02 07 2013 Section A

VOLUME 102, ISSUE 52

www.UniversityStar.com

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THURSDAY GO NE ONLI NOW

FEBRUARY 7, 2013

To Catch a Vandal University Police Department Capt. Daniel Benitez talked about graffiti and vandalism incidents on campus. To learn more, visit UniversityStar.com.

Open Door session allows varied feedback

DAMAGE CONTROL

By Minerva Hernandez-Garcia News Reporter University President Denise Trauth spoke with nine students during her Open Door session Wednesday about topics ranging from sustainability to Texas State’s buses.

The Open Door session is held once per semester.

Joanne Smith, vice president for Student Affairs, attended the student meetings with Trauth. Each student received private one-on-one time to discuss individual issues with the administrators. Trauth said this was a bigger turnout than in previous sessions.

Ashley Mendoza, health care administration senior, is a commuter from Austin who takes a Bobcat Tram Interurban bus from the Highland Mall stop to campus. Mendoza said she attended the session to talk to Trauth about the cancelation of the bus service.

“I’m here to complain about the (interurban tram) being shut down,” Mendoza said. “Apparently they did a survey, but when people took it, they thought it was to improve buses.”

Smith said students had a lot of their questions about the service cancelation answered at Monday’s Associated Student Government meeting.

Several students attended the session to discuss sustainability issues. Many were interested in agriculture, sustainable energy, solar panels and recycling.

Dag Osorio and Charles Hoitt, agricultural education graduate students, both attended the session to speak with Trauth about the Students’ Sustainable Farm.

The Students’ Sustainable Farm program offers land for participants to grow crops. It provides research opportunities to all students, faculty, staff and the community, but the program is in jeopardy because the property is being sold, Osorio said.

“We’re trying to develop the curriculum for agriculture and develop research and education for the future of Texas State,” Osorio said.

Steve Riggs, agricultural education master’s student, attended the session. He discussed with Trauth how the agriculture and sustainability departments can work together.

Riggs additionally told Trauth the Department of Agriculture is losing the ability to do physical work because of the sale of the Students’ Sustainable Farm.

“Without facilities, we’re just theorists,” Riggs said.

Tom Gleason, geography senior, spoke with Trauth about installing solar panels in the university’s buildings.

“At the end of the day, it all comes down to funding,” Gleason said. “Money’s tight, but (Trauth is) going to look into the issue.”

Gleason said he also talked to Trauth about the growth of the university. He said Trauth told him Texas State is attempting to manage the abundant growth it is experiencing.

Duy Le, sustainability studies graduate student, said he talked to Trauth about bringing recycling into the football stadium. Le said Trauth told him to write a proposal to accomplish this.

“I walked away with a little bit of hope,” Le said.

Chandler Sparks, biology senior, spoke with Trauth about Cats in Action.

“Cats in Action is an organization dedicated to raising awareness about giving back as a student and an alumni, and the difference that those donations can

READ OPen door, PAGE 3

Austin Humphreys, Photo Editor

Mike Machado, maintenance employee, removes graffiti from the rear of the Trinity building. Facilities workers remove the graffiti as quickly as possible.

Graffiti removal costs university time, resources

By Minerva Hernandez-Garcia News Reporter Vandals have repeatedly left their mark on the Texas State campus in graffiti, which is both illegal and costing the university manpower and money to clean up, officials said.

In recent months the word “look” is being tagged around campus, and the University Police Department is looking to find the individual or individuals responsible.

By Taylor Tompkins Assistant News Editor Police arrested a 20-year-old Austin man Wednesday for the murder of Arthur Martinez, who died early Sunday after being stabbed at a party in San Marcos.

Brelyn Javon Sorrells was arrested shortly after 5 p.m. and was charged with first-degree murder, with the possibility of

its investigation. A crew is then sent to clean or paint over the graffiti, depending on the tag.

