PINE LOG The
Page 6 Ladyjacks lose to Southeastern Louisiana. Only third time in history of series.
The Independent Voice of Stephen F. Austin State University
Monday, October 15, 2012
Five to serve at Texas legislature By Katelynn Wiggins Staff Writer Five SFA students will have the opportunity to experience the Texas legislature this spring. Texas Sen. Rodney Ellis sponsors the Texas Legislative Internship Program (TLIP) each year allowing college students across the state to participate in legislation directly. "Students can gain a wide range of experiences (at TLIP) because you get right in the middle of the legislative process," Dr. Ken Collier, TLIP campus coordinator and associate professor of political science, said. The internship is available to students from a wide range of Texas colleges, but only five students will be accepted from SFA. Applications are due Oct. 15 to Collier. Recipients will be notified within two weeks after applications are due. "We welcome any major," Collier said. The applicants have primarily been political science majors in the past, but major is not taken into consideration during the application process. To improve their application, students can "articulate how they could benefit from this kind of experience," Collier said. About 12 students apply each year, Collier said. The criteria is based on who could grow the most from this experience. "It has been clear to us, some years, that some students have a need for this and some just want to do something different," Collier said. TLIP interns have a very demanding job in Austin. When the legislative process begins, some interns may be assigned to follow a bill from start to finish, Collier said. And if that bill is discussed at midnight, the intern will have to be there. The internship begins a couple of weeks before school begins and runs through the end of May. Students will receive nine hours of upper-level political science credit. If a student needs three more hours to remain a full time student, they may work out an independent study with a professor, Collier said. If chosen to participate in TLIP, students will receive a $7000 stipend for living expenses. Stipends are sponsored by the Beaumont Foundation. The foundation also donates money to the general scholarship fund at SFA. Ellis helps facilitate living arrangements and aids students in finding roommates when they arrive in Austin. He also assigns speTLIP, page 2
Grant Korbel/Pine Log Photo Student Regent Jourdan Dukes poses before the Piney Woods game with SFA President Dr. Baker Pattillo in the Alumni Association tent. Although the student regent does not have a vote on the Board, his or her opinions reflect the student bodies wants and needs. Applications for the new student regent are available now.
Applications due for Student Regent
By Sara Zavorka Staff Writer
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riday, Nov. 2 at 5 p.m. is the deadline for completed applications for the position of 2013-2014 Student Regent of SFA. Applications will be accepted only at the Office of the Dean of Student Affairs, or in the SFA Involvement Center, by mail or in person. Only one student will be selected, if any, to serve a one-year term. This opportunity exists for all public university systems across the state, as well as a few independent public universities. The Board of Regents members themselves are appointed by the governor and their duties are to establish policies on campus, including tuition and campus development. They oversee university management and investments and hold responsibility to the university president. The position of Student Regent is an honor, as he or she is hand-
selected by the governor of Texas, Gov. Rick Perry. They serve on the Board of Regents as a non-voting member, representing the interest of the students, their university, and the state of Texas. This student is required to participate in Regent activities such as orientation sessions by the Office of the Governor and the THECB. They must attend a summer session Retreat with all of the other past and future Student Regents from across the state, and are required to attend all Board of Regents meetings conducted throughout the year. The applications are collected and a committee of student government members sends recommendations to the University president, Dr. Baker Pattillo. He then will interview two to three applicants and send those names to the Texas Governor’s office. Those candidates who advance there will be vetted via a phone call from the office in Student Regent, page 2
SAA Burn Shirts free Monday to Friday
Student Activities Association will be giving away the annual Homecoming Burn Shirts beginning at 10 a.m. on Monday, October 15 in the BPSC Plaza. SAA will pass out shirts for the remainder of the week from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. until all shirts are given away. In order to receive a FREE SAA Homecoming Burn Shirt, the process is very simple. You have to come to the SAA table in the BPSC Plaza and trade another University’s t-shirt for your FREE Burn Shirt. For the past nine years, SAA has helped promote SFA school spirit by collecting other university T-shirts from students, faculty and staff and replacing them with a FREE SFA T-shirt. Half of the shirts collected are placed inside the homecoming bonfire and the remaining shirts are donated to nonprofit organizations. For more information please contact SAA at 468-1222.
