “Who cares

about debates most people are all talk anywayss.”

Of course with social media funny parodies of debates will obviously show up.

Jim Lehr, the PBS newsman who moderated the debate, was the target of some jokes.

“Jim Lehr is a replacement ref,” @LorenaSGonzales said.

“Poor Jim Lehr, he’s more interrupted than a substitute teacher,” @DMalenock said.

Other jokes were geared toward the debate itself.

A trending Facebook post included a picture of Drew Carey, former host of “Who’s Line Is It Anyway?”, sitting behind his desk saying, “Welcome to the Presidential debates where the facts are made up and the time doesn’t matter.”

And then: Big Bird.Romney mentioned at one point

told Lehr he’d cut PBS to decrease governmental spending.

“I like you [Lehr] and I like Big Bird,” Romney said.

One post circulating includes a parody of this with Big Bird in a commercial for Hurricane Relief with the title “Mitt Romney doesn’t care about Big Bird.”

TODAY’S FORECAST

HI: 89o LOW: 65o

Chance of Rain:0%

Plans for new health and counseling center, Lowman Student Center expansion released detailing new additions, amenities.

Courtesy SHSU website.

Fire returns to Firefest. After a light show in 2011, fireworks are back to get students ready for SFA P2 P4

P2Hyde: No-helmet rule a failure for NCAA, game of football

www.HoustonianOnline.comVolume 122 / Issue 11 Thursday, October 4, 2012

And the winner is...Social media world clear on winner of first presidential debateSTEPHEN GREENEditor-in-Chief

““I will not reduce taxes paid by high income families...increase taxes on middle income families.

““Regulations are essential. A free market can’t work without it. As a business person, I have to know the regulations.

““We need to improve the education system...I want to hire 100,000 new math and science teachers.

““We either leave people out to fend for themselves...or we can figure out how we can [fix healthcare issues] more efficiently.

AP Photo/Eric GayAP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

See who Houstonian editor Stephen Green believes won the Presidential debate and how that will impact the legislation on PAGE 3.

AP Photo/Eric Gay

AP Photo/Denver Post, Craig F. Walker

Page 2houstonianonline.com/news

Thursday, October 4, 2012News

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Fire returns to Fire Fest, ignites excitementExcitement is stirring on

campus as Sam Houston State University gears up for the return of the annual Fire Fest pep rally tonight.

With this year’s event, students will see the return of the Fire Fest bonfire and fireworks display, a tradition on campus to boost student spirit for the rival football game against Stephen F. Austin State University.

Last year, the event was moved to the LSC Mall Area and there was no bonfire or fireworks due to restrictions of the Walker County burn ban as a result of the severe drought.

Students are hoping the return of the pyrotechnics will make the pep rally better than last year’s event, but there were still people who went last year that decided the pep rally was worth going to, even without the fireworks and bonfire.

“Since the football team was

doing so well, it was a really exciting experience,” Ian Hamlin, senior finance major, said. “School spirit was at an all-time high. I will definitely be going tonight.”

Hunter McKee, a Junior Finance major, went for the first time last year and cannot wait to go again based on his experience. His one regret was that he did not go when he was a freshman.

Other students did not feel that the 2011 Fire Fest was an exciting experience. Matt Borum, a senior Biology major, did not enjoy the event and thought it was “sloppy and disorganized.”

Despite student opinions, campus officials are looking to change student attitudes with the traditional Fire Fest.

Brandon Cooper, the Associate Director of Student Activities, recognized that some students were displeased with last year’s Fire Fest and attributed the majority of complaints to the difficulties the burn ban imposed.

Cooper urged people to attend

tonight because not only are the fire activities returning, but other attractions will be present for student entertainment.

“Coach Willie Fritz, the football team, men’s and women’s basketball teams, the band, the cheerleaders, the dance team, and Sammy will all be in attendance,” Cooper said. “There will be free food, henna and airbrush tattoo artists, the Alumni Association and Recreational Sports will both be giving away free shirts at some point during the event, and several additional vendors will be there.”

Linsey Jones, a sophomore Mass Communications major, was excited to attend again this year for all the activities for students.

