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SHSU student dances everywhere he goes

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Officials: Missing Brown University student found in river

NBC 10 WJAR: The Rhode Island Department of Health confirmed the body of a man pulled from the Providence River is that of missing Brown University student Sunil Tripathi.

The medical examiner said the cause of Tripathi’s death is still under investigation but no foul play is suspected.

Tripathi, 22, was last seen on March 16, and his family had been desperately searching for him. His body was found in the water at India Point Park late Tuesday afternoon.

Tripathi was falsely identified on social media as possibly being one of the Boston Marathon bombers, after the FBI released images of the two suspects. His sister told CNN that the family knew he was not involved.

Photo: Brown University student Sunil Tripathi. (AP via NBC News)

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White House Correspondent Anne Compton gives insider view

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SHSU football team to have first ever 12 game season

By Cody Lewis

Sports Editor

The Sam Houston State Bearkat Football team will have a 12-game regular season for the first time in the team’s 97 years of history.

Sam Houston and Houston Baptist will open up the regular season in Huntsville on August 31 at Bowers Stadium, Bearkats Athletic Department announced.

The Houston Baptist Huskies’ inaugural football season starting this year and their regular season will consist of seven games.

SHSU now has seven home games including the 88th “Battle of the Piney Woods” game, after a season with only three.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to play our season opener in front of our home fans,” Bearkats head coach Willie Fritz said to Gobearkats.com. “The support our team receives from our students and the Huntsville community has been a big factor in the program’s success.”

The Bearkats are following the two most successful seasons in the school’s history. The two-time Southland Conference champions went 25-5 in 2011 and 2012, making back-to-back national championship appearances and being ranked number two in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision national rankings. Forty lettermen and 12 starters will be returning from last year’s 11-4 team.

SHSU’s first road game will be against the Texas A&M Aggies in College Station on Sept. 7.

“With seven Saturdays at Bowers, the SFA battle at Reliant and the Texas A&M game at College Station, nine of our 12 regular season games are right here in the Greater Houston and Huntsville area,” SHSU director of athletics Bobby Williams said. “We’re thrilled to have such a great schedule this year.”

Along with Southland Conference play, the Bearkats will host Incarnate Word, Texas Southern and Eastern Washington, three teams that the Bearkats defeated in 2012. Season tickets are now available for purchase.

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Raven's Call celebrates fallen Bearkats

Students, staff, faculty and alumnus of Sam Houston State University that have passed in the last year were honored on Friday at the Second Annual Raven’s Call under the bell tower.

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Yeah Yeah Yeahs evolve, fail to rekindle original sound

By Colin Harris

Contributing Reporter

With four LPs spread out over a ten year career, I've finally come to terms with the fact that the Yeah Yeah Yeah’s simply aren't ever going to match the raw vitality present throughout their 2003 debut,“Fever to Tell.” While their newest offering, “Mosquito,” is a solid effort and has more haunting melodies than any Yeah Yeah Yeah’s album to date. The band has calmed down quite a bit with age and seem to have matured past the rugged garage rock that initially drew in fans. “Mosquito” begins with the interesting single “Sacrilege,” a well-produced song that manages to juxtapose a Portishead-esque tribal beat with backing vocals that sound like a gospel choir pelting out Biblical hymns. Lead vocalist, Karen O, hasn’t changed much despite the band’s constantly evolving sound, and on “Sacrilege” she’s at her best, interjecting distorted cries between her brooding verse lines. The album’s next song, “Subway,” fits more with the theme of the album. It’s slow and downbeat, with the focus on O’s somber crooning, while ending as slowly as it started. Tracks “Under the Earth” and the chilling and introspective “Wedding Song” follow a similar form. The third song, “Mosquito” is the most accessible track on the album for mainstream audiences with similar tribal drumming as the opening song. It’s easily the album’s catchiest song, and O’s repeating line of “he’ll suck your blood” all but guarantees its appearance on the soundtrack for some vampire romance movie or TV show. The closest the Yeah Yeah Yeahs come to emulating their punk/garage rock roots is on the song, “Area 52,” but in the context of the rest of the album, it feels thrown in to appeal to fans of the band’s early days. The highlight of “Mosquito” is the second to last song, “Despair.” It starts out slow, like many of the other tracks, but gradually picks up, coming to a fantastic climax at the end, showcasing what this band is capable of if they would quit genre-hopping in attempts to expand their audience. As a huge fan of their “Fever to Tell” debut, I’d like to see the Yeah Yeah Yeahs try to incorporate more of their old sound into the new material. While many bands change styles over time, it seems like each successive album is a further departure from the garage sound that made me a fan. The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have grown up over the past ten years and it shows in “Mosquito.” They’re no longer into providing a shock and awe factor to audience through heavily distorted guitars and sarcastic lyrics. There’s more thought involved in their creative process and less instinct. Without a doubt, “Mosquito” is a solid album.

