Baseball Begins Baseball takes home three wins and one loss in Texas-Arlington’s weekend tournament SEE SPORTS PAGE 8
Music in History George’s will host jazz concert as final event of Black History Monty SEE TRENDS PAGE 6
Defending the First Amendment since 1911
www.UniversityStar.com
february 25, 2009
WEDNESDAY
Volume 98, Issue 55
ASG passes legislation over introductory student camp By Teresa Wilburn News Reporter Incoming Bobcats might want to start packing their bags before the end of summer. Freshmen and transfer students will now have the opportunity to attend a weekend camp out focusing on the pride and traditions of the university. ASG members passed the legislation at their meeting Feb. 16. “Cat Camp is the only program at Texas State that will
be completely dedicated to our university’s history, points of pride and traditions,” said ASG Sen. Tommy Luna. “It gives freshmen the ability to interact one on one with outstanding campus leaders.” Luna said the camp’s off-campus setting is unique because it will bring together Texas State leaders and incoming freshmen in a setting with bountiful potential — building rapport and friendship among all who attend. “It really is one of a kind,” he
said. The program will be held in Wimberley at Camp Young Judea, featuring multiple basketball courts, a mess hall and a pool area with slides built by Schlitterbahn. Luna, Residence Hall Association president, said this year’s pilot program will allow for a maximum of 300 people until expansion. He said the camp will run in two, three day sessions with 150 students each. Attending Cat Camp will cost
$150. Luna said The Texas State Pride and Traditions committee have been trying to keep all students in mind by working on scholarships and an extended payment plan. “The curriculum for the program ranges from learning the fight song and alma mater to learning about our prominent alumni,” Luna said. “These are the things that most of our student body lacks, which is something that we cannot allow to continue.” Luna said Texas State is on
the road to vast expansion and growth and to becoming one of the most prominent universities in the nation. “This legislation is great,” said ASG Sen. Colter Ray. “It is something that we definitely need to compete in (with) the direction that the university is going. If you look at someone who has gone off to Texas A&M, they go to Fish Camp and come back in love with their university. It is a great thing.” Texas A&M holds Fish Camp every summer with more than 6,000
freshmen yearly. It takes place in Palestine and is a four-day event. Texas Tech has “Red Raider Orientation,” and Tarleton State University has “Duck Camp.” Ray said the camp is important for transfer students who might be lost when they arrive at Texas State. “As a transfer student, you get here, you see an adviser, you sign up for classes and you’re on your own,” Ray said. “My girlfriend See CATS CAMP, page 3
Texas State students make new friends Texas State officials reach toward larger minority enrollments By Erica Rodriguez News Reporter
The student body is becoming more colorful. The semester marks record enrollment numbers at Texas State with double digit increases among minorities. “We, at this institution, have been very aggressive in our outreach efforts to connect — especially among groups who have traditionally not gone to college at the same rate as their white counterparts,” said Michael Heintze, associate vice president of enrollment management. Heintze attributes the growth to changing demographics, targeted recruitment and retention efforts. Minority enrollment increases were concentrated among black and Hispanic populations with increases of 12 and 10.2 percent, respectively. Asian populations experienced the highest percentage change at 13.5 percent, but not in terms of actual numbers. American Indian enrollment absorbed the least growth, increasing only 10.1 percent. Heintze said the majority of spring semester increases often come from transfer students at community colleges, but is only one facet of the boost. Admissions recruiters strategically located in the Rio Grande Valley, Dallas, Houston and San Antonio work to identify “majority minority” schools from which to recruit talent. The admissions office organizes free visitation trips and busses in high school students from as far away as the Valley, who may be the first in their family to attend college. “One part of the equation is recruiting the students, the other part of the equation is retaining them,” said Jose Laird, associate director of undergraduate admissions. Retention is at an all-time high. Last semester the university reported a record high 77.6 percent retention rate for freshmen students. Black freshmen in the College of Fine Arts and Communication led the way for all students with a 92.6 percent retention rate.
Lindsey Goldstein/Star photo BEST BUDS: Wes Donaldson, excersise and sports science sophomore, and Robert Haris, paired by the Best Buddies program spend time together in the San Marcos bowling alley.
By Chase Birthisel News Reporter The bowling alley doors opened Monday to an interesting pair. Wes Donaldson and Robert Haris, an intellectually challenged 38 year old, walked in. Haris has his bowling ball and shoes in his hands. “I’m better than him,” Haris said, eager to play. Haris and Donaldson, exercise sports science sophomore, are a part of Best Buddies, an organization on campus bringing together college students and intellectually challenged adults around the San Marcos area. Volunteers dedicate time to taking their buddies to do activities such as bowling, eatingout or having fun for a few hours at the park. “You contact them at least twice a week, either by e-mail or phone just to see how they’re doing,” Donaldson said. “You make a com-
mitment to hanging out with them at least once a month to do something one-on-one with them.” Haris and Donaldson are regulars at the bowling alley. Haris said he is in a league that meets one Sunday a month. He said he won first place in his last tournament. The two have been “buddies” since Donaldson signed onto the organization his first semester at Texas State. Haris speaks of what he thinks of Donaldson as his buddy. “He needs to clean up, and then he would be OK.” Haris said smiling. Donaldson laughs and pats Haris on the back. “He always tells me to get a hair cut,” Donaldson said. Donaldson is the relationship coordinator of the organization and Haris is the buddy director. “He is the lead buddy and goes to all the officer meetings to give us his input,” Donaldson said.