“Fire Fest is pretty awesome,” Jones said. “The cheerleaders are super peppy and there are lots of really cool free giveaways and fun things to do.”

The 2012 Fire Fest will be held from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. at Intramural Field 3. The pep rally will be at 8p.m. and will last

SOPHIE NELSONStaff Reporter

BURN BABY BURN. Ridgeway Frank came off the bench and made quite an impact against TSU, taking most of the carries in the fourth quarter and recording a touchdown.

Thomas Boydston | The Houstonian

Proposed health center to include new benefits, pending student vote

This fall, students will have a voice in deciding on two projects for campus expansion, including a new Student Health Center.

The proposed reconstruction will be in the hands of Sam Houston students through a referendum attached to the 2012 Homecoming ballot on Oct. 16 and 17.

If approved, the referendum will raise student health fees by $37 to $75. This will make the amount of student health fees at SHSU just below the average fee in the state of Texas.

According to a statement from the university, the proposed Student Health and Counseling Center Expansion Project includes an approximately 28,000-square feet, two-story

building in an empty lot where King Hall one stood that would house the Student Health Center and Counseling Center.

The staff at the current health center hopes that students approve

the construction of a brand new building to accommodate the expanding student population.

According to Frieda Turner, health center nurse, the space at the current SHC isn’t adequate

enough for the student body.Due to the high volume of

clinic visits, the current capacity of female visits is limited to four per doctor, per day. This does not satisfy the overwhelming amount of students needing medical attention.

SHSU has offered a health center to its students since 1965 when it was built to serve about 5,700 students. The building has not seen any reconstruction or renovation since then, and is currently staffed with four providers and five nurses.

With a student body of about 18,000 this fall, an expanded facility would allow more efficient personal care through a 24-hour nursing and counseling line, expanded general medical services, and zero co-pay for students.

Other improvements for the new center include a walk-up

pharmacy window, in-house radiology, expanded women’s health services, extended hours and same-day appointments.

Andrew Filicky, sophomore computer programming major, says that the need of these services is long overdue.

“I think [the new services are] everything the campus should have had,” Filicky said.

Filicky will only be able to use the new facility for his senior year, but his ideology toward the future is one that Turner would agree with.

“Anything to help the future students coming in would be fine by me,” he said.

Turner urges students to vote “yes” on the referendum sent to them on October 16th.

Once approved by students the new SHC is expected to be completed by the fall of 2014.

JAY JORDANStaff Reporter

New grant may bring license plate trackers to Huntsville

Walker County has applied for a State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) grant this year that will be used to purchase license plate readers if it is awarded.

The license plate readers, also known as automatic license plate readers (ALPR), tracks license plate locations through either small car-mounted cameras or stationary cameras.

The cameras record not only the plate, but also the time, date and location of every car they see and store the information.

“The 2012 grant will be for the license plate readers to be stationed in different locations,” Butch Davis, Walker County’s Chief Deputy and Emergency Management Coordinator, said.

License plate readers are said to be used for locating stolen vehicles and criminals, but others view them as a violation of privacy.

While police can potentially use the information in cases against criminals, the data can also be accessed by anybody who files a public records request.

Alongside law enforcement officials, vehicle repossession companies and actual owners of stolen vehicles can very easily retrieve this data. That being said, so can anybody interested or even potential stalkers. This raises worry among privacy advocates.

“Tracking and recording people’s movements raises serious privacy concerns. Where we go can reveal a great deal about us, including visits to doctor’s offices, political meetings, and friends. Without probable cause, that’s none of the government’s

business,” Terri Burke, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Texas said in a press release this summer.

According to the same press release the ACLU and the ACLU of Texas filed federal Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests with the departments of Justice, Homeland Security and Transportation to learn how the federal government funds ALPR expansion nationwide and uses the technology.

The grants Walker County applies for are requested with specific needs and set amounts in mind. The county has received six grants since 2009 ranging from $159,996.46 to $23,408.26. Three of these grants were from the SHSP and three were from the Citizen Corps Program (CCP). The CCP grants have been used to aid Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT) by outfitting them with supplies, tools and a trailer. According to the Walker County auditor office, a purchase order has been issued for the cameras, but the invoice has not been paid yet. For this reason, of the $91,587.16 requested, $48,387.16 has been used.

