02 07 2006

TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER

TAKE A BITE

Science fiction and fantasy writers have a new media relations commander

A super-sized diet for a Super Bowl menu

SEE TRENDS PAGE 4

SEE SPORTS PAGE 8

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

www.UniversityStar.com

FEBRUARY 7, 2006

TUESDAY

‘I am hip-

hop’ RAPPED UP IN HISTORY: Duke University professor of black popular culture Mark Anthony Neal spoke on the history of hip-hop on Thursday evening as a kickoff event to Black History Month.

Mark Decker/Star photo

Lecture offers insight into world of rap music

By Kathy Martinez The University Star “I am hip-hop.”

That was speaker Mark Anthony Neal’s message Thursday evening at the Black History Month Kick Off in the Alkek Teaching Theatre.

The event, hosted by the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs, the department of history, the Student Affairs Diversity Team and the Hip Hop Congress, featured a lecture by Neal, professor of black popular culture from Duke University.

Neal’s lecture, which focused on the history of hiphop in American culture, began by telling audience members that although he cannot rap or DJ, he is hiphop because he is a part of the generation that brought the genre of music into the world.

Neal attributed the 1965

Immigration Act, which changed the terrain of cities, urban areas and particularly New York City, to the origins of hip-hop.

Neal explained that a variety of cultures from Africa to Latin America came together and created a culture of their own.

This new culture, which Neal described as a social movement, began using music as a stepping-stone to escape the violent inner-city streets. The youth of this time began playing records in the basements of their homes, bringing people together to have fun and enjoy music off the streets.

Grand Master Flash first contributed to “the cut,” a way of blending two songs together on a record without a break in music. From the mixing of records came the emergence of break dancing.

Neal lectured on creation of the scratch and what was

then called emceeing or rapping. He spoke of influential artists such as the Sugar Hill Gang.

“By 1976, no one knew that we were looking at what would in the future be a multimillion-dollar industry,” Neal said.

In the early 1980s, with the emergence of MTV, Neal said Michael Jackson was the first to break down boundaries as a black artist being shown on air in an age when MTV only showed white artists.

“Hip-hop from this point was an outlaw culture that took risks, and the big question was how do we make this mainstream,” Neal said.

Run-DMC became the first group to cross over into the mainstream by expanding its audience base, he said.

In the 1980s the fusion of See HIP-HOP, page 3

Former student arrested on four sexual offense counts against children

By Gordon Taylor The University Star

A

ccording to the San Marcos Police Department Web site, there are 78 registered sex offenders within the city limits.

Ron James Guzman, a former Texas State student, was arrested by San Marcos Police Department detectives on Jan. 11.

The 38-year-old has been charged Ron James Guzman with three counts of aggravated sexual assault of a cos Police Department Web child, one count of indecency site, there are 78 registered sex with a child and possession of offenders within city limits. child pornography.

Ferguson registered as a sex This is the second sexual as- offender with SMPD in August sault arrest in recent weeks. after arrests in Michigan for Matthew Todd Ferguson, a reg- sexual assault and in Waco for istered sex offender and trans- failure to comply to registered fer student at Texas State, was sexual offender conditions. arrested Dec. 6 and charged Unlike Ferguson, Guzman with the sexual assault of a 23- has no prior criminal history, year-old San Marcos woman, a said University Police Departsecond-degree felony. ment Investigator Jeb Thomas.

Ferguson was issued a pro- Thomas said the university tection order from the univer- does not have a protective orsity on Dec. 8, which is valid der prohibiting him from camuntil Feb. 9. He has been tem- pus, and that Guzman had porarily suspended until the been registered for spring seStudent Justice Board views mester courses. his case.

SMPD Sgt. Penny Dunn said According to the San Mar- the investigation is ongoing.

Today’s Weather

Sunny 69˚/36˚

“In a case that involves a child, we’re interested in his activities prior to the arrest, and whether he had contact with children,” Dunn said.

The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reports that one out of every five females are exploited before adulthood, and one out of 10 males are exploited before adulthood. Also, only 35 percent of child exploitation cases are reported.

Guzman is being held at the Hays County Law Enforcement Center where he is under a $630,000 bond.

The San Marcos sex offender list can be accessed through the SMPD Web site at www. ci.san-marcos.tx.us/Departments/Police/. Anyone with any information related to the investigation should contact the SMPD Criminal Investigation Division at (512) 7532300.

Precipitation: 0% Humidity: 31% UV: 5 Moderate Wind: ENE 6 mph

New advisory council could bring concerns of student groups to ASG Body created to represent student organizations’ interests to senate

Thursday Mostly Sunny Temp: 66°/ 41° Precipitation: 20%

better with the Student Organizations Council, possibly resolving a conflict that was the main point of contention in the fall. The Student Organizations Council provides direction and support for registered student organizations at Texas State.

“The changes can be summed up in nine words: All of the advantages with none of the mess,” Morris said. “This is actually a more efficient piece of legislation than was written in the past.”

After some confusion about how the designation of advisory board changed COSOP was settled, senators voiced their concern about the lack of specificity concerning the internal structure of the council.

“How can we support this if it doesn’t have a structure yet?” asked history senior and Sen. Megan Titus.

Morris responded by clarifying ASG’s involvement in COSOP. “We will allow a good deal of flexibility to the organization,” Morris said. “ASG will be a guiding hand in the development of the internal structure of COSOP.” ASG President Jordan Anderson described the functions of COSOP. “It’s an advisory board. Anything they do will come to us, and we will act on it,” Anderson said.

This sparked another line of

By Clayton Medford The University Star Senators approved the creation of an advisory council representing student organizations after a lengthy discussion at the Associate Student Government meeting on Monday.

Senate Clerk Kyle Morris, author of the legislation proposing the creation of the Council of Student Organizations Presidents, fielded dozens of questions from senators and clarified the changes made to the legislation since it was originally read in November.

According to the bill, the function of COSOP remains “promoting student involvement in and awareness of university policy making.” However, several changes have been made to the legislation.

One substantive change concerns the designation of the council as an advisory board to ASG, as opposed to its original designation as an independent organization with the ASG president serving as its head.

Morris said the new designation allows COSOP to work

debate, focusing on the necessity of the council.

“They aren’t an organization, and they don’t have any power.

The presidents already have to go to other meetings. Why can’t you just discuss policy at other meetings?” asked communications studies senior and Sen. Cat Reed.

Anderson said that the function of COSOP — discussing policy initiatives — is not performed by any other organization. He also said if an organization had a grievance that it wanted to address with ASG, the constraints of the rules of order for ASG meetings would inhibit the process.

After lengthy debate, the COSOP legislation was passed.

Also passed by the senate Monday was legislation approving a pilot program of the USA Today Collegiate Readership program. The pilot program will assess the readership habits of Texas State students to and report its findings back to ASG. The program consists of three national, state or local papers offered on campus at no upfront charge to the reader. The source of funding for the program has not yet been determined, but USA Today representative Terence McMahon said he has met several times with Provost and Vice President of Academic AfSee ASG, page 3

San Marcos residents have mixed reactions to ACC annexation

By Clayton Medford The University Star

urrently, C residents pay the out-of-district

Representatives from Austin Community College were met with encouragement and criticism when they presented their plan for expanding their taxing district at a hearing held in The Meeting Place on C.M. Allen Parkway. Twenty people signed up to speak at Thursday’s meeting, an overwhelming response, an ACC official said.

“At a lot of these types of public hearings, you just don’t get that kind of a response,” said Linda Young, special assistant to the president for governmental and community

rate of $318 for a three-hour course at Austin Community College.

relations at ACC. Young said the hearing was mandated by law and gave the ACC Board of Trustees the opportunity to present their plan for expanding ACC to more fully serve San Marcos.

