PAGE TWO
January 24, 2007
Wednesday in Brief
starsof texas state A Texas State student ad team mock-up will be featured on The Early Show scheduled to air on CBS Wednesday. Texas State students Lyle Jenks, Jason Dominguez and Antonio Banos participated in a competition sponsored by Chevrolet in which student teams from around the country submitted proposals for a Super Bowl ad marketing Chevy cars and crossover vehicles to younger buyers. Submissions
came in from all over the nation. Chevy and ad agency executives selected five finalist teams this fall. The Early Show was interested in seeing and sharing the other submissions with the general public. The Texas State team submitted its mocked-up ad in December, and it was selected for broadcast on The Early Show. —Courtesy of the University News Service
News Contact — Nick Georgiou, starnews@txstate.edu Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System
Fraternity Maaascot WEDNESDAY The American Marketing Association will have an Informational Meeting with guest speaker Denise Smart, Dean of the McCoy College of Business. The meeting will be at 5:30 pm. in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-14.1. Free food & drinks available starting at 5:15 pm. Bring a friend - All majors are welcomed to attend. For more information, go to www.business.txstate.edu/AMA Relay For Life-Team Captain Meeting will be at 8 p.m. in Evans Building, Room 114. For more information, contact Stacy Whittaker at sw1172@txstate. edu.
Jan. 19, 12:27 a.m. Driving While License Invalid/ Corner of Edward Gary & Concho Streets An officer initiated a traffic stop, upon further investigation a student was driving without a valid license. The student was arrested and transported to the Hays County Law Enforcement Center to await magistration.Upon further investigation a student was found to be under the influence of alcohol and was issued a citation.
Chi Alpha Christian Fellowship will hold its weekly meeting at 8:30 p.m. in Old Main, Room 320. There will be contemporary worship, relevant teaching and prayer. Everyone is welcome. Contact (512) 557-7988 or email@texasstatechialpha.com.
The Tennis Club will meet from 6 to 8 p.m. at the tennis courts on Sessom Drive, behind Joe’s Crab Shack. All skill levels are welcome. For more information, contact Tennis Club President Chris Harris at ch1282@txstate. edu.
The Organization of Student Social Workers (O.S.S.W) will meet at 12:30 p.m. in the Health Professions Building, Room 234. All majors are welcomed to attend.
Texas State Men’s Basketball will be playing Stephen F. Austin at 7 p.m. in Strahan Coliseum.
Jan. 18, 8:29 p.m. Burlary of a Motor Vehicle/Strahan Coliseum An officer was dispatched for a report of a burglary of motor vehicle. A student stated items were taken from her vehicle without consent. This case is under investigation.
Simple Silent Sitting Group will meet from 4 to 5 p.m. in the Campus Christian Community Center.
An on-campus Alcoholics Anonymous meeting will be held from 5 to 6 p.m. For more information, call the Alcohol and Drug Resource Center at (512) 245-3601.
THURSDAY
University Police Department
Relay for Life-Team Captain Meeting will be held at 8p.m. in Evans Liberal Arts Building, Room 116. For more information contact Stacy Whittaker at sw1172@txstate. edu.
The Earth First organization will hold its weekly meeting at 4 p.m. in Evan Liberal Arts, Room 314. For more information, contact Bogan Durr at bd1132@txstate.edu.
The Alcohol and Drug Resource center will hold its weekly “The Network” meeting from 5 to 7 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-6.1.
CRIME BLOTTER
Students interested in becoming involved with the community, making business connections and learning leadership skills can attend Students in Free Enterprise at 4:15 p.m. in McCoy Hall, Room 113. Every Nation Campus Ministries will meet at 7 p.m. in Centennial Hall, Room G-02. There will be free food, fellowship and a relevant message.
Monty Marion/Star photo Buddy the goat, mascot of the Texas State Phi Delta Theta fraternity, spends Tuesday afternoon in The Quad with Brandon Smith, wildlife biology junior, and James Koenig, marketing senior.
Coalition says TRCC not helping homeowners A coalition of consumer advocacy organizations, including the Texas Public Interest Research Group (TexPIRG), Texas Watch and Home Owners for Better Building, are calling on the Texas Legislature to enact legislation to relieve the plight of Texas homeowners. According to these groups, Texas homeowners are facing pressure from a poorly functioning government bureaucracy, exploitative homeowners’ insurance rates and predatory mortgage lending. These problems, the coalition says, are turning the dream of owning a home into a nightmare for many Texans. The groups released a report this morning entitled Homeowners Rights in Texas: What the Legislature Must Do to highlight the issues. “Texas homeowners are hurting,” said Jeff Brooks, Advocate for TexPIRG. “Owning a home is not only a key part of the Ameri-
can dream, but it is also a critical element of a person’s finances. The problems faced by Texas homeowners are intolerable and the state legislature must step up to the plate to enact the necessary reforms.” A key problem, says the coalition, is the Texas Residential Construction Commission (TRCC). Ostensibly intended to help homeowners and builders resolve their disputes without going to court, the TRCC is actually little more than a barrier protecting the building industry by preventing homeowners from taking legitimate legal action against incompetent and unscrupulous builders. Presently, homeowners are legally forbidden from taking legal action until they have completed the State-Sponsored Inspection and Dispute Resolution Process, in which the deck is stacked decisively against the homeowner and in favor of the builder.
“The TRCC is denying the citizens of Texas their basic constitutional right to make full and fair use of the legal system,” Brooks said. “We didn’t put up with that when Santa Anna tried it, and we shouldn’t put up with it now.” The coalition is calling for substantial reforms to the TRCC, beginning with making the dispute resolution process voluntary rather than mandatory if a citizen wishes to take legal action against an unscrupulous or incompetent builder. The members of the coalition also believe that fees paid by citizens to the TRCC should be abolished, stringent conflict-ofinterest provisions should be enacted and that measures should be taken to ensure a voice for consumer protection is present on the TRCC board. -Courtesy of the Texas Public Interest Group
ASG Beat
ASG announces open Senate, Election Commisioners seats
The Associated Student Government is the official voice for students at Texas State University. Meetings held at 7 p.m. Monday evenings in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-14.1 and are open to the public. Anyone wishing to address the Senate is welcome to speak during public forum. Those interested should talk to Amanda Oskey, the Student Body Vice President. ASG completed a petition drive for tax-free textbooks Tuesday at local college bookstores. The drive was in support of Senate Bill 49 that calls for a tax-free textbook holiday. Student body elections will be held in the first week of April. ASG is looking for interested parties who would like to serve as official Election Commissioners. The parties are paid for approximately three to four weeks of work and are appointed by the Student Body President. Please email asg@txstate.edu for more information. ASG’s official sponsored program for fundraising, Mobile Campus, is seeking student employees. Mobile Campus is located in the first floor of the LBJSC. Please call (512) 2457726 for more information.