Chalk graffiti, for example, is normally cleaned with a water solution, he said. However, the “look” graffiti is paint.

“If it’s paint that’s washable, we water blast it off,” Guerra said. “If it’s something really hard to get off, we might have to paint over it.”

The type of paint used in the graffiti determines the removal

READ graffiti, PAGE 3

Pipe leak damages Mitte classrooms

By Taylor Tompkins Assistant News Editor A pipe leading to a sink in a printmaking classroom leaked through two floors of the Joann Cole Mitte Art Building Wednesday morning.

Michael Niblett, director of the School of Art and Design, said water leaked through the printmaking classroom on the fourth floor into

Alleged murderer arrested after San Marcos stabbing

Photo courtesy of City of San Marcos

UPD Captain Daniel Benitez said the first case of graffiti was reported in October 2012, and the end of January 2013 had the most recent.

Benitez said UPD takes a photo of the tags and documents them before having workers from the Facilities Department remove the graffiti, which is done as quickly as possible.

Juan Guerra, associate vice president of Facilities, said the department takes a look at the graffiti once UPD finishes

additional charges being filed later. Sorrells is being held at Hays County Law Enforcement Center on a $750,000 bond, according to a city press release.

Sorrells is accused of stabbing Martinez at a house party at 704 Allen Street after the pair got into an altercation, said City Spokewoman Melissa Millecam.

There is no information regarding why Sorrells and Martinez were arguing.

Martinez was transported to Central Texas Medical Center, where he died from the wounds shortly after 1 a.m.

Police were sent to the scene at approximately 12:30 a.m. for a noise complaint and encountered a crowd of about 300 people at the home, the press release said.

Police discovered the weapon used in the attack after obtaining a search warrant for the home. Millecam said she could not identify what the weapon was.

Police conducted interviews to determine what parties were involved. The interviews led police to obtain a search warrant for Sorrells’ Austin residence approximately 8 hours after the incident.

San Marcos Police Chief Howard Williams said in the release there were many inconsistent statements from witnesses, and the investigation uncovered additional victims.

the computer lab directly below it.

The water then leaked into a drawing lab on the second floor, Niblett said.

Katrina Barber, communication design senior, said she found the leak at approximately 7:10 a.m. Barber said the leak was coming from a pipe that wasn’t correctly tightened.

She said there was a bucket under the leak, which had overflowed.

“I noticed I was standing in about two inches of water,” Barber said.

Barber said she called the University Police Department because it was early in the morning. She said an officer arrived at about 8 a.m. to fix what he could before calling a maintenance worker.

Niblett said the computers from the third floor lab were moved, and IT services is assessing the damages.

Clear Springs Apartment Complex to be closed for eventual demolition

By Amanda Ross News Reporter The Clear Springs apartment complex will be closing its doors to tenants in May and eventually be torn down to extend Sewell Park.

The Department of Housing and Residential Life announced last spring the university-owned complex would conclude leases by May. The complex, located on Aquarena Springs Drive next to Sewell Park, is closing because it is not in compliance with fire codes. Roseanne Proite, director of the department, said last April it would be cost prohibitive to add the necessary precautionary equipment to bring the apartments to code. Proite said Clear Springs will remain standing until funds can be gathered to demolish it.

Proite said the department will be tasked with clearing out appliances and shutting off utility services as soon as residents move out in May. Water services will be turned off in most areas of the complex, with minimal electricity left on, she said.

Proite said securing the empty building and making sure it does not look abandoned will be a challenge.

“We can’t just board it up because it

is right on the corner of the university,” Proite said. “We still have to think about making sure it looks good and appropriate.

Hopefully it won’t be left for very long, but we simply don’t know when that’s going to be.”

The most difficult aspect of closing the complex will be keeping it secure and free of squatters, Proite said.

“We certainly don’t want anyone going in and doing anything that would be harmful to themselves or others or to the property itself,” Proite said.

