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CAMPUS NEWS page 2
Vol 65 | Number 09 THE TSU HerALD | February 28, 2013
THe LegACY oF Barbara Jordan 1936 - 1996
UNiVerSiTY MUSeUM CeLeBrATeS HArLeM
LIFE & STYLE page 3
UPDATe: THe To-go BoXeS Are oFFiCiALLY BACK
SPORTS page 9
TSU BASeBALL TeAM BeATS SoUTHerN AND PrAirie VieW
OPINION
Her heart stopped beating: Read about how one student overcame heart failure
page 4
daisy bates:
a forgotten heroine
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Campus News University Museum features Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts courtesy of the University Museum
The University Museum at Texas Southern University will present a major multi-media exhibition which focuses on the development of the first black ballet company in the country. Dance Theatre of Harlem: 40 Years of Firsts features rare and spectacular costumes, sets, and memorabilia from the illustrious history of the company as well as four videos featuring some of the most famous ballets. The exhibition is currently available to be viewed now through April 28. Organized initially in 2009 by the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts, Dorothy and Lewis B. Cullman Center and Dance Theatre of Harlem, the original exhibition presented a comprehensive presentative of 40 years of art and accomplishments through selected visual artifacts. Following a very successful presentation in New York City, the California African American Museum designed the touring exhibition now featured at the University Museum. The exhibition highlights over twenty costumes as works of art and incorporates DTH performance imagery on large banners. Also featured are four “staged” iconic ballets -- Firebird, Dougla, Creole Giselle and A Streetcar Named Desire. These installations provide a theatrical performance quality complemented by edited versions of these historical ballets shown on videotape. Patrons can also view a BBC documentary on Arthur Mitchell and Dance Theatre of Harlem.
editorial staff
editor-in-chief ameena rasheed Managing Editor MECOLE HAYES Life & Style Editor kenneth ware jr. Sports Editor buck bedia Staff Writer LINDSAY GARY Publications Manager tiyosha turner Advisors serbino sandifer-walker michael berryhill
The TSU Herald is published by the students of Texas Southern University. Opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of the administration. The newspaper is printed biweekly, except during holidays and examination periods. For additional information, call (713) 313-1976.
Prior to being presented in Houston, the exhibition was featured at the Charles H. Wright Musuem in Detroit from June 2011 through January 2012. The University Museum at Texas Southern University is the first venue in Texas to feature the exhibition and the only HBCU. In addition to the costumes and staged ballets, the exhibition highlights also include more than 150 historical photographs and video clips of performances from DTH’s archive, as well as numerous artifacts including original tour programs, letters from choreographers and dignitaries, magazine articles and an overview of Arthur Mitchell’s accomplishments. A spectacular element in the presentation is a unique quilt which has embroidered and appliqueed images of the company’s New York City and worldwide touring seasons, including the company’s first performance in New York at the Guggenheim Museum and their first international tour. About the Dance Theatre of Harlem Dance Theatre of Harlem uses the art form of classical ballet to literally change people’s lives. Through performances by its internationally acclaimed company, training in its world-class school, and participation in multifaceted arts education program, Dance Theatre of Harlem has made a difference in the world for 43 years. Inspired to bring new opportunity to the lives of the young people in the Harlem neighborhood in which he grew up, Arthur Mitchell and the late Karel Shook founded the Dance Theatre of Harlem in the basement of a church in 1969. Mitchell, who had found success as a principal dancer with the renowned New York City Ballet, understood the power of training in a classical art form to bring discipline and focus to a challenged community. Dance Theatre of Harlem’s unprecedented success, as a racially diverse company, school and source of arts education was built on creating innovation and bold new forms of artistic expression. Through these varied life skills to countless people in New York City, throughout the country, and around the world. As Dance Theatre of Harlem enters its fifth decade, the company continues to dedicate itself to reaching new audiences witha message of self-reliance, self-expression and individual responsibility in its re-launch of the Dance Theatre of Harlmen Company.
