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twitter.com/TheTSUHerald THE TSU HERALD | September 25, 2014

Vol 67 | Number 03

CAMPUS NEWS

SPORTS

OPINION

TEXAS SOUTHERN TOPS CENTRAL STATE IN THE BAHAMAS

LIFE & STYLE

Photo credit: Buck Bedia

FRESHMEN ROCK THE HOUSE 2014: PROJECT XXVII

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LACK OF STUDENT ENGAGEMENT IMPEDES THE COLLEGE EXPERIENCE

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HISPANIC STUDENT ASSOCIATION SPEAKS ON HISPANIC HERITAGE MONTH

Texas Southern University’s 87th

Founders Day: Honoring

the legacy of George Thomas

“Mickey” Leland

WENDY DAVIS GIVES STAR PERFORMANCE DURING GUBERNATORIAL DEBATE

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TURMOIL WITHIN THE NFL IS CAUSING MAJOR REPURCUSSIONS

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Campus NewsFreshmen Rock The House 2014: Project XVIIIBY TONY MONKStaff Writer

EDITOR-IN-CHIEFMECOLE’ HAYESManaging EditorLENZI CAUSEY

Campus News EditorMARIEA BOYD

Sports EditorSIDNIE HOLMES

Opinion EditorLINDSAY GARY

Life & StyleKENNETH WARE JR.

Publications ManagerTIYOSHA TURNER

AdvisorsSERBINO SANDIFER-WALKERMICHAEL BERRYHILL

EDITORIAL STAFF

Hundreds of voices echoed through-out the Sawyer Auditorium for another an-nual Freshman Rock the House showcase last wednesday. Anauditoriumfilledwithstudent’swhose eyes were glued to the center stage as host and TSU professor, Marcus D. Wiley began to kick things off. The class of 2018 has began to make some noise through the beginning of this semester already, little did they know, high expectations had already been placed on them, and for an event focused mainly on the fresh-man, they too showcased why they were who many thought they were. “These new crop of freshman, are the mostspiritedandstrongwilledI’veeverseen,and they were not afraid to speak their minds,” SGA president Terrance Bolton, whom had very high regards for the class after the event,

said. Over 30 organizations such as: TSU Raw Materials, Hispanic Student Associa-tion, and University Players took center stage with skits, routines, and valuable information pertaining to the freshman class. The sororities and fraternities on campus showcased their introductions through video and stage skits, performances and stroll-ing in between intermissions in coordination to the music played by the DJ as well. Arafflewasalsodoneforthestudentsto win prizes such as t-shits, backpacks and cd albums. Other groups such as TSU connect and upcoming group Mt. Olympus provided several persuasive points as to why students should join said organizations. “Thoughwe’renotanorganization,I’mgladwehadthechancetointroduceour-

selvesandwhatwe’reabout to the student body,” junior and Mt. Olympus member Ty-ler Washington said.

The twit-ter feed had become a highlight at certain points of the show, as Wiley would respond to tweets posted by some of the freshman students.

Heads were con-stantly turning to see which students had gathered their nerves to say what was on their mind about some of the performances.

Whether Wiley had planned on referring to the tweets as a part of the event ornot,itdefinitelyhelped in keeping ev-eryone into the show.

The overall turnout of the show was one to remember. Freshmen as well as upperclassmen were well into every performance that came through FRTH. Terrence Bolton had high praises for the turn out, as well as for Internal Vice Presi-dent Crystal Owens, who was in charge of planning and preparation for the event. “I think the event went well, the main thing was to make sure the freshman were introduced to what the campus had to offer,” Crystal Owens said. “A lot of the freshman wanted to be in-volvedwiththeorganizationsbutdidn’tknowwhere to start.” The number of freshmen eager to begin get-ting involved after the event astonished both Bolton and Owens. The turnout for FRTH was one of the best in the last couple of years, and Bolton as well as Owens hopes the success will continue in the future.

T h e T S U H e r a l d i s p u b l i s h e d b y t h e

s t u d e n t s o f Te x a s S o u t h e r n

Un i v e r s i t y. O p i n i o n s e x p r e s s e d

a r e t h o s e o f t h e w r i t e r a n d d o n o tn e c e s s a r i l y r e f l e c t

t h o s e o f t h e a d m i n i s t r a t i o n .

