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february 19, 2009
Thursday
Volume 98, Issue 53
Texas State students advocate for construction funds at Capitol City Council
debates graffiti punishment By Theron Brittain Senior News Reporter
Alyssa Scavetta/Star photo LUNCHEON LEADERS: Student leaders gather around at the Omni Hotel in Austin for the Texas State University System Luncheon on Wednesday.
By Amanda Venable News Editor Texas State University System leaders congregated at the Capitol Wednesday with a specific goal in mind — lobbying for construction funds. Administrators and students joined forces, speaking to legislators about higher education priorities during the Texas State University System day. Eleven Texas State students visited House and Senate members, delivering gift bags and discussing the need for tuition-revenue bonds, a priority item for the university this legislative session. Tuition Revenue Bonds are used to improve or create new campus facilities. The bonds are funded from the state general appropriations and repaid by tuition increases University administrators hope legislators will appropriate the necessary funds to build a musical recital hall and theater center and health professions building. The buildings are projected to cost $60 million and $73 million, respectively. The Texas Legislature appropriated $1.86 billion in 2006 for tuition revenue bonds. Texas State received $42.7 million and $36 million for an undergraduate academic center and a Round Rock higher education center, respectively. The System requested $222 million in tuition revenue bond funding in
2006. It received $96.9 million. Chancellor Charles Matthews said he expects this year to be a “tuition revenue bond session,” but decisions will not be made until May. “This is the year they do it, if they do it,” Matthews said. “The body is split, some don’t want to do them because there is so much outstanding state debt, some want to. Probably, we are going to get some money from the federal government in the stimulus bill. But I am very optimistic about the revenue bonds — some will be done.” System Chairman Bernie Francis said prudent expenditure requests are being made, because he suspects it will be a “relatively modest to perhaps low tuition-revenue bond year.” “The times are strange right now,” Francis said. “I think the legislature is going to have a difficult time balancing what I call the ‘coming economic tsunami’ because it hasn’t hit us whole yet.” The “economic tsunami” has already hit other parts of the nation, which President Obama hopes can be energized with the economic-stimulus package enacted Tuesday. Matthews said the package will likely bring the system federal funding, however, it is not expected to be enough to cover the universities’ increasing growth. “If we freeze tuition, where is the money going to come from?” Matthews asked in regard to proposed
regulation bills. “We are just sharing those numbers with the Texas Legislature. We hope it’s enough money that we don’t have to raise tuition. God bless us if it comes to that.” Tuition relief was put on the backburner by some of Texas State student representatives Wednesday. Michael Flowers, ASG chief of staff, said rising tuition costs are on campus leaders’ “radar,” but are not a primary focus from “the Texas State University standpoint.” “At Texas State our bullet points are that we are concerned about the growing price of college tuition, and we are concerned about making college as affordable as possible,” Flowers said “We are also concerned with the future of our university and growing and expanding our university at the same time. It is very hard to balance both, though.” Flowers, alongside fellow ASG executives, is part of the Texas Student Association, an organization composed of campus leaders from universities statewide who come together in support of similar legislation. “We are pushing for the tuition-revenue bonds to get more funding from the state, so we don’t have to increase the costs allocated on the students,”
Police officials found themselves at odds with the City Council Tuesday over tackling graffiti crimes in San Marcos. An amendment proposed by the San Marcos Police Department would make possession of a graffiti implement illegal under certain circumstances. Officers would have the authority to issue citations for possession of spray paint cans, felt-tip markers, etching tools and other graffiti implements. “The act of graffiti takes a few seconds,” said Howard Williams, San Marcos police chief. “The possession carries on for a long time. This gives us the opportunity to intervene before they affix the graffiti or as they are moving from place to place to affix graffiti.” Williams said state law punishes the crime of affixing graffiti, but does not give officers authority to prevent the combination of circumstances leading to a graffiti crime. “We have no way to intervene