Volume 93 Issue 11
Next Publication: Thursday, October 18, 2012
Visit us online at
www.thepinelog.com
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‘The U.S. and Middle East: The Future Relationship’ Global leadership changes and their potential impacts on the Texas economy will be discussed during a conference titled “The U.S. and Middle East: The Future Relationship” Oct. 18-19 at the Magnolia Hotel in Houston. The conference is hosted by SFA, the Center for International Studies at the University of St. Thomas, the Egyptian Consulate of Houston, and the Consulate General of Israel to the Southwest. Dr. Brian Murphy, dean of SFA’s College of Liberal and Applied Arts and one of the conference organizers, said the importance of the Middle East to Texas and the United States is beyond dispute. In addition to more than half of the known reserves of oil, the area holds more than 30 percent of the known reserves of natural gas, and Morocco alone has up to 80 percent of the known reserves of phosphates. “These resources make the region a strategic cog of economic development for the world,” Murphy said. Although the Middle East’s deep cultural and scientific contributions have shaped knowledge for centuries, political relationships within and among nations have frustrated the movement toward regional harmony. “Recent events, however, are changing the dynamics of how the Middle East operates as a partner to the United States,” Murphy said. “This is a historic moment where a new underLeadership, page 2
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THEPINE
Page Two
LOG
Monday, October 15, 2012
Legend Kenny Rogers will make appearance in Lufkin If you want to experience Kenny Rogers live onstage at the Temple Theater on Saturday, Nov. 17 – plan to get your tickets Wednesday, Oct. 17, at 11 a.m. when single tickets go on sale. With a career that spans five decades, this iconic performer’s fans cross all genres. Tickets are expected to sell out quickly. Box office manager Kristie Bailey confirms, “By far, I have received more calls about Kenny Rogers tickets than any other show of the season.” Tickets for the show are $40-$60. Angelina Arts Alliance is proud to present this Premier Series event which is sponsored by the T.L.L. Temple Foundation. 2012-2013 Season Sponsors are Memorial Health System of East Texas and Brookshire Brothers Food & Pharmacy.
With the release of his new book, Luck Or Something Like It, and a new album/CD, AMAZING GRACE, Rogers is as relevant today as he was in 1980 when he won a Grammy for “The Gambler”. Arts Alliance managing director Tracy Pinkerton explains that “season subscribers already have their tickets, so seating will be limited. The most efficient way to get seats will be online at 11 a.m. sharp, through our website, w w w.angelinaarts. org.” Tickets can also be purchased in person at the Temple Theater box office. Pinkerton added that “although the box office won't open until 11 a.m., you may come by and pick up a number from the counter in the lobby the morning of Oct. 17 and return when the box office is open. You will be
served in numerical order. Ordering by phone is also possible--but we have a limited number of phone lines, so this should be your last option.” In addition, by donating as little as $100 or more to the Arts Alliance, you become a Contributor and qualify to purchase tickets to every show in the season two weeks in advance of public sales. To purchase tickets online go to www.angelinaarts.org, or call the box office at (936)633-5454, or visit the Temple Theater box office in person on the Angelina College campus in Lufkin. Visit the Angelina Arts Alliance website for information about the entire 2012-2013 season. Like Angelina Arts Alliance on Facebook for latebreaking news and ticket giveaways.
Student Regent,
Leadership,
from page 1
from page 1 standing of the Middle East is needed by Americans, an understanding that is free from ideological bias and past perceptions.” The conference will begin with registration at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 18. A session titled “The New Agenda in the Middle East” begins at 2 p.m. and includes Chase Untermeyer, an international business consultant and former U.S. ambassador to Qatar; Parvathaneni Harish, consul general of India; and Ben-Dror Yemini, opinion page editor for Maariv, a Hebrew language daily newspaper published in Israel. A reception begins at 3:30 pm. The conference resumes at 8:30 a.m. Oct. 19 with a seminar titled “The Political Context: Governance, Regional Cooperation and Demographics.” Speakers include Nader Hashemi, professor and director of the Center for Middle East Studies, University of Denver; Alan G. Misenheimer, director of the U.S. State Department’s Office of Near East and South Asia Affairs in the Bureau of Intelligence and Research; and Thomas W. Lippman, Middle East Institute scholar. Participants in a 10:30 a.m. session titled “The Security Context: National Defense, Regional Threats and Social Well-Being” include Roby Barrett, president of Stratplan
International and a senior fellow with the Strategic Studies Department, Joint Special Operations University at MacDill Air Force Base in Florida; Marvin Weinbaum, scholar-inresidence at the Middle East Institute; and Michael Ryan, senior fellow with the Jamestown Foundation, a network of former government officials and military officers, political scientists, and economists that provides research and analysis regarding conflict and instability in Eurasia. A noon luncheon will feature a roundtable discussion with participating consuls general. Cost for the lunch is $40, with a reduced rate of $25 for students. An afternoon session, “The Economic Context: Resources, Globalization and Prosperity,” begins at 1:30 and features Hisham Foad, director of the Center for Islamic and Arabic Studies at San Diego State University; Augustus Richard Norton, director of the Institute for Iraqi Studies at Boston University; and Riza Demirer, associate professor at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The day will end with a panel discussion of policy recommendations. All events are open to the public, and with the exception of the luncheon, programs are free of charge. To register, go to www.sfasu.edu/middle-east or call (936) 468-2385.
TLIP,
in April or May. Finally, if the governor so chooses, he will appoint one of those students to serve for a oneyear term. The process is rather lengthy, but crucial in assuring a proper representative will be selected. Dr. Adam Peck, Dean of Student Affairs, highly encourages students to apply, and to use it as “a learning experience more so than an advocacy.” The advocacy will still be present, but he adds, if you are wanting to learn from this job, you will get the most out of it. Already being highly involved on campus is a tremendous benefit, as it will prepare one for the journey they are about to embark upon being chosen. The Student Regent is a role model on their cam-
from page 1 cific internships to students based on their major and interests. Collier explained that a couple of years ago, one SFA journalism student had the opportunity to intern with Texas Monthly during her TLIP internship. TLIP began in 1990 and "Senator Ellis has always been the person behind it," Collier said.