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Campus News To-go box follow-up BY KENNETH WARE JR. Life & Style Editor
Texas Southern University students are halfway through the semester and now have the option to haul their food from the dining hall to the comfort of their dorm, car or wherever they see fit. The much talked-of to-go boxes were finally introduced last week in the cafeteria. Freshman student Iyesha Barnett had no idea why the transparent green containers were popping up in her classmates’ possession all over the Tiger Walk. “I thought someone revived the trend of bringing lunch boxes to school like we did back in elementary school,” Barnett said. After seeing the containers more frequently she decided to ask a fellow student about the reusable container. “I had no idea that the students even had to-go containers until I asked,” Barnett added, “so I picked up mine as soon as I found out.” This new program comes as an increasing number of U.S. colleges are taking up the green mantle of increased environmental responsibility. The Eco To-Go containers are free for students who have a meal plan, but faculty and staff members can purchase a container for $3.00. Graduating senior Truman Warren keeps his green to-go container in his book bag to ensure he does not forgot to bring home food for dinner. “A couple years ago I remember we had the white Styrofoam containers and students would just throw them away in trash cans all over campus,” Warren said. “These new containers are environmentally friendly and I like the fact that you can exchange them out.” To-go container owners can swap out their cleaned container in exchange for a sanitized container each time they come to the dining hall. Transfer student Tony Littlejohn appreciates the new initiative. “When I was at Jackson [State University] we did not have any to-go boxes so this is pretty cool,” Littlejohn said. When students pick up their first to-go container they are marked off on a list at the cashier’s station. If a student loses the container they will be responsible for the $3.00 replacement fee. “I almost left my container in the game room the other day but luckily no one picked it up,” Littlejohn said. “I almost got caught slipping but it will not happen again.” Sodexo’s head cashier supervisor Adrienne Lucas wants all the eligible students to come pick up their containers. “I think a lot of the students still do not know about it so we probably should advertise it better in the cafeteria or maybe in the housing areas,” Lucas said. Improvements have already been discussed for subsequent years. “I like it because the containers are a lot nicer than the ones we had in the past,” Lucas added, “but they should think about ordering some to-go cups to accompany the boxes.”
Tiffany Massey Tiffany Massey, 19, is a sophomore finance major at Texas Southern University. Before Massey, a Kansas-native who started at TSU in the fall of 2011, found her way to the Tigerwalk, she was active in her high school’s debate team. Having the opportunity to work with the incomparable Dr. Freeman and his awarding-winning speech and debate team was one of the many reasons she chose to attend TSU. “While in high school, I knew I wanted to work and live in an international setting some day,” said Massey. “So, aside from the friendly staff, accessible professors, and stellar debate team, I choose TSU because it offered a unique opportunity to test my capacity to engage with and lead my peers as a racial and cultural minority. I have learned and experienced far more than I could have anticipated and am so grateful for the relationships gained and lessons learned.” As a student at Texas Southern University, Tiffany Massey boasts a 3.95 grade point average and is an active member in the speech and debate team. In fact, she got runner-up in at an international speech and debate competition in 2012. Now, Tiffany is doing a co-op NASA’s chief financial office.
Little known fact about Tiffany She played basketball in high school and won a state championship with her team in 2011.
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Life & Style
Her Heart Stopped Beating: Nigeria Evan overcomes heart failure
Nigeria Evans at the Heart Institute in Houston.
BY IYSHA BATTS Contributing Writer She opened the door to her parents’ home and flashed a welcoming smile; a shy, soft spoken woman whose voice sounded more like she was whispering than talking. She walked around the room, introducing her family, passing a walker that serves more as decoration than a means for assistance. She doesn’t need that walker anymore. She walks just fine now, an amazing accomplishment when you consider that just five years ago Nigeria Evans’ heart was failing. “She was really a little stage better than a vegetable because we had to teach her how to eat, had to hand feed her; she had to walk all over again. She had to learn all over again this life because she lost ten years of her life,” said Brenda Shuler, Evans’ mother, as she reminisced over how far her daughter has come. Evans enjoyed a normal childhood and adolescence. Her father, Walter Shuler, recalled that she never showed any signs of being sick. She was always active; a member of the band at Cullen Middle School as well as the ROTC program, School of Communications and the Women of Distinction at Yates High School. She also attended Texas Southern University for two years, where she majored in pre-nursing and worked with the university newspaper, The