T h e n e w s p a p e r i s p r i n t e d b i w e e k l y,

e x c e p td u r i n g h o l i d a y s a n d

e x a m i n a t i o n p e r i o d s .F o r a d d i t i o n a l

i n f o r m a t i o n , c a l l ( 7 1 3 ) 3 1 3 - 6 7 1 0 .

Freshmen Rock The House host and TSU professor, Marcus D. Wiley

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Campus News

Dr. Edward Craig Ness began his du-ties at Texas Southern University in August of 2014. As the Vice President for Administra-tionandChiefFinancialOfficer,heoverseesPlant Operations, Human Resources and the Department of Public Safety. The Division of Administration and Finance, which employs over 300 people, provides a wide variety of services on behalf of the university. Ness and his team oversee building and grounds, maintenance and construction, security and police, purchasing, accounting andfinancialreporting,universitybudgets,

A New Face in Administration: Texas Southern University accepts Dr. Craig Ness as the new chief financial officerBY MARIEA BOYDCampus News Editor

treasury, risk management, human resources and payroll and information technology. New to the position as CFO, Ness plans to work alongside President John Rudley and his team to help continue with their plans toimprovetheadministrativeandfinancialinfrastructure for Texas Southern University. “Given my experience in academic de-partmentsatmanylevels,myworkinfinance,administration and administrative systems, I predict that I will be working very closely with ProvostWardtorealizePresidentRudley’svi-sion for the University,” Ness said. Before joining TSU, Ness previously worked at Temple University and the Univer-sity of Houston.

During his time before Texas Southern University he has implemented major infor-mation systems across a university system on three different occasions. He also taught a limited range of courses for a little more than a decade. Ness earned his Bachelor of Arts in Communication (Radio-TV-Film) from Tem-ple University, Philadelphia, PA. He also worked towards a Master of Fine Arts in Film Production from Temple before being enticed to join the staff there. He went on to earn his Masters of Business Administration from the University of Houston.

OtherthanbeingTzu’sCFO, Ness is a father to two sons and husband for 40 years. The older of his two childrenservedfiveyearsin the Marine Corps and the youngest recently graduated from the Hil-ton College of Hotel and Restaurant Management. Inside the community Edward Ness spends his free time as a member and presidentofHouston’spublic TV access corpora-tion. He is also an active member at the YMCA, Boy Scouts of America and youth sports. Ness plans to remain the Vice President for Admin-istration and Finance and ChiefFinancialOfficerforthenextfiveyears. He promises to continue to set his goals for making a difference, and will be here at TSU for as long as he can continue to do so.

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President, John Rudley during his address at the 87th Honor’s Day Program.

Cover StoryTexas Southern University’s 87th Founders Day: Honoring the legacy of George Thomas “Mickey” LelandBY CAMBRAI ROBINSONContributing Writer

Theroomwasfilledwithgraceandgratitude as Texas Southern University and the Houston community paid tribute in honor-ing the legacy of world-famous Congressman and TSU Alumnus George Thomas “Mickey” Leland. Thisyear’s87thFoundersDayobser-vance commemorates the 25th anniversary of the untimely death of the great Mickey Le-land. As Texas Southern Uni-versitycelebrates87yearsofexcellence in achievement, TSU reflectsonaphilanthropistwhostrengthened the institution, sur-rounding communities, and who later became one of the most powerful anti-poverty activists the world will ever know. Houston Attorney and former Chief of Staff for the late Congressman Mickey Leland was the keynote speaker for the event. The Founders Day address given by Gene Locke inspired the room. “Mickey Leland was great, he took advantage of opportunities on campus, and he created suc-cess,” Locke said. Thisyear’sFoundersDaywastrulyone Texas Southern University will never for-get. TheinspiringstoryonMickey’ssuc-cess taught students to have an attitude of suc-cess; just like “Mickey.” Texas Southern University President, John Rudley, said it best, “I hope there is an-other Mickey Leland this semester.” George Thomas “Mickey” Leland served as one of the most effective spokesper-son for women and men of poverty all over the world for over 20 years. LelandwasAmerica’smostprofound

advocate, making Leland the only United States Congressman to be reelected to the U.S. House of Representatives every two years. Through his years in Congress, Leland matured into a brilliant, effective, and the most influentialmanofpowerinFoodSecurityandHealth Care Rights.