Medics airlift Wimberly man from athletic field after motorcycle wreck

One advantage San Marcos residents will enjoy if the expansion is approved is a large reduction in ACC tuition.

Currently, residents pay the out-of-district rate of $318 for a three-hour course. After annexation, the price would drop to $144, the rate charged to those residing in the district.

If the goals of ACC’s master plan are met, residents will also have a local campus to attend. Architects charged with designing the proposed San Marcos campus brought a model to show attendees what will occupy a 36-acre tract near San Marcos High School.

See ACC, page 3

DEMOCRACY IN THEORY

By Jason Buch The University Star Practices for the men’s and women’s lacrosse teams were interrupted Monday night when emergency officials used the West Athletic Field near the Student Recreation Center as a landing site to evacuate a car wreck victim by helicopter.

Harrison Gay, interdisciplinary studies sophomore, said he and the rest of his team had to leave the field when emergency vehicles pulled off of Academy Street and onto the grass nearby.

“There was a wreck on Ranch Road 12,” Gay said. “This was the only place they could airlift them out.”

Ryan Lovelace, English junior, witnessed the wreck near the intersection of Holland Street and Ranch Road 12. Lovelace said around 6:30 p.m., a man on a motorcycle collided with a Ford Mustang. The woman driving the Mustang pulled out of the Sac-N-Pac on Ranch

Stephanie Gage/Star photo Former Texas Rep. and Sen. Robert Krueger delivered a lecture titled “Education and Democracy” opening the season for the Philosophy Dialogue Series. To read the story, visit www.universitystar.com.

See WRECK, page 3

Two-day Forecast Wednesday Mostly Sunny Temp: 72°/ 38° Precipitation: 0%

VOLUME 95, ISSUE 50

Inside

TEXAS STATE UNIVERSITY SAN MARCOS

Classifieds ......... 7 Comics .............. 5 Crossword ......... 5 News ..............1-3

Opinions ............ 6 Sports ................ 8 Trends ............. 4,5

To Contact Trinity Building Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708 www.UniversityStar.com © 2006 The University Star

PAGE TWO The University Star

Tuesday in Brief

February 7, 2006

starsof texas state As the assistant vice president for planning in the division of Finance & Support Services, Nancy Nusbaum has spearheaded the university’s 2006-2015 Campus Master Plan, an ambitious set of projects bound to have far-reaching, long-term effects for Texas State. It will determine the face of our campus — to the outside world and for the benefit of our students and employees — for a very long time.

The process required careful planning and coordination for more than a year, involving stakeholders

from every part of the university as well as the San Marcos community. Nancy spent untold hours on the weekends and at night assuring that every detail was handled.

The resulting plan is so well executed and documented that when Nancy presented it to the Texas State University System Board of Regents, the room erupted in applause. The entire Texas State community owes her a debt of gratitude for bringing this vision of the university’s future to reality.

News Contact — Kirsten Crow, starnews@txstate.edu

Calendar of

Job Security

STARS OF TEXAS STATE POLICY Do you know someone at Texas State who has recently celebrated a great achievement? Nominate your choice to appear in The Star as a “Star of Texas State.” Write an e-mail to starletters@txstate.edu with the subject line “Stars of Texas State,” and include your nominee’s name, his/her relationship to the university, contact information for yourself and your nominee, and a brief description of the achievement. Also include a photo of your nominee if available. Accepted nominees will be featured at the top of Page Two.

EVENTS Clubs & Meetings

contact Josi Garrott at (512) 245-2465.

Tuesday

The Rock, Praise & Worship will take place at the CSC at 7:30 p.m.

The Hispanic Business Student Association will hold its meeting at 5 p.m. in the LBJ Student Center, Room 3-5.1.

The Collegiate Entrepreneurs’ Organization meeting will be held at 5 p.m. in the Academic Services Building, Room 315.

On This Day...

1795 - The 11th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was ratified.

The American Marketing Assocation will host guest speaker Jay Mill, president and owner of Round Rock Express at 5:30 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 3-14.1.

1904 - In Baltimore, a fire raged for about 30 hours and destroyed more than 1,500 buildings.

Campus Sports

Wednesday The Association of Information Technology Professionals will be holding its next chapter meeting at 5 p.m. in the LBJSC, Room 3-3.1.

Thursday The Fine Art Student Association is having a meeting at 5 p.m. in the J.C. Mitte Building, Room 4112.

Events Tuesday The Latin American Business Certificate Program will be offering hands-on training in the basics of exporting from 6 to 9 p.m. in Derrick Hall, Room 339.

There will be a free lunch for all students from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the CSC. Career Services is holding a How to Utilize a Job Fair workshop from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. at the LBJSC Teaching Theater.

For more information, please contact Career Services at (512) 245-2465.

Wednesday The Catholic Student Center will have Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament from 6 to 8 p.m. in the CSC chapel.

Thursday The Communications Club will give out coffee, doughnuts and good conversation from 9 to 11 a.m. at Centennial Hall in the second-floor lobby.

A summer job fair will take place in the LBJSC Ballroom.

For more information, please

1944 - During World War II, the Germans launched a counteroffensive at Anzio, Italy.

Wednesday 2-for-1 student green fees at the Texas State Golf Course.

1962 - The U.S. government banned all Cuban imports and re-exports of U.S. products to Cuba from other countries.

Thursday Intramural softball entries are due to the Intramural Office by 5 p.m.

Enchanted Rock will hold a pretrip meeting at 6:30 p.m. at the Outdoor Center.

Arts & Entertainment Saturday The Jazz Festival Concert will take place at 7 p.m. in Evans Auditorium. Admission is $5 for general and $3 for students.

Monday The music of Bach, Scarlatti, Mozart, Sciabin and Rachmaninoff will be performed by faculty artist Timothy Woolsey at 8 p.m. in the Recital Hall.

Tickets are $2 for general admission and $1 for students.

CALENDAR SUBMISSION POLICY Calendar submissions are free. Send submissions to Calendar of Events at starcalendar@txstate.edu or call (512) 245-3487 for more information.

E-mailed press releases will not be accepted. If using e-mail, please submit as a simple bulleted list of essential information. Submissions are on a first come, first served basis and notices for weekly meetings need to be submitted every week they will take place.

The University Star reserves the right to refuse entries or edit for libel, style and space purposes. Deadline: Three working days prior to publication.

WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES On Page 12 of Thursday’s issue, the column titled “Nolan Ryan, the king of Lone Star baseball” reported a gross exaggeration of Ryan’s hitting ability, claiming that he had hit 321 home runs. Actually, the Hall of Famer only hit two home runs in his playing days, both for the Astros. Three hundred twenty-one was the number of home runs hit against Ryan throughout his extensive career.

David Racino/Star photo LOOKING FOR A JOB? Representatives of the Austin Police Department discussed career opportunities with Texas State students Monday at the LBJ Student Center Ballroom during the Criminal Justice Job Fair.

CRIME BL TTER University Police Department Feb. 2, 3:26 a.m.

Driving Under the Influence, Minor in Possession/Comanche Street A police officer made contact with a vehicle for a traffic stop.

Upon further investigation, a student was issued a citation for driving under the influence, and another student was issued a citation for minor in possession.

Feb. 3, 2:39 a.m.

Driving Under the Influence (2nd Offense)/Wood Street A police officer made contact with a vehicle for a traffic stop. A student was arrested for driving under the influence (2nd Offense) and transported to HCLEC to await

magistration.

Feb. 3, 1:51 p.m.

Fire Call/Bobcat Stadium Parking Lot A police officer was dispatched to Bobcat Stadium parking lot for a possible explosion in a car. Upon arrival the vehicle was smoking, and San Marcos Fire Department was called to the scene and extinguished the fire. A report was made of the incident.