Herald. However, in 2007, Evans’ life would be forever changed. It all began one morning as Evans was coming over to visit with her parents. At the time, she was 28 and married to a man she had met while she was in college. On her way up the driveway, she found herself feeling short of breath. The walk from her car to her parents’ front door might as well have been a mile long run. In fact, every task proved daunting after that. She had trouble getting out of the shower. She couldn’t walk more than two feet without feeling weak and out of breath. Finally, her mother decided that it was time to take Evans to the hospital. It was there that they discovered the extent of Evans’ illness. Her mother took her to St.Lukes Episcopal Hospital where they found out that Evans had an enlarged heart. “You know your heart is as big as your fist; her heart was as big as her head. It had lapsed over into her stomach. They showed us a picture and we couldn’t believe it,” said Shuler. After her diagnosis, Evans was hospitalized. Her heart was failing; no longer able to pump enough blood to her body. It was during this hospitalization that she suffered a series of catastrophic events that would put her in a vegetative state for the next year. One day, during her month and a half long hospital stay, Evans suffered a total of five heart attacks. Her heart essentially stopped beating a total of five times. The fifth time was the longest. According to her mother, Evans was without a heart beat for approximately 45 minutes as the doctors at St. Lukes worked on her tirelessly. The final heart attack proved to be the most destructive to Evans’ body. Being without proper blood and oxygen flow to her brain for such a long period of time left Evans with severe short term memory loss and a loss of most of her motor skills. At this point it was clear; Evans’ heart was not going to be able to hold up on its own. She was going to need a heart transplant if she had any hope of surviving. In order to do the work Evans’ heart was no longer able to do, she was placed on a Left Ventricle Assist Device (LVAD). The LVAD’s, as it’s called, function was to essentially take the load off Evans’ heart by pumping
much needed blood to the left ventricle, which would then pump to the rest of the body. The procedure was performed by Dr. Oscar Howard Frazier, Chief of Transplantation and Surgical Director for Heart Transplantation and LVAD at the Texas Heart Institute at St. Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and professor at Baylor College of Medicine. The medical positions he holds and has held are too extensive to list, but chief among them, at least in Evans’ case, is that he stands as the current leader in heart transplantation and LVAD procedures. Frazier has been working with and developing the LVAD for the better part of 40 years. “She would not have survived without the pump,” Frazier put it simply. The LVAD was not intended to replace Evans’ heart forever. The fact still remained that Evans needed a new heart if she was going to survive. Before Evans could get a heart she had to be placed on the donors list, but before she could be placed on the donors list, she had to have Medicare and that, according to Evans’ mother, took 24 months. As the family waited for Evans’ name to be placed on the donor list, they took her back to her parents house and began difficult the task of home rehabilitation. The hospital suggested that Evans go to The Institute of Rehabilitation and Research (TIRR) at Memorial Hermann Hospital and even offered to pay for it, but Evans’ then husband refused, much to the dismay of her family. The hospital did not wish to interfere with family disputes, so they retracted their offer and the Shuler family was forced to rehabilitate Evans themselves. “We showed her pictures. Her family played solitaire with her and word games and taking her for walks. That’s how we rehabilitated her at home. We didn’t have $900 to pay a month for a care giver. We were the caregivers,” said Shuler. Evans suffered severe bouts of depression during her recovery. Her mother recalled that she would cry all day, every day and would go through several boxes of tissue a day. Evans and her family were not only battling the debilitating effects of her disease, but also a rapidly failing marriage. Evans’ mother recounted the horrifying details of a son-in-law that wanted his wife to die. According to Shuler, Evans’ ex-husband would come to their house under the pretense of visiting his wife and then secretly try to convince her to pull the life supporting cords from her body. “We noticed that after he would visit, after he left, blood would be everywhere,” said Shuler, “He was being very difficult because he did not want her to get better.” Evans’ parents knew that a divorce was needed, but Evan’s husband was desperate to convince anyone that would listen that Evans was incompetent to go through divorce proceedings. According to Evans’ mother, the presiding judge asked Evans her name and when she was able to successfully provide it, he deemed her competent to go through the divorce proceedings. The divorce was finalized on May 8, 2009. Though a slow process, Evans began to react positively to her family’s rehabilitation efforts. She was walking and speaking and, eventually, even cooking again. “She would get up and cook us breakfast at four in the morning,” said Shuler. “The food wasn’t quite right, but she was trying. She was trying to get herself back together.”