George Thomas “Mickey” Leland changed the world, the outlook on national and international hunger, and Texas Southern University forever. TSU’sannualFoundersDayprogramhighlightedLeland’slegacyoncampus. TSU Alumnus and Texas Senator-Dis-trict 13, Rodney G. Ellis give students a much better understanding of who “Mickey” Leland really was. “Mickey was a special friend, a guy that people loved, made a difference, and who taught to change the world.” In addition to his congressional duties,

Leland made it his personal mission to help others,especiallyinthefightagainsthunger. MickeyLeland’sefforts,visionandthepower of love he had for people went beyond his tone. Leland understood the struggle for basic human rights including-food, clothing,

shelter and health care. Leland created a desperate need for global change, dedicating his life to giving back, and master-ing the causes of helping the poor and less fortunate. Many students and alumni describe Leland as a leg-endaryfigurewhobuiltafirmfoundation for TSU students and many future Tigers to come. Graduating Senior, Darius Lewis says “Mickey Leland set the bar and as a member of the Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland SchoolofPublicAffairsI’mhonored,I’mgrateful,andIre-alize there is no limit to all I can do.ThefightcontinuestohonorMickey Leland as a number of buildings and initiatives have been renamed in his honor.

The “Mickey Leland” (Terminal D) at George Bush International Airport and the

Texas Southern University Barbara Jordan-Mickey Leland School of Public Affairs are just to name a few. Mickey Leland touched the hearts and souls of many individuals. Leland pioneered many afro-centric cultural norms that made it acceptable for everyone to support change in our black communities and all over the world. Because of George Thomas “Mickey” Leland, Texas Southern University will always reflectgreatness,positivechange,andexcellence in achievement.

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Life & StyleThe Hispanic Student Association speaks on celebrating HispanicHeritage MonthBY LENZI CAUSEYManaging Editor

Hispanic Heritage Month is a time where we as a nation recognize a major part of our “melting pot”, Americans who are descen-dants of people who have come from Spain, Mexico, Central America, South America and the Carribbean. It is observed September 15th until Oc-tober 15th of this year; it is previously known as Hispanic Heritage Week. President Lyndon B. Johnson started Hispanic Heritage week in 1968 as a start to include those of Hispanic descent as a part of our culture. President Ronald Reagan extended it in 1988 to a span of 30 days as a result of the ap-proval of a public law. This excerpt fromFriday’sarticleonthesubjectfromtheHuffingtonPostsaiditbest:“Whatmainstream Americans have failed to realize is that Hispanics have played and will continue to play a crucial role in our nation. Hispanics have contributed to every avenue of American life since the inception of this country. Hispanics’originshaveplayedakey

roleinourcountry’ssocio-economic,political,and cultural development.” Here at TSU, there is an organization oncampusspecificallydesignedandappointedto the needs and support of Hispanic students on our campus, the Hispanic Students Associa-tion. It’scurrentpresident,MariaLumbre-ras, spoke over the weekend about what this month and this organization means to her.

“H.S.A. is a multicultural organiza-tion that is open to all student with any back-ground. It is an organization were the main focus is to make a stronger bond with students at T.S.U.”, Lumbreras said. “We try to create events that hold that bond together but at the same time try to retain students in school and increase the graduation

rate within minorities.” Lumbreras, very insightful about what Hispanic Heritage month means, stated that it is a time for celebration and recognition of eachcountryfortheirhardworkinfightingfortheir Freedom and Independence. “Also, the time to acknowledge those individuals who also have fought and served their lives for what they believe is right and for justice”, she said.