Feb. 4, 2:34 a.m.

Possession of Marijuana/ Peques Lot A police officer made contact with two students inside a vehicle. Upon further investigation, a student was arrested for possession of marijuana and transported to HCLEC to await magistration.

Crime stoppers: UPD: 245-7867, SMPD: 353-TIPS

1984 - Space shuttle astronauts Bruce McCandless II and Robert L. Stewart made the first untethered space walk.

Bluegrass group to perform at campus The Austin Lounge Lizards will bring their pointed brand of musical mayhem to Texas State for a 7:30 p.m. performance on Sunday, Feb. 12 in the University Performing Arts and Conference Center.

The show is part of the Jerry and Cathy Supple Folk Music Series, co-sponsored by Century Tel and Student Association for Campus Activities, with the proceeds to benefit the Reed Parr Music Endowment.

The Lizards have delighted audiences worldwide with their inventive style of satirical folk, country and bluegrass.

Based in Austin since their formation in 1980, the Lizards have honed their music, not to mention their wit, into a knifesharp art form.

The Lizards’ musical styling features precise four- and five-part vocal harmonies and instrumental mastery, particularly from Conrad Deisler on guitar, Korey Simeone on

fiddle and mandolin and Tom Pittman on banjo, dobro and pedal steel guitar. Rounding out the group are Hank Card on rhythm guitar and Boo Resnick on bass.

Lizard arrangements often include harmonies and instrumental parts that are themselves a spoof of the conventions of bluegrass, country, rock and pop music. So it’s no surprise that the group counts among its influences Frank Zappa, George Jones, Flatt and Scruggs and Steve Goodman.

Strange Noises In The Dark is the Lizards’ ninth CD and their first on the Houston-based Blue Corn label.

Tickets prices are $10 for the general public and $5 for students, with limited seating. For further information, contact the events coordinator at (512) 245-3501.

supplies that can help take care of your health.

The following items will come in handy if you begin to feel under the weather:

have ingredients that could make you feel worse.

Follow the guidelines below in selecting an effective overthe-counter medication.

For more information about Cold and Flu visit: www. cdc. gov/flu/ If you have any questions, call the Health Education Resource Center at (512) 245-2309.

To schedule an appointment with a Student Health Center medical provider, call (512) 245-2167 or set up an online appointment by visiting www. healthcenter.txstate.edu.

—Courtesy of Media Relations

Health Beat Practice healthy habits to prevent the flu This is the time when the flu season usually peaks in Central Texas.

Even though this season has been rather mild so far, it is best to continue practicing self-care techniques and to have your medicine cabinet stocked.

In a recent national survey of college students, Texas State students ranked the cold/flu as the second leading cause negatively affecting academic performance.

A sudden and severe onset of fever, headache, runny nose, cough, severe body aches and

fatigue can all be associated with the influenza virus (the flu).

The best way to avoid getting sick is to keep yourself healthy.

Begin healthy habits now to help prevent illnesses from occurring in the coming months, when you have tests and projects due.

Frequent hand washing, eating a well-balanced diet, getting proper rest, exercising consistently and abstaining from tobacco and other substances should be included in your prevention strategy. Do not forget basic hygiene either; be sure to cover your nose or mouth if you have to sneeze or cough.

It is a good idea to purchase

• Thermometer • Bandages of various sizes • Antibiotic ointment • Tylenol, Advil or Aleve • Sudafed • Cough drops If you get the flu, be sure to drink more fluids, get enough rest and check the medication ingredients to make sure it has what you need.

Be careful: “cold and flu” combination medicines may

—Courtesy of the Health Education Resource Center

NEWS

Page 3 - The University Star

HIP-HOP: Culture and history discussed at Alkek CONTINUED from page 1

rock and hip-hop was born with the collaboration of Run-DMC and Aerosmith’s previously recorded 1970s song “Walk This Way.” “This collaboration did three things: It revived Aerosmith’s career, made space for hip-hop to exist in mainstream and go beyond a black audience, because whites began to tune in and it cemented Run-DMC’s role as legitimate crossover artists,” Neal said.

August of 1988 saw the debut of Yo! MTV Raps. The show became the most watched program on MTV, which solidified hip-hop as a successful commodity in the music industry.

“It created a space for hiphop to do whatever it wanted, in a space where it wanted to do it,” Neal said.

In the early 1990s, hip-hop and its content became associated with political components

or conscious rap with social commentators at the forefront, such as Chuck D and Flavor Flav of Public Enemy.

However, Neal reverted his comments to NWA of the early ’90s, whose rap content centered on violence and drugs.

Songs such as Ice-T’s controversial “Cop Killer,” which spoke about issues of police brutality, became an example of what the rap community had become.

“Here we have these knuckleheads from the NWA causing local law enforcement and even the FBI to wonder what they are doing,” Neal said. “What happened to that power that hip-hop used to invoke, I ask.”

He said the emergence of Suge Knight and Puff Daddy changed the rap industry for the worse.

“It’s was no longer about a social movement anymore, but about East Coast and West Coast rap rivalries,” Neal said.

“As with anything, rap is cycli-

cal, and by 1997, rap was expected to die after exploiting the East and West.”

However, the South created an emergence for a new kind of rap, bringing out artists such as Nelly and Lil John.

“They even began to market the nearly dead rapper or bionic rapper with 50 Cent in his ‘In Da Club’ video,” Neal said.

He said he felt that artists such as Russell Simmons and Nelly do not share the same concerns, that there is no longer a commitment to a movement as there was in the past.

“When things become too commercialized, after a while the audience gets tired of it,” Neal said.

He said he felt that hip-hop is headed in that direction unless changes are made.

Sound recording technology senior Ruthie Mata said that the sound of hip-hop has become bombarded by the digital era.

“Hip-hop used to be about

ASG: Pilot program would make newspapers available to students with card swipe CONTINUED from page 1

fairs Perry Moore and Vice President of Student Affairs Joanne Smith to work on the funding issue.

The program has a long list of newspapers from which ASG will choose, including the San Marcos Daily Record. Papers will cost 35 cents through the program, but students will not pay for them up front.

Instead, students will swipe their Texas State identification cards at the newspaper stand for verification of enrollment and the school will cover the discounted price. Also, the school will only pay for the papers that students pick up.

Prior to the legislative debates, Republican candidate for district attorney Paul Velte spoke to the senators about the reasons he is running for the post.

“The problems in the DA’s office extend from overzealous, knee-jerk, back-up-the-police-no-matter-what kind of attitude,” Velte said. “I’ve been around the block, and I’ve

been dealing with law enforcement long enough to know that cops don’t always tell the truth.”

Velte called the position a “very, very important job” because of the amount of discretion afforded to prosecutors.

“I know from representing citizens in court how what the DA does affects the people involved and the people being prosecuted,” Velte said.

Velte classified his opponents, both in the Republican primary and the general election, as “career prosecutors” and urged the senators to get involved.

“If you want to get involved in a local race that means a lot to you, I’d recommend voting in the primary,” Velte said.

At the end of the meeting, international studies senior and Sen. Eric Heggie was asked to leave the meeting after repeated outbursts, the last of which personally attacked fellow Sen. Cat Reed. Heggie’s outbursts violated several of ASG’s decorum laws.

great beats and flow, but now it just seems more digitalized and loses its authenticity,” Mata said.

Chemistry senior Jessica Brill said the lecture gave her an understanding of the hip-hop culture and its history.

“I primarily listen to country music which, like rap, has its stereotypes, but I feel that if people are educated about hiphop, they can begin to understand its content on a positive level and the message it conveys,” Brill said.

Neal spoke of a lost social movement and advised the audience to take control.