“It is a great program, it is an experience you cannot get any other way, and it looks great on a resume," Collier said. "We really want to see people take that experience to the next level.” To apply see Dr. Ken Collier in the Department of Government.
‘Earth and Sky’ joint concert to showcase American composers The work of contemporary American composers will be highlighted when the SFA Wind Symphony and Symphonic Band perform a joint concert at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 23, in W.M. Turner Auditorium as part of the SFA College of Fine Arts and School of Music’s Concert Series. “Earth and Sky” will showcase American composers John Gibson, John Stevens and Frank Ticheli, among others, as well as a standard march by venerable British composer Kenneth Alford. Under the direction of SFA Assistant Director of Bands Tamey Anglley, the Symphonic Band will open the first half of the concert with “Burma Patrol” Oriental March by American
march composer Karl King. Hugh Stuart’s “A Hymn for Band” will be conducted by graduate student Jay Weems. Written in 1985, Stuart composed the original tune designed to be reminiscent of old church melodies,” Anglley said. The Symphonic Band will also perform Vincent Persichetti’s “Serenade No. 11 for Band, Op. 85” and Ticheli’s “Cajun Folk Songs 2.” The second half of the concert, featuring the Wind Symphony, will begin with Gibson’s “Pegasus,” the first movement of his three-movement work “The Spirit Sleeping.” Commissioned by the Dallas Wind Symphony, “this work is based on
three mythological creatures, all blessed with the gift of flight,” said SFA Associate Director of Bands David W. Campo, the Wind Symphony’s conductor. The Wind Symphony will also perform Stevens’ moving “Benediction,” Alford’s poetic march “The Vanished Army” and Ticheli’s “Gaian Visions.” Gaian Visions’ was commissioned by the Gamma Phi chapter of Kappa Kappa Psi in honor of Dr. Donald Bowen, fifth president of the University,” Campo said. Tickets are $5 for adults, $4 for seniors and $2 for students. For tickets or more information, call (936) 4686407 or visit www.finearts.sfasu.edu. pinelog@thepinelog.com
Update: The price per couple to attend the SFA Homecoming Legacy Dinner on Friday, Oct. 19, has been changed to $90/couple, from $75/ couple. To purchase tickets and make a reservation or for more information about Homecoming events, call (936) 468-3407
pus, and in their state. They represent what they stand for, and must do so accordingly. Current Student Regent Jourdan Dukes says, “Representing the school, the faculty, and the staff is very rewarding,” as she is constantly being looked up to. It is very much like a “full-time job,” with much dedication required, and having many responsibilities and working relationships. With “13,000 students to give a voice to, a lot of people depend on you, but having lived up to these standards has made me a better person,” says Dukes. She truly “wants to hear from students all the time,” and strongly encourages everybody to apply, but to “do it for the right reasons.” Dukes said her having made Student Regent of SFA “came as a shock,” but it was “very humbling.” She is “blessed and grateful” for having been chosen.
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ENTERTAINMENT THEPINE
LOG
Page Three
Monday, October 15, 2012
‘Savages’ an exceptional thrill ride By Courtney Schmidt CONTRIBUTING WRITER
REVIEW
“Savages,” a movie based on Don Winslow’s bestselling novel of the same name, tells the exciting and twisted tale about a trio of lovers fighting the impossible war against the Mexican Baja Cartel. Threatened by peaceful Buddhist Ben (Aaron TaylorJohnson) and former Navy Seal Chon (Taylor Kitsch) and their homegrown marijuana industry, the head of the MBC, Elena (Selma Hayek), kidnaps their shared lady love, Ophelia (Blake Lively) after they refuse a partnership with her. With the help of a brutal enforcer Lado (Benicio Del Toro), Elena’s increasingly cruel and vicious ploys soon underestimate the unbreakable bond of the trio, and with the help of a slippery DEA agent (John Travolta), they wage a seemingly impossible war against the cartel in an effort to bring their family together again. Based on a triangular relationship between two best friends from high school and a beach babe blonde, the movie was an interesting piece of work that is enjoyed from the very first time you hear Ophelia’s, or O’s, voiceover. This bloody and thrilling ride is one of the better story-driven movies that have come out this year because of the originality of the movie, considering it is not
New Releases Compiled by Robert Key
Blu Ray/DVD:
Alcatraz: The Complete Series Avatar (3D Blu Ray) Chernobyl Diaries Mad Men: Season 5 Madagascar 3 Moonrise Kingdom Pete’s Dragon 35th Anniversary Edition Psych: Season 6 That’s My Boy Touch: Season 1
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a remake or comic book and doesn’t have the same story line that most movies seem to have these days. This movie shows director Oliver Stone at his best with a ruthless form in this in-depth exploration of the war on drugs, drug dealing and the inner workings of Mexican drug cartels. The performances are amazing, including a surprising Travolta who exceeded my expectations considering he did not need an electrifying wig to grab the audience’s attention in considerably his best work since Pulp Fiction. Del Toro once again portrays a horrific and unique character and Hayek holds her own, as always, being beautiful and cruel all at the same time. The younger leads, Kitsch and Johnson, are also exceptional and even made me question whether they were actually acting because of their amazing skills. Blake Lively, who seems to be acting like less of a blonde California bimbo thrived as an actual person with a voice. Overall, the film was an exceptional thrill ride with Stone’s subtle metaphors and hints at the “surprise” and twisted ending and is one of the best endings I’ve seen in years. But here is a warning to those who are straddling the border on whether to see this film or not: it is quite… savage.