The three SHSP grants had the purposes of developing and enhancing interoperable communications, further enhancement of interoperable communication and to purchase and install security cameras in county facilities. Laptops and equipment for police cars, fire services, other law enforcement and EMS were purchased as well as cameras and installing supplies. These SHSP-paid-for items totaled $375,159.46 out of the overall requested $375,996.46.

MCKINZIE BROCAILSenior Reporter

NEW ACCOMODATIONS. The proposed SHC will house both the Health Center and Counseling Center and is expected to be done by Fall 2014.

Photo courtesy of SHSU website

Page 3houstonianonline.com/viewpoints

Thursday, October 4, 2012Viewpoints

...RomneyAfter the Oct. 3 debate, the

world concluded decisively that Mitt Romney, former governor of Massachusetts and Republican presidential candidate, defeated President Barack Obama in the first of three debates.

This comes as no surprise. Obama hasn’t had a real debate since he was on the campaign trail in the 2008 elections. Romney has been vigorously practicing his debating skills and talking points for months.

It clearly caught the President off-guard when Romney challenged not only the ideal of his message, but Obama’s facts. The frustration smeared over Obama’s face was enough to draw this conclusion. Romney looked more like a dog that cornered a squirrel than the next leader of the free world.

Romney masterfully attacked Obama’s record and pushed the President into defensive actions. Keeping the President like this is a brilliant move that made Obama seem more stern and off-putting. Romney actually looks like a *gasp* human.

Obama’s biggest problem with the debate: rhetoric.

One of his favorite phrases “Let me be clear” is the exact opposite of what he was. He seemingly tried to use his methods of old when he famously roused crowds and hyped up the country with fiery speeches by building up the

rhetoric. These tactics, while limited, were inappropriately used in this debate.

What should have been empowering was, instead, an awkward flatline. What would normally be a stirring one-liner or attack-line, instead was thrown back in his face with full force by Romney.

CNN, CNBC and CBS polls all show that Romney was not only the clear favorite in the debate, but that he was also rated as a better leader. However, those results won’t be permanent.

Republicans have a right to be excited. This is only the first time that America has seen Romney seem somewhat competent. His campaign and the Republican party had to “introduce” him to the country two times. It seems that the campaign has finally taken a step in the right direction.

Democrats shouldn’t, and mostly don’t, feel like the campaign

is slipping though. Romney hasn’t been the best at not stepping in the mud. Obama is exceptional as keeping his mouth shut at those times.

Public opinion regularly fluctuates between support and not. Lest we forget the 47 percent comment. Since that time, public discussion about that negative issue is virtually gone. That’s the way most presidential races go.

Because public opinion is only a temporary shift in polls, the Obama campaign should sleep a little bit better at night. Not only that, there are two debates left, plus a vice-presidential debate on Oct. 11.

At the end of the night, Romney will get a boost in the ratings in the next few days as the media focuses on his primetime success. However he needs to clear up a few issues if he wants to grow further.

In future debates, he should be even more clear and more direct with his responses to certain questions. Both Obama and the moderator Jim Lehr asked Romney to ask what he will replace the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) with. Romney responded weakly by saying it should be left to the states and that’s that. Continued ambiguity can result in disaster come election day.

Romney won. Obama lost. Who will win the election? That’s still up in the air.

STEPHEN GREENEditor-in-chief

Dear Ally,My roommate never cleans

up after herself. She is always leaving dishes everywhere and refuses to help out. She also leave her clothes everywhere and hogs the washing machine. I don’t know what to do? Help?

Sincerely,Living with a pig

Dear living with a pig,This is an issue that every

college student faces during his/her college career. Some people are cleaner than others and some don’t feel anything is wrong with living like a slob.

If you are like me, you like your house to be spic and span and will do anything to keep it that way. This usually leads to you cleaning up after everyone in the apartment. If you do this, your roommates may think that you will do this every time and may assume that nothing wrong with this situation. That will not solve anything.

You will have to stand your ground and have a conversation with your roommate. Approach the conversation with a level head and ask them if they could please help out around the house. Just mention little things that everyone could do together or suggest a rotation. If making a chart of responsibilities will help then that might be an option for you and your roommate.

