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HOUSING GUIDE

FEB. 23, 2015

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Newly renovated community offers amenities Raiders Walk is a newly renovated community that’s just a 5-minute walk to campus. We are located directly across the skybridge from Jones AT&T Stadium and offer both furnished and unfurnished one and two-bedroom apartment homes. Each bedroom has a large walk in closet as well as a private bathroom and linen closet. Every apartment includes a premier appliance package, including glass top stove, icemaker and full-size washer & dryer. Best of all we accept cats and dogs (no weight limit) so you can truly feel at home when you get back from class.

With a slew of amenities to keep you entertained, focused, and fit, including two salt-water pools (better for you), a business center, coffee bar, fitness center/ yoga studio, tanning bed and pet park, Raiders Walk offers a complete housing experience.

Importantly, we understand that it’s not all about the apartment and the amenities, and we

take great care in providing you with exemplary service.

No need to worry about parking either – that is included, and you can park close to your building. We also save you time and the hassle of setting up utilities as all connection charges and deposits are covered the moment you decide to lease at Raiders Walk.

Our community also includes free cable and hi-speed Internet that truly makes moving-in a breeze.

As an added bonus, our community is right in the heart of where Red Raiders congregate and mingle before important sporting events, so you won’t need to drive or take a shuttle to enjoy the terrific tailgating scene at Tech! Living at Raiders Walk has its advantages.

Come check us out, we’d love to help you find the perfect place to spend your college years!

We’re sure you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

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FEB. 23, 2015

HOUSING GUIDE

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ULofts provides convenient location

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RAIDERS WALK

FDA issues warning as traces of peanuts found in cumin spice WASHINGTON (AP) — Hundreds of products are being pulled from store shelves after traces of peanut were found in ground cumin spice — a lifethreatening danger to some people with peanut allergies.

The recall has been ongoing since December, as more retailers identify products that contain the cumin. The Food and Drug Administration is now warning all people with peanut allergies to avoid cumin and products that contain cumin.

While such large allergyrelated recalls are rare, undeclared allergens like peanuts are the leading cause of food recalls in the United States. That can be very unsettling to people who are keeping a close watch on what they or their children eat, since food allergies can be

a matter of life or death.

“You might do all of the things you are supposed to do and read the label, but there could still be undeclared allergens,” says Dr. Michael Pistiner, a Boston-based pediatric allergist. “It’s challenging to know that and still feel comfortable.”

Pistiner says he sees the recalls as low-risk, since often the amount of the undeclared allergen is very small. “But the highest risk is to our comfort,” he says.

According to the group Food Allergy Research and Education, or FARE, 15 million Americans have food allergies, including 1 in 13 children. Eight foods account for more than 90 percent of the allergies — peanuts, tree nuts,

milk, eggs, wheat, soy, fish and shellfish.

Since 2006, those allergens are required by law to be listed on food packages if they are ingredients. The law is less clear when it comes to crosscontamination, however — companies aren’t required to list on the label if peanuts or other allergens are processed in the same facility or on the same equipment.

Little is known about how many people may have reactions to allergens that accidentally make their way into food. Those reactions are hard to track — much harder than a pathogen like salmonella, for instance, which can be identified in a person’s stool and traced directly to the same strains in a food manufacturing

facility or on a farm.

The FDA said it had 428 reports of “adverse events” related to undeclared allergens between January 2012 and December 2014, including reports of three deaths. The agency would not release any detailed information on those reports, which are made by consumers and can’t always be confirmed by the agency.

The agency said it has had at least eight reports from consumers related to the cumin recall. Hundreds of products have been recalled since December, from spice mixes to black beans to meats with marinades that include cumin. The spice is often used in Tex-Mex and Indian dishes. The FDA declined to provide any further details on how it happened or what

company added peanuts or peanut residue to its cumin spice.

The FDA said packaged foods may not have enough of the affected cumin to trigger a reaction — but those who are sensitive should be careful just in case. Some products may not actually list cumin, but list “spices” instead.

Multiple recalls have spanned a two-month period.

The first was on Dec. 26, when Texas-based Adams Foods recalled several of its cumin spices. On Feb. 9, the retailer Whole Foods recalled more than 100 products that potentially contained the cumin. On Friday, Goya Foods recalled some brands of its black beans and black bean soup. Several other foods have been pulled off store shelves as well.