“It is a month where people gath-er together to look back in history and realize what had to be done, to be in the position that we are now.” The organiza-tion is open to any student at Texas Southern who is interested in be-coming a part. “The organiza-tion is open to everyone and everybody! Our meetings are bi-weekly at 3pm in room 239 in the Student Center. OurfirstInterestMeeting will be on October 1st at 3pm”, Lumbreras said. The organization

is working to put forth events on campus that bring forth all students, and plans on spreading the event throughout the rest of the semester to respect academic studies and events set by organizations. AftertheirfirstmeetingtheywillhavetheirfirstannualInternationalFestlocatedintheStudentCenterfirstandsecondfloorfrom5pm-7pm.

The Hispanic Student Association during their international pot luck event.

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THROUGH THE EYES OF OUR TIGERS

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THROUGH THE EYES OF OUR TIGERS

1. Students crowd around as they take turns doing their best renditions of their favorite songs during Karaoke Night.

2. Tyler Doggett and friends during their very animated performance at Karaoke Night.

3.StudentspackoutSawyerAuditoriumforthisyear’sFreshman Rock The House.

4. The Men of Collegiate 100 push education as they encourage students to join their organization.

5. The ladies of Sigma Lambda Gamma show off a stroll after providing information about their sorority.

6. Nikki Luellen of the University Players shows students just how talented she is during an onstage performance.

7.MembersoftheRaawMaterialzdancecrewduringtheir performance at Freshmen Rock The House.

8. University Cheerleaders bring lots of Tiger spirit to get the crowd going.

9. SGA President, Terrence Bolton addressing the studentbodyduringthe87thFoundersDayprogram.

10.ProvostWardduringhisspeechatthe87thFounders Day program.

11. Provost Ward, Sheila Jackson Lee and, President Rudley leaving the Founders Day Convocation.

As the weeks go by here at Texas Southern University, our photographers have captured all of the moments and current events.

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Photos courtesy of: Cameron Butler,Joedicy Simms and Kurt Brinson

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Sports

Turmoil within the NFL is causingmajor repercussionsBY LENZI CAUSEYManaging Editor

In recent events, a growing number of professional league football players has been involved in physical violence cases across the United States. Criminal and labor authorities have been on top of things, but has it really made any difference? Thefirststorythatsurfacedandcausedquite a shock was the dispute between Balti-more Ravens running back, Ray Rice and his then-fiancee,JanayPalmer. A video was released and went vi-ral from February in which Rice physically harmed and then dragged his unconscious fiancee,fromacasinoelevator. In March, Rice was indicted for third-degree aggravated assault and the assault charge against Palmer was dropped. The punishment he got from the NFL, though, was more equivalent to a slap on the wrist. They only suspended him for two games. However, the situation did not surface virally in the media until September, when TMZ released a full-length video of how grue-sometheirfightreallywas. IthasbeensaidthatNFLofficialshadseen a clip of the video previously, but once TMZ released the entire video a couple weeks ago, he was then suspended from the NFL, and former FBI director, Robert Mueller plans to step in and investigate the case. “I’mnotsatisfiedwithhowwehandledit from the get-go,” NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell told a source from the Baltimore Sun. “I made a mistake.” The same day Rice was suspended, a Minnesota sheriff issued a warrant for the arrestofMinnesotaVikings’runningback,Adrian Peterson. Peterson was brought up on charges for child abuse after severely punishing his four-year-old son. Some may not recall, but Peterson faced much discretion in the media behind this

situation, but not long ago was pitied and sym-pathized with in the event of losing his other son. His death was due to brutality from the mother’slive-inboyfriendinOctoberoflastyear. This caused an uproar about violence within the NFL, on two accounts: domestic abuse and child abuse and endangerment. It also seemed to cause a domino effect within the league because several other NFL players are being brought up on charges of various assault. These players include Carolina Pan-thers’defensiveend,GregHardy,forado-mesticviolencecaseandArizonaCardinals’running back, Jonathan Dwyer, for assault. The Panthers announced Wednesday that Hardy has taken a voluntary leave until his legal matters have been resolved. He has been convicted based on do-mestic violence assault that took place in July. “WeunderstandGreg’sdecision,”Pan-thers general manager Dave Gettleman told CNN. “Andgiventhecircumstances,it’sveryimportant that he concentrate on his legal is-sues. We believe this is the right course of ac-tion at this time for both Greg and the Carolina Panthers.” According to the New York times, Dwyer was booked at Maricopa County Jail on a count of aggravated assault causing a fracture, a count of aggravated assault involv-ing a minor, two counts of criminal damage and a count of preventing the use of a phone in an emergency. This was all based on two occurrences of domestic abuse stemmed from altercations in his home at the end of July. So far, he has been deactivated by the Cardinals, occurring Wednesday evening. Fortunately, Peterson, Hardy and Dw-yer are being placed on a special commission-er’sexemptionlistandarebeingpaidwhilethey go through their legal processes.