“Understand the power you have politically. Know your community and mobilize around those issues first,” Neal said. “Power is allowing kids to explore their artistic sense, to stay out of trouble and do something positive and to be true to hip-hop, we must get back to those politics.”

WRECK: Details, victims’ identities in Monday’s accident undetermined CONTINUED from page 1

Road 12, turning east. Lovelace said the motorcycle swerved to avoid the car and struck the Mustang on the left-rear fender.

Officials at the scene did not say if the driver of the Mustang suffered any injuries. Both the Mustang and the motorcycle appeared to only have minor damage, although the Mustang’s airbag deployed.

Jay Horton of San Marcos Fire and Rescue said the driver of the motorcycle who was airlifted off of the field was a man from Wimberly who is in his 50s. His name could not be confirmed. Fire officials did not know the helicopter’s destination, but said it was probably headed for Brackenridge Hospital in Austin.

Christine Rasmussen, applied sociology senior, witnessed the events on the West Athletic Field.

“Apparently there was a wreck,” Rasmussen said.

“They cleared us off the field, and so we waited until the helicopter came.”

Officials at the scene would not comment on the victim’s condition.

“In general, we use helicopters on people who are having serious issues,” said San Marcos Fire Marshal Ken Bell. “Otherwise we transport them on the ground.”

Joe Ruiz contributed to this article.

Tuesday, February 7, 2006

ACC: Property tax increase could generate $2.4 million for community college’s expansion CONTINUED from page 1

The ACC trustees certified more than1,900 signatures of voters living in the San Marcos school district, according to a press release. That collection more than met the 5 percent required to put the issue on the May 13 ballot.

Young said of more than half of those who spoke at the hearing, more than half were in favor of annexation.

“It was a very congenial effort and while there were definitely folks in opposition, they were definitely concerned with taxes,” Young said.

The tax increase, approximately $100 per $100,000 property value, would generate an additional $2.4 million for ACC. That increase, according to some, would outweigh the benefits offered by ACC. “You don’t increase taxes without increasing the cost of living and the cost of doing business,” said local attorney Andrew Gary, who represents a group of citizens opposed to the annexation. “The Texas State students are the ones who will get the benefits, but they aren’t the ones who pay the taxes.”

Gary, whose family has lived in or near San Marcos since the mid-19th century, said his problem lies not with Texas State or ACC, but with the increased tax burden on San Marcos residents.

“I represent a group of

people that feel that the ACC annexation is not in the best interest of San Marcos,” Gary said. “We have enough obstacles to economic expansion in San Marcos without an increased tax burden that would be completely controlled by Austin.”

Gary said that other problems such as the high school drop out rate and the poor perception some people have of San Marcos public schools need to be addressed first, and that “expanding higher education prospects in San Marcos isn’t even in the top 10” priorities for San Marcos.

Albert Sierra, co-chair of the San Marcos/ACC Yes! Coalition said the annexation of San Marcos into the taxing district and a possible ACC campus in San Marcos could attract students from neighboring communities and help create an “educated workforce.”

Sierra also said that the opportunities an ACC campus would provide to San Marcos justify the increased tax burden.

“A lot of people don’t like it because it raises their taxes,” Sierra said about the possible annexation. “I really believe we need to offer our residents a variety of educational opportunities.”

Pending approval by the ACC Board of Trustees in March, the issue will be on the ballot for San Marcos voters in May.

www.UniversityStar.com It’s good medicine!

TRENDS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - Page 4

releasesof the week music Comfort of Strangers — Beth Orton Singalongs and Lullabies for the film Curious George — Jack Johnson and Friends

dvd

The Life Pursuit — Belle and Sebastian The Gun Album — The Minus Five

Elizabethtown — (PG-13) Orlando Bloom, Kirsten Dunst Doom — (R) Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Karl Urban

Just Like Heaven — (PG-13) Reese Witherspoon, Mark Ruffalo

Trends Contact — Kyle Bradshaw, starentertainment@txstate.edu

It’s a fact:

Science fiction literature growing in popularity

By Stephen Lloyd The University Star

Monty Marion/Star photo Jayme Blaschke, Texas State’s public information specialist, was recently named the media relations director for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America.

Don’t call it sci-fi. Sci-fi refers to special effects laden Hollywood blockbusters. The literature is science fiction.

“It makes you think, explore new possibilities, social issues, political issues, science. It’s almost a laboratory of the mind,” said Jayme Blaschke, newly appointed media relations director for the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers for America.

Blaschke is also a public information specialist for the Media Relations and Publications Department of Texas State and the fiction editor of RevolutionSF. com.

Blaschke has been reading science fiction since he was in fourth or fifth grade.

“I got interested through science,” he said. “I was fascinated by space. In college, I started writing and published a few short stories. I have a background in journalism, and I worked in newspapers for a decade.”

But the 1997 World Science Fiction Convention, held in San Antonio, was the turning point.

Interzone Magazine published interviews he conducted with

authors at the convention.

“It snowballed from there,” Blaschke said.

His book, Voices of Vision, includes interviews with several authors and editors.

“I’m working on a follow-up volume, and I hope they’ll want to publish it,” Blaschke said.

He also hopes to finish his first novel soon.

With Blaschke now head of publicity, the SFWA is mostly volunteer run.

“Officially, I’m the chair of the publicity committee,” he said.

“At the minimum, I disseminate information about newsworthy organization events. There’s the World Fantasy Convention.

There’s the Hugo Awards, which are voted for by the fans and then the Nebula Awards which are voted for by members of the SFWA.” They’re like the People’s Choice Awards and the Academy Awards respectively.

But Blaschke assured that the organization is not just an awards show promoter. It is a strong advocate for writers’ rights.

“Dell Magazines, which publish Asimov (magazine) and others, approached us. They were having issues with electronic

rights. They were faced with venders dropping magazines because of it. The SFWA organized a compromise and it was a winwin situation,” Blaschke said.

Blaschke said, like journalists, most writers work for hire and do freelance work. They don’t own their published material.

Blaschke indicated that this isn’t always a lucrative field.

“We form grief committees and medical funds. We help with getting insurance,” Blaschke said.

Among his initiatives, Blaschke wants to make the organization a resource for the media.

“When the Pluto probe and the Mars rovers were launched, various science fiction writers were commenting, Kim Stanley Robinson (author of the popular Mars trilogy), for example.

Science fiction writers would be invaluable,” Blaschke said.

Blaschke also talked about science fiction’s relationship to hot button issues of today like stem cell research and cloning.

“Aldous Huxley was dealing with these same issues some 70 years ago. But it’s all been dismissed as fiction. We have an incredible wealth of members who have worked for the Defense Department, NASA

and in bioscience. In essence, the SFWA is like a university. I deal with media inquiries, and I try to accommodate them,” Blaschke said.

He also said that they’re compiling a database, which organizations can look through, to find speakers among the SFWA’s members. Along with this, they’re compiling a media resource database.

“Hopefully we’ll be moved higher in the rolodex. It’ll help the organization achieve a higher profile, and it’ll help the membership. Even a 15-second sound-bite will benefit a career,” Blaschke said.

Blaschke had much to say about the perception of science fiction in the past and present.

“It’s stereotyped as just being about bug-eyed monsters, but it’s extremely sophisticated.

You have literary writers dismiss it, and it’s painful to read when they write it. For example, Margaret Atwood. It’s been argued that Kurt Vonnegut and Harland Ellison aren’t science fiction, but that doesn’t change the fact that they are,” Blaschke said. “Phillip K. Dick has really See LITERATURE, page 5

Hip-hop acts dish out intelligent rhymes at The Triple Crown ast time we played with Word “L Association, I guess you could say a relationship developed.

By Destiny Barnett The University Star

The crowd at The Triple Crown danced to the rhythmic beats of Psyche Origami, with opening bands Word Association and Just Born Saturday night.