At least one spice company notified customers that it isn’t part of the recall. McCormick & Company Inc. said the company sources whole cumin seeds to ground its cumin and its products are not involved.

FARE, the allergy group, routinely notifies its members of what recalls are out there so they can keep track. And the group is pushing the FDA to ensure that allergens are treated as importantly as pathogens like salmonella and E. coli when the agency issues final food safety rules later this year.

“Requiring food processors and manufacturers to identify potential allergen hazards and develop plans to avoid those hazards is critical,” the group told the FDA in comments on the rule.

Obama’s daughter Malia tours colleges by herself or with Mom, not Dad WASHINGTON (AP) — President Barack Obama is missing out on part of his oldest daughter’s life: her college campus tours as she tries to figure out where to study in two years.

He was absent when 16-year-old Malia toured Stanford University and the University of California at Berkeley last summer. Her mother, Michelle Obama, accompanied the high school junior on recent visits to New York University, Barnard College and her father’s alma mater, Columbia University.

One possible explanation for Obama’s absence is that presidents attract attention wherever they go and their presence could detract from the visit.

Practically everywhere they

go, presidents are accompanied by helpers and advisers, Secret Service agents, drivers, doctors, reporters and others who travel in his protective security bubble.

“It’s hard to tour college campuses with that moving office in tow,” said Lisa Caputo, former press secretary and deputy assistant to President Bill Clinton. “It brings a lot of attention, which is really not the point of the visits.”

It’s easier for presidential children to take these trips with their mother or other family member, she said.

Obama checked out Stanford’s picturesque, palm-tree lined campus in Palo Alto, California, last week when he addressed a cybersecurity summit there.

“I’ve got to admit, like, I kind of want to go here,” Obama said of Stanford. “I was trying to figure out why it is that a really nice place like this is wasted on young people who don’t fully appreciate what you got.

It’s really nice. And everybody here is so friendly and smart, and it’s beautiful. And what’s there not to like?”

Obama said his administration is “infiltrated” with Stanford people, including National Security Adviser Susan Rice, Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker and senior adviser Valerie Jarrett, and said he’s always heard about everyone riding bikes around campus and hopping into the school’s many fountains.

“Let’s face it, I like Stanford grads,” he said, adding that Stanford “is the place that made ‘nerd’ cool.”

‘Superbug’ outbreak raises questions about medical tool LOS ANGELES (AP) — A “superbug” outbreak suspected in the deaths of two Los Angeles hospital patients is raising disturbing questions about the design of a hard-to-clean medical instrument used on more than half a million people in the U.S. every year.

At least seven people — two of whom died — have been infected with a potentially lethal, antibiotic-resistant strain of bacteria after undergoing endoscopic procedures at Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center between October and January. And more than 170 other patients may have been exposed as well, university officials said.

UCLA said the infections may have been transmitted through at least two contaminated endoscopes that were used to diagnose and treat pancreatic and bile-duct problems.

The infections occurred even though the instruments had been cleaned according to the manufacturer’s instructions, the hospital said.

The episode is the latest in a series of outbreaks involving such instruments.

“You can very easily do everything right and still have some contamination,” said Dr. Deverick Anderson, an infectious-disease expert at Duke University. “We’re finding this is a problem, but it’s probably one that we don’t have a very good solution to right now.”

Lawrence Muscarella, a Philadelphia infection-control expert, said the recent incidents point to a design flaw that needs to be addressed.

An endoscope — or more specifically in this case, a duodenoscope — is a thin, flexible fiber-optic tube that is inserted down the throat to enable a doctor to examine an organ. It typically has a light and a miniature camera.

“We notified all patients who had this type of procedure, and we were using seven different scopes.

Only two of them were found to be infected. In an abundance of caution, we notified everybody,” UCLA spokeswoman Dale Tate said.

The hospital said it has since changed its disinfection procedures, and they go beyond normal standards.

On Thursday, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an advisory warning doctors that even when a manufacturer’s cleaning instructions are followed, infectious germs may linger in the devices.

Their complex design and tiny parts make complete disinfection extremely difficult, the advisory said.

In a statement, the FDA said is trying to determine what more can be done to reduce such infections.

But it said that pulling the device from the market would deprive hundreds of thousands of patients of “this beneficial and often lifesaving procedure.”

“The FDA believes at this time that the continued availability of these devices is in the best interest of the public health,” the agency said.