Proite said when the decision was made to close the complex last spring, she was unsure if it would be torn down. Her reasoning was it is located in an environmentally sensitive area. The 100-unit complex sits on a protected plot of land that includes parts of the San Marcos River.

Lendon Gilpin is assistant director for education at the Edward’s Aquifer Research and Data Center. Gilpin said five known endangered species currently live in the San Marcos River, and demolition on the land could be harmful to them.

“The major threat to all of these species is loss of their habitat,” Gilpin said. “If we

READ clear springs, PAGE 3

A2 | Thursday February 7, 2013 | The University Star

PAGE TWO

ON THIS

DAY IN

Check out more at UniversityStar.com

wild art

CRIME

BLOTTER

HISTORY

Jan. 15, 12:00 a.m.

Clear Springs Apartments Forgery with check, credit card and debit A student reported that someone was using her checks without consent. This case is under investigation.

1944 - Germany launched a counteroffensive at Anzio, Italy, during World War II.

Jan. 15, 7:30 a.m.

Admissions parking lot Striking an unattended vehicle A non-student reported their vehicle had been damaged while legally parked. This case is under investigation.

1948 - Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower resigned as Army chief of staff and was succeeded by Gen. Omar Bradley.

1962 - President John F. Kennedy imposed a full trade embargo on Cuba.

1964 - The Beatles arrived in New York for their first American tour, kicking off rock ‘n’ roll’s “British invasion.”

1974 - The island nation of Grenada won independence from Britain.

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

1986 - Haitian President-for-Life JeanClaude Duvalier fled his country, ending 28 years of family rule.

1990 - The Soviet Union’s Communist Party gave up its monopoly on power by agreeing to let other political parties compete for control of the country.

1991 - Jean-Bertrand Aristide was sworn in as Haiti’s first democratically elected president.

1992 - European Community members signed the Maastricht Treaty, which led to creation of the euro.

1995 - Ramzi Yousef, the alleged mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, was arrested in Islamabad, Pakistan.

1999 - Jordan’s King Hussein died at age 63.

2011 - AOL Inc. announced the $315 million purchase of The Huffington Post website.

-Courtesy of the New York Times

John Casares, Staff Photographer

Tyrell Williams, exercise and sports science freshman, Katelyn Stephenson, psychology junior, and Brandi Davis, psychology freshman, practice Quidditch Feb. 6 near Peques.

library beat Romanian poet explores impact of integrating into American life This semester’s line-up of writers appearing at the Wittliff Collections begins Feb. 7 at 3:30 p.m. with visiting poet and translator Mihaela Moscaliuc. On Feb. 8 at 7:30 p.m., she will be at Texas State’s historic Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center in Kyle. Both events will include a reading by Moscaliuc, a brief questionand-answer session, a book signing and are free and open to the public. Books will be for sale by the University Bookstore and Barnes & Noble.

Born and raised in Romania, Moscaliuc came to the United States in 1996 to complete her graduate degree. Her first collection of poetry, “Father Dirt,” won the Kinereth Gensler Award and was published by Alice James Books in 2010. In these poems, she explores life in communist Romania and the difficulties of integrating this past into a new existence in a flawed America. Moscaliuc captures societal hardships and reveals their impact on ordinary families and their day-to-day lives. Using language that fuses narrative control with delicate lyric imagery, “Father Dirt” captivates with its strength and holds the reader with its steadiness.

Moscaliuc’s poems, translations and articles have appeared in various journals, including “The Georgia Review,” “New Letters,” “TriQuarterly,” and “Pleiades.” In 2003, her co-translation of Carmelia Leonte’s “Death Searches for You a Second Time” was published by Red Dragonfly Press. In 2011, she was honored with a Glenna Luschei Prairie Schooner Award. She received her doctorate in American Literature from the University of Maryland and has lectured on Eastern European American immigration literature, Roma and Gypsy culture, the writings of Paul Celan, and translation theory at universities in both the U.S. and in Europe.