Dance Central 3 (Xbox 360) Dokuro (PS Vita) Doom 3 BFG Edition (Xbox 360, PS3, PC) Jet Set Radio (PS Vita) Mark of the Ninja (PC) Mugen Souls (PS3) Ravaged (PC) Rocketbirds: Hardboiled Chicken (PC) Rocksmith (PC) Serious Sam 3: BFE (XBLA) Silent Hill: Book of Memores (PS Vita) Sparkle Snapshots 3D (3DS) Zombie Driver HD (Xbox 360, PC) Zumba Fitness Core (Xbox 360, Wii)
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The rules of Sudoku are simple. Enter digits from 1 to 9 into the blank spaces. Every row must contain one of each digit, as must every column and every 3x3 square. Each Sudoku has a unique solution that can be reached logically without guessing. Look in the next issue for the answers.
Sudoku puzzle sponsored by Student Activities Association
‘Little Shop’ a success By Courtney Schmidt CONTRIBUTING WRITER
“Little Shop of Horrors,” produced completely by students and directed by Scott Shattack, came to the SFA Theatre. Full of musical ensembles, witty and comical humor and horror, the play is one that should surely have been seen by our SFA students. The play ran through October 9-13 at 7:30 p.m. at W.M. Auditorium. With the seats all filled and the audience roaring with laughter, it was
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REVIEW hard not to like this production. For those of you who don’t know the story, it revolves around a shy employee, Seymour, at a run down plant store who finds an exotic plant similar to that of a venus flytrap, and names it Audrey II after the pretty counter girl. After Audrey II brings in a customer for the first time in who only knows how long, it droops and Seymour’s boss, Mr. Munchnik, demands it be fixed to bring in more customers. This is when Seymour discovers that Audrey II isn’t craving regular plant food…but blood. Shattack’s realistic approach to this science fiction horror is exceptional due to Audrey II’s realistic appearance, and it shows that his clear vision of the finished production has been a success. Shattack gives the actors artistic freedom and asks them to play with ideas on
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how to make their character their own. It certainly shows in the play. Cole struts her stuff as one of the three singing sisters and has great chemistry with Melissa Brown-Taylor (Chiffon) and Kyla Williams (Ronette), all three of whom had a terrific harmony. Connor Clark (Seymour), Allison Day (Audrey), Jake Trapp (Audrey II voice) and Daniel Miller (Audrey II manipulation) put on a fantastic performance full of outright laughter and bittersweet moments that made the audience laugh, cry and clap hard at the end. The phenomenal singing talents of all of the actors is heard throughout the event and never wavered. Shattack’s faith and “we can do it” attitude clearly encouraged the students to put on this hilariously funny musical and have fun while doing it. This fun and unexpected version of Howard Ashman’s original production was a definite mustsee! cschmidt@thepinelog.com
Opinions
ThePine
Log
Page Four
Monday, October 15, 2012
Parents blame video game violence for parenting mistakes
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or years, m a n y for ms of entertainment such as comic books, toys, movies and television have been passed the blame baton for influencing the behavior of children in negative ways. One Robert Key such form, video Staff Writer games, seems to receive most of rkey@thepinelog.com the flak for negative behavior in children due to the generally violent nature found in video games. But are video games vastly different from what we see on television or what is playing at the movie theater? Video games have evolved over the years to the point where it has become its own entertainment medium. Some video games even contain some of the basic elements of popular movies and
television shows such as violence, sex, vulgar language and deep storytelling. A child could easily access movies and watch television with these traits in a number of ways, yet games seem to cause the most controversies. Even with many controversies involving children’s interaction with games, there are no laws which prohibit minors from walking into a store and simply purchasing a mature-rated game. However, many major retailers that sell games such as GameStop and Best Buy require their employees to request a picture ID upon the purchase of a mature game. This voids the purchase of a mature-rated game to anyone under the age of seventeen. So is it a minor’s fault if they become exposed to a game inappropriate for their age? No. The fault belongs to the ones who typically hold the ability to purchase maturerated games and complain about video games the most: parents. Parents often complain the content of a mature game is the cause of their children’s behavior to veer toward a path of negativity, but they are the only ones with the ability to purchase “awful” games. It is incredibly
hypocritical since many do not seem to bother getting information on a game before buying it. With that said, parents need to closely look at the ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board) ratings, which are posted on all games. ESRB ratings are used to say which games are appropriate for what age group and are similar to movie ratings. If there is a mature-rating or “M” label, it is more than likely a game a minor should not play. The back of every game case also has the reasons for why a game has a specific rating, which is something everyone should pay attention to when buying a game. Despite my opinion that parents are often to blame for children playing mature games, I am not saying kids should be able to play mature-rated games by any means. When I was a kid, I would always get upset with my mother for not letting me play games with an “M” label, but I understand why now. Games such as “Dead Space” – a violent horror game where the method to kill zombie-like creatures is shooting their limbs off – and the infamous “Grand Theft Auto,” a game where anyone can die in a
number of horrible ways, are the types of games children should not be exposed to until they mature enough to handle them at an appropriate age. Another common problem video games seem to attract is that they are not good for your health, but various studies argue otherwise. Studies found that video games can improve the speed in decision-making by 25 percent, relieve stress, relieve pain and even improve eye sight. Video games have also proven beneficial to the growth in children. They can help children’s visual skills, social skills, ability to work well with others and problem solving skills. If people would pay attention to the video games they were purchasing for themselves for their children, many conflicts could have been avoided. Besides, like movies and television, video games exist to entertain us, not cause further problems. More problems are the last thing the world needs right now, so my advice? Sit back, relax and play. Robert Key is a junior journalism major and a staff writer for The Pine Log.