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Life & Style
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Daisy Bates: A Forgotten Heroine BY AMEENA RASHEED Editor-in-Chief
The civil rights movement produced several notable female leaders; however, many of their stories have never been told, that is until now. One such unsung heroine was unshakable. Her name: Daisy Bates. Her mission: dismantle Arkansas’ segregation laws. I recently had the opportunity to watch a screening of Daisy Bates: The First Lady of Little Rock at a Houston PBS event. To say that her story inspired me would be an understatement. I was left in awe of her resilience. She was so poised, strong and brave. Imagine being 8-years-old and finding out from a playmate that your real mother was raped and killed by racist thugs. What if you walked into a store and just because of the color of your skin, the owner tells you to wait “nig—” until I serve these white people and then gives you a piece of meat that’s not even fit for the hogs to eat? How does one cope with that kind of hatred? For Bates, it was the love of her dear parents. They sheltered her from much of the cruelty in the segregated South, but they could only do so much. Soon Bates learned to tangle with the wicked reality of inequality. Her story empowered me. Bates’ childhood made her story all the more complex. She not only had to fight through the issues of racism and sexism, but she had to deal with the internal conflict of being adopted and the truth about her mother’s rape and murder; truths that were revealed to her through the taunting of school children in her community. She made no excuses for herself and empowered me to take my own challenges and use them to propel myself into something greater, to never be too concerned with where I am because I have the power to overcome the misfortunes in my past. Instead of becoming bitter, racism humbled Bates, made her determined and a fighter, which made me respect her even more. The maturity and selflessness displayed by Bates was something I had not seen before. She was a fierce debater and even though she only completed eighth grade, Bates was known for her determination and eloquence. She used the tragedies of her past to become an advocate for the disenfranchised individuals in her community. Bates started her crusade for change during her teenage years when she met and married a journalist named Lucious Christopher Bates in the early 1940s. Together they started a weekly AfricanAmerican newspaper, the Arkansas State Press. The newspaper allowed her to make the fight for equality front and center in Arkansas. She soon became the president of the Arkansas chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in 1952. At the time of her presidency the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that school segregation was unconstitutional in the Brown v. Board of Education case in 1954. However, Arkansas schools still weren’t admitting African-
American students in white institutions. Bates and her husband used their newspaper to bring the issue to light. As schools in the North began to admit black students, the schools in the South did not. Many were afraid that if Arkansas started integrating its schools, it would act as a domino effect and desegregate schools in the South. In 1957, Bates had enough. She helped fight to get a group of young African-American students, known as the Little Rock Nine, into Little Rock Central High School. She served as an advocate for the students. Her home was a safe haven for the students to organize their plan to achieve equality. Her story humbled me. Being a student at a historically black university in the deep South, I have never had to deal with the mental and physical anguish of being denied an education simply because of the color of my skin. If anything, I have been pushed to work harder. Watching the hatred and brutality Bates and the Little Rock Nine endured made me so much more appreciative of the civil liberties that I enjoy today. I especially admired the courage of Little Rock Nine’s Elizabeth Eckford. Eckford, unaware of a schedule change, showed up at Little Rock High School to be greeted by an angry mob that shoved and hurled obscenities at her. She stood her ground. It took courage for her to do that. As I watched Daisy Bates’ story unfold, it angered me. Why hadn’t anyone talked about her? I vaguely remember hearing about the Little Rock Nine in grade school and I certainly did not hear about Daisy Bates at all. Bates singlehandedly took on racial segregation in Arkansas. In my eyes, she was braver than most of the men in Arkansas. Mrs. Bates has definitely been short changed. We live in a patriarchal society that has condensed the history of an entire ethnic group into one month and unjustly we are seeing that the women, who were on the front lines demanding justice, don’t get the glory. It moved me. It forced me to question my belief system. Would I be strong enough to stand up by myself for what’s right like Bates? Would I be able to put my life on the line for the next generation of African-Americans? As we celebrated Black History Month in February and Women’s History Month in March, I hope that we continue to give attention to those who are lesser known. I am happy that an underreported civil rights heroine, such as Daisy Bates is getting some attention. She showed me that one woman with a vision can make a difference. It is a lesson that needs to be heard by many others and I am happy to see that there is now an opportunity for others to hear it.
Texas Southern University Excellence in Achievement
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As the weeks go by here at Texas Southern University, our lead photographer Dominique Monday captures all of the moments and current events on campus. 1. The Ocean of Soul’s drum majors march onto the field. 2. Felix Gomez pitching during TSU’s win over Southern University at the Urban Invitational. 3. Some of the models for the Delta Gamma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta’s fashion show display their vintage looks. 4. Fred Sturdivant leaps above his opponents for a slam dunk. 5. Ellis Stephney rounding third. 6. Head coach Mike Davis gets recognized at the basketball game after his 250th victory. 7. Larence Snowden and Dorothy Hardy shake hands during a program which celebrated the life and legacy of Barbara Jordan. 8. Elliott Turner shows off his moves on the Tigerwalk. Photo by Jerry Webb 9. Princess Daniels warms up before the big game. 10. A few of the senior softball players in the dugout. (Photo by Buck Bedia)