When you have this conversation make sure it doesn’t come off as yelling at your roommate or acting like their parent. This will just breed hostility and make the situation worse. By the end of the chat, you should have asked for more help around the house. Usually this will do the trick and keep the peace in your apartment.

If this doesn’t work, you may want to start cleaning up after yourself and leaving your roommate’s dishes behind or put their clothes on top of the dryer. You can’t be malicious about it; being rude about the situation will make you the bad guy and get nothing solved.

Finally if none of this works, you may need to request a new roommate. Usually you can do this through your apartment complex or your residence manager. Just remember that by requesting a new roommate means you will have to find a new place to live with new people. They may not be better than your previous roommate. Try to exhaust all forms of communication before you take it this far.

Sincerely,Ally

*If you or someone you know is suffering from a problem, and would like some advice, you can email me ANONYMOUSLY at awiley@houstonianonline.com and you could see my response in the paper!*

Ask Ally: How to fix the ‘dirty roommate’ situation

Billion dollar drill pointless without Russian adversity

Seeking to extract fresh samples from the earth’s mantle, international scientists have designed an enormous drill they hope is capable of plowing deeper than any man has ever gone. Undoubtedly, Sigmund Freud is laughing in his grave.

Project co-leader of The Integrated Ocean drilling Program claims that the $1 billion experiment is “the most challenging endeavor in the history of Earth science,” officially putting himself on the shit list of every other billion dollar project currently operating.

Upon hearing of this operation, I was appalled. Somewhere, there was something unsavory about this project. Perhaps it was the fact that the project is to be conducted aboard a Japanese vessel named Chikyu, which, mind you, is pronounced suspiciously similar to Cthulhu. Perhaps it was because, like all men who were once children, I feared for the citizens of Fraggle Rock. Or maybe it was those two simple words: international scientists.

Here in America, we have a tradition of doing things a certain way. By “things,” I mean everything. Therefore, the history of America’s scientific ventures is no exception and can actually be explained in a single sentence. More or less, the only reason Americans have ever been interested in doing anything about anything is because we heard the Russians were going to beat us to it.

For example, a similar attempt to reach the mantle, dubbed Project Mohole, was previously

orchestrated back in the Kennedy years. However, upon finding that the Russians didn’t really care what was in the earth and were much more concerned about what might be on the moon, the project was dropped. Three years later, Americans would land on the moon, marking the success of the Apollo 11 mission, aka project “Anything You Can Do…”

Unless the Russian and American heads demand to be quartered on opposite ends of

the ship and leave anonymous, passive-aggressive notes to each other on the mini-fridge in the break room, I would ultimately be cynical of American involvement in the IODP.

But upon visiting the IODP website, I was shocked to find that there are, as of now, no Russian representatives leading in this project. Not even so much as a single alcoholic. The question then arises: what purpose does American involvement in this experiment serve?

Although the scientists involved are individuals going of their own accord, and the Japanese government is the foremost

invested, the U.S. National Science Foundation is the second leading contributor of funds. While we may not be leading the parade, we are certainly helping with the check.

We seem to now be running in a pointless race, investing millions in a war with nothing but our own ignorance of geology. Self-described, the mission of the IODP is “to provide vital information of the Earth system with which humankind has increasing interaction, through exciting expeditions to ‘inner space’ realized by multiple-platform scientific drilling.” While this is noble to say the least, the fact that absolutely no one will be left shaking their fist at our backsides as we descend into the earth somewhat destroys the romance. Altogether, this is about as sporting as a Master’s degree in philosophy--yes, you have it, but what does it matter?

Let it be known that there is no guarantee this will work out as planned either. The science behind the drill is extremely complicated and I personally find it hard to believe that mankind can drill a 30cm hole four miles into the earth, yet no one has thought of a way to make shoes that are both comfortable and waterproof.

The project is not expected to render results until roughly a decade from now, given all things go correctly.

Hopefully, this will give the Russians plenty of time to launch their own IODP clone, after which the possibilities will be truly endless.

TAYLOR LIKENSStaff Reporter

PAWS DOWN

PAWS UP to the return of the Fire Fest and fireworks!