Now, as a woman who has witnessed, but has not been a victim of domestic violence, these stories are disturbing and confusing. Rice, who was indicted nearly seven months ago, has not been tried for his crimebuthownowbeenpunishedfinanciallytwice for the same actions. His wife released a statement soon after the TMZ video released that was nothing shortofbaffling.Shesaidthatsheplayedapart,whichmayhavebeentrue,butRice’sre-action was beyond over-the-top and an embar-rassment to both parties. It was almost as if she was agreeing to his actions and submitting to being a victim. With Rice at the forefront, the violence in the media is spiraling into madness and reciprocity, and management of the issues is running slow. The pressure is coming down on the officialsoftheNFLfromboththemediaandthe White House. Friday,asenioradministrationoffi-cial told CBS the NFL has zero-tolerance for domesticviolenceorchildabuseandit’dbehandledefficiently. “The NFL has an obligation not only to their fans but to the American people to prop-erly discipline anyone involved in domestic violence or child abuse and more broadly, gain controlofthesituation,”theofficialsaid. The NFL has even teamed up with The National Domestic Violence Hotline, which provides domestic violence victims and survi-vors access to a national network of resources and shelters. Inrecenttimes,thehotlinehadn’tbeenrunning adequately because of lack of staff, but it is working to provide service and at the least, an answer to every call. It is my hope that the violence does not continue, and that each player own up to his actions and accept the consequences. It is also my hope that each of them learns from his mistakes, and if help is what they need, that it is provided.

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SportsTexas Southern tops Central State in the Bahamas

BY KENNETH WARE JR.Life & Style Editor

NASSAU, Bahamas — Daveonn Porter ran for two touchdowns and Texas Southern beat Central State 30-16 in the inaugural HBCUX Classic. The game was held at Thomas A. Rob-inson National Stadium on Saturday, Septem-ber 13, 2014. Porter scored on runs of 26 and 5 yards, and gained 89 yards on 18 carries, as TSU moved to 3-0 this season. Jamal Small added 108 yards on 13 carries,andwent17of31for186yardsandtwo touchdowns, for the Tigers. CentralState(1-1)scoredfirstonJohnAdams’32-yardfieldgoal,cappinga10-play,64-yardfirstquarterdrive. But Small connected with Fred Plum-mer for 26 yards for a score, then found Malik Cross from six yards to lead 13-3 at half. Porter’sfirstTDmadeit20-3earlyinthe third. But Central State scored twice — the latter a 25-yard interception return by Chris-tian Wilson — to cut it to 20-16. EricMedinakickeda24-yardfieldgoal,andthenPorter’sfourthquarter,4-yardscamper put it out of reach. The Bahamas Director of Tourism, Joy Jibruli was ecstatic about bringing the annual football classic to the Caribbean island. “It’sthefirstofitskind,”Jibrulisaid.”Not just sun, beaches and sand, but also sports.” National Stadium hosted the popular IAAF World Relays this summer as well. “This shows the diversity of the Baha-mas and all we can offer,” Jibruli said. “I sug-gest all visitors take a short plane ride and visit one of the other islands. Each one provides a unique experience.” The Tigers football squad was excited to travel over 1,000 miles and play in “para-dise.” “This is a dream come true for a lot of the students,” TSU Athletic Director Dr. CharlesMcClellandsaid.“It’safirst-classevent and truly a blessing.”