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SHSU alumni meet under clocktower for engagement proposal

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Three people killed in series of explosions in Boston

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Third annual Aeros night to bring the Sam Houston community together for hockey

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Viewpoints: Sometimes two-party elections offer terrible choices for voters

By Colin Harris

Staff Reporter

Under almost all circumstances, a U.S. Congressional special election would be of little interest to anyone living outside the affected district. However, given the prominence of the candidates involved, the May 7 contest for South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District promises to be one to watch, if only for the entertainment factor.

After easily winning the Democratic primary last month, Elizabeth Colbert Busch faces off against Republican ex-governor Mark Sanford for the seat vacated by newly appointed Sen. Tim Scott.

Colbert Busch has a background in business. She’s currently working as director of Business Development at Clemson University’s Restoration Institute and has chaired numerous business and trade organizations. She comes from a large family, being the eighth of 11 children, but even if she’s elected to Congress it’s doubtful she’ll ever be as well-known as her youngest brother, Stephen, host of Comedy Central’s "The Colbert Report."

Though Colbert Busch has a fantastic resume, she owes her brother a debt of gratitude for plugging her candidacy on his show, causing his legion of fans to consider opening their pocketbooks and making a political donation during an off-year special election when campaign contributions are hard to come by.

As far as ideology is concerned, Colbert Busch is an across the board liberal. She’s pro-choice, pro-union, pro-Obamacare, pro-gay marriage, etc.

Normally those positions would be unsuitable for a candidate looking to represent the people of SC-1, a district which Romney won in 2012 by 18 points. The fabled "generic Republican" candidate would trounce Colbert Busch, even with her famous maiden name. Unfortunately for the GOP, her opponent’s negatives are a bit harder to swallow than a generic Republican.

Sanford was first elected governor of the Palmetto state in 2002 and reelected to a second four-year term in 2006. Everything seemingly went according to plan during his first six and a half years in office. The married Sanford even had the time for an affair with an Argentinean woman. From his accounts the relationship, which started in 2001, didn’t become sexual until 2008.

If the past few decades have taught us anything, extramarital affairs aren’t enough on their own to derail a political career. You have to do something truly special, like solicit a prostitute in the bathroom, have a lovechild with someone on your campaign staff or send pictures of your underwear-clad genitals all over Twitter, in order to face any real political backlash for infidelity.

One fateful week in June 2009, Sanford did something truly special with his affair. He flew to Buenos Aires to spend several moonlit romantic evenings with his lover without notifying anyone. Nobody on his staff, not the lieutenant governor, none of his immediate family nor any member of the media had a clue where Sanford went.

The mystery of the missing governor was solved when Sanford flew back to the U.S. and explained to everyone where he had been. He came clean about the affair, yet instead of acting contrite he was remorseless. He described his mistress as his "soul mate" and appeared deeply in love, despite a 20 year marriage that yielded four children.

All this is immaterial though, because by leaving the state he was elected to be chief executive of, without disclosing his whereabouts, Sanford proved himself unfit for public office. Being governor is an important job and the star-crossed lover displayed callous disregard for his office and its responsibilities.

So in about a month, the voters of SC-1 have an important decision to make. Should they vote for the candidate who seems to represent views many disagree with or should they vote for the candidate who seems to represent Sanford? If I lived in the district I would vote for Colbert Busch because while I can overlook marital infidelity among public officials, a complete dereliction of duty (which is precisely what Sanford did) is a bridge too far.

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ABC's "Castle" star Tamala Jones is more than an actress

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UT students march to capitol in “Invest in Texas” campaign

Photo Credit: Michael Morton

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SHSU mass communication students win big at Texas Intercollegiate Press Association convention

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Video from KHOU Channel 11, live coverage of the Lone Star stabbing in Cypress, TX 

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Jazz artists revive tunes, captivate audience for 3rd annual Bill Watrous Jazz Festival

olissma Vance | The Houstonian

SCHOOLIN' THE KIDS: Saxaphonist Bob Mintzer visited campus last weekend as part of the 53 rd annual Bill Watrous Jazz festival to give workshops to high school and college students and perform.