Haris is active in Best Buddies and does what he can to help the organization. “I live in the Springtown Villas and I go around to places at that shopping center and ask them for donations,” Haris said. Donaldson said Haris’ contributions to the organization are significant. “Haris will go to different restaurants and tell them about our organization and try to get them to donate,” Donaldson said. “Robert is really good at getting donations. They usually give us gift certificates and it helps when we do raffles.” Donaldson said he has been helping people with disabilities since he was in high school. “I was involved with a group home for severely disabled children in San Antonio,” Donaldson said. “When I came to college, I was looking for something along those
tracks, because I really enjoyed doing that. I saw a flier at the library and decided to give that a try.” Donaldson went to James Madison High School with Devon Quevedo, interdisciplinary studies sophomore, and the Texas State Best Buddies director. Donaldson told Quevedo about the organization. “Donaldson found the flier in the library,” Quevedo said. “I really wanted to find something that incorporated my major into an extra-curricular activity. Now, in my sophomore year, I’m the director.” Quevedo said the group has about 20 active members in Best Buddies, with six to eight consistent pairs. She said both the college students and the buddies benefit from the experience. “The buddies look forward to it a lot, and so do we,” Quevedo said. “All of our buddies are amazing. They’re
See MINORITIES, page 3
See BUDDIES, page 3
Students may not be fully utilizing dining halls By Lora Collins News Reporter
The freshmen class is growing, though their appetite might not be. John Root, director of auxiliary services, said students are not fully utilizing the dining halls. “Right now, we do not have any place where we can say we are really overloaded to the point of critical,” Root said. “I think at this point, in terms of facilities, we have enough; I think it is whether or not we are getting the most out of those facilities.” Leslie Bulkley, Chartwells resident district manager, said the dining halls do not reach capacity levels. “There is not one day that I have been into one of our locations where
there have not been seats available,” Bulkley said. The freshman class totaled 4,728 in fall 2008, adding to the university’s already dense population. Bulkley, however, said the increase in students required an extension of dining hours. “We are opening different venues as we see needed,” Bulkley said. “Just last week, we decided to open Freshens at The Den to allow students to have something different in the morning, but it also accommodates the increase in the population of students by opening one more venue in the morning.” Bulkley said increasing venues by an extra hour each day helps students get more out of their meal plans.
Today’s Weather Partly Cloudy
84˚
Precipitation: 10% Humidity: 55% UV: 5 Moderate Wind: S 15 mph
Root said the students are choosing retail locations such as The Den and the LBJ Student Center over the all-you-can eat dining. He said students do not realize they have multiple options. “Jones is a prime example of a place that could probably absorb more students,” Root said. “Students come to the LBJ Student Center and they will stand in line here, but they could have gone down to Jones and gotten something there.” He said marketing issues is at the heart of some of the problems. “Part of that is our issue of getting that word out,” Root said. “I think sometimes with the commuter student, which is still 80 percent of our campus, there is this perception that their din-
ing is the LBJ Student Center and The Den, and the resident students have Commons, Harris and Jones.” Emily Kridler, undecided health professions freshman, said she has no problem finding access to all dining hall locations. However, she said the repetition of eating the same foods bothers her. “I think the (dining halls) are pretty good,” Kridler said. “I have thought of things that I wish they had, but for the most part I just eat salad and sandwiches. I do eat the same thing over and over, and it gets old.” Alicia Shugart, exercise and sports science senior, disagrees, saying the campus food is just “college food” and does not often fit into her diet. “I don’t eat on campus a lot because
Two-day Forecast Thursday
Friday
AM Clouds/PM Sun Temp: 83°/57° Precip: 10%
Partly Cloudy Temp: 82°/49° Precip: 10%
of it,” she said. Root said the main concern of development is replacing the Zataran’s restaurant venue located in The Den. He said they do not service enough students per day to keep the location open. “We need to get something in Zataran’s, maybe we could put in a convenience store type of thing,” Root said. “Hopefully if we change, we may serve (more students).” Root expressed the need to get students to visit more locations and said the only major changes may take place with the renovation of new housing. “They are talking long term, I think within five years, they are looking at the Smith Arnold buildings to build a new housing complex, and that may include a new dining hall,” Root said.
Inside News............ 1,2,3 Opinions............. 5 Trends................. 6
Texas State University-San Marcos is a member of the Texas State University System
Diversions..............7 Classifieds............7 Sports...................8
To Contact Trinity Building Phone: (512) 245-3487 Fax: (512) 245-3708 www.UniversityStar.com © 2009 The University Star