The Meliá Hotel & Resort and breath-taking scenery on Cable Beach impressed members of the TSU Student Government Association and Royal Court. “Snorkeling was my favorite thing,” Senior Class Senator Philip Turner said. “It was a beautiful sight underneath the crystal blue water.” ThiswasTurner’sfirsttripoutsideofthe country. Heenjoyeddivingforstarfishandwalkingoutsidetotheresort’sfourpoolsalong the beach. “The fact that we won the game made the trip even more enjoyable,” Turner said. OliverSmith-Perrin,theRoyalCourt’sMr. Junior, was honored to share this adven-ture with the football team. “The Meliá was a nice resort,” Smith-Perrin said. “My favorite part of the whole trip was snorkeling. Although I was skeptical at first,itturnedouttobeveryenjoyable.” Friday night was a rainy, stormy night, orasthelocalscallit,“filledwithliquidsun-shine.” However, that did not put a damper on thestudent’sweekendtriptotheisland. “Ican’twaittovisitagain,”Smith-Perrin said. The international press team was taken on a private tour of Baha Mar, a $3.5 billion resort being built just down the road from the Meliá Hotel & Resort. Baha Mar is in a league of its own. Even the world-famous Atlantis, which is visible across the water, does not compare to Baha Mar. The resort is said to be the western hemisphere’slargestcurrentresortprojectandthe most ambitious ever built in the Bahamas. “Itwillbring7,000jobstoBahami-ans,” Senior Vice President Robert Sands said. For art lovers, this will be the “place to visit” to learn about Bahamian culture. “BahaMarwillhosttheCaribbean’slargest curated art gallery,” Sands said. “There

will be 12,000 pieces of Bahamian art.” The islands of the Bahamas have always been known for their beautiful white sandbeachesandnear-perfectweather,butit’squickly becoming a mecca for sports tourism. For more information on planning the ultimate getaway to experience authentic Bahamian culture, please visit www.Bahamas.com.

photos courtesy of: Tsuball.com

TSU Football program coaching staff following the victory over Central State at the

Inaugural HBCUX Classic.

The view from the team’s balcony in Nassau, Bahamas.

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Politics

Democrat Wendy Davis outperformed her opponent Attorney General Greg Abbott at Friday’sTexasGubernatorialDebateinEdin-burg, Texas. Her performance was necessary as polls and fundraising efforts show that Abbott continuestoleadtheracefortheGovernor’sMansio. With just six weeks until Election Day, Davis will need much more than a great per-formance to win this race. During this one hour debate, the mod-erators questioned the candidates on every-thing from abortion to the death penalty. There was also a particular emphasis onbordersecurityduetothedebate’slocationin the Rio Grande Valley. When asked about the negative depic-tions and images of border mayors, Davis said she would work with local leaders and tourism agencies to repair this tarnished image and to maintain border protection. Abbott, who did not directly answer the question, maintained that his focus would be on the economic development of the area. His ambiguity continued throughout the debate. Overall, Senator Davis was enthused andconfidentduringthedebate. She engaged the audience and ad-dressed Attorney General Abbott directly; she effectively maintained a balance between pro-moting her track record and vision, and show-ing with factual details why her opponent was not suited to be the next governor of Texas. In contrast, Abbott was extremely calm and mostly refrained from addressing his op-ponent directly. Many of his responses simply regurgi-tated talking points from his website and hot-button Republican jargon rather than explain-ing action plans for the state he wants to serve. Davis advocated for herself effectively whileAbbottattemptedtodothiswithfluffratherthanactionplansorspecificsastowhyhewasfittobeaTexasgovernor. In fact, he seemed to be more inter-