until the damage is already done,” he said. The amendment would make it illegal to posses a graffiti implement on any public grounds, facilities or buildings when those areas are closed to the public. A person in possession of a graffiti implement within 10 feet of an underpass, overpass, bridge abutment, storm drain or similar type of infrastructure could be cited under the ordinance if an officer determines the person had intent to affix graffiti. Prohibitions against the possession of graffiti implements exist in Dallas, San Antonio, Rowlett and Bryan. Williams cited these examples, calling the amendment “the next step” in beefing up enforcement. “This gives us permission to find someone, under circumstances that would lead a reasonable officer to believe they were there for the purpose of affixing graffiti, and (the person) has the implements in hand to do so, to issue that person a citation and confiscate those implements,” he said. The ordinance revision met with opposition from council members concerned the new power would do more harm than good. Councilmember Kim Porterfield, Place 1, questioned the ability of police to establish intent. “We are required to demonstrate intent,” Williams said. He said officers would have to rely on their training to determine what constituted a permissible search. Councilmember Chris Jones, Place 4, was unconvinced the amendment was necessary. He said police have the power the enforce graffiti prohibitions. “I think our chief makes a huge assumption when he says an officer can walk up on individuals about to do this with a paint can and not do anything and they keep their paint can and come back another day,” Jones said. “If the education process is working and the police presence is there, I do not think this becomes a problem.” Daniel McCarthy, political science senior, spoke in opposition to the ordinance during the citizen comment period. “If there is no graffiti, there is no crime,” McCarthy
See LOBBY, page 4
See CITY COUNCIL, page 4
Program participants work toward decreasing tension between students, nonstudent residents By Brigette Botkin News Reporter
A program is working to restore the meaning of neighborly love. Joanne Smith, vice president of Student Affairs, presented the slogan “We are Texas State, We Are San Marcos” to the City Council Tuesday evening. Smith, Achieving Community Together co-chair, said she hopes the motto will help instill the idea “everyone is in this to-
gether.” Kim Porterfield, director of Texas State Community Relations, said Achieving Community Together is a collaborative project working to decrease tension in San Marcos. “This (program) is focused on fostering good relations between non-student residents and students,” Porterfield said. “We want students to be seen in a positive light and have an overall better community experience.” The program, a combined ef-
fort by the City, San Marcos Police Department and Texas State, is designed to educate all residents on how to co-exist. Grievances lodged against students by non-student residents include excessive noise and latenight disturbances, overcrowded parking on streets, lawns and sidewalks, litter issues and overall poor upkeep of rental properties. The program is designed to
EVOLVING PRESS: New York Times editor, Aaron Pilhofer speaks about new media within journalism at the LBJ Teaching Theater Wednesday. SEE FULL STORY PAGE 4
See ACT, page 4
Texas State may be first in state to offer learning disabilities teaching certification By Jordan Gass-Poore News Reporter
Alyssa Willis, pre-music freshman, plans on switching her major to special education in hopes of getting a certificate in autism education. “The portable (buildings) at Westlake High School in Austin serve as a reminder that there is a real need for teachers specialized in autism,” Willis said. Willis’ sister, Megan, is autistic. She attends school in a portable building beside Westlake
High School so she can be next to a bus stop. She rides the bus to and from school, because she will never be able to get her license. “Megan’s 22 years old. This will be her last year at Westlake because she doesn’t like the school,” Willis said. “It’s not necessarily the teachers. … It’s just she, and I, feel like she’s not getting the education she deserves.” The school helps intellectually and physically disabled students adapt into the world by teaching them life skills to ultimately help
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them obtain a job. “Megan wants to be an author, songwriter, singer. She wants to do it all,” Willis said. “She writes all the time, I mean, journals filled. She wants to be so many things and she should have teachers who know what they are doing when it comes to autism, so she can achieve her goals.” Willis is in luck because Faculty Senate discussed at Wednesday’s meeting how Texas State will be
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