More than 500,000 patients undergo procedures using duodenoscopes in the U.S. every year, according to the FDA. The company that supplied UCLA’s equipment, Olympus Medical Systems Group, did not immediately respond to an email request for comment.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ULOTS APARTMENTS

Apartment living never looked as good as it does at ULofts Apartments. Have everything you ever wanted in one place while taking advantage of our great amenities and convenient location.

As a resident, you can simply relax in your “home away from home” right across the street from Texas Tech.

We offer 17 uniquely styled and spacious one and two bed-

room floor plans.

ULofts is the perfect choice for those who want to enjoy their personal space. All apartments are fully furnished with leather couches, all-inclusive designer kitchens, private bathrooms and a full-sized washer and dryer. All utilities plus cable and internet are included in your rent and there are NO caps. That means one check a month, that’s it.

Enjoy a workout on your own schedule in our 24 hour fitness center or hang out by one of our resort-style swimming pools. ULofts residents also have access to a free stand up tanning bed, movie theatre and gaming area. Our professional on-site staff is dedicated to serving your needs and arranging resident events to help you get the most out of your college experience.

Stop by for a tour today with one of our friendly leasing agents. Don’t wait—apartments are going fast. In the meantime, www.uloftsapartments.com is always open, and a great way to view available floorplans, property details and to submit your application.

We know that you will find that ULofts Apartments is the perfect place to call home while studying at Tech

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HOUSING GUIDE

FEB. 23, 2015

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FEB. 23, 2015

HOUSING GUIDE

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Roommates go from strangers to friends Website helps students find right housing fit High school seniors across the nation are faced with a challenge when it comes to college; to room with your best friend or not. Pros: familiarity, you don’t have the awkward get know each other stage, you don’t have to question their choices, you probably already know if they have weird habits, and you don’t have to worry about them getting along with your friends. Cons: hating each other and losing that friendship. That one con was enough to make me decide having a “rando” was going to be better than losing my friends I already had. Besides, how bad could it be?

Being from Dallas, I assumed everyone was from the metroplex.

When I found out she was from this place called Odessa, which

Sarah Wilson we later referred to as SlowDeatha, I had to look it up. I knew that was definitely not in the metroplex.

Moving in was incredibly awkward. The first night I was exhausted from my first day of recruitment, and I came home to her decorating her side of the dorm. I was tired of making small talk with other women all day, so I just nodded and put on my pajamas. Words weren’t spoken

until after we had crawled into bed. She looked at me and in a shy whimper asked, “Hey, have you ever seen “Mean Girls”?”

Uh, yes. It’s only my favorite movie, and the anthem of my friends from high school. So we watched “Mean Girls” that night, and every night after for the next two weeks. We didn’t have much to say to each other, we basically communicated through Mean Girls’ quotes. There became this bond, and slowly trust was created through the lines of Cady Heron and Regina George.

We came from two completely different backgrounds, and we both learned so much from each other. She ate ramen noodles all the time, and I had never even heard of them. She was a

first generation college student, where as I was coming in with two educators as parents and the last of the family to be attending college. It wasn’t an option or something I had put much thought into, whereas she had worked incredibly hard for competitive scholarships.

My roommate slowly became my best friend. She knew all my boy drama, and I knew all of hers. I had strep five times in two months, and she was as good of a nurse as my own mother.

She knew what would cure my hangovers, and we always kept each other accountable on going to class.

Living on campus was great because she didn’t have a car, and I hate to drive in town. We’d

PHOTO BY ZETH ABNEY/The Daily Toreador

KEVIN DU, A mechanical engineering graduate student from Houston, instructs Cierra White, a senior human development major from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, how to write in calligraphy at the lunar new year celebration Thursday in the Red Raider Lounge.

Colorado residents are first to ask feds to block legal pot advocate for a change (in federal drug law), but they must do so through their elected representatives in Congress.”

The lawsuits are also the first to claim that federal racketeering laws allow them to win damages from pot businesses that flout federal law. The plaintiffs have not specified amounts they would seek.

Lawyers say the racketeering approach is a new one.

“If these lawsuits are successful, it could be devastating for the industry,” said Sam Kamin, a University of Denver law professor who helped craft Colorado’s pot regulations. “But it will be very difficult for the plaintiffs to prove damages directly attributable to the marijuana industry.”

Colorado Attorney General Cynthia Coffman released a statement saying she would “defend the state’s marijuana laws and our clients” if the lawsuits go to trial.