ested in the United States presidency as he frequently targeted President Obama in his responses. For example, he criticized the president for Obamacare and argued that its expansion of Medicaid is bad for all Texans. In addition to this, when given the opportunity to directly question his opponent, he asked her if she regretted voting for Barack Obama rather than questioning her vision, ac-tion plans, or suitability for governor. Either done to arouse emotion from his anti-Obama supporters or to detract from his ill-preparedness, Davis used this question as an opportunity to further promote herself and her leadership. Davis focused on education and wom-en’srightswhileAbbottemphasizedlimitedgovernment and business development. On the topic of school funding, Ab-bott spoke on how he wanted to re-invent the school system and ensure that Texas becomes number one in Texas for education by creating a strong foundation and taking away the “one sizefitsall”mandatesforteachers. Davis discussed her success in restor-ing much of the $5.4 billion in public educa-tion. She also pointed out how Abbott worked to defend those cuts which has nega-tively impacted Texas schools and the children they educate. She called it “dumb” and discussed her plan to create more resources. Abbott also denied that he referred to the Valley as “Third World” while Davis contended that this anti-Hispanic rhetoric and his favor of the Voter ID Law which has dis-enfranchised many people of color in Texas is proof that he is not good for Texas. Abbott maintained that Voter ID Laws are necessary although there is very little evi-dence of voter fraud. On abortion, Abbott argued that abor-tion laws are good for Texas as women still havefivemonthstomakethatdifficultdeci-sion. Senator Davis argued that this should not

be determined by the state but rather by the woman in conjunction with her faith, family, and doctor. She reminded the audience and her op-ponentofherfilibusterforTexaswomenanddiscussed how Abbott supported abortion even in the case of brutal murder and incest. Essentially polar opposites on most issues, the two do have something in common; they are both supporters of capital punishment. Both would like DNA testing to be improved to ensure the accuracy of those who have been sentenced to the death penalty. However, Davis was the only candidate on the stage who actually gave hard evidence of previous action in favor of this. Although there were a few exciting moments,includingAbbott’squestiononDavis’ssupportofthepresident,thisdebateisunlikely to change many minds. There were very few surprises in the responses of the candidates and it seems as if only one candidate, Senator Davis, took the debate seriously at all. Fortunately, there will be another de-bate in the next few weeks.

Wendy Davis gives star performance at Texas Gubernatorial DebateBY LINDSAY GARYPolitics and Opinion Editor

Texas Senator, Wendy Davis

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Has Texas Southern University lost it sense of pride? Are we heading in a direction of losing the “HB” in the HBCU experience? Texas Southern is known as a “Histori-cal Black College and University” institute and most students who attend this school not only show up for academics but are also here to experience the “culture” that they would otherwise not get at a predominantly white institute. Many students have expressed their disappointment in the lack of student engage-ment amongst the organizations and the events offered here on campus and why they are ap-prehensive of joining. Lack of properly publicizing the va-riety of events and organizations has caused students to be less interested in school involve-ment and more focused on “self-involvement”. Most recently, I discovered several organizations that I did not know about until I talked to several students here on campus, one of those organizations was the Catholic Stu-dent Organization and I thought to myself how come I have never heard of this group? When and where are these meetings held? So I did further “investigating” and pushed for more answers. Student, Craig Keeton a junior at TSU is a member of CSO and said that he heard of the organization through a friend who is also a member. When asked why he thought many studentshadn’theardofsaidorganizationheresponded,“organization’sdonotdoagoodjob in promoting, they limit to social media and not everyone is on social media.” To see if this was fairly accurate, I interviewed more students some who are apart of organizations but not really involved and some who were not in any organization at all. Sophomore, Kuan Churchwell, and member of the Collegiate 100 Men said that he likes his organization but feels that his

group lacks student involvement, “we lack student spirit,” Churchwell said. Another student, Latoya Brown said she almost joined an organization until she went to one meeting and was very disap-pointed in the lack of structure and said “most of these organizations seem like a popularity contest.” She also expressed how she has no de-sire to join any organizations here at TSU and mentioned the ineffective approach of publi-cizing events in a timely manner. The responses and opinions about the organizations should not be surprising, many students are not only unaware of what Texas Southern University has to offer, but are not feeling motivated or encouraged to join. Ittakesmorethanjustpostingaflyeron the wall or “blasting” a social event on Instagram or twitter, considering not every student is on all platforms of social media. Leaders of these organizations should make it a point to not only engage students but provide more effective “marketing” by going out and talking to students about the many benefitsofjoininganorganization,engagingstudents through fun, exciting “attention grab-bing” events during recruitment days Because of this lack of social involve-ment no one is excited about events. Takelastyear’sHomecomingasanexample, it was reported that the student turnout was so bad that most wondered if hav-ing a Homecoming this year was even worth having. Because of these low numbers, we have lost the attention of many major entities outside the campus that could help enhance the reputation of TSU. So what can we do quickly to not only enhanceTexasSouthernUniversity’sreputa-tion and continued student involvement? Bring back the school spirit. Stop putting censorship on student ex-pression of the school, this includes bringing back the ability to allow Greek organizations