What I love about SFA...
“I love the excitement and school spirit that all of the students bring to all of the events held on campus.— Jessica Colonnetta
“I just love how the whole campus is comfortable to be around. The campus isn’t too big but just big enough to where you’re always meeting new people and discovering new things to do.” —Zach Diaz
“I love the beautiful campus. Fall and spring foliage make all of the random downpours here at SFA worth it. Unless you have allergies... In which case, you’re gonna have a bad time.” —Melanie Settle
“I love SFA because it’s NOT Sam Houston.” —Monique Woodward “I love everything. I love that it is small, so you know a lot of people. The scenery is amazing here. The organizations are so open and welcoming. You really get to know your teachers. You really just feel like one big family here, not the feeling like you’re at a university.” —Andy Lounsberry
Technology decreasing social skills
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Axes up to the Art Alliance restoring the statue outside Griffith Fine Arts. It’s always nice seeing students taking an interest in keeping up the SFA appearance.
Axes up to the Pineywoods Fair. It’s nice to have things to take our minds off of our hectic schedules and ridiculous amounts of homework.
Axes up to Homecoming week!. Let the games begin! Axes down to the number of students who go home every weekend. People complain about not having anything but classes and homework to do, but when opportunities arise, they pass it up.
Opinions Policy Opinions expressed in this section of The Pine Log are those of the individual writer or cartoonist and do not necessarily reflect those of the University, its administrative officers or Board of Regents. Letters should be typed and should include the student’s hometown, classification, campus identification number and phone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit letters for space, spelling, grammar and potentially libelous material. Letters should not be longer than 300 words. Any letter that does not follow this criteria will not be published.
eople need to stop hiding behind a screen. Despite affecting everybody, nobody stops to think about just how much technology has changed our lives, and more specifically, our quality time spent with others. Now don’t get me wrong, being able to communicate others via means of techSara Zavorka with nology is wonderful. After all, my family lives six hours away Staff Writer from me; I have to rely on technology to keep up with them szavorka@thepinelog.com because driving home every other weekend is simply not an option. Technology is efficient and effective for a great deal of things, but when it comes down to it, technology definitely does have its fair share of cons as well. It is undoubtedly becoming rarer to experience face-to-face contact with even your friends in the dorm right across the way, simply due to the fact that it is just that much easier and faster to message them on Facebook. I have had a great number of meaningful conversations via Facebook, but to be honest, it is just not the same as real life. Now about those moments behind a screen when talking to another, I cannot help but wonder, just how accurate are they? I absolutely adore the idea of social networking sites as they allow my incredibly introvert self to finally open up and share about myself. You may laugh, but that is sincerely as hard of a task for me as trying to pass a math test or text the Declaration of Independence backwards, while blindfolded. It is nearly impossible!
The same is true for my opening up as much as I could. As a result, I somehow manage to hide behind my computer or text screen: when I’m hidden is when I can open up. Yet, just how different do I seem in these two very different settings? I have had friends confess that they dislike trying to change from talking to one form of my identity to typing to the other. Of course I wish the girl behind the screen and the one you could talk to in real life were the same person, but that is simply not the case. One of my friends in particular just recently led me to believe the same is true for him. I will read his texts and Facebook messages, and, even if we continue those very same discussions directly face-to-face, the interaction seems obviously very different. I know, with him, it is not intentional, it just happens that way. In a way, I would like to blame the use of text lingo, such as “lol,” and “haha,” both of which have easily become fillers in a dwindling conversation, used far too abundantly in conversation. To verbalize them in face-to-face communication would be awkward, but to perform them in the same setting is natural. Society has easily fallen victim to becoming dependent on those filler words, and thus face-to-face communication is awkward because people simply do not know any longer how to act or speak during those face-to-face situations. So why is it that people use screens and virtual lives as a gateway to open up to a more potentially extroverted sense? Why is it so difficult at times to prefer resorting to technology as the primary means of communication? Personally, I strongly wish this were not the case. However, to change an introvert’s simplest way of communicating with the extrovert-dominant world – well, the results could be tragic. Sara Zavorka is a junior Deaf and Hard of Hearing education major and a staff writer for The Pine Log.