PAWS UP

PAWS UP to Susan G. Komen breast cancer awareness month.

Wear pink to show support.

PAWS UP to Peter Roussel wearing orange high-top

Converse with a suit to teach his class Tuesday.

PAWS DOWN to Texas Rangers losing AL West. Maybe it was not

meant to be.

PAWS DOWN to getting bronchitis and everyone else

getting sick in the office. Wash your hands, people!

PAWS DOWN to low prospective voter rates in Texas.

Go register before Oct. 9!

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Stephen Green believes Mitt Romney was the victor during the first presidential debate

CorrectionIn the Oct. 2 issue of the Houstonian, in the news article “Two SHSU Alumni in top pick for next Astros mascot”, the correct spelling of the interviewee’s name is

Trent Coots.

Page 4houstonianonline.com/a-e

Thursday, October 4, 2012Arts&Entertainment

“Enron” to be dramatic take on real scandal

Fair on the square expected to attract 15,000

Sam Houston State University’s take on the play “Enron” by Lucy Prebble will be more technical than previous SHSU productions.

“Enron,” which is about the actual Enron scandal and collapse that occurred in the late ‘90s, will be shown in the University Theatre from Oct. 10-13 at 8 p.m. with a Saturday matinee at 2 p.m.

Even though “Enron” is based on the true events, it is told as a dramatic tragedy. To add to the drama there will be a lot of make-up and mask work to be used on the actors.

The play is set in the Enron office building. There will be five large projection screens, a large staircase down the middle of the set and several platforms.

The theatre department has been working the mass communication department on the technical aspects of the projection screens. The screens will be integrating clips of the actual people who were involved in the Enron Scandal.

With so much technology involved, the crew has run into some bumps in the road.

“We have faced some challenges,” Katie Stefaniak,

theatre manager said. “This is the first time we are working with large scale projections. We have worked with projections before but not at this scale.”

Theatre Professor Leslie Swackhamer is the director of the play. She is also on the board of the Susan Blackburn Prize which is how Enron came to campus. Prebble had submitted her writings several times to the board, so Swackhammer was able to meet her. They discussed the play over the summer.

“I think what’s kind of fantastic about the play is that the playwright, Lucy Prebble, has found a way to physically manifest what is happening,” Swackhammer said.

According to a university press release, Enron is being presented as part of a Global Celebration of the 35th anniversary of the Blackburn prize. More than 65 theatres in the English-speaking world are presenting plays by Blackburn Prize Finalists and Winners.

Tickets are $12 general admission and $10 for SHSU students and senior citizens. For questions or to order tickets call the University Theatre Center box office at 936-294-1339.

MOLLY WADDELLArts & Entertainment Editor

SCANDALOUS: “Enron” will be full of make-up and masks. There will also be a technological element.Courtesy of: SHSU Theater Dept.

CHRISTINA BAUMANNStaff Reporter

The Huntsville Chamber of Commerce will be holding the 38th annual Fair on the Square this Saturday from 9 a.m-5 p.m.

What used to be the ‘kick off’ for the Texas Prison Rodeo is now the largest one day event in the Huntsville Community.

Sponsors, vendors and volunteers work hard with the Huntsville Chamber of Commerce to organize the Fair on the Square every year. This year there are over 350 vendors and an estimated 15,000 people attending. Merchants on the square will also be open for business.

The Fair on the Square will start on Friday, Oct. 5 with performances by Mickey & the Motorcars and the Haley Cole Band. The concerts will start at 9 p.m. and last until midnight. There will be a $10 charge at the door or you can purchase your tickets ahead of time for $8 at Cavenders, Baskins or the Chamber of Commerce office.

On Saturday, the fair will run from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. There are no entrance fees and parking is free all day. There will also be several shuttle buses running from 8

a.m.-6 p.m to and from Bowers Stadium.

From 11 a.m.-5 p.m, the Beer Garden will be open and will play two bands every hour. You can sing and dance to local favorites such as Wayne Williams & Thundercreek and the Rosenwall Band. Admission into the beer garden is free as well and you

do not have to be 21 years old to enter. You can visit the Beer Garden on the corner of 14th and University.