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Cover Story The life and legacy of Barbara Jordan BY SENORA HARRIS Contributing Writer The arrival of what would have been Barbara Jordan’s 77th birthday on February 21 has led TSU students and staff to celebrate and reflect upon her legacy. “When I come into the [Public Affairs] building each day, I celebrate Barbara Jordan by making sure that students who come through the school of Public Affairs especially realize who she [Jordan] was,” said LaRence Snowden, the Director of Programs and Adjunct Professor of the Barbara Jordan - Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs. As a means of acknowledging her political involvement, Jordan’s most prolific speeches were played throughout the main lobby of the Public Affairs building. The speeches included the Nixon Judicial Committee impeachment, as well as the 1972 & 1996 Democratic National Convention speeches. World-famous debate coach Dr. Thomas Freeman has 63 years of grooming young leaders including Jordan. She was a member and skilled competitor of the historic Texas Southern University (TSU) Debate Team. Although she is no longer here physically, her impact is felt by its current members. Carmellia Parham, a senior majoring in political science and current reigning president of the debate team, feels inspired to walk a similar path as Jordan did during her studies at TSU. “I think that something that I do to celebrate her is that I debate,” Parham said. Parham debates with dedication and with the intentions to progress similar to the way Jordan did many years ago. Freeman urged Jordan to attend Boston University Law School. At law school, she was one of two African American women in the graduating class of 1959. They were the only women to graduate that year. “I would say that she [Jordan] is an inspiration to everything that I will do in society,” Parham said. Before 1960, Jordan managed to pass the Massachusetts and Texas Bar examinations. She was offered a law position in the state of Massachusetts, but she declined the offer. Freshman Administration of Justice student Nia Johnson is honored to participate on the same team as Jordan once did. “Walking into the debate office, seeing pictures of her up, you can
never forget about the stamp that she put not only on the debate team, but Texas Southern University,” Johnson said. Jordan served as the inspiration for rising junior and chemistry student Adriana Boyd-Lewis to join the debate team. “When I heard about her delivering her speech before the Democratic Convention, it was mind blowing to me,” Boyd-Lewis said. “I watched it on YouTube and was like ‘Oh man, I want to be like her.’” Boyd-Lewis states that a strong African American female role model is what comes to mind when she reflects on Jordan. “When I think of Barbara Jordan, I think excellence, achievement, power, grace and eloquence,” Boyd-Lewis said. Jordan has become a key figure in history. Her rise from poverty to prominence through diligence and perseverance in the fields of law, politics, and education has become a model for others to follow. During an interview on the Black Entertainment Television channel in February of 1993, Jordan maintained that circumstances of birth, race, or creed should not inhibit an individual from succeeding if he or she wishes to achieve greatness. Notably, Jordan became the first African American woman elected to the House of Representatives, as well as the first African American to be elected into the Texas Senate. Non-debate team members like freshman Ruby Armstead also encompass a great appreciation for Jordan’s contributions. “I feel that even though she may have left this earth early, she got a lot done,” Armstead said. “She was a positive role model for Black women,” Armstead said. Throughout her life Jordan continued to deny that her life’s achievements were extraordinary. Her modesty was a major part of her upbringing. In 2011, Jordan was honored with a postage stamp – it is the 34th in the post office’s Black heritage series. Over the years, Jordan received innumerable honorary degrees from universities such as Princeton and Harvard, but TSU will always be her home. “There is not a time that anyone gets on a podium and talks about Texas Southern University that they do not talk about Barbara Jordan,” Snowden said.
The Delta Gamma chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. celebrated the birthday of TSU alumna Barbara Jordan, who was its chapter president in 1955.
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Sports
This week in Tiger Athletics BY BUCK BEDIA Sports Editor Women’s Basketball The Lady Tigers clinched the regular season title and the number 1 seed for the SWAC tournament with a win on the road over Alabama A&M on Sat. Feb. 22nd. The ladies won handedly 72-56, head coach Cynthia Cooper has led the TSU Lady Tigers (17-9) to their first regular season title in Texas Southern history. The Lady Tigers pounced to a 20-point lead by the end of the 1st half, shooting an amazing 84% from the field. Leading scorer of the game was freshman Te’era Williams who had a career-high 25 points. Brianna Simmons went 4-5 behind the arc finishing the game with 16. The Lady Tigers also won this Monday, February 25, Feb. 25th at Alabama State by the score of 64-52. The victory makes Coach Cooper two games shy of her 150th win in her coaching career. The last two games of the season will be at home Feb. 28th against Southern and Mar. 1st against Alcorn State, tip-off at 5:30 PM. Men’s Basketball After Monday night’s 70-50 win over Alabama State, the Tigers (15-14, 12-2) are now set to take on Southern in a winner-take-all for the SWAC’s regular season title at the HP&E Area on Thursday night. Fred Sturdivant had an outstanding game getting his 11th doubledouble of the season, tallying up 22 points, 13 rebounds while swatting away 6 shots on the defensive side. “We picked it up, when they (Ala. St.) came out slugging in the second half, coach told us we had to want it, we have to play with heart,” said Sturdivant. Other Tigers scoring in double figures were; Aaron Clayborn and Lawrence Johnson-Danner, who each had 12 and Ray Penn added 10. Be sure to come out the see the Tigers battle for the SWAC regular season title against Southern University at the HP&E Area Thursday, Feb. 28th at 8 PM Baseball The Tiger Baseball team (5-2) won two out of three games at the MLB Urban League Invitation, a tournament that featured teams from the SWAC, which was held at Minute Maid Park, this past weekend. On Friday, Feb 22, the Tigers survived a pitchers duel against Southern University, winning 1-0. Tyler Flanagan provided the only offense needed, by taking a fastball and putting into the right field seats for his second homer of the early season. The one run was all pitcher Felix Gomez needed. Gomez pitched 8 solid innings, giving up only 4 hits on 3 walks with 3 strikeouts, getting the win. Adrian Losoya came in the 9th and slammed the door on the Southern Tigers collecting his first save of the season by striking out all three batters he faced. Behind the plate Andrew Garza was spectacular gunning down two potential base stealers. For the second game on Saturday, Feb. 23 TSU brought out the sticks and handed Prairie View a stunning 9-0 loss at the Juice Box. Andrew Garza led the Tigers offensively going 2 for 4, knocking in 3 with 2 doubles. Centerfielder Corbin Smith also had 2 hits, including a double that scored one run.