We’re looking for your FEEDBACK
Fall 2012 Editorial Board MANAGING EDITOR JESSICA GILLIGAN OPINION EDITOR TINESHA MIX SPORTS EDITOR JORDAN BOYD ADVERTISING MANAGER LINDSEY BOTHUM
EDITOR Hannah Cole PHOTO EDITOR JENNIFER ROGERS ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR ZOE REIMER COPY EDITOR JESSICA LAYFIELD FEATURES EDITOR KASI DICKERSON
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THEPINE
Monday, October 15, 2012
LOG
Page Five
Sarah Hall/Pine Log Photo Christian Hernandez (left) duels Kayla Duncan in Magic: The Gathering card game. Club members meet 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Wednesday on the second floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center, Room 2.307.
AbraC A R
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Club unites Magic: The Gathering card game players By Sarah Hall Contributing Writer
W Five colors of Mana • White
Magical power: Law, order, structure From: Plains Your role: Teach enemies a lesson with an army of smaller creatures
• Blue
Magical power: Trickery, manipulation From: Islands Your role: Control your environment before you make a move
• Black Magical power: Death, disease, power at any cost From: Swamps
i zards, magical entities, battles filled with creatures of fantasy and the sounds of a deck being shuffled and cards being flipped over onto a table; These are just a few things associated with sophomore Ryan Van Cleave and his favorite Role Playing Game (RPG), Magic: The Gathering (MTG).
Co-founder and vice president of the new MTG club at SFA, Van Cleave, began playing RPG card games at a young age and picked up MTG around 2009. “I stopped playing for a long time until last semester when my friends and I found out that we all used to play. So we each brought all of our cards from home and began playing again,” Van Cleave said. Now that he has found enough people interested in playing or willing to learn how to play, Van Cleave, a physics and engineering major, has turned his passion into a campus organization to raise interest in the game and give other players a place to duel. “We got pretty into it and went looking for a place to play regularly, but none such place existed,” he said. “We had agreed beforehand that if we didn’t find a place to play then we’d start up a club so others would have a place to come.” Each player begins with 20 points, and the goal of MTG is to reduce an opponent’s life source to zero or force an opponent to run out of cards. There are five deck colors—red, blue, green, black and white—which can be mixed to make whatever type of deck the player would like. For example, a red deck is an aggressive and fighting deck while a green deck would provide the player more land to play upon. “My favorite thing about the game
is that there isn’t a single best deck. You have to experiment and get creative to find out what you like the best,” Van Cleave said. Van Cleave has constructed 47 decks since he began playing and has trouble choosing his favorite because he feels as he loves them equally, like children. However, one of the many decks he enjoys playing with includes his Ninja deck, which focuses on being sneaky and making tactical moves. “Ninjas have a unique ability called Ninjutsu. With it, they can be swapped out in the middle of combat for sneak attacks,” he said. “It’s a very fun mechanic that makes for exciting games.” Another avid MTG player, Keith LaLonde, who is a Choral Conducting graduate student, enjoys the tournament aspect of the game. Tournaments can be a great way for players from different areas to get together and battle each other while making new decks and participating in what is called a Draft Tournament. “You play with only the cards you open on the spot and everyone gets the same amount. A little luck and some good strategizing, with a lot of skill playing the game itself, can win the tournament for you,” LaLonde said. LaLonde also enjoys playing MTG because of the ever changing cards and the versatility of the rules and ways to play.
“As years go by the cards constantly change and evolve, bringing in a mix of old and new concepts and tactics,” he said. Van Cleave enjoys the versatility of the game as well and likes how the rules can be broken by certain cards, or even just ignored to change the game play. This makes the game playable for just about anyone, not to mention it can be simple to learn. “Sure there’s a set of guidelines, but for every rule, there is a card that breaks it. That’s what makes it so fun,” Van Cleave said. “If you don’t like a certain part of the game you can build a deck that lets you ignore those rules.” The Magic: The Gathering club held its first meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 5, and 14 students attended the meeting. Van Cleave hopes for more members to join as the semester gets going. Currently, between 13 and 19 members attend each week. Van Cleave also anticipates holding regular tournaments throughout the semester. Their first tournament was Sept. 21 in the Axe Handle Cafe, and they are planning a second one, but the date has not been set. Meetings are from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. every Wednesday on the second floor of the Baker Pattillo Student Center in Room 2.307. For more information visit the SFA Magic: The Gathering Facebook page at www.Facebook.com/mtgsfa.