By Angela Beel

Contributing Reporter

Guest artists earned a standing ovation from audiences as they showcased the sounds of jazz during the evening concerts at the third annual Bill Watrous Jazz Festival at Sam Houston State University Friday and Saturday. The performances were held at the Performing Arts Center and ended both jazz filled nights with powerful performances. Special guests Bill Watrous, a famous trombone player andtrumpeteer, saxaphonist Bob Mintzer , as well as the SHSU Jazz Ensemble, charmed audiences with their soulful renditions of jazz hits. The concerts were a part of the four day festival of performance and education for middle and high school students, who performed and attend workshops by Mintzer throughout both days. The night of concerts began with Watrous and the Jazz Ensemble playing an upbeat song titled “Lowlife”. However, it was Mintzer who captivated audiences as he took the stage to play some of his original songs. Mintzer joined the SHSU Jazz Ensemble on stage to play one of five songs he penned. The first song was upbeat and soulful. Mintzercaptured audience members’ attention during his solo on the tenor saxophone as his fingers glided across the keys. The song titled “March Majestic” got audience members involved as they joyfully clapped along with the beat during one of Mintzer’s solos. Mintzer called his “A Brazilian Affair” as a samba-esque groove” piece, and again, got the audience moving along to the music. “Lester Jumps Out,” the longest song of the night, was riddled with solo performances by not only Mintzer, but Watrousand members of the jazz ensemble as well.  Aric Schneller, director of jazz studies and leader of the festival even sang a solo during the song. The night ended with a performance by Mintzer, Watrous, the SHSU Jazz Ensemble and an old friend of Mintzer’s, Richard DeRosa, took over on the drums. The performance was cheerful as the duo closed the concert with a powerful performance, leading the crowd to give a standing ovation. Audience member and music student Katie Delafuente said she enjoyed the last performance most. “Bob Mintzer and Bill Watrous are such great artists,” Delafuente said.  “It was great.” Britney Bundick, another member of the audience, agreed. “I thought it was really good,” Bundick said. “Bob Mintzer was amazing and Watrous’s playing was like singing through the trombone.” “Never let me go” spiced up the night right from the opening, with a solo by Watrous and Schneller. Watrous excited guests not only by his skilled trombone playing, but by his interesting tales of his experiences as a jazz musician. As Watrous concluded the final song, audience members cheered and gave them a loud applause. Audience member Dawn Craig, said that the night’s performances showcased true passion for music. “It was beautiful. The sound filled the whole room,” Craig said. “It was very powerful and very passionate.”

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Main Street Music series opens with the Anthemeers, Gypsy Davies

By Alex Diaz

Contributing Reporter

Music lovers and fans from all over gathered on the lawn of the Walker County courthouse Friday evening to listen to local bands theAnthemeers and the Gypsy Davies. The performances comprised the first installment of the city of Huntsville’s Main Street Music series; an event at which local artists perform every Friday from April 5 to May 10. The Anthemeers, an eccentric sextuplet echoing Broken Social Scene and Fleet Foxes, performed first, washing the crowd in their unique brand of college rock. From anthemic ballads to fast-paced rhythmic rock the group entralledthe crowd with an energetic and positive vibe that translated into a frenetic but cohesive performance, well rounded in both emotion and musicality. The band closed with “Becoming Something” sending  the gathered listeners off in a tidal wave of good feelings. “It was a wonderful performance, really great production and a really professional sound,” said local musician Miranda Hightower. Next up were the Gypsy Davies, an acoustic blues duo. The band went through a medley of blues standards like “Fever” and “St. James Infirmary Blues”, mixing in clever covers of Britney Spears and folksy originals along the way. The performance was soulful, gripping listeners with raw, bluesy angst, conveying a sound akin to the softer efforts of artists like the White Stripes or Jeff Buckley. Vocalist William Tyler Zell ventured out into the crowd, singing acapella without the aid of the mic, bringing true spirit to the set. “They have a lot of heart, a lot of genuine intention,” Huntsville resident Mary Brett said of the band “they’re just down-home good.” Overall, the performance was great beginning for the weekly music series, and was itself a great example of local musical talent. The bands, the fans, and the atmosphere were all positive, and the music well done. The next concert in the series will be held on April 12 with artists Zachary Keane Crocker and Mary Brett. For more information, call the Huntsville Main Street Program ay 936-294-5920.

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At least 14 hurt in stabbing spree on Texas college campus, authorities say

(Photo: Johnny Hanson / Houston Chronicle)

At least 14 people were hurt Tuesday in a stabbing spree at a Texas community college, authorities said. Sheriff’s officials said a suspect was in custody.

Read more on this breaking news story.