The fair will also be broadcasting the famous Battle of the Piney Woods game on Saturday so bring Bearkat pride.

Events Manager Laura Green is very excited to see this year’s

turnout. “It really is a lot of fun. You

have vendors such as Double Dave’s and Papa John’s along with many others coming to participate,” Green said. “The booths are great to visit and it is great for Christmas shopping. There is something there for every age and person. Whether you

want to kick back and watch some football, eat food or shop, there will be something there for you.”

The Fair on the Square offers a special area for kids with all sorts of fun, free activities. There will be a petting zoo, a train, a moon walk, a rock wall, arts and crafts and more. You can find the Kids Korner in the Bank of America parking lot.

“We are also bringing in a couple of vendors who travel just to sell fair food,” Green said. “We will have roasted corn, turkey legs, barbeque, kettle corn, funnel cakes, homemade root beer floats, you name it.”

As for shopping, you will have many options to choose from. With over 350 vendors, you’ll find something that speaks to you.

“The booths will be selling both self-made and commercial products. There is a very large variety with a majority of it being crafts,” Green said.

The chamber will also be providing several ATMs around the square for those who need some extra cash.

“It will be a lot of fun. A lot of people come from out of town. The fair will happen rain or shine but thankfully it is supposed to be beautiful weather on Saturday,” Green said.

GATHER AROUND. The 38th annual Fair on the Square is expected to be successful despite it being the same day as Battle of the Piney Woods. The event is said to attract more than 15,000 visitors.

Photo courtesy of: Laura Green

Page 5Thursday, October 4, 2012Sports

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for play by play updates

Annual fall brawl back at ReliantIn the 86th “Battle of the

Piney Woods”, running back Tim Flanders took the handoff in the third quarter and discovered a seam down the right sideline. When Flanders turned the corner, he found himself face to face with a Lumberjack defender at the goal-line. His options were: a) run out of bounds, b) get tackled, or c) make national headline news. Mr. Flanders went with choice “c”. Without hesitancy, he leaped head first, as the impact of the defenders attempted tackle literally flipped Flanders head over heels into the end zone for the score. Christened “The Flanders Flip,” the touchdown not only lit up the scoreboard, but shed light on SHSU’s talent with a nation-wide response. The play soon became featured nationally as “Play of the Day No. 5″ on ESPN’s SportsCenter, received more than 100,000 hits on YouTube that week, and was even nominated for the GEICO Play of the Year.

This year, Bearkat football fans are expecting nothing less than greatness to continue.

The Battle of Piney Woods rivalry returns to Reliant Stadium in Houston for the third consecutive year this Saturday. It will be the 87th football clash between the two rivals. With Texas A&M’s move to the SEC and the end of the Aggies’ football series with Texas and Baylor, the series between Sam Houston and SFA becomes the fourth oldest continuous college

football rivalry in Texas; and the second oldest FCS rivalry in the state. The infamous backyard dual dates back to 1923, with Sam Houston State holding a 49-35-2 edge in the all-time series. The Bearkats emerged victorious last year, winning 45-10, just a stepping stone to their historical, undefeated, and marquee-worthy 2011 season.

After averaging 24,884 fans in the first two games, Reliant extended their contract, keeping the Battle of the Piney Woods at Reliant Stadium through the 2017 season. Bearkat players are appreciative of the move, as the pro stadium is a fit venue for a rivalry of such epic proportions.

“Having the opportunity to

play in an NFL arena is just tremendous,” Sam Houston senior safety Kenneth Jenkins said. “Both our teams have so many Houston area alumni and students; Reliant Stadium is the perfect setting for this rivalry. Last year’s crowd at Reliant was so loud; it was just a tremendous atmosphere.”

This “Bearkatmosphere”, powered by a sea of orange and “Eat ‘em up” claws, will be countered by an SFA squad that is put together very well.

“We’re going to go against a very potent passing attack against SFA”, Coach Fritz said. “They’re going to throw the ball between sixty to seventy times when we play them, so we’ve got to do a good job in that area.”