The headliner, Psyche Origami, an Atlanta “underground” indie hip-hop band is unique, with four turntables and one microphone. What started out

as a dynamic duo five years ago with MC Wyzsztyk, which is pronounced wiz-stick, and DJ Synthesis turned into an even more dynamic trio with the addition of DJ Dainja during the last couple of years.

Psyche Origami’s music is distinctive in nature, with the expressive abilities of Wyzsztyk, which drops freestyle rhymes over beats crafted by Synthesis and Dainja, whose turntable abilities separate Psyche Origa-

mi from most other acts. Some of Wyzsztyk’s musical influences include De La Soul, Kanye West and older rock bands, such as Talking Heads.

“Our style is intelligent, witty, jazz and funk influenced. It’s like the Golden Era style hiphop. And by hip-hop, I mean from about 1989 to 1994,” said Wyzsztyk, when asked about his band’s sound.

“It’s thought provoking kind of music, but it’ll make you

dance. And there is humor to it — tongue and cheek sarcasm type of humor. We’re all smart asses,” Dainja said, who thinks humor helps the audience identify with them.

Saturday was Psyche’s second show in San Marcos. Its previous show was six months ago during the group’s promotion of its most recent album, The Standard.

“For us coming through the first time and people really not knowing us, it went really well,” said Wyzsztyk of the first performance in San Marcos.

Psyche Origami is currently on a 25-city tour in which the band will make its way out West.

The tour includes several other stops in Texas, including Austin, Houston and the University of Texas at El Paso.

Just Born, one of the opening acts for Psyche Origami, is a solo artist who has been performing since he was 16 and is currently working on a new album, Los Ojos de Dios, or in English, “The Eyes of God.” Just Born, whose real name is Wesli

They’re very pleasant to work with and they have a good following here in San Marcos.”

— Emcee Wyzsztyck member of Psyche Origami

Moore, is from Austin, but was excited to perform at The Triple Crown.

“I’m just happy to perform here. I’ve been waiting for a while, and I really enjoyed myself. I loved it. I would definitely love to come back — it was good energy. I’m always open for any outlet, and I love to expand people’s minds,” Moore said.

Moore plans on moving to Belgium within the next year if everything goes as planned, because he produces tracks for people in Germany. Until then, he’s focused on recording in

Austin, where he primarily performs. Moore also plans on doing some showcases at South by Southwest.

Word Association, the second opening act for Psyche Origami, is different in that it has 10 members who alternate out for performances, and there’s no lead emcee. With Psyche Origami, for instance, Wyzsztyk is the only speaker during performances, but with Word Association, the members all alternate See HIP-HOP, page 5

TRENDS/DIVERSIONS

Tuesday, February 7, 2006

LITERATURE: University employee gets new national title CONTINUED from page 4

been discovered in the last few years. Ph.D students write about him now. In his lifetime, he was trapped in the science fiction ghetto and forced to eat dog food out of a can to survive. Perceptions change. There’s lots of cross-pollination now.”

Blaschke also believes that science fiction is evolving.

“Every year people say it’s dying, being pushed away by fantasy. But it’s still selling well,” he said. “But for some reason, for the past decade, short fiction magazines have been declining steeply. In 1990, Analog (magazine) had a circulation of 150,000. It’s 30,000 today. People have gotten away from short fiction but will buy a novel and read it in pieces. It’s a paradox, really. It’s baffling. I don’t really know why that is.” And the Internet is the final frontier.

“It’s a big wave of the future thing. But no one has figured out a way to make it financially

The University Star - Page 5

✯Star Comics

“P

hillip K. Dick has really been discovered in the last few years. Ph.D students write about him now. In his lifetime he was trapped in the science fiction ghetto and forced to eat dog food out of a can to survive. Perceptions change.

There’s lots of cross-pollination now”

— Jayme Blaschke Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers for America media relations director

viable yet,” Blaschke said.

Web zines often use the donation method and release the next installment of a work as the money comes in. Blaschke also said the iTunes model, which has revolutionized popular music, could be used. And then there’s E-paper, which is like a regular book, but works are downloaded right to the

pages.

“You could potentially store the entire library of congress in one volume. That’s about five to 10 years away,” Blaschke said.

Even as the medium and genre moves into the ever-changing future that science fiction writers have predicted, it’s clear that the imagination and enthusiasm for it hasn’t changed.

HIP-HOP: Local artists open show for Atlanta-based act CONTINUED from page 4

and collaborate. They are all solo artists who produce their own records, but collectively, make up Word Association.

“We all want to do solo work, but we also want to work together,” said Sigma Prime of Word Association.

Word Association has opened for Psyche Origami on other occasions around the San Marcos and Austin area.

“Last time we played with Word Association, I guess you could say a relationship developed. They’re very pleasant to work with and they have a good following here in San Marcos,” said Wyzsztyk.

Courtesy of ArcTheFinger Records Word Association can usually be found playing in venues Saturday night, Psyche Origami performed with Word Association in main Texas cities — Aus- and Just Born at The Triple Crown. tin, San Antonio, Houston and Dallas. Every first Saturday of ing out in March. Word Asso- coming appearances, visit the every month for the past three ciation members Sigma Prime, Word Association Web site at years, Word Association has Omari Kamau, Chief and Jaysin www.thewordassociation.net performed at The Triple Crown also have their own solo albums or Psyche Origami’s Web site for what the band calls “Spread coming out within the next cou- at www.psycheorigami.com, or the Word.” There is also a new ple of months. their record label’s site at www.

Word Association album comFor more information on up- arcthefinger.com.

SU DO KU Complete the grid so that every row, column, and 3-by-3 box contains every digit from one through nine inclusively.

Thursday’s solutions:

Pappocom Puzzles © 2006

Thursday’s solutions:

Place and pay for your classified ad over the phone.

Call 245-3487 for details!

Go to www.UniversityStar.com for today’s answers.

OPINIONS THE UNIVERSITY STAR

quoteof the day “She leaves us all a better America than the America of her childhood.”

”

Oprah Winfrey — speaking about Coretta Scott King, who died last week of complications from advanced ovarian cancer. (Souce: CNN)

Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - Page 6

Opinions Contact — Joe Ruiz, staropinion@txstate.edu

THE MAIN POINT

The deaths of two pivotal figures in the struggle for equality in America in the past weeks evoked very different official responses in Washington.

The passing of Coretta Scott King, widow of Martin Luther King Jr., on Jan. 31 prompted a tribute from President Bush in the opening of his State of the Union address. Furthermore, the president and first lady will attend King’s funeral today in Atlanta, and the president is expected to speak during the service.

Meanwhile, the death on Saturday of Betty Friedan, one of the chief architects of the movement for women’s rights in the United States, did not merit so much as a White House press release, and her funeral in Washington, D.C., on Monday saw no visitors from 1600 Pennsylvania Blvd. Similarly, media coverage of King’s death and funeral arrangements has dwarfed coverage of Friedan.

It seems that the struggle for racial equality in this country still has enough political resonance to demand official lip service, even from a president who has publicly condemned affirmative action, shunned the NAACP, enacted economic and educational policies that deter African-American advancement, and whose campaigns in 2000 and 2004 have been accused of widespread tactics aimed at disenfranchising minority voters.

Apparently the ideals of feminism, on the other hand, have somehow become so marginalized in our society that the death of one of the movement’s founders barely elicits a response.

Yet the rights for which Friedan fought are not minor or fringe issues; rather they are almost universally considered bedrocks of modern American society.

Her 1963 manifesto, The Feminine Mystique, shattered the postWorld War II assumption that the only proper roles of women were as wives and mothers and made the case — radical at the time — that women might need more to find fulfillment. Most female college students today would not have dreamed of continuing their education beyond high school if Friedan hadn’t created the intellectual climate in which it were possible.