Marijuana legalization supporters say that states are free to stop enforcing certain drug laws, as long

as they don’t try to overrule the federal Controlled Substances Act. “Colorado has every right to stop punishing adults for using marijuana,” said Mason Tvert, who ran Colorado’s legalization campaign and joined about a dozen other legalization supporters who marched to the state Capitol on Thursday for the lawsuits’ announcement. They carried signs saying, “Regulation Works!”

One legalization backer, Democratic state Rep. Jonathan Singer, said the pot industry has boosted tax coffers and hurt the black market.

“The sky hasn’t fallen. We’re doing the right thing,” Singer said.

Technically, federal law making pot illegal for any purpose remains in effect in the 23 states that have authorized its use for people with certain medical conditions.

However, it’s not clear how far the federal government can go to compel states to enforce drug laws.

For nearly 20 years, the U.S. Department of Justice has repeat-

edly said that marijuana remains illegal and that the federal government can enforce even smallpossession crimes. However, U.S. authorities have left most enforcement to the states, saying they focus on larger drug crimes.

One of the lawsuits came from the owner of a Pueblo County horse farm, Hope Reilly, who said Thursday that she’s “been horrified” to see a marijuana cultivation facility go up next door.

“This land means a great deal to me,” said Reilly, who says the pot facility mars “spectacular views” of the Rocky Mountains.

Also suing is the owner of a Holiday Inn, who argues that a pot shop opening nearby is keeping away families.

“Marijuana businesses make bad neighbors,” the lawsuit says.

“They drive away legitimate businesses’ customers, emit pungent, foul odors, attract undesirable visitors, increase criminal activity, increase traffic, and reduce property values.”

US jury to decide if Palestinian groups to blame for terror attacks in Israel NEW YO RK (AP) — The PLO and Palestinian Authority should not be blamed for terror attacks in Israel that killed or wounded Americans in the early 2000s, the groups’ lawyer told a New York City jury Thursday, but the victims’ attorney insisted the organizations sanctioned the bloodshed.

The civil case in Manhattan and another in Brooklyn have emerged as the most notable attempts by American victims of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict to use U.S. courts to seek damages that could reach into the billions of dollars.

In closing arguments at the high-stakes civil trial, defense attorney Mark Rochon said there was no proof the Palestinian authorities sanctioned the six attacks as alleged in a 2004 lawsuit,

even though members of their security forces were convicted in Israeli courts on charges they were involved.

“What they did, they did for their own reasons ... not the Palestinian Authority’s,” he said in federal court in Manhattan.

Plaintiff attorney Kent Yalowitz countered by putting a photo of Yasser Arafat on a video screen, then telling the jury that the Palestinian leader had approved martyrdom payments and incited the violence with anti-Israeli propaganda.

“The big dog was Yasser Arafat,” he said. “Yasser Arafat was in charge.”

The suits against the PLO and Palestinian Authority and the other against the Jordan-based Arab Bank had languished for years as the defendants challenged

LubbockStudentHousing.com — Find your home at one of six great communities conveniently located just steps from campus, each owned and managed by American Campus Communities.

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25 Twenty 2520 Marsha Sharp Freeway (806) 749‐2520 One, two, and four bedroom apartments. Walkway to campus, private bedrooms and bathrooms, furnished apartments with flat‐ screen TVs in every living room, and HUGE floor plan options, some even large enough to accommodate a complimentary common area billiards table. Incredible amenities including an outdoor pool, 24‐hour fitness center, and 24‐hour academic success center with 15 iMacs and free printing.

The Village at Overton Park 2408 Mac Davis Lane (806) 368‐7830 2 and 4 bedroom apartments + 4 bedroom townhomes (3‐story).

Located across the street from the Jones AT&T stadium. This community surrounds a resort‐style swimming pool, and residents have 24‐hr access to a state‐of‐the‐ art fitness center loaded with both cardio and strength training machines. All utilities are included.

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Huge three‐story floor plans with designer interior finishes including hardwood‐style floors, leather‐style furniture, granite kitchen and bathroom countertops, and stainless steel appliances. This gated community offers a fully loaded game room, fitness center, and resort‐style swimming pool.

Plus, all utilities and parking are included.

actually bought two, one for each of us. Clearly she also liked them, and getting more wouldn’t hurt.