The Lumberjacks, much like SHSU, started off with a challenging strength of schedule. They then opened up conference play with a 42-37 upset over Central Arkansas, who had beaten Sam Houston the week before. SFA wide receiver, Cordell Roberson, has been a force to be reckoned with, gripping anything that’s thrown in his general direction. He caught nine passes for 149 yards and a touchdown against UCA and has recorded four 100-yard performances in the team’s five games this season. On pace to become the Southland’s all-time leading receiver, he only lacks 38 more catches to surpass the record.

“Rivalries add to the excitement

and pageantry of college athletics,” Sam Houston director of athletics Bobby Williams said. “This game is one that the fans look forward to each and every season.”

There’s not a whole lot that this 87-year-old rivalry hasn’t seen. Nacogdoches city limit signs were uprooted in the ‘60s, causing left and right hooks to be thrown in the old Bearkat gym as the band played the school fight song in the background. In 1973, the year Sam Houston State University won the NAIA Basketball National Championship, SHSU was ranked number one in the Associated Press poll and number two in the United Press Independent poll. SFA was ranked number two in the AP poll, but number one in the UPI poll. A muddy brawl between the two schools broke out on Pritchett field in the 80’s. Jaw-dropping Bearkat plays have been featured on ESPN, while students sport t-shirts that read “SFA girls are ugly” and “SFA takes it in the AXE” . SHSU has been in the driver’s seat as of late, hoisting the trophy over their heads 9 of the last 12 meetings. The psychology of the color orange is often associated with energy, ambition, and attitude. The psychology of the color purple is associated with wealth, prosperity, and sophistication. But when these two colors clash, there’s no telling what you’ll come up with in 2012.

Tickets to the game may be purchased now online at www.gobearkats.com/tickets or at the SHSU ticket office in the Mafrige Field House at Bowers Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m.

JEREMY KLEIBERStaff Reporter

KICK SOME AXE. The Battle of the Piney Woods game will be played at Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans, for the third straight year due to impressive attendance the previous two years. Kickoff is set for 3 p.m. Saturday.

Eric Fite | The Houstonian

Concern of player safety has surely overshadowed the game of football. The newly enacted helmet rule of the 2012-2013 NCAA rulebook has the right intent of protection of players, but with recent episodes of intentional helmet stripping, the NCAA has given defenses a new way to target key offensive players and keep them from scoring and off the field.

This past weekend Duke University squared off against Wake Forest in North Carolina. Three minutes into the third quarter, Duke running back Jela Duncan scrambled outside to receive a screen pass from quarterback Sean Renfree from the Duke 44-yard line. Duncan received the pass and cut up field when Wake Forest line backer Justin Jackson ripped Duncan’s helmet off as he was breaking down open field for a touchdown. Instead of allowing the running back to continue his breakaway run for a Duke touchdown, officials stopped the play and merely charged the Wake Forest defense with a face mask; a 15-yard penalty, no touchdown.

Article 17 of the NCAA rulebook states that “a player whose helmet comes completely off during a down may not continue to participate beyond the immediate action in which he is engaged.”

The problem isn’t around player safety, the NCAA has given defenses protection to target key offensive players and remove them from the game with the new regulation.

For example, no huddle offensive attacks, such as Texas Tech and Mississippi, wear out power defenses that shut down the run attack and have enough breath to contain the passing game. Defensive coordinators are forced to contrive defensive schemes to slow down aggressive power attacks and allow their defense to regain momentum, i.e. remove the helmets. Under the new regulation, once a player has had his helmet removed during play he must sit out one play before re-entering. This poses problems in late game play with close scores.

Mentioned in a Sports Illustrated column from early September, Jim Brunswick posed the question of how long until the new regulation will cost a team a win. For example, in a late fourth quarter drive down to the red-zone, a linebacker removes the helmet of the starting quarterback on third down, forcing the offense to resort to their backup to execute a game winning play on fourth and goal. Under the new law the defense will only suffer a personal foul but will still have an advantage to control the potential winning drive with a second string quarterback under the center.

After the bounty scandal the New Orleans Saints defense faced this past summer, the new helmet regulation has given defenses a protected bounty program similar to Gregg Williams’ program. Intentional de-helmeting such as the incident in the Duke game not only threatens the player’s safety but also disrupts the rhythm of the game.

Because safety of players is an afterthought, the NCAA has set themselves up for failure.