Your role: Command terror
• Red
Magical power: Fire, frenzy, storms of rock and lava From: Volcanoes, Mountains Your role: Channel wild emotions to summon dragons or crush enemy grounds
• Green
Magical power: Growth, life, brute force From: Forests Your role: Give creatures predatory might of nature and dominating size
-Source: Magic the Gathering Basic Rulebook http://media.wizards.com/images/magic/resources/ rules/EN_MTGM13_Rulebook.pdf
Sarah Hall/Pine Log Photo Sam Camarillo (left) flips over his cards as he battles Timothy Orr. To win, players try to reduce enemy points from 20 to zero or force them to run out of cards.
Page design by Kasi Dickerson • Features Editor
CMYK
Sports
ThePine
Log
Monday, October 15, 2012
Page Six
Ladyjacks lose stunner to Southeastern Louisiana The Southeastern Louisiana Lions got 20 kills from Courtney Donald and pulled a stunner at Shelton Gym on Saturday, upsetting SFA 3-2 (15-25, 25-21, 25-18, 2125, 17-15). It was just the third time in the history of the series that the Lions (7-12, 2-7 SLC) were able to pick up a win over SFA (15-7, 6-4 SLC), and the first win since 2003, snapping a 13-match win streak in the series for the Ladyjacks. Sabrina Burns led SFA with 13 kills and six blocks and Jill Ivy had 12 kills, but also committed 11 attack errors on a team-high 43 swings. Meanwhile, the Lions finished with 15 blocks as a team, the most by any Ladyjack opponent this season in holding SFA to just .071 hitting for the match. Paige Holland finished with 37 assists, and Madison Hanlan picked up 19 digs. SFA took care of business in a hurry in Set 1, forcing 11 Lion attack errors and getting four kills from Ivy to jump out to a 1-0 lead; however, that did not last long as Southeastern summoned up some defense of its own in Set 2, cueing up six blocks and holding
SFA to just -.070 hitting in taking its first set off the Ladyjacks since 2009. One set later the Lions went ahead 2-1.hitting .292 with just three attack errors, while SFA hit just -.057 with 12 attack errors in a 25-18 loss. The Ladyjacks managed to force a deciding fifth set with a win in Set 4, hitting just .188 but putting together a 6-1 run that snapped a 14-14 tie and gave the Ladyjacks some breathing room at 20-15 before going on to pick up the four-point win. But the Ladyjacks had little answer for the Lion offense in the fifth frame as Donald and Shelby Devlin each had four kills as Southeastern hit a solid .212 in the set. SFA had its last lead at 10-9 before SLU went to Donald for consecutive kills and eventually got a match-point try at 14-13, but SFA managed to summon a block in each of the next two match-point tries for the Lions and nearly had a match-point try Grant Korbell/The Pine Log Photo of its own before a whistle overturned a Ladyjack kill Southeastern Louisiana beat SFA on Saturday for the first time since 2003. The Ladyjacks and gave SLU its third match-point try, one which it had won 13 straight contests against the Lions, but fell in a five-setter at the Shelton would convert with a kill from Devlin. Gym to pile onto their midseason woes.
Volleyball ends three-match skid By John Cleveland Contributing Writer The Ladyjacks ended a three-match losing streak Thursday night when they defeated Nicholls 3-1 (25-16, 25-17, 22-25, 25-16) at Shelton Gym. Sabrina Burns had a career high 20 kills and misfired just four times on 38 swings to hit .421 for the match. Burns also had a hand in two of SFA’s eight blocks. As a team, the Ladyjacks (15-6, 6-3 SLC) hit .250 on the night and scored 24 more kills than the Colonels. Jill Ivy had 11 kills and three blocks, and Tori Bates had 10 kills of her own. Paige Holland had 35 assists on the night which put her over 2,000 assists for her career. Cara Leslie had six blocks. Madison Hanlan and Katzy Randall each registered at least 10 digs, Hanlan totaling 21 and Randall 14. The crowd was full of energy and clad in pink to support breast cancer awareness. The first set was all SFA, who hit .516 and missed only twice on 31 swings as a team.