Living with someone can go well or terrible, and there are honestly no indications or warnings to let you know. Looking back, she taught me so much and I was lucky to have her as my first roommate. She taught me patience, friendship, and how to treat others. Three years later she is still one of my good friends, and I know she will forever have my back. Freshman year can be incredibly overwhelming, but insanely rewarding if you learn to adapt and take others as they are.

WIlson is a junior journalism major from Ovilla. ➤➤@SarahWilsonDT

Wal-Mart’s US workers to get pay raises soon

NEW YEAR, NEW TRICKS

DENVER (AP) — Colorado already is being sued by two neighboring states for legalizing marijuana. Now, the state faces groundbreaking lawsuits from its own residents, who are asking a federal judge to order the new recreational industry to close.

The owners of a mountain hotel and a southern Colorado horse farm argue in a pair of lawsuits filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in Denver that the 2012 marijuanalegalization measure has hurt their property and that the marijuana industry is stinky and attracts unsavory visitors.

The lawsuits are the first in any state that has legalized recreational or medical marijuana in which its own residents are appealing to the federal government to block pot laws.

“It is a bedrock principle of the United States Constitution that federal law is the supreme law of the land,” said David Thompson, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs.

“The people of Colorado are free to

meet up for lunch in-between classes and catch up. She knew my best friends and I knew hers.

It was hard sometimes when she needed to stay up late to study and I would need to get up early for class. We shared our food, our thoughts on boys and on the other girls on our floor. Sharing a small space with anyone takes some time to adjust, but we quickly learned each other’s ticks.

Then one day my hot and spicy cheese itz were gone. That was the day all hell broke lose. I called my mom and ranted for 45 minutes. When I was done, my mother pointed out how insane and unjust I had been, and told me to go buy another box. So after 45 minutes of thinking my mother was wrong, I finally did. But I

the American courts’ jurisdiction. Recent rulings found that they should go forward under the Anti-Terrorism Act, a more than two-decade-old law that allows victims of U.S.-designated foreign terrorist organizations to seek compensation.

At the Manhattan trial, jurors have heard testimony from family members of people killed in the attacks and survivors who never fully recovered. The plaintiffs also have relied on internal records showing the Palestinian Authority continued to pay the salaries of employees who were put behind bars in terror cases and paid benefits to families of suicide bombers and gunmen who died committing the attacks.

“Where are the documents punishing employees for killing people?” Yalowitz asked. “We don’t

have anything like that in this case. ... They didn’t roll that way.”

On Thursday, Rochon argued that it was illogical to conclude that payments made after the attacks motivated the attackers in the first place.

“You know a lot about prisoner payments and martyr payments,” he said. “Do you have any evidence that they caused these attacks? No.” Last year, a Brooklyn jury decided that Arab Bank should be held responsible for a wave of Hamas-orchestrated suicide bombings that left Americans dead or wounded based on claims the financial institution knowingly did business with the terror group.

A separate phase of the Brooklyn trial dealing with damages, set to begin in May, will feature testimony from victims.

BENTONVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Hoping to shed its reputation for offering little more than deadend jobs, Wal-Mart, the nation’s biggest private employer, is giving raises to nearly a half-million workers and offering what it says are more opportunities for advancement.

Wal-Mart told The Associated Press that as part of $1 billion its spending to change the way it trains and pays workers, the company will give raises to nearly 40 percent of its 1.3 million U.S. employees in the next six months.

In addition to raises, Wal-Mart said it plans to make changes to how workers are scheduled and add training programs for sales staff so that employees can more easily map out their future at the company.

The company said the changes, which were announced on Thursday as Wal-Mart reported betterthan-expected fourth-quarter results, will hurt profits this year.

“We are trying to create a meritocracy where you can start somewhere and end up just as high as your hard work and your capacity will enable you to go,” CEO Doug McMillon told the AP during an interview this week at the company’s headquarters in Bentonville, Arkansas.

The changes come at a time when there’s growing concern for the plight of the nation’s hourly workers.

Thousands of U.S. hourly workers and their supporters have staged protests across the country in the past couple of years to call attention to their financial struggles. Business groups and politicians have jumped into the fray, debating a proposal by President Obama to raise the federal minimum wage from $7.25 to $10.10 an hour. And a new Associated Press-GfK poll found that most Americans support increasing the minimum wage.

At the same time, competition for retail workers is becoming increasingly stiff. As shoppers get more mobile savvy, retailers are seeking sales staff that’s more skilled at customer service. But in the improving economy, the most desirable retail workers feel more confident in hopping from job to job.