This Lindsey Literary Series event is sponsored by the Burdine Johnson Foundation, the Wittliff Collections, the Katherine Anne Porter Literary Center and the Department of English. The Wittliff Collections are located on the seventh floor of Alkek Library. For the full calendar of free events at the Wittliff Collections, visit www.thewittliffcollections.txstate.edu.

—Courtesy of Jennifer Katherine Whalen

Jan. 15, 12:15 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Theft under $500 A student reported their personal property had been taken without consent. This case is under investigation.

Jan. 15, 12:56 p.m.

Bobcat Village Apartments Graffiti University property had been vandalized with graffiti. This case is under investigation.

Jan. 15, 1:00 p.m.

Student Recreation Center Theft under $500 A student reported their personal property had been taken without consent. This case is under investigation.

Jan. 15, 4: 30 p.m.

Family & Consumer Sciences Building Criminal mischief under $50 University property had been intentionally damaged. This case is under investigation.

-Courtesy of University Police Department

It makes you smarter.

The University Star | Thursday February 7, 2013 | A3

NEWS

graffiti

Check out more at UniversityStar.com

open door CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

process and cost. Guerra said if the paint is washable, it is very inexpensive to clean, costing “just a man-hour or two worth of effort.”

He said chalk washes off easily and doesn’t require much more than a water hose.

However, Guerra said paint can take several hours to remove depending on what kind it is and the amount that needs to be cleaned.

Facilities responded in 2012 to 94 requests for graffiti removal. The removal costs ranged from $26 to $853, he said.

Guerra said the crew cleans minor graffiti on the ground or in chalk, whereas building maintenance takes care of anything needing to be sandblasted or painted over.

“We take it down as quickly as we find it mainly to discourage others from doing the same thing,”

Guerra said.

Benitez said eight different tags have been reported so far. The tags have been reported on the Family and Consumer Science Building, San Jacinto Hall, the Student Recreation Center and more. Additionally, they have been reported at the Cogeneration Power and Chiller Plant, the lower Blanco Parking Garage, the Child Development Center, the Music Building and the Elm Street parking lot.

Benitez said graffiti takes away university resources because workers have to remove the tags in addition to their normal duties. Buying the materials to remove tags adds to the cost, he said.

“It’s just an unnecessary cost to the university,” Benitez said. “We could use (the money) for something else.”

UPD released a message

clear springs lose one species, we really don’t know what the effect on the rest of the ecosystem will be, quite honestly.”

Proite said the protection of the river and its ecosystems during the demolition is a top priority of the university.

“Once the funds have been identified, the land will be redeveloped and returned back to

through Crime Stoppers Jan. 24 seeking assistance in “identifying the individual(s) or tagger who uses these symbols and their unique signature mark to destroy State Property.”

Howard Williams, San Marcos police chief, said it is difficult to charge someone with tagging property because seldom does anyone witness the act.

“It takes so little time to walk up to a building, spray something on and walk away,” Williams said.

Williams said the punishment for graffiti depends on the damage done. If enough damage is done “dollarwise,” it could be considered a felony offense.

“Generally speaking, applying graffiti is a Class B misdemeanor,” Williams said. “It’s punishable by up to a $2,000 fine and up to six months in a county jail.”

CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1

more of a natural state,” Proite said.

The land will be considered an expansion of Sewell Park, but Proite said the property is unlikely to be a recreational area.

“There are some protected species,” Proite said. “So, I don’t know that the university wants it to be like the other side of the road where people jump in (the

river). I’m not exactly sure what the actual access to the river will be.”

Chris Demaree, undecided junior and Clear Springs resident, said he will miss the complex and its convenient location.

“It’s a great place to live. It’s got a great view, and it’s close to campus,” Damaree said. “So, I can walk everywhere.”