The new regulation will backfire as more helmets are intentionally ripped off and exposed players are tackled during game play. Although the league hasn’t experienced a serious injury in result of its law, it surely is setting itself up for an injury that will make regulators rethink the consequences of the helmet law. The tables have turned to where the players are now mice in the league’s experimental regulation and are now waiting for a casualty.

For the regulation to be effective, there must be consequences to defensive players who continue to strip helmets off of offensive players. If the NCAA doesn’t reconsider the limits and consequences of helmet stripping, such as player ejections, a new form of defensive strategy will form within the next decade involving pulling helmets instead of old-fashioned tackling.

The intent of the new helmet law is with good heart, but until strict limitations are enforced, the consequences greatly outweigh the intent of safety and remove the physicality of the game of football.

Will new NCAA helmet rule cost teams games?CONNOR HYDESports Reporter

Page 6houstonianonline.com/news

Thursday, October 4, 2012News

New scheduling system aims to ease burden for MAHP students, faculty

Free shots help students battle flu seasonThe Student Health Center did

its part to help students fight the flu this season with free vaccinations this week.

Approximately 800 students were given the flu vaccine between two days, according to Sara Hanel, director of the SHC

Hanel stressed the importance for students to get their shot in order to stay out of bed, and in class.

“[The students] job is to go to school and the flu often keeps students from going to class for about a week,” she said.

The SHC works with Maxim Health Services to offer flu shots for students every year with money from the Medical Service fee.

For students who waited in line and braved the needle, getting the shot was well worth it.

“I’m not someone who usually gets sick,” Shara Natour, sophomore nursing major, said. “But a lot of my family and people around me have been getting it so I got [the shot] just in case.”

“People can get flu all year round, but winter is the season when the flu vaccine is most prevalent because many people are indoors and around each other, which allows the virus to spread

easily,” Hanel said.She added that due to the

changing nature of the flu virus, the vaccine students get changes

every year to match the viruses that are most likely to cause the flu each year.

Students who received the shot

can expect mild soreness in their arm where the shot was given for one to two days. Hanel said it will take up to two weeks to build up

immunity to the flu. There will be another round of

flu vaccinations for faculty and staff next week on Oct. 9 and 10.

GEORGE MATTINGLYNews Editor

Pre-professional health students at Sam Houston State University will now be able to ease their burden of the advising process with the introduction of a new online scheduling system.

“Students will no longer need to call or email us to set an appointment,” Brandy Pace, Secretary for the Medical Allied Health Professional department, said. “They will simply go to our webpage, click the link and set up their own appointment.”

Once students schedule their appointment, an email them and send them an appointment reminder the day before their appointment.

The new system is also designed to accommodate up to 20 advisers. Once students schedule their appointment, the system automatically sends an email to Pace to add onto Turner’s schedule. This way, students can schedule appointments on their own time and Turner can keep track of it as appointments are made.

The MAHP department saw the need for a new system to accommodate the growth of the program and make the advising process more accessible for students and department officials. Currently, the department advises

1,200 students, an approximate increase of 40 percent from last year.

The increase in numbers has created problems for students and faculty members alike, especially with just one department adviser, Jack C. Turner, Ph.D., Director of MAHP.

“My appointment ended up being a month later because [Dr. Turner’s] appointments filled up fast,” Stacie Burchfield, sophomore nursing major, said. “I had to wait longer to make my schedule, which meant the class I wanted already taken and I had to choose times I didn’t want.”

Pace said department growth has also slowed down efficiency.

“Usually, we get so many calls about appointments that take anywhere between five and fifteen minutes,” Pace said. “The new system will help address student problems and allow us to deal with more serious problems other than scheduling questions.”

However, Pace said the department’s goal is to continue to adapt to the growth of the program and the new scheduling system will help improve efficiency for students and faculty.

“We are continually changing to the needs of today’s students,” she said.

GEORGE MATTINGLYNews Editor

FIGHTING THE FLU. Freshman kinesiology major Andrew Gibson was one of many SHSU students to get a free flu vaccination on Wednesday. Vaccinations for faculty and staff will be offered Oct. 9 and 10.

George Mattingly | The Houstonian

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