entertainment Woes Week
of the
king
The martin luther King, jr. Commemoration Program and Celebration Week kicks off Thursday
Bobcats sound off on what san marcos is “missing”
Ge 2
Defending the First Amendment since 1911
www.UniversityStar.com
january 21, 2009
Wednesday
Volume 98, Issue 40
History Made Texas State students witness Obama’s inauguration
By Alex Hering Scripps Howard Foundation Wire It was the first day of class at Texas State, but Mandy Domaschk said compared to the inauguration of the first black President of the United States, the syllabi she missed didn’t weigh much. “There are occasions in life such as this when life is more about the experiences you have,” said Domaschk, who was among the estimated two million people who flooded the nations capital this week. That was the general feeling among the 10 Texas State College Democrat members who came out in below freezing temperatures early Tuesday. Domaschk, political science senior and president of College Democrats, said amidst the long lines for tickets and the crowds of shoving people, the smiling faces kept her believing in “the change” they felt was happening. “Everyone just wanted to talk,” she said about the opening ceremony concert Sunday afternoon. “They would say ‘What’s your journey? Where are you from? How excited are you for this change?’ So even in the cold, even when it is crowded and there are long lines, it is really nice to see a smile on everyone’s face.” Domaschk, who was staying with local friends, said she felt that although the masses came from all over the country, they felt unified. “We were at a little restaurant in Chinatown and a news station was playing the ‘I Have a Dream’ speech and everyone just stopped eating and listened,” Domaschk said. “It’s definitely very unified no matter if you’re black, white, Republican or Democrat.” Domaschk said she had purple-ticketed seating, which began at after Capitol grounds and ended at the reflecting pool. Domaschke estimated she
stood in line with 80,000 other spectators beginning 5 a.m. Tuesday. “We didn’t get inside though,” Domaschk said. “We were all a little disappointed. The line started at this tunnel and a riot almost started near the front of the line. It was mob like and kind of scary for a while.” The unity in the people was apparent in what she called the “cool kids,” the people she was stuck in lines with during the speech. “It was cool though because someone would call
Joseph Rodriguez, management junior, said he did not have tickets to any standing or seated areas near the Capitol, but found a comfort comfortable place where he listened to the speeches. “I wish (Barack Obama’s) speech was longer, but it was cold,” Rodriguez said. “Just being there and walking along the streets and watching people listening to the speech on the radio was memorable. They were there, watching or listening in some way, all of them very proud.” Domaschk said she was not able to see Obama sworn into the presidency, but it did not matter. She said it was the over overall change she was looking for. “It’s not about seeing the actual ceremony,” Domaschk said. “It’s about feeling the spirit of it all. It’s about feeling that you are part of something bigger than us. It’s about being a part of the massive pile of people who understand the huge change that is happening and what it means to them and the world.” Members of College Democrats are not the only young Americans getting involved in this year’s election. According to the Center for Information and Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, voters 18-to-29 years-old came out to the polls in record numbers this last election. An estimated 23 million Americans under 30 years of age voted in the 2008 presidential election, Chuck Liddy/ Raleigh News & Observer 3.4 million more than the 2004 election. their mom and have them put Obama’s speech on For Payne, the inauguration symbolized the speaker phone so we would all be huddled around end of two years he spent working with the Colthese little phones,” she said. lege Democrats, he said. Ryan Payne, history senior, said he drove to “Well, I’ve been working on the campaign for Washington D.C. He said he was moved up to the the last two years, so it’s good to have a closyellow seating area because of a lack of space. ing chapter,” Payne said. “At the same time, the “The overflow of people ended up getting me things Obama brought up are things that we’ve pushed back up into the wall in the purple ticket been trying to tell people since the beginning. It section,” he said. “They asked me and a few other feels good. There’s a rumor about what do you people to move up. We didn’t even sit most of the do tomorrow when you wake up? Well, you start time, we were standing up with them to watch.” working on 2012.”