Sonja Burton, Staff Photographer

Clear Springs Apartments will be closing at the end of the semester to be demolished and eventually made part of Sewell Park.

make at Texas State,” Sparks said.

Sparks said the primary function of his session with Trauth was to plan the details of putting a new illuminating Victory Star atop Jackson Hall, a project called Lighting the Way. “She definitely wants to go about things in the most pro-

fessional and appropriate way that’s the best for the university as a whole,” Sparks said. “She was supportive as always.”“She definitely wants to go about things in the most professional and appropriate way that’s the best for the university as a whole,” Sparks said. “She was supportive as always.”

Newest fraternity stresses brotherhood, charitable efforts

By Wil Slade News Reporter Members of Texas State’s newest fraternity, Phi Kappa Tau, are eager to see their organization grow this semester.

As of the fall 2012 semester, Phi Kappa Tau is the newest social fraternity at Texas State.

According to the fraternity’s website, 1988 was the last time it had a chapter in Texas. The organization was brought back in September 2012, and the Phi Kappa Tau nationals are supporting recolonization efforts.

President Jeremy Wortham said he wants to make Phi Kappa Tau a top-tier fraternity at Texas State and to change the image of greek life while doing so.

According to their website, Phi Kappa Tau members prefer the word “fraternity” as opposed to “frat.” The latter, in their view, is a “social drinking club that is more likely to damage your individual merit than create any real value in your life.”

“The difference between a frat and a fraternity is that a fraternity has the brotherhood aspect,” Wortham said. “When you hear the word ‘frat’ it’s usually an organization that has already lost the philanthropy and the brotherhood.”

Wortham said his organization does not fit the stereotype of a modern college fraternity.

“We are really striving to create a group of close-knit guys

who also want to give back to the community,” Wortham said.

“While knowing how to have a good time, of course.”

Wortham said he hopes to see the fraternity reach 55 members by the end of next fall. Phi Kappa Tau has gained 35 members since September.

Consultants of Phi Kappa Tau had been pushing to bring the organization back to San Marcos for two years before receiving approval from the university’s administration.

Vincent Morton, associate dean of students, said university officials look at how an organization will contribute to the quality of life for Texas State students when considering whether to accept it. “(Fraternities) provide leadership opportunities,” Morton said. “There is a lot of community service these organizations bring to the campus.”

Andrew Henley, public administration senior, is an active member of Phi Kappa Tau. Henley said joining Phi Kappa Tau gave him the greek-life experience he was looking for when transferring to Texas State.

Henley said the greek-life experience slipped away from him after becoming involved in the Associated Student Government and other organizations at Texas State. Henley became a member of Phi Kappa Tau last September and will now be one of the first alumni of the chapter.

A4 | Thursday February 7, 2013 | The University Star

OPINIONS

For more viewpoints or letters to the editor, e-mail staropinions@txstate.edu

Kara Ramer, Star Illustrator

Construction cheats West Campus residents

S

tudents living in West Campus dorms who are routinely and unfairly jolted awake to the sound of a jackhammer outside of their windows deserve compensation from the university.

Frustrated and unable to sleep, many of these students decide to begin their days early and flip on the light switch in their dorms but are left in almost complete darkness. They rummage through their belongings in limited light and head to the shower, but when they turn on the faucet, out comes a trickle instead of a steady stream of water. After these students endure a likely inadequate shower, they may step outside to head to class and encounter a cloud of dust, effectively negating the hygienic process anyway.

There are numerous students on campus who are claiming this scenario as their reality. Some Blanco and San Saba Hall residents are paying anywhere from an estimated $2,500 to $3,000 each semester to live in some of the more desirable dorms on campus. But now these

students have to deal with the ever-present inconvenience of the West Campus Housing Complex being erected right near the places they call home at Texas State—their dorms.

According to a Feb. 6 University Star article, Domonique GrayBerroa, political science freshman and member of Associated Student Government Freshman Council, created a proposal for the Department of Housing and Residential Life. The proposal states the residents of Blanco and San Saba halls are looking for a reimbursement of 20 percent of their housing fees.