In 1966, she co-founded the National Organization for Women, whose stated purpose was “to take action to bring women into full participation in the mainstream of American society now, exercising all privileges and responsibilities thereof in truly equal partnership with men.” She served as its first president until 1970.

In its early years, under Friedan’s guidance, NOW’s chief issues included opening doors for women in professions formerly closed to them, securing for women equal pay as that earned by men in the same jobs and the passage of an Equal Rights Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.

The latter two goals have not yet been reached in America. According to research reported last year by the American Association of University Women Educational Foundation, college-educated women still earn only 72 percent as much money as college educated men; and the Equal Rights Amendment, despite Friedan’s tireless efforts, died in 1982 (according to most legal scholars) after being approved by both houses of Congress and 35 of the 38 states it needed to become part of the Constitution. The amendment has been reintroduced to Congress every session since 1982 — unsuccessfully, though polls continue to show that a majority of Americans support the amendment.

With so much work yet to be done to achieve true equality between the sexes and America, and considering how dear we hold that equality that has been achieved, perhaps we should all pay more attention to the passing of a figure like Betty Friedan.

The Main Point is the opinion of the newspaper’s editorial board. Columns are the opinions of the writer and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the full staff, Texas State University-San Marcos Student Media, the School of Journalism and Mass Communication or Texas State UniversitySan Marcos.

In memory of

BETTY FRIEDAN

1932-2006

Kelly Simmons/Star illustration

Death of Friedan marks marks lack of response to women’s movement

‘Great television’ doesn’t exist I already knew blood, the sweat and I wasn’t a very big the tears, oh my! And fan of television then, magically, evwhen we plopped erything is stripped down on the away, and Jane Doe couch last week to is now Jane Fonda, decompress after a complete with highBRYNN LEGGETT ridiculously long lights, a new shade Star Columnist day of juggling of lipstick (which she two jobs, school would have never and long distance worn had it not been relationships (and all the other smeared across her face when crap we do for the pros, ignor- she wasn’t looking), a great ing the cons), but what I didn’t new suit (which she could nevknow was how irritated I er have afforded if the studio would be at the sight of a com- hadn’t have bought it for her) mercial for yet another reality and maybe a new waistline … makeover show. just for kicks. Some would say “It’s disgusting how these that’s just great television. shows are projecting the imBut to me “great television” age of how the media deems is an oxymoron. Some might women (and sometimes men) view this new genre of TV as a should look like the airbrushed revolution and a landmark in people on the cover of Cosmo!” the history of the medium, but I grunted.

I must say I have grown quite “Write about it!” was the weary of it. It turns the audiquip that quickly flew out of ence into a gallery of voyeurs, the peanut gallery on the other or Big Brother (a reference to couch.

Orwell’s 1984, not the flop reSo here I am, to piss and ality show) who watches peomoan about how the world ple hand-selected by the studio doesn’t revolve in the direc- to clash, and the drama (think tion I command it to — again. bitchy teenage sister, not The “So what’s the big deal?” you West Wing) boils over the brim ask. Sure — everyday-looking of the crockpot that is some people get paid to go on na- monstrous stucco house in a tional television and endure city near you. We get addicted the markers on their faces, the to watching this crap because acid peels (yikes!), the scalpels, the members of our society the sutures, the bruises and have become so isolated from swelling, and the gauze and each other via the miraculous

“T

he problem that has no name — which is simply the fact that American women are kept from growing to their full human capacities — is taking a far greater toll on the physical and mental health of our country than any known disease.”

— Betty Friedan The Feminine Mystique 1963

The University Star 601 University Drive Trinity Building San Marcos, TX 78666 Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708

about forests when I was at camp in my adolescence: In order to thrive, a forest needs to be made up of a wide variety of trees so that they aren’t all diminishing and replenishing the same resources. I think you can see where I’m going with this analogy. If everybody looked the same (and had the same media-induced complexes about their looks), we wouldn’t be able to work together and thrive as a culture.

I’m not saying that if you have huge scars from when your house burned down, that a little work with a laser is wrong or uncalled for; but I am saying that when you take perfectly healthy people who are functioning perfectly well (and maybe could learn to love themselves a little more with a counseling session or two), there is no need to get all their loved ones to say on national television that this person who loves and trusts them is horribly ugly and needs surgery in order to become beautiful.

I think our society could use an attitude adjustment. Skindeep beauty only lasts a little while. Consider what you want your friends and family to write on your tombstone, and live your life trying to achieve that — because what’s etched in stone lasts a lot longer than what’s injected into your face.

Letters to the Editor Survivor relates to Wardwell’s column

Ron Tarver/Philadelphia Inquirer

creations that are the iPod, the personal-pan-pizza, eBay, cell phones and pay-per-view.

So, now we are addicted to “reality” shows, and while hypnotized by muddy people eating bugs for money in the jungle, we flip the channel to see how ABC defines “ugly” until we start questioning our own appearance (even if just a little). Just because the surgeries and shopping sprees are monetarily free does not mean they don’t take an emotional toll on their victims.

One Texas woman, Deleese Williams, was scheduled to appear on Extreme Makeover, but after her family had been “goaded” into saying painful comments about her looks, her chance to have her jaw broken and reset (among other drastic cosmetic procedures), was revoked because of the studio’s schedule. Shortly after the cancellation, her sister committed suicide, and Williams is now suing ABC and Disney.

According to the lawsuit, Williams’ sister’s death was “allegedly triggered in part by the guilt she felt over the disparaging remarks she made about her sister.”

I’d have to say that if somebody told me I had to have my jaw broken to look pretty, I’d be pretty upset about it, too. I once heard an interesting fact

I read the Feb. 2 column “Campus, world full of real survivors” by Sean Wardwell and I wanted to respond with a sincere thank you.

The things he wrote are things that I believe so many people think about, but are too afraid to admit or too afraid to open their mouths and say. He’s right, there is an emptiness in us (as a society) and throwing money at it solves nothing. And yes, that emptiness scares me too.

Wardwell is right, “we (do not) go far enough in our culture to fully embrace the horror. It’s always someone else’s problem.

Nobody seems willing to take responsibility anymore.”

It is so easy to blame someone else for your pain or problems. It is so easy to fall into the cracks of a rough path, but a survivor, no matter how devastating life can be at times, gets up to make it through another day. A survivor knows and understands the road through life isn’t always easy, but it is a road nonetheless that must be traveled.

If you’re a survivor like me, you know he hit home with this article.

“I love the underdogs. I love the people who have to get up every morning to go to a job they hate and go home to a dilapidated shack at night. Why? Because they keep doing it. Despite hardship and toil they get it done for themselves and their families.”

You’re damn right, Sean — we get it done.

He wrote, “(t)his column is dedicated to the survivors. Those people are my heroes. They help me manage my minor fears by showing me some major ones. I don’t think they get enough ink so this is my minor love note to them.”

Sean, your note is not minor and is appreciated. “A change’s gon’ come … yes it will … ” From a survivor, Marquita Griffin mass communication, senior

An open letter to Athletic Director Larry Teis I first want to commend you on the tremendous job the athletic department did during the football season. I hope to see the great efforts put forth by the AD continue

into the years to come.

But second, I want to ask you whether you intend to extend the same winning attitude to the men’s basketball program.

As of Feb. 4, the team is now 2-17, has lost nine straight, has lost to an NAIA team, has lost to a Division II team, has gone winless in Division I (save a one-point miracle at UT-Pan American), is winless in conference and the panacea of it all — is now ranked in ESPN’s Bottom 10 of Division I teams.

As a dedicated alumnus who makes it to as many games as possible, and is a football season ticket holder and soon-to-be member of the Bobcat Athletic Foundation, I find myself highly disappointed with the pitiful performance of the men’s basketball program.