Texas state student dies from gunshot wound By Theron Brittain Senior News Reporter The New Year began on a sad note for the friends and family of Jonryan Paysse. The Texas State junior died Jan. 7 after an accidental shooting at his University Heights II apartment in San Marcos. While handling a .45 caliber handgun he purchased on his 21st birthday just three days earlier, the gun discharged and Paysse was shot in the abdomen. Roomates called 911 and Paysse was airlifted to Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, where he was pronounced dead. Paysse’s family and friends described him as a light-hearted companion who kept everyone in high spirits. “He was never in a fight — his laughter was so infectious and calming,” said his mother, T.J. Poe. “He loved to help people. His friends meant everything to him, and his girlfriend was the love of his life.” Paysse was majoring in construction technology and planned one day to oversee construction sites, Poe said. He was in a committed relationship with a fellow Texas State student, Jordan Mullen. The two met
Today’s Weather Sunny
74˚
Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 28% UV: 5 Moderate Wind: SW 12 mph
through the “J crew,” an unofficial, but closeknit, group of friends formed during their freshmen year in Jackson Hall. “He was the life of the party,” said Mullen, interior design junior. “He really brought our group together. If anyone had a problem, he would be there for them. If anybody got drunk, he would always take care of them.” A sporting enthusiast, Paysse spent as much time outside as he could, according to his friends and mother. He was an avid fisher and hunter, and was active in every sport he encountered. A scholarship in his name has been established at his high school in Llano to help underprivileged children pay for sports equipment, Poe said. He was interested in becoming a member of Ducks, Unlimited. “We went fishing and hunting all the time together,” said Robert Coffey, his roommate and best friend. “He was a brother to me.” The two met in fourth grade, went to high school together and moved to the same dorm when they came to Texas State. “He was a great friend,” said Coffey, business junior. “He always did what he said he was going to do. He would always tell me
Two-day Forecast Thursday
Friday
Partly Cloudy Temp: 77°/51° Precip: 0%
Partly Cloudy Temp: 80°/45° Precip: 10%
what he was thinking — if I was messing up, he would tell me and I would do the same thing for him.” Mullen said she and Paysse planned trips to Las Vegas and Spain to visit his aunt. They talked about marriage one day, though she said there were no specific plans. She said rather than viewing Courtesy of Danika Hughes his death as a loss to the Texas State community, she believes it had brought his friends closer together. “I feel like we let some relationships slide and now that this has happened, everyone has come together and is supporting each other,” Mullen said. “We realize that you cannot just let those things go. I’m sure that is what he would want for us.” Support for Paysse outpoured on the soSee JONRYAN, page 2
Parking loss heightens students’ concerns By Scott Thomas Editor in Chief Seeing three parking lots under construction and unusable surprised Marshall Laechelin when he came back to Arnold Hall after Winter break. He was not the only one. Residents of Jackson, Arnold, Smith, Hornsby and Burleson halls found the spaces they usually use to park their vehicles were fenced off, dug up and under construction after coming back from Winter break. Residents of the halls say there was no warning. Laechelin, agricultural business and management junior, said he is now concerned about getting to his two jobs off cam-
pus on time, all while being a full time student. “They say they have a shuttle taking us to Spec parking lot … but it won’t operate on the week weekends,” he said. “No one wants to move their car now. I must move regularly.” Laechelin said parking was bad last semester, but now the lots are closed and parking near the dorms is only available on the streets among the halls. Victoria Pfaff, undecided sophomore, said she believes limited parking can lead to safety concerns. “I had a friend who had to walk to her dorm from Jones dinning hall at 3 a.m. by herself,” she
Inside news .............. 1,2 opinions ............ 3 Trends ................ 4
Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System
Diversions............ 5 Classifieds........... 5 sports.................. 6
See PARKING, page 2
To Contact Trinity Building Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708 www.universitystar.com © 2008 The University Star