Rob Pearson had a quality start going 7.1 innings giving up only 2 hits and striking out six Panthers. In the finale on Sunday, TSU lost to Alabama State 3-1, pitcher Frank Cruz IV struck out 9 in the effort. Next home game slated for the Tigers is Tuesday Feb. 26th against Houston-Tillotson at 3 PM. Softball The Lady Tiger softball team (8-4) took two games from UHVictoria on Friday afternoon 2-1 and 8-0. The first game the Lady Tigers bats were a little cold after a long delay, winning by the margin of 2-1. Jessica Hayes pitched a complete game only giving up no runs on 3 hits; the Jaguars only run was scored on an error. All the offense for the Lady Tigers was scored on back-to-back hits in the fourth. Fitima Alvizo slapped a triple into the right field corner that knocked in Chelsea Guenther who was hit by a pitch earlier in the inning. Immediately after Alvizo’s triple, Jasmine Hutchinson knocked in the run that led to the win with a sacrifice fly that plated Alvizo. In the second game, Rebecca Villareal did not give the Jaguars a chance in the second game tossing a no-hitter in the first game. Villareal only struck out two, but her defense did not let anything get by them. “I wouldn’t be an effective pitcher without my defense making the plays we need to win ball games,” said Villareal. At the plate senior Jasmine Hutchinson went 2 for 3 knocking in 3 runs with a R.B.I. double and a single that scored two. Brianna Parker also chipped in with a triple that brought home 2 runs. Next home games for the Lady Tigers is a double-header at Memorial Park against Northwood on Saturday March 9th, first pitch for game 1 will be at noon. Track and Field SWAC Indoor Championships (Story by Rodney Bush) The Texas Southern men’s track and field team earned seven medals at the SWAC 2013 Indoor Track and Field Championships. The Flying Tigers captured one gold, four silver and two bronze medals. Aaron Rodgers, a senior from Pearland, Texas, was crowned SWAC Indoor Long Jump champion with a distance of 7.12 meters. Rodgers also took a silver medal in the high jump (1.98m). The Tigers had three other silver place finishers. Drayton Rolle (sophomore, Houston) was second in the long jump (7.09m), Arte’ Collins (senior, Missouri City, Texas) was runner-up in the 400 meter dash with a time of 47.65 and the TSU 4x400 meter relay team was second with a time of 3:14.47. The relay team members are Jeffry Lacroix (junior, Miami, Florida), Collins, Michael Holmes (junior, Houston) and Jeff Lacroix (junior, Miami, Florida). Texas Southern had two third place medalists. Demetrious Williams (sophomore, Boston, Massachusetts) picked up a bronze medal in the triple jump with a distance of 14.27 meters and Antonio Flores was third in the Pole Vault (3.75m). The Tigers earned 80 points and a third place overall finish in the SWAC Indoor Championships.