Wal-Mart, which has struggled for two years with sluggish sales, follows other big retailers that have announced plans to increase pay for its workers. Swedish home furnishings retailer Ikea this year gave thousands of workers at its U.S. division a 17 percent average raise to $10.76 an hour. And clothing chain Gap Inc. raised its minimum hourly wage to $9 last year and to $10 this year.

Because of its massive size and impact, Wal-Mart has faced outsized pressure by organized labor groups to raise its starting hourly wages to $15 and provide workers with more consistent hours. With its new changes, the company’s average full-time wage will be $13 an hour, up from $12.85. For parttime workers, the hourly wage will be $10, up from $9.48.

That’s below the $14.65 average that hourly retail workers in a non-supervisory role earn, according to government data that includes people who work at auto dealers and other outlets

that would likely pay more than discounters like Wal-Mart. But it’s above the $9.93 average hourly pay for cashiers and low level retail sales staff, according to Hay Group’s survey of 140 retailers with annual sales of $500 million.

Ed Lazear, a Stanford University economics professor who served as an informal adviser to Wal-Mart during the past year for the program, applauded WalMart’s moves.

“It’s positioning itself to be competitive,” he said. “This is a step in the right direction.”

Here’s a breakdown of some of Wal-Mart’s plans: — Start raising entry level wages to at least $9 an hour in April and to at least $10 an hour

by February of next year. That includes the less than 6,000 workers who make the federal minimum wage. Sam’s Club locations will offer a starting hourly wage of at least $9.50 or higher in all markets, and at least $10.50 by next year.

— Raise the floor and ceiling of its pay range for each position in most stores. For example, the pay range for cashiers is $7.65 to $16. The new range will be $9.00 to $17.55.

—Raise the starting wage for some department managers to at least $13 an hour by this summer and at least $15 an hour by early next year.

— Give newly hired workers a $9 per hour training wage and when they successfully complete the six-month training program, raise it to $10 an hour. Those workers can pursue one of three career paths: hourly supervisor, a specialty path like working in a bakery or deli or expand their skills in their current role.

— Give hourly workers handson training in areas including teamwork, merchandising, retail fundamentals and communications. Store leaders like hourly supervisors will get refresher training on people leadership skills so that they can help workers grow and advance.

— Roll out a program that offers some workers fixed schedules so they can be able to choose the same hours each week. The program is being tested in Wichita, Kansas.

— Team up with its nonprofit, Walmart Foundation, to invest a total of $100 million spread over the next five years to support programs that help advance careers for entry level workers in the industry.

McMillon, whose first job at Wal-Mart was an hourly position loading trucks during college, said the company is making the changes in both wages and training because it realizes it needs to do more than just pay more.

In a survey Wal-Mart conducted of 24,000 workers, it found that many don’t know how to move up at Wal-Mart.

McMillon, who became CEO last year, said he’s hoping that if the company invests in its workers, they will provide better customer service. And ultimately, he hopes that will encourage shoppers to spend more.

“We want to make it really clear that working at Wal-Mart is a great opportunity,” he said. “Time will tell what the significance of the decisions will be.”

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LUBBOCKSTUDENTHOUSING.COM

University Trails 2210Main Street (806) 749‐2200 One, two, three, and four bedroom apartments. The best value in the Overton area, this community is located just steps from campus and features recent interior upgrades including leather‐style furniture and hardwood‐style flooring.

Raiders Pass 3120 4th Street (806) 762‐5500 Two, three, and four bedroom apartments. Conveniently located near North Campus. Recently upgraded amenities and interiors; upgraded fitness center, upgraded academic success center with iMacs, upgraded game room, upgraded tanning room, and New hardwood‐style flooring in all apartments. All utilities are included.

University Pointe 2323 Glenna Goodacre Boulevard (806) 749‐2323 Two, three, four bedroom apartments. Outdoor recreation spaces including both sand volleyball and basketball courts, and a swimming pool with hot tub. This community offers select three and four bedroom penthouse units with upgraded interiors including a flat‐screen wall‐mounted living room television, leather‐style furniture, and hardwood‐style flooring. All utilities are included.

All six communities featured on LubbockStudentHousing.com are located on Tech shuttle bus routes, offer on‐site maintenance and management, a courtesy patrol officer, after‐hours on‐ call staff, individual leases, and roommate matching.