Gray-Berroa, who is circulating a petition supporting the proposal, had collected 200 signatures by Jan. 31 when Freshman Council approved the item in favor of the reimbursement, according to the same article. If ASG passes the proposal, it will be forwarded to the university administration.

ASG needs to pass the reimbursement proposal as soon as possible. This is an issue university administrators need to take seri-

ously.

It is completely unfair that unsuspecting freshmen chose their dorms last spring without being properly alerted that construction could affect their quality of life once they arrived at Texas State.

Instead, Housing and Residential Life representatives held a meeting in the fall to alert students of the situation, according to the same article. Information on the construction should have been posted on the Facilities and Rates page of the campus housing website before the students moved in, which administrators have now promised to do.

Communication was additionally shoddy in alerting students to when utilities, such as water, electricity or air conditioning, would be shut off. Housing and Residential Life officials let students know of these circumstances by hanging up signs in the halls. The more appropriate and immediate way to alert students would be by email or by asking resident assistants to speak to students directly.

While a 20-percent reimburse-

ment seems more than fair for these inconvenienced students, it is unlikely that Housing and Residential Life officials will give them such an amount. If students have any hope of getting potential reimbursement, they need to band together and continue to pressure the administration. Texas State’s budget may be tight on cash, but so are the individuals who go to school here.

Freshmen may be the most vulnerable of the students on campus.

As they transition from high school to college, they need a safe, clean and healthy environment to make friends and study within – the conditions in and surrounding San Saba and Blanco halls are none of the above. The administration needs to acknowledge and address any issues brought about by construction projects. Housing and Residential Life representatives have already promised to take some steps, but students need to hold them accountable and ensure they follow through.

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 University-San Marcos.

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Opinions | The University Star | Thursday February 7, 2013 | A5

Star-studded cast to join upcoming football roster

By Alex Pernice Opinions Columnist

A

mid excitement surrounding the finalization of the Texas State football rosters, fans should be optimistic and gearing up to support the Bobcats this upcoming season.

News broke Jan. 27 from the Rivalsaffiliated BobcatReport Twitter account that former Notre Dame and Arkansas pledge Jamel James, cousin to NBA

star LeBron James, committed to Texas State during a scheduled visit. He will be teamed up with a few other big names on the current list of dedicated recruits, including running back C.J. Best. Best is cousin to NFL running back Jahvid Best, adding another bit of prestige to the commit list. James and Best, along with their other fellow commits, could make a huge impact on the field for the upcoming football season.

These additions to the team are extremely important and could help set the Bobcats on the right track in their opening season in the Sun Belt Conference. In its first Football Bowl Subdivision season, the football program ended its presence in the Western Athletic Conference on a 2-4 conference record.

In addition, Texas State scored big nonconference wins against the University of Houston and Stephen F. Austin. The

team also had stellar performances from senior quarterback Shaun Rutherford and senior running back Marcus Curry.

Other notable players include junior quarterback Tyler Arndt and redshirt freshman running back Tim Gay. Texas State football will truly be put to the test next fall when the team begins its experience in the Sun Belt Conference.

Franchione’s players will face a number of opponents, including 2012’s top Sun Belt teams Arkansas State, LouisianaLafayette and Middle Tennessee State.

All three held the Sun Belt’s top places in the conference’s final football statistics for the 2012 season.

According to statistics on recruiting lists from Yahoo’s Rivals website, Arkansas State may be the only threat to the success of Bobcat football. Out of its list of commits for the 2013 season, the Red Wolves have a total of 17 three-star rated

players. Compare this to Texas State’s eight three-star rated players. Middle Tennessee State had a total of six high-rated players on its list of football commits.

Louisiana-Lafayette’s Rivals page reports 20 commits for the 2013 season.