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Opinion Every catch isn’t a good catch BY LINDSAY GARY Staff Writer Love is the one thing every human being craves to the core. When we feel loved, we are our best selves; but when we are not loved, we tend to go on a destructive path in the search for it—usually in all the wrong places. Love is complicated and its complex nature goes deeper than the cliché. Although the English language attempts to simplify this, the word itself is used to describe five completely different emotions. The Greek language does a better job: 1. Mania: obsession 2. Eros: passion; lustful desire 3. Philos: brotherly love; the love of friends 4. Storgy: parental love 5. Agape: The love of God; pure, unconditional love While love is intended to be beautiful, it is tainted by its contradictions; while it represents the beauty in agape, storgy, and philos, it also signifies the lustful “DTF” nature of eros. It is comparable to the “mean girls” of emotions—loved by some (those who have that special someone), hated by others (the folks who are “salty” because they can’t find a significant other), but manically imitated by the majority of the population (those who desperately try to find that special someone—the person who would do almost anything to “get chose”—the “thirsties” if you will). Desperate times are increasingly calling for even more desperate measures. Some of you are currently scrolling through your iPhone contacts for a long-lost potential boo. Some of you, instead of paying attention in class, are looking around the lecture hall for a cutie you can “holla” at after class. And the rest of you, so desperate for love or better yet for the mere appearance of being loved, have dared to go into no-mans land. Beyond Facebook stalking. Beyond Direct Messaging one of your fine followers. Past the Google search, and into the world of online dating. But beware, oh online dater! For the catfishers are upon us! Pretending to be someone you are not is in no way new to the dating arena. Have you ever heard married couples “jokingly” complain that the person they married is not the same person they dated? Well catfishing takes this game of pretend to a previously unimaginable level. The media has highlighted this phenomenon with the documentary film “Catfish” and the more popular MTV hit show “Catfish” that highlights the perils of everyday people who have been fooled into thinking the person they are dating online is someone different from who they really are. We laugh at the demise of these “serious” relationships in which the parties involved go months without seeing each other but claim to be in love. We love (no pun intended) to watch the fighting that erupts when the girl finds out the man she has been dating online turns out to be a woman! It is like Cheaters meets eharmony! But catfishing does not just inflict the meek; it is not specific to us normal people. Does Manti Te’o ring a bell? This Notre Dame football star was catfished. In fact, he maintained a loving relationship with Lennay Kekua, his “girlfriend” until she faked her death, causing extreme distress for the football player and even making national headlines. A few months later, Te’o learns that the amazing woman with the angelic voice, the one he had talked to on the phone nearly every night, was still alive—alive as a man. This too made national news and thrust the pretend aspect of online dating into the spotlight. We have to ask ourselves how do people, adults, fall for this? Are they just dumb? Did they not do their research? Crazy in love maybe? Or rather crazy for love? I say they are just desperate. It is embarrassing enough that
you have to find love online. There is a stigma of not being worthy enough to find someone in person that goes along with online dating—often considered the last resort. But it is even worse when you think you have found “the one” but the one turns out to be your worst nightmare. How discouraging that must be not only to your ego but to your heart. It is understandable that you want to be loved. It is even understandable that you want to feel loved just for a day, even if you do not get any romantic attention the other 364 days. But do not succumb to the humiliation of careless online dating. Do not become so engrossed in finding someone that you ignore all the signs of this person being everything you do not want. Let catfishing be a lesson in love. Do not give in to the mania and pressure of society. You are not the only single person today and you surely will not be the only single person tomorrow. Do not let the pressure create in you an erotic desire that you would not otherwise feel. Instead, focus on the ones you love. Dedicate your time to the friend that has always been there and to the unwavering love of your parents. Thank God for the unconditional, pure love he provides everyday of the year. And most importantly, concentrate on loving yourself.
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Opinion
20 Questions If you have been a student at Texas Southern University, then you know that some interesting things happen on the Tigerwalk. This section is reserved for the student body of TSU to share insightful, saracastic and sometimes humorous commentary based on their observations. As previously stated, this section of the newspaper is for entertainment purposes only. Those who can’t take a joke might not want to read.
Tweet @TheTSUHerald with your questions using the #TxSU20 hashtag.
1. Why did SGA have to go to Tennessee to have a retreat with each other? 2. How much did SGA spend on the retreat? 3. Why are student leaders so power hungry? 4. Who’s going to be in the Mr. TSU competition? 5. Will Steve Champion crown the new Mr. TSU? 6. Which event had the bigger crowd, the Iota yard show or the SGA president’s address to the student body? 7. When is Springfest? 8. Why does TSU have so many dance teams? 9. Does the student body take our sororities and fraternities seriously? 10. Do the sororities and fraternities on
our campus take themselves seriously? 11. Is NAACP the new UPC? 12. Does NAACP run the yard? 13. Did you go on the TSU Day at the Capital trip? 14. What did you learn? 15. Why do the Deltas stroll to Scarred? 16. What happened to creativity and originality? 17. When will certain organizations get new strolls? 18. Can we get a food restaurant on campus that has a dollar menu? 19. When will campus organizations finally work together for the sake of the student body? 20. Why weren’t there any black history month programs?