In order for Texas State to become the nationally recognized institution it deserves to be, having a winning attitude is incredibly important, but as long as Dennis Nutt is the head coach, that winning attitude will fail to penetrate Strahan Colliseum. When is enough enough?

It is time to dismiss Coach Nutt.

Casey O’Brien Alumnus, 2004

Letters policy: E-mail letters to starletters@txstate.edu. Letters must be no longer than 300 words. No anonymous letters will be printed. We reserve the right to edit for grammar, spelling, space and libel. We reserve the right to refuse obscene, irrelevant and malicious letters. All e-mails must include the name and phone number of the letter writer. Students should also include their classifications and majors.

Editor In Chief..................David Michael Cohen, stareditor@txstate.edu Managing Editor..................................Joe Ruiz, staropinion@txstate.edu News Editor......................................Kirsten Crow, starnews@txstate.edu Assistant News Editor.........................Jason Buch, jb1163@txstate.edu Trends Editor................Kyle Bradshaw, starentertainment@txstate.edu Photo Editor......................................A. D. Brown, starphoto@txstate.edu Sports Editor...................................Miguel Peña, starsports@txstate.edu

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Copyright February 7, 2006. All copy, photographs and graphics appearing in The University Star are the exclusive property of The University Star and may not be reproduced without the expressed written consent of the editor in chief.

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Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - Page 6 Wednesday, August 24, 2005 - Page 33

All classified ads are charged 20¢ per word. Ads may be emailed to starclassifieds@txstate.edu.

Check your classified ad for accuracy. Any changes must be made by the second day of publication.

The deadline for all classified ads is noon two business days prior to publication. Classified ads must be paid in advance unless credit has been established. Refunds will only be given when a classified ad has been paid by credit card. The Star reserves the right to refuse, edit, and discontinue any classified ad at any time without prior notification. Classified ads will be edited for style purposes. Classified ads that do not note heading, will be put under the appropriate heading. All classified ads are published free, on-line at www.universitystar.com. Since this is a free service, posting is not guaranteed. While The University Star attempts to screen ads for misleading claims or illegal content, it is not possible for us to investigate every ad and advertiser. Please use caution when answering ads, especially any which require you to send money in advance.

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remodeled. Only $450/mo. Water/waste water paid. Visit legacyrealestate.biz, and call Legacy Real Estate at (512) 665-0350

SAGEWOOD DUPLEXES pre-

HELP WANTED OUTGOING STUDENT NEEDED to distribute fliers on Feb.

HELP WANTED

HEALTH CLUB open Monday thru Saturday. Part-time positions, front desk and training with athletic background required. must be working on a related degree. 512-560-6761. Email resume to fitnessdoctors@aol.com.

NOW HIRING experienced child care teachers M-F afternoons. 512295-2329

BOBCATSNEEDJOBS.COM WE NEED Paid Survey Takers in San Marcos. 100% FREE to join.

Click on Surveys.

CAMP COUNSELOR POSITIONS AVAILABLE at Camp Weequahic, a co-ed children’s sleepaway camp in northeastern PA, about 1/2 hours from New York City. We will be at the University on Thursday, February 9th, for the Summer Job Fair, and will be happy to meet with you there. Positions are available for all areas of sports, including tennis, gymnastics, baseball, softball, roller hockey, golf, basketball, soccer, lacrosse and others, as well as waterfront, including swimming, canoeing, sailing, windsurfing and waterskiing.

We will pay for training and certifications where required. Other positions may be available in hobby areas such as archery, dance, aerobics, theater, piano accompanist, rocketry, woodworking and ceramics. We also need a nurse (either LPN or RN) and will help you to obtain the PA license. Salaries start at $200 per week, plus room, board and travel expenses. Please visit our website at: www.weequahic.com for more information and to FILL OUT AN ONLINE APPLICATION. You may also contact us by e-mail at newsweeq@aol.com. Please be sure to leave a phone number, including area code, where we can reach you. We will contact you prior to the 9th to set up an appointment to meet with you at Camp Day.

!BARTENDING!

Up to $300/day.

No experience necessary. Training Provided. Age 18+ ok. 800-965-6520 x 157.

RANCH HAND: a jack of all trades. Efficient and dependable. Apply online at www.texasarabianhorses.com.

HELP WANTED DIRECT CARE STAFF for group homes. San Marcos area. Call 830-372-0276 or apply at 1575 N. Austin, Seguin

THE SAN MARCOS PARKS AND RECREATION DEPARTMENT needs energetic individuals to work Spring Break Madness Camp (March 13-17, 2006). Hours are 7:30am-5:30pm. Call Lisanne Foster at 393-8283 for more information or to set up an interview. Application deadline is Feb. 15. E-mail: foster_lisanne@ci.san-marcos.tx.us.

TEACHERS NEEDED: PT immediate openings. Quality child development center in Kyle. Early Ed. Majors or experience a plus (not required).

2:30-6:30 Monday-Friday 512-405-3700 or 512-405-3701. www. rockinghorseacademy.com.

NOW HIRING SERVERS!!!

Rockfish Seafood Grill, Stassney Lane in South Austin exit 228 and take a left open interviews 2-4pm M-TH.

CHARTER AIRLINE seeking part-time flight attendants. Contact Chris at (512) 353-2379, or e-mail resume to chris@berryaviation.com.

HAVE THE SUMMER OF YOUR LIFE at a prestigious coed sleepaway camp in the beautiful Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania 2 1/2 hours from NYC. We’re seeking counselors who can teach any Team & Individual Sports, Tennis, Gymnastics, Horseback Riding, Mt. Bike, Theatre, Tech Theatre, Circus, Magic, Arts & Crafts, Pioneering, Climbing Tower, Water Sports, Music, Dance, Science, or Computers. Kitchen and maintenance positions also available. Great salaries and perks. Plenty of free time.

Internships available for many majors.

On-campus interviews on February 9th. Apply online at www.islandlake. com Call 800-869-6083 between 9 and 5 eastern time on weekdays for more information .

MISCELLANEOUS WE PAY UP TO $75 per online survey. www.cashtospend.com

ATHLETIC, OUTGOING MEN for calendars, greeting cards, etc $75-200/hr, no exp. needed, (512)684-8296.

MISCELLANEOUS SUMMER INTERNSHIP AVAILABLE: Summer Internships ($10.00/hr). Positions available in the Planning and Recreation departments of Community Associations of The Woodlands. Students should be working towards an undergraduate or graduate degree in the Recreation, Parks, and Tourism or related field.

Candidates must pass an extensive background check and pre-employed drug screen. Resumes may be mailed or applications may be submitted to: Community Associations of The Woodlands, 2201 Lake Woodlands Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77387, Attn: HR/SA. Fax 281-210-3970 or email hr@catw-tx.org. For more information, visit our web-site at www.thewoodlandsassociations.org.

ROOMMATES FEMALE ROOMMATE NEEDED. 2/2 apartment with W&D, $380/mo., 1/2 bills pd, on bus route. Call (512) 618-9498.

ROOMMATE WANTED 3/2 house, $300/mo plus utilities, call if interested 361-688-8629

WANTED WANTED: USED CARS, TRUCKS, VANS. Any condition.

Running or not. If you have something to sell please call Willis Mitchell. 512-353-4511.

Let us know where you would like to see The Star on-campus and in San Marcos.

Email starad1@txstate.edu with your suggestions.

SPORTS

sports snortsquotes from the sports world

THE UNIVERSITY STAR

“He burst through a few bunkers back toward the tee around the fifth green where a couple of our players were putting out. He jumped out of the truck and ran off with his bag and his shotgun with the police chasing him. He went through the window of a house beside the course.”