Bobcat football fans should be eager to head to Jim Wacker Field for the upcoming season. A new conference means new possibilities, and a fresh start could be what Texas State’s football program needs to become a true powerhouse. The gridiron action will be hotter than ever with an equal matchup between Texas State and Arkansas State along with solid game play from the rest of the 2013 Sun Belt lineup. This will be one football season nobody will want to miss.

--Alex Pernice is a mass communication sophomore.

Downtown Construction AGAINST

TALK IT OUT

FOR

By Alex Pernice Opinions Columnist

By Savannah Wingo Assistant Opinions Editor

The construction around campus could have been much better timed. San Marcos is in definite need of infrastructure improvements, but this construction is a complete bother to daily activities at Texas State. Not only has it put a serious kink in the Texas State tram system, but it has made traveling around campus a complete mess.

Local businesses are suffering from the increase in construction.

Construction has resulted in lower traffic to shops around The Square, which contributed to the closing of Dan’s Dollar Bookstore.

The construction could ultimately help businesses in the long run, but it will do more bad than good before it ends.

It would have been ideal if the road projects had been split up into shorter, more manageable chunks of work to ease the stress on the city. Unfortunately, it seems the city decided to accomplish too many much-needed projects in one fell swoop.

Recent construction efforts pose some inconveniences to residents and local businesses alike, but these projects are necessary in order for the city and school to grow. It is true construction around town and campus may congest traffic and make certain areas largely inaccessible during peak hours. However, residents and students should understand the importance of these projects.

San Marcos and Texas State together would stagnate without efforts to expand and improve existing structures, build new trafficrelieving routes and beautify the city further. These projects, while a hassle now, will improve the quality of residents’ and students’ lives for decades to follow.

Completion of these projects will bring more out-of-town visitors while making life easier for those already living here. While certain roads may be hard to access now, these areas will be more accessible than ever once construction is finished, allowing local businesses to flourish once again.

Armed guards not a reasonable option for schools

By Ravi Venkataraman Opinions Columnist

A

potential proposition to station armed guards at Texas State and other campuses across the nation would be an extreme measure that could have negative effects on students and financial budgets.

Wayne LaPierre, executive vice president of the National Rifle Association, discussed stationing officers during a Dec. 21, 2012 press conference in response to the school shooting in Newtown, Conn. He said, “I call on Congress today to act immediately, to appropriate whatever is necessary to put armed police officers in every school—and to do it now, to make sure that blanket of safety is in place when our children return to school in January.”

In America, there are more than 100,000 public schools and universities, according to 2008-2009 statistics from the U.S. Census Bureau. Close to one-fourth of the nation’s population—77 million out of 305 million people—attend some form of school, according to 2009 statistics from the same source. It would be a tall task to station multiple guards at every school in order to protect such a large amount of people. In his Dec. 21 press conference, even LaPierre acknowledged he was previously called “crazy” by the media for proposing the idea of armed guards in schools five years ago.

But let us imagine Congress does end up passing a law stating every school across the nation must have armed guards. What would this model look like in actuality?

A Dec. 21, 2012 USA Today article reported nearly 70 percent of public schools had no police officer present on campus each week in 2009-2010. A possible law mandating schools implement armed guards could end up creating at least 500,000 jobs through the addition of two to 10 new security positions per school. These estimations are based on the numbers of public schools and universities in the nation.

A May 31, 2011 estimate by the U.S. Department of Defense indicated there are 1,431,403 people serving in the U.S. armed forces. The government would have to basically create an army solely to protect students. Officials would potentially have to appropriate close to $8 billion annually for training and equipment, according to a Dec. 21 article by Marketplace, a public radio program.

The alternative to a government-run agency to protect students is the development of a large private sector, but this does not seem plausible. In the same USA Today article, it was estimated by the head of the National Association of School Resource Officers an armed guard could cost $80,000 a year. And the NRA intends to place multiple guards per school. Schools are already struggling to pay teachers and supply resources for learning. Placing the burden on individual schools or districts to get armed guards may create more problems than it solves, even if the entities are appropriated money for hiring.