to “stomp the yard” every so often, how about having “Recruitment Days” on the tiger walk and have all the organizations set up booths and talk to students personally about the uniquebenefitstheyhavetoofferandmakethis exciting by providing music, games, and incentives which will engage the students. It is a fact that student involvement enhancesastudent’sconfidence.Icanattesttothismyself,IhavejoinedTSU’sAssociationofBlackJournalist’s,Iammoreconfidentasastudent, I am more sociable and even more so determined to be a top-performing student. Having more students who feel this way leads to better academic performances, securing more unity on campus and leading to an end result of a stronger student body that students can feel proud about. Solet’sdobetteraboutourinvolve-ment, by speaking up, and being more effec-tive about bringing up the numbers in student engagement and be proud to call ourselves a “TSU Tiger.”

Lack of student engagement impedes the college experience at Texas Southern UniversityBY NYCOLE HUTCHENSContributing Writer

Opinion

“Leaders of these organizations should make it a point to not only engage students but provide more effective “marketing” by going out and talking to students about the many benefits of joining an organization.” - Nycole Hutchens

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Our calendar is reserved for the advertisement of on and off campus events. If you are interested in having your event placed on our calendar, then please stop by room 221 of the Student Center or call us at (713) 313-6710.

Monday - 9/29

Monday - 9/22

Tuesday - 9/30

Tuesday - 9/23

Wednesday - 10/1

Wednesday - 9/24

Thursday - 10/2

Thursday - 9/25

Friday - 10/3

Friday - 9/26

The Weekend 10/4 & 10/5

The Weekend 9/27 & 9/28

What’s Happeningon campus & around town

9/27: TSU Vs. Alabama State5:30 p.m.Montgomery, Ala.

The Root Presents:Free Lunch and Bible Study12 p.m.Room 237 SSLC

International Pot Luck Festival5 p.m. SSLC

Last Day to sign up for the fun bus trip to Alcrorn State

Visit the UPC Office for more details

20 Questions1.Whywasn’tthebandintheBahamaswitheveryoneelse?2. Why were some members left stranded in an airport for hours?3.Canweallagreethatthisyear’sFRTHwasasuccess?4. But why were some orgs jumping on stage without telling us any info?5. Why are certain organizations so thirsty to make “20 Questions?”6. Why did everyone think that there would be a probate during FRTH?7.Didpeoplereallybringballoonsandgifts?8.Wereya’llreallythatexcited?9. Why were the freshmen clowning everyone on their Twitter Feeds?10.Is#TxSU18thelivestfreshmenclasswe’veseeninyears?11.Whyarepeoplestilltryingtofightatschool?12.Isanyoneelsesurprisedthattheeventdidn’tgetshutdown?13. Did you know that the football team is on a 4-0 streak?14. Is it safe to say that The Tigers are better than the Texans?15. Did anyone know that UofH just purchased the land that Jack Yates sits on?16. Are they trying to move in on our university?17.Doesitmatterifwe’renotevenconsideredan“HBCU”anymore?18.Who’sallexcitedtoseewhatthisyear’sshufflewilllooklike?19. Why is the UPC President so awesome?20.Who’sallgoingonthefunbustriptoAlcorn?

ask.fm/TsU20QUesTions

DISCLAIMER: The questions are submitted by the student body and

are not the views of The TSU Herald or Texas Southern University as a whole. Feel free to bring your

questions to room 221 of the Student Center. Questions are printed at the

discretion of The TSU Herald.

Anonymously submit your

questions via Ask.Fm

today

Collegiate 100 Men and Women Interest Meeting7-9 p.m.Tiger Room

TSU Dancing Tigers Try Outs6-8 p.m.

Rec Center

10/4: TSU vs. Mississippi Valley State7 p.m.BBVA Compass Stadium