continued from page 4 After the two years was up, Evans’ Medicare was active and she was placed on the donors list. Only three months went by before a match was found. Evans’ new heart was going to come from a 21-year-old male, Caucasian, athlete from somewhere up North. Evans received her new heart on December 23, 2009. It is the hope of Evans and her family to one day meet the family of the young man who saved her life. Evans was fortunate enough to receive her heart only three months after being placed on the donor list, but many of the recipients waiting on the list have been there for years and will be there for years to come. Evans and her mother recalled meeting a woman who had been waiting for an organ match for 10 years. The long wait for organ matching is due in large part to the drastic disparity between the number of people in need of organ transplantation and the number of people actually registered to be organ donors. As it stands, minorities make up the majority of those in need of organ donation, a whopping 55%, and have an increased risk for many of the diseases that cause organ failure. However, the numbers of minorities that actually donate are disproportionate to their need resulting in long waits for some patients and other who die waiting. The African-American population makes up the largest percentage in need of transplants. As of 2010, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services reports that African-Americans, who make up roughly 13% of the population, constitute 29% of those recipients on the organ donor waiting list. Despite the discouraging numbers, minorities are still not donating at a level that matches their need and it is due largely in part to long standing stigma and taboos that still exist in minority communities about organ donation ranging from religious beliefs to personal convictions. “I was always told that if you signed up to be an organ donor, they wouldn’t try as hard to keep you alive should you be in a life or death surgery,” said Gladys Pinter, 43- year-old mother of three. Similar misunderstandings about organ donation affected Evans’ family as well, none of whom were organ donors before Evans’ illness. “We were told that it’s taboo. We’re raised a certain way and we’re told that if our organs don’t follow us we won’t go into heaven… It’s a fear factor thing; that we’re just afraid of the unknown,” said Shuler. Younger generations have slightly different reasoning behind their decision not to donate. “I don’t believe in donating my organs,” said Ariana Williams, a senior at Texas Southern University. “I would if I was alive and someone in my family needed them, but if I’m dead I don’t want my organs to go to somebody else. I want all my body parts in me when I’m dead.”
In some cases, the beliefs of the previous generations are passed down to the next, perpetuating a cycle of disbelief in organ donation. “My grandfather told me I couldn’t do it, because he said that’s not the Christian thing to do. He said if you’re born with it, you should die with it. I share that belief,” said Curtis Edwards, another student at TSU. After Evans’ ordeal, she and the Shuler family had their minds made up about organ donation and its benefits. Mrs. Shuler said that everyone in their family is organ donors now. “Had no one donated a heart for her, she wouldn’t be here today. She wouldn’t be here to tell her story and we’re very thankful for that,” said Shuler. Though Evans and her family now know the importance of organ donation, they understand that some people will never see it for the life saving step it is until they need it to save the life of one of their loved ones or their own. Today, Evans has made an almost full recovery. The medicines she takes to keep her new heart healthy have declined from approximately 22 pills a day when she first had the surgery to 10 pills a day. She now spends her time enjoying things like cooking, reading, watching TV, and socializing on Facebook. She also attends St.Lukes’ bimonthly social and goes to work with her mother from time to time. She volunteers once a week at the Heart Exchange at St. Lukes Episcopal Hospital where she talks with patients about the benefits of LVAD and heart surgery. She also tries to convince patients who are skeptical about having surgery, that the effects can be life saving. “There was one lady who was afraid to have heart surgery, but Nigeria talked her into it. She changed her mind. Had she not, she probably wouldn’t have been here. They see how healthy she looks now. She’s changed quite a few minds to get the surgery,” said Shuler. She uses her volunteer work at the hospital to encourage patients by telling them her story and listening to theirs. She also visits and participates in several health fairs where she speaks to visitors about the importance of organ donation. “I remind them that it could possibly help save someone in their family’s life and that you can donate your skin, your eyes. Its other things you can donate besides your organs,” said Evans. Evans is looking toward the future. She plans to return to school within the next two semesters and pursue a teaching degree. Her ultimate goal is to teach high school or college level English. She blushes at the mention of a new relationship and insist that that is the farthest thing from her mind. She is focused on making her life count. “I’m just excited about my future and all the possibilities that it holds,” said Evans, with a tilt of the head and a sweet silent strength.
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What’s Happening on campus & around town
Monday - 2/25
Tuesday - 2/26
Wednesday - 2/27
Thursday - 2/28
Friday - 3/1
The Weekend 3/2 & 3/3
Monday - 3/4
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Wednesday - 3/6
Thursday - 3/7
Friday - 3/8
The Weekend 3/9 & 3/10
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