Bates had five of her 10 kills in the set, leading an 8-2 run to close out the set with a final score of 25-16. The Ladyjacks had a 10-8 lead midway through the second set, but a 9-1 run extended that lead to a comfortable 19-9. Eight points were scored on that run behind Hanlan’s serve. The Ladyjacks needed only 12 kills to win the set 25-17. The third set was won by Nicholls, who hit .206 and had a 4-0 run midway through when the scored was tied. SFA had a late set surge to get the score to 23-22, but the Colonels were able to hold on and win the set 22-25. The Ladyjacks refused to let the Colonels come back in the match. The fourth set opened up with an 11-1 run by a fired up SFA squad. Nicholls hit only .061 in the process. Nine of the 11 points during the run were behind Randall’s serve. An intense Burns closed out the set with two consecutive kills to top her career high and seal the victory for the Ladyjacks. pinelog@thepinelog.com
Cross Country runs at UA The SFA Lumberjack and Ladyjack Cross Country teams each put forth good showings against stiff competition on Saturday at the Chile Pepper Festival hosted by the University of Arkansas. The Ladyjacks, led by Lauren Smith’s eighth-place finish, came in 11th overall out of 43 teams with 326 and finished as the top Southland squad, bettering league rival Texas A&M-Corpus Christi by 10 spots in the standings. On the men’s side SFA finished seventh out of 34 squads with 227 points, led by Xavier Rodriguez’s 15th place finish, and was second only to the Islanders among the five Southland schools in the competition. “I’m very pleased with the way we ran today,” cross country coach Cody Clark said. “It was a big confidence boost for the girls to finish ahead of some of the stronger teams in our conference, and that’s the same on the men’s side. We got to run against some tough competition, and to come out the way we did, that shows well for what we have to do in two weeks at conference.” Smith completed the 6,000-meter course in 21:10.2, coming in as the thirdhighest finisher among competitors form the South Central Region on the same course that will host the NCAA South Central Regional meet. Randi Plentl also ran strong, coming in 28th overall in a
time of 22:01.8 and sophomore Laurid Byrd ran one of her stronger races of the season, crossing in 23:00.1 to finish in 91st place out of 340 competitors. Danielle Burchett, a converted mid-distance runner in her first year on the cross country squad, was SFA’s fourth finisher of the day, coming in 100th place in 23:05.5, while Becca Blubaugh rounded out the scoring in 133rd place in a time of 23:36.4. Freshman Shelby Pesek did not score, but finished 146th in a time of 23:43.3, and Amanda Walters was 227th with a time of 25:00.5. For the men, Rodriguez was second among Southland runners to cross the line, doing so in 15th place to pace the Lumberjacks in a time of 30:54.2 over the 10,000-meter layout. Adam Saloom was next in 48th place out of 313 runners with a time of 32:06.4. Hunter Russell and Nick Guerra were third and fourth on the squad, on each other’s heels with 61st and 62nd-place finishes. Russell finished in 32:21.5 and Guerra 32:22.4. Jonus Rodriguez finished out the scoring for the Ladyjacks in 102nd place in a time of 32:57.7. SFA will take off two weeks before taking part in its biggest race of the season, the Southland Conference meet in Beaumont on Oct. 26.
Basketball begins practices
A strong second half of the season managed to transform 2011-12 into another successful one for the SFA Lumberjacks, including the program’s fourth 20-win campaign in the last five years. With three returning starters back from that squad, and a strong corps of talented newcomers, the ceiling could be even higher for SFA in 2012-13 as they ready for the start of official practices Friday. After finishing 20-12, the Jacks have the second-highest winning percentage (62 percent) among Texas schools during over the last 12 years — Danny Kaspar’s tenure —trailing only the University of Texas (72 percent) in that category. One year after finishing the year as the top scoring defense in the nation, SFA followed that up with a lower defensive scoring average last season, allowing just 54.4 points per game, 2.3 points per game less than the year before. Newcomer Taylor Smith was a key cog in the SFA defensive effort, blocking more shots than any Lumberjack in the last five years, but also contributed offensively, leading the Southland with a field goal percentage of over 70 percent and pumping in over 10 points a game in league play. Smith is back for his senior season after teaming with all-conference selection Jereal Scott last season to form arguably the best 1-2 punch in the post in the Southland. SFA will have to deal with the loss of Scott, but does return senior swing man Antoino Bostic who proved to be an iron man on the floor for the `Jacks, playing the third-most minutes of any player in the league and leading SFA in scoring in conference play on
his way to earning first team all-Southland Conference recognition, the first postseason recognition for him of any kind in his basketball career. SFA also returns emerging guard Desmond Haymon who led SFA in threepoint buckets as a sophomore and brings a knack for scoring few others on the roster can boast. Senior Hal Bateman will likely assume the opening day duties at point guard, bringing quickness, athleticism and a flair for the dramatic as was evident by his buzzer-beating three-point bucket in the SLC opener at Texas State that proved to be the springboard for SFA’s run to a 12-4 record in league play. Forward Jacob Parker is also expected to make positive strides in his second season after a freshman season that saw him hobbled by a nagging foot injury throughout the year, while Joe Bright also returns on a healthier note after gutting through his junior year after knee surgery just weeks before the opening of the season. The Jacks have also brought in a group of nine newcomers, headlined by forward Ice Asortse, guard Jared Harrison and freshman point guard Trey Pinkney. Asortse will bring much-needed size to the floor while Harrison and Pinkney each bring depth to the point guard corps with Harrison being more of a scoring threat and Pinkney more of a typical point guard compared by Kaspar to former guard Eric Bell. SFA will open the season on Nov. 9 at home against Howard Payne, while it’s scheduled to open up Southland Conference play on Dec. 29 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Upcoming Sporting Events: Monday, Oct. 15: Women’s Golf at Lady Red Wolf Invitational Men’s Golf at Lone Star Invitational
Tuesday, Oct. 16: Women’s Volleyball at Houston Baptist: 7 p.m. in Houston (continued) Women’s Golf at Lady Red Wolf Invitational (continued) Men’s Golf at Lone Star Invitational
Thursday, Oct. 18: Women’s Volleyball vs McNeese State: 6:30 p.m. at Shelton Gym
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