Spaces for Fall 2015 are going quickly. Students interested in living at one of these six communities are encouraged to apply online at LubbockStudentHousing.com.

For more information or if you have any questions, please contact info@lubbockstudenthousing.com. *Electricity is included up to a monthly cap. Amenities are subject to change and may vary by community. See office for details.

Same-sex couple marries in Immigrants feel stuck after Texas under one-time order judge blocks Obama orders

AUSTIN (AP) — Defying Texas’ longstanding ban on gay marriage, a lesbian couple wed in Austin on Thursday immediately after being granted a marriage license under a one-time court order because one of the women has cancer.

The women — together for more than 30 years — said their union was the first legal same-sex marriage since voters overwhelmingly approved the ban in the fiercely conservative state in 2005, though it wasn’t immediately clear if Texas would recognize the marriage. State Attorney General Ken Paxton filed an immediate appeal to the Texas Supreme Court.

The marriage license was issued exclusively for Sarah Goodfriend, who has ovarian cancer, and Suzanne Bryant in liberal-leaning Travis County. The Austin couple requested the license two days after a local probate judge ruled in an unrelated estate case that Texas’ gaymarriage ban was unconstitutional.

The couple cited that case, saying it should allow them to get married.

Austin-based Democratic state District Judge David Wahlberg sided with the couple and directed the Travis County clerk to immediately stop relying on “the unconstitutional Texas prohibitions against same-sex marriage as a basis for not issuing a marriage license.” County Clerk Dana Debeauvoir said she issued the license, but that any other licenses must be court ordered.

Courts made a similar exception in Indiana for a lesbian couple in April because one of the women was dying of cancer and wanted her partner’s name on her death certificate.

A federal appeals court overturned Indiana’s ban in September.

Paxton, a Republican who took over as attorney general in January, filed for an emergency stay Thursday morning and took the unusual step of asking Texas Supreme Court justices to rule within the hour. Justices didn’t heed the request.

“A stay is necessary to make clear to all county clerks that Texas marriage law remains enforceable until there has been final appellate resolution,” Paxton wrote.

Texas’ ban on gay marriage was ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge in San Antonio last year, but the judge put the ruling on hold amid the ongoing court fight. The state’s appeal is currently before the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans.

“We are all waiting for a final decision on marriage equality,” Debeauvoir said. “However, this couple may not get the chance to hear the outcome of this issue because one person’s health.”

Goodfriend, policy director for state Rep. Celia Israel, said during a midday news conference that her last chemotherapy treatment was four and a half months ago. But, she added: “All of us wonder if the cancer grows back along with the hair growing back.”

TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) — Brenda Armendariz, her husband and their two Mexico-born children were hoping to resolve their constant fears of being deported after President Barack Obama issued his latest executive orders on immigration.

But now that a federal judge in Texas has blocked Obama’s efforts to protect four million more immigrants, her family is disillusioned and her children feel stuck as the president’s offer of temporary legal status moves frustratingly beyond their reach.

About a third of the immigrants now living in the United States illegally would be eligible for temporary protection if Obama’s latest orders are upheld in court, either because they were brought to the U.S. as children or because their own children have legal status in the country.

But the advances and retreats

on reform have been so frequent over the years that many thousands of immigrants who are already eligible for protection have given up for now — they aren’t applying for the work permits and Social Security numbers they are entitled to under Obama’s first executive order in 2012.

There are a litany of reasons why, including general distrust of the government, fear they’ll be deported, and the nearly $500 in fees it costs to apply. But the constant uncertainty created by Washington’s political divide also keeps them away.

About 150 people have reached out to Arizona immigration attorney Lance Wells this week, reacting with bafflement, fear and dismay to the latest reversal, he said. His message: “Be patient guys. We kind of knew this would be coming.”

But their patience is wearing

thin.

Armendariz and her husband came to Tucson a decade ago with a son and daughter, meaning to stay just long enough to earn some cash and head home to the Mexican state of Sonora. Instead, they overstayed their visas and settled down. Those children are now 21 and 13, joined by two American citizen siblings: a 3-year-old boy and a one-month-old girl.

Like so many other immigrants, this family has “mixed status,” and the mother, father and two oldest children didn’t qualify for protection under Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program, nearly three years ago.

With the goal of keeping such families together, Obama’s executive orders announced in November would have applied to the older siblings starting on Wednesday, and the parents starting in May.

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FEB. 23, 2015

HOUSING GUIDE

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