— Alex Johnston, director of golf for the New South Wales Golf Association, on a situation where a stolen truck crashed onto the course at the Australian National Amatuer Championship on Sunday. (Source: ESPN News)

Tuesday, February 7, 2006 - Page 8

Sports Contact — Miguel Peña, starsports@txstate.edu

Men’s basketball team extends losing streak to nine games

By Chris Boehm The University Star It’s tough to make things much worse when you’re riding a seven-game losing streak, but the Bobcats did just that during the weekend.

Texas State (2-17) relinquished double-digit leads on Thursday and Saturday, dropping contests to Southeastern Louisiana and Nicholls State, respectively. The winless stretch now sits at nine games.

Saturday, the Bobcats fell 6966 to Nicholls State when Antwoine Blanchard’s last-second three-pointer missed long, making Texas State 0-8 in Southland Conference play.

“It’s just about mental preparation now,” said head coach Dennis Nutt. “It’s just a tough job getting these guys to believe in themselves. We’ve got to have that veteran leadership in the second half when it’s time to stop these runs.”

Texas State called a timeout with 11 seconds in the game, down by three points and in possession of the ball.

Center Trevor Cook missed a three-pointer, which Blanchard rebounded before throwing up one last desperation shot.

Thursday, the Lions, 11-10, trailed 33-17 at halftime before finding holes in the Bobcats’ defense and snapping away a 68-60 victory.

SLU forward Quennel Green found his rhythm in the second half, when he scored all 13 of his points and shot three of six from beyond the arc.

“SLU did a good job moving around,” Nutt said. “But our defense was not getting to those

passes as quickly as we did in the first half, and they took advantage of it.”

Texas State started quickly on offense, using movement to create open lay-ups for Blanchard and company.

“Antwoine played well in the first half, as did all of them,” Nutt said. “He kept us in control, and was good on defense as well. I was proud of his effort, but he got a little sloppy in the second half.”

The guard registered a teamhigh 18 points on a night when Dotson failed to score 20 for the first time in four games.

“They did a good job pushing him off the block,” Nutt said.

“He got a little too far out there where he wasn’t comfortable. I thought he was just a step out of where he needed to be.”

Charles Dotson led the Bobcats on Saturday with 22 points.

Jushay Rockett hit an early jumper to put his team up 168 against SLU, the start of a 12-4 rally that concluded with Blanchard hitting two free throws.

“The energy was really good the first half,” Nutt said. “We had it in our hands. I though we were pretty patient on offense, and were able to get the shots we wanted.”

Texas State shot just 30 percent in the second half, compared to 65 in the first, as the Lions went on a 15-3 run to erase the Bobcats’ lead.

“For whatever reason, our second half was just totally the opposite,” Nutt said. “The effort was different. The tide really turned after halftime.”

Down 42-40, Texas State tied

the score right back, on a jumper from Rockett. Joseph Polite and Ricky Woods answered for the Lions by hitting two quick field goals. The forward Woods notched a game-high 21 points.

Freshman Jason Rogers finished second on the Bobcats with 12 points, hitting all seven attempts from the charity stripe.

Texas State again jumped out to an early lead.

With 8 minutes and 28 seconds left in the first half and the Bobcats up 23-17, Jushay Rockett (10 points) started an 11-2 run by hitting one of two free throws.

Texas State next scored six unanswered points on two Dotson free throws and a pair of lay-ups from Blanchard and Brandon Bush.

The Colonels rallied to within six just before halftime, but Texas State again came out firing in the final period.

The Bobcats scored the first eight points of the half, with Bush and Rockett hitting back-to-back threes. Bush then capped the run by taking a defensive rebound the length of the court for a lay-up.

Texas State would push the lead to 49-35 before losing control of the ballgame. With the score 57-49 following a Chris Langhorne jumper, the Bobcats missed their next seven shots as NSU took a three-point lead of which it would never lose hold.

Trevor Cook narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with 10 points, nine rebounds and two blocks.

Texas State will return to action 7:05 p.m. on Wednesday at Lamar.

DOWN TO THE WIRE: Junior forward Charles Dotson (34) goes up for one of his 22 points in Texas State’s disappointing 69-66 loss to conference rival Nicholls State on Saturday.

Mark Decker/Star photo

Weight of nation at risk because of super-sized Super Bowl smorgasbord Now that you’ve in front of the TV for lunch and had more than 3,000 turn on ESPN for the few mincalories of chips, salutes it took me to eat. Of course, sa, guacamole, burgit never failed that some two-bit ers, popcorn, hot dogs analyst was talking about what and, of course, beer, the game would boil down to and how do you feel? what the players would be feeling Watching the Late inside.

Show with David Every one of them predicted a CHRIS BOEHM Letterman two days tightly contested showdown, and, Sports Columnist before the big game, lo and behold, it wasn’t.

I was informed that This over-hyping of Super Bowl Super Sunday comes in as the No. 2 XL isn’t new, nor is there one person day in the country in terms of pounds to blame. of food consumption.

It’s not really that big a deal, but I As most would guess, Thanksgiving for one was tired of it, and glad just took the top spot. to watch the game. Two weeks is too Letterman went on to say 30 millong, but money is the bottom line. lion pounds of snack foods would be That’s why the NFL used 108 footeaten, 8 million alone in tortilla chips. balls Sunday, at the price of playabilThe host’s response to these facts? ity. Perhaps Jeremy Stevens really was “That’s crazy.” shaken by the words and pressure the I second Letterman’s conclusion, Steelers’ Joey Porter put on him, but but it really comes as no surprise he wasn’t the only one dropping balls. when we think about what we’re dealThe new footballs obviously would ing with here: the National Football have been slicker than a game-used League, an organization bred on exone, hence the sacrifice of gamescess and overindulgence. manship for a few extra bucks to the The game turned out to be OK, league. with the Steelers taking advantage of I love football as much as the next the mental and physical mistakes Seguy, and the game itself was enjoyable attle left strewn on the field. as usual, but we can do away with the After all was said and done, I weeks of hype, the sad interest in the couldn’t help but think: I waited two commercials and the halftime perweeks for this? I guess I’m just not a formances from over-the-hill gangs. fan of all the, well, fanfare.

(Note to NFL: Next year get a vocalist Every day for the past two weeks, who can make it all the way through when I would get out of class and get two songs.) back to my apartment, I’d settle down But that’s what the NFL is about:

A.D. Brown/Star feature photo SUPER-SIZED: Super Bowl Sunday gives over-eaters and health nuts a good excuse to over-indulge on fatty, greasy foods.

more, more, bigger and more. That’s why you have 300-pound former linemen (many of whom qualify as medically obese) dying shortly after their

mid-life crisis, as was the case this past August, when former 49ers guard Thomas Herrion collapsed during an exhibition game.

In a story reported on ESPN.com, a Scripps Howard News Service study revealed that 28 percent of former pro football players born in the last century who qualified as obese died before their 50th birthday, more than twice as often as their lighter teammates.

Clearly, bigger is not always better.

The study went on to say that only 10 percent of deceased players born from 1905 to 1914 qualified as obese while active, whereas today 56 percent of current NFL players are categorized as such.

The article included a statement from NFL spokesman Greg Aiello: “The issue of obesity in our society transcends sports and must be dealt with in a comprehensive, responsible way.”

He’s got a point, but one that resonates little with our society. It’s ironic that through this all, when we as a nation are more concerned with healthy dieting than ever before, Super Sunday still serves as an excuse to gorge all day, before, during and after the game.

I know people see professional football players as role models, but do we have to weigh as much as them too?

It’s fitting that in a country such as ours, one of excess and gluttony, our favorite sport (sorry, baseball fans) shares those same qualities — qualities that for better or worse are to stay.

And I choose the latter outcome, but hey, I was never one for pep rallies either.