Students might see recruitment fliers across campus if the federal or state government assumed responsibility for appointing guards. Sure, service veterans or trained personnel would be offered to

protect schools. However, it is doubtful there are more than 500,000 willing people of that stature readily available.

Recruitment efforts would be of the same nature as any other for the armed forces, which means they would mainly target young adults.

An extreme solution to fill the void could be compulsory enrollment in the armed services. Some efficient solutions to this problem are drafting a select amount of reserves, placing them in a short-term stint at a school and utilizing a revolving set of guards. Think of it as jury duty—except a person wields a gun and it lasts for a few months. This kind of solution could deeply impact many students negatively in both mental and psychological ways.

A number of school shootings have happened in the last year in Newtown, Lone Star College outside of Houston, Oikos University in Oakland, Calif., and Chardon High School in Ohio. Unfortunately, it would not be surprising if a negative, extreme law mandating armed guards at schools nationwide became a reality.

--Ravi Venkataraman is a creative writing master’s student.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR W

hen I graduated from the University of Texas-San Antonio, my Graduate Record Examinations scores and undergraduate GPA were decent enough to get me into the public school of my choice. I narrowed my options to the University of Texas, Texas State and Texas A&M. After visiting both geography departments and driving through College Station, the choice was obvious.

However, I was living in Austin, and my transportation situation was less than viable for such a consistent and lengthy commute. In researching my options, I discovered that Texas State offered a commuter bus that picked up at multiple stops in Austin and dropped off at The Quad. If the Bobcat Tram Interurban had not existed, I would not have chosen to attend Texas State. Since then, I've accepted its constant lateness, and I've put faith in drivers when the tram has been packed front to back. I was upset when

transportation services sneakily raised fees during the summer, but my attendance at Texas State would not have been possible without the tram services.

I will be graduated when the interurban tram is brought to an end, and I feel I owe this letter to those who may be in my situation but are pursuing four-year degrees. I sincerely hope that Ms. Nancy Nusbaum and her colleagues can reconsider their decision to terminate the Austin and San Antonio bus lines.

--Jason Wallace is a geographic info science masters student.

P

arking Services just announced that the cost of parking permits might increase between 8 and 135 percent, with commuters paying up to $115 and students living on campus paying up to $575. The reason permit prices may be going up is because Texas State administrators foolishly decided to build Speck Street Parking Garage and Matthews Street Parking Garage, two completely unnecessary garages, in 2008 and 2009. These decisions put Parking Services in tens of millions of dollars in debt.

At just a fraction of the cost, Texas State could have invested to make its campus the premier bicycle and pedestrianfriendly college in the country, rivaling even the University of California-Davis. Bike racks, sidewalks and bike trails could have been constructed, allowing students, faculty and staff safe and efficient travels to, from and throughout Texas State. It's also worth noting that to this day, there is not a single sidewalk that connects Texas State to downtown San Marcos.

Parking garages continue to be a nightmare. Traffic around campus gets worse every day.

Bus riders are packed tighter than sardines, if they are even

able to get on the bus. Commuters wait like vultures for a space to open, and pedestrians and bicyclists risk their lives trying to get to class. Now, Bobcat Tram services has announced it will discontinue its interurban services effective Aug. 26. This change is no doubt a ploy by Parking Services to force more students into purchasing parking permits.

Texas State administrators have done a great disservice to current and future Bobcats by keeping with the status quo of an automobile-dependent culture.

This culture is not only unfriendly, unsustainable and dangerous, but also costs, and will continue to cost, millions upon millions of dollars to maintain.

--Matt Akins is an alumnus and cofounder of The Bike Cave.

A6 | Thursday February 7, 2013 | The University Star | Advertisement